they had hitherto passed, the few natives they had seen were entirely naked, either on account of the continual and excessive heat of the climate, or because they had no means of procuring clothes:  The men had only a kind of girdles round their waist, with some strings tied to their prepuce, which passed between their thighs and were drawn up to the girdle; and the women wore some slight clouts.  At this place Gonzalo built a bark to serve for crossing the rivers in search of provisions, and to transport the baggage and the sick by water.  Besides in some places the country was so covered with wood, that they were unable to clear the way by means of their swords and hatchets, and in other places so inundated, that they were often obliged to transport the whole party by water.  The building of this vessel occasioned infinite difficulty and labour, as besides cutting down wood for the purpose, they had to construct a forge in which to make the necessary iron work, which they made from the shoes of their dead horses.  On this occasion, Gonzalo not only obliged every one to labour without regard to rank, but gave the example himself in using both the hatchet and the hammer as occasion required.  Instead of pitch and tar, the gum which exuded from some trees of the forest was collected; and instead of flax and hemp, the old clothes of the Indians and the wore-out shirts of the Spaniards were employed for caulking the scams.  They at length succeeded in making their bark capable of swimming, so as to transport all their baggage very commodiously; besides which they hollowed out several canoes to accompany the bark instead of boats.

Gonzalo flattered himself that all his difficulties would be surmounted by means of this bark, and that he would now be able to pursue his discoveries to any extent he pleased.  He continued his march therefore, accompanied by the bark which carried the baggage, while the main body had to travel along the banks of the river, often greatly incommoded in passing marshes, thick woods, and close brushwood.  In some of these places they had to cut their way through canes and reeds with great toil, by means of their swords and hatchets; often changing from one side of the river to the other in search of an easier road.  In this march they were always accompanied by the bark; and at night the whole party united together, that they might be able to give mutual assistance in case of need.  After having penetrated above two hundred leagues, always following the course of the river, during which space they got only wild fruits and roots to support them, Gonzalo gave orders to Francisco de Orellana, one of his captains, to go forwards in the bark with fifty men in search of provisions; with orders to load his bark with these if he found any, leaving all the baggage at a place where two great rivers joined, according to information received from the Indians; and likewise to leave two canoes in a river which crossed the road to that place by land, to serve for ferrying over the troops.