time of the year we should not be able to pass any
river, the waters were and would be so grown ere our return.

He farther told me that I could not desire so much to invade
Macureguarai and the rest of Guiana but that the borderers would be more
vehement than I. For he yielded for a chief cause that in the wars with
the Epuremei they were spoiled of their women, and that their wives and
daughters were taken from them; so as for their own parts they desired
nothing of the gold or treasure for their labours, but only to recover
women from the Epuremei. For he farther complained very sadly, as it had
been a matter of great consequence, that whereas they were wont to have
ten or twelve wives, they were now enforced to content themselves
with three or four, and that the lords of the Epuremei had fifty or a
hundred. And in truth they war more for women than either for gold or
dominion. For the lords of countries desire many children of their own
bodies to increase their races and kindreds, for in those consist their
greatest trust and strength. Divers of his followers afterwards desired
me to make haste again, that they might sack the Epuremei, and I asked
them, of what? They answered, Of their women for us, and their gold for
you. For the hope of those many of women they more desire the war than
either for gold or for the recovery of their ancient territories. For
what between the subjects of Inga and the Spaniards, those frontiers are
grown thin of people; and also great numbers are fled to other nations
farther off for fear of the Spaniards.

After I received this answer of the old man, we fell into consideration
whether it had been of better advice to have entered Macureguarai, and
to have begun a war upon Inga at this time, yea, or no, if the time of
the year and all things else had sorted. For mine own part, as we were
not able to march it for the rivers, neither had any such strength as
was requisite, and durst not abide the coming of the winter, or to
tarry any longer from our ships, I thought it were evil counsel to have
attempted it at that time, although the desire for gold will answer many
objections. But it would have been, in mine opinion, an utter overthrow
to the enterprise, if the same should be hereafter by her Majesty
attempted. For then, whereas now they have heard we were enemies to the
Spaniards and were sent by her Majesty to relieve them, they would as
good cheap have joined with the Spaniards at our