greene, and in divers parts groves of trees by themselves, as if they had been by all the art and labour in the world so made of purpose, and still as they rowed the deere came downe feeding by the water's side, as if they had beene used to a keeper's call. But, beside strange fishes and of marvellous bignes, for lagartos (alligators) it exceeded, for there were thousands of those ugly serpents."

The

On their return "they went on their way up the great river, and again, when they were even at the last call for want of victuals," they came upon four canoes filled with natives, and three Spaniards, which they took, and "found in them divers baskets of roots, and great store of excellent bread, than which nothing on the earth could have been more welcome to them next unto gold." Spaniards had been mining, and their instruments for the trial of metals, and such dust as they had refined, were taken. This renewed their hopes that the golden region was not far off. Sir Walter here took a new pilot from those who had guided the Spaniards, and "on the fifteenth day they discovered afarre off the mountains of Guiana, to their great joy;" and "a northerly wind, which blew very strong, brought them in

44

sight of the great River Oronoco, out of which the Amana descended," and "they ankered at the parting of the three goodly rivers." Here they went ashore on the invitation of Toparimaca, "the lord of that border," "where some of the captains caroused of his wine till they were reasonable pleasant," and visited his town Arowocai, whieh "was very pleasant, with goodly gardens a mile compasse round about it."

The next day they sailed on with an east wind, and found the river of varying breadth, from four to twenty miles, "with wonderfull eddies, divers shoals, rock, and many great islands," and wrought into huge billows by the wind. Passing by wide and rich plains, and sending out now and then parties to explore the banks, on the fifth day from their first sight of the mountains they arrived at the port of Morequito, three hundred miles from the sea. Here and in the neighbourhood they passed four days. From this place parties were sent abroad to search for the precious metals, and to reach, if possible, the mountains on the frontier of the great empire. Sir Walter accompanied one, to view "the strange over-falls of the River of Caroli," the noise of which they heard twenty miles off,

at Morequito. There appeared some ten or twelve falls," every one as high over the other as a church tower.' Hear him describe the tract they traversed: "I never saw a more beautifull countrey nor more lively prospects; hils so raised here and there over the valleys, the river winding into divers branches, the plains adjoyning without bush or stubble, all faire greene grasse, the ground of hard sand, easie to march on either for horse or foote, the deere crossing in every path, the birdes towards the evening singing on every tree with a thousand severall tunes, cranes and herons, of white, crimson, and carnation, pearching in the river's side, the aire fresh easterly winde, and every stone that wee stouped to take up promised either gold or silver by his complexion." They were hospitably entertained by the natives; learned somewhat of the geography of the country; heard and believed stories of a tribe of men "whose heads appeare not above their shoulders;" were told of a rich silver mine, which, from the rise of the river, they could not reach; dug out with their daggers and fingers from the hard white spar a few specimens of minerals, "marcasite, and mother-of-gold, and stones like sapphires," and then turned their faces again to the eastward.

"The great city of Manoa" had eluded Their farther progress was hin

their grasp. dered, and their departure hastened by the summer rains. The smaller rivers 66 were raised with such speed, as, if they waded them over the shoes in the morning outward, they were covered to the shoulders homeward the very same day ;" and the Oronoco "began to rage, and overflowe very fearfully." Besides, "the menne began to crie out for want of shift," having no change of clothes, and their single suits "throughly washt on their bodies for the most part tenne times in one day." They passed down the river rapidly and without labour, and had several interviews with the chiefs who dwelt on its banks. Their hopes of much gold in some future enterprise were highly excited by the reports they heard and the few specimens. they saw; but their small number, their past labours and fatigue, all persuaded them to undertake nothing farther for the present. They encountered a violent storm at the mouth of the river, where they passed through imminent peril, "one faintly cheering another to showe courage," and at length safely regained their vessels at Trinidad.

Such is a brief outline of a narrative which

Hume* says is "full of the grossest and most palpable lies that were ever attempted to be imposed on the credulity of mankind." That historian's bias against the brave and unfortunate Raleigh is manifest to every reader of his history. Yet his sketch of Raleigh's narrative, compared with the narrative itself, shows that he had read the latter very carelessly, or would make him responsible for the truth of every rumour he reported, while Raleigh himself carefully distinguishes what he saw from what he heard. The attentive reader of Sir Walter's narrative will be struck with his extreme credulity, and make many allowances for an earnest enthusiasm and a poetic fancy, but will hardly find traces of a wilful purpose to deceive.

The evidence on which the expedition was projected shows a large faith and a visionary imagination, though the value of its indications is seen in the success of Cortez and Pizarro. The minds of men in general in that day, and of individuals two hundred years later, habitually entertained the notion of the El Dorado, a region rich beyond all human ex

* [Chap. 41. In another place, Appendix B. to vol. vii., p. 384, 12mo ed., he boldly charges Raleigh with "impudent imposture."-H.]