633 / 1060
BooK
Ill.
Royal
Commentaries.
•
c
HAP.
IV. ·
Francifco de
Orellana
goes aboard
the Ve/fel which was
built,
a~d
fails into
Spain,
to
deniand the
Govern111ent
of
that
Conquefl;
and
of
hi5 End and
Death.
A
LL the Gold
which
they had
ga~hered,
which
amounted co about
tl;ie
va:
lue of one hundred thoufand Pieces of Eight, with
a
great abundance
of
Emeralds,
fome of which were of
great
value,
as
alfo their
Ir<?D
and Iron-work,
and whatfoever
was
of any efteem, they laded on their.Veffel, and
fuch a
s were
weak, and
fick,
and
n0t
able to travel, were alfo put aboard.
Anq
now '
1.fc.era
Journey of almofl: two hundred
Leagues,
they departed from
this
place,
taking
their courfe down the Stream ,
fome
by Water, and others by Land,
k~eping
fuch a
convenient difi:ance each from
the
other, that at night they alwaysjoined
and lodged
together~
the which Journey was performed with great
difficulty~
both of one, and of the other ; for thofe on the Land were forced to open a great
part of their way with Hatchet and
Bill,
and thofe on the Water were put to
hard Labour to fiemm the Stream, and keep the Vefiel from being forcibly
car–
ried down by the current from the Company of their Affociates. When
at any
time their pafiage was interrupted by fome Mountain .,
fo
that they could not
.keep by tlne Shore of the River; they then ferried to the other fide
by
help of
their Veffel, and of four
Canoes,
which were with chem; but
this.
gaye
a great
let and fiop co" their proceedings, for the
f
pace of three or four
days,
which was
very
grievous
to
Men fiarving and perHhing
With
Hunger.
Having in this manner travelled for the
f
pace of two Months, they at length
met with certain
Indians,
who by Signs, and
by
fome Words which were under–
fiood by their
Indian
Servants, gave
them
intelligence, that about ten days Jour–
ney from thence they would find a Countrey well _peopled , plentifull of Pro–
vHions, and abounding with Gold, and other
Riches,
of which they were
in
purfuit; and farther fignified to them by Signs, that
this
Countrey was
ficuate
on
the
Banks
of another great River, which joined, and fell into that, wherein they
now were. The
Spaniards
being greatly comforted, and encouraged with
this
news,
Gonz.~tlo
Pipfrro
made
Francifco
de Orellana
Captain of his Brigantine , •or
Veffel, and thereon put fifcy Souldiers aboard , giving them orders to
pafr
down
the
Stream to that place, where
the
two Rivers met , and that tnere
leaving the Goods
he
had then aboard,
he
iliould lade
his
Veffel with Provifions
and
return
towards them with all toe fpeed
i~aginable
to
fuccour; and
reliev~
them in that great Difirefs of Famine, of which many
Spaniards
were already
dead, and efpecially
Indians,
who of four thoufand were reduced to
half
the
number.
·
According to thefe Orders
Francifco
de
Orellana
entred
on
the Voyage, and
m· -
the fpace of three days, without Oars, or Sail, onely by force of the Current
he
was carried the eighty Leagues before mentioned, though
in
the opinion of ali
t;h~y
pro
ed to
~e
more than an hundred
?
notwithfianding which
being
come
thith~r,
no Prov1fions were found.,
as
the
Indiaru
had promifed; wherefore con–
:lid~nng
what was
.to
be d?ne
i~ ~hat
Extremity, they concluded,
that
to
rerun~
ag~n
to
Gon:1:,a!o Pif'n7o
with
tbIS
ill
ne~s,
they were not able
in
the fpace ofa
Ye<lr co
perfo1
l:1
that
Voyage back,
agamft
the force
of
the Stream,
wliich
chey
had
a_lrea9y
with the
~elp
thereof been carried
in
three days onely. And not
k~owmg
lll
how
long
tune-
Gom:.afo
P~farro
would be able to perform his Journey,
thither,
Orellana
refolved to change hIS Defign and fet up for himfelf· and wich
thefe tho.ughts he
~et ~ail;
and
Gifting
off
all
~are
and
regard
to
Pifa:,.o,
and
his
Con:pamons,
then
m.d1fi:rel5,
~e
refolved to take
a
Voyage
into
Spttin,
there
co
obtam
the
Government
and
Conque(t of thofe
Countr·es for
himfelf:
But
thiS
crue
'
I