The true travels, adventures, and observations of Captaine Iohn Smith, in Europe, Asia, Affrica, and America, from anno Domini 1593. to 1629 His accidents and sea-fights in the straights; his service and stratagems of warre in Hungaria, Transilvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia, against the Turks, and Tartars ... After how he was taken prisoner by the Turks, sold for a slave ... and escaped ... Together with a continuation of his generall History of Virginia, Summer-Iles, New England, and their proceedings, since 1624. to this present 1629; as also of the new plantations of the great river of the Amazons, the iles of St. Christopher, Mevis, and Barbados in the West Indies. All written by actuall authours, whose names you shall finde along the history.

CHAP. XXIIII.

A briefe discourse of divers voyages made unto the goodly Countrey of Guiana, and the great River of the Amazons; re∣lating also the present Plantation there.

IT is not unknowen how that most industrious & honourable Knight Sir Walter Rauleigh, in the yeare of our Lord 1595. taking the Ile of Trinidado, fell with the Coast of Guiana Northward of the Line ten degrees, and coasted the Coast; and searched up the River Oranoca: where understanding that twentie severall voyages had beene made by the Spanyards, in discovering this Coast and River; to finde a passage to the great Citie of Mano, called by them the Eldorado, or the Golden Citie: he did his utmost to have found some better satisfaction than relations: But meanes failing him, hee left his trustie servant Francis Sparrow to seeke it, who wandring up and downe those Countreyes, some foure∣teene or fifteene yeares, unexpectedly returned: I have heard him say, he was led blinded into this Citie by Indians; but little, discourse of any purpose touching the largenesse of the report of it; his body seeming as a man of an uncurable consumption, short•••• dyed here after in Eng∣land. There are above thirtie faire rivers that fall into the Sea, betweene the River of Amazons and Oranoca, which are some nine degrees asunder.

In the yeare 1605. Captaine Ley, brother to that noble Knight S••r Oliver Ley, with divers others, planted himselfe in the River Weapoco, wherein I should have beene a partie; but hee dyed, and there lyes ••u∣rie••, and the supply miscarrying, the rest escaped as they could.

S••r Thomas Roe, well k••ow••n to be a most noble Gentleman, before he went Lord Ambassadour to the Great Mogoll, or the Great Turke. spent a yeare or two upon this Coast, and about the River of the Ama∣zones, wherein he most imployed Captaine Matthew Morton, an expert Sea-man in the discoverie of this famous River, a Gentleman that was the first shot and mortally supposed wounded to death, with me in Vir∣ginia, yet si••ce h••th beene twice with command in the East Indies; Also Captaine William White, and divers others worthy and industrious Gen∣tlemen, both before and since, hath spent much time and charge to dis∣cover it more perfitly, but nothing more effected for a Plantation, t••••••ic was undertaken by Captaine Robert Harcote, 1609.

This worthy Gentleman, after he had by Commission made a disco∣verie to his minde, left his brother Michael Harcote, with some fiftie or sixtie m••n in the River Weapoco, and so presently returned to England, where he obtained by the favour of Prince Henrie, a large Patent for all that Coast called Guiana, together with the famous River of Amazones, to him and his heires: but so many troubles here surprized him, though he did his best to supply them, he was not able, only some few hee sent over as passengers with certaine Du••ch-men, but to small purpose. Thus this businesse lay dead for divers yeeres, till Sir Walter Rauleigh, accom∣panied with many valiant Souldiers and brave Gentlemen, went his last voyage to Guiana, amongst the which was Captaine Roger North, brother to the Right Honourable the Lord Dudley North, who upon this voyage having stayed and seene divers Rivers upon this Coast, tooke such a liking to those Countreyes, having had before this voyage more perf••ct and particular information of the excellencie of the great River of the Amazones, above any of the rest, by certaine Englishmen retur∣ned so rich from thence in good commodities, they would not goe with Sir Walter Rauleigh in search of gold; that after his returne for England, he end••voured by his best abilities to interest his Countrey and st••te in those f••re Regions, which by the way of Lette••s Patents unto divers Noblemen and Gentlemen of qualitie, erected into a company and perpetu••tie for trade and plantation, not knowing of the Interest of Captaine Harcote.

Where upon accompanied with 120. Gentlemen and others, with a ship, a pi••nace and two sh••llops, to remaine in the Countrey, hee set saile from Plimouth the last of April 1620, and within seven weekes after hee arrived well in the Amazones, only with the losse of one old man: some hundred leagues they ran up the River to settle his men, where the sight of the Countrey and people so contented them, that never men thought themselves, more happie: Some English and Irish that had lived there some eight yeeres, on••y supplyed by the Dutch, hee reduced to his company and to leave the Dutch: having made a good voyage, to the value of more than the charge, he returned to Englangd with divers good

commodities besides Tobacco: So that it may well be conceived, that if this action had not beene thus crossed, the Ge••eralitie of England had by this time beene wonne and encouraged therein. But the time was not yet come, that God would have this great businesse effected, by reason of the great power the Lord Gundamore, Amb••ssadour for the King of Spaine, had in England, to crosse and ruine those proceedings, and so unfortunate Captaine North was in this businesse, hee was twice committed prisoner to the Tower, and the goods detained, till they were spoiled, who beyond all others was by much the greatest Adven∣turer and Loser.

Notwithstanding all this, those that he had left in the Amazons would not abandon the Countrey. Captaine Thomas Painton, a worthy Gen∣tleman, his Lieutenant dead. Captaine Charles Parker, brother to the Right Honourable the Lord Morley, lived there six yeares after; M^r. Iohn Christmas, five yeares, so well, they would not returne, although they might, with divers ether Gentle-men of qualitie and others: all thus destitute of any supplyes from England. But all authoritie being d••ssol∣ved, want of government did more wrong their proceedings, than all other crosses whatsoever. Some releefe they had sometime from the Dutch, who knowing their estates, gave what they pleased and tooke what they list. Two brothers Gentlemen, Thomas and William Hixon, who stayed three yeares there, are now gone to stay in the Amazons, in the ships lately sent thither.

The businesse thus remaining in this sort, three private men left of that Company, named M^r Thomas Warriner, Iohn Rhodes, and Robert Bims, having lived there about two yeares, came for England, and to be free from the disorders that did grow in the Amazons for want of Go∣vernment amongst their Countrey-men, and to be quiet amongst them∣selves, made meanes to set themselves out for St. Christophers; their whole number being but fifteene persons, that payed for their passage in a ship going for Virginia, where they remained a yeare before they were supplyed, and then that was but foure or five men. Thus this Ile, by this small beginning, having no interruption by their owne Countrey, hath now got the start of the Continent and maine Land of Guiana, which hath beene layd apart and let alone untill that Captaine North, ever watching his best opportunitie and advantage of time in the state, hath now againe pursued and set on foot his former designe. Captaine Har∣co••e being now willing to surrender his grant, and to joyne with Cap∣taine North, in passing a new Patent, and to erect a company for trade and plantation in the Amazons, and all the Coast and Countrey of Gui∣ana for ever. Whereupon, they have sent this present yeare in Ianuarie, and since 1628. foure ships with neere two hundred persons; the first ship with 112. men, not one miscarried; that rest went since, not yet heard of, and are preparing another with their best expedition: and since Ianuarie is gone from Holland, 100. English and Irish, conducted by the old Planters.

This great River lieth under the Line, the two chiefe head lands North and South, are about three degrees asunder, the mouth of it is

so full of many great and small Iles, it is an easie matter for an unexpe∣rienced Pilot to lose his way. It is held one of the greatest rivers in America, and as most men thinke, in the world: and commeth downe with such a fresh, it maketh the Sea fresh more than thirtie miles from the shore. Captaine North having seated his men about an hundred leagues in the Maine, sent Captaine William White, with th••rtie Gentle∣men and others, in a pinuace of thirtie tun, to discover further, which they did some two hundred leagues, where they found the River to di∣vide it selfe in two parts, till then all full of Ilands, and a Countrey most healthfull, pleasant and fruitfull; for they found food enough, and all re∣turned safe & in good health: In this discoverie they saw many Townes well inhabited, some with three hundred people, some with five, six, or seven hundred; and of some they understood to be of so many thou∣sands, most differing verie much, especially in their languages: where∣of they suppose by those Indians, they understand are many hundreds more, unfrequented till then by any Christian, most of them starke naked, both men, women and children, but they saw not any such giant-like women as the Rivers name importeth. But for those where Captaine North hath feated his company, it is not knowen where Indians were e∣ver so kinde to any Nation, not sparing any paines, danger or labour, to feed and maintaine them. The English following their buildings, forti∣fications and sugar-workes; for which they have sent most expert men, and with them all things necessarie for that purpose; to effect which, they want not the helpe of those kinde Indians to produce; and many other good commodities, which (God willing) will ere long make plaine and apparent to this Kingdome, and all the Adventurers and Well-willers to this Plantation, to bee well worthy the cherishing and following with all alacritie.

Notes

• Sparrow left to seeke the great Citie of Mano.
• C••p••••ine 〈◊〉〈◊〉 L••y.
• Sir Th••m•••• R••e
• Cap••a••n M••••••••••
• Capta••ne Wh••••e.
• Cap••ain H••ne••.
• Captain Roger North.
• Nota ben••.