Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/37

 might know of our being there. And the next morning wee heard them answere vs also with a piece: wee tooke them aboord vs, and tooke our leaue of Putijma their guide, who of all others most lamented our departure, and offered to send his sonne with us into England, if we could haue stayed till he had sent backe to his towne: but our hearts were colde to behold the great rage and increase of Orenoque, and therefore departed, and turned toward the West, til we had recouered the parting of the three branches aforesayd, that we might put downe the streame after the galley.

The next day we landed on the Island of Assapano (which deuideth the riuer from that branch by which we sent downe to Emeria) and there feasted our selues with that beast which is called Armadilla presented vnto vs before at Winicapora, and the day following we recouered the galley at ankor at the port of Toparimaca, and the same euening departed with very foule weather and terrible thunder, and showers, for the Winter was come on very farre: the best was, we went no lesse then 100 miles a day, downe the riuer: but by the way we entred, it was impossible to returne, for that the riuer of Amana, being in the bottome of the bay of Guanipa, cannot be sayled backe by any meanes, both the brize and current of the sea were so forcible: and therefore wee followed a branch of Orenoque called Capuri, which entred into the sea Eastward of our ships, to the end we might beare with them before the wind, and it was not without neede, for we had by that way as much to crosse of the maine sea after we came to the riuers mouth, as betweene Grauelyn, and Douer, in such boats as your Hon. hath heard.

To speake of what past homeward were tedious, either to describe or name any of the riuers, Islands, or villages of the Tiuitivas which dwell on trees: we will leaue all those to the generall mappe: and to be short, when we were arriued at the sea side, then grew our greatest doubt, and the bitterest of all our iourney forepassed, for I protest before God, that we were in a most desperate estate: for the same night which we ankored in the riuer of Capuri, where it falleth into the sea, there arose a mightie storme, and the riuers mouth was at least a league broad, so as we ranne before night close vnder the land with our small boates, and brought the Galley as neere as we could, but she had as much a doe to liue as could be, and there wanted little of her sinking, and all those in her: for mine owne part I confesse, I