A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1594- 



S' 



Alonsos letter from thence to certaine Marchantes 

 of Sant Lucar concerning El Dorado. 



Irs, we have no newes worth the writing, saving of 

 a discovery lately made by the Spaniardes in a new 

 land called Nuevo Dorado, which is two dayes sayling 

 to the windward of Margarita : there is golde in such 

 abundance, as the like hath not bene heard of. Wee 

 have it for certaine in letters written from thence by 

 some that were in the discoverie, unto their parents here 

 in this citie. I purpose (God willing) to bestow tenne 

 or twelve dayes in search of the said Dorado, as I passe 

 in my voyage towards Carthagena, hoping there to make 

 some good sale of our commodities. I have sent you 

 therewith part of the information of the said discoverie, 

 that was sent to his Majestie. 



Part of the Copie that w^as sent to his Majestie, 

 of the discovery of Nuevo Dorado. 



N the river of Pato otherwise called Orenoque, in 

 the principall part thereof called Warismero, the 23 

 of April 1593 Domingo de Vera master of the campe, 

 and Generall for Antonio de Berreo Governour and 

 Captaine generall for our lord the king, betwixt the 

 rivers of Pato and Papamene alias Orenoque, and Mar- 

 rannon, and of the Hand of Trinidad, in presence of me 

 Rodrigo de Caranza Register for the sea, commanded 

 [III. 664.] all the souldiers to be drawen together and put in order 

 of battaile, the Captaines and souldiers, and Master of 

 the campe standing in the middest of them, said unto 

 them : Sirs, Souldiers, and Captaines, you understand 

 long since that our General Antonio de Berreo, with the 

 travell of eleven yeeres, and expence of more then an 

 hundred thousand pezos of golde, discovered the royall 

 Provinces of Guiana and Dorado : of the which he tooke 

 possession to governe the same, but through want of his 

 peoples health, and necessarie munition, he issued out 

 at the Hand Margarita, and from thence peopled Trinidad. 



434 



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