the discovery of guiana-第12章

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into　a　river　（which　because　it　had　no　name；　we　called　the　River　of　the
Red　Cross；　ourselves　being　the　first　Christians　that　ever　came
therein）；　the　22。　of　May；　as　we　were　rowing　up　the　same；　we　espied　a
small　canoa　with　three　Indians；　which　by　the　swiftness　of　my　barge；
rowing　with　eight　oars；　I　overtook　ere　they　could　cross　the　river。　The
rest　of　the　people　on　the　banks；　shadowed　under　the　thick　wood；　gazed
on　with　a　doubtful　conceit　what　might　befall　those　three　which　we　had
taken。　But　when　they　perceived　that　we　offered　them　no　violence；
neither　entered　their　canoa　with　any　of　ours；　nor　took　out　of　the
canoa　any　of　theirs；　they　then　began　to　show　themselves　on　the　bank's
side；　and　offered　to　traffic　with　us　for　such　things　as　they　had。　And
as　we　drew　near；　they　all　stayed；　and　we　came　with　our　barge　to　the
mouth　of　a　little　creek　which　came　from　their　town　into　the　great
river。

As　we　abode　here　awhile；　our　Indian　pilot；　called　Ferdinando；　would
needs　go　ashore　to　their　village　to　fetch　some　fruits　and　to　drink　of
their　artificial　wines；　and　also　to　see　the　place　and　know　the　lord　of
it　against　another　time；　and　took　with　him　a　brother　of　his　which　he
had　with　him　in　the　journey。　When　they　came　to　the　village　of　these
people　the　lord　of　the　island　offered　to　lay　hands　on　them；　purposing
to　have　slain　them　both；　yielding　for　reason　that　this　Indian　of　ours
had　brought　a　strange　nation　into　their　territory　to　spoil　and　destroy
them。　But　the　pilot　being　quick　and　of　a　disposed　body；　slipt　their
fingers　and　ran　into　the　woods；　and　his　brother；　being　the　better
footman　of　the　two；　recovered　the　creek's　mouth；　where　we　stayed　in
our　barge；　crying　out　that　his　brother　was　slain。　With　that　we　set
hands　on　one　of　them　that　was　next　us；　a　very　old　man；　and　brought　him
into　the　barge；　assuring　him　that　if　we　had　not　our　pilot　again　we
would　presently　cut　off　his　head。　This　old　man；　being　resolved　that　he
should　pay　the　loss　of　the　other；　cried　out　to　those　in　the　woods　to
save　Ferdinando；　our　pilot；　but　they　followed　him　notwithstanding；　and
hunted　after　him　upon　the　foot　with　their　deer…dogs；　and　with　so　main
a　cry　that　all　the　woods　echoed　with　the　shout　they　made。　But　at　the
last　this　poor　chased　Indian　recovered　the　river　side　and　got　upon　a
tree；　and；　as　we　were　coasting；　leaped　down　and　swam　to　the　barge　half
dead　with　fear。　But　our　good　hap　was　that　we　kept　the　other　old
Indian；　which　we　handfasted　to　redeem　our　pilot　withal；　for；　being
natural　of　those　rivers；　we　assured　ourselves　that　he　knew　the　way
better　than　any　stranger　could。　And；　indeed；　but　for　this　chance；　I
think　we　had　never　found　the　way　either　to　Guiana　or　back　to　our
ships；　for　Ferdinando　after　a　few　days　knew　nothing　at　all；　nor　which
way　to　turn；　yea；　and　many　times　the　old　man　himself　was　in　great
doubt　which　river　to　take。　Those　people　which　dwell　in　these　broken
islands　and　drowned　lands　are　generally　called　Tivitivas。　There　are　of
them　two　sorts；　the　one　called　Ciawani；　and　the　other　Waraweete。

The　great　river　of　Orenoque　or　Baraquan　hath　nine　branches　which　fall
out　on　the　north　side　of　his　own　main　mouth。　On　the　south　side　it　hath
seven　other　fallings　into　the　sea；　so　it　disemboqueth　by　sixteen　arms
in　all；　between　islands　and　broken　ground；　but　the　islands　are　very
great；　many　of　them　as　big　as　the　Isle　of　Wight；　and　bigger；　and　many
less。　From　the　first　branch　on　the　north　to　the　last　of　the　south　it
is　at　least　100　leagues；　so　as　the　river's　mouth　is　300　miles　wide　at
his　entrance　into　the　sea；　which　I　take　to　be　far　bigger　than　that　of
Amazons。　All　those　that　inhabit　in　the　mouth　of　this　river　upon　the
several　north　branches　are　these　Tivitivas；　of　which　there　are　two
chief　lords　which　have　continual　wars　one　with　the　other。　The　islands
which　lie　on　the　right　hand　are　called　Pallamos；　and　the　land　on　the
left；　Hororotomaka；　and　the　river　by　which　John　Douglas　returned
within　the　land　from　Amana　to　Capuri　they　call　Macuri。

These　Tivitivas　are　a　very　goodly　people　and　very　valiant；　and　have
the　most　manly　speech　and　most　deliberate　that　ever　I　heard　of　what
nation　soever。　In　the　summer　they　have　houses　on　the　ground；　as　in
other　places；　in　the　winter　they　dwell　upon　the　trees；　where　they
build　very　artificial　towns　and　villages；　as　it　is　written　in　the
Spanish　story　of　the　West　Indies　that　those　people　do　in　the　low　lands
near　the　gulf　of　Uraba。　For　between　May　and　September　the　river　of
Orenoque　riseth　thirty　foot　upright；　and　then　are　those　islands
overflown　twenty　foot　high　above　the　level　of　the　ground；　saving　some
few　raised　grounds　in　the　middle　of　them；　and　for　this　cause　they　are
enforced　to　live　in　this　manner。　They　never　eat　of　anything　that　is
set　or　sown；　and　as　at　home　they　use　neither　planting　nor　other
manurance；　so　when　they　come　abroad　they　refuse　to　feed　of　aught　but
of　that　which　nature　without　labour　bringeth　forth。　They　use　the　tops
of　palmitos　for　bread；　and　kill　deer；　fish；　and　porks　for　the　rest　of
their　sustenance。　They　have　also　many　sorts　of　fruits　that　grow　in　the
woods；　and　great　variety　of　birds　and　fowls；　and　if　to　speak　of　them
were　not　tedious　and　vulgar；　surely　we　saw　in　those　passages　of　very
rare　colours　and　forms　not　elsewhere　to　be　found；　for　as　much　as　I
have　either　seen　or　read。

Of　these　people　those　that　dwell　upon　the　branches　of　Orenoque；　called
Capuri；　and　Macureo；　are　for　the　most　part　carpenters　of　canoas；　for
they　make　the　most　and　fairest　canoas；　and　sell　them　into　Guiana　for
gold　and　into　Trinidad　for　tabacco；　in　the　excessive　taking　whereof
they　exceed　all　nations。　And　notwithstanding　the　moistness　of　the　air
in　which　they　live；　the　hardness　of　their　diet；　and　the　great　labours
they　suffer　to　hunt；　fish；　and　fowl　for　their　living；　in　all　my　life；
either　in　the　Indies　or　in　Europe；　did　I　never　behold　a　more　goodly　or
better…favoured　people　or　a　more　manly。　They　were　wont　to　make　war
upon　all　nations；　and　especially　on　the　Cannibals；　so　as　none　durst
without　a　good　strength　trade　by　those　rivers；　but　of　late　they　are　at
peace　with　their　neighbours；　all　holding　the　Spaniards　for　a　common
enemy。　When　their　commanders　die　they　use　great　lamentation；　and　when
they　think　the　flesh　of　their　bodies　is　putrified　and　fallen　from
their　bones；　then　they　take　up　the　carcase　again　and　hang　it　in　the
cacique's　house　that　died；　and　deck　his　skull　with　feathers　of　all
colours；　and　hang　all　his　gold　plates　about　the　bones　of　this　arms；
thighs；　and　legs。　Those　nations　which　are　called　Arwacas；　which　dwell
on　the　south　of　Orenoque；　of　which　place　and　nation　our　Indian　pilot
was；　are　dispersed　in　many　other　places；　and　do　use　to　beat　the　bones
of　their　lords　into　powder；　and　their　wives　and　friends　drink　it　all
in　their　several　sorts　of　drinks。

After　we　departed　from　the　port　of　these　Ciawani　we　passed　up　the
river　with　the　flood　and　anchored　the　ebb；　and　in　this　sort　we　went
onward。　The　third　day　that　we　entered　the　river；　our　galley　came　on
ground；　and　stuck　so　fast　as　we　thought　that　even　there　our　discovery
had　ended；　and　that　we　must　have　left　four…score　and　ten　of　our　men　to
have　inhabited；　like　rooks　upon　trees；　with　those　nations。　But　the
next　morning；　after　we　had　cast　out　all　her　ballast；　with　tugging　and
hauling　to　and　fro　we　got　her　afloat　and　went　on。　At　four　days'　end　we
fell　into　as　goodly　a　river　as　ever　I　beheld；　which　was　called　the
great　Amana；　which　ran　more　directly　without　windings　and　turnings
than　the　other。　But　soon　after　the　flood　of　the　sea　left　us；　and；
being　enforced　either　by　main　strength　to　row　against　a　violent
current；　or　to　return　as　wise　as　we　went　out；　we　had　then　no　shift　but
to　persuade　the　companies　that　it　was　but　two　or　three　days'　work；　and
therefore　desired　them　to　take　pains；　every　gentleman　and　others
taking　their　turns　to　row；　and　to　spell　one　the　other　at　the　hour's
end。　Every　day　we　passed　by　goodly　branches　of　rivers；　some　falling
from　the　west；　others　from　the　east；　into　Amana；　but　those　I　leave　to
the　description　in　the　chart　of　discovery；　where　every　one　shall　be
named　with　his　rising　and　descent。　When　three　days　more　were　overgone；
our　companies　began