The wild Caribbeeans live farther up into the Countrey, and often fall with great rage upon the other; but since the Netherlanders have furnish’d them with Arms, they have not been so much molested by them.
Rivers.
Beyond Macavia lies the River Caurora, which is very narrow and deep; and next in order the Rivers Manamonary, Sinamary, Cunanama, Juraca, Mawary, Amana, and Marawyny, full of Isles, and four Leagues broad at the Mouth; along the Shore grow little Trees, whose Leaves wither as soon as touch’d by Mankind, but revives again within half an hour.
Next follow the Rivers Sorrenam, Sorrenamme, Copanama, Marateca, and Curetiny, where the Netherlanders, by virtue of a Patent granted by the States General, drove a Trade for several years.
Somewhat farther the Berbice, Apari, Maycawini, Mabeyca, Mirara and Essekebe, discharge their Waters into the Ocean, twenty days Journey from their Spring-Head, where a great Lake (by the Jaos call’d The Roponowini, and by the Caribbeeans, Parime) spreads it self a great way; and on its Northern Shore hath the Town Manoa.
Along the River Essebeke is an excellent sort of Wood, the Dye call’d Orellano, and abundance of Cassavi: In the Mouth of the River also lies the Isle Ottoma.
Lastly, between Essebeke and the great River Orinoque, glide the lesser Streams Iwapoi, Pauroma, Gayni, Moruga, Ammacoura, and Parima, before which lie several nameless Isles.
The Discovery of these Parts begun by Columbus.
Diego de Ordas his Expedition.
Christopher Columbus, in his third Voyage to the West-Indies, discover’d the great Island Trinidad, where before the Mouth of the Bay Vallena he was in great danger, as also the Ship Commanded by Alonso de Ojeda, by reason of the Waves, with which the great River Yuyapar, otherwise call’d Orinoque, coming out of the High-lands of Paria, falls into the Sea, which made him call the said Mouth Bocca del Drago; so that Columbus, Anno 1599. discover’d the Main Coast of America to the Northward of Guiana, as far as the Promontory De la Vela, before Americus Vesputius; whither Diego de Ordas Steer’d with three Ships, Mann’d with four hundred Castilians, in the Year 1531. and before Guiana took four Caribbeeans Prisoners in a Canoo, and finding an Emerauld about them as big as a Man’s Hand, they inform’d him, that up the River was a Rock all of such Stones, and a Mountain on which grew high Trees, yielding store of Myrrh; but the strong contrary Tides and Water-falls prevented Ordas from going thither; and being troubled at the loss of one of his Ships, he ran along the Shore to Paria, and took the Fort which Antonio Sedenno, Governor of Trinidad, had cast up there, and left the Command thereof to Juan Gonsalvez, Ordas pretending that Sedenno had built it contrary to the Emperor’s Order, and that he had made Slaves of the Natives. Martin Jannez Tafur stay’d in the conquer’d Fort according to Ordas his appointment, who went up the River Orinoque not without great hardship; for his Provisions were not onely short, but he was tormented in the Day by the Muschitoes, and in the Night by the Bats; at last coming to a Village Commanded by Viapari, he was kindly Entertain’d, which made Ordas contrary to the will of his Men, who would willingly have gone farther into the Countrey, stay there all the Winter; but as soon as the rainy Moneths were over, Ordas went farther up the River Orinoque, where his Ship was stav’d against a sandy Shelf, which forc’d him with two hundred Foot and forty Horse, to travel along the Shore, where he was much scanted of Provisions, and for forty days together met none but a few poor wild Fishermen, and at last stopt at an unknown River, which fell into the Orinoque. The Guianian Guide which Viapari had given Ordas, advis’d him to go along the Shore of the new River; because it would lead them to a well Cloth’d and rich People: But Ordas went along by the River Oronoque till he came where the Water falling from the Mountains makes it so terrible rough, that Ordas his Vessels, which were Toed along, were not able to be got any farther, so that after two hundred Leagues advance, he was necessitated, by reason of the fore-mention’d Water-falls, to go aboard and Sail down the Stream: His Men being weary’d with so troublesom a Journey, forsook him on the Island Cubagua, which made him return over Hispaniola to Spain, where not long after he dy’d with Grief.