IV

(W. Irving, Companions of Columbus, ch. III, p. 781 et sqq.)

Thepoor Indians soon found the différence between tbe Spaniards as guasts, and the Spaniards as masters. They were

driven to despair by Ihe heavy tasks imposed upon them ; for lo their free spirils and indolent habits, restrainl and labour were worse than dealh. Many of Ihe most hardy and daring proposed a gênerai insurrection, and a massacre of their oppressors; the great mass, however, were deterred by the belief that the Spaniards were supernatural beings and could not be killed.

A shrewd and sceptical cacique, named Brayoan, determined to put their immortality to the test. Hearing that a young spaniard, named Saizedo, was passing through his lands, he sent a party of his subjects to escort him, giving them secret instructions how Ihey were to act. On coming lo a river they took Salzedo ou their i^houlders to carry him across, but, when in the niidst of the stream, they let him fall, and, Ihrowing themselves upon him, pressed him under water unlil he was drowned. ïhen dragging his body to the shore, and stili doubting his being dead, they wept and howled over him, making a thousand apologies for having fallen upon him, and kept him so long beneath the surface.

The cacique Brayoan came lo examine Ihe body and pronounced it lifeless ; but the Indians, slill fearing it might possess lurking immortality and ultimately revive, kept watch over it for Ihree days, unlil it showed incontestable signs of putréfaction.

Being now convinced that the slrangers were morlal men like themselves, they readily entered into a gênerai conspiracy to destroy them.

(Humboldt, Voyage aux rég, équin.f t. VIII > ch. xxiv, p. 465.)

Cette station, celles de Cubagua d'Araya et de Macarapana (Amaracapan), étaient célèbres au XVI« siècle comme le

sont aujourd'hui Sierra Leone et le port Jackson. Le site de la forteresse de Paria me pardt avoir été, non sur la c6te de Paria, mais au sud, entre le Guarapiche et Tembouchure du caûo Manamo. Des cartes très-anciennes placent même quelquefois le fuerte dans le delta de l'Orénoque. Il faut remarquer d'ailleurs que le nom de Paria était appliqué alors à une grande partie de l'Amérique du Sud.