light if my selfe had not vndertaken that heauie burden being neuer therein entertained to any purpose vntill I had recourse vnto your selfe by whose speciall fauour and bountifull patronage I haue been often much encouraged and as it were reuiued Which trauailes of our men because as yet they be not come to ripenes and haue been made for the most part to places first discouered by others when they shall come to more perfection and become more profitable to the aduenturers will then be more fit to be reduced into briefe epitomes by my selfe or some other endued with an honest zeale of the honour of our countrey In the meane season nothing doubting of your fauourable acceptation of this my labour I humbly beseech the authour of all goodnes to replenish and enrich you with his best blessings long to protect and preserue your Honour to the profitable seruice of her Maiestie and to the common benefit and good of the Realme From London this 29. of October 1061. Your Honors Chaplein in all dutie most readie to be commanded RICHARD HAKLVYT Francis de Sousa Tauares vnto the high and mightie Prince Don IOHN Duke of Aueiro ANtonie Galuano vpon his death bed left vnto me in his testament among his papers this booke And because I am certaine he ordained it to bee presented vnto your Grace I haue thought good herein to fulfill his wil testament though in other things I haue done nothing the fault remaining not in me And by all reason this treatie ought to be set foorth by a Portugall seeing it intreateth of the variable waies from whence the pepper and spices came in times past into our partes and also of all the nauigations and discoueries in the old time In both of which things the Portugals haue most trauailed In this treatie and in nine or ten bookes of things touching Maluco and India which the Cardinall willed me to giue to Damian de Goes saying that he should content me for otherwise I could not deliuer them this true Portugall occupied himselfe against the vnfortunate and sorrowâ—ull times which he had been in which were all ended before all our daies and times for when he receiued the captainship and fortresses of Maluco all the kings and gouernours of all the Ilands about being agreed to make war against the Portugals vntill such time as they might driue them all out of the countrey he fought against them all with onely 130. Portugals when they were all together and strong in Tidore and he gaue them the ouerthrow and killed their king and one â—ernate the principal author of that war and he tooke from them their fortresse so vpon this victorie they submitted themselues and came vnder the obeisance and seruice of our king of Portugall Herein two things happened of great admiration The first that all the kings and gouernours of Maluco agreed togither against vs a thing that neuer fell out nor yet credible to be like to happen for they are euer at variance among themselues The second that the captaine of Maluco with onely his ordinarie soldiers should haue the victorie against so many being all together For sometimes it happeneth that some of the captaines of Maluco with many extraordinarie soldiers besides their ordinarie yea and with the aide of al the Kings and Lords of Maluco in their fauour and aide went against one King onely of them and came backe againe with losse So there may be reckoned three notable things done in India I say of qualitie but of more quantitie and importance there haue been others which were the taking of Muar by Emmanuel Falcon and the winning of Bitam by Peter Mascarenas and this whereof we presently treate For all these three deedes seemed to be impossible to be atchieued considering the small quantitie of soldiers which the captaines had in giuing the enterprise against so many with the order and maner by them ordained how and which waies to obtaine their purpose as well by their enimies as by themselues And they could not be atchieued otherwise but by vsing a meane and order not thought of at the first by the Portugals nor yet euer suspected by their enimies And besides this his father and fower of his brethren were all slaine in the kings seruice And he now being the last of his linage caried with him into Maluco woorth ten thousand crusadoes which he spent not in idlenes nor yet in play but onely in bringing of many kings and innumerable townes vnto our holy faith and in the preseruing of Maluco employing all his power and strength that all the cloues might come vnto the hands of the kings highnes which with Maluco yeelded vnto him euery yeere fiue hundred thousand crusadoes being all to his great preiudice let and hinderance For if he had gathered cloues for himselfe as the captaines of Maluco haue done and doe then he had come home very rich But when he came home into Portugall in great hope such is the simplicitie of the best natures to be rewarded for his good seruice and to be more fauoured and honored then if he had brought home with him an hundred thousand crusadoes he was greatly deceiued For he found neither fauour nor yet honor but onely among the poore and miserable to wit in an hospitall where he was kept seuenteene yeeres vntill the hower of his death and there he had allowed vnto him his winding sheete to burie him in and the brotherhood of the Couent prepared for his buriall as for a poore courtier cast off by all men leauing himselfe indebted in two thousand crusadoes whereof part came out of India and part thereof many of his friends had lent him to maintaine him in the hospitall for in all these seuenteene yeeres he had not of his highnes for to helpe himselfe with so much as one riall of plate nor yet I of the bookes which I deliuered receiued any thing to discharge his will with Yet for all this euen as vpon the prosperitie of his victories he neuer made any boast so likewise in his aduersities his great stomacke did nothing abate his hart As there are good proofes that with so many and so continuall disgraces as he suffered he neuer vnto the hower of his death left off to raise and to augment the yeerely rent vnto a Counto which some made strange and would not giue eare vnto So that euen as he was extreme painfull in the performance of his seruice so he was the like in the things sounding vnto the perfecting of the same which was the cause that he was brought vnto the state that he died in For he could not see the qualitie of the time but onely those of his great seruice by reason of the great charges that it stood him in And his saying was That he was borne not for to say that his constellation was in the wars victorious but in the ouercomming of kings by the arte of warfare readines in resoluing prudence
that made this discouerie was a seruant of the kings and his name was Sequeira Many suppose that than also there were those places countreyes and Islands discouered which before were neuer knowne to vs since the flood In the yéere 1480. the valiant king Don Alphonso died and left many things woorthy of memorie behinde him and his sonne Don Iohn the second succéeded him Who in the yéere 1481. gaue direction for the building of the castle De Mina to one Diego d'Azambuxa who did so and was made captaine of it In the yéere 1484. the foresaid king Iohn sent out one Diego Caon a knight of his Court to discouer and he went to the Riuer of Congo standing on the south side in 7. or 8. degrées of latitude where he erected a pillar of stone with the royall armes and letters of Portugall wherein he wrote the commandement that he had receiued from the king with the time and day of his being there From thence he went vnto a riuer néere the Tropicke of Capricorne setting still vp pillars of stone where he thought it conuenient and so came backe againe vnto Congo and to the king of that countrey who thereupon sent an ambassadour and men of credite into Portugall In the next yéere or the second following one Iohn Alonso d'Aueiro came from the kingdome of Benin and brought home pepper with a taile which was the first of that kinde séene in Portugall In the yéere 1487. king Iohn sent to discouer India ouer land In which iourney went one Pedro de Couillan a seruant of the kings and Alfonso de Payua because they could speake the Arabian toong They went out in the moneth of May and the same yeere they tooke shipping at Naples and arriued in the Isle of Rhodes and lodged in the house that was prouided for the Portugall knights of that order from thence they went to Alexandria and so to Cayro and thence to the hauen of Toro in the companie of the Carauans or carriers which were Moores There they tooke shipping and being on the Red sea they arriued at the citie of Aden and there they separated themselues for Alfonso de Payua went towards Aethiopia and Pedro de Couillan into India Who came vnto the cities of Cananor and Calicut and came backe vnto Goa where he tooke shipping vnto Sofala being on the coast of Africa in the southerne latitude of 20. degrées to sée the mines that were of so great name From Sofala he turned backe to Mosambique and vnto the cities of Quiloa Mombaza and Melinde till he came backe againe vnto the citie of Aden where he and Alfonso de Payua deuided themselues and thence he sailed againe through the Red sea vnto the citie of Cayro where he thought to haue met with his companion but there he heard that he was dead by the letters that he receiued from king Iohn his master in which letters he was farther commanded to trauaile into the countrey and dominions of Presbyter Iohn Vpon this commandement he prouided for his farther iourney and from Cairo went backe againe to the hauen of Toro and from thence to Aden where he had béen twise before and there hearing of the fame of the citie of Ormuz he determined to goe thither and therefore went along the coast of Arabia vnto the Cape Razalgate standing vnder the Tropicke of Cancer and from thence he went to Ormuz standing in 27. degrées on that side There he learned and vnderstood of the streigth of Persia and of that countrey and entred there into the Red sea and passed ouer to the realme of the Abassini which commonly is called Presbyter Iohns countrey or Aethiopia and there he was detained till the yéere 1520. when there came thither the ambassadour Don Roderigo de Lima This Pedro de Couillan was the first Portugall that euer knew and saw the Indias and those seas and other places adioyning thereunto In the yéere 1490. the king sent vnto Congo one Gonzalo de Sosa a gentleman with thrée ships and in them sent home the ambassadour of Congo which was sent into Portugall whom Diego Caon had brought from thence who at his being in Portugall was baptised both himselfe and others of his companie The aforesaid Gonzalo de Sosa died in that iourney by the way and in his roome they chose his nephew Ruy de Sosa for their captaine and so being come vnto Congo the king was very glad of their comming and yéelded himselfe and the greater part of his realme to be baptized whereof the Portugals had good cause to reioice séeing by them so many Infidels were conuerted from gentilitie and paganisme to Christianitie The first beginning of the Discoueries of the Spanyards with the continuation of the Discoueries of the Portugals IN the yéere 1492. in the time of Don Ferdinando king of Castile he being at the siege of Granada dispatched one Christopher Columbus a Genoway with three ships to goe and discouer Noua Spagna who first had offered his seruice for a westerne discouerie vnto king Iohn of Portugall but he would not entertaine him He being sufficiently furnished for this enterprise departed from the towne of Palos the third day of August hauing with him as captaines and pilots Martin Alfonso Pinzon Francis Martinez Pinzon Vincent Yannes Pinzon and Bartholomew Columbus his brother with 120. persons more in his companie and some affirme that they were the first that sailed by latitudes They tooke the Canaries in their way and there refreshed themselues taking their course thence towards Cipango but finding the sea by the way full of wéeds they were amazed and with great feare arriued at the Antiles the tenth day of October and the first Island that they descried was called Guanahany where they went on land and tooke possession of it and named it San Saluador This Island standeth in 25. degrées of northerly latitude And after that they found many Islands which they called the Princes because they were the first that they had discouered The Sauages of those parts call these Islands by the name of Lucaios hauing in déede seuerall names for them And they doe stand on the north side almost vnder the Tropicke of Cancer As for the Island of S. Iames or Iamaica it standeth betwéene 16. and 17. degrées Thence they went to the Island which the naturals of the countrey call Cuba and the Spanyards call it Ferdinandina bicause their kings name was Ferdinando standing in 22. degrées from whence the Indians conducted them vnto another Island which they call Hayti and the Spanyards called it Isabella in the memorie of the Quéene of Castile which was so called and they named it also Hispaniola In that Island the Admirall ship of Columbus was cast away of the timber and planks whereof they made a forte wherein they
at Acapulco messengers came vnto him from Don Antonio de Mendoça the Viceroy to certifie him of his arriuall and also he sent him the coppie of a letter wherein Francis Pisarro wrote that Mango Ynga was risen against him and was come to the citie of Cusco with an hundred thousand fighting men and that they had killed his brother Iohn Pisarro and aboue 400. Spaniards and 200. horses and he himselfe was in danger so that he demanded succour and aide Cortes being informed of the state of Pisarro and of the arriuall of Don Antonio de Mendoça because he would not as yet be at obedieÌ„ce First he determined to sende to Maluco to discouer that way a long vnder the Equinoctial line because The Islands of Cloues stand vnder that paralele And for that purpose he prepared 2. ships with prouision victuals men besides all other things necessarie He gaue the charge of one of these ships to Ferdinando de Grijalua and of the other vnto one Aluarado a Gentleman They went first to Saint Michael de Tangarara in Peru to succour Francis Pisarro and from thence to Maluco all along néere the line as they were commanded And it is declared that they sailed aboue a thousand leagues without fight of land on she one side nor yet on the other of the Equinoctiall And in two degrées toward the north they discouered one Island named Asea which séemeth to be one of the Islands of Cloues 500. leagues little more or lesse as they sailed they came to the sight of another which they named Isla de los Pescadores Going still in this course they sawe another Island called Hayme towards the south and another named Apia and then they came to the fight of Seri turning towards the north one degrée they came to anker at another Island named Coroa and from thence they came to another vnder the liue 〈…〉 and from thence vnto Bufu standing in the same course The people of all these Islands are blacke and haue their haire frisled whom the people of Maluco do call Papuas The most of them eate mans flesh and are witches so giuen to diuilishnes that the diuels walk among them as coÌ„panions If these wicked spirits do finde one alone they kill him with cruell blowes or smoother him Therefore they vse not to goe but when two or thrée may be in a companie There is héere a bird as bigge as a Crane he flieth not nor hath any wings wherewith to flée he runneth on the ground like a Déere of their small feathers they do make haire for their idols There is also an herbe which being washed in warme water if the leafe thereof be laide on any member and licked with the toong it will draw out all the blood of a mans body and with this leafe they vse to let themselues blood From these Islands they came vnto others named the Guelles standing one degree towards the north east and west from the Isle Terenate wherein the Portugals haue a fortresse these men are haired like the people of the Malucoes These Islands stande 124. leagues from the Island named Moro and from Terenate betwéene 40. and 50. From whence they went to the Isle of Moro the IslaÌ„ds of Cloues going from the one vnto the other But the people of the countrey would not suffer them to come on lande saying vnto them Go vnto the fortresse where the captain Antonie Galuano is and we will receiue you with a good will for they would not suffer them to come on land without his licence for he was factor of the countrey as they named him A thing woorthie to be noted that those of the countrey were so affectioned to the Portugals that they would venter for them their liues wiues children and goods In the yéere 1537. the licenciate Iohn de Vadillo gouernour of Cartagena went out with a good armie from a porte of Vraba called Saint Sebastian de buena Vista being in the gulfe of Vraba and from thence to Rio verde from thence by land without knowing any way nor yet hauing any carriages they went to the end of the countrey of Peru and to the towne La plata by the space of 1200. leagues a thing woorthie of memorie For from this riuer to the mountaines of Abibe the countrey is full of hils thicke forests of trées and many riuers and for lacke of a beaten way they had pierced sides The mountaines of Abibe as it is recorded haue 20. leagues in bredth They must be passed ouer in Ianuarie Februarie March and Aprill And from that time forward it raineth much and the riuers will be so greatly encreased that you cannot passe for them There are in those mountaines many heards of swine many dantes lyons tygers beares ounses and great cats and monkeis and mightie snakes and other such vermine Also there be in these mountaines abundance of partridges quailes turtle doues pigeons and other birdes and foules of sundrie sorts Likewise in the riuers is such plentie of fish that they did kill of them with their staues and carrying canes and nets they affirme that a great army might be sustained that way without being distressed for want of victuals Moreouer they declared the diuersities of the people toongs and apparell that they obserued in the countries kingdomes and prouinces which they went through and the great trauels and dangers that they were in till they came to the towne called Villa de la Plata and vnto the sea there unto adioyning This was the greatest discouerie that hath béene heard of by land and in so short a time And if it had not béene done in our daies the credite thereof would haue béene doubtfull In the yéere 1538. there went out of Mexico certaine friers of the order of Saint Francis towards the north to preach to the Indians the Catholicke faith He that went farthest was one frier Marke de Nizza who passed through Culâ—acan and came to the prouince of Sibola where he found seuen cities and the farther he went the richer he found the countrie of gold siluer precious stones and shéepe bearing very fine wool Vpon the fame of this welth the viceroy don Antonio de Mendoça and Cortes determined to send a power thither But when they could not agrée thereupon Cortes went ouer into Spaine in the yéere 1540. where afterward he died In this yéere 1538. began the ciuil warre betweene Pisarro and Alonagro wherein at the last Alinagro was taken and beheaded In the same yéere 1538. Antonie Galuano being chiefe captaine in the isles of Maluco sent a ship towards the north whereof one Francis de Castro was captaine hauing commandement to conuert as many as he could to the faith He himselfe christened many as the lords of the Celebes Macasares Amboynos Moros Moratax and diuers other places When Francis de
in conseruing and great loialtie and patience with many seruices vnto his king and master In which of all these he had most contentation it cannot easily be determined Wherefore your noble Grace may see that this treatie and the others were made with sighes and afflictions which his inferiour will might haue raised vp in him against his superiour reason Neither was he willing to take for his remedie that which that great Turke Zelim sonne to the great Mahumet did for he tooke Constantinople and died in Rome who vsed to make himselfe drunke because he would not remember the great estate which he lost nor yet woulde he giue eare vnto those things which many of his friends would tell him wishing he would settle his mind out of the kingdome for otherwise he should neuer be able to liue whereunto he answered that in this point he would rather be compared vnto the great Timocles the Athenian then to be like the excellent Romane Coriolanus Which is a goodly example of a true and faithfull Portugall Though it were not so as I doe say yet I doe heare that the hospitals be full of the most faithfull subiects to their prince and countrey Wherefore by all reason this treatie ought to be of your Grace fauoured setting apart all ouersights if there be any in this worke of the author I being not able to attaine vnto the vnderstanding of the contrary God prosper your Grace with long life and increase of honour An excellent Treatise of ANTONIE GALVANO Portugall containing the most ancient and moderne discoueries of the world especially by nauigation according to the course of times from the flood vntill the yeere of grace 1555. WHile I had a desire to gather together some olde and some new discoueries which haue béene made by sea and by land with their iust times and situations they séemed to be two things of so great difficultie that being coÌ„fused in the authors of them I determined once to desist froÌ„ any such purpose For touching the course of time the Herbreâ—es declare that from the beginning of the world to the flood were 1656. yéeres The Seuentie Interpreters make mention of 2242. And S. Augustine reckoneth 2262. In the situations likewise there be many differences For there neuer sailed together in one fleete at sea from ten pilots to the number of 100. but that some of them found themselues by reckoning in one longitude and other some in another But considering better with my selfe that the difficulties are openâ—o and the differences amended by others of more exact iudgement and vnderstanding therein I purposed notwithstanding to procéede in this worke of Discoueries Some there be that say that the world hath fully béene discouered and they alleage this reason that as it hath bâ—ene peopled and inhabited so it might be frequented and nauigable and the rather for that the men in that age were of a longer life and of lawes and languages almost one There be others of a contrarie opinion to this holding that all the earth could not be knowne nor the people conuersant one with another For though it had béene so once yet the same would haue beene lost againe by the malice of men and the want of iustice among the inhabitants of the earth But bicause the best and most famous discoueries were made by sea and that principally in our times I desire to knowe who were the first Discouerers since the time of the flood Some affirme that they were the Gréekes others say the Phoenicians others also the Egyptians The people of India agrée not hereunto affirming that they were the first that sailed by sea namely the Tabencos which now we call the Chinois And they alleage for the proofe of this that they be the Lords of the Indiaes euen vnto the Cape of Bona Sperança the island of S. Laurence which is inhabited by them and al along the sea as also the Iauaes Timores Celebes Macaâ—ares Malucos Borneos Mindanaos Luçones Lequeos Iapones and other Islands being many in number and the firme lands of Cauchin-China Laos Bramas Pegu Arracones till you come vnto Bengala And besides this New Spaine Peru Brasill the Antiles with the rest adioining vnto them as appéereth by the fashions and maners of the men and women and by their proportions hauing small eies flat noses with other proportions to be seene And to this day many of these Ilands and countreies are called by the names of Bâ—tochina Bocho-China which is as much to say as the countreies of China Further it appeereth by histories that the arke of Noe rested vpon the north parts of the mountaines of Armenia which stands in 40. degrées and vpwards and that immediately thereupon Scythia was first peopled for that it is an high land and appéered first after the flood And séeing the prouince and countrey of the Tabenâ—os is one of the chiefest of all Tartarie as they report it is to be thought that they were of the most ancient inhabitants and men of the most ancient nauigations the seas being as calme as the riuers be in those parts lying betwéene the Tropicks where the daies and nights do not much differ as well in the howers as in the temperature where there blow no outragious windes to cause the waters to rise or to be troubled And by late experience it is sound that the small barks wherein they saile haue onely a great high bough in the middest of the barke standing in steed both of mast and saile and the master holdeth onely an â—are in his hand to stirre withall and so they saile swiftly along the coast and the rest of the passengers sit onely vpon certaine poles which are fastened in the barke which they call Catamarones and so they passe without rowing It is further said that the people of China were somtimes Lords of the most part of Scythia and sailed ordinarily along that coast which séemeth to reach vnto 70. degrées toward the north Cornelius Nepos is the author of this who particularly affirmeth that in the time that Metellus the fellowe Consul of Afranius was Proconsul in France the king of Sueâ—ia sent vnto him certaine Indians which came thither in a ship from this countrey comming by the north and by the flats of Germanie And it is probable that they were people of China for that they from 20. 30. and 40. degrees vpwards haue strong ships and clynchers that can well brooke the seas and indure the cold and intemperature of such northerly regions As for Cambaia there is shipping also in it and the people by report haue vsed the seas many yéeres but it seemeth not that they were any of them which came into France for that they trafficke onely to Cairo and are men in déed of little trafficke and lesse clothing As for those which escaped the destruction of the flood they were therewith so amazed that they durst not descend into the plaines and
lowe countreies but kept the hils And we reade of Nimrode who 130. yéeres after the flood built the Tower of Babell intending thereby to saue himselfe if there should come any more such floods Therefore it seemeth that they which first came to be sailers were those which dwell in the east in the prouince of China although others contrariwise hold them which dwell in the west as in Syria to haue vsed the trade of the sea soonest after the flood But this contention about the antiquitie of nauigation I leaue to the Scythians and Egyptians who were at great variance and difference in this matter for each of them chalenged vnto themselues the honour of the first sea trauaile But omitting all iars and differences thereabouts I will apply my selfe to my purposed discourse and speake of that which histories haue left in record THere be some wel séene in Antiquities which say that in the 143. yéere after the flood Tubal came by sea into Spaine whereby it séemeth that in those times nauigations were vsed into our parts out of Ethiopia And they also say farther that not long after this the Quéene Semyramis went against the Indians in that riuer wherof they tooke their name and therein gaue battaile vnto the king Stabrobates wherin he lost a thousand ships Which being credible by the ancient historie prooueth manifestly that in those parts in those times were many ships and the seas frequented in good numbers In the 650. yéere after the flood there was a king in Spaine named Hesperus who in his time as it is reported went and discouered as far as Cape Verde the Island of S. Thomas whereof he was prince And Gonsaluo Fernandes of Ouiedo the Chronicler of Antiquities affirmeth that in his time the Islands of the West Indies were discouered and called somewhat after his name Heâ—perides and he alleageth many reasons to prooue it reporting particularly that in 40. daies they sailed from Cape Verde vnto those Islands There are others that say that the like was done from this Cape vnto the Islands of S. Thomas and the Isle De Principe and that they be the Hesperides and not the Anâ—iles And they doe not differ far from reason seeing in those times and many yeeres after they did vse to saile onely along the coast not passing through the maine Ocean sea for they had neither altitude nor compasse then in vse nor any mariners so expert It cannot be denied but that there were many countries Islands Capes Isâ—hmos and points which now are grown out of knowledge because the names of them are found in histories But the age of the world and force of waters haue wâ—sted and consumed them and separated one countrey from another both in Europe Asia Afâ—ica New Spaine Peru and other places Plato saith in his dialogue of Timaeus that there were in ancient times in the Ocean sea Atlanticke certaine great Islands and countries named Atlantides greater then Afrike and Europe and that the kings of those parts were Lords of a great part of this our countrey but with certaine great tempests the sea did ouerflow it and it remained as mud and shingle so that in a long time after no ships could passe that way It is also recorded in histories that fast by the Island of Cadiz towards the Straights of Gibraltar there was a certaine Island which was called Aphrodisias well inhabited and planted with many gardens and orchards and yet at this day we haue no knowledge of this Aphrodisias but only a bare mention of it in ancient authors The said Island of Cadiz is further said to haue béen so large and big that it did ioine with the firme land of Spaine The Islands of the Açores were sometimes a point of the mountaines of Estrella which ioine vnto the sea ouer the towne of Syntra And also from Sierra Verde or the gréene mountaine which adioineth vnto the water hard by the citie of Sasin in the land of Cucu which is the selfe same Island of Mouchin where Algarbe is come the Islands of Porto Santo and Madera For it is held as a true and vndoubted veritie that all Islands haue their roots running from the firme land though they be neuer so farre from the continent for otherwise they could not stand firme There are other histories which say that from Spaine vnto Ceuta in Barbarie men sometimes trauailed on foote vpon drie land and that the Islands of Sardinia and Corsica did ioine the one with the other as also did Sicilia with Italie and Negroponto with Graecia We reade also that there were found hulles of ships ankers of iron and other memorials of shipping vpon the mountaines of Sussa farre within the land where as it seemeth now no salt water or sea euer came In India also and in the land of Malabar although now there be great store of people yet many writers affirme that it was once a maine sea vnto the foote of the mountaines and that the Cape of Comarim and the Island of Zeilan were all one thing As also that the Island of Samatra did ioine with the land of Malacca by the flats of Caypasia and not farre froÌ„ thence there stands now a little Island which few yéeres past was part of the firme land that is ouer against it Furthermore it is to be séene how Ptolemey in his tables dotâ— set the land of Malacca to the south of the line in thrée or fower degrées of latitude whereas now it is at the point thereof being called â—entana in one degrée on the north side as appéereth in the Straight of Cincapura where daily they doe passe through vnto the coast of Sian and China where the Island of Aynan standeth which also they say did ioine hard to the land of China and Ptolemey placeth it on the north side far from the line standing now aboue 20. degrées from it towards the north as Asia and Europe now stand Well it may be that in time past the land of Malacca and China did end beyond the line on the south side as Ptolemey doth set them foorth because it might ioine with the point of the land called â—entana with the Islands of Biâ—tan Banca Salitres being many that waies the land might be all slime oaze And so the point of China might ioine with the Islands of the Luçones Borneos Lequeos Mindanaos others which stand in this parallele they also as yet hauing in opinion that the Island of Samatra did ioine with Iaua by the chanell of Sunda and the Islands of Bali Aujaue çambaua Solor Hogaleao Maulua Vintara Rosalaguin and others that be in this parallele and altitude did all ioine with Iaua and so they séeme outwardly to those that descrie them For at this day the Islands stand so néere the one to the other that they séeme all but one firme land and whosoeuer passeth betwéene some of them
if they had not told him that the Red sea was higher then the land of Egypt and that by meanes of the salt sea comming into the riuer Nilus all the prouince would haue béen lost and vndone for hunger and thirst For the fresh water of the riuer Nilus doth ouerflowe the whole countrey and the inhabitants haue no other water then that for their drinke whereupon he left his first purpose of prosecuting that enterprise Now by the way I shall not swarue much from my matter if I speake a word or two of some things incident to this discourse The Egyptians say that they had in their countrey certaine vermine like vnto rats whereof many be halfe like earth and the other halfe like a vermine One kinde of them kéepe the water and another kinde the land For my part I thinke that these be they which breake the serpents egges whereof there are many in the riuer Nilus which also be called Crocodiles which in times past by report were so inchanted that thereby they could not hurt any person But when they were deliuered from their inchantment made by the Egyptians arte and letters then they endeuoured to kill people wilde beasts and cattell doing very much harme specially those which liue in the water which oftentimes come to the land and liuing altogether on land become very strong poison The people beyond the citie of Cairo vse to fish for them and eate them and they take their heads and set them vpon the walles of their citie Of these Crocodiles it is written that they lay themselues along by the riuer with their mouthes open and that there come vnto them certaine white birds litle bigger then thrusshes which flie into the mouth of the Crocodile and picke out the filthines which is betwéene his téeth and in his iawes wherewith he is greatly pleased but for all that the Crocodile would close his mouth and deuoure the bird if nature had not prouided the bird a sharpe pricke as it were growing out of his head wherewith he pricketh the Crocodile in the mouth which causeth him to gape wide and so the bird flieth away without harme yet there come by and by other of those birds which make an end of cleansing his mouth In the same riuer there are also many beastes like vnto horses and vpon the land certaine fowles like vnto cranes which warre continually with serpents that come thither from Arabia and kill many of them Which birds as also the vermine which eate the egges of the Crocodiles are greatly estéemed of the Egyptians But now to returne to my matter and to procéede in the discoueries In the yéere 485. before the incarnation of Christ Xerxes the king of Persia commanded Sataspis his nephew to goe and search and discouer India who according to the precept vndertooke the voyage and went through the straight of Gibraltar and passed the promontorie of Africa which now we call the Cape of Bona Sperança standing southward betwixt 34. and 35. degrées in latitude and being weary of so great a nauigation turned from thence backe againe as Bartholomew Diaz did in our daies Before the comming of Christ 443. yéeres Himilco and Hanno his brother Carthaginian captaines gouerning that part of Spaine which is now called Andaluzia departed from thence each one with his nauie Himilco sailing towards the north discouered the coasts of Spaine France England Flanders and Germanie And some write farther that he sailed vnto Gotland came to the Island of Thule or Island standing vnder the circle Arcticke in 24. degrées from the north pole and continued in his nauigation two yéeres til he came vnto this Island where the day hath in Iune 22. houres and in December the night also hath 22. houres whereby it is there woonderfully cold Now the other brother Hanno tooke his course towarde Africa and Guiney and he discouered the Fortunate Islands which we call the Canaries and besides these he discouered others as the Dorcades Hesperides the Gorgades which now be called the Isles of Cape Verde There he with his company went along the coast till they doubled the Cape of Bona Sperança and taking their course towards the land they went along by it vnto another Cape named Aromaticum which is now called Guardafu standing southeast from Cape Verde in 14. degrées toward the north and he came to the coast of Arabia standing in 16. and 17. degrées and was fiue yéeres in this voiage before he returned backe into Spaine There be others that say that he passed not beyond Sierra Leona but peopled it and afterwards discouered as far as the line But it séemeth he made a full nauigation because he spent so much time in his trauaile It is reported that the inhabitants of the Cape of Bona Sperança are great witches and inchanters of certaine snakes which they bring to such seruice and commandement that they kéepe their Churches and Churchyards gardens orchards barnes and cattel as well from wilde beasts as from théeues For if they see any to doe or to intend hurt the snake windes her selfe to him or them holding them as prisoners and commanding her yoong ones to call their masters vntill they be taken If the théeues be many or the wilde beastes of so much strength that they dare not meddle with them then they goe vnto the house of him with whom they doe liue and if it be in the night time they giue so many strokes that at the last they doe awake them to cause them to prouide for their defence A certaine Italian called Aloisius Cadamusta writeth that he being in the discouerie of Guiney in the kingdome of Budimol lay in the house of Bisborol his sonnes sonne and lying in his bed he heard a great noise and many blowes giuen about the house whereupon Bisborol rose and went out and when he came againe Cadamusta demanded of him where he had béen and he answered that he had béen with his Cobras or snakes which called him In the Indias there be many of these kinde of snakes and some full of poison which notwithstanding the Indian people vse to carrie about their necks and put them into their bosomes and vnder their armes which at some soundes that the people make will daunce and doe diuers things at commandement There was a Portugall that somtime told me that beyond the Cape of Bona Sperança towards Sofala Quiloa and Melinde where he had béen there were certaine birds which would come to the Black Moores at their call and according as the Moores did remooue so the birds would doe from one trée to another and they vsed to follow them till they did light vpon some trée from whence they could not remooue And as the Negros went vp the trée they should finde waxe and honie thereupon not knowing whether it grewe there naturally or not In the same countrey also vnder ground in Ant-holes they did finde much
latitude they found a Straight and passing through it towards the west they arriued in the Empire of India and fought with the king of Cathay and so came backe againe vnto the citie of Rome Which thing howsoeuer it may séeme either possible or not possible true or not true yet so I finde it left to vs recorded in the * histories of that time In the 100. yéere after the incarnation of Christ the Emperour Traiane prepared an armie by sea vpon the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and departed from them and sailed to the Islands of Zyzara and passing the straight of Persia entred into the Ocean sea and sailed towards India all along the coast till he came to that place where Alexander had béen and there he tooke certaine ships which came from Bengala of whom he learned the state of that countrey But because he was then in yéeres and wearie with his trauaile but especially because he found there small reliefe for his armie he returned backe After that the Romanes had gotten the most part of the world there were in that age made many and notable discoueries But then came the Gothes Moores and other barbarous nations and destroied all For in the yéere 412. after the incarnation of Christ they tooke the citie of Rome And the Vandales came out of Spaine and conquered Africa And in the yeere 450. the king called Atila destroied many cities in Italie at which time the citie of Venice began And in this age the Frankes and Vandals entred into France In the yéere 474. the Empire of Rome was lost and fell from the Romanes to the Gothes And after this came the Lombards into Italie namely in the yéere 560. Also about this time the sect of the Arrians preuailed greatly and at this time one Merline of England was famous for his prophecies To be short in the yéere 611. sproong vp the Mahumetane sect and Morisco regiment which by force inuaded both Africa and Spaine By all this it may appéere that in that age all the world was in an hurly burly and all places very tumultuous In so much that trafficke and marchandise ceased for no nation durst trade one with another neither by sea nor land nothing as then remained stedfast neither in monarchies nor kingdomes signiories religions lawes artes sciences nor nauigations Nor so much as the records and writings of such things did remaine but were all burnt and consumed by the barbarous crueltie and vnbrideled power of the Gothes who became so couetous and ambitious that they purposed of themselues to begin a new world and to roote out the memorie and blot out the knowledge of all other nations besides But they that succéeded after these times in the gouernment of things perceiuing the great and huge losse that the Christian world had by the want of trafficke and ceasing of nauigation whereby those commodities and marchandises could not be spent which before went ordinarily from one nation to another by the vse of trade to the end that this decay and losse might be repaired and the treasures of the East might be imparted with the West as it was woont in the times of quietnes and peaceable liuing they began to deuise a way to passe to India which was not as the former way was by the Red sea and the riuer Nilus but a way of farther sailing farther length and cost also For they brought their ware vp the riuer Indus and there vnladed it carrying it by land through the countrey of Paropanisus by Carauans vnto the prouince of Bactria and then shipped it in barks on the riuer Oxus which falleth into the Caspian sea and so sailed ouer that sea vnto an hauen of the riuer Rha named Citracan or Astracan and so vpwards in the said riuer which now is called Volga and as it appéereth they carried it to the citie of Nouogrode in the prouince of Resan which now belongeth to the great Duke of Moscouia standing toward the north in 54. degrées of latitude therehence they trauailed ouer land vnto the prouince of Sarmatia vnto the riuer Tanais which is the diuision of Europe from Asia where they againe laded it in barks and caried it downe the riuer into the lake Maeotis and to the citie of Caffa which in ancient time was called Theodosia which then belonged to the Genowais who came thither for those wares in their galliasses or great ships It is also left written that the trade this way endured vntill the raigne of Commodita Emperour of Armenia who prouided for a better course and commanded this trafficke of the spices to be conueied by the Caspian sea and so through the kingdome of Hiberia which now is called Georgiana and from thence they entred by the riuer Phasis now Phasso into Pontus Euxinus and so vnto the city of Trapezunda standing in 40. and odde degrées of northerly latitude And to that place came shipping for the marchandises out of Europe and Africa It is further left recorded concerning this way of trafficke that Nicanor determined or had already begun to open aboue 120. miles of land which lieth betwéene the Caspian sea and Pontus Euxinus that they might come and goe by water with their spices drugs and other commodities there vsed But in the meane time this mischiefe happened that Ptolemey Ceraunos killed him and by his death this woorthy and famous enterprise ceased without effect But the other way being also at last lost by reason of the wars of the Turks it pleased God to open another way to these marchandises from the Isle of Samatra the citie of Malacca and the Island of Iaua vnto Bengala and so carrying them vp the riuer Ganges vnto the citie of Agra from whence they trauailed ouer land vnto another citie standing néere the riuer Indus named Boghar where they discharged bicause the citie of Cabor standeth too farre within the land being the principall citie of the Mogores From thence they went forward to the great citie of Samarcand standing in the countrey of Bactria and there the marchants of India Persia and Turkie met bringing thither their seuerall commodities as cloth of gold veluets chamolets scarlet and woollen clothes which were carried to Cathay and the great kingdome of China wherehence they brought againe gold siluer precious stones pearles silke muske and many other things of great value and much rubarbe After this these marchandise drugs and spiceries were carried in ships vpon the Indian sea vnto the streight of Ormus and to the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and were vnladen in the citie of Balsara standing in 31. degrées towards the north and from thence they were caried ouer land vnto the cities of Aleppo Damascus and Barutti standing on the same side in 35. degrées And there the Venetian gallies or galliasses which transported pilgrims into the holy land came and receiued of those goods In the yéere 1153.
in the time of Fredericke Barbarossa it is written that there came to Lubec a citie of Germanie one Canoa with certaine Indians like vnto a long barge which seemed to haue come from the coast of Baccalaos which standeth in the same latitude that Germanie doth The Germaines greatly woondered to sée such a barge and such people not knowing from whence they came nor vnderstanding their spéech especially because there was then no knowledge of that countrey as now there is it may be credible that though the boate was small in respect of those huge seas yet the winde and water might bring them thither as we sée in these our daies that the Almadie which is but a small boate commeth notwithstanding from Quiloa Mosambique and Sofala to the Island of S. Helena being a small spot of land standing in the maine Ocean off the coast of Bona Sperança so farre separated In the yéere 1300. after the comming of Christ the great Soldan of Cayro commanded that the spiceries and drugs and marchandises of India should be carried through the Red sea as it was vsed before at which time they vnladed on the Arabian side at the hauen of Iuda and carried them vnto the house at Mecca and the carriers of it were the pilgrims So that each Prince vsed a custome to augment the honour and increase the profite of his countrey And these Soldans had speciall regarde to Cayro from whence the wares were carried vnto the countreyes of Egypt Lybia Africa the kingdomes of Tunez Tremessen Fez Marocco Suz and some of it was carried beyond the mountaines of Atlas vnto the citie of Tombuto and the kingdome of the Ialophos vntill afterwards that the Portugals did bring it about the Cape of Bona Sperança vnto the citie of Lisbone as in place conuenient we purpose to shew more at large In the yéere 1344. king Peter the fourth of that name reigning in Arragon the Chronicles of his time report that one Don Luis of Cerda sonne vnto the sonne of Don Iohn of Cerda craued aide of him to goe and to conquers the Isles of the Canaries standing in 28. degrées of latitude to the north because they were giuen vnto him by Pope Clement the sixt which was a French man Whereby in those daies there grew a knowledge of those Islands in all Europe and specially in Spaine for such great Princes would not begin nor enterprise things of such moment without great certaintie About this time also the Island of Madera was discouered by an English man called Macham who sailing out of England into Spaine with a woman of his was driuen out of his direct course by a tempest and arriued in that Island and cast his anker in that hauen which now is called Machico after the name of Macham And bicause his louer was then sea-sicke he there went on land with some of his companie and in the meane time his ship weyed and put to sea leauing him there whereupon his louer for thought died Macham which greatly loued her built in the Island a chappell or hermitage to burie her in calling it by the name of Iesus Chappell and wrote or graued vpon the stone of her tombe his name and hers and the occasion whereupon they arriued there After this he made himselfe a boate all of a trée the trées being there of a great compasse about and went to sea in it with those men of his companie that were left with him and fell with the coast of Africke without saile or oare and the Moores among whom he came tooke it for a miracle and presented him vnto the king of that countrey and that king also admiring the accident sent him and his companie vnto the king of Castile In the yéere 1395. king Henrie the third of that name reigning in Castile the information which Macham gaue of this Island and also the ship wherein he went thither mooued many of France and of Castile to goe and discouer it and the great Canarie And they which went were principally the Andaluzes the Biscaines and the Guepusâ—oes carrying with them many people and horses But I know not whether the charge of that voiage was theirs or the kings But by whom soeuer it was set out they seeme to be the first that discouered the Canaries and landed in them where also they tooke 150 of the Islanders prisoners Concerning the time of this discouerie there is some difference among the writers for some affirme this to be done in the yeere 1405. The first beginning of the Portugall Discoueries THe Chronicles of Portugall haue this record That after the incarnation of Christ 1415. king Iohn the first of that name king of Portugall departed from the citie of Lisbon with the Prince Don Duarte or Edward and Don Peter and Don Henry his sonnes with other Lords and nobles of his realme and sailed into Africa where he tooke the great citie of Ceuta standing on the north side thereof betwéene 35. and 36. degrees in latitude which was one of the principall causes of the enlarging of the dominions of Portugall When they were come from thence Henry the kings third sonne desirous to enlarge the kingdome to discouer strange vnknowne countreyes being then in Algarbe gaue direction for the discouery of the coast of Mauritania For in those daies none of the Portugals had euer passed the Cape de Non standing in 29. degrées of latitude And for the better accomplishing of this discouerie the aforesaid Don Henry prepared a fléete gaue commandement to the chiefe captaines to procéede in discouerie from the aforesaide Cape forward Which they did But when they came to another Cape named Bojador there was not one of them that durst goe farther or beyond it at which fearefull and cowardly faintnes of theirs the Prince was excéedingly displeased In the yéere 1417. king Iohn the second reigning in Castile and his mother Ladie Katharine then vsing the gouernment one Monsieur Ruben of Bracamonte which was then Admirall of France craued the conquest of the Islands of the Canaries with the title to be king of them for a kinsman of his called Monsieur Iohn Betancourt which being granted him by the Quéene and farther also partly furnished out he departed from Siuill with a good armie But the chiefe or principall cause that mooued him to enter into this action was to discouer and perfectly to take a view of the Island of Madera whereof Macham before had giuen so much information But for all that he went vnto the Canaries and carried with him a Friar called Mendo to be as Bishop thereof admitted by Pope Martine the fift When they were landed they wonne Lancerota Forteuentura Gomera and Ferro from whence they sent into Spaine many slaues honie waxe Camfora or Camfire hides Orchall figs Sanguis Draconis and other marchandises whereof they made good profit And this armie also as they report discouered Porto Santo
The Island that they inhabited was Lancerota where they built in it a castle of stone for their better defence and securitie In the yéere 1418. one Iohn Gonzales Zarco and Tristam Vaz Teixera housholde gentlemen vnto Don Henry the kings third sonne perceiuing the desire that their master had to discouer new countreyes and willing in that course to doe him some seruice craued of him a barke and licence to vndertake the action which they obtained and sailed to the coast of Africa where they were ouertaken with a terrible tempest but they were succoured by falling with the land and entring into an hauen called Santo where they landed and remained two yéeres In the yéere 1420. they discouered the Island of Madera where they founde the chappell and the stone and tombe whereupon the foresaide Macham had grauen his name There are others that write that a certaine Castillian perceiuing the desire and fauour to nauigation which Don Henry had told him that they had found the Island of Porto Santo which being but a small thing they made no reckoning of it Don Henry sent Bartholomew Perestrello Iohn Conzales Zarco Tristam Vaz Teixera and by the signes and likelyhoods that they had receiued they went to Porto Santo and there remained two yéeres and after that namely in the yéere 1420. they sailed also to the Island of Madera where they found the memoriall and monument of the aforesaide Macham the English man As for Monsieur Betancourt who entred into the conquest of the Canaries as is aboue mentioned he was slaine in the middest of the action and left behind him for his heire a kinseman of his called Monsieur Menante who after that sold the said Islands of the Canaries vnto one Peter Barba of Siuill There are other which speake otherwise and say that Monsieur Iohn Betancourt went into France to prepare a new armie about this conquest and left there a nephew of his who because he heard no more of his vncle and sawe that he could not maintaine the warres any longer he solde the Canaries to Don Henry the king of Portugals third sonne for a certaine thing that he gaue him in the Island of Madera In the yéere 1424. they write that the saide Don Henry prepared a nauie and armie to conquer these Islands wherein there went as captaine generall one Don Fernando de Castro and by reason of the valiantnes and warlike behauiour of the people they had the repulse whereupon Don Ferdinando considering the great charge and little or no good successe he gaue ouer the action and returned backe againe After this Don Henry resigned ouer these Islandes to the crowne of Castile in consideration of the aides which Betancouâ—t had receiued But the Castillians agrée not vnto this report For they say that neither the kings of Portugall nor Don Henry would render the Islands till they came in question before Pope Eugenius the fourth who fully vnderstanding the matter gaue the conquest of the Islands by order of iudgement vnto the king of Castile in the yéere 1431. whereupon this contention ceased touching the title of the Canaries betwéenâ— the kings of Portugall and of Castile These Islands being in number seuen were called by the name of Fortunatae standing in 28. degrées to the north where the longest day is but 13. howers and the longest night as much lying distant from Spaine 200. leagues and from the coast of Africa 18. leagues The people were idolaters and did eate their flesh raw for want of fire they had no iron and sowed without any toole they tilled and raised the ground with oxe hornes and goats hornes Euery Island did speake a seuerall language They tooke many wiues and knew them not carnally vntill they had deliuered them to the superiours They had diuers other Paganish customes but now the Christian faith is planted among them The commodities of these Islands are wheate barley sugar wine and certaine birdes called Canarie birdes much esteemed in Spaine and other places In the Island of Ferro they haue none other water but that which procéedeth in the night from a trée compassed with a cloud whence water issueth seruing the whole Island both men and cattell a thing notorious and knowne to very many In the yéere 1428. it is written that Don Peter the king of Portugals eldest sonne was a great traueller He went into England France Almaine and from thence into the Holy land and to other places and came home by Italie taking Rome Venice in his way from whence he brought a map of the world which had all the parts of the world and earth described The streight of Magelan was called in it The Dragons taile The Cape of Bona Sperança The forefront of Afrike and so foorth of other places by which map Don Henry the kings third sonne was much helped and furthered in his discoueries It was tolde me by Francis de Sosa Tauares that in the yéere 1528. Don Fernando the kings sonne and heire did shew him a map which was found in the studie of Alcobaza which had béene made 120. yéeres before which map did set foorth all the nauigation of the East Indies with the Cape of Bona Sperança according as our later maps haue described it Whereby it appéereth that in ancient time there was as much or more discouered then now there is Notwithstanding all the trauaile paines and expences in this action of Don Henry yet he was neuer wearie of his purposed discoueries At length there was a seruant of his called Gilianes that first passed the Cape Bojador a place before terrible to all men and he brought word that it was not so dangerous as it was reported for on the other side of it he went on land and in maner of taking possession set in the ground a crosse of wood to be as a marke and token afterwards of his discouery so farre In the yéere 1433. in the moneth of August Don Iohn died and his sonne Don Duarte or Edward succéeded him in the kingdome In the yéere 1434. Don Henry set out one Alfonso Gonsales Baldaia and Gilianes aforesaid and they went to another Cape which was beyond the former and going on land perceiued the countrey to be inhabited and because they were desirous to satisfie Don Henry with as much relation and knowledge as they could get they continued their voiage and went forward till they came to a certaine point of land from whence they turned backe againe In the yéere 1438. king Edward whom the Portugals call Don Duarte died and Don Alphonso the prince being yoong Don Peter his vncle gouerned the kingdome In the yéere 1441. Don Henry sent out two ships and the captaines were in the one Tristan and Antonie Gonsales in the other Being put to sea they tooke a prise vpon the coast and sailed on to Cape Blanco that is the White Cape standing
the mouth which they name Bocca de Dragone or the Dragons mouth and they tooke their course hard by the coast where they found thrée small Islands which they named Los Testigos that is to say The Witnesses beyond which standeth the Island of Cubagua where is great fishing of muscle pearles where also as they say there springeth a Well of aile and beyond that Island they came to the Isles of Frailes Roques Aruba and Curaçao with other small ones all along the Bay and they came to the point of Cabo de Vela and discouered along the coast almost 200. leagues from whence they crossed ouer to Hispaniola hauing had also sight of the Island called Beata In this same yéere 1497. on the 20. day of the moneth of Iune one Vasques de Gama sailed from Lisbon by the king Emmanuels commandement to India with 3. ships wherein there went for captaines Vasques de Gama Paulus de Gama his brother and Nicolas Coello with 120. men with whom also there went one ship laden only with vittailes and in 14. daies they came vnto Cape Verde vnto the Island of Saint Iago where they refreshed themselues and from thence they went along the coast beyond the Cape of Bona Sperança whereupon they erected certaine pillers of stone and so came vnto Mosambique standing in 15. degrées to the south of the line where they staied not long but went from thence to Mombaza and vnto Melinde where the king of that place gaue them pilots which conducted them into India in which discouerie they found out Los Baxos do Padua that is to say the flats of Padua In the yéere 1498. in the moneth of May they came to an anker before the citie of Calicut and Panana where they remained all the winter and the first day of September they set saile towards the north discouering the coast all along till they came to the Island of Angediua which standeth on that side in 15. degrées of latitude where they came to an anker in the beginning of October and so they departed from Angediua in Februarie in the yéere 1499. and came in sight of the coast of Africa about Melinde towards the north 3. or 4. degrées from thence they sailed vnto the said citie and so vnto Mosambique againe and to the Cape of Bona Sperança sailing along by the coast and then they came to the Islands of Cape Verde and last of al to the citie of Lisbon in the moneth of September hauing béene in the voiage 26. monethes In the yéere 1499 on the 13. day of the moneth of Nouember there departed frō Palos one Vincent Yannez Pinson and his nephew Aries Pinson with fower ships well appointed at their owne coast and charges to discouer the new world vnder the licence of the king of Castile and with commandement not to touch there where the Admirall Columbus had béene And so they went to the Islands of Cape Verde and passed the line to the southward and discouered the Cape of Saint Augustine standing on that side in 8. degrées of latitude and there they wrote on the rindes of pine trées the names of the king and of the Quéene also the yéere and day when they arriued there They fought with the people of Brasil but got nothing they tooke their course all along the coast towards the west vnto the riuer Maria Tambal and at that time they had taken thirty and odde prisoners The chiefe places where they touched were the Cape of S. Augustine and the angle or point of S. Luke and Tierra de los Humos the Riuers of Marannon and of the Amazones and Rio dolce or the Swéete riuer and other places along the coast and they came to ten degrées of latitude on the north side where they lost two ships and their companie and remained in that voiage of discouery ten moneths and 15. daies In the yéere 1500. and in the moneth of March one Pedro Aluarez Cabral sailed out of Lisbon with 13. ships with commandement not to come néere the coast of Africa to shorten his way and he losing the sight of one of his ships went to séeke her and in séeking of her lost his course and sailed till he came within sight of the land The Generall was so long in séeking his ship that the companie were wearie of it and entreated him to leaue his enterprise The next day they fell in sight of the coast of Brasil whereupon the Generall commanded a barke to goe to land and séeke an hauen which they did and found a good and safe hauen and they named it Puerto Seguro that is to say The Safe hauen standing on the south side in 17. degrées of latitude From thence they sailed towardes the Cape of Bona Sperança and Melinde and crossed ouer to the riuer of Cochin which before was not knowne where they laded themselues with pepper and at their returne Sancho de Thouar discouered the citie of Sofala vpon the coast of Africa In this same yéere 1500. it is reported that Gaspar Cortereal craued a generall licence of the king Emmanuel to discouer the New found land He went from the Island Terçera with two ships well appointed at his owne cost and he sailed vnto that climate which standeth vnder the north in 50. degrées of latitude which is a land nowe called after his name and he came home in safetie vnto the citie of Lisbon And making another time this voiage the ship was lost wherein he went and the other came backe into Portugall Wherefore his brother Michael Cortereal went to séeke him with thrée ships well appointed at his owne cost and when they came vnto that coast and found so many entrances of riuers and hauens euery ship went into her seuerall riuer with this rule and order that they all thrée should meete againe the 20. day of August The two other ships did so and they séeing that Michael Cortereal was not come at the day appointed nor yet afterwards in a certaine time returned backe into the realme of Portugall and neuer heard any more newes of him nor yet any other memorie But that countrey is called The land of Cortereall vnto this day In the yéere 1501. in the moneth of March Iohn de Noua departed from the citie of Lisbon with fower ships and passed the line on the south side into 8. degrees of latitude and he discouered an Island which he called the Isle de Ascension And he went vnto Mosambique and to Melinde and from thence he crossed ouer vnto the other side where they tooke lading and so came back and doubled the Cape and found an Island called Santa Helena being but a small thing but yet of great importance in respect of the situation thereof In this same yéere 1501. and in the moneth of May there departed out of Lisbon thrée
ships vpon the commandement of Emmanuel the king to discouer the coast of Brasil and they sailed in the sight of the Canaries and from thence to Cape Verde where they refreshed themselues in the towne of Bezequiche and passed from thence beyond the line southward and fell with the land of Brasill in fiue degrées of latitude and so went forward till they came in 32. degrées little more or lesse according as they accounted it and from thence they came backe in the moneth of Aprill because it was there at that time cold and tempestuous They were in that voiage fifteene monethes and came to Lisbon againe in the beginning of September 1502. In the yâ—ere 1502. one Alfonso Hoieda went to discouer Terra firma and followed his course till he came to his prouince of Vraba The next yéere following also one Roderigo Bastidas of Siuill went out with two carauels at his owne cost and the first land of the Antiles that he saw was an Island which he named Isla Verde that is the Gréene Island standing fast by the Island of Guadalupe towards the land and from thence they tooke their course towards the west to Santa Martha and Cape De la Vela and to Rio Grande or the Great riuer and they discouered the hauen of Zamba the Coradas Carthagena and the Islands of S. Barnard of Baru and Islas de Arenas and went forward vnto Isla fuerte and to the point of Caribana standing at the end of the Gulfe of Vraba where they had sight of the Farrallones standing on the other side hard by the riuer of Darien and from Cape De la Vela vnto this place are two hundred leagues and it standeth in 9. degrées and two parts of latitude From thence they crossed ouer vnto the Island of Iamaica where they refreshed themselues In Hispaniola they graued their ships because of the holes which certaine wormes of the water had eaten in the planks In that countrey they got fower hundred markes of golde although the people there be more warlike then in Noua Spania for they poison their arrowes which they shoote In this same yéere 1502. Christopher Columbus entred the fourth time into his discouerie with fower ships at the commandement of Don Fernando to séeke the Streight which as they said did diuide the land from the other side and he carried with him Ferdinando his sonne They went first to the Island of Hispaniola to Iamaica to the riuer Azua to the Cape of Higueras and vnto the Islands Gamares and to the Cape of Hunduras that is to say the Cape of the Depthes from thence they sailed towards the east vnto the Cape Gracias a Dios and discouered the prouince and riuer of Veragua and Rio Grande and others which the Indians call Hienra And from thence he went to the riuer of Crocodiles which now is called Rio de Chagres which hath his springs néere the South Sea within fower leagues of Panama and runneth into the North Sea and so he went vnto the Island which he called Isla de Bastimentos that is the Isle of Victuailes and then to Puerto Bello that is the Faire hauen and so vnto Nombre de Dios and to Rio Francisco and so to the hauen of Retrete and then to the Gulfe of Cabesa Cattiua and to the Islands of Caperosa and lastly to the Cape of Marble which is two hundred leagues vpon the coast from whence they began to turne againe vnto the Island of Cuba and from thence to Iamaica where he grounded his ships being much spoiled and eaten with wormes In this yéere also 1502 Don Vasques de Gama being now Admirall went againe into India with 19. or 20. Carauels He departed from Lisbon the tenth day of Februarie and by the last day of that moneth he came to an anker at Cape Verde and from thence he went vnto Mosambique and was the first that crost from that Island into India and he discouered another in 4. degrées of latitude which he called the Island of the Admirall and there he tooke his lading of pepper and drugs and left there one Vincent Sodre to kéepe the coast of India with fiue ships These were the first Portugals that with an armie did run along the coast of Arabia Foelix It is there so barren that their cattell and camels are onely maintained with drie fish brought from the sea whereof there is such plenty and abundance that the cats of the countrey doe vse to take them In the yeere following as it is reported one Antonie de Saldanta discouered the Island which in old time was called Coradis and now Socotora and the Cape of Guardafu which adioineth vnto that countrey In the yéere 1504. Roderigo de Bastidas obtained licence of king Ferdinando and by the meanes of Iohn de Lodesma and others of Siuill armed and furnished out two ships hauing for his pilot one Iohn de Cosa of Saint Marie Port and he went to discouer that part of Tierra firma where now standeth Carthagena being in ten degrées and a halfe of northerly latitude And it is said that they found the captaine Luis de la Guerra and they together tooke land in the Isle of Codego where they tooke sixe hundred persons of the Sauages And going farther along the coast they entred into the Gulfe of Vraba where they found sand mingled with gold being the first that was brought to the king Don Ferdinando from thence they returned to the citie of Santo Domingo laden with slaues without victuailes because they of the countrey would not bargaine with them which grew to their great trouble and griefe In the later end of this yéere died Ladie Isabella Quéene of Castile Which Quéene while she liued would not suffer any man of Arragon Catalunia Valencia nor any borne in the countrey of Don Fernando her husband to enter into these discoueries saue those which were their seruants or by speciall commandement but only the Castillians Biscaines those which were of her owne Signiories by whom all the lands aforesaid were discouered In the yéere 1505. vpon our Lady day in March Francisco de Almeida Viceroy of India tooke his course with 22. sailes towards India as now is accustomed He came vnto the citie of Quiloa where he built a fort appointing one Peter Fereira to be captaine thereof and beyond Melinde he trauersed to the Island of Angediua where he placed as captaine one Emmanuell Passauia In Cananor also he built another fort giuing the captainship of it to Laurence de Brito In Cochin he did the like where Don Alfonso de Noronia was made captaine This yéere one Peter de Anhaya did build the fortresse of Sofala whereof also himselfe was made captaine In the later end of this yéere the Viceroy commanded his sonne whose name was Don Laurenço to make some
entrie vpon the Islands of Maldiua and with contrarie weather he arriued at the Islands which of ancient time were called Traganae but the Moores called them Ytterubenero and we call them Ceilan where he went on land and made peace with the people there and afterward came backe vnto Cochin sailing along the coast and fully discouering it In the middest of this Island there stands a rocke of stone very high hauing the signe of the foote of a man vpon the top of it which they say to be the footestep of Adam when he went vp into the heauens and the Indians haue it in great reuerence In the yéere 1506. after the death of the Quéene of Spaine king Philip and Quéene Ioan his wife came into Spaine to take possession thereof and king Don Fernando went into Arragon being his owne patrimonie In this same yeere the said king Philip died and then Fernando came againe to gouerne Spaine and he gaue licence vnto all Spanyards to goe vnto the New land and to the Aâ—tiles but not to the Portugals In this yéere and in the moneth of May Christopher Columbus died and his sonne Don Diego Columbus succeeded in his roome In the yéere 1506. and entring into the moneth of March Tristan de Acunna and Alfonso de Albuquerque went into India with 14. ships in their companie and sailed till they came to an anker at the towne of Bezequiche where they refreshed themselues and before they came to the Cape of Bona Sperança in 37. degrées they found certaine Islands which now are named the Isles of Tristan de Acunna where they had such a tempest that therewithall the fléete was dispersed Tristan de AcunÌ„a and Alfonso de Albuquerque went vnto Mosambique and Aluaro Telez ran so far that he came to the Island of Samatra and so backe againe vnto the Cape of Guardatu hauing discouered many Islands sea and land neuer séene before that time of any Portugall Emmanuel Telez de Meneses was also driuen without the great Island of S. Laurence and he ran along the coast thereof and arriued at last at Mosambique and there met with Tristan de AcunÌ„a who was the first captaine that wintred there and by them it was told that in this Island was much Ginger Cloues and siluer whereupon he went and discouered much of it within the land but finding nothing he came backe againe vnto Mosambique from whence he sailed vnto Melinde and ran along that coast and entred into Braua and from thence they crost ouer to the Island of Socotora where they built a fortresse and made one Don Antonio de Noronia captaine thereof In the yéere 1507. in the moneth of August Tristan de AcunÌ„a tooke shipping for India and Alfonso de Albuquerque remained there with fiue or sixe ships to kéepe the coast and entrie of the Streight but being not therewith satisfied he tooke his course ouer vnto Arabia and running along that coast he doubled the Cape of Rosalgate standing vnder the Tropicke of Cancer In the yeere 1509. one Diego Lopez de Sequeira went out of Lisbon with fower sailes vnto the Island of Saint Laurence and continued in his voiage almost a yéere and in the moneth of May the same yéere he arriued in Cochin where the Viceroy gaue him one ship more and in the beginning of the moneth of September he tooke his course vnto Malacca passing betwéene the Islands of Nicubar and many others He went also to the land of Samatra to the cities of Pedir and Pacem and all along by all that coast vnto the Island of A Poluoreira and the flats of Capacia and from thence he went ouer vnto Malacca standing in 2. degrées of latitude towards the north but in that citie the people killed and tooke as prisoners some of his men and thereupon he turned backe againe into India hauing discouered in this voiage fiue hundred leagues This Island of Samatra is the first land wherein we knew mans flesh to be eaten by certaine people which liue in the mountaines called Bacas who vse to gilde their téeth They hold opinion that the flesh of the blacke people is swéeter then the flesh of the white The buffes kine and hennes which are in that countrey are in their flesh as blacke as any inke They say that there are certaine people there called Daraqui Dara which haue tailes like vnto shéepe and some of their welles yéeld oile The king of Pedir is reported to haue a riuer in his land running with oile which is a thing not to be maruelled at séeing it is found written that in Bactria there is also a well of oile it is farther said that there groweth here a trée the iuice whereof is strong poison and if it touch the blood of a man he dieth immediately but if a man doe drinke of it it is a soueraigne remedie against poison so seruing both for life and death Here also they doe coine péeces of gold which they call Drachmas brought into the land as they say by the Romanes which séemeth to haue some resemblance of truth because that from that place forward there is no coined gold but that which is thus coined doth run currant in the buying of marchandise and other things In the yéere 1508. one Alfonso de Hoieda with the fauour of Don Fernando purposed to goe vnto Tierra firma to conquer the prouince of Darien He went foorth at his owne charges discouered The Firme land where it is called Vraba which he named Castilia del Oro that is Golden Castilia bicause of the gold which they found among the sand along the coast And they were the first Spanyards that did this Alfonso de Hoieda went first from the Island of Hispaniola and the citie of San Domingo with fower ships and thrée hundred soldiers leauing behinde him the bachiler Anciso who afterwards compiled a booke of these discoueries And after him there went also one ship with victuals munition and 150. Spanyards He went on land at Carthagena but there the people of the countrey tooke slew and eate 70. of his soldiers whereupon he grew very weake In this yéere 1508. one Drego de Niquesa prepared seuen ships in the port of Beata to goe vnto Veragua and carried in them almost 800. men When he came to Carthagena he found there Alfonso de Hoieda sore spoiled with his former losse but then they both ioined together and went on land and auenged themselues of the people And in this voiage Diego de Niquesa went and discouered the coast called Nombre de Dios and went vnto the sound of Darien and called it Puerto de Misas which is vpon the riuer of Pito When they were come vnto Veragua he went on shore with his armie his soldiers being out of hope to returne to Hispaniola Alfonso de Hoieda began a
moneth and on Saint Michaels day came vnto it where he imbarked himselfe against the will of Chiapes who was the Lord of that coast who wished him not to doe so because it was very dangerous for him But he desirous to haue it knowne that he had béene vpon those seas went forwards and came backe againe to land in safetie and with great contentment bringing with him good store of gold siluer and pearles which there they tooke For which good seruice of his Don Ferdinando the king greatly fauoured and honoured him This yéere 1513. in the moneth of Februarie Alfonsus de Albuquerque went froÌ„ the citie of Goa towards the streight of Mecha with twenty ships They arriued at the citie of Aden and battered it and passed forward and entred into the Streight They say that they saw a crosse in the element and worshipped it They wintered in the Island of Camaran This was the first Portugall captaine that gaue information of those seas and of that of Persia being things in the world of great account In the yéere 1514. and in the moneth of May there went out of Saint Luâ—ar one Pedro Arias de Auila at the commandement of Don Ferdinando He was the fourth gouernour of Castillia del Oro or Golden Castile for so they named the countreyes of Dariene Carthagena and Vraba and that countrey which was newly conquered He carried with him his wife the Lady Elizabeth and 1500. men in seuen ships and the king appointed Vasco Nunnez de Valboa gouernour of the South Sea and of that coast In the beginning of the yéere 1515. the gouernour Pedro Arias de Auila sent one Gaspar Morales with 150. men vnto the Gulfe of S. Michael to discouer the Islands of Tararequi Chiapes and Tumaccus There was a Casique Valboas friend which gaue him many Canoas or boates made of one trée to rowe in wherein they passed vnto The Island of pearles the Lord whereof resisted them at their comming on land But Chiapes and Tumaccus did pacifie him in such order that the captaine of the Isle had them home vnto his house and made much of them and receiued baptisme at their hands naming him Pedro Arias after the gouernours name and he gaue vnto them for this a basket full of pearles waying 110. pounds whereof some were as big as hasell nuts of 20. 25. 26. or 31. carats euery carat is fower graines There was giuen for one of them 1200. ducats This Island of Tararequi standeth in 5. degrées of latitude towards the north In this yéere 1515. in the moneth of March the gouernour sent one Gonsaluo de Badaios with 80. soldiers to discouer new lands and they went from Dariene to Nombre de Dios where came vnto them one Lewis de Mercado with fiftie men more which the gouernour sent to aide him They determined to discouer toward the South saying that that countrey was the richest They tooke with them Indians to be their guides and going along the coast they found slaues marked with irons as the Portugals doe vse and hauing marched a good way through the countreyes with great trauaile they gathered together much golde and fortie slaues to doe them seruice but one Casique named Pariza did set vpon them and slue and tooke the most part of them The gouernour hearing of these newes the same yéere 1515. sent foorth his sonne Iohn Arias de Auila to be reuenged and to discouer also by sea and by land They went westward to Cape De Guerra standing in little more then sixe degrées towards the north and from thence vnto Punta de Borica and to Cape Blanco or the White Cape standing in 8. degrées and an halfe they discouered 250. leagues as they affirme and peopled the citie of Panama In this very yéere 1515. in the moneth of May Alfonsus de Albuquerque gouernour of India sent from the citie of Ormuz one Fernando Gomes de Lemos as ambassadour vnto Xec or Shaugh Ismael king of Persia and it is declared that they trauailed in it 300. leagues and that it is a pleasant countrey like vnto France This Xeâ— or Shaugh Ismael went on hunting and fishing for troutes whereof there are many And there be the fairest women in all the world And so Alexander the great affirmed when he called them The women with golden eies And this yéere this woorthy Viceroy Alfonsus de Albuquerque died In the yéere 1416. and one hundred yéeres after the taking of Ceuta in Barbaâ—ie Lopez Suares being gouernour of India there was a dispatch made by the commandement of the kings highnes vnto one Fernando Perez de Andrada to passe to the great countrey and kingdome of China He went from the citie of Cochin in the moneth of Aprill They receiued pepper being the principal marchandise to be sold in all China of any value And he was farther commanded by the king Don Emmanuel to goe also to Bengala with his letter and dispatch to a knight called Iohn Coelo This was the first Portugall as farre as I know which drunke of the water of the riuer Ganges This yéere 1516. died Don Fernando king of Spaine In the yéere 1517. this Fernando Perez went vnto the citie of Malacha and in the moneth of Iune he departed from thence towards China with eight sailes fower Portugals and the others Malayans He arriued in China And because he could not come on land without an ambassage there was one Thomas Perez which had order for it and he went from the citie of Canton where they came to an anker They went by land fower hundred leagues and came vnto the citie of Pekin where the king was for this prouince and countrey is the biggest that is in the worlde It beginneth at Sailana in twentie degrées of latitude towards the north and it endeth almost in 50. degrées Which must be 500. leagues in length and they say that it containeth 300. leagues in bredth Fernando Perez was 14. moneths in the Isle Da Veniaga learning as much as he could of the countrey according as the king his master had commanded him And although one Raphael Perestrello had beene there in a Iunke or barke of certaine marchants of Malaca yet vnto Fernando Perez there ought to be giuen the praise of this discouerie as well for that he had commandement from the king as in discouering so much with Thomas Perez by land and George Mascarenhas by sea and for coasting vnto the citie of Foquiem standing in 24. degrees of latitude In this same yéere 1517. Charles which afterward was Emperour came into Spaine and tooke possession thereof And in the same yéere Francis Fernandes de Cordoua Christopher Morantes and Lopez Ochoa armed thrée ships at their owne proper charges from the Island of Cuba They had also with them a barke of Diego Velasques who then was gouernour They
came on land in Iucatan standing in 20. degrées of latitude at a point which they called Punta de las Duennas that is to say The point of Ladies which was the first place wherein they had séen Temples and buildings of lime and stone The people here goe better apparelled then in any other place They haue crosses which they worship setting them vpon their tombes when they be buried Wherby it séemeth that in times past they had in that place the faith of Christ among them And some say that thereabouts were The seuen Cities They went round about it towards the north which is on the right hand from whence they turned backe vnto the Island of Cuba with some examples of gold and men which they had taken And this was the first beginning of the discouerie of New Spaine In the yéere 1518. Lopez Suares commanded Don Iohn de Silueira to goe to the Islands of Maldiua and he made peace with them and from thence he went to the citie of Chatigam situated on the mouth of the riuer Ganges vnder the Tropicke of Cancer For this riuer and the riuer Indus which standeth an hundred leagues beyond the citie of Diu and that of Canton in China doe all fall in t the sea vnder one parallele or latitude And although before that time Fernan Perez had béen commanded to goe to Bengala yet notwithstanding Iohn de Silueira ought to beare away the commendation of this discouerie because he went as captaine generall and remained there longest learning the commodities of the countrey and maners of the people In the said yéere 1518. the first day of May Diego Velasques gouernour of the Island of Cuba sent his nephew Iohn de Grisalua with fower ships two hundred soldiers to discouer the land of Iucatan And they founde in their way the Island of Cosumel standing towards the north in 19. degrées and named it Santa Cruz because they came to it the third of May. They coasted the land lying vpon the left hand of the Gulfe and came to an Island called Ascension because they came vnto it vpon Ascension day They went vnto the end of it standing in 16. degrées of latitude from whence they came backe because they could finde no place to goe out at and from hence they went round about it to another riuer which they called The riuer of Grisalua standing in 17. degrées of latitude the people thereabout troubled them sore yet notwithstanding they brought from thence some gold siluer and feathers being there in great estimation and so they turned backe againe to the Island of Cuba In the same yéere 1518. one Francis Garay armed thrée ships in the Isle of Iamaica at his owne charges and went towards the point of Florida standing in 25. degrées towards the north séeming to them to be an Island most pleasant thinking it better to people Islands then the firme land because they could best conquere them and kéepe them They went there on land but the people of Florida killed many of them so that they durst not inhabite it So they sailed along the coast and came vnto the riuer of Panuco standing 500. leagues from the point of Florida in sailing along the coast but the people resisted them in euery place Many of them also were killed in Chila whom the Sauages flaied and eate hanging vp their skinnes in their Temples in memoriall of their valiantnes Notwithstanding all thiâ— Francis de Garay went thither the next yéere and begged the gouernment of that countrey of the Emperour because he sawe in it some shew of gold and siluer In the yeere 1519. in the moneth of Februarie Fernando Cortes went from the Island of Cuba to the land which is called Noua Spania with 11. ships and 550. Spanyards in them The first place where he went on land was the Island of Cosumel where they immediately destroied all the Idols and set crosses on the altars and the images of the virgine Marie From this Island they went and arriued on the firme land of Iucatan at the point De las Duenâ—as or the point of Ladies and went thence to the riuer of Tauasco and set vpon a citie fast by called Potoncian inuironed with wood and the houses were built with lime and stone and couered with tile they fought there egarly and there appeered vnto them S. Iames on horsebacke which increased their courage They called that citie Victoria and they were the first people which were subdued to the Spanyards obedience in all Newe Spaine From hence they went discouering the coast till they came vnto a place named S. Iohn de Vllhua distant as they said from Mexico where the king Muteçuma was 60. or 70. leagues and there was a seruant of his that gouerned that prouince named Tendilli which gaue them good entertainment although they vnderstood not one another But Cortes had 20. women whereof one was called Marine borne in thaâ— countrey They were the first that were baptized in New Spaine And from that time forward Marine and Aguilar serued as interpreters Tendilli presently gaue knowledge of this vnto Muteçuma that a kinde of bearded people were arriued in his countrey for so they called the Castillians But he was troubled vpon that newes for his Gods which are to be thought to be diuels had told him that such people as the Spanyards were should destroy his law and countrey and be Lords thereof And therefore he sent gifts vnto Cortes in value 20. thousand ducats but would not come to him Because S. Iohn de Vllhua was then no place for a nauie to ride in Cortes sent Francis de Montâ—io and the pilot Antonie Alaminos in two brigandines to discouer that coast who came to a place where they might ride without danger They came to Panuco standing in 23. degrées northward from whence they came backe vpon an agreement to goe vnto Culuacan being an hauen of more safetie They set saile but Cortes went by land westward with the most part of his men on horsebacke and they came vnto a citie called Zempoallan where they were well receiued And from thence he went to another towne called Chiauitztlan with the Lord of which towne as with all the countrey besides he made league to be against Muteçuma And when he knew that his ships were come he went vnto them and there builded a towne and called it Villa rica de la vera cruz From whence he sent vnto Charles the Emperour a present and made report of all that he had done and how he determined to goe to Mexico and to visite Muteçuma and besought the Emperour to giue him the gouernment of that countrey And because his people should not rise in mutinie as they began he destroied all his ships Cortes presently went from Villa rica de la vera Cruz leauing there 150. Spanish horsemen and many Indians to serue
them and the villages round about became his friends He went vnto the citie of Zempoallan there he heard newes that Francis Garay was on the coast with fower ships to come on land And by subtiltie he got nine of his men of whom he vnderstood that Garay had béene in Florida and came vnto the riuer Panuco where he got some golde determining to stay there in a towne which is now called Almeria Cortos ouerthrew the idols in Zempoallan the tombes of their kings whome they worshipped as Gods and tolde them that they were to worship the true God From thence he went toward Mexico the 16. day of August 1519. and trauailed thrée daies iourney and came to the citie of Zalapan and to another beyond it named Sicuchimatl where they were well receiued and offered to be conducted to Mexico because Muteçuma had giuen such commandement Beyond this place he passed with his companie a certaine hill of thrée leagues high wherein there were vines In another place they found aboue a thousand loades of wood ready cut and beyond they met with a plaine countrey and in going through the same he named it Nombre de Dios. At the bottome of the mountaine he rested in a towne called Teâ—hixuacan and from thence they went through a desolate countrey and so came to another mountaine that was very colde and full of snow and they lay in a towne named Zaclotan And so from towne to towne they were well receiued and feasted till they came into another realme named Tlaxcallan which waged warre against Muteçuma and being valiant they skirmished with Cortes but in the end they agréed and entred into league with him against the Mexicans and so they went from countrey to countrey till they came within fight of Mexico The king Muteçuma fearing them gaue them good entertainment with lodging and all things necessarie and they were with this for a time contented but mistrusting that he and his should be slaine he tooke Muteçuma prisoner and brought him to his lodging with good garde Cortes demanded how farre his realme did extend and sought to know the mines of gold and siluer that were in it and how many kings neighbours to Muteçuma dwelled therein requiring certaine Indians to be informed thereof whereof he had eight prouided and he ioined to them eight Spanyards and sent them two and two into fower countreyes namely into Zuçolla Malinaltepec Tenich Tututepec They which went vnto Zuçolla went 80. leagues for so much it was from Mexico thither They which went to Mahnaltepec went 70. leagues séeing goodly countries and brought examples of gold which the naturals of the countrey tooke out of great riuers and all this prouince belonged vnto Muteçuma The countrey of Tenich and vp the riuer were not subiect to Muteçuma but had warre with him and would not suffeâ— the Mexicans to enter into their territorie They sent ambassadors vnto Cortes with presents offering him their estate and amitie whereof Muteçuma was nothing glad They which went to Tututepec standing néere the South sea did also bring with them examples of gold and praised the pleasantnes of the countrey and the multitude of good harbours vpon that coast shewing to Cortes a cloth of cotton wooll all wouen with goodly workes wherein all the coast with the hauens and créekes were set foorth But this thing then could not be prosecuted by reason of the comming of Pamphilus de Naruaez into the countrey who set all the kingdome of Mexico in an vprore In this yéere 1519. the tenth day of August one Fernande de Magallanes departed from Siuill with fiue ships toward the Islands of Maluco he went along the coast of Brasill till he came vnto the riuer of Plate which the Castillians had before discouered From thence therefore he began his discouerie and came vnto an hauen which he called The Porte of Saint Iulian standing in 49. degrées and there he entred and wintred they endured much cold by reason of snow and ice the people of that countrey they found to be of great stature and of great strength taking men by the legs and renting them in the middest as easily as one of vs will rent an hen they liue by fruits and hunting They called them Patagones but the Brasilians doe call them Morcas In the yéere 1520. in the beginning of the moneth of September growing then somewhat temperate they went out of the port and riuer of Saint Iulian hauing lost in it one of their ships and with the other fâ—wer he came vnto the Streights named after the name of Magâ—llanes standing in 52. degrées and a halfe From thence one of the ships returned backe vnto Castile whereof was captaine and pilot one Stephen de Porto a Portugall and the other thrée went forward entring into a mightie sea called Pacificum without séeing any inhabited land till they came in 13. degrées towards the north of the Equinoctiall in which latitude they came vnto Islands which they called Los Iardines and from thence they sailed to the Archipelagus of S. Lazarus and in one of the Islands called Matan Magallanes was slaine and his ship was burnt and the other two went vnto Borneo and so from place to place they went backe vntill they came to the Islands of Malâ—cos leauing many others discouered which I rehearse not because I finde not this voiage exactly written About this time Pope Leo the tenth sent one Paulus Centurio as ambassadour to the greot Duke of Moscouie to wish him to send into India an armie along the coast of Tartarie And by the reasons of this ambassadour the said Duke was almost persuaded vnto that action if other inconueniences had not letted him In this same yéere 1520. in Februarie Diego Lopes de Sequeira gouernour of India went towards the Streight of Mecha and carried with him the ambassadour of Presbyter Iohn and Roderigo de Lima who also went as ambassadour to him They came vnto the Island of Maçua standing in the Red sea on the side of Africa in 17. degrées towards the north where he set the ambassadours on land with the Portugals that should goe with them Peter de Couillan had béene there before being sent thither by king Iohn the second of Portugall but yet Francis Aluarez gaue principall light and knowledge of that countrey In the yeere 1520. the licenciate Lucas Vasques de Aillon and other inhabitants of S. Domingo furnished two ships and sent them to the Isles of Lucayos to get slaues and finding none they passed along by the firme land beyond Florida vnto certaine countreyes called Chicora and Gualdapé vnto the riuer Iordan and the Cape of Saint Helena standing in 32. degrées toward the north They of the countrey came downe to the sea side to see the ships as hauing neuer before séene the like The Spanyards went on
other things of the countrey and they of Tecoantepec did the like and not long after this Casique sent for aide to Cortes against his neighbours which did warre against him In the yéere 1523. Cortes sent vnto him for his aide Peter de Aluarado with two hundred soldiers footemen and fortie horsemen and the Caciques of Tecoantepec and Quahutemallan asked them for the monsters of the sea which came thither the yéere past meaning the ships of Gil Gonsales de Auila being greatly amazed at the sight of them and woondring much more when they heard that Cortes had bigger then those and they painted vnto them a mightie Carake with sixe masts and sailes and shroudes and men armed on horsebacke This Aluarado went through the countrey and builded there the city of Sant Iago or Saint Iames and a towne which he called Segura leauing certaine of his people in it In the same yeere 1523. in the moneth of May Antonie de Britto being captaine of the Isles of Maluco sent his cosen Simon de Breu to learne the way by the Isle of Borneo to Malaca They came in sight of the Islands of Manada and Panguensara They went through the straight of Treminao and Taguy and to the Islands of Saint Michael standing in 7. degrées and from thence discouered the Islands of Borneo and had sight of Pedra branca or the White stone and passed through the straight of Cincapura so to the citie of Malaca In this same yéere 1523. Cortes went with 300. footemen and 150. horsemen and 40000. Mexicans to Panuco both to discouer it better and also to inhabite it and withall to be reuenged vpon them which had killed and eaten the soldiers of Francis Garay They of Panuco resisted him but Cortes in the end ouerthrew them and conquered the countrey And hard by Chila vpon the riuer he built a towne and named it Santo Stephano del puerto leauing in it 100. footemen and thirtie horsemen and one Peter de Vallâ—io for lieutenant This iourney cost him 76. thousand Castillians besides the Spanyards horses and Maxicans which died there In this yéere 1523. Francis de Garay made nine ships and two brigandines to goe to Panuco and to Rio de las Palmas to be there as gouernour for that the Emperour had granted vnto him from the coast of Florida vnto Panuco in regard of the charges which he had béene at in that discouerie He carried with him 850. soldiers and 140. horses and some men out of the Island of Iamaica where he furnished his fléet with munition for the warre and he went vnto Xagua an hauen in the Island of Cuba where he vnderstood that Cortes had peopled the coast of Panuco and that it might not happen vnto him as it did to Pamphilus de Naruaez he determined to take another companion with him and desired the Doctor Zuazo to goe to Mexico and procure some agréement betwéene Cortes and him And they departed from Xagua each one about his busines Zuazo came in great ieoperdie and Garay went not cléere without Garay arriued in Rio de las Palmas on S. Iames his day and then he sent vp the riuer one Gonsaluo de Ocampo who at his returne declared that it was an euill and desert countrey but notwithstanding Garay went there on land with 400. footemen and some horsemen and he commanded one Iohn de Grijalua to search the coast and he himselfe marched by land towards Panuco and passed a riuer which he named Rio montalco he entred into a great towne where they found many hennes wherewith they refreshed themselues and he tooke some of the people of Chila which he vsed for messengers to certaine places And after great trauaile comming to Panuco they found no victuailes there by reason of the warres of Cortes and the spoile of the soldiers Garay then sent one Gonçalo de Ocampo to Sant Isteuan del puerto to know whether they would receiue him or no. They had a good answere But Cortes his men priuily by an ambushment tooke 40. of Garayes horsemen alleaging that they came to vsurpe the gouernment of another and besides this misfortune he lost fower of his ships whereupon he left off to procéede any farther While Cortes was preparing to set forward to Panuco Francis de las Casas and Roderigo de la Paz arriued at Mexico with letters patents wherein the Emperour gaue the gouernment of Nueua Spagna and all the countrey which Cortes had conquered to Cortes and namely Panuco Whereupon he staied his iourney But he sent Diego de Ocampo with the said letters patents and Pedro de Aluarado with store of footemen and horsemen Garay knowing this thought it best to yéeld himselfe vnto Cortes his hands and to go to Mexico which thing he did hauing discouered a great tract of land In this yéere 1523. Gil Gonçales de Auila made a discouerie and peopled a towne called San Gil de buena vista standing in 14. degrées toward the north and almost in the bottome of the Bay called the Ascension or the Honduras He began to conquere it because he best knew the secrets thereof and that it was a very rich countrey In this yéere 1523. the sixt day of December Peter de Aluarado went from the citie of Mexico by Cortes his commandement to discouer conquere Quahutemallan Vtlatlan Chiapa Xochnuxco and other townes toward the South sea He had with him thrée hundred soldiers 170. horsemen foure field péeces and some noble men of Mexico with people of the countrey to aide him as well in the warre as by the way being long He went by Tecoantepec to Xochnuxco and other places aboue said with great trauaile and losse of his men but he discouered and subdued all the countrey There are in those parts certaine hils that haue Alume in them and out of which distilleth a certaine liquor like vnto oile and sulphur or brimstone whereof the Spanyards made excellent gunpowder He trauailed 400. leagues in this voiage and passed certaine riuers which were so hot that they could not well endure to wade through them He builded a citie calling it Sant Iago de Quahutemallan Peter de Aluarado begged the gouernment of this countrey and the report is that it was giuen him In the yeere 1523. the 8. day of December Cortes sent Diego de Godoy with 100. footemen and 30. horsemen two field péeces and many of his friends Indians vnto the towne Del Espiritu santo He ioined himselfe with the captaine of that towne and they went to Chamolla the head citie of that prouince and that being taken all the countrey grew quiet In the yéere 1524. in Februarie Cortes sent one Roderigo Rangel with 150. Spaniards and many of the Tlaxcallans and Mexicans against the Zapoteeas and Nixticas and vnto other prouinces and countreyes not so well discouered
of Nicaragua which springeth out of a lake thrée or fower leagues from the South sea and falleth into the North sea whereupon doe saile great barks and crayers The other place is from Tecoantepee through a riuer to Verdadera Cruz in the Bay of the Honduras which also might be opened in a streight Which if it were done then they might saile from the Canaries vnto the Malucos vnder the climate of the Zodiake in lesse time and with much lesse danger then to saile about the Cape de Bona Sperança or by the streight of Magelan or by the Northwest And yet if there might be found a streight there to saile into the sea of China as it hath béene sought it would doe much good In this yéere 1529 one Damian de Goes a Portugal being in Flanders after that he had trauailed ouer all Spaine was yet desirous to sée more countreyes and fashions and diuersities of people and therefore went ouer into England and Scotland and was in the courts of the kings of those parts and after that came againe into Flanders and then trauailed through Zealand Holland Brabant Luxenburge Suitzerland and so through the cities of Colen Spyres Argentine Basill and other parts of Alemaine then came backe againe into Flanders and from thence he went into France through Picardie Normandie Champaine Burgundie the dukedome of Borbon Gascoigne Languedoc Daulphinie the dukedome of Sauoy and passed into Italy into the dukedome of Millaine Ferrara Lombardie and so to Venice and turned backe againe to the territorie of Genoa and the dukedome of Florence through all Tuscane and he was in the citie of Rome and in the kingdome of Naples from the one side to the other From thence he went into Germanie to Vlmes and other places of the Empire to the dukedome of Sueuia and of Bauier and the Archdukedome of Austrich the kingdome of Boeme the dukedome of Morania and the kingdome of Hungarie and so to the confines of Graecia From thence he went to the kingdome of Poland Prussia and the dukedome of Liuonia and so came into the great dukedome of Moscouia From whence he came backe into High Alemayne and through the countreyes of the Lantzgraue the dukedome of Saxonie the countreyes of Denmarke Gotland and Norway trauailing so farre that he found himselfe in 70. degrées of latitude towards the North. He did sée speake and was conuersant with all the kings princes nobles and chiefe cities of all Christendome in the space of 22. yéeres So that by reason of the greatnes of his trauell I thought him a man woorthie to be here remembred In the yéere 1529. or 1530. one Melchior de Sofa Tauarez went from the citie of Ormuz vnto Balfera and the Islands of Gissara with certaine ships of warre and passed vp as farre as the place where the riuers Tygris and Euphrates méete one with the other And although other Portugals had discouered and sailed through that streight yet neuer any of them sailed so farre vpon the fresh water till that time when he discouered that riuer from the one side to the other wherein he saw many things which the Portugals knew not Not long after this one Ferdinando Coutinho a Portugall came vnto Ormuz and being desirous to sée the world he determined to goe into Portugall from thence ouer land to sée Asia and Europe And to doe this the better he went into Arabia Persia and vpwards the riuer Euphrates the space of a moneth and saw many kingdomes and countreies which in our time had not béene séene by the Portugals He was taken prisoner in Damasco and afterward crost ouer the prouince of Syria and came vnto the citie of Alepo He had béene at the holy Sepulchre in Ierusalem and in the citie of Cayro and at Constantinople with the Great Turke and hauing séene his court he passed ouer vnto Venice and from thence into Italie France Spaine and so came againe to Lisbon So that he and Damian de Goes were in our time the most noble Portugals that had discouered and séene most countreyes and realmes of their owne affections In the same yéere 1530. little more or lesse one Francis Pisarro which had béene in Spaine to obtaine the gouernment of Peru turned backe againe to the citie of Panama with all things that he desired he brought with him fower brethren Ferdinand Iohn Gonzaluo and Francis Martines de Alcantara They were not well receiued by Diego de Almagro and his friends for that Pisarro had not so much commended him to the Emperour as he looked for but omitted the discouerie wherein he had lost one of his eies and spent much yet in the end they agreed and Diegro de Almagro gaue vnto Pisarro 700. pezoes of golde victuailes and munition wherewith he prepared himselfe the better for his iourney Not long after this agréement Francis Pisarro and his brethren went in two ships with the most of their soldiers and horses but he could not arriue at Tumbez as he was minded and so they went on land in the riuer of Peru and went along the coast with great paines because there were many bâ—gs and riuers in their way wherein some of his men were drowned They came to the towne of Coaché where they rested where they found much gold and emeraulds of which they brake some to sée if they were perfect From thence Pisarro sent to Diego de Almagro twentie thousand pezoes of gold to send him men horses munition and victuailes and so he went on his iourney to the hauen named Porto Viejo and thither came vnto him one Sebastian de Benalcazar with all such things as had sent for which pleased and pleasured him very much In the yéere 1531. he hauing this aide passed ouer into a rich Island called Puna where he was well receiued of the gouernour yet at last he conspired to kill him and all his men but Pisarro preuented him and tooke many of the Indians and bound them with chaines of gold and siluer The gouernour caused those that kept his wines to haue their noses armes and priuie members to be cut off so iealous was he Here Pisarro found aboue sixe hundred men prisoners belonging to the king Attabalipa who waged warre against his eldest brother Guascar to winne reputation These he set at libertie and sent them to the citie of Tombez who promised to be a meane that he should be well receiued in those partes But when they saw themselues out of bondage they forgat their promise and incited the people against the Spaniards Then Pisarro sent thrée Spaniards to Tombez to treate for peace whome they tooke and slew and sacrificed and their priestes wept not for pitie but of custome Pisarro hearing of this cruell fact passed ouer to the maine and set vpon the citie one night suddenly and killed many of them so that they presented him with gifts of gold and siluer and other riches and so became friends This done he builded
Xalisco and told Nunnes de Gusman that they had found tokens of pearles he went into the ship and so went to séeke the pearles he discouered along the coast aboue 150. leagues They said that Ferdinando de Grijalua sailed thrée hundred leagues from Tecoantepec without seeing any land but onely one Island which he named The Isle of Saint Thomas because he came vnto it on that Saints day it standeth in 20. degrées of latitude In this yéere 1535. Pisarro builded the citie de los Reyes vpon the riuer of Lima. The inhabitants of Xauxa went to dwell there because it was a better countrey standing in 12. degrées of southerly latitude In this same yéere of 1535. he caused the citie of Truxillo to be builded on a riuers side vpon a fruitfull soile standing in 8. degrées on that side He built also the citie of Saint Iago in Porto Viejo besides many others along the sea coast and within the land where there bréede many horses asses mules kine hogs goates shéepe and other beasts also trées and plants but principally rosemary oranges limons citrons and other sower fruits vines wheate barlie and other graines radishes and other kinde of herbage and fruits brought out of Spaine thither to be sowne and planted In the same yéere 1535. one Diego de Almagro went from the citie of Culco to the prouinces of Arequipa and Chili reaching beyond Cusco towards the South vnto 30. degrées This voiage was long and he discouered much land suffering great hunger cold and other extremities by reason of the abundance of ice which stoppeth the running of the riuers so that men and horses die in those parts of the colde About this time Ferdinando Pilarro came out of Spaine to the citie de los Reyes and brought with him the title of Marquisate of Atanillos for his brother Francis Pisarro vnto Diego de Almagro he brought the gouernment of 100. leagues ouer and besides that which was discouered and named it The New kingdome of Toledo Ferdinando Pilarro went straight to the citie of Cusco and one Iohn de Rada went to Almagro into Chili with the Emperours patents Diego de Almagro hauing receiued the letters patents which the Emperour had sent him went straight from Chili vnto Cusco to haue it séeing it did appertaine vnto him Which was the cause of a ciuill warre They were mightily oppressed with want of victuailes and other things in this their returne and were enforced to eate the horses which had died fower moneths and a halfe before when they passed that way In this same yéere 1535. Nunnez DacunÌ„a being gouernour of India while he was making a fortresse at the citie of Diu he sent a fleete to the riuer of Indus being froÌ„ thence 90. or 100. leagues towards the north vnder the Tropicke of Cancer The captaines name was Vasques Perez de San Paio also he sent another armie against Badu the king of Cambaia the captaine whereof was Cosesofar a renegado They came to the barre of that mighty riuer in the moneth of December of the water whereof they found such trial as Quintus Curtius writeth of it when Alexander came thither In this yeere 1535. one Simon de Alcazaua went from Siuill with two ships and 240. Spaniards in them Some say they went to New Spaine others that they went to Maluco but others also say to China where they had béene with Ferdinando Perez de Andrada Howsoeuer it was they went first vnto the Canaries and from thence to the streight of Magelan without touching at the land of Brasill or any part at all of that coast They entred into the streight in the moneth of December with contrarie windes and cold weather The soldiers would haâ—â— had him turne backe againe but he would not He went into an hauen on the South side in 53. degrées There the captaine Simon of Alcazaua commanded Roderigo de Isla with 60. Spanyards to goe and discouer land but they rose vp against him and killed him and appointed such captaines and officers as pleased them and returned Comming thwart of Brasil they lost one of their ships vpon the coast and the Spanyards that escaped drowning were eaten by the Sauages The other ship went to Saint Iago in Hispaniola and from thence to Siuill in Spaine In this same yéere 1535. Don Pedro de Mendoça went from Cadiz towards the riuer of Plate with twelue ships and had with him two thousand men which was the greatest number of ships and men that euer any captaine carried into the Indies He died by the way returning homewards The most part of his men remained in that riuer and builded a great towne containing now two thousand houses wherein great store of Indians dwell with the Spanyards They discouered and conquered the countrey till they came to the mines of Potossi and to the towne La Plata which is 500. leagues distant from them In the yéere 1536. Cortes vnderstanding that his ship wherein Fortunio Ximenez was pilote was seased on by Nunnez de Guzman he sent foorth thrée ships to the place where Guzman was and he himselfe went by land well accompanied and found the ship which he sought all spoiled and rifled When his thrée other ships were come about he went aboord himselfe with the most part of his men and horses leauing for captaine of those which remained on land one Andrew de Tapia So he set saile and comming to a point the first day of May he called it Saint Philip and an Island that lieth fast by it he called Sant Iago Within three daies after he came into the bay where the pilot Fortunio Ximenez was killed which he called La plaia de Santa Cruz where he went on land and commanded Andrew de Tapia to discouer Cortes tooke shipping againe and came to the riuer now called Rio de San Pedro y San Paulo where by a tempest the ships were separated one was driuen to the bay de Santa Cruz another to the riuer of Guajaual and the third was driuen on shore hard by Xalisco and the men thereof went by land to Mexico Cortes long expected his two ships that he wanted but they not comming he hoised saile entred into the Gulfe now called Mar de Cortes Mar Vermejo or the Gulfe of California and shot himselfe 50. leagues within it where he espied a ship at anker sailing towards her he had béene lost if that ship had not succored him But hauing graued his ship he departed with both the ships from thence Hée bought victuals at a déere rate at Saint Michael of Culhuacan and from thence he went to the hauen of Santa Cruz where hée heard that Don Antonio de Mendoça was come out of Spaine to be Viceroy He therefore left to be captaine of his men one Francis de Vlloa to send him certaine ships to discouer that coast While he was
Andes which diuide Brasill from the empire of the Ingas After this maner the mountaines of Taurus and Imaus diuide Asia into two parts which mountaines begin in 36. and 37. degrées of northerly latitude at the end of the Mediterran sea ouer against the Isles of Rhodes and Cyprus running still towards the East vnto the sea of China And so likewise the mountaines of Atlas in Africa diuide the tawnie Moores from the blacke Moores which haue frisled haire beginning at mount Meâ—es about the desert of Barca and running along vnder the Tropicke of Cancer vnto the Atlanticke Ocean The mountains of the Andes be high ragged and in some places barren without trées or grasse whereon it raineth and snoweth most commonly Vpon them are windes and sudden blastes there is likewise such scarcitie of wood that they make fire of turffes as they do in Flanders In some places of these mountaines and countries the earth is of diuers colours as blacke white red gréene blew yellow and violet wherewith they die colours without any other mixture From the bottomes of these mountaines spring many small and great riuers principally from the east side as appéereth by the riuers of the Amazones of S. Francis of Plata and many others which runne through the countrey of Brasil being larger then those of Peru or those of Castilia del oro There grow on these mountaines many turneps rapes and other such like rootes and herbes One there is like vnto Aipo or Rue which beareth a yellow flower and healeth all kinde of rotten sores and if you apply it vnto whole and cleane flesh it will eate it vnto the bone so that it is good for the vnsound and naught for the whole They say there be in these mountains tigers lions beares woolues wilde cats foxes Dante 's Ounces hogs and déere birdes as well rauenous as others and the most part of them are blacke as vnder the North both beasts birdes be white Also there be great terrible snakes which destroied a whole armie of the Ingas passing that way yet they say that an olde woman did inchant them in such sort that they became so gentle that a man might sit vpon one of them The countrey of Peru adioining vnto the mountaines of Andes westward toward the sea and containing 15. or 20. leagues in bredth is all of very hot sand yet fresh bringing foorth many good trées and fruites because it is well watered where there growe abundance of flags rushes herbes and trées so slender and loose that laying your hands vpon them the leaues will fall off And among these herbes and fresh flowers the men and women liue and abide without any houses or bedding euen as the cattell doe in the fields and some of them haue tailes They be grosse and weare long haire They haue no beards yet haue they diuers languages Those which liue on the tops of these mountains of Andes betwéene the cold and the heate for the most part be blinde of one eie and some altogether blinde and scarce you shall finde two men of them together but one of them is halfe blinde Also there groweth in these fields notwithstanding the great heate of the sand good Maiz and Potatos and an herbe which they name Coca which they carrie continually in their mouthes as in the East India they vse another herbe named Betele which also they say satisfieth both hunger and thirst Also there are other kindes of graines and rootes whereon they féede Moreouer there is plentie of wheate barly millet vines and fruitful trées which are brought out of Spaine and planted there For all these things prooue well in this countrey because it is so commodiously watered Also they sow much cotton wooll which of nature is white red blacke gréene yellow orange tawnie and of diuers other colours Likewise they affirme that from Tumbez southward it doth neither raine thunder nor lighten for the space of fiue hundred leagues of land but at some times there falleth some little shower Also it is reported that from Tumbez to Chili there breede no peacocks hennes cocks nor eagles falcons haukes kites nor any other kinde of rauening fowles and yet there are of them in all other regions and countreies but there are many duckes géese herous pigeons partriges quailes and many other kindes of birdes There are also a certaine kinde of fowle like vnto a ducke which hath no wings to flie withall but it hath fine thinne feathers which all the body Likewise there are bitters that make war with the seale or sea wolfe for finding them out of the water they will labour to picke out their eies that they may not sée to get to the water againe and then they doe kill them They say it is a pleasant sight to behold the fight betwéene the said bitters and seales With the beards of these seales men make cleane their téeth because they be wholesome for the toothach There are certaine beastes which those of the countrey call Xacos and the Spanyards shéepe because they beare wooll like vnto a shéepe but are made much like vnto a déere hauing a a saddle backe like vnto a camell They will carrie the burteen of 100. weight The Spanyards ride vpon them and when they be wearie they will turne their heads backward and void out of their mouthes a woonderful stinking water From the riuer of Plata and Lima southward there bréede no crocodiles nor lizards no snakes nor any kinde of vene mous vermine but great store of good fishes bréede in those riuers On the coast of Saint Michael in The South sea there are many rocks of salt couered with egges On the point of Saint Helena are certaine Well springs which cast foorth a liquor that serueth in stead of pitch and tarre They say that in Chili there is a fountaine the water whereof will conuert wood into stone In the hauen of Truxillo there is a lake of fresh water and the bottome thereof is of good hard salt In the Andes beyond Xauxa there is a riuer of fresh water in the bottome whereof there lieth white salt Also they affirme by the report of those of the countrey that there haue dwelt giants in Peru of whose statures they found in Porto viejo and in the hauen of Truxillo bones and iawes with téeth which were thrée and fower fingers long In the yeere 1540. the captaine Ferdinando Alorchon went by the commandement of the Viceroy Don Antonio de Mendoça with two ships to discouer the bottome of the gulfe of California and diuers other countries In this yeere 1540. Gonsaluo Pisarro went out of the citie of Quito to discouer the countrey of Canell or Cinamome a thing of great fame in that countrey He had with him two hundred Spanyards horsemen and footemen and thrée hundred Indians to carrie burthens He went forward til he came to Guixos which is the farthest place gouerned by the Ingas where there happened a great
sisters And beyond them also they saw 4. islands more which they called los Volcanes The second of October they had sight of Farsana beyond which there standeth an high pointed rock which casteth out fire at 5. places So sayling in 16. degrées of northerly latitude from whence they had come as it seemeth wanting winde they arriued againe at the Islands of the Philippinas They had sight of 6. or 7. Islands more but they ankered not at them They found also an Archipelagus of Islands well inhabited with people lying in 15. or 16. degrées the people be white and the weomen well proportioned and more beautifull and better arraied then in any other place of those parts hauing many iewels of gold which was a token that there was some of that metal in the same countrie Here were also barkes of 43. cubits in length and 2. fathomes and a halfe in bredth and the plankes 5. inches thicke which barkes were rowed with â—ares They told the Spaniards that they vsed to saile in them to China and that if they would go thither they should haue pilots to conduct them the countrie not being aboue 5. or 6. daies sayling from thence There came vnto them also certaine barkes or boates handsomely decked wherein the Master and principall men sate on high and vnderneath were very blacke moores with frizled haire and being demanded where they had these black moores they answered that they had them from certaine Islands standing fast by Sebut where there were many of them a thing that the Spaniards much maruailed at because from thence it was aboue 300. leagues to the places where the black people were Therefore it seemed that they were not naturally borne in that climate but that they be in certaine places scattered ouer the whole circuite of the world For euen so they be in the Islands of Nicobar and Andeman which stand in the gulfe of Bengala and from thence by the space of 500. leagues we doe not know of any blacke people Also Vasco Nunez de Valboa declareth that as he went to discouer The South sea in a certaine land named Quareca he found black people with frizled haire whereas there were neuer any other found either in Noua Spagna or in Castilia del Oro or in Peru. In the yéere 1544. Don Gutierre de Vargas bishop of Placenza sent a fléet from the city of Siuil vnto the streits of Magellan which is reported to haue béene done by the counsel of the vizeroy Don Antonie de Mendoça his cousin Some suspeâ—ed that they went to Maluco others to China others that they went onely to discouer the land betwixt the streite and the land of Peru on the other side of Chili because it was reported to be very rich in gold and siluer But this fléete by reason of contrary windes could not passethâ— streit yet one small barke passed the same and sailed along the coast and discouered all the land till he came vnto Chirimai and Arequipa which was aboue 500. leagues for the rest was alreadie discouered by Diego de Almagro and Francis Pizarro and their captaines and people at diuers times By this it appéereth that from The streit to the Equinoctial line on both sides is wholy discouered In the yéere 1545. in the moneth of Ianuarie Rui Lopez de villa Lobos and Giraldo with the Castilians came to the Island of Moro and the citie of Camafo where they were well receiued of the kings of Gilolo and Tidore and of the people of the countrey because Antony Galuano was gone and put the captaine Don George de Castro to great trouble as appéered by those things which passed betwéene him and the Portugals and the great expences whereunto he put the fortresse In the same yéere 1545. Rui Lopez de villa Lobos sent from the Island of Tidore another ship towards New Spaine by the south side of the line wherein was captaine one Inigo Ortez de Rotha and for pilot one Iaspar Rico. They sailed to the coast of Os Papuas and ranged all along the same and because they knew not that Saauedra had béene there before they chalenged the honor and same of that discouerie And because the people there were blacke and had frisled haire they named it Nueua Guinea For the memorie of Saauedra as then was almost lost as all things else do fall into obliuion which are not recorded and illustrated by writing In this yéere 1545. and in the moneth of Iune there went a Iunk from the citie of Borneo wherein went a Portugall called Peter Fidalgo and by contrary windes he was driuen towards the north where he founde an Island standing in 9. or 10. degrées that stretched it selfe to 22. degrées of latitude which is called The Isle of the Luçones because the inhabitants thereof were so named It may haue some other name and harborowes which as yet we know not it runneth from the north vnto the southwest and standeth betwéene Mindanao and China They say they sailed along by it 250. leagues where the land was fruitfull and well couered and they affirme that there they will giue two Pezos of gold for one of siluer and yet it standeth not farre from the countrey of China In the yéere 1553. there went out of England certaine shipping and as it appéered they sailed northward along the coast of Norway and Finmark and from thence east till they came betwéene 70. and 80. degrées vnto Moscouie for so far one of the ships went but I know not what became of the rest this was the last discouery made vntil this time From this lande of Moscouie eastward you faile vnto Tartary and at the farther end of it standeth the countrey and prouince of China It is said that betwéene China and Tartary there is a wall aboue 200. leagues in length standing néere vnto 50. degrées of latitude Now I gather by all the precedent discoueries that the whole earth is in circuite 360. degrées according to the Geometrie thereof and to euery degrée the ancient writers allow 17. leagues a halfe which amount vnto 6300. leagues yet I take it that euerie degrée is iust 17. leagues Howsoeuer it be all is discouered and sailed from the east vnto the west almost euen as the sunne compasseth it but from the south to the north there is great difference for towardes the north pole there is found discouered no more then 77. or 78. degrées which come to 1326. leagues and towards the south pole there is discouered from the Equinoctiall to 52. or 53. degrées that is to the streit which Magellan passed through which amounteth to about 900. leagues and putting both these saide maine sums togither they amount to 2226. leagues Now take so many out of 6300. leagues there remaineth as yet vndiscouered north and south aboue the space of 4000. leagues FINIS Antonie Galuano Captaine of Maluco Variance vsually amonâ— the kings