Leaving this harbour on the day following, we sailed eighty leagues farther along the coast, when we found another nation quite different from the former, both in language and behaviour. We agreed to anchor at this place and to go ashore in our boats, when we saw a crowd of near 4000 people, who all fled into the woods on our approach, leaving every thing behind them. On landing we proceeded about a gun-shot along a road leading into the woods, where we found many tents which the natives had erected for a fishing station, and in which we found fires on which abundance of victuals were boiling, and various kinds of wild beasts and fishes roasting. Among these was a certain strange animal very like a serpent, without wings, which seemed so wild and brutal that we greatly admired its terrible fierceness. As we proceeded farther among the tents, we found many more serpents of this description, having their feet bound, and their mouths tied to hinder them from biting. They had so hideous and fierce an aspect that none of us dared to touch them, from fear of being poisoned. They were equal in size to a wild goat, and about a yard and a half long, having long and strong feet, armed with strong claws. Their skins were variegated, with many colours, and their snouts and faces resembled those of real serpents. From their nostrils to the extremity of their tails, a line of rough bristles extends along the ridge of the back, insomuch that we concluded they were actually serpents, yet they are used as food by this nation164. Instead of bread, these Indians boil the fish, which they catch abundantly in the sea, for a short time, then pounding them together into a cake, they roast this over a hot fire without flame, which they preserve for use, and which we found very pleasant food. They have many other articles of food, which they prepare from various roots and fruits, but which it would be tedious to describe. Finding that the natives did not return from the woods to their dwellings, we resolved not to take away any of their effects, lest they should be afraid of us, and even left many trifling European articles hung up in their huts, after which we returned to the ships.

Going on shore early next morning, we saw a vast number of people collected on the shore, who were at first very timid on our approach, yet mingled freely among us, and soon became quite familiar, shewing great desire to enter into a friendly correspondence. They soon made us understand that they did not dwell in this place, to which they resorted merely for the purpose of fishing, and solicited us in a most friendly manner to go along with them to their villages. Indeed they conceived a great friendship for us on acccount of the two prisoners whom we had in custody, who happened to belong to a nation with whom they were at enmity. In consideration of their great importunity, twenty-three of us agreed to go along with them well armed, with a fixed resolution to sell our lives dear if necessity required. Having remained with them for three days, we arrived after a journey of three leagues inland at a village consisting of nine houses, where we were received with many barbarous ceremonies not worth relating, consisting of dances, songs, lamentations, joy, and gladness, strangely mixed together, and accompanied with plentiful entertainments. We remained in that place all night, on which occasion the natives pressed their wives upon us as companions with so much earnestness that we could hardly resist. By the middle of the following day a prodigious number of people crowded to see us, shewing no signs of fear, and we were entreated by their elders to accompany them to their other villages, farther inland, with which we complied. It is not easy to describe the multiplied attentions which we received from them during nine days, in which time we visited a great number of their villages, on which occasion those who remained at the ships were exceedingly anxious at our long absence. On our return to the ships we were accompanied by an incredible number of men and women, who paid us every possible attention. If any of us were fatigued with walking, they were eager to carry us in one of their hammocks. As we had to pass a great many rivers, some of which were large, they contrived to carry us over with perfect safety. Many of the natives who were in our train carried in hammocks great quantities of their own commodities which they had given us, such as the many-coloured feathers which have been already mentioned, many of their bows and arrows, and great numbers of variegated parrots. Others of them carried all their household goods and animals. They were so eager to serve us, that he who happened to carry any of our company over a river, seemed transported at his good fortune. When we came to the boats which were to carry us on board our ships, such numbers pressed in to accompany us, that they might see our ships, that our boats were ready to sink under the load. We accordingly carried as many of them to the ships as our boats could possibly accommodate, and vast numbers followed us by swimming, insomuch that we were somewhat alarmed at their numbers, though naked and unarmed, more than a thousand of them being on board at once, admiring the prodigious size of our ships as compared with their own canoes, and astonished at every part of the tackle and artillery. A ludicrous scene took place on occasion of firing off some of our guns, for immediately on hearing the prodigious report, the greatest part of the natives jumped overboard; just as frogs are apt to do when, sunning themselves on a bank, they happen to hear any unusual noise. We were a good deal concerned at this incident, but we soon reconciled the natives and removed their terror, by explaining to them that we used such weapons for destroying our enemies. Having entertained the natives on board our ships the whole of that day, we advised them to go on shore at night, as it was our intention to depart on the day following, and they all took leave of us with every demonstration of friendship. While here, we observed many singular customs among these people, which I do not propose enlarging upon at present, as your majesty will be afterwards more particularly informed of every thing worthy of attention, when I shall have completed the geographical relation of my four voyages, which still requires revision and enlargement.

This country is exceedingly populous, and abounds everywhere with many animals of different kinds, few of which resemble ours, and even these differ in some measure from ours in shape and appearance. They have no lions, bears, deer, swine, roes, or goats; neither have they any horses, mules, asses, or dogs; sheep likewise and cows are not to be found among them. Their woods, however, abound with great numbers of different kinds of animals, which I cannot easily describe, as they are all in a wild state, none of them being domesticated by the natives. Their birds are so numerous, and so different from ours in colours and species, as is quite surprising to the beholders. The country is extremely pleasant and fruitful, abounding everywhere with beautiful groves and extensive forests, consisting of trees which are verdant during the whole year, and never lose their leaves, producing innumerable fruits entirely different from ours. This land is situated in the torrid zone, directly under the parallel described by the tropic of cancer, and in the second climate, where the pole is elevated 23 degrees above the horizon165. While there, a prodigious number of people came to see us, wondering at our colour and appearance, and inquiring whence we came. We answered, that we had come down from heaven to visit the earth, and they believed us. We constructed several fonts in this place, at which a prodigious number of people came to be baptized, calling themselves charaibs, which word in their language signifies wise men. The country is by them named Parias.