University of Virginia Library

Chapter XXIIII.
A briefe discourse of divers voyages made unto the
goodly Countrey of Guiana, and the great River of the
Amazons; relating also the present Plantation there.

IT is not unknowen how that most industrious and 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 foureteene 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, shortly dyed here after in England. 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
Sir Oliver Ley, with divers others, planted himselfe in the River
Weapoco, wherein I should have beene a partie; but hee dyed, and
there lyes buried, and the supply miscarrying, the rest escaped as
they could.

Sir Thomas Roe,

well knowen 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 Amazones, 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 Virginia, yet since hathbeene twice with command
in the East Indies; Also Captaine William White, and divers
others worthy and industrious Gentlemen, both before and since,
hathspent much time and charge to discover it more perfitly, but
nothing more effected for a Plantation, till it was undertaken by
Captaine Robert Harcote, 1609.

This worthy Gentleman,

after he had by Commission made a
discoverie to his minde, left his brother Michael Harcote, with some
fiftie or sixtie men 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
Dutch-men, but to small purpose. Thus this businesse lay dead
for divers yeeres, till Sir Walter Rauleigh, accompanied 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 perfect
and particular information of the excellencie of the great River
of the Amazones, above any of the rest, by certaine Englishmen returned
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 endevoured by his best abilities to interest his Countrey
and state in those faire Regions, which by the way of Letters Patents
unto divers Noblemen and Gentlemen of qualitie, erected into a
company and perpetuitie for trade and plantation, not knowing of
the Interest of Captaine Harcote.

Whereupon accompanied with 120. Gentlemen and others, with
a ship, a pinnace and two shallops, 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, only 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 England with divers good ∥ commodities besides Tobacco:
So that it may well be conceived, that if this action had not
beene thus crossed, the Generalitie 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, Ambassadour 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 Adventurer
and Loser.

Notwithstanding all this, those that he had left in the Amazons
would not abandon the Countrey. Captaine Thomas Painton, a
worthy Gentleman, his Lieutenant dead. Captaine Charles Parker,
brother to the Right Honourable the Lord Morley, lived there six
yeares after;

Master John Christmas, five yeares, so well, they would
not returne, although they might, with divers other Gentle-men of
qualitie and others: all thus destitute of any supplyes from England.
But all authoritie being dissolved, 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 Master Thomas Warriner,

John 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 Government amongst their Countrey-men, and
to be quiet amongst themselves, 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, hathnow got the start of the
Continent and maine Land of Guiana, which hathbeene layd apart
and let alone untill that Captaine North, ever watching his best
opportunitie and advantage of time in the state, hathnow againe
pursued and set on foot his former designe. Captaine Harcote being
now willing to surrender his grant, and to joyne with Captaine 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 Guiana
for ever. Whereupon, they have sent this present yeare in Januarie,
and since 1628. foure ships with neere two hundred persons; the first
ship with 112. men, not one miscarried; the rest went since, not yet
heard of, and are preparing another with their best expedition: and
since Januarie 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
unexperienced 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 thirtie Gentlemen and others, in a pinnace of thirtie tun,
to discover further, which they did some two hundred leagues, where
they found the River to divide 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 returned safe and 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 thousands, most differing
verie much, especially in their languages: whereof 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 hathseated his company, it is not knowen where Indians were
ever so kinde to any Nation, not sparing any paines, danger or
labour, to feed and maintaine them. The English following their
buildings, fortifications 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 erelong 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.