THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA ad. 



1595- 

 garita : and having made relation to Don Juan Ser- 

 miento the governour, of his proceeding, and perswaded 

 him of the riches of Guiana, he obteined from thence 

 fifty souldiers, promising presently to returne to Cara- 

 pana, and so into Guiana. But Berreo meant nothing 

 lesse at that time ; for he wanted many provisions 

 necessary for such an enterprise, and therefore de- 

 parted from Margarita, seated himselfe in Trinidad, 

 and from thence sent his camp-master, and his sergeant- 

 major backe to the borders to discover the neerest 

 passage into the empire, as also to treat with the 

 borderers, and to draw them to his party and love ; 

 without which, he knew he could neither passe safely, 

 nor in any sort be relieved with victuall or ought els. 

 Carapana directed his company to a king called More- Morequito. 

 quito, assuring them that no man could deliver so 

 much of Guiana as Morequito could, and that his 

 dwelling was but five dayes journey from Macure- 

 guarai, the first civill towne of Guiana. 



Now your lordship shall understand, that this More- 

 quito, one of the greatest lords or kings of the borders 

 of Guiana, had two or three yeeres before bene at Cu- 

 mana and at Margarita, in the West Indies, with great 

 store of plates of golde, which he caried to exchange 

 for such other things as he wanted in his owne coun- 

 trey, and was dayly feasted, & presented by the 

 governours of those places, and held amongst them 

 some two moneths, in which time one Vides governour f^ides the go- 



of Cumana wanne him to be his conductour into ^"^'''^o^^' ^f 

 ^ . . . 11 1 1 1 • ^ J • Cumana com- 



Guiana, bemg allured by those croissants and images ^^^^7^;. ^/^^ 



of golde which hee brought with him to trade, as also Berreo in the 

 by the ancient fame and magnificence of El Dorado : conquest of 

 whereupon Vides sent into Spaine for a patent to dis- G«^^^^- 

 cover and conquer Guiana, not knowing of the pre- 

 cedence of Berreos patent, which, as Berreo affirmeth, 

 was signed before that of Vides : so as when Vides 

 understood of Berreo, and that he had made entrance 

 into that territory, and forgone his desire and hope, it 



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