656 GUIANA. 



reaching the wonderful city. Some of Sir Walter Raleigh's 

 followers declared, indeed, that they saw rocks shining 

 brightly with gold, and a mountain containing diamonds and 

 other valuable stones, the lustre of which blazed forth to a 

 considerable distance. 



Every marvellous fable found belief. The crew of an 

 English ship, about that time exploring the Marowyne, stated 

 that they had seen on its banks a gigantic race of men, who 

 carried in their hands bows made of gold. Wherever mica 

 was seen glittering on the side of a mountain, it was supposed 

 to be the same precious metal. Sir Walter Raleigh sent his 

 faithful lieutenant, Captain Key mis, to carry on the expedi- 

 tion he was himself unable to undertake. His chief object, 

 and that of his successors, was to discover the site of the 

 golden city. Keymis, while sailing up the Essequibo, heard 

 that by ascending one of its tributaries the Rupunoony 

 he would certainly reach it. 



Numerous other expeditions were organized by Spaniards 

 and Portuguese. Many of the unfortunate adventurers fell 

 by the hands of the natives, others by famine and fatigue ; 

 and as late as the year 1776 a large band set forth, when 

 many hundreds perished, one man only returning to tell the 

 sad fate of his companions. 



At length, in the quarter to which Captain Keymis had 

 been directed, the small lake of Amucu was discovered, to 

 \ which a river called the Parima is connected ; and from the 

 geological structure of the surrounding country, is supposed 

 to have been formerly much larger than at present. Within 

 and around it are islands and rocks of mica, slate, and talc ; 

 " the materials," observes Humboldt, " out of which has 

 been formed that gorgeous capital, whose temples and houses 



