goates Here is great plentie of geese duckes Duckes and hearons hearons Betwene these Ilandes and the continente he entered into soo narowe streyghtes that he coulde scarsely turne backe the shippes And these also so shalowe that the keele of the shyps sumtyme rased on the sandes The water of these streyghtes Streightes for the space of fortie myles was white and thycke lyke vnto mylke whyte and thicke water and as thowgh mele had byn sparkeled throwgh owte al that sea And when they had at the lengthe escaped these strayghtes and were nowe coome into a mayne and large sea and had sayled theron for the space of foure score myles they espyed an other excedinge hygh mountayne whyther the Admirall resorted to store his shyppes with fresshe water and fuel Heare amonge certeyne wooddes of date trees wooddes of date trees and pyneable trees of excedyng height he fownd two natiue sprynges of fresshe water In the meane tyme whyle the woodde was cuttynge and the barrelles fyllyng one of owre archers went into the wood to hunt where he espyed a certeyne man with a whyte vesture Men appareled like white fryers soo lyke a fryer of thorder of saynt Marye of Mercedis that at the fyrste sight he supposed it had byn the Admiralles preeste which he browght with hym beyng a man of the same order But two other folowed hym immediatlye owte of the same wooddes shortly after he sawe a farre of a hole coompany of men clothed in apparel beinge abowte .xxx. in nomber Then turning his backe and cryinge owte to his felowes he made haste to the shyppes with all that he myght dryue These apparelled men made signes and tokens to hym to tary and not to bee afrayde But that notwithstandinge he ceased not to flye The Admirall beinge aduertised hereof and not a lyttle reioysynge that he had fownde a ciuile people in continently sent forth armed men with commaundement that yf neede should soo requyre they shulde enter fortie myles into the Ilande vntyl they myght fynde eyther those apparelled men or other inhabitantes of that countrey When they hadde passed ouer the woodde they came into a greate playne full of grasse and herbes in which appeared no token of any pathe way Here attemptinge to goo throwgh the grasse and herbes they were soo entangled and bewrapte therin that they were scarsely able to passe a myle the grasse beinge there lyttle lower then owre rype corne grasse almost as hyghe as corne Beinge therfore weryed they were enforced to returne ageyne fyndyng no pathe way The day folowing he sent foorth .xxv. armed men an other way Commaunding them to make diligent searche and inquisition what maner of people inhabited the land Who departinge when they had fownde not farre from the sea syde certeyne steppes of wylde beastes Steppes of wyld beastes feete of the which they suspected sum to bee of Lyons feete being striken with feare returned backe ageyne As they came they fownde a woodde in the which were many natiue vines here and there crepinge abowte highe trees Natiue vines with many other trees bearinge aromaticall fruites and spyces Trees bearinge spyces and sweete fruites Of these vines they browght with them into Spaine many clusters of grapes very ponderous and full of lycoure But of the other fruites they browght none bycause they putrified by the waye in the shippe and were caste into the sea They saye also that in the laundes or medowes of those wooddes they sawe flockes of greate cranes twyse as bygge as owres Greate Cranes As he went forward and turned his sayles towarde certeyne other mountaines he espied two cotages on the shore in the whiche he sawe onely one man who beinge browght to the shyppe signified with heade fyngers and by al other signes that he coulde deuise that the lande which lay beyonde those mountaynes was very full of people And as the Admirall drewe nere the shore of the same there mette hym certeyne Canoas hauinge in them many people of the countrey who made signes and tokens of peace and frendeshyp But here Didacus thinterpretour whiche vnderstoode the language of thinhabitantes of the beginning of Cuba Dyuers languages in the Ilande of Cuba vnderstode not them one whytte wherby they consydred that in sundry prouinces of Cuba were sundry languages He had also intelligence that in the inlande of this Region was a kynge of greate power and accustomed to weare apparell He sayth that all the tracte of this shore was drowned with water and full of mudde besette with many trees after the maner of owre marysshes Yet whereas in this place they wente alande for fresshe water they fownde many of the shelfysshes in the whiche pearles are gathered Pearles in â—helfysshes But that coulde not cause the Admirall to tracte the tyme there entendinge at this viage only to proue howe many landes seas he coulde discouer accordinâ—e to the kynges commaundement As they yet proceded forwarde they sawe here and there al the waye alonge by the shore a great smoke rysinge vntyll they came to an other mountayne foure score myles distant There was no rocke or hyll that coulde be seene but the same was all of a smoke But whether these fyers were made by thinhabitantes for their necessary busynes or as we are wont to sette beacons on fyre when we suspecte thapproche of owre enemies thereby to gyue warninge to theyr neyghbours to bee in a redines and gather togyther if perhappes owre men shulde attempte any thinge ageynst them or otherwyse as seemethe most lykely to caule them togyther as to a wonder to behould owre shippes they knewe yet no certentie In this tracte the shores bended sumetyme towarde the Southe and sumetyme towarde the Weste and westesouthwest And the sea was euery where entangeled with Ilandes The sea entangeled with Ilandes by reason whereof the keeles of the shippes often tymes rased the sandes for shalownes of the water So that the shyppes beinge very sore brused and appayred the sayles cables and other tackelinges in maner rotten and the vytayles especially the byskette breade corrupted by takynge water at the riftes euyll closed the Admirall was enforced to turne backe ageyne This laste poynte where he touched of Cuba not yet beinge knowen to be an Ilande he cauled Euangelista Euangelista Thus â—urning his sayles toward other Ilandes lyinge not farre from the supposed continente he chaunced into a mayne sea where was suche a multitude of greate tortoyses A multitude of great tortoyses that sumtyme they stayed the shyppes Not longe after he entered into a gulfe of whyte water A goufe of whyte water humaine people lyke vnto that wherof we spake before At the lengh fearing the shelfes of the Ilands he returned to the shore of Cuba by the same way which he came Here a multitude of thinhabitantes as well women as men resorted to hym with cheerefull countenaunce and without feare
sepulchers in their owne houses Sumwhere also they drye them spyce them adourne them with precyous iewells and ouches and so reuerently place them in certeyne tabernacles made for the same purpoâ—e in their owne palayces When owre men had many of their tabellets braslettes collers and suche other ouches whiche they caule Guanines they founde them rather to bee made of laton then of golde Ouches of laton Gonzalus Ouiedus sayth that they gilt marueloâ—â—â—y with the iuse of a certeyne herbe wherby they suppoâ—e that they haue vsed to exchaunge their ware with summe craftie straungers whiche broughte theÌ„ those counterfect ouâ—hes to defraude them of their golde For euen owre menne perceaued not the deceate vntyll they came to the meltynge Furthermore certayne of owre buylders wanderynge a lyttell way from the sea coastes chaunced to fynde certayne pyeces of white marble whyte marble Wherby they thynke that in tyme paste summe straungers haue coome too those landes whiche haue dygged marble owte of the mountaines and lefte those fragmentes on the plaine There owre men learned that the ryuer Maragnonus descendeth frome the montaynes couered with snowe cauled Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata The great ryuer Maragnonus This ioyneth with the myghty ryuer cauled Flumen Amazonum found of late And the same to bee encreased by many other ryuers whiche faule into it throughowte all the lowe and watelye regions by the whiche it runneth with so longe a tracte from the sayde montaynes into the sea And this to bee the cause of the greatnesse therof These thynges beyng thus brought to passe the gouernour coÌ„maunded the trumpitour to blowe a retraite Whervppon they whiche were sente to lande beynge fyue hundreth in noumber makynge a great shoute for ioye of their victory sette them selues in order of battayle and so keping their array returned to the shippes laden with spoyle of those prouinces and shynynge in souldiers clokes of fethers Clokes of fethers with faire plumes and crestes of variable colours In this meane tyme hauynge repaired their shyppes and furnysshed the same with all necessaries they loosed anker the xvi daye of the Calendes of Iuly directynge their course to the hauen of Carthagena in the whiche viage they destroyed and wasted certayne Ilandes of the Canibales lyinge in the waye accordynge as they were commaunded by the kynge But the swifte course of the water deceaued bothe Iohannes Serranus the chiefe Pilet of the gouernours shyppe The swyfte course oâ— the water and all the other althoughe they made their boste that they perfectely knewe the nature therof For they affyrme that in one night they were caried forty leaques beyonde their estimation xâ— leaques in one nyght The syxte booke of the thirde Decade HEre muste we sumwhat digresse from cosmography and make a philosophicall discours to searche the secreate causes of nature For wheras they al affyrme with on coÌ„sent that the sea runneth there from the Easte to the weste as swyftly as it were a ryuer faulinge from hyghe mountaynes Sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft course from the East into the west I thoughte it not good to lette so great a matter slyppe vntouched The whiche while I consyder I am drawen into no smaule ambyguitie and doute whether those waters haue their course whiche flowe with so contynuall a tracte in circuite from the Easte as thowghe they fledde to the west neuer to retourne and yet neyther the weste therby any whitte the more fylled nor the Easte emptied If we shall saye that they faule to their centre as is the nature of heuye thynges and assigne the Equinoctiall lyne to be the centre as summe affyrme what centre shall we appointe to bee able to receaue so great aboundaunce of water The equinoctiall lyne why all waters moue towarde the south or Equinoctial â—reade Cardanus de subtiliâ— lâ—ber .ii. de Eâ—ementis Or what circumference shal be founde weate They whiche haue searched those coastes haue yet founde no lykely reason to be trewe Many thynke that there shoulde bee certeyne large straightes or enterances in the corner of that great lande whiche we described to bee eyght tymes bygger then Italye Strayghtes and the corner therof to be full of goulfes wherby they suppose that summe strayghtes shulde passe through the same lyinge on the weste syde of the Ilande of Cuba And that the sayde straightes shoulde swalowe vp those waters and so conuey the same into the weste and from thense ageyn into owre Easte Ocean or north seas as summe thynke As by the strayght of Magellanus The north landes Other wyll that the goulfe of that great lande bee closed vppe and the land to reache farre towarde the northe on the backe syde of Cuba so that it embrace the northe landes whiche the frosen sea encompaseth vnder the northe pole And that all the lande of those coastes shoulde ioyne togyther as one firâ—e lande Wherby they coniecture that those waters shulde bee turned aboute by the obiecte or resystaunce of that lande so bendynge towarde the north as we see the waters â—courned aboute in the crooked bankes of certeyne ryuers But this agreeth not in all poyntes For they also whiche haue searched the frosen sea The frosen sea and sayled frome thense into the weste do lykewyse affyrme that those northe seas flowâ— contynually towarde the weste although nothing so swiftely These northe seas haue byn searched by one Sebastian Cabot a Uenetian borne Sebastian Cabot whom beinge yet but in maner an infante his parentes caryed with them into Englande hauyng occasion to resorte thether for trade of marchandies as is the maner of the Uenetians too leaue no parte of the worlde vnsearched to obteyne richesse The venetians He therfore furnisshed two shippes in England at his owne charges The viage of Sebastian Cabot from Englande to the froâ—en sea And fyrst with three hundreth men directed his course so farre toward the northe pole that euen in the mooneth of Iuly he founde monstrous heapes of Ise swimming on the sea Frost in the moneth of Iuly and in maner continuall day lyght Yet sawe he the lande in that tracte free from Ise whiche had byn molten by heate of the sunne Thus seyng suche heapes of Ise before hym he was enforced to tourne his sayles and folowe the weste so coastynge styll by the shore that he was thereby broughte so farre into the southe by reason of the lande bendynge so muche southward that it was there almoste equall in latitude with the sea cauled Fretum Herculeum Fretum herculeum diuideth Spayne the Moores and is nowe cauled the strayghtes of Marrok hauynge the north pole eleuate in maner in the same degree He sayled lykewise in this tracte so farre towarde the weste that he had the Ilande of Cuba his lefte hande in maner in the same degree of langitude As he traueyled by the coastes of this greate lande
fearynge thexemple of thinhabitantes of Potanâ—hana the fame wherof myght haue coome to theyr eares or els hopynge that vnder the shadowe of suche valiant menne they myght obteyne ayde and succour ageynst theyr enemies and bortherers For as I haue sayde before they dystroye one an other with continuall warre for the desyre to inlarge theyr dominions Owre men refused perpetuall habitacion and accepted theyr frendely profer for a tyme. As they came alande the people folowed them on euery syde with bouwes in theyr handes which they helde ouer owre mens heades to defende them from the rayne as though they had walked in a continual arbour Here they encamped And least the residue lefte in the shippes shulde in the meane tyme waxe slothefull with Idlenes the gouernour gaue commaundement to Alaminus the pylot and Francis Montegius to search the west partes of that lande whyle he relieued the weried souldiers and healed suche as were wounded To them that went forward on this vyage he assigned two brigantines with fiftie men An other vâ—age of two brygantines fiftie men Unto this goulfe the course of the water was gentyl enough and moderate where the sea runneth swyftly from the East to the West But when they had sayled a lyttle further towarde the Weste they founde the sea runnynge with so swift a course as if it were a great ryuer faulynge from the tops of hygh mountaynes In so much that in a shorte space of tyme it caried them fiftie myles from theyr felowes When they were now entered into this violent streame of the water A conflict betwene the waters comming from the west and from the south they sawe on their left hand a large playne sea which mette with the course of the other waters faulynge from the weste And lyke as two great ryuers that runne contrary wayes make a vehement conflycte where they meete so seemed the waters commyng from the Southe to resyst these waters as enemyes that had entered into the ryght or possessyon of an other On the contrary parte they sawe the lande reachynge farre bothe on the lefte hande and on the ryght In this strife betwene the waters they were so tossed on bothe sydes and entangled with whirlepooles A dangerous and peinefull vyage that they longe wrestled with owte hope of lyfe At the length with muche difficultie turnynge the stemmes or forpartes of their shyppes ageynst the streame from whense they came and labourynge al that they myght with their oers and sayles they coulde scarsely ouercoome the rage of the water In so much that where as they thought that they had in one nyght sayled twoo myles they founde that they were dryuen backe foure myles Yet at the length with goddes helpe they ouercame this daungerours conflycte They spente .xxii. daies in this lyttle space of sea And when they were nowe returned to their felowes declared vnto them that that ende was the land of Colluacana whiche they adiudged to be parte of the supposed continent The land of Colluacana The lande whiche they sawe a farre of before their fase they suppose eyther to be annexed to owre continent or to bee ioyned to the large North regions cauled Baccalaos The land of Baccaleos or Baccalâ—arum wherof we haue made mention in owr Decades in the vyage of Sebastian Cabote This matter is yet doubtefull But wee truste it shall once bee better knowen While Alaminus and Montegius searched these secreates the kynge of the prouince whose name was Multoxumam sent owre men by one of his chiefe offycers beynge also his Lieuetenaunt of the sayde towne many ryche and goodly presentes of golde syluer and precious stoones Rych presenâ—es of golde and precious sleâ—es sette and wroughte after a marueylous straunge deuyse and with no lesse cunnynge woorkemanshyp Here they determined to sende messengiers to owre newe Emperour to knowe his pleasure that they myght in this prouince planâ— a newe colonie or habitation And this dyd they withowte thaduise of Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Iland of Cuba or Fernandina who fyrste sente them foorth with commaundement to returne ageyne after they had searched these regions and obteyned plentie of golde While they consulted hereof they were of dyuers opinions But the moste part alleaged that in this case it was not requisyte to make the gouernour of their counsaile Forasmuche as the matter shulde be referred to a higher Iudge as to the kyng of Spaine him selfe When they were thus agreed they receaued vyttayles of the gentle kyng of the prouince and assigned the place of their colonie twelue myles from the sayde towne in a fruteful and holsome soile A newe colonie For their generall gouernour they elected Cortesius the gouernour of the nauye against his wyll as sum saye For other magistrates to gouerne the citie which they intended to build he choose Portuâ—arerius and Montegius of whome we haue made mention before This Cortesius hath written a booke of these thinges They chose also certeyne messengiers to sende to the kyng by the conduction of Alaminus the pylot Furthermore foure of the princes of this prouince offered theÌ„ selues wyllyngly to go with owre men into Spaine to thintent to see owre landes and that kynge whose poure is soo great and whose auctoritie reacheth so farre They brought lykewise two women with them which serued obeied theÌ„ in all thinges after the maner of theyr countrey The people of this nation is of broune or yelowyshe colour Bothe the men and the women haue pendauntes of gold and precious stones hanginge at their eares The men also boore their nether lyppes full of holes from the vppermoste parte of the lyppe euen vnto the nethermoste parte of the gumme They weare rynges and plates at ther lyppes At these they hange certeyne rynges and plates of golde and syluer fastned to a smaule and thynne plate lyinge within betwene the lippe and the gumme At the byggest hole in the myddest of the lip there hangeth a rounde plate of syluer as brode as the coyne cauled a Corolyne and as thicke as a mannes fynger I do not remember that euer I sawe any thinge that seemed more fylthy in myne eye The dyuers phantasies of men Yet do they thynke that there is nothing more cumly vnder the circle of the moone Wherby we may see howe vainely mankynde wandereth in his owne blyndnesse The Ethiopian thincketh the blacke colour to be fayrer then the white And the white man thinketh otherwise They that are pouled thinke that more decent then to weare a bush and they that weare beardes iudge it a deformitie to be shauen As appetite therfore moueth and not as reason perswadeth men runne after vanities And euery prouynce is rulâ—d by their ownesense as writeth saint Ierome From whense they haue their golde we haue spoken sufficiently before But as owre men marueyled where they had their syluer Syluer they shewed them certayne high mountaynes whiche are continually couered
myles to a leaque as is their maner to recken by sea Departynge from the sayde Ilandes to folowe their course the shippes tary .xxv. dayes or a lyttle more or lesse before they see the fyrste lande of the Ilandes that lye before that whiche they caule La Spagnuola or Hispaniola And the lande that is commonly fyrste scene is one of these Ilandes whiche they caule Ogni sancti Marigalante or Galanta La Desseada otherwise cauled Desyderata Matanino Dominica Guadalupe San. Christoual or summe other of the Ilandes wherof there are a great multitude lyinge aboute these aforesaide Yet it sumtymes so chaunceth that the shippes passe withowte the syght of any of the sayde Ilandes or any other that are within that course vntyll they coome to the Iland of Sancti Iohannis or Hispaniola or Iamaica or Cuba whiche are before the other It may also chaunce that they ouer passe all these likewyse vntyll they faule vppon the coastes of the fyrme lande But this chaunceth when the pylote is not well practised in this nauigation or not perfecte in the trewe carde But makynge this viage with experte maryners wherof there is nowe great plentie one of the sayde fyrste Ilandes shall euer bee knowen And from the Ilandes of Canarie to one of the fyrste of these the distaunce is nyne hundreth leaques by saylynge or more And from hense to the citie of saynte Dominike which is in the Ilande of Hispaniola is a hundreth and fyftie leaques So that from Spayne hitherto is a thousand and three hundreth leaques Yet for asmuche as sumtimes the nauigation procedeth not so directly but that it chaunceth to wander euer on the one syde or on the other wee may well saye that they haue nowe sayled a thousande and fyue hundreth leaques and more And if the nauigation be slowe by reason of summe hynderaunce it commonly chaunceth to be fynisshed in .xxxv. or .xl. dayes And this happeneth for the moste parte not accomptynge the extremes that is eyther of them that haue slowe passage or of them that arryue in verye shorte tyme. For wee owghte to consyder that which chaunceth most commonly The returne from those partes to Spayne is not fynysshed without longer tyme as in the space of .l. dayes or a lyttle more or lesse Neuerthelesse in this present yeare of .1525 there came foure shyps from the Iland of San Dominico to saint Luca in Spaine in .xxv. dayes But as I haue sayd we ought not to iudge of that whiche chaunceth seldome but of that which happeneth most ordinarily This nauigation is very safe and much vsed euen vnto the sayd Ilande And from this to the firme land the shyppes trauerse diuers wayes for the space of fiue syxe or seuen dayes saylynge or more accordyng to the partes or coastes whither they directe their vyages forasmuche as the sayde fyrme lande is verye great and large and many nauigations and vyages are directed to dyuers partes of the same Yet to the fyrme land whiche is nearest to this Iland and lyeth directly ageynst San Dominico the passage is fynisshed in the tyme aforesayde But it shal be muche better to remytte all this to the carde of these nauigations and the new Cosmographie of the whiche no parte was knowen to Ptolomie or any other of the owlde wrytters ¶ Of twoo notable thynges as touchyng the West Indies And of the great rychesse brought from thense into Spayne⸫ AFter my vniuersall description of the historie of the Indies there commeth to my rememberaunce two thynges chiefely to be noted as touchynge thempire of this West Indies perteynynge to the dominion of yowre maiestye And these besyde the other particulars wherof I haue suffyciently spoken are to be consydered as thinges of great importaunce Wherof the one is the shortenesse of the way with what expedition yowr maiesties shyppes maye passe beyonde the mayne fyrme lande of these Indies into the newe Southe sea cauled Mare del Sur lyynge beyond the same And this to thintent to coome to the Ilandes where the spices growe besyde the other innumerable rychesse of the kingedomes and signiories whiche confinâ— with the sayde sea where are so many people and nations of dyuers toonges and maners The other thinge is to consyder howe innumerable treasures are entered into Spayne by these Indies aswell that whiche commeth dayly from thense as also that is continually to bee looked for bothe of golde and perle other marchaunties which are first brought into this yowre realme of Spaine before they are seene of other nations or traded into other realmes Wherby not onely this yowre realme is greatly inriched but also the benefyte therof redoundeth to the great profyte of other countreys which are neare thervnto A testimonye of this are the double ducades whiche yowre maiestie haue caused to bee coyned and are disparsed throughowte the hole worlde But after they are once paâ—sed owt of this yowre realme they neuer returne agein bycause they are the best curraunt money of the world And therfore if after they haue byn in the handes of straungers they chaunce to be retourned ageyne into Spaine they coome disguised in an other habite and are diminisshed of the goodnesse of their golde with the stampe of yowre maiestye chaunged So that if it were not for their suche defacynges in other realmes for the cause aforesayde there shulde not bee founde so great quantitie of fyne golde of the coyne of any prynce in the worlde as of powre maiesties And the cause of all this are yowre Indies ¶ Of the mynes of golde and the maner of woorkynge in theym THis particular of the mynes of gold is a thing greatly to bee noted And I maye muche better speake hereof then any other man forasmuche as there are nowe twelue yeares paste sense I serued in the place of the surueier of the meltynge shoppes perteynynge to the golde mynes of the firme lande and was the gouernour of the mynes of the Catholyke kyng Don Ferdinando after whose departure from this lyfe I serued longe in the same roome in the name of yowr maiestie By reason wherof I haue had great occasion to knowe howe golde is founde and wrought owte of the mynes And do knowe ryght well that this lande is exceadynge ryche hauynge by my accompte and by the labour of my Indians and slaues gathered and fyned a great portion of the same and may therfore the better affyrme this by testimonie of syght For I am well assured that in no part of Casâ—ilia del oro that is golden Castile otherwise cauled Boragua no man coulde aske me of the mynes of golde but that I durste haue bounde my selfe to haue discouered them in the space of ten leagues of the countrey where it shulde haue byn demaunded me and the same to bee verye ryche For I was alowed all maner of charges to make searche for the same And although golde be founde in maner euery where in these regions of golden Castile yet owght wee not
Ocean as also when they lye at anker or at any other time and especially the leaste kynd of these fisshes When the shippes are vnder sayle the biggest sorte are taken after this maner When the Tiburon seeth the shippe sailinge he foloweth it swymmynge behynde The which thinges the mariners seeinge caste furthe all the fylthe of the shippe into the sea for the fysshe to eate who neuerthelesse foloweth theÌ„ with equal pase although thâ—y make neuer suche haste wyth full wynd and sailes and waloweth on euery syde and about the shyppe And thus foloweth it sumetyme for the space of a hundreth and fyftie leaques and more And when the mariners are disposed to take them they cast downe by the sterne of the shippe a hoke of yren as bigge as the biggest finger of a mans hande of three spannes in lengthe and crooked like a fysshehooke with beardes accordinge to the bignesse thereof and fastened to an iren chayne of fyue or syxe linkes neare vnto th ende and from thense tyed with a greate rope fastening also on the hooke for a bayte a piece of sum fisshe or hogges flessh or sum other flesshe or the bouwelles and intralles of an other Tiburon whâ—che they haue taken before whiche may easely bee doone for I haue seene nyne taken in one day And if they wold haue taken more they myght also Thus when the Tiburon hath pleasauntly folowed the ship a longe viage at the lengthe he swaloweth the baite with the hooke And aâ—well by his stryuinge to flye or escape as also by the swyfte passage of the sâ—yppe the hooke ouerthwarteth and catcheth hold of his chappes The which fisshe wheÌ„ it is takeÌ„ it is of suche huge bâ—ggenesse that twelue or fyfeteene men are scarsely able to drawe it owt of the water and lifte it into the shyppe Where one of the mariners gyueth it many knockes on the headde with a clubbe or beetle vntil he haue slaine it They are sumtymes founde of tenne or twelue foote long and of fyue syxe or seuen spannes in breadth where they are brodest They haue very greate and wyde mouthes to the proportion of the reste of theyr boddies and haue two rowes of teethe the one sumewhat separate from the other of cruell shape standing very thicke When they haue slayne this fysshe they cutte the boddy therof in smaule pieses and put it to drye hangynge it three or foure dayes at the cordes of the sayle clothes to drye in the wynde and then eate it It is doubtlesse a good fysshe and of greate commoditie to serue the shippes for vitalles for many dayes The leaste of these fysshes are moste holsome and tender It hath a skinne much like to the skynne of a sole whervnto the sayde Tuberon is like in shape Which I saye bycause Plinie hath made mention of none of these three fisshes among the number of them wherof he wryteth in his natural historie Plinie These Tiburons coomme furth of the sea and enter into the ryuers where they are no lesse perelous then greate lisartes or Crocodiles wherof I haue spoken largely before Crocodyles For they deuoure men kine and horses euen as doo the Crocodiles They are very daungerous in certeyne wasshynge places or pooles by the ryuers sydes and where they haue deuoured at other tymes Dyuers other fysshes both greate and smaule of sundry sortes and kyndes are accustomed to folowe the shyppes goynge vnder sayle of the which I wyl speake sumwhat when I hâ—ue wrytten of Manate which is the thyrde of the three whereof I haue promysed to entreate Manates Manate therefore is a fysshe of the sea of the byggest sorte and muche greater then the Tiburon in length and breadth And is very brutysshe and vyle so that it appeareth in forme lyke vnto one of those great vesselles made of goates skynnes wherin they vse to cary newe wyne in Medina de Campo or in Areualo The headde of this beast is lyke the head of an oxe with also lyke eyes And hath in the place of armes two great stumpes wherwith he swymmeth It is a very gentle and tame beaste And coÌ„meth ofteÌ„tymes owt of the water to the next shore where if he find ny herbes or grasse he feedeth therof Owre men are accustomed to kyl many of these and dyuers other good fysshes with theyr crossebowes pursuinge them in barkes or Canoas bycause they swymme in maner aboue the water The whiche thynge when they see they drawe them with a hooke tyde at a smaule corde but sumwhat stronge As the fysshe flyeth away the archer letteth go and prolongeth the corde by lyttle and lyttle vntyll he haue lette it go many fathams At the ende of the corde there is tyde a corke or a piece of lyght woodde And when the fysshe is goone a lyttle way hathe coloured the water with his bludde and feeleth hym selfe to faynt and drawe towarde th ende of his lyfe he resortethe to the shore and the archer foloweth gatherynge vp his corde wherof whyle there yet remaine sixe or eyght fathams or sumwhat more or lesse he draweth it towarde the lande and draweth the fysshe therwith by little and lyttle as the waues of the sea helpe hym to doo it the more easely Then with the helpe of the reste of his companie he lyftethe thâ—s greate beast owt of the water to the lande beinge of such hygnesse that to conuey it from thense to the citie it shal be requâ—site to haue a carte with a good yoke of oxen and sumtymes more accordyng as these fysshes are of byggenesse sum being much greater then other sum in the same kynde as is seene of other beastes Sumtymes they lyft these fysshes into the Canoa or barke withowt drawynge them to the lande as before For as soone as they are slayne they flote aboue the water And I beleue verely that this fysshe is one of the best in the world to the taste and the lykest vnto flesshe Eâ—pecially so lyke vnto biefe that who so hath not seene it hole can iudge it to bee none other when he seethe it in pieces then verye biefe or veale And is certeynly so lyke vnto flesshe that all the men in the worlde may herein bee deceaued The taste lykewyse is lyke vnto the tast of very good veale and lasteth longe yf it bee poudered So that in fine the base of these parties is by no meanes lyke vnto this This Manate The fysshe Manate hath a câ—rteine stone or rather bone in his headde within the brayne which is of qualitie greatly appropriate ageynste the disease of the stone A remedy ageynst the stone if it bee burnte and grounde into smaule pouder and taken fastynge in the mornynge when the payne is felte in such quantitie as may lye vppon a penye with a drawght of good whyte wyne For beynge thâ—s taken three or foure mornynges it aâ—quieteth the grefe as dyuers haue toulde me whiche haue proued it trewe And I my selfe by
Timor and were ingulfed by chance in the great sea cauled Lantchidol The sea of Lantchidol and tooke theyr course betwene the weste and south weste leauynge the northe coastes on theyr ryght hand fearyng least if they shuld sayle toward the firm land they myght bee seene of the portugales who are of great power in Malaccha Malaccha and therfore dyrected theyr cours withowt the Iland of Sumatra cauled in owld tyme Taprobana The Iland of Sumetra Leauyng also on theyr ryght hand vpon the fyrm land the prouinces and regions of Pegu Pegu Bengala Bengala Calicut Calicut Canonor Canonor Coa Coa Cambaia Cambaia the goulfe of the Ilande of Ormus Ormus and all the coastes of the greater India East India And more safely to passe the cape of Buona Speranza being about Affrike Cap. de Buona Speranza they sayled about .xlii. degrees toward the pole Antartike and remayned seuen weekes abowte that cape with many fetches compassyng the wynd with theyr sayles contynually alofte because they had a west and north weste wynd in the proos of theyr shyppe which wolde not suffer them to passe The cape of Buona Speranza is toward the pole Antartik beneth the Equinoctiall line .xxxiiii. degrees and a halfe and .1600 leaques from the cape of Malaccha And is the greateste and moste daungyerous cape that is founde at thys day in al the worlde When they had by these perels ouerpassed thys cape certeyne of them aswell for lacke of vytayles as also by reason of syckenesse were mynded to sayle to a hauen of the Portugales named Monzambique aboue Affryke The port of Mâ—nzambiqâ—â— â–ª But the other answered that they wold rather dye then go to any other place then directly to Spayne They folowed theyr course therfore saylynge towarde the Southwest two monethes continually without touchynge at any porte In whiche tyme there dyed abowte .xxi. of theyr coompany whom they cast into the sea And suerly if god of his infinite mercie had not preserued the residue in tyme they hadde all dyed of famen Famen In fine beinge inforced of necessitie and halfe of theyr companye deade they sayled to one of the Ilandes of Capo verde cauled Insula Sancti Iacobi Capo Verde that is saynte Iames Ilande S. Iames Ilande parteyning to the kyng of Portugale Where as soone as they ariyued they sent certeyne alande in the shippe boate for vyttayles declarynge to the Portugales with all loue and fauour what necessitie they were dryuen to and what miseries and trauayles they had susteyned informynge them further of theyr marueylous viage and suche thynges as they hadde seene in both the East and West India with such other gentel woordes wherby they obteyned certeyne measures of rise The ingratâ—tude of the Portugales But when afterwarde .xiii. of theym returned for more ryse they were deteyned Whereuppon the reste whiche remayned in the shippe fearynge the lyke chaunce departed with full sayles and the .vii. day of September with the helpe of god entered into the hauen of San Lucar nere vnto Siuile The port of saynt Lucar nere vnto Siuile where dischargynge all theyr ordinaunce for ioy they wente immediatly to the greate churche in theyr shertes and barefooted with a torche before them to gyue thankes to almyghtie god who had brought them safe to theyr owne countrey and restored them to theyr wyues and chyldren As touchynge th ende of this viage Transiluanus wryteth sumwhat more largely as foloweth The other shyppe which they lefte behynde them to bee repayred what became of the other shyppe returned afterwarde by the Archipelagus aforesayde and by the great sea to the coastes of the firme of the west India and arryued at a region of the same being ageynst Dariena Dariena where the South sea of Sur is seperate but by a lyttle space of lande from the Weste Ocean in the which are the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba and other Ilandes of the Spanyardes The other shyppe which returned into Spayne by compasing abowt the hole bowle of the worlde by the coastes of East India and Affrike departynge from the Iland of Tidore and saylynge euer on this syde the Equinoctiall dyd not fynde the cape of Cattigara beinge aboue Asia The cape of Cattigara and by the description of Ptolome rechynge many degrees beyonde the Equinoctial Ptolome But hauynge sayled many dayes by the mayne sea they came to the cape of Buona Speranza and frome thense to the Ilandes of Capo verde where their shyppe beinge soore broosed by reason of the longe viage leaked and tooke water in suche sorte that the mariners being nowe but fewe in number and those also weake and feeble by reason of longe sickenesse and hunger The vyage hardly performed were not able both to drye the poompe continually and otherwyse gouerne the shippe and were therfore of necessitie inforced to goo alande at the Ilande of saynte Iames to bye theym certeyne slaues to helpe theim They bye slaues for lacke of helpe But beinge destitute of mony according to the custome of the mariners they profered them cloues for theyr slaues The which thyng when it came to the eares of the Portugale that was Capitayne of that Ilande he cast .xiii. of them in prison Wherby the residue that remayned in the shippe beinge nowe but .xviii. in number were put in such feare that they departed immediatly without rescuing theyr felowes and sayled continually both by daye and by nyght by the coastes of Affrike and came in fine to Spayne the .vi. day of September in the yeare .1522 and arryued at the porte nere vnto Siuile the .xvi. moneth after they departed from the Ilande of Tidore Mariners doubtlesse more woorthy to bee celebrate with eternal memorie then they whiche in owlde tyme were cauled Argonauti that sayled with Iason to win the golden fleese in the region of Cholehic and the riuer of Phasis in the greate sea of Pontus Maryners woorthy immortal fame Argonauti The viage of Iason to wyn the golden fleese And the shyppe it selfe more woorthye to bee placed amonge the starres then that owlde Argo which departynge owt of Grecia sayled to th ende of that great sea For this owre marueylous shyppe takynge her vyage from the straightes of Gibilterra and saylynge by the greate Ocean towarde the South and pole Antartike The shyppe more woorthy fame then owlde Argo of Grecia and turnynge from thense to the Weste folowed that course so farre that passynge vnder the great circumference of the worlde The vyage shee came into the Easte and frome thense ageyne into the Weste not by returnynge backewarde but styll faylynge forwarde so compasynge abowt the vaule of the world vnder the hole circumference of heauen vntyll shee were myraculously restored to her natiue region of Spayne and house of Siuile ¶ Of the prices of precious stones and Spices with theyr weightes
Spanyardes whiche were accompanied with hym beganne fyrste to murmure secretely among them selues and shortly after with wordes of reproche spake euyll of Colonus theyr gouernoure Colonus men rebel against hym and consulted with them selues eyther to rydde hym out of the waye orelles to cast hym into the sea Ragyng that they were deceyued of a straunger an outlandishe man a Ligurian a Genues and brought into suche daungerous places that they myght neuer returne ageyne And after .xxx. days were paste they furiousely cryed out againste him and threatned him that he shulde passe no further But he euer with ientyll wordes and large promyses Faire woâ—des and promises appeased theyr furie and prolonged day after day some tyme desyring them to beare with hym yet a whyle and some time putting them in remembrance that if they shulde attempte any thinge agaynst him or otherwise disobey hym it wolde be reputed for treason Thus after a fewe dayes with cherefull hartes they espied the lande longe looked for In this fyrst nauigation he discouered .vi. Ilandes wherof twoo were exceding great Of whiche the one he called Hispaniola hispaniola and the other Iohanna Iohanna But at that tyme he knewe not perfectely that Iohanna other wyse called Cuba was an Ilande As they coasted alonge by the shore of certayne of these Ilandes they harde nyghtingales synge in the thycke woodes in the month of Nouember Nightingales synge in Nouember They fouÌ„d also great riuers of freshe water and naturall hauens of capacitie to harborowe greate nauies of shippes Saylinge by the coastes of Iohanna from the northe poynte to the west he rode lyttell leâ—se then eyght hundreth miles for they call it a hundreth and foure score leaques supposyng that it had byn the continent or fyrme land bicause he coulde nother fynd the landes ende nor any token of the ende as farre as he coulde iudge with his eye wherfore he determined to returne backe agayne beyng therto partly enforced by the roughnesse of the sea for the sea banckes of the Ilande of Iohanna by sondrye wyndinges and turnynges bende them selues so muche towarde the Northe that the northnortheaste wynde roughely tossed the shyppes by reason of the wynter Turnynge therfore the stemmes of his shyppes towarde the Easte he affyrmed that he had founde the Ilande of Ophir The Ilande of Ophir whyther Salomons shyppes sayled for golde But the description of the Cosmographers well considered it seemeth that bothe these and the other Ilandes adioynyng are the Ilandes of Antilia The ilandes of Antiâ—ia This Ilande he called Hispâ—niola on whose northe syde as he approched nere to the lande the keele or bottome of the biggeste vessell ranne vpon a blynde rocke couered with water A shypwrack and cloue in sunder But the playnenesse of the rocke was a helpe to them that they were not drowned Makynge haste therfore with the other two shâ—ps to helpe them they brought awaye al the men without hurte Here comming fyrst a land they sawe certayne men of the Ilande The people of the Ilandâ— who perceauynge an vnknowen nation comminge towarde them flocked together and ranne al into the thycke wooddes as it hadde byn hares courcâ—d with grehoundes Naked people Owre men pursuing them tooke onely one woman whom they brought to the shyppes where fyllinge her with meate and wyne and apparelinge her they let her departe to her company Shortly after a greate multitude of them came runnynge to the shore to beholde this newe nation whom they thought to haue discended from heauen They cast them selues by heapes into the sea and came swimminge to the shyppes bryngyng golde with them Expert swimmers â–ª goâ—d for erth and glasse which they chaunged with owre men for erthen pottes drinking glaâ—ses poyntes pynnes hawkes belles lokinge glaâ—ses and suche other trifles Thus growing to further familiaritie owre men were honorably enterteyned of the kynge of that parte of the Ilande Many kinges whose name was Guaccanarillus for it hath many kynges as when Eneas arriued in Italy he founde Latium diuided into many kyngedomes and prouinces as Latium Mezeurium Turnum and Tarchontem which were seperated with narow boundes as shall more largely appere hereafter At the euen tyde about the faulyng of the sonne Relygious humaine people when owre men went to praier and kneled on their knees after the maner of the Christians they dyd the lyke also And after what maner so euer they sawe them praye to the crosse they folowed them in all poyntes as well as they coulde They shewed much humanitie towardes owre men and helpen them with theyr lighters or small boates whiche they call Canoas to vnlade theyr broken shyppe Canoas And that with suche celeritie and cherefulnesse that no frende for frende or kynseman for kynseman in suche case moued with pitie coulde do more Theyr boates are made only of one tree Monoâ—yla They haue no Iren. made holow with a certain sharpe stone for they haue no yron And are very longe and narowe Many affirme that they haue sene some of them with fortie ores The wylde and myscheuous people called Canibales or Caribes whiche were accustomed to eate mannes flesshe and called of the olde writers Anthropophagi molest them excedyngly Canâ—bales or Caribes Anthropophagi inuadynge theyr countrey takynge them captiue kyllyng and eatyng them As owre men sayled to the Ilandes of these meke and humayne people they lefte the Ilandes of the Canibales in maner in the middest of theyr viage towarde the south They complayned that theyr Ilandes were no lesse vexed with the incursions of these manhuntyng Canibales when they go forth a rouynge to seeke theyr praye The crueltie of the Canibales then are other tame beastes of Lyons and Tigers Such chyldren as they take they geld to make them fat as we doo cocke chikyns and younge hogges and eate them when they are wel fedde of suche as they eate they fyrst eate the intralles and extreme partes as handes feete armes necke and heade The other moste fleâ—shy partes they pouder for store as we do pestelles of porke and gammondes of bakon Yet do they absteyne from eatynge of women and counte it vyle Therfore suche younge women as they take they keepe for increace as we doo hennes to leye egges The olde women they make theyr drudges They of the Ilandes which we may nowe caul owres bothe the men and the women when they perceaue the Canibales coming haue none other shyfte but onely to flie for althoughe they vse very sharpe arrowes made of reedes yet are they of small force to represse the furie of the Canibales for euen they them selues confesse that tenne of the Canibals are able to ouercome a hundreth of them if they encountre with them Theyr meate is a certeyne roote which they cal Ages Ages Rootes â—n the steede or meate muche lyke a naâ—ew roote in fourme and greatnesse but of sweete taste muche lyke a
Cales or Gades of Hercules pyllers hercules pyllers directly to the Lieuetenaunt his brother These shyppes by chaunce arryued fyrst on that syde of the Ilande where Roldanus Xeminus ranged with his coompanyons Roldanus in shorte tyme hadde seduced them promysinge them in the steade of mattockes A violente persasion wenches pappes for laboure pleasure for hunger abundance and for wearynes and watchinge sleepe and quietnes Guarionexius in the meane tyme The furie of guarionexius assemblynge a power of his freendes and confetherates came oftentymes downe into the playne and slewe as many of the Christian men as he coulde meete conuenientlye and also of the Ilande menne whiche were theyr freendes wastynge theyr grounde destroyinge theyr seedes and spoylinge theyr vylages But Roldanus and his adherentes albeit they had knowleage that the Admiral wolde shortly coome yet feared they nothynge bycause they had seduced the newe menne which came in the fyrste shippes Whyle the Lieuetenaunt was thus tossed in the middest of these stormes in the meane tyme his brother the Admyrall set forwarde froÌ„ the coastes of Spayâ—e But not directly to Hispaniola For he turned more towarde the southe In the which vyage The thyrde vyage of â—olenus the Admirall what he dyd what coastes both of the lande and sea he coompased and what newe regions he discouered wee wyl fyrst declare For to what ende and conclusion the sayde tumultes and seditions came wee wyll expresse in th ende of the booke folowynge Thus fare ye well ¶ The syxte booke of the fyrste decade to Lodouike Cardinall of Aragonie COlonus the Admyral the thyrde day of the Calendes of Iune in the yeare of Christe .1498 hoysed vp his sayles in the hauen of the towne Barramedabas not farre distante from Cales and set forwarde on his vyage with eyght shippes laden with vytayles and other necessaries He diuerted from his accustomed rase which was by the Ilandes of Canarie by reason of certeyne frenchemen pirates and couers on the sea Frenche meÌ„ pyrats whiche laye in the ryght way to meete with hym In the way froÌ„ Cales to the Ilandes of Canarie abowte foure score and ten myles towarde the lefte hande is the Ilande of Madera The Iland of Madera more southwarde then the citie of Ciuile by foure degrees For the pole artyke is eleuate to Ciuile xxxvi degrees But to this Iland as the mariners saye only .xxxii. He sayled therfore fyrste to Madera And sendinge from thense directly to Hispaniola the resydue of the shippes laden with vytayles and other necessaries he hym selfe with one shyppe with deckes and two marchaunt carauelles coasted towarde the southe to coome to the Equinoctial lyne The Admiral ayleth to the Equinoctiall and so furth to folowe the tracte of the same towarde the West to thintent to searche the natures of suche places as he coulde fynde vnder or nere vnto the same leauinge Hispaniola on the north syde on his ryght hande In the myddle of his rase lye xiii Ilandes of the Portugales whiche were in owlde tyme cauled Hesperides And are nowe cauled Caput Viride or Caboeurde â—ixii Ilandes of hesperides now cauled Cabouerde These are situate in the sea ryght ouer ageynst the inner partes of Ethiope Westwarde two dayes saylinge One of these the Portugales caule Bonauista With the snayles or rather tortoyses of this Ilande many leprous men are healed and clensed of theyr leprositie healynge of the leper Departing sodainly from hense by reason of the contagiousnes of the ayre he sayled CCCCLXXX myles towarde the Weste southwest which is the myddest betwene the weste and the southe There was he so vexed with maladies and heate for it was the moneth of Iune that his shyppes were almoste sette on fyre Contagious ayre and extreeme heate The hoopes of his barrels cracked and brake and the fresshe water ranne owte The men also complayned that they were not able to abyde that extremitie of heate Here the northe pole was eleuate only .v. degrees from the Horizontall The pole eleuate .v. degrees For the space of .viii. dayes in the which he suffered these extremites only the fyrst day was fayre but all the other clowdy and rayny yet neuerthelesse feruent hotte Wherefore it oftentymes repented hym not a little that euer he tooke that way Beinge tossed in these dangiours and vexations eyght contynuall dayes at the lengthe an Eastsoutheaste wynde arose and gaue a prosperous blaste to his sayles Which wynde folowinge directly towarde the weste he fownde the starres ouer that paralelle placed in other order The starres placed in other order and an other kynde of ayer as the Admirall hym selfe towlde me And they al affirme that within three dayes saylinge they fownde moste temperate and pleasaunte ayre The Admirall also affirmeth that from the clime of the great heate and vnholsome ayer he euer ascended by the backe of the sea as it were by a hygh mountayne towarde heauen A sea rysyng lyke a mountayne Yet in all this tyme coulde he not once see any lande But at the length the day before the Calendes of Iuly the watcheman lookynge foorth of the toppecastell of the greatest shyppe cryed owte alowde for ioy that he espyed three excedynge hyghe mountaynes Exhortinge his felowes to bee of good cheere and put away all pensiuenes For they were very heauy and sorowfull as well for the greefe which they susteyned by reason of thintollerable heate as also that their freshe water fayled them which ranne owte at the ryftes of the barels caused by extreme heate as we haue sayde heate causeth the barrels to breke Thus beinge wel conforted they drewe to the lande Yet at theyr fyrst approche they coulde not arryue by reason of the shalownes of the sea nere the shore Yet lookyng owte of theyr shyppes they might well perceaue that the Region was inhabyted and well cultured For they sawe very fayre gardens and pleasaunte medowes frome the trees and herbes wherof when the mornynge dewes beganne to ryse there proceaded manye sweete sauoures Swete sauours proceadynge frome the lande Twentie myles distant from hense they chaunced into a hauen verye apte to harborowe shippes but it had no ryuer runninge into it Saylinge on yet sumwhat further he fownde at the lengthe a commodious hauen wherin he might repayre his shippes and make prouision of fresshe water and fuell Arenalis cauleth this lande Puta The Iland of Puta They fownd no houses nere vnto the hauen but innumerable steppes of certeine wilde beastes feete of the which they fownde one deade much lyke a goate The day folowynge People of ly corporature longe heare nere the Equinâ—ctiall they sawe a Canoa commynge a farre of hauinge in it .xxiiii younge men of godly corporature high stature al armed with targets bowes arrowes The heare of theyr heds was loÌ„ge plaine cutte on the forheade much after the maner of the Spanyardes Theyr priuie
partes were couered with fillettes of gossampyne cotton of sundry coloures enterlaced And were besyde al ouer naked Here the Admirall consideringe with hym selfe the corporature of this people and nature of the lande he beleaued the same to bee soo much the nerer heauen then other Regions of the same paralelle The higher the coulder and further remoued from the grosse vapours of the vales and marysshes howe muche the hygheste toppes of the byggest mountaynes are distante from the deepe vales For he ernestly affirmeth that in all that nauigation he neuer wente owte of the paralelles of Ethiope So greate difference is there betwene the nature of thinhabitantes and of the soyles of dyuers Regions all vnder one clyme or paralelle â–ª as is to see betwene the people and regions being in the firme lande of Ethiope Difference betwene people of one câ—ime Ethiopia and theym of the Ilandes vnder the same clime hauinge the pole starre eleuate in the same degree For the Ethiopians are all blacke hauinge theyr heare curld more lyke wulle then heare But these people of the Iland of Putâ— beinge as I haue sayde vnder the clyme of Ethiope are whyte with longe heare and of yelowe colour Wherfore it is appâ—rente the cause of this soo greate difference Note the cause of difference to bee rather by the disposition of the earthe then constitucion of heauen For wee knowe that snowe fauleth on the mountaynes of the Equinoctiall or burnte lyne and the same to endure there continually We knowe lykewyse that thinhabitantes of the Regions farre distante frome that lyne towarde the northe are molested with greate heate ¶ The Admiral that he myght allure the younge men to him with gentelnes shewed them lokynge glasses fayre bright vesselles of copper haukes belles and suche other thynges vnknowen to them But the more they were cauled so much the more they suspected crafte and deceate and fledde backewarde Yet dyd they with greate admiracion beholde owre men and theyr thynges but styll hauinge their ores in theyr handes redy to flye When the Admirall sawe that he coulde by no meanes allure theÌ„ by gyftes he thought to proue what he coulde do with musicall instrumentes Musical instrumentes and therefore commaunded that they which were in the greatest shippe shulde play on theyr drummes and shalmes But the younge men supposinge this to bee a token of battayle lefte theyr ores and in the twynlynge of an eye hadde put theyr arrowes in theyr bowes and theyr targettes on theyr armes And thus directinge theyr arrowes towarde owre men stoode in expectacioÌ„ to knowe what this noyse myght meane Owre men lykewise preparinge theyr bowes and arrowes approched toward theÌ„ by lyttle and lyttle But they departinge from the Admirals shippe and trustinge to the dexteritie of theyr ores came soo neare one of the lesse shippes that one of theym plucked the clooke from the gouernour of that shippe and as wel as they coulde by signes requyred hym to coome alande promysinge feyth that they wolde common with hym of peace But when they sawe hym goo to the Admirals shippe whether he went to aske leaue that he might common with them suspectinge heareby sume further deceate they lept immmediatly into the Canoa and fledde as swyft as the wynde So that to conclude they coulde by no meanes be allured to familiaritie Wherfore the Admirall thowght it not conuenient to bestowe any longe tyme there at this vyage No greate space frome this Ilande euer towarde the weste the Admirall saith he fownde so owteragious a faule of water runninge with such a violence from the Easte to the Weste The violent course of the water from the Easte to the Weste that it was nothynge inferioure to a myghty streame faulynge from hyghe mountaynes He also confessed that since the fyrst daye that euer he knewe what the sea mente he was neuer in suche feare Proceadinge yet sumwhat further in this daungerous vyage he fownde certeyne goulfes of .viii. myles as it had byn thenteraunce of sume greate hauen into the which the sayde violent streames dyd faule These goulfes or streyghtes he cauled Os Draconis The goulfe cauled Os Draconis that is the dragons mouth And the Iland directly ouer ageynste the same he named Margarita Owte of these streyghtes isshewed no lesse force of fresshe water whiche encounteringe with the saulte dyd stryue to passe foorth Soo that betwene bothe the waters was no smaule conflict A conflict betwene the freâ—he water the salte But enteringe into the goulfe at the lengthe he fownde the water therof very fresshe and good to drynke The Admyrall hym selfe and they which were his companions in this vyage beinge men of good credit and perceauinge my diligence in searchinge for these matters towlde me yet of a greater thynge That is that for the space of .xxvi leaques amountynge to a hundreth and foure myles he sayled euer by freshe water A sea of fresh water In so muche that the further he proceaded especially towarde the west he affirmeth the water to bee the freâ—her After this he came to a highe mountayne marmasets monkeys inhabited onely with moonkeys or marmasits on that part towarde the East For that syde was rowgh with rockye and stony mountains And therfore not inhabyted with men Yet they that went a lande to searche the countrey fownde nere vnto the sea many fayre fieldes well tylled and sowen But noo people nor yet houses or cotages Parhappes they were gone further in to the countrey to sowe theyr corne and applye theyr husbandry as wee often see owre husbande men to leaue theyr stations and vyiages for the same purpose In the weste syde of that mountayne they espyed a large playne whither they made haste The fayre large region of paria and cast anker in the brode ryuer As soone as the inhabitantes had knowleage that a strange nation was arryued in theyr coastes they came flockinge withowte all feare to see owre men We vnderstode by theyr sygnes and poyntynges that this Region was cauled Paria and that it was very large In so muche that the further it reacheth towarde the weste to be so muche the better inhabited and replenished with people The Admiral therfore takynge into his shyppe foure of the men of that lande searched the weste partes of the same By the temperatenes of the ayer the pleasauntnes of the grownde Temperate ayer and frutful grounde and the multytude of people which they saw dayly more and more as they sayled they coniectured that these thynges portended sum great matter As in deede their opinion fayled them not as we wyll further declare in his place The soonne not yet rysen but beginninge euen now to ryse beinge one day allured by the pleasauntnes of the place and sweete sauours which breathed from the land to the shippes Sweete sâ—uours proceadynge frome the lande they went alande Here they fownde a greater multytude
bothe of wynde and sea and vexed with intollerable heate Yet sayled they on further not without greate daunger for the space of twoo hundrethe and fortie leaques folowing yet the same wynde by the lost pole Wherfore whether habitable Regions bee vnder the Equinoctiall lyne or not habitable Regions vnder the Equinoctial lyne let these men and the owlde wryters aswel Philosophers as poetes and cosmographers discusse For these men affirme it to bee habitable and maruelouâ—ly replenished with people and they that it is vnhabitable by reason of the soone beames dependinge perpendicularly or directlye ouer the same Yet were there many of the oulde wryters whiche attempted to proue it habitable These maryners beinge demaunded if they sawe the south pole they answered that they knewe no starre there lyke vnto this pole that myght be decerned aboute the poynte But that they sawe an other order of starres and a certeyne thicke myst rysynge from the horizontall lyne An other order of starres A thycke mist which greatly hyndered theyr syght They contende also that there is a great heape or rysynge in the myddest of the earth A rysinge in the myddest of the earth which taketh away the syght of the southe pole vntyll they haue vtterly passed ouer the same But they verely beleue that they sawe other images of starres muche differinge from the situation of the starres of owre hemispherie or halfe circle of heauen Howe soo euer the matter bee as they informe vs wee certifie yowe At the lengthe the seuenth day of the calendes of Februarye they espied lande a farre of And seinge the water of the sea to bee troubelous soundinge with theyr plummet they founde it to bee .xvi. fathames deepe Goinge a lande and tarienge there for the space of twoo dayes they departed bycause they saw no people steringe althowghe they fownde certeyne steppes of men by the sea syde Thus grauinge on the trees and the stones nere vnto the shore the kynges name and theyrs and the tyme of theyr comming thether they departed Not farre froÌ„ this station folowynge the fyers on the lande by nyght they founde a nation lyinge vnder the open fyrmamente after the maner of warre Owre men thought it not beste to trowble them vntyll the morninge Therefore at the rysinge of the soonne fortie of owre men well armed wente toward them ageynst whom came furth .xxxii. of them with bowes slinges and dartes euen redy to the feyght The other coompanye folowed them armed after the same maner Owr men affirme that they were of hygher stature then eyther the Almaynes or Pannonians People of hygh stature They behelde owre men with frownynge and threatenynge countenaunce But owre men thought it not good to faule to bickeringe with them vncerteyne whether it were for feare or bycause they wolde not dryue theÌ„ to flight Wherfore they went aboute to allure them by faire meanes rewardes But they refused all kynde of gentelnes stoode euer in a redines to feight declaringe the same by signes and tokens Thus owr men resorted to theyr shippes and they to the place from whence they came without any further busynes The same nyght abowte mydnyght they fledde and left the place voyde where they lay in campe Owre men suppose them to bee a vagabunde and wanderinge nacion lyke vnto the Scythians A vagabunde kynde of men withowte houses or certeyne dwellinge places lyuinge onely with the fruites of the earth hauing theyr wyues and chyldren folowinge them Such as measured their footesteppes in the sande affirme with greate othes that one of theyr feete is almost as longe as twoo feete of owre men of the meane sorte Saylinge on yet further Giantes they founde an other ryuer but not of deapth sufficient to beare the carauels They sent therfore the foure shippe boates to lande ful of armed men to search the countrey They espyed vppon a hyghe hyll nere vnto the sea syde a greate multitude of people to whom owre coompany sent furthe one man with certeyne of owre thynges to allure them to exchaunge And when he had cast a haukes bell towarde them they cast downe a wedge of golde a cubette longe The which as he stouped to take vppe they soodenly inclosed hym and caryed hym awaye But he was shortly after rescued by his coompanyons to sum of their paynes for they slewe eyght of owre men and wounded many a farre of with theyr arrowes and dartes made of wood hardened at the endes with fyre After this they encoompased owre shippe boates within the ryuer and came rasshelye within the reache of owre men Desperate bouldenes layinge houlde on the boates sydes where they were thrust throwgh and hewen in peeces as it had byn sheepe by reason they were naked Yet wolde they not for al this gyue ouer but tooke from owre men one of their boates hauing noo men in it For the gouernour therof being slayne with an arrowe the other fledde and escaped And thus they lefte this fierce and warlyke people saylinge towarde the northweste alonge by the same coastes with sorowfull hartes for the death of theyr coompanyons When they had sayled abowte .xl. leaques they chaunced into a sea of suche fresshe water A sea of fresshe water that they fylled theyr barelles and hogges heades therwith Searching the cause hereof they vnderstoode that a vehement course of ryuers discended with great violence from the toppes of certeyne greate hylles They say also that there lyeth within the sea many fortunate and fruitfull Ilandes Many fruitefull Ilandes and well inhabyted And that thinhabitantes of this tracte are men of meeke nature and suche as doo not refuse strangers humane people Yet lyttle profytable to them bycause they had noo marchandyes for their purpose as golde or precyous stones For lacke wherof they broughâ— frome thense thyrtie captiues to sell for slaues Thinhabitantes caule this Region Mariatambal MariataÌ„ball The Region of the easte parte of that ryuer is cauled Camomorus Camomorus And that of the weste parte Paricora Paricora in the midlande wherof thinhabitantes signified that there is greate plentie of golde For folowynge this ryuer directly toward the Northe as the bendynge of the shore requyred they recouered ageyne the syght of the north pole All the coaste of this tracte perteyneth to Paria Regions of Paria the which as we sayd before was fyrst founde by Colonus hym selfe Golde and perles and hath in maner in euery place greate abundaunce of pearles They saye that these coastes are adioynynge vnto and all one with Os Draconis Os Draconis and also bortherynge vppon the Regions of Cumana Cumana Manacapana Manacapana Curiana Curiana Cauchieta and Cuchibachoa Wherfore they thought it to bee parte of the firme lande of India beyonge the ryuer of Ganges For the greate and large coompaâ—se therof dothe not permit that it shulde bee an Ilande Albeit the hole earth vncouered with
men These .xv. dayes beinge nowe paste whereas they coulde yet heare nothynge of Fogeda and were dayly more and more oppressed with sharpe hunger they entered into the twoo brigantynes which were lefte and departed from that land And as they were nowe saylynge on the mayne sea towarde Hispaniola a tempeste soodeynly arysynge A brigantine drowned with the stroke of a fyshe swalowed one of the brygantynes with all that were therein Sum of theyr felowes affirme that they playnely sawe a fyshe of houge greatenes swymmyng abowte the brygantyne for those seas brynge furthe greate monsters and that with a stroke of her tayle shee broke the rudder of the shyppe in peeces which faylynge the brigantine beinge dryuen abowt by force of the tempest was drowned not farre from the Ilande cauled Fortis The Ilande Fortis lyinge betwene the coastes of the hauen Carthago and Vraba As they of the other brygantyne wolde haue landed in the Ilande they were dryuen backe with the bowes and arrowes of the fierce barbarians Proceadynge therfore on theyr vyage they mette by chaunce with Ancisus betweene the hauen of Carthago Ancisus and the Region of Cuchibacoa in the mouthe of the ryuer whiche the Spanyardes cauled BoiuÌ„ gatti The Region of Cuchibacoa BoiuÌ„ gatti that is the house of the catte bycause they sawe a catte first in that place and Boium in the toonge of Hispaniola is a house Ancisus came with a shyppe laden with all thynges necessarye bothe for meate and drynke and apparell bryngynge also with hym an other brigantine This is he for whose comming the capitayne Fogeda looked for soo longe He loosed anker from Hispaniola in the Ides of September And the fourth day after his departure he espyed certeyne hyghe mountaynes Mountaynes couered with snowe the whiche for the abundance of snowe which lyeth continually in the toppes therof the Spanyardes cauled Serra Neuata Serra Neuata when Colonus the fyrst fynder of those Regions passed by the same The fyfte daye he sayled by Oâ— Draconis Os Draconis They whiche were in the brygantyne towlde Ancisus that Fogeda was returned to Hispaniola But Ancisus supposing that they had fayned that tale commaunded them by thautoritie of his commission to turne backe ageyne The brigantiners obeyed and folowed hym yet made they humble sute vnto hym that he woolde graunte them that with his fauour they myght eyther goo ageyne to Hispaniola or that he hym selfe woolde brynge theim to Nicuesa And that they woolde for his gentelnes declared towarde them in this behalfe rewarde hym with twoo thousande drammes of golde For they were ryche in golde but poore in breade Riche in gold and pore in breade But Ancisus assented to neyther of theyr requestes affirmynge that he myght by no meanes goo anye other way then to Vraba the prouince assigned to Fogeda Where vppon by theyr conduct he tooke his vyage directly toward Vraba But nowe let it not seme tedious to yowre holynes to heare of one thyng worthy to bee remembred which chaunced to this Lieuetenaunt Ancisus as he came thether For he also cast anker in the coastes of the region of Caramairi whiche wee sayde to bee famous by reason of the hauen of Carthago The Region of Caramairi and of the goodly stature strength and beawty of both men and women beinge in the same Here he sent certeyne to goo alande on the shore both to fetche fresshe water and also to repaire the shippe boate which was sore broosed In this meane tyme A greate multitude of the people of the countrey armed after theyr maner Feare on both partes came aboute owre men as they were occupied abowte theyr busynes and stoode in a redynes to feight for the space of three dayes contynually durynge whiche tyme neyther durst they set vppon owre men nor owre men assayle them Thus bothe parties keepynge theyr arraye stoode styl three hole dayes the one gasynge on the other Yet all this tyme owre men applyed theyr woorke placinge the shippewrightes in the myddeste of theyr armye Ship wâ—yghtes As they stoode thus amased twoo of owre coompanye wente to fyll theyr water pottes at the mouthe of the ryuer nere vnto them both where soodenly there came furthe ageynste them a capitayne of the barbarians with ten armed men which inclosed them with terrible countenaunce bent theyr arrowes ageynste them but shotte theym not of One of owre men fledde but the other remayned caulynge his felowe ageyne and rebukynge hym for his fearefulnes Then he spake to the barbarians in their owne language which he had lerned beinge conuersant with the captiues that were caryed from thense longe before They marueylynge to here a straunger speake in their natiue tonge put of theyr fiercenes and fell to frendly communication demaundinge who were the capitaynes of that coompanie whiche were arryued in theyr lande He answered that they were strangers passyng by And that he marueyled why they wold attempte to dryue them from theyr coastes and disturbe theyr shyppes arguinge theim of follye and crueltie and further threatinge their ruine and destruction except they woold vse them selues more frendely towarde them For hee aduertised them that there wolde shortly coome into theyr lande armed men in noÌ„ber lyke to the sandes of the sea And that to theyrter destruction not only if they resysted them not but also excepte they receaued them and enterteyned them honorably In the meane tyme Ancisus was enformed that his men were deteyned Wherefore suspectinge sume deceate he browght furth al his target men for feare of theyr venemous arrowes The vse of targettes agenst venemous arrowes And settinge them in battell arraye he marched forwarde towarde them which steyed his men But he which communed with the barbarians gyuinge him a signe with his hande to procede noo further he steyed And cauling to hym the other he knewe that all was safe For the barbarians profered him peace bycause they were not they whom they suspected them to haue byn meanynge by Fogeda and Nicuâ—sa who had spoyled the vyllage standinge there by the sea syde and caryed away many captiues and also burnte an other vyllage further within the lande And therefore as they sayde the cause of theyr comminge thether was to reuenge those iniuries if by any meanes they coulde The barbarianâ— haue respect to iustice Yet that they woolde not exercyse theyr weapons ageynste the innocente For they sayde it was vngodly to feyght ageynst any not beinge prouoked Layinge a parte therefore theyr bowes and arrowes they enterteyned owre men gentelly and gaue them greate plentie of salted fysshe and breade of theyr contrey Salted fiâ—he And fylled theyr vessels with syder made of theyr contrey frutes and seedes wyne of frâ—tâ—s and seeâ—es not inferiour to wyne in goodnes Thus Ancisus hauinge entered into frendshyp and made a league of peace with thinhabitantes of Caramairi whiche were before sore prouoked by other capitaynes
admyrall to allure them to frendâ—hippe gaue them many of owre thinges But they refused them suspectynge summe disceate thereby bycause he woolde not receyue theirs They wroughte all by sygnes Ciuile and humanâ— people for one vnderstoode not a woorde of the others language Suche gyftes as were sente them they lefte on the shore aâ—d woolde take no part therof They are of suche ciuilitye and humanytie that they esteeme it more honorable to gyue then to take They sente owre men two younge women beinge vyrgines of coÌ„mendable fauour and goodly stature sygnifyinge vnto them that they myghte take them awaye with them if it were their pleasure These women after the maner of their countrey were couered from their ancles sumwhat aboue their priuye partes with a certeyne clothe made of gossampine cotton But the men are al naked The women vse to cutte their heare But the men lette it growe on the hynder partes of their heades and cutte it on the fore parte Their longe heare they bynde vppe with fyllettes winde it in sundry rowles as owre maydes are accustomed to do The virgins which were sente to the Admirall he decked in fayre apparell gaue them many gyftes and sent theym home ageyne But lykewise all these rewardes and apparel they left vppon the shore bycause owre men had refused their gyftes Yet tooke he two men away with him and those very wyllyngly that by lernyng the Spanyshe tonge he might afterwarde vse them for interpretours He considered that the tractes of these coastes were not greately troubeled with vehement motions or ouerflowynges of the sea forasmuche as trees growe in the sea not farre frome the shâ—re syâ—e euen as they doo vppon the bankes of ryuers The which thynge also other doo affirme whiche haue latelyer searched those coastes declaring that the sea riseth and fauleth but lyttle there aboute He sayth furthermore that in the prospecte of this lande there are trees engendred euen in the sea Trees growynâ—â— in thâ— sea after a straunge sorâ— â–ª which after that they are growen to any height bende downe the toppes of theyr branches into the grounde which embrasing them causeth other branches to sprynge owt of the same and take roote in the earth bringynge foorth trees in theyr kynde successiuely as dyd the fyrst roote from whense they had theyr originall as do also the settes of vines when onely bothe the endes therof are put into the grounde Plinie in the twelfth booke of his natural historie maketh mention of suche trees Plinie describynge them to bee on the lande but not in the sea The Admirall wryteth also that the lyke beastes are engendered in the coastes of Cariai as in other prouinces of these regions and such as we haue spoken of before Yet that there is one founde here in nature much differinge from the other This beaste is of the byggenes of a greate moonkeye A straunge kynde of moonkeys but with a tayle muche longer and bygger It lyueth in the wooddes and remoueth from tree to tree in this maner Hangynge by the tayle vppon the braunche of a tree gatheryng strength by swayinge her body twyse or thryse too and fro she casteth her selfe from branche to branche and so from tree to tree as though she flewe An archer of owres hurt one of them Who perceauinge her selfe to be wounded A moonkeye feyghteth with a man leapte downe from the tree and fiercely set on hym which gaue her the wounde in so muche that he was fayne to defende hym selfe with his swoorde And thus by chaunce cuttyng of one of her armes he tooke her and with muche a doo brought her to the ships where within a whyle shee waxed tame Whyle shee was thus kepâ—e and bownde with cheynes certeyne other of owr hunters hadde chased a wylde bore owt of the maryshes nere vnto the sea syde For hunger and desyre of fleshe caused theÌ„ to take double pleasure in huntynge In this meane tyme other which remayned in the shippes goinge a lande to recreate them selues tooke this moonkey with them Who as soone as shee had espied the bore set vp her brystels made towarde her The bore lykewyse shooke his bristels whette his teethe The moonkey furiously inuaded the bore â— conflict betwene a monkey and a wylde bore wrappynge her tayle about his body and with her arme reserued of her victourer helde hym so fast aboute the throte that he was suffocate These people of Cariai vse to drye the deade bodyes of theyr princes vppon hurdels and so reserue them inuolued in the leaues of trees The bodyes of kynges dryed reserued As he went forwarde about twentie leagues from Cariai he founde a goulfe of sucâ— largenes that it conteyned .xii. leagues in compaâ—se In the mouth of this goulfe were foure lyttle Ilandes so nere togâ—ther that they made a safe hauen to enter into the goulfe This goulfe is the hauen which we sayde before to be cauled Cerabaro of thinhabitantes Cerabaro But they haue nowe lerned thâ—t only the lande of the one syde therof lyinge on the ryght hande at the enterynge of the goulfe is cauled by that name But that on the lefte syde is cauled Aburema Aburema He saythe thâ—t all this goulfe is ful of fruteful Ilandes wel replenysshed with goodly trees And the grounde of the sea to bee verye cleane withowt rockes and commodious to cast anker Lykewyse the sea of the goulfe to haue greate abundance of fysshe and the landâ— of both the sydes to bee inferior to none in frutfulnes At his fyrst arryuynge he espyed two of thinhâ—bitanâ—es hauynge cheynes about theyr neckes Cheynes of golde made of ouches which they caule Cuauines of base golde artificially wrought in the formes of Eagles and lions with dyuers other beastes and foules Of the two Cariaians whiche he brought with hym from Cariai he was enformed that the regions of Cerabaro and Aburema were rych in golde And that the people of Cariai haue all theyr golde frome thense for exchaunge of other of theyr thynges Plentie of golde They towlde hym also that in the saâ—e regiâ—ns there are fyue vyllages not farre from the sea â—yde whose inhabitantes apply theâ— selues onely to the gathering of gold The names of theâ—e vyllages are these Chirara Puren Chitaza Iureche Atamea Fiue villages rych in gold All the men of the prouince of Cerabaro go naked and are paynted with dyuers coloures They take gâ—eat pleasure in wearynge garlanâ—es of floures and crownes made of the clawes of Lions and Tygers Crownes of beasts claws The women couer onely theyr priuie partes wiâ—h a fyller of gossampine cotton Departinge from henâ—e and â—oastynge styll by the same shore for the space of .xviii. leagues he came to another ryuer whâ—re he espyed aboute three hundreth naked men in a company When they sawe the shippes drawe neare the lande they cryed owte aloude with cruell countenaunces shakynge thâ—yr woodden swoordes
came nearer to hande strookes they foughte with their woodden swoordes whiche they caule Machanâ—s as wee haue sayd before A man woolde not thinke what great malice and wrath was kyndeled in their hartes ageinst owre men And with what desperate myndes they fought for the defense of their lybertie whiche they more esteeme then lyfe or rychesse Lâ—berty moâ—e esteemed theÌ„ ryches For they were nowe so voyde of all feare and contemnynge deathe that they neyther scared longe bowes or crossebowes nor yet whiche is mooste to be marueyled were any thynge discouraged at the terryble noyse of the gunnes shotte of from the shyppes They retyred once But shortly after encreasynge their noumber they returned more fiercely then at the fyrste They woolde haue byn contented to haue receyued owre men frendly as straungers but not as inhabitours The more instante that owre men were to remaine so muche the greater multitude of bortherers flocked togyther dayly disturbyng theÌ„ both nyght daye sumtymes on the one syde sumtymes on the other The Spanyardes are dryuen to flight The shyps lying at anker neare vnto the shore warded them on the backe halfe But at the length they were fayne to forsake this lande and retourne backe the same way by the which they came Thus with much diffyculty and danger they came to the Iland of Iamaica lyenge on the south syde of Hispaniola and Cuba The Ilande of Iamaica with their shyppes as full of holes as sieues and so eaten with woormes as though they had byn bored through with wimbles The water entered so faste at the ryftes and holes that if they had not with the paynefull labour of their handes empted the same as faste they were lyke to haue perysshed Where as yet by this meanes they arryued at Iamaica althoughe in maner halfe deade But their calamitie ceased not here For as fast as their shyppes leaked their strengthe dimynisshed so that they were no longer able to keepe theym from synkynge A myserable case By reason wherof faulynge into the handes of the barbarians and inclosed withowte hope of departure they led their lyues for the space of tenne monthes emong the naked people more myserably then euer dyd Achemenides emonge the gyantes cauled Ciclopes rather lyuing theÌ„ beinge eyther contented or satisfied with the strange meates of that Ilande and that onely at such tymes as pleased the barbarians to giue them part of theirs The deadly enmity and malice whiche these barbarous kinges beare one ageinst an other made greatly with owre men For at suche tymes as they attempted warre ageinst their bortherers they woold sumtymes gyue owre men parte of their breade to ayde them But howe myserable and wretched a thyng it is to lyue onely with breade gotten by beggynge yowre holynesse maye easylye coniecture Especially where all other accustomed foode is lackynge as wyne oyle flesshe butter chiese and milke wherwith the stomakes of owr people of Europe haue euer byn noorisshed euen from their cradelles Necessytie hath no lawe howe farre lyfe is to bee esteemed Therfore as necessyty is subiecte to no lawe so doothe it enforce men to attempte desperate aduentures And those the soner which by a certeyne nobylytie of nature do no further esteeme lyfe then it is ioyned with summe felicity Bertholomeus Colonus therfore intendynge rather to proue what god woolde do with hym and his companyons in these extremities A daungerous enterpryse then any longer to abide the same commaunded Diegus Mendez his steward with two guydes of that Ilande whome he had hyred with promysses of great rewardes at their retourne to enter into one of their canoas and take their viage to Hispaniola Beynge thus tossed on the sea two and fro from rocke too rocke by reason of the shortenesse and narownes of the canoa they arryued at the length at the laste corner of Hispaniola beynge distante from Iamaica fortie leagues Here his guydes departynge from hym returned ageine to Colonus for the rewardes which he had promysed them But Dieguâ— Mendez wente on forward a foote vntyll he came to the citie cauled Sanctus Dominicus beynge the chiefe and heade citye of the Ilande Sanctus Dominicus The offycers and rulers of Hispaniola beinge enformed of the matter appoynted hym two shyppes wherwith he retourned to his maister and coompanions As he founde them soo came they to Hispaniola verye feeble and in maner naked What chaunced of them afterwarde I knowe not as yet Lette vs nowe therfore leaue these particulers and speake sumwhat more of generals In al those tractes whiche we sayde here before to haue bynne found by Colonus the Admyrall Landes fouÌ„d by Colonus bothe he hym selfe writeth and all his coompanyons of that vyage confesse that the trees herbes Temperate regions and holsome aier and frutes are floryshing and greene all the hole yeare and the ayer so temperate and holesome that of all his coompanye there neuer fell one man sycke nor yet were vexed eyther with extreme coulde or heate for the space of fyftie leagues from the great hauen of Cerabaro to the ryuers of Hiebra and Beragua Cerabaro Hiebra Beragua Thinhabitantes of Cerabaro and the natâ—ons whiche are betwyxte that and the sayde ryuers applye not them selues to the gatherynge of golde but onely at certeyne tymes of the yeare And are very experte cunnyng herein as are owre myners of syluer and Iren. Experte myners They knowe by longe experience in what places golde is mooste abundantly engendred as by the colour of the water of the ryuers and suche as faule froÌ„ the montaynes And also by the colour of the earthe and stones They beleue a certeyne godly nature to be in golde A godâ—y nature in golde for asmuche as they neuer gather it excepte they vse certeyne relygious expiations or pourgynge as to absteyn from women and all kyndes of plesures and delycate meates and drinkes dâ—ring all the tyme that their golden haruest lasteâ—he Goâ—den haruest They suppose that men do naturally lyue and dye as other beastes do and therfore honour none other thynge as god Yet doo thâ—y praye to the soonne and honour it when it ryseth But lette vs nowe speake of the montaines and situation of these landes From all the sea bankes of these regyons exceding great and hyghe mountaynes are seene towarde the Southe hyghe â—nd greate mountaynes yet reachynge by a continuall tracte from the Easte into the weste By reason wherof I suppose that the two greate seas wherof I haue spoken largly before are deuided with these montaynes as it were with bulwarkes leaste they shoulde ioyne and repugne as Italye deuideth the sea cauled Tirrhenum Tyâ—rhenuum is nowe cauled Tuâ—eane from the sea Adriatyke which is nowe commonly cauled the goulfe of Uenes For whiche waye soo euer they sayled from the poynt cauled Promontorium S. Augustini whiche perteyneth to the Portugales prospecteth ageynste the sea Atlantike euen
vnto Vraba and the hauen Cerabaro Cap. S. Augustini Vraba Cerabaro and to the furthest landes found hytherto westwarde they had euer greate mountaynes in syghte bothe nere hande and farre of in all that longe rase These mountaynes were in sume place smooth pleasaunt and frutfull Frutful mountaynes full of goodly trees and herbes And sumwhere hygh rowgh ful of rockes and baren as chaunseth in the famus mountayne of Taurus in Asia and also in dyuers coastes of our mountaynes of Apennini Aâ—ennini are mountaynes which dâ—uide Italy lute .ii. partes and suche other of lyke byggenesse The rydgies also of these mountaynes are diuided with goodly and fayre valleis That part of the mountaynes which includeth the lymettes of Beragua Beragaa is thought to be hygher then the clowdes The mountaynes of Beragua higher then the clâ—udes in so much that as they saye the tops of them can seldome bee seene for the multitude of thicke clowdes which are beneath the same Colonus the Admirall the fyrste fynder of these regions affirmeth that the toppes of the montaynes of Beragua are more then fiftie myles in heyghth Montaynes of fiftie miles heyght He sayth furthermore that in the same region at the rotes of the montaynes the way is open to the south sea and compareth it as it were betwene Uenice and Genua or Ianua as the Genues wyll haue it cauled whiche fable that theyr citie was buylded of Ianus Ianus otherwyâ—e cauled Iaphet the son of Noe. He affirmeth also that this lande reacheth foorth towarde the south And that from hense it taketh the begynnynge of breadth lyke as from the Alpes owte of the narowe thygh of Italy Italy is lyke vnto a legge in the sea the mountaynes of the alpes are in the thyghe therof we see the large and mayne landes of Fraunce Germanye and Pannonye to the Sarmatians and Scythyans euen vnto the mountaynes and rockes of Riphea and the frosen sea and embrase therwith as with a continuall bonde all Tracia and Grecia with all that is included within the promontorie or poynt of Malea and Hellespontus southwarde and the sea Euzinus and the marysshes of Maeotis in Scythia northwarde The Admirall supposethe Colonus his opinion of the suppoâ—ed Continent By this coniecture the way shuld be open to Cathay by the hiperboreâ—â— that on the lefte hande in saylynge towarde the weste this lande is ioyned to India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges And that on the ryght hande towarde the North it bee extended to the frosen sea beyonde the Hyperboreans and the North pole So that both the seas that is to meane that south sea which we sayde to bee founde by Vaschus and owre Ocean shulde ioyne and meete in the corners of that land And that the waters of these seas doo not onely inclose and compasse the same withowt diuision as Europe is inclosed with the seas of Hellespontus and Tanais with the frosen Ocean owre sea of Tyrrhenum with the Spanysshe seas But in my opinion the vehement course of the Ocean toward the weste doth signifie and lette that the sayde two seas shulde not so ioyne togither Looke the nâ—uigation of Cabote deca iii. lib. vi But rather that that land is adherent to the firme landes towarde the Northe as we haue sayde before It shall suffice to haue sayde thus muche of the length hereof Let vs nowe therfore speake sumwhat of the breadth of the same The breadth of the lande We haue made mention before howe the south sea is diuided by narowe lymittes from owre Ocean as it was proued by thexperience of Vaschus Nunâ—ez and his coompanions which fyrst made open the way thyther But as dyuersly as the mountaynes of owre Alpes in Europe are sumwhere narowe and in sume place brode euen so by the lyke prouideÌ„câ— of nature this lande in sume parte therof reacheth farre in breadth and is in other places coarcted with narowe limettes from sea to sea with valleys also in sume places wherby men may passe from the one syde to the other Where we haue descrybed the regions of Vraba and Beragua to bee situate The regions of Uraba and Beragua these seas are deuided by smaule distaunce Yet owght we to thynke the region which the great ryuer of Maragnonus runneth through The greate riuer Maragnonus to bee very large if we shall graunt Maragnonum to bee a ryuer and no sea as the freshe waters of the same owght to persuade vs. For in suche narowe caues of the earth there can bee no swalowinge goulfes of such bygnesse as to receaue or nooryshe so great abundance of water The lyke is also to bee supposed of the great ryuer of Dabaiba which we sayde to bee from the corner of the goulfe of Vraba in sume place of fortie fathomes depth The great riuer Dabaiba or sancty Iohannis and sumwhere fiftie Also three myles in breadth and so to faule into the sea We must needes graunt that the earth is brode there by the whiche the ryuer passeth from the hyghe mountaynes of Dabaiba from the East and not from the west They say that this ryuer consisteth and taketh his encrease of foure other ryuers faulynge from the mountaynes of Dabaiba The ryuers haue their increase from the sprynges of the montaynes Owre men caule this ryuer Flumen S. Iohannis They say also that from hense it fauleth into the goulfe of Vraba by seuen mouthes as doothe the ryuer of Nilus into the sea of Egypte The ryuer of Nilus in Egypte Lykewyse that in the same region of Vraba there are in sume places narowe streyghtes not passynge fyftene leaques and the same to bee saluage and withowt any passage by reason of dyuers marysshes and desolate wayes Marisshes and desolate wayes which the Latines caule Lamas But the Spanyardes accordynge to theyr varietie caule theÌ„ Tremedales Trampales Cenegales Sumideros and Zabondaderos But before we passe any further it shall not bee greatly from owr purpose to declare from whense these mountaynes of Dabaiba haue theyr name accordynge vnto thantiquities of thinhabitantes A superstitious opinion of thoriginall of montaines of Dabaiba They saye therefore that Dabaiba was a woman of greate magnanimitie and wysedome emonge theyr predicessours in owlde tyme whom in her lyfe all thinhabitantes of those prouinces did greatly reuerence and beinge deade gaue her diuine honour and named the regioÌ„ after her name beleuynge that shee sendeth thunder and lyghtnynge to destroy the frutes of the earth yf shee bee angered and to send plentie if shee bee well pleased This superstition hathe byn persuaded them by a craftie kynde of men vnder pretense of religion to thintent that they might enioye suche gyftes and offeringes as were brought to the place where shee was honoured Dragons and crocodiles in the marishes This is sufficient for this purpose They saye furthermore that the marysshes of the narowe
foorthwith to thintente there to plant theyr colonie or habitacion where the newe gouernour planted his habitatioÌ„ To the better accomplysshemente hereof they sent immediatly one Iohannes Aiora a noble younge gentelman of Corduba and vnder Lieuetenant The viage of Iohannes Aiora with foure hundreth men and foure carauelles and one other lyttle shippe Thus departinge he sayled fyrst directly to the hauen of Comogrus The hauen of Comogrus dystant from Dariena aboute twentie and fyue leagues as they wryte in theyr last letters Frome hense he as appoynted to sende a hundreth and fyftie of his foure hundreth towarde the South by a newe and ryghter way founde of late by the which as they say it is not paste .xxvi. leagues from the palaice of kynge Comogrus to the enteraunce of the goulfe of Sancti Michaelis Sainte Mychaels goulfâ— The residewe of the foure hundreth shall remayne there to bee an ayde and succour to all such as shall iorney to and fro Those hundreth and fiftie which are assigned to go southwarde take with them for interpretours certeine of owre men which had lerned the sootherne language of the bonde men which were gyuen to Vaschus when he ouerranne those regions and also certeyne of the bondemâ—n them selues which had nowe lerned the Spanysshe tonge They say that the hauen of Pocchorrosa The hauen Pocchorrosa is onely seuen leaques distante frome the hauen of Comogrus In Pocchorrosa he is assigned to leaue fyftâ—e men with the lyghtest shyp which maye bee a passinger betwene them A passynger shyppe that lyke as we vse poste horses by lande so may they by this currant shippe in shorte space certifie the Lieuetenaunt and thinhabitours of Dariena of suche thynges as shall chaunce They entende also to buylde houses in the region of Tumanama The palaice of kynge Tumanama Kyng Tumanama is distant from Pocchorrosa about twentie leaques Of these foure hundreth men beinge of the owlde souldiers of Dariena and men of good experience fyftie weare appoynted to bee as it were Decurians to guide and conducte the newe men from place to place to do their affaires Decurians are officers deuided into â—ennes c. When they had thus sette all thynges in order they thought it good to aduertise the king hereof and therwith to certifye hym that in those prouinces there is a kynge named Dabaiba whose dominion is very riche in golde Kyng Dabaiba But the same to be yet vntouched by reason of his great power His kingedome ioyneth to the seconde greate ryuer named Dabaiba after his name The gold mynes of Dabaiba whiche fauleth into the sea owt of the corner of the goulfe of Vraba as we haue largely declared before The common reporte is that all the lande of his dominions is ryche in golde The palayce of kynge Dabaiba is fyfty leaques distante from Dariena The pallaice of kynge Dabaiba Thinhabitantes saye that from the palaice the golde mynes reache to the borthers on euery syde The gold mynes of Dariena Albeit owre men haue also golde mynes not to bee contempned euen within three leaques of Dariena in the which they gather golde in many places at this presente Yet doo theye affyrme greater plentie to bee in the mynes of Dabaiba In the bookes of owre fyrste frutes wrytten to yowre holynesse we made mention of this Dabaiba wherin owre men were deceaued and mystooke the matter â—n erroure For where they founde the fyssher men of kyng Dabaiba in the marysshes they thought his region had byn there also They determyned therfore to sende to kynge Dabaiba three hundreth choyse younge men to be chosen owte of the hole army as moste apte to the warres Eâ—pedition ageinst kynge Dabaiba and well furnysshed with all kyndes of armoure and artillery to thintent to go vnto hym and wyl hym eyther frendly and peaceably to permytte them to inhabyte parte of his kingdome with the fruition of the golde mynes or elles to bydde him battayle and dryue hym owte of his countrey In their letters they often â—ymes repete this for an argument of great rychesse to coome Great plentie of golde that they in maner dygged the grounde in noo place but founde the earthe myxte with sparkes and smaule graynes of golde They haue also aduertised the kynge that it shal be commodious to place inhabitours in the hauen of Sancta Martha in the region of Saturma The regyon of Saturma that it maye bee a place of refuge for them that sayle from the Ilande of Dominica from the whiche as they saye it is but foure or fyue dayes saylyng to that hauen of the regyon of Saturma The Ilande of Dominica And from the hauen but thre dayes saylyng to Dariena Dariena But this is to bee vnderstode in goynge and not in returnynge For the returnyng from thense is so laborious and difficulte by reason of the contrary course of the water Difficulte saylyng ageynst the course of the sea that they seeme as it were to ascende hyghe montaynes and stryue ageynste the poure of Neptunus This swyfte course of the sea towarde the Weste is not so violente to theym whiche retourne to Spayne frome the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba Althoughe they also do laboure ageynste the faule of the Ocean The cause wherof is that the sea is here verye large so that the waters haue their full scoope But in the tracte of Paria the waters are constrayned together by the bendynge sydes of that great lande and by the multytude of Ilandes lyinge ageynste it as the lyke is seene in the straightes or narowe seas of Sicilie where the violent course of the waters cause the daungerous places of Scylla and Charybdis The daungerous straightes of Scylla Charybdis by reason of those narowe seas whiche conteine Ionium Libicum and Tirrhenum Colonus the fyrst fynder of these regyons hath lefte in wrytynge that saylynge from the Ilande of Guanassa Guanassa and the prouynces of Iaia Iaia Maia Maia and Cerabaro Cerabaro beyng regyons of the west marches of Beragua Beragua he founde the course of the water so vehemente and furious ageynste the fore parte of his shippe whyle he sailed from those coastes towarde the Easte that he coulde at no tyme touche the grounde with his soundynge plummet but that the contrary vyolence of the water woolde beare it vppe from the bottome The vehement course of the sea fro the east to the west He affyrmeth also that he coulde neuer in one hole daye with a meately good wynde wynne one myle of the course of the water And this is the cause why they are oftentymes enforced to sayle fyrste by the Ilandes of Cuba and Hispaniola and so into the mayne sea toward the North when they returne to Spaine that the Northe wyndes maye further their vyage whiche they can not brynge to passe by a directe course The northâ— wynde But
he into the poole euen vnto the chynne For beinge from theyr infancie exercised in swymmynge and accustomed to the waters they refuse not to continue therein a longe space The foules thynkynge this gourde to be one of the other that swymme vppon the water the fouler goeth softly to the place wher he seeth the greatest flocke of foules And with waggynge his heade counterfectinge the mouing of the wauerynge gourdes drawethe neare to the foules where softely puttynge foorth his ryght hande he soodenly snatcheth one by the legges and plungeth her into the water where he putteth her into a bagge whiche he hath with hym of purpose The other foules supposinge that this dyued into the water of her owne motion to seke for foode as is their maner are nothyng moued hereby but go forwarde on their waye as before vntyll they also faule into the same snare I haue here for this cause entered into the declaration of theyr maner of huntynge and foulynge that by these more pleasaunt narrations I may sumwhat mytigate and asswage the horrour conceaued in yowre stomake by the former rehearsall of theyr bluddy actes and cruell maners Lette vs nowe therfore speake sumwhat ageyne of the newe and later opinions as concernynge the swyfte course of the sea towarde the west about the coastes of Paria Lâ—â—er opinions of the swift course of the Ocean towarde the west also of the maner of gathering of golde in the golde myne of Dariena as I was aduertised of late And with these two quyet and peaceable thynges we wyl make an ende of the tragical affayres of the Ocean and therwith byd yowre holynes fare wel So it is therfore that Andreas Moralis the pylot and Ouiedus of whom we haue made mention before repayred to me at my house in the towne of Matrite As we met thus togyther there arose a contention betwene them two as concernynge this course of the Ocean They both agree that these landes and regions perteynynge to the dominion of Castile doo with one continuall tract and perpetuall bonde embrase as one hole firme lande or continent al the mayne lande lyinge on the north syde of Cuba and the other Ilandes The contineÌ„t or firme land beinge also northwest both from Cuba and Hispaniola Yet as touchynge the course of the water they varrie in opinion For Andreas wyll that this vyolent course of water bee receaued in the lappe of the supposed continente which bendeth so much and extendeth so farre towarde the North as we haue said And that by the obiect or resistance of the lande so bendynge and crookynge the water shulde as it were rebounde in coompasse and by force therof be dryuen about the north syde of Cuba and the other Ilandes excluded without the circle cauled Tropicus Caneri where the largenes of the sea maye receaue the waters faulynge frome the narowe streames and therby represse that inordinate course by reason that the sea is there very large and great I can compare his meanynge to nothynge more aptely then to the swyfte streame commyng foorth of a mylle and faulyng into the myl poole For in al suche places where waters runne with a vyolent faule through narowe chanels and are then receaued in large pooles they are soodenly disparcled and theyr violence broken So that wheras before they seemed of such force as to ouerthrowe all thynges beinge in theyr waye it can not then be perceaued which way they runne The Admiral him selfe Diegus Colonus The vyages of Diegus Colonus sonne and heyre to Christophorus Colonus the fyrst fynder of these landes who had nowe in commyng and goinge foure tymes passed throughe these seas beinge demaunded of me what he founde or perceaued in saylynge too and fro The vyage from the new landes to Spayne answered that there was muche difficultie in returnynge the same way by the which they go But wheras they fyrst take the waye by the mayne sea towarde the North before they directe theyr course to Spayne he saythe that in that tract he felt the shippe sumtymes a lyttle dryuen backe by the contrary course of the water Yet supposeth that this chaunceth onely by the ordinarie flowynge and reflowynge of the sea And the same not to be enforced by the circumflection or course of the water reboundynge in compasse as we haue sayde But thinketh rather that this mayne lande or supposed continent shulde sumwhere bee open And that the sayde open place shoulde bee as it were a gate enterie or streyght diuydyng the North partes of that lande from the South by the which also the Ocean runnynge towarde the West may by the rotation or impulsion of the heauens bee dryuen about the hole earth Ouiedus agreeth with Andreas Motralis as touchynge the continuall adherence and closenes of the sayde continente Yet neyther that the waters shulde so beate ageynst the bendynge backe of the West lande or bee in such sorte repulsed and dryuen into the mayne sea But saith that he hath diligently consydered that the waters runne from the deepest and myddest of the maine sea towarde the West Also that saylinge nere vnto the shore with smaule vesselles he founde the same waters to returne ageine towarde the East The contrary course of waters So that in the same place they runne together with contrary course as we oftentimes see the lyke to chaunce in riuers wherby the obiecte of the bankes diuers whirlepooles and turnynges aryse in the water By reason wherof if any chaffe strawe woodde or any other thyng of lyght substance be caste in any suche places in ryuers it foloweth that al such as runne with the water in the myddest of the chanell procede well forwarde But suche as faule into the bendynge goulfes and indented margentes of the crooked bankes are caryed ouerthwarte the chanell and so wander about vntyll they meete with the ful and directe course of the ryuer Thus haue we made yowe partener of suche thinges as they haue gyuen vs and writen their dyuers opinions We wyll then gyue more certeyne reason when more certeyne truth shal be knowen We must in the meane tyme leane to opinions vntil the day coome appointed of god to reueale this secreate of nature with the perfecte knowleage of the pointe of the pole starre The poynt of the pole star Hauyng sayd thus muche of the course of the Ocean a briefe declaration of the golde mynes of Dariena The golde mynes of Dariena and the maner of gatherynge golde shall close vppe owre Decades and make an ende of owre trauayles Wee haue sayde that nyne myles distante from Dariena are the sydes of the hylles and the drye playnes in the whiche golde is gathered bothe on the drye lande and also on the bankes and in the chanelles of ryuers Therfore to al such as are wyllynge to gather golde there is of ordinarie custome appointed to euery man by the suruoiers of the mynes a square plotte of grounde conteyning twelue pases at
lande by the which aswell the Christians as Indians doo trauel there are such marysshes and waters in the way that they are fayne to go withowt breeches amonge the herbes and weedes by reason wherof certeyne smaule beastes or woormes which they caule Garapates much lyke vnto tykes cleaue fast to theyr legges These wormes are as little as the pouder of beaten salt And cleaue so fast that they can by no meanes be taken away except the place bee noynted with oyle And after that the legges bee noynted awhyle with oyle or the other partes where these lyttle tykes are fastened they scrape the place with a knyfe and so take them away But the Indiâ—ns whiche haue no oyle smoke them and burne them with fyer and abyde great peynes in takynge them awaye by this meanes Of other lyttle beastes which trouble men and are engendein theyr heades or other pâ—rtes of theyr bodies I saye that the Christian men which trauell into these partes haue them but seldome tymes and that not past one or two and this also very seldome For passynge by the lyne of the Diameter where the compasse makethe difference of saylynge by the wynde cauled Greco that is North East and Magistral that is south west which is in the course of the Ilandes of Azori they sayle but a lyttle way folowing owre vyage by the west but that all the lyâ—e which the Christians cary with them or are engendered in theyr heades or other places of theyr bodies dye and vtterly consume by lyttle and lyttle and are not engendered in India excepte in the heades of lyttle chyldren in those partes aswel amonge the chyldren of the Christians which are borne there as also amonge the natural Indians who haue theym commonly in theyr heades and sumetymes in other partes of theyr bodyes and especially they of the prouince of Cueua which is a region conteynynge more then a hundreth leaques in length and embraseth the one and the other coast of the North sea and of the East When these Indians are infected with this fylthynesse they dresse and clense one an other And they that exercise this are for thâ— moste parte women who eate all that they take And haue herein such dexteritie by reason of theyr exercise that owre men can not lyghtly atteyne thâ—runto There is also another thynge greatly to bee consydered And this is how the Christian men beinge there cleane frome this fylthynes of India aswell in theyr heades as the reste of theyr bodyes yet when they returne to coomme ageyne into Europe and begyn to arryue in that place of the Ocean sea where wee sayde beforâ— that the lyse dyed and forsoke them suddenly in theyr repassynge by the same clyme as thoughe the lyse had taryed for them in that place they can by no meanes auoyde theym for the â—pace of certeyne dayes although they change theyr shertes two or three tymes in a day These lyse are at the fyrste as lyttle as nyttes and growe by lyttle and lyttle vntyl they bee of the byggenesse that they are in Spayne This haue I often tymes proued hauynge nowe foure tymes paâ—â—ed the Ocean sea by this vyage Besyde these woormes and vermyn wherof we haue spoken there is another lyttle mischeuous woorme whiche we may number amonge the kyndes of fâ—eas This pestilence the Indians caul Nigua Nigua And is much lesse then a flea It perseâ—h the fleshe of a man and so launseth or cutteth the same while in the meane tyme it can nother bee seene nor taken that froÌ„ sume it hath cutte of theyr handes and from other theyr fiete vntyll the remedy was founde to annoynt the place with oyle and scrape it with a rasoure In the firme lande in golden Castyle or Beragua there are many vypers lyke vnto them of Spayne Uypers They that aâ—e bytten of them dye in short space For fewe lyue to the fourthe day except present remedy Of these sume are of a leâ—â—e kâ—nd then other And haue theyr tayle sumwhat rounde and leape in the ayer to assayle men And for this cause sume caule this kynde of vypers Tyro Theyr bytyng is most venemous and for the moste parte incurable One of theym chaunced to byte an Indian mayde whiche serued me in my house to whome I caused the surgians to mynister theyr ordinarye cure but they coulde doo her no good nor yet get one droppe of bludde owt of her but only a yelowe water so that shee died the thyrd day for lacke of remedy as the like hath chaunced to dyuers other This mayde was of thage of .xiiii. yeares and spoke the Spanysshe toonge as yf shee had byn borne in Castyle Shee sayde that the vyper whiche bytte her on the foote was two spannes longe or lyttle leâ—se And that to byte her shee lepte in the ayer for the space of more then syxe pases as I haue harde the lyke of other credible persons I haue also seene in the firme lande a kynde of adders very smaule and of seuen or eyght foote longe Adders These are so redde that in the nyght they appeare lyke burnynge cooles and in the day seeme as redde as bludde These are also venemous but not so much as the vypers There are other much lesse and shorter and blacker These coome owt of the ryuers and wander sumtymes farre on the lande and are lykewyse venemous There are also other adders of a russet coloure These are sumwhat bygger then the vypers and are hurtful and venemous There are lykewyse an other sorte of manye coloures and very longe Of these I sawe one in the yeare of Christ 1515. in the Iland of Hispaniola nere vnto the sea costes at the foote of the mountaynes cauled Pedernales When this adder was slayne I measured her and founde her to be more then .xx. foote longe and sumwhat more then a mans fyst in byggenes And althoughe she hadde three or foure deadely woundes with a swoorde yet dyed shee not nor stoonke the same daye in so much that her bludde continued warme all that tyme. There are also in the marysshes and desertes of the firme lande many other kyndes of lysertes dragons Dragons and other dyuers kyndes of serpentes wherof I entende not here to speake much bycause I haue more particulerly entreated of these thynges in my generall historie of the Weste Indyes There are also spiders of marueylous bygnessse Spyders And I haue seene summe with the body and legges bygger then a mannes hande extended euery waye And I ones sawe one of suche bygnesse that onely her bodye was as bygge as a sparowe and full of that laune wherof they make their webbes This was of a darke russette coloure with eyes greates then the eies of a sparow They are venemous and of terrible shape to beholde There are also scorpions and dyuers other suche venemous wormes Wherby we maye see that where as natural causes and influence of the planettes are of strongest actiuitie they cease not to
commyng goynge and retournynge with such swyftnes that no man wolde lightly beleue it that hath not seene it And certenly these byrdes are so lyttle that I durst not haue made mention hereof if it were not that diuers other which haue seene them as wel as I can beare witnes of my saying They make their nestes of flockes and heare of cotten wherof there is great plentie in these regions and serueth wel for theyr purpose But as touchyng the byrdes foules and beastes of these Indies bycause they are innumerable bothe lyttle and greate I intende not to speake muche heare bycause I haue spoken more largely hereof in my generall hystorye of the Indyes There is an other kynde of beastes seene in the firme land which seemed very straunge and marueilous to the Chrystian men to beholde Beastes and muche differynge from all other beastes which haue byn seene in other partes of the worlde These beastes are cauled Bardati Bardati And are foure footed hauing their raile and al the rest of theyr bodies couered onely with a skyn lyke the coperture of a barbed horse or the chekered skynne of a lysarte or Crocodyle of coloure betwene whyte and russet inclynynge sumwhat more to whyte This beast is of forme and shape much lyke to a barbed horse with his barbes and flankettes in all poyntes And from vnder that which is the barbe and coperture the tayle commeth foorth and the feete in theyr place the necke also and the eares in theyr partes and in fyne all thynges in lyke sorte as in a barbed courser They are of the bygnes of one of these common dogges They are not hurtfull They are fylthy and haue theyr habitation in certen hillockes of earthe where digginge with there feete they make their dens very deepe the holes therof in like maner as do connyes They are verye excellent to be eaten and are taken with nettes and sum also killed with crosbowes They are lykewise taken often tymes when the husband men burie the stubble in sowyng time or to renewe the herbage for kyne and other beastes I haue often times eaten of their fleshe which semeth to me of better tast then kyddes fleshe and holsome to be eaten And if these beastes had euer byn seene in these partes of the woorlde where the first barbed horses had their original no man wold iudge but that the forme and fasshion of the coperture of horses furnished for the warres was fyrste deuysed by the syght of these beastes There is also in the firme lande an other beaste cauled Orso Formigaro that is the Ante beare Beares This beaste in heare and coloure is much lyke to the beare of Spayne and in maner of the same makynge saue that he hath a much longer snowt and is of euyll syght They are often tymes taken only with slaues without any other weapon and are not hurtful They are also taken with dogges bycause they are not naturally armed althowgh they byte sumwhat They are founde for the moste parte about and neare to the hyllockes where are great abundaunce of antes Antes For in these regions is engendered a certeyne kynde of antes very lyttle and blacke in the fyeldes and playnes where as growe no trees where by thinstinct of nature these antes separate them selues to engender far from the wooddes for feare of these beares The whiche bycause they are fearefull vyle and vnarmed as I haue sayde they keepe euer in places full of trees vntyll very famen and necessitie or the great desire that they haue to fiede of these antes cause them to coomme owt of the wooddes to hunte for them These antes make a hyllocke of earth to the heyght of a man or sumwhat more or lesse and as bygge as a great chest and sumtymes as bygge as a butte or a hogges head and as hard as a stone So that they seeme as thoughe they were stones set vp to lymytte thendes and confines of certeyne landes Within these hyllockes made of most harde earth are innumerable and infinite lyttle antes the which may bee gathered by busshelles when the hyllocke is broken The which when it is sumtymes moysted by rayne and then dryed ageyne by the heate of the soone it breaketh and hath certeyne smaul ryftes as lyttle and subtyle as the edge of a knyfe And it semeth that nature hath gyuen sense to these Antes to fynde such a matter of earth wherwith they may make the sayde hillocke of suche hardenes that it may seeme a stronge pauement made of lyme and stone And wheras I haue proued and caused sum of them to bee broken I haue founde theim of suche hardenes as if I had not seene I coulde not haue beleaued In so muche that they coulde scarsely bee broken with pykes of Iren So stronge fortresses doo these lyttle beastes make for theyr sauegarde ageynst theyr aduersarie the beare who is chiefely nurysshed by them and gyuen them as an enemie accordynge to the common prouerbe which sayth Non â—alcunâ— persona filibera a chimâ—nchi il suo Bargello That is there is no maÌ„ so fre that hath not his persecutour or pryuie enemie And here wheÌ„ I consyder the maruelous prouidence which nature hath gyuen to these lyttle boddies I caule to remembraunce the wittie sentence of Plinie where speakyng of such lyttle beastes he sayth thus Why doo we maruayle at the towrebearynge shoulders of Elephantes and not rather where nature hathe placed so many sences and suche industry in suche lyttle boddies where is hearynge smellynge seeinge and feelynge ye where are the vaynes arteries without which no beaste can lyue or moue in these so lyttle boddies whereof sume are so smaule that theyr hole boddies can scarsely be sene of owr eyes what shall we then saye of the partes of the same Yet euen amonge these are there many of such sagacitie and industrye as the lyke is not seene in beastes of greater quantitie no nor yet in man c. But to returne to the hystorie This enemie which nature hath gyuen to these lyttle beastes vseth this maner to assayle them When he resortethe to the hyllocke where the antes lye hid as in theyr fortresse he putteth his toonge to one of the ryftes wherof we haue spoken being as subtyle as the edge of a swoorde and there with continuall lyckynge maketh the place moyst the fome and froth of his mouth beinge of such propertie that by continual lycking the place it enlargeth the ryfte in such sort by lyttle and lyttle that at the length he easely putteth in his toonge whiche he hath very longe and thynne and much disproportionate to his bodye And when he hath thus made free passage for his toonge into the hyllocke to put it easely in and owt at his pleasure then he thrusteth it into the hole as farre as he can reache and so letteth it reste a good space vntyl a great quantitie of the antes whose nature reioyseth in heate and moyster haue laden his
testimonie of sight doo wytnesse that I haue seene this stone sought of dyuers for this effecte There are also dyuers other fysshes as bygge as this Manate The swoorde fysshe Emonge the which there is one cauleâ— Vihuella This fyâ—he beareth in the toppe of his headde a swoorde beinge on euery syde full of many sharpe teeth This swoorde is naturally very harde stronge of foure or fyue spannes in length and of proportion accordynge to the same byggenes And for this cause is this fyshe cauled Spada that is the swoord fyshe Of this kynde sum are found as lyttle as sardines and other so greate thâ—â— two yokes of oxen are scarsely able to drawe them on a carte But whereas before I haue promysed to speake of other fysshes which are taken in these seas whyle the shyppes are vnder sayle I wyl not forget to speake of the Tunnye which is a great and good fysshe Tunnye and is oftentymes taken and kylde with troute speares and hookes caste in the water when they play and swymme aboute the shyppes In lyke maner also are taken many turbuts which are very good fysshes as are lyghtly in all the sea Turbut And here is to bee noted that in the greate Ocean sea there is a straunge thynge to bee considered whiche all that haue byn in the Indies affirme to bee trewe And this is that lyke as on the lande there are sum prouinces fertile and frutfull Note and sum barren euen so dooth the lyke chaunce in the sea So that at sum wyndes the shyppes sayle fiftie or a hundreth or two hundreth leaques and more withowt takyng or seinge of one fysshe And ageyne in the selfe same Ocean in sum places all the water is seene tremble by the mouynge of the fysshes where they are taken abundauntly It commeth further to my rememberaunce to speake sumwhat of the flyinge of fysshes Flyinge fysshes which is doubtlesse a straunge thynge to beholde and is after this maner When the shyppes sayle by the greate Ocean folowynge theyr vyage there ryseth sumtymes on the one syde or on the other many coompanies of certeyne lyttle fysshes of the which the byggest is no greater then a sardyne and soo diminisshe lesse and lesse from that quantitie that sum of them are very lyttle These are cauled Volatori that is flyinge fysshes They ryse by great coompanies and flockes in such multitudes that it is an astonysshement to beholde them Sumtymes they ryse but lyttle from the water as it chaunceth continew one flyght for the space of a hundreth pases and sumtymes more or lesse before they faule ageyne into the sea Sumtymes also they faule into the shyppes And I remember that on an euenyng when all the company in the shippe were on theyr knees syngynge Salue regina in the highest parte of the Castel of the poope and sayled with a full wynde there passed by vs a flocke of these flyinge fysshes and came so neare vs that many of them fell into the shyppe amonge the which two or three fell hard by me which I tooke alyue in my hande so that I myght well perceaue that they were as bigge as sardynes and of the same quantitie hauynge two wynges or quylles growyng owt of theyr fynnes lyke vnto those wherwith all fysshes swymme in ryuers These wynges are as longe as the fysshes theym selues As longe as theyr wynges are moyste they beare them vp in the ayer But as soone as they are drye they can continewe theyr flyght no further then as I haue sayde before but faule immediatly into the sea and so ryse ageyne and flye as before from place to place In the yeare A thousand fyue hundreth fiftene when I came fyrst to informe your maiestye of the state of the thynges Indya and was the yeare folowynge in Flaunders in the tyme of youre moste fortunate successe in these youre kyngedomes of Aragonie and Castyle wheras at that vyage I sayled aboue the Iland Bermuda otherwyse cauled Garza The Iland of Bermuda beynge the furtheste of all the Ilandes that are founde at thys daye in the worlde and arryuynge there at the deapthe of eight yeardes of water and dystant from the land as farre as the shotte of a piece of ordynaunce I determined to sende sume of the shyppe to lande as well to make searche of suche thynges as were there as also to leaue in the Ilande certayne hogges for increase But the tyme not seruyng my purpose by reason of contrarye wynde I could bryng my shyppes no nearer the Ilande beinge twelue leaques in lengthe and syxe in breadth and about thyrty in circuite lying in the thyrtie thre degre of the northe syde Whyle I remayned here I sawe a stryfe and combatte betwene these flyinge fyshes and the fyshes named gylte heades and the foules cauled seamewes and cormorauntes whych suerlye seemed vnto me a thynge of as greate pleasure and solace as coulde bee deuysed whyle the gylte heades swamme on the brymme of the water and sumtymes lyfted their shulders aboue the same to rayse the swymmynge fysshes owt of the water to dryue them to flyght and folowe them swymming to the place where they faule to take and eate them sodaynlye Agayne on the other syde the seamewes and cormorantes take manye of these flying fysshes so that by thys meanes theye are nother safe in the ayre nor in the water Not to hie for the pye nor to lowe fro the crowe In the selfe same perrell and daunger doo men lyue in thys mortall lyfe wherin is no certayne securytye nether in hygh estate nor in lowe Which thynge suerlye ought to put vs in rememberaunce of that blessed and safe restynge place whych god hath prepared for such as loue hym who shall acquyete and fynyshe the trauayles of thys troubelous worlde wherin are so manye daungyours and brynge them to that eternall lyfe where they shall fynde eternall securytye and reste But to returne to the hystorye these byrdes and foules whych I sawe were of the Ilande of Bermuda nere vnto the whych I sawe these flyinge fysshes For they coulde bee of no other lande forasmuche as they are not accustomed to wander farre frome the coastes where they are bredde ¶ Of thincrease and decrease that is rysynge and faullynge of our Ocean sea and Southe sea caulled the sea of Sur. I Wyll nowe speake of certeayne thynges whiche are seene in the Prouynce or at the leaste in the citie of golden Castyle otherwyse cauled Beragua Beragua and in the coastes of the North sea and of the South sea caulled the sea of Sur. Not omittyng to note one synguler and meruelous thynge which I haue consydered of the Ocean sea wherof hytherto no cosmographer pylote or maryner or any other haue satisfyed me I say therfore as it is well knowen to your maiestye and all such as haue knowlege of the Ocean sea that this greate Ocean casteth from it selfe the sea Mediterraneum by the mouthe
of the strayght of Gibilterra in the which the water from th end and furtheste parte of that sea The West Ocean euen vnto the mouth of the sayde straight eyther in the East towarde the coaste commonlye cauled Leuante or in any other parte of the sayde sea Mediterraneum The sâ—a Mediteraneum the sea doothe not so faule nor increase as reason wolde iudge for so greate a sea But incresethe verye lyttle and a smaule space Neuerthelesse withoute the mouthe of the straight in the mayne Ocean it increaseth and fauleth verye muche and a great space of grounde from syxe houres to syxe houres as in all the coastes of Spayne Britannye Flanders Germanye and England The selfe same Ocean sea in the fyrme lande newly founde in the coastes of the same lyynge towarde the Northe dothe neyther ryse nor faule nor lykewise in the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba and all the other Ilandes of the same sea lyinge towarde the northe Hispaniola Cuba for the space of thre thousande leaques but onelye in lyke maner as doothe the sea Mediterrâ—neum in Italye whiche is in maner nothynge in respecte to that increase and decrease whiche the sayde Ocean hath in the coastes of Spayne and Flaunders But this is yet a greater thynge that also the selfe same Ocean in the coastes of the sayde fyrme lande lyinge towardâ— the Southe in the citie of Panama and also in the coaste of that lande whiche lyethe towarde the Easte and Weste frome that citie as in the Ilande of pearles or Margaritea whiche the Indians caule Tarrarequi and also in Taboga and Otoque and in all other Ilandes of the southe sea of Sur the water ryseth and fauleth so much that when it fauleth it goth in maner owt of syghte which thynge I my selfe haue seene oftentymes And here youre maiestie may note an other thynge that from the northe sea to the southe sea beynge of suche dyfferâ—nce the one from the other in rysynge and faulynge The South sea yet is the lande that deuydeth theym not paste eyghteene or twentye leaques in breadthe frome coaste to coaste So that bothe the sayde seas beynge all one Ocean this straunge effecte is a thynge worthy greately to bee considered of al suche as haue inclination and desyre to knowe the secreate woorkes of nature wherin the infinite powre and wysedome of god is seene to bee such as may allure all good natures to reuerence and loue so diuine a maiestie The power and wâ—sdome of god is sene in his creatures And wheras by the demonstrations of lerned men I am not satisfyed of the natural cause hereof I content my selfe to knowe and beleue that he which hathe made these thynges dooth knowe this and many other whiche he hath not granted to the reason of man to comprehend much lesse to so base a wyt as myne is They therefore that are of greater vnderstandynge shall searche the cause hereof for them and for me forasmuch as I haâ—e onely put the matter in question as a wytnesse that haue seene thexperience of the thynge ¶ Of the strayght or narowe passage of the lande lyinge betwene the North and South sea by the whiche spyces way much sooner and easlyer be brought from the Ilandes of Molucca into Spayne by the West Ocean then by that way wherby the Portugales sayle into East India IT hath byn an opinion amonge the Cosmographers and Pylottes of late tyme and other which haue had practise in thynges touchynge the sea that there shulde bee a strayghâ— of water passynge from the North sea of the firme in to the South sea of Sur whiche neuerthelesse hath not byn seene nor founde to this daye And suerlye yf there be any suche strayght â–ª we that inhabite those partes do thynke the same shulde bee rather of lande theÌ„ of water For the fyrme lande in sum partes therof is so strayght and narrowe that the Indyans saye that frome the mountaynes of the prouynce of Esquegua or Vrraca Esquegua and vrrace whych are betwene the one sea and the other If a man assend to the toppe of the mountaynes and looke towarde the Northe he maye see the water of the North sea of the Prouynce of Beragua And ageyne lookynge the contrarye waye may on the other syde towarde the Southe see the sea of Sur and the prouynces whyche confyne with it as doo the territoryes of the twoo Lordes or kynges of the sayde prouinces of Vrraca and Esquegua And I beleue that if it bee as the Indyans saye of al that is hetherto knowen this is the narowest strayght of the fyrme lande whiche sume affyrme to bee full of rough mountaynes Yet doo I not take it for a better waye or so shorte as is that whyche is made from the porte cauled Nomen dei whiche is in the Northe sea vnto the newe citye of Panama beynge in the coaste and on the banke of the sea of Sur. Nomen Deâ— Panama Whiche waye is likewyse very rough ful of thicke wods mountaines ryuers valleys and verye diffyculte to passe through and can not bee doone withowt greate laboure and trauayle Sum measure this waye in this part to bee from sea to sea .xviii. leaques whych I suppose to bee rather .xx. not for that it is any more by measure but bicause it is rough and dyffyculte as I haue sayde and as I haue founde it by experyence hauynge nowe twyse passed that way by foote countyng from the porte and vyllage of Nomen Dei vnto the dominion of the Cacique of Iuanaga otherwyse cauled Capira .viii. leaques And frome thense to the ryuer of Chagre The ryuer of Chagre other .viii. leaques So that at this ryuer beinge .xvi. leaques from the sayde porte endeth the roughnesse of the way Then from hense to the maruelous brydge are two leaques And beyonde that other twoo vnto the port of Panama So that all togyther in my iudgemente make .xx. leaques And if therfore this nauigation may bee founde in the South sea for the trade of spices as we trust in God to bee brought from thense to the sayde porte of Panama as is possible enough they may afterwarde easly passe to the Northe sea notwithstaddynge the difficultie of the waye of the .xx. leaques aforesayde Whiche thynge I affirme as a man well trauayled in these regions hauynge twyse on my feete passed ouer this strayght in the yeare .1521 as I haue sayde It is furthermore to bee vnderstode that it is a maruelous facilitie to bryng spices by this way which I wil now declare From Panama to the ryuer of Chagre are foure leaques of good and fayre way by the which cartes may passe at pleasure by reason that the mountaynes are but fewe and lyttle and that the greateste parte of these foure leaques is a playne grounde voyde of trees And when the cartes are coomme to the sayde ryuer the spices may bee caryed in barkes and pinnesses For this ryuer
entereth into the North sea fyue or .vi leaques lower then the port of Nomen dei and emptieth it selfe in the sea nere vnto an Ilande cauled Bastimento The Ilande Bastimento where is a very good and safe port Yowr maiestie may now therfore consyder howe great a thynge and what commoditie it maye bee to conuey spices this way forasmuch as the ryuer of Chagre hauyng his originall only two leaques from the South sea contineweth his course emptieth it selfe into the other North sea This ryuer runneth fast and is very greate and so commodious for this purpose as may be thowght or desyred The marueilous bridge made by the worke of nature The maruelous bridge being two leaques beyonde the sayd ryuer and other twoo leaques on this syde the porte of Panama so lyinge in the mydde way betwene them both is framed naturally in such sort that none which passe by this viage see any such bridge or thynke that there is any such buyldyng in that place vntyll they bee in the toppe therof in the way toward Panama But as soone as they are on the brydge lookynge towarde the ryght hande they see a lyttle ryuer vnder them which hath his chanell distante from the feete of them that walke ouer it the space of twoo speares length or more The water of this ryuer is very shalowe not passyng the depth of a mans legge to the knee and is in breadth beâ—wene thyrtie and fortie pases and faulethe into the ryuer of Chagre Towarde the ryght hand standyng on this brydge there is nothyng seene but great trees The largenesse of the brydge conteyneth .xv. pases and the lâ—ngth â—herof about threescore or fourescore pases The arche is so made of moste harde stone that no man can beholde it without admiration beinge made by the hyghe and omnipotent creatour of all thynges But to returne to speake sumwhat more of the conueying of spices I say that when it shal please almyghty god that this nauigation aforesayde shal bee founde by the good fortune of yowre maiestie and that the spices of the Ilandes of the South sea which may also bee otherwyse cauled the Ocean of the East India in the whiche are the Ilandes of Molucca shal be browght to the sayd coaste and the porte of Panama The Ilandes of Molucca and bee conueyed from thense as we haue sayde by the firme lande with cartes vnto the ryuer of Chagre and from thense into this owr other sea of the North from whense they may afterward bee browght into Spayne I say that by this meanes the vyage shall bee shortened more then seuen thousande leaques The commoditie of this viage with muche lesse daunger then is by the viage nowe vsed by the way of Commendator of Aysa capitayne vnder yowre maiestie who this present yeare attempted a vyage to the place of the sayde spyces And not only the way is thus much shortened but also a thyrde parte of the tyme is abbreuiate To conclude therfore if any had hetherto attempted this vyage by the sea of Sur to seeke the Ilandes of spyces I am of firme opinion that they shuld haue byn founde longe sence as doubtelesse they maye bee by the reasons of Cosmographie ¶ Howe thynges that are of one kynde dyffer in forme and qualitie accordynge to the nature of the place where they are engendred or growe And of the beastes cauled Tygers IN the firme lande are fownde many terryble beastes which sum thinke to be Tigers Tigers Which thynge neuerthelesse I dare not affirme consyderynge what auctoures doo wryte of the lyghtnes and agilitie of the Tyger whereas this beast beynge other wyse in shape very like vnto a Tyger is notwithstandynge very slowe Yet trewe it is that accordynge to the maruayles of the worlde and differences which naturall thynges haue in dyuers regions vnder heauen and dyuers constellations of the same vnder the whiche they are created wee see that sum suche plantes and herbes as are hurtfull in one countrey Plantes and herbes are harmelesse and holsome in other regions And byrdes which in one prouince are of good taste Birdes are in other so vnsauery that they may not bee eaten Men likewyse which in sum countreys are blacke are in other places whyte and yet are both these and they men Men. Euen so may it bee that Tygers are lyght in sum region as they wryte and maye neuerthelesse bee slowe and heauy in these Indies of yowr maiestie wherof we speake The sheepe of Arabie drawe theyr tayles longe and bigge on the ground Sheepe and the bulles of Egypt haue theyr heare growynge towarde theyr headdes yet are those sheepe and these bulles Bulles Men in sum countreys are hardy and of good courage and in other naturally fearefull and brutyshe All these thynges and many more which may bee sayde to this purpose are easy to bee proued and woorthy to bee beleued of suche as haue redde of the lyke in autours or trauayled the worlde whereby theyr owne syght may teache theym thexperience of these thynges wherof I speake It is also manifest that Iucea wherof they make theyr breade in the Ilande of Hispaniola Iucea is deadely poyson yf it bee eaten greene with the iuse And yet hathe it no suche propertie in the firme land where I haue eaten it many times founde it to bee a good frute The bats of Spayne although they bite Battes yet are they not venemous But in the firme lande many dye that are bytten of them And in this fourme may so many thynges bee sayde that tyme shall not suffice to wryte wheras my intent is only to proue that this beast may be a Tiger or of the kind of Tigers although it be not of such lyghtnesse and swiftnes as are they wherof Plinie and other autours speake Plinie discrybynge it to bee one of the swyftesse beastes of the lande and that the ryuer of Tigris for the swift course therof was cauled by that name The first Spaniardes which sawe this Tyger in the firme lande dyd so name it Of the kynde of these was that which Don Diego Columbo the Admirall sent yowre maiestie owte of newe Spayne to Toledo the Tiger Theyr heades are lyke to the heades of Lyons or Lionesses but greater The reste of all theyr boddies and theyr legges are full of blacke spottes one nere vnto an other and diuided with a circumference or frynge of redde colour shewinge as it were a fayre woorke and correspondent picture Abowt theyr croopes or hynder partes they haue these spots bydgest and lesse and lesse towarde theyr bellies legges and headdes That which was brought to Toledo was younge and but lyttle and by my estimation of thage of three yeares But in the firme lande there are many founde of greater quantitie For I haue seene sum of three spannes in heyght and more then fyue in length They are beastes of greate force with stronge legges
mouthe therof where it fauleth into the sea They are cauled Coronati that is crowned bycause theyr heare is cutte round by theyr rares and poulde lower a great compase abowte the crowne much lyke the fryers of saynt Augustines order And bycause I haue spoken of theyr maner of wearynge theyr heare here commeth to my rememberaunce a thynge which I haue oftentymes noted in these Indians And this is that they haue the bones of the sculles of theyr heades foure tymes thycker and much stronger then owres The sculles of the IndiaÌ„s heades So that in commâ—ng to hand strokes with them it shal be requisite not to strike them on the heades with swoordes For so haue many swoordes bynne broken on theyr heades with lyttle hurt doone And to haue sayde thus much of theyr customes and maners it shal suffice for this tyme bycause I haue more largely intreated herof in my generall hystorie of the Indies Yet haue I nother there nor here spoken much of that parte of the firme lande whiche is cauled Noua Hispania that is newe Spayne whereof the Ilande of Iucatana is part forasmuche as Ferdinando Cortese hath wrytten a large booke thereof New Spaine Of the houses of these Indians The houseâ— of the Christians in India I haue spoken sufficiently elswhere Yet haue I thought good to informe yowr maiestie of the buyldynge and houses which the Christians haue made in dyuers places in the firme lande They buylde them nowe therfore with two solars or loftes and with loopes and wyndowes to open and shutte Also with stronge tymber and very fayre bordes In suche sorte that any noble man maye wel and pleasauntly bee lodged in sum of them And amonge other I my selfe caused one to bee builded in the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena whiche coste me more then a thousande and fyue hundreth Castelians Darienâ— being of such sort that I may well interteyne and commodiously lodge any Lorde or noble man reseruynge also a parte for my selfe and my famelie For in this may many householdes bee kepte both aboue and benethe It hath also a fayre garden with many orange trees bothe sweete and sowre Ceders also and Lemondes Gardeâ—â— of the which there is nowe great plentie in the houses of the Chrystians On one syde of the gardeyne there runneth a fayre ryuer The situation is very pleasaunte with a good and holsome ayer and a fayre prospecte abowte the ryuer In fine owre truste is that in fewe yeares al thynges in these regions shall growe to a better state accordynge to the holy intention of yowre maiestie Of the chiefe Ilandes Hispaniola and Cuba THe Indians which at this present inhabite the Ilande of Hispaniola are but fewe in number and the Chrystyans not so many as they ought to bee forasmuche as many of them that were in this Ilande are gonne to other Ilandes and to the fyrme lande For beynge for the moste parte younge men vnmaried and desirous dayly to see newe things wherin mans nature deliteth Men are desirous of newe thinges they were not willinge to continewe longe in on place especially seeing dailie other newe landes discouered where they thowght theye might sooner fylle there purses by beinge present at the firste spoyle Wherin neuerthelesse their hope deceaued many of them and especially suche as bad houses and habitations in â—hys Ilande For I certeynly beleue confyrmynge my selfe herein with the Iudgement of many other that if any one Prynce had no more signiores then only this Ilande it shuld in shorte tyme bee suche as not to giue place eyther to Sicilie or Englande The commodities of hispaniola-Englande and Sicilie wheras euen at this present there is nothynge wherefore it shulde malice their prosperitie not beinge inferioure to them in any filicite that in maner the heauens can graunte to any lande being furthermore suche as maye inriche many prouinces and kâ—ngedomes by reason of manye riche golde mynes that are in it of the beste golde that is founde to this day in the worlde Golde mines and in greatest quantitie In this Ilande nature of her selfe bringeth furthe suche aboundance of cotton that if it were wrought and maynteyned there shuld be more and better then in any parte of the world Cotton There is so greate plentie of excellent Cassia that a grâ—ate quaÌ„titie is brought from thense into Spayne Cassia from whense it is caried to dyuers partes of the worlde In increaseth so muche that it is a meruelous thynge to consider In this are many ryche shoppes wher suger is wrought Suger and that of such perfectenes and goodnes and in suche quantitie that shippes come laden therwith yearly into Spayne Plantes and Herbes All suche sedes sertes or plantes as are brought out of Spayne and planted in this Ilande becoomme muche better bygger and of greater increase then they are in any parte of owre Europe And if it chaunce otherwyse that sumetymes they prosper nor so well the cause is that they which shulde tyll and husband the grounde Greate thynges hindered by respecte of presente gaynes and sowe and plant in dewe seasons haue no respect hereunto being impacient whyle the wheate and vynes waxe rype beinge gyuen to wanderynge and other affayres of present gaynes as I haue sayde as searchynge the gold mines fyshynge for pearles and occupyinge marchaundies with such other trades for the greedy folowyng wherof they neglecte and contempne both sowynge and plantynge Suche frutes as are brought owt of Spayne into this Ilande prosper maruelously and waxe rype all tymes of the yeare as herbes of all sortes very good and pleasaunt to bee eaten Also many pomegranates of the best kynde and oranges bothe sweete and sower Orangies Pomegranates Lykewyse many fayre Lymones ceders and a great quantitie of all such as are of sharpe sowre and bytter taste There are also many fygge trees whiche brynge furth theyr frute all the hole yeare Figges al the yeare Lykewyse those kynd of date trees that beare dates Dates and dyuers other trees and plantes which were brought owt of Spayne thyther Beastes doo also increase in lyke abundaunce Beastes and especially the heardes of kyne are so augmented both in quantitie and number that there are nowe many patrones of cattayle that haue more then two thousand heades of neate Greate heardes of cattaâ—l and sum three or foure thousande and sum more Bysyde these there are very many that haue heardes of foure or fyue hundrethe And trewth it is that this Iland hath better pasture for such cattayle then any other countrey in the worlde good pasture also holsome and cleare water and temperate ayer by reason whereof the heardes of such beastes are much bygger fatter and also of better taste then owres in Spayne bycause of the ranke pasture whose moysture is better digested in the herbe or grasse by the continuall and temperate heate of the soonne
seeme to haue theyr boddyes paynted with dyuers colours And that amonge other there is one seene bygger then the residue who maketh great mirth and reioysynge This greaâ—e deuyll they caule Setebos and caule the lesse Chelâ—ule One of these giantes which they toke declared by signes that he had seene deuyls with two hornes aboue theyr heades with longe heare downe to theyr feete And that they cast furth fyre at theyr throtes both before and behynde The Capitayne named these people Patagoni Patagoni The most part of them weare the skynnes of suche beastes wherof I haue spoken before And haue no houses of continuaunce but make certeyne cotages whiche they couer with the sayde skynnes and cary them from place to place They lyue of raw flesshe and a câ—rteyne sweete roote whiche they caule Capar One of these which they had in theyr shippes dyd eate at one meale a basket of byskette The gyantes feedynge and drunke a bowle of water at a draught They remayned fyue monethes in this porte of saint Iuliâ—n where certeyne of the vnder capitaynes conspirynge the death of theyr general They cospire ageynst theyr Capitayne were hanged and quartered Amonge whom the treasurer Luigo of Mendozza was one Certeyne of the other conspiratours he left in the sayd land of Patogoni Departyng from hense to the .52 degree toward the pole Antartike lackynge a thyrde parte where they founde a ryuer of fresshe water and good fysshe Theyr shyppes were here in great daungiour They remayned twoo monethes in this porte where they made newe prouision of fresshe water fuell and fysshe Here the Capitayne caused all his men to bee confessed Confession Approchynge to the .52 degrees they founde the straight nowe cauled the straight of Magellanus The straight of Magellanus beinge in sum place L. x. leaques in length and in breadth sumwhere very large and in other places lyttle more then halfe a leaque in bredâ—h On both the sydes of this strayght are great and hygh mountaynes couered with snowe beyonde the whiche is the enteraunce into the sea of Sur. The South sea This enteraunce the Capitayne named Mare Pacificum Mare pacificuâ— Here one of the shyppes stole away punilie and returned into Spaine In this was one of the giantes who dyed as soone as he felt the heate that is abowte the Equinoctiall lyne When the Capitayne Magalianes was past the straight and sawe the way open to the other mayne sea The giantes diâ—d foâ— heat he was so gladde therof that for ioy the teares fell from his eyes and named the poynt of the lande from whense he fyrst sawe that sea Capo Dâ—siderato Capo Desideâ—ato Supposing that the shyp which stole away had byn loste they erected a croâ—â—e vppon the top of a hyghe hyll to directe their course in the straight yf it were theyr chaunce to coome that way They founde that in this strayght in the moneth of October the nyght was not past foure houres longe Short nights in the moneth of October They found in this strayght at euery three myles a safe hauen and excellent water to drynke woodde also and fysshe and greate plentie of goodherbes They thynke that there is not a fayrer strayght in the worlde Here also they sawe certeyne â—â—yinge fysshes Fâ—ying fyâ—â—hes The other giante which remayned with them in the shyp named breade Capar water Olâ— redde clothe Cherecaâ—red colour The gyantes language Cheiche blacke colour Amel And spoke al his wordes in the throte On a tyme as one made a crosse before him and kyssed it shewynge it vnto â—ym he suddeynely cryed Setebos and declared by signes that if they made any more crosses Setebos wold enter into his body and make him brust But when in fine he sawe no hurte coome thereof he tooke the crosse and imbrased and kyssed it oftentymes desyringe that he myght bee a Chrystian before his death He was therfore baptysed and named Paule The gyant is baptised Departynge owt of this strayght into the sea cauled Mare Pacificum the .xxviii. day of Nouember in the yeare .1520 they sayled three moonethes and .xx. dayes before they sawe any lande Three monethes sa yt lyng without the syght of lande And hauynge in this tyme consumed all theyr bysket and other vyttayles they fell into suche necessitie that they were inforced to eate the pouder that remayned therof beinge nowe full of woormes and stynkynge lyke pysse by reason of the salte water Extreme fâ—mâ—n Theyr fresshe water was also putrifyed and become yelowe They dyd eate skynnes and pieces of lether which were foulded abowt certeyne great ropes of the shyps But these skynnes beinge made verye harde by reason of the soonne rayne and wynde they hunge them by a corde in the sea for the space of foure or fiue dayes to mollifie them and sodde them and eate them By reason of this famen and vnclene feedynge summe of theyr gummes grewe so ouer theyr teethe Diâ—easeâ— of famen that they dyed miserably for hunger And by this occasion dyed .xix. men and also the giante with an Indian of the lande of Brasile otherwyse cauled Terra de papagalli that is the lande of popingiayes Besyde these that dyed .xxv. or .xxx were so sicke that they were not able to doo any seruice with theyr handes or armes for feeblenesse So that there was in maner none without sum disease In these three monethes xx dayes they sayled foure thousande leaques in one goulfe by the sayde sea cauled Pacificâ—m that is peaceable whiche may well bee so cauled forasmuch as in all this tyme hauyng no syght of any lande they had no misfortune of wynde oâ— any other tempest Durynge this tyme also they discouered only two little Ilandes vnhabited where they sawe nothing but birdes and trees and therefore named theym infortunate Ilandes Unfortunate Ilandes beinge one from the other abowte two hundreth leaques distante The firste of these Ilandes is from the Equinoctial toward the pole Antartike .xv. degrees and the other fyue Theyr sailinge was in suche sorte that they sailed daily betweene l.lx to .lxx. leaques what they sayled daylâ— So that in fine if god of his mercy had not gyuen them good wether it was necessary that in this soo greate a sea they shuld all haue dred for hunger Whiche neuerthelesse they escaped soo hardely that it may bee doubted whether euer the like viage may be attempted with so good successe They consydered in this nauigation that the pole Antartike hath no notable starre after the sorte of the pole Artike But they sawe many starres gathered togyther The â—tarreâ— abowâ— the south pole whyche are like two clowdes one separate a lâ—ttle from an other and sum what darke in the myddest Betweene these are two starres not very bigge nor muche shynninge whiche moue a little And these two are the pole Antartike The needell of theyr compasse varyed sumwhat
the chiefest in the dominion of the greate Cane whom sum caule the great Cham. Note this secreate He also affirmed that if shippes shulde bee made on the coastes of the sayde sea and sayle on the backe halfe of the coast therof which he knewe by many relations made to his Prince to reach infinitely toward the northeast they stulde doubtelesse in folowynge the same easely discouer that countrey Unto these woordes he added that although there were greate difficultie in Moscouia Difficult trauaylynge in Moscoula by reason that the waye to the sayde sea is full of thicke wooddes and waters which in the sommer make great marysshes and impossible to bee trauayled aswell for lacke of vyttayles whiche can not there bee founde not for certeyne dayes but for the space of certeyne monethes the place beinge desolate withowt inhabitauntes neuerthelesse he sayde that yf there were with his Prince only two Spanyardes or Portugales to whome the charge of this vyage shulde bee commytted Commendation of the Spaniaâ—des and Portugales he no wayes doubted but that they wolde folowe it and fynde it forasmuch as with great ingeniousnesse and inestimable pacience these nations haue ouercome much greater difficulties then are these which are but lytele in comparison to those that they haue ouerpassed and doo ouerpasse in all theyr viages to India â—he hystorie of Paulus Centurâ—o He proceaded declarynge that not many yeares sence there came to the courte of his Prince Of this reade more at large in the booke of Paulus Iomus an ambassadour frome pope Leo named master Paulo Centurione a Genuese vnder dyuers pretenses But the principall occasion of his commynge was bycause he hadde conceaued greate indignation and hatred ageynst the Portugales Malice may do more with sum then Uertue And therfore intended to proue yf he coulde open anye vyage by lande whereby spiers myght bee brought from India by the lande of Tartaria or by the sea Caspium otherwyse cauled Hircanum to Moscouia The Cospien sea And from thense to bee brought in shippes by the ryuer Riga Riga whiche runnynge by the countrey of Liuonia Liuonia fauleth into the sea of Germanie And that his Prince gaue eare vnto hym and caused the sayde viage to bee attempted by certeine noble men of Lordo of the Tartars confininge nexte vnto hym The Tartarâ— of Lordo But the warres whiche were then betwene them and the greate desertes which they shulde of necessitie ouerpasse Desertes made them leaue of theyr enterpryse which if it had bin purposed by the coastes of this owre north sea The viage by the north seâ— it myght haue byn easely fynyshed The sayde Ambassadour continued his narration sayinge that no man ought to doubte of that sea but that it may bee sayled syxe monethes in the yeare forasmuch as the days are then very longe in that clime and hot by reason of contynuall reuerberation of the beames of the soonne and shorte nyghtes The woorthâ—nesse of this vyage And that this thynge were as well woorthy to bee proued as any other nauigation wherby many partes of the worlde heretofore vnknowen haue byn discouered brought to ciuilitie And here makynge an ende of this talke he said Let vs nowe omytte this parte of Moscouia with his coulde and speake sumwhat of that parte of the newe worlde in whiche is the lande of Brytons cauled Terra Britonum and Baccaleos or Terra Baccalearum The viageâ— of the FreÌ„chmen to the land of Baccalaos where in the yeare .1534 and .1535 Iaques Cartiar in two vyages made with three great French gallies founde the great and large countreys named Canada Ochelaga and Sanguenai which reach from the .xlv. to the li. degree beinge well inhabited and pleasaunte countreys Pleasaunt countreys and named by hym Noua Francia New FrauÌ„ce And here steyinge a while and lyftynge vppe his handes he sayde Oh what doo the Christian Princes meane that in such landes discouered they do not assigne certeine colonies to inhabite the same to bringe those people whom god hath so blessed with natural gyftes to better ciuilitie and to embrase owre religion Apostrophe to the Christian Princes then the whiche nothynge can bee more acceptable to god The sayd regions also beinge so fayre and frutefull with plentie of all sortes of corne herbes frutes woodde fysshes beastes metals and ryuers of suche greatnesse that shyppes maye sayle more then .180 myles vppon one of theym Great ryuerâ— beinge on bothe sydes infinitely inhabited And to cause the gouernoures of the sayde colonies to searche whether that lande toward the northe named Terra de Laborador A thyng woorthy to be searched doo ioyne as one firme lande with Norwaye Or whether there bee any streight or open place of sea as is moste lyke there shulde bee forasmuch as it is to bee thought that the sayde Indians dryuen by fortune abowte the coastes of Norway came by that streyght or sea to the coastes of Germanie And by the sayde streight to saile northwest to discouer the landes and countreys of CATHAY and from thense to sayle to the Ilandes of Molucca The way to Cathay and the Ilandes of Maluca by the northwest A notable enterpryse And these surely shulde be enterprises able to make men immortal The whiche thynge that ryght woorthy gentelman master Antony di Mendoza considerynge by the singular vertue and magnanimitie that is in hym The noble enterprise of Antoni di Mendoza viceroy of Mexico attempted to put this thynge in practise For beinge viceroy of the countrey of Mexico so named of the great citie Mexico otherwise cauled Temistitan nowe cauled newe Spayne being in the .xx. degree aboue the Equinoctiall and parte of the sayde firme lande he sent certeyne of his capitaynes by lande and also a nauie of shyppes by sea to search this secreate And I remember that when I was in Flaunders in Themperours courte The discouerynge of the northwest partes I sawe his letter wrytten in the yeare .1541 and dated from Mexico wherin was declared howe towarde the northwest he had fownd the kyngedome of Sette Citta that is Seuen Cities whereas is that cauled Ciuola by the reuerend father Marco da Riza howe beyonde the sayde kyngedome yet further towarde the Northwest Capitayne Francesco Uasques of Coronado hauynge ouerpassed great desertes Shyps saylynge from Cathay by the north hyperboreaÌ„ sea to the coastes of the northwest part of the lande of Baccaleos came to the sea syde where he found certeyne shyppes which sayled by that sea with marchaundies and had in theyr baner vppon the proos of theyr shyppes certeyne foules made of golde and syluer which they of Mexico caule Alcatrazzi And that theyr mariners shewed by signes that they were .xxx. dayes saylynge in commynge to that hauen wherby he vnderstode that these shippes could bee of none other countrey then of Cathay Cathay forasmuch as it is situate on the
gryndeth his meate Eyther of these teeth are almost a span in length as they growe alonge in the lawe and are abowt two inches in height and almost as much in thickenesse The tuskes of the male are greater then of the female His tounge is verye lyttle and so farre in his mouth that it can not bee seene Of all beastes they are moste gentyll and tractable For by many sundry ways they are taught and do vnderstand In so much that they learne to do due honour to a king and are of quicke sence and sharpenes of wyt When the male hath once seasoned the female he neuer after toucheth her The male Elephante lyueth two hundreth yeares or at the leaste one hundreth and twentie The female almost as longe but the floure of theyr age is but .lx. yeares as sum wryte They can not suffer wynter or coulde They loue ryuers and wyll often go into them vp to the snowte wherwith they blowe and snuffe and play in the water but swymme they canne not for the weyght of theyr bodyes Plinie and Soline wryte that they vse none adulterie If they happen to meete with a manne in wyldernesse beinge owt of the way gentylly they wyl go before hym and brynge hym into the playne waye Ioyned in battayle they haue no smaule respecte vnto theÌ„ that be wounded For they brynge them that are hurt or wery into the middle of the army to be defended They are made tame by drynkynge the iuse of barley They haue continuall warre ageynst dragons which desyre theyr bludde bycause it is very coulde And therfore the dragon lyinge awayte as the Elephant passeth by Debate betwene the Elephant and the dragon wyndeth his tayle beinge of exceadynge length abowt the hynder legges of the elephant and so steying hym thrusteth his heade into his tronke and exhausteth his breth or els byteth hym in the eare wherunto he can not reach with his troonke And when the elephant waxeth faynt he fauleth downe on the serpente beinge nowe full of bludde and with the poyse of his body breaketh hym so that his owne bludde with the bludde of the elephant runneth owt of hym mengeled togyther whiche beinge coulde is congeled into that substaunce which the apothecaries caule Sanguis Draconis Sanguis Draconis that is dragons blud otherwyse cauled Cinnabaris although there be an other kynde of Cinnabaâ—is Cinnabaris commonly cauled cinoper or vermilion which the paynters vse in certeyne coloures They are also of three kyndes Thre kyndes of elephaÌ„tes as of the marysshes the playnes and the mountaynes no lese differynge in conditions Philostratus wryteth that as much as the elephant of Lybia in byggenesse passeth the horse of Nyâ—ea so much doth the elephantes of India excede them of Lybia For of the elephantes of India sum haue byn seene of the heyght of .ix. cubites The other do so greatly feare these that they dare not abyde the syght of them Of the Indian elephantes only the males haue tuskes But of them of Ethiopia and Lybia both kyndes are tusked They are of dyuers heyghtes as of .xii. xiii and .xiiii. dodrantes euery dodrant beinge a measure of ix ynches Sum wryte that an elephant is bygger then three wylde oxen or buffes They of India are blacke or of the colour of a mouse But they of Ethiope or Guinea are browne The hyde or skynne of them all is very harde and withowte heare or brystels Theyr eares are two dodrantes brode and theyr eyes very lyttle Owr men sawe one drynkyng at a ryuer in Guinea as they sayled into the lande Of other properties and conditions of the elephant as of theyr maruelous dociliâ—ie of theyr feight and vse in the warres of theyr generation and chastitie when they were fyrste seene in the theaters and tryumphes of the Romans howe they are taken and tamed and when they cast theyr tuskes with thuse of the same in medicine who so desyreth to know let hym rede Plinie in the .viii. booke of his natural hystorie He also wryteth in his .xii. booke that in oulde tyme they made many goodly woorkes of Iuery or elephantes teeth workes of Iuery as tables tressels postes of houses rayles lattesses for wyndowes Images of theyr goddes and dyuers other thynges of Iuery both coloured and vncoloured and intermyxte with sundry kyndes of precious wooddes as at this day are made certeyne chayres lutes and virginalles They had such plentie therof in owlde tyme that as farre as I remember Iosephus wryteth that one of the gates of Hierusalem was cauled Porta Eburnea that is the Iuery gate The whytenesse thereof was so muche esteemed that it was thought to represent the naturall fayrenesse of mans skynne In so much that such as went abowt to set furth or rather corrupte naturall bewtie with colours and payntynge were reproued by this prouerbe Ebur atramento candesacere That is To make Iuery whyte with ynke The poettes also describynge the fayre neckes of bewtifull virgins caule them Eburnea colla That is Iuery neckes And to haue sayde thus much of elephantes and Iuery it may suffice The peopâ—e of Africa Nowe therfore to speke sumwhat of the people and their maners and maner of lyuynge with also an other briefe description of Africa It is to vnderstande that the people whiche nowe inhabite the regions of the coast of Guinea and the mydde partes of Affrica as Lybia the inner and Nubia with dyuers other great and large regions abowt the same were in oulde tyme cauled Ethiopes and Nigrite which we nowe caule Moores Moorens or Negros a people of beastly lyuynge without a god lawe religion or common welth and so scorched and vexed with the heate of the soonne that in many places they curse it when it ryseth Of the regions and people abowt the inner Libia cauled Libia Interior Gemma Phrysius wryteth thus Libia Interior Lybia Interior is very large and desolate in the whiche are many horrible wyldernesses and mountaynes replenisshed with dyuers kyndes of wylde and monstrous beastes and serpentes Fyrst from Mauritania or Barberie toward the south is Getulia Getulâ—a a rowgh and saluage region whose inhabitantes are wylde and wandâ—rynge people After these folowe the people cauled Melanogetuli and Pharusâ—i whiche wander in the wyldernesse caryinge with them greate gourdes of water The Ethiopians cauled Nigrite Ethiopes Nigrite occupie a great parte of Aphrica and are extended to thâ— West Ocean Southwarde also they reache to the ryuer Nigritis whose nature agreeth with the ryuer of Nilus forasmuch as it is increased and diâ—inysshâ—d at the same tyme The ryuer Nigritis or Senega and bryngeth furth the like beastes as the Crocodile By reason wherof I thinke this to be the same ryuer which the Portugales caule Senega For this ryuer is also of the same nature It is furthermore maâ—uelous and very strange that is sayde of this ryuer A strange thynge And this is that on the one
vnder yowr dominion except onely one corner of the same and haue also lefte yowe the kyngedome of Naples with the frutefull Ilandes of owr seas The kyndome of Naples it is suerly a greate thynge and woorthy to be noted in owre cronacles But not offendynge the reuerence due to owre predicessours what so euer frome the begynnynge of the worlde hath byn doone or wrytten to this day Note frome the begynning of the worlde to my iudgement seemeth but lyttle if we consyder what newe landes and countreys what newe seas what sundry nations and tounges what goldemynes what treasuries of perles they haue lefte vnto yowre hyghnesse besyde other reuenues The whiche what they are and howe greate these three Decades shall declare Come therfore moste noble Prince elected of God and enioy that hyghe estate of thynges not yet vnderstode to men We offer vnto yowe the Equinoctiall line hetherto vnknowen and burnte by the furious heate of the soonne and vnhabitable after the opinion of the owlde wryters a fewe excepted The temperatnes of the Equinoctial vnknowen to the owlde wryters But nowe founde to bee most replenisshed with people faire frutefull and moste fortunate with a thowsande Ilandes crowned with golde and bewtifull â—erles besyde that greate portâ—on of earth supposed to bee parte of the firme lande excedynge in quantitie three Europes Continente or firme lande as bygge as thre Europes Come therfore and embrase this newe worlde and suffer vs no longer to consume in desyre of yowr presence From hense from hense I saye mooste noble younge Prince shall instrumentes be prepared for yow Ryches are the instrumentes of conquestes whereby al the worlde shal be vnder yowr obeysaunce And thus I byd yowr maiestie farewell To whose taste if I shal perceaue the fruites of this my tyllage to be delectable I wyll hereafter doo my endeuoure that yowe maye receaue the same more abundauntly From Madrid The day before the Calendes of October In the yeare of Chryste M. D. XVI FINIS The fyrst decade ¶ THE FIRSTE BOOKE OF THE DECADES of the Ocean written by Peter Martyr of Angleria Milenoes counsiler to the kyng of Spayne and Protonotarie Apostolicall To Ascanius Sphorcia vicount Cardinall c. THE REVERENDE AND thanckefull antiquite was accustomed to esteme those men as goddes The reward of vertâ—e by whose industrie and magnanimitie suche Landes and Regions were discouered as were vnknowen to theyr predicessoures But vnto vs hauynge onely one god whom we honour in triplicitie of person this resteth that albeit we do not woorship that kind of men with diuine honoure yet do we reuereÌ„ce them and woorthely maruell at theyr noble actes and enterprises Unto kynges and princes we gyue due obeysaunce by whose gouernaunce and furtheraunce they haue bin ayded to perfurme theyr attemptes we commende bothe and for theyr iust desertes worthely extoll them Wherfore as concernynge the Ilandes of the west Ocean The Ilandes of the weste Ocean lately discouered of the auctours of the same whiche thynge you desyre by your letters to knowe I wyll begynne at the fyrst auctoure therof leste I be iniurious to any man Take it therfore as foloweth ¶ Christophorus Colonus other wise called Columbus A gentilman of Italy Christophorus Colonus borne in the citie of Genua perswaded Fernando and Elyzabeth catholike prynces that he doubted not to fynde certayne Ilandes of India India â–ª nere vnto owre Occean sea if they wolde furnysshe hym with shyppes and other thynges apperteynynge Affyrminge that therby not onely the Christian religion myght be enlarged but Spayne also enryched by the great plentie of golde pearles precious stones and spices whiche might be founde there At the lenghte three shyppes were appoynted hym at the kinges charges of the which one was a great caracte with deckes and the other twoo were light marchaunte shyppes without deckes whiche the Spaniardes call Carauelas Thus he departed from the costes of Spaine about the calendes of September in the yere of Christ 1492. and set forward on his viage The fyrst viage of Colonus being accompanied with C C. xx Spanyardes The fortunate Ilandes as manye thinke them to be whiche the Spaniardes call Canariae The Ilandes of Canarie found but of late dayes are distaunte from the Ilandes of Gades Gades or Cals mals a thousande and twoo hundreth myles accordyng to theyr accompte for they say they are distant three hundreth leaques A leaque what it conteyneth by sea wheras such as are expert sea men affyrme that euery leaque conteyneth foure myles after theyr supputations These Ilandes were called fortunate the fortunate Ilandes for the temperate ayre whiche is in them For neyther the coldenesse of wynter is sharpe vnto them nor the heate of sommer intollerable Yet some men are of opinion that those were in olde tyme called the fortunate Ilandes Cabouerde whiche the Portugales call Capo Verde Colonus therfore sayled fyrste to the Ilandes of Canariae to the intente there to refreshe his shyppes with freshe water and fuell before he committed him selfe to this so laborious a vyage And bycause I haue here made mentâ—on of the Ilandes of Canariae It shall not be muche from my purpose to declare howe of vnknowen they became knowen and of saluage and wilde better manured For by the longe course of manye yeres they were forgotten and remayned as vnknowen These seuen Ilandes theâ—fore called the Canaries The seuen Ilandes of Canarie were fouÌ„de by chaunce by a frenche man called Betanchor Betanchor A frenche man subdued the Ilandes of Canarie by the permission of queene Katharine protectrixe of kyng Iohn her son while he was yet in his nonage about the yere of Christe M. CCCC V. This Betanchor inuaded twoo of these Ilandes called Lancelotus and Fortâ—suentura Lâ—ncelotus FortisueÌ„tura whiche he inhabited and brought to better culture He beinge deade his son and heire solde bothe the sayde Ilandes to certayne Spaniardes After this Fernandus Peraria and his wyfe inuaded Ferrea and Gomera Ferrea Gomera The other three were subdued in our tyme. Grancanaria Grancanaria by Perrus de Vera citezen of the noble citie of Xericium and Michaell of Moxica Palma and Tenerifen Palma Tenerifen by Alphonsus Lugo at the kynges charges Gomera and Ferrea were easely subdued But the matter wente harde with Alphonsus Lugo Alphonsus Lugo For that naked and wylde nation fyghtinge onely with stones and clubbes droue his armie to flighte at the fyrste assaulte and slewe aboute foure hundreth of his men But at the length he ouercame them And thus all the Ilandes of Canariae were added to the dominion of Spayne From these Ilandes Colonus directynge his viage towarde thâ— weste folowinge the fallinge of the sonne but declining somwhat towarde the left hande sayled on forwarde .xxxiii. dayes continually hauynge onely the fruition of the heauen and the water Then the
greene chestnutte They haue also an other kynde of rootes whiche they call Iucca wherof they make breade in lyke manâ—â— Iucca Breade of rootes They vse Ages more often rosted or sodden then to make breade therof But they neuer eate Iucca excepte it be firste sliced and pressed for it is ful of lycoure and then baked or sodden But this is to be marueled at that the iuyce of this roote is a poyson as strong as Aconitum an herbe of a straungâ— nature so that if it be dronke it causeth present death and yet the breade made of the â—aâ—e therof is of good taste and holsome as all they haue proued They make also an other kynde of breade of a certayne pulse called â—anicum Maâ—â—â—um muche lyke vnto wheate wherof is great pleÌ„tie in the dukedome of Mylane Spayne and Granatum But that of this countrey is longer by a spanne somewhat sharpe towarde the ende and as bygge as a mannes arme in the brawne The graynes wherof are sette in a maruelous order and are in fourme somwhat lyke a pease While they be soure and vnripe they are white but when they are ripe they be very blacke When they are broken they be whyter then snowe This kynde of grayne they call Maizium Golde is of some estimation among them â—olde in estiâ—ation for some of them hange certain small pieces therof at theyr eares and nosethrilles A lyttell beyonde this place our men wente a lande for fresshe water where they chaunced vpon a Ryuer whose sande was myxed with muche golde Golde in the sandes of ryuers They founde there no kindes of foure foted beastes excepte three kyndes of lyttell conyes These Ilandes also nourishe serpentes Serpentes without vemâ—ne but such as are without hurt Lykewise wylde geese turtle doues and duckes Turtle doues Duckes much greater then ours and as whyte as swannes with heades of purple coloâ—re Also Popiniaies Popingiayes of the whiche some are greene some yelowe and some lyke them of India with yelowe rynges about theyr neckes as Plinie describeth them Plini Of these they broughte fortie with them of moste liuely and delectable coloures hauyng three fethers entermengled with greene yelowe and purple whiche varietie deliteth the sense not a litle Thus muche thought I good to speake of Potingiaies ryghte noble Prynce specially to this intente that albeit the opinion of Christophorus Colonus who affirmeth these Ilandes to be parte of India dothe not in all poyntes agree with the iudgement of auncient wryters as touchynge the bignesse of the Sphere and compasse of the Globe as concernynge the nauigable portion of the same beynge vnder vs These Ilandâ—s are parte of India The Indians are Antipodes to the spaniardes yet the Popingiaies and many other thynges brought from thence doo declare that these Ilandes sauoure somâ—hat of India eyther beynge nere vnto it or elles of the same nature forasmuche as Aristotle also Aristotle about the ende of his booke De Câ—elo et Mundo and likewise Seneca Seneca with diuerse other authours not ignorant in Cosmography do affirme that India is no longe tracte by sea distante from Spayne by the weste Ocean India not far from Spaine for the soyle of these Ilandes bryngeth forthe Mastir Mastir Aloes Aloe and sundrye other sweete gummes and spyces as doth India Cotton also of the gossampine tree Gossampyne cotton or boâ—base as in India in the countrey of the people called Seres Seres ¶ The languages of all the nations of these Ilandes The laÌ„guage of these Indians maye well be written with our Latine letters For they cal heauen Turâ—i A house Boa Golde Cauni A good man Taino nothing Mayani All other wordes of theyr language they pronounce as playnely as we doo the Latine tongue In these Ilandes they founde no trees knowen vnto them but pyne appe trees and date trees Trees and frutes vnknowen to vs. And those of maruelous heyght and exceding harde by reason of the greate moystnesse and fatnesse of the grounde Far moyste grounde with continuall and temperate heate of the sonne heate continuall and temperate whiche endureth so all the hole yere They playnely affyrme the Ilande of Hispaniola to be the most fruiteful lande that the heauen compasseth aboute The fruâ—tfulnes of hispaniola as shall more largely appere hereafter in the particular description of the same whiche we intende to sette foorthe when we shall be better instructed Thus makynge a leage of frendshyppe with the kynge and leauynge with hym .xxxviii. men to searche the Ilande he departed to Spayne takynge with hym .x. of the inhabitauntes to lerne the Spanishe tongue to the intent to vse them afterwarde for interpretours Colonus therfore at his returne was honorably receaued of the kyng and queene who caused him to sytte in theyr presence whiche is a token of great loue and honoure amonge the Spaniardes He was also made Admirall of the Ocean and his brother gouenoure of the Iland Towarde the second viage The seconde viage of Colonus he was furnished with .xii. shippes wherof there were great caractes of a thousand tunne xii were of that sorte whiche the Spaniardes call Carauelas without deckes and twoo other of the same sorte somewhat bygger and more apte to beare deckes by reason of the gretnesse of theyr mastes He had also a thousand and two hundreth armed footemen well appoynted Amonge whiche were many artificers as smythes carpenters myners and suche other Certayne horsemen also wel armed Likewise mares shiepe heyghfers and such other of bothe kindes for incrase Lykewise all kynde of pulse or grayne and corne as wheate barlye rye beanes and pease and suche other as well for food as to sowe Come and sedes to sowe Besyde vynes plantes and seedes of suche trees fruites and herbes as those countreyes lacke And not to be forgotten sundry kindes of artillery iron tooles Tooles and artillery as bowes arrowes crossebowes bylles hargabuses brode swoordes large targettes pikes mattockes shâ—ouelles hammers nayles sawes ares and suche other Thus beynge furnished accordyngely they set forwarde from the Ilandes of Gadâ—s nowe called Cals the .vii. day before the calendes of October in the yere of Christe .1493 and arriued at the Ilandes of Canarie at the calendes of October Of these Ilandes the laste is called Ferrea in whiche there is no other water that maye be drunke but onely that is gathered of the dewe whiche continually distilleth from one onely tree growynge on the hâ—ghest backe of the Ilande water droppyng from a tree continually and falleth into a rounde trenche made with mannes hande We were infourmed of these thynges within fewe dayes after his departure what shal succede we wyl certifie yowe hereafter Thus fare ye well from the courte at the Ides of Nouember .1493 ¶ The seconde booke of the fyrste Decade to Ascanius Phâ—rcia vicounte Cardinall c. YOwe repete
ryghte honorable Prynce that yowe are desirous to knowe what newes we haue in Spayne from the newe worlde and that those thynges haue greatly delyted you which I wrote vnto yowre highnesse of the fyrste nauigation Yowe shal now therefore receaue what hath succeded Methymna Campi Methymna Campi is a famous towne in high Spayne in the respect from yowe and is in that parte of Spayne whiche is called Castella Vetus Castella vetuâ— beynge distante from Gades about .xl. myles Here the courte remayned when aboute the .ix. of the kalendes of Aprell in this yere of nynetie and foure there were postes sente to the kynge and queene certifyinge them that there were .xii. shippes come from the newe Ilandes and arryued at Gades Gades But the gouernoure of the shyppes sente worde to the kynge and quene that he had none other matter to certifie them of by the postes but onely that the Admiral with fiue shippes and .iiii. score and tenne men remayned styll in Hispaniola to searche the secretes of the Ilande And that as touching other matters he hym selfe wolde shortly make ralation in theyr presence by worde of mouthe Therfore the daye before the nones of Aprel he came to the courte him selfe What I learned of him and other faythefull and credible men whiche came with hym from the Admirall I wyl reherse vnto yowe in such order as they declared the same to me when I demaunded them Take it therfore as foloweth The thyrde daye of the Ides of October departynge from Ferrea The Iland of Ferrea the laste of the Ilandes of Canariae and from the costes of Spayne with a nauie of .xvii. shippes they sayled .xxi. dayes before they came to any Ilande inclyning of purpose more towarde the lefte hand then at the fyrst viage folowyng the northnortheast wynde and arriued fyrst at the Ilandes of the Canibales Ilands of the Canibales or Caribes of which onely the fame was knowen to our men Amonge these they chaunsed fyrste vpon one so beset with trees that they coulde not se so muche as an elle space of bare earthe or stony grounde this they called Dominica The Iland of Dominica bicause they found it on the sunday They taried here no tyme bycause they sawe it be deserte In the space of these .xxi. dayes they thynke that they sayled .viii. hundreth and .xx. leaques viii hundreth .xx. leaques in .xxi. dayes the Northenortheast wynde was so full with them and so fresshely folowed the sterne of theyr shyppes After they hadde sayled a lyttle further they espied dyuerse Ilandes replenysshed with sundrye kyndes of trees from the whiche came fragrant sauours of spyces and sweete gummes Here they sawe neyther man nor beaste except certayne lisartes of huge bignesse Lysertes as they reported whiche went alande to viewe the countrey This Iland they cauled Galana or Galanta The Ilande of Galanta From the cape or poynt of this Iland espying a mountayne a farre of they sayled thyther Aboute .xxx. myles from this mountayne they sawe a ryuer disceÌ„ding whiche seemed to be a token of some great and large fludde This is the fyrste lande whiche they founde inhabited from the Ilandes of Canariae and is an Ilande of the Canibales The Iland of Guadalupea as they lerned by the interpretours whiche they tooke with them from Hispaniola into Spayne at theyr fyrste viage Serchynge the Ilande they founde innumerable villages of .xx. houses or .xxx. at the mooste sette rounde abowte in order Uilages of .xx or â—xx houses makynge the streete in coompasse lyke a markette place And for asmuch as I haue made mention of theyr houses it shal not be greately from my purpose to describe in what maner they are buylded They are made rounde lyke belles or rounde pauylions The building of theyr houses Theyr frame is raysed of excedynge hyghe trees sette close together and fast rampaired in the grounde so standyng a slope and bending inward that the tappes of the trees ioyne together and beare one agaynste an other hauynge also within the house certayne stronge and shorte props or postes whiche susteyne the trees from â—allynge They couer them with the leaues of date trees and other trees strongly compact and hardened wherewith they make them close from wynde and wether At the shore postes or proppes withâ—n the houâ—e they tâ—e ropes of thâ—â—ottoÌ„ of 〈◊〉 trees â—â—â—ampine â—otton or other ropes made of certayne long and toughe â—â—tes much lyke vnto the shrubbe called Spâ—râ—â—m wherof in olde tyme they vsed to make bondes for vâ—nes 〈…〉 and ropâ—â— for shyppes These they tye ouer 〈◊〉 the houâ—e froâ— poste to poste On these they ley as it 〈…〉 mattâ—eâ—â—es made of the cotton of the gossampâ—ne tress whâ—che gâ—â—we plentifully in these Ilandes Thâ—s cotton the Spaniâ—â—des call Algodon and the Italians Bâ—mâ—â—sine And thus they â—â—eepe in hangynge beddes Bombaâ—e hanâ—inâ—e beddes At the enteraunce of one of theyr houâ—es they sawe two Images of woodde lyke vnto serpentes whâ—che they thoughte had byn such idoles as they honour But they leâ—ned afterwarde that they were seâ—te there onely for coomlâ—nesse For they knowe none other god then the Sunne and Moone althoughe they make certaine Images of gossampine cotton to the similitude of such phantasies as they say appere to them in the nyghte Images Our men found in theyr houses all kyndes of erthen vessels not muche vnlyke vnto oures They founde also in theyr kichens mannes flesshe duckes flessâ—e and goose flesshe al in one pot Fyne cookery and other on the spittes redye to be layde to the fire Entrynge into theyr inner lodgynges they founde faggottes of the bones of mennes armes and legges which they reserue to make heades for theyr arrowes Arrowe heds of bones â–ª bycause they lacke iron The other bones they caste awaye when they haue eaten the flesshe They founde likewise the heade of a yonge man fastened to a poste and yet bledinge They haue in some villages one great haule or pallaice aboute the whiche theyr common houses are placed To this they resort as often as they come together to playe When they perceaued the commynge of our men they fledde in theyr houses they founde also about xxx chyldren and women captiues which were reserued to be eaten but our men tooke them awaye to vse them for interpretoures Searchyng more diligently thynner partes of the Ilande they founde .vii. other ryuers bygger then this whiche we spake of before runnyng throughe the Ilande with fruitefull and pleasante banckes delectable to beholde This Ilande they called Guadalupea for the similitude that it hath to the mounte Guadalupus in Spayne The mount Guadalupusâ— where the Image of the virgin MARIE is religiously honored But the inhabitauntes caul it Carucueria Carucueria or Queraquiera It is the chiefe habitation of the Canibales They brought from this Iland .vii. Popinpayes bygger then phesantes Popyngayes bygger then phesauntes
yoke of seruitude with an euyll wyll but yet they beare it They caule these hyred labourers Anaborias Yet the kynge doth not suffer that they shulde bee vsed as bondemen And onely at his pleasure they are sette at libertie or appoynted to woorke At suche tyme as they are cauled together of theyr kynges to woorke as souldiers or pioners are assembled of theyr centurians many of them stele away to the mountaynes and wooddes where they lye luckynge They abhorre laboure being content for that tyme to lyue with wyld frutes rather then take the paynes to laboure They are docible and apte to lerne They are docible and haue nowe vtterly forgotten theyr owlde supersticions They beleue godly and beare wel in memory suche thynges as they haue lerned of owre faith Theyr kynges children are brought vp with the chiefest of owre men The kynges chyldren and are instructed in letters and good maners When they are growen to mans age they sende them home to theyr countreys to bee exemple to other and especially to gouerne the people if theyr fathers bee dead that they maye the better set foorthe the Christian Religion and keepe theyr subiectes in loue and obedience By reason whereof they coome nowe by fayre meanes and gentell persuasions to the mynes which lye in twoo Regions of the Ilande aboute thirtie myles distante frome the citie of Dominica wherof the one is cauled Sancti Christophori The two chiefe golde myres of hispaniola And the other being distante aboute foure score and tenne myles is cauled Cibaua not farre from the cheefe hauen cauled Portus Regalis These regions are very large In the which in many places here and there are fownd sumtyme euen in the vpper crust of the earth and sumtyme amonge the stones Golde founde in the vpper part of the earth certeyne rounde pieces or plates of golde sumtyme of smaule quantitie and in sum places of great weyght In so muche that there hath byn found rounde pieces of three hundreth pounde weyght and one of three thousande three hundreth and tenne pounde weyght A piece of golde weighinge three thousande three huÌ„dreth ten pounds A coastly shipwrake The whiche as yowe harde was sente hole to the kynge in that shyppe in the which the gouernour Boadilla was comming home into Spayne the shyppe with all the men beinge drowned by the way by reason it was ouer laden with the weight of golde and multytude of men Albeit there were moo then a thowesande persons whiche sawe and handeled the piece of golde And wheras here I speake of a pounde I doo not meane the common pounde but the summe of the ducate of golde with the coyne cauled Triens which is the thyrde parte of a pounde whiche they caule Pesus Pesus The sum of the weyght hereof the Spanyardes caule Castellanum Aureum Al the golde that is dygged in the mountaynes of Cibaua and Porte Regale The fynynge and 〈…〉 of goâ—de is caryed to the towre of Conception where shoppes with al thynges apperteyninge are redy furnysshed to fyne it melte it and caste it into wedges That doone they take the kynges portion therof whiche is the fyfte parte and soo restore to euery man his owne whiche he gotte with his labour But the golde whiche is fownde in saynt Christophers myne and the Region there aboute is caryed to the shoppes whiche are in the vylage cauled Bonauentura In these twoo shoppes is molten yerely aboue three hundreth thousand pounde weight of golde Three hundreth thousaÌ„d weyght of gold molten yerely 〈◊〉 â—ispaniola If any man bee knowen deceatefully to keepe backe any portion of golde whereof he hathe not made the kynges officers pryuie he forfiteth the same for a fyne There chaunce amonge them often tymes many contentions and controuersies Controuerses the whiche onlesse the magistrates of the Ilande doo fynysshe the ease is remoued by applelation to the hyghe counsayle of the courte from whose sentence it is not lawfull to appele in all the dominions of Castyle But lette vs nowe returne to the newe landes frome whense wee haue digressed The newe landes They are innumerable dyuers and exceadynge fortunate Wherfore the Spanyardes in these owre dayes and theyr noble enterpryses The Spanyardes noble enterpryses are not inferiour to the actes of hercules or Saturnus c. doo not gyue place eyther to the factes of Saturnus or Hercules or any other of the ancient princes of famous memorie which were canonized amonge the goddes cauled Heroes for theyr searchinge of newe landes and regions bringinge the same to better culture and ciuilitie Oh God howe large and farre shal owre posteritie see the Christian Religion extended Enlarging of the Christian Religion Howe large a campe haue they nowe to wander in whiche by the trewe nobilitie that is in theym or mooued by vertue wyll attempte eyther to deserue lyke prayse amonge men or reputacion of well doinge before god What I conceaue in my mynde of these thynges The originall of trewe nobilitie I am not able to expresse with penne or tonge I wyll nowe therfore soo make an ende of this perpendiculer conclusion of the hole Decade as myndinge hereafter to searche and gather euery thynge particulerlye that I maye at further leasure wryte the same more at large For Colonus the Admiral with foure shyppes and a hundreth threescore and tenne men appoynted by the kynge discouered in the yeare of Christe .1520 the lande ouer ageynste the weste corner â—f Cuba distant from the same aboute a hundreth and thirtie leaques In the myddest of which tracte lyeth an Ilande cauled Guanassa The Ilande of Guanassa From hense he directed his vyage backewarde towarde the Easte by the shore of that coast supposinge that he shulde haue founde the coastes of Paria but it chaunced otherwyse It is sayd also that Vincentius Agnes of whom we haue spoken before and one Iohannes Diaz with dyuers other of whose vyages I haue as yet no certeyne knowleage haue ouer runne those coastes The vyage of Iohannes Diaz But if God graunt me life I trust to know the truthe hereof and to aduertise yowe of the same Thus fare ye well ¶ The seconde Decade foloweth ¶ THE FYRST BOOKE OF THE SECONDE Decade to Leo bysshop of Rome the tenthe of that name of the supposed Continent or firme lande SENSE the tyme that Galeatius Butrigarius of Bononie and Iohannes Cursius of Florence moste holye father came to the catholyke kynge of Spayne the one of yowre holynes ambasage and thother for thaffaires of his coÌ„mon welth I was euer for the moste parte in theyr coompanie and for theyr vertues and wysedoome had theym in greate reuerence And wheras they were greatly gyuen to studye and continuall reuoluinge of dyuers autours they chaunced vppon certeyne bookes negligently let slyppe owte of my handes entreatinge of the large landes and Regions hetherto lyinge hyd and almost west
foules as well apte to bee eaten as also to delite the eares of menne with pleasaunt noyse But owre Spanyardes bycause they are ignorant in foulynge take but fewe Also innumerable popingayes of sundry kindes are found chattering in the groues of those fenny places Of these there are sume equall to Capons in byggenes and sume as lyttle as sparowes But of the diuersitie of popingayes Popingayes we haue spoken sufficientely in the fyrst Decade For in the rase of this large lande Colonus hym selfe browght and sent to the courte a greate number of euery kynde A philosophical discourse as cuÌ„cerning thoriginal of springes and ryuers the which it was lawfull for all the people to beholde and are yet dayly browght in lyke maner There remayneth yet one thynge moste woorthy to bee put in hystorye The which I had rather to haue chaunced into the handes of Cicero or Liuie then into myne For the thynge is soo marueylous in my estimation that I fynde my wytte more entangeled in the description hereof then is sayde of the henne when shee seeth her younge chekyn inwrapped in towe or â—laxe The breadth of that lande from the North Ocean to the south sea is only syxe dayes iourney by relation of thinhabitantes The breadth of the â—ande at Uraba froÌ„ the North Ocean to the South sea The multitude therfore and greaâ—nes of the ryuers on the one side and on the other syde the narowenes of the lande brynge me into suche doubte howe it can coome to passe that in soo little a space of three dayes iourney measurynge from the hygh toppes of those mountaynes I doo not vnderstande howe soo many and soo great ryuers may haue recourse into this north sea For it is to bee thought that as many doo flowe towarde thinhabitantes of the southe These ryuers of Vraba are but smaule in comparison of many other in those coastes For the Spanyardes say that in the tyme of Colonus they founde and passed by an other ryuer after this A ryuer of maruelous byggenes loke the first decade the ix boke whose goulfe faulynge in to the sea they affirme to bee lyttle lesse then a hundreth myles in the fyrste coastes of Paria as wee haue sayde elsewhere For they saye that it fauleth from the toppes of hyghe mountaynes with soo swyfte and furious a course that by the violence and greatnes therof it dryueth backe the sea althowgh it bee rowghe and enforced with a contrary wynde They all affirme lykewyse that in all the large tracte therof they felt noo sower or salte water but that all the water was fresshe sweete and apte to bee droonke Thinhabitantes caule this ryuer Maragnonum The great ryuer Maragnonus lâ—ber iâ— decade i. And the regions adiacent to the same Mariatambal Mariatambal Camamorus Camamorus and Paricora Paricora Besyde those ryuers whiche I haue named before as Darien Grandis Dabaiba Beragua Sancti Mathei Boius gaâ—ti Delagartos Gaira they which of late haue searched those coastes haue founde many other Deliberatinge therefore with my selfe from whense these mountaynes beinge soo narowe and nere vnto the sea on bothe sydes haue such great holowe caues or dennes of suche capacitie and from whense they are fylled to cast foorth such abundance of water hereof also askynge them the opinions of the inhabitantes they affirme them to bee of dyuers iudgementes herein Alleagynge fyrst the greatnes of the mountaynes to bee the cause whiche they say to bee very hygh which thynge also Colonus the first fynder therof affirmeth to bee trewe Adding there vnto that the Paradise of pleasure is in the toppes of those mountaines whiche appeare from the goulfe of Paria and Os Draconis Paradice Loke .vi â—oke fyrst decade as he is fully persuaded They agree therfore that there is greate caues within these mountaynes but it resteth to consyâ—er froÌ„ whense they are fylled The sea If therefore all the ryuers of fresshe waters by thoppinion of manye do soo flowe owte of the sea as dryuen and compelled throwghe the paâ—sages or pores of the earth by the ponderous weyght of the sea it selfe as wee see them breake furth of the sprynges and directe their course to the sea ageyne The land enclosed with two seas then the thynge is lesse to bee marueyled at here then in other places For wee haue not redde that in any other place twoo such seas haue enuironed any lande with soo narowe lymittes For it hath on the right syde the great Ocean where the sonne goeth downe on the lefte hande And an other on the other syde where the sonne ryseth nothynge inferioure to the fyrst in greatenes for they suppose it to bee myxte and ioyned as all one with the sea of East India This lande therefore being burdened with so great a weight on the one syde and on the other yf this opinion bee of anye value is enforced to swalowe vp such deuoured waters and ageyne to cast foorth the same in open springes and streames But if wee shall denye that the earth draweth humours of the sea and agree that all fountaynes or sprynges are engendered of the conuersion or turnynge of ayer into water distilling within the halowe places of the montaynes as the most part thinke we wyll gyue place rather to thautoritie of them whiche stycke to those reasons then that owre sense is satisfyed of the full truth therof Yet doo I not repugne that in sume caues of mountaynes water is turned into ayer Conursion of ayer into water in the caues of mountaynâ—s For I my selfe haue seene howe in the caues of manye mountaynes in Spayne in maner showers of rayne doo faule continually And that the water gathered by this meanes doth send furth certeyne ryuers by the sydes of the mountaynes wherwith al suche trees as are planted on the sâ—iepe or foote of the mountaynes as vines Oliue trees and suche other are watered And this especially in one place As the ryght honorable Lodouike the Cardinall of Aragonie moste obsequious to yowre holynes and twoo other byshoppes of Italy wherof the one is Siluius Pandonus and the other an Archebysshop whose name and tytle I doo not remember can beare me wytnes For wheÌ„ wee were togyther at Granata lately delyuered from the dominion of the Moores and walked for owre pastyme to certeine pleasaunte hylles by the whiche there ranne a fayre ryuer Whyle Cardinall Lodouike occupied hym selfe in shutynge at byrdes whiche were in the bushes nere vnto the ryuer I and the other twoo bysshops determined to clime the mountaynes to searche thoriginall and springe of the ryuer for wee were not farre from the toppes thereof Folowynge therefore the course of the ryuer wee founde a greate caue in which was a continuall faule of water as it had byn a â—houre of rayne Showers of rayne in the caues of montaynes the water wherof faulyng into a trenche made with mans hand encreaseth to a ryuer
nor yet aspired to the knowleage hereof bycause there came neuer man before owte of owre knowen worlde to these vnknowen nations The Spâ—niardes conquestes At the leaste with a poure of men by force of armes in maner of conquest wheras otherwise nothyng can be gotten here forasmuch as these nations are for the most part seuere defenders of theyr patrimonies and cruell to straungers in no condition admittinge them otherwyse then by conquest especially the fierce Canibales or Caribes For these wylye hunters of men Manhunters gyue them selues to none other kynde of exercyse but onely to manhuntynge and tyllage after theyr maner At the commynge therfore of owre men into theyr regions they loke as suerly to haue them faule into their snares as if they were hartes or wylde bores The fiersenesse of the Canâ—bales and with no lesse confydence licke their lippes secreately in hope of their praye If they gette the vpper hande they eate them greedely If they mystruste them selues to bee the weaker parte they truste to theyr feete and flye swyfter then the wynde Ageyne yf the matter bee tryed on the water aswell the women as men can dyue and swymme as though they had byn euer brought vp and fedde in the water It is noo maruayle therefore yf the large tracte of these regions haue byn hytherto vnknowen But nowe sithe it hath pleased God to discouer the same in owre tyme Owre duty to god and naturall loue to mankynde it shall becoome vs to shewe owre naturall loue to mankynde and dewtie to God to endeuoure owre selues to brynge them to ciuilitie and trewe religion to thincrease of Christes flocke to the confusion of Infidels and the Deuyll theyr father who delytethe in owre destruction as he hathe doone frome the begynnynge By the good successe of these fyrst frutes owre hope is that the Christian regilion shall streache foorth her armes very farre Which thyng shulde the sooner coome to passe yf all menne to theyr poure especially Christian Princes to whom it chiefely perteyneth wolde put theyr handes to the plowe of the lordes vineyarde Thoffyce of Chrystian prynces The haruest is great c. The haruest suerly is greate but the woorkemen are but fewe As we haue sayde at the begynnynge yowre holynes shall hereafter nooryshe many myriades of broodes of chekins vnder yowre wynges But let vs nowe returne to speake of Beragua beinge the weste syde of Vraba Beragua and fyrst founde by Colonus the Admirall then vnfortunately gouerned by Diego Nicuesa Nicuesa and nowe lefte in maner desolate with the other large regions of those prouinces brought from theyr wylde and beastly rudenes to ciuilitie and trewe religion ¶ The fourth booke of the thyrde Decade I Was determyned moste holy father to haue proceded no further herein but that onâ— fierye sparke yet remaynynge in my mynde woolde not suffer me to cease Wheras I haue therfore declared howe Beragua was fyrste fownde by Colonus my thincke I shulde commytte a heynous cryme if I shuld defraude the man of the due commendations of his trauayles The fourth nauigation of Colonus the Admirall of his cares and troubles and fynally of the daungeours and perels whiche he susteyned in that nauigation Therfore in the yeare of Christe .1502 in the .vi. daye of the Ides of Maye he hoysed vppe his sayles and departed from the Ilandes of Gades with .iiii. shyppes of fyftie or .iii. score tunne a piece with a hundreth threscore and tenne meÌ„ and came with prosperous wynde to the Ilandes of Canariâ— within fiue daies folowinge from thense arryuinge the .xvi. day at the Ilande of Dominica beinge the chiefe habitation of the Canibales he sayled from Dominica to Hispaniola in fyue other daies Thus within the space of .xxvi. daies with prosperous wynde and by the swyfte faule of the Ocean from the Easte to the west he sayled from Spaine to Hispaniola Which course is counted of the mariners to bee no lesse then a thousande and twoo hundreth leagues From Spaine to hispanâ—ola a thouâ—ande and two hundreth leagues He taryed but a whyle in Hispaniola whether it were wyllingly or that he were so admonisshed of the viceroye Directing therfore his vyage from thense towarde the weste leauyng the Ilandes of Cuba and Iamaica on his ryght hande towarde the northe he wryteth that he chaunsed vppon an Ilande more southewarde then Iamaica whiche thinhabitantes caule Guanassa so florysshinge and frutefull that it myghte seeme an earthlye Paradyse The floryâ—shyng Ilande of Guanassa Coastynge alonge by the shores of this Ilande he mette two of the Canoas or boates of those prouinces whiche were drawne with two naked slaues ageynst the streame In these boates was caryed a ruler of the Ilande with his wyfe and chyldren all naâ—ed The slaues seeynge owre men a lande made signes to them with proude countenaunce in their maisters name to stande owte of the waye and threatned them if they woolde not gyue place Simple people Their sympelnes is suche that they nother feared the multitude or poure of owre men or the greatnes and straungenes of owre shippes They thought that owre men woolde haue honoured their maister with like reuerence as they did Owre men had intelligeÌ„ce at the length that this ruler was a greate marchaunte whiche came to the marte from other coastes of the Ilande A greate marchaunt For they exercyse byinge and sellynge by exchaunge with their confinies He had also with him good stoore of suche ware as they stande in neede of or take pleasure in as laton belles rasers knyues and hatchettes made of a certeyne sharpe yelowe bryght stone with handles of a stronge kynd of woodde Also many other necessary instrumentes with kychen stuffe and vesselles for all necessary vses Lykewise sheetes of gossampine cotton wrought of sundrye colours Owre men tooke hym prysoner with all his famely But Colonus commaunded hym to bee losed shortely after and the greatest parte of his goodes to bee restored to wynne his fryndeshippe Beinge here instructed of a lande lyinge further towarde the southe he tooke his vyage thether Therfore lytle more then tenne myles distant froÌ„ hense he founde a large lande whiche thinhabitantes cauled Quiriquetana But he named it Ciamba The regyon of Queriquetana or Ciamba When he wente a lande and commaunded his chaplaine to saye maâ—se on the sea bankes a great confluence of the naked inhabitantes flocked thither symplye and without feare brinkynge with them plenty of meate and freshe water marueylynge at owre men as they had byn summe straunge miracle Gentle people When they had presented their giftes they went sumwhat backewarde and made lowe curtesy after their maner bowinge their heades and bodyes reuerently He recompensed their gentylnes rewardinge them with other of owre thynges as counters braslettes and garlandes of glasse and counterfecte stoones lookynge glasses nedelles and pynnes with suche other trashe whiche seemed vnto them precious marchaundies
.xvii. shippes and a M. and fyue hundreth men althoughe there were onely a thousand and two hundreth assygned hym by the kynges letters It is sayde furthermore that he lefte behynd hym more then two thousande verye pensyue and syghynge that they also myght not be receaued proferynge them selues to go at their owne charges He taried .xvi. dayes in Gomera to thintente to make prouysyon of fuell and freshe water Prouision of fresshe water and fuell But chiefely to repayre his shyppes beynge sore brosed with tempestes and especially the gouernours shippe whiche had loste the rudder For these Ilandes are a commodious restynge place for all suche as intende to attempte any nauygations in that mayne sea Departynge from hense in the nones of Maye he sawe no more lande vntyll the thirde daye of Iune at the whiche he arriued at Dominica an Ilande of the Canibales The Iland of Dominica being distant from Gomera aboute eyght hundreth leaques Here he remayned foure dayes makinge newe prouision of freshe water and fuell durynge whiche tyme he sawe no man nor yet any steppes of men But founde plentie of sea crabbes and greate lysartes From hense he sayled by the Ilandes of Matinina otherwyse cauled Madanino Guadalupea Guadalupea otherwyâ—e cauled Carucuerâ—a or Queraquiera and Galanta otherwyse cauled Galana of all whiche we haue spoken in the fyrste decade He passed also throughe the sea of herbes or weedes continuyng a long tracte Yet nother he nor Colonus the Admyrall who fyrste founde these Ilandes and sayled through this sea of weedes haue declared anye reason howe these weedes shoulde coome The sea of herbes Summe thynke the sea too be verye muddye there and that these weedes are engendered in the bottome therof and so beynge loosed to ascende to the vppermooste parte of the water as wee see oftentymes chaunce in certeyne stondynge pooles and sumtymes also in greate ryuers Other suppose that they are not engendered there but to bee beaten from certeyne rockes by the vyolence of the water in tempestes And thus they leaue the matter in dowte Neyther haue they yet any certeyne experyence whether they stycke faste and gyue place to the shyppes or wander loose vppon the water But it is to bee thought that they are engendered there For otherwyse they shulde bee dryuen togyther on heapes by thympulsyon of the shyppes euen as a beasome gathereth the swepynges of a house and shulde also lette the course of the shyppes The fourth day after that he departed frome Dominica These mountaynes are cauled Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata decâ—de ii liber i .ii. the hyghe mountaynes couered with snowe wherof we haue spoken in the seconde decade appered vnto hym They saye that there the seas runne as swyftely towarde the weste The swyfte courâ—e of the sea towarde the west as it were a ryuer faulyng from the toppes of hyghe montaynes Although they sayled not directly toward the west but inclined sumwhat to the south From these montaynes fauleth the ryuer of Gaira The ryuer Gaira famous by the slaughter of owre men at such tyme as Rodericus Colmenares passed by those coastes as we haue sayde before Lykewyse many other fayre ryuers haue their originall from the same montaynes This prouynce in the whiche is also the regyon of Caramairi hath in it two notable hauens Caramairi of the which owre men named the one Carthago or Carthagona Carthago and the other Sancta Martha the region wherof thinhabitantes caule Saturma Saturma The porte of Sancta Martha is nearer to the montaines couered with snowe cauled Montes Niuales Mountaynes couered with snowe for it is at the rootes of the same montaines But the hauen of Carthago is more westewarde aboute fyftie leaques He writeth marueylous thynges of the hauen of Sancta Martha whiche they also confirme that came lately froÌ„ theÌ„se Of the which younge Vesputâ—us is one to whoÌ„ Americus Vesputius his vncle being a FloreÌ„tine borne left the exact knowlege of the mariners facultie Americus Vespâ—tius as it were by inheritance after his death for he was a very expert maister in the knowledge of his carde his compasse and the eleuation of the pole starre with all that perteineth therto This younge Vesputius was assygned by the kyng to bee one of the maisters of the gouernours shyppe bicause he was cunninge in iudgyng the degrees of the eleuation of the pole starre by the quadrante For the charge of gouernynge the rudder was chiefely coommytted to one Iohannes Serranus a Spaniarde who had oftentymes ouer runne those coastes Vesputius is my verye familyar frende and a wyttie younge man in whose coompany I take great pleasure and therefore vse hym oftentymes for my geste He hath also made many vyages into these coastes and diligently noted suche thinges as he hath seene Petrus Arias therfore writeth and he confyrmeth the same that thinhabitantes of these regyons tooke their originall of the Caribes or Canibales as appeared by the desperate fiercenes and crueltie which they oftentymes shewed to owre men when they passed by their coastes Suche stouâ—enes and fortitude of mynde is natuâ—â—llye engendered in these naked Barbarians The stoutnes of the Barbarianâ— that they feared not to aâ—sayle owre hole nauy to forbyd them to coome a land They feyght with venemous arrowes as we haue sayde before Perceauynge that owre men contempned their threatnynges they ranne furiously into the sea euen vppe to the breastes The Canibales feyghâ— in the water nothynge fearinge eyther the bygnes or multitude of owre shyppes but ceased not continually beinge thus in the water to cast dartes and shute their venemous arrowes as thicke as hayle In so muche that owre men had bynne in great daunger if they had not byn defended by the cages or pauisses of the shyppes and their targettes Yet were two of them wounded whiche died shortely after But this conflycte continued so sharpe that at the length owre men were enforced to shute of their byggest pieces of ordinaunce with hayleshotte The vse of gunnes At the slaughter and terrible noyse wherof the barbarians beynge sore discomfited and shaken with feare thynkynge the same to be thunder and lyghtnynge The generacion of thunder and lyghtnynge tourned their backes and fledde amayne They greately feare thunder bycause these regyons are oftentymes vexed with thunder and lyghtnynge by reason of the hyghe montaynes and nearenesse of the same to the region of the ayer wherin such fierie tempestes are engendered which the philosophers caule Meteora Meteora And all be it that owre men had nowe dryuen their enemyes to flyght and sawe them disparcled and owte of order yet dowted they and were of dyuers opinions whether they shulde pursue them or not On the one partie shame pricked them forwarde and on the other syde feare caused them to caste many perelles especially consyderynge the venemous arrowes whiche these barbarians canne direct so certeynely
Uenemous arrowes To departe from theym with a drye foote as saithe the prouerbe with so great a nauye and suche an armye they reputed it as a thynge greately soundynge to their reproche and dishonour At the length therfore shame ouercommyng feare they pursued them and came to land with their shippe boates The gouernoure of the nauie and also Vesputius doo wryte that the hauen is no lesse then three leagues in compasse beinge also safe withowt rockes and the water therof so clere thâ—t a man may see pybble stones in the bottome twentie cubettes deape They saye lykewyse that there fauleth twoo fayre ryuers of fresshe water into the haâ—â—n but the same to bee meeter to beare the canoas of these prouinces then anye bygger vessels It is a delectable thynge to heare what they tel of the plentie and varietie and also of the pleasaunt tast of the fysshes aswel of these riuers as of the sea there about By reason wherof they founde here many fyssher boates and nettes woonderfully wrought of the stalkes of certeyne herâ—bes or weedes dryed and tawed and wrethed with cordes of spunne gossampine cotton Plentie of fysshe For the people of Caramairi Gaira Cunnynge fysshers and Saturma are very cunnynge in fysshynge and vse to sell fysshe to theyr bortherers for exchaunge of suche thynges as they lacke When owre men had thus chased the Barbaryans from the sea coastes and hadde nowe entered into theyr houses they assayled them with newe skyrmushes especially when they sawe them faule to sackynge and spoylyng and theyr wyues and chyldren taken captiue Theyr householde stuffe was made of great reedes which growe on the sea bankes Theyr householde stuffe and the stalkes of certeyne herbes beaten and afterward made harde The floures therof were strewed with herbes of sundry coloures And the waules hanged with a kynde of tapstry artificially made of gossampine cotton Tapstry and wrought with pictures of Lions Tygers and Eagles The doores of theyr houses and chambers were full of dyuers kyndes of shelles hangynge loose by smaule cordes A straunge phantasy that beinge shaken by the wynde they myght make a certeyne rattelynge and also a whystelynge noyse by gatherynge the wynde in theyr holowe places For herein they haue greate delyte and impute this for a goodly ornamente Dyuers haue shewed me many woonderfull thynges of these regions Especially one Conzalus Fernandus Ouiedus beinge one of the maiestrates appointed in that office which the Spanyardes caule Veedor This is he whom Cardâ—nus praiseth who hath also hetherto entered further into the lande then any other He affirmeth that he chaunced vppon the fragmente of a saphire bygger then the egge of a goose And that in certeyne hylles where he trauayled with thirtie men he founde many of the precious stones cauled Smaragdes Precious stones The Smaragde is the trewemeâ—odâ— calcidones and Iaspers besyde great pieces of amber of the montaines He also with dyuers other do affirme that in the houses of sume of the Canibales of these regions Another kind of amber is founde in whales they found the lyke precious stones set in golde and inclosed in the tapstry or arras if it may soo bee cauled wherewith they hange theyr houses The same lande bryngeth foorth also many wooddes of brasile trees great plentie of golde Gold brasile In so much that in maner in al places they founde on the seâ— bankes and on the shoores certeyne marchasites in token of golde Marchasites are flowers of metals by the colours wherof the kyndes of metals are knowen Fernandus Ouiedus declareth furthermore that in a certeyne region cauled Zenu lyinge foure score and tenne myles from Dariena Eastwarde they exercyse a straunge kynde of marchaundies For in the houses of the inhabitantes they founde greate chestes and baskets made of the twigges and leaues of certeyne trees apte for that purpose beinge all full of gressehoppers grylles crabbes or crefysshes snayles also and locustes whiche destrowe the fieldes of corne These locustes burne the corne with toching and deuoure the residewe they are in India of .iii. foote length The fayre region of Caramairi all well dryed and salted Beinge demaunded why they reserued such a multitude of these beastes they answered that they kepte them to bee soulde to theyr bortherers which dwell further within the lande And that for the exchange of these precious byrdes and salted fysshes they receaued of them certeyne strange thynges wherin partely they take pleasure and partly vse them for theyr necessary affayers These people dwel not togyther but scattered here and there Thinhabitantes of Caramairi seeme to dwel in an earthly Paradise theyr region is so fayre and frutefull withowt owtragious heate or sharpe coulde with lyttle difference of the length of day and nyght throwghowt all the yeare After that owre men had thus dryuen the barbarians to flyght they entered into a valley of two leagues in breadth three in length extendynge to certeyne frutful mountaynes ful of grasse Fruteful montaynes herbes and trees at the rootes wherof lye twoo other valleys towarde the ryght hande and the left throwgh eyther of the which runneth a fayre ryuer whereof the ryuer of Gaira is one but vnto the other they haue yet gyuen noo name In these valleys they founde manye fayre gardeyns and pleasaunte fyeldes watered with trenshes distrybuted in marueylous order Gardens Inâ—ubres are nowe cauled Lumbardes and hetrusci Tuseans with no lesse arte then owre Insubrians and Hetrurians vse to water theyr fyeldes Theyr common meate is Ages Iucca Maizium Battatae with suche other rootes and frutes of trees and also suche fysshe as they vse in the Ilandes and other regions of these prouinces They eate mans fleshe but seldome bycause they meete not oftentymes with strangiers except they goo foorth of theyr owne dominions with a mayne army of purpose to hunt for men Many countreys lefte desolate by the fiercenes of the Canibales when theyr rauenynge appetite pricketh them forwarde For they absteyne from them selues and eate none but suche as they take in the warres or otherwyse by chaunce But suerly it is a miserable thynge to heare howe many myriades of men these fylthy and vnnaturall deuourers of mans flesshe haue consumed One myâ—iade is ten thousande and lefte thousandes of moste fayre and frutfull Ilandes and regions desolate withowte menne By reason wherof owre men founde so many Ilandes whiche for theyr fayrenes and frutefulnesse myght seeme to bee certeyne earthly Paradyses and yet were vtterly voyde of men Hereby yowre holynesse may consider howe pernitious a kynde of men this is We haue sayde before that the Ilande named Sancti Iohannis which thinhabitantes caule Burichena is nexte to Hispaniola It is sayde that onely the Canibales which dwell in the other Ilandes nere about this as in the Ilande cauled Hayhay or Sancte Crucis and in Guadalupea otherwise cauled Queraqueiera A miserable hearynge or
their auncestours they haue prophecies of the comminge of owre men into their countrey These they synge with moornyng and as it were with gronyng Prophesies bewayle the losse of their lybertie and seruitude For these prophecies make mention that there shoulde coome into the Ilande Maguacochios Note that is men clothed in apparell and armed with suche swoordes as shulde cutte a man in sunder at one stroke vnder whose yoke their posteritie shulde bee subdued And here I do not maruell that their predicessours coulde prophecye of the seruitude and bondage of their successyon if it bee trewe that is sayd of the familiaritie they haue with spirites whiche appeare to them in the night Theyr familiaritie with spirites wherof we haue largely made mention in the nynth booke of the first decade where also wee haue entreated of their Zemes that is their Idoles and Images of diuelles whiche they honoured The deuyl is dryuen awaye by baptisme But they saye that sence these Zemes were taken awaye by the Christians the spirites haue no more appeared Owre men ascribe this to the sygne of the crosse wherwith they defende theym selues from suche spirites For they are nowe all clensed and sanctifyed by the water of baptâ—me wherby they haue renounced the deuel and are consecrated the holy members of Christ. They are vniuersally studyous to knowe the boundes and lymettes of their regions and kingdomes And especially their Mitaini that is noble men So that euen they are not vtterlye ignorante in the surueyinge of their landes Surueyers The common people haue none other care then of settynge sowynge and plantynge They are mooste experte fysshers They lyue as much in the water as on the lande by reason that throughowte the hole yeare they are accustomed daylye to plounge them selues in the ryuers so that in maner they lyue no lesse in the water then on the lande They are also giuen to huntynge For as I haue sayde before they haue twoo kyndes of foure footed beastes wherof the one is lyttle cunnes cauled Vtias and the other Serpentes named Iuannas Serpentes muche lyke vnto Crocodiles A Crocodile is much lyke to owr ewte or Lyserte of eyght foote length of moste pleasaunte taste and lyuynge on the lande All the Ilandes nooryshe innumerable byrdes and foules Byrdes and foules As stocke doues duckes geese hearons bysyde nolesse number of popingiais then sparowes with vs. Popingayes Euery kynge hath his subiectes diuided to sundrye affaires As summe to huntynge other to fysshynge and other summe to husbandrye But let vs now returne to speake further of the names We haue sayde that Quizqueia and Haiti were the oulde names of this Ilande The hole Ilande was also cauled Cipanga of the region of the montaynes aboundynge with golde Cipanga Lyke as owre anciente poetes cauled all Italye Latium of parte therof Italy cauled Latium Therfore as they cauled Ausonia and Hesperia Italie euen soo by the names of Quizqueia Haiti and Cipanga they vnderstode the hole Ilande of Hispaniola Owre men dyd fyrste name it Isabella of queene Helisabeth whiche in the Spanyshe tounge is cauled Isabella Isabella And so named it of the fyrst Colonie where they planted their habitation vpon the banke nere vnto the sea on the Northe syde of the Ilande as wee haue further declared in the fyrste decade But of the names this shall suffyce Lette vs nowe therfore speake of the forme of the Ilande The forme of the Ilande of hispaniola They whiche fyrste ouer ranne it described it vnto me to bee lyke the leafe of a chestnutte tree with a goulfe towarde the west syde lyinge open ageynst the Ilande of Cuba But the experte shyppe mayster Andreas Moralis broughte me the forme therof sumwhat differynge from that For from bothe the corners as from the Easte angle and the West he described it to be indented and eaten with many great goulfes and the corners to reache foorthe verye farre and placeth manye large and safe hauens in the great goulfe on the East syde But I trust shortely soo to trauayle further herein that a perfecte carde of the particular description of Hispaniola maye bee sente vnto yowre holynesse A particular carde of hispaniola For they haue nowe drawne the Geographicall description therof in cardes euen as yowre holynesse hath seene the forme and sytuation of Spayne and Italye with their montaines valleyes ryuers cities and colonies Lette vs therfore without shamfastnesse compare the Ilande of Hispaniola to Italie hispaniola compared to Italie sumtyme the heade and queene of the hole worlde For if wee consyder the quantitie it shal bee founde lyttle lesse and muche more frutefull It reacheth from the Easte into the Weste fyue hundreth and fortye myles accordynge to the computation of the later searchers Althoughe the Admyrall sumwhat increased this number as wee haue sayde in the fyrste decade It is in breadth summe where almoste three hundreth myles And in summe places narower where the corners are extended But it is suerlye muche more blessed and fortunate then Italie The temperature of hispaniola Beynge for the mooste parte therof so temperate and florysshynge that it is neyther vexed with sharppe coulde nor afflycted with immoderate heate It hath bothe the steyinges or conuersyons of the soonne cauled Solstitia in maner equall with the Equinoctiall The equinoctiall with lyttle difference betwene the length of the daye and nyghte throughout all the yeare For on the the south syde the day ascendeth scarcely an houre in length aboue the nyghte or contrary wyse But the dyfference is more on the northe syde Coulde accidentall and not by the sytuation of the region Yet are there summe regions in the Ilande in the whiche the coulde is of sum force But yowre holynesse muste vnderstonde this to bee incident by reason of the obiecte or nearenesse of the mountaines as wee wyl more largely declare hereafter Yet is not this coulde so pearcynge or sharpe that thinhabitantes are molested with snowe or bytynge froste In other places the Ilande enioyeth perpetuall springe tyme and is fortunate with contynuall soomer and haruest Perpetuall â—pringe and â—oomer The trees floryshe there all the hole yeare And the medowes contynue alway greene All thynges are exceadynge fortunate and growe to great perfection How wonderfully all garden herbes and frutes doo encrease Maruelous frutfulnes soo that within the space of syxtene dayes after the seede is sowne al herbes of smaule steames as lettesse borage radyshe and suche other coome to their full rypenesse And also howe herbes of the bygger sorte as gourdes melones cucumers pompons citrous and suche other coome to their perfection in the space of thirtie dayes wee haue sufficiently declared elles where Of the beastes transported out of Spaine thether Beastes wee haue sayde howe they growe too a muche greater kynde In so muche that when they faule into communication of the oxen
also coompare the fleshe of these tortoyses to be equall with veale in taste There are besyde these innumerable Ilandes the whiche they haue not yet searched Innumerable Ilandes nor yet is it greatly necessarye to syfte this meale so fynely It maye suffyce to vnderstond that there are large landes many regyons whiche shal hereafter receaue owre nations tounges and maners and therwith embrase owre relygion The Troyans dydde not soodenly replenyshe Asia Troians â–ª the Tyrians Libia Tirians nor the Greekes and Phoenices Spayne Greekes Pâ—enâ—tâ—ns As touchynge the Ilandes which lye on the north syde of Hispaniola I haue let passe to speake For albeit they are commodious for tyâ—lage and fysshynge yet are they lefte of the Spanyardes as poore and of smaule value The North Ilandâ—s We wyll nowe therefore take owre leaue of this owlde Tethis with her moyst and watery Nymphes The Ilandes of the south sea And receaue to owre newe acquaintance the bewetifull ladye of the South sea rychely crowned with great pearles the Ilande of Dites beinge ryche both in name and in treasure In my epistell booke whiche I sente vnto yowre holynes this last yeare I declared howe Vaschus Nunnez Balboa the capitayne of them whiche passed ouer the daungerous mountaynes towarde the South sea The Iland of pearles learned by report that in the prospect of those coastes there laye an Ilande aboundynge with pearles of the greatest sorte And that the kynge therof was ryche and of great power infestynge with warres the other kynges his bortherers and especially Chiapes and Tumacchus We declared further howe at that tyme it was lefte vntouthed by reason of the ragynge tempestes whiche troubled that South sea three moonethes in the yeare But it is nowe better knowen to owre men who haue nowe also brought that fierce kynge to humanitie and conuerted hym from a cruell tyger to one of the meeke sheepe of Christes flocke sanctifyed with the water of baptisme with all his famelie and kyngedome wylde beasts must be tamed with the rod. It shall not therefore bee from owre purpose to declare by the gouernaunce of what capitaines or by what meanes these thynges were so happely atchyued ¶ The tenth booke of the thyrde Decade TT the arryuall of Petrus Arias the newe gouernour of Dariena he gaue commaundment that one Gaspar Moralis shulde take in hande thexpedition to the Ilande of Dites An expeditioÌ„ to the Ilande of Dites in the south sea He therefore tooke his vyage fyrst to Chiapes and Tumacchus kynges of the South whom Vaschus beefore had concyled and lefte fryndes to the Christians They frendely and magnifycally enterteyned owr men who prepared them a nauie of the kynges boates to passe ouer into this Ilande which they caule Dites and not Margarita or Margaritea The Iland of Margaritea although it abounde with pearles which in the latin tonge are cauled Margaritae For they fyrst cauled an other by this name which lyeth next to the mouth of Os Draconis in the region of Paria Oâ— Draconis Paria in the which also is founde greate plentie of pearles Gaspan brought with hym onely threescore armed men to the Ilande for that he coulde conuey ouer no greater number by reason of the smaulenes and narownes of theyr boates or barkes which they caule Culchas made of one hole piece of tymber as we haue sayde bâ—fore A conflict The kynge of the Ilande came foorth ageinst them fiercely with cruell and threatenynge countenaunce and with a great bande of armed men cryinge in maner of a larome and in token of the battayle Guazzauara Guazzauara which is as much to saye as battayle ageynst the enemie And is as it weare a watch worde to giue thonset wherwith also they threwe theyr dartes For they haue not thuse of bowes They were so obstinate and desperate that they assayled owre men with foure Guazzauaras â–ª that is battayles At the length owre men with certeyne of Chiapes and Tumacchus men beinge oulde enemies to this kynge of the Ilande gotte the vpper hande by reason they assayled the kynge soodenly and vnwares Yet was he determyned to assemble a greater power and once ageyne to attempt the fortune of warre but that he was otherwyse persuaded by the kinges his bortherers which counceled him to gyue ouer and submyt hym selfe sumtyme by thexemple of them selues and other threatenynge the destruction of his flooryshynge kyngedome And otherwhyles declarynge vnto hym the humanitie and gentelnes of owre men by whose frendship he might obteyne honoure and quyetnes to hym and his wyllyng hym furthermore to consider what chaunced vnto them which the yeare before resysted and aduentured the hasarde of the battayle as dyd these kynges Poncha Pocchorrosa Quarequa Chiapes and Tumaccus with such other By these persuasions the king submytted hym selfe and came freendely to owre men whom he conducted to his palaice which they say to be maruelously adourned and princelyke The kynge of the Ilande of Dites submitteth him selfe As soone as they entered into the pallaice The kynges palâ—aice he brought foorth a basket of curious woorkemanshyp and full of pearles which he gaue them The summe of these pearles amounted to the weyght of a hundreth and ten poundes after .viii. vnces to the pounde A hundreth ten pounde weight of pearles Beinge ageyne rewarded of owre men with such tryfles as they brought with them of purpose as garlandes of Christall and glasse and other counterfet stones of dyuers colours with lookyng glasses also and laton belles and especially two or three Iren hatchets which they more esteme then great heapes of gold he thaught hym selfe abundantly recompensed axes and hatchets more esteemed theÌ„ golde They laughe owre men to scorne that they wyll departe with so great and necessarie a thynge for any summe of golde affyrmynge an axe or hatchet to bee profytable for manye vses of men and that golde serueth onely for wanton pleasures and not to be greatly necessary Beynge therfore ioyfull and gladde of the frendeshyppe of owre men he tooke the capitaine by the hand and brought him with certeine of his familiars to the highest towre of his palaice from whense they myght prospecte the mayne sea The kynges woordes Then castyng his eyes about hym on euery side and lookynge towarde the Easte he sayde vnto them Beholde here lyeth open before yowe the infynite sea extended beyond the soonne beames Then tournyng hym toward the Southe and Weste he sygnyfied vnto them that the lande which laye before their eyes the toppes of whose great montaynes they myght see Ilandes rych in golde and pearles was exceadynge large Then coommynge sumwhat nearer he sayde Beholde these Ilandes on the ryght hande and on the lefte whiche all obeye vnto owre empyre and are ryche happye and blessed if yowe caule those landes blessed whiche abounde with golde and perle Wee haue in this Ilande lyttle
brymme of the water And saye therfore that the greatest do not wander but that they are created nourysshed and increase in the deepest places of the sea whether fewe dyuers and that but seeldome dare aduenture to diue so deepe to gather them aswel for feare of the sea crabbes whiche wander emonge these perle fyshes to feede of them Sea crabbes and for feare of other monsters of the sea as also leste their brethe shuld fayle them into long remayninge in the water And this they saye to bee the cause why the owldest and therfore byggest sea muscles The sea muscles wherin perles are engendred inhabyte the deepest places from whense they are not lyghtly moued by tempestes Furthermore howe muche the bygger and oulder these fyshes are they say that in their larger matrices the greater number and bygger pearles are founde And that for this cause there are fewer founde of the byggest sorte They thyncke also that when they fyrste faule from their fysshes in the deepe places they are deuoured of other fysshes bycause they are not yet harde Ageyne the smaulest differ from the byggest in a certayne swellynge or impostumation whiche the Spaniardes caule a tympane For they denye that to be a pearle which in oulde muscles cleaueth fast to the shel But that it is a warte whiche beynge rased from the shell with a fyle is rounde and bryght but onely of one syde and not precious beynge rather of the nature of the fyshe it selfe then of a pearle They confesse that they haue seene certayne of these muscles cleauynge on rockes Yet these but fewe and nothynge woorthe It is also to bee thought that the pearle fysshes or sea muscles whiche are founde in India Arabie the redde sea or Taprobana are ruled in suche order as the afore named famous autours haue written For their opinion herein is not vtterly to bee reiected forasmuche as they were learned men and trauayled longe in the serchynge of these thynges But wee haue nowe spoken suffyciently of these sea fysshes and of their egges which the fonde nysenes and wantonnesse of men haue made dearer then the egges of hennes or geese Lette vs therfore entreate sumwhat of other particular thynges whiche are coome to owre knowledge of late We haue elles where largely described the mouthes of the goulfe of Vraba with sundrye and variable regions diuided with the manyfolde goulfes of that sea But asconcernynge the West coastes in the whiche owre men haue buylded houses and planted their habitations on the bankes of Dariena I haue no newe matter to write Yet as touching the East partes of the goulfe The regions of the â—ast syde of the goulfe of Uraba I haue learned as foloweth They saye that the vnyuersal lande of the East region of the goulfe from the corner therof farre reachynge into the sea and from the extreame or vtter moste mouthe of the same receauynge the waters of the sea whiche faule into it euen vnto Os Draconis and Paria is by one generall name cauled Caribana The region of Caribana of the Caribes or Canibales whiche are founde in euery regyon in this tracte But from whense they had their particular originall The original of the Canibales and howe leauynge their natiue soyle they haue spredde their generation so farre lyke a pestiferous contagion wee wyll nowe declare Therfore from the fyrste fronte reachynge foorth into the sea in whose tracte we said that Fogeda fastened his foote toward the corner about nyne myles distant there lyeth a vyllage of Caribana named Fuâ—craca The vylages of Caribana Three myles distant from this is the vyllage of Vraba of the whiche it is thoughte that the hole goulfe tooke his name because this vyllage was once the heade of the kyngedome Aboute syxe myles from this is Feâ—i Nyne myles from Fetiâ— is Zerema Manhunâ—ers And about twelue myles from this Sorache Owre men founde all these vyllages full of people all the whiche gyue them selues onely to manhuntynge In so muche that if they lacke enemyes ageynst whom they maye keepe warre they exercise crueltie ageynst them selues and eyther sleye the one the other or elles dryue the vanquysshed to flyghte Whereby it is apparante that by these their continuall warres and dryuynge the one the other owte of their countreis this infection hath gonne so farre not onelye on the fyrme lande but also into the Ilandes I was also aduertised of an other thynge the whiche to my iudgement seemeth woorthye to bee putte in memorye One Corrales a iudge in causes of lawe amonge the Spanyardes of Dariena sayth that on a tyme walkyng abrode with his booke in his hande he met by the waye with a fugityue which had stedde from the great landes lyinge farre toward the weste and remayned here wyth a Kynge wyth whom he was enterteyned When this man perceaued the lawier lookynge on his booke marueylynge thereat he came runninge vnto him and by interpretours of the kynge whom he serued spake thus vnto him Haue yowe also bookes wherin yowe may reserue thynges in perpetual memorye Bookes Loke in the begynnyng of the booke of the landes lately founde And letters wherby yowe may declare yowre mynde to suche as are absent And herewith desyred that the booke might bee opened vnto hym supposyng that he shulde therein haue founde the letters of his owne countrey But when he sawe theim vnlyke he sayde further that in his countrey there were cities fortified with waules and gouerned by lawes and that the people also vsed apparell But of what religion they were I dyd not learne Yet had owre men knowleage both by the woordes and signes of this fugitiue that they were circumcised Circumcised people What nowe thinke yowe hereby most holy father Or what do yowe diuine may come hereof when tyme shall subdue al these vnder yowre throne what chaunced to the Capitaines whiche the gouernour sent dyuers wayes Let vs nowe entermyngle certeyne smaule thynges amonge these great matters I haue not thought good to pretermitte that which chaunced to Iohannes Solysius who to searche the South syde of the supposed continent departed with three shippes from porte Ioppa not farre distante from the Ilandes of Gades or Cales in the Ocean the fourth day of the Ides of September in the yeare M D. xv Or what successe Iohannes Pontius had whom the newe gouernour Petrus Arias appoynted to vanquishe and destroy the Caribes or Canibales deuourers of mans fleshe Looke decade iii. liber .vi. Also to what ende the vyages of the other capitaynes came whiche were sent foorth dyuers wayes at the same tyme As Gonzalus Badaâ—ocius Franciscus Bezerra and Valleius Iohannes Solicius tooke the matter in hande in an euyll houre The vyage of Iohannes Solisius He sayled beyonde the poynt of saynt Augustine which they caule Cabo S. Augustini toward the South syde of the supposed continent beyonde the Equinoctiall lyne Cap. S. Augustiâ—i â–ª For as
rycher in golde they named it Coiba Dites The golden region of Coiâ—a Dytes that is Coiba the rych For whersoeuer they dygged the grounde whether it were on the drye lande or in the weate chanelles of the ryuers they founde the sande whiche they caste foorthe myxte with golde Iuana fledde at the coommynge of owre men Sande myxte wâ—th golde howe theyr slaues are marked in the face and coulde neuer bee brought ageyne They spoyled all the countrey neare aboute his palayce Yet had they but lyttle golde for hee had caryed all his stuffe with hym Here they founde certeyne slaues marked in the faces after a straunge sorte For with a sharpe prycke made eyther of bone or elles with a thorne they make holes in their faces and foorthwith sprinkelynge a pouder theron they moiste the pounced place with a certeyne blacke of redde iuise whose substaunce is of suche tenacitie and claniminesse that it wyll neuer weare awaye They brought these slaues away with them They saye that this iuise is of such sharpnesse and putteth them to suche payne that for extreeme doloure they haue no stomacke to their meate certaine dayes after The kynges whiche take these slaues in their warres vse their helpe in seekynge for golde and in tyllage of the grounde euen as do owre men From the pallaice of Iuana folowynge the course of the water aboute tenne myles towarde the Southe they entered into the dominion of an other kynge whome owre men named the oulde man bycause hee was oulde not passynge of his other name In the regyon of this kynge also they founde golde in all places bothe on the lande and in the ryuers Golde This region is verye fayre and frutefull and hath in it many famous ryuers Departynge from hense in fyue dayes iorneye they came to a lande lefte desolate They suppose that this was destroyed by ciuile discorde for as muche as it is for the mooste parte fruiteful A fruteful region left desolate by ciuile discorde and yet not inhabited The fyfth daye they sawe two men commynge a farre of These were laden with breade of Maizium whiche they caryed on their shulders in sackes Owre men tooke them and vnderstoode by them that there were twoo kynges in that tracte The one was named Periquâ—te kynge Perâ—quete whoe dwelte neare vnto the sea The others name was Totonoga This Totonoga was blynde and dwelte in the continent The twoo men whiche they mette were the fysshers of Totonoga whome he had sente with certayne fardelles of fyshe to Periquete and had ageyne receaued breade of hym for exchaunge For thus do they communicate their commodities one with an other by exchaunge without â—huse of wycked money By the conductinge of these twoo men they came to kynge Totonoga dwellynge on the Weste syde of sayncte Michaelles goulfe in the Southe sea S. Miâ—hael kynge Totonoga They had of this kynge the sum of syxe thousande Castellans of golde bothe rude and artifycially wrought Emonge those groumes of rude or natyue golde there was one founde of the weyghte of two Castellans Six thousand Casâ—ellanâ— of golde whiche argued the plentifull rychenesse of the ground Folowing the same coastes by the sea syde toward the West they came to a kynge whose name was Taracuru kyng Taracuru of whome they had golde amountynge to the weyght of eight thousand Pesos viii thouâ—and pesos of gold Wee haue sayde before that Pesus is the weyghte of a Castelane not coyned From hense they wente to the dominion of this kynges broother named Pananome kynge Pananome who fledde at their commynge and appered no more afterwarde They saye that his kyngdome is ryche in golde They spoyled his pallaice in his absence Syxe leaques from hense they came to an other kyng named Tabor kyng Tabor From thense they came to thâ— kyng of Cheru kynge Cheru He frendly enterteyned owre men and gaue them foure thousande Pesos of golde â—iii thousande pesos of gold Salte He hathe in his dominion many goodly salte dayes the region also aboundeth with golde About twelue myles from hense they came to an other kyng cauled Anata kyng Anata of whome they had .xv. thousande Pesos of golde whiche he had gotten of the kinges his bortherers whom he had vanquisshed by warre xv thousande pesos of gold A great part of this golde was in rude forme bycause it was molten when he set the kynges houses on fyer whom he spoyled Theyr maner of warre For they robbe and sley the one the other sackynge and fyryng their villages and wastinge their countreys They keepe warre barbarously and to vtter destruction executing extreeme crueltie ageinst them that haue the ouerthrowe Gonsalus Badaiocius with his felowes wandered at lybertie vntyll they came to this kyng And had gathered great heapes of gold of other kinges For what in braslettes collers earinges breste plates helmettes and certeine barres wherwith women beare vppe their brestes they had gathered together in gold the sum of fourescore thousande Castellans Fourescore thousand Castellans oâ— golde whiche they had obteyned partly by exchaunge for owre thinges where they founde the kinges their frendes otherwise by forceible meanes where they founde the contrary They had gotten also forty slaues whose helpe they vsed both for cariage of their vitailes and bagagies in the steade of moiles or other beastes of burden and also to relieue suche as were sycke and forweried by reason of their longe iorneys and hunger After these prosperous viages they came by the dominion of kynge Scoria kyng Scoria to the palaice of a kynge named Pariza kyng Pariza where fearyng no such thing Pariza enclosed them with a great armye Gasalus Badaiocius hath the ouerthrow and is spoyled of greaâ— ryches of golde and assayled them straggelyng and vnwares in suche sorte that they had no leasure to put on their armure He slewe and wounded about fyftie and put the resydue to flyght They made suchâ— hast that they had no respect eyther to the gold they had gathered or to their slaues but lefte all behynde them Those fewe that escaped came to Dariena The opinion of all wyse men as concernynge the varyable and inconstant chaunces of fortune in humane thinges The Inconstancie of fortune were false if al thinges shuld haue happened vnto them prosperously For such is the nature of this blynde goddesse that she oftentimes delyteth in the ouerthrowe of them whom she hath exalted and taketh plesure in confounding hygh thinges with lowe and the contrary Wee see this order to bee impermutable that who soo wyll applye hym selfe to gather rootes shall sumtymes meete with sweete lyqueresse and other whiles with soure cockle Yet wo vnto Pariza for he shall not longe sleape in rest The gouernour him selfe was of late determined with three hundreth and fyftie choise souldiers to reuenge the death of owr men But where as he by chaunce fell
or shall chaunce to them the day folowynge or many dayes to coome For the deuyll beinge so auncient an Astronomer knowethe the tymes of thynges and seeth howe they are naturally directed and inclinâ—d And makethe theym beleue that they come so to passe by his ordynaunce as though he were the lorde and mouer of all that is and shal be And that he gyueth the day lyght and â—ayne causeth tempest and ruleth the stations of tymes gyuyng lyfe or takynge awaye lyfe at his pleasure By reason wherof the Indians being deceaued of hym and seing also such effectes to coome certeynely to passe as he hath tolde them before beleue hym in all other thynges and honoure hym in many places with sacrifyces of the bludde and liues of men and odoriferous spices And when god disposeth the contrary to that whiche the deuell hath spoken in oracle wherby he is proued a lyer he causeth the Taquinâ—s to perswade the people that he hath chaunged his mynde and sentence for summe of their synnes or deuiseth summe suche lye as lyketh hym beste beynge a skylfull maister in suche subtile and craftie deuises to deceyue the symple and ignorant people whiche hath smaule defence against so mighty and craftie an aduersarie And as they caule the deuell Tuyra so doo they in many places caule the Christians by the same name thynkyng that they greatly honoure them therby as in deede it is a name very feete and agreable to many of them hauynge layde aparte all honestie and vertue lyuynge more lyke dragons then men amonge these symple people Before thinhabitauntes of the Ilande of Hispaniola had receaued the Christian faithe there was amonge them a secte of men whiche liued solytarily in the desertes and wooddes and ledde their lyfe in sylence and abstinence more straightly then euer dyd the phylosophers of Pythagoras secte absteinyng in lyke maner from the eatyng of al thynges that liue by bludde contented onely with suche fruites herbes and rootes as the desertes and wooddes mynistred vnto them to eate The professours of this secte were cauled Piaces They gaue them selues to the knowleage of naturall thynges and vsed certeine secreate magicall operations and superstitions wherby they had familiaritie with spirites whiche they allured into theyr owne bodyes at suche tymes as they wolde take vppon them to tell of thynges to coome whiche they dyd in maner as foloweth When any of the kâ—nges had occasyon to caule any of them owte of the desertes for this purpose their custome was to sende them a portion of their fyne breade of Caxabbi or Mâ—azium and with humble requeste and sute to desyre them to tell them of suche thynges as they woulde demaunde After the request graunted and the place and daye appoynted the Plari coometh with twoo of his disciples waytynge on hym wherof the one bryngeth with hym a vessell of a secreate water and the other a lyttle syluer bell When he coommeth to the place he sytteth downe on a rounde seate made for hym of purpose Where hauynge his disciples the one standynge on the one hande and the other on the other euen in the presence of the kyng and certeyne of his nobles for the common people are not admytted to these misteries and turnynge his face toward the deserte he begynneth his inchauntment and cauleth the spirit with loude voyce by certeyne names which no man vnderstandeth but he and his disciples After he hath dooen thus a while if the spirite yet deferre his coommyng he drynketh of the sayde water and therwith waxeth hotte and furious and inuerteth and turneth his inchauntement and letteth hym selfe bludde with a thorne marueilously turmoylyng hym selfe as wee reade of the furious Sybilles not ceasynge vntyl the spirite bee coome who at his coommyng entereth into hym and ouerthroweth hym as it weare a grehounde shulde ouerturne a squerell Then for a space he seemeth to lye as thoughe he were in great payne or in a rapte wonderfully tormentynge hym selfe durynge whiche agonie the other disciple shaketh the syluer bell contynually Thus when the agonie is paste and he lyeth quietly yet withowte any sence or feelyng the kynge or summe other in his steade demaundeth of hym what he desyreth to knowe and the spirite answereth by the mouth of the rapte Piaces with a directe and perfecte answere to all poyntes In so muche that on a tyme certeyne Spanyardes beynge presente at these mysteries with one of the kinges and in the Spanyshe tounge demaundynge the Piaces of their shyppes whiche they looked for owte of Spayne the spirite answered in the Indian toonge and toulde them what daye and houre the shâ—ppes departed from Spayne how many they were and what they brought withowt faylynge in any poynte If he be also demaunded of the eclypse of the soonne or moone which they greatly feare and abhorre he geueth a perfecte answere and the lyke of tempestes famen plentie warre or peace and suche other thinges When all the demaundes are fynysshed his disciples caule hym aloude rynging the syluer bell at his eare and blowynge a certeyne pouder into his nosethrilles wherby he is raysed as it weâ—e from a deadesscape beinge yet sumewhat heauy headed and faynt a good whyle afect Thus beinge ageyne râ—wâ—â—â—ded of tâ—â—ckyâ—ge with more breade he departeth ageyne to the desert is with his disciples But sence the Christian fayth hath byn disparsed throwghe owte the Ilande these deuyll 〈◊〉 prâ—ouses haue ceased and they of the members of the deuyll are made the members of Chryste by baptisme forsakynge the deuyll and his workes with the vaine curiositie oâ— desyre of knowleage of thynges to coome wherof for the most part it is better to be ignorant then with vexation to knowe that which can not be auoyded Furthermore in many places of the firme lande when any of the kynges dye all his housholde seruauntes aswell women as men which haue continually serued hym kyl them selues beleauynge as they are taught by the deuyl Tuyra that they which kyll them selues when the kynge dyeth go with hym to heauen and seene hym in the same place and office as they dyd before on the earth whyle he lyued And that all that refuse so to doo when after they dye by theyr naturall death or otherwyse theyr soules to dye with theyr bodyes and to bee dissolued into ayer and become nothynge us do the soules of hogges byrdes or fysshes or other brute beastes And that only the other may enioy the priuileage of immortalitie for euer to serue the kynge in heauen And of this false opinion commeth it that they which sowe corne or set rootes for the kynges breade and gather the same are accustomed to kyll them selues that they may enioy this priuileage in heauen And for the same purpose cause a portion of the graine of Maizium and a bundle of Iucca wherof theyr breade is made to bee buryed with them in theyr graues that the same maye serue them in heauen if perhappes there shuld lacke seedes to sowe And therfore
engender and brynge foorthe bothe good and badde accordynge to the disposytion of the matter whiche they also doo partely dispose as the phylosophers affyrme Furthermore in the fyrme lande there are manye toades beyng very noyous and hurteful by reason of their great multitude They are not venemous They are seene in greate aboundance in Dariena where they are so bygge that when they dye in the time of drouth the bones of sum of them and especially the rybbes are of suche greatnesse that they appere too bee the bones of cattes or of summe other beastes of the same byggenesse But as the waters dyminishe and the moysture â—onsumeth in the tyme of drouth as I haue sayde they also consume therwith vntyll the yeare nexte folowing when the rayne and moysture increase at whiche tyme they are seene ageyne Neuerthelesse at this present there is no such quantitie of them as was wonte to bee by reason that as the land is better cultured by the Christians as well by the fellynge of wooddes and shrubbâ—s as also by the pasture of kine horses and other beastes so is it apparent that this poyson diminisheth dayly wherby that regyon becometh more holsome and pleasaunt These toades synge after three or foure sortes For summe of them synge pleasauntly other lyke owres of Spayne Summe also whistle and other summe make an other maner of noyse They are lykewyse of dyuers colours as summe greene summe russette or grey and summe almost blacke But of all sortes they are great and fylthye and noyous by reason of their great multitude yet are they not venemous as I haue sayde There are also a straunge kynde of crabbes Crabbeâ— â–ª whiche coome foorthe of certeyne holes of the earth that they them selues make The head and bodye of these make one rounde thing muche lyke vnto the hoode of a fawkon hauynge foure feete commyng owt of the one syde and as many owt of the other They haue also two mouthes like vnto a paire of smaule pinsers the one bygger then the other wherwith they byte but do no great hurte bycause they are not venemous Their skyn and bodye is smoothe and thynne as is the skynne of a man sauynge that it is sumwhat harder Their colour is russette or white or blewe and walke sydelonge They are very good to bee eaten In so muche that the Christians trauayling by the fyrme lande haue byn greatly nurysshed by them bycause they are founde in maner euery where In shape and forme they are muche lyke vnto the crabbe which we paynte for the sygne Cancer and like vnto those which are found in Spaine in Andalusia in the ryuer Guadalchiber where it entereth into the sea and in the sea coastes therabout sauynge that these are of the water and the other of the lande They are sumtymes hurtefull so that they that eate of them dye But this chaunceth onely when they haue eaten any venemous thyng or of the venemous apples wherwith the Canibale archers poyson their arrowes wherof I wyll speake hereafter And for this cause the Christians take hede howe they eate of these crabbes if they fynde them neare vnto the sayd apple trees Furthermore in these Indies aswell in the fyrme lande as in the Ilandes there is founde a kynde of serpentes which they caule Y. V. anas which summe caule Iuannas Serpentes cauled Iuanâ—i These are terrible and fearefull to syght and yet not hurtefull They are very delicate to bee eaten and it is not yet knowen whether they be beastes of the lande or fyshes bycause they lyue in the water and wander in the woddes and on the lande They haue foure feete and are commonly bigger then connies and in summe places bygger then otters with tayles lyke lisartes or eutes Their skynne is spotted and of the same kynd of smothnesse or barenesse although of dyuers colours Upon the ridge of their backes they haue many long prickes Theyr teethâ— are very sharpe and especially theyr fanges or dogge teeth Their throtes are longe and large reachynge from their beaâ—des to their breastes of the lyke skynne to the resydewe of their bodyes They are dumme and haue no voyce or make any noyse or crye although they bee kepte tyde to the foote of a cheste or any other thynge for the space of .xx. or .xxv. dayes withowt any thyng to eate or drynke excepte they gyue them nowe and then a lyttle of the breade of Cazabbi or summe such other thyng They haue foure feete and their fore feete as longe as a mans fynger with clawes lyke the clawes of a byrde but weaker and suche as can not grasple or take holde of any thynge They are muche better to bee eaten then to beholde For fewe that see them wyll haue desyre to eate of them by reason of their horrible shape excepte suche as haue byn accustomed to the beastes of these regyons whiche are more horrible and fearefull as this is not but onely in apparence Their fleshe is of much better tast then the fleshe of connyes and more holsome For it hurteth none but onely such as haue had the frenshe poxe In so much that if they haue onely byn touched of that infyrmitie although they haue byn hole of longe tyme neuerthelesse they feele hurte and complayne of the eatynge of these Iuannas as hath byn often tymes proued by experience There are founde in the fyrme lande certeyne byrdes so lyttle that the hole body of one of theym is no bygger then the toppe of the byggest fynger of a mans hande Byrdes and yet is the hare body withowt the fethers not paste halfe so bygge This byrde besyde her lyttlenes A very lyttle byrde is of such velocitie and swyftnes in flying that who so seeth her sleing in the ayer caÌ„ not se her flap or beate her winges after any other sort then do the dorres or huÌ„ble bees or betels so that there is no man that seeâ—h her flie that wold think her to be any other theÌ„ a dorre They make their nestes accordyng to the proportioÌ„ of their bâ—gnes And I haue scene that one of these byrdes with her nest put in a paire of gold weights altogether hath ward no more theÌ„ ii Tomini which are in poise .24 grams with the fethers wâ—th out the which she shulde haue wayed sumwhat leâ—se And doâ—bt lesse when I consider the fynenesse of the clawes and feete of these birdes I knowe not whervnto I may better liken them then to the lyttle byrdes whiche the lymmers of bookes are accustomed to paynte on the margentes of churche bookes and other bookes of deuine seruice Their fethers are of many faire colours as golden yelowe and greene beside other variable colours Theiâ— beake is verye longe for the proportion of theyr bodies and as fyne and subtile as a sowyng nedle They are very hardye so that when they see a man clyme the tree wheâ—e they haue theyr nestes they â—lye at hys face and stryke hym in the eyes
satisfyed as thowghe it had byn delyted with many delycate dysshes But to proceade further yowre maiestie shall vnderstand that in the place of the stone or coornell there is in the myddest of the sayde carnositie a voyde place which neuerthelesse is full of a moste cleare and excellent water in such quantitie as maye fyll a greate egge shell I haue seene one of these fruites opened the whiche whâ—n it was hoâ—e yf it were â—hakeÌ„ the water was harde shogge therin as it were in a bottle but in tyme it consumed and was paâ—tly congeled into a salte substaunce or more or lesse accordynge to the byggenesse of the Cocus The which water suerly is the moste substantial excellent and precious to be droonke that maye bee founde in the worlde In so much that in the momente when it passeth the palate of the mouth and begynneth to goo downe the throte it seemethe that frome the sole of the foote to the crowne of the headde there is no parte of the boddye but that feelethe great coÌ„fort therby as it is doutlesse one of the most excellent thynges that may be tastâ—d vppon the earth and suche as I am not able by wrytynge or toonge to expresse And to proceade yet further I say that when the meate of this frute is taken from the vessell therof the vessell remayneth as fayre and nette as though is were pullyshed and is without of colour inclynynge towarde blacke and shyneth or glystereth very fayre And is within of no lesse dilicatenesse Suche as haue accustomed to drynke in these vesselles and haue bynne trowbeled with the disease cauled the fretinge of the guttes say that they haue by experience founde it a maruelous remedie ageynst that disease And that it breakethe the stone and prouoketh vrine This frute was cauled Cocus for this cause that when it is taken from the place where it cleaueth faste to the tree there are seene two holes and aboue them two other naturall holes which altogyther doo represent the giesture and fygure of the cattes cauled Mammone that is munkeys when they crye whiche crye the Indians caule Coca But in very deede this tree is a kynd of date trees and hath the same effecte to heale fretynge of the guttes that Plinie descrybeth all kyndes of date trees to haue Great trees There are furthermore in the firme lande trees of suche byggenesse that I dare not speake therof but in place where I haue so many wytnesses which haue seene the same as wel as I. I say therfore that a leaque from Dariena or the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua there passeth a ryuer very large diepe which is cauled Cuti ouer the which the Indians had layde a greate tree so trauersinge the same that it was in the steade of a brydge the which I my selfe with dyuers other that are at this present in yowre maiesties courte haue often tymes passed ouer And forasmuch as the sayde tree had lyne longe there and by the great weight therof was so shronke downewarde and partely couered with water that none could passe ouer it but were weete to the knee I being then in the yeare 1522. thofficial of Iustice in that citie at yowre maiesties appoyntemente caused an other greate tree to bee layde in that place whiche in lyke maner trauersed the ryuer and reached more theÌ„ fyftie foote ouer the further syde This tree was exceadynge greate and rested aboue the water more then twoo cubytes In the faule it cast downe all suche other trees as were within the reache therof And discouered certeyne vynes whiche were so laden with blacke grapes of pleasaunte taste that they satisfyed more then fiftie persons whiche eate theyr fylle therof This tree in the thyckest parte therof was more then syxtene spannes thicke And was neuerthelesse but lyttle in respect of many other trees which are founde in this prouince For the Indians of the coaste and prouince of Carâ—agenia make barkes or boates therof which they caule Canoas of such byggenesse beinge all of one hole tree that sume conteyne a hundreth men sume a hundreth and thirtie and sume more hauynge neuerthelesse suche voyde space within the same that there is lefte sufficiente roome to passe to and fro through owte all the Canoa Sum of these are so large bysyde the length that they conteyne more then tenne or twelue spannes in breadth and sayle with twoo sayles as with the master sayle and the trinkette which they make of verye good cotton The greatest trees that I haue seene in these partes or in anye other regions was in the prouince of Guaturo the kynge wherof rebellynge from thobedience of yowre maiestie was persued by me and taken prysoner At whiche tyme I with my company passed ouer a very hygh mountayne ful of great trees in the toppe wherof we founde one tree whiche had three rootes or rather diuisions of the roote aboue the earth in forme of a tryangle or triuette A marueloâ—-tree so that betwene euery foote of this triangle or three feete there was a space of twentie foote betwene euery foote And this of such heyght aboue the earthe that a laden carte of those wherewith they are accustomed to brynge home corne in the tyme of haruest in the kyngedome of Toledo in Spayne myght easely haue passed throwgh euery of those particions or wyndowes whiche were betwene the three feete of the sayd tree From the earth vpwarde to the trunke of the tree the open places of the dyuisions betwene these three feete were of suche heyght from the grounde that a footeman with a iauelyn was not able to reache to the place where the sayde feete ioyned togyther in the trunke or body of the tree which grewe of great height in one piece and one hole body or euer it spredde in braunches which it did not before it exceaded in heyhht the towre of saynt Romane in the citie of Toledo from whiche heyght and vpwarde it spreade very greate and stronge braunches Amonge certeyne Spanyardes which clymed this tree I my selfe was one And when I was ascended to the place where it begunne to spreade the branches it was a maruelous thing to beholde a greate countrey of suche trees towarde the prouince of Abrayme This tree was easy to clyme by reaâ—on of certeyne Besuchi wherof I haue spoken before which grewe wreathed aboute the tree in suche sorte that they seemed to make a scalynge ladder Euery of the foresayde three feete which bore the boddie of the tree was twentie spannes in thyckenesse And where they ioyned al togyther aboue in the trunke or boddye of the tree the principall trunke was more then fortie and fyue spannes in circuite I named the mountayne where these trees grow the mountayne of three footed trees And this which I haue nowe declared was seene of all the companye that was there with me when as I haue sayde before I tooke kynge Guaturo prysoner in the yeare 1522. Many thynges more myght here
bee spoken as touchynge this matter as also howe there are many other excellent trees founde of dyuers sortes and dyfference as sweete Ceder trees blacke date trees and many other of the which sum are so heauy that they can not flote aboue the water but synke immediatly to the bottome And other ageyne as light as a corke As touchynge all whiche thynges I haue wrytten more largely in my generall hystorie of the Indies And forasmuch as at this present I haue entered to intreate of trees before I passe any further to other thynges I wyl declare the maner howe the Indians kyndle fyre only wiâ—h woodde and without fyre â—yndlynge of fyre withowt fyre the maner wherof is this They take a piece of woodde of two spannes in lengthe as bygge as the leaste fynger of a mans hande or as an arrowe well pullysshed and of a stronge kynde of woodde whiche they keepe onely for this purpose And where they intende to kyndle any fyre they take two other pieces of woodde of the dryest and lyghtest that they can fynde and bynde them fast togyther one with an other as close as two fyngers ioyned In the myddest or betwene these they put the poynt of the fyrste lyttle staffe made of harde and stronge wood which they hold in theyr handes by the toppe thereof and turne or rubbe it rounde aboute continually in one place betwene the two pieces of woodde which lye bounde togyther vppon the earthe which by that vncessant rubbynge and chafynge are in short space kyndeled and take fyer Purrified woodde shynyng in the nyght I haue also thought good here to speake sumwhat of such thynges as coomme to my rememberaunce of certeyne trees which are founde in this lande and sumetyme also the lyke haue bynne seene in Spayne These are certeyne putrifyed troonkes which haue â—yne so longe rottyng on the â—arth that they are verye whyte and shyne in the nyght lyke burnynge fyre brandes And when the Spanyardes fynde any of this woodde and intende priuily in the nyght to make warre and inuade any prouince when case so requyreth that it shal be necessary to go in the nyght in suche places where they knowe not the way the formost Christian man whiche guydethe the waye associate with an Indian to directe hym therein taketh a lyttle starre of the sayde woodde which he putâ—eth in his cappe hangynge behynde on hâ—s shoulders by the lyght wherof he that foloweth nexte to him directeth his iourney who also in lyke maner beareth an other starre behynde hym by the shynynge whereof the thyrde foloweth the same waye and in lyke maner do al the rest so that by this meanes none are loste or stragle owte of the way And forasmuche as this lyght is not seene very farre it is the better pollicie for the Chrystians bycause they are not thereby disclosed before they inuade theyr enemies Furthermore as touchynge the natures of trees one particular thynge seemeth woorthy to bee noted wherof Plinie maketh mention in his natural hystorye where he saythe that there are certeyne trees which contynewe â—uer greene and neuer lose theyr leaues Plinie as the baye tree the Ceder Trees which continue euer greene the orange tree and the olyue tree with such other of the whiche in all togyther he nameth not paste fyue or syxe To this purpose I saye that in the Ilandes of these Indies and also in the firme lande it is a thynge of muche difficultie to fynde twoo trees that lose or cast theyr leaues at any tyme. For althowgh I haue diligentely searched to knowe the trewthe hereof yâ—t haue I not seene any that lose theyr leaues eyther of theym which we haue browght owt of Spayne into these regions as Orange trees Linions Ceders Palmes or date trees and Pomegranate trees or of any other in these regions exâ—epte onely Cassia Cassia which loseth his leaues and hath a greater thynge appropriate to it selfe onely which is that whereas all other trees and plantes of India spreade theyr rooâ—â—s no dâ—eper in the earthe then the depth of a mans heyght or sumewhat more A secreatâ— thyâ—ge not descendyng any further into the ground by reason of the greate heate which is found beneth that depth yet dooth Cassia pearce further into the grounde vntyl it fynd water whiche by the Phylosophers opinion shoulde be the cause of a thynne and watery radycall moyster to suche thynges as drawe theyr nuryshement therof Radycall moysture â–ª as â—at and vâ—ctuous groundes with temperate heate yelde a fast firme moysture to suche thynges as growe in them whiche is the cause that suche trees lose not theyr leaues as the sayde thynne and waterysshe moysture is cause of the contrarie as appearethe by the sayde effecte which is seene onely in Cassia and none other tree or plante in all these parties ¶ Of Reedes or Canes I Haue not thought it conuenient in the chapiture before to speake of that whereof I intende nowe to intreate of reedes or canes to thintente that I woolde not mengle theym with plantes or trees beinge thynges of theÌ„ selues woorthy to bee particularly obserued So it is therfore that in the firme land there are many sortes of reedes so that in many places they make theyr howses therof couerynge them with the toppes of the same and makynge theyr waules of them in lyke maner as I haue sayde before And amonge these kyndes of reedes there is one so greate that the canes therof are as bygge as a mans legge in the knee and three spannes in length frome ioynt to ioynt or more in so much that euery of them is of capacitie to conteyne a lyttle bucket of water In this kynde here are founde sum greater and sum lesse of the which sum they vse to make quyuers for arrowes There is founde an other kynde which suerly is marueylous beynge lyttle bygger then a Iauelen the canes whereof are longer then twoo spannes These reedes growe one farre from an other as sumtymes twentie or thirtie pases and sumetymes also twoo or three leaques They growe in maner in all prouynces in the Indies And growe nere to very hygh trees whereunto they leane and creepe vp to the toppes of theyr braunches which they imbrase and descende ageyne downe to the earth Theyr canes are full of moste cleare water without any maner of tast or sauoure eyther of the canes or of any other thynge And suche as yf it were taken owte of the fressheste sprynge in the worlde Nor yet is it knowen that euer it hurte any that droonke therof For it hath oftentymes so chaunced that as the Chrysten men haue trauayled in these regions in desolate wayes where for lacke of water they haue byn in great daunger to dye for thyrste they haue escaped that perell by reason that they founde the sayde reedes of the water of whose canes they haue droonke a great quantitie withowt any hurte thereof ensewynge Therefore when they fynde these in
with a nauie of fyue shyppes and two hundreth thirtie and seuen men Ferdinando Magalianes wel furnysshed with all thynges necessarie And saylynge fyrste downe by the ryuer of Guadalehiber which runneth from the sayde porte into the sea they came fyrste to a place named Giouan Dulfarax where are manye vyllages of the Moores And from thense arryued at a castel of the Duke of Medina Sidonia where is the porte from whiche they enter into the sea and to the cape saynte Uincent beinge distant from the Equinoctiall .xxxvii. degrees The Cape of saynt Uincent and frome the sayde port .x. leaques and is from thense to Siuile betwene xvii and .xx. leaques Here they remayned certeyne dayes to make newe prouision of such thynges as they lacked Departynge from hense the .xx. daye of September they arryued the .xxvi. day of the same moneth at one of the Ilandes of Canarie cauled Tâ—nerife The Ilandes of Canarie beinge .xxv. degrees about the Equinoctiall In one of these Ilandes is none other water but that is continually engendered of a clowde which appeareth dayly at noone tyde as though it descended from heauen and compaseth abowt a certeyne great tree from whose branches distilleth greate abundaunce of water water engendered of a clowde and faulethe in streames from the roote of the same into certeine trenches and cestarnes made and placed to receaue it This water serueth sufficiently all thinhabitauntes and cattayle of the Ilande The lyke thinge is also seene in the Iland of saynt Thomas The Iland of saynt Thomaâ— lyinge directly vnder the Equinoctiall lyne The thyrde day of October abowt mydnyght the capytayne commaunded theym to lyght fyrebrandes and to hoyse vp theyr sayles directynge theyr course towarde the South saylynge betwene Capo Verde of Affryke and the Ilandes lyinge abowt the same Capo verde beinge from the Equinoctiall .xiiii. degrees and a halfe They fayled thus manye dayes in the syght of the coaste of Guinea of Ethioâ—e Ginnea in Ethyope where is the mountayne cauled Serra Liona beinge .viii. degrees aboue the Equinoctiall Serraliona In this coast they had no maner of contrary wynde but a great calme and fayre wether for the space of threescore and tenne dayes in the which they came vnder the Equinoctiall lyne In this vyage they sawe manye straunge fysshes and monsters of the sea besyde an other straunge thynge whiche appeared vnto them Fysshes and monsters of the sea For there appeared in theyr shyppes certeyne flames of fyre burnynge very cleare which they caul saynt Helen and saynt Nicolas The fyers of saints helene S. Nicolas A tempest These appeared as thought they had byn vppon the mast of the shyppes in suche clearenesse that they tooke away theyr sight for the space of a quarter of an houre by reason wherof they so wandered owte of theyr course and were disparsed in sunder that they in maner dispayred to meete ageyne But as God wolde the sea and tempest beinge quieted they came safely to theyr determyned course And before I speake any further of the vyage I haue here thought good to saye sumewhat of these straunge fyers The naturall cause of such â—iers as faule in the â—hyps which sum ignorant folkes thynke to bee spirites or suche other phantasies wheras they are but natural thynges proceadynge of naturall causes and engendered of certeyne exhalations Of these therefore the greate Philosopher of owre tyme Hieronimus Cardanus in his seconde booke de Subtilitate Cardanus wryteth in this maner There are two maner of fyers engendered of exhalations wherof the one is hurtfull and the other without hurte Two kyndes of fyers engeÌ„dered of exhalations That which is hurtful is fyer in deede engendered of malicious venemous vapours which in successe of time take fyer as apt matters to be kyndeled The other kynd is no trew fyâ—e but lyke the matter that is in such owlde putrified wod as giueth the shynynge of fyer without the substaunce or qualitie therof Of the kynde of trewe fyer Trewe fyer false fyer is the fyer baule or starre commonly cauled saynt Helen which is sumtyme seene abowt the mastes of shyppes beinge of suche fyâ—ry nature that it sumetyme melteth brasen vesselles and is a token of drownyng forasmuch as this chaunceth only in great tempestes For the vapoure or exhalation whereof this fyre is engendered can not bee dryuen togyther or compacte in forme of fyre but of a grose vapoure and by a great poure of wynde and is therfore a token of imminent perell As on the contrary parte the lyke fyers cauled in owlde tyme Castor and Pollux and nowe named the two lyghtes of saynt Peter and saynt Nycolas whiche for the most parte faule on the cables of the shyppes Castoâ— and Pollux The lyghtes of saynt Peter and saynte Nycolas leapynge from one to an other with a certeyne flutterynge noyse lyke byrdes are a token of securitie and of the tempeste ouerpassed For they are but vapoures cleauynge to the cables which in successe of tyme the fyer passynge from one to an other appere in the similitude of a lyght candell They are a token of securitie bycause they are lyttle not slowe or grosse wherby they myght haue ioyned altogyther in one and byn thereby more malicious and lasted longer wheras beinge many and but lyttle they are the sooner consumed Hetherto Cardanus But let vs nowe returne to the vyage When they had sayled paste the Equinoctiall lyne they lost the syght of the north starre They lost the syght of the North starre and sayled by southweste vntyll they came to a lande named the lande of Bressil whiche sum caule Brasilia The lande â–ª of Bresile beinge .xxii. degrees and a halfe toward the south pole or pole Antartyke The South pole This lande is continuate and one firme lande with the cape of saynte Augustine whiche is viii degrees from the Equinoctiall In this lande they were refresshed with many good frutes of innumerable kindes and founde here also very good sugar canes and diuers kyndes of beastes and other thynges which I omitte for breuitie Sugar They entered into this hauen on saynt Lucies day where the sonne beinge there Zenith that is the poynt of heauen directly ouer theyr heades they felte greater heate that daye then when they were vnder the Equinoctiall line This lande of Brasile is very large and great The greatenesse of the land of Brasile and bygger then all Spayne Portugale Fraunce and Italie and is moste abundaunte in all thynges The people of this countrey praye to noo maner of thinge but liue by thinstincte of natuâ—e and to thage of C.xx and C. xl yeares Bothe the men and women go naked and dwell in certeyne longe houses They are very docible and soone allured to the Chrystian fayth Therteene dayes after that they arryued at the sayd port they departed from this lande and sayled to the .xxxiiii.
degree and a halfe toward the pole Antartike where they found a great ryuer of freâ—she water and certeyne Canibales Câ—niâ—ales Of these they sawe one owt of theyr shyppes of stature as bigge as a giante Giantes hauynge a voyce lyke a bul Owre men pursued them but they were so swyfte of foote that they coulde not ouertake them Abowt the mouth of this ryuer are seuen Ilandes Insulaâ— gemmarum in the byggest wherof they founde certeyne precious stones and cauled it the cape of saynt Marie Cap. S. Marie The Spanyardes thought that by this ryuer they might haue passed into the south sea But they were deceaued in theyr opinion For there was none other passage then by the ryuer which is .xvii leaques large in the mouth Thus folowynge this coaste by the tracte of the lande towarde the pole Antartyke The pole â—nartike they came to a place where were two Ilandes replenysshed with giese and woolues of the sea which sum thynke to bee those fysshes that wee caule pikes Geese-Sea woolues These were in such number that in an houre all the fyue shippes myght haue byn lade with giese beinge all of blacke coloure and such as can not flye They lyue of fysshe and are so fatte that they coulde scarsely fle theym They haue noo fethers but a certeyne downe and theyr byls like rauens byls These woolues of the sea are of dyuers coloures and of the byggenesse of calues with theyr heades of golden coloure Here were they in great daungiour by tempest But as soone as the three fyers cauled saynte Helen saynte Nycolas and saynt Clare appered vppon the cabels of the shyppes suddeynely the tempeste and furye of the wyndes ceased Departynge frome hense they sayled to the .49 degree and a halfe vnder the pole Antartyke The .xlix. degree of the south pole where beinge wyntered they were inforced to remayne there for the space of two monethes all which tyme they sawe no man except that one daye by chaunce they espyed a man of the stature of a giante Giantes who came to the hauen daunsyng and syngynge and shortly after seemed to cast dust ouer his heade The capitayne sente one of his men to the shore with the shyppe boate who made the lyke signe of peace The which thynge the giante seinge was owt of feare and came with the capitaynes seruaunte to his presence into a lyttle Ilande When he sawe the capitayne with certeyne of his coompany abowte hym he was greatly amased and made signes heldynge vppe his hande to heauen signifyinge therby that owre men came from thense This giante was so bygge The bygnes of the giants that the heade of one of owr men of a meane stature came but to his waste He was of good corporature and well made in all partes of his bodie with a large vysage paynted with dyuers coloures but for the most parte yelowe Uppon his cheekes were paynted two hartes and redde circles abowt his eyes The heare of his headde was coloured whyte and his apparell was the skynne of a beaste sowde togyther This beaste as seemed vnto vs had a large heade and great eares lyke vnto a mule with the body of a camel and tayle of a horse The feete of the gâ—ant were foulded in the sayde skynne after the maner of shoos He had in his hande a bygge and shorte bowe the strynge whereof was made of a synewe of that beaste He had also a bundell of longe arrowes made of reedes fethered after the maner of owrs typte with sharpe stones in the steade of iren heades The Capitayne caused him to eate and drynke and gaue him many thynges and amonge other a greate lookynge glasse In the which as soone as he sawe his owne lykenesse was suddeynely afrayde and started backe with such violence that he ouerthrewe two that stoode nearest abowte hym When the Capitayne had thus gyuen hym certeyne haukes belles and other great belles with also a lookynge glasse a combe and a payre of beades of glasse he sente hym to lande with foure of his owne men well armed Shortely after they sawe an other giaunte of sumewhat greater stature An other giante with his bowe and arrowes in his hande As he drewe neare vnto owre menne he layde his hande on his heade and poynted vp towarde heauen and owr men dyd the lyke The Capitayne sente his shyppe boate to brynge him to a lyttle Ilande beinge in the hauen This giante was verye tractable and pleasaunt He soonge and daunsed and in his daunsynge lefte the printe of his feete on the grownde Here mayned longe with owre men who named hym Iohan. He coulde wel speake and playnely pronounce these wordes Iesus Aue Maria Iohannes euen as we doo but with a bygger voyce The capitayne gaue hym a shert of lynnen clothe and a coate of whyte woollen clothe Also a cappe a combe a lookynge glasse with dyuers suche other thynges and so sente hym to his coompany The day folowyng he resorted ageyne to the shyppes and brought with hym one of those greate beastes â–ª which he gaue the capitayne But after that daye they neuer sawe hym more supposynge hym to bee slayne of his owne coompany for the conuersation he had with owre men After other .xv. dayes were paste there came foure other giantes without any weapons Foure other giantes but had hydde theyr bowes and arrowes in certeyne busshes The capitayne reteyned two of these whiche were youngest and beste made He tooke them by a deceyte in this maner that gyuynge them knyues sheares Two giantes are tâ—ken by a poâ—licie lookynge glasses belles beades of crystall suche other â—ryfels he so fylled theyr handes that they coulde hold no more Then caused two payre of shackels of iren to bee put on theyr legges makynge signes that he wold also gyue them those chaynes which they lyked very wel bycause they were made of bryght and shynynge metal And wheras they could not cary them bycause theyr handes were full the other gyantes wolde haue caryed them but the Capitayne wolde not suffer them When they felte the shakels faste abowte theyr legges they begunne to doubte but the Capitayne dyd put them in comforte and badde them stande styll In fine when they sawe how they were deceaued they rored lyke bulles and cryed vppon theyr greate deuyll Seteboâ— to helpe them The deuyll Setebos Being thus taken they were immediatly seperate and put in sundry shyppes They coulde neuer bynde the handes of the other two Yet was one of them with much difficultie ouerthrowne by nyne of owre men and his handes bownde but he suddeynely loosed hym selfe and fledde as dyd also the other that came with them In theyr fâ—ying they shot of theyr arrowes and slewe one of owre men They say that when any of them dye Deuyls appâ—râ— to the gyantâ—â— when they dye there appere .x. or .xii. deuyls leapynge and daunsynge about the bodye of the deade and
The needle of the coompase and turned euer towarde the pole Artike Neuerthelesse had no suche force as when it is in these partes of the pole Artike In so muche that it was neceâ—sarie to helpe the needle with the lode stone commonly cauled the adamant before they could saile therwith The lode stone bycause it mouâ—d not as it doothe when it is in these owre partes When they were in the myddest of the goulfe they sawe a crosse of fiue cleare starres directly toward the West eand of equall distance the one from the other ⧠The order of the starres abowt the pole Antartike summe haue figured in this maner A. The pole Antartike B. The Crosse. In these dayes they sayled betwene the West and South so farre that they approched to the Equinoctiall line The Equinoctial line were in longitude from the place from whense they fyrst departed a hundreth and twentie degrees In this course they sayled by two Ilandes of exceadynge height wherof the one named Cipanghu is .xx. degrees from the pole Antartike And the other named Sumbdit .xv. degrees The Ilandes of Cipanghu and Sumbdit When they were past the Equinoctiall line they sayled betwene the West and Southwest at the quarter of the West towarde the Southwest more then a hundreth leaques changinge theyr sayles to the quarter of the Southwest vntyll they came to the .xiii. degrees aboue the Equinoctial towarde the pole Artyke intendyng as much as were possible to approche to the cape cauled of the owlde wryters Cartigara The whiche is not founde as the owlde Cosmographers haue discribed it but is towarde the north abowt .xii. degrees as they afterwarde vnderstode When they had thus sayled .lxx. leaques of this vyage in the .xii. degree aboue the Equinoctial and C.xlvi degrees of longitude as I haue sayde the syxte day of March they discouered a lyttle Ilande towarde the northweste and two other towarde the southweste but the one was hygher and bygger then the two other In the byggest of these the generall capitayne wolde haue rested hym selfe a whyle but he coulde â—ot by reason the people of these Ilands resorted continually to the shippes with theyr canoas and stole nowe one thynge and nowe an other in such sorte that owr men could take no reste and therfore demaunded of the capitayne that they myght stryke theyr sayles to brynge the shyppes to land But the Capitayne beinge prouoked to anger wente alande with fortie armed men and burnte about fiftie of theyr houses with many of theyr Canâ—as And slewe also abowt seuen men and recouered a shyppe boate whiche the Barbarians had stolne and so departed folowynge his vyage The Capitayne named these Ilands Insulae Latronum that is Insule LatronuÌ„ the Ilands of theeues When owr men had so wounded summe of thâ—ym with arrowes that they were stryken throughe bothe sydâ—s they pulled furth the arrowes not ceaâ—yng to marueyle at theÌ„ tyll they â—ell downe deade And yet coulde not the other â—o depart but styll folowed â—he shyppes with more then two hundâ—eth of theyr boates approchynge as nere to the shyppes as they coulde and profâ—rynge owre men certeyne fysshee As the sâ—yppes passed with full sayle in â—he myddeste of theyr bâ—ates they sawe in sum of them certeyne womâ—n lamâ—nâ—ing and tearynge theyr heare which â—wre men thought they did for the death of theyr husbandes As farre as they could perceaue these people lyue at theyr owne libertie without anye ruler or gouernour They go naked and haue blacke beardes and blacke heate on theyr heades whiche they weare longe downe to theyr wastes People with longe heare They are of the same staâ—ure that we are and well made of coloure lyke vnto an olyue Theyr women are well fauored with blacke and thicke heare on theyr heades reachynge to the grownde The menne coloure theyr teeth redde and blacke They coloure theyr teethe which they esteeme a coomely thynge They annoynt theyr bodies and heare with the oyle of Cocus Theyr boates are sum all blacke sum whyte and sum redde and haue sayles made of the broade leaues of date trees sowd togyther In the steade of a rudder they vse a certeyne brode boo dâ— with a staffe in the toppe and maye when they wyll make the stâ—rne the forecastell or the forecastell the sterne They sayle to swyftely that they seeme a farre of lyke Delphyns swymmynge aboue the water The tenth day of â—arch in the yeare .1521 they wente alande vppon a lyttle Ilande named Zamal .xxx. leaques dystant from the Ilande of theâ—ues The Ilande of zamail Bycause this Ilande was not inhabyted they rested here a whyle where the capitayne caused a pauilion to bee pytched for the sicke and crased men and a hogge to bee kylde The .xviii. day of Marche they sawe a boate with nyne men commynge towarde them shewynge theim selues ioyfull and reioysynge of theyr commynge They brought many presentes with them and seemed to bee people of much humanitie They gaue the capâ—tayne a great fyshe and a great vessel of the wyne of those date trees whiche beare the frute Cocus wyne of date trees They made also signes that within the space of foure dayes they wolde bryng rysse and dyuers foules and beasts as they dyd in deede This Cocuâ— is a frute of certeyne date trees whereof they make breade The maruelous frute Cocus wyne oyle and vineger They make wyne in this maner They cutte a bygge braunche of the tree hange therat a reede as bigge as a mans legge into the which droppeth a sweete liâ—â—ur from the tree lyke vnto newe whyte wine sumwhat â—arâ— let the reede continewe there from mornynge tyll euenynge and from euenynge to mornynge The frute of this tree cauled Cocus is as bygge as the head of a â—an or more The fyrste rynde of this is greene and of the thyckenesse of two fyngers hauynge in it certeyne threedes wherof they make cordes with the which they tye theyr boates Under this rynde there is a thicke shell whiche they burne and make pouder therof and vse it as a remedie for certeyne diseases Under this shell is a whyte substaunce lyke the carnell of a nutte being a fynger in thickenesse which they eate with flesshe and fysshe as wee doo breade It hath the taste of an almonde and is vsed in the steade of breade when it is dryed In the myddest of this carnell is a cleare and sweete water beinge very holsome and cordiale This water sumtyme congeleth and lyeth within the shell lyke an egge When they intende to make oyle hereof they ley it to putrifie in water and boyle it vntyll it bee lyke oyle or liquide butter When they intende to make vineger they suffer only the water to putrifie and then set it to the soonne where it becommeth vineger lyke vnto that which is made of whyte wyne And when they mengle the carnell with the water which is in the myddest of the
frute and strayne it thorowe a cloth they make a mylke therof lyke vnto goates mylke These date trees are lyke vnto them that beare dates but are not so full of knottes With the iuise of two of these date trees a hole famelie of tenne persons may bee maynteyned with wyne vsynge one viii dayes and the other other .viii. dayes for they shulde els bee dryed and wythered These trees continue for the space of a hundreth yeares This Ilande where they founde this humane and gentell people is cauled Zuluan The Iland of zuluan and is not verye bygge Abowt this Ilande they founde manye other Ilandes and therefore named this sea Archipelago di San Lazaro The sea caulâ—d Archâ—pelago dâ—â—an Laâ—aro that is the great sea of saynte Lazarus beinge tenne degrees aboue the Equinoctiall towarde owre pole and C.lxi. frome the place from whense they departed The people of this Ilande are Caphranitae that is gentyles Gentyles They go naked sauynge that they couer theyr priuie partes with a clothe made of the rynde of a certeyne tree The chiefest men haue abowte theyr heades a sylken cloth of needle woorke They are grosse and brode set and of the coloure of an oliue They annoynte theyr bodies with the oyle of Cocus to defend them ageynst the heate of the soonne and drynesse of the wynde The .xxv. day of Marche they departed from hense and directed theyr course betwene the Weste and southwest and sayled betwene foure Ilandes named Cenalo Huinanghan Hibusson and Abarien Foure Ilands c. The xxviii daye of Marche they came to the Ilande of Buthuan where they were honorably interteyned of the Kynge and the Prince his soonne who gaue theim muche golde and spices The Iland of Buthuan The capitayne gaue the kynge a vesture of red clothe and an other of yelowe made after the Turaysshe fasshyon and also a red cappe And gaue liâ—ewiâ—e to other that came with hym certeyne knyues glasses and beades of cristalle After that the capitayne had shewed the Kynge the secreates of his shippe and suche marchaundies as he had therin he caused a piece of ordinaunce suddenly to bee shore of whereat the kyng was greately amased vntil the capitayne comforted hym Then the Capitaine commaunded one of his men to be armed from the heade to the foote and caused three other to strike hym with theyr swoordes whereat the Kynge maruayled greately and sayde to thinterpretoure who was a slaue borne in Malacha that one of those armed men was able to encounter with a hundreth of his men But he maruayled muche more when the capitaine tould hym by thinterpretoure howe he founde the straight by the compasse and lode stone and howe many dayes they were without sight of any lande Then askynge licence to departe the capitayne sente two of his men with him of the whiche Antonie Pigafetta was one When the kynge sawe Antonie Pigafetta write the names of many thinges and afterwarde rehearse them ageyne he maruayled yet more makynge sygnes that suche men descended from heauen The Kynge brought them firste to his pallaice where he interteyned them honorably and gaue them manye gyftes as dyd also the Prince in his pallaice beynge in an other Ilande named Caleghan The Iland of Calâ—ghan As they syfted a certeyne myne of earthe in the Kynges Ilande they founde pieces of golde suâ— as bigge as nuttes and other as bigge as egges All the kynges veâ—selles were of golde Plentâ—e of golde and his house well furnysshed In all the hole nation there was no man of coomlier personage then the kinge He had his heare long downe to his shulders and very blake with a vaile of silke rowled abowte his head The kynge of Buthuan and two greate ringes of golde hanginge at his eares He had abowte hys myddle a clothe wroughte of cotton and silke impaled wyth golde and reacheinge downe to his knees On his one syde he had a long dager with a hafte of golde and the shethe of a fayre kynde of carued woodde He had on euery finger three ringes of golde and had his bodie annoynted with oyle of storax and Beniamin The natural coloure of his face was like vnto the coloure of an oliue And all his bodye bysyde paynted with diuers colours The kynges name was Raia Colambu and the Prince was cauled Raia Siagu The laste day of Marche neare vnto Easter the capitaine caused his preeste to say masse Masse and sente to the kinge by thinterpretoure that his commyng a lande at that tyme was not to dyne with hym but only to heare masse The Capitayne came alande with fyftie of his men in theyr best apparel with owte weapons or harnesse and all the resydue well armed Before the boates came to lande he caused sixe pieces of ordinaunce to be shotte of in token of peace and so came aland where the two kinges embrased hym and accompanyed hym to the place appoynted for masse to be sayde not farre frome the sea syde Sumwhat before the beginnynge of masse the Capitayne sprinkeled the Kynges with damaske water When the preeste was at mid masse at the offitorie the kings profered them selues to go to kysse the crosse with the capytayne but offered nothynge At the tyme of sacringe when the preeste lifted vppe the bodie of Christ and the Christians kneeled downe and helde vppe their handes ioyned togither the kinges dyd the like also wyth greate reuerence In the meane tyme whyle certeyne of the Christians were at the communion a handegunne was shotte of to signifie vnto theym that were in the shyppes to discharge all theyr ordinaunce When masse was fynysshed the Capitaine caused certeyne of his men to put on theyr harnesse and to make a combat with theyr naked swoordes A combatte wherat the kynges tooke great pleasure This doone the Capitaine caused a crosse to be brought furth with nayles and a crowne of thornes The Crosse and crowne of thornes gyuynge commaundement to all his men to gyue reuerence therunto and signifyinge to the kynges by thinterpretour that that banner was gyuen hym by Themperoure his lorde and master with commaundement tâ— lâ—aue the same in al places where he came to the great commoditie and profite of all such as wolde reuerendly receaue it as an assured token of frendship And that he wold therâ—ore leaue it there aswel to accomplyshe his lords commaundement as also that if at any tyme any shyppes of Christians shulde chaunce to coome that way shulde by seing that crosse perceaue that owre men had byn well enterteyned there and wolde therfore not onely absteyne from doing them any hurte or displeasure but also helpe to ayde them ageynste theyr enemies And that therfore it shulde bee requisite to erecte that crosse vâ—pon the toppe of the hygheste mountayne that myght bee seene from the sea on euery syde Also to pray vnto it reuerently And that in so doinge they shulde not bee hurte with thunder lyghtnynge or
and measures as they are accustomed to bee soulde bothe of the Moores and the gentyles And of the places where they growe FOrasmuch as in dyuers places of this historie mention is made of precious stones I haue thought good to declare sumewhat aswell of theyr prices as of the places of theyr generation that wee may not vtterly bee ignorant of the thinges which we so greately esteeme and bye so deare Of the Rubie THe Rubies growe in India and are founde for the most parte in a ryuer named Pegu. These are of the best kind and fineste whiche they of the lande of Malabor caule Nunpuclo and are well soulde if they bee fayre and cleane without spottes The Indians to know theyr finenesse put them vppon theyr toonges coumptynge that to bee best that is couldest and most harde And to see theyr finenesse they take them vp with a piece of waxe by the sharpest poynt and lookynge ageynst the lyght espie in theim euery smaule spot or flake They are also founde in certeyne diepe fosses or pittes which are made in mountaynes that are beyonde the said ryuer They are scoured and made cleane in the countrey of Pegu. Yet can they not square and polyshe them But for this purpose sende them to dyuers other contreys and especially to Paleatate Narsinga Calicut and the region of Malabar where are many cunnynge Lapidaries And to gyue yow intelligence of the value of these stones ye shall vnderstande that this woorde Fanan signifiethe a weight sumwhat more then two of owre carattes And .xi. Fanans and a quarter is one Mitigal And .vi. Mitigales and a halfe make one vnce This Fanan One caratte is iiii graines is also a kynde of money which is in value one ryale of syluer And therefore after this accompte I say that Eyght fiue rubies of the weyght of one Fanan which are in all abowt two caratâ—es are in value which is one crown of golde Fanan x. Foure Rubies that wey one fanan are worth Fanan xx Two that wey one fanan Fanan xl One that weyth three quarters of one fanan Fanan xxx One that weyth one fanan Fanan l. One that weyth one fanan and a quarter Fanan lxv One that weyth one fanan and a halfe Fanan C. One that weyth one fanan and three quarters Fanan Cl. One that weyth two fanans Fanan CC. One that weyth two fanans and a quarter Fanan CCl. One that weyth two fanans and a halfe Fanan .ccc. One that weyth two fanans and thre quarters Fanan cccl. Of three fanans Fanan cccc Of three and a quarter Fanan D. Of three and a halfe Fanan Dl. Nf three and three quarters Fanan Dc. Of three and three quarters and a halfe Fanan Dcxxx. Of foure fanans Fanan Dclx. Of foure and a quarter Fanan Dcc. Of foure and a halfe Fanan Dcccc Of fyue fanans Fanan M. Of fyue and a halfe Fanan Mcc. Of syxe fanans which are about .xii. carattes Fanan MD. which make .150 crownes of golde And these are commonly the prices of perfecte Rubies But suche as are not perfecte and haue any spottes in them or are not of good coloure are of lesse prise accordynge to the arbitriment and estimation of the byer ¶ Of the Rubies which growe in the Ilande of Zeilam IN the Ilande of Zeilam beinge in the seconde India are founde many Rubies which the Indians name Manecas the greatest parte wherof do not arriue to the perfection of the other aforesayde in coloure bycause they are redde as though they were wasshed and of a fleshye colour Yet are they very coulde and harde The perfectesse of theym are greatly esteemed amonge the people of the Ilande and reserued only for the kynge hym selfe if they bee of any great quantitie When his iewelers fynde any bygge piece of this rocke of the beste kynde they put it in fyer for the space of certeyne houres Which if it coomme owt of the fyer vncorrupte it becommeth of the coloure of a burnynge cole and was therfore cauled of the Greekes Anthrax which signifieth a burnyng cole The same that the Greekes caule Anthrax the Latines caule Carbunculus These they greatly esteeme When the kyng of Narsinga can get any of theym he causeth a fine hole to bee boored in the vndermost part of them to the myddest And suffereth none of theÌ„ to passe owt of his realme especially if they haue byn tryed by the sayde profe These are of greater value then the other of Pegu if they bee in theyr naturall perfectâ—on and cleanenesse Of these one that weith a carratte whiche is halfe a fanan is woorthe in Calecut Fanan xxx which are iii. crowes of golde One of two carattes Fanan .lxv. Of three carattes Fanan cl Of three carattes and a halfe Fanan cc. Of foure carattes Fanan ccc Of foure carattes and a halfe Fanan cccl. Of fyue carattes Fanan cccc Of fyue carattes and a halfe Fanan ccccl. Of syxe carattes Fanan Dxxx Of sixe carattes and a halfe Fanan Dlx. Of seuen carattes Fanan Dcxxx Of seuen carattes and a halfe Fanan Dclx. One of .viii. carattes that hath bynne wel proued in the fier is woorthe Fanan Dccc Of .viii. carattes and a halfe Fanan Dcccc. One such of tenne carattes Fanan M ccc One of .x. carattes and a halfe Fanan M d c Of .xii. carattes Fanan MM Of .xiiii. carattes Fanan MMM Of .xvi. carattes Fanan 6000. ¶ Of the kynde of Rubies cauled Spinelle THere is also founde an other kynde of Rubies which wee caule Spinelle and the Indians Caropus They growe in the selfe same countrey of Pegu where as are the fine Rubies And are found in the mountaynes in the vpper crust or floure of the earth These are not so fine nor of so good colour is are the trewe Rubies But haue sumwhat the colour of a granate which we commonly caule a garnet Yet of these suche as are parfecte in theyr coloure are of value halfe lesse then trewe Rubies ¶ Of the Rubies cauled Balassi BAlassi are of the kyndes of Rubies but are not so harde Theyr colour is sumwhat lyke a rose and sum are in maner whyte They growe in Balassia whiche is a region within the firme lande aboue Pegu and Bengala And are browght from thense by marchauntes of the Moores to Calâ—cut where they are wrought and polysshed And are sould of the same price that are Spinelle ¶ Of the Diamundes of the owlde myne THese Diamundes are founde in the fyrste India in a kyngdome of the Moores named Decan from whense they are brought to other regions There are also founde other Diamundes whiche are not so good but sumewhat whyte and are cauled Diamundes of the newe myne which is in the kyngedome of Narsinga They of the owlde myne are not polyshed in India but in other places There are made lykewyse in India other false Diamundes of Rubies Topases and whyte Saphires whiche appere to bee fine and are also founde in the Ilande of Zeilam These stones differ in none other
Ilandes of the Malucas But as well Samatra Samatra Malacha Malacha and a great parts of China China shuld belonge to the Castâ—lians and that those countreys fell on theyr syde and on the parte of theyr conquest Also that Magallanes and Iohn Sebastian were the fyrste Christian men that founde them and obteyned them for Themperour Magallanes as the letters and presentes of Almanzor doo testifie And although the Portugales had byn there fyrste yet wente they thyther after the donation of the pope neyther got they any ryght or iuste tytle thereby For althowgh they shulde drawe the line by Buena Uista Buena Uista what inconuenience shulde folowe thereof sith aswell by the one way as the other the Ilandes of the Malucas must perteyne to the Castilians yea and moreouer the Ilandes of Cabo verde shulde also perteine to the Castilians The Ilandes of Câ—bo Uerde forsomuch as drawynge the line by Buena Uista the Ilandes of the Malucas doo remayne within the line on the Emperours syde They continued in these controuersies for the space of two moonethes without anye resolution or ende made For the Portugales prolonged and put of the matter flying from the sentence with cauillations and could reasons to th ende that they myght dissolue that assemble without any conclusion or determination The Portugales cauillations for so it stoode them vppon The Castilians which were the Iudges of the propertie drewe a line in the great globe three hundreth and .lxx. leaques from saynt Antonies Ilande The line of diuision lyinge by Weste Cabo Uerde accordynge to the intreatie and determination whiche was agreed vppon betwene the Catholike princes and the kynge of Portugale These iudges gaue sentence vppon this matter The senteÌ„ce caulynge the conâ—rary parte before them vpon the bridge of Caya in the yeare â—524 The Portugales coulde neyther disturbe or deferre the sentence nor yet wolde they alowe it to bee iust and accordynge to ryght Sayinge that there was not sufficient processe made that they shulde passe to the gyuynge of sentence And so departed threatenyng to sley the Castilians as many as they shulde fynde in the Ilandes of the Malucas The Portugales threaten death to the Castilians For they knewe ryght well that theyr contreymen the Portugales had alredy taken the shyppe cauled the Trinitie and had also taken the Castilians in Tidore Then also departed owre men takynge theyr iorney to the courte gyuynge vp to Themperour all theyr wrytynges and declaration what they had doone And accordynge to this declaration must bee signed and marked all globes and mappes which good Cosmographers and masters doo make The line also of the reparticion and last diuision of the newe world of the Indies The line of the last diuision ought to passe lyttle more or lesse by the poyntes of Humos and Buen Abrigo as I haue sayde in an other place And thus shall it appeare euidently that the Ilandes of Spices and also the greate Ilande of Zamotra The great Iland of Samotra do perteyne to Castile But the lande of Brasile perteyneth to the kynge of Portugale where the cape of saynt Augustine is The lande of Braâ—ile perteâ—neth to the portugales beinge .viii. degrees beneth the Equinoctiall This lande reacheth from the poynte of Humos to the poynte of Buen Abrigo and is in lengthe North and South .viii. hundreth leaques Beinge also sum way two hundreth leaques East and West And hereafter these serious matters wee wyll rehearse â—ne mery thynge A mery tale which was this It so chaunced that as Frances de Melo Diego Lopes of Sâ—queyra and other of those Portugales of this assemble walked by the ryuer syde of Guadiana a lyttle boy who stoode keepynge his mothers clothes which she had washed demaunded of theym whether they were those men that parted the world with Themperour And as they answered yea he tooke vp his shert and shewed them his bare arse sayinge Coomme and drawe yowre line here throughe the myddest Which sayinge was afterwarde in euery mans mouth and laughed at in the towne of Badaioz yea euen amonge the commissioners them selues of whoÌ„ sum were angry and summe maruayled at the sayinge of the chylde ¶ The cause and autoritie wherby they diuided the Indies THe Castilians and Portugales had longe debated and reasoned abowt the golde myne of Guinea which was found in the yeare of owre lorde 1471 The golde myne of Guinea in the tyme of the reigne of Don Alonso Kynge of Portugale the firste of that name Alonso kynge of Portugale This was a matter of greate importaunce For the negros or blacke Moores Gold for thynges of smaul value for thynges of no value gaue golde by hole handefuls whyche was at that tyme when the sayde Kynge of Portugale pretended title and clayme to the kingedome of Castile in the right of his wyfe Queene Iohn cauled the excellent ageynste the Catholike princes Isabel and Don Fernando whose it was in deede Contention for the kyngdome of Castâ—le But that stryfe was ended as sone as Don Fernando had vanquisshed Don Alonso at a place cauled Temulos not farre from Toro which place Don Fernando chose rather to make warre ageinst the Moores of Granada warre agenst the Moores of Granada then to bye and sell with the blacke Moores of Guinea And thus the Portugales remained with the conquest of Affryke from the streightes forwarde The conquestes of the Portugales in Affrike whiche began where the infante of Portugale Don Henrique sonne to kynge Iohn the bastarde and master of Auis dyd bebynne to enlarge it When pope Alexander the .vi. beinge a valentinian borne had knowleage hereof Pope Alexander he mynded to gyue the Indies to the kinges of Castile withowt any preiudice to the Portugales who had conquered the sea coastes of Affryke These Indies the pope gaue of his owne mynde withowte the motion of anye other with this burden and charge that they shulde conuert the Idolatours to the faythe of Chryste And commaunded a line or meridian to bee drawen Northe and south from one hundreth leaques Westwarde beyond one of the Ilandes of Cabo Uerde towarde the Weste The pope maketh the diuision bycause the Spanyardes shulde not meddle in Affryke perteynynge to the conquest of the Portugales to thauoydynge of all stryfe betwâ—ne them Kynge Iohn of Portugale The kynge of Portugale refuseth to stand to the Popes bull the seconde of that name was greatly offended when he redde the bull and donation of the pope althowgh his owne ambassadours had made the selfe same request vnto his holynesse He also found hym selfe agreeued with the Catholyke princes Isabell and Fernando that they had shortened the course of the landes he had discouered depriuynge hym of the rychesse which belonged to hym And therfore refused to stande to the popes bull in this case desyrynge the Catholyke princes Isabell and Fernando to
inundation hauynge knoweleage that the redde sea was hygher by three cubites then al the countrey of Egypt Other say that this was not the cause but that he doubted that yf he shulde haue let the sea coome any further all the water of Nilus shulde haue byn therby corrupted which onely mynystreth drynke to all Egypte But notwithstandynge all these thynges aforesayde all this vyage is frequented by lande from Egypte to the redde sea The viage bilande from Egypte to the red sea in which passage are three causeis or hyghe wayes The fyrst begynneth at the mouth of Nilus named Pelusio All which way is by the sandes In so much that if there were not certeyne hyghe reedes fyxt in the earth to shewe the ryght way the causei coulde not be founde by reason the wynde euer couereth it with sande The second causei is two myles from the mountayne Cassius And this also in th ende of .lx. myles commeth vppon the way or causey of Pelusius inhabited with certeyne Arabians cauled Antei The thyrde begynneth at Gerro named Adipson and passeth by the same Arabians for the space of .lx. myles sumwhat shorter but full of rowgh mountaynes and great scarsenesse of water All these causeis What kynge ptolomeus discouered leade the way to the citie of Arsinoe buylded by Tolomeus Philadelphus in the goulfe Carandra by the red sea This Ptolomeus was the fyrst that searched al that parte of the red sea which is cauled Trogloditica Of this trenche described of Strabo and Plinie there are seene certeyne tokens remaynynge at this present as they affirme which haue byn at Sues beyonde the citie of Alcayr otherwyse cauled Babylon in Egypte But the marchauntes that of later dayes trauayle this viage by lande ryde through the dry baren desertes on camels both by day and by night directynge theyr way by the starres and compase as do maryners on the sea and caryinge with them water sufficient for many dayes iorneys Alcayre The places of Arabie and India named of Strabo and Plinie The viage to Easte Indya frequented in owlde tyme. are the selfe same where the Portugales practise theyr trade at this daye as the maners and customes of the Indians doo yet declare The custoÌ„es and maners of the Indyans For euen at this presente theyr women vse to burne theym selues alyue with the deade bodies of theyr husbandes Which thynge as wryteth Strabo in his .xv. booke they dyd in owlde tyme by a lawe for this consideration that sumtyme being in loue with other they forsooke or poysoned theyr husbandes And forasmuch as accordynge to this custome the owlde poete Propertius who lyued abowt a hundreth yeares before thincarnation of Chryst hath in his boke made mention of the contention that was amonge the Indian women which of them shuld bee burned aliue with theyr husbandes I haue thought good to subscribe his verses whiche are these Foelix Pois lex funeris vna maritis Quos aurora suis rubra colorat equis Mamque vbi mortifero iacta est fax vltima lecto Vxorum suis stat pia turba comis Et certamen habent lethi quae viua sequatur Coniugium pudor est non licuisse mori Ardent victrices flammae pectora praebent Imponuntque suis ora perusta viris As touthynge these vyages both by sea and by lande to East India Cathay many thynges are wrytten very largely by dyuers autours which I omytte bycause they perteyne not so much vnto vs as doth the viage attempted to CATHAY by the north seas and the coastes of Moscouia discouered in owre tyme by the viage of that excellent yonge man Rychard Chaunceler no lesse lerned in all mathematicall sciences then an expert pylotte The vyage to Cathay Rycharde Chaunceler in the yeare of owre lorde .1554 As concernynge this vyage I haue thought good to declare the communication which was betwene the sayde learned man Galeatius Butrigarius and that great philosopher and noble gentelman of Italie named Hieronimus Fracastor as I fynde wrytten in the Italian hystories of nauigations As they were therfore conferrynge in matters of learnynge and reasonynge of the science of Cosmographi A lerned discourse of dyuers vyages the sayde lerned man hauynge in his hande an instrument of Astronomie declared with a large oration howe muche the worlde was bounde to the kynges of Portugale rehearsynge the noble factes doone by them in India The vigages of the Portugales and what landes and Ilandes they had discouered â–ª and how by theyr nauigations they made the whole worlde hange in the ayer The worlde hangynge on the â—yer He further declared what parts of the baul of the earth remained yet vndiscouered And sayde that of the landes of the inferior hemispherie or halfe compase of the baule towarde the pole Antartike what is knowen of the lower hemispherie there was nothynge knowen but that lyttle of the coaste of Brasilia vnto the streight of Magellanus The lande of Brasile Also a part of Peru Peru. And a lyttle aboue Affrike towarde the cape of Bona Speranza Also that he marueyled withowte measure that this thynge was no better considered of Christian Princes to whoÌ„ god hath deputed this charge The charge dewtie of Christian princes hauyng euer on theyr counsailmen of great lernynge which may informe them of this thing beinge Note so marueylous and noble whereby they maye obteyne glorie and fame by vertue and bee impuled amonge men as goddes by better demerites then euer were Hercules great Alexander who trauayled only into India hercules and Alexander and that by makynge the men of this owre hemispherie knowen to theym of the other halfe compase of the baule beneth vs they might by the tytle of this enterpryse withowt comparyson farre excell all the noble factes that euer were doone by Iulius Cesar or any other of the Romane Emperours Which thynge they myght easely brynge to passe by assignynge colonies to inhabite dyuers places of that hemispherie in lyke maner as dyd the Romanes in prouinces newely subdued The colonies of the Romans in regions subdued Whereby they myght not only obteyne great ryches but also inlarge the Christian fayth and Empire to the glory of god and confusion of infidels After this he spake of the Ilande of saynt Laurence cauled in owlde tyme Madagascar The great Iland of saynt Laurence or Madagascaâ— which is greater then the realme of Castile and Portugale and reachethe from the .xii. degree towarde the pole Antartike vnto the xxvi degree and a halfe lyinge Northeaste frome the cape of Bona Speranza and partly vnder the line of Tropicus Capricorni beinge well inhabited and of temperate ayer with abundaunce of all thynges necessarie for the lyfe of man and one of the most excellent Ilandes that is founde this daye in the worlde And that neuerthelesse there is nothynge knowen therof except only a fewe smaule
contrary parte of the sayde lande discouered The sayde master Antonie wrote furthermore that by the opinion of men well practised there was discouered so greate a space of that countrey vnto the sayd sea that it passed .950 leaques The sea from new Fraunce or Terra Britonum to Cathay which make .2850 myles And doubtlesse yf the Frenche men in this theyr newe Fraunce wolde haue passed by lande towarde the sayd northwest and by north they shuld also haue founde the sea wherby they myght haue sayled to Cathay But aboue all thynges this seemed vnto me moste woorthy of commendation A notable booke that the sayde master Antonie wrote in his letter that he had made a booke of al the natural and marueylous thynges whiche they founde in searchynge those countreys with also the measures of landes and altytudes of degrees A worke doubtlesse which sheweth a princely and magnificall mynde wherby wee may conceaue that yf god had gyuen hym the charge of the other hemispherie he wolde or nowe haue made it better knowen to vs. The which thynge I suppose no man doth greatly esteeme at this time beinge neuerthelesse the greatest and most glorious enterprise that may bee imagined A great and glorious enterprise And here makynge a certeyne pause and turnynge hym selfe towarde vs he sayde Doo yow not vnderstande to this purpose howe to passe to India toward the northwest wind as dyd of late a citizen of Uenese so valiente a man and so well practysed in all thynges perteynynge to nauigations and the science of Cosmographie that at this present he hath not his lyke in Spayne in so much that for his vertues he is preferred aboue all other pylottes that sayle to the west Indies Sebastian Cabote the graÌ„d pylot of the west Indies who may not passe thyther withowt his licence and is therfore cauled Piloto Maggiore that is the graunde pylote And when wee sayde that wee knewe him not he proceaded sayinge that beinge certeyne yeares in the citie of Siuile Commendation of Sebastian Cabote and desyrous to haue sum knowleage of the nauigations of the Spanyardes it was toulde hym that there was in the citie a valient man a Uenecian borne named Sebastian Cabote Sebastian Cabote tould me that he was borne in Brystowe that at .iiii. yeare owld he was caried with his father to Uenice and so returned ageyne into England with his father after certeyne yeares Wher by he was thought to haue bin born in Uenice who had the charge of those thynges being an expert man in that science and one that coulde make cardes for the sea with his owne hande And that by this reporte seekynge his acquaintaunce he founde hym a very gentell person who enterteyned hym frendly and shewed him many thynges and amonge other a large mappe of the worlde with certeine particular nauigations aswell of the Portugales as of the Spanyardes And that he spake further vnto hym in this effecte When my father departed from Uenese many yeares sence to dwell in Englande to folowe the trade of marchaundies he tooke me with him to the citie of London whyle I was very yonge yet hauynge neuerthelesse sum knowleage of letters of humanitie and of the sphere And when my father dyed in that tyme when newes were browght that Don Christopher Colonus Genuese had discouered the coastes of India whereof was great talke in all the courte of kynge Henry the seuenth who then reigned In so much that all men with great admiration affirmed it to bee a thynge more diuine then humane to sayle by the Weste into the East where spices growe by a way that was neuer knowen before By which fame and reporte there increased in my harte a greate flame of desyre to attempte sum notable thynge And vnderstandyng by reason of the sphere that if I shulde sayle by the way of the northwest wynde I shulde by a shorter tracte coomme to India I thereuppon caused the kynge to bee aduertised of my diuise who immediatly commaunded two carauels to bee furnysshed with all thynges apperteynynge to the vyage The fyrst vyage of Sebastian Cabote which was as farre as I remember in the yeare .1496 in the begynnynge of sommer Begynnyng therfore to saile towarde Northwest not thynkyng to fynde any other lande then that of CATHAY and from thense to turne towarde India But after certeine dayes I founde that the lande ranne towarde the Northe which was to me a great displeasure Neuerthelesse sayling alonge by the coast to see if I could fynde any goulfe that turned I founde the lande styll continent to the .56 degree vnder owre pole And seinge that there the coast turned toward the East dispayringe to fynd the passage I turned backe ageyne and sayled downe by the coast of that lande towarde the Equinoctiall euer with intent to fynde the sayde passage to India and came to that parte of this firme lande whiche is nowe cauled FLORIDA The landâ— of Floridâ— Where my vyttayles fayling I departed from thense and returned into England where I founde great tumultes amonge the people and preparaunce for warres in Scotlande by reason whereof there was no more consideration had to this vyage Wheruppon I wente into Spayne to the Catholyke kynge The seconde vyage of Cabote to the land of Brasile and Rio â—ella Plata and queene Elizabeth who beinge aduertised what I had doone interteyned me and at theyr charges furnysshed certeyne shyppes wherwith they caused me to sayle to discouer the coastes of Brasile where I founde an exceadynge great and large ryuer named at this present Rio della Plata that is the ryuer of syluer into the which I sayled Cabote tould me that in a region within this ryuer â—e sowed l. â—raynes of weate in September and gathered therof l. thousand in December as wryteth also Francisco Lopes and folowed it into the firme lande more then syxe hundrethe leaques fyndynge it euery where veryâ— fayre and inhabited with infinite people which with admyration came runnynge dayly to owre shyppes Into this ryuer runne so many other riuers that it is in maner incredible After this I made many other vyages which I now pretermitte And wexynge owlde I gyue my selfe to rest from such trauayles bycause there are nowe many younge and lusty pylotes and mariners of good experience by whose forwardenesse I doo reioyse in the frutes of my labours and rest with the charge of this office as yowe see And this is as much as I haue vnderstoode of master Sebastian Cabote as I haue gathered owte of dyuers nauigations wrytten in the Italian toonge And whereas I haue before made mention howe Moscouia was in owr tyme discouered by Richard Chanceler in his viage toward Cathai by the direction and information of the sayde master Sebastian who longe before had this secreate in his mynde The vyage to Moscouia I shall not neede here to describe that viage forasmuche as
nature of the sea And salte as wytnesseth Plinie yeldeth the farnesse of oyle But oyle by a certeyne natiue heate is of propertie agreable to fyre The sea then beinge all of such qualitie Salte poureth furth it selfe far vppon thextreme landes whereby by reason of the saltenesse therof it moueth and stereth vp generatiue heate Generatiue heate as by fatnesse it noryssheth the fecunditie of thynges generate It gyueth this frutfulnes to the earth at certeyne fluds although the earth also it selfe haue in his inner bowels the same liuely and nurysshynge heate wherby not only the dennes caues and holowe places Owtwarde could is cause of inwarde heate but also sprynges of water are made warme And this so much the more in howe muche the wynter is more vehement This thyng dooth more appere by this exemple that the mountaynes of Norway and Suethlande are fruteful of metals in the which syluer and copper are concocte and molten into veynes which can scarsely bee doonne in fornaces By this reason also the vapours and hotte exhalations perceinge the earthe and the waters Uapours and exhalations and throwghe both those natures breathynge furth into the ayer tempereth the qualitie of heauen and maketh it tollerable to beastes as wytnesseth the huge byggenesse of the whales in those seas whales with the strength of bodye and longe lyfe of suche beastes as liue on the lande Beastes whiche thynge coulde not bee excepte all thynges were there commodiously nurysshed by the benefite of the heauen and the ayer For nothyng that in the tyme of increase is hyndered by any iniurie or that is euyll fedde all the tyme it lyueth can prosper well hereby maye bee considered the cause of the deathe of owr men that sayle dirâ—ctly to Guinea Neyther are such thynges as lyue there offended with theyr naturall wynter as thowgh an Egiptian or Ethiopian were suddeynly conueyed into those coulde regions For they were in longe tyme by lyttle and lyttle browght fyrst acquaynted with the nature of that heauen as may be proued both by the lyfe of man and by the historie of holy scripture They that were led from Mesopotania and that famous towre of Babilon towarde the north partes of the worlde in the fyrst dispertion of nations dyd not immediatly passe to thextreme boundes No passage from one extremitie to another but by a meane but planted theyr habitations fyrst vnder a myddle heaueÌ„ betwene both as in Thracia and Pontus where theyr posteritie was accustomed the better to susteyne the rygoure of Scythia and Lanais as he 〈◊〉 at commeth from winter to soommer maye the better after abyde Ise and snowe beinge fyrst hardened therto by the frostes of Autumne In lyke maner mortall men accustomed to beare the hardenesse of places nexte vnto theym were therby at the length more confirmed to susteyne the extremes And here also if any sharpenesse remayne that maye seeme intollerable nature hathe prouyded for the same with other remedies For the lande and sea hathe gyuen vnto beastes diepe and large caues dennes Caues and dennes and other holowe places and secreate corners in mountaynes and rockes bothe on the lande and by the sea bankes in the which are euer conteyned warme vapoures so much the more intent and vehement in howe much they are the more constrayned by extreme could Nature hath also gyuen valleys diuerted and defended frome the north wyndes Ualleys Shee hath lykewise couered beastes with heare so much the thicker in howe muche the vehemencie of could is greater by reason wherof the best and rychest furres are browght frome those regions The best furres as Sables whose price is growne to great excesse nexte vnto gold and precious stones Sables and are estemed princely ornamentes The beastes that beare these furres are hunted chiefely in wynter whâ—ch thynge is more straunge bycause theyr heare is thenne thicker and cleaueth faster to the skyn Howe greauous then shall we thinke the winter to bee there where this lyttle beast lyueth so well and where the hunters may search the dennes and hauntes of such beastes throwghe the wooddes and snowe Beastes that lye hyd in wynter But suche beastes the condition of whose bodies is so tender that they are not able to abyde thiniurie of coulde eyther lye hydde in wynter or chaunge theyr habitation as do certeyne beastes also in owre clime Nature hath furthermore gyuen remedie to man bothe by arte and industry to defende him selfe both a brode and at home Abrode with a thicke vesture and the same well dowbeled At home with large fyers on harthes chymyneys and in stooues for the day with close chambers and couches softe and warme beddes for the nyght by whiche remedies they mirigate the winters which seeme rigorous to straungers All beastes haue the nature of the place where they are engendereâ— althowghe they are to thinhabitauntes more tollerable then owre opinion as in deede by the fyrst natural mixture or composition of theyr bodies such thinges are agreable to them as seeme very harde to other The lion in Affrike and the beare in Sarmatia are fierce as in theyr presente strength and vigoure but translated into a contrary heauen are of lesse strength and courage The foule cauled Ciconia which sum thinke to bee the storke dooth not tary the winter yet doo the cranes coomme at that tyme. The Scythian wyll accuse the Romane heauen as induccinge feuers wheras neuerthelesse there is none more holsoome what exercise may doo Such as haue byn tenderly browght vp if they coomme suddenly in to the campe can not away with hunger watchynge heate passages throwgh ryuers baâ—tayles sieges and assaultes But the owld souldier exercised in the warres vseth these as meditations of the fielde as hardened therto by longe experience He that hath byn accustomed to the shadowe of the citie and wyll attempte the sayinge of the poet Uirgil Nudus ara sere nudus that is naked and bare withowt house home shall to his perell make an ende of the verse Use maketh masteries Hâ—bebis frigora febrem that is he shall haue the coulde ague Suche thynges therfore as seeme harde vnto vs beinge accustomed by lyttle and lyttle becomme more tollerable In so much that this exercise of suâ—feraunce by such degrees dooth oftentymes grow to prodigious effectes facte beyonde owre expectation And thus wee seeme to haue made sufficient demonstration by heauen nature and arte wherby it may appere that no part of the lande or sea is denyed to lyuynge creatures The reader may also perceaue how large matter of reasons and exemples may bee opened for the declarynge of owre opinion wherein wee rest Let theâ—fore thautoritie of the ancient autours gyue place and the consent of the newe wryters agree to this hystory not as nowe at the length comprehendâ—d whereas before many hundreth yeares Germanie and Scondia had entercourse of Scondia marchaundâ—es not seuered by the large
goulfe of Bothia â–ª but as nowe by owr commentaries brought to light And hauâ—ng sayde has much in maner of a preface we wâ—ll nowe procede to wryte of the north regions ¶ Schondia SChondia Sâ—hondama or Schondenmarchia is as much to say as fayre Dania or fayre Denmarke Scone is fayre in the duch toonge Plinie in one place nameth it Scandia and in an other Scandinauiâ— if there bee no fauce in the templers It was named Schondia by reason of the fayrenesse and true fulnesse therof And this aswell for that in beneficiall heauen fertilitie of gronnde The fertilitie of â—condia commodite of hauens and marte townes abundaunce of ryuers and fysshe plentie of beastes great quantitie of metall as golde syluer copper and leade diligent culturynge the grounde with townes and cities wel inhabited and gouerned by ciuile lawes it gyuethe place to none other fortunate region This was in maner vnknowen to the owlde Greekes and Latins as may appeare by this argomente that with one consente they affirmed that in these north regions the could zonâ— or clime was condemned to perpetuall snowe intollerable to all lyuynge creatures For few of theÌ„ haue made mention hereof as to be inhabited Amonge whom Plinie as one of the chiefe sayth in his fourth booke that Schondania is of vnknowen byggenesse and only that portion therof to be knowen which is inhabited with the nation of the Hilleuiâ—nes in fiftie vyllages Neyther yet is Eningia lesse in opinion he meaneth Diodorus Siculus Other more auncient then Plinie haue placed most fortunate regions with men of longe lyfe whiche the Greekes caule Macrobios and of moste innocente behauour vnder the tracte of those landes and that there came from thence to Delphos certeyne religious virginnes with vowes and gyftes consecrated to Apollo And furthermore that that nation obserued this institution vntyll the sayde virgins were violated of them of whome they were receaued as straungers These are most cleare testimonies of Antiquitie both of the greatnesse of Schondia and the people that inhabite the same althowgh they were sence vnknowen as lykewyse the Gothes departynge from these north landes althowghe they obteyned Thempire of the regions abowte the marisshes of Meotis and the coastes of the sea Euxinus â—hinuasions of the Gothes with the realme of Denmarke wherof that is thought to bee a portion which is nowe cauled Transiluania and the bankes of the ryuer of Danubius â—ransiluania and in fine inuaded the Romane Empire yet were not the regions wel knowen from whense they tooke theyr originall Therefore lyke as parte of the owlde wryters are vnsufficient wytnesses to testifie of owre narrations as touchynge these landes vnknowen to them Euen so the other parte which excluded the same as vnhabitable are to bee conuinced leaste theyr autoritie beinge admitted shuld ingender opinions not agreeable or conuenient to the nature of places Sigismundus Liberus in his commentaries of Moscouia wryteth thus Scandia or Scondia is no Iland as sume haue thought but parte of the continente or firme lande of Suetia which by a longe tracte reacheth to Gothlande And that nowe the kynge of Denmarke possesseth a great parte therof But wheras the wryters of these thinges haue made Scondia greater then Suetia that the Gothes and Lumbardes came frome thense The Gothes and Lumbardes they seeme in my opinion to comprehende these three kyngedomes as it were in one body only vnder the name of Scondia forasmuch as then that parte of lande that lyeth betwene the sea Balthrum whiche floweth by the coastes of Finlandia and the frosen sea was vnknowen And that by reason of so many marisshes innumerable ryuers and intemperatnesse of heauen it is yet rude vncultured and lyttle knowen Which thynge hath byn the cause that summe iudged all that was cauled by the name of Scondia to bee one great Ilande ¶ Gronlande GRonlande is interpreted greene lande so cauled for the great increase and frutefulnesse of pasture Frutefull pasture By reason wherof what great plentie of cattayle there is it may hereby appere that at such tyme as shyppes may passe thyther they set furth great heapes of cheese and butter to bee sould wherby wee coniecture that the lande is not rowgh with barren mountaynes It hath two Cathedrall Churches vnder thordinaâ—ion of Nidrosia To one of these was of late yeares a bysshop appoynted onely by the tytle of a suffragane in consideration that while the metropolitane dooth neglect the direction of religion for the distance of the place and difficult nauigation the people is in maner faulne to gentilitie Religion neglected beinge of them selfe of mouable wyttes and gyuen to magical artes For it is sayde that they as also the people of Laponia doo rayse tempestes on the sea with magical inchauntmentes Inchaunters and brynge such shippes into daungeour as they intâ—â—de to spoile They vse lyttle shyppes made of lether and safe ageynste the brusynge of the sea and rockes and with them assayle other shippes Peter Martyr of Angletia writeth in his Decades of the Spanisshe nauigations that Sebastian Cabote sayling from Englande continually towarde the north The vyage of Sebastian Cabote to the frosen sea folowed that course so farre that he chaunsed vppon greate flakes of Ise in the mooneth of Iuly and that diuertynge from thense he folowed the coaste by the shore bendynge towarde the South vntyl he came to the clime of the Ilande of Hispaniola aboue Cuba an Iland of the Canibales Which narration hath giuen me occasion to extende Gronlande beyonde the promontory or cape of Huitsarch to the continente or firme lande of Lapponia aboue the castell of Wardhus Gronlande wardhus which thynge I did the rather for that the reuerende Archebysshoppe of Nidrosia constantely affirmed that the sea bendethe there into the forme of a crooked elbowe It agreeth herewith also that the Lapones consent with them in the lyke magical practises and doo neyther imbrase the Christian religion nor refuse it wherby I haue thowght this lykenesse of customes to bee betwene them bycause they ioyne togyther in one continent Lapponia Gronlande The distance lykewyse seemeth not to disagree For betwene both these people Schoeni the distance is not full twoo hundreth Schâ—ni euery one being a space of grounde conteinyng .lx. furlonges which make .vii. myles and a halfe It furthermore agreeth with this coniecture that Cabote chaunsed into such Ise. And albeit as touchynge the mooneth of Iuly Cabote tould me that this Ise is of fresshe water and not of the sea I wyll contend it is not well rehersed no althowghe he had sayled vnder the pole for such reasons as wee haue declared before to the contrary neuerthelesse that at sum tyme he sayled by Ise this testifieth in that he sayled not by the mayne sea but in places nere vnto the lande comprehendyng and imbrasyng the sea in forme of a goulfe A commixtioÌ„ of
or Moscouite interpretours hearynge theyr prince to bee so cauled of straunge nations began them selues also to name hym an Emperour and thinke the name of Czar to bee more worthy then the name of a kynge althowgh they signifie all one thynge But who so wyl reade all theyr hystories and bookes of holy scripture The greate Turke shall fynde that a kynge is cauled Czar and an Emperour Kessar By the lyke erroure Themperour of the Turkes is cauled Czar who neuerthelesse of antiquitie vsed no hygher tytle then the name of a kynge expressed by this woorde Czar And hereof the Turkes of Europe that vse the Slauon tounge caule the citie of Constantinople Czargead that is the kynges citie Sum caule the prince of Moscouie the whyte kynge The whyte kynge whiche I thinke to proceade of the whyte cappes or other tyrementes they weare on theyr heades lyke as they caule the kynge of Percia Kisilpassa that is redde headde The duke of Moâ—couia his tyâ—le He vseth the tytle of a kynge when he writeth or sendeth to Rome the Emperour the pope the kynge of Suetia and Denmacke the greate master of Prussia and Liuonia and also to the greate Turke as I haue byn credably informed but he is not cauled kynge of any of them excepte perhappes of the Liuons Yet by reason of his later conquestes sum haue thought hym worthy the name of a kynge or rather of an Emperour bycause he hath kynges vnder his Empire To the kynge of Polone he vseth this tytle The greate lorde Basilius by the grace of god lorde of all Russia and greate duke of Uuolodimeria Moscouia Nouogardia c. leauynge owt the tytle of a kynge For none of them vouchesafeth to receaue the letters of the other augmented with any new tytle as I knewe by experience at my being in Moscouia at which tyme Sigismundus the kynge of Polone sente hym his letters augmented with the tytle of the duke of Masouia wherwith he was not a lyttle offended They glorie in theyr hystories that before Uuolodimeria and Olha the lande of Ruâ—sia was baptised and blessed of saynt Andrewe thappostle of Chryst Russia baptysed by saynte Andrewe the Apostle affirmynge that he came from Grecia to the mouthes of the ryuer Borysthenes and that he sayled vppe the ryuer to the mountaynes where as is nowe Chiouia and that there he blessed all the lande and placed his crosse prophesyinge also that the grace of god shulde bee greate there and that there shulde bee many churches of Chrystian men Lykewyse that he afterwarde came to the sprynges of Borysthenes vnto the great lake Uuolok and by the ryuer Louat descended into the lake Ilmer from whense by the ryuer Uuolcon whiche runneth owte of the same lake he came to Nouogardia and passed frome thense by the same ryuer to the lake Ladoga and the ryuer Heua and so vnto the sea whiche they caule Uuaretzkoia beinge the same that we caule the Germayne sea betwene Uuinlandia or Finlandia and Liuâ—nia by the whiche he sayled to Rome and was at the laste crucified for Chryste his gospell in Peloponnesus by the tyranny of Agus Antipater as theyr crownacles make mention The prynce euery seconde or thyrde yeare causeth a muster to bee taken of the soonnes of the Boiarons The Moscouites warres and takethe an accoumptâ— bothe of theyr number and howe many horses and men euery of them is able to make and then appoynteth a certeyne stypende to suche as are able further to beare theyr owne charges in the warres They haue seldome any rest or quyetnesse For they eyther keepe warre with the Lithuanians Liuonians Suetians or Tartars of Casan Or yf it so chaunce that the prynce keepe no warre yet dooth he yearely appoynte garrysons of .xx. thousande menne in places abowt Tanais and Occa to represse the incursions and robberyes of the European Tartars cauled Precopites As in other matters Dyuers maners of dyuers people in the ware euen so in thorder of warrefare ther is great diuersitie amonge men For the Moscouian as soone as he begynneth to flye thinketh of none other succoure but putteth all his confidence therein Beinge pursued or taken of his enemie he neyther defendeth him selfe nor desirethe perdon The Tartar cast of from his horse spoyled of al his armure weapons and also sore wouÌ„ded defendeth hym selfe with handes feete and teethe and by all meanes he may vntyll his strength and spirite fayle hym The Turke when he seeth hym selfe destitute of all helpe and hope to escape doth humbly desyre pardon casting away his weapons armure and reching furth to the victourer his handes ioyned together to be bounde hopynge by captiuitie to saue his lyfe The Moscouites in placeinge theyr armye chuse them a large playne where the best of them pytch theyr tentes the other make theÌ„ certen arbours of bouwes fyxt in the grounde The Moscouytes army bendyng together the toppes therof whiche they couer with theyr clokes to defende them selues theyr bowes arrowes saddyles and other theyr necessaries from rayne They put furth theyr horses to pasture and for that cause haue theyr tentes so farre in sunder which they fortifye neyther with cartes or trenches or any other impedyment excepte perhappes the place bee defended by nature as with wooddes ryuers and marysshes It may perhappes seeme straunge howe he maynteyneth hym and hys so longe with so smaule an armye as I haue sayde howe he maynteyneth his army I wyll nowe therfore brefely declare they re sparynge and frugalitie He that hath syxe or sumtymes more horses vseth one of them as A packe horse to beare all theyr necessaryes eyes He hath also in a bagge of two or three spanes longe the floure or meale of the grayne cauled mylle and .viii. or x. poundes weyghte of swynes flesshe poudered He hathe lykewyse A bagge of salte myxte with pepper if he bee ryche Furthermore euery man caryeth with hym A hatchet A fyre boxe and a brasen potte so that if they chaunce to coomme to any place where they can fynde no frutes garlyke onyons or flesshe they kyndle a fyre and fylle theyr pottes with water wherunto they put a spoonefull of meale with a quantitie of salte and make pottage therof wherwith the master and all hys seruauntes lyue contented But if the master bee very hungary he eateth all alone and the seruantes are sumtymes inforsed to faste for the space of two or three dayes And yf the master intende to fare sumwhat more delycately then he addeth therto a lyttle portion of swynes flesshe I speake not thys of the best of them but of suche as are of the meane sorte The gouernours and capytaynes of tharmye doo sumtymes bydde the poorer sorte to they re tables where theye feede them selues so wel that they fast two or three dayes after When they haue frutes garlyke and onyons theye can well forbeare all other meates Procedynge forwarde to the battayle they put more confydence in
Of the landes of Laborador and Baccalaos lyinge west and northwest from Englande and beinge parte of the firme lande of the West Indies MAny haue trauayled to search the coast of thâ— lande of Laborador aswell to thintente to knowe howe farre or whyther it reachethe as also whether there bee any passage by sea through the same into the sea of Surand the Ilandes of Maluca which are vnder the Equinoctiall line The way to the Ilandes of Maluca by the north sea thinkynge that the wayâ— thyther shulde greatly bee shortened by this vyage The Spanyardes as to whose ryght the sayde Ilandes of spices perteyne The Spanyâ—â—des dyd fyrst seeke to fynde the same by this way The Portugâ—les also hauynge the trade of spices in theyr handes dyd trauayle to fynde the same although hetherto neyther anye such paâ—sage is founde or the ende of that lande In the yeare a thousande and fiue hundreth Basper Cortesreales Baâ—per Corteâ—reales made a vyage thyther with two carauelles but founde not the â—â—reyght or passage he sought At his beinge there he named the Ilandes that lye in the mouth of the goulfe Quadrado after his name Cortesreales 〈…〉 lyinge in the L. degrees and more and browght from that lande abowt three score men for slaues He greatly maruayled to beholde the houge quantitie of snowe and Ise. Snowe and Ise. For the sea is there frosen excedyngly Thinhabitauntes are men of good corporature although tawny lyke the Indies and laborious They paynte theyr bodyes and weare braselettes and hoopes of syluer and copper Furreâ— Theyr apparel is made of the skynnes of marternes and dyuers other beastes whiche they weare with the heare inwarde in wynter and owtwarde in soommer This apparell they gyrde to theyr bodyes with gyrdels made of cotton or the synewes of fysshes and beastes They eate fysshe more then any other thynge and especially salmons Fysshe althoughe they haue foules and frute They make theyr houses of timber wherof they haue great plentieâ— and in the steade of tyles couer them with the skynnes of fysshes and beastes It is sayde also that there are grifes in this lande Gryfes and that the beares and many other beastes and foules are whyte Beares To this and the Ilandes abowt the same the Britons are accustomed to resorte The britons as men of nature agreable vnto them and borne vnder the same altitude and temperature The Norwayes also sayled thyther with the pylot cauled Iohn Scoluo And the Englysshe men with Sebastian Cabot Sebastian Cabot The coaste of the lande of Baccallaos The land of Baccallâ—os is a greate tracte and the greatest altitude therof is xiviii degrees and a halfe Sebastian Cabot was the fyrst that browght any knowleage of this lande For beinge in Englande in the dayes of kyng Henry the seuenth The vyage of Cabot in the dayes of kyng henry the seuenth he furnysshed twoo shippes at his owne charges or as sum say at the kynges whome he persuaded that a passage might bee founde to Cathay by the north seas and that spices myght bee brought from thense soner by that way then by the vyage the Portugales vse by the sea of Sur He went also to knowe what maner of landes those Indies were to inhabite He had with hym three hundreth men and directed his course by the tracte of Islande vppon the cape of Laborador at .lviii. degrees I se in Iuly affirmynge that in the monethe of Iuly there was such could and heapes of Ise that he durst passe no further also that the dayes were very longe and in maner withowt myght and the nyghtes very cleare Certeyne it is that at the. lx degrees the longest day is of .xviii. houres But consyderynge the coulde and the straungenes of thâ— vnknowen lande he turned his course from thense to the West folowynge the coast of the lande of Baccalaos vnto thâ— xxxviii degrees Baccallaos from whense he returned to Englande To conclude the Brytons and Danes haue sayled to the Baccalaos Bryâ—ons â—anes and Iaques Cartier a frenche man was there twyse with three galeons Iaques Cartyer as one in the yeare .xxxiiii. and the other in the .xxxv. and chose the lande to inhabite frome the .xlv. degrees to the. li. beinge as good a lande as Fraunce and al thynges therein commune to such as fyrst possesse the same Of these lands Iacobus Gastaldus wryteth thus The newe lande of Baccalaos The people of Baccallaos is a coulde region whose inhabytauntes are Idolatours and praye to the soonne and moonâ— and dyuers Idoles They are whyte people and very rustical For they eate flesshe and fysshe and all other thynges rawe Sumtymes also they eate mans flesshe priuilye so that theyr Laciqui haue no knowleage therof The apparell of both the men and women is made of beares skynnes althowgh they haue sables and marternes not greatly estemed bycause they are lyttle Sum of them go naked in soommer and weare apparell only in wynter The Brytous and Frenche men are accustomed to take fysshe in the coaste of these landes where is founde great plentie of Tunnyes which thinhabitauntes caul Baccalaos wherof the lande was so named Fysshynge for tunnyes Northwarde from the region of Baccalaos is the lande of Laborador Laborador all full of mountaynes and great wooddes in whiche are manye beares and wylde bores Thinhabitauntes are Idolatoures and warlike people appareled as are they of Baccallaos In all this newe lande is neyther citie or castell but they lyue in companies lyke heardes of beastes ¶ The discouerynge of the lande of Floryda THe gouernour of the Ilande of Boriquena Iohn Ponce of Leon beinge discharged of his office and very ryche Iohn Ponce water of great vertue of this reade in the Deâ—ades furnysshed and sente foorth two caruels to seeke the Ilandes of Boyuca in the which the Indians affirmed to be a fontayne or springe Whose water is of vertue to make owlde men younge Whyle he trauayled syxe monethes with owtragious desyre amonge many Ilandes to fynde that he sought and coulâ—e fynde no token of any such fountayne he entered into Bimini and discouered the lande of Florida in the yeare .1512 on Easter day which the Spanyardes caule the florysshyng day of Pascha Bemminâ— wherby they named that lande Florida And supposyng that great rychâ—s myght be browght from thense he returned into Spayne and conuenaunted with kynge Ferdinando as touchynge the trade and by thintercession of Nicolas de Quando and Peter Nunez de Guzman the kynge dyd not onely make hym gouernoure of Bemini and Florida but also sente furthe with hym three shippes from Siuile toward his second vyage in the yeare .1515 He touched in the Ilande of Guacana otherwyse cauled Guadalupe Guacana and sent to lande certeyne of his men with the landresses of the shyppes whom the Canibales lyinge in ambusshe The Canibales assayled
Maria Antiqua in Dariena and howe the Spanyardes were of necessitie inforced to plant theyr fyrst colonie and habitacion there The cause of the varietie of regions lyinge all vnder one degree or paralelle and by what meanes the soonne beames are cause of feruent heate Of toades and flees engendered of droppes of water and of a house set on fyre with lyghtnynge Tanquaâ—m canis â— Nilo Of a dogge deuoured of a Crocodyle and of the venemus bytynge of great battes Also of Lions and Tygers and other wylde beastes Howe in these regions all foure footed beastes growe to a bygger quantitie then they whiche were of the fyrste bâ—oode Also of certeyne trees of whose planckes if ships be made they are safe frome the woormes cauled Broma or Byssas Of a tre whose wod is present poyson yf it be only borne about And of an herbe that is a preseruatiue ageinst the same Of the ryche Ilandes of the south sea and of certeyne expeditions ageynst the Canibales ¶ The contentes of the .vii. booke Fol. 124. ¶ The particular description of the Ilande of Hispaniola and of the ryche Ilande cauled Margaritea Diues lyinge in the South sea Also of the greate abundaunce of bigge pearles founde in the same Howe the autoure compareth Hispaniola to the earthely Paradyse And howe it farre excelleth Italy in fertilitie and temperate ayre Of the fyrste inhabitours of Hispaniola of the Ilandes of Canarie Howe the inhabitauntes of Hispaniola in theyr songes rhymes had certeyne prophesies that appareled men shulde coome to theyr contrey and brynge them into seruitude And of theyr familiaritie with spirites Also howe those spirites haue no more appered to them sence they were baptised Of theyr expertenesse in swymmynge And of theyr delycate serpentes byrdes foules and popingiais Of the forme and situation of Hispaniola nere the Equinoctiall And howe coulde is in sum place thereof accidentall and not by the situation of the region Of oxen and swyne of exceadinge bygnesse And of eares of wheate as bygge as a mans arme in the braun Also howe the swyne are fedde with myrobalanes c. Of plenty of golde brasyle mastix gossampyne Electrum c And of thincommodities of intemperate regions Of dyuers languages in the Ilande And howe the prouynces are deuided into regions Howe Andreas Moralis sayled into a daungerous and darke caue within the rocke of a mountayne And of hole ryuers deuoured of suche caues Also of the conflycte of the waters Of a standynge poole in the tope of an hygh mountayne And howe ferne and bramble busshes growe only in coulde regyons The contents of the .viii booke Fol. 130 ¶ Of a greate lake or standyng poole of sowre and salte water and of the sea fysshes in the same in the myddelande of the Ilande Also of deuourynge fysshes cauled Tiburoni Of the ryuers fauling into the lakes and of CC. springes in the space of a furlonge Ameruelous hystory of a kynge stryken dumme and lame by a myracle And of the Indian language Howe suche as are drowned in the lake are neuer caste vp ageyne And of the Ilande Guarizacca in the myddeste of a standynge lake Also of a lake of fresshe water and an other of salte and fresshe water Of a large playne of two hundreth myles in length And an other of hundrethe and twentie Of the meruelous fysshe or monster of the sea cauled Manati or Matum fedde with mans hande and howe she caryeth men ouer the lake Of the mountaynes vales hylles playnes and ryuers of Hispaniola And howe golde is founde in all mountaines and golde and fysshe in all ryuers Of salte bayes and howe the ryuers haue theyr increase from the caues of the mountaynes Also howe there is no hurtefull beaste in the Ilande Of the pleasures of Hispaniola And of the region of Cotohi well inhabyted and situate in a playne in the toppes of mountaynes reachynge to the clowdes Of moderate coulde in the mountaynes and of ferne of merueylous bygnesse Howe pure and massie gold is founde in the region of Cotoy or Cotohy And that the veyne of golde is a lyuynge tree Also of the rootes braunches and floures of the same and howe certeyne caues are susteyned with pyllers of golde What golde is broughte yearely frome Hispaniola into Spayne And of the salte of the mountaynes beinge as hard as stones and cleare as crystall Also sprynges of salte fressh and sower water Of certeyne wylde men lyuynge in caues and deunes with out any certeyne language And of theyr merueylous swiftnesse a foote Of pytche of the rocke and twoo kyndes of trees And of the leafe of a tree vsed in the steede of paper Also howe thinhabitantes thinke that the Christians can make those leaues speake and disclose all secreates Of a stronge coloure made of the iuse of a certeyn apple And of the herbe whose smoke is poyson The contentes of the .ix. booke Fol. 136. Of the kyndes of frutes wherwith thinhabitauntes of Hispaniola lyued fyrste and howe they came to the knoweledge of Iucca Also howe Ceres fyrst found wheate and barley in Egypte Why theyr kinges are cauled by dyuers names by what names they salute the kynges chyldren when they are borne Howe they make theyr testamentes and howe certeyne of the kynges wyues and concubines are buryed with them Of the variable motions of the elementes in Hispaniola And where it rayneth but lyttle and where much Of the colonies and vyllages that the Spanyardes haue buylded in Hispaniola of the other Ilands about the same Of a sprynge which runnyng vnder the sea from Hispaniola breaketh furth in the Iland of Arethusa Also of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctial and of the ryche golde mynes of the Ilande of Cuba Of the gumme cauled Animae Album And of the Canibale Also whereby it was thought that there were Ilandes of women Of hony founde in trees and rockes And of the generall on of greate Tortoyses and of theyr egges ¶ The contentes of the .x. booke Fol. 140. ¶ Of the expedition ageynste the kynge of the Ilande Dites in the south sea And howe after foure conflictes submyttynge hym selfe he gaue our men a hundreth and ten pounde weyght of greate pearles Also howe he agreed to pay yearely a hundreth pounde weyght of pearles for a tribute Howe axes and hatchettes are more esteemed then golde or perles And of greate plentie of hartes and cunnyes Also howe the kynge of Dites and his famelie were baptised Of perles of great pryce And howe Paule the bysshop of Rome bowght a perle for foure and fortie thousand ducades Dyuers opinions of the generation of perles And of a hundreth perles founde in one shel fysshe Also of the byrth of pearles Of the regions of the Easte syde of the goulfe of Uraba And of the originall of the Canibales Of certeyne circumcised people which haue the knowledge â—f letters and vse â—ookes And what chaunced of the capitaynes which Petrus Arias sente furth dyuers wayes
beyonde the Equinoctiall cyrcle â—t diâ—parseth throwgh owt the burnt line of Torrida â—ona and by the same vyolent course fauleth into owre sea nere vnto the citie of Alexandria It was necessary therfore that the greatest parte of the coulde and moyst element shulde haue recourse thyther and consyst there wheras was the grâ—atest necessitie therof to temper the heate of the soonne by moystynge and coolynâ—e the earthe and the ayer as vnder the Equinoctiall And herewith also hath most prudent nature prouyded for the securitie and preseruation of the places lyinge betwene bothe thextremities of heate and colde as betwene the poles and the Equinoctiall For the waters flowynge euer one wayes and kâ—pynge one course no regions can be drowned by studdes which thynge they well obserue that delyuer fieldes from inundations or ouâ—rflowynges and that take in hande to drye vp marysshes It therfore waters had not theyr courâ—e and faul towarde places lowâ— or declynynge the hole casth shulde bee ouerflowne as a marrysshe And that the most declynynge parte shulde bee towarde the South and sumwhat hygher about the poles the cause is aswell the consumynge deare of the soonne in the Southâ— partes as the preseruynge coulde of the hygh mountaynes nere to the poles For we haue els where proued that heate consumeth and wasteth as coulde gathereth and preserueth And for this cause that parte of the earthe that is nearest the poles is was and euer shal be highest and likewise lowest in the middest furthest from the poles And therfore it was not conuenient that the sonne shuld â—aue his course on euery syde neither to the poles For if it weare â—â—ryed alyke to euery parte throughowt the worlde it is necessary â—hat the earth bee equall and by that reason shulde it eyther bee altogether dryed or elles all ouerflowed with water But where as this coulde not suffyce to the free course of ryuers for the often intercourse of higher places lyinge in the waye whereby ouerflowynges and stayes of watâ—rs and their corruption myght ensue mooste prouydent nature hath gyuen this priuileage to water that it maye so much ascende as it hath discended that by his meanes passynge ouer mountaynes and hylles it maye at the length bee caryed into the sea c. hytherto Cardanus lette vs nowe returne to the historie There are also many roughe and hyghe mountaynes with temperate ayer and pleasaunt cleare and moderate nightes Of the whiche particularitie the auncient writers hauyng no certeyne knowleage affyrmed the said burnte lyne or Torrida zona or Equinoctial to be naturally vnhabitable As touching which thing I am able to witnesse the contrary by testimonie of syght and feelyng as by most certeine senses hauyng liued many yeares in this regions by reason wherof better credit ought to be giuen to me then to suche as haue grounded their opinion onely vpon coniectures And to speake further of the sytuation of these regyons yowe shall vnderstande that the coaste of the Northe sea beynge in the goulfe of Vraba and in the porte of Dariena where the shyppes arryue whiche coome owte of Spayne is in the syxte degree and a halfe and in the seuenth and from syxe and a halfe vnto eyght excepte a smaule pointe which entereth into the sea toward the North That pointe which of this land and new parte of the worlde lieth moste towarde the East is the cape of saincte Augustine which is in the eight degree So that the said goulfe of Vraba is distant from the Equinoctiall lyne from a hundreth and twentie to a hundreth and thirtie leaques and three quarters of a leaque after thaccompte of .xvii. leaques and a hâ—lfe for euerye degree from pole to pole And thus for a lyttle more or lesse goeth all the coaste By reason wherof in the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena and in all that course of the forsayde goulfe of Vraba at all tymes of the yeaâ—e the dayes and nyghtes are in maner of equall length And if there bee any dyfference betwene theym by reason of this smaule distance from the Equinoctial it is so lyttle that in .xxiiii. houres makynge a naturall daye it canne not bee perceaued but by the iudgement of speculatiue men and suche as vnderstande the sphere From hense the North starre is seene very lowe And when the starres which are cauled the wardens of the north starre are vnder the chariotte it can not bee seene bycause it is vnder the horisontal And whereas I haue sayde beefore that it rayneth in these regions at certeyne ordinarie tymes it is so in deede For it is wynter and summer there at contrary tymes to that whiche is in Spayne where the greateste coulde of froste and rayne is in December and Ianuary And the greatest heate of sommer aboute saynt Iohannes daye at mydsommer or in the moneth of Iuly But in golden Castile or Beragua it is contrary For the sommer and tyme of greatest drowght and withowt rayne is at Chrystmas and a moneth before and a moneth after And the tyme when it rayneth most is about midsommer and a moneth before and a moneth after And this season whiche they caule wynter is not for that it is any coulder then then at any other tyme of the yeare or hotter at Christmas then at other seasons the tyme in these regions being euer after one maner but for that that in this tyme which they caule wynter the soonne is hyd from theyr syghtes by reason of cloudes and rayne more then at other tymes Yet forasmuch as for the moste parte of the yeare they lyue in a cleare open and temperate ayer they sumwhat shrynke and feele a lyttle coulde durynge the tyme of the said moist and cloudy ayer althowgh it bee not coulde in deede or at the least suche coulde as hath any sensible sharpenes ¶ Of dyuers particular thynges as woormes serpentes beastes foules trees c. MAny other thynges myght be sayde much differyng from these wherof I haue spoken But to lette passe the multitude of thynges whiche are as variable as the power of nature is infinite and to speake of suche thynges as coome chiefely to my rememberaunce as mooste woorthy to be noted I wyll fyrste speake of terteyne lyttle and troubelous beastes whiche mayâ— seeme to bee engendered of nature to molest and vexe menne to shewe them and gyue them to vnderstand howe smaul and vyle a thynge may offende and disquiete them to th ende that they maye remember the pryncipall ende for the whiche they were created that is to knowe theyr maker and procurer of theyr saluation by the waye whiche is open to all Christian men and all other whiche wyll open the eyes of theyr vnderstandynge And although the thynges whereof wee entende nowe to speake may seeme vyle and lyttle to bee esteemed yet are they woorthy to bee noted and consydered to vnderstand the difference and variable woorkes of nature So it is therfore that whereas in many partes of the firme