lua in the Jesus of Lubeck; for himself
told me that he met with such a one upon the coast, that rebelled, and
had sailed down all the river of Amazons. Aguirre from thence landed
about Santa Marta and sacked it also, putting to death so many as
refused to be his followers, purposing to invade Nuevo Reyno de Granada
and to sack Pamplona, Merida, Lagrita, Tunja, and the rest of the cities
of Nuevo Reyno, and from thence again to enter Peru; but in a fight in
the said Nuevo Reyno he was overthrown, and, finding no way to escape,
he first put to the sword his own children, foretelling them that they
should not live to be defamed or upbraided by the Spaniards after his
death, who would have termed them the children of a traitor or tyrant;
and that, sithence he could not make them princes, he would yet deliver
them from shame and reproach. These were the ends and tragedies of
Ordas, Martinez, Orellana, Orsua, and Aguirre. Also soon after Ordas
followed Jeronimo Ortal de Saragosa, with 130 soldiers; who failing his
entrance by sea, was cast with the current on the coast of Paria, and
peopled about S. Miguel de Neveri. It was then attempted by Don Pedro
de Silva, a Portuguese of the family of Ruy Gomez de Silva, and by the
favour which Ruy Gomez had with the king he was set out. But he also
shot wide of the mark; for being departed from Spain with his fleet, he
entered by Maranon or Amazons, where by the nations of the river and
by the Amazons, he was utterly overthrown, and himself and all his army
defeated; only seven escaped, and of those but two returned.

After him came Pedro Hernandez de Serpa, and landed at Cumana, in the
West Indies, taking his journey by land towards Orenoque, which may be
some 120 leagues; but ere he came to the borders of the said river, he
was set upon by a nation of the Indians, called Wikiri, and overthrown
in such sort, that of 300 soldiers, horsemen, many Indians, and negroes,
there returned but eighteen. Others affirm that he was defeated in the
very entrance of Guiana, at the first civil town of the empire called
Macureguarai. Captain Preston, in taking Santiago de Leon (which was by
him and his companies very resolutely performed, being a great town, and
far within the land) held a gentleman prisoner, who died in his ship,
that was one of the company of Hernandez de Serpa, and saved among those
that escaped; who witnessed what opinion is held among the Spaniards
thereabouts of the great riche