WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES — VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 63 



San Sebastian de Ids Reyes to conquer and colonize it, as they did ; 

 they took with them at their own expense a squadron of soldiers 

 with many arms, supplies, and munitions, a herd of mares, loo 

 horses, 1,400 cattle both for food for the soldiers and for breeding, 

 and 125 head of swine; in this expedition they devoted their lives 

 to His Majesty's service, and there finally died Capt. Diego Henares 

 de Lezama, his father, and his brother Antonio de Lezama. 



Chapter XIII 



Continuing the Description of the Provinces of Guiana and Others, 

 and What Information There Is Regarding Those of Manoa and 

 Caranaca. 



163. The great River Orinoco, which traverses the Provinces of 

 Guiana, and various other tribes, has on both sides fertile land and 

 valleys suitable for cattle ranches and farms ; on the N. the plains 

 extend up to the Provinces of Venezuela; on the W., to the New 

 Kingdom of Granada ; and on the WSW. they extend for more than 

 600 leagues, occupied by great provinces and settlements of various 

 nationalities and peoples who have not arrived at a knowledge of 

 our Holy Faith. 



164. The land in these regions belongs to the most fertile and pro- 

 ductive to be found in the Indies, and is admirably adapted for stock 

 raising ; from there it would be possible to transport to Spain easily 

 and cheaply on this mighty river both the hides and the other products 

 of the country; and all Spanish fruit, cereals, and vegetables will 

 yield bountifully there, thanks both to the richness of the soil and 

 to the excellent climate, water supply, sunny skies, and pure air of 

 that region ; but there is a complete dearth there, for lack of popula- 

 tion and development. 



165. In the other direction, ESE. from the River Orinoco to the 

 Rivers Amazon and Maraiion, it is 250 leagues by the coast, and in 

 between there are extensive provinces of various peoples, some clothed 

 and some naked ; and from all of them and from those close to the 

 Orinoco there come great stories of the great city of Manoa and 

 Provinces of El Dorado ; and among the numerous investigations 

 made in this regard, Gov. Don Fernando de Berrio found in the 

 Province of Los Chimores, two very skillfully painted cloaks like 

 the Peruvian ones, and goatskins and horns ; and when he asked 

 them where they had got them, they replied that they had got them 

 by trade with Indians of other adjoining inland provinces, who had 

 brought them from the Provinces of Manoa, where, beside a large 



