riches that was. I doe not heere set it downe, because there is no place for it, but it shall appeare by the information that goeth to his Majestie: for if it should heere bee set downe, foure leaves of paper would not containe it.

Str2

The Letter of George Burien Britton from the sayde Canaries unto his cousin a Frenchman dwelling in S. Lucar, concerning El Dorado. Ir, and my very good cousin, there came of late certaine Letters from a new discovered countrey not farre from Trinidad, which they write, hath Golde in great abundance: the newes seemeth to bee very certaine, because it passeth for good amongst the best of this Citie. Part of the information of the Discovery that went to his Majestie, goeth inclosed in Alonsos letters; it is a thing worth the seeing.

The report of Domingo Martinez of Jamaica concerning El Dorado.

H was

1594.

E sayth that in 1593. being at Carthagena, there a generall report of a late discovery called Nuevo Dorado, and that a litle before his comming thither, there came a Frigat from the said Dorado, [III. 666.] bringing in it the portrature of a Giant all of Gold, of weight 47. kintals, which the Indians there held for their Idoll. But now admitting of Christianitie and obedience to the king of Spaine, they sent their sayd Idol unto him in token they were become Christians, and held him for their King. The company comming in the said Frigat, reported Golde to be there in most abundance, Diamonds of inestimable value, with great store of pearle.

[The report

1594.

1591.

The report of a French man called Bountillier of Sherbrouke, concerning Trinidad and Dorado.

HE that a peece of Golde of a quarter

E saith that beeing at Trinidad in 1591. he had of an Indian there a

Also in

of a pound in exchange of a knife; the sayde Indian tolde him hee had it at the head of that river which Paracoa. commeth to Paracoa in Trinidad: and that within the River of Orenoque, it was in great abundance. 1593. beeing taken by the Spanyardes, and brought prisoner into the Iland of Madera (the place for his prison) there came in this meane time a Barke of fortie Tunnes from a new Discovery, with two millions of Golde; the company whereof reported Golde in that place to bee in great abundance, and called it El Nuevo Dorado. This Frenchman passed from Spaine in the Barke, and having a cabben neere a gentleman, one of the Discoverers that came from that place in the sayde Barke, had divers times conference with him, and amongst other things, of the great abundance of Golde in the sayd Dorado, being as they sayd within the river of Orenoque.

Reportes of certaine Marchants of Rio de Hacha, concerning El Nuevo Dorado.

They sayd (advancing the kings great treasure in the Indies) that Nuevo Reyno yeelded very many Golde mines, and wonderfull rich; but lately was discovered a certaine Province so rich in Golde, as the report thereof may seeme incredible, it is there in such abundance, and is called El Nuevo Dorado: Antonio de Berreo made the said discoverie.

The report of a Spanyard, Captaine with Berreo in the discoverie of El Nuevo Dorado.

TH

Hat the information sent to the King was in every poynt truely sayde, that the river Örenoque hath seven mouths, or outlets into the sea, called Las Siete bocas de dragon, that the sayd river runneth farre into the land, in many places very broad, and that Anth. de Berreo lay at Trinidad, making head to goe to conquere and people the sayd Dorado.

A Relation of the second Voyage to Guiana,
performed and written in the yeere 1596. by
Laurence Keymis Gent.

To the approved, Right Valorous, and worthy Knight,
Sir Walter Ralegh, Lord warden of the Stanneries,
Captaine of her Majesties Guard, and her Highnesse
Lieutenant generall of the Countie of Cornewall.

1596.

Have here briefly set downe the effect of this your second Discoverie without any enlargement of made wordes: for in this argument, single speech best beseemeth a simple trueth. Where the affinitie of the matter with your person, leadeth mee to write of your selfe, unto your selfe, that small libertie which I have therein used, shall, I doubt not, without offence or sinister construction, be given to the cause in hand: which, whether it suffer not detriment, by attributing lesse then of right belongeth; the judgement bee theirs, that uprightly and indifferently shall weigh the consequents of their evill purpose, who in seeking to detract from the Author of these Discoveries, doe so much as in them lieth, wound, deface, & tread under foot the thing it selfe. But this is no novelty, nor proper only to these our dayes. For long since it hath bin said, Laudes eo usque sunt Pericles. tolerabiles, donec ea dicuntur, quæ auditores se quoque

1596.

it

facere posse existimant: simajora proferantur, invident, non credunt. The fervent zeale & loyalty of your minde in labour with this birth of so honorable expectation, as it hath deserved a recompence farre different, so needeth it not my poore suffrage to endeare the [III. 667.] toyle, care, and danger that you have willingly undergone for the good and advancement of our weale publique. The praise-worthinesse thereof doeth approve selfe, and is better read in your living doings, then in my dead unregarded papers. All that I can wish, is that my life were a sufficient pledge, to justifie, how much more easie, and more materiall, the course for Guiana would bee then others, which requiring greater charge, yeelde not so large benefit, and are subject to more doubtfull events. If unto their wisdomes who sit in place and authority, it shall appeare otherwise, and that in following of other attempts there is lesse difficultie, certainer profit, and needfuller offence unto the enemie: the cost and travaile which you have bestowed, shall not, I hope, be altogether lost, if unto your Honour I can prove how, and where the amends is to be had, maugre the force and prevention of all Spaniards.

Your Lordships to be commanded in all service,
LAURENCE KEYMIS.

To the Favourers of the Voyage for Guiana. N things earnestly desired, though never so likely, we are still suspicious: thinking it more credite to our common wisedome, to discredite most noble and profitable indevours with distrust, then touch to our valours and safeties, to lie wilfully idle. So that howsoever an action well and judicially attempted, bee esteemed halfe performed; yet is this my jealous conceite concerning Guiana, that nothing is begun, before all be ended. In this regarde (gentle Reader) I have presumed burthen thine eares with the weake plea of a

good

cause, and in stead of opening it throughly to thy
prudent consideration, to note only mine owne unsatis-
fied affection: hoping that because I doe name Guiana
unto thee, thou wilt vouchsafe hoc nomine, to vaile
and cover all other my defects in the desert of a good
meaning. In publishing this Treatise, my labor princi-
pally tendeth to this end; to remove all
remove all fig-leaves
from our unbeliefe, that either it may have cause to
shake off the colourable pretences of ignorance: or if
we will not be perswaded; that our selfe-will may rest
inexcusable. They that shall apply, and construe this
my doing, to serve the Spaniard his turne so well as
our owne; in so much as it may seeme to instruct,
warne, and arme him for their satisfaction herein,
they must not be ignorant, that his eyes, in seeing our
shipping there, doe as effectually informe him, that
many of our hearts are toward that place, as if it
should be credibly advertised by some corrupt hireling,
that we thinke, write, and discourse of nothing els.
Neither can I imagine, that to conceale our knowledge
herein (which to conceale may perhaps prove, & be
hereafter taken for worse then paricide) would be of
better purpose, then to hood winke our selves, as who
would say, No man shall see us.
No man shall see us. Besides, if the action
were wholy to bee effected at her Majesties charge;
then might it at her Highnesse pleasure be shadowed
with some other drift, and never be discovered, untill
it were acted. But since it craveth the approbation
and purses of many Adventurers, who cannot be so
prodigall both of their possessions and lives, as
voluntarily to run themselves out of breath, in pur-
suing they know not what great reason it is, that
where assistance is to be asked, due causes be yeelded
to perswade & induce them unto it. The Spaniard is
not so simple, unsetled, & uncertaine in his determina-
tions, as to build them on our breath, or to make our
papers his Bulwarks; nor so slow as to expect a
precedent of our forwardnes. His proceedings are suffi-

1596.