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The Voyage of Pedro Teixeira on the Amazon from Para to Quito and Back, 1637–39
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 February 2009
Extract
The first European to make acquaintance with the main stream of the mightiest of all rivers, the river of the Amazons, was the Spaniard, Francisco de Orellana. This man was one of the leaders of an expedition of discovery, which left Quito on Christmas Day, 1539, under the command of Gonzalo Pizarro. After the endurance of terrible hardships, Pizarro at length reached the banks of the river Napo. Here a brigantine was built, and as his men were starving in the pathless forests, the chief placed Orellana and fifty men on board with orders to descend the stream in search of provisions. Towards the close of the year 1540 Orellana started on his quest, and never returned. He reached the ocean on August 26, 1541. This adventurous voyage, the details of which have been preserved by Friar Gaspar Carvajal, one of the companions of Orellana, created a great sensation. When the news of it reached Madrid, Charles V gave Orellana a commission to conduct an expedition to take possession of the newly-discovered lands, of which he was appointed Governor. The attempt ended in utter disaster, and Orellana himself perished at sea. After his failure and death nearly a century passed before any other voyager traversed the Amazon from the mountains to the ocean.
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- Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1920
References
page 52 note 1 Nieuwe Welt, 1630. De Lact at the time he published this work was a Director of the West India Company and a very accurate historian.
page 54 note 1 The above accounts of Dutch Settlements rest upon the authority of Major John Scott in a MS. headed “History and Description of ye River of ye Amazone's,” found by me among the Pepys' Papers in the Rawlinson MS. in the Bodleian Library. Scott's MS. was written 1669 or 1670. His information came from two eye-witnesses, one of whom may be identified with the famous Admiral De Ruyter, the other was a certain Captain Mattijs Matteson, of whom more later. Corroborative Portuguese and Spanish evidence exists.
page 54 note 2 The narrative of this most interesting voyage, written by one of the French emigrants on board “The Pigeon” is in the British Museum Sloane MS. 179 B. An interesting sketch map shows the position of the six trading posts on the Amazon islands.
page 55 note 1 Add. MSS. 28461. The author, Captain Andrew Pareira, was deputed to carry the news to Spain.
page 57 note 1 British Museum, 1324, K (6) and Add. MSS. 13977.
page 58 note 1 Nuevo Descubrimifnto.del Rio de Marañon, 1653. Laureano de la Cruz himself descended the fiver in 1651.
page 59 note 1 Secrete Notulen van de Vergadering van de Negeutien, 1629–1645. One result of Morris' representations was the dispatch of a Dutch expedition which captured San Luis in 1641.
page 59 note 2 Acuña, Nuevo Descubrimiento, says October 28. This is incorrect.
page 59 note 3 Scott, on the authority of a certain Matthijs Matteson, who accompanied Teixeira, gives the number of Indians as 1460 and adds that there were 40 Flemings besides himself.
page 60 note 1 Ann. Hist, de Estado de Maranhão. Lisbon, 1749, lio. x, p. 303.
page 60 note 2 There is a copy in the National Library at Parà.
page 61 note 1 Viaje del Capitàn Pedro Texeira, p. 83.
page 62 note 1 MS. Bibl. Nac. de Lisboa. Archivo de Conselho Ultramaiino Lembretes, 579.
page 63 note 1 MS. Bibl. Nac. deLisboa. Archivo do Conselho Ultramarino, Lembretes, 579.
page 63 note 2 Rawlinson MS., A. 175.
page 64 note 1 Sloane M.S., 3662.
page 64 note 2 Espada, Viaje de Pedro Texeira, p. 80. Brit. Mus. Add. MSS., 13977. Relação das Cousas de Maranhão pello Capitão Estacio de Silveira, 1624. Relação de varies sucessosa conteados no Maranhao e Gran Pajá per Luis de Figueira, S.J. Brit. Mus. Sloane MS., 379 B. Journal de Vogage faict par les Pères de Famille, 1625, and elsewhere.
page 68 note 1 Fritz left a Journal of his work and travels, which was long lost. A copy of it was found by the writer in the Archiepiscopal Library at Evora in Portugal.
page 68 note 1 pelos boas ares.
page 68 note 2 por su temple menos sano.
page 70 note 1 The Auto of Teixeira is referred to in the Brazilian Memoire, pp. 17, 18, 55, 56, 105. The question is discussed in Notes to the British Counter Case, pp. 10–14.