Pilgrimage, Book 9 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Of Paria, Guiana, and the neighbour Countries, both on the Coast, and within the Land.
IN the yeare 1497. (some adde a yeare more) aP. Martyr. Dec.1. lib. 6. Gom.part.2. cap.84.Christopher Columbus seeking new Discoueries, after the suffering of vnsufferable heats and calmes at sea, whereby the hoopes of his vessels brake, and the freshwater not able further to endure the hot indignation of that now-beleeued Burning-Zone, fled out of those close prisons, into the lap of that father of waters, the Ocean, for refuge, he came at last to Trinidado. The first Land he incountered, he called by that name; either for deuotion, now that his other hopes were dried vp with the heat, or washed into the sea by the violent showers aboue-boord, and the lesse (but not lesse dangerous) which flowed from his Caske within: or else, for the three mountaines which he there descried. Once, this discouery of land so rauished his spirit, by the inexpected deliuery from danger, as easily carried his impotent thoughts into a double error, the one in placing earthly Paradise in this Iland, (to which opinion, for the excellencie of the Tabacco there found, he should happily hauehave the smokie subscriptions of many humorists, to whom that fume becomes a fooles Paradise, which with their braines, and all, passeth away in smoke) the other was, that the Earth was not round like a ball, but like a peare, the vpper swelling whereof, he esteemed these parts. Hence Columbus failed to Paria, and found out the Peare-fishing, of which Petrus Alphonsus, a little after made great commodity by trade with the Sauages. He was assailed with eighteene Canoas of Canibals, bP. Martyr. Dec.1.lib 8. Of the Canibals, see Chapter 13.one of which he tooke, with one Canibal, and a bound Captiue, who with teares shewed them that they had eaten six of his fellowes, and the next day hee must hauehave gone to pot too: to him they gaue power ouer his Iaylour, who with his owne clubbe killed him, still laying on when his braines and guts came forth, and testified, that he needed not further feare him.
In Haraia of Paria, they found plentie of salt, which the Fore-man in Natures shop and her cheese work-man, the Sun, turned and kerned from water into salt: his workhouse for this businesse, was a large plaine by the waters-side. Heere the Sepulchres of their Kings and great men seemed not lesse remarkable: they layed the body on a kinde of hurdle or grediron of wood, vnderunder which they kindled a gentle fire, whereby keeping the skinne whole, they by little and little consumed the flesh. These dried carkasses they held in great reuerence, and honored for their household-Gods. In the yeare cGom.cap.85.1499. Vincent Pinzon discouered Cape Saint Augustine, and failed along the coast from thence to Paria.
But why stand we heere pedling on the coast for Pearles, Salt, and Tabacco? let vsus rouse vp higher spirits, and follow our English guides for Guiana.
In the yeare 1595. dSir Walter Raleigh. Guiana.Sir Walter Raleigh hauing before receiued intelligence of this rich and mightie Empire, set sorth for the Discouery, and on the two and twentieth of March anchored at Point Curiapan in Trinidado, and searched that Iland, which he found plentifull. He tooke the Citie of Saint Ioseph, and therein Antony Berreo the Spanish Gouernour: Leauing his shippes, he went with an hundred men in boats, and a little galley, and with some Indian Pilots passed along that admirable confluence of Riuers, (as by the Corps dugnard) vntounto Orenoque, as great a commander of Riuers, as the Emperour of Guiana of souldiers. And although wee hauehave before mentioned somewhat thereof, yet this, his peculiar place, requireth some further consideration. This Riuer Orenoque or Baraquan (since, of this Discouery, called Raleana) runneth from Quito in Peru on the East, it hath nine branches which fall out on the North side of his owne maine mouth, on the South side seuen. Thus many armes hath this Giantlike streame to be his purueyers, which are alway filling his neuer filled mouth (seeming by this their naturall officiousnesse incorporate thereunto, and to be but wider gapings of the same spacious iawes) with many Ilands and broken grounds, as it were so many morsells and crummes in his greedie chappes, still opening for more, though he cannot, euen in Winter, when his throat is glibbest, altogether swallow these; yea these force him, for feare of choaking, to yaune his widest, and to vomit out, betweene these cleauing morsels, into the Oceans lappe, so many streames, and (so far is it from the Northerne and Southerne extreames) three hundred miles distant. The Inhabitants on the Northerne branches are the Tiuitinas, a goodly and valiant people, which hauehave the most manly speech, and most deliberate (saith Sir Walter) that euer I heard, of what Nation soeuer. In the Summer they hauehave houses on the ground, as in other places: in the Winter they dwell vponupon the trees, eKing Abibeiba dwelt on a tree, in the Countrey of Dariena. Pet. Martyr… Dec. 3. lib.6.where they build very artificiall Townes and Villages: for betweene May and September the Riuer of Orenoque riseth thirtie foot vpright, and then are those Ilands ouer-flowen twentie foot high, except in some few raised grounds in the middle. This waterie store, when the clouds are so prodigall of more then the Riuers store-house can hold, whereby they become violent intruders and incrochers vponupon the land, and not the violence of cold, giueth this time the title of Winter. These Tiuitinas neuer eat of any thing that is set or sowne; Natures nurslings, that neither at home nor abroad, will be beholden to the art or labour of Husbandrie. They vse the tops of Palmitos for bread, and kill Deere, Fish, and Porke, for the rest of their sustenance. They which dwell vponupon the branches of Orenoque, called Capuri and Macureo, are for the most part Carpenters of Canoas, which they fell into Guiana for gold, and into Trinidado for Tabacco, in the excessiue taking whereof, they exceed all Nations. When a Commander dieth, they vse great lamentation, and when they thinke the flesh of their bodies is putrified and fallen from the bones, they take vp the carkasse againe, and hang it vp in the house, where he had dwelt, decking his skull with feathers of all colours, and hanging his gold-plates about the bones of his armes, thighes and legges. The Ar…cas which dwell on the South of Orenoque, beat the bones of their Lords into powder, which their wiues and friends drinke.
As they passed along these streames, their eyes were entertained with a Pageant of Shewes, wherein Nature was the onelyonly Actor; heere the Deere came downe feeding by the waters side, as if they had desired acquaintance with these new-come guests: there, the birds in vnspeakable varietie of kindes and colours, rendering their seruice to the eye and eare: the lands either in large plaines, of many miles, baring their beautifull bosomes, adorned with Floras embroidery of vnknowne flowers and plants, and prostrating themselues to the eye, that they might be seene; or else lifting vp themselues in hills, knitting their furrowed browes, and strouting out their goggle eyes to watch their treasure, which they keepe imprisoned in their stony walls, and now, to see these strangers: the waters (as the Graces) dancing with mutuall and manifold embracings of diuers streames, attended with plentie of fowle and fish; both land and water feasting varietie of senses with varietie of obiects: only the Crocodile (a creature which seemeth vassall, now to the land, now to the water, but to make prey on both) well-nigh marred the play, and turned this Comedy into a Tragedie, euen in their sight, feasting himselfe with a Negro of their company.
One leuell passed hence to Cumana, an hundred and twentie leagues to the North, wherein dwell the Say…a, the Assawa…, the Wikiri, and the Aroras, a people as blacke as Negros, but with smooth haire. Their poisoned arrowes, like cruell executioners, doe not only kill, but with vncouth torments make death to be, as the last, so the least of their furie; especially if men drinke after they are wounded.
At the Port of Morequito they anchored, and the King being an hundred and ten yeares old, came a foot fourteene miles to see them, and returned the same day. They brought them store of fruits, and a sort of Paraquitos, no bigger then Wrennes, and an *Ouied. in Summar. calls it Bardato.Armadilla, which seemeth to be all barred ouer with small plates, somewhat like to a Rhinoceros, with a white horne growing in his hinder-parts, as bigge as a great hunting horne, which they vse to winde in stead of a Trumpet. They after eate this beast. Monardus fMonard.c.37.saith, it is in bignesse and snout like a Pigge, liues vnderunder the earth as a Moule, and is thought to liue on earth.
They passed further, till they came in sight of those strange ouer-falls of Caroli, of which there appeared ten or twelue in sight, eueryevery one as high ouer the other as a Church-Tower. They had sight at Winicapora of a mountaine of Crystall, which appeared a farre off like a white Church-Tower, of an exceeding height. There falleth ouer it a mightie Riuer, which toucheth no part of the side of the mountaine, but rushing ouer the top, falleth to the ground with so terrible noise, as if a thousand great bells were knocked one against another. No maruell of these roaring out-cries, if we consider that double penaltie of sense and losse, which this Riuer seemeth to sustaine, the one in that dreadfull downefall, bruising and breaking his vnited streames into drops, and making it foming and senselesse with this falling-sicknesse; the other in leauing behind his Crystall purchase, further enriched with Diamonds and other iewels, which euen now he embraced in his watery armes, but himselfe (such is the course and curse of couetousnesse) will not suffer himselfe to enioy.
Now for the Monsters of men: there are said to be (not seen by our men, but reported by the Sauages and other) an Amazonian nation further South: which Gomara thinkes to be but the wiues of some Indians (a thing common, as you hauehave euen now read) shooting and following the warres, no lesse then their husbands: once, about Iucatan, about Plata, about the Riuer, called of this supposition, Amazones: about Monomotapa in Africa; our age hath told, but no man hath seene this Vnimammian Nation. Yet heere they speake not of searing of the breast: and what need they, if there bee such, seeing the women are so good Archers in other places, their breasts notwithstanding? Againe, gL.Keymi….they tell of men with mouthes in their breasts, and eyes in their shoulders, called Chiparemai, and of the Guianians, Ewiaponom…s, very strong; and of others headed like dogges, which liue all the day time in the sea. These things are strange, yet I dare not esteeme them fabulous: onelyonly (as not to prodigall of faith) I suspend, till some eye-intelligence of some of our parts hauehave testified the truth.
It were a hard taske to muster all that world of Riuers, and names of Nations in the parts neere Guiana, which they that will, may finde in Sir Walter and Master Keymis their owne relations. As for Guiana, this Sir Walter hath written. It is directly East from Peru towards the Sea, and lieth vnderunder the Equinoctiall: it hath more abundance of gold then any part of Peru, and as many or mo great Cities. It hath the same Lawes, Gouernment, and Religion; as Manoa, the Imperiall Citie of Guiana, which some Spaniards hauehave seene, and they call it hThe gilded Cit….El Dorado, for the greatnes, riches, and situation, farre exceedeth any of the world, at least so much of it as the Spaniards know. It is founded vponupon a Lake of salt water, two hundred leagues long, like vntounto the Caspian sea. The Emperour of Guiana is descended from the Ingas, the magnificent Princes of Peru: for when Francis Piçarro had conquered Peru, and slaine Atabalipa the King; one of his yonger brethren fled from thence, and tooke with him many thousands of those souldiers of the Empire, called Ore…nes, with whom and other his followers, he vanquished all that tract which is betweene the great Riuers of Orenoque, and Amazones.
Diego Ordas who was one of the Captaines of Cortes, in the conquest of Mexico, in the yeare 1531. made search for Guiana, but lost himselfe, being slaine in a mutiny. Before this, his prouision of power was fired, and one Iuan Martinez, which had the charge thereof, was therefore condemned to be executed. But at the souldiers request his punishment was altered, and he set in a Canoa alone without victuall, and so turned loose into the Riuer. Certaine Guianians met him, and hauing neuer seene man of that colour, they carried him into the Land to be wondered at; and so from Towne to Towne, till he came to the great Citie of Manoa, the seat and residence of Inga the Emperour. He no sooner saw him, but he knew him to be a Christian (for the Spaniards not long before had conquered his brother) and caused him to be well entertained in his Palace. He liued seuen monthes in Manoa, but was not suffered to wander any whither into the Countrey: he was also brought thither all the way blindfold, led by the Indians, vntill he came at Manoa. He entered the Citie at noone, and trauelled all that day till night, and the next, from the rising till the setting of the Sun; thorow the Citie, ere he came to the Palace of Inga. After seuen months, the Emperour put him to his choise, whether to stay or goe, and he with the Emperours licence departed. He sent with him many Guianians, all laden with as much gold as they could carry; but before he entered Orenoque, the Orenoqueponi robbed him of all, but of two bottells of gold-beads, which they had thought had beene his drinke or meate. Thus escaped he to Trinidado, and died after at Saint Iuan de Puerto-rico, where, in his extremes he vttered these things to his Confessor. Hee called the Citie Manoa El Dorado the gilded or golden, because that at their drunken solemnities (in which vice no Nation vnderunder heauen excells them) when the Emperour carowseth with any of his Commanders, they that pledge him, are stripped naked, and their bodies annointed with a kinde of white Balsamum, and then certaine seruants of the Emperour, hauing prepared gold made into fine powder, blow it thorow hollow canes vponupon their naked bodies, vntill they be all shining from the foot to the head; and in this sort they sit drinking by twenties and hundreds, and continue in drunkennesse sometimes six or seuen dayes together. VponUpon this sight, and for the abundance of gold he saw in the Citie, the Images in the Temples, the Plates, armours, and shields of gold vsed in their warres, he gaue the Citie that name.
Iuan iIuan de Castellanos ap. Hak.de Castellanos reckoneth twentie seuerall Expeditions of some or other Spaniards, for this Guianian Discouery with little effect, saue that diuers lost their liues therein. How it now standeth, I know nor. Ganzalo Piçarro kLopez Vaz ap. Hak tom 3.sent a Captaine named Orellana, from the borders of Peru, who with fiftie men were carried by the violent current of the Riuer, that they could not returne to Piçarro, he descended not in Orenoque the Guianian Riuer, but in Maragnon, called of him Orellana: which Iosephus lAcosta lib.2. cap.6.& 3.c.….Acosta writeth, from the relation of one of their societie; who, being a boy, had beene in the Expedition of Pedro de Orsua for this discouery, and had sailed the Riuer thorow, that in the middest men can see nothing but the skie (as before is said) and the Riuer, and that it is seuentie leagues broad vnderunder the Equinoctiall. Martine mM.Fernand. de E…ciz 1. ap.Hak.Fernandez maketh it seuen degrees and a halfe to the North of the Line, and fifteene leagues broad, and the Sea of fresh water to be another Riuer of forty leagues breadth: others hauehave written otherwise, which varying proceedeth from that varietie of armes or mouthes of Orenoque or Raleana, and Marannon or Amazones, which since hauehave beene better discouered, as nL. Keymis. T. Masham.Master Keymis, Master Masham and others employed in this action, hauehave found by experience. It oLop. Gom. cap.86.riseth in Quito. Orellana sailed in it six thousand miles. In all these parts their greatest trelasure is multitude of women and children. Topiawari made a heauy complaint, that wheras they were wont to hauehave ten or twelue wiues, now they had not aboue three or foure, by reason of the warres with the Epuremei their enemies: whereas the Lords of the Epuremes had fifty or an hundred, and their warre is more for women, then either for gold or dominion.
Berr…o in the search for Guiana, tooke his iourney from Nueno reyno de Gránado, wherehe dwelt, with seuen hundred Horse, but trauelling he lost many of his company and Horse: at Amapaia the soile is a low marish, and the water issuing thorow the Bogges, is red and venemous, which poysoned the horses, and infected the men: at noone the Sunne had made it more holesome for their vse.
This pLop. Vaz.New Kingdome of Granada is two hundred leagues within land, Southward from Cartagena. It had that name, because the Captaine that discouered it, was of Granada in Spaine. The plenty of Emeralds in these parts, hath made that Gemme of lesse worth. The next Prouince to this is called Popayan: in both which the Spaniards hauehave many Townes. And by the Riuer of Orenoque, both may be inuaded.
From these Countries issueth another great Riuer, *P. Martyr. Dec.7.lib.10.& Dec.3.lib.4.called of the Inhabitants Dabaiba (the Spaniards hauehave named it Rio Grande, and the Riuer of Saint Iohn) it passeth with a Northerne discouery, into the Gulfe of Vraba before mentioned. They which dwell on this Riuer obserue an Idoll of great note, called by the name of the Riuer, Dabaiba: whereto the King at certaine times of the yeare sends slaues to be sacrificed, from remote Countries, from whence also is great resort of Pilgrimes. They kill the flaues before their God, and after burne them, supposing that odor acceptable to their Idoll, as Taper-lights, and Frankinsence (saith Martyr) is to our Saints. Through the displeasure of that angry God, they said that all the Riuers and fountaines had once failed, and the greatest part of men perished with famine. Their Kings in remembrance hereof, hauehave their Priests at home, and Chappels which are swept eueryevery day, and kept with a religious neatnes. When the King thinketh to obtaine of the Idoll, sun-shine, or raine, or the like; he with his Priests gets vp into a Pulpit, standing in the Chappell, purposing not to depart thence till his suit bee granted. They vrge their God therefore with vehement prayers, and cruell fasting: the people meane while macerating themselues also with fasting, in foure dayes space not eating nor drinking, except on the fourth day, only a little broth. The Spaniards asking what God they worshipped thus, they answered, the Creator of the Heauens, Sunne, Moone, and all inuisible things, from whom all good things proceed. And they say Dabaiba *They say Dabaiba was a womā of great wisedome, honored in her life, deified after death; to whom they ascribe thunder and lightning, when she is angrie.was the mother of that Creator. They call them to their Deuotions with certaine Trumpets and Bells of gold. The Bells had clappers like in forme to ours, made of the bones of fishes, and yeelding a pleasing sound, as they reported: which no doubt, was a pleasing sound and musike to the Spaniards couetous hearts, howsoeuer it agreeth with the nature of that mettall to ring in the eares. One of them, they say, weighed six hundred *Pensum exceedeth the Ducat a fourth part.Pensa. Their Priests were enioyned chastity, which vow, if they violated, they were either stoned or burned. Other men also in the time of that fast, likewise contained themselues from those carnall pleasures. They hauehave an imagination on the soule (but know not what substance or name to ascribe vntounto it) to which yet they beleeued, was assigned future ioyes or woes, according to their demerits, pointing vp to Heauen, and downe to the Center, when they spake thereof. Many of their wiues (for they might hauehave many) followed the Sepulchres of their husbands. They allow not mariage with the sister, of which they hauehave a ridiculous conceit of the spot, which they account a man, in the Moone, that for this Incest he was thither confined, to the torments of cold and moisture, in that Mooneprison. They leaue trenches on their Sepulchers, in which they yearely powre Mayes, and some of their wine (to the profit) as they thinke of the ghosts. If a mother die while she giueth sucke, the poore nursling must not be Orphan, but be interred with her, being put there to her breast, & buried aliue. They imagined that the soules of their great men and their familiars were immortall, but not others: and therefore such of their seruants & friends as would not be buried with them, they thought should lose that priuiledge of immortality, & the delights of those pleasant places, where was eating, drinking, dancing, & the former delicats of their former liues. They renue the funeral pomp of these great men yearly, assembling thither with plenty of wine and meats, and there watch all night (especially the women) singing drery lamentations, with inuectiues against his enemies, if he died in the wars, yea cutting the image of his enemy in peece… in reuenge of their slaine Lord. This done, they fall to drinking of Mays-wine till they be weary, if not drunken. Yet after this, they resume their songs to his commendation, with many dances and adorations. When day appeareth, they put the image of the deceased into a great Canoa (a boat of one tree, capable, of threescore oares) filled with drinkes, herbes, & such things as in his life he had loued: which some carry vponupon their shoulders in procession about the Court, & set it downe there againe, & burne it with all the contents. After which, the women, filled with wine, and emptied of all modesty, with loose haire, secrets not secret, and variety of Bacchanall gestures, sometimes goe, sometimes fall, sometimes shake the weapons of the men, and conclude with beastly sleeping on the ground. The yong men exercise their dances and songs, piercing the middle of their priuy mēber with the sharp bone of the Ray-fish, bedewing the pauement with the bloud. And their Bauti, who are their Physitians, and Priests, heale the same againe in foure daies. The hauehave in those parts Magicians, without whose aduice they attempt nothing: and neither hunt, fish, nor gather gold, except the Tequenign… or Wizard thinke it fit.
To end this Dabaiban Story, Martyr saith (for I wil not further engage my credit for the truth) that in Camara, which is at the head of this Riuer, there happened most terrible tempests from the East, which threw downe trees and houses, and in the last acte of that tragedy, were brought (not by representation) two foule monsters of monstrous fowles, such as the Poets describe the Harpies with womēs faces; one of them so great, that her legs were thicker then a mans thigh, so heauy, that the boughes of the trees could not beare her, so strong, that she would seize on a man, and fly away with him, as a Kite with a chicken: the other was lesse, & supposed to be the yong one of the other. Corales, Osorius, & Spinosa, told Martyr that they spake with many who saw the greater killed, which was done by a stratageme; for they made the image of a man, & set it on the ground, attending in the woods with their arrowes, till she the next morning seized on this prey, and lost her selfe; the yong was neuer seene after; and happily you think, not before neither. But they added, that the killers of her were honored as Gods, and rewarded with presents.
All qBot…r… part.… lib.6.these parts, form golden Castile, and the Gulfe of Vraba to Paria, yeeld Caribes or Canibals, which eat mans flesh, and geld children, to make them more fat and tender for their diet. And all the Inland parts neere Peru, and in the hills called Andes, which some call Golden Castile, they little differ. Cieça rCieça part.1.cap.15.saith, That in the Valley of Anzerma, they keepe certaine tablets amongst the reedes, wherein they carue the image of the Diuell, in a terrible shape, also the figures of Cats and other Idols which they worship. To them they pray for raine or faire weather: they hauehave commerce with the Diuell, and obserue such superstitions as he enioyneth them. They are great maneaters. At the doores of their houses they hauehave small Courts, wherein are their graues in deepe vaults, opening to the East: in which they bury their great men with all their wealth. The Curies are not far frō them; they hauehave no Temple, nor Idol. They hauehave conference with the Diuel. They marry with their neeces & sisters, & are man-eaters. They call the Diuel Xixarama. They esteem Virginity little worth. In the Prouince of sCap.19.& d.Arma the Diuel doth often appeare to the Indians: in honor of whom they sacrifice their captiues, taken in war, hanging them vp by the shoulders & pulling out the hearts of some of them. In Paucora they hauehave like diuellish deuotions, & their Priests are their Oracles.
Before the house of the chiefe Lord was an Idoll, as bigge as a man, with his face to the East, and his armes open. They sacrificed two Indians eueryevery Tuesday in the Prouince of the Diuell. In the Prouince of Pozo, in the houses of their Lords, they had many Idols in such resemblance as the Diuell had assumed in his apparitions. And in those Idols he would also speake and giuegive answeres. In Carrapa tChap.23.they are extreame drunkards: when any is sicke, they offer sacrifices to the Diuell for his recouery. In Quinbaya is a hill which casteth forth smoke: but a more hellish smoke is their conference and commerce with the Diuel, like the former. In the Prouince of Cali they likewise conferre with the Diuell: they hauehave no Temples or houses of Religion. They make deepe pits for Sepulchres of their great men, where their armor, wealth, and food is set about them. Their lust subiecteth the neece and sister to their mariages. In Popayan uChap.32.they are man-eaters, as also in the forenamed Prouinces. They obserue the same Caninall and Diuellish Rites with the former, framing their superstitions to the Diuels direction in their mutuall colloquies. They bury with their Lords some of his wiues and prouision. Some of them are great Wizards & Sorcerers. In Pasto they talke also with the Diuell, a thing common to all these parts of the Indies. But let vsus leaue these steepe and cold hills, these men of the Diuell whom they worship, and diuels to men whom they deuoure, and see if in the lower Countries we can finde higer and nobler spirits.