Sir Walter, during his confinement, perceiving by feveral circumftances, that his intereft in the Queen's favour was much impaired by his impolitic amour with her Maid of Honour, refolved upon an attempt to fail in perfon, upon the discovery of the rich and extenfive empire of Guiana, which the Spaniards had then only vifited, and to this day have never conquered; having before-hand gained the beft informations he could of the country, by Capt. Whiddon, whom he had dispatched with proper inftructions, in 1594.

The Lord High-Admiral Howard, and Sir Robert Cecil, were fo well fatisfied with the project, that they joined with him in equipping a confiderable fquadron, and all things neceffary for fuch an expedition; with which, and the Queen's permiffion, Sir Walter failed from Plymouth, on the 6th of February, 1594-5, in the winter of his life, to try, if by fuch means, as he conceived would diftrefs the enemy, do honour to his Sovereign, and enrich the nation, he might appeafe the powerful displeasure of the Queen. But it was far from having its defired fuccefs, and laid him open to the inveterate tongues of his domestic enemies; who in his abfence on this voyage gave out, That it was a mere bravado; that he was retired only into Cornwall, or to fome other fecret place; that he was too eafeful and fenfual to undertake a journey of fo great travel; or that he failed with a defign to cheat his principals, by running away to the King of Spain; and at his return, beat down the value of the gold ore he had found, and the importance of his discoveries.

The fquadron, foon after their departure, feparated by a florm; but Sir Walter fleered forwards to the Canary islands, where, in cafe of fuch an accident, it had been refolved to reNUMB. L, VOL. VII.

dezvouz. But, having refreshed his crew and Capt. Crofs's Imall bark with fresh meat, and not finding his com pany, he proceeded, at the end of eight days, to the island of Trinidade, in 8 deg. on this fide the line, where he arrived on the 22d of March, and cat anchor at cape Curiapan, which the Spaniards call Punto de Gallo. And for the better difcovery of this island he took to his barge, coafted it close aboard the fhore, and landed in every cove, while the fhips kept the channel, the better to come to the fpeech of fome of the inhabitants; and also to understand the rivers, watering-places, and ports of the ifland. In this course, between Parico and Piche, or Tierra de Brea, he met, in a falt water river, with the oyster-tree, mentioned by Pliny, whofe boughs and sprays were loaded with that shell-fish, on which oyfters engender, inftead of the ground.. And at Tierra de Brea he found fuch abundance of stone pitch, that he a voucheth, all the fhips in the world might therewith be laden from thence, and that it is better than Norway pitch for trimming of ships, because the fun will not melt it.

At his arrival at Puerto de los Hif paniolos, he was agreeably received by his fhips that had miffed him off the Canaries; and entering here into traf fic with the natives, and also with the Spanish foldiers, who guarded the landing-place, and finding their strength not fufficient to make refiftance, offered peace, and hostages for their good behaviour; Sir Walter by this means gained fo real an information of the diffatisfaction of the natives, under their new mafters, the Spaniards, and of the weakness of the garrifons under the Spanish Governor, that he determined to attempt the conqueft of this ifland, as well to be revenged on Den Antonio de Berreo, the Governor, who

had,

had, contrary to his promife, decoyed athore, and made eight of Capt. W'hiddon's people prifoners the year before; as to fecure a retreat for himself, and a road for his fhips to ride in fafety, till he proceeded on his difcovery of the empire of Guiana. Therefore, taking the advantage of the moft convenient time, when leaft expected, to attack them; he fet upon the Corp du Guard in the evening, and having put them to the fword, fent Capt. Calfield forward with fixty foldiers; himself, following with forty more, formed the city of St. Jofeph the fame night, and entering it after a very faint refiflance, by break of day, killed all the Spaniards, except Berreo and his companion, whom he fent aboard; releafed five Indian Caffiqui, or Chiefs, from a loathfome dungeon, where they were confined in one chain, almost ftarved to death with hunger, and wafted by cruel tortures and torments; and to oblige the Indians, fet this new city on fire.

;

Then bending his mind entirely to the intended difcovery, he fummoned the Chiefs of the island, who were enemies to the Spaniards, and by his interpreter told them, That he was "the fervant of a Queen, who was the great Cafiqui of the north, and a virgin, and had more Caffiqui under her, than there were trees in the island that she was an enemy to the Caftel"lani, or Spaniards, because of their tyranny and oppreffion; and that, having freed all the coafts of the nor"then world from their fervitude, fhe "fent him to deliver them alfo, and withal, to defend the country of Gui ́ana from their invafion and conqueft.' Which fpeech, ufhered in with the flaughter of their oppreffors, infpired the natives with fuch great ideas of Queen Elifabeth, that they were almoft difpofed to pay divine honours to her name and her picture, which Sir Walter at the fame time prefented to their view; and fo engaged them to give him the best informations they could of Guiana,

Having thus fecured his intereft in Trinidade, he weighed anchor, and returned to Curiapan, where he strictly examined Berreo, who had feveral times attempted, and had the fame discovery of Guiana much at heart, and had made a very diligent fearch for gold; who was fo much wrought on by Sir Walter's kind behaviour towards him under his confinement, that he gave him more infight of that country, than he had learned before, and convinced him that he had been mifinformed of its fituation, and that the empire of Guiana lay fix-hundred miles farther within the country, than he had been made to believe; a difcouragement, which he durft not relate to his fellow-adventurers, who would never have been perfuaded to the attempt at fuch a distance.

Thus informed, Sir Walter left his fhips there at anchor, entered the ri ver Oronoque in his fmall craft, with one-hundred men, and provifions for a month: and expofed to the heat of the fun, right over his head, and incommoded by violent forms of rain, befides many other difficulties, for fourhundred miles together, up the river, he was obliged by the land floods in April, occafioned by inceffant rains, tơ return to his fhips, without reaching the country he was fearching after. And therefore, though he ingratiated the English name among the feveral natives bordering on that river, in order to fecure an entrance into Guiana, and allies to affift her Majefty's subjects, who thenceforward should be sent to compleat fo good a work, he, upon his return home, breaks out into thefe complaints :- Of that little remain I had, I have wafted, in effect, all herein; I have undergone many conftructions; I have been accompanied with many forrows, with labour, hunger, heat, ficknefs, and peril; and returned a beggar, and withered; yet I might have bettered my poor eftate by plunder, if I had not only refpected her Majefty's future honour and riches.

However, Sir Walter perfifted in the

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