Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T21:07:14.191Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

NEW DISCOVERY OF THE GREAT RIVER OF THE AMAZONS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Edited and translated by
Clements R. Markham
Get access

Summary

There are born, oh curious reader, in affairs of great moment, two brothers—namely, Novelty and Unbelief, which appear to be the twins of one birth : and while admiration is excited by what is new, at the same time credit is endangered. Though it is true that natural curiosity inclines us to desire the knowledge of new things ; uncertainty respecting their accuracy deprives them of that higher degree of pleasure which they would undoubtedly afford, if, persuaded of their truth, all the perplexity caused by doubt could be dispelled. Desirous, then, to bring before the view of all, the new discovery of the great river of the Amazons (which I undertook by order of his Majesty, as you will presently see); and wishing that, though my story is novel, it should also be relished; while I do not cease to suffer from my fears in respect to accuracy, I hope to assure myself both of the one and the other: the first, by the promise of a new world, new nations, new countries, new occupations, new modes of life, and, to say all in one word, a river of sweet water navigated for more than one thousand three hundred leagues, all, from its sources to its mouth, full of new things: the second, by placing before your eyes the obligations of my position, as a priest of the company of Jesus, as a deputy of his Majesty, and in other capacities, which it neither signifies to you to know, nor to me to repeat; and if, with all this, I can persuade you that I have succeeded in what I laboured for with some care, I shall be rewarded.

Type
Chapter
Information
Expeditions into the Valley of the Amazons, 1539, 1540, 1639 , pp. 41 - 142
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010
First published in: 1859

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×