made them merry, in which mood they vaunted of Guiana and the riches
thereof, and all what they knew of the ways and passages; myself seeming
to purpose nothing less than the entrance or discovery thereof, but bred
in them an opinion that I was bound only for the relief of those English
which I had planted in Virginia, whereof the bruit was come among them;
which I had performed in my return, if extremity of weather had not
forced me from the said coast.

I found occasions of staying in this place for two causes. The one was
to be revenged of Berreo, who the year before, 1594, had betrayed eight
of Captain Whiddon's men, and took them while he departed from them to
seek the Edward Bonaventure, which arrived at Trinidad the day before
from the East Indies: in whose absence Berreo sent a canoa aboard the
pinnace only with Indians and dogs inviting the company to go with them
into the woods to kill a deer. Who like wise men, in the absence of
their captain followed the Indians, but were no sooner one arquebus
shot from the shore, but Berreo's soldiers lying in ambush had them all,
notwithstanding that he had given his word to Captain Whiddon that they
should take water and wood safely. The other cause of my stay was, for
that by discourse with the Spaniards I daily learned more and more of
Guiana, of the rivers and passages, and of the enterprise of Berreo, by
what means or fault he failed, and how he meant to prosecute the same.

While we thus spent the time I was assured by another cacique of the
north side of the island, that Berreo had sent to Margarita and Cumana
for soldiers, meaning to have given me a cassado (blow) at parting, if
it had been possible. For although he had given order through all the
island that no Indian should come aboard to trade with me upon pain of
hanging and quartering (having executed two of them for the same,
which I afterwards found), yet every night there came some with most