kinds of fish breed in the Volgha and are catched in great plenty and serued thence into the whole Realme for a great food Of the Roes of these foure kinds they make very great store of Icary or Caueary as was said before They haue besides these that breed in the Volgha a fish called the Riba bela or white salmon which they accompt more delicate then they do the red salmon whereof also they haue exceeding great plentie in the Riuers Northward as in Duyna the riuer of Cola c. In the Ozera or lake neere a towne called Perislaue not far froÌ„ the Mosco they haue a smal fish which they cal the fresh herring of the fashion and somewhat of the taste of a sea-herring Their chiefe townes for fish are Yaâ—â—slaue Bealozera Nouogrod Astracan and Cazan which all yeeld a large custome to the Emperour euery yeere for their trades of fishing which they practise in Sommer but sende it frozen in the Winter time into all parts of the Realme The chiefe Cities of Russia THe chiefe cities of Russia are Mosco Nouogrod Rostoue Volodomer Plesko Smolensko Iaruslaue Petislaue Nisnouogrod Vologda Vstiug Colmogro Cazan Astracan Cargapolia Columna The city of Mosco is supposed to be of great antiquitie though the first founder be vnknowen to the Russe It seemeth to haue taken the name froÌ„ the riuer that runneth on the one side of the towne Berosus the Chaldean in his 5. booke telleth that Nimrod whoÌ„ other prophane stories cal Saturne sent Assyrius Medus Moscus Magog into Asia to plant colonies there and that Moscus planted both in Asia and Europe Which may make some probabilitie that the citie or rather the riuer whereon it is built tooke the denomination froÌ„ this Moscus the rather because of the climate or situation which is in the very farthest part list of Europe bordering vpon Asia The Citie was much enlarged by one Iuan or Iohn sonne to Daniel that first changed his title of duke into King though that honor continued not to his posterity the rather because he was inuested into it by the Popes Legate who at that time was Innocentius the 4. about the yeere 1246. which was very much misliked by the Russe people being then a part of the Easterne or Greeke Church Since that time the name of this city hath growen more famous better knowen to the world insomuch that not only the prouince but the whole Countrey of Russia is termed by some by the name of Moscouia the Metropolite city The forme of this City is in maner round with 3. strong wals circuling the one within the other streets lying betwene whereof the inmost wall and the buildings closed within it lying safest as the heart within the body fenced and watred with the riuer Moscua that runneth close by it is all accompted the Emperors castle The number of houses as I haue heard through the whole Citie being reckoned by the Emperor a litle before it was fired by the Crim was 41500. in all Since the Tartar besieged and fired the towne which was in the yere 1571. there lieth waste of it a great breadth of ground which before was wel set and planted with buildings specially that part on the South side of Moscua built not long before by Basilius the Emperor for his garison of souldiers to whom he gaue priuiledge to drinke Mead and beere at the dry or prohibited times when other Russes may drinke nothing but water and for that cause called this new city by the name of Naloi that is skinck or poure in So that now the city of Mosco is not much bigger then the city of London The next in greatnes in a maner as large is the citie Nouograd where was committed as the Russe saith the memorable warre so much spoke of in stories of the Scythians seruants that tooke armes against their masters which they report in this sort viz. That the Boiarens or gentlemen of Nouograd the territory about which only are souldiers after the discipline of those countreis had war with the Tartars Which being wel performed ended by them they returned homewards Where they vnderstood by the way that their Cholopey or bondslaues whom they left at home had in their absence possessed their townes lands houses wiues and all At which newes being somewhat amased and yet disdeining the villany of their seruants they made the more speed home and so not far from Nouograd met them in warlike maner marching against them Whereupon aduising what was best to be doâ—e they agreed all to set vpon them with no other shew of weapon but with their horse whips which as their maner is euery man rideth withal to put them in remembrance of their seruile condition thereby to terrifie them abate their courage And so marching on lashing altogether with their whips in their hands they gaue the onset Which seemed so terrible in the eares of their villaines and stroke such a sense into them of the smart of the whip which they had felt before that they fled altogether like sheepe before the driuers In memory of this victory the Nouogradians euer since haue stamped their come which they cal a dingoe Nouogrodskoy currant through al Russia with the figure of a horsman shaking a whip aloft in his hand These 2. cities exceed y e rest in greatnes For strength their chiefe townes are Vobsko Smolensko Cazan Astracan as lying vpon the borders But for situation Iaruslaue far exceedeth the rest For besides the commodities that the soile yeeldeth of pasture and corne it lieth vpon the famous riuer of Volgha looketh ouer it from a high banke very faire stately to behold whereof the towne taketh the name For Iaruslaue in that tongue signifieth as much as a faire or famous banke In this towne as may be ghessed by the name dwelt the Russe king Vladimer sirnamed Iaruslaue that maried the daughter of Harald king of England by mediation of Sueno the Dane as is noted in the Danish story about the yere 1067. The other townes haue nothing y t is greatly memorable saue many ruines within their wals The streets of their cities and townes in stead of pauing are planked with fir trees plained layd euen close the one to the other Their houses are of wood without any lime or stone built very close and warme with firre trees plained and piled one vpon another They are fastened together with dents or notches at euery corner so clasped fast together Betwixt the trees or timber they thrust in mosse whereof they gather plenty in their woods to keep out the aire Euery house hath a paire of staires that lead vp into the chambers out of the yard or streat after the Scottish maner This building seemeth far better for their countrey then that of stone or bricke as being colder more dampish then their wooden houses specially of firre that is a dry warme
and great signes together with alterations of kingdomes warres of infidels against the Christians and victories of the Christians against the infidels And as they wondered at these relations he declared vnto them the passion of the seuen Sleepers with the proportion and shape of eache of their bodies which things no man liuing had as then committed vnto writing and that so plainely and distinctly as if he had conuersed a long time in their company Hereupon the earle sent a knight the bishop a clearke and the abbot a monke vnto Maniches the Emperour of Constantinople with the letters and gifts of their King Who giuing them friendly entertainment sent them ouer vnto the bishop of Ephesus and wrote his letters vnto him giuing him charge that the English Ambassadours might be admitted to see the true and material habiliments of the seuen Sleepers And it came to passe that King Edwards vision was approued by all the Greekes who protested they were aduertised by their fathers that the foresaid seuen Sleepers had alwayes before that time rested vpon their right sides but after the Englishmen were entered into the caue those Sleepers confirmed the trueth of the outlandish prophesie vnto their countreymen Neither were the calamities foretold any long time delayed for the Agarens Arabians Turkes and other vnbeleeuing nations inuading the Christians harried and spoiled Syria Lycia the lesser Asia and many cities of Asia the greater and amongst the rest Ephesus yea and Ierusalem also The voyage of Alured bishop of VVorcester vnto Ierusalem an 1058. Recorded by Roger Houeden in parte priore Annalium fol. 255. linea 15. ALuredus Wigorniensis Episcopus ecclesiam quam in ciuitate Glauorna à fundamentis construxerat in honore principis Apostolorum Petri honorificè dedicauit posteà regis licentia Wolstanum Wigorniensem Monachum à se ordinatum Abbatem constituit ibidem Dein praesulatu dimisso Wiltoniensis ecclesiae qui sibi ad regendum commissus fuerat Hermanno cujus suprà mentionem fecimus reddito mare transijt per Hungariam profectus est Hierosolymam c. The same in English IN the yere of our Lord 1058. Alured bishop of Worcester very solemnely dedicated a Church which himselfe had founded and built in the citie of Glocester vnto the honour of S. Peter the chiefe Apostle and afterward by the kings permission ordained Wolstan a Monke of Worcester of his owne choice to be Abbate in the same place And then hauing left his Bishopricke which was committed vnto him ouer the Church of Wilton and hauing resigned the same vnto Hermannus aboue mentioned passed ouer the seas and trauailed through Hungarie vnto Ierusalem c. The voyage of Ingulphus Abbat of Croiland vnto Ierusalem performed according to Florentius Wigorniensis in the yeere of our Lord 1064 and described by the said Ingulphus himselfe about the conclusion of his briefe Historie EGo Ingulphus humilis minister Sancti Guthlaci Monasterijque sui Croilandensis natus in Anglia a parentibus Anglicis quippè vrbis pulcherrimae Londoniarum pro literis addiscendis in teneriori aetate constitutus primum Westmonasterio postmodum Oxoniensi studio traditus eram Cumque in Aristotele arripiendo supra multos coaetaneos meos profecissem etiam Rhetoricam Tullij primam secundam talo tenus induebam Factus ergo adolescentior fastidiens parentum meorum exiguitatem paternos lares relinquere palatia regum aut principum affectans mollibus vestiri pomposisque lacinijs amiciri indies ardentius appetebam Et eceè inclytus nunâ— rex noster Anglie tunc adhuc comes Normanniae Wilhelmus ad colloquium tunc regis Angliae Edwardi cognati sui cum grandi ministrantium comitatu Londonias aduentabat Quibus citius insertus ingerens me vbÃque ad omnia emergentia negotia peragenda cum prosperè plurima perfecissem in breui agnitus illustrissimo comiti astrictissimê adamatus cum ipso Normanniam enauigabam Factus ibidem scriba eius pro libito totam comitis curiam ad nonnullorum inuidiam regebam quosque volui humiliabam quos volui exaltabam Cum que iuuenili calore impulsus in tam celso statu supra meos natales consistere taederem quin semper ad altiora conscendere instabili animo ac nimium prurienti affectu ad erubesceÌ„tiam ambitiosus auidissimè desiderarem nuntiatur per vniuersam Normanniam plurimos archiepiscopos imperij cum nonnullis alijs terroe principibus velle pro merito animarum suarum more peregrinorum cum debita deuotione Hierosolymam proficisci De familia ergo comitis domini nostri plurimi tam milites quà m clerici quorum primus praecipuus ego eram cum licentia domini nostri comitis beneuolentia in dictum iter nos omnes accinximus Alemanniam petentes equites triginta numero ampliùs domino Maguntino coniuncti sumus Parati namque omnes ad viam cum dominis episcopis connumerati septem mislia pertranseuntes prosperè multa terrarum spatia tandem Constantinopolim peruenimus Vbi Alexium Imperatorem eius adorantes Agâ—osophiam vidimus infinita sanctuaria osculati sumus Diuertentes inde per Lyciam in manus Arabicorum latronum incidimus euisceratique de infinitis pecunijs cum mortibus multorum maximo vitae nostrae periculo vix euadentes tandem desideratissimam ciui atem Hierosolymam leto introitu tenebamus Ab ipso tunc patriarcha Sophronio nomine viro veneranda canitie honestissimo ac sanctissimo grandi cymbalorum tonitru luminarium immenâ—o fulgore suscepti ad diuinissimam ecclesiam sanctissimi sepulchri tam Syrorum quà m Latinorum solenni processione deducti sumus Ibi quot preces inorauimus quot lachrymas infleuimus quot suspiria inspirauimus solus eius inhabitator nouit D. noster Iesus Christus Ab ipso itaque gloriosissimo sepulchro Christi ad alia sanctuaria ciuitatis inuisenda circumducti infinitam summam sanctarum ecclesiarum oratoriorum quae Achim Soldanus dudum destruxerat oculis lachrymosis vidimus Et omnibus ruinis sanctisimae ciuitatis tam extra quà m intra numerosis lachrymis intimo affectu compassi ad quorundam restaurationem datis non paucis pecunijs exire in patriam sacratissimo Iordane intingi vniuersaque Christi vestigia osculari desiderantissima deuotione suspirabamus Sed Arabum latrunculi qui omnem viam obseruabant longiùs a ciuitate euagari sua rabiosa multitudine innumera non sinebant Vere igitur accedente stolus nauium lanuensium in porta Ioppensi applicuit In quibus cum sua mercimonia Christiani mercatores per ciuitates maritimas commutassent sancta loca similitèr adorassent ascendentes omnes mari nos commisimus Et iactati fluctibus procellis innumeris tandem BrundusiuÌ„ prospero itinere per Apuliam Romam petentes sanctoruÌ„ Apostolorum Petri Pauli limina copiosissima sanctoruÌ„ martyrum monumenta per omnes stationes osculati
was buried by his brother after Christian maner Chap. 6. AFter the lamentable burials of these so famous Princes the King taking occasion of the death of these principall men of his armic agreed making none priuie thereto to receiue the money which was offered him for his differring off the siege of the citie of Sagiâ—ta yet dissembling to make peace with the Saracens but that he ment to go through with the worke that he had begunne Whereupon sending a message vnto Iaphet hee aduised the English souldiers to come downe to Acres with their fleete and to conferre and consult with him touching the besieging and assaulting of the citie of Sagitta which rising immediatly vpon the kings commaundement and foorthwith hoysing vp the sayles of their shippes aloft with pendants and stremers of purple and diuerse other glorious colours with their flagges of scarlet colour and silke came thither and casting their ancres rode hard by the citie The king the next day calling vnto him such as were priuie acquainted with his dealings opened his griefe vnto the chiefe Captaines of the English men and Danes touching the slaughter of Hugh and the death of his brother and what great confidence he reposed in them concerning these warres and that nowe therefore they being departed and dead he must of necessity differre the besieging of Sagitta for this time dismisse the armie assembled This resolution of the king being spred among the people the armie was dissolued and the Englishmen Danes and Flemings with sailes and oares going aboard their fleete saluted the king and returned home vnto their natiue countries The trauailes of one Athelard an Englishman recorded by master Bale Centur. 2. AThelardus Bathoniensis Coenobij monachus naturalium rerum mysteria causas omnes diligentâ—â—â tam vndecun que exquisitá perserutatus est vt cum aliquibus veteris seculi philoâ—ophis non indignè conferâ—i possit Hic olim spectatae indolis Adolescens vt virente adhuc aetate iuuenile ingenium foecundaret atque adres magnas pararet relicta dulci patria longin quas petijt regiones Cum verò AEgyptum Arabiam peragrans plura inuenisset quae eius desiderabat animus cum magno laborum ac literarum lucro in Angliam tum demùm reuertebatur Claruit anno virginei partus 1130. Henrico primo regnante The same in English AThelard a Monke of the Abbie of Bathe was so diligent a searcher of the secrets and causes of naturall things that he deserueth worthely to be compared with some of the auncient Philosophers This man although young yet being of a good wit and being desirous to increase and enrich the same with the best things and to prepare himselfe as it were for greater matters left his Countrey for a time and trauailed into forreine Regions He went through Egypt and Arabia and found out many things which he desired to his owne priuate contentment and the profite of good letters generally and so being satisfied returned againe into his Countrey he flourished in the yeere 1130. Henry the first being then king of England ¶ The life and trauailes of one VVilliam of Tyre an Englishman Centur. 13. GVlielmus Ecclesiae Dominici sepulchri Hierosolymae Regularium Canonicorum prior natione Anglicus vir vita moribus coÌ„mendabilis Anno Dom. 1128. postquam Tyrorum Ciuitas fidei Christianae restituta est a Guimundo Hierosolymorum patriarcha eidem vrbi primus Archiepiscopus praeficiebatur Est autem Tyrus ciuitas antiquissima Phoeniciae vniuersae Metropolis quae inter Syriae prouincias bonorum omnium penè commoditate incolarum frequentia primum semper obtinuit locum post conscripta quaedam opuscula Epistolas ad Domâ—num migrauit Anâ— Christi 1130. quum duobus tantum sedisset annis in Tyrensi Ecclesia sepelitur The same in English VVIlliam the Prior of the Canons Regular in the Church of Ierusalem called the Lords Sepulchre was an Englishman borne and of a vertuous and good behauiour After that the Citie of Tyre was restored againe to the Christian faith Guimunde the Patriarke of Ierusalem made him the first Archbishop of Tyre in the yeere 1128. Which Tyre is a very ancient Citie the Metropolis of all Phoenicia and hath bene accompted the chiefest Prouince of Syria both for fruitful commodities and multitude of inhabitants This William hauing in his life written many Bookes and Epistles died at last in the yeere 1130. hauing bene Archbishop the space of two yeeres and was buried in the Church of Tyre The trauailes of Robertus Ketenensis RObertus Ketenensis natione cognomine Anglus degusâ—atis primum per Anglorum gymnasia humanarum artium elementis literarijs vltramarinas statim visitare prouincias in animo constituit Peragratis ergò Gallijs Italia Dalmatia Graecia tum demum peruenit in Asiam vbi non paruo labore ac vitae suae periculo inter Saracenos truculentissimum hominum genus Arabicam linguam ad amussim didicit In Hispaniam postea nauigio traductus circa fluuium Hibetum Astrologicae artis studio cum Hermanno quodam Dalmata magni sui itineris comite se totum dedit Claruit anno seruatoris nostri 1143 Stephano regnante Pampilonaâ— sepelitur The same in English THis Robert Ketenensis was called an Englishman by surname as he was by birth who after some time spent in the foundations of humanitie and in the elements of good Artes in the Uniuersities of England determined to trauaile to the partes beyond sea and so trauailed through France Italie Dalmatia and Greece and came at last into Asia where he liued in great danger of his life among the cruell Saracens but yet learned perfectly the Arabian tongue Afterwardes he returned by sea into Spaine and there about the riuer Iberus gaue him selfe wholy to the studie of Astrologie with one Hermannus a Dalmatian who had accompanied him in his long voyage He flourished in the yeere 1143. Steuen being then King of England and was buried at Pampilona A voyage of certaine English men vnder the conduct of Lewes king of France vnto the Holy land TAntae expeditionis explicito apparatu vterque princeps iter arripuit exercitu separtito Imperator enim Conradus praecedebat itinere aliquot dierum cum Italorum Germanorum aliarúmque gentium amplissimis copijs Rex vero Lodouicus sequebatur Francorum Flandrensium Normannorum Britonum Anglorum Burgundionum Prouincialium Aquitanorum equestri simul pedestri agmine comitatus Gulielmus Neobrigensis fol. 371. The same in English BOth the princes prouision being made for so great an expedition they seuering their armies entered on their iourney For the Emperour Conradus went before certaine dayes iourney with very great power of Italians Germans and other countreys And king Lewes followed after accompanied with a band of horsemen and footmen of French men Flemmings Normans Britons English men Burgundions men of Prouence and Gascoins The voyage of Iohn Lacy to Ierusalem ANno
and some other spices The saide shippe called the Holy Crosse was so shaken in this voyage and so weakened that she was layd vp in the docke and neuer made voyage after Another voyage to the Iles of Candia and Chio made by the shippe the Mathew Gonson about the yeere 1535 according to the relation of Iohn Williamson then Cooper in the same ship made to M. Richard Hackluit in the yeere 1592. THe good shippe called the Mathew Gonson of burden 300 tunnes whereof was owner old M. William Gonson pay-master of the kings Nauie made her voyage in the yere 1535. In this ship went as Captaine Richard Gray who long after died in Russia Master William Holftocke afterward Controuller of the Queenes Nauie went then as purser in the same voyage The Master was one Iohn Pichet seruant to old M. William Gonson Iames Rumnie was Masters mate The master cooper was Iohn Williamson citizen of London liuing in the yeere 1592 and dwelling in Sant Dunstons parish in the East The M. Gunner was Iohn Godfrey of Bristoll In this ship were 6 gunners and 4 trumpetters all which foure trumpetters at our returne homewards went on land at Messina in the Iland of Sicilia as our ship road there at anker gat them into the Gallies that lay neere vnto vs in them went to Rome The whole number of our companie in this ship were about 100. men we were also furnished with a great bote which was able to cary 10 tunnes of water which at our returne homewards we towed all the way from Chio vntill we came through the straight of Gibaltar into the maine Ocean We had also a great long boat and a skiff We were out vpon this voyage eleuen moneths yet in all this time there died of sicknesse but one man whose name was George Forrest being seruant to our Carpenter called Thomas Plummer In a great lygier booke of one William Eyms seruant vnto Sir William Bowyerâ— Alderman of London bearing date the 15 of Nouember 1533 and continued vntill the 4 of Iuly 1544. I find that he the said William Eyms was factor in Chio not only for his Master but also for the duke of Norfolkes grace for many other worshipful marchants of London among whom I find the accompts of these especially to wit of his said Master sir William Bowyer of William Nicholas Wilford Marchant-taylors of London of Thomas Curtis pewterer of Iohn Starky Merter of William Ostrige Marchant of Richard Field Draper And further I find in the said ligier booke a note of the said Eyms of all such goods as he left in the hands of Robert Bye in Chio who became his Masters factor in his roome and another like note of particulers of goods that he left in the hands of Oliuer Lesson seruant to William and Nicholas Wilford And for proofe of the continuance of this trade vntill the end of the yeere 1552. I found annexed vnto the former note of the goods left with Robert Bye in Chio a letter being dated the 27 of Nouember 1552 in London The Epitaph of the valiant Esquire M. Peter Read in the south I le of Saint Peters Church in the citie of Norwich which was knighted by Charles the fift at the winning of Tunis in the yeere of our Lord 1538. HEre vnder lyeth the corpes of Peter Reade Esquire who hath worthily serued not onely his Prince and Countrey but also the Emperour Charles the fift both at his conquest of Bâ—rbarie and at his siege at Tunis as also in other places Who had giuen him by the sayd Emperour for his valiant deedes the order of Barbary Who dyed the 29 day of December in the yeere of our Lord God 1566. The voyage of Sir Thomas Chaloner to Alger with Charles the fift 1541 drawen out of his booke De Republica Anglorum instauranda THomas Chalonerus patria Londinensis studio Cantabrigensis educatione aulicus religione pius veréque Christianus fuit Itaque cum inuenilem aetatemâ— mentemque suam humanioribus studijs roborasset Domino Henrico Kneuetto à potentissimo rege Henrico eius nominis octauo ad Carolum quintum imperatorem transmisâ—o legato vnà cum illo profectus est tanquam familiaris amicus veleidem à confilijs Quo quidem tempore Carolo quinto nauali certamine à Genua Corsica in Algyram in Africa contra Turcas classem soluente ac hostiliter proficiscente ornatissimo illo Kneuetto legato regis Thoma Chalonero Henrico Knolleo Henrico Isamo illustribus viris eundem in illa expeditione suapte sponte sequentibus pariterque militantibus mirifice vitam suam Chalonerus tutatus est Nam triremi illa in qua fuerat vel scopulis allisa vel grauissimis procellis conquassata naufragus cum se diù natatu defendisset deficientibus viribus brachijs manibusque languidis ac quasi eneruatis prehensa dentibus cum maxima difficultate rudenti quae ex altera triremi iam propinqua tum fuerat eiecta non sine dentium aliquorum iactura ac fractura sese tandem recuperauit ac domum integer relapsus est The same in English THomas Chaloner was by birth a Londiner by studie a Cantabrigian by education a Courtier by religion a deuout and true Christian. Therfore after he had confirmed his youth and minde in the studies of good learning when Sir Henry Kneuet was sent ambassadour from the mighty Prince Henry the 8. to the Emperour Charles the fift he went with him as his familiar friend or as one of his Councell At which time the said Charles the 5. passing ouer from Genoa and Corsica to Alger in Africa in warlike sort with a mighty army by sea that honorable Kneuet the kings ambassadour Thomas Chaloner Henry Knolles and Henry Isham right worthy persons of their owne accord accompanied him in that expedition serued him in that warre wherin Thomas Chaloner escaped most wonderfully with his life For the gally wherein he was being either dashed against the rockes or shaken with mighty stormes and so cast away after he had saued himselfe a long while by swimming when his strength failed him his armes hands being faint and weary with great difficulty laying hold with his teeth on a cable which was cast out of the next gally not without breaking and losse of certaine of his teeth at length recouered himselfe and returned home into his countrey in safety The voyage of M. Roger Bodenham with the great Barke Aucher to Candia and Chio in the yeere 1550. IN the yeere 1550. the 13 of Nouember I Roger Bodenham Captaine of the Barke Aucher entered the said ship at Grauesend for my voiage to the Ilands of Candia and Chio in the Leuant The master of my ship was one William Sherwood From thence we departed to â—ilbery hope and there remained with contrarie windes vntill the 6. of Ianuary 1551. The 6 of Ianuarie the M. came to Tilbery and I had prouided a skilfull pylot to
out of the Indies in such great misery and infamy to the world should be prouided at Gods hand in one moment of more then in all my life before I could attaine vnto by my owne labour After we departed from Mexico our S. Benitoes were set vp in the high Church of the said Citie with our names written in the same according to their vse and custome which is and will be a momonent and a remembrance of vs as long as the Romish Church doth raigne in that country The same haue bene seene since by one Iohn Chilton and diuers others of our nation which were left in that countrey long since by Sir Iohn Hawkins And because it shal be knowen wherefore it was that I was so punished by the Clergies hande as before is mentioned I will in briefe words declare the same It is so that being in Mexico at the table among many principall people at dinner they began to inquire of me being an Englishman whether it were true that in England they had ouerthrowen all their Churches and houses of Religion and that all the images of the Saints of heauen that were in them were throwen downe broken and burned and in some places high wayes stoned with them and whether the English nation denied their obedience to the Pope of Rome as they had bene certified out of Spaine by their friends To whom I made answere that it was so that in deed they had in England put downe all the Religious houses of friers and monks that were in England and the images that were in their Churches and other places were taken away and vsed there no more for that as they say the making of them and putting of them where they were adored was cleane contrary to the expresse coÌ„mandement of Almighty God Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. and that for that cause they thought it not lawfull that they should stand in the Church which is the house of adoration One that was at the declaring of these words who was my master Gonsalo Cereso answered and said if it were against the commandement of God to haue images in the Churches that then he had spent a great deale of money in vaine for that two yeres past he had made in the monastery of Santo Domingo in the said citie of Mexico an image of our Lady of pure siluer golde with pearles and precious stones which cost him 7000. and odde pesos and euery peso is 4. s. 8. d. of our money which indeed was true for that I haue seene it many times my selfe where it stands At the table was another gentleman who presuming to defend the cause more then any other that was there saide that they knew well ynough that they were made but of stockes and stones and that to them was no worship giuen but that there was a certaine veneration due vnto them after they were set vp in the Church and that they were set there to a good intent the one for that they were books for the simple people to make them vnderstand the glory of the saints that were in heauen a shape of them to put vs in remembrance to cal vpon them to be our intercessors vnto God for vs for that we are such miserable sinners that we are not worthy to appeare before God that vsing deuotion to saints in heauen they may obtaine at Gods hands the sooner the thing that we demand of him As for example said he imagin that a subiect hath offended his king vpon the earth in any kind of respect is it for the party to go boldly to the king in person to demand pardon for his offences No saith he the presumptioÌ„ were too great possibly he might be repulsed and haue a great rebuke for his labour Better it is for such a person to seek some priuate man neere the king in his Court and make him acquainted with his matter let him be a mediator to his Maiesty for him for the matter he hath to do with him and so might he the better come to his purpose and obteine the thing which he doeth demand euen so saith he it is with God and his saints in heauen for we are wretched sinners and not worthy to appeare nor present our selues before the Maiesty of God to demand of him the thing that we haue need of therefore thou hast need to be deuout and haue deuotion to the mother of God and the saints of heauen to be intercessors to God for thee and so mayest thou the better obtaine of God the thing that thou dost demand To this I answered said sir as touching the comparison you made of the intercessors to the king how necessary they were I would but aske you this question Set the case that this king you speak of if he be so merciful as when he knoweth that one or any of his subiects hath offended him he send for him to his owne towne or to his owne house or palace say vnto him come hither I know that thou hast offended many lawes if thou doest know thereof and doest repent thee of the same with ful intent to offend no more I will forgiue thy trespasse and remember it no more said I if this be done by the kings owne person what then hath this man need to go seeke friendship at any of the kings priuat seruants hands but go to the principal seeing that he is readier to forgiue thee then thou art to demand forgiuenes at his hands Euen so is it with our gracious God who calleth and crieth out vnto vs throughout all the world by the mouth of his Prophets Apostles and by his owne mouth saying Come vnto me al ye that labour and are ouer laden and I wil refresh you besides 1000. other offers and prosters which hee doth make vnto vs in his holy Scriptures What then haue we need of the saints helpâ— that are in heauen whereas the Lord himself doth so freely offer himselfe vnto vs At which sayings many of the hearers were astonied and said that by that reason I would giue to vnderstandâ— that the inuocation of Saints was to be disanulled and by the Lawes of God not commanded I answered that they were not my words but the words of God himselfe looke into the Scriptures your selfe and you shall so finde it The talke was perceiued to be preiudiciall to the Romiâ—h doctrine and therefore it was commanded to be no more entreated of and all remained vnthought vpon had it not bene for a villanous Portugal that was in the company who said â—asta les Ingles para saber todo esto ymas who the next day without impaâ—ting any thing to any body went to the Bishop of Mexico and his Prouisor and said that in a place where he had bene the day before was an Englishman who had said that there was no need of Saints in the Church nor of any inuocation of Saints vpon whose
so in the yere 1586 in the moneth of Iuly I arriued at the foresayd city of London where perusing the notes which I had taken in the time of my trauell in those yeeres I haue set downe as followeth In the yeere 1568 in the moneth of March being desirous to see the world I embarked my selfe in the bay of Cadiz in Andaluzia in a shippe bound for the Isles of the Canaries where she tooke in her lading set forth from thence for the voyage in the moneth of Iune the same yere Within a moneth after we fell with the Isle of S. Domingo and from thence directly to Noua Hispania and came into the port of S. Iohn de Vllua which is a litle Island standing in the sea about two miles from the land where the king mainteineth about 50 souldiers and captaines that keepe the forts and about 150 negroes who all the yeere long are occupied in carying of stones for building other vses and to helpe to make fast the ships that come in there with their cables There are built two bulwarkes at ech ende of a wall that standeth likewise in the sayde Island where the shippes vse to ride made fast to the sayd wall with their cables so neere that a man may leape ashore From this port I iourneyed by land to a towne called Vera Cruz standing by a riuers side where all the faccours of the Spanish merchants dwell which receiue the goods of such ships as come thither and also lade the same with such treasure and merchandize as they returne backe into Spaine They are in number about foure hundred who onely remaine there during the time that the Spanish fleet dischargeth and is soden againe which is from the end of August to the beginning of April following And then for the vnwholesomnesse of the place they depart thence sixteene leagues further vp within the countrey to a towne called Xalapa a very healthfull soile There is neuer any woman deliuered of childe in this port of Vera Cruz for so soone as they perceiue themselues conceiued with child they get them into the countrey to auoid the perill of the infected aire although they vse euery morning to driue thorow the towne aboue two thousand head of cattell to take away the ill vapours of the earth From Xalapa seuen leagues I came to another place named Perota wherein are certaine houses builded of straw called by the name of ventas the inhabitants whereof are Spaniards who accustome to harbour such trauellers as are occasioned to iourney that way vp into the land It standeth in a great wood of Pine and Cedar trees the soile being very colde by reason of store of snow which lieth on the mountaines there all the yere long There are in that place an infinite number of deere of bignesse like vnto great mules hauing also hornes of great length From Perota nine leagues I came to the Fuentes of Ozumba which suentes are springs of water issuing out of certeine rocks into the midst of the high wayes where likewise are certaine ranges and houses for the vses before mentioned Eight leagues off from this place I came to the city of the Angels so called by that name of the Spanyards which inhabit there to the number of a thousand besides a great number of Indians This city standeth in very plaine fields hauing neere adioyning to it many sumptuous cities as namely the city of Tlaxcalla a city of two hundred thousand Indians tributaries to the king although he exacteth no other tribute of them then a handfull of wheat a piece which amounteth to thirteene thousand hanueges yeerely as hath appeared by the kings books of account And the reason why he contenteth himselfe with this tribute onely for them is because they were the occasion that he tooke the city of Mexico with whom the Tlaxcallians had warre at the same time when the Spanyards came into the countrey The gouernour of this city is a Spanyard called among them The Alcalde mayor who administreth chiefest causes of iustice both vnto the Christians and Indians referring smaller and lighter vices as drunkennesse and such like to the iudgement and discretion of such of the Indians as are chosen euery yeere to rule amongst them called by the name of Alcaldes These Indians from foureteene yeeres olde vpwards pay vnto the king for their yerely tribute one ounce of siluer and an hannege of maiz which is valued among them commonly at twelue reals of plate The widowes among them pay halfe of this The Indians both of this city and of the rest lying about Mexico goe clothed with manâ—les of linnen cloth made of cotton wooll painted thorowent with works of diuers and fine colours It is distant from the city of the Angels foure leagues to the Northward foureteene from Mexico There is another city a league from it called Checula consisting of more then sixty thousand Indians tributaries and there dwell not aboue twelue Spanyards there From it about two leagues there is another called Acassingo of aboue fifty thousand Indians and about eight or twelue Spanyards which standeth at the foot of the Vulcan of Mexico on the East side There are besides these three other great cities the one named Tepiaca a very famous city Waxazingo and Tichamachalcho all these in times past belonged to the kingdome of Tlaxcalla and from these cities they bring most of their Cochinilla into Spaine The distance from the city of the Angels to the city of Mexico is twenty leagues This city of Mexico is the city of greatest fame in all the Indies hauing goodly and costly houses in it builded all of lime and stone and seuen streets in length and seuen in breadth with riuers turning thorow euery second street by which they bring their prouision in canoas It is situated at the foot of certaine hilles which conâ—eine in compasse by estimation aboue twenty leagues compassing the sâ—yd city on the one side and a lake which is fourteene leagues about on the other side Upon which lake there are built many notable and sumptuous cities as the city of Tesâ—uco where the Spanyards built sire frigats at that time when they conquered Mexico and where also Fernando Cortes made his abode fiue or six moneths in curing of the sicknesse of his people which they had taken at their comming into the countrey There dwell in this city about sixty thousand Indians which pay tribute to the king In this city the sayd Fernando built the finest church that euer was built in the Indies the name whereof is S. Peters After I had continued two yeeres in this city being desirous to see further the countreys I imployed that which I had and tooke my voyage towards the prouinces of California in the which was discouered a certeine countrey by a Biscaine whose name was Diego de Guiara and called it after the name of his countrey New
left vs so behind him and brought away Negros but the reason is this for them he might haue had victuals or any other thing needfull if by foule weather hee had bene driuen vpon the Islands which for gold nor siluer he could not haue had And thus our Generall departed to his ship and we remained on land where for our safeties fearing the wild Indians that were about vs we kept watch all night and at Sunne rising wee marched on our way three and three in a ranke vntill that we came into a fielde vnder a groue where the Indians came vpon vs asking vs what people we were and how we came there Two of our company namely Anthony Goddard and Iohn Cornish for that they could speake the Spanish tongue went to them and said wee were Englishmen that neuer came in that countrey before and that we had fought with the Spaniards and for that we lacked victuals our Generall set vs on shore they asked vs whither we intended to goe we said to Panuco The Captaine of the Indians willed vs to giue vnto them some of our clothes shirts which we did then he bad vs giue them all but we would not so doe whereupon Iohn Cornish was then slaine with an arrow which an Indian boy that stoode by the Captaine shot at him wherefore hee stroke the boy on the necke with his bow that he lay for dead and willed vs to follow him who brought vs into a great fielde where we found fresh water hee bad vs sit downe about the pond and drinke and he with his company would goe in the meane space to kill fiue or sixe Deere and bring them vs. We taryed there till three of the clocke but they came not there one of our company whose name was Iohn Cooke with foure other departed from vs into a groue to seeke reliefe where presently they were taken by the Indians and stript as naked as euer they were borne and so returned to vs. Then we diuided our selues into two parts halfe to Anthony Goddard and the rest to Iames Collier and thus seuerally we sought for Panuco Anthony Goddard with his company bid vs farewell they passed a riuer where the Indians robbed many of them of their clothes and so passing on their way came to a stony hill where they stayed Iames Collieâ— with his company that day passed the same riuer and were also robbed and one of them slaine by chance wee came that night vnto the hill where Anthony Goddard and his company rested there we remained til morning and then we marched altogether from thence entring betweene two groues where the Indians robbed vs of all our clothes and left vs naked they hurt many and killed eight of vs. Three dayes after we came to another riuer there the Indians shewed vs the way to Panuco and so left vs we passed the riuer into the wildernes where we made wreaths of greene grasse which we wound about our bodies to keepe vs from the Sunne and gnats of that Countrey We trauelled there seuen dayes and seuen nights before wee came to Panuco feeding on nothing but roots and Guiauos a fruit like figs. At our comming to the riuer of Panuco two Spanish horsemen came ouer vnto vs in a Canowe they asked vs how long we had bene in the wildernesse and where our generall was for they knewe vs to be of the company that had fought with their countrimen we told them seuen dayes and seuen nights and for lacke of victuals our Generall set vs on shore he was gone away with his ships They returned to their Gouernour who sent them with fiue Canowes to bring vs all ouer Which done they set vs in aray where a hundred horsemen with their lances came forceably vpon vs but did not hurt vs they carried vs prisoners to Panuco where we remained one night In the riuer of Panuco there is a fish like a calfe the Spanyards call it a Mallatin hee hath a stone in his head which the Indians vse for the disease of the Collicke in the night he commeth on land and eateth grasse I haue eaten of it and it eateth not much vnlike to bacon From thence we were sent to Mexico which is 90 leagues from Panuco In our way thither 20 leagues from the sea side I did see white Crabs running vp downe the sands I haue eaten of them and they be very good meat There groweth a fruit which the Spanyards call Auocottes it is proportioned like an egge and as blacke as a cole hauing a stone in it and it is an excellent good fruit There also groweth a strange tree which they call Magueis it sâ—rueth them to many vses below by the root they make a hole whereat they do take out of it twise euery day a certaine kind of licourâ— which they seeth in a great kettle till the third part be consumed that it ware thick iâ— is as sweet as any hony and they do eat it Within 20. daies after that they haue taken al the licour from it it withereth they cut it down vse it as we vse our hempe here in England which done they conuert it to many vses of some part they make mantles ropes and threed of the ends they make needles to sow their saddles pannels other furniture for their horses of the rest they make eyies to coâ—er their houses and they put it to many other purposes And thus we came to Mexico which is sâ—uen or eight miles about seated in a great fen inuironed with 4 hils it hath but two wayes oâ— entrance and it is full of creeks in the which in their Canowes they passe from place to placeâ— to the Islands there within In the Indies ordinarily three times a yeere bee wonderfull earthquakes which put the people in great feare and danger during the time of two yeeres that I was in Mexico I saw them sixe times when they come they throw downe trees houses and Churches There is a citie 25. leagues from Mexico called Tlaxcalla which is inhâ—bited with a hundred thousand Indians they goe in white shirts linnen breeches and long mantles and the women weare about them a garment much like vnto a flannell perticote The kings pallace was the first place that wee were brought vnto in Mexico where without we were wâ—lled to sit downe Much people men women and children came wondring about vs many lamented our misery some of their clergy asked vs if we were Christians we said we praised God we were as good Christians as they they asked how they might know that we said by our confessions From thence we were carried in a Canow to a Tanners house which standeth a little from the citie the next morning two friers and two priâ—sts came thither to vs and willed vs to blesse our selues and say our prayers in the Latin tongue that they might vnderstand vs many of our company
naturam bubali quia si vident hominem indutum rubeis insiliunt in eum volentes interficere Post illos sunt Tebet homines solentes comedere parentes suos defunctos vt causa pietatis non facerent aliud sepulchrum eis nisi viscera sua Modo â—amen hoc dimiserunt quia abominabiles erant omni nationi Tamen adhuc faciunt pulchros ciphos de capitibus parentum vt illis bibentes habeant memoriam eorum in iocuâ—ditate sua Hoc dixit mihi qui viderat Isti habent multum de auro in terra sua Vnde qui indiget auro fodit donec reperiat accipiat quando indiget residuum condens in terra quia si reponeret in arca vel in thesauro crederet quod Deus aâ—feâ—ret ei aliud quod est in terra De istis hominibus vidi personas multum deformes Tangut vidi homines magnos sed fuscos Iugures sunt mediocris staturae sicut nostri Apud Iugures est fons radix ideomatis Turci Comanici Post Tebet sunt Langa Solanga quorum nuncios vidi in curia Qui adduxerant magnas bigas plusquam decem quarum quaelibet trahebatur sex bobus Isti sunt parui homines fusci sicut Hispani habent tunicas si cut supertunicale diaconi manicis parum strictioribus habent in capitibus mitras sicut episcopi Sed pars anterior est parum interior quà m posterior non terminatur in vnum angulum sed sunt quadrae desuper sunt de stramine rigidato per calorem magnum limato in tantum quod fulget ad radium solis sicut speculum vel galea bene burnita Et circa tempora habent longas bendas de eadem materia assutas ipsi mitrae quae se extendunt ad ventum sicut duo cornua egredientia de temporibus Et quando ventus nimis iactat eas plicant eas per medium mitrae superius à tempore in tempus iacent sicut circulus ex transuerso capitis Et principalis nuncius quando veniebat ad curiam habebat tabulam de dente elephantino ad longitudinem vnius cubiti ad latitudinem vnius palmi rasam multum Et quandocunque loquebatur ipsi Cham vel alicui magno viro semper aspiciebat in illam tabulam acsi inueniret ibi ea quae dicebat nec respiciebat ad dextram vel sinistram nec in faciem illius cui loquebatur Etiam accedens coram domino recedens nusquam respicit nisi in tabulam suam Vltra istos sunt alij homines vt intellexi pro vero qui dicuntur Muc qui habent villas sed nulla animalia sibi appropriant tamen sunt multi greges multa armenta in terra ipsorum nullus custodit ea Sed cum aliquis indiget aliquo ascendit collem clamat omnia animalia audientia clamorem accedunt circa illum permitâ—unt se tractari quasi domestica Et si nuncius vel aliâ—uis extraneus accedat ad regionem illam ipsi includunt eum in domo ministrant ei necessaria donâ—â— negocium eius fuerit expeditum Quia si iret extraneus per regionem animalia ad odorem eius fugerent efficerentur syluestria Vltra est magna Cathaya cuius incolae antiquitus vt credo dicebantur Seres Ab ipsis enim veniunt optimi pannâ— serici Et ille populus dicitur Seres a quodam oppido eorum Bene intellexi quod in illa regione est oppidum habens muros argenteos propugnacula aurea In ista terra sunt multae prouinciae quarum plures adhuc non obediunt Moallis Et inter* Aliqua desiderantur The iournal of frier William de Rubruquis a French man of the order of the minorite friers vnto the East parts of the worlde An. Dom. 1253. TO his most Soueraigne most Christian Lord Lewis by Gods grace the renowmed king of France frier William de Rubruk the meanest of the Minorites order wisheth health coÌ„tinual triumph in CHRIST It is written in the booke of Ecclesiasticus concerning the wise man He shall trauell into forren countries and good and euill shall he trie in all things The very same action my lord and king haue I atchieued howbeit I wish that I haue done it like a wise man and not like a foole For many there be that performe the same action which a wise man doth not wisely but more vndiscreetly of which number I feare my selfe to be one Notwithstanding howsoeuer I haue done it because you commanded mee when I departed from your highnes to write all things vnto you which I should see among the Tartars and you wished me also that I should not feare to write long letters I haue done as your maiestie inioined me yet with feare and reuerence because I want wordes and eloquence sufficient to write vnto so great a maiestie Be it knowen therefore vnto your sacred Maiestie that in the yeare of our Lord 1253. about the Nones of May we entered into the sea of Pontus which the Bulgarians call the great sea It containeth in length as I learned of certaine merchants 1008 miles and is in a maner diuided into two parts About the midst thereof are two prouinces one towards the North and another towards the South The South prouince is called Synopolis and it is the castle and porte of the Soldan of Turkie but the North prouince is called of the Latines Gasaria of the Greeks which inhabite vpon the sea shore thereof it is called Cassaria that is to say Caesaria And there are certaine head lands stretching foorth into the sea towards Synopolis Also there are 300. miles of distance betweene Synopolis and Cassaria Insomuch that the distance from those points or places to Constantinople in length and breadth is about 700. miles and 700. miles also from thence to the East namely to the countrey of Hiberia which is a prouince of Georgia At the prouince of Gasaria or Cassaria we arriued which prouince is in a maner three square hauing a citie on the West part thereof called Kersoua wherein S. Clement suffered martyrdome And sayling before the said citie we sawe an island in which a Church is sayd to be built by the hands of angels But about the midst of the said prouince toward the South as it were vpon a sharpe angle or point standeth a citie called Soldaia directly ouer against Synopolis And there doe all the Turkie merchants which traffique into the North countries in their iourney outward arriue and as they returne homeward also from Russia and the said Northerne regions into Turkie The foresaid merchants transport thither ermines and gray furres with other rich and costly skinnes Others carrie cloathes made of cotton or bombast and silke and diuers kindes of spices But vpon the East part of the said prouince standeth a
part of Scotland vpon a rocke was also lost and Master Chanceller with diuers other drowned The sayd Russe ambassadour hardly escaping with other his men mariners some goods sauer were sent for into Scotland from the King Queene and Merchants the messenger being M. Doctor Laurence Hussie and others And then as in the chronicles appeareth honorably enterteined and receiued at London This yeere also the company furnished and sent out a pinnesse named the Serchthrift to discouer the harborowes in the North coast from Norway to Wardhouse and so to the Bay of S. Nicholas There was in her Master and Pilot Stephen Burrough with his brother William and eight other Their discouery was beyond the Bay towarde the Samoeds people dwelling neare the riuer of Ob and found a sound or sea with an Island called Vaigats first by them put into the Carde or Mappe In that place they threw snowe out of their said pinnesse with shouels in August by which extremitie and lacke of time they came backe to Russia and wintred at Colmogro Anno 1557. The company with foure good ships sent backe the said Russe ambassadour and in company with him sent as an Agent for further discouery Master Anthony Ienkinson who afterward anno 1558 with great fauour of the prince of Moscouia and his letters passed the riuer Volga to Cazan and meaning to seeke Cathay by land was by many troupes and companies of vnciuil Tartarians encountred and in danger but keeping company with merchants of Bactria or Boghar and Vrgeme trauelling with camels he with his company went to Boghar and no further whose entertainment of the king is to be had of master Ienkinson which returned anno 1559. to Moscouie And in anno 1560. he with Henry Lane came home into England which yeere was the first safe returne without losse or shipwracke or dead fraight burnings And at this time was the first traffike to the Narue in Liuonia which confines with Lituania all the dominions of Russia and the markets faires commodities great townes riuers were sent vnto by diuers seruants the reports were taken by Henry Lane Agent and deliuered to the companie 1561. The trade to Rie and Reuel of old time hath bene long since frequented by our English nation but this trade to the Narue was hitherto concealed from vs by the Danskers and Lubeckers Anno 1561. the said Master Anthony Ienkinson went Agent into Russia who the next yeere after passing all the riuer of Volga to Astracan and ouer the Caspian sea arriued in Persia and opened the trade thither Also betweene the yeeres of 1568. and 1573. sundry voyages after Master Ienkinsons were made by Thomas Alcock Arthur Edwards Master Thomas Bannister and Master Geffrey Ducket whose returne if spoyle neere Volga had not preuented by rouing theeues had altogether salued and recouered the companies called the olde companies great losse charges and damages but the saying is trueâ— By vnitie small things grow great by contention great things become small This may be vnderstood best by the company The frowardnesse of some few and euill doing of some vniust factors was cause of much of the euill successe Arthur Edwards was sent againe 1579. and died in the voyage at Astracan About which matters are to be remembred the voyages of Master Thomas Randolph Esquire Ambassador anno 1567. And late of Sir Ierome Bowes anno 1583. both tending and treating for further discoueries freedomes and priuileges wherewith I meddle not But in conclusion for their paines and aduentures this way as diuers do now adayes other wayes as worthy Gentlemen sent from princes to doe their countrey good I put them in your memorie with my hearty farewell From S. Magarets neere Dartforth in Kent Yours Henry Lane The most solemne and magnificent coronation of Pheodor Iuanowich Emperour of Russia c. the tenth of Iune in the yeere 1584. seene and obserued by Master Ierom Horsey gentleman and seruant to her Maiesty a man of great trauell and long experience in those parts wherwith is also ioyned the course of his iourney ouer land from Mosco to Emden WHen the old Emperour Iuan Vasiliwich died being about the eighteenth of Aprill 1584. after our computation in the citie of Mosco hauing raigned 54. yeeres there was some tumult annd vprore among some of the nobilitie and cominaltie which notwithstanding was quickly pacified Immediately the same night the Prince Boris Pheodorowich Godonoua Knez Iuan Pheodorowich Mesthis Slafsky Knez Iuan Petrowich Susky Mekita Romanowich Bodan Iacoulewich Belskoy being all noble men and chiefest in the Emperors Will especially the Lord Boris whom he adopted as his third sonne was brother to the Empresse who was a maÌ„ very wel liked of al estates as no lesse worthy for his valure wisedome all these were appointed to dispose settle his sonne Pheodor Iuanowich hauing one sworne another and all the nobilitie and officers whosoeuer In the morning y e dead Emperor was layd into the Church of Michael the Archangel into a hewen sepulcre very richly decked with vestures fit for such a purpose and present Proclamation was made Emperor Pheodor Iuanowich of all Ruâ—sia c. Throughout all the citie of Mosco was great watch and ward with souldiers and gunners good orders established and officers placed to subdue the tumulters and mainteine quietnes to see what speede and policie was in this case vsed was a thing worth the beholding This being done in Mosco great men of birth and accompt were also presently sent to the bordering Townes as Smolensko Vobsko Kasan Nouogorod c. with fresh garrison and the old sent vp As vpon the 4. of May a parliament was held wherein were assembled the Metropolitane Archbishops Bishops Priors and chiefe clergie men and all the nobility whatsoeuer where many matters were determined not pertinent to my purpose yet all tended to a new reformation in the gouernmentâ— but especially the terme and time was agreed vpon for the solemnizing of the new Emperors coronation In the meane time y e Empresse wife to the old Emperor was with her child the Emperors sonne Charlewich Demetrie Iuanowich of one yeres age or there abouts sent with her father Pheodor Pheodorowich Nagay that kindred being 5. Brothers to a towne called Ouglets which was giuen vnto her and the young Prince her sonne with all the lands belonging to it in the shire with officers of all sortes appointed hauing allowance of apparell iewels diet horse c. in ample maner belonging to the estate of a princesse The time of mourning after their vse being expired called Sorachyn or fortie orderlie dayes the day of the solemnizing of this coronation with great preparations was come being vpon the 10. day of Iune 1584. and that day then Sunday he being of the age of 25. yeeres at which time Master Ierom Horsey was orderly sent for and placed in a fit roome to
prouince is 35. thousand markes sterling being not the 5. part of his yerely reuenue Further he and his house be of such authoritie and power that in 40. dayes warning they are able to bring into the fielde 100. thousand Souldiers well furnished The conclusion of the Emperors Coronation was a peale of ordinance called a peale royall two miles without the citie being 170. great pieces of brasse of all sorts as faire as any can be made these pieces were all discharged with shot against bulwarkes made of purpose 20. thousand hargubusers standing in 8. rankes two miles in length appareled all in veluet coloured silke stammels discharged their shot also twise ouer in good order and so the Emperor accompanied with all his princes and nobles at the least 50. thousand horse departed through the City to his pallace This royall coronation would aske much time and many leaues of paper to be described particularly as it was performed it shal suffice to vnderstand that the like magnificence was neuer seene in Russia The coronation and other triumphes ended al the nobilitie officers and merchants according to an accustomed order euery one in his place and degree brought rich presents vnto the Emperor wishing him long life and ioy in his kingdome The sametime also Master Ierom Horsey aforesaid remayning as seruant in Russia for the Queenes most excellent Maiestie was called for to the Emperor as he sate in his imperiall seat and then also a famous Merchant of Netherland being newly come to Mosco who gaue him selfe out to be the king of Spaines subiect called Iohn de Wale was in like sort called for Some of the nobilitie would haue preferred this subiect of the Spaniard before Master Horsey seruant to the Queene of England whereunto Master Horsey would in no case agree saying he would haue his legges cut off by the knees before he would yeeld to such an indignitie offered to his Soueraigne the Queenes Maiesty of England to bring the Emperor a present in course after the King of Spaines subiect or any other whatsoeuer The Emperor and the Prince Boris Pheodorowich perceiuing the controuersie sent the Lord Treasorer Peter Iuanowich Galauyn and Vasili Shalkan both of the Counsell to them who deliuered the Emperor backe Master Horseys speech whereupon he was first in order as good reason admitted and presented the Emperor in the behalfe of the English Merchants trading thither a present wishing him ioy and long to raigne intranquilitie and so kissed the Emperors hand he accepting the present with good liking and auouching that for his sisters sake Queene Elizabeth of England he would be a gracious Lord to her Merchants in as ample maner as euer his father had ben and being dismissed he had the same day sent him 70. dishes of sundry kinds of meats with 3. carts laden with al sorts of drinks very bountifully After him was the foresayd subiect of the Spanish king admitted with his present whom the Emperor willed to be no lesse faithfull and seruiceable vnto him then the Queene of Englands subiects were had bene and then the king of Spaines subiects should receiue fauour accordingly All these things thus in order performed praises were sung in all the churches The Emperor and Empresse very deuoutly resorted on foote to many principal Churches in the Citie and vpon Trinitie Sunday betooke themselues to a progresse in order of procession to a famous monasterie called Sergius and the Trinitie 60. miles distant from the Citie of Mosco accompanied with a huge armie of Noblemen Gentlemen and others mounted vpon goodly horses with furniture accordingly The Empresse of deuotion tooke this iourney on foot all the way accompanied with her princesses and ladies no small number her guard and gunners were in number 20000. her chiefe counseller or attendant was a noble man of the blood Roial her vncle of great authoritie called Demetri Iuanowich Godonoua All this progresse ended both the Emperor and Empresse returned to Mosco shortly after the Emperor by the direction of the prince Boris Pheodorowich sent a power into the land of Siberia where all the rich Sables Furres are gotten This power conquered in one yeere and a halfe 1000. miles In the performance of this warre there was taken prisoner the Emperor of the countrey called Chare Sibersky and with him many other dukes and noble men which were brought to Mosko with a guard of souldiers and gunners who were receiued into the citie in very honorable maner and do there remaine to this day Hereupon the corrupt officers Iudges Iustices captains and lieutenants through the whole kingdom were remooued and more honest men substituted in their places with expresse commandement vnder seuere punishment to surcease their old bribing extortion which they had vsed in the old Emperors time and now to execute true iustice without respect of persons and to the end that this might be the better done their lands and yeerly stipends were augmented the great taskes customes and duties which were before layd vpon the people in the old Emperors time were now abated and â—ome wholy remitted and no punishments commanded to be vsed without sufficient and due proofe although the crime were capitall deseruing death many Dukes and noble men of great houses that were vnder displeasure and imprisoned 20. yeeres by the old Emperor were now set at libertie and restored to their lands all prisoners were set at libertie and their trespasses forgiuen In summe a great alteration vniuersally in the gouernment folowed and yet all was done quietly ciuilly peaceably without trouble to the Prince or offence to the Subiect and this bred great assurance and honour to the kingdom and all was accomplished by the wisedom especially of Irenia the Empresse These things being reported and caried to the eares of the kings and princes that were borderers vpon Russia they grew so fearefull and terrible to them that the Monarch of all the Scythians called the Crimme Tartar or great Can himselfe named Sopheâ— Keri Alli came out of his owne countrey to the Emperor of Russia accompanied with a great number of his nobilitie well horsed although to them that were Christians they seemed rude yet they were personable men and valiant their comming was gratefull to the Emperor and their entertainment was honourableâ— the Tartar prince hauing brought with him his wiues also receiued of the Russe Emperor entertainment and princely welcome according to their estates Not long after 1200. Polish gentlemen valiant Souldiors and proper men came to Mosko offring their seruice to the Emperor who were all entertained and in like sort many Chirkasses and people of other natioâ—s came and offred seruice And assoone as the report of this new created Emperor was spred ouer other kingdoms of Europe there were sent to him sundry Ambassadors to wish him ioy and prosperitie in his kingdom thither came Ambassadors from the Turke from the Persian the Boghariaâ— the Crimme the Georgian and many other Tartar
sumus Indè archiepiscopi ceterique principes imperij Alemanniam per dextram repetentes nos versùs Franciam ad sinistram declinantes cum inenarrabilibus gratijs osculis ab inuicem discessimus Et tandem de triginta equitibus qui de Normannia pingues exiuimus vix viginti pauperes peregrini omnes pedites macie multa attenuati reuersi sumus The same in English I Ingulphus an humble seruant of reuerend Guthlac and of his monastery of Croiland borne in England and of English parents at the beautifull citie of London was in my youth for the attaining of good letters placed first at Westminster and afterward sent to the Uniuersitie of Oxford And hauing excelled diuers of mine equals in learning of Aristotle I inured my selfe somewhat vnto the first second Rhethorique of Tullie And as I grew in age disdayning my parents meane estate and forsaking mine owne natiue soyle I affected the Courts of kings and princes and was desirous to be clad in silke and to weare braue and costly attire And loe at the same time William our souereigne king now but then Erle of Normandie with a great troup of followers and attendants came vnto London to conferre with king Edward the Counfessour his kinsman Into whose company intruding my selfe and proffering my seruice for the performance of any speedy or weightie affayres in short time after I had done many things with goood successe I was knowen and most entirely beloued by the victorious Erle himselfe and with him I sayled into Normandie And there being made his secretarie I gouerned the Erles Court albeit with the enuie of some as my selfe pleased yea whom I would I abased and preferred whom I thought good When as therefore being carried with a youthfull heat and lustie humour I began to be wearie euen of this place wherein I was aduanced so high aboue my parentage and with an inconstant minde and affection too too ambitious most vehemently aspired at all occasions to climbe higher there went a report throughout all Normandie that diuers Archbishops of the Empire and secular princes were desirous for their soules health and for deuotion sake to goe on pilgrimage to Ierusalem Wherefore out of the family of our lorde the Earle sundry of vs both gentlemen and clerkes principall of whom was my selfe with the licence and good will of our sayd lord the earle sped vs on that voiage and trauailing thirtie horses of vs into high Germanie we ioyned our selues vnto the Archbishop of Mentz And being with the companies of the Bishops seuen thousand persons sufficiently prouided for such an expedition we passed prosperously through many prouinces and at length attained vnto Constantinople Where doing reuerence vnto the Emperour Alexius we sawe the Church of Sancta Sophia and kissed diuers sacred reliques Departing thence through Lycia we fell into the hands of the Arabian theeues and after we had bene robbed of infinite summes of money and had lost many of our people hardly escaping with extreame danger of our liues at length wee ioyfully entered into the most wished citie of Ierusalem Where we were receiued by the most reuerend aged and holy patriarke Sophronius with great melodie of cymbals and with torch-light and were accompanied vnto the most diuine Church of our Sauiour his sepulchre with a solemne procession aswell of Syrians as of Latines Here how many prayers we vttered what abundance of teares we shed what deepe sighs we breathed foorth our Lord Iesus Christ onely knoweth Wherefore being conducted from the most glorious sepulchre of Christ to visite other sacred monuments of the citie we saw with weeping eyes a great number of holy Churches and oratories which Achim the Souldan of Egypt had lately destroyed And so hauing bewailed with sadde teares and most sorowful and bleeding affections all the ruines of that most holy city both within and without and hauing bestowed money for the reedifying of some we desired with most ardent deuotion to go forth into the countrey to wash our selues in the most sacred riuer of Iordan and to kisse all the steppes of Christ. Howbeit the theeuish Arabians lurking vpon euery way would not suffer vs to trauell farre from the city by reason of their huge and furious multitudes Wherefore about the spring there arriued at the port of Ioppa a fleet of ships from Genoa In which fleet when the Christian merchants had exchanged all their wares at the coast townes and had likewise visited the holy plâ—ces wee all of vs embarked committing our selues to the seas and being tossed with many stormes and tempests at length wee arriued at Brundusium and so with a prosperous iourney trauelling thorow Apulia towaâ—ds Rome we there visited the habitations of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and did reuerence vnto diuers monuments of holy martyrs in all places thorowout the city From thence the archbishops and other princes of the empire trauelling towards the right hand for Alemain and we declining towards the left hand for France departed asunder taking our leaues with vnspeakable thankes and courtesies And so at length of thirty horsemen which went out of Normandie fat Iusly and frolique we returned thither skarse twenty poore pilgrims of vs being all footmen and consumed with leannesse to the bare bones ¶ Diuers of the honourable family of the Beauchamps with Robert Curtoys sonne of William the Conqueror made a voyage to Ierusalem 1096. Hol. pag. 22. vol. 2. POpe Vrbane calling a councell at Clermont in Auuergne exhorted the Christian princes so earnestly to make a iourney into the Holy land for the recouery thereof out of the Saracens hands that the saide great and generall iourney was concluded vpon to be taken in hand wherein many noble men of Christendome went vnder the leading of Godfrey of Bouillon others as in the Chronicles of France of Germanie and of the Holy land doeth more plainely appeare There went also among other diuers noble men foorth of this Realme of England specially that worthily bare the surname of Beauchampe ¶ The voyage of Gutuere an English Lady maried to Balduine brother of Godfreide duke of Bouillon toward Ierusalem about 1097. And the 11. yeere of William Rufus King of England THe Christian armie of Godfrie of Bouillon passing the citie of Iconium alias Agogna in the countrey of Licaonia and from thence by the city of Heraclia came at length vnto the citie of Marasia where they encamped and soiourned there three whole dayes because of the wife of Balduine brother germane of the duke of Loraigne Which Lady being long time vexed with a grieuous malady was in extremitie where at length paying the debt due to nature she changed this transitorie lite for life eternall Who in her life time was a very worthy and vertuous Lady borne in England and descended of most noble parentage named Gutuere Which according to her degree was there most honourably enterred to the great griefe of all the whole armie As reporteth William
way vnto â—uery one of the saide gates standeth a city as big by estimation as Venice and Padua The foresaid city of Canasia is situated in waters or marshes which alwayes stand still neither ebbing nor flowing howbeit it hath a defence for the winde like vnto Venice In this citie there are mo then 10002. bridges many whereof I numbred and passed ouer them and vpon euery of those bridges stand certaine watchmen of the citie keeping continuall watch and ward about the said city for the great Can the Emperour of Catay The people of this countrey say that they haue one duetie inioyned vnto them by their lord for euery fire payeth one Balis in regard of tribute and a Balis is fiue papers or pieces of silke which are worth one floren and an halfe of our coine Tenne or twelue housholds are accompted for one fire and so pay tribute but for one fire onely Al those tributary fires amount vnto the number of 85. Thuman with other foure Thuman of the Saracens which make 89. in al And one Thuman coÌ„sisteth of 10000. fires The residue of the people of the city are some of them Christians some marchants and some traueilers through the countrey whereupon I marueiled much howe such an in infinite number of persons could inhabite and liue together There is great aboundance of victuals in this citie as namely of bread and wine and especially of hogs-flesh with other necessaries Of a Monastery where many strange beastes of diuers kindes doe liue vpon an hill IN the foresaide citie foure of our friers had conuerted a mighty and riche man vnto the faith of Christ at whose house I continually abode for so long time as I remained in the citie Who vpon a certaine time saide vnto me Ara that is to say Father will you goe and beholde the citie And I said yea Then embarqued we our selues and directed our course vnto a certaine great Monastery where being arriued he called a religious person with whom he was acquainted saying vnto him concerning me this Raban Francus that is to say this religious Frenchman commeth from the Westerne parts of the world and is now going to the city of Cambaleth to pray for the life of the great Can and therefore you must shew him some rare thing that when hee returnes into his owne countrey he may say this strange sight or nouelty haue I seâ—ne in the city of Canasia Then the said religious man tooke two great baskets full of broken reliques which remained of the table and led me vnto a little walled parke the doore whereof he vnlocked with his key and there appeared vnto vs a pleasant faire greene plot into the which we entred In the said greene stands a litle mount in forme of a steeple râ—plenished with fragrant herbes and fine shady trees And while we stood there he tooke a cymball or bell and rang therâ—with as they vse to ring to dinner or beuoir in cloisters at the sound whereof many creatures of diuers kinds came downe from the mount some like apes some like cats some like monkeys and some hauing faces like men And while I stood beholding of them they gathered themselues together about him to the number of 4200. of those creatures putting themselues in good order before whom he set a platter and gaue them the said fragments to eate And when they had eaten he rang vpon his cymbal the second time and they al returned vnto their former places Then wondring greatly at the matter I demanded what kind of creatures those might be They are quoth he the soules of noble men which we do here feed for the loue of God who gouerneth the world and as a man was honorable or noble in this life so his soule after death entreth into the body of some excellent beast or other but the soules of simple and rusticall people do possesse the bodies of more vile and brutish creaures Then I began to refute that foule error howbeit my speach did nothing at all preuaile with him for hee could not be perswaded that any soule might remaine without a body From thence I departed vnto a certaine citie named Chilenfo the walls whereof conteined 40. miles in circuit In this city there are 360. bridges of stone the fairest that euer I saw and it is wel inhabited hauing a great nauie belonging thereunto abounding with all kinds of victuals and other commodities And thence I went vnto a certaine riuer called Thalay which where it is most narrow is 7. miles broad and it runneth through the midst of the land of Pygmaei whose chiefe city is called Cakam and is one of the goodliest cities in the world These Pigmaeans are three of my spans high and they make larger and better cloth of cotten and silke then any other nation vnder the sunne And coasting along by the saide riuer I came vnto a certaine citie named Ianzu in which citie there is one receptacle for the Friers of our order and there be also three Churches of the Nestorlans This Ianzu is a noble and great citie containing 48 Thuman of tributarie fiers and in it are all kindes of victuals and great plenty of such beastes oules and fishes as Christians doe vsually liue vpon The lord of the same citie hath in yeerely reuenues for salt onely fiftie Thuman of Balis and one balis is worth a floren and a halfe of our coyne insomuch that one Thuman of balis amounteth vnto the value of fifteene thousand florens Howbeit the sayd lord fauoureth his people in one respect for sometimes he forgiueth them freely two hundred Thuman least there should be any scarcity or dearth among them There is a custome in this citie that when any man is determined to banquet his friends going about vnto certaine tauernes or cookes houses appointed for the same purpose he sayth vnto euery particular hoste you shall haue such and such of my friendes whom you must intertaine in my name and so much I will bestowe vpon the banquet And by that meanes his friendes are better feasted at diuerse places then they should haue beene at one Tenne miles from the sayde citie about the head of the foresayd riuer of Thalay there is a certaine other citie called Montu which hath the greatest nauy that I saw in the whole world All their ships are as white as snow and they haue banqueting houses in them and many other rare things also which no man would beleeue vnlesse he had seene them with his owne eyes Of the citie of Cambaleth TRaueiling eight dayes iourney further by diuers territories and cities at length I came by fresh water vnto a certaine citie named Lencyn standing vpon the riuer of Karauoran which runneth through the midst of Cataie and doeth great harme in the countrey when it ouerfloweth the bankes or breaketh foorth of the chanell From thence passing along the riuer Eastward after many dayes trauell and the sight of diuers cities I
Towne called Taslizea The 20. we came to Nouibazar The 21. we parted froÌ„ thence trauailing stil in a countrey very ill inhabited lying in y e fields The 22. we passed within sight of Nicea The 23. we passed in sight of another towne called Circui and about those places wee began to leaue the mountaines and to enter into a very faire and fertile countrey but as euill inhabited as the other or worse The 27. we came to Sophia where wee stayed three daâ—es being our Ianizaries home and by good chance we lay in a Marchants house of Ragusa that came in company with vs from Nouibazar and also wee had in company euer since wee came from Focea a Turke which was a very good fellow and he kept company with vs till we came very neere Constantinople The first of September we came to Philippopoli which seemeth to be an ancient towne and standeth vpon the riuer of Stanuch The 4. we came to Andrinopoli a very great and ancient towne which standeth in a very large and champion countrey and there the great Turks mother doth lye being a place where the Emperous of the Turkes were wont to lye very much The 5. we lay in one of the great Cauarzaras that were built by Mahomet Bassha with so many goodly commodities The 6. we lay in another of them The 8. we came to Siliueri which by report was the last towne that remained Christian. The 9. of September wee arriued at the great and most stately Citie of Constantinople which for the situation and proude â—eate thereof for the beautifull and commodious hauen and for the great and sumptuous buildings of their Temples which they call Moschea is to be preferred before all the Cities of Europe And there the Emperour of the Turkes then liuing whose name was Amurat kept his Court and residence in a marueilous goodly place with diuers gardens and houses of pleasure which is at the least two English miles in compasse and the three parts thereof ioyne vpon the sea and on the Northeast part of the Citie on the other side of the water ouer against the Citie is the Towne of Pera where the most part of the Christians dolye And there also wee did lye And on the North part of the â—aide Towne is the Arsenal where the Galies are built and doe râ—maine And on the Southside is all the Ordinance artilerie and houses of munition Note that by the way as wee came from Ragusa to Constantinople wee left on our right hand the Countreys of Albania and Macedonia and on the left hande the countreys of Bosnia Bulgaria and the riuer of Danubius The 14. of September was the Turkes Beyram that is one of their chiefest feastes The 15. we went to the blacke Sea called Pontus Euxinus and there vpon a rocke we sawe a piller of white Marble that was set vp by Pompeius and from thence wee passed to the other side of the water vpon the shore of Asia and there we dined The 25. we departed from Constantinople The 29. we came to an ancient Towne called Cherchisea that is to say fourtie Churches which in the olde time was a very great City now full of scattered buildings The 4. of October wee came to Prouaz one dayes iourney distant from Varna vpon the Blacke Sea The 9. we came to Saxi vpon the riuer of Danubius The 10. we passed the said riuer which in that place is about a mile ouer and then we entred into the countrey of Bogdania they are Christians but subiects to the Turke The 12. we came to Palsin vpon the riuer Prut The 14. wee came to Yas the principall Towne of Bogdania where Peter the Vayuoda prince of that Countrey keepeth his residence of whom wee receiued great courtesie and of the gentlemen of his Court And he caused vs to be safe conducted through his said Countrey and conueyed without coste The 17. we came to Stepanitze The 19. we came to Zotschen which is the last towne of Bogdania vpon the riuer of Niester that parteth the said countrey from Podolia The 20. we passed the riuer of Nyester and came to Camyenetz in the countrey of Podoliâ— subiect to the king of Poland this is one of the strongest Townes by nature and situation that can be seene The 21. we came to Skala The 22. to Slothone or Sloczow The 24. to Leopolis which is in Russia alba and so is the most part of the countrey betwixt Camyenetz and it And it is a towne very well built well gouerned full of trafique and plentifull and there we stayed fiue dayes The 30. we baited at Grodecz and that night at Vilna The 31. we dined at Mostiska and that night at Rodmena The first of Nouember in the morning before day wee passed without the Towne of Iaroslaw where they say is one of the greatest faires in all Poland and chiefly of horses and that night to Rosdnoska The second to dinner at Lanczut at night to Retsboâ— The thirde to Sendxizow at night to sarnow and that night wee mette with the Palatine Laski The fourth to Vonuez and that night to Brytska The fifth to Kuhena The 6. to Cracouia the principall Citie of all Poland at which time the King was gone to Lituania for he doeth make his residence one yeere in Poland and the other in Lituania Cracouia standeth on the riuer of Vistula The 9. wee departed from Cracouia and that night wee came to a village hard by a Towne called Ilkusch where the leade Mines are The 10. wee passed by a Towne called Slawkow where there are also leade Mines and baited that day at Bendzin which is the last towne of Poland towards Silesia and there is a toll Note that all the Countreys of Poland Russia alba Podolia Bogdania and diuers other Countreys adioyning vnto them doe consume no other salt but such as is digged in Sorstyn mountaine neere to Cracouia which is as hard as any stone it is very good and goeth further then any other salt That night we lay at Bitom which is the first Towne of Silesia The 12. we passed by a great towne called Strelitz and that night we lay at Oppelen vpon the riuer of Odera The 13. we passed by Schurgasse and that night wee lay without the towne of Brigk for wee coulde not bee suffered to come in by reason of the plague which was in those partes in diuers Townes The 14. wee passed by Olaw and that night wee came to the Citie of Breslaw which is a faire towne great well built and well seated vpon the riuer of Odera The 16. we baited at Neumargâ— The 17. wee passed by Lignizt and by Hayn and that night to Buntzel The 18. wee passed by Naumburg through Gorlitz vpon the riuer of Neiss and that night lay without
almost there is not any passage From Cao Comori to the Iland of Zeilan is 120. miles ouerthwart Zeilan ZEilan is an Iland in my iudgement a great deale bigger then Cyprus on that side towards the Indies lying Westward is the citie called Columba which is a hold of the Portugales but without walles or enimies It hath towards the Sea a free port the lawfull king of that Iland is in Columbo and is turned Christian and maintained by the king of Portugall being depriued of his kingdome The king of the Gentiles to whom this kingdome did belong was called Madoni which had two sonnes the first named Barbinas the prince and the second Ragine This king by the pollicie of his yoonger sonne was depriued of his kingdome who because hee had entised and done that which pleased the armie and souldiours in despight of his father and brother being prince vsurped the kingdome and became a great warriour First this Iland had three kings the king of Cotta with his conquered prisoners the king of Candia which is a part of that Iland and is so called by the name of Candia which had a reasonable power ◠and was a great friend to the Portugals which sayd that hee liued secretly a Christian the third was the king of Gianifampatan In thirteene yeeres that this Ragine gouerned this Iland he became a great tyrant In this Iland there groweth fine Sinamom great store of Pepper great store of Nuttes and Arochoe there they make great store of Cairo to make Cordage it bringeth foorth great store of Christall Cats eyes or Ochi de Gati and they say that they finde there some Rubies but I haue sold Rubies well there that I brought with me from Pegu. I was desirous to see how they gather the Sinamom or take it from the tree that it groweth on and so much the rather because the time that I was there was the season which they gather it in which was in the moneth of Aprill at which time the Portugals were in armes and in the field with the king of the countrey yet I to satisfie my desire although in great danger tooke a guide with mee and went into a wood three miles from the Citie in which wood was great store of Sinamome trees growing together among other wilde trees and this Sinamome tree is a small tree and not very high and hath leaues like to our Baie tree In the moneth of March or Aprill when the sappe goeth vp to the toppe of the tree then they take the Sinamom from that tree in this wise They cut the barke of the tree round about in length from knot to knot or from ioint to ioint aboue and belowe and then easilie with their handes they take it away laying it in the Sunne to drie and in this wise it is gathered and yet for all this the tree dieth not but agaynst the next yeere it will haue a new barke and that which is gathered euery yeere is the best Sinamome for that which groweth two or three yeeres is great and not so good as the other is and in these woods groweth much Pepper Negapatan FRom the Iland of Zeilan men vse to goe with small shippes to Negapatan within the firme land and seuentie two miles off is a very great Citie and very populous of Portugals and Christians of the countrey and part Gentiles it is a countrey of small trade neither haue they any trade there saue a good quantitie of Rice and cloth of Bumbast which they carie into diuers partes it was a very plentifull countrey of victuals but now it hath a great deale lesse and that abundance of victuals caused many Portugales to goe thither and build houses and dwell there with small charge This Citie belongeth to a noble man of the kingdome of Bezeneger being a Gentile neuerthelesse the Portugales and other Christians are well intreated there and haue their Churches there with a monasterie of Saint Francis order with great deuotion and very well accommodated with houses round about yet for all this they are amongst tyrants which alwayes at their pleasure may doe them some harme as it happened in the yeere of our Lord God one thousand fiue hundred sixtie and fiue for I remember very well how that the Nayer that is to say the lord of the citie sent to the citizens to demaund of them certaine Arabian horses and they hauing denied them vnto him and gainesayd his demaund it came to passe that this lord had a desire to see the Sea which when the poore citizens vnderstood they doubted some euill to heare a thing which was not woont to bee they thought that this man would come to sacke the Citie and presently they embarked themselues the best they could with their mooueables marchandize iewels money and all that they had and caused the shippes to put from the shore When this was done as their euill chance would haue it the next night following there came such a great storme that it put all the shippes on land perforce and brake them to pieces and all the goods that came on land and were saued were taken from them by the souldiours and armie of this lord which came downe with him to see the Sea and were attendant at the Sea side not thinking that any such thing would haue happened Saint Thomas or San Tome FRom Negapatan following my voyage towards the East an hundred and fiftie miles I found the house of blessed Saint Thomas which is a Church of great deuotion and greatly regarded of the Gentiles for the great miracles they haue heard to haue bene done by that blessed Apostle neere vnto this Church the Portugals haue builded them a Citie in the countrey subiect to the king of Bezeneger which citie although it bee not very great yet in my iudgement it is the fairest in all that part of the Indies and it hath very faire houses and faire gardens in vacant places very well accommodated it hath streete◠large and streight with many Churches of great deuotion their houses be set close one vn 〈◊〉 other with little doores euery house hath his defence so that by that meanes it is of force sufficient to defend y e Portugals against the people of that countrey The Portugals there haue no other possession but their gardens and houses that are within the citie the customes belong to the king of Bezeneger which are very small and easie for that it is a countrey of great riches and great trade there come euery yeere two or three great ships very rich besides many other small ships one of the two great ships goeth for Pegu and the other for Malacca laden with fine Bumbast cloth of euery sort painted which is a rare thing because those kinde of clothes shew as they were gilded with diuers colours and the more they be washed the liuelier the colours will shew Also there is other cloth of Bumbast which is wouen with
China and from China to the Indies and the voyage of Bengala Maluco and Sonda with the lading of fine cloth and euery sort of Bumbast cloth Sonda is an Iland of the Moores neere to the coast of Iaua and there they lade Pepper for China The ship that goeth euery yeere from the Indies to China is called the ship of Drugs because she carieth diuers drugs of Cambaia but the greatest part of her lading is siluer From Malacca to China is eighteene hundred miles and from China to Iapan goeth euery yeere a shippe of great importance laden with Silke which for returne of their Silke bringeth barres of siluer which they trucke in China The distance betweene China and Iapan is foure and twentie hundred miles and in this way there are diuers Ilands not very bigge in which the Friers of saint Paul by the helpe of God make many Christians there like to themselues From these Ilands hitherwards the place is not yet discouered for the great sholdnesse of Sandes that they find The Portugals haue made a small citie neere vnto the coast of China called Macao whose church and houses are of wood and it hath a bishoprike but the customs belong to the king of China and they goe and pay the same at a citie called Canton which is a citie of great importance and very beautifull two dayes iourney and a halfe from Macao The people of China are Gentiles and are so iealous and fearefull that they would not haue a stranger to put his foote within their land so that when the Portugals go thither to pay their custome and to buy their marchandize they will not consent that they shall lie or lodge within the citie but send them foorth into the suburbes The countrey of China is neere the kingdom of great Tartaria and is a very great countrey of the Gentiles and of great importance which may be iudged by the rich and precious marchandize that come from thence then which I beleeue there are not better nor in greater quantitie in the whole world besides First great store of golde which they carie to the Indies made in plates like to little shippes and in value three and twentie caracts a peece very great aboundance of fine silke cloth of damaske and taffata great quantitie of muske great quantitie of Occam in barres great quantitie of quicksiluer and of Cinaper great store of Camfora an infinite quantitie of Porcellane made in vessels of diuerse sortes great quantitie of painted cloth and squares infinite store of the rootes of China and euery yeere there commeth from China to the Indies two or three great shippes laden with most rich and precious marchandise The Rubarbe commeth from thence ouer lande by the way of Persia because that euery yeere there goeth a great Carouan from Persia to China which is in going thither sixe moneths The Carouan arriueth at a Citie called Lanchin the place where the king is resident with his Court I spake with a Persian that was three yeeres in that citie of Lanchin and he tolde me that it was a great Citie and of great importance The voiages of Malacca which are in the iurisdiction of the Captaine of the castle are these Euery yeere he sendeth a small shippe to Timor to lade white Sandols for all the best commeth from this Iland there commeth some also from Solor but that is not so good also he sendeth another small ship euery yere to Cauchin China to lade there wood of Aloes for that all the wood of Aloes commeth from this place which is in the firme land neere vnto China and in that kingdome I could not knowe how that wood groweth by any meanes For that the people of the countrey will not suffer the Portugales to come within the land but onely for wood and water and as for all other things that they wanted as victuals or marchandise the people bring that a boord the ship in small barkes so that euery day there is a mart kept in the ship vntill such time as she be laden also there goeth another ship for the said Captaine of Malacca to Sion to lade Uerzino all these voiages are for the Captaine of the castle of Malacca and when he is not disposed to make these voiages he selleth them to another The citie of Sion or Siam SIon was the imperiall seat and a great Citie but in the yeere of our Lord God one thousand fiue hundred sixtie and seuen it was taken by the king of Pegu which king made a voyage or came by lande foure moneths iourney with an armie of men through his lande and the number of his armie was a million and foure hundreth thousand men of warre when hee came to the Citie he gaue assault to it and besieged it one and twentie monethes before he could winne it with great losse of his people this I know for that I was in Pegu sixe moneths after his departure and sawe when that his officers that were in Pegu sent fiue hundreth thousand men of warre to furnish the places of them that were slaine and lost in that assault yet for all this if there had not beene treason against the citie it had not beene lost for on a night there was one of the gates set open through the which with great trouble the king gate into the citie and became gouernour of Sion and when the Emperour sawe that he was betrayed and that his enemie was in the citie he poysoned himselfe and his wiues and children friends and noblemen that were not slaine in the first affront of the entrance into the citie were all caried captiues into Pegu where I was at the comming home of the king with his triumphs and victorie which comming home returning from the warres was a goodly sight to behold to see the Elephants come home in a square laden with golde siluer iewels and with Noble men and women that were taken prisoners in that citie Now to returne to my voyage I departed from Malacca in a great shippe which went for Saint Tome being a Citie situate on the coast of Coromandel and because the Captaine of the castles of Malacca had vnderstanding by aduise that the king of Assi would come with a great armie and power of men against them therefore vpon this he would not giue licence that any shippes should depart Wherefore in this ship wee departed from thence in the night without making any prouision of our water and wee were in that shippe foure hundreth and odde men we departed from thence with intention to goe to an Iland to take in water but the windes were so contrary that they would not suffer vs to fetch it so that by this meanes wee were two and fortie dayes in the sea as it were lost and we were driuen too and fro so that the first lande that we discouered was beyonde Saint Tome more then fiue hundreth miles which were the mountaines of
paces another marble pillar being round called Pompey his pillar this pillar standeth vpon a great square stone euery square is fifteene foote and the same stone is fifteene foote high and the compasse of the pillar is 37 foote and the heigth of it is 101 feete which is a wonder to thinke how euer it was possible to set the said pillar vpon the said square stone The port of the said Citie is strongly fortified with two strong Castles and one other Castle within the citie being all very well planted with munition and there is to the Eastward of this Citie about three dayes iourney the citie of Grand Cayro otherwise called Memphis it hath in it by report of the registers bookes which we did see to the number of 2400 Churches and is wonderfully populous and is one dayes iourney about the wals which was iourneyed by one of our Marriners for triall thereof Also neere to the saide citie there is a place called the Pyramides being as I may well terme it one of the nine wonders of the world that is seuen seuerall places of flint and marble stone foure square the wals thereof are seuen yards thicke in those places that we did see the squarenes is in length about twentie score euery square being built as it were a pointed diamond broad at the foote and small or narrow at the toppe the heigth of them to our iudgement doth surmount twise the heigth of Paules steeple within the saide Pyramides no man doth know what there is for that they haue no entrance but in the one of them there is a hole where the wall is broken and so we went in there hauing torch-light with vs for that it hath no light to it and within the same is as it were a great hall in the which there is a costly tombe which tombe they say was made for king Pharao in his life time but he was not buried there being drowned in the red sea also there are certaine vauts or dungeons which goe downe verie deepe vnder those Pyramides with faire staires but no man dare venter to goe downe into them by reason that they can cary no light with them for the dampe of the earth doth put out the light the red sea is but three daies iourney from this place and Ierusalem about seuen dayes iourney from thence but to returne to Cayro There is a Castle wherin is the house that Pharaoes wiues were kept in and in the Pallace or Court thereof stande 55 marble pillars in such order as our Exchange standeth in London the said pillars are in heigth 60 foote and in compasse 14 foote also in the said Citie is the castle where Ioseph was in prison where to this day they put in rich men when the king would haue any summe of money of them there are seuen gates to the sayd prison and it goeth neere fiftie yardes downe right also the water that serueth this castle commeth out of the foresaide riuer of Nilus vpon a wall made with arches fiue miles long and it is twelue foote thicke Also there are in old Cayro two Monasteries the one called S. Georges the other S. Maries in the Courts where the Churches be was the house of king Pharao In this Citie is great store of marchandize especially pepper and nutmegs which come thither by land out of the East India and it is very plentifull of all maner of victuals especially of bread rootes and hearbes to the Eastwards of Cayro there is a Well fiue miles off called Matria and as they say when the Uirgin Marie fled from Bethleem and came into AEgypt and being there had neither water nor any other thing to sustaine them by the prouidence of God an Angell came from heauen and strake the ground with his wings where presently issued out a fountaine of water and the wall did open where the Israelites did hide themselues which fountaine or well is walled foure square till this day Also we were at an old Citie all ruinated and destroyed called in olde time the great Citie of Carthage where Hannibal and Queene Dido dwelt this Citie was but narrow but was very long for there was and is yet to bee seene one streete three mile long to which Citie fresh water was brought vpon arches as afore aboue 25 miles of which arches some are standing to this day Also we were at diuers other places on the coast as we came from Cayro but of other antiquities we saw but few The towne of Argier which was our first and last port within the streights standeth vpon the side of an hill close vpon the seashore it is very strong both by sea and land and it is very well victualed with all manner of fruites bread and fish good store and very cheape It is inhabited with Turkes Moores and Iewes and so are Alexandria and Cayro In this towne are a great number of Christian captiues wherof there are of Englishmen onely fifteene from which port we set sayle towardes England the seuenth of Ianuarie Anno 1587 and the 30 day of the sayd moneth we arriued at Dartmouth on the coast of England The second voyage of M. Laurence Aldersey to the Cities of Alexandria and Cayro in Aegypt Anno 1586. I Embarked my selfe at Bristoll in the Hercules a good ship of London and set saile the 21 day of Februarie about ten of the clocke in the morning hauing a merry winde but the 23 day there arose a very great storme and in the mids of it we descried a small boate of the burden of ten tunnes with foure men in her in very great danger who called a maine for our helpe Whereupon our Master made towardes them and tooke them into our ship and let the boate which was laden with timber and appertained to Chepstow to runne a drift The same night about midnight arose another great storme but the winde was large with vs vntill the 27 of the same moneth which then grew somewhat contrary yet notwithstanding we held on our course and the tenth day of March we descried a saile about Cape Sprat which is a litle on this side the streight of Gibraltare but we spake not with her The next day we descried twelue sayle more with whom we thought to haue spoken to haue learned what they were but they made very fast away and we gaue them ouer Thursday the 16 of March we had sight of the streights and of the coast of Barbary The 18 day we passed them and sailed towards Patras Upon the 23 of March we met with the Centurion of London which came from Genoa by whom we sent letters to England and the foure men also which we tooke in vpon the coast of England before mentioned The 29 of March we came to Goleta a small Iland and had sight of two shippes which we iudged to be of England Tuesday the fourth of Aprill we were before Malta and being there becalmed our Maister caused
no Englishmen there but then my guide brought mee aboord a ship of Alderman Martins called the Tyger of London where I was well receiued of the Master of the said ship whose name was Thomas Rickman and of all the company The said Master hauing made me good cheere and made me also to drinke of the water of Nilus hauing the keyes of the English house went thither with me himselfe appointed mee a faire chamber and left a man with me to prouide me all things that I needed and euery day came himselfe to me and caried me into the City and shewed me the monuments thereof which be these He brought mee first to Pompey his pillar which is a mighty thing of gray marble and all of one stone in height by estimation aboue 52. yards and the compasse about sixe fadome The City hath three gates one called the gate of Barbaria the other of Merina and the thirde of Rossetto He brought me to a stone in the streete of the Citie whereupon S. Marke was beheaded to the place where S. Katherine died hauing there hid herselfe because she would not marry also to the Bath of S. Katherine I saw there also Pharaos needle which is a thing in height almost equall with Pompeys pillar and is in compasse fiue fadome and a halfe and all of one stone I was brought also to a most braue and daintie Bath where we washed our selues the Bath being of marble and of very curious workemanship The Citie standeth vpon great arches or vawtes like vnto Churches with mightie pillars of marble to holde vp the foundation which arches are built to receiue the water of the riuer of Nilus which is for the vse of the Citie It hath three Castles and a hundred Churches but the part that is destroyed of it is siâ—e times more then that part which standeth The last day of Iuly I departed from Alexandria towards Cayro in a passage boate wherein first I went to Rossetto standing by the riuer side hauing 13. or 14. great churches in it their building there is of stone and bricke but as for lodging there is litle except we bring it with vs. From Rossetto wee passed along the riuer of Nilus which is so famous in the world twise as broad as the Thames at London on both sides grow date trees in great abundance The people be rude insomuch that a man cannot traueile without a Ianizary to conduct him The time that I stayed in AEgypt was the Turkes and Moores Lent in all which time they burne lamps in their churches as many as may hang in them their Lent endureth 40. dayes and they haue three Lents in the yere during which time they neither eate nor drink in the day time but all the night they do nothing else Betwixt Rossetto and Cayro there are along the water side three hundred cities and townes and the length of the way is not aboue three hundred miles To this famous Citie of Cayro I came the fift day of August where I found M. William Alday and William Caesar who intertained me in very good sort M. Caesar brought me to see the Pyramides which are three in number one whereof king Pharao made for his owne tombe the tombe it selfe is almost in the top of it the monuments bee high and in forme 4. square and euery of the squares is as long as a man may shoote a rouing arrowe and as high as a Church I sawe also the ruines of the Citie of Memphis hard by those Pyramides The house of Ioseph is yet standing in Cayro which is a sumptuous thing hauing a place to walke in of 56. mighty pillars all gilt with gold but I saw it not being then lame The 11. day of August the lande was cut at Cayro to let in the water of the riuer of Nilus which was done with great ioy and triumph The 12. of August I set from Cayro towards Alexandria againe and came thither the 14. of August The 26. day there was kept a great feast of the Turkes and Moores which lasted two dayes and for a day they neuer ceased shooting off of great Ordinance From Alexandria I sailed to Argier where I lay with M. Typton Consull of the English nation who vsed me most kindly and at his owne charge Hee brought mee to the kings Court and into the presence of the King to see him and the maners of the Court the King doeth onely beare the name of a King but the greatest gouernment is in the hands of the souldiers The king of Potanca is prisoner in Argier who comming to Constantinople to acknowledge a duety to the great Turke was betrayed by his owne nephew who wrote to the Turke that hee went onely as a spy by that meanes to get his kingdome I heard at Argier of seuen Gallies that were at that time cast away at a towne called Formentera three of them were of Argier the other foure were the Christians We found here also 13. Englishmen which were by force of weather put into the bay of Tunis where they were very ill vsed by the Moores who forced them to leaue their barke whereupon they went to the Councell of Argier to require a redresse and remedy for the iniurie They were all belonging to the shippe called the Golden Noble of London whereof Master Birde is owner The Master was Stephen Haselwood and the Captaine Edmond Bence The thirde day of December the pinnesse called the Mooneshine of London came to Argier with a prize which they tooke vpon the coast of Spaine laden with sugar hides and ginger the pinnesse also belonging to the Golden Noble and at Argier they made sale both of shippe and goods where wee left them at our comming away which was the seuenth day of Ianuarie and the first day of February I landed at Dartmouth and the seuenth day came to London with humble thankes to Almightie God for my safe arriuall A true report of a worthy fight performed in the voyage from Turkie by fiue Ships of London against 11. Gallies and two Frigats of the King of Spaines at Pantalarea within the Streights Anno 1586. Written by Philip Iones THe Marchants of London being of the incorporation of the Turky trade hauing receiued intelligences and aduertisements from time to time that the King of Spaine grudging at the prosperitie of this kingdome had not onely of late arrested al English ships bodies and goods in Spaine but also maligning the quiet trafique which they vsed to and in the dominions and prouinces vnder the obedience of the Great Turke had giuen order to the Captaines of his gallies in the Leuant to hinder the passage of all English ships and to endeuour by their best meanes to intercept take and spoile them their persons and goods they hereupon thought it their best course to set out their fleete for Turkie in such strength and abilitie for their defence that the purpose of their Spanish enemie might
his booke he dedicated to the Cardinall of Sens keeper of the great seale of France It appeareth by the sayd booke that he had read the works of sundry Phylosophers Astronomers and Cosmographers whose opinions he gathered together But touching his owne trauell which he affirmeth I refer to the iudgement of the expert in our dayes and therefore for mine owne part I write of these Canaria Ilands as time hath taught me in many yeres The Iland of Canaria THe Iland of Canaria is almost equal in length and bredth containing 12 leagues in length touching the which as principall and the residue the Spanyards holde opinion that they discouered the same in their nauigation toward America but the Portugals say that their nation first found the sayd Ilands in their nauigation toward Aethiopia and the East Indies But truth it is that the Spanyards first conquered these Ilands with diuers English gentlemen in their company whose posterity this present day inioyeth them Some write that this Iland was named Canaria by meane of the number of dogs which there were found as for example Andrew Theuet sayth that one Iuba carried two dogs from thence but that opinion could I neuer learne by any of the naturall people of the countrey although I haue talked with many in my time and with many of their children For trueth it is that there were dogs but such as are in all the Northwest lands and some part of the West India which serued the people in stead of sheepe for victuall But of some of the conquerors of those Ilands I haue heard say that the reason why they were called the Canaria Ilands is because there grow generally in them all fouresquare canes in great multitude together which being touched will cast out a liquour as white as milke which liquor is ranke poison and at the first entry into these Ilands some of the discouerers were therewith poisoned for many yeeres after that conquest the inhabitants began to plant both wine and sugar so that Canaria was not so called by sugar canes The people which first inhabited this land were called Canaries by the conquerors they were clothed in goat skinnes made like vnto a loose cassocke they dwelt in caues in the rocks in great amity and brotherly loue They spake all one language their chiefe feeding was gelt dogges goates and goates milke their bread was made of barley meale and goates milke called Gofia which they vse at this day and thereof I haue eaten diuers times for it is accounted exceeding holesome Touching the originall of these people some holde opinion that the Romans which dwelt in Africa exiled them thither aswell men as women their tongues being cut out of their heads for blasphemy against the Romane gods But howsoeuer it were their language was speciall and not mixed with Romane speech or Arabian This Iland is now the principallest of all the rest not in fertility but by reason it is the seat of iustice and gouernment of all the residue This Iland hath a speciall Gouernour for the Iland onely yet notwithstanding there are three Iudges called Auditours who are superiour Iudges and all in one ioyntly proceed as the Lord Chanceller of any realme To this city from all the other Ilands come all such by appeale as haue sustained any wrong and these good Iudges do remedy the same The city is called Ciuitas Palmarum it hath a beautifull Cathedrall church with all dignities thereunto pertaining For the publike weale of the Iland there are sundry Aldermen of great authority who haue a councell house by themselues The city is not onely beautifull but the citizens curious and gallant in apparell And after any raine or foule weather a man may goe cleane in Ueluet slippers because the ground is sandy the aire very temperate without extreame heat or colde They reape wheat in February and againe in May which is excellent good and maketh bread as white as snow This Iland hath in it other three townes the one called Telde the second Galder and the third Guia. It hath also twelue sugar houses called Ingenios in which they make great quantity of good sugar The maner of the growth of sugar is in this sort a good ground giueth foorth fruit nine times in 18 yere that is to say the first is called Planta which is layd along in a furrow so that the water of a sluce may come ouer euery roote being couered with earth this root bringeth foorth sundry canes and so consequently all the rest It groweth two yeeres before the yeelding of profit and not sixe moneths as Andrew Theuet the French man writeth Then are they cut euen with the ground and the tops leaues called Coholia cut off and the canes bound into bundels like faggots and so are caried to the sugar house called Ingenio where they are ground in a mill and the iuyce thereof conueyed by a conduct to a great vessell made for the purpose where it is boiled till it waxe thicke and then is it put into a fornace of earthen pots of the molde of a sugar loafe and then is it carried to another house called a purging house where it is placed to purge the blacknesse with a certaine clay that is layd thereon Of the remainder in the causoron is made a second sort called Escumas and of the purging liquor that droppeth from the white sugar is made a third sort and the remainder is called Panela or Netas the refuse of all the purging is called Remiel or Malasses and thereof is made another sort called Refinado When this first fruit is in this sort gathered called Planta then the Cane-field where it grew is burned ouer with sugar straw to the stumps of the first canes and being husbanded watred and trimmed at the end of other two yeeres it yeeldeth the second fruit called Zoca The third fruit is called Tertia Zoca the fourth Quarta Zoca and so orderly the rest til age causeth the olde Canes to be planted againe This Iland hath singular good wine especially in the towne of Telde and sundry sorts of good fruits as Batatas Mellons Peares Apples Orenges Limons Pomgranats Figs Peaches of diuers sorts and many other fruits but especially the Plantano which groweth neere brooke sides it is a tree that hath no timber in it but groweth directly vpward with the body hauing maruelous thicke leaues and euery leafe at the toppe of two yards long and almost halfe a yard broad The tree neuer yeeldeth fruit but once and then is cut downe in whose place springeth another and so still continueth The fruit groweth on a branch and euery tree yeeldeth two or three of those branches which beare some more and some lesse as some forty and some thirty the fruit is like a Cucumber and when it is ripe it is blacke and in eating more delicate then any conserue This Iland is sufficiently prouided of Oxen Kine Camels Goats Sheepe Capons Hens
Ducks and Pidgeons and great Partridges Wood is the thing that most wanteth and because I haue particularly to intreat of the other sixe Ilands I leaue further inlarging of Canaria which standeth in 27 degrees distant from the Equator The I le of Tenerif THe Iland of Tenerif standeth in 27 degrees and a halfe from the equator and is distant from Canaria 12 leagues Northward This Iland containeth 17 leagues in length and the land lieth high in forme of a ridge of sowen land in some part of England and in the midst of the sayd place standeth a round hill called Pico Deteithe situated in this sort The top of this pike conteineth of heigth directly vpward 15 leagues more which is 45 English miles out of the which often times proceedeth fire and brimstone and it may be about halfe a mile in compasse the sayd top is in forme or likenesse of a caldron But within two miles of the top is nothing but ashes pumish stones yet beneath that two miles is the colde region couered all the yere with snow and somwhat lower are mighty huge trees growing called Vinatico which are exceeding heauy and will not rot in any water although they lie a thousand yeeres therein Also there is a wood called Barbusano of like vertue with many Sauine trees and Pine trees And beneath these sorts of trees are woods of Bay trees of 10 12 miles long which is a pleasant thing to trauell thorow among the which are great numbers of small birds which sing exceeding sweet but especially one sort that are very litle and of colour in all respects like a Swallow sauing that he hath a little blacke spot on his breast as broad as a peny He singeth more sweetly then all the rest but if he be taken and imprisoned in a cage he liueth but a small while This Iland bringeth foorth all sorts of fruits as Canaria doth and also all the other Ilands in generall bring foorth shrubs or bushes out of the which issueth a iuice as white as milke which after a while that it hath come out waxeth thicke and is exceeding good birdlime the bush is called Taybayba This Iland also bringeth foorth another tree called Drago which groweth on high among rocks and by incision at the foot of the tree issueth out a liquor like blood which is a commō drug among Apothecaries Of the wood of this tree are made targets greatly esteemed because if any sword or dagger hit thereon they sticke so fast that it is hard plucking them out This is the most fruitfull Iland of all the rest for corne and in that respect is a mother or nurse to all the others in time of need There groweth also a certaine mosse vpon the high rocks called Orchel which is bought for Diars to die withall There are 12 sugar houses called Ingenios which make great quantity of sugar There is also one league of ground which standeth between two townes the one called Larotaua and the other Rialeio and it is thought that the like plot of ground is not in all the world The reason is that this one league of ground produceth sweet water out of the cliffes or rocky mountaines corne of all sortes fruites of all sortes and excellent good silke flaxe waxe and hony and very good wines in abundance with great store of sugar and fire-wood Out of this Iland is laden great quantity of wines for the West India and other countreys The best groweth on a hill side called the Ramble There is in that Iland a faire city standing three leagues from the sea nere vnto a lake called Laguna wherein are two faire parish churches there dwelleth the gouernour who ruleth all that Iland with iustice There are also aldermen for the publike weale who buy their offices of the king the most of the whole inhabitants of this city are gentlemen merchants and husband men There are other foure townes called Santa Cruz Larotaua Rialeio and Garachico In this Iland before the conquest dwelt seuen kings who with all their people dwelt in caues and were clothed in goat skinnes as the Canaria people were and vsed such like order of diet as they had Their order of buriall was that when any died he was carried naked to a great caue where he was propped vp against the wall standing on his feet But if he were of any authority among them then had he a staffe in his hand and a vessell of milke standing by him I haue seene caues of 300 of these corpses together the flesh being dried vp the body remained as light as parchment These people were called Guanches naturally they spake another language cleane contrary to the Canarians and so consequently euery Iland spake a seuerall language Note gentle reader that the Iland of Canaria the I le of Tenerif and the I le of Palma appertaine to the king of Spaine vnto whom they pay fifty thousand duckats yeerely for custome and other profits All these Ilands ioyntly are one bishopricke which pay to the bishop twelue thousand duckats yeerely And thus I conclude of the I le of Tenerif which standeth in 27 degrees and a halfe as I haue before declared Gomera THe Iland of Gomera standeth Westward from Tenerif in distance sixe leagues this is but a small Iland conteining eight leagues in length It is an Earledome the Lord thereof is called the earle of Gomera But in case of any controuersie the vassals may appeale to the kings superior Iudges which reside in Canaria This Iland hath one proper towne called Gomera which hath an excellent good port or harbour for ships where often times the Indian fleet take refreshing for their voyage There is also sufficient graine and fruit for the maintenance of themselues There is one Ingenio or Sugar-house with great plenty of wine and other sorts of fruits as Canaria and Tenerif hath This Iland yeeldeth no other commodity but onely orchell it standeth in 27 degrees distant from the Equator toward the pole Arcticke The I le of Palma THe I le of Palma standeth twelue leagues distant from the I le of Gomera Northwestward This Iland is fruitfull of wine and sugar it hath a proper city called the city of Palma where is great contraction for wines which are laden for the West India other places This city hath one faire church and a gouernour and aldermen to maintaine and execute iustice It hath also another prety towne called S. Andrewes It hath also foure Ingenios which make excellent sugar two of the which are called Zauzes and the other two Tassacort This Iland yeeldeth but little bread-corne but rather is thereof prouided from Tenerif and other places Their best wines grow in a soile called the Brenia where yerely is gathered twelue thousand buts of wine like vnto Malmsies This Iland standeth round and containeth in circuit neere fiue and twenty leagues It hath plenty of all sorts of fruits as Canaria and
Tenerif haue it standeth in twenty seuen degrees and a halfe The Iland of Yron called Hierro THis Iland standeth ten leagues distant from the Iland of Palma Westward it is but a little Iland which containeth sixe leagues in circuit and hath but small extension It appertaineth to the earle of Gomera The chiefest commodity of this Iland is goats flesh and orchell There is no wine in all that Iland but onely one vineyard that an English man of Taunton in the West countrey planted among rocks his name was Iohn Hill This Iland hath no kind of fresh water but onely in the middle of the Iland groweth a great tree with leaues like an Oliue tree which hath a great cisterne at the foot of the sayd tree This tree continually is couered with clouds and by meanes thereof the leaues of the sayd tree continually drop water very sweet into the sayd cisterne which commeth to the sayd tree from the clouds by attraction And this water sufficeth the Iland for all necessities aswell for the cattell as for the inhabitanes It standeth in 27 degrees The Iland of Lanzarota THe Iland of Lanzarota standeth eighteene leagues distant from grand Canaria Southeastward The onely commodity of this Iland is goats flesh and orchell It is an earledome and doth appertaine to Don Augustine de Herrera with title of earle of Fortauentura and Lanzarota But the vassals of these earledomes may in any cause of wrong appeale to the Kings Iudges which reside in Canaria as I haue sayd before because although the king hath reserued to himselfe but onely the three fruitfull Ilands called Canaria Tenerif and Palma yet he also reserued the rod of iustice to himselfe because otherwise the vassals might be euill intreated of their Lords From this Iland do weekly resort to Canaria Tenerif Palma boats laden with dried goats flesh called Tussinetta which serueth in stead of bacon and is very good meat This Iland standeth in 26 degrees and is in length twelue leagues The I le of Forteuentura THe I le of Forteuentura standeth fifty leagues from the promontory of Cabo de Guer in the firme land of Africa and foure twenty leagues distant from Canaria Estward This Iland doth appertaine to the lord of Lanzarota It is reasonable fruitfull of wheat and barley and also of kine goats and orchel this I le is fifteene leagues long and ten leagues broad On the North side it hath a little Iland about one league distant from the maine Iland betweene both of the which it is nauigable for any ships and is called Graciosa Both Forteuentura and Lanzarota haue very little wine of the growth of those Ilands It standeth in 27 degrees Thus much haue I written of these seuen Ilands by experience because I was a dweller there as I haue sayd before the space of seuen yeeres in the affaires of master Thomas Locke master Anthonie Hickman and master Edward Castelin who in those dayes were worthy merchants and of great credite in the citie of London A description of the Iland of Madera THe Iland of Madera standeth in 32 degrees distant from the equinoctinall line and seuentie leagues from the I le of Tenerif Northeastward and Southwest from Hercules pillars This Iland was first discouered by one Macham an Englishman and was after conquered and inhabited by the Portugall nationâ— It was first called the Iland of Madera by reason of the great wildernesse of sundry sortes of trees that there did growe and yet doe as Cedars Cypres Uinatico Barbuzano Pine trees and diuers others and therefore the sayd Iland continueth still with the same name Howbeit they hold opinion that betweene the fayd Iland and the I le of Palma is an Iland not yet discouered which is the true Iland Madera called saint Brandon This Iland yeeldeth a great summe of money to the king of Portugall yeerely it hath one faire citie called Fouchall which hath one faire port or harbour for shippes and a strong bulwarke and a faire Cathedrall church with a bishop and other dignities thereunto appertaining There is also iustice and gouernment according to the Portugall vse But causes of appellation are remitted to the citie of Lisbone in Portugall to the kings superior iudges there This Iland hath another towne called Machico which hath likewise a good road for ships which towne and road were so called after the name of Macham the Englishman who first discouered the same There are also sixteene sugar houses called Ingenios which make excellent good sugar There is besides the goodly timber before declared great store of diuers sortes of fruites as Peares Apples Plummes wild Dates Peaches of diuers sortes Mellons Batatas Orenges Lemmons Pomgranates Citrons Figges and all maner of garden herbes There are many Dragon trees such as grow in the Canarie Ilands but chiefly this land produceth great quantitie of singular good wines which are laden for many places On the North side of this land three leagues distant from the maine Iland standeth another litle Iland called Porto santo the people thereof liueth by husbandrie for the Iland of Madera yeeldeth but litle corne but rather is thereof prouided out of France and from the Iland of Tenerif On the East side of the I le of Madera sixe leagues distant standeth another litle Iland called the Desert which produceth onely Orchell and nourisheth a great number of Goates for the prouision of the maine Iland which may be thirtie leagues in circuit and the land is of great heigth where the foresayd trees growe It is woonder to see the conueyance of the water to the Ingenios by Mines through the mountaines In the mid way betweene Tenerif and the Iland of Madera standeth a litle solitarie Iland called the Saluages which may bee about one league in compasse which hath neither tree nor fruit but is onely food for Goates The orginall of the first voyage for traffique into the kingdom of Marocco in Barbarie begun in the yeere 1551. with a tall ship called the Lion of London whereof went as captaine Master Thomas Windam as appeareth by this extract of a letter of Iames Aldaie to the worshipfull master Michael Locke which Aldaie professeth himselfe to haue bene the first inuenter of this trade WOrshipfull Sir hauing lately bene acquainted with your intent to prosecute the olde intermitted discouerie for Catai if therein with my knowledge trauell or industrie I may doe you seruice I am readie to doe it and therein to aduenture my life to the vttermost point Trueth it is that I haue bene by some men not my friends euill spoken of at London saying that although I be a man of knowledge in the Arte of Nauigation and Cosmographie and that I haue bene the inuenter of some voyages that be now growen to great effect yet say they maliciously and without iust cause that I haue not bene willing at any season to proceed in those voyages that I haue taken in hand taking example especially of two
contemners of other nations and most constant obseruers of their owne lawes and customes in all which respects it came to passe that there was woonderfull labour and diligence employed aboue thirty yeeres together onely to get an entrance vntill in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred fourescore and three two fathers of the foresayd society that had pretty skill in the letters and language of China vtterly despairing of mans helpe and depending vpon the prouidence of almighty God obtained licence of the Tutan or Uice-roy to build them an house and a Church in the City of Xaâ—quin which by reason of the commodiousnesse thereof is the seat of the Uice-roy himselfe This worke being begunne the sayd fathers of the society for the nouelty thereof were a few yeeres right well entreated by the Magistrates insomuch that two others out of India had free and easie accesse vnto them one couple remaining still in their foresayd house at Xauquin and the other two taking their iourney for the inner prouinces to conuert more people vnto the faith who notwithstanding afterward other Magistrates not approouing of their attempts were constrained to retire Nowe all the time wherein the foresayd fathers abode at Xauquin being more then fiue yeeres certaine of the common people were restrained from false superstition to Christian religion and seuenty persons were baptized But the enemy of mankinde who omitteth none opportunity for the hinderance of Christian religion suggested into the mindes of the Chinians being as I sayd of their owne nature a people estranged from the traffique and acquaintance of other nations and alwayes being too too suspicious of strangers that they should exhibite letters of supplication vnto the Caien and the Tutan their principall Magistrates to haue the fathers expelled out of Xauquin which Magistrates repairing vnto their foresayd house and Church entered consultation how they might bannish them out of the sayd City of Xauquin in which thing verily they vsed great moderation not any way offending or exasperating the mindes of the fathers but onely signifying that they had regard vnto the estate of their Common-wealth For the Tutan or Uice-roy calling the fathers vnto him and to let passe other accidents vsing courteous and familiar conference with them declared by many arguments that their habitation in the City of Xauquin was not conuenient especially sithens so many Magistrates resorted vnto that City who would take great offence at the presence of strangers For the which cause he perswaded them to accept some part of the money which they had bestowed in the building of their house and so to returne either home into their owne countrey or vnto the port of Macao Howbeit such was the instant supplication of the fathers and so woorthy of compassion that the Tutan or Uice-roy in the extreame and mediterrane borders of the prouince of Coantum assigned vnto them a new habitation at the city called Xaucheo commending them also to a certaine Magistrate who was come from the same place to salute him Thither therefore the sayd fathers not without great sorrow and griefe of the Christians hied themselues and as we are informed by their last letters they haue euen now layed the foundation of their first building and haue also written that they are like to liue much more peaceably and conueniently for the propagating of Christian religion These be the first beginnings of Christianity in China where euen as in other places of the Christian Common-wealth the seed is to be sowen with great labour and teares that acceptable fruits may be reaped with gladnesse Leo. It is euen as you haue sayd Michael and nowe for this your pleasant and eloquent discourse we do acknowledge ourselues much bounden vnto you A Letter written from Goa the principall City of all the East Indies by one Thomas Steuens an English man and sent to his father M. Thomas Steuens Anno 1579. AFter most humble commendations These shall be to craue your dayly blessing with like commendations vnto my mother and withall to certifie you of my being according to your will and my duety I wrote vnto you taking my iourney from Italy to Portugall which letters I thinke are come to your hands so that presuming thereupon I thinke I haue the lesse need at this time to tell you the cause of my departing which neuerthelesse in one word I may conclude if I do but name obedience I came to Lisbon toward the end of March eight dayes before the departure of the shippes so late that if they had not bene stayed about some weighty matters they had bene long gone before our comming insomuch that there were others ordained to goe in our places that the kings prouision and ours also might not be in vaine Neuerthelesse our sudden comming tooke place and the fourth of Aprill fiue ships departed for Goa wherein besides shipmen and souldiers there were a great number of children which in the seas beare out better their men and no maruell when that many women also passe very well The setting foorth from the port I need not to tell how solemne it is with trumpets and shooting of ordinance you may easily imagine it considering that they go in the maner of warre The tenth of the foresayd moneth we came to the sight of Porto Santo neere vnto Madera where an English shippe set vpon ours which was then also alone with a few shots which did no harme but after that our ship had layed out her greatest ordinance they straight departed as they came The English shippe was very faire and great which I was sory to see so ill occupied for she went rouing about so that we saw her againe at the Canarian Iles vnto the which we came the thirteenth of the sayd moneth and good leisure we had to woonder at the high mountaine of the Iland Tenerif for we wandred betweene that and great Canaria foure dayes by reason of contrary windes and briefly such euill weather we had vntill the foureteenth of May that they despaired to compasse the Cape of Good hope that yeere Neuerthelesse taking our voyage betweene Guinea and the Ilands of Capo Verde without seeing of any land at all we arriued at length vnto the coast of Guinie which the Portugals so call chiefly that part of the burning zone which is from the sixt degree vnto the Equinoctiall in which parts they suffered so many inconueniences of heats and lacke of windes that they thinke themselues happy when they haue passed it for sometimes the ship standeth there almost by the space of many dayes sometime she goeth but in such order that it were almost as good to stand still And the greatest part of this coast not cleare but thicke and cloudy full of thunder and lightening and raine so vnholesome that if the water stand a little while all is full of wormes and falling on the meat which is hanged vp it maketh it straight full of wormes Along all that coast we often times saw a thing
thicke mist so that we could not see a cable length before vs. And betimes in the morning we were altogether runne and folded in amongst flats and sands amongst which we found shoale and deepe in euery three or foure shippes length after wee began to sound but first we were vpon them vnawares vntill master Cox looking out discerned in his iudgement white cliffes crying land withall though we could not afterward descrie any land it being very likely the breaking of the sea white which seemed to be white cliffes through the haze and and thicke weather Immediatly tokens were giuen vnto the Delight to cast about to seaward which being the greater ship and of burden 120 tunnes was yet formost vpon the breach keeping so ill watch that they knew not the danger before they felt the same too late to recouer it for presently the Admirall strooke a ground and had soone after her â—terne and hinder partes beaten in pieces whereupon the rest that is to say the Frigat in which was the Generall and the Golden Hinde cast about Eastsoutheast bearing to the South euen for our liues into the windes eye becâ—use that way caried vs to the seaward Making out from this danger wee sounded one while seuen fadome then fiue fadome then foure fadome and lesse againe deeper immediatly foure fadome then but three fadome the sea going mightily and high At last we recouered God be thanked in some despaire to sea roome enough In this distresse wee had vigilant eye vnto the Admirall whom wee sawe cast away without power to giue the men succour neither could we espie any of the men that leaped ouerboord to saue themselues either in the same Pinnesse or Cocke or vpon rafters and such like meanes presenting themselues to men in those extremities for we desired to saue the men by euery possible meanes But all in vaine sith God had determined their ruine yet all that day and part of the next we beat vp and downe as neere vnto the wracke as was possible for vs looking out if by good hap we might espie any of them This was a heauy and grieuous euent to lose at one blow our chiefe shippe fraighted with great prouision gathered together with much trauell care long time and difficultie But more was the losse of our men which perished to the number almost of a hundreth soules Amongst whom was drowned a learned man an Hungarian borne in the citie of Buda called thereof Budaeus who of pietie and zeale to good attempts aduentured in this action minding to record in the Latine tongue the gests and things worthy of remembrance happening in this discouerie to the honour of our nation the same being adorned with the eloquent stile of this Orator and rare Poet of our time Here also perished our Saxon Refiner and Discouerer of inestimable riches as it was left amongst some of vs in vndoubted hope No lesse heauy was the losse of the Captaine Maurice Browne a vertuous honest and discreete Gentleman ouerseene onely in liberty giuen late before to men that ought to haue bene restrained who shewed himselfe a man resolued and neuer vnprepared for death as by his last act of this tragedie appeared by report of them that escaped this wracke miraculously as shall bee hereafter declared For when all hope was past of recouering the ship and that men began to giue ouer and to saue themselues the Captaine was aduised before to shift also for his life by the Pinnesse at the sterne of the ship but refusing that counsell he would not giue example with the first to leaue the shippe but vsed all meanes to exhort his people not to despaire nor so to leaue off their labour choosing rather to die then to incurre infamie by forsaking his charge which then might be thought to haue perished through his default shewing an ill president vnto his men by leauing the ship first himselfe With this mind hee mounted vpon the highest decke where hee attended imminent death and vnauoidable how long I leaue it to God who withdraweth not his comfort from his seruants at such times In the meane season certaine to the number of foureteene persons leaped into a small Pinnesse the bignes of a Thames barge which was made in the New found land cut off the rope wherewith it was towed and committed themselues to Gods mercy amiddest the storme and rage of sea and windes destitute of foode not so much as a droppe of fresh water The boate seeming ouercharged in foule weather with company Edward Headly a valiant souldier and well reputed of his companie preferring the greater to the lesser thought better that some of them perished then all made this motion to cast lots and them to bee throwen ouerboord vpon whom the lots fell thereby to lighten the boate which otherwayes seemed impossible to liue offred himselfe with the first content to take his aduenture gladly which neuertheles Richard Clarke that was Master of the Admirall and one of this number refused aduising to abide Gods pleasure who was able to saue all as well as a few The boate was caried before the wind continuing sixe dayes and nights in the Ocean and arriued at last with the men aliue but weake vpon the New found land sauing that the foresayd Headly who had bene late sicke and another called of vs Brasile of his trauell into those Countreys died by the way famished and lesse able to holde out then those of better health For such was these poore mens extremitie in cold and wet to haue no better sustenance then their owne vrine for sixe dayes together Thus whom God deliuered from drowning hee appointed to be famished who doth giue limits to mans times and ordaineth the manner and circumstance of dying whom againe he will preserue neither Sea nor famine can confound For those that arriued vpon the Newe found land were brought into France by certaine French men then being vpon that coast After this heauie chance wee continued in beating the sea vp and downe expecting when the weather would cleere vp that we might yet beare in with the land which we iudged not farre off either the continent or some Island For we many times and in sundry places found ground at 50,45,40 fadomes and lesse The ground comming vpon our lead being sometimes oazie sand and otherwhile a broad shell with a little sand about it Our people loss courage dayly after this ill successe the weather continuing thicke and blustering with increase of cold Winter drawing on which tooke from them all hope of amendement setling an assurance of worse weather to grow vpon vs euery day The Leeside of vs lay full of flats and dangers ineuitable if the wind blew hard at South Some againe doubted we were ingulfed in the Bay of S. Laurence the coast full of dangers and vnto vs vnknowen But aboue all prouision waxed scant and hope of supply was gone with losse of our Admirall Those in
as prisoners to the citie of Mexico and there committed to prison in sundry darke dungeons where we could not see but by candlelight were neuer paâ—â— two together in one place so that we saw not one another neither could one of vs tell what was become of another Thus we remained close imprisoned for the space of a yeere and a halfe and others for some lesse time for they came to prison euer as they were apprehended During which time of our imprisonmeÌ„t at the first beginning we were often called before the Inquisitors alone and there seuerely examined of our faith and commanded to say the Pater noster the Aue Maria the Creed in Latin which God knoweth a great number of vs could not say otherwise then in the English tongue And hauing the said Robert Sweeting who was our friend at Tescuco alwayes present with theÌ„ for an interpreter he made report for vs y t in our own countrey speech we could say them perfectly although not word for word as they were in Latin Then did they proceede to demand of vs vpon our othes what we did beleeue of the Sacrament whether there did remaine any bread or wine after the words of consecration yea or no and whether we did not beleeue that the host of bread which the priest did hold vp ouer his head and the wine that was in the chalice was the very true and perfect body blood of our Sauiour Christ yea or no To which if we answered not yea then was there no way but death Then they would demand of vs what we did remember of our selues what opinions we had held or had bin taught to hold contrary to the same whiles we were in England to which we for the safety of our liues were constrained to say that we neuer did beleeue nor had bene taught otherwise then as before we had sayd Then would they charge vs that we did not tell them the truth that they knew the contrary and therfore we should cal our selues to remembrance make them a better answer at the next time or els we should be rackt and made to confesse the trueth whether we would or no. And so comming againe before them the next time we were still demanded of our beliefe whiles we were in England and how we had bin taught also what we thought or did know of such of our owne company as they did name vnto vs so that we could neuer be free from such demands and at other times they would promise vs that if we would tell them trueth then should we haue fauour be set at libertie although we very wel knew their faire speeches were but means to intrap vs to the hazard and losse of our liues howbeit God so mercifully wrought for vs by a secret meanes that we had that we kept vs still to our first answer would stil say that we had told the trueth vnto them and knew no more by our selues nor any other of our fellows then as we had declared and that for our sinnes and offences in England against God and our Lady or any of his blessed Saints we were heartily sory for the same and did cry God mercy and besought the Inquisitors for Gods sake considering that we came into those countreys by force of weather against our wils and that neuer in all our liues we had either spoken or done any thing contrary to their lawes that therfore they would haue mercy vpoÌ„ vs. Yet all this would not serue for stil from time to time we were called vpon to confesse and about the space of 3 moneths before they proceeded to their seuere iudgement we were al rackt and some enforced to vtter that against themselues which afterwards cost them their liues And thus hauing gotten froÌ„ our owne mouths matter sufficient for them to proceed in iudgement against vs they caused a large scaffold to be made in the middest of the market place in Mexico right ouer against the head church 14 or 15 daies before the day of their iudgement with the sound of a trumpet and the noise of their Attabalies which are a kind of drummes they did assemble the people in all parts of the citie before whom it was then solemnely proclaimed that whosoeuer would vpon such a day repaire to the market place they should heare the sentence of the holy Inquisition against the English heretikes Lutherans and also see the same put in execution Which being done and the time approching of this cruell iudgement the night before they came to the prison where we were with certaine officers of that holy hellish house bringing with theÌ„ certaine fooles coats which they had prepared for vs being called in their language S. Benitos which coats were made of yellow cotten red crosses vpon them both before behind they were so busied in putting on their coats about vs and in bringing vs out into a large yard and placing and pointing vs in what order we should go to the scaffold or place of iudgement vpon the morrow that they did not once suffer vs to sleepe all that night long The next morning being come there was giuen to euery one of vs for our breakfast a cup of wine and a slice of bread fried in honie and so about eight of the clocke in the morning we set foorth of the prison euery man alone in his yellow coat and a rope about his necke and a great greene Waxe candle in his hand vnlighted hauing a Spaniard appointed to goe vpon either side of euery one of vsâ— and so marching in this order and maner toward the scaffold in the market place which was a bow shoot distant or thereabouts we found a great assembly of people all the way and such a throng that certaine of the Inquisitors officers on horseback were constrained to make way and so comming to the scaffold we went vp by a paire of stayres and found seates readie made and prepared for vs to sit downe on euery man in order as he should be called to receiue his iudgement We being thus set downe as we were appointed presently the Inquisitors came vp another paire of staires and the Uiceroy and all the chiefe Iustices with them When they were set downe and placed vnder the cloth of estate agreeing to their degrees and calling then came vp also a great number of Friers white blacke and gray about the number of 300 persons they being set in the places for them appointed Then was there a solemne Oyes made and silence commanded and then presently beganne their seuere and cruell iudgement The first man that was called was one Roger the chiefe Armourer of the Iesus and hee had iudgement to haue three hundred stripes on horsebacke and after condemned to the gaâ—lies as a slaue for 10 yeeres After him were called Iohn Gray Iohn Browne Iohn Rider Iohn Moone Iames Collier and one Thomas Browne these were adiudged to
with the bulles or indulgences Our Lord keepe your maiesty many yeres in his holy seruice From the city de los Reyes the first of March 1590. Frier Alonso bishop of Mechuacan A letter of Don Iohn de Miramontes Suasola to Don Iohn Garcias de Penalosa from Arica on the coast of Peru the tenth of March 1590. AFter my long trauell and badde successe my fortune brought mee to the Indies where being void of all hope and full of griefe I am become a souldier a thing in this countrey which is most hated of all other things not onely of men but of the wilde beasts and is an occupation which is chosen of idle persons The occasion of this is that there haue bene in these seas and yet are certâ—ine English rouers and in seeking of them I haue trauelled these three yeres the one of the yeres a souldier and the other two yeeres I haue gone for captaine and ensigne-bearer And at this time here is arriued Don Garcias Vrtado de Mendoça viceroy of these realmes who hath chosen me to be chiefe ensigne-bearer of an army which departed from hence to scoure the coast For here we haue newes of the enemy which is comming vpon the coast for wee haue stayed for their comming these foure moneths the same way which they must come in a hauen called Arica which is the first entry of Peru. So I haue 90 pezos a moneth besides other profits at nine reals the pezo foure shares at nine reals the pezo So that I haue 1800 pezos euery yere of pay for the viceroy is my dere friend and maketh great account of me And I haue alwayes 400 ducats in my chest to goe like a man I beseech God send vs quietnesse But yet it is the part of a gentleman to serue the king his master in these actions And thus I rest From the harbour of Arica the tenth of March 1590. I kisse your worships hands and am at your commandâ—ment Don Iohn de Miramontes Suasola There are foure great galeons of 350 tunnes a piece which are in Arica men of warre with a Generall Admirall Uiceadmirall with great store of souldiers which keâ—pe this hauen for the viceroy hath intelligence that there are certeine Englishmen of war comming thither This hauen of Arica is the best harbour in all the South sea for all the siluer which commeth from the mines of Potossi is shipt in this harbour and so brought to Lima. And likewise all the commodities which come from Spaine and all the kings quicksiluer is vnladen in this harbour and so caried to the city of Lima and other places where the mines of siluer are A letter of the Licenciate Christopher Vslano to Gonsaluo de Solana in in the city of Encisa in Spaine written from the city of Potossi in Peru the 20 of Iuly 1590 touching a great plague in Peru and the shortnesse of the pasâ—age from the riuer of Plate into Potossi in Peru. THe last yeere 1588 I receiued letters from your worship and from my sister and since that time I haue receiued none nor in the fleet which came to Cartagena 1589. And this yere 1590 there hath bene great want of corne in this kingdome of Potossi for that there hath beene no raine in this kingdome of long time For in March the husbandmen vse to â—owe their corne and in Aprill Winter doth begin And it in April there be no raine the corne which is sowen will consume away and â—o sor want to raine we haue had two badde yeres of corne And likewise here hath bene in these countreys of Potossi and in the city De la paz great sicknesse among the Indians Mullatos and Mestiços called the small pocks and a certeine plague which hath destroyed all this countrey And there haue no olde people diâ—d nor Spanyards but onely this countrey people from one yeere to 30 yeeres of age so for want of Indians we can not worke in the mines This sicknesse runneth al along the coast of Peru and hath passed into the streights of Magalianes whencâ— we hauâ— nâ—wes that those souldiers which were sent from Spain thither to build those forts are most of them dead especially the workemen which came to make the forts The Generall Don Diego de Abolos hath written to his maiesty to send more souldiers and more workâ—men whereby these three sorts might be builded according to the kings commandâ—mâ—nt This sicknesse câ—me first from Cartagena to this countrey which is 1000 leagues distant and as I sayd it hath gone all Peru ouer to the vtter vndoing of this countrey I pray God to câ—ase it I pray you when you write any letters to mee send them in those shippes which come to Sainct Thomé and take in Negâ—â—s And there are great store of ships which goe to Sainct Thomé for Negros and it is but 15. dayes sailing ouer a gulfe to Brasill And from Brasill their shippes bring their Negros to a hauâ—n called The hauen of Buenos Aeres which is within the entrance of the mightie riuer of Plate And from this harbour all kinde of Spanish and Portugall commodities are caried to this citie of Potossi in carts and on horses for it is but 10. or 12. dayes iourney and the countrey is very plaine for carts to trauaile And from Potossi to this harbour is great store of treasure brought to buy that countrey commodities and so they are shipped for Portugall and the ships go and come againe in short time If his maiestie will consent that we may haue traffique from Spaine to this harbour it will be very profitable and in fiue or sixe moneths I shall heare from you you shall doe the like from me And by the way of Cartagena it is sometime 2. yeres before we can receiue your letters from Spaine By this way my brother may write and so by this meane the lettâ—rs may speedily come to my hand And thus I rest From this citie of Potossi the 20. of Iuly 1590. The Licenciate CHRISTOPHER VSLANO A letter of Steuen de Tresio to Alonso Martines Vaca in Siuil from Panama the 21. of August 1590. touching the kings desire to borrow money vpon priuie seales and the want of the countrey IT may please your worship to vnderstand that I haue receiued a packet of letters from you wherein you write vnto me of the great miseries and the calamities of Spaine And I promise you that these countreys are in no lesse For here is great want of corne and other kind of prouision for here is almost none to be had for any money by reason that from Lima there is no shipping come with maiz Here wee haue had newes from Spaine of the great prouisioÌ„ which is making ready for those great wars which his maiestie is in preparing of the great sinns of money that his maiestie standeth in neede of So that it doth put vs all that are dwellers here
declared hereafter thought that this Inga of whom this emperour now liuing is descended tooke his way by the riuer of Amazones by that branch which is called Papamene for by that way followed Orellana by the coÌ„mandement of Gonzalo Piçarro in the yere 1542 whose name the riuer also beareth this day which is also by others called Marannon although Andrew Theuet doeth affirme that betweene Marannon and Amazones there are 120 leagues but sure it is that those riuers haue one head and beginning and the Marannon which Theuet describeth is but a branch of Amazones or Orellana of which I will speake more in another place It was attempted by Ordas but it is now little lesse then 70 yeres since that Diego Ordas a knight of the order of Saint Iago attempted the same and it was in the yeere 1542 that Orellana discouered the riuer of Amazones but the first that euer saw Manoa was Iuan Martinez master of the munition to Ordas At a port called Morequito in Guiana there lieth at this day a great anker of Ordas his ship and this port is some 300 miles within the land vpon the great riuer of Orenoque I rested at this port foure dayes twenty dayes after I left the ships at Curiapan The relation of this Martinez who was the first that discouered Manoa his successe and ende are to bee seene in the Chancery of Saint Iuan de puerto rico wherof Berreo had a copy which appeared to be the greatest incouragement aswell to Berreo as to others that formerly attempted the discouery and conquest Orellana after he failed of the discouery of Guiana by the sayd riuer of Amazones passed into Spaine and there obteined a patent of the king for the inuasion and conquest but died by sea about the Islands and his fleet seuered by tempest the action for that time proceeded not Diego Ordas followed the enterprise and departed Spaine with 600 souldiers and 30 horse who arriuing on the coast of Guiana was slaine in a mutiny with the most part of such as fauoured him as also of the rebellious part insomuch as his ships perished and few or none reâ—urned neither was it certeinly knowen what became of the sayd Ordas vntill Berreo found the anker of his ship in the riuer of Orenoque but it was supposed and so it is written by Lopez that he perished on the seas and of other writers diuersly conceiued and reported And hereof it came that Martines entred so farre within the land and arriued at that city of Inga the emperour for it chanced that while Ordas with his army rested at the port of Morequito who was either the first or second that attempted Guiana by some negligence the whole store of powder prouided for the seruice was set on fire and Martinez hauing the chiefe charge was condemned by the Generall Ordas to be executed foorthwith Martinez being much fauoured by the souldiers had all the meanes possible procured for his life but it could not be obteined in other sort then this That he should be set into a canoa alone without any victuall onely with his armes and so turned loose into the great riuer but it pleased God that the canoa was caried downe the streame and that certeine of the Guianians mette it the same euening and hauing not at any time seene any Christian nor any man of that colour they caried Martinez into the land to be woondred at and so from towne to towne vntill he came to the great city of Manoa the seat and residence of Inga the emperour The emperour after he had beheld him knew him to be a Christian for it was not long before that his brethren Guascar and Atabalipa were vanquished by the Spanyards in Peru and caused him to be lodged in his palace and well enterteined Hee liued seuen moneths in Manoa but was not suffered to wander into the countrey any where He was also brought thither all the way blind fold led by the Indians vntill he came to the entrance of Manoa it selfe and was foureteene or fifteene dayes in the passage He auowed at his death that he entred the city at Noon and then they vncouered his face and that he trauelled all that day till night thorow the city and the next day from Sun rising to Sun setting yer he came to the palace of Inga After that Martinez had liued â—euen moneths in Manoa and began to vnderstand the language of the countrey Inga asked him whether he desired to returne into his owne countrey or would willingly abide with him But Martinez not desirous to stay obteined the fauour of Inga to depart with whom he sent diuers Guianians to conduct him to the riuer of Orenoque all loden with as much golde as they could cary which he gaue to Martinez at his departure but when he was arriued neere the riuers side the borderers which are called Orenoqueponi robbed him and his Guianians of all the treasure the borderers being at that time at warres which Inga had not conquered saue onely of two great bottels of gourds which were filled with beads of golde curiously wrought which those Orenoqueponi thought had bene no other thing then his drinke or meat or graine for food with which Martinez had liberty to passe and so in canoas hee fell downe from the riuer of Orenoque to Trinidad and from thence to Margarita and also to Saint Iuan de puerto rico where remaining a long time for passage into Spaine he died In the time of his extreme sicknesse and when he was without hope of life receiuing the Sacrament at the hands of his Confessor he deliuered these things with the relation of his trauels and also called for his calabaças or gourds of the golde beads which he gaue to the church and friers to be prayed for This Martinez was he that Christened the city of Manoa by the name of El Dorado and as Berreo informed mee vpon this occasion Those Guianians and also the borderers and all other in that tract which I haue seene are maruellous great drunkards in which vice I thinke no nation can compare with them and at the times of their solemne feasts when the emperour carowseth with his captaines tributaries and gouernours the maner iâ— thus All those that pledge him are first stripped naked and their bodies anointed all ouer with a kind of white balsamum by them called curca of which there is great plenty and yet very deare amongst them and it is of all other the most precious whereof wee haue had good experience when they are anointed all ouer certeine seruants of the emperour hauing prepared golde made into fine powder blow it thorow hollow canes vpon their naked bodies vntill they be all shining from the foot to the head and in this sort they sit drinking by twenties and hundreds and continue in drunkennesse sometimes sixe or seuen dayes together The same is also confirmed by a letter written into Spaine which was intercepted
at the ende of this discourse hereunto annexed which letter and present with one from the grand Signor was sent by M. Edward Bushell and M. William Aldridge ouer-land the 20 of March who passed through Vâ—lachia and Moldauia so through Poland where Michael prince of Valachia and Aron Voiuoda prince of Moldauia receiuing letters from the ambassador entertained theÌ„ with al curtesie through whose meanes by the great fauour which his lordship had with the grand Signior they had not long before both of them bene aduanced to their princely â—ignities Hee likewise presented Sigala the Admirall of the Seas with Abâ—im Bassa who maried the great Turkes daughter and all the other Uizirs with diuers pieces of plate fine English cloth other costly things the particulars whereof to auoid tediousnesse I omit All the presents thus ended the ship shooting ten pieces of ordinance at the Seraglio point as a last farewell departed on her iourney for England the first of Nouember my selfe continuing in Constantinople vntill the last of Iuly after This yere in the spring there was great preparation for the Hungarian wars and the great Turke threatened to goe himselfe in person but like Hellogabalus his affections being more seruiceable to Venus then to Mars he stayed at home Yet a great army was dispatched this yere who as they came out of Asia to goe for Hungary did so pester the streets of Constantinople for the space of two moneths in the spring time as scarse either Christian or Iew could without danger of losing his money passe vp and downe the city What insolencies murders and robberies were committed not onely vpon Christians but also vpon Turks I omit to write and I pray God in England the like may neuer be seene and yet I could wish that such amongst vs as haue inioyed the Gospel with such great and admirable peace and prosperity vnder her Maiesties gouernment this forty yeeres and haue not all this time brought forth better fruits of obedience to God and thankfulnesse to her Maiesty were there but a short time to beholde the miserable condition both of Christians and othere liuing vnder such an infidell prince who not onely are wrapped in most palpable grosse ignorance of mind but are cleane without the meanes of the true knowledge of God I doubt not but the sight hereof if they be not cleane void of grace would stirre them vp to more thankefulnesse to God that euer they were borne in so happy a time and vnder so wise and godly a prince professing the true religion of Christ. The number of souldiours which went to the warres of Hungary this yere were 470000 as by the particulars giuen by the Admirall to the Ambassadour hereunder do appeare Although all these were appointed and supposed to goe yet the victories which the Christians in the spring had against the Turks strooke such a terrour in many of the Turkish souldiours as by report diuers vpon the way thither left their Captaines and stole away The number of Turkish souldiers which were appointed to goe into Hungary against the Christian Emperour May 1594. SInan Bassa generall with the Saniacke masould that is out of office with the other Saniackâ— in office or of degree 40000. Achmigi that is Aduenturers 50000. The Agha or Captaine with his Ianisaries and his Giebegies 20000. The Beglerbeg of Graecia with all his Saniacks 40000. The company of Spaheis or horsemen 10000â— The company of Silitari 6000. The company of Sagbulue and of Solbulue both together 8000. The Bassa of Belgrad 80000. The Bassa of Temiswâ—r 80000. The Bassa of Bosna 80000. The Bassa of Buda 80000. The Saniack of Gersech 80000. Out of Asia The Bassa of Caramania 120000. The Bassa of Laras 120000. The Bassa of Damasco 120000. The Bassa of Suas 120000. The Bassa of Van or Nan. 120000. The Bassa of Vsdrum 120000. Of Tartars there be about 100000. Thus you may see that the great Turke maketh warre with no small numbers And in anno 1597 when Sultan Mahâ—met himselfe went in person into Hungary if a man may beleeue reports he had an army of .600000 For the city of Constantinople you shall vnderstand that it is matchable with any city in Europe aswell in bignesse as for the pleasant situation thereof and commodious traffike and bringing of all maner of necessary prouision of victuals and whatsoeuer els mans life for the sustentation thereof shall require being seated vpon a promontory looking toward Pontus Euxinus vpon the Northeast and to Proponâ—s on the Southwest by which two seas by shipping is brought great store of all maner of victuals The city it selfe in forme representeth a triangular figure the sea washing the walles vpon two sides thereof the other side faceth the continent of Thracia the grand Signiors seraglio standeth vpon that point which looketh into the sea being cut off from the city by a wall so that y e wall of his pallace conteineth in circuit about two English miles the seuen towers spoken of before stand at another corner Constantines olde pallace to the North at the third corner The city hath a threefolde wall about it the innermost very high the next lower then that and the third a countermure and is in circuit about ten English miles it hath foure and twenty gates and when the empire was remooued out of the West into the East it was inriched with many spoiles of olde Rome by Vespasian and other emperours hauing many monuments and pillars in it worthy the obseruation amongst the rest in the midst of Constantinople standeth one of white marble called Vespasians pillar of 38 or 40 yards high which hath from the base to the top proportions of men in armour fighting on horsebacke it is likewise adorned with diuers goodly buildings stately Mesquitas whereof the biggest is Sultan Solimans a great warriour which liued in the time of Charles the fifth but the fairest is Santa Sophia which in the time of the Christian emperours was the chiefe cathedrall church and is still in greatest account with the great Turke it is built round like other Greekish churches the pauements and walles be all of marble it hath beneath 44 pillars of diuers coloured marble of admirable heigth and bignesse which stand vpon great round feet of brasse much greater then the pillars and of a great heigth some ten yards distant from the wall from which vnto these pillars is a great gallery built which goeth round about the church and vpon the outside of the gallery stand 66 marble pillars which beare vp the round roofe being the top of the church it hath three pulpits or preaching places and about 2000 lampes brought in by the Turke Likewise vpon one side in the top is the picture of Christ with the 12 Apostles but their faces are defaced with two or three ancient tombs of Christians to the West sticketh an arrow in the toppe of the church which as the
Turks report Sultan Mahomet shot when he first tooke the city Neere adioyning be two chapels of marble where lie buâ—ied most of the emperours with their children sultanas The 16 of Iuly accompanied with some other of our nation we went by water to the Blacke sea being 16 miles distant froÌ„ Constantinople the sea al the way thither being little broader then the Thames both sides of the shore are beautified with faire goodly buildings At the mouth of this Bosphorus lieth a rocke some fourescore yards from the maine land wherevpon standeth a white marble pillar called Pompeys pillar the shadow whereof was 23 foote long at nine of the clocke in the forenoone ouer against it is a turret of stone vpon the maine land 120 steps high hauing a great glasse-lanthorne in the toppe foure yards in diamiter and three in heigth with a great copper pan in the midst to holde oile with twenty lights in it and it serueth to giue passage into this straight in the night to such ships as come from all parts of those seas to Constantinople it is continually kept by a Turke who to y e end hath pay of the grand Signior And thus hauing spent eleuen moneths in Constantinople accompanied with a chause carying certaine mandates from the grand Signior to the Bassa of Aleppo for the kinde vsage of our nation in those parts the 30 of Iuly I tooke passage in a Turkish carmosale or shippe bound for Sidon and passing thorow PropoÌ„tis hauing Salimbria with Heraclia most pleasantly situated on the right hand and Proconesus now called Marmora on the left we came to Gallipoly and so by Hellespont betweene the two castles before named called Sestos and Abydos famous for the passages made there both by Xerxes and great Alexanderâ— the one into Thracia the other into Asia and so by the Sigean Promontory now called Cape Ianiâ—zary at the mouth of Hellespont vpon Asia side where Troy stood where are yet ruines of olde walles to be seene with two hils rising in a piramidall forme not vnlikely to be the tombs of Achilles and Aiax From thence we sailed along hauing Tenedos and Lemnos on the right hand and the Troian fields on the left at length we came to Mitylen and Sio long time inhabited by the Genoueses but now vnder the Turke The Iland is beautified with goodly buildings and pleasant gardens and aboundeth with fruits wine and the gum masticke From thence sailing alongst the gulfe of Ephesus with Nicaria on the right hand Samos and Smirna on the left we came to Patmos where S. Iohn wrote the Reuelation The Iland is but small not aboue fiue miles in compasse the chiefe thing it yeeldeth is corn it hath a port for shipping and in it is 〈…〉 of Greekish Caloiâ—roâ— From thence by Cos now called Lango where Hipocrates was borne passing many other Ilands and rocks we arriued at Rhodes one of the strongest and fairest cities of the East here we stayed three or foure dayes and by reason of a By which went in the ship to Paphos in Cyprus who vsed me with all kindnesse I went about the city and tooke the view of all which city is still with all the houses and walles thereof maintained in the same order as they tooke it from the Rhodian knights Ouer the doores of many of the housesâ— which be strongly built of stone do remaine vndefaced the armes of England France Spaine and many other Christian knights as though the Turkes in the view thereof gloried in the taking of all Christendome whose armes there they beholde From thence we sailed to Paphos an olde ruinous towne standing vpon the Westerne part of Cyprus where S. Paul in the Acts conuerted the gouernor Departing hence we came to Sidon by the Turks called Saytosa within tenne or twelue miles of the place where Tirus stood which now being eaten in by the sea is as Ezekiel prophesied a place for the spreading out of a net Sidon is situated in a small bay at the foot of mount Libanus vpon the side of an hill looking to the North it is walled about with a castle nigh to the sea and one toward the land which is ruinated but the walle thereof standeth Some halfe mile vp toward the mountaine be certaine ruines of buildings with marble pillars remaining heere for three dayes we were kindly entertained of the captaine of the castle and in a small barke we sailed from hence along the shore to Tripoli so to Alexandretta where the 24 of August we arriued From thence with a Uenetian carauan we went by land to Aleppo passing by Antioch which is seated vpon the side of an hill whose walles still stand with 360 turrets vpon them and neere a very greaâ— plaine which beareth the name of the city thorow which runneth the riuer Orontes in Scripture called Farfar In Aleppo I stayed vntill February following in this city as at a mart meete many nations out of Asia with the people of Europe hauing continuall traffike and interchangeable course of marchandise one with another the state and trade of which place because it is so well knowen to most of our nation I â—mitte to write of The 27 of February I departed from Aleppo and the fifth of March imbarked my selfe at Alexandretta in a great ship of Venice called the Nana Ferra to come for Englandâ— The 14 we put into Salino in Cyprus where the ship staying many dayes to lade cotton wooll and other commodities in the meane time accompanied with M. William Barret my countrey man the master of the ship a Greeke and others we tooke occasion to see Nicosia the chiefe city of this Iland which was some twenty miles froÌ„ this place which is situated at the foot of an hill to the East is a great plaine extending it selfe in a great length from the North to the South it is walled about but of no such strength as Famagusta another city in this Iland neere the Sea side whose walles are cut out of the maine rocke In this city be many sumptuous and goodly buildings of stone but vninhabited the cause whereof doth giue me iust occasion to shew you of a rare iudgement of God vpon the owners sometime of these houses as I was credibly informed by a Cipriot a marchant of good wealth in this city Before it came in subiection to the Turks while it was vnder the Uenetians there were many barons and noble men of the Cipriots who partly by vsurping more superiority ouer the common people then they ought and partly through their great reuenues which yeerely came in by their cotton wooll and wines grew so insolent and proud and withall so impiously wicked as that they would at their pleasure command both the wiues and children of their pooreÌ„ tenants to serue their vncleane lusts holding them in such slauery as though they had beene no better
the richest and most plentifull in all the world For here are great store of golde mynes siluer mynes and pearle great store of coâ—tâ—n cloth for the countrey people weareth nothing else but fine cotten cloth which is more accepted then silkes For here is great store of silkes they are good châ—ape Al kinde of victuals as bread slesh wines and hennes and all kindes of foules are very plentifull Here are great store of freâ—h riuers The pâ—ople are very louing Here are very faire cities and townes with cosâ—ly buildings better then those in Spaine And the countrey pâ—ople go very richly apparelled both in sâ—â—kes and gold But here wâ— haue order from the king of Spaine that a Spaniaâ—d may not dwell in China aboue 3 yeres and afterwaâ—ds they must returne again into Nueua Espanna and other souldiers must come in their places The countrey is very vnwholesome for vs Spaniardes For within these 20 yeres of 14000 which haue gone to the Philippinas there are 13000 of them dead and not past 1000 of them left aliue There is a place in China which is an harbour called Macaran which the king hath giuen to the Spaniards freely which shall be the placâ— where the ships shall come and trafficke For in this harbour there is a great riuer which goeth vp into the maine land vnto diuers townes and cities which are neere to this riuer And thus â—râ—nbling you no farther I rest From Mexico the 20 of Iune 1590. Your obedient sonne SEBASTIAN BISCAINO A Letter of Bartholomew Cano to Peter de Tapia in Siuill from Mexico the 30 of May 1590 touching the state of Nueua Espanna and the Fleet of that yeere BEcause I haue answered your letters which I haue receiued in the last Fleet as touching that matter I haue no more to say The occasâ—on of my writing vnto you at this time is to giue you to vnderstand that those commodiâ—ies which came in the last Fleet were sold at the fiâ—st good cheape and those that bought them got much by them For now at this instant â—hite Roan cloth is solde for 8 or 9 reals a vare The cause of this was by reason â—here came a carauel of Aduise from Hauana which brought vs nâ—wes how the armie that his maiâ—stie did sâ—nd for England was all spoiled and cast away and therefore thâ—y of Spaine did write that thâ—râ— would come no Fleet from Spaine hither this yeâ—re And this is the cause that all linnen cloth is very deâ—re in these parts Wines also are very deere for they are sold â—or 90 â—nd 100 deminas a pipe When the Frigats departed from hence in August last 1589. Cochinilla was sold at that instant for 50 pesâ—s the quintall and now it is sold for 55 pesoâ—s And since that nâ—wes came from Spaine in a carauâ—l of S. Lucar that it was solde there for 72 ducates the quintall there are laden in this Fleet 14000 Arouas of Cochinilla and 7000 Arouas more were laden in the Frigats which departed before the Fleet. There is laden in the Fleet great quantitie of treasure more then hath bene sent to Spaine these many yeres both for the Kings and the Uice-royes account And the marchants and gentlemen of all these prouinces doe send great quantitie to supply the Kings wants for that his maiestie hath written to the Uice-roy and to the gentlemen of these countreyes to ayde him with much money towardes the maintenance of his warres against France and other places therefore they haue sent good store God send it well to Spaine There are likâ—wise laden aboord the Fleet to the number of 100000â— hides and great store of other kindes of this countrey commodities So that the the Fleet goeth very richly laden Quicke siluer is here very deere for here is almost none to bee had for any money to worke in the gold mynes for without Quicke siluer wee cannot refine our gold And no man vpon paine of death may bring any from Spaine hither but all must come for the Kings account and so the King doeth sell it here there is exceeding great gaine thâ—rein And thus I rest From Mexico the 30 of May 1590. BARTHOLOMEVV CANO A letter of Frier Alonso new elected Bishop of Mechuacan to the king of Spaine written in Peru in the citie de los Reyes the first of March 1590 touching the state of Arica a chiefe Hauen in Peru. VPon Christmas euen the yere 1589 I receiued your maiesties commission in Potossi For which I am and shall be continually bound to pray for your maiesties long health for the great benefits which your maiestie hath bestowed vpon me in â—ending me to Mechuacan whereby my great trauell and paines may be recompenced which I haue taken with that vngrateful and despâ—rate people of the riuer of Plate which they haue â—ene the occasion of in dealing so badly with me their Pastour which haue counselled thâ—m that they should haue a great care to serue God and be dutifull to your maiestie according as euery good and true subiect ought to do Now for this gift which your maiestie hath bestowed on me I most humbly kisse your maiesties handes a thousand times Thus presently I departed from Potossi somewhat sickely to accomplish that which your maiâ—stie hath commanded me So I arriued at Lima in safetie the first of February by the way of Arica which is an hauen towne where they imbarke all the barres of siluer And there I haue seenâ— whaâ— is done what they haue prouided against the Englishmâ—n in that hauen which is That there is a litle fort made hard by the waters side with certaine small pieces of ordinance in the said fort to offend the enemie if occasion should serue that they should offer to come into the harbour and offer any violence But the principall thing of all that we want is to haue souldiâ—rs foote men and horsemen For according as I am informed here want 100 men which should keepe the coast if they should offer to land and march vp into the countrey And likewise the people of this countrey haue told me that if vpon an high mount which is hâ—re in the harbour neere to the hauâ—ns mouth on the Southside of the harbour where the sea doth beat ther were two or three great Canons planted on the top of the hill where very good watch is continually kept from that place they may reach to doe the enemie great hurt a league into the sea The new Uice-roy Don Garcia Vrtado de Mendoça worthy of that dignitie is in great fauour with al those of these realmes for that he is a great solliciter both by sea and land in all kinde of diligence not loosing one houre in your seruice and that which he hath in charge With as much speed as may be I will depart from hence to Mechuacan to serue that church and your maiesty and there I will remaine according to your maiesties commandement