Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/297

 Vpon this my boat went, and at his appointed place hee met them with some 100. men in Canoas, and told them that by force they should haue nothing but blowes, yet if they would bring him hatchets, kniues, and Iewes-harps, he bid them assure me, he had a Mine of gold, and could refine it, and would trade with me: for token whereof, he sent me 3. or 4. Croissants or halfe moones of gold weighing a noble a piece or more, and two bracelets of siluer.

Also he told them of another rich nation, that sprinkled their bodies with the poulder of golde, and seemed to be guilt, and farre beyond them a great towne called El Dorado, with many things. My men being satisfied, and thinking their company too fewe to stay among these Sauages, and their victuall spent, returned. This Balthazar my Indian their guide ranne from them: which distresse caused them to borrow of Armago newe guides, who brought them home another way through a Riuer called Braha by the high land of Paria, and so to my ship. They accompanied Orocoa 150. miles distant, so they rowed in my boate aboue 250. miles. Their absence from mee was 16. dayes, making but one nights aboad any where. The report of this made mee attempt my company to goe with them againe. But nowe they were worse then before; for vnlesse I would haue gone my selfe alone, not one man would goe with me (no albeit I had had commission to hang or kill them) for my men came home in very pitifull case almost dead for famine; and indeed such was their misery, as they dranke not in three dayes, for so long they were out of the fresh Riuer, before they recouered the shippe, and yet the boat was filled with as much victuall, as it could holde.

In this time of my boates absence there came to me a pinnesse of Plimmouth, of which Captaine Popham before named was chiefe, who gaue vs great comfort. And if I had not lost my pinnesses, wherein I might haue caried victuals and some men, we had discouered further the secrets of those places. Also this Captaine and I stayed some sixe or eight dayes longer for Sir Walter Raleigh (who, as wee surmized, had some purpose for this discouery) to the ende, that by our intelligence and his boates we might haue done some good: but it seemed he camed he came not in sixe or eight weekes after. So Captaine Popham and I helde it not conuenient to stay any longer: therefore new watering our