whiche he named Baccallaos he sayth that he found the like course of the waters toward the west Baâ—â—â—llaos or Terra Baccalleaâ—um but the same to runne more softely and gentelly then tâ—e swifte waters whiche the Spanyardes found in their nauigations southeward Wherefore it is not onely more lyke to bee trewe but ought also of necessitie to bee concluded that betwene both the landes hetherto vnknowen there shulde bee certeyne great open places wherby the waters shulde thus continually passe from the East into the weste which waters I suppose to bee dryuen about the globe of the earth by the vncessaunt mouynge and impulsion of the heauens The mouyng of heuen causeth the sea to moue and not to bee swalowed vp and cast owt ageyne by the breathynge of Demogorgon as sume haue imagined bycause they see the seas by increase and decrease Demogorgon is the spirite of the earth to flowe and reâ—â—owe Sebastian Cabot him selfe named those landes Baccallaos bycause that in the seas therabout he founde so great multitudes of certeyne bigge fysshes much lyke vnto â—umes which thinhabitantes caule Baccallaos that they sumtymes stayed his shippes He founde also the people of those regions couered with beastes skynnes People couered with beastes skâ—nâ— Yet not without thuse of reason He saythe also that there is greate plentie of beares in those regions whiche vse to eate fysshe howe beares take and eate fysshes of the sea For plungeinge theym selues into the water where they perceue a multitude of these fysshes to lye they fasten theyr clawes in theyr scales and so drawe them to lande and eate them So that as he saith the beares beinge thus satisfied with fysshe are not noysom to men He declareth further that in many places of these regions Perhappes this laton is copper which hoâ—deth gold For latoÌ„ hath no myne and is an artificiall metal and not natural Cabot cauled owt of Englands into Spayne he sawe great plentie of laton amonge thinhabitantes Cabot is my very frende whom I vse famylierly and delyte to haue hym sumtymes keepe mee company in myne owne house For beinge cauled owte of England by the commaundement of the catholyke kynge of Castile after the deathe of Henry Kynge of Englande the seuenth of that name he was made one of owre counsayle and assystance as touchynge the affayres of the newe Indies lookynge dayely for shippes to bee furnysshed for hym to discouer this hyd secreate of nature This vyage is appoynted to bee begunne in March in the yeare next folowynge The Second viage of Cabot beinge the yeare of Chryst M. D. Xâ—I What shall succeade yowre holynes shal be aduertised by my letters if god graunte me lyfe Sume of the Spanyardes denye that Cabot was the fyrst fynder of the lande of Baccallaos And affirme that he went not so farre westewarde But it shall suffice to haue sayde thus much of the goulfes strayghtes and of Cebastian Cabot Let vs nowe therefore returne to the Spanyardes At this tyme they let passe the hauen of Carthago vntouched with all the Ilandes of the Canibales there aboute The Ilandes of the Canybales whiche they named Insulas Sancti Bernardi Leauynge also behynde theyr backes all the region of Caramairi Heare by reason of a sooden tempeste they were caste vppon the Ilande Fortis The Ilande Fortis beinge about fyftie leagues distante from the enteraunce of the goulfe of Vraba In this Ilande they founde in the houses of thinhabitantes many baskets made of certeyne greate sea reedes ful of salte For this Ilande hath in it many goodly salte bayes by reason whereof they haue greate plentie of salte which they sell to other nations for such thynges as they stande in neede of Salte Not farre from hense A straunge thynge a great curlewe as bygge as a storke came flying to the gouernours shippe and suffered her selfe to bee â—easely taken which beinge caryed about amonge all the shippes of the nauie dyed shortly after They sawe also a great multytude of the same kynde of foules on the shore a farre of The gouernour his shyppe whiche we sayde to haue loste the rudder beinge nowe sore broosed and in maner vnprofytable they lefte behynde to folowe at leasure The nauie arriued at Dariena the twelfth day of the Calendes of Iuly how Petrus Arias with the kynges nauy arriued at Dariena and the gouernour his shippe beinge voyde of men was dryuen a lande in the same coastes within foure dayes after The Spanyardes whiche nowe inhabited Dariena with theyr Capitayne and Lieuetenant Vuschus Nunnez Balboa of whom we haue largely made mention before beinge certified of tharryual of Petrus Arias and his coompanye howe Uaschus receaued the new gouernour wente foorthe three myles to meete him receaued him honorably religiously with the psalme Te deum Laudamus giuing thankes to god by whose safe coÌ„ducte they were brought so prosperously thether to al theyr confortes They receaued them gladly into theyr houses builded after the maner of those prouinces I may well caule these regions Prouinces whye these regions are cauâ—ed proâ—â—â—ces a Procul victis that is such as are ouercome farre of forasmuch as owre men doo nowe inhabite the same all the barbarous kynges and Idolatours beinge eiected They enterteyned them with such chere as they were able to make them as with the frutes of those regions and newe breade bothe made of rootes and the grayne Maiâ—ium Other delicates to make vp the feast were of theyr owne store whiche they brought with theym in theyr shyppes as poudered flesshe salted fysshe and breade made of wheate For they brought with them many barrelles of wheate meale for the same purpose Barrelles of meale Here maye yowre holynes not withowt iuste cause of admiracion beholde a kynges nauie and great multitude of Christians inhabytinge not onely the regions situate vnder the circle of heauen cauled Tropicus Cancri but also in maner vnder the Equinoctiall lyne habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall lyne contrary to thopinion of the owlde wryters a fewe excepted But after that they are nowe mette togyther let vs further declare what they determyned to doo Therefore the daye after that the nauie arriued there assembled a coompany of the Spanyardes thinhabitoures of Dariena to the number of foure hundreth and fyftie men Petrus Arias the gouernour of the nauie and his coompany conferred with them bothe priuilie and openlye of certeyne articles wherof it was the kynges pleasure he shulde enquire And most especially as concernyng such thynges wherof Vaschus the fyrste fynder and Admirall of the Southe sea made mentioÌ„ in his large letter sent froÌ„ Dariena to Spayn In this inquisition they founde all thynges to bee trewew herof Vaschus had certifyed the kynge by his letters And there vppon concluded that in the dominions of Comogra Pocchorrosa Tumanama at thassignement of Vaschus certeine fortresses shuld bee erected
of this smaule begynnynge and how Colon folowed this matter reueled vnto hym not withowte goddes prouidence ¶ What labour and trauayle Colon tooke in attemptyng his fyrst vyage to the Indies AFter the death of the pilot and mariners of the Spanyshe caruell that discouered the Indies Chrystopher Colon purposed to seke the same But in howe muche more he desyred this the lesse was his poure to accomplishe his desire For besyde that of him selfe he was not able to furnysshe one shyppe he lacked also the fauour of a kynge vnder whose protection he might so enioy the riches he hoped to fynde that none other myght take the same from hym or defeate hym therof And seinge the kynge of Portugale occupied in the conquest of Africa and the nauigations of the East which were then fyrst attempted The kinge of Portugale the kynge of Castyle lykewyse no lesse busyed in the warres of Granada The kyng of Castile he sent to his brother Bartholomewe Colon who was also priuie to this secreate to practise with the kynge of Englande Henry the seventh beinge very ryche and withowt warres Kynge Henry the seuenth promysynge to brynge hym great ryches in short time if he wolde shew him fauour and furnysshe hym with shippes to discouer the newe Indies wherof he had certeyne knowleage But neyther here beinge able to brynge his sute to passe he caused the matter to bee moued to the kynge of Portugale Don Alonso the fyfte of that name at whose handes he founde neither fauour nor money forasmuch as the licenciate Calzadilla the byshop of Uiseo Barnarde knewe not all thynges and one master Rodrigo men of credit in the science of Cosmographie withstoode him and contended that there neither was nor coulde any golde or other ryches bee founde in the west as Colon affirmed By reason whereof he was very sadde and pensiue but yet was not discouraged or despaired of the hope of his good aduenture which he afterward found This done he tooke shippinge at Lisburne and came to Palos of Moguer where he coÌ„muned with Martin AloÌ„so PinzoÌ„ an expert pylot who offered hym selfe vnto hym After this disclosynge the hole secreates of his mynde to Iohn Perez of Marchena a fryer of thorder of saynt Frances in Rabida and wel lerned in Cosmographie declarying vnto hym how by folowyng the course of the son by a temperate vsage rich and great landes myght be founde the fryer greatly commended his enterpryse and gaue him counsayle to breake the matter to the duke of Medina Sidonia Don Enrique of Guzman a great lorde and very ryche The duke of Medina Sidonia And also to Don Luys of Cerda the duke of Medina Celi The duke of Medina Celi who at that tymes had great prouision of shippes well furnyshed in his hauen of Santa Maria. But wheras both these dukes tooke the matter for a dreame and as a thynge diuised of an Italian deceauer who as they thought had before with lyke pretence deluded the kynges of Englande and Portugale the fryer gaue hym courage to go to the courte of the Catholyke princes Don Ferdinando and lady Isabell princes of Castile affirmynge that they wolde bee ioyfull of such newes And for his better furtherance herin wrote letters by hym to fryer Ferdinando of Talauera the queenes confessor Chrystopher Colon therfore repayred to the court of the Cathollike princes in the yeare M. CCCC.lxxxvi and delyuered vnto theyr handes the peticion of his request as concerninge the discouerynge of the newe Indies But they beinge more carefull and applyinge all theyr mynde howe they myght dryue the Moores owt of the kyngdome of Granade The coÌ„quest of Granada which great enterpryse they had alredy taken in hande dyd lyttle or nothynge esteme the matter But Colon not thus discouraged found the meanes to declare his sute to such as had sumtymes priuate communication with the kynge what men knowe not they count funtasticall Yet bicause he was a stranger and went but in simple apparell nor otherwyse credited then by the letter of a gray fryer they beleued hym not neyther gaue eare to his woordes wherby he was greatly tormented in his imagination Colon his interteinmente Only Alonso of Quintanilia the kynges chiefe auditour gaue hym meate and drynke at his owne charges and hard gladly such thynges as he declared of the landes not then founde desyrynge hym in the meane tyme to bee contente with that poore enterteynemente and not to despayre of his enterpryse puttynge hym also in good conforte that he shulde at one tyme or other coome to the speache of the Catholyke princes And thus shortly after by the meanes of Alonso of Quintanilia Colon was browght to the presence and audience of the Cardinall Don Pero Gonzales of Mendoza archbysshop of Toledo The archbysshop of Toledo a man of great reuenues autoritie with the kynge and queene who brought hym before them after that he well perceaued and examyned his intent Colon is brought to the kynges presence And by this meanes was his sute harde of the Catholyke princes who also redde the booke of his memorials which he presented vnto them And although at the fyrst they tooke it for vayne and false that he promysed neuerthelesse they put hym in good hope that he shulde bee well dispatched when they had fynyshed the warres of Granada which they had now in hand With which answere Colon beganne to reuyue his spirites with hope to bee better estemed and more fauorably to bee hard amonge the gentelmen and noble men of the court who before tooke hym only for a craftie felowe and deceauer and was nothynge dismayde or discouraged when so euer he debated the matter with them althowghe many iudged hym phantasticall The iudgement of ignorant folkes as is the maner of ignorant menne to caule all such as attempte any thynge beyonde theyr reach and the compaâ—se of theyr knowleage thinkyng the worlde to bee no bigger then the cagies wherin they are brought vp and lyue But to returne to Colon So hotte and vrgente was the siege of Granada that they presentely graunted hym his demaunde to seeke the newe landes Colon is dispatched and to brynge from thense golde syluer perles precious stones spices and suche other rych thynges They gaue hym also the tenth parte of all the reuenues and customes dewe vnto the kynge of al such landes as he shulde discouer Colon his rewarde not doynge preiudice in any thynge to the kynge of Portugale The particulars of this agrement were made in the towne caused Sanera Fe and the priuilege of the rewarde in Granada the .xxx. daye of Aprell the same yeare that the citie was woonne And wheras the sayde Catholyke princes had not mony presently to dispatch Colon Luys of s. Angell the kynges secretary of accomptes lente theym syxe quentes of marauedes whiche in a grosse summe make .xvi. thousande ducades Two thynges are herein chiefely to
Of the landes of Laborador and Baccalaos lyinge west and northwest from Englande and beinge parte of the firme lande of the West Indies MAny haue trauayled to search the coast of thâ— lande of Laborador aswell to thintente to knowe howe farre or whyther it reachethe as also whether there bee any passage by sea through the same into the sea of Surand the Ilandes of Maluca which are vnder the Equinoctiall line The way to the Ilandes of Maluca by the north sea thinkynge that the wayâ— thyther shulde greatly bee shortened by this vyage The Spanyardes as to whose ryght the sayde Ilandes of spices perteyne The Spanyâ—â—des dyd fyrst seeke to fynde the same by this way The Portugâ—les also hauynge the trade of spices in theyr handes dyd trauayle to fynde the same although hetherto neyther anye such paâ—sage is founde or the ende of that lande In the yeare a thousande and fiue hundreth Basper Cortesreales Baâ—per Corteâ—reales made a vyage thyther with two carauelles but founde not the â—â—reyght or passage he sought At his beinge there he named the Ilandes that lye in the mouth of the goulfe Quadrado after his name Cortesreales 〈…〉 lyinge in the L. degrees and more and browght from that lande abowt three score men for slaues He greatly maruayled to beholde the houge quantitie of snowe and Ise. Snowe and Ise. For the sea is there frosen excedyngly Thinhabitauntes are men of good corporature although tawny lyke the Indies and laborious They paynte theyr bodyes and weare braselettes and hoopes of syluer and copper Furreâ— Theyr apparel is made of the skynnes of marternes and dyuers other beastes whiche they weare with the heare inwarde in wynter and owtwarde in soommer This apparell they gyrde to theyr bodyes with gyrdels made of cotton or the synewes of fysshes and beastes They eate fysshe more then any other thynge and especially salmons Fysshe althoughe they haue foules and frute They make theyr houses of timber wherof they haue great plentieâ— and in the steade of tyles couer them with the skynnes of fysshes and beastes It is sayde also that there are grifes in this lande Gryfes and that the beares and many other beastes and foules are whyte Beares To this and the Ilandes abowt the same the Britons are accustomed to resorte The britons as men of nature agreable vnto them and borne vnder the same altitude and temperature The Norwayes also sayled thyther with the pylot cauled Iohn Scoluo And the Englysshe men with Sebastian Cabot Sebastian Cabot The coaste of the lande of Baccallaos The land of Baccallâ—os is a greate tracte and the greatest altitude therof is xiviii degrees and a halfe Sebastian Cabot was the fyrst that browght any knowleage of this lande For beinge in Englande in the dayes of kyng Henry the seuenth The vyage of Cabot in the dayes of kyng henry the seuenth he furnysshed twoo shippes at his owne charges or as sum say at the kynges whome he persuaded that a passage might bee founde to Cathay by the north seas and that spices myght bee brought from thense soner by that way then by the vyage the Portugales vse by the sea of Sur He went also to knowe what maner of landes those Indies were to inhabite He had with hym three hundreth men and directed his course by the tracte of Islande vppon the cape of Laborador at .lviii. degrees I se in Iuly affirmynge that in the monethe of Iuly there was such could and heapes of Ise that he durst passe no further also that the dayes were very longe and in maner withowt myght and the nyghtes very cleare Certeyne it is that at the. lx degrees the longest day is of .xviii. houres But consyderynge the coulde and the straungenes of thâ— vnknowen lande he turned his course from thense to the West folowynge the coast of the lande of Baccalaos vnto thâ— xxxviii degrees Baccallaos from whense he returned to Englande To conclude the Brytons and Danes haue sayled to the Baccalaos Bryâ—ons â—anes and Iaques Cartier a frenche man was there twyse with three galeons Iaques Cartyer as one in the yeare .xxxiiii. and the other in the .xxxv. and chose the lande to inhabite frome the .xlv. degrees to the. li. beinge as good a lande as Fraunce and al thynges therein commune to such as fyrst possesse the same Of these lands Iacobus Gastaldus wryteth thus The newe lande of Baccalaos The people of Baccallaos is a coulde region whose inhabytauntes are Idolatours and praye to the soonne and moonâ— and dyuers Idoles They are whyte people and very rustical For they eate flesshe and fysshe and all other thynges rawe Sumtymes also they eate mans flesshe priuilye so that theyr Laciqui haue no knowleage therof The apparell of both the men and women is made of beares skynnes althowgh they haue sables and marternes not greatly estemed bycause they are lyttle Sum of them go naked in soommer and weare apparell only in wynter The Brytous and Frenche men are accustomed to take fysshe in the coaste of these landes where is founde great plentie of Tunnyes which thinhabitauntes caul Baccalaos wherof the lande was so named Fysshynge for tunnyes Northwarde from the region of Baccalaos is the lande of Laborador Laborador all full of mountaynes and great wooddes in whiche are manye beares and wylde bores Thinhabitauntes are Idolatoures and warlike people appareled as are they of Baccallaos In all this newe lande is neyther citie or castell but they lyue in companies lyke heardes of beastes ¶ The discouerynge of the lande of Floryda THe gouernour of the Ilande of Boriquena Iohn Ponce of Leon beinge discharged of his office and very ryche Iohn Ponce water of great vertue of this reade in the Deâ—ades furnysshed and sente foorth two caruels to seeke the Ilandes of Boyuca in the which the Indians affirmed to be a fontayne or springe Whose water is of vertue to make owlde men younge Whyle he trauayled syxe monethes with owtragious desyre amonge many Ilandes to fynde that he sought and coulâ—e fynde no token of any such fountayne he entered into Bimini and discouered the lande of Florida in the yeare .1512 on Easter day which the Spanyardes caule the florysshyng day of Pascha Bemminâ— wherby they named that lande Florida And supposyng that great rychâ—s myght be browght from thense he returned into Spayne and conuenaunted with kynge Ferdinando as touchynge the trade and by thintercession of Nicolas de Quando and Peter Nunez de Guzman the kynge dyd not onely make hym gouernoure of Bemini and Florida but also sente furthe with hym three shippes from Siuile toward his second vyage in the yeare .1515 He touched in the Ilande of Guacana otherwyse cauled Guadalupe Guacana and sent to lande certeyne of his men with the landresses of the shyppes whom the Canibales lyinge in ambusshe The Canibales assayled
knees and theyr handes beefore theyr faces not lookynge vppe vntyll the kynge commaunde them And when they are commynge towarde the kynge as farre as they do see him do they shewe such reuerence sytting on the grounde with theyr faces couered as before Lykewise when they depart from hym they turne not theyr backes towarde hym but go creepynge backewarde with lyke reuerence And nowe to speake sumwhat of the communication that was betwene the kynge and owre men The communication betwene the kynge of Benin and owr men yowe shall fyrst vnderstande that he hym selfe coulde speake the Portugale tounge which he had lerned of a chylde Therfore after that he had commaunded owre men to stande vp and demaunded of them the cause of theyr commynge into that countrey they answered by Pinteado that they were marchauntes trauaylynge into those parties for the commodities of his countrey for exchaunge of wares which they had browght from theyr countreys beinge such as shulde bee no lesse commodious for him and his people The kynge then hauynge of owlde lyinge in a certeyne store house thirtie or fortie kyntals of pepper euery kyntall beinge an hundreth weyght wyllynge them to looke vppon the same Pepper and ageyne to brynge hym a syght of suche marchaundies as they had browght with them And theruppon sent with the capitayne and the marchauntes certeyne of his men to conducte them to the warers syde with other to brynge the ware from the pinnesse to the courte Who when they were returned and the wares seene the kynge grewe to this ende with the marchauntes The kynges gentlenesse towarde owr men to prouyde in thirtie dayes the ladynge of all theyr shyppes with pepper And in case theyr marchaundies wolde not extende to the value of so muche pepper he promysed to credite them to theyr nexte returne and thereuppon sente the countrey rounde abowt to gather pepper causynge the same to be browght to the courte So that within the space of .xxx. days they had gathered foure score toonne of pepper In the meane season owre men partly hauynge no rule of them selues The disorder and death of owre men but eatyng withowt measure of the frutes of the countrey and drynkyng the wyne of the palme trees that droppeth in the nyght from the cutte branches of the same and in such extreeme heate runnynge continually into the water not vsed before to such suddeyne and vehement alterations then the which nothynge is more daungerous were therby browght into swellynges and agues In so much that the later tyme of the yeare coÌ„myng on caused theÌ„ to dye suÌ„â—ymes iii. suÌ„times .iiii. or .v. in a day Then Wyndam perceauyng the tyme of the .xxx. dayes to be expyred his men dying so fast sent to the court in poste to capitayne Pinteado and the rest to come away and to tary no longer But Pinteado with the rest wrote backe to hym ageyne certifyinge hym of the great quantitie of pepper they had alredy gathered and loked dayly for much more Desyrynge hym furthermore to remember the great prayse and name they shulde wynne if they came home prosperously and what shame of the contrary With which answere Wyndam not satisfied and many of theyr men dyinge dayly wylled and commaunded them ageine eyther to coomme away furthwith or els thretened to leaue them behynde When Pinteado harde this answere thynkynge to persuade hym with reason tooke his way from the court towarde the shyppes beinge conducted thyther with men by the kynges commaundement In the meane season Windam all rageinge The furie of Wyndam brake vppe Pinteados Caben broke open his chestes spoyled suche prouisyon of coulde stilled waters and suckettes as he hade prouided for his health and lefte hym nothynge neyther of his instrumentes to sayle by nor yet of his apparell And in the meane tyme faulinge sycke hym selfe dyed also The death of Wyndam Whose death Pinteado comminge aborde lamented as muche as if he had byn the derest frend he had in the worlde But certeyne of the maryners and other officers dyd spette in his face Pinteado euil vsed of the maryners sum caulynge hym Iewe saying that he had browght them thether to kylle them And sum drawynge theyr swordes at hym makynge A shewe to sley hym Then he perceauinge that they wolde nedes away desyred them to tary that he might fetch the reste of the marchauntes that were fefte at the court But they wolde not graunte his request Then desyred he them to gyue hym the shippe boate with as muche of an owlde sayle as myght serue for the same promisynge them therewith to bringe Nicolas Lamberte and the rest into England But all was in vayne Then wrotte he a letter to the courte to the marchauntes informynge them of all the matter and promysynge theÌ„ if god wolde lende hym life to returne with al hast to fetche them And thus was Pinteado kepte a bordeshippe ageynste his wyll thrust amonge the boyes of the shippe not vsed like a man nor yet like an honest boy But glad to find fauoure at the cokes hande Then departed they leauing one of theyr shippes behynde them whiche they soonke for lake of men to cary her After this within sixe or seuen days saylinge dyed also Pinteado for very pensiuenesse and thowght that strooke hym to the harte The death of Pinteado A man worthy to serue any prince and most vilely vsed And of seuen score men came home to Plymmuowth scarsely fortye and of them many dyed And that no man shulde suspecte these wordes which I haue sayd in commendation of Pinteado to be spoken vpon fauour otherwyse then truth I haue thought good to adde herevnto the coppie of the letters which the kyng of Portugale and the infant his brother wrote vnto hym to reconcyle hym at suche tyme as vppon the kynge his masters displeasure and not for any other cryme or offence as may appere by the sayde letters he was onely for pouertie inforced to coomme into Englande where he fyrst persuaded owre marchauntes to attempte the sayde vyages to Guinea But as the kynge of Portugale to late repented hym that he had so punysshed Pinteado vppon malicious informations of such as enuied the mans good fortune euen so may it hereby appere that in sum cases euen Lyons them selues may eyther bee hyndered by the contempt or ayded by the helpe of the pore myse accordynge vnto the fable of Isope ¶ The coppie of Antomanes Pinteado his letters parentes wherby the kynge of Portugale made hym knyght of his house after all his troubles and imprisonment which by wronge information made to the kynge he had susteyned of longe tyme beinge at the laste deliuered his cause knowen and manifested to the kynge by a grey fryer the kynges confessoure I The kynge do gyue yow to vnderstande lorde Frances Desseosa one of my counsayle and ouerseer of my house that in consideration of the good seruice which Antonie Anes Pinteado the sonne
by the handes of this noble prince in this newe world among these newe gentyles The warres of kynge Ferdinando ageynst the Sarasens Is it not well knowen to alâ— the world what a defence and brasen wall he hath byn to all Chrystendome in that he hath quite dryuen out of Spayne the Moores or Sarasens and Iewes which so many hundreth yeares possessed a greate parte of Spayne to no smaule daungioure of the hole Christian Empire and yet coulde neuer before bee cleane vanquysshed vntyll the dayes of this noble and Catholyke prince so named for his warres ageynste the infidelles whom God raysed for a Capitayne of his people as an other Gedion vnder whose banner they myght ouercome theyr enemies and pourge his vineyarde from suche wycked weedes The which thynge doubtelesse may seeme so much the greater and more difficulte forasmuch as in the myddest of the chiefe heate of his chargeable warres ageynste the Moores of Granada he euen then and at the same tyme sente furth shyppes for the conquestynge of the Indies The conqueste of the Indies as thowgh he and the nation of the Spanyardes had byn appoynted by god eyther to subdue the enemies of the fayth or to bringe theym to Christes religion The selfe same kynge Ferdinando also abowte the yeare of Chryst. 1503. sent a nauie of shyppes into Italy where they vanquysshed chased and sâ—ewe the Frenchemen and recouered the kyngedome of Naples with all the dominions belongynge thereunto The conqueste of Naples By which noble victory his succession and posteritie as themperours maiestie and nowe his sonne the kynge owre master and soueraigne lorde haue euer sence enioyed thinheritaunce of the same as of antiquitie by iust and ryght tytle dewe to them and theyr predicessours And as it is the nature of god not only to shewe his loue and fauour to such as haue pleased hym but also to poure furth the plentie of his grace vppon theyr succession from generation to generation so hath he with lyke fecilitie prospered the reigne of Themperours maiestie who by his wisdome and prowes hath not onely pollitikly gouerned The Emperours maiestie but also augmented and inlarged such dominions as fel to hym by discente of inheritaunce What shuld I speake of his warres and conquestes in India in Aphrike in Italie in Fraunce in Germanie and in Flaunders all the which to be declared accordyngely wolde rather require hole volumes then fewe sheetes of paper Yet hath one in fewe woordes effectually expressed his dominions and conquestes in these verses folowynge Impiger expauit rapidas transire per vndas Oceani Alcides continuitque gradum Maximus at Caesar PLVS VLTRA tendere curâ—um Ausus et ignotis est dare iura locis Et domita aurifera nunc victor gente reuersus Caetera sub sceptro ponat vt ipse suo Nam pater omnipotens vt famam terminet astris Iussit et imperium fineat Oceano ¶ An other also breefely hath declared the same in these verses Consortem Imperij voluit quia Iuppiter orbis Astra Deo cedunt Carole terra tibi And certes who so well considereth the progenie of kynges that in so shorte a time haue linially descended from Don Ferdinando and howe many kyngedomes they possesse may see that God hath fulfylled in hym also the promises and blessynges of Abraham Gen. 17. as to make hym the father of many nations and his seede to growe great vpon the earth Also that many kynges shulde come furth of his loynes and to make a perpetuall league and conuenaunt with hym and his posteritie to bee theyr god for euer And here to omytte to speake of other Was there euer better hope or more likenes then now that these blessynges and promyses of god shulde continewe in this princely progenie syth the vertues and felicitie of theÌ„ al doo so shyne and florisshe in owr noble and gratious prince kynge Phylyppe The kinges maiestie to whom euen in his youth his father occupied in the warres of Italye and Aphrike commytted the hole gouernaunce of the kyngedomes of Spayne and the Indies Of his behauour in Englande his enemies which canker vertue neuer lacked They I say if any such yet remaine haue greatest cause to reporte well ye so well that yf his naturall clemencie were not greater then was theyr vnnaturall indignation they knowe them selues what myght haue folowed The properties of â—ooles and wyse men are declared in these owld verses Quid stulti proprium Non posse et velle nocere Quid sapieâ—tis opus Non velle et posse nocere That is to say What is the propertie of a foole To wyl to doo hurte and can not What is the woorke of a wyse man Not to wyll to hurte though he may But whether he hath lacked poure or wyll it is knowen to barbers and blere eyde men Who lamented theyr folly more then he Who more humbly admytted theyr sutes and supplications Ye who obteyned theyr pardon but he Beynge a Lion he behaued hym selfe as a lambe Apostrophe to Englande and strooke not his enemie hauynge the swoorde in his hande Stoope Englande stoope and learne to knowe thy lorde and master as horses and other brute beastes are taught to doo Be not indocible lyke Tygers and dragons and such other monsters noyoâ—s to man kynde God by the mouth of Isaias the prophet reproueth the Israelites that they knewe not so well theyr dewtie towarde hym as dyd the brute beastes the mangiers of theyr masters Isai. 1. The oxe and the asse sayth he knoweth the mangier of theyr master but Israell knoweth not me For shame let vs not be woorse then oxen and asses lyke vnto horses and mules in whom is no vnderstandynge But O vnthankefull Englande and voyde of honest shame Who hath geuen the the face of a hoore and toonge of a serpent withowt shame to speake venemous woordes in secreates ageynst the annoynted of god O paynted hoore that hast Chryste in thy mouth and the deuyl in thy harte Hath not the pocke of thy licentiousnesse brusâ—e furth in maner to thyne owne destruction Howe longe wylt thou nurysshe in thy boosome that serpente whose nature is to deuoure her moother Take a vomyte in tyme least thy disease become vncurable What neede I rehearse vnto the thy manyfolde infirmities and deformities whiche thou arte faulen into by thyne owne owtragiousnesse If the greefes of them bee to thee vnsensible by reason of thy feeblenesse and longe sickenes take vnto the that glasse wherin thou gloryest with the Iewe and thynkest that thou seest at thynges and â—â—nst iudge all mysteries Looke I say in that pure glasse and beholde thy owne deformities which thou canste not or wylt not feele I feare greatly that if thou looke therein diligently and looke euen throughe thy selfe â–ª thou wylte abhorre thy selfe to see howe many monsters lye hid in the vnder the shape of man Monstrouâ— byrthes There is euen nowe great
talke of the in the mouthes of all men that thou hast of late yeares brought furthe many monsters and straunge byrthes wherof dyuers men make dyuers interpretacions more monstrous then the monsters theim selues But shall I breefely and simply declare vnto thee the signification of thy monsters The significations of monstrus byrthes Fyrst then consyder that they are monsters of mankynde and not of other beastes Secundarily marke well that in them al the headde is perfect so that the monstrositâ—e groweth owt of the body although not owt of the hole body but certeyne partes therof But not to go to farre Consyder ageyne that disorder of the partes is a deformitie to the hole One hath well interpreted that such monstrous byrthes signifie the monstrous and deformed myndes of the people mysshapened with phantastical opinions Tâ—e deformity of monstrous myndes dissolute lyuynge licentious talke and such other vicious behauoures which monstrously deforme the myndes of men in the syght of god who by suche signes dooth certifie vs in what similitude we appere before hym thereby gyueth vs admonition to amende before the day of his wrath and vengeance What deformed beastes are more monstrous then lyinge rebellion strife contention priuie malice slaunderynge muâ—terynge conspiraces and such other deuilysshe imaginations But O Englande whyle tyme is gyuen thee circumcise thy harte Put to onely thy good wyll and thou mayste fynde grace and fauoure to recouer thyne aunciente bewtie whiche hath so longe byn defaced The kyng and Queene Thou haste nowe a kynge and queene that desyre thee to remember thy dewtie and holde theyr armes abrode to embrase thee yf thou wylt drawe nere vnto them They are sory to occupie the whyppe yf thou mightest otherwyse bee brought to obedience But yf thou take pleasure to persist in frowarde stoobbernesse knowe thou that they are Lions whelpes and conquerours of monsters wherof thou hast had suche experience that proudely trustynge 〈◊〉 thyne owne strengthe and attemptynge lyke an other Nemroth to buylde a nâ—we towre of confuâ—â—on the woorkes of thy giantes were miraculously ouerthrowne by a woman who deliuered thee from that captiuitie whereby thou oughtesse to knowe the daungiour thou wast in and bee thankefull to thy deliuerer Beware therefore leaste whyle thou contemne the peaceable princes that god hath sent the thou bee lyke vnto Isopes frogges to whoÌ„ for theyr vnquietnesse Iupiter sent a hearon to picke them in the hedes Consider what benefiâ—es than mayst receaue at theyr handes if thou doo thy dewtie towarde them Consyder ageyne that as they are able so may thy gentelnesse make them wyllynge to recompâ—nse the same Stoppe thyne eares from vayne fables as from the inchauntynge Mermaydes For as manye speake of Robbyn Hoode and of his bowe that neuer shot therin so doo fooles prate of such thynges as they knowe not But O god what phantasies are nowe in the headâ—s of men Howe â—edy they are to inuent lyes and tales and of howe smaul sparkes they kyndle greate flames Summe are so curious to fynde faute in other How curious summe are to fynde faute in other that for lacke of iust matter woorthy reproche in them whom they desyre to depraue they speake euyll of theyr parentes kynred of whom they knowe as lyttle And not so satisfyed they dispise and with lyinge disprayse theyr hole nation and countrey Ye sum take such pleasure herein that if they can fynde nought els to disprayse they wyll fynde faute in suche as they fauour not bycause they weare not theyr apparell as they doo or perhappes are not so effeminate as they or eate not as they eate or fight not as they fyght so parciall is the iudgenent of fooles in theyr owne rudenesse thynkyng them selues the better for dispraysynge of other Lyes Imagined Spayne is a beggerly countrey sayth one Themperour is but poore sayth an other He is deade sayth an other The Indies haue rebelled sayth an other and eyther there commeth no more golde from thense or there is no more founde nowe with suche other false and licentious talke diuised by vnquiet braines in whose heades the hammers of sedition sease not to forge ingens of iniquitiâ— If I shulde here answere to all these querels particularly and as the woorthynesse of the thynge requireth I myght fynde matter sufficient to make a volume of iuste quantitie and perhappes be tedious to summe Yet not to passe ouer so great a matter vntouched and partely to stoppe the mouthes of suche impudence lyers I haue thought good to speake sumwhat hereof Fyrst therfore to speake of Spayne Commendations of Spain by the testimonie of oulde autours to declare the commodities therof Plinie a graue faythful autour in the last boke last chapiture of his natural history greatly commendynge Italy aboue al other contreys giueth the second prayse vnto Spaine aswel for al such thynges as in maner the heuen can geue the earth brynge furth for the commoditie of this lyfe as also for the excellente wittes of men Ciuile gouernaunce Also Diodorus Siculus in the sixt booke of his Bibliotheca speakynge of Spayne cauled of the Greekes Iberia writeth that when in the mountaines named Pyrineâ— thinhabitantes buâ—nte vp the wooddes Ryche syluer mynes in Spayne there ranne owt of the mountaynes as it were dyuers streames of pure syluer molten by the heate of the fyre But the estimation and price of syluer beinge at those dayes to them vnknowen the Phenician marchauntes bought the same of them for thynges of smaule value And caryinge it into Grecia Asia and other countreys got great rychesse therby For the desyre oâ— gaynes sayth he so greatly moued the marchauntes that when more syluer remayned then myght lade theyr shyppes they tooke the leade frome theyr ankers and put syluer in the place therof The Phenices by this gaynes beinge made very ryche dyd assigne many colonies both in Sicilie and the Ilandes there abowt and also in Libya Sardinia and Iberia But after many yeares when the Iberians that is the Spaniardes knewe the price of syluer and applyed them selues to the seekynge of metals and founde great plentie of syluer they obteyned greate ryches therby forasmuch as in maner al that earth of the mountaynes is so replenysshed with syluer that it is a marueylous thynge to conâ—yder the nature of the region and the continual laboure of the woorkemen in those mynes Lykewyse when afterwarde the Romans subdued the Iberians The Romans inriched by the syluer of Spayne the Italians which for the desyre of gaynes searched those metals gotte great rychesse by the same For they deputed to that laboure a multitude of bowght seruauntes whiche searchynge the haynes of metals in dyuers places and percyng the earth dyuers wayes for the space of many furlonges browght furthe great plentie of golde and syluer But the rychesse of these mynes was fyrst founde at such tyme as the Carthaginenses the enemies of the Romane Empire had
the Iberians in subiection The Carthaginenses inriched by the syluer of Spain which was the cause that theyr poure afterwarde increased For with monye hyringe the best and moste expert◠souldiers they kepte greuous warres ageynst theyr enemies And not vsynge the ayde eyther of theyr owne souldiers or theyr associates they were a terrour to the Romanes Sicilians and Libyans whom they browght into great daungiour by reason they passed them al in abundaunce of golde and syluer With better fortune therefore and greater hope of gayne are ryche metals sought in Spayne the goodnesse of whose soyle yeldeth cloddes of earth conteynynge much golde and syluer And these be the very wordes of Diodorus Siculus which the later wryters doo also confirme For Iulius Solinus in his Polyhistor compareth Spayne to the best contreys in plentie of grayne vyttayles oyle syluer golde and Iron Likewyse Strabo Statius and Claudius do no lesse commende it It were to longe here to speake of the greate plentie of fine woolles lyttle inferiour vnto owrs also abundaunce of sugar The commodities of Spain vines pome granates limondes and orangies in such plentie that they suffice not only Spayne but also in maner all Europe whereas the apples and crabbes of Englande are scarsely able to serue it selfe And althowghe here summe wyll obiecte that they lacke corne woodde and certeyne other thynges yet are theyr commodities so greate otherwyse that al such thynges are browght them owt of other countreys for theyr wares and that in such plentie that they are there better chepe then euer they were in Englande sence the signe of the steeple the poore mans Inne was pulled downe in all places The sygne of the steeple Summe for lacke of other matter fynde greate faute that in trauaylynge in Spayne men shal be serued with halfe a henne and go to the cookes for theyr meate and to the tauerne for theyr drynke And what then I praye yow What inconuenience enseweth hereof Is it not better so to doo then to pay thryse for one thinge as is the maner to doo in summe of owre Innes and in tauernes where all that eate roste meate are beaten with the spitte as where they that of late in Barthelmewe fayre payde fortie pense for a pygge where the good man of the house was not a shamed to make his vaunte that he had made foure shyllynges of a pygge and had in one day taken foure pounde for pygges But if I shuld here particularly and at large declare howe Englande is in fewe yeares decayed and impouerysshed England impouerisshed Spayne inriched and howe on the contrary parte Spayne is inryched I shulde perhappes displease more in descrybyng the myserie of the one then please other in expressynge the florysshynge state of the other which by all reason is lyke dayly to increase aswell for the great rychesse that are yearely browght thyther from the Indies as also for the ryche syluer mynes that are founde of late in Spayne in the countrey of Asturia as I was credably informed by the woorthy and lerned gentelman Augustinus de Ceratta Siluer mines founde of late in Spayne Contador that is the auditour of the kynges myntes who had longe before byn surueyoure of the golde mynes of Peru Syluer brought frome Peru into Englande and browght from thense and from Rio de Plata .xiii. thousand pounde weyght of syluer which was coyned to the kinges vse in the towre of London where neuer so much hath byn seene at once as suche as haue byn owlde officers in the mynte doo affirme What shulde I heare speake of the golde which themperours maiestie receaueth frome all the Indies Thēperours reuenues from the Indies wheras onely in the two meltynge shoppes of the gold mines of the Ilande of Hispaniola is molten yearely three hundreth thousande pounde weyght of .viii. vnces to the pound wherof the fyfte parte is dewe vnto hym whiche amounteth to three score thousande weyght yearely Yet doo I not here speake of the golde mines of the other Ilandes and the firme lande reachynge .viii. thousande myles from the north to the south Neyther of the ryche Ilandes of the south sea cauled Mare del Sur The Ilandes of the South-sea where the kynge of one lyttle Ilande named Tararequl Margaritea or de las Perlas lying in the goulfe of Saynt Michael payeth yearely for his tribute a hundreth pounde weight of perles Neyther yet of the fyfte parte of other thynges as precious stones brasile gossampine cotton spices and dyuers other thynges wheras also the ryche Ilandes caused the Maluchas perteyne to the inheritaunce of Castile The Ilandes of Maluca althowgh the kynge of Portugale enioy them for certeyne yeares by composition But the Indies haue rebelled say they and there commeth no more golde from thense But what if summe of them haue rebelled dooth it therby folowe that there commeth no more gold from the other that lyue vnder obedience But if thou wylte say that they haue al rebelled at once thou must proue that thou sayest eyther by hystorie or wytnesse of such as know the truth herof as I hauing made diligent searche for the same am able to proue the contrarie and that suche talke is onely imagined by busie headdes Ageyne what if they haue rebelled in summe prouinces dooth it folowe that they maye not ageyne be browght vnder subiection as were oftentymes the prouinces of the Romanes and as were in owre dayes dyuers countreys of Englande whiche haue byn sore afflicted with that plage But whether the sandes of the ryuers and the mountaynes of the Indies bee so emptied with golde that no more can be founde there I thinke it here superfluous to answere to this obiection forasmuch as it is hereafter confuted in the booke of metals where yow shall fynde by experience that metals growe and increase and that after certeyne yeares suche owlde caues of the mynes as haue byn dygged are ageyne replenysshed with vre Also that the sprynges of suche mountaynes turnynge theyr course and breakynge furth in other places brynge with them greate plentie of such golden sande as is founde in the ryuers into the which they faule What impudencie is it therfore with woordes of reproche to caule hym poore whose poure is so greate his treasure so infinite and his doinges so chargeable that I beleeue that when so euer it please almyghtie God to caule hym frome this lyfe to the greate domage of all Chrystendome it shal be harde to fynde an other that shall in all poyntes bee so well able to supplye that roome and maynteyne thimperiall dignitie Let al honest natures therfore learne to speake well of princes accordynge to the sentence De Principibus nil nisi bonum forasmuch as they are the ministers of god who hath theyr hartes in his hande and ruleth the same as seemeth beste vnto hym For there is no poure neyther good nor badde but of god and he that resysteth or
also which thinge ministred further suspection that he was consentinge to the death of owre men Wherfore the Admirall sente forthe an armye of three hundrethe men ouer the which he appoynted one Melchior to be capitayne wylling hym to make diligent searche to fynde owte Guaccanarillus Melchior therfore with the smauleste vessels enteringe into the countreye by the ryuers and scouringe the shores Guaccanarillus is sought â—â—lâ—hior chaunced into certen croked goulfes defended with .v lyttle stiepe hilles supposinge that it had byn the mouth of sum greate ryuer He founde here also a verye commodious and safe hauen and therefore named it Portus Regalis They saye that the enteraunce of this is so crooked and bendinge that after the shippes are once within the same whether they turne theÌ„ to the lefte hand or to the ryght they can not perceaue where they came in vntyll they returne to the mouth of the ryuer Although it be there so brode that three of the byggeste vessels may sayle together on a froont The sharpe high hilles on the one syde and on the other so brake the wynde that they were vncerten howe to rule theyr sayles In the myddle gulfe of the ryuer there is a promontorie or point of the lande with a pleasaunte groue full of Popingayes and other byrdes which breede therein and singe verye sweetlye Popingayes and byrdes They perceaued also that two ryuers of no smaule largenes fell into the hauen Whyle they thus searched the lande betwene bothe Melchior espied a high house a farre of where supposinge that Guaccanarillus had lyne hyd he made towarde it And as he was goynge there mette hym a man with a frownynge countenaunce and a grymme looke with a hundreth men folowynge hym armed with bowes and arrowes and long and sharpe staues like iauelynnes made harde at the endes with fyre Who approchyng towardes owre men spake owte alowde with a terryble voyce sayenge that they were Taini Taini that is noble men and not Canibales But when owre men had gyuen them signes of peace they lefte bothe theyr weapons and fiercenes Thus geuynge eche of them certen haukes belles haukes belles â–ª they tooke it for so greate a rewarde that they desyred to enter bondes of nere frendeshyppe with vs and feared not immediatly to submitte them selues vnder owre power and resorted to our shyps with theyr presentes They that measured the house beinge made in rounde fourme fownde it to be from syde to syde .xxxii. greate paces A large hous compased abowte with .xxx. other vulgare houses hauinge in them many beames crosse ouer and couered with reedes of sundry colours Reedes of suÌ„dry colours wrethed and as it were weaued with maruelous art When owre men asked sum of them where they myght fynde Guaccanarillus They aunswered that that Region was none of his But theyr kynges beynge there presente Yet they sayde they supposed that Guaccanarillus was gone from the playne to the mountaynes Makynge therfore a brotherly league with this Caccicus Caccius that is to saye a kynge they retourned to the Admyrall to make relation what they hadde seene and harde whervppon he sent forth dyuers other Centurians with their hundrethes to searche the countrey yet further Emonge the which were Hoiedus and Gorualanus hoâ—edus and Gorualanus noble younge gentlemen of great courage And as they went towarde the mountaines to seeke Guaccanarillus dyuidinge the mountaynes betwene theÌ„ one of them fownde on the one syde therof foure ryuers faulynge frome the same mountaynes and the other founde .iii. on the other syde In the sandes of all these ryuers is fownd great plentye of goulde Golde in ryuers faulinge from mountaynes which thinhabitantes of the same Ilande which were with vs gathered in this maner Making holes in the sande with theyr handes a Cubette deape and takynge vp sande with their lefte handes from the botome of the same The maner of gathering golde they picked out graynes of goulde with their ryght handes withowte any more arte or cunnynge Graynes of golde And so deliuered it to owre men who affirme that many of them thus gathered were as bygge as tares or fytchis And I my selfe sawe a masse of rude goulde A masse of rude goâ—de weighinge .ix ounces that is to say suche as was neuer molten lyke vnto suche stones as are founde in the bottomes of ryuers weighinge nyne ownces which Hoieda him selfe fownde Beinge contented with these signes they returned to the Admirall to certifie him hereof For the Admirall had commaunded vnder payne of punyshement that they shuld meddle no further then their commission which was only to searche the places with their signes For the fame went that there was a certeyne kynge of the mountaynes from whense those ryuers had their faule whom they caule Cacicus Caunaboa that is the lord of the house of golde Cannaboa kynge of the house of gold For they caule a house Boa goulde Cauni and a kynge or Lorde Cacicus as we haue sayde before holâ—ome water and plentie of fysshe They affirme that there can noo where be found better fysshe nor of more pleasant tast or more holsome then in these ryuers also the waters of the same to be most holsom to drynke Melchior hym selfe towld me that in the moneth of December The day and nyght of equal length in DeceÌ„ber the days and nyghtes bee of equal length among the Canibalis But the sphere or circles of the heauen agreeth not thervnto â—yrdes breed in December Albeit that in the same moneth sume byrdes make their nestes and sume haue alredy hatched their egges by reason of the heate beinge rather continuall then extreme He towlde me also when I questioned with hym as concernynge the eleuation of the pole from the horizontal lyne The eleuation of the poâ—e that al the sterres cauled Plastrum or charles wayne The starres are cauled gardens of the pole are hydde vnder the Northe pole to the Canibales And surely there returned none from thense at this viage to whome there is more credit to be gyuen then to this man But if he had byn skilfull in Astronomye he shulde haue sayde that the day was almoste equall with the night For in no place towarde the stay of the sonne cauled Solsticium can the night be equall with the day And as for them they neuer came vnder the Equinocâ—iall The Equinotial lyne for asmuch as they had euer the northe pole theyr guyde and euer eleuate in sight aboue the Horizontal Thus haue I briefely written vnto yowre honoure as muche as I thought sufficiente at this tyme. And shall shortly hereafter by Gods fauoure wryte vnto you more largely of suche matters as shal be dayly better knowen For the admirall hym selfe whome I vse famylyerly as my verye frende hathe promysed me by his letters that he wyl gyue me knowlege of al such thynges as shall chaunce
taken in the Ilande of Guanahaini beinge nere vnto Cuba wyllinge hym to come nere and not to bee afrayde When he harde Didacus speke to him in his owne tonge he came bowldly to hym and shortly after resorted to his coÌ„pany persuadinge them to come without all feare After this message was doone there descended frome the rockes to the shippes abowt three score and ten of thinhabibitantes proferinge frendeshippe and gentelnes to owre men whiche the Admirall accepted thankefully and gaue them dyuers rewardes And that the rather for that he had intelligence by Didacus thenterpretoure that they were the kynges fysshers The kynges fysshers sent of theyr lorde to take fysshe ageynst a solemne feaste which he prepared for an other kynge And wheras the Admirales men had eaten the fysshe whiche they lefte at the fyre they were the gladder therof bycause they had lefte the serpentes Serpentes esteemed for delicate meaâ— Ophiophagi â–ª For there is nothinge amonge theyr delicate dysshes that they esteeme so muche as these serpentes In soo muche that it is no more lawfull for the common people to eate of them then peacockes or phesantes amonge vs. As for the fysshes they doubted not to take as many more the same nyght Beynge asked why they fyrst rosted the fysshe which they entended to beare to their kynge They answered that they might bee the fressher and vncorrupted Thus ioyninge handes for a token of further frendeship euery man resorted to his owne The Admirall went forwarde as he had appoynted folowing the faulinge of the sonne from the beginninge of Cuba cauled Alpha and O. The shores or sea bankes euen vnto this hauen albeit they be ful of trees yet are they rowgh with mountains Of these trees suâ—e were ful of blossoomes and flowres and other laden with fruites Blossomes fruites bothe at one tyme. Beyonde the haueÌ„ the lande is more fertile and peopulous whose inhabitantes are more gentyll and more desyrous of owre thinges For as sone as they had espied owre shâ—ppes they flocked all to the shore brynginge with them suche breade as they are accustomed to eate and gourdes full of water offeringe theym vnto owre men and further desyringe them to coome alande In all these Ilandes is a certeyne kynde of trees as bygge as elmes whiche beare gourdes in the steade of fruites Trees which beare gourds These they vse only for drinkynge pottes and to fetche water in but not for meate for the inner substance of them is sowrer then gaule the barke as harde as any shelle At the Ides of Maye the watche men lokinge owte of the toppe castell of the shyppe towarde the Southe sawe a multitude of Ilandes standinge thicke together A multitude of Ilandes beynge all well replenished with trees grasse and herbes and wel inhabyted In the shore of the continent he chauÌ„ced into a nauigable ryuer whose water was soo hotte hotte water that no man myght endure to abyde his hande therein any tyme. The day folowinge espying a farre of a Canoa of fysher men of thinhabitantes fearinge least they shulde flye at the syght of owre men he commaunded certeyne to assayle them pryuily with the shyppe boates But they fearinge nothinge taryed the comminge of owre men Nowe shal you heare a newe kind of fyshinge A straunge kynde of fysshynge Lyke as we with greyhoundes doo hunte hares in the playne fieldes So doo they as it were with a huntyng fysshe A hâ—ntynge â—ysshe take other fysshes This fysshe was of shape or fourme vnknowen vnto vs but the body therof not muche vnlyke a greate yele hauinge on the hynder parte of the heade a very towgh skynne lyke vnto a greate bagge or purse This fysshe is tyed by the syde of the boate with a corde lette downe soo farre into the water that the fysshe maye lye close hyd by the keele or bottome of the same for shee may in no case abyde the sight of the ayer Thus when they espie any greate fysshe or tortoyse wherof there is great abundance bygger then great targettes they let the corde at lengthe Abuâ—â—ance of toâ—oyâ—es But when she feeleth her selfe loosed shee enuadeth the fysshe or tortoyse as swiftly as an arrowe And where she hath once fastened her howld shee casteth the purse of skynne wherof we spâ—ke before And by drawyng the same togyther soo graspeleth her pray that no mans strength is sufficient to vnloose the same excepte by lyttle and lyttle drawinge the lyne shee bee lyfted sumwhat aboue the brymme of the water For then as sone as she seeth the brightnes of the ayer shee lettethe goo her howlde The praye therfore beinge nowe drawen nere to the brymme of the water Fyssher men there leapeth soodenly owte of the boate into the sea soo manye fysshers as maye suffice to holde faste the praye vntyll the reste of the coompany haue taken it into the boate Which thinge doone they loose soo muche of the cord that the hunting fysshe may ageyne returnâ— to her place with in the water where by an other corde they let downe to her a piece of the praye as we vse to rewarde greyhoundes after they haue kylled theyr game This fysshe they caule GuaicanuÌ„ The fysshe Guaicanum But owre men caule it Reuersum They gaue owre men foure tortoyses taken by this meanes And those of such byggenes that they almoste fylled theyr fysshinge boate For these fysshes are esteemed amonge them for delicate meate Owre men recompensed them ageyne with other rewardes and soo lette them departe Beinge asked of the coompasse of that lande they aunswered that it had no ende westewarde Most instantly defyringe the Admirall to coome alande humaine people or in his name to sende one with theÌ„ to salute their Cazicus that is their kinge Affirmynge that he wolde gyue owre men many presentes yf they wolde goo to hym But the Admiral leaste he shulde bee hyndered of the vyage which he had begunne refused to goo with them Then they desyred to knowe his name and towld owre men lykewyse the name of theyr kyng Thus sayling on yet further euer toward the West within fewe dayes he came nere vnto a certeyne exceding high mouÌ„tayne wel inhabyted by reason of the great fertilitie of the same A mounâ—aine fruitefull and well inhabited Thinhabitauntes of this mountayne browght to owre shippe breade gossampine cotton cunnies and sundry kyndes of wyldfowle demaunâ—ynge relygiously of thinterpretoures if this nation descended not from heauen The kynge of this people and dyuers other sage men that stoode by hym informed hym that that lande was no Ilande Shortly after enteringe into one of the Ilandes beinge on the lefte hande of this lande they fownde no body therin for they fledde al at the commyng of owre men Yet fownde they there fowre dogges of maruelous deformed shape Dogges of strange shape and dumme and suche as coulde not barke This kynd of dogges they eate as we do
bringynge with them popingayes breade water and cunnyes But especially stocke doues much bygger then owres which he affirmeth in sauour and taste to bee muche more pleasaunt then owre partryches Stock doues of more pleasaunt tast theÌ„ partriches Wherfore where as in eatinge of them he perceaued a certeyne sauoure of spyce to proceade from them he commaunded the croppe to bee opened of suche as were newely kylled and fownde the same full of sweete spyces whiche he argued to bee the cause of theyr strange taste For it standeth with good reason that the flesshe of beastes shulde drawe the nature and qualitie of theyr accustomed nuryâ—hemente As the Admirall harde masse on the shore there came towarde hym a certeyne gouernoure The humanitie of a reuerende owlde gouernour a man of foure score yeares of age and of great grauitie althowgh he were naked sauinge his pryuie partes He had a greate trayne of menne waytinge on hym All the whyle the preeste was at masse he shewed hym selfe verye humble and gaue reuerente attendaunce with graue and demure countenaunce When the masse was ended he presented to the Admirall a baskette of the fruites of his countrey delyueringe the same with his owne handes When the Admirall had gentelly interteyned hym desyringe leaue to speake he made an oration in the presence of Didacus thinterpretoure in this effecte An oration of the naked gouernour I haue byn aduertised moste mighty prince that you haue of late with greate power subdued many landes and Regions hytherto vnknoweÌ„ to you and haue browght no little feare vppon all the people and inhabitantes of the same The which your good fortune you shal beare with lesse insolencie Theyr opinion of the 〈◊〉 of man if you remember that the soules of men haue two iourneyes after they are departed from this bodye The one fowle and darke prepared for suche as are iniurious and cruell to man kynde The other pleasaunt and delectable ordeyned for theÌ„ which in theyr lyfe tyme loued peace and quietnes If therefore you acknowleage your selfe to bee mortall and consyder that euery man shall receaue condigne rewarde or punyshemeÌ„t for such thinges as he hath done in this life you wyl wrongefully hurte no man When he had sayde these wordes and other lyke which were declared to the Admirall by thinterpretour he marueylinge at the iudgemente of the naked owlde man answered that he was gladde to heare his opinion as touchinge the sundry iourneys and rewardes of sowles departed from theyr bodyes Supposinge that nother he or any other of thinhabitantes of those Regions Desyre of golde founde that which religion coulde not fynde had had any knowleage thereof Declaringe further that the chiefe cause of his comminge thyther was to instructe them in such godly knowleage and trewe religion And that he was sente into those countreys by the Christian kynge of Spayne his lorde and maister for the same purpose Virtus post nummos c. And specially to subdue and punishe the Canibales and such other mischeuous people And to defende innocentes ageynst the violence of such euyl doers wyllynge hym and all other such as embrased vertue in no case to bee afrayde But rather to open his mynde vnto him if eyther he or any other suche quiete men as he was hadde susteyned any wronge of theyr neyghbours and that he wold see the same reuenged These comfortable wordes of the Admirall soo pleased the owlde man that notwithstandyng his extreeme age he woulde gladly haue gone with the Admiral as he had doone in deede if his wyfe and chyldren had not hyndered hym of his purpose But he marueyled not a lyttle that the Admirall was vnder the dominion of an other And muche more when thinterpretour towlde hym of the glorye magnificence pompes greate power and furnymentes of warre of owre kynges and of the multitudes of cities and townes which were vnder theyr dominions Intendyng therfore to haue gonne with the Admirall his wyfe and children fell prostrate at his feete with teares desyrynge hym not to forsake them and leaue them desolate At whose pytifull requestes the worthy owlde man beinge moued remayned at home to the comfort of his people and famylie satisfyenge rather them then hym selfe For not yet ceasinge to woonder and of heauy countenaunce bycause he myght not departe he demaunded oftentymes if that lande were not heauen which browght foorth suche a kynde of men For it is certeyne that amonge them the lande is as common as the sonne and water The Iland as common as the sunne and water And that Myne and Thyne the seedes of all myscheefe haue no place with them They are contente with soo lyttle that in soo large a countrey they haue rather superfluitie theÌ„ scarsenes Soo that as wee haue sayde before they seeme to lyue in the goulden worlde The golden worlde without toyle lyuinge in open gardens not intrenched with dykes dyuyded with hedges or defended with waules They deale trewely one with an other without lawes without bookes and without Iudges They take hym for an euyll and myscheuous man which taketh pleasure in doinge hurte to other And albeit that they delyte not in superfluities yet make they prouision for thincrease of suche rootes ProuisioÌ„ without care wherof they make theyr breade as Maizium Iucca and Ages contented with suche simple dyet Simple diete wherby health is preserued and dyseases auoyded The Admirall therfore departinge from thense and myndinge to returne ageyne shortly after chaunced to coome ageyne to the Ilande of Iamaica beinge on the sowthe syde therof The Iland of Iamaica and coasted all a longe by the shore of the same from the Weste to the Easte From whose last corner on the East syde when he sawe towarde the North on his lefte hande certeyn high mountains he knewe at the length that it was the sowthe syde of the Ilande of Hispaniola hispaniola which he had not yet passed by Wherfore at the Calendes of September enteringe into the hauen of the same Ilande cauled saynt Nycolas hauen he repayred his shippes to thintent that he myght ageyne wast and spoyle the Ilandes of the Canibales The Canibales and burne all theyr Canoas that those raueninge wolues myght no longer persecute and deuoure the innocent sheepe But he was at this tyme hyndered of his purpose by reason of a dysease which he had gotteÌ„ with to muche watchinge Sickenes of to much watchinge Thus beinge feeble and weake he was ledde of the maryners to the citie of Isabella where with his two brytherne which were there other his familiers he recouered his health in shorte space Yet coulde he not at this tyme assayle the Canibales by reason of sedicion that was rysen of late amonge the Spanyardes which he had lefte in Hispaniola wherof we wyll speake more heareafter Thus fare ye wel ¶ The fourth booke of the fyrst decade to Lodouike Cardinall of Aragonie COlonus the
greate ryuer runnynge by the playne which we sayd before to lye betwene the corners of the mountaynes of Ciguaua and the sea he fownde two scoutes of his enemyes lurkinge in certeyne busshes wherof the one castynge hym selfe head longe into the sea escaped and by the mouthe of the ryuer swamme ouer to his coompanyons The other beinge taken declared that in the woodde on the other side the ryuer there lay in campe syxe thousande Cyguauians redy vnwares to aâ—sayle owre men passynge bye Wherfore the Lieuetenaunte fyndyng a shalowe place where he myght passe ouer he with his hole army entered into the ryuer The which thyng when the Ciguauians had espyed they came runnynge owte of the wooddes with a terrible crye and moste horrible aspect much lyke vnto the people cauled Agathyrsi of whom the poete virgile speaketh Pieâ—i Agathyrsi For they were all paynted and spotted with sundry coloures and especiall with blacke and redde whiche they make of certeyne fruites nooryshed for the same purpose in theyr gardens Naked men painted with the ioyce of certeÌ„ fruites with the ioyce wherof they paynt them selues from the forheade euen to the knees hauing theyr heare whiche by arte they make longe and blacke if nature deny it them wrethed and rowled after a thousande fasshions heare made longe black by arte A man wold thâ—nke them to bee deuylles incarnate newly broke owte of hell they are soo lyke vnto helhoundes As owre meÌ„ waded ouer the ryuer they sâ—otte at them and hurled dartes soo thicke that it almoste tooke the lyght of the sonne from owre men In so much that if they had not borne of the force therof with theyr targettes The vse of targettes the matter hadde gonne wronge with them Yet at the length many beinge wounded they paâ—â—ed ouer the ryuer which thynge when the enemies sawe they fledâ—e whome owre men persuinge slewe sume in the chase The Ciâ—uani an◠〈◊〉 dryueÌ„ to â—lâ—ght but not many by reason of theyr swyftenes of foote Thus beinge in the wooddes they shotte at owre men more safely For they being accustomed to the wooddes and naked without any lette passed throwgh the busshes and shrubbes as it had byn wylde bores or hartes wheras owre men were hyndered by reason of theyr apparell targettes longe iauelens and ignorance of the place Wherfore when he had rested there all that nyght in vayne and the daye folowynge sawe none steringe in the wodes he went by the councel and conducte of the other Ilande men which were in his aâ—mye immediatly from thense to the montaynes in the which king Maiobanexius had his cheefe mansion place in the vylage cauled Capronum kynge Maiobanexius by the which name also the kynges palaice was cauled beinge in the same vylage Thus marchinge forwarde with his army abowte twelue myle of he encamped in the vylage of an other kynge which thinhabitantes had forsaken for feare of owre men Yet makynge dyligent search they fownde two by whom they had knowleage that there was tenne kynges with Maiobanexius in his palaice of Capronum with an army of eight thousand Ciguauians An army of viii thousand Ciguauâ—aâ—â— At the Lieuetenantes fyrst approche he durst not gyue them battayle vntyll he had sumwhat better searched the Region Yet did he in the meane tyme skyrmysshe with them twyse The nexte nyght abowte mydnyght he sent furth scoutes and with them guydes of the Ilande men which knewe the countrey Whom the Ciguauians espyenge from the mountaynes prepared them selues to the battayle with a terrible crye or alarome after their maner A Larome but yet durst not coome owte of the wooddes supposing that the Lieuetenaunt with his mayne army had byn euen at hande The day folowynge wheÌ„ he brought his army to the place where they encamped leaping owt of the wooddes The Ciguauians out to fâ—yght ageine they twyse attempted the fortune of warre fiercely assayling owre men with a mayne force and woundinge manye before they coulde coouer them with theyr targettes Yet owre men put them to flyght slewe many and tooke many The resydewe fledde to the wooddes where they kept them styll as in their moste safe houlde Of them which were taken he sent one with hym an other of the Ilande men which was of his parte to Maiobanexius with commaundement in this effect The Lieuetenaunt brought not hether his army O Maiobanexius to kepe warre eyther ageynst yowe or yowre people The Lieuetenaunt his ambassage to kynge Maiobanexius For he greately desyreth yowre frendeshippe But his entent is that Guarionexius who hath persuaded yowe to bee his ayde ageynste hym to the greate destruction of yowre people and vndoynge of yowre countrey may haue dewe correction aswell for his disobedience towarde him as also for raysing tumultes amonge the people Wherfore he requyreth yowe and exorteth yowe to delyuer Guarionexius into his handes kynge Guarionexius The which thynge yf yowe shall performe the Admirall his brother wyll not only gladly admitte yowe to his frendeshyppe but also enlarge defende yowre dominion And if herein yowe refuse to accomplysâ—â—e his requeste it wyll folowe that yowe shall shortelye repent yowe therof For yowre kyngedome shall be wasted with swoorde and fyer and yowe shall abyde the fortune of warâ—e wherof yowe haue had experience with fauour as you shall further know here after to yowre payne yf with stobernes yowe prouoke hym to shewe the vttermoste of his poure When the messenger had thus doone his errante Maiobanexius answered Maiobanexius hâ—s answere that Guarionexius was a good man indued with many vertues as all men knewe And therfore he thought hym worthy his ayde especially in as muche as he fledde to hym for succoure and that he had made him such promesse whom also he had proued to bee his faithfull frende Natural hatred of vyce Ageyne that they were nawghty men violent and cruell desyringe other mens gooddâ—s and suche as spared not to sheede innocentes bludde In fyne that he wolde not haue to doo with suche myscheuous men nor yet enter into frendeshippe with them When these thynges came to the Lieuetenauntes eare he commaunded the vylage to be burnte where he hym selfe encamped with many other vylages there abowte And when he drewe nere to the place where Mâ—iobanexius lay he sent messengers to hym ageyne to common the matter with hym and to wyll hym to sende sume one of his moste feythful frendes to entreate with hym of peace Where vppon the kynge sent vnto hym one of his cheefe gentelmen and with hym two other to wayte on hym When he came to the Lieuetenauntes presence The Lieuetenaunteâ— gentelnes toward Maâ—obanexius he frendly requyred hym to persuade his lord and master in his name and ernestly to admonysshe hym not to suffer his floryshinge kyngedome to bee spoyled or hym selfe to abyde the hasarde of warre for Guarionexius sake And further to
by agremente had diuided emonge theym the goodes and headdes to owre men Tryuâ—phe before victory And therfore admonyâ—hed her at the daye appoynted by sume occasion to conueigh her selfe owte of the way leste shee shuld bee slayne in the confusion of the bataile For the souldier victourer is not woonte to spare any that commethe in his rase And thus shewinge his syster the daye aâ—â—igned to the slawghter Affection corruâ—teth trew iudgement he departed But the younge woman for it is the swoord that women feare and obserue more then the grauitie of Cato whether it were for the loue or feare that shee had to Vaschus forgettinge her parentes her kynsfolkes her countrey and all her frendes ye and all the kinges into whose throtes Vaschus had thruste his swoorde shee opened all the matter vnto hym and conceled none of those thinges whiche her vndiscrete broother had declared to her When Vaschus therfore had hard the matter he caused Fuluia for soo had they named her to sende for her brother who came to her immediatly was taken and enforced to tell the hole circunstances of the matter Where vppon he playnely confessed that kinge Cemacchus hys lorde and master sente those foure canoas to the destruction of owre men and that these newe conspiraces were attempted by his consaile The conâ—pirâ—tiâ— of the kynges is detected Likewise that Cemacchus sowght the destruction of Vaschus hym selfe when he sent hym fortie men vnder pretence of frenâ—shippe to tyll and sowe his grownd after the maner of the contrey gyuinge them in commaundement to sleye Vaschus at Marris whyther he resorted to comforte his laboures as the maner is of all good husbandes Yet durste they at noo tyme execute theyr lordes commaundemente vppon hym bycause Vaschus came neuer emonge them afoote or vnarmed kyng Cemacchus conâ—â—â—reth the oâ—th of Uaschus but was accustomed to ryde to theym in harnes with a iauelen in his hande and a swoorde by his syde Wherfore Cemacchus beinge frustrate of his particuâ—er conâ—aile tooke this laste thing in hande to his owne destruction and his neighbours For the conspiracie beinge detected Vaschus cauled threescore and tenne souldiers Uaâ—chus purseweth the kynges with threescore ten men commaundinge them to folow him but declared nothing vnto them whether hee wente or what hee entended to do He wente forwarde therfore fyrste towarde Cemacchus which ley from hym onely tenne myles But he had knowleage that he was fledde to Dabaiba the kinge of the marishes of Culata Yet searchinge his village he founde a noble man a ruler vnder hym and also his kinsseman whome he tooke prisoner with many other of his familiers and frendes both men and women The same houre that he sette forwarde to seeke for Cemacchus Rodericus Colmenaris rowed vp the ryuer with foure of theyr biggeste Canoas and threescore men by the conduction of the maydes brother who browght hym to the village of â—ichiri Colmenaris â—acketh the vylage of Cichiri in the which we sayd all their vitailes to remayne whiche were prepared for theyr armye Colmenaris therfore sacked the village and possessed all their vitayles and wyne of sundry colours likewise tooke the gouernoure thereof prisoner and hanged hym on the tree in whiche he dwelte hym selfe commaundinge hym too bee shotte throwgh with arrowes in the sight of thinhabitantes Fyue rulers hanged and shot thâ—owgh with arrows and with hym foure other rulers to bee hanged on iebbettes to the exemple of other rebelles This punysshmente thus executed vppon the conspiratours sâ—rooke the hartes of all thinhabitantes of the prouince wych suche feare that there is not nowe a man that dare stoore his finger ageynst the wrathe of owre men They lyue nowe therefore quietly And the other kinges by theyr exemple doo the gladlyer liue in subiection with lesse offence bearinge the yoke whyche they can by noo meanes shake of The syxte booke of the seconde decade of the supposed continente THese thinges thus fynysshed assemblinge all their company togither they determined with one consente that a messynger shulde foorth with bee sente to Hispaniola from whense they haue their lawes and ayde to declare the hole order of all these affayres fyrste to the admirall and gouernoure of the Ilande and afterwarde to the Kinge of Spayne and to persuade hym to senâ—e those thousand men which younge Comogrus said to bee expediente to passe ouer the mountaynes lying betwene them and the golden regions towarde the Southe The golden regionâ— on the south side the mountaynes Vaschus him selfe dyd greatly affecte this embasage But neyther woolde the resydewe of his felowes electe hym therto nor his factionaries suffer hym to departe Aswell for that therby they thought they shulde bee left desolate as also that they murmured that if Vaschus shulde once goo from theym he wolde neuer returne to suche turmoyles and calamities by thexemple of Valdiuia and zamudius The death of Ualdiuia and zamudius who had byn now absente sence the mooneth of Ianuary in soo muche that they thowght they woolde neuer coomme ageine But the matter was otherwise then they tooke it as I wyl shewe in his place For they were perisshâ—d At the lengeth after many scrutinies they elected one Iohn Quicedus Iohannes Quicedâ—s is sent to Spain a graue man well in yeares treasourer of the kings escheker in those prouinces They had conceaued a good opinion of this Quicedus that all thynges shulde bee well browght to passe by his meanes aswell for his wysdome as also that they were in good hop of his returne bycause he had brought his wiffe with hym to those regions whome he lefte with his felowes for a pledge of his comminge ageyne When they had thus elected Quicedus they were ageyne of diuers opinions whome they might ioyne with hym for assistance Affirminge that it were a daungerous thinge to committe soo weightye a matter to one mans handes Not that they mistrusted Quicedus but bycause the life of man is frayle and the chaunge of the ayer perelous Chaunge of the ayer is daungerous especially to theym hauynge nowe of longe tyme byn accustomed to the temperature nere vnto the Equinocâ—iall if they shulde bee compelled to returne to the North with alteratioÌ„ of ayer dyet They thowght it therfore good to appoynt a coÌ„panioÌ„ to Quicedus that if â—y chance the one shuld fayl the other might remayne And that if they both escaped the king shuld gyue the better credit to the relation of both After longe consultatioÌ„ therfore they chose Rodericus Colmenaris a man of good experience Rodericus Colmenaris assistâ—nt wiâ—â— Quicedus of whoÌ„ we haue often tymes made meÌ„cion For from his youth he had trauayled ouer al Europe by land and by sea and was present at the doinges of all thynges in Italy ageynst the Frenchemen Of whose returne also they had noo smaule hope bycause he had many fermes and hâ—dde
vertue For they haue soo spredde this rumour for a truth throwghowt all the courte that not onely all the people but also many of them whom wisedome or fortune hath diuided from the common sort thinke it to be true But if yowe shal aske my opinion herein The renouation of age I wyl answere that I wyll not attribute so greate poure to nature but that god hath noo lesse reserued this prerogatiue to hym selfe then to searche the hartes of men or to gyue substance to priuation that is beinge to noo beinge Excepte we shall beleue the fable of Colobis of Eson renouate to bee as trewe as the wrytinges of Sibylla Erythrea Albeit perhappes the scoles of phisitians and naturall philosophers wyll not muche stycke to affirme that by thuse of certeyne secreate medecines and dyete The accidentes of age may bee hydden the accidentes of age as they caule them may be longe hydden and deferred which they wyll to bee vnderstoode by the renouacion of age And to haue sayde thus much of the length and breadthe of these Regions and of the rowghe and hugious mountaynes with theyr watery caues also of the dyuers degrees of that lande I thinke it sufficient But I thowght it not good to let passe what chaunced to these miserable men amonge theyr generall calamities I remember that when I was a chylde mee thowght my bowelles grated and that my spirites were maruelouslye troubeled for verye pitie when I readde in the poet Uirgyl howe Achemenides was lefte of Vlysses vpon the sea bankes amonge the giantes cauled Cyclopes Achemenides Vlyssâ—s Encas where for the space of many dayes from the departinge of Vlyssâ—s vntyll the commynge of Encas he eate none other meate but only berryes and hawes But owre vnfortunate Spanyardes whiche folowed Nicuesa to inhabite Beragua Extreme hunger woolde haue estemed hawes and berryes for greate delicates What shulde I heare speake of the heade of an asse bowght for a greate price and of such other extremities as men haue suffered in townes beseaged This was at the â—iege of hieruâ—alem After that Nicuesa hadde determyned to leaue Beragua for the barrennes of the soyle he attempted to searche Porâ—um Bellum Portus Bâ—llus and then the coastes of the poynt cauled Marmor Maâ—moâ— if he myght there fynde a place more fortunate to inhabite In this meane tyme so greuous famen oppressed his souldiers that they neyther absteyned from eatinge of mangie dogges which they had with them aswell for theyr defence as for huntynge for in the warre ageynst the naked people Mangy dogs eaten dogges stoode theÌ„ in greate steade nor yet sumtymes from the slayne inhabitantes Foâ— they founde not there any frutefull trees or plentie of foules as in Dariena but a barren grounde and not meete to bee inhabited Here certeyne of the souldiers made a bargein with one of theyr felowes for the price of a leane dogge who also was almoste deade for hunger A mangy dog dere sold. They gaue the owner of the dogge many of those pieces of golde which they caule Pesos or golden Castellans Thus agreinge of the price they fleid the dogge to bee eaten and caste his mangie skynne with the bones of the heade hangynge therto amonge the bushes The day folowynge a certeyne footâ—man of theyr company chaunced to fynde the skynne beinge nowe full of maggottes and stynkynge He brought it home with hym sodde it and eate it Many resorted to hym with theyr dysshes for the brothe of the sodde skynne Broth of a mangy dogs skynne proferinge hym for euerye dysshefull a piece of golde An other founde twoo toades and sodde them which a sicke man bought of hym for twoo fyne shertes curiously wrought of lynen intermyxt with golde Toades eateÌ„ Certeyn other wanderinge abowte to seeke for vytayles founde in a patheway in the myddest of a fyelde a deade man of thinhabitantes whiche had byn slayne of his owne coompanye and was nowe rotten and stynkynge A deade man eaten They drewe hym a syde dismemberde hym secreatly rosted hym and eate hym therewith asswagynge theyr hunger as yf they had byn fedde with pheasauntes One also which departinge from his companions in the nyght season went a fyshyng amonge the reedes of the marysshes lyued only with slyme or mudde for the space of certeyne dayes vntyll at the lengthe creepinge and almoste deade he founde the way to his felowes And thus these miserable men of Beragua vexed with these and suche other aflictions were browghe from the number of seuen hundreth thre score ten souldiers scarsely to fortie beinge nowe also added to the coompany of them in Dariena Fewe were slayne of thinhabitantes But the resydewe consumed by famen breathed owt theyr wery sowles openynge a waye to the newe landes for such as shal coome after them appeasinge the fury of the barbarous nations with the price of theyr bludde Note Consyderinge therfore after these stormes with what case other men shall ouerrunne and inhabite these landes in respecte to the calamities that these men haue suffered they shall seeme to goo to bryde feastes where all thynges are redy prepared ageynst their commynge But where Petrus Arias arryued with the kynges nauie and newe supply of men Petrus Arias whom the Spanyardes caule Pedâ—arias to this houre I knowe no certentie What shall chaunce herafter I wyll make diligente inquisition if I shall vnderstande this to bee acceptable to yowre holynes Thus I byd yowe hartely farewell from the courte of the mooste Catholyke kynge the daye beefore the nones of December in the yeare of Christe M. D. XIIII ¶ The fyrst booke of the thyrde Decade to the bysshoppe of Rome Leo the tenth I Was determyned moste holye father to haue closed vp the gates to this newe worlde supposinge that I had wandered farre enowgh in the coastes therof while in the meane time newe letters were brought me frome thense which caused me ageyne to take my penne in hande For I receaued letters not only from certeyne of myne acquaintaunce there but also frome Vaschus Nunnez whome we sayde by the confidence of his owne poure with his confetherates Uaâ—chus Nunnâ—z gouernor of Dariena to haue vsurped the gouernaunce of Dariena after the reiecting of Nicuesâ— and Aneâ—sus Lieuetenantes By his letter wrytten after his warlyke maner wee vnderstand that he hath passed ouer the mountaynes diuidyng the Ocean knowen to vs The newe south Ocean from the other mayne sea on the south syde of this lande hetherto vnknowen His epistell is greater then that cauled Capreensis de Seiano But wee haue gathered out of that and other onely suche thynges as we thowght moste woorthy to bee noted Vaschus soo behaued hym selfe in these affayres that he dyd not onely pacifie the kynges displeasure conceaued ageynst hym but also made hym so fauorable and gracious good lorde towarde hym that he rewarded him and his coompanions with
in the owlde tyme as in owre dayes hathe yet doothe drawe bothe men and women to emmoderate desyre of superfluous pleasure wanton and superfluous pleasures Spayne therefore shal be able hereafter with perles to satisfie the gredye appetite of suche as in wanton pleasures are lyke vnto Cleopatra Asopus So that frome hensforth we shal neyther enuye nor reuerence the nyse frutefulnes of Stoidum Cleopatra Aâ—opus Stoidum or Taprobana Taprobana or the reâ—de sea But lette vs nowe returne to owre purpose Vaschus therfore determined with the fysshers of Chiapes to proue what myght bee doone in his fyshe pooles or stations of sea muscules Chiapes to shewe hym selfe obediente to Vaschus his requeste although the sea were boystyous coommaunded thirtye of his fysshers to prepare them selfes and to resorte to the fysshinge places Vaschus sente onelye syxe of his men with them to beeholde them frome the sea bankes but not to coommitte them selues to the daunger of the sea The fysshynge place was distante frome the palayce of Chiapes aboute tenne myles The fysshing place of king Chiapes They durste not aduenture to dyue to the bottome by reason of the furye of the sea Yet of the muscules whiche lye hyghest and of suche as were dryuen to the shore by the vyolence of the water theye broughte syxe greate farthels in the space of a fewe dayes The perles of these were but lyttle aboute the bygnes of smaule fytches yet verye fayre and bewtyfull by reason theye were taken newely owte of the fysshe beinge yet rawe And that they shulde not bee reproued of lyinge as concerninge the bignes of these sea musculs they sente many of them into Spayne to the kynge with the perles the fysshe beynge taken owte Wee thinke verily that there maye in noo place bygger bee founde These shelle fysshes therfore beynge thus founde here in soo manye places in that sea and gold in maner in euerye house Golde in maner in euery house doo argue the ryche treasurye of nature too bee hyd in those coastes forasmuche as suche greate ryches haue byn founde as it were in the lytle fynger of a giantes hande The ryche treasurye of nature What then maye wee thynke of the hole hande of the gyante for hetherto theye haue onely bynne in hande with the confynes of Vraba when theye shall haue thorowly searched all the coastes and secreates of the inner partes of all that large lande But Vaschus contented with these sygnes ioyfull of his good successe in these enterprises determined by an other waye to returne to his felowes in Dariena where also they haue golde mynes aboute tenne myles from the village The golde mynes of Dariena He gaue therfore kyng Chiapes leaue to depart and to folowe hym noo further Consailyng hym to continue faythfull to the christian kynge his lorde maister Thus embrasinge the one the other ioyninge handes Chiapes departed with teares declaring the good mynde which he bore to owre men Vaschus leauing his sicke meÌ„ with Chiapes Went forward on his iourney with the resydue hauinge also with him for guydes three of Chiapes maryners He conueyghed his armye ouer a greate ryuer into the dominion of a certeine kynge cauled Teaocha Kynge Teaocha enterteyneth vaschus frendeâ—ye who beinge aduertised of the coommyng of owre men of whose famous actes he had harde muche before was verye gladde therof and enterteyned them honorably So that for a token of his frendely affection towarde them he gaue Vaschus twentie poundes weyght of wrought golde after eyght ounces to the pounde Twentye pounde weight of wroughte golde Also twoo hundreth bigge perles but not fayre by reason they were taken owt of the musculs after they had byn sodden After they had ioyned handes Vaschus recompensed hym with certeyne of owre thynges Lykewise rewardynge his guydes the seruantes of Chiapes he dismissed them with commendations to theyr lord Kyng Teaocha at the departure of owr men from his palaice dyd not onely appoint them guydes to conduct them in the way but also gaue them certeyne slaues in the steede of beastes to cary theyr vytayles bycause they shulde passe throwgh many desertes Desertes full of wylde beastes baren and rowgh mountaynes and terrible wooddes full of tygers and Lions He sent also one of his sonnes with these slaues ladynge them with salted and dryed fyshâ— Dryed fysshe and breade of those regions made of the rootes of Maizium and Iucca He also commaunded his sonne not to depart from owr men vntyl he were licenced by Vaschus By theyr conductinge therfore Vaschus came to the dominion of an other kyng whose name was Pacra a cruell tyranne Kynge Pacrâ— a tyranne fearefull to the other kynges his bortherers and of greater poure then any of them This tyran whether it were that his giltie conscience for his mischeuous actes put him in feare that owre menne woolde reuenge the same or that he thought hym selfe inferior to resist them fled at theyr commynge Vaschus wryteth that in these regions in the mooneth of Nouember he was sore afflicted with greate heate and intollerable thirst Greate heate in the monethe of Nouember by reason that syde of the mountaynes hath lyttle water In soo muche that they were in daunger to haue perisshed but that certeyne of thinhabitants shewed them of a sprynge which was in the secreate place of a woodde whither Vaschus with all speade sent twoo quycke and stronge younge men of his coompanions with theyr gourdes and suche water vesselles as Teaocha his men browghte with them Of thinhabitantes there durst none depart from there coompany bycause the wylde beastes doo soone inuade naked men For in those mountaynes and especially in the wooddes neare vnto the springe they saye that they are sumtymes taken owte of there houses in the nyght excepte they take good heede that the doores bee well sparde It shall not bee frome my purpose hereto declare a particular chauÌ„ce before I enter any further in this matter hurte by wylde beastes Theye saye therfore that the laste yeare the regyon of Dariena was noolesse infested and trowbeled with a fierse tyger A tyger then was Calidonia in tyme paste with a wylde bore Calydonia is a foreste in Scotlande and Nemea with a horrible lyon Nemea is a wodde in Greece For they affyrme that for the space of syxe hole moonethes there passed not one nyghte withowte summe hurte doone soo that it kylled nyghtlye eyther a bullocke a mare a dogge or a hogge sumtimes euen in the highe wayes of the village For owre men haue nowe greatheardes of cattayle in those regions They say also that when this tyger had whelpes Tigers whelpes noo man myght safelye goo furthe of his doores bycause shee spared not men if shee mette fyrste with them But at the lengeth necessitye enforced them to inuente a policye howe they myght bee reuenged of suche
of this fyshe whiche wandered safelye in the same for the space of .xxv. yeares and grewe excedyng byg What so euer is written of the Delphines of Baian or Arion are muche inferior to the dooinges of this fysh which for her gentle nature they named Matum that is gentle or noble Therefore when so euer any of the kynges familyers especially suche as are knowen to her resorte to the bankes of the lake and caule Matum Matum Matum then she as myndefull of suche benefites as she hath receaued of men lyftethe vp her heade and commeth to the place whither she is cauled A fyshe caryeth men oueâ— the lake and there receaueth meate at the handes of suche as feede her If any desirous to passe ouer the lake make signes and tokens of theyr intente she boweth her selfe to them therewith as it were gentelly inuitynge them to amount vppon her and conueyeth them safely ouer It hath byn seene that this monstrous fysshe hath at one tyme safely caryed ouer tenne men singinge and playinge A maruelouâ— thynge But if by chaunce when she lyfteed vp her heade she espyed any of the Christian men she woolde immediatly ploonge downe ageyne into the water and refuse to obey bycause she had once receaued iniury at the handes of a certeyne wanton younge man amonge the Christians who hadde caste a sharpe darte at her although she were not hurte by reason of the hardenes of her skynne beinge roughe and ful of skales and knobbes as we haue sayde Yet dyd she beare in memorie thiniurie she susteyned with so gentell a reuenge requitynge thingratâ—tude of hym which hâ—d delte with her so vngentelly From that day when so euer she was cauled by any of her familiers shâ— woolde fyrst looke circumâ—pectly about her least any were present appareled after the maner of the Christians She woolde oftentymes play and wrestle vppon the banke with the kynges chamberlens And especially with a younge man whom the kynge fauoured well beinge also accustomed to feede her Shee woolde bee sumetymes as pleasaunt and full of play as it had byn a moonkey or marmaset And was of longe tyme a great comfort and solace to the hole Ilande For no smaule confluence aswell of the Christians as of thinhabitantes had dayly concourse to beholde so straunge a myracle of nature the contemplation wherof was no lesse pleasaunt then woonderfull They say that the meate of this kynde of fysshe is of good taste And that many of them are engendered in the seas therabout But at the length this pleasaunt playfelowe was loste and caried into the sea by the great ryuer Attibunicus The ryuer Attibunicus one of the foure which diuide the Ilande For at that tyme there chaunced so terrible a tempest of wind rayne with such fluds ensewing that the like hath not lightly byn hard of By reason of this tempest the ryuer Attibunicus so ouerflowed the bankes that it fylled the hole vale myxt it selfe with all the other lakes At which tyme also this gentell Matum and pleasaunte companyon The situation of the great â—ale folowynge the vehemente course and faule of the fluddes was therby restored to his oulde moother and natyue waters and sence that tyme neuer seene ageyne Thus hauynge digressed sufficiently let vs nowe coome to the situation of the vale It hathe collaterally the mountaynes of Cibaua and Caiguam which brynge it to the South sea The mountaynes of Cibaua and Caiguam There is an other vale beyonde the mountaynes of Cibaua towarde the North. This is cauled the vale of Guarionexius bycause that before the memorie of man the predicessours and auncestours of kyng Guarionexius to whom it is descended by right of inheritaunce The greate vale of Guariâ—nexius were euer the lordes of the hole vale Of this kynge we haue spoken largely in the fyrst narration of the Ilande in the fyrst Decade This vale is of length from the East to the West a hundreth and fourescore myles And of breadth from the South to the North thirtie myles wher it is narowest and fiftie where it is brodeste It begynneth from the region Canobocoa by the prouinces of Huhabo and Caiabo And endeth in the prouince of Bainoa and the region of Mariena It lyeth in the myddest betwene the mountaynes of Câ—baua and the mountaynes of Cabonai and Cazacubuna There is no prouince nor any region which is not notable by the maiestie of mountaynes Mountaynes frutefulnes of vales Uales pleasauntnesse of hylles hylles and delectablenes of playnes Playnes with abundaunce of fayre ryuers runnynge through the same Ryuers There are no sides of mountaynes or hylles no ryuers which abound not with golde and delycate fysshes Golde in all mountaynes and golde and fysshe in all ryuers except only one ryuer which from thoriginall therof with the sprynges of the same breakynge foorth of the mountaynes commeth owt salte and so contynueth vntyll it peryshe This ryuer is cauled Bahuan and runneth through the myddle of the region Maguana in the prouince of Bainoa They suppose that this ryuer hathe made it selfe awaye vnder the grounde by sume passages of playster or salte earthe For there are in the Ilande many notable salte bayes Salte bayes wherof we wyl speake more hereafter We haue declared howe the Ilande is diuided by foure ryuers fyue prouinces howe the Ilande is diuided with mountaynes There is also an other particion whiche is this The hole Ilande consysteth of the tops of foure mountaines which diuide it by the myddest from the East to the weste In all these is abundance of nooryshynge moysture and greate plentie of golde Golde of the caues also of the whiche the waters of al the riuers into the which the caues emptie them selues haue theyr originall and increase The ryuers haue theyr increase from the caues of the mountaynes There are lykewyse in theÌ„ horryble dennes obscure and darke vales and myghtie rockes of stone There was neuer any noysome beaste founde in it Nor yet any rauenynge foure footed beaste No hurtful or raueninge beast in the Ilande No lyon no beare no fierce tygers no craftie foxes nor deuouring woolfes Al thynges are blessed and fortunate And nowe more fortunate for that so many thousandes of men are receaued to bee the sheepe of Christes flocke all theyr Zemes and Images of deuylles being reiected and vtterly out of memorie The autours excuse If I chaunce nowe and then in the discourse of this narration to repeate one thynge dyuers tymes or otherwise to make digression I must desyre yowre holynes therwith not to bee offended For whyle I see heare and wryte these thinges mee seemeth that I am herewith so affected that for verye ioy I feele my mynde stirred as it were with the spirite of Apollo as were the Sibylles whereby I am enforced to repeate the same ageyne Especially when I consyder howe farre the amplitude of owre
tooke his fyrst orginall It shall in the meane tyme abundantly contente vs that these thynges do please yowre holynes And that yowe doo not dispise owre simple vestures wherwith we haue only weaued togyther and not adourned gathered and not described such maruelous thynges in the garnyshynge wherof nature hath sufficiently shewed her cunnynge Owre desyre is none other but herein for yowre sake to doo owre endeuoure that these thynges maye not peryshe Let euery man take hereof what lyketh hym best Of the sheepe or bullocke soulde in the market nothynge remayneth in the euenynge bycause the shulder pleaseth one the legge an other and the necke an other Ye sume haue most phantasie to the bowels and sume to the feete Thus hauynge enough wandered lette vs returne to owre purpose and declare with what woordes they salute the kynges chyldren when they are fyrst borne or howe they apply the begynnyng of theyr lyues to the end And why their kynges are cauled by many names Therfore when the kynge hath a sonne borne such as dwel neare about his pallaice or vyllage repayre to the queenes chamber where one saluteth the newe borne chylde with one name and an other with an other name By what names they salute the kynges chyldren when they are borne God saue the thowe shyninge lampe sayth one An other cauleth him bryght and cleare Sume name him the victourer of his enemies and other sume the puissaunt conquerour descended of bludde royall and bryghter then gold with dyuers other suche vayne names Therfore lyke as euery of the Romane emperours was cauled Adiabenicus The names and ytles of the Romane Emperours Parâ—â—icus Armenicus Dacicus Goâ—bicus and Germanicus accordynge to the titles of theyr parentes and auncestours euen so by thimposition of names inuented by other kynges Beucbicus Anacachoa the lord of the region of Xaragua of whome and of the wyse woman Anachaona his syster we haue spoken largely in the fyrste Decade was cauled by all these names folowynge Tureigua Hobin whiche is as muche to saye as a kynge shynynge as bryght as laton Starei that is bryghte Huibo hyghnesse Duihâ—ynequen a ryche fludde With all these names and more then fortye other suche dooeth kynge Beuchius magnifye hym selfe as often as he commaundeth any thynge to bee doone or causeth any proclamation to bee made in his name If the cryer by neglygence leaue owte any of these names the king thynketh it to sounde greatly to his contumely and reproche The lyke is also of other Howe fondely they vse them selues in makynge their testamentes howe they make theyr testamenteâ— wee wyll nowe declare They leaue thinheritaunce of their kyngedomes to theldest soonnes of their eldest systers If shee fayle to theldest of the seconde syster and so of the thirde if the second also faile For they are owte of doubte that those children coome of their bludde But the children of their owne wyues they counte to bee not legitimate If there remayne none of their systers children they leaue thinheritaunce to their broothers So dyd grea Alexander And if they faile it descendeth to their owne soonnes Laste of all if al these faile they assygne it to the woorthiest as to hym that is of greatest power in all the Ilande that he may defende their subiectes from their auncient enemyes They take as many wyues as them lysteth They suffer the best beloued of the kynges wyues and concubynes to bee buryed with hym The kynges wyues and concubines are buryed with hym Anachaona the syster of Beuchius the kyng of Xaragua being a woman of suche wisedome and cunnynge that in makynge of rhymes and balettes shee was counted a prophetisse emonge the beste commaunded that emonge all the wyues and concubynes of the kinge her brother the fayrerest whose name was Guanahattabenechina shulde be buried alyue with him and two of her waytyng maydes with her Shee woolde also haue appointed dyuers other to that offyce if shee had not byn otherwise perswaded by the prayers of certeyne fryers of saincte Fraunces order whiche chaunced then to bee presente They burie theyr iewels with them A dreame of an other lyfe after this They saye that this Guanahattabenechina had none in all the Iland comparable to her in bewtie She buried with her all her iewelles and twentie of her best ornamentes Their custome is to place besyde euery of them in their sepultures a cuppe full of water and a portion of the fyne breade of Cazabbi In Xaragua the regyon of this kynge Beuchius and in Hazua parte of the regyon of Caiabo also in the fayre vale of salte and freshe lakes and lykewise in the region of Yaquino in the prouynce of Bainoa it rayneth but seldome where it rayneth but seldome In al these regyons are fosses or trenches made of oulde tyme wherby they conueye the waters in order to water their fyeldes with no lesse arte then doo thinhabitours of newe Carthage and of the kyngedome of Murcien in Spartaria for the feldoome faule of rayne The region of Maguana deuydeth the prouynce of Bainoa from Caiabo where it rayneth much and Zauana from Guaccaiarima In the deepe vales they are troubled with raine more often then nedâ—th Also the confynes of the chiefe citie named saincte Dominike are moister then is necessary In other places it rayneth moderately There are therfore in the Ilande of Hispaniola dyuers variable motions of the elementes Uariable motions of the elementes as we reade the lyke of manye other regions Of their colonies or mantions which the Spaniardes haue erected in this Ilande we haue spoken suffycientelye beefore The colonies and vyllages which the Spanyardes haue buylded They haue sence that tyme buylded these vyllages Portus Platae Portus Regalis Lares Villanoua Azuam and Saluaterra Hauynge sayde thus muche of the Ilande of Hispaniola the moother and ladye of the other Ilandes The other Ilandes about hispaniola and as it were Tethys the moste bewtifull wyfe of Neptunus the god of the sea let vs nowe entreate sumwhat of her Nymphes and faire Nereides whiche waite vppon her and adourne her on euery syde Wee wyll therfore begynne at the nearest cauled the newe Arethusa The Ilande Arethusa soo named of the fontayne Arethusa in the Ilande of Sicilie This is famous by reason of a sprynge but otherwyse vnprofytable Owre men named it of late Duas Arbores bycause it hath onely twoo trees groynge in it nere vnto the whiche is a fountaine that commeth from the Ilande of Hispaniola throughe the secreate passages of the earth vnder the sea and breaketh foorth in this Ilande as the ryuer Alpeus in Achaia runneth vnder the sea from the citie of Elide and breaketh foorth in the Ilande of Sicilie in the fountayne Arethusa A sprynge runnyng vnder the sea frome hispanâ—ola to Arethusa That the fouÌ„tayne of this newe Arethusa hath hâ—s original from the Ilande of Hispaniola it is manifest hereby that the
to reduce the people of the foresayde landes and Ilandes to the Christian religion yowe shall spare no labours at any tyme or bee deterred with any perels conceauynge firme hope and confidence that the omnipotent godde wyll gyue good successe to yowre godly attemptes And that beinge autorysed by the priuilege of the Apostolycall grace yowe may the more freely and bouldly take vpon yowe thenterpryse of so greate a matter we of owre owne motion and not eyther at yowre request or at the instant peticion of any other person but of owre owne mere liberalitie and certeyne science and by the fulnesse of Apostolycall power doo gyue graunt and assigne to yowe yowre heyres and successours al the firme landes Ilandes found or to be found discouered or to be discouered toward the West South drawyng a line froÌ„ the pole Artike to the pole Antartike that is froÌ„ the north to the Southe Conteynynge in this donation what so euer firme landes or Ilandes are founde or to bee founde towarde India or towarde any other parte what so euer it bee beinge distant from or without the foresayd lyne drawen a hundreh leaques towarde the Weste and South from any of the Ilandes which are commonly cauled De los Azorâ—s and Cabo Verde All the Ilandes therfore and firme landes founde and to be founde discouered and to be discouered from the sayde lynâ— towarde the West and South such as haue not actually bin heretofore possessed by any other Christian kynge or prynce vntyll the daye of the natiuitie of owre Lorde Ieâ—u Chryste laste paste from the which begynneth this present yeare beinge the yeare of owre Lorde M. CCCC.lxxxxiii when so euer any such shal be founde by your messingers capytaines Wee by the autoritie of almyghtie God grâ—unted vnto vs in saynt Peter and by the office which we beare on the earth in the steede of Iesu Christe doo for euer by the tenoure of these presentes gyue graunte assigne vnto yowe yowre heyres and successoures the kynges of Castyle and Legion all those landes and Ilandes with theyr dominions territories cities castels towres places and vyllages with all the ryght and iurisdictions therunto perteynynge constitutynge assignynge and deputynge yowe yowre heyres and successours the lordes thereof with full and free poure autotoritie and iurisdiction Decreeinge neuerthelesse by this owre donation graunt and assignation that from no Christian Prince whiche actually hath possessed the foresayde Ilandes and firme landes vnto the day of the natiuitie of owre lorde before sayde theyr ryght obteyned to bee vnderstoode hereby to be taken away or that it owght to be taken away Furthermore wee commaunde yowe in the vertue of holy obedience as yowe haue promysed and as wee doubte not you wyll doo vppon mere deuotion and princely magnanimitie to sende to the sayde firme landes and Ilandes honeste vertuous and lerned men suche as feare God and are able to instructe thinhabitauntes in the Catholyke fayth and good maners applyinge all theyr possible diligence in the premisses We furthermore streightly inhibite all maner of persons of what state degree order or condition so euer they bee although of Imperiall and regall dignitie vnder the peyne of the sentence of excommunication whiche they shall incurre yf they doo to the contrary that they in no case presume without speciall lycence of yowe yowre heyres and successours to trauayle for marchaundies or for any other cause to the sayde landes or Ilandes founde or to bee found discouered or to bee discouered toward the west south drawing a line froÌ„ the pole Artyke to the pole Antartike whether the firme lands Ilandes found to be found be situate toward India or towarde any other parte beinge distant from the lyne drawen a hundreth leagues towarde the west from any of the Ilandes commonly cauled De los Azores and Cabo Verde Notwithstandynge constituâ—ions decrees and Apostolycall ordinaunces what so euer they are to the contrary In him from whom Empyres dominions and all good thynges doo procede Trustynge that almyghtie god directynge yowre enterprises yf yowe folowe yowre godly and laudable attemptes yowre laboures and trauayles herein shall in shorte tyme obteyne a happy ende with felicitie and glorie of all Christian people But forasmuch as it shulde bee a thynge of great difficultie these letters to bee caryed to all suche places as shuld bee expedient we wyll and of lyke motion and knowleage doo decree that whyther so euer the same shal be sent or wher so euer they shal be receaued with the subscription of a common notarie therunto requyred with the seale of any person constitute in ecclesiasticall dignitie or suche as are autorysed by the ecclesiasticall courte the same fayth and credite to bee gyuen thereunto in iudgement or els where as shulde bee exhibyted to these presentes It shall therefore bee lawefull for no man to infringe or rashely to contrarie this letter of owre commendation exhortacion requeste donation graunt assignation constitution deputation decree commaundement inhibition and determination And yf any shall presume to attempte the same he owght to knowe that he shall thereby incurre the indignation of almyghtie God and his holye Apostles Peter and Paule ¶ Gyuen at Rome at saynt Peters In the yeare of thincarnation of owre Lord M. CCCC LXXXXIII The fourth day of the nones of Maye the fyrste yeare of owre seate To the reader ALthough amonge dyuers which haue wrytten of the Ocean and Weste Indies there is none to be compared to Peter Martyr of Angleria in declarynge by philosophical discourses the secreate causes of naturall affectes bothe as touchynge the lande the sea the starres and other straunge woorkes of nature yet forasmuche as of later dayes those countreys haue byn better knowen and searched and dyuers suche particular and notable thynges founde as are conteyned in the hystories of later wryters emonge the number of whom Gonzalus Ferdinandus Ouiedus whom lerned Cardanus compareth to the ancient writers is doubtles the chiefe I haue therfore thought good to ioyne to the Decades of Peter Martyr certeyne notable thynges which I haue gathered owte of his booke intiteled the Summarie or abbrigement of his generall hystorie of the west Indies wrytten in thâ— firme lande of the same in the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena where he dwelte and was gouernoure many yeares And dedicated to Themperous maiestie as maye appeare by the epystell folowynge ¶ To the most hygh and myghtie prince Charles the fyfte of that name Emperour of Rome Kynge of Spayne and of the twoo Sicilies of bothe the sydes of the streyght of Faro Kynge of Hierusalem and Hungarie Duke of Burgonie and Earle of Flaunders Lorde and inheritoure of the firme lande and Ilandes of the Weste Ocean c. Gonzalus Ferdinandus Ouiedus his most humble seruant wysheth health and perpetual felicitie THe thynges whiche principally preserue and mayntayne the woorkes of nature in the memories of men are hystories and bookes composed of the same
frute and strayne it thorowe a cloth they make a mylke therof lyke vnto goates mylke These date trees are lyke vnto them that beare dates but are not so full of knottes With the iuise of two of these date trees a hole famelie of tenne persons may bee maynteyned with wyne vsynge one viii dayes and the other other .viii. dayes for they shulde els bee dryed and wythered These trees continue for the space of a hundreth yeares This Ilande where they founde this humane and gentell people is cauled Zuluan The Iland of zuluan and is not verye bygge Abowt this Ilande they founde manye other Ilandes and therefore named this sea Archipelago di San Lazaro The sea caulâ—d Archâ—pelago dâ—â—an Laâ—aro that is the great sea of saynte Lazarus beinge tenne degrees aboue the Equinoctiall towarde owre pole and C.lxi. frome the place from whense they departed The people of this Ilande are Caphranitae that is gentyles Gentyles They go naked sauynge that they couer theyr priuie partes with a clothe made of the rynde of a certeyne tree The chiefest men haue abowte theyr heades a sylken cloth of needle woorke They are grosse and brode set and of the coloure of an oliue They annoynte theyr bodies with the oyle of Cocus to defend them ageynst the heate of the soonne and drynesse of the wynde The .xxv. day of Marche they departed from hense and directed theyr course betwene the Weste and southwest and sayled betwene foure Ilandes named Cenalo Huinanghan Hibusson and Abarien Foure Ilands c. The xxviii daye of Marche they came to the Ilande of Buthuan where they were honorably interteyned of the Kynge and the Prince his soonne who gaue theim muche golde and spices The Iland of Buthuan The capitayne gaue the kynge a vesture of red clothe and an other of yelowe made after the Turaysshe fasshyon and also a red cappe And gaue liâ—ewiâ—e to other that came with hym certeyne knyues glasses and beades of cristalle After that the capitayne had shewed the Kynge the secreates of his shippe and suche marchaundies as he had therin he caused a piece of ordinaunce suddenly to bee shore of whereat the kyng was greately amased vntil the capitayne comforted hym Then the Capitaine commaunded one of his men to be armed from the heade to the foote and caused three other to strike hym with theyr swoordes whereat the Kynge maruayled greately and sayde to thinterpretoure who was a slaue borne in Malacha that one of those armed men was able to encounter with a hundreth of his men But he maruayled muche more when the capitaine tould hym by thinterpretoure howe he founde the straight by the compasse and lode stone and howe many dayes they were without sight of any lande Then askynge licence to departe the capitayne sente two of his men with him of the whiche Antonie Pigafetta was one When the kynge sawe Antonie Pigafetta write the names of many thinges and afterwarde rehearse them ageyne he maruayled yet more makynge sygnes that suche men descended from heauen The Kynge brought them firste to his pallaice where he interteyned them honorably and gaue them manye gyftes as dyd also the Prince in his pallaice beynge in an other Ilande named Caleghan The Iland of Calâ—ghan As they syfted a certeyne myne of earthe in the Kynges Ilande they founde pieces of golde suâ— as bigge as nuttes and other as bigge as egges All the kynges veâ—selles were of golde Plentâ—e of golde and his house well furnysshed In all the hole nation there was no man of coomlier personage then the kinge He had his heare long downe to his shulders and very blake with a vaile of silke rowled abowte his head The kynge of Buthuan and two greate ringes of golde hanginge at his eares He had abowte hys myddle a clothe wroughte of cotton and silke impaled wyth golde and reacheinge downe to his knees On his one syde he had a long dager with a hafte of golde and the shethe of a fayre kynde of carued woodde He had on euery finger three ringes of golde and had his bodie annoynted with oyle of storax and Beniamin The natural coloure of his face was like vnto the coloure of an oliue And all his bodye bysyde paynted with diuers colours The kynges name was Raia Colambu and the Prince was cauled Raia Siagu The laste day of Marche neare vnto Easter the capitaine caused his preeste to say masse Masse and sente to the kinge by thinterpretoure that his commyng a lande at that tyme was not to dyne with hym but only to heare masse The Capitayne came alande with fyftie of his men in theyr best apparel with owte weapons or harnesse and all the resydue well armed Before the boates came to lande he caused sixe pieces of ordinaunce to be shotte of in token of peace and so came aland where the two kinges embrased hym and accompanyed hym to the place appoynted for masse to be sayde not farre frome the sea syde Sumwhat before the beginnynge of masse the Capitayne sprinkeled the Kynges with damaske water When the preeste was at mid masse at the offitorie the kings profered them selues to go to kysse the crosse with the capytayne but offered nothynge At the tyme of sacringe when the preeste lifted vppe the bodie of Christ and the Christians kneeled downe and helde vppe their handes ioyned togither the kinges dyd the like also wyth greate reuerence In the meane tyme whyle certeyne of the Christians were at the communion a handegunne was shotte of to signifie vnto theym that were in the shyppes to discharge all theyr ordinaunce When masse was fynysshed the Capitaine caused certeyne of his men to put on theyr harnesse and to make a combat with theyr naked swoordes A combatte wherat the kynges tooke great pleasure This doone the Capitaine caused a crosse to be brought furth with nayles and a crowne of thornes The Crosse and crowne of thornes gyuynge commaundement to all his men to gyue reuerence therunto and signifyinge to the kynges by thinterpretour that that banner was gyuen hym by Themperoure his lorde and master with commaundement tâ— lâ—aue the same in al places where he came to the great commoditie and profite of all such as wolde reuerendly receaue it as an assured token of frendship And that he wold therâ—ore leaue it there aswel to accomplyshe his lords commaundement as also that if at any tyme any shyppes of Christians shulde chaunce to coome that way shulde by seing that crosse perceaue that owre men had byn well enterteyned there and wolde therfore not onely absteyne from doing them any hurte or displeasure but also helpe to ayde them ageynste theyr enemies And that therfore it shulde bee requisite to erecte that crosse vâ—pon the toppe of the hygheste mountayne that myght bee seene from the sea on euery syde Also to pray vnto it reuerently And that in so doinge they shulde not bee hurte with thunder lyghtnynge or
tempestes When the kynges harde these woordes they gaue the Capitayne great thankes promysinge gladly to obserue and fulfyll all suche thynges as he required Then the Capitayne demaunded whether they were Moores or gentyles Moores and gentyles They answered that they had none other kynde of religion but that lyftyngâ— vppe theyr handes ioyned togyther and theyr faces toward heauen they cauled vppon theyr god Abba whiche answere lyked the Capitayne verâ— well bycause the gentyles are sooner persuaded to owre fayth then the Moores c. Many Ilands Dâ—partynge frome hense they came to the Ilandes of Zeilon Zubuth Messana and Calaghan by the conducte of certeyne pylottes of the sayde kynges Of these Zubuth is the beste and hath the trade of beste trafique In the Ilande of Mâ—ssana The Iland of Messana they founde dogges cattes hogges heunes goates ryâ—e ginger Cocus mylle panyke barlye fygges oranges ware â–ª and golde in greate quantitie This Ilande is aboue the Equinoctiall towarde owre pole .ix. degrees twoo thyrde partes and .162 degrees frome the place frome whense they deparâ—ed They remayned in this Iland for the space of .viii dayes and then directed theyr vyage towarde the northwest and passed betwene these fyue Ilandes Zeilon Bohol Cangbu Barbai and Catighan In this Ilande of Catighan are certeyne great battes as bygge as Eagles Battes as bygge as Eagles of the which they toke one They are good to bee eaten and of taste muche lyke a henne There are also stocke dooues Fowles with hornes turtle dooues popingiayes and certeyne foules as bygge as hennes These foules haue lyttle hornes and lay great egges which they couer a cubet depthe in the sande Egges hatched in sand by the heate whereof and vertue of the soonne they are hatchâ—d and the younge byrdes creepe owte of the sande by them selues From the Ilande of Messana to Catighan â–ª are .xx. leaques saylynge towarde the West And bycause the kynge of Messana coulde not folowe the shyppes they taryed for him about the Ilandes of Polo Ticobon and Pozon where the Capitayne tooke hym into his shippe with certeyne of his principall men and so folowed theyr vyage towarde the Ilande of Zubut The Ilande of zubut whiche is abowte fiftie leagues distante from Catighan The .vii. day of Apryll abowte no one they entered into the porte of Zubut And passynge by many vyllages and habitacions in trees they came to the citie where the Capitayne gaue commaundement to the maryners to stryke theyr sayles to set them selues in order in maner of battayle ray causing all the ordinaunce to bee shorte of wherewith all the people were put in greate feare After this the Capitayne sent an ambassadoure with thinterpretoure to the kynge of Zabut The kynge of zubut When they approched nere to the citie they founde the kyng with a great company of men sore astonyshed at the noyse of the gunnes But thinterpretour aduertised them that it was the custome of owre men in al sucke places where â—hey coome to discharge theyr ordinaunce in token of frendeshyppe and to honour the lorde of the citie With which woordes the kyng and his coompany were well quieted After this thinterpretour declared that his master was the Capitayne of the ships of the greatest Prince in the worlde and that they wente to discouer the Ilandes of Molucca And further that hearyng of his good name and fame by the reporte of the kyng of Messana they determyned to visite hym and to haue vyttayles for exchaunge of theyr marchaundies The kynge answered that he was well contented therwith and that tâ—ey were hartely welcoome Neuerthelesâ—e that it was a custome in that place â–ª that all 〈◊〉 shyppes as cutered into that hauen shuld pay tribute And that there were not many dayes paste sence a shyppe laden with golde and slaues dyd so paye A shyp laden with gold and slaues In token wherof he caused to coome before hym certeyne marchaunces of that coompany whiche yet remayned with hym To this thinterâ—recour answered that forasmuch as his lorde was the Capitayne oâ— so myghtie a Prince he neuer payde tribute to any kynge in the worlde and wolde not nowe begynne Wyllynge hym to take this for a resolute answere that if he wolde accepte the peace that was profered hym he shulde enioy it And if he rather desyred warre he shoulde haue his handes full When thinterpretour had sayde these woordes one of the sayde marchauntes who was a Moore spake to the kynge in this maner CATACAIA Chitae that is Take hede syr For these men are they that haue conquered Calicut Calicut Malaca Malacha and all the greater India and are of suche poure that yf yowe intreate them otherwyse then well yowe may to late knowe what they are able to doo more then they haue doone at Calicut and Malaca When thinterpretoure harde these woordes he sayde that the kynge his lorde was of much greater puissaunce and more dominions and lorde of more shyppes then was the kynge of Portugale declarynge further that he was kynge of Spayne and Emperour of all Christendome Addynge hereunto that yf he wolde not bee his frende he wolde hereafter sende thyther suche a poure of armed men as shulde destroy his contrey The Moore conferred all these woordes with the kynge who sayde that he wolde further deliberate with his counsayle and gyue theym a full answere the daye folowynge In the meane tyme he sente theym certeyne vyttayles and wyne When all these thynges were declared to the kynge of Mâ—ssana who was the chiefest there abowt nexte vnto hym and lorde of many Ilandes he wente alande and repayred to the kynge of Zubut and declared vnto hym the great humanitie and curtesie of the generall Capitayne Shortely after the Capitayne sente certeyne of his men with thinterpretour to the kynge of Zubut to knowe his pleasure and what aunswere he wolde make them As they wente towarde the courte they mette the kynge commyng in the streete accompanied with many of his chiefe men He caused owr men to sit downe by him and demaunded of them if there were any more then one Capitayne in theyr coompanie And whether it were theyr requeste that he shulde pay tribute to Themperour They answered that they desyred none other thynge but that they myght exercise marchaundies with them Sheadyng of bludde is a token of frendshyppe and to barter ware for ware The kynge made answere that he was well content therwith wyllynge the Capitayne in token of frendshippe to sende him a little of the blud of his ryght arme affirmyng that he wold do the lyke c After this the kynge of Messana with the kynge of Zubuâ— his neuie who was the prince and certeyne other of his gentylmen came to the shyppes and brought the Capitayne many goodly presentes They entered into greate amitie and had large communication of many thynges The Capitayne persuaded them to the Christian fayth which they
the men whome he seemed to see in the same Wherupon he profered hym selfe to enter into leaque of frendshyppe wâ—th the kynge of Spayne and to accepte owre men as his brotherne and chyldren wyllyng them to come alande as into theyr owne houses Also that for theyr commynge that Ilande shulde no more bee cauled Tidore but Castile for the greate loue whiche he bore to theyr kynge whom he reputed as his lorde and master This kynge is a Moore and is named Raia Sultan Mauzor The Ilandes of Molucca are fiue in number are thus named Tarenate Tidore Mutir Macebian and Bacchian The fyue Ilandes of molucca Of these Tarenate is the chiefest Tarenate Directly ageynste the Ilande of Tidore there is an other great Ilande named Gilolo The Iland of Gilolo inhabited of Moores and Gentyles Moores gentyles The Moores haue two kynges of the which one hath syxe hundreth chyldren the other sixe hundreth and fiftie The Gentyles kepe not so many women as doo the Moores nor yet lyue in suche superstitions They praye to the fyrste thynge that they meete in the mornynge when they go furth of theyr houses and honoure that as theyr god for that day The kynge of the gentyles is very ryche in golde Golde In the sayde Ilande of Gilolo are reedes as bygge as a mans legge and full of cleare water holsome to bee drunke water in reedes The .xii. daye of Nouember the kynge of Tidore appoynted owre men a ware house in the citie where they might sell theyr marchaundies Theyr maner of exchange was in this sort Theyr maner of barteringe For tenne yardes of good redde cloth they had one Bahar of cloues whiche amounteth to foure Cantari and syxe pounde weight And one Cantar is a hundreth pounde weight For .xv. yardes of cloth sumwhat woorse then the other they receaued in Cambie one Bahar For .xxxv. drynkynge cuppes of glasse they had one Bahar For .xvii. Cathyls of quicke syluer one Bahar They came dayly to the shyppes with many of theyr barkes full of goates hennes fygges of a spanne longe also the frute cauled Cocus with dyuers other kyndes of vyttayles in such quantitie that it was a marueylous thynge to beholde water of A straunge qualitie They furnyshed also theyr shyppes with fresshe water which is hotte as it issheweth owt of the sprynge but is very coulde when it hath stoode a while in an other place It spryngeth from the mountaynes on the which the cloue trees growe They sawe a cloude ryse in maner dayly which compaseth about the sayde mountaynes The kynge of the Ilande of Bacchian sente the kynge of Spayne two deade byrdes of straunge forme Byrdes of a straunge forme They were of the byggâ—nes of turtle dooues with lyttle heades and longe vylles also longe and smaule legges and no wynges but in the stâ—ade therof certeyne longe fethers of diuers colours and tayles lyke turtle dooues All the other fethers are of one coloure much lyke vnto tawny except those of the wynges They flye not but when the wynde bloweth These Moores are of opinion that these byrdes coomme frome the heauenlye Paradyse and therfore caule them Manuccodiata that is the byrdes of god When they were determyned to depart from the Ilandes of Molucca certeyne kynges of the Ilandes accompanied theÌ„ with theyr canoas and conducted them to an Ilande cauled Mare where they refresshed theyr shyppes with freshe water and fuell The kynges sent Themperours maiestie many presentes and embrasynge owre menne departed with the teares in theyr eyes And owre men for theyr laste farewell shotte of all theyr ordinaunce When in the Ilande of Mare they perceaued that one of theyr shyppes leaked and toke water very sore They leaâ—e one of theyr shyppes behynd them wherby they were inforced to tary there three dayes But seinge that they coulde fynde no remedie for the same but in longe tyme they determined to leaue it gyuynge order that if afterwarde it coulde bee repayred they shuld returne into Spayne as well as they coulde In all the Ilandes of Molucca is founde cloues The Ilandes of Molucca ginger breade of the roote of Sagu ryse goates sheepe hennes fygges almondes sweete pomegranates and sowre oranges lemondes and hony which is made of certeyne flyes lâ—sse then antes hony of flyes Also canes of suger oyle of Cocus mellons geurdes and a marueilous coulde frute which they name Camulicai and dyuers other frutes Furthermore whyte and redde popingiayes Popingiayes and other of variable coloures It is not paste fiftie yeares sence the moores fyrste inhabited anye of these Ilands which were before inhabited only with geÌ„tyles The Ilande of Tidere The Iland of Tidore is aboue the Equinoctiall line towarde owre pole abowt .27 minutes And in longitude froÌ„ the place from whense they departed .171 degrees And from the Archipelagus in the which is the Iland of Zamal which our men named the Iland of theeues ix degrees and a halfe and runneth to the quarter of south southwest and north northeast Terenate Terenate is vnder the Equinoctial line foure minutes vnder the pole Antartike Mutir Mutir is directly vnder the Equinoctiall line Macchian is .xv. minutes toward the pole Antartike Macchian â—nd Bacâ—hian one degree These Ilandes are lyke foure sharpe mountaynes except Macchian which is not sharpe The byggest of all these is Bacchian Bacchian Departynge from the Iland of Mare and directyng these courle towarde the southwest with onely .xlvi. men in theyr shyppe and .xiii. Indians they passed by the Ilandes of Chacouan Lagoma Sico Gioghi Caphi Sulacho Lumatola Many Ilande Tenetum Buru Ambon Budia Celaruri Benaia Ambalao Bandan Zorobua Zolot Noceuamor Galian and Mallua with dyuers other Ilandes both great and smaule of Moores Gentyles and Canibales Owre men remayned xv dayes in the Ilande of Mallua to repayre theyr shyppe in certeyne places where it tooke water The Iland of Mallua All the fieldes of this Ilande is full of longe and rounde pepper Pepper and is situate towarde the pole Antartike vnder the Equinoctiall line .viii. degrees and a halfe and is in the longitude of .169 degrees and 40. minutes The pilote which owre men brought owt of the Ilandes of Molucca toulde them that not farre from thense was an Iland named Arucetto in the which are men and women not past a cubite in height hauynge eares of such byggenesse that they lye vppon one and couer them with the other Lyttle men with longe eares But owr men wolde not sayle thyther bothe bycause the wynde and course of the sea was ageynste theym and also for that they gaue no credite to his reporte The .xxv. day of Ianuary in the yeare .1522 they departed from Mallua and the day folowyng arryued at a greate Iland named Timor The Iland of Timor beinge fiue leaques distante from Mallua betwene the south and southwest In this
contrary parte of the sayde lande discouered The sayde master Antonie wrote furthermore that by the opinion of men well practised there was discouered so greate a space of that countrey vnto the sayd sea that it passed .950 leaques The sea from new Fraunce or Terra Britonum to Cathay which make .2850 myles And doubtlesse yf the Frenche men in this theyr newe Fraunce wolde haue passed by lande towarde the sayd northwest and by north they shuld also haue founde the sea wherby they myght haue sayled to Cathay But aboue all thynges this seemed vnto me moste woorthy of commendation A notable booke that the sayde master Antonie wrote in his letter that he had made a booke of al the natural and marueylous thynges whiche they founde in searchynge those countreys with also the measures of landes and altytudes of degrees A worke doubtlesse which sheweth a princely and magnificall mynde wherby wee may conceaue that yf god had gyuen hym the charge of the other hemispherie he wolde or nowe haue made it better knowen to vs. The which thynge I suppose no man doth greatly esteeme at this time beinge neuerthelesse the greatest and most glorious enterprise that may bee imagined A great and glorious enterprise And here makynge a certeyne pause and turnynge hym selfe towarde vs he sayde Doo yow not vnderstande to this purpose howe to passe to India toward the northwest wind as dyd of late a citizen of Uenese so valiente a man and so well practysed in all thynges perteynynge to nauigations and the science of Cosmographie that at this present he hath not his lyke in Spayne in so much that for his vertues he is preferred aboue all other pylottes that sayle to the west Indies Sebastian Cabote the graÌ„d pylot of the west Indies who may not passe thyther withowt his licence and is therfore cauled Piloto Maggiore that is the graunde pylote And when wee sayde that wee knewe him not he proceaded sayinge that beinge certeyne yeares in the citie of Siuile Commendation of Sebastian Cabote and desyrous to haue sum knowleage of the nauigations of the Spanyardes it was toulde hym that there was in the citie a valient man a Uenecian borne named Sebastian Cabote Sebastian Cabote tould me that he was borne in Brystowe that at .iiii. yeare owld he was caried with his father to Uenice and so returned ageyne into England with his father after certeyne yeares Wher by he was thought to haue bin born in Uenice who had the charge of those thynges being an expert man in that science and one that coulde make cardes for the sea with his owne hande And that by this reporte seekynge his acquaintaunce he founde hym a very gentell person who enterteyned hym frendly and shewed him many thynges and amonge other a large mappe of the worlde with certeine particular nauigations aswell of the Portugales as of the Spanyardes And that he spake further vnto hym in this effecte When my father departed from Uenese many yeares sence to dwell in Englande to folowe the trade of marchaundies he tooke me with him to the citie of London whyle I was very yonge yet hauynge neuerthelesse sum knowleage of letters of humanitie and of the sphere And when my father dyed in that tyme when newes were browght that Don Christopher Colonus Genuese had discouered the coastes of India whereof was great talke in all the courte of kynge Henry the seuenth who then reigned In so much that all men with great admiration affirmed it to bee a thynge more diuine then humane to sayle by the Weste into the East where spices growe by a way that was neuer knowen before By which fame and reporte there increased in my harte a greate flame of desyre to attempte sum notable thynge And vnderstandyng by reason of the sphere that if I shulde sayle by the way of the northwest wynde I shulde by a shorter tracte coomme to India I thereuppon caused the kynge to bee aduertised of my diuise who immediatly commaunded two carauels to bee furnysshed with all thynges apperteynynge to the vyage The fyrst vyage of Sebastian Cabote which was as farre as I remember in the yeare .1496 in the begynnynge of sommer Begynnyng therfore to saile towarde Northwest not thynkyng to fynde any other lande then that of CATHAY and from thense to turne towarde India But after certeine dayes I founde that the lande ranne towarde the Northe which was to me a great displeasure Neuerthelesse sayling alonge by the coast to see if I could fynde any goulfe that turned I founde the lande styll continent to the .56 degree vnder owre pole And seinge that there the coast turned toward the East dispayringe to fynd the passage I turned backe ageyne and sayled downe by the coast of that lande towarde the Equinoctiall euer with intent to fynde the sayde passage to India and came to that parte of this firme lande whiche is nowe cauled FLORIDA The landâ— of Floridâ— Where my vyttayles fayling I departed from thense and returned into England where I founde great tumultes amonge the people and preparaunce for warres in Scotlande by reason whereof there was no more consideration had to this vyage Wheruppon I wente into Spayne to the Catholyke kynge The seconde vyage of Cabote to the land of Brasile and Rio â—ella Plata and queene Elizabeth who beinge aduertised what I had doone interteyned me and at theyr charges furnysshed certeyne shyppes wherwith they caused me to sayle to discouer the coastes of Brasile where I founde an exceadynge great and large ryuer named at this present Rio della Plata that is the ryuer of syluer into the which I sayled Cabote tould me that in a region within this ryuer â—e sowed l. â—raynes of weate in September and gathered therof l. thousand in December as wryteth also Francisco Lopes and folowed it into the firme lande more then syxe hundrethe leaques fyndynge it euery where veryâ— fayre and inhabited with infinite people which with admyration came runnynge dayly to owre shyppes Into this ryuer runne so many other riuers that it is in maner incredible After this I made many other vyages which I now pretermitte And wexynge owlde I gyue my selfe to rest from such trauayles bycause there are nowe many younge and lusty pylotes and mariners of good experience by whose forwardenesse I doo reioyse in the frutes of my labours and rest with the charge of this office as yowe see And this is as much as I haue vnderstoode of master Sebastian Cabote as I haue gathered owte of dyuers nauigations wrytten in the Italian toonge And whereas I haue before made mention howe Moscouia was in owr tyme discouered by Richard Chanceler in his viage toward Cathai by the direction and information of the sayde master Sebastian who longe before had this secreate in his mynde The vyage to Moscouia I shall not neede here to describe that viage forasmuche as
of the citie is inclosed with gates rayles The custodie of the citie and barres neyther is it lawfull for any man rasshely to walke in the citie in the nyght or withowt lyght All the courte consysteth of noble men The dukes courte gentelmen and choyse souldyers which are cauled owte of euery regyon by they re townes and vyllagies and commaunded to wayte course by course at certeyne moonethes appoynted Furthermore when warre is proclaymed all the armye is collected bothe of the owlde souldiers and by musterynge of newe in all prouynces For the lieuetenauntes and capytaynes of the armye are accustomed in all cities to muster the youth and to admytte to thorder of souldyers such as they thynke able to serue the turne They re wages is payde them of the common treasurye of euery prouynce which is gathered and partely payde also in the tyme of peace although it bee but lyttle Souldyers wages of the common treasury But such as are assigned to the warres are free frome all tributes and inioye certein other priuilegies wherby they may the more gladly cherfully serue theyr kynge and defend theyr contrey For in the tyme of warre occacyon is mynystred to shewe trewe vertue and manhodde where in so greate and necessarie an institituon euery man accordynge to hys approued actiuitie and ingenyous forwardnesse may obteyne the fortune eyther of perpetuall honoure or ignominie Vix olim vlla fides referentibus horrida regna Moschorum Ponti res glacialis erat Nunc Iouio autore illâ— oculis lustramus et vrbes Et nemora et monâ—es cernimus et fluuios MoschouiaÌ„ monumenta Ioui tua culta reuoluenâ— Coepi alios mundâ—s credere Democriti ¶ Other notable thynges as concernynge Moscouia gathered owt of the bookes of Sigismundus Liberus Note that when he sayth myles he meaneth leaques FRom whense Russia had the name Russia there are dyuers opinions Sume thynke that it was so named of one Russus the soonne or neuie of Lech the kynge of the Polons Other affirme that it was so cauled of a certeyne owlde towne named Russus not farre frome Nouogoroda or Nouogardia the more Sum also thynke that it was so cauled of the browne coloure of the nation The browne colour of the Russes But the Moscouians confute al these opinions as vntrewe Affirmynge that this nation was in owlde tyme cauled Rosseia as a nation dispersed as the name it selfe dooth declare For Rosseia in the Ruthens tounge Rosseiâ— doothe signifie dispersed or scattered The which thynge to be trew dyuers other people commyxt with thinhabitauntes and dyuers prouinces lyinge here and there betwene dyuers partes of Russia doo playnely declare But whense so euer they tooke theyr name doubtlesse all the people that vse the Slauon tounge The Slauon tounge spreâ—dâ—th farre and professe the fayth of Chryst after the maner of the Greekes cauled in theyr common language Russi and in the Latin tounge Rutheni are increased to suche a multytude that they haue eyther expulsed all the nations that lye beewene them or drawne them to theyr maner of lyuynge in somuche that they are nowe cauled all Rutheni by one common name Furthermore the Slauon tounge whiche at this daye is sumwhat corruptly cauled Sclauon runneâ—h exceadyng faâ— as vsed of the Dalmates Bossuenser Croatians Istriâ—ns and by a longe tracte of the sea Adriatike vnto Forum Iulii Of the Caruians also whome the Uenetians caule Charsos and lykewyse of the Carniolans and Carinthians vnto the ryuer Drauus Furthermore of the Stirians within Gretzium and by Muera vnto Danubius and from thense of the Mysians Seruians Bulgarians and other inhabitynge euen vnto Constantinople Furthermore of the Bohemians Lusacians Silesians Moranians and thinhabitauntes neare vnto the ryuer Uagus in the kyngedome of Hungarie The Polons also and the Ruthenians whose Empire reacheth very farre lykewyse the Circasians and Quinquemontanians vnto Pontus and is from thense vsed in the north partes of Germanie amonge the remanent of the Uandales inhabityng here and there Uandales All whiche nations althowgh they acknowleage them selues to bee Sclauons yet the Germayns taking the denomination only of the Uandales caule al theÌ„ that vse the Slauon tounge Uuenden Uuinden or Uuindysh Of the Princes that nowe reigne in Russia The Pâ—inces of Russia the chiefe is the great Duke of Moscouia who possesseth the greatest part therof The seconde is the great duke of Lithuania and the thyrde the kynge of Polonie who nowe obteyneth the dominion of Polonie and Lithuania In autoritie and dominion ouer his subiectes the prince of Moscouie passeth all the monarkes of the worlde The duke of Moscouia For he depriueth all his noble men and gentelmen of al theyr holdes and munitions at his pleasure He trusteth not his owne brotherne but oppresseth all with lyke seruitude In so muche that whome so euer he commaundeth eyther to remayne with hym in the courte or to goo to the warres or sendeth on ambassage they are compelled to bee at theyr owne charges excepte the younge gentelmen the soonnes of the Boiarons that is the noble men of the lowest degree He vsurpeth this autoritie aswell ouer the spiritualtie as the temporaltie constitutynge what him lysteth of the goods and lyfe of al men Of his counsilers there is not one that dare dissente from hym in any thynge They openly confesse that the wyl of the prince is the wyll of god and therfore caule hym the key bearer and chamberlen of god and beleue him to bee the executor of gods wyll By reason wherof the prince hym selfe when any peticion is made to hym for the deliuerie of any captiue is accustomed accustomed to aunswere When god commaundeth he shal be deliuered Lykewyse when any asketh a question of an vncerteyne or doubtefull thynge theyr custome is to answere thus God knoweth and the greate prince It is vncerteyne whether the crueltie and fiercenes of the nation doo requyre so tyrannous a prince or whether by the tyranny of the prince the nation is made so fierce and cruell Basilius the soonne of Iohn was the fyrst that tooke vppon hym the name and title of a kynge in this maner The great lorde Basilius by the grace of god kynge and lorde of all Russia and the greate duke of Uuolodimaria Moscouia Nouogardia c. Furthermore wheras nowe this prince is cauled an Emperour why the duke of Moâ—couia was cauled an Emperour I haue thought good to shewe the tytle and cause of this errour Note therfore that Czar in the Ruthens tounge signifieth a kynge wheras in the language of the Slauons Pollons Bohemes and other the same woorde Czar signifieth Cesar by whiche name Themperours haue byn commonly cauled For bothe they and the Slauons that are vnder the kyngdome of Hungarie caule a kynge by an other name as sum Crall other Kyrall and sum Koroll but thinke that only an Emperoure is cauled Czar Whereby it came to passe that the Ruthene
or Moscouite interpretours hearynge theyr prince to bee so cauled of straunge nations began them selues also to name hym an Emperour and thinke the name of Czar to bee more worthy then the name of a kynge althowgh they signifie all one thynge But who so wyl reade all theyr hystories and bookes of holy scripture The greate Turke shall fynde that a kynge is cauled Czar and an Emperour Kessar By the lyke erroure Themperour of the Turkes is cauled Czar who neuerthelesse of antiquitie vsed no hygher tytle then the name of a kynge expressed by this woorde Czar And hereof the Turkes of Europe that vse the Slauon tounge caule the citie of Constantinople Czargead that is the kynges citie Sum caule the prince of Moscouie the whyte kynge The whyte kynge whiche I thinke to proceade of the whyte cappes or other tyrementes they weare on theyr heades lyke as they caule the kynge of Percia Kisilpassa that is redde headde The duke of Moâ—couia his tyâ—le He vseth the tytle of a kynge when he writeth or sendeth to Rome the Emperour the pope the kynge of Suetia and Denmacke the greate master of Prussia and Liuonia and also to the greate Turke as I haue byn credably informed but he is not cauled kynge of any of them excepte perhappes of the Liuons Yet by reason of his later conquestes sum haue thought hym worthy the name of a kynge or rather of an Emperour bycause he hath kynges vnder his Empire To the kynge of Polone he vseth this tytle The greate lorde Basilius by the grace of god lorde of all Russia and greate duke of Uuolodimeria Moscouia Nouogardia c. leauynge owt the tytle of a kynge For none of them vouchesafeth to receaue the letters of the other augmented with any new tytle as I knewe by experience at my being in Moscouia at which tyme Sigismundus the kynge of Polone sente hym his letters augmented with the tytle of the duke of Masouia wherwith he was not a lyttle offended They glorie in theyr hystories that before Uuolodimeria and Olha the lande of Ruâ—sia was baptised and blessed of saynt Andrewe thappostle of Chryst Russia baptysed by saynte Andrewe the Apostle affirmynge that he came from Grecia to the mouthes of the ryuer Borysthenes and that he sayled vppe the ryuer to the mountaynes where as is nowe Chiouia and that there he blessed all the lande and placed his crosse prophesyinge also that the grace of god shulde bee greate there and that there shulde bee many churches of Chrystian men Lykewyse that he afterwarde came to the sprynges of Borysthenes vnto the great lake Uuolok and by the ryuer Louat descended into the lake Ilmer from whense by the ryuer Uuolcon whiche runneth owte of the same lake he came to Nouogardia and passed frome thense by the same ryuer to the lake Ladoga and the ryuer Heua and so vnto the sea whiche they caule Uuaretzkoia beinge the same that we caule the Germayne sea betwene Uuinlandia or Finlandia and Liuâ—nia by the whiche he sayled to Rome and was at the laste crucified for Chryste his gospell in Peloponnesus by the tyranny of Agus Antipater as theyr crownacles make mention The prynce euery seconde or thyrde yeare causeth a muster to bee taken of the soonnes of the Boiarons The Moscouites warres and takethe an accoumptâ— bothe of theyr number and howe many horses and men euery of them is able to make and then appoynteth a certeyne stypende to suche as are able further to beare theyr owne charges in the warres They haue seldome any rest or quyetnesse For they eyther keepe warre with the Lithuanians Liuonians Suetians or Tartars of Casan Or yf it so chaunce that the prynce keepe no warre yet dooth he yearely appoynte garrysons of .xx. thousande menne in places abowt Tanais and Occa to represse the incursions and robberyes of the European Tartars cauled Precopites As in other matters Dyuers maners of dyuers people in the ware euen so in thorder of warrefare ther is great diuersitie amonge men For the Moscouian as soone as he begynneth to flye thinketh of none other succoure but putteth all his confidence therein Beinge pursued or taken of his enemie he neyther defendeth him selfe nor desirethe perdon The Tartar cast of from his horse spoyled of al his armure weapons and also sore wouÌ„ded defendeth hym selfe with handes feete and teethe and by all meanes he may vntyll his strength and spirite fayle hym The Turke when he seeth hym selfe destitute of all helpe and hope to escape doth humbly desyre pardon casting away his weapons armure and reching furth to the victourer his handes ioyned together to be bounde hopynge by captiuitie to saue his lyfe The Moscouites in placeinge theyr armye chuse them a large playne where the best of them pytch theyr tentes the other make theÌ„ certen arbours of bouwes fyxt in the grounde The Moscouytes army bendyng together the toppes therof whiche they couer with theyr clokes to defende them selues theyr bowes arrowes saddyles and other theyr necessaries from rayne They put furth theyr horses to pasture and for that cause haue theyr tentes so farre in sunder which they fortifye neyther with cartes or trenches or any other impedyment excepte perhappes the place bee defended by nature as with wooddes ryuers and marysshes It may perhappes seeme straunge howe he maynteyneth hym and hys so longe with so smaule an armye as I haue sayde howe he maynteyneth his army I wyll nowe therfore brefely declare they re sparynge and frugalitie He that hath syxe or sumtymes more horses vseth one of them as A packe horse to beare all theyr necessaryes eyes He hath also in a bagge of two or three spanes longe the floure or meale of the grayne cauled mylle and .viii. or x. poundes weyghte of swynes flesshe poudered He hathe lykewyse A bagge of salte myxte with pepper if he bee ryche Furthermore euery man caryeth with hym A hatchet A fyre boxe and a brasen potte so that if they chaunce to coomme to any place where they can fynde no frutes garlyke onyons or flesshe they kyndle a fyre and fylle theyr pottes with water wherunto they put a spoonefull of meale with a quantitie of salte and make pottage therof wherwith the master and all hys seruauntes lyue contented But if the master bee very hungary he eateth all alone and the seruantes are sumtymes inforsed to faste for the space of two or three dayes And yf the master intende to fare sumwhat more delycately then he addeth therto a lyttle portion of swynes flesshe I speake not thys of the best of them but of suche as are of the meane sorte The gouernours and capytaynes of tharmye doo sumtymes bydde the poorer sorte to they re tables where theye feede them selues so wel that they fast two or three dayes after When they haue frutes garlyke and onyons theye can well forbeare all other meates Procedynge forwarde to the battayle they put more confydence in
Cathay I was mynded to haue added hereunto dyuers other thynges but that for certeyne considerations I was persuaded to proceade no further Unto whoâ—e requeste herein satisfyinge rather other then my selfe wyllynge otherwyse to haue accomplysshed this booke to further perfection I was content to agree for two causes especaially mouynge me wherof the one is that as touchynge these trades and vyages â–ª as in maner in all other sciences there are certeyne secreates not to bee publysshed and made common to all men The other cause is that the parteners at whose charge this booke is prynted although the câ—ppy wherof they haue wrought a longe space haue cest them nought doo not neuerthelesse cease dayly to caule vppon me to make an end and proceade no further affirmynge that the booke wyll bee of to great a pryce not euery mans money fearyng rather theyr owne losse and hynderaunce then carefull to bee beneficiall to other as is nowe in maner the trade of all men which ordinarie respecte of priuate commoditie hath at this tyme so lyttle mâ—ued me I take god to wytnesse that for my paynes and trauayles taken herein such as they bee I may vppon iust occasion thynke my selfe a looser manye wayes except such men of good inclination as shall take pleasure and feele sum commonditie in the knowleage of these thynges shall thynke me woorthy theyr good woorâ—e wherwith I shall repute my selfe and my trauayles so abundantly satysfyed that I â—hall repute other mens gaynes a recompense for my losses as they may bee in deede yf men bee not vnthankefull which only vice of ingratitude hath hyndered the worlde of many benefites ☞ The nauigation by the frosen sea AT my beinge in Moscouia when I was sent thyther by kynge Ferdinando my lorde and master it so chaunced that Georgius Istoma the duke of Moscouia his interpretour a man of great experience who hadde before lerned the latin tounge in the court of Iohn kynge of Denmarke was there present at the same tyme. He in the yeare of Christ .1496 beinge sente of his prince with master Dauid a scotte borne and them ambassadour for the kynge of Denmarke where also I knows there at my fyrst legacie made me a breefe information of all thorder of his iorney The which forasmuch as it may seeme difficult and laborious aswel for the distaunce as daungerous places I haue thought good to describe the same as I receaued it at his mouth Fyrst he sayde that beinge sent of his prince with the sayd Dauid they came fyrst to Nouogardia the great Nouogardia And wheras at the tyme the kyngedome of Suecia reuolted frome the kynge of Denmarke and also the duke of Moscouia was at discention with the Suctians Suecia vnder the kynge of Denmarke by reason wherof they coulde not passe by the most accustomed way for the tumultes of war they attempted theyr iorney by an other way longer by safer And came fyrst from Nouogardia to the mouthes of the ryuer of Dwina and Potiwlo Dwina Potiwlo by a very dyfficult and paynefull iorney For he sayd that this iorney which can not bee to muche deâ—ested for suche laboures and trauayles continueth for the space of three hundreth leaques In fine takyng foure smaul shyppes or barkes at the mouthes of Dwina they sayled by the coaste on the ryght hande of the Ocean where they sawe certeyne hyghe and rowgh mountaynes hygh mountaynâ—s neare the north Ocean and at the lengthe saylynge .xvi. leaques and passynge a great goulfe folowed the coaste on the lefte hande And leauyng on the ryght hand the large sea which hath the name of the ryuer Petzora as haue also the mountaynes adiacent to the same they came to the people of Finlappia Finlappia who although they dwell here and there in lowe cottagies by the sea syde and leade in maner a beastly lyfe yet are they more meeke and tractable then the wylde Lappians The wylde Lappians He sayde that these also are tributaries to the prince of Moscouia Then leauynge the lande of the Lappians and saylynge fourescore leaques they came to the region of Nortpoden vnder the dominion of the kynge of Suecia This the Moscouites caule Katenska Semla The region of Nortpoden and the people Kayeni Departynge from hense and saylynge alonge by the coaste of a wyndynge and bendynge shore reachyng towarde the ryght hande they came to a promontorie or cape cauled the Holy nose The cape cauled the holy nose beinge a greate stone reachynge farre into the sea to the similitude of a nose vnder the whiche is seene a caue with a whyrlepoole which swalowth the sea euery syxe houres A whyrlâ—oole or swalowing goulfe and castynge furth the same ageyne with terryble rorynge and violence causeth the sayde whyrlepoole Sum caule this the nauell of the sea and other name it Charybdis He affirmeth that the violence of this swalowynge goulfe is such that it draweth into it inuolueth â—uch whyrle pooles are cauled vipers and swaloweth vp shyppes and al other thynges that comme neare it and that they were neuer in greater daungioure For the whyrlepoole so suddeynely and violentely drewe vnto it the shyppe or barke wherin they were caryed that with the helpe of ores and great labour they hardly escaped When they had thus ouerpassed the holy nose they came to a certeyne stonye mountayne which they shulde needes compasse abowte But beinge there stayed with contrary wyndes for the space of certeyne dayes the pylotte of the shippe spake vnto them in this effecte This stone sayth he that yowe see is cauled Semes The stone cauled Sâ—mes The which except we please with summe gyfte wee shall not passe by withowt great daungiour But the pylot beinge reproued of Istoma for his vayne superstition Superstitioâ— helde his peace And when they had byn deteined ther by tempest for the space of foure dayes at the length the tempest ceased and they went forwarde on theyr vyage with a prosperous wynd Then the pilotte spake vnto them ageyne sayinge Yowe despised my admonicion of pleasynge the Semes and scorned the same as vayne and superstitions But if I had not priuilie in the nyght ascended a rocke and pleased the Semes wee shulde surely haue had no passage Beinge demaundâ—d what he offered to the Semes Sacrifice to the stone Semes he sayde that he poured butter myxt with otemele vpon the stone which wee sawe reache furth into the sea As they sayled further they came to an other cape named Motka The cape Motka which was almost enuironed with the sea lyke an Ilande in whose extreme poynte is situate the castell of Barthus which sum caule Wardhus The Castel of Wardhus that is a house of defence or fortresse For the kynges of Norway haue there a garryson of men to defende theyr marches He sayde furthermore that that cape reacheth so farre into the sea that they coulde scarcely compasse it in eyght
enim tangent quicquaÌ„ ex rebus vestris inuitis vobis Cogitate ê™ homines et ipsi sunt Et si quare caruerint oramus pro vestra beneficentia eam vos illis tribuatis accipientes vicissim ab eis quod poterunt rependere vobis Ita vos gerite erga eos quemadmodum cuperetis vt nos et subditi nostri nos gereremus erga seruos vestros si quando transierint per regiones nostras Atque promittimus vobis per Deum omnium quae coelo terra et mari continentur perque vitam nostram et tranquil litatem regnorum nostrorum nos pari benignitate seruos vestros accepturos si ad regna nostra aliquando venerint Atque a nobis et subditis nostris ac sinati fuissent in regnis nostris ita benigne tractabuntuâ— vt rependamus vobis benignitatem quam nostris ex hibueritis PostquaÌ„ vos Reges Principes c. roga uimus vt humanitate et beneficentia omniprosequamini seruos nostros nobis charos oramus omnipotentem Deum nostrum vt vobis diuturnam vitam largiatur et pacem quae nullam habeat finem Scrip tum Londini quae ciuitas est regni nostri Anno. 5515. a creato mundo mense Iiar xiiii die mensis anno septimo regni nostri ¶ The copy of the letters missiue which the right noble princâ— Edwarde the .vi. sent to the Kynges Princes other potentates inhabytynge the Northeast partes of the worlde towarde the myghtye Empire of Cathay at suche tyme as syr Hugh Willoby knyght and Rychard Chaunceler with theyr company attempted theyr vyage thyther in the yeare of Chryst .1553 and the .vii. and laste yeare of his reigne EDwarde the syxte by the grace of God kyngâ— of Englande Fraunce and Ierlande â–ª c. To all Kynges Princes Rulers Iudges and gouernours of the earthe and all other hauynge any excellent dignitie on the same in all places vnder the vniuersall heauâ—n Peace tranquilitie and honoure bee vnto yowe and your landes and regions which are vnder yowr dominions and to euery of yowe as is conuenient Forasmuche as the greate and almyghty god hath gyuen vnto mankynd aboue al other liuing creatours such a hart desyre that euery man desyreth to ioyne frendeshyppe with other to loue and bee loued also to gyue and receaue mutuall benefites it is therfore the dewtie of all men accordyng to theyr poure to maintayne and increase this desyre in euery man with well deseruynge to all men and especially to shewe this good affection to such as beinge moued with this desire coomme vnto them from farre countreys For in howe much the longer viage they haue attempted for this intent so much the more doo they therby declare that this desyre hath byn ardent in them Furthermore also thexemples of owre fathers and predicessours doo inuite vs hereunto forasmuch as they haue euer gentelly and louyngly intreated such as of frendely mynde came to them aswel from countreis nere hand as farre remote commendynge them selues to theyr protection And if it bee ryght and equitie to shewe such humanitie toward all men doubtlesse the same owght chiefely to bee shewed to marchauntes who wanderynge abowt the worlde searche both the lande and sea to cary such good and profitable thinges as are founde in theyr countreys to remote regions and kyngedomes and ageyne to brynge from the same suche thynges as they fynde there commodious for theyr owne countreys Bothe aswell that the people to whom they go may not bee destitute of such commodities as theyr countreys brynge not furth to them as that also they may bee partetakers of suche thynges wherof they abounde For god of heauen and earth greatly prouydynge for mankynde wolde not that al thinges shulde bee founde in one region to th ende that one shuld haue neede of an other that by this meanes frendshippe myght bee establysshed amonge all men and euery one seeke to gratifie all For thestablysshynge and furtherance of which vniuersall amitie certeyne men of owre realme moued hereunto by the sayde desyre haue institute and taken vppon theym a vyage by sea into farre countreys to thintent that betwene owre people and them a way bee opened to brynge in and cary owt marchaundies desyryng vs to further theyr enterpryse Who assentynge to theyr peticion haue licenced the ryght valiante and woorthy syr Hughe Wylloby knyght and other owre trusty and faithful seruauntes which are with hym according to theyr desyre to go to countreys to them heretofore vnknowen aswell to seeke such thynges as we lacke as also to cary vnto them from owre regions suche thynges as they lacke So that hereby not only commoditie may ensewe both to theÌ„ and to vs but also an indissoluble and perpetuall league of frendshippe be establysshed betwene vs bothe whyle they permitte vs to take of theyr thynges suche whereof they haue abundaunce in theyr regions and we ageine graunt them such thynges of owrs wherof they are destitute Wee therfore desyre yow kynges and princes and all other to whom there is any poure on the earth to permitte vnto these owr seruantes free passage by yowr regions and dominions For they shall not touche any thynge of yowres vnwyllyng vnto yow Consyder yow that they also are men If therfore they shal stand in neede of any thynge we desyre yowe of all humanitie and for the nobilitie whiche is in yowe to ayde and helpe theym with such thynges as they lacke receauynge ageyne of them such thynges as they shal be able to gyue yowe in recompense Shewe yowre selues so towarde theym as yowe wolde that wee and owr subiectes shulde shewe owr selues toward yowr seruauntes if at any tyme they shall passe by owre regions Thus doinge wee promesse yowe by the God of all thynges that are conteyned in heauen earth and the sea and by â—he lyfe and tranquilitie of owre kyngedomes that we wyl with lyke humanitie accepte yowre seruauntes if at any tyme they shal coomme to owre kyngdomes where they shall as frendly and gentelly bee inteâ—teyned as if they were borne in owr dominions thâ—t we may hereby recompense the fauour and benignitie which yow haue shewed to owr men Thus after we haue desyred yow kynges and princes c. With all humaniâ—â—e and fauour to interteyne owr welbeloued seruantes wee pray owre almyghty god to graunt yowe longe lyfe and peace which neuer shall haue ende Wrytten in London whiche is the chiefe citie of owre kyngedome In the yeare frome the creation of the worlde .5515 in the moneth of Iâ—ar the .xiiii. day of the moneth and seuenth yeare of owre reigne ¶ This letter was wrytten also in Greeke and dyuers other languages ¶ Other notable thynges as touchynge the Indies and fyrst of the foreknowleage that the poet Seneca had of the fyndynge this newe worlde and other regions not then knowen Francisco Lopes TO speke of thynges that shal be longe before they are is a kynde of diuination if the truth
of Iohn Anes dwellynge in the towne cauled the porte hath doone vnto me my wyll and pleasure is to make hym knyght of my house alowynge to hym in pension seuen hundreth reys monethly Seuen hundreth reys are .x. s. Alcayr is halfe a busshel and euery daye one alcayr of barly as longe as he kepeth a horse and to bee payde accordynge to the ordinaunce of my house Prouydynge alwayes that he shal receaue but one mariage gyfte And this also in such condition that the tyme whiche is excepted in owre ordinaunce forbyddynge such men to mary for gettynge such chyldren as myght succeade them in this alowance which is syxe yeares after the makynge of this patente shal be fyrste expired before he do mary I therfore commaunde yowe to cause this to bee entered in the booke cauled the Matricola of owre housholde vnder the tytle of knyghtes And when it is so entered let the clerke of the Matricola for the certentie therof wryte on the backe syde of this Aluala or patente the number of the leafe wherin this owre graunt is entered Which doone let hym returne this wrytynge vnto the sayd Antonie Anes Pinteado for his warrant I Diego Henriques haue wrytten this in Almarin the xxii day of September in the yeare of owre lorde .1551 And this beneuolence the kynge gaue vnto Antonie Anes Pinteado the .xxv. day of Iuly this present yeare Rey. ¶ The secretaries declaration wrytten vnder the kynges graunt YOwre maiestie hath vouchsafed in respect and consyderation of the good seruice of Antonie Anes Pinteado dwellynge in the porte and soonne of Iohn Anes to make hym knyght of yowre house with ordinarie alowance of seuen hundreth reys pension by the moneth and one Alcayr of barley by the day as longe as he keepeth a horse And to bee payde accordyng to the ordinaunce of yowr house with condition that he shall haue but one mariage gyfte And that not within the space of .vi. yeares after the makynge of these letters patentes The secretaries note Entered in the booke of the Matricola Fol. 683. Francisco de Siquera ¶ The coppie of the letter of Don Lewes thinfant and brother to the kynge of Portugale sent into Englande to Antonianes Pinteado ANtonie Anes Pinteado I the infant brother to the kynge haue me hartely commended vnto yow Peter Gonsalues is gone to seeke yow desyrynge to brynge yowe home ageyne into yowr countrey And for that purpose hath with hym a safe conduct for yow graunted by the kynge that thereby yowe may freely and withowt all feare come home And although the wether be foule and stormy yet fayle not to come For in the tyme that his maiestie hath gyuen yow yow maye doo many thynges to yowre contentacion and gratifying the kynge wherof I wolde bee ryght gladde and to brynge the same to passe wyll doo all that lyeth in me for yowre profyte But forasmuch as Peter Gonsalues wyll make further declaration hereof vnto yow I say no more at this present Wrytten in Luxburne the .viii. day of December Anno M.D.LII. ¶ The Infant don Lews AL these forsayd wrytynges I sawe vnder selâ— in the house of my frende Nicolas Lyese with whom Pinteado left them at his vnfortunatâ— departynge to Guinea But notwithstanding all these frendly letters and fayre promyses Pinteado durste not attempte to go home neyther to keepâ— company with the Portugales his countrey men withowt thâ— presence of other forasmuch as he had secreate admonition that they intended to sley hym if tyme and place myght hauâ— serued theyr wycked intent ☞ The seconde vyage to Guinea AS in the fyrst vyage I haue declared ratheâ— the order of the hystory theÌ„ the course of the nauigation whereof at that tyme I coulde haue no perfecte information so in the discription of this seconde vyage my chiefe intent hath byn to shew the course of the same accordynge to the obseruation and ordinarie custome of them aryners and as I receaued it at the handes of an experte pylot beinge one of the chiefe in this viage who also with his owne handes wrote a briefe declaration of the same as he founde and tryed all thynges not by coniecture but by the arte of saylynge and instrumentes perteynynge to the mariners facultie Not therfore assuminge to my selfe the commendations dewe to other neyther so boulde as in anye parte to chaunge or otherwise dispose the order of this vyagâ— so wel obserued by art and experience I haue thowght good to set furth the same in such sorte and phrase of speache as is commonly vsed amonge them and as I receaued it of the said pylot as I haue sayde Take it therfore as foloweth In the yeare of owre lorde M.D.LIIII the .xi. day of October wee dâ—parted the ryuer of Temmes with three goodly shyppes th one cauled the Trinitie a shyppe of the burden of seuen score toonne Thother cauled the Barthelmewe a shyppe of the burden of lxxxx The thyrde was the Iohn Euangelist a shyppe of seuen score toonne With the sayde shyppes and two pyunesses wherof the one was drowned in the coast of Englande we went forwarde on owr vyage and steyde at Douer .xiiii. dayes We steyde also at Rye three or foure dayes More ouer last of all we touched at Darthmouth The fyrst day of Nouember at .ix. of the clocke at nyght departynge from the coaste of Englande we sâ—rte of the stert bearynge southwest all that nyght in the sea and the nexte day all day and the next nyght after vntyll the thyrde dayâ— of the sayde mooneth abowt noone makynge owr way good dyd runne .60 leaques Item from .xii. of the clocke the thyrde daye tyll .xii. of the clocke the .iiii day of the sayde mooneth makynge owr way good southeast dyd runne euery three houres twoo leaques which amounteth to .xvi. leaques the hole Item from .xii. of the clocke the .iiii. day to .xii. of the clocke the .v. day runnynge southwest in the sea dydde runne .xii. leaques Item runnynge from .xii. of the clocke the .v. day vntyll .xii. of the clocke the .vi. day runnyng southeast dyd runne .xviii leaques And so from .xii. of the clocke the .vi. daye vntyll .xii. of the clocke the .vii. day runnynge southsouthwest dyd runne euery houre .ii. leaques which amouÌ„t to .xlviii. leaques the hole Item from .xii. of the clocke the .vii. day tyl .iii. of the clocke the .viii. day southsouthwest runnyng in the sea dyd runne xxx leaques Item from three of the clocke the .viii. day vntyll .iii. of the clocke the .ix. day runnyng southsouthwest dyd runne .xxx. leaques Item from .iii. of the clocke the .ix. day tyll .iii. of the clocke the .x. day dyd southsouthaest in runnynge in the sea the sum of .xxiiii. leaques Also from .iii. of the clocke thy .x. day vntyl .xli. of the clocke the .xi. day dyd run southsouthwest the sum of .xii. leaques and from .xii. of the. clocke tyll .vi. of the sayde day dyd run vi leaques Runnynge south and by west in the
from the Ilandes Of the Ilandes of Galanta or Galana and Guadalupea and of the trees which beare that kynde of cotton whiche the Italians caule Bombasine and the Spanyardes Algadon Of dyuers kyndes of popingiayes And of the Iland of Matinino or Madanino being inhabited only with women Also of dyuers other frutefull Ilandes And of a conflicte which the Spanyardes had with the Canibales Of certeyne Ilandes in the which are seene the mynes of metals and precious stones and of the frutefull and peopulous Ilande cauled Burichena or Boriquen or Insula S. Iohanuis Howe all the Admirals men whiche at his fyrst vyage he lefte in Hispaniola were slayne in his absence by the rebellion of Guaccanarillus kynge of the Region of Xamana and of the free kynde of lyfe which they leade that haue not the vse of money Of the .vii. maydens which swamme .iii. myles in the sea And of the maner of gatheryng of gold in the sands of riuers ¶ The Contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 10. ¶ A particular description of the Ilande of Hispaniola whiche Colonus thynketh to be Ophir from whense kynge Salomon had his great ryches of golde Of the maruelous frutefulnes of Hispaniola and of the suger canes growynge there Of the golden regions of Cipanga or Cibaua and of the ryuers in whose sandes is founde great plentie of golde Of certeyne graines of gold of exceadyng great quantitie Of wylde vines of pleasaunt taste and of grasse which in foure dayes groweth as hygh as wheate Of the Ilande of Iohanna or Cuba beinge the ende of the East and the West And of the frutefull and peopulous Ilande of Iamaica Howe the Admirall thought that he had sayled abowte the lowest hemispherie or halfe circle of the earth and of a secreate of Astronomie touchynge the same matter Howe the Admirall gaue names to .vii. hundreth Ilandes and passed by three thousande unnamed Of certeyne serpentes lyke vnto Crocodiles of .viii. foote longe whose flesshe is delicate to be eaten and of certeyne trees which beare gourdes Of the ryuer whose water is very hotte and of the huntynge fysshe which taketh other fysshes Of great abundaunce of Tortoyses as bygge as targets and of a frutefull mountayne well inhabited Of dogges of deformed shape and dum And of whyte and thicke water Of wooddes of date trees and pynepaple trees and of certeyne people appareled like white friers Of certeyne trees whiche beare spices and of cranes of exceadynge bignes Of stocke doues of more pleasaunte taste then partriches An oration of a barbarous gouernoure as touchinge the immortalitie of the sowle Also of the rewarde of vertue and punysshmente of vice A similitude of the golden worlde and of prouision with owte care Howe the admirall fell sicke by reason of to much watchynge And of a sedition which rose among the Spaniardes in the Ilande of Hispaniola ¶ The Contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 18. Howe the Kynges of the Ilande of Hispaniola were by the Spaniardes mysbehauoure prouoked to Rebellion And howe the admirall sent for them Howe kinge Caunaboa the Lorde of the house of golde that is of the mountaynes of Cibaua conspired the Admirals death and how he with his familie were takeÌ„ prisoners Of a greate famine that chaunced in the Iland of Hispaniola and howe the Admiral builded certeyne fortresses Of a piece of rude golde waighinge .xx. vnces and of the myne of the riche metall cauled Electrum Of the mountayne in the whyche is founde greate plentye of Amber and orpemente And of the wooddes of brasile trees Howe thinhabitauntes are put to they re tribute And howe the nature of the Region disposethe the maners of the people Howe the brother of kinge Caunaboa came ageynste the Admiral with an army of fiue thowsand naked men and how he was taken and his amry put to flyght Of the frutfull vale Magona in the sandes of whose ryuers is founde great plentie of golde and of certeyne whirlewyndes and tempestes Howe the Admirall sente foorthe his brother Bartholomeus Colonus with an army of meÌ„ to search the gold mines of the fosses which he found to haue bin digged in old tyme ¶ The Contentes of the .v. booke Fol. 22. Howe the Lieuetenaunt builded a fortresse in the golde mynes And prepared instrumentes for the pourginge and fyninge of the golde Howe certeyne shyppes laden with vyttayles came frome Spayne And howe the Lieuetenaunt sent the kynges which rebelled with three hundreth captiues into Spayne Howe the Liefetenaunte remoued his habytacion And buylded a fortresse which he cauled saynt Dominickes towre Also howe he passed ouer the ryuer Naiba and entered into the wooddes of brasyle trees Howe the great kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa frendely enterteyned the Lieuetenaunt and browght hym to his pallayce where the kynges wyues and concubines receaued him honorably with pompes and triumphes Of the fortresses which were erected in Hispaniola And howe the Lieuetenaunt exacted tribute of the kynges whiche rebelled ageyne Howe the Lieuetenaunt sette vppon the kynges vnwares in the nyght season and tooke .xiiii. of them prysoners Howe kynge Guarionexius capitayne of the conspiracie was pardoned howe he persuaded the people to obedience Howe kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa sente messingers to the Lieuetenaunt to repayre to his pallayce where he founde xxxii kinges redy with theyr tributes And howe the queene Anacaona entysed hym to eate of the serpentes flesshe Howe the serpentes flesshe is prepared to be eaten And how delicate meate theyr egges are yf they be sodden Howe queene Anacaona syster to kynge Beuchius Aâ—acauchoa enterteyned the Liefetenaunt and gaue hym muche housholde stuffe and many vessels of Hebene woodde artificially wrought and carued Howe kynge Anacauchoa and the queene his syster went aboorde the Liefetenaunt his shyppe and howe greately they were amased to beholde the furniture therof Howe Roldanus Xeminus a Spaniarde rebelled in the Lieuetenauntes absence by whose mysdemeanour also kinge Guarionexius was prouoked to a newe conspiracie with hym Maiobanexius the kynge of the mountaynes ☞ The contentes of the syxte boke Foli 28. ¶ The thyâ—de vyage of Colonus and howe he diuerted from his accustomed rase by the Ilandes of Canarie to the Ilande of Madera for feare of certayne frenche pirates and rouers Of the .xiii. Ilandes which in olde tyme were cauled Hesperides and are nowe cauled the Ilandes of Caput Uiride or Cabouerde Also of the Tortoyses of the Ilande of Bonauista wherwith the leaper is healed Howe the Admirall founde contagious ayre and extreme heate nere the Equinoctial where the north pole was eleuate onely fyue degrees And how sailyng from thence westward he founde the starres placed in other order and the sea rysynge as it were the backe of a mountayne Howe the Admyrall saylynge westwarde and neuer passyng owte of the clyme or paraleles of Ethiope founde a temperate Region and people of goodly corporature And what difference is betwene the natures of Regions beyng vnder one paralele and one eleuation of the pole
of vehement wyndes nere vnto the Equinoctiall line and of the coloure of the earth of the golden mines Of the large and frutefull playne of zauana and of the ryuer Comogrus Also howe kynge Comogrus baptised by the name of Charles gaue Uaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Of the good fortune of Uaschus and howe he was turned froÌ„ Goliath to Eliseus and frome Anteus to Hercules And with what facilitie the Spanyardes shall hereafter obteyne greate plentie of golde and pearles Of the Spanyardes conquestes and fiâ—rcâ—nesse of the Canibales Also an exhortacion to Chrystian princes to sette forwarde Chrystes religion ¶ The contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 104 â–ª ¶ The fourth vyage of Colonus the Admitall frome Spayne to Hispaniola and to the other Ilandes and coastes of the firme lande Also of the florysshynge Ilande Guanassa Of seuen kyndes of date trees wylde vyues and Myrobalanes Also of byrdes and foules Of people of goodly stature which vse to paynt theyr bodyes And of the swyfte course of the sea from the east to the west Also of fresshe water in the sea Of the large regions of Paria Os Draconis and Quiriquetana And of greate Tortoyses and reedes Also of the foure frutefull Ilandes cauled Quatuor Tempora and .xii. Ilandes cauled Limonares Of sweete sauours and holsome ayer And of the region Quicuri and the hauen Cariai or Myrobalanus Also of certeyne ciuyle people Of trees groynge in the sea after a straunge sorte and of a straunge kynde of Moonkeys which inuade men and feight with wylde bores Of the greate goulfe of Cerabaro replenisshed with many frutefull Ilandes and of the people which weare cheynes of golde made of ouches wrought to the similitude of dyuers wylde beastes and foules Of fyue vyllages whose inhabitauntes gyue them selues onely to gatherynge of golde and are paynted vsynge to weare garlandes of Lyons and Tygers clawes Also of seuen ryuers in all the which is founde greate plentie of golde And where the plentie of golde ceaseth Of certeyne people which paynt theyr bodyes and couer theyr priuie members with shelles hauynge also plates of golde hangynge at theyr nosethrylles Of certeyne woormes which beinge engendered in the seas nere abowt the Equinoctiall eate holes in shyppes And how the Admirals shyppes were destroyde by them Howe the kynge of Beragua enterteyned the Lieuetâ—nant and of the great plentie of gold in the ryuer of Duraba and in al the regions there about Also in rootes of trees and siones and in maner in all the ryuers Howe the Lieuetenaunt and his coompany wolde haue erectâ—d a colonie besyde the ryuer of Beragua and was repulsed by thinhabitauntes Howe the Admirall fel into the handes of the barbarians of the Ilande of Iamaica where he lyued miserably the space of tenne moonethes And by what chaunce he was saued and came to the Ilande of Hispaniola Of holsome regions temperate ayer and continual spring al the hole yeare Also of certeyne people which honour golde religiously durynge theyr golden haruest Of the mountaynes of Beragua beinge fiftie myles in heyght and hygher then the clowdes Also the discription of other mountaynes and regions there about comparynge the same to Italy Colonus his opinion as touchynge the supposed continente and ioynynge of the noâ—th and south Ocean Also of the breadth of the sayde continente or firme lande Of the regions of Uraba and Beragua and the great riueâ— Maragnonus and the ryuer of Dabaiba or Sancti Iohannis Also of certeyne marysshes and desolate wayes and of dragons and Crocodiles engendered in the saâ—e Of .xx. golden ryuers abowt Dariena and of certeyne precious stones especially a diamunde of marueilous byggenesse bought in the prouince of Pâ—â—ia Of the heroical factes of the Spanyardes and howe they contemne effeminate plâ—asures Also a similitude prouynge greate plentie of golde and precious stones ¶ The contentes of the fyfth booke Fol. 113. ¶ The nauigation of Petrus Arias from Spayne to Hispaniola and Dariena and of the Ilandes of Canarie Also of the Ilandes of Madanino Guadalupea and Gatanâ—a Of the sea of herbes and mountaynes couered with snow Also of the swyfte course of the sea towarde the west Of the ryuer Gaira the region Caramairi and the porte Carthago and Sancta Martha Also of Americus Uesputius and his expert cunnynge in the knowledge of the carde compasse and quadrant Howe the Canibales assayled Petrus Arias with his hole nauie and shot of theyr venemous arrowes euen in the sea Also of theyr houses and housholde stuffe Howe Gonzalus Quiedus founde a saphire bygger then a goose egge Also emerodes calcidonies iaspers and amber of the mountaynes Of woddes of brasile trees plentie of golde and marchasites of metals founde in the regions of Caramairi Gaira and Saturma Also of a straunge kynde of marchaundies exercised amonge the people of Zunu That the region of Caramairi is lyke to an earthly Paradise And of the frutefull mountaynes and pleasaunte gardeynes of the same Of many goodly countreys made desolate by the fiercenes of the Canibales and of dyuers kyndes of breade made of rootes Also of the maner of plantynge the roote of Iucca whose iuise is deadely poyson in the Ilandes and without hurte in the continent or firme lande Of certeyne golden ryuers hartes wylde bores foules gossampine whyte marble and holsome ayer Also of the greate ryuer Maragnonus descendynge from the mountaines couered with snowe cauled Serra Neuata Howe Petrus Arias wasted certeyne Ilandes of the Canibales Also howe by the swyfte course of the sea his shyppes were caried in one nyght fortie leaques beyonde thestimation of the beste pylottes ¶ The contentes of the syxte booke Fol. 118. ¶ Of sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft a course from the Easte to the west and of the greate goulfe of the north parte of the firme lande The vyage of Sebastian Cabote from Englande to the frosen sea and howe beinge repulsed with Ise in the moonethe of Iuly he sayled farre westwarde Of people apparelled with beastes skynnes And howe beares take fysshes in the sea and eate them Howe Sebastian Cabote after that he had discouered the lande of Baccallaos or Baccallearum was cauled out of Englande into Spayne where he was made one of thassistaunce of the counsayle of th affayres of India of his second viage Of the Ilande Fortis And howe a great foule as bygge as a storke lyghted in the gouernours shyppe Also howe he arryued at Dariena with the kynges nauie Howe Uaschus receaued the newe gouernour And of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctial Howe Petrus Aries the newe gouernour distributed his army to conquere the south regions ryche in golde and to erecte newe colonies in the same Of the ryche golde mynes of Dabaiba and of thexpedition ageynst the kynge of that region Of the Uiolent course of the sea from the east to the west And of the difficulte saylynge ageynst the same Of the pestiferous and vnholsome ayer of Sancta