810 



west. From the promontory of Paria as far as 

 Cabo de la Vela, little figures of molten gold 

 had been found in the hands of the natives, as 

 early as the years 1498 and 1500. The principal 

 markets for these amulets, which the women 

 used as ornaments, were the villages of Curiana 

 (Coro) and Cauchieto* (near the Rio la Hacha). 

 The metal employed by the founders of Cau- 

 chieto came from a mountainous country more 

 to the south. It may be conceived, that the 

 expeditions of Ordaz and Herera served to in- 

 crease the desire of drawing nearer to those 

 auriferous countries. Georg von Speier left 

 Coro (1535), and penetrated by the mountains 

 of Merida to the banks of the Apure and the 

 Meta. He passed these two rivers near their 

 sources, where they have but little breadth. 

 The Indians told him, that farther on white 

 men wandered about the plains. Speier, who 

 imagined that he was not far from the banks of 

 the Amazon, had no doubt, that these wander- 

 ing Spaniards were men unfortunately ship- 

 wrecked in the expedition of Ordaz. He crossed 

 the savannahs of San Juan de los Llanos, which 

 were said to abound in gold ; and made a long 

 stay at an Indian village, called Pueblo de Nu- 

 estra Senora, and afterward la Fragua-f~, south- 



* Sec above, vol. iii, p. 526. 

 t This Indian village, the name of which the Spaniards 



