the Ilandes are meeke and withowte hurte Nothing hurtfull in the Ilandes except men which as wee haue sayde are in many Ilandes deuourers of mans flesshe There are also dyuers kyndes of foules And in many places battes of such bygnes that they are equall with turtle doues Battes as bygge as turtle doues These battes haue often tymes assauted men in the nyght in theyr sleepe and soo bytten them with theyr venemous teethe that they haue byn therby almoste dryuen to madnes in soo much that they haue byn compelled to flye from such places as from rauenous harpies In an other place where certeyne of them slepte in the nyght season on the sandes by the sea syde a monster commynge owte of the sea A man deuoured of a monster of the sea came vppon one of them secreatly and caryed hym away by the myddeste owte of the sight of his felowes to whome he cryed in vayne for helpe vntyll the beaste lepte into the sea with her praye It was the kynges pleasure that they shulde remayne in these landes The Spanyardes profer them selues to subdue the newe landes and buylde townes and fortresses Where vnto they were soo wel wyllynge that dyuers profered them selues to take vppon them the subduing of the lande makyng great sute to the kynge that they might bee appoynted therto The coaste of this tracte is exceadynge greate and large and the Regions and landes therof extende maruelous farre Note the largenes of the newe landes Soo that they affirme the continent of these Regions with the Ilandes abowte the same to bee thryse as bygge as al Europe besyde those landes that the Portugales haue fownde southwarde whiche are also exceadynge large Therfore doubtlesse Spayne hathe deserued greate prayse in these owre dayes Commendacion of the Spaniardes in that it hath made knowen vnto vs soo many thowsandes of Antipodes which leye hyd before and vnknowen to owre forefathers Antipodes And hath thereby mynystred so large matter to wryte of to suche lerned wyttes as are desyrous to sette furthe knowleage to the commoditie of men to whom I opened away when I gathered these thynges rudely to gyther as yowe see The which neuerthelesse I trust yowe wyll take in good parte aswell for that I can not adourne my rudenes with better vesture The autours excusse as also that I neuer tooke penne in hande to wryte lyke an historiographer but only by epistels scribeled in haste to satisfie theym from whose commaundementes I myght not drawe backe my foote But now I haue digressed enowghe Let vs nowe therefore returne to Hispaniola Hispaniola Owre men haue founde by experience that the breade of the Iland is of smaule strength to such as haue byn vsed to owr breade made of wheate And that theyr strenthes were much decayed by vsynge of the same Wherfore the king hath of late commaunded that wheate shulde bee sowen there in diuers places and at sundry tymes of the yeare The nature of the place altereth the formes and qualities of thynges Wheate herbes Catayle It groweth into holowe reedes with fewe eares but those verye bygge and frutefull They fynde the lyke softenes or delicatenes to bee in herbes which growe there to the height of corne Neat or cattall becoome of bygger stature and exceadynge fat but theyr flesshe is more vnsauery and theyr bones as they say eyther withowte marye or the same to bee verye waterysshe But of hogges and swyne hogges they affirme the contrarye that they are more holsoome and of better taste by reason of certeyne wylde frutes whiche they eate beinge of muche better nooryshement then maste There is almost none other kynd of flesshe commonly soulde in the market The multitude of hogges are excedingly encreased and becoome wylde as soone as they are owte of the swyneheardes keepynge They haue suche plentie of beastes and foules Plentie of beastes and fouâ—e that they shall heareafter haue noo neede to haue any brought from other places Thincrease of all beastes growe bygger then the broode they came of by reason of the rankenes of the pasture althowgh theyr feadynge bee only of grasse withowte eyther barley or other grayne But wee haue sayde enowgh of Hispaniola They haue nowe fownde that Cuba Cuba is an Ilande which of longe tyme they thowght to haue byn firme lande for the greate length therof is an Ilande Yet is it noo maruell that thinhabitantes them selues towlde owre men when they searched the length therof that it was withowte ende For this nacion being naked and contente with a lyttle and with the limittes of theyr owne contrey is not greatly curyous to know what theyr neyghbours doo or the largenes of theyr dominion Nor yet knewe they if there were any other thinge vnder heauen besyde that whiche they walked on with theyr feete Cuba The description of Cuba is frome the Easte into the Weste muche longer then Hispaniola And in breadthe from the Northe to the Southe much lesse then they supposed at the fyrst for it is very narowe in respecte to the length And is for the moste parte very frutefull and pleasaunt Eastwarde not farre from Hispaniola there lyethe an Ilande lesse then Hispaniola more then by the halfe which owre men cauled Sancti Iohannis The Iland of Burichema or S. Iohannis beinge in maner square In this they founde excedynge ryche golde mynes But beinge nowe occupied in the golde mynes of Hispaniola Golde mynes they haue not yet sent labourers in to that Iland But the plentie and reuenewe of golde of al other Regions gyue place to Hispaniola where they gyue theim selues in maner to none other thynge then to gather golde The order of woorkynge in the golde mynes of which woorke this order is appoynted To euery such wyttie and skylfull man as is put in truste to bee a suruoier or ouerseer of these woorkes there is assigned one or more kynges of the Ilande with theyr subiectes The kynges brynge theyr subiectes to woorke in the golde mynes These kynges accordyng to theyr league coome with theyr people at certeyne tymes of the yeare and resorte euery of them to the golde myne to the which he is assigned where they haue all maner of dygginge or myninge tooles deliuered them And euery kynge with his men haue a certeyne rewarde alowed them for theyr labour For when they departe from the mynes to sowynge of corne and other tyllage wherunto they are addict at certeyne other tymes Tyllage leaste theyr foode shulde fayle them they receaue for theyr laboure one a ierken or a dublet an other a sherte an other a cloke or a cappe For they nowe take pleasure in these thynges and goo no more naked as they were wont too doo And thus they vse the helpe and laboure of the inhabitantes both for the tyllage of theyr ground and in theyr gold mines as thowghe they were theyr seruauntes or bondemen They beare this
gladly embrased and tooke suche pleasure in hearynge the articles of owre beliefe that the teares fell from theyr eyes for ioye They were baptised The kynge of zibut is baptised and shortely after all the people of the Ilande They esteeme nothyng more precious then drynking glasses of Uenice woorke When they came to the citie they founde the kyng in his pallaice sittynge vppon a floure or stuorie made of the leaues of date trees wrought after a curious diuise lyke a certeyne kynde of mattes He had vppon his body none other apparell but only a cloth of bombasine cotton hangyng before his priuie partes The kynge of zubut his apparell On his heade he had a vayle of needle worke and abowte his necke a chaine of greate price At his eares hunge two rynges of golde wherein were inclosed many precious stones He was but of smaule stature but sumewhat grosse and had the residue of his body paynted with dyuers coloures wherof sum were lyke vnto flamynge fyre Before hym he had two vesselles made of the fine earth cauled Porcellana with sodden egges Also four vessels of Porcellana full of wyne made of date trees and couered with many odoriferous herbes The prince brought them to his house where he had foure doughters verye well fauoured and whyte lyke owres well fauored women He caused them to daunce all naked and therwith to synge and play on certeyne tymbrelles made of metall At this tyme it so chaunced that one of the Spanyardes dyed in one of the shyppes And when certeyne of theyr coompanye desyred the kynge to gyue them leaue to burie hym on the land he answered that forasmuch as he and all his were at the commaundement of theyr kynge and master how much more ought the grounde so to bee They greatly marueyled at the cerimonies perteynyng to the maner of owre funeralles and honoured the crosses whiche were set at bothe thendes the graue They lyue with iustice and vse waightes and measures Theyr houses are made of Timber and sawne boordes and are so buylded aboue the grownde vppon proppes and pyles that they ascende to the same by certeyne stayers Under theyr houses they keepe theyr hogges and hennes When they came to barterynge Barterynge they gaue golde rysse hogges hennes and dyuers other thynges for sume of owre tryfels of smaule value They gaue tenne Pesos of golde for xvi poundes weyght of men Pesus what One pesus is in value a ducate and a halfe The sunday folowynge the kynge was baptysed with great solemnitie At which tyme the Capitayne admonysshed him before not to bee afrayde at the shootyng of of the ordinaunce bycause it was theyr custome so to doo at such solemne feastes After this the Capitayne caused theym to breake all theyr Idoles They breake theyr Idoles and erecte the crosse and to set vppe the crosse in dyuers places prayinge to the same bothe mornynge and euenynge kneelynge on theyr knees and holdynge vp theyr handes ioyned togyther The kinge in his baptisme was named Charles after the Emperours name and the Prince Ferdinando after the name of his maiesties brother The kynge of Messana was named Iohn and the Moore Christopher To all other they gaue such names as are commonly vsed in Christendome And thus beefore masse was begunne were fiue hundreth men baptised Fyue hundreth men baptised When masse was fynysshed the Capitayne inuited the kynge to dyne with him in his shyppe and at his commynge caused the ordinaunce to bee discharged The queene of zubut The queene was also baptised with fortie of her gentlewomen and her doughter the Princes wife The queene was very younge and fayre hauynge her body couered with a white cloth Her lyppes were redde and she had on her head a hat on the toppe wherof was a triple crowne much lyke the papes This crowne the hat were made of the leues of dates trees Within the space of .viii. dayes thinhabitauntes of the Ilande were baptised excepte one vyllage of Idolaters who wolde not herein obey the kynges commaundement Wheruppon the Capitayne sent certeyne of his menne thyther who burnt the towne and erected a crosse in that place bycause the people of the vyllage were gentyles that is Idolaters But if they had byn Moores that is Machumetistes they wold haue erected a pyller of stone bycause the Moores are more stooberne and harder to bee conuerted then are the gentyles When the queene came to the place where shee shuld heare masse shee came surth with great pompe and solemnitie hauynge goinge before her three younge damoselles and three men with theyr cappes in theyr handes The queenes apparell whom shee folowed apparelled in whyte and blacke with a great vayle of sylke vppon her heade fringed abowte with golde whiche couered her hatte and hunge downe to her shoulders Shee had also a great trayne of women folowynge her beinge all barefooted and naked excepte that vppon theyr heades and priuie partes they wore certeyne vayles of silke and hadde theyr heare spredde Before the kynge of Zubut was baptised he was named Raia Humabuon When the Capitayne demaunded of hym why all the Idoles in the Ilande were not burnt accordynge to his promesse he answered that they esteemed thē no more as goddes but only made sacrifice to theym for the Princes brother who was very sycke and as noble and wyttie a man as was in the Ilande The Capitayne answered that if he wolde burne a◠his Idoles and beleue faythfully in Christ and bee baptised he shulde be immediatly restored to health and that he wolde els gyue them leaue to stryke of his heade By these woordes and persuasions of the Capitayne he conceaued such hope of health that after he was baptised he felt no more greefe of his disease And this was a manifest myracle wrought in owre tyme wherby dyuers infidels were conuerted to owre fayth A miracle and theyr Idoles destroyed and also theyr altares ouerthrowen on the whiche they were accustomed to eate the sacrifyced flesshe The people of the Ilande pay the kynge a portion of vittayles for theyr tribute by all theyr cities and vyllages Not farre from this Ilande of Zubut is the Iland of Mathan The Iland of Mathan whose inhabitauntes vse maruelous cerimonies in theyr sacrifices to the soonne and burying the deade They weare rynges of golde abowt theyr priuie members The Ilande is gouerned by two Princes wherof the one is named Zula and the other Cilapulapu And wheras this Cilapulapu refused to pay tribute to the kynge of Spayne the Capitayne went ageynst hym in his owne person with .lx. of his menne armed with coates of mayle and helmettes Cilapulapu diuided his army into three battayles hauynge in euery battaile two thousand and fiftie men armed with bowes arrowes dartes and iauelins hardened at the poyntes with fyer This continued longe and sharpe But the Capitayne beinge a valient man and presynge hym selfe in the brunte of the battayle was sore wounded and
of a drye nature And I knowe that it hath bynne vsed of many to theyr greate profyte And especially in those sorte of mynes which I sayde before to bee dygged in Vigentina in Schio beinge very ryche and good Proue it therfore For all kyndes of mines do not receaue it And of this wherof I haue spoken I haue intelligence that there hath bynne pieces founde holdynge a fourth part of syluer Mines holdynge the fourthe part of siluer and sum more then halfe And this was founde lyinge in maner in the superficiaâ—l parte of the earth and sum tymes in pathes and high wayes It hath also bin founde vnder the rootes of suche trees as haue byn ouerthrowen by tempeste and this very perfecte So that emongâ— all the mynes whiche I haue seene in the dominions of Uenice as in Carnia and in mnay other places I can not saye that I haue seene any better Although there bee many caues wherof the most parte are of coppeâ— holdinge syluer Copper holdinge syluer and emonge other that in the mountayne of Auanzo where I in the company of certeyne other gentlemen caused a caue to bee digged And bycause the hole charge was committed to mee I wente by occasion twyse into high Almanye to see the mynes of â—hat countrey wherby I might haue the better experience to faule to practyse at my returne In so much that I founde the mine which we had taken in hand to folowe to bee very good and ryche holdynge more then three vnces and a halfe of syluer in euery hundreth of the myne Thâ—e vnces diÌ„ of siluer in euery hundreth of mine And doubtlesse we shuld haue obteyned great commoditie hereby if fortune at that tyme had not raysed warre betwene Maximilian Themperoure and the signorie of Uenece war betwene Maximilian â—hemperour and the Uenecians which was the cause that those places of Frioli and Carnia coulde not be quietly inhabited whereby wâ— were enforced to forsake owre enterpryse and to rase and destroy thorder which we had begunne And by reason that the warres continued longe we were constrayned to diuide owr company where I also departed an other way hauyng euer in mynde to folowe owre attempted enterpryse when better oportunitie shulde serue In the meane tyme returnyng ageinâ— into hyghe Almanie The mynes of Almanye I made more diligent searche to knowâ— the mynes then before and went to Sbozzo Plaiper Ispruch Alla and Arotrinbergh frome whense I wente into dyuers places of Italy So that to conclude the most and best mynes whiche I haue sene to holde most of syluer are those that are foundâ— in Viceâ—tina in certeyne stones of a dark grey or russet colour as I haue sayde before And nowe for a generall aduertisement I wyll not omyt to tell yow that when yow haue attempted to dygge any mynes and haue founde the marchasiâ—e and the myne myxt togyther The mâ—rchasite mixt with the myne yowe shall leaue of yowre woorke bycause it signifieth that the myne is neare to the superficial part of the earth that it is of but lyttle quantitie And thus as touchyng this myne of syluer I can say no morâ— sauynge that I haue not yet shewed yowe the maner of pourgynge it from earthly grosenes and to brynge it to perfect metall But bycause I haue determyned to speake largely hereof in the proper place of the fusion or meltynge of all metals I haue thowght good to speake no further of this matter at this presente The maner of workynge in golde mynes of Egipte in owld tyme after the description of Diodorus Siculus who wrotte his historie cauled Bibliotheca sumwhat before the dayes of themperoure Oâ—tauianus Augustus before thincarnatioÌ„ of Christ abowt .xl. yeares He wryteth therefore in his fourthe booke as foloweth WE haue not thowght good to pretermit howe golde is founde digged and wrought amonge the Egiptians In the confines therefore of Egipte where it borthereth with Ethiopia and Arabia there are certeyne places frutefull of metalles owt of the whiche golde is digged with great laboure and expenses For a blacke earthe of minerale nature hath certeyne vaynes of moste white marble exceadinge bright and shyninge Gold iÌ„ a black earthâ— and white marble The surueyours of this woorke haue assigned them a greate company of men to woorke and coyne golde For the kinges of Egipte are accustomed to appoynte to these paynefull trauailes Then damned to the metales as nowe to the gallies all suche as haue byn convicte for certeyne crimes and condemned by lawes or taken prisoners in the warres or suche as haue byn committed to prison through the indignation of princes who by this meanes haue bothe great vantage by theyr laboure and punyshe them sufficiently for theyr offenses For barbarous strange souldiers of diuers languagies bare ruleouer them and keepe them to theyr worke in suche sorte that thuse of speache beinge taken from thyem they can not bee corrupted by loue or intreatie They drawe golde owt of the hardest earth decocte with much fyer The softest stone which is broken with meane labour is digged with instrumentes of iren by the trauayle of many thousaÌ„ds of men The scrier which decerneth the veines of the myne The scrier of the vayne goth before the workemen appoynting them the places where they shall digge The marble stone whiche he sheweth theim they breake and cleaue with wedgies of iren by the mere strength of their bodies withowte arte They make theyr fosse or caue not right furthe but as the bright nature of the golden marble leadeth them Golden marble beinge otherwyse darke and obscure by reason of theyr sundry turnes and bendinges diuers wayes The labourers caryinge lyght beforâ— theyr forheades digge great stones owt of the myne whychâ— they let faule on the ground From this labour they neuer rest inforced to contynual woorke with strokes and contumelious woordes The woorke of chyldren Children of thage of .xii. or .xiii. yeares or vppewarde are diuided into two companyes whereof the one breake the stones into smaule pieces and the other cary furth that which is brokeÌ„ They that are past thage of .xxx. yeares receaue the sayd broken stones at theyr hands and beate them in vessels of stone with maules of iren to the quaÌ„titie of tares or fytches which afterward they cast into many milles Mylles where by the laboure of two or three women or owlde men to euery mylle The miâ—ery of the miners they are grounde as smaule as meale The fylthinesse of the bodies of these labourers is apparent to all men For not so muche as their priuie members are couered with any thinge And theyr bodies bysyde so fylthy that no man can beholde them withowt compassion of theyr miserie But no pitie no reste no remission is graunted them whether they bee men or women younge or owlde sycke or feeble But are all with strokes inforced to continuall labour vntyl the poore wretches faynt
of great Basilius Prince of Moscouia to pope Clement the seuenth 278. Other notable thynges as concernynge Moscouia gathered owt of the bookes of Sigismundus Liberus 289. The description of the regions and people lyinge North and Easte from Moscouia to the ryuer Petzora and the prouince of Iugaria and the ryuer Obi. c. 294. Of the famous ryuer of Tanais 297. More directly from Moscouia to â—athay 298. Of the Tartars 299. The nauigation by the frosen seâ— â–ª 303. The letters missiue which kynge Edwarde the .vi. sent to the kynges princes and other potentates inhabitynge the north east partes of the worlde towarde the Empire of Cathay 306. and. 308. The letters of the prince of Moscouia sente to kynge Edwarde 319. Other notable thynges as touchynge the Indies and of the foreknowleage that the poet Seneca had of the fyndynge of the newe worlde other regions not then knowen 310 Of the greate Ilande whiche Plato cauled Atlantica or Atlantide 310. Of the coloure of the Indians 311. Why they were cauled Indians 311. The fyrst discouerynge of the West Indies 312. What maner of man Christopher Colon was and howe he came fyrst to the knowleage of the Indies 313. What laboure and trauaile he tooke in attemptynge his firste vyage to the Indies 313. Of newe Spayne cauled Noua Hispania or Mexico 315. Of Peru. 316. Of the great ryuer cauled Rio de la Plata 316. Of the hygher or superior India cauled India Tercera or Terciera 317. Ageyne of the landes of Laborador and Baccalaos 318. The discouerynge of the lande of Florida 319. An opinion that Europe Africa and Asia are Ilandes and of certeyne Nauigations abowt the same 320. That the Spanyardes haue sayled to the Antipodes whiche inhabite the vndermost halfe of the baule of the earth contrary to thopinions of the owlde wryters 321. Who fyrst founde the nedle of the compasse and the vse therof 322. The situation and byggenesse of the earth 323. What degrees are 324. A demonstration of the roundenesse of the earth 324. What credit owght to be gyuen to wryters as touchynge the woorkes of nature 325. The preface to the booke of metals 326. Of the generation of metalles and theyr mines with the maner of fyndynge the same 327. Of the mine of golde and the qualitie therof 334. Of the myne of syluer 340. The maner of woorkynge in the golde mines of Egypte in oulde tyme. 342. The discription of the two vyages made owt of Englande to Guinea in Afrike 343. A briefe description of Afrike 344. The fyrste vyage to Guinea 345. The seconde vyage to guynea 350. The maner of fyndynge the Longitude of regions by dyuers wayes 360. A newe maner of fyndynge the Longitudes of regions 361 â–ª A briefe rehearsall of the contentes of the bookes of the Decades c. FINIS ¶ The interpretacion of certeyne Woordes ¶ Continente that is the firme lande not inclosed with water or no Ilande A Carauel or Caruel a kynde of shyppes Hemispherium the halfe globe of the earth and water Pesus a ducate and a halfe Equinoctial the line that diuideth the heauen and the earthe in the myddest betwene the two poles in the which when the sonne commeth the days nyghtes are of equal length Clime is a portion of the worlde betwene north and south Paralleles are lines whereby the sonne passynge causeth variation of tyme. Gatti Mammoni Monkeys Schoenus is a space of .xl. furlonges Werst is an Italian mile Colonie an habitacion The Indian language ¶ Canoa a boate or barke Caciqui kynges or gouernours Zemes an Idole Tuyra the deuyll Machana a sworde Areitos songes or balades Tona the moone Tonatico the soonne Quines prestes Chiuy a man Ira a woman Boa a house Cauni golde Mayani nothynge c. ¶ Note that the Ilande of Hispaniola is nowe cauled San Domingo by reason of the chiefe citie so named Also saynte Iohns Ilande cauled sancti Iohannis or Burichena is otherwyse cauled Boriquen Rycharde Eden to the reader THe moste famous oratoure and learned Phylosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero wryteth that in all consultations as touchynge owre behauoure and order of lyuynge amonge men it behoueth vs euer to beare in mynde howe farre the dignitie of mans nature excelleth the condition of brute beastes For they beinge ruled altogether by sence delyte in nothynge but beastely appetites whereunto they runne headlonge as to theyr onely felicitie But the mynde of man beinge of more noble nature is nurysshed with knowleage and taketh pleasure in diuisynge or excogitatynge sume honest thynge whereby it not onely leaueth amonge men a memorie of his immortall nature but also engendereth the lyke affection in other that delyte to see and heare such thinges as are commendable in theyr predicessours And this surely thynke I to bee the cause that eyther the famous factes of woorthy men Commendation of noble factes or ingenious inuentions of experte artificers haue not onely nobilitate the autours and diuisers of the same or such to whom they haue byn dedicate but also that parte of theyr commendations haue redounded to all suche as haue spente theyr tyme and taken peynes in illustratynge and settynge furthe theyr doynges For who shulde at this daye haue knowen Mausolus the kynge of Caria Mausolus with his wyfe Artemisia or these famous artificers Cunnynge artificers Scopa Bryaces Timotheus Leochares or Pythis if the wonderfull and sumptuous woorke of the sepulcher whiche Artemisia made for kynge Mausolus her husband beinge of such woorkemanshyppe that it was accompted for one of the marueyls of the worlde had not geuen vnto all these immortall fame whereas neuerthelesse it coulde not defende it selfe ageynst thiniurie of tyme consumynge all thynges There remayneth at this daye no token of the laborious Tabernacle whiche Moises buylded The Tabernacle of Moises or of the renoumed and maruâ—â—lous Temple that was buylded in Hierusalem by Salomon and renewed by Esdras The Temple of Salomon Yet shall the name of the excellente artificers Ooliab and Beselchel and Hyram the kynge of Tyrus Hyram lyue for euer in the memory of men Furthermore also Salomon hym selfe although he were many other wayes famous yet gaue he a greate parte of his glory to that princely buyldynge But certeynely the most trewe and permanent glory Trewe glory procedeth of such monumentes as brynge sume great and notable coÌ„moditie profite to the lyfe of men rather then of the hugious heapes of stones of the Pyramides of Egypt wherin is nought els to see but the fonde barbarous ostentation of superfluous riches Great and suÌ„ptuous works Or of the Mazes cauled Labyrinthi or of horryble great Images cauled Colossi of knottes inexplicable of brasen caudrons of monstrous byggenesse of hauens with echo seuen tymes reboundynge and dyuers suche other portentous inuentions the which as they do delite vs in considerynge the maruelous arte and witte of suche artificers as diuised and made the same so are they otherwyse
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
Spanyardes Animae album Animae album whose perfume is of most excellent effect to heale the reumes murres and heauines of the heade As touchinge this vyage as yet I knowe noo other newes that I thought worthy to certifie yowe of Wherfore I wyl nowe make an ende of this booke bycause yow put me so often in rememberance of your departure Yet to accomplysshe the Decade I wyll declare sumwhae of the superstitions of Hispaniola The superstitions of hispaniola Yowe shall nowe therfore vnderstand the illusions wherwith the people of the Ilande haue byn seduced after the errours of the owlde gentilitie The errours of the owlde gentilitie and wandered in the ignorance and blyndenes of humane nature corrupted by the disobedience of owr fyrst parentes which hath remayned in all nations vpon the face of the earth except where it hath pleased god by the lyght of his spirite by his woorde to poure vppon his electe the grace of renouation The grace of renouation by the lyght wherof the naturall darkenes receaueth sume clearenes as in a glasse vntyll imperfection shal be abolyshed Owre men therefore were longe in the Ilande of Hispaniola before they knewe that the people thereof honorede any other thynge theÌ„ the lyghtes of heauen or had any other Religion But when theye had byne nowe longe conuersante with them and by vnderstandyng their language drewe to a further familiaritie they had knowleage that they vsed dyuers rytes and superstitions I haue therfore gathered these fewe thynges folowynge owte of a booke wrytten by one Ramonus an heremyte Ramonus an heremyte whom Colonus had lefte with certeyne kynges of the Ilande to instruct them in the Christian fayth And bycauâ—e in maner their hole religion is none other thing then Idolatry I wyll begynne at theyr Idoles Idoâ—atry and Idoles It is therfore apparente by the Images which they honour openly and commonly that there appere vnto them in the nyghte seasons certeyne phantaâ—ies and illusions of euyll spirites Illuâ—ions of euyl spirites seducinge them into many fonde and folyshe errours For they make certeyne Images of gossampine cotton foulded or wrethed after theyr maner Images of gossampâ—ne cotton and harde stopped within These Images they make sytting much lyke vnto the pictures of sprites and deuelles which owr paynters are accustomed to paâ—nt vppon waules But forasmuch as I my selfe sent yowe foure of these Images yowe may better presently signifie vnto the kynge yowre vncle what maner of thynges they are howe lyke vnto paynted deuelles then I can expresse the same by wrytynge These Images thinhabitantes caule Zemes zemes wherof the leaste made to the lykenes of younge deuels younge deuyls they bind to theyr forheades when they goo to the warres ageynst their enemies And for that purpose haue they those strynges hangynge at them which yowe see Of these they beleue to obteyne rayne if rayne be lackyng and lykewyse fayre wether For they thinke that these Zemes are the mediatours and messengers of the greate god Mediatours whom they acknowleage to be only one eternall Only one god eternall withowte ende omnipotent and inuisible Thus euery kynge hath his particuler Zemes which he honoureth The names of god They caule the eternall god by these twoo names Iocauna and Guamaonocon as theyr predicessours tawght them Affirminge that he hath a father cauled by these fyue names The father of god that is Artabâ—ra Mamona Cuacarapita Liella Guimazoa Nowe shall yowe heare what they fable on the earth as touchinge the originall of man The originall of man kynde There is in the Ilande a Region cauled Caunana wher they fayne that mankynde came fyrst owte of twoo caues of a mountayne and that the byggest sorte of men came furth of the mouth of the byggest caue and the least sorte owte of the leaste caue The rocke in the which these caues are they caule Cauâ—a The greatest denne they name Cazibaxagua and the lesse Amaiauna Fables much lyke Ouide his transformations They say that before it was lawful for men to come foorth of the caue the mouth of the caue was kepte and watched nyghtly by a man whose name was Machochael This Machochael departinge sumwhat farre from the caue to thintente to see what thynges were abrode was soodenly taken of the soonne whose sight he was forbydden and was turned into a stone They fayne the lyke of dyuers other that whereas they went foorthe in the nyghte season a fysshynge so farre from the caue that they coulde not returne before the rysynge of the soone the which it was not lawful for them to behold they were transformed into myrobalane trees The original of Mirobalane trees which of them selues growe plentifully in the Ilande They saye furthermore that a certeyne ruler cauled Vagoniona sent one furth of the caue to goo a fysshynge who by lyke chaunce was turned into a nyghtyngale bycause the soonne was rysen beefore he came ageyne to the caue The nightingale And that yearelye abowte the same tyme that he was turned into a byrde he dothe in the nyght with a moornynge songe bewayle his mysfortune and caule for the helpe of his maister Vagoniona And this they thynke to bee the cause why that byrde singeth in the night season But Vagoniona beinge sore troubled in his mynd for the losse of his familier frende whom he loued soo intierly leauinge the men in the caue brought foorth onely the women with theyr suckynge chyldren leauinge the women in one of the Ilandes of that tracte cauled Mathinino The Iland of Mathinino and caryed the chyldren awaye with hym which poore wretches oppressed with famine fainted and remained on the banke of a certeine ryuer where they were turned into frogges Children turned into frogges and cryed toa toa that is mama mama as chyldren are wont to crye for the mothers pappe And hereof they say it commeth that frogges vse to cry so pytifully in the sprynge tyme of the yeare And that men were scattered abrode in the caues of Hispaniola withowte the companye of women They say also that whereas Vagoniona hym selfe was accustomed to wander in dyuers places and yet by a speciall grace A speciall grace neuer transformed descended to a certeyne fayre woman whom he sawe in the bottome of the sea and receaued of her certeyne pibple stones of marble whiche they caule Cibas and also certeine yelowe and bright plates of laton whiche they caule Cuaninos These thynges to this day are had in greate estimation amonge the kynges as goodly iewels and most holy reliques holy reliques These men whiche we sayde before were lefte in the caues withowte women went furth in the nyght as they say to wasshe them selues in a ponde of raine water and sawe a farre of by the way a greate multitude of certeine beastes in shape sumwhat lyke vnto women creping as thicke as antes aboute the myrobalane
in a frutefull playne of twelue leaques in bredthe at the rootes of the further syde of the nexte mountaynes Comogrus had in his courte a certeyne noble man of nexe consanguinitie to Kynge Careta whiche had fledde to Comogrus by reason of certeyne dissention whiche was betwene Careta and hym These noble men they caule Iura kynge Comogrus This Iura therfore of Coiba mette owre men by the way and conciled Comogrus to them bycause he was well knowen to owr meÌ„ from the tyme that Nicuesa passed fyrst by those coastes Owre men therefore went quietlye to the palaice of Comogrus beinge distante from Dariena thirtie leaques by a plaine waye abowte the mountaynes This Kynge Comogrus had seuen sonnes The kynges palaice younge men of comelye forme and stature whiche he had by sundry wyues His palaice was framed of postes or proppes made of trees fastened togeyther after a straunge sorte and of soo stronge bylding that it is of no lesse strength then waules of stone They which measured the length of the floure thereof founde it to bee a hundreth and fyftie pases and in breadthe foure score foote beinge roofed and paued with maruelous arte They founde his store house furnysshed with abundance of delicate vitailes after the maner of theyr countrey And his wyne celler replenished with great vesselles of earth and also of woodde fylled with theyr kynde of wyne and syder wyne syder For they haue noo grapes But lyke as they make theyr breade of those three kyndes of rootes cauled Iucca agis and Naizium whereof we spake in the fyrste decade Soo make they theyr wyne of the frutes of date trees and syder of other frutes and seedes as doo the Almaynes Flemynges Englysshe men and owre Spanyardes whych inhabite the mountaynes as the Uascons and Asturians likewise in the mountaynes of the Alpes the Noricians Sueuians and Heluetians make certeyne drynkes of barley wheat hoppes and apples They say also that with Comogrus they droonk wynes of sundry tastes both whyte and blacke Blacke wine But nowe yow shall heare of a thynge more monstrous too behoulde Enterynge therfor iÌ„to the inner partes of the palaice they were browght into a chamber hanged aboute with the carkeses of men The boâ—yes of deade kynges religiously honoured tyed with ropes of gossampine cotton Beinge demaunded what they ment by that superstition they answered that those were the carkeses of the father graundefather and great graundfather with the other auncestours of theyr Kyng Comogrus Declaringe that they had the same in greate reuerence and that they tooke it for a godly thynge to honoure them religiously And therfore appareled euery of the same sumptuouslye with golde and precious stones accordynge vnto theyr estate After this sorte dyd the antiquitie honoure theyr Penates Penatâ—s whyche they thowght had the gouernaunce of their lyues Howe they drye these carkeses vppon certeine instrumeÌ„tes made of wood The carcases of men dryed like vnto hurdels with a softe fyer vnder the same so that onely the skynne remayneth to houlde the bones together we haue described in the former decade Of Comogrus his seuen soonnes the eldest had an excellente naturall wytte The kynges sonne a yonge man of excellent wytte He therfore thowght it good to flatter and please thys wandrynge kynde of men owr men I meane lyuynge onely by shiftes and spoyle least beinge offended and seekynge occasions ageynste hym and his familie they shuld handle hym as they dyd other whiche sowght noo meanes howe to gratifie theym Wherefore he gaue Vaschus and Colmenaris foure thousande ounces of golde artificially wrought Foure thousande vnces of wrought golde and also fyftie slaues whyche he had taken in the warres For suche eyther they sell for exchaunce of other thinges or otherwise vse them as theym lysteth â–ª For they haue not the vse of money This golde with as muche more which they had in an other place owre men wayed in the porche of Comogrus his palaice to separate the fyfte parte thereof The distribution of golde whiche portion is due to the Kynges escheker For it is decreed that the fyft parte of both golde perles and precious stones shulde be assigned to the Kinges treasourers And the resydue to bee diuided emonge theym selues by composition Here as brabblynge and contention arose emonge owr men abowt the diuidinge of gold this eldeste soonne of Kynge Comogrus beinge presente whome we praysed for his wysedome commynge sume what wyth an angery countenaunce towarde hym whiche helde the balences he strooke theym wyth his fyste and scatered all the golde that was therein Young Comogrus his oration abowte the porche sharpely rebukynge theym with woordes in this effecte What is the matter yowe Christian men that yow soo greatly esteme soo litle a portion of golde more then yowr owne quietnes whiche neuerthelesse yow entend to deface from these fayre ouches and to melte the same into a rude masse If yowre hunger of goulde bee soo insatiable that onely for the desyre yowe haue therto The hunger of golde yowe disquiete soo many nations and yow yowre selues also susteyne soo many calamites and incommodities lyuing like banished men owte of yowre owne countrey I wyll shewe yowe a Region floweinge with goulde A regâ—on flowinge wyth golde where yowe may satisfie yowr raueninge appetites But yowe muste attempte the thynge with a greater poure For it standeth yow in hande by force of armes to ouercome kynges of greate puissaunce and rigorous defenders of theyr dominions For bysyde other the greate kinge Tumanama will coome foorthe ageynste yowe kynge Tumanama whose kengdome is moste ryche with golde and distante from hense onely syx soonnes that is syx dayes for they number the dayes by the sonne Canibales Furthermore or euer yowe canne coome thether yow must passe ouer the mountaynes inhabited of the cruell Canybales a fierce kynde of men deuourers of mans flesshe lyuing withowte lawes wanderinge and withowte empire For they also beinge desyrous of golde haue subdewed them vnder theyr dominion whiche before inhabited the golde mynes of the mountaynes The golde mynes of the mountaynes and vse them lyke bondemen vsyng their laboure in dygginge and workynge theyr golde in plates and sundry Images lyke vnto these whiche yowe see here For wee doo no more esteeme rude golde vnwrought Unwrought golde not estemed then we doo cloddes of earthe before it bee formed by the hande of the workeman to the similitude eyther of sume vessell neceâ—sarie for owre vse or sume ouche bewetifull to be worne These thynges doo wee receaue of theim for exchaunge of other of owre thynges as of prisoners taken in warre Exchaunge whiche they bye to eate or for sheetes and other thynges perteynynge to the furnyture of householde suche as they lacke which inhabite the mountaynes And especially for vitayles wherof they stande in greate neede by reason of the barrennes of the mountaynes This
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
hym in this effect Thoracion of the byshop of Burges in the defâ—nce of Peâ—â—us arias May it please yowre hyghnes to vnderstand most catholyke Prince that wheras Petrus Arias a man of valiente corage and greate seruice hath offered hym selfe to aduenture his lyfe in yowre maiesties affayres vnder vncerteyne hope of gayne and moste certeyne perels yet that notwithstandynge sum other haue ambiciously maliced his felicitie and prefermeÌ„t labouringe for thoffice whereto he is elected It maye please yowre grace herein soo to shewe hym yowr fauour and permit hym to enioye his sayde office as yowre maiestie doo knowe hym to bee a woorthy and meete man for the same hauyng in tyme paste had greate experience of his prowesse and valianenesse aswell in behauinge hym selfe as orderinge his souldiers as yowr hyghnes may the better consyder if it shal please yowe to caule to remembrance his doinges in the warres of Aphrica The warres of Aphrica where he shewed hym selfe bothe a wyse Capitayne and valient souldier As concerninge his maners and vsages other wayes they are not vnknowen to yowre maiestie vnder whose wynge he hath of a chylde byn browght vp in the courte and euer founde faythfull towarde yowre hyghnesse Wherfore to declare my opinion vnder yowre graces fauour whom it hath pleased to appoynt me a commissioner in these affayres I thinke it were vngodly that he shuld bee put from his office at the sute of any other especially beinge thereto moued by ambition and couetousnes who perchaunce woold proue them selues to be the same men in the office if they shuld obteyne it as they nowe shewe them selues in the ambitious desirynge of the same When the bysshoppe had sayde these woordes the kynge confirmed the election of Petrus Arias in more ample maner then before Petrus Arias Lieuetenante of Dariena wyllynge the byshoppe to appoynt hym a thousande and twoo hundreth souldiers at his charges makynge hym a warrante to thofficers of his escheker to delyuer hym money in preste for the same purpose Petrus Arias therfore beinge thus put in office and authorysed by the kynges letters patentes vnder his brode seale Petrus Arias hath a thousand twâ—o hundreth meÌ„ appoynted at the kynges charges chose a greate number of his souldiers in the court and soo departed frome Valladoleto aboute the calendâ—s of October in the yeare 1513 And sayled fyrst to Ciuile beinge a verye ryche citie and well replenyshed with people where by the kynges magistrates he was furnyshed with men and vytayles and other necessaries perteynynge to soo greate a matter For the king hath in this citie erected a house seruinge only for th affayres of the Ocean A house in Ciuile appointed to the affayres of India to the which al they that goo or coome from the newe landes and Ilandes resorte to gyue accomptes aswell what they cary thyther as what they brynge from thense that the kynge may bee truly answered of his custome of the fyfte part bothe of golde and other thynges as wee haue sayde before This house they caule the house of the Contractes of Indi Petrus Arias founde in Ciuile aboue twoo thousand younge men which made great sute to goo with hym Perularia lykewyse noo small number of couetous owlde men of the whiche many offered them selues to goo with him of theyr owne charges withowt the kynges stipende Many profe them selues to go of theyâ— owne charges But leste the shippes shulde bee pestered with to great a multitude or least vytayles shulde fayle them the libertie of free passage was restraynt It was also decreed that noo stranger might passe withowt the kynges licence Wherfore I doo not a lyttle maruaile at Aloisius Cadamustus a venetian and wryter of the Portugales vyages Aloisius Cadamustus iâ— reproued that he was not a shamed to wryte thus of the Spanyardes nauigations we went we sawe we dyd Wheras he neuer went not any Uenetian sawe But he stoule certeyne annotacions owte of the three first bookes of my fyrst Decade wrytten to Cardinal Ascanius and Arcimboldus supposinge that I woolde neuer haue publysshed the same It myght also happen that he came by the copie therof at the hande of sum ambasadoure of Uenice For I haue graunted the copie to many of them and was not daungerous to forbyd them to coÌ„municate the same to other Howe so euer it bee this honeste man Aloisius Cadamustus feared not to chalenge vnto hym the frute of an other mans laboure Of the inuentions of the Portugales which surely are woonderfull whether he haue wrytten that whiche he hath seene as he sayth or lykewise bereaued other men of the iuste commendations of theyr trauayles The Portâ—gales inueâ—tions I wyll not iudge but am content to let hym lyue after his maner Emonge the company of these souldiers there were none embarked but suche as were licenced by the kynge except a fewe Italians Genues who by frendshippe and sute were admitted for the Admirals sake younge Colonus sonne and heyre to Christophorus Colonus the fyrst fynder of those landes Petrus Arias therfore tooke shippyng in the ryuer Betis nowe cauled Guadalqueuir runnyng by the citie of Ciuile The nauigatioÌ„ of Petrus Arias aboute the beginnynge of the yeare of Christe .1514 But he loosed anker in an euyll houre A shipwracke For suche a tempeste folowed shortly after his departure that it rent in pieces two of his shippes and soo tossed the other that they were enforced to heaue ouer boorde parte of theyr vytayles to lyghten them All such as escaped sayled backe ageyne to the coastes of Spayne where beinge newely furnyshed and refreshed by the kynges officers they went forwarde on theyr viage The master pylot of the gouernoures shyppe was Iohannes Vesputius a Florentine the neuie of Americus Vesputius Americus Vesputius who left hym as it were by discente of inheritance thexperience of the mariners facultie and knowleage of the sea carde and compasse But wee were aduertised of late by certeyne which came from Hispaniola that they had passed the Ocean with more prosperous wynde For this marchaunt shyppe commynge from Hispaniola founde them landinge at certeyne Ilandes nere there aboute But in the meane tyme whyle my importunate caulers on Galeaceus Butrigarius and Iohannes Cursius men studious by al meanes to gratifie yowre holynes ceased not to put me in rememberance that they had one in a redines to depart into Italy and taryed onely to cary with hym vnto yowre holynes these my fayre Nereides althowgh rudely decked leaste I shulde bestow muche tyme in vayne I haue let passe many thynges wyll reherse onely such as seeme in my iudgement moste woorthye memory althowgh sumwhat disordered as occasion hath serued So it is therfore that this Petrus Arias hath a wyfe named Helisabeth a Boadilla A notable exemple of a valient woman beinge niese by the broothers syde to the marques of Boadilla which rendered the citie of
kynge were slayne lyke brute beastes Vaschus founde the house of this kynge infected with most abhominable and vnnaturall lechery Unnatural lechery For he founde the kynges brother and many other younge men in womens apparell smoth effeminately decked which by the report of such as dwelte abowte hym he abused with preposterous venus Of these abowte the number of fortie he commaunded to bee gyueÌ„ for a pray to his dogges For as we haue sayd the Spaniardes vsâ— he helpe of dogges in their warres ageynst the naked people whom they inuade as fiercely and rauenyngely as yf they were wylde boares or hartes The vse of dogges in the warre agenst the naked Barbarians In soo muche that owre Spanyardes haue founde theyr dogges noo lesse faythful to them in all daungiours and enterpryses then dyd the Colophonians or Castabalenses which instituted hole armies of dogges soo made to serue in the warres that beinge accustomed to place them in the fore froonte of the battayles they neuer shrunke or gaue backe When the people had harde of the seuere punysshement which owr men had excecuted vppon that fylthy kynde of men Naturaul hatred of vnnatural sinne they resorted to theim as it had byn to Hercules for refuge by violence bryngyng with them al such as they knewe to bee infected with that pestilence spettynge in theyr faces and cryinge owte to owre men to take reuenge of them and rydde them owte of the worlde from amonge meÌ„ as contagious beastes This stinkynge abhomination hadde not yet entered amonge the people Palatini but was exercised onely by the noble men and gentelmen But the people lyftinge vp theyr handes and eyes toward heauen I wolde all men were of this opinion gaue tokens that god was greuously offended with such vyle deedes Affirmynge this to bee the cause of theyr soo many thunderinges lyghtnynge and tempestes wherwith they are soo often troubeled And of the ouerflowinge of waters which drowne theyr sets and frutes whereof famenne and dyuers diseases insue as they simplye and faythfully beleue although they knowe none other god then the soonne whom onely they honoure thinkynge that it dooth bothe gyue and take awaye as it is pleased or offended Yet are they very docible The harueâ—â— is great the woorkemen but fewe and easye to bee allured to owre customes and religion if they had any teachers In theyr language there is nothynge vnpleasaunte to the eare or harde to bee pronounced but that all theyr woordes may bee wrytten with latin letters as wee sayde of thinhabitantes of Hispaniola It is a warlyke nation warreâ—yke people hath byn euer hetherto molestous to theyr bortherers But the region is not fortunate with frutful ground or plentie of gold Yet is it full of greate barren mountaynes beinge sumewhat colde by reason of theyr heyght The hygher the couâ—der And therfore the noble men and gentelmen are apparelled But the common people lyue content onely with the benefytes of nature There is a region not past two dayes iourney distant from Quarequa in which they founde only blacke Moores A region of black moores and those excedynge fierce and cruell They suppose that in tyme paste certeyne blacke mores sayled thether owt of Aethiopia to robbe that by â—hippewracke or sume other chaunce they were dryuen to those mountaynes Thinhabitantes of Quarequa lyue in continuall warre and debate with these blacke men Here Vaschus leâ—uinge in Quarequa many of his souldiers which by reason they were not yet accustomed to such trauayles and hunger Diseases of change of ayer dyet fell into dyuers diseases tooke with hym certeyne guydes of the Quarequatans to conduct hym to the toppes of the mountaynes From the palaice of kynge Poncha to the prospect of the other south sea The south sea is only syxe dayes iorney the which neuerthelesse by reasoÌ„ of many hynderances and chaunces and especially for lacke of vytayles he coulde accomplyshe in noo leâ—se then .xxv. dayes But at the length the seuenth daye of the calendes of October Uaâ—chus is coome to the fyght of the newe south sea he behelde with woonderinge eyes the toppes of the hygh mountaynes shewed vnto hym by the guydes of Quarequa from the whiche he myght see the other sea soo longe looked for and neuer seene before of any man commynge owte of owre worlde Approchinge therefore to the toppes of the mountaynes he commaunded his armye to stey and went him selfe alone to the toppe as it were to take the fyrst possession therof Prayer Where faulynge prostrate vppon the grounde and raysinge hym selfe ageyne vpon his knees as is the maner of the Christians to pray lyftynge vppe his eyes and handes towarde heauen and directinge his face towarde the newe founde south sea he poored foorth his humble and deuout prayers before almyghtie God as a spirituall sacrifice with thankes gyuing God rayseth the poore froÌ„ the dungehyl that it had pleased his diuine maiestie to reserue vnto that day the victorie and praise of so greate a thynge vnto hym beinge a man but of smaule witte and knowleage of lyttle experience and base parentage When he had thus made his prayers after his warlike maner he beckened with his hande to his coompanions to coome to hym shewynge them the greate mayne sea heretofore vnknowen to thinhabitantes of Europe Aphrike and Asia Here ageyne he fell to his prayers as before desyringe almyghtie God and the blessed virgin to fauour his beginninges and to gyue hym good successe to subdue those landes to the glorie of his holy name and encrease of his trewe religion All his coompanions dyd lykewyse and praysed god with loude voyces for ioye Then Vaschus with no lesse manlye corage then Hanniball of Carthage shewed his souldiers Italye and the promontories of the Alpes hanniball of Carthage exhorted his men to lyft vp their hartes and to behoulde the lande euen nowe vnder theyr feete and the sea before theyr eyes whiche shulde bee vnto them a full and iust rewarde of theyr great laboures and trauayles nowe ouerpaâ—sed When he had sayde these woordes he commaunded them to raise certeine heapes of stones in the steede of alters for a token of possession Uaschus taketh possession of the mountaynes Then descendynge from the toppes of the mountaynes least such as might come after hym shulde argue hym of lyinge or falshod he wrote the kynge of Castelles name here and there on the barkes of the trees bothe on the ryght hande and on the lefte and raysed heapes of stones all the way that he went vntyll he came to the region of the nexte kynge towarde the south whose name was Chiapes kynge Chiapes This kynge câ—me foorthe ageynste hym with a greate multitude of men threateninge and forbyddynge him not onely to passe through his dominions but also to goo no further Herevppon Vaschus set his battayle in array A battayle and exhorted his men beinge
at the lengthe into the territorye of anotheâ— kynge whose name was Bechebuea kynge Bechebuea submytteth him selfe they founde all thynges voyde and in silence For the kynge and his subiectes were all fledde to the wooddes When Vaschus sente messengers to fetche hym he dyd not onely at the fyrste submytte hym selfe but also promysse his ayde with all that he myghte make Protestynge furthermore thâ—t he fledde not for feare that owre men woolde doo hym any iniurie but that he hyd hym selfe for verye shame and griefe of mynde for that he was not able to receyue them honorablye accordynge vnto their dignitye bycause his store of vitayles was consumed Yet in a token of obedience and frendeshyppe he sente owre men many vesselles of golde Uessels of golde desyring them to accepte them as the gifte of a frind whose good will wanted not in greater thynges if his abilytye were greater By whiche woordes the poore man seemed to insinuate that he had byn robbed and otherwise cruelly handled of his bortherers By reason wherof owre men were enforced to departe from thense more hungerly then theye came As theye wente forwarde therfore they espyed certeine naked men coomminge downe from a hylle towarde them Vaschus coommaunded his armye to staye and sente his interpretours to them to knowe what they wold haue Then one of theÌ„ to whom the other seemed to gyue reuerence spake in this effect Owre lorde kinge Chiorisus kynge Chiorisus â—endeth Uaâ—chus xxx dysshes of pure golde greeteth yowe well Wyllynge vs to declare that he hath harde of yowre puissaunce and vertue wherby yowe haue subdued euell men and reuenged the wronges doone to innocentes For the whiche yowre noble factes and iustyce as he doothe honour yowre fame soo woolde he thinke him selfe moste happye if he myght receiue yowe into his palaice But forasmuche as his fortune hath byn so euell as he imputeth it that beynge owte of yowre waye yowe haue ouerpassed hym he hath sent yowe this golde in token of his good wyll and fryndshyppe towarde yowe And with these woordes he deliuered to Vaschus thirty disshes of pure golde Addynge hereunto that when so euer it shulde please him to take the paynes to coomme to their kynge he shulde receyue greater gyftes He declared further that a kynge whyche was their bortherer and mortall enemye was very ryche in golde And that in subduynge of hym they shulde bothe obteine greate rychesse and also delyuer them from daylye vexations whiche thinge myght easilye be doone by their helpe bycause they knewe the countrey Vaschus put them in good coomforte and gaue them for rewarde certayne Iren axes whiche they more esteemed then greate heapes of golde Axes of Iren more esteâ—med then any gold For they haue lyttell neede of golde hauynge not thuse of pestiferous money But he that maye get but one axe or hatchet thynketh hym selfe rycher then euer was Crassus For euen these naked men doo perceyue that an axe is neceâ—sarye for a thousande vses And confesse that golde is desyred onely for certayne vaine and effeminate pleasures Suâ—erfluous anâ— effemynate plesurâ—â— as a thyng whiche the lyfe of man maye lacke withowte any inconuenience For owre glutteny and superfluous sumptuousnesse hath not yet corrupted them By reason wherof they take it for noo shame to lacke cobardes of plate where as the pride and wantonnes of owre tyme dooeth in maner impute it to vs for ignominye to bee withowte that wherof by nature we haue no neede An exemple of the lyfe of owre fyrst parentes But their contentation with the benefytes of nature doothe playnly declare that men may leade a free and happy life withowt tables table clothes carpettes napkyns and towels with suche other innumerable wherof they haue no vse excepte perhappes the kynges furnishe their tables with a fewe golden vessels But the common people dryue awaye hunger with a pyece of their breade in the one hande and a piece of broylde fyshe or summe kynde of fruite in the other hande For they eate fleshe but seldome When their fingers are imbrued with any ounctuous meates they wype them eyther on the soules of their feete or on their thyghes ye sumtymes on the skynnes of their priuye members in the steede of a nappekynne And for this cause doo they often tymes washe them selues in the ryuers Owre men therfore wente forwarde laden with golde Plentye of gold scarcenesse of mâ—are but sore afflicted with hunger Thus they came at the length to the dominion of kynge Pocchorrosa who fledde at their coommynge Here for the space of thirtye dayes they fylled their emptye bellies with breade of the rootes of Maizium In the meane tyme Vaschus sente for Pocchorrosa knâ—g Pecchorroâ—a â—ubâ—ytteth hym selfe who beynge allured with promisses and fayre woordes came and submytted hym selfe brynginge with hym for a present .xv. poundes weighte of wrought golde xv pounde weyghte of wroughte golde and a fewe slaues Vaschus rewarded hym as he had doone other before When he was mynded to depart he was aduertised that he shulde passe through the dominioÌ„ of a certayne kynge whose name was Tumanama kyng Tumanama looke decad ii lib. 〈◊〉 This is hee whome the soonne of kynge Comogrus declared to bee of soo great poure and fearefull to all his bortherers with whom many of Comogrus familyers had byn captyue But owre men nowe perceiued that they measured his poure by their owne For their kinges are but guattes compared to elephantes in respecte to the poure and pollicye of owre men Owre men were also enformed by suche as dwelte neare aboute Tumanama that his region was not beyonde the montaynes as they supposed Nor yet so ryche in golde as younge Comogrus â–ª had declared Yet consulted they of his subduyng whiche they thoughte they myght theaslyer brynge to passe bycause Pocchorrosa was his mortall enemye who moste gladly promysed them his aduice and ayde herein Vaschus therfore leauynge his sycke men in the vyllage of Poochorrosa tooke with hym threscore of his moste valiante souldiers and declared vnto them howe kynge Tumanama had oftentymes spoken proude and threatnyng woordes ageynste them A good policye Lykewise that it nowe stoode them in hande of necessitye to passe through his dominion And that he thought it beste to sette vppon hym vnwares The souldiers consented to his aduice anâ— exhorted him to gyue thaduenture promisinge that they woolde folowe hym whether so euer he wente They determined therfore to go two dayes iorney in one daye that Tumanama not knowynge of their sooden commyng myght haue no leasure to assemble an armye The thynge came to passe euen as they had deuysed For in the fyrste watche of the nyght owre men with the Pocchorrosians inuaded the vyllage and palaice of Tumanama where they tooke hym prisoner suspectynge nothinge lesse 〈…〉 is takâ— prisoner He had with hym two younge men whiche he abused vnnaturally Also fourscore women whiâ—h he
by chaunce in an other place where the colour of the grounde with certayne shyninge stones seemed to bee a tooken of golde where causynge a smaule â—itte to bee dygged lyttell beneath thupper cruste of the eaâ—the he founde somuche golde as weyghed that pyece of golde whiche the Spaniardes caule Castellanum aureum and is commonly cauled Pesus Tokens of great plentie of goâ—de but not in one grayne Reioysynge at theâ—e tookens in hope of great riches he badde Tumanama to be of good coomforte promysynge hym that he woolde bee his frende and defender soo that he troubeled not any of the kynges whiche were frendes to the Christians He also perswaded hym to gather plentye of golde Suâ—me saye that he ledde awaye all Tumanamâ— his women and â—pâ—yled him leaste he shuld rebell Yet he delyuered his soonne to Vaschus to bee broughte vppe with owre men to learne their language and relygyon that he myght therafter the better vse his helpe aswell in all thynges that he shulde haue to doo with owre men as also more polytykely rule and obtayne the loue of his owne subiectes Vaschus at this tyme fell into a vehement feuer by reason of excesse of labour Uaâ—chus fauleth â—icke immoderate watchyng and hunger In somuche that departynge from thense he was fayne too bee borne vppon mennes backes in shietes of gossampyne cotton Feeblenes of hunger and watchinge Lykewyse also many of his souldiers whiche were soo weake that they coulde nother go nor stonde To this purpose they vsed the helpe of thinhabytantes who shewed theÌ„selues in althynges wyllynge and obedyente Also summe of thâ—m whiche were suâ—what feeble and not able to trauayle although not greuously sycke were ledde by the armes vntyll they came to the domynion of kynge Commogrus a greate frende to the Christyans kynge Comogâ—us frendeâ— to the Chrisâ—ians of whom wee haue largely made mention before At Vaschus commynge thether he founde that the owlde kynge was deade and his soonne whome we so prayâ—ed for his wisedome to raygne in his steade And that he was baptiâ—eâ— bâ— the name of Charles The palayce of this Comogrus is situate at the foote of a stâ—epe hyll well cultured Hâ—uynge towarde the southe a playne of twelue leages in bâ—eadth and veary frutefull The large â—â—â—teful plain oâ—â—auana This playne they caule Zauana Beyonde his are the great and hyghe montaynes whiche â—eâ—ydâ— thâ— two seas wherof we haue spoken before Owte of the styepe hylles spryngeth the ryuer Comogrus Tho ryuer Comogruâ— whiche runneth throwgh the sayde playne to the hyghe montaynes receauynge into his chanell by their valleys all the other ryuers so fauleth into the south sea It is distante from Dariena aboute threscore and tenne leages towarde the weste As owre men therfore came to these parties kynge Comogrus otherwyse cauled Charles by his christian name mette theÌ„ ioyfully and entertayned them honorably gyuynge them their fyll of pleasaunte meates and drynkes He gaue also to Vaschus twenty pounde weyght of wrought golde xx pounde weyght of wrought gold Vaschus recompensed him with thinges which he esteemed muche more As axes and sundry kyndes of carpenters tooles Also a souldiours cloke and a faire sherte wrought with needle woorke By these gyftes Comogrus thought hym selfe to bee halfe a god amonge his bortherers Vaschus at his departynge from hense ernestly charged Comogrus and the other kynges to remayne faithfull and obedient to the christian king of Castile if they desyred to lyue in peace and quietnesse And that they shulde hereafter more diligently applye them seluâ—s to the gatheringe of golde to bee sente to the great christian Tiba that is kyng Declaryng furâ—her that by this meanes thâ—y shuld bothe gette them and their posterity a patrone and defender ageinst their enemyes and also obtayne great abundaunâ—e of owre thinges These affayres thus happely achiuâ—d he went forwarde on his vyage to the palaice of kyng Poncha where he founde foure younge men whiche were come from Dariena to certify hym that there were certayne shyppes coomme from Hispaniola laden with vyttayles and other necessaries Uaschus reâ—uâ—neth to Dariena Wherfore takyng with him twentie of his moste lusty souldiers he made haste to Dariena with longe iorneys leauinge the resydue behynd him to folow at their leasure He writeth that he came to Dariena the .xiiii. Cal. of Fe An. 1514. The date of his letter is From Dariena the .iiii. day of march The good fortune of Uaschus He writeth in the same letter that he had many sore conflictes that he was yet neyther wounded or loste any of his men in the battaile And therfore in al his large letter there is not one leafe without thankes geuynge to almyghty god for his delyuery and preseruation from so many imminent pecels He attempted no enterprise or tooke in hande any viage withowt thinuocation of god and his holy saintes Thus was Vaschus Balboa of a vyolenâ—e Goliath tourned into Helsâ—as Uaschus waâ— turned from Gâ—â—â—â—th to â—â—â—â—eus And frome Anteus too Hercules the conquerour of monsters Beynge therefore thus tourned from a rasshe royster to a polytykâ— and discreate capitayne he was iudged woorthy to bee aduaunced to greate honoure By reason whereof he was bothe receaued into the kynges fauour and therevppon created the generall or Lieuetenaunt of the kynges army in those Regions O flaterynge fortune looke his death in the booke of the Ilande lately founde Thus much haue I gathered bothe by the letters of certeyne my faythefull frendes beinge in Dariena and also by woorde of mouth of suche as came lately frome thense If yowre holynes desyre to knowe what I thynke herein Suerly as by suche thynges as I haue seene I beleue these thynges to bee trewe euen so thorder and agreinge of Vaschus and his coompanions warrelyke letters seeme to confirme the same The earth is owre general mother The Spanyarde therfore shall not neede hereafter with vndermynynge the earth with intollerable laboure to breake the bones of owre mother and enter many myles into her bowels and with innumerable daungers cut in sunder hole mountaynes to make a waye to the courte of infernall Pluto The courte of infernall Pluto to brynge from thense wycked golde the seede of innumerable mischeues withowte the whiche notwithstandynge we may nowe scarsely leade a happy lyfe sithe iniquitie hath so preuayled and made vs slaues to that wherof we are lords by nature The Spanyarde I say shall not neede with such trauayles difficultie to dygge farre into the earth for gold but shal fynde it plentifully in maner in the vpper crust of the earth or in the sandes of ryuers dryded vppe by the heate of sommer onely wasshynge the earth softely frome the same And shall with lyke facilite gather plentie of pearles There iâ— a better waye then this Certenly the reuerent antiquitie by al the Cosmographers assent obteyned not soo greate a benefyte of nature
foorthwith to thintente there to plant theyr colonie or habitacion where the newe gouernour planted his habitatioÌ„ To the better accomplysshemente hereof they sent immediatly one Iohannes Aiora a noble younge gentelman of Corduba and vnder Lieuetenant The viage of Iohannes Aiora with foure hundreth men and foure carauelles and one other lyttle shippe Thus departinge he sayled fyrst directly to the hauen of Comogrus The hauen of Comogrus dystant from Dariena aboute twentie and fyue leagues as they wryte in theyr last letters Frome hense he as appoynted to sende a hundreth and fyftie of his foure hundreth towarde the South by a newe and ryghter way founde of late by the which as they say it is not paste .xxvi. leagues from the palaice of kynge Comogrus to the enteraunce of the goulfe of Sancti Michaelis Sainte Mychaels goulfâ— The residewe of the foure hundreth shall remayne there to bee an ayde and succour to all such as shall iorney to and fro Those hundreth and fiftie which are assigned to go southwarde take with them for interpretours certeine of owre men which had lerned the sootherne language of the bonde men which were gyuen to Vaschus when he ouerranne those regions and also certeyne of the bondemâ—n them selues which had nowe lerned the Spanysshe tonge They say that the hauen of Pocchorrosa The hauen Pocchorrosa is onely seuen leaques distante frome the hauen of Comogrus In Pocchorrosa he is assigned to leaue fyftâ—e men with the lyghtest shyp which maye bee a passinger betwene them A passynger shyppe that lyke as we vse poste horses by lande so may they by this currant shippe in shorte space certifie the Lieuetenaunt and thinhabitours of Dariena of suche thynges as shall chaunce They entende also to buylde houses in the region of Tumanama The palaice of kynge Tumanama Kyng Tumanama is distant from Pocchorrosa about twentie leaques Of these foure hundreth men beinge of the owlde souldiers of Dariena and men of good experience fyftie weare appoynted to bee as it were Decurians to guide and conducte the newe men from place to place to do their affaires Decurians are officers deuided into â—ennes c. When they had thus sette all thynges in order they thought it good to aduertise the king hereof and therwith to certifye hym that in those prouinces there is a kynge named Dabaiba whose dominion is very riche in golde Kyng Dabaiba But the same to be yet vntouched by reason of his great power His kingedome ioyneth to the seconde greate ryuer named Dabaiba after his name The gold mynes of Dabaiba whiche fauleth into the sea owt of the corner of the goulfe of Vraba as we haue largely declared before The common reporte is that all the lande of his dominions is ryche in golde The palayce of kynge Dabaiba is fyfty leaques distante from Dariena The pallaice of kynge Dabaiba Thinhabitantes saye that from the palaice the golde mynes reache to the borthers on euery syde The gold mynes of Dariena Albeit owre men haue also golde mynes not to bee contempned euen within three leaques of Dariena in the which they gather golde in many places at this presente Yet doo theye affyrme greater plentie to bee in the mynes of Dabaiba In the bookes of owre fyrste frutes wrytten to yowre holynesse we made mention of this Dabaiba wherin owre men were deceaued and mystooke the matter â—n erroure For where they founde the fyssher men of kyng Dabaiba in the marysshes they thought his region had byn there also They determyned therfore to sende to kynge Dabaiba three hundreth choyse younge men to be chosen owte of the hole army as moste apte to the warres Eâ—pedition ageinst kynge Dabaiba and well furnysshed with all kyndes of armoure and artillery to thintent to go vnto hym and wyl hym eyther frendly and peaceably to permytte them to inhabyte parte of his kingdome with the fruition of the golde mynes or elles to bydde him battayle and dryue hym owte of his countrey In their letters they often â—ymes repete this for an argument of great rychesse to coome Great plentie of golde that they in maner dygged the grounde in noo place but founde the earthe myxte with sparkes and smaule graynes of golde They haue also aduertised the kynge that it shal be commodious to place inhabitours in the hauen of Sancta Martha in the region of Saturma The regyon of Saturma that it maye bee a place of refuge for them that sayle from the Ilande of Dominica from the whiche as they saye it is but foure or fyue dayes saylyng to that hauen of the regyon of Saturma The Ilande of Dominica And from the hauen but thre dayes saylyng to Dariena Dariena But this is to bee vnderstode in goynge and not in returnynge For the returnyng from thense is so laborious and difficulte by reason of the contrary course of the water Difficulte saylyng ageynst the course of the sea that they seeme as it were to ascende hyghe montaynes and stryue ageynste the poure of Neptunus This swyfte course of the sea towarde the Weste is not so violente to theym whiche retourne to Spayne frome the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba Althoughe they also do laboure ageynste the faule of the Ocean The cause wherof is that the sea is here verye large so that the waters haue their full scoope But in the tracte of Paria the waters are constrayned together by the bendynge sydes of that great lande and by the multytude of Ilandes lyinge ageynste it as the lyke is seene in the straightes or narowe seas of Sicilie where the violent course of the waters cause the daungerous places of Scylla and Charybdis The daungerous straightes of Scylla Charybdis by reason of those narowe seas whiche conteine Ionium Libicum and Tirrhenum Colonus the fyrst fynder of these regyons hath lefte in wrytynge that saylynge from the Ilande of Guanassa Guanassa and the prouynces of Iaia Iaia Maia Maia and Cerabaro Cerabaro beyng regyons of the west marches of Beragua Beragua he founde the course of the water so vehemente and furious ageynste the fore parte of his shippe whyle he sailed from those coastes towarde the Easte that he coulde at no tyme touche the grounde with his soundynge plummet but that the contrary vyolence of the water woolde beare it vppe from the bottome The vehement course of the sea fro the east to the west He affyrmeth also that he coulde neuer in one hole daye with a meately good wynde wynne one myle of the course of the water And this is the cause why they are oftentymes enforced to sayle fyrste by the Ilandes of Cuba and Hispaniola and so into the mayne sea toward the North when they returne to Spaine that the Northe wyndes maye further their vyage whiche they can not brynge to passe by a directe course The northâ— wynde But
faule into this Caspium CCâ— sprynges within the space of a furlonge Also on the Northe syde within a furlonge of the lake there are aboue twoo hundreth springes occupyinge lykewise aboute a furlonge in circuite the water wherof is coulde in soomer freshe also and holsome to bee droonke These sprynges make a ryuer than can not bee waded ouer whiche neare at hande ioynynge with the other fauleth into the lake Here muste wee staye a whyle The kynge of this regyon founde his wyfe praying in a chapel builded by the Christians with in the precincte of his dominion A myracle and required her coompanie to satisfye his fleshely luste His wyfe reproued hym and put hym in remembraunce to haue respecte to the holye place The woordes whiche shee spake to hym The Indian language were these Teitoca Teitoca whiche is as muche to saye as bee quyet bee quyet Techeta cynato guamechyna That is god wyl bee greatly angerie Guamechyna sygnifyeth god Techeta greatly Cynato angrie But the husbande halynge her by the arme sayde Guaibba that is go Cynato macabuca guamechyna That is what is that to me if god be angerye A kyng stricken dumme and lame by â— myracle And with these woordes as he profered her violence soodenlye he became dumme and lame Yet by this myracle beynge striken with repentaunce he euer after ledde a relygious lyfe In soo muche that from thense foorthe hee woolde neuer suffer the chapell to bee swepte or decked with any other mannes hande By the same myracle manye of thinhabitauntes and all the Christians beyng moued resorted deuoutly to the chappell They take it in good parte that the kynge suffered the reuenge of that reproche Lette vs nowe retourne to Caspium That salte lake is tossed with stormes and tempestes And oftentymes drowneth smaule shyppes or fyssher boates and swaloweth them vppe with the maryners Such as are drowned in the lake are not cast vp ageyne In so muche that it hath not byn harde of that any man drowned by shyppewracke euer ploonged vppe ageyne or was caste on the shore as commonly chaunceth of the deade bodyes of suche as are drowned in the sea These tempestes are the deintie banquetes of the Tiburones This Caspium is cauled Hagueigabon In the myddest hereof lyeth an Ilande named Guarizacca The Ilande Guarizacca in the myddest of the poole A lake of salt and freshe water to the whiche they resorte when they go a fysshynge But it is not cultured There is in the same playne an other lake nexte vnto this whose water is myxte of salte and freshe And is therfore nother apte to bee droonke not yet to bee refused in vrgente necessytie This conteineth in length .xxv. miles and in breadth eight myles In summe places also nyne or ten It receaueth manye ryuers whiche haue no passage owte of the same but are swalowed vppe as in the other Water springeth out of the sea into this also but in no great quantitie whiche is the cause that it is so commyxte In the same prouynce towarde the Weste syde there is an other lake of freshe water A lake of fresshe water not farre distante from Caspius This thinhabitauntes caule Iainagua The same salte lake hath on the North syde therof an other named Guaocaa This is but lyttle as not past three or foure myles in breadth and one in length The water of this maye well bee droonke On the southe syde of the salte lake there lyeth an other named Babbareo of three myles in length and in maner rounde The water of this is freshe as of â—he two other This lake bycause it hath no passage owte nor yet any swalowynge goulfes conueyeth the superfluous waters to the sea if it be encreased with the streames whiche faule sumtimes more abondantly froÌ„ the montaines This is in the region of Xamana in the prouince of Bainoa There is an other cauled Guaniba lying betwene the East the South nere vnto the syde of Caspius This is ten myles in length and almoste rounde A lake of ten myles in lâ—ngth There are furthermore many other smaule standyng pooles or lakes disparsed here and there in the Iland whiche I wyll lette passe leste I shulde bee tedious in remainyng to longe in one thynge I wyll therfore make an ende with this addition that in all these great plentie of fyshe and foule is nourysshed All these lakes lye in a large playne the whiche from the East reacheth into the West a hundreth and twentie myles A playne of a hundreth and twentie miles beyng of breadth .xviii. myles where it is narowest and .xxv. where it is largest Lookyng toward the West it hath collaterally on the lefte hande the montaines of Daiguani And on the ryght hande the montaines of Caigua so cauled of the name of the vale it selfe At the rootes of the montaines of Caigua toward the North syde there lyeth an other vale much longer larger then that before named For it conteineth in length almoste two hundreth myles A playne of two hundreth myles in length And in breadth .xxx. wher it is largest about .xx. wher it is narowest This vale in summe parte therof is cauled Maguana In an other place Iguamu elles where Hathathiei And forasmuche as wee haue here made mention of this parte of the vale named Hathathiei wee wyll sumwhat digresse from the discourse of this description and entreate of a thinge so straunge and maruelous that the lyke hath not vyn hard of So it is therfore that the kyng of this region named Caramatexius taketh great pleasure in fysshinge Into his nettes chanced a yonnge fyshe of the kynde of those huge monsters of the sea whiche thinhabitours caule Manari The maruelous fysshe Manari not founde I suppose in owre seas nor knowen to owre men before this tyme. This fyâ—he is foure footed and in shape lyke vnto a tortoyse althoughe shee be not couered with a shel but with scales And those of such hardnesse couched in suche order that no arrowe can hurâ—e her Her scales are byseâ— defend with a thousand knobbes Her backe is playne and her heade vtterly lyke the heade of an oxe She lyueth both in the water and on the lande She is slowe of mouynge of condition meeke gentell A monster of the sea fedde with mans hande assocyable and louing to mankind and of a maruelous sence or memorie as are the elephant and the delphyn The king norisshed this fyshe certeine daies at home with the breade of the countrey made of the roote of Iucca and Panycke with suche other rootes as men are accustomed to eate For when shee was yet but younge he cast her into a poole or lake neare vnto his palaice there to bee fedde with hande This lake also receaueth waters and casteth not the same foorth ageine It was in tyme passe cauled Guaurabo But is nowe cauled the lake of Manaâ—i after the name
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
and on the lande When they desyre to gather golde they plunge theym selues in the ryuers and brynge from the bottome therof bothe their handes full of sande whiche syftynge from hande to hande they gather owte the graynes of golde And by this meanes in the space of twoo houres they fyll a reede as bygge as a mannes fynger Of the sweete sauours of these landes Sweete sauours many thinges myght be spoken the whiche bycause they make rather to theffeminatynge of the myndes of men then for any necessarye purpose I haue thought best to omytte them The kynge also gaue the gouernour a younge virgine of twelue yeares of age adourned with ryche and fayre iewelles A stone of great price Of the stones whiche he had of this kynge one was valued at twoo thousande Castellans of golde Thus at the length they departed from this kyng laden with golde and precious stoones Crisalua the gouernour sente one of the Carauelles to his vncle Diego Velasquen gouernour of the Ilande of Cuba with messengers to delyuer hym the golde iewelles and other ornamentes The resydue in the meane tyme styll folowed the tracte towarde the West One of them in the whiche Frauncis Montegius the vnder gouernour was caryed sayled harde by the shore and the other twoo kept aloofe within prospecte of the land Thinhabitauntes of these coastes also no lesse marueylynge at the shyppes then dyd the other came with twelue Canoas to Montegius desyringe hym by thinterpretours to coome alande promysynge in the name of their kynge that hee shoulde be honorably entertayned But Montegious answered that hee coulde not assente to their request bycause his coompanions were so farre from hym Yet dyd he gyue them certayne of owre thynges straunge vnto them and thankes for their gentylnesse Shortly after espyinge a great towne they directed their course thither Thinhabitauntes prohibyted them to coome alande and came foorthe ageynst them with bowes quyuers ful of arrowes brode swoordes made of heauy woode and Iauelens hardned at the ende with fier They shotte at owre men a farre of And owre men discharged certeyne pieces of ordinaunce ageynst them The Barbarians astonysshed at the noyse of the gunnes fledde amayne and desyred peace Here owre mens vytayles began to fayle them and theyr shyppes were broosed with longe vyages Hauynge therefore founde and doone these thynges whereof we haue spoken Crisalua returned to the Ilande of Fernandina well contented Other viages from Cuba or Fernandina but so were not his companions We muste nowe diuerte sumwhat from this matter and speake of an other nauigation And from thense wyll we returne to these landes which owre men haue founde So it is therfore that Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Iland of Fernandina about the same tyme that he had sent foorth this nauie of foure Caraueles he prepared an other nauigation of onely one Carauell and one brygantine with fortie and fyue men These exercised vyolent handes ageinst thinhabitauntes of those regions where they arryued thynkynge that they myght forceably drawe them to the dyggynge of golde bycause they were Caffranite Idolaters and circumcised There are at the sea syde not farre from the supposed continent Many Ilandâ— betwene Cuba and the firme lande many lyttle Ilandes of moste fortunate and frutefull soyle whereof three are thus named Guanapan Guanguan and Quitilla Owte of one of these which they named Sancta Marina they violentely caried away three hundreth men and women which they thrust into the Carauell and returned immediatly to Fernardina leauynge the brigantine with .xxv. of theyr felowes to thintent to hunt for more men The hauen where the Carauell fyrste arryued is cauled Carenas beinge distante from the angle of Cuba and the chiefe citie of Sanctiago Sanctiago the chiefe citie of Cuba two hundreth and fyftie myles For this Ilande of Cuba is very longe reachyng in length from the East to the West and situate directly vnder the circle cauled Tropicus Cancri as we haue sayde before Now shall you heare how fortune sought the reuenge of these pore wretches Therfore as theyr kepers went aland and few remained in the Carauel they perceuing occasioÌ„ ministred wher by they myght recouer theyr libertie soodeynely snatched vp owt mens weapons and slewe syxe of them which yet remayned in the Carauel whyle the residue lepte into the sea The Barbaâ—ians sley the Spaniardes with theyr owne weapons And by this meanes the Barbarians possessed the Carauell which they had soone learned to rule and thus returned to theyr owne countreys But they sayled fyrste to the nexte Ilande where they burnte the Carauel and caried away the weapons with them From hense they conueyed them selues to theyr owne countreys with the Canoas of this Ilande Heare in lyke maner they pryuilie assayled them that were lefte with the brigantyne and slewe many of them also The residue that escaped fledde to the brigantine where they bewayled theyr felowes deathes and counted theyr owne escape a victorie On the shore not farre from the place where they suffered this misfortune there is a tree in the toppe wherof they set vp a crosse and graued this inscription in the barke of the tree Vannuis Aldarieci There is a ryuer named Darien on the banke wherof standeth the chiefe citie of the supposed continent The chiefe citie of the supposed continent The gouernour therfore hauing intelligence herof sent with all speede two shippes of warre well furnyshed to the ayde of them that were lefte But they were wyse to late Yet folowynge the viewe of the crosse they came to the shore and redde the letters grauen on the tree but durste not attempte fortune Thus with all theyr hardie souldiers departinge from hense with despayre they sayled to the nexte Ilande out of the which they caryed away by violence fyue hundreth men and women supposynge lykewyse that they myght lawfully so doo bycause they were Idolaters and circumcised But the like chaunce happened vnto them when they landed at Fernandina For the Barbarians espyinge oportunitie sette vppon the Spaniardes in one of the shippes with theyr owne weapons and slewe theyr keepers The Spanyardes are sâ—ayne ageyne with theyr owne wepoÌ„s The residue that escaped castynge them selues into the sea swamme to the nexte carauell and with theyr felowes assayled the carauell that was taken from them This conflicte was so sharpe that for the space of foure houres it was doubtfull whether parte shulde obteyne the victorie The Barbarians both men and women fought verye fiercely aswell to recouer theyr libertie as also to holde faste the praye whiche they had gotten But in fine the Spanyardes had the vpper hande by reason they were more experte in handelynge of theyr weapons and rulyng of theyr Carauell The Barbarians beinge thus ouercoome The barbarians are slaine and puâ— to flyght lepte into the sea but the Spanyardes tooke theym ageyne with the shippe boates About a hundreth of the Barbarians peryshed beinge partely
or shall chaunce to them the day folowynge or many dayes to coome For the deuyll beinge so auncient an Astronomer knowethe the tymes of thynges and seeth howe they are naturally directed and inclinâ—d And makethe theym beleue that they come so to passe by his ordynaunce as though he were the lorde and mouer of all that is and shal be And that he gyueth the day lyght and â—ayne causeth tempest and ruleth the stations of tymes gyuyng lyfe or takynge awaye lyfe at his pleasure By reason wherof the Indians being deceaued of hym and seing also such effectes to coome certeynely to passe as he hath tolde them before beleue hym in all other thynges and honoure hym in many places with sacrifyces of the bludde and liues of men and odoriferous spices And when god disposeth the contrary to that whiche the deuell hath spoken in oracle wherby he is proued a lyer he causeth the Taquinâ—s to perswade the people that he hath chaunged his mynde and sentence for summe of their synnes or deuiseth summe suche lye as lyketh hym beste beynge a skylfull maister in suche subtile and craftie deuises to deceyue the symple and ignorant people whiche hath smaule defence against so mighty and craftie an aduersarie And as they caule the deuell Tuyra so doo they in many places caule the Christians by the same name thynkyng that they greatly honoure them therby as in deede it is a name very feete and agreable to many of them hauynge layde aparte all honestie and vertue lyuynge more lyke dragons then men amonge these symple people Before thinhabitauntes of the Ilande of Hispaniola had receaued the Christian faithe there was amonge them a secte of men whiche liued solytarily in the desertes and wooddes and ledde their lyfe in sylence and abstinence more straightly then euer dyd the phylosophers of Pythagoras secte absteinyng in lyke maner from the eatyng of al thynges that liue by bludde contented onely with suche fruites herbes and rootes as the desertes and wooddes mynistred vnto them to eate The professours of this secte were cauled Piaces They gaue them selues to the knowleage of naturall thynges and vsed certeine secreate magicall operations and superstitions wherby they had familiaritie with spirites whiche they allured into theyr owne bodyes at suche tymes as they wolde take vppon them to tell of thynges to coome whiche they dyd in maner as foloweth When any of the kâ—nges had occasyon to caule any of them owte of the desertes for this purpose their custome was to sende them a portion of their fyne breade of Caxabbi or Mâ—azium and with humble requeste and sute to desyre them to tell them of suche thynges as they woulde demaunde After the request graunted and the place and daye appoynted the Plari coometh with twoo of his disciples waytynge on hym wherof the one bryngeth with hym a vessell of a secreate water and the other a lyttle syluer bell When he coommeth to the place he sytteth downe on a rounde seate made for hym of purpose Where hauynge his disciples the one standynge on the one hande and the other on the other euen in the presence of the kyng and certeyne of his nobles for the common people are not admytted to these misteries and turnynge his face toward the deserte he begynneth his inchauntment and cauleth the spirit with loude voyce by certeyne names which no man vnderstandeth but he and his disciples After he hath dooen thus a while if the spirite yet deferre his coommyng he drynketh of the sayde water and therwith waxeth hotte and furious and inuerteth and turneth his inchauntement and letteth hym selfe bludde with a thorne marueilously turmoylyng hym selfe as wee reade of the furious Sybilles not ceasynge vntyl the spirite bee coome who at his coommyng entereth into hym and ouerthroweth hym as it weare a grehounde shulde ouerturne a squerell Then for a space he seemeth to lye as thoughe he were in great payne or in a rapte wonderfully tormentynge hym selfe durynge whiche agonie the other disciple shaketh the syluer bell contynually Thus when the agonie is paste and he lyeth quietly yet withowte any sence or feelyng the kynge or summe other in his steade demaundeth of hym what he desyreth to knowe and the spirite answereth by the mouth of the rapte Piaces with a directe and perfecte answere to all poyntes In so muche that on a tyme certeyne Spanyardes beynge presente at these mysteries with one of the kinges and in the Spanyshe tounge demaundynge the Piaces of their shyppes whiche they looked for owte of Spayne the spirite answered in the Indian toonge and toulde them what daye and houre the shâ—ppes departed from Spayne how many they were and what they brought withowt faylynge in any poynte If he be also demaunded of the eclypse of the soonne or moone which they greatly feare and abhorre he geueth a perfecte answere and the lyke of tempestes famen plentie warre or peace and suche other thinges When all the demaundes are fynysshed his disciples caule hym aloude rynging the syluer bell at his eare and blowynge a certeyne pouder into his nosethrilles wherby he is raysed as it weâ—e from a deadesscape beinge yet sumewhat heauy headed and faynt a good whyle afect Thus beinge ageyne râ—wâ—â—â—ded of tâ—â—ckyâ—ge with more breade he departeth ageyne to the desert is with his disciples But sence the Christian fayth hath byn disparsed throwghe owte the Ilande these deuyll 〈◊〉 prâ—ouses haue ceased and they of the members of the deuyll are made the members of Chryste by baptisme forsakynge the deuyll and his workes with the vaine curiositie oâ— desyre of knowleage of thynges to coome wherof for the most part it is better to be ignorant then with vexation to knowe that which can not be auoyded Furthermore in many places of the firme lande when any of the kynges dye all his housholde seruauntes aswell women as men which haue continually serued hym kyl them selues beleauynge as they are taught by the deuyl Tuyra that they which kyll them selues when the kynge dyeth go with hym to heauen and seene hym in the same place and office as they dyd before on the earth whyle he lyued And that all that refuse so to doo when after they dye by theyr naturall death or otherwyse theyr soules to dye with theyr bodyes and to bee dissolued into ayer and become nothynge us do the soules of hogges byrdes or fysshes or other brute beastes And that only the other may enioy the priuileage of immortalitie for euer to serue the kynge in heauen And of this false opinion commeth it that they which sowe corne or set rootes for the kynges breade and gather the same are accustomed to kyll them selues that they may enioy this priuileage in heauen And for the same purpose cause a portion of the graine of Maizium and a bundle of Iucca wherof theyr breade is made to bee buryed with them in theyr graues that the same maye serue them in heauen if perhappes there shuld lacke seedes to sowe And therfore
Ilande is founde the woodde of whyte sanders and ginger whyte sanders and ginger and dyuers kindes of frutes Also sundry kyndes of beastes and plentie of vyttayle and golde They of the Ilandes of Giaua Molucca and Lozon resort to this Ilande for sanders Thinhabitauntes are gentyles They say that when they go to cut the woodde of saunders the deuyll appeareth to them in dyuers formes and asketh theym what they haue neede of The deuyll appeareth And that after this vision many of them are longe sicke In al the Ilandes of this Archipelagus rayneth the disease of saynt Iob whiche wee caule the frenche poxe more then in any other place in the worlde Saynt Iob his disease Farre from this Ilande betwene the west and northwest they came to an Ilande named Eude in the whiche growethe great plentie of Sinamome Cinamome In this tracte are founde many Ilandes lying in order as it were one directly behynde an other euen vnto the Ilande of the greater Giaua The Ilandes of Giaua named Giaua maior and vnto the cape of Malaccha Malaccha beinge in East India Giaua the lesse is as bygge as the Ilande of Madera and is but halfe a leaque distante from Giaua maior Here they were informed that aboue Giaua maior toward the north is a great goulfe cauled the goulfe of China The greate goulfe of China in the which are trees of exceadyng byggenesse inhabyted with foules of suche greatenes that they cary great beastes in the ayer The frutes of these trees are as bygge as cucummers The cape of Malaccha is one degree and a halfe aboue the Equinoctiall line towarde the pole Artike The cape of Malaccha On the East side of this cape runneth a very longe coaste in the which are many regions and cities wherof sum are cauled by these names Cingaporla which is the cape The names of many regions Also Pahan Calantan Patani Braalin Beneu Longon and Odia wherin is the citie in the which dwelleth the kynge of Sian named Zacabedera Theyr cities are builded as owres are and subiecte to the kynge of Sian After the realme of Sian are the regions of Iamgoma Campaa where Reubarbe groweth Reubarbe of the which are dyuers opinions sume supposynge it to bee a roote and other a putrifyed tree affirmyng that yf it were not putrified it shulde not haue so great a sauour They caule it Calama Next vnto this is found the great China The greate kynge of China whose kyng is thought to bee the greatest prince in the worlde and is named Santoa Raia Furthermore al that is written hereafter of this kyng and these regions they lerned by thinformation of a Moore that was in the Ilande of Timor He affirmed that the sayde kynge hathe threescore and tenne crowned kynges vnder his empyre and hathe a porte in the sea named Canthan And two principal cities named Nauchin and Connulaha where he remayneth hym selfe and hath euer foure of his chiefe princes lying abowt his pallaice on euery syde towarde the Easte Weste Northe and South giuinge dylygente attendaunce what is doone in euerye of theyr quarters All the prynces of the greater India cauled India Maior The greater India and of that wherof I haue spoken before are obedient to this kynge And in token that they are trewe subiectes they keepe in theyr pallaices which are in the middest of theyr cities the beaste cauled Linx The beast cauled linx being fayrer then a lyon And is the great kynges signette whiche all suche as intende to go to China beare with them sealed in waxe or on a piece of Iuerye for theyr safe conducte withowt the which they may not enter into the hauen When any of his kyngs rebell or are disobedient he causeth them to bee fâ—ene and salted and dryed at the soonne Then to bee stuffed with chaffe The punishement of rebelles and sette vppe on sum hygh thyng in the myddest of the chiefe streate of the citie where al the people may see it He neuer suffereth his owne person to bee openly seene to any man But when his noble men of the courte are desyrous to see hym The kynge is not seene but at a glasse he commeth downe frome hys pallaice into a ryche pauylyon accompanyed with syxe of hys principall concubynes appareyled with lyke vestures as is he hym selfe All thys way he is not seene by reason of the pauylyon When he hath passed through the pauylyon he entereth into a serpent named Nagha A thyng of strange workmanshyppe being the most marueylous and ryche woorke of the worlde and placed in the greaâ—est courte of the pallaice When the kynge entereth in to this with the womeÌ„ to thintent that he may not be knoweÌ„ among them he causeth the sayd noble men only to looke in at a glasse which is in the breste of the serpente where they see the kynge amonge the women but can not dicerne which is he He ioyneth in mariage with hys syster that the blud royall bee not myxte with any other The kynge maryeth his syster His pallaice is enuironed with seuen large walles hispallaice the one being farre dystante froÌ„ the other And hath in euery such circuite tenne thowsande men for the garryson of hys pallaice A marueilous garde who haue theyr waytinge dayes appoynted them course by course with fresshe meÌ„ in theyr places and thus keepe theyr watch continually both daye and nyght In this pallaice are .lxxix. haules in the which is an infinite number of women that serue the kynge hauyng euer lyght torches in theyr handes for the greater magnyfycenceâ— women serue the kynge He that wolde see all the pallaice shulde spend a hole day therin Amonge other there are foure principal haules where sumtymes the kynge gyueth audience to hys noble men Foure maruelous haules Of these one is couered both aboue and beneth with metall an other all ouer with syluer the thyrde with gold and the fourth with pearles and precious stones These people of China The people of China are whyte menne appareled as we are and eate theyr meate on tables as wee doo They haue thâ— crosse in sum estimation but knowe not the cause whye Beyonde the coaste of China The Crosse. are dyuers other nations and people as Chenchii where pearles and cynamon are founde Also the people named Lichii where reyneth the great kynge of Mâ—en The greate kyng of mâ—en hauyng vnder hym .xxii. kynges and is subiecte to the kyng of China Here is also founde the great citie of CATHAY in the East CATHAY and dyuers other nations in the sayd firme land of the which sum are brutysshe and bestiall which vse to kyll and eate theyr parentes when they are owld thinking therby that they shall reuyue in them All these people are gentyles The .xi. day of February in the yeare .1522 they departed from the Iland of
Timor the farazuola Fanan .xl. to .lx Spikenarde freshe and good the faraz. Fanan .xxx. to .xl. Nutte megges whiche coome frome the Ilande of Bandan where the bahar is woorth from .viii. to .x. fanans which importe .vi. poundes weight to the marchetto are woorthe in Calicut the faraz. Fanan x. to xii Mace which is brought from the Ilande of Bandan where the Bahar is woorth fiftie fanans which import abowt one marchetto the pounde aâ—e woorth in Calicut the farazuola Fanan xxv to .xxx. Turbithes are woorth the farazuola Fanan xiii Woorme seede of the best kynde cauled Semenzina is woorthe the farazuola Seedes kyll lyse Fanan xv Zerumba the farazuola Fanan ii Zedoarta the farazuola Fanan i. Gumme Serapine the farazuola Fanan xx Aloe cicotrine the farazuola Fanan xviii Cardamome in graynes the farazuola Fanan xx Reubarbe groweth abundantly in the countrey of Malabar And that which commeth from China by Malacha is worth the farazuola Fanan xl to .l. Mirabolani emblici the farazuola Fanan ii Mirabolani belirici the farazuola Fanan one a halfe Mirabolani citrini chebuli which are al of one sort Fa .ii. Mirabolani Indi which are of the same citrine trees Fa .iii. Tutia the farazuola Fanan xxx Cububes which growe in the Ilande of Iaua or Giaua are there of smaule price and sould by measure withowt weight Opium which is browght from the citie of Aden where it is made is woorth in Calicut the faraz. Fanan .cclxxx. to .cccxx. Opium of an other sort which is made in Cambaia is woorth the farazuola Fanan cc. to .ccl. ¶ Of the Weyghtes of Portugale and India And howe they agree THe pound of the owld weight conteyneth .xiiii. vnces The pound of the newe weight conteyneth .xvi. vnces viii cantares of the owlde weyght make .vii. of the newe And euery newe cantare is of C.xxviii poundes after .xvi. vnces to the pounde Euery owlde cantare conteyneth three quarters and a halfe of the newe cantar And is of C.xxviii poundes after .xiiii vnces the pounde One farazuola is xxii poundes of .xiiii. vnces and .vi. vnces more with two fifte partes Twentie farazuoles are one Bahar One bahar is .iiii. cantares of the owld weight of Portugale All the Spices and drugges and all suche other thynges as coome froÌ„ India are sould in Portugale by the owld weight and all the reste by the newe weyght ¶ Hereby may we well consider that as we owght to reioyse and gyue god thankes for the abundaunce of al these thinges which he causeth the earth so plentifully to brynge foorth to owre vse so may we lament thabuse of men whose couetousnesse causeth great dearth and searsenesse in the myddest of abundance herein no lesse offendyng the lawe of nature then doo such as by wychcrafte intermingle poyson with thinges created for the health of man or by inchauntment corrupt the seedes in the ground ye rather as the vnnatural mother who destroyeth the chylde whom she hath longe nuryshed ⧠Of the Dooues of the Ilande of Madera CAdamustus wryteth that before the Portugales came to this Ilande it was ouergrowen with trees and vnhabited Yet were there many beastes and great plentie of dooues which were vtterly without feare of meÌ„ bycause they had neuer seene any men before nor yet were accustomed to bee put in feare In so much that they stode styl whyle snares were put abowte theyr neckes with longe rods and poles The which thynge he sayth he hath also seene in other Ilandes There are many ryche men in this Ilande and great abundaunce of flesshe bycause the hole Ilande is in maner one gardeyne ¶ Of the Ilande of saynt Thomas vnder the Equinoctiall line THe chiefest occupacion and liuynge of thinhabitauntes of this Ilande is the makynge of suger which they sell yearely to the shyppes that coomme for it owt of Spayne and Portugale laden with buttes of meale and floure also wyne oyle cheese lether swoordes cuppes of glasse beades certeyne scaruels of the fine whyte earthe cauled Porcellana of the which are made the earthen dysshes of the woorke of Maiolica And if it were not that such vyttayles and prouisions were brought them owt of Spaine and Portugale the whyte marchauntes which dwell in that Ilande perteynynge to the dominion of the kinge of Portugale shulde not bee able to lyue there forasmuch as they are not accustomed to eate such meates as doo the Ethiopians or Negros And therfore the Portugales whiche inhabite this Ilande haue certeyne blacke slaues of Guinea Benin and Manicongo which they set to tyll and laboure the grounde and make suger Amonge these whyte inhabitauntes there are many ryche men which haue .150 or .200 and sum .300 blacke slaues of men and women to tyll the grounde and doo other laborious woorkes This Ilande was discouered four score yeares sence by the nauigations of the Portugales and was vnknowen to the owlde wryters It lyeth in the greate goulfe of Affrike in the .30 degree of longitude from the West to the East and is in maner rounde It is of largenesse from side to syde .lx. ItaliaÌ„ myles that is to say one degree The horizontal line of the Iland passeth by the two poles Artike and Antartyke and hath euer the day equall with the nyght without any sensible difference whether the son bee in Cancer or in Capricorne The starre of the pole Artike is there inuisible But the wardens are seene sumwhat to moue about And the starres cauled the Crosse are seene very hyghe Of this Ilande with the other landes and Ilandes lyinge betwene Portugale and the same a certeyne pylotte of Portugale hath wrytten a goodly vyage to Conte Rimondo ¶ The debate and stryfe betwene the Spanyardes and Portugales for the diuision of the Indies and the trade of Spices and also for the Ilands of Molucca which sum caule Malucas Wrytten in the Spanyshe toonge by Francisco Lopez de Gomara THemperours maiestie was verye gladde that the Malucas and Ilands of the spicery were discouered and that he myght passe vnto them through his owne countreys withowt any preiudice or hurte to the Portugales And bycause also that Almanzor Luztu and Corala which were the lordes of the spicerie shewed them selues to bee his frendes and became tributaries to hym He also gaue certeyne gyftes and rewaâ—dâ—s â—o Iohn Sebastian for his greate paynes and good seruice Iohn Sebastian foraâ—much as he craued a rewarde for the good newes that the Ilandes of the Malucas and other Ilandes rycher and greatâ—r then they weâ—e found to bee in his part of those countreys which perteyned vnto hym accordynge to the popes bull The cause of contention And hereby it came to passe that there was great contention and striâ—e betwene the Spanyardes and the Portugales abowte the spicerie and the diuision of the Indies by reason of the returne of Iohn Sebastian and thinformation whiche he gaue therof Who also affirmed that the Portugales had neuer any enteraunce before
in the way Yet are we led by coniecture to thinke it to bee scarsely twoo hundreth myles Understand myles of Germany that is leaques forasmuch as from Moscouia to Uuolochda from Uuolochda to Ustyug sumwhat into the Easte and laste of all frome Ustyug by the ryuer Dwina is the ryght passage to the northe sea This region besyde the castel of Colmogor and the citie of Dwina situate almost in the mydde way betwene the spryngs and mouthes of the ryuer and the castell of Pienega standynge in the very mouthes of Dwina is vtterly withowt townes and castels yet hath it many vyllages whiche are farre in sunder by reason of the barennesse of the soyle c. In an other place he wryteth that Suchana and Iug after they are ioyned togyther in one loose theyr fyrste names and make the ryuer Dwina c. But lette vs nowe returne to the hystone of Paulus Iouius Unto Ustiuga from the Permians Pecerrians Inugrians Rych furres Ugolicans and Pinnegians people inhabytynge the north and northeast prouinces are brought the precious furres of Marterns and Sables Also the cases of woulfes and foxes both whyte and blacke And lykewise the skynnes of the beastes cauled Ceruarii Lupi that is harte woolfes Lupi Ceruarii beinge engendered eyther of a woolfe and a hynde or a harte and a bytch woolfe These furres and skyns they exchange for dyuers other wares The best kynde of sables and of the finest heare wherwith nowe the vestures of princes are lyned Sables and the tender neckes of delicate dames are couered with the expresse similitude of the lyuynge beaste are brought by the Permians and Pecerrians whiche they them selues also receaue at the handes of other that inhabâ—te the regions neare vnto the north Ocean The Permians and Pecerrians a lyttle before owre tyme dyd sacrifice to Idols after the maner of the Gentyles The mountaines cauled hiperboreâ— but doo nowe acknowleage Chryste theyr God The passage to the Inugrians and Ugolicans is by certeyne rowgh 〈…〉 which perhappes are they that in owlde tyme weâ—e câ—uled Hyperborei In the toppes of these are founde the beâ—â—e kyndes of Falcons whereof one kynde cauled Herodiuâ— is whyte with spotted fethers haukes of diuers kyndes There are also ierfalcons sakers and peregrines whiche were vnknowen to the ancient princes in theyr excessiue and nise pleaâ—ures Beyoâ—de those people whom I last named beinge all tributarâ—es to the kinges of Moscouia are other nations the last of men not knowen by any viages of the Moscouites forasmuche as none of theym hâ—ue passed to the Ocean The passage from Moâ—couia to cathay and are therefore knowen onely by the fabulous narrations of marchauntes Yet is it apâ—arente that the ryuer of Diuidna or Dwina drawynge with it innumerable other ryuers runneth with a vehement course towarde the northe and that the sea is there exceadyng large so that saylyng by the coast of the ryght hande shippes may haue passage from thense to Cathay as is thought by most lykely coniecture Cathay excepte there lye sum lande in the waye For the region of Cathay perâ—eyneth to thextreme and furtheste partes of the Easte situate almost in the paralell of Thracia Master Eliot cauleth Cathay the region of siuaruÌ„ and knowen to the Portugales in India when they sayled neare thereunto by the regions of Sinara and Malacha to Aurea Chersonesus and brought from thense certeyne vestures made of Sables skynnes by which only argument it is apparente that the citie of Cathay is not farre from the coastes of Scythia The Gothes subuerted the Romane Empire But when Demetrius was demaunded whether eyther by the monumentes of letters or by fame lefte theym of theyr predicessours they hadde any knowleage of the gothes who nowe more then a thousand yeares sence subuerted Thempire of the Romane Emperours and defaced the citie of Rome he answered The north regions conâ—pired ageinst the Romans that both the nation of the Gothes of the name of kynge Totilas theyr chiefe capitayne was of famous memorie amonge them And that dyuers nations of the north regions conspired to that expedition and especiallye the Moscouites Also that that armie increased of the confluence of the Barbarous Liuons and wanderynge Tartars But that they were all cauled Gothes forasmuch as the Gothes that inhabited Scondania and Iselande were the auctoures of that inuasion Moscouia And with these boundes are the Moscouites inclosed on euery side whom we thinke to be those people that Ptolome cauled Modocas but haue doubtelesse at this day their name of the riuer Mosco whiche runneth through the chiefe citie Mosca named also after the same The citie of Mosca This is the most famous citie in Moscouia aswell for the situation thereof beinge in maner in the myddest of the region as also for the commodious oportunitie of ryuers multitude of houses and stronge fense of so fayre and goodly a castell For the citie is extended with a longe tracte of buyldynges by the bankes of the ryuer for the space of fyue myles The houses are made all of tymber and are diuided into parlers chambers kichins of large roomes yet neyther of vnseemely height or to lowe but of decent measure and proportion Richard chast celer toulde me that these mastes are sumwhat holowe on the one syde and that the hole syde of the next entereth into the same wherby they lye very close For they haue greate trees apte for the purpose browght from the foreste of Hercinia of the which made perfectly rounde like the mastes of shippes and so layde one vppon an other that they ioyne at the endes in right angles where beinge made very faste and sure they frame theyr houses thereof of maruelous strength with smaule charges and in verye short tyme. In maner all the houses haue priuate gardens aswell for pleasure as commoditie of herbes wherby the circuite of the dispersed citie appeareth very greate All the wardes or quarters of the citie haue theire peculiar chappells But in the chiefest and highest place therof is the Church of owre ladi of ample and goodly workemanshyppe whiche Aristoteles of Bononie a man of singular knowleadge and experience in architecture buylded more then .lx. yeares sence At the very head of the citie The castel of Moâ—ca a little ryuer cauled Neglina which dryueth many corne mylles enteryth into the ryuer Moscus and maketh almost an Iland in whose end is the castell with many strong towrs and bullwarkes buylded very fayre by the diuise of Italien architecturs that are the masters of the kinges workes In the fieldes abowt the citie is an incredible multitud oâ— hares and roe buckes whitehares and roe buâ—kes the which it is lawefull for no man to chase or persue with dogges or nettes excepte only certeyne of the kinges familiars and straunge ambassadours to whom he giueth licence by speciall commaundement Almost three partes of the citie is inuironed with two
common sorte that lyueth here and ther in the feeldes haue theyr apparell made of sheepes skynnes which they chaung not vntyll they bee worne and torne to fytters They tarye not longe in one place iudgyng it a great mysery so to doo The Tartars curse In so muche that when they are angrie with theyr chyldren the greatest curse that they can gyue them is that they maye remayne perpetually in one place and drawe the stynshe of theyr owne fylthynesse as doo the Chrystyans When they haue consumed the pasture in one place they go to an other with theyr droues of cattayle and theyr wyues and chyldren whom they euer cary about with them in Wagons albeit the Tartars that dwell in cities and townes vse an other order of lyuynge If they be inclosed with any daungerous warrâ— they place theyr wyues chyldren and owld folkes in the sauest places There is no iustice amonge them No iustice amonge the Tartars For if any man stande in neade of any thynge he may withowt punnysshemente take it awaye from an other If any complayne to the Iudge of the vyolence and wronge doonne vnto hym the offender denyeth not the cryme but sayth that he coulde not lacke that thyng Then the Iudge is wonte to gyue thys sentence If thowe also shalte haue neede of any thynge doo the lyke to other Sum say they do not steale But whether they steale or not lette other iudge They are surely a theeâ—â—sshe kynd of men and very poore The Tartars are theeues and poore lyuynge only by robbyng of other and stealyng away other mens cattayle and vyolently also caryynge awaye the men them selues whom eyther they selle to the Turkes or proffer them to bee redemed by ransome reseruynge only the younge wenches They seldome assaulte cities or castells They reioyce in spoylynge but burne and waste townes and vyllagyes In so muche that they so please them selues herin that they thynke they haue so muche the more inlarged their empire in howe muche they haue wasted and made desolate manye prouynces And althowgh they bee moste impacyent of reste and quyetnesse yet doo they not kyll or destroye one an other excepte theyr kynges â—ee at dessention betweene them selues If any man bee slaine in any fraye or quarel and the autours of the myschefe bee taken only theyr horsse harnesse weapons and appâ—rell are taken from them and they dismissed So that the murtherer by the losse of a vyle horse or a bowe is dyscharged of the Iudge with these woordes gette the hense and goo abowte thy busynesse They haue no vse of golde and syluer excepte only a fewe marchauntes But exersyse exchaunge of ware for ware And if it so chaunce that by sellyng of such thynges as they haue stolne they gette any monye of theyr bortherers they bye therwith certeyne apparel and other neceâ—saryes of the Moscouites The regyons of theyr habytations the feelde Tartars I meane are not lymytted with any bouÌ„des or borthers The feelde Tartars A mery tale There was on a tyme a certeyne fatte Tartar taken prysoner of the Moscouites to whom when the prynce sayd How arte thow so fatte thowe dogge sythe thowe haste not to eate the Tartar answered Why shulde not I haue to eate sythe I possesse so large a land from the East to the west wherby I may bee abundauntely nuryâ—shed But thowe mayste rather seeme to lacke syth thowe inhabytest so smaule a portion of the worlde and duste dayly stryue for the same Casan Caâ—an is a kyngedome also a citie and a castell of the same name situate by the ryuer Uolga on the further bâ—nke almost threscore and tenâ—e leaques beneath Nouogarâ—ia the lower Alonge by the courâ—e of Uolga towarde the East anâ— South it is termined with deserte fyeldes Towarde the sommer East it confineth with the â—artars cauled Schibaâ—â—â—i and Kosatzki The kynge of this prouince The kynge of Caâ—an is able to make an army of .xxx. thousande men especially foote men of the which the Czeremiâ—se Czubasâ—hi are most expert aâ—chers Archers The Czubaschi are also cunnynge maryners Maryners The citie of Casan is threscore leaques distant froÌ„ the principâ—l castel Uuiathka Furthermore Casan in the Tartars language The towne Tartars signifieth a braâ—en potte boylynge These Tartars are more ciuile then the other For they dwell in houses tyll the grownde and exercise the trade of marchaundies They were of late subdued by Basilius the greate duke of Moscouia and had theyr kynge assigned them at his arbitriment But shortely after Moâ—couâ—a inuâ—ded by the Tartars they rebelled ageine and associate with other Tartars inuaded the region of Moscouia spoyled and wasted many cities and townes and ledde away innumerable captiues euen from the citie Moscouia which they possessed for a tyme and had vtterly destroyed the same if it had not byn for the valyantnesse of the Almayne gunners which kept the castell with great orâ—inaunce The prince of moscouia tributary to the Tartars They also putte duke Basilius to flyght and caused him to make a letter of his owne hande to Machmetgirei theyr kynge to acknowleage hym selfe for a perpetuall tributarie to them wheruppon they diâ—solued the siege and gaue the Moscouâ—tes free liberâ—ie to redeeme theyr captiues and gooddes and so departed But Basilius not longe able to abyde this contumelie and dishonour Duke Basilius armâ— ageynst the Tartars after that he had putte to death suche as flyinge at the fyâ—st encounterynge were the cause of this ouerthrowe assembled an armye of a hundreth and fourescore thousande men shortely after in the yeare .1523 And sent forwarde his army vnder the conducte of his Lieuetenaunte and therewith an heralde at armes to bydde battayle to Machmetgirei the kynge of Casan with woordes in this eâ—â—ecte The last yeare lyke a theefe and robber withowt byddyng of battayle thou dyddeste pryuilie oppresse me Wherefore I nowe chalenge the once ageyne to proue the fortune of warre if thou mystruste not thyne owne poure To this the kynge answered that there were manye wayes open for hym to inuade Moscouia And that the warres haue no lesse respect to the commoditie of tyme and place theÌ„ of armure or streÌ„gth And that he wold take thaduantage therof when where it shulde seeme best to him and not to other With which woordes Basilius bâ—inge greatly accensed and burnyng with desyre of reuenge inuaded the kyngdome of Casan whose kynge beinge stryken with suddeyne feare at thapproche of so terrible an army assigned the gouernance of his kyngdome to the younge kynge of Taurica his neuie whyle he hym selfe went to requyre ayde of the Emperour of the Turkes But in fine the kynge of Casan submytted hym selfe vppon certeyne conditions of peace whiche the Moscouites dyd the gladlyer excepte for that time because theyr vittayles fayled them to maynteyne so great a multitude The kyng of Casan â—ubmitteth hym selfe But wheras duke Basilius hym selfe was not