Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/22

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Cassipagotos, Eparagotos, and Arawagotos three mighty nations seated on a lake at the head of the riuer Caroli. called Cassipagotos, Eparagotos, and Arawagots, and that all those either against the Spaniards, or the Epuremei would ioyne with vs, and that if wee entred the land ouer the mountaines of Curaa, we should satisfie our selues with gold and all other good things: he told vs farther of a nation called Iwarawaqueri before spoken off, that held dayly warre with the Epuremei that inhabited Macureguarai the first ciuill towne of Guiana, of the subiects of Inga the Emperour.

Vpon this riuer one Captaine George, that I tooke with Berreo tolde mee there was a great siluer Mine, and that it was neere the banckes of the saide riuer. But by this time as well Orenoque, Caroli, as all the rest of the riuers were risen foure or fiue foote in height, so as it was not possible by the strength of any men, or with any boat whatsoeuer to rowe into the Riuer against the streame.

Amnatapoi, a towne. I therefore sent Captaine Thyn, Captaine Greenuile, my nephew Iohn Gylbert, my cosen Butshead Gorges, Captaine Clarke, and some thirtie shotte more to coast the Riuer by land, and to goe to a towne some twentie miles ouer the valley called Amnatapoi, and they found guides there, to goe farther towards the mountaine foote to another great towne called Capurepana, belonging to a Casique called Haharacoa (that was a nephew to olde Topiawari King of Arromaia our chiefest friend) because this towne and a prouince of Capurepada adioyned to Macureguarai, which was a frontier towne of the Empire: and the meane while my selfe with Captaine Calfield, Edward Hancocke, and some halfe a dosen shotte marched ouer land to viewe the strange ouerfals of the riuer of Caroli which rored so farre off, and also to see the plaines adioyning, and the rest of the prouince of Canuri: I sent also Captaine Whiddon, William Connocke, and some eight shotte with them, to see if they coulde finde any Mineral stone alongst the riuer side.

The strange ouerfals of Caroli. When we were come to the tops of the first hilles of the plaines adioyning to the riuer, we behelde that wonderful breach of waters, which ranne downe Caroli: and might from that mountaine see the riuer howe it ranne in three parts, aboue twentie miles off, and there appeared some tenne or twelue ouerfals in sight, euery one as high ouer the other as a Churchtower, which fell with that fury,