ere enemies to the
Spaniards; for there were some which Berreo had brought out of other
countries, and planted there to eat out and waste those that were
natural of the place. And by my Indian interpreter, which I carried out
of England, I made them understand that I was the servant of a queen who
was the great cacique of the north, and a virgin, and had more caciqui
under her than there were trees in that island; that she was an enemy to
the Castellani in respect of their tyranny and oppression, and that she
delivered all such nations about her, as were by them oppressed; and
having freed all the coast of the northern world from their servitude,
had sent me to free them also, and withal to defend the country of
Guiana from their invasion and conquest. I shewed them her Majesty's
picture, which they so admired and honoured, as it had been easy to have
brought them idolatrous thereof. The like and a more large discourse
I made to the rest of the nations, both in my passing to Guiana and to
those of the borders, so as in that part of the world her Majesty
is very famous and admirable; whom they now call EZRABETA CASSIPUNA
AQUEREWANA, which is as much as 'Elizabeth, the Great Princess, or
Greatest Commander.' This done, we left Puerto de los Espanoles, and
returned to Curiapan, and having Berreo my prisoner, I gathered from him
as much of Guiana as he knew. This Berreo is a gentleman well descended,
and had long served the Spanish king in Milan, Naples, the Low
Countries, and elsewhere, very valiant and liberal, and a gentleman of
great assuredness, and of a great heart. I used him according to his
estate and worth in all things I could, according to the small means I
had.

I sent Captain Whiddon the year before to get what knowledge he could of
Guiana: and the end of my journey at this time was to discover and enter
the same. But my intelligence was far from truth, for the country is
situate about 600 English miles further from the sea than I was made
believe it had been. Which afterwards understanding to be true by
Berreo, I kept it from the knowledge of my company, who else would never
have been brought to attempt the same. Of which 600 miles I passed 400,
leaving my ships so far from me at anchor in the sea, which was more of
desire to perform that discovery than of reason, especially having such
poor and weak vessels to transport ourselves in. For in the bottom of
an old galego which I caused to be fashioned like a ga