river and a safe
harbor, although at the entrance there were only ten spans of water. I
succeeded in making an entry, but with great difficulty; and on the
following day the storm recommenced, and had I been still on the outside
at that time, I should have been unable to enter on account of the reef.
It rained without ceasing until the fourteenth of February, so that I
could find no opportunity of penetrating into the interior, nor of
recruiting my condition in any respect whatever; and on the twenty-fourth
of January, when I considered myself in perfect safety, the river
suddenly rose with great violence to a considerable height, breaking my
cables and the breastfasts,[401-1] and nearly carrying away my ships
altogether, which certainly appeared to me to be in greater danger than
ever. Our Lord, however, brought a remedy as He has always done. I do not
know if any one else ever suffered greater trials.

On the sixth of February, while it was still raining, I sent seventy men
on shore to go into the interior, and at five leagues' distance they
found several mines. The Indians who went with them conducted them to a
very lofty mountain, and thence showing them the country all around, as
far as the eye could reach, told them there was gold in every part, and
that, towards the west, the mines extended twenty days' journey; they
also recounted the names of the towns and villages where there was more
or less of it. I afterwards learned that the Quibian,[402-1] who had
lent these Indians, had ordered them to show the distant mines, and which
belonged to an enemy of his; but that in his own territory one man might,
if he would, collect in ten days as much as a child could carry.[402-2] I
bring with me some Indians, his servants, who are witnesses of this fact.
The boats went up to the spot where the dwellings of these people are
situated; and, after four hours, my brother returned with the guides, all
of them bringing back gold which they had collected at that place. The
gold must be abundant, and of good quality, for none of these men had
ever seen mines before; very many of them had never seen pure gold, and
most of them were seamen and lads. Having building materials in
abundance, I established a settlement, and made many presents to the
Quibian, which is the name they gave to the lord of the country. I
plainly saw that harmony would not last long, for the natives are of a
very rough disposition, and the Spaniards very encro