clymat zone or paralegie it be aswel of the sea costes Ilandes and mayne land the temperatnesse of the ayre the forme and maner of liuing of the inhabitants the forme and propertie of beasts of the earth and of the sea also of trees and roots with their frutes mines and precious stones shewing it liuely and truely as neare as is possible As touching the reste I wold thinke my selfe happie if that it would please you to accepte and receiue this my little labor with as willing a heart as I doe present it as for the rest I am assured that it wil be agreable if the Reader thinke well and way in his minde the long and dangerous peregrination that I haue taken in hand for to see with the eye to bring to light those things most memoriall that I cold note and gather together as hereafter shalbe sene The first Chapter How the Author tooke shipping ALthough that the firmament and all things that are contayned vnder the Moone euen to the scope of the earth séeme as the veritie is to haue bene made for man yet neuerthelesse it is so that dame Nature mother of all things hath bene and is alwayes such a one that she hath preserued and kept hid within the things that are most precious and excellentest of hir worke yea she hath remised hir selfe contrary to things artificiall the moste expertest workeman that euer was were it Appelles or Phidias euen so as in the outwarde shew remayneth the paynting grauing or decking of the vessel or statue and within it remayneth altogether rude and vnpollished But in nature we sée the contrary Let vs first take example by the humayne body Al the art and excellencie of nature is hidden within also of al other naturall bodies the exterior or outwarde parte is nothing in comparison if that of the interior part it taketh not his perfection The earth sheweth outwardly a sorowful and heauy face being for the most parte couered with stones thornes and thistles or such lyke but if the husbandman minde to open it with the plough he shall finde this vertue so excellent redy to bring him forth abundance and to recompence him a thousand folde Also the vertue of the roote of the plante being without a harde barcke sometimes single sometimes double that part of the frute that is most precious wherein the vertue to bring forth his lyke is hid within as in the surest place or belly of the sayd frute Euen as the laborer or husbandman hauing tylled the earth receiueth thereby greate profit and aduantage others not contented onely to sée the waters would in like case sounde them by the way of this noble Nauigatiō with shippes and vessels and for bicause that thereby they haue founde gathered inestimable riches y t which is not without reason seing al things were made for man the Nauigation is become by little little so frequented and folowed of men that many not continually remaining in vnconstant Ilands haue in the end aborded the mayne land good and fruitfull the which before the experiēce was not thought neither according to the opiniō of our elders Therefore the principal cause of our Nauigatiō was for that Mounsieur de Villegagnon knight of Malta a very expert gentleman as wel in Nauigation as in other honest comely affaires hauing with more deliberation receiued the Kings commaundement for that he was sufficiently enformed of my voyage made into the countrey of Leuant and the good perfect knowledge that I had in Nauigation did most instantly request me yea vnder the Authoritie of the King my soueraygne Lorde Prince to whom I owe all honor obedience charging and commaunding me to assist him in the accomplishing of his enterprise the which I frely graūted as wel for the obediēce that I will giue to my natural Prince according to my capacitie as also for the honestie of the thing although it was payneful And therfore the sixt day of May 1555. after that the sayd Mounsieur de Villegagnon had giuen order for the rigging and trimming of his ships for munitions other things of warre but with much greater difficultie than to an Armie marching on the lād and to the qualitie of his men of al estats gentlemē souldiers and diuers artificers to be short all things being made redy and prepared in as good order as might be the tyme being come for vs to take shipping at new Hauen a porte town the cause why it was so named I will shew before passing further being so named to my iudgement of this worde that signifieth sea or straight or if you say Hauen ab hauriendis aquis lying in Normandie whereas forsaking the lande we hoysed sayle sayling vpon that great sea by good right named Occean bicause of his raging of this Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as som iudge being wholy vnder the power and mercy of the winde and waues I know well that in times past according to the superstitious Religion of the Gentiles many made their Vowes Prayers and Sacrifices to diuers Goddes according as their necessitie did shewe then among those that would goe on the water some before hande would caste some péece of money therein as a presente or offering for to cause the Goddes of y e sea to be fauorable and to appease their Ire Others attributing som deuinitie to the windes thought to appease them by strange ceremonies As we find the Calabrians to haue done to Lapix a wind so named likewise the Thurins and Pamphiliens to certayne others Also we reade in Aeneidos in Virgill if it be worthy of credence that notwithstanding the importunate prayer of Iuno to Aeolus King of windes the miserable Troyan remayned on the sea and the quarrell of the Goddes that did folowe By this we may euidently knowe the error and abuse with the which the Antiquitie was blinded being an erronious and damnable opinion attributing to one of the least creatures and vnder the power of man that which appertayneth to the onely Creator to whome I cannot sufficiently giue prayse in this place for his fauor shewed to vs in deliuering vs out of such blinded ignoraunce And for my parte for that of his onely grace he hath so fauoured our voyage that giuing vs a good full winde we haue safely and peaceably passed the streights and from thence to the Canaries Ilands distant from the equinoctial .27 degrées and from our France fiue hūdreth leagues or there about Now for many reasons I thought good to begin this my discourse at our embarkment and shipping as by a more certaine and sure meane the which being done I thinke louing Reader if that you take pleasure to reade it I doute not but to guide you from point to point and from place to place euen from the beginning vnto the end as right as is possible obseruing the longitude and latitude of countries Neuerthelesse whereas I
commeth to purpose as the things that I haue séene for pleasure and contentation of my mind that the reader might thereby receiue some pleasure and profit Now this floude so famous among other things of the which the countrey and Kingdome that it watereth hath bene named Senega as our sea Meditarium hath or requireth diuers names according to the diuersitie of countreys where it passeth and in Libia comming to the Caape verd of the which we haue spoken here before from the which to the ryuer the countrey is very plaine sandie and barren for the which cause there are not so many deuouring beastes as in other places This floude or Riuer is the firste and moste celebrated of the lande towarde the Weaste side separating or deuiding the drie and barren countrie from the fruitfull and it extendeth euen to the high Libia and to many other countreys and Kingdomes that it watereth It contayneth in bredth about a league the which is very little in the respect of many riuers that are in America of the which we will treate hereafter more at large Before that it entereth into the Weaste it deuideth and entereth in by two mouthes or openings being separated the one from the other about half a league the which are of an indifferent depth so that smal ships may be brought in Some in the olde time as Solon in his booke named Pollycistor Iulius Caesar and others haue written that the great floude of Nill passing all ouer Egypt hath the like spring or Original as Senega procedeth out of the same mountaines the which semeth not true For the originall of Nill is far beyonde the Equator for it commeth from the high hills of Bede otherwise named of the Auncient Geographers hills of the Moone the which separateth the olde and newe Africa as the hills Pyrannes deuide Fraunce from Spaine And these hills are in Cerenaique the which is beyond the lyne .15 degrées The source or spring of Senega of the which we speake procedeth from two hills or mountaynes the one named Mandro and the other Thala being distant from the hills of Bede more than a 1000. leagues And by this may be sene how greately many haue erred for y t they haue not sought out things as we haue done of late dayes As for the hills of the Moone they lye in the lower Ethiopia those from whence commeth Senega into Libia of the which the chiefest hills are Vsergate from whence procedeth the Riuer of Darda the mounte Mandro being more spokē of than the others for bicause that all the riuers that runne from Salata to Massa being distant the one from the other about seuenty leagues take their originall out of this hill Furthermore the mounte Gyrgila from whence their falleth a riuer named Sympho and of Hagapole commeth the floude Subo being full of good fish and Cocodrils hurtful to their neighbors True it is that Ptolomeus hauing treated of many countreys and strange Nacions hath sayde that which semed hym good chiefely of Africa and Ethiopia And among all the Auncient writers I finde none that hath had so perfit knowledge to my minde as he when he speaketh of the Promentarie of Phraso hauing fiftene degrées of latitude that is the farthest lād of the which he hath had knowledge as also describeth Glarean in the end of the descriptiō of Africa In his time the inferior world hath bene discribed neuerthelesse he hath not wholy speken thereof for that he knewe not a greate parte of the land Meridionall which in our time hath ben since discouered And many things haue ben added to the writings of Ptolome that may be sene in the generall table that is properly of him Therefore the simple reader hauing not greatly turned in the Cosmography nor had experience of things shal note that al the inferior worlde is deuided by the elders in thrée partes vnequal that is to wit Asia Europa and Africa of the which some haue writen the truth other that which semed them good without making any mention of the west Indies that at this day make the fourth parte of the world discouered of late yeres as also hath bene the most greatest part of the Easte Indies Calicut and others As touching those of the Weaste as Fraunce Antariike Peru Mexica they are now commonly called the Newe Worlde yea to the .52 degrée and a halfe of the lyne where as is the straight of Magello and many other prouinces on the North side and of the South on the coast of Leuant to the lower tropicke of Capricorne in the Weast Meridionall and the North lande of the which Arian Plinie and others Historiographers haue made no mention that they haue ben discouered in their tyme. Some haue made mention of certayne Ilandes that were founde out or discouered by the Carthaginians but I iudge thē to be the Ilandes Hisperides or fortunate Plato also sayth that in tymes past there was in the sea Atlantike or Weast a great mayne lande or countrey and that there was in like case an Iland named Atlantike more greater than Africa or Asia together the which was swallowed vp with an earthquake the which I thinke rather to be a fable than otherwise for if it had ben true others beside him would haue written thereof knowing that the lande of which the elders haue had knowledge deuideth in this maner First of the Easte parte it is next vnto the vnknowen land the which is next to the great Asia and to the Easte Indies on the South side they haue had knowledge of a few that is to wit Ethiopia Meridionall named Agisimbra or the North side of the Ilandes of Englande Scotlande Ireland and the hills Hiperbores which are the Further partes of lande Northwarde as some do say Now to retourne to Senega on the one and on the other side of the floude euen as the grounde is diuers and differing so are the inhabitantes therof on the one side the people are very blacke of great stature and strong of body neuerthelesse the countrey flourisheth w c fayre trées bearing fruit on the other side you shal sée al contrary the mē of the colour of Asshes of little stature As touching the people of the countrey of Senega I can say no other thing than of those of Caape verd but that they are rather worse for that the Christians dare not so easily descende a lande for to trade or to haue refreshing as in other places vnlesse they wil be killed or taken for captiues and so to be made staues All things among them are wilde and contemptible sauing onely peace the which they doe somewhat esteme one towarde another In like case reste with some excercise sometimes in laboring the grounde for to saue Ryce as for corne and Wine there is none as touching corne it cannot prosper nor come vp as in other countreys for that there falleth very little and seldome rayne which is
the cause that the séedes cannot bud out nor floure bicause of the extreme heate and drieth So soone as they sée their grounde watered or dewed they begin to sowe and after they haue sowed within thrée monethes the fruite is ripe redy to be cut Their drinke is the Iuice of Palme trées and water Among the trées of this countrey there are founde some of the greatnesse of our Oke trées the which beareth fruite as great as dates with the nut they make Oyle that hath meruelous properties The firste is that it holdeth water in yellowe collour like safferne with y e which they dye or collour their little boulles that they drinke in also there hattes that are made of the strawe of rice Furthermore this Oyle hath a smell like to Marche violets and a sauor or taast like Olyue Oyle therefore many eat of it with their Fish Ryce and other meates that they eate Thus much thought I good to speake of this ryuer and countrey of Senega the which extendeth from the coast of Leuant to the land of Thuensar and from the South parte of the Realme Cambra from the ponent to the Weaste sea keping alwayes our course certayne dayes after we began to enter into the countrey of Ethiopia in that parte that is named the Kingdome of Noby which is of a greate circuite with many Kingdomes and prouinces of the which we will hereafter speake Of the Ilands Hisperides othervvise named Caape verd Cap. 13. AFter that we had lefte our Promentary on the lefte hande for to kepe our course as right as it was possible making the Southwest a quarter of South almost a whole day but about ten or eleuen of the clocke the winde came contrary the which cast vs on the right hande towardes certayne Ilandes the which are called by our carde Marins Ilandes of Caape verd the which are distant from the Canaries about two hundreth leagues and from the Promentarie sixtie leagues by sea and a hundreth leagues from Budomell in Affrica following the coste of Ginnie towarde the pole Antartike These Ilandes are ten in number of the which there are two wel peopled with Portingals that firste discouered them brought them to their obedience one of them which they haue named S. Iames Iland is better peopled than the rest also thither is made greate trading by the Moores as well of those that inhabite the mayne lande as of the others that sayle to the Indies in Ginnie and of Manycongra in the countrey of Ethiopia This Ilande is distāt from the Equinoctiall lyne fiftene degrées an other likewise named S. Nicolas Ile inhabited as the other the others are not so peopled as Flera Plintana Pintoria and Foyon in the which there are a certayne number of people and slaues sent thither by the Portingals to labor the grounde in some places where they finde it beste and chiefly for to get goate skinnes of the which ther is great store therewith make good trade haue thereof a great vent and therefore the Portingals pass twise or thrise in a yere with ships and munitions leading with them dogs and bringing nets and snares for to chase and hunte wild goates the which after they are skinned they reserue onely the skinnes the which they season with salt and earth in certaine vessels made for that purpose for to kepe them for putrifieng and so they carry them into their countrey and therewith they make their Marokins that are so greately estemed with vs. Also they inhabitants of these Ilands are bound to render or pay for tribut for euery one to the King of Portingall the number of six thousande goates wilde and tame being salted and dried the which they deliuer to those that of the parte or for the Kings behoofe make the voyage with his greate shippes to the Easte Indies as to Calicut and other places passing by these Ilandes and these number of goates are bestowed for their sustenance during the voyage which is two yeres long or more for bicause of the distaunce of places and the greate Nauigation that they muste make Moreouer the ayre in these Ilandes is Pestilent and vnholsome so that the firste Christians that beganne there to inhabit were of a long tyme vexed with sickenesse as well to my Iudgement for the vntemperatnesse of the ayre that in such places cannot be good as also the changing of dyet and of countrey Also the burning Agues are there very familier common to the slaues specially and the bloudy flixe of the which neither the one nor the other procéede not but of humors extreme hot bicause of their continuall trauaile and naughty nourishment also of the hotnesse of the air with the water that is next and therfore they receiue excesse of these two Eliments Of the Torterels and of an herbe that they call Orselie Cap. 14. SEing y t in our Nauigation we are minded to write certaine secretes obserued in places where we haue bene it shal not be hurtful to speak of Torterels that these former Ilands doe norishe in as great quantitie as goates There is found four kind of Torterels of y e land of the sea the third liuing in fresh water the fourthe in marishes Of the which I meane not to speake particularly but only of those that are séene on the sea coastes that compasse these Ilands These kind of Torterels wil leape from the Sea to the shore at his appoynted time making with his clawes a hole in the sande wherein after she hath laid hir egges being of the number of eight paire of the which speaketh Aristotle couereth them so well that it is vnpossible to sée them or to finde them vntill that the floude commeth that vncouereth them then bicause of the extreme heate that is there of the Sunne they engender and open as the Henne of hir egge the which consisteth in greate number of Torterels of the greatnesse of Crabbes which is a kinde of Fishe the which the floud returning beareth into the Sea Among these Torterels there are some of suche a greatnesse specially in these partes whereof I speake that foure men cannot almost beare one as of a truth I haue séene and vnderstanded of men worthy of credence Plinie sheweth that in the Indian Sea there are so great Torterels that the shel is bigge inough to couer a meane house and that at the Ilandes of the red Sea they might make therewith vessels Nauigable The sayde author sayeth also that there are the like at the straight of Carmania in the Persian sea There are many wayes to take them Sometimes this great beast of a desire to swim more easily seketh the vpper parte of the water a little before noone when the day is faire where as hauing the backe bare and vncouered out of the water sodainly their shell is so well dried by the Sunne that they cannot descend to the depth of the sea so that they floote aboue
furthermore that the Neigers hitherwarde are more ciuill and better nurtered than these of Ginney bicause of the great resorte of Marchantes that trade thither also they prouoke others to barter for their golde for things of smal value as kniues glasses and suche like Also the Portingals trade and bargaine with the Mores of Ginney beside other things for Iuorie that we call Eliphants téethe And one among others shewed me that at one time they haue ladē twelue thousand of these téethe among the which there was one found among the other that wayed a hundred pounde waight for as we haue sayd the lande of Ethiopia nourisheth Eliphantes the which they take at the chase as we doe here wilde Boares and so they eate the flesh which many affirme to be very good the which I had rather beleue than taste or to stand disputing thereof I will not therefore in this place stand to reason or set out the vertues and properties of this beast the moste gentlest and approching to humain reason than any other séeing that this beast hathe bene so muche celebrated of our elders and also by those of our time and knowing that Plinie Aristotle many others haue sufficiently treated thereof and of his fleshe the which some say is medicinable and good against the Leprosie The téethe that we call Iuorie dothe comfort the heart and the stomake and it wil also helpe with all his substance the parte or belly of the mother I will not therefore wryte that which they haue written for that it is not to our purpose Neuerthelesse I will not leaue to speake that which I haue sene the which is if that they can get any yong Eliphantes they teache them many prety knackes For this beast is very apt and of a good vnderstanding Of the Equinoctiall line and of the Ilandes of S. Omer Cap. 18. LEauing therefore this parte of Gynney on our lefte hande after we had stayed there but a while for the infection of the aire as we haue before shewed we kept our course coasting alwayes to the height of the Caape of Palmes and of that which is called the thrée poyntes where as runneth a faire Riuer able to beare great shippes by the reason whereof there is good trade all ouer the Countrey and the which beareth golde and siluer aboundantly in lumpes and therefore the Portingalles haue landed there and being in fauoure with the Inhabitantes they haue builded there a faire Castle the which they haue named the Mine Castle And not w tout a cause for their Golde is without comparison more finer than that of Calicute or of India America It is on this side the Equinoctiall about thrée degrées and a halfe There is founde a riuer that commeth from the Mountaines of the Countrey named Cania and another more lesser named Rhegium the which beareth or bringeth very good Fishe also Cocodrils very daungerous as Nylle and Senega and they eate them as we doe Venson I will not forget what was shewed me to haue bene sene neare to the Mine Castle a sea monster hauing the shape of a man that the floud had left on the shore the which was heard crie In like case the female came with the next floud crying aloud and sorowing for the absence of hir make the which is a wonderfull and straunge thing By this may be knowen that the Sea doeth nourish and bring forthe diuers and straunge kinde of monsters as well as the land Being now by our iourneys come euen vnder the Equinoctiall I minde not to passe any further without noting somewhat This line Equinoctiall or Circle Equinoctiall or else Equator is a trace imagined of the Sunne by the midst of the world the which deuideth in two equall partes two times the yeare that is to wit the fourth of September and theleuenth of March and then the Sunne passeth directly by the Zenithe of the earth and leaueth vs this imagined Circle equall to the Tropicks others that may be iudged betwene the two Poles the Sunne going from the East to the West it is true that the sunne goeth al the yeare by the Ecliptike to the Zodiake sauing on the dayes aboue named standeth directly ouer them that inhabit there Furthermore they haue right course without y e one of the Poles be more erected than the other the day the night are to thē equall therefore they were named Equinoctiall and according as the Sunne doth depart from the one to y e other Pole there is vnequalities of dayes and nights and eleuation of the Pole Then the Sunne declining by litle and litle from this point Equinoctial goeth by his Zodiake almost to the Tropike of Capricorn and passing no farther causeth the Solstice of winter then returning passeth by the sayd Equinoctiall till that he come to the signe of Cancer whereas is the Solstice of Sommer therefore he maketh vj. signes parting from the Equinoctiall to eche one of these Tropikes The elders haue estéemed this countrey or Zone among the Tropikes to be vnhabitable bicause of the extreme heate as those that are neare to the two Poles bicause of the colde Neuerthelesse within these few yeares this Zone hath bene discouered by Nauigations and inhabited for that it was found frutefull and abounding in many good things notwithstanding the heat as the Ilandes of S. Omer and others of the which we will speake hereafter Some vnder this line cōparing the coldnesse of the night with the heate of the day haue taken this argument that in that respect there might be good temperatenesse biside many other reasons y t I omit for this present The heat that is there séemed to me no hotter than it is here at Midsomer Furthermore there is much tempest thunder lightnings and raines therfore at the Ilands of S. Omer as also in a nother Iland named the Ile of Rats there is as much verdure or grenenesse as is possible These Ilands vnder the Equinoctiall line are marked in our cardes Marins S. Omer or S. Thomas inhabited at this day by Portingals although that they be not so frutefull as certain others Also there is gathered a certain suger but they trade with the Barbarians and Ethiopians Golde molten Pearles Muske Rhubarbe Beastes Byrdes and other things according to the countrey Also in these Ilandes the seasons and times are vnequall and differing from other countries the people more subiect to sicknesse than they of the North part the which difference vnequalitie commeth of the Sunne the which sheweth his qualities by the ayre being betwene him and vs. It passeth as euery one knoweth two times the yere customably thereby and then y e Equinoctial descrieth him in the monthes of Marche and September About this lyne is founde such abundance of fishes of sundry diuers kindes that it is a maruelous and a wōderful thing to sée them aboue water and I haue heard them make such a
than in Sōmer for al things haue their season Cornelius Celsus ordayned this fish to the sicke specially to those that had the Feuer or Ague for it is light fish and not heauie but may be well digested there are found more store in the West sea thā in the East sea Moreouer all kinde of fishes are not found in euery place of the sea Helops a singular fish is not found but onely about Pamphilia Ilus and Scaurus onely in the sea Atlantike and so of many others Alexander the great being in Egypt bought two Dorades for two marke of golde for to proue if that they were so delicate and fine meate as it was shewed him so that there were two a lyue brought him from the Weast sea to Nemphis whereas he remained as a Iewe being a Phisitiō shewed me by a Historie being at Damasca in Siria Thus much gentle Reader I haue learned as touching the Dorade for that thou shouldest sée what the elders haue written thereof and among others my lorde William Pellicier Bishop of Mountpellier who hath treated of the nature of fishes as faithfully and truely as any in our tyme. Of an Ilande named the Ascention Cap. 21. THE twentie sixth day of October being eight degrées beyonde our lyne Equinoctiall we founde an Ilande not inhabited the which at the firste we thought to name the Ile of Birdes bicause of the greate multitude of Birdes that are in the sayde Ilande but looking in our carde Marin we found that before tyme it was founde out by the Portingals and named the Ile of the Ascention bicause that on that day they ariued thither We therefore seing those Birdes flying on the sea made vs to thinke that there was some Ilande néere hande and the néerer we came we sawe such a multitude of birdes of diuers sortes with coloured feathers that the lyke was neuer séene in our tyme the which came flying to our ships and woulde reste vpon vs so that we might take them with our handes and with greate payne coulde we be ridde of them For if one had stretched out his Arme they woulde haue rested vpon it euen lyke tame birdes and not one of them lyke to the birdes of our countrey the which to some semeth vncredible Being caste of from our handes they flyed not away but let them selues be taken agayne as before Furthermore in this Ilande there is a certayne kinde of greate birdes that I haue heard called Aponars they haue little wings and therefore they cannot flye They are great and hye lyke hearnshawes the belly white and and the backe blake as cole the byll lyke to a cormorant when they are killed they crye lyke hogs I thought good to speake of this birde among others for that there are founde a greate number of them in an Ilande lying towarde the Caape of good Spéede on the coste or borders of newe founde lande the which was named the Ile of Aponards Also there are such a multitude that on a tyme thrée greate ships of Fraunce going to Canada did lade eche of them two tymes their cockboates with these birdes on the brinke of the sayde Ilande and it is no maistrie to goe into the Iland and to driue them before them to their boates lyke shéepe This therefore hath giuen me occasion to speake so much thereof As touching the reste of the Ile of Ascention it is indifferent faire and pleasant being of circute six leagues with mountaines garnished with faire gréene trées herbes and floures Not forgetting the number of birdes of the which we haue spoken I suppose that if it were labored and tilled with many others that are in the Weaste as well beyonde as on this side the Equinoctiall it woulde render as good profit as Tenedos Lemnos Metelin Negrepont Rhodes and Candia or any others that are in the sea Helispont and the Cyclades for in this greate Weaste sea there are Ilandes that are more then .80 leagues compasse and some lesse among the which the greatest parte are desert and not inhabited Nowe after that we had passed this Ilande there dyd appeare foure starrs of a wonderful greatnesse made in manner of a crosse neuerthelesse farre ynough from the Pole Antartike The Mariners that sayle that way name them charets Some of them thinke that among these is the South Starre the which is fixed and vnmoueable as the North starre that we call the lesser beare the which was hyd before that were vnder the Equator and many others that are not sene at this side to the Northwarde Of the promentarie of good hope and of many secretes obserued in the same likewise our Ariuall to the Indies America or Fraunce Antartike Cap. 22. AFter that we haue passed the Equinoctiall lyue and the Ilande of S. Homer folowing the coste of Ethiopia the which is called India Meridionall it behoued to folow our course euē to the Tropike of winter about the which time we discouered the great famous Promentarie of good hope the which the Pilots haue named Lyon of the sea bicause that it is feared and redouted being so great and difficil This Caape on bothe sides is compassed with two great mountaines and hils of the which the one beholdeth the East the other the West In this coūtrey are many beasts named Rhinoceros for that they haue a horne vnder their snout Some cal them Oxen of Ethiopia This beast is very monstrous and kepeth perpetuall warre and hatred with the Elephante And for this cause the Romaines haue taken great plesure to make these two beastes fight for a spectacle of greatenesse chiefly at the creation of an Emperoure or some other high or greate magistrate as they doe at this day marke Beares Bulls and Lyons He is not altogether so high as the Elephant nor such as we paynte him or set him out in our countrey And that which moueth me to speake is that traueling from Egypt to Arabia I sawe a very Auncient monument whereas was engraued certayne figures of beastes in stede of letters as it was vsed in the olde time among the which was the Rhenoceros being without horne and mayles not lyke as our painters setteth him out This beaste for to prepare him selfe to fight as Plinie rehearseth sharpeneth his horne against a certayne stone and alwayes draweth to the belly of this Elephant for that it is the part of the body that is most softest There is also great quantitie of wilde Asses and another bearing a horne betwene bothe there eyes of two foote long I sawe one being in the citie of Alexandria that is in Egypt that a Lorde Turke brought from Melcha the which horne he sayde had the lyke vertue agaynst poyson as had the horne of an Vnicorne Aristotle calleth these Asses with horne Asses of India About this Promentarie is the departing of the way to the Easte and the Weaste Indies for they that will goe to the Easte Indies as to Calicut
Likewise of this most notable riuer which we name Ianaria the circumstances of the places for that they lie in a land discouered and found out in our time there resteth nowe to wright that the which we haue learned knowne for the time that we remained ther. It is most true that this land was not knowne to the writers in times past neither yet to the auncient Cosmographers that haue deuided the earth to be inhabited in thrée parts Europa Asia and Affrica of the which they only had intelligence but I am sure that they had no knowledge therof for if they had knowē it they wold haue noted it for the fourth part of the world for it is much more greater than any of the others This lād by good right is called America taking name of him that first found it out being named Americus Vespucia who was a very expert man in the Arte of Nauigation in other high enterprises But since him diuers men haue discouered the greatest parte lying towards Temistitan vnto the Countrey of the Giants and the straight of Magellan Why it shold be named India I know not but the East countrey that is named India hath taken his name of that notable floud or riuer Indus the which is very farre from America It shall therfore suffice to call it America or Fraunce Antartike It lieth betwene the two Tropikes euen beyonde Capricornus the west side extending towards Temistitan and Moluques toward the South to the straight of Magellan and on bothe sides of the West sea and peaceable true it is that neare to Darienna and Furna this Countrey is very straight for the sea on bothe sides entreth very farre into the land Nowe will I write of that parte which we haue moste knowne and frequented which lieth about the Tropike Brumall and yet beyond that it hathe bene and is inhabited at this day besides the Christians that haue dwelled there since Americus time with a maruelous strange wild and brutish people without Fayth without Lawe without Religion and without any ciuilitie but liuing like brute beasts as nature hath brought them out eating herbes and rootes being alwayes naked as well women as men vntill such time as being more visited and frequented of Christians they may peraduenture leaue this brutish liuing and lerne to liue after a more ciuill and humayne manner And therefore we ought greatly to praise our maker that hath illuminated our hartes not leauing vs so brutishe as these poore wild men As touching the grounde or lande of America it is very fruitfull in trées bearing very excellent fruite without labor or séede And it is not to be douted y t if the land were tilled it wold bring forth very good things considering how it doth lye with fayre mountaynes and dales riuers bearing very good fish fat Ilandes likewise firme and mayne lande At this day the Spaniards and the Portingals do inhabite and dwell in a great part thereof the Entilles on the West sea Moluques on the peaceable sea from the mayne lande vnto Dareiena Parias and Palmaria the others more toward the South as in the land of Bressill so much thought I good to write of this Countrey in generall Of the Americans Religion Cap. 28. WE haue before shewed how that these poore people liue without Religion and without Lawe the which is very true but there is no creature liuing that is partaker of reason so blinded seing the heauen the earth the Sunne the Moone so ordayned the sea the things that are dayly séene but that will iudge these things to be made by the hande of some greater worckemaister than man And therefore there is no Nation be they neuer so brutish but that by their owne naturall reason haue some religion and some cogitatiō of God they all therefore confesse that there is some power and soueraygntie but what a one it is fewe there are that knowe it and that hath caused the diuision of Religion Some haue acknowledged the Sunne for soueraigne others the Moone some others the Starres others otherwise as Histories do recite Nowe to our purpose these wilde men of America make mention and tel of a greate Lorde whom they name in their language Toupan the which they say is aboue and maketh it rayne and thunder but they haue not the meane to praye nor to honor him at one tyme or other neither yet no place appointed If one shew them of God as I haue many times done they will giue an attentiue eare therevnto with an admiration and they will aske if it be not that Prophete that hath taught them to plante their great rootes that they name Hetich And they haue heard say of their fathers that before they had the knowledge of the rootes they lyued but with herbes and wild rootes like brute beasts there was they say in their countrey a great Charaiba that is to say a Prophete y t which came to one of their yong maydēs gaue hir certaine great rootes named Hetich shewing hir that she shoulde cut them in péeces and then plante them in the earth the which she did and since they haue alwayes continued from father to sonne the which roots haue so wel prospered that now they haue so great abundance that they eate little other foode and it is as common with them as breade is with vs. Of this roote I find two kindes of one greatnesse the first when it is sodden or boiled becommeth yellow the other white and these two kindes haue the leafe like to a mallow it neuer beareth séede and therefore these wild men do plant againe this roote being cut in péeces so that they being replanted multiplie excedingly When that this countrey was firste discouered and founde on as before we haue shewed which was in the yeare 1497. by the commaundement of the King of Castilia these wilde men being amased to sée the Christians in the order as they had neuer before sene y e like likewise their maner gesture and doings they estemed them as Prophets and honored them as Goddes vntil they perceiued that they became sicke to dye and to be subiect to the like passions that they were then they began to dispraise them and to intreate them worse than they were accustomed as they that afterwardes went thither Spaniards and Portingals so that if they be angred they force no more to kil a Christian and to eat him than if it were one of theyr enimies but this is in certayned places and specially among the Canibals that lyue with none other thing as we doe here with biefe and mutton Also they haue left calling them Carabes or halfe Gods and nowe they call them as in reproche Mahira the which was the name of one of theyr anciente Prophetes whom they did detest and abhor As touching Toupan they esteme him greate not resting in one place but going about here and there and
more than others And if there be any not content of this our witnessing or affirmation let him read Herodita which in his second boke maketh mention of a people in Affrica liuing only with herbs Apian reherseth that the Parthians being banished driuen out of their Countrey by Marcus Anthonius liued with a certaine herbe that toke away their memory neuerthelesse they had opinion that it did norish thē though y t in a short time after they died Therfore ought not y e story of our Petun be foūd straūge Of a tree named Paquouere Cap. 33. SEing that we are now come to the rehersal of trées of our America I think it good to set forth some not for the amplifying of this work but for the great vertue and secretenesse of things and for that there is found no such in our Europe neither in Asia nor in Affrica Therfore this trée that the wilde men name Paquouere is peraduenture the wonderfullest trée that euer was séene It is not more higher frō the ground to the braunches than a fadome or there about and of greatnesse as muche as a man may gripe with both his hāds when that it is come to his ful groweth And the trée is so tēder that it may be easily cut with a knife As touching the leaues they are in bredth two foote and of lengthe a fadome a foote and iiij fingers the which I affirme and assure of a truthe I haue séene almost of that kinde in Egipt and in Damasco returning from Ierusalem Notwithstanding the leaues are not halfe so great as those of America likewise ther is great difference in y e fruit for y e fruit is a good foote lōg I meane the longest sort great like a Cucumber much like vnto it as touching the proportion this fruit which they name in their language Pacoua is very good whē it is come to his ripenesse of a good relish The wilde men gather them before they be ripe which fruit being gathered they beare into their lodgings as we doe our fruit It groweth on the trée by clusters xxx or .xl. togither and close to another vpon litle branches neare to the trunck And that which is more to be maruelled at this trée neuer beareth fruite but once The greatest parte of these wilde men that dwel far within the countrey do norishe themselues with this fruit a good part of the yeare and of an other fruit that commeth vp in the fieldes which they name Hoyriri the which to loke on would be iudged to grow on some trée Notwithstāding it groweth in a certaine herbe that beareth leafe like to a Palme as wel in the length as in largenesse it groweth in the midst of the leaues very round within it be litle Nuts of the which the kernell is white good to eate sauing that ouermuch therof as wel as of other things hurteth the braine The which force strengthe is in the Coriander séede if it be not trimmed and dighted Likewise if the other were so dressed trimmed it wold take away this vice Notwithstanding the Americanes eat therof chiefly y e litle childrē The fields ar very ful within two leagues of Cap de Fria neare to the great marish grounds y t we passed after that we had set foote on land at our returne This much wil I say by the way that biside y e fruit that we saw by y e way we found a Cocodril dead of the greatnesse of a good calfe that was come out of the marishes had ben ther killed for they eat the flesh of them also of great Lizards of the which we haue before shewed they name thē in their language Iacareabson they are greater than those of Nyll The people of the Countrey say that there is a marishe being a.v. leagues compasse on the side of Pernomeri distant frō the line .x. degrées towards the Canibals wheras there are certaine Crocodrils as great as oxen that cast out a mortall smoke by their mouth in suche sort that if ye come neare them they will goe neare to kill you as they haue heard tell of their auncestors In the place whereas groweth this fruite of which we speake are a great number of Hares like to ours but not so great nor yet like in coloure There is also found another little beast named Agoutin as great as a Hare the haire like to a wilde Bore brisled the head like the head of a great Rat the eares and the moosel like to a Hare or Wat the féete clouen like to a Hogge and the taile not aboue a finger lengthe they liue with fruites also the wilde men norishe them for their pleasure their fleshe is very good for to eate Howe these Americanes or wilde men doe disforme them sleues esteming it a great glory Cap. 34. IT is not sufficient for these wilde men to be naked to paint their bodies to scratch and pluck of their haire but also for to make them selues more disformed they pearce their mouthes being yong with a sharp and pointed herbe so that the hole encreaseth groweth as their body for they put therin a certain kind of fish hauing the skin very hard of which fish the greater end is within the lesser without on the nether lippe When that they are great ready to be maried they put into these holes great stones being much like to the coloure of an Emerauld the which they doe so estéeme that it is not easy to recouer any of them without some great reward or present for they are very rare and scant in their Countrey Their neighbors nie friendes bring these stones from an hie Mountain that is in the countrey of the Canibals the which they pollish with an other stone for y e purpose so runningly that it is not possible for the best most expertest workman that is to do it better And I think ther might be found in this forsaid hil very Emeraulds for I haue séene of these stones that you could not discern from Emeraulds These Americanes as I say do disfigure thēselues after this sort do disforme mishape themselues w t these holes stones in their faces in which they take as great delite pleasure as a Lord or gentleman wil do in a rich precious chaine of gold or som other Iewel so that among them that beareth the most is estéemed their King or greatest Lord and not only on their lippes and mouth but also on both sides the chéeke these stones that the men cary are as broad as an Angel or soueraine of gold and as thicke as a finger bredth which letteth their speache so that one can skant vnderstand their speach for they speake as though their mouth wer ful of meat whē these stones are taken out if that they speake you shal sée them slauer at these holes the which is a filthy and vgly fight to behold Also when these
warres great slaughters but they haue not eaten one another Now to our purpose this King and his subiects are in continual warre with the Portingalles of Morpion and with the wylde men of the countrey Morpion is a place bending towards the Riuer of Plate or to the straight of Magnellan distant from the lyne twenty six degrées being subiect to the Portingales so that the King of Portingale hath there a Lieutenant generall with a great number of people of all estates and slaues whereas they behaue them selues so well that there commeth from thence great profit to the King of Portingale At the beginning they began to plant great quantitie of Canes to make Suger But since they haue not greatly trauailed therein but haue occupied them selues to a better worke since that they haue found out Mynes of Siluer This place hath greate quantitie of good fruite with the which they make Conserues after their maner and chiefly of a fruite named Nauas Among these Trées and fruites I will rehearse one named in their language Cochine bearing fruite as great as Pompion the leaues lyke to a Baye trée the fruit made lyke an Estryge egge it is not good to eate but pleasant to beholde when the trée is ful The wyld men besyde that they make thereof vessels or cups to drynk in they make a certaine mistery as straunge as is possible After that this fruit is hollow they fyll it with certaine graines of Myll or such lyke then with a stick hauing one ende in the grounde the other ende comming thorough being decked all ouer with fayre fethers will kepe euery housholde after this sort in their house two or thrée of them with great reuerence thincking these poore idolaters in handling and sounding this fruite that their Toupan speaketh vnto them and that by this meanes they haue reuellation of all by the meanes of their Prophets so that they esteme and thinke therein to be some deuinitie And they worship no other thing sensible but this instrument that soundeth when it is handled And for a rare and straunge thing I brought one of them home the which I got secretly from one with many skinnes of Birdes of diuerse colours of the which I made present to Monsyer Nicolas of Nicolay the Kings Geographer a wittie man and a louer not onely of the antiquitie but also of all vertuous things And synce he shewed them to the King being at Paris in his house who came of purpose to sée the booke that he caused to be printed of the Easte partes and he shewed mée that the King tooke great pleasure to sée such things for that they were vntyll then vnknowen Moreouer there is plentie of Orenges Citrous Canes of Suger To bée short this place is very pleasaunt There is also a Ryuer not very great whereas there are founde little Pearles and great store of Fyshe chiefly of one kynde the which they call Piraipouchi which is as much to say as naughty Fishe it is maruellously disformed bréeding or ingendrieg on the backe of a dogge Fishe and being young followeth hir as his principall tutor Furthermore in this place of Morpion the which is inhabited by the Portingalls are now nourished many domesticall beasts the which the sayd Portingalls haue brought thether the which enrytcheth greatly and setteth out the countrey besyde his naturall excellencie and husbandry the which is dayly more and more excercised Of the Ryuer of Platte and the countrey adiacent Cap. 55. SEing that we are so farre in talke I thinke it good to speake a word or twaine by the way of this faire floude of America the which the Spaniards haue named Platte either for his largenesse or for his Mines of Siluer that are founde hard by the which in their language they name Platte The wylde men of the countrey name it Paranagacu which is as much to say as Sea or great congregation of water This Riuer containeth of largenesse twenty six leagues being beyond the lyne fiue degrées and distant from Caape Sainct Augustine six hundreth and seuenty leagues I thinke that name of Platte hath ben giuen by those that first did discouer it for the reason before shewed Also at their firste arriuall thether they receiued a maruellous ioye thincking that this ryuer so large hadde ben the straight of Magellan the which they sought for to passe on the other syde of Ameryca neuerthelesse knowing the veritie of the thing they delibered to sette foote on lande the which they dyd The wylde men of the countrey were maruellously amazed hauing neuer séene Christian before so to aborde their lymittes But by succession of tyme the Spanyards acquainted them with the wylde men alluring them by giftes and otherwyse so that in viewing the Countrey they founde many Mynes of Syluer and after that then hadde thus viewed the Countrey and marked the place verie well then they retourned hauing loden their ships with Erasill With in a short time after they made redy thrée great shippes with men and munitions for to returne being couetous of the Mynes and being aryued at the same place where before they had ben they prepared their skiffes for to take land First y e Captaine hauing with him foure score Souldiers for to withstande the wylde men of the countrey if that they had made any insurrection But the wylde men at their arriuall fled héere and there of purpose to catch the Spaniards in their danger so that when they were landed there came vpon them thrée or foure hundreth of the wylde men which in their fury and rage lyke hungry Lyons they kylled and deuoured as their custom and maner is and afterward they shewed their bones legges and armes vnto the rest of the Spanyards that were in their Ships threatning them with the lyke if that they dyd descend on lande the which things were shewed to me by a Spaniard that was in one of the shippes Also the wylde men of the countrey wil shew thereof as a thing worthy of memory when it is in their myndes After this the Spanyards returned againe thether with a bande of two thousande men with other shippes but for bicause that they were afflicted with sicknesse they could attempt nothing But afterwarde the Captaine Arual in Anno. 1541. hauing with him onely two hundreth men made a voyage thyther hauing also with him a fiftie Horses wherewith he vsed such policie that he made the wylde men of the countrey afrayde which thought that these Horses hadde ben deuouryng beastes for to them they were vnknowne this being done hée caused his men to bée armed with bright shining Armour hauing painted vpon their Harnies many dreadfull Images as heads of Lyons Leopards Beares Wolues and such like with their mouthes gaping figures of horned deuils y e which sight did so affraie y e wilde inhabitants of the countrey y t they fled away by this meanes they were driuen out of
ginger muske gray amber myrabolanes rubarbe gold pearles and other richesse specially in the Ilandes of Matel Magian Tidora and Terenata nere inough the one to the other thinking by this same straight to find a way more shorter and necessarie was minded to attempt it departing from the Canaries to the Ilandes of Caape verde keping his right course to the promontarie of saincte Augustine eight degrées beside the line coasting neare to the Caape of Virgins distant from the Equinoctial fiftie two degrées néere to the straight before spoken And after he had sailed the space of fiue dayes from the east right to the West on the Ocean the which in swelling or flowing caried them without sayle right to the South the which made them ioyful glad although the most part of their men were dead by the incōmodities of the sea the aire but chiefly by hunger thirst In this straight are many fair Ilands but not inhabited the country about is very baren ful of hilles and mountaines and there is founde nothing but rauishyng beastes birdes of diuers kindes chiefly Estriges woodde of diuers sorts Cedres and others Also an other kynde of trée bearing fruite almoste like a cherie but muche more pleasant to eate This is the occasion and how this straight was founde out since they haue founde out an other waye sailyng vpon a great riuer on the coast of Perou in the land of Chagra foure lagues from Panana and from the goulfe S. Michel .25 leagues Not long after a captaine hauing sailed a certaine time vpon these floodes aduentured to visite the countrey And the king of the wylde men of that countrey named in their language Therea receiued hym very gently with presentes of golde and pearles as certaine Spaniardes haue shewed me that were in their cōpanie although y t in going on the land they were not without greate daunger as well for the wilde beastes as other incommodities They founde afterwarde a certaine number of the inhabitauntes of the countrey very wilde and more to be feared than the first to the which for the smal trust and confidence that they had in them they offered and promised theyr seruice and friendshyp specially to their King whome they call Atorizo of whome also they receyued certaine presentes as great pieces of golde waying ten pounde After that they had giuen to him also of suche things as they had and thought would be moste to hys contentation the which was small yron wourke shirtes and gownes of small value In the ende with good guide they came vnto Daryen from thence they entred in and discouered the south sea on the other coast or side of America in the which are the Moluques wher as they hauing found y e cōmodities before shewed haue fortified them selues hard by y e sea so y t by this straight of land they haue without comparison shortened their way without entring into the straight of Magellan as well for their tradings as for other commodities And since that time they trafike and trade to the Ilande of Moluques the which are great at this present inhabited and conuerted to the christē faith the which before was peopled with very cruel people much more cruell than those of America which wer blinded in ignorāce and hauing no knowledge of the great riches and tresure that the countrey brought forth About this place of the west sea ther are foure Ilands desert inhabited as they say onely with Satyres therfore they haue named them Ilands of Satyres Likewise in this same sea are found ten Ilands named Manioles inhabited with wilde men the which are of no religion nere to the which there are great rocks that draw the ships vnto them bicause of the yron wherwith they are nailed For the which cause those that trade into that country there are constrained to vse small ships or skiffes pinned with wood for to eschae the danger of these rockes or adamant stone Thus far as touchyng y e straight of Magellan Nowe as touchyng the other lande named Australl which in costing y e straight is left on the left hand is not yet known of christiās but only of an English pylote being a man aswell séene estemed in nauigation as any that can be founde who hauing passed this straight shewed me that he had descended on land so that I was bold to demaund of him what people did inhabit in y e cuntrey he shewed me y t they wer mighty black men which I know to be cōtrary knowing that this land is almost of the height of England Scotlād for the countrey is of suche a temperatnesse that it is subiect to winter with continuall frostes and snowes How that those that inhabite from the riuer of Plate vnto the straight of Magellan are our Antipodes cap. 57. ALthough we se as wel in y e sea as in riuers many Ilandes diuided separated from the maine land yet neuerthelesse y e element of y e erth is estemed to be one alone and onely bodie the whiche is no other thing than this largenesse of the earth the which séemeth vnto vs all full for his great and wonderful amplitude And such was the opinion of Thales Milesius one of the seuen wise men of Grecia and other philosophers as Plutarke sheweth Oecetes the great philosopher and Pythagoras ordained .ij. partes of the world that is this wherin we inhabit which we name Hemispheria and that of the Antipodes which we likewise cal the lower Hemispherie Theopompus the historiograph sayth after Hermogenes that Silenas shewed king Midas that there was an other world and globe of earth than this which we are in Macrobius last of all doth most amply treate of these two hemispheries and partes of the earth to whose works ye may haue recourse yf that ye minde to knowe farther on the opinions of Philssophie But thus much must be known whether that these two partes of the earth ought to be altogether separated as earths that differ and so to be iudged to be two worldes the which is not true considering that there is but one element of the earth the whiche wée must iudge is cut by the sea in two parts as Solin writeth in his polyhistor speakyng of the people Hyperbores but I had rather say that the whole worlde is separated into two equall partes by this imagined circle which we name equinoctiall Furthermore if ye behold the image and figure of the worlde in a globe or a earde ye shall clerely sée howe the sea diuideth the earth in two parts not altogether equall whiche are the two hemispheries so named by the Grekes one parte of the world containeth Asia Affrica and Europe the other containeth America Florida Canada and other regions comprehended vnder the names of the occidentall of West Indies in the which many thinke our Antipodes to inhabite I knowe well that there are many opinions of the Antipodes some iudge and think that
to the straight of Forna and DaryeÌ„ that they might passe more easier to Moluques without going to y e straight of Magellan And they sayling on that coast discouered this fayre Promentary whereas setting foote on lande they found the place so fayre and temperate although it be but .340 Degrées of longitude minute .0 and eight of latitude mynute .0 that they there stayed to the which place since are gone other Portingals with a number of ships and people and by succession of tyme hauinge allured the people of the countrey by giftes and pacified them they made a holde named Castell Marin since they haue edified another néere vnto this named Fermanbow trading there one with another The Portingals laade cotton wild beastes skynnes spices and among other things prisoners that the wild men of the countrey take in the warres of their enimies the which they carrie into Portingall for to sell Of the Canibals as well of the mayne lande as of the Ilands and of a tree named Acaion Cap. 61. THis greate Promentary being this doubled and affronted with greate difficultie it behoued vs to attempt fortune and to shorten our way as much as was possible not keping farre of from the mayne land chiefly ceasting somewhat néere to the Iland of S. Paule and other little Ilandes not inhabited neere to the main lande whereas are the Canibals the whiche countrey deuideth the King of Spayns lande from the King of Portingall as hereafter shalbe shewed Seing that we are come to these Canibals we will speake our worde This people from the Caape S. Augustine and beyond néere to Marignan is the moste cruellest and inhumayne people that are in America These imps eat most commonly humayne flesh as we do biefe or mutton haue therevnto more appetite and delight and this is of a truthe that when they haue any of their enimies in their hands it is hard to get them from them for the great desire that they haue to eate them like Rauening Lyons There is no beast in the wildernesse neither in the desartes of Africa or Arabia that longeth so sore or that is so gredie of humayne flesh as these wild and brutish people Also ther is no nation that can be acquaynted wâ—th them neither Christians nor others And none can trade into their countrey without leauing of pledges so mistrustfull they are thinking themselues of more credit than others For this cause the Spaniards and Portingals haue played them some ill tricks in memorial whereof wheÌ„ that they may get any of them God knoweth how they are handled for there is no other way but death and so to be eaten and deuoured of these imps Therefore there is continuall warre betwene them and these people and many Christians they haue deuoured These Canibals haue on their lips stones gréene and white as the other wild meÌ„ haue but without comparison more longer for they descende euen to their breast Moreouer the countrey is fruitefull ynough better than belongeth to such wicked beasts for it beareth great quantitie of fruits hearbes and wholsome rootes with a great nomber of trées named by them Acaion bearing a fruit as big as my fist fashioned lyke a Goose egge some of them therewith make a kind of beuerage although the fruite is not good to eate at the top of this fruite groweth a kynde of nuts made lyke a Cunneys tayle the kernel within is very good to eate after it hath had y e heat of the fier The shel is very ful of oyle hauing a sharpe taaste with the which the wilde men maye make more store and plenty than we can of our nuts the leafe of this trée is lyke to the leafe of a peare trée a little more pointed and red at the ende the barcke of this trée is tauney and bitter the wilde men put this woode to no vse for that it is somewhat tender and softe In the Ilandes of the Canibals whereas there is greate plenty of these trées they cut the woode to burne for that they haue little other wood and also Gaiac This much as touching this trée Acaion There are also other trées whereof the fruite is daungerous to eate among the which there is one named Haouay Furthermore this countrey is full of hills mountaynes with good mynes of golde There is a high and riche mountayne where these wilde men get their gréene stones that they beare at their lips and therefore it is not vnpossible but that there may be founde emerauldes and other riches if this obstinat people woulde permit that we might go in saâ—egarde lykewise there is founde white Marbell and blacke Iasper and Porphire And in al this countrey from the Caape S. Augustine vnto the Ryuer of Marignan they vse all one manner of liuing as the others doe at Caape de Fria the same Riuer separateth the lande of Perou from the Canibals and hath in bredth at the mouth fiftene leagues or thereabout with some Ilandes peopled and riche in golde for the wilde men haue founde a meane howe to trye it and to make broade rings lyke to buckles and others that they hang on their nostrels and on their chéekes the whiche they carrie for magnificence The Spaniardes say that the greate Ryuer that commeth from Perou named Aurelane and this do méete vpon this Riuer there is another Iland named the Trinitie distant ten degrées from the lyne hauing in length about .30 leagues in breadth about .8 leagues the which is the richest Ilande that may be found in any parte for that it beareth al kinde of mettals But for that the Spaniardes landing there many tymes for to bring it to their subiection and obedience haue cruelly handled the inhabitantes therefore they haue bene rudtly repulsed and the better parte destroyed This Ilande bringeth forth abundance of a certaine fruite the trée whereof is lyke to a Palme trée with the which they make drinke Furthermore there is founde good Frankinsence and Gaiac lykewise in many other Ilandes néere to the mayne lande Also there is betwene Perou and the Canibals many Ilandes named Canibals somewhat néere to Zamana of which the chiefest is distant from the Spanish Iland .30 leagues al the which Ilands are vnder the obedience of a King whome they call Sassique of his subiectes he is wel obeyed The greatest Iland hath in length .60 leagues and of bredth .48 rude and ful of mountaynes almost comparable to the Iland of Corsa in the which their King kepeth customably The wilde men of this Ilande are mortall enimies to the Spaniards after such a sorte that they can by no meanes trade Also these people are vglie to beholde hye minded and couragious very subiect to thefte there are many trées of Gaiac and another that beareth a fruite of the greatnesse of an Egge very fayre to behold neuerthelesse it is venemous therefore they temper therewith their arrowes that they vse to ayde them selues with
againste theyr enimies in the iuyce or lykor of this fruite There is yet another of the whiche the lykor that commeth forth is poyson notwithstanding the roote is very good to eate and therewith they make breade as in America although that the truncke the branches the leaues do not greatly differ The reason why this trée shoulde beare bothe sustenance and poyson I leaue to the Philosophers to iudge contemplate Their vsage in warre is as the Americans and other Canibals of which we haue shewed Of the Riuer of Amazones otherwise named Aurelane by the which ye maye sayle into the countrey of Amazones and into Fraunce Antartike Cap. 62. WHilest that I haue pen in hande for to write of places discouered and inhabited beyonde our Equinoctiall betwene the South and the West for to bring things to light and to giue more euident knowledge I am determined to set out in writing a voyage as farre as difficile and hard and most dangerously aduentured of the Spaniards as wel by water as by lande vnto the Territorie of the peaceable sea otherwise called Mare Magellan or the sea of Magellan wheras are the Ilandes of Moluques and others And for that ye shall note this better ye shall vnderstande that the King of Spayne hath vnder his obedience much lande in the West Indies as wel in Ilands as mayn land at Perou America the which by succession of time he hath obtained and gotten by which meanes at this day he receiueth great profit from thence Now among others a Spanish Captayne being in his princes behofe at Perou minded on a day to discouer as wel by lande as by water to the Riuer of Plate the which is distant from Caape S. Augustine 700. Leagues beyonde the line and from the sayd Caape to the Ilandes of Perou about thrée hundreth leagues This Captayne not waying the difficultie that there was in the long way neither in the excessible high mountaines neyther yet in the people nor in the wilde beasts but onely in the executing of this high enterprise beside the wonderfull riches wich being done he should get him selfe an immortall fame for him and all his posteritie This Captayne hauing therefore made all things in a redinesse and in good order as the case required carying with him certayne Marchandise whereby to get vittails by the way and other munitions hauing in his company fiftie Spaniards with a certayne number of slaues for to labor and to doe other seruice with certayne Indians that had bene made Christians as well for to conduct them as for to intreprete the languages set forward with certaine Caruels or smal Skifs on the Ryuer of Aurelana the which I may well testifie is the moste longest and largest that is in all the worlde hys breadth is .59 leagues and his length more than a thousande Many call it the swéete sea the which procedeth from the sides of the high mountaynes of Molubeba with the Ryuer of Marignan notwithstanding their entrie or beginning is distant .104 leagues one from another and they are mixed aboue sixe hundreth leagues within the playne countrey the sea or floode entering in aboue .40 leagues This Ryuer increaseth at certayne tymes of the yere as doeth Nill that passeth by Egypte proceding from the mountaynes of the Moone according to the opinion of some the which also I thinke to be so It was named Aurelana by the name of him that firste made vpon it a long Nauigation Neuerthelesse before it was discouered by some that haue named it in their Cardes the Ryuer of Amazones it is very dangerous bicause of certayne rockes and other inconueniences which cannot be auoyded but with greate difficultie Being entered somewhat farre into the Ryuer there are certayne fayre Ilands of whiche some are peopled the others not Moreouer this Riuer is dangerous all a long for that it is peopled as wel in the Ilandes as on the banckes with many strange and Barbarous people the whiche of a long tyme haue had enimitie and hatred to Spanyardes and others strangers fearing leaste they shoulde aborde theyr countrey and spoyle them Also if that by misfortune they get any they kill them without remission And eate them rosted and boyled as they doe other flesh Therefore taking ship in one of these Ilandes of Perou named the Holy Crosse in the greate Sea for to get the straight of this floode or Ryuer with a fayre winde they set of coasting néere ynough to the lande for to vew and knowe the countrey the people and for many other commodities Coasting then in their Nauigation nowe héere now there as the commoditie did permit the wilde men of the countrey shewed themselues in greate number on the bankes with certayne signes of admiration séeing this strange Nauigatiō and array of people vessels and munitions proper for warre In the meane tyme the Nauigantes were not a little astonyed for their parte for to sée such a multitude of vnciuill people and altogether brutish which by their countenance shewed that they would destresse them the which occasion caused them to sayle rowe a long time without casting anker or setting foote on lande Notwithstanding at the last famine and other necessities caused them in the ende to strike sayle and let fall anker The which they hauing done about a handgunne shot from the lande there rested no other thing but with flattering signes and other meanes to winne the fauor of the wild men for to get some vittails and space to reste their weary bones So that some of the wild men being in their little boates made of the barcke of trées being allured with these fayr shewes did ieopard themselues to approch not without some doubt hauing neuer sene Christiā come so néere to their limites Notwithstanding their feare the Spaniards made signe of more friendship shewing them kniues and other small Iron workes shining the which caused thē to approche And after y t they had made vnto them presentes of small value this wilde people went with al diligence to purchase and get them some vittails so at length they brought them great plenty of fish fruits of maruelous excellencie according as y e coūtrey brought forth Among other things one of these wild men hauing bene the day before in skirmishe had taken foure of his enimies Canibals and presented to them two members rosted the which the Spaniards refused These wild men as they sayde were of high stature fayre bodied and all naked as others are bearing on their stomackes broade péeces of Golde the others greate péeces shining of fine Golde well poolished in forme of rounde looking Glasses Ye nede not demaūde if that the Spaniards change their marchandise for such riches I beleue truely they escaped not so at the least they did their good will Now these poore Pilgrims being thus refreshed and vitteled for that tyme reseruing somewhat for after claps before they tooke their leaue they gaue more
that from the riuer of Marignan betwene America and the Ilands of Antilles that ioyne at Perou vnto Terra Florida néere to newe found lande belongeth to the King of Spaine the which hath also great Lordship in America comming from Perou toward the South on the West side towarde Marignan as is before shewed To the King of Portingal did befall all that is from the said riuer of Marignan towards the South vnto the riuer of Plate which is .36 degrees from the Equinoctiall And the first place towarde Magellan is named Morpion the second Mahanhoc in the which place hath bene found many mines of golde and siluer The thirde Port Sigoura néere to Caape S. Augustine Fourthly the point of Cronest Monâ—ou castel Marin and Fernanbow bordering the Canibals of America To declare particularly the places from one riuer to an other as Curtana Caribes néere to the swéete or freshe riuer and royall Likewise their lyings with other things I wil forbeare at this time It shall suffice onely to know that in those places before named the Portingals are inhabited and caÌ„tel how to entertaine the wilde men of the countrey so that they liue togither in peace trade many riche marchandise And there they haue bartered and builded houses and castles to resist their enimies Now to retourne to the Prince of Spaine he hath done the like for his part the which is as we haue shewed from Marignan towards the West vnto Moluques as wel on this side as beyond in the West in the sea peaceable the Ilands of these two seas and Perou in the maine land so that altogether extendeth of a great compasse beside the countrey adioyning that in time may be found out as Cartagera Cata Palmaria Parisa great and little The which two nations specially the Portingals haue discouered muche land in the East countrey for their trade the which notwithstanding they enioy not as they do many places of America and Perou For to beare rule in that Countrey they must get the loue and fauor of the Indians otherwise if that they reuolt they will destroy all that they finde so y t they must frame themselues so to their wayes that they by no wise may be offeÌ„ded Now ye must note that their attempts and discouerings was not without great bloudshed specially of poore Christians that haue ieoperded their liues without hauing respect to the cruell inhumanitie of these people To be short there is no difficultie be it neuer so daungerous that withdraweth a mannes manly heart We sée in our Europe how muche the Romaines at the beginning minding to enlarge their Empire but with a litle land to the respect of that which hath bene gotten within this sixtie yeares haue shed the bloud as well of them selues as of their enimies What furious and horrible dissipations of lawes disciplines honest conuersation hath raigned throughout the world biside the ciuile warres of Sylla and Marius Cina and of Pompey of Brutus of Anthony Augustus more hurtfull than the rest also hath folowed the ruine and decay of Italy by the Gothes Hunns and Wandallians which also haue inuaded Asia and ouerthrowne the kingdome of Grece to the which purpose Ouid séemeth to haue spoken these woords We see hovv things doe chaunge and come to passe And novv a people raigne that nothing vvas And he the vvhich had might and poure Dothe them homage obey and eke honoure To conclude all humaine creatures are subiecte to chaunge more or lesse according as they be rich or poore high or lowe little or great The deuision of the West Indies in three partes Cap. 66. BEfore that I passe any farther to describe this countrey by good right as I thinke named Fraunce Antarctike or before America for the reasons that we haue alleaged bicause of his largenesse which is without comparison I am minded for that I would the reader should the better vnderstand it to deuide it in thrée parts for since the time that other Countreis haue bene discouered all the Countrey of America Perou Florida and Canada and other places adiacent to goe from the straight of Magellan haue bene coÌ„monly called the west Indies and is for bicause the people liue al naked barbarous and rude as those that are yet in the East Indies The which Countrey meriteth well the name of India of the floud or riuer Indus as we haue before shewed This fair riuer entring into the East sea called Indique by seuen mouthes or openings as Nyll doth into the sea Meditarium taketh his originall of the Mountaines Arbiciennes and Beciennes Also the riuer Gangis in like case entreth in by .v. openings into this sea deuiding India into two partes separating the one from the other Therfore this region being so farre from America for the one is in the East and the other compreheÌ„deth from the South vnto the west we cannot say that others thaÌ„ those that haue first discouered these landes haue added this name of India séeing the beastly behauior and crueltie of this people so brutish without faith without law and not vnlike to diuers people of the Indies of Asia and of Ethiopia of which Plinie maketh most ample mention in his natural history By this meanes hath America obtained the name of India to the likenesse of that which is in Asia for y t they agrée in maners beastly brutishnesse other things as we haue before shewed of the OccideÌ„tal people to those of the East parts Therefore the first part of this land containeth toward the South vnto the straight of Magellan which is .52 degrées .30 minutes of the Equinoctiall line I meane of the Austreall line comprehending no part of the other land that is beyond the straight the which was neuer knowne nor inhabited of vs sauing onely from that straight comming from the riuer of Plate From thence drawing towarde the West far betwéene these two Seas are the prouinces of Patalia Paranaguacu Margageas Patagones or region of Giaunts Morpion Tabaiares Toupinambou Amazones the countrey of Brasil vnto y e Cape of S. Augustin the which is .viij. degrées beyonde the line the Countrey of Canibals Anthropophages the which regions are comprehended in America compassed with the Ocean sea and on the other side toward the South of the peaceable sea which is otherwise the sea of Magellan We will therfore ende this Indian land at the riuer of Amazones the which euen as Ganges maketh the seperation of one Indies from another towards the East also this notable floud the which hath of bredth .50 leagues may make separation of India America and of Perou The seconde parte shall begin from the sayde riuer containing many kingdomes and Prouinces at Perou the straight of land containing Daryen Furna Popaian Anzerma Carapa Quimbaya Cali Pasta Quito Canares Cuzco Chila Patalia Parias Temistitan Mexica Cataia Panuco the Pigmeis eueÌ„ to Florida which lieth .25 degrées of latitude on this side the line I leaue the Ilands
doeth more increase Thus far touching Perou which in our retourne we coasted on y e left hand as in sayling thether we costed Africa Of the Ilands of Perou and chiefly of the Spanish Iland Cap. 71. NOw y t I haue shewed of y e lande of Perou seing y t in y e course we haue in oure returne costed certaine Ilands on the Weast Sea called the Ilands of Perou for that they border the lande I thinke it good in lyke case somewhat to write thereof for bicause we were some to the heigth of one of these Ilandes named the Spanish Iland by those that first did discouer it being before named Haiti which is as much to say as sharpe or sower land Also it was named Quisqueia the great and of a truthe it is so faire and great that from the east to the west it is .50 leagues long and of bredth from the North to the South .40 and in compasse or cyrcuit more than .400 and is beyond the Equinoctiall lyne .18 degrees hauing toward the East the Iland of Saint Iohn with many other small Ilands much to be feared and dangerous for Saylers and toward the West it hath the Ilands of Cuba and Iamaica on the North syde the Ilands of the Canibals and toward the South the Cape of Vela planted on the mayne land This Iland sheweth lyke to Sycilly in tymes past that first was named Trinacria for y t it had .3 promētaries very eminēt lyke vnto that of which we speake the which hath thrée standing very farre into the Sea of the which the first is named Tyburon the second Higney y e third Labos which is a syde of y e Iland which they haue named Beata almost full of y e wood Gaiac In this Spanish Iland are found many fayre Riuers among y e which y t chiefest named Orane passeth rounde aboute y e chiefest Citie named by y e Spaniards Sainst Dominick the others are Nequa Hatibonice Haqua full of very good fishe and pleasant to eate the which is bicause of the temperatnesse of the Ayre and goodnesse of the ground and of the water these Riuers runne about into the Sea almost all on the East syde y e which méeting together make a very large Riuer bancked on both sydes before that this Iland was discouered of y t Christiās it was inhabited with wilde men that were Idolaters worshipping the diuel who shewed him self to them in diuers similitudes lykenesse Also they made many sundry Idols according to the visions sights that they had as they do at this present in many Ilands maine land of that countrey the others worship many gods chiefly one aboue the rest the which they esteme to be a maker of all things and they represēt his figure in an Idoll of wood being set in some trée garnished with leaues and fethers Likewise they worship the Sunne the Moone other celestiall creatures the which now the inhabitāts that are there do not vse for that they are reformed to y t Christian faith and to all kynde of ciuilitie I know wel that in times paste there haue ben some y t haue not regarded it We reade of Caius Caligula an Emperor of Rome though he dispraised hated y t diuine power yet neuerthelesse he quaked trembled for feare when y t there appeared any shew or tokē of gods wrath But before y t this Iland of which we speake was brought to subiection vnder the Spaniards as I haue ben enformed of those that were at the conquest the wylde men killed aboue ten thousād Christians vntil y t the Spaniards had fortified thē selues in certain places after which time they killed a great multitude of y e inhabitants y e rest y t were left they led captiue into diuers countreys and made them slaues And after this sort they haue vsed them of y e Ilands of Cuba of S. Iohn Iamaique the holy crosse the Canibals with many other Ilands maine countrys For at the first the Spaniards Portingals for that they would haue the better dominion rule learned to liue after their maner alluring them by gifts and faire woordes always keping them in their fauor vntill that in proces of time they saw how that they were able to mate and ouercome them then they began to reuolte from their former vse taking this rude people and vsing them lyke slaues they prouoked them to labor the earth otherwise they had neuer come to the perfection of their enterprise The mightiest kings of this countrey are in Casco and Apina rich and famous Ilands aswell for the Golde and Siluer that there is founde as for the fruitfulnesse of the land The inhabitāts weare nothing but Golde about them as large bouckles of two or thrée pound waight y e péece hanging at their eares the weight whereof maketh their eares to hang halfe a foote long the which causeth the Spaniards to cal them greate eares This Iland is very rich in Mynes of Golde as are many others of that countrey for there are founde few or none but either hath Mynes of Gold or Siluer Furthermore it doeth abounde with horned beastes as Oxen Kyne Shéepe Goates and an infinit number of Hogs also very fayre Horses the which beastes for the most parte are become wylde as we haue shewed of the maine lande As touching Corne and wyne they haue none but that which is brought from other places and therefore in stede of bread they eate much Cassade made of the meale of Rootes and in sted of wyne they haue very good and swéete drynks made of diuerse fruites as the Syder of Normandy They haue an infinit number of good fish of the which some are very straunge among the which there is one named Manaty the which is taken in the ryuers and also in the Sea but the greatest store are in Ryuers This fish is lyke to a Bucke or Goats skynne being fylled wyth oyle or wine hauing two féete on both sydes of the shoulders with the which he swimmeth and from the brest to the tayle deminisheth of greatnesse his head is lyke to the head of an Oxe hauing a slender face the chyn ful great and very lyttle eyes this fish is ten foote broade twenty foote long hauing a graye skynne heary lyke to an Oxe hyde so that with his skynne the people of the coūtrey make showes according to their maner his féete are all rounde garnished eche one with foure long clawes lyke to the féete of an Oliphant This fish is more disformed and mishapen than any kynde of fish in that countrey Notwithstanding very good to eate hauing a tast more lyke to vele than fishe The inhabitans of that countrey do gather the grease of the sayde fishe for that it is very good for their Goate skyns of the which they make very good marokyns the black slaues or Neigers do anoynt their bodies there with to
then they lette the water oute by a hole vnder the which they lay a linnen cloth least that with the water the stones or pearles that mighte be should runne out As touching the figure of these Oysters they differ much from ours as well in colour as in shell hauing eche of them certain litle holes which would be thought to haue ben made artificially in the which holes are these pearles Thus muche thought I good to speake of by the way the like also are found at Perou and certaine other stones in good number but the finest are founde in the Riuer of Palme and in the riuer of Panuco the which are distant the one from the other .32 leagues but the christians haue not libertie to get them bicause that the wilde men of that countrie are not yet conuerted to our christian faith Now therfore coasting Florida on the left hand the winde beyng to vs contrary we sayled very néere to Canada and to an other countrey that is called Baccalos which was against our wills and to our great displeasure bicause of the extreme colde that molested vs the terme of eightene dayes although that this lād of Baccalos entreth farre into the full sea in forme of a point welnigh two hundreth leagues on the north side distant from the line onely fortie eight degrées Thys pointe was named Baccales bicause of a certaine fishe that is found thereabout in the sea whiche they name Baccales betwene which and the Cape Delgado there is diuers Ilāds peopled very dāgerous to aboord bicause of the multitude of rocks that compasse the sayd Ilandes they are called the Ilands of Cortes Some iudge them not to be Ilands but mayne lande hangyng vpon the point of Baccalles These places were first discouered by an Englishman named Sebastian Babat who informed Kyng Henry the seuenth that by that waye he would sayle into the countrie of Catia towards the Northe and that by this meanes he woulde fynde spices and other thyngs as well as the Kyng of Portingal dyd in the east Indies Neuerthelesse his mynd was to go to Perou America for to people that cuntrie with Englishmē but his purpose toke no effect True it is y t he landed toward the coast of Irelād in y e north .300 mē where as bicause of the extreme colde the most part of his men dyed thoughe it were in the moneth of Iuly And since Iames Quartier a Briton made thither two voyages as he hym selfe shewed me in the yeare .1530 and .1535 Of the lande of Canada before named Baccalos being discouered in oure time and how the inhabitants liue Ca. 75. FOr bicause that this countrey lying in the Northe was discouered in oure time first by Sebastian Babat an Englisheman and then by Iames Quartier a Briton beyng well séene in nauigation who toke vpon him the voyage at the commaundemente of the kyng of France Francisce the first I think it good therfore somewhat to write the which semeth to me most worthie to be noted although that accordyng to the order of our voyage homewardes it ought to go before the next Chapter Moreouer that which moueth me so to doe is that I haue not séene any that hathe treated otherwise although to my iudgement the thyng doth merite it and that I haue surely learned it of the sayd Iames Quartier This lande being almoste vnder the Pole artike is ioyned towarde the Weast to Florida and to the Ilandes of Perou and since is coasted by the west toward Baccalles of which we haue spoken The which place I think be the same that those which lately haue discouered and named Canada as it happeneth many times that some will giue name to that whiche is out of others knowledge the which toward the east extendeth to the sea called Hyperbores on the other side to a mayne lande called Campestra de Berga to the Southeast ioyning to this countrey There is a Caape called Loraine otherwise by them that discouered it the lande of Britons being nere to new founde lande hauing not in distance aboue .x. or .xij leagues betwene them This new founde land bordreth this hie lād the which we haue named Caape Loraine and towards the northeast betweene both lieth an Iland which hath in compasse about foure leagues The said lād beginneth euen at the sayd Caape towards the Southe and extendeth east northeast and west Southwest the most part thereof extending to the lande of Florida lying like an halfe circle drawing towarde Themistitan Now to return to Caape Loraine of the which we haue spoken it lieth to the lande towards the north whiche is ranged with the sea Meditarium as Italy betweene the sea Adriatike and the sea Ligustike And from the sayd Caape going towards the West and west southwest the shore is to be séene about two hundreth leagues and all sandie and silte without any port or hauen This region is inhabited with many people of an indifferent gret stature very malicious hauing most cōmonly their faces disfigured couered with vizards of red and blew which colours they haue of certayne fruites This lande was discouered by Iames Quartier a Bryton borne at S. Maloes in the yeare .1535 At that time besides the number of shippes that he had for the performaunce of his voyage with certaine barkes some with .60 and 80. men a piece he fought out this vnknowne countrie vntill he came to a great brode riuer to the which they gaue a name in the whiche is founde very good fish chiefly Salmons and that great plentie then they traded into so many places adiacēt with kniues hatchets hookes and lynes to fishe with and such like for Hartes skinnes and skinnes of other wild beastes wherof there is great store The wilde men of the countrey gaue them good entertainement shewing them selues well affectioned towardes them and glad of their comming knowledge and amitie and with their practise in bargainyng with them After this they passyng further founde other people contrary to the first as well in their language as in their maner of liuyng the which people sayd that they came from the great riuer Chelogua for to make war against their neighbors which afterward was known of a truthe by Iames Quartier who toke one of their skiffes with seuen men wherof he reserued twaine which he brought into Fraunce and at his second voyage did carie them backe againe and also they returned againe and were made Christians ended their liues in Fraunce Moreouer the sayde Quartier coulde not learne the maner of liuing of the first Barbariens neither what commoditie is in their countrey and region bicause that it was not before frequented nor traded Of an other countrey of Canada Cap. 76. AS touching the other part of this Region of Canada where as remayne and inhabite the last wilde men It hath ben since discouered beyond the sayd riuer of Chelogua being more thā thrée or
like that of Magellan by the which ye may enter from the West sea to the South sea Gemafrigius although he was expert in Mathematike hath herein failed erred for he maketh vs beleue that this Riuer of which we speake is a straight the which is named Septentrionall and so hath he sette it out in his Mappa Mundi If that which he hath written be true in vaine then haue the Portingals bene and Spanyards to séeke a new straight distant from this aboue .3000 leagues for to enter into the South sea to goe to the Ilands of Moluques where as the spices are This Countrey of New found land is inhabited with barbarous men being clothed in wilde beastes skinnes as are those of Canada this people is very frowarde and vntractable as our men can well testifie that goe thither euery yeare a fishing They that dwel by the Sea liue with little kinde of other meate than fishe which they take in the sea wherof they take a great multitude chiefly sea Wolues of which they eate the flesh which is very good With the fat of this fish they make a certaine Oyle that after it is come to his perfection hath a redde colour which they drink at their tables as we do wine or béere Of the skin of this fish which is strōg and thick as if it were of some wild beasts they make clokes garments according to their maner which is a meruellous thing that in a element so moist as that is which is moist of it self cā be norished a beast or fish that hath the skin hard and dry as beasts of the earth haue Likewise they haue other fishes that haue hard skins as y e Grampas the Dog fish and others with strong shels as Torterels Oysters Muscles suche like Besides this they haue great plenty of other good fish bothe smal and great of which they liue daily I maruell that the Iewes Turkes Grekes many other natiōs in the East eat no Dolphins nor of many other kinde of fishes that are without shell as wel in the sea as in fresh waters which maketh me to iudge that these people are more wiser better aduised to finde the tast in meats more delicate than wheras are Turks Arabians and other superstitious people In those parts there is also found Whales I meane in y e hie sea for such fish neuer cometh toward the shore to liue with such little fish Notwithstanding the fish that the Whale doth most commonly eate is no greater than a Carpe a thing almost vncredible considering hir greatnesse the reason therof as some say is for bicause y t the whale hath but a litle throte in cōparison of y e greatnesse of his body therfore he cannot deuour a greater fish The which is a wonderfull secrete vnknowne as well to our elders as to vs although that they haue treated of fishes the female hath but one yōg one at a time which she bringeth forth as a beast of y e earth without egge that which is more wōderful she giueth suck to hir yōg one after y t she hath brought it forth And therfore she hath .ij. rothers vnder hir belly vnder y e nauel which no other fish hath neither in the sea nor in fresh water but only y e sea Wolfe as witnesseth Plinie This whale is dangerous to méete on the sea as the Bayones cā wel tel by experiēce for they vse to take them To the purpose ye shall note when that we wer in America some Marchantes ship y t passed from one lād to another for marchādise was ouerthrown all y t was within hir lost by a whale y t touched hir w t hir tail In the same place wheras the Whale frequenteth there is found moste commonly a fishe that is his mortall enimie so that if she méete the Whale she will pricke the whale vnder the belly which is the softest and tenderest place with hir tong that cutteth like a Barbars raser so that he being thus hurt cannot saue himself but that he dieth as the inhabitants of New found land do shew and the common fisher men In this Sea of Newe found land there is a kinde of fishe that the people of the countrey call Hehec hauing a bil like a Popengay and other fishes with shell There is found in the same place great store of Dolphins that shewe themselues many times aboue water leaping and floting the which some iudge to be foreshewings of tempests and fowle weather from the part or coast that they come from as Plinie sheweth Isidorus in his Etymologies which I haue also knowne by experience the which is more surer than the witnessing either of Plinie or of any other Some haue written that there is fine kindes of signes and forthe wings of tēpests and stormes on the Sea as Polybius being with Scipio Aemilian in Affrica Furthermore there are great plenty of great muscles and as for beastes of the earth there are a great number very wilde and daungerous as great Beares the which are almost all white and bisides beastes there are foules of the aire of which the fethers are all white the which I thinke happeneth bicause of the extréeme coldnesse of the Countrey but these Beares which I spake of are day and night about the houses of this people for to deuoure their Oyle and Fishe As touching these Beares although that we haue treated thereof at large in our Cosmographie of Leuant yet notwithstanding we will speake somewhat thereof by the way howe the inhabitants of the Countrey take them being afflicted with y e importunitie that they make them Therfore they make certaine pittes in the ground very déepe néere to trees and rockes and then they couer them finely with leaues and braunches and this they vse where as are hiues or multitude of Hony Bées which these Beares séeke and follow with all diligence thereof they are very desirous not only so much for to fil them therewith but for to heale their eyes the whiche they haue naturally blemished and all their braine also that being stinged with these Hony Bées there falleth from them a bloud specially from the head wherby their paine is eased so that they are comforted thereby There is also séene a kinde of great beastes like to Buffles hauing hornes very great their skin is grayishe of which they make garments and of many other beasts whose skins are very riche This Countrey is full of hils and mountaines and very barraine as well for bicause of the vntemperatenesse of the aire as of the condition of y e lande smally inhabited and ill tilled As for birds there are not found suche quantitie as in America or at Perou nor yet so faire There are two kinde of Egles of which the one kinde kéepeth the waters and liueth onely with fishe chiefly with shell fishe the which she taketh vp and flieth into the
aire and so letteth it fall and breaketh it for to get the fishe out this Egle maketh hir nest in great hie trées by the sea side Also in this Countrey there is many faire riuers and a multitude of good fishe This people prepareth for nothing but that which is néedefull to sustaine nature so that they are not curious in meates for they goe not to séeke any thing in farre Countreys and yet their nourishment is healthsome and therefore they know not what sicknesse meanes but they liue in peace and in continuall health so that they haue no occasion to conceiue enuie one against an other bicause of their goods and patrimonie for they are in a maner all equall in goodes and riches being in one mutuall contentation and equalnesse in pouerty Also they haue no place ordained for to minister iustice for bicause that among them they do nothing worthy of reprehension They haue no lawes no more than the worthy Americanes other people but only the law of nature The people that dwell toward the sea as I haue shewed liue with fish and others that are farre from the sea are content with fruits of the earth that commeth forth the most part without labour of mannes hands and after this sorte liued the people in the first age as Plinie witnesseth also we sée in our dayes how the earth bringeth forth fruit without labor Virgill sheweth that the Forest Dodana began to die bicause of his age or else for bicause that it could not satisfie the multitude of people that then did multiply and therefore they began to labor and till the earth for to receiue the fruits therof for the sustainmēt of their liues so that they began husbādry Moreouer these people make not warre vnlesse that their enimies come to séeke them then they put them al to defence like to the Canadians their instruments that giue men corage to fight are beastes skinnes spread in maner of a circle which serueth them in steade of drummes with fluites of bones of Déere like to the Canadians if that they perceiue their enimies a farre of they will prepare to fight with their armors and weapōs which are bowes and arrowes And before y t they enter into battell their principall guide the which they honour as a King shal goe the first being armed with faire skins and fethers sitting on the shoulders of two mighty men to the ende that euery one should sée him and know him also to be ready to obey him what so euer he shall commaund And when they obtaine victory he shall lacke no honor so they returne ioyfull to their houses with their banners displayed which are braunches of trées garnished with fethers of swannes wauering in the aire and bearing the skin of the face of their enimies spred in litle circles in token of victorie Of the Ilands of Essores Cap. 83. THere resteth now nothing of all our voyage but to speake of certain Ilands that they call Essores which we coasted on the right hand not without great dāger of shipwracke For .iij. or .iiij. degrées beyond and on this side there bloweth alwayes a winde so cold contagious that for this respect it is feared of the Pilots Nauigants as the most dangerous place that is in the voyage be it to goe either to the Indies or to America by this ye may know y t the Sea in those parts are neuer calme but alwayes rough growne as we sée many times the winde to blow vp the dust into the aire the which we cal a tempest or fowle weather which is as well vpon y e land as on the sea for in the one and the other it riseth like a poynt of fire that raiseth the water of a heigthe when it plaweth or boileth as I haue many times sene And therfore it séemeth that the wind hath a mouing vpward like a whirle wind of which I haue spoken in an other place For this cause these Ilands wer so named bicause of the great Essor that causeth this winde in the said Ilands for Essores is as much to say to dry or to wipe cleane These Ilands are distant from Fraunce about .x. degrées and a halfe and they are .ix. in nūber of which the best of them are inhabited with Christians Portingalles whether as they did send many slaues for to laboure the ground the which by their great paine and diligence they haue made fruitfull with all good fruits necessary for mannes sustenaunce chiefly with wheat the which groweth there so plentifully that therewith all the land of Portingall is furnished The which they transport in their ships with many good fruits as well naturally of the Countrey as other where but there is one amongst others named Hyrcy the plant wherof was brought from the Indies for there was none thereof found before euen as in the Canaries Likewise in our Europe before they began to labor the earth to plant and to sowe diuers kinds of fruits men were contented onely with that the earth brought forthe of his nature hauing then to drinke nothing but cléere water and for their clothing the barks and leaues of trées with certaine skins of beastes as we haue already shewed In the which we may cléerely sée a wonderful prouidence of our God the which hath placed in the sea great quantitie of Ilands bothe little and great which doeth abide and sustaine the brunt of the waues of the sea that goeth not beyonde their compasse or limits neither hurteth the inhabitaunts for the Lord as the Prophet sayth hath appoynted his limits the which he doeth not ouerpasse Of these Ilands some are inhabited that before were desert and many are forsaken that in times past were inhabited and peopled as we sée hath hapned to many Cities and Townes of the Empire of Greece Trapezande and Egipt such is the ordinance of God that things héere in earth shall not be perdurable but subiect to chaunging The which being considered of our Cosmographers in our dayes they haue added to the Tables of Ptolomeus newe matters of our time for since y e time and knowledge that he hath written there hath happened many newe things Now these Ilands of Essores were desert before that the Portingalls knew them Neuerthelesse they were full of woods of all sorts among the which is founde a kynd of Ceder named in their speach Orcantine with the which they make fyne karued works as tables cofers and many vessels for the Sea This wood hath a very good smel and wil not rot neither be worme eaten be it dry or wette as other wood wil. Of the which also Plinie speaketh that in his time was found at Rome in an old Sepulcher certaine bookes of Philosophy betwene two stones within a lyttle chest made of Ceader wood the which had ben vnder the grounde aboue fyue hundreth yeares Furthermore I remember that I haue read in times
The opinion of Diogenes for the buriall of the bodie The funeralles of the deade is approued by holy scripture The vse and custome of the Romanes and others at the funeralls of a Citizen Alexander the great Mortugabes lodgings of the wilde men and how they be builded The Arabians and TartariaÌ„s haue no place to remaine in Trees that beare cotton Iny Manigot Arat a byrde Hennes Popingayes No vse of gold nor siluer among them The charitie of the wilde men one toward an other Pians a sickenesse in America and his oirginall The wildmen are very lecherous and carnall The true originall of the French pocks as the Frenche men write The curing of this disease Hiuourahe a tree The wilde meÌ„ are afflicted with ophthalmies and from whence they proceede All the paines of the eyes with ophthalmies The southe winde and yll token The foolishe opinion of the wilde men in their prophets and of their diseases A methode meane to heal the disease obserued of these wylde men How the pacient liueth wheÌ„ he is sicke Naua an excellent fruite Tom a kinde of wormes Hibonconhu a fruit and for what vse The trafike of the wild men The description of Toucan a bird of America A straunge hat made of fethers Secretes brought by the author into Fraunce or America The order of the world before the vse of money What the christiaÌ„s and Americans do trade together A kinde of spice Of the spice of Calicut The IlaÌ„d of Corchel The Iland of Zebut Aborney The Ilands of Moluqus and of the spice that commeth from thence The description of Carinde a birde of excellent beauty Aiouroub a greene birde Marganas Who it was that first caged birdes Great plenty of Popengayes in America The exclamation of Marcus Cato against the abuses of his time Ierahuua a kind of Palme Quiapian a birde Annon a bird Another kinde of birde Hiuourahe a tree Gouanbuch a bird very litle How the AmericaÌ„s take wilde beastes The wilde Bore of America The Harte of America The property of a Harts horn A fond opinioÌ„ of the wilde men The descriptioÌ„ of Coary a strange beaste A kinde of Fesantes Macouacanna a kind of Partriges Tapihire a beaste The descriptioÌ„ of Tapihire A kinde of strange fish Hyuourahe a tree The vsage of the barcke of this tree The excellency of the frute of this tree Loth in Homer The descriptioÌ„ of a tree named Vhebehason Two kinde of honey Bees Hira honey Bees Hirat a beast The vsage of honey much commended of diuers people Melissus King of Creta Why the Poets haue fayned that the honey Bees flied into Iupiters mouth Red gumme America not knowen of the ancieÌ„t writers The descriptioÌ„ of a beast named Hauthy Chamellion The wonderfull workes of Nature The maner of the wyld men to get Fyre Thata Thatatin The first inueÌ„tioÌ„ of Fyre Vulcan inuentor of Fyer The opinion of the wylde men against a deluge How the wild men do number The original of these Americans How the wild men did first vse to cut wood Dedalus the first inuenter of a Forge Pedris inuenter of the Saw A kinde of Fish The lyeng of the Ryuer of Vases Cacuycu Sagauius a beast Tatton a beast Quoniambeâ— a King redouted Peroes How many it is to bee thought that Iulius Caesar hath slaine in his battailes The discription of the land of Morpion The fruitfulnesse of Morpion Nauas Piraipouchy The riuer of Platte why it is so named The first voyage attempted by the Spanyards to the Riuer of Platte â–ª The seconde voyage A slaughter of Spaniards The third voyage The fourth voyage The policie of Captaine Aruall Wylde men as great as GyaÌ„ts The richesse of the countrey about the riuer of Platte Saricouieme a daintie beast The lyeng of the straight of Magellan The voyage oâ— Frrnandus of Magellan The Caape of Virgins Therea Atorizo The straighte of Daryen The Ilandes of the Moluques The lande of Australl To know that there are two worlds or no. Diuers opinions of the Antipodes What people the Antipodes and Antichtones the one to the other A difference betwene Antipodes and Antictones Anteci Pataeci The maner of going of the Antipodes was not well knowen nor approued of the elders Saint August lib. 15. of the Citie of God The common occupations of the wild men Howe these wilde men labour the earth Myll white and blacke Hetich In America no vse of corne Husbandrie hath bene of a long time The first vse of Corne. Meale of rotes Manihot The straunge maner of eating of the wylde men A kinde of white beanes How they make salte Bread made of spice and salte Bread of drie fishe Nenuphar a kinde of colewort Peno absou a tree A birde of a strange and wonderfull beautie Gerahuua Iry The lande of Brasile discouered by the Portingales Oraboutan the brasile tree A voyage into the east countrey by Onesicritus captaine to Alexander the greate Yelow wood Wood of the color of purple A battaile drawen in purple wood white wood Lâ—â— 10. ca. 19. Betula Diuersitie in earth How the Author returned from America Caape Saint Augustine Caape of good hope why it is called Lyon of the sea Caape of saint Michell Verie daungerous lands discouered by captaine Pynson Castel Marin Fermanbow The Ilrude of S. Paule Continuall warre betwene the Spaniardes and the Canibals The fruitfulnesse of their countrey Haouay a venemous tree The riches of the countrey of Canibals The Ryuer of Marignan separateth Perou from the Canibals Aurelane a Riuer of Perou The IlaÌ„d of the Trinitie very riche A kinde of tree like to a Palme tree The seapacifick or peaceable or the sea of Magellan Mhe lying of the Riuer of Plate The lying and wonderfull greatnesse of the Riuer of Aurelana The originall of Nyll Aurelana or the Riuer of Amazones The IlaÌ„d of the Holy Crosse The stature of these wild meÌ„ Amazones of America Thre sorts of Amazones Many opinioÌ„s on the naming and Etimology of Amazones Philostratus Amazones are warlike womeÌ„ Asia tributarie to Scithia the terme of .500 yeares Lampedo and Marthesia the first Quenes of Amazones How the Amazones of America liued Hovv these Amazones put their enimies to death The originall of the Amazones of America are vncertaine How the Spaniardes arriued into the countrey of Amazones and how they were receiued How the Spanyardes continued their voiage to MorpioÌ„ Deuision of their company for to kâ—pe on to the riuer of Plate A very good Mine of siluer Mines of gold and siluer Plate a river and why it is so named The straight of Magellan The peaceable sea Ilands of Moluques inhabited by the Spanyardes The cape of three poynts The lands of the king of Spaine in the Indies The lande that the king of Portingal hath in the Indies Countreys not yet discouered The shipwrak of a Portingal The Ilande of Rats why it was so named The coÌ„modites of the Ilande of Rats The Zone betwene two Tropickes are inhabited A
opinion wherin to recreate your spirites and to holde me yours for euer Although that already for many causes I feele my selfe greatly bound and holdē to do most humble and obedient seruice to your lordship to whom I besech the creator to giue all good lucke and prosperitie ¶ A Preface to the Reader COnsidering vvith my selfe hovv much the long experiēce of things faithfull obseruation of many countries and nations also their orders and maner of lyfe bringeth or causeth perfection to man although there were no exercise more cōmendable by the which a man may sufficiently decke his spirite with all kinde of Heroicall vertue and science biside my first formal Nauigation into the countrey of Leuant in Grecia in Turkie Egypte and Arabia the which in times paste I haue put to light I haue againe vnder the protection and sauegard of the great gouernor of the vniuersal worlde seing it hath pleased him to shew me so much fauor being left to the discretion and mercy of one of the most vnconstant Elements least assured that is among the rest with small vesselles of wood so fraile that many times there was more hope of death than of life for to sayle toward the Pole Antartike the which was neuer discouered nor found out by the elders in times past as it appereth by the writings of Ptolomeus and others also ours of Septentrion to the Equinoctiall and therefore it was thought to be vnhabited And we sayled so long that at the laste we came to India America aboute the Capricorne a mayn land of good temperatnesse and inhabited as we will particularly more at large hereafter declare the which I haue taken in hande at the instant request of many great personages of whō the gestes more than Heroical high enterprises celebrated by the Histories cause them to lyue for euer in perpetual honor and immortall glory What hath prouoked the great Poet Homer so vertuously to celebrate in his writings Vlysses but onely his long peregrination and far trauell that he made in diuerse places with the experiēce of many things aswel by sea as by land after the spoyle of Troye What moued Virgill to write so worthily of the Troyan Aeneas although that he according to the writing of some Historiographers had most trayterously betrayed his natiue countrey in to the hands of his enimies but onely for that he had vertuously resisted the furie of the raging waues and other inconueniences of the sea he had sene endured many sharpe shoures and finally he came into Italie Euen so as the soueraigne creator hath made man of twoo substāces the one differing or exceding the other the one elementary corruptible the other celestiall diuine and immortall Also he hath put al things in his subiectiō that is contained vnder the scope or circuite of the Firmament to the ende that he might know asmuch as to him was necessary for to attaine to the soueraigne gift leauing him neuerthelesse some difficultie varietie of exercise Man then although that he be a creature maruelously accomplished yet he is neuerthelesse an instrument of vertuous actes of the which God is the original so that he may electe such an instrumēt as pleaseth him for to execute his plesure be it by sea or by land But it may so chaunce as it is cōmonly sene come to passe that some vnder this pretexitie make it a custome to abuse the workemaster by an auarice and an vnsatiable appetite of some particular and temporall appetite ieoparding themselues vndiscretely as wickedly as Horace in his epistles doeth manyfestly shew that he is worthy of prayse that for the beautifiing and eluminating of his spirite in the fauor of the common wealth doth willingly offer and put forth him selfe This rule or meane Socrates the wise Philosopher knew how to practise and after him Plato his disciple bothe the which not onely contented to haue traueled and made voyages into strange countreys for to attaine to the full perfection knowledge of Philosophie but also to declare it openly without hope of any reward or recompense Did not Cicero send his sonne Marke to Athens partely for to heare Cratippus and of him to lerne Philosophie and partly also for to lerne the maners and lyuing of the citisens of Athens Lysander being elected for his magnanimitie worthinesse gouernor ouer the Lacedemonians hath so worthily atcheued so many faire enterprises against Alcibiades a man prewe and valiant and Antiochus his Lieutenant on the sea that what losse or detrimēt so euer did chāce his heart and manly courage did neuer faile him but pursued his enimie by sea by lande so that in the ende he brought Athens to his obedience Themistocles not lesse experte in the feate of warre thā in Philosophie for to shew what a feruēt desire he had to ieoparde his lyfe for the libertie of his countrey persuaded the Athenians that the siluer that was gathered in the mynes the which they were wonte to distribute to the people was turned and bestowed to furnishe and make ships and galleys against Xerxes who for that he had partly distressed him and almost put to flight falling to appointment after this happie victorie against the order of an enimie made him present with three of the beste Cities of his Empire What hath caused Seleucus Nicanor the Emperour Augustus Cesar and many Princes and noble men to beare in their pendens and standarts the Dolphin and the anker but onely to giue instruction to al their posteritie that Nauigation is the first and of al others the most vertuous Here therfore without any long discourse is an example of nauigatiō as al things the more excellent they are the more difficile or harde is the way to attaine to them as after the experience Aristotle witnesseth speaking of vertue And that the nauigation is alwaies folowed with peril as a body is with his shadowe the which in times past was shewed by Anacharsis the Philosopher who after he had demaūded of what quantitie or thicknesse were the plācks or side of a ship it was answered not aboue four fingers so much said he is the lyfe of him from death that sayleth with ships on the water Now gentle Reader in that I haue alleged so many excellent personages it is not to compare much lesse to thinke my selfe equal to them but I am persuaded that the great power of Alexander hath not letted his successors to attempte yea the very extremitie of fortune Also the deepe knowledge of Plato did nothing at all feare or abashe Aristotle but that at his owne pleasure he hath treated of Philosophy For this intent therefore not to be found ydle and slacke among others no more than Diogenes was amōg the Athenians I haue thought good to set out in writing many notable things that I haue diligently obserued in my Nauigation betwene the South and the Weast that is to wit the situation and disposition of places in what
Grecia by the Phenicians that then ruled on the sea being reputed to their great glory as the first finders out of that which they had learned of the Egyptians The men in this parte on the coaste of Europe vse to noynte their ioyntes with Oyle of the which they haue greate plenty before they take in hand any greate exercise for al softe and pliable things are not easy to breake they principallie make warre with the Spanyardes on their borders partly for religion partly for other causes It is true that the Portingals of late time haue ouercome certaine places in Barbaria and edified townes and Castels and planted our Religion specially one faire towne named the holy Crosse for that they ariued stayed there the same day it is at the foote of a faire mountayn But within this twoo yeres the wicked people of the countrey being assembled together haue throwne downe from the sayde mountayne so many greate stones that they had pulled out thereof that in the ende the poore Portingals were constrayned to forsake the place there is alwayes such enimitie or hatred among them that they trade and trafficke together their Suger Oyle Ryce Lether and other marchandise by leauing of pledges and hostages They haue quātitie of good fruts as Oranges Lemōds Citrons Pomegarneds the which they eat for wante of better meate and Ryce in stede of Wheate also they drinke Oyles as we do Wine They liue many yeares more to my iudgement bicause of the sobrietie they vse than otherwise Of the fortunate Ilandes novv called the Canaries Cap. 5. LEauing Barbaria on the left hande hauing alwayes the winde fauorable we knew by our compasse how néere we were to the fortunate Ilandes lying on the borders of Mauritania toward the west being so named by our elders bicause of the good tēperatnesse of the aire frutfulnesse of the same Nowe the first day of September in the foresayde yeare about sixe of the clocke in the morning we had sight of one of these Ilands bicause of the hyght of a great Hill of the which we wil speke more largely and particularly hereafter These Ilandes as some do affirme are .x. in number of which there are thrée that the Authors make no mention of for that they are vnhabited the other seuen which are named Tenerif the Ile of yron Gomeria and the great Iland properly called Canaria are distant from the Equinoctial .27 degrées the other thrée Forteuenturia Palma and Lencelota are .28 degrées so that by this ye may sée that from the first to the last is a degrée the which is .17 Leagues and a halfe reckening from the North to the South according to the opinion of Pillotes But without further talke he that wold finde out by the degrées of the firmament the quantitie of leagues and stades that the earth doth contayne and what proportion there is from league to degrée the which ought to be obserued of him that will write of coūtreys as a true Cosmographer let him reade Ptolomeus the which treateth therof at large in his Cosmography Among these Ilands there is none of them but the greatest that is named Canaria bicause of the multitude of greate Dogs that there are nourished as Plinie sheweth and many others after him that say as yet that Iuba bare away twayne But nowe they are all named the Canaries without any distinction for this onely reason before shewed But in my opinion I thinke they were named Canaries for the abundance of Canes and wild Réedes that growe on the sea brink as for the Canes or Réedes y t beare Suger the Spaniards haue planted a great many since the tyme that they haue there inhabited but ther did inhabite brutish Barbarous men before that there were any Dogs the which standeth by good reason for I knowe well by experience that in all the countreis and Indies y t haue ben discouered and founde out of late dayes they had neuer knowledge of dog or catte as hereafter shal be shewed Yet I knowe well that the Portingals haue brought thether some and kept them for to hunte after wild beastes Plinie therefore speaketh in this maner the first is called Ombrion whereas there is no signe of house nor building In the mountaines there is a fountaine trées like vnto that which is named Ferula both blacke and white out of the which may be wrong or writhen water Of the blacke ones the water is very bitter to the contrary the white ones the water is pleasant to drinke The other is called Iunonia whereas there is but one onely house builded of stone ther is sene another that is next to this but lesse of the sayd name another that is full of greate Lizardes Right ouer against these before shewed there is another named the Iland of Snowe for that it is alwayes couered with snowe The next to that is Canaria so called bicause of the multitud of great dogs y t it engendreth as we haue before shewed wherof Iuba King of Mauritania had two in the saide Ile ther are some apperāce of old buildings This coūtrey in times past hath ben inhabited with wild Barbarous people not knowing God but altogether Idolaters worshipping y e Sūne y e Moone certaine other planets as soueraigne deities of the which they thought they receiued al their benefits but in lesse thā .58 yeres y e Spaniards haue subdued and ouercome them and slayne part of them and the rest they hold and kepe as slaues and captiues and they inhabiting there haue established or set vp the Christian fayth so that at this present ther is none of the ancient dwellers left onely a fewe excepted that are hid in the mountaynes as in the mountayne of Pych of the which we will speake hereafter folowing True it is that that place is the refuge of all the banished of Spaine the which for punishement are sent thither into exile so that there is an infinite number also of slaues the which serue as well to labor the grounde as to do other labors I do much maruel how the inhabitantes of these Ilands and of Afrike for that they are néere neighbors haue so differed in language in colour Religion and in maners Also that many vnder the Romaine Empire haue conquered and subdued the greatest parte of Africa and neuer touched these Ilands as they haue done in the sea Meditareum knowing also that they are very fruitfull seruing as a victualer to y e Spaniards euē as Cicilie serueth to the Romaines and Geneuois This countrey of it selfe is good being so well tilled it bringeth greate profit and the most in Sugers For within these fewe yeares they haue planted many Canes that bring forth greate quantitie of Sugers maruelous good not only in these Ilands but in other places that they hold there Neuerthelesse it is not so good in any part as in
these Ilāds of Canaries And the cause why it is there better gathered desired is for that the Ilāds in the sea Meditareum on the cost of gréeke lād as Metelin Rhodes other places bearing good suger before the Turke had the dominiō of them haue ben spoyled by negligence or otherwise And in all the countrey of Leuant I haue sene no suger made but in Egypt y e canes y t beare it growe on the brinke of Nyll the which also is greatly estemed of the people of the marchants y t trade thether as much rather more than Canarie Suger The elders before vs estemed greately the Suger of Arabia for that it was maruellous harty and pleasant specially for medicine to the which vse they did put it to little other But now adayes voluptuousnesse is so incresed specially in our Europe that there cannot be neuer so little a banket made after our maner of liuing but that euery sause must be sugered and also our meates and drinkes The which thing was defended to the Athenians by their lawes as a thing that did effeminate the people the which the Lacedemonians haue folowed by example But of a trueth the great Lordes of Turkie drinke sugered waters for bicause that wine is defended them by their lawe As touching the wine that was inuented by the greate Phisition Hyppocrates it was onely permitted to sicke folke and vnable but at this day it is so common with vs as it is scarce in other countreys So much haue we spoken by the way on the talke of suger let vs nowe returne to our mater As for corne there is sufficient in these Ilands also of very good wine better than the wine of Candia where as they make Malmesies as we will declare intreating of the Ilands of Madera Of flesh also there is sufficient as wilde and tame goates birds of all kindes greate quantitie Oranges Citrons Lemonds Pomegranads and other fruites Palmes and greate quantitie of good Hony There is also about the riuers and floudes little trées named Paper and in the sayd riuers and floudes there are fishes named Silures the which Paulus Iouius in his booke of fishes thinketh to be Sturgion of the which the poore slaues féede on sweating for trauell almost breathlesse and oftentymes they féede thereon for wante of other meate And thus much I will say by the way that they are very hardly intreated of the Spaniards specially of the Portingals yea worsse than of the Turkes or Arabians And I am constrayned to speake thereof for that I haue sene it my selfe Among other things there is found an herb against the hils sides commonly called Oriselia the which they gather with greate diligēce for to dye colour Furthermore they make a kinde of blacke gumme the which they name Bre of the which there is greate abundāce in Tenerif They take thornes of y t which there is great quantitie and breake them and lay them by pece one vpon another like crosses and vnder eche heape there is a little hole of no great depth and then they set fire on this woodē almost at the very top and then it rendereth his gumme that falleth into this hole Others do make it with lesse labor for the hole being made they set fier on y e trée this gumme bringeth them great profit in their trade that they make to Perou of the which they vse to calke ships and other vessels for the sea putting it to no other vse As touching the harte of this trée being somewhat red the poore people that dwel on the hils and moūtaynes cut it by long stickes of the length of halfe a fadome as greate as our thumbe and lighting it at one ende it serueth in stede of a cādel Also the Spaniards vse it after this manner Of the high mountaines of Pike properly called Pikehill Cap. 6. IN one of these Ilands named Tenerif there is a Hil of so wonderful a highth that the mountaynes of Armenia of Persia Tartaria neither the Hyll Lybem in Syria the mounte Ida Athos nor yet the mounte Olympus so much celebrat by the Historiographers ought not to be cōpared to this Hil the which containeth in circuite at the leaste twenty miles from the foote to the top 54. miles This moūtaine or Hil is named Pike at al times snowy mysty and ful of great and cold vapors and also of snow although that it is not easily sene to my iudgement for bicause that it extendeth to the lower Region of the Aire the which is very colde as Philosophers and Astronomers holde opinion so that the snow cannot melt bicause that in that place the Sunne cannot cast hir beames and therefore the superior or vpper part remayneth alwayes colde This mountayne or Hill is so high that if the ayre be cleare it may be sene fiftie Leagues on the water and more the top and the bottome of this hill though one be néere or farre of is made in maner of this Gréeke figure Ω the which signifieth Omega I haue also sene the Hill called Ethna .30 Leagues and on the sea néere to Cypris I haue sene a certayne mountayne of Armenia fiftie Leagues of though I haue not the eye sight so good as Linxius who from the Promontorie of Lylibie in Cicilie did discerne and sée the ships in the porte of Carthage I am sure that some will thinke this strange esteming that a mans eye coulde in no wise sée nor discerne so far of but neuerthelesse this is most true in plainnesse but not in height The Spaniards haue diuers tymes assayed to sounde the height of this hyll and for to doe it they haue many tymes sent a certayne number of people with mulles bearing bread wine other munitions but they neuer returne againe as I haue ben crediblie informed of those that haue dwelled there ten yeres And therefore they holde opinion that in the sayd hill as wel on the toppe as on the circuite there are some reste or remnant of these wilde Canarians that thither are retired and kepe the sayde hyll liuing with Rootes and with wilde beastes the which kill and slaye those that presume to get vp the hill to discouer the toppe thereof Also of this Ptolomeus hath had knowledge saying that beyond the Columnes or pillers of Hercules In a certain Ile there is a hil of a maruellous and wonderful height and therefore towarde the toppe it is alwayes couered with Snowe from the sayde hille there falleth greate aboundance of water that watereth all the Ilande the which maketh it very fruitfull of Canes Sugers and other thinges And there is no other water than that which commeth from that hill otherwise the countreys that are vnder the tropike of Cancer wold remayne barren bicause of the excessiue heate It bringeth forth abundantly great stones like to spunges are very light so that one as great as a mans heade doth
not waigh half a pounde it bringeth forth other stoanes like Iron sledges and foure or fiue Leagues vpon the Hill are founde other stones that smell like smoke and therefore the inhabitants think that in the hil ther is some smoky Mine Of the Ile of Iron Cap 7. AMong these Ilandes I thinke good particularly to describe the Ile of Iron next to Tenerif so named for bicause that there are founde Mynes of Iron as the Ile of Palme so named bicause of y e multitude of Palme trées that are there and so of others And although that it be the least of the others for his circuite is not aboue 6. Leagues yet neuerthelesse it is fruitful for the circuite that it containeth as well in canes bearing Suger as in beasts fruits fayre gardens aboue al y e rest It is inhabited w t the Spaniards as wel as y e rest As touching corne ther is not sufficieÌ„t for the dwellers therfore the greatest part as y e slaues are coÌ„strained to nourishe them selues w t milke and chéese made of goates milke of y t which ther is plenty and therefore they looke fresh well disposed and maruellous wel nourished for bicause that such nourishment by custome is familiar to their nature likewise for that the good temperatnesse of the ayre fauoureth them Some half Philosopher or half PhisitioÌ„ giuing alwayes honor to theÌ„ that merit honor may here demaunde whe that they vsing these things are not grauelly knowing y t milke and chéese engender grauel as may be sene in many in our Europe I answere that chéese of it selfe may be good and bad grauelly and not grauelly according to the quantitie that is taken and the nature disposition of the person True it is that to vs which being not contented with one kinde of meate we take oftentimes euen in an houre twenty or thirty kindes of meates and drinkes it may be hurtfull but not to them which vse one kinde only yea and that moderatly We sée that the Indians liue seuen or eight moneths in the warre with meale made of certayne harde and dry rootes in the which some woulde Iudge that there were no nourishment nor sustenance The inhabitantes of Creta Cypris liue almost with no other thing than milke the which is better than that of the Canaries for that it is Kowe milke and other Goates milke Furthermore that milke is good nourishment that proÌ„ptly is conuerted into bloud for that it is but bloud whitted in y e dug or roother Plinie in his seconde boke .42 Chap. sheweth that Zorastes liued xx yeres in the wildernesse onely with chéese y t Pamphiliens in the war had almost no other victuals but chéese made of Asses Camels milke the which also I haue sene the Arabians do the which did not onely drinke milke in steade of water passing the Desert of Egypt but also gaue it vnto their horses Also the Ancient Spaniards for â—he moste parte of the yeare lyued with Ackornes as Strabo sheweth Possidonius of the which they made their bread and their drinke of certayne rootes and not onely the Spaniards but many others as Vergill reciteth in Georgicon but nowe the season serueth vs to liue more swéeter and more humaynly The men in all these Ilands are more broken to labor and trauel than the Spaniards in Spaine hauing no lerning but rustically To coÌ„clude they of knowledge that are wel sene in the Nauigation aswel Portingals as Spaniards say that this Iland is right vnder the Diametrial as they haue noted in their carde Marins limitating all that is from the North to the South as the Equinoctiall lyne of Weast and East the which lines are equall in greatnesse for euery one coÌ„taineth .360 degrées and euery degrée as before we haue sayde is seuentene leagues and a halfe And euen as the Equinoctial lyne diuideth the Sphere in two and the foure and twenty clymats twelue in the East and as much in the Weast also this Diametriall passing by this former Ilande as the Equinoctiall by the Iles of S. Omer cutteth or breaketh the Paralizes and all the sphere by the half of the North to the South Other things I haue not founde in this Ilande worthy of memorie sauing that there are greate quantitie of Scorpions more dangerous thaÌ„ those that I haue séene in Turkie as I haue knowen by experience Also the Turkes gather them for to make Oyle good for medicine as the Phisition can very well vse it Of the Ilandes of Madera Cap. 8. WE reade not in Authors how that these Ilandes were discouered but within these sixtie yeares that the Spaniardes and Portingals haue hazared and enterprised many Nauigations towarde the Weast and as we haue sayde before Ptolomeus had vnderstanding of the Fortunate IlaÌ„ds euen to the Caape verd Plinie also maketh mention y t Iuba brought two dogs from the great Canaria beside many Authors that thereof haue spoken Then the Portingals were the first that found out these Ilands of the which we speake and named them in their language Madera the which is as muche to say as Woode for that it was altogether a Wildernesse full of woode and not inhabited These Ilands lye betwene Gibaltare and the Canaries towardes the West and in our Nauigation we coasted them on the right hand being distant from the Equinoctiall about .32 degrées and from the Canaries .63 leagues Now for to discouer and labour this Countrey as a Portingale being a master Pilot shewed me they were constrained to set fire in the woode as well of the highest as of others Of the greatest and principallest Iland that is made in maner of a Triangle as Δ of the Greekes coÌ„taining in circuit .14 leagues or therabout Wherein the fire continued the space of vj. or .vij. dayes with suche a vehement heate that they were constrained to saue them selues in their ships and the others that had not this meane nor libertie cast themselues into the Sea vntill the smoke of the fire was past Incontinently after they began to labor the ground to plant and sowe diuers graines the which profited greatly bicause of the good disposition and temperatenesse of the aire Afterwarde they builded and edified houses and Castles so that at this day there is found no place so faire and pleasant Among other things they haue planted great plentie of Canes that beare very good suger with the which they haue a great trade into other Countreis and at this day the suger of Madera beareth the name The people that nowe inhabite Madera are muche more ciuill and fuller of humanitie than they of the Canaries and they trade with others as humainely as is possible Their greatest trade is Suger and Wine of the which we will treate héereafter at large Also they haue Honey Waxe Oranges Citrons Lemonds Pomegranads and Corderians they make great quantitie of Comfets the best that may be
wished for and they make them in the likenesse of Men Women Lions Birdes and Fishes the which is a faire thing to sée and muche better to taste Also they conserue many fruits the which by this meanes do kepe and they are caried into straunge Countreis to the comfort and recreation of euery one This Countrey is very good faire and fruitfull aswell of his natural disposition bicause of the faire hills decked with woodes and strange fruits the which we haue not in these parties as also of fountaines and liuely springs with the which the fieldes and medowes are watered being garnished with herbes and floures sufficiently and wilde beastes of all sortes Among the Trées that are there there are many that caste gumme the which they haue learned with the time to put to necessary vses There is also séene a kind of Gaiac but for that it is not found so good as the Gaiac that is at the Antilles they set nought thereby it may also be that they know not the manner how to vse it There are also certaine Trées that at certaine times of the yeare casteth good Gumme the which they call Dragons bloude and for to get it out they pearse the trée foote opening it wide and déepe This trée beareth a yellow fruit as great as a Cherrie the which is very good to refreshe one whether he haue the Ague or otherwise This kinde of gumme is not vnlike to Cynaber of which writeth Dioscoridus saying as for Cynaber sayth he is brought from Africa and is solde deare so that there is not ynough to satisfie paynters it is redde and therefore some iudge it to be Dragons bloude and so hath Plinie thought it in his booke the .33 of his naturall Historie the seuenth Chapter of the which as well Cynaber as Dragons bloude is not at this day founde among vs so naturall as the elders haue described but the one the other is artificiall therefore knowing what the elders haue iudged it and that which I haue knowen of this gumme I woulde esteme it to be altogether like to Cynaber and Dragons bloude hauing a softe and a cold vertue I wil not here forget among these so singular fruites as great Lemonds Oranges Citrons and abundance of swete Pomegranads winish swéete and sowre little and great the ryne or péele of which serue to tanne and harden the skins for that they are very suppell And I thinke that they haue learned this of Plinie for the treateth therof in his 19. booke and thirtenth Chapter of his Historie To be short these Ilāds so fruitful wel disposed do excel in dilicatnesse those of Greece were it Chios that Empedocleus hath so much extolled and Rhodes Apollonius and many others Of the Wine of Madera Cap. 9. WE haue here shewed howe much the lande of Madera is fruitfull and well disposed to beare many kinds of good fruite nowe we must speake of the Wine of Madera the which is aboue all fruites for the vse and necessitie of our humayne life I cannot tel whether it meriteth the first degrée at the least I am assured it meriteth the seconde in excellencie and perfection The Wine Suger bicause of an affinitie in temperatnesse that they haue together require a like disposition as doeth the ayre and the lande And euen as our Ilandes of Madera doe bring forth greate quantitie of very good Suger so doe they in lyke maner bring forth good Wine from what partes so euer the plantes are come The Spaniards haue affirmed that they wer not brought from Leuant nor from Candia and yet the Wine is as good and better The which then ought not to be attributed to any other thing but onely to the grounde I know well that Cyrus King of the Medians and Assirians before that he had conquered Egypte made to be planted a great number of plāts that he caused to be brought from Siria that since brought forth good Wine but yet they passed not these of Madera And as for the Wine of Candia though they are very excellent so that in times paste they haue bene greatly estemed in the Romaine bankets the which haue bene more celebrated than the Wines of Chios Metheglyn and of Promentorie of Aruasia which for his excellencie and pleasantnesse hath bene called Wine for the Gods But at this day the Wines of Madera and of the Ile of Palme one of the Canaries hath got the reputation whereas there groweth white red claret with the which they doe trade into Spaine and from thēce into other countreys The most excellentest is sold at the place where it is made for nine or ten Ducats the Pype From the which countrie being transported into other places it is very hot and burning and rather poyson to men than nourishmēt if it be not taken with discretion Plato estemed Wine to be a very good nourisher and very familiar to our bodies stirring vp or prouoking the spirites to vertue and honestie alwayes prouided that it be moderatly taken Also Plinie saith that Wine is a souerayne medicine The which being well knowen of the Persians estemed their greate enterprises after that they had dronke Wine moderatly to be more worthy than those that were done fasting that is to wit being taken in sufficient quantitie according to the complectiō of mē We haue here shewed that onely the quantitie or superfluitie of meates and drinkes hurteth therefore to my iudgement this Wine is better the second and third yere than the firste when it hath the heate of the Sunne the which heate within time consumeth and vadeth so that then there remayneth but the naturall heate for being transported from one place to another the burning heate extinguisheth Moreouer in these Ilandes of Madera the trées herbes and fruites growe so rancke and thick that they are constrayned to cutte and to burne a greate parte thereof In stede of which they plante canes of Suger that profit very much bringing their Suger in in .6 monthes and those that they plante in Ianuarie are cut in Iune from one moneth to another and so according as they are planted the which letteth that the heat of the Sunne doth not hurte them Here I haue briefly shewed that which I could obserue as touching the secretes of the Iles of Madera Of the Promentarie Verd and of his Ilandes Cap. 10. THE elders haue called or named a Promentarie a point of a lande that lieth out long in the sea the which may be séene a farre of and that this day it is called with vs a Caape as a thing eminent aboue others as the heade is aboue the rest of the body also some will write Promontorium à Prominendo the which to my iudgemēt is best This Caape or Promentarie of the which we minde to speake lyeth on the coast of Africa betwene Barbaria and Guinny in the realme of Senega distāt from the Equinoctiall .15 degrées being in times paste
named Ialout by the inhabitants and since Caape verd by those that haue sayled thither discouered it being so named bicause of the multitude of trées bothe small and greate that are gréene at all tymes of the yere euen as the white Caape is so called bicause it is full of white sandes being as white as Snowe without any appearance of Herbes or trées distant from the Canaries .70 Leagues and there is founde a goulfe of the Sea called by the people of the countrey Dargin of the name of a little Ilande néere to the mayne lande Ptolomeus hath named this Caape verd the Promentorie of Ethiopia of the which he onely had knowledge without passinge further the which I iudge for my parte to be well termed of him for this countrey extendeth of a greate length and therefore many haue sayde that Ethiopia is diuided in Asia and in Africa Among the which Gemaphrisius saith that the mountains of Ethiopia did occupie the greatest parte of Afrike extending to y e brinkes or borders of y e west Occidental toward the South euen to the floud or riuer Nigritis This Caape is very fayre and greate lying farre into the sea edified on two fayre mountaynes All this countrey is inhabited with rude vnciuil people not so rude or wild as they of the Indies very black as they of Barbarie ye must also note that frō Gibaltar to Prestre Iohns land Calicute cōtaining more thā .3000 leagues the people is al blacke Also I haue sene in Ierusalem thrée Bishops on the parte of Prester Iohn that came thither to visite the holy Sepulcher that were much more blacker than those of Barbary and not without occasion for it is not to be thought that generally those of Africa are a like blacke or like in maners and conditions considering the varietie and difference of Regions that are some more hotter than others Those of Arabia and of Egypt are betwene blacke and white others browne coloured whom we call white Moores others are cleane blacke the moste parte goe all naked as the Indians acknowledging a King whō they name in their language Mahouat yet some of them as well men as women hyde their priuie parts with beasts skins Some among the others weare shirtes gownes of course hairy cloth the which they receiue in trading with the Portingals The people are familiar inough towardes strangers Before that they take their sustenance they washe their bodies and members but in another thing they doe greatly erre for they ordaine their meates very vnclenly also they eate stinking and rotten flesh fish the fish bicause of his moistnesse putrifieth and the fleshe for that it is tender and moyst is quickly changed bicause of the vehemēt heat as we sée here in Sommer For moystnesse is signe of putrifaction and the heate is as a cause efficient Their houses lodgings are alike all rounde in maner of our doue houses couered with réedes and Rushes of the which also they vse to lye on in steade of beds for to slepe and take their rest As touching their Religiō they hold diuers kinds of opinions strange inough and contrarie to the true Religion Some worship Idols others Mahomet chiefely in the realme of Camber some thinke that there is one God the Author of all things with other opinions not vnlike to the Turkes There are some amōg them that liue more hardly than the others hauing hanged at their necke a little boxe closely shut and glewed with gumme like to a little chest ful of certain letters or wrytings for to make their inuocations and prayers the which customably they vse certaine dayes without ceassing hauing an opinion that whilest they haue it about them they be out of daunger As for Matrimonie they ioyne together one with another by certaine promisses and agréementes without any other Ceremonie This Nation passeth the time in pleasure louing daunsing the which they exercise at euening in the Moone shine in their daunsing they turn their face as by some manner of reuerence and worship the which a very friend of mine hathe shewed me of a truthe who dwelled there a certaine time Nere adiacent are the Barbazins and Serrets with the which those of whome we haue spoken make continuall warre although that they be like only excepting that y e Barbazins are more wilde brutishe cruel and hardy The Serrets are vacabonds and despearsed euen as the Arabians by the deserts pilfering all that they may come by without law without King sauing only that they beare a certaine honoure to him among them that hath done some prowesse or valiant acte in the warre And this they alleage for reason that if they wer subiect vnder the obedience of a King he might take their children and vse them as slaues as doth the King of Senega They fight for the most part on the water in little boates made of the barke of a trée of foure fadome long the which they name in their language Almadies Their weapons are bowes and sharpe poynted arrowes enuenomed so that he is vncurable that therewith is stricken Furthermore they vse staues of Canes garnished at the end with some beastes téethe in steade of iron with the which they can well helpe them selues When they take their ennimies in the warre they kéepe them to sell to to straungers for to get other Marchandise for there is no vse of money they doe not kill them and eate them as the Canibals doe and they of Bressill I will not leaue out y e ioyning to this Countrey there is a faire riuer or floud named Nigritis and since named Senega the which is of the same nature as is Nylle from whence it procéedeth as many doe affirme the which passeth by hie Lybia and the kingdome of Orgunea running through the midst of that Countrey watering it as Nylle doeth Egipt And for this cause it was named Senega The Spanyardes many times haue assayed by this riuer to enter into the Countrey for to subdue them and sometimes they haue entred well foure score leagues but for that they could not at no time addulciate nor appease the inhabitauntes being straunge and stoute for auoiding of further inconueniences that might happen and fal they departed home again The trade of these brutishe men is Oxen and Goates specially their skins and they haue so great abundance that for a hundreth waight of yron you may haue a couple of Oxen of the best The Portingals make their vaunt that they were the first y t haue caried to this Caape verd Goates Cowes and Bulles the which haue since so multiplied also that they haue caried thither diuers Plantes and Séedes as of Rice Citrons Orenges As touching Nyll it groweth in the Countrey plentifully Neare to this Caape verde next to the maine land there are thrée litle Ilandes others than those that we call Ilandes of Caape verd of the which we wil speake héereafter being fair
water will they or not and by this meanes they are taken It is otherwise sayd that in the night they come out of the Sea seking their repast and after they are full and weary they fall a sléepe on the water neare to the shore wheras they are easily taken for they are heard how they snort in sléeping beside many other wayes and meanes which were to long to rehearse As touching their couer and shell I leaue you to iudge of what thicknesse it may be proportioned to his greatnesse Also in y e coast of the straight of Magelan and of the riuer of plate the Indians make thē shieldes which serue them for to receiue the blowes of arrowes of their enimies Likewise the Amazones on the coast of the peaceable Sea make their Bulwarkes when that they are assailed of the enimies And for my parte I may boldely say that I haue séene suche a shell of a Torterell that a hande gun could in no wise pierce We néede not to aske how many the Insulares or Ilande dwellers of Caape verde doe take and eate as we woulde doe héere Béefe or Mutton Also it is like to Veale and almost of the same taste The wilde man of India America will in no wise eate of them persuading with them selues that it would make them heauy as it is an heauy meat which wold be a great let or hinderaunce to them in the warres for that being heauy they cannot pursue lightly their enimies in the warre neither escape them selues To conclude I wil rehearse a Historie of a Gentleman Portingalls that was a Leper who for the great paine that he receiued of his disease séeking all the meanes he could to absent himselfe from his Countrey as one being in extreame dispaire after he had knowledge of the conquest of these faire Ilands by those of his countrey was bent for recreation to goe thither so that he prepared himselfe in the best order he coulde with ships men and artillery and beastes aliue specially Goates of the which they haue quantitie And in the ende he landed in one of the Ilandes who for the taste that his disease caused him to haue or for that he was weary of eating of fleshe the which they vse customably in their Countrey he had a desire to eate egges of Torterels the which he did for the space of two yeares in suche sorte that in the ende he was healed of his Leprosie Now I would gladly aske whether that by the temperatenesse of the aire he recouered his healthe which he had chaunged or the meate that he eate I thinke verily that bothe the one and the other was the cause As touching the Torterell Plinie who speaking as well for sustenaunce as for medicine maketh no mention that it should be good against the Leprosie Neuerthelesse he sayeth that it is good against many poysons specially against the Salmander by a Antipathia that is betwéene them two and mortall enmitie Whether that this beast hath any hid propertie against this euill I leaue to the Phylosophers and Physitions and so ye may sée that experience hath geuen the knowledge of many medicines Of the which none cā giue any certaine reason wherfore I wold that some wold proue the experience of these of our Countrey the which to my iudgement shold be more better more sure than Vipers so much commended in this affection and of which is cōposed and made the great Theriaque knowing that it is not sure to vse Vipers bicause of the poyson y t they bear what so euer they say the which thing was also firste known by experience It is also sayd that many vpon the example of this Portingall haue gone thither to whom it hath also wel succeded This much therfore shall suffice for Torterels and as for the Goates that this gētleman bare thither they haue there so well multiplied that at this present there are an infinite nūber some holde opinion that their original commeth from thence that before there was none séene Nowe there resteth to speake of an herbe that they name in their lāguage Orselie this herbe groweth on the tops of high and accessible rockes without any earthe of the which there is great aboundaunce and for to gather it they fasten ropes on these Mountaines or rockes then they clime vpwarde by the lower ende of this corde or rope and scraping the rocke with certaine instruments that they haue make it to fall as a chimney swéeper doeth the which they reserue and let it down by a rope in baskets or other vessels The vse of this herbe is for to make coloures as héere before we haue shewed Of the Ilande of Fire Cap. 15. AMong other secretes I wil not leaue out y e ile of fire so named for that it casteth cōtinually a flame of fire suche a one that if the elders had had thereof any knowledge they wold haue written it among other things aswel as of the Mountaine of Vesuue and of the hill Etna of the which for a truthe they rehearse maruels As touching Etna in Sicilie it hath cast the fire sometimes with a meruellous noise as in the time of Marcus Emilius T. Flaminus as writeth Orosa the which many other Historiographers doe affirme as Strabo the which affirmeth to haue séene it and diligently considered The which maketh me to beleue somewhat also in the respecte of these men that haue spoken thereof Also they are not so farre off but y t we may proue whether it be true or no. I know well that some of our writers would say that one of the Ilandes of Canaria casteth continually fire but let him take héede that he take not that of which we speake for the other Aristotle in his boke of maruels speaketh of an Ilande discouered by the Carthaginiens not inhabited which did cast flames of fire beside many other wonderfull things Notwithstanding I cannot thinke that they haue knowen this muche lesse the hill Etna for it was knowen before the raigne of the Carthaginiens As for the hil of Pussola it lieth on the maine land and if any one wil say otherwise I will notwithstand them as for my parte I cannot finde that euer it was found out but since a M. D. and .xxx. with others as well néere as farre There is also an other hill in Hirland named Hecla the which at certaine times casteth stones as thought they had come out of a fiery furnace so that the ground within .v. or .vj. leagues about is barren and vnprofitable bicause of the ashes that procéede out of this hill wherwith the ground is couered This Ilande of which we speake containeth vij leagues compasse by good right called the Ile of fire for the Mountaine hauing of Circuite .679 paces and of height a thousand and fiftie fadome or there about casteth continually fire at the top the which may be séene thirty or forty leagues on the sea much more clearer
vnconstant with many other vices which wold be to long to reherse therfore I wil leaue this to Philosophers Let vs come to our purpose These Ethiopians Indians vse Magike bicause they haue many herbes other things proper for that exercise And it is certaine true that there is a certain Sympathia in things and hid Antipathia the which cannot be knowen but by long experience And bicause that we coasted a countrey somwhat far in this land named Ginney I thinke good to write therof particularly Of Ginney Cap. 17. AFter that we had refreshed vs at Caape verd it behoued vs to passe further hauing y e wind at Northeast maruelous fauourable for to conducte vs right vnder the Equinoctiall line the which we ought to passe but being come to the height of Ginney lying in Ethiopia the winde became cleane contrary bicause that in that region the windes be very vnconstant with raine tempest and thunder so that the Nauigation on that coast is very dangerous Now the fourth day of September we arriued into this Countrey of Ginney on the West borders But somewhat far within the lande it is inhabited with a very straunge people bicause of their Idolatry darke ignoraunce Before that this Countrey was discouered and the people knowen it was thought that they had liued like the Ethiopians hauing the like manner of religion of those of the higher Ethiope and of Senega but it is found cleane contrary for all they that inhabite or dwel from the said Senega to the Caape of good hope are al Idolaters without the knowledge of god and his law And these people are so blinded and ignorant that the first thing that they méete in the morning be it birde serpent or other wilde or tame beast they take it with them bearing it about them all the day about what businesse so euer they haue as a God or protector of their worke if they go a fishing in any of their litle boates of bark they will put it in one of the endes of the boate well wrapped with some leaues hauing an opinion and beleuing that it wil bring them all the day good lucke be it on lande or on water neuerthelesse they beleue in God alleaging y t he is there aboue immortall but vnknowne for that he will not be knowne to them sensibly The which erroure differeth nothing from the error of the Gentiles in times past that worshipped diuers Gods vnder the coloure of Images and similitudes But yet this is a thing worthy to be noted though it be superstitious and abhominable that these pore ignorant and brutishe men had rather worship corruptible things than to be reputed without a God Diodorus the Sicillian writeth that the Ethiopians had the first knowledge of the fained gods to whom they began to vow and to sacrifice Also Homer signifieth that Iupiter with other Gods went into Ethiopia as well for that they were there honored and sacrificed vnto as for the wholesomnesse of the Countrey The like you haue of Castor and Pollux the which going on the sea at the request of the Greekes against Troy were vanished in the aire and were neuer after séene againe the which giueth opinion to some to thinke y t they were rauished placed among the starres of the Sea also many name them the cleare starres of the sea attributing their names Caster Polux to two fair bright starres The sayd people haue neither temples nor churches nor other places appoynted for sacrifice and prayer Besides this they are without comparison much more wicked than those of Barbarie or Affrica in such sort that the straungers dare not aborde them nor set foote on land but by pledges otherwise they would take them and handle them like slaues These Villaines or wicked impes goe all naked sauing some since the time that their Countrey hathe bene somewhat frequented haue worne a little shirt of Cotten or some suche thing the which is brought them from other places They make not so great trade with beastes as in Barbarie there is very fewe fruits bicause of the drinesse extreme heat for this region is vnder y e signe Taurus they liue a good many yeares and yet séeme not olde so that a man of a C. yeares olde would be iudged with vs not aboue .xl. Neuerthelesse they liue with the fleshe of wilde beasts without séething roasting or wel preparing of it they haue also some fishe and great aboundaunce of Oysters more larger some than halfe a foote but they are more dangerous to eate than any other fishe they cast a liquor like to milke and yet the inhabitants eate thereof without any danger and they vse as well salte water as freshe They commonly make war with other nations their weapons are bowes and arows as the other Ethiopians and Affricans The women of this Countrey frequent the warre as much as the men and they beare for the most part a large buckle of fine gold or other mettal at their eares lips and also on their armes The waters of this countrey are very dangerous and also the aire is vnholesome for that to my iudgement the South winde being very hot and moist and familiar in that countrey is subiect to all kinde of putrefactions the which we féele many times in this Countrey And therefore they that of our Countrey and of other Countreys of Europe that trauaile to Gynney cannot remaine there long without receiuing some sicknesse the which chaunced to vs for many of our companie died and others remained a long time sicke and with great paine they recouered their health For the which cause we remained not there long time I will not omit that in Ginney the fruit that is most rife and common and with the which the straungers of straunge Countreis lade their ships is named Maniguetta being very good and wel estemed aboue other spices with the which the Portingalles make a great trade This fruit commeth vp in the fields like an Onion The other that commeth from Molucquer and Calicut is not so wel estéemed by a great deale This people of Ginney trade with certaine Barbariens adiacent golde and salt after a straunge fashion There are certaine places ordained among them where as eche one of his parte bringeth his Marchandise those of Ginney salte and the others gold molten in lumpes and without any other talke togither bicause of the small trust and confidence one of another as the Turkes and Arabians and some of America with their neighbors they leaue in the place before spoken the golde and the salte of eache part This being done these Ethiopians of Ginney if they finde there golde inough for their salt they take it away otherwise they leaue it and let it lie The which the other séeing that their golde wil not satisfie they adde vnto it vntill that there be sufficient then they beare away that that to eche one doth appertaine You shall vnderstande
rich and fruitfull of all things for that it lieth well And also the trées bring forthe fruit of themselues without planting grafting setting or sowing neuerthelesse their fruits are as good swéete and plesant to eate as if the trée had bene grafted We sée in our countrey that the fruits of the fields that is to wit those that the earth bringeth forthe without laboring is rude wilde soure swete and without any good tast the others are contrary Therfore in this Iland is much better fruit than on the maine lande although that it be vnder one Zone and temperatenesse among the which there is one that they name in their language Chicorin and the Trée that beareth them is like to a fether trée of Egipt or Arabia as well in height as in leaues The which fruit is séene héere the which the shippes bring and we cal them Nuts of India the which the Marchants holde deare for they are very faire and proper to make bottels for the wine being a certaine time in these vessels hath a maruelous swete smell and pleasaunt bicause that the fruit hath a smell like Muske Furthermore those that customably drinke in these cuppes or vessels as I was enformed of a Iewe are preserued from the head ache from the ache in the flankes and prouoketh vrine The which being noted of Plinie and others they say that al kinde of Palmes are healthfull and good for many things This fruit wherof we speake is altogether good The Indians Ethiopians being visited with sicknesse péele the fruit drink the iuice or liquor the which is white like to milk and therewith they are eased also with this fruit they make a kinde of sustenance being mingled with certain meale of dried rootes or dried fishe of the which they eate after that it is wel boiled together This liquor is not to be kept long but for the time that is may be kept it is without comparison better for the partie that taketh it than any kinde of conserues that may be found And for the longer keping of this fruit they boile the liquor the which when it is colde they put into vessels therfore appointed others put therein Honey to make it pleasaunt to drinke The trée that beareth this fruit is so tender that if it be neuer so little touched or pricked with any sharpe or pointed thing the iuice will come forthe the which is pleasant to drinke and very proper to quenche thirst All these Ilands that are found on the coast of Ethiopia as the Isle of Prince hauing .35 degrées of longitude minute .0 and of latitude minute .0 Mopata Zonzibar Monfia S. Apolin and S. Thomas vnder the line are riche and fruitfull almost all full of these Palme trées and other trées bearing fruit that are maruellous good There are found diuers other kinde of Palme trées bearing fruit although that not all like those of Egypt and in all the Indies of America and Perou as well on the maine land as in the Ilands are found of seuen sortes of Palme trées all differing in fruit the one from the other Among the which I haue found some that beare Dates good to eate as those of Egipt of Arabia Felicia and of Siria Moreouer in this said Iland are Melons of a meruellous greatnesse being as great as a man may compasse or embrace of a ruddy coloure Also there are some white and others yellow but muche more wholesomer than oures in Europe There are also diuers kindes of good herbes and health some among the which there is one the which they name Spagnin the which they vse for their woundes and sores also against the biting of Vipers and other venemous beastes for it draweth out the venime or poison Furthermore there is founde great quantitie of good Saunders in the woodes and groues As touching beastes wilde and tame fishes and birdes our Iland norisheth of all sortes and in as great quantitie as is possible In the which Iland there is a straunge birde made like a puttocke or rauenous foule the bill like a Hauke hir eares hanging downe to hir throte the féete very rough and full of fethers being of a white shining coloure like to siluer onely the fethers on hir head are blackishe This birde is named in their language Pa in the Persian tongue Pie or Lege and this foule liueth with Serpents of the which there are great quantitie and of diuers kindes Also there are other kinde of birdes not like to those in our Countrey As for beastes there are a great number of Eliphants and beasts with one horne being of two kindes Of the which the one is the Asse of India hauing the foote not clouen as those that are found in the land of Persia the other is named Orix or clouen foote There are no wilde Asses but onely on the dry land Whether y t there be any Vnicorns I know not but being at the Indies of America certain of the Indians came to sée vs aboue .lx. or .lxxx. leagues of whome as we did question with of many things they shewed vs that in their countrey there was a great nūber of certain great beastes like to a kinde of wilde cowes y t they haue hauing one only horne in their forehead about a fadome lōg but to say y t they are Vnicorns I am not sure hauing no perfect knowledge therof I haue before shewed y t this countrey or Iland norisheth great store of serpents Lezards of a maruelous greatnesse y t which are easily takē w tout dāgers Also y e Neigers eat these Lezards so do the Indians of America There are lesser ones of y e bignesse of a lege that are very good and delicate to eat beside many good fishe and foule which they eate when they sée time Among other secretes bicause of the multitude of fishe there are great store of Whales out of the which the inhabitaunts of the Countrey draw Amber the which many take to be gray Amber a thing that is here very skāt and precious Also it is very hearty and good to comfort the most notable partes of our humaine body and with the same they make a great trade with straunge Marchauntes Of our arriuall to Fraunce Antartike otherwise named America to the place named Caape Defria Cap. 24. AFter that by deuine prouidence with so many trauailes common and ordinarie to so long a Nauigation we were come to the maine land not so soone as our heartes desired which was the tenth day of Nouember and in stead of taking our rest it behoued vs to discouer séeke out proper places to make or reare newe siedges being no lesse astonied or amazed that the Troyans were at their arriuall into Italie Hauing therefore stayed but a while at the former place where as we landed as in the former Chapter we haue shewed we spred againe our sa-les sailing towarde Caape Defria wheras we were well receiued of the
eat no beast nor fish y t is heauy or slow in going but of all other light meats in running flying as Venison and such like for bicause that they haue this opinion that heauie meates wil hurte and anoy them when they should be assailed of their enimies Also they wil eate no salte meates nor yet permit their children to eate any And when they sée the Christian eate salt meats they reproue them therfore as a thing impertinent saying that such meats will shorten their liues their ordinary meates are roasted after their manner as Rats of diuers kinde and great ones a certaine kinde of Toades greater than oures Cocodrils and others that they roast all whole with the skin and the bowels and this they vse without any difficultie yea these Cocodrils and great Lezards as great as a pig of a month old the which is a fine meat as they say that haue eate thereof These Lezards of America are so priuie that they will come neare vnto you and take their repast if that you wil take it without feare or difficultie Their flesh is like a Chickens flesh they kil them with shooting at them with their arrowes The meates that they boile are Oysters and other shell fishe of the sea In taking of their foode they obserue no houre but all times and houres that they féele them selues to haue a stomake or appetite be it in the night after their first sléepe they will rise to eate and then lay them downe to sléepe In their repast they kepe a maruellous silence the which is more to be commended than amongst vs that bable and talke at our tables they doe séethe and roast very well their meate and eate it measurably and not rashly mocking vs that deuoure in steade of eating they will not drinke when they eate nor eate when they drink so that they will forbeare drinke a whole day When they make their great bankets and solemnities as when they haue obtained some great victorie on their enimies then they wil sit drinking a whole day without eating They make drinkes of great Mill white and blacke the which they call in their language Auaty Neuerthelesse after that they haue sate drinking being once departed the one from the other they will eate such as they can finde The poorest sorte liue more with sea fishe other like meates than with fleshe they that are farre from the sea do fishe in riuers Also they haue diuers kindes of fruites as nature bringeth them forthe yet they liue long in health and well disposed Héere you must note that our elders in times past liued with fishe The lawes of Triptolomeus as Xenophon wryteth did defend and forbid the Atheniens the vse of flesh Therefore it is no strange thing for to liue with fish Firste in our Europe and before that the grounde was tilled men lyued more hardly without flesh or fish hauing not the meane to vse them and yet notwithstanding they were stronger and lyued the longer being nothing so feminate as now in our age Now these wilde men vse flesh and fish as we haue before shewed Some lye and eate in their beds at the least they sit and eate in their beds specially the maister or chiefe of the family shalbe in his bed and the others about him doing him seruice as if nature had taught them to doe honor reuerence to the aged Moreouer they haue this honesty that the firste that hath taken any great praie be it on water or laÌ„d they wil distribute to euery one specially to Christians if there be any and they will request and desire them fréely to eate therof esteming it a great iniurie if you refuse it Also so soone as you enter into their lodgings they will aske you in their language Marabisser what is thy name and you may be well assured that if they once knowe it they will neuer forget it their memorie is so good Were it Cyrus the King of Persia Cyneas legate to the King Pyrrhus Metridates nor Cesâ—â— the which Plinie writeth of to haue bene of so good a memorie and after you haue answered them they will aske you Marapipo what wilt thou say and many other things Against the opinion of those that thinke these wilde men to be all heary Cap. 31. FOR bicause that many haue this foolish opinion that those people whome we call wilde men as they liue in the woods and fields almost like to brute beasts so in like maner they are beary all ouer their bodyes as a Lion a Beare or such like Also they are so pictured and painted in their tablets clothes To be short in setting out a wilde man they set him out al hairy euen from the head to the foote the which is altogether false and vntrue I haue knowne some so obstinate that they would affirme it with an othe as those that had séene it of a truth As for me I knowe and affirme the contrary for that I haue séene it The wilde men as well of the East Indies as of America come forthe of their mothers wombe as faire and as well pollished as oures of Europe And if that haire grow by succession of time on any parte of their bodies as it doeth to vs and others in what parte of the body so euer it be they scratche it of with their nailes sauing only the haire of their heads so greatly they doe detest and abhorre it as wel women as men And the hairs that growe on their browes the women doe shaue it of with a certaine herbe that cutteth like a raser this herbe is like to Sage or Iouncke that groweth by the water side As touching the hair Amatory and their beards they pluck it of as wel as of the rest of the body Within these few yeares they haue found the meane to make litle pinsers with the which they pull of their haire for since that they haue bene frequented of Christians they haue learned the way how to forge Iron And therfore beleue not hereafter the common opinion of y e painters nor their doings in this poynt for they haue libertie to paint things to their owne discretion euen as Poetes haue to forge and inuent lies If it should chaunce that a childe should come forth of his mothers wombe hairy that the hairs should grow encrease all ouer his body as the like hath bene séene in Fraunce this were an accident of nature as if a childe should be borne with two heades or suche like These are not things so wonderfull and straunge considering that Physitians can shew the reason I haue séene a childe in Normandie couered with scales like a Carpe These are imperfections of nature according to y e Glose on the .xiij. Chapter of Esay shewing of certaine monsters hauing the shape of men named Satires liuing in the woodes hairy like wilde beastes And of this the wrytings of Poets are full of Satyres Faunes
another and so folowing in order the Auditors sit downe on the earth vnlesse it be some ancient men that lye on their beds the which considering with my selfe commeth to my remembrance the moste commendable custome of the gouernors of Thebes an ancient Citie in Grecia the which for to coÌ„sult together of the affaires of the common welth would alwayes sit downe vpon the ground the which maner of doing is estemed an argument of prudence Furthermore it is a strange thing that these Americans do neuer make amongst them any paction or concorde though that their hatred be great as other natioÌ„s do be they neuer so cruel barbarous as the Turkes Moores and Arabians and I thinke that if Theseus the first inuenter of peace amoÌ„g the Greekes were among them he shoulde be more troubled than euer he was this people haue certaine sleights of warre to trap one another as well as in other places Therefore these Americans haue perpetuall enimitie one against another at all tymes against their neighbors before shewed séeking their enimies and fighting as furiously together as is possible the which causeth eache village to fortifie to make themselues strong with people and weapons They will assemble together on the nights in greate number for to kepe watche and warde For they are wonte to skirmish togethers more on nightes than on dayes if that they haue knowledge therof before hande or otherwise do suspecte the comming of their enimies they wil plante in the grounde rounde about their lodgings the compasse of a bowe shot sharp pointed pins of wood the which are so set in the earth that they are scaÌ„t perceiued this kind of policie they vse to gal pierce the féet of their enimies which are al bare and naked as well as the rest of their bodies to the ende that by this meanes they might intangle their enimies for to kill some others for to take prisoners It is a greate honor to them the which departe out of their countrey for to assayle their enimies on the borders and when that they haue taken many of their enimies prisoners in theyr countries he that hath taken most prisoners is honored and celebrated among others as a great King or a great Lorde when he hath most killed and when they meane sodainly to assayle a towne or village they wil hide them selues in the woodes lyke Foxes lurking there for a certayne tyme vntil they haue espied the tyme and vantage to come forth sodainly to beset their enimies WheÌ„ they be come to a village they know the mene to set fier theron for to make them come forth with their wiues children bag and baggage being come forth they assaile one another shoting of their arrowes also with their Maces Swords of wood that to behold them it is a good passe-time they wil bite one another w t their téeth in all places wheras they caÌ„ take hold shewing sometymes the bones of those whome they haue vanquished and ouercome before times in the warrs and eaten to be short they do y e worst they câ—n to feare anger their enimies Some ye shall sée takeÌ„ prisoners bouÌ„d manacled like theues And when those returne from warre far in their owne countries vanquishers God knoweth the noyse and passetyme that they make The women folow their husbands to the warres not for to fight as the Amazoness doe but for to minister to their husbands foode and other necessaries requisite in the warres for sometymes they make iorneys of fiue or six moneths before they returne he that is greatest among them hath moste wiues to serue him And when they make any greate iorney they set fire on their houses and if they haue any good thing they hide it vnder the ground vntill their returne Their vittels that they haue is such as the lande beareth that is rootes very delicate and pleasant to eate and flesh of wild beastes and fish dried in the smoke their beds of cotton are caried with them the men beare nothing but bowes and arrowes in their handes their weapons are also greate Swordes and Clubs of wood very heauy their bowes are as long as oure bowes in Englande their arrowes are made pointed some of Canes that growe on the sea coast and others are made of a kynde of a woodde named Hayri bearing leafe lyke to a Palme trée the whiche is of the coloure of blacke Marble therefore many say it is hornbeame but it semeth to me otherwise for the right and perfect hornebeame is more shining Furthermore the Hornebeame trée is not lyke this for this is very thorney al ouer The best Hornbeam is to be had in Calicut and in Ethiopia This wood is so heauie that it sincketh to the bottome of the water lyke Iron therefore these wilde men make therewith their swordes and clubs to fight with in the warres It beareth a great fruit somewhat pointed at one of the endes within it a whit kernel of y e which fruit I haue brought home with me a greate many Besides this the wild men make faire collers of this woode also it is so harde and tough as I haue before shewed that y e arowes that therewith are made are so strong that it wil pearce a good corselet or Harneis their third weapoÌ„ or defence is a great buckeler the which they vse in the warres it is very loÌ„g made of the skin of a beast like in colour to the Neate or Oxen in our countrey so diuers in colours The bucklers are of such strength as the bucklers Barcellonoys so that they wil beare out the shot of a handgunne And as touching handguns many of them haue and cary with them to the warres the which the Christians haue giueÌ„ them but they knowe not howe to vse them but oftentymes they shoote them of onely for to fear their enimies Their maner of fighting as well on the lande as on the water Cap. 39. IF you aske me why these wild men make warre one against an other seeing that they are not greater Lords one than another also for y t they do not esteme worldly riches that the earth bringeth forth more than serueth their necessitie you shal vnderstaÌ„d that the cause of their warre is euill ynough grounded it is onely a desire of vengeance that they haue without any other reason or cause but euen like brute beasts that cannot agrée one w t another by no honest meane to conclude they say that they haue bene alwayes their mortall enimies They méete together then as we haue sayde before in greate numbers for to go and finde out their enimies if that they haue receiued any iniurie before hand wheras they méete together shoote one at another after they ioine together taking holde of their heade eares biting one another by the armes yea buffetting one another with their fistes There is no speaking of horse They are very obstinate and couragious in such sorte
that before they ioine to fight being separated one from another the space of gunne shot sometimes for the space of a whole day or two they wil beholde threaten one another shewing angrie cruell and fearefull lookes shouting and making such a terrible noyse that ye could not here God thunder also shewing their affections by signes with their armes and handes holding them vp and shaking their swordes and clubs of woodde at their enimies We are say they valiant and hardy we haue eaten your parentes also we we will eate you with many other threatenings In this they obserue in my iudgement the ancient custome that the Romaynes vsed in their warres who before they entred into battell made greate boastes and crakes with greate cryes and larums the which since hath bene vsed among the Galles in their warres as Titus Liuius rehearseth bothe the which doings I thinke differeth much frō the doings of the Acaians of the which Homer speaketh of for that they being redy to giue battaile to their enimies would make no noyse but kept themselues from speaking The greatest vengeance that these wilde men vse and that semeth to them moste cruell is to eate their enimies When that they haue taken any in the warres if they be not strong ynough to cary them away then if that they can before any succor come they wil cut of their legs armes before they wil leaue them they will eat them or at the least euery one wil cary a piece awaye little or much if they can get any prisoners that they may without danger leade into their countrey they wil in like maner eat them The ancient Turkes Moores and Barbarians vsed in times past almost the like maner so that yet remayneth this prouerbe I woulde I had eaten his harte with salt they vse almost lyke weapons as our wild men do but Christians haue forged for them and haue taught them to forge Armors with the which we our selues are nowe beaten and it is in dout that they will doe the lyke to these Americans and others Furthermore this poore people doe venture them selues vpon the water for to finde out their enimies as those of the great riuer of Ianaria against those of Morpion in which place doe inhabit the Portingals enimies to the Frenchmen as the wilde men of that same place are enimies to those of Ianaria the vessels that they vse on the water are little Almadies or boates made of the barcke of trées without nayles or woodden pins being in length fiue or six fadome and thre foote brode And you shall vnderstand that they couet not to haue them greater thinking that then they coulde not make them rowe faste for to escape or for to folowe theyr enimie They holde a foolish opinion and superstitious to vnbarke these trées that day that they doe take of the barke the which is done euen from the roote to the top they will neither drinke nor eate fearing as they say that otherwise there would happen vnto them some mysfortune on the water These vessels being thus made they will set a floate fiue or sixe score of them and in euery one fortie or fifty men and women the women serue to cast out of these little boats the water that commeth in many tymes with a little dish made of the frute of some trée the men are assured therin hauing their weapons and rowe a long by the banke sides and if they finde a village by the way they will set foote on lande and spoyle it putting it to fire and sworde if that they ouercome it A litle before our ariuall those Americans that are our friendes had taken on the sea a little barcke of Portingals being harde by the shore in some place but what resistence so euer they made aswell with their gunnes as otherwise neuerthelesse they were taken and the men eaten sauing a fewe that we ransomed and bought at our ariuall By this ye may knowe that the wilde men that are resident where the Portingals be are enimies to the wilde men that inhabit where the Frenchmen ariued Well to conclude they fight as well on the water as on the lande if it happen at any tyme the sea to rage and to swell they cast therein Partrige fethers or some other thing thinking by this means to appease the waues of the sea In lyke manner doe the Turkes and Moores being in the lyke danger washing their bodies with the water of the sea Nowe our wilde men returning with victorie shewe all signes of ioye sounding Flutes Trompettes Drummes and singing after their manner the which is pleasant to hearewith their Instrumentes a lyke made of certayne fruites hollow within or with the bones of some beast or els of their enimies their instrumentes for warre are richly decked with goodly coloured fethers as we doe oures in our countrey with banners of silke and such lyke Their Fleutes Drummes and other instruments semeth to relieue the spirits half gone euen as a bellows doeth relieue a fire half dead And to my iudgement there is no other meane to stir vp the spirites of men but only by the noyse of these instrumentes not onely men but also beastes neuerthelesse not making comparison seme to leape for ioy the which hath ben obserued at al times It is of a truthe that these Americans and Barbarous men in their assaultes and combates vse great cries and fearfull noyse as here after shall be shewed of the Amazones Howe these Barbarous and wilde men put their enimies to death that they haue taken in the warre and eate them Cap. 40. NOwe that I haue shewed how that the wilde men of America leade their enimies prisoners into their lodgings after that they haue taken them in the warres there resteth now to shewe how they do intreate them at the last Thus therefore they vse them the prisoners that they take and bring into their countrey shal be very wel intreated a fiue dayes after shal be giuen hym a wife peraduenture his daughter to whome he is prisoner for to minister to him his necessities as well at his bed as otherwise in the meane time he is serued with the best meates that can be founde minding to fatten hym lyke a crammed Capon against he shall dye the which tyme he may easily knowe by a coller made of cotton on the which they hang certaine rounde fruites or the bones of some beast of fishe made in maner of beads the which they hang about their prisoners neck And so many Moones as they are minded to kepe him the like quātitie of these Beades will they hang about their neckes and so take of euery Moone one vntill that y e Moones are expired And some in stead of these Beades will hang as many litle collers about their necks as they haue Moones to liue Furthermore ye shall note that these wilde men doe not recken neuer aboue fiue and they obserue neither
thinke they haue as the Cryb a people of Thracia and other barbarous men in certaine Ilands of the sea Magilanike a thing very detestable and vnworthie of christendome to whome may serue for example these poore brutishe men The women for the tyme that they be greate with childe shall not beare or carie any heauie burthens neyther shall do any great labour for feare to be hurt The woman being brought to bed or deliuered the wiues shal carie the chyld to the sea to be washed or to some Ryuer and then will bring it to the mother who shall remaine in hir childe bed twentie dayes and foure houres the father shall cutte the childes nauell with his téeth as I my selfe haue séene as for the rest they handle and vse the women in child bed as tenderly as we doe here the norishment of the litle childe is the mothers milke notwithstāding that within certain days after his natiuitie they wil giue it grosser sustenance The father shortly after the childe is borne shall giue him a bow and arrow in his hand as a beginnyng and protestation of warre and vengeaunce of their enimies But yet there is one thing that marreth al that is that the fathers mothers before they marry their daughters wil gyue them to be abused to the first cōmer for a little value principally to Christians that trade thither if they will couple with them as wée haue before shewed Wée fynde in some histories of certaine people lyuing in maner as these wilde men do in their mariages Seneca in one of his Epistles and Strabo in hys Cosmographie writeth that the Lydians and Armenians hadde a custome to sende their virgins and maidens to the sea borders there in offering them selues to all commers to get them husbandes or else their dowries As muche sayeth Iustinus dyd the virgins of Cypris for to get their dowries and mariages which when they were quit and well iustified offered to the Goddesse Venus a present or offeryng We may fynde at this day amongst vs that making great profession of vertue and religion would doe the lyke and rather more without offering presente or candle the which I knowe of a truthe As touching the consanguinitie in Mariage Saincte Hierome writeth that the Athenians were woonte to marrie the brethren wyth the systers and not the Auntes wyth the nephewes the whych is contrary to the order of the Americanes Lykewise in oure countrey a woman of late hadde libertie to marrie hir selfe to fiue husbandes and not contraried Beside this we sée the Turkes and Arabians tooke many wiues I speake it not for that it is honest and allowable but for that we christians should auoyde such things To conclude our wylde men vse the maner and order that wée haue shewed so that a mayden is seldome maried hauing hir virginitie but beyng once maryed they dare doe no faulte for their husbandes doe looke straightly to them hauing a suspition of Iealousie shée may leaue hir husbande if that she be euill intreated the whiche oftentimes commeth to passe as we reade of the Aegyptians that dydde the lyke before they had any lawes In this pluralitie of women that they vse as wée haue sayde there is alwayes one aboue the others moste fauoured whiche is not subiect to so much trauell as the others All the children that procéede by the mariage of these wiues are reputed legittimate saying that the first Author of generation is the father and not the mother which is the cause that many tymes they kill the male children of their enimies being prisoners bicause y e such children in time to come might be their enimies Of the ceremonies buriall and funeralls that they vse to the deceassed Capit. 43. SEyng that I haue shewed you their doing and maner of liuyng and other theyr orders and ceremonies there resteth to speake of their Funerals and burialls For all that these kinde of people are brutishe and vnciuile yet haue they this custome and opinion to lay the dead bodies in the earth after that the soule is separated from the body in the place wher as the deceased in hys life time toke most plesure thinking so as they say that they can not put hym in place more notable than in the earth that bringeth forth the men that beareth so many fruites and other richesse profitable and necessarie for the vse of man There haue ben many lewde and vnaduised Heathen Philosophers that toke no care what should becom of their bodies after their decease whether it were cast out to y e beasts in the fields or birds of y e aire they forced not As Diogenes who after his death cōmaunded that this body should be cast out to the foules of the aire beastes of the fielde for to be eaten and deuoured saying that after his death his bodie should fele no more pain and that he loued much better that his body shold serue for sustenance than to putrifie and rot Likewise Lycurgus among the Lacedemonians did giue straight cōmaundement as Seneca writeth that after his deathe his body shoulde be cast into the sea others that there should be burned to ashes These poore people of America though they be brutish and ignorant shewe them selues after the death of their parentes or frends with out comparison more reasonable than aunciently dyd the Parthians who for all that they had lawes in stede of putting their dead bodies into the earthe cast them out to be a praie for soules and dogs Also the Taxilians did cast their dead bodies to the soules of the ayre and the Caspians in like maner The Ethiopians did cast the dead bodies into the waters the Romans did burne them to ashes as many other nations haue done By this ye may sée that the wilde men are not so voide of honestie but that they haue some knowledge of good considering that without lawe or faith they haue this knowledge and aduise that is to wit as much as Nature hath taught them Therfore they burye the deade bodies in the earth as we haue alreadie sayde in like maner as did aunciently the Nasomones Nowe the buriall of the dead is approued as well by the olde as by the new testament Likewise the ceremonies if they be duly obserued as well for that they haue bene vessels and instrumēts of the soule diuine and immortal as also to giue hope of the resurrection to come Here might I bring in many things as touching this mater but for that it is not my argument I omitte it and let it passe Nowe therefore among these wylde men yf that a housholder happen to dye hys wyues and hys néere kinsefolke and friends shall make a maruellous mournyng not for the space of thrée or foure dayes but foure or fiue monethes and this greatest sorow is foure or fiue of the first dayes ye shall heare them make such a noyse and harmonie as dogges and catts ye shall see as well men as women
necessarie to cut their woodde the which before they were constrained to cutte with stones or to sette a fyre the trées for to beate them downe and for to make their bowes and arrowes they vse no other thing Moreouer they are very charitable and as much as their lawe of Nature dothe permit them Those things that they receyue of Christians they sette much store by but of suche commodities as groweth in their countrey as sustenance beastes fruites and fishe they are very liberall for they haue little other thyng not onely to vs and among them selues but also to any other nation prouided that they be not their enimies For so soone as they shal sée any a farre off enter into theyr countrey they will present vnto them victualls lodgyng and a mayde for his seruice as we haue before shewed Also agaynste thys pylgryme or straunger the women and maydens wyll come and then they wyll sytte downe and crie and wéepe for ioye the which if thou wylt endure casting out teares they wyl say in their language Thou art welcome thou arte of our best friendes thou hast taken great paines to come and visite vs and many other gréetings Also the father and chiefe of the familie shalbe in their beds wéeping euen as the women If they iorney thirtie or fortie leagues be it by water or land they liue common together if one haue and others want he shall distribute to the néedeful the like do they to strangers And moreouer this people are curious of new things and wondreth according to the prouerbe Ignorance is the mother of wonder but yet for to get from a stranger that thing that he fansieth they can so wel flatter that it is hard to say them nay First the men when any doth visite them in their lodgyngs or cabans after they haue saluted them they will drawe nere to you with such familiaritie and assurance that they will streight ways take your cappe or hatte and putting it on their heads one after an other they will beholde and wonder at them selues hauyng opinion to be the fairest others will take youre dagger sworde or other knife if ye haue any and therewith will with wordes and iestes threaten their ennimies And to be shorte they will rifle you and ye must refuse them nothing for if ye doe ye shall neither haue grace fauour seruice loue nor friendship in déede when they haue rifled ye they will restore and giue you againe youre trinkettes as much will the women and maidens doe being muche greater flatterers than the men and alwayes for to get to them some thyng this is of a truthe that they will be contented with a trifle they wil come to you euen with the like grace as doe the men with some fruites or other things of small value with the which they vse to make presentes saying in their language Agatouren which is as muche to say howe good thou arte by a manner of flatterie Fory asse pia shewe me suche thyngs as thou haste being very desirous of newe things as little glasses litle heades of glasse Also ye shal haue following of you a companie of yong children and they will aske in their language Hamaba pinda Giue vs some fishe hookes the which they vse to take litle fishe with And they are well instructed in this terme before sayde Agatouren Thou arte good if ye giue them that which they demaund otherwise with a frowarde looke they will saye to ye Hippochi goe thou arte naught Daganaiepa aionga thou muste be killed with other threatnings and iniuries but they wil not giue any thing vnlesse ye giue them besides this they will marke ye and knowe ye again for the deniall that you haue made them The description of a sicknesse named Pians to the which are subiect these people of America as well in the Ilandes as the maine land Ca. 45. KNowing wel y t there is nothing not frō the earth vnto y e first heauen what making or proportion so it hath but that is subiect to chaunging and alteration the aire then that compasseth vs béeing not simplie an aire but made and composed is not alwais like in all times nor in all places but nowe of one fashion incontinent of an other And for that all diseases as oure Phisitians shewe vs come or happen either of the aire or of the maner of mens liuing I am determined to write and set out here a sicknesse or disease verie rife and common in these countreys of America and of the West discouered in our time Now this sickenesse named pians by the people of the countrey cōmeth not of the corruption of the aire for it is there verie good tēperat which sheweth by expeence the fruites that the earth bringeth forth with the benefite of the aire without y e which nothing is made bee it of Nature or artificiall Also that the sycknesse procéedyng of the corruption of the ayre hurteth as aswell the yong as the olde the ryche as well as the poore notwithstandyng the internall or inwarde disposition Therefore it muste néedes bée that it procéedeth of some misgouernement as to much carnall and fleshely frequentation the man with the woman considering that thys people is very lecherous carnal and more than brutishe specially the women for they do seeke and practise all the meanes to moue man to lust This sickenesse is no other thyng than the pocks that raigneth and hath power ouer all Europe specially among the Frenchemen For of vs it is named the Frenche pockes the whych disease as the Frenchmen wright was first taken at a voyage into Naples and thether it was broughte by the Spanyardes from the West Indies For before it was discouered and made subiecte to the Spanyardes there was no mention therof It is not onely here in Europe but also in Grecia in Asia and in Affrica Well let vs returne vnto the wylde mens euyll and to the remedies that they doe vse therefore Nowe this euill taketh the parties as well wilde men as Christians that are there by contagion or touching euen as the pockes dothe in the realme of Fraunce Also it hath the like Symptomes and it is so daungerous that if it be waxen old it is harde and daungerous to heale for sometimes it dothe afflict them euen to the death As for the Christians whiche doe inhabite in the lande of America if they couple them selues with the women they shall neuer bée rid of the same but shall fall into the daunger thereof muche more sooner than they of the countrey For the curing of this disease likewise for a certain alteration that oftentymes commeth wyth this euill they make a certaine decoction of the barke of a trée named in their language Hiuourahe of the which they drincke more easier to cure than with our medicine and they are more easier to be healed than others to my iudgement for their temperatenesse and complection which are not
thing very necessary as they doe affirme against these wormes Also sometimes they anoynt therewithall their bodies when they be weary Bisides this the oyle is proper for woundes and sores as they haue knowne by experience Thus much as touching their infirmities and the remedies that these Americans vse The maner hovv to trade among these people of a birde named Toucan and of the spicerie of that Countrey Cap. 47. ALthough that in America there is diuers kindes of people neuerthelesse brutish and of diuers sorts and fashions accustomed alwayes to make warre one with another Notwithstanding they let not to trade trafike as wel among themselues as with the christians and straungers specially those that are néere to the Sea with such commodities as is to be had in the Countrey Their greatest trade is with Estridge fethers garnishings of swords made of fethers other fethers muche set by and estéemed the which are brought from the higher Countrey to the sea side aboue a hundreth or sixe score leagues also great quantitie of coloures white and blacke also of the gréene stones that they beare hanging in their lips as we haue before shewed The others that dwel on the sea coast where as the Christians to trafike receiue certain hatchets kniues daggers swordes and other iron tooles beades of glasse combes loking glasses and other little trifles of small value which they trucke with their neighbors hauing no other mean sauing only to giue one marchandise for an other and they vse after this maner giue me that and I will giue thée this without any further talk On the sea coast the most frequented Marchandise is the fethers of a birde that is named in their language Toucan the properties of which I wil describe séeing it commeth to purpose This birde is of the greatnesse of a Pigeon there is an other kinde like to a Pie of like fethers that the other haue that is to wit bothe twaine blacke sauing that about the taile there are some red fethers among the blacke Vnder the brest the fethers are yellow about foure fingers broade as well in bredth as in lengthe and it is not possible to finde yellow more excellent nor finer coloure than is the fethers of this birde at the ende of the taile there are little fethers as redde as bloud The wilde men take the skin of that parte that is yellow and they vse it to make garnishings of swordes after their maner and certaine garments hattes and other things I the author of this worke brought a hatte of fethers very riche and faire out of America the which was presented to the King of Fraunce Henry by name as a precious iewell And of these birdes there are none founde but in America beginning from the riuer of Platte vnto the riuer of Amazones Ther are some sene at Perou but they are not so great as the others At newe Spayne Florida Messique and newe found lande there is none to be séene bicause the countreis are to cold of the which they stande in great feare Moreouer this birde liueth with no other thing among the wooddes where he maketh his residence but with certaine fruites that the Countrey doeth bring forthe some might thinke that this were a water birde the which is not so for that I haue séene the contrary To the rest this birde is disformed and monsterous hauing the bill more greater and more longer than the rest of the body I haue also broughte one of them from thence that was giuen me with the skinnes of many of diuers couloures some as redde as fine scarlet others yelow blewe and others of diuers colours These fethers be much set by of y e Americans with the which they trafike and trade as we haue before shewed This also is of a truthe that before the vse of money they traded after this sorte ware for ware so that the wealth and richesse of men yea of Kings Princes and Magistrates did consist in beastes shepe goates and Camels of the which ye haue examples in Berosus and Diodorus the which shewe vs by wrytings the maner and vse that the elders before vs vsed to trade one with another the which vse I finde to differ very little from the Americanes order and other barbarous people So that in times past one thing was giuen for an other as shéepe for corne woolle for salte and suche like The trafike of one Countrey with an other if we cōsider it wel is maruellous profitable necessary for by it ciuil societie is kept also it is much estéemed throughout all nations Plinie in his seuenth booke doeth attribute the first inuention and vse thereof to be among the Venicians The trade that many of the Christians vse with the Americanes is brasell woode Popengayes cotten and other things in trucke and chaunge of those things before shewed they bring also from thence a kinde of spice which is the graine of an herbe or little trée of thrée or foure foote highe the fruit is like to our countrey strawberies as well in coloure as otherwise When it is ripe there is within it a séede like to fenell séede Our christian Marchants doe loade this kinde of spice being nothing so good as the spice that groweth on the coast of Ethiopia and in Ginney also it is not to compare to the spice that is had at Calicut or of Tabroban And this ye shall note by the way that though it be named Calicut spice ye must not thinke that it is all of Calicut but commeth a fiftie leagues off from Ilands vnknown and chiefly from an Iland named Corchell Notwithstanding Calicut is the chiefest place whether all the Marchaundise of the East countreys is broughte and there it is shipte and therefore it is called the spice of Calicut the which is better than the spice of America The King of Portingall as euery one knoweth hathe greate profite of the spices that he receiueth from thence but not so muche as in times past for bicause that since the Spanyardes haue discouered the Iland of Zebut riche and of a great compasse the whiche ye shall finde after ye haue passed the straight of Magellan This Ilande beareth a Mine of Golde Ginger and great aboundaunce of white Purselaine Afterwarde they found out Aborney fiue degrées from the Equinoctiall and many other Ilandes inhabited with Neigers vntill they came to Moloqus where as is Atidora Terenata Mata and Machian little Ilandes somewhat neare the one to the other as are the Canaries of the which we haue spoken These Ilandes are distant from Fraunce more than .180 degrées lying to the West they bring forthe many good spices muche better than those of America This much by the way of Moloquus hauing first treated of the trafike and trade that the wilde men vse of America Of birdes most common in America Cap. 48. AMong many kindes of birdes that nature diuersly bringeth forthe setting out
theyr countrey so that the Spaniards remained there Lordes and Maisters beside many other lands adiacent that since they haue conquered euen to Moluques in the Ocean to the West of the other coast of America so that at this day they haue in possession a great deale of lande about this fayre Riuer whereas they haue builded Townes holds And some of the wylde men adiacēt are reconciled with them and become Christians True it is that about a hūdreth leagues beyond there are other wylde men that make warre with them being stoute men and of great stature almost like Gyants And they liue with littell other foode than humaine fleshe as the Canibals This kinde of people go so swyftly on foote that they will easely take wilde beastes in their chase they liue longer than any of the other wilde men doe as a hundreth and fiftie yeares and the other lesse they are very prone and subiect to that damnable sinne of lechery haynous before God the which I omit not onely for the respect of this coūtrey of America but also many others These Giants make warre aswell with the Spaniards as the wilde men about them Now to our purpose This Riuer of Platte with the countrey adiacent is now very riche aswell in Siluer as in stones this Riuer swelleth or encreaseth certaine daies in the yeare as doeth Aurelana that is at Perou and Nyll in Egipt At the mouth of this Riuer there are many little Ilands of the which some are inhabited the others not this countrey is very full of Hylls and Mountaines from the Caape S. Mary vnto the white Caape specially that towardes Saint Helenes point distant from the Riuer .65 leagues and from thence to Arnes Govvrdes .30 leagues then from thence to Basseas to the other land so named bicause of the great valleis that there are And from Basseas to the Abbey of Fonda .75 leagues The rest of the countrey hath not ben frequented of christians extending to the Caape Saint Dominik or Caape Blanke and from thence to the Promentary of the eleuen thousand Virgins .52 degrées and a halfe beyond the Equinoctial and thereby is the straight of Magellan of the which we mynde hereafter to speake As touching the flatte countrey it is at this present very fayre by an infinit number of Gardens Fountaines and Riuers of swete fresh water in the which are great plenty of very good Fish And to the said Riuers there haunteth a kinde of beast that the wylde men name in there language Saricouiemia which is as much to say as fine or daintie beastes the which beast remaineth more in the water than on the land and is no bigger than a little Cat. The skynne of this beast which is intermedled with gray white and blacke is as fine and smooth as veluet his féete made like the féete of a water Foule And as for his flesh it is very pleasant and good for to eate More ouer in this countrey toward the straight there are many strange and monstrous beastes but not so cruell as in Africa And to conclude this countrey now is brought to so good a forme that it would not be taken for a strange countrey for the wylde men of the countrey haue inuented of late days by the meanes of Christians artes and sciences very ingeniously so that they may be a very spectacle to many people of Asia and of our Europe I meane of those that curiously obserue and kéepe the damnable law of Mahomet and other fonde and deuilish Doctrine Of the straight of Magellan and of Daryen Cap. 56. SEing that we are come so neare to this notable place it shall not be out of the way to write somewhat thereof Now this straight called in Greke Poeidinos as the West betwene two landes named in Greke Istmas a straight or a pointe of lande betwene two waters as that of Daryen confineth America toward the South and there seperateth with an other land discouered but not inhabited euen as Gebaltar doeth Europe with Africa and that of Constantinople doeth Europe with Asia being named the straight of Magellan by his name that first dyd discouer it lyeng fifty two degrées and a halfe beyonde the Equinoctiall contayning of bredth two leagues by one only height straight East and West two thousand two hundreth leagues from the North to the South furthermore from the Caape of Essead which is at the entring of the straight vnto the other South Sea seuenty foure leagues vntill the first Caape or Promentary which is fortie degrées This straight hath ben long time desired and sought more than two thousand eight hundreth leagues for to enter by this straight into the Sea of Magellan to attayne to the Ilandes of Moluques Americus Vestucia one of the best Pylots that euer was hath coasted almoste from Ireland vnto the Cape of Saint Augustin by the commaundement of the king of Portingale the yeare .1501 And since another Captaine the yeare .1534 sayled vnto the Region named of Gyants In this Region betwene the Riuer of Platte and this straight the inhabitaunts are very mightie named in their language Pategones Giants bicause of their high stature forme of bodies They which first discouered this countrey tooke one of them finely being twelue foote long who was so vneasie to holde that .25 men had inough to doe about him and for to kepe him it behoued them to bynde his féete and hands in their shippe notwithstanding they could not kepe him long aliue but for sorow thought as they saye he died for hunger This Region is of lyke temperatnesse as Canada and other countries néere to our Pole and therefore the inhabitants are clothed with the skynne of a certaine beast named in their speach Su which is as much to say as Water for bicause to my iudgement that this beast for the most part remaineth in the waters and flouds This beast is a rauenous beast made after a straunge maner besides this if she be chased or pursued as the people of the countrey vse to doe for to haue the skinne she taketh hir yong ones on hir backe and couering them with hir tayle that is thick and long saueth hir selfe with running Neuerthelesse the wild men of the countrey vse a policie for to take this beast making a déepe pit in the grounde néere to the place where she maketh hir most residence the which they couer ouer with gréene leaues so that in running knowing not of this pit the poore beaste falleth in with hir yong ones and she seing hir selfe thus taken in hir rage she kylleth hir yong ones and maketh such a terrible noyse that she maketh the wylde men afrayde But for all this in the ende they kill hir with darts and arrowes and then they take hir skinne Now to our purpose This captain Fernandus of Magellan a couragious man being informed of the riches that might be found in the Ilandes of Moluques as great quantitie of spice
there are none others that there are and that they are those y t inhabite the other Hemispherie which to vs is hidde As for me I am of this aduise that those that inhabit vnder the two Poles for we haue shewed y t they are inhabited are Antipodes one to y e other For example those that inhabite the Northe the neerer they drawe to the pole the higher it is the pole opposite is abased to the contrarye so that it muste nedes be that such are Antipodes and the others the farther they withdrawe to the Poles approchyng to the Equinoctiall are lesse Antipodes Therefore I take for right Antipodes those that inhabite the two Poles and the two others taken directely that is to wyt Easte and West and the others in the midst Anticthones rather than Antipodes to those that inhabit in Lima Luzco Eariquipa or Perou to those that aboute this greate floud Indus in the countrey of Calicut the Iland of Zeilan and other landes of Asia the inhabitants of the Ilands of Moluques from whence the spices come to those of Aethiopia nowe called Ginney And for thys reason Plinie hath well spoken that it was Tabroban where as were the Antipodes confinyng as many Antipodes with Anticthones For truely those that lyue in these Ilandes are Anticthones to the people that inhabite that parte of Aethiopia takyng from the riuer of Nyll vnto the Ilande of Meroa Although that those of Mexicona are directely Antipodes to the people of Arabia Felicia and those that are at the endes of the Caape of good hope Nowe the Greekes haue named those Antipodes that goe with their féete ouerthwart one ouer an other as those of which we haue shewed And Anticthones those that inhabite a land diuided as those whom they cal Anteci as the Spanyards Frēchmen and Almaynes to those that inhabite nere to the riuer of Plate and the Patagones of the which we haue spoken in the former Chapter whiche are nere to the straight of Magellan are Antipodes the others named Pateci that inhabite one onely zone as Frenchmen and Almaines contrary to those that are Antaeci And although that these two proprely are not Antipodes notwithstanding they are commonly called so and many mixe them one with an other And for this reason I haue noted that those of the Caape of good hope are not to vs altogether Antipodes but those whome they call Anteci the which inhabite a lande not opposite but diuided as those that are beyonde the Equinoctiall to vs that are here euen to come to the Antipodes I doubt not but that many do mystake this maner of going of the Antipodes which hath ben y e cause that many haue not approued it Also S. Augustine in the .xv. boke of the Citie of God chap. ix but he y t wold diligently consider shal find it very easy to comprehēd If it be so that the earth is round like a globe hanging in the midst of the worlde it must nedes be y t it be beholden of the firmament on all sides Therfore we that inhabite the higher Hemispherie as touchyng vs we sée one part of the firmamēt to vs propre particular The others inhabiting the lower Hemispherie we being to them superior they se the other part of y e firmament which to them is appropried There is like reson of the one as of y e other but ye shal note that these two Hemispheries haue one onely and common centrie in y e earth Thus much of y e Antipodes now to our mater How these wilde men exercise husbandry and make gardens of a roote named Manihot and of a tree that they name Peno absou Ca. 58. OVr Americans in the time of peace haue litle other occupations but to make gardens or when the time requireth they are constrained to go to the warres but some of them as we haue before shewed vse certaine trades neuerthelesse necessitie constraineth them to labour the earth as we in our countries And they in a maner folow the custome of the elders who after that they had endured and eaten the fruites that procéeded from the earth without any labour or industrie of man so that being not sufficiente to nourishe and sustaine all that liued on the earthe it caused rapines and inuasions preparing ech one a certaine portion of lande which they separated by certain limites and then among men began the state of the people and common weales And thus our wylde men of America haue lerned to labour the earth not with oxen and horses or other domestical beasts as we haue here for they haue none such but with the sweat and labour of their bodies as the like also in other prouinces notwithstanding that which they laboure is very little as certaine gardens distant from their houses about two or thrée leagues where as they sowe only Myll and no other grayne but they plante certaine rootes the which they gather two tymes a yeare at Christmasse whiche is their Sommer when the Sun is in Capricornus and at Pentecost this Myl is as great as a pease commonly white and blacke the herbe that it beareth is like to sea réedes Nowe the fashions of their garden is after this sorte and manner When after that they haue cut seuen or eyght acres of wood leauyng nothyng but the foote or body of the trée about a mans heygth they put the fire therein and burne it and the grasse about it beyng all in a valey or low countrey they scratche the earth with certayne instrumentes of woodde or of yron since that they haue had the knowledge then the women plant this Myll and rootes which they name Hetich makyng a hole in the grounde with their fynger as we plante Beanes in this countrey To fatten and amende the earthe they haue no practise but it is frutefull inough of it selfe beyng neuer lefte vntylled as we do many landes in our Europe Notwithstanding it is a wonderful thing that it will not beare oure corne suche as wée haue and vse I my selfe haue sometymes ▪ sowed for we caried corne with vs for to proue but it would neuer profite And to my iudgement it is not long of the grounde but of some other litle vermine that eateth it in the earthe Neuerthelesse those that are remaining there may in tyme make a surer triall and experience As touchyng oure Americanes it is not to be maruelled though they neuer had the vse of corne For likewise in our Europe and in other countreys at the first men liued with such fruites as the earth brought forth of hir selfe without any mans labour True it is that husbandry is verie auncient as appeareth in Holie Scripture by Abell and Cain But thoughe that they had corne since the begynning yet they knewe not the vse therof Diodorus writeth y t the fyrst bread was sene in Italy being brought thither by Isis Quene of Egipt the whiche shewed
the meane howe to grynde corne and to bake bread for before they dyd eate the fruites of the earth as Nature brought them forthe whether that the earth was laboured or no but that all men vniuersally on the earth haue liued like as do the brute beastes it is rather a fable than a true story fained by Poets and of suche as imitate them as Virgile sheweth in Georgicon But I beleue rather the holie Scripture that maketh mention of Abell and of his first fruites that he offered to God Well the Americanes make meale of those rootes that are called Manihot which are as great as my arme a foote and a halfe long and they are writhen or crooked most commonly And this roote is of a litle tree in height from y e grounde aboute foure foote the leaues are like to those which we call Patallionis which are in number sixe or seuen at the ende of euery trée and euery leafe halfe a foote long thrée fingers brode Their maner to make this sustenaunce or meate is this they bruse these rootes either drie or gréene with a large barke of a trée garnished aboute with very harde stones this beyng done they make it hot in some vessell of earth on the fire with a certaine quantitie of water so that it gathereth into small lumpes and it is very good when it is thus vsed and a good nourisher And ye shall vnderstande that from Perou Canada and Florida in all the landes and countreys betwene the Ocean and Magellan as America Caniball euen to the straight of Magellan they vse this kinde of foode the which is very cōmon and yet there is distant from the one end to the other more than two thousande leagues by lande and they vse it with their fleshe and fishe as we doe breade These wilde men vse a strange maner in their eating for they neuer bryng their handes to their mouthes but caste theyr meate into their mouthes more than a foote off to the whiche they are verie apte Also they mocke christians that vse otherwise All the labours aboute these rootes are remitted to the women thynking it not decent for mē to occupie them selues therin These Americans doe plant beanes the which are all white and flatte more large and longer than ours Also they haue a kynde of white gourdes not differing to those that grow in Turkey and Italy they boyle them and then eate them with salte the which salte is made with salt water boyled when it is consumed to halfe with an other thyng they make it tourne into salt Likewise with this salt and a kind of spice of graines they make loaues of bread as byg as a mans heade of the which many eate with fleshe and fishe chiefly the women Beside this they mingle many times spice with their meale not beaten to dust as we doe but as it is gathered Moreouer they make bread with dried fishe very good to eate with other things mingled with it whiche I do not knowe I will not forgette here a kinde of colewort leaues almost like to the brode leaues that growe on ryuers sides the whiche they call Nenuphar with an other kinde of herbe growing like our thistles Nowe there resteth to speake of a trée which they name in their language Peno absou This trée beareth a fruite of the greatnesse of a good bigge apple round like an egge the which is not good to eate but rather daungerous as poyson This fruite hath within sixe nuttes like our Almondes but somewhat more larger and flatte in the which is a kernel which as they say is good to heale woundes and sores when that they haue bene hurte in the warre with the Arrowes of their enimies or otherwise I haue brought of them into France which I haue giuen vnto my frends the meane to vse them is this First they draw out of this kernell certaine oyle the which they put vpon the wounde The barke of this trée hath a very straunge smell and the leafe always gréene of the thyckenesse of a testorne and made lyke the leaues of Pourslane In this trée frequenteth a byrde hauing a great bushe of feathers on hir head as yealowe as fyne golde the tayle blacke and the rest of hir feathers yealow and blacke with some strikes of dyuers other coloures redde aboute the chappes betwéene the byll and the eyes lyke scarlette and she kéepeth this trée onely for hir foode whyche is littell wormes that she fyndeth in the sayde trée To make shorte leauyng many kyndes of trées I wyll say thus muche that there are fiue or sixe kinde of palme trées bearynge fruite not as those of Aegypte that beare Dates for these beare none but other kynde of fruites some as great as an egge the others lesse Among the whiche palme trées is that whyche they calle Gerahuua a nother named Iry the whyche beareth a nother kynde of fruite differing there is also that dothe beare their fruite all rounde and as greate as a prune or damsyn beyng of the like coloure when it is rype the whiche before hath a taste lyke veriuyce it beareth a whyte kernell of the greatnesse of a hasyll nutte the which these wylde men doe eate Thus muche as touchyng oure America the whiche I haue thoughte good to sette oute after that I had knowne the secretes therof the whiche wée maye hereafter sette forth more at large Lykewise of many trées hearbes and other secretes with their propreties accordyng to the experience of the people of the cuntrey the which we haue left out to auoyde prolixitie Also we haue thoughte good by the way somewhat to speake as touchyng the lande of Brasile Howe and after what sorte the lande of America was discouered and Brasill wood founde with many other trees sene no where but in that countrey Cap. 59. THis we know of a truth that Americus Vesputia is the firste that discouered the mayne lande betwene the two seas though not all the lande but the moste parte And since the Portingals many tymes being not content with their limits haue alwayes hazarded themselues to discouer and fynd out countreis euen as they founde the cōmodities and as they were intertained of the people of the countrey They therfore visiting the countreys and séeking as the Troyans dyd in the lande of Carthage they sawe diuers fourmes and manners of feathers with the whiche they dyd trade and traffike specially redde ones whiche were coloured so that they were desirous to knowe the meane howe to make this coloure The people of the countrey shewed them the Brasille trée whyche they doe name in their language Oraboutan and is very fayre to looke on the barke therof is of a gray colour withoute and the woodde is redde within and chiefly the harte the whyche is more excellente than the reste whereof they do occupie moste so that then the Portingales broughte home their shyps laden therewyth And synce that
wée haue hadde the knowledge of yt thereof is made a verie greate trade The Portingales can not abyde that any other people or Nation should trade thether for that they were the first that discouered that countrey which is of a truth This brasill trée beareth leaues like vnto boxe so litle but very thicke it rendreth no gumme as others doe neyther beareth it any fruite It hath bene better estéemed thā it is at this present specially in the east countreys at the first it was thought that this was of that kinde of wood that the Quéene of Saba brought to king Salomon as is shewed in the first booke of the Kings Also the great Captaine Onesicritus in a voyage that he made into the Ilande of Tabroban lying in the Ocean sea towarde the east Indies brought a greate quantitie of this wood and other things requisite the which his master Alexander did highly commende and estéeme As touching this Brasill that whiche is on the side of the riuer of Ianaria Morpion and Caape de Fria is better than that of Caniball and on the coast of Marignan When that the Christians are there for to laade Brasill the wylde men of the countrey cut it them selues and sometimes they bring or carie it thrée or foure leagues to the shippes I leaue to youre iudgement their paine and trauel and al for to get some poore or course wéede and shirt Moreouer in that countrie is founde an other wood yellow with the which some make their swordes Likewise an other of the coloure of purple wyth the which to my iudgement may be made faire and goodly woorkes I am in doubte whether it bée that woodde whiche Plutarke speaketh of saying that Caius Marius Rutilius the first Dictatour of the publike weale among the Romanes caused to bée drawne in a purple woodde a battayle wherein the personages were not greater than my thrée fingers And thys woodde was brought from hye Affrica Furthermore there are founde other trées of which the woodde is as white as paper and very tender and therfore the wild men sette not by them The propertie of which trées I coulde not otherwyse learne sauyng onely it commeth to my remembraunce of whyte woodde wherof Plinie speaketh the whiche he nameth Betula white and tender of the whiche were made the wandes that were borne before the Magistrates of Rome And euen as there are found and sene diuers kynds of trées differing in forme color other propreties so in like maner is found diuersitie of grounde and earth some fatter than others Also clay grounde of the which they make earthen vessells after their maner as we do for to eate and drinke Thus much as touchyng our America though not so much as I haue and might haue séene but so much as I thought worthie to bee noted and written for to satisfie and content the gentle good will of the louyng Readers if that it please them to take as great pleasure and pacience to reade it as I haue taken paines after so many trauailes and paines in this harde and daungerous voyage to sette it forth I am sure that some will fynde this my discourse t◠long others to shorte Therefore I séeke to kéepe a meane to satisfie and contente euery mans desire Of oure departyng from Fraunce Antartike or America Capit. 60. WE haue here before gathered together and shewed amply and at large of these nations the which of auncient Historiographers was vnknowne Nowe therefore after we had remained there in that countreye as long as oportunitie dydde serue and also needefull for the contentation of the mynde we beganne to make prouision for oure returne beyng not mynded to remayne there any longer Therefore vnder the conducte of Mounsieur Albois the Countie Captaine generall of the Frenche kings shyppes into America a worthie Gentleman and well séene in nauigation as if all hys life time he had exercised it beside other vertues We toke a clean contrary way to that whiche we came bicause of the windes that are propre to retourne but oure returne was longer by fiue hundreth leagues than the waye we went and more dangerous so the last day of Ianuarie at foure of the clocke in the mornyng we toke shypping with those that caried backe the shippes we sayled oute of the Riuer of Ianaria into the greate sea on the other syde drawyng towarde the Weste leauyng vpon the ryghte hande the coaste of Aethiopia the whiche we coasted thytherwarde At the whyche departure the wynde was to vs very fauourable but not of long continuaunce for sodainly the winde dydde chaunge euen ryght a heade to the North and Northwest the whyche wyth the sea ragynge and vnconstant in those partes kepte vs from our right course castyng vs nowe here and there vntyll at the last with greate difficultie we discouered Cape de Fria where as we came a lande at our first comming thyther And agayne we stayed there the space of eyght days And the nynthe daye the Southe wynde beganne to blowe the whyche dydde conducte vs nynetie Leagues into the Mayne sea leauyng the lower countrey and coastyng a farre off Mahouac bicause of the daungers For the Portingals kéepe that quarter and the wilde men which vnto vs are bothe enimies as I haue shewed where as within these .ij. yeares they haue founde Mynes of golde and syluer which hath caused them to buylde in that place and to strengthen them selues there to inhabite Nowe we sailyng continually vpon the sea wyth greate perill vntill we came to the heigth of Caape saint Augustine the which to double we remained the space of two moneths or therabout beyng very great lying farre out into the sea And no maruell for I know some of good memorie that haue bene doublyng of this Caape thrée or foure moneths and if the wynde had not bene fauourable we had bene in daunger to haue stayed longer although there had hapned no other inconueniēce This Caape is of length .8 leagues distant from the ryuer from whence we be departed .302 leagues It entreth into the sea nine or tenne leagues at the least and therfore it is as muche feared of the nauigants or sailers on that coast as the Caape of good hope on the coast of Ethiopia the which for this cause they haue named Lyon of the sea as I haue alreadie shewed Or like to that which in the sea Aegee in Acaia the which is nowe called Moorelande Also Caape S. Angell the whiche also is very daungerous This Caape was so named by those that first did discouer it which was as some say one Pynson a Spanyarde Also it is so marked in our Card Marins This Pynson with his sonne haue maruellously discouered vnknowne countreyes not before founde out The yeare .1501 Emanuell kyng of Portingale sent him into the base America for to find the straight of Forna and Daryen that they might passe more easier to Moluques without going
presentes as before and then for the continuance of their voyage it was nedefull to set sayle and to shorten waye From thence they sayled more than a hundreth leagues before they tooke lande beholding about the Riuer side diuers kindes and a multitude of wild people as before the which I wil not staye to describe for to auoide prolixitie but it shall suffice to vnderstand the place where as at the seconde time they aboorded Hovv certaine Spanyardes arriued into a countrey vvhere they found Amazones Cap. 63. THe saide Spanyardes did so much by their iourneys that they arriued in a Countrey where as were inhabiting Amazones the which would neuer haue bene thought for that Historiographers haue made therof no mention bicause they knew not this countrey late found out Some may say that they are not Amazonists but as for me I iudge them suche séeing that they liue euen so as we finde the Amazonists of Asia to haue liued And before passing further ye shall note that these Amazones of which we speake are retired inhabiting in certaine Ilands which are to them as strong holdes hauing alwayes perpetuall warre with certaine people without any other exercise euen as those of whom haue spoken the Historiographers Nowe then these warlike women of our America being fortified in Ilandes are most commonly assailed of their enimies that séeke them on the water with barkes and other vessels and there they fight with bowes and arrowes contrariwise the women defend them with the like couragiously with threatnings noise and countenaunces the most fearfull that is possible they make their bulwarkes of defence with mighty great shelles of Torterels And bicause it commeth to our purpose to speake of the Amazonists we will write somewhat in this place The poore people find no great comfort among these rude and sauage women I finde by the histories that there are .iij. sorts of Amazones all a like differing only in places dwellings The most anciest sort were in Affrica among y e which were Gorgonists that had Meduse for their Quéene The other were in Scythia néere to the riuer of Tanais which since haue raigned in a part of Asia néere to the riuer of Hermodoon and the third sort of Amazones are those which we do treat of Ther is diuers opinions why they were called Amazones The most common is for bicause that these women did burne their brests in their youth to be more apt in the warre The which I finde very straunge and reporte me to medicines whether they can burne those partes without death knowing that they are tender and also néere to y e heart neuerthelesse the most part are of this opinion If it were so I wold thinke that for one that escapeth death there dieth a hundreth Others take the Etymologie of this vowell A. priuatiue and of Maza that signifieth bread for that they liue not with bread but with other things which is as absurde as the others for in that time they might call many that liued without bread Amazones as the Troglodites and many others in like maner all the Indians The others of A. priuatiue Mazos as those that haue bene norished w tout womans milke the which is most likeliest to be true of which opinion is Philostratus or else of a nimphe named Amazoni or of an other named Amazone virgin to Diana and Quéene of Ephesus which I do better beleue thā burning of their paps or brests let them that list dispute of the contrary Wel how so euer it is these women are named warlike and moreouer ye shall note that the Scithians which we name Tartarians being driuen out of Egipt subdued the better parte of Asia and made it all tributary and vnder their obedience In the meane time whilest the Scythians remained in this long cōquest and expedition of Asia their wiues being wearied of their so long absence as the good Penelope of hir husband Vlixes did admonishe them by many gracious letters and messages to returne otherwise that this long vntollerable absence wold cōstraine them to make new aliances with their next neighbors considering that the auncient lignage of the Scithians began to decay Notwithstāding without hauing regarde to the swéete requestes of their wiues kept inhabited Asia with an obstinate corage yea vntil the time that Ninus did deliuer it from this miserable thraldome bondage During which time these women neuer made aliaunce of Matrimonie with their neighbors esteming and thinking that Matrimonie was not a meane of libertie but of thraldome But they with one accord vertuous enterprise consented to take their weapons begin warre thinking y t they were descended of that mighty Mars god of warres which they executed so vertuously vnder y e gouernement of Lampedo Marthesia their Quéenes y t gouerned one after another that they not only defended their coūtrey frō inuasion of their enimies in mainteining their liberty but also made many goodly conquests in Europe in Asia euen vnto y e riuer of which we shewed before In which place specially at Ephesus they caused to be made many castles and holds This being done they sent some of their bāds into their countrey with the riches bootie and spoile of their enimies and the rest remained in Asia Finally these good women for to kéepe their stocke and posteritie did willingly offer them selues to their neighbors without any other kind of mariage And of the fruit that procéeded they killed the male children kéeping alwayes the female for the warres the feat wherof they wold learne them with al diligence they exercise the feats of chiualry and hunting aboue al other things Their weapōs were bowes and arowes with certain bucklers of which Virgill speaketh of in his Aeneidos when that during the siege of Troy they went to helpe the Troyans against the Greekes Some say also that they were the first that begā to ride a horsse and to fight on horsebacke Well now it is time to returne to the Amazones of America and to y e Spanyards In that part they are seperated from men and frequent them very seldome but at sometime secrete in the night or at some appoynted time These women inhabite in litle lodgings and caues against the rockes liuing with fishe and wilde beasts with rootes some good fruits that this land bringeth forth They kil their male children incōtinently after they are deliuered or else they deliuer him to y e mā to whom they think it doth pertain If it be a female they retaine it to them selues euen so as did the first Amazones They make warre ordinarily against some other nation And those whom they take in the warre they vse most cruelly and inhumainely for to make them die they hang them by one leg on a trée and leauing them after this sort they goe their wayes and if it happen that they be not dead when they returne they will shoote at them
aboue ten thousande times but they eate them not as others doe but they burne them vntill they be consumed to ashes Furthermore these women when that they approche to fight they make maruellous cries shootes for to affray their enimies Of the originall of these Amazones in that countrey it is vncertain some thinke that after the warre of Troy for thither they went as we haue before shewed vnder the conducte of Pantasilla they scattered abrode and wandred héere and there Others think that they are come from certain places of Grecia iâ— Affrica from wheÌ„ce a cruell king chased them We haue many histories of their acts and feats of warre and of other women the which I will leaue for to continue our purpose for there are many Histories Greekes Latines and others that shewe thereof at large We haue begon to shewe how that the Spanyardes remained there but a while for to rest them onely and to get victuals for that these women as all amazed to sée suche an aray which vnto them was straunge came together aboue ten thousand of them in lesse space than thrée houres maids and women all naked sauing bowes and arrowes in their fastes beginning to make a great noise as though they had séene their enimies so that they began to loose of their arrowes the which the Spanyards séeing wold make no resistance but retiring wayed their ankers and hoised saile but at their departing saying Adew they saluted them with certaine gunshot among the thickest of them so that these women escaped not without some losse and detriment Hovv the Spanyardes continued their voyage to Morpion and of the riuer of Plate Cap. 64. FRom thence they continuing their way wel a Cxx. leagues they knew by their Astrolobia what height the place was where they were The which is so necessary for the good Nauigation that those that saile into farre Countreys can haue no assurance of their voyage if that this practise faile them wherfore this Arte of the height of the Sunne excéedeth all other artes And this cunning our elders haue greatly commended and practized also Ptolome and other great authors These Spaniardes leauing their skiffes and caruels they sunke them then euery man laded them selues with the rest of the victailes munitions and other marchaundise chiefly the slaues that were there for that purpose they went for the terme of .ix. dayes by and ouer mountaines and dales decked with all sortes of gréene trées herbes floures and fruites In so much that at the last by their iorneys they came to a great riuer procéeding from the highe Mountaines wheras they found other wilde men among the which some for feare fled their wayes others climed vpon trées and there remained in their lodgings none but a fewe olde men to the which in signe of friendship and fauor they made presents with certaine kniues and glasses the which to them were agréeable so that they went and called the others shewing them that these strangers newe arriued were some great Lordes that in no wise would hurt them but make to them presents of their riches The wilde men being moued with this liberalitie went to fetche them victails as fish venison and fruites according as the countrey brought forth The which the Spanyardes séeing were minded there to passe away the winter in the meane time to discouer the commodities of the countrey and to sée if that there might be fouÌ„d any Mine of golde or siluer or any other thing wherby they might gather any profit By this meanes they remained there .vij. months together and séeing things fell not out according to their mind they tooke their iorney forward hauing to guide them .viij. of these wild meÌ„ that brought them on their way about .lxxx. leagues passing alwayes through the midst of other wilde men more rude lesse tractable thaÌ„ they before for the which their guides wer vnto them as necessary as profitable Finally they knew of a truth that they were come to y e height of a place named Morpion then inhabited of Portingals some of them being weary of so long a voyage were determined to repaire to the place before named others to y e coÌ„trary said it were better to perseuer goe forwarde to the riuer of Plate distant farther by land .300 leagues In which for to make agréement according to thaduise of the captain the one part kept their way to Plate and the others drue toward Morpion Néere to which place these poore pilgrims beheld if they could espie any booty vntil that they found a riuer running at the foote of a hill in which they that dranke did perceiue certaine stones shining like siluer of the which they bare a certaine quantitie to Morpion distant froÌ„ theÌ„ce .18 leagues which place after proofe was found to bear good natural siluer And since y e king of Portingall hath had from thence an infinite deale of siluer after that he had souÌ„ded the Mine and brought it to good perfection After that these Spaniardes had rested theÌ„ selues at Morpion with the Portingall their neighbors they set forwarde to folow the others to kepe the way to Plate being distaÌ„t from Morpion by sea .250 leagues and by land .300 wheras the Spanyards haue found many Mines of golde and siluer and haue named it Plate which signifieth in our language siluer And for to inhabite there they haue edified certaine castles and holdes and since some of theÌ„ with other Spanyards newly come to that place not content with this fortune haue enterprised to saile euen to the straight of Magellan so named by him that first found it out which ioyneth with America toward the South And from thence entreth into the peaceable Sea on the other side of America where as they haue found many faire Ilands and in the end they came to Moluques which they kepe and inhabiteâ—t this day By the which meanes there cometh a great tribute of golde and siluer vnto the King of Spaine This muche in effect of this voyage the which I thought good to note by the way being shewed me in my Nauigation by those that of a truthe had bene in the voyage Hovve the landes of the king of Spaine and of Portingall are separated Cap. 65. THe kings of Spaine and of Portingall after that they had obtained many happy and fortunate victories as well in the East as in the West in places by sea and land not before knowne or discouered deliberated for the greater assurance to deuide and limit al the countrey that they had conquered and also to auoide quarels that héere after might rise as they did of the mine of gold that they had at the Cape of thrée points which is in Guiney as also the Ilands of Cape verd and many other places Also euery one may know y t one kingdome wil not haue two kings no more than the world wil receiue two Sunnes So it is
out not comprehending them although that they are of no lesse coÌ„passe and greatnesse than Sicilia Corsica Cypris or Candia nor yet of lesse value therefore shall this parte be limitted towards the South to Florida There resteth now only to describe the third parte the which shall begin at Noua Espania or new Spaine comprehending all the prouinces of Anauac Vcatan Eulhuacan Xalixa Thalco Mixtecapan Tezeuco Guzanes Apalachen Pancho Aute and the kingdome of Micuacan from Florida vnto the land of Bacalles which is a great Region vnder the which also is comprehended the land of Canada and the prouince of Chicora which is .33 degrées on this side the line the land of Labrodor newe found land compassed with the frostie Sea on the Northe side This Countrey of the West Indies being thus deuided not specifying many things from the one ende to the other that is to witte many things froÌ„ the one end to the other that is to wit from the straight of Magellan at the which we haue begon vnto the ende of the farthest land of the Indies it is more then .4800 leagues of length and by this ye may descerne the bredthe excepting the straight of Parias before named therfore they are now called y e great Indies being without comparison more greater than the East Indies As touching the rest I desire the reader to take in good parte this little deuision vntil it please God to giue vs meane to make one more greater Likewise to treate more at large of this countrey but thus much I thought néedefull in the meane time to bring to light Of the Iland of Rats Cap. 67. LEauing these Canibals for the small comfort y t there was to be had hauing the winde at South we sailed to a very faire Iland distant froÌ„ the line .iiij. degrées the which is very daungerous in the aboording of it for it is no lesse daungerous to a front thaÌ„ some great Cape or Promentary for that it entreth farre into the sea and for rockes that are about it and ranged on the coast side This Iland was vnluckely found out to the mishappe of those that first did discouer it Some Portingall ship passing by on that coast for default of good gouernment striking against a rocke néere to this Iland brake in pieces and drowned excepting .xxiij. meÌ„ that saued them selues in this Iland in which place they remained the terme of two yeares wheras they died only two excepting which in the meane time liued with Rattes Birdes and other beastes And as on a time there passed by a ship of Normandie that returned from America they set their skiffe out for to rest in that Ilande whereas they found these two poore Portingalls that were onely lefte of this shipwrake the which they brought away with them And these Portingals had named it the Iland of Rats bicause of the multitude of Rats of diuers kindes that there are so that they say that their companions died onely being vexed with these vermin These beastes liue with egs of Torterels that they make on the Riuage of the Sea and with birds egs wherof there is great store Also when we went for to seke fresh water whereof we had such greate nede that some amongst vs were constrayned to drinke their owne water or bryn the which dured the terme of thrée monethes and the famyn foure moneths we sawe there so many birdes and so priuie that we might haue laden therewith our ships neuerthelesse we coulde not recouer fresh water vnlesse we had entred very farre into the couÌ„trey As for the rest it is fayre decked with many fayre trées being gréene the moste parte of the yeare euen like a goodly gréene medowe in the moneth of May although it be within foure degrées of the lyne Though that this Iland is not inhabited yet it is not vnpossible no more than others in the Zone as the Ilandes of S. Homer vnder the Equinoctial others And if it wer inhabited I am wel assured that it would make one of the fairest places in al the Worlde and riche there might be made very good Suger Spices and other things of great value I know well that many Cosmographers haue had this opinion that the Zone betwene the two Tropickes was vnhabited for the extreame heate of the Sunne notwithstanding y t experience sheweth the coÌ„trary without any farther contention euen as the Zones to the twoo Poles bicause of the colde Heroditus and Solon affirmeth that the hils Hiperbores are inhabited and likewise Canada drawing néere to the North and other count yet more néere approching the colde Sea of the whiche we haue alredy spoken Therefore let vs returne to our IlaÌ„d of Rats This place by good right is so named for bicause of the abundance of Rats that lyue there of the whiche there are diuers kindes one kinde among the reste that the wilde men of America eat named in their language Sohiatan and they haue their hayre gray the flesh good delicate like a little leueret There is another named Hiexousou greater than the others but not so good to eat they are as great as those of Egypt called Pharaos Rats Others there are as greate as Wezels that the wild meÌ„ eate not for bicause that when they are dead they stinke like carion the which I haue sene also there are founde diuersitie of Serpentes named Gerara the which are not good to eate but there are others named Theirab that are good for of these Serpentes there are diuers kindes that are nothing venemous nor like to those of our Europe so that their biting is neither mortall nor any thing dangerous there are to be sene redde ones scaled of diuers coloures lykewise I haue sene gréene ones as gréene as the bay leafe they are not so greate of body as the others notwithstanding they are very long Therefore it is not to be marueled at how these wild men there aboutes eate these Rats without daunger and Serpents euen as they do Lezardes as before we haue shewed Likewise néere to this Ilande is founde a kynde of fish and also vpon the coaste of America very daungerous also much feared and redoubted of the wilde men for that she is a rauening fish and as daungerous as a Lyon or a Woulfe famished this fish is named Houperou in their language and eateth other fish in the water excepting one that is as greate as a little Carpe the which foloweth him alwayes as if there were soâ—â—â— Sympathia or secrete loue betwene them or else he foloweth him for to be preserued and kept sure from other fishes So that the wilde men fishing all naked as they do alwayes feare him not without a cause for if he catche them he will either drowne them or strangle them or looke where he toucheth he carieth away a piece with his téethe Also they will take héede how to eate of this fishe but if y t they can take him
aliue as they doe many times for to be reuenged of him they kill him with arrowes Being therefore there a certaine space of time turning héere and there I behelde many straungs fishes that are not in Europe among the which I saw two very monsterous hauing vnder the throte like two Goates dugge◠a thing on the chin that for to sée too was like a Goates beard Beholde how nature the great workemistresse taketh pleasure to varifie hir workes as well by water as by land as the cōning workman beutifleth his work excéeding the common trade of his Arte and science Hovv vve continued our course vvith a declaration of the Astrolabia of the sea Cap. 68. FOr bicause that we found no great consolation nor comfort of our trauails in this Iland It behoued vs without any tarying to hoise sail with an indifferent winde vntill we came vnder the Equinoctiall whereas the sea and the windes are also vnconstant Also the aire is alwayes séene there troubled if one side be faire the other is troubled and threatneth fowle weather so that for the most parte there is raine and thunder which can not be without danger to y e Nauigants Now before they come néere to this line the good Nauigantes Pilots and Mariners being expert take counsel or beholde alwayes their Astrolabia for to knewe the distance and lying of places from thence where they are And bicause this so necessarie an Instrument for Nauigation commeth now in talke I will speake there of lightly by the way for the instruction of those that wil folow the sea being so great that the vnderstanding of man cannot well comprehend it And that which I speake of the Astrolabia as much may I say of the Rule or nedell of the sea by the whiche they may also conduct right the ship This Instrument is so politike that with a little paper or parchement as broade as the palme of my hand and certayne lines marked which signifieth the windes and a little Iron with the which this Instrument is made by his onely natural vertue that a storie giueth him and bloweth in his proper mouing and without any touching sheweth where is the Easte the Weaste the North and the South and also al the thirtie two windes belonging to Nauigation it sheweth them not onely in one place but in al places of the worlde beside other secretes that I omit for this present wherby it plainly appeareth that the Astrolabia the nedell or compasse with the Carde Marin are well made and that there shewing and perfection as is a wōderfull thing for that a thing so great as the Sea is pictured in so little a space and so agreable that by the same men vndertake to sayle rounde about the worlde Then the good and perfect Astrolabia is no other thing than the Sphere pressed and represented in a playn accomplished in his compasse with .360 Degrées that answere to the circute of the World deuided in like number of degrées the which agayne must be deuided into foure equal parts in our Instrument that is .90 in euery parte the whiche afterwarde ye muste parte by fiue and fiue then holding your Instrument by the ring rayse it or hold it towarde the Sunne so that the Sunne beames may enter in at the hole then looking to your declination in what year◠moneth and day ye are in when ye take the height of the Sunne And if the Sunne be towardes the South which is on the coast of America and ye be towards the North ye muste take from your height as many degrées as the Sunne hath declined from the line of y e which we speke towarde the South And if that in taking of the height of the Sunne ye be towardes the South beyonde the Equinoctiall and the Sunne be in the North ye muste in lyke manner take away so many degrées as the Sunne hath declined from the lyne towarde our Pole as for example if ye take your height the Sunne being betwene the Equinoctiall and you when ye haue taken the sayde height ye muste for to knowe the place where ye are be it in sea or lande adde your degrées which the Sunne is declyned from farre from the lyne with your height and ye shall finde that which ye demaunde the which is to be vnderstanded as much of the Pole Artike as Antartike Thus much by the way Gentle Reader of our Astrolabia leauing the rest of the knowledge and vsage of this Instrument to Astronomers and Astrologians that make dayly profession thereof It shall suffice that which I haue spoken the which I knowe to be necessary and nedefull to Nauigation chiefly for those that are ignorant and not yet exercised therein Of the departing of our Equator or Equinoctiall Cap. 69. I Thinke there is no man of Spirite but that knoweth that the Equinoctiall is a trace or circle imagined by the midst of the Worlde from the East to the Weast in equall distance of two so that from the fayde Equinoctiall to eche one of the Poles it is .90 Degrées as we haue at large treated before and of the temperatnesse of the ayre that is there about of the Sea and of the fishes There resteth nowe somewhat to speake in our returne of that which before we left out passing therefore about the firste day of Aprill with a fauourable winde kéeping our right course with sayle spread right to the North neuerthelesse we were molested with one ill commoditie the which was that daye and night it ceased not to raine the which notwithstanding came well to passe for vs to drinke considering our necessitie for the space of two monethes and a halfe enduring thyrst for that we colde get no fresh water And God knoweth whether we drancke not our fill euē with open throte considering the extreame heat that burned vs it is true that the rayne water in those parres are corrupted for the infection of the ayre from whence it commeth for that whereof the rayne engendreth is depraued in such sort that if a body wash their hāds therewith there wil ryse pushes bladders I knowe well that many Philosophers hold opinion that some rayne water is vnholsome they set difference betwene these waters with y e reasons which at this time I wil not allege auoyding prolixitie wel what corruptiō so euer came of it yet neuerthelesse it behoued vs to drink therof though it had cost vs our liues Furthermore this water falling on a clothe woulde stayne it and leaue a spot that scant would be gotten out Nowe therefore after we had passed the lyne it was néedfull for our conduct to beginne to counte our degrees from thence vnto our Europe as much muste be done of them that goe thither after that they are come vnder the sayde-line The Ancient Cosmographers measured the earth the which we may also doe by stades paces and féete and not by degrées as we doe as affirmeth Plinie Strabo
things that they neuer sawe To this purpose I remember that they woulde perswade vs that in high Africa there was people that had eares hanging downe to there hales the which is nothing so but a manifest fable and lye The fifth prouince is Canar hauing on the west side the South Sea the which is a maruelous cold countrey for the Frost and Snowe lyeth there all the yeare long And although that in others Regions of Perou the colde be not so violent and that there commeth and procedeth great plenty of good fruites yet there is not such teÌ„peratnesse in Sommer for in Sommer in other places the ayre is extreme hot vntemperat the which causeth a corruption chiefly in the fruites Also that venemous beastes are not founde in colde countries as they are in hote regions Therefore al being considered it is harde to iudge which of these countries ought to be preferred before the other to this we may replie that there is no commoditie but that hath his incommoditie Moreouer there is yet another named Calao wherein is more trading and occupying than in any other countrey in Perou the which also is the cause that it is better peopled It extendeth from the Easte coast to the mountaynes of Andes and from the Weaste to the mountaynes of Nanades the people in this countrey is named Xuli Chilan Acos Pomata Cepita and Trianguauaco Although it be wilde and Barbarous yet it is neuerthelesse very tractable bicause of the marchandise and trade that there is vsed otherwise it woulde not be lesse confirmable than the rest of America In this countrey there is a great laake named in their language Titicata whiche is to say Iland of Fethers for that that in this Lake there are certaine lyttle Ilands in the which are founde a great number of byrds great and small and of such diuers kyndes as is almost vncredible Now the last couÌ„trey that is in Perou named Carcas next adiaceÌ„t to Chila in the which standeth the famous and rich Citie of Platte the countrey being very rych bicause of the fayre Riuers and Mynes of Golde and Siluer Therefore this great countrey containeth is called all that is comprehended from the Riuer of Platte vnto Quitto as we haue already shewed and of which we haue declared y e eight principall countries and prouinces This maine land being so long and broade is like to the fygure of a triangle although that many call it an Ilande the which cannot or else will not make a difference betwene an Iland that which we call almost an Iland By this meanes ye nede not to doute that from the straight of Magellan .50 degrees of latitude and .30 minuts and .303 degrées of longitude beyond the lyne being more than .68 degrées on this syde is the maine lande In dede if that this little lande betwene new Spaine Perou hauing in bredth but .17 leagues from the Ocean to the South were cut from the one Sea to the other then Perou might be called an Iland but Daryen a straight of lande so named of the Riuer of Daryen doth let it yet it behoueth somwhat to speake of Perou As touching the Religion of these wyld men of that countrey which are not yet reformed to our Fayth they holde a very straunge opinion of a great â—â—ttell that they kéepe secretly saying that the Sea in times past passed out thereof with all his Fishes and that out of a nother thing proceded the Sunne the Moone the first Man and the first Woman the which their false and deceitfull priestes haue persuaded and shewed them named Bohitis and they haue beleued and giuen credit thereto a long tyme vntil that the Spanyards haue dissuaded the most parte of these dreames and delusions Besides this these people are very idolatrous aboue others One worshippeth according to his minde what pleaseth him The fishers worship a fish named Lyburon and the rest worship certain beasts and byrds Those that labor the ground make gardens worship the Earth but they all in generall take the Sunne to be a great God lykewise y e Moone the earth thinking that by the Sunne the Moone all things are ruled and gouerned In swearing or taking an othe they will lay theyr hand on the Earthz beholde the Sunne they also holde opinion that there hath ben a Deluge as those of America saying that there came a Prophet from the North parts that dyd maruels the which after he was put to death had neuerthelesse power to lyue The Spanyards occupy all this mayne land from the Riuer of Marignan vnto Furna and Daryen and yet more further on the west coast which is the straightest or narowest place of the mayne lande by the which the way lyeth to Moluques Furthermore it exteÌ„deth to the Ryuer of Palme wheras they haue so well edified and peopled all the countrey that it is a maruellous thing to sée the riches that at this day that countrey bringeth forth lyke vnto a great kingdome First to begin almost thoroughout al the Ilands of Perou there are Mynes of Gold or siluer with certaine Emerauldes and Turkesses neuertheless e hauing not so lyuely a color as those y t come from Malaca and Calicut The most welthiest people of all the countrey of Perou are those y t they name Iugas valiant aboue other nations they worship cattell and all other kynde of domesticall beasts in greater number than we doe here for the countrey thereto is giuen in such sorte that beastes hydes and skyns of all sorts is their chief marchandise and they kill the beasts onely for theyr skynnes The greatest number of these domesticall beasts are become wylde bicause that there are so great multitude so y t they let them stray in the woods day night for that they haue no place to harbor theÌ„ in their houses And for to take theÌ„ they set snares and chase them as we doe Venison As for Corne as I vnderstand it cannot profit there nor grow in no part of Perou no more than in America Therefore aswell gentlemen as others lyue with a kynde of sustenance y t they name Cassade which is a kinde of cakes made of a roote named Manihot Furthermore they haue great plenty of Myll fish As touching wine there groweth none in stede whereof they make other kyndes of beuerege This much as touching the circuit of Perou the which with his Ilands of the which I wil treat hereafter is brought to such a forme that at this preseÌ„t ye shal finde townes castels cities bâ—â—oughes houses bishopricks coÌ„mon weales all kende of liuings so y t ye will iudge it to be a nother Europe By this we know how great the power goodnesse of our God is his prouidence to all people for euen as y e Turks Mores heathen people seke to destroy Christes religion so coÌ„trarily in other places it
make them better disposed their ioynts to be playable as the Africans doe with oyle of Olyue Within the head of this fish are found certaine stones of the which they make great store for y t they haue proued them to be good against the colyke be it in the Raynes or in the bladder The femals of this fish bring forth their yong ones quick with out egge as doth y e Whale the Grampyn also she hath .ij. rothers lyke beasts on y e earth with y e which they giue suck to their yong ones A Spaniard that had dwelled long time in this Iland shewed to me y t a gouerner of y e coūtrey did norish one in a cesterne y e terme of .30 yeares the which in proces of time became so priuie y t she wold almost suffer one to lay his hand vpō hir The wyld men will take this fish hard by y e shore as she féedeth vpon y e grasse I leue to speake of many byrds clad with diuers rich coloured fethers w t which they make tapissary figurs of mē womē beasts birds other things they trim them vpon some lynnen clothe therewith they garnish hats caps and gounes the which is very fayre pleasant to beholde Of strange foure footed beastes there are none founde but onely those of which we haue spoken Neuerthelesse there is founde two kynde of lyttle beastes as little as Coneys the which they name Hulias and Caris good to eate That which I haue sayde of this Iland I may in lyke maner speake of the Iland of S. Iames before named Iamaica on the east side it hath y e Iland of S. Dominike There is a nother faire Iland named Bouriquan in their countrey spech but in the carde Marius it is named S. Iohns Iland y e which on the East side hath lying the Iland of the holy crosse and other little Ilands of the which some are inhabited the others are deserte This Ilande from the East to y e west containeth aboute .52 leagues of length .300 degrées no minutes and of latitude .18 degrées no mynutes To be short there are many other Ilandes in those parts the which bicause of the multitude I omit Also for that I could haue no particular knowledge of them I will not here forget that in all these Ilandes there are founde no rauening beastes no more than in England and in the Ile of Creta Of the Iland of Cuba and of Lucaiae Cap. 72. NOw there resteth of all the Ilands of Perou to reherse some secrets of the Iland of Cuba of certaine others adiacēt yet to say the truthe there can be little more spoken than that which hath ben alredy sayd of y e Spanish Iland This Iland is more greater larger than the others for it is reckned from the Promontarie that is on the East syde to the other that is on the west syde thrée hundreth leagues And from the North to the South seuenty leagues As touching the disposition of the aire there it is temperate so that there is no excesse of heate nor yet of colde There are found rich mines of Gold siluer likewise other mettals On y e sea side are found faire riuers that procede from the high hills the waters whereof are excellent with great quantitie of good fish Moreouer before it was discouered it was better peopled with wyld men than any others but at this day the Spaniards are lords and masters The myddest of this Ilande hath two hūdreth nintie degrées of longitude no minuts and of latitude twenty degrées no minutes There is a hyll harde by the Sea syde that is all salte more higher than that of Cipris greate number of trées of cotton brasyll hornebeame also salte of the earth proceding out of a nother mountaine very high and brackishe And of this kynde there is founde in lyke maner in the Iland of Cipris named of the Grekes Oryctos the which also is gotten in a mountaine hard by the Sea Furthermore there is founde in this Ilande great store of Azer Vermilion Alume and other things that are taken out of the bowels of the Earth As touching byrds and foules of the Ayre there is a kynd of Partrige very little being of a red color and also of dyuers other colours their fleshe is very delicate The rusticall people of the mountaines do nourish a number of them in their houses as we do here pullein and many other things worthy to be noted and written First there is a valley that is in length thrée leagues betwene two mountaines where as are founde an infinite number of bowles of stone great and little being naturally engendred in that place although some wold iudge them to be made artificially Sometimes there is founde some so great that foure men wold be combered to cary away one the others are lesse and some so little that they excéede not the quantity of a little egge The seconde thing worthy to be noted is that in the same Ilande there is a mountaine néere to the riuage of the Sea out of the which runneth a licor like to that which is made in the fortunate Ilandes named Bre as we haue before shewed the which runneth doune into the Sea Quintus Curtius in his bokes which he hath made of the Iestes of Alexander y e great sheweth that he being come to a citie named Memi was desirous to sée a great pitte or caue in the which there was a fountaine that rendred great quantitie of gumme very strong being vsed with other thinges so that the authour thinketh for this onely reason the walles of Babilon to haue ben so strong for that they haue bene made of such thinges the which is not onely founde in the Ilande of Cuba but also in the countrey of Themistitan and on the coast of Florida As touching the Ilands of Lucaia being so named for that they are many in number they are northward of the Ilande of Cuba and of S. Dominike they are more than .iiij. hundreth in number all little ones and not inhabited vnlesse it be the greatest that beareth the name of all the others named Lucaia The inhabitants of this Ilande commonly goe to trafficke on the maine lande and to other Ilands They that inhabite there as well men as women are whiter and more fairer than in any of those parties or countreis Séeing that I am in talke with these Ilands of their riches I will not forget somewhat to speake of the riches of Potossi the which taketh his name of a highe mountaine y t hath in height a great league halfe a league compasse This mountaine is maruellous riché bicause of the great Mynes of siluer tyn and brasse which hath ben found almost at the top of the mountaine and this Myne of Syluer hath ben found so good that in one quintall of the Mine is found halfe a quintall of pure
that from one gate one may sée to the other without any let To be short this citie at this present is so fortified and compassed with strong walls and rampers lyke in forme and fashion to oures in Europe and it is one of the greatest fayrest and rychest that is in all the prouinces of y e west Indies taking from y e straight of Magellan which is beyond the lyne .52 degrees vnto the last furthest land of Abrador y e which holdeth .51 degrées of latitude on this syde y e lyne on y e North side Of Florida Cap. 74. SEing that in writing this discourse we haue made mention of this lande called Florida although that in our retorne we approched not so neare considering that our course lay not altogether so low neuerthelesse we sayled close by to take an easterly wynde It séemeth to me not out of the way to write thereof some thing Lykewise of the land of Canada that is next to it toward y e North being onely certaine mouÌ„taines betwene bothe Therefore keping our course of the height of new Spaine on y e right hande to attaine to Europe not so sone nor so right a course as we wished to haue gone we found the sea fauorable ynough But as by chaunce I put out my head for to beholde it I saw it as farre as I could extend my sight all couered with herbes and floures the which gaue me occasion to think that we were nere to y e land considering also y t in other places of y e sea I had not so much séene notwithstanding I found my selfe incontinently frustrate of my opinion knowing that they proceded of y e sea so y e we saw the sea strawed with those hearbs for y e space of .20 days The sea in y e part hath smal store of fish for thâ—se places séeme rather to be marishes than otherwise Shortly after appeared another signe and forshewing of a starre with a long tayle from y e East into the North the which forshewings I leaue to the iudgement of Astronomers and to the experience of those that haue knowledge therein After this which was worse we were troubled with a contrary wind the terme of nyne dayes euen to the heigth of our Florida That place is a poynt of lande entring into the full Sea a hundreth leagues being .25 leagues a shelfe or shallow .25 degrées and a half on this syde the lyne a hundreth leagues from Caape de Baxa Therfore this great land of Florida is very daungerous for those that sayle of the coast of Cataia Canibalu Panuca and Themistitan for to sight a farre of it would be iudged an Iland lying out in y e mayne Sea Furthermore this place is dangerous bicause of the running waters wyndes and tempests that are in that coast commonly As touching the mayne lande of Florida it hath on the east syde the prouince of Chicoma and the Ilands named Bahana and Lucaia On the west syde lyeth noua Espania the which diuideth in the land that is named Anauae of the which we haue before shewed The best and most fruitfullest countries that are in Florida is Panuae y t which bordereth Noua Espania The people of the countrey are naturally cruell and mightie men being all Idolaters who when that they haue néede either of water or sunne for their gardens and rootes with the which they dayly liue then they will fall doune before their Idolls that are maâ—â— to the similitude of men or of beastes Besides this these people are more and better practised in the feats of warre than the people of Perou When they go to the warrs they beare their king on foure mens shoulders in a beastes skinne and they that beare him are clad and garnished with riche feathers And when that they come to hande strokes they set their king in the middest of them clad with fine skinnes and he will neuer depart from thence vntill the battell be ended Also if that they feele them selues to bée the weaker sort and that their kyng beginneth to flée they wyll not fayle to kill hym the which order the Persians and other barbarous nations in the East parte obserue at this day their weapons of defence are bowes and arrowes made of wood enuenomed the whiche in stede of Iron heades are garnished at the ende with bones of fishes or wilde beasts the whiche is very sharpe Some of them will eate their enimies as the Americanes will doe of whom we haue spoken And although this people as we haue before shewed are Idolaters neuerthelesse they beléeue the soule to be immortall Also that there is a place appointed for the wicked the whiche is a very colde land and that the Gods permit that the sinnes of the wicked shall be punished Also they beleue that there is an infinite numbre of people in the skies and as many vnder the earth with many other folies the which may better be compared to the transformations of Ouide than to any other thyng Furthermore they beleue these things to be true as Turkes and Arabians do that which is writen in their Alcoran This countrey towarde the sea is not verie fruitfull the people are very rusticall more than those of Perou or of America for that they are traded wyth strangers This lande was named Florida in the yere 1512. by those that first dyd discouer it for bicause that by the sea side it was flourishing with gréene trées and with an infinite number of â—â—cures of diuers sundry colours Betwene this Florida and the riuer of Palme are to be seene diuers kinds of monstrous and strange beastes among which ther is a kind of great Bulles hauing hornes a foote long and on the backe a croupe like to a Camell the heare long all about the bodie hauing a dunnish colour Of these beasts there were once two that were broughte quicke into Spayne of one of the which I saw the skin and not otherwise and they liued there but a short time This beast as it is said is perpetual enimie to the horsse can not abide him to be by him In Florida toward the Caape of Baxe there are certaine litle riuers where as the wylde men gather oisters that haue pearles Now seing that we ar come to the gathering of oysters I will not forget by what meanes they get out these pearles as wel in the east Indians as in the West Ye must note that euery chiefe or head housholder hauyng a greate number of slaues knowing not to what labour to set them about they sende them to-gather oysters of the whiche they gather baskets full for their masters putting them into certain great vessells which being halfe full of water is an occasion that the oysters beyng conserued therin certaine dayes do open and the water clensing them leaueth these stones or perles within these vessels And to get them out they first take the oisters out of the vessell and
or fruites after their maner their shoes are after the same sorte They obserue matrimonie faithfully eschuing adulterie and hating it aboue all things True it is that these men haue .iij. or .iiij. wiues as we haue before shewed the Kyng of that cuntrey may haue as many wiues as he wil they name him Agahanna the maidēs of that cuntry are not hated bicause they haue shewed pleasure to yong men before that they haue ben maried as they do in America and therfore they haue certaine houses in their villages where as the men and women mete being separated from the yong men maidens Women that are widowes do neuer marie again after the death of their husbands but liue in sorow the rest of their life and haue their face all blacked with the dust of coales mingled with trayne oyle with their haire hanging al about their face and not trussed vp behind as y e others vse and after this sort they go euen to their death As touching the vsage of their yong children they wrap them in .iiij. or .v. marterne skins being sowed together and then they haue a certain holow thing of wood which cōmeth betwene their legs without hurting thē in which the childe maketh water fileth so that he neuer fileth nor toucheth his body nor yet the skinnes that he is wrapped in And this thing or gutter that is betwene their legs is made of some tender and thinne barke of a trée If this people were néerer Turkey I wold thinke they had lerned this of the Turkes or else that they had taught it them I will neither saye nor iudge that these wilde men thinke it to be sinne that their children shold weat them with their vrine as the superstitious nation of the Turkes do but rather for a ciuilitie that they haue aboue others And by this may be knowne how much these poore brutish people do excell others in honestie They plante or set a planke of wood for the childe bicause of the inferiour extremitie pointed into the earth and the childe shall stand or lye vpright to sleape with his head hanging downe Howe these people make warre Cap. 79. AS these people séeme almost to haue like maners and vsage as other barbarous people haue also there is no nation more prompt readie to make warre one with a nother thā they are that vse their feates of warre most likest vnto them onely certaine things excepted The Toutaniens the Guadelphes and Chicorins make warre commonly against the Canadians and other straunge people that descende from the great riuer of Ochelagua and Saguena which Riuers are verie faire and great bearing very good fishe and that great plentie Also by these riuers ye may enter aboue three hundreth leagues into the countrey and also into the land of theyr enimies with small boates bicause of the rockes And the olde people of the countrey say that they which were minded to folow these two riuers they should in a fewe moones for so they do recken finde diuers kindes of people and abundance of gold and siluer besides this these two Riuers being separated the one from the other they mete and ioyne together in one place and being thus together thei enter farre into newe Spayne for they border one another as Fraunce doeth and Italie And therefore when that they haue warre in Canada theyr greate Agahanna which is as much to say their King or Lord doth commaunde all other Lords vnder his authoritie for euery village hath his superior that they make them readie to come before him in their best araye with men victuals and munitions of warre as their custome and maner is to doe and then euery one will make them selues readie to obey their lordes commandement and so they will come together on the water with their litle barkes and skiffes made of the barkes of trées as they doe in America and in other places Then the assemblie being made they goe to séeke their ennimies and when they knowe that they shal mete them they put them selues in aray to giue the onset in as good order as is possible with many feats and policies according to their custome If that they tarry at home for their enimies they fortifie their lodgings with certain pieces of woode fagots and braunches being daubed or smeared with the grease of a Seawoulf or with some other poyson to the ende that they may poyson their enimies if that they come néere the which they set on fier from the whiche procedeth such a thicke blacke and dangerous smoke to smel on bicause of the extreme stincke that it killeth those that smell it and besides this it so blindeth their enimies that they cannot sée one another And they vse such a policie with this smoke that what winde so euer bloweth they will cause it to flye towards their enimies Lykewise they vse to make fishes of the leaues of certayne trées and of hearbes the which being dried in the Sunne they mingle amongste these fagots and braunches then they set fire thereon when that they sée their enimies comming a farre of After this sorts they did defende themselues against the firste Christians that discouered their lande doing their good willes with certayne of the foresayde grease to set fire on their ships but they were enformed of this enterprise and therefore they gaue such order that the Canadians were preuented Neuerthelesse as I was enformed these poore wilde men had not conspired this enterprise but iustly and in a good quarrell considering the wrong that they had first receiued of others For our men being descended a land some yong men among them for their pleasure moste wicked and foolish vsing themselues more lyker Tyrantes than Christians dyd cut of bothe Armes and Legs of some of these poore people bicause that they woulde proue whether their swordes woulde cut well or no And yet the poore people receiued them gently And for this occasion they haue not permitted since any Christian there to aborde nor set foote on lande neither yet to trade or traffick as by experience hath ben knowen Now to our purpose these Canadians set forwarde in the warre foure and foure and when they are redy to ioyne battell they make a great noyse with exclamations and other fantasies euen like to the Amazones of which we haue spokē for to giue feare and dreade to their enimies they carry many standards made of braunches being decked with Penons and Swans fethers Their drummes are of certayne skins being borne of two men and one commeth behinde and layeth on with two stickes as harde as he can their flutes are made of the shanke bones of a bucke or some other wilde beaste And after this sorte the Canadians fight with Bowes and Arrowes rounde Clubs of woodde foure square Staues Launces Morispikes and others the which are headed with bones in stede of Irō stéele They vse also targets some
of them vse to haue and weare a coyfe made of a thicke Beares skin for the defence of their heades ye shall note that the elders in times past vsed as the wilde men doe to fight with their fistes spurne with their fete to bite with their téeth to pull one another by the hayre with such like And since they vsed stones in their fight the which they threw one at another as it appeareth in the holy Byble Furthermore Heroditus in his firste booke speaking of certayne people that fought with Staues and Clubs saith that the Virgins of that countrey had a custome to fight euery yeare with stones and Staues one agaynst the other in honor of the Goddesse Minerua on that day that was celebrated to hir Also Diodorus in his firste booke sayeth that clubs and Lyōs skins were good for Hercules to fight with for before that tyme other Armors was not vsed Who so euer will reade Plutarchus Iustinus and other Authors shall finde that the Ancient Romaynes did fight naked the men of Thebes and the Lacedemonians did reuenge themselues of their enimies with Staues clubs of woode And ye shall note that the people were then as hardy as they are at this day and yet they were naked hauing no more clothing thā the Canadians haue of their skins and they are also destitute and know not the feats policies of warre with the which these Canadians can shifte and helpe themselues Wel these people of Canada do not with their enimies as the Americans do the which eate them but that which is much more tolerable but if that they take any of their enimies or otherwise remayn victors they pull the skin quite ouer their eares and then drie it and so they carrie it into their countrey shewing it with greate glorie to their wiues friends and olde people which for age cannot go to the warres in signe of victorie To conclude they are not so prone to make warre as those people of Perou and Bressill peraduēture bicause of the difficultie that the frost and snow causeth with inconueniences that they haue in those partes Of Mynes precious Stones and other secretes that are founde in Canada Cap. 80. THe land and countrey of Canada is faire and vnder a good clymate and very good of it self excepting the vntemperatnesse of the ayre the whiche doeth hurte it as ye may easily coniecture it beareth many trées and fruites the which we knowe not with vs. Among the which there is one trée of the greatnesse and lyke to one of our greate nut trées that we haue the whiche hath remayned a greate tyme vnprofitable and not knowne vntill such tyme that one by chaunce cutte hym and then there ranne forth a Iuyce the whiche was founde to haue so good taste and as pleasant as the beste wine in Fraunce also it was so iudged by our men that then tasted thereof euen the Captayne with certayne Gentlemen of his company and at that tyme they gathered of the sayd Iuice aboue fiue or sixe pots ful Therfore iudge you if that the Canadians since that tyme haue not made great store thereof séeing that it is so good and excellent to drinke This trée in their language is called Cotton Also there is another almoste vncredible to those that haue not sene it There is founde in Canada many places and countreys that beare very good vynes euen of their owne nature growing out of the earth without mans labor bearing great quantitie of Grapes faire great and good for to eate but yet I know not whether that the wine be good or no. It is not to be doubted but that those that first did discouer this land foūd these things very strange In this countrey is goodly hils and valeys and in these hye hills and mountaynes be founde certayne stones being in weight and colour like a golde mine but whē it was tried it was found good for it brake turned into ashes It is not vnpossible but that in those places may be founde mynes as good and as perfect as those of Perou if that the grounde were vndermyned As touching mynes of Iron and Brasse there are store Moreouer there are stones made and fashioned lyke to a Diamond whereof there are some in the valleys and others in the hills They whiche firste founde them thought to haue bene made rich for euer thinking that they were perfect Diamonds wherof they brought home a greate number And from thence came this prouerbe or common worde it is a Dyamond of Canada it is lyke to the Diamonds of Calicut and of the Easte Indies Some say that these Diamonds are a kind of fine Cristall of the which I can giue no other conclusion but to say as Plinie sayeth that Cristall procedeth of Snow and water that is excedingly frosen therefore in those places that are subiect to frost and snow it may be made that some parte thereof by processe of tyme conuerteth and turneth lyke to Cristall Solon thinketh this opinion to be false that Cristall shoulde not engender of snowe for if it were so it shoulde be founde onely in colde places as in Canada and in other colde countreys but the experience sheweth the contrarie as appereth in the Iland of Cypris Rhodes and in many places of Egypt and of Graecia as I my self haue sene when I was there that there was founde and is founde at this present great plenty of Cristall by the whiche argument we may iudge that Crystall commeth not of frosen water considering that in those countreys of whiche we speake the heate is more vehement yea without comparison than in Canada whiche countrey as afflicted with continuall colde Diodorus sayth that Crystall is engendred of pure water and not frosen together by colde but rather dryed by vehement heate Notwithstanding the Cristall of Canada is more resplendent and more finer than that of Cypris and other places In times past the Emperours of Rome did greatly esteme fine Crystall and therewith caused their vessels to be made wherein they did eate Others made therewith similitudes the whiche they kept closed in their closets and treasuries Lykewise the Kings of Egypte in those dares when the great Citie of Thebes flourished dyd beautifie their sepulters with fine Crystall the which was brought from Armenia the greate and from the coaste of Siria and of Crystal was the pictures and images of Kings made to their lykenesse for to remayne as they thought and to be in perpetuall memorie By this ye may sée how much Cristall hath ben estemed and to what vse it was employed And now a dayes it is bestowed to make cups vessels a thing greatly estemed if that it were not so weake To conclude in Canada is founde great store of Iasper stone and Cassidonies Of Earthquakes and hayles to the which this countrey of Canada is very subiect Cap. 81. THis Region of Canada
is greatly subiect to earthquakes and to hayles and therefore these poore people being ignorāt of natural things yea much more of heauēly things are greatly afrayd although that these things are common they think that these things procede from their Gods for that they haue offended them Notwithstanding earthquakes commeth not but of windes that are shut in in certayn crasses of the earth the which by greate power causeth it to shake as in lyke manner it causeth many times great trées to shake yea and bloweth them vp by the rootes of the which Aristotle doth shewe As touching hayle it is not to be maruell though it be rife bicause of the vntemperatnesse and vnconstancie of the ayre being very colde in this Region bicause of the distāce of the Sunne the which commeth no néerer than when it commeth to our Tropicke And therefore the water that falleth from the Firmamēt is alwayes frosen bicause that the aire is alwayes colde and therefore it is alwayes haile or snow Now these Canadians when that they féele such incommodities for the affliction that they receiue they kepe thēselues in their houses with certaine domestical beasts that they nourish And there they make their mone to their Idols whose forme and lykenesse is not much vnlike to the fabulouse picture of Melusin of Lusignam being halfe a Serpent and halfe a Woman for the heade of their Idoll with hir haire representeth according to their brutish maner a woman And the rest of their body is lyke to a Serpent The which may cause Poets to fayne that Melusin was their Goddesse The earthquakes be dangerous although the case be euident Séeing that we are come to speake of earthquakes we will shewe thereof one word according to the opinion of naturall Philosophers with the inconueniences that folowe Thales Milesius one of the seuen wise men of Grecia sayde that water was the beginning of al things and that the earth floting in y e middest of this water was in a continuall quaking sometymes more and sometymes lesse Of this same opinion was Democrites and fayde furthermore that the water vnder the earth being burst out by rayne coulde not bicause of his excesse quantitie be contayned in the vaynes and compasse of the earth but caused these earthquakes and of this procedeth the Springs and Fountaynes that we haue Anaxagoras sayd it was fier the which coueting as it is his nature to rise hye and to ioyne with the fier Elementarie causeth not onely this quaking but certayne openings goulfes and such lyke in the earth as we may sée in certa yne places and confirmed his opinion in that the earth burneth in certayne places Anaximines doeth affirme the earth it selfe to be the cause of this quaking the whiche being opened bicause of the excessiue heate of the Sunne the ayre entereth in greate quantitie and with vyolence the whiche after that the earth is closed agayne hath no issue And by this meanes the belly of the earth beginneth to moue this causeth the earthquake The which semeth more to agrée with reason and trueth than the others according as we haue folowing Aristotle also that the winde is no other thing than an ayre that riseth rangingly But leauing these opinions of naturall causes and of earthquakes the which may come by other reasons only by the permission of the most highest vnknowen to vs. The inconueniens and mishaps that come thereby is ouerwhelming of Towns and Cities as happened in Asia of seuen Cities in the time of Tiberius Caesar and of the Metropolitane Citie of Bithinie during the raigne of Cōstantinus Many also haue ben swallowed vp by the earth and others drowned with waters as was Elicea and Aura at the ports of Corinth And for to be short this earthquake commeth sometimes with such vehemence that beside the inconueniences afore shewed it maketh Ilandes of mayne land as it hath done Sicily with certayne places in Siria and others it ioyneth sometymes Ilandes to mayne land as Plinie saith to be happened of those of Doromscia Parua in millites In Africa many playnes and valleys are at this day turned to lakes and riuers Also Seneca sheweth that a flocke aboue fiue hundreth Shepe and other beastes and foules were on a tyme swallowed vp and lost by an earthquake And for this reason the moste parte kepe them by the Riuers sides for to eschewe this earthquake being taught by experience and not by reason that marish grounde and wet places are not so subiect to earthquakes as the mayne and the hyelande and therefore this reason is very easy to those that vnderstād the occasion of the earthquakes before alleged And for this cause the riche and renomed temple of Diana in Ephesus the which continued more than two hundreth yeares being so strongly edified that it meriteth to be in the number of one of the spectacles of the world was set on piles of woode in a marishe place for bicause that it should not be subiect to Earthquakes vntil such time as one Heluidius or as some terme him Eratosthenes being foolishly minded for bicause that he would be knowne and that his memorial might be shewed did set it on fire and consumed it to ashes Also for this cause the Romains had edified a Temple to Hercules by the riuer of Tyber and there they did pray and offer sacrifices Nowe this earthquake is so vehement and contagious in Canada that within .v. or .vj. leagues of their houses within the Countrey there shall be found more than two thousand trées ouerthrowne to the earth as well on hils as on valeys rockes ouerthrowne one vpon an other the ground to sinke and to be swalowed vp and all this hapneth not but of mouing and stirring of the earth The like may happen to other Countreys that are subiecte to earthquakes Thus much thought I good to speake of earthquakes without straying farre from our matter Of the Countrey called New found land Cap. 82. AFter that we were departed from the heigth of the gulfe of Canada it behoued vs to passe further kéeping our course right North leauing the lande of Labrador and the Ilands called the Ilands of Deuils and the Cape of Marco distant from the line .56 degrées we coasted on the left hand the Countrey that is named Newe founde lande the which is very colde and therfore those that did first finde it out made there no long abiding nor those neither that goe thither oftentimes for fishe This new found land is a region that is one of the farthest partes of Canada and in the same land there is found a riuer the which bicause of his bredth and length séemeth to be almost a Sea and it is named the riuer of the thrée brethren being distant from the Ilands of Essores foure hundreth leagues and from Fraunce nine hundreth it separateth the Prouince of Canada from this New found land Some iudge it to be a narow Sea
and the meane that they obserue to cure them cap. 46 The maner hovv to trade among these people of a byrd named Toucan of the Spicery of that countrey cap. 47 Of byrdes most common in America ca. 48 Of Venison and wyld beastes that these wylde men take cap. 49 Of a tree named Hauorahe cap. 50 Of a tree named Vhebehafou and of the honey Bees that frequent it cap. 51 Of a straunge beast named Haute cap. 52 How these Americans kyndle fier of their opinion of the vvorld and of their Yron works cap. 53 Of the riuer of Vases lykewise of certaine beastes that are found there about And of the land named MorpioÌ„ 54 Of the Ryuer of Platte and of the countrey adâ—acent ca. 55 Of the straight of Magellan and of Daryen ca. 56 Hovv that those that inhabit from the Ryuer of Platte vnto the straight of Magellan are our Antipodes cap. 57 How these wylde men excercyse husbandry and make gardens of a roote named Manihot and of a tree that they name Penoabsou ca. 58 How and after vvhat sorte the land of America vvas dyscouered and Brassyll wood found out with many other trees not seene else vvhere but in that countrey cap. 59 Of our departing from France Antartik or America ca. 60 Of the Caniballs aswell of the maine land as of the Ilands of a tree named Acaiou cap. 61 Of the Ryuer of Amazones otherwise named Aurelana by the which ye may fayle into the country of Amazones and into France Antertike cap. 62 How certayne Spaniards aryued into a countrey vvhere they found Amazons ca. 63 How these Spaniards contynued theyr voyadge to Morpion and of the Ryuer of Platte cap. 64 How the lands of the kings of Spayne and of Portingall are seperated cap. 65 The deuision of the West Indies in thre partes cap. 66 Of the Iland of Rats cap. 67 How we continued our course wâ—â—h a declaratioÌ„ of Astrolabia of the Sea cap. 68 Of the departing of our Equator or Equinoctiall cap. 69 Of Perou and of the principal places coÌ„tained in the same cap. 70 Of the Ilandes of Perou and chiefly of the Spanish Iland cap. 71 Of the Ilands of Cuba and of Lucaia cap. 72 A description of Noua Espania and of the great citie of Themestitan edified in the vvest Indies cap. 73 Of Florida cap. 74 Of the Ilande of Canada before named Baccalos being discouered in our tyme and how the inhabitans lyue cap. 75 Of a nother countrey of Canade cap. 76 What Religion these Canadians vse with theyr lyuing how they resist the Colde cap. 77 Of these Canadians apparell how they weare theyr haire and hovv they treate their children cap. 78 Hovv these people make war cap. 79 Of Mynes precious stones other secrets that are found in Canada cap. 80 Of Earthequakes hayles to the which the countrey of Canada is very subiect ca. 81 Of the countrey called Nevv found land cap. 82 Of the Ilands of Essores ca. 83 ¶ Imprinted at London in Knightrider strete by Henry Bynneman for Thomas Hacket 1568. Al things haue bene made for man A difference of Art and of Nature How Nauigation profiteth The cause of the Authors Nauigation How the Author toke shipping for to sayle to India America Why it was called new Hauen The superstitioÌ„ of the elders before they would go on the water Ilandes and other singularities of Gibaltar Ebusus Ieniza Frumentaria Malue Sala Diuers opinioÌ„s of the erection of the pillers of Hercules The maner custome of noble and valiant men in tymes paste What Hercules it was of whoÌ„ are named the columns Tartesse and auncient Citie of Africa Gibaltar a place of Trafficke from Europe to Africa Cap. de canti The fourth parte of the world as some writers affirme the opinion of this word Africa The situation of Africa Pillers of stone where as are writings of the Phenicians The maners ReligioÌ„ of the Africans The cause why there are in Africa so many strange kind of beastes Barharia parte of Africa and why it was so called The Religion ceremonies of the barbariens In Mecha the sepulture of Mahomet the voyage of the Turkes to Mecha The EgyptiaÌ„s were the first that inuented writing and letters The holy Crosse a town in Barbarie How the Fortunate Ilandes lye nowe named the Canaries Why they wer named of our elders the Fortunate Ilandes The number of these Ilands Ca. 3.4.5 6. Why the fortunate Ilandes are now named the Canaries Ombrion Strange trees Iunonia The Ile of Snowe Canaria The inhabitaÌ„ts of the Canaries conuerted to the Christian faith The bountie of the Ilandes named Canaries Suger of Canaria Suger of Egypt Suger of Arabia The fruitfulnesse of the Canaries Smal trees named Paper Oriselia an herbe Bre blacke gumme and howe it is made The wonderfull hight and circuite of Pikehill The height of the hill Etna Ptolomeus hath knowen this hill Strange sortâ— of stones The Ile of IroÌ„ and why it is so called The fruitfulnesse of the Ile of Iron Milke and Cheese grauelly Diuers nourishmentes of diuers people Milke is very good sustenance The Ile of IroÌ„ is right vnder the Diametrial line The value of euery degree Scorpions of Canaries The Ilandes of Madera not knoweÌ„ of our elders What Madera signifieth Suger of Madera celebrated aboue others Comfets of Madera The fruitefulnesse of the Ilands of Madera Gumme A kinde of Gaiac Dragons blud Dioscoridus Cinaber Wine and Suger of Madera Wine of CaÌ„dia Wine of the Ile of Palme The profit of Wine being moderatly taken A Promentary is that which we cal a Cape Ialout now called Caape verd why it was so named Dargina gowlf Promentarie of Ethiopiae Barbazins and Serretsa people of Affrica Almadies Nigritis nowe called Senega Iland neare to Caape verde not inhabited A straunge tree Diuers kindes of Palmes Plinie lib. 13. cap. 4. Phoenix a bird and why she is so named Prouerbe The property of the Palme Lib. 7. Lib. 8. Lib. 16. Chapt. 42 â–ª Lib. 5. of plantes The manner how to make Wine of Palmes The property of the Wine of Palme trees Another kinde of drinke The Kingdome of Senega The opinion of some of our elders vpon the originall of Nill and of Senega Hills of the Moone and of there lying The originall of Senega Hills of Libia None in times past hath had perfit knowledge of Africa in generall The newe worlde The Iles Hisperides discouered by the Carthaginians in times paste The Ile Atlantike in the time of Plato The diuisitie of the countrey the inhabitants maners in Senega A fruitfull tree and Oyle of diuers properties The lying of the Ilandes of Caape verd The Ile of S. Iames. The Ile of S. Nicolas others as Flera Plintana Pintoria and Foyon Marokins of Spaine Foure kinde of Torterels Lib. 9. cap. 10. How to take the Torterels The thicknesse of the shells of these Torterels of the Sea and why they serue Shieldes
our barkes to take land whereas incontinently the inhabitants receiued vs very curteously and as hauing knowledge of our comming they had rered faire Palace according to the manner of the Countrey strewed decked with leaues and boughs of trees and swéete smelling herbes by a manner of honor shewing of their part great signes of ioy inuitating vs to doe the like The most eldest which are as Kings and gouernours receiued vs one after an other and with an admiration they saluted vs in their lāguage according to their maner and then they conducted vs to the place that they had prepared for vs to the which place they brought vs vitailes of all sides as meale made of a roote which they name Manihot and other great little rootes very good and pleasant to eate and other things according to the Countrey So that being there ariued after that we had prayed and giuen thanks as the true Christian ought to do to him that had pacified the Sea and the windes to be short to him that had shewed giuen vs the mean to accomplish this voyage we rested vs vpon the gréene grasse as the Troyans did after so many shipwracks and tempests when that they met with the good Lady Dido but Virgill saith that they had good olde Wine and not faire water After that we had rested there the space of two moneths viewed as wel the Ilands as the maine land the Countrey was named Farre about the which by vs was discouered Fraunce Antartike whereas we found no place so proper and wel standing for to reare or edifie a holde as a litle Iland cōtaining only one league of circuit lying almost at the original beginning of this riuer which we haue before spoken of The which Iland with the holde that we there edified was named Villegagnon This Iland is very pleasaunt for that therein groweth Ceader trées and many swéete smelling Trées that are gréene throughout the yeare In déede there is no fresh water to be had néere hand neuerthelesse the Lord of Villegagnon fortified himselfe there for to be sure and out of danger of the wild men that will be sone offended And also against y e Portingals least they shold at any time make thither so that he strengthened himselfe in the Iland as wel as was possible Now as for vittails the Indians or wilde men brought vs thither suche as the land or countrey bringeth forth As fish or Venison and other wilde beasts for they norish them priuily as we do here a dog or a cat Also they brought vs meale of those rootes of which we haue before shewed hauing neither breade nor wine The which victels we had for a small value as little kniues loking glasses nets to take fish Moreouer amōg other things noted in this riuer nere to y e straight there is a lake that procedeth out of a high stone or rock being of a maruelous height being to loke to as high as the cloudes and very large the which is a thing almoste vncredible This rocke is enuironed or compassed with the Sea Of the fish that is in this great Riuer before named Cap. 26. BEfore that I procede any further I meane to treate particularly of the fish that is founde in the fayre Riuer of Ganabara otherwise named Ianaria which are in great abundance amōg the which there are oysters of which the shell shineth like fine pearles y t which oysters the wild mē do commonly eate with other little fish that the children fish and these oysters are like to those that beare pearles of the which also there are founde in that countrey but not so fine as those of Calicut and other places in the Easte Moreouer these wilde men fish for other great fish of the which there is great plenty Their vse and maner to take them is that they being naked in the water be it fresh or salt shoote at them with their arrowes to the which they are very expert then they draw them out of the water with a corde made of cotton or of the pille of some trée or else the fish being dead floateth of himself aboue the water Among these fishes there is one very monstrous the which they name in their language Panapana lyke to a Dog fish the skin whereof is very rough this fishe hath sixe holes or spurgings on eche side of the throte like to a Lampron the head monstrous and the eyes almost at the ende of the heade so that from the one eye to the other ther is distant a foote and a half this fish is geason notwithstanding the flesh is not so excellēt to eate for it hath the taste of a Dog fish Moreouer there is in this floud or riuer a great multitude of thornebacke skaate fish but not like to ours in Europe they are twise as large and more longer the head flat and long at the ende of which there is twoo hornes being a foote long a péece and betwene these hornes are the eyes and hir tayle is two foote long and sclender like a Rats tayle the wilde men of the countrey will not eate of them for no good neither of the Torterel For they imagin and think that euen as this fish is slowe in swimming it wolde also make them heauie and slowe by the which meanes they might be taken of their enimies so that they coulde not runne nor folow nimbly the course They name this fish in their language Ineuonia The fish of this riuer generally is good to eate so is the sea fish that coasteth that countrey but not so delicate as the fish vnder the lyne in other places of the sea I will not forget nor leaue out now that I am in purpose of fish to shewe a maruellous thing and worthy of memorie In this lande or coūtrey about the riuer before named are trées growing on the sea borders or brinkes couered with oysters alwayes to the very top you shall vnderstande that when the sea swelleth it casteth the floud very high and far on the lande twise in .24 houres so that the water couereth oftentymes these trées so that the oysters being brought in by these springtydes take holde and close against the branches being of an vncredible multitude of the which when the wilde men minde to eat they cut the branches of the trée being so charged and loden with oysters as we doe here a branch of a peare trée being loden with peares the which they eate more commonly than greater oysters that are in the sea for bicause say they that they are more wholesomer and haue a better taste and that they wil not engender feuers so soone as the others Of America generally Cap. 27. NOwe that I haue treated particularly of the places wheras we did most remaine after that we had takē land chiefly of y e wheras the Sieur of Villagagnon doeth inhabite with other French men euen at this day