America -- Early accounts to 1600; El Dorado; Guiana -- Discovery and exploration
The fourth river to the west of Caroli is Casnero: which falleth into
the Orenoque on this side of Amapaia. And that river is greater than
Danubius, or any of Europe: it riseth on the south of Guiana from
the mountains which divide Guiana from Amazons, and I think it to be
navigable many hundred miles. But we had no time, means, nor season of
the year, to search those rivers, for the causes aforesaid, the winter
being come upon us; although the winter and summer as touching cold and
heat differ not, neither do the trees ever sensibly lose their leaves,
but have always fruit either ripe or green, and most of them both
blossoms, leaves, ripe fruit, and green, at one time: but their winter
only consisteth of terrible rains, and overflowing of the rivers, with
many great storms and gusts, thunder and lightnings, of which we had our
fill ere we returned.
On the north side, the first river that falleth into the Orenoque is
Cari. Beyond it, on the same side is the river of Limo. Between these
two is a great nation of Cannibals, and their chief town beareth the
name of the river, and is called Acamacari. At this town is a continual
market of women for three or four hatchets apiece; they are bought by
the Arwacas, and by them sold into the West Indies. To the west of Limo
is the river Pao, beyond it Caturi, beyond that Voari, and Capuri (the
Apure river), which falleth out of the great river of Meta, by which
Berreo descended from Nuevo Reyno de Granada. To the westward of Capuri
is the province of Amapaia, where Berreo wintered and had so many of his
people poisoned with the tawny water of the marshes of the Anebas. Above
Amapaia, toward Nuevo Reyno, fall in Meto, Pato and Cassanar. To the
west of those, towards the provinces of the Ashaguas and Catetios, are
the rivers of Beta, Dawney, and Ubarro; and toward the frontier of Peru
are the provinces of Thomebamba, and Caxamalca. Adjoining to Quito in
the north side of Peru are the rivers of Guiacar and Goauar; and on the
other side of the said mountains the river of Papamene which descendeth
into Maranon or Amazons, passing through the province Motilones,
where Don Pedro de Orsua, who was slain by the traitor Aguirre before
rehearsed, built his brigandines, when he sought Guiana by the way of
Amazons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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