WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES— VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 6l 



seat at Bogota ; they gave him a little, and referring him for the rest 

 to His Majesty, they appointed him Procurator General of all that 

 State, so that he might petition His Majesty to be favored with men, 

 arms, and munitions for the defense of the country, as well as a 

 prelate whose presence might further the conversion of the great 

 number of souls in that district ; and it is lo years now that he has 

 been soliciting this, to be financed at his own expense. 



Chapter XH 



Continuing the Description of the District of Guiana. 



158. The River Orinoco, on whose banks is established the city 

 of Santo Tome of Guiana, has large wooded islands, which are inun- 

 dated when the river comes down in flood in the winter, for all the 

 lowlands, being flat, are covered ; in summer they cultivate on these 

 islands large plantations of tobacco, Indian corn, and other crops, 

 which produce abundantly ; the residents of these provinces enjoy 

 also another crop on the mainland, and harvest two per annum. 



159. Near where the city is established, this past year of 1628, 

 above the rapids of the River Orinoco, where there are great veins 

 in the cliffs, they discovered rich quicksilver ore, Don Luis de 

 Monsalve being Governor of those provinces ; so the Royal Council 

 of the Indies resolved in the year 1629 to establish a Bishop in those 

 provinces, since one was greatly needed for the spiritual comfort of 

 the residents and conversion of the natives, and also, in view of the 

 excellence of the country, to aid with some soldiers for its garrison, 

 as had been requested for many years by Capt. Juan de Lezama, its 

 Procurator General, and to send some Negroes, since, besides what 

 has been stated, it is rich in gold ore and alluvial deposits, and will 

 be one of the best and wealthiest countries in the Indies. 



160. There are in these provinces many varieties of game : Deer ; 

 a sort of pig like wild boars but a little smaller, called vaquira ; 

 guadatinajas, which are a bit larger than hares and good eating ; the 

 cachicamos, which are the size of a rabbit, with a sharp muzzle and 

 their whole bodies covered with scales; cavies (lapas), which are 

 like sucking pigs ; morrocoes, which resemble tortoises ; ant bears, 

 tapirs, tigers, lions, ounces, and many other species; monkeys and 

 marmosets of over a dozen kinds, large and small ; squirrels, rabbits, 

 and other small animals. 



161. Of game birds there are three varieties of turkeys ; paujies 

 (curassows), which are as large as turkeys ; the chachalaca or Texan 

 guan ; egrets of varied hues, black, white, gray, and scarlet, all with 



