An historical & geographical description of the great country & river of the Amazones in America. Drawn out of divers authors, and reduced into a better forme; with a mapp of the river, and of its provinces, being that place which Sr Walter Rawleigh intended to conquer and plant, when he made his voyage to Guiana. / Written in French by the Count of Pagan, and dedicated to Cardinall Mazarine, in order to a conquest by the Cardinals motion to be undertaken. And now translated into English by William Hamilton, and humbly offered to his Majesty, as worthy his consideration.

CHAP. XLIV. Of the Arrivall of the Fleet at Peru.

MEan while the Fleet goes on, her Sails being fill'd with an East-wind, al∣waies favourable, and triumphs over the rapid current of the proud Amazone. Al∣ready six Moneths were past, and six hun∣dred leagues had been measured, which they had runne; the half of the way was done, and sundry Nations had been disco∣vered. The wildest amongst them fled to the Mountains, or lesser Hills; the lesse fearfull stood unmoved upon the Bankes; the more confident came and traffiqued with the Camp: but the valientest, no more than the others, never armed themselves a∣gainst the Fleet, nor against her Avantcour∣riers or Vantguard: which already very far advanced, because of its lightnesse, was tracing and following on the channells of the great River, the waies that were streightest, and least oblique, and marked forth the addresses, or directions, on the Bankes, by Trophees set up, or by Ensignes set toge∣ther. The Vantguard was commanded by

Bennet Rodrigue d'Olivera, a Portugall, who having been born in Brasile, and brought up as it were amidst the Americans, he dived presently into the secret of their thoughts, and by the least of their actions, he could guesse what they had in their minds: whence he was as well feared, as respected by all the Indians of these Countries: so that by his good qualities, he had also this pre∣rogative, to contribute much to the happy finishing of so noble an enterprise. So pur∣suing the Voyage with his Vantguard of eight Barkes armed, he attained with as much diligence, as good luck, the Port of Payamine in the Province of the Kixes, the 24^th of June in the year 1638, while the Captain Major with all the rest of the Fleet followed the traces advices, and addresses, that Olivera left at the places, where he had rested with his Vantguard: whence the Souldiers of his Army, receiving every day comfort, they thought alway, that the morrow was to be the last of the Voyage. Thus entertain'd with this hope, they ar∣rived at the River of the long-hair'd Peo∣ple, on the Mouth of which, Pedro Tex∣cira made fourty Portugalls, and three hun∣dred Indians of his Troopes, to encamp,

and gave orders to Pedro d'Acosta Savela (who was appointed to the command of them) to stay in this place, and not to de∣part thence, till he heard from him; lea∣ving there moreover Pedra Bayon a Cap∣tain also of infantrie. And himself con∣tinuing his Navigation with some few per∣sons, he came likewise to the Haven of Payamine towards the end of September, having passed one thousand two hundred leagues in a continuall going up the River of the Amazones, since the 28^th of Octo∣ber of the year before. After that, from thence taking his way by Land, and crosse the Mountains of the Andes, he came no lesse happily, than gloriously to the Town of Kito, where he was received with such Acclamations and Triumphs, as the great∣nesse and successe of his Enterprise did deserve.