ai6 ^he Discoveries and Settlements Book L 
two of his Company, viz. Francis Sperry who was an 
excellent Draughtfman, and undertook to defcribe, as he 
did, all the Country very exadtly *, and Hugh Goodwin^, a 
Boy who waited upon Sir Walter and who was to learn 
the Languages of the Indian Nations, which he did to 
great Perfeblion, but was unfortunately devoured by a 
wild Beaft. 
After this, a Cazique whofe Name ’was Putoma., and 
another whofe Name was War ap ana., offered to conduft 
him to a Gold Mine, which they accordingly performed j 
but the Weather being extremely bad. Sir Walter was 
defiroLis to make as much hafte back as it was poffible to 
his Ships, which he accordingly did ; but when he found 
himfelt on the Sea Coaff, and in a manner at the End of 
his Labours, he met with a moft dreadful and dangerous 
Storm, which drove them almoft to their Wits-end ; 
and at length, in a dark Night, and in the midft of the 
Tempeft, he quitted his Galley, which he found amongft 
Sholes and Sands, and in his Boat thruft out to Sea with 
fo much good Fortune, however, that the next Morning, 
by Nine o’clock, they had Sight of the Ifland of T rinidada., 
and rowing cautioufly under the Shore, arrived fafely at 
Curiapan^ where their Veffels lay at Anchor. In all this 
tedious and furprifing Expedition, wherein they went 
through fuch a Variety of Dangers, being always alike 
expofed to the Severities of the Weather, and to the 
Attempts of their Enemies, abfolutely wanting moff 
of the Conveniencies, and frequently even the Necelfaries, 
of Life, except the Negro devoured by the Crocodile, 
he loft not fo much as a fingle Man, which amazed the 
Spanijh Governor Berreo., to the higheft Degree, who 
openly profeffed his Admiration of Sir WalteP^ Condubt 
and Courage, which fo vifibly furpaffed thofe of all the 
Spanijh Captains employed in this Service, from Orellana 
down to himfelf. 
After a fhort Stay, to put his little Squadron in order, 
he failed from Frinidada on his Return to England., and in 
his Paffage home, landed and burnt feveral of the SpaniJJo 
Towns upon the Coaft •, and on the 13th of July he 
met with Captain Prejlon, under Cape St. Antonio, in 
the Ifland of Cuba \ and on the 20th of the fame Month 
purfued his Voyage to England, where he fafely arrived, 
his Expedition being exceedingly applauded in Prole 
and Verfe by all the reputed Wits of thofe Times. 
But it was not long before thofe who envied Raleigh 
began to circulate new Caluirmies, framed on Purpofe to 
depreciate his Difeovery. It is of fome Confequence, 
even at this Day, to examine and expofe thefe lying Sto- 
ries, becaufe they have moft unaccountably found fo 
, great Credit. with the Generality of Mankind, that 
though they commend Sir Walter’s Defign, as fuppofing 
it againft the Spaniards, yet they queftion his Veracity, 
with regard to the Produce, Value, and Expediency of 
fettling Guiana, which is the Reafon (at leaft it ought fo 
to be) why it was not afterwards attempted, when the 
Importance of Plantations were better underftood. The 
firft Suggeftion was, that this was a favourite Scheme, 
perhaps a pleafing Vifion of Sir Walter Raleigh’s ; and 
there was no Reafon to yield implicit Credit to any 
Man’s Dreams, how wife and learned foever. It is 
really ftrange, how far fuch foolifh Inflnuations as thefe 
prevail, and how bafely Mankind repay the greateft Ser- 
vices that can be done them. When Columbus opened 
his Scheme in Portugal, it was reputed a mere Fancy 
and a Contrivance to gain Employment ; when Faujius 
invented Printing, he was treated by fome as a Conju- 
rer, and by others the Art was condemned as prejudicial 
to the Book-Scriveners ; and at the Time Harvey taught 
the Circulation of the Blood, he was almoft generally run 
down j and that, according to the Phyficians of thofe 
Times was treated as a ridiculous Fiblion, which is now 
regarded as the very Foundation of the Art of Phyfic. 
The Truth feems to be, that what is pervaded and clearly 
comprehended by a ftrft-rate Genius, is a mere Cloud, 
Vifion, or airy Appearance, in the Judgment of common 
Men, who, either really forgetting, or affebling not to 
diftinguilb, this Difference in Capacities, would have 
their Judgments take Place, and the Ignorance of the 
.Many rather reputed Wifdom than the Sentiments of a 
Tingle Man ; and thus, between Folly and Arrogance, 
the Advantages which might be drawn from fuch high 
and rare Spirits, if due Diftinblion were made, are ab- 
folutely loft, and the Difeoveries in the World of Sci- 
ence (always atchieved by fuch Men) poftponed for 
Ages. Sir W alter Raleigh was aware of this, which in- 
duced him to take fo much Pains in tracing the KnoW''- 
ledge of the Spaniards, and in making what they knew, 
and had endeavoured on this Subjebt, public, by which 
he thought he plainly proved this was no Invention of 
his, but only an Improvement on the Notions of other 
Men. Lie obferved likewife, that the French, at the 
very Time he attempted it, had a View to this Difeovery ; 
and, it is very certain, that fince his Time, Count Pagan 
recommended fuch a Settlement to Cardinal Richelieu, 
fo that the calling this a Whim of Sir Walter’s, as many 
did then, who are believed ; now is to talk childiflily and 
ignorantly on a very important Subjed. 
The next Infinuation was, that there was no fuch 
thing as Gold Duff, Gold Plates, or Gold Mines there, but 
that all was mere Invention, calculated to recommend the 
Projed. To this Sir Walter oppofed three Reafons, each 
of which was a fair and full Anfwer, and indeed wholly 
deftroyed the Objedion. For firft, he fhewed from the 
Situation, it was impoffible this Country Ihould not be 
rich, as having Hew Grenada on one Side, Peru at its 
Back, and in that Climate which affords the richeft Mines 
of Gold and Silver in America \ to which, we may add, 
the Difeovery of the Brazil Treafures unknown in his 
Age. He next pleaded the Authority of the Spaniards •, 
and that with refped, not to Opinions only, but as to 
Fads ; for he annexes to his Voyage Certificates of con- 
fiderable Quantities of Gold, which they had drawn from 
that Country, and which m.ade them fo eager to difeover 
it fully.- This too has been confirmed by Father 
B’Acughna, and other Writers, fince his Days, who very 
pofitively maintain the very fame thing. He laftly urges his 
own adual Experience, producing very ample Specimens 
of Gold Ore from thence." Upon fome Doubt whether 
the Stones by him produced were Gold Ore or not, he 
caufed them to be examined by Refiners. From fome 
Mr. Wejlwood, who lived in PFood-Jireet, drew at the 
Rate of twelve or thirteen- thoufand Pounds a Ton ; fome, 
tried by Meffrs. Bulmar and Dimock, held after the Rate 
of twenty-three thoufand Pounds a Ton, and fome, exa- 
mined by Mr. Palmer, Comptroller of the Mint, and 
Mr. Dimock, held almoft twenty-feven thoufand Pounds in 
a Ton. Yet after all this another Queftion was ftarted, 
whether Raleigh did not carry this Gold from Africa as 
well as bring it from Guiana ; to which he anfwered, 
that from the very Mines in that Country, he helped to 
dig it himfelf, though with no fitter Inftrument than his 
Dagger. 
Another Head of Calumny w'as, that he chiefly aimed 
at attacking and plundering the Spanijh Towns upon the 
Coafts ; and that thefe were in reality Raleigh’s Gold 
Mines in Guiana. But this was fofar from the Truth, that 
one principal Reafon, which Sir Walter afllgns for fixing 
here, was, that the Catholic King had neither any Right 
to, or Poffeflion of, this Country. It is alfo moft evident 
from Sir Walter’s own Accounts, that, except at San-Jofeph 
inFrinidada, he took nothing in the Places which he plun- 
dered in that Country, and from this very Inftance he 
recommends planting rather than privateering. On the 
whole, therefore, this Affair has been miftaken from firft 
to laft : Sir Walter’^ Propofal was wife and well founded ; 
his Defeription of this Country true and very exabl, his 
Expeftations, though fanguine, perfectly well grounded ; , 
and his own Voyage a very pregnant Proof that fuch an 
Eftablifhment is highly prabticablc. If any fliould en- 
quire what Views I have in labouring this Topic fo much, 
I fliall fairly anfwer, many: I thought the Nature of my 
Subjedt led me to it j I conceived that Sir Walter’s Me- 
mory demanded this Piece of Juftice ; and I remembered 
that we, are at War with Spain, Guiana ftill unfettled *, 
and that we may, as the Phrafe once was, TAKE and 
HOLD. 
1 5. We are now to fpeak briefly of fuch other Tranf- 
adtions under the Reign of this great Princefs, as may 
contribute to explain fome Paffages in thi.s Sedlion, and 
fet 
