LAURENCE KEYMIS ajd. 



1596. 



richest and most plentifull. The aged sort to keepe 

 this from common knowledge, have devised a fable of 

 a dangerous Dragon that haunteth this place and de- [HI. 679.] 

 voureth all that come neere it. But our Indian, if 

 when we returne, we doe bring store of strong wine 

 (which they love beyond measure) with it will under- 

 take so to charme this Dragon, that he shall doe us no 

 harme. 



I, that for this ende came from home, and in this 

 journey had taken much more paines to lesse purpose, 

 would very gladly from this mountaine have taken so 

 good a proofe to witnes my being in the Countrey : 

 but withall considering that not one Indian of our 

 knowne friends came unto us : that Don Juan the 

 cousin of Gualtero, who liveth here a revolt from the 

 Spaniard, was now in election to bee chiefe commander 

 of all the Indian forces in these partes, cannot in 

 pollicie, for Gualtero his sake, whose inheritance hee 

 sought to usurpe, bee a fast friend unto us : that the 

 Spaniardes abiding in Winicapora (for there were tenne) 

 might well before wee could doe any thing, and re- 

 turne, cause some others of Berreo his men to joyne 

 with them, in the way to intercept us : and forethink- 

 ing withall, that there being no meanes but our selves, 

 to make knowne our discoverie, if wee returned not ; 

 in our misfortune the hope of following this voyage 

 would bee buried : but besides all this, and the respect 

 of such spyals, as the Spaniardes kept to observe our 

 dooings, foreknowing that if the enemie should by our 

 lingring, stop our passage, which in one or two places 

 of advantage, fewe of them might easilie doe : it would 

 bee a question howe with our shippe to get out of the 

 River, except first wee could remoove them : I thought 

 it best (all other possibilities set apart) to seeke in 

 time to bee free from the hazard of the aforesaid evill 

 passages. 



Whilest wee were searching at the shoare for the 

 Indians, my Barge tooke a Canoa, with three men in 



469 



