circular motion of the Heaven is contrarie and repugnant to the holy Scriptures But whatsoever the Ancients say or holde touching this point it must not trouble vs for that it is wel knowne and verified that they have not beene so studious in the knowledge and demonstrations of Philosophie beeing busied in other studies of farre greater importance But that which is more to be admired is that S. Augustine himselfe so well seene in all naturall Sciences yea very learned in Astrologie and Physicke remaynes yet still in doubt not able to resolve whether the Heaven did compasse in the earth on all parts What care I saith he if we suppose the Heaven doth inviron the earth on all parts like vnto a bowle beeing in the middest of the world as a bottome is compassed with threed or that we say it is not so and that the Heaven covereth the earth of one part onely as a great Basin that hangs over it In the same place he seemeth to shew nay hee speaketh plainely that there is no certaine demonstration to proove the figure of the world to be round but onely by simple coniectures In which places cited and others they hold the circular motion of the Heaven very doubtfull But wee ought not to take it offencively nor esteeme lesse of the Doctors of the holy Church if in some points of Philosophie and naturall knowledge they have varied in opinion from that which is helde for good philosophie seeing all their studie hath been to know preach and serve the Creator of all things wherein they have bin excellent and having well imployed their studies in causes of greater waight it is a small matter in them not to have knowen all particularities concerning the creatures But those vaine Philosophers of our age are much more to bee blamed who having attayned to the knowledge of the being and order of the creatures and of the course and motion of the Heavens have not yet learned wretched as they are to knowe the Creator of all things but busying themselves wholly in his workes have not yet mounted by their imaginations to the knowledge of the Soveraigne Author thereof as the holy Scripture teacheth vs or if they have knowne him they have not served and glorified him as they ought blinded with their imaginations whereof the Apostle doth accuse and blame them That the Heaven is round on all parts mooving in his course of it selfe CHAP. 2. BVt comming to our subiect there is no doubt but the opinion which Aristotle and the other Peripateticks held with the Stoicks that the figure of Heaven was round and did moove circularly in his course is so perfectly true as we which doe now live in Peru see it visibly Wherin experience should be of more force then all Philosophicall demonstrations being sufficient to proove that the Heaven is round and comprehends and contaynes the earth within it of al parts And to cleere any doubt that might grow it sufficeth that I have seene in this our Hemisphere that part of Heaven which turnes about this earth the which was vnknowne to the Ancients and have observed the two Poles whereon the Heavens turne as vpon their Axeltrees I say the Articke or North Pole which those of Europe beholde and the other Antarticke or Southerne Pole whereof saint Augustine is in doubt the which we change and take for the North here at Peru having passed the Equinoctiall line Finally it sufficeth that I have sayled neere 70. degrees from North to South that is forty of the one side of the line and 23. on the other omitting at this present the testimony of others which have sayled much farther then my selfe in a greater height comming neere 70. degrees towards the South Who will not confesse but the ship called the Victoriâ— worthie doubtlesse of eternall memorie hath wonne the honor and praise to have best discovered and compassed the round earth yea that great Chaos and infidite Vast which the ancient Philosophers affirmed to bee vnder the earth having compassed about the worlde and circled the vastnesse of the great Oceans Who is hee then that will not confesse by this Navigation but the whole earth although it were bigger then it is described is subiect to the feet of man sâ—eing he may measure it Thus without doubt the Heaven is of a round and perfect figure and the earth likewise imbracing and ioyning with the water makes one globe or round bowle framed of these two elements having their bounds limits within their own roundnes greatnes The which may be sufficiently proved by reasons of Philosophie and Astrologie leaving al subtil definitions commonly obiected That to the most perfect body which is the Heaven we must give the most perfect figure which without doubt is round whose circular motion could not be firme nor equall in it selfe if it had any corner or nooke of any side or if it were crooked as of necessitie it must be if the Sun Moone stars made not their course about the whole world But leaving all these reasons it seemes that the Moone is sufficient in this case as a faithfull witnesse of the Heaven it selfe seeing that her Eclypse happens but when as the roundnesse of the earth opposeth it selfe diametrally betwixt her and the Sunne and by that meanes keepes the Sunne-beames from shining on her The which could not chance if the earth were not in the midst of the world compassed in and invironed by the whole Heaven Some haue doubted whether the light of the Moone were borrowed from the brightnes of the Sunne but it is needlesse seeing there can bee found no other cause of the Eclipses full and quarters of the Moone but the communication of the beames which proceed from the Sunne In like sort if wee will carefully examine this matter we shall finde that the darkenesse of the night proceedes from no other cause but from the shadow which the earth makes not suffering the light of the sunne to passe to the other parte of the heaven where his beames shine not If then it be so that the sunne passeth no farther neyther doth cast his beames on the other part of the earth but onely turnes about and returnes to his setting making a ridge vpon the earth by his turning the which he must of force confesse that shall denie the roundnes of the heaven seeing according to their saying the heaven as a basen doth onely couer the face of the earth it should then plainly follow that wee could not obserue the difference betwixt the daies and nights the which in some regions be short and long according to the seasons and in some are alwaies equall the which S. Augustine noteth in his bookes De Genes ad litter am That we may easily comprehend the oppositions conversions elevations descents and all other aspects and dispositions of Planets and starres when we shall vnderstand they move and yet notwithstanding the heaven remaines firme and
immoveable The which seemeth to me easie to comprehend and will be to all others if it may be lawfull to imagine that which my fancy doth conceive for if we suppose that every star and planet be a body of it selfe that it be led guided by an Angell as Habacuc was carried into Babilon who I pray you is so blind but seeth that all the diverse aspects which we see appeare in planets starres may proceede from the diuersity of motion which he that guides them doth voluntarily giue them We cannot then with any reason affirme but that this space region by which they faine that stars do continually march and rowle is elementarie and corruptible seeing it divides it selfe when they passe the which vndoubtedly do not passe by any void place If then the region wherein the starres and planets move be corruptible the stars and planets of their owne motion should be by reason likewise corruptible and so by consequence they must alter change and be finally extinct for naturally that which is conteined is no more durable then that which conteineth And to say that the Celestiall bodies be corruptible it agreeth not with the psalme That God made them for euer And it is lesse conformable to the order preservation of this vniversall world I say moreover to confirme this truth that the heauens move and in them the starres march in turning the which we cannot easily discerne with our eyes seeing we see that not onely thestarres do moue but also the regions whâ—le parts of heaven I speake not onely of the shining and most râ—splendent parts as of that which we call Via lactea and the vulgar S. Iaques way but also of the darker and obscurer parts in heaven For there we see really as it were spots and darkenes which are most apparent the which I remember not to haue seene at any time in Europe but at Peru and in this other Hemisphere I haue often seene them very apparant These spots are in colour and forme like vnto the Eclips of the Moone and are like vnto it in blacknes and darkenes they march fixed to the same starres alwaies of one forme and bignes as we haue noted by infallible observation It may be this will seeme strange to some they will demand whence these spots in heaven should grow To the which I cannot answere otherwise at this time but as the Philosophers do affirme that this Via lactea or milken way is compounded of the thickest parts of the heaven and for this cause it receiues the greater light and contrariwise there are other parts very thinne and transparent the which receiuing lesse light seeme more blacke obscure Whether this be the true reason or no I dare not certenly affirme Yet is it true that according to the figure these spots have in heaven they moue with the same proportion with their starres without any separation the which is a true certaine and often noted experience It followeth then by all that we haue said that the heaven containeth in it all the parts of the earth circling continually about it without any more doubt How the holy Scripture teacheth vs that the earth is in middest of the world CHAP. 3. ALthough it seemes to Procopius Gaza and to some others of his opinion that it is repugnant to the holy Scripture to place the earth in the middest of the world and to say that the heaven is round yet in truth this doctrine is not repugnant but conformable to that which it doth teach vs. For laying aside the tearmes which the Scripture it selfe doth vse in many places The roundnesse of the earth And that which it sayeth in an other place that whatsoever is corporeall is vnvironed and compassed in by the heavens and conteyned within the roundnes thereof at the least thy cannot deny but that place of Ecclesiastes is very plaine where it is said The Sunneriseth and sets and returnes to the same place and so begins to rise againe he takes his course by the South turning towards the North this spirit marchâ—th compassing about all thinges and then returnes to the same place In this place the paraphrase and exposition of Gregorie Neocesarien or Nazianzene sayeth The Sunne hauing runne about the whole earth returnes as it were turning to the same point That which Solomon saveth being interpreted by Gregorie could not be trve if any part of the earth were not invironed with the heaven And so S. Ierome doth vnderstand it writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians in this sort The most common opinion affirmes agreeing with Ecclesiastes That the heaven is round mooving circularly like vnto a bowle And it is most certaine that no round figure conteyneth in it eyther longitude latitude heigth or depth for that all parts are equall Whereby it appeares according to S. Ierome That those which hold the heaven to be round are not repugnant to the holy Scripture but conformable to the same And although that S. Basile especially and S. Ambrose who doth vsually imitate him in his bookes called Hexameron seeme somewhat doubtfull of this point yet in the end they grant that the world is round It is true that S. Ambrose doth not yeelde to this quintessence which Aristotle attributes to the heavens without doubt it is a goodly thing to see with what a grace and excellent stile the holy Scripture treates of the scituation and firmenes of the earth to breed in vs a wonderfull admiration and no lesse content to behold the vnspeakable power and wisedome of the Creator For that in one place God himselfe saies that it was hee which planted the pillers which support the earth giving vs to vnderstand as S. Ambrose doth well expound it that the vnmeasurable weight of the whole earth is held vp by the hands of the divine power The holy Scripture doth commonly so call them and vseth this phrase naming them the pillers of heaven and earth not those of Atlas as the Poets faine but of the eternall word of God who by his vertue supports both heaven and earth Moreover the holy Scripture in an other place teacheth that the earth or a great part thereof is ioyned to and compassed in by the Element of water speaking generally that God placed the earth vpon the waters And in another place that hee framed the roundnes of the earth vpon the Sea And although S. Augustine doth not conclude vpon this text as a matter of faith that the earth and the water make one globe in the midst of the world pretending by this meanes to give another exposition to the words of the Psalme yet notwithstanding it is most certaine that by the words of the psalme we are given to vnderstand that we haue no other reason to imagine any other ciment or vniting to the earth then the Element of water the which although it be pliant and moveable yet doth it support
and inviron this great masse of the earth the which was wrought by the wisedome of that great Architect They say the earth is built vpon the waters and vpon the sea but contrariwise the earth is rather vnder the waters for according to common iudgement and imagination that which is on the other part of the earth which we inhabite seemes to be vnder the earth and so by the same reason the waters and sea which doe compasse in the earth on the other part should be vnderneath and the earth aboue yet the very truth is that what is properly beneath that is alwaies in the midst of the vniversall but the holy scripture frames it selfe to our manner of conceiving and speaking Some may demaund seeing the earth is set vpon the waters as the scripture sayeth whereon the waters are placed or what support have they And if the earth and the water make one round globe how can all this monstrous masse be sustayned To this the holy scripture answereth them in another place giving vs greatest cause to admire the power of the Creator and saith in these wordes The earth extends towards the North vpon the Vast and stayes hanging vpon nothing The which in trueth is very well spoken for that really it seemes this heape of earth and water is set vpon nothing when we describe it in the middest of the ayre as in trueth it is But this wonder which men so much admire God himselfe hath not layd open demanding of the same Iob in these termes Tell mee if thou canst who hath layd the lyne or cast the lead for the building of the world and with what morter the foundations have beene layed and ioyned Finally to make vs vnderstand the fashion and modell of this admirable frame of the world the Prophet Dauid accustomed to sing and praise his divine works saies very well in a Psalme made of this subiect in these wordes Thou which hast built the earth vpon firmenes it selfe that it cannot stagger nor move for ever and ever Meaning to shew the cause why the earth set in the midst of the ayre falleth not nor staggereth from place to place for that by nature it hath sure foundations layed by the most wise Creator to the end it might sustaine it selfe without any other support Mans imagination is therefore deceived in this place seeking other foundations of the earth and for want thereof doth measure divine things according to humaine reason So that we neede not to feare how gâ—eat or heavy soever this masse of earth then hanging in the aire seemeth to be that it can fal or turne topsy turâ—y being assured vpon this point for that the same Psalmist saieth that it shall neuer be overthrowne Truly Dauid with reason after he had beheld and sung the wonderfull workes of the Lord doth not cease to praise him in the same saying O how great wonderfull are the workes of the Lord. It appeares that all spring from his knowledge And in truth if I shall freely speake my opinion touching this point often in my trauell passing the great gulfes of the Ocean and marching by other regions of so strange lands staying to behold and consider the greatnes of these workes of the Lord I felt a wonderfull consolation of the soveraigne wisedome and greatnes of the Creator who shines in his works in comparison whereof all the Pallaces Castells and princely buildings together with all the inventions of man seeme nothing yea are base and contemptible in respect thereof O how often hath come into my minde and mouth that place of the Psalme which sayeth thus Great comfort hast thou given me O Lord by thy workes I will not cease to reioyce in the contemplation of the workes of thy hands Really and in truth the workes of God haue I know not what secret hidden grace and vertve the which although they be often beheld yet do they still cause a new taste and content whereas contrariwise the workes of man although they be built with exquisite art yet often seene they are no more esteemed but breede a distaste be they most pleasant Gardins Pallaces or stately Temples be they Piramides of proud buildings Pictures carved images or stones of rare worke and invention or whatsoever else adorned with all the beauties possible Yet is it most certen that viewing them twice or thrice with attention the eye presently turnes away being glutted with the sight thereof But if you beholde the sea with attention or some steepe mountaine growing from a plaine to a strange heigth or the fieldes clad in their naturall verdure with pleasant flowres or the raging course of some river beating continually against the rocks finally what worke of nature soever although it be often viewed yet doth it still breede a new content and never gluttes the sight the which is like vnto a stately bancket of the divine wisedom which doth alwaies cause a new consideration without any lothing Containing an answere to that which is obiected out of the holy Scripture against the roundnes of the earth CHAP. 4. REturning then to the figure of heaven I know not out of what authoritie of the holy scripture they can prove that it is not round nor his motion circular neither do I see whereas S. Paul calles the heaven a Tabernacle or a Tent which God made not man how can it be applied to this purpose for although he telleth vs that it was made by God yet must we not therefore coniecture that the heaven covereth the earth like to a roofe on the one part only neither that the heaven was framed without motion as it seemes some would inferre The Apostle in this place treated of the conformity of the auncient Tabernacle of the lawe saying therevpon that the Tabernacle of the new law of grace is heaven into the which the great Priest Iesus Christ entred once by his bloud and thereby is vnderstood that there is as great preheminence of the new aboue the old as there is difference betwixt the author of the new which is God and of the olde which was man although it be most certen that the olde was built by the wisedome of God who instructed his workeman BeZeleell Neither must we imagine that these comparisons parables and allegories doe in all thinges agree with that wherevnto they are applyed as the happy Crysostome hath learnedly spoken vpon this point The other authoritie which S. Augustine saies is alleaged of some to shew that the heaven is not round is this The heavens stretch forth like vnto a skin Whereby he concludes that it is not round but flat on the vpper part wherevnto the same Doctor doth answere verie well and familiarly giuing vs to vnderstand that that place of the Psalme is not properly to be vnderstood of the figure of heaven but onely to shew with what facilitie God built so great a heaven being no more painefull for him to
build so huge a couer as the heaven is then to vnfould a double skin Or else the Psalmist pretending to shew vs the great maiesty of God to whome the heaven with his greatnes and beautie doth serve in like manner as our tents and pavilions in the field The which was well expressed by a Poet calling it The Tent of the cleere heaven In like sort the place of Isaii which sayeth Heaven serves mee as a chaire and the earth for a foote-stoole But if wee follow the error of the Antromorphites which did atribute corporall members vnto God according to his divinitie we should haue occasion vppon this last text to examine how it were possible the earth should be a foote-stoole to Gods feete and how the same God could hold his feete of the one part and the other and many heads round about seeing that hee is in all partes of the world which were a vaine and ridiculous thing Wee must therefore conclude that in the holy scriptures we ought not to follow the letter which killes but the spirit which quickneth as saith S. Paul Of the fashion and forme of Heaven at the new-found world CHAP. 5. MAny in Europe demaund of what forme and fashion Heaven is in the Southerne parts for that there is no certaintie found in ancient bookes who although they graunt there is a Heaven on this other part of the world yet come they not to any knowledge of the forme thereof although in trueth they make mention of a goodly great Starre seene in those partes which they call Canopus Those which of late dayes have sayled into these parts have accustomed to write strange things of this heaven that it is very bright having many goodly starres and in effect thinges which come farre are commonly described with encrease But it seemes contrary vnto me holding it for certaine that in our Region of the North there is a greater nomber and bigger Starres finding no starres in these partes which exceed the Fisher or the Chariot in bignesse It is true that the Crosse in these partes is very fayre and pleasing to behold wee call the Crosse foure notable and apparant starres which make the forme of a crosse set equally and with proportion The ignorant suppose this Crosse to be the southerne Pole for that they see the Navigators take their heigth thereby as we are accustomed to doe by the North starre But they are deceyved and the reason why Saylers doe it in this â—orte is for that in the South parts there is no fixed starre that markes the Pole as the North starre doth to our Pole And therefore they take their heigth by the starre at the foot of the Crosse distant from the true and fixed Pole Antarticke thirtie degrees as the North starre is distant from the Pole Articke three degrees or little more And so it is more difficult to take the heigth in those parts for that the sayd starre at the foote of the Crosse must bee right the which chanceth but in one houre of the night which is in divers seasons of the yeere in divers houres and often times it appeareth not in the whole night so as it is very difficult to take the heigth And therefore the most expert Pilots regard not the Crosse taking the heigth of the Sunne by the Astrolabe by which they know in what height they are wherein commonly the Portugals are more expert as a Nation that hath more discourse in the Arte of Navigation then any other There are also other starres in these southerne parts which in some sort resemble those of the North. That which they call the Milken way is larger and more resplendent in the south parts appearing therein those admirable blacke spots whereof wee have made mention As for other particularities let others speake of them with greater curiositle and let this which wee have sayde suffice for this time That there is Land and Seavader the two Poles CHAP. 6. IIt is no smal labour to have vnfolded this doubt with this knowledge and resolution that there is a Heaven in these parts of the Indies which doth cover them as in Europe Asia and Aâ—â—riâ—ke And this point serveth often against many Spaniards who beeing here sigh for Spaine having no discourse but of their countrie They wonder yea they grow discontented with vs imagining that we have forgotten make small accompt of our native soyle To whom we answere that the desire to returne into Spaine doth nothing trouble vs being as neere vnto Heaven at Peru as in Spaine as saint Ierome saith well writing vnto Paulinus That the gates of Heaven are as neere vnto Brittanie as to Ierusalem But although the Heaven doth compasse in the world of all paâ—ts yet must we not imagine that there is land necessarily on all parts of the world For being so that the two elements of earth and water make one globe or bowle according to the opinion of the most renowmed ancient Authors as Plutarch testifieth and as it is prooved by most certaine demonstrations wee may coniecture that the sea doth occupie all this part which is vnder the Antartike or southerne Pole so as there should not remaine any place in these partes for the earth the which saint Augustine doth very learnedly hold against them that maintaine the Antipodes saying that although it bee prooved and wee beleeve that the worlde is round like to a bowle wee may not therefore inferre that in this other part of the worlde the earth is vncovered and without water Without doubt saint Augustine speakes well vpon this point and as the contrary is not prooved so doth it not follow that there is any land discovered at the Antarticke Pole The which experience hath now plainely taught vs for although the greatest part of the worlde vnder the Pole Antarticke be sea yet is it not altogether but there is likewise land so as in all parts of the world the earth and water imbrace one another which truely is a thing to make vs admire and glorifie the Arte of the soveraigne Creator We know then by the holy Scripture that in the beginning of the worlde the waters were gathered together in one place so as the earth remayned vncovered Moreover the same holy Writte doth teach vs that these gatherings together of the water were called Sea and as there be many so of necessitie there must be many Seas And this diversitie of seas is not onely in the Mediterranean Sea whereas one is called Euxiâ—e another the Caspian an other the Erethean or redde Sea an other the Persian an other of Italie and so many others But also in the great Ocean which the holy Scripture doth vsually call a gulph although really and in trueth it be but a Sea yet in many and divers manners as in respect of Peru and all America the one is called the North Sea the other the South and at the East Indies the one is called
what is in the other life but if hell as Divines holde be in the centre of the earth the which containes in diameter above two thousand leagues we can not iudge that this fire is from the centre for that hell fire as saint Basil and others teach is very different from this which wee see for that it is without light and burneth without comparison much more then ours And therefore I conclude that what I have saide seemes to me more reasonable Of Earthquakes CHAP. 26. SOme have held that from these Volcans which are at the Indies the earthquakes proceed being very common there but for that they ordinarily chance in places farre from those Volcans it can not be the totall cause It is true they have a certaine simpathy one with another for that the hote exhalations which engender in the inner concavities of the earth seeme to be the materiall substance of fire in the Volcans whereby there kindleth an other more grosse matter and makes these shewes of flame and smoke that come forth And these exhalations finding no easie issue in the earth move it to issue forth with great violence wherby we heare that horrible noise vnder the earth and likewise the shaking of the earth being stirred with this burning exhalation Even as gunpowlder in mines having fire put to it breakes rockes and walles and as the chesnut laid into the fire leapes and breakes with a noyse whenas it casts forth the aire which is contained within the huske by the force of the fire Even so these Earthquakes do most commonly happen in places neere the water or sea As we see in Europe and at the Indies that townes and citties farthest from the sea and waters are least afflicted therewith and contrariwise those that are seated vpon portes of the sea vpon rivers the sea coast and places neere vnto them feele most this calamitie There hath happened in Peru the which is wonderfull and worthy to be noted Earthquakes which have runne from Chille vnto Quitto and that is above hundred leagues I say the greatest that ever I heard speake of for lesser be more common there Vpon the coast of Chille I remember not well in what yeare there was so terrible an Earthquake as it overturned whole mountains and thereby stopped the course of rivers which it converted into lakes it beat downe townes and flew a great number of people causing the sea to leave her place some leagues so as the shippes remained on drie ground farre from the ordinary roade with many other heavie and horrible things And as I well remember they say this trouble and motion caused by the Earthquake ranne three hundred leagues alongest the coast Soone after which was in the yeere eighty two happened that Earthquake of Arequipa which in a maner overthrew the whole citie Since in the yeere eightie sixe the ninth of Iulie fell an other Earthquake in the cittie of Kings the which as the Viceroy did write hadde runne a hundred three score and tenne leagues alongest the coast and overthwart in the Sierre fiftie leagues The mercy of the Lord was great in this earth quake to forewarne the people by a great noyse which they heard alittle before the Earthquake who taught by former experiences presently put themselves in safetie leaving their houses streets and gardins to go into the fieldes so as although it ruined a great parte of the Cittie and of the chiefest buildings yet there died not above fifteene or twenty persons of all the Inhabitants It caused the like trouble and motion at sea as it had done at Chille which happened presently after the Earthquake so as they might see the sea furiously to flie out of her boundes and to runne neere two leagues into the land rising above foureteene fadome it covered all that plaine so as the ditches and peeces of wood that were there swamme in the water There was yet an other earthquake in the Realme and Cittie of Quitto and it seemes all these notable Earthquakes vppon that coast have succeeded one an other by order as in trueth it is subiect to these inconveniences And therefore although vpon the coast of Peru there be no torments from heaven as thunder and lightning yet are they not without feare vppon the land and so everie one hath before his eies the Heraults of divine Iustice to moove him to feare God For as the Scripture saith Fecit haec vt timeatur Returning then to our purpose I say the sea coast is most subiect to these earthquakes the reason is in my iudgement for that the water dooth stop the conduites and passages of the earth by which the hote exhalations should passe which are engendered there And also the humiditie thickning the superficies of the earth dooth cause the fumes and hot exhalations to goe close together and incounter violently in the bowells of the earth which doe afterwards breake forth Some have observed that such Earthquakes have vsually hapned whenas a rainie season falles after some drie yeâ—res Wherevpon they say that the Earthquakes are most rare where are most welles the which is approoved by experience Those of the Cittie of Mexico holde opinion that the Lake whereon it is seated is the cause of the Earthquakes that happen there although they be not very violent and it is most certaine that the Townes and Provinces farre within the land and farthest from the sea receive sometimes great losses by these Earthquakes as the Cittie of Chachapoyas at the Indies and in Italie that of Ferrara although vpon this subiect It seemes this latter being neere to a river and not farre from the Adriatic sea should rather be numbred among the sea-Townes In the yeere of our Lord one thousand five hundred eightie and one in Cugiano a Cittie of Peru otherwise called the Peace there hapned a strange accident touching this subiect A village called Angoango where many Indians dwelt that were sorcerers and idolatrers fell sodainely to ruine so as a great parte thereof was raised vp and carried away and many of the Indians smothered and that which seems incredible yet testified by men of credit the earth that was ruined and so beaten downe did runne and slide vpon the land for the space of a league and a halfe as it had beene water or wax molten so as it stopt and filled vppe a Lake and remayned so spread over the whole countrey How the land and sea imbrace one an other CHAP. 27. I Wil end with this Element of earth vniting it to the precedent of water whose order and embracing is truely of it selfe admirable These two elements have one spheare divided betweene them and entertaine and embrace one another in a thousand sortes and maners In some places the water encounters the land furiously as an enemy and in other places it invirons it after a sweete and amiable manner There are partes whereas the sea enters far within the land as comming to visite it and in other partes the
Discourse vpon the discoverie of Magellan by Sarmiento 154 Division of Peru into Lanos Sierres Andes 184 Division of the people 456 Division of the Cittie of Mâ—xico into foure quarters made by the commaundement of their God 512 Divinations practisâ—d by the Indians and how 406 Divorces practised amongst the Mexicaines and how 409 Death the punishment of Virgins that were incontinent 367 Death of Chimalpopoca the yoong king of Mexico slâ—ine treacherously by the Tapanecanâ— 526 Death of Moâ—esuma the lâ—st king of Mexico 576 Doctors of the holy church not to be reprooved differing in opinion of Philosophie 2 Dogges as dangerous as wolves 301 Dogges daungerous in the Ilands of Cuba Hispaniola and others 70 Drake an Englishman didde passe the straight of Magellan in our time others since 154 Duckes in great aboundaunce in the Lake of Titicaca and how they doe hunt them 171 Drought followes not the neerenesse of the Sunne 85 E. EAgle vppon a Tunall the Armes of Mexico and why 513 Earthquakes very strange and the cause 197 Earth how it is sustained 10 The Earth vnder the pole Antartike is not all covered with waters 18 The Earth in longitude is all of one temperature but not in latitude 29 The Earth with the water make one globe ibid. Eclipse of the Moone a certain proofe of the roundnesse of the heavens 6 Effectes naturall proceede from contrary causes 96 Elements participate with the motion of the first moover 138 Electours of the king of Mexico were commonly his kinsmen 485 Election of the kings of Mexico the feastes at their instalment ibid. Election of the first Kâ— of Mexico 515 Entry of the Spaniards into new Spain in the yeere 1518. 558 Entrie of Cortez into Mexico 574 Errour of imagination 23 Esaies passage expounded by the exemplification of the Gospel 208 Emerauldes more esteemed in former time then now 249 Exercises wherin they instructed their youth 487 Explication of a passage of saint Paule against the roundnes of the earth 14 Explication of the 110 Psalme vppon the same subiect 15 F. FAmiliar reasons to teach an Indian that the Sunne is no god â—42 Fasting of the Indians before the feaâ—â— of Ita not accompanying with their wives 374 A Father loosing his children was held for a great sinner hâ— would kil his childreÌ„ to save his own life 399 Fertâ—litie vnfruitefull in the Ilandes of new Spainâ— 187 Feasts of Merchants made with many sportes 424 Feast of the Idoll of Tlascalla 355 Feasts for to have raine 411 Feasts for every moneth 412 Fâ—re drawne out of two stickes rubbd one against another by the Indians 119 Fire in hell different from ours 195 Fire from heaven consumed for their sinnes 63 Fish flying 165 Fountaine casting vp hote water the which turnes into a rocke 173 Figge tree whereof the one halfe carries fruite at one season the other at another 297 â—loures of Europe grow best at the Indies 283 â—loridians had no knowledge of golde 207 Flowing and ebbing of the sea is no local motion but an alteration and fervâ—â— of the waters 162 Flowing and ebbing of the seas divers ibid. Fountaine of salt in Cuscâ— 174 Forrests wonderfull thicke at the Indies 291 Forrests of orange trees at the Indies 294 Forme of that which is discovered at Peru. 201 Frâ—â—ciâ— Hâ—â—nandes the Author of a rarâ— booke of plants rooteâ— and physicall hearbes at the Iâ—dies â—90 Fruites of Europe much incrâ—ased aâ— the Indies 294 G. GArlicke much esteemed aâ— thâ— Indieâ— 261 Gardinâ— vppon the water in the midst of a Lake 172 Gardins artificially made vppon the water tâ— remove where they please 519 Giantâ— came in anâ—ient time to Peru. 62 Golde found in three sortes 212 Gold of Caravana most famous at Pâ—ru 214 Gold and silver esteemed throughout the whole world 206 Golde silver served the Indians but for ornament 209 Gold why esteemd above other mettalles 212 Golde how refined into powlder 214 Goomes with physicall and odoâ—ifâ—rous oyles with their names 287 Gonzales Pziarre vanquished and defeated his crueltie against the Indians 475 Governors of provinces how estâ—blâ—shed by the Inguas 455 Guacas or Sanctuaries very well maintained 463 Guancos and Vicunaâ— wilde goates 70 Guayaquil an Indian oake and verie sweete 292 Guayavos an Indian fruite 277 Guaynacapa the great and valiant Ingua and his life he was worshipped as a god in his life 479 Guayras furnaces to refine gold 233 Gospel preached to the Indians when their Empire was at the hâ—ghest even aâ— to the Romans 583 H. HAtunâ—â—squi Ayâ—â—râ—y the sixâ— mâ—neth of the Indians which answereth vnto Maie 413 Harts of men pulld out and sacrificed how that ceremony beganne 509 Haire of the prieâ—â—s horribly long and annoynted with rozen 403 Heaven is round and turnâ—â— vppon two Poles prooved more by experience than demonstration 5 Heaven no farther from the earth of the one side than of the other 18 Hennes found at the Indies at the fâ—â—st discovery which they called Gualpa and their egges Ponto 306 Hercules Pillers the limites of the Roman Empire of the old world 27 Hipocrisie of Mâ—tesuma last King of Mâ—xico 554 Historie of the Indies not to bee contemned and why 495 Historie of Mâ—xico kept in the Librarie of Vatican 550 Historie of Mexico how framed 446 Horses goodly and strong at the Indies 301 Horse-shooes of silver for want of yâ—on 212 House admirably filled with all sortes of beasts like to another Noes Arke 484 Humor of the Iewes contrary to that of the Indians 76 I. IEalousie of the Indies one against an other for renowme of valour 472 Idlenesse bannished by the Inguas as dangerous for the subiects 457 Idoll carried by foure Priestes for a guide whenas the Mexicaines did seek a new land like to the children of Israel 504 Idolls of the kings Inguas reverenced as themselves 356 Iland of Suâ—atra now called Taprobaâ—a 37 Iland â—tlâ—nâ—ikâ— of Plaâ—â— a meere fabâ—e 72 Iland of fagots made with exceeding labour to passe an army vppon the sea 550 Ilandâ—s very farre from the firme land noâ— inhabiâ—ed â—9 Iâ—nmortalitie of the soule beleeved by the Indies 347 Indies what it signifieth and what we vnderstand by that word 47 Weast Indies most popular governements in the which there were but two kingdomes 453 Indians not greatly desirous of silver 76 Indians have lived in troups as those doe of Florida Brâ—sill and other places 80 Indians good swimmers 168 Indians had no proper word to signifie God 334 The Indians know all Artes necessarie for mans life without any need one of another 466 Infants sacrificed to the Sunne 336 Inguas kings of Peru worshipped after their deaths 344 The Inguas empery continued above 300. yeares 471 Inguas married their sisters 455 Inundation of Nile a naturall thing though it seeme supernaturall 88 Iustice by whome executed in Mexico 486 Indian bookes how they can be made without letters 440 Iustice severely executed by Motesuma the last king of Mexico
Châ—lle beare good wine 296 Vines of the vallie of Yâ—a which doe growe and are never watered with any raine and how ibid Vines that carry grapes every moneth in the yeere ibid. Viracoâ—hâ— the name which the Indians gave to their supreme god with others of great power 333 Vuziliputzli the chiefe idoll of Mexico and his ornaments 352 Vittells set vppon the tombes of dead men to feede them 347 Voyce heard foretelling the ruine of Moteçuma 565 Volcan of Guatâ—mala more admirable than all the rest 194 Volcans how entertained 196 Voyage of Hannon the Carthaginâ—an admirable in his time 36 Vros bruâ—ish people which esteeme not themselves 94 Vtilitie of all naturall histories 117 Vnction of Vuzilovitli the second king of Mexico 521 W. WAy by which the Spaniards go to the Indies and their returne 128 Waters of Guayaquil most soveraigne for the French disease 174 Warres of the Mexicans most commonly to take prisoners 483 Westerne windes hurtefull to silke-wormes 144 Westerne windes blowe not in the burning zone 126 Whales how taken by the Indians and how they eate them 167 Windes very daungerous which kill and preserve the dead bodies without corruption 147 Windes called Brises in the burning zone which come from the east 127 Windes how many and their names 133 Windes of the land in the burning zone blow rather by night than by day and those of the sea contrary and why 142 Winde corrupts yron 144 Windes that blowe southerly make the coast habitable 125 One Winde hath diverse properties according to the place where it raignes and the cause 120 Winde doth cause strange diversities of temperature 112 Wisedome of this world weake in divine yea in humane things 31 Winter and summeâ— and the cause 90 Woods rare and sweete at the Indies 292 Words of a man which had his heart pulled out 390 Writing of the Chinois was from the toppe downeward and the Mexicans from the foote vpward 447 X. XAmabusis pilgrimes forced to confesse their sinnes vpon the toppe of a rocke 400 Y. YCa and Arica and their manner of sayling in skinnes 63 Yearâ— at the Indies divided into eighteene moneths 432 Youth very carefully instructed in Mexico 489 Yeare at Peru approaching neerer to ours than that of Mexico 437 Ytu a great feast at the Indies which they made in their necessitie 416 Yupanguâ— Ingua was in Peru like to an other Numa in Rome for the making of Lawes 261 Z. ZEphiruâ— a pleasant and wholesome winde 126 Zone which they call burning the Antients held inhabitable 30 Burning zone in some partes temperate in others colde and in others hote 101 Burning Zone peopled and pleasaunt contrary to the opinion of Philosophers 86 Burning Zone why temperate 105 In the burning Zone they saile easily from east to weast and not contrarie and why 132 In the burning Zone the neerenesse of the Sunne dooth not alwaies cause raine 100 The end of the Table Errata 111.22 for Paraguen reade Paraguay 120.30 for River reade Region 135.32 for to reade in 141.28 for the motion reade without any â—otion 148.33 for inhabited reade not inhabited 164.17 for greene reade great 198.23 for hundred reade five hundred 213.21 for Curuma reade Cucuma 229.17 for to reade and 235.11 for it reade that 241.8 for it reade his 253.12 for maces reade markes 274.8 for little reade like 278.19 for is no reade is a 351.25 for many reade in many 368.2 for possession reade profession 397.14 for to the communion reade to the people in manner of a communion 514.21 for partiall reade particular 324.32 for convenient in a maner reade in a convenient manner 335.3 for of reade to 347.25 for neither reade in their Gentle Reader from the folio 225. line 14 16 19 20. where you finde peeces reade pezoes till you come to folio 322. line 22. THE FIRST BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the East and West Indies Of the opinions of some Authors which supposed that the Heavens did not extend to the new-found world The first Chapter THE Ancients were so farre from conceypt that this new-found world was peopled by any Nation that many of them could not imagine there was any land on that part and which is more worthie of admiration some have flatly denyed that the Heavens which we now beholde could extend thither For although the greatest part yea the most famous among the Philosophers have well knowne that the Heaven was round as in effect it is and by that meanes did compasse and comprehend within it self the whole earth yet many yea of the holy doctors of greatest authoritie have disagreed in opinion vpon this point supposing the frame of this vniversall world to bee fashioned like vnto a house whereas the roofe that covers it invirons onely the vpper part and not the rest inferring by their reasons that the earth should else hang in the middest of the ayre the which seemed vnto them voyd of sense For as we see in every building the ground-worke and foundation on the one side and the cover opposite vnto it even so in this great building of the world the Heaven should remaine above on the one part and the earth vnder it The glorious Chrysostome a man better seene in the studie of holy Scriptures then in the knowledge of Philosophie seemes to be of this opinion when in his Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes he doth laugh at those which hold the heavens to be round And it seemes the holy Scripture doth inferre as much terming the Heavens a Tabernacle or Frame built by the hand of God And hee passeth farther vpon this point saying that which mooves and goes is not the Heaven but the Sunne Moone and Starres which moove in the heaven even as Sparrowes and other birds moove in the ayre contrary to that which the Philosophers hold that they turne with the Heaven itselfe as the armes of a wheele doe with the wheele Theodoret a very grave Authour followes Chrysostome in this opinion and Theophilus likewise as hee is accustomed almost in all thinges But Lactantius Firmian above all the rest holding the same opinion doth mocke the Peripatetickes and Academickes which give the heaven a round forme placing the earth in the middest thereof for that it seemeth ridiculous vnto him that the earth should hang in the ayre as is before sayde By which his opinion hee is conformable vnto Epicurus who holdeth that on the other part of the earth there is nothing but a Chaos and infinite gulph And it seemeth that S. Ierome draweth neere to this opinion writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians in these wordes The naturall Philosopher by his contemplation pierceth to the height of heaven and on the other part he findeth a great vast in the depth and bowels of the earth Some likewise say that Procopius affirmes the which I have not seene vpon the booke of Genesis that the opinion of Aristotle touching the forme and
Indies are come from Europe or Asia is the testimonie of the holy scripture which teacheth vs plainely that all men came from Adam We can therefore give no other beginning to those at the Indies seeing the holy scripture saieth that all beasts and creatures of the earth perished but such as were reserved in the Arke of Noe for the multiplication and maintenance of their kinde so as we must necessarily referre the multiplication of all beastes to those which came out of the Arke of Noe on the mountaines of Ararat where it staied And by this meanes we must seeke out both for men and beastes the way whereby they might passe from the old world to this new Saint Augustine treating vpon this question by what reason you shall finde in some Ilandes Wolves Tigers and other ravenous beastes which breede no profit to men seeing there is no doubt but Elephants Horses Oxen Dogges and other beastes which serve man to vse have been expresly carried in shippes as we see at this day brought from the East into Europe and transported from Europe to Peru although the voiages be verie long And by what meanes these beastes which yeeld no profit but are very hurtefull as Wolves and others of that wilde nature should passe to the Indies supposing as it is certaine that the deluge drowned all the earth In which Treatie this learned holy man laboures to free himselfe of these difficulties saying that they might swim vnto these Ilands or that some have carried them thither for their delight in hunting or that by the will of God they had been newly created of the earth after the same maner of the first creation when God said Let the earth bring forth everie living thing according to his kinde Cattle and creeping Wormes and the beastes of the field every one in his kinde But if we shall apply this solution to our purpose the matter will remaine more doubtfull for beginning at the last point it is not likely according to the order of Nature nor conformable to the order of government established by God that perfect creatures as Lions Tigers and Wolves should be engendered of the earth as we see that Rattes Frogges Bees and other imperfect creatures are commonly engendered Moreover to what purpose is that which the scripture saieth and doth so often repeate Thou shalt take of all the beastes and birdes of the aire seven and seven male and female to maintaine generation vpon earth if such beasts after the deluge should be created againe after a new kinde of creation without coniunction of male and female And heerevpon might grow another question Seeing such creatures are breeding on the earth according to this opinion wherefore are they not likewise in all other partes of the maine Land and in many Ilandes seeing wee must not regarde the naturall order of generation but the bountie of the Creator On the other part I will not hold it for a thing incredible that they have carried some of these beastes for the pleasure of hunting for that we often see Princes and great men keepe and nourish in their cages onely for their pleasure and greatnesse both Lyons Beares and other savage beastes especially when they are brought from farre Countries but to speake that of Woolves Foxes and other beasts which yeeld no profite and have nothing rare and excellent in them but to hurt the cattell and to say also that they have carried them by sea for hunting truely it is a thing that hath no sense Who can imagine that in so long a voyage men would take the paynes to carrie Foxes to Peru especially of that kind which they call Anas which is the filthiest that I have seene Who would likewise say that the have carried Tygers and Lyons Truely it were a thing worthy the laughing at to thinke so It was sufficient yea very much for men driven against their willes by tempest in so long and vnknowne a voyage to escape the danger of the Sea with theyr owne lives without busying themselves to carrie Woolves and Foxes and to nourish them at Sea If these beasts then came by Sea wee must beleeve it was by swimming which may happen in some Ilands not farre distant from others or fom the mayne Land the which wee cannot denie seeing the experience wee have and that wee see these beasts beeing prest to swimme day and night without wearinesse and so to escape But this is to be vnderstood in smal Straights and passages for in our Ocean they would mocke at such swimmers whenas birds faile in their flight yea those of the greatest wing vpon the passage of so great a Gulph And although we finde small birdes which flie above a hundred leagues as we have often seene in our travel yet it is a matter impossibleâ— at the least very difficult for birdes to passe all the Ocean All this beeing true which wee have spoken what way â—â—all wee make for beastes and birdes to goe to the Indies and how can I say they passed from one worlde to an other I coniecture then by the discourse I have made that the new world which we call Indies is not altogether severed and disioyned from the other world and to speake my opinion I have long beleeved that the one and the other world are ioyned and continued one with an other in some part or at the least are very neere And yet to this day there is no certaine knowledge of the contrary For towards the Articke or Northerne Pole all the longitude of the earth is not discovered and many hold that above Florida the Land runnes out very large towards the North and as they say ioynes with the Scithike or Germaine Sea Others affirme that a Ship sayling in that Sea reported to have seene the coast of Bacalaos which stretcheth almost to the confines of Europe Moreover no man knowes how farre the land runnes beyond the Cape of Mendoça in the South sea but that they affirme it is a great Continent which runnes an infinite length and returning to the Southerne Pole no man knowes the lands on the other part of the Straight of Magellan A ship belonging to the Bishoppe of Plaisance which passed the Straight reports to have sayled alwayes within sight of Land the like Hernando Lamer a Pilot doth affirme who forced by foule weather passed two or three degrees above the sayd Straight So as there is no reason or experience that doth contradict my conceit and opinion which is that the whole earth is vnited ioyned in some part or at the least the one approcheth neere vnto the other If this be true as in effect there is some likelyhood the answere is easie to the doubt we have propounded how the first Inhabitants could passe to the Indies For that wee must beleeve they could not so conveniently come thither by Sea as travelling by Land which might be done without consideration in changing by little and little their
thing and worthy observation that the ayre is most cleere and without rayne vnder this burning Zone whenas the Sunne is farthest off and contrariwise there is most rayne snow and mists whenas the Sunne is neerest Such as have not travelled in this new world wil happily thinke this incredible and it will seeme strange even vnto such as have beene there if they have not well observed it but the one and the other will willingly yeeld in noting the certaine experience of that which hath beene sayd of this part of Peru which looks to the Southerne or Antartike Pole the Sunne is then farthest off when it is neerest vnto Europe that is in Maie Iune Iuly and August whenas hee makes his course in the Tropicke of Cancer During which Moneths the aire at Peru is very cleere and calme neyther doth there fall any snow or raine all their rivers fall much and some are dried vp quite but as the yeere increaseth and the Sunne approcheth neere vnto the Tropicke of Capricorne then begins it to raine and to snow and their Rivers swell from October to December Then after that the Sun retyring from Capricorne whenas his beames reflect directly vpon the heads of them of Peru then is the violence of their waters great then is the time of raine snow and great overflowings of their Rivers when as their heate is greatest that is from Ianuarie to mid March this is so true and certaine as no man may contradict it And at that time the contrary is found in the Regions of the Pole Articke beyond the Equinoctiall which proceeds from the same reason But let vs now looke into the temperature of Panama all that coast as well of new Spaine the Ilands of Barlovent Cuba Hispaniola Iamaica as of S. Iohn de Port ricco wee shall without doubt finde that from the beginning of November vntill Aprill they have the aire cleere and bright the reason is for that the Sunne passing by the Equinoctiall to the Tropicke of Capricorne retyres from those Regions more then at any other time of the yeere And contrariwise they have violent showers and great swellings of water whenas the Sunne returnes and is neerest vnto them which is from Iune vnto September for then his beames beate most vpon them The like happens at the East Indies as we learne daily by letters that come So as it is a generall rule although in some places there is an exception that in the Region of the South or burning Zone which is all one the aire is most cleere and driest whenas the Sun is farthest off and contrariwise when it approcheth there is greatest rayne and humiditie and even as the Sunne advanceth or retyreth little or much even so the earth abounds or wants water and moisture That in the Regions which be without the Tropicks there is greatest store of waters whenas the Sunne is farthest off contrary to that vnder the burning Zone CHAP. 4. IN Regions which lie without the Tropicks we see the contrary to that which hath beene spoken for that the rayne is mingled with cold the drought with heate the which is well knowne in all Europe and the old world as we see in the same manner in the new world whereof the whole Kingdome of Chile is a witnesse which lying without the Tropicke of Capricorne and in the same height with Spaine is subiect to the same lawes of Winter and Summer but that Winter is there whenas it is Summer in Spaine being vnder divers Poles So as when it is cold in these Provinces the waters are in great aboundance which is when the Sunne is farthest off from the beginning of Aprill to the end of September finally the disposition of seasons is like to that in Europe which is that the heat and drought comes whenas the Sunne returnes which is the cause that this Realme of Chile approcheth neerer the temperature of Europe then any other of the Indies as well in the fruites of the earth as in the bodies and spirits of men The like they report of that part which lies before the Inner Ethiopia that stretcheth out in manner of a point vnto the Cape Bonne Esperance or Good Hope the which they holde for a true cause of the inundations of Nile which bee in Summer whereof the Ancients have so much disputed for that in that Region the Winter and raine begins in April whenas the Sunne hath passed Aries and these waters which partly grow from snow and partly from raine assemble and make great Lakes and Pooles from whence by good and true Geographie the River of Nile proceedes and by this meanes goes by little and little stretching out her course till that having runne a long way it finally in the time of Summer overfloweth Egypt which seemeth against nature and yet it is certainely reported for at what time it is Summer in Egypt lying vnder the Tropicke of Cancer then is it winter at the springes of Nile which is vnder the other Tropicke of Capricorne There is in America an other inundation like to that of Nile at Paraguen or River de la Plata which is as much to say as the River of silver the which receiving yeerely infinite waters which fall from the Mountaines of Perâ— doth so terribly swell in her course and over-flowes that Region as the Inhabitants are forced during those Moneths to retyre themselves into boats and Canoes and to leave the dwelling of the Land That betwixt the two Tropicks the greatest aboundance of raine is in Summer with a discourse of Winter and Summer CHAP. 5. TO conclude Summer is alwayes accompanied with heate and drought in the two temperate Zones and Winter with cold and moistnesse but vnder the burning Zone those qualities are not alike for that raine accompanies heate and drought followeth the cold I vnderstand by cold want of excessive heat so as Winter is taken in our Europe for the colde and raynie season and Summer for the hot and cleere season Ouâ— Spaniards which live at Peru and in newe Spaine seeing these two qualities not to concurre together as in Spaine call that season Winter wherein there is greatest aboundance of raine and waters and Summer where there is little or nonâ— at all wherein they are plainely deceived although they aâ—â—irme by a generall rule that in the Mountaines of Peru it is Summer from the Moneth of Aprill to September for that the raine ceaseth in that season and that Winter is from the moneth of September vnto Aprill for that the showres returne then and therefore it is winter and summer at the same instant that in Spaine So as when the Sunâ—e goeth directly over their heads they then take it to bee the depth of Winter having greatest store of raine But it is worthy to be laughed at comming from ignorant men and vnlearned for even as the difference betwixt the day and night proceeds from the presence or absence of the Sunne in our hemisphere according to
safe This Lake containes almost foure score leagues thirtie five in length and fifteene in bredth at the largest place There are many Ilands which in olde time were inhabited and tilled but now lie waste It brings forth a great aboundance of reedes which the Indians call Totora which serves them to a thousand vses for it is meate for swine for horses and for men they make houses therewith fire and barkes To conclude the Vros in this their Totora finde all they have neede of These Vros be such dull and brutish people as they esteeme not themselves men It is reported of them that being demanded of what nation they were They answered they were not men but Vros as it were some kinde of beastes There are whole villages of these Vros inhabiting in the Lake in their boates of Totora the which are tied together and fastened to some rocke and often times the whole village changeth from place to place So as hee that would seeke them now whereas they were yesterday shall finde no shew nor remainder of them or of their village The current or issue of this Lake having runne above fiftie leagues makes another Lake but lesse then the first which they call Paria and containes in it some small Ilands but they finde no issue thereof Some imagine it runnes vnder the ground that it falles into the South sea giving out that there is a branch of a river which they see rise and enter into the sea neere the banke having no knowledge of the Spring But contrariwise I beleeve that the waters of this Lake dissolve and are dispearsed within the Lake it selfe through the heate of the Sunne This discourse seemes sufficient to prove that the Ancients had no reason to holde that the middle region was inhabitable for the defect of waters seeing there is such store both from heaven and on the earth Shewing the reason why the Sunne without the Tropicks causeth greatest quantitie of waters when it is farthest off and contrariwise within them it breedeth most when it is neerest CHAP. 7. COnsidering with my selfe often times what should cause the Equinoctial to be so moist as I have said to refute the opinion of the Ancients I finde no other reason but the great force of the sunne in those partes whereby it drawes vnto it a great aboundance of vapors from out of the Ocean which in those parts is very great and spatious and having drawne vnto it this great aboundance of vapours doth suddenly dissolve them into raine and it is approoved by many tryed experiences that the raine and great stormes from heaven proceed from the violent heat of the Sunne first as we have said before it raines in those countries whenas the Sunne casts his beames directly vpon the earth at which time he hath most force but when the Sun retyres the heat is moderate and then there falls no raine whereby we may conclude that the force and heat of the Sunne is the cause of raine in those Countries Moreover we observe both in Peru New Spaine and in all the burning Zone that the raine doth vsually fall in after-noone when as the sunne-beames are in their greatest force being strange to see it raine in the morning And therefore travellers fore-seeing it begin their iourneyes earely that they may end and rest before noone for they hold that commonly it raines after noone Such as have frequented and travelled those Countriâ—s can sufficiently speake thereof And there are that having made some abode there say that the greatest aboundance of raine is when the Moone is at the full but to say the trueth I could never make sufficient proofe thereof although I have observed it Moreover the dayes the yeere and the moneths shew the trueth hereof that the violent heate of the sunne causeth the raine in the burning Zone experience teacheth vs the like in artificiall thinges as in a Limbecke wherein they draw waters from hearbs flowers for the vehemencie of the fire forceth and driveth vp an aboundance of vapours which being pressed and finding no issue are converted into liquor and water The like wee see in gold and silver which wee refine with quicke-silver the fire being small and slow wee draw out almost nothing of the quicke-silver but if it bee quicke and violent it doth greatly evaporate the quick-silver which incountring the head above doth presently turne into liquor and begins to drop downe Even so the violent heate of the sunne produceth these two effects when it finds matter disposed that is to draw vp the vapours on high and to dissolve them presently and turne them into raine when there is any obstacle to consume them And although these things seeme contrary that one sunne within the burning Zone being neere should cause raine and without the Zone afarre off should breed the like effect so it is that all well considered there is no contrarietie A thousand effects in naturall causes proceede of contrarie things by divers meanes we drie linnen by the fire and in the aire and yet the one heats and the other cooles pastures are dried and hardened by the sunne and with the frost moderate exercise provokes sleepe being too violent it hindereth if you lay no wood on the fire it dieth if you lay on toâ— much it likewise quencheth for the onely proportion entertaines and makes it to continue To well discerne a thing it must not be too neere the eie nor too farre off but in a reasonable distance proportionable being too farre off from any thing we loose the sight and too neere likewise we cannot see it If the sunne beames be weake they draw vp no fogge from the rivers if they be violent having drawne vp the vapours they presently dissolve and consume them but if the heat be moderate it drawes vp and preserves it for this reason the vapours rise not commonly in the night nor at noone but in morning whenas the sunne begins to enter into his force There are a thousand examples of naturall causes vpon this subiect which we see do often grow from contrarie things whereby we must not wonder if the sunne being neere engenders raine and being farre off works the like effect but being of a moderate and proportionable distance causeth none at all Yet there remaines one doubt why the neerenes of the sunne causeth the raine vnder the burning Zone and without when it is farthest off In my opinion the reason is that in Winter without the Tropicks the sunne hath not force sufficient to consume the vapours which rise from the land and sea for these vapours grow in great aboundance in the cold region of the aire where they are congealed and thickened by the extremitie of the cold and after being pressed they dissolve and turne into water Therefore in Winter when the sunne is farthest off the daies short and the nights long his heat hath small force but when the sunne approacheth which is in the summer time his force is
such as it drawes vp the vapors and suddenly consumes and disperseth them for the heat and the length of the daies grow through the neerenes of the sunne But within the Tropickes vnder the burning Zone the far distance of the sunne workes the same effects that the neerenes doth without the Tropiks by reason whereof it raines no more vnder the burning Zone when the sunne is farre off then without the Tropicks when it is neerest for that in this approaching and retyâ—ing the sunne remaines alwaies in one distance whence proceedes this effect of cleerenes But when the sunne is in the period of his force in the burning zone and that he cast his beames directly vpon the inhabitants heads there is neither cleerenes nor drienes as it seems there should be but rather great and strange showers for that by this violent heat he drawes vp suddenly a great aboundance of vapours from the Earth and Ocean which are so thicke as the winde not able easily to disperse them they melt into water which breedeth the cold raine in so great aboundance for the excessive heat may soone draw vp many vapours the which are not so soone dissolved and being gathered together through their great aboundance they melt and dissolve into water The which we may easily discerne by this familiar example rost a peece of porke mutton or veale if the fire be violent and the meate neere we see the fatte melts suddenly and droppes away the reason is that the violent heat drawes forth the humour and fatte from the meate and being in great aboundance cannot dissolve it and so it distills more away But when the fire is moderate and the meat in an equall distance we see that it rostes hansomely and the fatte drops not too suddenly for that the moderate heat drawes out the moistnes which it consumes suddenly And therefore Cookes make a moderate fire and lay not their meate too neere nor too farre off lest it melt away The like may be seene in another experience in candles of tallow or waxe if the wike bee great it melts the tallow or the waxe for that the heat cannot consume the moistnes which riseth but if the flame be proporcionable the waxe melts nor droppes not for that the flame doth waste it by little and little as it riseth The which seemeth to me the true reason why vnder the Equinoctiall and burning Zone the violence of the heat doth cause raine the which in other Regions growes through want thereof How wee should vnderstand that which hath been formerly spoken of the burning Zone CHAP. 8. IF in naturall and phisicall things we must not seeke out infallible and mathematicall rules but that which is ordinarie and tried by experience which is the most perfect rule wee must then beleeve what wee have said that there is more humiditie vnder the burning Zone then in other Regions and that it raines lesse there when the sunne is neerest must be taken and vnderstood after one sort as in truth it is the most common and ordinarie But this is not to hinder the exceptions which nature hath given to this rule making some Regions of the burning Zone extreamely drie The which is reported of Ethiopia and wee have seene it in a great part of Peru where all that land or coast which they call Plaines wants raine yea land waters except some vallies where rivers fall from the mountaines the rest is a sandie and barren soile where you shall hardly finde any springs but some deepe welles But with the helpe of God wee will shew the reason why it raineth not in these Plaines the which many demand for now I onely pretend to shew that there are many exceptions to naturall rules whereby it may happen that in some part of the burning Zone it raines not when the sunne is neerest but being farthest off although vnto this daie I have neither seene nor heard of it but if it be so wee must attribute it to the particular qualitie of the earth and also if sometimes the contrarie doth chance we must have regard that in naturall things there happens many contrarieties and leâ—s whereby they change and dissolve one another For example it may be the sunne will cause raine and that the winds will hinder it or else cause more aboundance then hath been vsuall The windes have their properties and divers beginnings by the which they worke divers effects the which are most commonly contrarie to that which the order season requires Seeing then in all places we see great varieties in the yeere which proceedes from the divers motions and aspectes of Planets it is not out of purpose to say that in the burning Zone wee may see and observe some things contrarie to that we have tried But to conclude that which we have spoken is a certaine and vndoubted truth which is that the great draught which the Ancients held to be in the middle region which they call the burning Zone is nothing at all but contrariwise there is great humiditie and then it raines most when the sunne is neerest That the Burning Zone is not violently hotte but moderate CHAP. 9. HItherto wee haue treated of the humiditie of the Burning Zone now it shall be fit to discourse of the other two qualities Hotte and Colde We have shewed in the beginning of this Discourse how the Ancients held that the burning Zone was hotte and exceeding drie the which is not so for it is hote and moist and in the greatest part the heat is not excessive but rather moderate which some would hold incredible if we had not tried it When I passed to the Indies I will tell what chaunced vnto mee having read what Poets and Philosophers write of the bâ—â—ning Zone I perswaded my selfe that comming to the Equinoctiall I should not indure the violent heate but it fell out otherwise for when I passed which was when the sun was there for Zenith being entered into Aries in the moneth of March I felt so great cold as I was forced to go into the sunne to warme me what could I else do then but laugh at Aristotles Meteors and his Philosophie seeing that in that place and at that season whenas all should be scorched with heat according to his rules I and all my companions were a colde In truth there is no region in the world more pleasant and temperate then vnder the Equinoctiall although it be not in all parts of an equall temperature but have great diversities The burning Zone in some parts is very temperate as in Quitto and on the plaines of Peru in some partes verie colde as at Potozi and in some very hote as in Ethiopia Bresill and the Molucques This diversitie being knowne and certaine vnto vs we must of force seeke out another cause of cold and heat then the sunne beames seeing that in one season of theyeere and in places of one height and distance from the Pole and Equinoctiall we finde so great diversitie
and beautifying of our persons and houses and others are fit to make vessels and yron-workes with divers fashions of instruments which the industry of man hath found out and put in practise But above all the vses of mettalls which bee simple and natural the communication and commerce of men hath found out one which is the vse of money the which as the Philosopher saieth is the measure of all things And although naturally and of it selfe it be but one onely thing yet in value and estimation wee may say that it is all things Mony is vnto vs as it were meate clothing house horse and generally whatsoever man hath neede of By this meanes all obeyes to mony and as the Wise man saith to finde an invention that one thing should be all Men guided or thrust forward by a naturall instinct choose the thing most durable and most maniable which is mettall and amongst mettals gave them the preheminence in this invention of mony which of their nature were most durable and incorruptible which is silver and golde The which have bin in esteeme not onlie amongst the Hebrewes Assirians Greekes Romans and other nations of Europe and Asia but also amongst the most retyred and barbarous nations of the world as by the Indians both East and West where gold and silver is held in great esteeme imploying it for the workes of their Temples and Pallaces for the attyring and ornament of kings and great personages And although we have found some Barbarians which know neither gold nor silver as it is reported of those of Florida which tooke the bagges and sackes wherein the silver was the which they cast vpon the ground and left as a thing vnprofitable And Plinie likewise writes of the Babitacques which abhorred gold and therefore they buried it to the end that no man should vse it But at this day they finde few of these Floridiens or Babitacques but great numbers of such as esteeme seeke and make accoumpt of gold and silver having no neede to learne it of those that go from Europe It is true their covetousnesse is not yet come to the height of ours neither have they so much worshipped gold and silver although they were Idolaters as some blinde Christians who have committed many great out-rages for gold and silver Yet is it a thing very worthy consideration that the wisedome of the Eternall Lord would inrich those partes of the world which are most remote and which are peopled with men of lesse civilitie and governement planting there great store of mines and in the greatest aboundance that ever were thereby to invite men to search out those lands and to possesse them to the end that by this occasion they might plant religion and the worship of the true God amongst those that knew it not fulfilling therein the prophecie of Isaie saying that the Church should stretch forth her boundes not onely to the right but also to the left which is vnderstood as S. Augustine saieth that the Gospell should be spread abroad not onely by those that sincerely and with a true perfect charity preach and declare it but also by those that publish it tending to temporall ends whereby wee see that the Indian land being more aboundant in mines and riches hath beene in our age best instructed in the Christian religion the Lord vsing our desires and inclinations to serve his soveraigne intentions Herevpon a Wise man said that what a father doth to marie his daughter wel is to give her a great portion in mariage the like hath God done for this land so rough and laboursome giving it great riches in mines that by this meanes it might be the more sought after At the West Indies then there are great store of mines of all sortes of mettalls as copper yron lead tinne quicke-silver silver and gold and amongst all the regions and partes of the Indies the realmes of Peru abound most in these mettalls especially with gold silver quicke silver or mercurie whereof they have found great store and daily discover new mines And without doubt according to the qualitie of the earth those which are to discover are without comparison farre more in number then those which are yet discovered yea it seemes that all the land is sowed with these mettalls more then any other in the world that is yet knowne vnto vs or that ancient writers have made mention of Of the qualitie and nature of the earth where the mettalls are found and that all these mettalls are not imployed at the Indies and how the Indians vsed them CHAP. 3. THe reason why there is so great aboundance of mettalls at the Indies especially at the west of Peru as I have saide is the will of the Creator who hath imparted his giftes as it pleased him But comming to a naturall and philosophicall reason it is very true which Philon a wise man writes saying that gold silver and mettalls grow naturally in land that is most barren and vnfruitefull And we see that in lands of good temperature the which are fertile with grasse and fruites there are seldome found any mines for that Nature is contented to give them vigour to bring forth fruites more necessarie for the preservation and maintenance of the life of beasts and men And contrariwise to lands that are very rough drie and barren as in the highest mountains and inaccessible rockes of a rough temper they finde mines of silver of quicke-silver and of gold and all those riches which are come into Spaine since the West Indies were discovered have been drawne out of such places which are rough and full bare and fruitlesse yet the taste of this mony makes these places pleasing and agreeable yea well inhabited with numbers of people And although there be as I have said many mines of all kinds of mettalls as at the Indies yet they vse none but those of gold and silver and as much quicke-silver as is necessarie to refine their gold and silver They carrie yron thither from Spaine and China As for copper the Indians have drawne of it and vsed it for their armes the which were not vsually of yron but of copper Since the Spaniards possessed the Indies they have drawne very little neither do they take the paine to seeke out these mines although there be many busying themselves in the search of richer and more precious mettalls wherein they spend their time labour They vse no other mettalls as copper and yron but only that which is sent them from Spaine or that which remaines of the refining of gold and silver We finde not that the Indians in former times vsed gold silver or any other mettall for mony and for the price of things but only for ornament as hath beene said whereof there was great quantitie in their Temples Palaces and Toombes with a thousand kindes of vessels of gold and silver which they had They vsed no gold nor silver to trafficke or
therewith and with some other discontents discovered this secret vnto his maister called Villaroel a Spaniard who then remained at Porco This Villaroel desirous to vnderstand the trueth went to Potozi finding the riches his Yanacona or servant had discovered vnto him caused the Indian Guanca to be inrolled vndertaking with him the saide veine which was called Centeno they call it vndertaking that is as much as to note and marke the mine and so much ground in circuite for him which the Lawe graunts vnto those that discover any mine or vnto those that digge them by meanes whereof having discovered them to the Iustice they remayned Lords of the mine to dig and drawe foorth the silver as being their owne paying only their duties vnto the King which is a fift parte So as the first discovery and inregistring of the mines of Potozi was the 21. of April in the yeare of our Lord one thousand five hundred fortie five in the territorie of Porco by the saide Villaroel a Spaniard and Guanâ—a an Indian Presently after they discovered another veine which they called the veine of Tinne the which is very rich although it be rough and very painfull to worke in the mettall being as hard as slint Since the thirtie day of August in the same yeere of a thousand five hundred forty and five the veine called Mendieta was inrolled and these are the foure principall veines of Potozi They say of the rich veine the first that was discovred that the metall lay above the ground the height of a launce like vnto rockes raising the superficies of the earth like vnto a crest of three hundred foote long and thirteene foote broade and that this remained bare vncovered by the deluge This veine having resisted the violence and force of the water as the hardest part The mettall was so rich as it was halfe silver and this veine continued in his bounty fiftie or three score stades which is the height of a man and then it failed In this maner the mines of Potozi were discovered by the Divine Providence who for the felicitie of Spaine would have the greatest treasure that ever was in this world discovered at such time whenas the Emperour Charles the fift of famous memorie held the Empire the kingdomes of Spaine and the Seigniorie of the Indies Presently after that the discoverie of Potozi was knowne in Peru many Spaniardes and the most parte of the Bourgeois of the silver Cittie which is eighteene leagues from Potozi came thither to take mines yea there came many Indians from divers provinces especially tha GuayZadores of Porco so as within a short space it was the best peopled habitation of all the kingdome Of the treasure which is daily drawne from the rocke or mountaine of Potozi CHAP. 7. I Have often doubted if in antient Histories there were found any so rich mines as those we have seen in our time in Peru. If there were ever rich mines in the worlde and famous for this effect they have bin those of Spaine which they of Cartbage did inioy and since the Romans the which as I have saide are not onely famous and esteemed in prophane bookes but also in the holy Scriptures Hee that maketh most particular mention of these mines at the least that I have seene is Plinie who writeth thus in his naturall Historie They finde silver almost in all provinces but that of Spaine is the best which growes and ingenders in a barren soile vppon mountaines and rockes It is a certaine and infallible thing that in places where they have once discovered any of these veines there are others not farre off which is likewise found in all other mettalls and for this the Greekes in my opinion called them mettalls It is strange that the pits or holes of these mines of Spaine the which they beganne to digge in Hannibals time are at this day and hold the names of their discoverers Amongst these mines that which Bebello discovered which holdes his name vnto this day was very famous and they say it yeelded so great riches to Hanniball that evâ—rie day they gathered three hundred pounds weight of silver and vnto this day they have alwaies continued labouring in this mine so as it is now digd 15. hundred pases deep into the mountaine Out of which pits notwithstanding the deapth the Gascoinâ—s that labour in them drawe out the water that they may worke with more ease whilest their candelles and lights last and that in such aboundaunce as it seemes to be a river Hitherto are the woordes of Pliny the which I would set downe word by word the better to content such as know what mines be seeing that what is tried at this day was then in vse And truely the riches of this mine of Hannibal vpon the Pirrenean hilles was great and famous which the Romans possessed having continued the worke even vnto Plinies time which was about three hundred yeeres The deapth of this mine was fifteene hundred pases which is a mile and a halfe and it was so rich in the beginning that it was woorth daily to the maister thereof three hundred poundes at twelve ounces to the pound But although this were a great treasure it did not approach neere to that which in our time hath bin found in Potozi for as it appeareth by the Registers of the house of contraction of that Province and as many antient men worthy of credite doe testifie whenas the licentiate Pollo governed that Province the which was many yeeres after the discovery of this mountaine they did every saterday enter a hundred and fifty and twoo hundred thousand peeces whereof the Kings fift amounted to thirty and forty thousand peeces and for every yeere a million and a halfe or little lesse So as according to that computation they didde drawe every day from this mine thirtie thousand peeces whereof there came to the King for his fift sixe thousand peeces a day There is yet another thing to be spoken of to shew the riches of Potozi that the account which hath been made was only of silver that was marked and customed And it is wel knowne in Peru that they have long vsed silver in these Realmes which they call currant which was neither marked nor customed And they holde it for certain which know these mines that in these daies the greatest parte of silver drawne at Potozi was not customed and this had course amongest the Indians and much amongst the Spaniardes as I have seene continued to mytime so as it may appeare the third part of the riches of Potozi yea the one halfe came not to light neither was it customed There is yet a more notable consideration in that which Plinie saieth they hadde digged a fifteene hundred pases in this mine of Bebellâ— and that continually they found water which is the greatest hinderaunce they have to drawe foorth theyr mettall But in this of Potozi although they have digged two hundred stades or heights of
which this straw hath to melt and dissolve these mettalls the which falles out as Plinie saies that there is gold which melts more easily with the flame of straw then with hote burning coales They put the quicke-silver thus molten into skinnes for that it keepes best in lether and in this sort they lay it into the Kings store-howse from whence they carry it by sea to Ariqua and so to Potozi by land vpon their sheepe There is yeerely spent in PotoZi for the refining of mettalles about six or seven thousand quintalles of quicke-silver besides that they drawe from the plates which is the earth or drosse of the first washings of these mettalls which are made in caldrons The which plates they burne in their furnaces to draw out the quicke-silver which remaines in them and there are above fiftie of these furnaces in the Citie of PotoZi and in Tarpaya The quantitie of mettalls which they refine as some men of experience have made the account doth amount yeerely to above three hundred thousand quintalles from the earth and drosse whereof being molt and refined they may draw yeerely above two thousand quintalles of quick-silver We must vnderstand there are divers sortes of mettalls for some yeelde much silver and waste little quicke-silver others consume much quicke-silver and yeelde little silver and there are others which consume much quicke-silver and yeeldes much silver and others that consume little quicke-silver and also yeelde little silver and as men incounter in these mettalles so they grow rich or poore in their trafficke Although commonly the rich mettall yeeldes much silver and consumes much quicke-silver and likewise that which is poore yeeldes little silver and consumes as little mercurie They first beat and grinde the mettall very small with hammers and other instruments which beat this stone like vnto tanne milles and being well beaten they searce it in a copper searce making the poulder as small and fine as if it were horse haire these searces being well fitted doe sift thirtie quintalles in a day and a night then they put the poulder of the mettall into the vessels vpon furnaces whereas they anoint it and mortifie it with brine putting to everie fiftie quintalles of poulder five quintalls of salt And this they do for that the salt seperates the earth and filth to the end the quicke-silver may the more easily draw the silver vnto it After they put quicke silver into a peece of holland and presse it out vpon the mettall which goes forth like a dewe alwaies turning and stirring the mettall to the end it may be well incorporate Before the invention of these furnaces of fire they did often mingle their mettall with quicke-silver in great troughes letting it settle some daies and did then mix it and stirre it againe vntill they thought all the quicke-silver were well incorporate with the silver the which continued twentie daies and more and at the least nine daies Since they discovered as the desire to get is diligent that to shorten the time fire did much helpe to incorporate silver the sooner with quicke-silver they in vented these furnaces whereon they set vessels to put in their mettall with salt and quicke-silver and vnderneath they put fire by little and little in furnaces made for the nonce vnderneath so as in five or six daies the quicke-silver is incorporate with the silver And when they finde that the mercurie hath done his part and assembled all the silver leaving nothing behinde but is well imbrued as a spunge doth water dividing it from the earth lead and copper with the which it is engendered Then after they seperate it likewise from the quicke-silver the which they do in this sort they put the mettall in caldrons and vessells full of water where with certaine wheeles they turne the mettall round about as if they should make mustard and so the earth and drosse goes from the mettall with the water that runs away The silver quicke-silver as most ponderous remaining in the botome the mettal which remaines is like vnto sand then they take it out and wash it againe in great platters of wood or keelers full of water still drawing the earth from it vntill they leave the silver and quicke-silver well clensed There slippes away also some small portion of silver and quicke-silver with the earth and drosse which they call washings the which they after wash againe and draw out the remainder When the silver and quicke-silver are clensed and beginne to shine and that there remaines no earth they put all the mettall into a cloth which they straine out very forcibly so as all the quicke-silver passeth out being not incorporate with the silver and the rest remaines as a loafe of silver like to a marke of almonds pressed to draw oyle And being thus pressed the remainder containes but the sixt part in silver and five in mercurie So as if there remaines a marke of threescore pounds ten are of silver and fiftie of mercurie Of these markes they make pinnes as they call them like pine apples or sugar loaves hollow within the which they commonly make of a hundred pound weight then to seperate the silver from the quicke-silver they put it into a violent fire which they cover with an earthen vessell like to the mold of a sugar loafe or vnto a capuchon or hoode the which they cover with coales and set fire vnto it whereby the quicke-silver exhales in smoake the which striking against the capuchon of earth it thickens and distills like vnto the smoake of a potte covered and by a pipe like vnto a limbecke they receive the quicke-silver which distills the silver remaining without changing the forme but in weight it is diminished five partes of that it was and is spungious the which is worthy the observation Of two of these loaves they make one barre of silver in weight 65. or 66. markes and in this sort they carry it to the touch custome and marke Silver drawne with mercurie is so fine that it never abates of two thousand three hundred and fourescore of alloy and it is so excellent that the worke-men are inforced to alay it putting some mixture to it as they do likewise in their mints whereas their mony is stampt Silver indures all these martiredomes if we may so call it to be refined the which if we consider well it is a bodie framed where they grinde sift kneade lay the leven bake the silver besides all this they wash it and wash it againe they bake it and bake it againe induring the pestells sives troughes furnaces caldrons presses and finally by the water and fire I speake this for that seeing seeing this art in PotoZi I did consider what the Scripture speakes of the iust Colabit eos et purgabit quasi argentum And that which they speake in another part Sic vt argentum purgatum terra purgatum sâ—ptuplum So as to purifie silver to refine and clense it from the
the Pignons of Punua the conserve of Guanucquo the oyle of Fig-trees and many other things the which being well applied and in time they hold to be of no lesse efficacie then the drugges that come from the East The which may be seene in reading the discourse which Monardes hath made in the first and second Part where he treates amply of Tobacco or Petum whereof they have made notable experiences against poison Tobacco is a small tree or plant common enough the which hath in it rare vertues as amongst others it serves for a counterpoison like to many and divers other plants for the Creator of all things hath imparted his vertues at his pleasure not willing that any thing should grow idle But it is another soveraigne gift to man to know them and their proper vses the which the same Creator gives to whome hee pleaseth Doctor Francis Hernandes hath made a goodly worke vppon this subiect of Indian plants liquors and other phisicall things by the Kings expresse commission and commaundement causing all the plants at the Indies to be lively painted which they say are above a thousand two hundred and that the worke cost above three score thousand ducats out of which worke the Doctor Nardus Anthonius an Italian Physitian hath made a curious extract sending him to the foresaid bookes that desires more exactly to knowe the plants at the Indies especially for physicke Of great forrests at the Indies of Cedars of Ceivas and other great trees CHAP. 30. ALthough from the beginning the earth did bring foorth plants and trees by the commandement of the Lord yet hath it yielded more in one place than in another and besides the plants and trees which by the industry of man have beene transplanted and carried from place to place there are many which Nature it selfe hath brought forth I do beleeve that of this sort there are more at the new world which we do call the Indies either in number or diversitie than in the olde as Europe Asia or Affrike The reason is for that the climate at the Indies is generally hot and moist as we have declared in the second Booke against the opinion of the Auntients which causeth the earth naturally for to bring foorth an infinit number of wilde plants whereby the greatest part of the Indies is inhabitable being almost impossible to travell by reason of the woodes and thicke forrests that are there which they labour dailie to cut downe It hath bin needefull passing through some partes of the Indies especially where they newly entred to make their way in cutting downe trees and pulling vp bushes so that as some religious men have written that have tried it they coulde not sometimes have passed above a league in a day One of our brothers a man worthy of credite reported vnto vs that being straied in the mountaines not knowing which way he shoulde passe he fell among such thicke bushes that he was forced to go vpon them without setting foote to the ground by the space of fifteene whole dayes and to see the Sunne or to marke some way in this thicke forrest full of wood he was forced to climbe to the top of the highest trees to discover He that shall reade the discourse of his travell how often hee was lost and the wayes he passed with the strange adventures that happened vnto him the which I have written briefly being so worthy the knowledge and having my selfe travelled alittle over the mountaines at the Indies were it but the eighteene leagues betwixt Nombre de Dios and Panama may well iudge what great forrests there are So as having no winter in those parts to nip them with colde and the humiditie of the heavens and earth being so great as the mountaines bring foorth infinit forrests and the plaines which they call Savanas great plenty of grasse there is no want of pasture for feeding of timber building nor of wood for fewell It is impossible to set downe the differences and formes of so many wilde trees for that the names of the greatest parte are vnknowne Cedars in olde time so much esteemed are there very common both for buildings and shippes and they are of diverse sortes some white and some redde very odoriferant There are great store of Bay trees very pleasant to beholde vpon the Andes of Peru vppon the mountaines in the Ilands of Nicaragua and in New Spaine There are also infinite numbers of Palmes and Ceivas whereof the Indians make their Canoes which are boates made of one peece They bring into Spaine from the Havana excellent timber In the Iland of Cuba there are infinite numbers of like trees as Ebene Caovana Grenadille Cedars and other kindes which I do not know There are great pine trees in New Spaine though they be not so strong as those in Spaine they beare no pignous or kernells but empty apples The oaks as they cal them of Guaiaquil is an excelent wood and sweet when they cut it yea there are kanes or most high reedes of whose boughs or small reedes they doe make bottles and pitchers to carry water and do likewise vse them in their buildings There is likewise the wood of Mansle or Firre whereof they make masts for their shippes and they holde them as strong as yron Molle is a tree of many vertues which casteth foorth small boughes whereof the Indians make wine In Mexico they call it the tree of Peru for that it came from thence but it growes also in New Spaine and better than those in Peru. There are a thousand other trees which were a superâ—â—uous labour to intreate of whereof some are of an exceeding greatnesse I will speake only of one which is in Tlaco Chavoya three leagues from Guayaca in New Spaine this tree being measured within being hollow was found to have nine fadome and without neare to the roote sixteene and somewhat higher twelve This tree was strooke with lightning from the toppe to the bottomâ— through the heart the which caused this hollownesse they say that before the thunder fell vpon it it was able to shadow a thousand men and therefore they did assemble there for theyr daunces and superstitions yet to this day there doth remaine some boughes and verdure but not much They know not what kinde of tree it is but they say it is a kind of Cedar Such as shall finde this strange let them reade what Plinie reporteth of the Plane of Lidia the hollow whereof contained foure score foote and one and seemed rather a Cabbin or a house than the hollow of a tree his boughs like a whole wood the shaddow whereof covered a great part of the field By that which is writen of this tree we have no great cause to wonder at the Weaver who hadde his dwelling and loome in the hollow of a chesnut tree and of another chesnut tree if it were not the very same into the hollow whereof there entered eighteene men on horsebacke and passed out without
disturbing one another The Indians did commonly vse their idolatries in these trees so strange and deformed even as did the antient Gentiles as some Writers of our time doe report Of Plants and fruits which have bin carried out of Spaine to the Indies CHAP. 31. THe Indians have received more profit and have bin better recompensed in plants that have bin broght from Spaine than in any other marchandise for that those few which are carried from the Indies into Spaine growe little there and multiply not and contrariwise the great number that have beene caried from Spaine to the Indies prosper wel multiplie greatly I know not whether I shall attribute it to the bounty of the plants that goe from hence or to the goodnesse of the soile that is there Finally there is at the Indies any good thing that Spaine brings foorth in some places it is better in some worse as wheate barley hearbes and all kindes of pulses also lettuce colewortes radishes onions garlike parsley turneps parseneps Becengenes or apples of love siccorie beetes spinage pease beanes vetches and finally whatsoever groweth heere of anie profite so as all that have voyaged thither have beene curious to carry seedes of all sorts and all have growen although diversly some more some lesse As for those trees that have most aboundantly fructified be orange trees limons citrons and others of that sort In some partes there are at this day as it were whole woods and forrests of orange trees the which seeming strange vnto mee I asked who had planted the fields with so many orange trees they made mee answer that it did come by chaunce for that oranges being fallen to the ground and rotten their seeds did spring and of those which the water had carried away into diverse partes these woods grew so thicke which seemed to me a very good reason I have saide that this fruite hath generally increased most at the Indies for that I have not beene in any place but I finde orange trees for that all their soyle is hote and moist which this tree most desires There growes not any vppon the Sierre or mountaine but they carry them from the vallies or sea coast The conserve of oranges which they do make at the Ilands is the best I have seene anie where peaches presses and apricockes have greatly multiplied especially in New Spaine At Peru there growes few of these kindes of fruites except peaches and much lesse in the Ilands There growes apples and peares yet but scarcely there are but few plumbs but aboundance of figges chiefly in Peru. They finde quinces in all the country of the Indies and in New Spaine in such aboundance as they gave vs fifty choice ones for halfe a riall There is great store of pomegranets but they are all sweete for the sharp are not there esteemed There are very good melons in some partes of Peru. Cherries both wilde and tame have not prospered well at the Indies the which I do not impute to want of temperature for that there is of all sorts but to carelesnesse or that they have not well observed the temperature To conclude I do not finde that in those partes there wants any dainty fruite As for grosse fruites they have no Beillottes nor chesnuttes neither doe I finde that any have growne there to this day Almonds growe there but rarely They carry from Spaine for such as are dainty mouthed both almonds nuttes and filberds but I have not knowne they had any medlers or servises which importes little In my iudgement this may suffice to shew that there wanteth no delightfull fruites Now let vs speake somewhat of plants that profit and which have been carried from Spaine and so will ende that Treatise beeing too troublesome Of grapes vignes olives mulberies and kanes of sugar CHAP. 32. I Meane by profitable plants those which besides that which they eate in the house bring silver to theyr maisters the chiefe of these is the vigne whereof commeth wine vinegar grapes greene and dry veriuyce and sirrope But the wine is the best There growes no wine nor grapes in the Ilandes nor firme land but in new Spaine there are some vignes which beare grapes and yet make no wine The cause is for that the grape ripens not well by reason of the raine that falles in the months of Iuly and August which hinders their ripening so as they serve onely to eate They carry wine out of Spaine and from the Canaries to all partes of the Indies except Peru and the realme of Chillé where there are vignes that yeelde excellent wine which increase daily both in quantity for that it is a great riches in that country and in beauty for that they are become with time and practise more expert vignerous The vignes of Peru are commonly in hote vallies where there are waters which they water with the hand because there falles no raine at all from heaven and vppon the Lanos and Sierre it comes not in time There are some places where the vignes are not watered neither from heaven nor earth and yet they increase in great aboundance as in the valley of Yca and in the ditches that they call VillacuZi in which places they finde ditches or th' earth suncke downe amongest the dead sands which are thorowout the yeare of a woonderfull coolenesse and yet it raines not there at any time neither is there any maner of meanes to water it artificially the reason is because the soile is spongious and suckes vp the water of the rivers that fall from the mountaine which moisten these sands or else it is the moistnesse of the sea as others suppose which passing over this sand is the cause why it is not barren nor vnprofitable as the Philosopher teaches The vignes have so increased there as for this cause onely the tithes of the Churches are multiplied five or sixe times double within these twentie yeares The most fertile vallies for vignes be Victor neare to Arequipa Yca in the territory of Lima and Caraguato in the Countrey of Chuquiavo they carry this wine to Potozi Cusco and divers partes which yeeldes a great revenue for notwithstanding all the aboundance they have a bottle or arobe is there woorth five or sixe duckats and if it be Spanish wine as they commonly carry in their fleetes it is woorth tenne or twelve They make wine like to that of Spaine in the realme of Chille being in the same climate but it corrupteth being carried to Peru they eate the grape where they cannot drink the wine And it is strange that in the citty of Cusco you shall finde ripe grapes all the yeare long the reason is as they say for that those valleis bring foorth fruits in diverse moneths of the yeare either for that they cutte their vignes in diverse seasons or that this varietie proceedes from the quality of the soyle but whatsoever it be it is most certaine there are some vallies which carry fruit all the yeare If
vnder the Equinoctiall line is sufficient to guide a ship 137 Alcos little dogges whereof the Indians are very carefull 301 Amarro Ingua put to death by the Spaniards in Cusco 481 Amber a kinde of physicall and sweet gumme 287 Almonds growing in Cocos 281 Almonds of Chacapoias helde for the rarest fruit in the world ibid. The Auntients could not make a determind voyage without the Compasse 57 Th'Antients went only with oares 60 Antient Doctors more studious of the Scriptures than of Philosophie â— Annona a fruit called by the Spaniards Almond butter by reason of some resemblance 278 Apopanaca the overseer of the Monasteries of women 367 Apachitas toppes of hilles that were worshipped 540 Arches in buildings vnknowne to the Indians 460 Aristotle not refuted by Lactantius as touching the place of the earth 22 Armes of the Mexicans 488 Army of the ayre foretelling a great ruine 561 Arte of warre much honoured by the Mexicans 488 Arte to know the Starres invented by the Phenicens 54 Ashes issuing in great aboundance out of the Vulcans 195 Advantage which the Christians had of the Indians to plant the faith there 389 S. Augustine doubts whether the heaven invirons the earth of all parts 3 Attire for the head very divers in sundry provinces at the Indies 467 Austeritie practised by the Indians to keepe themselves chaste 373 Axi a kinde of Indian pepper 168 B. BAllance wherein the Divell made the Iapponois confes themselves 401 Barkes at the Indies called Canoes 68 Battell without bloudshed made only for a ceremony at the yeelding of Tescuco 539 Balme of Palestina and that of the Indiâ—s very different 285 Bezars stone found in the stomacke of some beasts soveraigne against poison how it growes and which are the most excellent 323 Beasts carefully preserved by the Inguâ—s 464 Beasts worshipped by the Indians why 340 Beasts being venomous converted by divelish artes into good norishment 510 Beasts that are perfect cannot bee ingendred as those that are imperfect according to the order of nature 65 Beasts of sundry sorts at the Indies that are not in Europe 3â—7 Birds remaine willingly in the water and why 305 Birds some exceeding small others wonderfull great 309 Birds very profitable for the dung 311 Bisexte vnknowne to the Indians 437 Bochas and Suchâ—s notable fishes in the Lake of Titicaâ—a 170 Bâ—ncos the divelles Ministers at the Indies 370 Bridge of strawe very firme to passe over a swift streame 93 Brises and lower winds are two generall names which comprehend the windes of either side 132 Bodies being dead wonderfully well preserved 478 Burthen of the Indian sheepe and what iournies they make so laden 321 C CAcao a fruite much esteemed at the Indies serves them for mony 271 Cacavi bread made of a roote 257 Calibasses or Pompions at the Indies and of their greatnesse 264 Calculation of the Indians very witty and ready 456 Camey the second moneth of the Indians 412 Canes of sugar of great revenews 298 Canopus a star seene at the new world 16 Cap of Comorni sometimes called the promontory of Cory 37 Carthaginians did forbid the sayling to vnknowne lands and why 36 Care of the Mexicaines to teach their children their superstitious idolatry 486 Cattle in troupes without maisters in the Ilands of Cuba Iamaica and others 70 Cattle at the Indies killed onely for their hides ibid. Caymans or Lizards like vnto Crocodiles whereof Pliâ—ie speakes 165 Ceremony of the Mexicans in drawing bloud from divers parts 551 Ceremonies of the Indians in the buriall of their dead 348 Ceremonies at the sacrificing of men 382 Chachalmua the chiefe priests and their attire at their sacrifices ibid. Chasquis Indian posts that caried news to all places 452 Chica a drinke very wholesome for the backe 255 Chichimequas auntient Inhabitants of Nâ—w Spaine and of their barbarous life 501 Chicocapote a fruit like vnto mermelade 278 Chille a country of the same temperature with Spaine 87 Chinchilles small beasts that have exquisite skinnes 314 Chocholate the Indians drinke wherof they make great account 271 Cinabrium or vermilian called by the Indians Limpi 238 Coca a leafe which the Perusians vsed for money 210 Coca a small leafe whereof the Indians make great traffike it doth incourage and fortifie 271 Cocas Indian palmes and of their rare properties 280 Cochâ—nille a graine that growes vppon the Tunall trees 275 Colleges ordained at Mexico to teach their young children to pronounce Orations 447 Combate betwixt a Caymant and a Tyger 166 Comedies very ordinary in China 444 Combate betwixt an Indian and a Caymant 167 Comets in the ayre moove from East to Weast 137 Communion imitated by the slaves of Satan 393 Comparison to prove the naturall effect of raine in the burning zone 95 Crowne of the kings of Mexico like to that of the duke of Venice 518 Crimes punished with death by the Indians 469 Corriers at the Indies very swift being but footemen 452 Coya the Inguas chiefe wife whose son succeeded after the vncle 455 Crosse a notable starrâ— at the new found world 16 Crowning of the kings of Mexico perfourmed with great solemnitie and the shedding of much mans bloud 541 Covetousnes of a certaine priest thinking to drawe gold out of a vulcan 195 Councell of Lima dissolved the marriage betwixt brother and sister and why 471 Cotton growes vppon trees it serves to make linnen cloth 276 Colde in the burning zone makes Aristotles opinion ridiculous 101 Corage of men at the passage of Pongo 176 The Continent of lands is ioyned in some part or else it is very neere 68 Before the Creation there was neither time nor place a matter harde to imagine â—4 Crueltie of the Indians in their sacrifices 382 Cruell ceremony to sprinckle the Embassadours with bloud thinking thereby to have a better answer 571 Cu the great Temple of Mexico and the singularities thereof 361 Cugno a kinde of bread at the Indies made of rootes 186 Cuschargui a dried flesh which the Indians vsed 320 Cusco the auntient habitation of the kings of Peru. 128 D DAies and nights equall al the yeere vnder the liquinoctiall 83 Daies in summer very shorte at Peru. 103 Five Daies in the yeere superfluous wherein the Indians did nothing 434 Dancing and publike recreations necessary in every coÌ„mon-wealâ— 492 Dauncing in Mexâ—â—o where the King himselfe dâ—unced 489 Daâ—tes wilde beâ—sts almost like vnto moiles and of their skinnes 313 Dâ—luge pretended by the Indians whereof there is some likelâ—hood 79 Dâ—vision of the lands of Azcaâ—â—zalco after the victory obtained by â—scoalt 533 Discovery of the west Indies prophecied by Senecâ— 38 Discovery of new lands made more by tempest of weather than otherwise 62 Disseine of the Author 82 The Divell jealous against God and hates men mortally 329 The Divell didde speake in the Indies Guacas or Oratories 351 Difference of letters pictures characters 439 Difficultie to know whence the Indians come for that they have vsed no letters 79
vttermost bounds of the earth And in another place they say that the Gospell did flourish and increase through the vniversall world For the holy Scripture by an vsuall phrase calleth all the worlde that which is the greatest part thereof and was at that time discovered and knowne And the Ancients were ignorant that the East Indian Sea and that of the West were navigable wherin they have generally agreed By reason whereof Plinie writes as a certaine trueth that the seas which are betwixt two lands takes from vs a iust moitie of the habitable earth For saith he we cannot passe thither neyther they come hither Finally Tullie Macrobius Pomponius Mela and the ancient Writers hold the same opinion Of Aristotles opinion touching the new Worlde and what abused him to make him deny it CHAP. 9. BEsides all the former reasons there was yet an other which mooved the Ancients to beleeve it to be impossible for men to passe to this new world the which they held for that besides the vastnesse of the great Ocean the heate of that Region which they call the burning Zone was so excessive as it would not suffer any man how venturous or laborious so-ever to passe by sea or land from one Pole to an other For although these Philosophers have themselves affirmed that the earth was round as in effect it is and that vnder the 2. Poles there was habitable land yet could they not conceyve that the Region containing all that lyeth betwixt the two Tropickes which is the greatest of the five Zones or Regions by the which the Cosmographers and Astrologers divide the Worlde might be inhabited by man The reason they give to maintaine this Zone to be inhabitable was for the heat of the Sunne which makes his course directly over this Region and approcheth so neere as it is set on fire and so by consequence causeth a want of waters and pastures Aristotle was of this opinion who although he were a great Philosopher yet was hee deceyved in this poynt for the cleering whereof it shall be good to observe his reasons and to note wherein he hath discoursed well and wherein he hath erred This Philosopher makes a question of the Meridionall or Southerne winde whether wee should beleeve it takes his beginning from the South or from the other Pole contrary to the North and writes in these termes Reason teacheth vs that the latitude and largenesse of the habitable earth hath her boundes and limits and yet all this habitable earth cannot bee vnited and ioyned one to the other by reason the middle Region is so intemperate For it is certaine that in her longitude which is from East to West there is no immoderate cold nor heate but in her latitude and heigth which is from the Pole to the Equinoctiall Line So as we may well passe the whole earth in her longitude if the greatnesse of the Sea which ioynes lands together were no hinderance Hitherto there is no contradicting of Aristotle who hath great reason to affirme that the earth in her longitude which is from East to West runnes more equally is more proper for the life and habitation of man then in her latitude from North to South The which is true not onely for this foresaid reason of Aristotle that there is alwayes one temperature of the Heavens from East to West being equally distant both from the Northerne colde and the Southerne heate But also for an other reason for that travelling alwayes in longitude we see the dayes and nights succed one another by course the which falleth not out going in her latitude for of necessitie wee must come to that Region vnder the Pole whereas there is continuall night for sixe Moneths a very inconvenient thing for the life of man The Philosopher passeth on further râ—prooving the Geographers which described the earth in his time and saith thus Wee may discerne the trueth of that which I have sayd by the passages which may be made by land and the navigations by sea for there is a great difference betwixt the longitude and the latitude for the distance from the pillars of Hercules at the Straight of Gibraltar vnto the East Indies exceeds the proportion of above five to three the passage which is from Ethiopia to the lake of Meotis in the farthest confines of Scythia the which is confirmed by the account of iourneyes by land by sayling as we do now know by experience we have also knowledge of the habitable earth even vnto those partes which are inhabitable And truely in this point wee must pardon Aristotle seeing that in his time they had not discovered beyond the first Ethiopia called the exterior ioyning to Arabia and Affricke the other Ethiopia being wholy vnknowne in his age Yea all that great Land which we now call the Land of Prete Ian neyther had they any knowledge of the rest that lyes vnder the Equinoctiall and runnes beyond the Tropicke of Capricorne vnto the Cape of good Hope so famous and well knowne by the navigation of Portugals so as if wee measure the Land from this Cape vnto Scythia and Tartaria there is no doubt but this distance and latitude will proove as great as the longitude which is from Gibraltar vnto the East Indies It is certaine the Ancients had no knowledge of the springs of Nilus nor of the ende of Ethiopia and therefore Lucan reprooves the curiositie of Iulius Caesar searching out the springs of Nilus in these verses O Romaine what availes thee so much travell In search of Niles first source thy selfe to gravell And the same Poet speaking to Nile sayth Since thy first source is yet so vnrevealed Nile what thou art is from the world concealed But by the holy scripture we may conceive that this land is habitable for if it were not the Prophet Sophonias would not say speaking of these nations called to the Gospell The children of my dispersed so he calleth the Apostles shall bring me presents from beyond the bancks of Ethiopia Yet as I have said there is reason to pardon the Philosopher who beleeved the writers and Cosmographers of his time Let vs continue and examine what followes of the same Aristotle One part of the world saith he which lieth towards the North beyond the temperate zone is inhabitable for the exceeding cold the other part vpon the South is likewise inhabitable beyond the Tropicke for the extreame heate But the partes of the world lying beyond India on the one side and the pillers of Hercules on the other without doubt cannot bee ioyned and continued one with the other so as all the habitable earth is not conteined in one continent by reason of the sea which divides it In this last point he speakes truth then hee continues touching the other partes of the world saying It is necessarie the earth should have the same proportion with the Pole Antarticke as this our part which is habitable hath with the North and there
Philosophie worthy of accoumpt The greatest part of Platoes Interpreters affirme that it is a true Historie whatsoever Critias reports of the strange beginning of the Atlantike Iland of the greatnes thereof of the warres they had against them of Europe with many other things That which gives it the more credite of a true Historie be the wordes of Critias whom Plato brings in in his time saying that the subiect he meanes to treate of is of strange things but yet true The other disciples of Plato considering that this discourse hath more shew of a fable then of a true Historie say that we must take it as an allegorie and that such was the intention of their divine Philosopher Of this opinion is Procles and Porphire yea and Origene who so much regardes the writings of Plato as when they speake thereof they seeme to bee the bookes of Moses or of Esdras and whereas they thinke the writings of Plato have no shew of truth they say they are to be vnderstood mystically and in allegories But to say the truth I do not so much respect the authoritie of Plato whom they call Divine as I wil beleeve he could write these things of the Atlantike Iland for a true Historie the which are but meere fables seeing hee confesseth that hee learned them of Critias being a little childe who among other songs sung that of the Atlantike Iland But whether that Plato did write it for a true Historie or a fable for my part I beleeve that all which he hath written of this Iland beginning at the Dialogue of Time and continuing to that of Critias cannot be held for true but among children and old folkes Who will not accoumpt it a fable to say that Neptune fell in love with Clite and had of her five paire of twinnes at one birth And that out of one mountaine hee drew three round balles of water and two of earth which did so well resemble as you would have iudged them all one bowell What shall wee say moreover of that Temple of a thousand pace long and five hundred broade whose walles without were all covered with silver the seeling of gold and within ivorie indented and inlaied with gold silver and pearle In the end speaking of the ruine thereof he concludes thus in his time In one day and one night came a great deluge whereby all our souldiers were swallowed by heapes within the earth and in this sort the Atlantike Iland being drowned it vanished in the Sea Without doubt it fell out happily that this Iland vanished so suddenly seeing it was bigger then Asia and Affrike and that it was made by enchantment It is in likesort all one to say that the ruines of this so great an Iland are seene in the bottome of the sea and that the Mariners which see them cannot saile that way Then he addes For this cause vnto this day that Sea is not navigable by reason of the bancke which by little little is growne in that drowned Iland I would willingly demand what Sea could swallow vp so infinite a continent of land greater then Asia and Affrike whose confines stretched vnto the Indies and to swallow it vp in such sort as there should at this day remaine no signes nor markes thereof whatsoever seeing it is well knowne by experience that the Mariners finde no bottome in the Sea where they say this Iland was Notwithstanding it may seeme indiscreete and farre from reason to dispute seriously of those things which are reported at pleasure or if we shall give that respect to the authoritie of Plato as it is reason we must rather vnderstand them to signifie simply as in a picture the prosperitie of a Citie and withall the ruine thereof For the argument they make to prove that this Atlantike Iland hath bene really and indeede saying that the sea in those parts doth at this day beare the name of Atlantike is of small importance for that wee knowe Mount Atlas whereof Plinie sayes this sea tooke the name is vpon the confines of the Mediterranean Sea And the same Plinie reportes that ioyning to the said Mount there is an Iland called Atlantike which he reportes to be little and of small accompt That the opinion of many which holde that the first race of the Indians comes from the Iewes is not true CHAP. 23. NOw that wee have shewed how vnlikely it is that the first Indians passed to the Indies by the Atlantike Iland there are others holde opinion that they tooke the way whereof Esdras speakes in his fourth booke in this manner And whereas thou sawest that he gathered an other peaceable troope vnto him thou shalt know those are the ten tribes which were caried away captives out of their own land in the time of king Ozeas whom Salmanazar king of the Assyrians tooke captives and ledde them beyond the river so were they brought into an other land but they tooke this counsell to themselves to leave the multitude of the heathen and go forth into a farther countrie where never mankind dwelt that they might there observe their statutes which they could not keepe in their owne land and they entred by the narrowe passages of the river Euphrates for then God shewed his wonders and stayed the springs of the flood vntill they were passed over for the way vnto that Countrie is very long yea of a yeere and a halfe and this Region is called Arsareth then dwelt they there vntill the latter time and when they come forth againe the most Mightie shall hold still the springs of the river againe that they may goe through for this cause sawest thou this multitude peaceable Some will apply this text of Esdras to the Indies saying they were guided by God whereas never mankinde dwelt and that the land where they dwelt is so farre off as it requires a yeere and a halfe to performe the voyage beeing by nature very peaceable And that there are great signes and arguments amongst the common sort of the Indians to breed a beleefe that they are descended from the Iewes for commonly you shall see them fearefull submisse ceremonious and subtill in lying And moreover they say their habites are like vnto those the Iewes vsed for they weare a short coat or waste-coat and a cloake imbroidered all about they goe bare-footed or with soles tied with latchers over the foot which they call Oiotas And they say that it appeares by their Histories as also by their ancient pictures which represent them in this fashion that this attire was the ancient habite of the Hebrewes and that these two kinds of garments which the Indians onely vse were vsed by Samson which the Scripture calleth Tunicam and Sidonem beeing the same which the Indians terme wast-coat and cloake But all these coniectures are light and rather against them then with them for wee know well that the Hebrewes vsed letters whereof there is no shew among the Indians they were great
steede whereof they vse counting with their Quipocamayes the which is peculiar vnto them But which reckoning all they can report is not past 400. yeeres Instructing my selfe carefully of them to know from what land and what nation they passed to that where they â—ow live I have found them so farre vnable to give any reason thereof as they beleeve confidently that they were created at their first beginning at this new world where they now dwell But we have freed them of this error by our faith which teacheth vs that all men came from the first man There are great and apparant coniectures that these men for a long time had neither Kings nor common weales but lived in troupes as they do at this day in Florida the Chiriquanas those of Bresill and many other nations which have no certaine Kings but as occasion is offered in peace or warre they choose their Captaines as they please But some men excelling others in force and wit began in time to rule and domineere as Nembroth did so increasing by little and little they erected the kingdomes of Peru and Mexico which our Spaniards found and although they were barbarous yet did they farre surpasse all the other Indians Behold how the foresaid reason doth teach vs that the Indians began to multiply for the most part by savage men and fugitives which may suffice touching the beginning of these men we speake of leaving the rest vntill we treate of their Historie more at large THE SECOND BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That it is not out of purpose but necessarie to treate of the 〈…〉 CHAP. 1. FOR the well conceiving of things at the Indies it is necessarie to know the nature and disposition of that Region which the Ancients did call the burning Zone the which they held inhabitable seeing the greatest part of this new world which hath bin of late discovered lies and is scituate vnder this region in the midst of heaven And it seemes to me greatly to purpose which some do say that the knowledge of things at the Indies depends of the well vnderstanding the nature of the Equinoctiall for that the difference which is betwixt the one and the other world proceeds in a maner from the qualities of this Equinoctiall And we must note that all the space betwixt the two Tropickes must be properly taken and held for this middle line which is the Equinoctiall so called for that the Sunne running his course therein makes the daies nights even throughout the world yea they that dwell vnder this line inioy throughout the yeare the same equalitie of daies and nights In this Equinoctiall line we finde so many admirable qualities that with great reason mans vnderstanding doth studie and labour to search out the causes not moved therevnto so much by the doctrine of ancient Philosophers as by reason and certaine experience For what reason the Ancients held that the burning Zone was inhabitable CHAP. 2. EXamining this subiect from the beginning no man can denie that which we plainely see that the Sunne when it drawes neere doth heate and when it retyres groweth cold The daies and nightes with the Winter and Summer be witnesses heereof whose varietie with the heate and cold growes by the neerenes and distance of the Sunne Moreover it is certaine the more the Sunne approacheth and casteth his beames prependicularly the more the earth is scorched and burnt the which we see plainely in the heate of the South and in the force of Summer whereby we may iudge in my opinion that the farther a Countrie is distant from the course of the Sunne the more cold it is So we finde by experience that the Countries and Regions which approach neerest to the North are coldest and contrariwise those that lie neere the Zodiake where the Sunne keepes his course are most hot For this cause Ethiopia passeth Affrike and Barbarie in heate Barbarie exceedes Andalousia Andalousia Castile and Arragon surpasse Biscaie and Fraunce And the more they decline to the North the colder they are and so by consequence those which approach neerest to the Sunne and are beaten perpendicularly with his beames they do most feele the heate thereof Some vrge another reason to this effect which is that the motion of the heaven is very â—odaine and light towards the Tropikes but neere the Poles it is slow and heavie whereby they conclude that the region which the Zodiake circles and conteines is set on fire with heate for three causes and reasons the one for the neerenes of the Sunne the other for that his beames reflect directly and the third for that it doth participate and feele this swift and sodaine motion of the heaven See what reason and discourse teacheth vs touching the cause of heat and cold vpon the regions of the earth But what shall we say of the two other qualities wet and drie Even the same For the drought seemes to grow by the neerenes of the Sunne and moistnes being retired farre off for that the night being colder then the day is likewise more moist and the day which is drier is also hotter Winter whilst the Sun runnes his course farther off is more cold and rainie and Summer when the Sunne is neere is more hotte and drie for even as the fire hath the propertie to parch and burne so hath it to drie vp the moistnes These things therefore considered Aristotle and other Philosophers attribute vnto the regions of the South which they call burning an excessive heat and a drouth likewise And therefore they said this region is wonderfully scorched and drie so by consequence hath neither waters nor pastures whereby of necessitie it must be contrarie and vnfit for mans life That the burning Zone is very moist contrary to the opinion of the Ancients CHAP. 3. ALl that we have propounded seemes vndoubtedly true and to purpose and yet the conclusion they would draw from it is directly false for that the Region of the South which they call the burning Zone is peopled and inhabited by men and wee our selves have stayed long there beeing very commodious pleasant and agreeable If therefore it be so as we cannot denie it that from a true proposition we cannot draw a false conclusion and yet this conclusion should be false as indeed it is we must of necessitie returne backe the same way to examine this proposition more strictly whence the error should proceede we will first shew the trueth as assured experience doth teach vs then will we proove it although it be verie difficult and will endevour to give a reaâ—on following the termes of Philosophie The last point that wee propounded that the drought is greatest whenas the Sunne is neerest to the earth seemeth certaine and infallible and yet it is very false fâ—r there is never greater aboundance of raine in the burning Zone then whenas the Sunne goeth directly over them and is very neere Truely it is an admirable
that some are invironed with heat some with cold and others tempered with a moderate heat Plato placeth his most renowmed Atlantike Iland vnder the burning Zone then he saieth that at certaine seasons of the yeere it hath the sunne for Zenith and yet it was very temperate fruitfull and rich Plinie saieth that Taprobana which at this day they call Sumatra is vnder the Equinoctiall as in effect it is writing that it is not onely happie and rich but also peopled with men and beasts whereby we may easily iudge that although the Ancients held the heate of the burning Zone to be insupportable yet might they well vnderstand that it was not so great as they had spoken The most excellent Astrologer and Cosmographer Ptolome and the worthie Philosopher and Physitian Avicen were of a better resolution being both of opinion that vnder the Equinoctiall there were verie commodious habitations That the heat of the burning Zone is temperate by reason of the rayne and the shortnes of the dayes CHAP. 10. SInce the discoverie of this newe worlde wee have found by experience that which late Writers have held for trueth But it is a naturall thing whenas any matter beyond our conceit is made knowne vnto vs by experience we by and by examine the cause Therefore wee desire to know the reason why a Region where the sunne approacheth neerest is not onely temperate but in many parts cold Considering this matter generally I finde two general causes which maketh this Region temperate the one is that before mentioned for that this Region is very moist and subiect to raine and there is no doubt but the rayne doth refresh it for that the water is by nature cold and although by the force of the fire it be made hotte yet doth it temper this heat proceeding onely from the sunne-beames The which we see by experience in the inner Arabia the which is burnt with the Sunne having no showres to temper the violence thereof The clouds and mists are the cause that the sunne offends not so much and the showers that fall from them refresh both the ayre and the earth and moisten likewise how hot soever it be They drinke raine water and it quencheth the thirst as our men have well tried having no other to drinke So as reason and experience doth teach vs that raine of it selfe doth temper the heat and having by this meanes shewed that the burning Zone is much subiect vnto raine it appeares that there is matter in it to temper the violence of the heat To this I will adde an other reason which deserves to be knowne not only for this matter but for many others for although the Sunne be very hotte and burning vnder the Equinoctiall yet is it not long so as the heate of the day being there shorter and of lesse continuance it causeth not so violent a heate the which it behooves to specifie more particularly Such as are practised in the knowledge of the Spheare teach very well that the more the Zodiake is oblique and traversing our Hemisphere the more vnequall are the daies and nights and contrariwise where the sphere is straight and the signes mount directly there the dayes and nights are equalâ— And therefore in all that Region which is betweene the two Tropicks there is lesse inequality then without them and the more we approch the Line the lesse inequalitie we finde the which we have tryed in those parts Those of Quitto for that they are vnder the line have not throughout the whole yeere the dayes and nights more short at one season then at an other but are continually equall Those of Lima beeing distant almost twelve degrees finde some difference betwixt the dayes and the nights but very little for that in December and Ianuarie the dayes increase an houre or little lesse Those of PotoZi finde much more difference both in winter and in summer being almost vnder the Tropicke But those that live without the Tropikes find the dayes in winter shorter and in summer longer the more remote they are from the Equinoctial and come neere the Pole as we see in Germany and in England the daies are longer in summer then in Italie and in Spaine It is a thing which the Sphere doth teach and experience doth plainely shew vs. We must adde an other proposition which is likewise true and very considerable for all the effectes of nature to vnderstand the perseverance and continuation of the efficient cause to worke and moove This presupposed if any one demaund of me why vnder the Equinoctiall Line the heat is not so violent in summer as in some other Regions as in Andelousiae in the moneths of Iuly and August I will answere that in Andelousia the dayes are longer and the nights shorter and as the day being hot inflames and causeth heat so the nights being cold and moist give a refreshing According to the which at Peru there is no such great heat for that the dayes in summer are not long nor the nights short so as the heate of the day is much tempered by the freshnesse of the night And although the burning Zone be neerer the Sunne then all other Regions yet doth not the heate continue there so long It is a naturall thing that a small fire continued heats more then a greater that lastes but little especially if there bee any thing to refresh it He therefore that shal put these two properties of the Zone in one ballance that it is most rainie in the time of greatest heate and that the dayes are shortest there he shall perchance finde them to equall the other two contrarieties which bee that the Sunne is neerer and more directly over them then in other Regions That there be other reasons besides the former mentioned which shew that the burning Zone is temperate especially alongst the Ocean CHAP. 11. BEing a thing concluded that the two forenamed properties are common and vniversal to all the region of the burning Zone and yet in the same there are found some places very hote and other exceeding colde Also that the temperature is not there equall in all places but vnder one climate one part is hote another colde and the third temperate all at one season we are forced to seeke out other reasons whence this great diversitie should proceede in the burning Zone Discoursing therefore vpon this question I do finde threeapparant and certaine causes and a fourth more obscure and darke The apparant and certaine causes be The first is the Ocean the second the scituation of the land and the third the nature and propertie of many and sundry windes Besides these three which I holde for manifest I beleeve there is a fourth hidden and lesse apparant which is the propertie of the same land inhabited and the particular influence of the heavens Whoso woulde neerely consider the causes and generall reasons before mentioned shall finde them insufficient for the full resolution of this point observing that
doth teach vs. But whether it be so or otherwise for I will not contradict Aristotle but in that which is most certaine in the end they agree all that the middle region of the ayre is colder than the lowest next to the earth as experience dooth shew vs seeing that in this middle region are congealed snowe haile frosts and other signes of extreame colde The middle region then which they call the burning Zone having on the one side the sea and on the other the mountaines we must hold them for sufficient causes to temper and coole the heate That the colde windes be the principall cause to make the burning Zone temperate CHAH. 13. THe temperature of this region ought chiefly to be attributed to the property of the wind that blows in that country the which is pleasant and fresh The providence of the great God Creator of al things hath bin such as he hath ordained fresh and coole windes in that region where the sunne makes his course which seemes should be burnt vp that by their coolenes the excessive heate of the sunne might be qualified And they are not farre from apparance of reason which held that the earthly Paradise was vnder the Equinoctiall If they had not deceived themselves in the cause of their opinion saying that the equalitie of the dayes and nights was sufficient of it selfe to make that Zone temperate to which opinion many others have beene opposite of which number was that renowmed Poet saying That coast incessantly by hotte beames tyred Of Phoebus who from thence never retyred The coolenesse of the night then is not sufficient to moderate and to correct the violent heate of the Sunne but rather this burning Zone receives so sweet a temperature by the benefite of the fresh and pleasant aire as notwithstanding it were held by the Ancients to be more hotte then a burning furnace yet those which inhabite there take it for a delightfull spring It appeares by arguments and very apparant reasons that the cause heereof consistes principally in the qualitie of the winde We see in one climate some regions and Citties hotter then others onely for that they feele lesse winde to refresh them The like is in other Countries where no winde blowes the which are all on fire like vnto a furnace There are many of these Villages and Townes in Bresill Ethiopia and Paraguen as every one knoweth and that which is more considerable wee see these differences not only on the Land but also on the Sea there are some seas where they feele great heat as they report of that of Mozambigus and Ormus in the East and of the Sea of Panama in the West the which for this reason engenders and brings forth great Lizards called Cayamans as also in the sea of Bresill There are other seas in the same degree of height very colde as that of Peru in the which wee were a cold as I have said before when we first sailed it which was in March when the Sunne was directly over vs. In truth on this continent where the land and sea are of one sort wee cannot imagine any other cause of this so great a difference but the qualitie of the winde which doth refresh them If wee shall neerely looke into the consideration of the winde whereof we have spoken wee may resolve many doubts which some obiect and which seeme strange and wonderfull wherefore the Sunne casting his beames vppon the burning Zone and particularly at Peru and that more violently then in Spaine in the Canicular daies yet they defend the heat with a light covering so as with a slender covering of mats or straw they are better preserved from the heate then in Spaine vnder a roofe of wood or a vault of stone Moreover why are not the nightes in summer at Peru as hotte and troublesome as in Spaine Wherefore on the highest tops of mountaines even amongst the heaps of snow you shall sometimes feele great and insupportable heat Wherefore in all the Province of Colao when ye come into the shade how little soever you feele cold But comming into the Sunne beames you presently finde the heate excessive Why is all the coast of Peru being ful of sands very temperate And why is Potozi distant from the silver Citie but eighteene leagues and in the same degree of so divers a temperature that the Countrie being extreamely colde it is wonderfully barren and drie And contrariwise the silver Citie is temperate inclining vnto heat and hath a pleasant and fertil soile It is more certaine that the winde is the principall cause of these strange diversities for without the benefite of these coole windes the heate of the Sunne is such as although it bee in the midst of the snow it burnes and sets all on fire but when the coolenes of the aire returnes suddenly the heat is qualified how great soever it be and whereas this coole winde raines ordinarie it keepes the grosse vapours and exhalations of the earth from gathering together which cause a heavie and troublesome heat whereof we see the contrarie in Europe for by the exhalation of these vapours the earth is almost burnt vp with the Sunne by day which makes the nights so hotte and troublesome as the aire doth often seeme like vnto a furnace for this reason at Peru this freshnes of the winde is the cause by the meanes of some small shade at the Sunnesetting that they remaine coole But contrariwise in Europe the most agreeable and pleasing time in summer is the morning and the evening is the most hotte and troublesome But at Peru and vnder all the Equinoctiall it is not so for every morning the winde from the sea doth cease and the Sunne beginnes to cast his beames and for this reason they feele the greatest heat in the morning vntill the returne of the same windes which otherwise they call the tide or winde of the sea which makes them first to feele cold We have tried al this whilst we were at the Ilands of Barlovante where in the mornings we did sweat for heat and at noone we felt a fresh aire for that then a North-easterly wind which is fresh and coole doth commonly blow That they which inhabite vnder the Equinoctiall live a sweete and pleasant life CHAP. 14. IF those which have held opinion that the earthly Paradise was vnder the Equinoctiall had beene guided by this discourse they had not seemed altogether deceived not that I will conclude that the delightfull Paradice whereof the Scripture speakes was in that place which were too great a temeritie to affirme it for certaine But I may well say if there be any Paradice on earth it ought to bee placed whereas they inioy a sweete and quiet temperature for there is nothing more troublesome or repugnant to mans life then to live vnder a heaven or aire that is contrarie troublesome or sicklie as there is nothing more agreeable then to inioy a heaven that is sound sweet
which is Southest and Southwest which is a very triviall thing common to them that saile And therefore it is not needefull to explaine them heere but to signifie that the side-windes of the right East are those which commonly blow to the burning Zone which they doe call Brises and those from the South declining to the Weast which serve to saile from Weast to East are not common in the burning Zone and therefore they seeke them without the tropikes and the Indian Mariners commonly call them lower windes or Vents dábas What is the reason why sailing vâ—der the burning Zone we finde alwayes Easterly windes CHAP. 6. LEt vs now speake of that which toucheth the Question propounded what should be the reason whie vnder the burning Zone wee saile easily from East to Weast and not contrary wherein we must presuppose two certaine groundes The one is that the motion of the first moover which they call Diurnall not onâ—lie drawes and mooves with him the celestiall spheares which are inferiour vnto him as wee see daily in the sunne the moone and the starres but also the Elements do participate of this motion insomuch as they are not hindered The earth is not mooved by reason of her heavinesse which makes it immooveable being far from this first motor The element of water moves not likewise with this Diurnall motion for that it is vnited to the earth and make one sphere so as the earth keeps it from all circular motion But th' other two elements of fire aire are more subtil and neerer the heavenly regions so as they participate of their motion and are driven about circularly as the same celestial bodies As for the fire without doubt it hath his sphere as Aristotle and other Philosophers have held but for the aire which is no point of our subiect it is most certaine that it mooves with a motion diurnall which is from East to Weast which we see plainely in Comets that moove from the East vnto the Weast mounting descending and finally turning in the hemispheare in the same sort as the Starres move in the firmament for otherwise these Comets being in the region sphere of the aire whereas they ingender appeares consum'd It should be impossible for them to moove circularly as they doe if the element of the aire doth not moove with the same motion that the first motor dooth For these elements being of a burning substance by reason they should be fixt without mooving circularly if the sphere where they are did not moove if it be not as we faine that some Angell or intellectuall Spirite dooth walke with the Comet guiding it circularly In the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred seaventy and seaven appeered that wonderfull Comet in forme like vnto a feather from the horizon almost to the middest of heaven and continued from the first of November vntill the eight of December I say from the first of November for although in Spaine it was noted but the ninth of November according to the testimony of Writers of that time yet at Peru where I was then I remember well we did see it and observe it eight dayes before and all the time after Touching the cause of this diversity some may dilate vpon it particularly I will onely shew that during those fourtie dayes which it continued we all observed both such as were in Spaine and we that lived then at the Indies that it mooved daily with an vniversall motion from East to Weast as the Moone and other Planets wherby it appeeres that the sphere of the aire being its Region the element it selfe must of necessitie moove after the same sort We noted also that besides this vniversall motion it had an other particular by which it moved with the planets fro west to east for every night it turned more Eastward like vnto the Moone Sunne and Planet of Venus Wee did also observe a third particular motion whereby it mooved from the zodiacke towards the North for after some nights it was found neerer vnto the Septentrionall signes And it may be this was the reason why the great Comet was sooner seene by those that were southerly as at Peru and later discovered by them of Europe for by this third motion as I have saide it approached neerer the Northerne Regions Yet every one may well observe the differences of this motion so as wee may well perceive that many and sundry celestiall bodies give their impressions to the sphere of the aire In like sorte it is most certaine that the ayre mooves with the circular motion of the heaven from Est to West which is the first ground before mentioned The second is no lesse certaine the which is that the motion of the aire in those parts that are vnder the Line or neere vnto it is very swift and light the more it approacheth to the Equinoctiall but the farther off it is from the Line approching neere the Poles the more slowe and heavie this motion is The reason heereof is manifest for that the mooving of the celestiall bodies being the efficient cause of the mooving of the ayre it must of necessitie be more quicke and light where the celestiall bodies have their swiftest motion To labour to shew the reason why the heaven hath a quicker motion vnder the burning Zone which is the Line then in any other part of the heaven were to make small account of men seeing it is easie to see in a wheele that its motion is more slowe and heavy in the part of greatest circumference then in the lesse and that the greater circumference ends at one instant with the lesser From these two grounds proceedes the reason where such as saile great gulphs from east to west doe alwayes finde the winde in their powpe going in a small altitude and the neerer they come to the Equinoctiall the more certaine and durable the winde is And contrariwise sailing from west to east they always finde the winde contrary for that the swift motion of the Equinoctiall drawes after it the element of the aire as it doth the surplus of the higher spheares So as the aire dooth alwayes follow the motion of the day Going from east to weast without any alteration and the motion of the aire being swift draweth after it all the vapours and exhalations which rise from the sea which causeth in those Regions a continuall easterly winde which runnes from the Levant Father Alonso Sanches a religious man and of our company who hath travelled the east and west Indies as a man ingenious and of experience said that sailing vnder the Line or neere vnto it with a continued and durable season it seemed to him to be the same aire mooved by the heaven the which guided the ships and was not properly a winde nor exhalation but an aire moved with the daily course of the sunne for proofe whereof he shewed that the season is alwayes equall and alike at the gulph of Danees and in
them Their water is very cleere and breedes little store of fish and that little is very small by reason of the cold which is there Continually Notwithstanding some of these Lakes be very hote which is another wonder At the end of the vallie of Tarapaya neere to Potozi there is a Lake in forme round which seemes to have been made by compasse whose water is extreamely hote and yet the land is very colde they are accustomed to bathe themselves neere the banke for else they cannot indure the heate being farther in In the midst of this Lake there is a boiling of above twenty foote square which is the very spring and yet notwithstanding the greatnes of this spring it is never seene to increase in any sort it seemes that it exhales of it selfe or that it hath some hidden and vnknowne issue neither do they see it decrease which is another wonder although they have drawne from it a great streame to make certaine engines grinde for mettall considering the great quantity of water that issueth forth by reason whereof it should decrease But leaving Peru and passing to new Spaine the Lakes there are no lesse to be observed especially that most famous of Mexico where we finde two sortes of waters one salt Lake to that of the sea and the other cleere and sweete by reason of the rivers that enter into it In the midst of this Lake is a rocke verie delightfull and pleasant where there are baths of hote water that issue forth the which they greatly esteeme for their health There are gardinsÌ„ in the middest of this Lake framed and fleeting vpon the water where you may see plottes full of a thousand sortes of hearbes and flowers and they are in such sort as a man cannot well conceive them without sight The Citie of Mexico is seated in the same Lake although the Spaniards have filled vp the place of the scituation with earth leaving onely some currents of water great and small which enter into the Citie to carrie such things as they have neede of as wood hearbes stone fruites of the countrie and all other things When Cortez conquered Mexico he caused Brigandins to be made yet afterwards he thought it more safe not to vse them therfore they vse Canoes whereof there is great store There is great store of fish in this Lake yet have I not seene any of price notwithstanding they say the revenue of this Lake is worth three hundred thousand duckets a yeere There are many other Lakes not far from this whence they bring much fish to Mexico The Province of Mechovacan is so called for that it aboundeth greatly with fish There are goodly and great Lakes in the which there is much fish and this Province is coole and healthfull There are many other Lakes whereof it is not possible to make mention nor to know them in particular onely we may note by that which hath beene discoursed in the former booke that vnder the burning Zone there is greater abundance of Lakes then in any other parte of the world and so by that which we have formerly spoken and the little we shall say of rivers and fountaines we will end this discourse of Waters Of many and divers Springs and Fountaines CHAP. 17. THere is at the Indies as in other parts of the world great diversitie of Springs Fountaines and Rivers and some have strange properties In Guancavilica of Peru where the mines of quick-silver be there is a Fountaine that casts forth hote water and in running the water turnes to rocke of which rocke or stone they build in a mauer all the houses of the Village This stone is soft and easie to cutte for they cut it as easily with yron as if it were wood it is light and lasting If men or beasts drinke thereof they die for that it congeales in the very entrailes and turnes into stone and for that cause some horses have died As this water turnes into stone the which flowes stoppes the passage to the rest so as of necessitie it changeth the course and for this reason it runnes in divers places as the rocke increaseth At the point of Cape S. Helaine there is a spring or fountaine of pitch which at Peru they call Coppey This should be like to that which the Scripture speakes of the savage valley where they did finde pits of pitch The Mariners vse these fountaines of pitch or Coppey to pitch their ropes and tackling for that it serves them as pitch and tarre in Spaine When I sailed into new Spaine by the coast of Peru the Pilot shewed me an Iland which they call the I le of Wolves where there is another fountaine or pit of Coppey or pitch with the which they anoint their tackling There are other fountaines and springs of Goultran rozen which the Pilot an excellent man in his charge tolde me he had seene and that sometimes sailing that waies being so farre into the sea as he had lost the sight of land yet did he know by the smell of the Coppey where he was as well as if he had knowne the land such is the savour that issues continually from that fountaine At the baths which they call the baths of Ingua there is a course of water which comes forth all hote and boiling and ioyning vnto it there is another whose water is as cold as ice The Ingua was accustomed to temper the one with the other it is a wonderfull thing to see springs of so contrarie qualities so neere one to the other There are an infinit number of other hote springs specially in the Province of Charcas in the water whereof you cannot indure to hold your hand the space of an Ave Maria as I have seene tried by wager In a farme neere to Cusco springs a fountain of salt which as it runs turns into salt very white exceeding good the which if it were in another countrie were no small riches yet they make very small accoumpt thereof for the store they have there The waters which runne in Guayaquel which is in Peru almost vnder the Equinoctiall line are held to be healthfull for the French disease and other such like so as they come from many places farre off to be cured And they say the cause thereof is for that in that Countrie there is great aboundance of rootes which they call Sallepareille the vertue and operation whereof is so knowne that it communicates her propertie to the waters wherein it is put to cure this disease Bilcanota is a mountaine the which according to common opinion is in the highest part of Peru the toppe whereof is all covered with snow and in some places is blacke like coale There issueth forth of it two springs in contrarie places which presently growe to be very great bâ—rookes and so by little and little become great flouds the one goes to Calloa into the great Lake Titicaca the other goes to the lands and is that which they call
the kingdome of Chille and that of Grenade and yet none of these kingdomes is Peru but onely that parte which lies to the South beginning at the kingdome of Quitto which is vnder the Line and runnes in length to the realme of Chille the which is without the Tropickes which were sixe hundred leagues in length and in breadth it containes no more then the mountaines which is fiftie common leagues although in some places as at Chachapayas it be broader This parte of the world which we call Peru is very remarkeable and containes in it strange properties which serveth as an exception to the generall rule of the Indies The first is that vpon all that coast it blowes continually with one onely winde which is South and Southweast contrary to that which dooth vsually blow vnder the burning Zone The second is that this winde being by nature the most violent tempestuous and vnhealthfull of all others yet in this region it is marvellous pleasing healthful and agreeable so as we may attribute the habitation of that part therevnto without the which it would be troublesome and inhabitable by reason of the heate if it were not refreshed with the winde The third propertie is that it never raines thunders snowes nor hailes in all this coast which is a matter worthy of admiration Fourthly that alittle distance from the coast it raines and snowes terribly Fiftly that there are two ridges of mountaines which runne the one as the other and in one altitude notwithstanding on the one there are great forrests and it raines the greatest part of the yeere being very hote and the other is all naked and bare and very colde so as winter and summer are divided on those two mountaines and raine and cleerenesse it selfe For the better vnderstanding hereof wee must consider that Peru is divided as it were into three partes long and narrow which they call Lanos Sierras and Andes the Lanos runnes along est the sea coast the Sierras be all hilles with some vallies and the Andes be steepe and craggie mountaines The Lanos or sea coast have some tenne leagues in breadth in some parts lesse and in some parts alittle more The Sierra containes some twentie leagues in breadth and the Andes as much sometimes more sometimes lesse They runne in length from north to south and in breadth from east to weast It is a strange thing that in so small a distance as fiftie leagues equally distant from the Line and Pole there should bee so great a contrarietie as to raine almost continually in one place and never in the other It never raines vpon the coast or Lanos although there falles sometimes a small dew which they call Guarva and in Castill Molâ—â—â—a the which sometimes thickens and falles in certaine droppes of water yet is it not troublesome nor such as they neede any covering Their coverings are of mattes with a little earth vpon them which is sufficient Vpon the Andes it raines in a manner continually although it be sometimes more cleere then other In the Sierra which lies betwixt both the extreames it raineth in the same season as it dooth in Spaine which is from September vnto Aprill but in the other season the time is more cleere which is when the Sunne is farthest off and the contrarie when it is neerest whereof we have discoursed at large in the former booke That which they call Andes and Sierra are twoo ridges of most high mountaines which runne above a thousand leagues the one in view of the other and almost equally There are an infinite number of Vicagues which breede in the Sierres and are properly like vnto wilde goates very nimble and swift There are also of those beasts which they call Guanacos and Pacos which are sheepe which we may wel terme the asses of that countrey whereof we shall speake in their place And vpon the Andes they finde Apes very gentle and delightfull and Parrots in great numbers There also they find the hearb or tree which they call Coca that is so greatly esteemed by the Indians and the trafficke they make of it is worthy much mony That which they call Sierre causeth vallies whereas it opens which are the best dwellings of Peru as is the valley of Xauxa of Andaguaylas and Yucay In these vallies there growes wheat mays and other sortes of fruits but lesse in one then in the other Beyond the Citie of Cusco the ancient Court of the Lordes of those Realmes the two ridges of mountaines seperate them selves one from the other and in the midst leave a plaine and large champian which they call the Province of Callao where there are many rivers and great store of fertile pastures there is also that great Lake of Titicaca And although it be a ful soile and in the same height and intemperature that the Sierre having no more trees nor forrests yet the want they have of bread is countervailed with the rootes they sowe the which they call Papas and they grow in the earth This roote is the Indians foode for drying it and making it cleane they make that which they call Chugno which is the bread and nourishment of those Provinces There are other rootes and small hearbes which they eate It is a healthfull soile best peopled and the richest of all the Indies for the aboundance of cattell they feed as well of those that are in Europe as sheepe neate and goates as of those of the Countrie which they call Guanacos and Pacos and there are store of Partridges Next to the Province of Callao is that of Charcas where there are hote vallies very fertile and very high rockes the which are very rich in mines so as in no part of the world shall you finde better nor fairer The reason why it raines on the Lanos along the Sea coast CHAP. 21. FOr that it is rare and extraordinarie to see a Countrie where it never raines nor thunders men desire naturally to know the cause of this strangenes The reason which some give that have neerely looked into it is that vpon that coast there rise no vapors sufficient to engender raine for want of matter but onely that there be finall and light vapors which cannot breede any other then mistes and dewes as we see in Europe oftentimes vapors do rise in the morning which are not turned into raine but into mistes only the which growes from the substance which is not grosse and sufficient enough to turne to raine They say the reason why that which happens but some times in Europe falles out continually vpon the coast of Peru is for that this region is very drie and yeeldes no grosse vapors The drinesse is knowne by the greâ— abundance of sandes having neither welles nor fountaines but of fifteene stades deepe which is the height of a man or more and that is neere vnto rivers the water whereof piercing into the land giues them meanes to make welles So as it hath been found by
fire some cast little smoake and have in a manner no force of Volcans as that of Arequipa which is of an vnmeasurable height and almost all fand It cannot be mounted vp in lesse then two daies yet they have not found any shew of fire but onely the reliques of some sacrifices which the Indians made while they were Gentiles and sometimes it doth cause a little smoake The Volcan of Mexico which is neere to the Village of Angels is likewise of an admirable height whereas they mount thirty leagues in turning from this Volcan issueth not continually but sometimes almost every day a great exhalation or whirle-winde of smoake which ascends directly vp like to the shot of a Crosse-bow and growes after like to a great plume of feathers vntill it ceaseth quite and is presently converted into an obscure and darke cloude Most commonly it riseth in the morning after the Sunne rising and at night when it setteth although I have seene it breake out at other times Sometimes it dooth cast foorth great store of ashes after this smoake They have not yet seene any fire come from it yet they feare it will issue forth and burne al the land round about which is the best of all the kingdome And they holde it for certaine that there is some correspondencie betwixt this Vulcan the Sierre of Tlaxcala which is neere vnto it that causeth the great thunders and lightnings they doe commonly heare and see in those parts Some Spaniards have mounted vppe to this Volcan and given notice of the mine of sulphre to make powlder thereof Cortez reportes the care hee had to discover what was in this Volcan The Volcans of Guatimalla are more renowned as well for their greatnesse and height which those that saile in the South Sea discover a farre off as for the violence and terrour of the fire it casts The three and twentieth day of December in the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred eighty and sixe almost all the Cittie of Guatimalla fell with an Earthquake and some people slaine This Volcan had then sixe moneths together day and night cast out from the toppe and vomited as it were a floud of fire the substance falling vpon the sides of the Volcan was turned into ashes like vnto burnt earth a thing passing mans iudgement to conceive how it could cast so much matter from its centre during sixe moneths being accustomed to cast smoake alone and that sometimes with small flashes This was written vnto me being at Mexico by a Secretarie of the audience of Guatimalla a man woorthy of credite and at that time it had not ceased to cast out fire This yeere past being in Quitto in the Cittie of Kings the Volcan which is neere therevnto cast such aboundance of ashes that in many leagues compasse thereabout it darkened the light of the day and there fell such store in Quitto as they were not able to goe in the streetes There have beene other Volcans seene which cast neither smoake flame nor yet ashes but in the botome they are seene to burn with a quicke fire without dying such a one was that which in our time a coverous and greedy Priest seeing perswaded himselfe that they were heapes of golde hee did see burning imagining it coulde be no other matter or substance which had burnt so many yeeres and not consumed And in this conceit hee made certaine kettles with chaines and an instrument to gather and drawe vp the golde out of this pitte or Volcan but the fire scorned him for no sooner did his yron chaine and caldron approach neere the fire but sodainely they were broken in peeces Yet some tolde mee that this man was still obstinate seeking other inventions for to drawe out this golde as he imagined What should be the reason why the fire and smoake continues so long in these Vulcans CHAP. 25. THere is no neede now to make any mention of other Vulcans seeeing wee may well vnderstand by the former what they are yet is it woorthy the search what should be the cause why the fire and smoake continues in these Volcans for that it seemes a prodigious thing yea against the course of Nature to vomite and cast out so many flames Whence dooth this matter proceede or whether it be ingendred within the bowelles thereof Some have held opinion that these Volcans consume the inner substance they have of Nature and for this reason they beleeve that naturally they shal end whenas they have consumed the fuell as a man may say that is within them According to which opinion we see at this day some mountaines and rockes from whence they drawe a burnt stone which is light but very hard and is excellent to builde with as that which is carried to Mexico And in effect there are some shewes of that which hath beene spoken that these mountaines or rockes hadde sometimes a naturall fire which hath died after the matter was consumed and so these stones have remayned burnt and pierced with the fire as we see For my part I will not contradict it that in those places there hath not bin fire sometimes or Volcans But there is some difficultie to be beleeve it should be so in all Volcans considering the matter they cast out is almost infinite and that being gathered together it could not be contained in the same concavitie from whence it goes Moreover there are some Volcans that in hundreds yea thousands of yeeres are alwaies of one fashion casting out continually smoke fire and ashes Plinie the Historiographer of naturall things as the other Plinie his nephew reports searching out the secret how this should passe and apprâ—ching too neere th'exhalation of fire of one of these Volcans died and thinking by his diligence to find an end thereof had an end of his life For my parte vpon this consideration I think that as ther are places in th' earth whose vertue is to draw vaporous matter and to convert it into water which be the fountaines that alwayes runne and have alwayes matter to make them runne for that they drawe vnto them the substance of water In like sorte there are places that have the propertie to draw vnto them hote exhalations and to convert them into fire and smoake which by their force and violence cast out other thicke matter which dissolves into ashes into pumice stone or such like substance and for a sufficient argument to proove it to be so in these Volcans they sometimes cast smoke and not alwayes and sometimes fire and not alwayes which is according to that it can drawe vnto it and digest as the fountaines which in winter abound and in summer decrease yea some are quite dried vp according to the force and vigour they have and the matter that is presented even so it is of these Volcans which cast fire more or lesse at certaine seasons Others say that it is hell fire which issueth there to serve as a warning thereby to consider
land makes restitution casting his capes points and tongues farre into the sea piercing into the bowelles thereof In some partes one element ends and another beginnes yeelding by degrees one vnto another In some places where they ioyne it is exceeding deepe as in the Ilands of the South Sea and in those of the North whereas the shippes ride close to the land and although they sound three score and tenne yea foure score fadomes yet do they finde no bottome which makes men coniecture that these are pikes or poynts of land which rise vp from the bottome a matter woorthy of great admiration Heerevpon a very expert Pilote said vnto me that the Ilands which they call of Woolves and others that lie at the entry of the coast of New Spaine beeing called Cocos were of this manner Moreover there is a place in the midst of the great Ocean without the view of land and many leagues from it where are seene as it were two towers or pikes of a very high elevated rocke rising out of the middest of the sea and yet ioyning vnto it they finde no bottome No man can yet perfectly comprehend nor conceive the full and perfect forme of the land at the Indies the boundes being not wholy discovered to this day yet wee may ghesse that it is proportioned like a heart with the lungs The broadest of this heart is from Bresill to Peru the poynt at the straight of Magellan and the top where it ends is the firme land and there the continent begins by little and litle to extend itselfe vntill wee come to the height of Florida and the vpper landes which are not yet well discovered We may vnderstand other particularities of this land at the Indies by the Commentaries which the Spaniards have written of their successe and discoveries and amongest the rest of the Peregrination which I have written which in trueth is strange and may give a great light This in my opinion may suffice at this time to give som knowledge of things at the Indies touching the common elements of the which all parts of the worlde are famed THE FOVRTH BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies Of three kindes of mixtures or compounds of the which I must intreate in this Historie CHAP. 1. HAving intreated in the former booke of that which concernes the Elements and the simples of the Indies in this present booke we will discourse of mixtures and compounds seeming fit for the subiect we shall treate of And although there be many other sundrie kindes yet we will reduce this matter into three which are Mettalls Plants and Beasts Mettalls are as plants hidden and buried in the bowels of the earth which have some conformitie in themselves in the forme and maner of their production for that wee see and discover even in them branches and as it were a bodie from whence they grow and proceede which are the greater veines and the lesse so as they have a knitting in themselves and it seemes properly that these minerales grow like vnto plants not that they have any inward vegitative life being onely proper to plants but they are engendered in the bowels of the earth by the vertue and force of the Sunne and other planets and in long continuance of time they increase and multiply after the maner of plants And even as mettalls be plants hidden in the earth so we may say that plants be living creatures fixed in one place whose life is maintained by the nourishment which Nature furnisheth from their first begnning But living creatures surpasse plants in that they have a more perfect being and therefore have neede of a more perfect foode and nourishment for the search whereof Nature hath given them a moving and feeling to discover and discerne it So as the rough and barren earth is as a substance and nutriment for mettalls and that which is fertile and better seasoned a nourishment for plants The same plants serve as a nourishment for living creatures and the plants and living creatures together as a nourishment for men the inferiour nature alwaies serving for the maintenance and sustentation of the superiour and the lesse perfect yeelding vnto the more perfect whereby we may see how much it wants that gold and silver and other things which men so much esteeme by their covetousnesse should be the happines of man wherevnto he should tend seeing they be so many degrees in qualitie inferior to man who hath been created and made onely to be a subiect to serve the vniversall Creator of all things as his proper end and perfect rest and to which man all other things in this world were not propounded or left but to gaine this last end Who so would consider of things created and discourse according to this Philosophie might draw some fruite from the knowledge and consideration thereof making vse of them to know and glorifie their Author But he that would passe on farther to the knowledge of their properties and profits and would curiously search them out hee shall finde in these creatures that which the Wiseman saies that they are snares and pitfalles to the feete of fooles ignorant into the which they fall and loose themselves daily To this intent therefore and that the Creator may be glorified in his creatures I pretend to speake of some things in this Booke whereof there are many at the Indies worth the report touching mettalls plants and beasts which are proper and peculiar in those parts But for that it were a great worke to treate thereof exactly and requires greater learning and knowledge yea much more leisure then I have my intent is only to treate of some things succinctly the which I have observed as well by experience as the report of men of credite touching these three things which I have propounded leaving to men more curious and diligent to treate more amply of these matters Of the aboundance and great quantitie of Mettall at the West Indies CHAP. 2. THe wisedome of God hath made mettalls for phisicke and for defence for ornament and for instruments for the worke of men of which foure things we may easily yeelde examples but the principall end of mettalls and the last thereof is for that the life of man hath not onely neede of nourishment as the beasts but also he must worke and labour according vnto the reason and capacitie which the Creator hath given him And as mans vnderstanding doth apply it selfe to divers artes and faculties so the same Author hath given order that hee should finde matter and subiect to diverse artes for the conservation reparation suretie ornament and exaltation of his workes The diversitie therefore of mettalls which the Creator hath shut vp in the closets and concavities of the earth is such and so great that man drawes profit and commoditie from everie one of them Some serve for curing of diseases others for armes and for defence against the enemies some are for ornament
buy withall but did change and trucke one thing for another as Homer and Plinie report of the Ancients They had some other things of greater esteeme which went currant amongst them for price and in steede of coine and vnto this day this custome continues amongst the Indians as in the Provinces of Mexico in steede of money they vse Cacao which is a small fruite and therewith buy what they will In Peru they vse Cocae to the same end the which is a leafe the Indians esteeme much as in Paraguay they have stampes of yron for coine and cotten woven in S. Croix of the Sierre Finally the maner of the Indians trafficke and their buying and selling was to exchange and give things for things and although there were great martes and famous faires yet had they no neede of mony nor of brokers for that every one had learned what he was to give in exchange for every kinde of marchandise Since the Spaniards entred the Indians have vsed gold and silver to buy withall and in the beginning there was no coine but silver by weight was theirprice and mony as they report of the ancient Romans Since for a greater benefite they have forged coine in Mexico and Peru yet vnto this day they have not in the West Indies coined any mony of copper or other mettall but onely of silver and golde for the richnes of that Countrie hath not admitted nor received such money as they call bullion nor other kindes of alloy which they vse in Italie and in other Provinces of Europe Although in some Ilands of the Indies as S. Dominique Port Ricco they vse coine of leather which is square the which are currant onely in those Ilands having little silver or gold I say little although there be much for that no man digges it and refines it But for that the riches of the Indies and their maner to labour in the mines consistes of golde silver and quickeâ—silver I will speake some thing of these three mettalls leaving the rest for this time Of golde which they digge and refine at the Indies CHAP. 4. GOld amongst other mettals hath bin alwayes held the most excellent and with reason beeing the most durable and incorruptible of all others for sire which consumes and diminisheth the rest amends it and brings it to perfection Golde which hath often passed through the fire keepes his colour and is most fine and pure which properly is called as Plinie saith Obriso wherof the Scripture makes so often mention vse which consumeth all other mettalles as the same Plinie saith dooth not any thing waste golde nor yet hurte it neither is it eaten nor groweth olde And although his substance and body be firme and solide yet dooth it yeelde and bow woonderfully the Beaters and Drawers of golde knowe well the force it hath to bee drawen out without breaking All which things well considered with other excellent properties will give men of iudgement to vnderstand wherefore the holie Scripture dooth compare Charitie to golde To conclude there is little neede to relate the excellencies thereof to make it more desirable For the greatest excellencie it hath is to be knowne as it is amongst men for the supreame power and greatnesse of the worlde Comming therefore to our subiect at the Indies there is great abundance of this mettall and it is wel knowne by approoved histories that the Inguas of Peru did not content themselves with great and small vessels of gold as pots cups goblets and flagons yea with kowles or great vessells but they had chaires also and litters of massie golde and in their Temples they had set vppe maine Images of pure golde whereof they finde some yet at Mexico but not such store as when the first Conquerours came into the one and the other kingdome who found great treasure and without doubt there was much more hidden in th earth by the Indians It would seeme ridiculous to reporte that they have made their horse shooes of silver for want of yron and that they have payd three hundred crownes for a bottle of wine and other strange things and yet in trueth this hath come to passe yea and greater matters They drawe golde in those partes after three sorts or at the least I have seene all three vsed For eyther they find gold in graines in powlder or in stone They do call golde in graines small morsels of gold which they find whole without mixture of any other mettall which hath no neede of melting or refining in the fire and they call them pippins for that commonly they are like to pippins or seeds of melons or pompions and that wherof Iob speakes when he saies Leve illius aurum though sometimes there be greater and such as I have seene weighed many poundes It is the excellencie of this mettall alone as Plinie affirmes to be found thus pure and perfect which is not seene in any other mettalles which are alwayes earthly and have a scumme and neede purging by the fire I have likewise seene silver naturall like to Yea there is an other kinde which the Indians call Papas and sometimes they find peeces very fiue and pure like to small round rootes the which is rare in that mettall but vsuall in gold They finde little of this golde in pippin in respect of the other kindes Golde in stone is a veine of gold that groweth or ingendereth within the stone or flint as I have seene in the mines of Curuma within the government of Salines very great stones pierced and intermixed with gold others that were halfe gold and halfe stone The golde which groweth in this manner is found in pittes or mines which have their veines like to the silver mines but it is very hard to drawe it foorth Agatarchides writes in his first booke of the Erithrean or red sea as Phocion reportes in his Bibliotheca of the manner and fashion to refine golde drawne out of stones the which the antient Kings of Egypt were wont to vse it is a strange thing to see how that which is written resembles properly to the manner they vse at this day in refining these mettalls of golde and silver The greatest quantitie of golde which is drawne at the Indies is that in powlder the which is found in streames and places wher much water hath passed because the slouds at the Indies abound in this kinde of golde As the Ancients for this occasion did celebrate the river of Tagus in Spaine Paâ—olus in Asia and Ganges in the East Indies and callâ—d theâ— Râ—menta auri the which we others call golâ—e in pâ—wlâ—er and of this sort is the greatest quantitie of golde they have at this day At this present in tâ—e â—lands of Barlovent Hispaniola Cuba and Port Ricco there hath beene and is great quantity in the rivers but they bring little from thence into Spaine for want of the naturall inhabitants of the country the difficultie to
drawe it There is great aboundance in the kingdome of Chille of Quitto and in the new Realme of Grenado The most famous golde is that of Caranava in Peru and of Valdivia in Chille for that it riseth with his alloy and perfection which is twenty three carrats and a halfe and sometimâ—s more They make accompt likewise of the gold of Veraâ—â—a to be very fine They bring much golde to Mexico from the Philippines and China but commonly it is weake and of base alloy Golde is commonly found mixt with silver or with copper but that which is mixed with silver is commonly of fewer carraâ—s then that which is mixed with copper If there bâ—â—a siâ—e partâ— of silver Plinie saieth it is then properly called Flâ—â—â—â— which hath the property to shine more at the light of the fire then fine gold or fine silver That which is incorporate with copper is commonly of a higher value They refine powldred golde in basens washing it in many waters vntill the sand falles from it and the golde as most heavie remaineth in the bottome They refine it likewise with quicke-silver and strong water for that the allume whereof they make this water hath the vertue to separate gold from drosse or from other mettalls After it is purified and molten they make brickes or small barres to cary it vnto Spaine for being in powlder they cannot transport it from the Indies for they can neither custome it marke it nor take say vntill it be molten The foresaide Hisâ—â—riaâ— grapher reporteth that Spaine above all other Countries of the world did abound in gold and silver especially Galitia and Portugall above all the Asturiaâ—s whence hee saieth they brought every yeere twenty thousand pounds of golde and that they found not so great aboundance in any other place The which is confirmed in the booke of Macabees where it is saide that amongest the great riches of the Romans they had in their power the golde and silver of Spaine At this day the great treasure of Spaine comes from the Indies wherein the divinâ— Providence hath appoynted one Realme to serve another which doe imparte their wealth to participate their governement for the good the one of the other in communicating mutually the goodes and graces they doe inioy wee can not value nor esteeme the quantitie of golde that is brought from the Indies but we may well say it is much more then that which 〈◊〉 reports was brought yeerely from Spaine to Româ— In the fleete where I came which was in the yeâ—re 1585. the declaratiâ—n of the firme land was of of twelve cassons or chests of golde every casson at the least weied foure Arobes that is a hundred weight and a thousand fifty and sixe mares from New Spaine which was for the King only besides that which came for Merchants and private men being registred and much that came vnregistred This may suffice touching the golde of the Indies and now we will speake of silver Of the Silver at the Indies CHAP. 5. WE reade these wordes in the Booke of Iob Siluer hath certain beginnings and roots in his veins and golde hath a setled place where it ingenders and thickens yron with digging is drawne out of the earth and stone molten with heate is turned into copper Hereby he wisely shewes in few words the nature of silver golde yron copper We have spoken something of the places where golde is ingendered and congealed which is either of the foresaide stones in the deapth of mountaines and in the bowells of the earth or in the sand of rivers and where brookes have runne or else on the toppes of mountaines the which golde in powlder runnes downe with the water And this is the common opinion they holde at the Indies Wherevppon many of the common sort believe that the deluge having drowned all even to the highest hills hath beene the cause that at this day they finde this golde in the rivers and in places so farre off Now we wil shew how they discover the mines of silver their veines rootes and beginnings whereof Iob speakes And first I will say that the reason why they give silver the second place among all other mettalles is for that it approacheth neerer to golde then any other being more durable and lesse indomaged by the fire and more maniable then any other yea it passeth golde in brightnesse beauty and sound the which is cleere and agreeable for the colour is more conformable and resembling the light and the sound more percing more lively and more delicate Likewise there are some places where they value silver more then golde It is yet an argument to iudge that gold is more pretious rhen all other mettalls for that it is found with greater difficultie and Nature seemes more sparing in bringing it foorth although there be countries as they say of Chine where they finde golde more easily then silver yet it is more common and ordinarie to finde silver with more facilitie and greater abundance then gold The Creator hath furnished the Weast Indies with so great a treasure of silver as all that which we reade of in antient Histories and that which is spoken of the mines of Spaine and other provinces is not comparable to that we see in those partes The mines of silver are commonly found in mountaines and high rockes very desart although they have sometimes bin found in Plaines and Champaines There are two different kindes the one they call stragling the other fixed and setled The straggling are peeces of mettall found in certaine places the which drawne away there is no more found But the fixed veines are those which have a continuance in depth and length like to great branches and armes of trees and when they find anie one of them they commonly finde many in the same place The maner to purge refine silver which the Indians have vsed was by melting in dissolving this masse of mettall by fire which casts the earthly drosse aparte and by his force separates silver from lead tinne from copper and other mettalls mixt To this end they did build small furnaces in places whereas the winde did commonly blow and with wood and cole made their refining the which furnaces in Ptru they call Guayras Since the Spaniards entred besides this manner of refining which they vse to this day they likewise refine silver with quicke-silver and draw more by this means then in refining it by fire For there is some kind of silver mettall found which can by no meanes be purged and refined by fire but onely with quickesilver But thiâ— kinde of mettall is commonly poore and weake the which vsually they finde in greatest aboundance They câ—l that poore which yields least silver and great quantitie of other mettall and that rich which yieldes mâ—st silver It is strange to see not onely the difference betwixt the refining of mettall by fire and without it by quicke-silver but also that some of
Soccabon containes from his mouth vnto the veine of Crusero as they call it 250. yardes in which worke were spent twentie nine yeeres whereby wee may see what great paines men take to draw silver out of the bowells of the earth They labour in these mines in continuall darkenes and obscuritie without knowledge of day or night And forasmuch as those places are never visited with the Sunne there is not onely continuall darkenes but also an extreame colde with so grosse an aire contrary to the disposition of man so as such as newly enter are sicke as they at sea The which happened to me in one of these mines where I felt a paine at the heart and beating of the stomacke Those that labour therein vse candles to light them dividing their worke in such sort as they that worke in the day rest by the night and so they change The mettall is commonly hard and therefore they breake it with hammers splitting and hewing it by force as if they were sâ—intes After they carry vp this mettall vpon their shoulders by ladders of three branches made of neates lether twisted like peeces of wood which are crossed with staves of wood so as by every one of these ladders they mount and discend together They are ten stades long a peece and at the end of one beginnes another of the same length every ladder beginning and ending at platformes of wood where there are seates to rest them like vnto galleries for that there are many of these ladders to mount by one at the end of another A man carries ordinarily the weight of two Arrobes of mettall vpon his shoulders tied together in a cloth in maner of a skippe and so mount they three and three He that goes before carries a candle tied to his thumbe for as it is said they have no light from heaven and so go they vp the ladder holding it with both their handes to mount so great a height which commonly is above a hundred fiftie stades a fearefull thing and which breeds an amazement to thinke vpon it so great is the desire of silver that for the gaine thereof men indure any paines And truly it is not without reason that Plinie treating of this subiect exclaimes and saies thus We enter even into the bowells of the earth and go hunting after riches even to the place of the damned And after in the same booke he saieth Those that seeke for mettalls performe workes more then Giants making holes and caves in the depth of the earth piercing mountaines so deepe by the light of candles whereas the day and the night are alike and in many moneths they see no day So as often the walles of their mines fal smothering many of them that labour therein And afterwardes he addes They pierce the hard rocke with hammers of yron waying 150 poundes and draw out the mettall vpon their shoulders labouring day and night one delivering his charge to another and all in darkenes onely the last sees the light with wedges and hammers they breake the flintes how hard and strong soever for the hunger of gold is yet more sharpe and strong This Plinie saies who although he speakes as a historiographer of that age yet doth he seeme to prophecie of this time Neither is it lesse which Phocion of Agatharchides reports of the great travell they indure whom they called Chrysios in drawing out of golde for as the said Author saieth gold and silver are as painefull to digge and drawe forth as they are pleasing to possesse How they refine the Mettall of Silver CHAP. 9. THe Veines as I have said where they finde silver runnes betwixt two rockes which they call the Chase whereof the one is commonly as hard as flint and the other soft and easie to breake This mettall is not alwaies equal and of the same bountie for you shall finde in one and the same veine one sort of mettall very rich which they call Câ—cilla or Tacana from which they draw much silver and another is poore from whence they draw little The most rich mettall of this mountaine is of the colour of Amber and the next is that which inclines to blacke There is other somewhat red and other of the colour of ashes finally of divers and sundrie coloures which seeme to such as know them not to be stones of no value But the miners do presently know his qualitie and perfection by certaine signes and small veines they finde in them They carry all this mettall they drawe out of these mines vpon Indian sheepe which serve them as Asses to carry it to the milles the richest mettall is refined by melting in those small furnaces which they call Guayraâ— for that is most leadie by reason whereof it is most subiect to melt for the better melting therof th' Indians cast in a matter they call Soroche which is a mettal ful of lead The mettal being in these furnaces the filth and earthie drosse through the force of the fire remaines in the bottome and the silver and lead melt so as the silver swimmes vpon the lead vntill it be purified then after they refine the silver many times after this maner of melting They have vsually drawne out of one quintall of mettall thirtie fortie and fiftie peeces of silver and yet I have seene some most excellent that have bin shewne me where they have drawne in the melting two hundred yea two hundred and fiftie peeces of silver of a quintall of mettall a rare wealth and almost incredible if we had not seene the tryall thereof by fire but such mettalls are verie rare The poorest mettall is that which yeeldes two three five or six peeces or little more This mettall hath commonly little lead but is drie and therefore they cannot refine it with fire And for this reason in Potozi there was great store of these poore mettalls whereof they made no great account but were reiected like straw and as the skumme of the good mettall vntill they found meanes to refine it by quicke-silver whereby the skumme they called Oquiache was of great profit for the quicke-silver by a strange and wonderfull propertie purifies the silver and is apt for these mettalls which are drie and poore wherein they consume lesse quicke-silver then in the richer for the richer they are the more neede of quicke-silver they have At this day the most vsuall maner of refining in Potozi is by quicke-silver as also in the mines of Cacatecas and others of new Spaine There were in old time vpon the sides and toppes of Potozi above six thousand Guayras which are small furnaces where they melt their mettall the which were placed like lightes a pleasant sight to behold by night casting a light a farre off like a flame of fire But at this day there are not above two thousand for that as I have said they vse little melting but refine it by quicke-silver the which is the greatest profit And for that the
black soever It is a strange thing that the iuice or water that commeth from this roote when they straine it which makes the Cacavi is a deadly poison and killes any that drinkes thereof but the substance that remaineth is a very wholesome bread and nourishment as we have saide There is another kinde of Yuca which they call sweet and hath not this poyson in the iuyce this is eaten in the roote boyled or roasted and is good meate Cacavi will keepe long and therefore they carry it to sea in steede of biscuit The place where they vse most of this bread is at the Ilands of Barlovente which are S. Dominicke Cuba Port Ricco Iamaique and some others thereabouts for that the soile of these Ilands will neither beare wheate nor Mays for whenas they sowe wheate it comes vp well and is presently greene but so vnequally as they cannot gather it for of the seede sowen at one instant some is spindled some is in the eare and some doth but bud one is great and an other little one is in the grasse and another in the graine and although they have carried labourers thither to see if there were any tillage or Art to be vsed yet could they finde no remedy for the quality of the earth They carry meale from New Spaine or the Canaries which is so moist that hardly can they make any profitable bread or of good taste The wafer cakes wherewith they say Masse did bend like to wet paper by reason of the extreame humiditie and heate which are ioyntly in that countrey There is an other extreame contrary to this which hinders the growing of mais or wheate in some parts of the Indies as on the height of the Sierre of Peru and the provinces which they call of Colao which is the greatest parte of this Realme where the climate is so colde and drie as it will not suffer any of these seedes to growe in steede thereof the Indians vse an other kinde of roote which they call Papas these rootes are like to grownd nuttes they are small rootes which cast out many leaves They gather this Papas and dry it well in the Sunne then beating it they make that which they call Chuno which keepes many daies and serves for bread In this realme there is great trafficke of Chuno the which they carry to the mines of Potozi they likewise eate of these Papas boyled or roasted there is one sweete of these kindes which growes in hot places whereof they do make certaine sawces and minced meates which they call Locro To conclude these rootes are the bread of that land so as when the yeare is good they reioyce much for that oftentimes they freeze in the earth so great is the cold of that Region they carry Mays from the valley or sea coast and the Spaniardes which are dainty carrie likewise from the same places wheate meale whereof they doe make good breade because that the land is drie In other partes of the Indies as at the Philippines they vse Rice insteade of bread whereof there growes very good and in great aboundance in all that countrey and in China and it is of good nourishment they seethe it in purcelaines and after mix it hote with the water amongest other meates In many places they do make their wine and drinke of this Rice steeping and then after boyling it as they do the beere in Flaunders or the Acua in Peru. Rice is a meate not much lesse common and generall throughout the world than wheate or mays and perchaunce more for besides that they vse it in China Ioppon and the Philippines and in the greatest parte of the East Indies it is a graine most common in Affrike and Ethiopia It requires a wet ground almost overflowne like to a medow In Europe Peru and Mexico where they have the vse of wheate they eate Rice as a meate and not for bread they seethe it with milke or with broth or in some other sorte The most exquisite Rice commeth from the Philippines and China as hath beene sayde And this may suffice to vnderstand what they eate generally at the Indies in steade of bread Of divers Rootes which growe at the Indies CHAP. 18. ALthough in these parts the Land be more aboundant and fertile in fruites that growes vpon the earth by reason of the great diversitie of fruite trees and plants we have yet for rootes and other things that grow vnder the earth the which they vse for meates in my opinion there is greatest aboundance there for of these kindes of plants we have readishes turneps parsneps carrots liekes garlike and some other profitable rootes But in those countries they have so many divers sortes as I cannot reckon them those which I now remember besides Papas which is the principall there is Ocas Yanococas Camotes Vatas Xiquimas Yuca Cochuâ—ha Cavi Totora Mani and an infinite number of other kindes as the Patattres which they eate as a delicate and toothsome meate They have likewise carried fruites to the Indies from these parts the which prosper better there then the Indian plants do brought into Europe the reason in my opinion is for that there is greater variety of temperatures then in these partes by meanes whereof the plants in those regions do rise and prosper better fitting themselves to the temperature they require And the rootes and plants which grow there and were not transported from hence are better then they be heere for onions garlike and parsnips are not in Spaine as they be at Peru and as for turnips there is so great abundance as they have increased in so me places in such sort that as they have affirmed to me they could not destroy the aboundance which grew vp for to sowe corne there Wee have seene redish rootes as bigge as a mans arme very tender and of a good taste and of these tootes I have spoken some serve for ordinatie meate as the Camores which being rosted serve as pulse There are other rootes that serve them for dainties as the Cochuchâ— it is a small sweete roote which some preserve for more delight There are other rootes fit to coole as the Piquima which is in qualitie very cold and moist and in summer it refresheth and quencheth the thirst but the Papas and Ocas be the chiefe for nourishment and substance The Indians esteeme garlike above all the rootes of Europe and hold it for a fruite of great force wherein they want no reason for that it comforts and warmes the stomacke for that they eate it with an appetite rawe as it comes out of the ground Of divers sortes of greene Hearbes and Pulses and of those they call Concombres Pines or Pine Apples small fruites of Chille and of Prunes CHAP. 19 SEâ—ing wee have begunne with the lesser Plants I might in few words touch that which concernes Flowers and Pot-hearbes and that which the Latines call Arbusta without any mention of trees There are some kindes
others PoullaZes which in my opinion are of the kinde of ravens are of a strange lightnes and have a very quicke sight being very fit to clense Citties for that they leave no carion nor dead thing They passe the night on trees or vpon rockes and in the morning they come to the cities and townes sitting on the toppes of the highest buildings where they attend their prey Their yong have white feathers as they report of ravens and so change into blacke The Guacamayac be birdes bigger then Parrets resemble them somthing they are esteemed for the varietie of their feathers which be very faire pleasing In new Spaine there are aboundance of birdes with excellent feathers so as there be not any found in Europe that comes neere them as we may see by the images of feathers they bring from thence the which are with great reason much valued and esteemed giving cause of admiration that with the feathers of birdes they should make so excellent a worke and so perfectly equall as they seeme properly to be the true coloures of a painter and have so lively and pleasing a regard as the Painter cannot exceede it with his pencill and colours Some Indians which are good and expert workemen in this Art will represent perfectly in feathers whatsoever they see drawne with the pencill so as the Painters of Spaine have in this point no advantage over them Don Philip the Prince of Spaine his schoolemaster did give vnto him three figures or poâ—traitures made of feathers as it were to put in a Breviary His Highnes did shew them to King Philip his father the which his Maiesty beholding attentively said that hee had never seene in so small a worke a thing of so great excellency and perfection One day as they presented to Pope Sixtus quintus another square bigger then it wherein was the figure of St. Francis and that they had told him it was made of feathers by the Indians he desired to make triall thereof touching the table with his fingers to see if it were of feathers for that it seemed strange to see them so properly fitted that the eye could not iudge nor discerne whether they were naturall colours of feathers or artificiall done with the pencill It is a goodly thing to see the lustre which a greene an orange tawny like gold and other fine colours do cast and beholding them another way they seeme dead colours They make the best and goodliest figures of feathers in the Province of Mechovacan and in the village of Pascaro The manner is with small delicate pinsors they pul the feathers from the dead fowles and with a fine paste they cunningly ioyne them together They take the smal delicate feathers of those birds which in Peru they call Tâ—mineyâ—s or others like vnto them which have the most perfect colours in their feathers The Indians besides these images did vse feathers in many other most excellent workes especially for the ornament of Kings and Noblemen their Temples and Idolls There are also other great birdes which have excellent and fine feathers whereof they make plumes of sundry colours especially when they go to warre inriching them with gold and silver very artificially which was a matter of great price They have the same birdes still but they are not so curious neither do they make so many gentill devises as they were wont There are other birdes at the Indies contrarie to these of so rich feathers the which besides that they are ill favovred serve to no other vse but for dung and yet perchance they are of no lesse profite I have considered this wondering at the providence of the Creator who hath so appointed that all creatures should serve man In some Ilands or Phares which are ioyning to the coast â—of Peru wee see the toppes of the mountaines all white and to sight you would take it for snow or for some white land but they are heapes of dung of sea fowle which go continually thither and there is so great aboundance as it riseth many elles yea many launces in height which seemes but a fable They go with boates to these Ilands onely for the dung for there is no other profit in them And this dung is so commodious and profitable as it makes the earth yeelde great aboundance of fruite They cal this dung Guano whereof the valley hath taken the name which they call Limaguaâ—a in the valleys of Peru where they vse this dung and it is the most fertile of all that countrie The quinces poungranets and other fruites there exceede all other in bountie and greatnes and they say the reason is for that the water wherewith they water it passeth by a land compassed with this dung which causeth the beautie of this fruite So as these birdes have not only the flesh to serve for meate their singing for recreation their feathers for ornament and beautie but also their dung serves to fatten the ground The which hath bin so appointed by the soveraigne Creator for the service of man that he might remember to acknowledge and be loyall to him from whom all good proceedes Of Beasts for the Chases CHAP. 38. BEsides the Beasts of Chase whereof we have spoken which be common to the Indies and Europe there are others which I doe not remember to have seene heere vnlesse perhappes they have been brought from thence There are beasts called Sainos made like small hogges which have this singular to themselves to have their navill vppon the ridge of their backes these go by troupes through the woods they are cruell and nothing fearefull but contrariwise they assaile and have their tallents sharpe as rasors wherewith they make dangerous wounds and incisions if such as hunt them put not themselves in safetie Such as hunt them for the more safer killing of them they climbe vp into trees whither the Sainos or hogges come presently in troupes biting the tree when they cannot hurte the man and then with their launces they kill what they will They are very good to eate but they must of necessitie cut off the round peece where the navil growes vpon the backe for otherwise within a day they corrupt There is another kinde of little beast like to sucking pigges and they call them Guadatinaias I am in doubt whether there were any swine at the Indies â—efore the Spaniardes came thither like to these in â—paine for that in the discoverie of the Ilands of Soloman it is said they found hennes and swine of Spaine But howsoever it be it is most certaine that this cattell hath greatly multiplied at the Indies They eate the flesh fresh and hold it to be as holesome and as good as if it were of mutton as in Carthagene in some partes they are become wilde and cruell the which they hunt like wilde boares as we see in S. Dominique and other Ilands where the beasts live in the forrests In some places they feede them with the graine of Mays and they
hast said I am God and have set in the chaire of God in the midst of the sea Thus doth Sathan continually persist in this wicked desire to make himselfe God And although the iust and severe chastisement of the most high hath spoiled him of all his pompe and beautie which made him grow prowd being intreated as his fellonie and indiscretion had deserved as it is written by the same Prophets yet hath he left nothing of his wickednes and perverse practises the which hee hath made manifest by all meanes possible like a mad dogge that bites the sword wherewith he is strucken For as it is written the pride of such as hate God doth alwaies increase Hâ—nce comes the continuall and strange care which this enemie of God hath alwaies had to make him to be worshipt of men inventing so many kinds of Idolatries wherby he hath so long held the gretest part of the world in subiection so as there scarce remaines any one corner for God his people of Israel And since the power of the Gospel hath vanquished and disarmed him and that by the force of the Crosse hee hath broken and ruined the most important and puissant places of his kingdome with the like tyrannie hee hath begunne to assaile the barbarous people and Nations farthest off striving to maintaine amongst them his false and lying divinitie the which the Sonne of God had taken from him in his Church tying him with chaines as in a cage or prison like a furious beast to his great confusion reioycing of the servants of God as he doth signify in Iob. But in the end although idolatrie had beene rooted out of the best and most notable partes of the worlde yet he hath retired himself into the most remote parts and hath ruled in that other part of the worlde which although it be much inferiour in nobilitie yet is it not oflesse compasse There are two causes and chiefe motives for the which the divell hath so much laboured to plantidolatry and all infidelity so as you shall hardly finde any Nation where there is not some markes thereof The one is this great presumption and pride which is such that whoso would consider how hee durst affront the very Sonne of God and true God in saying impudently that he should fall downe and worship him the which he did although he knew not certainely that this was the very God yet had he some opinion that it was the Sonne of God A most cruell and horrible pride to dare thus impudently affront his God truely he shall not finde it very strange that hee makes himselfe to be worshipped as God by ignorant Nations seeing hee would seeke to be worshipped by God himselfe calling himselfe God being an abhominable and detestable creature The other cause and motive of idolatrie is the mortall hatred hee hath conceived for ever against mankinde For as our Saviour saith hee hath beene a murtherer from the beginning and holdes it as a condition and inseparable qualitie of his wickednesse And for that he knowes the greatast misery of man is to worship the creature for God for this reason hee never leaves to invent all sortes of Idolatries to destroy man and make him ennemy to God There are two mischiefes which the divell causeth in idolatry the one that hee denies his God according to the text Thou hast left thy God who created thee The other is that hee dooth subiect himselfe to a thing baser than himselfe for that all creatures are inferior to the reasonable and the divell although hee be superior to man in nature yet in estate he is much inferior seeing that man in this life is capable of Divinitie and Eternitie By this meanes God is dishonoured and man lost in all parts by idolatry wherwith the divell in his pride is well content Of many kindes of idolatry the Indians have vsed CHAP. 2. IDolatry saieth the holy-Ghost by the Wise man is the cause beginning and end of all miseries for this cause the enemy of mankinde hath multiplied so many sortes and diversities of idolatry as it were an infinite matter to specifie them all Yet we may reduce idolatry to twoo heades the one grounded vppon naturall things the other vpon things imagined and made by mans invention The first is divided into two for eyther the thing they worship is generall as the Sunne Moone Fire Earth and Elements or else it is particular as some certayne river fountaine tree or forrest when these things are not generaly worshipped in their kindes but onely in particular In this first kind of idolatry they have exceeded in Peru and they properly cal it Guaca The second kinde of idolatry which depends of mans invention fictions may likewise be divided into two sortes one which regards onely the pure arte and invention of man as to adore the Images or statues of gold wood or stone of Mercury or Pallas which neyther are nor ever were any thing else but the bare pictures and the other that concernes that which really hath beene and is in trueth the same thing but not such as idolatry faines as the dead or some things proper vnto them which men worshippe through vanitie and flatterie so as wee reduce all to foure kindes of idolatry which the infidells vse of all which it behooveth vs to speake something That the Indians have some knowledge of God CHAP. 3. FIrst although the darkenesse of infidelitie holdeth these Nations in blindenesse yet in many thinges the light of truth and reason works somewhat in them And they commonly acknowledge a supreame Lorde and Author of all things which they of Peru called Vnachocha and gave him names of great excellence as Pachacamac or Pachayachachic which is the Creator of heaven and earth and Vsapu which is admirable and other like names Him they did worship as the chiefest of all whom they did honor in beholding the heaven The like wee see amongest them of Mexico and China and all other infidelles Which accordeth well with that which is saide of Saint Paul in the Acts of the Apostles where hee did see the Inscription of an Altare Ignoto Deo To the vnknowne God Wherevpon the Apostle tooke occasion to preach vnto them saying He whome you worship without knowing him doe I preach vnto you In like sort those which at this day do preach the Gospel to the Indians find no great difficultie to perswade them that there is a high God and Lord over all and that this is the Christians God and the true God And yet it hath caused great admiration in me that although they had this knowledge yet had they no proper name for God If wee shall seeke into the Indian tongue for a word to answer to this name of God as in Latin Deus in Greeke Theos in Hebrew El in Arabike Alla but wee shall not finde any in the Cuscan or Mexicaine tongues So as such as preach or write to the Indians
well in these wordes All men are vaine and abused that have not the knowledge of God seeing they could not know him that is by the things that seemed good vnto them and although they have beheld his workes yet have they not attained to know the author and maker thereof but they have beleeved that the fire winde swift aire the course of the starres great rivers with Sunne and Moone were Gods and governours of the world and being in love with the beautie of these things they thought they should esteeme them as Gods It is reason they should consider how much more faire the Creator is seeing that he is the Author of beauties and makes all things Moreover if they admire the power and effects of these things thereby they may vnderstand how much more mightie hee is that gave them their being for by the beautie and greatnes of the creatures they may iudge what the Maker is Hitherto are the wordes of the Booke of Wisedome from whence we may draw a good and strong argument to overthrow the Idolatrie of Infidells who seeke rather to serve the creature then the Creator as the Apostle doth iustly reprehend them But for as much as this is not of our present subiect and that it hath been sufficiently treated of in the Sermons written against the errors of the Indians it shall bee sufficient now to shew that they did worship the great God and their vaine and lying gods all of one fashion for their maner to pray to Viracocha to the Sunne the Starres and the rest of their Idolls was to open their hands and to make a certaine sound with their mouthes like people that kissed and to aske that which every one desired in offering his sacrifices yet was there great difference betwixt the wordes they vsed in speaking to the great Ticiviracocha to whom they did attribute the cheefe power and commandement over all things and those they vsed to others the which every one did worship privately in his house as Gods or particular Lords saying that they were their intercessors to this great Ticciviracocha This maner of worship opening the hands and as it were kissing hath something like to that which Iob had in horror as fit for Idolaters saying If I have kissed my hands with my mouth beholding the Sunne when it shines or the Moone when it is light the which is a great iniquitie and to deny the most great God Of the Idolatry the Indians vsed to particular things CHAP. 5. THe Divell hath not beene contented to make these blinde Indians to worshippe the Sunne Moone Starres Earth and Sea and many other generall things in nature but hee hath passed on further giving them for God and making them subiect to base and abiect things and for the most part filthy and infamous No man needes to woonder at this barbarous blindnes if hee remember what the Apostle speaketh of Wise men and Philosophers That having knowne God they did not glorifie him nor give him thankes as to their God but they were lost in their own imaginations and conceipts and their hearts were hardened in their follies and they have changed the glory and deity of the eternall God into shews and figures of vaine and corruptible things as men birds beasts and serpents we know well that the Egyptians did worship the Dogge of Osiris the Cow of Isis and the Sheepe of Ammon the Romans did worship the goddesse Februa of Feavers and the Tarpeien Goose and Athenes the wise did worship the Cocke and the Raven and such other like vanities and mockeries whoreof the auntient Histories of the Gentiles are full Men fell into this great misery for that they would not subiect themselves to the Lawe of the true God and Creator as Saint Athanasius dooth learnedly handle writing against Idolatry But it is wonderfull strange to see the excesse which hath beene at the Indies especially in Peru for they worshipped rivers fountaines the mouthes of rivers entries of mountaines rockes or great stones hilles and the tops of mountains which they call Apachitas and they hold them for matters of great devotion To conclude they did worship all things in nature which seemed to them remarkable and different from the rest as acknowledging some particular deitie They shewd me in Caxamalca of Nasca a little hill or great mount of sand which was the chiefe Idoll or Guaca of the Antients I demaunded of them what divinitie they found in it They answered that they did worship it for the woonder beeing a very high mount of sand in the midst of very thicke mountains of stone Wee had neede in the cittie of Kings of great store of great wood for the melting of a Bell and therefore they cut downe a great deformed tree which for the greatnesse and antiquitie thereof had beene a long time the Oratorie and Guaca of the Indians And they beleeved there was a certaine Divinity in any thing that was extraordinary and strange in his kinde attributing the like vnto small stones and mettalls yea vnto rootes and fruites of the earth as the rootes they call Papas There is a strange kinde which they call Lallahuas which they kissed and worshipped They did likewise woorshippe Beares Lions Tygres and Snakes to th end they should not hurt them and such as their gods bee such are the things they offer vnto them in their worshippe They have vsed as they goe by the way to cast in the crosse wayes on the hilles and toppes of mountaines which they call Apachittas olde shooes feathers and Coca chewed being an hearb they vse much And when they have nothing left they cast a stone as an offring that they might passe freely and have greater force the which they say increaseth by this meanes as it is reported in a provinciall Counsell of Peru. And therefore they finde in the hie wayes great heapes of stones offered and such other things The like follie â—id the Antients vse of whome it is spoken in the Proverbs Like vnto him that offereth stones vnto Mercurie such a one is hee that honoureth fooles meaning that a man shall reape no more fruit nor profit of the second than the first for that their God Mercury made of stone dooth not acknowledge any offering neyther doth a foole any honour that is doone him They vsed another offring no lesse pleasant and ridiculous pulling the haire from the eyebrowes to offer it to the Sunne hills Apachittas to the winds or to any other thing they feare Such is the miseries that many Indians have lived in and do to this day whom the divell doth abuse like very Babes with any foolish illusion whatsoever So dooth Saint Chrysostome in one of his Homilies compare them but the servants of God which labour to draw them to salvation ought not to contemne these follies and childishnesse being sufficient to plunge these poore abused creatures into eternallâ—perdition but they ought with good and cleere reasons to
presenting it in order one after another with great reverence This service presented the old man returned as before leading the virgins into their convent This done the yong men and ministers of the Temple came forth and gathered vp this meate the which they carried to the chambers of the chiefe Priests of the Temple who had fasted five daies eating onely once a day and they had also abstained from their wives not once going out of the Temple in these five daies During the which they did whippe themselves rigorously with cordes they did eate of this divine meate for so they called it what they could neither was it lawfull for any other to eate thereof All the people having dined they assembled againe in the court to see the ende of the feast whither they brought a captive which by the space of a whole yeare had represented the idoll being attyred decked and honoured as the idoll it selfe and doing all reverence vnto him they delivered him into the handes of the sacrificers who at that instant presented themselves taking him by the feete and handes The Pope did open his stomacke and pull out his hart then did he lift vp his hand as high as he could shewing it to the Sunne and to the Idoll as hath beene said Having thus sacrificed him that represented the idoll they went into a holy place appointed for this purpose whither came the yong men and virgins of the Temple with their ornaments the which being put in order they danced and sung with drummes and other instruments on the which the chiefe Priests did play and sound Then came all the Noblemen with ensignes and ornaments like to the yong men who danced round about them They did not vsually kill any other men that day but him that was sacrificed yet every fourth yeare they had others with him which was in the yeare of Iubile and full pardons After Sun set every one being satisfied with sounding eating and drinking the virgins went al to their convent they took great dishes of earth full of bread mixt with hony covered with small panniers wrought and fashioned with dead mens headsand bones and they carried the collation to the idoll mounting vp to the court which was before the doore of the Oratorie and having set them downe they retired in the same order as they came the steward going still before Presently came forth all the yong men in order with canes or reedes in their handes who beganne to runne as fast as they could to the toppe of the staires of the Temple who should come first to the dishes of the collation The Elders or chiefe Priests observed him that came first second third and fourth without regarding the rest This collation was likewise all carried away by the yong men as great Relicks This done the foure that arrived first were placed in the midst of the Antients of the Temple bringing them to their chambers with much honour praising them and giving them ornaments and from thence forth they were respected and reverenced as men of marke The taking of this collation being ended and the feast celebrated with much ioy and noise they dismissed all the yong men and maides which had served the idoll by meanes whereof they went one after another as they came forth All the small children of the colledges and schooles were at the gate of the court with bottomes of rushes and hearbes in their hands which they cast at them mocking and laughing as of them that came from the service of the idoll they had libertie then to dispose of themselves at their pleasure and thus the feast ended Of the Feast of Marchants which those of Cholutecas did celebrate CHAP. 30. ALthough I have spoken sufficiently of the service the Mexicaines did vnto their gods yet will I speak something of the feast they called Quetzacoaalt which was the god of riches the which was solemnised in this maner Fortie daies before the Marchants bought a slave well proportioned without any fault or blemish either of sickenes or of hurte whome they did attyre with the ornaments of the idoll that he might represent it fortie daies Before his clothing they did clense him washing him twice in a lake which they called the lake of the gods and being purified they attyred him like the idoll During these forty daies hee was much respected for his sake whom he represented By night they did imprison him as hath beene said left he should flie and in the morning they tooke him out of prison setting him vpon an eminent place where they served him giving him exquisite meates to eate After he had eaten they put a chaine of flowers about his necke and many nosegaies in his hands Hee had a well appointed guard with much people toaccompany him When he went through the Cittie he went dancing and singing through all the streetes that hee might bee knowne for the resemblance of their god and when hee beganne to sing the women and little children came forth of their houses to salute him and to offer vnto him as to their god Two old men of the Antients of the Temple came vnto him nine daies before the feast and humbling themselves before him they said with a low and submisse voyce Sir you must vnderstand that nine daies hence the exercise of dancing and singing doth end and thou must then die and then he must answer in a good houre They call this ceremony Neyolo MaxiltleZtli which is to say the advertisement and when they did thus advertise him they tooke very carefull heede whether hee were sad or if he danced as ioyfully as he was accustomed the which if he did not as cheerefully as they desired they made a foolish superstition in this maner They presently tooke the sacrificing rasors the which they washed and clensed from the blood of men which remained of the former sacrifices Of this washing they made a drinke mingled with another liquor made of Cacao giving it him to drinke they said that this would make him forget what had beene said vnto him and would make him in a maner incensible returning to his former dancing and mirth They said moreover that he would offer himself cheerefully to death being inchanted with this drinke The cause why they sought to take from him this heavinesse was for that they held it for an ill augure and a fore telling of some great harme The day of the feast being come after they had done him much honor sung and given him incense the sacrificers tooke him about mid-night and did sacrifice him as hath beene said offering his heart vnto the Moone the which they did afterwardes cast against the idoll letting the bodie fall to the bottome of the staires of the Temple where such as had offered him tooke him vp which were the Marchants whose feast it was Then having carried him into the chiefest mans house amongst them the body was drest with divers sawces to celebrate at the breake of day the
seeke occasion to ruine them But their god Vitzliputzli comforted them appearing that night to an olde man commaunding him to say to the king his sonne in his name that hee should make no difficultie to accept of this tribute he would help them and make the meanes easie which after happened for the time of tribute being come the Mexicanes carried the trees that were required and moreover a garden made and floating in the water and in it much Mays which is their corne already grained and in the eare there was also Indian pepper beetes Tomates which is a great sappy and savourie graine french pease fâ—gges gourds and many other things al ripe and in their season Such as have not seene the gardines in the lake of Mexico in the middest of the water will not beleeve it but will say it is an inchantment of the Divell whom they worship But in trueth it is a matter to be done and there hath beene often seene of these gardens floating in the water for they cast earth vpon reedes and grasse in such sort as it never wastes in the water they sowe and plant this ground so as the graine growes and ripens very well and then they remove it from place to place But it is true that to make this great garden easily and to have the fruites grow well is a thing that makes men iudge there was the worke of VitziliputZli whome otherwise they call Patillas specially having never made nor seene the like The king of Azcapuzalco wondred much when he sawe that accomplished which he held impossible saying vnto his subiects that this people had a great god that made all easie vnto them and hee sayd vnto the Mexicaines that seeing their God gave them all things perfit hee would the yeare following at the time of tribute they shoulde bring in their gardine a wilde ducke and a heron sitting on their egges in such sorte that they should hatch their yoong ones as they should arrive without failing of a minute vpon paine of his indignation The Mexicans were much troubled and heavy with this prowde and strict commaunde but their god as he was accustomed comforted them in the night by one of his priests saying that he would take all that charge vpon him willing them not to fear but beleeve that the day would come whenas the Azcapuzalcos should pay with their lives this desire of new tributes The time being come as the Mexicans carried all that was demaunded of their gardins among the reeds and weeds of the gardin they found a ducke and a heron hatching their egges and at the same instant when they arived at AzcapuZalco their yong ones were disclosed Whereat the king of AzcapuZalco wondring beyond measure he said againe to his people that these were more than humane things and that the Mexicans beganne as if they would make themselves lordes over all those provinces Yet did he not diminish the order of this tribute and the Mexicans finding not themselves mighty enough endured this subiection and slavery the space of fifty yeeres In this time the king Acamapixtli died having beautified the Citty of Mexico with many goodly buildings streets conduits of water and great aboundance of munition Hee raigned in peace and rest forty yeares having bin alwayes zealous for the good and increase of the common-weale As hee drew neare his end hee did one memorable thing that having lawfull children to whom he might leave the succession of the realme yet would he not do it but contrariwise hee spake freely to the common-weale that as they had made a free election of him so they should choose him that should seeme fittest for their good government advising them therein to have a care to the good of the common-weale and seeming grieved that he left them not freed from tribute subiection hee died having recommended his wife and children vnto them he left all his people sorowfull for his death Of the second King and what happened in his raigne CHAP. 10. THe obsequies of the dead king performed the Antients the chiefe of the realme and some part of the people assembled together to choose a King where the Antients propounded the necessitie wherein they were and that it was needefull to choose for chiefe of their citty a man that had pity of age of widows and orphans and to be a father of the commonweale for in very deede they should be the feathers of his wings the eie-browes of his eyes and the beard of his face that it was necessarie he were valiant being needefull shortly to vse their forces as their god had prophesied Their resolution in the end was to chuse a sonne of the predecessor vsing the like good office in accepting his sonne for successor as hee had done to the common-weale relying thereon This young man was called Vitzilovitli which signifieth a rich feather they set the royall crowne vpon his head and annointed him as they have beene accustomed to doe to all their Kings with an ointâ—â—nt they call Divine being the same vnction wherewith they did annoynt their Idoll Presently an Orator made an eloquent speech exhorting him to arme himselfe with courage and free them from the travells slavery and misery they suffered being oppressed by the AzcapuZalcos which done all did him homage This king was not married and his Counsell helde opinion that it was good to marry him with the daughter of the king of Azcapuzalco to have him a frind by this aliance and to obtain some diminution of their heavy burthen of tributes imposed vpon them and yet they feared lest he should disdaine to give them his daughter by reason they were his vassalls yet the king of AzcapuZalco yeelded therevnto having humbly required him who with curteous wordes gave them his daughter called Ayanchigual whom they ledde with great pompe and ioy to Mexico and performed the ceremony and solemnity of marriage which was to tie a corner of the mans cloke to a part of the womans vaile in signe of the band of marriage This Queene broght foorth a sonne of whose name they demaunded advise of the king of AzcapuZalco and casting lots as they had accustomed being greatly given to soothsayings especially vpon the names of their children he would have his grand-childe called Chimalpopoca which signifies a target casting smoke The Queene his daughter seeing the contentment the King of AzcapuZalco had of his grand-child tooke occasion to intreat him to releeve the Mexicaines of the heavy burthen of their tributes seeing he had now a grand-child Mexicaine the which the King willingly yeelded vnto by the advise of his Counsell granting for the tribute which they paid to bring yeerely a couple of duckes and some fish in signe of subiection and that they dwelt in his land The Mexicaines by this meanes remained much eased and content but it lasted little For the Queene their Protectrix died soone after and the yere following likewise Vitzilovitli the king of Mexico died
like women to their cittie reproching them that they were cowards and effeminate and that they durst not take armes being sufficiently provoked Those of Mexico say that for revenge they did vnto them a fowle scorne laying at the gates of their Cittie of Cuyoacan certaine things which smoaked by meanes whereof many women were delivered before their time and many fell sicke In the end all came to open warre and there was a battell fought wherein they imployed all their forces in the which Tlacaellec by his courage and policie in warre obtained the victory For having left king IZcoalt in fight with them of Cuyoacan he put himselfe in ambush with some of the most valiant souldiers and so turning about charged them behind and forced them to retire into their Citty But seeing their intent was to flie into a Temple which was verie strong He with three other valiant souldiors pursued them eagerly and got before them seising on the temple firing it so as he forced them to flie to the fields where hee made a great slaughter of the vanquished pursuing them two leagues into the Countrey vnto a litle hill where the vanquished casting away their weapons and their armes acrosse yeelded to the Mexicans and with many teares craved pardon of their overweening follie in vsing them like women offering to bee their slaves so as in the end the Mexicaines did pardon them Of this victory the Mexicanes carried away very rich spolles of garments armes gold silver iewells and rich feathers with a great number of captives In this battaile there were three of the principals of Culhuacan that came to aide the Mexicaines to winne honour the which were remarkable above all And since being knowen to Tlasaellec and having made proofe of their fidelitie he gave them Mexicaine devises and had them alwayes by his side where they fought in all places very valiantly It was apparant that the whole victory was due to the Generall and to these three for among so many captives taken two third partes were wonne by these foure which was easily knowen by a policie they vsed for taking a captive they presently cut off a little of his haire and gave it to others so as it appeared that those which had their haire cut amounted to that number whereby they wonne great reputation and fame of valiant men They were honoured as conquerors giving them good portions of the spoils and lands as the Mexicans have alwayes vsed to doe which gave occasion to those that did fight to become famous and to winne reputation by armes Of the warre and victorie which the Mexicans had against the Suchimilcos CHAP. 15 THe Nation of the Tapanecans being subdewed the Mexicaines had occasion to do the like to the Suchimilcos who as it hath beene saide were the first of the seven caves or linages that peopled this land The Mexiâ—ans sought not the occasion although they might presume as conquerors to extend their limits but the Suchimilcos didde moove them to their owne ruine as it happens to men of small iudgement that have no foresight who not preventing the mischefe they imagined fall into it The Suchimilcos held opinion that the Mexicans by reason of their victories past should attempt to subdue them and consulted heereon among themselves Some among them thought it good to acknowledge them for superiors and to applaude their good fortune but the contrary was allowed and they went out to give them battel which IZcoalt the king of Mexico vnderstanding he sent his General Tlacaelâ—ec against them with his army the battell was fought in the same field that divides their limites which two armies were equall in men and armes but very divers in their order and manner of fighting for that the Suchimilcos charged all together on a heape confusedly and Tlacaellec divided his men into squadrons with a goodly order so as he presently brake his ennemies forcing them to retire into their cittie into the which they entred following them to the Temple whither they fled which they fiered and forcing them to flie vnto the mountaines in the end they brought them to this poynt that they yeelded with their armes acrosse The Generall Tlacaellec returning in great triumph the priests went foorth to receive him with their musicke of flutes and giving incense The chiefe Captaines vsed other ceremonies and shews of ioy as they had bin accustomed to doe and the king with all the troupe went to the Temple to give thanks to their false god for the divell hath alwayes beene very desirous hereof to challenge to himselfe the honor which he deserves not seeing it is the true God which giveth victories and maketh them to rule whome he pleaseth The day following king Izcoalt went vnto the Citty of Suchimilco causing himselfe to be sworne king of the Suchimilcos and for their comfort he promised to doe them good In token whereof hee commaunded them to make a great cawsey stretching from Mexico to Suchimilco which is foure leagues to the end there might bee more commerce and trafficke amongest them Which the Suchimilcos performed and in shorte time the Mexicaine governement seemed so good vnto them as they helde themselves happy to have changed their king and commonweale Some neighbors pricked forward by envy or feare to their ruines were not yet made wise by others miseries Cuitlavaca was a citty within the lake which though the name and dwelling be chaunged continueth yet They were active to swimme in the lake and therefore they thought they might much indomage and annoy the Mexicaines by water which the King vnderstanding hee resolved to send his army presently to fight against them But Tlacaellec little esteeming this warre holding it dishonorable to lead an army against them made offer to conquer them with the children onely which he performed in this maner he went vnto the Temple drew out of the Covent such children as he thought fittest for this action from tenne to eighteene yeeres of age who knew how to guide their boates or canoes teaching them certaine pollicies The order they held in this warre was that he went to Cuitlavaca with his children where by his pollicy hee pressed the ennemy in such sorte that hee made them to flie and as he followed them the lord of Cuitlavaca mette him and yeelded vnto him himselfe his Citty and his people and by this meanes he stayed the pursuite The children returned with much spoyle and many captives for their sacrifices being solemnely received with a great procession musike and perfumes they went to worshippe their gods in taking of the earth which they did eate and drawing blood from the forepart of their legges with the Priests lancets with other superstitions which they were accustomed to vse in the like solemnities The children were much honoured and incoraged and the king imbraced and kissed them and his kinsmen and alies accompanied them The bruite of this victorie ranne throughout all the country how that Tlacaellec had
The first of his Campe that advanced himselfe to the combate was the King himselfe defying his ennemies from whome hee made shewe to fly when they charged him vntill he had drawne them into an ambuscadoe where many souldiers lay hidden vnder straw who suddenly issued forth and they which fled turned head so as they of Tiquantepec remained in the midst of them whom they charged furiously making a great slaughter of them and following their victory they razed their citty and temple punishing all their neighbours rigorously Then went they on farther and without any stay conquered to Guatulco the which is a port at this day well knowne in the South sea Axayaca returned to Mexico with great and rich spoiles where he was honourably crowned with sumptuous and stately preparation of sacrifices tributes and other things whither many came to see his coronation The Kings of Mexico received the crowne from the hands of the King of Tescuco who had the preheminence He made many other enterprises where he obtained great victories being alwaies the first to leade the army and to charge the enemy by the which hee purchased the name of a most valiant captaine not content to subdue strangers he also suppressed his subiects which had rebelled which never any of his predecessours ever could doe or durst attempt We have already shewed how some seditious of Mexico had divided themselves from that common-weale and built a cittie neare vnto them which they called Tlatelulco whereas now saint Iaques is These being revolted held a faction aparte and encreased and multiplied much refusing to acknowledge the kings of Mexico nor to yeeld them obedience The king Axayaca sent to advise them not to live divided but being of one bloud and one people to ioyne together and acknowledge the king of Mexico wherevpon the Lorde of Tlatelulco made an aunswere full of pride and disdaine defieng the king of Mexico to single combate with himselfe and presently mustred his men commaunding some of them to hide themselves in the weeds of the Lake and the better to deceive the Mexicans he commaunded them to take the shapes of ravens geese and other beasts as frogs and such like supposing by this meanes to surprise the Mexicans as they should passe by the waies and cawsies of the Lake Having knowledge of this defie and of his adversaries policie he divided his army giving a part to his generall the sonne of Tlacaellec commaunding him to charge this ambuscadoe in the Lake and he with the rest of his people by an vnfrequented way went and incamped before Tlatelulco Presently hee called him who had defied him to performe his promise and as the two Lordes of Mexico and Tlatelulco advaunced they commaunded their subiects not to moove vntill they had seene who should be conquerour which was done and presently the two Lordes incountered valiantly where having fought long in the end the Lorde of Tlatelulco was forced to turne his backe being vnable to indure the furious charge of the king of Mexico Those of Tlatelulco seeing their captaine flie fainted fled likewise but the Mexicans following them at the heeles charged them furiously yet the Lord of Tlatelulco escaped not the hands of Axayaca for thinking to save himselfe he fled to the toppe of the Temple but Axayaca folowed him so neere as he seised on him with great force and threw him from the toppe to the bottome and after set fire on the Temple and the cittie Whilest this passed at Tlatelulco the Mexicane generall was very hote in the revenge of those that pretended to defeate him by pollicie after he had forced them to yeelde and to crie for mercy the Generall sayde he would not pardon them vntil they had first performed the offices of those figures they represented and therfore he would have them crie like frogges and ravens every one according to the figure which he had vndertaken else they had no composition which thing he did to mocke them with their owne policie Feare and necessitie be perfect teachers so as they did sing and crie with all the differences of voyces that were commaunded them to save their lives although they were much grieved at the sport their enimies made at them They say that vnto this day the Mexicans vse to ieast at the Tlatelulcans which they beare impatiently when they putte them in minde of this singing and crying of beasts King Axayaca tooke pleasure at this scorne and disgrace and presently after they retourned to Mexico with great ioy This King was esteemed for one of the best that had commaunded in Mexico Hee raigned eleaven yeares and one succeeded that was much inferiour vnto him in valour and vertue Of the deedes of Autzol the eight King of Mexico CHAP. 19. AMong the foure Electors that had power to chuse whome they pleased to be king there was one indued with many perfections named Autzol This man was chosen by the rest and this election was very pleasing to all the people for besides that he was valiant all held him curteous and affable to every man which is one of the chiefe qualities required in them that commaund to purchase love and respect To celebrate the feast of his coronation hee resolved to make a voyage and to punish the pride of those of Quaxulatlan a very rich and plentifull province and at this day the chiefe of new Spaine They had robbed his officers and stewards that carried the tribute to Mexico and therwithall were rebelled There was great difficulty to reduce this Nation to obedience lying in such sort as an arme of the sea stopt the Mexicans passage to passe the which AutZol with a strange device and industry caused an Iland to be made in the water of faggots earth and other matter by meanes whereof both hee and his men might passe to the enemy where giving them battell he conquered them and punished them at his pleasure Then returned hee vnto Mexico in triumph and with great riches to bee crowned King according to their custome Autzol extended the limites of his kingdome farre by many conquests even vnto Guatimalla which is three hundred leagues from Mexico He was no lesse liberall than valiant for whenas the tributes arrived which as I have saide came in great aboundaunce hee went foorth of his pallace gathering together all the people into one place then commaunded he to bring all the tributes which hee divided to those that had neede To the poore hee gave stuffes to make apparrell and meate and whatsoever they had neede of in great aboundaunce and things of value as golde silver iewels and feathers were divided amongest the Captaines souldiers and servants of his house according to every mans merite This AutZol was likewise a great polititian hee pulled downe the houses ill built and built others very sumptuous It seemed vnto him that the city of Mexico had too litle water and that the Lake was very muddy and therefore hee resolved to let in a great course
heaven without doubt she will answere vs as Lactantius doth That if the heaven were round the Sun starres should fall when as they move and change their places rising towards the South Even so if the earth did hang in the ayre those which inhabite the other part should go with their feete vpwards and their heades downward and the raine which falles from above should mount vpward with many other ridiculous deformities But if we consult with the force of reason she will make small accoumpt of all these vaine imaginations nor suffer vs to beleeve them no more than a foolish dreame But Reason will answer with this her integritie and gravitie that it were a very grosse error to imagine the whole world to be like vnto a house placing the earth for the foundation and the heaven for the covering Moreover she will say that as in all creatures the head is the highest part and most elevated although all creatures have not heades placed in one and the same sctuation some being in the highest part as man some athwart as sheepe others in the middest as spiders even so the heaven in what part soeuer it be remaines above and the earth likewise in what part soever remaines vnderneath Our imagination therefore is grounded vpon time and place the which she cannot comprehend nor conceive in generall but in particular It followeth that when wee shall raise it to the consideration of things which exceede the time and place which are knowne vnto her then presently she shrinkes and cannot subsist if reason doth not support her In like sort we see vpon the discourse of the creation of the worlde our imagination straies to seeeke out a time before the creation thereof and to build the world she discribes a place but shee comes not to consider that the worlde might bee made after another fashion Notwithstanding reason doth teach vs that there was no time before there was a motion whereof time is the measure neyther was there any place before the vniversall which comprehendes within it all place Wherein the excellent Philosopher Aristotle doth plainely satisfie and in few wordes that argument made against the place of the earth helping himselfe with our vse of imagination when hee saâ—eth and with trueth That in the world the same place of the earth is in the midst and beneath and the more a thing is in the middest the more it is vnderneath The which answer being produced by Lactantius Firmian yet hee doth passe it over without confutation by reason saying that he cannot stay thereon and omitte the handling of other matters The reason why S. Augustine denied the Antipodes CHAP. 8. THe reason which moved S. Augustine to deny the Antipodes was other then that formerly alleadged being of a higher iudgement for the reson before mentioned that the Antipodes should go vpwards is confuted by the same Doctor in his booke of sermons in these words The ancients hold that the earth of all parts is beneath and the heaven above by reason whereof the Antipodes which they say go opposite vnto vs have like vnto vs the heaven above their heads Seeing then S. Augustine hath confessed this to bee conformable to good Philosophie what reason shall we say did move so learned and excellent a man to follow the contrary opinion Doubtlesse he drew the motive and cause from the bowels of divinitie whereby the holie Writ doth teach vs that all mankinde doth come from the first man Adam and to say that men could passe to that new world crossing the great Ocean were vncredible and a meere lye And in truth if the successe an experience of what we have seene in these ages had not satisfied vs in this point we had yet held this reason to bee good And although we know this reason neither to be pertinent nor true yet will we make answere therevnto shewing in what sort and by what meanes the first linage of men might passe thither and howe and by what meanes they came to people and inhabite the Indies And for that wee meane heereafter to intreat briefly of this subiect it shall be fit now to vnderstand what the holy Doctor Augustine disputes vppon this matter in his bookes of the cittie of God It is no point that we ought to beleeve as some affirme that there are Antipodes that is to say men which inhabite that other part of the earth in whose region the Sunne riseth when it sets with vs and that their steppes be opposite and contrarie to ours seeing they affirme not this by any certaine revelation which they have but onely by a Philosophicall discourse they make whereby they conclude that the earth being in the middest of the world invironed of all parts and covered equallie with the heaven of necestitie that must be in the lowest place which is in the midst of the world Afterwardes hee continues in these words The holie Scripture doth not erre neither is deceived in anie sort the truth whereof is well approved in that which it propoundeth of things which are passed for as much as that which hath benefore-told hath succeded in every point as we see And it is a thing voide of all sense to say that men could passe from this continent to the new found world cut through the Vast Ocean seeing it were impossible for men to passe into those parts any other way being most certain that almen desceÌ„d from the first man Wherein we see that all the difficultie S. Augustine hath found was nothing else but the incomparable greatnes of this vast Ocean Gregorie Nazianzene was of the same opinion assuring as a matter without any doubt that it was not possible to saile beyond the Straights of Gibraltar and vpon this subiect he writes in an Epistle of his I agree well with the saying of Pindarus That past Cadiz that Sea is not nauigable And hee himselfe in the funerall Sermon he made for saint Basil saith It was not tollerable for anie one sailing on the Sea to passe the Straight of Gibraltar And it is true that this place of Pindarus where he saith That it is not lawfull neyther for wise men nor fooles to know what is beyond the Straight of Gibraltar hath beene taken for a Proverbe Thus we see by the beginning of this Proverbe how the Ancients were obstinately setled in this opinion as also by the bookes of Poets Historiographers and ancient Cosmographers that the end and bounds of the earth were set at Cadiz in Spaine where they plant the pillars of Hercules there they set the limits of the Romane Empire and there they describe the boundes of the world And not onely prophane writers speake in this sort but also the holy Scripture to apply it selfe to our phrase saith That the edict of Augustus Caesaâ— was published to the end that all the world should be taxed and of Alexander the great that he stretched forth his Empire even to the end and
which daily happens in diverse partes of the Equinoctiall Manomotapa and a great part of the kingdom of Prester Iean are seated vnder the line or very neere In which regions they endure excessive heate and the men are all blacke the which is not onely in those parts of the land farre from the sea but also in Ilands invironed with the sea The Iland of Saint Thomas is vnder the Line the Ilands of Cape Verd are very neere and both in the one and the other are violent heates and the men are likewise blacke Vnder the same line or very neere lies a part of Peru and of the new kingdome of Grenado which notwithstanding are very temperate Countries inclining rather to colde then heate and the inhabitants are white The Country of Bresill is in the same distance from the line with Peru and yet both Bresill and all that coast is extreamely hot although it be in the North sea and the other coast of Peru which is in the South sea is very temperate I say then that whosoever would consider these differences and give a reason thereof cannot content himselfe with these generall rules before specified to proove that the burning Zone may be a temperate land Among the speciall causes and reasons I have first placed the Sea for without doubt the neerenesse thereof doth helpe to temper and coole the heat for although the water be salt yet is it alwayes water whose nature is cold and it is a thing remarkeable that in the depth of the Ocean the water cannot be made hot by the violence of the Sunne as in rivers finally even as salt-peeter though it be of the nature of salt hath a propertie to coole water even so we see by experience that in some ports and havens the salt-water doth refresh the which wee have observed in that of Callao whereas they put the water or wine which they drinke into the Sea in flaggons to be refreshed whereby wee may vndoubtedly finde that the Ocean hath this propertie to temper and moderate the excessive heate for this cause we feele greater heat at land then at sea Caeteris paribus and commonly Countries lying neere the sea are coooler then those that are farther off Caeteris paribus as I have said even so the greatest part of the new world lying very neere the Ocean wee may with reason say although it bee vnder the burning Zone yet doth it receive a great benefite from the sea to temper the heat That the highest landes are the coldest and the reason thereof CHAP. 12. BVt if we shall yet search more particularly we shall not finde in all this land an equall temperature of heate although it be in equal distance from the sea and in the same degree seeing that in some partes there is great heate and in some very little Doubtlesse the cause thereof is that the one is lower and the other higher which causeth that the one is hote and the other colde It is most certaine that the toppes of the mountaines are colder then in the bottome of the vallies the which proceedes not onely for that the sunne beames have greater repercussions vpon lower places although it be a great reason yet there is an other which is that the Region of the ayre is colder when it is farthest from the ground The Plaines of Collao at Peru of Popaian in new Spaine make sufficient proofe hereof For without al doubt those parts are high countries and for this reason cold although they be all invironed with high points of mountaines much subiect to the Sunne beames But if we demand why at Peru and in new Spaine the Plaines along the coast be very hote and the plaines of the same Countries of Peru and new Spaine be contrariwise colde In truth I see no other reason can be given but that the one is a lowe country and the other high Experience dooth teach vs that the middle region of the ayre is colder than the neather And therefore the more the mountaines approach to the middle the colder they are being covered with snow and frosts Reason it selfe dooth yeelde to it For if there be a sphere and region of fire as Aristotle and the other Philosophers say the middle region of the ayre must be most colde by Antiparistasis the colde being expelled and thickned there as in summer time we see in wells that are very deepe For this cause the Philosophers affirme that the two extreame regions of the ayre that above and the other belowe are the hottest and the middle region more colde If it be thus as experience doth teach vs we shall yet draw out another reason and notable argument to shew that the burning Zone is temperate which is that the greatest part of the Indies is a high countrey filled with many mountaines which by their neerenesse refresh the neighbour countries You may continually see vppon the toppes of these mountaines snow haile and frozen waters and the cold so bitter as the grasse is all withered so as the men and beasts which passe that way are benummed with colde This as I have saide is in the burning Zone and it happens most commonly when they have the sunne for zenith It is therefore most certaine and conformable vnto reason that the mountaines are colder than the valleis and plaines for that they participate more of the middle region of the aire which is very colde The cause why the middle region of the ayre is more colde hath bin shewed before for that the region of the aire next to the fiery exhalation the which according to Aristotle is vpon the spheare of the aire repells and thrustes backe all the colde the which retires it selfe into the middle region of the aire by Antiparistasis as the Philosophers speake Now if any one should question with me in this manner If it be so that the ayre is hot and moist as Aristotle holdes and as we commonly say whence then proceeds the cold which is congealed in the middle region of the ayre seeing it cannot come from the fierie spheare For if it come from the water or the earth by this reason the lower region of the aire should be colder than the middle To answer truely what I thinke I will confesse that this Argument and Obiection is so difficult as I am almost ready to follow the opinion of such as reproove the qualities agreements and disagreements which Aristotle gives vnto the Elements saying they are but imaginations who for this occasion hold the aire to be colde by nature And to this end they vse many arguments and reasons whereof we will propound one very familiar and well knowne leaving the rest aparte In the canicular dayes we are accustomed to beate the ayre with a fanne and we finde that it doth refresh vs so as these Authors affirme that heate is no private property of any other Element but of fire only which is dispersed and mingled with all things as the great Denis