husbands, nor among the men, but serue their husbands at meales, and afterwardes feede by themselues. Those that are past their younger yeeres, make all their bread and drinke, and worke their cotten beds, and doe all else of seruice and labour, for the men doe nothing but hunt, fish, play, and drinke, when they are out of the warres.
I will enter no further into discourse of their maners, lawes and customes: and because I haue not my selfe seene the cities of Inga, I cannot auow on my credit what I haue heard, although it be very likely, that the Emperour Inga hath built and erected as magnificent pallaces in Guiana, as his ancestors did in Peru, which were for their riches and rarenesse most maruellous and exceeding all in Europe, and I thinke of the world, China excepted, which also the Spaniards (which I had) assured me to be true, as also the Nations of the borderers, who being but Saluages to those of the in-land, doe cause much treasure to be buried with them: for I was enformed of one of the Cassiques of the valley of Amariocapana which had buried with him a little before our arriuall, a chaire of golde most curiously wrought, which was made either in Macureguaray adioyning, or in Manao: but if we should haue grieued them in their religion at the first, before they had bene taught better, and haue digged vp their graues, we had lost them all: and therefore I helde my first resolution, that her Maiestie should either accept or refuse the enterprise, ere any thing should be done that might in any sort hinder the same. And if Peru had so many heapes of golde, whereof those Ingas were Princes, and that they delighted so much therein; no doubt but this which now liueth and reigneth in Manao, hath the same honour, and I am assured hath more abundance of golde, within his territorie, then all Peru and the West Indies.
For the rest, which my selfe haue seene, I will promise these things that follow, which I know to be true.
Exceeding commendation of the riuer of Orenoque. Those that are desirous to discouer and to see many nations, may be satisfied within this riuer, which bringeth foorth so many armes and branches leading to seuerall countries and prouinces, aboue 2000 miles East and West, and 800 miles South and North, and of these, the most eyther rich in golde, or in other marchandizes. The common souldier shall here fight for golde, and pay himselfe in steede of pence, with plates of halfe a foote broad, whereas he
