the discovery of guiana-第7部分

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Dominica　to　Amazons；　which　is　above　250　leagues；　all　the　chief　Indians
in　all　parts　wear　of　those　plates　of　Guiana。　Undoubtedly　those　that
trade　Amazons　return　much　gold；　which　（as　is　aforesaid）　cometh　by
trade　from　Guiana；　by　some　branch　of　a　river　that　falleth　from　the
country　into　Amazons；　and　either　it　is　by　the　river　which　passeth　by
the　nations　called　Tisnados；　or　by　Caripuna。

I　made　enquiry　amongst　the　most　ancient　and　best　travelled　of　the
Orenoqueponi；　and　I　had　knowledge　of　all　the　rivers　between　Orenoque
and　Amazons；　and　was　very　desirous　to　understand　the　truth　of　those
warlike　women；　because　of　some　it　is　believed；　of　others　not。　And
though　I　digress　from　my　purpose；　yet　I　will　set　down　that　which　hath
been　delivered　me　for　truth　of　those　women；　and　I　spake　with　a
cacique；　or　lord　of　people；　that　told　me　he　had　been　in　the　river；　and
beyond　it　also。　The　nations　of　these　women　are　on　the　south　side　of
the　river　in　the　provinces　of　Topago；　and　their　chiefest　strengths　and
retracts　are　in　the　islands　situate　on　the　south　side　of　the　entrance；
some　60　leagues　within　the　mouth　of　the　said　river。　The　memories　of
the　like　women　are　very　ancient　as　well　in　Africa　as　in　Asia。　In
Africa　those　that　had　Medusa　for　queen；　others　in　Scythia；　near　the
rivers　of　Tanais　and　Thermodon。　We　find；　also；　that　Lampedo　and
Marthesia　were　queens　of　the　Amazons。　In　many　histories　they　are
verified　to　have　been；　and　in　divers　ages　and　provinces；　but　they
which　are　not　far　from　Guiana　do　accompany　with　men　but　once　in　a
year；　and　for　the　time　of　one　month；　which　I　gather　by　their　relation；
to　be　in　April；　and　that　time　all　kings　of　the　borders　assemble；　and
queens　of　the　Amazons；　and　after　the　queens　have　chosen；　the　rest　cast
lots　for　their　valentines。　This　one　month　they　feast；　dance；　and　drink
of　their　wines　in　abundance；　and　the　moon　being　done　they　all　depart
to　their　own　provinces。　They　are　said　to　be　very　cruel　and
bloodthirsty；　especially　to　such　as　offer　to　invade　their　territories。
These　Amazons　have　likewise　great　store　of　these　plates　of　gold；　which
they　recover　by　exchange　chiefly　for　a　kind　of　green　stones；　which　the
Spaniards　call　piedras　hijadas；　and　we　use　for　spleen…stones　（stones
reduced　to　powder　and　taken　internally　to　cure　maladies　of　the
spleen）；　and　for　the　disease　of　the　stone　we　also　esteem　them。　Of
these　I　saw　divers　in　Guiana；　and　commonly　every　king　or　cacique　hath
one；　which　their　wives　for　the　most　part　wear；　and　they　esteem　them　as
great　jewels。

But　to　return　to　the　enterprise　of　Berreo；　who；　as　I　have　said；
departed　from　Nuevo　Reyno　with　700　horse；　besides　the　provisions　above
rehearsed。　He　descended　by　the　river　called　Cassanar；　which　riseth　in
Nuevo　Reyno　out　of　the　mountains　by　the　city　of　Tunja；　from　which
mountain　also　springeth　Pato；　both　which　fall　into　the　great　river　of
Meta；　and　Meta　riseth　from　a　mountain　joining　to　Pamplona；　in　the　same
Nuevo　Reyno　de　Granada。　These；　as　also　Guaiare；　which　issueth　out　of
the　mountains　by　Timana；　fall　all　into　Baraquan；　and　are　but　of　his
heads；　for　at　their　coming　together　they　lose　their　names；　and
Baraquan　farther　down　is　also　rebaptized　by　the　name　of　Orenoque。　On
the　other　side　of　the　city　and　hills　of　Timana　riseth　Rio　Grande；
which　falleth　into　the　sea　by　Santa　Marta。　By　Cassanar　first；　and　so
into　Meta；　Berreo　passed；　keeping　his　horsemen　on　the　banks；　where　the
country　served　them　for　to　march；　and　where　otherwise；　he　was　driven
to　embark　them　in　boats　which　he　builded　for　the　purpose；　and　so　came
with　the　current　down　the　river　of　Meta；　and　so　into　Baraquan。　After
he　entered　that　great　and　mighty　river；　he　began　daily　to　lose　of　his
companies　both　men　and　horse；　for　it　is　in　many　places　violently
swift；　and　hath　forcible　eddies；　many　sands；　and　divers　islands　sharp
pointed　with　rocks。　But　after　one　whole　year；　journeying　for　the　most
part　by　river；　and　the　rest　by　land；　he　grew　daily　to　fewer　numbers；
from　both　by　sickness；　and　by　encountering　with　the　people　of　those
regions　through　which　he　travelled；　his　companies　were　much　wasted；
especially　by　divers　encounters　with　the　Amapaians　（Amapaia　was
Berrio's　name　for　the　Orinoco　valley　above　the　Caura　river）。　And　in
all　this　time　he　never　could　learn　of　any　passage　into　Guiana；　nor　any
news　or　fame　thereof；　until　he　came　to　a　further　border　of　the　said
Amapaia；　eight　days'　journey　from　the　river　Caroli　（the　Caroni　river；
the　first　great　affluent　of　the　Orinoco　on　the　south；　about　180　miles
from　the　sea）；　which　was　the　furthest　river　that　he　entered。　Among
those　of　Amapaia；　Guiana　was　famous；　but　few　of　these　people　accosted
Berreo；　or　would　trade　with　him　the　first　three　months　of　the　six
which　he　sojourned　there。　This　Amapaia　is　also　marvellous　rich　in
gold；　as　both　Berreo　confessed　and　those　of　Guiana　with　whom　I　had
most　conference；　and　is　situate　upon　Orenoque　also。　In　this　country
Berreo　lost　sixty　of　his　best　soldiers；　and　most　of　all　his　horse　that
remained　in　his　former　year's　travel。　But　in　the　end；　after　divers
encounters　with　those　nations；　they　grew　to　peace；　and　they　presented
Berreo　with　ten　images　of　fine　gold　among　divers　other　plates　and
croissants；　which；　as　he　sware　to　me；　and　divers　other　gentlemen；　were
so　curiously　wrought；　as　he　had　not　seen　the　like　either　in　Italy；
Spain；　or　the　Low　Countries；　and　he　was　resolved　that　when　they　came
to　the　hands　of　the　Spanish　king；　to　whom　he　had　sent　them　by　his
camp…master；　they　would　appear　very　admirable；　especially　being
wrought　by　such　a　nation　as　had　no　iron　instruments　at　all；　nor　any　of
those　helps　which　our　goldsmiths　have　to　work　withal。　The　particular
name　of　the　people　in　Amapaia　which　gave　him　these　pieces；　are　called
Anebas；　and　the　river　of　Orenoque　at　that　place　is　about　twelve
English　miles　broad；　which　may　be　from　his　outfall　into　the　sea　700　or
800　miles。

This　province　of　Amapaia　is　a　very　low　and　a　marish　ground　near　the
river；　and　by　reason　of　the　red　water　which　issueth　out　in　small
branches　through　the　fenny　and　boggy　ground；　there　breed　divers
poisonful　worms　and　serpents。　And　the　Spaniards　not　suspecting；　nor　in
any　sort　foreknowing　the　danger；　were　infected　with　a　grievous　kind　of
flux　by　drinking　thereof；　and　even　the　very　horses　poisoned　therewith；
insomuch　as　at　the　end　of　the　six　months　that　they　abode　there；　of　all
their　troops　there　were　not　left　above　120　soldiers；　and　neither　horse
nor　cattle。　For　Berreo　hoped　to　have　found　Guiana　be　1；000　miles
nearer　than　it　fell　out　to　be　in　the　end；　by　means　whereof　they
sustained　much　want；　and　much　hunger；　oppressed　with　grievous
diseases；　and　all　the　miseries　that　could　be　imagined。　I　demanded　of
those　in　Guiana　that　had　travelled　Amapaia；　how　they　lived　with　that
tawny　or　red　water　when　they　travelled　thither；　and　they　told　me　that
after　the　sun　was　near　the　middle　of　the　sky；　they　used　to　fill　their
pots　and　pitchers　with　that　water；　but　either　before　that　time　or
towards　the　setting　of　the　sun　it　was　dangerous　to　drink　of；　and　in
the　night　strong　poison。　I　learned　also　of　divers　other　rivers　of　that
nature　among　them；　which　were　also；　while　the　sun　was　in　the　meridian；
very　safe　to　drink；　and　in　the　morning；　evening；　and　night；　wonderful
dangerous　and　infective。　From　this　province　Berreo　hasted　away　as　soon
as　the　spring　and　beginning　of　summer　appeared；　and　sought　his
entrance　on　the　borders　of　Orenoque　on　the　south　side；　but　there　ran　a
ledge　of　so　high　and　impassable　mountains；　as　he　was　not　able　by　any
means　to　march　over　them；　continuing　from　the　east　sea　into　which
Orenoque　falleth；　even　to　Quito　in　Peru。　Neither　had　he　means　to　carry
victual　or　munition　over　those　craggy；　high；　and　fast　hills；　being　all
woody；　and　those　so　thick　and　spiny；　and　so　full　or　prickles；　thorns；
and　briars；　as　it　is　impossible　to　creep　through　them。　He　had　also
neither　friendship　among　the　people；　nor　any　interpreter　to　persuade
or　treat　with　them；　and　more；　to　his　disadvantage；　the　caciques　and
kings　of　Amapaia　had　given　knowledge　of　his　purpose　to　the　Guianians；
and　that　he　sought　to　sack　and　conquer　the　empire；　for　the　hope　of
their　so　great　abundance　and　quantities　of　gold。　He　passed　by　the
mouths　of　many　great　rivers　which　fell　into　Orenoque　both　from　the
north　and　south；　which　I　forbear　to　name；　for　tediousness；　and　because
they　are　more　pleasing　in　describing　than　reading。

Berreo　affirmed　that　there　fell　an　hundred　rivers　into　Orenoque　from
the　north　and　south：　whereof　the　least　was　as　big　as　Rio　Grande　（the
Magdalena）；　that　passed　between　Popayan　and　Nuevo　Reyno　de　Granada；
Rio　Grande　being　esteemed　one　of　the　renowned　rivers　in　all　the　West
Indies；　and　numbered　among　the　great　rivers　of　the　world。　But　he　knew
not　the　names　of　any　of　these；　but　Caroli　only；　neither　from　what
nations　they　descended；　neither　to　what　provinces　they　led；　for　he　had
no　means　to　discourse　with　the　inhabitants　at　any　time；　neither　was　he
curious　in　these　things；　being　utterly　unlearned；　and　not　knowing　the
east　from　the　west。　But　of　all　these　I　got　some　knowledge；　and　of　many
more；　partly　by　mine　own　travel；　and　the　rest　by　conference；　of　some
one　I　learned　one；　of　others　the　rest；　having　with　me　an　Indian　that
spake　many　languages；　and　that　of　Guiana　（the　Carib）　naturally。　I
sought　out　all　the　aged　men；　and　such　as　were　greatest　travellers。　And
by　the　one　and　the　other　I　came　to　understand　the　situations；　the
rivers；　the　kingdoms　from　the　east　sea　to　the　borders　of　Peru；　and
from　Orenoque　southward　as　far　as　Amazons　or　Maranon；　and　the　regions
of　Marinatambal　（north　coasts　of　Brazil）；　and　of　all　the　kings　of
provinces；　and　captains　of　towns　and　villages；　how　they　stood　in　terms
of　peace　or　war；　and　which　were　friends　or　enemies　the　one　with　the
other；　without　which　there　can　be　neither　entrance　nor　conquest　in
those　parts；　nor　elsewhere。　For　by　the　dissension　between　Guascar　and
Atabalipa；　Pizarro　conquered　Peru；　and　by　the　hatred　that　the
Tlaxcallians　bare　to　Mutezuma；　Cortes　was　victorious　over　Mexico；
without　which　both　the　one　and　the　other　had　failed　of　their
enterprise；　and　of　the　great　honour　and　riches　which　they　attained
unto。

Now　Berreo　began　to　gro