see the plains adjoining, and the rest of the province of Canuri. I sent
also Captain Whiddon, William Connock, and some eight shot with them, to
see if they could find any mineral stone alongst the river's side. When
we were come to the tops of the first hills of the plains adjoining
to the river, we beheld that wonderful breach of waters which ran down
Caroli; and might from that mountain see the river how it ran in three
parts, above twenty miles off, and there appeared some ten or twelve
overfalls in sight, every one as high over the other as a church tower,
which fell with that fury, that the rebound of water made it seem as if
it had been all covered over with a great shower of rain; and in some
places we took it at the first for a smoke that had risen over some
great town. For mine own part I was well persuaded from thence to have
returned, being a very ill footman; but the rest were all so desirous to
go near the said strange thunder of waters, as they drew me on by little
and little, till we came into the next valley, where we might better
discern the same. I never saw a more beautiful country, nor more lively
prospects; hills so raised here and there over the valleys; the river
winding into divers branches; the plains adjoining without bush or
stubble, all fair green grass; the ground of hard sand, easy to march
on, either for horse or foot; the deer crossing in every path; the birds
towards the evening singing on every tree with a thousand several tunes;
cranes and herons of white, crimson, and carnation, perching in the
river's side; the air fresh with a gentle easterly wind; and every
stone that we stooped to take up promised either gold or silver by his
complexion. Your Lordship shall see of many sorts, and I hope some of
them cannot be bettered under the sun; and yet we had no means but with
our daggers and fingers to tear them out here and there, the rocks being
most hard of that mineral spar aforesaid, which is like a flint, and is
altogether as hard or harder, and besides the veins lie a fathom or
two deep in the rocks. But we wanted all things requisite save only our