great fertilitie of the same Thinhabitauntes of this mountaine brought to our shyp bread gossampine cotton cunnies sundry kyndes of wyldfoule demaundyng relygiously of thinterpretours if this nation descended not from heauen The kyng of this people and dyuers other sage men that stoode by him informed hym that that lande was no Ilande Shortly after entring into one of the ilandes being on the lefte hande of this lande they founde no body therin for they fledde al at the comming of our men Yet founde they there foure dogges of maruelous deformed shape suche as coulde not barke This kynd of doggs they eate as we do goates Here is great plentie of geese duckes and hearons Betwene these ilandes and the continent he entered into so narowe streyghtes that he coulde scarsely turne backe the shyppes and these also so shalowe that the keele of the shyppes somtyme rased on the sandes The water of these streyghtes for the space of fourtie myles was white and thycke lyke vnto mylke and as though meale had ben sparkeled throughout al that sea And when they had at the length escaped these strayghtes and were nowe come into a mayne and large sea and had sayled theron for the space of fourescore myles they espyed an other exceding hygh mountayne whyther the Admirall resorted to store his shyppes with freshe water and fuel Heare among certayne wooddes of Date trees pyneapple trees of excedyng height he founde two natiue sprynges of freshe water In the meane tyme whyle the woodde was cuttyng and the barrelles fyllyng one of our archers went into the wood to hunt where he espyed a certayne man with a whyte vesture so lyke a fryer of thorder of saynt Marye of Mercedis that at the fyrste sight he supposed it had ben the Admirals priest which he brought with hym beyng a man of the same order but two other folowed him immediatlye out of the same wooddes Shortly after he sawe a farre of a whole company of men clothed in apparel being about xxx in number Then turning his backe and crying out to his felowes he made haste to the shyppes with all that he myght dryue These apparelled men made sygnes and tokens to hym to tary and not to be afrayd but that notwithstandyng he ceassed not to flee The Admirall beyng aduertysed hereof and not a lytle reioycyng that he had founde a ciuile people incontinently sent foorth armed men with commaundement that yf neede should so requyre they shoulde enter fourtie myles into the ilande vntyl they myght fynde eyther those apparelled men or other inhabitauntes of that countrey When they had passed ouer the wood they came into a great playne ful of grasse and hearbes in whiche appeared no token of any pathway Here attemptyng to goe through the grasse and hearbes they were so entangled and bewrapt therein that they were scarselye able to passe a myle the grasse beyng there lytle lower then our ripe corne beyng therefore weeryed they were enforced to returne agayne finding no pathway The day folowyng he sent foorth xxv armed men another way commaundyng them to make diligent search and inquisition what manner of people inhabited the lande Who departyng when they had found not farre from the sea side certayne steps of wyld beastes of the which they suspected some to be of Lions feete beyng strycken with feare returturned backe agayne As they came they founde a wood in the whiche were many natiue vines here and there creepyng about hygh trees with many other trees bearyng aromatical fruites and spyces Of these vines they brought with them into Spaine many clusters of grapes very ponderous and ful of licour but of the other fruites they brought none because they putrified by the way in the shyp were cast into the sea They say also that in the landes or medowes of those wooddes they sawe flockes of great Cranes twyse as bygge as ours As he went forward and turned his sayles towarde certayne other mountaynes he espied two cotages on the shore in the whiche he sawe only one man who being brought to the shippe signified with head fyngers and by al other signes that he coulde deuise that the lande whiche lay beyonde those mountaynes was very full of people and as the Admiral drew neare the shore of the same there met him certayne Canoas hauyng in them many people of the countrey who made signes and tokens of peace and frendshyp But here Didacus the interpretour which vnderstoode the language of thinhabitantes of the beginning of Cuba vnderstode not them one whit whereby they consydered that in sundry prouinces of Cuba were sundry languages He had also intelligence that in the inlande of this region was a king of great power accustomed to weare apparell he sayde that all the tracte of this shore was drowned with water and ful of mudde besette with manye trees after the maner of our maryshes Yet whereas in this place they went alande for freshe water they founde many of the shelfyshes in the whiche pearles are geathered But that coulde not cause the Admirall to tracte the tyme there entending at this viage only to proue howe many landes seas he could discouer according to the kinges commaundement As they yet proceded forwarde they sawe here and there al the way along by the shore a great smoke rysing vntyll they came to an other mountayne foure score myles distant there was no rocke or hyll that coulde be seene but the same was all of a smoke But whether these fyres were made by thinhabitantes for their necessary busynes or as we are wont to sette beacons on fyre when we suspecte thapproche of our enimies thereby to geue warning to theyr neyghbours to be in a redines geather togeather if perhaps our men shoulde attempt any thyng against them or otherwyse as seemeth most lykely to cal them togeather as to a wonder to beholde our shyppes they knowe yet no certentie In this tracte the shores bended somtyme towarde the South and sometyme towarde the West and west southwest and the sea was euerye where entangled with Ilandes by reason whereof the keeles of the shyppes often times rased the sandes for shalownesse of the water So that the shyppes being very sore bruised and appayred the sayles cables and other tackelinges in maner rotten and the vytailes especially the biskette bread corrupted by takyng water at the ryftes euyll closed the Admirall was enforced to turne backe agayne This laste poynte where he touched of Cuba not yet being knowen to be an ilande he called Euangelista Thus turning his sayles towarde other ilandes lying not farre from the supposed continent he chaunced into a mayne sea where was suche a multitude of great Tortoyses that somtyme they stayed the shyppes Not long after he entred into a gulfe of whyte water lyke vnto that wherof we spake before At the length fearing the shelfes of the ilands he returned to the shore of
of the Iland of Hispaniola aboue Cuba an Ilande of the Canibales Which narration hath geuen me occasion to extende Groneland beyond the promontorie or cape of Huitsarch to the contynent or fyrme lande of Lapponia aboue the castell of Wardhus whiche thyng I dyd the rather for that the reuerende Archebyshop of Nidrosia constantly affirmed that the sea bendeth there into the fourme of a crooked Elbowe It agreeth herewith also that the Lapones consent with them in the lyke Magicall practises and do neyther embrace the Christian religion nor refuse it wherby I haue thought this lykenesse of customes to be betweene them because they ioyne togeather in one continent The distance lykewyse seemeth not to disagree For beetweene both these people the distance is not full two hundred Schoeni euery one beyng a space of ground conteining threescore furlonges which make seauen myles a halfe It furthermore agreeth with this coniecture that Cabot chaunced into such yse And albeit as touching the Moneth of Iuly I wyll contend it is not well rehearsed no although he had sailed vnder the poole for such reasons as we haue declared before to the contrary neuerthelesse that at some tyme he sailed by yse this testifieth in that he sayled not by the mayne sea but in places neare vnto the land comprehending embrasing the sea in fourme of a gulfe whereas for the same cause the gulfe of Gothland is frosen because it is streyght and narrow ▪ in the which also the litle quantitie of salte water is ouercome by the abundance of fresh water of many and great ryuers that fall into the gulfe But betweene Norway and Island the sea is not frosen for the contrary cause forasmuch as the power of freshe water is there ouercome of the abundance of the salte water There is a fame but of vncertayne aucthoritie that the Spaniardes sayle at this present to Gronelande and to an other lande whiche they call Terra Viridis that is the greene lande bringyng from thence suche wares as are founde in Gronelande Towards the North ▪ it reacheth to the vnknowen land vnder the pole from whence also the theeues and robbers of the Pigmei come into this lande Which is an argument that the regions vnder the pole are inhabited almost enuironed with the sea as are they whiche the Cosmographers call Chersonnesi or Peninsulae that is almost Ilandes The description of Gronlande The description of the East syde which lyeth towarde Norway Wardhus Castle 54.  70. 30. Towarde the North. 53. 30. 71. 30. The fyrst extention 40.  71. 40. The second extention 28.  72.  Huitsarch promont 22.  67.  The extention 5.  61. 45. It is continued from thence by the coastes of the lande of Baccallaos 356. 60.   Towarde the West and North it is termined with an vnknowen ende of landes and seas     Islande ISlande is interpreted the land of Ise and is called of the olde wryters Thyle It is extended betweene the South and the North almost two hundred schoenes in longitude It is for the most parte full of mountaynes and vncultured But in the playnes it hath such fruitfull pastures that they are fayne sometymes to dryue the beastes from theyr feedyng least they should be suffocate with to much fatnesse This Ilande is famous by the strange myracles of nature of the whiche Saxo Grammaticus in his hystorie of Denmarke and Olanus Gothus in his description of the North landes doe make mention There are in it three mountaynes of marueylous height the toppes whereof are couered with perpetuall snowe but the nether partes of them are of lyke nature to the mountayne Etna in the Ilande of Sicilie boylyng with continuall flames of fyre and castyng foorth brymstone One of these is named Helga and the other Mons Crucis that is the mounte of the crosse The thyrd is named Hecla whose flames neyther consume flaxe or tow matters most apte to take fyre nor yet are quenched with water And with lyke force as the shot of great artillerie is driuen foorth by violence of fyre euen so by the commixtion and repugnance of fyre colde and brymstone great stones are heere throwne into the ayre Neare vnto these mountaynes are three chynkes or open places in the earth of huge bygnesse and such depth especially at the mount Hecla that no sight can attayne thereto But to such as looke into them there first appeare men as though they were drowned and yet breathyng foorth theyr soules who beyng exhorted by theyr friendes to resorte to theyr owne they answere with mournyng voyce and greeuous sighes that they must departe from thence to the mount Hecla and therewith sodaynely vanyshe out of sight He floweth about the Ilande for the space of seuen or eight monethes makyng by runnyng togeather a certayne miserable waylyng and gronyng noyse not vnlyke the voyce of man Thinhabitauntes thynke that in this Ise and the mount Hecla are the places where the euyll soules of theyr people are tormented If any man take a great portion of this Ise and keepe it as diligently as may be in a close vessell or cofer the same doeth so vanyshe at the tyme when the other Ise about the Ilande dissolueth that not so much as one droppe of water or Ise can thereof be founde Not farre from these mountaynes reachyng towarde the sea coastes are foure sprynges of water of most dyuers and contrary nature The fyrst by reason of his perpetuall and feruent heate sodaynely turneth all bodyes that are cast therein into stones reseruyng neuerthelesse theyr fyrst forme and shape The seconde is of intollerable coldnesse The thyrd is sweeter then hony and most pleasaunt to quench thyrst The fourth is playne poyson pestilent and deadly There is furthermore in these sprynges suche aboundaunce of brymstone that a thousande pounde weight thereof is bought for litle as for the tenth parte of a ducate Theyr chiefe wares are dryed fyshe as Soles Maydens Playces Salpas Stockefyshes and such other whiche they exchange for wheat and such other thinges as are brought thyther from Lubecke Hamborowe and Amsterdam For they haue oftentymes such scarsenesse of corne that they vse dryed fysh in the steade of bread although in sommer the Iland so florysheth with greene and fruitfull medowes that they are fayne somtimes to dryue theyr beastes from pasture least they should suffocate for to much fatnesse as I haue sayde before They make very good butter and apte to be vsed in matters of phisicke There are found diuers kindes of good Haukes as Faulcons Gerfaulcons Lanners and Sperhaukes Also Rauens Crowes Beares Hares and Foxes both white and blacke They haue most swift horses and such as run .xxx. miles continually without rest or baite They haue many churches houses builded of the bones of Whales
of hyghe stature and blacke and on the other syde of browne or tawnie coloure and lowe stature whiche thyng also our men confyrme to be true There are also other people of Libia called Garamantes whose women are common for they contracte no matrimonie neyther haue respecte to chastitie After these are the nations of the people called Pyrei Sathiodaphnite Odrangi Mimaces Lynxamate Dolopes Agangine Leuce Ethiopes Xilicei Ethiopes Calcei Ethiopes and Nubi These haue the same situation in Ptolomie that they nowe geue to the kyngdome of Nubia Here are certayne Christians vnder the dominion of the great Emperour of Ethiopia called Prester Iohn From these towarde the west is a great nation of people called Aphricerones whose region as farre as may bee geathered by coniecture is the same that is nowe called Regnum Orguene confinyng vppon the east partes of Guinea From hence Westwarde and somewhat towarde the North are the kyngdomes of Gambra and Budomel not farre from the ryuer of Senega And from hence towarde the inlande regions and along by the sea coast are the regions of Ginoia or Guinea which we commonly call Gynnee On the West syde of these regions towarde the Ocean is the cape or poynt called Gabouerde or Caput viride that is the greene cape to the whiche the Portugales fyrst directe theyr course when they sayle to America or the lande of Brasile Then departyng from hence they turne to the ryght hande towarde the quarter of the wynde called Garbino whiche is betwene the west and the south But to speake somewhat more of Ethiopia Although there are many nations of people so named yet is Ethiopia chiefely diuided into two partes whereof the one is called Ethiopia vnder Egypte a great and ryche region To this parteyneth the Ilande of Meroe imbrased rounde about with the streames of the ryuer Nilus In this Ilande women reigned in olde tyme. Iosephus writeth that it was somtyme called Sabea and that the queene of Saba came from thence to Hierusalem to beare the wysedome of Salomon From hence towarde the East reigneth the sayde Christian Emperour Prester Iohn whom some call Papa Iohannes and other saye that he is called Pean Iuan that is great Iohn whose Empire reacheth farre beyonde Nilus and is extended to the coastes of the redde sea and Indian sea The myddle of the region is almost in the .66 degrees of longitude and .xii. degrees of latitude About this region inhabite the people called Clodu Risophagi Babilonij Axiunite Molili and Molibe After these is the region called Trogloditica whose inhabitauntes dwell in caues and dennes for these are theyr houses and the flesh of serpents theyr meate as writeth Plinie and Diodorus Siculus They haue no speache but rather a grynnyng and chatteryng There are also people without heades called Blemines hauyng theyr eyes and mouth in theyr breste Lykewyse Strucophagi and naked Ganphasantes Satyrs also which haue nothyng of men but onely shape Moreouer Oripei great hunters Mennones also and the region of Smyrnophora which bringeth forth myrre After these is the regiō of Azania in the which many Elephantes are founde A great part of the other regions of Afrike that are beyond the Equinoctiall line are nowe ascrybed to the kyngdome of Melinde whose inhabitauntes are accustomed to traffike with the nations of Arabie and theyr kyng is ioyned in frendshyp with the kyng of Portugale and payeth tribute to Prester Iohn The other Ethiope called Ethiopia Interior that is the inner Ethiope is not yet knowne for the greatnesse thereof but onely by the sea coastes yet is it described in this maner Fyrst from the Equinoctiall towarde the South is a great region of Ethiopians which bryngeth foorth whyte Elephantes Tigers and the beastes called Rhinocerontes Also a region that bryngeth foorth plentie of Cinamome lying betwene the braunches of Nilus Also the kyngdome of Habech or Habasia a region of Christien men lying both on this syde and beyonde Nilus Here are also the Ethiopians called Ichthiophagi that is suche as lyue only by fyshe were sometymes subdued by the warres of great Alexander Furthermore the Ethiopians called Rhapsii and Anthropophagi that are accustomed to mans fleshe inhabite the regions neare vnto the mountaynes called Montes Lunae that is the mountaynes of the Moone Gazatia is vnder the Tropyke of Capricorne After this foloweth the front of Affrike the Cape of Buena Speranza or Caput Bonae Spei that is the Cape of good hope by the which they passe that sayle from Spaine to Calicut But by what names the Capes and gulfes are called forasmuche as the same are in euery globe and carde it were here superfluous to rehearse them Some wryte that Affrica was so named by the Grecians because it is without colde For the Greeke letter Alpha or A signifieth priuation voyde or without and Phrice signifieth colde For in deede although in the steade of wynter they haue a cloudy and tempestious season yet is it not colde but rather smootheryng hotte with also hotte shewres of rayne and somewhere suche scorchyng wyndes that what by one meanes and other they seeme at certayne tymes to lyue as it were in fornaces and in maner alredy halfe way in Purgatorie or hell Gemma Phrisius wryteth that in certayne partes of Affrica as in Atlas the greater the ayre in the nyght season is seene shynyng with many strange fyers and flames rysyng in maner as hyghe as the Moone and that in the element are sometyme hearde as it were the sounde of pypes trumpettes and drommes Which noises may perhaps be caused by the vehement and sundry motions of suche fyrye exhalations in the ayre as we see the lyke in many experiences wrought by fyre ayre winde The holownesse also diuers reflexions and breaking of the cloudes may be great causes hereof beside the vehement cold of the middle region of the ayre wherby the said fyrie exhalations ascendyng thither are sodenly strycken backe with great force For euen commen and dayly experience teacheth vs by the whyssyng of a burning Torche what noyse fyre maketh in the ayre much more where it stryueth when it is inclosed with ayre as appeareth in gunnes and as the like is seene in only aire enclosed as in Orgen pipes and such other instrumentes that go by winde For wynd as say the Philosophers is none other then aire vehemently moued as we see in a payre of bellowes and such other Some of our men of good credit that were in this last viage to Guinea affirme ernestly that in the night season they felt a sensible heate to come from the beames of the Moone The which thyng although it be strange and insensible to vs that inhabite colde regions yet doth it stand with good reason that it may so be forasmuche as the nature of starres and
se these thynges The inhabitantes affyrme that balme or balsame to be parte of the treasure of the Soltan that is Lorde of Mecha At euery vaulte of the turret is fastened a rounde circle of Iron lyke to the ryng of a doore The .xxiii. day of Maye a great multitude of people beganne earely in the mornyng before day seuen tymes to walke about the Turret kyssyng euery corner thereof oftentymes feelyng and handdelyng them From this Turret about tenne or twelue pases is an other Turret like a Chappell buylded after our maner This hath three or foure entryes in the myddest thereof is a well of threescore and tenne cubites deepe the water of this Well is infected with salt Peter or salniter Eyght men are therevnto appoynted to drawe water for all the people and when a multitude of people haue seuen tymes gone rounde about the fyrst Turret they come to this well and touchyng the mouth or brym thereof they saye thus Be it in the honour of God God pardon me and forgeue me my synnes When these woordes are sayde they that drawe the water powre three buckettes of water on the headdes of euery one of them that stand neere about the well and washe them all wette from the headde to the foote although they be apparelled with sylke Then theyr dotyng fooles dreame that they are cleane from all theyr synnes and that their synnes are forgeuen them They saye furthermore that the fyrst Turret wherof we haue spoken was the fyrst house that euer Abraham buylded and therefore whyle they are yet all wette of the sayd washyng they go to the mountayne where as we haue sayde before they are accustomed to sacrifice to Abraham And remaining there two daies they make the said sacrifice to Abraham at the foote of the mountayne The maner of Sacrificyng at Mecha Cap. 18. FOrasmuche as for the most parte noble spirites are delyted with nouelties of great and straunge thynges therefore to satisfie their expectation I wyll describe theyr maner of sacrifycyng Therefore when they intend to sacrifice some of them kyl three sheepe some foure and some tenne So that the butcherie sometyme so floweth with blood that in one sacrifice are slayne aboue three thousande sheepe They are slayne at the rysyng of the Sunne and shortly after are distributed to the poore for Gods sake for I sawe there a great and confounded multitude of poore people as to the number of .xxx. thousande These make many and long dyches in the feeldes where they keepe fyre with Camels doong and rost or seeth the fleshe that is geuen them and eate it euen there I beleue that these poore people come thither rather for hunger then for deuotion which I thinke by this coniectur that great abundance of cucumbers are brought thyther from Arabia Faelix whiche they eate castyng away the parynges without their houses or tabernacles where a multitude of the sayde poore people geather them euen out of the myre and sande and eate them and are so greedie of these parynges that they fyght who may geather most The daye folowing their Cadi which are in place with them as with vs the preachers of gods worde ascended into a hygh mountayne to preache to the people that remayned beneath and preached to them in theyr language the space of an houre The summe of his sermon was that with teares they shoulde bewayle theyr sinnes and beate their brestes with sighes and lamentation And the preacher hym selfe with loude voyce spake these woordes O Abraham beloued of god O Isaac chosen of god and his frend â—â—aye to god for the people of Nabi When these woordes were sayde sodenly were heard lamenting voyces When the sermon was done a rumor was spredde that a great armye of Arabians to the number of twentie thousande were commyng With whiche newes they that kept the Carauâ—nas beyng greatly feared with all speede lyke madde men fledde into the citie of Mecha and we agayne hearyng newes of the Arabians approche fledde also into the citie But whyle wee were in the mydwaye betweene the mountayne and Mecha â–ª we came by a despicable wal of the breadth of foure cubites The people passyng by this wall had couered the waye with stones the cause whereof they saye to be this When Abraham was commaunded to sacrifice his sonne he wylled his sonne Isaac to folowe hym to the place where he should execute the commaundement of God As Isaac went to folow his father there appeared to hym in the way a Deuyl in lykenesse of a fayre and freendly person not farre from the sayde wall and asked hym freendlye whyther he went Isaac answered that he went to his father who tarryed for hym To this the enimie of mankynde answered that it was best for hym to tarrye and yf that he went anye further his father woulde sacrifice hym But Isaac nothyng feareyng this aduertisement of the Deuyl went foreward that his father on hym myght execute the commaundement of God and with this answere as they saye the Deuyll departed Yet as Isaac went forwarde the Diuell appeared to hym agayne in the lykenesse of an other frendlye person and forbade hym as before Then Isaac takyng vp a stone in that place huride it at the Deuyl and wounded hym in the forehead In witnesse and remembraunce whereof the people passyng that waye when they come neare the wall are accustomed to cast stones agaynst it and from thence go into the citie As we went this way the ayre was in maner darkened with a multitude of stocke Doues They saye that these Doues are of the progenie of the Doue that spake in the eare of Mahumet in lykenesse of the Holye Ghost These are seene euery where as in the villages houses tauernes and graniers of corne and ryse and are so tame that one can scharsely dryue them a way Too take them or kyll them is esteemed a thyng worthy death and therfore a certayne pensyon is geuen to nouryshe them in the Temple Of the Vnicorns of the temple of Mecha â–ª whiche are not seene in any other place Cap. 19. ON the other part of the temple are parkes or places inclosed where are seene two Unicorns named of the Greekes Monocerotae and are there shewed to the people for a myracle and not without good reason for the seldomenesse and strange nature The one of them which is much hygher then the other yet not muche vnlyke to a colte of thyrtye monethes of age in the forehead groweth only one horne in maner ryght foorth of the length of three cubites The other is much younger of the age of one yeere and lyke a young colte the horne of this is of the length of foure handfuls This beast is of the coloure of a horse of weesell coloure and hath the head lyke an Hart but no long necke a thynne mane hangyng onlye on the one syde theyr legges are thyn and
serue for saylers Lykewyse very fyne cloth which when it is coloured sheweth lyke silke The wood is the best that may be founde to make coles it yeldeth also wine and odoriferous water Furthermore also oyle and suger The boughes of the tree are commodious to couer houses in place of tyles or thetche for by reason of the closenesse and fatnesse of the leaues they keepe out the rayne very well The fruite of this tree as we haue sayde is in forme lyke vnto great Dates or Nuttes One tree beareth about two hundred of those fruites Takyng away the first ryme they put it in the fyre where it burneth quickly and with great flame The seconde fruite vnder the sayde first ryme is muche lyke vnto bombasine or silke and is lyke vnto flaxe when it is wrought Of the floures they make a certayne kynde of cloth not vnlyke silke The towe or refuse of the first flaxe they spinne and make thereof a grosser cloth and small ropes or cordes of the smallest wreathed togeather they make greater ropes which may serue for shippes That parte of the Nut which is vnder the third ryme conteyneth also a substaunce apte to make coles The last ryme includeth the substance or cornell of the Nutte very delicate to be eaten This ryme or barke is of the thicknesse of a mans litle finger As the Nutte groweth in bignesse so doeth also the water conteyned therein So that the Nutte commyng to his full rypenesse and bygnesse the water occupieth the inner parte and sometyme is founde so much water in the Nutte that you may take out of euery Nutte two or three cuppes of water very sweete to be droonke and as cleere as Rose water of the which also bâ—ing thickened by seethyng is made very fatte oile The Nutte likewise it selfe is of very pleasant taste They suffer but one parte of the tree to bring foorth fruite For on the other parte or syde they cutte and wounde the tree in diuers places euery morning and euening and powre into the wounded places a certayne liquor which draweth out of the tree a ioise which falleth into vesselles placed to receyue it and so receyue they euery day and nyght in euery vessell a cuppe of most precious liquor which sometymes also they seeth at the fyre putting euer more vnto it vntill it come to the strength of Aqua vitae and troubleth the brayne both in sauour and drynkyng as doeth most strong wyne On an other braunche of the same tree they geather lykewyse suger but not very sweete The tree beareth fruite continually for there are seene on it both the olde and drye fruites of the season paste also greene fruites of the newe spring It beareth not before the fifth yeere These trees are founde in the space or distaunce of about two hundred myles They are so greatly esteemed that in the myddest of most cruellest warres it is not lawfull for any man to hurt them euen in the landes of theyr enemies They lyue but to the age of .xxv. yeeres They prosper best in sandy grounde and are set or planted as are Walnuttes This region hath also other fruites wherof they make good oyle Howe they sowe Ryse Cap. 16. THey tyll the ground and plough it with Oxen as we doe when the tyme approcheth to sowe Ryse they testifie the ioyfulnesse of that day with all sortes of instrumentes singing dauncing And in the way of their good speed that all thinges may prosper the better as they beleeue they disguise ten men in apparell to the similitude of the three deuylles and daunce about them with all the noyse of theyr instrumentes And thus celebratyng the festiuall day they pray the deuylles good grace to sende them plentie of Ryse Howe theyr Phisitians visite sicke folkes Cap. 17. WHen any merchaunt of the Idolaters is sore greeued with any disease and in maner neare vnto death then certaine of them which they take for phisitians called to visite the patient in this extremitie come thyther in the silence of the nyght apparelled lyke the deuyll as is aforesayde carying fyre stickes in theyr mouthes and handes And there with a madde crye and howlyng and with the iangelyng of certayne instrumentes maketh so horrible a noyse in the eares of the sicke man that it were enough to make a whole man sicke And this is all the remedy and comfort which their Phisitians bring to their sicke men whiche is none other then in the article of death to present vnto them the similitude of him whom they worse then deuylles honour for gods vicare Eyther meanyng perhappes by this meanes to call agayne the sicke man almost dead When the inhabitantes haue so ingorged them selues with to muche meate that they be sicke in theyr stomake they take the pouder of the rootes of ginger and makyng it in fourme of a sirupe with puttyng some liquor vnto it drinke it all vp and within three dayes recouer theyr health Of theyr Exchaungers bankers and Brokers Cap. 18. THeir exchaungers and bankers haue weyghtes and balances so little that the boxe with the weightes and all that parteineth therto passeth not the weight of an ounce and are made so iuste that the weight of a heare will cast them When they will trye true golde from false or base from fyne they vse the touche stone as we doe but haue this more then we They haue a ball composed I know not whereof and lyke vnto waxe and when they haue first rubbed the golde on the touche they rubbe likewyse the touche on the sayd ball where then the spottes of the golde remayne and thereby they knowe a more exacte proofe of the finenesse or basenesse of the gold When the sayde ball is full of gold they melt it in the fyre geather the gold which it had imbibed These exchangers are but grosse witted men and ignorant of the arte which they professe In buying and selling of merchandies they vse this maner They haue a broker whose helpe they vse in these affayres Therefore when the merchauntes come thyther then the broker hauyng with him a vayle or scarfe taketh the seller by the ryght hande and couereth it with the vaile Then doth the merchant number on his fingers from one vnto a hundred thousand priuily secretly then the seller also with lyke numbryng of his fingers and ioyntes vntyll he come to the number of the price of his merchandies Then the broker goeth agayne to the buyer and coueryng his handes with the vayle in lyke maner and numbryng of his fingers certifieth him howe muche the seller demaundeth for his ware then the buyer agayne by feelyng and numbryng the brokers fingers signifieth what he will gyue the seller for his merchaundies And thus the broker goeth to and fro shewyng both theyr meanyng with silence vntyll they be agreed They sell theyr cloth by measure but
Brigantine sawe this he tooke certayne emptie Tubbes in the whiche gunne pouder had ben kepte before and stoppyng them with flaxe placed them in such sort that they seemed far of like peeces of great artillerie then laying a little gun pouder by the flaxe and holding a fyre sticke in his hand as though he would put fire to the Gunne the Mahumetans thinking that it had ben a gunne in deede were thereby put in such feare that they departed The Admirall yet further pursuing the enemyes gaue them an other great ouerthrow and tooke seuen of theyr Foistes laden with all sortes of merchandies and soonke tenne other with the shotte of great artillerie of the whiche one was laden with Elephantes Therfore when the Mahumetans sawe the sea now almost couered with the bodies of their slaine men and their chiefe shippes some taken some soonke some spoiled were out of all hope to recouer therfore saued them selues by fleeing But the Christians seeing yet hope of further victorie and the Mahumetans so discouraged thought it not best to leaue them so but rather vppon such prosperous successe to take the oportunitie and vtterly to destroy them therfore the Admiral seeing his men ioyfull of the victorie and desirous to pursue the enemie folowed the Mahumetans and gaue them a newe battayle whiche lasted all day and all nyght whilest the Christians in the nyght tyme slue them euen in theyr fleeing soonke almost all their shippes In the meane tyme certayne of our Foistes sawe a shyppe of burden of the enemie wanderyng out of the way and made sayle thyther with all hast But the enemies in short space seeing them selues ouermatched hurled all their cariages into the sea and trusting to swimmyng wherein they are most experte caste them selues after But our men folowed them euen to the shore with launces crosbowes stones so killing them as they swamme that the sea was coloured and polluted with their blood Yet by swimming many escaped by estimation about the number of two hundred for they are in youth so brought vp in swimming that they swamme in the sea almost twentie myles oftentymes so diuyng vnder the water and remaynyng there so long that they deceyued our syght for sometymes we thought that they were soonke and sometyme agayne seeyng them flote on the water it so troubled our sense that we thought we had seene some phantasie or vision but they were in maner all destroyed by one mischaunce or an other and especially a great number in the great shyppes which were soonke by shot of the great artillerie The day folowyng the Admirall sent certayne Brigantines and Gallies to the shore to number the dead bodies whiche the sea had caste vp they were founde to be about three thousande besyde them also which the sea had deuoured The kyng of Canonor beholdyng all these thynges was greatly in loue with the Christians and commended their valiauntnesse and vertue and not vnwoorthily For to speake that I haue seene I haue ben in many sore warres yet neuer sawe I more valiant men then the Portugales here shewed them selues to be But when we thought that we had nowe made an ende of these Tragidies we had in maner a woorse to begyn For it so chaunced that in fewe dayes after the kyng of Canonor who fauoured vs dyed In whose place succeeded an other mortall enemie to the Christians and friende to the kyng of Calecut by whose helpe and rychesse hee was aduaunced to the kyngdome of Canonor He therefore assembled his power to make newe warre agaynst the Christians with great expedition and haste bycause he supposed that a great parte of theyr munitions was nowe wasted and they also sore weeryed and for the most parte wounded And to further his attempte the kyng of Calecut sent him xxiiii peeces of great artillerie This warre beganne the seuenth day of Aprill and continued vntyll the .xx. of August before all thinges were pacified It were heere to long to declare howe in these warres also the Christians behaued them selues manfully agaynst the Mahumetans which neuer encountred with them fewer then fyue or sixe and twentie thousande in number hauyng also with them a hundred and fourtie peeces of artillerie and were armed after the maner of the inhabitauntes of Calecut but the Christians with harnesse after our maner These Infidelles vse this order in theyr warres They diuide theyr army into many wynges euery wyng conteynyng the number of two or three thousande men and only one wyng proceedeth to the battayle the reste attendyng what ende or success◠they haue before they attempt any further But whilest these wynges are nowe marchyng to ioyne in battayle it passeth all imagination to thynke with howe great a noyse of innumerall musicall instrumentes after theyr maner they fill the eares of all the army to encourage them to fyght while in the meane season also a great number runneth before the army with marueylous flames of artificiall fyres and in fine gyue the onsette with suche outragious furie and outcry that two thousande of them were able to feare tenne thousande that had no experience of these thynges But see the goodnesse of God who neuer forsaketh them that beleeue faythfully in his holy religion Euen nowe in the extremitie of these troubles our men beyng in maner ouercharged with the multitude of theyr enemyes and long warres sodayne newes was brought that a newe nauie of Portugales was arryued at Canonor by the conducte of the valiant knyght Don Tristan dè Cugna Whom we immediately aduertysed with howe greeuous warres wee were oppressed Who incontinent sent vs in certayne Barkes three hundred valiaunt Souldiours well armed with harnesse after the maner of the Christians When wee sawe these we recouered our spirites in suche sorte that if our Admirall woulde haue permitted we woulde haue burnte the citie of Canonor But when the Mahumetans vnderstoode the newe succours that we had all discouraged in mynde they sought all meanes to make peace with the Christians and assygned one named Mamalmaricar a man of great ryches and wysedome among them to bee intermediatour and to make the conditions of peace Hee therefore vnder safe conducte came to vs to common of the matter We tolde him that we coulde make no peace without the consent of the Uiceroye who was then in the citie of Cucin The Admirall thought it beste not to contempne the conditions of peace for for that duryng the tyme of the warres they coulde not sende theyr shyppes laden with merchaundies into Portugale and therefore by the consent of the Uiceroye the peace was concluded But nowe to myngle some delight with these sorowes you shal heare a pleasant fable woorthie to be put in memorie Therefore all thinges beyng pacified as I walked in the citie of Canonor I met with certayne merchantes Idolatours with whom I was acquaynted before the
knowledge thereof But nowe intendyng to speake of the whole worlde I wyll not be long in my preface but begyn my narration as foloweth ¶ A briefe declaration of the viage or nauigation made about the worlde Geathered out of a large booke written hereof by master Antoni Pigafetta Vincentine knyght of the Rhodes and one of the companie of that vyage in the which Ferdinando Magalianes a Portugale whom some call Magellanus was generall captayne of the nauie ALthough Sebastian Munster in his vniuersall Cosmographie in the fyfth booke of the landes of the greater Asia which I translated into Englyshe about .24 yeeres sence hath wrytten of the vyage of Magellanus declaryng therein how the Spanyardes by the West and the Portugales by the East sayling to the Ilandes of Molucca compassed the whole globe of the worlde betweene them yet haue I heere thought it good to make a breefe repeticion of this vyage addyng hereunto dyuers notable thynges which were not touched of Munster as I haue geathered them out of the bookes of Antoni Pigafetta and Transiluanus wrytyng of the same vyage For albeit in deede it was a strange and woonderfull thyng that the Spanyardes and Portugales compassed the whole circumference of the worlde betweene them yet is it more marueylous that the same was done with one ship one companie of men as did the Spanyardes in this viage who keeping their continual course by the west returned into Spaine by the east a thing doubtlesse so much more woonderful and strange then if they had returned from the halfe circumference by the same way they went in how muche they were ignorant in the vyage neuer attempted before besyde the thousande daungers and perylles whiche they were daylye lyke to fal into aswell by wandryng in vnknowen coastes as also by fallyng into the handes of the Portugales by whose dominions in the East they shoulde needes passe of necessitie not trustyng to their gentlenesse for the controuersie whiche had been long betweene them for the Ilandes of Molucca I wyl therfore as I haue sayde make a briefe rehearsal of this viage from the begynnyng to the endyng omittyng neuerthelesse many notable thynges whiche are more largely described in the bookes of Maximilianus Transiluanus and Antonius Pigafetta The tenth day of August in the yeere of our Lord .1519 Ferdinando Magalianes ▪ departed from the port of Siuile in Spayne with a nauie of fyue shippes and 237. men wel furnished with all thynges necessary And saylyng first downe by the ryuer of Guadalchiber which runneth from the sayd port into the sea they came first to a place named Giouan Dulpharaz where are many villages of the Moores and from thence arryued at a castle of the duke of Medina Sidonia where is the port from whiche they enter into the sea to the cape saint Vincent beyng distant from the Equinoctial .37 degrees and from the sayd port .10 leagues and is from thence to Siuile betweene 17. and 20. leagues Heere they remayned certayne dayes to make newe prouision of such thinges as they lacked Departyng from hence the 20. day of September they arryued the 26. day of the same moneth at one of the Ilandes of Canarie called Tenerife beyng 25. degrees aboue the Equinostial In one of these Ilandes is none other water but that is continually engendred of a cloude which appeareth dayly at noone tyde as though it descended from heauen and compasseth about a certayne great tree from whose branches distylleth great aboundaunce of water and falleth in streames from the roote of the same into certaine trenches and cesternes made and placed to receyue it This water serueth sufficiently all the inhabitauntes and cattayle of the Iland The lyke thyng is also seene in the Ilande of saint Thomas lying directly vnder the Equinoctial line The thirde day of October about mydnyght the captayne commaunded them to lyght fyre brandes and to hoyse vp theyr sayles directyng theyr course towarde the South saylyng saylyng betwene Capo Verde of Affrike and the Ilandes lying about the same beyng from the Equinoctial fourteene degrees a halfe They sayled thus many dayes in the syght of the coast of Guinea of Ethiope where is the mountayne called Serra Liona being eyght degrees aboue the Equinoctial In this coast they had no maner of contrary wynde but a great calme and fayre weather for the space of threescore and ten dayes in the whiche they came vnder the Equinoctial line In this viage they sawe many strange Fyshes monsters of the Sea besyde another strange thyng whiche appeared vnto them For there appeared in their shippes certayne flames of fyre burnyng very cleare whiche they cal saint Helen saint Nicholas these appeared as though they had been vpon the mast of the shippes in suche clearenesse that they tooke away theyr syght for the space of a quarter of an houre by reason wherof they so wandred out of theyr course and were dispearsed in sunder that they in maner dispayred to meete agayne but as God would the sea and tempest beyng quieted they came safely to their determined course And before I speake any further of the viage I haue heere thought good to say somewhat of these strange fyers whiche some ignorant folke thynke to be spirites or suche other phantasies wheras they are but naturall thynges proceedyng of naturall causes and engendred of certayne exhalations Of these therfore the great Philosopher of our tyme Hieronimus Cardanus in his second booke De Subtilitate wryteth in this maner There are two maner of fyers engendred of exhalations wherof the one is hurtful the other without hurt That which is hurtfull is fyre in deede engendred of malicious and venemous vapours whiche in successe of tyme take fyre as apt matters to be kyndled The other kynde is no true fyre but lyke the matter that is in such olde putrified wood as geueth the shynyng of fyre without the substaunce or qualitie therof Of the kynde of true fyre is the Fyreball or Starre commonly called saint Helen which is sometyme seene about the mastes of shippes beyng of such fyerie nature that it sometyme melteth brasen vessels and is a token of drownyng forasmuch as this chaunceth only in great tempestes for the vapour or exhalation wherof this fyre is engendred can not be dryuen togeather or compact in fourme of fyre but of a grosse vapour and by a great power of wynde and is therefore a token of imminent perill As on the contrary parte the lyke fyres called in olde tyme Castor and Pollux and nowe named the two lightes of Sainct Peter and Sainct Nicolas which for the most parte fall on the cables of the shyppes leapyng from one to an other with a certayne flutteryng noyse lyke byrdes are a token of securitie and of the tempest ouerpassed For they are but vapours cleauyng to the cables which in successe of tyme the fyre
which were youngest and beste made He tooke them by a deceite in this maner that giuing them knyues sheares looking glasses belles beades of Crystall suche other trifles he so filled theyr handes that they coulde holde no more then caused two payre of shackels of Iron to be put on theyr legges makyng signes that he would also giue them those chaynes which they lyked very wel bycause they were made of bright and shining metall And wheras they could not carry them bycause theyr handes were full the other Giantes would haue caryed them but the captaine would not suffer them When they felte the shackels faste about theyr legges they began to doubt but the Captayne dyd put them in comfort and bad them stande still In fine when they sawe howe they were deceiued they roared lyke bulles cryed vppon theyr great deuill Setebos to helpe them Being thus taken they were immediately seperate and put in sundry shippes They could neuer bynde the handes of the other two yet was one of them with much difficultie ouerthrowen by .ix. of our men his hands boūd but he sodeinly loosed him selfe and fled as did also the other that came with them In their fleeing they shot of their arrowes and slue one of our men They say that when any of them dye there appeare x. or .xii deuils leaping and daunsing about the bodie of the dead and seeme to haue their bodies paynted with diuers colours and that among other there is one seene bigger then the residue who maketh great mirth reioysing This great deuyll they call Setebos and call the lesse Cheleule One of these Giantes which they tooke declared by signes that he had seene deuylles with two hornes aboue their heades with long heare downe to theyr feete and that they caste foorth fyre at theyr throates both before and behynde The Captayne named these people Patagoni The most parte of them weare the skynnes of such beastes whereof I haue spoken before and haue no houses of continuance but make certayne cotages which they couer with the sayd skynnes and carry them from place to place They lyue of raw fleshe and a certayne sweete roote which they call Capar One of these whiche they had in theyr shyppes dyd eate at one meale a baskette of Bysket and droonke a bowle of water at a draught They remayned fyue monethes in this porte of Sainct Iulian where certayne of the vnder captaynes conspiryng the death of theyr Generall were hanged and quartered among whom the Treasurer Luigo of Mendozza was one Certayne of the other conspiratours he lefte in the sayde lande of Patogoni Departyng from hence to the .52 degree towarde the pole Antartike lackyng a thirde parte they founde a ryuer of freshe water and good fyshe Theyr shyppes were here in great daunger They remayned two monethes in this porte where they made newe prouision of freshe water fuell and fyshe Here the Captayne caused all his men to bee confessed Approching to the .52 degrees they found the straight now called the straight of Magellanus beyng in some place a hundred and ten leagues in length and in breadth somewhere very large and in other places little more then halfe a league in breadth On both the sides of this straight are great and hygh mountaynes couered with snowe beyonde the which is the enteraunce into the sea of Sur. This enteraunce the Captayne named Mare Pacificum Heere one of the shippes stole away priuilie and returned into Spaine In this was one of the Giantes who dyed assoone as he felte the heate that is about the Equinoctiall lyne When the Captaine Magalianes was paste the straight and sawe the way open to the other mayne sea he was so glad thereof that for ioye the teares fell from his eyes and named the poynt of the lande from whence he first sawe that sea Capo Desiderato Supposing that the shyppe which stole away had been lost they erected a crosse vpon the top of a hygh hil to directe their course in the straight if it were theyr chaunce to come that way They founde that in this straight in the moneth of October the nyght was not past foure houres long They founde in this straight at euery three myles a safe hauen and excellent water to drynke wood also and fyshe and great plentie of good hearbes They thinke that there is not a fayrer straight in the worlde Here also they sawe certaine fleeing fyshes The other Giant which remayned with them in the shyppe named breade Capar water Oli redde cloth Cherecai red colour Cheiche blacke colour Amel And spoke all his wordes in the throate On a tyme as one made a crosse before him and kyssed it shewyng it vnto him he sodaynely cryed Setebos and declared by signes that if they made any more crosses Setebos would enter into his bodie and make him brust But when in fine he sawe no hurte come thereof he tooke the crosse and imbrased and kyssed it oftentymes desiryng that he myght be a Christian before his death He was therefore baptysed and named Paule Departyng out of this straight into the sea called Mare Pac ficum the .xxviii. day of Nouember in the yeere .1520 they sayled three monethes and twentie dayes before they sawe any land and hauyng in this tyme consumed all theyr Bysket and other victualles they fell into suche necessitie that they were inforced to eate the pouder that remayned thereof beyng nowe full of woormes and stynkyng lyke pysse by reason of the salte water Theyr freshe water was also putrified and become yelowe They dyd eate skynnes and peeces of leather whiche were foulded about certayne great ropes of the shyppes but these skynnes beyng made very harde by reason of the Sunne rayne and wynde they hung them by a corde in the sea for the space of foure or fiue dayes to mollifie them and sodde them and ate them By reason of this famyne and vncleane feedyng some of their gummes grewe so ouer theyr teethe that they dyed miserably for hunger And by this occasion dyed menetiene men and also the Giaunt with an Indian of the lande of Brasile otherwyse called Terra de papagalli that is the lande of Popingayes Beside these that dyed .xxv or .xxx. were so sicke that they were not able to doe any seruice with theyr handes or armes for feeblenesse So that there was in maner none without some disease In these three monethes and xx dayes they sayled foure thousande leagues in one gulfe by the sayde sea called Pacificum that is peaceable which may well be so called forasmuch as in all this tyme hauyng no sight of any lande they had no misfortune of wynde or any other tempest During this tyme also they discouered only two little Ilandes vnhabited where they sawe nothing but birdes trees and therefore named them infortunate Ilandes being one from the other about two
substaunce Great trees A marueylous tree Kyndlyng of fyre without fyre Putrified woodde shynyng in the nyght Plinie Trees whiche continue euer greene Cassia A secrete thyng Radycall moysture Platani Fygges Tunas Bihaos Hauas Dying of cotton A strange thyng Note Caniballes archers Wherwith they inuenome theyr arrowes Petrus Arias The water of the sea The gulfe of Uraba Xagua Hohi Some thinke these to be mirobalanes Date trees Thinhabitauntes of the sea of Sur. An hearbe that beareth cordes Cabuia and Henequen A strange thing Leaues A leafe of great vertue Tiburons Manates Great Tortoyses Tiburons Plinie Crocodiles Manates The fyshe Manate A remedy agaynst the stone The swoorde fyshe Tunnye Turbut Note Fleeyng fyshes The Iland of Bermuda Not to hie for the Pye nor to lowe for the Crowe Beragua The west Ocean The sea Mediterraneum Hispaniola Cuba The South sea The power and wysedome of God is sene in his creatures Esquegua and Vrraca Nomen Dei Panama The ryuer of Chagre The Ilande Bastimento The marueylous brydge The Ilandes of Molucca The commoditie of this viage Tigers Plantes and hearbes Birdes Men. Sheepe Bulles Iucca Battes Plinie The Tiger The huntyng of Tigers A rewarde for kyllyng of Tygers Colonus compared to Hercules The pyllers of Hercules The strayghtes of Gibilterra Note Plus Vltra Howe farre the Emperours maiestie excelleth Hercules A Tyger made tame The Indian women The men of India The kyng is borne on mens backes Lettyng of blood They haue no beardes They paynte their bodies The Canibals Armure of golde Their galantnesse in the Warres Theyr Iuelles Howe the women beare vp theyr teates with barres of golde The stature colour of the Indians The Indians called Coronati The Ilande of Giantes Iucatos The sculles of the Indians heades Newe Spaine The houses of the Christians in India Dariena Gardens Men are desirous of newe thynges The commodities of Hispaniola Englande and Sicilie Golde mynes Cotton Cassia Suger Plantes and hearbes Great thynges hyndred by respect of present gaynes Oranges Pomegranats Fygges all the yeere Dates Beastes Great heardes of cattayle Good pasture The effect of continuall and moderate heate The cause of fat nouryshment Beastes of long lyfe in regions about the Equinoctial line Trees whose leaues do not wyther The canker of the tree Long lyued men in India Paradise neare the Equinoctiall line Sheepe and Hogges Dogges and Cattes become wylde The situation of Hispaniola The citi of San Domenico The ryuer Ozama The Hauen A cathadrall churche and monasteris in Hispaniola An Hospitall The people Glowormes Crowes stinkyng sweete Sainct Iohn his Ilande â–ª Iamaica Partriches Pellettes for Gunnes wrought by nature A fountayne of the pytche of Bitumen Quintus Cursius Bitumen of Babylon Panuco Baccalaos Indians Ryche furres and syluer Idolaters The citie of Mexico or Temixtitan Golde and syluer Sylke Cotton Alame Woade Suger Shelles for mony Corne. Beastes Haukyng and huntyng Payntyng WomeÌ„ sumptuously appareled A warlyke nation Captiues sacrificed to Idoles Peru is the rychest land that is knowen A house couered with golde Harnesse of golde A fruitfull region Great sheepe The dutie of Christian Princes Paraue Iohn Dias Solis The Iland Martinus Gratias The viage of Sebastian Cabot to the riuer of Plata Charlis Ophir Cipango Cathay The ryuer of Plata Marueylous fruitefulnes Mountaynes conteynyng golde and syluer Great sheepe Theyr colour Men with deformed legges The way to the Ilandes of Molucca by the north sea The Spanyardes Gasper Cortesreales Insula Cortesreales Snowe and Ise. Furres Fyshe Gryfes Beares The Britons Sebebastian Cabot The lande of Baccallaos The viage of Cabot in the dayes of king Henry the seuenth I se in Iuly Baccallaos Brytons Danes Iaques Cartyre The people of Baccallaos Fyshing for Tunnies Laborador Iohn Ponce Water of great vertue of this reade in the Decades Bemini Guaccana The Canibales Boriquen The death of Iohn Ponce The lande of Florida Ferdinando de Soto The valiant myndes of the Spanyardes The thyrd attempt of the conquest of Florida Certayne Fryers attempt the conquest onely with wordes but with euyll successe The Fryers are slayne and eaten A newe kynde of disgradyng 1. By the southeast 2. By the southwest 3. By the northeast Ortel tab Asiae 3. 4. By the Northwest Ob. 1. In Theatro Ob. 2. Ob. 3. Ob. 4. 5. Ob. Ob. 6. Cic. i. de orat Arist. pri Metaph. Lib. i. Geog. Cap. 2. Sol. i. Sol. 2. Oued 1. Meta. Sol. 3. Sol. 4. Lib. Geog. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 2. Meteor Cap. 1. Plin. lib. 2. Cap. 67. Sol. 5. Sol. 6. Luc. lib. 1. Pharsal VVhat the easterne currant is Lib. 1. Geog. Cap. 2. Fuquien Cinceo Cantan Chequeam Xutiamfu Chelim Quianci rather Quinzi Pachin al. Pochang Theyr monethes Loutea Chian al. Chaen Ponchiassi Anchiassi al. Hexasi Tuzi Taissu Licentiates Doctors Dutch lyke We that is the Italians and Spaniardes After the Dutch fation Pithigorian lyke The Italians call it the strapadâ— A pylleâ—â— boorde Of like the first lenders be the more welthier Fuquieo Hereof to fore Parai Tamen the proper name of China Pochang al. Theyr enemies Maryage of the kynges children He speaketh not here of all China but of the cities for in other places there be beggers as you haue seene already swarmyng out of trees He speaketh of Fuquien shyre Aliis Cenchi The kynges reuenues Parai That is theyr temples It shoulde seeme by their voyage to be Cardandan in Ortelius It seemeth they came vp the riuer from the Caspian sea At cacan Ali. Auoins Tartares Mounte Vsont Mogorites Bremes Southwarde from Chenchi to the sea Auoins Chenchi Goa is a citie of the Portugales in East Indie Theyr gouernement Tundi P. 231. But his almes are very good Inambuxu Genguis The Giaponish Funerals Ainan 〈…〉 Santianum The Romane Empyre 4. hundreth yeeres of ignoraunce East India well knowen in olde time Strabo The great rychesse of Egypt The citie of Alexandria Marueylous rychesse The gouernaunce and reuenues of the Romanes Trogloditica and India The gulfe of Arabia Ethiope Rych customs The rychesse whiche were brought in olde time from India and the redde sea The commision of Themperours Marcus and Comodus The great riches the kings of Egypt had by customes The noble enterpryses of the kings of Egypt Arsinoe Damiata Pelusio Nilus Copto Berenice A nauigable trenche made from Egypt to the red sea Lacus amari King Sesostre King Psammiticus Kyng Darius Kyng Ptolomeus The citie Heroum What Plinie writeth of the nauigable trenche The largenesse and length of the trenche The viage by land from Egypt to the red sea What kyng Ptolomeus discouered Alcayre The viage to East India frequented in olde tyme. The customes and maners of the Indians The voyage to Cathay Rycharde Chaunceler A learned descourse of dyuers voyages The voyages of the Portugales The worlde hangyng in the ayre What is knowen of the lower hemispherie The lande of Brasile Peru. The charg and dutie of Christian princes Note
the Spanyardes was by his noughtie vsage and suche other as were confedered with hym so accensed to reuenge the iniuries whiche they susteyned at his handes besyde the abominable actes whiche they folowing only the lawe of nature abhorred to admit that he with his famylie famylyers and ditionaries of desperate minde fledde to the mountaines being distaunt from Isabella only tenne leagues westwarde towarde the north side of the sea These mountaynes and also the inhabitauntes of the same they call by one name Ciguaios The great king of all the kinges and regions of these mountaynes is called Maiobanexius and his court or pallace is named Capronus the mountaynes are rough high and such as no man can passe to the toppes therof they are also bending and haue their corners reaching downe to the sea Betweene both the corners of the mountaynes is there a greate playne by the whiche many riuers fall from the mountaynes into the sea the people are verye fierse and warlike men hauing theyr original of the Canibales for when they descend from the mountaynes to the playnes to keepe warre with theyr borderers they eate all such as they kil Guarionexius therfore fleeing to this kyng of these mountaynes gaue him many presentes of such thinges as are wanting in his countrey therwith declaring how vilely villanously and violently he had ben vsed of our men with whom he coulde nothyng preuaile neither by fayre meanes nor by foule nother by humilitie nor by stoutnesse and that to be the cause of his resorting to hym at that tyme most humbly desyring him to be his defence agaynst thoppressions of suche myscheuous people Maiobanexius hereuppon made hym promisse to ayde and helpe hym against the Christians al that he might The Lieutenant therefore made haste to the fortresse of Conception whither as soone as he was come he sent for Roldanus Xeminus who with suche as folowed hym lay in certayne of the Iland villages xii myles distant from the fortresse At his commyng the Lieuetenaunt asked him what al these sturres and tumultes meant He answered without abashment Your brother the Admiral hath to doo therewith and shall aunswere for the fame before the kyng for we perceiue that the kyng hath so put hym in trust that he hath had no regarde to vs here we peryshe for hunger whyle we folowe you and are dryuen to seeke our vnhappye foode in the desartes Your brother also assigned me assystaunt with you in gouernyng the Ilande Wherefore syth you haue na more respecte vnto vs we are determined no longer to be vnder your obedience When Roldanus had spoken these wordes and suche other the Lieuetenaunt woulde haue layde handes on hym but he escaped his fyngers and fledde to the West partes of the region of Xaragua hauyng with hym a trayne of threescore and ten men whiche were of his confederacie Here this fylthy synke of rebelles thus conspired playde theyr vages and lyued with loose brydles in al kynde of myscheefe robbyng the people spoyling the countrey and rauishyng both wyues and virgins Whyle these thynges were dooing in the Ilande the Admiral had eight shippes appoynted him by the kyng of the whiche he sent two laden with vyttualles from Cales or Gades of Hercules pyllers directly to the Lieuetenant his brother These shyps by chaunce arryued fyrst on that syde of the Ilande where Roldanus Xeminus ranged with his companions Roldanus in short tyme had seduced them promysyng them in the steede of mattockes wenches pappes for labour pleasure for hunger abundance and for weerynesse and watching sleepe and quietnesse Guarionexius in the meane tyme assembled a power of his frendes and confederates came oftentymes downe into the playne and slue as many of the Christian men as he coulde meete conuenientlye and also the Ilande men whiche were theyr freendes wasting theyr grounde destroying theyr seedes and spoyling their vyllages But Roldanus and his adherentes albeit they had knowledge that the Admiral woulde shortly come yet feared they nothing because they had seduced the newe men whiche came in the fyrst shyppes Whyle the Lieuetenaunt was thus tossed in the myddest of these stormes in the meane tyme his brother the Admiral set forwarde from the coastes of Spayne but not directly to Hispaniola for he turned more towarde the south In the whiche voyage what he dyd what coastes both of the lande and sea he compassed and what newe regions he discouered we wyl fyrst declare for to what ende and conclusion the sayd tumultes and seditions came we wyl expresse in the ende of the booke folowyng Thus fare ye well The syxt booke of the fyrst Decade to Lodouike Cardinal of Aragonie COlonus the Admirall the thirde day of the Calendes of Iune in the yeere of Christe 1498. hoysed vp his sayles in the hauen of the towne Barramedabas not farre distant from Cales and set forwarde on his voyage with eyght shyppes laden with vittualles and other necessaries He diuerted from his accustomed race whiche was by the Ilandes of Canarie by reason of certayne frenchmen pyrates and rouers on the sea whiche lay in the ryght way to meete with hym In the way from Cales to the Ilandes of Canarie about fourescore and tenne myles towarde the left hande is the Ilande of Madera more southward then the citie of Ciuile by foure degrees for the Pole Artike is eleuate to Ciuile .xxxvi. degrees but to this Ilande as the Mariners say only .xxxii. He sayled therefore fyrst to Madera and sendyng from thence directly to Hispaniola the residue of the shippes laden with vittualles and other necessaries he him selfe with one shyppe with deckes and two Marchant Carauelles coasted towarde the South to come to the Equinoctial lyne and so foorth to folowe the tracte of the same towarde the West to the intent to search the natures of suche places as he coulde finde vnder or neare vnto the same leauing Hispaniola on the north side on his ryght hande In the middle of this race lye xiii Ilandes of the Portugales whiche were in olde tyme called Hesperides and are nowe called Caput Viride or Cabouerde these are situate in the sea ryght ouer agaynst the inner partes of Ethiope Westwarde two dayes saylyng One of these the Portugales call Bonauista With the Snayles or rather the Tortoyses of this Ilande many leprous men are healed and cleansed of theyr leprosie Departing sodainly from hence by reason of the contagiousnesse of the ayre he sayled CCCClxxx myles toward the West southwest whiche is in the middest betweene the West and the South There was he so vexed with maladies and heate for it was the moneth of Iune that his shyps were almost set on fyre The hoopes of his barrels cracked and brake and the fresh water ranne out the men also complayned that they were not able to abide that extremitie of heate Here the north pole was eleuate onely .v. degrees from the Hozizontall For the space
standyng agaynste the course of the streame and also that by reason of the largenesse of the place and bendyng sydes it is much lyke to the hauen of Spayne called Carthago The inhabytantes call the Ilande Codego as the Spanyardes cal the Ilande of theyr hauen Scombria This region is called of the inhabitantes Caramairi in the whiche they affyrme both the men and women to bee of goodly stature but naked The men haue theyr heare cutte rounde by theyr eares but the women were it long both the men and women are very good archers Our men founde certayne trees in this prouince which bore great plenty of sweete apples but hurtful for they turne into woormes when they are eaten Especially the shadowe of the tree is contagious for such as sleepe vnder it any tyme haue theyr heades swolne and lose their sight but if they sleepe but a while theyr sight commeth agayne after a fewe dayes This porte is distant foure hundred fyftie sixe myles from that port of Hispaniola whiche the Spanyardes call Beata in the whiche also they furnishe them selues when they prepare anye voyage to seeke other newe landes When Fogeda had entred into the hauen he enuaded slue and spoyled the people whom he founde naked and scattered for they were geuen him for a pray by the kynges letters patentes because they had ben before tyme cruell agaynst the Christians and coulde neuer be allured to permytte them quietlye to come within theyr dominions Here they founde golde but in no great quantitie nor yet that pure they make of it certayne brest plates and brooches whiche they weare for comelynesse But Fogeda not content with these spoyles vsyng certayne captiues which he had taken before for guydes entred into a vyllage twelue myles dystant from the sea syde further into the lande into the which they were fled when he fyrst enuaded Here he found a naked people but apte to warre for they were armed with targettes shieldes long swoordes made of wood and bowes with arrowes typt with bone or hardened with fyre As soone as they had espyed our men they with theyr ghestes whō they had receiceyued assayled them with desperate myndes beyng therto more earnestly prouoked beholdyng the calamitie of these whiche fled vnto them by the violence done to theyr women and chyldren in the spoyle and slaughter In this conflyct our men had the ouerthrowe in the which one Iohannes de Lacossa being in aucthoritie next vnto Fogeda the captayne and also the fyrste that geathered gold in the sandes of Vraba was slaine with fiftie souldiers for these people infecte their arrowes with the deadlye poyson of a certayne herbe The other with theyr captayne Fogeda beyng discomfited fledde to the shyppes Whyle they remayned thus in the hauen of Carthago sorowful and pensiue for the losse of theyr companions the other captayne Diego Nicuesa whom they left in Hispaniola preparyng hym selfe towarde the voyage in the hauen Beata came to them with fyue shippes and seuen hundred fourescore and fyfteene men For the greater number of souldyers folowed Nicuesa bothe because free lybertye was geuen them to choose which of the capytaynes them lyst and also that by reason of his age he was of greater aucthorytie But esspetially because the rumoure was that Beragua being by the kyngs commission appoynted to Nicuesa was rycher in golde then Vraba assygned to Alphonsus Fogeda Therfore at the arryual of Nicuesa they consulted what was best to be doone and determyned fyrste to reuenge the deathe of theyr felowes Wheruppon settyng theyr battayle in araye they marched in the nyght towarde them whiche slue Cossa with his companyons Thus stealyng on them vnwares in the laste watche of the nyght and encompassyng the vyllage where they lay consystyng of a hundred houses and more hauyng also in it thryse as many of theyr neyghbours as of them selues they set it on fyre with diligent watche that none myght escape And thus in short time they brought them and theyr houses to ashes and made them paye the raunsome of blood with blood for of a great multitude of men and women they spared only syxe chyldren all other beyng destroyed with fyre or swoord except fewe whiche escaped priuily they learned by these reserued chyldren that Cossa and his felowes were cut in peeces and eaten of them that slue them By reason whereof they suppose that these people of Camairi tooke theyr original of the Caribes otherwyse called Canibales Here they founde some golde among the ashes For the hunger of golde dyd no lesse incourage our men to aduenture these peryls and labours then dyd the possessyng of the landes These thinges thus finished and the death of Cossa and his felowes reuenged they returned to the hauen After this Fogeda whiche came fyrst fyrst lykewyse departyng with his armie to seeke Vraba committed to his gouernaunce sayled by an Ilande called Fortis lying in the mydway betweene Vraba and the hauen of Carthago into the whiche dessending he founde it to be an Ilande of the Canibales bryngyng with hym from thence two men and seuen women for the residue escaped Here he founde in the cotages of them that fledde a hundred fourescore and tenne drammes of golde caste and wrought in dyuers fourmes Saylyng forwarde from hence he came to the East coastes of Vraba whiche the inhabitauntes call Carihana from whence the Caribes or Canibales of the Ilandes are sayd to haue theyr name and originall Here he began to builde a fortresse and a vyllage neere vnto the same therein intendyng to place theyr fyrst habitation Shortly after beyng instructed by certayne captyues that there was about twelue myles further within the lande a certayne vyllage called Tirufi hauyng in it a ryche golde myne he determined to destroy the village to the which when he came he founde the inhabitantes redy to defende theyr ryght and that so stoutlye that encounteryng with them he was repulsed with shame and domage for these people also vse bowes and venemous arrowes Within a fewe dayes after beyng enforced for lacke of vittualles to inuade another village he hym selfe was strycken in the thygh with an arrowe Some of his felowes say that he was thus wounded of one of the inhabitauntes whose wyfe he had ledde away captiue before They say also that he had fyrst frendlye communed with Fogeda for redeeming of his wife and had appoynted a day to bring a portion of golde for her raunsome and that he came at the day assigned not laden with golde but armed with bowes and arrowes with eyght other confederate with hym which had ben before partakers of the iniuries done to them fyrst at the hauen of Carthago and afterward at the burnyng of the vyllage in reuenge wherof they had desperately consecrated them selues to death But the matter beyng knowen the captayne of this conspiracie was slayne of Fogeda his companions and his wyfe deteyned in captiuitie Fogeda
not be tedious to your holynesse he aryued at the length at the hauen of Vraba and cast anker at the East syde thereof from whence not long before our men departed to the West syde by reason of the barrennesse of that soyle When he had continued a whyle in the hauen and sawe no man styrryng marueyled at the scilence of the places for he supposed there to haue found his felowes he could not coniecture what this should meane and thereupon began to suspect that eyther they were dead or that they had changed the place of theyr habitation To knowe the certayntie hereof he commaunded all the great ordinaunce and other small gunnes whiche he had in his shyppes to be charged and fyers to be made in the night vpon the toppes of the rockes Thus the fyers beyng kyndled he commaunded al the gunnes to be shot of at one instant by the horrible noyse whereof the gulfe of Vraba was shaken although it were .xxiiii. myles distant for so brode is the gulfe This noyse was hearde of theyr felowes in Dariena and they aunsweared them agayne with mutual fyers Wherefore by the folowyng of these fyers Colmenaris brought his shippes to the West syde Here those wretched and miserable men of Dariena whiche nowe through famyne and feeblenesse helde theyr weerie soules in theyr teeth redy to depart from theyr bodyes by reason of the calamities whiche befel vnto them after Ancisus shipwracke lifting vp their handes to heauen with the teares running downe theyr cheekes both for ioy and sorow embraced Rodericus and his felowes with such kinde of reioycyng as theyr present necessitie seemed to require for whereas they were before his commyng without vittuals and almost naked he brought them abundance of meate drinke and apparel It resteth now most holy father to declare what came of the dissention among them of Vraba as concerning the gouernance after the losse of theyr captaynes The thirde booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed continent ALl the cheefe officers in Beragua and suche as were most politike in counsayle determined that Nicuesa should be sought out yf by any meanes he coulde be founde Wheruppon they tooke from Ancisus the gouernour refusyng the comming of Nicuesa a Brigandine whiche he made of his owne charges and agreed agaynst both the wyl of Ancisus and the maister of fence Vaschus Nunnez that Nicuesa should be sought forth to take away the stryfe as touching the gouernment They elected therefore Colmenaris of whom we spake before to take this matter in hande willing him to make diligent searche for Nicuesa in those coastes where they supposed he erred for they hearde that he had forsaken Beragua the region of an vnfruiteful ground They gaue him therfore commaundement to bring Nicuesa with hym and further to declare vnto him that he should do right good seruice to come thyther in takyng away the occasion of theyr seditions Colmenaris tooke the thyng vpon hym the more gladly because Nicuesa was his very frende supposyng his commyng with vittualles shoulde be no lesse thankefull to Nicuesa and his company then it was to them of Vraba Furnishyng therefore one of his owne shyppes which he brought with hym and also the Brigandine taken from Ancisus he frayghted the same with part of the vittuals and other necessaries which he brought with hym before from Hispaniola to Vraba Thus coursyng along by al the coastes and gulfes neere thereabout at the length at the poynt called Marmor he founde Nicuesa of al lyuyng men most infortunate in manner dryed vp with extreme hunger fylthy and horrible to beholde with only threescore men in his company left aliue of seuen hundred They al seemed to him so miserable that he no lesse lamented theyr case then yf he had found them dead But Colmenaris comforted his frend Nicuesa and embracyng hym with teares and cheareful words releeued his spirites and further encouraged hym with great hope of better fortune declaryng also that his commyng was looked for and greatlye desyred of all the good men of Vraba for that they hoped that by his aucthoritie theyr discorde and contention shoulde be finished Nicuesa thanked his frende Colmenaris after suche sorte as his calamitie required Thus they tooke shyp togeather and sailed directly to Vraba But so variable and vnconstant is the nature of man that he soone groweth out of vse becommeth insolent and vnmyndfull of benefites after to muche felicitie for Nicuesa after thus many teares and weepyngs after diuers bewaylynges of his infortunate destenye after so many thankesgeuyng yea after that he had fallen downe to the ground and kyssed the feete of Colmenaris his sauiour he began to quarel with hym before he came yet at Vraba reprouing hym them al for the alteration of the state of thynges in Vraba and for the geatheryng of golde affyrmyng that none of them ought to haue layde hande of anye golde without the aduice of hym or Fogeda his companyon When these sayinges and suche lyke came to the eares of them of Vraba they so styrred vp the myndes of Ancisus Lieuetenaunt for Fogeda and also of Vaschus Nunnez of the contrary part agaynst Nicuesa that shortly after his aryuall with his threescore men they commaunded hym with threatnyng to depart from thence but this pleased not the better sort Yet fearyng lest tumult should be among the people whom Vaschus Nunnez had styrred to factions the best part was fayne to geue place to y e greatest This wretched man therfore Nicuesa thus drowned in miseries was thrust into the Brigandine whiche he him selfe brought and with him only seuenteene men of his threescore whiche remayned alyue He tooke shippe in the Calendes of Marche in the yeere .1511 intendyng to goe to Hispaniola to complayne of the rashnesse of Vaschus Nunnez and of the violence done to hym by Ancisus But he entred into the Brigandine in an vnfortunate houre for he was neuer seene after They suppose that the Brigandine was drowned with al the men therein And thus vnhappie Nicuesa fallyng headlong out of one misery into another ended his life more miserably then he lyued Nicuesa being thus vylely reiected and theyr vyttuals consumed which Colmenaris brought them falling in maner mad for hunger they were enforced lyke rauening woolues seekyng theyr pray to inuade suche as dwelt about theyr confynes Vaschus Nunnez therfore their new captaine of their owne election assemblyng togeather a hundred and thirtie men and settyng them in order of battayle after his swoordplayers fashion puffed vp with pryde placed his souldiers as pleased hym in the forewarde and rerewarde and some as partizens about his owne person Thus assosiatyng with hym Colmenaris he went to spoyle the kynges which were borderers therabout and came fyrst to a region about that coast called Coiba whereof we made mention before imperiously and with cruell countenance commaundyng the kyng of the region whose name was Careta of whom they were neuer
as also to cary his baggages and open the strayghtes through the desolate places and craggie rockes ful of the dennes of wylde beastes for there is seldome any entercourse of buying and sellyng betweene these naked people because they stande in neede of fewe thynges and haue not the vse of money but yf at any tyme they exercise any barteryng they doo it but neere hande exchangyng golde for houshold stuffe with their confines which somwhat esteme y e same for ornament when it is wrought Other superfluities they vtterly contemne as hynderaunces of theyr sweete libertie forasmuche as they are geuen only to play and idlenes And for this cause y e high wayes which lye betwene theyr regions are not muche worne with manye iourneyes yet haue theyr scoutes certayne priuie markes wherby they knowe the way the one to inuade the others dominions and spoyle and infest them selues on both sydes with mutual incursions priuily in the nyght season By the helpe therefore of theyr guides and laborers with our Carpenters he passed ouer the horrible mountaynes and many great ryuers lying in the way ouer the which he made brydges either with pyles or trunks of trees And here doo I let passe many thynges whiche they suffered for lacke of necessaries being also in maner ouercome with extreme labour lest I shoulde be tedious in rehearsing thinges of small value But I haue thought it good not to omyt suche dooynges as he had with the kynges by the way Therefore or euer he came to the toppes of the high mountaynes he entred into a region called Quarequa and mette with the king thereof called by the same name with a great bande of men armed after theyr manner as with bowes and arrowes long and brode two handed swoordes made of wood long staues hardened at the endes with fyre dartes also and slynges He came proudely and cruellye agaynst our men and sent messengers to them to bydde them stande and proceede no further demaundyng whyther they went and what they had to doo there Herewith he came foorth and shewed hym selfe beyng apparelled with al his nobilitie but the other were al naked Then approching towarde our men he threatned thē with a Lions countenance to depart from thence except they woulde be slayne euery mothers sonne When our men denyed that they woulde goe backe he assayled them fiercely but the battayle was soone finished for assoone as they hearde the noyse of the hargabusies they beleeued that our men caryed thunder and lyghtnyng about with them Many also beyng slayne and sore wounded with quarrels of crossebowes they turned theyr backes and fledde Our men folowing them in the chase hewed them in peeces as the Butchers doo fleshe in the shambles from one an arme from another a legge from hym a buttocke from another a shoulder and from some the necke from the bodye at one stroke Thus syxe hundred of them with theyr kyng were slayne lyke bruite beastes Vaschus founde the house of this kyng infected with moste abominable and vnnaturall lechery for he founde the kynges brother and many other young men in womens apparell smoothe and effeminately decked whiche by the report of suche as dwelt about hym he abused with preposterous venus Of these about the number of fourtie he commaunded to be geuen for a pray to his dogges for as we haue sayd the Spanyardes vse the helpe of dogges in theyr warres agaynst the naked people whom they inuade as fiercely and rauenyngly as yf they were wilde bores or Hartes insomuche that our Spanyardes haue founde theyr dogges no lesse faythful to them in al dangers and enterprises then dyd the Colophonians or Castabalences whiche instituted whole armies of dogges so made to serue in the warres that beyng accustomed to place them in the forefronte of the battayles they neuer shronke or gaue backe When the people had hearde of the seuere punyshment whiche our men had executed vpon that fylthy kynde of men they resorted to them as it had ben to Hercules for refuge by violence bryngyng with them all suche as they knewe to be infected with that pestilence spyttyng in theyr faces and crying out to our men to take reuenge of them and rydde them out of the worlde from among men as contagious beastes This stynkyng abomination had not yet entred among the people but was exercised onlye by the noble men and gentlemen But the people lyftyng vp theyr handes eyes toward heauen gaue tokens that God was greeuously offended with suche vyle deedes affyrmyng this to be the cause of theyr so many thunderynges lyghtnyng and tempestes wherewith they are so often troubled and of the ouerflowyng of waters which drowne theyr sets and fruites whereof famyne and diuers diseases ensue as they symply and faythfully beleue although they knowe none other GOD then the sunne whom only they honour thinkyng that it doth both geue and take away as it is pleased or offended Yet are they very docible and easie to be allured to our customes and religion if they had any teacher In theyr language there is nothyng vnpleasaunt to the eare or harde to be pronounced but that all theyr woordes may be wrytten with latine letters as we sayde of the inhabitauntes of Hispaniola It is a warlyke nation and hath ben euer hytherto molestous to theyr borderers but the region is not fortunate with fruiteful grounde or plentie of golde Yet is it full of great barren mountaynes beyng somewhat colde by reason of their height and therefore the noble men and gentlemen are apparelled but the common people liue content only with the benefites of nature There is a region not past two dayes iourney distant from Quarequa in whiche they founde only blacke Moores and those exceedyng fierce and cruel They suppose that in tyme past certayne blacke Moores sayled thyther out of Ethiopia to robbe and that by shypwracke or some other chaunce they were dryuen to those mountaynes The inhabitaunts of Quarequa lyue in continual warre and debate with these blacke men Here Vaschus leauing in Quarequa many of his souldiers which by reason they were not yet accustomed to such trauayles and hunger fel into diuers diseases tooke with hym certayne guides of the Quarequatans to conduct hym to the toppes of the mountaynes From the pallace of kyng Poncha to the prospect of the other south sea is only sixe dayes iourney the which neuerthelesse by reason of many hinderances chaunces and especially for lacke of vittuals he coulde accomplishe in no lesse then .xxv. dayes But at the length the seuenth day of the Calendes of October he behelde with woonderyng eyes the toppes of the hygh mountaynes shewed vnto hym by the guides of Quarequa from the whiche he myght see the other sea so long looked for and neuer seene before of any man commyng out of our worlde Approching therfore to the toppes of the mountaynes he commaunded his armye to
other hauyng in it but onely one kyng and hym of so great power that at suche tymes of the yeere as the sea is calme he inuadeth theyr dominions with a great nauie of Culchas spoylyng and cariyng away for a praye all that he meeteth This Ilande is distant from these coastes only twentie myles So that the promontories or poyntes thereof reachyng into the sea may be seene from the hylles of this continent In the sea neere about this Ilande sea muscles are engendred of such quantitie that many of them are as brode as bucklers In these are pearles founde beyng the hartes of those shell fysshes oftentymes as bygge as beanes somtymes bygger then Olyues and suche as sumptuous Cleopatra myght haue desyred Although this Ilande be so neere to the shore of this firme lande yet is the begynnyng thereof in the mayne sea without the mouth of the gulfe Vaschus beyng ioyful and mery with this rych communication fantasyng nowe in maner nothing but princes treasures beganne to speake fierce and cruell woordes against the tyrant of that Ilande meanyng hereby to wynne the myndes of the other kynges and bynde them to hym with a neerer bonde of frendeshyp Yet therefore raylyng further on hym with spytefull and approbrious woords he swore great othes that he woulde forthwith inuade the Ilande spoylyng destroying burnyng drownyng and hangyng sparyng neyther swoorde nor fyre vntyll he had reuenged theyr iniuries and therewith commaunded his Culchas to be in a redynes But the two kynges Chiapes and Tumaccus â–ª exhorted hym frendly to deferre this enterprise vntil a more quiet season bycause that sea was nor nauigable without great danger beyng nowe the begynnyng of Nouember Wherein the kynges seemed to saye true For as Vaschus hym selfe wryteth great roring of the sea was heard among the Ilands of the gulfe by reason of the ragyng and conflict of the water Great ryuers also descendyng from the toppes of the mountaynes the same tyme of the yeere and ouerflowyng theyr bankes dryuyng downe with theyr violence great rockes and trees make a marueylous noyse Lykewise the furie of the South and Northeast wyndes associate with thunder and lyghtnyng at the same season dyd greatly molest them Whyle the wether was fayre they were vexed in the night with colde and in the day tyme the heat of the Sonne troubled them wherof it is no marueyle forasmuche as they were neere vnto the Equinoctial line although they make no mention of the eleuation of the pole for in suche regions in the nyght the Moone and other colde planettes but in the day the Sonne and other hotte planettes doo cheefely exercyse theyr influence although the antiquitie were of an other opinion supposyng the Equinoctiall circle to bee vnhatable and desolate by reason of the heate of the Sonne hauyng his course perpendiculerly or directly ouer the same except a fewe of the contrary opinion whose assertions the Portugales haue at these dayes by experience proued to be true for they sayle yeerely to thinhabitantes of the south pole beyng in maner Antâ—podes to the people called Hyperborei vnder the North pole and exercise marchaundize with them And here haue I named Antipodes forasmuche as I am not ignorant that there hath ben men of singuler witte and great learnyng whiche haue denyed that there is Antipodes that is suche as walke feete to feete But it is most certaine that it is not geuen to any one man to knowe all thynges for euen they also were men whose propertie is to erre and be deceiued in many thynges Neuerthelesse the Portugales of our tyme haue sayled to the fyue and fyftie degree of the south pole where compassyng about the poynt therof they myght see throughout all the heauen about the same certeyne shynnyng whyte cloudes here and there among the starres lyke vnto them which are seene in the tract of heauen called Lactea via that is the mylke whyte way They say there is no notable starre neare about that pole lyke vnto this of oures which the common people thynke to be the pole of it selfe called of the Italians Tramontana and of the Spanyardes Nortes but that the same falleth beneath the Ocean WheÌ„ the Sonne descendeth from the myddest of the exiltree of the worlde from vs it ryseth to them as a payre of ballances whose weyght enclinyng from the equall payse in the myddest towarde eyther of the sydes causeth the one ende to ryse as much as the other falleth When therfore it is Autumne with vs it is spring tyme with them and sommer with vs when it is wynter with them But it suffiseth to haue sayde thus much of strange matters Let vs nowe therefore returne to the historie and to our men The seconde booke of the thyrde Decade VAschus by thaduice of king Chiapes and Tumaccus determined to deferre his voyage to the sayde Ilande vntyll the next spryng or sommer at which tyme Chiapes offered him selfe to accompany our men and ayde them therin al that he myght In this meane tyme Vaschus had knowledge that these kynges had nettes and fysshyng places in certeyne stations of that sea neare vnto the shore where they were accustomed to fyshe for sea muscles in the which pearles are engendred and that for this purpose they had certeyne dyuers or fysshers exercised from theyr youth in swimmyng vnder the water But they doo this onely at certeine tymes when the sea is calme that they may the eassier come to y e place where these shel fishes are wont to lye for the bygger that they are so much lye they the deeper neerer to y e bottome but the lesser as it were daughters to thother are neerer the brimme of the water likewise the least of al as it were their nieses are yet neerer to the superficial part therof To them of the byggest fort whiche lye lowest the fysâ—hers descende the depth of three mens heyght and somtyme foure but to the daughters or nieses as their succession they descende only to the mydde thygh Somtimes also after that the sea hath ben disquieted with vehement tempestes they fynde a great multitude of these fishes on the sandes beyng dryuen to the shore by the violence of the water The pearles of these which are founde on the sande are but lytle the fyshe it selfe is more pleasaunt in eatyng then are our oysters as our men report But perhaps hunger the sweete sause of all meates caused our men so to thynke Whether pearles be the hartes of sea muscles as Aristotle supposed or the byrth or spawne of their intrals as Plinie thought or whether they cleaue continually to the rockes or wander by companies in the sea by the guyding of the eldest whether euery fysshe bryng foorth one pearle or more at one byrth or at dyuers also whether they be fyled from the rockes wherunto they cleaue or may be easely pulled away or otherwyse fall of by them selues when they are come to theyr full
of the Sonne called Solstitia in maner equall with the Equinoctial with litle difference betwene the length of the day and the nyght throughout all the yeere For on the south syde the day ascendeth scarcely an houre in length aboue the nyght or contrarywyse But the difference is more on the north syde Yet are there some regions in the Ilande in the whiche the colde is of some force But your holynesse must vnderstande this to be incident by reason of y e obiect or neerenes of the mountaynes as we wyll more largely declare hereafter Yet is not this colde so pearsyng or sharpe that thinhabitantes are molested with snowe or bytyng frost In other places the Ilande enioyeth perpetuall spryng tyme and is fortunate with continuall sommer and haruest The trees floryshe there all the whole yeere and the medowes continue alway greene All thynges are exceedyng fortunate and growe to great perfection Howe wonderfully all garden hearbes and fruites do encrease so that within the space of syxtene dayes after the seede is sowne all hearbes of small steames as lettisse borage radish and suche other come to theyr full rypenesse and also howe hearbes of the bygger sort as Gourdes Melons Cucumbers Pompons Sitrons and such other come to theyr perfection in the space of thyrtie dayes we haue sufficiently declared elswhere Of the beastes transported out of Spayne thyther we haue sayde howe they growe to a muche greater kynde insomuch that when they fall into communication of the oxen or kyne they compare them in bygnesse to Elephantes and swyne to Mules but this somewhat by an excessiue kynde of speache We haue also made mention howe theyr swynes fleshe is more sauourye and of farre better and of more pleasaunt tast and more holsome then ours by reason that they are fedde with the fruites of Mirobalane trees and other pleasaunt and nourishing fruites of that countrey whiche growe there of them selues as do with vs Beeches Holly and Okes. Uines woulde also prosper there with marueylous encrease if they had any regarde to the plantyng thereof The lyke encrease commeth of wheate if it be sowen vpon the mountaines where the cold is of some strength but not in the same playnes by reason of to much fatnesse and ranknesse of the grounde It is in maner incredible to heare that an eare of wheate shoulde be bygger then a mans arme in the brawne and more then a spanne in length bearyng also more then a thousand graynes as they all confesse with one voyce and earnestlye affyrme the same with others Yet they say that the bread of the Iland called Cazabbi made of the roote of Iucca to be more holsome because it is of easier digestion and is cultured with lesse labour and greater encrease The residue of the tyme which they spend not in settyng and plantyng they bestowe in geathering of golde They haue nowe such plenty of foure footed beastes that Horses and oxe hydes with sheepe skynnes and goate skynnes and such other are brought from thence into Spayne so that now the daughter in many thynges helpeth and succoureth her mother Of the trees of brasyle spyces the grayne which coloureth scarlet in bright shyning red mastix gossampyne cotton the precious metall called Electrum and such other commodities of this Ilande we haue spoken sufficiently before What therfore can chaunce more happye vnto man vppon the earth then there to lyue where he neede not to be dryuen to close chaumbers with sharpe colde or fayntyng heate nor yet in winter eyther to be laden with heauy apparrel or to burne the shinnes with continual sittyng at the fyre which thynges make men olde in short tyme by resoluing the naturall heate whereof a thousand diseases ensue They also affirme the ayre to be very healthfull and the waters and ryuers to be no lesse holsome as they which haue their contynuall course through the earth of the golden mynes For there is in maner no ryuers no mountaynes and but fewe playnes that are vtterly without golde But let vs nowe at the length come to the particuler description of the inner partes of this blessed Ilande We haue before declared how it is in maner equally diuided with foure great ryuers descendyng from hygh mountaynes whereof that whiche runneth towards the East is called Iunna as that towards the West is named Attibunicus the thyrde is Nahiba or Haiba which runneth Southward the fourth is called Iache falleth toward the North. But this shypmaister hath brought an other description obserued of the inhabitauntes from the beginnyng Let vs therfore diuide the whole Iland into fiue partes callyng the regions of euery prouince by theyr olde names and finally make mention of such thyngs as are worthy memory in euery of them The beginning of the Ilande on the East syde is conteyned in the prouince named Caizcimu so named for that in theyr language Cimu signifieth the front or beginning of anye thyng After this foloweth the prouince of Huhabo and then Caihabo the fourth is Bainoa Guaccaiarima conteyneth the west corner But the last saue one Bainoa is of larger boundes then the three other Caizcimu reacheth from the fyrst front of the Iland to the ryuer Hozama which runneth by the citie of saint Dominicke But towarde the North syde it is ended at the rough mountaynes of Haiti Hubaho is encluded within the mountaynes Haiti and the ryuer Iaciga Caeiabo the thyrd prouince conteineth al that lyeth between Cubabo and Dahatio euen vnto the mouth of the ryuer of Iaceha or Iache one of the foure which diuide the Iland equally ascendeth to the mountaynes of Cibaua where the greatest plenty of gold is found out of the which also the ryuer Demahus spryngeth and ioining with the sprynges of the ryuer of Naiba beyng an other of the foure which diuideth the Iland toward the south sea falleth to an other banke of the riuer of saint Dominick Bainoa beginneth at the confines of Caiabi and reacheth euen vnto the Iland of Cahini which lyeth neare vnto the sea bankes of the North syde of the Iland where we sayde that they erected y e first colonie or habitation The prouince of Guaccaiarima occupieth the remanent toward the west this they named Guaccaiarima because it is the extreeme or vttermost part of the Iland For Iarima in theyr language signifieth the tayle or end of any thing and Gua is an article which they vse oftentimes in the names of things and especially in the names of theyr kinges as Guarionexius Guaccanarillus In the prouince of Cazium are these regions Higuei Guanama Reyre Xagua Aramana Arabo Hazoa Macorix Caiacoa Guaiagua Baguauimabo the rough mountaines of Haiti Here let vs speake somwhat of their aspirations which they vse otherwise then the Latines do It is to be noted that there is no aspiration in their vowels which hath not the effect of a consonant So
fourscore myles for they call it threescore leagues He spent certaine daies heere in idlenesse for he coulde neither by fayre meanes nor by foule allure the kyng of the region to come to hym Whyle he lay thus idelly there came to hym other fyftie men sent from Dariena vnder the gouernaunce of captayne Lodouicus Mercado who departed from Dariena in the calendes of May to the intent to searche the inner partes of those regions When they met togeather they determined after consultation to passe ouer the mountaynes lying towarde the South euen vnto the South sea lately founde Beholde nowe a wonderfull thyng that in a lande of suche marueylous longitude in other places they founde it here to be onely about fyftie myles distant to the South sea for they count it .xvii. leagues as the maner of the Spanyardes is to recken and not by myles Yet saye they that a league consysteth of three myles by lande and foure by sea as we haue noted before In the toppes of the mountaynes and turnyng of the waters they founde a kyng named Iuana whose kyngdome is also named Coiba as is the region of king Careta of whom we haue made mention elswhere But for as muche as the region of this Iuana is rycher in golde they named it Coiba Dites that is Coiba the rych For wheresoeuer they dygged the grounde whether it were on the drye lande or in the wet chanelles of the ryuers they founde the sande whiche they cast foorth myxt with golde Iuana fledde at the commyng of our men and coulde neuer be brought agayne They spoyled all the countrey neare about his palace yet had they but litle golde for he had caryed all his stuffe with hym Here they founde certayne slaues marked in the faces after a straunge sorte For with a sharpe prycke made eyther of bone or els with a thorne they make holes in theyr faces and foorthwith sprinklyng a powder thereon they moiste the pounced place with a certayne blacke or redde iuice whose substaunce is of suche tenacitie and clamminesse that it wyll neuer weare away They brought these slaues away with them They say that this iuice is of suche sharpenesse and putteth them to suche payne that for extreme doloure they haue no stomacke to theyr meate certayne dayes after The kynges whiche take these slaues in theyr warres vse theyr helpe in seekyng for golde and in tyllage of the grounde euen as doo our men From the pallace of Iuana folowyng the course of the water about tenne myles towarde the South they entred into the dominion of an other kyng whom our men named the olde man bycause he was olde not passyng of his other name In the region of this kyng also they founde golde in all places both on the lande and in the ryuers This region is very fayre and fruitefull and hath in it many famous ryuers Departyng from hence in fyue dayes iourney they came to a lande lefte desolate They suppose that this was destroyed by ciuile discorde forasmuche as it is for the most parte fruitefull and yet not inhabited The fyfth day they sawe two men commyng a farre of these were laden with bread of Maizium whiche they caryed on theyr shoulders in sackes Our men tooke them and vnderstoode by them that there were two kynges in that tract the one was named Periquete who dwelt neere vnto the sea the others name was Totonoga This Totonoga was blynde and dwelt in the continent The two men which they met were the fyshers of Totonoga whom he had sent with certayne fardelles of fyshe to Periquete and had agayne receyued bread of hym for exchaunge For thus do they communicate theyr commodities one with an other by exchaunge without the vse of wycked mony By the conductyng of these two men they came to kyng Totonoga dwellyng on the West syde of saint Michaels gulfe in the South sea They had of this kyng the summe of syxe thousand Castellans of golde both rude and artifycially wrought Among those groumes of rude or natyue golde there was one founde of the weyght of two Castellans whiche argued the plentifull rychenesse of the grounde Folowyng the same coast by the sea syde towarde the West they came to a kyng whose name was Taracuru of whom they had golde amountyng to the weyght of eyght thousande Pesos We haue sayde before that Pesus is the weyght of a Castelane not coyned From hence they went to the dominion of this kynges brother named Pananome who fledde at their commyng and appeared no more afterwarde They say that his kyngdome is ryche in golde They spoyled his pallace in his absence Syxe leagues from hence they came to another king named Tabor From thence they came to the kyng of Cheru He frendly entertained our men and gaue them foure thousand Pesos of golde He hath in his dominion many goodly salt bayes the region also aboundeth with golde About twelue myles from hence they came to another king called Anata of whom they had xv thousande Pesos of golde whiche he had gotton of the kynges his borderers whom he had vanquished by warre A great part of this gold was in rude fourme bycause it was molten when he set the kinges houses on fyre whom he spoyled For they robbe and slay the one the other sackyng fyryng theyr villages and wasting theyr countreyes They keepe warre barbarously and to vtter destruction executyng extreeme crueltie agaynst them that haue the ouerthrowe Gonsalus Badaiocius with his felowes wandred at libertie vntyll they came to this kyng and had geathered great heapes of golde of other kynges For what in braslettes collers earerynges brest plates helmettes and certaine barres wherewith women beare vp theyr brestes they had geathered togeather in gold the summe of fourscore thousand Castellans which they had obtayned partly by exchange for our things where they founde the kynges theyr frendes otherwise by forcyble meanes where they founde the contrary They had gotten also fourtie slaues whose helpe they vsed both for cariage of their victualles and baggagies in the steede of Moyles or other beastes of burden also to releeue such as were sick and forweeried by reason of theyr long iourneies and hunger After these prosperous voyages they came by the dominion of kyng Scoria to the palace of a kyng named Pariza where fearyng no suche thing Pariza enclosed them with a great armie and assayled them straggelyng and vnwares in such sort that they had no leasure to put on theyr armure He slue and wounded about fyftie and put the resydue to flyght They made suche hast that they had no respect eyther to the golde they had geathered or to theyr slaues but left all behynde them Those fewe that escaped came to Dariena The opinion of all wyse men as concernyng the variable and inconstant chaunces of fortune in humane things were false if all thynges shoulde haue happened vnto them prosperously For such
poore men cruelly takyng pietie of theyr infantes newly borne especially gyrles doe many tymes with theyr owne feete strangle them Noble men and other lykewyse of meaner calling generally haue but one wyfe a peece by whom although they haue issue yet for a trifle they diuorse themselues from their wiues and the wiues also sometimes from their husbands to marry with others After y e seconde degree coosins may there lawfully marry Adoption of other mens children is much vsed among them In great townes most men and women can write and reade This nation feedeth sparely theyr vsuall meate is ryse and salattes and neare the sea syde fyshe They feast one an other many tymes wherein they vse great diligence especially iâ— drinkyng one to an other insomuch that the better sorte least they myght rudely commit some fault therin doe vse to reade certaine bookes written of dueties and cerimonies apperteynyng vnto bankettes To be delicate and fine they put theyr meat into their mouthes with litle forkes accompting it great rudenes to touch it with theyr fingers wynter and sommer they drynke water as hot as they may possible abyde it Theyr houses are in daunger of fyre but finely made and cleane layde all ouer with straw pallettes wherevppon they doe both sit in steede of stooles and lye in theyr clothes with billets vnder theyr heades For feare of defilyng these pallettes they goe eyther barefoote within doores or weare strawe pantofles on theyr buskynnes whan they come abroade the which they laye asyde at theyr returne home agayne Gentlemen for the most parte doe passe the nyght in banketting musike and vayne discourses they sleepe the day tyme. In Meaco and Sacaio there is good store of beddes but they be very litle and may be compared vnto our pues In bryngyng vp theyr children they vse wordes onely to rebuke them admonishyng as diligently and aduisedly boyes of six or seuen yeeres age as though they were olde men They are giuen very much to entertayne strangers of whom most curiously they loue to aske euen in trifles what forreyne nations doe and theyr fashions Suche argumentes and reasons as be manifest and are made playne with examples doe greatly persuade them They detest all kynde of theft whosoeuer is taken in that faulte may be slayne freely of any body No publike prisons no common gayles no ordinary Iusticers priuately eche householder hath the hearyng of matters at home in his owne house and the punishyng of greater crymes that deserue death without delaye Thus vsually the people is kept in awe and feare About foure hundred yeeres agoe as in theyr olde recordes we fynde all Giapan was subiecte vnto one Emperor whose royall seate was Meaco in the Giaponishe language called Cubucama But the nobilitie rebellyng agaynst him by litle and litle haue taken away the greatest parte of his dominion howbeit his title continually remayneth and the residue in some respect doe make great accompt of him stil acknowledging him for theyr superior Thus the Empyre of Giapan in tymes past but one alone is now diuided into sixtie sixe kyngdomes the onely cause of ciuile warres continually in that Iland to no small hynderaunce of the Gospell whilest the kynges that dwell neare togeather inuade one an other eche one couetyng to make his kyngdome greater Furthermore in the citie Meaco is the pallace of the high priest whom that nation honoureth as a God he hath in his house .366 Idolles one whereof by course is euery nyght set by his syde for a watcheman He is thought of the common people so holy that it may not be lawfull for him to goe vppon the earth if happely he doe set one foote to the grounde he looseth his office He is not serued very sumptuously he is maynteined by almes The heads and beards of his ministers are shauen they haue name Cangues and theyr aucthoritie is great throughout all Giapan The Cubucama vseth them for Embassadours to decide controuersies betwixte princes and to ende theyr warres whereof they are wont to make very great gayne It is now two yeeres since or there about that one of them came to Bungo to entreat of peace betwixt the kyng thereof and the kyng of Amanguzzo This Agent fauouring the kyng of Bungo his cause more than the other brought to passe that the foresayde kyng of Bungo should keepe two kingdomes the which he had taken in warres from the king of Amanguzzo Wherefore he had for his rewarde of the kyng of Bungo aboue thirtie thousande Ducattes And thus farre heereof I come now to other superstitions and ceremonies that you may see deare brethren that whiche I sayde in the beginnyng howe surlye the deuyll hath deceyued the Giaponishe nation and howe diligent and ready they be to obey and worshyp him And first all remembrance and knowledge not onely of Christ our redeemer but also of that one God the maker of all thinges is cleane extinguished vtterly abolished out of the Giapans hartes Moreouer theyr superstitious sectes are many wheras it is lawfull for eche one to folow that which lyketh him best but the principall sectes are two namely the Amidans and Xacaians Wherfore in this countrey shall you see many monasteryes not onely of Bonzii men but also of Bonziae women diuersly attyred for some doe weare whyte vnder and blacke vpper garments other goe apparelled in ashe colour theyr Idole hath name Denichi from these the Amidanes differ very muche Agayne the men Bonzii for the most parte dwell in sumptuous houses and haue great reuenues These felowes are chast by commaundement marry they may not vnder payne of death In the mydst of theyr Temple is erected an Aulter whereon standeth a wodden Idole of Amida naked from the gyrdle vpwarde with holes in his eares after the maner of Italian Gentlewomen sittyng on a woodden rose goodly to beholde They haue great libraries and halles for them all to dyne and suppe togeather and belles wherewith they are certayne houres called to prayers In the euenyng the Superintendent gyueth eche one a theame for meditation After mydnyght before the Aulter in theyr Temple they doe say Mattens as it were out of Xaca his last booke one quier one verse the other quier an other Early in the mornyng eche one gyueth him selfe to meditation one houre they shaue theyr heades and beardes Theyr Cloysters be very large and within the precincte thereof Chappelles of the Fotoquiens for by that name some of the Giapanish Sainctes are called theyr holydayes yeerely be very many Most of these Bonzii be Gentlemen for that the Giaponish nobilitie charged with many children vse to make most of them Bonzii not being able to leaue for eche one a patrymony good ynough The Bonzii most couetously bent know all the wayes howe to come by money They sell vnto the people many scroles of paper by the helpe whereof the common people thinketh it selfe warranted from all power of the deuylles They borowe lykewyse money to bee
procure them selues to bee most sumptuously and solempnely buryed theyr buryalles and obsequies in the citie Meaco are done after this maner About one houre before the dead body be brought foorth a great multitude of his friendes apparelled in theyr best aray go before vnto the fyre with them goe theyr kyns women and such as bee of theyr acquayntaunce clothed in whyte for that is the mournyng colour there with a chaungeable coloured vayle on theyr heades Eche woman hath with her also accordyng to her abilitie all her famely trymmed vp in whyte silke mâ—ccado the better sorte and wealthier women goe in litters of Caedar artificially wrought and richly dressed In the seconde place marcheth a great company of footemen sumptuously apparelled Than a far of commeth one of these Bonzii maister of the cerimonies for that superstition brauely clad in silkes golde in a large high lytter excellently wel wrought accompanied with .30 other Bonzii or thereabout wearing hattes linnen albes and fyne blacke vpper garments Than attired in ashe colour for this colour also is mourning with a long torch of pineaple sheweth the dead body the way vnto the fyre least it either stumble or ignorantly goe out of the way Welneare .200 Bonzii folow him singing the name of that deuill the which the partie deceassed chiefly did woorship by his life tyme and therwithall a very great basen is beaten euen to the place of fire in steed of a bel Than folow two great paper baskets hanged open at staues endes full of paper roses diuersly coloured such as beare them doe march but slowly shaking euer now than their staues that the aforesaid floures may fall downe by litle litle as it were droppes of rayne and be whirled about with the wynd This shoure say they is an argument that the soule of the dead man is gone to Paradyse After all this eight beardles Bonzii orderly two and two dragge after them on the ground long speares the pointes backewarde with flagges of one cubite a peece wherin the name also of that Idole is written Than he there carried teâ— Lanternes trimmed with the former inscription ouercast with a fine vayle and candelles burning in them Besides this two young men clothed in ashe colour beare pineaple torches not lighted of three foote length the which torches serue to kindle the fyre wherein the dead corpes is to be burnt In the same colour folow many other that weare on the crownes of their heades fayre litle threesquare blacke lethren caps tied fast vnder their chins for y t is honorable amoÌ„gst them with papers on their heads wherin the name of y e deuyll I spake of is written And to make it the more solempne after commeth a man with a table one cubite long â–ª one foote broad couered with a very fine whyte vayle in both sides wherof is written in golden letters the aforesaid name At the length by foure men is brought foorth the corpes sitting in a gorgeous lyâ—ter clothed in whyte hanging downe his head and holding his handes togeather lyke one that prayed to the rest of his apparell may you adde an vpper gowne of paper written full of that booke the which his God is sayd to haue made whan he liued in the world by whose helpe and merites commonly they doe thinke to bee saued The dead man his children come next after him most gallantly set foorth the yongest wherof carrieth lykewyse a pineaple torch to kyndle the fyre Last of all foloweth a great number of people in suche cannes as erst spake of Whan they are al come to the place appointed for the obsequie all the Bonzii with the whole multitude for the space of one hour beating pannes basens with great clamors cal vpon the name of that deuill the which being ended the obsequie is done in this maner In the midst of a great quadrangle rayled about hanged with course lynnen and agreeably vnto the foure partes of the world made with foure gates to goe in and out at is digged a hole in the hole is layde good store of wood whereon is raysed gallantly a waued roofe before that stande two tables furnished with diuers kyndes of meates especially dry figges Pomegranates and tartes good store but neyther fyshe nor fleshe vpon one of them standeth also a chaffre with coles and in it sweete wood to make perfumes Whan all this is ready the corde wherewith the lytter was carried is throwen by a long rope into the fyre as many as are present stryue to take the rope in their handes vsing theyr aforesayd clamors which done they goe in procession as it were rounde about the quadrangle thryse Than setting the lytter on the wood buylte vp ready for the fyre that Bonzius who than is maister of the cerimonies sayeth a verse that no bodie there vnderstandeth whyrlyng thryse about ouer his head a torche lyghted to signifie thereby that the soule of the dead man had neyther any begynnyng ne shall haue at any tyme an ende and throweth away the torche Two of the dead man his children or of his neare kynne take it vp agayne and standyng one at the East syde of the lytter the other at the West doe for honour and reuerence reache it to eche other thryse ouer the dead corpes and so cast it into the pyle of wood by and by they throwe in oyle sweete wood and other perfumes accordyngly as they haue plentie and so with a great flame bryng the corpes to ashes his chyldren in the meane whyle pâ—â—â—yng sweete wood into the Chaffer at the table with doores doe solempnely and religiously woorshyp their father as a Sainct which being done the Bonzii are payde eche one in his degree The maister of the cerimonies hath for his part fyue ducates sometimes ten sometimes .xx. the rest haue ten Iulies a peece or els a certayne number of other presentes called Caxae The meate that was ordeyned as soone as the dead corpes friendes and all the Bonzii are gone is left for such as serued at the obsequie for the poore and impotent lazares The next day returne to the place of obsequie the dead man his children his kynread and friendes who geatheryng vp his asshes bones and teeth doe put them in a gylded potte and so carry them home to be set vp in the same pot couered with cloth in the mydst of theyr houses Many Bonzii returne lykewise to these priuate funeralles and so doe they agayne the seuenth day than carry they out the asshes to bee buryed in a place appoynted laying therevppon a fouresquare stone wherein is written in great letters drawen all the length of the stone ouer the name of that deuyll the which the dead man woorshypped by his lyfe tyme. Euery day afterwarde his children resorte vnto that graue with roses and warme water that the deade corpes thirst not Nor the seuenth day onely but the seuenth moneth and yeere within theyr owne houses they renue this obsequie to
no small commodities and gayne of the Bonzii great ryche men doe spende in these theyr funeralles .3000 ducates or there about the meaner sorte two or three hundred Suche as for pouertie be not able to go to that charges are in the nyght time darkelong without all pompe ceremonies buryed in a dunghil They haue an other kynde of buriall especially neare the sea syde for them that bee not yet deade These felowes are such as hauyng religiously with much deuotion worshipped Amida now desirous to see him doe slaye them selues And first they go certaine dayes begging almes the which they thrust into theyr sleeues than preache they in publyke a sermon vnto the people declaring what they mynd to doe with the great good lykyng of all suche as doe heare them for euery body wondreth at such a kynd of holynesse Than take they hookes to cut downe bryers and thornes that myght hinder them in theyr way to heauen and so imbarke them selues in a newe vessell tying great stones about their neckes armes loynes thighes and feete thus they launchyng out into the mayne sea be eyther drowned there theyr shyppe bouged for that purpose or els doe cast them selues ouer boorde headlong into the sea The emptie barke is out of hande set a fyre for honour sake by theyr friendes that folowe them in an other boate of their owne thynkyng it blasphemie that any mortal creature should afterward once touche the barke that had been so religiously halowed Truely whan we went to Meaco eyght dayes before we came to the Isle of Hiu at Fore towne sixe men and two women so dyed To all suche as dye so the people erecteth a Chappell and to eche of them a pyllar and a pole made of pinaple for a perpetuall monument hangyng vp many shreddes of paper in stickes all the roofe ouer with many verses set downe in the walles in commendation of that blessed company Wherefore vnto this place both day and nyght many come very superstitiously in pylgrimage It happened euen then as Aloisius Almeida I went to Christen a chyld we traueyled that way at what time foure or fiue olde women came foorth out of the aforesaide Chappel with beades in theyr handes for in this pointe also the deuyll counterfayteth Christianitie who partly scorned at vs for folly partly frowned and taunted at our small deuotion for passing by that holy monument without any reuerence or woorshyp done therevnto at all It remayneth nowe we speake two or three woordes of those Sermons the Bonzii are wont to make not so many as ours in number but assuredly very wel prouided for The Pulpit is erected in a great Temple with a silke Canapie ouer it therein standeth a costly seate before the seate a table with a bel a booke At the houre of sermon eche secte of the Giapans resorteth to theyr owne doctors in diuers Temples Up goeth the doctor into the Pulpit and beyng set downe after that he hath Lordlyke looked him about signifieth silence with his bell and so readeth a fewe woordes out of that booke we spake of the which he expoundeth afterwarde more at large These preachers be for the most parte eloquent and apte to drawe with their speach the myndes of their hearers Wherefore to this ende chiefly suche is theyr greedynesse tendeth all theyr talke that the people be brought vnder the colour of godlinesse to enryche theyr monasteries promysing to eche one so much the more happinesse in the lyfe to come howe much the greater costes charges they be at in church matters obsequies notwithstanding this multitude of superstitious sects and companyes and the diuersities therof amongst them selues yet in this principally all theyr superintendentes doe traueyle so to persuade theyr Nouices in their owne tales and lyes that they thinke nothing els trueth nothing els sure to come by euerlasting saluation nothing els woorth the hearyng Whervnto they adde other subtilties as in going grauitie in countenance apparel and in all other outward shewe comelynesse Wherby the Giapanes myndes are so noussed in wicked opinions and doe conceyue thereby such trust and hope of euerlasting saluation that not onely at home but also abrode in euery corner of the towne continually almost they runne ouer their beades humbly asking of Amida and Xaca wealth honour good health and euerlastyng ioyes Thus than deare brethren may you thinke howe greatly they neede the helpe of God that eyther doe bring the Gospel into this countrey or receiuing it brought vnto them do forsake Idolatry ioyne them selues with Christ being assalted by so many snares of the deuil troubled with the dayly dissuasions of their Bonzii and finally so iniuriously so hardely so sharpely vexed of their kindread and friendes that except the grace of God obteyned by the sacrifices and prayers of the Catholike church do help vs it can not be chosen but that the fayth and constancie of many if not of all in these first beginninges of our churches will greatly be put in ieopardie So much the more it standeth you vppon that so earnestly long for the health of soules to commende specially these Giaponish flockes vnto our Lorde Wee came to Sacaio the .xxviii. of Ianuary Aloysius Almeida first for businesse but afterwarde let by sickenesse stayed there some whyle but I parting the next day from thence came thirtiene leagues of to Meaco the last of Ianuary Of my commyng all the Christians tooke great comfort but specially Gasper Vilela who in six yeeres had seene none of our company at Meaco his yeeres are not yet fourtie but his gray heares shewe him to bee seuentie so vehemently is his litle body afflicted and worne with extreme colde He speaketh Giapanish so skilfully after the phrase of Meaco the which for the renowne of this people and royall seat of the kyng is best accompted of that he doth both confesse preach in that language Certayne godly bookes also he hath done into that speach not omitting to translate other as leasure suffreth him To make an end our Lord for his goodnesse vouchsafe to preserue vs all continually and to giue vs ayde both ryghtly to interprete his wil and well to do the same From Meaco the .xix. of February 1565. Other suche lyke matter is handled both in other his letters and also in the Epistles written by his companyons to be seene at large in the aforesayde volume Amongst the rest this seemed in my iudgement one of the principall and therefore the rather I tooke vppon me to doe it into Englyshe Of the Isles beyond Giapan in the way from China to the Moluccaes AMongst other Isles in the Asian sea betwixt Cantan a Chinishe hauen in Cathayo and the Moluccaes muche spoken of in the Indish histories paynted out in Mappes Ainan and Santlianum are very famous Ainan standeth nienetiene degrees on this syde of the Equinoctial lyne neare China from whence the Chinishe nation haue theyr prouision for shppyng and other necessaryes
and cruell Basilius the Sonne of Iohn was the fyrst that tooke vppon hym the name and title of a kyng in this maner The great lord Basilius by the grace of God kyng and lorde of all Russia and the great Duke of Vuolodimaria Moscouia Nouogradia c. Furthermore wheras nowe this Prince is called Emperour I haue thought good to shewe the title and cause of this errour Note therfore that Czar in the Ruthens tongue signifieth a kyng whereas in the language of the Slauons Pollons Bohemes and other the same worde Czar signifieth Cesar by whiche name the Emperours haue been commonly called For both they and the Slauons that are vnder the kyngdome of Hungarie call a kyng by an other name as some Crall other Kyrall and some Korall but thynke that only an Emperour is called Czar Whereby it came to passe that the Ruthene or Moscouite interpretours hearyng theyr Prince to be so called of strange nations began them selues also to name hym an Emperour thâ—nk the name of Czar to be more worthy then the name of a kyng although they signifie all one thyng But who so wyll reade all theyr histories and bookes of holy scripture shall fynde that a kyng is called Czar and an Emperour Kessar By the lyke errour the Emperour of the Turkes is called Czar who neuerthelesse of antiquitie vsed no hygher tytle then the name of a kyng expressed by this worde Czar And hereof the Turkes of Europe that vse the Slauon tongue call the citie of Constantinople Czargard that is the kyngs citie Some call the Prince of Moscouie the whyte kyng which I thynke to proceede of the whyte Cappes or other tyrementes they weare on theyr heades lyke as they call the kyng of Pertia Kisilpassa that is redde head He vseth the tytle of a kyng when he wryteth or sendeth to Rome the Emperour the Pope the Kyng of Suetia and Denmarke the great maister of Prusia and Liuonia and also to the great Turke as I haue been credibly enfourmed but he is not called kyng of any of them except perhaps of the Liuons Yet by reason of his later conquestes some haue thought hym worthy the name of a kyng or rather of an Emperour because he hath kyngs vnder his Empire To the kyng of Polone he vseth this title The great lorde Basilius by the grace of God lord of al Russia and great Duke of Vuolodimeria Moscouia Nouogradia c. leauyng out the title of a kyng For none of them vouchsafeth to receyue the letters of the other augmented with any newe title as I knewe by experience at my beyng in Moscouia at which time Sigismundus the kyng of Polone sent hym his letters augmented with the title of the Duke of Moscouia wherwith he was not a litle offended They glory in theyr histories that before Vuolodimeria and Olha the land of Russia was baptised and blessed of Sainct Andrewe the Apostle of Christ affirmyng that he came from Grecia to the mouthes of the ryuer Boristhenes and that he sayled vp the ryuer to the mountaynes where as is nowe Chiouia and that there he blessed all the lande and placed his crosse prophesyng also that the grace of God shoulde be great there and that there shoulde be many churches of Christian men Lykewyse that he afterward came to the sprynges of Boristhenes vnto the great Lake Vuolok and by the ryuer Louat descended into the Lake Ilmer from whence by the ryuer Vuolcon whiche runneth out of the same Lake he came to Nouogradia and passed from thence by the same ryuer to the Lake Ladoga and the ryuer Heua and so vnto the sea whiche they call Vuarezkoia beyng the same that we call the Germane sea betweene Vuinlandia or Finlandia and Liuonia by the whiche he sayled to Rome and was at the last crucified for Christ his Gospell in Peloponnesus by the tirranie of Agus Antipater as theyr cronacles make mention The Prince euery seconde or thyrde yeere causeth a muster to bee taken of the Sonnes of the Boiorons and taketh an accompte booth of theyr number and howe manye Horses and men euery of them is able to make and then appoynteth a certayne stypende to suche as are able further to beare theyr owne charges in the warres They haue seldome any rest or quietnesse For they eyther keepe warre with the Lithuanians Liuonians Suetians or Tartars of Casan Or if it so chaunce that the prince keepe no warre yet doth he yeerely appoynte garrysons of .xx. thousande men in places about Tanais and Occa to represse the incursions and robberyes of the European Tartars called Precopites As in other matters euen so in the order of warrefare there is great diuersitie among men For the Moscouian as soone as he beginneth to flye thinketh of none other succoure but putteth all his confidence therin Beyng pursued or taken of his enimie he neyther defendeth hym selfe nor desireth pardon The Tartar cast of from his horse spoyled of all his armure and weapones and also sore wounded defendeth hym selfe with handes feete and teethe and by all meanes he may vntyll his strength and spirite fayle hym The Turke when he seeth hym selfe destitute of all helpe and hope to escape doth humbly desyre pardon castyng away his weapons and armure and reaching forth to the victourer his handes ioyned togeather to be bounde hopyng by captiuitie to saue his lyfe The Moscouites in placeyng theyr armie chuse them a large playne where the best of them pytch theyr tentes and the other make them certaine arbours of bowes fyxt in the grounde bendyng togeather the toppes thereof which they couer with theyr clokes to defende them selues theyr bowes arrowes saddels and other theyr necessaries from rayne They put foorth theyr horses to pasture and for that cause haue theyr tentes so farre in sunder which they fortifie neither with cartes or trenches or any other impedyment except perhappes the place be defended by nature as with wooddes ryuers and maryshes It may perhappes seeme straunge howe he mayntayneth hym and his so longe with so small an armye as I haue sayde I wyll nowe therefore briefely declare theyr sparyng and frugalitie He that hath syxe or sometymes more horses vseth one of them as a packe horse to beare all theyr necessaryes He hath also in a bagge of two or three spannes long the flower or meale of the graine called mille and .viii. or .x. pounds weyght of Swines fleshe poudred He hath lykewyse a bagge of salte myxt with pepper if he be rych Furthermore euery man caryeth with hym a hatchet a fyre boxe and a brasen potâ—e so that if they chaunce to come to any place where they can fynde no fruites Garlyke Onyons or fleshe they kyndle a fyre and fyll theyr pottes with water whereunto they put a spoonefull of meale with a quantitie of salt and make pottage therof wherwith the maister and all his seruauntes lyue contented But if the maister bee very
of that countrey is rawe silke and the greatest plentie thereof is at a towne three dayes iourney from Shamaki called Arashe and within three dayes iourney of Arashe is a countrey named Groysine whose inhabitauntes are Christians are thought to be they which are otherwise called Georgians there is also much silke to be solde The chiefe towne of that countrey is called Zeghaui from whence is carryed yeerely into Persia an incredible quantitie of hasell Nuttes all of one sorte and goodnesse and as good and thyn shaled as are our Fylberdes Of these are caryed yeerely the quantitie of 4000. Camelles laden Of the name of the Sophie of Persia and why he is called the Shaugh and of other customes THe Kyng of Persia whom here we call the great Sophi is not there so called but is called the Shaugh It were there daungerous to call him by the name of Sophi bycause that Sophi in the Persian tongue is a begger and it were as much as to call him the great begger He lyeth at a towne called Casbin whiche is situat in a goodly fertile valley of three or foure dayes iorney in length The towne is but euyll buylded and for the most part all of brycke not hardened with fyre but onely dryed at the Sunne as is the most part of the buyldyng of all Persia. The kyng hath not come out of the compasse of his owne house in .xxxiii. or .xxxiiii. yeeres whereof the cause is not knowen but as they saye it is vppon a superstition of certayne prophesies to whiche they are greatly addicted he is nowe about fourescore yeeres of age and very lustie And to keepe hym the more lustye he hath foure wyues alwayes and about three hundred concubynes And once in the yeere he hath all the fayre maydens and wyues that may bee founde a great way about brought vnto hym whom he diligently peruseth feelyng them in all partes takyng suche as he lyketh and puttyng away some of them which he hath kept before And with them that he putteth away he gratifieth some suche as hath doone hym the best seruice And if he chaunce to take any mans wyfe her husbande is very glad thereof and in recompence of her oftentymes he geueth the husbande one of his olde store whom he thankfully receyueth If any straunger beyng a Christian shall come before hym he must put on a newe payre of showes made in that countrey and from the place where he entereth there is dygged as it were a causye all the way vntyll he come to the place where he shall talke with the kyng who standeth alwayes aboue in a gallerye when he talketh with any strangers and when the stranger is departed then is the causye cast downe and the grounde made euen agayne Of the religion of the Persians THeyr religion is all one with the Turkes sauyng that they dyffer who was the ryght successor of Mahumet The Turkes saye that it was one Homer and his sonne Vsman But the Persians saye that it was one Mortus Ali whiche they woulde proue in this maner They say there was a counsayle called to decide the matter who shoulde be the successour and after they had called vppon Mahumet to reuele vnto them his wyll and pleasure therein there came among them a litle lizarde who declared that it was Mahumetes pleasure that Mortus Ali should be his successour This Martus Ali was a valiant man and slewe Homer the Turkes prophet He had a swoorde that he fought withall with the whiche he conquered all his enimies and kylled as many as he stroake When Mortus Ali dyed there came a holy prophet who gaue them warnyng that shortly there woulde come a whyte Camell vppon the which he charged them to lay the body and swoorde of Mortus Ali and to suffer the Camell to carye it whether he woulde The whiche beyng perfourmed the sayde whyte Camell caryed the swoorde and body of Mortus Ali vnto the sea syde and the Camell goyng a good way into the sea was with the swoorde and bodye of Mortus Ali taken vp into heauen for whose returne they haue long looked for in Persia. And for this cause the kyng alwayes keepeth a horse redye sadled for hym and also of late kepte for hym one of his owne daughters to be his wyfe but she dyed in the yeere of our Lorde .1573 And saye furthermore that yf he come not shortly they shal be of our beleefe much lyke the Iewes lookyng for theyr Messias to come and reigne among them lyke a worldly kyng for euer and deliuer them from the captiuitie which they are nowe in among the Christians Turkes and Gentyles The Saugh or Kyng of Persia is nothyng in strength and power comparable vnto the Turke for although he hath a great Dominion yet is it nothyng to be compared with the Turkes neyther hath he any great Ordinaunce of Gunnes or Harkebuses Notwithstandyng his eldest sonne Ismael about twentie and fyue yeeres past fought a great battayle with the Turke and sleue of his armye about an hundred thousande men who after his returne was by his father cast into pryson and there continueth vntyl this daye for his father the Shaugh had hym in suspition that he would haue put hym downe and haue taken the regiment vppon hym selfe Theyr opinion of Christ is that he was an holy man and a great Prophet but not lyke vnto Mahumet saying that Mahumet was the last Prophet by whom all thynges were finished and was therefore the greatest To proue that Christ was not Goddes sonne they saye that God had neuer wyfe and therefore coulde haue no sonne or chyldren They goe on pylgrymage from the furthest part of Persia vnto Mecha in Arabia and by the way they visite also the sepulchre of Christ at Ierusalem whiche they nowe call Couche Kalye The most part of Spyces whiche commeth into Persia is brought from the Iland of Ormus situate in the gulfe of Persia called Sinus Persicus betweene the mayne lande of Persia and Arabia c. The Portugales touche at Ormus both in theyr viage to East India and homewarde agayne and from thence bryng all suche Spyces as is occupied in Persia and the regions there about for of Pepper they bryng verye small quantitie and that at a verye deare pryse The Turkes oftentymes bryng Pepper from Mecha in Arabia whiche they sell as good cheape as that which is brought from Ormus Sylkes are brought from noo place but are wrought all in theyr owne countrey Ormus is within two myles of the mayne lande of Persia and the Portugales fetche theyr freshe water there for the whiche they paye trybute to the Shaugh or kyng of Persia. Within Persia they haue neyther golde nor syluer mynes yet haue they coyned money both of golde and syluer and also other small moneys of Copper There is brought into Persia an incredible summe of Duche Dolours which for the most part is there
lesse dignitie the ancient renoume thereof greatly diminished and the name deuided into the prouinces confine or adiacent vnto it So that now the prouince of Persia as it is diuided conteyneth eight kingdomes whereof the first is named Chasum the seconde Churdistam the third Loc the fourth Cielstam the fyft Instanich the sixte Zerazi the seuenth Socham and the eight Timochaim in the confines of Persia. There are very fayre and goodly horses of great price insomuch that sometymes one is solde for .200 pounds of Turon Merchants bring them to the cities of Chisi and Curmosa situate on the sea side and sell them into India Also Asses be there very fayre and great insomuch that sometymes one is solde for .xxx. pounde weight of siluer The people is of euyll disposition quarellous theeues and murderers and robbe and kyll merchantes by the way except they goe in great companyes Yet in the cities they are of betâ—er maners and of more humanitie also very excellent artificers in woorkes of gold silke Embroderie needle woorke and suche lyke They haue aboundance of bombasine wheate barlye myll wyne also and fruites but in religion they are Mahumetans Of the kyngdome of the Persians Haithon in his booke de Tartaris Cap. vii writeth as foloweth THe kyngdome of the Persians is diuided chiefly into two partes whiche make one kyngdome bicause they are both subiecte to the dominion of one kyng The first parte of Persia beginneth in the East from the confines of the kingdome of Turquestan and is extended toward the West to the great ryuer of Phison which is the chiefe among the foure floodes which run out of earthly Paradyse Towarde the North it is extended to the Caspian sea and towarde the South vnto the desartes of India The region is in maner all playne in the middest whereof are two very great and riche cities the one is named Boctara and the other Seonorgant The Persians haue a language proper to them selues they vse merchandies and tyllage of the grounde and among them selues lyue in peace In tyme paste they were Idolatours and honoured fyre chiefly for God But after that the secte of the Mahumetans occupied the dominion of those landes they became vniuersally Saracens beleeuing the deuilishe doctrine of Mahumet The other parte of Persia beginneth from the riuer Phison and is extended Westward vnto the confines of the kyngdomes of Media and partely also of Armenia the greater Toward the North it is extended vnto the Caspian sea on the South syde it confineth with a certaine prouince of the kingdom of Media and in this prouince are two great cities one named Nesabor and the other Sachen whiche in secte and maners are lyke vnto the other Of Persia and of dyuers cities therof other notable thinges reade heereafter the thirde booke of the voyage of Lodouicus Vartomannus Also the first booke of the same voyage Cap. 12. of Mahumet and his fellowes where you may see the difference in religion betweene the Turkes and Persians beyng both Mahumetans The name of the Sophie Thomas Shaugh and why he is so called THe Persians doe not call theyr kyng by the name of Sophie but this name Sophie is giuen him by other nations for of his owne people he is called Thomas Shaugh whiche is Thomas the ruler Soltan or gouernour for Shaugh is not the name of a kyng but of an office For a kyng in theyr language is called Pachet but no Prince is called by this name before hee haue reigned by seuen discentes but he that nowe reygneth is but only of fyue discentes and is therefore called only Shaugh which is a name of office He hath foure wyues and .xii. sonnes and hath kepte one of his sonnes in prison many yeeres for a great ouerthrowe whiche he gaue the Turke in the warres although he tooke the same for acceptall seruice and a noble exployt Yet forasmuch as by that facte he obteyned great renoume of a valiant and warlyke man he began him selfe to haue him in suspition least the glorie of that enterprise myght encourage him to attempt somewhat agaynst his father as oftentymes the Turkes sonnes haue rebelled agaynst theyr fathers yet liuyng and displaced them of their dignitie Of the kyngdome of Ormus confine to Persia and of the trafique betweene them Also of the citie and Ilande of Ormus or Armusium ORmus is a great kyngdome and hath a peculiar Kyng tributorie to the kyng of Portugale This kyngdome conteyneth all the sea coastes of Arabia in the gulfe of Persia from the mouth of the riuer of Euphrates vntill the Cape of Razalguati and also parte of the kingdome of Persia whiche is adiacent vnto the streight of Bazora called Fretum Bazorae and in maner all the Ilandes of the gulfe of Persia called Sinus Persicus The Metrapolis or chiefe citie of the kingdome of Ormus is the citie of Ormus situate in an Iland named Geru being one of the famost martes of these partes of the world The Iland is within the gulf of Persia not far within the streight of Bazora This streight of Bazora other haue named the streight of Ormus being betweene Arabia Foelix and the region of Persia. The region of Ormus is well peopled hath many goodly places cities The gulfe is not euery where nauigable by reason of many shelues and lowe places Within foure dayes sayling of Ormus are the Ilandes of Baharen where are found the fayrest orientall pearls of the world Ormus vseth trafique of merchandies with Adem Cambaia and with the kingdomes of Decan Goa with the portes of Narsinga Malabar The chiefe merchandies brought from thence are horses of Arabia Persia pearles salt peter brimstone silke Tutia Alume also Alume of Alexandria or Borace Uâ—triol or Copporose salt in great quantitie siluer Muske Ambar wheate many dryed fruites Ryse many other prouisions of vittailes and other thinges to be eaten For these they returne pepper cloues Cinamon Ginger and diuers other sorts of spices and drugges which are dispersed into sundry regions of Persia and Arabia and also into Aden where there is great plentie But if they be deare in Ormus it is not possible that they should be caryed to Cair to come into Italie Theyr returne is with Ryse as much as they can haue white cloth Iron Theyr horses are of marueylous great price in the kyngdomes of Goa Decan and Narsinga and therefore yeerely the merchantes of Ormus bryng many thither and yet sometyme one horse is there at the price of vii hundred of those peeces of golde which they call Saraffos The best are of Arabia the seconde of Persia and the woorst of Cambaia Of the Sophie and kyngdome of Persia after the later writers PErsia is one of the greatest and most famous Prouinces of the worlde It toucheth not the sea but at the gulfe of Ormus On the syde of Cambaia it confineth with the people named Motagues on the syde of
planettes as wryteth Plinie consisteth of fyre and conteyneth in it a spirite of life â–ª which can not be without heate And that the Moone geueth heate vppon the earth the Prophet Dauid seemeth to confirme in his Cxxi Psalme where speakyng of such men as are defended from euils by goddes protection he sayeth thus Per diem Sol non exuret te nec Luna per noctem That is to say In the day the Sunne shall not burne thee nor the Moone by nyght They say furthermore that in certayne places of the sea they saw certayne streames of water which they call spoutes fallyng out of the ayre into the sea and that some of these are as byg as the great pyllers of Churches Insomuch that sometymes they fall into shyps and put them in great daunger of drownyng Some phantasye that these should be the Caractes of Heauen whiche were all opened at Noes fludde But I thynke them rather to be such fluxions and eruptions as Aristotle in his booke de Mundo saith to chaunce in the sea For speakyng of suche strange thynges as are seene often tymes in the sea he wryteth thus Oftentymes also euen in the sea are seene euaporations of fyre and suche eruptions and breakyng foorth of springs that the mouthes of ryuers are opened Whyrlepooles and fluxions are caused of such other vehement motions not only in the myddest of the sea but also in creekes and streyghtes At certayne tymes also a great quantitie of water is sodenly lyfted vp and carryed about with the Moone c. By whiche woordes of Aristotle it doth appeare that suche waters may bee lyfted vp in one place at one tyme and sodenlye fall downe in an other place at an other tyme. And hereunto perhappes parteyneth it that Rychard Chaunceller tolde me that he harde Sebastian Cabot reporte that as farre as I remenber eyther about the coastes of Brasile or Rio de Plata his shyppe or pumesse was suddaynly lyfted from the sea and cast vppon lande I wotte not howe farre The whiche thyng and suche other lyke wonderfull and straunge woorkes of nature whyle I consyder and call to rememberaunce the narownesse of mans vnderstandyng and knowledge in comparyson of her myghtie power I can but ceasse to marueyle and confesse with Plinie that nothyng is to her impossible the leaste parte of whose power is not yet knowen to men Many thynges more our men sawe and consydered in this vyage worthy to be noted whereof I haue thought good to put some in memorie that the reader may aswell take pleasure in the varietie of thynges as knowledge of the historie Among other thynges therefore touchyng the maners and nature of the people this may seeme straunge that theyr princes and noble men vse to pounce and rase theyr skinnes with pretie knottes in dyuers formes as it were branched damaske thynkyng that to be a decent ornament And albeit they go in maner all naked yet are many of them and especially their women in maner laden with collars braslettes hoopes and chaines eyther of golde copper or Iuery I my selfe haue one of theyr braselettes of Iuery waying two pound and .vi. ounces of Troy weyght whiche make .xxxviii. ounces this one of theyr women dyd weare vpon her arme It is made of one whole peece of the byggest part of the tooth turned and somewhat carued with a hole in the myddest wherein they put theyr handes to weare it on theyr arme Some haue of euery arme one and as many on theyr legges wherwith some of them are so galded that although they are in maner made lame therby yet wyl they by no meanes leaue them of Some weare also on theyr legges great shackels of bryght copper which they thynke to be no lesse comely They weare also collars braslettes garlandes and gyrdels of certayne blewe stones lyke beades Lykewyse some of theyr women weare on theyr bare armes certayne foresleeues made of the plates of beaten golde On theyr fingers also they weare ringes made of golden wyres with a knotte or wreathe lyke vnto that which chyldren make in a ryng of a ryshe Among other thinges of gold that our men bought of them for exchange of their wares were certayne dogges chaynes and collers They are very ware people in theyr bargaynyng and wyll not lose one sparke of golde of any value They vse weyghtes and measures and are very circumspect in occupying the same They that shall haue to do with them must vse them gentelly for they wyl not traffike or bryng in any wares if they be euyll vsed At the fyrst vyage that our men had into these parties it so chaunced that at theyr departure from the fyrst place where they dyd trafike one of them eyther stole a muske catte or tooke her away by force not mystrustyng that that shoulde haue hyndred theyr bargaynyng in an other place whyther they intended to go But for all the hast they coulde make with full sayles the fame of theyr mysusage so preuented them that the people of that place also offended thereby would bryng in no wares Insomuche that they were inforced eyther to restore the cat or pay for her at theyr price before they coulde trafike there Theyr houses are made of foure postes or trees and couered with bowes Theyr common feedyng is of rootes and suche fyshes as they take whereof they haue great plentie There are also such sleeing fyshes as are seene in the sea of the West Indies Our men salted of theyr fyshes hopyng to prouide store thereof but they wolde take no salte and must therefore be eaten foorthwith as some saye Howe be it other affirme that if they be salted immediatly after they be taken they wyll last vncorrupted .x. or .xii. dayes But this is more straunge that part of such flesh as they caryed with them out of England and putrifyed there became sweete againe at their returne to the clime of temperate regions They vse also a strange makyng of bread in this maner They grynde betweene two stones with theyr handes as muche corne as they thynke may suffice theyr famylie and when they haue thus brought it to floure they put thereto a certayne quantitie of water and make therof very thin dough which they stick vpon some post of theyr houses where it is baked by the heate of the Sun So that when the maister of the house or any of his famely wyll eate thereof they take it downe and eate it They haue very fayre wheate the eare whereof is two handefulles in length and as bygge as a great Bulrush and almost foure inches about where it is byggest The stemme or straw seemeth to be almost as byg as the litle fynger of a mans hande or litle lesse The graynes of this wheate are as byg as our peason rounde also and very whyte and somewhat shynyng lyke pearles that haue lost theyr colour Almost all
greefe of mynde aswel for the warres which the kyng of Portugale made agaynst hym as also that he was diseased with the Frenche poxe which had now entred into his throte neuerthelesse his eares armes handes legges and feete were so beautyfully and rychly garnyshed with all sortes of iewels and precious stones that it can not be spoken His treasure is esteemed so vnmeasurable that it can not be conteyned in two wonderful great cellars or warehouses This treasure consysteth of precious stones plates of golde and also so muche coyned golde as may suffice to lade a hundred Mâ—les as theyr Bramini reporte to whom it is best knowen They saye also that this treasure was geathered and reserued by twelue kynges whiche were before hym and that in his treasurye is a cofâ—r of three spannes in length and two in breadth ful of only pretious stones of price inestimable Of the spices of Calecut Cap. 13. PEpper is geathered in the feeldes about the subarbes and also in certayne places within the citie The stalke of pepper is very weake and lyke vnto vines which can not beare it selfe without the helpe of a stake or proppe and is muche lyke vnto an Iuie and in lyke maner creepeth and embraceth suche trees as are neere vnto it This tree or rather bushe is dispearsed into sundry branches of the length of two or three spannes and hath the leaues lyke vnto the leaues of an Assyrian apple but that these are somewhat thycker and fatter On euery twigge hange syxe clusters no bygger then Dates and lyke vnto clusters of litle grapes and of the coloure of vnripe grapes but growe thycker They are geathered in the moneth of October and Nouember inclynyng yet to greene colour and are so layde on mattes and set in the Sunne to drye where in the space of three dayes they become blacke as they are brought hyther The fruitefulnesse of these proceedeth onely of the symple goodnesse of the soyle without helpe of loppyng or pruning This region beareth also Gynger whiche is doubtlesse a roote and is sometyme dygged of the weight of .xii. vnces it entreth no deeper into the grounde then three or foure handefuls When they dygge it out they leaue the knotte or ioynt of the roote in the pitte and couer it agayne with earth as a seede for more agaynst the nexte yeere It is founde in an equall soyle as are the Myrabolanes yet is the earth where it groweth of very redde coloure The stalke is muche lyke the stalke of a young peare tree Of the fruites of Calecut Cap. 14. IF I should describe all the sortes of straunge fruites that are seene there it would rather require a volume then a breefe rehersall of them particulerly For they haue not only many greatly differing from ours in fourme sauour and tast but also those of the kynde of such as we haue differ in maner no lesse Whereby may the naturall Philosopher consider howe those thinges which are all of one kynde differ accordyng vnto the nature of the soile and diuers situation vnder the heauens By which natural cause alteration some fruites and seedes by transplanting into a better soile become more perfect in their kind as bigger fayrer sweeter and more fruitfull As also contrariwise the contrary by transplantyng into a worse soile or colder region which diuersitie is seene not only in plantes and hearbes but also in beastes and euen in man kynde It is very strange to consider howe diuersly trees beare theyr fruites and seedes as some in one parte of the tree and some in an other There is in Calecut a fruite which they name Iaceros the body of the tree is of the bignesse of a Peare tree the fruite is of the length of two handfuls and a halfe as byg as the thygh of a man The fruit groweth out of the body of the tree vnder the branches and some euen in the very myddest of the tree and other yet lower also The colour is greene and in fourme in maner lyke vnto a Pyne apple but with lesse graines or knobbes when it is rype it becommeth blacke It is geathered in the moneth of December It hath the taste of a Pepon and the sauour somewhat like Castoreum It seemeth in eatyng to gyue dyuers and sundry pleasant tastes as sometyme the taste of a Peache sometyme of a Pomegranate and leaueth at the ende a taste so sweete that you would thynke it to be newe hony combes Under the skynne it is lyke vnto a Peache And within the body conteineth an other frui not much vnlyke softe Chestnuttes and beyng rosted hath the same taste and is therefore certaynely one of the goodlyest fruites that I knowe I wil here to be breefe omit to speake muche of their Nuttes and Walnuttes Almons Prunes Peaches Quinces Gourdes Melons and suche other fruites knowen to vs and yet much more pleasaunt and fayrer then are ours There is one fruite woorthie to be knowen which they call Apolanda The tree groweth to the height of a man it beareth not past foure or fiue leaues hangyng by certayne slyppes euery leafe is able well to couer a man from rayne and the heate of the sunne In the myddest of the leafe riseth a twyg or stalke lyke the stalke of a beane which bringeth out floures and also fruites of a handfull long and of the bignesse of a mans arme these fruites are geathered vnrype bycause they become rype in keepyng Euery slyp beareth about two hundred fruites a thyng certaynely wherein is greatly seene the fruitfulnesse of nature They touche one an other and cluster togeather They are of yelowe colour and haue a verry thyn codde and are in eatyng delicate and holesome There are three sortes of this kynde of fruite of the which one is of euyll taste and therefore not so muche esteemed It is yet more straunge that this tree beareth fruite but once yet when it dyeth there ryse about the roote thereof fyftie or threescore young slyppes whiche renue the lyfe of theyr parent that he dye not without succession The gardeners or graffers transplante these in other places for within the space of one yeere they bring foorth fruite They are geathered in great aboundance almost all the whole yeere and are therefore very good cheape and of small pryce as twentie for a penny The same soyle beareth lykewyse innumerable and most fayre and sweete floures all the yeere long and especially Roses both white redde and yelowe Of a most fruitfull tree of all the world Cap. 15. THere is also an other tree most woorthie to be knowen the which in fruitfulnesse and sweetnesse of the fruit passeth all the trees of the worlde It beareth certaine fruites lyke vnto great Dates or Nuttes generally bringeth foorth tenne commodities For it beareth wood moste apte to nourishe fyre and Nuttes very pleasant to be eaten also cordes or ropes which may well
affyrme by this coniecture that there is yet seene the print of the steppes of his feete of the length of almost two spannes The inhabitants are subiect to the kyng of Narsinga and paye hym tribute The region is of temperate ayre although it be situate in maner vnder the Equinoctiall lyne The people are of darke tawny colour Theyr apparell are certayne single clokes of bombasine cloth whiche they weare bearyng euer the ryght arme out all naked as is the maner of all the Indians They are no warrelyke men neyther haue they the vse of Iron Here my companyon solde to the kyng muche Saffran and Coralles Of Paleachet a citie of India Cap. 5. DEpartyng from the Ilande of Zailon in three dayes saylyng we came to a citie named Paleachet subiecte to the kyng of Narsinga It is a famous marte of ryche merchaundies and especially of iewels and precious stones brought thyther from Zailon and Pego. There is also great plentie of spices There dwell in the citie many Mahumetan merchauntes where we beyng receiued in one of theyr houses tolde hym from whence we came and what merchaundies we brought as Saffran and Coralles whereof he was very glad The citie hath great scarsnesse of corne but plentie of Ryse and in other fruitefulnesse of the soyle and maner of the people much lyke vnto Calecut But because they were at dissention with the kyng of Tarnassari and prepared warres agaynst hym we departed from thence and in .xiii. dayes saylyng arryued at the citie of Tarnassari a hundred myles distant Of Tarnassari a citie of India Cap. 6. THis citie is not farre from the sea and situate on a meetly equall grounde well walled hauyng also a famous porte and a very fayre ryuer runnyng on the North syde of the citie The kyng is an Idolatour and a prince of great power He keepeth continuall warre with the kyngs of Narsinga and Bangella He bryngeth to the feelde a hundred Elephantes of the fayrest and byggest that euer I sawe He hath an armie of an hundred thousand pencionarie footmen as many horsemen Theyr weapons are swoordes rounde targettes peltes bowes dartes and iauelins of great and long reedes They are also armed with iackes made of bombasine cotton wrought very harde and closely couched Theyr houses are walled and continent in order as ours are The region bryngeth foorth wheate bombasine sylke of sundrye kindes of colours Brasile and sundrye kyndes of fruites muche lyke vnto ours Also apples of Assiria Oranges Limons Citrons Gourdes Cucumbers c. Of the wylde and tame beastes of the citie of Tarnassary Cap. 7. THis region bryngeth foorth many beastes both wyld and tame The tame beastes are Oxen Kyne Sheepe Gotes Hogges Hartes and Hyndes The wylde beastes are Lions Wolues Cattes of the mountayne and also Muskecattes In the feeldes are many Peacockes and those kynde of Egles whiche we call Falcons Popingays also or Parrottes marueylous fayre of the which some are white and other of seuen colours There is lykewyse great plentie of Hares and Partriges and diuers other sortes of great byrdes liuyng by praye muche bygger then Eagles for of the vpper parte of their beckes they make hafâ—es for swoordes The becke is of yelowe colour distincte with crimsine very fayre and beautifull to be seene But the byrde is blacke and purple with certayne whyte feathers intermyxt There are also the byggest Hennes and Cockes that euer I sawe and therefore thinhabitants and Mahumetans which dwell there take muche pleasure in Cockefyght and laye great wagers in that kynde of sporte I haue seene them fyghte for the space of syxe houres and yet sometymes they kyll one an other at the fyrst stroke There are certayne Gotes farre exceedyng ours in byggenesse and muche fayrer these are so fruitefull that at one byrth they bryng forth foure young kyddes There is so great abundaunce of beastes that twelue weathers are sold for one peece of golde to the value of a crowne or pistoleâ— There are also certayne weathers or rammes with hornes lyke vnto buckes hornes and are muche bygger and fyercer then ours Theyr Buffles are not so fayre as ours The region hath also abundaunce of fyshe very bygge and good and of small price These people eate all maner of beastes excepte Kyne They eate on the grounde without carpet or other cloth yet haue they vessells of woodde artificially made Theyr drynke is water and suger theyr beddes are raysed from the grounde after the maner of ours Theyr couche is of bombasine cotton and the couerynges of sylke Theyr apparell is a cloke or mantell of bombasine or sylke with one arme out all bare But some of the merchauntes weare inner vestures or shirtes of sylke or bombasine cloth They go all barefooted except the priestes whiche weare on theyr heads certayne rayles or crestes of two spannes long with a knotte on the crowne lyke vnto an Acorne and sparkled with golde They delyght also in earinges but weare neyther rynges nor braslettes The colour of the inhabitantes inclyneth to whyte for the temperature of the climate or ayre is colder then at Calecut Theyr maner of tyllage and geatheryng of fruite is lyke vnto ours Of the maner which the kyng of Tarnassarie vseth when he permitteth his wyfe to be defloured of white men Cap. 8. THis kyng vseth not to geue his wyfe to the priestes to be defloured as doth the kyng of Calecut but committeth this facte to whyte men as to the Christians or Mahumetans for he wyll not suffer the Idolaters to do this The inhabitantes lykewyse haue not to do carnally with theyr wyues before some whyte man of what so euer nation haue fyrst the breakyng of them The maner of burnyng dead bodyes in the citie of Tarnassary Cap. 9. WHen the kyng or any of the priestes or gentlemen dye their bodies are burnt in a great fyre made of a pile of wood then all the whyle they sacrifice vnto the deuyll Their asshes are reserued in certayne pottes of the earth of Samos and buryed in theyr houses They sacrifice in y e shadows of trees as do they of Calecut Whilst the bodyes are burnyng they cast in the fyre all maner of sweete sauoures as Aloes Myrre Frankensence Storax Sandals Corall and innumerable suche other sweete gummes spices and trees These make the fyre muche greater encreasyng the flame by reason of theyr gummositie in the meane tyme also they neuer ceasse to make a great noyse with Trumpettes Pipes Drummes Tambarells and suche other instruments not muche vnlyke the ceremonies which in olde tyme were vsed among the gentiles in canonisyng theyr saintes Furthermore duryng these funeralls there are .xv. or .xx. disguised lyke deuyls whiche continually walke rounde about the fyre with many strange gesticulations after the maner of reioycyng The wyfe also of the burned kyng or priest standeth by the tyre alone without the companye of any other woman lamentyng and beatyng her
found at the hands of his subiectes and officers in India He entertayned me most gratiously in his courte vntyll I had infourmed hym of all thynges whiche I had obserued in my voyage to India A fewe dayes after I shewed his hyghnesse the letters patentes whereby his Lieuetenante the Uiceroye of India gaue me the order of knyghthod desyryng his maiestie to confyrme the same by his great seale which my petion he immediatly graunted And thus departing from thence with the kynges pasporte and safe conducte at the length after these my long and great trauayles and dangers I came to my long desyred and natiue countrey the citie of Rome by the grace of God to whom be all honour and glory FINIS Of the hygher East India called India Tercera or Treciera IN this India whiche the portugales call Tercera are very great kyngdomes as the kyngdomes of Beugala Pegu Berma Erancangui Dausian Capelam and the great kyngdome of Malacha called of the olde wryters Aurea Chersonesus whose chiefe citie is also called Malacha and was in olde tyme named Tachola Under this kyngdome are infinite Ilandes called Maluche whereof the principall are these Iaua the greater Iaua the lesse Polagua Mendana Cuba Cailon Huban Bur Tenado Anbon and Gilolo with infinite other On the Southwest part from Malacha is the great Ilande of Samotra called in olde tyme Taprobana in the whiche are the kyngdomes of Pedir Biraen Pazer Ardagni and Ham. This Iland al the other called Maluche bring foorth great quantitie of Cloues Cinamome Nuttemegges Maces and all other kyndes of spyces except Pepper whiche groweth in the prouince of Calecut and the Ilande of Ceilam All these sortes of spices are caryed to Malacha to be solde But the greatest part of them is caryed to Cathay and China and from thence to the North partes of Tartarie This kyngdome of China is very great and was in olde tyme called Sina Here is founde great plentie of precious stones The people are very subtile and ryche They are al apparelled eyther in sylke or cloth or vestures of other woorkemanshyppe and are of good ciuilitie They do not gladly permit the Portugales or other straungers to traficke in theyr kyngdome whose most famous place vpon the sea syde is named Cantan and the sea Machiam called of the olde wryters the sea of Sina Of the prices of precious stones and Spices with theyr weightes and measures as they are accustomed to be solde both of the Moores and the gentyles And of the places where they growe FOrasmuche as in dyuers places of this historie mention is made of precious stones I haue thought good to declare somewhat aswell of theyr prices as of the places of theyr generation that we may not vtterly be ignorante of the thynges whiche we so greately esteeme and buie so deare Of the Rubie THe Rubies growe in India and are founde for the most parte in a ryuer named Pegu. These are of the best kynde and finest which they of the lande of Malabor cal Nunpuclo and are well solde if they be fayre and cleane without spottes The Indians to knowe theyr finenesse put them vpon theyr tongues comptyng that to be best that is couldest and most harde And to see theyr finenesse they take them vp with a peece of waxe by the sharpest poynt and lookyng agaynst the lyght espie in them euery small spot or flake They are also founde in certayne dâ—epe fosses or pittes whiche are made in mountaynes that are beyonde the sayde ryuer They are scoured and made cleane in the countrey of Pegu yet can they not square and polyshe them but for this purpose sende them to diuers other countreis especially to Palcacate Narsinga Calecut and the region of Malabor where are many cunnyng Lapidaries And to geue you intelligence of the value of these stones ye shall vnderstande that this woorde Fanan signifieth a weyght somewhat more then two of our Carattes and .xi. Fanans and a quarter is one Mitigal and .vi Mitigals and a halfe make one vnce This Fanan is also a kynde of mony whiche is in value one ryall of syluer and therefore after this accompte I say that Eyght fine Rubies of the weyght of one Fanan which are in all about two carattes are in value Fanan .x. Foure Rubies that wey one Fanan are worth Fanan .xx. Two that wey one Fanan Fanan .xl. One that weyeth three quarters of one Fanan Fanan .30 One that weyeth one Fanan Fanan .50 One that weyeth one Fanan and a quarter Fanan .65 One that weyeth one Fanan and a halfe Fanan .100 One that weyeth one Fanan and three quarters Fanan .150 One that weyeth two Fanans Fanan .200 One that weyeth two Fanans and a quarter Fanan .250 One that weyeth two Fanans and a halfe Fanan .300 One that weyeth two Fanans and three quarters Fanan .350 Of three Fanans Fanan â–ª 400. Of three and a quarter Fanan .500 Of three and a halfe Fanan .550 Of three and three quarters Fanan .600 Of three and three quarters and a halfe Fanan .630 Of foure Fanans Fanan .660 Of foure and a quarter Fanan .700 Of foure and a halfe Fanan .800 Of fyue Fanans Fanan .1000 Of fyue and a halfe Fanan .1200 Of sixe Fanans which are about twelue Carats Fanan .1500 which make a hundred and fyftie crownes of golde And these are commonly the prices of perfect Rubies But suche as are not perfect and haue any spottes in them or are not of good colour are of lesse price accordyng to the arbitriment and estimation of the buyer Of the Rubies which growe in the Iland of Zeilam IN the Ilande of Zeilam beyng in the seconde India are founde many Rubies whiche the Indians name Manecas the greatest part wherof do not arryue to the perfection of the other aforesayde in colour because they are redde as though they were washed and of fleshy colour yet are they very colde and harde The perfectest of them are greatlye esteemed among the people of the Ilande and are reserued onlye for the kyng hym selfe yf they be of any great quantitie When his Iewellers fynde any bygge peece of this Rocke of the best kynde they put it in fyre for the space of certayne houres whiche yf it come out of the fyre vncorrupte it becommeth of the colour of a burnyng cole and was therefore called of the Greekes Anthrax whiche signifyeth a burnyng cole The same that the greekes call Anthrax the Latines call Carbunculus â–ª These they greatly esteeme When the kyng of Narsinga can get any of them he causeth a fyne hole to be bored in the vndermost part of them to the myddest and suffereth none of them to passe out of his realme especially if they haue ben tryed by the sayde proofe These are of greater value then the other of Pegu if they be in theyr naturall perfection and cleanenesse Of these one that wayeth a Carratte whiche is halfe a Fanan is woorth
passing from one to an other appeare in the similitude of a lyght candel They are a token of securitie bycause they are litle not slowe or grosse whereby they myght haue ioyned altogeather in one and been thereby more malicious and lasted longer whereas beyng many and but little they are the sooner consumed Hytherto Cardanus But let vs nowe returne to the vyage When they had sayled paste the Equinoctiall lyne they loste the sight of the North starre and sayled by the southwest vntyll they came to a lande named the lande of Bressil whiche some call Brasilia beyng .xxii. degrees and a halfe towarde the south pole or pole Antartike This lande is continuate and one firme lande with the cape of saint Augustine whiche is .viii. degrees from the Equinoctiall In this lande they were refreshed with many good fruites of innumerable kyndes and founde here also very good suger canes and diuers kindes of beasts and other thinges which I omit for breuitie They entered into this hauen on saint Lucies day where the Sunne being theyr Zenith that is the poynte of heauen directly ouer theyr heades they felte greater heate that day then when they were vnder the Equinoctial lyne This lande of Brasile is very large and great and bygger then all Spayne Portugale Fraunce and Italie and is most abundaunt in all thinges The people of this countrey pray to no maner of thyng but lyue by the instincte of nature and to the age of C.xx and C.xl. yeeres Both the men and women goe naked and dwell in certayne long houses They are very docible and soone allured to the Christian fayth Thirtiene dayes after that they arryued at the sayde porte they departed from this lande and sayled to the xxxiiii degree and a halfe towarde the pole Antartike where they founde a great ryuer of freshe water and certayne Caniballes Of these they sawe one out of theyr shyppes of stature as byg as a Giant hauing a voice like a Bull. Our men pursued them but they were so swyfte of foote that they coulde not ouertake them About the mouth of this riuer are seuen Ilandes in the byggest whereof they founde certayne precious stones and called it the cape of sainct Marie The Spanyardes thought that by this ryuer they myght haue passed into the South sea but they were deceyued in theyr opinion For there was none other passage then by the riuer which is .xvii. leagues large in the mouth Thus folowing this coaste by the tracte of the lande towarde the pole Antartike they came to a place where were two Ilandes replenished with Geese and Wolues of the sea which some thinke to be those fyshes that we call Pikes These were in such number that in an houre all the fyue shyppes might haue ben laden with Geese being all of blacke colour and such as can not flee They liue of fish and are so fatte that they could scarsely flay them They haue no feathers but a certayne downe and theyr bylles lyke Rauens bylles These Woolues of the sea are of dyuers colours and of the bygnesse of Calues with theyr heades of golden colour Here were they in great danger by tempest But as soone as the three fyres called sainct Helen sainct Nycolas and saint Clare appeared vppon the cables of the shyppes sodaynely the tempeste and furie of the wyndes ceassed Departyng from hence they sayled to the .49 degree and a halfe vnder the pole Antartike where beyng wyntered they were inforced to remayne there for the space of two monethes all which tyme they sawe no man excepte that one day by chaunce they espyed a man of the stature of a Giant who came to the hauen daunsing and singyng and shortly after seemed to cast dust ouer his head The Captayne sent one of his men to the shore with the shyppe Boate who made the lyke signe of peace The which thyng the Giant seeyng was out of feare and came with the Captaynes seruaunt to his presence into a little Ilande When he sawe the Captayne with certayne of his company about him he was greatly amased and made signes holdyng vp his hande to heauen signifying thereby that our men came from thence This Giant was so byg that the head of one of our men of a meane stature came but to his waste He was of good corporature well made in all partes of his bodie with a large visage painted with diuers colours but for the most parte yelow Uppon his cheekes were paynted two Hartes and red circles about his eyes The heare of his head was coloured whyte and his apparell was the skynne of a beast sowde togeather This beast as seemed vnto vs had a large head and great eares lyke vnto a Mule with the body of a Camell and tayle of a horse The feete of the Giant were foulded in the sayde skynne after the maner of shooes He had in his hande a bygge and shorte bowe the stryng whereof was made of a sinewe of that beaste He had also a bundell of long arrows made of Reedes feathered after the maner of ours typte with sharpe stones in the steade of Iron heades The Captayne caused him to eate and drynke gaue him many thinges and among other a great lookyng glasse In the which as soone as he sawe his owne lykenesse was sodaynly afrayde and started backe with suche violence that hee ouerthrewe two that stoode nearest about him When the Captayne had thus gyuen him certayne Haukes belles and other great belles with also a lookyng glasse a combe and a payre of beades of glasse he sent him to lande with foure of his owne men well armed Shortly after they sawe an other Giant of somewhat greater stature with his bowe and arrowes in his hande As hee drewe neare vnto our men he layde his hande on his head and poynted vp towarde heauen and our men dyd the lyke The Captayne sent his shyppe Boate to bryng him to a litle Ilande beyng in the Hauen This Giant was very tractable and pleasaunte He soong and daunsed and in his daunsing lefte the print of his feete on the grounde He remayned long with our men who named him Iohan. He coulde well speake and playnely pronounce these woordes Iesus Aue Maria Iohannes euen as we doe but with a bygger voyce The Captayne gaue him a shert of linnen cloth a coate of white woollen cloth also a cappe a combe a looking glasse with diuers such other thinges and so sent him to his company The day folowing he resorted agayne to the shyppes and brought with him one of those great beastes which he gaue the Captayne But after that day they neuer saw him more supposing him to be slayne of his owne company for the conuersation he had with our men After other .xv. dayes were past there came foure other Giantes without any weapons but had hyd theyr bowes and arrowes in certaine bushes The Captaine retayned two of these
and had large communication of many thynges The Captayne persuaded them to the Christian fayth whiche they gladly embrased and tooke such pleasure in hearyng the articles of our beliefe that the teares fell from theyr eyes for ioye They were baptised and shortly after all the people of the Ilande They esteeme nothing more precious then drynkyng glasses of Uenice woorke When they came to the citie they founde the kyng in his Pallace sitting vppon a floore or storie made of the leaues of Date trees wrought after a curious deuise lyke a certayne kynde of mattes He had vppon his body none other apparell but only a cloth of Bombasine cotton hangyng before his priuie partes On his head he had a vayle of needle worke and about his necke a chayne of great price At his eares hung two Rynges of gold wherein were inclosed many precious stones He was but of small stature but somewhat grosse and had the residue of his body paynted with dyuers colours whereof some were lyke vnto flamyng fyre Before him he had two vesselles made of the fine earth called Porcellana with sodden egges Also foure vesselles of Porcellana full of wyne made of Date trees and couered with many odoriferous hearbes The Prince brought them to his house where he had foure daughters very wel fauoured and whyte lyke ours Hee caused them to daunce all naked and therewith to sing and playe on certayne Tymbrelles made of metall At this tyme it so chaunced that one of the Spanyardes dyed in one of the shyppes and when certayne of theyr company desired the kyng to gyue them leaue to burie him on the land he answered that forasmuche as he and all his were at the commaundement of theyr kyng and maister howe muche more ought the grounde so to bee They greatly marueyled at the ceremonies parteynyng to the maner of our funeralles and honoured the crosses whiche were set at both the endes the graue They lyue with iustice and vse weightes and measures Their houses are made of Tymber and sawne boordes and are so builded aboue the grounde vppon proppes and pyles that they ascende to the same by certayne stayers Under theyr houses they keepe theyr Hogges and Hennes When they came to barteryng they gaue golde Ryse Hogges Hennes and dyuers other thynges for some of our tryfles of small value They gaue tenne Pesos of golde for sixtiene poundes weyght of Iron One Pesus is in value a ducate and a halfe The Sunday folowyng the kyng was baptysed with great solemnitie at which tyme the Captayne admonyshed him before not to be afrayde at the shootyng of of the ordinance bycause it was theyr custome so to doe at such solemne feastes After this the Captayne caused them to breake all theyr Idoles and to set vp the crosse in dyuers places praying to the same both mornyng and euenyng kneelyng on theyr knees and holdyng vp theyr handes ioyned togeather The kyng in his baptisme was named Charles after the Emperours name and the Prince Ferdinando after the name of his maiesties brother The kyng of Messana was named Iohn the Moore Christopher To all other they gaue suche names as are commonly vsed in Christendome And thus before masse was begunne were fyue hundred men baptised When masse was finyshed the Captayne inuited the Kyng to dyne with him in his shyppe and at his commyng caused the ordinaunce to be discharged The Queene was also baptised with fourtie of her gentlewomen and her daughter the princes wyfe The Queene was very young and fayre hauyng her bodie couered with a whyte cloth Her lyppes were redde and she had on her head a Hatte on the toppe wherof was a triple crowne much lyke the Popes this crowne and the Hat were made of the leaues of Date trees Within the space of eyght dayes the inhabitantes of the Ilande were baptised excepte one village of Idolatours who would not herein obey the kynges commaundement Wherevppon the Captayne sent certayne of his men thyther who burnt the towne and erected a crosse in that place bycause the people of the vyllage were Gentyles that is Idolaters But if they had been Moores that is Machumetistes they woulde haue erected a pyller of stone bycause the Moores are more stubberne and harder to be conuerted then are the gentiles When the Queene came to the place where she should heare masse shee came foorth with great pompe and solemnitie hauyng going before her three young damosels and three men with their Cappes in their hands whom she folowed apparelled in whyte and blacke with a great vayle of silke vppon her head fringed about with golde which couered her hatte and hung downe to her shoulders She had also a great trayne of women folowyng her beyng all barefooted and naked excepte that vppon theyr heades and priuie partes they wore certayne vayles of silke and had theyr heare spredde Before the kyng of Zubut was baptised he was named Raia Humabuon When the Captayne demaunded of him why all the Idolles in the Ilande were not burnt accordyng to his promyse he answered that they esteemed them no more as goddes but only made sacrifice to them for the Princes brother who was very sicke and as noble and wittie a man as was in the Ilande The Captayne answered that if he would burne all his Idoles and beleeue faythfully in Christ and be baptised he should bee immediately restored to health and that he would els giue them leaue to stryke of his head By these woordes and persuasions of the Captayne he conceyued suche hope of health that after he was baptised hee felte no mare greefe of his disease And this was a manifeste myracle wrought in our tyme whereby diuers Infidelles were conuerted to our fayth and theyr Idolles destroyed and also theyr Altars ouerthrowen on the which they were accustomed to eate the sacrificed fleshe The people of the Ilande paye the kyng a portion of victualles for theyr tribute by all theyr cities and vyllages Not farre from this Ilande of Zubut is the Ilande of Mathan whose inhabitantes vse marueylous ceremonies in theyr sacrifices to the sonne and burying the dead They weare ringes of golde about their priuie members The Iland is gouerned by two Princes whereof the one is named Zula and the other Cilapulapu And whereas this Cilapulapu refused to paye tribute to the kyng of Spayne the Captayne went agaynst him in his owne person with .60 of his men armed with coates of mayle and Helmets Cilapulapu diuided his army into three battayles hauyng in euery battayle two thousand fyftie men with armed bowes arrowes dartes and Iauelins hardened at the poyntes with fyre This continued long and sharpe But the Captayne being a valiaunt man and preasing him selfe in the brunte of the battaile was sore wounded and slaine forasmuche as the most of the Barbarians directed all their force agaynst him Besyde the Captayne were slayne of our men about .viii. or .ix. Of the
Cerabaro Decade iii.li.iiii The South sea A league contayneth foure myles by sea and but three by lande The golden region Coiba Dites Sande myxt with golde Howe theyr slaues are marked in the face Golde A fruitefull region left desolate by ciuile discorde Syxe thousand Castellans of golde kyng Taracuru Foure thousand pesos of gold Salte Theyr maner of warre Gonsalus Badaiocius hath the ouerthrowe and is spoiled of great riches of gold The inconstancie of fortune The expedition of Fraunces Bezarra aganst the Canibales Gunnes Valleius repulsed of his enemies The Ilands of the South sea In this sea lye the Ilandes of Mollucca most fruitfull of spyces Collacutea Cochinus and Camemorus from whence the Portugales haue their spyces He meaneth by the streight of Magellanus Howe they take Hartes and wylde Bores Stocke doues Theyr maner of foulyng Popingiayes are easily taken A straunge kynde of foulyng Fyshes and worms engendred of slyme Foules Gourdes of the tree Later opinions of the swyft course of the Ocean toward the West The continent or fyrme lande The vyages of Diegus Colonus The viage from the new lands to Spain The contrary course of waters The poynt of the pole starre The golde mynes of Dariena and the maner of geatheryng golde Our inclosers would leaue no such commens Auri sacra Fames The dropsie of couetousnesse Looke Decade 3. Liber 10. Cities fortifyed with walles The Ilande of Cuba or Fernandina The Spaniards of Cuba attempt new vyages The West angle of Cuba Note The Ilande of Iucatana A great citie well buylded Temples Humane people Cunnyng artifycers Apparelled people Circumcised Idolaters Campechium A towne of three thousand houses Plentie of beastes and foules Theyr Idoles and Idolatry Houses of lime and stone The prouince Aquanil Mosco The Spanyardes are put to flyght and many slayne An other expedition The Ilande of Cozumella Sweete sauoures A fruitefull Ilande Towres and temples Cozumella named Scancta Crux Idles lyke Beares Idolatry Gentle people Iucanata but fyue myles from Cozumella The Barbarians make resistance A conflict The length of Iucatana The region of Caluacam or Oloan. The riuer Grisalua 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 Armur of gold Expert artificers Fyshe hokes of golde The Ilandes of Sacrifice Chyldren sacrificed to Idols Theyr Idoles of marble Golde and precious stones A stone of great price Ilandes of women Golde Houses lyke Towres .xv. great townes in the prouince of Coluacana Townes of .xx. thousand houses The region of Palmaria A token of frendshyp Priestes Chastitie The punishment of adulterie Mariage is honoured Fasting Kyng Ouandus Idoles iewels and ouches of golde Gold in mountaynes and riuers Theyr maner of geathering golde Sweete sauours A stone of great price Other viages from Cuba oâ— Fernandina Many Ilands betweene Cuba and the fyrme lande Sanctiago the chiefe citie of Cuba The Barbarians slep the Spaniardes with theyr own weapons The chiefe citie of the supposed continent The Spanyardes are slaine againe with their owne weapons The Barbarians are slayne and put to flyght A multitude of Ilandes Archipelagus â–ª An other viage xxvi Ilandes about Hispaniola Cuba Images of golde Rasers of stone Instruments and tooles Landes lyke vnto the earthly Paradyse An other vyage of ten Carauels and fyue hundred men Horses and mares Fernando Cortesius The Ilande of Cozumella Carpettes and sheetes Innumerable bookes Circumcised Idolaters They Sacrifyce Children The Ilandes of Destam and Sestam The sacrifice of dogges They are soone perswaded to our religion This people leauing one kynde of Idolatry be taught another An other viage Aquillaris .vii. yeeres captiue in the Ilande of Iucatana Valdiuia The shipwrack of Valdiuia The quicke sandes called vypers The course of the sea toward the West Valdiuia is sacrificed to Idoles How Aquillaris escaped Kyng Taxmarus The mouth of a ryuer stopped with sande Turky Hens A conflicte The Barbarians arâ— put to flyght The great towne of Potanchana or Victoria A towne of xxv thousande houses Gunnes and horses The men and the horse â–ª thought to be one beast Palaces of maruelous bygnes and well buylded They receyue our religion A towne of a thousand and fyue hundred houses Another voiage of two brigantines and fyftie men Where the sea runneth swyftly from the East to the West A conflict betweene the waters comming from the West and from the South A dangerous and payneful vyage The lande of Coluacana The lande of Baccalaos oâ— Baccalearum Rych presentes of golde and pretious stones A newe colonie This Cortesius hath written a booke of these thynges They weare rynges and plates at theyr lyppes The dyuers phantasies of men Syluer Note where golde and syluer are engendred I thinke this Laton to be some kynde of pure Copper or els Copper that holdeth golde For Laton is an artificial metall and hath no natural myne Theyr bookes Theyr letters What is conteyned in theyr bookes Temples richely adourned Prayer They sacrifice children and captiues A wrong way to heauen Bloody gods Villa Ricca Siuilla Noua The force of an old errour Theyr priests lyue chast Faggotes of bones A figure of baptisme The presentes sent into Spayne to the kyng Two Images of golde and siluer Two cheynes of golde marueylously beset with precious stones and iewelles Buskyns Myters How can we then call them beastly or Barbarous If they had chaunged theyr golde for our Iron â–ª they had not so soone been subdued Quylles Helmets A byrd Speares A scepter A braselet Shooes Glasses Bâ—â—ds foules and fyshes of golde A crowne of golde Images of beastes Sheetes Cloth of Arras A souldyers cloake Registers of th affayres of India Thaucthoritie of the Lieuetenaunt The Spanyardes of Dariena Sansta Maria Antiqua Petrus Arias whom the Spanyardes name Pediarias This sea the Spanyardes call Mardelser Contention betweene Vaschus and Petrus Arias Petrus Arias commaundeth that Vaschus be put to death Vaschus is accused Vaschus is put to death Petrus Arias Lupus Sosa The great ryuer of Dabaiba or Grandis The gulfe of Vraba The ryche mountaynes of Dabaiba Fierce waclyke people Dartes Swoordes of heauy wood Hispaniola Ouiedus wryteth that there are now fyue monasteries Newe and straunge diseases The suger of Hispaniola Suger of Valentia A token of marueylous fruitfulnes Wheat Vines Cassia Fistula Brasyle Myrobalanes Cap. 5. August A marke is a pounde of viii ounces summa xvi.li weyght .viii. ounces after xii ounces to the .li. Of this reade more largely in the decades By the computation of Venice foure granes make a Caract Doctrine not worthy for a christian man Vipers Adders Dragons Spiders Crabbes Serpentes called Iuanni Beâ—res Antes â–ª A strange beast which seemeth a kind of Cameleon Foules and byrdes Alcatraz Panama Passere sempie Picuti Folyshe sparowes Cazzuole Pintadelli Great foules Cocus I haue seene one of these fruites opened the whiche when it was whole if it were shaken the water was harde shogge therein as it were in a bottle but in tyme it consumed and was partly congeled into a saâ—te
Artawischa Sibut Lepin Sossa Obi. Kitaisko Vuogolici Irtische Ierom. Tumen Grustina Kitai Blacke men without speech Serponow Lucomorya Men that yeerely dye and reuyue A straunge trade of marchaundies Obi. Calami Ryuers â–ª Aurea Anus Obdora Cossin Cassima Tachnin People of moÌ„strous shape A fyshe lyke a man Plinie writeth of the lyke fysh Mountaynes The great Chane of Cathay Lucomoria Tumen Petzora Papin Hygh mountaynes supposed to be Hyperborei and Rhiphei Engreonland Stolp Cathay The fruitfull prouince of Rezan Iaroslaw Hony Donco Asoph Capha Constantinople Tanais diuideth Europe from Asia The sprynges of Tanais A great lake The ryuer Schat Casan Astrachan Meotis Tulla Achas Fruitefull regions about Tanais Plentie of wyld beastes Fyre and salt Where Tanais is fyrst nauigable Asoph The marte of Asoph Libertie allureth straungers The altars of Alexander and Cesar. The holy mountaynes Tanais the lesse From Moscouia to Asoph Moscouia in Asia and not in Europe The prouince of Permia Maryshes in sommer Duina Vstiug Tribute Furres and Horses Munkes and Heremites Patentes Marcus Panlus wryteth that these doggs are almost as byg as Asses that they vse six to one sleade Iugaria Hungaria Pannonia Attila The hygher or 〈…〉 called Auâ—tria Polonie Buda Furres Pearles precious stones Sibier Aspreolos I thynke to bee Marternes yet some thinke them to be Squirels Gesnerus wryteth that the kinges of the Tartars haue their tentes couered without with the skimes of Lions within with the skynnes of Sables and Ermines Czeremisse Habitation without houses Salte The Tartars of Casan Horda Besermani The stature of the Tartars They absteine from hogges fleshe Abstinence Voracitie So do the Turkes Iorneing by the pole starre Mares milke Horse fleshe eaten Clenly Horse heades deyntie meates The Tartars horses Saddels and styrrops of wood The Tartars women The Tartars curse No iustice among the Tartars The Tartas are theeues and poore They reioyce in spoylyng The feelde Tartars A meery tale Casan The kynge of Casan Archers Waryners The towne Tartars Moscouia inuaded by the Tartars The prince of Moscouia tributary to the Tartars Duke Basilius army agaynst the Tartars The kyng of Casan submitteth hym selfe The Iland of marchauntes The Caspian sea Persia. Armenia Astrachan The Tartars neare to the Caspian sea Nogai The possession of three bretherne The kynges called Sawolhenses A maruelous frute lyke a lambe Wandeuile Barnacles of the Orkeneys Barack Soltan Cathay Nouogradia Suecia vnder the kyng of Denmarke Dwina Potiwlo Hygh mountaynes neare the north Ocean Finlappia The wylde Lappians The region of Nortpoden The cape called the holy nose A whyrlpoole oâ— swalowing goulfe Such whyrlepooles are cauled vipers The stone called Semes Superstition Sacrifice to the stone Semes The cape Motka The castel of wardhus The region of the wylde Lappones Dront Iourneying on Sleades How the Harts draw Sleades Twentye leagues in one day The citie of Berges in Norway A shorter iourney Rostowe Pereaslaw Castromow Vuolochda Sucâ—ana Dwina Hafnia Koppenhagen Liuonia Werst is almost an Italian myle Paulus Iouius Ryuers fallyng into the frosen sea wynde Ise. I se of many yâ—eres The sea Baltheum Where the Sunne falleth not in .xl. days The wyld Lappones are tributares to the Moscouites Furres and fyshe Expert archers Good felowshyp Necessarie wares No vse of mony Theyr cotages Mountaynes continually burnyng The ryuer Petzora The beast called Mors. The prouidence of nature The frosen sea Engreonland or greonland Iiar I would reade Mair that is in the Sarasen language mixt of Turkish Egiptian February interpreted by them the moneth to set shyps to the sea A werst is theyr myle and is three quarters of an Englyshe myle Media nowe called Sharuan Armenians Christians A marueylous long wall builded by great Alexander The magnificence of Abdalaca kyng of Media Haukyng and huntyng The Turkes Ambassadours resist maister Ienkinson Great holinesse in shooes Christians called Frankes The Turkes sonne beheaded Christians Georgians Hasell Nuttes Casbin The kynges Concubines How straungers are vsed Haly A goodly and well grounded religion Theyr opinion of Christ. Theyr money Theyr bookes and learnyng Such was the lawe of the Macedons for Treason Dissention for religion Shauing Theyr pryestes and preaching Theyr Lent Abstinence froÌ„ wyne but not from drunkennes Theyr saintes and holy men Pilgrimage Theyr prayer and worshiping of God and Mahumet Washyng and outward clenlenesse Their swearing The kynges magnificence Pursiuantes The kynges companie with his wyues and concubines A very Sardanapalus The succession of the kyngdome Mariage Circumcisâ—on Theyr houses maner of eateyng Bond men bond women Women bougth solde and let to hire Abundance of Oyle ishuing out of the ground Oleum Petroleum Two sortes of Kyne Foxes in great plentie Abraham Oâ—tilius Tamerlanes Thamurlanes Tamburlanes or Tamurthlam Georgians Christians Contention for religion betweene Turkes and Persians Persians Turkes Anno. do 1280. Phison is thought to be Ganges Sarasins that is Mahumetans Abraham Ortelius Babilon of Chaldea and not of Egypt Tauris or Teueris Ismael they pronounce Smael Mortus Ali. Enukes or gelded men Londro London The Venetians trafique in England English cloths carses fyne wool Busor men be they that forsake theyr faith and receyue the religion of Mahumet Kyssell Bashe are the gentlemen that weare red cappes The commoditie which Englishe merchants may haue by the trade into Persia. Oxen and kyne beare burdens Ambision Africa The coast of Guinea Tunes Bugia Tripoli Numidia Ilandes of Tunes Malta The desartes of Libia Barbarie Mauritania The kinkdoms of Fes and marrocko Tremisen Oram Massaquiber Salla Azamor The Ilandes of Canarie Guinea Ethiopians Marrocko Fes Tremisen Guinea Africa the great Affricke the leasse Carthage Prester Iohn Cape de Buona Speranza The sea of sande Alcair From whence the queene of Saba came Manicongni The earthly Paradice The trees of the Sunne and Moone The Primrose The Lion The Moone Pinteado Brasile Guinea The flatteryng of fortune The Ilandes of Madera A galeon of the kyng of Portugale The Castell of Mina The Ilandes of Canarie The Ilande of S. Nicolas Guinea The ryuer of Sesto Graynes The thirst of golde The Castell of Mina The quantitie of golde Benin Pepper Furie admitteth no counsayle The Rossia Rottyng heate Scorchyng heate Benin Francisco Nicolas Lamberte The kyng of Banin his courte Reuerence towarde the kyng The communication betweene the kyng of Benin and our men Pepper The kynges gentelnesse towarde our men The disorder and death of our men The death of wyndan Pinteado euyll vsed of the maryners This Lambart was a LoÌ„dener borne whose father had been Lorde mayre of London and this Lambart sometyme a knyght of the rodes one as he was vnmaried so he liued in the feare of God and was the fyrst of that order that forsoke the Pope and claâ—e to Gods holy worde The death of Pinteado Seuen hundred reis are .x. s. Alcayre is halfe a bushell The I le of Madera The I le of palmes Teneriffa The Canaries From Madera
to the I le of Palmes Grancanaria Fortisuentura The Iland of Gomera Teneriffa Snowe The coast of Barbarie Cape blanke The ryuer of de Oro. The Crosâ—ers or crosse sâ—arres â–ª Rio Grande Cape Mensurado The ryuer of Sesto The ryuer of Sesto Rio Dulce Cape de monte Cape de las Palmas The land of Cakeado Shauo Croke Sainct Vincentes harborowe The riuer Dulce Cape de las Palmas The coast of Guinea The castell of Arra The towne of Samma The pledge was syr Iohn yoâ—k his neuew Cape Corea The castell of mina parteynyng to the kyng of Portugale Perecowe Perecowe grands Monte rodondâ— The currantes From Mina homewarde Rio de los Potos Iuerye Cabe de las Palmes Currantes The Ilede Flora. The I le of Coruo Where they lost the sight of the North starre Howe the compasse doeth varie The Primrose The towne of Samma Golde Golde foure hundred weight Graynes Eleuantes teeth The head of an Elephant The contemplations of Gods workes The description and properties of the Elephant Debate betweene the Elephant and the Dragon Sanguis Draconis Cinnabaris Three kyndes of Elephantes Woorkes of Iuery The people of Africa Libia Interior Getulia Ethiopes Nigrite The ryuer Nigritis or Senega A straÌ„ge thyng Garamantes People of Libia Prester Iohn Regnum Orguene Gambra Guinea or Cap. Perde The Portugales nauigations to Brasile Ethiopia The Ilande of Meroe The queene of Saba Prester Iohn Emperour of Ethiopia People of the east syde of Africa Ephiophagi People without heades Myrre Azania Regnum Melinde Ethiopia Interior Whyte Elephantes Habasia Ichthiophagi An thropophagi Montes Lunae Gazatia Cape bonae Spei Aphrica without cold The wynter of Africa Flames of fyre noyse in the ayre The myddle region of the ayre is cold The stryfe of elementes Wynde The heate of the Moone The nature of the starres Spoutes of water falling out of the aire Carractes of heauen Vehement motions in the sea A straunge thyng The power of nature They rase theyr skynnes Fyne iewelles A braslet Shackels Rynges Dogs chaines of golde A musk cat Their houses Their feeding Fleyng fyshes A strange thyng Their bread Theyr wheats The Sunne Theyr drynke Graynes â–ª Shelles that cleaue to shyps Barnacles Bromas A secrete The death of our men Colde may be better abiden then heate The same was also called Memphis in tyme past Mamalukes Mahumetans Ienezzari Syria Phoenicia Sainct George and the Dragon Tripoli Alepo or Antioch The mount Taurus The mount Olympus Azamia Mesapotamia Persia Damasco Sainct Helene the mother of Constantine the Emperour Christians Greekes Hexarchatus is a principate or gouerment The Soltan of Syrya A strange maner to demaund a subside Theyr churches The bodie of the Prophet Zacharias The place of the conuersion of Sainct Paule The prison of Sainct Paule The place wher Cain slue Abel The Mamalukes wages Howe the Mamalukes abuse women The women of Damasco Chaunge of husbandes and wyues The Mahumetans wiues Gotes mylke Mussheromes Asia the lesse nowe named Natolia or Turchia Christians of Damasco Carauana a companie of Cameles Mamaluchi renegadi Mezaris The prince Zambei in Arabia The Prince of Ierusalem A Prince a theefe Mares The Arabians lyue by robbery Houses 〈◊〉 on Camels backs Tentes and pauilions â–ª This for feare of the Arabians From Damasco to Mecha Perhaps with the sounde of a Horne of Trumpet Water The Burden of the Camelles The feeblenesse of the Arabians Pagans The actiuitie of the Mamalukes Manna turned in bitter plagues Lacke of water Water deerely bought So did Abraham with the Philistians So doeth the Turke his army Iewes Pigmet The citie of Medinathalhabi The Toombe or Sepulchre of Mahumet Mahumet was not buried in Mecha Mahumets Librarie Nomothetae Turcarum This Hali our men that haue been in Persia call Mortus Hali That is Saint Hali. Discorde and sectes of religion among the Mahumetans Turkes and Persians Note Such come such câ—affe Not only among Turkes and 〈◊〉 Sed. Nabi â–ª iâ— the 〈◊〉 of Mahumet A great price for vilâ— marchandies Suche people suche priest My lorde bishop of Mecha It semeth that they know not where he was buryed The deuyll he was Thriâ—â— at the feete of Mahumet Mahumet shal ryse â–ª c. with Iuda False miracles to confirme false religion Neophiti Sic ne respondes pontifiâ—i The â—able that Mahumets Toombe hangeth in the ayre Iourney on the lande by carde and compasse as on the sea The fountaine of Sainct Marke the Euangelist The sea of sande Mare fabulosum Momia Momia of kynges bodies embalmed Mont Sinai The den where Mahumet liued in contemplation Mecha The kingdome of Mecha Mecha whiche Abraham Oâ—telius calleth Mecca The Soltan of Mecha Sacrifice to Abraham and Isaac Mecha cursed of god Water very deare The ryuer Nilus The red sea Arabia Faelix Many pylgrymes and strangers at Mecha Why so many nations 〈◊〉 to Mecha The temple of Mecha A Turret in the Temple of Mecha A gate of siluer Balsame or balme A chappel with a well in it in the Temple A straunge baptisme for remission of synnes Good meaning sufficeth not The house of Abraham Sacrifice to Abraham Sacrifice of sheepe Religion for pouertie Cadi a preacher A goodly sermon Soldiers trouble the word of God Where Abraham sacrifyced his sonne Isaac The Diuell appeareth to Isaac Isaac wounded the Deuyll in the forehead Stocke doues of the progenie of the Doue whiche spake in Mahumets eare Monoceros The Vnicornes The Vnicorns horne Why Mecha is not so much frequented as in tyme paste The dominion of the Kyng of Portugale in the East partes Hipocrisie Paying of custome to the Soltan The realme of Decham in India Affliction cooleth lechery The citie of Zida Poore Pilgryms that came from Mecha From Arabia to Persia. The red sea The citie of Gezan Of the citie of Aden looke Cap. 13. Bying and sellyng by nyght The Aucthour taken and put in prison Picade the Moonke writeth that Christians are founde in all regions sauing in Arabia and Egypt where they are most hated 〈◊〉 â—oordes of them that profâ—sse the religion of Mahumet Soldiers horsemen of Christian Ethiopians of the dominioÌ„ of Presbiter Iohannes Abbyssini vnder Prester Iohn A gard of fourescore thousand blacke men Targettes Slynges Counterfet madnesse Sheepe with exceedyng great tayles A Sheepe made a mahumetan Hunger maketh appetite Madnesse taken for holynesse Heremytes Mahumetans A holy vowe A holy saint The fleete of India Strife and hatred for religioÌ„ and all worth nought Mortus Hali as the Persians call hym As muche gold as wyll lade a hundred Camels A sheepes tayle of .44 pounde weyght Grapes without graynes Men of long lyfe in temperate ayre An armye of fourescore thousand men Strong walles Anthopophagus Roses Suger The Soltan of Arabia felix A pitiful pagan A great familye Of Aden reade the fourth cap. Monkeys and Lions Danger of wilde beasts Tempest The viage to Persia. Ethiope Rubricke Golde Iuery Blacke slaues Presbiter Iohannes kyng of Iacobins
Abyssins Iustice good lawes Sheepe with great tayles Palearia Kyne with Hartes hornes Kyne with only one horne â–ª Diuobanderrumi The Soltan of Cambaia Goa Giulfar Meschet Ormus Pearles Fyshyng for Pearles Dyuers vnder the water Chorazani or Chorashan Great abundaunce of silke Plentie of corne Rubarbe of smal price The riuen Euphrates Schira Precious stons The stone Eranon â–ª A Turques Balascam Castoreum The profe of true CastoreuÌ„ Comendation of the Persians Squilaâ— Sainct Bragant An armie of threescore thousand horsemen War betweene the Sophieâ— of Persia and the Turke for their religion The Turkes holde of Mahumet and his felowes The Persians hold of Mahumet and Hali or Mortus Hali. A sure friend in necessitie Cheo The ryuer Indus The citie of Cambaia Note the increse of ryuers contrarye to ours xl shippes ladeÌ„ with sylke and bombasine Pithagorici Good people They may see me the successours of Darius and Poâ—us The great pompe of the kyng of Cambaia Elephantes Monstruos great lyppes A straunge historie of a kyng accustomed to eate poyson A venomus kyng Belyke he getteth no chyldren Great fruitfulnesse abundance of merchandies Plentie of sylke The kyng of Ioga an Idolatour Continuall progresse Wyues and concubines The colour of the Indians Hornes Wanderyng nations Feelde men Guzerat Idolatours Dabuly Idolaters Tribute Coyne Mamalukes white men A fayre palace Great pompe and magnificence Where Diamuntes are founde Womens faces couered White men The kyng of Decham hateth the Christians The citie Bathacala Centacola Idolatars Barthacal The Ilande of Onor A kyng a pirate Naked men Ryse Beastes Byrdes and foules Flowers all the yeere longe â–ª Longe lyfe Myngolor Ryse Afterwarde he became frende to the Portugales 〈…〉 â—ranges Ryse Spyces Straunge fruites An army of fyftie thousand gentelmen Gunnes Dromedares Elephantes A triple wall Hawkyng and huntyng An army of foure thousand horsemen Horses of great price Foure hundred Elephantes Dromedary Camelles Howe the Elephantes are prepared to the warres Seuen men fyght vpon one Elephant Howe the Elephant is armed The Elephant vnderstandeth the voyce of his keeper The Elephant can not abyde fyre The strength of the Elephant The Elephants haue ioyntes in their legges The hande of the Elephant The teeth of the Elephant is Iuery The bygnesse of the Elephant The naturall shamefastnesse of Elephantes The pissell of an Elephant Men of lesse vnderstandyng then Elephantes The riches of the kyng of Narsinga A great tribute by the day Idolaters A riche cloke The magnificence of the kyng of Narsinga Coyne of golde and siluer Daunger of Lyons The kyng of Narsinga friend to the kyng of Portugale The citie of Trompata Mahumetans Pandara Capagot Calecut The kyng of Calecut a God on the earth The citie of Calecut Houses diuided Uery lowe houses Houses of small price Idolatry and seruyng of the deuyll One God Pseudoplatonici The deuyll Prince of this worlde Deumo quasi Daemon The Chapell of the deuyll The deuyls chayre of maiestie Difference betweene the Popes crowne and the deuylles A well fauoured Prince The deuylles ordinary dyet and deâ—tie meate Bramini Brachmani The maner of sacrifice to the deuyll Gallus Esculapio A goodly priest the deuylles Chaplen A counterfeete Aaron Offeryng of wheate The deuyll is serued before the Kyng Chaplens of honour I thinke the Priestes take parte with the Crowes Crowes esteemed holy The priestes euer prouide for them selues A goodly office for a byshop Priestes and gentelmen Poore men haue no soules They are not troubled with garderobes or makyng them redye mornyng and euenyng The kynges children succeed not to inherite the kyngdome What paynes the priestes take for theyr liuyng and what seruice they do the kyng Bastordes Moornyng for the death of the kyng Chastitie and abstinence Meates that moue to echerie Great frendshyppe Diogenistae The punyshement of murtherers Beatyng A straunge maner to demauÌ„d debte Death for debte Outward clenlynesse 〈…〉 Clenly women Maisters of fence The kynges army Their weapons The kynges ensigne The priestes â–ª are haroldes A chalenge to cumbatte A great battayle and litle bloodshed â–ª Minstrells Blacke teeth The dead gentelmen are burnt but the poore men are buryed Coyned mony Merchauntes resorte to Calecut Mahumetans of Calecut Theyr shippes Ankers of marble on euery syde two Seasons of the yeere contrarie to ours Dyuers fashions of shippes and other vessells A goodly palaice Images of the deuyll to garnysh the kinges palaice The ryche iewels which the king weareth The kyng of Portugales warres agaynst the kyng of Calecut The frenche Poxe among precious iewells Unestimable treasure Pepper The pepper tree Clusters of pepper Genger Fruites vnlyke ours A philosophical consideration of the difference of thinges of one kynde A great fruite growyng out of the body of the tree Rype fruites in December A fruite of sundry tastes One fruite within an other A tree with very brode leaues A very goodly fruite Two hundred fruites on euery slyppe A tree that neuer beareth fruit but once Fruites and floures geathered at all tymes of the yeere This tree in the west India is called Coccus Ten commodities of one tree Nux Indica They are as big as a mans fyâ—t and some bygger Very sweete and cleare water within a Nutte Oile made of water Wyne of cutte branches of a tree A tree that beareth fruite continually all the whole yeere Oile Ploughing of the grounde A daunce of deuylles Solem suum oriri facit super bonos et malos c. The deuyll a Phisitian Such a Phisitian such phisicke A remedie 〈◊〉 surfetyng Fyne weightes and balances A straunge experiment to know the fyne golde from base Proxeneta A superstitious maner of buying and selling Litle payne or cost for noursing of children Funambuli Popingayes or Parottes A great noyse of birdes An earthly Paradyse Continuall spring and temperate ayre Monkeys doe much hurte Crocodiles without poison Three kyndes of Serpentes Serpentes superstitiously kepte and nourished Death for kyllyng a Serpent or a Cowe Bycause they goe naked Superstition Goodly candelstickes of laton Polyxines et Polychni Innumerable lyghtes and Lampes The deuyll serueth in the kynges chamber Mourning the space of a yeere The Temple of sacrifyce to Idolles Trees behanged with Lampes Washyng before sacrifice Holy oyle in the steade of holy water Sacrifice to the deuyll for forgeuenesse of synnes Sanctuary Large is the way that leadeth to perdition c. The kyng of Portugals warres in the citie of Calecut Caicolon Pepper Christians of the profession of saint Thomas Colon. An armie of .xx. thousande horsmen Pearles Zeilon Comerin The bodie of Thomas the Apostle The kyng of Narsinga frende to the Portugalls A miracle at the sepulchre of S. Thomas Foure kynges in one Iland Elephantes Rubie stones Precious stones Howe Cinamome is geathered A denne where Adam lyued in penance Temperate regions vnder the Equinoctiall lyne Saffran and Corall Elephants An armie of a hundred thousende footmen Fruites Wylde beastes Peacockes Falcons Popingayes A great and fayre foule Cocke
fyghting Fruitefull Gotes Rammes with buckes hornes Canonisyng of saintes The wyfe burneth her selfe after the death of her husband Daunsyng deuylles Sacrifice to the deuyll The hygh way to hell Great respecte of fame and honestie Writyng Mecha The citie of Bangella An army of two hundred thousand men Spices and silke Riche merchantes Precious stones Christians Lignum Aloes Laserpitium Belzoi Castoreum Christian Princes vnder the great Cham of Cathay Christian Princes neare the Turkes dominions Corall of great pryce Rubies Pego. Idolaters White men Christians Great Reedâ—â— â–ª Muske catteâ— â–ª Precious stones and spices Capela Smaragdes or Emeraldes Great riches of Iewelles and precious stones A kyng shinyng with earthly starres The kyng sacrifyceth to the deuyll Corall The kyng and the merchant contende of liberalitie Commendation of the Persians A casket full of Rubies A Princely gyfte Colours A ryuer of .xxv. myles brode The Ilande of Sumetra or Taprobana Chini or China Popingayes Sandalum Tyn. Spices and silke Vnruly people Anarchia The Ilande of Samatra or Samotra Foure kynges in one Iland Women burns them selues Iustice. Coyned mony of golde syluer and tynne Elephantes Long Pepper Cathay or Catai a colde region Sylke of the trees Laserpitium or Belzoe Litle true Aloes or Laserpitium Sarnau Cathay and other rych countreys Aloes of very sweete sauour The proofe of Laserpitium Lacca merchantes waxe Shyppes of a straunge fashion Swymmers Great hydes of fyshes Great teeth of Elephantes Great Serpentes The name of Hierusalem in reuerence Anarchia Lawlesse people Idolaters The Nuttemegge tree Mace All thynges common Nuttemegges of small price The lawe of nature These Ilandes of spyces are called Moluccdae and in them is seene the rare byrde named Manucodiata or paradisea The Cloue tree Cloues dearer then Nutmegs The Ilande of Gyaua Bornei â–ª Veronica or Vernacle The headdes of Peter and Paule The Ilande of Bornei Idolaters Camphora The north star The starres about the pole Antartike The lode stone serueth in the south regions beyonde the Equinoctiall line Antipodes Idolaters The Image of the deuyll Sylke of trees Smaragdes Golde Copper Whyte men good people Byrdes and foules Impoysoned arrowes Trunkes Anthropophagi eate mans fleshe In the West India they are called Caniballes A straunge pittie Rather to butchers then woormes Emeraldes of great price Gelded children Sana Seuen thousande Ilandes Malacha or Melacha Colon. Portugales Two Christians of Milan in Calecut The Christians haue made a rodde for their owne arsse The Nauie of Portugale A great peece of ordinaunce A Iewe that made Gunnes and shyppes was drowned Repentaunce Predestination A fortresse of the Portugales in the citie of Canonor Hipocrisie A Sainct by hipocrisie A glister A straunge ministring of a glister More good happe then cunnyng Sely soules Trumpettes in the steede of belles Not all thac say Lord Lord. c. Some of them say that he is rysen God the father The virgin Marie Merchantes of Calecut Noeros are gentlemen of the kynges garde The Gouernoure of Portugales fortresse The Viceroy of the kyng of Portugall in India Concubineâ— and slaues 〈…〉 Beware of couetousnesse The Byshop of the Mahumetans The Mahumetans conspire the death of the Christians An Oration The death of Iohn Maria and Peter Antonye The frenche poxe The nauie of the kyng of Calecut agaynst the Portugals â–ª The Mahumetan soldiers The oration of the gouernour to the Christian soldiers The nauie of the Mahumetans The Admirall of the Christians The quarel and occasion of the warre The Mahumetans geue the onset The valyantnesse of the Admirall A great slaughter of the mahumetans The valiantnesse of Iohn Seranus Fewe Chrians slayne The valiantnesse of Simon Martin A Stratageme Tenne Mahumetan shyps soonke with the shot of great artillerie The Christians had the victorie An other great conflicte The Mahumetans slayne in swimming The Mahumetans experte in swimmyng The kyng of Canonor The valiantnesse of the Portugales The death of the kyng of Canonor A newe expedition against the Christians Long warres Great oddes The Mahumetans artillerie The order of the Mahumetans Campe. Instrumentes Outragious out crye The arryuyng of a newe Nauie of Portugales The Mahumetans seeke to make peace with the Christians The peace concluded A pleasaunt fable Sainct Christopher the Christian Giant The enemyes confesse that God gaue the victorie Simple and ignorant people Messis multa sed operarii pauci c. The Masse No more can wyser men then they Inchaunters and of great agilitie The Ilande of Monzambrich Melinda The kyng of Portugales dominion in Ethiopia The conquestes of Tristan dè Cugna Sacutara Cumeris Pendè Zaphala Golde Blacke Mahumetans Trogloditae Ethiopes Heardes of Elephantes Elephantes are afrayde of fyre An Apyshe language Rych merchandies for golde Kyne very good cheape Trogloditae Cabo dè Buena Speranza The Ilande of Sainct Laurence or Madagascar The kyng of Portugale The Christian religion spreadâ—th in India Tempest An exceedyng great shyppe and great ryches of spyces Great Whale fyshes The Ilande of Ascention Saylyng by the north starre in regioÌ„s beneath the Equinoctiall lyne Malacha Tachola The Ilandes of Malucha The Alande of Samotra Spices Calecut Ceilam Cathay China Pretious stones Sylke Cantan One caratte is iiii graynes â–ª Which is one crowne of golde Which are .iii. crownes of golde A Marcell is a siluer coyne of Venice of .xi. vnâ—es iii.d with 〈◊〉 wherof .x. make an ounce Don Peter Martyr Rome sacked A daye lost in three yeeres one moneth It is now found with one master Harold a prebend in wyndsor Antonie Pigafetta Iacobus Faber Maximilian Transiluane The rewarde of noble enterprise The antiquitie had no such knowledge of the world as we haue The Ilandes of Molucca Aurea Chersonesus Malaccha Spices The Ilandes of Spices vnknowen in olde tyme. The Phenix Plinie The nauigations of great Alexander Ethiope Trogloditi The nauigation about the worlde The olde autours Monsters The wages of the Spanyards and Portugales Sebastian Munster The Ilandes of Molucca Controuersie betweene the Spanyardes and Portugales Ferdinando Magalianes The Cape of saint Vicent The Ilandes of Canarie Water engendred of a clude The Iland of S. Thomas Capo verde Guinea in Ethiope Fyshes and monsters of the sea The fyre of S. Helene and S. Nicolas A tempest The natural cause of suche fyres as fall in the shyppes Cardanus Two kyndes of fiers engendred of exhalations True fyre and false fyre Castor and Pollux The lightes of Sainct Peter and Sainct Nicolas They lost the sight of the North starre The Ilande of Brasile The South pole Suger The greatnesse of the lande of Brasile Caniballes Giantes Insulae gemmarum Cap. S. Marie The pole Antartike Geese Sea woolues The .xlix. degree of the South pole Giantes The bygnesse of the Giantes An other Giant Foure other Giantes Two Giantes are taken by a pollicie The deuyll Setebos Deuyls appeare to the Giantes when they dye Patagoni The Giantes feeding They conspire against theyr Captayne Confession The straight of Magellanus The South sea
are also other Ilands situate about this Coluacana or Galuacam the which are inhabited onely with women lyuing without the companye of men after the maner of the Amazones But they that ponder the matter more wysely thynke them rather to be certayne women whiche haue vowed chastitie and professed a solitarie life as the Nunnes do with vs or as the virgins called Vestales or Bonae Deae were accustomed to do among the gentiles in olde tyme. At certayne tymes of the yeere men of the other Ilandes resorte vnto them not for thintent of generation but moued with pitie to helpe them to dresse theyr gardens and tyll theyr grounde The reporte goeth lykewyse that there are other Ilandes of corrupt women to whom men resort for carnall copulation and that they cut of one of the pappes of theyr women children lest it shoulde hynder theyr shootyng also that they keepe only the women children and send away the men children Our men therefore drewe neare to the shore of Coluacana where they quietly exercised marchandies with thinhabitantes The king gaue them a great Pot of golde also braselettes chaynes brooches with many other iewels and all of golde Our men agayne on the other part satisfied hym with such stuffe as they had done other before Heere would they gladly haue planted a new colonie or habitation but that the gouernour woulde not permit them wherat they grudged not a litle The houses and other edifices of this prouince are builded lyke vnto Towres It hath also fyfteene great townes in it Of these they affyrme that they haue seene some consistyng of more then twentie thousand houses not ioyning togeather but disseuered with courtes and gardens They haue also certayne large market places encompassed with walles and streates wel paued likewise fornaces ouens made of lime and bricke furthermore al sortes of handie craftes men and very cunning artificers This kynges name was Potanchanus and the region is called Palmaria The towne where the kyng keepeth his court conteyneth .xv. thousand houses When they receyue any straungers make a league of frendship with them they are accustomed with a knyfe made of a sharp stone to let them selues blood in the tongue hande arme or some other part of the bodie and this euen in the syght of them whom they admit to frendship in token that they are redy to shed theyr blood in theyr frendes causes Theyr priestes professe a vertuous lyfe and lyue vnmaried What it is to haue do to w t women no man knoweth before he be maried Fornication and adulterie which seldome chaunceth among them they count abhomination The women are of marueilous chastitie Euery noble man after that he haue had one wife may haue as many concubines as hym lysteth but a maried woman taken in adulterie is solde of her husband but this onely to the prince at whose handes it shal be lawfull for her kynsfolke to redeme her It is not lawefull for suche as are not maried to syt at the same table with them that are maried or to eate of the same dyshe or drynke of the same cup. In the moneth of August and September they absteyne .xxxv. dayes not onely from fleshe whereof they haue great plentie but also from fyshe and all other thynges that lyue by blood and duryng these dayes lyue onely with hearbes and fruites They recken twentie dayes to the moneth and twentie monethes to the yeere Our men consumed certayne dayes heere very pleasauntly When they departed coasting stil by the same shore they came to an other kyng whom they named Ouandus When he had intelligence that our men desired gold he brought foorth certaine plats of molten gold But when the gouernour signified vnto hym by the interpretours that he desired great plentie of that metall the day folowing he brought him a mans image of gold beyng a cubite in length also a fanne of golde and an Idole of one of his domestical gods of curious woorkmanship likewyse garlandes of stones of sundrye colours with many brest plates brooches and other kyndes of ornamentes and all of golde He gaue hym furthermore abundaunce of delicate meates well salted and powdred with spices When he had required our men to come alande he commaunded his seruauntes with all speede to prepare a great multitude of braunches of trees and to wayte vppon our men to his pallace As they went thus in order some behynde and some before on both sydes they seemed so to shadow our men with bowes as though they had gone in a continuall arbour The kyng hym selfe hauyng a Septer in his hande dyd set them in theyr arraye and some tyme stryke suche as were negligent in bearyng theyr bowes They shewed them selues obedient in all thynges and with graue countenaunce humbled them selues to receyue his strypes When he was demaunded where he had suche plentie of golde he poynted with his fynger to the next mountaynes and to the riuers descending from the same They are so accustomed to the riuers and exercised in swymmyng that it is all one to them to lyue in the water and on the lande When they desire togeather golde they plunge them selues in the riuers and bryng from the bottome therof both theyr handes full of sande whiche syftyng from hande to hande they geather out the graynes of golde And by this meanes in the space of two houres they fyll a reede as bygge as a mans fynger Of the sweete sauours of these lands many thinges might be spoken the which bycause they make rather to theffeminatyng of the myndes of men then for any necessary purpose I haue thought best to omit them The kyng also gaue the gouernour a young virgine of twelue yeeres of age adourned with ryche and fayre iewelles Of the stones whiche hee had of this kyng one was valued at two thousande Castellanes of golde Thus at the length they departed from this kyng laden with golde and precious stones Grisalua the gouernour sent one of the Carauelles to his vncle Diego Velasquen gouernour of the Ilande of Cuba with messengers to delyuer him the golde iewelles and other ornaments the resydue in the meane tyme styll folowed the tracte towarde the West One of them in the whiche Frauncis Montegius the vnder gouernour was caryed sayled harde by the shore and the other two kepte aloofe within prospecte of the lande Thinhabitauntes of these coastes also no lesse marueylyng at the shyppes then dyd the other came with twelue Canoas to Montegius desyryng him by thinterpretours to come alande promysyng in the name of theyr kyng that hee should bee honourably entertayned But Montegius answered that hee coulde not assent to theyr request bycause his companions were so farre from him Yet dyd hee gyue them certayne of our thinges straunge vnto them and thankes for their gentlenesse Shortly after espying a great towne they directed their course thither Thinhabitauntes prohibyted them to
come alande and came foorth agaynst them with bowes and quiuers full of arrowes broad swoordes made of heauy wood and Iauelins hardned at the ende with fyre They shot at our men a farre of and our men discharged certayne peeces of ordinaunce against them The Barbarians astonished at the noyse of the gunnes fled amayne and desyred peace Here our mens vitayles began to fayle them and theyr shyppes were broosed with long viages Hauyng therefore founde and done these thinges whereof wee haue spoken Grisalua returned to the Ilande of Eernandina well contented but so were not his companions We muste nowe diuerte somewhat from this matter and speake of an other nauigation and from thence will wee returne to these landes whiche our men haue founde So it is therefore that Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Ilande of Fernandina about the same tyme that he had sent foorth this nauie of foure Carauelles he prepared an other nauigation of onely one Carauell and one brygantine with fourtie and fyue men These exercised violent handes against thinhabitauntes of those regions where they arryued thynkyng that they myght forceably drawe them to the dyggyng of golde bycause they were Caffranite Idolaters and circumcised There are at the sea syde not farre from the supposed continent many litle Ilandes of most fortunate and fruitefull soyle whereof three are thus named Guanapan Guanguan and Quitilla Out of one of these which they named Sansta Marina they violently caryed away three hundred men women which they thrust into the Carauell and returned immediatly to Fernandina leauyng the brigantine with .xxv. of theyr felowes to thintent to hunt for more men The hauen where the Carauell fyrst arryued is called Carenas beyng distant from the angle of Cuba and the chiefe citie of Sanctiago two hundred and fyftie myles For this Ilande of Cuba is very long reachyng in length from the East to the West and situate directly vnder the circle called Tropicus Cancri as we haue sayd before Nowe shall you heare howe fortune sought the reuenge of these poore wretches Therfore as their keepers went aland and few remained in the Carauel they perceiuing occasion ministred whereby they myght recouer their libertie sodeinly snatched vp our mens weapons and slue sixe of them which yet remained in the Carauell whyle the residue leapte into the sea And by this meanes the Barbarians possessed the Carauell whiche they had soone learned to rule and thus returned to their owne countreys But they sayled fyrst to the nexte Ilande where they burnt the Carauel and caryed away the weapons with them From hence they conueyed them selues to their owne countreys with the Canoas of this Ilād Here in lyke maner they priuily assailed them that were left with the brigantine and slue many of them also The residue that escaped fledde to the brigantine where they bewayled theyr felowes deathes and counted theyr owne escape a victorie On the shore not farre from the place where they suffered this misfortune there is a tree in the toppe whereof they set vp a crosse and graued this inscription in the barke of the tree Vannuis Aldarieci There is a ryuer named Darien on the banke whereof standeth the chiefe citie of the supposed continent The gouernour therefore hauyng intelligence heereof sent with all speede two shippes of warre well furnished to the ayde of them that were left but they were wyse to late Yet folowing the viewe of the crosse they came to the shore and red the letters grauen on the tree but durst not attempt fortune Thus with all theyr hardie souldiers departyng from hence with dispayre they sayled to the nexte Ilande out of the whiche they caryed away by violence fyue hundred men and women supposyng lykewyse that they myght lawfully so doe bycause they were Idolaters and circumcised But the lyke chaunce happened vnto them when they landed at Eernandina For the Barbarians espying oportunitie set vppon the Spanyardes in one of the shyppes with theyr owne weapons and slue theyr keepers the residue that escaped castyng them selues into the sea swamme to the next Carauell and with theyr felowes assayled the Carauell that was taken from them This conflicte was so sharpe that for the space of foure houres it was doubtfull whether parte should obteyne the victorie The Barbarians both men and women fought very fiercely aswell to recouer their libertie as also to holde fast the praye which they had gotten But in fine the Spanyardes had the vpper hande by reason they were more experte in handlyng of theyr weapons rulyng of their Carauell The Barbarians beyng thus ouercome leapt into the sea but the Spanyardes tooke them agayne with the shyppe boates About a hundred of the Barbarians perished being partly drowned and partely slayne with the swoorde and but fewe of the Spanyardes These thinges thus pacified the resydue of the Barbarians were caryed to the towne of Sanctiago and condemned to labour in the golde mynes Shortly after they made out a newe viage to an other of the Ilandes which lye there about so thicke that they commonly call the number of them Archipelagus as they in our sea of Ionicum are called Symplegades Here our men were cruelly handled and as many of them as came alande eyther slayne or wounded This Ilande they named Florida bycause they arryued there on Easter day whiche the Spaniards call the floryshyng day of the resurrection They say also that in this tracte they sawe .xxvi. Ilandes which Colonus had ouerpassed and the same so to lye about Hispaniola and Cuba as though they warded them from the furie of the Ocean In many of these they founde natiue golde of lyke goodnesse to that which is founde in Granatum Thinhabitauntes also weare many iewelles and haue many Images of theyr domesticall goddes made both of golde artificially wrought and also of wood gylted Frauncis Cheregatus brought one of theyr Idols with him wherby may bee considered of what wytte and aptnesse they are It is a marueylous thyng to see what maner of rasers they haue made of certayne yelowe stones cleare and transparent lyke vnto christall with these they shaue and carue as though they were made of fyne steele When the edges are blunt with long exercyse they sharpen them not with a whetstone or powder or any other stone but temper them onely with water They haue also a thousande kyndes of instrumentes or tooles and such other thinges of fyne deuice which were to long to rehearse Let vs therefore returne from whence wee haue digressed as to Cozumella Iucatana Coluacana or Olloa being all landes lately founde and so rych fruitfull and pleasaunt that they may in maner bee compared to the earthly Paradyse Therefore after that it was knowen to our men of howe great moment these tractes were the Spaniards which inhabited the Ilande of Cuba Annunstus being the gouernour of the Ilande furnished a new