In A Consultation, Held On The 19th June, Proceeding
Upon Information Procured From Our Prisoners, It Was Resolved To Proceed
To Malaga, at which there was an anchorage, where we proposed to leave
our ships, and to row up the
River for the rich gold mines of Barbacore,
[Barbaceas][227] called also the mines of St Pean, from a village of
that name about two tides up the river. At that place we proposed to
seize canoes, as fitter than our boats for going up against the stream,
in which, at this season of the year, according to the information of an
old Spanish pilot, there are such strong freshes, that he did not expect
we should reach the mines in less than twelve days. But having
discoursed with several of the prisoners, we found the island of Malaga
an unsafe place for our ships, and besides, they represented the river
as so narrow, that the Indians would be able to assail us with poisoned
arrows, and the Spaniards might easily cut off our retreat, by felling
trees across from bank to bank. On this information, we held another
consultation, in which it was agreed to desist from this enterprize, and
we came accordingly back to Gorgona, in so very weak a condition that we
could hardly have defended ourselves, if attacked.
[Footnote 226: It is somewhat difficult to ascertain what island is here
meant. There are some islands at the mouth of the Rio de Mira, in lat.
1 deg.
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