THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA ad. 



1595. 

 Epuremei, and the first towne of apparelled and rich 



people, and that" all those plates of gold which were 

 scattered among the borderers and caried to other 

 nations farre and neere, came from the sayd Macure- 

 guarai and were there made, but that those of the land 

 within were farre finer, and were fashioned after the 

 images of men, beastes, birds, and fishes. I asked him 

 whether hee thought that those companies that I had 

 there with me, were sufficient to take that towne or no ? 

 He told me that he thought they were. I then asked 

 him, whether he would assist me with guides, and some 

 companies of his people to joyne with us ? He answered 

 that he would go himselfe with al the borderers, 

 if the rivers did remaine foordable, upon this condition 

 that I would leave with him til my return againe fifty 

 souldierSj which hee undertooke to victuall : I answered 

 that I had not above fiftie good men in all there, the 

 rest were labourers and rowers, & that I had no pro- 

 vision to leave with them of powder, shot, apparell, or [III 655.] 

 ought else, and that without those things necessary for 

 their defence, they should bee in danger of the Spaniards 

 in my absence, who I knewe would use the same 

 measure towards mine, that I offered them at Trinidad: 

 And although upon the motion Captaine Calfield, Cap- 

 taine Greenvile, my nephew John Gilbert and divers 

 others were desirous to stay, yet I was resolved that 

 they must needes have perished, for Berreo expected 

 daylie a supply out of Spaine, and looked also hourely 

 for his Sonne to come downe from Nuevo reyno de 

 Granada, with many horse and foote, and had also in 

 Valencia in the Caracas, two hundreth horse ready to 

 march, and I could not have spared above fortie, and 

 had not any store at all of powder, leade, or match to 

 have left with them, nor any other provision, either 

 spade, pickeaxe, or ought else to have fortified withall. 

 When I had given him reason that I could not at this 

 time leave him such a companie, he then desired mee 

 to forbeare him and his countrey for that time, for he 



411 



