The Expedition of Hieronimo Ortall.
This unsuccessful Expedition of Ordas no way daunted Hieronimo Ortall from prosecuting the same Design; for setting Sail from St. Lucas, Anno 1533. to the Fort which Ordas had taken from Juan Gonsalves, he Steer’d from thence over to Cubagua, to fetch some Men, and sent the Lieutenant Alonso Herrera with five Ketches, carrying two hundred Men, the same way which Ordas had been. Herrera coming to the fore-mention’d Water-falls where Ordas return’d, caus’d his Vessels to be unladen, then Toed them by meer force over the Water-falls, where he discover’d plain Fields without any Inhabitants, extending themselves to the Mouth of the River Meta, where he quitted his Vessels, and with no small trouble got over Morasses and Pools to the fruitful Countrey of the Xaguas, a People both cruel and valiant; whom after a sharp Conflict vanquishing, he became Master of their Village, in which he found plenty of Provisions, as also in another neighboring Town, where his tir’d, and almost starv’d Army began to take Breath, being exceedingly refresh’d with the delicious Meat of a sort of wild Dogs, which were here in great abundance. Having spent the Winter Season here, they were often set upon by the Caribbeeans, by whose poyson’d Arrows several of them being shot, dy’d Distracted, and amongst the rest Herrera himself; after which his Successor Alvaro Ordas return’d to the Vessels, which were left at the Mouth of the River Meta, from whence he Sail’d back without any other success, the Design being to find out the Golden City Manoa, on the Banks of the great Lake Parime.
Is follow’d by Hermandes and others.
Not long after Peter Hermandez de Serpa undertook the same Work with three hundred Spaniards, several Brasilians and Negro’s; but before he could reach the River Orinoque, he was destroy’d by the salvage People Wikiri, eighteen of his Men onely escaping to bring the news of this sad Disaster.
Peter de Orsua following the footsteps of Gonsalvo Pizarro, went to seek for Gold in Guiana; but being kill’d by Lopes Agira near the Amazone River, that Expedition also prov’d fruitless.
Berreo’s Relation of his Adventures to Sir Walter Raleigh.
With the same desire of finding Gold in Guiana, Antonio Berreo went from New Granada thither; but being taken by Sir Walter Raleigh, was interrupted in his Design; however, he gave him an Account of his Adventures, so far as he had gone, viz. That he went to find out a Way along the River Cassanor, between New Granada and New Guiana, went from Cassanor to the Stream Meta, and from thence to Orinoque, where he was in great danger, by reason of sharp Rocks, over which the Stream flowing, washes several Isles; That he spent a whole year before he came to the utmost Borders of Amapaia; near which he lost several of his Barques, and on the Shore, not onely divers Horses, but also many of his Men, who either dy’d of hardship, or were kill’d by the Natives with poysonous Arrows, so that sixty of his Men were kill’d in the Countrey of Amapaia, which extends along the River Orinoque, besides a great many that dy’d there by drinking the Water, which was full of poysonous Animals, and glided over a slimy and muddy Ground, which made it thick and troubled: Six Moneths he stay’d in the Countrey Amapaia, where he made Peace with the Inhabitants of Anebas, who gave him ten curious Images of massie Gold. The River Orinoque is about four Leagues broad here, and about seven hundred Miles long, before it fall into the Ocean, and is every where enrich’d with the Waters of many Rivers which fall into it from the North and South: He added moreover, that he endeavor’d to go down Southerly to Guiana, but was prevented by steep Mountains, and therefore went on Easterly till he came to the Countrey Emeria, where he found a courteous People, and plenty of Provisions; that the Governor of Caripana, being about a hundred years of age, had a long time Convers’d with the Christians on the Islands Trinidad and Margareta, and learn’d a Form of Civil Government; that Sailing down the River Orinoque between many Isles lying at the Mouth of the River to Trinidad, and from thence to Margareta, he took sixty Men into his Service; but that he himself, being tir’d with so great a Journey, and staying to refresh himself at Trinidad, fell into the hands of another Party of the English; that before he was taken he sent several of his Men to Caripana, to find the King of Morequito, who three years before had been with abundance of Gold at Cumana and Margareta, and inform’d a Spaniard call’d Vides so much concerning the Golden Countrey Guiana, that he obtain’d a Patent at the Spanish Court to discover Guiana; but that Vides, jealous that he might be there before him, had not onely incens’d Morequito against him, but so instructed him, that he suffer’d his Men to pass through the Countrey to fetch Gold from the City Manoa, and as they return’d, set upon them and slew them on the Borders of Aromaia, together with a Monk that was in their Company, one Man onely escaping; by whom being inform’d of the Murder, he immediately sent divers Soldiers to take Revenge of Morequito, who flying to the Governor Vides, was nevertheless, upon his demanding him in the King’s Name, deliver’d to him; and notwithstanding he proffer’d a great Sum of Money for his Ransom, was cruelly put to Death; but not satisfi’d with that Revenge, he over-run all the Countrey of Aromaia, took Morequito’s Uncle, call’d Topiawari, Prisoner, who bought his Life for a hundred Plates of Gold, and some Precious Stones; That Listing many Men in Spain for the Gold which he sent thither, he Row’d with Barques up the Rivers Barema, Pattroma, and Dessequebe, where he barter’d Trifles for Men, Women, and Children, of whom he made great Sums of Money on the Island Margareta.
This Information which Sir Walter Raleigh got from his Prisoner Berreo, made him desirous to make an Expedition to Guiana; to which purpose he sent Captain George Gifford with a Ketch and a Barque to the River Capuri, where the Water fell before the Vessels could get beyond the Sands in the Mouth of the River.
John Donglas had better success, being likewise sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh, for he with his Boats found that Orinoque had nine Arms to the North Sea, and seven to the South, which embrace divers Isles, of which those on the right side are call’d Pallamos, and those on the left, Horotomaca. The Mouth of the River gapes a hundred Leagues. On the fore-mention’d Isles dwell the Titiriras, a modest People, who speak a bald Language; in the Summer they live under the open Skie upon the bare Earth, and in the Winter (being there between May and September) on the tops of the Trees, because during that time the River Orinoque rising thirty Foot higher, overflows all the Isles thereabouts, which are very high and mountainous. But Raleigh himself Rowing up the River Amana, endur’d great hardship, his Men being most of them sweltred with the Heat, and great want of Provisions; and had not their Indian Pilot shew’d them another Stream much easier to Navigate, he would have been forc’d to return successless; but being stor’d with Provision out of a Village built along the Shore, he chased four Canoos, of which he took one, and also an Atwaccas, which in fifteen days time brought him into the River Orinoque, where he saw the high Mountains of Guiana; afterwards Anchoring before a fair sandy Bank, which lay near the Mouth of three Rivers, he took abundance of Tortoises, and was furnish’d with plenty of all sorts of Provisions, sent him from the Governor Toparimaca, who inhabited the pleasant Village Arowocay, built on a little Hill, surrounded with delightful Gardens, and Fields till’d by the Negro’s; who accommodating Raleigh with an experienc’d Pilot, he set Sail with a fresh Easterly Wind, and Westward saw the Isles Assapana, twenty five Leagues long, and six broad, and Iwana, of the same bigness. The River Orinoque hath here thirty Leagues in breadth, and receives the Rivers Arrawopana and Europa: He Sail’d next by the Isles Ocaywita and Putayma, opposite to which on the Main Land appears the Mountain Oecope, whose top reacheth the Clouds; on the right side a Plain Countrey discover’d it self a vast way, which the Pilot said was call’d The Plain of Sayma, extending Northerly a hundred and twenty Leagues to Cumana and Caracas, inhabited by four sorts of People, viz. the Saymas, Assaways, Wikeries and Aroras; which last, being a Coal-black People, us’d poyson’d Arrows. Raleigh passing between the two Mountains Aroami and Aio, came to an Anchor near the Island Murscolima, and from thence into the Haven Morequito, where the King Topiawari, a hundred and ten years of age, brought all sorts of Fruit, Poultrey, Fish and Flesh, and gave him an Account of the Condition of Guiana, viz. That the whole Countrey from the Mountains Waccarima to Emeria, bore the Name of Guiana, the Inhabitants calling themselves Orinoque Poni; on the other side of the said Mountains lies the spacious Valley Amariocapana, where the Guianiatas reside. Southerly the Oreiones and Epuremei, who coming out of a strange Countrey, have destroy’d the ancient Inhabitants, leaving onely the Awaawaqueri and Cassipagoios. The Epuremei built the stately City Macurewarai there. But Raleigh going on his Journey saw the Island Caiama, and came to the Mouth of the River Caroli, whose strong Current he was not able to stem, wherefore he desir’d Aid from Wanuretona, Governor of Canuria, who furnish’d him with Provisions, and Men to Toe him up the fore-mention’d Stream; and inform’d him that the River Caroli, which sprung out of the Lake Cassipa, was inhabited on one side by the Iwarawakeri, and the Lake Cassipa by three powerful People, viz. the Cassiapagotos, Eparagotos and Arawogotos, all mortal Enemies to the Spaniards: whereupon Raleigh sent some of his Men thither, who return’d with great hopes of finding rich Gold-Mines. The fore-mention’d Lake also produces the Rivers Aroi, Atoica, and Caora, near which dwell the Ewaipanoma, who have neither Necks nor Chins, but their Mouthes just upon their Shoulders. Towards the North the River Cari falls into the Orinoque, and on the West the Stream Limo; between both which the Cannibals reside, whose Metropolis call’d Acamacari is very famous for their strange way of Trading; for there the Women are brought to Market, and bought by the Arwaccas: But because great Showers of Rain fell daily, and the Stream Caroli glided downwards with extraordinary force, Raleigh return’d to Morequito; from whence Putima, King of Warapana, conduced him to a rich Golden Mountain in his Countrey, and along the Rivers Mana, Oiana, and Cumaca, to the place where the Orinoque divides it self into three excellent Streams, the chiefest whereof, call’d Cararoopana, washes the Province Emeria, out of whose Mountains the Rivers Waracayari, Coirama, Akaniri, and Iparoma, glide to the Northern Ocean; as also the Araturi, Amacura, Barima, Wana, Morooca, Paroma, and Wyni, all Branches of the River Orinoque: From whence Raleigh return’d home to England.
Not long after he sent Laurence Keymes and Thomas Masham back to Guiana: Keymes found out all the Rivers between the Amazones and the Orinoque, and Masham the Stream Wiapoco; from whence both return’d without any farther success.