Voyages and discoveries in South-America the first up the river of Amazons to Quito in Peru, and back again to Brazil, perform'd at the command of the King of Spain by Christopher D'Acugna : the second up the river of Plata, and thence by land to the mines of Potosi by Mons Acarete : the third from Cayenne into Guiana, in search of the lake of Parima, reputed the richest place in the world by M. Grillet and Bechamel : done into English from the originals, being the only accounts of those parts hitherto extant : the whole illustrated with notes and maps.

CHAP. LXIV.

Of the River Basurara, and the great Islands it forms: Of the People that inhabit those Parts: Of their Arms, and the Commerce they have with the Dutch that inhabit Cay∣enne.

THirty two Leagues below the Mouth of Cuchiguara we met the Mouth of another River on the North-side, call'd Ba∣surara by the Natives: This River extends it self a great way up in the Country, and forms several great Lakes, so that the Coun∣try is divided into divers large Islands, which are all peopled with an infinite Number of Inhabitants. These Lands lie very high, and are never overflow'd by the Inundations, let them be never so great. This Country abounds with all sorts of Provision, as Maze, Magnioc, all kinds of Fruit, Venison, Wild-Fowl, and Fish, and yields its Inhabitants a liberal Maintenance; which makes it abound as much in Men as in all other things. All the People that live in the large Extent of this Country are call'd by the general Name of Carabuyavas, and are divided into parti∣cular Provinces, some of which are call'd the Ceraguanas, &c. All the Indians use Bows and Arrows; and among some of them I saw Iron Tools and Weapons, as

Hatchets, Halbards, Bills and Knives. I asked them, by our Interpreters, from whence they had those Instruments of Iron: they answered, that they bought them of the People of that Country that dwelt near∣est the Sea on that side, who had their Goods in exchange for 'em; that they were white Men like us, and made use of the same Arms, as Swords and Guns, and had Houses upon the Sea-Coast; that the only difference be∣tween them and us was, that they had all light-colour'd Hair. These Tokens were sufficient to assure us that these were the Dutch that were in possession of the Mouth of the Smooth River, or the River Philippe, some time before. It was in the Year 1638, that they made a Descent into Guiana, which depends on the Government of the New Kingdom of Granada, and not only made themselves Masters of the whole Island, but came upon it by such a Surprize, that

the Spaniards had not time to carry away the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, but left it in Captivity in the Enemies hand: They promised themselves a great Ransom from us to get this holy Pledg out of their hands, knowing what Respect and Love the Catho∣licks have for the precious Body of their Sa∣viour; but our Men took another Course, which was, to betake themselves to their Arms, and compose good Companies of Souldiers who were resolved to go with the Courage of Christians to expose their Lives to deliver their Saviour from the hands of his Enemies. They were big with these just and pious Resolutions, which could only be inspired from Heaven, when we parted from thence to return into Spain, to render an Account of our Voyage.

Notes

• The Guiana is a considerable part of the Continent, and not one of the Islands of the Ocean, as our Author seems to signify in this place; yet it may well enough be said, that he spake more truly than he thought, and that the River Orenoque, or Paria, parting from the River of A∣mazons, to come afterwards to discharge it self into the Sea over against the Island of La Trinidada, betwixt the ninth and tenth Degrees of Northern Latitude; it may very well be, I say, that Guiana by these means becomes an Island, comprehending all that Extent of Land be∣tween the Mouth of Orenoque and that of the Amazone, quite to the place where these two great Rivers divide to take their Course asunder, till they fall into the Sea at above 300 Leagues distance one from another. All this Interval is what Geographers commonly call in their Maps the Coast of Guiana. In this place the Island of Cayenne is situate, which is so famous either for the di∣vers Adventures which the French Colonies have had at several times in establishing themselves there, or for the divers Battels they have had as well with the Indians as the Europeans, to maintain their Ground there, in which they have succeeded so well, that 'tis now one of the most considerable and advantageous Colonies they have in all America.