mountains, as he was not able by any means to march over them,
continuing from the east sea into which Orenoque falleth, even to Quito
in Peru. Neither had he means to carry victual or munition over those
craggy, high, and fast hills, being all woody, and those so thick and
spiny, and so full or prickles, thorns, and briars, as it is impossible
to creep through them. He had also neither friendship among the people,
nor any interpreter to persuade or treat with them; and more, to his
disadvantage, the caciques and kings of Amapaia had given knowledge of
his purpose to the Guianians, and that he sought to sack and conquer the
empire, for the hope of their so great abundance and quantities of gold.
He passed by the mouths of many great rivers which fell into Orenoque
both from the north and south, which I forbear to name, for tediousness,
and because they are more pleasing in describing than reading.

Berreo affirmed that there fell an hundred rivers into Orenoque from
the north and south: whereof the least was as big as Rio Grande (the
Magdalena), that passed between Popayan and Nuevo Reyno de Granada, Rio
Grande being esteemed one of the renowned rivers in all the West Indies,
and numbered among the great rivers of the world. But he knew not the
names of any of these, but Caroli only; neither from what nations they
descended, neither to what provinces they led, for he had no means to
discourse with the inhabitants at any time; neither was he curious in
these things, being utterly unlearned, and not knowing the east from the
west. But of all these I got some knowledge, and of many more, partly by
mine own travel, and the rest by conference; of some one I learned one,
of others the rest, having with me an Indian that spake many languages,
and that of Guiana (the Carib) naturally. I sought out all the aged men,
and such as were greatest travellers. And by the one and the other I
came to understand the situations, the rivers, the kingdoms from the
east sea to the borders of Peru, and from Orenoque southward as far as