WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES— VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 4II 



the brigantines and embarked on our voyage ; that was impossible ; 

 it must be that the country inland was rich and prosperous and well 

 peopled, for that was what the Indians of this settlement of Cararo 

 gave the interpreters we brought along, to understand, and that that 

 gold came from the country inland, where there were large settle- 

 ments of people wearing clothing, very intelligent and very rich. 



1203. Gov. Pedro de Ursua [at the end of 4 days broke camp and] 

 was unwilling to consent that they should explore, for he said that 

 since the interpreters and their story had so far been truthful in 

 everything, there was no reason to abandon the certain for the 

 doubtful, and stop for what we knew nothing about ; but the soldiers 

 came back and told the Governor that it was the other course that 

 was uncertain, and not that, for they had it right under their eyes, 

 while they did not know where the other was, and they knew where 

 this was and they could see it well and they observed it was very 

 rich fertile soil for they could tell it by the signs. But with all the 

 arguing, the Governor was unwilling to explore that country, which 

 would have been very important to do ; there was food there for the 

 camp for more than 6 months, for up and down the river banks for 

 over 4 leagues there were fields of corn and sweet yucca and the 

 country had an excellent climate and was never flooded. They had 

 much delicious fruit in great abundance, like Zamora figs, aguacates, 

 sapotes, jobos or plums, lugmas, mammees, and sweet potatoes in 

 quantity, and peanuts, a sort of cereal which grow in Peru on a 

 vine like chickpeas ; they are like pine nuts, very stistaining and 

 good to eat. 



Chapter XI 



Continuing the Exploration of the Rio Maranon. 



1204. At the end of the 4 days during which we were delightfully 

 entertained in this settlement, where the Indians devoted themselves 

 to us with gusto and solicitude. Gov. Pedro de Ursua broke camp, 

 to the great dissatisfaction of the soldiers, and we sailed downstream 

 for 8 days without striking any province or settlement of importance. 

 These good Cararo Indians gave us company for 2 days and their 

 nights, providing us with food and with what service was necessary ; 

 on the third day they left us and returned to their province. At the 

 end of the 8 days after our departure from the Province and settle- 

 ment of Cararo, we came upon another fine large settlement with 

 more than 6,000 Indians, who came out to receive us in the river 

 with 200 war canoes, with over 2,000 Indians in excellent war forma- 



