6%± *J M E %I C A. Chap. IX. 



Land, which in the Winter being overflow'd, fore'd the Inhabitants to remove to 

 the Mountains : But at laft the Spaniards, being weary with travelling, fell out 

 amongft thcmfelves, and dividing into feveral Parties, went feveral ways, fome to 

 Venezuela, others to Maracapana, and the reft to Cubagua. 



Situation and 

 Dcfcription 

 of Venezuela. 



T 



I 



Towns and 



mxMel*. 





Sect- III. 



Venezuela. 



He#principal part of the Province of Venezuela is bordered on the Eaft with 

 Cumana • on the Weft, with a great Gulf or Bay, call'd The Say of Vene^ela , 

 with the Lake Maracabo y and fome part of 2^e» Granada ; Northward it 

 hath the Ocean, or Jtlantick Sea \ Southward, fome undifcover'd Countreys, 

 which, as wefaid,lie betwixt the Andes and it. It ftretches out in length frpm Eaft 

 to Weft, a hundred and thirty Leagues, or thereabouts, but in breadth little more 

 than half fo much ; it was nam'd Venezuela, or Little Venice, by Alonfo de Ojeda, a Spa- 

 niard, who at his firft difcovery of the Countrey fell upon a Town of the Natives, 

 which ftood like another Venice, all upon the Water, and having no paffage to it 

 but by Boats. It is a Countrey extraordinary rich in all forts of Commodities, af- 

 fords good Pafturefor Cattel, and abundance of fair Herds of them, Oxen, Sheep, 

 Swine, <drc. plenty of Corn, and other Grain, great ftore of Venifon in the Woods, 

 of Fifh in the Rivers, Gold in the Mines, and therefore not likely but to be well 

 peopled and inhabited, especially by the Spaniards, whofe Towns and Places of 

 prinapai chief importance are thefe, i. Venezuela, at the moft Weftcrly Confines of the 

 Countrey, built upon the Sea, with the advantage of a double Haven, in a tempe- 

 rate and good Air, and the Soil round about it the beft in the whole Province : It 

 is now aBifliop's See, who is Suffragan to the Arch*bi(hop mHifpaniola, and the 

 ordinary Refidence of the Governor. 



2. CaraValleda, call'd by the Spaniards, Nuejira Sennora de CaraValleda, fourfcore 

 Leagues diftant from Venezuela towards the Eaft, upon the Sea. 



5. St. Jago de Leon, in the Countrey of Caracas, four or five League*; Southward 

 ofCaraValleda, and fix or feven diftant from the Sea. 



4. New Valentia, twenty five Leagues diftant from St. Jago. 



5. TS{ew Xeres, a Town but lately built, fifteen Leagues Southward of Ney> 

 Valentia. 



6. ?{eU? Segovia, but one League diftant from Xeres. 



7. Tucnyo, a Place well known and frequented, for the abundance of Sugar that 

 is made there, and in the Countrey round about it. 



8. Truxillo, or Our Lady de la fa^,, eighteen Leagues Southward of the Lake A&-. 

 racabo, a Place of great refort, and much frequented for Trade both by Spaniards 

 and Natives. 



9. Laguna, a Town lying more towards the bottom of the Lake, faid to be much 

 haunted with Tygers } and more than this, not much is laid of it. 



According to the ancient Divifion of the Natives, this Province contains the 

 Countreys Curiana, Cuycas, Caracas, Sariquicemeto, Tucuyo, and Carora ; in which there 

 are eftimated to be about a hundred thoufand Inhabitants that pay Taxes ; which 

 Charge, according to a Law made at the Sparitft Court, all Men above fifty, and 

 Youth under eighteen, arc freed from : yet this Countrey had formerly much 

 more People, great numbers of them being deftroy'd by the Germans, Anno 1529. 

 for the Bifliop Bartholomew de las Cafas relates, That above fifty hundred thoufand 



of 



