y into Peru, and built his brigandines
upon a river called Oia, which riseth to the southward of Quito, and
is very great. This river falleth into Amazons, by which Orsua with
his companies descended, and came out of that province which is called
Motilones ("friars"--Indians so named from their cropped heads); and
it seemeth to me that this empire is reserved for her Majesty and the
English nation, by reason of the hard success which all these and other
Spaniards found in attempting the same, whereof I will speak briefly,
though impertinent in some sort to my purpose. This Pedro de Orsua had
among his troops a Biscayan called Aguirre, a man meanly born, who bare
no other office than a sergeant or alferez (al-faris, Arab.--horseman,
mounted officer): but after certain months, when the soldiers were
grieved with travels and consumed with famine, and that no entrance
could be found by the branches or body of Amazons, this Aguirre raised
a mutiny, of which he made himself the head, and so prevailed as he put
Orsua to the sword and all his followers, taking on him the whole charge
and commandment, with a purpose not only to make himself emperor of
Guiana, but also of Peru and of all that side of the West Indies. He had
of his party 700 soldiers, and of those many promised to draw in other
captains and companies, to deliver up towns and forts in Peru; but
neither finding by the said river any passage into Guiana, nor any
possibility to return towards Peru by the same Amazons, by reason that
the descent of the river made so great a current, he was enforced to
disemboque at the mouth of the said Amazons, which cannot be less than
1,000 leagues from the place where they embarked. From thence he coasted
the land till he arrived at Margarita to the north of Mompatar, which is
at this day called Puerto de Tyranno, for that he there slew Don Juan
de Villa Andreda, Governor of Margarita, who was father to Don Juan
Sarmiento, Governor of Margarita when Sir John Burgh landed there and
attempted the island. Aguirre put to the sword all other in the island
that refused to be of his party, and took with him certain cimarrones
(fugitive slaves) and other desperate companions. From thence he went to
Cumana and there slew the governor, and dealt in all as at Margarita.
He spoiled all the coast of Caracas and the province of Venezuela and of
Rio de la Hacha; and, as I remember, it was the same year that Sir John
Hawkins sailed to St. Juan de Ul