As they passed along these streames, their eyes were entertained with a Pageant of
Shewes, wherein Nature was the onely Actor; heere the Deere came downe feeding
by the waters side, as if they had desired acquaintance with these new-come guests:
there, the birds in vnspeakable varietie of kindes and colours, rendering their seruice
to the eye and eare: the lands either in large plaines, of many miles, baring their beau∣tifull
bosomes, adorned with Floras embroidery of vnknowne flowers and plants, and
prostrating themselues to the eye, that they might be seene; or else lifting vp them∣selues
in hills, knitting their furrowed browes, and strouting out their goggle eyes to
watch their treasure, which they keepe imprisoned in their stony walls, and now, to see
these strangers: the waters (as the Graces) dancing with mutuall and manifold em∣bracings
of diuers streames, attended with plentie of fowle and fish; both land and
water feasting varietie of senses with varietie of obiects: only the Crocodile (a crea∣ture
which seemeth vassall, now to the land, now to the water, but to make prey on
both) well-nigh marred the play, and turned this Comedy into a Tragedie, euen in
their sight, feasting himselfe with a Negro of their company.
One leuell passed hence to Cumana, an hundred and twentie leagues to the North,
wherein dwell the Say••a, the Assawa••, the Wikiri, and the Aroras, a people as blacke as
Negros, but with smooth haire. Their poisoned arrowes, like cruell executioners, doe
not only kill, but with vncouth torments make death to be, as the last, so the least of
their furie; especially if men drinke after they are wounded.
At the Port of Morequito they anchored, and the King being an hundred and ten
yeares old, came a foot fourteene miles to see them, and returned the same day. They
brought them store of fruits, and a sort of Paraquitos, no bigger then Wrennes, and an
Armadilla, which seemeth to be all barred ouer with small plates, somewhat like to
a Rhinoceros, with a white horne growing in his hinder-parts, as bigge as a great
hunting horne, which they vse to winde in stead of a Trumpet. They after eate this
beast. Monardus
saith, it is in bignesse and snout like a Pigge, liues vnder the earth
as a Moule, and is thought to liue on earth.
They passed further, till they came in sight of those strange ouer-falls of Caroli, of
which there appeared ten or twelue in sight, euery one as high ouer the other as a
Church-Tower. They had sight at Winicapora of a mountaine of Crystall, which ap∣peared
a farre off like a white Church-Tower, of an exceeding height. There falleth
ouer it a mightie Riuer, which toucheth no part of the side of the mountaine, but rush∣ing
ouer the top, falleth to the ground with so terrible noise, as if a thousand great
bells were knocked one against another. No maruell of these roaring out-cries, if we
consider that double penaltie of sense and losse, which this Riuer seemeth to sustaine,
the one in that dreadfull downefall, bruising and breaking his vnited streames into
drops, and making it foming and senselesse with this falling-sicknesse; the other in lea∣uing
behind his Crystall purchase, further enriched with Diamonds and other iewels,
which euen now he embraced in his watery armes, but himselfe (such is the course and
curse of couetousnesse) will not suffer himselfe to enioy.
Now for the Monsters of men: there are said to be (not seen by our men, but reported
by the Sauages and other) an Amazonian nation further South: which Gomara thinkes
to be but the wiues of some Indians (a thing common, as you haue euen now read)
shooting and following the warres, no lesse then their husbands: once, about Iucatan,
about Plata, about the Riuer, called of this supposition, Amazones: about Monomo∣tapa
in Africa; our age hath told, but no man hath seene this Vnimammian Nation.
Yet heere they speake not of searing of the breast: and what need they, if there bee
such, seeing the women are so good Archers in other places, their breasts notwith∣standing?
Againe,
they tell of men with mouthes in their breasts, and eyes in their
shoulders, called Chiparemai, and of the Guianians, Ewiaponom••s, very strong; and of
others headed like dogges, which liue all the day time in the sea. These things are
strange, yet I dare not esteeme them fabulous: onely (as not to prodigall of faith) I
suspend, till some eye-intelligence of some of our parts haue testified the truth.
It were a hard taske to muster all that world of Riuers, and names of Nations in