AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1595- 



but the Captaine (who by the Spaniards was christened 

 Martin) I sent backe in the same Canoa the olde Ciawan, 

 and Ferdinando my first Pilot, and gave them both such 

 things as they desired, with sufficient victuall to cary them 

 backe, and by them wrote a letter to the ships, which they 

 promised to deliver, and performed it, and then I went 

 on, with my newe hired Pilot Martin the Arwacan : but 

 They come on the next or second day after, wee came aground againe 

 fheir'^alf^ with our Galley, and were like to cast her away, with all 

 our victuall and provision, and so lay on the sand one 

 whole night and were farre more in despaire at this time 

 to free her then before, because wee had no tide of 

 flood to helpe us, and therefore feared that all our 

 hopes would have ended in mishaps : but we fastened 

 an ancker upon the lande, and with maine strength 

 drewe her off: and so the fifteenth day wee discovered 

 afarre off the mountaines of Guiana to our great joy, 

 and towards the evening had a slent of a Northerly 

 winde that blewe very strong, which brought us in 

 sight of the great river Orenoque; out of which this 

 River discended wherein wee were : wee descried afarre 

 off three other Canoas as farre as wee could descerne 

 them, after whom wee hastened with our barge and 

 wherries, but two of them passed out of sight, and 

 the thirde entered up the great River, on the right 

 hande to the Westward, and there stayed out of sight, 

 thinking that wee meant to take the way Eastward to- 

 wards the province of Carapana, for that way the Spani- 

 ards keepe, not daring to goe upwards to Guiana, the 

 people in those parts being all their enemies, and those in 

 the Canoas thought us to have bene those Spaniards that 

 were fled from Trinidad, and had escaped killing : and 

 when wee came so farre downe as the opening of that 

 branch into which they slipped, being neere them with 

 our barge and wherries, wee made after them, and ere 

 they coulde land, came within call, and by our interpreter 

 tolde them what wee were, wherewith they came backe 

 [III. 648.] willingly abord us : and of such fish and Tortugas egges 



392 



