THE OIIDED KING. 
31 
with armour of massy gold.” Gonzales Pizari'O, in search- 
ing for these treasures, discovered accidentally, in 1539, the 
cinnamon-trees of America, (Lauras cinnamomoides, Mut .) ; 
and Francisco de Orellana went down the Napo, to reach 
the river Amazon. Since that period expeditions were 
^dertaken at the same time from Venezuela, New Grenada, 
Ouito, Peru, and even from Brazil and the Bio de la Plata,* 
tor the conquest of El Dorado. Those of which the remem- 
brance have been best preserved, and which have most 
contributed to spread the fable of the riches of the Manaos, 
the Omaguas, and the Guaypes, as well as the existence of 
tto lagunas de oro, and the town of ‘ the gilded king ’ 
(Grand Patiti, Grand Moxo, Grand Paru, or Enim), are 
p ® incursions made to the south of the Guaviare, the Bio 
Iragua, and the Caqueta. Orellana, having found idols of 
ttassy gold, had fixed men’s ideas on an auriferous land 
between the Papamene and the Guaviare. His narrative, 
and those of the voyages of Jorge de Espira (George von 
Hernan Perez de Quesada, and Felipe de TTrre 
(rhuip von Huten), undertaken in 1536, 1542, and 1545, 
turmsh, amid much exaggeration, proofs of very exact local 
nowledge.t When these are examined merely in a geo- 
graphicaP point of view, we perceive the constant desire of 
be first conguistadores to reach the land eomprised between 
be sources of the Bio Negro, of the Uaupes (Guape), and 
Cl the Jupura or Caqueta. This is the land which, in order 
distinguish it from HI Dorado de la Parime, we have 
ca ed HI Dorado des Omaquas-X No doubt the whole 
country between the Amazon and the Orinoco was vaguely 
nown by the name of las Hrovincias del Dorado ; but in 
Ihp Chaves went from the Ciudad de la Asumpeion, situate on 
em ■ ° Pui'uguay, to discover, in the latitude of 24° south, the vast 
Dorado, which was everywhere supposed to lie on the 
back of the Andes. 
7 . ® be surprised to see, that the expedition of Huten is passed 
D absolute silence by Herrera (dec. 7, lib. 10, cap. vii, vol. iv, 
fhbul Pedro Simon gives the whole particulars of it, true or 
to Herrer composed his work from materials that were unknown 
Dn* ^ Pedro de Vrsua even took the title of Goveruador dci 
ra 0 y de Omayua, (Fray Pedro Simon, vol. vi. cliao. x, p. 430.) 
