THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA ad. 



1595' 

 the same day, and with him many of the borderers, with 



many women and children, that came to wonder at our 



nation, and to bring us downe victuall, which they did 



in great plentie, as venison, porke, hennes, chickens, 



foule, fish, with divers sorts of excellent fruites and 



rootes, and great abundance of Pinas, the princes of 



fruites, that grow under the Sunne, especially those of 



Guiana. They brought us also store of bread, and of 



their wine, and a sort of Paraquitos, no bigger then 



wrennes, and of all other sorts both small and great ; 



one of them gave mee a beast called by the Spaniards 



Armadilla, which they call Cassacam, which seemeth to 



be all barred over with smal plates somewhat like to a 



Rinoceros, with a white home growing in his hinder 



parts, as bigge as a great hunting home, which they use 



to winde in stead of a trumpet. Monardus writeth 



that a little of the powder of that home put into the 



eare, cureth deafenesse. 



After this olde King had rested a while in a little 



tent, that I caused to bee set up, I beganne by my 



interpreter to discourse with him of the death of More- 



quito his predecessour, and afterward of the Spaniards, 



and ere I went any farther I made him knowe the 



cause of my comming thither, whose servant I was, 



and that the Queenes pleasure was, I should undertake 



the voyage for their defence, and to deliver them from 



the tyrannie of the Spaniards, dilating at large (as I had 



done before to those of Trinidad) her Majesties great- 



nesse, her justice, her charitie to all oppressed nations, 



with as many of the rest of her beauties and vertues, 



as either I could expresse, or they conceive : all which 



being with great admiration attentively heard, and mar- 



veilously admired, I beganne to sound the olde man as 



touching Guiana, and the state thereof, what sort of 



common wealth it was, how governed, of what strength 



and policie, howe farre it extended, and what nations 



were friendes or enemies adjoyning, and finally of the 



distance and way to enter the same : hee tolde mee that 



399 



