CHAP. XXIV.
A brief Discourse of divers Voyages made unto the goodly Country of Guinea and the great River of the Amazons; relating also the present Plantation there.
It is not unknown how that most Industrious and honourable Knight, Sir Walter Rawleigh, in the Year of Our Lord 1595, taking the Isle of Trinidado, fell with the Coast of Guiana, Northward of the Line 10 degrees, and coasted the Coast, and searched up the River Oranoco; where understanding that twenty several Voyages had been made by the Spaniards; in discovering this Coast and River, to find a passage to the great City of Mano, called by them the Eldorado, or the Golden City: he did his utmost to have found some better Satisfaction than Relations: {MN-1} But means failing him, he left his trusty Servant Francis Sparrow to seek it, who wandring up and down those Countries, some fourteen or fifteen years, unexpectedly returned; I have heard him say, he was led blinded into this City by Indians; but little Discourse of any purpose, touching the largeness of the report of it; his body seeming as a Man of an uncurable Consumption, shortly died here after in England. There are above thirty fair Rivers that fall into the Sea, between the River of Amazons and Oranoco, which are some nine degrees asunder. {MN-2} In the year 1605, Captain Ley, Brother to that noble Knight, Sir Oliver Ley, with divers others, planted himself in the River Weapoco, wherein I should have been a Party; but he died, and there lies buried, and the supply miscarrying, the rest escaped as they could.
{MN-1} Sparrow left to seek the great city of Mano.
{MN-2} Captain Charles Ley.
{MN} Sir Thomas Roe, known to be a most Noble Gentleman, before he went Lord Ambassadour to the Great Mogul, or the Great Turk, spent a year or two upon this Coast, and about the River of the Amazons, {MN-2} wherein he most imployed Captain Matthew Morton, an expert Sea-man in the discovery of this famous River, a Gentleman that was the first shot, and mortally supposed wounded to Death, with me in Virginia, yet since hath been twice with command in East-Indies; {MN-3} Also Captain William White, and divers others worthy and industrious Gentlemen, both before and since, hath spent much time and charge to discover it more perfectly, but nothing more effected for a Plantation, till it was undertaken by Captain Robert Harcote 1609.
{MN-1} Sir Thomas Roe.
{MN-2} Captain Morton.
{MN-3} Captain White.
{MN} This worthy Gentleman, after he had by Commission made a discovery to his mind, left his Brother Michael Harcote, with some fifty or sixty Men in the River Weapoco, and so presently returned to England, where he obtained by the favour of Prince Henry a large Patent for all that Coast called Guiana, together with the famous River of Amazons, to him and his Heirs: but so many troubles here surprized him, though he did his best to supply them, he was not able, only some few he sent over as Passengers, with certain Dutch Men, but to small purpose. Thus this business lay dead for divers years, till Sir Walter Rawleigh, accompanied with many valiant Soldiers and brave Gentlemen, went his last Voyage to Guiana, amongst the which, was Captain Roger North, Brother to the Right Honourable the Lord Dudley North, who upon this Voyage, having stayed, and seen divers Rivers upon this Coast, took such a liking to those Countries, having had before this Voyage, more perfect and particular Information of the excellency of the great River of the Amazons, above any of the rest, by certain English Men returned so rich, from thence in good Commodities, they would not go with Sir Walter Rawleigh in search of Gold; that after his return for England, he endeavoured by his best Abilities to interest his Country and State in those fair Regions, which by the way of Letters Patents unto divers Noble Men and Gentlemen of Quality, erected into a Company and Perpetuity for Trade and Plantation, not knowing of the Interest of Captain Harcote.
{MN} Captain Harcote.
{MN} Whereupon accompanied with 120 Gentlemen and others, with a Ship, a Pinnace and two Shallops, to remain in the Country, he set Sail from Plimouth the last of April 1620, and within seven Weeks after he arrived well in the Amazons, only with the loss of one old Man: Some hundred Leagues they ran up the River to settle his Men, where the sight of the Country and People so contented them, that never Men thought themselves more happy: Some English and Irish that had lived there some eight years, only supplied by the Dutch, he reduced to his Company and to leave the Dutch: having made a good Voyage, to the value of more than the charge, he returned to England with divers good Commodities, besides, Tobacco: So that it may well be conceived, that if this Action had not been thus crossed the Generality of England had by this time been won and encouraged therein. But the time was not yet come, that God would have this great business effected, by reason of the great Power the Lord Gundamore, Ambassadour for the King of Spain, had in England, to cross and ruin those Proceedings, and so unfortunate Captain North was on this business, he was twice committed Prisoner to the Tower, and the Goods detained, till they were spoiled, who beyond all others, was by much the greatest Adventurer and Loser.
{MN} Captain Roger North.
{MN} Notwithstanding all this, those that he had left in the Amazons, would not abandon the Country. Captain Thomas Painton, a worthy Gentleman; his Lieutenant dead. Captain Charles Parker, Brother to the Right Honourable the Lord Morley, lived there six years after; Mr. John Christmas, five years; so well, they would not return, although they might, with divers other Gentlemen of Quality and others: All thus destitute of any supplies from England. But all Authority being dissolved, want of Government did more wrong their Proceedings, than all other crosses whatsoever. Some relief they had sometime from the Dutch, who knowing their Estates, gave what they pleased, and took what they list. Two Brothers, Gentlemen, Thomas and William Hixon, who stayed three years there, are now gone to stay in the Amazons, in the Ships lately sent thither.
{MN} Nota bene.
The business thus remaining in this fort, three private Men left of that Company, named Mr. Thomas Warriner, John Rhodes, and Robert Bims, having lived there about two years, came for England, and to be free from the disorders that did grow in the Amazons, for want of Government amongst their Country-men, and to be quiet amongst themselves, made means to let themselves out for St. Christophers; their whole number being but fifteen Persons that payed for their Passage in a Ship going for Virginia, where they remained a year before they were supplied, and then that was but four or five Men. Thus this Isle, by this small beginning, having no interruption by their own Country, hath not got the start of the Continent and main Land of Guinea, which hath been laid apart, and let alone until that Captain North, ever watching his best opportunity and advantage of time in the State, hath now again pursued, and set on foot his former design. Captain Harcote being now willing to surrender his Grant, and to joyn with Captain North, in passing a new Patent, and to erect a Company for Trade and Plantation in the Amazons, and all the Coast and Country of Guinea for ever. Whereupon, they have sent this present year in January, and since 1628, four Ships, with near two hundred Persons; the first Ship with 112 Men, not one miscarried; the rest went since, not yet heard of and are preparing another with their best Expedition; and since January is gone from Holland, 100 English and Irish, conducted by the old Planters.
This great River lieth under the Line, the two chief Head Lands North and South, are about three degrees asunder, the mouth of it is so full of many great and small Isles, it is an easie matter for an unexperienced Pilot to lose his way. It is held one of the greatest Rivers in America, and as most Men think in the World; and cometh down with such a fresh, it maketh the Sea fresh, more than thirty Miles from the Shoar. Captain North having seated his Men about an hundred Leagues in the Main, sent Captain William White, with thirty Gentlemen and others, in a Pinnace of thirty Tun, to discover further, which they did some two hundred Leagues, where they found the River to divide it self in two parts, till then all full of Islands, and a Country most healthful, pleasant and fruitful; for they found food enough, and all returned safe and in good health: In this discovery, they saw many Towns well inhabited, some with three hundred People, some with five, six, or seven hundred; and of some they understood to be of so many thousands, most differing very much, especially in their Languages: Whereof they suppose by those Indians, they understand are many hundreds more, unfrequented till then by any Christian, most of them stark naked, both Men, Women and Children, but they saw not any such Giant-like Women as the Rivers name importeth. But for those where Captain North hath seated his Company, it is not known where Indians were ever so kind to any Nation, not sparing any pains, danger or labour, to feed and maintain them. The English following their Buildings, Fortifications and Sugar-works; for which they have sent most expert Men, and with them all things necessary for that purpose; to effect which, they want not the help of those kind Indians to produce; and many other good Commodities, which (God willing) will ere long make plain and apparent to this Kingdom, and all the Adventures and Well-willers to this Plantation, to be well worthy the cherishing and following with all alacrity.