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.

An Abstract taken out of certaine Spanyardes Letters con∣cerning Guiana and the Countries lying vpon the great riuer Orenoque: with certaine reportes also touching the same.

An advertisement to the Reader.

Those letters out of which the abstractes following are taken, were surprised at sea as they were passing for Spayne in the yeare 1594. by Captaine George Popham: who the next yeare, and the same that Sir Walter Ralegh disco∣uered Guiana, as he was in a voyage for the west Indies, learned also the reportes annexed. All which, at his returne, beeing two monthes after Sir Walter, as also so long after the wri∣ting of the former discourse, hearing also of his dis∣couerie: hee made knowne and deliuered to some of her maiesties most honorable priuie Councell and

others. The which seeing they confirme in some parte the substance, I meane, the riches of that Countrey: it hath beene thought fitte that they shoulde be thereunto adioyned. Wherein the Rea∣der is to be aduertised, that although the Spanyardes seeme to glorie much of their formall possession taken before Morequito the Lord of Aromaya, and others there aboutes, which throughly vnderstood them not at that time, whatsoeuer the Spanyardes otherwise pretend: Yet, according to the former discourse, and as also it is related by Cayworaco, the sonne of Topiawary now chiefe Lord of the saide A∣romaya, who was brought into England by Sir Walter Ralegh, and was present at the same possessi∣on and discouerie of the Spayardes mentioned in these letters; it appeareth that after they were gone out of their Countrey, the Indians then hauing farther consideration of the matter, and more then coniecture of their intent, hauing knowne and hearde of their former cruelties vppon their borderers and others of the Indians elsewhere: At their next comming, there beeing tenne of them sent and imployed for a farther discouery, they were prouided to receiue and entertaine them in an other manner of sort then they had done before; that is to say, they slewe them and buried them in the Countrey, so much sought. They gaue them by that meanes a full and complete possession the which before they had but begunne. And so they are minded to doe, to as many Spanyardes as come after. Other possession they haue had none since. Neyther doe the Indians meane as

they protest, to giue them any other. One other thing to bee remembred is that in these letters the Spanyards seeme to call Guiana and other Countries neere it, bordering vppon the riuer of Orenoque, by the name of Nueuo Dorado, because of the greate plentie of Golde there, in most places to be founde. Alluding also to the name of El Dorado which was giuen by Martines to the greate Citie of Manoa, as is in the former treatise specified. This is all I thought good to aduertise. As for some other matters, I leaue them to the consideration and iudge∣ment of the indifferent reader.

W: R

Letters taken at Sea by Captaine George Popham. 1594.

Allonso his Letter from the Gran Canaria to his bro∣ther being commaunder of S. Lucas, con∣cerning El Dorado.

There haue beene certain letters receiued heere of late, of a land newly discouered called Nueuo Dorado, from the sonnes of certaine Inhabitantes of this Citie, who were in the discouerie: they write of wonderful riches to be founde in the said Dorado, and that golde there is in great abundauce, the course to fall with it is 50. leagues to the windward to the Marguarita.

Allonsos letter from thence to certaine Marchantes of S.Lucas concerning the Dorado.

SIrs, we haue no newes worth the writing, sauing of a dis∣couery lately made by the spanyardes in a newe land called Nueuo Dorado, and is two daies sailing to the windward of the Marguarita there is golde in that abundance, as the like hath not beene hard of. We haue it for certaine in letters Written from thence by some that were in the discouery, vnto their pa∣rentes heere in this City. I purpose (God willing) to bestow ten or twelue daies in search of the said Dorado, as I passe in voyag towards Carthagena, hoping there to make some good sale of our commodities. I haue sent you therewith part of the infor∣mation of the said discouery, that was sent to his Maiesty.

Part of the Coppy that was sent to his Maiesty of the discouery of Nueuo Dorado.

In the riuer of Pato otherwise called Orenoque, in the princi∣pall part there of called Warismero, the 23. of April 1593. Domingo de vera Master of the Campe and Generall for Anth.

de Berreo Gouernour and Captaine generall for our Lord the King, betwixt the riuers of Pato and Papamene alias Orenoque, and Marannon, and of the Iland of Trinidado, in presence of me Rodrigo de Caranc̄a register for the sea, commaunded all the soldiers to be drawne together and put in order of battaile, the Captaines and soldiers, and Master of the Campe standing in the middest of them, saide vnto them: Sirs, Soldiers, and Captaines, you vnderstand long since that our Generall Antho de Berreo, with the trauell of 11 yeares, and expence of more then 100000. pesoes of Gold, discouered the royall prouinces of Guiana and Dorado: Of the which he tooke possession to gouern the same, but through want of his peoples health, and necessary munition, he issued out at the Iland Maguarita, and from thence peopled the Trinedado. But now they haue sent me to learne out and discouer the waies most easily to enter, & to people the said prouinces, and where the Campes and Ar∣mies may best enter the same. By reason whereof I intend so to do in the name of his Maiesty, and the said gouernour Antho: de Berreo, and in token thereof I require you Fran. Carillo, that you aide me to aduance this crosse that lieth heere on the ground, which they set on end towardes the east, and the said Master of the Campe, the Captains and soldiers kneeled down and did due reuerence vnto the said crosse, and thereupon the Master of the Campe tooke a bole of water and dranke it of, and tooke more and threw abroad on the ground: he also drew out his sword and cut the grasse of the ground, and the boughs of the trees saying, I take his possession in the name of the king Don Phillip our master, and of his Gouernour Antho. de Berreo: and because some make question of this possession, to them I answere that in these our actiōs was present the Casique or prin¦cipal Don Antho. otherwise called Morequito, whole land this was, who yeelded consent to the said possession, was glad ther of, and gaue his obedience to our Lord the King, & in his name to the said gouernor Antho: de Berreo. And the said Master of the Campe kneeled downe being in his liberty, and all the

Captaines and soldiers said that the possession was well taken, & that they would defend it with their liues, vpon whosoeuer would say the contrary. And the said Master of the Campe ha∣uing his sword drawne in his hand said vnto me, register that art heere present, giue me an instrument or testimoniall to con∣firme me in this possession, which I haue taken of this land, for the gouernor Antho. de Berreo, and if it be needfull I will take it a newe. And I require you all that are present to witnes the same, and do further declare that I will goe on, taking the pos∣session of all these landes wheresoeuer I shall enter. Signed thus.

Domingo de vera and vndernetah, Before me Rodrigo de Caranca, Register of the Army.

And in prosecution of the said possession, and discouerie of the way & prouinces, the 27. of April of the said yeare, the Master of the Campe entred by little and little with all the Campe and men of warre, more then two leagues into the In∣land, and came to a towne of a principall, and confering with him did let him vnderstand by meanes of Antho: Bisante the Interpretor that his Maiesty & Antho: de Berreo had sent him to take the said possession. And the said fryer Francis Carillo by the Interpretor, deliuered him certain thinges of our holy Catho∣lique faith, to all which he answered, that they vnderstod him well and would become Christians, and that with a very good wil they should aduance the crosse, in what part or place of the towne it pleased them, for he was for the gouernor Antho: de Berreo, who was his Master. Thereupon the said master of the Campe tooke a great crosse, and set it on ende towarde the east, and requested the whole Campe to witnesse it and Do∣mingo de vera firmed it thus.

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.

The letter of George Burien Britton, from the saide Ca∣naries vnto his cosen a french man, dwelling in S.Lucas, concerning the Dorado.

Sir, and my very good cosen, there came of late certaine letters from a new discouered country not farre from Tri∣nedado, which they writ, hath Gold in great abundance, the newes seemeth to be very certaine, because it passeth for good amongst the best of this City. Part of the information of the discouery that went to his Maiesty, gocth inclosed in Alonsos letters, it is a thing worth the seeing.

The report of Domingo Martines of Iamica, concerning the Dorado.

He saith that in 93 being at Carthagena there was a general report of a late discouery called Nueuo Dorado, and that a little before him comming thither, there came a Frigot from the said Dorado, bringing in it the portrature of a Giant all of Gold, of weight 47 kintals, which the Indians there helde for their Idoll. But nowe admitting of Christia∣nity

and obedienee to the King of Spayne, sent their said I∣doll vnto him in token they were become Christians, and helde him for their King. The company comming in the saide Frigott reported Golde to be there in most abundaunce, Diamondes of inestimable value, with great store of pearle.

The report of a french man called Bountillier of Sherbrouke concerniug the Trinedado and the Dorado.

He saith that being at Trinedado in 91. he had of an Indian there a peece of Golde of a quarter of a pounde in ex∣chaunge of a knife, the said Indian told him he had it at the head of the riuer which cōmeth to Paracoa in the Trinedado, but said within the riuer of Orenoque, it was in great abūdance. Also in 93 being taken by the Spanyardes; and brought priso∣ner into the Iland of Madera (the place for his prison) there came in this meane time a barke of 40 tunnes from a newe discouery, with two millions of Gold, the company whereof reported Gold in that place to be in great abundances, & cal∣led it the Nueuo Dorado. This french man passed from Spayne in the barke, and hauing a cabben nere a gentleman, one of the discouerers that came from that place in the said barke, had diuers times conference with him, and amongst other thinges of the great abundance of Golde in the said Dorado being as they said within the riuer of Orenoque.

Reportes of Certaine Marchantes of Rio de Hacha, concerning the Nueuo Dorado.

They said (aduancing the kings great treasure in the Indies) that Nueuo Reyno yeelded very many Gold mines, & won¦derful rich, but latly was discouered a certain prouince so rich in

Gold as the report thereof may seeme incredible, it is there in such abundance, and is called the Nueuo Dorado: Anthonio de Berreo made the said discouery.

The Report of a Spanyard, Captaine with Berreo in the discouerie of Nueuo Dorado.

That the information sent to the K. was in euery point true∣ly said, that the riuer Orenoque hath seauen mouths, or out lets into the sea, called Las Sciete bocas de drago, that the said ri∣uer runneth farre into the land, in many places very broad, and that Antho: de Berreo lay at Trinedado making head to goe to conquere and people the said Dorado.