4 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 66 



made in that same year. But it can easily be shown that this date is 

 irreconcilable with all known historical events. 



Above all, I would observe that the author of the sketch-map could 

 not have learned all those details of Ordaz's eventful exploring 

 expedition before early in the spring of 1533, as it was not until that 

 time that Oviedo met at Santo Domingo Geronimo Dortal, the treas- 

 urer, and several other members of the Ordaz expedition, from whom, 

 according to his own statement, 1 he obtained information concerning 

 the vain attempt to reach the Meta-El Dorado. Therefore, even if 

 the map bore no further indication as to the time when it was made 

 by Oviedo, the only acceptable date, from this fact alone, would be 

 the year 1533.' 



Fortunately, however, there are other legends on the map relating 

 to several expeditions up the River Orinoco after the ill-fated voyage 

 by Ordaz, which prove that Oviedo's map must have been made ten 

 or twelve years after the date suggested by Harrisse, the foremost 

 authority on American cartography. 



Students of early American history cannot help wondering how it 

 was possible that Harrisse took no notice at all of the inscriptions 

 connected with the expeditions of Alonso de Herrera and Governor 3 

 Geronimo Dortal, the former treasurer of Ordaz's enterprise. 



After the unsuccessful attempt to discover the long sought Meta- 

 El Dorado by sailing up the Orinoco, Ordaz was compelled to leave 

 the village of Huyapari for Cariaco, where he established a small 

 fort, 4 whieh he named Sant Miguel de Paria. Thence he went to 

 Cumana, a province on the mainland opposite the pearl island, or 

 " Cubagua," where he expected to meet Herrera, his lieutenant, with 

 the rest of the expedition. Finally Ordaz and Dortal reached the 

 town of Nueva Caliz in Cubagua, where they found Alonso de 



1 Loc. cit., cap. IV, p. 224**, " Despues vino a esta cibdad de S. Domingo el 

 thesorero Hieronimo Dortal, del qual y de otros que en todo lo que es dicho 

 se hallaron fui informado . . . ." (" Afterwards came to this city of Santo 

 Domingo the treasurer Heronimo Dortal, by whom, and by others who were 

 present at all that is said, I was informed . . . ."). 



2 This assertion is corroborated also by the following statement : " . . . . 

 cansados [companions of Ordaz] de sus trabaxos se passaron con los otros 

 de Cubagua, porque avia dos afios que padescjan desde que salieron de 

 Espana . . . ." (".... Tired of these troubles, they went with these others 

 of Cubagua, because two years of suffering had passed since they left 

 Spain . . . ."). Loc. cit. 



Ordaz set sail from San Lucar de Barrameda on October 20, 1531 ; loc. cit., 

 cap. II, p. 2i2 a . 

 'Only after 1533. 

 4 Perhaps on September 28, 1532. 



