When we recall what is told of the northern and southern mouths of the Danube, which drive back the waters of the sea to such a great distance and may be drunk by sailors, we cease to be astonished if the river described be represented as still larger.  What indeed hinders nature from creating a river even larger than the Danube, or indeed a still larger one than the Maragnon?  I think it is some river[14] already mentioned by Columbus when he explored the coasts of Paria.  But all these problems will be elucidated later, so let us now turn our attention to the natural products of the country.

[Note 14:  Referring to the Orinoco.]

In most of the islands of Paria the Spaniards found a forest of red-coloured wood, of which they brought back three thousand pounds.  This is the wood which the Italians call verzino and the Spaniards brazil wood.  They claim that the dye-woods of Hispaniola are superior for the dyeing of wools.  Profiting by the north-west wind, which the Italians call the grecco[15] they sailed past numerous islands, depopulated by the ravages of the cannibals, but fertile, for they discovered numerous traces of destroyed villages.  Here and there they descried natives, who, prompted by fear, quickly fled to the mountain crags and the depths of the forests, as soon as they saw the ships appear.  These people no longer had homes but wandered at large because they feared the cannibals.  Huge trees were discovered, which produce what is commonly called cinnamon-bark and which is claimed to be just as efficacious for driving off fevers as the cinnamon which the apothecaries sell.  At that season the cinnamon was not yet ripe.  I prefer to rely on those who have made these reports rather than to weary myself to discuss these questions.  Pinzon’s men further claim that they have found huge trees in that country which sixteen men holding hands and forming a circle could scarcely encompass with their arms.

[Note 15:  The different points of the compass were designated by the winds:  north being tramontane; north-east, grecco; east levante; south-east scirocco; south, ostro; south-west, libeccio; west, ponente; north-west, maestrale.]

An extraordinary animal[16] inhabits these trees, of which the muzzle is that of the fox, while the tail resembles that of a marmoset, and the ears those of a bat.  Its hands are like man’s, and its feet like those of an ape.  This beast carries its young wherever it goes in a sort of exterior pouch, or large bag.  You have seen one of these animals, at the same time that I did.  It was dead, but you have measured it, and you have wondered at that pouch or curious stomach with which nature has provided this remarkable animal for carrying its young and protecting them either against hunters or beasts.  Observation has proven that this animal never takes its young out of this pouch save when they are at play or nursing, until the time comes when they are able to fend for themselves.  The Spaniards captured one such with its young, but the little ones died one after another, on shipboard.  The mother survived a few months, but was unable to bear the change of climate and food.  Enough, however, about this animal, and let us return to the discoverers.