and famen insuinge therof but that all beastes shulde perysshe before the sommer folowynge when they shulde bringe furth theyr broode or succession And that for these causes the sayde coulde clime shulde bee perpetually desolate and vnhabitable To al which obiections we answere in this maner As touchynge the nyghtes not increased I saye that it was not conuenient to assume that for any reason For not as the soonne fauleth so suddeynly commeth the darke night but that the euenynge dooth substitute and prolonge the day longe after The twylyghtes as also the day sprynge or dawnynge of the daye gyueth a certeyne lyght before the rysinge of the soonne After the whiche the residue of the nyght that receaueth no light by the sayde euenynge and mornynge twilightes is accomplysshed by the lyght of the moone The lyght of the mone so that the nyghtes are seldome vnaugmented Let this bee an exemple proued by owre temperate regions wherby we may vnderstande the condition of the nyght vnder the pole â—he myght vnder the pole Therfore euen there also the twilightes helpe the nyght a longe tyme as we wyl more presently demonstrate It is approued by the Astronomers that the soonne descendynge from the highest halfe sphere by xviii paralels of the vnder horizon makethe an ende of the twylight A demonstration so that at the lengthe the darke nyght succedeth And that the soonne approchynge and rysynge aboue the hyghest halfe sphere by as many paralels dooth diminysshe the nyght and increase the twylyght Ageyne by the position or placeinge of the sphere vnder the pole the same is the horizontall that is the Equinoctiall Those paralelles therefore that are paralels to the horizontal line are also paralels to the Equinoctiall So that the soonne descendynge there vnder the horizon dooth not brynge darke nyghtes to those regions vntyll it coomme to the paralele distant .xviii. partes from the Equinoctiall Other demonstrations hereof are made by certeyne fygures of Astronomie whiche I wolde haue added hereunto but that I coulde not gette the same grauen or cutte Durynge the tyme of these sayde syxe moonethes of darkenesse vnder the pole the nyght is destitute of the benefite of the soonne and the sayde twylyghtes onely for the space of three moonethes in the whiche the soonne goeth and returneth by the portion of the ouerthwart circle But yet neyther this tyme of three moonethes is withowt remedy frome heauen For the moone with her full globe increased in lyghte The Moone hath accesse at that tyme and illuminateth the moonethes lackynge lyght euery one by them selues halfe the course of the moonethe by whose benefite it coommeth to passe that the night named as vnaugmentâ—d possesseth those regions no longer then one mooneth and a halfe neyther that continually or al at one tyme but this also diuided into three sorts of shorter nyghtes of the whiche euery one endureth for the space of twoo weekes and are illuminate of the moone accordyngly And this is the reason conceaued of the poure of the sphere wherby we testifie that the sommers and nyghtes vnder the pole are tollerable to lyuynge beastes But wee wyll nowe declare by other remedies of nature and arte Remedies of nature art that this coulde so greatly feared is more remisse tollerable then owre opinion so that compared to the nature of such beastes as liue there it may bee abydden And there is no doubt but there are autours of more antiquitie then that age in the which any thynge was exactly knowen or discouered of the north regions The owlde wryters therfore persuaded onely by naked coniecture dydde gather what they myght determine of those places Or rather by the estimation of heauen the which bycause they felte it to bee hardely tollerable to them selues and lesse to men borne in the clyme of Egypte and Grecia tooke therby an argument of the hole habitable earth The hystorie of Strabo is knowen that a potte of brasse which was broken in sunder with frosen water A brasen pot broken with frost was brought from Pontus and shewed in Delphis in token of a greuous wynter Here therfore they that so greatly feared the winter such as chaunceth to the earth vnder the xlviii paralele and therefore consecrated that broken pot to the temple of Apollo what coulde such men trewly define vppon regions so farre withowt that paralele whether they were inhabited or not But such as folowed these being contented with thinuentions of the owlde autours and borne in maner vndâ—r the same qualitie of heauen persisted wyllyngly in the same opinion with more confidence then consideration of the thynges whereof wee nowe intreate so lyghtly was that opinion receaued as touching the vnhabitable clime vnder the poles But we with better confidence and faithe forasmuch as we are not instructed with coniectures intend to stande ageynst the sentence of the owld autours Affirming the north regions within the coulde clime to bee inhabyted with hearynges Fysshes of the North seas coddes haddockes and brettes tunnyes and other great fysshes with thinfinite number wherof tables are furnysshed through a great parte of Europe Al whiche are taken in the north sea extended beyonde owr knoweleage The North sea This sea at certeyne tymes of the yeare poureth furth his plentifulnesse or rather dryueth furth his increase to seke newe mansions and are here taken in theyr passage Furthermore also euen the mouthes of the riuer of Tyber receaue a fysshe as a newe gest sent from the north sea This swamme twyse through Fraunce and twise throughe Spayne Ouer-passed the Ligurian and Tuscan sea to communicate her selfe to the citie of Rome The lakes also and ryuers of those regions are replenysshed with fysshe In so much that no poure of coulde is able to extinguyâ—she thincrease of the yeare folowinge and the succession reparable so many hundreth yeares And I playnely thinke that yf it shulde of necessitie folowe that one of these two elementes The qualitie of water the earthe and the water shuldâ— be destructiue to lyuynge creatures the water shulde chiefely haue wrought this effecte But this is founde so tractable that in the diepe wynter both that increase is brought furth and fysshynge is also exercised The lande is lykewise inhabited with lyke plentifulnesse The lande But that we wander not to farre Let the fayth hereof rest in thexposition folowynge wherin we intend to declare howe by the poure of nature and industry of man this commoditie may coomme to passe Therfore as touchynge nature wee suppose that the diuine prouidence hath made nothynge vncommunicable The diuine prouidence in moderatynge the elements but to haue gyuen such order to all thynges wherby euery thynge maye bee tollerable to the nexte The extremeties of the elementes consent with theyr next The ayer is grosse abowt the earth and water But thinne and botte abowt the fyre By this prouidence of nature the vttermost sea is very salte The
Uerde .700 leaques although Isuppose that we sayled more then .800 by reason of the cruel tempest and ignoraunce of the Pylottes and mariners whereby wee were lyke to haue byn cast away The ignorance of Pylots and mariners For wee were in suche daungerous places wanderynge in vnknowen coastes that if I had not byn skylfull in the science of Cosmographie we had suerly peryshed The vse of Cosmographie forasmuch as there was not one pylot that knewe where wee were by the space of fiftie leaques In so much that if I had not in tyme prouyded for the safegarde of myne owne lyfe and them that were with me with my quadrant and Astrolabie instrumentes of Astronomie The vse of the â—uadrant and Astrolabie wee had styl wandered lyke blynde men But when in fine I had persuaded the pylots by demonstrations perteynynge to that arte they gaue me great honour and confessed that the ordinarie pilottes and mariners ignorant in Cosmographi are not to bee compared to men of speculatiue knowleage c. Wee sayled by the coaste of the sayde lande .600 leaques And went oftentymes alande where wee were frendely and honorably interteyned of thinhabitauntes In so much that considerynge theyr innocent nature we sumtymes remayned with them .xv. or .xx. dayes This firme lande begynneth beyonde the Equinoctiall line .viii. degrees towarde the pole Antartike Wee sayled so farre by the sayde coaste that wee passed the wynter Tropyke towarde the pole Antartike by xvii degrees and a halfe The pole Antartike where we had the Horizontal line eleuate fiftie degrees Such thynges as I sawe there are not yet knowen to men of owre tyme as the people theyr customes and maners the fertilitie of the lande the goodnes of the ayer the fauourable influence of heauen and the planettes and especially the order of the starres of the eyght sphere in the inferioure hemispherie or lower halfe circle of heauen towarde and abowt the South pole The starreâ— abowt the south pole wherof neyther the owlde or newe wryters haue made any mention to this daye To wryte particularly of the commodities and felicities of these regions it wolde requyre rather a hole volume then a booke And that such as if Plinie had had knowleage of these thynges Most pleasant frutfull regions he myght greatly haue increased his bookes of naturall histories The trees gyue from them continually such sweete sauours as can scarsely bee imagined And on euery part put furth such gummes liquours and iuses that yf we knewe theyr vertues I suppose we myght fynde in them marueylous medicins ageinst diseases and to mainteyne health And suerly in my opinion yf there bee any earthely Paradyse in the worlde The earthlye Paradyse it can not bee farre from these regions of the south where the heauen is so beneficiall and the elementes so temperate that they are neyther bytten with coulde in wynter nor molested with heate in summer Continual teÌ„peratnesse The ayer also and the heauen is seldome darkened with clowdes so that the dayes and nyghtes are euer cleare Yet haue they sumtymes moyst dewes in the mornynge and euenyng for the Moyst dewes space of three houres whereby the grounde is marueylously refresshed Lykewyse the firmament is marueylously adourned with certeyne starres which are not knowen to vs wherof I noted abowt .xx. to bee of suche clearenesse as are the starres of Uenus and Iupiter when they are nere vnto vs. Starres vnknowen to vs And wheras hauynge the knowleage of Geometrie The vse of Geometri I considered theyr circuite and dyuers motions and also measured theyr circumference and diameter I am well assured that they are much greater then men thynke them to bee Amonge other I sawe three starres cauled Canopi wherof two were exceadynge cleare and the thyrde sumwhat darke The pole Antartike hath nother the greate beare nor the lyttle as is seene abowte owre pole Notable stars in the inferiour hemispherie But hath foure starres whiche compasse it abowt in forme of a quadrangle I sawe also there manye other starres the dyuers motions wherof diligently obserued I made a particular boke of the same wherin I made mention of al such notable thyngs as I sawe and had knoweleage of in this nauigation The whiche booke I deliuered to the kynges maiestie trustynge that he wyll shortly restore it me ageyne In this hemispherie or halfe coompasse of the heauen The inferiour hemisphâ—rie I diligently considered many thinges which are contrarie to thoppinions of philosophers And amonge other thynges I sawe a whyte raynebowe abowt mydnyght The raynebowe wheras other affirme that it hath foure colours of the foure elementes as redde of the fyer greene of the earth whyte of the ayer and blewe of the water But Aristotle in his booke intiteled Meteora Aristotle his opinion of the raynebowe is of an other opinion For he sayth that the raynebowe is a reflection of the beames of the soonne in the vapoure of a clowde directly ageynste the soonne as the shynyng of the same on the water is reflected on a waule And that the sayde clowde or vapoure tempereth the heate of the soonne and beinge resolued into rayne maketh the grounde fertyle and pourgeth the ayer Also that is a token of abundaunt moysture By reason wherof A stranâ—e opinion sum are of opinion that it shall not appeare .xl. yeares before th ende of the worlde which shal be a token of the drynesse of the elementes approchynge to the tyme of theyr confâ—agration or consumyng by fyer It is a pledge of peace betwene god and men and is euer directly ouer ageynst the soonne It is therfore neuer seene in the South bycause the soonne is neuer in the North. Neuerthelesse Plinie sayth that after the Equinoctial in Autumne it is seene at al houres And thus much haue I gathered owte of the commentaries of Landâ—nus vppon the fourth boke of Uirgyl his Eneades bycause I wold defraude no man of his trauayle I sawe the sayd raynebowe twoo or three tymes And not I onely but also many other which were in my coompany Lykewyse wee sawe the newe moone the selfe same day that shee ioyned with the soonne The newe mone Wee sawe furthermore vapours and burnynge flames flyinge abowt heauen euery nyght Fyery exhalations A lyttle before I cauled this countrey by the name of Hemispherium that is the halfe sphere hemispheriuÌ„ Which neuerthelesse can not bee so named but by spekynge improperlie in comparyson of owres Yet forasmuche as it seemeth to represent suche a forme I haue improperlye so named it Departynge therfore from Lisbona as I haue sayde beinge from the Equinoctiall line towarde the North abowt .xl degrees Lisbona wee sayled to this countrey whiche is beyonde the Equinoctiall .l. degrees The fouâ—th part of the worlde All which summe maketh the number of lxxxx beinge the fourth part of the greatest circle accordynge to the
taken in the Ilande of Guanahaini beinge nere vnto Cuba wyllinge hym to come nere and not to bee afrayde When he harde Didacus speke to him in his owne tonge he came bowldly to hym and shortly after resorted to his coÌ„pany persuadinge them to come without all feare After this message was doone there descended frome the rockes to the shippes abowt three score and ten of thinhabibitantes proferinge frendeshippe and gentelnes to owre men whiche the Admirall accepted thankefully and gaue them dyuers rewardes And that the rather for that he had intelligence by Didacus thenterpretoure that they were the kynges fysshers The kynges fysshers sent of theyr lorde to take fysshe ageynst a solemne feaste which he prepared for an other kynge And wheras the Admirales men had eaten the fysshe whiche they lefte at the fyre they were the gladder therof bycause they had lefte the serpentes Serpentes esteemed for delicate meaâ— Ophiophagi â–ª For there is nothinge amonge theyr delicate dysshes that they esteeme so muche as these serpentes In soo muche that it is no more lawfull for the common people to eate of them then peacockes or phesantes amonge vs. As for the fysshes they doubted not to take as many more the same nyght Beynge asked why they fyrst rosted the fysshe which they entended to beare to their kynge They answered that they might bee the fressher and vncorrupted Thus ioyninge handes for a token of further frendeship euery man resorted to his owne The Admirall went forwarde as he had appoynted folowing the faulinge of the sonne from the beginninge of Cuba cauled Alpha and O. The shores or sea bankes euen vnto this hauen albeit they be ful of trees yet are they rowgh with mountains Of these trees suâ—e were ful of blossoomes and flowres and other laden with fruites Blossomes fruites bothe at one tyme. Beyonde the haueÌ„ the lande is more fertile and peopulous whose inhabitantes are more gentyll and more desyrous of owre thinges For as sone as they had espied owre shâ—ppes they flocked all to the shore brynginge with them suche breade as they are accustomed to eate and gourdes full of water offeringe theym vnto owre men and further desyringe them to coome alande In all these Ilandes is a certeyne kynde of trees as bygge as elmes whiche beare gourdes in the steade of fruites Trees which beare gourds These they vse only for drinkynge pottes and to fetche water in but not for meate for the inner substance of them is sowrer then gaule the barke as harde as any shelle At the Ides of Maye the watche men lokinge owte of the toppe castell of the shyppe towarde the Southe sawe a multitude of Ilandes standinge thicke together A multitude of Ilandes beynge all well replenished with trees grasse and herbes and wel inhabyted In the shore of the continent he chauÌ„ced into a nauigable ryuer whose water was soo hotte hotte water that no man myght endure to abyde his hande therein any tyme. The day folowinge espying a farre of a Canoa of fysher men of thinhabitantes fearinge least they shulde flye at the syght of owre men he commaunded certeyne to assayle them pryuily with the shyppe boates But they fearinge nothinge taryed the comminge of owre men Nowe shal you heare a newe kind of fyshinge A straunge kynde of fysshynge Lyke as we with greyhoundes doo hunte hares in the playne fieldes So doo they as it were with a huntyng fysshe A hâ—ntynge â—ysshe take other fysshes This fysshe was of shape or fourme vnknowen vnto vs but the body therof not muche vnlyke a greate yele hauinge on the hynder parte of the heade a very towgh skynne lyke vnto a greate bagge or purse This fysshe is tyed by the syde of the boate with a corde lette downe soo farre into the water that the fysshe maye lye close hyd by the keele or bottome of the same for shee may in no case abyde the sight of the ayer Thus when they espie any greate fysshe or tortoyse wherof there is great abundance bygger then great targettes they let the corde at lengthe Abuâ—â—ance of toâ—oyâ—es But when she feeleth her selfe loosed shee enuadeth the fysshe or tortoyse as swiftly as an arrowe And where she hath once fastened her howld shee casteth the purse of skynne wherof we spâ—ke before And by drawyng the same togyther soo graspeleth her pray that no mans strength is sufficient to vnloose the same excepte by lyttle and lyttle drawinge the lyne shee bee lyfted sumwhat aboue the brymme of the water For then as sone as she seeth the brightnes of the ayer shee lettethe goo her howlde The praye therfore beinge nowe drawen nere to the brymme of the water Fyssher men there leapeth soodenly owte of the boate into the sea soo manye fysshers as maye suffice to holde faste the praye vntyll the reste of the coompany haue taken it into the boate Which thinge doone they loose soo muche of the cord that the hunting fysshe may ageyne returnâ— to her place with in the water where by an other corde they let downe to her a piece of the praye as we vse to rewarde greyhoundes after they haue kylled theyr game This fysshe they caule GuaicanuÌ„ The fysshe Guaicanum But owre men caule it Reuersum They gaue owre men foure tortoyses taken by this meanes And those of such byggenes that they almoste fylled theyr fysshinge boate For these fysshes are esteemed amonge them for delicate meate Owre men recompensed them ageyne with other rewardes and soo lette them departe Beinge asked of the coompasse of that lande they aunswered that it had no ende westewarde Most instantly defyringe the Admirall to coome alande humaine people or in his name to sende one with theÌ„ to salute their Cazicus that is their kinge Affirmynge that he wolde gyue owre men many presentes yf they wolde goo to hym But the Admiral leaste he shulde bee hyndered of the vyage which he had begunne refused to goo with them Then they desyred to knowe his name and towld owre men lykewyse the name of theyr kyng Thus sayling on yet further euer toward the West within fewe dayes he came nere vnto a certeyne exceding high mouÌ„tayne wel inhabyted by reason of the great fertilitie of the same A mounâ—aine fruitefull and well inhabited Thinhabitauntes of this mountayne browght to owre shippe breade gossampine cotton cunnies and sundry kyndes of wyldfowle demaunâ—ynge relygiously of thinterpretoures if this nation descended not from heauen The kynge of this people and dyuers other sage men that stoode by hym informed hym that that lande was no Ilande Shortly after enteringe into one of the Ilandes beinge on the lefte hande of this lande they fownde no body therin for they fledde al at the commyng of owre men Yet fownde they there fowre dogges of maruelous deformed shape Dogges of strange shape and dumme and suche as coulde not barke This kynd of dogges they eate as we do
fruites were oftentymes ayded he freely pardoned and dismissed Guarionexius and the other kynges kynge Guarionexius is pardoned The people in the meane tyme flocked togyther abowte the towre to the noÌ„ber of fyue thowsande withowte weapons with pytiful houling for the delyueraunce of theyr kynges The ayer thundered the earth trembeled throwgh the vehemencie of theyr owtery The Lieuetenaunt warned Guarionexius and the other kynges with threatenynges with rewardes and with promyses neuer hereafter to attempte any suche thynge Then Guarionexius made an oration to the people of the great power of owre meÌ„ of theyr clemencie towarde offenders and liberalitie to suche as remayne faithfull desyringe them to quiet theyr myndes and from hensefoorth nother in deede nor thowght to interpryse any thynge ageynst the Christians but to obeye serue them excepte they wolde dayly brâ—nge them selues into further calamyties When the oration was fynyshed they tooke hym vp and set hym on theyr shulders and soo caryed hym home to his owne palaice And by this meanes this Region was pacified for a whyle But owre men with heauy countenaunce wandered vppe and downe as desolate in a strange countrey lackinge vytailes Lacke of vytayles and worne owte of apparell wheras .xv. moonethes were nowe passed sence the Admirals departure duringe which tyme they coulde heare nothynge owte of Spayne The Leauetenaunt comforted them all thâ—t he coulde with fayre wordes and promyses In the meane tyme Beuchius Anacauchoa the kynge of the Weste partes of the Region of Xaragua of whom we spake before sente messengers to the Lieuetenaunt to signifye vnto hym Beuchius Anacauchoa the kynge of Xaragua that he hadde in a redynes the gossampine cotton and suche other thinges as he wylled hym to prepare for the paymente of his trybute Whervppon the Lieuetenaunt tooke his iorney thyther and was honorably receaued of the kynge and his syster suÌ„tyme the wyfe of Caunaboa the kynge of Cibaua Queene Anacaona the wife of kynge Caunaboa bearing no lesse rule in the gouernaunce of her brothers kyngedome then he hym selfe For they affirme her to bee a wyse woman of good maners and pleasaunt in company Shee ernestly persuaded her brother by thexample of her husbande to loue and obeye the Christians This woman was cauled Anacanoa He fownde in the palaice of Beuchius Anacauchoa .xxxii. kynges which hadde browght theyr tributes with them xxxâ—i kynges and abode his comminge They browght with them also besyde theyr trybute assigned them further to demerite the fauour of owre men great plentie of vytayles as bothe kyndes of breade cunnyes and fysshes alredy dryed bycause they shulde not putrifie Serpentes also of that kynd which wee sayd to bee esteemed amonge them as most delicate meate Serpentes eaten and lyke vnto Crocodiles sauing in byggenes These serpentes they caule Iuannas which owre men learned sumewhat to late to haue byn engendred in the Ilande For vnto that day none of them durste aduenture to taste of them by reason of theyr horrible deformitie and lothe sumnes Yet the Lieuetenaunt beinge entysed by the pleasantnes of the kynges syster determined to taste of the serpentes But when he felte the fleshe therof to bee so delicate to his tonge he fel too amayne without al feare The which thinge his coompanyons perceauinge were not behynde hym in greedines In soo muche that they hadde nowe none other talke then of the sweetenes of these serpentes which they affyrme to bee of more pleasaunte taste then eyther owre phesauntes or pertriches But they lose theyr taste excepte they bee prepared after a certeyne fasshion as doo peacockes and phesauntes except they bee interlarded beefore they bee rosted They prepare them therefore after this maner The dressing of serpentes to be eaten Fyrst takynge owte theyr bowels euen from the throte to the thyghes they waâ—â—e and rubbe theyr bodies very cleane bothe within and withowte Then rouling them togyther on a cyrcle inuolued after the maner of a slepynge snake they thruste them into a potte of no bygger capacitie then to houlde them only This doone puttinge a lyttle water vnto them with a portion of the Ilande pepper they seethe theÌ„ with a soft fyer of sweete woodde and suche as maketh no greate smoke Of the fat of them beinge thus sodde is made an excedinge pleasaunte brothe or potage They say also that there is no meate to bee compared to the egges of these serpentes Serpentes egges eaten which they vse to seethe by them selues They are good to bee eaten as sone as they are sodde And may also bee reserued many dayes after But hauinge sayde thus muche of theyr intertaynement and daintie fare let vs nowe speake of other matters When the Lieuetenaunt had fylled one of the Ilande howses with the gossampine cotton which he hadde receaued for trybute Gossampine cotton the kynges promysed furthermore to gyue hym as muche of theyr breade as he wolde demaunde He gaue them hartie thankes and gentely accepted their freendly profer In the meane time whyle this breade was gatheringe in sundry Regions to bee browght to the palaice of Beuchius Anacauchoa kynge of Xaragua he sent messengers to Isabella for one of the two carauelles which were lately made there intendinge to sende the same thytâ—er ageyne laden with breade The maryners gladde of these tydynges sayled abowte the Ilande and in short space browght the shippe to the coastes of Xaragua The syster of kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa that wyse and pleasaunt woman Anacaona â—ueene Anacaona the wyfe sumtyme of Caunaboa the kynge of the golden howse of the mountaynes of Cibaua whose husbande dyed in the way when he shulde haue byn caryed into Spayne when shee harde saye that owre shyppe was arryued on the shore of her natiue countrey persuaded the kynge her brother that they bothe myght goo togyther to see it For the place where the shyppe lay was not paste .vi. myles distante from Xaragua They rested all night in the mydde way in a certeyne vyllage in the which was the treasurye or iewell howse of Anâ—caona The treasurie of Queene Anacaona Her treasure was nother goulde syluer or precious stones but only thynges necessary to bee vsed as cheyars stooles settels dysshes potingers pottes pannes basons treyes and suche other howsholde stuffe and instrumentes workemanly made of a certeyne blacke and harde shyninge woodde which that excellent lerned phisition Iohn baptiste Elisius affirmeth to bee hebene hebene woodde What so euer portion of wytte nature hath gyuen to the inhabitantes of these Ilandes the same doth most appeare in these kynde of woorkes in whiche they shewe great arte and cunnyng But those which this woman had were made in the Iland of Guanabba The Ilande of Guanabba situate in the mouth of the weste syde of Hispaniola In these they graue the lyuely Images of such phantasies as they suppose they see walke by night which the Antiquitie cauled Lemures Also the Images
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
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
and runneth downe by the sydes of the mountaynes The lyke is also seene in this famous towne of Valladoleto where we nowe suiorne in a certeyne greene close not past a furlonge distant from the waules of the towne I graunte therfore that in certeyne places by conuersion of the ayrie dewe into water within the caues of suche mountaynes many sprynges and ryuers are engendred But I suppose that nature was not sollicitate to brynge furthe suche greate fluds by this so smaule industry Twoo reasons therfore do sound beste to my iudgement whereof the one is the often faule of rayne The often fal of raâ—ne and contâ—nuall sprynge time The other the continuall autumne or sprynge tyme which is in those regions beinge soo nere vnto the Equinoctial that the common people can perceaue no difference betwene the length of the day and the night throwgh owt al the yeare whereas these two seasons are more apte to engender abundance of rayne then eyther extreme wynter or feruent summer An other reason in effect much lyke vnto the fyrst The Equinocâ—iall is this If the sea bee full of pores and that by the pores therof beinge opened by the Southe windes The pores of the sea the South wynd wee shal consent that vapours are lyfted vp wherof the watery cloudes are engendred this lande must needes bee moysted with moo shoures then anye other yf it bee as narowe as they saye and enuironed with twoo mayne seas collaterally beatinge on the same Howe so euer it be I can not but gyue credit to the report of such worthy men as haue recourse to those regions And can noo lesse then declare the same albeit it may seeme incredible to sume ignorant persons not knowynge the poure of nature to whome Plinie was persuaded that nothynge was impossible Nothinge impossible to the poure of naure Wee haue therfore thought it good to make this discourse by the way of argument least on the one syde men of good lernyng and iudgement and on the other syde suche as are studious to fynde occasions of quarelynge in other mens wrytynges shulde iudge vs to bee so vndescreete lyghtly to gyue creditte to euery tale not beinge consonant to reason But of the force and greate violence of those fresshe waters The cause of the greatnes and force of the goulfe which repulsinge the sea make so greate a goulfe as wee haue sayde I thinke the cause therof to bee the greate multitude of fluddes and ryuers which beinge gathered togither make so great a poole and not one ryuer as they suppose And for as muche as the mountaynes are excedynge hyghe and stiepe hygh and stiepe hylles I thinke the violence of the faule of the waters to be of such force that this conflicte betwene the waters is caused by thimpulsion of the poole that the salte water can not enter into the goulfe But here perhappes sume wyll marueyle at me why I shulde marueyle soo muche hereat speakynge vnto me scornefully after this maner Why dothe he soo marueyle at the greate ryuers of these Regions Hathe not Italye his Eridanus The fludde Eridanus named the kynge of ryuers of the owlde wryters Haue not other regions also the lyke as wee reede of Tanais Tanais Ganges Ganges and Danubius Danubius which are sayde soo to ouercoome the sea that freshe water may bee drawne fortie myles within the fame These menne I woolde satisfie with this answere The famous ryuer of Padus in Italye whiche they nowe caule Po Padus and was of the Greekes cauled Eridanus hath the greate mountaynes cauled Alpes diuidinge Fraunce Alpes Germanie and Pannonie from Italye lyinge at the backe therof as it were bulwarges agger full of moysture And with a longe tracte receauinge Ticinum with innumerable other great ryuers Ticinum fauleth into the sea Adriatike The sea Adriatike sume caule the goâ—lfe of Uenes The lyke is also to bee vnderstode of the other But these ryuers as owre men were enformed by the kynges faul into the Ocean sea with larger and fuller chanels nere hand And sume there are which affirme this lande to bee very large in other places althowgh it bee but narowe here There commeth also to my remembrance an other cause the whiche althowgh it bee of no greate force An other reason yet doo I entende to wryte it Perhappes therfore the length of the lande reachyng far from the Easte to the weste if it bee narowe may bee a helpe hereunto For as wee reade that the ryuer Alpheus passethe through the holowe places vnder the sea from the citie of Elis in Peloponoso The ryuer Alpheus and breaketh foorth at the fountayne or sprynge Arethusa in the Iland of Sicilia Arethusa so is it possible that these mountaynes may haue suche longe caues perteynynge vnto theim Longe caues in the mountaynes that they may be the receptacles of the water passing through the landes beinge farre distante And that the same waters commynge by soo longe a tracte may in the way bee greately encreased by the conuersion of ayer into water as wee haue sayde Thus muche haue I spoken freely permittinge bothe to them whiche doo frendely enterprete other mens doinges and also to the malicious scorners to take the thynge euen as them lysteth For hetherto I can make no further declaration hereof But wheÌ„ the truth shal be better knoweÌ„ I wyl do my diligence to commit the same to wryting Nowe therefore forasmuche as we haue spoken thus muche of the breadth of this land we enteÌ„d to describe the length forme of the same ¶ The tenth booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed Continent THat lande reacheth foorth into the sea euen as doth Italy althowgh not like the legge of a man as it doth The length and forme of the Iland Cap. S. Augusti But I nowe compare a Pigmean or a dwarfe to a giant For that part therof which the Spaniardes haue ouer runne from the sayde Easte poynt which reacheth towarde the sea Atlantike the ende not beinge yet founde towarde the Weste is more then eyght tymes longer then Italye Eyght tymes bygger tâ—en Italy besyde that part whiche the Portugales poâ—sesse Italy is in length a thouâ—and and two hundreth myles and in breadth foure hundreth and ten And by what reason I am moued to say eyght tymes yowre holynes shall vnderstande From the tyme therefore that I fyrste determined to obeye their requestes who wylled me fyrste in yowre name to wryte these thynges in the laten tonge I dyd my endeuoure that al thinges myght coome foorth with dewe tryall and experience Wherupon I repayred to the byshoppe of Burges beinge the chiefe refuge of this nauigation As wee were therfore secretly togyther in one chamber we had many instrumentes perteynynge to these affayres as globes and manye of those mappes which are commonly cauled the shipmans cardes or cardes of the sea Cardes
Carucuiera haue in owre tyme vyolentely taken owte of the sayde Ilande of Sancti Iohannis more then fyue thousande men to bee eaten But let it suffice thus much to haue wandered by these monstrous bludsuckers We wyll nowe therfore speake sumewhat of the rootes whereof they make theyr breade forasmuch as the same shall hereafter bee foode to Christian men in steede of breade made of wheate Breade of rootes and in the steade of radysshe with such other rootes as they haue byn accustomed to eate in Europe We haue oftentymes sayde before that Iucca is a roote whereof the beste and moste delicate breade is made bothe in the firme lande of these regions and also in the Ilandes But howe it is tylled or husbanded howe it groweth and of howe dyuers kyndes it is I haue not yet declared Therefore when they intende to plante this Iucca The maner of plantinge the roote Iucca they make a hole in the earth knee deape and rayse a heape of the earth taken owte of the same fashionynge it lyke a square bedde of nyne foote breadth on euerye syde settynge twelue trunkes of these rootes beinge about a foote and a halfe longe a piece in euery of the sayd beddes conteynynge three rootes of a syde so layde a slope that the endes of them ioyne in maner togyther in the center or myddest of the bedde within the grounde Owt of the ioyntes of the rootes and spaces betwene the same sprynge the toppes and blades of newe rootes which by lyttle and lyttle encreasynge growe to the byggenes and length of a mans arme in the brawne and oftentymes as bygge as the thygh So that by the tyme of theyr full rypenes in maner all the earthe of the heape is conuerted into rootes Earth turned into rootes But they say that these rootes are not rype in lesse tyme then a yeare a halfe And that the longer they are suâ—fered to growe euen vntyll twoo yeares complete they are so muche the better and more perfecte to make breade therof howe breade is made of rootes When they are taken foorthe of the earth they scrape them and slyse theÌ„ with certeyne sharpe stones scruynge for the same purpose And thus layinge theÌ„ betwene two great stones or puttynge them in a sacke made of the stalkes of certeyne towgh herbes and smaule reedes they presse them as we do cheese or crabbes to drawe owte the iuse thereof and so let them drye a daye before they eate them The iuse or lyquoure they cast away for as we haue sayde it is deadly poyson in the Ilandes A straunge thynge Yet is the iuse of suche as growe in the firme lande holsome if it bee sodde as is the whey of owre mylke They saye that there are manye kyndes of this Iucca wherof suâ—e are more pleasaunte and delycate then the other and are therefore reserued as it were to make fine manchet for the kynges owne tables But the gentelmen eate of the meaner sorte and the common people of the basest The fynest they caule Cazabbi Cazabbi which they make rounde lyke cakes in certeyne presses before they seeth it or bake it They saye furthermore that there are lykewyse dyuers kyndes of the rootes of Ages and Battata Ages and Battata But they vse these rather as frutes and dysshes of seruice then to make breade therof as we vse rapes radysshes mussheroms nauies perseneppes and such lyke In this case they mooste especially esteeme the best kynde of Battatas which in pleasant tast and tendernes farre exceadeth owre musheromes It shal suffice to haue sayde thus muche of rootes Panicum is a grayne sumewhat lyke 〈◊〉 The Italians caule it Meâ—â—ca We wyll nowe therfore speake of an other kynde of theyr breade We declared before that they haue a kynde of grayne or pulse muche lyke vnto Panicum but with sumwhrt bygger graines which they beate into meale vppon certeyne greate hollowe stones with the labour of their handes when they lacke Iucca And of this is made the more vulgar or common breade It is sowen thrise a yeare so that the frutfulnesse of the grounde may beare it by reason of the equalitie of the tyme whereof wee haue spoken suffyciently before he meanethe the equall length of day and nyght which iâ— continually in regions vnder the Equinoctial lyne In these regyons they founde also the graine of Maizium Maizium and sundry kyndes of frutes of trees diligentely planted and well husbanded The waye betwene the regyons of Caramairi and Saturma is fayre brode and ryghte foorthe They founde here also sundrye kyndes of waterpottes made of earthe of dyuers colours Earth of dyuers colours in the whiche they bothe fetche and keepe freshe water Lykewise sundry kindes of iugges godderdes drynkyng cuppes pottes pannes dysshes and platters artifycially made When the gouernour had gyuen commaundement by proclamation that thinhabitantes shulde eyther obey the Christian kynge and embrase owre relygion or elles to depart owte of their countrey they answered with venemous arrowes In this skyrmyshe owre men tooke summe of theym whereof clothynge the moste parte in faire apparell they sente them ageyne to their owne coompany But leadyng the resydue to the shyppes to thinâ—ent to shewe them the poure and magnyfycence of the christians that they myght declare the same to their coompanions therby to wynne their fauour they appareled them lykewyse and sente them after their felowes Theye affyrme that in all the ryuers of these coastes theye sawe great argumentes and tokens of golde Golde in ryuers They founde here and there in their houses good store of hartes flesshe and bores fleshe wherwith they fedde them selues dilycately hartes and bores They also haue greate plentie of sundry kyndes of byrdes and foules Foules wherof they brynge vppe many in their houses summe for necessarye foode and other for daynty dysshes as we do hennes and partriches Owre men hereby coniecture that the ayer of these regions is veary holsome holsome ayer for as muche as sleapynge all nyghte vnder the fyrmament on the bankes of the ryuers none of them were at any tyme offended with reumes or heade ache by reason of any noysome humoure or vapoure proceadynge from the earthe ayer or water Owre men furthermore founde there many great bothomes of gossampyne cotton ready spunue and fardelles of dyuers kyndes of fethers wherof they make them selueâ— crestes and plumes Gossampine cotton Fethers after the maner of owre men of armes also certeine clokes whiche they esteeme as moste cumly ornamentes They founde lykewyse an innumerable multitude of bowes and arrowes Bowes and arâ—owes Thinhabitantes also of these regioÌ„s in summe places vse to burne the carkeses of their prynces when theye are deade and to reserue their bones buryed with spyces in certeyne hylles Deade bodies reserued In other places they onely drye theym and imbaume them with spycâ—s and sweete gummes and soo reserue them in
of the motions of the Ocean sea to and fro this shal suffyce Let vs now therfore reherse what they write of Dariena of their habitation there which they caule Sancta Maria Antiqua Sancta Maria Antiqua the fyâ—st habitation of the spaniardes in the fyrme lande planted on the sea bankes of Dariena The situation of the place hath no natural munition or defense And the ayer is more pestiferous then in Sardus Sardus the Ilande of Sardinia The Spanyshe inhabitours are all pale yelowe lyke vnto them that haue the yelowe gianndyes Whiche neuerthelesse commeth not of the nature of the region as it is situate vnder the heauen For in many regyons beyng vnder the selfe same degree of latitude hauyng the pole of the same eleuation The variety of regions lynge vnder one paralel they fynd holsome temperate ayer in such places where as the earth bryngeth forth fayre sprynges of water or where holsome ryuers runne by bankes of pure earthe without mudde but moste especyally where they inhabyte the sydes of the hylles and not the valleyes But that habytation whiche is on the bankes of the ryuer of Dariena is sytuate in a deepe valley and enuironed on euery syde with hyghe hylles By reason wherof it receaueth the soonne beames at noonetyde directly perpenticular ouer their heades and are therfore sore vexed by reflection of the beames bothe before behynde and from the sydes For it is the reflection of the soonne beames whiche causeth feruente heate By what meanes the â—onne beames are cauâ—e of feruent heate â–ª and not their accesse or nerenesse to the earth Forasmuche as they are not passyble in them selues as dothe manyfestly appeare by the snowe lyinge contynually vnmolten vpon certeyne hygh montaynes as yowre holynesse knoweth ryghte well The soonne beames therfore faulyng on the montaynes are reflected downewarde into the valley by reason of thobiecte of the declynynge sydes of the hylles as it were the faule of a greate rounde stoone rowled frome the toppe of a montayne The valley therfore receaueth both those beames whiche faule directly theron and also those whiche are reflected downwarde from euery syde of the montaynes Their habitation therfore in Dariena The pernicious ayer of Darienâ— is pernicious and vnholsome onely of the particular nature of the place not by the sytuation of the regyon as it is placed vnder the heauen or â—â—eare to the soonne The place is also contagious by the nature of the soyle by reason it is coompased aboute with muddy and stynkynge marysshes thinfection wherof is not a lyttle encreased by the heate The vyllage it selfe is in a maryshe and in maner a standynge puddle where of the droppes faulyng from the handes of the bond men whyle they water the pauementes of their houses Toades and flees engendered of droppes of water toades are engendered immediately as I my selfe sawe in an other place the droppes of that water turne into flees in the soomer season Furthermore where so euer they dygge the grounde the deapthe of a handefull and a halfe there springeth owte vnholsome and corrupte water of the nature of the ryuer which runneth through the deepe muddy chanel of the valley and so fauleth into the sea Now therfore they consulte of remouyng their habytation Necessytie caused them fyrst to fasten their foote heare Necessytie hath no â—awâ— bycause that they whiche fyrst arryued in those landes were oppressed with suche vrgente hunger that they had no respecte to chaunge the place althoughe they were thus vexed by the contagion of the soyle and heate of the soonne besyde the corrupte water and infectious ayer by reason of venemous vapours and exhalations rysynge from the same An other great incommoditie was that the place was destitute of a commodious hauen beynge three leaques distante from the mouthe of the goulfe The waye is also roughe and diffyculte to brynge vyttayles and other necessaries from the sea But lette vs nowe speake sumwhat of other particular thynges whiche chaunsed Therfore shortly after that they weare arryued there happened many thynges wherof they had no knowledge before A certayne well learned phisytion of Ciuile whome partely thautorytie of the bysshoppe of Dariena and partely the desyre of golde had allured to those landes was so scarred with lyghtnynge in the nyghte season lyinge in bedde with his wyfe that the house and all the stuffe therin beynge sette on fyer and burnte A houâ—e sette on fyer with lyghtnynge he and his wyfe beynge bothe soore scorched ranne foorthe cryinge and almoste naked hardely escapynge the daunger of deathe At an other tyme as certayne of them stoode on the shoore a great Crocodyle sodenly caryed awaye a masty of a yeare and a halfe owlde A dogge deuoured of a crocodyle as a kyte shulde haue snatched vppe a chicken Tanquam canis e Nilo And this euen in the presence of theym all where the myserable dogge cryed in vayne for the helpe of his mayster In the nighte season they were tormented with the bytynge of battes whiche are there soo noysome that if they byte any man in his sleape The byting of battes they putte hym in daunger of lyfe onely with drawynge of bludde In so muche that summe haue dyed therof faulynge as it were into a consumption through the malyciousnesse of the venemous wounde If these battes chaunce to fynde a cocke or a henne abrode in the nyght season they byte them by the combes and so kyll them They also whiche wente laste into these regions do wryte that the lande is troubeled with Crocodyles Lyons and Tigers Lyons and tygers But that they haue nowe deuised artes and ingens howe to take them Lykewyse that in the houses of their felowes they founde the hydes and cases of suche Lyons and Tygers as they had kylled They wryte furthermore that by reason of the rankenesse and frutefulnesse of the grounde kyne swyne and horses doo maruelously increase in these regions and growe to a muche bygger quantitie then they whiche weare of the first broode Beastes wer bygger in theâ—r kynde Of the excedynge hyghnesse of the trees with their fruites of the garden herbes fruites plantes and seedes whiche owre men broughte from Spayne and sowed and set the same in these regyons lykewyse of the hertes and other foure footed beastes bothe tame and wylde also of dyuers kyndes of foules byrdes and fysshes they write euen as we haue declared in the decades before Careta the kynge of the regyon of Cioba how the gouernour enterteyned kyng Careta was with them for the space of three dayes whome when they had frendly enterteyned and shewed hym the secreate places of their shyppes their horses also with their trappars bardes and other furnimentes besyde many other thinges whiche seemed straunge to hym and had further delited his mynd with the harmony of their musycall instrumentes and gyuen hym many rewardes they dysmyssed hym halfe amased
or kyne they compare them in bignesse to elephantes and swyne to mules Oxen and swyne of exceadyng bygnesse But this sumwhat by an excessyue kynde of speache Wee haue also made mention how their swynes flesshe is more sauourye and of farre better and more pleasaunte taste and more holsome then owres by reason they are fedde with the frutes of Myrobalane trees Swyne fed with Myrobalanes and other pleasaunte and nurysshynge fruites of that contrey whiche growe there of them selues as do with vs beeches holly okes Uynes woolde also prosper there with maruelous encrease Uines if they had any regard to the plantinge therof The lyke encrease commeth of wheate if it be sowen vppon the mountaynes where the colde is of sume strength wheate but not in the playnes by reason of to much fatnes and rankenes of the grownde It is in maner incredible to heare that an eare of wheate shuld bee bygger then a mans arme in the brawne An eare of wheate as byg as a maÌ„s arme in the brawne and more then a spanne in length bearynge also more then a thousande graynes as they all confesse with one voyce and ernesâ—ly affirme the same with othes Yet they say the bread of the Ilande cauled Cazabbi made of the roote of Iucca The bread of the Ilande to bee more holsome because it is of easyer digestion and is cultured with lesse labour and greater increase The residue of the tyme which they spende not en settynge and plantynge they bestowe in gatheringe of golde Golde They haue nowe suche plentie of foure footed beasts Great plentie of cattayle that horses and oxe hydes with sheepe skynnes and goate skyns and such other are brought from thense into Spayne So that nowe the doughter in many thynges helpeth and succurreth her mother Of the trees of brasile Brasile spices the graine which coloureth scarlet in bright shinynge redde mastix Mastyx gossampine cotton Gossampine the precious metall cauled Electrum Electrum and such other commodities of this Ilande we haue spoken sufficiently before What therefore can chaunce more happy vnto man vpon the earth then there to lyue where he neede not to bee dryuen to close chaumbers with sharpe coulde or fayntynge heate Incommodities of intemperat regioÌ„s Nor yet in wynter eyther to bee laden with heauy apparell or to burne the shinnes with continual syttyng at the fyer which thynges make men oulde in short tyme by resoluinge the natural heate wher of a thousande diseases insue holsome ayer and water They also affirme the ayer to bee very healthfull and the waters of the ryuers to bee no lesse holsome as they whiche haue theyr continuall course through the earth of the golden mynes Golde euery where For there is in maner no ryuer no mountaynes and but fewe playnes that are vtterly without golde But let vs nowe at the length coome to the particular description of the inner partes of this blessed Ilande The description of the inner partes of â—he Ilande We haue before declared howe it is in maner equally diuided with foure greate ryuers descendynge frome hygh mountaynes wherof that which runneth towarde the East is cauled Iunna as that towarde the West is named Attibunicus The thyrde is Naiba or Haiba which runneth Southwarde The fourth is cauled Iache and fauleth towarde the North. But this shippe master hath brought an other description obserued of thinhabitantes from the begynnynge Let vs therfore diuide the hole Ilande into fiue partes caulynge the regions of euery prouince by theyr owlde names and fynally make mention of suche thynges as are woorthye memory in euery of them The begynninge of the Ilande on the East syde is conteyned in the prouince named Caizcimu so named for that in theyr language Cimu signifieth the front or begynnynge of any thynge After this foloweth the prouince of Huhabo and then Caihabo The fourth is Bainoa Guaccaiarima conteyneth the west corner But the last saue one Bainoa is of larger boundes then the three other Caizcimu reachethe from the fyrst fronte of the Ilande to the ryuer Hozama whiche runneth by the citie of saynt Dominicke The citie of s. Dominicke But towarde the North syde it is ended at the rough mountaynes of Haiti The mountaynes of haiti Huhabo is included within the mountaynes Haiti and the ryuer Iaciga Caeiabo the thyrde prouince conteyneth all that lyeth betwene Cubaho and Dahatio euen vnto the mouth of the ryuer of Iaccha or Iache one of the foure which diuide the Ilande equally and ascendethe to the mountaynes of Cibaua The mountaynes of Cibaua where the greateste plentie of golde is founde Owte of the which also the ryuer Demahus springeth and ioynynge with the springes of the ryuer of Naiba being an other of the foure which diuideth the Ilande towarde the south sea fauleth to an other banke of the ryuer of saynt Dominicke Bainoa begynneth at the confines of Caiabi and reacheth euen vnto the Ilande of Cahini which lieth neare vnto the sea bankes of the north syde of the Ilande where wee sayde that they erected the fyrst colonie or habitacion The Ilande of Cahini The prouince of Guaccaiarima Of prouinces diuided into regionâ— occupieth the remanent towarde the west This they named Guaccaiarima bycause it is the extreme or vttermost parte of the Ilande For Iarima in theyr language signifieth the tayle or ende of any thynge And Gua is an article whiche they vse often tymes in the names of thynges And especially in the names of theyr kynges as Guarionexius and Guaccanarillus In the prouince of Caizimu are these regions Higuei Guanama Reyre Xagua Aramana Arabo Hazoa Macorix Caiacoa Guaiagua Baguanimabo and the rough mountaynes of Haiti Here let vs speake sumewhat of theyr aspirations which they vse otherwyse then the Latins doo Of theyr aspirations It is to bee noted that there is no aspiration in theyr vowels which hath not theffecte of a consonant So that they pronounce theyr aspirations more vehemently then wee do the consonant f Ye all suche woordes as in their tonge are aspirate are pronounced with lyke breath and spirite as is f sauing that herein the neather lyppe is not moued to thuppermost teethe With open mouthes and shakynge theyr brestes they breath out these aspirations ha he hi ho hu as the Hebrewes and Arabians are accustomed to pronounce theyrs The pronunciation of the hebrewes Arabians I fynde also that the Spanyardes vse the lyke vehemence in the aspirations of those woordes whiche they haue receaued of the Moores Arabians which possessed Spaine The Moores and ArabiaÌ„s possessed Spayne and continued there many yeares As in these woordes Almo hadda whiche signifieth a pyllowe or bolster Also Almohaza that is a horse combe with dyuers such other woordes whiche they speake in maner with panting brestes and vehement spirite I haue thought it good to reherse these thynges bycause
they take this with them to begyn with all vntyl Tuyra who maketh them all these fayre promisses prouyde them of greater quantitie This haue I my selfe sene in the toppe of the mountaynes of Guaturo where hauynge in pryson the kynge of that prouince who rebelled from thobedience of yowre maiestie and demaundynge of hym to whom perteyned those sepultures or graues whiche I sawe in his houâ—e he answered that they were of certeyne Indians whiche â—â—ewe them selues at the death of his father And bycause they are oftentymes accustomed to burye greate quantities of wrought golde with them I caused twoo graues to bee opened wherein was nothynge founde but a vessell full of the grayne of Maizium and a bundell of Iucca as I haue sayde And demaundyng the cause hereof of the kinge and the other Indians they aunswered that they that were buryed there were the labourers of the grounde and men skylful in sowynge of seedes and makynge of breade and seruauntes to the kynges father And to th ende that theyr soules shoulde not dye with theyr bodyes they slewe them selues at the deathe of the kynge theyr master to lyue with hym in heauen And to thintent that they myght seene him there in the same office they reserued that Maizium and Iucca to sowe it in heauen Wherunto I aunswered them in this maner Beholde howe your Tuyra deceaueth yowe And howe all that he teacheth yow is false Yowe see how in so long a tyme sence they are deade they haue not yet taken awaye this Maizium and Iucca which is nowe putrified and woorth nothynge and not lyke to bee sowen in heauen To this the kynge replyed sayinge In that they haue not taken it away nor sowen it in heauen the cause is that they chaunced to fynde enowgh there by reason wherof they had no neade of this To this errour manye thynges were sayde which seemed of lyttle force to remoue hym from his false opinion and especially any such as at that age are occupyed of the deuyll whom they paynt of the selfe same forme and coloure as he appereth vnto theym in dyuers shapes and formes They make also Images of golde copper and woodde to the same similitudes in terrible shapes and so variable as the paynters are accustomed to paynt them at the feete of saynte Mychaell tharchangell or in anye other place where they paynt them of most horrible portiture Lykewyse when the deuyll greatly intendeth to feare theym he threteneth to sende them great tempestes which they caule Fuâ—acanas or Haurachanas and are so vehement that they ouerthrowe many howses and great trees And I haue seene in montaynes full of many and greate trees thâ—t for the space of three quarters of a league the mâ—untayne hathe byn subuerted and the trees ouerâ—hrowen and plucked owte of the earthe with the rootes a thynge doubtelesse so fearefull and terryble to behold that it may verely appere to be doen by the hand of the deuyll And in this case the Christian men ought to consider with good reason that in al places where the holy sacrament is reserued the sayd tempestes are no more so owtragious or so perelous as they were wonte to bee ¶ Of the temperature of the regions vnder or neare to the burnt lyue cauled Torrida zona or the Equinoctiall and of the dyuers seasons of the yeare THe landes and regions that are neare about the clymes of the Equinoctiall lyne are naturally hotte althowghe they bee otherwise temperate by the diuine prouidence And therfore suche flesshe or fyshe as is taken and kylled in these regions can not bee preserued from putrefaction except it be tosted sodden or perboylde the same daye that it is kylde And wheras I haue sayde that such regions are naturally hot and yet temperate by the prouidence of god it is so in deede And therfore not without cause the auncient autours were of opinion that the burnte lyne or Torrida zona where passeth the lyne of the Equinoctiall shulde be vnhabitable by reason the soonne hath greater dominion in that place then in any other of the sphere remaynynge continually betwene the two tropykes of Cancer and Capricorne For when in these regions the earth is opened or dygged froÌ„ the superficial parte therof to the depth of a mans heyght it is founde temperate And within this space the trees and plantes fasten and spreade their rootes and no dieper Extendynge the same as farre in breadth in the ground as do theâ—r braunches in the ayer And enter no dieper into the grounde then I haue sayde bycause that beneth the depth of the said space of a mans heyght the earth is verye hotte the vppâ—r parte beinge temperate and verye moyste aswell by reason of thaboundaunce of water whiche fauleth from heauen vppon that earth at certeyne ordinarie seasons of the yeare as also for the multitude of great ryuers brokes sprynges and marysshes wherby the myghtie and supreme lorde which made theâ—e landes hath moste prudently prouyded for the preseruation of the same R. E. As touchynge this poynt whiche was vnknowen to the owlde wryters and withowt consideration wherof reaâ—on can not perfectly conceaue howe temperate regione shulde be vnder the Equinoctiall lyne I haue thought good for the better manifestynge of this â—ecreate woorke of nature to note owte of Cardanus his booke de Elementis howe all waters haue theyr courâ—e toward the South as to the lowest part of the earth he wayteth therefore as foloweth The water was made of lesse quantitie then the earth and only in maner in the superficiall parte therof that place might bee lefte for the habitation of beastes and that water by his couldnesse myght temperate and not destroy the lyfe of beastes And bicause this generation of lyuynge creatures was only necessary on the superficiall partes of the earth in comparison to the hole therfore was the water made to occupie onely the superficiall parte in the which metals plantes beastes and fysshes shulde bee nuryshed And bycause there was great perell least it shulde be to much conâ—umed by the ayer and heate of the soonne continuall mouinge was ioyned to it wherby it gathereth couâ—denes and is preserued from sodeyne resolution For suche waters as doo not moue â–ª doo soone putrifie and are easely resolued into ayer By reason wherof nature prouyded for the generation of water in couâ—de places as vnder the coles and mountaynes And whereas the earth vnder the Equinoctiall shuâ—de otherwiâ—e for lacke of moyster haue bin to much burned and scorched â–ª nature also prouyded that that parte of the earth shulde bee lowest by reason whâ—reof all waters haue theyr course towarde the South to mitigate with moyster thextremitie of heate which otherwise shulde haue byn intollerable in that câ—yme And by this reason the famous ryuer of Nilus in Egypte albeit it haue his originall and â—prynge owt of the mountaynes of the mone cauled Montes Lunae nere vnto the cyrcle of Capricoâ—ne yet runnynge with all his braunches vnder and
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
houres to syxe houres so that when it increaseth the water of the sea arryueth so neare to the houses of Panama as doth owre sea cauled Mare Mediteraneum in Barzalona or in Naples And when the sayd increasyng of the sea commeth there commeth also therwith such a multitude of the smaule fysshes cauled sardynes that it is so marueylous a thynge to beholde that no man wolde beleue it that hath not seene it In so much that the Cacique that is the kynge of that land at such tyme as I dwelt there was bounde dayly as he was commaunded by yowre maiesties gouernour to brynge ordynaryly three canoas or barkes full of the sayde sardynes and to vnlade the same in the markette place whiche were afterwarde by the ruler of the citie diuyded amonge the Christian men without any coste or charge to any of them In so much that yf the people had bin a much greater multitude then they were and as many as are at this presente in Toledo or more and had none other thynge to lyue by they myght haue byn sufficiently susteyned by these sardynes bysyde thouerplus which shulde haue remayned But to returne to the foules wherof we haue spoken As the sea commeth and the sardynes with the same euen so lykewyse coome the sayde Alcatrazzi therwith and flye continually ouer it in suche a multytude that they appeare to couer thupper parte or floure of the water And thus continue in mountynge and faulynge from the ayer to the water and from the water to the ayer durynge all the tyme of theyr fysshynge And as soone as they haue taken any of these sardynes they flye aboue the water and eate them incontinently and suddeynly returne ageyne to the water for more continuing thus course by course with owt ceasynge In lyke maner when the sea fauleth they folowe there fysshynge as I haue sayde There goethe also in the company of these foules an other kynde of foules cauled Coda inforcata that is the forked tayle whereof I haue made mention before And as soone as the Alcatraz mounteth from the water with her pray of the sardynes suddeynly this Coda inforcata gyueth her so many strokes and so persecuteth her that shee causeth her to let faule the sardynes which shee hath in her mouth The which as soone as they are faulne and before they yet touch the water the Coda inforcata catcheth them euen in the faule in suche sorte that it is a great pleasure to beholde the combatte betwene them all the daye longe The number of these Alcatrazzi is such that the Chrystian mennâ— are accustomed to send to certeyne Ilandes and rockes which are neare abowte Panama with theyr boates or barkes to takâ— these Alcatrazzi whyle they are yet younge and can not flye and kyll as many of them with staues as they wyll vntyll they haue therwith laden theyr barkes or canoas These younge ones are so fatte and wel fedde that they can not bee eaten And are taken for none other intent but only to make grease for candels to burne in the nyght for the whiche purpose it serueth very well and gyueth a cleare lyght and burneth easely After this maner and for this purpose innumerable of them are kylde And yet it seemeth that the number of them that fysshe for sardynes doo dayly increase There are other foules cauled Passere sempie Pâ—ssere sempie that is simple sparowes These are sumwhat lesse then semewes and haue theyr fiete lyke vnto great malardes And stande in the water sumtymes And when the shyppes sayle fyftie or a hundreth leaques abowte the Ilandes these foules beholdynge the shyppes commyng towarde them breake theyr flyght and faule downe vpon the sayle yardes mastes and cables therof And are so simple and folyshe that they tary vntyll they maye easely be taken with mens handes and were therefore cauled of the maryners simple sparowes They are blacke and vppon their blacke haue theyr headde and shoulders of fethers of a darke russet coloure They are not good to bee eaten althowgh the mariners haue sumtimes bin inforced to eate theÌ„ There is an other kynde of byrdes in the fyrme lande which the Christians caule Picuti Picuti bycause they haue very great beakes in respecte of the lyttlenesse of theyr boddies For theyr beakes are very heauy and waye more then theyr hole boddyes bysyde These byrdes are no bygger then quayles but haue a much greater bushement of fethers in so much that theyr fethers are more then theyr boddies Theyr fethers are very fayre and of many variable coloures Theyr beakes are a quarter of a yarde in length or more and bendynge downe towarde the earthe and three fyngers brode neare vnto the heade Theyr tonges are very quilles wherwith they make a greate hyssynge They make holes in trees with theyr beakes in the which they make theyr nestes And surely these byrdes are maruelous to beholde for the great difference whiche they haue from all other byrdes that I haue seene aswel for theyr toonges which are quylles as I haue sayde as also for the strangenesse of theyr syght and disproportion of their greate beakes in respect of the rest of theyr boddies There are no byrdes founde that prouyde better for the safegarde of theyr younge in the tyme of theyr breedynge to bee withowte daunger of wylde cattes that they enter not into theyr nestes to destroye theyr egges or younge And this aswell by the straunge maner of buyldyng theyr nestes as also by theyr owne defence And therfore when they perceaue that the cattes approche towarde them they enteâ— into theyr nestes and holdynge theyr beakes towarde thenteraunce of the same stande at theyr defence and so vexe the cattes that they cause them to leaue theyr enterpryse There are also other byrdes of sparowes whiche the Christians by contrary effect caule Matti that is fooles Wheras neuerthelesse there is no byrde that sheweth more wyt and crafte in defendynge her younge from perell Folysshe sparowes These byrdes are lyttle and in maner blacke and sumewhat bygger then owre thrusshes They haue certeyne whyte fethers in theyr neckes and the lyke sagacitie or sharpenes of sense as haue the byrdes or pyes cauled Gazzuole They seldome tymes light vppon the earth They make theyr nestes in trees separated from other bycause the wylde cattes cauled Mammoni are accustomed to leape frome tree to tree not descendynge to the grounde for feare of other beastes excepte when they are enforced by thyrste to coomme downe to drynke at suche tymes as they are sure not to bee molested And for this cause doo not these byrdes make theyr nestes but in trees farre diuyded from other They make them of a cubette in length or more after the maner of bagges or lyttle sackes large at the bottome and growynge narower and narower towarde the mouth whereby they are fastened hauynge the hole whereat they enter into the sacke of such byggenes as may onely suffice to reâ—eaue them And to th
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
trewe reason of the number tawght by the owlde autours And by this demonstration it is manifest that wee measured the fourth parte of the worlde Forasmuch as we that dwell in Lisbona on this syde the Equinoctial line abowt .xl. degrees towarde the Northe sayled frome thense lxxxx degrees in lengthe meridionale angularly by an ouerthwart line to thinhabitantes .l. degrees beyond the Equinoctiall And that the thynge may bee more playnely vnderstode imagine a parpendicular line to faule from the poyntes of heauen which are Zenith that is the pricke ouer the head to vs both standynge vpryght in the places of owre owne habitacions and an other ryght line to bee drawne frome owre Zenith to theyrs Zâ—nith Then grauntynge vs to bee in the ryght line in comparyson to them it must of necessitie folowe that they are in the ouerthwart line as halfe Antipodes in comparyson to vs In suche sorte that the figure of the sayde lines make a triangle which is the quarter or fourth parte of the hole circle as appeareth more playnely by the fygure here folowynge As touchyng the starres and reasons of Cosmographie I haue gathered thus much owt of the vyage of Americus Uesputius And haue thought good to ioyne hereunto that whiche Andreas de Corsali writeth in his vyage to East India as concernynge the same matter The vyage of Andreas de Corsali After that we departed frome Lisbona wee sayled euer with prosperous wynde not passynge owt of the Southeast and Southwest And passyng beyonde the Equinoctial line The Equinoctial line we were in the heyght of .37 degrees of the other halfe circle of the earth And trauersynge the cape of Bona Speranza a coulde and wyndy clime bycause at that tyme the soonne was in the north signes Cap. de Speranza wee founde the nyght of .xiiii. houres Here we sawe a marueylous order of starres so that in the parte of heauen contrary to owre northe pole The starres of the vnder hemispherie to knowe in what place and degree the south pole was we tooke the day with the soonne and obserued the nyght with the Astrolabie and sawe manifestly twoo clowdes of reasonable bygnesse mouynge abowt the place of the pole continually nowe rysynge and nowe faulynge Cloudes abowt the south pole so keepynge theyr continuall course in circular mouynge with a starre euer in the myddest which is turned abowt with them abowte .xi. degrees frome the pole Aboue these appeareth a marueylous crosse in the mydddest of fyue notable starres which compasse it abowt as doth charles wayne the northe pole with other starres whiche moue with them abowt .xxx. degrees distant from the pole A crosse of fyue starres and make their course in .xxiiii. houres This crosse is so fayre and bewtiful that none other heuenly signe may be compared to it as may appeare by this fygure A. The pole Antartike B. The Crosse. Hetherto Andreas de Corsali OF the lyke matters and of the straunge rysynge of the soonne in the mornynge and of the dyuers seasons of the yeare and motions of the Elementes in the coaste of Ethiope abowt the ryuer of Senega The coastes of Ethiope and the riche region of Gambra where plentie of golde is founde Golde â—n Ethâ—ope sumewhat beyonde Capo Uerde Aloisius Cadamustus wryteth in this effecte Durynge the tyme that wee remayned vppon the mouth of the ryuer The vyage of Aloisius Cadamustus we sawe the north starre but once which appered very lowe aboue the sea the height of a iauelen We saw also syxe cleare bryght and great starres verye lowe aboue the sea And considerynge theyr stations with owre coompasse The chariote of the south pole we founde them to stande ryght south fygured in this maner WE iudged them to bee the chariotte or wayne of the south But we sawe not the principall starre as we coulde not by good reason except we shuld first lose the syght of the north pole In this place wee founde the nyght of the length of a .xi. houres and a halfe And the day of .xii. houres and a halfe at the begynnynge of Iuly This countrey is euer hotte al times of the yeare Yet is there a certeyne varietie which they caule wynter The wynter abowt the Equinoctiall For from the moneth of Iuly to October it rayneth continually in maner dayly abowt none after this sorte There ryse continually certeyne clowdes aboue the lande betwene the northeast and the south east Raine and clowdes or from the east and southeast with greate thunderynge and lyghtnynge and exceadynge great showers of raine At this tyme the Ethâ—opians begynne to sowe theyr seedes Thunder lyghtnynge They lyue commonly with hony herbes rootes flesshe and mylke I had also intelligence that in this region by reason of the great heate of the ayer the water that raineth in hotte hot showres of rayne And that the soonne rysynge in the mornynge makethe no cleare daylyght as it dooth with vs But that halfe an houre after the rysynâ—e it appeareth troubeled dymme and smoky The whiche thynge The day and rysynge of tâ—e soâ—â—ne I knowe not to proceade of any other cause then of the lowenesse of the grounde in this contrey beinge without mountaynes ¶ A discourse of dyuers vyages and wayes by the whiche Spices Precious stones and golde were brought in owlde tyme from India into Europe and other partes of the world Also of the vyage to CATHAY and East India by the north sea And of certeyne secreates touchynge the same vyage declared by the duke of Moscouie his ambassadoure to an excellent lerned gentelman of Italie named Galeatius Butrigarius Lykewyse of the vyages of that woorthy owlde man Sebastian Cabote yet liuynge in Englande and at this present the gouernour of the coompany of the marchantes of Cathay in the citie of London IT is doubtlesse a marueylous thynge to consyder what chaunges and alterations were caused in all the Romane Empire by the Gothes and Uandales The romaine empyre and other Barbarians into Italy For by theyr inuasions were extinguyshed all artes and sciences and all trades of Marchaundies that were vsed in dyuers partes of the worlde The desolation and ignoraunce which insued hereof continued as it were a clowde of perpetuall darkenesse amonge men for the space of foure hundreth yeares and more iiii hundreth yeares of ignoraunce in so much that none durst aduenture to go any whyther owt of theyr owne natiue countreys whereas before thincursions of the sayde Barbarians when the Romane Empire florysshed they might safly passe the seas to al partes of East India which was at that time as wel knowen and frequented as it is nowe by the nauigations of the Portugales Easte India well knowen in owld time And that this is trewe it is manifest by that which Strabo wryteth Strabo who was in the tyme of Augustus and Tiberius For speakynge of the greatnesse and ryches of
salt water and fresshe wheras for the same cause the goulfe of Gothland is frosen bycause it is streyght narow in the whiche also the lyttle quantitie of salt water is ouercoome by the abundance of fresshe water of many and greate ryuers that faule into the goulfe But betwene Norwaye and Islande The sea betwene Norway and Islande the sea is not frosen for the contrary cause forasmuch as the poure of fresshe water is there ouercomme of thabundance of the salte water There is a fame but of vncerteyne autoritie that the Spanyardes sayle at this presente to Gronlande and to an other lande which they caule Terra viridis Terra Viridis that is the greene lande bringynge from thense suche wares as are founde in Gronlande Towarde the north it reacheth to the vnknowen lande vnder the pole from whense also the theues and robbers of thâ— Pigmei coomme into this lande Pigme Whiche is an argument that the regions vnder the pole are inhabited and almost enuironed with the sea as are they whiche the Cosmographers caule Chersonnesi or Peninsula that is almost Ilandes ☞ The description of Gronlande ¶ The description of the East syde whiche lyeth towarde Norway Wardhus castell 54.  70. 50. Towarde the North. 53. 30. 71. 30. The fyrst extention 40.  71. 40. The seconde extention 28.  72.  Huitsarch promont 22.  67.  The extention 5.  61. 45. It is continued from thense by the coastes of the lande of Baccallaos Baccalaos 356. 60. Towarde the west and north it is termined with an vnknowen ende of landes and seas Islande ISlande is interpreted the lande of Ise and is cauled of the owlde wryters Tâ—yle Island cauled Thyle It is extended betwene the south and the north almost two hundreth schoenes in longitude Schoeni is lx furlonges It is for the most part full of mountaynes and vncultured But in the playnes it hath suche frutefull pastures that they are fayne sumtymes to dryue the beastes from thâ—ir feedynge least they shulde bee suffocate with to much faâ—nes Miracles of nature in Islande This Iland is famous by the strange miracles of natuâ—e of the which Saxo Grammaticus in his hystorie of Denmarke and Olanus Gothus in his description of the nâ—râ—h landes doo make mention There are in it three mountaynes of marueylous height the toppes where of are couered with perpetuall snowe Three maruelous mountaynes But the nether partes of them are of lyke nature to the mountayne Etna in the Ilande of Sicilie boyling with continuall flames of fyre and castynge furth brymstone One of these is named Helga helgate and the other Mons Cruciâ— that le the mounte of the crosse The thyrde is named Hecla hecla whose flames neyther consume flare or rowe matters moste apte to take syre nor yet are quenched with water And with lyke force as the shotte of great artillerie is driuen furth by violence of fyre euen so by the commixtion and repugnaunce of fyre coulde and brymstome greate stones are here throwne into the ayer Nere vnto these mostraynes are three chynkes or open places in the earthe of houge byggenesse and suche depth eâ—pecially at the mounte Hecla that no syght can attayne therto Straunge vilions But to such as looke into them there fyrst appeare men as thowgh they were drowned and yet breathyng furth theyr sowles who beinge exhorted by theyr frendes to resorte to theyr owne they aunswere with moornynge voyce and greuous syghes that they must departe frome thense to the mount Hecla and therwith suddeynly vanysshe owte of syght I se floweth abowt the Ilande for the space of seuen or eyght moonethes Ise. makynge by runnynge togyther a certeyne miserable waylinge and gronynge noyse not vnlyke the voyce of man Purgatory Thinhabitauntes thynke that in this Ise the mounte Hecla A straunge thynge are the places where the euyll soules of theyr people are tormented If any man take a greate portion of this Ise and kepe it as diligently as may bee in a close vessell or cofer the same dooth so vanysshe at the tyme when the other I se abowt the Ilande dissolueth that not so much as one droppe of water or Ise can therof bee founde Not farre from these mountaynes reachynge toward the sea coastes are foure sprynges of water of moste diuers and contrary nature Four springs of contrary nature The fyrste by reason of his perpetuall and feruente heate suddeynely turneth all bodies that are caste therin into stones reseruynge neuerthelesse theyr fyrst forme and shape The seconde is of intollerable couldenesse The thyrde is sweeter then hony and most pleasaunte to quenche thyrst The fourth is playne poyson pestilent and deadely There is furthermore in these sprynges suche abundaunce of brymstone Abundaunce of brimstone that a thousande pounde weight therof is bought for lyttle as for the tenth parte of a ducate Theyr chiefe wares are dryed fysshe Dryed fysshe as soles maydens playces salpas stockefysshes and such other which they exchange for wheat and such other thynges as are browght thyther from Lubeck Hamborowe and Amsterdam For they haue oftentymes such scarsenesse of corne Scarsenes of corne that they vse dryed fysshe in the steade of breade althowgh in soommer the Ilande so floryssheth with greene and frutefull medowes that they are fayne sumtimes to dryue theyr beastes from pasture leaste they shulde suffocate for to much fattenesse as I haue sayde before They make very good butter and apte to bee vsed in matters of phisicke There are founde dyuers kindes of good haukes haukes as faulcons gerfalcons lanners and sperhaukes Also rauens crowes beares hares and foxes both whyte and blacke white raueÌ„s They haue most swyfte horses and such as runne .xxx. myles continually withowt rest or bayte They haue manye churches and houses buylded of the bones of whales and other greate fysshes houses of whales bones The nauigation is not open to this Ilande but in sommer season and that only for the space of foure moonethes The nauigation to Island by reason of the coulde and Ise whereby the passage is stopped If any stryfe or debate aryse on the sea amonge the mariners for the commoditie of the hauen the gouernour of the place althowgh he haue knowleage therof yet dooth he not punysshe them forasmuch as it apperteyneth not to his office to decerne such thynges as are doonne on the sea but only on the lande Shippes are there often tymes in great perell by reason of whales and such other monsters of the sea whales excepte the mariners take good heede and keepe them farre frome the shyppes with the noyse of droommes and emptie barrels cast into the sea There are many mynstrels and other that play on instrumentes with the sweete noyse whereof they vse to allure foules and fisshes to theyr nettes and snares One thynge seruyng for contrary vses Many also
herbes or grasse yowe shall perceaue the grenenes therof to be faynt and in maner wythered and dryed And albeit that sumtymes also mines are founde in mountaynes hauynge earth and frutefull trees in the toppes therof yet are they for the most part found in such wherof we haue spoken Of these other there maye fewe signes be gyuen except to go by lyttle and lyttle to seke the bankes of theyr sydes But amonge all these the best and most certeyne signe that may bee gyuen The best signe is wheras on the superficiall parte of the earth eyther on hyghe or belowe the myne dooth shewe it selfe apparente to syght Sum there are that for a good signe do greately commende the residences which certeyne waters make wher they haue rested for a time and beinge dryed vp of the heate of the sonne The resideÌ„ce of waters do often times shewe in certeyne partes of theyr residencies dyuers tinctures of mynerall substaunce Summe other are accustomed to take such waters and in a vessell of earth or glasse or other matter cause them to boyle and vapoure away vntyll the dregs or residence remayne in the bottome well dryed in the likenes of a grose earth of the which they make an assaye eyther by the ordinarie tryall of fyer or after sume other maner as lyketh them best And by this meanes althowgh they attayne not to thexacte knowleage of the truth yet do they approche to a certeyne knowleage of the thyng wherby they haue sum intelligence of what sufficiencie and goodnesse the myne is which they seeke before they be at any great charges in folowynge the same Prouydynge alway that with all diligent aduertisement the places neare vnto the rootes of the confine mountaynes be curiously searched with also the bankes and sydes of the selfe same mountayne and all such superficiall partes therof where any stones are founde discouered eyther of theyr owne proper nature or by the course of water presupposynge euer that it is in maner impossible but that yf suche mountaynes contayne any mynes they muste needes shewe furth sum floures tinctures or colours of theyr exhalations Marchasitâ—s are the tinctures of myneral exhaâ—â—tions Yet yf it shulde so chaunce that they do not this the goodnes of the mine may be the cause hereof forasmuche as eyther it is not of vaporable nature or to be of smaule quantitie or els perhappes bycause the mountayne is greate and the myne very low or so farre with in that it is not sufficient to put furth any signes of fumosities The cause also hereof maye bee that sum stone lyke vnto that cauled Albasano which I thynke to be of that kynde which we caule the greete stone or blacke and whyte marble of thycke and resystynge nature may be found to lye betwene and so to stoppe the passages Metals in frutful mountaynes that the sayde fumosities may therby be hyndered to arryue to the vppermoste parte of the earth by reason wherof it is possible that suche mountaynes may brynge furth trees and herbes forasmuche as the earth therof dooth reteyne his vertue and may nuryshe theyr rootes not beinge incinerate or burnte with hotte and venemous vapours of the mynes so that the shoures of rayne or fluds with their courses can not cary away the earth as in such places wher the same is found sore dryed And therfore vppon such mountaynes I haue seene great wooddes of chestnutte trees beeches also and okes with well cultured and frutfull fieldes So that to conclude by the signes of the rowghnesse or barennesse of the mountayne is not taken away but that other places may also haue plentie of mines whiche ought to be searched and folowed But forasmuch as these signes are of the natures of minerals I wyll speake more determinately of theym in the places where I entreate of theyr proper mynes Not intendynge here to saye muche of these thynges in generall but only to induce yow to sum clearnesse of the fyrst lyght And therfore that yow may gyue the more diligent aduertisment I saye vnto yowe that all the mynes which yow shall fynde by such signes by what meanes so euer they shall coome to yowre handes whether they be found in stones howe the signes are to bee consydered earth or sande after that at the fyrste syght they haue shewed them selues to bee mynes of metals yow owght to consyder of what ponderositie or weyght they are The which the greater that it is so much the more dooth it shewe both the perfection and goodnesse of the substaunce and also the more quantitie of the mine And thus presupposyng that by the signes or other meanes yow haue founde the mine not yet fully perceauynge of what kynde of metall it myght be to certifie yowe hereof and also of what quantitie it is or howe it is accompanyed or myxt with other or lykewyse of what puritie it is of it selfe or of what euyll disposition or malice it is founde to bee it shall herein be necessary before yow be at any further charges therwith to proue the same by twoo or three assayes or mo The assay of the mines as I wyll further declare in the particular place of assayes Beinge therfore certifyed of the myne and of what metall it is and also what quantitie it conteyneth fyndynge it by accompte to bee so profitable as to beare the charges I exhorte yowe bouldely to gyue the fyrste attempte to faule to mynynge and with all possible diligence to folowe yowr enterpryse assurynge yowre selfe that of what so euer mynerall matter yow shall take assay accordyng to the proportion of that pice which yow tooke of the vppermost or owtmost parte of the mine for that purpose yow shall fynde that to bee muche better and rycher whiche is further within the mountayne The richer myne further within the montayne And thus being certified by the assay of what quantitie the thynge is that appered by the signes and of all other reasonable consyderations apperteynyng to the worke yow shall with all celeritie dispose yowr selfe to faule to dyggynge to thintent that yowe may shortely eyther here enioye the frute of yowre trauell or els where with better successe proue yowre good fortune But in thattempte of this enterpryse yow owght principally to haue respecte to the situation of the place where yowe intende to make the begynnynge of yowr caue or fosse Consyderacions how the caue ought to bee made Takynge good aduertisement that it be commodious for the labourers that shal worke therein prouydynge aboue all thynges that it haue an easye enteraunce into the mountayne with lesse charges and in shorter tyme to arryue vnder the signes which yowe haue taken encounterynge the same as muche as is possible as it were by a ryght line fyrst with iudgemente and then with workeman shyppe vntyll yow stryke on the grose masse or bodye of the myne The bodie of the myne breakynge in the course of the caue al
Presupposyng therfore that yow haue alredy passed the charges and haue not only founde the myne yow sought but also haue brought furth to lyght a great quantitie therof it shal then bee needeful as a thyng chiefely to be consydered before yow begin to dygge wel to ponder examen both the coÌ„modities of such thynges as shall occurre Necessarie aduertismeÌ„tes and also of such wherof yow shall haue neede as tymber and woodde of all sortes with water and vyttayles of all the whiche yow must haue great plentie and especially of woodde Plentye oâ— woode whereof yowe muste haue great quantitie aswell to serue to the proportion of the myne as also to make coles to the vse of meltynge fynynge dryinge garboylyng and such other broylynges bysyde that which must serue to fortifie caue and to buyld shoppes and cotages with such other edifies Cotages and edifies Diligent consideration must lykewyse be had to the situacion of the place where the buyldynges shal be erected The situacioÌ„ of the place as that the plotte therof bee commodious with abundaunce of water hauynge a good faule Also not onely of plentie of woodde and cole nere vnto the myne but of such as may serue the turne And of all other incommodities yowe muste chiefely auoyde the lacke of water The vse of water as a thynge of greatest importaunce and most necessarie in this effecte For by the force and weyght of the course hereof wheeles and dyuers other ingenious instrumentes are adapted with ease to lyfte vppe greate bellowes to make fyers of great poure to beate with hammers of great weyght and to turne myghtie and stronge eugens by the force whereof the trauayles of men are so much furthered that withowt such helpe it were in maner impossible to ouercome suche tedious trauayles or to arryue to the ende of the woorke forasmuch as the force of one wheele may lyfte more and that more safely then the paynefull labour of a hundreth men It shal therfore be needefull to haue great consyderation hereof not only to make these edifies or houses of office but also to make them commodious for the purpose as for the cariage of myne and cole with other necessaries For if any of these effectes shulde be wantynge the coste tyme and trauayle shulde bee cast away forasmuch as these thynges doo so much the more relieue the one the other as they are ioyned togyther Necessarye consideratâ—ons and hinder the woorke not a lyttle yf any be separate But bycause these commodities can not euer be hadde all togyther yowe owght to wey with yowr selfe which of the twoo serueth for mo necessarie vses as eyther to haue the cole or the mine most commodious to the houses and accordinge there vnto to place the houses nere vnto the same if the commoditie of water wyll so permytte Albeit if it were possible it shulde be much better if al these necessarie commodities were ioyned togyther whereas otherwyse yowe muste contente yowre selfe as occasion serueth Nowe therefore to conclude bysyde that whiche I haue declared vnto yow of the findinge of the myne and the digging thereof with other considerations I exhorte yowe further to faule to practyse with sum myne of your owne that yow may therby take occasion to ryse to the degree of ryches whyche yow desire And therfore I aduertise yow that after yow haue founde the mountayne and begun to digge yow shal euer go forwarde with a boulde mynde and stoute corage woorkyng with witte and Iudgement forasmuche as in this effecte the one serueth the other in the steede of eys to enter where they can not Gyue no credit to that whiche many ignorante folkes doo say and beleue A false opinioÌ„ affirminge that in digging for metals they are founde rather by chaunce then by arte The which although it were trewe yet owght we to trust more to art and practyse then to chaunce And when yow are nowe entered into the mountayne beare well in memory that yow haue presently with yow the tallie or ruler of the caue wherby yowe may trauerse the veyne of the myne when yow are coomne to it The trauersinge of the veyne For if yow shulde folowe it by the course as it lyeth it is possible that yowe mighe folowe it a greate way not paste the biggnesse of a mans finger and perhappes lesse By reason wherof it might happen that yow shuld lose it and neuer find it ageyne The like shuld chaunce vnto yow if after that yow haue begun to digge a caue it shulde repent yow of the charges and that for the basnes therof yowe shulde forsake it as many haue doone who bycause they coulde not fynde the mine at the first stroke Continuaunce in the worke despayringe that they shulde neuer fynde it haue forsaken it as a thyng vnprofitable thynking that they haue woonne enough in that they were not at further charges with that which they accompt losse and domage And thus furiously leaue of their enterprise not regardinge that they may leaue the frute of theyr expenses and trauaile to an other that may folowe their begynninges and perhappes fynde the myne within the distance of a cubet a spanne or a finger We may say therfore that suche men doo willinglye forsake theyr good fortune as many haue doone He therfore that hath begune to digge a caue let hym determine to folowe it puttinge away thestimation of the basenes therof and not to feare the streyghtnesse of the way but rather to applye all his possible diligence withowt remorse hopynge thereby no lesse to obteyne honour and ryches then to auoyde shame and infamie for omyttynge so profitable an enterpryse And that yow may the more circumspectly behaue yowr selfe in all thynges besyde the former instructions I further aduertise yowe to set euer fresshe men a woorke by course in such order Fresshe meÌ„ that in euery sixte or eyght houres accordynge to the number of the myners yow appoynt such to the woorke as haue reposed or taken theyr rest that yow may by this meanes the sooner come to th ende yow desyre whereunto after yowe haue layde so sure a fundation I exhorte yow to runne withowt a brydle And wheras to these effectes it shal be necessarie to haue many instrumentes adapted for the purpose I can none otherwyse speake of them then in generall consyderynge that according to the nature of the place and the myne it shal be necessary to vse instrumentes and iren tooles of dyuers formes InstrumeÌ„tes as there ought to be difference in such wherwith yow shall dygge in mynes engendered in marble greete stone and harde freese stone or such other For the dyggynge of such as are found in deade and tender stones as Alabaster and marle it is requisite to haue apte and stronge instrumentes as greate beetels mattockes and spades of iren also great longe crowes of iren to lyfte great burdens lykewyse greate and smaule
picke axes sum of iren and sum of steele furthermore greate maules with handels and withowt handels and such other bothe of iren and fine steele hardened if the hardenes of stone shall so requyre But as for such as shall serue to dygge the mynes which are engendered in tender and softe stones I neede make no mention of them forasmuch as the tooles of the common sorte may suffice and necessitie shall dayly furthe instructe yow to diuise such as shal serue for yowre purpose Albeit for the moste parte they are beetels maules mattockes pikes shouels spades and such lyke But as well for the softe stones as for the harde it shal be necessarye to haue great plentie of al sortes to th ende that the myners may lose no tyme and that the woorke may go the better forwarde to the comfort of the patrones of the mine Bysyde these before named it shall also be requisite to haue plentie of greate baskettes spades shâ—uels sleades and handbarrowes bothe with wheeles and without wheeles also sackes made of raw or vntande hydes to carye the fragmentes owt of the caue It shall furthermore be requisite to haue greate quantitie of vnctuous liquours to maiÌ„tayne fire Fyre in the caue as are the oiles of oliues of nuttes of line seede and hempe seede Lykewise the rootes of putrified trees or talowe of beastes or fatte and oyle of fysshes For withowt the lyght of fyre it is not possible for the labourers to woorke The coÌ„ueyance of eyer Nor yet can any fyre be mayntayned in the caue except it receaue the ayer by sum respiracle or breathynge place by the meanes of a funnell or trunke of woodde or such other open instrument wherby the ayer maye be conueyed into the caue ¶ Of the myne of golde and the qualitie therof in particular FOrasmuche as golde is a compounde mynerall which of the phylosophers and all men of vnderstandynge The excelleÌ„cie of golde is founde to be of greatest perfection amonge all other myxt minerals it is iudged by the vniuersal opinion of such men that for the bewtie and excellent qualitie thereof it shulde be of excessiue vertue to helpe and confort men And therfore amonge all thynges that are in this worlde excepte lyuynge creatures it is châ—efely esteemed By reason wherof I also the more to honour it wyll fyrst speake of this before I entreate of any other metall and declare in particular the conception with the most appareÌ„t qualities therof The which although it be a metal most knowen desyred also and sought for of all kyndes of men yet are there not many that do care to knowe of what substaunce or natural mixtion it consisteth But that yow shulde not be one of theim that knowe it onely by name or by superficiall apparence The orginall substaunce of golde I certifie yow that the originall and proper matter therof is none other then elementall substaunces with equall quantitie and qualitie proportionate the one with the other most perfectly purified by the subtyle woorke of nature For of these beinge thus ioyned togyther and of equall force is engendered an amâ—able and most perfect mixtion by the helpe of fermentacion and decoction of the minerall heate Mineral heate wherby is caused such a permanent vnion betwene the sayde elementes that they are in maner inseperable So that by the vertue of heauenly influence or of tyme or by thorder of most prudent nature or by all these causes concurrant such substaunce is conuerted into this metalline body that we caule golde The teÌ„perature purenesse of golde The which as I haue sayd by his much temperatenes purenes and perfect mixtion is condensate and made thicke in such sorte that the elementes therof can not be vnbounde or loosed so that it remayneth in maner incorruptible The cause wherof is that it eyther conteyneth in it no maner of superâ—luiâ—ie or the same to be but very lytle And hereof commeth it that althoughe it lye many yeares in the earth or in the water it is not infected with rust or canker for that neyther of them are able to corrupte it Golde is incorruptible nor yet the fyer whose force dooth incinerate or brynge to asshes resolue in maner all creatures And yet is the poure hereof so farre vnable to destroy or corrupte this metall that it is thereby the more purified and made better Lykewyse the sayde perfecte vnion or mixtion causeth it to be a body withowt steame and withowt vnctuous or fat superfluitie The bewtie of golde which is the cause that it euer remayneth in the natiue bryghtnes and fayrenes of coloure in so much that when it is rubbed vppon any thynge it leaueth not behynde it the tincture of any blacke or yelowe colour as doo in maner all other metals Nor yet hath it any taste or sauour that may be perceaued to the sence Furthermore if it be eaten eyther wyllyngly or by chaunce it is not venemous to the lyfe of man as are sum of the other metals but is rather a medicine curynge dyuers diseases Golde is medicinable In so much that nature hath gyuen vnto it of peculiar propertie a vertue and priuileage to conforte the weakenes of the harte and to gyue ioyfulnes and myrth to the spirits disposynge thereby the mynde to magnanimitie and attemptes of great enterpryses Golde is confortable Which singular qualities sum wyse men affirme that it hath receaued by thinfluence of the sonne and that it is therfore of such grace and poure to helpe men especially such as haue many great bagges and chesses full therof To conclude therfore this metall is a body tractable and bryght of coloure lyke vnto the soonne And hath in it inwardely such a naturall attractiue or allurynge vertue that beinge seene it greatly disposeth the myndes of men to desyre it and esteme it as a thyng most precious The attractiue qualitie of golde although many there are whiche crye owt ageynst it and accuse it as the roote and sede of most pestiferous and monstrous couetousnesse and the cause of many other myscheues But whether it bee the cause of more good or euyll we entende to lette passe this disputation as a thynge vnprofitable To proceade therfore as I haue begun I say as before that the woorthynesse whiche is founde in it hath caused me to entreate of it before any other metall And this the rather for that thorder of this presente worke meth so to requyre that I may the better descende to the degrees of other metals to th ende that in these owre partes of Italy yow may haue sum instruction of practise whiche may redounde from yow to other whereby the myndes of all men may receaue sum lyght beinge well assured that newe informations wil be the seedes of other newe wittie diuises in the vnderstandynges of suche men as with these keys shall open theyr wyttes to arryue to suche places whyther they can not els
like is sene in only ayer inclosed as in orgen pipes and such other instrumentes that go by winde For wynde as say the philosophers is none other then ayer vehemently moued wynde as we see in a payer of belowes and suche other Sum of owre men of good credit that were in this last vyage to Guinea affirme ernestly that in the nyght season they felt a sensible heate to coomme from the beames of the moone The heate of the moone The which thynge althoâ—ghe it be straunge and insensible to vs that inhabite coulde regions yet doothe it stande with good reason that it may so be forasmuche as the nature of the starres and planets as wryteth Plinie consysteth of fyre The nature of â—he stars and conâ—eyneth in it a spirite of lyfe whiche cannot be wiâ—hout heate And that the moone gyueth heate vpon the earth the prophete Dauyd seemeth to confirme in his Cxx. Psalme where speakynge of such men as are defended from euyls by goddes protection he sayth thus Per diem sol non exuret te necluna per noctem That is to say In the day the soonne shall not burne the nor the moone by nyght They say furthermore that in certeyne places of the sea they sawe certeyne stremes of water which they caule spoutes faulynge owt of the ayer into the sea Spoutes of water fauling out of the ayer And that sum of these are as bygge as the greate pyllers of churches In so muche that sumtymes they faule into shyppes and put them in greatâ— daungiour of drownynge Sum phantasie that these shulde bee the â—arractes of heauen whiche were all opened at Noes fludde Cataracts of heauen But I thynke them rather to be suche fluxions and eruptions as Aristotle in his boke de Mundo saith to chauÌ„se in the sea For speakynge of suche straunge thynges as are seene often tymes in the sea Uehement motions in the sea he wryteth thus Often tymes also euen in the sea are seene euaporations of fyre and suche eruptions and breakyng furth of sprynges that the mouthes of ryuers are opened whyrlepooles and fluxions are caused of such other vehement motions not only in the middest of the sea but also in creekes and streyghtes At certeyne tymes also a great quantitie of water is suddeynly lyfted vp and caryed abowt with the moone c. By which woordes of Arystotle it dooth appere that such waters maye bee lyfted vp in one place at one tyme and suddeynly faule downe in an other place at an other tyme. And hereunto perhappes perteyneth it that Kycharde Chaunceler toulde me that he harde Sebastian Cabot reporte A straunge thynge that as farre as I remember eyther abowt the coastes of Brasile or Rio de Plata his shyppe or pinnes was suddeinly lyfted from the sea and cast vpon the land I wotte not howe farre The which thynge and suche other lyke woonderfull and straunge woorkes of nature whyle I consyder and caule to rememberaunce the narownes of mans vnderstandynge and knowleage in comparyson of her mighty poure The poure of nature I can but cease to maruayle and confesse with Plinie that nothynge is to her impossible the leaste parte of whose poure is not yet knowen to men Many thynges more owre men sawe and consydered in this vyage worthy to bee noted wherof I haue thought good to put sum in memory that the reader maye aswell take pleasure in the varietie of thynges as knowleage of the hystorye Amonge other thynges therefore touchynge the maners and nature of the people this may seeme straunge that theyr princes and noble men vse to pounse and rase theyr skynnes with prety knottes in diuers formes as it were branched damaske They â—ase their â—kinnes thynkynge that to be a decent ornament And albeit they go in maner all naked yet are many of them and especially their women in maner laden with collars braslettes hoopes and chaynes eyther of golde copper or Iuery Fine iewells I my selfe haue one of theyr braselettes of Iuery wayinge twoo pounde and vi ounces of Troye weyght whiche make .xxxviii. ounces A braslet This one of theyr women dyd weare vppon her arme It is made of one hole piece of the byggest parte of the toothe turned and sumwhat carued with a hole in the myddest wherin they put theyr handes to weare it on theyr arme Sum haue of euery arme one and as many on theyr legges â—hackelles wherewith sum of theym are so galded that althoughe they are in maner made lame therby yet wyll they by no meanes leaue them of sum weare also on theyr legges great shackels of bryght copper which they thynke to bee no lesse cumly They weare also collars braslets garlandes and gyrdels of certeyne blewe stones lyke beades Lykewyse sum of theyr women weare on theyr bare armes certeyne foresleeues made of the plates of beaten golde â—inges On theyr fyngers also they weare rynges made of golden wyres with a knotte or wrethe lyke vnto that whiche chyldren make in a rynge of a russhe Amonge other thinges of golde that owr men bowght of them for exchaunge of theyr wares were certeyne dogges chaynes and collers Dogs chainâ— of golde They are very ware people in theyr bargenynge and wyl not lose one sparke of golde of any value They vse weyghtes and measures and are very circumspecte in occupyinge the same They that shall haue to do with them must vse them â—entelly â–ª for they wyl not trafike or brynge in any wares if they be euyll vse At the fyrst vâ—age that owr men had inâ—o theâ—e parties it so chaunsed that at theyr departure from the fyrste place where they dyd trafike one of them eyther stole a muskâ— catte or tooke her a way by force A muâ—ke cat not inâ—strustynge that that shulde haue hyndered theyr bargenynge in an other place whyther they intended to go But for al the hast they could make with full sayles the fame of theyr mysusage so preuented theÌ„ that the people of that place also offended therby wold bring in no wares In so muche that they were inforced eyther to restore the catte or pay for her at theyr price before they could trafike there Theyr houses are made of foure postes or trees Their housâ—s and couered with bouwes Theyr common feedynge is of rootes and such fysshes as they take Their feding wherof they haue great plentie There are also such flyinge fysshes as are seene in the sea of the Weste Indies Fleing fishes Owre men salted of theyr fysshes hopynge to prouyde store therof But they wolde take no salte And muste therefore be eaten furthwith as sum say Howe be it other affirme that if they be salted immediatly after they be taken they wyl last vncorrupted .x. or .xii. dayes But this is more straunge that parte of such flesshe as they caryed with them owte of Englande and putrifyed there A straunge thyng became sweete ageyne at theyr
popingiayes which are in thâ— region of Paria and howe thinhabitours are apparelled Also of the fyue kynges that made a league of frendeshyppe with Uincentius Howe Uincentius sayled Eastwarde by the tracte of the regions of Paria vntyll he came to the poynte of that longe lande which the autour supposeth to be the greate Ilande Atlantike wherof the owlde wryters make mention Cap. S. Aâ—gustini ¶ The contentes of the .viii. booke Fol. 80. ¶ A contention betwene the Castilians and Portugales as concernynge the diuision of the newe founde landes And howe the controuersie was fynysshed by the byshop of Rome Howe Don Chrystopher the gouernoure of the Ilande of Sancti Iohannis was slayne by the Canibales and the bysshop put to flyght Also of the other bysshops of the Ilandes Howe the Canibales of the Iland of Sancta Crux slew and eate a kynge with certeyne of his men beinge frendes to the Chrystians and made faggottes of theyr bones And how querelynge with owre men they put them to silence ¶ The contentes of the .ix. booke Fol. 81. ¶ Of the maruelous frutefulnes of the regions of Beragua Uraba and Dariena And of the dyuers kyndes of trees and frutes Also of the pleasaunt taste of swynes flesshe beinge fedde with the frutes of Mirobalane trees Of Lions and Tygers and other wylde beastes And of a beaste of straunge forme Of the ryuers of the goulfe of Uraba as the ryuer of Dariena and Rio Grandis And howe the great serpentes cauled Crocodiles are founde in other ryuers bysyde Nilus in Egypte Also howe thautour of this booke was sent Ambassadour to the Soldane of Alcayr in Egipte Of the Portugales nauigations and of the ryuer Senega founde by them to bee a chanel of Nilus Also of the multitude of byrdes foules beinge in the marysshes of Dariena A phylosophicall discourse of thoriginall and generatioâ— of sprynges and ryuers And of the breadth of the lande diuydynge the north and south Ocean Of the great ryuer Maragnonus and of the earthly Paradyse And howe sprynges are engendered by conuercion of ayer into water Of the often faule of rayne vnder the Equinoctiall line and of the pores of the sea opened by the South wyndes Of the great ryuers of Tanais Ganges Danubius and Eridanus famous to the owlde wryters And howe certeine ryuers runnynge throughe the caues of the earthe breake furth into sprynges afarre of ¶ The contentes of the .x. booke Fol. 86. ¶ Howe the newe founde landes discouered by the Spanyardes in the West Ocean are eyght tymes bygger then Italie besyde that which the Portugales possesse And of the cardes of the sea drawen by Colonus and Americus Uesputius The order of measurynge the lande And howe a league conteyneth foure myles by sea and but three by lande The Nauâ—gation of Iohannes Dias and of the sundrye eleuations of the pole starre Of the Ilande of Boiuca or Agnaneo and of the springe whose water being dronke causeth owld men to loke yonge Howe Nicuesa and his souldiers were so oppreâ—sed with famin that they were dryuen to eate mangie dogges toades and deade men And howe a brothe made of a dogges skinne was soulde for many pieces of golde ¶ The contentes of the bookes of the thyrde Decade ¶ The contentes of the fyrst booke Fol. 88. ¶ Of the desperate aduenture and good fortune of Uaschus And how with a hundreth fourscore and ten men he brought that to passe for the whâ—ch Petrus Arias was sente with a thousande and two hundreth fresshe souldyers Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold and howe superfluities hynder libertie Howe Uaschus in one conflicte slewe syxe hundreth barbaryans with theyr kynges And howe he founde the house of kyng Quarequa infected with vnnatural lechery commaundynge that the kynge and fortie suche as he kepte for that purpose shulde be gyuen for a pray to his dogges whiche he vsed to serue in the warres ageynst these naked people Of a region of blacke Moores And howe Uaschus came to the toppes of the mountaynes where geuynge thankes to god he behelde the newe south Ocean neuer before sene nor knowen to men of owre worlde Howe Uaschus put kynge Chiapes to flyght and after made a league of frendeshyppe with hym And howe the king gaue hym .iiii. hundreth poundes weyght of wrought golde Howe kynge Coquera was putte to fâ—yght who also beinge receaued to frendeshyppe gaue Uaschus syxe hundreth and fiftie poundes weyght of wrought golde Of the goulfe cauled Sinus S. Michaelis beinge full of inhabited Ilandes And of the manly corage and godly zeale of Uaschus Also of the rysynge and faulyng of the south sea Howe kynge Tumaccus beinge dryuen to flyght and afterwarde reconciled gaue Uaschus .vi. hundreth and .xiiii. pesos of golde and two hundreth and fortie of the greatest and fayrest pearles And howe the kynge caused his men to fyshe for pearles Of the Ilande cauled Margaritea Diues And of the abundaunce of fayre and great pearles founde therin Of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line And of the Portugales nauigations to the Antipodes inhabytynge the fyue and fiftie degree of the south pole Also a declaration of Antipodes and of the starres about the south pole ¶ The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 95. ¶ Of the maner of fysshynge for pearles and of the three kyndes therof Also dyuers other questions coÌ„cernyng perles Of the multitude of the shell fysshes wherin perles are ingendered and founde in maner in all places in the south sea And of abundaunce of golde founde almoste in euery house Also howe the treasurie of nature is in those coastes And of the golde mynes of Dariena Howe kynge Teaocha gaue Uaschus .xx. poundes weight of wrought golde and two hundreth perles Also of desertes full of wylde beastes and howe Uaschus was troubled with greate heate in the moneth of Nouember Howe a dogge Tyger was taken and his whelpes tyed in cheynes and torne in pieces Also howe Uaschus gaue .iiii kynges to his dogges to be deuoured Of the vse of dogges in theyr warres and of the fiercenesse of the Canibales Howe kynge Bononians fauoured the Chrystians and gaue Uaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also his oration to Uaschus A similitude prouynge greate plentie of golde in the regions of the south sea and of the trauayles which owlde souldyers are able to susteyne ¶ The contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 99 ¶ Howe kynge Buchibuea submytted hym selfe to Uaschus and sent hym certeyne vesselles of golde Also howe kyngâ— Chiorisus sente hym .xxx. dysshes of pure golde Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold Also an exemple of the lyfe of owr fyrste parentes Howe kynge Pocchorrosa submytted hym selfe and gaue Uaschus .xv. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also howe Tumanama the great kynge of the golden regions towardâ— the south sea is taken prisoner Lykewyse howe he gaue Uaschus .xxx. pounde weyght of pure and wrought golde and his noble men .lx. poundes weyght of golde Of the cause
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