4^ ORIGIN OP P'lCtlONfS 



one of the ports of Spain. Not doubting of their fuc-» 

 Cf fs in the enterprife, they took on-board with them, 

 not Only implements for working the foil, but even; 

 their wives and children.' Their number in the whole 

 amounted to 400 families, among whom were fourteen 

 Francifcans, who, in all probability, were to inherit 

 the property of theft victims to avarice. 

 . Thus equipped, they failed directly for the Oroo- 

 noko. Here they fell in with the Caribs, who made a 

 dreadful daughter among their wives and children* 

 Notwithstanding which, inftigated by the intreaties and 

 representations of the Francifcans, they continued 

 their courfe. Amidft fatigues and toils beyond the 

 power of words to paint , they reached Guiana, where 

 they tarried fome days among the Spanifh fettlers, and 

 then purfued their way acrofs the thick Caribbean 

 wilds. But the fame adverfe fates that had attended 

 their expedition by fea, now perfecuted them on their 

 journey by land. The envenomed darts of the Caribs, 

 in conjunction with the difeafes that arofe among them 

 from the novelty of the climate,, in a Ihort fpace fo 

 harrarTed them, that they found it impoffible to pro- 

 fecute their difcoverieS any farther. 



From that period no Spaniard has ever adopted the 

 project of difcovering Dorado. But an Englifhman, 

 the famous Sir Walter Raleigh, once more refumed 

 the attempt, which ended like all the former, and 

 only ferved to place the non-exiftence of this goldeii 

 region beyond all poffible doubt. 



We come now to the probable origin of this fig^- 

 ment, which we think we have found in a letter of 

 Oviedo to Cardinal Bembo. In this letter he gives a 



