lies that way (pointing north-east), to the Fretum Magellanicum, which
lies that way (pointing south-east), which comprehends a vast number of
leagues, is called by us Coasta Deserta, being unpossessed by Spain, and
disregarded of all our nation; neither is there one Spaniard in it.
Nevertheless, you see how fruitful, how pleasant, and how agreeable a
climate it is; how apt for planting and peopling it seems to be, and,
above all, what a place of wealth here would be behind them, sufficient,
and more than enough, both for them and us; for we should have no reason
to offer them any disturbance, neither should we be in any condition to
do it, the passages of the mountains being but few and difficult, as you
have seen, and our numbers not sufficient to do anything more than to
block them up, to keep such people from breaking in upon our settlements
on the coast of the South Seas.
I asked him if these notions of his were common among those of his
country who were settled in Chili and Peru? or whether they were his own
private opinions only? I told him I believed the latter, because I found
he acted in all his affairs upon generous principles, and was for
propagating the good of mankind; but, that I questioned whether their
governor of Old Spain, or the sub-governor and viceroy of New Spain,
acted upon those notions; and, since he had mentioned the Buenos Ayres
and the Rio de la Plata, I should take that as an example, seeing the
Spaniards would never suffer any nation to set foot in that great river,
where so many countries might have been discovered, and colonies
planted; though, at the same time, they had not possessed, or fully
discovered those places themselves.
He answered me, smiling; Seignior, says he, you have given the reason
for this yourself, in that very part which you think is a reason against
it. We have a colony at Buenos Ayres, and at the city of Ascension,
higher up in the Rio de la Plata, and we are not willing to let any
other nation settle there, because we would not let them see how weak we
are, and what a vast extent of land we possess there with a few men; and
this for two reasons:
First, We are possessed of the country, and daily increasing there, and
may in time extend ourselves farther. The great rivers Parana and
Paraguay being yet left for us to plant in, and we are not willing to
put ourselves out of a capacity of planting farther, and therefore we
keep the possession.
Secondly, We have a communication from thence with Peru. The great river
la Plata rises at the city of that name, and out of the mountain Potosi,
in Peru, and a great trade is carried on by that river, and it would be
dangerous to let foreigners into the secret of that trade, which they
might entirely cut off, especially when they should find how small a
number of Spaniards are planted there to preserve it, seeing there are
not six hundred Spaniards in all that vast country, which, by the course
of that river, is more than one thousand six hundred miles in length.
I confess, said I, these are just grounds for your keeping the
possession of that river. They are so, said he, and the more because of
so powerful a colony as the Portuguese have in the Brazils, which bound
immediately upon it, and who are always encroaching upon it from the
land side, and would gladly have a passage up the Rio Parana to the back
of their colony.
But here, seignior, says he, the case differs; for we neither take nor
keep possession here, neither have we one Spaniard, as I said, in the
whole country now before you, and therefore we call this country Coasta
Deserta. Not that it is a desert, as that name is generally taken to
signify, a barren, sandy, dry country; on the contrary, the infinite
prodigious increase of the European black cattle which were brought by
the Spaniards to the Buenos Ayres, and suffered to run loose, is a
sufficient testimony of the fruitfulness and richness of the soil, their
numbers being such, that they kill above twenty thousand in a year for
nothing but the hides, which they carry away to Spain, leaving the
flesh, though fat and wholesome, to perish on the ground, or be devoured
by birds of prey.
And the number is so great, notwithstanding all they destroy, that they
are found to wander sometimes in droves of many thousands together over
all the vast country between the Rio de la Plata, the city of Ascension,
and the frontier of Peru, and even down into this country which you see
before us, and up to the very foot of these mountains.
Well, said I, and is it not a great pity that all this part of the
country, and in such a climate as this is, should lie uncultivated, or
uninhabited rather? for I understand there are not any great numbers of
people to be found among them.
It is true, added he, there are some notions prevailing of people being
spread about in this country, but, as the terror of our people, the
Spaniards, drove them at first from the seacoast towards these
mountains, so the greatest part of them continue on this side still, for
towards the coast it is very rare that they find any people.
I would have inquired of him about rivers and navigable streams which
might be in this country, but he told me frankly that he could give me
no account of those; only thus, that if any of the rivers went away
towards the north, they certainly run all into the great Rio de la
Plata; but that if they went east, or southerly, they must go directly
to the coast, which was ordinarily called, as he said, La Costa Deserta,
or, as by some, the coast of Patagonia. That, as to the magnitude of
those rivers he could say little, but it was reasonable to suppose there
must be some very considerable rivers, and whose streams must needs be
capable of navigation, seeing abundance of water must continually flow
from the mountains where we then were, and its being at least four
hundred miles from the sea-side, those small streams must necessarily
join together, and form large rivers in the plain country.
I had enough in this discourse fully to satisfy all my curiosity, and
sufficiently to heighten my desire of making the farther discoveries
which I had in my thoughts.
We pitched our little camp here, and sat down to our repast; for I found
that though we were to go back to lodge, yet my patron had taken care we
should be furnished sufficiently for dinner, and have a good house to
eat it in, that is to say, a tent as before.
The place where we stood, though we had come down hill for a great way,
yet seemed very high from the ordinary surface of the country, and gave
us therefore an exceeding fine prospect of it, the country declining
gradually for near ten miles; and we thought, as well as the distance of
the place would allow us, we saw a great river, but, as I learned
afterwards, it was rather a great lake than a river, which was supplied
by the smaller rivers, or rivulets, from the mountains, which met there
as in a great receptacle of waters, and out of this lake they all issued
again in one river, of which I shall have occasion to give a farther
account hereafter.
While we were at dinner, I ordered my midshipmen to take their
observations of every distant object, and to look at everything with
their glasses, which they did, and told me of this lake; but my patron
could give no account of it, having never been, as he said before, one
step farther that way than where we were.
However, my men showed me plainly that it was a great lake, and that
there went a large river from it towards the east-south-east, and this
was enough for me, for that way lay all the schemes I had laid.
I took this opportunity to ask my midshipmen, first, if they had taken
such observations in their passage of the mountains as that they were
sure they could find their way through to this place again without
guides? And they assured me they could.
Then I put it to them whether they thought it might not be practicable
to travel over that vast level country to the North Seas? and to make a
sufficient discovery of the country, so as that hereafter Englishmen
coming to the coast on the side of those seas, might penetrate to these
golden mountains, and reap the benefit of the treasure without going a
prodigious length above Cape Horn and the Terra del Fuego, which was
always attended with innumerable dangers, and without breaking through
the kingdom of Chili and the Spaniards' settlements, which, perhaps, we
might soon be at peace with, and so be shut out that way by our own
consents?
One of my men began to speak of the difficulties of such an attempt, the
want of provisions, and other dangers which we should be exposed to on
the way; but the other, a bold, brisk fellow, told me he made no
question but it might be easily done, and especially because all the
rivers they should meet with would, of course, run along with us, so
that we should be sure to have the tide with us, as he called it; and,
at last, he added, that he would be content to be one of those men who
should undertake it, provided he should be assured that the ships in the
mean time would not go away, and pretend that they could not be found.
I told him, we would talk farther about it; that I had such a thought in
my head, and a strong inclination to undertake it myself, but that I
could not answer it to leave the ships, which depended so much upon my
care of the voyage.
After some talk of the reasonableness of such an undertaking, and the
methods of performing it, my second midshipman began to come into it,
and to think it was practicable enough, and added, that though he used
some cautions in his first hearing proposals, yet, if he undertook that
enterprise, I should find that he would do as much of his duty in it as
another man; and so he did at last, as will appear in its proper place.
We were, by this time, preparing to be satisfied with our journey, and
my patron coming to me and asking if I was for returning, I told him I
could not say how many days it would be before I should say I had enough
of that prospect, but that I would return when he pleased, only I had
one question to ask him, which was, whether the mountains were as full
of gold on this side as they were on the side of Chili?
As to that, seignior, says he, the best way to be certain is to make a
trial, that you may be sure we do not speak without proof; so he called
his gentleman, and another servant that was with him, and desired me to
call my two midshipmen, and, speaking something to his own servants
first, in the language of the country, as I supposed, he turned to me,
and said, Come, let us sit down and rest ourselves, while they go
together, and see what they can do.
Accordingly, they went away, and, as my men told me afterwards, they
searched in the small streams of water which they found running, and in
some larger gulleys or channels, where they found little or no water
running, but where, upon hasty rains, great shoots of water had been
used to run, and where water stood still in the holes and falls, as I
have described once before on the like occasion.
They had not been gone above an hour, when I plainly heard my two
Englishmen halloo, which I could easily distinguish from the voices of
any other nation, and immediately I ran out of the tent, Captain
Merlotte followed, and then I saw one of my midshipmen running towards
us, so we went to meet him, and, what with hallooing and running, he
could hardly speak; but, recovering his breath, said, he came to desire
me to come to them, if I would behold a sight which I never saw in my
life.
I was eager enough to go, so I went with him, and left Captain Merlotte
to go back to the tent to my patron, the Spaniard, and the Spanish
doctor, who had not so much share in the curiosity; he did so, and they
followed soon after.
When we came to the place, we saw such a wonder as indeed I never saw
before, for there they were sitting down round a little puddle, or hole,
as I might call it, of water, where, in the time of rain, the water
running hastily from a piece of the rock, about two foot higher than the
rest, had made a pit under it with the fall, like the tail of a mill,
only much less.
Here they took up the sand or gravel with their hands, and every handful
brought up with it such a quantity of gold as was surprising; for there
they sat picking it out, just as the boys in London, who go with a broom
and a hat, pick out old iron, nails, and pins from the channels, and it
lay as thick.
I stood and looked at them awhile, and it must be confessed, it was a
pleasant sight enough; but, reflecting immediately that there was no end
of this, and that we were only upon the enquiry, Come away, said I,
laughing to my men, and do not stand picking up of trash there all day;
do you know how far we have to go to our lodgings?
I can make no guess what quantity might have been found here in places
which had, for hundreds of years, washed gold from the hills, and,
perhaps, never had a man come to pick any of it up before; but I was
soon satisfied that here was enough, even to make all the world say they
had enough; and so I called off my people, and came away.
It seems, the quantity of gold which is thus washed down is not small,
since my men, inquiring afterwards among the Chilians, heard them talk
of the great lake of water which I mentioned just now that we saw at a
distance, which they call the Golden Lake, and where was, as they said,
prodigious quantities of it; not that our men supposed any gold was
there in mines, or in the ordinary soil, but that the waters from the
hills, running with very rapid currents at certain times in the rainy
seasons, and after the melting of the snows, had carried the gold so far
as that lake; and, as it has been so, perhaps, from the days of the
general deluge, no people ever applying themselves to gather the least
grain of it up again, it might well be increased to such a quantity as
might entitle that water to the name of the Golden Lake, and all the
little streams and sluices of water that run into it deserved the name
of Golden Rivers, as much as that of the Golden Lake.
But my present business was to know only if the gold was here, but not
to trouble myself to pick it up; my views lay another way, and my end
was fully answered, so I came back to my patron, and brought all my men
with me.
You live in a golden country, seignior, says I; my men are stark mad to
see so much gold, and nobody to take it.
Should the world know what treasure you have here, I would not answer
for it that they should not flock hither in armies, and drive you all
away. They need not do that, seignior, says he, for here is enough for
them, and for us too.
We now packed up, and began our return; but it was not without regret
that I turned my back upon this pleasant country, the most agreeable
place of its kind that ever I was at in all my life, or ever shall be in
again, a country rich, pleasant, fruitful, wholesome, and capable of
everything for the life of man that the heart could entertain a wish
for.
But my present work was to return; so we mounted our mules, and had, in
the meantime, the pleasure of contemplating what we had seen, and
applying ourselves to such farther measures as we had concerted among
us. In about four hours we returned to our camp, as I called it, and, by
the way, we found, to our no little pain, that though we had come down
hill easily and insensibly to the opening for some miles, yet we had a
hard pull uphill to go back again.
However, we reached to our tents in good time, and made our first
encampment with pleasure enough, for we were very weary with the fatigue
of a hard day's journey.
The next day we reached our good Chilian's mansion-house, or palace,
for such it might be called, considering the place, and considering the
entertainment; for now he had some time to provide for us, knowing we
would come back again.
He met us with three mules, and two servants, about a mile before we
came to the descent going down to his house, of which I took notice
before, and this he did to guide us a way round to his house without
going down those uneasy steps; so we came on our mules to his door, that
is to say, on his mules, for he would have my patron, the Spaniard, to
whom I observed he showed an extraordinary respect, and Captain Merlotte
and myself, mount his fresh mules to carry us to his house.
When we came thither, I observed he wanted the assistance of my patron's
servants for his cookery; for, though he had provided abundance of food,
he owned he knew not how to prepare it to our liking, so they assisted
him, and one of my midshipmen pretending to cook too, made them roast a
piece of venison, and a piece of kid, or young goat, admirable well, and
putting no garlick or onions into the sauce, but their own juices, with
a little wine, it pleased the Spaniard so well, that my man passed for
an extraordinary cook, and had the favour asked of him to dress some
more after the same manner, when we came back to the Spaniard's house.
We had here several sorts of wildfowl, which the Chilian had shot while
we were gone, but I knew none of them by any of the kinds we have in
England, except some teal. However, they were very good.
The day was agreeable and pleasant, but the night dreadful, as before,
being all fire and flame again, and though we understood both what it
was, and where, yet I could not make it familiar to me, for my life. The
Chilian persuaded us to stay all the next day, and did his endeavour to
divert us as much as possible; my two midshipmen went out with him
a-hunting, as he called it, that is, a-shooting; but, though he was a
man of fifty years of age, he would have killed ten of them at his
sport, running up the hills, and leaping from rock to rock like a boy of
seventeen. At his gun he was so sure a marksman, that he seldom missed
anything he shot at, whether running, flying, or sitting.
They brought home with them several fowls, two fawns, and a full-grown
deer, and we had nothing but boiling, stewing, and broiling, all that
evening. In the afternoon we walked out to view the hills, and to see
the stupendous precipices which surrounded us. As for looking for gold,
we saw the places where there was enough to be had, but that was become
now so familiar to us, that we troubled not ourselves about it, as a
business not worth our while; but the two midshipmen, I think, got about
the quantity of five or six ounces apiece, while we were chatting or
reposing in the Chilian's house.
Here it was that I entered into a confidence with my patron, the
Spaniard, concerning my grand design. I told him, in the first place,
that my view of the open country beyond these hills, and the particular
account he had given me of it also, had raised a curiosity in me that I
could scarce withstand; and that I had thereupon formed a design, which,
if he would farther me with his assistance, I had a very great mind to
put in practice, and that, though I was to hazard perishing in the
attempt.
He told me very readily, nothing should be wanting on his part to give
me any assistance he could, either by himself or any of his servants;
but, smiling, and with abundance of good humour, Seignior, says he, I
believe I guess at the design you speak of; you are fired now with a
desire to traverse this great country to the Coasta Deserta and the
North Seas; that is a very great undertaking, and you will be well
advised before you undertake it.
True, Seignior, said I, you have guessed my design, and, were it not
that I have two ships under my care, and some cargo of value on board, I
would bring my whole ship's company on shore, and make the adventure,
and, perhaps, we might be strong enough to defend ourselves against
whatever might happen by the way.
As to that, seignior, says he, you would be in no danger that would
require so many men; for you will find but few inhabitants anywhere, and
those not in numbers sufficient to give you any trouble; fifty men would
be as many as you would either want or desire, and, perhaps, as you
would find provisions for; and, for fifty men, we might be able to carry
provisions with us to keep them from distress. But, if you will accept
of my advice, as well as assistance, seignior, says he, choose a
faithful strong fellow out of your ship on whom you can depend, and give
him fifty men with him, or thereabouts, and such instructions as you
may find needful, as to the place on the coast where you would have them
fix their stay, and let them take the first hazards of the adventure;
and, as you are going round by sea, you will, if success follows, meet
them on the shore, and if the account they give of their journey
encourage you, you may come afterwards yourself up to these very
mountains, and take a farther view; in which case, he added, with a
solemn protestation, cost me what it will, I will come and meet you one
hundred miles beyond the hills, with supplies of provisions and mules
for your assistance.
This was such wholesome and friendly advice, and he offered it so
sincerely, that though it was very little differing from my own design,
yet I would not be seen so to lessen his prudence in the measures of his
friendship in advising it, as to say that I had resolved to do so; but
making all possible acknowledgment to him for his kind offers, I told
him I would take his advice, and act just according to the measures he
had prescribed; and, at the same time I assured him, that if I found a
convenient port to settle and fortify in, I would not fail to come again
from France (for we passed always as acting from France, whatever nation
we were of) to relieve and supply them; and that, if ever I returned
safe, I would not fail to correspond with him, by the passages of the
mountains, and make a better acknowledgment for his kindness than I had
been able to do yet.
He was going to break off the discourse upon the occasion of the
Chilian's returning, who was just come in from his hunting, telling me,
he would talk farther of it by the way; but I told him I could not quite
dismiss the subject, because I must bespeak him to make some mention of
it to the Chilian, that he might, on his account, be an assistant to our
men, as we saw he was capable of being, in their passing by those
difficult ways, and for their supply of provisions, &c. Trouble not
yourself with that, seignior, said he, for when your men come, the care
shall be mine; I will come myself as far as this wealthy Chilian's, and
procure them all the assistance this place can afford them, and do
anything that offers to forward them in the undertaking.
This was so generous, and so extraordinary, that I had nothing to say
more, but to please myself with the apparent success of my attempt, and
acknowledge the happiness of having an opportunity to oblige so
generous, spirited, and grateful a person.
I would, however, have made some farther acknowledgment to our Chilian
benefactor, but I had nothing left, except a couple of hats, and three
pair of English stockings, one pair silk and the other two worsted, and
those I gave him, and made him a great many acknowledgments for the
favours he had shown us, and the next morning came away.
We made little stay anywhere else in our return; but, making much such
stages back as we did forward, we came the fourteenth day to our
patron's house, having made the passage through in something less than
sixteen days, and the like back in fifteen days, including our stay at
the Chilian's, one day.
The length of the way, according to the best of my calculations, I
reckoned to be about one hundred and seventy-five English miles, taking
it with all its windings and turnings, which were not a few, but which
had this conveniency with them, that they gave a more easy and agreeable
passage, and made the English proverb abundantly good, namely, that the
farthest way about is the nearest way home.
The civilities I received after this from my generous Spaniard were
agreeable to the rest of his usage of me; but we, that had so great a
charge upon us at the sea-side, could not spare long time in those
ceremonies, any more than I do now for relating them.
It is enough to mention, that he would not be excused, at parting, from
going back with us quite to the ships, and when I would have excused it,
he said, Nay, seignior, give me leave to go and fetch my hostages. In
short, there was no resisting him, so we went all together, after
staying two days more at his house, and came all safe to our ships,
having been gone forty-six days from them.
We found the ship in very good condition, all safe on board, and well,
except that the men seemed to have contracted something of the scurvy,
which our Spanish doctor, however, soon recovered them from.