and that without those things necessary for their
defence, they should be in danger of the Spaniards in my absence, who
I knew would use the same measures towards mine that I offered them
at Trinidad. And although upon the motion Captain Caulfield, Captain
Greenvile, my nephew John Gilbert and divers others were desirous to
stay, yet I was resolved that they must needs have perished. For Berreo
expected daily a supply out of Spain, and looked also hourly for his son
to come down from Nuevo Reyno de Granada, with many horse and foot, and
had also in Valencia, in the Caracas, two hundred horse ready to march;
and I could not have spared above forty, and had not any store at all of
powder, lead, or match to have left with them, nor any other provision,
either spade, pickaxe, or aught else to have fortified withal.

When I had given him reason that I could not at this time leave him such
a company, he then desired me to forbear him and his country for that
time; for he assured me that I should be no sooner three days from the
coast but those Epuremei would invade him, and destroy all the remain of
his people and friends, if he should any way either guide us or assist
us against them. He further alleged that the Spaniards sought his death;
and as they had already murdered his nephew Morequito, lord of that
province, so they had him seventeen days in a chain before he was king
of the country, and led him like a dog from place to place until he had
paid an hundred plates of gold and divers chains of spleen-stones for
his ransom. And now, since he became owner of that province, that they
had many times laid wait to take him, and that they would be now more
vehement when they should understand of his conference with the English.
_And because_, said he, _they would the better displant me, if they
cannot lay hands on me, they have gotten a nephew of mine called
Eparacano, whom they have christened Don Juan, and his son Don Pedro,
whom they have also apparelled and armed, by whom they seek to make a
party against me in mine own country. He also hath taken to wife one
Louiana, of a strong family, which are borderers and neighbours; and
myself now being old and in the hands of death am not able to travel
nor to shift as when I was of younger years._ He therefore prayed us to
defer it till the next year, when he would undertake to draw in all the
borderers to serve us, and then, also, it would be more seasonable to
travel; for at this