The Expedi- 

 tion of Hiero- 

 nim$ OrtaU, 



<fo - iA M E <KI C A. Chap. VI II. 



without great hardship •, for his Proviilons were not onely fliort, but he was tor- 

 mented in the Day by the Mufcbitoes, and in the Night by the Bats ; at lafl com in g 

 to a Village Commanded by Viapari, he was kindly £ntertain J d, which made Ordas 

 contrary to the will of his Men, who would willingly have gone farther into the 

 Countrcy, ftay there all the Winter ; but as foon as the rainy Moneths were over, 

 Ordas went farther up the River Orinoque, where his Ship was ftav'd againft a fandy 

 Shelf, which fore'd him with two hundred Foot and forty Horfe, to travel along 

 the Shore, where he was much fcanted of Provifions, and for forty days together 

 met none but a few poor wild Fifliermen, and at laft ftopt at an unknown River, 

 which fell into the Orinoque. The Guianian Guide which Viapari had given Ordas, 

 advis'd him to go along the Shore of the new River, becaufe it would lead them to 

 a well Cloth'd and rich People : But Ordas went along by the River Oronoque till 

 he came where the Water falling from the Mountains makes it fo terrible rough,, 

 that Ordas his VeiTcls, which were Toed along, were not able to be got any farther, 

 fo that after two hundred Leagues advance, he was neceflkated, by reaion of the 

 fore*mention'd Waterfalls, to go aboard and Sail down the Stream : His Men be- 

 ing weary'd with fo troublefom a Journey, forfook him on the Ifland Cubaoua, 

 which made him return oyer Hifpaniola to Spain, where not long after he dy'd with 

 Grief. 



Thisunfuccefsful Expedition of Ordas no way daunted Hieronimo OrtaU from pro- 

 fecuting the fame Defign ; for fetting Sail from St. Lucas, Anno IJ33. to the Fort 

 which Ordas had taken from Juan Gonfahes, he Steer'd from thence over to Qubagua, 

 to fetch fome Men, and fent the Lieutenant Alonfo Herrera with five Ketches, carry- 

 ing two hundred Men, the fame way which Ordas had been. Herrera coming to the 

 fore-mention d Water-falls where Ordas returned, caus'd his VelTels to be unladen, 

 then Toed them by meet force over the Water-falls, where he difcover'd plain 

 Fields without any Inhabitants, extending thernfelves to the Mouth of the River • 

 Meta, where he quitted his Veffels, and with no fmall trouble got over Moraflcs 

 and Pools, to the fruitful Countrey of the Xaguas, a People both cruel and valiant - 

 whom after a {harp Conflict vanquishing, he became Mafter of their Village, in 

 which he found plenty of Provifions, asalfo in another neighboring Town, where 

 his tir'd, and almoft ftarv'd Army began to take Breath, being exceedingly re- 

 frefh'd with the delicious Meat of a fort of wild Dogs, which were herein great 

 abundance. Having fpent the Winter Seafon here, they were often fet upon by 

 the Caribbeeans, by whofe poyfon'd Arrows feveral of them being (hot, dy'd Di- 

 ftrafted,and amongft the reft Herrera himfelf ; after which his Succeffor Aharo Or* 

 das returned to the VeiTels, which were left at the Mouth of the River Meta, from 

 whence he Sail'd back without any other fuccefs, the Defign being to find out the 

 Golden City Manoa, on the Banks of the great Luke Parime. 



Not long after Peter Her mande^de Serpa undertook the fame Work with three 

 hundred Spaniards, feveral 2raftlians and Negro's ; but before he could reach the Ri- 

 ver Orinoque, he was deftroy'd by the falvagc People Wikiri, eighteen of his Men 

 onely efcapingto bring the news of this fad Difafter. 



Peter JeOrfua following the footfteps of Gonfaho <Pi$arro, went to feek for Gold 

 in Guiana \ but being kill'd by Lopes Agira near the Ama^one River, that Expedition 

 alfo prov'd fruitlefs. 



With the fame defireof finding Gold in Guiana, Antonio Berreo went from ^VVfe 

 Sr &***&* thither \ but being taken by Sir Walter Raleigh, was interrupted in his Dcfign ; 

 **'• however, he gave him an Account of his Adventures, fo far as he had gone, yi^ 

 That he went to find out a Way along the River Cajfanor, between New Granada 



and 



Is folio w'd 

 by Herman* 

 its and o- 



thers. 



Bmtos Re- 

 lation of his 

 Adventures 

 to 



