The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 2Whymper, Frederick
History
The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril, & Heroism. Volume 2
Whymper, Frederick
Adventure and adventurers; Arctic regions; Ocean; Voyages around the world
The ships were regained, and the expedition sailed for England, where
Raleigh, in spite of the work which he published under the boastful title
of “The Discovery of the Large, Rich, and Beautiful Empire of Guiana, with
a Relation of the Great and Golden City of Manoa (which the Spaniards call
El Dorado),” &c., lost both popular and queenly favour, having brought
home no booty. In fact the narrative given to the world rather did him
harm than good, for it is full of excuses, admits that the voyage had been
most unprofitable, and is undoubtedly not veracious in many particulars.
His arguments for immediately attempting the conquest of Guiana were not
regarded. Yet still he had means and friends. Two expeditions to Guiana
were afterwards organised, neither of which resulted in any discovery or
profit.
But others besides Raleigh and his followers had been inflamed with the
accounts floating about concerning El Dorado. Berrio, the Spanish Governor
before mentioned, despatched his camp master to Spain to levy men, sending
with him some golden carvings and “images, as well of men as beasts,
birds, and fishes,” in order to obtain further aid from the king and his
subjects. This agent, Domingo de Vera, was a man of ability, and
thoroughly unscrupulous; he courted notoriety by appearing always in a
singular dress, adorned with golden trinkets and jewels, and being of
great stature, and riding always a great horse, attracted much attention,
being known popularly as the Indian El Dorado. He was successful in
raising seventy thousand ducats at Madrid, and a large additional sum at
Seville: obtained authority for raising a band of adventurers, and five
good ships to carry them out. Men of good birth left their estates,
respectable middle-class men gave up their incomes and employments, sold
everything, and embarked with their wives and children; even a prebendary,
and many priests, gave up sure prospects of advancement to join the
expedition, which at last aggregated two thousand persons. Berrio had only
asked for 300, and when the expedition reached Trinidad, they had to be
apportioned to various other settlements; the women and children being
serious encumbrances at the time, and enduring great misery. The savage
Caribs attacked their canoes when proceeding to St. Thomas and elsewhere.
One detachment of three hundred were reduced to thirty souls by the crafty
Indians, who, after very partially supplying them with provisions, watched
them sink with weakness and disease till they became an easy prey. In some
places they set fire to the grass, and the wretched travellers, unable to
fly before it, were burned to death. Those who reached the Orinoco, not
merely found no gold, but little of that abundance so glowingly described
by Raleigh. Vera himself soon died in Trinidad, and Berrio did not long
survive him. Of the original two thousand who left Spain, it is doubtful
whether a tithe survived the first year. Had Raleigh been a favourite with
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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