A.D. 



1596. 



[III. 690.] 



The river of 

 Amana by 

 which Sir 

 Walter 

 Ralegh first 

 entred, called 

 by Diego de 

 Ordas Via- 

 pari : and by 

 Barth, de 

 Casas Ivia- 

 Pari. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Here follow the names of those worthie Spaniards 

 that have sought to discover and conquer 

 Guiana : Extracted out of the v^ritings of Juan 

 de Castellanos clerigo, v^ho compiled the 

 booke intituled, Primera parte de las Elegias 

 de varones illustres de Indias. 



THe enterprise of Guiana was undertaken by Diego 

 de Ordas of the kingdome of Leon, in the yeere 

 1 53 1. Hee was one of the captaines of Cortes in the 

 conquest of Mexico. This Ordas made his entrance by 

 the river of Amana, by which wee entred, and spent fiftie 

 dayes before hee came to the river of Orenoque, which 

 we past in fifteene. Hee named the river by which 

 hee entred, Viapari ; which name it still retaineth in the 

 Spanish descriptions. It lyeth South from Trinidad some 

 five leagues. He transported out of Spaine a thousand 

 souldiers. He dyed afterwards at sea in returning for 

 Spaine. 



2 Juan Corteso arrived at the river of Amazones or 

 Orellana with three hundred men : Hee marched up into 

 the countrey. But neither hee nor any of his companie 

 did returne againe. 



3 Caspar de Sylva, with his two brothers, departed 

 from TenerifF, accompanied with two hundred men to 

 assist Diego de Ordas. They sought El Dorado by the 

 river of Amazones : but staying there a short time, 

 they fell downe to Trinidad, where they all three were 

 buried. 



4 Juan Gonsales set saile from Trinidad to discover 



Guiana. He reposed himselfe more on the faith of his 



guides, then on his small number of men. Hee by triall 



founde the confines of Guiana, so farre as hee entred, to 



bee populous, plentifull of victuall, and rich in golde. 



Upon such proofes as hee brought with him, to make 



good his report, many others adventured to follow his 



steps. 



496 



