nature of the sea And salte as wytnesseth Plinie yeldeth the farnesse of oyle But oyle by a certeyne natiue heate is of propertie agreable to fyre The sea then beinge all of such qualitie Salte poureth furth it selfe far vppon thextreme landes whereby by reason of the saltenesse therof it moueth and stereth vp generatiue heate Generatiue heate as by fatnesse it noryssheth the fecunditie of thynges generate It gyueth this frutfulnes to the earth at certeyne fluds although the earth also it selfe haue in his inner bowels the same liuely and nurysshynge heate wherby not only the dennes caues and holowe places Owtwarde could is cause of inwarde heate but also sprynges of water are made warme And this so much the more in howe muche the wynter is more vehement This thyng dooth more appere by this exemple that the mountaynes of Norway and Suethlande are fruteful of metals in the which syluer and copper are concocte and molten into veynes which can scarsely bee doonne in fornaces By this reason also the vapours and hotte exhalations perceinge the earthe and the waters Uapours and exhalations and throwghe both those natures breathynge furth into the ayer tempereth the qualitie of heauen and maketh it tollerable to beastes as wytnesseth the huge byggenesse of the whales in those seas whales with the strength of bodye and longe lyfe of suche beastes as liue on the lande Beastes whiche thynge coulde not bee excepte all thynges were there commodiously nurysshed by the benefite of the heauen and the ayer For nothyng that in the tyme of increase is hyndered by any iniurie or that is euyll fedde all the tyme it lyueth can prosper well hereby maye bee considered the cause of the deathe of owr men that sayle dirâ—ctly to Guinea Neyther are such thynges as lyue there offended with theyr naturall wynter as thowgh an Egiptian or Ethiopian were suddeynly conueyed into those coulde regions For they were in longe tyme by lyttle and lyttle browght fyrst acquaynted with the nature of that heauen as may be proued both by the lyfe of man and by the historie of holy scripture They that were led from Mesopotania and that famous towre of Babilon towarde the north partes of the worlde in the fyrst dispertion of nations dyd not immediatly passe to thextreme boundes No passage from one extremitie to another but by a meane but planted theyr habitations fyrst vnder a myddle heaueÌ„ betwene both as in Thracia and Pontus where theyr posteritie was accustomed the better to susteyne the rygoure of Scythia and Lanais as he 〈◊〉 at commeth from winter to soommer maye the better after abyde Ise and snowe beinge fyrst hardened therto by the frostes of Autumne In lyke maner mortall men accustomed to beare the hardenesse of places nexte vnto theym were therby at the length more confirmed to susteyne the extremes And here also if any sharpenesse remayne that maye seeme intollerable nature hathe prouyded for the same with other remedies For the lande and sea hathe gyuen vnto beastes diepe and large caues dennes Caues and dennes and other holowe places and secreate corners in mountaynes and rockes bothe on the lande and by the sea bankes in the which are euer conteyned warme vapoures so much the more intent and vehement in howe much they are the more constrayned by extreme could Nature hath also gyuen valleys diuerted and defended frome the north wyndes Ualleys Shee hath lykewise couered beastes with heare so much the thicker in howe muche the vehemencie of could is greater by reason wherof the best and rychest furres are browght frome those regions The best furres as Sables whose price is growne to great excesse nexte vnto gold and precious stones Sables and are estemed princely ornamentes The beastes that beare these furres are hunted chiefely in wynter whâ—ch thynge is more straunge bycause theyr heare is thenne thicker and cleaueth faster to the skyn Howe greauous then shall we thinke the winter to bee there where this lyttle beast lyueth so well and where the hunters may search the dennes and hauntes of such beastes throwghe the wooddes and snowe Beastes that lye hyd in wynter But suche beastes the condition of whose bodies is so tender that they are not able to abyde thiniurie of coulde eyther lye hydde in wynter or chaunge theyr habitation as do certeyne beastes also in owre clime Nature hath furthermore gyuen remedie to man bothe by arte and industry to defende him selfe both a brode and at home Abrode with a thicke vesture and the same well dowbeled At home with large fyers on harthes chymyneys and in stooues for the day with close chambers and couches softe and warme beddes for the nyght by whiche remedies they mirigate the winters which seeme rigorous to straungers All beastes haue the nature of the place where they are engendereâ— althowghe they are to thinhabitauntes more tollerable then owre opinion as in deede by the fyrst natural mixture or composition of theyr bodies such thinges are agreable to them as seeme very harde to other The lion in Affrike and the beare in Sarmatia are fierce as in theyr presente strength and vigoure but translated into a contrary heauen are of lesse strength and courage The foule cauled Ciconia which sum thinke to bee the storke dooth not tary the winter yet doo the cranes coomme at that tyme. The Scythian wyll accuse the Romane heauen as induccinge feuers wheras neuerthelesse there is none more holsoome what exercise may doo Such as haue byn tenderly browght vp if they coomme suddenly in to the campe can not away with hunger watchynge heate passages throwgh ryuers baâ—tayles sieges and assaultes But the owld souldier exercised in the warres vseth these as meditations of the fielde as hardened therto by longe experience He that hath byn accustomed to the shadowe of the citie and wyll attempte the sayinge of the poet Uirgil Nudus ara sere nudus that is naked and bare withowt house home shall to his perell make an ende of the verse Use maketh masteries Hâ—bebis frigora febrem that is he shall haue the coulde ague Suche thynges therfore as seeme harde vnto vs beinge accustomed by lyttle and lyttle becomme more tollerable In so much that this exercise of suâ—feraunce by such degrees dooth oftentymes grow to prodigious effectes facte beyonde owre expectation And thus wee seeme to haue made sufficient demonstration by heauen nature and arte wherby it may appere that no part of the lande or sea is denyed to lyuynge creatures The reader may also perceaue how large matter of reasons and exemples may bee opened for the declarynge of owre opinion wherein wee rest Let theâ—fore thautoritie of the ancient autours gyue place and the consent of the newe wryters agree to this hystory not as nowe at the length comprehendâ—d whereas before many hundreth yeares Germanie and Scondia had entercourse of Scondia marchaundâ—es not seuered by the large
Carucuiera haue in owre tyme vyolentely taken owte of the sayde Ilande of Sancti Iohannis more then fyue thousande men to bee eaten But let it suffice thus much to haue wandered by these monstrous bludsuckers We wyll nowe therfore speake sumewhat of the rootes whereof they make theyr breade forasmuch as the same shall hereafter bee foode to Christian men in steede of breade made of wheate Breade of rootes and in the steade of radysshe with such other rootes as they haue byn accustomed to eate in Europe We haue oftentymes sayde before that Iucca is a roote whereof the beste and moste delicate breade is made bothe in the firme lande of these regions and also in the Ilandes But howe it is tylled or husbanded howe it groweth and of howe dyuers kyndes it is I haue not yet declared Therefore when they intende to plante this Iucca The maner of plantinge the roote Iucca they make a hole in the earth knee deape and rayse a heape of the earth taken owte of the same fashionynge it lyke a square bedde of nyne foote breadth on euerye syde settynge twelue trunkes of these rootes beinge about a foote and a halfe longe a piece in euery of the sayd beddes conteynynge three rootes of a syde so layde a slope that the endes of them ioyne in maner togyther in the center or myddest of the bedde within the grounde Owt of the ioyntes of the rootes and spaces betwene the same sprynge the toppes and blades of newe rootes which by lyttle and lyttle encreasynge growe to the byggenes and length of a mans arme in the brawne and oftentymes as bygge as the thygh So that by the tyme of theyr full rypenes in maner all the earthe of the heape is conuerted into rootes Earth turned into rootes But they say that these rootes are not rype in lesse tyme then a yeare a halfe And that the longer they are suâ—fered to growe euen vntyll twoo yeares complete they are so muche the better and more perfecte to make breade therof howe breade is made of rootes When they are taken foorthe of the earth they scrape them and slyse theÌ„ with certeyne sharpe stones scruynge for the same purpose And thus layinge theÌ„ betwene two great stones or puttynge them in a sacke made of the stalkes of certeyne towgh herbes and smaule reedes they presse them as we do cheese or crabbes to drawe owte the iuse thereof and so let them drye a daye before they eate them The iuse or lyquoure they cast away for as we haue sayde it is deadly poyson in the Ilandes A straunge thynge Yet is the iuse of suche as growe in the firme lande holsome if it bee sodde as is the whey of owre mylke They saye that there are manye kyndes of this Iucca wherof suâ—e are more pleasaunte and delycate then the other and are therefore reserued as it were to make fine manchet for the kynges owne tables But the gentelmen eate of the meaner sorte and the common people of the basest The fynest they caule Cazabbi Cazabbi which they make rounde lyke cakes in certeyne presses before they seeth it or bake it They saye furthermore that there are lykewyse dyuers kyndes of the rootes of Ages and Battata Ages and Battata But they vse these rather as frutes and dysshes of seruice then to make breade therof as we vse rapes radysshes mussheroms nauies perseneppes and such lyke In this case they mooste especially esteeme the best kynde of Battatas which in pleasant tast and tendernes farre exceadeth owre musheromes It shal suffice to haue sayde thus muche of rootes Panicum is a grayne sumewhat lyke 〈◊〉 The Italians caule it Meâ—â—ca We wyll nowe therfore speake of an other kynde of theyr breade We declared before that they haue a kynde of grayne or pulse muche lyke vnto Panicum but with sumwhrt bygger graines which they beate into meale vppon certeyne greate hollowe stones with the labour of their handes when they lacke Iucca And of this is made the more vulgar or common breade It is sowen thrise a yeare so that the frutfulnesse of the grounde may beare it by reason of the equalitie of the tyme whereof wee haue spoken suffyciently before he meanethe the equall length of day and nyght which iâ— continually in regions vnder the Equinoctial lyne In these regyons they founde also the graine of Maizium Maizium and sundry kyndes of frutes of trees diligentely planted and well husbanded The waye betwene the regyons of Caramairi and Saturma is fayre brode and ryghte foorthe They founde here also sundrye kyndes of waterpottes made of earthe of dyuers colours Earth of dyuers colours in the whiche they bothe fetche and keepe freshe water Lykewise sundry kindes of iugges godderdes drynkyng cuppes pottes pannes dysshes and platters artifycially made When the gouernour had gyuen commaundement by proclamation that thinhabitantes shulde eyther obey the Christian kynge and embrase owre relygion or elles to depart owte of their countrey they answered with venemous arrowes In this skyrmyshe owre men tooke summe of theym whereof clothynge the moste parte in faire apparell they sente them ageyne to their owne coompany But leadyng the resydue to the shyppes to thinâ—ent to shewe them the poure and magnyfycence of the christians that they myght declare the same to their coompanions therby to wynne their fauour they appareled them lykewyse and sente them after their felowes Theye affyrme that in all the ryuers of these coastes theye sawe great argumentes and tokens of golde Golde in ryuers They founde here and there in their houses good store of hartes flesshe and bores fleshe wherwith they fedde them selues dilycately hartes and bores They also haue greate plentie of sundry kyndes of byrdes and foules Foules wherof they brynge vppe many in their houses summe for necessarye foode and other for daynty dysshes as we do hennes and partriches Owre men hereby coniecture that the ayer of these regions is veary holsome holsome ayer for as muche as sleapynge all nyghte vnder the fyrmament on the bankes of the ryuers none of them were at any tyme offended with reumes or heade ache by reason of any noysome humoure or vapoure proceadynge from the earthe ayer or water Owre men furthermore founde there many great bothomes of gossampyne cotton ready spunue and fardelles of dyuers kyndes of fethers wherof they make them selueâ— crestes and plumes Gossampine cotton Fethers after the maner of owre men of armes also certeine clokes whiche they esteeme as moste cumly ornamentes They founde lykewyse an innumerable multitude of bowes and arrowes Bowes and arâ—owes Thinhabitantes also of these regioÌ„s in summe places vse to burne the carkeses of their prynces when theye are deade and to reserue their bones buryed with spyces in certeyne hylles Deade bodies reserued In other places they onely drye theym and imbaume them with spycâ—s and sweete gummes and soo reserue them in
of the motions of the Ocean sea to and fro this shal suffyce Let vs now therfore reherse what they write of Dariena of their habitation there which they caule Sancta Maria Antiqua Sancta Maria Antiqua the fyâ—st habitation of the spaniardes in the fyrme lande planted on the sea bankes of Dariena The situation of the place hath no natural munition or defense And the ayer is more pestiferous then in Sardus Sardus the Ilande of Sardinia The Spanyshe inhabitours are all pale yelowe lyke vnto them that haue the yelowe gianndyes Whiche neuerthelesse commeth not of the nature of the region as it is situate vnder the heauen For in many regyons beyng vnder the selfe same degree of latitude hauyng the pole of the same eleuation The variety of regions lynge vnder one paralel they fynd holsome temperate ayer in such places where as the earth bryngeth forth fayre sprynges of water or where holsome ryuers runne by bankes of pure earthe without mudde but moste especyally where they inhabyte the sydes of the hylles and not the valleyes But that habytation whiche is on the bankes of the ryuer of Dariena is sytuate in a deepe valley and enuironed on euery syde with hyghe hylles By reason wherof it receaueth the soonne beames at noonetyde directly perpenticular ouer their heades and are therfore sore vexed by reflection of the beames bothe before behynde and from the sydes For it is the reflection of the soonne beames whiche causeth feruente heate By what meanes the â—onne beames are cauâ—e of feruent heate â–ª and not their accesse or nerenesse to the earth Forasmuche as they are not passyble in them selues as dothe manyfestly appeare by the snowe lyinge contynually vnmolten vpon certeyne hygh montaynes as yowre holynesse knoweth ryghte well The soonne beames therfore faulyng on the montaynes are reflected downewarde into the valley by reason of thobiecte of the declynynge sydes of the hylles as it were the faule of a greate rounde stoone rowled frome the toppe of a montayne The valley therfore receaueth both those beames whiche faule directly theron and also those whiche are reflected downwarde from euery syde of the montaynes Their habitation therfore in Dariena The pernicious ayer of Darienâ— is pernicious and vnholsome onely of the particular nature of the place not by the sytuation of the regyon as it is placed vnder the heauen or â—â—eare to the soonne The place is also contagious by the nature of the soyle by reason it is coompased aboute with muddy and stynkynge marysshes thinfection wherof is not a lyttle encreased by the heate The vyllage it selfe is in a maryshe and in maner a standynge puddle where of the droppes faulyng from the handes of the bond men whyle they water the pauementes of their houses Toades and flees engendered of droppes of water toades are engendered immediately as I my selfe sawe in an other place the droppes of that water turne into flees in the soomer season Furthermore where so euer they dygge the grounde the deapthe of a handefull and a halfe there springeth owte vnholsome and corrupte water of the nature of the ryuer which runneth through the deepe muddy chanel of the valley and so fauleth into the sea Now therfore they consulte of remouyng their habytation Necessytie caused them fyrst to fasten their foote heare Necessytie hath no â—awâ— bycause that they whiche fyrst arryued in those landes were oppressed with suche vrgente hunger that they had no respecte to chaunge the place althoughe they were thus vexed by the contagion of the soyle and heate of the soonne besyde the corrupte water and infectious ayer by reason of venemous vapours and exhalations rysynge from the same An other great incommoditie was that the place was destitute of a commodious hauen beynge three leaques distante from the mouthe of the goulfe The waye is also roughe and diffyculte to brynge vyttayles and other necessaries from the sea But lette vs nowe speake sumwhat of other particular thynges whiche chaunsed Therfore shortly after that they weare arryued there happened many thynges wherof they had no knowledge before A certayne well learned phisytion of Ciuile whome partely thautorytie of the bysshoppe of Dariena and partely the desyre of golde had allured to those landes was so scarred with lyghtnynge in the nyghte season lyinge in bedde with his wyfe that the house and all the stuffe therin beynge sette on fyer and burnte A houâ—e sette on fyer with lyghtnynge he and his wyfe beynge bothe soore scorched ranne foorthe cryinge and almoste naked hardely escapynge the daunger of deathe At an other tyme as certayne of them stoode on the shoore a great Crocodyle sodenly caryed awaye a masty of a yeare and a halfe owlde A dogge deuoured of a crocodyle as a kyte shulde haue snatched vppe a chicken Tanquam canis e Nilo And this euen in the presence of theym all where the myserable dogge cryed in vayne for the helpe of his mayster In the nighte season they were tormented with the bytynge of battes whiche are there soo noysome that if they byte any man in his sleape The byting of battes they putte hym in daunger of lyfe onely with drawynge of bludde In so muche that summe haue dyed therof faulynge as it were into a consumption through the malyciousnesse of the venemous wounde If these battes chaunce to fynde a cocke or a henne abrode in the nyght season they byte them by the combes and so kyll them They also whiche wente laste into these regions do wryte that the lande is troubeled with Crocodyles Lyons and Tigers Lyons and tygers But that they haue nowe deuised artes and ingens howe to take them Lykewyse that in the houses of their felowes they founde the hydes and cases of suche Lyons and Tygers as they had kylled They wryte furthermore that by reason of the rankenesse and frutefulnesse of the grounde kyne swyne and horses doo maruelously increase in these regions and growe to a muche bygger quantitie then they whiche weare of the first broode Beastes wer bygger in theâ—r kynde Of the excedynge hyghnesse of the trees with their fruites of the garden herbes fruites plantes and seedes whiche owre men broughte from Spayne and sowed and set the same in these regyons lykewyse of the hertes and other foure footed beastes bothe tame and wylde also of dyuers kyndes of foules byrdes and fysshes they write euen as we haue declared in the decades before Careta the kynge of the regyon of Cioba how the gouernour enterteyned kyng Careta was with them for the space of three dayes whome when they had frendly enterteyned and shewed hym the secreate places of their shyppes their horses also with their trappars bardes and other furnimentes besyde many other thinges whiche seemed straunge to hym and had further delited his mynd with the harmony of their musycall instrumentes and gyuen hym many rewardes they dysmyssed hym halfe amased
religion spreadeth her wynges Yet amonge these so many blessed and fortunate thynges this one greeueth me not a lyttle That these simple poore men neuer brought vp in labour By what meaneâ— the people of the Iland are gretly consumed do dayly peryshe with intollerable trauayle in the golde mynes And are therby brought to suche desperation that many of them kyll them selues hauynge no regarde to the procreation of chyldren In so much that women with chylde perceauynge that they shall brynge foorth such as shal be slaues to the Christians vse medecines to destroy theyr conception And albeit that by the kynges letters patentes it was decreed that they shulde bee set at lybertie yet are they constrayned to serue more then seemeth conuenient for free men The number of the poore wretches is woonderfully extenuate They were once rekened to bee aboue twelue hundreth thousande heades But what they are nowe I abhorre to rehearse We wyll therefore let this passe and returne to the pleasures of Hispaniola The plesures of hispaniola In the mountaynes of Cibaua which are in maner in the myddest of the Ilande in the prouince of Caiabo where we sayd to bee the greatest plentie of natyue golde there is a region named Cotohi situate in the clowdes The region of Cotohi â—ituate in the Clowdes enuironed with the toppes of hyghe mountaynes and well inhabited It consisteth of a playne of .xxv. myles in length and .xv. in breadth This playne is hygher then the toppes of other mountaynes A playne in the toppes of mountaynes So that these mountaynes maye seeme to bee the chiefe and progenitours of the other The hygher the coulder This playne suffereth alterations of the foure tymes of the yeare as the Sprynge Soomer Autumne and wynter Here the herbes ware wythered the trees loose theyr leaues Moderate coulde in the mountaynes and the medowes become hore The whiche thynges as we haue sayde chaunce not in other places of the Ilande where they haue only the Spring and Autumne The soyle of this playne bryngeth foorth ferne and bramble busshes bearynge blacke berries or wylde raspes Ferne of maruelous bignes which two are tokens of coulde regions Yet is it a fayre region for the coulde therof is not very sharpe neyther dooth it aflicte thinhabitantes with froste or snowe They argue the frutefulnes of the region by the ferne whose stalkes or steames are bygger then a spere or iauelen The sydes of those mountaynes are ryche in golde Golde Yet is there none appoynted to dygge for the same bycause it shal be needefull to haue apparelled myners and such as are vsed to labour For thinhabitantes lyuinge confeuted with lyttle are but tender And can not therfore away with labour or abyde any coulde Thinhabitantes of hispaniola can abyde no labour nor coulde There are two ryuers which runne through this region and faule from the toppes of the present mountaynes One of these is named Comoiayxa whose course is towarde the West and fauleth into the chanell of Naiba The other is cauled Tirecotus which runnynge towarde the East ioyneth with the ryuer of Iunna In the Ilande of Creta nowe cauled Candie as I passed bâ— in my legacie to the Soldane of Alcayr or Babylon in Egypte The Iland of Creta of Candie vnder the dominion of the Uenetians the Uenetians toulde me that there laye suche a region in the toppes of the mountaynes of Ida whiche they affirme to bee more frutefull of wheate corne then any other region of the Iland But forasmuch as once the Cretenses rebelled agenst the Uenetians and by reason of the streight and narowe way to the toppes therof longe defended the region with armes against thauctoritie of the Senate and at the length beinge forweryed with warres rendered the same the Senate commaunded that it shulde bee lefte deserte and the streightes of thenteraunces to bee stopped lest any shulde ascende to the region without their permissyon Yet in the yeare of Christe M. D. ii lycence was graunted to the husband men to tyll and manure the region on suche condition that no suche as were apte to the warres myght enter into the same There is also an other region in Hispaniola named Cotoby after the same name This diuideth the boundes of the prouinces of Vhabo and Caiabo It hath mountaynes vales and plaines But bycause it is baren it is not muche inhabited Yet is it richest in golde For the originall of the abundaunce of gold beginneth here In so muche that it is not gathered in smaule graines and sparkes as in other places but is founde hole Pure and massie golde in the region of Cotoy massie and pure emonge certaine softe stones and in the vaines of rockes by breakynge the stones wherof they folowe the vaynes of golde They haue founde by experience that the vayne of golde is a lyuinge tree The vaine of golde is a lyuynge tree And that the same by all wayes that it spreadeth springeth from the roote by the softe pores and passages of the yearth These colers or floures are cauled Marchasites Pyntes putteth foorth branches euen vnto the vppermost part of the earth ceaseth not vntyl it discouer it selfe vnto the open ayer At whiche time it sheweth foorth certaine bewtifull colours in the steede of floures rounde stones of golden earth in the steede of frutes and thynne plates in steede of leaues These are they whiche are disparcled throughout the hole Ilande by the course of the ryuers eruptions of the sprâ—nges owte of the montaines and violent faules of the fluddes For they thincke that such graines are not engendered where they are gathered especially on the dry land but otherwise in the riuers They say that the roote of the goldeÌ„ tree extendeth to the center of the earth there taketh norisheÌ„mt of increase The roote of the golden tree For the deaper that they dygge The braunches of the golden tree they fynd the trunkes therof to be so muche the greater as farre as they maye folowe it for abundaunce of water springing in the montaines Of the braunches of this tree they fynde summe as smaule as a threde and other as bygge as a mannes fynger accordynge to the largenesse or straightnesse of the ryftes and clyftes They haue sumetimes chaunced vpon hole caues susteyned and borne vp as it were with golden pyllars Caues susteyned with pyllers of golde And this in the wayes by the whiche the branches ascende The whiche beynge fylled with the substaunce of the truncke creapynge from beneath the branche maketh it selfe waye by whiche it maye passe owte The stones of the golde mynes It is oftentymes diuided by encounterynge with sum kynde of harde stone Yet is it in other clyftes noorisshed by the exhalations and vertue of the roote But now perhappes yowe will aske me what plentie of golde is brought from thense Yowe shall therfore vnderstande that onely owte of Hispaniola what
they take this with them to begyn with all vntyl Tuyra who maketh them all these fayre promisses prouyde them of greater quantitie This haue I my selfe sene in the toppe of the mountaynes of Guaturo where hauynge in pryson the kynge of that prouince who rebelled from thobedience of yowre maiestie and demaundynge of hym to whom perteyned those sepultures or graues whiche I sawe in his houâ—e he answered that they were of certeyne Indians whiche â—â—ewe them selues at the death of his father And bycause they are oftentymes accustomed to burye greate quantities of wrought golde with them I caused twoo graues to bee opened wherein was nothynge founde but a vessell full of the grayne of Maizium and a bundell of Iucca as I haue sayde And demaundyng the cause hereof of the kinge and the other Indians they aunswered that they that were buryed there were the labourers of the grounde and men skylful in sowynge of seedes and makynge of breade and seruauntes to the kynges father And to th ende that theyr soules shoulde not dye with theyr bodyes they slewe them selues at the deathe of the kynge theyr master to lyue with hym in heauen And to thintent that they myght seene him there in the same office they reserued that Maizium and Iucca to sowe it in heauen Wherunto I aunswered them in this maner Beholde howe your Tuyra deceaueth yowe And howe all that he teacheth yow is false Yowe see how in so long a tyme sence they are deade they haue not yet taken awaye this Maizium and Iucca which is nowe putrified and woorth nothynge and not lyke to bee sowen in heauen To this the kynge replyed sayinge In that they haue not taken it away nor sowen it in heauen the cause is that they chaunced to fynde enowgh there by reason wherof they had no neade of this To this errour manye thynges were sayde which seemed of lyttle force to remoue hym from his false opinion and especially any such as at that age are occupyed of the deuyll whom they paynt of the selfe same forme and coloure as he appereth vnto theym in dyuers shapes and formes They make also Images of golde copper and woodde to the same similitudes in terrible shapes and so variable as the paynters are accustomed to paynt them at the feete of saynte Mychaell tharchangell or in anye other place where they paynt them of most horrible portiture Lykewyse when the deuyll greatly intendeth to feare theym he threteneth to sende them great tempestes which they caule Fuâ—acanas or Haurachanas and are so vehement that they ouerthrowe many howses and great trees And I haue seene in montaynes full of many and greate trees thâ—t for the space of three quarters of a league the mâ—untayne hathe byn subuerted and the trees ouerâ—hrowen and plucked owte of the earthe with the rootes a thynge doubtelesse so fearefull and terryble to behold that it may verely appere to be doen by the hand of the deuyll And in this case the Christian men ought to consider with good reason that in al places where the holy sacrament is reserued the sayd tempestes are no more so owtragious or so perelous as they were wonte to bee ¶ Of the temperature of the regions vnder or neare to the burnt lyue cauled Torrida zona or the Equinoctiall and of the dyuers seasons of the yeare THe landes and regions that are neare about the clymes of the Equinoctiall lyne are naturally hotte althowghe they bee otherwise temperate by the diuine prouidence And therfore suche flesshe or fyshe as is taken and kylled in these regions can not bee preserued from putrefaction except it be tosted sodden or perboylde the same daye that it is kylde And wheras I haue sayde that such regions are naturally hot and yet temperate by the prouidence of god it is so in deede And therfore not without cause the auncient autours were of opinion that the burnte lyne or Torrida zona where passeth the lyne of the Equinoctiall shulde be vnhabitable by reason the soonne hath greater dominion in that place then in any other of the sphere remaynynge continually betwene the two tropykes of Cancer and Capricorne For when in these regions the earth is opened or dygged froÌ„ the superficial parte therof to the depth of a mans heyght it is founde temperate And within this space the trees and plantes fasten and spreade their rootes and no dieper Extendynge the same as farre in breadth in the ground as do theâ—r braunches in the ayer And enter no dieper into the grounde then I haue sayde bycause that beneth the depth of the said space of a mans heyght the earth is verye hotte the vppâ—r parte beinge temperate and verye moyste aswell by reason of thaboundaunce of water whiche fauleth from heauen vppon that earth at certeyne ordinarie seasons of the yeare as also for the multitude of great ryuers brokes sprynges and marysshes wherby the myghtie and supreme lorde which made theâ—e landes hath moste prudently prouyded for the preseruation of the same R. E. As touchynge this poynt whiche was vnknowen to the owlde wryters and withowt consideration wherof reaâ—on can not perfectly conceaue howe temperate regione shulde be vnder the Equinoctiall lyne I haue thought good for the better manifestynge of this â—ecreate woorke of nature to note owte of Cardanus his booke de Elementis howe all waters haue theyr courâ—e toward the South as to the lowest part of the earth he wayteth therefore as foloweth The water was made of lesse quantitie then the earth and only in maner in the superficiall parte therof that place might bee lefte for the habitation of beastes and that water by his couldnesse myght temperate and not destroy the lyfe of beastes And bicause this generation of lyuynge creatures was only necessary on the superficiall partes of the earth in comparison to the hole therfore was the water made to occupie onely the superficiall parte in the which metals plantes beastes and fysshes shulde bee nuryshed And bycause there was great perell least it shulde be to much conâ—umed by the ayer and heate of the soonne continuall mouinge was ioyned to it wherby it gathereth couâ—denes and is preserued from sodeyne resolution For suche waters as doo not moue â–ª doo soone putrifie and are easely resolued into ayer By reason wherof nature prouyded for the generation of water in couâ—de places as vnder the coles and mountaynes And whereas the earth vnder the Equinoctiall shuâ—de otherwiâ—e for lacke of moyster haue bin to much burned and scorched â–ª nature also prouyded that that parte of the earth shulde bee lowest by reason whâ—reof all waters haue theyr course towarde the South to mitigate with moyster thextremitie of heate which otherwise shulde haue byn intollerable in that câ—yme And by this reason the famous ryuer of Nilus in Egypte albeit it haue his originall and â—prynge owt of the mountaynes of the mone cauled Montes Lunae nere vnto the cyrcle of Capricoâ—ne yet runnynge with all his braunches vnder and
and famen insuinge therof but that all beastes shulde perysshe before the sommer folowynge when they shulde bringe furth theyr broode or succession And that for these causes the sayde coulde clime shulde bee perpetually desolate and vnhabitable To al which obiections we answere in this maner As touchynge the nyghtes not increased I saye that it was not conuenient to assume that for any reason For not as the soonne fauleth so suddeynly commeth the darke night but that the euenynge dooth substitute and prolonge the day longe after The twylyghtes as also the day sprynge or dawnynge of the daye gyueth a certeyne lyght before the rysinge of the soonne After the whiche the residue of the nyght that receaueth no light by the sayde euenynge and mornynge twilightes is accomplysshed by the lyght of the moone The lyght of the mone so that the nyghtes are seldome vnaugmented Let this bee an exemple proued by owre temperate regions wherby we may vnderstande the condition of the nyght vnder the pole â—he myght vnder the pole Therfore euen there also the twilightes helpe the nyght a longe tyme as we wyl more presently demonstrate It is approued by the Astronomers that the soonne descendynge from the highest halfe sphere by xviii paralels of the vnder horizon makethe an ende of the twylight A demonstration so that at the lengthe the darke nyght succedeth And that the soonne approchynge and rysynge aboue the hyghest halfe sphere by as many paralels dooth diminysshe the nyght and increase the twylyght Ageyne by the position or placeinge of the sphere vnder the pole the same is the horizontall that is the Equinoctiall Those paralelles therefore that are paralels to the horizontal line are also paralels to the Equinoctiall So that the soonne descendynge there vnder the horizon dooth not brynge darke nyghtes to those regions vntyll it coomme to the paralele distant .xviii. partes from the Equinoctiall Other demonstrations hereof are made by certeyne fygures of Astronomie whiche I wolde haue added hereunto but that I coulde not gette the same grauen or cutte Durynge the tyme of these sayde syxe moonethes of darkenesse vnder the pole the nyght is destitute of the benefite of the soonne and the sayde twylyghtes onely for the space of three moonethes in the whiche the soonne goeth and returneth by the portion of the ouerthwart circle But yet neyther this tyme of three moonethes is withowt remedy frome heauen For the moone with her full globe increased in lyghte The Moone hath accesse at that tyme and illuminateth the moonethes lackynge lyght euery one by them selues halfe the course of the moonethe by whose benefite it coommeth to passe that the night named as vnaugmentâ—d possesseth those regions no longer then one mooneth and a halfe neyther that continually or al at one tyme but this also diuided into three sorts of shorter nyghtes of the whiche euery one endureth for the space of twoo weekes and are illuminate of the moone accordyngly And this is the reason conceaued of the poure of the sphere wherby we testifie that the sommers and nyghtes vnder the pole are tollerable to lyuynge beastes But wee wyll nowe declare by other remedies of nature and arte Remedies of nature art that this coulde so greatly feared is more remisse tollerable then owre opinion so that compared to the nature of such beastes as liue there it may bee abydden And there is no doubt but there are autours of more antiquitie then that age in the which any thynge was exactly knowen or discouered of the north regions The owlde wryters therfore persuaded onely by naked coniecture dydde gather what they myght determine of those places Or rather by the estimation of heauen the which bycause they felte it to bee hardely tollerable to them selues and lesse to men borne in the clyme of Egypte and Grecia tooke therby an argument of the hole habitable earth The hystorie of Strabo is knowen that a potte of brasse which was broken in sunder with frosen water A brasen pot broken with frost was brought from Pontus and shewed in Delphis in token of a greuous wynter Here therfore they that so greatly feared the winter such as chaunceth to the earth vnder the xlviii paralele and therefore consecrated that broken pot to the temple of Apollo what coulde such men trewly define vppon regions so farre withowt that paralele whether they were inhabited or not But such as folowed these being contented with thinuentions of the owlde autours and borne in maner vndâ—r the same qualitie of heauen persisted wyllyngly in the same opinion with more confidence then consideration of the thynges whereof wee nowe intreate so lyghtly was that opinion receaued as touching the vnhabitable clime vnder the poles But we with better confidence and faithe forasmuch as we are not instructed with coniectures intend to stande ageynst the sentence of the owld autours Affirming the north regions within the coulde clime to bee inhabyted with hearynges Fysshes of the North seas coddes haddockes and brettes tunnyes and other great fysshes with thinfinite number wherof tables are furnysshed through a great parte of Europe Al whiche are taken in the north sea extended beyonde owr knoweleage The North sea This sea at certeyne tymes of the yeare poureth furth his plentifulnesse or rather dryueth furth his increase to seke newe mansions and are here taken in theyr passage Furthermore also euen the mouthes of the riuer of Tyber receaue a fysshe as a newe gest sent from the north sea This swamme twyse through Fraunce and twise throughe Spayne Ouer-passed the Ligurian and Tuscan sea to communicate her selfe to the citie of Rome The lakes also and ryuers of those regions are replenysshed with fysshe In so much that no poure of coulde is able to extinguyâ—she thincrease of the yeare folowinge and the succession reparable so many hundreth yeares And I playnely thinke that yf it shulde of necessitie folowe that one of these two elementes The qualitie of water the earthe and the water shuldâ— be destructiue to lyuynge creatures the water shulde chiefely haue wrought this effecte But this is founde so tractable that in the diepe wynter both that increase is brought furth and fysshynge is also exercised The lande is lykewise inhabited with lyke plentifulnesse The lande But that we wander not to farre Let the fayth hereof rest in thexposition folowynge wherin we intend to declare howe by the poure of nature and industry of man this commoditie may coomme to passe Therfore as touchynge nature wee suppose that the diuine prouidence hath made nothynge vncommunicable The diuine prouidence in moderatynge the elements but to haue gyuen such order to all thynges wherby euery thynge maye bee tollerable to the nexte The extremeties of the elementes consent with theyr next The ayer is grosse abowt the earth and water But thinne and botte abowt the fyre By this prouidence of nature the vttermost sea is very salte The
theyr multitude and with what greate armyes they assayle theyr enemyes theÌ„ eyther in the strengthe and valyantenesse of theyr souldyers or in well instructynge theyr armye and fyght better afarre of then at hande and therfore study howe to circumuent or inclose theyr enemyes and to assayle them on the backe halfe Instruments of warre They haue many trumpiters The which whyle they blow all at once after theyr maner make A meruelous straunge noyse They haue also an other kynde of instrumentes which they caule Szurna These they blowe withowte seasynge for the space of an houre togither so temperyng the same and holdyng in the wynd whyle they drawe more that the noyse seemeth continuall withoute intermyssion The Moscouites and Tartars apparell They vse all one maner of appareyle as longe coates withowte pleyghtes and with narrowe sleaues after the maner of the Hungaryans These the Christians vse to butten on the ryght syde and the Tartars vsinge the lyke butten them on the lefte syde They weare redde and shorte buskyns that reache not to theyr knees and haue the soules therof defended with plates of Iren. In maner all theyr shyrtes are wroughte with dyuers colours aboute the necke and haue the collars and ruffes bysette with lyttle rounde baules lyke beades of syluer or gylted copper and sumtyme perles also They gyrde them selues beneth the bellye euen as lowe as theyr priuy members that they may seme more boorely which they greately esteme as doo at thys day the Spanyardes Italyans and Almaynes The prouince of Moscouia is neyther very large nor frutfull The prouince of Moscouia forasmuche as the fertylytye is hyndered with sandye grounde which eyther with to muche drynesse or moyster kylleth the corne Furthermore the immoderate and sharpe vntemperatenesse of the ayre while the coulde of the wynter ouercommethe the heate of the soonne Extreme coulde sumtymes dothe not suffer the corne to rype For the coulde is there sumtyme so extreame that lyke as with vs in sommer by reason of heate euen so there by extreame coulde the yearth hath many great chynkes or breaches Water also cast into the ayre and spettle faulyng from on s mouthe are frosen before they touche the grounde I my selfe when I came thether in the yeare 1526. sawe the braunches of frutefull trees wythyred by the coulde of the wynter before which was so extreame that many of theyr wagoners or caries whom they caule Gonecz were founde frosen to deathe in theyr sleades There were sum that at the same tyme leadyng and dryuyng theyr cattayle from the nexte villagies to Moscouia dyed by the way with theyr beastes through thextremytie of the coulde Furthermore the same yeare many players that were accustomed to wander aboute the contrey with daunsyng beares were founde dead in the high wayes Wylde beares also inforced therto by famyn lefte the wooddes and ranne here and there into dyuers villagies and houses At whose commyng while the men of the countrey forsooke theyr houses and fledd into the fieldes manye of them perysshed throughe the vehemencie of the coulde Agayne it sumtymes so chaunceth that in sommer the heate is as extreame Extreme heate in cold regions as in the yeare .1525 in the which almost al kynds of pulse and grayne were scorched and burnte and such a derth of corne folowed that drought that that which before was bowght for three dengas was afterwarde soulde for .xx or .xxx. Furthermore also manye villagies wooddes and stackes of corne were sette on fyre by thextreame heate The smoke wherof so fylled the regyon that the eyes of many were sore hurte therby There arose also as it were a darke and thycke myst without smoke which so molested the eys that many loste theyr sight therby They sowe and narysshe the seades of melons with great diligence in certeyne raysed beddes myxte with doonge wherby they fynde a remedy both ageynst extreame could and heat For if the heate exceade they make certeyne ryftes in the beddes as it were breathyng places least the seades shulde be suffocate with to muche heate And if the coulde bee extreme it is tempered with the heate of the mucke or dunge Lyttle beastes Theyr beastes are muche lesse then owres yet not all withowt hornes as one hath written For I haue there sene oxen kyne goates and rammes all with hornes Not farre from the citie of Moscha are certeyne monasteries which a farre of seeme lyke vnto a citie They saye that in thys citie is an incredible number of houses The citie of Moâ—couia or Mosca And that the syxte yeare before my commynge thyther the prince caused them to bee numbered and founde them to bee more then one and fortye thousande and fyue hundreth houses The citie is very large and wyde and also very slabby and myrie By reason wherof it hath many brydges and causeys The ayre of the regyon is so holsome holsome ayer that beyond the sprynges of Tanais especially towarde the north and a great parte also towarde the Easte the pestylence hath not byne harde of sence the memorye of man Yet haue they sumtimes a disease in theyr bowells and headdes not much vnlyke the pestylence Thys disease they caule a heate wherwith suche as are taken dye within fewe dayes A ryche spoyle Sum wryte that Iohn the duke of Moscouia and sonne of Basilius vnder the pretence of religion sacked spoyled the citie of Nouogardia and caried with hym from thense to Moscouia three hundreth sleades laden with golde syluer and precious stones of the gooddes of the Archebysshoppe the marchauntes citisins and straungiers Solowki is an Ilande situate in the north sea .viii. leaques from the continent betwen The â—land of Solowki Dwina and the province of Corela Howe farre it is dystant from Moscouia can not bee well knowne by reason of manye sennes marysshes Wooddes and desolate places lyinge in the way Albeit suÌ„ say that it is not three hundreth leaques from Moscouia two hundreth frome Bieloiesero Bieloiesero In thys Ilande is made greate plenty of salte and it hath in it a monasterie into the which it is not lawfull for any woman or virgyn to enter There is also great fysshyng for hearyng They say that here the soonne at the sommer Equinoctiall The lengthe of the day shyneth continually excepte two houres Demetriowe is a citie with a castel distante from Moscouia xii leaques declining from the west sumwhat toward the north By this runneth the ryuer Lachroma that runneth in to the ryuer of Sest Sest also receaueth the ryuer Dubna which vnladeth it selfe in Uolga And by the commoditie of thus many ryuers many riche marchaundies are browght without great laboure or difficultie from the caspian sea by the ryuer Uolga to Moscouia and dyuers other prouynces cities abowte the same The trade from Moscocouia to the Caspian sea Bieloiesero a citie with a castell is situat at a lake of the same name For Bieloiesero
of great Basilius Prince of Moscouia to pope Clement the seuenth 278. Other notable thynges as concernynge Moscouia gathered owt of the bookes of Sigismundus Liberus 289. The description of the regions and people lyinge North and Easte from Moscouia to the ryuer Petzora and the prouince of Iugaria and the ryuer Obi. c. 294. Of the famous ryuer of Tanais 297. More directly from Moscouia to â—athay 298. Of the Tartars 299. The nauigation by the frosen seâ— â–ª 303. The letters missiue which kynge Edwarde the .vi. sent to the kynges princes and other potentates inhabitynge the north east partes of the worlde towarde the Empire of Cathay 306. and. 308. The letters of the prince of Moscouia sente to kynge Edwarde 319. Other notable thynges as touchynge the Indies and of the foreknowleage that the poet Seneca had of the fyndynge of the newe worlde other regions not then knowen 310 Of the greate Ilande whiche Plato cauled Atlantica or Atlantide 310. Of the coloure of the Indians 311. Why they were cauled Indians 311. The fyrst discouerynge of the West Indies 312. What maner of man Christopher Colon was and howe he came fyrst to the knowleage of the Indies 313. What laboure and trauaile he tooke in attemptynge his firste vyage to the Indies 313. Of newe Spayne cauled Noua Hispania or Mexico 315. Of Peru. 316. Of the great ryuer cauled Rio de la Plata 316. Of the hygher or superior India cauled India Tercera or Terciera 317. Ageyne of the landes of Laborador and Baccalaos 318. The discouerynge of the lande of Florida 319. An opinion that Europe Africa and Asia are Ilandes and of certeyne Nauigations abowt the same 320. That the Spanyardes haue sayled to the Antipodes whiche inhabite the vndermost halfe of the baule of the earth contrary to thopinions of the owlde wryters 321. Who fyrst founde the nedle of the compasse and the vse therof 322. The situation and byggenesse of the earth 323. What degrees are 324. A demonstration of the roundenesse of the earth 324. What credit owght to be gyuen to wryters as touchynge the woorkes of nature 325. The preface to the booke of metals 326. Of the generation of metalles and theyr mines with the maner of fyndynge the same 327. Of the mine of golde and the qualitie therof 334. Of the myne of syluer 340. The maner of woorkynge in the golde mines of Egypte in oulde tyme. 342. The discription of the two vyages made owt of Englande to Guinea in Afrike 343. A briefe description of Afrike 344. The fyrste vyage to Guinea 345. The seconde vyage to guynea 350. The maner of fyndynge the Longitude of regions by dyuers wayes 360. A newe maner of fyndynge the Longitudes of regions 361 â–ª A briefe rehearsall of the contentes of the bookes of the Decades c. FINIS ¶ The interpretacion of certeyne Woordes ¶ Continente that is the firme lande not inclosed with water or no Ilande A Carauel or Caruel a kynde of shyppes Hemispherium the halfe globe of the earth and water Pesus a ducate and a halfe Equinoctial the line that diuideth the heauen and the earthe in the myddest betwene the two poles in the which when the sonne commeth the days nyghtes are of equal length Clime is a portion of the worlde betwene north and south Paralleles are lines whereby the sonne passynge causeth variation of tyme. Gatti Mammoni Monkeys Schoenus is a space of .xl. furlonges Werst is an Italian mile Colonie an habitacion The Indian language ¶ Canoa a boate or barke Caciqui kynges or gouernours Zemes an Idole Tuyra the deuyll Machana a sworde Areitos songes or balades Tona the moone Tonatico the soonne Quines prestes Chiuy a man Ira a woman Boa a house Cauni golde Mayani nothynge c. ¶ Note that the Ilande of Hispaniola is nowe cauled San Domingo by reason of the chiefe citie so named Also saynte Iohns Ilande cauled sancti Iohannis or Burichena is otherwyse cauled Boriquen Rycharde Eden to the reader THe moste famous oratoure and learned Phylosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero wryteth that in all consultations as touchynge owre behauoure and order of lyuynge amonge men it behoueth vs euer to beare in mynde howe farre the dignitie of mans nature excelleth the condition of brute beastes For they beinge ruled altogether by sence delyte in nothynge but beastely appetites whereunto they runne headlonge as to theyr onely felicitie But the mynde of man beinge of more noble nature is nurysshed with knowleage and taketh pleasure in diuisynge or excogitatynge sume honest thynge whereby it not onely leaueth amonge men a memorie of his immortall nature but also engendereth the lyke affection in other that delyte to see and heare such thinges as are commendable in theyr predicessours And this surely thynke I to bee the cause that eyther the famous factes of woorthy men Commendation of noble factes or ingenious inuentions of experte artificers haue not onely nobilitate the autours and diuisers of the same or such to whom they haue byn dedicate but also that parte of theyr commendations haue redounded to all suche as haue spente theyr tyme and taken peynes in illustratynge and settynge furthe theyr doynges For who shulde at this daye haue knowen Mausolus the kynge of Caria Mausolus with his wyfe Artemisia or these famous artificers Cunnynge artificers Scopa Bryaces Timotheus Leochares or Pythis if the wonderfull and sumptuous woorke of the sepulcher whiche Artemisia made for kynge Mausolus her husband beinge of such woorkemanshyppe that it was accompted for one of the marueyls of the worlde had not geuen vnto all these immortall fame whereas neuerthelesse it coulde not defende it selfe ageynst thiniurie of tyme consumynge all thynges There remayneth at this daye no token of the laborious Tabernacle whiche Moises buylded The Tabernacle of Moises or of the renoumed and maruâ—â—lous Temple that was buylded in Hierusalem by Salomon and renewed by Esdras The Temple of Salomon Yet shall the name of the excellente artificers Ooliab and Beselchel and Hyram the kynge of Tyrus Hyram lyue for euer in the memory of men Furthermore also Salomon hym selfe although he were many other wayes famous yet gaue he a greate parte of his glory to that princely buyldynge But certeynely the most trewe and permanent glory Trewe glory procedeth of such monumentes as brynge sume great and notable coÌ„moditie profite to the lyfe of men rather then of the hugious heapes of stones of the Pyramides of Egypt wherin is nought els to see but the fonde barbarous ostentation of superfluous riches Great and suÌ„ptuous works Or of the Mazes cauled Labyrinthi or of horryble great Images cauled Colossi of knottes inexplicable of brasen caudrons of monstrous byggenesse of hauens with echo seuen tymes reboundynge and dyuers suche other portentous inuentions the which as they do delite vs in considerynge the maruelous arte and witte of suche artificers as diuised and made the same so are they otherwyse
fruites were oftentymes ayded he freely pardoned and dismissed Guarionexius and the other kynges kynge Guarionexius is pardoned The people in the meane tyme flocked togyther abowte the towre to the noÌ„ber of fyue thowsande withowte weapons with pytiful houling for the delyueraunce of theyr kynges The ayer thundered the earth trembeled throwgh the vehemencie of theyr owtery The Lieuetenaunt warned Guarionexius and the other kynges with threatenynges with rewardes and with promyses neuer hereafter to attempte any suche thynge Then Guarionexius made an oration to the people of the great power of owre meÌ„ of theyr clemencie towarde offenders and liberalitie to suche as remayne faithfull desyringe them to quiet theyr myndes and from hensefoorth nother in deede nor thowght to interpryse any thynge ageynst the Christians but to obeye serue them excepte they wolde dayly brâ—nge them selues into further calamyties When the oration was fynyshed they tooke hym vp and set hym on theyr shulders and soo caryed hym home to his owne palaice And by this meanes this Region was pacified for a whyle But owre men with heauy countenaunce wandered vppe and downe as desolate in a strange countrey lackinge vytailes Lacke of vytayles and worne owte of apparell wheras .xv. moonethes were nowe passed sence the Admirals departure duringe which tyme they coulde heare nothynge owte of Spayne The Leauetenaunt comforted them all thâ—t he coulde with fayre wordes and promyses In the meane tyme Beuchius Anacauchoa the kynge of the Weste partes of the Region of Xaragua of whom we spake before sente messengers to the Lieuetenaunt to signifye vnto hym Beuchius Anacauchoa the kynge of Xaragua that he hadde in a redynes the gossampine cotton and suche other thinges as he wylled hym to prepare for the paymente of his trybute Whervppon the Lieuetenaunt tooke his iorney thyther and was honorably receaued of the kynge and his syster suÌ„tyme the wyfe of Caunaboa the kynge of Cibaua Queene Anacaona the wife of kynge Caunaboa bearing no lesse rule in the gouernaunce of her brothers kyngedome then he hym selfe For they affirme her to bee a wyse woman of good maners and pleasaunt in company Shee ernestly persuaded her brother by thexample of her husbande to loue and obeye the Christians This woman was cauled Anacanoa He fownde in the palaice of Beuchius Anacauchoa .xxxii. kynges which hadde browght theyr tributes with them xxxâ—i kynges and abode his comminge They browght with them also besyde theyr trybute assigned them further to demerite the fauour of owre men great plentie of vytayles as bothe kyndes of breade cunnyes and fysshes alredy dryed bycause they shulde not putrifie Serpentes also of that kynd which wee sayd to bee esteemed amonge them as most delicate meate Serpentes eaten and lyke vnto Crocodiles sauing in byggenes These serpentes they caule Iuannas which owre men learned sumewhat to late to haue byn engendred in the Ilande For vnto that day none of them durste aduenture to taste of them by reason of theyr horrible deformitie and lothe sumnes Yet the Lieuetenaunt beinge entysed by the pleasantnes of the kynges syster determined to taste of the serpentes But when he felte the fleshe therof to bee so delicate to his tonge he fel too amayne without al feare The which thinge his coompanyons perceauinge were not behynde hym in greedines In soo muche that they hadde nowe none other talke then of the sweetenes of these serpentes which they affyrme to bee of more pleasaunte taste then eyther owre phesauntes or pertriches But they lose theyr taste excepte they bee prepared after a certeyne fasshion as doo peacockes and phesauntes except they bee interlarded beefore they bee rosted They prepare them therefore after this maner The dressing of serpentes to be eaten Fyrst takynge owte theyr bowels euen from the throte to the thyghes they waâ—â—e and rubbe theyr bodies very cleane bothe within and withowte Then rouling them togyther on a cyrcle inuolued after the maner of a slepynge snake they thruste them into a potte of no bygger capacitie then to houlde them only This doone puttinge a lyttle water vnto them with a portion of the Ilande pepper they seethe theÌ„ with a soft fyer of sweete woodde and suche as maketh no greate smoke Of the fat of them beinge thus sodde is made an excedinge pleasaunte brothe or potage They say also that there is no meate to bee compared to the egges of these serpentes Serpentes egges eaten which they vse to seethe by them selues They are good to bee eaten as sone as they are sodde And may also bee reserued many dayes after But hauinge sayde thus muche of theyr intertaynement and daintie fare let vs nowe speake of other matters When the Lieuetenaunt had fylled one of the Ilande howses with the gossampine cotton which he hadde receaued for trybute Gossampine cotton the kynges promysed furthermore to gyue hym as muche of theyr breade as he wolde demaunde He gaue them hartie thankes and gentely accepted their freendly profer In the meane time whyle this breade was gatheringe in sundry Regions to bee browght to the palaice of Beuchius Anacauchoa kynge of Xaragua he sent messengers to Isabella for one of the two carauelles which were lately made there intendinge to sende the same thytâ—er ageyne laden with breade The maryners gladde of these tydynges sayled abowte the Ilande and in short space browght the shippe to the coastes of Xaragua The syster of kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa that wyse and pleasaunt woman Anacaona â—ueene Anacaona the wyfe sumtyme of Caunaboa the kynge of the golden howse of the mountaynes of Cibaua whose husbande dyed in the way when he shulde haue byn caryed into Spayne when shee harde saye that owre shyppe was arryued on the shore of her natiue countrey persuaded the kynge her brother that they bothe myght goo togyther to see it For the place where the shyppe lay was not paste .vi. myles distante from Xaragua They rested all night in the mydde way in a certeyne vyllage in the which was the treasurye or iewell howse of Anâ—caona The treasurie of Queene Anacaona Her treasure was nother goulde syluer or precious stones but only thynges necessary to bee vsed as cheyars stooles settels dysshes potingers pottes pannes basons treyes and suche other howsholde stuffe and instrumentes workemanly made of a certeyne blacke and harde shyninge woodde which that excellent lerned phisition Iohn baptiste Elisius affirmeth to bee hebene hebene woodde What so euer portion of wytte nature hath gyuen to the inhabitantes of these Ilandes the same doth most appeare in these kynde of woorkes in whiche they shewe great arte and cunnyng But those which this woman had were made in the Iland of Guanabba The Ilande of Guanabba situate in the mouth of the weste syde of Hispaniola In these they graue the lyuely Images of such phantasies as they suppose they see walke by night which the Antiquitie cauled Lemures Also the Images
Death for death Then with the Canibales owne clubbe he layde on hym al that he might dryue with hande and foote grinninge and fretinge as it had byn a wylde bore Thinkynge that he had not yet sufficiently reuenged the death of his companyons when he had beaten owte his braynes and guttes When he was demaunded after what sorte the Canibales were woont to inuade other contreys howe the canibales fortifie their caÌ„pe he answered that they euer vsed to carye with them in theyr Canoas a greate multitude of clubbes The whiche where soo euer they lande they pitche in the grownde and encampe them selues within the coompasse of the same to lye the more safely in the nyght season In Curiana they fownde the head of a capitaine of the Canibales nailed ouer the doore of a certeyne gouernoure for a token of victorie as it hadde byn the standerde or helmette taken from the enemye in battayle In these coastes of Paria is a Region cauled Haraia Haraia in the whiche greate plentie of salte is gathered after a strange sorte For the sea beinge there tossed with the poure of the wyndes dryueth the salte waters into a large playne by the sea syde Salte engendred of the water of the sea where afterward when the sea waxeth câ—ulme and the soonne begynnethe to shyne the water is congeled into moste pure and whyte salte wherewith innumerable shyppes might bee laden if men doo resorte thether for the same beefore there faule any rayne For the rayne meltethe it and causeth it to synke into the sande and soo by the pores of the earthe to returne to the place from whense it was dryuen Other say that the playne is not fylled from the sea but of certeine springes whose water is more sharpe and salt theÌ„ the Sprynges of of salt water water of the sea Thinhabitantes doo greatlye esteeme this bay of salte Which they vse not only for theyr owne commoditie but also woorkinge the same into a square forme lyke vnto brickes they sell it to strangers for exchaunge of other thynges whiche they lacke In this Region they stretche and drye the deade bodies of theyr kinges and noble men The bodies of princes dryed reserued layinge the same vpon a certeyne frame of woodde much lyke vnto a hurdle or grediren with a gentell fyre vnder the same thus by lyttle and lyttle consuminge the flesshe and keepinge the skynne hole with the bones inclosed therein These dryed carcases they haue in greate reuerence and honour them for theyr householde and famylier goddes They say that in this place they sawe a man and in an other place a woman thus dryed and reserued When they departed from Curiana the .viii day of the Ides of February to returne to Spayne they had three score and .xvi. poundes weight after .viii. vnces to the pownde of perles which they bought for exchange of owre thynges amountinge to the value of fyue shyllinges Threescore xvi poundes weight of perles for .v. shillynges Departinge therfore they consumed three score dayes in theyr iourney althowgh it were shorter then frome Hispaniola by reason of the contynuall course of the sea into the weste The course of the sea toward the weste whiche dyd not only greately stey the shippe but also sumtymes dryue it backe But at the length they came home soo laden with perles that they were with euery maryner in maner as common as chaffe But the master of the shyppe Petrus Alphonsus perles as coÌ„moÌ„ as chaffe â—etrus AlphoÌ„sus in prison beinge accused of his coompanyons that he had stowlen a great multitude of precious perles and defrauded the kynge of his portion which was the fyueth parte was taken of Fernando de Vega a man of greate lerninge and experience and gouernour oâ— Gallecia where they arryued and was there kepte in pryson a longe tyme. But he styll denyethe that euer he deteyned anye parte of the perles Many of these perles were as bygge as hasell nuttes Orient perles as bygge as hasel nuttes and oriente as we caule it that is lyke vnto them of the Easte partes Yet not of soo greate price by reason that the holes therof are not soo perfecte When I my selfe was presente with the ryght honorable duke of Methyna and was bidden to dyner with hym in the citie of Ciuile they browght to hym aboue a hundreâ—h and twentie vnces of perles to be soulâ—e which surely did greatly delyte me with their fayrenes and brightnes Sum saye that Alphonsus hadde not these perles in Curiana being distante from Os Draconis more theÌ„ a hundreth and twentie leaques Curiana Os Draconis but that he had them in the Regions of Cumana and Manacapana Cumana Manacapana nere vnto Os Draconis and the Ilande of Margarita The Iland of Margarita For they deny that there is any perles fownde in Curiana But sithe the matter is yet in controuersie we wyll passe to other matters Thus muche yowe haue whereby yowe maye coniecture what commoditie in tyme to coome may bee looked for from these newe landes of the west Ocean wheras at the fyrste discoueringe they shewe such tokens of greate ryches Thus fare ye well ¶ The .ix. booke of the fyrst Decade to Cardynall Lodouike VIncentiagnes Pinzonus and also Aries Pinzonus The nauigation of vincentius and Aries Pinzonus his neuie by his brothers syde which accompanyed the Admiral Colonus in his fyrste vyage and were by him appoynted to bee masters of twoo of the smaule shippes which the Spaniardes caule Carauelas beinge mooued by the greate ryches and amplytude of the new landes furnyshed of theyr owne charges foure carauels in the hauen of theyr owne countrey which the Spanyardes caule Palos bortheringe on the weste Ocean Hauynge therfore the kynges licence and passeporte to departe Licence and passeporte they loosed froÌ„ the hauen abowte the Calendes of December in the yeare 1499. This hauen of Palos is three score and twelue myles distant from Gades commonly cauled Cales and three score and foure myles from Ciuile Cales Ciuile All thinhabitantes of this towne not one excepted are greately gyuen to searchinge of the sea and continually exercysed in sayling They also directed their vyage fyrst to the Ilandes of Canarie by the Ilandes of Hesperides The Ilandes of Canarie nowe cauled Cabouerde Cabouerde which sum caule Gorgodes Meducias Saylinge therfore directly towarde the southe frome that Iland of the Hesperides which the Portugales being possessers of the same caule Sancti Iacobi and departinge frome thense at the Ides of Ianuary they folowed the southwest wynde s. Iames Ilande beinge in the myddest betwene the south and the weste When they supposed that they had sayled aboute three hundrethe leaques by the same wynde they say that they loste the syght of the Northe starre The North pole owte of syght and were shortelye after tossed with excedinge tempestes
foules as well apte to bee eaten as also to delite the eares of menne with pleasaunt noyse But owre Spanyardes bycause they are ignorant in foulynge take but fewe Also innumerable popingayes of sundry kindes are found chattering in the groues of those fenny places Of these there are sume equall to Capons in byggenes and sume as lyttle as sparowes But of the diuersitie of popingayes Popingayes we haue spoken sufficientely in the fyrst Decade For in the rase of this large lande Colonus hym selfe browght and sent to the courte a greate number of euery kynde A philosophical discourse as cuÌ„cerning thoriginal of springes and ryuers the which it was lawfull for all the people to beholde and are yet dayly browght in lyke maner There remayneth yet one thynge moste woorthy to bee put in hystorye The which I had rather to haue chaunced into the handes of Cicero or Liuie then into myne For the thynge is soo marueylous in my estimation that I fynde my wytte more entangeled in the description hereof then is sayde of the henne when shee seeth her younge chekyn inwrapped in towe or â—laxe The breadth of that lande from the North Ocean to the south sea is only syxe dayes iourney by relation of thinhabitantes The breadth of the â—ande at Uraba froÌ„ the North Ocean to the South sea The multitude therfore and greaâ—nes of the ryuers on the one side and on the other syde the narowenes of the lande brynge me into suche doubte howe it can coome to passe that in soo little a space of three dayes iourney measurynge from the hygh toppes of those mountaynes I doo not vnderstande howe soo many and soo great ryuers may haue recourse into this north sea For it is to bee thought that as many doo flowe towarde thinhabitantes of the southe These ryuers of Vraba are but smaule in comparison of many other in those coastes For the Spanyardes say that in the tyme of Colonus they founde and passed by an other ryuer after this A ryuer of maruelous byggenes loke the first decade the ix boke whose goulfe faulynge in to the sea they affirme to bee lyttle lesse then a hundreth myles in the fyrste coastes of Paria as wee haue sayde elsewhere For they saye that it fauleth from the toppes of hyghe mountaynes with soo swyfte and furious a course that by the violence and greatnes therof it dryueth backe the sea althowgh it bee rowghe and enforced with a contrary wynde They all affirme lykewyse that in all the large tracte therof they felt noo sower or salte water but that all the water was fresshe sweete and apte to bee droonke Thinhabitantes caule this ryuer Maragnonum The great ryuer Maragnonus lâ—ber iâ— decade i. And the regions adiacent to the same Mariatambal Mariatambal Camamorus Camamorus and Paricora Paricora Besyde those ryuers whiche I haue named before as Darien Grandis Dabaiba Beragua Sancti Mathei Boius gaâ—ti Delagartos Gaira they which of late haue searched those coastes haue founde many other Deliberatinge therefore with my selfe from whense these mountaynes beinge soo narowe and nere vnto the sea on bothe sydes haue such great holowe caues or dennes of suche capacitie and from whense they are fylled to cast foorth such abundance of water hereof also askynge them the opinions of the inhabitantes they affirme them to bee of dyuers iudgementes herein Alleagynge fyrst the greatnes of the mountaynes to bee the cause whiche they say to bee very hygh which thynge also Colonus the first fynder therof affirmeth to bee trewe Adding there vnto that the Paradise of pleasure is in the toppes of those mountaines whiche appeare from the goulfe of Paria and Os Draconis Paradice Loke .vi â—oke fyrst decade as he is fully persuaded They agree therfore that there is greate caues within these mountaynes but it resteth to consyâ—er froÌ„ whense they are fylled The sea If therefore all the ryuers of fresshe waters by thoppinion of manye do soo flowe owte of the sea as dryuen and compelled throwghe the paâ—sages or pores of the earth by the ponderous weyght of the sea it selfe as wee see them breake furth of the sprynges and directe their course to the sea ageyne The land enclosed with two seas then the thynge is lesse to bee marueyled at here then in other places For wee haue not redde that in any other place twoo such seas haue enuironed any lande with soo narowe lymittes For it hath on the right syde the great Ocean where the sonne goeth downe on the lefte hande And an other on the other syde where the sonne ryseth nothynge inferioure to the fyrst in greatenes for they suppose it to bee myxte and ioyned as all one with the sea of East India This lande therefore being burdened with so great a weight on the one syde and on the other yf this opinion bee of anye value is enforced to swalowe vp such deuoured waters and ageyne to cast foorth the same in open springes and streames But if wee shall denye that the earth draweth humours of the sea and agree that all fountaynes or sprynges are engendered of the conuersion or turnynge of ayer into water distilling within the halowe places of the montaynes as the most part thinke we wyll gyue place rather to thautoritie of them whiche stycke to those reasons then that owre sense is satisfyed of the full truth therof Yet doo I not repugne that in sume caues of mountaynes water is turned into ayer Conursion of ayer into water in the caues of mountaynâ—s For I my selfe haue seene howe in the caues of manye mountaynes in Spayne in maner showers of rayne doo faule continually And that the water gathered by this meanes doth send furth certeyne ryuers by the sydes of the mountaynes wherwith al suche trees as are planted on the sâ—iepe or foote of the mountaynes as vines Oliue trees and suche other are watered And this especially in one place As the ryght honorable Lodouike the Cardinall of Aragonie moste obsequious to yowre holynes and twoo other byshoppes of Italy wherof the one is Siluius Pandonus and the other an Archebysshop whose name and tytle I doo not remember can beare me wytnes For wheÌ„ wee were togyther at Granata lately delyuered from the dominion of the Moores and walked for owre pastyme to certeine pleasaunte hylles by the whiche there ranne a fayre ryuer Whyle Cardinall Lodouike occupied hym selfe in shutynge at byrdes whiche were in the bushes nere vnto the ryuer I and the other twoo bysshops determined to clime the mountaynes to searche thoriginall and springe of the ryuer for wee were not farre from the toppes thereof Folowynge therefore the course of the ryuer wee founde a greate caue in which was a continuall faule of water as it had byn a â—houre of rayne Showers of rayne in the caues of montaynes the water wherof faulyng into a trenche made with mans hand encreaseth to a ryuer
vnto Vraba and the hauen Cerabaro Cap. S. Augustini Vraba Cerabaro and to the furthest landes found hytherto westwarde they had euer greate mountaynes in syghte bothe nere hande and farre of in all that longe rase These mountaynes were in sume place smooth pleasaunt and frutfull Frutful mountaynes full of goodly trees and herbes And sumwhere hygh rowgh ful of rockes and baren as chaunseth in the famus mountayne of Taurus in Asia and also in dyuers coastes of our mountaynes of Apennini Aâ—ennini are mountaynes which dâ—uide Italy lute .ii. partes and suche other of lyke byggenesse The rydgies also of these mountaynes are diuided with goodly and fayre valleis That part of the mountaynes which includeth the lymettes of Beragua Beragaa is thought to be hygher then the clowdes The mountaynes of Beragua higher then the clâ—udes in so much that as they saye the tops of them can seldome bee seene for the multitude of thicke clowdes which are beneath the same Colonus the Admirall the fyrste fynder of these regions affirmeth that the toppes of the montaynes of Beragua are more then fiftie myles in heyghth Montaynes of fiftie miles heyght He sayth furthermore that in the same region at the rotes of the montaynes the way is open to the south sea and compareth it as it were betwene Uenice and Genua or Ianua as the Genues wyll haue it cauled whiche fable that theyr citie was buylded of Ianus Ianus otherwyâ—e cauled Iaphet the son of Noe. He affirmeth also that this lande reacheth foorth towarde the south And that from hense it taketh the begynnynge of breadth lyke as from the Alpes owte of the narowe thygh of Italy Italy is lyke vnto a legge in the sea the mountaynes of the alpes are in the thyghe therof we see the large and mayne landes of Fraunce Germanye and Pannonye to the Sarmatians and Scythyans euen vnto the mountaynes and rockes of Riphea and the frosen sea and embrase therwith as with a continuall bonde all Tracia and Grecia with all that is included within the promontorie or poynt of Malea and Hellespontus southwarde and the sea Euzinus and the marysshes of Maeotis in Scythia northwarde The Admirall supposethe Colonus his opinion of the suppoâ—ed Continent By this coniecture the way shuld be open to Cathay by the hiperboreâ—â— that on the lefte hande in saylynge towarde the weste this lande is ioyned to India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges And that on the ryght hande towarde the North it bee extended to the frosen sea beyonde the Hyperboreans and the North pole So that both the seas that is to meane that south sea which we sayde to bee founde by Vaschus and owre Ocean shulde ioyne and meete in the corners of that land And that the waters of these seas doo not onely inclose and compasse the same withowt diuision as Europe is inclosed with the seas of Hellespontus and Tanais with the frosen Ocean owre sea of Tyrrhenum with the Spanysshe seas But in my opinion the vehement course of the Ocean toward the weste doth signifie and lette that the sayde two seas shulde not so ioyne togither Looke the nâ—uigation of Cabote deca iii. lib. vi But rather that that land is adherent to the firme landes towarde the Northe as we haue sayde before It shall suffice to haue sayde thus muche of the length hereof Let vs nowe therfore speake sumwhat of the breadth of the same The breadth of the lande We haue made mention before howe the south sea is diuided by narowe lymittes from owre Ocean as it was proued by thexperience of Vaschus Nunâ—ez and his coompanions which fyrst made open the way thyther But as dyuersly as the mountaynes of owre Alpes in Europe are sumwhere narowe and in sume place brode euen so by the lyke prouideÌ„câ— of nature this lande in sume parte therof reacheth farre in breadth and is in other places coarcted with narowe limettes from sea to sea with valleys also in sume places wherby men may passe from the one syde to the other Where we haue descrybed the regions of Vraba and Beragua to bee situate The regions of Uraba and Beragua these seas are deuided by smaule distaunce Yet owght we to thynke the region which the great ryuer of Maragnonus runneth through The greate riuer Maragnonus to bee very large if we shall graunt Maragnonum to bee a ryuer and no sea as the freshe waters of the same owght to persuade vs. For in suche narowe caues of the earth there can bee no swalowinge goulfes of such bygnesse as to receaue or nooryshe so great abundance of water The lyke is also to bee supposed of the great ryuer of Dabaiba which we sayde to bee from the corner of the goulfe of Vraba in sume place of fortie fathomes depth The great riuer Dabaiba or sancty Iohannis and sumwhere fiftie Also three myles in breadth and so to faule into the sea We must needes graunt that the earth is brode there by the whiche the ryuer passeth from the hyghe mountaynes of Dabaiba from the East and not from the west They say that this ryuer consisteth and taketh his encrease of foure other ryuers faulynge from the mountaynes of Dabaiba The ryuers haue their increase from the sprynges of the montaynes Owre men caule this ryuer Flumen S. Iohannis They say also that from hense it fauleth into the goulfe of Vraba by seuen mouthes as doothe the ryuer of Nilus into the sea of Egypte The ryuer of Nilus in Egypte Lykewyse that in the same region of Vraba there are in sume places narowe streyghtes not passynge fyftene leaques and the same to bee saluage and withowt any passage by reason of dyuers marysshes and desolate wayes Marisshes and desolate wayes which the Latines caule Lamas But the Spanyardes accordynge to theyr varietie caule theÌ„ Tremedales Trampales Cenegales Sumideros and Zabondaderos But before we passe any further it shall not bee greatly from owr purpose to declare from whense these mountaynes of Dabaiba haue theyr name accordynge vnto thantiquities of thinhabitantes A superstitious opinion of thoriginall of montaines of Dabaiba They saye therefore that Dabaiba was a woman of greate magnanimitie and wysedome emonge theyr predicessours in owlde tyme whom in her lyfe all thinhabitantes of those prouinces did greatly reuerence and beinge deade gaue her diuine honour and named the regioÌ„ after her name beleuynge that shee sendeth thunder and lyghtnynge to destroy the frutes of the earth yf shee bee angered and to send plentie if shee bee well pleased This superstition hathe byn persuaded them by a craftie kynde of men vnder pretense of religion to thintent that they might enioye suche gyftes and offeringes as were brought to the place where shee was honoured Dragons and crocodiles in the marishes This is sufficient for this purpose They saye furthermore that the marysshes of the narowe
or kyne they compare them in bignesse to elephantes and swyne to mules Oxen and swyne of exceadyng bygnesse But this sumwhat by an excessyue kynde of speache Wee haue also made mention how their swynes flesshe is more sauourye and of farre better and more pleasaunte taste and more holsome then owres by reason they are fedde with the frutes of Myrobalane trees Swyne fed with Myrobalanes and other pleasaunte and nurysshynge fruites of that contrey whiche growe there of them selues as do with vs beeches holly okes Uynes woolde also prosper there with maruelous encrease Uines if they had any regard to the plantinge therof The lyke encrease commeth of wheate if it be sowen vppon the mountaynes where the colde is of sume strength wheate but not in the playnes by reason of to much fatnes and rankenes of the grownde It is in maner incredible to heare that an eare of wheate shuld bee bygger then a mans arme in the brawne An eare of wheate as byg as a maÌ„s arme in the brawne and more then a spanne in length bearynge also more then a thousande graynes as they all confesse with one voyce and ernesâ—ly affirme the same with othes Yet they say the bread of the Ilande cauled Cazabbi made of the roote of Iucca The bread of the Ilande to bee more holsome because it is of easyer digestion and is cultured with lesse labour and greater increase The residue of the tyme which they spende not en settynge and plantynge they bestowe in gatheringe of golde Golde They haue nowe suche plentie of foure footed beasts Great plentie of cattayle that horses and oxe hydes with sheepe skynnes and goate skyns and such other are brought from thense into Spayne So that nowe the doughter in many thynges helpeth and succurreth her mother Of the trees of brasile Brasile spices the graine which coloureth scarlet in bright shinynge redde mastix Mastyx gossampine cotton Gossampine the precious metall cauled Electrum Electrum and such other commodities of this Ilande we haue spoken sufficiently before What therefore can chaunce more happy vnto man vpon the earth then there to lyue where he neede not to bee dryuen to close chaumbers with sharpe coulde or fayntynge heate Incommodities of intemperat regioÌ„s Nor yet in wynter eyther to bee laden with heauy apparell or to burne the shinnes with continual syttyng at the fyer which thynges make men oulde in short tyme by resoluinge the natural heate wher of a thousande diseases insue holsome ayer and water They also affirme the ayer to bee very healthfull and the waters of the ryuers to bee no lesse holsome as they whiche haue theyr continuall course through the earth of the golden mynes Golde euery where For there is in maner no ryuer no mountaynes and but fewe playnes that are vtterly without golde But let vs nowe at the length coome to the particular description of the inner partes of this blessed Ilande The description of the inner partes of â—he Ilande We haue before declared howe it is in maner equally diuided with foure greate ryuers descendynge frome hygh mountaynes wherof that which runneth towarde the East is cauled Iunna as that towarde the West is named Attibunicus The thyrde is Naiba or Haiba which runneth Southwarde The fourth is cauled Iache and fauleth towarde the North. But this shippe master hath brought an other description obserued of thinhabitantes from the begynnynge Let vs therfore diuide the hole Ilande into fiue partes caulynge the regions of euery prouince by theyr owlde names and fynally make mention of suche thynges as are woorthye memory in euery of them The begynninge of the Ilande on the East syde is conteyned in the prouince named Caizcimu so named for that in theyr language Cimu signifieth the front or begynnynge of any thynge After this foloweth the prouince of Huhabo and then Caihabo The fourth is Bainoa Guaccaiarima conteyneth the west corner But the last saue one Bainoa is of larger boundes then the three other Caizcimu reachethe from the fyrst fronte of the Ilande to the ryuer Hozama whiche runneth by the citie of saynt Dominicke The citie of s. Dominicke But towarde the North syde it is ended at the rough mountaynes of Haiti The mountaynes of haiti Huhabo is included within the mountaynes Haiti and the ryuer Iaciga Caeiabo the thyrde prouince conteyneth all that lyeth betwene Cubaho and Dahatio euen vnto the mouth of the ryuer of Iaccha or Iache one of the foure which diuide the Ilande equally and ascendethe to the mountaynes of Cibaua The mountaynes of Cibaua where the greateste plentie of golde is founde Owte of the which also the ryuer Demahus springeth and ioynynge with the springes of the ryuer of Naiba being an other of the foure which diuideth the Ilande towarde the south sea fauleth to an other banke of the ryuer of saynt Dominicke Bainoa begynneth at the confines of Caiabi and reacheth euen vnto the Ilande of Cahini which lieth neare vnto the sea bankes of the north syde of the Ilande where wee sayde that they erected the fyrst colonie or habitacion The Ilande of Cahini The prouince of Guaccaiarima Of prouinces diuided into regionâ— occupieth the remanent towarde the west This they named Guaccaiarima bycause it is the extreme or vttermost parte of the Ilande For Iarima in theyr language signifieth the tayle or ende of any thynge And Gua is an article whiche they vse often tymes in the names of thynges And especially in the names of theyr kynges as Guarionexius and Guaccanarillus In the prouince of Caizimu are these regions Higuei Guanama Reyre Xagua Aramana Arabo Hazoa Macorix Caiacoa Guaiagua Baguanimabo and the rough mountaynes of Haiti Here let vs speake sumewhat of theyr aspirations which they vse otherwyse then the Latins doo Of theyr aspirations It is to bee noted that there is no aspiration in theyr vowels which hath not theffecte of a consonant So that they pronounce theyr aspirations more vehemently then wee do the consonant f Ye all suche woordes as in their tonge are aspirate are pronounced with lyke breath and spirite as is f sauing that herein the neather lyppe is not moued to thuppermost teethe With open mouthes and shakynge theyr brestes they breath out these aspirations ha he hi ho hu as the Hebrewes and Arabians are accustomed to pronounce theyrs The pronunciation of the hebrewes Arabians I fynde also that the Spanyardes vse the lyke vehemence in the aspirations of those woordes whiche they haue receaued of the Moores Arabians which possessed Spaine The Moores and ArabiaÌ„s possessed Spayne and continued there many yeares As in these woordes Almo hadda whiche signifieth a pyllowe or bolster Also Almohaza that is a horse combe with dyuers such other woordes whiche they speake in maner with panting brestes and vehement spirite I haue thought it good to reherse these thynges bycause
sycke his poure went forward vnder the conducting of his Lieuetenant Gaspar Spinosa a Iudge in cases of lawe in Dariena At the same time other were sent foorth to the Ilande of Dites to exacte the portion of pearles lymited to the king for his tribute What shal succede tyme will bring to owre knowleage The other two attempted thinhabitantes beyond the goulfe Franciscus Bezerra passyng ouer by the corner of the goulfe and the mouthes of the ryuer of Dabaiba The expediâ—ion of Fraunces Beâ—arra â—geynst the Canibales with two other capitaines and a hundreth and fyftie souldiers well appointed went to make warre vppon the Canibales euen in Caribana their owne chiefest dominion toward the vyllage of Turusy wherof we haue made mention before in the comming of Fogeda They brought also with them diuers engens of warre Gunâ—eâ— â–ª as â—hree pieces of ordinanunce whose shot were bygger then egges Likewise forty archers and .xxv. hagbutters to thintent to reache the Caniballes a farre of and to preuent their venemed arrowes But what became of hym and his company or where they arriued we haue yet no parfecte knowleage Certaine which came of late from Dariena to Spaine reported that at their departure they of Dariena stode in great feare least they also were tossed with sum misfortune The other capitaine Valleius Ualeius â—epulsed of the Canibales obteyned the fore parte of the goulfe But he passed ouer by an other waye then dyd Bezerra For he tooke the beginning of Caribana and Bezerra the ende Valleius returned ageine But of the three score and ten men whiche he conueighed ouer with hym hee lefte fortye and eyght slaine emonge the Canibales These are the newes whiche they bringe that came laste from Daâ—iena There came to me the day before the Ides of October in this yeare M.D.xvi. Rodericus Colmenares of whom we haue made mention before and one Franciscus Delapuente This Franciscus was one of the vnder capitaines of this bande whose chiefe capitaine was Gonsalus Badaiocius who hardly escaped the handâ—s of kyng Pariza These twoo capitaines therfore Rodericus and Franciscus who departed from Dariena immediatly after the misfortune whiche befell to Badaiocius and his companye The Ilandes of the south sâ—a do both affirme the one that he hath harde and the other that he hath seene that in the Southe sea there are diuers Ilandes lying westwarde from the Iland of Dites and saincte Michaels goulfe In this sea 〈◊〉 Ilâ—ndes of Molucca most frutefull of â—pices in many of the which are trees engendred and nourisshed which bring foorth the same aromaticall fruites as doth the region of Collocutea Collocutea This lande of Collocutea with the regions of Cochinus and Camemorus Cochinus and Camemorus from whense the Portugales haue their spyces are the chiefe marte places from whense the Portugales haue their spices And hereby do they coniecture that the land where the frutfulnesse of spyce begynneth shulde not be farre from thense In so much that many of them whiche haue ouerrunne those coastes do onely desyre that leaue may be graunted them to searche further and that they wil of their owne charges frame and furnishe shippes and aduenture the viage to seeke those Ilandes and regions They thinke it best that these shippes shulde bee made and prepared he meaneth by the streight of Magellanus euen in saincte Michaels goulfe And not to attempte this vyage by sainte Augustines point which waye were both longe and diâ—fyculte and ful of a thousande daungers and is saide to reache beyonde the forty degree of the pole Antartike The same Franciscus being partener of the trauailes and daungiers of Gonsalus saithe that in ouer runninge those landes he founde great heardes of hartes and wylde bores howe they take hartes and wylde bores and that he toke many of them by an arte which thinhabitauntes taught him whiche was to make pittes or treÌ„ches in their walkes and to couer the same with bouwes By this meanes also they deceaue al other kindes of wild and foure footed beastes But they take foules after the same maner that we do As stocke doues with an other tame stocke done brought vp in their houses Stocke dâ—ueâ— These they tye by a strynge and suffer them to flye a little emong the trees To the which as other birdes of their kind resort they kil theÌ„ with their arrowes Theyr maner of foulynge Otherwyse they take theÌ„ with nettes in a bare place pourged from trees bushes and scateryng certeyne seedes rounde about that place in the myddeste whereof they tye a tame foule or byrde of the kynde of them whiche they desyre to take In lyke maner do they take popingiayes and other foules But they say that popingiayes are so simple Poâ—ingiayes arâ— eaâ—ely taken that a great multitude of them wyll flye euen into the tree in whose bouwes the fouler sytteth swarme about the tame chatterynge popingiaye sufferynge them selues to bee easely taken For they are so without feare of the syght of the fouler that they tary whyle he cast the snare about theyr neckes the other beinge nothynge feared hereby thoughe they see hym drawe them to him with the snare and put them in the bagge which he hath about hym for the same purpose There is an other kynde of foulynge A straunge kynde of foulynge heretofore neuer harde of and pleasaunt to consyder We haue declared before howe that in certeyne of the Ilandes and especially in Hispaniola there are dyuers lakes or standynge pooles In sume of these beinge no deaper then men may wade ouer them are seene great multytudes of water foules as wel for that in the bottome of these lakes there growe many herbes and weedes as also that by reason of the heate of the sonne pearceinge to the naturall place of generation and corruption Fysshes and woâ—mes engeÌ„dered of sume where beinge doubled in force by reflection and preserued by moyster there are engendered of the stymines of the earth and water and by the prouidence of the vniuersall creator innumerable lyttle fysâ—hes with a thousande sundry kyndes of frogges wormes knattes flyes and such other The foules which vse these lakes Foules are of dyuers kyndes As duckes geese swannes seemewes gulles and such other We haue sayde also that in theyr orchardes they noryshe a tree which beareth a kynde of greate gourdes Of these gourdes therefore well stopped leaste any water shulde enter in at theyr ryftes and cause them to sinke Gourdes of the tree they cast many in the shalowe pooles where by theyr continuall wanderynge and wauerynge with the motions of the wynde and water they put the foules owt of suspection and feare The fouler in the meane tyme disguysinge hym selfe as it were with a visour putteth a great gourde on his head much lyke to a helmet with two holes neare about his eyes his face and hole heade besyde beinge couered therwith And thus entereth
he into the poole euen vnto the chynne For beinge from theyr infancie exercised in swymmynge and accustomed to the waters they refuse not to continue therein a longe space The foules thynkynge this gourde to be one of the other that swymme vppon the water the fouler goeth softly to the place wher he seeth the greatest flocke of foules And with waggynge his heade counterfectinge the mouing of the wauerynge gourdes drawethe neare to the foules where softely puttynge foorth his ryght hande he soodenly snatcheth one by the legges and plungeth her into the water where he putteth her into a bagge whiche he hath with hym of purpose The other foules supposinge that this dyued into the water of her owne motion to seke for foode as is their maner are nothyng moued hereby but go forwarde on their waye as before vntyll they also faule into the same snare I haue here for this cause entered into the declaration of theyr maner of huntynge and foulynge that by these more pleasaunt narrations I may sumwhat mytigate and asswage the horrour conceaued in yowre stomake by the former rehearsall of theyr bluddy actes and cruell maners Lette vs nowe therfore speake sumwhat ageyne of the newe and later opinions as concernynge the swyfte course of the sea towarde the west about the coastes of Paria Lâ—â—er opinions of the swift course of the Ocean towarde the west also of the maner of gathering of golde in the golde myne of Dariena as I was aduertised of late And with these two quyet and peaceable thynges we wyl make an ende of the tragical affayres of the Ocean and therwith byd yowre holynes fare wel So it is therfore that Andreas Moralis the pylot and Ouiedus of whom we haue made mention before repayred to me at my house in the towne of Matrite As we met thus togyther there arose a contention betwene them two as concernynge this course of the Ocean They both agree that these landes and regions perteynynge to the dominion of Castile doo with one continuall tract and perpetuall bonde embrase as one hole firme lande or continent al the mayne lande lyinge on the north syde of Cuba and the other Ilandes The contineÌ„t or firme land beinge also northwest both from Cuba and Hispaniola Yet as touchynge the course of the water they varrie in opinion For Andreas wyll that this vyolent course of water bee receaued in the lappe of the supposed continente which bendeth so much and extendeth so farre towarde the North as we haue said And that by the obiect or resistance of the lande so bendynge and crookynge the water shulde as it were rebounde in coompasse and by force therof be dryuen about the north syde of Cuba and the other Ilandes excluded without the circle cauled Tropicus Caneri where the largenes of the sea maye receaue the waters faulynge frome the narowe streames and therby represse that inordinate course by reason that the sea is there very large and great I can compare his meanynge to nothynge more aptely then to the swyfte streame commyng foorth of a mylle and faulyng into the myl poole For in al suche places where waters runne with a vyolent faule through narowe chanels and are then receaued in large pooles they are soodenly disparcled and theyr violence broken So that wheras before they seemed of such force as to ouerthrowe all thynges beinge in theyr waye it can not then be perceaued which way they runne The Admiral him selfe Diegus Colonus The vyages of Diegus Colonus sonne and heyre to Christophorus Colonus the fyrst fynder of these landes who had nowe in commyng and goinge foure tymes passed throughe these seas beinge demaunded of me what he founde or perceaued in saylynge too and fro The vyage from the new landes to Spayne answered that there was muche difficultie in returnynge the same way by the which they go But wheras they fyrst take the waye by the mayne sea towarde the North before they directe theyr course to Spayne he saythe that in that tract he felt the shippe sumtymes a lyttle dryuen backe by the contrary course of the water Yet supposeth that this chaunceth onely by the ordinarie flowynge and reflowynge of the sea And the same not to be enforced by the circumflection or course of the water reboundynge in compasse as we haue sayde But thinketh rather that this mayne lande or supposed continent shulde sumwhere bee open And that the sayde open place shoulde bee as it were a gate enterie or streyght diuydyng the North partes of that lande from the South by the which also the Ocean runnynge towarde the West may by the rotation or impulsion of the heauens bee dryuen about the hole earth Ouiedus agreeth with Andreas Motralis as touchynge the continuall adherence and closenes of the sayde continente Yet neyther that the waters shulde so beate ageynst the bendynge backe of the West lande or bee in such sorte repulsed and dryuen into the mayne sea But saith that he hath diligently consydered that the waters runne from the deepest and myddest of the maine sea towarde the West Also that saylinge nere vnto the shore with smaule vesselles he founde the same waters to returne ageine towarde the East The contrary course of waters So that in the same place they runne together with contrary course as we oftentimes see the lyke to chaunce in riuers wherby the obiecte of the bankes diuers whirlepooles and turnynges aryse in the water By reason wherof if any chaffe strawe woodde or any other thyng of lyght substance be caste in any suche places in ryuers it foloweth that al such as runne with the water in the myddest of the chanell procede well forwarde But suche as faule into the bendynge goulfes and indented margentes of the crooked bankes are caryed ouerthwarte the chanell and so wander about vntyll they meete with the ful and directe course of the ryuer Thus haue we made yowe partener of suche thinges as they haue gyuen vs and writen their dyuers opinions We wyll then gyue more certeyne reason when more certeyne truth shal be knowen We must in the meane tyme leane to opinions vntil the day coome appointed of god to reueale this secreate of nature with the perfecte knowleage of the pointe of the pole starre The poynt of the pole star Hauyng sayd thus muche of the course of the Ocean a briefe declaration of the golde mynes of Dariena The golde mynes of Dariena and the maner of gatherynge golde shall close vppe owre Decades and make an ende of owre trauayles Wee haue sayde that nyne myles distante from Dariena are the sydes of the hylles and the drye playnes in the whiche golde is gathered bothe on the drye lande and also on the bankes and in the chanelles of ryuers Therfore to al such as are wyllynge to gather golde there is of ordinarie custome appointed to euery man by the suruoiers of the mynes a square plotte of grounde conteyning twelue pases at
in euery place to bestowe the trauell and charge to get it owte bycause it is of lesse quantitie and goodnesse in sum place then in sum And the myne or beyne whiche owghte to be folowed ought to bee in a place whiche may stande to saue muche of the charges of the labourers and for the administration of other necessary thinges that the charges may bee recompensed with gaynes For there is no doubte but that golde shal be founde more or lesse in euery place And the golde whiche is founde in golden Castile is verye good and of .xxii. caractes or better in fynesse Furthermore besyde this great quantitie of golde whiche I haue sayde to be founde in the mynes there is also from day to day found or otherwise gotten great treasure of suche wrought gold as hath byn in the custodie of the subdued Indians and their kynges aswell of suche as they haue gyuen for their fyne and raunsome or otherwise as frendes to the Christians besyde that whiche hath byn vpolently taken from the rebelles But the greatest parte of the wrought gold whiche the Indians haue is base and holdeth sumwhat of copper Of this they make braslettes and chaines and in the same they close their iewels whiche their women are accustomed to weare and esteeme more then all the richesse of the worlde The maner howe golde is gathered is this eyther of suche as is founde in Zaâ—ana that is to saye in the plaines and riuers of the champian countrey being withowt trees whether the earth be with graâ—se or without Or of suche as is sumtymes founde on the land without the riuers in places where trees growe so that to coome by the same it shal be requisite to cutte downe many and great trees But after whiche so euer of these two maners it be founde eyther in the riuers or ruptures or breaches of waters or elles in the earth I wyll shewe howe it is founde in bothe these places and howe it is seperate and pourged Therfore when the myne or veine is discouered this chaunceth by serchyng and prouyng in suche places as by certeyne sygnes and tooken do appeare to skylfull men apte for the generation of golde and to holde golde And when they haue founde it they folowe the myne and labour it whether it be in the ryuer or in the plaine as I haue sayde And if it bee founde on the plaine fyrst they make the place verye cleane where they intende to dygge Then they dygge eyght or ten foote in length and as muche in breadth but they goo no deeper then a spanne or two or more as shall seeme best to the maister of the myne dyggynge equally Then they waâ—he all the earthe whiche they haue taken owte of the sayde space And if herein they fynde any golde they folowe it And if not they dygge a spanne deeper and washe the earth as they dyd before And if then also they fynde nothynge they continue in dyggyng and wasshyng the earth as before vntil they come to the hard rocke or stone And if in fyne they fynd no gold there they folowe no further to seeke golde in that place but go to an other parte And it is to be vnderstode that when they haue founde the myne they folowe it in digginge in the same measure in leuell and deapth vntill they haue made an ende of al the myne which that place conteyneth if it appere to be riche This myne ought to consyst of certen feete or pases in length or breadth accordynge to certeyne orders determined And within that compasse of earth it is not lawfull for any other to dygge for golde And where as endeth the myne of hym that fyrste founde the gold immediatly it is lawfull for any other man that wyl with a staffe to assygne hym selfe a place by the syde of the same inclosynge it with stakes or pales as his owne These mynes of Zauana that is such as are found in the playnes owght euer to bee sought neare to sum ryuer or brooke or springe of water or dyke or standyng poole to th ende that the golde maye bee wasshed for the whiche purpose they vse the laboure of certeyne Indians as they doo other in dygginge of the myne And when they haue dygged owte the myne they fyl certeine traies with that earth whiche other Indians haue the charge immediatly to receaue at their handes and to carye those treyes of earth to the water where it maye bee wasshed Yet do not they that brynge it washe it but delyuer it to other puttynge it owte of their owne trayes into theirs which they haue ready in their handes to receaue it These wasshers for the moste parte are the Indian women bycause this woorke is of lesse paine and trauayle then any other These women when they washe are accustomed to sytte by the waters syde with their legges in the water euen vppe to the knees or lesse as the place serueth their purpose And thus holdynge the trays with earth in their handes by the handles therof and puttynge the same into the water they moue them rownde aboute after the maner of syftynge with a certeyne aptenesse in suche sorte that there entreth no more water into the trais then serueth their turne And with the selfe same apte mouynge of their trais in the water they euer auoyd the foule water with the earth owte of the one syde of the vessell and receaue in cleane water on the other side therof So that by this meanes by little and lyttle the water wassheth the earth as the lyghter substaunce owte of the trais and the golde as the heauier matter resteth in the bottome of the same beyng rounde and holowe in the myddest lyke vnto a barbars basen And when all the earth is auoyded and the golde gathered togither in the bottome of the traye they putte it aparte and returne to take more earth whiche they washe continually as â—efore And thus they that laboure in this woorke do gather dayly suche portion of golde as shal please god to graunt to the patrones of these Indians and suche other as trauaile in the same Furthermore it is to bee noted that for euery two Indians that washe it is requisite that two other serue them to brynge earthe from the myne and other twoo to breake the same smaule and fylle their trais therwith Also besyde these labourers it is necessarye that there bee other people in the place where they woorke and reste in the nyghte These are suche as make their breade and prouyde for vyttayles and other necessaryes So that to conclude there are in all fyue persons ordinarily assigned to euery traye of wasshers There is an other maner of woorkyng the mynes in riuers or brookes of runnynge waters And this is that in auoydynge the water of his course after that the beddes of the ryuers are drye and vtterlye emptied they fynde golde emonge the breaches cliftes and ryftes of stones and among all that
is in the bottome of the chanell and where naturally the riuer runneth of greatest force So that it chaunceth sum tyme that when the bedde of the ryuer is good and ryche they fynde in it great quantitie of golde And therfore yowe maiestie ought to vnderstande for a generall rule as it appereth in facte that all golde is engendered in the toppes and hyghest places of the montaines And in continuance of time is by lyttle and lyttle browght downe to the vales and plaines by showres of rayne and the faules of sprynges ryuers and brookes hauynge their originall in the mountaynes and descendynge from the same notwithstandynge it bee oftentymes founde in the plaines farre from the mountaynes But when it chaunceth to be founde in great quantitie it is for the moste parte amonge the mountaynes and in the riuers or their branches more then in any other parte of the plaine And in these two maners is it commonly founde moste abundauntly And for the better profe that golde is engendered on hyghe and is brought downe into the lowe places I haue one great tooken therof whiche causeth me to beleue it for certeine And this is to consyder that coles neuer putrifie nor corrupt vnder the ground if they be made of stronge woodde Wherby it chaunceth that diggyng the earth by the fouldes or indented places of the mountaynes or on the sydes and breakynge a myne in the earthe where it had not byn broken before and hauyng nowe dygged one or two or three poles in measure the myners founde certeyne coles of wood vndeâ— the same leuel where they found gold And this I saye in the earth whiche was taken for a vyrgine that is to saye such as had not before byn opened for any myne The which coles coulde not naturally bee engendred there or enter in by any meanes But when the superficial part of the earth was equal with the leuel where the coles were founde it is lyke that the coles were left there by sum occasion of fyre that they fastned there in tyme and that afterwarde in longe continuance of tyme they were by lyttle and lyttle couered with the earth which the often showers of rayne washed from the mountaynes so that by the course of yeares the earth ouergrewe the coles vnto the sayde leuell and measure whiche had before tyme byn the superficiall parte of the earthe where the coles and golde were founde togyther whereby it maye appeare that the golde was no more engendered there then were the coles but brought thyther from the mountaynes by the faules of waters as we haue fayde forasmuche as the mountaynes are the matrices and bowels of all ryche metals Further and besyde this I say that in how much more the gold is gonne farre from the naturall place of his generation to the place where it is founde it is so muche the more puryfied and fyned and of a better carracte And the nearer that it is founde to his proper myne or vaine where it is engendered it is so muche the baser fouler and more crude and of a baser alay and caracte and dothe wast so much the more in meltynge and remayneth more brickle Sumetyme there are founde graynes of golde of greate quantitie and of greate weyght aboue the earth and sumtymes also vnder the earth And the greateste of all other that was founde to this daye in the Indies was that which was loste in the sea about the Ilande Beata whiche weyed three thousande and twoo hundreth Castellans of golde which are in value foure thousand a hundreth thirtie and eyght ducades of golde which waye one Arroua and seuen pounde or .xxxii. pounde after .xii. ounces to the pounde A marke is â— pounde of viii ounces summa xlâ—i.li weyght .viii. ounces after xii ounces to the .li. whiche make threescore and foure markes of golde And I sawe in the yeare .1515 in the handes of Mychel Passamonte treasurer to yowre maiestie two graines of the which one wayde seuen poundes which are .xiiii. markes and are in the value aboute threescore and fyue ducades of golde euery marke The other was of .x. markes which are lyue poundes of lyke value and of very good golde of .xxii. taractes and better There are also founde many other greate graynes although not equall vnto these in byggenes And forasmuche as I haue spoken of golde I haue thought good to declare sumewhat howe the Indians can very excellently gylte suche vesselles of copper and base golde as they make For they can gyue them so fayre and fâ—oryshynge a coloure that all the masse whiche they gylte appearethe as though it were golde of .xxii. caractes and better This colour they gyue with a certeyne herbe as thoughe it were wrought by the arte of any goldesmyth of Spayne or Italie and wold of them bee esteemed as a thynge of greate ryches and a secreate maner of gyldynge And for as muche as I haue spoken sufficiently of the myne of golde I wyll nowe speake sumwhat of copper bycause I haue made mention thereof This metall is founde in many of the Ilandes of the Indies and also in the firme lande And is founde dayely in greate quantitie holdynge sumwhat of golde But for the desyre that owre men haue to golde they nothynge esteeme the copper although there myght great commoditie and profiâ—te he had therby and also by other metals whiche they nothynge regarde excepte syluer whiche is founde abundantly in that parte of the firme lande which is cauled newe Spayne But of this it shall suffice to haue sayde thus muche bycause I haue more particularly entreated of these thynges in my generall hystorie of India ¶ Of the maner of fyshynge for perles THe Indians exercise this kynde of fysshynge for the moste parte in the coastes of the North in Cubagua and Cumana And manye of theym which dwell in the houses of certeyne particular lordes in the Ilandes of San Dominico and Sancti Iohannis resort to the Ilande of Cubagua for this purpose Theyr custome is to go fyue syxe or seuen or more in one of theyr Canoas or barkes erly in the mornynge to sume place in the sea there about where it appeareth vnto theÌ„ that there shulde bee greate plentie of those shell fyshes which sume caule muscles and sume oysters wherin perles are engendered And there they plonge them selues vnder the water euen vnto the bottome sauynge one that remaynethe in the Canoa or boate which he keepeth styll in one place as neare as he can lookynge for theyr returne owte of the water And when one of them hath byn a good whyle vnder the water he cyseth vp and commeth swymmynge to the boate enterynge into the same and leauynge there all the oysters whiche he hath taken and brought with hym For in these are the perles founde And when he hathe there rested hym selfe a whyle and eaten parte of the oysters he returneth ageyne to the water where he remaynethe as longe as he can endure and then
beyonde the Equinoctiall cyrcle â—t diâ—parseth throwgh owt the burnt line of Torrida â—ona and by the same vyolent course fauleth into owre sea nere vnto the citie of Alexandria It was necessary therfore that the greatest parte of the coulde and moyst element shulde haue recourse thyther and consyst there wheras was the grâ—atest necessitie therof to temper the heate of the soonne by moystynge and coolynâ—e the earthe and the ayer as vnder the Equinoctiall And herewith also hath most prudent nature prouyded for the securitie and preseruation of the places lyinge betwene bothe thextremities of heate and colde as betwene the poles and the Equinoctiall For the waters flowynge euer one wayes and kâ—pynge one course no regions can be drowned by studdes which thynge they well obserue that delyuer fieldes from inundations or ouâ—rflowynges and that take in hande to drye vp marysshes It therfore waters had not theyr courâ—e and faul towarde places lowâ— or declynynge the hole casth shulde bee ouerflowne as a marrysshe And that the most declynynge parte shulde bee towarde the South and sumwhat hygher about the poles the cause is aswell the consumynge deare of the soonne in the Southâ— partes as the preseruynge coulde of the hygh mountaynes nere to the poles For we haue els where proued that heate consumeth and wasteth as coulde gathereth and preserueth And for this cause that parte of the earthe that is nearest the poles is was and euer shal be highest and likewise lowest in the middest furthest from the poles And therfore it was not conuenient that the sonne shuld â—aue his course on euery syde neither to the poles For if it weare â—â—ryed alyke to euery parte throughowt the worlde it is necessary â—hat the earth bee equall and by that reason shulde it eyther bee altogether dryed or elles all ouerflowed with water But where as this coulde not suffyce to the free course of ryuers for the often intercourse of higher places lyinge in the waye whereby ouerflowynges and stayes of watâ—rs and their corruption myght ensue mooste prouydent nature hath gyuen this priuileage to water that it maye so much ascende as it hath discended that by his meanes passynge ouer mountaynes and hylles it maye at the length bee caryed into the sea c. hytherto Cardanus lette vs nowe returne to the historie There are also many roughe and hyghe mountaynes with temperate ayer and pleasaunt cleare and moderate nightes Of the whiche particularitie the auncient writers hauyng no certeyne knowleage affyrmed the said burnte lyne or Torrida zona or Equinoctial to be naturally vnhabitable As touching which thing I am able to witnesse the contrary by testimonie of syght and feelyng as by most certeine senses hauyng liued many yeares in this regions by reason wherof better credit ought to be giuen to me then to suche as haue grounded their opinion onely vpon coniectures And to speake further of the sytuation of these regyons yowe shall vnderstande that the coaste of the Northe sea beynge in the goulfe of Vraba and in the porte of Dariena where the shyppes arryue whiche coome owte of Spayne is in the syxte degree and a halfe and in the seuenth and from syxe and a halfe vnto eyght excepte a smaule pointe which entereth into the sea toward the North That pointe which of this land and new parte of the worlde lieth moste towarde the East is the cape of saincte Augustine which is in the eight degree So that the said goulfe of Vraba is distant from the Equinoctiall lyne from a hundreth and twentie to a hundreth and thirtie leaques and three quarters of a leaque after thaccompte of .xvii. leaques and a hâ—lfe for euerye degree from pole to pole And thus for a lyttle more or lesse goeth all the coaste By reason wherof in the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena and in all that course of the forsayde goulfe of Vraba at all tymes of the yeaâ—e the dayes and nyghtes are in maner of equall length And if there bee any dyfference betwene theym by reason of this smaule distance from the Equinoctial it is so lyttle that in .xxiiii. houres makynge a naturall daye it canne not bee perceaued but by the iudgement of speculatiue men and suche as vnderstande the sphere From hense the North starre is seene very lowe And when the starres which are cauled the wardens of the north starre are vnder the chariotte it can not bee seene bycause it is vnder the horisontal And whereas I haue sayde beefore that it rayneth in these regions at certeyne ordinarie tymes it is so in deede For it is wynter and summer there at contrary tymes to that whiche is in Spayne where the greateste coulde of froste and rayne is in December and Ianuary And the greatest heate of sommer aboute saynt Iohannes daye at mydsommer or in the moneth of Iuly But in golden Castile or Beragua it is contrary For the sommer and tyme of greatest drowght and withowt rayne is at Chrystmas and a moneth before and a moneth after And the tyme when it rayneth most is about midsommer and a moneth before and a moneth after And this season whiche they caule wynter is not for that it is any coulder then then at any other tyme of the yeare or hotter at Christmas then at other seasons the tyme in these regions being euer after one maner but for that that in this tyme which they caule wynter the soonne is hyd from theyr syghtes by reason of cloudes and rayne more then at other tymes Yet forasmuch as for the moste parte of the yeare they lyue in a cleare open and temperate ayer they sumwhat shrynke and feele a lyttle coulde durynge the tyme of the said moist and cloudy ayer althowgh it bee not coulde in deede or at the least suche coulde as hath any sensible sharpenes ¶ Of dyuers particular thynges as woormes serpentes beastes foules trees c. MAny other thynges myght be sayde much differyng from these wherof I haue spoken But to lette passe the multitude of thynges whiche are as variable as the power of nature is infinite and to speake of suche thynges as coome chiefely to my rememberaunce as mooste woorthy to be noted I wyll fyrste speake of terteyne lyttle and troubelous beastes whiche mayâ— seeme to bee engendered of nature to molest and vexe menne to shewe them and gyue them to vnderstand howe smaul and vyle a thynge may offende and disquiete them to th ende that they maye remember the pryncipall ende for the whiche they were created that is to knowe theyr maker and procurer of theyr saluation by the waye whiche is open to all Christian men and all other whiche wyll open the eyes of theyr vnderstandynge And although the thynges whereof wee entende nowe to speake may seeme vyle and lyttle to bee esteemed yet are they woorthy to bee noted and consydered to vnderstand the difference and variable woorkes of nature So it is therfore that whereas in many partes of the firme
bee spoken as touchynge this matter as also howe there are many other excellent trees founde of dyuers sortes and dyfference as sweete Ceder trees blacke date trees and many other of the which sum are so heauy that they can not flote aboue the water but synke immediatly to the bottome And other ageyne as light as a corke As touchynge all whiche thynges I haue wrytten more largely in my generall hystorie of the Indies And forasmuch as at this present I haue entered to intreate of trees before I passe any further to other thynges I wyl declare the maner howe the Indians kyndle fyre only wiâ—h woodde and without fyre â—yndlynge of fyre withowt fyre the maner wherof is this They take a piece of woodde of two spannes in lengthe as bygge as the leaste fynger of a mans hande or as an arrowe well pullysshed and of a stronge kynde of woodde whiche they keepe onely for this purpose And where they intende to kyndle any fyre they take two other pieces of woodde of the dryest and lyghtest that they can fynde and bynde them fast togyther one with an other as close as two fyngers ioyned In the myddest or betwene these they put the poynt of the fyrste lyttle staffe made of harde and stronge wood which they hold in theyr handes by the toppe thereof and turne or rubbe it rounde aboute continually in one place betwene the two pieces of woodde which lye bounde togyther vppon the earthe which by that vncessant rubbynge and chafynge are in short space kyndeled and take fyer Purrified woodde shynyng in the nyght I haue also thought good here to speake sumwhat of such thynges as coomme to my rememberaunce of certeyne trees which are founde in this lande and sumetyme also the lyke haue bynne seene in Spayne These are certeyne putrifyed troonkes which haue â—yne so longe rottyng on the â—arth that they are verye whyte and shyne in the nyght lyke burnynge fyre brandes And when the Spanyardes fynde any of this woodde and intende priuily in the nyght to make warre and inuade any prouince when case so requyreth that it shal be necessary to go in the nyght in suche places where they knowe not the way the formost Christian man whiche guydethe the waye associate with an Indian to directe hym therein taketh a lyttle starre of the sayde woodde which he putâ—eth in his cappe hangynge behynde on hâ—s shoulders by the lyght wherof he that foloweth nexte to him directeth his iourney who also in lyke maner beareth an other starre behynde hym by the shynynge whereof the thyrde foloweth the same waye and in lyke maner do al the rest so that by this meanes none are loste or stragle owte of the way And forasmuche as this lyght is not seene very farre it is the better pollicie for the Chrystians bycause they are not thereby disclosed before they inuade theyr enemies Furthermore as touchynge the natures of trees one particular thynge seemeth woorthy to bee noted wherof Plinie maketh mention in his natural hystorye where he saythe that there are certeyne trees which contynewe â—uer greene and neuer lose theyr leaues Plinie as the baye tree the Ceder Trees which continue euer greene the orange tree and the olyue tree with such other of the whiche in all togyther he nameth not paste fyue or syxe To this purpose I saye that in the Ilandes of these Indies and also in the firme lande it is a thynge of muche difficultie to fynde twoo trees that lose or cast theyr leaues at any tyme. For althowgh I haue diligentely searched to knowe the trewthe hereof yâ—t haue I not seene any that lose theyr leaues eyther of theym which we haue browght owt of Spayne into these regions as Orange trees Linions Ceders Palmes or date trees and Pomegranate trees or of any other in these regions exâ—epte onely Cassia Cassia which loseth his leaues and hath a greater thynge appropriate to it selfe onely which is that whereas all other trees and plantes of India spreade theyr rooâ—â—s no dâ—eper in the earthe then the depth of a mans heyght or sumewhat more A secreatâ— thyâ—ge not descendyng any further into the ground by reason of the greate heate which is found beneth that depth yet dooth Cassia pearce further into the grounde vntyl it fynd water whiche by the Phylosophers opinion shoulde be the cause of a thynne and watery radycall moyster to suche thynges as drawe theyr nuryshement therof Radycall moysture â–ª as â—at and vâ—ctuous groundes with temperate heate yelde a fast firme moysture to suche thynges as growe in them whiche is the cause that suche trees lose not theyr leaues as the sayde thynne and waterysshe moysture is cause of the contrarie as appearethe by the sayde effecte which is seene onely in Cassia and none other tree or plante in all these parties ¶ Of Reedes or Canes I Haue not thought it conuenient in the chapiture before to speake of that whereof I intende nowe to intreate of reedes or canes to thintente that I woolde not mengle theym with plantes or trees beinge thynges of theÌ„ selues woorthy to bee particularly obserued So it is therfore that in the firme land there are many sortes of reedes so that in many places they make theyr howses therof couerynge them with the toppes of the same and makynge theyr waules of them in lyke maner as I haue sayde before And amonge these kyndes of reedes there is one so greate that the canes therof are as bygge as a mans legge in the knee and three spannes in length frome ioynt to ioynt or more in so much that euery of them is of capacitie to conteyne a lyttle bucket of water In this kynde here are founde sum greater and sum lesse of the which sum they vse to make quyuers for arrowes There is founde an other kynde which suerly is marueylous beynge lyttle bygger then a Iauelen the canes whereof are longer then twoo spannes These reedes growe one farre from an other as sumtymes twentie or thirtie pases and sumetymes also twoo or three leaques They growe in maner in all prouynces in the Indies And growe nere to very hygh trees whereunto they leane and creepe vp to the toppes of theyr braunches which they imbrase and descende ageyne downe to the earth Theyr canes are full of moste cleare water without any maner of tast or sauoure eyther of the canes or of any other thynge And suche as yf it were taken owte of the fressheste sprynge in the worlde Nor yet is it knowen that euer it hurte any that droonke therof For it hath oftentymes so chaunced that as the Chrysten men haue trauayled in these regions in desolate wayes where for lacke of water they haue byn in great daunger to dye for thyrste they haue escaped that perell by reason that they founde the sayde reedes of the water of whose canes they haue droonke a great quantitie withowt any hurte thereof ensewynge Therefore when they fynde these in
Uerde .700 leaques although Isuppose that we sayled more then .800 by reason of the cruel tempest and ignoraunce of the Pylottes and mariners whereby wee were lyke to haue byn cast away The ignorance of Pylots and mariners For wee were in suche daungerous places wanderynge in vnknowen coastes that if I had not byn skylfull in the science of Cosmographie we had suerly peryshed The vse of Cosmographie forasmuch as there was not one pylot that knewe where wee were by the space of fiftie leaques In so much that if I had not in tyme prouyded for the safegarde of myne owne lyfe and them that were with me with my quadrant and Astrolabie instrumentes of Astronomie The vse of the â—uadrant and Astrolabie wee had styl wandered lyke blynde men But when in fine I had persuaded the pylots by demonstrations perteynynge to that arte they gaue me great honour and confessed that the ordinarie pilottes and mariners ignorant in Cosmographi are not to bee compared to men of speculatiue knowleage c. Wee sayled by the coaste of the sayde lande .600 leaques And went oftentymes alande where wee were frendely and honorably interteyned of thinhabitauntes In so much that considerynge theyr innocent nature we sumtymes remayned with them .xv. or .xx. dayes This firme lande begynneth beyonde the Equinoctiall line .viii. degrees towarde the pole Antartike Wee sayled so farre by the sayde coaste that wee passed the wynter Tropyke towarde the pole Antartike by xvii degrees and a halfe The pole Antartike where we had the Horizontal line eleuate fiftie degrees Such thynges as I sawe there are not yet knowen to men of owre tyme as the people theyr customes and maners the fertilitie of the lande the goodnes of the ayer the fauourable influence of heauen and the planettes and especially the order of the starres of the eyght sphere in the inferioure hemispherie or lower halfe circle of heauen towarde and abowt the South pole The starreâ— abowt the south pole wherof neyther the owlde or newe wryters haue made any mention to this daye To wryte particularly of the commodities and felicities of these regions it wolde requyre rather a hole volume then a booke And that such as if Plinie had had knowleage of these thynges Most pleasant frutfull regions he myght greatly haue increased his bookes of naturall histories The trees gyue from them continually such sweete sauours as can scarsely bee imagined And on euery part put furth such gummes liquours and iuses that yf we knewe theyr vertues I suppose we myght fynde in them marueylous medicins ageinst diseases and to mainteyne health And suerly in my opinion yf there bee any earthely Paradyse in the worlde The earthlye Paradyse it can not bee farre from these regions of the south where the heauen is so beneficiall and the elementes so temperate that they are neyther bytten with coulde in wynter nor molested with heate in summer Continual teÌ„peratnesse The ayer also and the heauen is seldome darkened with clowdes so that the dayes and nyghtes are euer cleare Yet haue they sumtymes moyst dewes in the mornynge and euenyng for the Moyst dewes space of three houres whereby the grounde is marueylously refresshed Lykewyse the firmament is marueylously adourned with certeyne starres which are not knowen to vs wherof I noted abowt .xx. to bee of suche clearenesse as are the starres of Uenus and Iupiter when they are nere vnto vs. Starres vnknowen to vs And wheras hauynge the knowleage of Geometrie The vse of Geometri I considered theyr circuite and dyuers motions and also measured theyr circumference and diameter I am well assured that they are much greater then men thynke them to bee Amonge other I sawe three starres cauled Canopi wherof two were exceadynge cleare and the thyrde sumwhat darke The pole Antartike hath nother the greate beare nor the lyttle as is seene abowte owre pole Notable stars in the inferiour hemispherie But hath foure starres whiche compasse it abowt in forme of a quadrangle I sawe also there manye other starres the dyuers motions wherof diligently obserued I made a particular boke of the same wherin I made mention of al such notable thyngs as I sawe and had knoweleage of in this nauigation The whiche booke I deliuered to the kynges maiestie trustynge that he wyll shortly restore it me ageyne In this hemispherie or halfe coompasse of the heauen The inferiour hemisphâ—rie I diligently considered many thinges which are contrarie to thoppinions of philosophers And amonge other thynges I sawe a whyte raynebowe abowt mydnyght The raynebowe wheras other affirme that it hath foure colours of the foure elementes as redde of the fyer greene of the earth whyte of the ayer and blewe of the water But Aristotle in his booke intiteled Meteora Aristotle his opinion of the raynebowe is of an other opinion For he sayth that the raynebowe is a reflection of the beames of the soonne in the vapoure of a clowde directly ageynste the soonne as the shynyng of the same on the water is reflected on a waule And that the sayde clowde or vapoure tempereth the heate of the soonne and beinge resolued into rayne maketh the grounde fertyle and pourgeth the ayer Also that is a token of abundaunt moysture By reason wherof A stranâ—e opinion sum are of opinion that it shall not appeare .xl. yeares before th ende of the worlde which shal be a token of the drynesse of the elementes approchynge to the tyme of theyr confâ—agration or consumyng by fyer It is a pledge of peace betwene god and men and is euer directly ouer ageynst the soonne It is therfore neuer seene in the South bycause the soonne is neuer in the North. Neuerthelesse Plinie sayth that after the Equinoctial in Autumne it is seene at al houres And thus much haue I gathered owte of the commentaries of Landâ—nus vppon the fourth boke of Uirgyl his Eneades bycause I wold defraude no man of his trauayle I sawe the sayd raynebowe twoo or three tymes And not I onely but also many other which were in my coompany Lykewyse wee sawe the newe moone the selfe same day that shee ioyned with the soonne The newe mone Wee sawe furthermore vapours and burnynge flames flyinge abowt heauen euery nyght Fyery exhalations A lyttle before I cauled this countrey by the name of Hemispherium that is the halfe sphere hemispheriuÌ„ Which neuerthelesse can not bee so named but by spekynge improperlie in comparyson of owres Yet forasmuche as it seemeth to represent suche a forme I haue improperlye so named it Departynge therfore from Lisbona as I haue sayde beinge from the Equinoctiall line towarde the North abowt .xl degrees Lisbona wee sayled to this countrey whiche is beyonde the Equinoctiall .l. degrees The fouâ—th part of the worlde All which summe maketh the number of lxxxx beinge the fourth part of the greatest circle accordynge to the
inundation hauynge knoweleage that the redde sea was hygher by three cubites then al the countrey of Egypt Other say that this was not the cause but that he doubted that yf he shulde haue let the sea coome any further all the water of Nilus shulde haue byn therby corrupted which onely mynystreth drynke to all Egypte But notwithstandynge all these thynges aforesayde all this vyage is frequented by lande from Egypte to the redde sea The viage bilande from Egypte to the red sea in which passage are three causeis or hyghe wayes The fyrst begynneth at the mouth of Nilus named Pelusio All which way is by the sandes In so much that if there were not certeyne hyghe reedes fyxt in the earth to shewe the ryght way the causei coulde not be founde by reason the wynde euer couereth it with sande The second causei is two myles from the mountayne Cassius And this also in th ende of .lx. myles commeth vppon the way or causey of Pelusius inhabited with certeyne Arabians cauled Antei The thyrde begynneth at Gerro named Adipson and passeth by the same Arabians for the space of .lx. myles sumwhat shorter but full of rowgh mountaynes and great scarsenesse of water All these causeis What kynge ptolomeus discouered leade the way to the citie of Arsinoe buylded by Tolomeus Philadelphus in the goulfe Carandra by the red sea This Ptolomeus was the fyrst that searched al that parte of the red sea which is cauled Trogloditica Of this trenche described of Strabo and Plinie there are seene certeyne tokens remaynynge at this present as they affirme which haue byn at Sues beyonde the citie of Alcayr otherwyse cauled Babylon in Egypte But the marchauntes that of later dayes trauayle this viage by lande ryde through the dry baren desertes on camels both by day and by night directynge theyr way by the starres and compase as do maryners on the sea and caryinge with them water sufficient for many dayes iorneys Alcayre The places of Arabie and India named of Strabo and Plinie The viage to Easte Indya frequented in owlde tyme. are the selfe same where the Portugales practise theyr trade at this daye as the maners and customes of the Indians doo yet declare The custoÌ„es and maners of the Indyans For euen at this presente theyr women vse to burne theym selues alyue with the deade bodies of theyr husbandes Which thynge as wryteth Strabo in his .xv. booke they dyd in owlde tyme by a lawe for this consideration that sumtyme being in loue with other they forsooke or poysoned theyr husbandes And forasmuch as accordynge to this custome the owlde poete Propertius who lyued abowt a hundreth yeares before thincarnation of Chryst hath in his boke made mention of the contention that was amonge the Indian women which of them shuld bee burned aliue with theyr husbandes I haue thought good to subscribe his verses whiche are these Foelix Pois lex funeris vna maritis Quos aurora suis rubra colorat equis Mamque vbi mortifero iacta est fax vltima lecto Vxorum suis stat pia turba comis Et certamen habent lethi quae viua sequatur Coniugium pudor est non licuisse mori Ardent victrices flammae pectora praebent Imponuntque suis ora perusta viris As touthynge these vyages both by sea and by lande to East India Cathay many thynges are wrytten very largely by dyuers autours which I omytte bycause they perteyne not so much vnto vs as doth the viage attempted to CATHAY by the north seas and the coastes of Moscouia discouered in owre tyme by the viage of that excellent yonge man Rychard Chaunceler no lesse lerned in all mathematicall sciences then an expert pylotte The vyage to Cathay Rycharde Chaunceler in the yeare of owre lorde .1554 As concernynge this vyage I haue thought good to declare the communication which was betwene the sayde learned man Galeatius Butrigarius and that great philosopher and noble gentelman of Italie named Hieronimus Fracastor as I fynde wrytten in the Italian hystories of nauigations As they were therfore conferrynge in matters of learnynge and reasonynge of the science of Cosmographi A lerned discourse of dyuers vyages the sayde lerned man hauynge in his hande an instrument of Astronomie declared with a large oration howe muche the worlde was bounde to the kynges of Portugale rehearsynge the noble factes doone by them in India The vigages of the Portugales and what landes and Ilandes they had discouered â–ª and how by theyr nauigations they made the whole worlde hange in the ayer The worlde hangynge on the â—yer He further declared what parts of the baul of the earth remained yet vndiscouered And sayde that of the landes of the inferior hemispherie or halfe compase of the baule towarde the pole Antartike what is knowen of the lower hemispherie there was nothynge knowen but that lyttle of the coaste of Brasilia vnto the streight of Magellanus The lande of Brasile Also a part of Peru Peru. And a lyttle aboue Affrike towarde the cape of Bona Speranza Also that he marueyled withowte measure that this thynge was no better considered of Christian Princes to whoÌ„ god hath deputed this charge The charge dewtie of Christian princes hauyng euer on theyr counsailmen of great lernynge which may informe them of this thing beinge Note so marueylous and noble whereby they maye obteyne glorie and fame by vertue and bee impuled amonge men as goddes by better demerites then euer were Hercules great Alexander who trauayled only into India hercules and Alexander and that by makynge the men of this owre hemispherie knowen to theym of the other halfe compase of the baule beneth vs they might by the tytle of this enterpryse withowt comparyson farre excell all the noble factes that euer were doone by Iulius Cesar or any other of the Romane Emperours Which thynge they myght easely brynge to passe by assignynge colonies to inhabite dyuers places of that hemispherie in lyke maner as dyd the Romanes in prouinces newely subdued The colonies of the Romans in regions subdued Whereby they myght not only obteyne great ryches but also inlarge the Christian fayth and Empire to the glory of god and confusion of infidels After this he spake of the Ilande of saynt Laurence cauled in owlde tyme Madagascar The great Iland of saynt Laurence or Madagascaâ— which is greater then the realme of Castile and Portugale and reachethe from the .xii. degree towarde the pole Antartike vnto the xxvi degree and a halfe lyinge Northeaste frome the cape of Bona Speranza and partly vnder the line of Tropicus Capricorni beinge well inhabited and of temperate ayer with abundaunce of all thynges necessarie for the lyfe of man and one of the most excellent Ilandes that is founde this daye in the worlde And that neuerthelesse there is nothynge knowen therof except only a fewe smaule
hatchynge of egges euen so by the action of temperate and continuall heate withowt interposition of contrarie and mortifyinge qualitie crude thynges are in shorte tyme made rype sower made sweete thicke made thinne heauie made lyght grosse made subtyle harde made softe deade made lyuynge and in fine bodies made spirites Natural heat dooth subtyle and digest all thynges as manifestly appeareth in the marueylous woorke of dygestion of lyuyng beastes wherby the finest part of theyr nurisshement is turned into bludde and the finest of that bludde conuerted into spirites as the like is also seene in the nurysshement of trees plantes and herbes and all other thynges that growe on the grounde all whiche are moued digested subtiliate attenuate ryped and made sweete by the action of this continuall heate wherof I haue spoken To conclude therfore if hony bee eyther the sweete of the starres or the iuise of the ayer pourginge it selfe as plinie writeth or other wyse engendered of subtyle and fine vapoures rysinge frome the earth and concocte or digested in the ayer by the sayd continuall and moderate heate Subtyle vapours digested by heate it may seeme by good reason that the same sâ—ulde bee engendered in soommer season more abundantly in coulde regions then in hot for the causes aforesayde And that it may by autoritie and reason more manifestlye appeare bothe that the heate of soommer in could regions is continual as I haue sayd and also that the coulde in wynter is not there so intollerable to thinhabitauntes of those regions as other doo thynke Could regioÌ„s I haue thoughâ— good for the better declaration hereof to adde hereunto what I haue gathered owt of the booke of Ziglerus wrytten of the north regions Ziglerus ¶ Of the North regions and of the moderate and continuall heate in coulde regions aswell in the nyght as in the day in soommer season Also howe those regions are habitable to thinhabitauntes of the same contrary to thoppinion of the owlde wryters OF this matter Ziglerus in his booke of the Northe regions in the description of Scondia wryteth as foloweth Ziglerus Wee wyll intreate of this matter not as puttynge the same in question as dyd the owld wryters nor gatherynge iudgement deducted of reasons in way of argument forasmuch as wee are alredy more certeyne by hystorie that these coulde regions are inhabited Wee wyll fyrst therfore shewe by naturall reason and by consideration of the sphere declare how by the helpe of man and arte coulde regions are inhabited withowt domage or destruction of lyuynge beastes And wyll fyrste speake of the qualitie of sommer The qualitie of soomer in could regioÌ„s declarynge howe it is there augmented Yet intende I not to comprehende all that maye bee sayde in this matter but only rehearse such reasons and similitudes as are most apparent and easy to bee vnderstoode In such regions therfore as are extended from the burnt line or Equinoctiall towarde the north as much as the sonne rysethe hygher ouer theim The course of the sonne so muche are they the more burnte with heate as Affrica bycause it ryseth hyghest ouer them as they are nearest to the Equinoctiall and taryinge with theim so much the shorter time causeth shorter days with longer coulder nyghtes to restore the domage of the day past by reasoÌ„ of the moisture consumed by vapour Uapours But in such regions ouer the which the sonne ryseth lower as in Sarmatia it remayneth there the longer in the day and causeth so much the shorter and warmer nyghtes Short and Warme nyghtes as reteynynge warme vapoures of the day past which vapours helpe the woorke of the day I speake as I haue founde by experience saythe Upsaliensis For I haue felt the sommer nyghtes scarsely tollerable for heate in Gothlande Gothlande wheras I felte them coulde in Rome This benefite of thincrease of the day doth augment so much the more in coulde regions as they are nearer the poles and ceaceth not vntyll it coome directly ouer the center or poynte of the ares or axceltree of the worlde where the sonne beinge at the hyghest in sommer One day of .vi monethes is eleuate abowt .xxiiii. degrees In which regions one continual day consisteth of .vi. monethes from the sprynge tyme by the standynge of the soonne cauled Solstitium in the signe of Cancer to Autumne The soonne therfore withowt any offence of the night gyueth his influence vppon those landes with heate that neuer ceasethe durynge that tyme which maketh to the great increase of soommer by reason of continuance howe the sommer is increased in could regioÌ„s We haue now therfore thought good to gather by a certeyne coniecture howe greately wee thinke the soommer to bee increased hereby Wee haue before declared howe hyghe the soonne is eleuate ouer the regions that are vnder the poles at the staye of the soonne And so manye partes is it eleuate in Rome at the stay of the soonne in wynter that is at the shortest day in the yeare Rome But here in the mydde wynter the soonne at noone tyde is beneficiall and bryngeth foorth floures roses and ielefloures I haue gathered sum in wynter in the moneth of December not procured at home by humane arte but growinge â—n open gardenes in maner in euery bedde vnder the bare heauen browght foorth only by the soonne But this benignitie of the soonne Could nights in hot regioÌ„s continueth not past fiue houres in the naturall day forasmuch as thoperation therof is extinct by the couldenesse of the nyght folowynge But if this benefite myght bee receaued withowt hinderaunce of the nyght as it is vnder the poles and so continue many monethes in hot regions vnto winter it shulde suerlye brynge foorthe manye woonderfull thynges if moysture fayled not And by this condition thus propounded wee may well conceaue that the Romane winter The Romanâ— wynter althowgh it be not hotte yet to be equal in heate to the full sprynge tyme in the same citie durynge the tyme of the sayde fiue houres And thus by a similitude of the height of the soonne vnder bothe places and of the knowen qualitie of the Romane heauen and by thaccesse of the soonne to such places where the longest day continueth certeyne monethes wee maye gather that soommer in places vnder the pole is lyke vnto and equall with the full Romane sprynge But the more difficulte question is of the tyme of the .vi moonethes in the whiche the soonne leaueth those regions One nyght of vi monethes and goth by the contrarye or ouerthwarte circle towarde the south in wynter Obiections For they say that at that tyme those regions are deformed with horrible darkenesse and nyghtes not increased which may bee the cause that beastes can not seke theyr foode And that also the coulde shulde then bee inâ—ollerable by which double euyls all thynges constrayned shulde dye so that no beaste were able to abyde thiniuries of wynter
salt water and fresshe wheras for the same cause the goulfe of Gothland is frosen bycause it is streyght narow in the whiche also the lyttle quantitie of salt water is ouercoome by the abundance of fresshe water of many and greate ryuers that faule into the goulfe But betwene Norwaye and Islande The sea betwene Norway and Islande the sea is not frosen for the contrary cause forasmuch as the poure of fresshe water is there ouercomme of thabundance of the salte water There is a fame but of vncerteyne autoritie that the Spanyardes sayle at this presente to Gronlande and to an other lande which they caule Terra viridis Terra Viridis that is the greene lande bringynge from thense suche wares as are founde in Gronlande Towarde the north it reacheth to the vnknowen lande vnder the pole from whense also the theues and robbers of thâ— Pigmei coomme into this lande Pigme Whiche is an argument that the regions vnder the pole are inhabited and almost enuironed with the sea as are they whiche the Cosmographers caule Chersonnesi or Peninsula that is almost Ilandes ☞ The description of Gronlande ¶ The description of the East syde whiche lyeth towarde Norway Wardhus castell 54.  70. 50. Towarde the North. 53. 30. 71. 30. The fyrst extention 40.  71. 40. The seconde extention 28.  72.  Huitsarch promont 22.  67.  The extention 5.  61. 45. It is continued from thense by the coastes of the lande of Baccallaos Baccalaos 356. 60. Towarde the west and north it is termined with an vnknowen ende of landes and seas Islande ISlande is interpreted the lande of Ise and is cauled of the owlde wryters Tâ—yle Island cauled Thyle It is extended betwene the south and the north almost two hundreth schoenes in longitude Schoeni is lx furlonges It is for the most part full of mountaynes and vncultured But in the playnes it hath suche frutefull pastures that they are fayne sumtymes to dryue the beastes from thâ—ir feedynge least they shulde bee suffocate with to much faâ—nes Miracles of nature in Islande This Iland is famous by the strange miracles of natuâ—e of the which Saxo Grammaticus in his hystorie of Denmarke and Olanus Gothus in his description of the nâ—râ—h landes doo make mention There are in it three mountaynes of marueylous height the toppes where of are couered with perpetuall snowe Three maruelous mountaynes But the nether partes of them are of lyke nature to the mountayne Etna in the Ilande of Sicilie boyling with continuall flames of fyre and castynge furth brymstone One of these is named Helga helgate and the other Mons Cruciâ— that le the mounte of the crosse The thyrde is named Hecla hecla whose flames neyther consume flare or rowe matters moste apte to take syre nor yet are quenched with water And with lyke force as the shotte of great artillerie is driuen furth by violence of fyre euen so by the commixtion and repugnaunce of fyre coulde and brymstome greate stones are here throwne into the ayer Nere vnto these mostraynes are three chynkes or open places in the earthe of houge byggenesse and suche depth eâ—pecially at the mounte Hecla that no syght can attayne therto Straunge vilions But to such as looke into them there fyrst appeare men as thowgh they were drowned and yet breathyng furth theyr sowles who beinge exhorted by theyr frendes to resorte to theyr owne they aunswere with moornynge voyce and greuous syghes that they must departe frome thense to the mount Hecla and therwith suddeynly vanysshe owte of syght I se floweth abowt the Ilande for the space of seuen or eyght moonethes Ise. makynge by runnynge togyther a certeyne miserable waylinge and gronynge noyse not vnlyke the voyce of man Purgatory Thinhabitauntes thynke that in this Ise the mounte Hecla A straunge thynge are the places where the euyll soules of theyr people are tormented If any man take a greate portion of this Ise and kepe it as diligently as may bee in a close vessell or cofer the same dooth so vanysshe at the tyme when the other I se abowt the Ilande dissolueth that not so much as one droppe of water or Ise can therof bee founde Not farre from these mountaynes reachynge toward the sea coastes are foure sprynges of water of moste diuers and contrary nature Four springs of contrary nature The fyrste by reason of his perpetuall and feruente heate suddeynely turneth all bodies that are caste therin into stones reseruynge neuerthelesse theyr fyrst forme and shape The seconde is of intollerable couldenesse The thyrde is sweeter then hony and most pleasaunte to quenche thyrst The fourth is playne poyson pestilent and deadely There is furthermore in these sprynges suche abundaunce of brymstone Abundaunce of brimstone that a thousande pounde weight therof is bought for lyttle as for the tenth parte of a ducate Theyr chiefe wares are dryed fysshe Dryed fysshe as soles maydens playces salpas stockefysshes and such other which they exchange for wheat and such other thynges as are browght thyther from Lubeck Hamborowe and Amsterdam For they haue oftentymes such scarsenesse of corne Scarsenes of corne that they vse dryed fysshe in the steade of breade althowgh in soommer the Ilande so floryssheth with greene and frutefull medowes that they are fayne sumtimes to dryue theyr beastes from pasture leaste they shulde suffocate for to much fattenesse as I haue sayde before They make very good butter and apte to bee vsed in matters of phisicke There are founde dyuers kindes of good haukes haukes as faulcons gerfalcons lanners and sperhaukes Also rauens crowes beares hares and foxes both whyte and blacke white raueÌ„s They haue most swyfte horses and such as runne .xxx. myles continually withowt rest or bayte They haue manye churches and houses buylded of the bones of whales and other greate fysshes houses of whales bones The nauigation is not open to this Ilande but in sommer season and that only for the space of foure moonethes The nauigation to Island by reason of the coulde and Ise whereby the passage is stopped If any stryfe or debate aryse on the sea amonge the mariners for the commoditie of the hauen the gouernour of the place althowgh he haue knowleage therof yet dooth he not punysshe them forasmuch as it apperteyneth not to his office to decerne such thynges as are doonne on the sea but only on the lande Shippes are there often tymes in great perell by reason of whales and such other monsters of the sea whales excepte the mariners take good heede and keepe them farre frome the shyppes with the noyse of droommes and emptie barrels cast into the sea There are many mynstrels and other that play on instrumentes with the sweete noyse whereof they vse to allure foules and fisshes to theyr nettes and snares One thynge seruyng for contrary vses Many also
herbes or grasse yowe shall perceaue the grenenes therof to be faynt and in maner wythered and dryed And albeit that sumtymes also mines are founde in mountaynes hauynge earth and frutefull trees in the toppes therof yet are they for the most part found in such wherof we haue spoken Of these other there maye fewe signes be gyuen except to go by lyttle and lyttle to seke the bankes of theyr sydes But amonge all these the best and most certeyne signe that may bee gyuen The best signe is wheras on the superficiall parte of the earth eyther on hyghe or belowe the myne dooth shewe it selfe apparente to syght Sum there are that for a good signe do greately commende the residences which certeyne waters make wher they haue rested for a time and beinge dryed vp of the heate of the sonne The resideÌ„ce of waters do often times shewe in certeyne partes of theyr residencies dyuers tinctures of mynerall substaunce Summe other are accustomed to take such waters and in a vessell of earth or glasse or other matter cause them to boyle and vapoure away vntyll the dregs or residence remayne in the bottome well dryed in the likenes of a grose earth of the which they make an assaye eyther by the ordinarie tryall of fyer or after sume other maner as lyketh them best And by this meanes althowgh they attayne not to thexacte knowleage of the truth yet do they approche to a certeyne knowleage of the thyng wherby they haue sum intelligence of what sufficiencie and goodnesse the myne is which they seeke before they be at any great charges in folowynge the same Prouydynge alway that with all diligent aduertisement the places neare vnto the rootes of the confine mountaynes be curiously searched with also the bankes and sydes of the selfe same mountayne and all such superficiall partes therof where any stones are founde discouered eyther of theyr owne proper nature or by the course of water presupposynge euer that it is in maner impossible but that yf suche mountaynes contayne any mynes they muste needes shewe furth sum floures tinctures or colours of theyr exhalations Marchasitâ—s are the tinctures of myneral exhaâ—â—tions Yet yf it shulde so chaunce that they do not this the goodnes of the mine may be the cause hereof forasmuche as eyther it is not of vaporable nature or to be of smaule quantitie or els perhappes bycause the mountayne is greate and the myne very low or so farre with in that it is not sufficient to put furth any signes of fumosities The cause also hereof maye bee that sum stone lyke vnto that cauled Albasano which I thynke to be of that kynde which we caule the greete stone or blacke and whyte marble of thycke and resystynge nature may be found to lye betwene and so to stoppe the passages Metals in frutful mountaynes that the sayde fumosities may therby be hyndered to arryue to the vppermoste parte of the earth by reason wherof it is possible that suche mountaynes may brynge furth trees and herbes forasmuche as the earth therof dooth reteyne his vertue and may nuryshe theyr rootes not beinge incinerate or burnte with hotte and venemous vapours of the mynes so that the shoures of rayne or fluds with their courses can not cary away the earth as in such places wher the same is found sore dryed And therfore vppon such mountaynes I haue seene great wooddes of chestnutte trees beeches also and okes with well cultured and frutfull fieldes So that to conclude by the signes of the rowghnesse or barennesse of the mountayne is not taken away but that other places may also haue plentie of mines whiche ought to be searched and folowed But forasmuch as these signes are of the natures of minerals I wyll speake more determinately of theym in the places where I entreate of theyr proper mynes Not intendynge here to saye muche of these thynges in generall but only to induce yow to sum clearnesse of the fyrst lyght And therfore that yow may gyue the more diligent aduertisment I saye vnto yowe that all the mynes which yow shall fynde by such signes by what meanes so euer they shall coome to yowre handes whether they be found in stones howe the signes are to bee consydered earth or sande after that at the fyrste syght they haue shewed them selues to bee mynes of metals yow owght to consyder of what ponderositie or weyght they are The which the greater that it is so much the more dooth it shewe both the perfection and goodnesse of the substaunce and also the more quantitie of the mine And thus presupposyng that by the signes or other meanes yow haue founde the mine not yet fully perceauynge of what kynde of metall it myght be to certifie yowe hereof and also of what quantitie it is or howe it is accompanyed or myxt with other or lykewyse of what puritie it is of it selfe or of what euyll disposition or malice it is founde to bee it shall herein be necessary before yow be at any further charges therwith to proue the same by twoo or three assayes or mo The assay of the mines as I wyll further declare in the particular place of assayes Beinge therfore certifyed of the myne and of what metall it is and also what quantitie it conteyneth fyndynge it by accompte to bee so profitable as to beare the charges I exhorte yowe bouldely to gyue the fyrste attempte to faule to mynynge and with all possible diligence to folowe yowr enterpryse assurynge yowre selfe that of what so euer mynerall matter yow shall take assay accordyng to the proportion of that pice which yow tooke of the vppermost or owtmost parte of the mine for that purpose yow shall fynde that to bee muche better and rycher whiche is further within the mountayne The richer myne further within the montayne And thus being certified by the assay of what quantitie the thynge is that appered by the signes and of all other reasonable consyderations apperteynyng to the worke yow shall with all celeritie dispose yowr selfe to faule to dyggynge to thintent that yowe may shortely eyther here enioye the frute of yowre trauell or els where with better successe proue yowre good fortune But in thattempte of this enterpryse yow owght principally to haue respecte to the situation of the place where yowe intende to make the begynnynge of yowr caue or fosse Consyderacions how the caue ought to bee made Takynge good aduertisement that it be commodious for the labourers that shal worke therein prouydynge aboue all thynges that it haue an easye enteraunce into the mountayne with lesse charges and in shorter tyme to arryue vnder the signes which yowe haue taken encounterynge the same as muche as is possible as it were by a ryght line fyrst with iudgemente and then with workeman shyppe vntyll yow stryke on the grose masse or bodye of the myne The bodie of the myne breakynge in the course of the caue al
picke axes sum of iren and sum of steele furthermore greate maules with handels and withowt handels and such other bothe of iren and fine steele hardened if the hardenes of stone shall so requyre But as for such as shall serue to dygge the mynes which are engendered in tender and softe stones I neede make no mention of them forasmuch as the tooles of the common sorte may suffice and necessitie shall dayly furthe instructe yow to diuise such as shal serue for yowre purpose Albeit for the moste parte they are beetels maules mattockes pikes shouels spades and such lyke But as well for the softe stones as for the harde it shal be necessarye to haue great plentie of al sortes to th ende that the myners may lose no tyme and that the woorke may go the better forwarde to the comfort of the patrones of the mine Bysyde these before named it shall also be requisite to haue plentie of greate baskettes spades shâ—uels sleades and handbarrowes bothe with wheeles and without wheeles also sackes made of raw or vntande hydes to carye the fragmentes owt of the caue It shall furthermore be requisite to haue greate quantitie of vnctuous liquours to maiÌ„tayne fire Fyre in the caue as are the oiles of oliues of nuttes of line seede and hempe seede Lykewise the rootes of putrified trees or talowe of beastes or fatte and oyle of fysshes For withowt the lyght of fyre it is not possible for the labourers to woorke The coÌ„ueyance of eyer Nor yet can any fyre be mayntayned in the caue except it receaue the ayer by sum respiracle or breathynge place by the meanes of a funnell or trunke of woodde or such other open instrument wherby the ayer maye be conueyed into the caue ¶ Of the myne of golde and the qualitie therof in particular FOrasmuche as golde is a compounde mynerall which of the phylosophers and all men of vnderstandynge The excelleÌ„cie of golde is founde to be of greatest perfection amonge all other myxt minerals it is iudged by the vniuersal opinion of such men that for the bewtie and excellent qualitie thereof it shulde be of excessiue vertue to helpe and confort men And therfore amonge all thynges that are in this worlde excepte lyuynge creatures it is châ—efely esteemed By reason wherof I also the more to honour it wyll fyrst speake of this before I entreate of any other metall and declare in particular the conception with the most appareÌ„t qualities therof The which although it be a metal most knowen desyred also and sought for of all kyndes of men yet are there not many that do care to knowe of what substaunce or natural mixtion it consisteth But that yow shulde not be one of theim that knowe it onely by name or by superficiall apparence The orginall substaunce of golde I certifie yow that the originall and proper matter therof is none other then elementall substaunces with equall quantitie and qualitie proportionate the one with the other most perfectly purified by the subtyle woorke of nature For of these beinge thus ioyned togyther and of equall force is engendered an amâ—able and most perfect mixtion by the helpe of fermentacion and decoction of the minerall heate Mineral heate wherby is caused such a permanent vnion betwene the sayde elementes that they are in maner inseperable So that by the vertue of heauenly influence or of tyme or by thorder of most prudent nature or by all these causes concurrant such substaunce is conuerted into this metalline body that we caule golde The teÌ„perature purenesse of golde The which as I haue sayd by his much temperatenes purenes and perfect mixtion is condensate and made thicke in such sorte that the elementes therof can not be vnbounde or loosed so that it remayneth in maner incorruptible The cause wherof is that it eyther conteyneth in it no maner of superâ—luiâ—ie or the same to be but very lytle And hereof commeth it that althoughe it lye many yeares in the earth or in the water it is not infected with rust or canker for that neyther of them are able to corrupte it Golde is incorruptible nor yet the fyer whose force dooth incinerate or brynge to asshes resolue in maner all creatures And yet is the poure hereof so farre vnable to destroy or corrupte this metall that it is thereby the more purified and made better Lykewyse the sayde perfecte vnion or mixtion causeth it to be a body withowt steame and withowt vnctuous or fat superfluitie The bewtie of golde which is the cause that it euer remayneth in the natiue bryghtnes and fayrenes of coloure in so much that when it is rubbed vppon any thynge it leaueth not behynde it the tincture of any blacke or yelowe colour as doo in maner all other metals Nor yet hath it any taste or sauour that may be perceaued to the sence Furthermore if it be eaten eyther wyllyngly or by chaunce it is not venemous to the lyfe of man as are sum of the other metals but is rather a medicine curynge dyuers diseases Golde is medicinable In so much that nature hath gyuen vnto it of peculiar propertie a vertue and priuileage to conforte the weakenes of the harte and to gyue ioyfulnes and myrth to the spirits disposynge thereby the mynde to magnanimitie and attemptes of great enterpryses Golde is confortable Which singular qualities sum wyse men affirme that it hath receaued by thinfluence of the sonne and that it is therfore of such grace and poure to helpe men especially such as haue many great bagges and chesses full therof To conclude therfore this metall is a body tractable and bryght of coloure lyke vnto the soonne And hath in it inwardely such a naturall attractiue or allurynge vertue that beinge seene it greatly disposeth the myndes of men to desyre it and esteme it as a thyng most precious The attractiue qualitie of golde although many there are whiche crye owt ageynst it and accuse it as the roote and sede of most pestiferous and monstrous couetousnesse and the cause of many other myscheues But whether it bee the cause of more good or euyll we entende to lette passe this disputation as a thynge vnprofitable To proceade therfore as I haue begun I say as before that the woorthynesse whiche is founde in it hath caused me to entreate of it before any other metall And this the rather for that thorder of this presente worke meth so to requyre that I may the better descende to the degrees of other metals to th ende that in these owre partes of Italy yow may haue sum instruction of practise whiche may redounde from yow to other whereby the myndes of all men may receaue sum lyght beinge well assured that newe informations wil be the seedes of other newe wittie diuises in the vnderstandynges of suche men as with these keys shall open theyr wyttes to arryue to suche places whyther they can not els
of the sandes of riuers which many haue vsed to theyr great commoditie And that the rather bycause that in folowyng this order of woorke in the pourgynge and diuydynge of golde it shall not bee requisite as in other maner of practises to bee at greate charges by reason of many men which shall be needefull From wheÌ„se golde is deriued into the sandes of ryuers with manye murals fornaces fiers and dyuers artificers wheras in woorkyng after this sorte one man may suffice with one table and one holowe shoouell with a lyttle quickesyluer and sufficient abundaunce of water But lettyng passe to speake any further of these thynges perhappes summe man wolde here demaunde from whense this golde is deryued into the sandes of the sayde ryuers and whether it be browght thyther by the water or engendered there As touchynge which question I haue ofteÌ„ tymes deliberated with my selfe not withowt great marueyle and especially of that which is founde in the sandes of the ryuers of Tesino Adda and Po bicause wheras I haue sayde before that it is browght thyther by the course of the water I can not perceaue from whense it shuld be browght forasmuch as there is no myne of golde or of any other metal that is knowen nere to any of those places By reason wherof my iudgemente is in maner confounded seinge also that it is thoppinion of certeyne wryters that it is engendered euen where it is founde The which if it so be it is not trewe that it is browght thyther by the water Ageyne if it be engendered there it seemeth to me a dyfficult thyng to comprehend whether it be brought furthe there by the vertue of the water or the earth or the heauen That golde is not engendered in the â—andes of riuers If furthermore any of these shuld be the cause of the generation hereof it seemethe agreable to reason that it shulde bee both founde and engendered through owt all the beddes of such riuers and at al tymes And if the influence of heauen be the most prepotent cause of this effecte then it seemeth to me that it shuld woorke immediatly bicause it can not otherwyse obserue thorder whiche nature vseth in the generation of metals fyrst brynginge it furth to the open shewe in the place where aboundeth the continuall isshewe of water which owght also to be of such force as to remoue the earthy substaunce thereof from place to place and not to intermixte such great inequalitie of couldenesse and moistnes And albeit that this composition begunne in this order shuld not be disseuered or broken by the waters of the ryuers yet it appeareth to me that the showers of rayne and increase of fiuddes shulde be of sufficient poure to distemper breake and vtterly destroy all such compositions as shulde be engendered in such places forasmuch as al thynges are conceaued by rest and quietnesse after the commixtion of the fyrste elementes And therfore if this golde of the ryuers bee there engendered where it is founde I wolde it were declared vnto me why it is engendered only in these places and not in other and why in lyke maner syluer copper leade or any other metals are not also engendered there as well as golde beinge matters of an easyer composition of nature then it is by reason of the perfecte vnitie and concordaunce with puritie of substaunce perfecte concoction which is in golde aboue all other metals whereas also in many places in the territories of Rome there are founde many sparkes of the mine of â—ren of blacke colour amonge the sandes of certeyne smaule ryuers And yet these only in certeyne particular places of the sayde riuers wherby it appeareth that these also shulde not bee engendered where they are founde By all which reasons and apparent effectes it seemeth most agreable to truth that the golde which is fouÌ„d in such sandes This mater is apparent iÌ„ the golde founde in the ryuers in the Indies is rather brought thyther by the water then engendered there And therefore to declare my mynde more playnely herein I suppose that this chaunceth only in great ryuers which receaue abundaunce of waters of dyuers springes fosses and other ryuers engendered partly of the meltynge of snowe and partly of great showers of rayne whiche faulyng in certeyne chanels from the toppes and sydes of minerall mountaynes wasshe away parte of the earth of theyr bankes and the ouerchanginge and holowe rockes which may conteyne the substaunce of golde The â—aule of waters from montaynes Or otherwyse that in such places there are ordinarie mines in the hyghe mountaynes or other superficiall owt places perhappes incessable and eyther such whyther men can not come for extreme heate or cold or other hynderaunces or els such as they haue contemned to searche And yet the same to bee so consumed by the force of water as we haue sayde and by the course therof to bee caried into the ryuers It may also chaunce that suche mynerall earthes bee farre within the mountaynes neare vnto such ryuers Springes of water in mountaynes And that in the space of many yeares the sprynges isshewynge owt of the same may eyther bee dryed vp whiche thyng hath byn seene or els turne theyr course an other way So that it is no maruayle if in such a multitude of yeres the trewe originall of these thynges bee vnknowen euen vnto theÌ„ that dwell nere such places But in fine howe so euer it bee trewe it is that golde is founde â—n the sandes of many riuers And particularly as I haue noted in the forenamed ryuers Aâ—d if therefore I haue maruayled at this â—hynge I owght worthely to bee excused forasmuch as where iudgement can not bee certified by reason or effectuall apparence there arisâ— many doubtfull coniectures and newe causes of admiration But yet do I maruel much more of an other thyng the which I am informed to bee most trewe by the report of many credible pâ—rsons That is Uegetable golde growinge owt of the earthe that in sum places of Hungarie at certeyâ—e tymâ—s of the yeare pure golde spryngeth owte of the earthe in the lykenesse of smaule herbes wâ—ethed and twyned lyke smaule stalkes of hoppes about the byggenesse of a pack threde and foure fyngers in length or sume a handfull As concernynge which thynge Of this reade Alexander ab Alexandro lib. 4 Genialium dierum Cap. 9. Plinie also in the .xxxiii. boke of his naturall hystorie wryteth the lyke to haue chauncet in Dalmâ—tia in his tyme. The which if it bee trewe suerly the husâ—ande men of these fieldes shall â—â—ape heauenly and not earthly frutes sent them of god from heauen and browght furth of nature withowt theyr trauayle or aâ—te A grade doubtleâ—se most especial syth that in so great a quantitie of earth graunted to the possession of men in mande onely this is thought woorthy so hygh a priuileage But what shall I say of that wherof Albertus Magnuâ—
popingiayes which are in thâ— region of Paria and howe thinhabitours are apparelled Also of the fyue kynges that made a league of frendeshyppe with Uincentius Howe Uincentius sayled Eastwarde by the tracte of the regions of Paria vntyll he came to the poynte of that longe lande which the autour supposeth to be the greate Ilande Atlantike wherof the owlde wryters make mention Cap. S. Aâ—gustini ¶ The contentes of the .viii. booke Fol. 80. ¶ A contention betwene the Castilians and Portugales as concernynge the diuision of the newe founde landes And howe the controuersie was fynysshed by the byshop of Rome Howe Don Chrystopher the gouernoure of the Ilande of Sancti Iohannis was slayne by the Canibales and the bysshop put to flyght Also of the other bysshops of the Ilandes Howe the Canibales of the Iland of Sancta Crux slew and eate a kynge with certeyne of his men beinge frendes to the Chrystians and made faggottes of theyr bones And how querelynge with owre men they put them to silence ¶ The contentes of the .ix. booke Fol. 81. ¶ Of the maruelous frutefulnes of the regions of Beragua Uraba and Dariena And of the dyuers kyndes of trees and frutes Also of the pleasaunt taste of swynes flesshe beinge fedde with the frutes of Mirobalane trees Of Lions and Tygers and other wylde beastes And of a beaste of straunge forme Of the ryuers of the goulfe of Uraba as the ryuer of Dariena and Rio Grandis And howe the great serpentes cauled Crocodiles are founde in other ryuers bysyde Nilus in Egypte Also howe thautour of this booke was sent Ambassadour to the Soldane of Alcayr in Egipte Of the Portugales nauigations and of the ryuer Senega founde by them to bee a chanel of Nilus Also of the multitude of byrdes foules beinge in the marysshes of Dariena A phylosophicall discourse of thoriginall and generatioâ— of sprynges and ryuers And of the breadth of the lande diuydynge the north and south Ocean Of the great ryuer Maragnonus and of the earthly Paradyse And howe sprynges are engendered by conuercion of ayer into water Of the often faule of rayne vnder the Equinoctiall line and of the pores of the sea opened by the South wyndes Of the great ryuers of Tanais Ganges Danubius and Eridanus famous to the owlde wryters And howe certeine ryuers runnynge throughe the caues of the earthe breake furth into sprynges afarre of ¶ The contentes of the .x. booke Fol. 86. ¶ Howe the newe founde landes discouered by the Spanyardes in the West Ocean are eyght tymes bygger then Italie besyde that which the Portugales possesse And of the cardes of the sea drawen by Colonus and Americus Uesputius The order of measurynge the lande And howe a league conteyneth foure myles by sea and but three by lande The Nauâ—gation of Iohannes Dias and of the sundrye eleuations of the pole starre Of the Ilande of Boiuca or Agnaneo and of the springe whose water being dronke causeth owld men to loke yonge Howe Nicuesa and his souldiers were so oppreâ—sed with famin that they were dryuen to eate mangie dogges toades and deade men And howe a brothe made of a dogges skinne was soulde for many pieces of golde ¶ The contentes of the bookes of the thyrde Decade ¶ The contentes of the fyrst booke Fol. 88. ¶ Of the desperate aduenture and good fortune of Uaschus And how with a hundreth fourscore and ten men he brought that to passe for the whâ—ch Petrus Arias was sente with a thousande and two hundreth fresshe souldyers Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold and howe superfluities hynder libertie Howe Uaschus in one conflicte slewe syxe hundreth barbaryans with theyr kynges And howe he founde the house of kyng Quarequa infected with vnnatural lechery commaundynge that the kynge and fortie suche as he kepte for that purpose shulde be gyuen for a pray to his dogges whiche he vsed to serue in the warres ageynst these naked people Of a region of blacke Moores And howe Uaschus came to the toppes of the mountaynes where geuynge thankes to god he behelde the newe south Ocean neuer before sene nor knowen to men of owre worlde Howe Uaschus put kynge Chiapes to flyght and after made a league of frendeshyppe with hym And howe the king gaue hym .iiii. hundreth poundes weyght of wrought golde Howe kynge Coquera was putte to fâ—yght who also beinge receaued to frendeshyppe gaue Uaschus syxe hundreth and fiftie poundes weyght of wrought golde Of the goulfe cauled Sinus S. Michaelis beinge full of inhabited Ilandes And of the manly corage and godly zeale of Uaschus Also of the rysynge and faulyng of the south sea Howe kynge Tumaccus beinge dryuen to flyght and afterwarde reconciled gaue Uaschus .vi. hundreth and .xiiii. pesos of golde and two hundreth and fortie of the greatest and fayrest pearles And howe the kynge caused his men to fyshe for pearles Of the Ilande cauled Margaritea Diues And of the abundaunce of fayre and great pearles founde therin Of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line And of the Portugales nauigations to the Antipodes inhabytynge the fyue and fiftie degree of the south pole Also a declaration of Antipodes and of the starres about the south pole ¶ The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 95. ¶ Of the maner of fysshynge for pearles and of the three kyndes therof Also dyuers other questions coÌ„cernyng perles Of the multitude of the shell fysshes wherin perles are ingendered and founde in maner in all places in the south sea And of abundaunce of golde founde almoste in euery house Also howe the treasurie of nature is in those coastes And of the golde mynes of Dariena Howe kynge Teaocha gaue Uaschus .xx. poundes weight of wrought golde and two hundreth perles Also of desertes full of wylde beastes and howe Uaschus was troubled with greate heate in the moneth of Nouember Howe a dogge Tyger was taken and his whelpes tyed in cheynes and torne in pieces Also howe Uaschus gaue .iiii kynges to his dogges to be deuoured Of the vse of dogges in theyr warres and of the fiercenesse of the Canibales Howe kynge Bononians fauoured the Chrystians and gaue Uaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also his oration to Uaschus A similitude prouynge greate plentie of golde in the regions of the south sea and of the trauayles which owlde souldyers are able to susteyne ¶ The contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 99 ¶ Howe kynge Buchibuea submytted hym selfe to Uaschus and sent hym certeyne vesselles of golde Also howe kyngâ— Chiorisus sente hym .xxx. dysshes of pure golde Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold Also an exemple of the lyfe of owr fyrste parentes Howe kynge Pocchorrosa submytted hym selfe and gaue Uaschus .xv. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also howe Tumanama the great kynge of the golden regions towardâ— the south sea is taken prisoner Lykewyse howe he gaue Uaschus .xxx. pounde weyght of pure and wrought golde and his noble men .lx. poundes weyght of golde Of the cause
bothe of wynde and sea and vexed with intollerable heate Yet sayled they on further not without greate daunger for the space of twoo hundrethe and fortie leaques folowing yet the same wynde by the lost pole Wherfore whether habitable Regions bee vnder the Equinoctiall lyne or not habitable Regions vnder the Equinoctial lyne let these men and the owlde wryters aswel Philosophers as poetes and cosmographers discusse For these men affirme it to bee habitable and maruelouâ—ly replenished with people and they that it is vnhabitable by reason of the soone beames dependinge perpendicularly or directlye ouer the same Yet were there many of the oulde wryters whiche attempted to proue it habitable These maryners beinge demaunded if they sawe the south pole they answered that they knewe no starre there lyke vnto this pole that myght be decerned aboute the poynte But that they sawe an other order of starres and a certeyne thicke myst rysynge from the horizontall lyne An other order of starres A thycke mist which greatly hyndered theyr syght They contende also that there is a great heape or rysynge in the myddest of the earth A rysinge in the myddest of the earth which taketh away the syght of the southe pole vntyll they haue vtterly passed ouer the same But they verely beleue that they sawe other images of starres muche differinge from the situation of the starres of owre hemispherie or halfe circle of heauen Howe soo euer the matter bee as they informe vs wee certifie yowe At the lengthe the seuenth day of the calendes of Februarye they espied lande a farre of And seinge the water of the sea to bee troubelous soundinge with theyr plummet they founde it to bee .xvi. fathames deepe Goinge a lande and tarienge there for the space of twoo dayes they departed bycause they saw no people steringe althowghe they fownde certeyne steppes of men by the sea syde Thus grauinge on the trees and the stones nere vnto the shore the kynges name and theyrs and the tyme of theyr comming thether they departed Not farre froÌ„ this station folowynge the fyers on the lande by nyght they founde a nation lyinge vnder the open fyrmamente after the maner of warre Owre men thought it not beste to trowble them vntyll the morninge Therefore at the rysinge of the soonne fortie of owre men well armed wente toward them ageynst whom came furth .xxxii. of them with bowes slinges and dartes euen redy to the feyght The other coompanye folowed them armed after the same maner Owr men affirme that they were of hygher stature then eyther the Almaynes or Pannonians People of hygh stature They behelde owre men with frownynge and threatenynge countenaunce But owre men thought it not good to faule to bickeringe with them vncerteyne whether it were for feare or bycause they wolde not dryue theÌ„ to flight Wherfore they went aboute to allure them by faire meanes rewardes But they refused all kynde of gentelnes stoode euer in a redines to feight declaringe the same by signes and tokens Thus owr men resorted to theyr shippes and they to the place from whence they came without any further busynes The same nyght abowte mydnyght they fledde and left the place voyde where they lay in campe Owre men suppose them to bee a vagabunde and wanderinge nacion lyke vnto the Scythians A vagabunde kynde of men withowte houses or certeyne dwellinge places lyuinge onely with the fruites of the earth hauing theyr wyues and chyldren folowinge them Such as measured their footesteppes in the sande affirme with greate othes that one of theyr feete is almost as longe as twoo feete of owre men of the meane sorte Saylinge on yet further Giantes they founde an other ryuer but not of deapth sufficient to beare the carauels They sent therfore the foure shippe boates to lande ful of armed men to search the countrey They espyed vppon a hyghe hyll nere vnto the sea syde a greate multitude of people to whom owre coompany sent furthe one man with certeyne of owre thynges to allure them to exchaunge And when he had cast a haukes bell towarde them they cast downe a wedge of golde a cubette longe The which as he stouped to take vppe they soodenly inclosed hym and caryed hym awaye But he was shortly after rescued by his coompanyons to sum of their paynes for they slewe eyght of owre men and wounded many a farre of with theyr arrowes and dartes made of wood hardened at the endes with fyre After this they encoompased owre shippe boates within the ryuer and came rasshelye within the reache of owre men Desperate bouldenes layinge houlde on the boates sydes where they were thrust throwgh and hewen in peeces as it had byn sheepe by reason they were naked Yet wolde they not for al this gyue ouer but tooke from owre men one of their boates hauing noo men in it For the gouernour therof being slayne with an arrowe the other fledde and escaped And thus they lefte this fierce and warlyke people saylinge towarde the northweste alonge by the same coastes with sorowfull hartes for the death of theyr coompanyons When they had sayled abowte .xl. leaques they chaunced into a sea of suche fresshe water A sea of fresshe water that they fylled theyr barelles and hogges heades therwith Searching the cause hereof they vnderstoode that a vehement course of ryuers discended with great violence from the toppes of certeyne greate hylles They say also that there lyeth within the sea many fortunate and fruitfull Ilandes Many fruitefull Ilandes and well inhabyted And that thinhabitantes of this tracte are men of meeke nature and suche as doo not refuse strangers humane people Yet lyttle profytable to them bycause they had noo marchandyes for their purpose as golde or precyous stones For lacke wherof they broughâ— frome thense thyrtie captiues to sell for slaues Thinhabitantes caule this Region Mariatambal MariataÌ„ball The Region of the easte parte of that ryuer is cauled Camomorus Camomorus And that of the weste parte Paricora Paricora in the midlande wherof thinhabitantes signified that there is greate plentie of golde For folowynge this ryuer directly toward the Northe as the bendynge of the shore requyred they recouered ageyne the syght of the north pole All the coaste of this tracte perteyneth to Paria Regions of Paria the which as we sayd before was fyrst founde by Colonus hym selfe Golde and perles and hath in maner in euery place greate abundaunce of pearles They saye that these coastes are adioynynge vnto and all one with Os Draconis Os Draconis and also bortherynge vppon the Regions of Cumana Cumana Manacapana Manacapana Curiana Curiana Cauchieta and Cuchibachoa Wherfore they thought it to bee parte of the firme lande of India beyonge the ryuer of Ganges For the greate and large coompaâ—se therof dothe not permit that it shulde bee an Ilande Albeit the hole earth vncouered with
water largely taken may bee cauled an Ilande The hole earth largely takâ—â— â–ª maye bee cauled an Ilande From the poynte of that land where they lost the sight of the north pole saylynge by a continuall tracke abowte three hundreth leaques towarde the weste syde of Paria they say that almoste in the mydde way they chaunced into a ryuer cauled Maragnonum Maragnonus a ryuer of exceadâ—nge breadâ—h and full of Ilands looke decade â—i liber ix which they affirme to bee of such excedinge breadth that it myght seeme incredible if the antiquitie dyd not make mention of the lyke Beinge demaunded of me if it were not salte water where it diuided the lande they answered that the water therof was very fresshe and sweete And that the further it ranne to bee soo muche the fressher Also full of Ilandes homsome fyshe They bare auouche the breadth therof to bee more then thirtie leaâ—ues Yet if wee well weighe and consyder the largenes and wydenes of Boriostomea and Spiriosiomea the mouthes of the famous ryuer of Ister nowe cauled Danubius howe farre they violate or corrupte the salte water with their freshenes Boriostomea and Spiriosâ—omea â–ª mouthes of the ryuer of Danubius wee shall cease to marueile althowgh this other ryuer bee greater For who can diminysshe the poure of nature but that it may make this bigger then the other and an other bygger then this And I suppose this to bee the ryuer wherof Colonus the Admirall made mention in the discription of his vyage in these coastes But wee shall hereafter haue further knowleage hereof Let vs nowe therfore returne to the commodities of these Regions They fownde in many Ilandes abowte Paria The commodities of the Regions and Ilandes about Paria Brasile great wooddes of brasile trees And brought awaye with them three thousande poundes weight thereof They say that the brasile of Hispaniola is muche better then this to dye clothe with a more fayre and durable colour FroÌ„ hense folowynge the wynde whiche the Spanyardes caule Norduest and the Italians Graeco they passed by many Ilandes very fruitefull yet lefte desolate and wasted by reason of the crueltie of the Canibales Mani fruitful Ilandes lefte desolate For they went alande in many places and fownde the ruines of many destroyed howses Yet in sum places they founde men but those exceadinge fearefull flyinge to the mountaynes rockes and wooddes at the sight of euery straunger or shippe and wanderinge without houses or certeyne abydinge places for feare of the Caniballes layinge wayte and huntinge after them Canibales Here they founde those great trees which of theÌ„ selues in dyuers places bringe furth the fruite or spice whiche the Apothecaries caule Cassia fâ—stula Trees of Cassia fistula And that of noo lesse goodnes then that which the phisitians minister to such as bee diseased with the ague Buâ— it was not ripe at theyr beinge there They affirme that there are trees of suche byggenes Trees of maruelous byggenes that .xvi. men ioyninge handes togyther and standinge in coompasse can scarsely embrase sum of them Emonge these trees is fownde that monstrous beaste with a snowte lyke a foxe a tayle lyke a marmasette A monstrouâ— beâ—ste eares lyke a batte handes lyke a man and feete lyke an ape bearing her whelpes abowte with her in an owtwarde bellye muche lyke vnto a greate bagge or purse The deade carkas of this beast you sawe with me and turned it ouer and ouer with yowre owne handes marueylynge at that newe belly and wonderfull prouision of nature They say it is knowen by experience that shee neuer letteth her whelpes goo owte of that purse exexcept it bee eyther to play or to sucke vntyl suche tyme that they bee able to gette theyr lyuing by them selues They tooke this beaste with her whelpes But the whelpes dyed shortely after in the shyppes Yet the damme liued certeyne moonethes But at the length not beinge able to abyde soo greate alteration of ayer and chaunge of meate Alteracion of ayer chaÌ„ge of meate shee dyed also in the way But of this beaste wee haue sayde enowgh Let vs now therfore returne to the autoures of these thynges These twoo Pinzoni the vncle and the neuie susteyned manye great trowbles and horrible tempestes and perilles in this nauigation For when they had nowe sayled by the coastes of Paria abowte .vi. hundreth leaques and as they supposed beyonde the citie of Cathay and the coastes of Easte India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges Cathay in India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges there rose soodenly soo fierce a tempeste in the mooneth of Iuly that of the foure carauels which they had with them twoo were drowned euen beefore theyr eyes A shipwracke by tempest and the thyrde lyenge at anker with lyke soodennes caryed owte of theyr syght throwgh the violence of the tempeste The fourth also lyinge at anker was soo shaken and broosed that al the seames therof were almost loosed Yet came they to lande owt of this laste shyppe but vtterlye despayrynge of the shyppe Wherfore consultynge with them selues what was best to bee doone in soo extreeme a case and how to prouide them a safe dwellinge place in those Regions beinge owt of al hope how to departe from thense Extreme remedie in a desperat case they determined to sley all the inhabitantes of the contrey nere abowte them leaste they with the other shulde conspire togyther to kyl them but theyr fortune was better For the carauell which the tempeste had caryed a way was coome to them ageyne This had in it .xviii. men And the other that remayned was saued and repayred With these two therfore they tooke theyr vyage directly to Spaine And thus beinge tossed with tempestes and vexed with aduersities they returned to theyr natiue contrey of Palos to theyr wyues and children the day before the Calendes of October with the losse of many of theyr dere frendes and neighbours they browght with them Cinamome and gynger Cinamome and gynger but not very good bycause they were not there fully seasoned with the heate of the soone before they brought them froÌ„ thense They browght also certeyne precious stones whiche Baptista Elysius that excellent philosopher and yowre lordeshippes phisitian affirmeth to bee trewe Topases Topases After these mens returne other of theyr neighbours beinge moued thereto by a certeyne emulation to proue yf theyr fortune wolde bee anye better lyke men of good corage Men of noble corage beinge nothing discomforted by the harde fortune of theyr neighboures knowinge that it often tymes chaunceth that that which is one mans vndoinge is an other mans makynge attempted a newe vyage towarde the sowthe by the coastes of Paria A nother vyage folowynge the steppes of Colonus the Admiral who had fyrst discouered the same They also browght with them greate plentie of Cassia fistula And fownde that precious medecine cauled of the