The discouerie of the large, rich, and bevvtiful empire of Guiana with a relation of the great and golden citie of Manoa (which the spanyards call El Dorado) and the prouinces of Emeria, Arromaia, Amapaia, and other countries, with their riuers, adioyning. Performed in the yeare 1595. by Sir W. Ralegh Knight, captaine of her Maiesties Guard, Lo. Warden of the Sannerries [sic], and her Highnesse Lieutenant generall of the countie of Cornewall.

It is well and firmely done, and vnderneath, before me Rod∣rigo Caranca, Register of the Army.

The first of May they prosecuted the said possession and discouery to the towne of Carapana. From thence the said Master of the Campe passed to the towne of Toroco whose principall is called Topiawary beeing fiue leagues farther with∣in the land then the first nation, & wel inhabited. And to this principall by meane of the interpretor they gaue to vnderstand that his Maiesty and the said Corrigidor commauded them to take the prossession of that land, & that they should yeeld their obedience to his Maiesty, and to his Corrigidor, and to the Ma∣ster of the Campe in his name, and that in token thereof he would place a crosse in the middle of his towne. Whe run to the said Cassique answered they should aduance it with a very good will, and that he remained in the obediene of our Lorde the King, and of the said Gouernour Antho: de Berreo whose vassall he would be.

The fourth of May we came to a prouince aboue fiue leagues thence of all sides inhabited with much people, the principall of this people came and mette vs in peaceable manner: and hee is called Renato, he brought vs to a very large house where he entertained vs wel, & gaue vs much Gold, & the in∣terpreter as king him from whence that gold was, he answered from a prouince not passing a daies iourney off, where there are so many Indians as would shadow the sunne, and so much gold as all yonder plaine will not containe it. In which Countrey (when they enter into the Borachera) they take of the said Gold in dust and anoynt themselues all ouer there with to make the brauer shewe, and to the end the Gold may couer them, they annoynt their bodies with stamped herbs of a glewenous sub∣stance: and they haue warre with those Indians. They promi∣sed vs that if we would goe vnto them they woulde ayd vs, but they were such infinite number as no doubt they woulde, kill vs. And being asked how they gat the same Gold, they told vs they went to a certaine downe or playne and pulled or dig∣ged up the grasse by the roote, which done, they tooke of the

earth, puting it in greate buckets which they caried to wash at the riuer, & that which came in powder they kept for their Bo∣racheras & that which was in peeces, they wrought into Eagles.

The eight of May we went from thence, and marched a∣bout fiue leagues: at the foote of a hill we founde a principall called Arataco, with 3000 Indians, men & women all in peace and with much victual, as hens & venison in great abundance, and many sortes of wine. Hee intreated vs to goe to his house and to rest that night in his towne being of 500. houses. The interpretor asked whence he had those hens, he said they were brought from a mountaine not passing a quarter of a league thence, where were many Indians, yea so many as grasse on the ground, and that these men had the pointes of their shoulders higher then the Crownes of their heades, and had so many hens as was wonderfull, and if we would haue any we should send them Iewes harpes for they woulde giue for euery one two hens, we tooke an Indian and gaue him 500. harpes, the hens were so many that he brought vs, as were not to be num∣bred: Wee said we woulde goe thither, they told vs they were now in their Borrachera and would kill vs, we asked the Indi∣an, that brought the hens if it were true, he said it was most true. We asked him how they made their Borrachera, he saide they had many Eagles of Gold hanging on their breasts & pearls in their eares, and that they daunced being al couered with Gold. The Indiā said vnto vs, if we would see thē, we should giue him some hatches, and he would bring vs of those Eagles. The Master of the Camp gaue him one hatchet (he would giue him no more because they should not vnderstand we went to seeke gold) he brought vs an Eagle which wayed 27 pounds of good Gold. The Master of the Campe tooke it, and shewed to the soldiers, and then threwe it from him, making shew not to re∣gard it. About midnight came an Indian and said vnto him, giue me a pickeaxe and I will tell thee what the Indians with the high shoulders meane to doe, the Interpretor told the Ma∣ster of the Campe who commanded one to be giuen him, he

then tolde vs those Indians were comming to kill vs from our marchandize. Herevpon the master of the Campe caused his company to be set in order, and beganne to march. The 11. day of May, we went about 7 leagues from thence to a pro∣uince, where we found a great company of Indians apparrel∣led, they told vs that if we came to fight, they woulde fill vp those plaines with Indians to fight with vs, but if we came in peace, we should enter and be well entertained of them, be∣cause they had a great desire to see Christians, and there they told vs of all the riches that was. I doe not heere set it downe, because there is no place for it, but it shall appeare by the infor¦mation that goes to his Maiesty, for it should heere be set downe, fower leaues of paper would not containe it.