OF THE LARGE, RICH, AND BEAUTIFULL EMPIRE OF GUIANA, WITH A
RELATION OF THE GREAT AND GOLDEN CITIE OF MANOA (WHICH THE
SPANIARDS CALL EL DORADO) AND THE PROUINCES OF EMERIA, AROMAIA,
AMAPAIA, AND OTHER COUNTRIES, WITH THEIR RIUERS ADIOYNING.
PERFORMED IN THE YEERE 1595 BY SIR WALTER RALEGH KNIGHT, CAPTAINE
OF HER MAIESTIES GUARD, LORDE WARDEN OF THE STANNERIES, AND HER
HIGHNESSE LIEUTENANT GENERALL OF THE COUNTIE OF CORNE-WALL.
To the right Honourable my singular good Lord and kinsman Charles
Howard, Knight of the Garter, Baron and Counceller, and of the
Admirals of England the most renowmed: and to the right
Honourable Sir Robert Cecyll knight, Counceller in her Highnesse
Priuie Councils.
For your Honours many Honourable and friendly partes, I haue hitherto
onely returned promises, and now for answere of both your adventures, I
haue sent you a bundle of papers, which I haue deuided betwene your
Lordship, and Sir Robert Cecyll in these two respects chiefly: First for
that it is reason, that wastful factors, when they haue consumed such
stockes as they had in trust, doe yeeld some colour for the same in
their account; secondly for that I am assured, that whatsoeuer shall bee
done, or written by me, shall neede a double protection and defence. The
triall that I had of both your loues, when I was left of all, but of
malice and reuenge, makes me still presume, that you wil be pleased
(knowing what litle power I had to performe ought, and the great
aduantage of forewarned enemies) to answer that out of knowledge, which
others shal but obiect out of malice. In my more happy times as I did
especially Hon. you both, so I found that your loues sought mee out in
the darkest shadow of aduersitie, and the same affection which
accompanied my better fortune, sored not away from me in my many
miseries: al which though I can not requite yet I shal euer acknowledge:
and the great debt which I haue no power to pay, I can do no more for a
time but confesse to be due. It is true that as my errors were great, so
they haue yeelded very grieuous effects, and if ought might haue bene
deserued in former times to haue conterpoysed any part of offences, the
fruit thereof (as it seemeth) was long before fallen from the tree, and
the dead stocke onely remained. I did therefore euen in the winter of my
life, vndertake these trauels, fitter for bodies lesse blasted with
misfortunes, for men of greater abilitie, and for minds of better
incouragement, that thereby, if it were possible, I might recouer but
the moderation of excesse, and the least tast of the greatest plenty
formerly possessed. If I had knowen other way to win, if I had imagined
how greater aduentures might haue regained, if I could conceiue what
farther meanes I might yet vse, but euen to appease so powerful
displeasure, I would not doubt but for one yeere more to hold fast my
soule in my teeth, till it were performed. Of that litle remaine I had,
I haue wasted in effect all herein. I haue vndergone many constructions.
I haue been accompanyed with many sorrows, with labour, hunger, heat,
sicknes, and perill: It appeareth notwithstanding that I made no other
brauado of going to the sea, then was ment, and that I was neuer hidden
in Cornewall, or els where, as was supposed. They haue grosly belied me,
that foreiudged, that I would rather become a seruant to the Spanish
King, then returne, and the rest were much mistaken, who would haue
perswaded, that I was too easefull and sensuall to vndertake a iourney
of so great trauell. But, if what I haue done, receiue the gracious
construction of a painefull pilgrimage, and purchase the least
remission, I shall thinke all too litle, and that there were wanting to
the rest many miseries. But if both the times past, the present, and
what may be in the future, doe all by one grain of gall continue in
eternall distaste; I doe not then know whether I should bewaile my selfe,
either for my too much trauell and expence, or condemne my selfe for
doing lesse then that, which can deserue nothing. From my selfe I haue
deserued no thankes, for I am returned a begger, and withered, but that
I might haue bettred my poore estate, it shall appeare by the following
discourse, if I had not onely respected her Maiesties future Honour, and
riches. It became not the former fortune in which I once liued, to goe
iourneys of picory, it had sorted ill with the offices of Honour, which
by her Maiesties grace I hold this day in England, to run from Cape to
Cape, and from place to place, for the pillage of ordinaries prizes.
Many yeeres since, I had knowledge by relation, of that mighty, rich and
beautifull Empier of Guiana, and of that great and golden Citie, which
the Spaniards call El Dorado, and the naturals Manoa, which Citie was
conquered, reedified, and inlarged by a yonger sonne of Guainacapa
Emperour of Peru, at such time as Francisco Piçarro and others conquered
the said Empire, from his two elder brethren, Guascar, and Atabalipa,
both then contending for the same, the one being fauoured by the
Orejones of Cuzco, the other by the people of Caxamalca. I sent my
seruant Iacob Whiddon the yere before, to get knowledge of the passages,
and I had some light from Captaine Parker, sometime my seruant, and nowe
attending on your Lordship, that such a place there was to the Southward
of the great Bay of Charuas, or Guanipa: but I found that it was 600
miles farther off then they supposed, and many other impediments to them
vnknowen and vnheard. After I had displanted Don Antonio de Berreo, who
was vpon the same enterprize, leauing my ships at Trinidad at the Port
called Curiapan, I wandred 400 miles into the said countrey by lande and
riuer: the particulars I will leaue to the following discourse. The
countrey hath more quantity of gold by manifolde, then the best partes
of the Indies, or Peru: All the most of the kings of the borders are
already become her Maiesties vassals: and seeme to desire nothing more
then her Maiesties protection and the returne of the English nation. It
hath another ground and assurance of riches and glory, then the voyages
of the West Indies, an easier way to inuade the best parts thereof, then
by the common course. The king of Spaine is not so impouerished, by
taking three or foure Port townes in America, as wee suppose, neither
are the riches of Peru, or Nueua Espanna so left by the sea side, as it
can bee easily washt away with a great flood, or springtide, or left dry
vpon the sandes on a lowe ebbe. The Port townes are fewe and poore in
respect of the rest within the lande, and are of litle defence, and are
onely rich, when the Fleets are to receiue the treasure for Spaine: and
we might thinke the Spaniards very simple, hauing so many horses and
slaues, if they could not vpon two dayes warning cary all the golde they
haue into the land, and farre enough from the reach of our foote-men,
especially the Indies being (as they are for the most part) so
mountainous, so full of woodes, riuers, and marishes. In the Port townes
of the Prouince of Veneçuela, as Cumana, Coro and S. Iago (whereof Coro
and S. Iago were taken by Captaine Preston, and Cumana and S. Iosepho by
vs) we found not the value of one riall of plate in either: but the
Cities of Barquasimeta, Valencia, S. Sebastian, Cororo, S. Lucia,
Laguna, Maracaiba, and Truxillo, are not so easely inuaded: neither
doeth the burning of those on the coast impouerish the king of Spaine
any one ducat: and if we sacke the riuer of Hacha, S. Marta, and
Cartagena, which are the Portes of Nueuo reyno, and Popayan; there are
besides within the land, which are indeed riche and populous the townes
and Cities of Merida, Lagrita, S. Christophoro, the great Cities of
Pamplon, S. Fe de Bogota, Tunxa and Mozo where the Esmeralds are found,
the townes and Cities of Marequita, Velez, la Villa de Leua, Palma,
Vnda, Angustura, the great citie of Timana, Tocaima, S. Aguila, Pasto,
Iuago, the great Citie of Popaian it selfe, Los Remedios, and the rest.
If we take the Ports and villages within the Bay of Vraba in the kingdom
or riuers of Dariene, and Caribana, the Cities and townes of S. Iuan de
Roydas, of Cassaris, of Antiocha, Caramanta, Cali, and Anserma haue gold
enough to pay the kings part, and are not easily inuaded by the way of
the Ocean: or if Nombre de Dios and Panama be taken in the Prouince of
Castilla del oro, and the villages vpon the riuers of Cenu and Chagre;
Peru hath besides those and besides the magnificent cities of Quito and
Lima so many ylands, ports, cities, and mines, as if I should name them
with the rest, it would seem incredible to the reader; of all which,
because I haue written a particular treatise of the West Indies, I wil
omit the repetition at this time, seeing that in the said treatise I
haue anatomised the rest of the sea-townes, aswel of Nicaragua, Iucatan,
Nueua Espanna, and the ylands, as those of the Inland, and by what
meanes they may be best inuaded, as far as any meane iudgment can
comprehend. But I hope it shal appeare that there is a way found to
answer euery mans longing, a better Indies for her Maiestie then the
King of Spaine hath any: which if it shal please her highnes to
vndertake, I shall most willingly end the rest of my daies in folowing
the same: if it be left to the spoile and sackage of common persons, if
the loue and seruice of so many nations be dispised, so great riches,
and so mighty an empire refused, I hope her maiesty wil yet take my
humble desire and my labor therin in gracious part, which, if it had not
bin in respect of her highnes future honor and riches, could haue laid
hands on and ransomed many of the kings and Casiqui of the country, and
haue had a reasonable proportion of gold for their redemption: but I
haue chosen rather to beare the burden of pouerty, then reproch, and
rather to endure a second traue and the chances therof, then to haue
defaced an enterprise of so great assurance, vntil I knew whether it
pleased God to put a disposition in her princely and royal heart either
to folow or foreslow the same: I wil therefore leaue it to his ordinance
that hath only power in all things, and do humbly pray that your honors
wil excuse such errors, as without the defence of art, ouerrun in euery
part of the folowing discourse, in which I haue neither studied phrase,
forme or fashion, that you will be pleased to esteeme mee as your owne
(though ouer dearly bought) and I shall euer remaine ready to do you all
honour and seruice.