Sect. II.
A Relation of the Journey of Francisco Orellana.
Francisco Orellana travelling with Gonsalvo Pizarro from Quito, to find out the Countrey Cundirumarca (where the Natives, according to the information of a strange American, went Arm’d with Golden Plates) he came after a great deal of hardship to the River Maranon, where Pizarro building a Brigantine, put all his sick and maimed Men into the same, as also all his Baggage under the Command of Orellana, whom he commanded to forage for some Provisions, of which the Army, that was to follow along the Shore, had great want; but Orellana was in few days driven down so far, that he saw no hopes of getting up again in a years time, and Engag’d daily with the Indians, which came aboard of him in little Boats; at last he went ashore and conquer’d a Village, in which he found Provisions, some Gold, and Gems of great value: Not long after which he was in great danger, by reason of a River, which with great force fell into the Channel in which he Sail’d, and for the space of two hundred Leagues saw neither Man nor House: Next Landing at a Village, he was by the Governor thereof Presented with Turtles, Partridges, Fish, and other Provisions, and also forewarn’d of the valiant Women, the Amazones, which they call’d Camapuyara. Going from hence, he met for eighty Leagues together, nothing but steep and craggy Mountains on each side of the Shore, insomuch that he could not Land any where for Provisions. Next coming to the inhabited Province Machiparo, he was fiercely assaulted for two days and two nights, by the Casique Aomagua, who pursu’d him with several Boats: Not long after having conquer’d a Village, out of which ran several trodden Paths into the Countrey, he came to a River, in the Mouth whereof there lying three Isles, he gave it the Denomination of La Trinidad, which washeth a fruitful Coast, along which Sail’d divers small Vessels. Somewhat farther in the River Trinidad stood a Village and Banquetting-house, where Orellana took abundance of Provisions, Silver, Gold, and Earthen Ware curiously Glaz’d and Painted, but judg’d it very hazardous to travel far into the Countrey by the common High-ways, in regard of the multitudes of People that frequented them, to whose Civility he durst not trust; therefore Sailing from hence a hundred Leagues farther, he came to the Countrey belonging to the Lord of Paguana, who civilly Entertain’d him, and Presented him with Sheep, not unlike the Peruvians, and all manner of good Fruit, which the Countrey affords in great abundance. After this on his Lar-board side he discover’d a River, whose being black like Ink, and disemboguing into another, discolour’d the Water thereof for the space of twenty Leagues; he also saw several Villages, and at last found the Stream to be so broad, that he could not see from one Shore to the other: he took one of the Villages without any resistance, there being none but Women in the Huts, whither the Men came towards the Evening. Near another Village he espy’d seven Heads sticking upon Poles, from whence the Province receiv’d the Denomination De las Picotas, from whence ran several pav’d Ways, on each side planted with Trees, into the Countrey; where Landing, he furnish’d himself with Maiz, Turtles, Geese, and Parrots, and at Can Island took an American Prisoner, who inform’d him, that he was in the Amazones’ Jurisdiction, and that up in the Countrey liv’d a People not unlike the Spaniards, amongst whom were two white Women, brought thither up the River by a Lord. Going farther he saw divers Villages on each side of him, and at last Landing in a little Town, he found plenty of Oats, Liquor made of Oats, Cotton, Linnen, a Temple hung round about with Arms, and two Episcopal Miters of divers colours. Near a Promontory jutting out into the River, the Tide went so strong, that he was not able to Land; upon the Point stood several fair Buildings, where were also white Women, of a big stature, with long Hair, who animated the Men to fight. This Countrey, which extends it self a hundred and fifty Leagues along the Shore, with Hills, Pasture-Grounds, and Champain, and well inhabited, being discover’d on St. John’s Day, was call’d The Province De San Juan; which leaving, he came to several Isles, the biggest whereof extended fifty Leagues in length, all of them standing on high Ground, pleasant, and full of People, who in Boats, by them call’d Periagues, valiantly Engag’d with the Spaniards; but one of them not long after being taken Prisoner, inform’d them, that the Amazones dwelt in Stone Houses, Wall’d Towns, had plenty of Silver and Gold, and four stately Temples enrich’d with Plates, Dedicated to the Sun. But Orellana Sailing a hundred Leagues farther, along a Coast belonging to the Lord of Caripuna, according to the Prisoner’s Relation, the Inhabitants hereabouts shot abundance of poyson’d Arrows at the Spaniards, but they made a shift to escape them, and Sailing within sight of Land into the Bay of Paria, they came to an Anchor before the Island Cubugua, Anno 1541. after they had been eight hundred Leagues.
The Expedition of Orellana.
He dies with Grief.
Orellana informing the Spanish Court of his Adventures, desir’d the chief Command of the Province of the Amazones, which after earnest Sollicitations he obtain’d, and accordingly setting Sail from St. Lucar, he went to the Island Teneriff with three Ships and five hundred Men, where he stay’d three Moneths, and two on Cape de Verd. On Teneriff several of his Men ran from him, and on Cape de Verd he bury’d ninety eight, and left fifty sick behind him; yet he Steer’d to Brasile, where, meeting with contrary Winds, he had undoubtedly perish’d for lack of Water, if the great Showers of Rain had not supply’d his Wants, one of his Ships carrying seventy Men and eleven Horses, was never heard of, with the other two he Sail’d by Baxos de San Roque, and from thence a hundred Leagues Northwardly beyond Maragnan, where a great way off at Sea they found fresh Water, in which Orellana Steering, got between the Isles into the River De las Amazones, where he Barter’d for Provisions, Sail’d two Leagues up the River, and came to an Anchor before a few Huts, but slenderly stor’d with Provisions, where he spent three Moneths in breaking up one of his Ships, and building a Ketch. In the mean time fifty seven of his Seamen dy’d. Sailing twenty Leagues farther, he lost his best Ship; whereupon he gave order to build a Barque of the Wreck. Thus he spent thirty days in vain to find the fore mention’d Arm of the River Amazones: the Barque being finish’d in ten Weeks, and going beyond the Isles Maribique and Contan, found the three great Rivers to disembogue into the River Amazones, which there was twelve Leagues broad; but wanting Provisions, and the Men being too weak to go farther, they came back to the fruitful Island Comao, where a hundred Spaniards setled themselves, the rest going down with the Barque to find out Orellana, who, as his Wife inform’d them, dy’d with Grief.
The English and Netherlanders, who Sail’d hither after the Spaniards left off, ascribe a Breadth of fifty or sixty Leagues to the Mouth of the Amazone River, which discharges its Water with such force into the Northern Ocean, that it keeps its colour and taste above thirty Leagues, according to the ocular testimony of Captain Harcourt. The Western Point, by the Netherlanders call’d The North Cape, runs with a long Slip of low Land into the Sea, into which more North-Westerly fall the Streams Taponnowyny, Arowary, Arykary, Cassepouri, and Wiapoca; some of them wash great Wildernesses full of Trees; others glide between pleasant Meadows.
Eighty Leagues up the Amazone River the Vlussingers have built a Fort call’d Nassaw, on the narrow Island Cogemines, which is twenty Leagues long, and separated from the Shore by a Creek, and seven Leagues farther, on another Isle, the Fort Orange; from which two Forts they Trade with the Natives, Arowaccas and Apehous, bartering European Trifles for Tobacco, Cotton, Sugar, Gums, and several Tinctures.
Sir Walter Raleigh sends Fisher to discover Cooshebery Province.
Sir Walter Raleigh, Anno 1595. sending Captain Fisher from Wiapoco to Leonard Ragapo, some years before Baptiz’d in England, and then Governor of the Province Cooshebery, lying between the Amazone River and Wapoco, he receiv’d Fisher very civilly, and conducted him fifty Leagues up into the Countrey, to the Mountain Cowob, on whose top is a deep Pool, full of well tasted Fish, and surrounded with the glittering Stones Topaz; which Raleigh took the more notice of, because the same Ground in the East-Indies where these Stones are found, incloses also Diamonds. Moreover, the Province Cooshebery rises with pleasant Hills, but consists most in delightful Fields and Woods.