when he came declared vnto him that the only cause of his commyng thyther was to visite the Sepulchre and bodie of Nabi by which woord is signified the Prophet Mahumet and that he vnderstoode that the price to be admitted to the sight of these mysteries should be foure thousande Saraphes of golde Also that he had no parentes neyther brothers sisters kinsefolkes chyldren or wyues neyther that he came thyther to buye merchaundies as spices or Baccar or Nardus or any maner of precious Iewelles but only for very zeale of religion and saluation of his soule and was therefore greatly desirous to see the bodie of the Prophet To whom the priest of the Temple they call them Side with countenance lyke one that were distraught made aunswere in this maner Darest thou with those eyes with the which thou hast committed so many horrible sinnes desyre to see him by whose sight God hath created heauen and earth To whom agayne our Captayne aunswered thus My Lorde you haue sayde truely neuerthelesse I pray you that I may fynde so much fauour with you that I may see the Prophet whom when I haue seene I will immediately thrust out myne eyes The Side aunswered O Prince I will open all thynges vnto thee So it is that no man can denye but that our Prophet dyed heere who if he would myght haue dyed at Mecha But to shewe in him selfe a token of humilitie and thereby to gyue vs example to folowe him was willyng rather heere then elsewhere to departe out of this worlde and was incontinent of Angelles borne into heauen and there receyued as equall with them Then our Captayne sayde to him Where is Iesus Christus the sonne of Marie To whom the Side answered At the feete of Mahumet Then sayde our Captayne agayne It suffyceth it suffyceth I will knowe no more After this our Captayne commyng out of the Temple and turnyng him to vs sayd See I pray you for what goodly stuffe I would haue payde three thousande Saraphes of golde The same daye at euenyng at almost three a clocke of the nyght ten or twelue of the Elders of the secte of Mahumet entred into our Carauana whiche remayned not paste a stone cast from the gate of the citie These ranne hyther and thyther crying lyke madde men with these wordes Mahumet the messenger and Apostle of God shall ryse agayne O Prophet O God Mahumet shall ryse agayne haue mercy on vs God Our Captayne and we all raysed with this crye tooke weapon with all expedition suspectyng that the Arabians were come to robbe our Carauana We asked what was the cause of that exclamation and what they cryed for they cryed as doe the Christians when sodeynly any marueylous thyng chaunceth The Elders answered Sawe you not the lyghtnyng whiche shone out of the Sepulchre of the Prophet Mahumet Our Captayne answered that he sawe nothyng and we also beyng demaunded answered in lyke maner Then sayde one of the olde men Are you slaues That is to say bought men meanyng thereby Mamalukes Then sayde our Captayne We are in deede Mamalukes Then agayne the olde man sayde Yâ—u my Lordes can not see heauenly thinges as beyng Neophiti that is newly come to the fayth and not yet confirmed in our religion To this our Captayne answered agayne O you madde and insensaâ—e beastes I had thought to haue giuen you three thousande peeces of golde but now O you dogges and progenie of dogges I will gyue you nothyng It is therefore to bee vnderstoode that none other shynyng came out of the Sepulchre then a certayne flame which the priests caused to come out of the open place of the Towre spoken of here before whereby they would haue deceyued vs. And therfore our Captaine commaunded that thereafter none of vs should enter into the Temple Of this also we haue most true experience and most certaynely assure you that there is neyther Iron or steele or the Magnes stone that should so make the toombe of Mahumet to hange in the ayre as some haue falsely imagined neyther is there any mountayne nearer then foure myles we remayned here three dayes to refreshe our company To this citie victualles and all kynde of corne is brought from Arabia Foelix and Babylon or Alcayr and also from Ethiope by the redde sea whiche is from this citie but foure dayes iourney The iourney to Mecha Cap. 14. AFter that we were satisfied or rather wearyed with the filthinesse and lothesomenesse of the trumperyes deceites trifles and hypocrises of the religion of Mahumet we determyned to goe forward on our iourney and that by guiding of a pylot who myght directe our course with the mariners boxe or compasse with also the carde of the sea euen as is vsed in saylyng on the sea And thus bendyng our iourney to the West we founde a very fayre well or fountayne from the which flowed great aboundance of water The inhabitantes affyrme that Sainct Marke the Euangelist was the aucthour of this fountayne by a miracle of God when that region was in maner burned with incredible drynesse Here we and our beastes were satisfied with drynke I may not here omit to speake of the sea of sande and of the daungers thereof This was founde of vs before we came to the mountayne of the Iewes In this sea of sand we traueiled the iourney of three dayes and nightes this is a great brode plaine all couered with white sande in maner as small as floure If by euyll fortune it so chaunce that anye trauaile that way southward if in the meane time the wind come to the north they are ouerwhelmed with sande And although they shoulde haue prosperous wynde yet are they so inuolued with sande that they scatter out of the way and can scarsely see the one the other .x. pases of And therefore thinhabitans trauaylyng this way are inclosed in cages of woodde borne with Camels and lyue in them so passyng the iorney guided by pilots with maryners compasse and card euen as on the sea as we haue sayde In this iorney also many peryshe for thirst and many for drynkyng to muche when they fynde suche good waters In these sandes is founde Momia whiche is the fleshe of such men as are drowned in these sandes and there dryed by the heate of the Sunne So that those bodyes are preserued from putrifaction by the drynesse of the sand and therefore that drye fleshe is esteemed medicinable Albeit there is an other kynde of more pretious Momia which is y e dryed and embalmed bodies of kynges and princes whiche of long tyme haue been preserued drye without corruption When the wynde bloweth from the northeast theÌ„ the sand riseth is driuen against a certaine mountayne which is an arme of the mount Sinai There we found certayne pyllers artificially wrought whiche they call Ianuan On the lefte hande of the sayde mountayne in the
white marble whereby they thynke that in tyme past some straungers haue come to those landes whiche haue dygged marble out of the mountaynes and lefte those fragmentes on the playne There our men learned that the ryuer Maragnonus descendeth from the mountaynes couered with snowe called Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata and the same to be encreased by many other ryuers whiche fall into it throughout all the lowe and waterly regions by the which it runneth with so long a tract from the sayd mountaynes into the sea and this to be the cause of the greatnesse thereof These thynges being thus brought to passe the gouernour commaunded the trumpeter to blowe a retraite Wheruppon they which were sent to lande beyng fiue hundred in number making a great shout for ioy of theyr victory set them selues in order of battayle and so keepyng theyr array returned to the shyppes laden with spoyle of those prouinces and shynyng in souldiers clokes of feathers with fayre plumes and crestes of variable colours In this meane tyme hauyng repaired theyr shyppes and furnyshed the same with all necessaries they loosed anker the .xvi day of the Calendes of Iuly directyng their course to the hauen of Carthagena in the whiche voyage they destroyed and wasted certaine Ilandes of the Canibales lying in the way accordyng as they were commaunded by the kyng But the swift course of the water deceiued both Iohannes Sarranus the chiefe Pilot of the gouernours shippe and all the other although they made their bost that they perfectly knewe the nature therof For they affyrme that in one night they were caried fourtie leagues beyond their estimation The syxte booke of the thyrde Decade HEere must we somewhat digresse frō Cosmography make a philosophical discourse to searche the secrete causes of nature For whereas they all affirme with one consent that y e sea runneth there from the east to the west as swiftely as it were a ryuer fallyng from hygh mountaynes I thought it not good to let suche matter slyppe vntouched The which whyle I consyder I am drawen into no small ambiguitie and doubt whyther those waters haue theyr course whiche flowe with so continuall a tract in circuite from the East as though they fledde to the west neuer to returne and yet neyther the west thereby any whit the more fylled nor the East emptied If we shall say that they fall to theyr centre as is the nature of heauie thynges and assigne the Equinoctiall line to bee the centre as some affyrme what centre shall we appoynt to be able to receiue so great abundance of water Or what circumference shall be founde wet They whiche haue searched those coastes haue yet founde no lyke reason to be true Many thynke that there shoulde bee certayne large straightes or entrances in the corner of that great lande whiche we described to be eyght tymes bygger then Italye and the corner thereof to be full of gulfes whereby they suppose that some strayghtes shoulde passe through the same lying on the west syde of the Ilande of Cuba and that the sayde strayghtes shoulde swalowe vp those waters and so conuey the same into the west and from thence agayne into our East Ocean or north seas as some thynke Other wyll that the gulfe of that great lande be closed vp and the lande to reache farre towarde the north on the backe syde of Cuba so that it embrace the north landes whiche the frosen sea encompasseth vnder the north pole and that all the lande of those coastes shoulde ioyne togeather as one firme lande Whereby they coniecture that those waters shoulde be turned about by the obiecte or resistaunce of that land so bendyng towarde the north as we see the waters turned about in the crooked bankes of certayne ryuers But this agreeth not in all poyntes For they also whiche haue searched the frosen sea and sayled from thence into the west do lykewyse affyrme that those north seas flowe continually towarde the west although nothyng so swiftely These north seas haue ben searched by one Sebastian Cabot a Uenetian borne whom beyng yet but in maner an infant his parentes caryed with them into Englande hauyng occasion to resort thither for trade of marchandize as is the maner of the Uenetians to leaue no part of the worlde vnsearched to obtaine rychesse He therfore furnished two shyppes in England at his owne charges And fyrst with three hundreth men directed his course so farre towarde the north pole that euen in the moneth of Iuly he founde monstrous heapes of Ise swymming on the sea and in maner continuall day lyght Yet sawe he the lande in that tract free from Ise whiche had ben moulten by heat of the Sonne Thus seeyng suche heapes of Ise before hym he was enforced to turne his sayles and folowe the west so coastyng styll by the shore that he was thereby brought so farre into the south by reason of the lande bendyng so muche southwarde that it was there almost equall in latitude with the sea called Fretum Herculeum hauyng the north pole eleuate in maner in the same degree He sayled lykewyse in this tract so farre towarde the west that he had the Ilande of Cuba on his left hande in maner in the same degree of longitude As he traueyled by the coastes of this great lande whiche he named Baccallaos he sayth that he founde the lyke course of the waters toward the west but the same to runne more softly and gentelly then the swifte waters whiche the Spanyardes founde in their nauigations southwarde Wherefore it is not onely more lyke to be true but ought also of necessitie to be concluded that betwene both the landes hitherto vnknowen there shoulde be certayne great open places wherby the waters should thus continually passe from the East into the west whiche waters I suppose to be dryuen about the globe of the earth by the vncessaunt mouyng and impulsion of the heauens and not to beswalowed vp and cast out agayne by the breathyng of Demogorgon as some haue imagined bycause they see the seas by increase decrease to flow reflow Sebastian Cabot hym selfe named those landes Baccallaos bycause that in the seas therabout he founde so great multitudes of certayne bygge fyshes muche like vnto Tunnies which thinhabitants cal Baccallaos that they somtymes stayed his shyppes He founde also the people of those regions couered with beastes skynnes yet not without the vse of reason He also sayth there is great plentie of Beares in those regions whiche vse to eate fyshe For plungeyng them selues into the water where they perceiue a multitude of these fyshes to lye they fasten theyr clawes in theyr scales and so drawe them to lande and eate them So that as he sayth the Beares beyng thus satisfied with fyshe are not noysome to men He declareth further that in many places of these regions he sawe great plentie of laton among the inhabitauntes
and calleth the spirite with loude voyce by certayne names whiche no man vnderstandeth but hee and his disciples After he hath done thus a whyle if the spirite yet deferre his commyng hee drynketh of the sayde water and therewith waxeth hotte and furious and inuerteth and turneth his inchauntment and letteth him selfe blood with a thorne marueilously turmoylyng him selfe as wee reade of the furious Sybilles not ceassyng vntyl the spirit be come who at his comming entreth into him and ouerthroweth him as it were a greyhound should ouerturne a Squerell then for a space hee seemeth to lye as though hee were in great payne or in a rapte woonderfully tormentyng him selfe duryng whiche agonie the other disciple shaketh the siluer bell continually Thus when the agonie is past and he lyeth quietly yet without any sense or feelyng the kyng or some other in his stead demaundeth of him what he desireth to know and the spirit answereth by the mouth of the rapte Piaces with a directe and perfecte answere to all poyntes Insomuche that on a tyme certayne Spanyardes beyng present at these mysteries with one of the kynges and in the Spanyshe tounge demaundyng the Piaces of their shyppes which they looked for out of Spayne the spirite answered in the Indian tounge and tolde them what day and houre the shyppes departed from Spayne how many they were and what they brought without fayling in any poynte If he be also demaunded of the eclypse of the Sunne or Moone which they greatly feare and abhorre he giueth a perfect answere and the lyke of tempestes famin plentie warre or peace and such other thinges When all the demaundes are finished his disciples call him aloude ryngyng the siluer bell at his eare and blowyng a certayne powder into his nosethrilles whereby he is raysed as it were from a dead sâ—eape beyng yet somewhat heauy headed and faynte a good whyle after Thus beyng agayne rewarded of the kyng with more bread hee departeth agayne to the desartes with his disciples But since the Christian fayth hath been dispearsed throughout the Ilande these deuyllyshe practises haue ceassed and they of the members of the deuyll are made the members of Christ by baptisme forsakyng the deuyll and his workes with the vayne curiositie of desyre of knowledge of thinges to come whereof for the most parte it is better to be ignorant then with vexation to know that which can not be auoyded Furthermore in many places of the firme lande when any of the kynges dye all his householde seruauntes aswell women as men whiche haue continually serued him kyll them selues beleeuyng as they are taught by the deuyll Tuyra that they whiche kyll them selues when the kyng dyeth goe with him to heauen and serue him in the same place and offyce as they dyd before on the earth whyle hee lyued and that all that refuse so to doe when after they dye by theyr naturall death or otherwyse theyr soules to dye with theyr bodyes and to bee dissolued into ayre and become nothyng as doe the soules of Hogges Byrdes Fyshes or other bruite beastes and that only the other may enioy the priuiledge of immortalitie for euer to serue the kyng in heauen And of this false opinion commeth it that they which sowe corne or set rootes for the kynges bread and geather the same are accustomed to kyll them selues that they may enioy this priuiledge in heauen and for the same purpose cause a portion of the graine of Maizium and a bundle of Iucca whereof theyr bread is made to be buryed with them in their graues that the same may serue them in heauen if perhappes there should lacke seedes to sowe and therefore they take this with them to begyn withall vntil Tuyra who maketh them all these fayre promises prouyde them of greater quantitie This haue I my selfe seene in the toppe of the mountaynes of Guaturo where hauing in pryson the kyng of that prouince who rebelled from thâ—bedience of your maiestie and demaundyng of him to whom parteyned those sepultures or graues which I sawe in his house hee answered that they were of certayne Indians which slue them selues at the death of his father And because they are oftentimes accustomed to bury great quantities of wrought gold with them I caused twoo graues to be opened wherein was nothyng founde but a vessell full of the graine of Maizium a bundle of Iucca as I haue sayde And demaundyng the cause hereof of the kyng and the other Indians they answered that they that were buryed there were the labourers of the grounde and men skylfull in sowyng of seedes and makyng of bread and seruauntes to the kynges father and to the ende that their soules should not dye with theyr bodyes they slue them selues at the death of the kyng theyr maister to lyue with hym in heauen and to the intent that they myght serue him there in the same offyce they reserued that Maizium and Iucca to sowe it in heauen Wherevnto I aunswered them in this maner Beholde howe your Tuyra deceyueth you and howe all that hee teacheth you is false You see howe in so long a tyme since they are dead they haue not yet taken away this Maizium and Iucca which is nowe putrified and woorth nothyng and not lyke to bee sowen in heauen To this the kyng replyed saying in that they haue not taken it away nor sowen it in heauen the cause is that they chaunced to fynde enough there by reason whereof they had no neede of this To this errour many thinges were sayd which seemed of litle force to remoue him from his false opinion and especially any such as at that age are occupyed of the deuyl whom they paynt of the selfe same fourme and colour as hee appeareth vnto them in dyuers shapes and fourmes They make also Images of golde copper and wood to the same similitudes in terrible shapes and so variable as the paynters are accustomed to paynt them at the feete of sainct Michaell tharchangell or in any other place where they paynte them of most horrible portiture Lykewyse when the deuyll greatly intendeth to feare them hee threatneth to sende them great tempestes whiche they call Furacanas or Haurachanas and are so vehement that they ouerthrow many houses and great trees And I haue seene in mountaynes full of many and great trees that for the space of three quarters of a league the mountayne hath been subuerted and the trees ouerthrowen and plucked out of the earth with the rootes a thing doubtlesse so fearefull and terrible to beholde that it may veryly appeare to bee done by the hande of the deuyll And in this case the Christian men ought to consider with good reason that in all places where the holy sacrament is reserued the sayde tempestes are no more so outragious or so perilous as they were wont to bee Of the temperature of the regions vnder or neare to the burnt lyne called Torrida Zona or the Equinoctiall and of the dyuers seasons of
of .viii. dayes in the which he suffered these extremites onely the fyrst day was fayre but al the other clowdy and rayny yet neuerthelesse feruent hotte Wherefore it oftentymes repented hym not a litle that euer he tooke that way Being tossed in these dangers and vexations eyght continuall dayes at the lengthe an Eastsoutheast wynde arose and gaue a prosperous blaste to his sayles Whiche wynde folowing directly towarde the west he founde the starres ouer that paralell placed in other order and an other kynde of ayre as the Admirall hym selfe toilde me And they al affirme that within three dayes sayling they founde most temperate and pleasaunt ayre The Admiral also affirmeth that from the clime of the great heate and vnholsome ayre he euer ascended by the backe of the sea as it were by a hygh mountayne towarde heauen yet in all this tyme coulde he not once see any land But at the length the day before the Calendes of Iuly the watchman lookyng foorth of the toppe castel of the greatest shippe cried out aloude for ioy that he espied three exceding hygh mountaynes exhorting his felowes to be of good cheere and to put away al pensiuenes for they were very heauy and sorowfull as well for the greefe which they susteyned by reason of thintollerable heate as also that their freshe water fayled them whiche ranne out at the ryftes of the barels caused by extreme heate as we haue sayd Thus being wel comforted they drew to the land but at theyr fyrst approch they could not aryue by reason of the shalownes of the sea neere the shore Yet loking out of theyr shyppes they myght well perceiue that the Region was inhabyted and wel cultured for they sawe very fayre gardens and pleasaunt medowes from the trees and herbes wherof when the mornyng deawes beganne to ryse there proceaded manye sweete sauoures Twentie myles distant from hence they chaunced into a hauen very apte to harborowe shyppes but it had no ryuer running into it Sayling on yet somwhat further he founde at the length a commodious hauen wherin he might repayre his shyppes and make prouision of freshe water and fuel Arenalis calleth this land Puta They found no houses nere vnto the hauen but innumerable steppes of certeyn wilde beastes feete of the whiche they founde one dead muche lyke a goate The day folowyng they sawe a Canoa commyng a farre of hauyng in it foure and twentie young men of goodly corporature and high stature al armed with targets bowes arrowes the heare of theyr heades was long and playne and cutte on the forehead much after the manner of the Spanyards their pryuie partes were couered with fyllets of gossampine cotton of sundry colours enterlaced were beside al ouer naked Here the Admiral consydering with him selfe the corporature of this people and nature of the lande he beleeued the same to be so muche the nearer heauen then other regions of the same paralel and further remooued from the grosse vapours of the vales and maryshes howe muche the hyghest toppes of the byggest mountaynes are distant from the deepe vales For he earnestly affirmeth that in al that nauigation he neuer went out of the paralels of Ethiope So great difference is there betweene the nature of thinhabitauntes and of the soyles of diuers regions al vnder one clime or paralel as is to see betweene the people and regions beyng in the fyrme lande of Ethiope and them of the Ilandes vnder the same clime hauyng the pole starre eleuate in y e same degree For the Ethiopians are all blacke hauing theyr heare curled more like wool then heare but these people of the Iland of Puta beyng as I haue sayde vnder the clyme of Ethiope are white with long heare and of yelow colour Wherefore it is apparant the cause of this so great difference to be rather by the disposition of the earth then constitution of heauen For we knowe that snowe falleth on the mountaynes of the Equinoctial or burnt lyne and the same to endure there continuallye we knowe lykewyse that the inhabitauntes of the regions farre distant from that lyne towarde the north are molested with great heate The Admirall that he myght alure the young men to hym with gentlenesse shewed them lookyng glasses fayre and bryght vessels of copper haukes belles and suche other thynges vnknowen to them But the more they were called so muche the more they suspected craft and deceyte and fledde backewarde Yet dyd they with great admiration beholde our men and theyr thynges but styll hauyng theyr ores in theyr handes redy to flee When the Admirall sawe that he coulde by no meanes allure them by gyftes he thought to prooue what he coulde do with musicall instrumentes and therefore commaunded that they whiche were in the greatest shyp should play on theyr drummes and shawlmes But the young men supposing this to be a token of battayle left theyr ores in the twinclyng of an eye had theyr arrowes in theyr bowes and theyr targets on their armes and thus directing theyr arrowes towarde our men stoode in expectation to knowe what this noyse might meane Our men likewyse preparyng theyr bowes and arrowes approched towarde them by litle and litle But they departing from the Admirals shyppe and trusting to the dexteritie of theyr ores came so neare one of the lesse shyppes that one of them plucked the cloke from the gouernour of the shyppe and as wel as they coulde by signes required hym to come alande promisyng fayth that they woulde commune with him of peace But when they sawe him goe to the Admirals shyp whyther he went to aske leaue that he might commune with them suspecting hereby some further deceyt they leapt immediatlye into the Canoa and fleedde as swyft as the wynde so that to conclude they could by no meanes be allured to familiaritie Wherfore the Admiral thought it not conuenient to bestowe any long time there at this voyage No great space from this Ilande euer towarde the West the Admiral sayth he found so outragious a fal of water runnyng with suche a violence from the East to the West that it was nothyng inferior to a myghtie streame fallyng from hygh mountaynes He also confessed that synce the fyrst day that euer he knewe what the sea meant he was neuer in suche feare Proceedyng yet somewhat further in this daungerous voyage he founde certayne gulfes of eyght myles as it had ben the entraunce of some great hauen into the whiche the sayde violent streames dyd fall These gulfes or streyghtes he called Os Draconis that is the Dragons mouth and the Ilande directly oueragaynst the same he called Margarita Out of these strayghtes issued no lesse force of freshe water whiche encounteryng with the salte dyd stryue to passe foorth so that betweene both the waters was no small conflycte But entryng into the gulfe at the length he founde the water thereof verye freshe and good to drynke The Admirall
not lyghtly ben hearde of For he affyrmeth it to be .xxviii. leagues A lytle further towarde the West yet somewhat more southwarde as the bendyng of the shore requyred he entered into a sea full of herbes or weedes The seede of the herbes whiche swymme on the water are muche lyke the berryes of the tree called Lentiscus whiche beareth the sweete gumme called Mastix they grewe so thycke that they somtyme in maner stayed the shyppes The Admiral reported that here there is not one daye throughout all the yeere much longer or shorter then an other and that the North pole is here eleuate onely fyue degrees as at Paria in whose tracte all these coastes lye He also declared certayne thinges as concernyng the variete of the north pole the whiche because they seeme contrarye to thopinyons of all the Astronomers I wyll touche them but with a drye foote as sayth the prouerbe But it is well knowen most noble prince that whiche we call the pole starre or north starre called of the Italians Tramontana is not the very poynt of the pole Artyke vppon the whiche the axes or extremities of heauens are turned about The whiche thing may well be proued if when the starres fyrst appeare you beholde the pole starre through any narowe hole For so applying your instrument therto in the mornyng somwhat before the daye spring haue blemished theyr light yf then you looke through the same hole you shall perceiue it to be moued from the place where you sawe it fyrst But howe it commeth to passe that at the begynnyng of the euenyng twilight it is eleuate in that Region only fyue degrees in the moneth of Iune and in the mornyng twylyght to be eleuate .xv. degrees by the same quadrant I doo not vnderstande nor yet doo the reasons whiche he bryngeth in any poynt satysfye me For he sayth that he hereby coniectured that the earth is not perfectly round but that when it was created there was a certayne heape raysed theron muche hygher then the other partes of the same So that as he sayth it is not rounde after the forme of an apple or a bal as other thinke but rather lyke a peare as it hangeth on the tree and that Paria is the Region which possesseth the superminent or hyghest part therof nearest vnto heauen In so muche that he earnestly contendeth the earthly Paradyse to be sytuate in the toppes of those three hylles whiche we sayde before that the watchman sawe out of the toppe castel of the shippe and that the outragious streames of the freshe waters whiche so violentlye isshue out of the sayde gulfes and stryue so with the salt water fall headlong from the toppes of the saide mountaynes But of this matter it shall suffyce to haue sayde thus muche Let vs nowe therefore returne to the hystorie from whiche we haue digressed When he perceiued him selfe to be thus inwrapped in so great a gulfe beyonde his expectation so that he had nowe no hope to fynde any passage towarde the north wherby he myght sayle directly to Hispaniola he was enforced to turne backe the same way by the whiche he came and directed his vyoage to Hispaniola by the north of that lande lying towarde the East They whiche afterwarde searched this lande more curyouslye wyll it to be parte of the continent or firme lande of India and not of Cuba as the Admiral supposed For there are many whiche affirme that they haue sayled round about Cuba But whether it be so or not or whether enuying the good fortune of this man they seeke occasyon of quarelyng agaynst hym I can not iudge But tyme shall speake whiche in tyme appoynted reuealeth both truth and falsehod But whether Paria be continent or not the Admirall doth not muche contende but he supposeth it to be continent He also affirmeth that Paria is more southwarde then Hispaniola by eyght hundred fourescore and two myles At the length he came to Hispaniola to see his souldiers which he left with his brethren the thyrd day of the calendes of September in the yeere .1498 but as often times chaunceth in humane thynges among his so many prosperous pleasaunt and luckye affayres fortune myngled some seedes of wormewood and corrupted his pure corne with the malicious weedes of cockle ¶ The seuenth booke of the fyrst decade to the same Lodouike Cardinal c. WHen the Admiral was now come to the Ilande of Hispaniola he founde all thynges confounded and out of order For Roldanus of whom we spake before refused in his absence to obey his brother trusting to the multitude of such as were confedered with hym and not onely behaued hym selfe proudely agaynst the Admiralles brother and Lieuetenant sometyme his maister but also sent letters to his reproche to the kyng of Spayne therin accusyng both the brethren laying heynous matters to theyr charges But the Admirall agayne sent messengers to the kyng whiche myght informe hym of theyr rebellyon instantly desyring his grace to sende hym a newe supplye of men wherby he might suppresse theyr lecentiousnes and punish them for theyr mischeuous actes They accused the Admirall and his brother to be vniust men cruel enimies and shedders of the Spanyshe blood declaryng that vppon euery lyght occasyon they woulde racke them hang them and head them and that they tooke pleasure therin and that they departed from them as from cruell tyrantes and wylde beastes reioycyng in blood also the kynges enimies affyrmyng lykewyse that they wel perceiued theyr entent to be none other then to vsurpe thempire of the Ilandes whiche thyng they sayde they suspected by a thousande coniectures and especially in that they woulde permit none to resorte to the golde mynes but only suche as were theyr familiers The Admirall on the contrary part when he desyred ayde of the kyng to infring theyr insolencie auouched that al those his accusers which had deuised suche lyes agaynst hym were noughtie felowes abhominable knaues and vilains theeues and bandes ruffians adulterers rauishers of women false periured vagaboundes and such as had ben eyther conuict in prysons or fledde for feare of iudgement so escaping punishment but not leauing vice wherin they styll contynued and brought the same with them to the iland lyuing there in like maner as before in thefte lechery all kyndes of mischeefe and so gyuen to Idlenes and sleepe that wheras they were brought thyther for myners labourers scullyans they would not now goe one furlong from theyr houses except they were borne on mens backes like vnto them whiche in olde time were called Ediles Curules For to this office they put the miserable iland mē whom they handled most cruelly For least theyr handes should discontinue from sheddyng of blood and the better to trye theyr strength and manhod they vsed now then for their pastyme to stryue among them selues and proue who coulde most cleanely with his swoorde at one stroke
sunne begynneth to shine the water is coniealed into most pure and whyte salte wherewith innumerable shyypes myght be laden yf men dyd resort thether for the same before there fale any rayne For the rayne melteth it and causeth it to synke into the sande and so by the poores of the earth to returne to the place from whence it was dryuen Other say that the playne is not fylled from the sea but of certeine sprynges whose water is more sharpe and salt then the water of the sea Thinhabitantes do greatlye esteeme this bay of salt whiche they vse not only for theyr owne commoditie but also woorking the same into a square forme lyke vnto brickes they sell it to strangers for exchaunge of other thynges whiche the lacke In this Region they stretche and drye the dead bodies of theyr kinges and noble men laying the same vpon a certayne frame of woodde muche lyke vnto a hurdle or grediren with a gentell fyre vnder the same by lyttle and lyttle consumyng the fleshe and keping the skynne hole with the bones inclosed therein These dryed carcases they haue in great reuerence and honour them for theyr houshoulde and famylier gods They say that in this place they sawe a man in an other place a woman thus dryed and reserued When they departed from Curiana the .viii. day of the Ides of February to returne to Spayne they had threescore and .xvi. poundes weight after .viii. vnces to the pounde of pearles which they bought for exchange of our thinges amounting to the value of fyue shillinges Departing therfore they consumed threescore dayes in theyr iourney although it were shorter then from Hispaniola by reason of the continuall course of the sea in the west which dyd not only greatly stey the shippe but also somtymes dryue it backe But at the length they came home so laden with pearles that they were with euery maryner in maner as common as chaffe But the master of the shyppe Petrus Alphonsus being accused of his companyons that he had stowlen a great multitude of pretious pearles and defrauded the kyng of his portion whiche was the fifth parte was taken of Fernando de Vega a man of great lerning and experience gouernour of Gallecia where they aryued and was there kept in pryson a long tyme. But he styll denyeth that euer he deteyned any part of the pearles Many of these pearles were as bygge as hasell nuttes and as oriente as we call it as they be of the East partes Yet not of so great pryce by reason that the holes thereof are not so perfecte When I my selfe was present with the right honorable duke of Methyna and was biddē to dynner with him in the citie of Ciuile they brought to hym aboue a hundred and twentie ounces of pearles to be solde whiche surely dyd greatly delyte me with their fayrenes and brightnes Some say that Alphonsus had not these pearles in Curiana being distant from Os Draconis more then a hundred twentie leagues but that they had them in the regions of Cumana and Manacapana nere vnto Os Draconis and the ilande of Margarita for they deny that there is any pearles founde in Curiana But sith the matter is yet in controuersie we wyl passe to other matters Thus muche you haue whereby you may coniecture what commoditie in tyme to come may bee looked for from these newe landes of the west Ocean whereas at the fyrst discouering they shewe suche tokens of great ryches Thus fare ye well ¶ The .ix. booke of the fyrst Decade to Cardinal Lodoutke VIncentiagnes Pinzonus also Aries Pinzonus his neuiew by his brother syde whiche accompanyed the Admiral Colonus in his fyrst vyage were by him appoynted to be maisters of two of the small shippes which the Spaniards call Carauelas being moued by the great ryches amplitude of the new landes furnyshed of theyr owne charges foure Carauels in the hauen of theyr owne countrey which the Spanyardes cal Palos bordering on the west Ocean Hauing therfore the kings licence passeport to depart they loosed from the hauen about the Calendes of December in the yeere .1499 This hauen of Palos is threescore twelue myles distant from Gades commonly called Cales and .lxiiii. myles from Ciuile All thinhabitantes of this towne not one excepted are greatly geuē to searching of the sea and continually exercised in sayling They also directed their viage fyrst to the iland of Canarie by the ilands of Hesperides now called Cabouerde which some cal Gorgodes Meducias Sayling therfore directly toward the south from that ilande of Hesperides whiche the Portugales beyng possessers of the same cal Sancti Iacobi and departing from thence at the Ides of Ianuary they folowed the southwest wynde beyng in the myddest betwene the south and the west When they supposed that they had sayled about three hundreth leagues by the same wynde they say that they lost the syght of the Northe starre and were shortely after tossed with excedyng tempestes bothe of wynde and sea and vexed with intollerable heate Yet sayled they on further not without great daunger for the space of two hundred fortie leagues folowing yet the same wynd by the lost pole Wherfore whether habitable regions be vnder the Equinoctiall lyne or not let these men and the oulde wryters aswel Philosophers as poetes and cosmographers discusse For these mē affirme it to be habitable and meruelously replenished with people and they that it is vnhabitable by reason of the sonne beames depending perpendicularly or directlye ouer the same Yet were there many of the olde wryters whiche attempted to proue it habitable These maryners being demaunded if they saw the south pole they answered that they knew no starre there like vnto this pole that might be decerued about the poynt but that they sawe an other order of starres and a certeyne thicke myst rysyng from the horizontall lyne whiche greatly hyndered theyr syght They contende also that there is a great heape or rysyng in the myddest of the earth whiche taketh away the syght of the south pole vntyll they haue vtterly passed ouer the same but they verely beleeue that they sawe other images of starres muche differing from the situation of the starres of our hemispherie or halfe circle of heauen Howe so euer the matter be as they informe vs we certifie you At the length the seuenth day of the calendes of Februarye the espied lande a farre of and seeing the water of the sea to be trobelous sounding with theyr plummet they founde it to be .xvi ▪ fathames deepe Going a lande and tarying there for the space of two dayes they departed bycause they sawe no people stering although they founde certeyne steppes of men by the sea syde Thus grauing on the trees the stones nere vnto the shore the kynges name and theyrs and the tyme of theyr commyng thether they departed Not farre from this station folowyng
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
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
way of Commendator of Aysa captayne vnder your maiestie who this present yeere attempted a viage to the place of the sayd spyces and not only the way is thus muche shortned but also a thyrd parte of the tyme is abbreuiate To conclude therefore if any had hytherto attempted this viage by the sea of Sur to seeke the Ilandes of spyces I am of firme opinion that they shoulde haue been founde long since as doubtlesse they may bee by the reasons of Cosmographie Howe thinges that are of one kynde dyffer in fourme and qualitie accordyng to the nature of the place where they are engendred or grow and of the beastes called Tygers IN the firme lande are founde many terrible beastes which some thinke to bee Tygers Whiche thing neuerthelesse I dare not affirme considering what aucthours do wryte of the lyghtnesse and agilitie of the Tyger wheras this beast being otherwyse in shape very like vnto a Tiger is notwithstandyng very slowe Yet true it is that according to the marueiles of the worlde and differences which naturall thinges haue in dyuers regions vnder heauen and dyuers constellations of the same vnder the which they are created we see that some suche plantes and hearbes as are hurtfull in one countrey are harmelesse and holsome in other regions And byrdes whiche in one prouince are of good taste are in other so vnsauery that they may not bee eaten Men lykewyse whiche in some countreys are blacke are in other places whyte and yet are both these and they men Euen so may it bee that Tygers are lyght in some region as they wryte and may neuerthelesse be slow and heauy in these Indies of your maiestie wherof we speake The sheepe of Arabie drawe their tayles long and bigge on the ground and the Bulles of Egypt haue theyr heare growyng towarde theyr heades yet are those sheepe and these bulles Men in some countreys are hardy and of good courage and in other naturally fearefull and bruityshe All these thinges and many more whiche may bee sayde to this purpose are easie to bee proued and woorthy to bee beleeued of suche as haue read of the lyke in aucthours or traueyled the worlde whereby theyr owne sight may teache them the experience of these thinges whereof I speake It is also manifest that Iucca whereof they make theyr bread in the Ilande of Hispaniola is deadly poyson if it bee eaten greene with the iuâ—se and yet hath it no such propertie in the firme lande where I haue eaten it many times and found it to be a good fruit The Bats of Spaine although they bite yet are they not venomous but in the firme land many dye that are bytten of them And in this fourme may so many thinges be sayd that tyme shall not suffice to write whereas my intent is only to prooue that this beast may bee a Tyger or of y e kynd of Tygers although it be not of such lightnesse and swiftnesse as are they wherof Plinie other aucthours speake discrybyng it to bee one of the swyftest beastes of the lande and that the ryuer of Tigris for the swyft course thereof was called by that name The fyrst Spanyardes whiche sawe this Tyger in the firme lande dyd so name it Of the kynde of these was that which Don Diego Columbo the Admirall sent your maiestie out of newe Spayne to Toledo Theyr heades are lyke to the heades of Lions or Lionesses but greater the rest of all theyr bodyes and theyr legges are full of blacke spottes one neere vnto an other and diuided with a circumference or fryndge of redde colour shewyng as it were a fayre woorke and correspondent picture about their croopes or hynder partes they haue these spottes byggest and lesse and lesse towarde theyr bellies legges and heades That which was brought to Toledo was young and but litle and by my estimation of the age of three yeeres but in the firme lande there are many founde of greater quantitie for I haue seene some of three spans in height and more then fiue in length They are beastes of great force with strong legges and well armed with nayles and fanges which wee call dogge teeth they are so fierce that in my iudgement no reall Lion of the byggest sort is so strong or fierce Of these there are many found in the firme lande which deuour many of the Indians doe much hurt otherwyse but since the comming of the Christians many haue been kyld with Crossebowes after this maner Assoone as the archer hath knowledge of the haunt of any of these Tigers he goeth searching their trase with his crossebow with a litle hound or begle and not with a greyhounde because this beast would soone kyll any dog that would venter on him When the hounde hath founde the Tyger he runneth about him baying continually and approcheth so neare him snappyng and grynnyng with so quycke fleeyng and returnyng that he heereby so molesteth this fierce beast that hee driueth him to take the next tree at the foote wherof he remaineth styll baying and the Tyger grynnyng and shewyng his teethe whyle in the meane tyme the archer commeth neare and .xii. or xiiii pases of stryketh him with the querell of his crossebowe in the brest and fleeth incontinent leauyng the Tyger in his trauayle for lyfe and death bytyng the tree and eatyng earth for fiercenesse then within the space of two or three houres or the day folowyng the archer returneth thyther and with his dogge fyndeth the place where he lyeth dead In the yeere .1522 I with the other rulers and magistrates of the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena tooke order in our counsayle a rewarde of foure or fyue peeces of golde to bee giuen to euery man that kylled any of these Tygers by reason whereof many were kyld in shorte space both with crossebowes and also with dyuers snares and ingens But to conclude I will not obstinately stand in opinion whether these beastes be Tygers or Panthers or of the number of any other suche beastes of spotted heare or also peraduenture some other newe beast vnknowen to the olde wryters as were many other whereof I haue spoken in this booke Of whiche thyng I doe not greatly marueyle forasmuche as vnto our tyme this great part of the worlde was vnknowen to the antiquitie insomuche that none of the wryters of that age nor yet Pcolome in his Cosmographie or any other since him haue made any mention heereof vntyll the fyrst Admyrall Don Christopher Colonus discouered the same A thing doubtlesse without comparyson muche greater then that which is sayde of Hercules that he fyrst gaue the entrance of the sea Mediterraneum into the Ocean whiche the Grekes coulde neuer doe before him And heereof ryseth the fable that the mountaynes of Calpe and Abila whiche are directly one agaynst an other in the strayght of Gibilterra the one beyng in Spayne and the
repayde with great vsury in an other world gyuyng by Obligation vnto the lender an assuraunce thereof the whiche departyng out of this lyfe hee may carry with him to hell There is an other great company of suche as are called Inambuxu with curlde and staryng heare They make profession to fynde out agayne thinges either lost or stolen after this sorte They set before them a chylde whom the deuyll inuadeth called vp thither by charmes of that chylde than doe they aske that which they are desirous to know These mens prayers both good and bad are thought greatly to preuayle insomuch that both their blessinges and theyr curses they sell vnto the people The Nouices of this order before they be admitted goe togeather two or three thousande in a company vp a certayne high mountayne to do pennance there threescore dayes voluntarily punishyng them selues In this tyme the deuyl sheweth him selfe vnto them in sundry shapes and they lyke young graduates admitted as it were felowes into some certayne company are set foorth with whyte tasselles hanging about theyr neckes and blacke Bonettes that scarsely couer any more than the crowne of theyr heades Thus attyred they range abrode in all Giapan to set out them selues and their cunnyng to sale eche one beatyng his basen hee carryeth alwayes about with him to gyue notice of theyr commyng in all townes where they passe There is also an other sorte called Genguis that make profession to shewe by southsaying where stolen thinges are and who were the theeues These dwel in the toppe of an high mountayne blacke in face for the continuall heate of the sunne for the colde wyndes and raynes they doe continually endure They marry but in theyr owne tribe and lyne the reporte goeth that they bee horned beastes They clyme vp most hygh rockes and hylles and goe ouer very great ryuers by the onely arte of the deuyll who to bryng those wretches the more into errour byddeth them to goe vp a certayne hygh mountayne where they stande myserably gazing and earnestly lookyng for him as long as the deuyll appoynteth them At the length at noonetyde or in the euenyng commeth that deuil whom they call Amida among them to shewe him selfe vnto them this shew breedeth in the braynes and hartes of men suche a kynde of superstition that it can by no meanes be rooted out of them afterwarde The deuyll was wont also in an other mountaine to shewe him selfe vnto the Giaponish nation Who so was more desirous than other to go to heauen and to enioy Paradyse thyther went he to see that syght and hauyng seene the deuyll folowed hym so by the deuyll persuaded into a denne vntyll hee came to a deepe pytte Into this pytte the deuyll was wont to leape to take with him his worshypper whom he there murdred This deceit was thus perceyued An olde man blynded with this superstition was by his sonne dissuaded from thence but all in vayne Wherefore his sonne folowed him priuely into that denne with his bowe and arrowes where the deuyll gallantly appeared vnto him in the shape of a man Whilest the olde man falleth downe to worshyp the deuyll his sonne speedily shootyng an arrow at the spirite so appearyng stroke a Foxe in steede of a man so sodeynly was that shape altered This old man his sonne trackyng the Foxe so runnyng away came to that pit wherof I spake and in the bottome thereof he founde many bones of dead men deceyued by the deuyll after that sorte in tyme past Thus deliuered hee his father from present death and all other from so pestilent an opinion There is furthermore a place bearyng name Coia very famous for the multitude of Abbeyes the Bonzii haue therin The beginner and founder whereof is thought to be one Combendaxis a suttle craftie felowe that gotte the name of holynesse by cunnyng speache although the lawes and ordinances he made were altogeather deuilishe he is sayde to haue founde out the Giapanishe letters vsed at this day In his later yeeres this Sim suttle buryed him selfe in a fouresquare graue foure cubites deepe seuerely forbyddyng it to be opened for that than he dyed not but rested his body wearyed with continuall businesse vntyll many thousande thousandes of yeeres were passed after the whiche tyme a great learned man named Mirozu should come into Giapan and than would he ryse vp out of his graue agayne About his tumbe many lampes are lyghted sent thyther out of dyuers prouinces for that the people is persuaded that whosoeuer is liberall and beneficiall towardes the beautifying of that monument shall not onely encrease in wealth in this worlde but in the lyfe to come be safe through Combendaxis helpe Suche as gyue them selues to worship him liue in those Monasteries or Abbayes with shauen heads as though they had forsaken all secular matters wheras in deede they wallow in all sortes of wickednesse and lust In these houses the which are many as I sayde in number doe remaine 6000. Bonzii or thereabout besydes the multitude of laye men women be restrayned from thence vppon payne of death An other company of Bonzii dwelleth at Fatonochaiti They teache a great multitude of children all trickes and sleightes of guyle and theft whom they doe fynde to be of great towardnesse those doe they instruct in all the petigrues of princes and fashions of the nobilitie in chiualry eloquence and so send them abrode into other prouinces attyred lyke young princes to this ende that faynyng them selues to be nobly borne they may with great summes of money borowed vnder the colour and pretence of nobilitie returne agayne Wherefore this place is so infamous in all Giapan that if any schollar of that order bee happely taken abrode hee incontinently dyeth for it Neuerthelesse these cousyners leaue not dayly to vse theyr wonted wickednesse and knauery North from Giapan three hundred leagues out of Meaco lyeth a great countrey of sauage men clothed in beastes skynnes rough bodyed with huge beardes and monstruous muchaches the which they hold vp with litle forkes as they drynke These people are great drinkers of wyne fierce in warres and much feared of the Giapans beyng hurte in fight they washe theyr woundes with salte water other surgery haue they none In theyr brestes they are sayde to carry lookyng glasses their swordes they tye to theyr heades in suche wyse that the handle doe rest vppon their shoulders Seruice and cerimonies haue they none at all onely they are wont to woorshyppe heauen To Aquita a great towne in that Giaponishe kyngdome we call Geuano they muche resort for merchandyse and the Aquitanes lykewyse doe traueyle into theyr countrey howebeit not often for that there many of them are slayne by the inhabiters Muche more concernyng this matter I had to wryte but to auoyde tediousnesse I will come to speake of the Giapans madnesse agayne who most desirous of vayne glory doe thynke than specially to geat immortall fame whan they
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
in maner vnder the same qualitie of heauen persysted wyllyngly in the same opinion with more confidence then consideration of the thynges whereof we nowe intreate so lyghtly was that opinion receyued as touchyng the vnhabitable clime vnder the poles But we with better confidence and faith forasmuche as we are not instructed with coniectures intend to stande against the sentence of the olde autours affirmyng the North regions within the colde clime to be inhabited with herrynges coddes haddockes and brettes tunnyes and other great fyshes with thinfinite number whereof tables are furnyshed through a great parte of Europe All whiche are taken in the North sea extended beyonde our knoweledge This sea at certayne tymes of the yeere poureth foorth his plentifulnes or rather driueth foorth his increase to seeke newe mansions and are here taken in theyr passage Furthermore also euen the mouthes of the riuer of Tiber receiued a fyshe as a newe gest sent from the north sea this swamme twise through Fraunce and twise through Spayne ouerpassed the Ligurion and Tuscan sea to communicate her selfe to the citie of Rome The lakes also and ryuers of those regions are replenyshed with fyshe insomuch that no power of colde is able to extinguyshe thincrease of the yeere folowing and the succession reparable so many hundred yeeres And I plainely thinke that if it should of necessitie folowe that one of these two elementes the earth and the water should be destructiue to lyuyng creatures the water shoulde chiefely haue wrought this effecte But this is founde so tractable that in the depe wynter both that increase is brought foorth and fyshing is also exercised The lande is lykewise inhabited with like plentifulnesse But that we wander not to farre let the fayth hereof rest in thexposition folowing wherin we intend to declare howe by the power of nature and industry of man this commoditie may come to passe Therefore as touchyng nature we suppose that the diuine prouidence hath made nothyng vncommunicable but to haue geuen suche order to all thynges wherby euery thyng may be tollerable to the next The extremities of the elementes consent with theyr next The ayre is grosse about the earth and water but thynne and hot about the fyre By this prouidence of nature the vttermost sea is very salt And salt as witnesseth Plinie yeldeth the fattnesse of Oyle But Oyle by a certayne natyue heate is of propertie agreeable to fyre The sea then beyng al of such qualitie powreth foorth it selfe farre vpon thextreeme landes whereby by reason of the saltnesse thereof it moueth and stirreth vp generatiue heate as by fatnesse it norisheth the fecunditie of thynges generate It geueth this fruitefulnesse to the earth at certayne floods although the earth also it selfe haue in his inner bowels the same lyuely and norishing heate wherby not only the Dennes Caues and hollow places but also spryngs of water are made warme this so much the more in how muche the wynter is more vehement This thyng doth more appeare by this example that the mountaines of Norway and Swethlande are fruitfull of metales in the which siluer and copper are concoct and molten into veines â–ª which can scarcely by done in fornaces By this reason also the vapoures and hot exhalations pearsyng the earth and the waters and through both those natures breathyng foorth into the ayre temperateth the qualitie of heauen maketh it tollerable to beasts as witnesseth the huge bygnesse of the Whales in those seas with the strength of body and long lyfe of such beastes as lyue on the land which thyng coulde not be except all thyngs were there commodiously norished by the benefite of the heauen and the ayre For nothyng that in the tyme of encrease is hyndred by any iniurie or that is euyl fedde al the tyme it lyueth can prosper wel Neyther are such thynges as liue there offended with theyr natural wynter as though an Egiptian or Ethiopian were sodenly conueighed into those cold regions For they were in long tyme by litle and litle brought fyrst acquaynted with the nature of that heauen as maye be prooued both by the lyfe of man and by the hystorie of holy scripture They that were led from Mesopatamia and that famous Tower of Babilon towards the North partes of the worlde in the fyrst dispertion of nations did not immediately passe to the extreme boundes but planted theyr habitations first vnder a myddle heauen between both as in Thracia and Pontus where theyr posteritie was accustomed the better to susteyne the rigour of Scythia and Tanais as he that commeth from winter to sommer may the better after abyde yse and snow beyng fyrst hardened thereto by the frostes of Autumne In lyke maner mortal men accustomed to beare the hardnesse of places next vnto them were thereby at the length more confirmed to sustayne the extremities And here also if any sharpnesse remaine that may seeme intollerable nature hath so prouided for the same with other remedies For the land and sea hath geuen vnto beastes deepe and large Caues Dennes and other hollowe places and secreete corners in mountaynes and rockes both on the land and by sea banckes in the which are euer conteyned warme vapoures so muche the more intent and vehement in how much they are the more constrayned by extreeme cold Nature hath also geuen valleyes diuerted and defended from the North windes She hath lykewyse couered beastes with heare so muche the thycker in how much the vehemencie of cold is greater by reason wherof the best and richest furres are brought from those regions as Sables whose pryce is growne to great excesse next vnto gold and precious stones and are esteemed princely ornamentes The beasts that beare these furres are hunted cheefelye in winter whiche thyng is more strange because their heare is then thicker and cleaueth faster to the skin How greeuous then shal we thinke the wynter to be there where this litle beast liueth so wel and where the hunters may search the Dennes and hauntes of such beastes through the woods and snow But such beastes the condition of whose bodies is so tender that they are not able to abide thiniurie of the cold either lye hyd in winter or change their habitation as do certaine beasts also in our clime Nature hath furthermore geuen remedie to man both by art and industry to defende him selfe both abrode and at home Abrode with a thicke vesture and the same well dowbeled At home with large fyers on Harthes Chymneyes and in Stooues for the daye with close Chaumbers and Couches soft and warme Beddes for the nyght by whiche remedies they mittigate the wynters which seeme rigorous to straungers although they are to thinhabitantes more tollerable then our opinion as in deede by the fyrst naturall mixture or composition of theyr bodies such thyngs are agreeable to them as seeme very hard to other The Lion
in Affrik and the beare in Sarmatia are fierce as in theyr present strength and vigoure but translated into a contrary heauen are of lesse strength and courage The foule called Ciconia which some thynke to be the Storke doth not tary the wynter yet do the Cranes come at that tyme. The Scythian wyll accuse the Romane heauen as inducyng feuers whereas neuerthelesse there is none more holsome Such as haue been tenderly brought vp if they come suddeynely into the campe can not away with hunger watchyng heate passages through ryuers battayles sieges and assaultes But the olde souldier exercised in the warres vseth these as meditations of the fielde as hardened therto by long experience He that hath been accustomed to the shadowe of the citie and wyll attempte the saying of the poet Uirgil Nudus ara sero nudus that is naked and bare without house and home shal to his peryl make an end of the verse Habebis frigora febram that is he shal haue the colde ague Suche thynges therfore as seeme hard vnto vs beyng accustomed by litle and litle become more tollerable Insomuch that this exercise of sufferaunce by such degrees doth oftentimes growe to prodigious effectes farre beyond our expectation And thus we seeme to haue made sufficient demonstration by heauen nature and art wherby it may appeare that no part of the land or sea is denied to liuing creatures The reader may also perceiue howe large matter of reasons and examples may be opened for the declaryng of our opinion wherin we rest Let therfore thauctoritie of the auntient auctours geue place and the consent of the newe writers agree to this history not as nowe at the length comprehended wheras before many hundred yeeres Germanie and Scondia had entercouse of merchandies not seuered by the large gulfe of Gothia but as nowe by our commentaries brought to lyght and hauyng sayde thus muche in maner of a preface we wyll nowe proceede to wryte of the North regions Schondia SCondia Schondania or Schondenmarchia is as muche to saye as fayre Dania or fayre Denmarke Plinie in one place nameth it Scandia and in an other Scandinauia if there be no faute in thexemples It was named Schondia by reason of the fayrenesse and fruitefulnesse thereof And this aswell for that in beneficiall heauen fertilitie of grounde commoditie of hauens and marte townes abundaunce of ryuers and fyshe plentie of beastes great quantitie of metall as golde syluer copper and leade diligent culturyng the grounde with townes and cities well â—nhabited and gouerned by ciuile lawes it geueth place to none other fortunate region This was in maner vnknowen to the olde Greekes and Latins as may appeare by this argument that with one consent they affirmed that in these north regions the colde Zone or clime was condemned to perpetuall snowe intollerable to al lyuyng creatures For fewe of them haue made mention hereof as to be inhabited Among whom Plinie as one of the chiefe saith in his fourth booke that Schondania is of vnknowen biggenesse and onely that portion thereof to be knowen which is inhabited with the nation of the Hilleuiones in fiftie villages Neither yet is Eningia lesse in opinion Other more auncient then Plinie haue placed most fortunate regions with men of long lyfe which the Greekes call Macrobios and of most innocent behauour vnder the tracte of those landes and that there came from thence to Delphos certayne religious virgines with vowes and giftes consecrated to Apollo And furthermore that that nation obserued this institution vntyll the saide virgins were violated of them of whom they were receiued as straungers These are most cleare testimonies of Antiquitie both of the greatnesse of Schondia and the people that inhabite the same although they were since vnknowen as lykewyse the Gothes departyng from these North landes although they obteyned Thempire of the regions about the maryshes of Meotis and the coastes of the sea Euxinus with the realme of Denmarke wherof that is thought to be a portion whiche is nowe called Transiluania and the bankes of the ryuer of Danubius and in fine inuaded the Romane Empire yet were not the regions well knowen from whence they tooke theyr originall Therefore lyke as part of the olde wryters are vnsufficient witnesses to testifie of our narrations as touchyng these landes vnknowen to them Euen so the other parte whiche excluded the same as vnhabitable are to be conuinced leaste theyr authoritie beyng admitted shoulde engender opinions not agreeable or conuenient to the nature of places Sigismundus Liberus in his commentaries of Moscouia writeth thus Scandia or Scondia is no Ilande as some haue thought but part of the continent or firme land of Suetia which by a long tract reacheth to Cothland and that nowe the kyng of Denmarke possesseth a great part thereof But whereas the writers of these thynges haue made Scondia greater then Suetia and that the Gothes and Lumbardes came from thence they seeme in my opinion to comprehend these three kyngdomes as it were in one bodie only vnder the name of Scondia forasmuch as then that part of land that lyeth betweene the sea Baltheun which floweth by the coastes of Finlandia and the frosen sea was vnknowen and that by reason of so manye maryshes innumerable riuers and intemperatenesse of heauen it is yet rude vncultured and litle knowen Which thyng hath been the cause that some iudged al that was called by the name of Scondia to be one great Iland Gronelande GRonelande is interpreted greene land so called for the great encrease and fruitfulnesse of pasture By reason whereof what great plentie of cattaile there is it may hereby appere that at such time as shippes may passe thither they set foorth great heapes of Cheese and Butter to be solde whereby we coniecture that the lande is not rough with barren mountaynes It hath two Cathedrall Churches vnder the Ordination of Nidrosia To one of these was of late yeeres a Byshop appoynted only by the title of a Suffragane in consideration that while the Metropolitane doth neglect the direction of religion for the distance of the place and difficult nauigation the people is in maner falne to gentilitie being of them selues of moueable wittes geuen to magicall artes For it is sayd that they as also the people of Laponia do rayse tempestes on the sea with magicall inchauntmentes and bryng such shyps into daunger as they entend to spoyle They vse litle ships made of Leather and safe agaynst the brusing of the sea and rockes and with them assaile other shyps Peter Martir of Angleria writeth in his Decades of the Spanysh nauigations that Sebastian Cabot saylyng from England continually towarde the North folowed that course so farre that he chaunced vpon great flakes of yse in the Mooneth of Iuly and that diuertyng from thence he folowed the coast by the shore bendyng toward the South vntyll he came to the clyme
and other great fyshes The nauigation is not open to this Iland but in sommer season and that only for the space of foure monethes by reason of the colde and Ise whereby the passage is stopped If any stryfe or debate aryse on the sea among the mariners for the commoditie of the hauen the gouernour of the place although he haue knowledge thereof yet doeth he not punyshe them forasmuche as it apperteyneth not to his office to decerne such thinges as are done on the sea but only on the lande Ships are there oftentymes in great peryll by reason of Whales such other monsters of the sea except the Mariners take good heede and keepe them far from the shyps with the noyse of Drummes and emptie barrels cast into the sea There are many Mynstrels and other that play on instruments with the sweete noyse wherof they vse to allure foules and fyshes to their nettes and snares Many also lye lurkyng in caues and dennes to auoyd the sharpnesse of cold as the Affricanes doe the lyke to defend them selues from the heate On the top of a certaine mountayne called Weyszarch lying betweene Island and Gruntland or Greonland is erected a shypmans quadrant of marueylous bygnesse made by two Pirates named Pinnigt and Pothorst in fauour of suche as sayle by those coastes that they may thereby auoyde the daungerous places lying towarde Greonland The myddest of the Ilande 7 0 65 30. The citie Harsol c. 7 40 60 42. Laponia THe region of Laponia was so named of the people that inhabite it For the Germanes call all suche Lapones as are simple or vnapte to thinges This people is of small stature and of suche agilitie of bodie that hauyng theyr quyuers of arrowes gerte to them and theyr bowes in theyr handes they can with a leape cast themselues through a circle or hope of the diameter of a cubite They fight on foote armed with bowes and arrowes after the maner of the Tartars They are exercised in hurlyng the darte and shootyng from theyr youth insomuche that they gyue theyr chyldren no meate vntyll they hyt the marke they shoote at as dyd in olde tyme thynhabitauntes of the Ilandes called Baleares They vse to make theyr apparell streight and close to theyr bodyes that it hynder not theyr woorke Theyr wynter vestures are made of the whole skynnes of Seales or Beares artificially wrought and made supple These they tye with a knotte aboue theyr heads leauyng onely two holes open to looke through and haue all the residue of theyr bodyes couered as though they were sowed in sackes but that this beyng adopted to all partes of theyr bodyes is so made for commoditie and not for a punyshment as the Romanes were accustomed to sow paricides in sackes of leather with a Cocke an Ape and a Serpent and so to hurle them alyue altogeather into the ryuer of Tyber And heereby I thynke it came to passe that in olde tyme it was rashly beleeued that in these regions there were men with rough heary bodyes like wylde beastes as parte made relation through ignoraunce parte also takyng pleasure in rehearsall of suche thinges as are straunge to the hearers The Lapones defended by this arte and industry goe abrode and withstand the sharpenesse of wynter and the North wyndes with all the iniuryes of heauen They haue no houses but certayne Tabernacles lyke tentes or hales wherewith they passe from place to place and chaunge their mansions Some of them lyue after the maner of the people of Sarmatia called in olde tyme Amaxobii which vsed waynes in the steade of houses They are much giuen to huntyng and haue suche plentie of wylde beastes that they kyll them in maner in euery place It is not lawfull for a woman to goe foorth of the tent at that doore by the which her husbande went out on huntyng the same day nor yet to touche with her hande any parte of the beast that is taken vntyll her husbande reache her on the spytte suche a portion of fleshe as he thynketh good They tyll not the grounde The region nourysheth no kynde of Serpentes yet are there great and noysome Gnattes They take fyshe in great plentie by the commoditie whereof they lyue after the maner of the Ethiopians called Ichthiophagi For as these drye theyr fyshe with feruent heate so doe they drye them with colde and grynde or stampe them to pouder as small as meale or floure They haue suche aboundaunce of these fyshes that they hourd great plentie thereof in certeyne store houses to carry them vnto other landes neare about them as Northbothnia and whyte Russia Theyr shyppes are not made with nayles but are tyde togeather and made fast with cordes and wythes With these they sayle by the swyft ryuers betweene the mountaynes of Laponia beyng naked in sommer that they may the better swymme in the tyme of perill and geather togeather such wares as are in daunger to be lost by shypwracke Parte of them exercyse handie craftes as imbroderyng and weauyng of cloth interlaced with golde and syluer Suche as haue deuised any necessary Arte or doe increase and amende the inuentions of other are openly honoured and rewarded with a vesture in the which is imbrodered an argument or token of the thyng they deuised And this remayneth to the posteritie of theyr famelie in token of theyr desartes They frame shyppes buylde houses and make dyuers sortes of housholde stuffe artificially and transporte them to other places neare about They buye and sell both for exchaunge of wares and for money And this only by consent of both parties without communication yet not for lacke of wytte or for rudenesse of maners but bycause they haue a peculiar language vnknowen to theyr borderers It is a valiant nation and lyued long free and susteyned the warres of Norway and Suetia vntyll at the length they submitted them selues and payde ryche furres for theyr tribute They chose them selues a gouernour whom they cal a kyng But the kyng of Suetia gyueth him aucthoritie and administration Neuerthelesse the people in theyr suites and doubtful causes resorte to Suetia to haue theyr matters decised In theyr iourneys they goe not to any Inne nor yet enter into any house but lye all nyght vnder the firmament They haue no horses but in the steade of them they tame certayne wylde beastes which they call Reen beyng of the iust bygnesse of a Mâ—le with rough heare lyke an Asse clouen feete and braunched hornes lyke a Harte but lower and with fewer antlettes They will not abyde to be rydden But when theyr peytrels or drawyng collers are put on them and they so ioyned to the Chariotte or steade they runne in the space of .xxiiii. houres a hundred and fyftie myles or .xxx. Schoenos the whiche space they affyrme to chaunge the horizon thryse that is thryse to come to the furthest signe or
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
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
Barbarians were .xv. slayne many sore wounded After the death of the Captayne they chose two other in his place of the which one was Odoardo Barbessa a Portugale and the other Iohn Serrano â–ª who was shortly after betrayde by the interpretour and taken prisoner with dyuers other Certaine dayes before the captaines death they had knowledge of the Ilandes of Molucca whiche they chiefely sought Departyng therefore from the Ilande of Mathan they sayled farre and came to the Cape of an other Ilande named Bohol In the myddest of this mayne sea which they named Archipelagus they consulted to burne the shyppe named Conception bycause they were nowe fewe in number and to furnyshe the other two shyppes with the artillerie thereof Thus directyng theyr course towarde Southwest they came to an other Ilande named Pauiloghon where they founde blacke men lyke vnto the Sarasins Shortly after they arryued at an other great Ilande whose kyng named Raia Calauar intreated them very friendly in all thynges as dyd the kyng of Massana This Ilande is ryche in golde and hath plentie of Rysse Gynger Hogges Goates Hennes and dyuers other thynges It is named Chippit and is viii degrees aboue the Equinoctiall lyne towarde our pole and in longitude from the place from whence they first departed .170 degrees and about .50 leagues from Zubut Departyng from hence they came to an other Ilande named Caghaian beyng .40 leagues from Chippit as they sayled betweene the Weste and Southwest This Ilande is very great and in maner vnhabited The people are Moores and were banished out of the Ilande of Burnei which some call Porne From this Ilande about .xxv. leagues betweene the Weste and Northweste they founde a marueylous fruitfull Ilande named Pulaoan beyng towarde our pole aboue the Equinoctiall niene degrees and a thirde parte and C.lxxix degrees and a thirde parte in longitude from the place of their departyng From this Ilande .x. leagues towarde the Southwest they sawe an other Ilande whiche seemed to them sometymes to mount as they sayled by the coastes thereof As they were entering into the port there arose a boystuous dark tempest which ceassed assoone as the fyres of the three saintes whereof we haue spoken before appeared vpon the cables From the beginning of this Iland to the porte are fyue leagues This Ilande is great and ryche and the chiefe citie thereof conteyneth .xxv. thousande houses The Kyng enterteyned our men very friendly and sent them besyde many other presentes two Elephantes trapped with silke to bryng them to his Pallace that brought the presentes which the Captayne 's sent him He hath a magnificall Courte and a great garde also a multitude of concubynes He is a Moore and is named Raia Siripada He is a kyng of great power and hath vnder him many other kynges Ilands and cities This Ilande of Burnei is aboue the Equinoctiall towarde our pole fyue degrees and a quarter and in longitude from the place of theyr departyng C.lxxvi degrees and two third partes Departyng from Burnei they came to an Ilande called Cimbulon beyng .viii. degrees aboue the Equinoctiall lyne Heere they remayned .xl. dayes to calke theyr shyppes and furnysh them with freshe water and fuell which was to them great payne and trauayle bycause they were in maner all bare footed their shooes and in maner their other apparel being worne by reason of the long vyage In the woods of this Iland they found a tree whose leaues as soone as they fall on the ground doe sturre and remoue from place to place as though they were alyue they are muche lyke the leaues of a Mulbery tree and haue on euery syde as it were two short blunt feete When they are cut or broken there is no blood seene come foorth of them Yet when any of them are touched they sodaynly moue and starte away Antoni Pigafetta kept one of them in a platter for the space of .viii. dayes and euer when he touched it it ranne rounde about the platter He supposeth that they lyue only by ayre Departyng from hence they directed theyr course by the West quarter towarde the Southeast to fynde the Ilandes of Molucca and sayled not farre from certayne mountaynes where they founde the sea full of great weedes and hearbes From hence they came to the Ilandes of Zolo and Taghima in the which are founde pearles of exceedyng bygnesse Folowyng theyr course towarde the Northeast they came to a great citie named Mangdando lying aboue the Ilandes of Butbuan and Calaghan where they tooke a Canoa of certayne of the inhabitantes by whom beyng infourmed of the Ilandes of Molucca they lefte theyr course towarde the Northeast and folowed the Southeast neare vnto a Cape of the Ilande of Buthuan they were aduertised for certentie that on the bankes of a certayne ryuer there dwelt men ouergrowen with heare and of hygh stature Folowyng styll theyr course by the Southeast and passyng by many small Ilandes they came to the Ilandes of Molucca the sixte day of Nouember and the .xxvii. moneth after their departure out of Spayne Beyng therefore ioyfull and gyuyng thankes vnto God they discharged all theyr ordinaunce In the coaste of all these Ilandes euen vnto the Ilandes of Molucca soundyng with theyr plummet they founde the deapth of the sea to be no lesse then a hundred and two yardes which is contrary to the saying of the Portugales who affyrme that no shyppe can passe that way without great daunger by reason of the shalownesse and rockes or shelues and for the darkenesse which the cloudes cause in the heauen All which things they fayned to the intent that none other should haue knowledge of theyr viages The eyght day of Nouember in the yeere 1521. before the rysing of the Sunne they entered into the porte of the Ilande of Tidore beyng one of the chiefe Ilandes of Molucca where they were honorably interteyned of the kyng who declared that he had long before seene a signe in heauen that certayne shyppes shoulde come from a farre countrey to the Ilandes of Molucca And that whereas for the better certificate thereof he considered the stations of the Moone he sawe therein the commyng of our shyppes and that we were the men whom he seemed to see in the same Wherevppon he profered him selfe to enter into league of friendshyp with the kyng of Spayne and to accepte our men as his brethren and chyldren wyllyng them to come alande as into theyr owne houses Also that for theyr commyng that Ilande shoulde no more bee called Tidore but Castile for the great loue whiche he bore to theyr Kyng whom he reputed as his Lorde and maister This Kyng is a Moore and is named Raia Sultan Mauzor The Ilandes of Molucca are fyue in number and are thus named Tarenate Tidore Mutir Macchian and Bacchian Of these Tarenate is the cheefest Directly agaynst the