A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1595. 



assured mee that I should bee no sooner three dayes 

 from the coast, but those Epuremei would invade him, 

 and destroy all the remaine of his people and friendes, 

 if hee should any way either guide us or assist us against 

 them. 



He further alleaged, that the Spaniards sought his 

 death, and as they had already murthered his Nephew 

 Morequito lord of that province, so they had him seven- 

 teene dayes in a chaine before hee was king of the coun- 

 trey, and ledde him like a dog from place to place, until 

 hee had payde an hundreth plates of golde, and divers 

 chaines of Spleen-stones for his ransome : and nowe since 

 he became owner of that province, that they had many 

 times layd waite to take him, and that they would bee nowe 

 more vehement, when they should understand of his 

 conference with the English, and because, sayd hee, they 

 would the better displant me, if they cannot lay handes on 

 mee, they have gotten a Nephew of mine called Eparacano, 

 whom they have Christened Don Juan, and his sonne Don 

 Pedro, whom they have also apparelled and armed, by 

 whom they seeke to make a partie against me in mine 

 owne countrey : hee also had taken to wife one Loviana 

 of a strong familie, which are borderers and neighbours, 

 and my selfe now being olde and in the handes of death 

 am not able to travell nor to shifte, as when I was of 

 yoonger yeeres : hee therefore prayed us to deferre it till 

 the next yeere, when he would undertake to draw in 

 all the borderers to serve us, and then also it would 

 bee more seasonable to travell, for at this time of the 

 yeere, wee should not bee able to passe any river, the 

 waters were and would bee so growen ere our returne. 

 He farther told me, that I could not desire so much 

 to invade Macureguari, and the rest of Guiana, but 

 that the borderers would be more vehement then I, for 

 he yeelded for a chiefe cause that in the warres with the 

 Epuremei, they were spoyled of their women, and that 

 their wives and daughters were taken from them, so as 

 for their owne parts they desired nothing of the golde 



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