THOMAS MASH AM ad 



1597- 

 shotte up some of the rockes, wee went on shore upon 



an island, and there conferred of our farther proceeding. 



And inquiring of the Indians that wee hired for our 



Pilots of the last house, whether the falles were 



passable or not : their first answere was, that they had 



nothing to eate : but wee being loath to loose so much 



labour, and the sight of that upper rich countrey, A rich 



which wee desired, told them that they should have ^^^^'^^^O'- 



victuals of us (though God knoweth wee had none for 



our selves) who seeing us so importunate, sayde farther, 



that the rockes would kill the canoas : which they sayde 



because indeed they had no victuals : which by some 



was taken for sufficient to proceede no farther, and so 



wee left off, and onely stayed some two houres upon 



the Island, and with the swiftnesse of the current, fell 



that night downe 10 leagues againe. Though I for 



mine owne part offered in that small canoa that I was 



in, being so leake, that my selfe did nothing but lave 



out the water, to lead them the way, and if they sawe 



any danger to mee, they might chuse whether they 



would come into it or not themselves. 



For seeing the countrey above was rich as wee were 

 informed, that their bowes were handled with golde, Bozues handle. 

 (being men of an extraordinarie stature for talnes) wee "^^^^ SP'-^^- 

 should have taken the more paines, and have fared the 

 harder, untill wee had gotten up in the countrey which 

 wee sawe with our eyes : for though wee had not 

 victuals in any sort to cary us up, yet the woods doe 

 yeld fruites and the palmito trees afforde meate, 

 whereby wee might have made shift to live, untill wee 

 had come to the inhabitants, by whome we might both 

 bee refreshed with victuals, and also have reaped that, 

 which might have done us good as long as wee had 

 lived. 



But to returne to the rest of our voyage : the day 

 after wee went from the falles wee came to our shippe, 

 which was the fifth of Aprill 1597. On Wednesday 

 wee fell with our Pinnesse to Quiparia againe : where 



9 



