and smell of it a farre off at Sea they might when they came to the Coast of America smell out a Spanish ship and know it from a Hollander Here my Don Melchor fell into admiration assuring mee hee had never heard more solid reasons from any man Alas poore Criolian of Chiapa thought I if I had spoken sense thy shallow braine had not beene able to have leaped over it but after non-sense thou art easily carried away As for his last question I told him that was above my reach for that poore Fryers ought not to meddle with women neither had my mother ever told mee how long shee went with mee But how ever if Donna Angella would tell mee how long shee went with her children I would by the constellations of the Heavens search out against our next meeting how long the English women went with their children To this my Don Melchor answered that he would not trouble me to study what he thought was not belonging to my profession but he knew that if I would study that or any other hard difficult point I could give him more better satisfaction then any scholar in that City And thus Reader by this Don Melchors wit and ability would I have thee judge of the Gentlemen Criolians or natives of Chiapa and yet as presumptuous they are and arrogant as if the noblest bloud in the Court of Madrid ran through their veines It is a common thing amongst them to make a dinner only with a dish of Frixoles in black broath boyled with pepper and garlicke saying it is the most nourishing meat in all the India's and after this so stately a dinner they will be sure to comeout to the streetdore of their houses to see and to be seen and there for halfe an houre will they stand shaking off the crums of bread from their cloaths bands but especially from their ruffes when they used them and from their mustachoes And with their tooth-pickers they will stand picking their teeth as if some small Partridge bone stuck in them nay if a friend passe by at that time they will be sure to find out some crum or other in their mustacho as if on purpose the crums of the table had been shaken upon their beards that the losse of them might be a gaining of credit for great house keeping and they will be sure to vent out some non-truth as to say A Senor que linda perdiz he comido oy O Sir what a dainty Partridge have I eat to day where as they picke out nothing from their teeth but a black husk of a dry frixole or Turkey bean Though great in blood and in birth they say they are yet in their imployments they are but rich Grasiers for most of their wealth consisteth in farmes of Cattell and Mules Some indeed have Townes of Indians subject unto them whereof they are called Encomendero's and receive yeerly from every Indian a certaine Pole tribute of fowles and mony They have most cowardly spirits for warre and though they will say they would faine see Spaine yet they dare not venture their lives at sea they judge sleeping in a whole skin the best maxime for their Criolian spirits One hundred fighting souldiers would easily lay low those Chiapa Dons and gain the whole City which lyeth so open to the fields that the Mules and Asses come in and grase the streets being very commodious to entertain Asses from within and from without Yet in this City liveth commonly a Governour or Alcalde Major and a Bishop The Governours place is of no small esteem and interest for that his power reacheth farre and he tradeth much in Cacao and Cochinil and domineers over both Spaniards and Indians at his will and pleasure But ill gotten goods never thrive as was seen in Don Gabriel de Orellana Governour of this City and Countrey in my time who having sent the worth of eight thousand crownes in Cochinil Cacao Sugar and Hydes by the river of Tabasco towards the Havana lost it all into the hands of the Hollanders who doubtlesse knew how to make better use of it then would have done that tyrannizing Governour The Bishops place of that City is worth at least eight thousand duckats a yeer which truly he had need of that comes so far from Spain to live in such a City where are such able Dons as Don Melchor de Velasco and where Asses are so freely fed and bred Most of this Bishops revenues consisteth in great offerings which he yeerly receiveth from the great Indian Townes going out to them once a yeer to confirme their children whose confirmation is such a means to confirme and strengthen the Bishops revenues that none must be confirmed by him who offer not a faire white Wax-candle with a ribban and at least foure Rials I have seen the richer sort offer him a Candle of at least six pound weight with two yards of twelve penny broad ribban and the Candle stucke from the top to the bottom with single Rials round about Nay the poore Indians make it the chiefe master piece of their vanity to offer proudly in such occasions Don Bernardiâ—… de Salazar was the Bishop of this City in my time who desired my company to ride with him his circuit but one moneth about the Townes neer to Chiapa and in this time I was appointed by him to hold the basin wherein the Spaniards and Indians whilst he confirmed their children did cast their offerings which my selfe and another Chaplaine did alwaies tell and cast up by good account before we carried the mony up into his chamber and I found that at our returne at the moneths end he had received one thousand and six hundred duckats of onely offerings besides the fees due to him for visiting the severall companies or sodalities and confraternities belonging to the Saints or soules in their purgatory which are extraordinary rich there whereof he and all other Bishops in their district take account yeerly This Bishop was aâ—… all the rest are there somewhat covetous but otherwise a man of a temperate life and conversation very zealous to reforme whatsoever abuses committed in the Church which cost him his life before I departed from Chiapa to Guatemala The woman of that City 〈◊〉 seems pretend much weakenesse and squeamishnesse of stomack which they say is so great that they are not able to continue in the Church while a Masse is briefly hudled over much lesse while a solemn high Masse as they call it is sung and a Sermon preached unlesse they drinke a cup of hot Chocolatte and eat a bit of 〈◊〉 strengthen their stomackeâ—… For this purpose it was much used by them to make their maids â—…ing to them to Church in the middle of Masse or Sermon a cup of Chocolatte which could not be done to all or most of them without a great confusion and interrupting both Masse and Sermon The Bishop perceiving this abuse and having given faire warning for the
the Indians and Spaniards sent to bee President of the Chancery of Mexico with these other foure Judges the Licenciates Iohn de Salmeron Gasco Quiroga Francisco Ceynos and Alonso Maldonado These Judges governed the land farre better then Nunnio de Guzman before them had done and among other remarkable things they did was to cause this City to bee inhabited and set at liberty the Indians who inhabited there before and were grievously suppressed and inslaved by the Spaniards and therefore many of them departed from thence who had inhabited there before and went to seeke their living at Xalixco Hunduras Guatemala and other places where Warre then was This City was formerly called by the Indians Cuetlaxcâ—…apan that is to say a Snake in water the reason was because there are two Fountaines the one of evill water and the other of good This City is now a Bishops Sea whose yeerely Revenues since the cutting off from it Xalappa De la Vera Crux are yet worth above twenty thousand Duckats By reason of the good and wholesome aire it dayly increaseth with Inhabitants who resort from many other places to live there but especially the yeare 1634. when Mexico was like to bee drowned with the inundation of the lake thousands left it and came with all their goods and Families to this City of the Angels which now is thought to consist of ten thousand Inhabitants That which maketh it most famous is the Cloth which is made in it and is sent farre and neere and judged now to bee as good as the Cloth of Segovia which is the best that is made in Spain but now is not so much esteemed of nor sent so much from Spain to America by reason of the abundance of fine Cloth which is made in this City of Angels The Felts likewise that are made are the best of all that Country there is likewise a glasse house which is there a rarity none other being as yet knowne in those parts But the mint house that is in it where is coyned halfe the Silver that cometh from Sacatecas makes it the second to Mexico and it is thought that in time it will bee as great and populous as Mexico Without it there are many Gardens which store the Markets with provision of Salets the soile abounds with Wheat and with Sugar Farmes among the which not farre from this City there is one so great and populous belonging to the Dominican Fryers of Mexico that for the work onely belonging unto it it maintained in my time above two hundred blackmore slaveâ—… men and women besides their little children The chief Town betweene this City of Angels and Mexico is called Guaeocingo consisting of some five hundred Indians and one hundred Spaniards Inhabitants Here is likewise a Cloister of Franciscans who entertained us gallantly and made shew unto us of the dexterity of their Indians in Musick Those fat Fryers wanted not like the rest all Provision necessary for the body But their greatest glory and boasting to us was the education which they had given to some children of the Towâ—… especially such as served them in their Cloister whom they had brought up to dancing after the Spanish fashion at the sound of the Guitarra And this a dozen of them the biggest not being above fourteene yeears of age performed excellently for our better entertainment that night wee were there till midnight singing both Spanish and Indian â—…unes 〈◊〉 and dancing with their Castannettas or knockers on their singers with such dexterity as not onely did delight but amaze and astonish us True it is 〈◊〉 those Franâ—…iscans might have been better imployed at that time in their 〈◊〉 their midnight devotions according to their profession but we still found vowed religious duties more and more neglected and worldlinesse too too much imbraced by such as had renounced and forsaken the world and all its pleasures sports and pastimes This Towne of Guacocingo is almost as much as Tlaxcallan priviledged by the Kings of Spain for that it joyned with Tlaxcallan against the Mexicans in defence of Hernando Cortez and the rest of the Spaniards that first conquered that land These of Guacocingo being confederated with the inhabitants of Tlaxcallan Chololla and Huacacholla strongly defended the inhabitants of Chalco when they sent to Cortez for succour declaring that the Mexicans made great spolle among them Which succour Cortez at that time not being able to send them being busied in sending for his Vergantines to besiege Mexico by water as well as by land he remitted them to the helpe of the Tlaxcalteoa's and unto these of Guacocingo Chololla and Huacacholla who shewed great valour as yet never buried in oblivion in relieving Chalco against the strength and power of Montezuma which had issued out of Mexico to keep the Spaniards from drawing neer unto that City For that fact is this Towne with the others fore-mentioned untill this day priviledged and highly esteemed of the Spaniards From hence wee made our last journey to the City of Mexico passing over the side of that high hill which we had discovered at the City of Angels some thirty miles off There are no Alpes like unto it for height cold and constant snow that lieth upon it From Spain to that place we had not felt any such extremity of cold which made the Spaniards that had come out of the hoâ—… climate of Spain and endured excessive heat at sea wonder and admire This last journey from Guacocingo to Mexico we reckoned to be thirty English miles and of the thirty miles we judged at least the fifteen to be up and downe the hill and yet the top of it whither we ascended not was far higher From that highest part of it which we travailed over we discovered the City of Mexico and the lake about it which seemed to us to be neer at hand standing some ten English miles in a plain from the bottome of this mountaine When Hernando Cortez went the second time from Tlaxcallan to Mexico to besiege it by land and by water with Vergantines which for that purpose he had caused to be made on the side of this mountaine were his land Forces lodged where many had perished with cold had it not been for the store of wood which they found there But in the morning he ascended upwards on this hill and sent his scout of foure Foot-men and four Horse-men to discover who found the way stopped with great trees newly cut downe by the Mexicans and placed crossewise in the way But they thinking that yet forwards it was not so proceeded forth as well as they might till at length the let with great huge Cedars was such that they could passe no further and with this newes were forced to return certifying Cortez that the Horse-men could not passe that way in any wise Cortez demanded of them whether they had seen any people they answered No. Whereupon he proceeded forward with all the Horse-men and a thousand Foot-men commanding all
the residue of his Army to follow him with as much speed as might be so that with that company which he carried with him he made way taking away the trees that were cut downe to disturbe his passage and in this order in short time passed his host without any hurt or danger but with great pain and travaile for certainly if the Mexicans had been there to defend that passage the Spaniards had not passed for it was then a very evill way though now it be a reasonâ—…ble wide open rode where Mules laden with wares from St. John de Ulhua and the Sugar farmes daily passe and the Mexicans also thought the same to be sure with the trees which were crossed the way whereupon they were carelesse of that place and attended their coming in plain ground for from Tlaxcallan to Mexico are three wayes of the which Cortez chose the worst imagining the thing that afterwards fell out or else some had advised him how that way was cleare from the enemies At the descent of this hill Cortez abode and rested himselfe till all the whole Army were come together to descend downe into the plaine for from hence they descried the fires and beacons of their enemies in sundry places and all those who had attended their â—…ing by the other two waies were now gathered together thinking to set upon them betwixt certain bridges which are in the plain made for travellers by reason of the many dikes and currents of water which issue from the lake where a great company abode expecting their coming But Cortez sent twenty Horse-men who made way among them and then followed the whole Army who â—…lew many of them without receiving any hurt Thus did the remembrance of those antiquities newly refreshed by the object of the hill and plain beneath make that cold and hard passage more comfortable and easie unto us The first Towne we came to below the hill was Quabutipec of the jurisdiction of Tezcuco where we also called to mind that this was the place neer unto which was pitched the Campe of the Indians of Culhua which was neer a hundred thousand men of warre who were sent by the Seniors of Mexico and Tezcuco to encounter Cortez but all in vain for his Horse-men broke through them and his Artillerie made such havock among them that they were soon put to flight Three leagues from hence on our right hand as we travailed we discovered Tezcuco by the side of the lake and out of the Rode yet it ministred unto us matter of a large discourse taken from the time of Cortez and the first Conquerers who found it a great City and at that time even as big as Mexico though in it Cortez met with no resistance for as he journeyed towards it foure principall persons inhabitants of it met with his forces bearing a rod of gold with a little flag in token of peace saying that Coacuacoyocin their Lord had sent them to desire him not to make any spoile in his City and Townes about it and likewise to offer his friendship praying also that it might please him with his whole Army to take his lodging in the Town of Tezcuco where he should be well received Cortez rejoycing at this message yet jealous of some treachery and mistrusting the people of Tezcuco whose forces joyned with the Mexicans and Culhuacans he had met with a little before went forward on his way and came to Quahutichan and Huaxuta which then were suburbs of the great City Tezcuco but now are petty Villages by themselves where he and all his host were plenteously provided of all things necessary and threw down the Idols This done he entred into the City where his lodging was prepared in a great house sufficient for him and all the Spaniards with many other his Indian friends And because that at his first entry he saw neither women nor children he suspectâ—…d some treason and forthwith proclaimed upon pain of death that none of his men should goe out In the evening the Spaniards went up into the Zâ—…ties and galleries to behold the City and there they saw the great number of Citizens that fled from thence with their stuffe some towards the mountaines and others to the water side to take boat a thing strange to see the great haste and stirre to provide for themselves There were at that time at least twenty thousand little boats called Canoas occupied in carrying houshold-stuffe and passengers Cortez would faine have remedied it but the night was so nigh at hand that he could not He would gladly also have apprehended the Lord but hee was one of the first that fled unto Mexico This Towne of Tezcuco to this day is famous among the Spaniards for that it was one of the first if not the first which according to the Histories of those parts is very probable that received a Christian King to rule and governe For Cortez hearing that Coacuacoyocin then King of that City and Townes adjacent was fled caused many of the Citizens to be called before him and having in his company a young gentleman of a Noble house in that countrey who had been lately christened and had to name Hernando Cortez being his God-father who loved him well said unto the Citizens that this new Christian Lord Don Hernando was sonne unto Nezâ—…valpincintli their loving Lord wherefore he required them to make him their King confidering that Coacuacoyocin was fled unto the enemies laying also before them his wicked fact in killing of Cacuzâ—… his owne brother onely to put him from his inheritance and Kingdome through the â—…uticement of Quahutimâ—…cin a mortall enemy to the Spaniards In this sort was that new Christian Don Hernando elected King and the fame thereof being blown abroad many Citizens repaired home again to visit their new Prince so that in short space the City was as well replenished with people as it was before and being also well used at the Spanirds hands they served them diligently in all things that they were commanded And Don Hornando abode ever after a faithfull friend unto the Spaniards in their warres against Mexico and in short time learned the Spanish tongue And soone after came the inhabitants of Quahutichan Huaxuta and 〈◊〉 to submit themselves craving pardon if in any thing they had offended Within two daies after Don Hernando was made King of this great City and Territorie belonging to it whose borders reach unto the borders of Tlaxcallan came certaine gentlemen of Huaxuta and Quobutichan to certifie unto him how all the power of the Mexicans was coming towards them and to know if it were his pleasure that they should carry their wives children and other goods into the mountaines or else to bring them where he was their feare was so great Cortez for the King his God-child and favourite made unto them this answer saying Bee ye of good courage and feare ye not Also I pray you to command your wives and families to make no
wounded and left for dead though afterwards he recovered Great Almes and liberality towards religious houses in that City commonly are coupled with great and scandalous wickednesse They wallow in the bed of riches and wealth and make their Almes the Coverlet to cover their loose and lascivious lives From hence are the Churches so fairly built and adorned There are not above fifty Churches and Chappels Cloisters and Nunneries and Parish Churches in that City but those that are there are the fairest that ever my eyes beheld the roofes and beams being in many of them all daubed with gold and many Altars with sundry marble pillars and others with Brasil wood staies standing one above another with Tabernacles for several Saints richly wrought with golden colours so that twenty thousand duckats is a common price of many of them These cause admiration in the common sort of people and admiration brings on daily adoration in them to those glorious spectacles and images of Saints so Satan shewes Christ all the glory of the Kingdomes to intice him to admiration and then All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee Mat. 4. 8 9. The devill will give all the world to be adored Besides these beautifull buildings the inward riches belonging to the Altars are infinite in price and value such as Copes Canopies hangings Altar cloths Candlestickes Jewels belonging to the Saints and crownes of gold and silver and Tabernacles of gold and Crystall to carry about their sacrament in Procession all which would mount to the worth of a reasonable mine of silver and would be a rich prey for any nation that could make better use of wealth and riches I will not speake much of the lives of the Fryers and Nuns of that City but only that there they enjoy more liberty then in the parts of Europe â—…ere yet they have too much and that surely the scandals committed by them doe cry up to heaven for vengeance judgement and destruction In my time in the Cloister of the Mercenarian Fryers which is entituled for the Redemption of Captives there chanced to be an election of a Provinciall to rule over them to the which all the Priors and heads of the Cloisters about the countrey had resorted and such was their various and factious difference that upon the suddain all the Convent was in an uproare their canonicall election was turned to mutiny and strife knives were drawn many wounded the scandall and danger of murther so great that the Viceroy was faine to interpose his authority and to sit amongst them and guard the Cloister untill their Provinciall was elected It is ordinary for the Fryers to visit their devoted Nuns and to spend whole daies with them hearing their musicke feeding on their sweet meats and for this purpose they have many chambers which they call Loquutorios to talke in with wooden bars between the Nuns and them and in these chambers are tables for the Friers to dine at and while they dine the Nuns recreate them with their voices Gentlemen and Citizens give their daughters to be brought up in these Nunneries where they are taught to make all sorts of conserves and preserves all sorts of needle worke all sorts of musicke which is so exquisite in that City that I dare be bold to say that the people are drawne to their Churches more for the delight of the musick then for any delight in the service of God More they teach these young children to act like players and to entice the people to their Churches make these children to act short dialogues in their Quires richly attiring them with mens and womens apparell especially upon Midsummer day and the eight daies before their Christmas which is so gallantly performed that many factious strifes and single combates have been and some were in my time for defending which of these Nunneries most excelled in musick and in the training up of children No delights are wanting in that City abroad in the world nor in their Churches which should be the house of God and the soules not the senses delight The chiefe place in the City is the Market place which though it be not as spacious as in Moutezuma his time yet is at this day very faire and wide built all with Arches on the one side where people may walke dry in time of raine and there are shops of Merchants furnished with all sorts of stuffes and silkes and before them sit women selling all manner of fruits and herbes over against these shops and Arches is the Viceroy his palace which taketh up almost the whole length of the market with the walls of the house and of the gardens belonging to it At the end of the Viceroy his palace is the chiefe prison which is strong of stone worke Next to this is the beautifull street called la plateria or Gold-smiths street where a mans eyes may behold in lesse then an houre many millions worth of gold silver pearles and jewells The street of St. Austin is rich and comely where live all that trade in silkes but one of the longest and broadest streets is the street called Tacuba where almost all the shops are of Ironmongers and of such as deale in brasse and steel which is joyning to those Arches whereon the water is conveyed into the City and is so called for that it is the way out of the City to a Towne called Tacuba and this street is mentioned farre and neer not so much for the length and breadth of it as for a small commodity of needles which are made there and for proofe are the best of all those parts For stately buildings the street called del Aquila the street of the eagle exceeds the rest where live Gentlemen and Courtiers and Judges belonging to the Chancery and is the palace of the Marquesse del Valle from the line of Ferdinando Cortez this street is so called from an old Idoll an Eagle of stone which from the conquest lieth in a corner of that street and is twice as big as London stone The gallants of this City shew themselves daily some on Horse-back and most in Coaches about four of the clock in the afternoone in a pleasant shady field called la Alameda full of trees and walkes somewhat like unto our More-fields where doe meet as constantly as the Merchants upon our Exchange about two thousand Coaches full of Gallants Ladies and Citizens to see and to be seen to court and to be courted the Gentlemen having their train of blackmore slaves some a dozen some halfe a dozen waiting on them in brave and gallant Liveries heavy with gold and silver lace with silke stockins on their black legs and roses on their feet and â—…words by their sides the Ladies also carry their traine by their coaches side of such jet-like Damosellâ—… as before have been mentioned for their light apparell who with their bravery and white mantles over them seem to be as the Spaniard
Kingdomes some in whole and others in part subject to the Crown of Spain and Portugal which are first Castella aurea secondly Gujana thirdly Peru fourthly Brasile fifthly Chille But I will not fill my History with what others have written of the foure last named Countries wherein I was not much but what I could learne of Peru I will briefly speak and so come to the first Castella aurea through which I travailed Peru is held to be yet more rich a Countrey then is Mexico for although it hath not the conveniency of trafique by the North Sea which Mexico hath but doth send the Commodities in it to Panama and from thence transports them either over the straight Isthmus or by the River Chiagre to Partabel upon the North Sea yet the Countrey is farre richer then Mexico by reason of the more abundance of Mines of silver which are in it The mountaines named Potosi are thought to be of no other metall which the King of Spain will not have to be opened until they have exhausted those which are already discovered and digged and have found the Spaniards worke enough and yeelded them treasure enough ever since they first conquered those parts The soile is very fruitfull of all such fruits as are found in Spain The Olives are bigger then those of Spain the oyle sweeter and cleerer The Grapes yeeld also a wine farre stronger then any of Spain and there is much made by reason it cannot conveniently bee brought from Spain There is likewise wheat in great store and all this fruitfull soile lyeth low under high Mountaines which divide betwixt Indians not as yet conquered and Brasile But those Mountaines are a great helpe unto those pleasant Valleys with the waters that fall from them for in all those parts inhabited by Spaniards towards the South Sea it is most certain and most observable that it never raineth in so much that the houses are uncovered on the tops and onely matts laid over them to keep off the dust and yet is this Countrey what with the waters that fall from the Mountaines what with the morning and evening dewes as fruitfull and plentifull as any Countrey in the World The chief City is called Lima where there is a Viceroy and a Court of Chancery and an Arch-Bishop It hath a Port some two miles from it named Callau where lie the ships that convey yearly the treasure of that Kingdome to Panama There lie also other ships which trafique to the East-India's and to all the Coasts of Guatemala and to Acapulco the Southern Haven of Mexico This Port of Callau is not so strong as the great nay inestimable wealth that is commonly in it and in the City of Limâ—… should require for I have heard many Spaniards say that in the yeare 1620. a few ships of Hollanders as some say or of English as others affirme appeared before the Haven-waiting for the ships that were to convey the Kings revenews to Panama and hearing that they were departed though by a false report followed them and so forsooke the attempting to take the Callau which certainly had they manly attempted they had taken it and in it the greatest treasure that in any one part of the world could have beene found But the Spaniards seldome see thereabout foraine ships and so live more carelesly in securing or strengthning that Coast. Though Peru bee thus rich in fruits and Mines yet Chille farre exceedeth it in gold which edgeth the Spaniards to a constant and continuall Warre with the Inhabitants which are a strong warlike and most valiant people They are grown as skilfull in the use of weapons swords Pistols and Muskets as the Spaniaods and have taken many Spaniards men and women prisoners and of the Spanish women have had so many children called Mestizâ—…es that by them who have proved most valiant they have much increased both their strength and skill They hold the Spaniards hard to it and the War is become the most dangerous of any the Spaniards have in so much that the Counsell of Spain doth pick out from Flanders and Italy the best souldiers to send them thither And a Captaine that hath served long well and faithfully in Flanders by way of credit and promotion is sent to the Warres of Chille to fight for that great treasure of gold which certainly is there The Spaniards have it in three faire Cities the Conception which is a Bishops Seat and Santiago and Valdivia This last is so named from one Valdivia who was Governour of it and the first cause and author of those Wars This man was so extraordinarily covetous of the gold of that Countrey that hee would not let the Indians possesse or injoy any of it themselves but did vex them whip and beat yea and kill some of them because they brought him not enough and imployed them daily in seeking it out for him charging them with a tax and imposition of so much a day which the Indians not being able to performe nor to satisfie an unsatiable minde and greedy covetousnesse resolved to rebell but so that first they would fill and satiate his heart with gold so that hee should never more covet after that yellow and glittering metall Wherefore they joyned and combined themselves together in a warlike posture and tooke some quantity of gold and melted it and with it resolutely came upon Valdivia the Governour saying O Valdivia we see thou hast a greedy and unsatiable minde and desire after our gold wee have not been able to satisfie thee with it hitherto but now wee have devised away to satiate this thy greedy covetousnesse here is now enough drink thy full of it and with these words they tooke him and powred the melted gold downe his throat wherewith he died never more coveting after that bright and shining drosse and naming with his name and death that City of Valdivia and with his covetousnesse leaving a rebellion which hath continued to a cruell and bloody War unto this day Guiana and Brasile I shall omit to speak of not having been in any part of them Brasile is little talked of by the Spaniards belonging to the Crowne of Portugall and now part of it to the high and mighty States of the Netherlands who will better satisfie by their Histories and acquaint Europe with the riches that are in it I return unto the first part mentioned by me in the Southern and Peruan Tract which was said to bee Castella aurea golden Castile so called for the abundance of gold that is found in it This containeth the Northern part of Peruana and part of the Isthmus which runneth between the North and South Sea Besides the gold in it yet it is admirably stored with silver Spices Pearls and medicinall Herbes It is divided into foure Provinces The first is called Castella deloro the second Nova Andaluzia the third Nova Granada the fourth Carthagena Castella deloro is situated in the very Isthmus and is not very populous by
for them They exchange them to Soconuzco and Xuchutepeques for Cacao whereby they are well stored of that drinke So that the inhabitants want neither fish which they have from the river nor flesh for that the valley abounds with Cattell nor clothing for of that they spare to others nor bread though not of wheat for there growes none but Indian Maiz they have plenty of and besides they are exceedingly stored with fowles and Turkeys fruits Hony Tobacco and Sugar-canes Neither is mony here nor in Chiapa so plentifull as in Mexico and Guaxaca and whereas there they reckon by Patacones or pieces of Eight here they reckon by Tostones which are but halfe Patacones Though the river be many waies profitable to that valley yet it is cause of many disasters to the inhabitants who lose many times their children and their Calves and Colts drawing neere to the water-side where they are devoured by Caymanâ—…s which are many and greedy of flesh by reason of the many prizes they have got The City of Chiapa Real is one of the meanest Cities in all America consisting of not above four hundred housholders Spaniards and about an hundred houses of Indians joyning to the City and called el barrio de los Indios who have a Chappell by themselves In this City there is no Parish Church but onely the Cathedrall which is mother to all the inhabitants Besides there are two Cloisters one of Dominicans and the other of Franciscans and a poore Cloister of Nuns which are burdensome enough to that City But the Jesuites having got no footing there who commonly live in the richest and wealthiest places and Cities is a sufficient argument of either the poverty of that City or of want of gallant parts and prodigality in the gentry from whose free and generous spirits they like Horse-leeches are still sucking extraordinary and great almes for the Colledges where they live but here the Merchants are close handed and the Gentlemen hard and sparing wanting of wit and Courtiers parts and bravery and so poore Chiapa is held no fit place for Jesuites The Merchants chiefe trading there is in Cacao Cotton-wool from the adjacent parts of the Country in Pedlers small wares and in some Sugar from about Chiapa of the Indians in a little Cochinil for commonly the Governour whose chiefe gaine consisteth in this will not suffer them to be too free in this commoditie lest they hinder his greedy traffique These have their shops all together in a little Market-place before the Cathedrall Church built with walkes and Porches under which the poore Indian wives meet at five a clock at evening to sell what slap and drugges they can prepare most cheape for the empty Criolian stomackes The richer sort of these Merchants go and send yet further to Tabasco for wares from Spaine such as wines Linnen cloth Figs Raisins Olives and Iron though in these commodities they dare not venture too much by reason the Spaniards in that Country are not very many and those that are there are such as are loath to open their purses to more then what may suffice nature So that what are Spanish commodities are chiefly brought for the Friers who are the best and joviallest blades of that Countrey The Gentlemen of Chiapa are a by word all about that Country signifying great Dons dones gifts or abilities I should say great birth phantasticke pride joyned with simplicity ignorance misery and penury These Gentlemen will say they descend from some Dukes house in Spain and immediately from the first Conquerors yet in carriage they are but clownes in wit abilitics parts and discourse as shallow brained as a low brooke whose waters are scarce able to leap over a pibble stone any small reason soone tries and tires their weak braine which is easily at a stand when sense is propounded and slides on speedily when non-sense carrieth the streame The chiefe families in this City are named Cortez Solis Velasco Toledo Zerna and Mendoza One of these who was thought the chiefe in my time called Don Melchor de Velasco one day fell into discourse with mee concerning England and our English nation and in the best most serious and judicious part of his Don-like conference asked me whether the sun and moone in England were of the same colour as in Chiapa and whether English men went barefoot like the Indians and sacrificed one another as formerly did the Heathens of that Countrey and whether all England could afford such a dainty as a dish of Frixoles which is the poorest Indians daily food there being black and dry Turkey or French beanes boyled with a little biting Chille or Indian pepper with garlicke till the broath become as black as any Inke And whether the women in England went as long with child as did the Spanish women And lastly whether the Spanish nation were not a farre gallanter nation then the English When I perceived my Don ran farther and farther into his simple and foolish questions I cut him off suddenly telling him Sir It is long since I came out of England if you give me leave to recollect my memory I will answer some of these your hard questions the next time we meet thinking hereby to try my Dons wit further whether he could perceive I jeared him To which my simple Don replyed I pray Sir doe and whensoever you come you shall be welcome to a dish of Frixoles With this I tooke my leave of him and at our farewell he againe desired mee to study well his questions and to return him a speedy answer whereby I was more confirmed in my conceit of my Don that he was either tonto or bobo foole or simple Yet thought I my best way to answer is to answer a fool according to his folly and so resolved within two or three daies to return unto him some simple answer according to his simple and foolish questions Therefore speedily I singled out a good occasion of meeting with him at his own house who welcomed me with much Spanish gravity and sitting down before Donna Angela his painted wife and Angel began to answer or more to jeer his Donship I began with the Sun and Moon telling him that they were planets had their speciall influences upon severall nations as all planets have upon mans body And so they did shew themselves according to the inclination of the people of severall Kingdomes And therefore as the Spaniards were much inclined to Venus and to beauty and not contenting themselves with the naturall beauty of their faire Ladies would yet have Art add to nature by the skill and use of the best painting colours so these glorious planets of the Sun and Moon among the Spaniards and especially in Chiapa shewed themselves most comely bright glorious and beautifull working the like inclination to beauty upon and in all Spaniards My instance was in the land of the Blackmores where I told them that their bodies were black and that among them the
by women not so much as in Mexico not for that hee hated it but because hee envied others what they got and gained by their Cards drawing to himselfe thereby all that gaine spending sometimes in one night foure and twenty paire of Cards appointing a Page to assist at the Tables and to see the box well paid for every paire of Cards which for his and his Court respect was seldome lesse then a crown or two for every paire Thus did hee lick up with his Cards most of the gamesters gaines and would grudge and pick quarrels with such rich men whom hee knew to affect gaming if they frequented not his Court at night time for that bewitching Recreation The Pension which the King alloweth to every Judge of Chancery is foure thousand duckats yeerly and three thousand to his Attorney all which is paid out of the Kings Exchequer abiding in that City Yet what besides they get by bribes and trading is so much that I have heard a Judge himselfe Don Luis de las Infantas say that though a Judges place at Mexico and Lima be more honourable yet none more profitable then Guatemala In my time were such causes at Chancery tried as had never been of murthers robberies and oppressions and whereas it was expected the offendants some should be hanged some banished some imprisoned some by fines impoverished bribes took all off so that I never knew one hanged in that City for the space of above eight yeers The Churches though they be not so fair and rich as those of Mexico yet they are for that place wealthy enough There is but one Parish Church and a Cathedrall which standeth in the chiefe Market-place All the other Churches belong to Cloisters which are of Dominicans Franciscans Mercenarians Augustines and Jesuites and two of Nuns called the Conception and St. Catharine The Dominicans Franciscans and Mercenarians are stately Cloisters containing neer a hundred Friers a piece but above all is the Cloister where I lived of the Dominicans to which is joyned in a great Walk before the Church the Universitie of the City The yeerly revenues which come into this Cloister what from the Indian Towns belonging to it what from a water-mill what from a farme for corne what from an Estancia or farme for Horses and Mules what from an Ingenio or farme of Sugar what from a Mine of silver given unto it the yeer 1633. are judged to be excepting all charges at least thirty thousand duckats wherewith those fat Friers feast themselves and have to spare to build and enrich their Church and Altars Besides much treasure belonging to it there are two things in it which the Spaniards in merriment would often tell me that the English nation did much inquire after when they tooke any ship of theirs at sea and that they feared I was come to spie them which were a Lampe of silver hanging before the high Altar so big as required th strength of three men to hale it up with a rope but the other is of more value which is a picture of the Virgin Mary of pure silver and of the stature of a reasonable tall woman which standeth in a Tabernacle made on purpose in a Chappel of the Rosary with at least a dozen lampes of silver also burning before it A hundred thousand duckats might soone be made up of the treasure belonging to that Church and cloister Within the walls of the Cloister there is nothing wanting which may further pleasure and recreation In the lower Cloister there is a spatious garden in the midst whereof is a fountaine casting up the water and spouting it out of at least a dozen pipes which fill two ponds full of fishes and with this their constant running give musicke to the whole Cloister and encouragement to many water-fowles and Ducks to bath and wash themselves therein Yet further within the Cloister there are other two gardens for fruits and herbage and in the one a pond of a quarter of a mile long all paved at the bottom and a low stone wall about where is a boat for the Friers recreation who often goe thither to fish and doe sometimes upon a suddaine want or occasion take out from thence as much fish as will give to the whole Cloister a dinner The other Cloisters of the City are also rich but next to the Dominicans is the Cloister of Nuns called the Conception in which at my time there were judged to live a thousand women not all Nuns but Nuns and their serving maids or slaves and yong children which were brought up and taught to worke by the Nuns The Nuns that are professed bring with them their portions five hundred duckats the least some six hundred some seven and some a thousand which portions after a few yeers and continuing to the Cloister after the Nuns decease come to make up a great yeerly rent They that will have maids within to wait on them may bringing the bigger portion or allowing yeerly for their servants diet In this Cloister lived that Donna Iuana de Maldonado Judge Iuan Maldonado de Paz his daughter whom the Bishop so much conversed withall She was very fair and beautifull and not much above twenty yeers of age and yet his love blinding him he strove what he could in my time against all the ancient Nuns and Sisters to make her Superiour and Abbesse and caused such a mutiny and strife in that Cloister which was very scandalous to the whole City and made many rich Merchants and Gentlemen run to the Cloister with their swords drawne threatning to breake in amongst the Nuns to defend their daughters against the powerfull faction which the Bishop had wrought for Donna Iuana de Maldenado which they had performed if the President Don Iuan de Guzman had not sent Iuan Maldonado de Paz the yong Nuns father to intreat her to desist in regard of her yong age from her ambitious thoughts of being Abbesse With this the mutiny both within and without ceased the Bishop got but shame and his yong Sister continued as before under command and obedience to a more religious grave and aged Nun then her selfe This Donna Iuana de Maldonado y Paz was the wonder of all that Cloister yea of all the City for her excellent voice and skill in musicke and in carriage and education yeelded to none abroad nor within she was witty well spoken and above all a Calliope or Muse for ingenious and suddain verses which the Bishop said so much moved him to delight in her company and conversation Her father thought nothing too good nor too much for her and therefore having no other children he daily conferred upon her riches as might best beseem a Nun as rich and costly Cabinets faced with gold and silver pictures and Idols for her chamber with crownes and jewels to adorne them which with other presents from the Bishop who dying in my time left not wherewith to pay his debts for that as the
Frier that lives in the Towne and doth nothing concerning the governing of the Towne and executing of justice but what the Frier alloweth and adviseth to be done There is also great service appointed for this Frier of Fishermen and other attendants in his house who liveth as stately as any Bishop Most trades belonging to a well setled Common-wealth are here exercised by these Indians As for herbage and garden-fruits and requisites it hath whatsoever may be found or desired in the City of Guatemala The Church treasure is very great there being many Sodalities of our Lady and other their Saints which are enriched with crowns and chains and bracelets besides the lamps censers silver candlesticks belonging unto the Altars Upon Michaelmas day is the chief fair and feast of the Town which is dedicated unto St. Michael whither many Merchants resort from Guatemala to buy and sell in the afternoon and the next day following Bulâ—…iting is the common sport for that feast with some Spaniards and Blackmores on Horse-backe and other Indians on foot who commonly being drunke some venture some lose their lives in the sport Besides this generall concourse of people every yeer at that time there is every day at five a clock in the afternoone a Tianguez or market upheld by the concourse of the Indians of the Town among themselves Besides the lake there runneth by this Town a river which in places is easily waded over and waters the fruits gardens and other plantations and drives a mill which serves most of the valley to grind their wheat Within a mile and a halfe of this Towne there is a rich Ingenio or farme of Sugar belonging to one Sebastian de Savaletta a Biscaine borne who came at first very poore into that Country and served one of his Country men but with his good industry and paines he began to get a Mule or two to traffique with about the Country till at last he increased his stocke to a whole Requa of Mules and from thence grew so rich that he bought much land about Petapa which he found to be very fit for Sugar and from thence was incouraged to build a princely house whither the best of Guatemala doe resort for their recreation This man maketh a great deale of Sugar for the Country and sends every yeer much to Spaine he keepeth at least threescore slaves of his own for the worke of his farme is very generous in house keeping and is thought to be worth above five hundred thousand Duckats Within halfe a mile from him there is another farme of Sugar which is called but a Trapiche belonging unto the Augustin Friers of Guatemala which keepes some twenty slaves and is called a Trapiche for that it grinds not the Sugar Cane with that device of the Ingenio but grinds a lesse quantity and so makes not so much Sugar as doth an Ingenio From hence three miles is the Town of Amatitlan neer unto which standeth a greater Ingenio of Sugar then is that of Savaletta and is called the Ingenio of one Anis because he first founded it but now it belongeth unto one Pedro Crespo the Post-master of Guatemala this Ingenio seemeth to be a little Town by it selfe for the many cottages and thatched houses of Blackmore slaves which belong unto it who may be above a hundred men women and children The chiefe dwelling house is strong and capacious and able to entertain a hundred lodgers These three farmes of Sugar standing so neer unto Guatemala enrich the City much and occasion great trading from it to Spaine The Town of Amatitlan though in it there live not so many Spaniards as in Petapa yet there are in it more Indian families then in Petapa The streets are more orderly made and framed like a Chequer board they are wide broad plain and all upon dust and sand This Towne also enjoyeth the commodity of the lake and furnisheth with fish the City of Guatemala upon those daies before named of Petapa And though it standeth out of the rode-way yet it is almost as rich as Petapa For the Indians of it get much by the concourse of common people and the Gentry of Guatemala who resort thither to certain bathes of hot waters which are judged and approved very wholesome for the body This Towne also getteth much by the salt which here is made or rather gathered by the lake side which every morning appeareth like a hoary frost upon the ground and is taken up and purified by the Indians and proves very white and good Besides what they get by the salt they get also by the Requa's of Mules in the valley and about the Country which are brought to feed upon that salt earth a day or halfe a day untill they be ready to burst the owner paying six pence a day for every Mule and it hath been found by experience that this makes them thrive and grow lusty and purgeth them better then any drench or blood-letting They have further great trading in Cotton-wool more abundance of fruits then Petapa a fairer market place with two extraordinary great Elm-trees under which the Indians daily meet at evening to buy and sell. The Church of this Towne is as faire and beautifull as any about Guatemala the riches and state whereof hath caused the Dominican Friers since the yeer 1635 to make that place the head and Priory over the other Townes of the valley and to build there a goodly and sumptuous Cloister in which in my time there was for I told then most of it and doubtlesse since it hath much increased eight thousand Duckats laid up in a chest with three lockes for the common expences of the Cloister Thus my Reader I have led thee through the valley of Mixes and Pinola Petapa and Amititlan which in riches and wealth what with the great trading in it what with the sheep cattell what with the abundance of mules what with thres Farmes of Sugar what with the great Farmes of Corn and Wheat what with the Churches treasures yeelds to no other place belonging unto the dominions of Guatemala I may not forget yet a double wheat harvest as I may well term it in this Vally The first being of a little kinde of Wheat which they call Trigo Tremesino a word compounded in Spanish from these two words tres meses or from the Latin tresmenses which after three moneths sowing is ripe and ready to be cut down and being sowed about the end of August is commonly harvested in about the end of November and although in the smalnesse of it it seemes to have but a little Flower yet it yeelds as much as their other sorts of Wheat and makes as white bread though it keep not so well as that which is made of other Wheat but soone groweth stale and hard The other harvest which is of two sorts of Wheat one called Rubio or red Wheat the other called Blanquilleo or white like Candia Wheat followeth soon after this
them whom he knew if they wronged all the Spaniards in the country would rise up against them and not leave one alive They answered that they would entertaine him and any few Indians well and willingly all which Moran and they performed according to their agreement the next yeer following Thus we returned that day backe the same way that we had come and I began to find my self better and my feaver to leave me We carried with us some of those young children which we had taken to present them unto the President of Guatemala And in Coban the Prior Moran thought he might first do God good service if he christened those youg children saying that they might become Saints and that afterwards their prayers might prevaile with God for the conversion of their parents and of all that country to Christianity I could not but oppose this his ignorance which seemed much like unto 〈◊〉 of the Friers who entred America with Cortez and increased after the conquest daily more in number who boasted to the Emperour that they had some of them made above thirty thousand Indians Christians by baptiâ—…ing them which truely they did as sheep are forced to the waters and driver to be washed so were those first Indians by thousands sprinkled or if I may use their word baptized for they were driven by compulsion force to the rivers nnither were they first principled in any grounds of belief and Christianity neither themselves belâ—…vers nor children of beleeving and faithfull parents So would Moran christen these children though I told him that they ought not to partake of that sacrament and Ordinance of Christ unlesse they were grounded in articles of Christianity and beleeved or were children of beleeving parents But as he had been brought up in errours whereof that Church of Rome is a wide and spatious nest so he would be obstinate in this point against me and the truth sprinkling with water those children and naming them with names of Christians After this he sent them well apparelled to the resident of Guatemala who commanded them to be kept and brought up in the Cloister of the Dominican Friers I remained after this for a while in Coban and in the Townes about untill such time as the ships came to the Gulfe whither I went with Moran to buy wines oyle iron cloth and such things as the Cloister wanted for the present At which time there being a frigate ready to depart to Truxillo some occasions drawing Moran thither I tooke ship with him We staied not much above a week in that Port which is a weak one as the English and Hollanders taking of it can witnesse but presently we thought of returning back to Guatemala by land through the countrey of Comayagua commonly called Honduras This is a woody and mountainous countrey very bad and inconvenient for Travellers and besides very poore there the commodities are Hides Canna fistula and Zarzaparilla and such want of bread that about Truxillo they make use of what they call Cassave which is a dry root that being eaten dry doth choak and therefore is soaked in broth water wine or Chocolatte that so it may go down Within the Countrey and especially about the City of Comayagua which is a Bishops seat though a small place of some five hundred inhabitants at the most there is more store of Maiz by reason of some Indians which are gathered to Townes few and small I found this Countrey one of the poorest in all America The chief place in it for health and good living is the valley which is called Gracias a Dios there are some rich farms of Cattle and Wheat but because it lieth as neer to the Countrey of Guatemala as to Comayagua and on this side the waies are better then on that therefore more of that Wheat is transported to Guatemala and to the Townes about it then to Comayagua or Truxillo From Truxillo to Guatemala there are between fourescore and a hundred leagues which we travelled by land not wanting in a barren Countrey neither guides nor provision for the poore Indians thought neither their personall attendance nor any thing that they enjoyed too good for us Thus we came again to Guatemala and were by the Friers joyfully entertained and by the President highly rewarded and by the City called true Apostles because we had ventured our lives for the discovery of Heathens and opened a way for their conversion and found out the chief place of their residence and sent before us those children to the City who witnessed with being in the Cloister our pains and indeavours Moran was so puffed up with the Presidents favour and the popular applause that he resolved in Guatemala to venture again his life and according to that message which he had sent before to the Heathen Indians to enter amongst them in a peaceable way with halfe a dozen Indians He would fain have had me gone with him but I considered the hardnesse of the journey which I thought I should not be able to perform on foot and also I feared that the Barbarians might mutiny against us for those children which we had brought and lasty I liked not the Countrey which seemed poore and not for my purpose to get meanes sufficient to bring me home to England which was the chiefest thought and desire of my heart for the satisfaction of my conscience which I found still unquiet Wherefore I resolved to forsake the company of my friend Moran and to desist from new discoveries of Heathens and such difficult undertakings which might endanger my health and life and at last bring no profit but only a little vain glory fame and credit in that Countrey I thought I might better employ my time if I learned some Indian tongue neerer to Guatemala where I considered the riches of the Townes the readinesse of the Indians and their willingnesse to further their Preists wants and lastly their ignorance in some points of Religion which I thought I might help and clear with some sound doctrin and with preaching Christ crucified unto them and bringing them unto that rock of eternall blisse and salvation I trusted in my friends so much that I knew it would not be hard for me to take my choice of any place about Guatemala from whence I might facilitate my returne to England and write to Spain and have every yeer an answer easier then any where else I opened my mind unto the Provinciall who was then at Guatemala and he presently and willingly condescended to my request and counselled me to learn the Poconchi language whereof I had already got some grounds in the Vera Paz which is most used about Guatemala and also is much practised in Vera Paz and in the Countrey of San Salvador He promised to send me to the Town of Petapa to learne there the language with a speciall friend of his named Frier Peter Molina who was very old and wanted the help and company of some younger person to