WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 55 



the year 1591 he founded there the city of St. Joseph of Oruna ; but 

 in the following year of 1592 it had to be abandoned, as a result of 

 the arrival of the pirate Walter Raleigh on the island. Using shrewd 

 trickery he captured the city and executed some of the soldiers who 

 happened to be on hand, for on another occasion they had killed 

 many of his men ; and having plundered the new city of what it con- 

 tained, he carried oflf Gov. Antonio Berrio prisoner, as a prize worthy 

 of ransom. 



142. The city having been devastated by the pirate was again 

 settled, although without orders from His Majesty, by Diego de 

 Vides, Governor of Cumana, whose consuming ambition was all- 

 embracing ; but this resettlement did not last long, since Gov. Antonio 

 de Berrio had despatched the Militia Captain Domingo de Barbo y 

 Enivera to Spain to inform His Majesty of these new territories, 

 how well-peopled they were with savages, and that they lay close to 

 the provinces of Omagua, or El Dorado, about which, and their 

 great wealth of gold and silver, many reports were in circulation. 

 The Catholic Majesty of Don Philip H of glorious memory, having 

 listened attentively to this statement, and this new discovery having 

 been discussed in the Royal Council of the Indies, very favorable 

 letters patent were granted the Militia Captain, with important fran- 

 chises and privileges ; and for settlers in this new country, and for 

 the voyage, he was granted 66,000 ducats, with which he purchased 

 eight filipotes of 300 tons, and two pataches of 100. 



143. In the year 1595 he transported in them 3,500 soldiers — 900 

 of them married — with their wives and children, for exploration, 

 conquest, and settlement ; the rest were bachelors ; they made up 60 

 companies with 60 captains and their flags, many drums (caxas) and 

 other warlike appurtenances. Thus there were 5,000 souls in the 10 

 vessels, counting the women and children ; they crossed the bar of 

 Sanlucar de Barrameda on the day of St. Matthew in this year 1595 ; 

 and after 41 days' sail they reached the harbor which they called 

 Port of Spain in the island of Trinidad, within sight of the Dragon's 

 Mouth. There this Militia Captain disembarked his whole troop and 

 started the reestablishment of the city, expelling from it this Diego 

 de Vides, who had been Governor of Cumana. Having got all the 

 affairs of the new city and the island in good order, he at once sent 

 six companies of 50 soldiers each, under their captains, ensigns and 

 other officers and attendants, to the Provinces of Guiana, where the 

 first and principal city had been established ; and he kept sending 

 people over there and some of his extra ship's stores, to serve as a 



