LAURENCE KEYMIS ad. 



1596. 

 The 6. day of Aprill we came to an anker within the ^'^OJ ^^^^^ 

 mouth of the river Raleana, having spent twentie and '^^^'^^ 

 three dayes in discoverie upon this coast. The chanell Qrenoa^ ^ 

 of this river hath sixe or seven fathome depth, nine or ten 

 miles off at sea, the barre lyeth farther out, and at low 

 water hath not full two fathome. It highes not above 

 five foote, except at a spring tyde. Wee ankered in 

 ten fathome the first night : the next morning twelve 

 Canoas came unto us, furnished and provided of victuals 

 after their maner for the warres. Their Captaines names 

 were Anwara, and Aparwa. These Cassiques, when the 

 Spaniards made the last inrode in those parts, were in the 

 inland amongst the Iwarawakeri their neighbours, by 

 which occasion having lost some of their wives (for not- Spanish 

 withstanding their profession of Christianitie, some of these P^S^^^^^^- 

 Spaniards keepe ten or twelve women, thinking them- 

 selves wel and surely blessed, howsoever they live, if 

 their towne and houses be religiously crossed) they kept 

 together 30. Canoas, hoping at our comming, which they 

 had now long expected to recover this losse upon them and 

 the Arwaccas, who in their absence had done this wrong. 

 They shewed me this their purpose, & required to be 

 joyned in league of frindship with us against our enemies. 

 When of them I had learned so much of the present 

 estate of the countrey, as they did know : they demanded 

 whether we had brought no more forces with us, but 

 onely one ship ^ I answered them as before I did the 

 others, that wee now came only to trade, not knowing 

 until this present that any Spaniards were in Guiana ; that 

 upon our returne our whole fleete will hasten to set for- 

 wardes, and that in the meane time, wee would now visite [III. Sjj."] 

 our friendes, and helpe them so farre as wee could in 

 any thing that wee should finde needefull presently to bee 

 done. After long discourse (for their chiefe man stayed 

 with mee all night) when hee had caused mee to spit in 

 my right hand, with many other ceremonies which they 

 use in confirming friendshippe, hee went to the shoare, 

 and one of his Canoas hee sent to bring forwardes the 



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