be enabled thereunto, and conquer the same, I assure him thus much; he
shall perform more than ever was done in Mexico by Cortes, or in Peru by
Pizarro, whereof the one conquered the empire of Mutezuma, the other
of Guascar and Atabalipa. And whatsoever prince shall possess it, that
prince shall be lord of more gold, and of a more beautiful empire, and
of more cities and people, than either the king of Spain or the Great
Turk.

But because there may arise many doubts, and how this empire of Guiana
is become so populous, and adorned with so many great cities, towns,
temples, and treasures, I thought good to make it known, that the
emperor now reigning is descended from those magnificent princes
of Peru, of whose large territories, of whose policies, conquests,
edifices, and riches, Pedro de Cieza, Francisco Lopez, and others have
written large discourses. For when Francisco Pizarro, Diego Almagro
and others conquered the said empire of Peru, and had put to death
Atabalipa, son to Guayna Capac, which Atabalipa had formerly caused his
eldest brother Guascar to be slain, one of the younger sons of Guayna
Capac fled out of Peru, and took with him many thousands of those
soldiers of the empire called orejones ("having large ears," the name
given by the Spaniards to the Peruvian warriors, who wore ear-pendants),
and with those and many others which followed him, he vanquished all
that tract and valley of America which is situate between the great
river of Amazons and Baraquan, otherwise called Orenoque and Maranon
(Baraquan is the alternative name to Orenoque, Maranon to Amazons).

The empire of Guiana is directly east from Peru towards the sea, and
lieth under the equinoctial line; and it hath more abundance of gold
than any part of Peru, and as many or more great cities than ever Peru
had when it flourished most. It is governed by the same laws, and the