the linages These six linages did alwayes entertaine amitie together marrying their children one with another and dividing their limites quietly then they studied with an emulation to encrease and beautifie their common-weale The barbarous Chichimecans seeing what passed beganne to vse some governement and to apparrell themselves being ashâ—med of what had passed for till then they had no shame And having abandoned feare by their communication with these other people they beganne to learne many things of them building small cottages having some pollicie and governement They did also choose Lordes whom they did acknowledge for their superiours by meanes whereof they did in a manner quite abandon this brutish life yet did they alwayes continue in the Mountaines divided from the rest Notwithstanding I hold it for certaine that this feare hath growne from other Nations and Provinces of the Indies who at the first were savage men who living onely by hunting piercing the rockie and rough countries discovering a new world the inhabitants whereof were almost like savage beasts without coverings or houses without tilled landes without cattell without King Law God or Reason Since others seeking better and new lands inhabited this fertile Countrey planting pollitike order and a kinde of common-weale although it were very barbarous After the same men or other Nations that had more vnderstanding then the rest laboured to subdue and oppresse the lesse mighty establishing Realmes and great Empires So it happened in Mexico at Peru and in some partes where they finde Citties and Common-weales planted among these Barbarians That which confirmes me in my opinion whereof I have amply discoursed in the first booke that the first inhabitants of the West Indies came by land and so by consequence that the first continent of the Indies ioynes with that of Asia Europe and Afsrike and the new world with the old although they have not yet discovered any countrey that toucheth and ioynes with the other world or if there be any sea betwixt the two it is so narrow that wilde beasts may easily swim over and men in small boates But leaving this Philosophie let vs returne to our history Of the Mexicaines departure of their iourney and peopling the Province of Mechovacan CHAâ— 4. THree hundred and two yeares after the former two linages had left their Country to inhabite new Spaine the Country being now well peopled and reduced to some forme of government Those of the seaventh cave or line arrived which is the Mexicaine Nation the which like vnto the rest left the Province of AZtlan and Teuculhuacan a pollitike courtlike and warlike Nation They did worship the idoll VitZliputZli whereof ample mention hath beene made and the divell that was in this idoll spake and governed this Nation easily This idoll commanded them to leave their Country promising to make them Princes and Lords over all the Provinces which the other six Nations did possesse that hee would give them a land abounding with gold silver pretious stones feathers and rich mantells wherevpon they went forth carrying their idoll with them in a coffer of reedes supported by foure of their principall priests with whom he did talke and reveale vnto them in secret the successe of their way and voyage advising them of what should happen He likewise gave them lawes and taught them the customes ceremonies and sacrifices they should observe They did not advance nor moove without commandement from this idoll He gave them notice when to march and when to stay in any place wherein they wholy obeyed him The first thing they did wheresoever they came was to build a house or tabernacle for their false god which they set alwaies in the middest of their Campe and there placed the Arke vppon an altare in the same manner as they have vsed in the holy Christian Church This done they sowed their land for bread and pulses which they vsed and they were so addicted to the obedience of their god that if he commanded them to gather they gathered but if he commanded them to raise their campe all was left there for the nourishment of the aged sicke and wearie which they lest purposely from place to place that they might people it pretending by this meanes that all the land should remaine inhabited by their Nation This going forth and peregrination of the Mexicaines will happily seeme like to that of Egypt and to the way which the children of Israell made seeing that they as well as those were warned to go forth and to seeke the land of promise and both the one and the other carried their god for their guide consulted with the arke and made him a tabernacle and he advised them giving them lawes and ceremonies and both the one and the other spake many yeares in their voyage to their promised land where we observe the resemblance of many other things as thehistories of the Mexicaines do report and the holy scripture testifie of the Israelites And without doubt it is a true thing that the Divell the prince of pride hath laboured by the superstitions of this Nation to counterfaite imitate that which the most high God did with this Nation for as is said before Satan hath a strange desire to compare and make himselfe equal with God so as this mortall enemy hath pretended falsely to vsurpe what communication and familiaritie he hath pleased with men Was there ever divell found so familiarly conversant with men as this divell VitzliputZli We may wel iudge what he was for that there was never seene nor heard speake of customes more superstitious nor sacrifices more cruel and inhumane then those which he taught them To conclude they were invented by the enemy of mankinde The chiefe and Captaine whome they followed was called Mexi whence came the name of Mexico of the Mexicaine Nation This people marching thus at leisure as the other six Nations had done peopling and tilling the land in divers partes whereof there is yet some shewes ruines after they had endured many travells and dangers in the end they came to the Province of Mechovacan which is as much to say as a land of fish for there is great abundance in goodly great lakes where contenting themselves with the scituation and temperature of the ground they resolved to stay there Yet having consulted with their idoll vpon this point and finding him vnwilling they demanded license to leave some of their men to people so good a land the which he granted teaching them the meanes how to do it which was that when the men and women should be entred into a goodly lake called Pascuaro to bathe themselves those which remained on land should steale away all their clothes and then secretly raise their campe and depart without any bruite the which was effected and the rest which dreamt not of this deceit for the pleasure they tooke in bathing comming forth and finding themselves spoiled of their garments and thus mocked and left by their companions they
the Indian sea the other that of China And I have observed as well by my owne navigation as by the relation of others that the Sea is never divided from the Lande above a thousand Leagues And although the great Ocean stretcheth farre yet doth it never passe this measure I will not for all this affirme that wee sayle not above a thousand leagues in the Ocean which were repugnant to trueth being well knowne that the shippes of Portugal have sailed foure times as much and more and that the whole world may bee compassed about by sea as wee have seene in these dayes without any further doubt But I say and affirme that of that which is at this day discovered there is no land distant from an other firme land by direct line or from some Islands neere vnto it above a thousand leagues and so betwixt two firme lands there is no greater distance of sea accompting from the neerest parts of both the lands for from the end of Europe or Affricke and their coastes to the Canaries the Isles of Acores Cape Verd and others in the like degree are not above three hundred leagues or five hundred from the Mayne land From the saide Ilands running along to the West Indies there are scant nine hundred leagues to the Ilands of saint Dominick the Virgins the Happy Ilandes and the rest and the same Ilands runne along in order to the Ilandes of Barlovent which are Cuba Hispanâ—ola and Boriquen from the same Ilands vnto the Mayne land are scarce two or three hundred leagues in the neerest part farre lesse The firme land runnes an infinite space from Terraâ—Florida to the land of Patagons and on the other side of the South from the Straight of Maggellan to the Cape of Mendoce there runnes a long Continent but not very large for the largest is the Travers of Peru which is distant from Brasil about a thousand leagues In this South Sea although they have not yet discovered the ende towards the West yet of late they have found out the Ilands which they call Salomon the which are many and great distant from Peru about eyght hundred leagues And for that wee finde by observation that whereas there bee many and great Ilandes so there is some firme Land not farre off I my selfe with many others doe beleeve that there is some firme land neere vnto the Ilands of Salomon the which doth answere vnto our America on the West part and possibly might runne by the heigth of the South to the Straightes of Maggellan Some hold that Nova Guinea is firme Land and some learned men describe it neere to the Ilands of Salomon so as it is likely a good parte of the world is not yet discovered seeing at this day our men sayle in the South Sea vnto China and the Philippines and wee say that to go from Peru to those parts they passe a greater Sea then in going from Spaine to Peru. Moreover wee know that by that famous Straight of Maggellan these two Seas doe ioyne and continue one with an other I say the South sea with that of the North by that part of the Antarticke Pole which is in fiftie one degrees of altitude But it is a great question wherein many have busied themselvesâ— whether these two Seas ioyne together in the North part but I have not heard that any vnto this day could attayne vnto this point but by certaine likelihoods and coniectures some affirme there is an other Straight vnder the North opposite to that of Maggellan But it sufficeth for our subiect to knowe that there is a firme Land on this Southerne part as bigge as all Europe Asiae and Affricke that vnder both the Poles we finde both land and sea one imbracing an other Whereof the Ancients might stand in doubt and contradict it for want of experience To confute the opinion of Lactantius who holdes there be no Antipodes CHAP. 7. SEeing it is manifest that there is firme land vpon the South part or Pole Antartike wee must now see if it be inhabited the which hath bene a matter very disputable in former times Lactantius Firmian and S. Augustine mocke at such as hold there be any Antipodes which is as much to say as men marching with their feete opposite to ours But although these two authors agree in theis ieasts yet doe they differ much in their reasons and opinions as they were of very divers spirits and iudgements Lactantius followes the vulgar seeming ridiculous vnto him that the heaven should be round and that the earth should bee compassed in the midst thereof like vnto a ball whereof he writes in these tearmes What reason is there for some to affirme that there are Antipodes whose steppes are opposite to ours Is it possible that any should bee so grosse and simple as to beleeve there were a people or nation marching with their feâ—te vpwardes and their heades downwardes and that thinges which are placed heere of one sort are in that other part hanging topsie turvie that trees and corne growe downwardes and that raine snow haile fall from the earth vpward Then after some other discourse the same Lactantius vseth these words The imagination and conceit which some haue had supposing the heaven to be round hath bene the cause to invent these Antipodes hanging in the aire So as I knowe not what to say of such Philosophers whoe having once erred continue still obstinately in their opinions defending one another But whatsoever he saieth wee that live now at Peru and inhabite that part of the world which is oposite to Asia and their Antipodes as the Cosmographers do teach vs finde not our selves to bee hanging in the aire our heades downward and our feete on high Truly it is strange to consider that the spirit and vnderstanding of man cannot attaine vnto the trueth without the vse of imagination and on the other part it were impossible but he should erre and be deceived if hee should wholy forbeare it We cannot comprehend the heaven to be round as it is and the earth to bee in the middest of it without imagination But if this imagination were not controuled and reformed by reason in the end we should bee deceiued whereby we may certainely conclude that in our soules there is a certaine light of heaven whereby wee see and iudge of the interior formes which present themselves vnto vs and by the same we alow of or reiect that which imagination doth offer vnto vs. Hereby we see that the rationall soule is above all corporall powers and as the force and etenall vigour of truth doth rule in the most eminent part of man yea we plainely see that this pure light is participant and proceedes from that first great light that whoso knoweth not this or doubteth thereof we may well say that he is igmorant or doubtes whether he be a man or no. So if we shall demaund of our imagination what it thinkes of the roundnes of
Tropicks as Aristotle and Plinie have maintained and before them the Philosopher Parmenides the contrarie whereof is before sufficiently prooved both for the one and the other But many through curiositie may demaund if the Ancients had no knowledge of this trueth which to vs is now so apparent seeing that in trueth it seemeth very strange that this newe worlde which is so spacious as we doe visibly see it should be hidden from the Ancients by so many ages But some at this day seeking to obscure the felicitie of this age and the glory of our Nation strive to proove that the new found world was knowne to the Ancients And in trueth wee cannot deny but there was some apparency S. Ierome writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians sayth We seeke with reason what the Apostle meaneth in these wordes where he saith you have walked for a season according to the course of this world whether he would have vs to vnderstand that there is an other world which neither is nor depends of this world but other worldes whereof Clement writes in his Epistle the Ocean and the worldes which are beyond the Ocean These are the wordes of S. Ierome but in trueth I cannot finde this Epistle of S. Clement cited by S. Ierome yet I beleeve vndoubtedly that S. Clement hath written it seeing S. Ierome maketh mention thereof And with reason saint Clement saith that beyond the Ocean there is an other worlde yea many worldes as in trueth there is seeing there is so great distance from one newe worlde to an other new world I meane from Peru and the West Indies to China and the East Indies Moreover Plinie who hath beene so curious a searcher out of strange things reportes in his naturall Historie that Hannon a Captaine of the Carthaginians sayled through the Ocean from the Straight of Gibraltar coasting alongst the land even vnto the confines of Arabia and that hee left this his Navigation in writing If it bee as Plinie writes it followes that Hannon sayled as farre as the Portugals do at this day passing twice vnder the Equinoctiall which is a fearefull thing And the same Plinie reports of Cornelius Nepos a very grave Authour who saith that the same course hath beene sayled by an other man called Eudaxius but by contrary wayes for this Eudaxius following the King of Latyres passed by the redde sea into the Ocean and turning backe came to the Straight of Gibraltar the which Cornelius Nepos affirmes to have happened in his time And also other grave Authors do write that a ship of Carthage driven by force of winde into the Ocean came to a Land which vntill then was vnknowne and returning to Carthage kindled a great desire in the Citizens to discover and people this land the which the Senate perceyving did forbid this navigation by a rigorous decree fearing that with the desire of new lands they should leave to love their owne Countrie By all this wee may gather that the Ancients had some knowledge of the new world yet shall you hardly finde in the bookes of ancient Writers any thing written of our America and all the West Indies but of the East Indies I say there is sufficient testimonie not only of that on the other side but also of that on this side which then was farthest off going thither by a contrary way to that at this day Is it not easie to find Molaco in ancient bookes which they called the golden Chersonese the Cape of Comori which was called the Promontorie of Coci that great famous Iland of Sumatra so well knowne by the ancient name of Taprobana What shall wee say of the two Ethiopiaes the Brachmanes and that great Land of the Chinaes Who doubtes but there was often mention made thereof in ancient bookes But of the West Indies we find not in Plinie that in this navigation they passed the Ilands of the Canaries which he calleth Fortunate the principall whereof is sayd to be called Canarie for the multitude of dogs which are in it But there is scarce any mention in ancient books of the voyages which are made at this day beyond the Canaries by the Gulph which with reason they call great Yet many hold opinion that Seneca the Tragedian did prophecie of the West Indies in his Tragedie of Medea which translated saith thus An age shall come ere ages ende Blessedly strange and strangely blest When our Sea farre and neere or'prest His shoare shall farther yet extend Descryed then shall a large Land be By this profound Seas navigation An other World an other Nation All men shall then discovered see Thule accounted heretofore The worldes extreme the Northerne bound Shall be when Southwest parts be found A neerer Isle a neighbour shoare This Seneca reports in these verses we cannot wel deny but vnderstanding it litterally it is very true for if we reckon the many yeeres he speakes of beginning from the time of the Tragedian it is above a thousand and foure hundred yeeres past and if it were from the time of Medea it is above two thousand yeeres the which we see plainely now accomplished seeing the passage of the Ocean so long time hidden hath beene found out and that they have discovered a great land and a new world inhabited more spatious then all the Continent of Europe and Asia But therein may a question with reason be made whether Seneca spake this by divination or poetically and by chance And to speake my opinion I beleeve hee did divine after the manner of wise men and well advised for that in his time they vndertooke newe voyages and navigations by sea hee knew well like a Philosopher that there was an other land contrary and opposite vnto vs which they call Antichthon And by this ground he might conceyve that the industrie and courage of man might in the ende passe the Ocean and discover new lands and another world for that in Senecaes time they had knowledge of the Voyage which Plinie speaketh of whereby they passed the great Ocean The which seemes to bee the motive of Senecaes prophecie as he giveth vs to vnderstand by these former verses after the which having described the carefull life of the Ancients free from malice he followeth thus Now is it not as earst it was For whether the Ocean will or nill He traverst is by hardy will Which pastime makes time so to passe And a little after he saith thus Now every boat dares swimme and sport On surging Seas fearing no wracke Passengers seeking what they lacke So long a voyage thinke but short Nothing is nowe more to discover No place is now left to surprise Townes now that for defence devise With new fortifications cover All in the world turn'd round about No thing in place as t' was enured Nothing vnseene nothing assured This Circle vniverse throughout The Indian whom at home heate fries Drinkes of Araxis waters cold The Persian rich in
gems and gold Wash in the Rhine and Elbe likewise Seneca did coniecture this by the great courage of men as that which shall happen last saying It shall fall out in the latter age c. as hath bin before mentioned Of the opinion which Plato held of the West Indies CHAP. 12. IF any one hath treated more particularly of the west Indies the honor belongs to Plato who in his time faith thus In those dayes they could not sayle this Gulph meaning the Atlantike Sea which is the Ocean which meetes at the Straight of Gibraltar for that the passage was stopt at the mouth of the pillars of Hercules which is the same Straight of Gibraltar and this Iland was in those dayes ioyned to the foresaid mouth and was of that bignesse as it exceeded all Asia and Affricke together and then was there a passage to goe from these Ilands to others and from those others Ilandes they went to the firme Land the which was neere invironed with the very Sea This is reported by Critias in Plato And such as beleeve that this narration of Plato is a true Historie delivered in these termes say that this great Atlanticke Iland the which did exceed both Affricke and Asia in greatnesse did then comprehend the greatest part of the Ocean called Atlantike which the Spaniards nowe sayle in and that those other Ilands which he sayde were neere vnto this great one are those which wee now call the Ilands of Barlovante that is Cuba Hispaniola S. Iohn de Port ricco Iamaica and other Ilands of that Countrie and that the maine Land whereof hee maketh mention is the same wee now call firme Land that is Peru and America and that Sea which he sayth is adioyning to the firme Land is the South sea the which he calleth the very Sea for that in comparison of her greatnesse all other Seas both Mediterranean yea and the Atlantike Sea are small in regard thereof Hereby in trueth they give a cunning and wittie interpretation to these words of Plato But whether this interpretation should be held for true or not I am resolved to declare in an other place That some have held opinion that in places of holy Scripture whereas they speake of Ophir is to be vnderstood of our Peru. CHAP. 13. SOme hold opinion that mention is made of the West Indies in the holy scripture taking the region of Peru for that Ophir which so famous Robert Steevens or to say more truely Francis Vatable a man well seene in the Hebrew tong as I have heard our master report who was his disciple saith in his annotations vpon the 9. chapter of the 3. booke of Kingsâ— that the Iland of Hispaniola which Christopher Colombus found out was that of Ophir from whence Solomon caused to bee brought foure hundred and twentie or foure hundred and 50. talents of most fine and pure golde for that the golde of Cibao which our men bring from Hispaniola is of the same fashion and qualitie And there are many others which affirme that our Peru is Ophir deriving one name from another who beleeve that when as the booke of Paralipomenon was written they called it Peru grounding it vpon that which the holy scripture saith that they brought from Ophir pure gold precious stones and wood which was rare and goodly which things abound in Peru as they say But in my opinion it is farre from the truth that Peru should be Ophir so famous in the Bible For although in this Peru there be good store of gold yet is there not such aboundance as it may be equalled with the fame of the riches that was in auncient time at the East Indies I finde not that in Peru there are such precious stones or such exquisite woods as the like have not bend seene at Ierusalem For although there be exquisite Emeralds and some hard trees of Aromaticall wood yet do I not finde any thing ofso great commendation as the scripture giueth vnto Ophir Moreover it seemes not likely that Solomon would leave the East Indies most rich and plentifull to send his fleetes to this farther land whether if they had come so often as it is written we had surely found more signes and testimonies thereof Moreover the Etimologie of the name of Ophir and the change or reduction thereof to Peru seemes to me of small consideration being most certaine that the name of Peru is not very auncient nor common to all that countrie It hath beene vsuall in the discoverie of the new world to give names to lands and portes of the sea according to the occasions presented at their ariuall and I beleeve that the name of Peru hath bene so found out and put in practise for we find heere that the name hath bene given to all the countrie of Peru by reason of a river so called by the inhbitants of the countrie where the Spaniards arived vpon their first discoverie Whereby we maintaine that the Indians themselves bee ignorant and do not vse this name and appellation to signifie their land It seemeth moreover the same Authors will say that Sepher spoken of in the scripture is that which we now call Andes which are most high mountaines in Peru. But this resemblance of names and appellations is no sufficient proofe If that were of force we might as well say that Iectan is Iecsan mentioned in the holy scripture Neither may we say that the names of Titus and Paul which the Kings Inguas of Peru do vse come from the Romans or Christians seeing it is too weake an argument to draw a conclusion of great matters We see plainely that it is contrarie to the intention of the holy scriptures which some have written that Tharsis and Ophir were one and the same Province conferring the 22 chapter of the 4. booke of the Kings with the 20. chapter of the second booke of Paralipomenon for that in the booke of the Kings it is said that Iosaphat prepared a fleete of shippes in Asiongaber to fetch golde at Ophir and in Paralipomenon it is written that the same fleete was furnished to go vnto Tharsis Whereby it may be supposed that in these fore-said bookes where the scripture speakes of Tharsis and Ophir that it meanes one thing Some one may demaund what region or Province that Ophir was whether Solomons fleete went with the Mariners of Hyram King of Tyre and Sidon to fetch hold And whether King Iosaphats fleete pretending to go did suffer shipwracke and perish in Asiongaber as the holy scripture doth testifie In this I do willingly agree with the opinion of Ioseph in his books of Antiquities where he saith that it is a Province of the East Indies the which was found by that Ophir the sonne of Iectan wherâ—of mention is made in the 10. of Genessis and that Province did abound with most fine gold Thereof it comes they did so much extol the gold of Ophir or of Ophas or as some wil
Indies have discovered and peopled after the same sort as wee do at this day that is by the Arte of Navigation and aide of Pilots the which guide themselves by the heigth and knowledge of the heavens and by their industrie in handling and changing of their sailes according to the season Why might not this well be Must we beleeve that we alone and in this our age have onely the Arte and knowledge to saile through the Ocean Wee see even now that they cut through the Ocean to discover new lands as not long since Alvaro Mendana and his companions did who parting from the Port of Lima came alongâ—t the West to discover the land which lieth Eastward from Perâ— and at the end of three moneths they discovered the Ilands which they call the Ilands of Salomon which are many and very great and by all likelehood they lie adioyning to new Guinnie or else are very neere to some other firme land And even now by commandement from the King and his Counsell they are resolved to prepare a new fleete for these Ilands Seeing it is thus why may we not suppose that the Ancients had the courage and resolution to travell by sea with the same intent to discover the land which they call Anticthoâ— opposite to theirs and that according to the discourse of their Philosophie it should be with an intent not to rest vntill they came in view of the landes they sought Surely there is no repugnancie or contrarietie in that which wee see happen at this day and that of former ages seeing that the holy scripture doth witâ—es that Solomon tooke Masters and Pilots from Tyre and Sidon men very expert in Navigation who by their industry performed this voiage in three yeeres To what end thinke you doth it note the Arte of Mariners and their knowledge with their long voiage of three yeeres but to give vs to vnderstand that Solomons sleete sailed through the great Ocean Many are of this opinion which thinke that S. Augustine had small reason to wonder at the greatnes of the Ocean who might well coniecture that it was not so difficult to saile through considering what hath been spoken of Solomons Navigation But to say the truth I am of a contrary opinion neither can I perswade my selfe that the first Indians came to this new world of purpose by a determined voiage neither will I yeeld that the Ancients had knowledgein the Art of Navigation whereby men at this day passe the Ocean from one part to another where they please the which they performe with an incredible swiftnes and resolution neither do I finde in all Antiquities any markes or testimonies of so notable a thing and of so great importance Besides I finde not that in ancient bookes there is any mention made of the vse of the Adamant or Loadstone nor of the Compasse to saile by yea I beleeve they had no knowledge thereof And if we take away the knowledge of the compasse to saile by we shall easily iudge how impossible it was for them to passe the great Ocean Such as haue any knowledge of the sea vnderstand me well for that it is as easie to beleeve that a Mariner in full sea can direct his course where hee please without a compasse as for a blinde man to shew with his finger any thing be it neere or farre off And it is strange that the Ancients have bene so long ignorant of this excellent propertie of the Adamant stone for Plinie who was so curious in naturall causes writing of this Adamant stone speakes nothing of that vertue and propertie it hath alwaies to turne the iron which it toucheth towards the North the which is the most admirable vertue it hath Aristotle Theophrastes Dioscorides Lucretius nor any other Writers or naturall Philosophers that I have seene make any mention thereof although they treate of the Adamant stone Saint Augustine writing many and sundry properties and excellencies of the Adamant stone in his bookes of the Citie of God speakes nothing thereof And without doubt all the excellencies spoken of this stone are nothing in respect of this strange propertie looking alwaies towards the North which is a great wonder of nature There is yet another argument for Plinic treating of the first inventers of Navigation and naming all the instruments yet he speakes nothing of the compasse to saâ—e by nor of the Adamant stone I say onely that the art to know the starres was invented by the Phaeniciens And there is no doubt but whatsoever the Ancients knew of the Art of Navigation was onely in regard of the starres and observing the Shoares Capes and differences of landes And if they had once lost the sight of land they knew not which way to direct their course but by the Stars Sunne and Moone and that sailing as it doth often in a darke and cloudie season they did governe themselves by the qualitie of the winds and by coniecture of the waies which they had passed Finally they went as they were guided by their owne motions As at the Indies the Indians saile a long way by sea guided only by their owne industrie naturall instinct And it serues greatly to purpose that which Plinie writes of the Ilanders of Taprobana which at this day we call Sumatra speaking in this sort when as he treates of the art and industrie they vse in sailing Those of Taprobana see not the North to saile by which defect they supply with certaine small birdes they carrie with them the which they often let flie and as those birdes by a naturall instinct flie alwaies towards the land so the Mariners direct their course after them Who doubtes then if they had had any knowledge of the compasse they would not have vsed these little birdes for their guides to discover the Land To conclude this sufficeth to shew that the Ancients had no knowledge of the secrets of the Loadstone seeing that for so notable a thing there is no proper word in Latine Greeke or Hebrew for a thing of such importance could not have wanted a name in these tongues if they had knowne it Wherevpon the Pilots at this day to direct him his course that holds the helme sit aloft in the poope of the Shippe the better to obserue the compasse where as in olde time they sat in the prow of the Shippe to marke the differences of lands and seas from which place they commaunded the Helme as they vse at this day at the entrie or going out of any Port or haven and therefore the Greekes called Pilots Proritaes for that they remained still in the prow Of the properties and admirable vertue of the Adamant stone for Navigation whereof the Ancients had no knowledge CHAP. 17. BY that which hath been formerly spoken it appeares that the Navigation to the Indies is as certaine and as short as wee are assured of the Adamant stone And at this day we see many that
lands and habitations Some peopling the lands they found and others seeking for newe in time they came to inhabite and people the Indies with so many nations people and tongues as we see By what meanes tame Beasts passed to the Indies CHAP. 21. THe signes and arguments which offer themselves to such as are curious to examine the Indians maners and fashions helpe much to maintayne the foresayd opinion for that you shall not finde any inhabiting the Ilands that are farre from the maine Land or from other Ilands as the Bermudes the reason whereof is for that the Ancients did never sayle but alongst the coast and in view of land whereupon it is reported that they have found no great Ships in any part of the Indies capable to passe such Gulphs but onely Balsae Barkes and Canoes which are all lesse then our long boates the which the Indians doe onely vse with the which they could not runne through so great a Passage without apparant danger of ship-wracke and although their shippes had beene sufficient yet had they no knowledge of the Astrolabe or Compasse If then they had beene but eight or tenne dayes at Sea withoutsight of land they must of necessitie loose themselves having no knowledge where they were wee know many Ilandes well peopled with Indians and their vsuall navigations the which was such as they may well performe in Canoes and boats without any Compasse to sayle by Whenas the Indians of Peru which remayne at Tombes did see our first Spanish shippes sayling to Peru and viewed the greatnesse of their sailes being spread and of the bodies of the ships they stoode greatly amazed not beeing able to perswade themselves that they were shippes having never seene any of the like forme and greatnesse they supposed they had beene rockes But seeing them advance and not to sincke they stood transported with amazement vntill that beholding them neerer they discovered men with beards that walked in them whom then they held for some gods or heavenly creatures Whereby it appeares how strange it was to the Indians to have great Ships There is yet an other reason which confirmes vs in the foresayd opinion which is that these beastes which we say are not likely to have been transported by Sea to the Indies remayne onely on the maine Land and not in any Ilands foure dayes iorney from the maine Land I have made this search for proofe thereof for that it seemes to me a point of great importance to confirme me in mine opinion that the confines of the Indies Europe Asia and Affricke have some communication one with another or at the least approch very neere together There are in America and Peru many wilde beastes as Lyons although they be not like in greatnesse fiercenesse nor of the same colour redde to the renowmed Lyons of Affrica There are also many Tygers very cruell and more to the Indians then to the Spaniardes there are likewise Beares but in no great aboundance of Boares and Foxes an infinite number And yet if wee shall seeke for all these kindes of beastes in the Ilands of Cuba Hispaniola Iamaica Marguerita or Dominica you shall not finde any So as in the sayde Ilands although they were very fertile and of a great circuit yet was there not any kind of beastes for service when the Spaniards arrived but at this day there are so great troopes of Horses Oxen Kyne Dogs and Hogges which have multiplied in such abundance as now the Kine have no certaine master but belong to him that shal first kil them be it on the mountaines or on the plaines which the Indians do onely to save their hides whereof they make great traffick without any regard of the flesh to eate it Dogges have so increased as they march by troopes and endammage the cattell no lesse then wolves which is a great inconvenience in these Ilands There wants not onely beastes in these Ilands but also birdes both great and small As for Parrets there are many that flie by flockes but as I have said there are few of any other kinde I have not seene nor heard of any Partriges there as in Peru. Likewise there are few of those beastes which at Peru they call Guancos and Vicunas like to wilde Goates very swifte in whose stomacke they find the Beezars stone which many do greatly value sometimes you shall finde them as bigge as a hens egge yea halfe as bigge againe They have no other kinde of beastes but such as we call Indian sheepe the which besides their wooll and flesh wherewith they clothe and feede themselves do serve them as Asses to beare their burthens They carrie halfe as much as a Moyle and are of small charge to their masters having neede neither of shooes saddle nor oates to live by nor of any furniture for that Nature hath provided them of all these wherein she seemes to have favoured these poore Indians Of all these creatures and of many other sortes whereof I will make mention the maine land at the Indies aboundes But in the Ilands there are not any found but such as the Spaniards have brought It is true that once one of our Friars did see a Tigre in an Iland as hee reported vnto vs vpon the discourse of his peregrination and shipwracke but being demanded how farre it was from the maine land he answered sixe or eight leagues at the most which passage Tigres might easily swimme over We may easily inferre by these arguments and others like that the first Indians went to inhabite the Indies more by land then by sea or if there were any navigation it was neither great nor difficult being an indibitable thing that the one world is continued and ioyned with the other or at the least they approach one neere vnto another in some parts That the linage of the Indies hath not passed by the Atlantike Iland as some do imagine CHAP. 22. SOme following Platoes opinion mentioned before affirme that these men parted from Europe or Affricke to go to that famous and renowmed Atlantike Iland and so passed from one Iland vnto another vntill they came to the maine land of the Indies for that Critias of Plato in his time discourseth in this maner if the Atlantike Iland wereas great as all Asia and Affrike together or greater as Plato saies it should of necessitie containe all the Atlantike Ocean and stretch even vnto the Ilands of the new world And Plato saieth moreover that by a great and strange deluge the Atlantike Iland was drowned and by that meanes the sea was made vnnavigable through the aboundance of banckes rockes and roughnesse of the waves which were yet in his time But in the end the ruines of this drowned Iland weresetled which made this sea navigable This hath been curiously handled and discoursed of by some learned men of good iudgement and yet to speake the truth being well considered they are ridiculous things resembling rather to Ovids tales then a Historie or
that some are invironed with heat some with cold and others tempered with a moderate heat Plato placeth his most renowmed Atlantike Iland vnder the burning Zone then he saieth that at certaine seasons of the yeere it hath the sunne for Zenith and yet it was very temperate fruitfull and rich Plinie saieth that Taprobana which at this day they call Sumatra is vnder the Equinoctiall as in effect it is writing that it is not onely happie and rich but also peopled with men and beasts whereby we may easily iudge that although the Ancients held the heate of the burning Zone to be insupportable yet might they well vnderstand that it was not so great as they had spoken The most excellent Astrologer and Cosmographer Ptolome and the worthie Philosopher and Physitian Avicen were of a better resolution being both of opinion that vnder the Equinoctiall there were verie commodious habitations That the heat of the burning Zone is temperate by reason of the rayne and the shortnes of the dayes CHAP. 10. SInce the discoverie of this newe worlde wee have found by experience that which late Writers have held for trueth But it is a naturall thing whenas any matter beyond our conceit is made knowne vnto vs by experience we by and by examine the cause Therefore wee desire to know the reason why a Region where the sunne approacheth neerest is not onely temperate but in many parts cold Considering this matter generally I finde two general causes which maketh this Region temperate the one is that before mentioned for that this Region is very moist and subiect to raine and there is no doubt but the rayne doth refresh it for that the water is by nature cold and although by the force of the fire it be made hotte yet doth it temper this heat proceeding onely from the sunne-beames The which we see by experience in the inner Arabia the which is burnt with the Sunne having no showres to temper the violence thereof The clouds and mists are the cause that the sunne offends not so much and the showers that fall from them refresh both the ayre and the earth and moisten likewise how hot soever it be They drinke raine water and it quencheth the thirst as our men have well tried having no other to drinke So as reason and experience doth teach vs that raine of it selfe doth temper the heat and having by this meanes shewed that the burning Zone is much subiect vnto raine it appeares that there is matter in it to temper the violence of the heat To this I will adde an other reason which deserves to be knowne not only for this matter but for many others for although the Sunne be very hotte and burning vnder the Equinoctiall yet is it not long so as the heate of the day being there shorter and of lesse continuance it causeth not so violent a heate the which it behooves to specifie more particularly Such as are practised in the knowledge of the Spheare teach very well that the more the Zodiake is oblique and traversing our Hemisphere the more vnequall are the daies and nights and contrariwise where the sphere is straight and the signes mount directly there the dayes and nights are equalâ— And therefore in all that Region which is betweene the two Tropicks there is lesse inequality then without them and the more we approch the Line the lesse inequalitie we finde the which we have tryed in those parts Those of Quitto for that they are vnder the line have not throughout the whole yeere the dayes and nights more short at one season then at an other but are continually equall Those of Lima beeing distant almost twelve degrees finde some difference betwixt the dayes and the nights but very little for that in December and Ianuarie the dayes increase an houre or little lesse Those of PotoZi finde much more difference both in winter and in summer being almost vnder the Tropicke But those that live without the Tropikes find the dayes in winter shorter and in summer longer the more remote they are from the Equinoctial and come neere the Pole as we see in Germany and in England the daies are longer in summer then in Italie and in Spaine It is a thing which the Sphere doth teach and experience doth plainely shew vs. We must adde an other proposition which is likewise true and very considerable for all the effectes of nature to vnderstand the perseverance and continuation of the efficient cause to worke and moove This presupposed if any one demaund of me why vnder the Equinoctiall Line the heat is not so violent in summer as in some other Regions as in Andelousiae in the moneths of Iuly and August I will answere that in Andelousia the dayes are longer and the nights shorter and as the day being hot inflames and causeth heat so the nights being cold and moist give a refreshing According to the which at Peru there is no such great heat for that the dayes in summer are not long nor the nights short so as the heate of the day is much tempered by the freshnesse of the night And although the burning Zone be neerer the Sunne then all other Regions yet doth not the heate continue there so long It is a naturall thing that a small fire continued heats more then a greater that lastes but little especially if there bee any thing to refresh it He therefore that shal put these two properties of the Zone in one ballance that it is most rainie in the time of greatest heate and that the dayes are shortest there he shall perchance finde them to equall the other two contrarieties which bee that the Sunne is neerer and more directly over them then in other Regions That there be other reasons besides the former mentioned which shew that the burning Zone is temperate especially alongst the Ocean CHAP. 11. BEing a thing concluded that the two forenamed properties are common and vniversal to all the region of the burning Zone and yet in the same there are found some places very hote and other exceeding colde Also that the temperature is not there equall in all places but vnder one climate one part is hote another colde and the third temperate all at one season we are forced to seeke out other reasons whence this great diversitie should proceede in the burning Zone Discoursing therefore vpon this question I do finde threeapparant and certaine causes and a fourth more obscure and darke The apparant and certaine causes be The first is the Ocean the second the scituation of the land and the third the nature and propertie of many and sundry windes Besides these three which I holde for manifest I beleeve there is a fourth hidden and lesse apparant which is the propertie of the same land inhabited and the particular influence of the heavens Whoso woulde neerely consider the causes and generall reasons before mentioned shall finde them insufficient for the full resolution of this point observing that
which daily happens in diverse partes of the Equinoctiall Manomotapa and a great part of the kingdom of Prester Iean are seated vnder the line or very neere In which regions they endure excessive heate and the men are all blacke the which is not onely in those parts of the land farre from the sea but also in Ilands invironed with the sea The Iland of Saint Thomas is vnder the Line the Ilands of Cape Verd are very neere and both in the one and the other are violent heates and the men are likewise blacke Vnder the same line or very neere lies a part of Peru and of the new kingdome of Grenado which notwithstanding are very temperate Countries inclining rather to colde then heate and the inhabitants are white The Country of Bresill is in the same distance from the line with Peru and yet both Bresill and all that coast is extreamely hot although it be in the North sea and the other coast of Peru which is in the South sea is very temperate I say then that whosoever would consider these differences and give a reason thereof cannot content himselfe with these generall rules before specified to proove that the burning Zone may be a temperate land Among the speciall causes and reasons I have first placed the Sea for without doubt the neerenesse thereof doth helpe to temper and coole the heat for although the water be salt yet is it alwayes water whose nature is cold and it is a thing remarkeable that in the depth of the Ocean the water cannot be made hot by the violence of the Sunne as in rivers finally even as salt-peeter though it be of the nature of salt hath a propertie to coole water even so we see by experience that in some ports and havens the salt-water doth refresh the which wee have observed in that of Callao whereas they put the water or wine which they drinke into the Sea in flaggons to be refreshed whereby wee may vndoubtedly finde that the Ocean hath this propertie to temper and moderate the excessive heate for this cause we feele greater heat at land then at sea Caeteris paribus and commonly Countries lying neere the sea are coooler then those that are farther off Caeteris paribus as I have said even so the greatest part of the new world lying very neere the Ocean wee may with reason say although it bee vnder the burning Zone yet doth it receive a great benefite from the sea to temper the heat That the highest landes are the coldest and the reason thereof CHAP. 12. BVt if we shall yet search more particularly we shall not finde in all this land an equall temperature of heate although it be in equal distance from the sea and in the same degree seeing that in some partes there is great heate and in some very little Doubtlesse the cause thereof is that the one is lower and the other higher which causeth that the one is hote and the other colde It is most certaine that the toppes of the mountaines are colder then in the bottome of the vallies the which proceedes not onely for that the sunne beames have greater repercussions vpon lower places although it be a great reason yet there is an other which is that the Region of the ayre is colder when it is farthest from the ground The Plaines of Collao at Peru of Popaian in new Spaine make sufficient proofe hereof For without al doubt those parts are high countries and for this reason cold although they be all invironed with high points of mountaines much subiect to the Sunne beames But if we demand why at Peru and in new Spaine the Plaines along the coast be very hote and the plaines of the same Countries of Peru and new Spaine be contrariwise colde In truth I see no other reason can be given but that the one is a lowe country and the other high Experience dooth teach vs that the middle region of the ayre is colder than the neather And therefore the more the mountaines approach to the middle the colder they are being covered with snow and frosts Reason it selfe dooth yeelde to it For if there be a sphere and region of fire as Aristotle and the other Philosophers say the middle region of the ayre must be most colde by Antiparistasis the colde being expelled and thickned there as in summer time we see in wells that are very deepe For this cause the Philosophers affirme that the two extreame regions of the ayre that above and the other belowe are the hottest and the middle region more colde If it be thus as experience doth teach vs we shall yet draw out another reason and notable argument to shew that the burning Zone is temperate which is that the greatest part of the Indies is a high countrey filled with many mountaines which by their neerenesse refresh the neighbour countries You may continually see vppon the toppes of these mountaines snow haile and frozen waters and the cold so bitter as the grasse is all withered so as the men and beasts which passe that way are benummed with colde This as I have saide is in the burning Zone and it happens most commonly when they have the sunne for zenith It is therefore most certaine and conformable vnto reason that the mountaines are colder than the valleis and plaines for that they participate more of the middle region of the aire which is very colde The cause why the middle region of the ayre is more colde hath bin shewed before for that the region of the aire next to the fiery exhalation the which according to Aristotle is vpon the spheare of the aire repells and thrustes backe all the colde the which retires it selfe into the middle region of the aire by Antiparistasis as the Philosophers speake Now if any one should question with me in this manner If it be so that the ayre is hot and moist as Aristotle holdes and as we commonly say whence then proceeds the cold which is congealed in the middle region of the ayre seeing it cannot come from the fierie spheare For if it come from the water or the earth by this reason the lower region of the aire should be colder than the middle To answer truely what I thinke I will confesse that this Argument and Obiection is so difficult as I am almost ready to follow the opinion of such as reproove the qualities agreements and disagreements which Aristotle gives vnto the Elements saying they are but imaginations who for this occasion hold the aire to be colde by nature And to this end they vse many arguments and reasons whereof we will propound one very familiar and well knowne leaving the rest aparte In the canicular dayes we are accustomed to beate the ayre with a fanne and we finde that it doth refresh vs so as these Authors affirme that heate is no private property of any other Element but of fire only which is dispersed and mingled with all things as the great Denis
Gallies go and come daily coasting along the shoare In some partes of the Ocean they may not looke for any other winde then that which blowes for that commonly it continues long To conclude that which is good to go by is not fit to returne with for in the sea beyond the Tropicke and within the burning Zone the Easterly windes raine continually not suffering their contraries In the which region there are two strange things the one is that in that Zone being the greatest of the five into the which the world is divided the Easterly windes which they call Brises do raine not suffering the Westerne or Southerne which they call lower windes to have their course at any season of the yeere The other wonder is that these Easterly windes never cease to blow and most commonly in places neerest to the line where it seemes that calmes should be more frequent being a part of the world most subiâ—ct to the heate of the Sunne but it is contrarie for you shall hardly finde any calmes there and the winde is cold and continues longer which hath been found true in all the navigations of the Indies This is the reason why the voyage they make from Spaine to the West Indies is shorter more easie and more assured then the returne to Spaine The fleetes parting from Siville have more difficultie to passe the Canaries for that the gulph of Yegues or of Mares is variable being beaten with divers windes but having passed the Canaries they saile with a westerne winde vntill they come to the burning Zone where presently they finde an Easterly winde and so they saile on with full windes so as they have scant any neâ—de to touch their sailes in the whole voiage for this reason they called this great gulph the gulph of Dances for the calmenes and pleasantnes thereof Then following their course they come to the Ilands of Guadelupe Dominique Desirâ—e Marigualante and the rest which in that place be as it were the suburbs of the Indies There the fleetes seperate and divide themselves whereof some which go to new Spaine take to the right hand towards Hispaniola and having discovered Cape S. Anthonie they passe vnto S. Ihon Delua alwaies vsing the same Easterly windes Those for the maine Land take the left hand discovering the high mountaine of Tayrone then having touched at Carthagene they passe vnto Nombre de Dios from whence they go by land to Panama and from thence by the South sea to Peru. But when the fleetes returne to Spaine they make their voiage in this sort The fleete of Peru discovers Cape S. Anthonie then they enter into the Havana which is a goodly Port in the Iland of Cuba The fleete of new Spaine doth likewise touch at the Havana being parted from the true Crosse or from the Iland of S. Ihon Delua the which is not without difficultie for that commonly Easterly windes blow there which is a contrarie winde to go to the Havana These fleetes being ioyned together for Spaine they seeke their height without the Tropicks where presently they finde Westerly winds which serve them vntill they come in view of the Acores or Terceres and from thence to Seville So as their voiage in going is of a small height not above twentie degrees from the line which is within the Tropickes But the returne is without the Tropickes in eight and twentie or thirtie degrees of height at the least for that within the Tropickes the Easterne winds continually blow the which are fittest to go from Spaine to the West Indies for that their course is from East to west and without the Tropickes which is in three and twentie degrees of height they finde westerly winds the which are the more certaine and ordinarie the farther you are from the line and more fit to returne from the Indies for that they are windes blowing from the South and West which serve to runne into the East and North. The like discourse is of the Navigation made into the South sea going from new Spaine or Peru to the Philippines or China and returning from the Philippines or China to new Spaine the which is easie for that they saile alwaies from East to West neere the line where they finde the Easterly windes to blow in their poope In the yeere 1584. there went a shippe from Calloâ— in Lima to the Philippines which sailed 2000. and 700. leagues without sight of land and the first it discovered was the Iland of Lusson where they tooke port having performed their voiage in two moneths without want of winde or any torment and their course was almost continually vnder the line for that from Lima which is twelve degrees to the South he came to Menilla which is as much to the North. The like good fortune had Alvaro de Mandana whenas he went to discover the Ilands of Soloman for that he had alwaies a full gale vntill he came within view of these Ilands the which must be distant from that place of Peru from whence he parted about a thousand leagues having runne their course alwaies in one height to the South The returne is like vnto the voiage from the Indies vnto Spaine for those which returne from the Philippines or China to Mexico to the end they may recover the Westerne windes they mount a great height vntill they come right against the Ilands of Iappon and discovering the Caliphornes they returne by the coast of new Spaine to the Port of Acapulco from whence they parted So as it is proved likewise by this navigation that they saile easily from East to West within the Tropickes for that their Easterly windes do raine but returning from West to East they must seeke the Westerne windes without the Tropickes in the height of seven and twentie degrees The Portingales prove the like in their navigations to the East Indies although it be in a contrarie course for that going from Portugall the voiage is troublesome but their returne is more easie for that in going their course is from the West to the East so as they must of necessitie mount vntill they have found their generall windes which they hold to be above the seven and twentith degree And in their returne they discover the Terceres but with more ease for that they come from the East where the Easterly or Northerne windes do serve them Finally the Marriners hold it for a certaine rule and observation that within the Tropickes continually raine Easterly windes and therefore it is very easie to saile to the West But without the Tropickes there are in some seasons Easterly windes and in some and more ordinarie Westerne windes by reason whereof they which saile from West to East labour alwaies to be out of of the burning Zone to put themselves in the height of seven and twentie degrees And for this reason men have indangered themselves to vndertake strange Navigations and to seeke out farre Countries vnknowne Of the differences of the Brises or
other great gulphes where wee saile vnder the burning Zone by reason whereof their sailes are always of one fashion without any blustring having no neede in a manner to change them in all their course And if the ayre were not mooved by the heavens it might sometimes faile sometimes change to the contrary and sometimes there would grow some stormes Although this be learnedly spoken yet can we not deny it to be a winde seeing there are vapours and exhalations of the sea and that we sometimes see the Brise or easterly winds stronger sometimes more weake and placed in that sort as sometimes they can hardly carry all their sailes We must then know and it is true that the aire mooved draweth vnto it the vapours it findes for that the force is great and findes no resistance by reason whereof the easterne and weasterne windes are continuall and in a maner alwayes alike in those parts which are neere the Line and almost vnder all the burning zone which is the course the Sunne followes betwixt the two circles of Cancer and Capricorne Why without the Zone in a greater altitude wee finde alwayes westâ—rly windâ—s CHAP. 7. WHoso would neerely looke into what hath bin spoken may likewise vnderstand that going from the west to the east in altitude beyond the Tropikes we shall finde westerne windes for that the motion of the Equinoctiall being so swift it is a cause that the ayâ—e mooveth vnder it according to this motion which is from east to weast drawing after it the vapors and exhalations that rise of either side the Equinoctial or burning zone incountâ—ing the course and motion of the zone are forced by the repercussion to returne almost to the contrary whence growe the southweast winds so ordinary in those parts Even as we see in the course of waters the which if they be incountred by others of more force returne in a maner backe So it seemes to be like in vapours and exhalations whereby it growes that the windes doe turne and separate themselves from one part to another These westerly winds do commonly raiâ—â— in a meane altitude which is from twenty and seeven to thirty and seven degrees though they be not so certaine nor so regular as the Brises that are in a lesse altitude The reason is for that the southwest windes are no causes of this proper and equal motion of the heaven as the Brises are being neere to the Line But as I have said they are more ordinarie and often more furious and tempestuous But passing into a greater altitude as of fortie degrees there is as small assurance of windes at sea as at land for sometimes the east or north winde blowes and sometimes the south or weast whereby it happeneth their navigations are more vncertaine and more dangerous Of the exceptions to the foresaid Rules and of the Windes and Calmes both at Land and at Sea CHAP. 8. THat which we have spoken of winds which blow ordinarilie within and without the Zone must be vnderstood of the maine Sea and in the great gulphes for at land it is otherwise where we finde all sorts of windes by reason of the inequalitie which is betwixt the mountaines and the vallies the great number of Rivers and Lakes and the divers scituations of Countries whence the grosse and thicke vapors arise which are moved from the one part or the other according to the diversitie of their beginnings which cause these divers windes the motion of the aire caused by the heaven having not power enough to draw and move them with it And this varietie of windes is not onely found at land but also vpon the sea coast which is vnder the burning Zone for that there be foraine or land windes which come from the land and many which blow from the sea the which windes from the sea are commonly more wholesome and more pleasant then those of the land which are contrariwise troublesome and vnwholesome although it be the differrence of the coast that causeth this diversitie commonly the land windes blow from mid-night to the sunne rising and the sea windes vntill sunne setting The reason perhaps may be that the earth as a grosse substance fumes more whenas the sunne shines not vpon it even as greene wood or scarce drie smoakes most when the flame is quenched But the sea which is compounded of more subtile partes engenders no fumes but when it is hote even as straw or haie being moist and in small quantitie breedes smoake when it is burnt and when the flame failes the fume suddenly ceaseth Whatsoever it be it is certaine that the land winde blowes by night and that of the sea by day So that even as there are often contrarie violent and tempestuous windes vpon the sea coast so do we see very great calmes Some men of great experience report that having sailed many great passages at sea vnder the line yet did they never see any calmes but that they alwaies make way little or much the aire being moved by the celestiall motion which is sufficient to guide a ship blowing in poope as it doth I have already said that a ship of Lima going to Maniâ—â—a sailed two thousand seven hundred leagues alwaies vnder the line or not above twelve degrees from it and that in the moneths of Februarie and March whenas the sunne is there for Zenith and in all this space they found no calmes but alwaies a fresh gale so as in two moneths they performed this great voyage But in the burning Zone and without it you shall vsually see great calmes vpon the coastes where the vapors come from the Ilands or maine land And therefore stormes and tempestes and the suddaine motions of the aire are more certaine and ordinarie vpon the coastes whereas the vapors come from the land then in full sea I meane vnder the burning Zone for without it and at sea there are both calmes and whirlewindes Notwithstanding sometimes betwixt the two Tropickes yea vnder the line you shall have great raine and suddaine showers yea farre into the sea for the working whereof the vapors and exhalations of the sea are sufficient which moving sometimes hastily in the aire cause thunder and whirlewindes but this is more ordinarie neere to the land and vpon the land When I sailed from Peru to new Spaine I observed that all the time we were vpon the coast of Peru our voiage was as it was ordinary very calme and easie by reason of the Southerne winde that blowes having alwaies a fore winde returning from Spaine and new Spaine As we passed the gulph lanching farther into the sea almost vnder the line we found the season coole quiet and pleasant with a full winde but comming neere to Nicaragua and to all that coast we had contrarie windes with great store of raine and fogges All this navigation was vnder the burning Zone for from twelve degrees to the South which is Lima wee sailed to the seventeenth which is Gautulco a port of
lies all to the north and by that land thereafter discovered a sea on the other side the which they called the South sea for that they decline vntill they have passed the Line and having lost the North or Pole articke they called it South For this cause they have called all that Ocean the South sea which lieth on the other side of the East Indies althogh a great part of it be seated to the north as al the coast of new Spaine Nuaragna Guatimala and Panama They say that hee that first discovered this sea was called Blasconunes of Bilbo the which he did by that part which we now call maine land where it growes narrow and the two seas approach so neere the one to the other that there is but seaven leagues of distance for although they make the way eighteene from Nombre de Dios to Panama yet is it with turning to seeke the commoditie of the way but drawing a direct line the one sea shall not be found more distant from the other Some have discoursed and propounded to cut through this passage of seaven leagues and to ioyne one sea to the other to make the passage from Peru more commodious and easie for that these eighteene leagues of land betwixt Nombre de Dios and Panama is more painefull and chargeable then 2300. by sea wherevpon some would say it were a meanes to drowne the land one sea being lower then another As in times past we finde it written that for the same consideration they gave over the enterprize to win the red sea into Nile in the time of King Sesostris and since in the Empire of the Othomans But for my part I hold such discourses and propositions for vaine although this inconvenient should not happen the which I will not hold for assured I beleeve there is no humaine power able to beat and breake downe those strong and impenetrable mountaines which God hath placed betwixt the two seas and hath made them most hard rockes to withstand the furie of two seas And although it were possible to men yet in my opinion they should feare punishment from heaven in seeking to correct the workes which the Creator by his great providence hath ordained and disposed in the framing of this vniversall world Leaving this discourse of opening the land and ioyning both seas together there is yet another lesse rash but very difficult and dangerous to search out Whether these two great gulphes do ioyne in any other part of the world which was the enterprize of Fernando Magellan a Portugall gentleman whose great courage and constancie in the research of this subject and happy successe in the finding thereof gave the name of eteâ—nall memory to this straight which iustly they call by the name of the discoverer Magellan of which straight we will intreate a little as of one of the greatest wonders of the world Some have beleeved that this Straight which Magellan had discovered in the South sea was none or that it was straightned as Don Alonso d' Arsille writes in his Auracane and at this day there are some that say there is no such straight but that they are Ilands betwixt the sea and land for that the maine land endes there at the end whereof are all Ilands beyond the which the one sea ioynes fully with the other or to speake better it is all one Sea But in turth it is most certaine there is a straight and a long and stretched out land on eyther side although it hath not yet beene knowne how farre it stretcheth of the one side of the straight towards the South After Magellan a shippe of the Bishoppe of Plaisance passed the straight Don Guiâ—ieres Carvaial whose maste they say is yet at Lima at the entrie of the palace they went afterwards coasting along the South to discover the Straight by the commandement of Don Garcia of Mendoce then governer of Chille according to that which Captaine Ladrillero found it and passed it I have read the discourse and report he made where he saieth that he did not hazard himselfe to land in the Straight but having discovered the North sea he returned back for the roughnes of the time winter being now come which caused the waves comming from the North to grow great and swelling and the sea continually foming with rage In our time Francis Drake an Englishman passed this straight After him Captaine Sarmiento passed it on the South side And lastly in the yeere 1587. other Englishmen passed it by the instruction of Drake which at this time runne along all the coast of Peru. And for that the report which the master Pilot that passed it made seemeth notable vnto me I will heere set it downe Of the Straight of Magellan and how it was passed on the South side CHAP. 11. IN the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred seaventy nine Francis Drake having passed the Straights that runne alongest the coast of Chille and all Peru and taken the shippe of Saint Iean d' Anthona where there was a great number of barres of silver the Viceroy Don Francis of Toledo armed and sent foorth two good shippes to discover the Straight appoynting Peter Sarmiento for Captaine a man learned in Astrologie They parted from Callao of Lima in the beginning of October and forasmuch as vpon that coast there blowes a contrary winde from the South they tooke the sea and having sailed litle above thirty days with a favourable winde they came to the same altitude of the Straight but for that it was very hard to discover they approched neere vnto the land where they entred into a great Bay in the which there is an Archipelague of Ilands Sarimento grew obstinate that this was the Straight and staied a whole moneth to finde it out by diverse wayes creeping vppe to the high mountaines But seeing they could not discover it at the instance of such as were in the army they returned to sea The same day the weather grew rough with the which they ranne their course in the beginning of the night the Admiralls light failed so as the other shippe never see them after The day following the force of the winde continuing still being a â—ide wind the Admiralles shippe discovered an opening which made land thinking good to enter there for shelter vntill the tempest were past The which succeeded in such sort as having discovered this vent they found that it ranne more and more into the land and coniecturing that it should be the Straight which they sought they tooke the height of the Sunne where they found themselves in fiftie degrees and a halfe which is the very height of the Straight and to be the better assured they thrust out their Brigandine which having run many leagues into this arme of the sea without seeing any end they found it to be the very Straight And for that they had order to passe it they planted a hie Crosse there with letters thereon
that the 30. leagues to the South runne betwixt the rockes and most high mountaines whose tops are continually covered with snow so as they seeme by reason of their great height to be ioyned together which makes the entrie of the Straight to the South so hard to discover In these 30. leagues the sea is very deepe and without bottome yet may they fasten their ships to the land the bâ—nckes being straight and vneven but in the 70. leagues towards the North they finde ground and of either side there are large plaines the which they call Caâ—â—naâ— Many great rivers of faire and cleere water runne into this Straight and thereabout are great and wonderfull forrests whereas they finde some trees of excellent wood and sweete the which are not knowne in these partes whereofsuch as passed from thence to Peru brought some to shew There are many medowes within the land and many Ilands in the midst of the Straight The Indians that inhabite on the South side are little and cowards those that dwell on the North part are great and valiant they brought some into Spaine which they hadde taken They found peeces of blew cloth and other markes and signes that some men of Europe had passed there The Indians â—â—luted our men with the name of Iesia They are good Archers and goâ— clad in wilde beasts skinnes whereof there is great aboundance The waters of the Straight rise and fall as the tide and they may visibly see the tides come of the one side of the North sea and of the other from the South whereas they meete the which as I have said is thirtie leagues from the South and three score and tenne from the North. And although it seemes there should be more daunger then in all the rest yet whenas Captaine Sarmiâ—nto his shippe whereof I spake passed it they had no great stormes but found farre lesse difficultie then they expected for then the time was very calme and pleasant And moreover the waves from the north sea came broken by reason of the great length of three score and tenne leagues and the waves from the south sea were not raging by reason of the great deapth in which deapth the waves breake and are swallowed vp It is true that in winter the straight is not navigable by reason of the tempests and raging of the sea in that season Some shippes which have attempted to passe the Straight in winter have perished One onely shippe passed it on the South side which is the Captaine I made mention of I was fully instructed of all that I have spoken by the Pilote thereof called Hernando Alonse and have seene the true discription of the Straight they made in passing it whereof they carried the copie to the King of Spaine and the original to their viceroy of Peru. Of the ebbing and flowing of the Indian Ocean CHAP. 14. ONe of the mostadmirable secrets of Nature is the ebbing and flowing of the sea not onely for this strange property of rising and falling but much more for the difference there is thereof in diverse seas yea in diverse coastes of one and the same sea There are some seas that have no daily flowing nor ebbing as we see in the inner Mediterranean which is the Thyrene sea and yet it flowes and ebbes every day in the vpper Mediterranean sea which is that of Venice and iustly giveth cause of admiration that these two seas being Mediterranean and that of Venice being no greater then the other yet hath it his ebbing and flowing as the Ocean and that other sea of Italie none at all There are some Mediterranean seas that apparantly rise and fall everie moneth and others that neyther rise in the day nor in the moneth There are other seas as the Spanish Ocean that have their flux and reflux every day and besides that they have it monethly which commeth twice that is to say at the entry and at the ful of every Moone which they call Spring tides To say that any sea hath this daily ebbing and flowing and not monethly I knowe not any It is strange the difference we finde of this subiect at the Indies for there are some places whereas the sea doth daily rise fall two leagues as at Panama and at a high water it riseth much more There are other places where it doth rise and fall so little that hardly can you finde the difference It is ordinary in the Ocean sea to have a daily flowing and ebbing and that was twice in a naturall day and ever it falls three quarters of an houre sooner one day then another according to the course of the Moone so as the tide falles not alwayes in one houre of the day Some would say that this flux and reflux proceeded from the locall motion of the water of the sea so as the water that riseth on the one side falles on the other that is opposite vnto it so that it is ful sea on the one side when as it is a lowe water on the opposite as we see in a kettle full of water when wee moove it when it leanes to the one side the water increaseth and on the other it diminisheth Others affirme that the sea riseth in all partes at one time and decreaseth at one instant as the boyling of a pot comming out of the centre it extendeth it selfe on all partes and when it ceaseth it falles likewise on all partes This second opinion is true and in my iudgement certaine and tried not so much for the reasons which the Philosophers give in their Meteors as for the certaine experience wee may make For to satisfie my selfe vpon this point and question I demanded particularly of the said Pilot how he found the tides in the straight and if the tides of the South sea did fall whenas those of the North did rise And contrariwise this question being true why the increase of the sea in one place is the decrease thereof in another as the first opinion holdeth He answered that it was not so but they might see plainely that the tides of the North and South seas rise at one instant so as the waves of one sea incountred with the other and at one instant likewise they began to retire every one into his sea saying that the rising and falling was daily seene and that the incounter of the tides as I have saide was at three score and tenne leagues to the North sea and thirtie to the South Whereby wee may plainely gather that the ebbing and flowing of the Ocean is no pure locall motion but rather an alteration whereby all waters really rise and increase at one instat and in others they diminiâ—h as the boyling of a pot whereof I have spoken It were impossible to comprehend this poynt by experience if it were not in the Straight where all the Ocean both on th' one side on th' other ioynes together for none but Angelles can see it and iudge of the opposite parts for
experience that the course of rivers being turned the welles have beene dried vp vntill they returned to their ordinarie course and they give this reason for a materiall cause of this effect but they have another efficient which is no lesse considerable and that is the great height of the Sierre which comming along the coast shadowes the Lanos so as it suffers no winde to blowe from the land but above the toppes of these mountaines By meanes whereof there raines no winde but that from the Sea which finding no opposite doth not presse nor straine forth the vapors which rise to engender raine so as the shadowe of the mountaines keepes the vapors from thickning and convertes them all into mistes There are some experiences agree with this discourse for that it raines vpon some small hilles along the coast which are least shadowed as the rockes of Atico and Arequipa It hath rained in some yeeres whenas the Northern or easterly windes have blowen yea all the time they have continued as it happened in seventie eight vpon the Lanâ—s of Trugillo where it rained aboundantly the which they had not seene in many ages before Moreover it raines vpon the same coast in places whereas the Easterly or Northerne windes be ordinarie as in Guayaquil and in places whereas the land riseth much and turnes from the shadow of the mountaines as in those that are beyond Ariqua Some discourse in this maner but let every one thinke as he please It is most certaine that comming from the mountaines to the vallies they do vsually see as it were two heavens one cleere and bright above and the other obscure and as it were a graie vaile spread vnderneath which covers all the coast and although it raine not yet this mist is wonderfull profitable to bring forth grasse and to raise vp and nourish the seede for although they have plentie of water which they draw from the Pooles and Lakes yet this moisture from heaven hath such a vertue that ceasing to fal vpon the earth it breedes a great discommoditie and defect of graine and seedes And that which is more worthy of admiration the drie and barren sandes are by this deaw so beautified with grasse and flowers as it is a pleasing and agreeable sight and verie profitable for the feeding of cattell as we see in the mountaine called Sandie neere to the Cittie of Kings Of the propertie of new Spaine of the Ilands and of other Lands CHAP. 22. NEw Spaine passeth all other Provinces in pastures which breedes infinite troopes of horse kine sheepe and other cattell It aboundes in fruite and all kinde of graine To conclude it is a Countrie the best furnished and most accomplished at the Indies Yet Peru doth surpasse it in one thing which is wine for that there growes store and good and they daily multiplie and increase the which doth grow in very hote vallies where there are waterings And although there bee vines in new Spaine yet the grape comes not to his maturitie fit to make wine The reason is for that it raines there in Iulie and August whenas the grape ripens and therefore it comes not to his perfection And if any one through curiositie would take the paines to make wine it should be like to that of Genua and Lombardie which is very small and sharpe having a taste like vnto veriuice The Ilands which they call Barlovente which be Hispaniola Cuba Port Ricco others there abouts are beautified with many greene pastures and abound in cattell as neate and swine which are become wilde The wealth of these Ilands be their sugar-workes and hides There is much Cassia fistula ginger It is a thing incredible to see the multitude of these marchandizes brought in one fleete being in a maner impossible that all Europe should waste so much They likewise bring wood of an excellent qualitie and colour as Ebone others which serve for buildings and Ioyners There is much of that wood which they call Lignum Sanctum or Guage fit to cure the pox All these Ilands and others there abouts which are many have a goodly and pleasant aspect for that throughout the yeere they are beautified with grasse greene trees so as they cannot discerne when it is Autumne or Summer by reason of continuall moisture ioyned to the heate of the burning Zone And although this land be of a great circuite yet are there few dwellings for that of it selfe it engenders great Arcabutos as they call them which be Groves or very thicke Coppeses and on the plaines there are many marishes and bogges They give yet another notable reason why they are so smally peopled for that there have remained few naturall Indians through the inconsideratenesse and disorder of the first Conquerors that peopled it and therefore for the most part they vse Negros but they cost deere being very fit to till the land There growes neither bread nor wine in these Ilands for that the too great fertilitie and the vice of the soile suffers them not to seede but castes all forth in grasse very vneaqually There are no olive trees at the least they beare no olives but manie greene leaves pleasant to the view which beare no fruite The bread they vse is of Cacave whereof we shall heereafter speake There is gold in the riuers of these Ilands which some draw foorth but in small quantitie I was little lesse then a yeere in these ilands and as it hath beene told me of the maine land of the Indies where I have not been as in Florida Nicaraqua Guatimala and others it is in a maner of this temper as I have described yet have I not set downe every particular of Nature in these Provinces of the firme land having no perfect knowledge thereof The Countrie which doth most resemble Spaine and the regions of Europe in all the West Indies is the realme of Chille which is without the generall rule of these other Provinces being seated without the burning Zone and the Tropicke of Capricorne This land of it selfe is coole and fertile and brings forth all kindes of fruites that be in Spaine it yeeldes great aboundance of bread and wine and aboundes in pastures and cattell The aire is wholesome and cleere temperate betwixt heate and cold winter and summer are very distinct and there they finde great store of very fine gold Yet this land is poore and finally peopled by reason of their continuall warre with the Auricanos and their associates being a rough people and friends to libertie Of the vnknowne Land and the diversitie of a whole day betwixt them of the East and the West CHAP. 23. THere are great coniectures that in the temperate Zone at the Antartike Pole there are great and fertile lands but to this day they are not discovered neither do they know any other land in this Zone but that of Chille and some part of that land which runnes from Ethiopia to the Cape of Good Hope as
hath been said in the first booke neither is it knowne if there be any habitations in the other two Zones of the Poles and whether the land continues and stretcheth to that which is towards the Antartike or South Pole Neither do we know the land that lies beyond the straight of Magellan for that the greatest height yet discovered is in fiftie â—ix degrees as hath beene formerly saide and toward the Artike or Northerne Pole it is not knowne how farre the land extendes which runnes beyond the Cape of Mendocin and the Caliphornes nor the bounds and end of Florida neither yet how farre it extendes to the West Of late they have discovered a new land which they call New Mexico where they say is much people that speake the Mexicaine tongue The Philippines and the following Ilands as some report that know it by experience ranne above nine hundred leagues But to intreate of China Cochinchina Syam and other regions which are of the East Indies were contrary to my purpose which is onely to discourse of the West nay they are ignorant of the greatest part of America which lies betwixt Peru and Bresill although the bounds be knowne of all sides wherein there is diversitie of opinions some say it is a drowned land full of Lakes and waterie places Others affirme there are great and florishing kingdomes imagining there be the Paytiti the Dorado and the Caesars where they say are wonderfull things I have heard one of our company say a man worthy of credite that hee had seene great dwellings there and the waies as much beaten as those betwixt Salamanca and Villadillit the which he did see whenas Peter d'Orsua and after those that succeeded him made their entrie and discoverie by the great river of Amazons who beleeving that the Dorado which they sought was farther off cared not to inhabitâ— there and after went both without the Dorado which they could not finde and this great Province which they left To speake the truth the habitations of America are to this day vnknowne except the extreamities which are Peru Bresill and that part where the land beginnes to straighten which is the river of Silver then Tucuman which makes the round to Chille and Charcâ— Of late we have vnderstood by letters from some of ours which go to S. Croix in the Sierre that they go discovering of great Provinces and dwellings betwixt Bresill and Peru. Time will reveile them for as at this day the care and courage of men is great to compasse the world from one part to another so wee may beleeve that as they have discovered that which is now knowne they may likewise lay open that which reâ—â—nes to the end the Gospell may be preached to the whole world seeing the two Crownes of Portugall and Caâ—â—ille have met by the East and West ioyning their discoveries together which in truth is a matter to be observed that the one is come to China and Iappan by the East and the other to the Philippines which are neighbours and almost ioyning vnto China by the West for from the Ilands of Lusson which is the chiefe of the Philippines in the which is the Citie of Mamillâ— vnto Macan which is in the I le of Cauton are but foure score or a hundred leagues and yet we finde it strange that notwithstanding thâ—â— small distance from the one to the other yet according to their accoumpt there is a daies difference betwixt them so as it is Sunday at Macan whenas it is but Saterday at Mamille and so of the rest Those of Macan and of China have one day advanced before the Philippines It happened to father Aloâ—â—â— Sanches of whom mention is made before that parting from the Philippines he arrived at Macan the second day of Maie according to their computation and going to say the Masse of S. Athanasius he found they did celebrate the feast of the invention of the holy Crosse for that they did then reckon the third of Maie The like happened vnto him in another voyage beyond it Some have found this alteration and diversitie strange supposing that the fault proceedes from the one or the other the which is not so but it is a true and well observed computation for according to the difference of waies where they have beene we must necessarily say that when they meete there must bee difference of a day the reason is for that sailing from West to East they alwaies gaine of the day finding the sunne rising sooner and contrariwise those that saile from East to West do alwaies loose of the day for that the Sunne riseth later vnto them and as they approach neerer the East or the West they have the day longer or shorter In Peru which is westward in respect of Spaine they are above sixe houres behinde so as when it is noone in Spaine it is morning at Peru and when it is morning heere it is mid-night there I have made certaine proofe thereof by the computation of Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone Now that the Portugalls have made their navigations from West to East and the Castillans from East to West when they came to ioyne and meete at the Philippines and Macan the one have gained twelve houres and the other hath lost as much so as at one instant and in one time they finde the difference of twentie houres which is a whole day so as necessarily the one are at the third of Maie whenas the others accoumpt but the second and whenas the one doth fast for Easter eve the others eate flesh for the day of the resurrection And if we will imagine that they passe farther turning once againe about the world vsing the same computation when they should returne to ioyne together they should finde by the same accoumpt two daies difference for as I have saide those that go to the Sunne rising accoumpt the day sooner for that the Sunne riseth to them sooner and those that go to the setting accoumpt the day later for that it goes from them later finally the diversitie of the noone tide causeth the divers reckoning of the day And now for as much as those that doe saile from East to West change their noone tide without perceiving it and yet still follow the same computation they did when they parted of necessitie having made the compasse of the worlde they must finde the want of a whole day in their computation Of the Volcans or Vents of fire CHAP. 24. ALthough we finde vents of fire in other places as mount Aetna and Wesuvio which now they call mount Sâ—ma yet is that notable which is found at the Indies Ordinarily these Volcans be rockes or pikes of most high mountaines which raise themselves above the toppes of all other mountaines vpon their toppes they have a plaine and in the midst thereof a pitte or great mouth which discends even vnto the foote thereof a thing verie terrible to beholde Out of these mouthes there issues smoake and sometimes
land makes restitution casting his capes points and tongues farre into the sea piercing into the bowelles thereof In some partes one element ends and another beginnes yeelding by degrees one vnto another In some places where they ioyne it is exceeding deepe as in the Ilands of the South Sea and in those of the North whereas the shippes ride close to the land and although they sound three score and tenne yea foure score fadomes yet do they finde no bottome which makes men coniecture that these are pikes or poynts of land which rise vp from the bottome a matter woorthy of great admiration Heerevpon a very expert Pilote said vnto me that the Ilands which they call of Woolves and others that lie at the entry of the coast of New Spaine beeing called Cocos were of this manner Moreover there is a place in the midst of the great Ocean without the view of land and many leagues from it where are seene as it were two towers or pikes of a very high elevated rocke rising out of the middest of the sea and yet ioyning vnto it they finde no bottome No man can yet perfectly comprehend nor conceive the full and perfect forme of the land at the Indies the boundes being not wholy discovered to this day yet wee may ghesse that it is proportioned like a heart with the lungs The broadest of this heart is from Bresill to Peru the poynt at the straight of Magellan and the top where it ends is the firme land and there the continent begins by little and litle to extend itselfe vntill wee come to the height of Florida and the vpper landes which are not yet well discovered We may vnderstand other particularities of this land at the Indies by the Commentaries which the Spaniards have written of their successe and discoveries and amongest the rest of the Peregrination which I have written which in trueth is strange and may give a great light This in my opinion may suffice at this time to give som knowledge of things at the Indies touching the common elements of the which all parts of the worlde are famed THE FOVRTH BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies Of three kindes of mixtures or compounds of the which I must intreate in this Historie CHAP. 1. HAving intreated in the former booke of that which concernes the Elements and the simples of the Indies in this present booke we will discourse of mixtures and compounds seeming fit for the subiect we shall treate of And although there be many other sundrie kindes yet we will reduce this matter into three which are Mettalls Plants and Beasts Mettalls are as plants hidden and buried in the bowels of the earth which have some conformitie in themselves in the forme and maner of their production for that wee see and discover even in them branches and as it were a bodie from whence they grow and proceede which are the greater veines and the lesse so as they have a knitting in themselves and it seemes properly that these minerales grow like vnto plants not that they have any inward vegitative life being onely proper to plants but they are engendered in the bowels of the earth by the vertue and force of the Sunne and other planets and in long continuance of time they increase and multiply after the maner of plants And even as mettalls be plants hidden in the earth so we may say that plants be living creatures fixed in one place whose life is maintained by the nourishment which Nature furnisheth from their first begnning But living creatures surpasse plants in that they have a more perfect being and therefore have neede of a more perfect foode and nourishment for the search whereof Nature hath given them a moving and feeling to discover and discerne it So as the rough and barren earth is as a substance and nutriment for mettalls and that which is fertile and better seasoned a nourishment for plants The same plants serve as a nourishment for living creatures and the plants and living creatures together as a nourishment for men the inferiour nature alwaies serving for the maintenance and sustentation of the superiour and the lesse perfect yeelding vnto the more perfect whereby we may see how much it wants that gold and silver and other things which men so much esteeme by their covetousnesse should be the happines of man wherevnto he should tend seeing they be so many degrees in qualitie inferior to man who hath been created and made onely to be a subiect to serve the vniversall Creator of all things as his proper end and perfect rest and to which man all other things in this world were not propounded or left but to gaine this last end Who so would consider of things created and discourse according to this Philosophie might draw some fruite from the knowledge and consideration thereof making vse of them to know and glorifie their Author But he that would passe on farther to the knowledge of their properties and profits and would curiously search them out hee shall finde in these creatures that which the Wiseman saies that they are snares and pitfalles to the feete of fooles ignorant into the which they fall and loose themselves daily To this intent therefore and that the Creator may be glorified in his creatures I pretend to speake of some things in this Booke whereof there are many at the Indies worth the report touching mettalls plants and beasts which are proper and peculiar in those parts But for that it were a great worke to treate thereof exactly and requires greater learning and knowledge yea much more leisure then I have my intent is only to treate of some things succinctly the which I have observed as well by experience as the report of men of credite touching these three things which I have propounded leaving to men more curious and diligent to treate more amply of these matters Of the aboundance and great quantitie of Mettall at the West Indies CHAP. 2. THe wisedome of God hath made mettalls for phisicke and for defence for ornament and for instruments for the worke of men of which foure things we may easily yeelde examples but the principall end of mettalls and the last thereof is for that the life of man hath not onely neede of nourishment as the beasts but also he must worke and labour according vnto the reason and capacitie which the Creator hath given him And as mans vnderstanding doth apply it selfe to divers artes and faculties so the same Author hath given order that hee should finde matter and subiect to diverse artes for the conservation reparation suretie ornament and exaltation of his workes The diversitie therefore of mettalls which the Creator hath shut vp in the closets and concavities of the earth is such and so great that man drawes profit and commoditie from everie one of them Some serve for curing of diseases others for armes and for defence against the enemies some are for ornament
and beautifying of our persons and houses and others are fit to make vessels and yron-workes with divers fashions of instruments which the industry of man hath found out and put in practise But above all the vses of mettalls which bee simple and natural the communication and commerce of men hath found out one which is the vse of money the which as the Philosopher saieth is the measure of all things And although naturally and of it selfe it be but one onely thing yet in value and estimation wee may say that it is all things Mony is vnto vs as it were meate clothing house horse and generally whatsoever man hath neede of By this meanes all obeyes to mony and as the Wise man saith to finde an invention that one thing should be all Men guided or thrust forward by a naturall instinct choose the thing most durable and most maniable which is mettall and amongst mettals gave them the preheminence in this invention of mony which of their nature were most durable and incorruptible which is silver and golde The which have bin in esteeme not onlie amongst the Hebrewes Assirians Greekes Romans and other nations of Europe and Asia but also amongst the most retyred and barbarous nations of the world as by the Indians both East and West where gold and silver is held in great esteeme imploying it for the workes of their Temples and Pallaces for the attyring and ornament of kings and great personages And although we have found some Barbarians which know neither gold nor silver as it is reported of those of Florida which tooke the bagges and sackes wherein the silver was the which they cast vpon the ground and left as a thing vnprofitable And Plinie likewise writes of the Babitacques which abhorred gold and therefore they buried it to the end that no man should vse it But at this day they finde few of these Floridiens or Babitacques but great numbers of such as esteeme seeke and make accoumpt of gold and silver having no neede to learne it of those that go from Europe It is true their covetousnesse is not yet come to the height of ours neither have they so much worshipped gold and silver although they were Idolaters as some blinde Christians who have committed many great out-rages for gold and silver Yet is it a thing very worthy consideration that the wisedome of the Eternall Lord would inrich those partes of the world which are most remote and which are peopled with men of lesse civilitie and governement planting there great store of mines and in the greatest aboundance that ever were thereby to invite men to search out those lands and to possesse them to the end that by this occasion they might plant religion and the worship of the true God amongst those that knew it not fulfilling therein the prophecie of Isaie saying that the Church should stretch forth her boundes not onely to the right but also to the left which is vnderstood as S. Augustine saieth that the Gospell should be spread abroad not onely by those that sincerely and with a true perfect charity preach and declare it but also by those that publish it tending to temporall ends whereby wee see that the Indian land being more aboundant in mines and riches hath beene in our age best instructed in the Christian religion the Lord vsing our desires and inclinations to serve his soveraigne intentions Herevpon a Wise man said that what a father doth to marie his daughter wel is to give her a great portion in mariage the like hath God done for this land so rough and laboursome giving it great riches in mines that by this meanes it might be the more sought after At the West Indies then there are great store of mines of all sortes of mettalls as copper yron lead tinne quicke-silver silver and gold and amongst all the regions and partes of the Indies the realmes of Peru abound most in these mettalls especially with gold silver quicke silver or mercurie whereof they have found great store and daily discover new mines And without doubt according to the qualitie of the earth those which are to discover are without comparison farre more in number then those which are yet discovered yea it seemes that all the land is sowed with these mettalls more then any other in the world that is yet knowne vnto vs or that ancient writers have made mention of Of the qualitie and nature of the earth where the mettalls are found and that all these mettalls are not imployed at the Indies and how the Indians vsed them CHAP. 3. THe reason why there is so great aboundance of mettalls at the Indies especially at the west of Peru as I have saide is the will of the Creator who hath imparted his giftes as it pleased him But comming to a naturall and philosophicall reason it is very true which Philon a wise man writes saying that gold silver and mettalls grow naturally in land that is most barren and vnfruitefull And we see that in lands of good temperature the which are fertile with grasse and fruites there are seldome found any mines for that Nature is contented to give them vigour to bring forth fruites more necessarie for the preservation and maintenance of the life of beasts and men And contrariwise to lands that are very rough drie and barren as in the highest mountains and inaccessible rockes of a rough temper they finde mines of silver of quicke-silver and of gold and all those riches which are come into Spaine since the West Indies were discovered have been drawne out of such places which are rough and full bare and fruitlesse yet the taste of this mony makes these places pleasing and agreeable yea well inhabited with numbers of people And although there be as I have said many mines of all kinds of mettalls as at the Indies yet they vse none but those of gold and silver and as much quicke-silver as is necessarie to refine their gold and silver They carrie yron thither from Spaine and China As for copper the Indians have drawne of it and vsed it for their armes the which were not vsually of yron but of copper Since the Spaniards possessed the Indies they have drawne very little neither do they take the paine to seeke out these mines although there be many busying themselves in the search of richer and more precious mettalls wherein they spend their time labour They vse no other mettalls as copper and yron but only that which is sent them from Spaine or that which remaines of the refining of gold and silver We finde not that the Indians in former times vsed gold silver or any other mettall for mony and for the price of things but only for ornament as hath beene said whereof there was great quantitie in their Temples Palaces and Toombes with a thousand kindes of vessels of gold and silver which they had They vsed no gold nor silver to trafficke or
earth and stone where it engenders they purge and purifie it seven times for in effect it passeth their handes seven times yea oftener vntill it remaines pure and fine so is it in the word of God where the soules must be so purified that shall inioy the heavenly perfection Of their Engines to grinde the mettall and of their triall of Silver CHAP. 13. TO conclude this subiect of silver and of mettalls there remaines yet two things to speake of the one is of their engins and milles the other of their essay or triall I have said before how they grinde their mettal for the receving of the quicksilver which is done with diverse instruments and engins some with horses like vnto hand-milles others like water-milles of which two sortes there are great numbers But for that the water they doe vse commonly is but of raine whereof they have not sufficient but three months in the yeare December Ianuary and February for this reason they have made Lakes and standing Pooles which containe inâ—circuite about a thousand and six hundred roddes and in deapth three stades there are seaven with their sluces so as when they have neede of any water they raise vp a sluce from whence runnes a little streame of water the which they stoppe vppon holy-dayes And when the Lakes and Pooles doe fill and that the yeare abounds with raine their grinding dooth then continue sixe or seaven moneths so as even for silvers sake men desire a good yeere of raine in Potozi as they doe in other places for bread There are some other engins in Tarapaya which is a valley three or foure leagues distant from Potozi whereas there runnes a river as in other parts The difference of these engins is that some goe with sixe pestels some with twelve and others with foureteene They grinde and beate the mettall in morters labouring day and night and from thence they carry it to be sifted vpon the bankes of the brooke of Potozi There are forty eight water-mills of eight ten and twelve pestells and foure on the other side which they call Tanacognugno in the Cittie of Tarapaya there are two and twenty engins all vpon the water besides there are thirty goe with horses in PotoZi and many others in diversâ—partes so great the desire of man is to get silver which is tryed by deputies appoynted by the King To give the alloy to every peece they cary the bars of silver vnto the Assay maister who gives to every one his number for that they carry many at once he cuttes a small peece of every one the which he weighs iustly and puttes them into a cruset which is a small vessell made of burnt bones beaten after hee placeth everie crusible in his order in the furnace giving them a violent fire then the mettall melteth and that which is lead goes into smoake and the copper and tinne dissolves the silver remayning most fine of the colour of fire It is a strange thing that being thus refined although it be liquide and molten yet it never spilles were the mouth of the crusible turned downewardes but it remaynâ—th fixed without the losse of a droppe The Assay maister knoweth by the colourâ— and other signes when it is refined then dooth he draw the crusibles from the fire and weighs every peece curiously observing what every one wants of his weight for that which is of high alloy wastes but little and that which is baser diminisheth much according to the waste he sees what alloy he beares according to the which he markes every barre punctually Their ballaunce and weights are so delicate and their graines so small as they cannot take them vppe with the hand but with a small paire of pincers and this triall they make by candle light that no ayre might moove the ballance For of this little the price of the whole barre dependeth In trueth it is a very delicate thing and requires a great dexteritie which the holy Scripture vseth in many places to shew how God prooves his chosen and to note the differences of the merites of soules whereas God gives the title of an Assay-maister to the Prophet Ieremie that hee may trie and declare the spirituall vertue of men and of his workes which is the proper worke of the Spirite of God being he that weighs the Soules of men We will rest content with what we have spoken touching silver mettalls and mines and will passe to the two other mixtures the which are plants and beasts Of Emeraldes CHAP. 14. IT shall not be from the purpose to speake somthing of Emeraldes both for that it is a pretious thing as golde silver as also for that they take their beginning from mines and mettalls as Plinie reportes The Emerald hath bin in old time in great esteeme as the same Author writes giving it the third place amongst all iewelles and pretious stones that is next to the diamond and pearle At this day they doe not so much esteeme the Emerald nor the pearle for the great aboundance is brought of these two sorts from the Indies onely the diamond holds the principality the which can not be taken from it Next the rubies come in price and other stones which they hold more pretious than the Emerald Men are so desirous of singularities rare things that what they see to be common they do not esteeme They report of a Spaniard who being in Italie when the Indies were first discovered shewed aâ— Emerald to a Lapidary who asking him the value thereof after he had well viewed it being of an excellent lustre and forme he prized it at a hundred ducats he then shewed him an other greater than it which he valued at three hundred ducats The Spaniard drunke with this discourse carried him to his lodging shewing him a casket full The Italian seeing so great a number of Emeralds sayde vnto him Sir these are well woorth a crowne a peece the like hath happened both at the Indies and in Spaine where the stones have lost their estimation for the great abundaunce they finde of them there Pliny reportes many excellencies of the Emerald amongst the which he saith that there is nothing more pleasing nor more healthfull for the sight wherein he hath reason but his authority importeth little seeing there is such store It is reported that Lelia a Romane Dame bestowed vppon a scoffion and a garment embroidered with pearle and emerald 400000. ducats the which at this day might be doone with lesse than forty thousand ducats yea two such In diverse partes of the Indies and the Kings of Mexico didde much esteeme them some did vse to pierce their nosthrils and hang therein an excellent Emerald they hung them on the visages of their idolles The greatest store is found in the New Kingdome of Grenado and Peru neere vnto Manta and port Vieil There is towardes that place a soile which they call the Land of Emeraldes for the knowledge they have
many places yea in many partes there are races found as good as the best in Spaine as well for passing of a carrier and for pompe as also for travell and therefore they vse horses most commonly although there be no want of moyles whereof there are many especially where they make their carriages by land There is no great numbers of asses having no great vse for them neither for travell nor service There are some few caâ—mells I have seene some in Peru that were brought from the Canaries and have multiplied there alittle In S. Dominique dogges have so multiplied in number and bignes as at this day it is the scourge and affliction of that Iland for they eate the sheepe and go in troupes through the fields Such that kill them are rewarded like to them that kill woolves in Spaine At the first there were no dogges at the Indies but some beasts like vnto little dogges the which the Indians call Alco and therefore they call all dogges that go from Spaine by the same name by reason of the resemblance that is betwixt them The Indians doe so love these little dogges that they will spare their meate to feede them so as when they travell in the countrie they carrie them with them vpon their shoulders or in their bosomes and when they are sicke they keepe them with them without any vse but onely for company Of some Beasts of Europe which the Spaniardes found at the Indies and how they should passe thither CHAP. 34. IT is certaine that they have carried from Spaine all these beasts whereof I have spoken of which kindes there were none at the Indies when they were first discovered about a hundred yeares since for besides that it may be wel approved by witnesses at this day living It is also a sufficient argument to see that the Indians in their toâ—gue have no proper words to signifie these beasts but they vse the same Spanish names although they be corrupted for being ignorant of the thing they tooke the word common to those places from whence they came I have found this a good rule to discerne what things the Indians had before the Spaniardes came there and what they had not for they gave names to those they had and knew before and have given new names to these that are newly come vnto them which commonly are the same Spanish names although they pronounce them after their maner as for a horse wine and wheate They found of some sortes of beasts that are in Europe were not carried thither by the Spaniards There are Lions Tigres Beares Boares Foxes and other fierce wilde beasts whereof we have treated in the first booke so as it was not likely they should passe to the Indies by Sea being impossible to swimme the Ocean and it were a follie to imagine that men had imbarked them with them It followes therefore that this worlde ioynes with the new in some part by which these beasts might passe and so by little and little multiplied this world The lions which I have seene are not red neither have they such haire as they vsually paint them with They are grey and not so furious as they seeme in pictures The Indians assemble in troupes to hunt the lion and make as it were a circle which they do call Chaco wherewith they inviron them and after they kil them with stones staves and other weapons These lions vse to climbe trees where being mounted the Indians kil them with launces and crossebowes but more easily with harquebuzes The Tygres are more fierce and cruell and are more dangerous to meete because they breake foorth and assaile men in treason They are spotted as the Historiographers describe them I have heard some report that these Tygres were very fierce against the Indians yet would they not adventure at all vppon the Spaniards or very little and that they would choose an Indian in the middest of many Spaniardes and carry him away The Beares which in Cusco they call Otoioncos be of the same kinde that ours are and keepe in the ground There are few swarmes of Bees for that their honniecombes are found in trees or vnder the ground and not in hives as in Castille The honny comhes which I have seene in the Province of Charcas which they call Chiguanas are of a grey colour having little iuyce and are more like vnto sweete strawe than to hony combs They say the Bees are litle like vnto flies and that they swarme vnder the earth The hony is sharp and black yet in some places there is better and the combes better fashioned as in the province of Tucuman in Chille and in Carthagene I have not seene nor heard speakâ— of wilde boares but of foxes and other wild beasts that eate their cattell and fowle there are more than their shepheards would willingly have Besides these beasts that are furious and hurtfull there are others that are profitable and have not beene transported by the Spaniardes as stagges and diere whereof there is groâ—t aboundance in all the forrests But the greatest parte is a kinde of diere without hornes at the least I have never seene nor heard speake of other and all are without hornes like vnto Corcos It seemes not hard to beleeve but is almost certain that all these beasts for their lightnesse and being naturally wilde have passed from one world to an other by some parts where they ioyne seeing that in the great Ilands farre from the maine land I have not heard that there are any though I have made diligent inquiry Of Fowles which are heere and are at the Indies and how they could passe thither CHAP. 35. WEe may more easily beleeve the same of birdes and that there are of the same kindes that wee have as partridges turtles pigeons stockdoves quailes and many sorts of falcons which they send from New Spaine and Peru to the noblemen of Spaine for they make great accompt of them There are also Herons and Eagles of diverse kindes and there is no doubt but these birds such like have sooner passed thither than lions tygres and stagges There are likewise at the Indies great numbers of parrots especially vpon the Andes of Peru and in the Ilands of Port Ricco and saint Dominique where they flee by flockes as pigeons do here To conclude birdes with their wings may goe where they will and truely many kindes might well passe the gulph seeing it is certaine as Plinie affirmeth that there are many that passe the sea and goe into strange regions although I have not read that any fowle hath passed by flight so great a gulph as is the Indian Ocean yet hold I it not altogether impossible seeing the common opinion of mariners that you shall finde them twoo hundred leagues and more from the land And as Aristotle dooth teach that birdes endure the water easely having little respiration as wee see in sea fowle which dive and remain long vnder the
him that they were more then men for that nothing might hurt them notwithstanding all their coniurations and inchantments Then Moteçuma advised him of another pollicie that faining to be very well contented with their comming he commanded all his countries to serve these celestiall gods that were come into his land The whole people was in great heavinesse and amazement and often newes came that the Spaniards inquired for the King of his maner of life of his house meanes He was exceedingly vexed herewith some of the people other Negromanciers advised him to hide himselfe offering to place him whereas no creature should ever finde him This seemed base vnto him and therefore he resolved to attend them although it were dying In the end he left his houses and royall pallaces to lodge in others leaving them for these gods as he said Of the Spaniards entrie into Mexico CHAP. 25. I Pretend not to intreate of the acts and deedes of the Spaniards who conquered New Spaine nor the strange adventures which happened vnto them nor of the courage and invincible valour of their Captaine Don Fernando Cortes for that there are many histories and relations thereof as those which Fernando Cortes himselfe did write to the Emperour Charles the fift although they be in a plaine stile and farre from arrogancie the which doe give a sufficient testimony of what did passe wherein he was worthy of eternall mery but onely to accomplish my intention I am to relate what the Indians report of this action the which hath not to this day beene written in our vulgar tong Moteçuma therefore having notice of this Captaines victories that he advanced for his conquest that hee was confederate and ioyned with them of Tlascalla his capitall enemies and that he had severely punished them of Cholola his friends he studied how to deceive him or else to try him in sending a principall man vnto him attyred with the like ornaments and royall ensignes the which shuld take vpon him to be Moteçuma which fiction being discouered to the Marquise by them of Tlascalla who did accompany him he sent him backe after a milde and gentle reprehension in seeking so to deceive him wherevpon Moteçuma was so confounded that for the feare thereof he returned to his first imaginations and practises to force the christians to retyre by the invocation of coniureâ—s and witches And therefore he assembled a greater number then before threatning them that if they returned without effecting what he had given them in charge not any one should escape wherevnto they all promised to obey And for this cause all the divells officers went to the way of Chalco by the which the Spaniards should passe when mounting to the top of a hill Tezcalipuca one of their principall gods appeared vnto them as comming from the Spaniards campe in the habite of Chalcas who had his pappes bound about eight folde with a cord of reedes hee came like a man beside himselfe out of his wits and drunke with rage furie Being come to this troupe of witches and coniurers he staied and spake to them in great choller Why come you hether what doth Moteçuma pretend to doe by your meanes He hath advised himselfe too late for it is now determined that his Kingdome and honour shall be taken from him with all that he possesseth for punishment of the great tyrannics he hath committed against his subiects having governed not like a Lord but like a traitour and tyrant The inchanters and coniurers hearing these words knew it was their idoll and humbling themselves before him they presently built him an altar of stone in the same place covering it with flowers which they gathered thereaboutes but he contrariwise making no account of these things beganne againe to chide them saying What come you hether to do O yee traitours Returne presently and behold Mexico that you may vnderstand what shall become thereof And they say that turning towards Mexico to behold it they did see it flaming on fire Then the divell vanished away and they not daring to passe any farther gave notice thereof to Moteçâ—ma whereat hee remained long without speaking looking heavily on the ground then he said what shall we doe if god and our friends leave vs and contrariwise they helpe and favour our enemies I am now resolute and we ought all to resolve in this point that happen what may we must not flie nor hide our selves or shew any signe of cowardice I onely pittie the aged and infants who have neither feete nor hands to defend themselves Having spoken this he held his peace being transported into an extasie In the end the Marquiâ—e approaching to Mexico Moteçuma resolved to make of necessitie a vertue going three or foure leagues out of the cittie to receive him with a great maâ—â—â—ty carried vpon the shoulders of foure Noblemen vnder a rich canapie of gold and feathers when they mette Moteçuma discended and they saluted one another very curteously Don Fernando Cortes said vnto him that he should not care for any thing and that he came not to take away his real me noâ— to diminish his authoritie Moteçuma lodged Cortes and his companions in his royall pallace the which was very stately and he himselfe lodged in other private houses This night the souldiers for ioy discharged their artillery wherewith the Indians were much troubled being vnaccustomed to heare such musicke The day following Cortes caused Motâ—çuma and all the Nobles of his Court to assemble in a great hall where being set in a high chaire he said vnto them that hee was servant to a great prince who had sent them into these countries to doe good workes and that having found them of Tlâ—scalla to be his friendâ—s who complained of wrongs and greevances done vnto them daily by them of Mexico he would vnderstand which of them was in the blame and reconcile them that heereafter they might no more afflict and warre one against another and in the meane time he and his bretheren which were the Spaniards would remaine still there without hurting them but contrariwise they would helpe them all they could He laboured to make them all vnderstand this discourse vsing his interpterers truchmen The which being vnderstoode by the King and the other Mexicane Lords they were wonderfully well satisfied and shewed great signes of love to Cortes his company Many hold opinion that if they had continued the course they began that day they might easily have disposed of the king his kingdome and given them the law of Christ without any great effusion of bloud But the iudgements of God are great and the sins of both parties were infinite so as not having followed this course the busines was deferred yet in the end God shewed mercy to this nation imparting vnto them the light of his holy Gospel after he had shewed his iudgement and punished them that had deserved it and odiously offended his divine reverence So it is that by
would favour their cause and partie even for the good of the Infidells who should bee converted vnto the holy Gospel by this meanes for the waies of God are high and their paths admirable Of the maner how the Divine providence disposed of the Indies to give an entrie to Christian Religion CHAP. 28. I Will make an end of this historie of the Indies shewing the admirable meanes whereby God made a passage for the Gospel in those partes the which we ought well to consider of and acknowledge the providence and bountie of the Creator Every one may vnderstand by the relation and discourse I have written in these bookes as well at Peru as in New Spaine whenas the Christians first set footing that these Kingdomes and Monarchies were come to the height and period of their power The Inguas of Peru possessing from the Realme of Chille beyond Quitto which are a thousand leagues being most aboundant in gold silver sumptuous services and other things as also in Mexico Moteçuma commaunded from the North Ocean sea vnto the South being feared and worshiped not as a man but rather as a god Then was it that the most high Lord had determined that that stone of Daniel which dissolved the Realmes and Kingdoms of the world should also dissolve those of this new world And as the lawe of Christ came whenas the Romane Monarchie was at her greatnes so did it happen at the West Indies wherein we see the iust providence of our Lord For being then in the world I meane in Europe but one head and temporall Lord as the holy Doctors do note whereby the Gospel might more easily beimparted to so many people and nations Even so hath it happened at the Indies where having given the knowledge of Christ to the Monarkes of so many Kingdomes it was a meanes that afterwards the knowledge of the gospell was imparted to all the people yea there is herein a speciall thinge to bee observed that as the Lordes of Cusco and Mexico conquered new landes so they brought in their owne language for although there were as at this day great diuersitie of tongues yet the Courtlie speeche of Cusco did and doth at this day runne above a thousand leagues and that of Mexico did not extend farre lesse which hath not beene of small importance but hath much profited in making the preaching easie at such a time when as the preachers had not the gift of many tongues as in olde tymes He that woulde knowe what a helpe it hath beene for the conversion of this people in these two greate Empyres and the greate difficultie they haue founde to reduce those Indians to Christ which acknowledge no Soueraigne Lorde let him goe to Florida Bresill the Andes and many other places where they have not prevailed so much by their preaching in fiftie yeares as they have done in Peru and newe Spaine in lesse then five If they will impute the cause to the riches of the countrie I will not altogether denie it Yet were it impossible to have so great wealth and to bee able to preserve it if there had not beene a Monarchie This is also a worke of God in this age when as the Preachers of the gospell are so colde and without zeale and Merchants with the heat of covetousnes and desire of commaund search and discouer newe people whether wee passe with our commodities for as Saint Austin saith the Prophesie of Esaie is fulfilled in that the Church of Christ is extended not onely to the right hand but also to the left which is as he declareth by humaine and earthly meanes which they seeke more commonly then Iesus Christ. It was also a great providence of our Lord that whenas the first Spaniardes arrived there they founde ayde from the Indians them selves by reason of their partialities and greate diuisions This is well knowne in Peru that the division betwixt the two brothers Atahulpa and Guasca the great King Guanacapa their father being newly dead gave entry to the Marquise Don Francis Pizarre and to the Spaniards for that either of them desired his alliance being busied in warre one against the other The like experience hath beene in New Spaine that the aide of those of the province of Tlascalla by reason of their continuall hatred against the Mexicaines gave the victory and siegniory of Mexico to the Marquise Fernando Cortes and his men and without them it had beene impossible to have wonne it yea to have maintained themselves within the country They are much deceived that so little esteeme the Indians and iudge that by the advantage the Spaniards have over them in their persons horses and armes both offencive and deffencive they might easily conquer any land or nation of the Indies Chille standes yet or to say better Aranco and Tuâ—â—â—pel which are two citties where our Spaniards could not yet winne one foote of ground although they have made warre there above five and twenty yeares without sparing of any cost For this barbarous nation having once lost the apprehention of horse and shotte and knowing that the Spaniards fall as well as other men with the blow of a stone or of a dart they hazard themselves desperately entring the pikes vppon any enterprise How many yeares have they levied men in New Spaine to send against the Chychymequos which are a small number of naked Indians armed onely with bowes and arrowes yet to this day they could not bee vanquished but contrariwise from day to day they grow more desperate and resolute But what shall wee say of the Chucos of the Chiraguanas of the Piscocones and all the other people of the Andes Hath not all the flower of Peru beene there bringing with them so great provision of armes and men as we have seene What did they With what victories returned they Surely they returned very happy in saving of their lives having lost their baggage and almost all their horses Let no man thinke speaking of the Indians that they are men of nothing but if they thinke so let them go and make triall Wee must then attribute the glory to whom it appertaines that is principally to God and to his admirable disposition for if Moteçuma in Mexiço and the Ingua in Peru had bin resolute to resist the Spaniards and to stoppe their entrie Cortes and Pizarre had prevailed little in their landing although they were excellent Captaines It hath also beene a great helpe to induce the Indians to receive the law of Christ the subiection they were in to their Kings and Lords and also the servitude and slaverie they were helde in by the divells tyrannies and insupportable yoake This was an excellent disposition of the Divine Wisedome the which drawes profite from ill to a good end and receives his good from an others ill which it hath not sowen It is most certaine that no people of the West Indies have beene more apt to receive the Gospel then those which were most subiect to
Discourse vpon the discoverie of Magellan by Sarmiento 154 Division of Peru into Lanos Sierres Andes 184 Division of the people 456 Division of the Cittie of Mâ—xico into foure quarters made by the commaundement of their God 512 Divinations practisâ—d by the Indians and how 406 Divorces practised amongst the Mexicaines and how 409 Death the punishment of Virgins that were incontinent 367 Death of Chimalpopoca the yoong king of Mexico slâ—ine treacherously by the Tapanecanâ— 526 Death of Moâ—esuma the lâ—st king of Mexico 576 Doctors of the holy church not to be reprooved differing in opinion of Philosophie 2 Dogges as dangerous as wolves 301 Dogges daungerous in the Ilands of Cuba Hispaniola and others 70 Drake an Englishman didde passe the straight of Magellan in our time others since 154 Duckes in great aboundaunce in the Lake of Titicaca and how they doe hunt them 171 Drought followes not the neerenesse of the Sunne 85 E. EAgle vppon a Tunall the Armes of Mexico and why 513 Earthquakes very strange and the cause 197 Earth how it is sustained 10 The Earth vnder the pole Antartike is not all covered with waters 18 The Earth in longitude is all of one temperature but not in latitude 29 The Earth with the water make one globe ibid. Eclipse of the Moone a certain proofe of the roundnesse of the heavens 6 Effectes naturall proceede from contrary causes 96 Elements participate with the motion of the first moover 138 Electours of the king of Mexico were commonly his kinsmen 485 Election of the kings of Mexico the feastes at their instalment ibid. Election of the first Kâ— of Mexico 515 Entry of the Spaniards into new Spain in the yeere 1518. 558 Entrie of Cortez into Mexico 574 Errour of imagination 23 Esaies passage expounded by the exemplification of the Gospel 208 Emerauldes more esteemed in former time then now 249 Exercises wherin they instructed their youth 487 Explication of a passage of saint Paule against the roundnes of the earth 14 Explication of the 110 Psalme vppon the same subiect 15 F. FAmiliar reasons to teach an Indian that the Sunne is no god â—42 Fasting of the Indians before the feaâ—â— of Ita not accompanying with their wives 374 A Father loosing his children was held for a great sinner hâ— would kil his childreÌ„ to save his own life 399 Fertâ—litie vnfruitefull in the Ilandes of new Spainâ— 187 Feasts of Merchants made with many sportes 424 Feast of the Idoll of Tlascalla 355 Feasts for to have raine 411 Feasts for every moneth 412 Fâ—re drawne out of two stickes rubbd one against another by the Indians 119 Fire in hell different from ours 195 Fire from heaven consumed for their sinnes 63 Fish flying 165 Fountaine casting vp hote water the which turnes into a rocke 173 Figge tree whereof the one halfe carries fruite at one season the other at another 297 â—loures of Europe grow best at the Indies 283 â—loridians had no knowledge of golde 207 Flowing and ebbing of the sea is no local motion but an alteration and fervâ—â— of the waters 162 Flowing and ebbing of the seas divers ibid. Fountaine of salt in Cuscâ— 174 Forrests wonderfull thicke at the Indies 291 Forrests of orange trees at the Indies 294 Forme of that which is discovered at Peru. 201 Frâ—â—ciâ— Hâ—â—nandes the Author of a rarâ— booke of plants rooteâ— and physicall hearbes at the Iâ—dies â—90 Fruites of Europe much incrâ—ased aâ— the Indies 294 G. GArlicke much esteemed aâ— thâ— Indieâ— 261 Gardinâ— vppon the water in the midst of a Lake 172 Gardins artificially made vppon the water tâ— remove where they please 519 Giantâ— came in anâ—ient time to Peru. 62 Golde found in three sortes 212 Gold of Caravana most famous at Pâ—ru 214 Gold and silver esteemed throughout the whole world 206 Golde silver served the Indians but for ornament 209 Gold why esteemd above other mettalles 212 Golde how refined into powlder 214 Goomes with physicall and odoâ—ifâ—rous oyles with their names 287 Gonzales Pziarre vanquished and defeated his crueltie against the Indians 475 Governors of provinces how estâ—blâ—shed by the Inguas 455 Guacas or Sanctuaries very well maintained 463 Guancos and Vicunaâ— wilde goates 70 Guayaquil an Indian oake and verie sweete 292 Guayavos an Indian fruite 277 Guaynacapa the great and valiant Ingua and his life he was worshipped as a god in his life 479 Guayras furnaces to refine gold 233 Gospel preached to the Indians when their Empire was at the hâ—ghest even aâ— to the Romans 583 H. HAtunâ—â—squi Ayâ—â—râ—y the sixâ— mâ—neth of the Indians which answereth vnto Maie 413 Harts of men pulld out and sacrificed how that ceremony beganne 509 Haire of the prieâ—â—s horribly long and annoynted with rozen 403 Heaven is round and turnâ—â— vppon two Poles prooved more by experience than demonstration 5 Heaven no farther from the earth of the one side than of the other 18 Hennes found at the Indies at the fâ—â—st discovery which they called Gualpa and their egges Ponto 306 Hercules Pillers the limites of the Roman Empire of the old world 27 Hipocrisie of Mâ—tesuma last King of Mâ—xico 554 Historie of the Indies not to bee contemned and why 495 Historie of Mâ—xico kept in the Librarie of Vatican 550 Historie of Mexico how framed 446 Horses goodly and strong at the Indies 301 Horse-shooes of silver for want of yâ—on 212 House admirably filled with all sortes of beasts like to another Noes Arke 484 Humor of the Iewes contrary to that of the Indians 76 I. IEalousie of the Indies one against an other for renowme of valour 472 Idlenesse bannished by the Inguas as dangerous for the subiects 457 Idoll carried by foure Priestes for a guide whenas the Mexicaines did seek a new land like to the children of Israel 504 Idolls of the kings Inguas reverenced as themselves 356 Iland of Suâ—atra now called Taprobaâ—a 37 Iland â—tlâ—nâ—ikâ— of Plaâ—â— a meere fabâ—e 72 Iland of fagots made with exceeding labour to passe an army vppon the sea 550 Ilandâ—s very farre from the firme land noâ— inhabiâ—ed â—9 Iâ—nmortalitie of the soule beleeved by the Indies 347 Indies what it signifieth and what we vnderstand by that word 47 Weast Indies most popular governements in the which there were but two kingdomes 453 Indians not greatly desirous of silver 76 Indians have lived in troups as those doe of Florida Brâ—sill and other places 80 Indians good swimmers 168 Indians had no proper word to signifie God 334 The Indians know all Artes necessarie for mans life without any need one of another 466 Infants sacrificed to the Sunne 336 Inguas kings of Peru worshipped after their deaths 344 The Inguas empery continued above 300. yeares 471 Inguas married their sisters 455 Inundation of Nile a naturall thing though it seeme supernaturall 88 Iustice by whome executed in Mexico 486 Indian bookes how they can be made without letters 440 Iustice severely executed by Motesuma the last king of Mexico
570 Integritie of women greatly honored by the Mexicaines 409 Inventions of Iupanguy Ingua to deprive his father and brother of the kingdome 476 L. LAke exceeding hote in the middest of a colde land 171 Lake of Mexico having two kindes of water 172 Lakes on the tops of mountaines and how they growe 171 Lactantiâ— laughes at the Perepatetiks touching the heaven 2 Lactantius conâ—uted touching the Antipodes 21 Ladders of leather to come out of the mines 230 Landes of excellent temperature not yet discovered 190 Lawyers have erred 432 Liberalitie of Autzol the eight king of Mexico 551 Litters of massie golde 212 Lions of Peru vnlike to them of Afftrike 70 the Indians hunt them 303 M. MAlaca formerly called the golden Châ—rsonesus 37 Mamacoâ—as antient women as it were mothers to the virgins secluded 366 Mameys a fruit like vnto peaches 276 Manati a monstrous fish that feedes in the fields it is like to flesh when ye eate it 164 Mandarins Indian officers how hard it is to bee capable of those offices 440 Mangocapa the fiâ—â—t Ingua and what they faine of him 474 Maguey a tree of woonders and to what vse it serves 273 Mandarin tongue is the writing of the Indians and is done by characters 441 Many rare things in nature knowne more by chance thaÌ„ by industry 63 Mans bloud drunke by the slave that should be sacrificed 425 Marriage of the Indians how celebrated 408 Marriage amongst the Indians defended onely in the first degree 469 Marriage of the Inguas with their sisters vnlawful 170 Marks of some navigations of the Antients 61 Mattins at midnight practised by the Divells ministers 365 Mays Indian corne howe they eate it and make drinke thereof 253 Mechoacanes enimâ—es to the Mexicans and why 506 Men how they might passe to the Indies 51 and how they might people it 7â— Men and women sacrificed at the death of the Inguas to serve him in the other worlde 346 Men made gods and then sacrificed 357 Men beeing sacrificed eaten by the Priests 385 Mineralles imitate plants in their maner of growing 203 Mines some wandering some fixt 217 Mines in olde time very rich yet nothing neere to them of Potozi 224 Mines exceeding painefull 228 Mines of quickesilver in Spaine 238 Middle region of the ayre colde and why 108 Milles to grinde â—ettalls 246 Mettall poore and rich what they be 217 Mettall the neerer that it is to the superficies of thâ— earth the richer 229 Mettalls why created 205 Mettalles are noâ— found but in barren grounds 209 Mâ—xi chiefe of the people that came from Mexico from whom they took their name 506 Mexico a Citty built in a Lake 170 Mockery of the Mexicains against the Tlatelulcos afâ—et they had vanquished them 548 Moneth at the Indies of twenty daies 434 Morning most pleasant in Europe and most troublesome in Peru. 113 Mulberie trees planted in new Spaine have greatly profited for silkworms 298 Muttons or sheepe of Peru serving â—or assâ—s to carry their burthens profitable above all other beasts 319 N. NAvatalcas people that reformed new Spaine 498 Navigation at this day very easie 56 Navigation of Salomon what it might be 60 New Spaine what it is 187 New world lying almost all vnder the burning zone 82 Nights in summer very fresh at Peru in respect of Europe 112 Nights of six months vnder the Pole 29 Night how it comes 6 Nobilitie of Mexico murdered in dancing by the Spaniardes 576 Nostril of the kings of Mexico pierced to hang an emerald 545 Nutts at the Indies vnpleasant called by them imprisoned 280 O. OBiection against Aristoâ—lâ— not resolved 28 Occasion of warre betwixt the Tapâ—necans and Mexicans 526 Ocean at the Indies divided into the north and south seas 207 Ointment which the Indians did vse to make themselves fitte to speake with the Divell the which made them cruell and without feare 403 Ophir is at the east Indies 41 Opinion of some that the earthly Paradise is vnder the Equinoctiâ—ll not without reâ—son 114 Orders of priests in Mexico and their ordinary offices 365 Ordâ—â—s of Knâ—ghts in Mexico and the markes they carried 488 Oration of the Mexicains to the king of Culhuacan 516 Oration that an old man made to Acamaâ—â—xtlâ— first king of Mexico 517 Oration of a Mexicaine knight to retaine the people incensed for the murther of their king 526 Oration of an olde Mexicaine for the election of a new king 527 Oration of the K. of Tescuco made to Moteçuma vpon his election 555 P. PAchacamac the great Sanctuarie of the Indies 334 Pacos wilfull beasts and how they be governed 319 Pallaces of recreation and affliction 563 Palisadoe horrible to beholde all of dead mens heads 362 Papas rootes whereof some Indians make a bread called Cugno 186 Papas a kinde of bread 259 Papas in Mexico were the soveraigne priests of the Idols 365 Paraguâ—y a river in America which overflowes like vnto Nile 88 Passage of Pariacaca very daungerous by reason of the winde 146 Passage of Pariacaca one of the highest partes of the earth ibid. Pâ—ste of Mays called by the Indians the flesh of their god Vuziliputzlâ— which they eate 393 Pastures at the Indies lie common which makes flesh good cheap 299 Paltas a delicate fruite and good for the stomacke 277 Painting the booke of fooles 439 Penance inioyned by the Indian Confessors 401 Partriges none in Peru. 70 Pericolâ—â—gero a very heavie beast 314 Parrots flie by stockes like vnto Pigeons 70 Pearles in olde time more esteemed than now 251 Peru abounding in wine 187 Peru abounds more in gold and silver then all the rest of the Indies 207 Peru what part of the world it is 183 Peru a name derived from a river of that country not of Ophir as some thinke 42 Perusiens very carefull to preserve their History by tradition without letters or characters 449 Pleasant manner of fishing at the Indies 168 Pâ—lots why at this day they sit on the poope and not on the prowe as in olde time 55 Phisitions in former times very cunning at the Indies 289 Pines or pine apples at the Indies 262 Pinchao an idoll of the Sunne with what arte he was framed 361 Pleasant act of a Portugall whereby hee freed himselfe from sacrificing 346 Plane brings forth fruit all the yeare 267 Plane leafe fit to write on 268 Planets moove not of themselves in a corruptible body 7 Plants why they profite more at the Indies than in Europe 261 Plebeians excluded from the Kings presence and from all office by Moteçuma 557 Pliny died in too curious a search 196 Pole at the south not marked by anie sixed starre 16 Pongo the most daungerous passage in the worlde vppon the river of Amazons 176 Portugalles very expert in the Arte of navigation 17 Potâ—zi a mountaine famous for the rich mines and howe they were discovered 219 Presages threatning the ruine of states not to be contemned as vain things 560 Priestes which every Indian Nobleman had like
vnto Almoners 349 Priests of Idolles how they consulted with their gods 360 Pretext of the Inguas to inlarge their dominions was religion which they held for the best 472 Processions of the Indians 394 Prodigious sights before the ruine of Mexico 561 Profit which may be gathered by the reading of these excerable Indian superstitions 428 Propertie most rare of the Adamant vnknowne to the Antâ—ents 55 Province next to Mexico left vnconquered to exercise their youth and to take Captaines to sacrifice 541 Ptolâ—me and Avicen held the buâ—ning zone to be habitable 102 Punas a desart in Peru where the aire killes both men and beasts 149 Pyramide of fire appearing in the heaven for a whole yeere before the ruine of the Mexicain Empire 561 Prâ—te Ians country exceeding hot 106 Q. QVantitie of golde which commeth yearely from the Indies into Spain 215 Quetzalcoalt the marchants god and where he was worshipped 354 Quâ—ppos bowes serving as registers for the remembring of that which passed in Peru. 449 Quicke-silver flies from all mettalles except golde and silver 234 Quicke-silver turnes into smoake and againe into quickesilver 235 Quickesilver heavier than anie other mettall 236 Quickesilver how it is drawne out of the mines 239 R. RAine caused by the heat of the burning zone 89 Rayme the first month of the Indians it answ ers with December 411 Our Reason ignorant even of natural things 59 Regions very delightfull at the Indies 114 Regions vnder the Equinoctiall verie temperate 101 Religion served the Indians for a pâ—â—text to make warre 80 Remedy against the alteration which the winde causeth in Pariacaca 147 Riches of some Ilands in new Spaine 187 Riches incredible of the Perusiens when they were taken by the Spaniards 462 Rice very common at the Indies 260 River of Amazons diversly called it is termed the empresse of all rivers 92 Rivers admirable vnder the burning zone 93 River of Amazons three score leagues wide at the mouth 92 River of Magdaleâ—ne called the Gâ—eat river runnes farre into the sea and mingles not his water ibid. Rivers hâ—lles great stones and toppes of mountaines worshipped by the Indian 355 Roâ—kes râ—sing in the middâ—st of the sea and no boâ—tome to be sound about them 202 Roses how they growe at the Indies 283 Roundâ—â—s of the heaven and the moâ—â—en thereof vnknowne to some doctors of the church 2 Rootes worsâ—â—pt by the Indians 341 Rooâ—es very profitable at the Indies ibidem A Rowle the maâ—ke of the kings Inguas as heere the Sâ—â—pter and the Crowne 297 Ruine of a great village full of sorcerers 199 S. SAcrifices of men howe they were made 383 Sacrifices diversly made by the Indians and vpon divers occasions 376 Sacrifices vsuall with the Indians in their necessities 480 Sainos strange beasts to hunt and how they may be slaine 312 Salsepareille good for the French disease 174 Sciences knowne by the Chinois 444 S. Croix of the Sierre a province of Charcas how it was converted to the faith 580 Sea held by the Antients vnnavigable beyond the straights of Gâ—braltar 26 Seas some hote some cold 111 Sea-water refresheth although it bee salt 107 Silver why esteemed above all other mettall next to gold 216 Silver more esteemed in some places than gold 217 Sâ—lver how it is refined by fire how by quickesilver 218 Silver of divers sortes 232 Silver how it is tried 247 Soccabons artificially invented to draw foorth the mettall more easily 229 The Sunne the nearer it is vnto vs the more it heates â—3 The Sun hath contrary effects within the burning zone and without the tropickes 87 The Sunne by his great force causeth moisture vnder the Equinoctiall 95 The Sunne worshipped commonly by the Indians 335 A Sorceresse sister to the Idoll which built the towne of Malâ—nalco where there are none but sorcerers 507 Spaniards borne at the Indies called Crollos 278 Spaniards held for gods 69 Spaniards called by the Indians Virachocas children of God and why 480 Spanish ships esteemed by the Indians for rockes and why 69 The Spaniard one yeare with an other draws a million of silver from Potozi 225 Springs of Nile sought for by Caesar. 30 Springs some blew others redde like bloud 175 Snakes the Armes of the kings of Peru 338 Blacke Spots in the milken way at the south 16 Starres according to the Doctors of the Church moove of themselves 2 Starres worshipped by the Indians for divers reasons 336 Stones superstitiously offred at passages to have faire way 341 Stones carved and cut like wood 173 Stones halfe golde halfe stone 212 Stones of a wonderfull greatnes artificially ioyned together by the Indians in their buildings without any morter 459 Straight of Magellan discovered by a Portugall and carrieth the same name 152 Straight at the Articke Pole which they imagine to be in Florida not yet discovered 157 Straight of Gibraltar called in olde time the Pâ—llers of Hâ—rcules 151 Stuffes of three sortes made of wooll 465 Suâ—â—illes Indian nosegayâ—s they love them greatly and present them to their guests 282 Supeâ—stâ—tion vsed at the carrying of a streame through Mexico 552 T. TAbacco a plant vsed for a counterpoison 289 Taâ—bos ' according to the opinion of the Indians the most auntient race of men 79 Temperature quite contrary in lesse thaâ— fiftie leagues 183 Temple at Cusco like to the Pantheon at Rome 359 Tescalipuca the god of Iubiles at Mexico and his ornaments 353 Tharsis sometimes signifies the Crisolite or Iacinth sometâ—mes the Sea which is of that colour by the reverberation of the Sunne 46 Tharsis in the Scripture is not Tarso a citty in Cilicia 47 Tharsis and Ophir generall wordes in the Scripture ibid. Tlasâ—altecas the sixt generation of the Mavaâ—alcas they gave entrie to the Spaniardes 501 Tlacaellâ—c the most valiant Captaine the Mexicaines had 530 Thanksgiving after a victorie 574 Tiburons a very greedy fisâ— 165 Three kindes of beastes found at the Indies 303 Three kinds of land at the Indies and their qualities 178 Three things ordinarily vsed in all the Indian ceremonies 410 Three kinds of governement knowne at the Indies 471 Tigres at Peru more cruell to the Indians than to the Spaniards 70 Tigres may swimme seaven or eight leagues by sea ibid. Tooth of a Giant of an exceeding greatnes 501 Tree of a wonderfull greatnesse 291 Titâ—caca a Lake of woonderfull greatnesse 169 The Trinitie imitated by the Divell and worshâ—pped by the Indians in three Images of the Sunne 412 Tunall a tree of a strange forme fit for many vses 274 V. VAlour of the Indians 586 Vallies hotter than the mountains and why 108 Vallies the best habitations of Peru. 185 Varietie of temperature of lands lying vnder the Equinoctiall 105 Vermâ—llion and Quickesilver grow in the sâ—me stone 237 Victories of the Mexicans against the Tapenecans 533 Vicugnes a kinde of wilde sheepe the flesh is good for the paine in the eâ—es 316 Vines without fruit in new Spaine 188 Vines in Peru and
Philosophie worthy of accoumpt The greatest part of Platoes Interpreters affirme that it is a true Historie whatsoever Critias reports of the strange beginning of the Atlantike Iland of the greatnes thereof of the warres they had against them of Europe with many other things That which gives it the more credite of a true Historie be the wordes of Critias whom Plato brings in in his time saying that the subiect he meanes to treate of is of strange things but yet true The other disciples of Plato considering that this discourse hath more shew of a fable then of a true Historie say that we must take it as an allegorie and that such was the intention of their divine Philosopher Of this opinion is Procles and Porphire yea and Origene who so much regardes the writings of Plato as when they speake thereof they seeme to bee the bookes of Moses or of Esdras and whereas they thinke the writings of Plato have no shew of truth they say they are to be vnderstood mystically and in allegories But to say the truth I do not so much respect the authoritie of Plato whom they call Divine as I wil beleeve he could write these things of the Atlantike Iland for a true Historie the which are but meere fables seeing hee confesseth that hee learned them of Critias being a little childe who among other songs sung that of the Atlantike Iland But whether that Plato did write it for a true Historie or a fable for my part I beleeve that all which he hath written of this Iland beginning at the Dialogue of Time and continuing to that of Critias cannot be held for true but among children and old folkes Who will not accoumpt it a fable to say that Neptune fell in love with Clite and had of her five paire of twinnes at one birth And that out of one mountaine hee drew three round balles of water and two of earth which did so well resemble as you would have iudged them all one bowell What shall wee say moreover of that Temple of a thousand pace long and five hundred broade whose walles without were all covered with silver the seeling of gold and within ivorie indented and inlaied with gold silver and pearle In the end speaking of the ruine thereof he concludes thus in his time In one day and one night came a great deluge whereby all our souldiers were swallowed by heapes within the earth and in this sort the Atlantike Iland being drowned it vanished in the Sea Without doubt it fell out happily that this Iland vanished so suddenly seeing it was bigger then Asia and Affrike and that it was made by enchantment It is in likesort all one to say that the ruines of this so great an Iland are seene in the bottome of the sea and that the Mariners which see them cannot saile that way Then he addes For this cause vnto this day that Sea is not navigable by reason of the bancke which by little little is growne in that drowned Iland I would willingly demand what Sea could swallow vp so infinite a continent of land greater then Asia and Affrike whose confines stretched vnto the Indies and to swallow it vp in such sort as there should at this day remaine no signes nor markes thereof whatsoever seeing it is well knowne by experience that the Mariners finde no bottome in the Sea where they say this Iland was Notwithstanding it may seeme indiscreete and farre from reason to dispute seriously of those things which are reported at pleasure or if we shall give that respect to the authoritie of Plato as it is reason we must rather vnderstand them to signifie simply as in a picture the prosperitie of a Citie and withall the ruine thereof For the argument they make to prove that this Atlantike Iland hath bene really and indeede saying that the sea in those parts doth at this day beare the name of Atlantike is of small importance for that wee knowe Mount Atlas whereof Plinie sayes this sea tooke the name is vpon the confines of the Mediterranean Sea And the same Plinie reportes that ioyning to the said Mount there is an Iland called Atlantike which he reportes to be little and of small accompt That the opinion of many which holde that the first race of the Indians comes from the Iewes is not true CHAP. 23. NOw that wee have shewed how vnlikely it is that the first Indians passed to the Indies by the Atlantike Iland there are others holde opinion that they tooke the way whereof Esdras speakes in his fourth booke in this manner And whereas thou sawest that he gathered an other peaceable troope vnto him thou shalt know those are the ten tribes which were caried away captives out of their own land in the time of king Ozeas whom Salmanazar king of the Assyrians tooke captives and ledde them beyond the river so were they brought into an other land but they tooke this counsell to themselves to leave the multitude of the heathen and go forth into a farther countrie where never mankind dwelt that they might there observe their statutes which they could not keepe in their owne land and they entred by the narrowe passages of the river Euphrates for then God shewed his wonders and stayed the springs of the flood vntill they were passed over for the way vnto that Countrie is very long yea of a yeere and a halfe and this Region is called Arsareth then dwelt they there vntill the latter time and when they come forth againe the most Mightie shall hold still the springs of the river againe that they may goe through for this cause sawest thou this multitude peaceable Some will apply this text of Esdras to the Indies saying they were guided by God whereas never mankinde dwelt and that the land where they dwelt is so farre off as it requires a yeere and a halfe to performe the voyage beeing by nature very peaceable And that there are great signes and arguments amongst the common sort of the Indians to breed a beleefe that they are descended from the Iewes for commonly you shall see them fearefull submisse ceremonious and subtill in lying And moreover they say their habites are like vnto those the Iewes vsed for they weare a short coat or waste-coat and a cloake imbroidered all about they goe bare-footed or with soles tied with latchers over the foot which they call Oiotas And they say that it appeares by their Histories as also by their ancient pictures which represent them in this fashion that this attire was the ancient habite of the Hebrewes and that these two kinds of garments which the Indians onely vse were vsed by Samson which the Scripture calleth Tunicam and Sidonem beeing the same which the Indians terme wast-coat and cloake But all these coniectures are light and rather against them then with them for wee know well that the Hebrewes vsed letters whereof there is no shew among the Indians they were great
thing and worthy observation that the ayre is most cleere and without rayne vnder this burning Zone whenas the Sunne is farthest off and contrariwise there is most rayne snow and mists whenas the Sunne is neerest Such as have not travelled in this new world wil happily thinke this incredible and it will seeme strange even vnto such as have beene there if they have not well observed it but the one and the other will willingly yeeld in noting the certaine experience of that which hath beene sayd of this part of Peru which looks to the Southerne or Antartike Pole the Sunne is then farthest off when it is neerest vnto Europe that is in Maie Iune Iuly and August whenas hee makes his course in the Tropicke of Cancer During which Moneths the aire at Peru is very cleere and calme neyther doth there fall any snow or raine all their rivers fall much and some are dried vp quite but as the yeere increaseth and the Sunne approcheth neere vnto the Tropicke of Capricorne then begins it to raine and to snow and their Rivers swell from October to December Then after that the Sun retyring from Capricorne whenas his beames reflect directly vpon the heads of them of Peru then is the violence of their waters great then is the time of raine snow and great overflowings of their Rivers when as their heate is greatest that is from Ianuarie to mid March this is so true and certaine as no man may contradict it And at that time the contrary is found in the Regions of the Pole Articke beyond the Equinoctiall which proceeds from the same reason But let vs now looke into the temperature of Panama all that coast as well of new Spaine the Ilands of Barlovent Cuba Hispaniola Iamaica as of S. Iohn de Port ricco wee shall without doubt finde that from the beginning of November vntill Aprill they have the aire cleere and bright the reason is for that the Sunne passing by the Equinoctiall to the Tropicke of Capricorne retyres from those Regions more then at any other time of the yeere And contrariwise they have violent showers and great swellings of water whenas the Sunne returnes and is neerest vnto them which is from Iune vnto September for then his beames beate most vpon them The like happens at the East Indies as we learne daily by letters that come So as it is a generall rule although in some places there is an exception that in the Region of the South or burning Zone which is all one the aire is most cleere and driest whenas the Sun is farthest off and contrariwise when it approcheth there is greatest rayne and humiditie and even as the Sunne advanceth or retyreth little or much even so the earth abounds or wants water and moisture That in the Regions which be without the Tropicks there is greatest store of waters whenas the Sunne is farthest off contrary to that vnder the burning Zone CHAP. 4. IN Regions which lie without the Tropicks we see the contrary to that which hath beene spoken for that the rayne is mingled with cold the drought with heate the which is well knowne in all Europe and the old world as we see in the same manner in the new world whereof the whole Kingdome of Chile is a witnesse which lying without the Tropicke of Capricorne and in the same height with Spaine is subiect to the same lawes of Winter and Summer but that Winter is there whenas it is Summer in Spaine being vnder divers Poles So as when it is cold in these Provinces the waters are in great aboundance which is when the Sunne is farthest off from the beginning of Aprill to the end of September finally the disposition of seasons is like to that in Europe which is that the heat and drought comes whenas the Sunne returnes which is the cause that this Realme of Chile approcheth neerer the temperature of Europe then any other of the Indies as well in the fruites of the earth as in the bodies and spirits of men The like they report of that part which lies before the Inner Ethiopia that stretcheth out in manner of a point vnto the Cape Bonne Esperance or Good Hope the which they holde for a true cause of the inundations of Nile which bee in Summer whereof the Ancients have so much disputed for that in that Region the Winter and raine begins in April whenas the Sunne hath passed Aries and these waters which partly grow from snow and partly from raine assemble and make great Lakes and Pooles from whence by good and true Geographie the River of Nile proceedes and by this meanes goes by little and little stretching out her course till that having runne a long way it finally in the time of Summer overfloweth Egypt which seemeth against nature and yet it is certainely reported for at what time it is Summer in Egypt lying vnder the Tropicke of Cancer then is it winter at the springes of Nile which is vnder the other Tropicke of Capricorne There is in America an other inundation like to that of Nile at Paraguen or River de la Plata which is as much to say as the River of silver the which receiving yeerely infinite waters which fall from the Mountaines of Perâ— doth so terribly swell in her course and over-flowes that Region as the Inhabitants are forced during those Moneths to retyre themselves into boats and Canoes and to leave the dwelling of the Land That betwixt the two Tropicks the greatest aboundance of raine is in Summer with a discourse of Winter and Summer CHAP. 5. TO conclude Summer is alwayes accompanied with heate and drought in the two temperate Zones and Winter with cold and moistnesse but vnder the burning Zone those qualities are not alike for that raine accompanies heate and drought followeth the cold I vnderstand by cold want of excessive heat so as Winter is taken in our Europe for the colde and raynie season and Summer for the hot and cleere season Ouâ— Spaniards which live at Peru and in newe Spaine seeing these two qualities not to concurre together as in Spaine call that season Winter wherein there is greatest aboundance of raine and waters and Summer where there is little or nonâ— at all wherein they are plainely deceived although they aâ—â—irme by a generall rule that in the Mountaines of Peru it is Summer from the Moneth of Aprill to September for that the raine ceaseth in that season and that Winter is from the moneth of September vnto Aprill for that the showres returne then and therefore it is winter and summer at the same instant that in Spaine So as when the Sunâ—e goeth directly over their heads they then take it to bee the depth of Winter having greatest store of raine But it is worthy to be laughed at comming from ignorant men and vnlearned for even as the difference betwixt the day and night proceeds from the presence or absence of the Sunne in our hemisphere according to
safe This Lake containes almost foure score leagues thirtie five in length and fifteene in bredth at the largest place There are many Ilands which in olde time were inhabited and tilled but now lie waste It brings forth a great aboundance of reedes which the Indians call Totora which serves them to a thousand vses for it is meate for swine for horses and for men they make houses therewith fire and barkes To conclude the Vros in this their Totora finde all they have neede of These Vros be such dull and brutish people as they esteeme not themselves men It is reported of them that being demanded of what nation they were They answered they were not men but Vros as it were some kinde of beastes There are whole villages of these Vros inhabiting in the Lake in their boates of Totora the which are tied together and fastened to some rocke and often times the whole village changeth from place to place So as hee that would seeke them now whereas they were yesterday shall finde no shew nor remainder of them or of their village The current or issue of this Lake having runne above fiftie leagues makes another Lake but lesse then the first which they call Paria and containes in it some small Ilands but they finde no issue thereof Some imagine it runnes vnder the ground that it falles into the South sea giving out that there is a branch of a river which they see rise and enter into the sea neere the banke having no knowledge of the Spring But contrariwise I beleeve that the waters of this Lake dissolve and are dispearsed within the Lake it selfe through the heate of the Sunne This discourse seemes sufficient to prove that the Ancients had no reason to holde that the middle region was inhabitable for the defect of waters seeing there is such store both from heaven and on the earth Shewing the reason why the Sunne without the Tropicks causeth greatest quantitie of waters when it is farthest off and contrariwise within them it breedeth most when it is neerest CHAP. 7. COnsidering with my selfe often times what should cause the Equinoctial to be so moist as I have said to refute the opinion of the Ancients I finde no other reason but the great force of the sunne in those partes whereby it drawes vnto it a great aboundance of vapors from out of the Ocean which in those parts is very great and spatious and having drawne vnto it this great aboundance of vapours doth suddenly dissolve them into raine and it is approoved by many tryed experiences that the raine and great stormes from heaven proceed from the violent heat of the Sunne first as we have said before it raines in those countries whenas the Sunne casts his beames directly vpon the earth at which time he hath most force but when the Sun retyres the heat is moderate and then there falls no raine whereby we may conclude that the force and heat of the Sunne is the cause of raine in those Countries Moreover we observe both in Peru New Spaine and in all the burning Zone that the raine doth vsually fall in after-noone when as the sunne-beames are in their greatest force being strange to see it raine in the morning And therefore travellers fore-seeing it begin their iourneyes earely that they may end and rest before noone for they hold that commonly it raines after noone Such as have frequented and travelled those Countriâ—s can sufficiently speake thereof And there are that having made some abode there say that the greatest aboundance of raine is when the Moone is at the full but to say the trueth I could never make sufficient proofe thereof although I have observed it Moreover the dayes the yeere and the moneths shew the trueth hereof that the violent heate of the sunne causeth the raine in the burning Zone experience teacheth vs the like in artificiall thinges as in a Limbecke wherein they draw waters from hearbs flowers for the vehemencie of the fire forceth and driveth vp an aboundance of vapours which being pressed and finding no issue are converted into liquor and water The like wee see in gold and silver which wee refine with quicke-silver the fire being small and slow wee draw out almost nothing of the quicke-silver but if it bee quicke and violent it doth greatly evaporate the quick-silver which incountring the head above doth presently turne into liquor and begins to drop downe Even so the violent heate of the sunne produceth these two effects when it finds matter disposed that is to draw vp the vapours on high and to dissolve them presently and turne them into raine when there is any obstacle to consume them And although these things seeme contrary that one sunne within the burning Zone being neere should cause raine and without the Zone afarre off should breed the like effect so it is that all well considered there is no contrarietie A thousand effects in naturall causes proceede of contrarie things by divers meanes we drie linnen by the fire and in the aire and yet the one heats and the other cooles pastures are dried and hardened by the sunne and with the frost moderate exercise provokes sleepe being too violent it hindereth if you lay no wood on the fire it dieth if you lay on toâ— much it likewise quencheth for the onely proportion entertaines and makes it to continue To well discerne a thing it must not be too neere the eie nor too farre off but in a reasonable distance proportionable being too farre off from any thing we loose the sight and too neere likewise we cannot see it If the sunne beames be weake they draw vp no fogge from the rivers if they be violent having drawne vp the vapours they presently dissolve and consume them but if the heat be moderate it drawes vp and preserves it for this reason the vapours rise not commonly in the night nor at noone but in morning whenas the sunne begins to enter into his force There are a thousand examples of naturall causes vpon this subiect which we see do often grow from contrarie things whereby we must not wonder if the sunne being neere engenders raine and being farre off works the like effect but being of a moderate and proportionable distance causeth none at all Yet there remaines one doubt why the neerenes of the sunne causeth the raine vnder the burning Zone and without when it is farthest off In my opinion the reason is that in Winter without the Tropicks the sunne hath not force sufficient to consume the vapours which rise from the land and sea for these vapours grow in great aboundance in the cold region of the aire where they are congealed and thickened by the extremitie of the cold and after being pressed they dissolve and turne into water Therefore in Winter when the sunne is farthest off the daies short and the nights long his heat hath small force but when the sunne approacheth which is in the summer time his force is
and pleasant It is certaine that we do not participate of any of the Elements nor have not the vse of any so often in our bodies as of the aire It is that which invironeth our bodies on all parts which enters into our bowells and at everie instant visits the heart and there ingraves her properties If the aire be any thing corrupted it causeth death if it be pure and healthfull it augmenteth the strength finally we may say that the aire alone is the life of man so as although we have goods and riches if the aire be troublesome and vnholsome wee cannot live quietly nor with content But if the aire be healthfull pleasant and sweete although we have no other wealth yet doth it yeelde content Considering with my selfe the pleasing temperature of many Countries at the Indies where they know not what winter is which by his cold doth freese them nor summer which doth trouble them with heat but that with a Matte they preserve themselves from the iniuries of all weather and where they scarce have any neede to change their garments throughout the yeere I say that often considering of this I find that if men at this day would vanquish their passions and free themselves from the snares of covetousnesse leaving many fruitelesse and pernicious disseines without doubt they might live at the Indies very pleasant and happily for that which other Poets sing of the Elisean fields and of the famous Tempe or that which Plato reports or faines of his Atlantike Iland men should finde in these lands if with a generous spirit they would choose rather to command their silver and their desires then to remaine slaves as they are That which wee have hitherto discoursed shal suffice touching the qualities of the Equinoctiall of colde heat drought raine and the causes of temperature The particular discourse of windes waters landes mettalls plants and beasts whereof there is great aboundance at the Indies shall remaine for the other bookes for the difficultie of that which is handled in this though briefly will happily seeme too tedious An advertisement to the Reader THE Reader must vnderstand that I wrote the two first bookes in Latine when I was at Peru and therefore they speake of matters of the Indies as of things present Being since returned into Spaine I thought good to translate them into our vulgar tongue and not to change my former maner of speeach But in the five following bookes for that I made them in Europe I have beene forced to change my stile and therein to treate of matters of the Indies as of Countries and things absent And for that this diversitie of speech might with reason offend the Reader I have thought good to advertise him thereof THE THIRD BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That the naturall Historie of the Indies is pleasant and agreeable CHAP. 1. EVerie naturall Historie is of it selfe pleasing very profitable to such as will raise vp their discourse and contemplation on high in that it doth move them to glorify the Author of all nature as we sea the wise holy men do specially David in many Psalmes And Iob likewise treating of the secrets of the Creator whereas the same Lord answereth Iob so amplie He that takes delight to vnderstand the wondrous works of Nature shal taste the true pleasure content of Histories the more whenas he shal know they are not the simple workes of men but of the Creator himself that he shall comprehend the naturall causes of these workes then shall he truly occupie himselfe in the studie of Philosophie But he that shall raise his consideration higher beholding the gret first architect of all these marvells he shal know his wisedom and infinite greatnes and we may say shall be divinely imployed And so the discourse of naturall things may serve for many good considerations although the feeblenes and weakenes of many appetites are commonly accustomed to stay at things lesse profitable which is the desire to know new things called curiositie The Discourse and Historie of naturall things at the Indies besides the common content it gives hath yet another benefite which is to treate of things a farre off the greatest part whereof were vnknowne to the most excellent Authors of that profession which have bin among the Ancients And if wee should write these naturall things of the Indies so amply as they require being so strange I doubt not but we might compile workse no lesse then those of Plinie Theophrastes and Aristotle But I hold not my selfe sufficient and although I were yet is not my intent but to note some naturall things which I haue seene and knowne being at the Indies or have received from men worthy of credit the which seeme rare to me and scarce knowne in Europe By reason whereof I will passe over many of them briefly ether bicause they are writen of by others or else require a longer discourse then I can now give Of the windes their differences properties and causes in generall CHAP. 2. HAving discoursed in the two former Books of that which concernes the heavens and the habitation of the Indies in generall it behooves â—s now to treate of the three elements aire water and land and their compounds which be mettalls plants and beasts for as for the fire I see no speciall matter at the Indies which is not in other regions vnlesse some will say that the manner to strike fire in rubbing two stones one against another as some Indians vse or to boyle any thing in gourdes casting a burning stone into it and other such like things are remarkeable whereof I have written what might be spoken But of those which are in the Vulcans and mouths of fire at the Indies worthy doubtlesse to be observed I will speake in their order treating of the diversitie of grounds whereas they finde these fires or Vulcans Therefore to beginne with the winds I say that with good reason Salomon in the great iudgement which God had given him esteemes much the knowledge of the windes and their properties being very admirable for that some are moyst others drie some vnwholesome others found some hote others colde some calme and pleasant others rough and tempestuous some barren and others fertile with infinite other differences There are some windes which blow in certaine regions and are as it were Lordes thereof not addmitting any entry or communication of their contraries In some partes they blow in that sorte as sometimes they are Conquerours sometimes conquered often there are divers and contrary winds which doe runne together at one instant dividing the way betwixt them sometimes one blowing above of one sort and another below of an other sorte sometimes they incounter violently one with another which puts them at sea in great danger there are some windes which helpe to the generation of creatures and others that hinder and are opposite There is a certaine wind of such
new Spaine and I beleeve that such as have observed their navigations made vnder the burning Zone shall finde what I have said which may suffice for the windes which raine at sea vnder the burning Zone Of some mervellous effects of the windes which are in some partes of the Indies CHAP. 9. IT were a very difficult matter to report particularly the admirable effectes which some windes cause in divers regions of the world and to give a reason thereof There are windes which naturally trouble the water of the sea and makes it greene and blacke others cleere as Cristall some comfort and make glad others trouble and breede heavines Such as nourish silke-wormes have great care to shut their windowes whenas the South-west windes do blow and to open them to the contrarie having found by certaine experience that their wormes diminish and die with the one and fatten and become better with the other and who so will neerely observe it shall finde in himselfe that the diversities of windes cause notable impressions and changes in the bodie principally in sicke partes and ill disposed when they are most tender and weake The holy scripture calleth one a burning winde another a winde full of dew and sweetnes And it is no wonder if wee see such notable effects of the windes in plants beasts and men seeing that we see it visibly in yron which is the hardest of all mettalls I have seene grates of yron in some partes of the Indies so rusted and consumed that pressing it betwixt your fingers it dissolved into powder as if it had been hay or parched straw the which proceedes only from the winde which doth corrupt it having no meanes to withstand it But leaving apart many other great and notable effects I will onely make mention of two The one although it causeth pangs grater then death it selfe yet doth it not breede any further inconvenience The other takes away life without feeling of it The sicknes of the sea wherewith such are troubled as first begin to go to sea is a matter very ordinary and yet if the nature thereof were vnknowne to men we should take it for the pangs of death seeing how it afâ—licts and torments while it doth last by the casting of the stomacke paine of the head and other troublesome accidents But in trueth this sicknes so common and ordinarie happens vnto men by the change of the aire and sea For although it be true that the motion of the shippe helpes much in that it moves more or lesse and likewise the infections and ill favors of things in the shippe yet the proper and naturall cause is the aire and the vapors of the sea the which doth so weaken and trouble the body and the stomacke which are not accustomed therevnto that they are wonderfully moved and changed for the aire is the Element by which wee live and breathe drawing it into our entrailes the which we bathe therewithall And therefore there is nothing that so suddenly and with so great force doth alter vs as the change of the aire we breathe as we see in those which die of the plague It is approved by many experiences that the aire of the sea is the chiefe cause of this strange indisposition the one is that when there blowes from the sea a strong breath we see them at the land as it were sea sicke as I my selfe have often found Another is the farther we go into the sea and retyre from land the more we are touched and dazeled with this sicknes Another is that coasting along any Iland and after lanching into the maine we shall there finde the aire more strong Yet will I not deny but the motion and agitation may cause this sicknes seeing that we see some are taken therewith passing rivers in Barkes others in like sort going in Coches and Carosses according to the divers complexions of the stomacke as contrariwise there are some how boistrous and troublesome soever the sea be doe never feele it Wherefore it is a matter certaine tried that the aire of the sea doth commonly cause this effect in such as newly go to sea I thought good to speake this to shew a strange effect which happens in some partes of the Indies where the ayre the wind that rains make men dazie not lesse but more then at sea Some hold it for a fable others say it is an addition for my part I will speake what I have tried There is in Peru a high mountaine which they call Pariacaca and having heard speake of the alteration it bred I went as well prepared as I could according to the instructions which was given me by such as they call Vaguianos or expert men but notwithstanding all my provision when I came to mount the degrees as they call them which is the top of this mountaine I was suddenly surprized with so mortall and strange a pang that I was ready to fall from the top to the ground and although we were many in company yet every one made haste without any tarrying for his companion to free himselfe speedily from this ill passage Being then alone with one Indian whom I intreated to helpe to stay me I was surprised with such pangs of straining casting as I thought to cast vp my heart too for having cast vp meate sleugme choller both yellow and greene in the end I cast vp blood with the straining of my stomacke To conclude if this had continued I should vndoubtedly have died but this lasted not above three or foure houres that we were come into a more convenient and naturall temperature where all our companions being fouteteene or fifteene were much wearied Some in the passage demaunded confession thinking verily to die others left the ladders and went to the ground beeing overcome with casting and going to the stoole and it was tolde me that some have lost their lives there with this accident I beheld one that did beate himselfe against the earth crying out for the rage and griefe which this passage of Pariacaca hadde caused But commonly it dooth no important harme onely this paine and troublesome distaste while it endures and not onely the passage of Pariacaca hath this propertie but also all this ridge of the mountaine which runnes above five hundred leagues long and in what place soever you passe you shall finde strange intemperatures yet more in some partes then in other and rather to those which mount from the sea then from the plaines Besides Pariacaca I have passed it by Lucanas and Soras in an other place by Colleguas and by Cavanas Finally by foure different places going and comming and alwaies in this passage I have felt this alteration although in no place so strongly as at the first in Pariacaca which hath beene tried by allsuch as have passed it And no doubt but the winde is the cause of this intemperature and strange alteration or the aire that raignes there For the best
to the end that if the other ship should chance to arrive there they should have newes of their Generall and follow They passed the Straight in a favourable time without difficultie and passing into the north sea they came to certaine vnknowne Ilandes where they tooke in fresh water and other refreshings From thence they tooke their course towardes Cape de Vert from whence the Pilote maior returned to Peru by the way of Carthagene and Panama carrying a discourse of the Straight to the Viceroy and of all their successe of whom he was well rewarded for his good service But Captaine Peter Sarmiento sailed from Cape Vert to Seville in the same ship wherewith he had passed the Straight and went to Court where his Maiestie rewarded him and at his instance gave commaundement to prepare a great army which he sent vnder the commaund of Diego Flores de Valdes to people and fortifie this Straight But this army after variable successe spent much and profited little Returning now to the Viceadmiralles shippe which went in company of the Generall having lost him in the storme they tooke the sea but the wind being contrary and stormy they looked all to perish so as they confessed themselves and prepared for death This tempest continued three dayes without intermission and hourely they feared to runne on ground but it fel out contrary for they went still from land vntill the ende of the third day that the storme ceased and then taking the height they found themselves in fiftie sixe degrees but seeing they had not crossed and yet were farre from land they were amazed whereby they surmized as Hernando Lamero tolde me that the land which is on the other side of the Straight as wee goe by the south sea runnes not the same o romer that it doth to the Straight but that it turneth to the East for else it were impossible but they shoulde have touched land having runne so long time with this crosse winde but they passed on no further neyther coulde they discover the lands end which some holde to be there whether it were an Iland on the other side of the Straight where the two seas of North and South doe ioyne together or that it did runne vppe towardes the East and ioyne with the land of Vesta as they call it which answers to the Cape of Good Hope as it is the opinion of some The trueth hereof is not to this day well knowne neither is there any one found that hath discovered that land The Viceroy Don Martin Henrique saâ—de vnto me that he held this report for an â—nvention of the English that the Straight should prâ—senâ—lie make an Iland and that the two seas did ioyne together for that beeing Viceroy of New Spaine hee had diligently examined the Portugall Pilote who had bin left there by Francis Drake and yet had no knowledge of any such matter by him But that was a very Straight and a maine land on either side Returning then to the saide Viceadmirall they discovered this Straight as the saide Hernando Lamero reported vnto mee but by another mouth or entrie and in a greater height by reason of a certaine great Iland which is at the entrie of the Straight which they call the Bell for the forme it carries And as he saide hee woulde have passed it but the Captaine and souldiers woulde not yeelde therevnto supposing that the time was too farre spent and that they were in great daunger And so they returned to Chille and Peru without passing it Of the Straight which some holde to be in Florida CHAP. 12. EVen as Magellan found out this Straight vppon the South so some have pretended to discover another Straight which they say is in the north and suppose it to be in Florida whose coast runs in such sort as they knowe no end thereof Peter Melendez the Adelantade a man very expert at sea affirmeth for certaine that there is a Straight and that the King had commanded him to discover it wherein he shewed a great desire he propounded his reasons to proove his opinion saying that they have seene some remainders of shippes in the North sea like vnto those the which the Chinois vse which had beene impossible if there were no passage from one sea vnto another Moreover he reported that in a certaine great Bay in Florida the which runnes 300. leagues within the land they see Whales in some season of the yeere which come from the other sea Shewing moreover other likelihood he concludes that it was a thing agreeing with the wisedome of the Creator and the goodly order of nature that as there was communication and a passage betwixt the two seas at the Pole Antartike so there should in like sort be one at the Pole Artike which is the principall Pole Some will say that Drake had knowledge of this Straight and that he gave occasion so to iudge whenas he passed along the coast of new Spaine by the South sea Yea they hold opinion that other Englishmen which this yeere 1587. tooke a shippe comming from the Philippines with great quantitie of gold and other riches did passe this straight which prize they made neere to the Calliphornes which course the ships returning from the Philippines and China to new Spaine do vsually observe They confidently beleeve that as the courage of man is great and his desire infinite to finde new meanes to inrich himselfe so within few yeeres this secret will be discovered And truly it is a thing worthie admiration that as the Ants do alwaies follow the trace of other so men in the knowledge and search of new things never stay vntill they have attained the desired end for the content and glorie of men And the high and eternall wisedome of the Creator vseth this curiositie of men to communicate the light of his holy Gospell to people that alwaies live in the obscure darkenesse of their errors But to conclude the straight of the Artike Pole if there be any hath not been yet discovered It shall not therefore be from the purpose to speake what we know of the particularities of the Antartike straight already discovered and knowne by the report of such as have seene and observed it Of the properties of the Straight of Magellan CHAP. 13. THis Straight as I have said is iust fiftie degrees to the South and from one sea to another fourscore and ten or a hundred leagues in the narrowest place it is a league and little lesse wherâ— it was intended the King should build a Fort to defend the passage It is so deepe in some places that it cannot be sounded and in some places they finde grovnd at 18. yea at 15. fadomes Of these hundred leagues which it containes in length from one sea vnto the other it is plainely seene that the waves of the South sea runne 30. leagues and the other 70. are possessed with the billowes and waves of the North sea But there is this difference
that man hath not so long a sight nor so nimble and swift footing as were needefull to transporte his eyes from one parte to another in so short a time as a tide will give him respite which are only six houres Of sundry Fishers and their maner of fishing at the Indies CHAP. 15. THere are in the Indian Ocean an infinite number of fishes the kindes properties whereof the Creator only can declare There are many such as we have in the sea of Europe as shaddes and aloses which come from the sea into the rivers dorads pilchards and many other There are others the like I doe not thinke to have seene in these partes as those which they doe call Cabrillas which doe somewhat resemble the trowt and in new Spaine they call them Bobos they mount from the sea into the rivers I have not seene any Besugues there nor trowts although some say there are in Chille There are Tonins in some partes vpon the coast of Peru but they are rare and some are of opinion that at a certaine time they do cast their spawne in the Straight of Magellan as they doe in Spaine at the Straight of Gibraltar and for this reason they finde more vpon the coast of Chille although those I have seene there are not like to them in Spaine At the Ilandes which they call Barlovente which are Cuba Saint Dominique Port rique and Iamaique they find a fish which they call Manati a strange kinde of fish if we may call it fish a creature which ingenders her yoong ones alive and hath teates and doth nourish them with milke feeding of grasse in the fieldes but in effect it lives continually in the water and therefore they eate it as fish yet when I did eate of it at Saint Dominique on a friday I hadde some scruple not for that which is spoken but for that in colour and taste it was like vnto morselles of veale so is it greene and like vnto a cowe on the hinder partes I didde woonder at the incredible ravening of the Tibâ—rons or sharkes whenas I did see drawne from one that was taken in the Port out of his gullet a buchers great knife a great yron hooke and a peece of a cowes head with one whole horne neyther doe I knowe if both were there or no. I did see in a creeke made with that sea a quarter of a horse for pleasure hanging vpon a stake whither presently came a company of these Tiburons at the smel thereof and for the more pleasure this horse flesh was hung in the aire I knowe not how many hand breadth from the water this company of fish flocke about it leaping vp and with a strange nimblenesse cut off both flesh and bone off the horse leg as if it had beene the stalke of a lettuce their teeth being as sharpe as a rasour There are certaine small fishes they call Rambos which cleave to these Tiburons neyther can they drive them away and they are fed with that which falles from the Tiburons There are other small fishes which they call flying fishes the which are found within the tropickes and in no other place as I thinke they are pursued by the Ducades and to escape them they leape out of the sea and goe a good way in the ayre and for this reason they are called flying Fishes they have wings as it were of linnen cloth or of parchment which do supporte them some space in the ayre There did one flie or leape into the shippe wherin I went the which I did see and observe the fashion of his wings In the Indian histories there is often mention made of Lezards or Caymans as they call them and they are the very same which Plinie and the Antients call Crocodiles they finde them on the sea side and in hote rivers for in colde rivers there are none to be found And therefore they finde none vpon all the coast of Peru vnto Payra but forward they are commonly seene in the rivers It is a most fierce and cruell beast although it be slow and heavie Hee goes hunting and seekes his prey on the land and what hee takes alive he drownes it in the water yet dooth hee not eate it but out of the water for that his throate is of such a fashion as if there entred any water he should easily be drowned It is a woonderfull thing to see a combat betwixt a Caymant and a Tigre whereof there are most cruell at the Indies A religious man of our company tolde me that he had seene these beasts fight most cruelly one against the other vpon the sea shoare the Caymant with his taile gave great blowes vnto the Tygre striving with his great force to carry him into the water and the Tygre with his pawes resisted the Caymant drawing him to land In the end the Tigre vanquished and opened the Lezard it seemes by the belly the which is most tender and penetrable for in every other parte hee is so hard that no lance and scarce a harquebuze can pierce it The victory which an Indian had of a Caymant was yet more rare the Caimant had carried away his yong childe and sodainely plunged into the sea the Indian mooved with choller cast himselfe after him with a knife in his hand and as they are excellent swimmers and dievers and the Caymant swimmeth alwayes on the toppe of the water hee hurt him in the belly and in such sort that the Caymant feeling himselfe wounded went to the shoare leaving the little infant dead But the combate which the Indians have with Whales is yet more admirable wherein appeares the power and greatnesse of the Creator to give so base a Nation as be the Indians the industry and courage to incounter the most fierce and deformed beast in the worlde and only to fight with him but also to vanquish him not to triumph over him Considering this I have often remembred that place of the Psalme speaking of the Whale Draco iste quem formasti ad illudendum eum What greater mockerie can there be then to see an Indian leade a whale as bigge as a mountaine vanquished with a corde The maner the Indians of Florida vse as some expert men have tolde me to take these whales whereof there is great store is they put themselves into a Canoe which is like a barke of a tree and in swimming approach neere the whales side then with great dexteritie they leape to his necke and there they ride as on horse backe expecting his time then hee thrustes a sharpe and strong stake which hee carries with him into the whales nosthrill for so they call the hole or vent by which they breathe presently hee beates it in with an other stake as forcibly as hee can in the meane space the whale dooth fuâ—iously beate the sea and raiseth mountaines of water running into the deepe with great violence and presently riseth againe not knowing what to doe for paine the Indian still
sittes firme and to give him full payment for this trouble he beates another stake into the other vent or nosthrill so as he stoppeth him quite and takes away his breathing then hee betakes him to his Canoe which he holdes tied with a corde to the whales side and goes to land having first tied his corde to the whale the which hee lettes runne with the whale who leapes from place to place whilest he finds water enough being troubled with paine in the end hee comes neere the land and remaines on ground by the hugenesse of his body vnable any more to moove then a great number of Indians come vnto the Conqueror to gather his spoiles they kill him and cut his flesh in peeces the which is bad enough this do they drie and beate into powlder vsing it for meate it dooth last them long wherein is fulfilled that which is spoken in another Psalme of the whale Dedisti eum escam populis Aethiopum Peter Mendez the Adelantade did often speake of this kinde of fishing Whereof Mâ—nardes makes mention in his booke There is an other fishing which the Indians do commonly vse in the sea the which although it be lesse yet is it worthy the report They make as it were faggots of bul-rushes or drie sedges well bound together which they call Baâ—sas having carried them vppon their shoulders to the sea they cast them in and presently leape vppon them being so set they lanch out into the deepe rowing vp and downe with small reedes of eyther side they goe a league or two into the sea to fish carrying with them their cordes and nettes vppon these faggots and beare themselves thereon They cast out their nettes and do there remaine fishing the greatest parte of the day and night vntill they have filled vp their measure with the which they returne wel satisfied Truely it was delightfull to see them fish at Callao of Lima for that they were many in number and every one set on horsebacke cutting the waves of the sea which in their place of fishing are great and furious resembling the Tritons or Neptunes which they paint vppon the water and beeing come to land they drawe their barke out of the water vpon their backes the which they presently vndoe and lay abroade on the shoare to drie There were other Indians of the vallies of Yca which were accustomed to goe to fish in leather or skinnes of sea-wolves blowne vp with winde and from time to time they did blowe them like balles of winde lest they should sinke In the vale of Canete which in olde time they called Guaroo there were a great number of Indian fishers but bicause they resisted the Ingua when he came to conquer that land he made shew of peace with them and therefore to feast him they appoynted a solemne fishing of manie thousand Indians which went to sea in their vessels of reeds at whose returne the Ingua who had layde many souldiers in ambush made a cruell butcherie of them so as afterward this land remained vnpeopled although it be aboundant and fertile I did see an other manner of fishing wherevnto Don Francis of Toledo the Viceroy didde leade mee yet was it not in the sea but in a river which they call great in the Province of Charcas where the Indians Chiraquanas plunged into the water and swimming wyth an admirable swiftnesse followed the fish where with dartes and hookes which they vse to carry in their right hand only swimming with the left they wound the fish and so hurt they brought them foorth seeming in this more like vnto fishes then men of the land But now that we have left the sea let vs come to other kinde of waters that remaine to be spoken of Of Lakes and Pooles that be at the Indies CHAP. 16. IN place of the Mediterranean Sea which is in the old world the Creator hath furnished this new with many Lakes whereof there are some so great as they may be properly called seas seeing the Scripture calleth that of Palestina so which is not so great as some of these The most famous is that of Titicaca which is at Peru in the Province of Callao the which as I have said in the former booke containes neere fourscore leagues in compasse into the which there runnes ten or twelve great rivers A while since they began to saile in it with barkes and shippes wherein they proceeded so ill that the first shippe was split with a tempest that did rise in the Lake The water is not altogether sower nor salt as that of the sea but it is so thicke as it cannot be drunke There are two kindes of fishes breed in this Lake in great aboundance the one they call Suches which is great and savorous but phlegmatike and vnwholesome and the other Bogos which is more healthfull although it be lesse and fuller of bones there are great numbers of wilde-duckes and wigens Whenas the Indians will feast it or shew delight to any one that passeth along the two banckes which they call Chucuyto and Omasugo they assemble a great number of Canoes making a circle and invironing the fowle vntill they take with their hands what they please and they call this maner of fishing Chaco On the one and the other banke of this Lake are the best habitations of Peru. From the issue thereof there growes a lesser Lake although it be great which they call Paria vpon the bankes whereof there are great numbers of cattell especially swine which grow exceeding fatte with the grasse vpon those banks There are many other Lakes in the high mountains whence proceede brooks rivers which after become great flouds Vpon the way from Arequippa to Callao there are two Lakes vpon the mountains of th' one other side the way from th' one flowes a brooke which growes to a â—loud and falles into the South sea from the other they say the famous river of Aporima takes her beginning from the which some hold that the renowned river of Amazos otherwise called Maragnon proceedes with so great an assembly and aboundance of waters which ioyne in these mountaines It is a question may be often asked why there are so many Lakes in the toppes of these mountaines into the which no river enters but contrariwise many great streames issue forth and yet do we scarce see these Lakes to diminish any thing at any season of the yeere To imagine that these Lakes grow by the snow that melts or raine from heaven that doth not wholy satisfie me for there are many that have not this aboundance of snow nor raine and yet we see no decrease in them which makes me to beleeve they are springs which rise there naturally although it be not against reason to thinke that the snow and raine helpe somewhat in some seasons These Lakes are so common in the highest toppes of the mountaines that you shall hardly finde any famous river that takes not his beginning from one of
not so healthfull and at this day we see it lesse pâ—opled although in former times it hath beene greatly inhabited with Indians as it appeareth by the histories of New Spaine and Peru and where they kept and lived for that the soile was naturall vnto them being bred there They lived of fishing at sea of seeds drawing brooks from the rivers which they used for want of raine for that it raines little there and in some places not at all This lowe countrie hath many places inhabitable as wel by reason of the sands which are dangerous for there are whole mountaines of these sandes as also for the marishes which grow by reason of the waters that fall from the mountaines which finding no issue in these flatte and lowe landes drowne them and make them vnprofitable And in trueth the greatest parte of all the Indian sea coast is of this sort chiefly vppon the South sea The habitation of which coasts is at this present so wasted contemned that of thirtie partes of the people that inhabited it there wants twenty nine and it is likely the rest of the Indians will in short time decay Many according to the varietie of their opinions attribute this to diverse causes some to the great labour which hath beene imposed vppon these Indians others vnto the change and varietie of meates and drinks they vse since their commerce with the Spaniards others to their great excesse drinking and to other vices they have for my part I hold this disorder to be the greatest cause of their decay whereof it is not now time to discourse any more In this lowe countrey which I say generally is vnhealthfull and vnfit for mans habitation there is exception in some places which are temperate and fertile as the greatest part of the Plaines of Peru where there are coole vallies and very fertile The greatest part of the habitation of the coast entertaines all the traffike of Spaine by sea whereon all the estate of the Indies dependeth Vpon this coast there are some Townes wel peopled as Lima and Truxillo in Peru Panama and Carthagena vppon the maine land and in the Ilands S. Dominique Port Ricco and Havana with many other Townes which are lesse than these as the true Crosse in new Spaine Yca Arigua and others in Peru the ports are commonly inhabited although but slenderly The second sort of land is contrary very high and by consequent colde and drie as all the mountaines are commonly This land is neither fertile nor pleasant but very healthfull which makes it to be peopled and inhabited There are pastures and great store of cattell the which for the most parte entertaines life and by their cattell they supply the want they have of corne and graine by trucking and exchange But that which makes these landes more inhabited and peopled is the riches of the mines that are found there for that all obeys to golde and silver By reason of the mines there are some dwellings of Spaniards and Indians which are increased and multiplied as Potozi and Gancavelicqua in Peru and Cacatecas in new Spaine There are also through all these mountaines great dwellings of the Indians which to this day are maintained yea some will say they increase but that the labour of the mines dooth consume many and some generall diseases have destroyed a great part as the Cocoliste in new Spaine yet they finde no great diminution In this extreamitie of of high ground they finde two commodities as I have saide of pastures and mines which doe well countervaile the two other that are in the lower grounds alongest the sea coast that is the commerce of the sea the aboundance of wine which groweth not but in the hot landes Betwixt these two extreames there is ground of a meane height the which although it bee in some partes higher or lower one than other yet doth it not approach neyther to the heate of the sea coast nor the intemperature of the mountaines In this sorte of soile there groweth many kindes of graine as wheate barley and mays which grows not at all in the high countries but well in the lower there is likewise store of pasture cattel fruits and greene forrests This part is the best habitation of the three for health and recreation and therefore it is best peopled of any parte of the Indies the which I have curiously observed in manie voyages that I have vndertaken and have alwayes found it true that the Province best peopled at the Indies be in this scituation Let vs looke neerely into new Spaine the which without doubt is the best Province the Sunne dooth circle by what parte soever you doe enter you mount vp and when you have mounted a good height you beginne to descend yet very little and that land is alwayes much higher then that along the sea coast All the land about Mexico is of this nature and scituation and that which is about the Vulcan which is the best soile of the Indies as also in Peru Arequipa Guamangua and Cusco although more in one then in the other But in the end all is high ground although they descend into deepe valleies and climbe vppe to high mountaines the like is spoken of Quitto Saint Foy and of the best of the new kingdome To conclude I doe beleeve that the wisedome and providence of the Creator would have it so that the greatest parte of this countrey of the Indies should be hillie that it might be of a better temperature for being lowe it had beene very hotte vnder the burning Zone especially being farre from the sea Also all the land I have seene at the Indies is neere to the mountaines on the one side or the other and sometimes of all partes So as I have oftentimes saide there that I woulde gladly see any place from whence the horizon did fashion it selfe and end by the heaven and a countrey stretched out and even as we see in Spaine in a thousand champaine fields yet doe I not remember that I have ever seene such sightes at the Indies were it in the Ilands or vpon the maine land although I have travelled above seaven hundred leagues in length But as I have saide the neerenesse of the mountaines is very commodious in this region to temper the heate of the Sunne To conclude the best inhabited partes of the Indies are as I have saide and generally all that countrie aboundes in grasse pastures and forrests contrary vnto that which Aristotle and the Auntients did holde So as when wee goe out of Europe to the Indies wee woonder to see the land so pleasant greene and fresh Yet this rule hath some exceptions chiefly in the land of Peru which is of a strange nature amongst all others whereof wee will now proceede to speake Of the properties of the land of Peru. CHAP. 20. WEe meane by Peru not that great parte of the worlde which they call America seeing that therein is contained Bresil
drawe it There is great aboundance in the kingdome of Chille of Quitto and in the new Realme of Grenado The most famous golde is that of Caranava in Peru and of Valdivia in Chille for that it riseth with his alloy and perfection which is twenty three carrats and a halfe and sometimâ—s more They make accompt likewise of the gold of Veraâ—â—a to be very fine They bring much golde to Mexico from the Philippines and China but commonly it is weake and of base alloy Golde is commonly found mixt with silver or with copper but that which is mixed with silver is commonly of fewer carraâ—s then that which is mixed with copper If there bâ—â—a siâ—e partâ— of silver Plinie saieth it is then properly called Flâ—â—â—â— which hath the property to shine more at the light of the fire then fine gold or fine silver That which is incorporate with copper is commonly of a higher value They refine powldred golde in basens washing it in many waters vntill the sand falles from it and the golde as most heavie remaineth in the bottome They refine it likewise with quicke-silver and strong water for that the allume whereof they make this water hath the vertue to separate gold from drosse or from other mettalls After it is purified and molten they make brickes or small barres to cary it vnto Spaine for being in powlder they cannot transport it from the Indies for they can neither custome it marke it nor take say vntill it be molten The foresaide Hisâ—â—riaâ— grapher reporteth that Spaine above all other Countries of the world did abound in gold and silver especially Galitia and Portugall above all the Asturiaâ—s whence hee saieth they brought every yeere twenty thousand pounds of golde and that they found not so great aboundance in any other place The which is confirmed in the booke of Macabees where it is saide that amongest the great riches of the Romans they had in their power the golde and silver of Spaine At this day the great treasure of Spaine comes from the Indies wherein the divinâ— Providence hath appoynted one Realme to serve another which doe imparte their wealth to participate their governement for the good the one of the other in communicating mutually the goodes and graces they doe inioy wee can not value nor esteeme the quantitie of golde that is brought from the Indies but we may well say it is much more then that which 〈◊〉 reports was brought yeerely from Spaine to Româ— In the fleete where I came which was in the yeâ—re 1585. the declaratiâ—n of the firme land was of of twelve cassons or chests of golde every casson at the least weied foure Arobes that is a hundred weight and a thousand fifty and sixe mares from New Spaine which was for the King only besides that which came for Merchants and private men being registred and much that came vnregistred This may suffice touching the golde of the Indies and now we will speake of silver Of the Silver at the Indies CHAP. 5. WE reade these wordes in the Booke of Iob Siluer hath certain beginnings and roots in his veins and golde hath a setled place where it ingenders and thickens yron with digging is drawne out of the earth and stone molten with heate is turned into copper Hereby he wisely shewes in few words the nature of silver golde yron copper We have spoken something of the places where golde is ingendered and congealed which is either of the foresaide stones in the deapth of mountaines and in the bowells of the earth or in the sand of rivers and where brookes have runne or else on the toppes of mountaines the which golde in powlder runnes downe with the water And this is the common opinion they holde at the Indies Wherevppon many of the common sort believe that the deluge having drowned all even to the highest hills hath beene the cause that at this day they finde this golde in the rivers and in places so farre off Now we wil shew how they discover the mines of silver their veines rootes and beginnings whereof Iob speakes And first I will say that the reason why they give silver the second place among all other mettalles is for that it approacheth neerer to golde then any other being more durable and lesse indomaged by the fire and more maniable then any other yea it passeth golde in brightnesse beauty and sound the which is cleere and agreeable for the colour is more conformable and resembling the light and the sound more percing more lively and more delicate Likewise there are some places where they value silver more then golde It is yet an argument to iudge that gold is more pretious rhen all other mettalls for that it is found with greater difficultie and Nature seemes more sparing in bringing it foorth although there be countries as they say of Chine where they finde golde more easily then silver yet it is more common and ordinarie to finde silver with more facilitie and greater abundance then gold The Creator hath furnished the Weast Indies with so great a treasure of silver as all that which we reade of in antient Histories and that which is spoken of the mines of Spaine and other provinces is not comparable to that we see in those partes The mines of silver are commonly found in mountaines and high rockes very desart although they have sometimes bin found in Plaines and Champaines There are two different kindes the one they call stragling the other fixed and setled The straggling are peeces of mettall found in certaine places the which drawne away there is no more found But the fixed veines are those which have a continuance in depth and length like to great branches and armes of trees and when they find anie one of them they commonly finde many in the same place The maner to purge refine silver which the Indians have vsed was by melting in dissolving this masse of mettall by fire which casts the earthly drosse aparte and by his force separates silver from lead tinne from copper and other mettalls mixt To this end they did build small furnaces in places whereas the winde did commonly blow and with wood and cole made their refining the which furnaces in Ptru they call Guayras Since the Spaniards entred besides this manner of refining which they vse to this day they likewise refine silver with quicke-silver and draw more by this means then in refining it by fire For there is some kind of silver mettall found which can by no meanes be purged and refined by fire but onely with quickesilver But thiâ— kinde of mettall is commonly poore and weake the which vsually they finde in greatest aboundance They câ—l that poore which yields least silver and great quantitie of other mettall and that rich which yieldes mâ—st silver It is strange to see not onely the difference betwixt the refining of mettall by fire and without it by quicke-silver but also that some of
Indies as at Peru new Spaine in the new kingdome of Granado in Gautimalla in Chille and vpon the maine land I do not finde that in old time in the Ilands of Barlovente as Cuba S. Dominique Iamaique and S. Iâ—an that they vsed Mays at this day they vse much Yuca and Cacavi whereof we will presently intreate I do not thinke that this Mays is any thing inferiour to our wheat in strength nor substance but it is more hote and grosse and engenders more bloud wherevpon they that have not bin accustomed therevnto if they eat too much they swell and become scabbed It growes vpon canes or reedes every one beares one or two grapes or branches to the which the graine is fastened and although the graine be bigge yet finde they great store thereof so as in some clusters I have told seven hundred graines They must plant it with the hand one by one and not very thicke it desires a hote and moist ground and growes in great aboundance in many places of the Indies It is not strange in those countries to gather 300. Fanegues or measures for one sowen There is difference of Mays as there is of wheat one is great and very nourishing another small and drie which they call Moroche the greene leaves and canes of Mays is a good foode for their mules and horâ—es and it serves them for straw when it is dried the graine is of more nourishment for horses then barly and therefore in those countries they vse to water their horses before they eate for if they should drinke after they would swell as when they eate wheat Mays is the Indians bread the which they commonly eate boiled in the graine hote and they call it Mote as the Chinois and Iopponois eate their Rice sodden with the hote water sometimes they eate it baked There is some Mays round and bigge as that of Lucanas which the Spaniards eate rosted as a delicate meat and hath a better taste then Buarbenses or rosted peason There is another kinde of eating it more pleasant which is to grinde the Mays and to make small cakes of the flower â—he which they put in the fire and then bring them hote to the table In some places they call them Arepaâ— They make also round bowles of this paste and so trimme them that they continue long eating it as a dainty dish They have invented at the Indies for friandise and pleasure a certaine kinde of paste they doe make of this flowe mixt with sugar which they call biscuits and mellinders This Mays serves the Indians not only for bread but also for wine for they do make their drinke thereof wherewith they are sooner drunke than with wine of grapes They make this wine of Mays in diverse sortes and maners calling it in Peru Acua and by the most common name of the Indies Chicha And the strongest is made like vnto beere steeping the graine vntill it breake After they boyle it in such sort that it growes so strong as alittle overthrowes a man In Peru they call this Sora it is defended by the Law for the great inconveniences that grow thereby making men drunke But this Lawe is ill observed for that they vse it still yea they spend whole dayes and nights in drinking carowse Pliny reporteth that this maner of beverage of graine stieped and after sodden wherewith they were drunke was in old time vsed in Spaine France and other Provinces as at this day in Flanders they vse ale made of mault There is another maner of making this Acua or Chicha which is to champe the mays and make a leven thereof and then boile it yea the Indians holde opinion that to make good leven it must bee champed by old withered women which makes a man sicke to heare and yet they doe drinke it The cleanliest manner the most wholesome and that which least harmeth is to roast the Mays which the most civil Indians doe vse and some Spaniardes yea for physicke For in effect they finde it a very wholesome drinke for the reines so as you shall hardly finde any one at the Indies complaine of paine in the backe for that they do drinke of this Chicha The Spanyards and Indians eate this Mays boyled and roasted for daintinesse when it is tender in the grape like milke they putte it into the pot and make sawces that are good to eate The buds of Mays are very fatte and serve insteede of butter and oyle so as this Mays at the Indies serves both for men and beasts for bread wine and oile For this reason the Viceroy Don Francisco de Toledo saide that Peru hadde two things rich and of great norishment which were Mays and the cattell of the countrey In truth he had reason for these two things did serve them as a thousand I will aske sooner than I can answer it whence Mays was first carried to the Indies and why they do call this profitable graine in Italie Turkie graine for in trueth I doe not finde that the Antients make any mention of this graine though that mil that Plinie writes to come from the Indies into Italie tenne yeares before he didde write it hath some resemblance vnto Mays for that it is a graine as he saies that growes in reede and covers it selfe with the leafe and hath the toppe like haires being very fertile all which things agree not with mill To conclude God hath imparted to ev'ry region what is needefull To this continent he hath given wheate which is the chiefe nourishment of man and to the Indians he hath given Mays which hath the second place to wheate for the nourishment of men and beasts Of Yucas Caçavi Papas Chunes and Ris. CHAP. 17. IN some partes of the Indies they vse a kinde of bread they call Cacavi which is made of a certaine roote they call Yuca This Yuca is a great and grosse roote which they cutte in small morsells they grate or scrape it and then put it in a presse to straine making a thinne and broade cake thereof almost ' like vnto a Moores target or buckler then doe they drie it and this is the breade they eate It hath no taste but is healthfull and of good nourishment For this reason we said being at S. Dominike that it was the proper foode for great eaters for that they might eate much without any feare of surffetting They must of necessitie water this Cacavi before they eate it it is sharpe and easely watered with water or broath wherein it is very good for that it swells much and so they make Capirotades but it is hardly stieped in milke in honny of canes or in wine for that these liquors cannot pierce it as it doth bread made of wheate Of this Cacavi there is one kind more delicate than any other which is that they make of the slower called Xauxau which they do much esteeme in those partes For my parte I esteeme more a morsell of bread how hard
of these shrubbes at the Indies which are of very good taste The first Spaniards named many things at the Indies with such Spanish names as they did most resemble as Pines Concombres and Prunes althogh they be very different fruites to those which are so called in Spaine The Pines or Pine-aples are of the same fashion and forme outwardly to those of Castlle but within they wholy differ for that they have neither aples norscales but are all one flesh which may be eaten when the skinne is off it is fruite that hath an excellent smell and is very pleasant and delightfull in taste it is full of iuyce and of a sweete and sharpe taste they â—ate it being cut in morcells and steeped a while in water and salt Some say that this breedes choler and that the vse therâ—of is not very healthfull But I have not seenâ— any experience thereof that might breede beleefe They grow one by one like a cane or stalke which riseth amongst many leaves like to the lillie but somewhat bigger The apple is on the toppe of every cane it growes in hote and moist groundes and the best are those of the Ilands of Barlovente It growes not in Peru but they carry them from the Andes the which are neither good nor ripe One presented one of these Pine-apples to the Emperour Charles the fift which must have cost much paine and care to bring it so farre with the plant from the Indies yet would he not trie the taste I have seene in new Spaine conserves of these Pines which was very good Those which they call Concombres are no trees but shrubbes continuing but one yeere They gave it this name for that some of this fruite and the most part is in length and roundnes like to the Concombres of Spaine but for the rest they differ much for they are not greene but violet yellow or white neither are they thornie or rough but pollished and even having a very different taste and farre better then that of Spaine for they have a sharpe sweete taste very pleaasant when it is ripe yet is it not so sharpe as the Pine They are very coole full of liquor and of easie digestion and in time of heate fit to refresh They take away the rinde which is white and all that remaines is meat They grow in a temperate soile and require watering And although for the resemblance they call them Concombres yet are there many of them round and others of a different fashion so as they have not the figure of Concombres I do not remember to have seene this kinde of fruite in new Spaine nor at the Ilands but vpon the Lanos of Peru. That which they call the little fruite of Chille is of the same sort very pleasant to eate comes neere the taste of cheries but in all other things it differs much for that it is no tree but an hearbe which growes little and spreades vpon the earth casting forth this little fruite the which in colour and graines resembles almost the mulbery when it is white and not ripe yet is it more rough and bigger then the mulbery They say this little fruite is naturally found in the fieldes of Chille where I have seene of them They set it vpon plants and branches and it growes like any other shrubbe Those which they call Prunes are verily the fruites of trees and have more resemblance then the rest to our plumbs There are divers sorts whereof they call some Prunes of Nicaragua the which are very red and small and have little meat vpon the stone but that little is of an exquisite taste and of a sharpenes as good or rather better then cheries They hold this fruite to be very holesome and therefore they give it to sicke folkes especially to provoke an appetite There are others that be great and of a darke colour they have much meat but it is grosse and of no taste like to the Chavacanas which have every one two or three small stones But to returne to pot-hearbs I finde not that the Indians had any gardins of divers hearbs and plants but did onely till the land in some partes for pulses which they vse as those which they call Frâ—solles and Palares which serve them as our lentils beanes or tares neither have I knowne that these pulses or any other kinds that be in Europe were there before the Spaniards entred who carried plants and pulses from Spaine thither where they now grow and increase wonderfully and in some places exceede greatly the fertilitie of these partes As if we speake of mellons which grow in the vallie of Yuca in Peru whose roote becomes a stalke that continues many yeeres carrying mellons yeerely and they trimme it like vnto a tree a thing which I do not know to be in any part of Spaine But that is more monstrous of the Calibasses or Indian Pompions and the greatnes they have as they grow especially those which are proper to the Countrie which they call Capallos the which they eate most commonly in Lent boiled and trimmed with some other sawce There are a thousand kindes of Calibasses some are so deformed in their bignes that of the rinde cut in the middest and clensed they make as it were baskets to put in all their meat for their dinner Of the lesser they make vessells to eate and drinke in and do trimme them hansomely for many vses I have spoken this of small plants wee will now speake of greater but first of their Axi which is of the lesser Of Axi or Indian Pepper CHAP. 20. THey have not found at the West Indies any kinde of Spices proper or peculiar to them as pepper cloves cinamon nuâ—megges or ginger although one of our company who had travelled much and in diverse partes tolde vs that in the desarts of the Iland of Iamaique he had found trees where pepper grewe But they are not yet assured thereof neither is there anie trade of these spices at the Indies The ginger was carried from the Indies to Hispaniola and it hath multiplied so as at this day they know not what to do with the great aboundaunce they have In the fleete the yeare 1587. they brought 22053. quintalls of ginger to Seville but the naturall spice that God hath given to the weast Indies is that we call in Castill Indian pepper and in India Axi as a generall worde taken from the first land of the Ilands which they conquered In the language of Cusco it is called Vchu and in that of Mexico Chili This plant is well knowne and therefore I will speake alittle onely wee must vnderstand that in olde time it was much esteemd amongst the Indians which they carried into places where it grew not as a marchandise of consequence It growes not vpon cold grounds as on the Sierre of Peru but in hote valleis where it is often watered There is of this Axi of diverse colours some is greene some red some yellow and some
disturbing one another The Indians did commonly vse their idolatries in these trees so strange and deformed even as did the antient Gentiles as some Writers of our time doe report Of Plants and fruits which have bin carried out of Spaine to the Indies CHAP. 31. THe Indians have received more profit and have bin better recompensed in plants that have bin broght from Spaine than in any other marchandise for that those few which are carried from the Indies into Spaine growe little there and multiply not and contrariwise the great number that have beene caried from Spaine to the Indies prosper wel multiplie greatly I know not whether I shall attribute it to the bounty of the plants that goe from hence or to the goodnesse of the soile that is there Finally there is at the Indies any good thing that Spaine brings foorth in some places it is better in some worse as wheate barley hearbes and all kindes of pulses also lettuce colewortes radishes onions garlike parsley turneps parseneps Becengenes or apples of love siccorie beetes spinage pease beanes vetches and finally whatsoever groweth heere of anie profite so as all that have voyaged thither have beene curious to carry seedes of all sorts and all have growen although diversly some more some lesse As for those trees that have most aboundantly fructified be orange trees limons citrons and others of that sort In some partes there are at this day as it were whole woods and forrests of orange trees the which seeming strange vnto mee I asked who had planted the fields with so many orange trees they made mee answer that it did come by chaunce for that oranges being fallen to the ground and rotten their seeds did spring and of those which the water had carried away into diverse partes these woods grew so thicke which seemed to me a very good reason I have saide that this fruite hath generally increased most at the Indies for that I have not beene in any place but I finde orange trees for that all their soyle is hote and moist which this tree most desires There growes not any vppon the Sierre or mountaine but they carry them from the vallies or sea coast The conserve of oranges which they do make at the Ilands is the best I have seene anie where peaches presses and apricockes have greatly multiplied especially in New Spaine At Peru there growes few of these kindes of fruites except peaches and much lesse in the Ilands There growes apples and peares yet but scarcely there are but few plumbs but aboundance of figges chiefly in Peru. They finde quinces in all the country of the Indies and in New Spaine in such aboundance as they gave vs fifty choice ones for halfe a riall There is great store of pomegranets but they are all sweete for the sharp are not there esteemed There are very good melons in some partes of Peru. Cherries both wilde and tame have not prospered well at the Indies the which I do not impute to want of temperature for that there is of all sorts but to carelesnesse or that they have not well observed the temperature To conclude I do not finde that in those partes there wants any dainty fruite As for grosse fruites they have no Beillottes nor chesnuttes neither doe I finde that any have growne there to this day Almonds growe there but rarely They carry from Spaine for such as are dainty mouthed both almonds nuttes and filberds but I have not knowne they had any medlers or servises which importes little In my iudgement this may suffice to shew that there wanteth no delightfull fruites Now let vs speake somewhat of plants that profit and which have been carried from Spaine and so will ende that Treatise beeing too troublesome Of grapes vignes olives mulberies and kanes of sugar CHAP. 32. I Meane by profitable plants those which besides that which they eate in the house bring silver to theyr maisters the chiefe of these is the vigne whereof commeth wine vinegar grapes greene and dry veriuyce and sirrope But the wine is the best There growes no wine nor grapes in the Ilandes nor firme land but in new Spaine there are some vignes which beare grapes and yet make no wine The cause is for that the grape ripens not well by reason of the raine that falles in the months of Iuly and August which hinders their ripening so as they serve onely to eate They carry wine out of Spaine and from the Canaries to all partes of the Indies except Peru and the realme of Chillé where there are vignes that yeelde excellent wine which increase daily both in quantity for that it is a great riches in that country and in beauty for that they are become with time and practise more expert vignerous The vignes of Peru are commonly in hote vallies where there are waters which they water with the hand because there falles no raine at all from heaven and vppon the Lanos and Sierre it comes not in time There are some places where the vignes are not watered neither from heaven nor earth and yet they increase in great aboundance as in the valley of Yca and in the ditches that they call VillacuZi in which places they finde ditches or th' earth suncke downe amongest the dead sands which are thorowout the yeare of a woonderfull coolenesse and yet it raines not there at any time neither is there any maner of meanes to water it artificially the reason is because the soile is spongious and suckes vp the water of the rivers that fall from the mountaine which moisten these sands or else it is the moistnesse of the sea as others suppose which passing over this sand is the cause why it is not barren nor vnprofitable as the Philosopher teaches The vignes have so increased there as for this cause onely the tithes of the Churches are multiplied five or sixe times double within these twentie yeares The most fertile vallies for vignes be Victor neare to Arequipa Yca in the territory of Lima and Caraguato in the Countrey of Chuquiavo they carry this wine to Potozi Cusco and divers partes which yeeldes a great revenue for notwithstanding all the aboundance they have a bottle or arobe is there woorth five or sixe duckats and if it be Spanish wine as they commonly carry in their fleetes it is woorth tenne or twelve They make wine like to that of Spaine in the realme of Chille being in the same climate but it corrupteth being carried to Peru they eate the grape where they cannot drink the wine And it is strange that in the citty of Cusco you shall finde ripe grapes all the yeare long the reason is as they say for that those valleis bring foorth fruits in diverse moneths of the yeare either for that they cutte their vignes in diverse seasons or that this varietie proceedes from the quality of the soyle but whatsoever it be it is most certaine there are some vallies which carry fruit all the yeare If
water Even so we may say that the fowle which bee at this present vppon the maine land and in the Ilands at the Indies might passe the sea resting themselves in some small Ilands or vpon some land which they discovered by a naturall instinct as Plinie reporteth of some or peradventure falling into the water when they were weary of flying and after beganne their flight a new when they had alittle rested As for the fowles which we see in the Ilands where there are no beasts I beleeve certainly that they passed by one of the foresayde meanes But for other birdes which we finde vppon the maine land especially those whose flight is shorte it is more credible that they came thither as the beasts did which are of the same kindes that wee have in Europe For at the Indies there are great birds very heavy as Estridges whereof there are many in Peru which doe vse sometimes to terrifie the Indian sheepe as they do goe with their burthens But leaving these birds that govern themselves without the care of man but onely for hawking let vs now speake of tame fowle I wondered at hennes seeing there were som at the Indies before the Spaniards came there the which is well approoved for they have a proper name of the country and they call a henne Gualpa and the egge Pâ—nto and they vse the same proverb wee doe to call a coward a henne Those that were at the discovery of the Ilands of Soloman do report that they have seene hennes there like vnto ours wee may conceive that the henne being so tame a fowle and so profitable men might carry them with them when they passed from one place to another as we see at this day the Indians in their travel carry their henne with them or chicken vpon the burthen they have on their shoulders and likewise they carry them easily in their cages of reedes or wood Finally there be at the Indies many kindes of beasts and birdes such as we have in Europe as I have specified and other sortes which I leave to others to discourse of How it spould be possible that at the Indies there should be anie sortes of beasts whereof the like are no where else CHAP. 36. IV were a matter more difficult to shew and prove what beginning many sundry sorts of beasts had which are found at the Indies of whose kindes we have none in this continent For if the Creator hath made them there wee may not then alleadge nor flie to Noahs Arke neither was it then necessary to save all sorts of birds and beasts if others were to be created anew Moreover wee could not affirme that the creation of the world was made and finished in sixe dayes if there were yet other new kinds to make and specially perfit beasts and no lesse excellent than those that are knowen vnto vs If we say then that all these kindes of creatures were preserved in the Arke by Noah it followes that those beasts of whose kindes we finde not any but at the Indies have passed thither from this continent as we have saide of other beasts that are knowne vnto vs. This supposed I demand how it is possible that none of their kinde shoulde remaine heere and how they are found there being as it were travellers and strangers Truly it is a question that hath long held me in suspens I say for example if the sheep of Peru and those which they call Pacos and Guanacos are not found in any other regions of the worlde who hath carried them thither or how came they there seeing there is no shew nor remainder of them in all this worlde If they have not passed from some other region how were they formed and brought foorth there It may be GOD hath made a new creation of beasts That which I speake of these Pacos and Guanacos may be said of a thousand different kindes of birdes and beasts of the forrest which have never beene knowne neither in shape nor name and whereof there is no mention made neither among the Latins nor Greekes nor any other nations of the world We must then say that though all beasts came out of the Arke yet by a naturall instinct and the providence of heaven diverse kindes dispersed themselves into diverse regions where they found themselves so well as they woulde not parte or if they departed they did not preserve themselves but in processe of time perished wholy as we do see it chaunce in many things For if we shall looke precisely into it we shall finde that it is not proper and peculiar alone to the Indies but generall to many other Nations and Provinces of Asia Europe and Affrike where they say there are certaine kindes of creatures that are not found in other regions at the least if they be any where else they are knowne to be carried from thence Seeing then these creatures came out of the Arke as for example the elephant which we finde only in the East Indies and from thence have beene imparted to other regions wee may say as much of these creatures of Peru and of others of the Indies which are not found in any other part of the world Wee may likewise consider well vppon this subiect whether these beasts differ in kind and essentially from all others or if this difference be accidentall which might growe by diverse accidents as we see in the linages of men some are white others blacke some giants others dwaâ—fes and in apes some have no taile others have and in sheepe some are bare others have fleeces some great and strong with a long necke as those of Peru others weake and little having a short necke as those of Castille But to speake directly whoso would by this Discourse shewing only these accidentall differences preserve the propagation of beasts at the Indies and reduce them to those of Europ he shal vndertake a charge he will hardly discharge with his honor For if we shall iudge the kindes of beasts by their properties those of the Indies are so diverse as it is to call an egge a chesnut to seeke to reduce them to the knowne kinds of Europe Of Fowles that are proper to the Indies CHAP. 37. THere are many kindes of notable fowles at the Indies eyther of the same sort that ours be or of different They bring certaine birds from China that have no feete and all their bodies are almost feathers They sit not vpon the ground but hang vpon boughs by strings or feathers which they have and so rest themselves like flies or aierie things In Peru there are birdes which they â—â—ll Tómineios so small that often times I have doubted seeing them flie whether they were bees or butter-flies but in truth they are birdes Contrariwise those which they call Condores be of an exceeding greatnes and of such a force that not onely they will open a sheepe and eate it but also a whole calfe Those which they call Auras and
beganne to runne away supposing that the bridge which was of stone should presently fall but when they found it to stand firme and that the Spaniards went on it the Cacique saide to his companions It is reason we should serve these men who in trueth seeme to be the children of the Sunne The bridges they made were of reedes plaited which they tied to the bankes with great stakes for that they could not make any bridges ofstone or wood The bridge which is at this day vpon the current of the great lake Chiquitto in Collao is admirable for the course of that water is so deep as they can not settle any foundation and so broade that it is impossible to make an arch to passe it so as it was altogether impossible to make a bridge eyther of wood or stone But the wit and industry of the Indians invented a meanes to make a firme and assured bridge being only of strawe which seemeth fabulous yet is it very true For as we have said before they did binde together certaine bundles of reedes and weedes which do grow in the lake that they call Torora and being a light matter that sinkes not in the water they cast it vppon a great quantity of reedes then having tyed those bundles of weedes to either side of the river both men and beasts goe over it with ease passing over this bridge I have woondered that of so common and easie a thing they had made a bridge better and more assured than the bridge of boates from Seville to Triane I have measured the length of this bridge and as I remember it was above three hundred foote and they say that the depth of this current is very great and it seemes above that the water hath no motion yet they say that at the bottome it hath a violent and very furious course And this shall suffice for buildings Of the Inguas revenues and the order of Tributes they imposed vpon the Indians CHAP. 15. THe Inguas riches was incomparable for although no king did inherite the riches and treasure of his predecessor yet had he at commaund all the riches of his realmes aswell silver and gold as the stuffe of Cumbi and cattell wherein they abounded and their greatest riches of all was their innumerable number of vassalles which were all imployed as it pleased the King They brought out of every province what he had chosen for tribute The Chicas sent him sweete and rich woods the Lucanas sent Brancars to carry his Litter The Chumbilbicas dauncers and so the other provinces sent him what they had of aboundaunce besides their generall tribute wherevnto every one contributed The Indians that were noted to that end labored in the mines of golde and silver which did abound in Peru whom the Ingua intertained with all they needed for their expences and whatsoever they drew of gold and silver was for him By this meanes there were so great treasures in this kingdome as it is the opinion of many that what fell in the handes of the Spaniardes although it were very much as wee know was it not the tenth part of that which they hid and buried in the ground the which they could never discover notwithstanding all the search covetousnesse had taught them But the greatest wealth of these barbarous people was that their vassalles were all slaves whose labour they vsed at their pleasure and that which is admirable they imployed them in such sorte as it was no servitude vnto them but rather a pleasing life But to vnderstand the order of tributes which the Indians payed vnto their Lordes you must knowe that when the Ingua conquered any citties he divided all the land into three partes the first was for religion and ceremonies so as the Pachayachaqui which is the Creator and the Sunne the Chuquilla which is the Thunder the Pachamana and the dead and other Guacas and sanctuaries had every one their proper lands the fruits wherof were spoyled and consumed in sacrifices and in the nourishing of ministers and priests for there were Indians appoynted for every Guaca and sanctuary and the greatest parte of this revenue was spent in Cusco where was the vniversall and generall sanctuarie and the rest in that cittie where it was gathered for that after the imitation of Cusco there were in every Citie Guacas and Oratories of the same order and with the same functions which were served after the same manner and ceremonies to that of Cusco which is an admirable thing and they have found it by proofe in above a hundred townes some of them distant above twoo hundred leagues from Cusco That which they sowed or reapt vpon their land was put into houses as greniers or store-houses built for that effect and this was a great parte of the Tribute which the Indians payed I can not say how much this parte amounted vnto for that it was greater in some partes than in other and in some places it was in a manner all and this parte was the first they put to profite The second parte of these lands and inheritances was for the Iugua wherewith he and his housholde were entertained with his kinsfolks noblemen garrisons and souldiers And therefore it was the greatest portion of these tributes as it appeareth by the quantity of golde silver and other tributes which were in houses appoynted for that purpose being longer and larger than those where they keepe the revenues of the Guacas They brought this tribute very carefully to Cusco or vnto such places where it was needefull for the souldiers and when there was store that kept it tenne or twelve yeares vntill a time of necessitie The Indians tilled and put to profite the Inguas lands next to those of the Guacas during which time they lived and were nourished at the charges of the Ingua of the Sunne or of the Guacas according to the land they laboured But the olde men women and sicke folkes were reserved and exempt from this tribute and although whatsoever they gathered vpon those lands were for the Ingua the Sunne or the Guacâ—s yet the property appertayned vnto the Indians and their successors The third parte of these landes were given by the Ingua for the comminaltie and they have not yet discovered whether this portion were greater or lesse than that of the Ingua or Guacas It is most certaine they had a care and regarde it might be sufficient for the nourishment of the people No particular man possessed any thing proper to himself of this third portion neither didde the Indians ever possesse any if it were not by speciall grace from the Ingua yet might it not be engaged nor divided amongest his heires They every yeare divided these landes of the comminaltie in giving to every one that which was needfull for the nourishment of their persons and families And as the familie increased or diminished so did they encrease or decrease his portion for there were measures appoynted for every person The Indians
together with some order and such as do know them find them no lesse apt and capable of matters of christian religion than others which are held to be more rich and better governed Comming therefore to our subiect the Chichimecas and Ottomies which were the first inhabitants of New Spaine for that they did neyther till nor sowe the land they left the best and most fertile of the country vnpeopled which Nations that came from farre did possesse whome they called Navatalcas for that it was a more civill and politike Nation this word signifies a people that speakes well in reâ—pect of other barbarous nations without reason These sâ—cond peoplers Navatalcas came from other â—arre countries which lie toward the north where now they have discovered a kingdome they call New Mexico There are two provinces in this countrey the one called AZtlan which is to say a place of Herons the other Tuculhuacan which signifies a land of such whose grandfathers were divine The Inhabitants of these provinces have their houses their lands tilled gods customes and ceremonies with like order and governement to the Navatalcas and are divided into seaven Tribes or Nations and for that they have a custome in this province that every one of these linages hath his place and private territory The Navatalcas paint their beginning and first territory in figure of a cave and say that they came forth of seaven caves to come and people the land of Mexico whereof they make mention in their Historie where they paint seaven caves and men comming forth of them By the supputation of their bookes it is above eight hundred yeeres since these Navatalcas came foorth of their country reducing which to our accompt was about the yeere of our Lord 720. when they left their country to come to Mexico they stayed foure score yeares vpon the way and the cause of this their long stay in their voyage was that their gods which without doubt were divells and spake visibly vnto them had perswaded them to seeke new lands that had certaine signes And therefore they came discovering the whole land to search for these tokens which their Idolls had given them and in places where they found any good dwellings they peopled it and laboured the land and as they discovered better countries they left those which they had first peopled lâ—aving still some especially the aged sicke folkes and the weary yea they did plant and build there whereof we see the remainders at this day In the way where they passed they spent fourescore yeares in this manner of leisurely travell the which they might have done in a moneth By this meanes they entred the land of Mexico in the yeare nine hundred and two after our computation How the six Linages of Navatlacas peopled the land of Mexico CHAP. 3. THese seaven Linages I have spoken of came not forth all together the first were the Suchimilcos which signifie a Nation of the seedes of flowers Those peopled the bankes of the great lake of Mexico towards the South and did build a cittie of their name and many villages Long time after came they of the second linage called Chalcas which signifies people of mouthes who also built a cittie of their name dividing their limmits and territories with the Suchimilcos The third were the Tepanecans which signifies people of the bridge they did inhabite vpon the banke of the lake towards the West and they increased so as they called the chiefe and Metropolitane of their Province AzcapuZalco which is to say an Ants nest and they continued long time mighty After them came those that peopled Tescuco which be those of Culhua which is to say a crooked people for that in their Countrey there was a mountaine much bending And in this sort this lake was invironed with these foure Nations these inhabiting on the East and the Tepanecas on the North. These of Tescuco were held for great Courtiers for their tongue and pronountiation is very sweete and pleasant Then arrived the Tlalluicans which signifies men of the Sierre or mountaine Those were the most rude and grosse of all the rest who finding all the plaines about the lake possessed even vnto the Sierre they passed to the other side of the mountaine where they found a very fertile spatious warme countrey where they built many great villages calling the Metropolitane of their province Quahunachua which is as much to say as a place that sounds the voice of an Egle which our common people call by corruption Quernavaca and at this day they call this province the Marquisate Those of the sixt generation which are the Tlascaltecans which is to say men of bread passed the mountaine towards the east crossing all the Sierre or mountaine of Menade where that famous Vulcan is betwixt Mexico and the citty of Angells where they did finde a good country making many buildings They built many townes and citties whereof the Metropolitane was called by their name Tlascala This is the nation which favoured the Spaniards at their entrie by whosâ— help they did winne this country and therefore to this day they pay no tribute but enioy a generall exemption When all these Nations peopled these countries the Chinchimecans being the antient inhabitants made no resistance but fledde and as people amazed they hid themselves in the most obscure of the rockes But those that inhabited on th' other side of the mountaine where the Tlascaltecans had planted themselves did not suffer them in quiet as the rest of the Chichimecans had done but they put themselves in defâ—nce to preserve their country and being giants as the Histories report they sought to expell the last commers but they were vanquisht by the policy of the Tlascaltecans who counterfetting a peace with them they invited them to a great banquet and when they were busiest in their drunkennes there were some laide in ambush who secretly stole away their weapons which were great clubbes targets swords of wood and other sucâ— armes Then did they sodainely set vpon them and the Chichimecas seeking to defend themselves they did want their armes so as they fled to the mountaines and forrests adioyning where they pulled downe trees as if they had beene stalkes of lettices But in the end the Tluscaltecans being armed and marching in order they defeated all the giants not leaving one alive We must not holde this of the giants to be strange or a fable for at this day we finde dead mens bones of an incredible bignes When I was in Mexico in the yeare of our Lorde one thousand five hundred eighty sixe they found one of those giants buried in one of our farmes which we call Iesus du Mont of whom they brought a tooth to be seene which without augmenting was as big as the fist of a man and according to this all the rest was proportionable which I saw and admired at his deformed greatnes The Tlascaltecans by this victory remained peaceable and so did the rest of
or terrasse which they call Tloteloli where they inhabited calling it Tlatellulco which signifies place of a terrasse This was the third division of the Mexicaines since they left their Country That of Mechovacan being the first and that of Malinalco the second Those which seperated themselves and went to Tlatellulco were famous men but of bad disposition and therefore they practised against the Mexicaines their neighbours all the ill neighbourhood they could They had alwaies quarrells against them and to this day continues their hatred and olde leagues They of Tenoxtiltan seeing them of Tlatellulco thus opposite vnto them and that they multiplied feared that in time they might surmount them heerevpon they assembled in counsell where they thought it good to choose a King whome they should obey and strike terror into their enemies that by this meanes they should bee more vnited and stronger among themselves and their enemies not presume too much against them Being thus resolved to choose a King they tooke another advise very profitable and assured to choose none among themselves for the avoyding of diffentions and to gaine by their new King some other neighbour nations by whom they were invironed being destitute of all succours All well considered both to pacifie the King of Culhuacan whom they had greatly offended having slaine and flead the daughter of his predecessor and done him so great a scorne as also to have a King of the Mexicaine blood of which generation there were many in Culhuacan which continued there since the time they lived in peace amongst them they resolved to choose for their King a yong man called Acamapixtli sonne to a great Mexicaine Prince and of a Ladie daughter to the King of Culhuacan Presently they sent Ambassadors with a great present to demand this man who delivered their Ambassage in these tearmes Great Lord we your vassalls and servants placed and shut vp in the weedes and reedes of the Lake alone and abandoned of all the Nations of the world led onely and guided by our god to the place where we are which falles in the iurisdiction of your limits of Ascapusalco and of Tescuco Although you have suffered vs to live and remaine there yet will we not neither is it reason to live without a head and lord to command correct and governe vs instructing vs in the course of our life and defending vs from our enemies Therefore we come to you knowing that in your Court and house there are children of our generation linckt and alied with yours issued from our entrailes and yours of our blood and yours among â—he which we have knowledge of a grand-child of yours and ours called Acamapixtli We beseech you therefore to give him vs for Lord we will esteeme him as hee deserves seeing hee is of the linage of the Lords of Mexico and the Kings of Culhuacan The king having consulted vppon this poynt and finding it nothing inconvenient to be alied to the Mexicaines who were valiant men made them answer that they should take his grandchilde in good time adding therevnto that if he had beene a woman hee woulde not have given her noting the foule fact before spoken of ending his discourse with these wordes Let my grand-childe go to serve your God and be his lievetenant to rule and govâ—rne his creatures by whom we live who is the Lord of night day and windes Let him goe and be Lord of the water and land and possesse the Mexicaine Nation take him in good time and vse him as my sonne and grand-child The Mexicaines gave him thanks all ioyntly desiring him to marry him with his owne hand so as he gave him to wife one of the noblest Ladies amongst them They conducted the new King and Queene with all honour possible and made him a solemne reception going all in generall foorth to see the king whom they led into pallaces which were then but meane and having seated them in royall throanes presently one of the Antients and an Orator much esteemed amongest them did rise vp speaking in this manner My sonne our Lord and King thou art welcome to this poore house and citty amongest these weedes and mudde where thy poore fathers grandfathers and kinsfolkes endure what it pleaseth the Lord of things created Remember Lord thou commâ—st hither to be the defence and support of the Mexicaine Nation and to be the resemblance of our God Vitzliputzli whervpon the charge and governement is given thee Thou knowest we are not in our country seeing the land we possesse at this day is anothers neither know we what shall become of vs to morrowe or another day Consider therefore that thou commest not to rest or recreate thy selfe but rather to indure a new charge vnder so heavie a burden wherein thou must continually labour being slave to this multitude which is fallen to thy lotte and to all this neighbour people whome thou must strive to gratifie and give them contentment seeing thou knowest we live vpon their lands and within their limites And ending hee repeated these wordes Thou art welcome thou and the Queene our Mistris to this your realme This was the speech of the old man which with other orations which the Mexicaine histories do celebrate the children did vse to learne by hart and so they were kept by tradition some of them deserve well to be reported in their proper termes The king aunswering thanked them and offered them his care and diligence in their defence aide in all he could After they gave him the othe and after their maneâ— set the royall crown vpon his head the which is like to the Crowne of the dukes of Venice the name of Acamapixtli their first king signifies a handfull of reeds and therfore they carry in their armories a hand holding many arrows of reedes Of the strange tribute the Mexicaines paied to them of Azcapuzalco CHAP. 9. THe Mexicaines happened so well in the election of their new king that in short time they grew to have some form of a common-weale and to be famous among strangers wherevpon their neighbours moved with feare practised to subdue them especially the Tapaneâ—ans who had Azcapuzalco for their metropolitane citty to whome the Mexicaines payed tribute as strangers dwelling in their land For the king of AzcapuZalco fearing their power which increased soght to oppresse the Mexicanes and having consulted with his subiects he sent to tel king Acamapixtli that the ordinary tribut they payed was too little and that from thencefoorth they should bring firre trees sapines and willowes for the building of the citty and moreover they shoulde make him a garden in the water planted with diverse kindes of hearbes and pulses which they should bring vnto him yearely by water dressed in this maner without failing which if they did not he declared them his enemies and would roote them out The Mexicaines were much troubled at this commaundement holding it impossible and that this demaund was to no other end but to
seeke occasion to ruine them But their god Vitzliputzli comforted them appearing that night to an olde man commaunding him to say to the king his sonne in his name that hee should make no difficultie to accept of this tribute he would help them and make the meanes easie which after happened for the time of tribute being come the Mexicanes carried the trees that were required and moreover a garden made and floating in the water and in it much Mays which is their corne already grained and in the eare there was also Indian pepper beetes Tomates which is a great sappy and savourie graine french pease fâ—gges gourds and many other things al ripe and in their season Such as have not seene the gardines in the lake of Mexico in the middest of the water will not beleeve it but will say it is an inchantment of the Divell whom they worship But in trueth it is a matter to be done and there hath beene often seene of these gardens floating in the water for they cast earth vpon reedes and grasse in such sort as it never wastes in the water they sowe and plant this ground so as the graine growes and ripens very well and then they remove it from place to place But it is true that to make this great garden easily and to have the fruites grow well is a thing that makes men iudge there was the worke of VitziliputZli whome otherwise they call Patillas specially having never made nor seene the like The king of Azcapuzalco wondred much when he sawe that accomplished which he held impossible saying vnto his subiects that this people had a great god that made all easie vnto them and hee sayd vnto the Mexicaines that seeing their God gave them all things perfit hee would the yeare following at the time of tribute they shoulde bring in their gardine a wilde ducke and a heron sitting on their egges in such sorte that they should hatch their yoong ones as they should arrive without failing of a minute vpon paine of his indignation The Mexicans were much troubled and heavy with this prowde and strict commaunde but their god as he was accustomed comforted them in the night by one of his priests saying that he would take all that charge vpon him willing them not to fear but beleeve that the day would come whenas the Azcapuzalcos should pay with their lives this desire of new tributes The time being come as the Mexicans carried all that was demaunded of their gardins among the reeds and weeds of the gardin they found a ducke and a heron hatching their egges and at the same instant when they arived at AzcapuZalco their yong ones were disclosed Whereat the king of AzcapuZalco wondring beyond measure he said againe to his people that these were more than humane things and that the Mexicans beganne as if they would make themselves lordes over all those provinces Yet did he not diminish the order of this tribute and the Mexicans finding not themselves mighty enough endured this subiection and slavery the space of fifty yeeres In this time the king Acamapixtli died having beautified the Citty of Mexico with many goodly buildings streets conduits of water and great aboundance of munition Hee raigned in peace and rest forty yeares having bin alwayes zealous for the good and increase of the common-weale As hee drew neare his end hee did one memorable thing that having lawfull children to whom he might leave the succession of the realme yet would he not do it but contrariwise hee spake freely to the common-weale that as they had made a free election of him so they should choose him that should seeme fittest for their good government advising them therein to have a care to the good of the common-weale and seeming grieved that he left them not freed from tribute subiection hee died having recommended his wife and children vnto them he left all his people sorowfull for his death Of the second King and what happened in his raigne CHAP. 10. THe obsequies of the dead king performed the Antients the chiefe of the realme and some part of the people assembled together to choose a King where the Antients propounded the necessitie wherein they were and that it was needefull to choose for chiefe of their citty a man that had pity of age of widows and orphans and to be a father of the commonweale for in very deede they should be the feathers of his wings the eie-browes of his eyes and the beard of his face that it was necessarie he were valiant being needefull shortly to vse their forces as their god had prophesied Their resolution in the end was to chuse a sonne of the predecessor vsing the like good office in accepting his sonne for successor as hee had done to the common-weale relying thereon This young man was called Vitzilovitli which signifieth a rich feather they set the royall crowne vpon his head and annointed him as they have beene accustomed to doe to all their Kings with an ointâ—â—nt they call Divine being the same vnction wherewith they did annoynt their Idoll Presently an Orator made an eloquent speech exhorting him to arme himselfe with courage and free them from the travells slavery and misery they suffered being oppressed by the AzcapuZalcos which done all did him homage This king was not married and his Counsell helde opinion that it was good to marry him with the daughter of the king of Azcapuzalco to have him a frind by this aliance and to obtain some diminution of their heavy burthen of tributes imposed vpon them and yet they feared lest he should disdaine to give them his daughter by reason they were his vassalls yet the king of AzcapuZalco yeelded therevnto having humbly required him who with curteous wordes gave them his daughter called Ayanchigual whom they ledde with great pompe and ioy to Mexico and performed the ceremony and solemnity of marriage which was to tie a corner of the mans cloke to a part of the womans vaile in signe of the band of marriage This Queene broght foorth a sonne of whose name they demaunded advise of the king of AzcapuZalco and casting lots as they had accustomed being greatly given to soothsayings especially vpon the names of their children he would have his grand-childe called Chimalpopoca which signifies a target casting smoke The Queene his daughter seeing the contentment the King of AzcapuZalco had of his grand-child tooke occasion to intreat him to releeve the Mexicaines of the heavy burthen of their tributes seeing he had now a grand-child Mexicaine the which the King willingly yeelded vnto by the advise of his Counsell granting for the tribute which they paid to bring yeerely a couple of duckes and some fish in signe of subiection and that they dwelt in his land The Mexicaines by this meanes remained much eased and content but it lasted little For the Queene their Protectrix died soone after and the yere following likewise Vitzilovitli the king of Mexico died
leaving his sonne Chimalpopoca tenne yeares olde hee raigned thirteene yeeres and died thirty yeeres old or little more Hee was held for a good king and carefull in the service of his gods whose Images hee held kings to be and that the honour done to their god was done to the king who was his image For this cause the kings have beene so affectionate to the service of their gods This king was carefull to winne the love of his neighbours and to trafficke with them whereby hee augmented his citty exercising his men in warrelike actions in the Lake disposing them to that which he pretended as you shall see presently Of Chimalpopoca the third king and his cruell death and the occasion of warre which the Mexicaines made CHAP. 11. THe Mexicaines for successor to their deceased king did choose his sonne Chimalpopoca by common consent although he were a child of tenne yeeres old being of opinion that it was alwayes necessary to keepe the favor of the king of AzcapuZalco making his grand-childe king They then set him in his throane giving him the ensignes of warre with a bowe and arrowes in one hand and a sword with rasours which they commonly vse in the right signifying thereby as they do say that they pretended by armes to set themselves at liberty The Mexicaines had great want of water that of the Lake being very thicke and muddy and therefore ill to drincke so as they caused their infant king to desire of his grandfather the king of Azcapuzalco the water of the mountaine of Chapultepec which is from Mexico a league as is saide before which they easely obtained and by their industry made an aqueduct of faggots weeds and flagges by the which they brought water to their citty But because the Cittie was built within the Lake and the aqueduct did crosse it it did breake forth in many places so as they could not inioy the water as they desired and had great scarcitie whervpon whether they did expresly seeke it to quarrell with the Tapanecans or that they were mooved vppon small occasion in the end they sent a resolute ambassage to the king of AzcapuZalco saying they could not vse the water which he had gratiously granted them and therefore they required him to provide them wood lime and stone and to send his workmen that by their meanes they might make a pipe of stone and lime that should not breake This message nothing pleased the king and much lesse his subiects seeming to be too presumptuous a message and purposely insolent for vassals to their Lord. The chiefe of the Counsell disdaining thereat said it was too bold that not content with permission to live in an others land and to have water given them but they would have them goe to serve them what a matter was that And whereon presumed this fugitive nation shut vp in the mud They would let them know how fit they were to worke and to abate their pride in taking from them their land and their lives In these termes and choller they left the king whom they did somwhat suspect by reason of his grandchild and consulted againe anew what they were to doe where they resolved to make a generall proclamation that no Tapanecan should have any commerce or trafficke with any Mexicaine that they should not goe to their Cittie nor receive any into theirs vpon paine of death Whereby we may vnderstand that the king did not absolutely commaund over his people and that he governed more like a Consul or a Duke than a King although since with their power the commaund of Kings increased growing absolute Tyrants as you shal see in the last Kings For it hath beene an ordinarie thing among the Barbarians that such as their power hath beene such hath beene their commaund yea in our Histories of Spaine we finde in some antient kings that manner of rule which the Tapanecans vsed Such were the first kings of the Romans but that Rome declined from Kings to Consuls and a Senate till that after they came to be commaunded by Emperours But these Barbarians of temperate Kings became tyrants of which governements a moderate monarchy is the best and most assured But returne we now vnto our historie The king of Azcapuzalco seeing the resolution of his subiects which was to kil the Mexicans intreated them first to steale away the yong king his grand-childe and afterwards do what they pleased to the Mexicans All in a manner yeelded heerevnto to give the king contentment and for pitty they had of the child but two of the chiefest were much opposite inferring that it was bad counsell for that Chimalpopoca although hee were of their bloud yet was it but by the mothers side and that the fathers was to be preferred and therefore they concluded that the first they must kill was Chimalpopoca king of Mexico protesting so to doe The king of AzcapuZalco was so troubled with this contradiction and the resolution they had taken that soone after for very griefe he fell sicke and died By whose death the Tapanâ—cans finishing their consultation committed a notable treason for one night the yong King of Mexico sleeping without guard or feare of any thing they of Azcapuzalco entred his pallace and slew him sodainly returning vnseene The morning being come when the Nobles wâ—nt to salute the King as they were accustomed they found him slaine with great and cruell wounds then they cried out and filled all their cittie with teares and transported with choller they presently fell to armes with an intent to revenge their Kings death As they ranne vppe and downe full of fury and disorder one of their chiefest knightes stept foorth labouring to appease them with a grave admonition Whither goe you saide hee O yee Mexicaines quiet your selves consider that things done without consideration arâ— not well guided nor come to good end suppresse your griefe considering that although your king be dead the noble blood of the Mexicaines is not extinct in him Wee have children of our kings deceased by whose conduct succeeding to the realme you shall the better execute what you pretend having a leader to guide your enterprise go not blindely surcease and choose a king first to guide and encourage you against your enâ—mies In the meane time dissemble discreetly performing the funeralls of your deceased king whose body you see heere present for heereafter you shall finde better meanes to take revâ—nge By this meanes the Mexicans passed no farther but stayed to make the obsequies of their King wherevnto they invited the Lords of Tescuco and Culhuacan reporting vnto them this foule and cruell fact which the Tapanecans had committed moving them to have pitty on them and incensing them against their ennemies concluding that their resolution was to die or to bee revenged of so great an indignitie intreating them not to favour so vniust a fact of their enemies and that for their part they desired not their aide of armes or men but onely to
bee lookers on of what should passe and that for their maintenance they would not stoppe nor hinder the comerce as the Tapanecans had done At these speeches they of Tescuco and Culhuacan made them great shewes of good will and that they were well satisfied offâ—ing them their citties and all the commerce they desired that they might provide vittaile and munition at their pleasure both by land water After this the Mexicanes intreated them to stay with them and assist at the election of their King the which they likewise granted to give them contentment Of the fourth King called Izcoalt and of the warre against the Tapanecans CHAP. 12. THe Electors being assembled an old man that was held for a great Orator rose vp who as the histories report spake in this manner The light of your eyes O Mâ—xicaines is darkened but not of your hearts for although you have lost him that was the light and guide of the Mexicaine Common-weale yet that of the heart remaines to consider that although they have slaine one man yet there are others that may supply with advantage the want we have of him the Mexicaine Nobilitie is not extinguished thereby nor the blood royall decaied Turne your eyes and looke about you you shall see the Nobilitie of Mexico set in order not one nor two but many and excellent Princes sonnes to Acamapixtli our true and lawfull King and Lord. Heere you may choose at your pleasure saying I will this man and not that If you have lost a father heere you may finde both father and mother make account O Mexicaines that the Sunne is eclipsed and darkened for a time and will returne suddenly If Mexico hath beene darkened by the death of your King the Sun will soone shew in choosing another King Looke to whom and vpon whom you shall cast your eyes and towards whom your heart is inclined and this is hee whoâ— your god Vitzliputzli hath chosen And continuing a while this discourse he ended to the satisfaction of all men In the end by the consent of this Counsell Izcoalt was chosen King which signifies a snake of rasors who was sonne to the first King Acamapixtli by a slave of his and although he were not legitimate yet they made choyce of him for that he exceeded the rest in behaviour valour and magnanimitie of courage All seemed very well satisfied and above all these of Tescuco for their king was mâ—rried to a sister of Iscoalts After the King had beene crowned and set in his royall seat another Orator stept vp discoursing how the king was bound to his Common-weale and of the courage he ought to shew in travell speaking thus Bâ—hold this day we depend on thee it may be thou wilt let fall the burthen that lies vpon thy souldiers and suffer the old man and woman the orphlin and the widowe to perish Take pittie of the infants that go creeping in the ayre who must perish if our enemies surmount vs vnfold then and stretch forth thy cloake my Lord to beare these infants vpon thy shoulders which be the poore and the common people who live assured vnder the shadowe of thy wings and of thy bountie Vttering many other words vpon this subiect the which as I have said they learne by heart for the exercise of their children and after did teach them as a lesson to those that beganne to learne the facultie of Orators In the meane time the Tapanecans were resolute to destroy the Mexicaines and to this end they had made great preparations And therefore the new King tooke counsell for the proclaiming of warre and to fight with those that had so much wronged them But the common people seeing their adversaries to exceede them farre in numbers and munition for the warre they came amazed to their King pressing him not to vndertake so dangerous a warre which would destroy their poore Cittie and Nation wherevpon being demaunded what advise were fittest to take they made answer that the King of AzcapuZalco was very pittifull that they should demand peace and offer to serve him drawing them forth those marshes and that he should give them houses and lands among his subiects that by this meanes they might depend all vppon one Lord. And for the obtaining heereof they should carry their god in his litter for an intercessor The cries of the people were of such force having some Nobles that approved their opinion as presently they called for the Priests preparing the litter and their god to performe the voyage As this was preparing and every one yeelded to this treatie of peace and to subiect themselves to the Tapanecans a gallant yong man and of good sort stept out among the people who with a resolute countenance spake thus vnto them What meanâ—s this O yee Mexicaines are yee mad How hath so great cowardise crept in among vs Shall we go and yeeld our selves thus to the Azcapuzalcans Then turning to the King he said How now my Lord will you endure this Speake to the people that they may suffer vs to finde out some meanes for our honour and defence and not to yeelde our selves so simply and shamefully into the hands of our enemies This yong man was called Tlacaellec nephew to the King he was the most valiant Captaine and greatest Counsellor that ever the Mexicaines had as you shall see heereafter Izcoalt incouraged by that his nephew had so wisely spoken retained the people saying they should first suffer him to try another better meanes Then turning towards his Nobilitie he said vnto them You are all heere my kinsmen and the best of Mexico hee that hath the courage to carrie a message to the Tapanecans let him rise vp They looked one vpon another but no man stirred nor offered himselfe to the word Then this yong man Tlacaellec rising offered himselfe to go saying that seeing he must die it did import little whether it were to day or to morrow for what reason should he so carefully preserve himselfe he was therefore readie let him command what he pleased And although all held this for a rash attempt yet the King resolvâ—d to send him that he might thereon vnderstand the will and disposition of the King of Azcapuzalco and of his people holding it better to hasten his nephâ—ws death then to hazard the honour of his Comâ—on-weale Tlacaelies being ready tooke his way and being come to the guards who had commandement to kill any Mexicaines that came towards them by cunning or otherwise he pâ—rswaded them to suffer him to passe to the king who wondered to see him and hearing his ambassage which was to demand peace of him vnder honâ—st conditions answered that hee would impart it to his subiects willing him to returne the next day for his answer then Tlacaâ—llec demanded a pasport yet could he not obtaine any but that he should vse his best skill With this he returned to Mexico giving his words to the guards to returne And although the King
of Azcapuzalco desired peace being of a milde disposition yet his subiects did so incense him as his answer was open warre The which being heard by the messenger he did all his King commanded him declaring by this ceremony to give armes and anointing the King with the vnction of the dead that in his Kings behalfe he did defie him Having ended all the King of Azcapuzalco suffering himselfe to be anointed and crowned with feathers giving goodly armes in recompence to the messenger wishing him not to returne by the pallace gate whereas many attended to cut him in peeces but to go out secretly by a little false posterne that was open in one of the courts of the Pallace This yong man did so and turning by secret waies got away in safetie in sight of the guards and there defied them saying Tapanecans and Azcapuzalcans you do your office ill vnderstand you shall all die and not one Tapanecan shall remaine alive In the meane time the guardes fell vpon him where he behaved him selfe so valiantly that hee â—lew some of them and seeing many more of them come running hee retyred himselfe gallantly to the Cittie where he brought newes that warre was proclaimed with the Tapanecans and that hee had defied their King Of the battell the Mexicaines gave to the Tapanecans and of the viâ—torie they obtained CHAP. 13. THe defie being knowne to the Commons of Mexico they came to the king according to their accustomed cowardise demaunding leave to departe the Citty holding their raigne certaine The king didde comfort and incourage them promising to give them libertie if they vanquished their enemies willing them not to feare The people replied And if we be vanquished what shall we doe If we be overcome aunswered the king we will be bound presently to yeeld our selves into your hands to suffer death eate our flesh in your dishes and be revenged of vs. It shall be so then saide they if you loose the victorie and if you obtaine the victorie we do presently offer our selves to be your Tributaries to labour in your houses to sowe your ground to carrie your armes and baggage when you goe to the warres for ever wee and our descendants after vs. These accordes made betwixt the people and the nobilitie which they did after fully performe eyther willingly or by constraint as they had promised the king namd for his captain generall Tlacaellec the whole campe was put in order and into squadrons giving the places of captaines to the most valiant of his kinsfolkes and friends then did hee make them a goodly speech whereby he did greatly incorage them being now wel prepared charging all men to obey the commaundement of the Generall whome he had appoynted he divided his men into two partes commanding the most valiant and hardie to give the first charge with him that all the rest should remaine with the king Izcoalt vnâ—il they should see the first assaile their enemies Marching then in order they were discovered by them of Azcapuzalco who presently came furiously foorth the citty carrying great riches of gold silver and armes of great value as those which had the empire of all that country IZcoalt gave the signall to battaile with a little drumme he carried on his shoulders and presently they raised a general showt crying Mexico Mexico they charged the Tapanecans and although they were farre more in number yet did they defeate them and force them to retire into their Cittie then advaunced they which remained behinde crying Tlacaellec victorie victorie all sodainely entred the Citty where by the Kings commandement they pardoned not any man no not olde men women nor children for they slew them all and spoyled the Citty being very rich And not content heerewith they followed them that fled and were retired into the craggy rocks of the Sierres or neere mountaines striking and making a great slaughter of them The Tapanecans being retired to a mountaine cast downe their armes demaunding their lives and offering to serve the Mexicans to give them lands and gardins stone lime and timber and to hold them alwayes for their Lordes Vpon this condition Tlacaellâ—c retired his men and ceased the battell graunting them their lives vpon the former conditions which they did solemnely sweare Then they returnâ—d to AzcapuZalco and so with their rich and victorious spoiles to the cittie of Mexico The day following the king assembled the nobilitie and the people to whom he laid open the accord the Commons had made demaunding of them if they were content to persist therin the Commons made answer that they had promised and they had well deserved it and therfore they were content to serve them perpetually Wherevpon they tooke an othe which since they have kept without contradiction This done IZcoalt returned to Azcapuzalco by the advise of his counsell he divided all the lands goods of the conquered among the conquerours the chiefest part fell to the King then to Tlacaellec and after to the rest of the Nobles as they best deserved in the battell They also gave land to some plebeians having behaved themselves valiantly to others they distributed the pillage making small account of them as of cowardes They appointed lands in common for the quarters of Mexico to every one his part for the service and sacrifices of their gods This was the order which after they alwayes kept in the division of the lands and spoyles of those they had vanquished and subdewed By this meanes they of AzcapuZalco remained so poore as they had no lands left them to labor and which was worse they tooke their king from them all power to chuse any other then him of Mexico Of the warre and victory the Mexicans had against the Cittie of Cuyoacan CHAP. 14. ALthough the chiefe Cittie of the Tapanecans was that of AzcapuZalco yet had they others with their private Lordes as Tâ—cuba and Cuyoacan These seeing the storme passed would gladly that they of Azcapuzalco had renewed the warre against the Mexicans and seeing them danted as a nation wholy broken and defeated they of Cuyoacan resolved to make warre by themselves to the which they laboured to draw the other neighbor nations who would not stirre nor quarrell with the Mexicans In the meane time the hatred and malice increasing they of Cuyoacan beganne to ill intreate the women that went to their markets mocking at them and doing the like to the men over whom they had power for which cause the king of Mexico defended that none of his should goe to Cuyoacan and that they should receive none of them into Mexico the which made them of Cuyoacan resolve wholy to warre but first they would provoke them by some shamefull scorne which was that having invited them to one of their solemne feasts after they had made them a goodly banquet and feasted them with a great daunce after their manner they sent them for their fruite womens apparell forcing them to put it on and so to returne home
subdued the city of Cuitlavaca with children the news and consideration whereof opened the eyes of those of Tescâ—co a chiefe and very cunning Nation for their manner of life So as the king of Tescuco was first of opinion that they should subiect themselves to the king of Mexico and invite him therevnto with his cittie Therefore by the advise of his Counsell they sent Ambassadors good Orators with honorable presents to offer themselves vnto the Mexicans as their subiects desiring peace and amitie which was gratiously accepted but by the advise of Tlacaellec he vsed a ceremony for the effecting thereof which was that those of Tescuco should come forth armed against the Mexicans where they should fight and presently yeelde which was an act and ceremony of warre without any effusion of bloud on either side Thus the king of Mexico became soveraigne Lord of Tescuco but hee tooke not their king from them but made him of his privie counsell so as they have alwayes maintained themselves in this manner vntill the time of Motecuma the second during whose raigne the Spaniards entred Having subdued the land and citty of Tescuco Mexico remained Lady and Mistris of all the landes and citties about the Lake where it is built Izcoalt having enioyed this prosperitie and raigned twelve yeeres died leaving the realme which had beene given him much augmented by the valour and counsell of his nephew Tlacaellec as hath afore beene saide who held it best to choose an other king then himselfe as shall heereafter be shewed Of the fift King of Mexico called Moteçuma the first of that name CHAP. 16. FOrasmuch as the election of the new King belonged to foure chiefe Electors as hath been said and to the King of Tescuco and the King of Tacubu by especiall priviledge Tlacaellec assembled these six personages as he that had the soveraigne authoritie and having propounded the matter vnto them they made choise of Moteçuma the first of that name nephew to the same Tlacaellec His election was very pleasing to them all by reason whereof they made most solemne feasts and more stately then the former Presently after his election they conducted him to the Temple with a great traine where before the divine harth as they call it where there is continuall fire they set him in his royall throne putting vpon him his royall ornaments Being there the King drew blood from his eares and legges with a griffons tallents which was the sacrifice wherein the divell delighted to be honoured The Priests Antients and Captaines made their orations all congratulating his election They were accustomed in their elections to make great feasts and dances where they wasted many lightes In this Kings time the custome was brought in that the King should go in person to make warre in some province and bring captives to solemnize the feast of his coronation and for the solemne sacrifices of that day For this cause King Moteçuma went into the province of Chalco who had declared themselves his enemies from whence having fought valiantly he brought a great number of captives whereof he did make a notable sacrifice the day of his coronation although at that time he did not subdue all the province of Chalco being a very warlike nation Many came to this coronation from divers provinces as well neere as farre off to see the feast at the which all commers were very bountifully entertained and clad especially the poore to whom they gave new garments For this cause they brought that day into the Cittie the Kings tributes with a goodly order which consisted in stuffes to make garments of all sorts in Cacao gold silver rich feathers great burthens of cotten cucumbers sundry sortes of pulses many kindes of sea fish and of the fresh water great store of fruites and venison without number not reckoning an infinite number of presents which other kings and Lords sent to the new king All this tribute marched in order according to the provinces and before them the stewards and receivers with divers markes and ensignes in very goodly order so as it was one of the goodliest things of the feast to see the entry of the tribute The King being crowned he imploied himselfe in the conquest of many provinces and for that he was both valiant and vertuous hee still increased more and moâ—e vsing in all his affaires the counsell and industry of his generall Tlacaellec whom he did alwaies love and esteeme very much as hee had good reason The warre wherein hee was most troubled and of greatest difficultie was that of the province of Chalco wherein there happened great matters whereof one was very remarkable which was that they of Chalcas had taken a brother of Moteçumaâ—s in the warres whome they resolved to choose for their king asking him very curteously if he would accept of this charge He answered after much importunity still persisting therein that if they meant plainely to choose him for their king they should plant in the market place a tree or very high stake on the toppe whereof they should make a little scaffold and meanes to mount vnto it The Chalcas supposing it had beene some ceremony to make himselfe more apparent presently effected it then assembling all his Mexicaines about the stake he went to the toppe with a garland of flowers in his hand speaking to his men in this maner O valiant Mexicaines these men will choose mee for their King but the gods will not permit that to be a King I should committee any treason against my countrie but contrariwise I wil that you learne by me that it behoveth vs rather to indure death then to ayde our enemies Saying these words he cast himselfe downe and was broken in a thousand peeces at which spectacle the Chalcas had so great horror and dispits that presently they fell vpon the Mexicaines and slew them all with their launces as men whom they held too prowde and inexorable saying they had divelish hearts It chanced the night following they heard two owles making a mornefull cry which they did interpret as an vnfortunate signe and a presage of their neere destruction as it succeeded for King Moteçuma went against them in person with all his power where he vanquished them and ruined all their kingdome and passing beyond the mountaine Meâ—ade hee conquered still even vnto the North sea Then returning towards the South sea hee subdued many provinces so as he became a mighty King all by the helpe and counsell of Tlacaellec who in a manner conquered all the Mexicaine nation Yet hee held an opinion the which was confirmed that it was not behoovefull to conquer the province of Tlascalla that the Mexicaines might have a fronter enemy to keepe the youth of Mexico in exercise and allarme and that they might have numbers of captives to sacrifice to their idols wherein they did waste as hath beene said infinite numbers of men which should bee taken by force in the warres The honour must be given to
aiding himselfe with his best iudgement being therevnto bound by the duetie and charge of a king Who will likewise beleeve that the great courage which thou hast alwaies valiantly shewed in matters of importance shuld now faile thee in matters of greatest need Who will not perswade himselfe but the Mexicane Empire is come to the height of their soveraignetie seeing the Lorde of things created hath imparted so great graces vnto thee that with thy looke onelie thou breedest admiration in them that beholde thee Reioyce then O happy land to whom the Creator hath given a Prince as a firme pillar to support thee which shall be thy father and thy defence by whom thou shalt be succoured at neede who wil be more than a brother to his subiects for his pietie and clemencie Thou hast a king who iâ— regard of his estate is not inclined to delights or will lie stretched out vpon his bed occupied in pleasures and vices but contrariwise in the middest of his sweete and pleasant sleepe hee will sodainely awake for the care he must have over thee and will not feele the taste of the most savourie â—eates having his spirites transported with the imagination of thy good Tell me then O happie realme if I have not reason to saie that 〈◊〉 oughtest reioyce having found such a King And thâ—â—â—â—ble Yong man and our most mightie Lorde be confident and of â— good courage that seeing the Lorde of things created hath given thee this charge hee will also give thee forâ—â— and courage to mannage it and thou maiest well hope thâ—â— he which in times past hath vsed so great bountie towardes thee wil not now denie thee his greater gifts seeing he hath given thee so great a charge which I wish thee to enioy maâ—â— yeares King Moteçuma was very attentive to this Discourse which being ended they say he was so troubled that indevouring thrice to answer him hee could not speake being overcome with teares which ioy and content doe vsually cause in signe of great humilitie In the end being come to himselfe he spake brieâ—ly I were too blinde good king of Tescuco if I didde not know that what thou hast spoken vnto me proceeded of meere favour it pleaseth you to shew me seeing among so mâ—nie noble valiant men within this realme you have made châ—â—â—â— of the leâ—st sufficient and in trueth I finde my selfe so incapable of a charge of so great importance that I know not what to doe but to beseech the Creator of all created things that hee will favour mee and I intreate you all to pray vnto him for me These wordes vttered hee beganne againe to weepe How Moteçuma ordered the service of his house and of the warre hee made for his coronation CHA. 21 HE that in his election made such shew of humilitie and mildenes seeing himselfe king beganne presently to discover his aspiring thoughts The first was he commaunded that no plebeian should serve in his house nor beare any royall office as his predecesfours had vsed till then blaming them that would be served by men of base condition commaunding that all the noble and most famous men of his realme shoulde live within his pallace and exercise the offices of his court and house Wherevnto an olde man of great authoritie who had sometimes beene his Schoolemaister opposed himselfe advising him to be carefull what hee did and not to thrust himselfe into the danger of a great inconvenience in separating himselfe from the vulgare and common people so as they should not dare to looke him in the face seeing themselves so reiected by him He answered that it was his resolution and that he would not allow the plebeians to goe thus mingled among the Nobles as they had do one saying that the service they did was according to their condition so as the kings got no reputation and thus he continued firme in his resolution Hee presently commanded his counsell to dismisse all the plebâ—ians from their charges and offices as well those of his houshold as of his court and to provide Knightes the which was done After he went in person to an enterprise necessary for his coronation At that time a province lying farre off towards the North Ocean was revolted from the crowne whether he led the flower of his people well appointed There hee warred with such valour and dexteritie that in the end he subdued all the province and punished the rebells severely returning with a great number of captives for the sacrifices and many other spoiles All the cities made him solemne receptions at his returne and the Lords thereof gave him water to wash performing the offices of servants a thing not vsed by any of his predecessors Such was the feare and respect they bare him In Mexico they made the feasts of his coronation with great preparations of dances comedies banquets lights and other inventions for many daies And there came so great a wealth of tributes from all his countries that strangers vnknowne came to Mexico and their very enemies resorted in great numbers disguised to see these feasts as those of Tlascalla and Mechovacan the which Moteçuma having discovered he commanded they should be lodged and gently intreated and honoured as his own person He also made them goodly galleries like vnto his owne where they might see and behold the feasts So they entred by night to those feasts as the king himselfe making their sportes and maskes And for that I have made mention of these provinces it shall not be from the purpose to vnderstand that the inhabitants of Mechovacan Tlascalla and Tapeaca would never yeelde to the Mexicans but did alwaies fight valiantly against them yea sometimes the Mechovacans did vanquish the Mexicans as also those of Tapeaca did In which place the Marquise Don Ferrand Cortes after that he and the Spaniards were expelled Mexico pretended to build their first cittie the which he called as I well remember Segura de la Frontiere But this peopling continued little for having afterwards reconquered Mexico all the Spaniards went to inhabite there To conclude those of Tapeaca Tlascalla and Mechovacan have beene alwaies enemies to the Mexicans although Motoçuma said vnto Cortes that he did purposesy forbeare to subdue them to have occasion to exercise his men of warre and to take numbers of captives Of the behaviour and greatnes of Moteçuma CHAP. 22. THis King laboured to be respected yea to be worshiped as a god No Plebeian might looke him in the face if he did he was punished with death hee did never set his foote on the ground but was alwaies carried on the shoulders of Noblemen and if he lighted they laid rich tapestry whereon he did go When hee made any voyage hee and the Noblemen went as it were in a parke compassed in for the nonce and the rest of the people went without the parke invironing it in on every side hee never put on a garment twice nor did eate or drinke in one vessell
some occasions many complaints griefs and iealosies grew on either side The which Cortes finding that the Indians mindes began to be distracted from them he thought it necessary to assure himself in laying hand vpon king Moteçuma who was seazed on and his legs fettered Truly this act was strange vnto all men like vnto that other of his to have burnt his ships and shut himselfe in the midst of his enemies there to vanquish or to die The mischiefe was that by reason of the vnexpected arrival of Pamphilo Narvaes at the true crosse drawing the country into mutiny Cortes was forced to absent himselfe from Mexico to leave poore Motecuma in the handes of his companions who wanted discretion nor had not moderation like vnto him so as they grew to that discention as there was no meanes to pacifie it Of the death of Moteçuma and the Spaniards departure out of Mexico CHAP. 26. WHenas Cortes was absent from Mexico he that remained his lievetenant resolved to punish the Mexicans severely causing a great number of the nobilitie to be slaine at a maske which they made in the pallace the which did so far exceede as all the people mutined in a furious rage tooke armes to be revenged and to kil the Spaniards They therefore besieged them in the pallace pressing them so neere that all the hurt the Spaniards could do them with their artillery and crosse-bowes might not terrifie them nor force them to retyre from their enterprise where they continued many daies stopping their victualls nor suffering any one to enter or issue forth They did fight with stones and cast dartes after their maner with a kinde of lances like vnto arrowes in the which there are foure or six very sharpe rasors the which are such as the histories report that in these warres an Indian with one blow of these rasors almost cut off the necke of a horse as they did one day fight with this resolution furie the Spaniards to make them cease shewed forth Motâ—cuma with another of the chiefe Lords of Mexico vpon the top of a platform of the house covered with the targets of two souldiers that were with them The Mexicanes seeing their Lord Moteçuma staied with great silence Then Moteçuma caused the Lord to advise them to pacifie themselves and not to warre against the Spaniards seeing that hee being a prisoner it could little profite him The which being vnderstood by a yong man called Quicuxtemoc whom they now resolved to make their king spake with a loude voice to Moteçuma willing him to retyre like a villaine that seeing he had bin such a coward as to suffer himselfe to be taken they were no more bound to obey him but rather should punish him as he deserued calling him woman for the more reproach and then hee beganne to draw his bowe and to shoote at him and the people beganne to cast stones at him to continue their combate Many say that Motecuma was then hurt with a stone wherof he died The Indians of Mexico affirme the contrarie that he died as I will shew hereafter Alvaro the rest of the Spaniards seeing themselves thus pressed gave intelligence to Captaine Cortes of the great danger they were in who having with an admirable dexteritie valour given order to Narvaes affaires and assembled the greatest part of his men he returned with all speede to succour them of Mexico where observing the time the Indians rest for it was their custom in war to rest every fourth day He one day advanced with great policy courage so as both he and his men entred the pallace whereas the Spaniards had fortefied themselves they then shewed great signes of ioy in discharging their artillery But as the Mexicans furie increased being out of hope to defend themselves Cortes resolved to passe away secretly in the night without bruite Having therefore made bridges to passe two great and dangerous passages about mid-night they issued forth as secretly as they could the greatest part of his people having passed the first bridge they were discovered by an Indian woman before they could passe The second who cried out their enemies fled at the which voice all the people ran together with a horrible furie so as in passing the second bridge they were so charged and pursued as there remained above three hundred men slaine hurt in one place where at this day there is a smal hermitage which they vnproperly cal of Martyrs Many Spaniards to preserve the gold iewells which they had gotten perished others staying to carry it away were taken by the Mexicans cruelly sacrificed to their idols The Mexicans found king Moteçuma dead wounded as they say with poiniards and they hold opinion that that night the Spaniards shew him with other Noblemen The Marquise in his relation sent to the Emperour writes the contrary that the Mexicans killed him that night with a son of Moteçuma which he led with him amongst other noblemen saying that all the treasure of gold stones and silver fell into the lake was never more seene But howsoever Moteçuma died miserably paied his deserts to the iust iudgement of our Lord of heaven for his pride tyranny his body falling into the Indians power they would make him no obsequies of a king no not of an ordinarie person but cast it away in great disdaine rage A servant of his having pittie of this Kings miserie who before had bene feared and worshipped as a God made a fier thereof and put the ashes in a contemptible place Returning to the Spaniards that escaped they were greatly tyred and turmoiled the Indians following them two or three daies very resolutely giving them no time of rest being so distressed for victualls as a few graines of Mays were divided amongst them for their meate The relations both of the Spaniards Indians agree that God delivered them here miraculously the Virgin Mary defending them on a little hill whereat this day three leagues from Mexico there is a Church built in remembrance thereof called our Lady of succour They retyred to their antient friends of Tlascalla whence by their aide the valour pollicie of Cortes they returned afterwards to make war against Mexico by water and land with an invention of brigantines which they put into the lake where after many combates and above threescore dangerous battailes they conquered Mexco on S. Hippolitus day the 13. of August 1521. The last king of the Mexicans having obstinately maintained the wars was in the end taken in a great canoe whereinto he fled who being brought with some other of the chiefest noblemen before Fernando Cortes this pettie king with a strange resolution and courage drawing his dagger came neere to Cortes and said vnto him Vntill this day I have done my best indevour for the defence of my people now am I no farther bound but to give thee this dagger to kill me therewith Cortes answered
remedy and all they finde is to stoppe their noses their eares and their mouthes as much as may be and to cover themselves with cloathes especially the stomacke for that the ayre is subtile and piercing going into the entrailes and not onely men feele this alteration but also beasts that sometimes stay there so as there is no spurre can make them goe forward For my part I holde this place to be one of the highest parts of land in the worlde for we mount a wonderfull space And in my opinion the mountaine Nâ—vade of Spaine the Pirences and the Alpes of Italie are as ordinarie houses in regarde of hie Towers I therefore perswade my selfe that the element of the aire is there so subtile and delicate as it is not proportionable with the breathing of man which requires a more grosse and temperate aire and I beleeve it is the cause that doth so much alter the stomacke trouble all the disposition The passages of the mountaines Nâ—vade and other of Europe which I have seene although the aire be colde there and doth force men to weare more clothes yet this colde doth not take away the appetite from meate but contrariwise it provokes neyther dooth it cause any casting of the stomacke but onely some paine in the feete and handes Finally their operation is outward But that of the Indies whereof I speake without molesting of foote or hand or any outward parte troubles all the entrailes within and that which is more admirable when the sunne is hote which maketh mee imagine that the griefe wee feele comes from the qualitie of the aire which wee breathe Therefore that is most subtile and delicate whose colde is not so sensible as piercing All this ridge of mountains is for the most part desart without any villages or habitations for men so as you shall scarce finde any small cotages to lodge such as do passe by night there are no beasts good or bad but some Vicunos which are their countrey muttons and have a strange and wonderfull property as I shall shew in his place The grasse is often burnt and all blacke with the aire and this desart runnes five and twenty or thirty leagues overthwart and in length above five hundred leagues There are other desarts or places inhabited which at Peru they call Punas speaking of the second poynt we promised where the quallitie of the ayre cutteth off mans life without feeling In former time the Spaniardes went from Peru to the realme of Chille by this mountaine but at this day they do passe commonly by sea and sometimes alongst the side of it And though that way be laborious and troublesome yet is there not so great daunger as by the mountaine where there are Plaines on the which many men have perished and died and sometimes have scaped by great happe whereof some have remained lame There runs a small breath which is not very strong nor violent but proceedes in such sorte that men fall downe dead in a manner without feeling or at the least they loose their feete and handes the which may seeme fabulous yet is it most true I have knowne and frequented long the Gennerall Ierome Costilla the auntient peopler of Cusco who had lost three or foure toes which fell off in passing the desart of Chille being perished with this aire and when he came to looke on them they were dead and fell off without any paine even as a rotten Apple falleth from the tree This Captaine reported that of a good army which hee had conducted by that place in the former yeeres since the discoverie of this kingdome by Almagro a great part of the men remained dead there whose bodies he found lying in the desart without any stink or corruption adding thervnto one thing very strange that they found a yong boy alive and being examined how hee had lived in that place hee saide that hee laie hidden in a little cave whence hee came to cutte the flesh of a dead horse with a little knife and thus had he nourished himselfe a long time with I know not how many companions that lived in that sort but now they were all dead one dying this day and another to morrow saying that hee desired nothing more then to die there with the rest seeing that he found not in himselfe any disposition to goe to any other place nor to take any taste in any thing I have vnderstoode the like of others and particularly of one that was of our company who being then a Secular man had passed by these desarts and it is a strange thing the qualitie of this colde aire which killes and also preserves the dead bodies without corruption I have also vnderstoode it of a reverend religious man of the Order of Saint Dominike and Prelate thereof who hadde seene it passing by the desarts and which is strange hee reported that travelling that way by night was forced to defend himselfe against that deadly winde which blowes there having no other meanes but to gather together a great number of those dead bodies that lay there and made therof as it were a rampire and a bolster for his head in this manner did he sleepe the dead bodies giving him life Without doubt this is a kinde of cold so piercing that it quencheth the vitall heate cutting off his influence and being so exceeding colde yet doth not corrupt nor give any putrifaction to the dead bodies for that putrifaction groweth from heate and moystnesse As for the other kinde of ayre which thunders vnder the earth and causeth earthquakes more at the Indies then in any other Regions I wil speake thereof in treating the qualities of the land at the Indies We wil content our selves now with what wee have spoken of the wind and aire and passe to that which is to be spokâ—n of the water Of the Ocean that invirons the Indies and of the North and South Seas CHAP. 10. AMongst all waters the Ocean is the principall by which the Indies have beene discovered and are invironed therewith for either they be Ilands of the Ocean sea or maine land the which wheresoever it ends is bounded with this Ocean To this day they have noâ— discovered at the Indies any mediterranian sea as in Europe Asia and Affrike into the which there enters some arme of this great sea and makes distinct seas taking their names from the Provinces they bathe and almost all the mediterranean Seas continue and ioyne together and with the Ocean itselfe by the straight of Gibraltar which the Ancients called the Pillers of Hercules although the red sea being separated from the mediterranean seas enters alone into the Indian Ocean and the Caspian sea ioynes not with any other so that at the Indies wee finde not anie other sea then this Ocean which they divide into two the one they call the north sea and the other the south for that the Indies which were first discovered by the Ocean and reacheth vnto Spaine
of aboundance to be there and yet vnto this day they have not conquered that Land The Emeralds grow in stones like vnto cristall I have seene them in the same stone fashioned like a veine and they seeme by little and little to thicken and refine I have seene some that were halfe white and halfe greene others all white and some greene and very perfite I have seene some of the bignesse of a nut and there have bin some greater found but I have not knowen that in our time they have found any of the form and bignesse of the platt or iewel they have at Genes the which they esteeme and with reason to be a iewell of great price and no relique yet without comparison the Emerald which Theophrastus speakes of which the King of Babilon presented to the King of Egypt surpasseth that of Genes it was foure cubites long and three broade and they say that in Iupiters Temple there was a needle or pyramide made of foure Emeralds stones of forty cubits long and in some places foure broade and in others two and that in his time there was in Tir in Hercules Temple a pillar of an Emerald It may be as Plinie saieth it was of some greene stone somewhat like to the Emerald and they called it a false Emerald As some will say that in the Cathedrall Church of Cordoü◠there are certaine pillars of Emeraldes which remaine since it was a Mesquite for the Kings Miramamolins Moores which raigned there In the fleete the yeare one thousand five hundred eighty and seven in the which I came from the Indies they brought twoo chests of Emeraldes every one weighing at the least foure Arobes whereby wee may see the aboundaunce they have The holy Scripture commends these Emeralds as pretious iewells they number them amongest the pretious stones which the hie Priest carried on his Ephod or breast-plate as those which did beautifie the walles of the heavenly Ierusalem Of Pearles CHAP. 15. NOw that we intreat of the great riches that comes from the Indies it were no reason to forgette the Pearle which the Ancients called Marguerites and at the first were in so great estimation as none but royall persons were suffered to weare them but at this day there is such aboundance as the Negres themselves do weare chaines thereof they growe in shells or oysters in eating whereof I have found pearles in the middest of them These oisters within are of the colour of heaven very lively In some places they make spoones the which they call mother of Pearle The pearles do differ much informe in bignes figure colour and polishing so likewise in their price they differ much Some they call Ave Mariaes being like the small graines of beades others are Pater nosters being bigger Seldome shall you finde two of one greatnesse forme and colour For this reason the Romans as Pliny writeth called them Vnions Whenas they doe finde two that are alike in all poyntes they raise the price much especially for carerings I have seene some payres valued at thousands of ducats although they were not like to Cleopatraes two pearles whereof Pliny reportes either of them being woorth a hundred thousand ducats with the which this foolish Queene wonne a wager she hadde made against Marc Anthony to spend in one supper above an hundred thousand ducats so at the last course shee dissolved one of these pearles in strong vineger dranke it vp They say the other pearle was cutt in two and placed in the Pantheon at Rome at th'â—ares of the image of Venus Esope reportes of Clovis the sonne of a Comedian who in a banquet presented to every one of his ghests amongest other meates a rich pearle dissolved in vineger to make his feast the more royall and sumptuous These were the follies of those ages and those at this day are nothing lesse for that we see not onely hattes and bandes but also buskins and womens pantofles yea of base condition imbrodred all over with pearle They fish for pearles in diverse partes of the Indies the greatest aboundaunce is in the south Seas neere vnto Panama where the Ilandes of pearles be as they call them But at this day they finde greatest store and the best in the north Sea the which is neare to the rive of Hatch I did see them make their fishing the which is done with great charge labor of the poore slaves which dive sixe nine yea twelve fadomes into the sea to seeke for oysters the which commonly are fastened to the rockes and gravell in the Sea they pull them vp and bring them above the water to their canoes where theâ— open them drawing forth the treasure they have within them The water of the Sea in this parte is verie colde but yet the labor and toile is greatest in holding of their breath sometimes a quarter yea halfe an houre together being vnder the water at their fishing And to the end these poore slaves may the better continue and holde their breaths they feede them with drie meates and that in small quantitie so as covetousnesse makes them abstaine and fast thus against their willes They imploy their pearles to diverse workes and they pierce them to make chaines whereof there is great store in every place In the yeere of our Lorde one thousand five hundred eighty one I did see the note of what came from the Indies for the King there were eighteen maces of pearle besides three caskets and for particulars there were twelve hundred threescore and foure marks and besides them seaven caskets not pierced which heeretofore we would have esteemed and helde for a lie Of the Indian Bread and of Mays CHAP. 16. IN our discourse of Plants wee will beginne with those which are proper and peculiar to the Indies and after with the rest that are common to the Indies and Europe and forasmuch as plants were chiefly created for the nourishment of man and that the chiefe whereof he takes his nourishment is bread it shall be good to shew what bread the Indians vse and whereon they live for want thereof They have as we have heere a proper name whereby they note and signifie bread which at Peru they call Tanta and in other places by another name But the qualitie and substance of the bread the Indians vse differs much from ours for we finde not they had any kinde of wheat or barly nor any other kinde of graine which they vse in Europe â—o make bread withall insteede whereof they vsed other kindes of graines and rootes amongst the which Mays holds the first place and with reason in Castile they call it Indian wheat and in Italie they call it Turkey graine And even as wheat is the most common graine for the vse of man in the regions of the old world which are Europe Asia and Affrike So in the new found worlde the most common graine is Mays the which is found almost in all the kingdomes of the West