three apparant and certaine causes and a fourth more obscure and darke The apparant and certaine causes bee The first is the Ocean the second the situation of the Land and the third the nature and propertie of many and sundrie windes Besides these three which I hold for manifest I beleeue there is a fourth hidden and lesse apparant which is the propertie of the same Land inhabited and the particular influence of the Heauens Among the speciall causes and reasons I haue first placed the Sea for without doubt the neernesse thereof doth helpe to temper and coole the heat for although the Water be salt yet is it alwayes water whose nature is cold But if wee shall yet search more particularly wee shall not finde in all this Land an equall temperature of heate although it bee in equall distance from the Sea and in the same degree seeing that in some partâ— there is great heate and in some very little Doubtlesse the cause thereof iâ— that the one is lower and the other higher which causeth that the one is hot and the other cold It is most certaine that the tops of the Mountaines are colder then in the bottome of the Vallies the which proceedes not onely for that the Sunne beames haue greater repercussions vpon lower places although it be a great reason yet there is another which is that the Region of the aiâ—e is colder when it is farthest from the ground The cause why the middle Region of the aire is more cold hath beene shewed before for that the Region of the aire next to the fierie exhalation the which according to Aristotle is vpon the Spheare of the aire repells and thrusts backe all the cold the which retires it selfe into the middle Region of the aire by Antiparistasis as the Philosophers speake Now if any one should question with me in this manner If it be so that the aire is hot and moist as Aristotle holds and as we commonly say whence then proceedes the cold which is congealed in the middle Region of the aire seeing it cannot come from the fierie Spheare For if it come from the Water or the Earth by this reason the lower Region of the aire should be colder then the middle To answere truly what I thinke I will confesse that this Argument and Obiection is so difficult as I am almost readie to follow the opinion of such as reproue the qualities agreements and disagreements which Arâ—stotle giues vnto the Elements â—aying they are but imaginations who for this occasion hold the aire to bee cold by nature And to this end they vse many arguments and reasons whereof we will propound one very familiar and well knowne leauing the rest apart In the Canicular dayes we are accustomed to beate the aire with a fan and wee finde that it doth refresh vs so as these Authors affirme that heate is no priuate propertie of any other Element but of fire onely which is dispersed and mingled with all things as the great Denis doth teach vs. But whether it be so or otherwise for I will not contradict Aristotle but in that which is most certaine in the end they agree all that the middle Region of the aire is colder then the lowest next to the Earth as experience doth shew vs seeing that in this middle Region are congealed Snow Haile Frosts and other signes of extreme cold The middle Region then which they call the burning Zone hauing on the one side the Sea and on the other the Mountaines we must hold them for sufficient causes to temper and coole the heate The temperature of this Region ought chiefly to be attributed to the propertie of the winde that blowes in that Country the which is pleasant and fresh The prouidence of the great God Creator of all things hath beene such as he hath ordayned fresh and coole windes in that Region where the Sunne makes his course which seemes should be burnt vp that by their coolenesse the excessiue heate of the Sunne might be qualified Wee see in one climate some Regions and Cities hotter then others onely for that they feele lesse winde to refresh them The like is in other Countries where no winde blowes the which are all on fire like vnto a furnace If we shall neerly looke into the consideration of the winde whereof we haue spoken we may resolue many doubts which some obiect and which seeme strange and wonderfull wherefore the Sunne casting his beames vpon the burning Zone and particularly at Peru and that more violently then in Spaine in the Canicular dayes yet they defend the heat with a light couering so as with a slender couering of mats or straw they are better preserued from the heate then in Spaine vnder a roote of wood or a vault of stone Moreouer why are not the nights in Summer at Peru as hot and troublesome as in Spaine Wherefore on the highest tops of Mountaines euen amongst the heapes of snowe you shall sometimes feele great and insupportable heat Wherefore in all the Prouince of Colao when yee come into the shade how little soeuer you feele cold But comming into the Sunne beames you presently finde the heate excessiue Euery morning the winde from the Sea doth cease and the Sunne begins to cast his beames and for this reason they feele the greatest heat in the morning vntill the returne of the same windes which otherwise they call the tyde or winde of the Sea which makes them first to feele cold Wee haue tried all this whilest wee were at the Ilands of Barlouante where in the mornings wee did sweat for heat and at noone we felt a fresh aire for that then a North Easterly winde which is fresh and coole doth commonly blow Considering with my selfe the pleasing temperature of many Countries at the Indies where they know not what Winter is which by his cold doth freeze them nor Summer which doth trouble them with heat but that with a Mat they preserue themselues from the iniuries of all weather and where they scarce haue any neede to change their garments throughout the yeere I say that often considering of this I find that if men at this day would vanquish their passions and free themselues from the snares of couetousnesse leauing many fruitlesse and pernicious designes without doubt they might liue at the Indies very pleasant and happily for that which other Poets sing of the Elisean fields of the famous Tâ—â—pâ— or that which Plato reports or feignes of his Atlantike Iland men should finde in these Lands if with a generous spirit they would choose rather to command their siluer and their desires then to remayne to it slaues as they are Hauing discoursed in the two former Bookes of that which concernes the Heauens and the habitation of the Indies in generall it behooues vs now to treat of the three elements Aire Water and Land and their compounds which be metals plants and beasts for as for the fire I
from out of the Ocean which in those parts is very great and spacious and hauing drawne vnto it this great abundance of vapours doth suddenly dissolue them into raine and it is approued by many tried experiences that the raine and great stormes from Heauen proceed from the violent heate of the Sunne first as we haue said before it raines in those Countries when as the Sunne casts his beames directly vpon the earth at which time he hath most force but when the Sunne retires the heate is moderate and then there falls no raine whereby wee may conclude that the force and heate of the Sunne is the cause of raine in those Countries Moreouer we obserue both in Peru new Spaine and in all the burning Zone that the raine doth vsually fal in the afternoone when as the Sunne beames are in their greatest force being strange to see it raine in the morning And therefore Trauellers foreseeing it begin their iourneys early that they may end and rest before noone for they hold that commonly it raines after noone Such as haue frequented and trauelled those Countries can sufficiently speake thereof And there are that hauing made some abode there say that the greatest abundance of raine is when the Moone is at the full but to say the truth I could neuer make sufficient proofe thereof although I haue obserued it Moreouer the dayes the yeere and the moneths shew the truth hereof that the violent heaâ—e of the Sunne causeth the raine in the burning Zone experience teacheth vs the like in artificiall things as in a Limbecke wherein they draw waters from herbs and flowers for the vehemency of the fire forceth and driueth vp an abundance of vapours which being pressed and finding no issue are conuerted into liquor and water The like wee see in gold and siluer which we refine with quick-siluer the fire being small and slow we draw out almost nothing of the quick-siluer but if it be quick and violent it doth greatly euaporate the quick-siluer which encountring the head aboue doth presently turne into liquor and begins to drop downe Euen so the violent heate of the Sunne produceth these two effects when it findes matter disposed that is to draw vp the vapours on high and to dissolue them presently and turne them into raine when there is any obstacle to consume them And although these things seeme contrarie that one Sunne within the burning Zone being neere should cause raine and without the Zone afarre off should breed the like effect so it is that all well considered there is no contrarietie A thousand effects in naturall causes proceed of contrarie things by diuers meanes we drie linnen by the fire and in the aire and yet the one heats and the other cooles Pastures are dried and hardened by the Sunne and with the Frost moderate exercise prouokes sleepe being too violent it hindereth if you lay no wood on the fire it dyeth if you lay on too much it likewise quencheth for the onely proportion entertaines and makes it to continue To well discerne a thing it must not be too neere the eye nor too farre off but in a reasonable distance proportionable being too farre off from any thing we lose the sight and too neere likewise we cannot see it If the Sunne beams be weake they draw vp no fogge from the Riuers if they be violent hauing drawne vp the vapours they presently dissolue and consume them but if the heat be moderate it drawes vp and preserues it for this reason the vapours rise not commonly in the night nor at noone but in the morning when as the Sunne begins to enter into his force There are a thousand examples of naturall causes vpon this subiect which wee see doe often grow from contrarie things whereby we must not wonder if the Sunne being neere engenders raine and being farre off works the like effect but being of a moderate and proportionable distance causeth none at all Yet there remaines one doubt why the neernesse of the Sunne causeth the raine vnder the burning Zone and without when it is farthest off In my opinion the reason is that in Winter without the Tropicks the Sunne hath not force sâ—fficient to consume the vapours which rise from the Land and Sea for these vapours grow in great abundance in the cold Region of the aire where they are congealed and thickned by the extremitie of the cold and after being pressed they dissolue and turne into water Therefore in Winter when the Sunne is farthest off the dayes short and the nights long his heat hath small force but when the Sunne approcheth which is in the Summer time his force is such as it drawes vp the vapours and suddenly consumes and disperseth them for the heat and the length of the dayes grow through the neernesse of the Sunne But within the Tropicks vnder the burning Zone the farre distance of the Sunne workes the same effects that the neernesse doth without the Tropicks by reason whereof it raines no more vnder the burning Zone when the Sunne is farre off then without the Tropicks when it is neerest for that in this approching and retyring the Sunne remayns alwayes in one distance whence proceedes this effect of cleernesse But when the Sunne is in the period of his force in the burning Zone and that he cast his beames directly vpon the Inhabitants heads there is neither cleernesse nor drynesse as it seemes there should be but rather great and strange showers for that by this violent heat he drawes vp suddenly a great abundance of vapours from the Earth and Ocean which are so thicke as the winde not able easily to disperse them they melt into water which breedeth the cold raine in so great abundance for the excessiue heat may soone draw vp many vapours the which are not so soone dissolued and being gathered together through their great abundance they melt and dissolue into water The which wee may easily discerne by this familiar example roast a piece of Porke Mutton or Veale if the fire be violent and the meate neere wee see the fat melts suddenly and drops away the reason is that the violent heat drawes forth the humour and fat from the meat and being in great abundance cannot dissolue it and so it distils more away But when the fire is moderate and the meat in an equall distance wee see that it roasts handsomly and the fat drops not too suddenly for that the moderate heat drawes out the moistnesse which it consumes suddenly And therefore Cookes make a moderate fire and lay not their meate too neere nor too farre off lest it melt away The like may bee seene in anoother experience in candles of tallow or waxe if the wike bee great it melts the tallow or the waxe for that the heat cannot consume the moistnesse which riseth but if the flame bee proportionable the wax melts nor drops not for that the flame doth waste it by little and little as it riseth But this is
not to hinder the exceptions which Nature hath giuen to this Rule making some Regions of the burning Zone extremely drie The which is reported of Ethiopia and wee haue seene it in a great part of Peru where all that Land or Coast which they call Playnes wants raine yea land waters except some Vallies where Riuers fall from the Mountaines the rest is a sandie and barren soile where you shall hardly finde any Springs but some deepe Wells But with the helpe of God we will shew the reason why it rayneth not in these Playnes the which many demand for now I onely pretend to shew that there are many exceptions to naturall Rules whereby it may happen that in some part of the burning Zone it raines not when the Sunne is neerest but being farthest off although vnto this day I haue neither seene nor heard of it but if it be so we must attribute it to the particular qualitie of the Earth and also if sometimes the contrarie doth chance we must haue regard that in naturall things there happens many contrarieties and lets whereby they change and dissolue one another For example it may be the Sunne will cause raine and that the windes will hinder it or else cause more abundance then hath beene vsuall When I passed to the Indies I will tell what chanced vnto mee hauing read what Poets and Philosophers write of the burning Zone I perswaded my selfe that comming to the Equinoctiall I should not indure the violent heate but it fell out otherwise for when I passed which was when the Sunne was there for Zenith being entred into Aries in the moneth of March I felt so great cold as I was forced to goe into the Sunne to warme me what could I else doe then but laugh at Aristotles Meteors and his philosophie seeing that in that place and at that season when as all should be scortched with heat according to his rules I and all my companions were a cold In truth there is no Region in the world more pleasant and temperate then vnder the Equinoctiall although it be not in all parts of an equall temperature but haue great diuersities The burning Zone in some parts is very temperate as in Quitto and on the playnes of Peru in some parts very cold as at Potozi and in some very hot as in Ethiopia Bresil and the Molucques This diuersitie being knowne and certaine vnto vs wee must of force seeke out another cause of cold and heat then the Sunne beames seeing that in one season of the yeere and in places of one height and distance from the Pole and Equinoctiall we finde so great diuersitie that some are inuironed with heat some with cold and others tempered with a moderate heat Considering this matter generally I finde two generall causes which maketh this Region temperate the one is that before mentioned for that this Region is very moist and subiect to raine and there is no doubt but the raine doth refresh it for that the water is by nature cold and although by the force of the fire it be made hot yet doth it temper this heat proceeding onely from the Sunne beames The which wee see by experience in the inner Arabia the which is burnt with the Sunne hauing no showres to temper the violence thereof The cloudes and mists are the cause that the Sunne offends not so much and the showres that fall from them refresh both the Aire and the Earth and moisten likewise how hot soeuer it be They drinke raine water and it quencheth the thirst as our men haue well tried hauing no other to drinke So as reason and experience doth teach vs that raine of it selfe doth temper the heat and hauing by this meanes shewed that the burning Zone is much subiect vnto raine it appeares that there is matter in it to temper the violence of the heat To this I will adde an other reason which deserues to be knowne not onely for this matter but for many others for although the Sunne be very hot and burning vnder the Equinoctiall yet is it not long so as the heat of the day being there shorter and of lesse continuance it causeth not so violent a heate the which it behooues to specifie more particularly Such as are practised in the knowledge of the Spheare teach very well that the more the Zodiake is oblique and trauersing our Hemisphere the more vnequall are the dayes and nights and contrariwise where the Spheare is straight and the signes mount directly there the dayes and nights are equall And therefore in all that Region which is betweene the two Tropicks there is lesse inequalitie then without them and the more wee approch the Line the lesse inequalitie we finde the which wee haue tried in those parts Those of Quitto for that they are vnder the Line haue not throughout the whole yeere the dayes and nights more short at one season then at an other but are continually equall Those of Lima being distant almost twelue degrees finde some difference betwixt the dayes and the nights but very little for that in December and Ianuarie the dayes increase an houre or little lesse Those of Potozi finde much more difference both in Winter and in Summer being almost vnder the Tropicke But those that liue without the Tropicks finde the dayes in Winter shorter and in Summer longer the more remote they are from the Equinoctiall and come neere the Pole as wee see in Germanie and in England the dayes are longer in Summer then in Italie and in Spaine It is a thing which the Spheare doth teach and experience doth plainly shew vs. Wee must adde an other Proposition which is likewise true and very considerable for all the effects of Nature to vnderstand the perseuerance and continuation of the efficient cause to worke and mooue This presupposed if any one demand of me why vnder the Equinoctiall Line the heat is not so violent in Summer as in some other Regions as in Andelousia in the moneths of Iuly and August I will answere that in Andelousia the dayes are longer and the nights shorter and as the day being hot inflames and causeth heat so the nights being cold and moist giue a refreshing According to the which at Peru there is no such great heat for that the dayes in Summer are not long nor the nights short so as the heat of the day is much tempered by the freshnesse of the night Being a thing concluded that the two fore-named properties are common and vniuersall to all the Region of the burning Zone and yet in the same there are found some places very hot and other exceeding cold Also that the temperature is not there equall in all places but vnder one climate one part is hot another cold and the third temperate all at one season wee are forced to seeke out other reasons whence this great diuersitie should proceede in the burning Zone Discoursing therefore vpon this question I doe finde
there went a ship from Calloa in Lima to the Philippines which sayled two thousand and seuen hundred leagues without sight of Land and the first it discouered was the Iland of Lusson where they tooke Port hauing performed their voyage in two moneths without want of winde or any torment and their course was almost continually vnder the Line for that from Lima which is twelue degrees to the South he came to Manilla which is as much to the North. The like good fortune had Aluaro de Mandana when as he went to discouer the Ilands of Solomon for that he had alwayes a full gale vntill he came within view of these Ilands the which must bee distant from that place of Peru from whence hee parted about a thousand leagues hauing runne their course alwayes in one height to the South The returne is like vnto the voyage from the Indies vnto Spaine for those which returne from the Philippines or China to Mexico to the end they may recouer the western windes they mount a great height vntill they come right against the Ilands of Iapon and discouering the Caliphornes they returne by the coast of new Spaine to the Port of Acapulco from whence they parted So as it is proued likewise by this Nauigation that they saile easily from East to West within the Tropicks for that their Easterly windes doe raine but returning from West to East they must seeke the Westerne windes without the Tropicks in the height of seuen and twentie degrees The Portugals proue the like in their Nauigations to the East Indies although it be in a contrarie course Let vs now speake of that which toucheth the Question propounded what should be the reason why vnder the burning Zone we saile easily from East to West and not contrarie wherein we must presuppose two certaine grounds The one is that the motion of the first Moouer which they call Diurnall not onely drawes and mooues with him the celestiall Spheares which are inferiour vnto him as wee see daily in the Sunne the Moone and the Starres but also the Elements doe participate of this motion insomuch as they are not hindered The Earth is not mooued by reason of her heauinesse which makes it immoueable being farre from this first motor The Element of water mooues not likewise with this Diurnall motion for that it is vnited to the Earth and make one spheare so as the Earth keeps it from all circular motion But the other two Elements of Fire and Aire are more subtill and neerer the heauenly Regions so as they participate of their motion and are driuen about circularly as the same celestiall bodies As for the Fire without doubt it hath his spheare as Aristotle and other Philosophers haue held but for the Aire which is no point of our subiect it is most certaine that it mooues with a motion Diurnall which is from East to West which wee see plainly in Comets that mooue from the East vnto the West mounting descending and finally turning in the hemispheare in the same sort as the Starres moue in the firmament for otherwise these Comets being in the region and sphere of the ayre whereas they ingender appeares consum'd It should be impossible for them to moue circularly as they doe if the element of the aire doth not moue with the same motion that the first motor doth For these elements being of a burning substance by reason they should be fixt without mouing circularly if the sphere where they are did not moue if it be not as we faine that some Angell or intellectuall Spirit doth walke with the Comet guiding it circularly In the yeare 1577. appeared that wonderfull Comet in forme like vnto a feather from the horizon almost to the middest of heauen and continued from the first of Nouember vntill the eight of December I say from the first of Nouember for although in Spaine it was noated but the ninth of Nouember according to the testimonie of Writers of that time yet at Peru where I was then I remember well we did see it and obserue it eight dayes before and all the time after Touching the cause of this diuersitie some may delate vpon it particularly I will onely shew that during those fortie dayes which it continued wee all obserued both such as were in Spaine and we that liued then at the Indies that it moued daily with an vniuersall motion from East to West as the Moone and other Planets whereby it appeares that the sphere of the aire being its Region the element it selfe must of necessitie moue after the same sort We noted also that besides this vniuersall motion it had another particular by which it moued with the planets from West to East for euery night it turned more Eastward like vnto the Moone Sunne and Planets of Venus We did also obserue a third particular motion whereby it moued from the Zodiacke towards the North for after some nights it was found neerer vnto the Septentrionall signes And it may be this was the reason why the great Comet was sooner seene by those that were Southerly as at Peru and later discouered by them of Europe for by this third motion as I haue said it approached neerer the Northerne Regions Yet euery one may well obserue the differences of this motion so as we may well perceiue that many and sundry celestiall bodies giue their impressions to the sphere of the ayre In like sort it is most certaine that the ayre moues with the circular motion of the heauen from East to West which is the first ground before mentioned The second is no lesse certaine which is that the motion of the ayre in those parts that are vnder the Line or neere vnto it is very swift and light the more it approacheth to the Equinoctiall but the farther off it is from the Line approaching neere the Poles the more slow and heauie this motion is The reason hereof is manifest for that the mouing of the celestiall bodies being the efficient cause of the mouing of the ayre it must of necessitie be more quicke and light where the celestiall bodies haue their swiftest motion Alonso Sanches was of opinion that this motion of the ayre was not a winde but the ayre moued by the Sunne This is learnedly spoken yet can wee not deny it to be a winde seeing there are vapours and exhalations of the Sea and that we sometimes see the Brise or Easterly windes stronger sometimes more weake and placed in that sort as sometimes they can hardly carry all their sayles We must then know and it is true that the ayre moued draweth vnto it the vapours it findes for that the force is great and findes no resistance by reason whereof the Easterne and Westerne windes are continual and in a manner alwayes alike in those parts which are neere the Line and almost vnder all the burning Zone which is the course the Sun followes betwixt the two circles of Cancer and Capricorne
before 1605. Captaine of a Pinnasse of the King of Denmarke for the Discouery of the North-west passage begunne the eighteenth of Aprill 1606. H. pag. 827. CHAP. XVII The fourth Voyage of Iames Hall to Groaneland wherein he was set forth by English Aduenturers Anno 1612. and slaine by a Greenelander Written by William Baffin H. pag. 831. CHAP. XVIII A true Relation of such things as happened in the fourth Voyage for the Discouerie of the North-west Passage performed in the yeere 1615. written by William Baffin H. P. pag. 836. CHAP. XIX A briefe and true Relation of Iournall containing such accidents as happened in the fift Voyage for the discouery of a passage in the North-west set forth at the charges of the right Worshipfull Sir Thomas Smith Knight Sir Dudly Digges Knight Master Iohn Mostenholme Esquire Master Alderman Iones with others in the goodship called the Discouery of London Robert Bileth Master and my selfe Pilot performed in the yeere of our Lord 1616. pag. 844. CHAP. XX. A briefe Discourse of the probability of a passage to the Westerne or South Sea illustrated with testimonies and a briefe Treatise and Map by Master Brigges H.P. pag. 848. The Contents of the Chapters and Paragraphs in the Fifth Booke of the second part of Purchas his PILGRIMS CHAP. I. A Description of the West Indies by Antonio de Herrera his Maiesties chiefe Chronicler of the Indies and his Chronicler of Castile H. P. pag. 855 The Presidents Counsellors Secretaries and Attourneys which vnto this present day haue serued and doe serue in the supreme Councell of the Indies from their first Discouerie pag. 916. The Gouernours and Vice-royes which haue gouerned vntill this time the Kingdomes of New-Spaine and of Peru. pag. 917. CHAP. II. Obseruations gathered out of the First Second Third and Fourth Bookes of Iosephus Acosta a learned Iesuite touching the naturall historie of the Heauens Ayre Water and Earth at the West Indies Also of their Beasts Fishes Fowles Plants and other remarkeable rarities of Nature pag. 918. § 1. Of the fashion and forme of Heauen at the new-found World and of the Ayre and Winds ibid. § 2. Of the Ocean that inuirons the Indies and of the North and South Seas their ebbing flowing Fishes fishing Lakes Riuers and Springs pag. 928. § 3. Of the qualitie of the Land at the Indies in generall Properties of Peru and of new Spaine and other parts of Vulcanes and Earthquakes pag. 935. § 4. Of Metals in the Indies and especially of the Gold and Siluer and Quick-siluer pag. 941. § 5. Of Emeralds Pearles Indian Bread Trees Fruits Flowers naturall and carried thither from Spaine pag. 952. § 6. Of Beasts and Fowles in the Indies pag. 962. Of Fowles that are proper to the Indies and Venison pag. 965. CHAP. III. Extracts of Gonzalo Ferdinando de Ouiedo his Summarie and the generall Historie of the Indies pag. 970. Of the Mynes of Gold and the manner of working in them ibid. Of the manner of fishing for Pearles pag. 972. Of the familiaritie which certaine of the Indians haue with the Deuill and how they receiue answere of him of things to come and other superstitions pag. 973. Of diuers particular things as Wormes Serpents Beasts Fowles Trees c. pag. 975. Of Trees Fruits and Plants pag. 981. Of Reedes or Canes pag. 983. Of venemous Apples wherwith they poyson their Arrowes pag. 985. Of Fishes and of the manner of fishing p. 986. Of the increase and decrease that is rising and falling of our Ocean Sea and South Sea called the Sea of Sur. pag. 989. Of the straight or narrow passage of the Land lying betweene the North and South Sea by the which Spices may much sooner and easilier be brought from the Ilands of Molucca into Spaine by the West Ocean then by that way wherby the Portugals saile into the East India ibid. How things that are of one kinde differ in forme and qualitie according to the nature of the place where they are engendred or grow and of the beasts called Tigres pag. 990. Of the manners and customes of the Indians of the Firme Land and of their Women pag. 991. Of the chiefe Ilands Hispaniola and Cuba pag. 993. CHAP. IIII. Mexican Antiquities gathered out of the writings of Iosephus Acosta a learned Iesuite pag. 1000. § 1. Of the ancient Inhabitants of new Spain and of the sixe Linages of the Nauatlacas Of the Mexican Exodus and aduentures by the way the foundation of Mexico their first King and Tribute ibid. § 2. Of the second King Vitzilouitli and of his successours and their Acts vntill the reigne of Motezuma their last King pag. 1009. § 3. Of the election of great Motezuma the last King of Mexico his pompe and manner of gouernment prodigious fore-warnings of his ruine and the Spanish conquest pag. 1018. CHAP. V. Of the ancient superstitions of the Mexicans and Indians of America gathered out of the fifth booke of Iosephus Acosta pag. 1026. CHAP. VI. Ciuill Customes and Arts of the Indians taken out of Acostas 6. Booke pag. 1050. CHAP. VII The Historie of the Mexican Nation described in pictures by the Mexican Author explained in the Mexican language which exposition translated into Spanish and thence into English together with the said Picture-historie are heere presented H. pag. 1066 § 1. The Mexican Chronicle ibid. § 2. The second part of this Booke contayning the particular Tributes which euery Towne subdued payed vnto the Lords of Mexico pag. 1080 § 3. The third part of this Booke contayneth the priuate behauiour in Marriages education of Children and Trades with the Martiall Ecclesiasticke and Ciuill policie of the Mexican people pag. 1102. CHAP. VIII Conquest of Mexico and New Spaine by Hernando Cortes pag. 1118. CHAP. IX Larger Relations of things most remarkeable obserued by the Spaniards at their first comming Cholallas holies Popocatepecs ashes Mutezumas multiforme Magnificence and Maiestie Mexican Citie and Temple with other Antiquities gathered out of the Third part of the Historie of Francis Lopez de Gomara pag. 1123. The Hill called Popocatepec ibid. Description of Mexico as it flourished in those times pag. 1131. Other Mexican Antiquities Letters Numbers Yeeres Dayes Weekes c. pag. 1135. Their reckoning by numbers ibid. The Contents of the Chapters and Paragraphs in the sixth Booke of the Second part of Purchas his PILGRIMS CHAP. I. A Briefe Relation of the seuerall Voyages vndertaken and performed by the Right Honourable George Earl of Cumberland in his owne person or at his owne charge and by his direction collected out of the Relations and Iournals of credible persons Actors therein pag. 1141. CHAP. II. The Voyage to Saint Iohn de Porto Rico by the Right Honourable George Earle of Cumberland written by himselfe H. pag. 1150. CHAP. III. A large Relation of Port Ricco Voyage written as is reported by that learned man and reuerend Diuine Doctor Eglambie his Lordships Chaplaine and Attendant in that Expedion very much abbreuiated H. pag.
entred me thought I was come into a new World Whose Life and manners I will descrbe vnto your Highnesse as well as I can THey haue in no place any setled Citie to abide in neither know they of the Celestiall Citie to come They haue diuided all Scythia among themselues which stretcheth from the Riuer Danubius euen vnto the rising of the Sunne And euery of their Captaines according to the great or small number of his people knoweth the bounds of his Pastures and where hee ought to feed his Cattell Winter and Summer Spring and Autumne For in the Winter they descend vnto the warme Regions South-ward And in the Summer they ascend vnto the cold Regions North-ward In Winter when Snow lyeth vpon the ground they feed their Cattell vpon Pastures without water because then they vse Snow in stead of water Their houses wherein they sleepe they ground vpon a round foundation of Wickers artificially wrought and compacted together the Roofe whereof consisteth in like sort of Wickers meeting aboue into one little Roundell out of which Roundell ascendeth vpward a necke like vnto a Chimney which they couer with white Felt and oftentimes they lay Morter or white Earth vpon the said Felt with the powder of bones that it may shine white And sometimes also they couer it with blacke Felt. The said Felt on the necke of their house they doe garnish ouer with beautifull varietie of Pictures Before the doore likewise they hang a Felt curiously painted ouer For they spend all their coloured Felt in painting Vines Trees Birds and Beasts thereupon The said houses they make so large that they contayne thirtie foot in breadth For measuring once the breadth betweene the wheele-ruts of one of their Carts I found it to bee twentie feet ouer and when the house was vpon the Cart it stretched ouer the wheeles on each side fiue feet at the least I told two and twentie Oxen in one Teame drawing an house vpon a Cart eleuen in one order according to the breadth of the Cart and eleuen more before them the Axle-tree of the Cart was of an huge bignesse like vnto the Mast of a Ship And a fâ—llow stood in the doore of the house vpon the fore-stall of the Cart driuing forth the Oxen. Moreouer they make certayne foure square Baskets of small slender Wickers as bigge as great Chests and afterward from one side to another they frame an hollow lidde or couer of such like Wickers and make a doore in the fore-side thereof And then they couer the said Chest or little House with black Felt ubbed ouer with Tallow or Sheeps Milke to keep the rain from soking through which they deck likewise with painting or with feathers And in such Chests they put their whole Houshold-stuffe and Treasure Also the same Chests they doe strongly binde vpon other Carts which are drawne with Camels to the end they may wade through Riuers Neither doe they at any time take downe the said Chests from off their Carts When they take downe their dwelling houses they turne the doores alwayes to the South and next of all they place the Carts laden with their Chests here and there within halfe a stones cast of the House insomuch that the House standeth betweene two rankes of Carts as it were betweene two Walles The Matrones make for themselues most beautifull Carts which I am not able to describe vnto your Maiesty but by Pictures only for I would right willingly haue painted all things for you had my Skill beene ought in that Art One rich Moal or Tartar hath two hundred or one hundred such Carts with Chests Duke Baatu hath sixteene Wiues euery one of which hath one great house besides other little houses which they place behind the great one being as it were Chambers for their Maidens to dwell in And vnto euery of the said houses doe belong two hundred Carts When they take their houses from off the Carts the principall Wife placeth her Court on the West Frontier and so all the rest in their order so that the last Wife dwelleth vpon the East Frontier and one of the said Ladies Courts is distant from another about a stones cast Whereupon the Court of one rich Moal or Tartar will appeare like vnto a great Village very few men abiding in the same One woman will guide twenty or thirty Carts at once for their Countries are very plaine and they binde the Carts with Camels or Oxen one behind another And there sits a Wench in the fore-most Cart driuing the Oxen and all the residue follow on a like pace When they chance to come at any bad passage they let them loose and guide them ouer one by one for they goe a slow pace as fast as a Lambe or an Oxe can walke HAuing taken downe their houses from off their Carts and turning the doores South-ward they place the bed of the Master of the house at the North part thereof The womens place is alwayes on the East-side namely on the left hand of the good man of the house sitting vpon his bed with his face South-wards but the mens place is vpon the West-side namely at the right hand of their Master Men when they enter into the house will not in any case hang their Qâ—iuers on the womens side Ouer the Masters head there is alwayes an Image like a Puppet made of Fealt which they call the Masters Brother and another ouer the head of the good Wife or Mistris which they call her Brother being fastened to the wall and aboue betweene both of them there is a little leane one which is as it were the keeper of the whole house The good Wife or Mistris of the house placeth aloft at her beds feet on the right hand the Skinne of a Kid stuffed with Wooll or some other matter and neere vnto that a little Image or Puppet looking towards the Maidens and women Next vnto the doore also on the womens side there is another Image with a Cowes Vdder for the women that milke the Kine For it is the dutie of their women to milke Kine On the other side of the doore next vnto the men there is another Image with the Vdder of a Mare for the men which milke Mares And when they come together to drinke and make merrie they sprinkle part of their Drinke vpon the Image which is aboue the Masters head afterward vpon other Images in order then goeth a Seruant out of the house with a cup full of Drinke sprinkling it thrise towards the South and bowing his knee at euery time and this is done for the honour of the Fire Then performeth he the like Superstitious Idolatry towards the East for the honour of the Ayre and then to the West for the honour of the water and lastly to the North in the behalfe of the Dead When the Master holdeth a cup in his hand to drinke before hee tasteth thereof hee powreth his part vpon the ground
for the Hawkes of which are there mewed aboue two hundred Gerfalcons which he goeth once a weeke to see and he often vseth one Leopard or more sitting on Horses which hee setteth vpon the Stagges and Deere hauing taken the beast giueth it to the Gerfalcons and in beholding this spectacle he taketh wonderfull delight In the middest in a faire Wood hee hath built a royall House on pillars gilded and vernished on euery of which is a Dragon all gilt which windeth his tayle about the pillar with his head bearing vp the loft as also with his wings displayed on both sides the couer also is of Reeds gilt and varnished so that the rayne can doe it no iniurie the reeds being three handfuls thicke and ten yards long split from knot to knot The house it selfe also may be sundred and taken downe like a Tent and erected againe For it is sustained when it is set vp with two hundred silken cords Great Chan vseth to dwell there three moneths in the yeare to wit in Iune Iuly and August On the eight and twentieth day of August he departeth to make a solemne sacrifice He hath an herd of white Horses and white Mares about ten thousand of the milke whereof none may drinke except hee be of the progenie of Cingis Can except one family called Boriat priuiledged hereto by Cingis for their valour And these beasts as they goe vp and downe feeding are much reuerenced nor dare any goe before them or hinder their way The Astrologers or Sorcerers tell Chan that on the twentie eight of the Moone of August he should disperse that milke heere and there for the honour of all spirits and his Idols that they might be carefull preseruers of all those things which he possesseth There are two sorts of Idolaters Sorcerers called Thebeth and Chesmir which in the midst of stormes ascend the Palace and suffer no rayne to fall thereon which they make the people beleeue comes to passe by their sanctitie and therefore they goe slouenly and regardlesse of their persons neuer washing nor combing themselues They also haue a horrible custome to dresse and eate such as are comdemned to death but not those which dye naturally They are called also Bachsi which is the name of their Order as Friers Predicants or Minors with vs. They seeme by Magicke to doe what they list when the great Can in his Hall sits at his Table which is eight yards high and in the midst of the hall a good distance from the table is a great Cupboard of plate furnished They cause that the peeces full of Wine or Milke or other viands of themselues fill the goblets without any hand touching them and goe ten paces in the ayre into the great Cans hand and when he hath drunke returne to their place This they doe in the presence of any man when their Lord commands These Bachsi also when they will make feasts to their Idols goe to the Can and say Sir know that if our Idols be not honoured with Sacrifices they will bring plagues to Corne and Beasts And therefore wee pray you to giue the flesh of so many Sheepe with blacke heads and so many pounds of Incense and Lignum aloes that we may make them due sacrifice and honour This they spake not to him themselues but by certaine Lords deputed to that Office who speake to the Can and obtaine it On the feast day they sacrifice the said beasts and sprinkle the broath before the Idols They haue great Monasteries some of the bignesse of a Citie in some of which are about two thousand Monkes which serue Idols sequestred from the Laitie in their shauing and garments For they shaue their heads and beards and were a religious garment These in the solemnities of their Idols sing with solemne songs and lights some of them may marry There are some of great abstinence called Sensim leading an austere life for they eate nothing but Meale mingled with water till all the Flower be gone and eate the branne without any sauour These worship the Fire and the men of other rules say that these which are so austere are Heretikes against their Law because they worship not Idols as they doe and there are great differences betwixt them and these marry not in any case They shaue their Head and Beard they weare blacke hempen garments and bright yellow They sleepe in thicke Mats and liue the seuerest life in the world §. V. Of CVBLAI CAN his Raigne and Acts Magnificent feasts and Huntings Court and Counsell His Citie Cambalu and glorious Palace IN this Booke I purpose to write of all the great and maruellous Acts of the present Can called Cublai Can which is in our Tongue Lord of Lords the greatest Prince in peoples Cities and Treasures that euer was in the world Hee being discended from the Progenie of Chingis the first Prince of the Tartars is the sixth Emperour of that Countrey beginning to raigne in the yeare of our Lord 1256. being twentie seauen yeares old and ruling the people with great wisedome and grauitie He is a valiant man exercised in Armes strong of bodie and of a prompt minde for the performance of matters before he attained to the dignitie of the Empire which by his wisdome he did against the will of his Brethren he often shewed himselfe a valiant Souldier in the warres and carryed himselfe like a wiser and bolder Captaine then euer the Tartars had But since he swayed the Kingdome he went but once into the Field but sends his Sonnes and other Captaines in expeditions In the yeare of our Lord 1286. his Vncle named Naiam being thirtie yeares of age and hauing the command of many people and Countries so that hee was able easily to bring together foure hundred thousand Horse Being puffed vp through youthfull vanitie would now no longer be subiect but would needs take away the Kingdome from his Lord Cubai and sent to another great Lord named Caydu Lord of the parts towards great Turkie who was nephew of the Emperour Cublai yet hated him who yeelding consent to Rebellion promised to come in proper person with an hundred thousand Horse Both of them began to gather Forces which could not bee done so secretly but Cublai heard of it and presently tooke order to set guard to the wayes that no intelligence might passe that way and then assembled all the Forces within ten dayes iourney of Cambalu with great speed so that in twentie dayes were gathered together three hundred sixtie thousand Horse and one hundred thousand Foot a great part of them Falconiers and men of his Houshold With these hee made all haste day and night towards Naiams Countrey where at the end of twentie fiue dâ—yes he arriued altogether vnlooked for and rested his men two dayes Then hee called his Astrologers and caused them before all the Armie to diuine who should haue victorie a thing they alway vse to incourage
halfe part were passed which was fiftie thousand men good Odmar finding them in very ill order and nothing at all aduertised of the Enemies nearnesse gaue the charge and vtterly ouerthrew them there remayned dead vpon the ground some fiftie thousand men but it was not without great fight strengthened with the fauour of water and a great Marish wherein they were encamped Notwithstanding our Foot-men hauing wonne the banke of the Riuer beganne also to winne the Boats and to seuer them by the meanes of a great Boat the which we with diligence caused to runne downe beeing full of artificiall fire so as at the same very time that they which were within the Boate did draw neere they retyred out of the same hauing first kindled the fire within the Boate the which with a great force rushed against the Bridge of Boats and ouerthrew it and where it was resisted did burne This did greatly astonish them that were passed to see their returne cut off The Kings Brother was not yet passed vnto the other-side of the water and he which first had gone ouer was the King of Cauchina who was slayne at the first charge fighting very valiantly in the fore-front The Kings Brother did see his men slayne and drowned and could not remedie the same This second ouerthrow was of no small importance although it was but the third part of the Kings Brothers Army and that there remayned vnto him as yet a hundred thousand fighting men but there was no great hope that he durst present himselfe before our Army The newes hereof being reported at Quantioufou they desired to make tryall of the Emperours clemency Axalla dispatched one of his faithfull friends of his Countrey vnto the Prince to carry vnto him these good newes which was more welcome vnto the Prince then the ouerthrow he had giuen vnto the Enemy and agreed vnto all that Axalla demanded referring all vnto his sufficiencie and fidelitie The Kings Brother hauing sent to demand safety for to treate the Prince granted so much vnto them for such as would come vnto him In this meane-time Quantoufou yeelded it selfe into the hands of Axalla who caused the Garrison to come out of the same receiued the Inhabitants into the Princes protection and they which would might remayne therein vnarmed and he entred thereinto with the joy of all the Inhabitants who did determine to receiue the Emperour into the same with all the magnificence that might be He caused thirty thousand men of War to enter thereinto vnto whom was money deliuered for to maintayne them there vntill such time as all the Foot-men should receiue pay for three monethes due vnto them whereof the Inhabitants of Quantoufou did furnish the Prince to the summe of eight hundred thousand Tentins the which do amount vnto foure hundred and fifty thousand crownes or therabout The Prince at this present sent me vnto Axalla whom I found feasting of his Captaines and souldiers staying for the commandement that I brought vnto him the which was to remaine within Quantoufou and to cause all his footmen to set forward directly vnto him the which was done by the Prince to the end it should strike a greater terror into the minds of the enemies who seeing all his footmen arriued he supposed they wold nothing doubt Quantoufou being taken but that he would march forward insomuch as he hoped this would greatly aduance his Affaires considering the estate they were in I returned from Quantoufou vnto the Emperour hauing seene a beautifull and great Citie well fortified and wonderfully peopled and round about it there was a fruitfull Countrey Thus the Embassadors being arriued who were of the Kings chiefest Vassals Tamerlan receiued them with all humanitie causing his greatnesse to appeare vnto them and therewithall the agilitie of his Horsemen to make them see with their eyes that it would be the destruction of the Chinois name if he proceeded any further So hauing saluted the Emperour with all reuerence they vttered their Embassage vnto him which was that the Kings Brother had sent them vnto him to treat for two causes the one was for the liberty of their King the other for preseruation of their Countrey The Prince hauing heard them answered them that they had reason to trust vnto his mildnesse and seeing at this present they desired it he would yeeld thereunto Thereupon the Prince rose vp and caused to be said vnto them that they should deliuer their offers in writing and that present answere should bee made thereunto Thus went they out of the Princes presence with great joy and as it were assured of Peace and to recouer their former prosperities The conditions which they offered were to leaue Paguinfou and all the Countrey beyond it with all the Fortresses of the Mountaynes that they would pay all the charges of his Army since the day of answere made vnto his Embassadors that they would giue two Millions of Gold for their King This being presented vnto the Lord hee made answere thereunto which was that he would keepe that which hee had conquered within the Countrey which was his owne justly seeing his armes had giuen it vnto him that hee would haue the Riuer where he was now encamped to be his Frontier stretched vnto Hochioy Tahaucezug Cauchio Lulun euen vnto Poschio bordering vpon the Sea that the King of China should pay vnto him yearely three hundred thousand Crownes the which should bee deliuered at Paguinfou for acknowledgement of submission vnto the Empire as well for his Successors as himselfe that they should pay fiue hundred thousand Crownes in ready money for the charge of the Army that the King of China should be deliuered and all the Chinois Prisoners should pay ransom vnto particular men that took them except those which carryed the name of Kings who should pay one hundred thousand Crownes for peace with his Armes that no Chinois should bee kept as slaue nor sold for such hereafter beeing vnder the Princes obedience that Traffique and Entercourse of Merchants should be free betweene both the Nations that the King of China should deliuer his Brother as Prisoner and two Kings named with twelue principall men of the Countrey for assurance of the peace They accepted of such conditions of peace as pleased the Conquerour hoping that time would bring againe vnto them their ancient liberty and that for a time it behooued them to beare with patience the yoke of their bondage Now the Prince had sent two thousand Horse to fetch the King of China to the end that being at liberty he might sweare to the peace solemnly the which he hauing performed at Quantoufou whither the Prince caused him for to come he brought with him vnto Paguin all the pledges and amongst the rest the Kings eldest Sonne and his Brother The King beeing departed for to performe his promise according to the Treaty by him confirmed he was receiued and as it were worshipped within his Countrey with all the
not out good or launching a ship to the Sea it goeth not well and some euill came to it they runne to their Gods and cast them in the water and put them in the flame of the fire sometimes and let them scorch a little and spurning them often and tread them vnder foot and giue them rayling words till their businesse be ended and then they carrie them with playing and feasts and giue them their Offerings They hold for a great Offering a Hogges head boyled they offer Hennes Geese Duckes and Rice all drest and a great pot of Wine After they present it all to the Gods they set his portion apart which is to put in a Dish the small points of the Hogs eare the bils and the points of the clawes of the Hennes Geese and Duckes a few cornes of Rice very few and put in with great heed three or foure drops of Wine very heedfully that there fall not many drops from the Pot. These things so set in a Bason that they set them on the Altar to their Gods for to eate and they set themselues there before the Gods to eate all that which they bring They worship the Deuill also which they paint after our fashion and say that they worship him because he maketh those which are good Deuils and the euill he maketh Buffes or Kine or other beasts And they say that the Deuill hath a Master that teacheth him his Knaueries these things say the base people the better sort say they worship him because hee shall doe them no hurt When they will launch any new ship to the Sea their Priests being called by them come into the ships to doe their Sacrifices with long side Garments of Silke They set about the shippe many flags of Silke they paint in the prow of the ship the Deuill to the which they make many reuerences and Offerings and say they doe it because the Deuill shall doe no hurt to the ship They offer to the Gods Papers with diuers Images painted and other of sundry kinde of cuttings and they burne them all before the Idols with certayne Ceremonies and well tuned Songs and while their singing doth last they ring certayne small Bels and among all they vse great store of eating and drinking In this Countrey are two manner of Priests the one that haue their head all shauen these weare on their heads certayne course Caps like vnto Canopie cloth they are high and flat behind higher before then behind a hand breadth made like a Mitre with Pinacles their wearing is white Coates after the Lay-mens fashion These liue in Monasteries they haue dining places and Cels and many pleasures within their wals There be others whom commonly the people doe vse for their Burials and Sacrifices these weare their haire and blacke silke Coates or of Searge or Linnen and long like the Lay-men hauing for a token their haire made fast in the Crowne of the head with a sticke very well made like a closed hand varnished blacke None of these Priests haue Wiues but they liue wickedly and filthily The first day of the yeare which is in the new Moone of March they make through all the Land great Feasts they visit one another the chiefe principally doe make great Banquets How much these people are curious in the rule and gouernment of the Countrey and in their common Traffique so much they are beastly in their Gentilities in the vsage of their Gods and Idolatries For besides that which is said they haue many Gentilicall Lyes of men that were turned into Dogges and afterward into men and of Snakes that were conuerted into men and many other ignorances I entred one day into a Temple and came to an Altar where were certaine stones set vp which they worshipped and trusting in the little estimation they held their Gods in and in being men that would be satisfied with reason I threw the stones downe to the ground whereat some ranne very fiercely at me and angry asking me wherefore I had done that I went mildly to them and smiling said to them because they were so inconsiderate that they worshipped those stones They asked me wherefore should they not adore them and I shewed them how they were better then they seeing they had the vse of reason feete hands and eyes wherewith they did diuers things that the stones could not doe and that seeing they were better they should not abase and esteeme so little of themselues as to worship things so vile they being so noble They answered me that I had reason and went out with me in company leauing the stones on the ground so that there is likelihood and shew of their becomming Christians And it maketh also much to this purpose their not making any difference of meate as all the people of India doth And seeing that among all the meates they esteeme the Porke most it is almost impossible for them to become Turkes Notwithstanding there are two verie great inconueniences to make any Christians in this Countrey The one is that in no wise they will permit any noueltie in the Countrey as in some sort it may bee seene in the matter of the Moores So that whatsoeuer noueltie that is in the Countrey the Louthias take order presently how to represse it and it goeth no further Whence it happened in Cantan because they saw a Portugall measure the entries of the Gates they set presently Watches that none should come in without licence nor goe vpon the Walls The second is that no strange person may enter into China without leaue of the Louthias nor be in Cantan which doe giue him a certaine time to bee in Cantan The time of the licence ended presently they labour to haue them depart Wherefore because I and those which were with me were one moneth longer in Cantan they set vp written bords that none should keepe nor harbour vs in their houses vnder payne of so much till wee held it our best cheape to goe to the Ships To the abouesaid is ioyned the common people to bee greatly in feare of the Louthias wherefore none of them durst become a Christian without their licence or at the least many would not doe it Therefore as a man cannot be seeled in the Countrey hee cannot continue Preaching and by consequence he cannot fructifie and preserue the fruit There was notwithstanding one way how to Preach freely and fruit might be made in the Countrey without any dogge barking at the Preacher nor any Louthia doe him hurt any way which is if hee haue a licence for it of the King And it might bee obtayned of a solemne Embassage were sent with a solemne present to the King of China in the name of the King of Portugall religious men going with the Ambassadour to obtayne the licence to goe about the Countrey shewing themselues to bee men without Armes And how our Law is no preiudice to his Dominion and
of his way at the last in his direct returne hee met as he was comming our Captaine on the way To whom hee by and by deliuered the Emperours letters which were written to him with all courtesie and in the most louing manner that could bee wherein expresse commandement was giuen that post Horses should be gotten for him and the rest of his company without any money Which thing was of all the Russes in the rest of their iourney so willingly done that they began to quarrell yea and to fight also in striuing and contending which of them should put their poste horses to the Sled so that after much adoe and great paines taken in this long and wearie iourney for they had trauelled very neere fifteene hundred miles Master Chancelor came at last to Mosco the chiefe Citie of the Kingdome and the seate of the King HONDIVS his Map of Russia Russia cum Confinijs Touching the Riphean Mountaines whereupon the Snow lyeth continually and where hence in times past it was thought that Tanais the riuer did spring and that the rest of the wonders of nature which the Grecians fained and inuented of old were there to bee seene our men which lately came from thence neither saw them nor yet haue brought home any perfect relation of them although they remayned there for the space of three moneths and had gotten in that time some intelligence of the language of Moscouie The whole Countrey is plaine and champion and few hils in it and towards the North it hath very large and spacious Woods wherein is great store of Firre trees a wood very necessarie and fit for the building of houses there are also wilde beasts bred in those woods as Buffes Beares and blacke Wolues and another kinde of beast vnknowen to vs but called by them Rossomakka and the nature of the same is very rare and wonderfull for when it is great with young and ready to bring foorth it seeketh out some narrow place betweene two stakes and so going through them presseth it selfe and by that meanes is eased of her burthen which otherwise could not bee done They hunt their Buffes for the most part a horse-backe but their Beares a foot with woodden forkes The North parts of the Countrey are reported to bee so cold that the very Ice or water which distilleth out of the moyst wood which they lay vpon the fire is presently congealed and frozen the diuersitie growing sodainly to bee so great that in one and the selfe-same fire-brand a man shall see both fire and Ice When the winter doth once begin there it doth still more and more increase by a perpetuitie of cold neither doth that cold slake vntill the force of the Sunne beames doth dissolue the cold and make glad the earth returning to it againe Our Mariners which wee left in the ship in the meane time to keepe it in their going vp onely from their cabbins to the hatches had their breath oftentimes so suddenly taken away that they eft-soones fell downe as men very neere dead so great is the sharpenesse of that cold Climate but for the South parts of the Countrey they are somewhat more temperate The Copie of the Duke of Moscouie and Emperour of Russia his Letters sent to King EDWARD the Sixth by the hands of RICHARD CHANCELOVR THe Almightie power of God and the incomprehensible holy Trinitie rightfull Christian Beliefe c. We great Duke Iuan Vasiliuich by the Grace of God great Lord and Emperour of all Russia great Duke of Volodemer Mosco and Nouograd King of Kazan King of Astracan Lord of Plesko and great Duke of Smolensko of Twerria Ioughoria Permia Vadska Bulghoria and others Lord and great Duke of Nouograd in the Low Countrey of Chernigo Rezan Polotskoy Rostoue Yaruslaueley Bealozera Liefland Oudoria Obdoria and Condensa Commander of all Siberia and of the North parts and Lord of many other Countries greeting Before all right great and worthy of honour Edward King of England c. according to our most heartie and good zeale with good intent and friendly desire and according to our holy Christian Faith and great Gouernance and being in the light of great vnderstanding our Answere by this our Honourable Writing vnto your Kingly Gouernance at the request of your faithfull Seruant Richard Chancelour with his company as they shall let you wisely know is this In the strength of the twentieth yeare of our Gouernance be it knowne that at our Sea-coasts arriued a ship with one Richard and his company and said that he was desirous to come into our Dominions and according to his request hath seene our Maiestie and our eyes and hath declared vnto vs your Maiesties desire as that wee should grant vnto your Subiects to goe and come and in our Dominions and among our Subiects to frequent free Marts with all sorts of Merchandizes and vpon the same to haue warreâ— for their returne And they haue also deliuered vs your Letters which declare the same request And hereupon wee haue giuen order that wheresoeuer your faithfull Seruant Hugh Willoughbie land or touch in our Dominions to be well entertayned who as yet is not arriued as your Seruant Richard can declare And we with Christian beliefe and faithfulnesse and according to your Honourable request and my Honourable commandement will not leaue it vndone and are furthermore willing that you send vnto vs your ships and Vessels when and as often as they may haue passage with good assurance on our part to see them harmlesse And if you send one of your Maiesties counsell to treate with vs whereby your Countrey Merchants may with all kindes of Wares and where they will make their Market in our Dominions they shall haue their free Mart with all free Liberties through my whole Dominions with all kinde of Wares to come and goe at their pleasure without any let damage or impediment according to this our Letter our Word and our Seale which wee haue commanded to be vnder sealed Written in our Dominion in our Citie and our Palace in the Castle of Mosco in the yeare 7060. the second Moneth of Februarie This Letter was written in the Moscouian Tongue in Letters much like to the Greeke Letters very faire written in Paper with a broad Seale hanging at the same sealed in Paper vpon Waxe This Seale was much like the Broad Seale of England hauing on the one side the Image of a man on Horse-backe in complete Harnesse fighting with a Dragon Vnder this Letter was another Paper written in the Dutch Tongue which was the Interpretation of the other written in the Moscouian Letters These Letters were sent the next yeare after the date of King Edwards Letters 1554. After this entercourse of Letters and Embassages passed betwixt King Philip and Queene Marie and the Moscouite and the Moscouie Company was instituted and receiued Priuiledges both from their owne and that Forraine Prince a second Voyage beeing set
that were within the Towne could be fully perswaded the rumour to be true the Enemies had set fire vpon his house and slue him and all that were within At this â—ime by the order of his Maiestie was elected for Gouernour of these Ilands Philippinas Guido de Labacates after the death of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi who vnderstanding the great fleet and power of Lymahon the Rouer and the smaâ—l resistance and defence that was in the Citie of Manilla with as much speed as was possible he did call together all their Captaines and dwellers therein and with a generall consent they spared no person of what qualitie and degree soeuer he was but that his hand was to helpe all that was possible the which endured two dayes and two nights for so long the Rouer kept his ships and came not abroad In which time of their continuall labour they made a Fort with Pipes and Boards filled with sand and other necessaries thereto belonging such as the time would permit them they put in carriages foure excellent Peeces of Artillerie that were in the Citie All the which being put in order they gathered all the people of the Citie into that little Fort. The night before the Enemie did giue assault vnto the Citie came thither the Captaine Iohn de Salzedo Lieutenant vnto the Gouernour The Rouer in the morning following before the breake of the day which was the second after he gaue the first assault was with all his fleet right against the Port and did put a-lâ—nd sixe hundred Souldiers who at that instant did set vpon the Citie the which at their pleasure they did sacke and burne They did assault the Fort with great cruelty as men fleshed with the last slaughter thinking that their resistance was but small But it fell not out as they did beleeue for hauing continued in the fight almost all the day with the losse of two hundred men that were slaine in the assault and many other hurt he straightwaies departed from thence and returned the same way that he came till they arriued in a mightie Riuer fortie leagues from the Citie of Manilla that is called Pangasinan the which place or soyle did like him very well and where he thought he might be sure from them who by the commandement of the King went for to seeke him There hee determined to remayne and to make himselfe Lord ouer all that Countrey the which he did with little trauell and built himselfe a Fort one league within the Riuer whereas he remayned certaine dayes receiuing tribute of the Inhabitants thereabouts as though he were their true and naturall Lord and at times went forth with his ships robbing and spoyling all that he met vpon the coast And spred abroad that he had taken to himselfe the Ilands Philippinas and how that all the Spaniards that were in them were either slayne or fled away With this consideration they entred into counsell and did determine to ioyne together all the people they could and being in good order to follow and seeke the Rouer Then the Gouernours commanded to be called together all the people bordering thereabouts and to come vnto the Citie whereas hee was Likewise at that time hee did giue aduice vnto such as were Lords and Gouernours of the Ilands called Pintados commanding them to come thither with such ships as they could spare as well Spaniards as the naturall people of the Countrey The Generall of the field with the people aforesaid did depart from Manilla the three and twentieth day of March Anno 1575. and arriued at the mouth of the Riuer Pagansinan vpon tenable Wednesday in the morning next following without being discouered of any Then straightwaies at that instant the Generall did put a-land all his people and foure Peeces of Artillerie leauing the mouth of the Riuer shut vp with his shipping in chayning the one to the other in such sort that none could enter in neither yet goe forth to giue any aduice vnto the Rouer of his arriuall he commanded some to goe and discouer the fleet of the Enemie and the place whereas he was fortified and charged them very much to doe it in such secret sort that they were not espied for therein consisted all their whole worke Hee commanded the Captaine Gabriel de Ribera that straightwaies he should depart by Land and that vpon a sudden he should strike alarme vpon the Enemie with the greatest tumult that was possible Likewise he commanded the Captaines Pedro de Caues and Lorenso Chacon that either of them with forty Souldiers should goe vp the Riuer in small ships and light and to measure the time in such sort that as well those that went by land as those that went by water should at one instant come vpon the Fort and to giue alarme both together the better to goe thorow with their pretence and he himselfe did remayne with all the rest of the people to watch occasion and time for to aide and succour them if need be required This their purpose came so well to passe that both the one and the other came to good effect for those that went by water did set fire on all the fleet of the Enemie and those that went by land at that instant had taken and set fire on a Trench made of timber that Limahon had caused to bee made for the defence of his people and the Fort and with that furie they slue more then one hundred Chinos and tooke prisoners seuenty women which they found in the same Trench but when that Limahon vnderstood the rumour hee tooke himselfe straightwaies to his Fort which hee had made for to defend himselfe from the Kings Nauie if they should happen to finde him out The next day following the Generall of the field did bring his Souldiers into a square battell and beganne to march towards the Fort with courage to assault it if occasion did serue thereunto hee did pitch his Campe within two hundred paces of the Fort and found that the Enemie did all that night fortifie himselfe very well and in such sort that it was perillous to assault him for that he had placed vpon his Fort three Peeces of Artillerie and many Bases besides other Engines of fire-worke Seeing this and that his Peeces of Artillerie that hee brought were very small for to batter and little store of munition for that they had spent all at the assault which the Rouer did giue them at Manilla the Generall of the field and the Captaines concluded amongst themselues that seeing the Enemie had no ships to escape by water neither had he any great store of victuals for that all was burnt in the ships it was the best and most surest way to besiege the Fort and to remayne there in qâ—iet vntill that hunger did constraine them either to yeeld or come to some conclusion which rather they will then to perish with hunger This determination was liked well of
fight two yeeres For Mechanicall Arts they are not comparable to our mens Architecture whether yee regard the beautie or continuance of their buildings they not so much as conceiuing or crediting the stately magnificence or long durance of some in these parts They either make no foundation or verie sleight and thinke a mans age to be age enough for a house and that scarcely without reparations their houses being also of Timber and where the walls are Stone they haue Timbers to beare vp the roofe that the wall may easily be repaired or renewed without meddling with the supporters Printing is ancienter there then here some thinke before the Incarnation and most certaine aboue fiue hundred yeeres old much differing from ours because of the multitude of their Characters They graue or cut these Characters in a table of Peare-tree Apple-tree or Zizyphus In this Table they lightly glue on a whole leafe written and then cunningly shaue the drie paper that they make very little transparence after which they cut the wood that onely the prints or lineaments of the Characters are eminent which done with great facilitie and celeritie they print off leaues at pleasure one Printer often 1500. in one day so ready also in cutting that to mee Ours seeme to spend as much time in composing and correcting This course is more accommodated to their great Characters then to ours whose little letters are not easily cut in woodden Tables They haue this commoditie also that keeping these Tables by them they may with little labour adde or take away words or sentences and need not at once print off any more Copies then present vse or sale requireth Wee doe this with Bookes of our Religion or European Sciences printing them at home by our China seruants They haue another way of printing Characters or Pictures printed before in Marble or Wood laying on a leafe of Paper moist and on that a woollen Cloth whereon they beate with a Hammer till the Paper insinuates it selfe into the voide spaces and lineaments of the Characters or Picture after which they lightly colour that leafe with Inke or other colour those delineations onely remayning white and retayning the Prototype-figure But this is for grosser Pourtraitures They are much addicted to pictures but nothing so cunning in painting founding grauing as Europeans They make magnificent Arches with figures of men and beasts and adorne their Temples with Idols and Bells but their Genius otherwise generous and ingenious enough for want of commerce with other Nations is herein rudely artificiall Shadowes and Oyle in picturing are to them vnknowne and their Pictures therefore haue no more life of Art then Nature In Statues themselues seeme Statues for all rules of Symmetry any further then by the eye and yet will be doing in huge indeed Monsters of this kinde in Earth Brasse and Marble Their Bells haue all woodden Hammers which yeeld a woodden sound not comparable to ours nor seeming capable of those of Iron They haue variety and plenty of Musicall Instruments yet want Organs and all that haue Keyes Their Strings are made of raw Silke and know not that any can be made of Guts The Symmetrie of their Instruments is answerable to ours All their Musike is simple and single-toned vtterly ignorant of consort in discord-concord yet much applaud they themselues in their owne Harmonie howsoeuer dissonant to our eares But this pride seemes to grow as vsually it doth from ignorance and it is likely they would preferre ours if they knew it They haue scarcely any Instruments for measuring of that which measures all things Time such as they haue measure by water or fire but very imperfectly as is also their Sun-diall which they know not to fit to differing places They are much addicted to Comedies and therein exceed ours some practising the same in principall Townes others trauelling thorow the Kingdome or roguing if you will being the dregs of the Kingdome buying Boyes whom they frame to this faigning facultie Their Commedies are commonly antient whether Histories or deuices and few new written They are vsed in publike and in priuate Solemnities as also in Feasts whereto being called they offer to the Inuiter a Booke in which to take his choise the Guests looking eating drinking together and sometimes after ten houres feasting they will spend as much succeeding time in a succession of Interludes one after another Their pronunciation is with singing accent and not with the vulgar tone Seales are of great vse with them not onely for Letters but for their Poems also Pictures Bookes and many other things These contayne the name sur-name dignitie and degree neither content they themselues with one but haue many inscribing sometimes the beginning and end of their workes not imprinting them in Waxe or such like substance but onely colour them red The chiefe men haue on the Table a Boxe full of Seales which containe their diuers names for euery Chinese hath many names and those of Wood Marble Iuorie Brasse Crystall Corall and better stones There are many workemen of that Seale-occupation their Characters differing from the vulgar and sauouring of Antiquitie and Learning There is another Art not vnlike of making Inke for all writing made into little Cakes or Balls of the smoke of Oyle For their estimation of exact writing makes the making of Inke also to be holden an Art not illiberall They vse it on a Marble smooth stone with a few drops of water rubbing those Balls and colouring the stone thence taking it with a Pensill of Hares haires wherewith they write Fannes also are in much vse by both Sexes for the causing of winde to coole them in Summer No man may goe abroad without a Fanne although the weather be cold and the winde already bee importunate the vse being rather for ornament then necessitie They are made of Reeds Wood Iuorie Ebonie together with Paper or Silke and a certaine odoriferous Straw in round ouall or square forme The chiefe men vse them of Paper gilded with plaits to be let in or out and therein inscribe some pithie sentence or Poeme These are the most common gifts or presents as Gloues in Europe and we haue a Chist full of them sent vs by our friends In other things the Chinois are liker ours vsing Tables Stooles and Beds which the adioyning Nations doe not but sit on Carpets on the floore to eate or sleepe §. II. Of their Characters and writing downward their studies Ethikes Astrologie Physike Authentike Authors Degrees how taken both Philosophicall and Militarie NOw for their more liberall Arts and Literate-degrees this Kingdome differs from all others in which their Learned beare principall sway The China words are Monosyllables not one otherwise howsoeuer two or three Vowels sometimes are conioyned into one Diphthong to speake after our manner for they haue not Consonants nor Vowels but diuers Characters for so many things and as many of them
betwixt Mescha or Masius an Hill of â—he Amonites and Sephace neare to the Riuer Euphrates Which maketh it very vnlikely that Asarmathes should plant any Colonies so farre off in t the North and North-west Countries It is bounded Northward by the Lappes and the North Ocean On the South-side by the Tartars called Chrims Eastward they haue the Nâ—igaian Tartar that possesseth all the Countrey on the East side of Volgha towards the Caspian Sea On the West and South-west border lie Lituania Liuonia and Polonia The whole Countrey being now reduced vnder the Gouernment of one contayneth these chiefe Prouinces or Shires Volodemer which beareth the first place in the Emperours stile because their House came of the Dukes of that Countrey Mosko Nisnouogrod Plesko Smolensko Nouogrod velica or Nouogrod of the low Countrey Rostoue Yaruslaue Bealozâ—ra Bezan Dâ—yna Corgapolia Mesâ—hora Vagha Vstugha Ghaletsa These are the naturall Shires perâ—â—yning to Russia but farre greater and larger then the Shires of England though not so well peopled The other Countries or Prouinces which the Russe Emperours haue gotten perforcâ— added of late to their other Dominion are these which follow Twerra Youghoria Peâ—mia Vaâ—â—kâ—a Boâ—lghoria Chernigo Oudoria Obdoria Condora with a great part of Siberia where the people though they bee not naturall Russes yet obey the Emperour of Russia and are ruled by the Lawes of his Countrey paying customes and taxes as his owne people doe Besides these hee hath vnder him the Kingdomes of Cazan and Astracan gotten by Conquest not long since As for all his possessions in Lituania to the number of thirtie great Townes and more with Narue and Dorp in Liuonia they are quite gone being surprised of late yeeres by the Kings of Poland and Sweden These Shires and Prouinces are reduced all into foure Iurisdictions which they call Chetfyrds that is Tetrarchies or Fourth-parts Whereof wee are to speake in the Title or Chapter concerning the Prouinces and their manner of Gouernment The whole Countrey is of great length and breadth From the North to the South if you measure from Cola to Astracaâ— which bendeth somewhat Eastward it reacheth in length about foure thousand two hundred and sixtie verst or myles Notwithstanding the Emperour of Russia hath more territorie Northward farre beyond Cola vnto the Riuer of Tromschua that runneth a thousand verst well nigh beyond Pechinga neere to Wardhouse but not intire nor clearely limitted by reason of the Kings of Swedâ—n and Denmarke that haue diuers Townes there as well as the Russe plotted together the one with the other euery one of them clayming the whole of those North parts as his owne right The breadth if you goe from that part of his Territorie that lyeth farthest Westward on the Naruâ— side to the parts of Siberia Eastward where the Emperour hath his Garrisons is foure thousand and foure hundred verst or thereabouts A Verst by their reckoning is one thousand paces yet lesse by one quarter then an English myle If the whole dominion 〈◊〉 the Russe Emperour were all habitable and peopled in all places as it is in some hee would either hardly hold it all within one Regiment or bee ouer mightie for all his neighbour Princes THe Soyle of the Countrey for the most part is of a sleight sandie mold yet very much different one place from another for they yeeld of such things as 〈◊〉 out of the earth The Country Northwards towards the parts of Saint Nicholas Cola and North-east towards Sibâ—ria is all very barren and full of desart Woods by reason of the Clymate and extremitie of the cold in Winter time So likewise along the Riuer Volgha betwixt the Countries of Cazan and Astracan where notwithstanding the Soyle is very fruitfull it is all â—nhabiâ—ed sauing that vpon the Riuer Volgha on the West side the Emperour hath some few Castles with Garrisons in them This hapneth by meanes of the Chrim Tartar that will neither him selfe plant Townes to dwell there liuing a wilde and vagrant life nor suffer the Russe that is farre off with the strength of his Countrey to people those parts From Vologda which lyeth almost one thousand seuen hundred verst from the Port of Saint Nicholas downe towards Mosko and so towards the South part that bordereth vpon the Chrim which contayneth the like space of one thousand seuen hundred verst or thereabouts is a very fruitfull and pleasant Countrey yeelding Pasture and Corne with Woods and water in very great plentie The like is betwixt Rezan that lyeth South-east from Mosko to Nouograd and Vobsko that reach farthest towards the North-west So betwixt Mosko and Smolensko that lyeth South-west towards Lituania is a very fruitfull and pleasant soyle The whole Countrey differeth very much from it selfe by reason of the yeere so that a man would maruaile to see the great alteration and difference betwixt the Winter and the Summer in Russia The whole Countrey in the Winter lyeth vnder Snow which falleth continually and is sometime of a yard or two thicke but greater towards the North. The Riuers and other waters are all frozen vp a yard or more thicke how swift or broad soeuer they bee and this continueth commonly fiue Moneths viz. from the beginning of Nouember till towards the end of March what time the Snow beginneth to melt So that it would breed a frost in a man to looke abroad at that time and see the winter face of that Countrey The sharpenesse of the ayre you may judge of by this for that water dropped downe or cast vp into the ayre congealeth into Ice before it come to the ground In the extremitie of Winter if you hold a Pewter dish or pot in your hand or any other metall except in some chamber where their warme Stoues bee your fingers will freeze fast vnto it and draw of the skinne at the parting When you passe out of a warme roome into a cold you shall sensibly feele your breath to waxe starke and euen stifeling with the cold as you draw it in and out Diuers not onely that trauell abroad but in the very Markets and streets of their Townes are mortally pinched and killed withall so that you shall see many drop downe in the Streets many Trauellers brought into the Townes sitting dead and stiffe in their Sleds Diuers lose their Noses the tippes of their Eares and the balls of their Cheekes their Toes Feete c. Many times when the winter is very hard and extreame the Beares and Wolues issue by troupes out of the woods driuen by hunger and enter the Villages tearing and rauening all they can finde so that the Inhabitants are faine to flee for safegard of their liues And yet in the Summer time you shall see such a new hew and face of a Countrey the Woods for the most part which are all of Firre and Birch so fresh and so sweet the Pastures and Meadowes so greene and well growne and that vpon
our house and the Ice melted in our Cabins and the water dropped downe which was not so before how great soeuer our fire was but that night it was cold againe The eighteenth it was faire cleare weather with a South-east wind then our Wood began to consume and so we agreed to burne some of our Sea-coles and not to stop vp the Chimney and then we should not need to feare any hurt which we did and found no disease thereby but we thought it better for vs to keepe the Coles and to burne our Wood more sparingly for that the Coles would serue vs better when we should sayle home in our open Scute The one and twentieth it was faire weather with a West wind at that time taking of Foxes began to fayle vs which was a signe that the Beares would come againe as not long after we found it to be true for as long as the Beares stay away the Foxes came abroad and not much before the Beares come abroad the Foxes were but little seene The two and twentieth it was faire weather with a West wind then we went out againe to cast the Bullet and perceiued that day-light began to appeare whereby some of vs said that the Sunne would soone appeare vnto vs but William Barents to the contrary said that it was yet two weekes too soone The three and twentieth it was faire calme weather with a South-west wind then foure of vs went to the ship and comforted each other giuing God thankes that the hardest time of the Winter was past being in good hope that we should liue to talke of those things at home in our owne Countrey and when we were in the ship we found that the water rose higher and higher in it and so each of vs taking a Bisket or two with vs wee went home againe The foure and twentieth it was faire cleare weather with a West wind then I and Iacob Heemskerke and another with vs went to the Sea-side on the South side of Noua Zembla where contrary to our expectation I first saw the edge of the Sunne wherewith wee went speedily home againe to tell William Barents and the rest of our companions that ioyfull newes but William Barents being a wise and well experienced Pilot would not beleeue it esteeming it to be about fourteene dayes to soone for the Sunne to shine in that part of the World but we earnestly affirmed the contrarie and said that we had seene the Sunne The fiue and twentieth and sixe and twentieth it was misty and close weather so that wee could not see any thing then they that layed the contrary wager with vs thought that they had won but vpon the seuen and twentieth day it was cleare weather and then wee saw the Sunne in his full roundnesse aboue the Horizon whereby it manifestly appeared that wee had seene it vpon the foure and twentieth day of Ianuary And as we were of diuers opinions touching the same and that wee said it was cleane contrary to the opinions of all old and new Writers yea and contrary to the nature and roundnesse both of Heauen and Earth some of vs said that seeing in long time there had beene no day that it might be that we had ouerslept our selues whereof we were better assured but concerning the thing in it selfe seeing God is wonderfull in all his workes we will referre that to his almightie power and leaue it vnto others to dispute of but for that no man shall thinke vs to be in doubt thereof if wee should let this passe without discoursing vpon it therefore we will make some declaration thereof whereby we may assure our selues that we kept good reckoning You must vnderstand that when we first saw the Sun it was in the fift degr and 25. min. of Aquarius and it should haue staid according to our first ghessing till it had entred into the 16. deg and 27. min. of Aquarius before he should haue shewed there vnto vs in the height of 76. deg Which we striuing and contending about it amongst our selues could not be satisfied but wondred thereat and some amongst vs were of opinion that we had mistaken our selues which neuerthelesse we could not be perswaded vnto for that euery day without sayle wee noted what had past and also had vsed our Clocke continually and when that was frozen wee vsed our Houre-glasse of twelue houres long whereupon wee argued with our selues in diuers wise to know how we should finde out that difference and leaue the trueth of the time which to trie wee agreed to looke into the Ephemeridâ—s made by Iosephus Schâ—la Printed in Venice for the yeeres of our Lord 1589. till A. 1600. and we found therein that vpon the foure and twentieth day of Ianuary when the Sun first appeared vnto vs that at Venice the Clocke being one in the night time the Moone and Iupiter were in coniunction whereupon we sought to know when the same coniunction should be ouer or about the house where wee then were and at last wee found that the foure and twentieth day of Ianuary was the same day whereon the coniunction aforesaid happened in Venice at one of the clocke in the night and with vs in the morning when the Sunne was in the East for we saw manifestly that the two Planets aforesaid approached neere vnto each other vntill such time as the Moone and Iupiter stood one iust ouer the other both in the signe of Taurus and that was at sixe of the clocke in the morning at which time the Moone and Iupiter were found by our Compasse to be in coniunction ouer our house in the North and by East-point and the South part of the Compasse was South South-west and there we had it right South the Moone being eight dayes old whereby it appeareth that the Sunne and the Moone were eight points different and this was about sixe of the clocke in the morning this place differeth from Venice fiue houres in longitude whereby we may ghesse how much we were neerer East then the Citie of Venice which was fiue houres each houre being 15. degrees which is in all 75. degrees that we were more Easterly then Venice by all which it is manifestly to be seene that wee had not fayled in our account and that also wee had found our right longitude by the two Planets aforesaid for the Towne of Venice lieth vnder 37. degrees and 25. minutes in longitude and her declination is 46. degrees and 5. minutes whereby it followeth that our place of Noua Zembla lieth vnder 112. degrees and 25. minutes in longitude and the height of the Pole 76. degrees and so you haue the right longitude and latitude but from the vttermost point of Noua Zembla to the point of Cape de Tabin the vttermost point of Tartaâ—ia where it windeth Southward the longitude differeth 60. degrees but you must vnderstand that the degrees are not so great as they are vnder the Equinoctiall Line
lay stil there some of our men went oftentimes on Land to seeke stones and found some that were as good as euer any that we found The seuen and twentieth wee had sayled from Cape de Cant along by Constinsarke to the Crosse Point twentie miles our course South South-east the Wind North-west The eight and twentieth it was faire weather with a North-east wind then we sayled along by the Land and with the South-west Sunne got before Saint Laurence Bay or Sconce Point and sayled South South-east six miles and being there wee found two Russians Lodgies or ships beyond the Point wherewith we were not a little comforted to thinke that we were come to the place where we found men but were in some doubt of them because they were so many for at that time we saw at least thirtie men and knew not what they were there with much paine and labour we got to Land which they perceiuing left off their worke and came towards vs but without any Armes and we also went on shoare as many as were well for diuers of vs were very ill at ease and weake by reason of a great scouring in their bodies and when wee met together wee saluted each other in friendly wise they after theirs and wee after our manner and when we were met both they and wee lookt each other stedfastly in the face for that some of them knew vs and wee them to bee the same men which the yeere before when wee past through the Wey-gates had beene in our ship at which time wee perceiued that they were abasht and wondred at vs to remember that at that time wee were so well furnished with a great ship that was exceedingly prouided of all things necessary and then to see vs so leane and bare with so small Scutes in that Countrey and amongst them there were two that in friendly manner clapt the Master and me vpon the shoulder as knowing vs since that Voyage for there was none of all our men that was as then in that Voyage but we two only and asked vs for our Crable meaning our ship and we shewed them by signes as well as we could for we had no Interpreter that we had lost our ship in the Ice wherewith they said Crable pro pal which wee vnderstood to bee Haue you lost your ship and we made answere Crable pro pal which was as much as to say That we had lost our ship and many more words we could not vse because we vnderstood not each other then they made shew to be sorrie for our losse and to be grieued that we the yeere before had beene there with so many ships and then to see vs in so simple manner and made vs signes that then they had drunke Wine in our ship and asked vs what drinke wee had now wherewith one of our men went into the Scute and drew some water and let them taste thereof but they shak't their heads and said No dobbre that is It is not good then our Master went neerer vnto them and shewed them his mouth to giue them to vnderstand that we were troubled with a loosenesse in our bellies and to know if they could giue vs any counsell to helpe it but they thought wee made shew that wee had great hunger wherewith one of them went vnto their Lodging and fetcht a round Rie Loafe weighing about eight pounds with some smored Fowles which we accepted thankfully and gaue them in exchange halfe a doozen of Muschuyt then our Master led two of the chiefe of them with him into his Scute and gaue them some of the Wine that we had being almost a Gallon for it was so neere out and while we stayed there we were very familiar with them and went to the place where they lay and sod some of our Mischuyt with water by their fire that we might eat some warme thing downe into our bodies and wee were much comforted to see the Russians for that in thirteene moneths time that we departed from Iohn Cornelison we had not seene any man but onely monsterous and cruell wild Beares The nine and twentieth it was reasonable faire weather and that morning the Russians beganne to make preparation to bee gone and to set sayle at which time they digged certayne Barrels with Trayne Oyle out of the sieges which they had buried there and put it into their ships The thirtieth lying at Anchor the Wind still blew North-west with great store of Raine and a sore storme so that although we had couered our Scutes with our Sayles yet we could not lye dry which was an vnaccustomed thing vnto vs for wee had had no Raine in long time before and yet we were forced to stay there all that day The one and thirtieth in the morning about the North-east Sunne wee rowed from that Iland to another Iland whereon there stood two Crosses wee thought that some men had layne there about Trade of Merchandize as the other Russians that wee saw before had done but wee found no man there the Wind as then beeing North-west whereby the Ice draue still towards the Wey-gates there to our great good wee went on Land for in that Iland wee found great store of Leple leaues which serued vs exceeding well and it seemed that God had purposely sent vs thither for as then wee had many sicke men and most of vs were so troubled with a scouring in our bodies and were thereby become so weake that wee could hardly row but by meanes of those leaues we were healed thereof for that as soone as we had eaten them we were presently eased and healed whereat wee could not choose but wonder and therefore wee gaue God great thankes for that and for many other his mercies shewed vnto vs by his great and vnexpected aide lent vs in that our dangerous Voyage and so as I said before wee eate them by whole handfuls together because in Holland we had heard much spoken of their great force and as then found it to be much more then we expected The first of August the Wind blew hard North-west and the Ice that for a while had driuen towards the entry of the Wey-gates stayed and draue no more but the Sea went very hollow whereby we were forced to remoue our Scutes on the other side of the Iland to defend them from the waues of the Sea and lying there wee went on Land againe to fetch more Leple leaues whereby we had beene so well holpen and still more and more recouered our healths and in so short time that we could not choose but wonder thereat so that as then some of vs could eate Bisket againe which not long before they could not doe The second it was darke mistie weather the Winde still blowing stiffe North-west at which time our victuals beganne to decrease for as then wee had nothing but a little Bread and Water and some of vs a little Cheese The third about the North Sunne
a great streame and by the Marsh and Sea standeth a great Church on which the Holy Crosse is drawne of colour white it belongeth to Eâ—elnesse de Hokesong and the Land to Peters Wike Item by Peters Wike lyeth a great Dorpe called Wartsdale by which lyeth a water or Sea of twelue miles or leagues ouer in which is much Fish And to Peters Wike Church belongeth Wartsdale Boy or Towne and the Villages Item neere this Boy or Towne lyeth a Cloyster or Abbey in which are Canons Regular it is Dedicated to Saint Olafes and Saint Augustines name And to it belongeth all the Land to the Sea side and toward the other side of the Cloyster Item next Godosford lyeth a Ford called Rompnes Ford And there lyeth a Cloyster of Nuns of Saint Benedicts Order Item this Cloyster to the bottome of the Sea and to Wegâ—â— Kerke was Dedicated to Saint Olafe the King In this Ford lye many small Iles. And to this Cloyster belongeth halfe the Ford and the Church In this Sound are many warme Waters In the Winter they are intollerable hot but in the Summer more moderate and many Bathing in them are cured of many diseases Item betweene Râ—mpnâ—â— and the next Sound lyeth a great Garden called Vose belonging to the King There is also a costly Church dedicated to Saint Nicolas This Church had the King before this Neere it lyeth a Sea of Fresh water called in which is great abundance of Fish without number And when there falleth much Rayne that the Waters doe rise therewith and after fall againe there remayneth vpon the Land much Fish drie Item when you sayle out of Emestnes Ford there lyeth an Inlet called South-woders Wike and somewhat higher in the same Sound and on the same side lyeth little Cape called Blâ—ming and beyond that lyeth another Inwike called Gronwike and aboue that lyeth a Garden called Daleth which belongeth to the Cathedrall Church And on the right hand as you sayle out of the same Sound lyeth a great Wood which pertayneth to the Church where they feede all their Cattell as Oxen Kine and Horses And to the Church pertayneth the Sound of Emestnes Ford. The high Land lying by Emestnes Ford is called The Ramos hayth So called because that on those Hills doe runne many Roe Deere or Reyne Deere which they vse to Hunt but not without the Bishops leaue And on this high Land is the best Stone in all Groneland They make thereof Pots because fire cannot hurt it And they make of the same stone Fattes or Cisternes that will hold ten or twelue Tunnes of water Item West from this lyeth another high Land called The long high Land and by another called whereon are eight great Orchards all belonging to the Cathedrall Church But the Tenths thereof they giue to Warsedall Church Item next to this Sound lyeth another Sound called Swalster Ford wherin standeth a Church called Swalster This Church belongeth to all this Sound and to Romse Ford lying next it In this Sound is a great Garden belonging to the King called Saint Heâ—lestate Item next to that lyeth Ericks Ford and entring therein lyeth an high Land called Ericks Hought which pertayneth the one halfe to Deuers Kerke and is the first Parish Church on Groneland and lyeth on the left hand as you sayle into Ericks Ford and Deuers Kerke belongeth all to Meydon Ford which lyeth North-west from Ericks Ford. Item farther out then Ericks Ford standeth a Church called Skogel Kerke which belongeth to all Medford And farther in the Sound standeth a Church called Leaden Kerke To this Church belongeth all thereabout to the Sea and also on the other side as farre as Bousels There lyeth also a great Orchard called Grote Lead in which the Gusman that is a chiefe or Bayliffe ouer the Boores doth well And farther out then Ericks Ford lyeth a Ford or Sound called Fossa which belongeth to the Cathedrall Church and the sayd Fossa Sound lyeth as men sayle out towards Ericks Ford and to the North of it lye two Villages the one called Eâ—er-boy and the other Forther-boy because they lye so Item from thence farther North lyeth Breda Ford and after that Lormont Ford from that West and from Lormont Ford to the West is Ice Dorpe All these are places built and in them dwell people Item from the Easter builded Land to the Wester Dorpe is twelue miles or leagues and the rest is all waste land In the Dorpe in the West standeth a Church which in times past belonged to the Cathedrall Church and the Bishop did dwell there But now the Skerlengers haue all the West Lands and Dorps And there are now many Horses Oxen and Kine but no people neither Christian nor Heathen but they were all carryed away by the Enemie the Skerlengers All this before Written was done by one Iuer Boty borne in Gronland a principall man in the Bishops Court who dwelt there many yeeres and saw and knew all these places He was chosen by the whole Land for Captayne to goe with Ships to the West land to driue away their Enemies the Skerlengers But hee comming there found no people neither Christian nor Heathen but found there many Sheepe running being wilde of which Sheepe they tooke with them as many as they could carrie and with them returned to these Houses This before named Indo Boty was himselfe with them To the North of the West Land lyeth a great Wildernesse with Clifes or Rockes called Hemel Hatsfelt Farther can no man sayle because there lye many Swalgen or Whirle-pooles and also for the Water and the Sea Item in Groneland are many Siluer Hills and many white Beares with red patches on their heads and also white Hawkes and all sorts of Fish as in other Countries Item there is Marble stone of all colours also Zeuell stone or the Load stone which the Fire cannot hurt whereof they make many vessels as Pots and other great vessels Item in Groneland runneth great streames and there is much Snow and Ice But it is not so cold as it is in Island or Norway Item there grow on the high Hills Nuts and Acornes which are as great as Apples and good to eate There groweth also the best Wheate that can grow in the whole Land This Sea Card was found in the Iles of Fero or farre lying betweene Shot-laâ—t and Island in an old reckoning Booke written aboue one hundred yeeres agoe out of which this was all taken Item Punnus and Potharse haue inhabited Island certayne yeeres and sometimes haue gone to Sea and haue had their trade in Groneland Also Punnus did giue the Islanders their Lawes and caused them to bee written Which Lawes doe continue to this day in Island and are called by name Punnus Lawes The Course from Island to Groneland IF men bee South from the Hauen of Bred Ford in Island they shall sayle West till they see Whitsarke vpon Groneland and then sayle
each Tent. This worke of pitching the Tents belongeth vnto the Women In the meane time the men vnyoake the Deere and turne them loose to digge through the Snow bee it neuer so deepe for their food and sustenance Then the Samoieds of euery Tent one out of the next Wood prouide as much Fuell as shall 〈…〉 turnes for their abode there First they set on Kettles full of Snow water which being melted they drinke thereof euery one a good draught then they seeth their Supper vsing as before Snow water melted for their Drinke Our lodgings were vpon the Snow within our Tents round about the Fire hauing vnder vs for our Beds the skinnes of Deere couered with our day apparell For all the time of our journey the Merchants whether Stranger Russe or Permac according to the number of them make prouision of Victuals to feed the whole familie in euery Tent euery man his day about together with the Samoieds their Wiues and Children who carrie all their Houshold euery where with them and out of their Sonnes and Daughters they appoint a watch ouer their Deere for feare of the Wolfe and other Beasts which notwithstanding their watch sometimes kill in a night one or two of their Deere as it fell out two nights in our journey to Slobotca This Slobotca is a pretie Towne hauing in December and Ianuarie great resort of people repayring thither as well Rich Russes out of many places with money to buy Furres as others with prouision of Meale and Malt and other Commodities to furnish the Pustozerits as also to buy Fish to wit Salmons Oyle of Bealugos Deere skinnes and Furres of them The tenth of Ianuary the Inhabitants of Pustozera returned from Trading with the Samoieds of Ougoria on which Iourney they set forward the fiue and twentieth of Nouember and within three dayes after came betwixt eight or nine hundred Samoieds with a small quantitie of their Commodities in respect of former yeeres by reason of Warre betweene the Samoieds of Ougoria and Molgomsey who were wont to Trade one with another and not to warre one against another So Sables and other Commodities being scant the inhabitants sold them very deare yet notwithstanding the Russes bought vp all striuing one to haue them before another So that after that little money which we had was bestowed wee could not doe any thing in barter Moreouer the Russes did not onely informe against vs to the Inhabitants to stirre them vp against vs but also vsed the like meanes to the Samoieds to disswade them from trading with vs either in their owne Countries or else-where alleadging that wee would betray them and not onely carrie them away to make them Slaues and robbe them but also would murther and destroy all the rest wheresoeuer wee should come The Inhabitants also of Pustozera being incensed by the Russes doubting wee would enter farther into their Trade Eastward began also to hinder and forbid the Samoieds to come to vs. Yet by meanes of our Hoast being a Polac borne we spake with diuers of the principall of the Samoieds hee being our Interpreter and wee our selues vnderstood certayne Samoieds speaking broken Russe and by these meanes we found out more at large the despitefulnesse of the Russes and the enuie of some of the Inhabitants against vs as also their feare least wee or any other Stranger should enter into further Discouerie of their trafficking toward the East but especially about the Riuer Ob. Some sayd we were sent as spyes to betray their Land to the Pole or the Swethen with whom they then had warre Some gaue counsell to put vs vnder the Water others aduised to set vs vpon the Sand where wee should haue beene without all doubt drowned in short space others thought best to send vs vp to the Nobilitie and to seaze on all our goods to the vse of the State But diuers of the best in the Towne with whom wee kept all friendship that possible we could withstood those bloudie practises The Lord therefore bee blessed The fifth of March the Inhabitants of Pustozer went againe to Slobotca carrying the Russes with their Commodities thither They returned home the eleuenth of Aprill 1612. The one and twentieth of Aprill water was first seene vpon the maine Riuer Pechora aboue the Ice descending from aboue Oust-zilma The twentieth of May the Ice brake vp The fiue and twentieth of May certayne of the Inhabitants of Pustozer went by water vnto Oust-zilma The sixe and twentieth Iosias Logan with our Hoast the Polonian hired a Boate and went toward Oust-zilma carrying with him certayne Cloath and Copper Kettles in hope to sell them well there being intreated in the Summer before by one of their Townesmen to come thither or to send one to Winter there alledging that they got great store of Losh-hydes Squirrels Sables and Beuers Which some yeeres indeed as we were credibly informed falleth out according to his report But at his arriuall there diuers of the Townesmen came against him and would not suffer him nor any of his Boate to Land for the space of ten houres but in the end they let him goe on shoare after as wee suppose the Inhabitants of Pustozer had bought most of their Commodities So that hee staying there two dayes could get but nine Losh-hydes and halfe a timber of course Sables in barter for some Cloath and Copper The principall cause of his going thither was to meete with some of the Permacks out of Permia who some yeeres come downe with Rie and Rie-meale and thought to haue giuen notice to those Permacks of our being at Pustozer and to haue willed them to haue perswaded their Countrey-men to bring thither the next Spring following all their Commodities being Waxe Honey Losh-hydes and Furres which they might doe for halfe the charge that they are at in bringing them to Archangell on the Riuer Duina Oust-zilma is a pretie Towne of some sixtie Houses and is three or foure dayes sayling with a faire wind against the streame from Pustozer but backe againe they may sayle it in two dayes The third of Iune came the first Russes in their Cayooks by Riuer out of Russia to Pustozer These Cayooks be small Boates of two tunnes hauing two men in each Boate. The twentieth of Iune nine Russe Coaches or Soymas passed by Pustozer from Oust-zilma for Molgomsey The one and twentieth sixe Russe Soymas more departed from Pustozer all the rest hauing giuen ouer their Voyage which came thither the Summer before 1611. The two and twentieth one Soyma belonging to the Towne of Pustozer departed for Molgomsey The three and twentieth and foure and twentieth the Inhabitants of Pustozer went to Fish for Bealugos vnder the Boluan being the highest Land neere vnto the Drie Sea and two dayes sayling from the Towne The fiue and twentieth I departed after them and arriued there the seuen and twentieth hoping
three and twentie persons at one time onely with Partridges besides Curlue Plouer Mallard Teale and Goose. I haue seene two hot Bathes in Island and haue beene in one of them Wee are resolued to trie the vttermost and lye onely expecting a faire winde and to refresh our selues to auoyd the Ice which now is come off the West Coasts of which wee haue seene whole Ilands but God bee thanked haue not beene in danger of any Thus I desire all your prayers for vs. From Island this thirtieth of May 1610. A note found in the Deske of Thomas Wydowse Student in the Mathematickes hee being one of them who was put into the Shallop THe tenth day of September 1610. after dinner our Master called all the Companie together to heare and beare witnesse of the abuse of some of the Companie it hauing beene the request of Robert Iuet that the Master should redresse some abuses and slanders as hee called them against this Iuet which thing after the Master had examined and heard with equitie what hee could say for himselfe there were prooued so many and great abuses and mutinous matters against the Master and action by Iuet that there was danger to haue suffred them longer and it was fit time to punish and cut off farther occasions of the like mutinies It was prooued to his face first with Bennet Mathew our Trumpet vpon our first sight of Island and hee confest that hee supposed that in the action would bee man-slaughter and proue bloodie to some Secondly at our comming from Island in hearing of the companie hee did threaten to turne the head of the Ship home from the action which at that time was by our Master wisely pacified hoping of amendment Thirdly it was deposed by Philip Staffe our Carpenter and Ladlie Arnold to his face vpon the holy Bible that hee perswaded them to keepe Muskets charged and Swords readie in their Cabbins for they should bee charged with shot ere the Voyage were ouer Fourthly wee being pestered in the Ice hee had vsed words tending to mutinie discouragement and slander of the action which easily tooke effect in those that were timorous and had not the Master in time preuented it might easily haue ouerthrowne the Voyage and now lately beeing imbayed in a deepe Bay which the Master had desire to see for some reasons to himselfe knowne his word tended altogether to put the Companie into a fray of extremitie by wintering in cold Iesting at our Masters hope to see Bantam by Candlemasse For these and diuers other base slâ—nders against the Master hee was deposed and Robert Bylot who had shewed himselfe honestly respecting the good of the action was placed in his stead the Masters Mate Also Francis Clement the Boatson as this time was put from his Office and William Wilson a man thought more fit preferred to his place This man had basely carryed himselfe to our Master and to the action Also Adrian Mooter was appointed Boatsons mate and a promise by the Master that from this day Iuats wages should remaine to Bylot and the Boatsons ouerplus of wages should bee equally diuided betweene Wilson and one Iohn King to the owners good liking one of the 〈◊〉 Masters who had very well carryed themselues to the furtherance of the businesse Also the Master promised if the Offenders yet behaued themselues henceforth honestly hee would bee a meanes for their good and that hee would forget iniuries with other admonitions These things thus premised touching Hudsons exposing and Gods iust iudgements on the Exposers as Pricket hath related whom they reserued as is thought in hope by Sir Dudley Digges his Master to procure their pardon at their returne I thought good to adde that which I haue further receiued from good Intelligence that the Ship comming aground at Digges Iland in 62. degrees 44. minutes a great flood came from the West and set them on floate an argument of an open passage from the South Sea to that and consequently to these Seas The Weapons and Arts which they saw beyond those of other Sauages are arguments hereof Hee which assaulted Pricket in the Boate had a weapon broad and sharpe indented of bright Steele such they vse in Iaua riueted into a handle of Morse tooth CHAP. XVIII The Discoueries of M. M. NICOLO and ANTONIO ZENI gathered out of their Letters by FRANCISCO MARCOLINO whereto is added QVIRINO his Ship-wracke IN the yeere 1380. Master Nicolo Zeno being wealthy and of a haughtie spirit desiring to see the fashions of the world built and furnished a Ship at his owne charges and passing the Straits of Gibralter held on his course Northwards with intent to see England and Flanders But a violent tempest assailing him at Sea hee was carried hee knew not whither till at last his Ship was carried away vpon the I le of Frisland where the mâ—n and most part of the goods were saued In vaine seemes that deliuerie that deliuers vp presently to another Executioner The Ilanders like Neptunes hungry groomes or his base and blacke Guard set vpon the men whom the Seas had spared but heere also they found a second escape by meanes of a Prince named Zichmui Prince of that and many Ilands thereabouts who being neere hand with his Armie came at the out-crie and chasing away the people tooke them into protection This Zichmui had the yeere before giuen the ouerthrow to the King of Norway and was a great aduenturer in feates of Armes He spake to them in Latine and placed them in his Nauie wherewith hee wonne diuers Ilands Nicolo be haued himselfe so well both in sauing the Fleet by his Sea-skill and in conquest of the Ilands by his valour that Zichmui made him Knight and Captaine of his Nauie After diuers notable exploits Nicolo armed three Barkes with which hee arriued in Engroneland where hee found a Monasterie of Friers of the Preachers Order and a Church dedicated to Saint Thomas hard by a Hill that casteth out fire like Vesuniâ—s and Aetna There is a Fountaine of hot water with which they heate the Church of the Monasterie and the Friers chambers It commeth also into the Kitchin so boyling hote that they vse no other fire to drâ—sse their meate and putting their Bread into brasse Pots without any water it doth bake as it were in an hot Ouen They haue also small Gardens which are couered ouer in the Winter time and being watered with this water are defended from the violence of the Frost and cold and bring forth Flowers in their due seasons The common people astonished with these strange effects conceiue highly of those Friers and bring them presents of Flesh and other things They with this Water in the extremitie of the cold heate their Chambers which also as the other buildings of the Monasterie are framed of those burning stones which the mouth of the Hill casts foorth They cast water on some of them whereby they are dissolued and become excellent
XX. A briefe Memoriall of the great Trauells by Sea and Land of Master GEORGE BARKLEY Merchant of London in Europe Asia Africa and America and their Ilands BEing a childe he was transported into the East Countries and the first place of his landing was Schagen from thence vnto Elsenâ—re a Towne as bigge as Brentwood where the Danish Custome is taken and where he hath seene at one time the Dane making stay of all shipping fourteene dayes for ostentation to a forreigne Nobleman seuen hundred sayle From thence to Coppenhagen thence to Bornholme thence to Danske a Towne subject to the Pole being in continuall buildings if by any meanes they may fortifie themselues against the Hilles ouer-looking the Towne a Rill running betweene whence they haue their fresh water they spare no time Sunday nor other There lyeth here in the Sea by casting vp of sands a long Iland called Frishnering where alongst as on Samaiden is gathered by the Danske Officers there and here by the Iewes that farme it of the Pole Amber cast vp by the Sea in great abundance pieces as bigge as a pecke more or lesse The Bores that find it and gather haue so many firkins of some other meane commoditie and if they keepe and sell it they dye for it Hee hath seene one piece of Amber taken vp in the middest whereof was to be seene through the transparent Amber a Frog in similitude and full proportion Master Vassall his brother a friend of mine told me of a piece of Timber in the keele of a ship where by occasion of a sliuer one cutting nine inches within the Timber euery way he found a great liuing Tode in the hollow thereof at Woolwich betwixt this Frishnering and the Land is a great water Frisbhâ—ff where at Saint Georges day they begin to fish of which there is exceeding plentie and for three halfe pence one may buy a cast as much as they shall draw the next time One here in his Net drew vp a company or heape of Swallowes as bigge as a bushell fastned by the legs and bills in one which being carried to their stoues quickned and slew and comming againe suddenly in the cold Aire dyed From Danske he went to Marienberg a Towne also standing on the Vistle whereby it runneâ—h in another channell and betwixt both these makes an Iland wherein stands Nerdeich which Iland is compassed with a wall to fortifie it against the comming downe of the Vistle in the Spring at the thaw of the snowes c. This wall seemeth in some places as high as Paules Steeple and other-where as high as Paules Church where yet it hath sometime beene ouerflowne full it is of Hoffes and Villages belonging to the Lords of Danske HONDIVS his Map of BORVSSIA or PRVSSIA PRUSSIA Thence he went to Elbing a faire Towne where our Trade is now for Flaxe which was before at Danske thence remoued for their insolencies Here our men only pay Custome others are free and this they did voluntarily and haue in this respect very much authoritie amongst the Lords there the Towne still flourisheth with buildings c. HONDIVS his Map of LIVONIA or LIEFLAND LIVONIA The Momeses are almost Saluadoes retaining still their old superstitions as to worship the Sun or the first Beast they meet with and especially they haue in religious reckoning their Leaue This which they call Se-leaue or the Groues is a company of Trees which it is religious to touch and he knew a Dutchman Martin Yekell of Derpt who breaking a bough was swelled a yeere together as big as his skinne would hold Heere at Marriages and Burialls they pray but without Image Their marriage is thus The man and his Bride are set stridling on a Horse and blinded and so led into Se-leaue there taken downe and married by their Rites then set vp againe blinded as before and conueyed with their company and Musicke to their house singing Kosoku Kosoku Coniku seamoha there taken downe and had to bed still blinded till the next morrow in the meane while they rest drinking c. They mourne when one is borne reioyce and make merry at death Their mourning in Curland is then and when they walke alone or fetch wood Yerow yerou yerou masculine babe the words themselues vnderstand not but thinke it to haue remained since that Babylonish Towre When the Momeses die they are buried in their Leaues with their knife vnder their arme and their coate hanging ouer the graue The Momeses are very ignorant and aske who learne the Hares in the woods their prayers At Rie the women haue a thing of Red veluet on their heads made like a Ship with the keele vpward at each end a lock of hayre The women of the Sacs differ in their fashion of attire each City from other a pleted Petticote with a damaske Vpper body a veluet Square on their heads and thereon a Cloke c. The maid vncouered if she haue had a child and refuse to goe couered she is brought to the Pillory her haire cut off and there nayled and a Kerchiefe put on Here and in Norway and in White Russia c. strangers pay nothing for entertainment but salute sit downe and expect the Hosts expences Their bed they must bring with them which is commonly a Beares skin or else they there haue a locke of straw To offer money is a disgrace which yet might seeme to arise of the basenesse of the coyne Their houses are all of Timber beames laid square and others laid on them in notches so till they come to the roofe which they couer with straw diuided in two roomes the inner being the Parlour or stoue where they haue as it were one Ouen ouer another the middle hearth being of stones set grate-wise the fire is put in on the Back-side or Hal-side there also the Sinke issueth Before that mouth in the Stoue is set a vessell of water which when they wil haue the heat exceeding they besprinkle on those hot stones A fire lasteth a day at night they renew it Sometimes the old Prusees on the borders of Curland according to their old heathenish Rites do sacrifice their Priest in fire HONDIVS his Map of LITHVANIA LITHUANIA HONDIVS his Map of POLONIA POLONIA et SILESIA The Polanders had a great murraine of beasts attributed to the Iewes two Iewes comming to a woman offered her mony for some of her milke she answered her child but then sucked they left their glasse there promising to fetch it anon and to satisfie her her husband meane while comming home and seeing so strange a thing as a glasse asked from whence it came and why being answered two Iewes had left it there for milke for a medicine bid her fleet Cowes milke and fill the glasse which the Iewes receiuing and hauing entertained a Boy caused him to climbe vp one of the Ladders which there stand together with their three square
on their garments which greatly trouble them for want of linnen if thy see any each taketh them from the other and as often as he taketh away one so often doth he thanke him with his head discouered and this they doe one to the other as long as they see one By night the Master of the house with all his family his wife and children lye in one roome couered with a cloth made of Wooll which they make And the like clothes they lap vnder them without straw or hay put vnder All of them make water in one chamber-pot with the which in the morning they wash their face mouth teeth and hands they alledge many reasons thereof to wit that this makes a faire face maintaineth the strength confirmeth the sinnewes in the hands and preserueth the teeth from putrifaction If Catâ—le perish in the waters or snow which often commeth to passe they say they are killed of God and are accounted among the delicates And it happened in the yeere 1564. in a place called Ackermisse that in the month of Ianuary some Kine strayed in the darke and the fogge was so great and the depth of snow that they could not be found In the moneth of April they were first found vntainted and without any euill smell and being distributed among the neighbours some part was brought to the Gouernour with whom I liued at that time which was not lawfull for him to despise yet he commanded it to bee giuen to the poore In the Winter time before and after the Solstitium when the Sunne declineth and being in Sagitarius Capricornus and Aquarius it departeth from them neither doth it ascend aboue the Horizon while it touch Pisces therefore they haue no light but of the Moone and Starres In like manner about the Summer Solstitium when the Sunne ascendeth to Gemini Cancer and Leo it neuer goeth downe vnder the Horizon therefore at that time they haue no Night In the Winter time they keepe their Beds many dayes and exercise themselues in the game of Chesse the inuention wherof is due to Xerxes the Philosopher the meane while the seruants bring them their meate dressed to their beds They keepe Lampes of the oyle of Fish continually burning others burne Tallow candles In the moneth of Februarie as soone as the Sunne ascends aboue the Horizon by little and little the dayes grow longer then they begin to Fish whereof there is so great plentie that it is scarce credible for the Fishes which for three whole moneths swamme in the darke as soone as they see a fish of Tinne fastened to an Iron they ranne to it in schoales that they are not onely drawne vp by the jawes but wheresoeuer the Iron toucheth them Hauing taken them they plucke out the bones and lay vp their bowels and make Fat or Oyle of them They heape vp their Fish in the open ayre and the puritie of the ayre is such there that they are hardened onely with the winde and Sunne without Salt better surely then if they were corned with salt And if they kill any Beasts they preserue the flesh without stinke or putrifaction without salt hardened onely with the winde Of the wonderfull standing Pooles Lakes and Fountaynes in Iseland IN diuers places almost throughout the whâ—le Iland are Bathes and scalding Fountaynes which flow out in great abundance This water as soone as it begins to coole hath a Sulphurie substance in the top thereof In these scalding waters wherein I could scarse dippe my finger red Diue-doppers are seene afarre off if you come neerer they vanish if you depart they appeare againe so all day long if any please they play boe-peepe with men Whether they bee Diue-doppers indeed I leaue it to others to decide At the West of this Iland there is a huge smoakie Lake and very cold which turneth all things that are cast into it into stones and that in few dayes and which is worthy of great admiration if you put a sticke vpright into the bottome the lower part which is stucke into the earth hath the resemblance and hardnesse of Iron after two dayes that which was in the water hath the hardnesse and shew of a Stone the vpper part which remayned aboue the water keepeth his wonted forme And I twice proued the truth of this thing but when I put the lower part which represented Iron to the fire that it might melt it burned like a Coale There are two Fountaynes of most different qualitie in a place vpon the Sea coast which is called Turlocks Hauen the one cold the other hot these Fountaynes by pipes are drawne into one place and tempered for bathing they make a most wholesome Bath Not farre from these Fountaynes there is a certaine other Fountayne which bubbles foorth liquor like Wax which notably cureth the French disease which is very common there Not farre from the Hauen Haffnefordt there is a cleft in a Rocke like to a Fountayne of vnmeasurable depth If you looke into it you cannot see the water but if you cast in a stone halfe an houre after you shall heare it falling as if it fell into brazen Vessels and forthwith the water ariseth and it is filled to the top of the Wels brimme and it is a most cleere water which notwithstanding no man dare touch nor taste neither doth it flow out but so long after as the stone which is cast in sinketh to the bottome There is another Lake in the middle of the Iland which casteth forth a pestiferous fume insomuch as it killeth Birds flying ouer it with the poyson thereof Of the wonderfull Mountaynes in Island THere are three Mountaynes in Island very admirable the one is called the Mountayne of the Crosse the other Sneuelsiockell These two pierce the cloudes with their heigth whose heads or tops no man euer saw nor are they euer seene without Ice and Snow in those Lightnings and horrible Thunders are daily heard when neuerthelesse in the neighbouring Valleyes the Aire is faire and cleere as in Summer time The third Mountayne lyeth on the North of the Iland and not very high but it hath burned very many yeeres with what fire or matter it is vnknowne but seeing Brimstone is digged out of the Earth throughout the whole Land it seemeth that the Sulphurie matter is sometime inflamed This Mountayne is not farre from the Sea and the Sea on one side beates vpon it it is called Hecla sometimes it casteth forth flame sometimes fierie water then blacke ashes and Pumis stones in so great abundance that it darkeneth the Sunne No man also can dwell neere it by sixe mile neither are there any pastures about it Sometimes bold men and such as regard not their liues cast stones into the hollow places for sometimes there is a wonderfull calme in the Mountayne especially when the Westerne wind blowes it casteth backe the stones flung into it with an horrible noyse and
Iselanders THere is a most pleasant place almost in the midst of the Iland you would say it were a Paradise in the Spring time where sometimes there was a high Mountaine which burned with inward fire as Hecla doth at this day which matter after it was consumed made a Plaine but the Rocks which were erected about the Mountaine stand yet therefore this place is so fenced by Nature that they that enter it must goe one by one This place is famous for two great falls of water where two Riuers from the highest Rocks cast themselues steepe downe one against the other with an astonishing and horrible dashing of the waters against the Rocks These Riuers meete together in the middle of the field and by a great whirlepoole are swallowed vp into the ground Heere yeerely the nine and twentieth of Iune the Inhabitants who haue any controuersie meete together for in no other place or time Iustice is administred after they are entred standings are placed by the Gouernours guard who admit all that desire to come in no man hath libertie to goe out without the consent and authoritie of the Gouernour When they are come thither the Gouernour offreth his Charter to bee publikely read whereby hee procureth credit to his Office and hauing spoken before somewhat of the Kings goodwill and his owne towards the Ilanders he exhorteth them to communicate Iustice vnto all without respect of persons hee after departeth and keepes himselfe in his Tent hauing heard a godly Sermon the twelue men whom they call Lochmaders as it were men of Iustice sit downe on the ground each of them hath a Booke in his hand contayning the Law of that Iland written in the vulgar tongue Accusation and answer being made they goe apart into seuerall places euery one reades ouer his Booke diligently going afterwards againe to his place without Scribe without replication or doubling and iuglings of such brabling Lawyers they conferre of the sentence and pronounce it If any thing bee worthy of deliberation it is brought to the Gouernour for consultation and for his honours sake when notwithstanding they leaue no power of deciding it to him There are many accusations of Theft and Adulteries they make no question of their Bonds of their Fees their Hereditarie fields or any summe of money there are no controuersies there These twelue men ouer which one is chiefe are greatly honoured amongst them These doe determine and diligently inquire of all publike Controuersies If there bee any wicked Act committed that yeere if Murther bee committed any where if Theft if Adulterie if Cattle be stollen away which vseth oft to bee done then these men set downe the punishment They that are condemned to dye are beheaded the rest who are any way to bee punished they burne with a marke this punishment with them is most grieuous for they are marked in the forehead they that are so marked are accounted in the number of wicked men others are beaten with roddes and I saw when the Father and the Sonne for theft for they were Cattell stealers were held Captiues that the Father was compelled to beate his Sonne with roddes and hee afterwards beheaded Of Groneland ISeland by Nature is somewhat long it hath Norway on the East the Orcades and Scotland on the South Groneland on the West and the Hyperborean or Congealed Sea vpon the North. Although I purposed to passe ouer Groneland with silence yet seeing I touched vpon the Land and saw some few things I thought it was to bee added There was in a certaine Monasterie in Iseland called Helgafiel a certayne blinde Monke left for the Abbot of the Monasterie had conuerted the Reuenues to the Kings vse who liued miserably there hee was borne in Groneland of a darke complexion and broad face The Gouernour commanded him to bee brought vnto him that hee might know some certaintie of the state of Groneland Hee sayd there was a Monasterie of Saint Thomas in Groneland into the which his Parents thrust him when he was but young and after that hee was taken out by the Bishop of Groneland when hee was thirtie yeeres of age to saile with him into Norway to the Archbishop to Nidrosia or Dronten to whom the Iseland Bishops are subiect in his returne hee was left in a Monasterie by the Bishop whose Countrey Groneland was this was done as hee sayd 1546. Hee said that Iland was called Groneland Antiphrastically For that it seldome or neuer waxeth greene and that there is so great cold there throughout the whole yeere except Iune Iuly and August that being clothed and couered with Furres they could scarse bee warme and that they had at home certayne round peeces of wood which being continually mooued with the feete kept their feet warme Hee sayd it aboundeth as Iseland doth with Fishes and that they had Beares and white Foxes nay Pigmies and Vnicornes and that day did not appeare till the Sunne had runne through Pisces This Monke told vs maruellous strange things that there was in the Monasterie of Saint Thomas where hee liued a Fountayne which sent forth burning and flaming water that this water was conueyed through pipes of stone to the seuerall Cells of the Monkes and that it made them warme as Stoaues doe with vs and that all kinde of meates might bee boyled in this Fountayne and fierie water no otherwise then if it had beene fire indeed Hee added moreouer that the walls of the Monasterie were made of Pumice stones out of a certayne Mountayne not farre from the Monasterie like to Hecla for if yee powre these burning Waters vpon the Pumice stones there will follow a slimie matter which in stead of Lime they vse for Morter After the Gouernours conference with the Monke I came priuatly vnto him to demand certayne particular things touching the Pigmies and other things hee had little skill in the Latine tongue hee vnderstood mee speaking Latine but answered by an Interpreter Hee sayd the Pigmies represent the most perfect shape of Man that they are hairy to the vttermost joynts of the fingers and that the Males haue beards downe to the knees But although they haue the shape of men yet they haue little sense or vnderstanding nor distinct speech but make shew of a kinde of hissing after the manner of Geese that his Abbot kept two of them in his Monasterie male and female but they liued not long and that they were vnreasonable Creatures and liue in perpetuall darknesse That some say they haue warre with the Cranes that hee knew not He affirmed that the same maner of food was in Groneland as in Island to wit of fish but not of cattle because they haue no cattle that the country is not populous Forth with from Island begins the Hyperborean Sea which beats vpon Groneland and the Country of the Pigmies which at this day is called Noua Zembla there the frozen Sea hath a Bay which is called the White
well with sinewes or guts that no water can pierce them through beeing some of them aboue twentie foot long and not past two foot or two foot and an halfe broad in forme of a Weauers shittle and so light that a man may carrie many of them at once for the weight In these Boates they will row so swiftly that it is almost incredible for no ship in the World is able to keepe way with them although shee haue neuer so good a gale of wind and yet they vse but one Oare who sitting in the midle of their Boate and holding their Oare in the middle being broad at each end like our Oares will at an instant goe backward and forward as they please In these Boates they catch the most part of their food being Seales and Salmons Morses and other kinds of fishes Some they kill with their Darts and other some with Angles hauing a Line made of small shiuers of Whales Finnes and an Hooke of some fishes bones with which Line and Hookes we also haue caught very much fish Also they haue another kinde of Boate which is very long For wee haue seene one of them thirtie two foot in length open in the toppe like our Boates hauing tenne seates in it In which when they remooue their Dwellings they carrie their Goods or House-hold-stuffe for they remooue their Dwellings very often as their fishing doth serue liuing in the Summer time in Tents made of Seales skinnes and in Winter in Houses some-what in the ground Wee could not particularly learne their Rites or Ceremonies but generally they worship the Sunne as chiefe Authour of their Felicitie At their first approach vnto vs they vsed with their hands to point vp to the Sunne and to strike their hands vpon their brests crying Ilyont as who would say I meane no harme which they will doe very often and will not come neere you vntill you doe the like and then they will come without any feare at all They burie their dead in the Out-Ilands neere the Seaside Their manner of Buriall is this Vpon the tops of the Hils they gather a company of stones together and make thereof an hollow Caue or Graue of the length and breadth of the bodie which they intend to burie laying the stones somewhat close like a wall that neyther Foxes nor other such beasts may deuoure the bodies couering them with broad stones shewing afarre off like a pile of stones And neere vnto this Graue where the bodie lyeth is another wherein they burie his Bow and Arrowes with his Darts and all his other Prouision which hee vsed while hee was liuing Hee is buried in all his Apparell and the coldnesse of the Climate doth keepe the bodie from smelling and stinking although it lye aboue the Ground They eate all their Food raw and vse no fire to dresse their Victuals as farre as wee could perceiue Also wee haue seene them drinke the salt-Salt-water at our shippes side But whether it bee vsuall or no I cannot tell Although they dresse not their meate with fire yet they vse fire for other things as to warme them c. Diuers of our men were of opinion that they were Man-eaters and would haue deuoured vs if they could haue caught vs. But I doe not thinke they would For if they had bin so minded they might at one time haue caught our Cooke and two other with him as they were filling of water at an Iland a great way from our ship These three I say were in the ships Boate without eyther Musket or any other Weapon when as a great company of the Sauages came rowing vnto them with their Darts and other Furniture which they neuer goe without and stood looking into the Boate for Nayles or any old Iron which they so greatly desire while our men were in such a feare that they knew not what to doe At length our Cooke remembred that hee had some old Iron in his pocket and gaue each of them some as farre as it would goe with his Key of his Chest. And presently they all departed without offering any harme at all But this I speake not that I would haue men to trust them or to goe among them vnprouided of Weapons CHAP. XVIII A true Relation of such things as happened in the fourth Voyage for the Discouerie of the North-west Passage performed in the yeere 1615. Written by WILLIAM BAFFIN AFter three sundry Voyages towards the North-west to the great charge of the Aduenturers the last being vnder the command of Captaine Gibbins in which was little or nothing performed Yet the Right Worshipfull Sir Dudley Digges Knight Master Wostenholme Esquire Master Alderman Iones with others being not therewith discouraged This yeere 1615. againe set forth the Discouery a ship of fiftie fiue tunnes or thereabouts which ship had beene the three former Voyages on the action The Master was Robert Bileth a man well acquainted that way hauing beene employed in the three former Voyages my selfe being his Mate and Associate with fourteene others and two Boyes The sixteenth we weighed Anchor at Saint Katharines and that tyde came to Blackwall the winde being at South South-west The seuenteenth wee went downe to Grauesend and the eighteenth to Lee where we anchored that night Vpon the sixt of May we saw Land on the Coast of Groenland on the East side of Cape Farewell and that night we had a great storme so wee kept a Southerly course to get about the Ice which lay on that shoare and then kept our course vntill the seuenteenth day of May all which forenoone we sayled by many great Ilands of Ice some of which were aboue two hundred foot high aboue water as I proued by one shortly after which I found to be two hundred and fortie foot high and if report of some men be true which affirme that there is but one seuenth part of the Ice aboue water then the height of that piece of Ice which I obserued was one hundred and fortie fathomes or one thousand sixe hundred and eightie foote from the toppe to the bottome this proportion I know doth hold in much Ice but whether it doe so in all I know not This seuenteenth of May about noone we were come to the firme Ice as one would suppose being in the latitude of 61. degrees 26. minutes or thereabout being the latitude of the Souâ—h part of the I le of Resolution we comming to this Ice our Master asked my opinion concerning the putting into the Ice My iudgement was it would be best for vs to stand and ply it vp to the Northwards Hee answered we were on the North side of the South Channell and much Ice we must passe through and if that we could get some two or three leagues within the Ice it would euery tide open and we should get some thing onward of our way hauing all the Channell to the South-wards of vs. So with
seedes The President Belalcazar inhabited this village and here hee beheaded the Marshall George Robledo It stands sixteene leagues from Ancerma the people of the countrie are so butcherly that the quicke are the sepulchre of the dead for it hath beene seene the husband to eate the wife the brother the brother or sister the sonne the father and hauing fatned any captiue the day that they are to eate him they bring him forth with many songs and the Lord commandeth that an Indian doe goe cutting off euery member and so aliue they goe eating him and after the inhabiting of Arma they haue eaten more then eight thousand Indians and some Spaniards haue also suffered this martyrdome The village of Saint Anne of Ancerma is fiftie leagues from Popayan to the North-east in the border of Cauca of the Councell of the new Kingdome gouernment and Bishopricke of Popayan without Cattell or Wheat very much annoyed with thunder-bolts the Captaine George Robledo built it by order of Laurence of Aldana Likewise the men of this countrie are eaters of humane flesh they goe naked they haue no Idols nor any thing to worship there are in this iurisdiction good Mynes of gold the climate is hot and many thunder-bolts doe fall The citie of Cartago fiue and twentie leagues from Popayan about the North-east is of the Councell of the New Realme Gouernment and Bishoprick of Popayan without Wheat or any seedes of Castile it is a temperate and wholesome countrie of little gold it rayneth much they breede no other cattell but Kine and Mares they haue many Mountaines in the which breede many Lions Tigres Beares and Dantas and wilde Boares they haue a Monasterie of Franciscan Friars the Captaine George Robledo inhabited it and it was called Cartaga because all the inhabiters were of Cartagena The village of Timana is fortie leagues from Popayan to the South-east and sixtie from Santa Fe of Bogota and thirtie from the Prouinces of Dorado here is a Lieftenant of the Gouernour which also hath at his charge Saint Sebastian de la Plata the Indians of their borders doe decay for they are so inhumane that in many places they haue publike shambles of men which they take captiue They haue their seate in the beginning of the Valley of Neyua the temper is most hot in their bounds is a Mountaine where they digge the Load-stone and the Indian Paezes are neere and the Pixaos which also are Caribes The Citie of Guadalaiara of Buga is fifteene leagues from Popayan to the North-east is of the bounds of the Councell of Quito and Diocesse of Popayan The Citie of Saint Sebastian of the Plate in the confines of this Gouernment is thirtie fiue leagues from Popayan and thirtie to the South-west from Santa Fe Diocesse of Popayan where are many Mynes of siluer and in her borders twentie foure repartitions it is three leagues from the Port of Onda in the great Riuer of Magdalen where those that come vp from Cartagena doe land it is built in a Plaine neere to the Riuer Guala there are many Earthqâ—akes and in Winter it is more hot then cold The Country-men goe to decay because the Caribes which they call del Rincon do eate them and haue publike shambles of them without any remedie for it and the President Belalcazar built this Citie The Citie of Almaguer is twentie leagues from Popayan to the South-east it is plentifull of Wheate and Millet and other seeds and cattle and it hath Gold the Captaine Alonso of Fuenmayor by order of the Licentiate Brizenyo Gouernour and Iudge of Accounts of Popazan peopled it being seated in a Hill of Zabana and the climate is fresh and the people doe weare Cotton-cloth S. Iohn of Truxillo and by another name Yscauce is thirtie leagues from Popayan to the South-east The Citie of Madrigall or Chapâ—nchica thirtie fiue from Popayan about the South a rough Countrey where they neither reape Wheate nor breed cattell though they gather Millet twice a yeere in their jurisdiction and for the roughnesse of the Countrey the men are euill to pacifie and in this Citie and in the Citie of Agreda and Almaguer are Mynes of Gold Agreda and by another name Malga stands fortie fiue leagues from Popayan to the South-west The Citie of Saint Iohn of the Pasture so called because it is a Countrey of many Pastures it stands fiftie leagues from Popayan about the South-west and as many from Quito about the North-east and in one degree from the Equinoctiall Diocesse of Quito in a good soyle of a good climâ—te and plentifull of Millet and other prouisions with Mynes of Gold In her borders are 24000. Indians of fee which are not Caniballs but of euill visages filthy and simple they had no Idols in the time of their Paganisme they beleeued that after death they should goe to liue in more ioyfull places The Riuer which they call Whoate is betweene Pasta and Popayan it is of a very delicate water and passed this Riuer is the Mountayne whither Gonçalo Piçarro did follow the Vice-roy Blasco Nunyez Vela and vnto the Riuer Augasmayo which is in this Prouince came the King Guaynacapa Beyond the Riuer Caliente or hoâ— Riuer in a Mountayne is a firie mouth that casteth store of smoake and it brake forth in ancient times as the Countreymen doe say The Philosophers being willing to declare what these firie mouthes or Aetnaes are doe say that as in the Earth are places that haue vertue to attract a vaporie substance and to conuert it into water whereof the continuall springs are made there are also places that doe attract to themselues dry and hote exhalations which are conuerted into fire and smoake and with the force of them they cast also another grosse substance which is dissolued into ashes or into stones and these are the fierie mouthes Saint Iohn de Pasto hath Monasteries of Dominicke Franciscan and Mercenarie Friers it is a cold Countrey with abundance of victuals it hath Sugar Mils and many Fruites of the Countrey and of Castile when the Captaine Lawrence of Aldona built it hee called it Villa viciosa de Pasto it stands fortie leagues from the South Sea towards the Iland Gorgoua There hath beene disinhabited or diminished in this Prouince the Citie of Antiochia the Village of Neyua in the Valley of Neyua twentie leagues from Tumana and it was through the rigour of the Indian Paezes and Pixaos and for the Manipos in the Valley of Saldauya and the Citie of Saint Vincent of the Paezes sixtie leagues from Saint Iohn of the Plaines in the confines of Popayan which Domingos Lozano built and the Citie of los Angeles twentie two leagues from Tocayma and nine from Neyua There is in the Coast which this gouernment extendeth on the South Sea from the Cape of Corrientes that stands in fiue degrees Septentrionall from
Residencie with facultie to take the gouernment and by his death the Licenciate Marcus of Aguilar naturall of the Citie of Ezija was subrogated his Deputie and because of his death succeeded within two moneths hee substituted his authorities in the Treasurer Alonso of Estrada borne in Citie Royall and the death of Lewis Pance being knowne in Castile it was prouided that Marcus of Aguilar should gouerne and in defect of him Alonso of Estrada till the first Court came with order that Nunne of Guzman Knight of Guadalajara Gouernour of Panuco a President did come and because it was conuenient to take away those Iudges others were sent in their places and for President in the gouernment vniuersall of New Spaine Don Sebastian Ramirez of Fuenleal Bishop of Saint Dominicke and of the Conception late President of the Court of Saint Dominicke a man of great learning and that after many dignities died in Castile Bishop of Cuenca and then the charge of Captaine generall was giuen anew to the Marques Don Hernando Cortes that he might gouerne the matters of warre with the aduise of Don Sebastian Ramirez The first that had title of Vice-roy and Captaine generall of New Spaine was Don Antonie of Mendoça brother of the Marques of Mondejar Don Lewis of Velasco a Gentleman of the House of the high Constable of Castile Don Gaston of Peralta Marques of Falces Don Martine Enriquez of Almansa brother of the Marques of Alcannizes the Kings Steward Don Laurence Xuarez of Mendoça Earle of Corunya which deceased being prouided for Piru and by his death Don Peter Moya of Contreras Archbishop of Mexico gouerned in the meane while Don Aluaro Manrique of Zunniga Marques of Villamamuque brother of the Duke of Bojar Don Lewis of Velasco sonne to the abouesaid Don Lewis of Velasco which passed to gouerne the Kingdomes of Piru where at this present hee is Don Gaspar of Zunniga and Fonseca Earle of Monterrey which gouerneth at this day In the Kingdomes of Piru DOn Franciscus Piçarro Marques of the Charcas Gouernour chiefe Iustice and Captaine generall The Licenciate Vaca of Castro of the habit of Saint Iames of the supreme Councell of Castile carried Title of Gouernour generall Blasco Nunnez Vela a Gentleman of Auila was the first that carried the Title of Vice-roy and Captaine generall of the Kingdomes of Piru The Licenciate Iames de la Gasca of the Councell of the holy and generall Inquisition carried the Title of President of the new Court that was sent to the Citie of The Kings and of Gouernour generall with facultie to giue the gouernment of Armes to whom hee thought best He died Bishop of Siguença and his Funerall and Trophees are seene in Magdalene Church in Valladolid and in his absence the gouernment remayned to the Court of the Citie of The Kings The second that carried Title of Vice-roy and Captaine generall was Don Antonie of Mendoça that gouerned the Kingdoms of New Spaine Don Andrew Hâ—rtado of Mendoça Marques of Caâ—yete Don Iames of Zunyga and Velasco Earle of Nieua The Licenciate Lope Garcia of Castro of the Royall and supreme Councell of the Indies caried title of President and Gouernor general Don Franciscus of Toledo brother to the Earle of Oropesa Steward to the King Don Martin Enriquez from the charge of New Spaine passed to gouerne the Kingdomes of Piru Don Garcia of Mendoça Marques of Cauyete Don Lewis of Velasco from the charge of New Spaine passed to the Kingdomes of Piru where now he is and at the instant of the impression of this Worke is prouided for Vice-roy and Captaine generall of those Kingdomes Don Iohn Pacheco Duke of Escalona Printed at Madrid by Iuan Flamenco Aâ— 1601. CHAP. II. Obseruations gathered out of the First Second Third and Fourth bookes of IOSEPHVS ACOSTA a learned Iesuite touching the naturall historie of the Heauens Ayre Water and Earth at the west Indies Also of their Beasts Fishes Fowles Plants and other remarkable rarities of Nature §. I. Of the fashion and forme of Heauen at the new-found World and of the Ayre and Windes MAny in Europe demand of what forme and fashion Heauen is in the Southerne parts for that there is no certaintie found in ancient Books who although they grant there is a Heauen on this other part of the World yet come they not to any knowledge of the forme thereof although in truth they make mention of a goodly great Starre seene in those parts which they call Canopus Those which of late dayes haue sayled into these parts haue accustomed to write strange things of this Heauen that it is very bright hauing many goodly Starres and in effect things which come farre are commonly described with encrease But it seemes contrarie vnto me holding it for certaine that in our Region of the North there is a greater number and bigger starres finding no starres in these parts which exceede the Fisher or the Chariot in bignesse It is true that the Crosse in these parts is very faire and pleasing to behold we call the Crosse foure notable and apparant starres which make the forme of a crosse set equally and with proportion The ignorant suppose this crosse to be the Southerne Pole for that they see the Nauigators take their heigth thereby as wee are accustomed to doe by the North starre But they are deceiued and the reason why Saylers doe it in this sort is for that in the South parts there is no fixed starre that markes the Pole as the North starre doth to our Pole And therefore they take their heigth by the starre at the foote of the Crosse distant from the true and fixed Pole Antarticke thirtie degrees as the North starre is distant from the Pole Articke three degrees or little more And so it is more difficult to take the heigth in those parts for that the said starre at the foote of the Crosse must be right the which chanceth but in one houre of the night which is in diuers seasons of the yeere in diuers houres and oftentimes it appeareth not in the whole night so as it is very difficult to take the height And therefore the most expert Pilots regard not the Crosse taking the height of the Sunne by the Astrolabe by which they know in what height they are wherein commonly the Portugals are more expert as a Nation that hath more discourse in the Arte of Nauigation then any other There are also other starres in these Southerne parts which in some sort resemble those of the North. That which they call the Milken way is larger and more resplendent in the South parts appearing therein those admirable blacke spots whereof we haue made mention Considering with my selfe oftentimes what should cause the Equinoctiall to bee so moist as I haue said to refute the opinion of the Ancients I finde no other reason but the great force of the Sunne in those parts whereby it drawes vnto it a great abundance of vapours
and hands Finally their operation is outward But that of the Indies whereof I speake without molesting of foote or hand or any outward part troubles all the entrailes within and that which is more admirable when the Sunne is hot which maketh me imagine that the griefe wee feele comes from the qualitie of the ayre which wee breathe Therefore that is most subtile and delicate whose cold is not so sensible as piercing All this ridge of mountaines is for the most part desart without any Villages or habitations for men so as you shall scarce finde any small Cottages to lodge such as doe passe by night there are no Beasts good or bad but some Vicunos which are their Countrie Muttons and haue a strange and wonderfull property as I shall shew in his place The Grasse is often burnt and all blacke with the ayre and this Desart runs fiue and twenty or thirty leagues ouerthwart and in length aboue fiue hundred leagues There are other Desarts or places inhabited which at Peru they call Punas speaking of the second point we promised where the qualitie of the ayre cutteth off mans life without feeling In former time the Spaniards went from Peru to the Realme of Chille by this Mountaine but at this day they doe passe commonly by Sea and sometimes alongst the side of it And though that way be laborious and troublesome yet is there not so great danger as by the Mountaine where there are Plaines on the which many men haue perished and dyed and sometimes haue scaped by great hap whereof some haue remained lame There runs a small breath which is not very strong nor violent but proceeds in such sort that men fall downe dead in a manner without feeling or at the least they loose their feete and hands the which may seeme fabulous yet is it most true I haue knowne and frequented long the Generall Ierome Costilla the auncient peopler of Cusco who had lost three or foure toes which fell off in passing the Desart of Chille being perished with this ayre and when he came to looke on them they were dead and fell off without any paine euen as a rotten Apple falleth from the tree This Captaine reported that of a good armie which he had conducted by that place in the former yeares since the discouery of this Kingdome by Almagro a great part of the men remained dead there whose bodies he found lying in the Desart without any stinke or corruption adding thereunto one thing very strange that they found a yong Boye aliue and being examined how hee had liued in that place hee said that he lay hidden in a little Caue whence hee came to cut the flesh of a dead Horse with a little Knife and thus had he nourished himselfe a long time with I know not how many companions that liued in that sort but now they were all dead one dying this day another to morrow saying that he desired nothing more then to dye there with the rest seeing that hee found not in himselfe any disposition to goe to any other place nor to take any taste in any thing I haue vnderstood the like of others and particularly of one that was of our company who being then a secular man had passed by these Desarts and it is a strange thing the quality of this cold ayre which kils and also preserues the dead bodies without corruption I haue also vnderstood it of a reuerend religious man of the Order of Saint Dominicke and Prelate thereof who had seene it passing by the Desarts and which is strange â—e reported that trauelling that way by night was forced to defend himselfe against that deadly winde which blowes there hauing no other meanes but to gather together a great number of those dead bodies that lay there and made thereof as it were a rampire and a bolster for his head in this manner did hee sleepe the dead bodies giuing him life Without doubt this is a kinde of colde so piercing that it quencheth the vitall heate cutting off his influence and being so exceeding colâ—e yet doth not corrupt nor giue any putrifaction to the dead bodies for that putrifaction groweth from heate and moistnesse As for the other kinde of ayre which thunders vnder the earth and causeth earthquakes more at the Indies then in any other Regions I will speake thereof in treating the qualities of the Land at the Indies We will content our selues now with what we haue spoken of the winde and ayre and passe to that which is to be spoken of the water §. II. Of the Ocean that inuirons the Indies and of the North and South Seas their ebbing flowing Fishes fishing Lakes Riuers and Springs AMong all waters the Ocean is the principall by which the Indies haue beene discouered and are inuironed therewith for either they be Ilands of the Ocean Sea or maine Land the which wheresoeuer it ends is bounded with this Ocean To this day they haue not discouered at the Indies any Mediterranean Sea as in Europe Asia and Affrica into the which there enters some arme of this great Sea and makes distinct Seas taking their names from the Prouinces they wash and almost all the Mediterranean Seas continue and ioyne together and with the Ocean it selfe by the straight of Gibraltar which the Ancients called the Pillers of Hercules although the Red Sea being separated from the Mediterranean Seas enters alone into the Indian Ocean and the Caspian Sea ioynes not with any other so that at the Indies we finde not any other Sea then this Ocean which they diuide into two the one they call the North Sea and the other the South for that the Indies which were first discouered by the Ocean and reacheth vnto Spaine lies all to the North and by that Land thereafter discouered a Sea on the other side the which they called the South Sea for that they decline vntill they haue passed the Line and hauing lost the North or Pole-articke they called it South For this cause they haue called all that Ocean the South Sea which lyeth on the other side of the East Indies although a great part of it be â—eated to the North as all the coast of new Spaine Nuaragna Guatimala and Panama They say that he that first discouered this Sea was called Blascowunes of Bilbo the which he did by that part which we now call Maine Land where it growes narrow and the two Seas approach so neere the one to the other that there is but seuen leagues of distance for although they make the way eighteene from Nombre de Dios to Panama yet is it with turning to seeke the commoditie of the way but drawing a direct line the one Sea shall not be found more distant from the other Some haue discoursed and propounded to cut through this passage of seuen leagues and to ioyne one Sea to the other to make the passage from Peru more commodious
in their Meteors as for the certaint experience wee may make For to satisfie my selfe vpon this point and question I demanded particularly of the said Pilot how he found the tides in the straight and if the tides of the South Sea did fall when as those of the North did rise And contrariwise this question being true why the increase of the Sea in one place is the decrease thereof in another as the first opinion holdeth He answered that it was not so but they might see plainely that the tides of the North and South Seas rise at one instant so as the waues of one Sea incountred with the other and at one instant likewise they began to retire euery one into his Sea saying that the rising and falling was daily seene and that the incounter of the tides as I haue said was at threescore and tenne leagues to the North Sea and thirtie to the South Whereby we may plainely gather that the ebbing and flowing of the Ocean is no pure locall motion but rather an alteration whereby all waters really rise and increase at one instant and in others they diminish as the boyling of a Pot whereof I haue spoken It were impossible to comprehend this point by experience if it were not in the Straight where all the Ocean both on th' one side and on th' other ioynes together for none but Angels can see it and iudge of the opposite parts for that man hath not so long a sight nor so nimble and swift footing as were needefull to transport his eyes from one part to another in so short a time as a tide will giue him respite which are onely six houres There are in the Indian Ocean an infinite number of fishes the kindes and properties whereof the Creator onely can declare There are many such as we haue in the Sea of Europe as Shads and Aloses which come from the Sea into the Riuers Dorads Pilchards and many other There are others the like I doe not thinke to haue seene in these parts as those which they doe call Cabrillas which doe somewhat resemble the Trowt and in new Spaine they call them Bobos they mount from the Sea into the Riuers I haue not seene any Besugues there nor Trowts although some say there are in Chille There are Tonins in some parts vpon the coast of Peru but they are rare and some are of opinion that at a certaine time they doe cast their spawne in the Straight of Magellan as they doe in Spaine at the Straight of Gibraltar and for this reason they finde more vpon the coast of Chille although those I haue seene there are not like to them in Spaine At the Ilands which they call Barlouente which are Cuba Saint Dominicke Portrique and Iamaique they finde a fish which they call Manati a strange kinde of fish if we may call it fish a creature which ingenders her yong ones aliue and hath teates and doth nourish them with milke feeding of grasse in the fields but in effect it liues continually in the water and therefore they eate it as fish yet when I did eate of it at Saint Dominique on a friday I had some scruple not for that which is spoken but for that in colour and taste it was like vnto morsels of Veale so is it greene and like vnto a Cowe on the hinder parts I did wonder at the incredible rauening of the Tiburons or sharkes when as I did see drawne from one that was taken in the Port out of his gullet a Butchers great Knife a great Iron hooke and a piece of a Cowes head with one whole horne neither doe I know if both were there or no. I did see in a creeke made with that Sea a quarter of a horse for pleasure hanging vpon a stake whither presently came a company of these Tiburons at the smell thereof and for the more pleasure this Horse-flesh was hung in the ayre I know not how many hand breadth from the water this company of fish flocke about it leaping vp and with a strange nimblenesse cut off both flesh and bone off the Horse legge as if it had beene the stalke of a lettuce their teeth being as sharpe as a rasour There are certaine small fishes they call Rambos which cleaue to these Tiburons neither can they driue them away and they are fed with that which falles from the Tiburons There are other small fishes which they call flying fishes the which are found within the tropickes and in no other place as I thinke they are pursued by the Ducades and to escape them they leape out of the Sea and goe a good way in the ayre and for this reason they are called flying Fishes they haue wings as it were of linnen cloath or of parchment which doe support them some space in the ayre There did one flye or leape into the Ship wherein I went the which I did see and obserue the fashion of his wings In the Indian Histories there is often mention made of Lezards or Caymans as they call them and they are the very same which Plinie and the Auncients call Crocodiles they finde them on the Sea side and in hot Riuers for in cold Riuers there are none to be found And therefore they finde none vpon all the coasts of Peru vnto Payra but forward they are commonly seene in the Riuers It is a most fierce and cruell beast although it be slow and heauie Hee goes hunting and seekes his prey on the Land and what he takes aliue he drownes it in the water yet doth he not eate it but out of the water for that his throate is of such a fashion as if there entred any water he should easily be drowned It is a wonderfull thing to see a combat betwixt a Caymant and a Tigre whereof there are most cruell at the Indies A religious man of our company told me that he had seene these beasts fight most cruelly one against the other vpon the Sea shoare the Caymant with his taile gaue great blowes vnto the Tygre striuing with his great force to carry him into the water and the Tigre with his pawes resisted the Caymant drawing him to Land In the end the Tigre vanquished and opened the Lezard it seemes by the belly the which is most tender and penetrable for in euery other part he is so hard that no Lance and scarce a harquebuze can pierce it The victory which an Indian had of a Caymant was yet more rare the Caymant had carried away his yong childe and sodainely plunged into the Sea the Indian moued with choller cast himselfe after him with a knife in his hand and as they are excellent swimmers and diuers and the Caymant swimmeth alwayes on the toppe of the water hee hurt him in the belly and in such sort that the Caymant feeling himselfe wounded went to the shoare leauing the little infant dead But the combat which the Indians haue with Whales
springs a Fountaine of Salt which as it runnes turnes into Salt very white and exceeding good the which if it were in another Countrie were no small riches yet they make very small account thereof for the store they haue there The waters which runne in Guayaquel which is in Peru almost vnder the Equinoctiall Line are held to be healthfull for the French disease and other such like so as they come from many places farre off to be cured And they say the cause thereof is for that in that Countrie there is great aboundance of rootes which they call Salepareille the vertue and operation whereof is so knowne that it communicates her propertie to the waters wherein it is put to cure this disease Bilcanota is a Mountaine the which according to common opinion is in the highest part of Peru the top whereof is all couered with Snow and in some places is blacke like coale There issueth forth of it two Springs in contrary places which presently grow to be very great brooks and so by little and little become great flouds the one goes to Calloa into the great Lake Tâ—â—caca the other goes to the Lands and is that which they call Yucay which ioyning with another runnes into the North Sea with a violent and furious course This Spring when it comes out of the rocke Bilcanota as I haue said is of the colour of lie hauing an ashie colour and casts a fâ—me as a thing burnt the which runs far in this sort vntil the multitude of waters that run into it quench this smoak and fire which it drawes from the Spring In new Spain I haue seene a Spring as it were Ink somewhat blew in Peru another of color red like blood where vpon they cal it the red Riuer Amongst all Riuers not onely at the Indies but generally through the world the Riuer Maragnon or of Amazons is the chiefe whereof we haue spoken in the former Booke The Spaniards haue often sailed it pretending to discouer the Lands which by report are very rich especially those they call Dorado and Paytiti Iean de Salnies the Adelantade made a memorable entrie though of small effect There is a passage which they call Pongo one of the most dangerous in all the world for the Riuer being there straightned and forced betwixt two high steepe Rocks the water fals directly downe with so great a violence that comming steepe downe it causeth such a boyling as it seemeth impossible to passe it without drowning yet the courage of men durst attempt to passe it for the desire of this renowmed Dorado they slipt downe from the top to the bottome thrust on with the violence and currant of the floud holding themselues fast in their Canoes or barkes and although in falling they were turned topsie turuie and both they and their Canoes plunged into the deepe yet by their care and industrie they recouered themselues againe and in this sort the whole armie escaped except some few that were drowned And that which is more admirable they carried themselues so cunningly that they neither lost their Powder nor Munition In their returne hauing suffered many troubles and dangers they were forced in the end to passe backe that same way mounting by one of those high Rocks sticking their Ponyards in the Rocke Captaine Peter d'Orsua made another entrie by the same Riuer who being dead in the same Voyage and the Souldiers mutinied other Captaines followed the enterprise by an arme that comes into the North Sea A religious man of our company told vs that being then a secular man he was present in a manner at all that enterprise and that the tides did flow almost a hundred leagues vp the Riuer and whereas it enters into the Sea the which is vnder the Line or very neere it hath seuenty leagues breadth at the mouth of it a matter incredible and which exceeds the breadth of the Mediterranean Sea though there be some others who in their descriptions giue it but twenty fiue or thirty leagues breadth at the mouth Next to this Riuer that of Plata or of Siluer holds the second place which is otherwise called Paraguay which runs from the Mountains of Peru into the Sea in thirty fiue degrees of altitude to the South it riseth as they say like to the Riuer of Nile but much more without comparison and makes the fields it ouerflowes like vnto a Sea for the space of three moneths and after returneth againe to his course in the which Shippes doe saile many leagues against the streame There are many other Riuers that are not of that greatnesse and yet are equall yea they surpasse the greatest of Europe as that of Magdalaine neere to Saint Marthe called the great Riuer and that of Aluarado in new Spaine and an infinite number of others Of the South side on the Mountaines of Peru the Riuers are not vsually so great for that their current is not long and that many waters cannot ioyne together but they are very swift descending from the Mountaines and haue sodaine fals by reason whereof they are very dangerous and many men haue perished there They increase and ouerflow most in the time of heate I haue gone ouer twenty and seuen Riuers vpon that coast yet did I neuer passe any one by a foord The Indians vse a thousand deuises to passe their Riuers In some places they haue a long cord that runnes from one side to th' other and thereon hangs a basket into the which he puts himselfe that meanes to passe and then they draw it from the banke with another cord so as he passeth in this basket In other places the Indian passeth as it were on Horse-backe vpon a bottle of straw and behinde him he that desires to passe and so rowing with a peece of a boord carries him ouer In other places they make a floate of gourds or pompions vpon which they set men with their stuffe to carry ouer and the Indians hauing cords fastned to them goe swimming before and draw this floate of pompions after them as Horses doe a Coach others goe behinde thrusting it forward Hauing passed they take their barke of pompions vpon their backe and returne swimming this they doe in the Riuer of Saint at Peru. We passed that of Aluarado in new Spain vpon a table which the Indians carried vpon their shoulders and when they lost their footing they swamme These deuises with a thousand other wherewith they vse to passe their Riuers breede a terrour in the beholders helping themselues with such weake and vnsure meanes and yet they are very confident They doe vse no other bridges but of haire or of straw There are now vpon some Riuers bridges of Stone built by the diligence of some Gouernours but many fewer then were needefull in such a Countrie where so many men are drowned by default thereof and the which yeeldes so much Siluer as not onely Spaine but
of Volcans as that of Arequipa which is of an vnmeasurable height and almost all sand It cannot be mounted vp in lesse then two dayes yet they haue not found any shew of fire but onely the reliques of some sacrifices which the Indians made while they were Gentiles and sometimes it doth cause a little smoake The Volcan of Mexico which is neere to the Village of Angels is likewise of an admirable height whereas they mount thirtie leagues in turning from this Volcan issueth not continually but sometimes almost euery day a great exhalation or whirlewinde of smoake which ascends directly vp like to the shot of a Crosse-bow and growes after like to a great plume of feathers vntill it ceaseth quite and is presently conuerted into an obscure and darke cloude Most commonly it riseth in the morning after the Sunne rising and at night when it setteth although I haue seene it breake out at other times Sometimes it doth cast forth great store of ashes after this smoake They haue not yet seene any fire come from it yet they feare it will issue forth and burne all the Land round about which is the best of all the Kingdome And they hold it for certaine that there is some correspondencie betwixt this Vulcan and the Sierre of Tlaxcala which is neere vnto it that causeth the great thunders and lightnings they doe commonly heare and see in those parts Some Spaniards haue mounted vp to this Volcan and giuen notice of the myne of sulphur to make powlder thereof Cortez reports the care he had to discouer what was in this Volcan The Volcans of Guatimala are more renowmed as well for their greatnesse and height which those that saile in the South Sea discouer afarre off as for the violence and terrour of the fire it casts The three and twentieth day of December in the yeere 1586. almost all the Citie of Guatimala fell with an Earthquake and some people slaine This Volcan had then sixe moneths together day and night cast out from the top and vomited as it were a floud of fire the substance falling vpon the sides of the Volcan was turned into ashes like vnto burnt earth a thing passing mans iudgement to conceiue how it could cast so much matter from its centre during sixe moneths being accustomed to cast smoake alone and that sometimes with small flashes This was written vnto me being at Mexico by a Secretarie of the Audience of Guatimala a man worthy of credit and at that time it had not ceased to cast out fire This yeere past being in Quitto in the Citie of Kings the Volcan which is neere thereunto cast such abundance of ashes that in many leagues compasse thereabout it darkned the light of the day and there fell such store in Quitto as they were not able to goe in the streets There haue beene other Volcans seene which cast neither smoake flame nor yet ashes but in the bottome they are seene to burne with a quicke fire without dying such a one was that which in our time a couetous and greedie Priest seeing perswaded himselfe that they were heapes of gold he did see burning imagining it could be no other matter or substance which had burnt so many yeeres and not consumed And in this conceit he made certaine kettles with chaines and an instrument to gather and draw vp the gold out of this Pit or Volcan but the fire scorned him for no sooner did his Iron chaine and Caldron approach neere the fire but suddenly they were broken in pieces Yet some told me that this man was still obstinate seeking other inuentions for to draw out this gold as he imagined Some haue held opinion that these Volcans consume the inner substance they haue of Nature and for this reason they beleeue that naturally they shall end when as they haue consumed the fuell as a man may say that is within them According to which opinion wee see at this day some Mountaines and Rocks from whence they draw a burnt stone which is light but very hard and is excellent to build with as that which is carried to Mexico And in effect there are some shewes of that which hath beene spoken that these Mountaines or Rocks had somtimes a naturall fire which hath died after the matter was consumed and so these stones haue remayned burnt and pierced with the fire as wee see For my part I will not contradict it that in those places there hath not beene fire sometimes or Volcans But there is some difficultie to beleeue it should be so in all Volcans considering the matter they cast out is almost infinite and that being gathered together it could not bee contayned in the same concauitie from whence it goes Moreouer there are some Volcans that in hundreds yea thousands of yeeres are alwayes of one fashion casting out continually smoake fire and ashes Plinie the historiographer of naturall things as the other Plinie his nephew reports searching out the secret how this should passe and approaching too neere the exhalation of fire of one of these Volcans died and thinking by his diligence to find an end thereof had an end of his life For my part vpon this consideration I thinke that as there are places in the earth whose vertue is to draw vaporous matter and to conuert it into water which bee the Fountaines that alwayes runne and haue alwayes matter to make them runne for that they draw vnto them the substance of water In like sort there are places that haue the propertie to draw vnto them hot exhalations and to conuert them into fire and smoake which by their force and violence cast out other thicke matter which dissolues into ashes into pumice stone or such like substance and for a sufficient argument to proue it to be so in these Volcans they sometimes cast smoake and not alwayes and sometimes fire and not alwayes which is according to that it can draw vnto it and digest as the Fountaines which in Winter abound and in Summer decrease yea some are quite dried vp according to the force and vigour they haue and the matter that is presented euen so it is of these Volcans which cast fire more or lesse at certaine seasons Others say that it is Hell fire which issueth there to serue as a warning thereby to consider what is in the other life but if Hell as Diuines hold bee in the centre of the Earth the which containes in diameter aboue two thousand leagues we cannot iudge that this fire is from the centre for that Hell fire as Saint Basil and others teach is very different from this which wee see for that it is without light and burneth without comparison much more then ours Some haue held that from these Volcans which are at the Indies the Earthquakes proceede being very common there but for that they ordinarily chance in places farre from those Volcans it cannot be the totall cause It is true they haue a certaine
simpathy one with another for that the hot exhalations which engender in the inner concauities of the Earth seeme to be the materiall substance of fire in the Volcans whereby there kindleth another more grosse matter and makes these shewes of flame and smoake that come forth And these exhalations finding no easie issue in the Earth moue it to issue forth with great violence whereby wee heare that horrible noise vnder the Earth and likewise the shaking of the Earth being stirred with this burning exhalation Euen as Gun-powlder in mynes hauing fire put to it breaks Rocks and Walls and as the Chesnut laid into the fire leapes and breakes with a noise when as it casts forth the aire which is contayned within the huske by the force of the fire Euen so these Earthquakes doe most commonly happen in places neere the water or Sea As wee see in Europe and at the Indies that Townes and Cities farthest from the Sea and waters are least afflicted therewith and contrariwise those that are seated vpon Ports of the Sea vpon Riuers the Sea coast and places neere vnto them feele most this calamitie There hath happened in Peru the which is wonderfull and worthy to be noted Earthquakes which haue runne from Chille vnto Quitto and that is aboue a hundred leagues I say the greatest that euer I heard speake of for lesser be more common there Vpon the coast of Chille I remember not well in what yeere there was so terrible an Earthquake as it ouer-turned whole Mountaines and thereby stopped the course of Riuers which it conuerted into Lakes it beat downe Townes and slue a great number of people causing the Sea to leaue her place some leagues so as the ships remayned on drie ground farre from the ordinarie Roade with many other heauie and horrible things And as I well remember they say this trouble and motion caused by the Earthquake ranne three hundred leagues alongst the Coast. Soone after which was in the yeere eightie two happened that earthquake of Arequipa which in a manner ouer-threw the whole Citie Since in the yeere eightie sixe the ninth of Iuly fell another earthquake in the Citie of Kings the which as the Vice-roy did write had runne one hundred threescore and ten leagues alongst the Coast and ouerthwart in the Sierre fiftie leagues The mercy of the Lord was great in this Earthquake to forewarne the people by a great noise which they heard a little before the Earthquake who taught by former experiences presently put themselues in safetie leauing their Houses Streets and Gardens to goe into the fields so as although it ruined a great part of the Citie and of the chiefest buildings yet there died not aboue fifteene or twentie persons of all the Inhabitants It caused the like trouble and motion at Sea as it had done at Chille which happened presently after the Earthquake so as they might see the Sea furiously to flie out of her bounds and to runne neere two leagues into the Land rising aboue fourteene fathom it couered all that Playne so as the Ditches and pieces of wood that were there swam in the water There was yet another earthquake in the Realme and Citie of Quitto and it seemes all these notable Earthquakes vpon that Coast haue succeeded one another by order as in truth it is subiect to these inconueniences And therefore although vpon the coast of Peru there be no torments from Heauen as thunder and lightning yet are they not without feare vpon the Land and so euery one hath before his eyes the Heralds of diuine Iustice to mooue him to feare God For as the Scripture saith Fâ—cit haec vt timeatur Returning then to our purpose I say the Sea coast is most subiect to these earthquakes the reason is in my iudgement for that the water doth stop the conduits and passages of the earth by which the hot exhalations should passe which are engendered there And also the humiditie thickning the superficies of the earth doth cause the fumes and hot exhalations to goe close together and encounter violently in the bowels of the earth which doe afterwards breake foorth Some haue obserued that such Earthquakes haue vsually hapned when as a raynie season falls after some drie yeeres Whereupon they say that the Earthquakes are most rare where are most Wells the which is approued by experience Those of the Citie of Mexico hold opinion that the Lake whereon it is seated is the cause of the Earthquakes that happen there although they be not very violent and it is most certaine that the Townes and Prouinces farre within the Land and farthest from the Sea receiue sometimes great losses by these Earthquakes as the Citie of Chachapoyas at the Indies and in Italie that of Ferrara although vpon this subiect It seemes this latter being neere to a Riuer and not farre from the Adriaticke Sea should rather be numbred among the Sea-townes In the yeere of our Lord 1581. in Cugianâ— a Citie of Peru otherwise called The Peace there happened a strange accident touching this subiect A Village called Angoango where many Indians dwelt that were Sorcerers and Idolaters fell suddenly to ruine so as a great part thereof was raysed vp and carried away and many of the Indians smothered and that which seemes incredible yet testified by men of credit the earth that was ruined and so beaten downe did runne and slide vpon the Land for the space of a league and a halfe as it had beene water or waxe molten so as it stopt and filled vp a Lake and remayned so spread ouer the whole Countrie §. IIII. Of Metals in the Indies and especially of the Gold and Siluer and Quick-siluer MEtals are as Plants hidden and buried in the bowels of the Earth which haue some conformitie in themselues in the forme and manner of their production for that we see and discouer euen in them branches and as it were a bodie from whence they grow and proceede which are the greater veines and the lesse so as they haue a knitting in themselues and it seemes properly that these Minerals grow like vnto Plants not that they haue any inward vegetatiue life being onely proper to Plants but they are engendered in the bowels of the earth by the vertue and force of the Sunne and other Planets and in long continuance of time they increase and multiply after the manner of Plants And euen as metals bee plants hidden in the earth so wee may say that plants bee liuing Creatures fixed in one place whose life is maintayned by the nourishment which Nature furnisheth from their first beginning But liuing Creatures surpasse Plants in that they haue a more perfect being and therefore haue neede of a more perfect foode and nourishment for the search whereof Nature hath giuen them a moouing and feeling to discouer and discerne it So as the rough and barren earth is as a substance and nutriment for metals and
bake it and bake it againe induring the pestels â—iues troughes furnaces caldrons presses and finally by the water and fire I speake this for that seeing this art in Potozi I did consider what the Scripture speakes of the iust Colabit â—os purgabit quasi argentum And that which they speake in another part Sicut argentum purgatum terra purgatum septuplum So as to purifie Siluer to refine and clense it from the earth and stone where it engenders they purge and purifie it seuen times for in effect it passeth their hands seuen times yea oftner vntill it remaines pure and fine so is it in the word of God where the soules must be purified that shall inioy the heauenly perfection To conclude this subiect of Siluer and of Mettals there remaines yet two things to speake of the one is of their Engins and Mils the other of their essay or triall I haue said before how they grinde their Mettall for the receiuing of the Quick-siluer which is done with diuers instruments and Engins some with Horses like vnto hand-milâ— others like Water-mils of which two sorts there are great numbers But for that the water they doe vse commonly is but of raine whereof they haue not sufficient but three months in the yeare December Ianuary and February for this reason they haue made Lakes and standing Pooles which containe in circuite about a thousand and six hundred rods and in depth three stades there are seuen with their sluces so as when they haue neede of any water they raise vp a sluce from whence runnes a little streame of water the which they stop vpon holy-dayes And when the Lakes and Pooles doe fill and that the yeare abounds with raine their grinding doth then continue six or seuen moneths so as euen for Siluer sake men desire a good yeare of raine in Potozi as they doe in other places for bread There are some other Engins in Tarapaya which is a valley three or foure leagues distant from Potozi whereas there runnes a Riuer as in other parts The difference of these Engins is that some goe with six pestels some with twelue and others with foureteene They grinde and beate the Mettall in Morters labouring day and night and from thence they carry it to be sifted vpon the bankes of the brooke of Potozi There are fortie eight Water-mils of eight ten and twelue pestels and foure on the other side which they call Tanacoguâ—gno in the Citie of Tarapaya there are two and twentie Engins all vpon the water besides there are thirtie goe with Horses in Potozi and many others in diuers parts so great the desire of man is to get Siluer which is tried by deputies appointed by the King To giue the alloy to euerie piece they carrie the bars of Siluer vnto the Assay Master who giue to euery one his number for that they carrie many at once hee cuts a small peece of euerie one the which he weighs iustly and puts them into a Cruset which is a small vessell made of burnt bones beaten after he placeth euery crusible in his order in the furnace giuing them a violent fire then the Mettall melteth and that which is lead goes into smoake and the copper and tinne dissolues the Siluer remaining most fine of the colour of fire It is a strange thing that being thus refined although it be liquid and molten yet it neuer spils were the mouth of the crusible turned downewards but it remaineth fixed without the losse of a droppe The Assay Master knoweth by the colour and other signes when it is refined then doth he draw the crusibles from the fire and weighes euery peece curiously obseruing what euery one wants of his weight for that which is of high alloy wastes but little and that which is baser diminisheth much and according to the waste he sees what alloy he beares according to the which he markes euery bar punctually Their ballance and weights are so delicate and their graines so small as they cannot take them vp with the hand but with a small paire of pincers and this triall they make by candle-light that no ayre might mooue the ballance For of this little the price of the whole barre dependeth In trueth it is a very delicate thing and requires a great dexteritie §. V. Of Emeralds Pearles Indian Bread Trees Fruites Flowers naturall and carried thither from Spaine IT shall not be from the purpose to speake something of Emeralds both for that it is a precious thing as Gold and Siluer as also that they take their beginning from Mines and Mettals as Plinie reports The Emerald hath bin in old time in great esteeme as the same Author writes giuing it the third place amongst all Iewels and precious stones that is next to the Diamond and Pearle At this day they doe not so much esteeme the Emerald nor the Pearle for the great abundance brought of these two sorts from the Indies onely the Diamond holds the principalitie the which cannot be taken from it Next the Rubies come in price and other Stones which they hold more precious then the Emerald Men are so desirous of singularities and rare things that what they see to be common they doe not esteeme They report of a Spaniard who being in Italie when the Indies were first discouered shewed an Emerald to a Lapidary who asking him the value thereof after he had well viewed it being of an excellent lustre and forme he prized it at a hundred Duckets he then shewed him another greater then it which he valued at three hundred Duckats The Spaniard drunke with this discourse carried him to his lodging shewing him a Casket full The Italian seeing so great a number of Emeralds said vnto him Sir these are well worth a crowne a peece The Kings of Mexico did much esteeme them some did vse to pierce their nostrils and hang therein an excellent Emerald they hung them on the visages of their Idols The greatest store is found in the new Kingdome of Grenado and Peru neere vnto Manta and Port Vieil There is towards that place a soile which they call the Land of Emeralds for the knowledge that they haue of abundance to be there and yet vnto this day they haue not conquered that Land The Emeralds grow in stones like vnto Christall I haue seene them in the same stone fashioned like a veine and they seeme by little and little to thicken and refine I haue seene some that were halfe white and halfe greene others all white and some greene and very perfit I haue seene some of the bignesse of a Nut and there haue bin some greater found but I haue not knowne that in our time they haue found any of the forme and bignesse of the plat or Iewell they haue at Genes the which they esteeme and with reason to be a Iewell of great price and no relique yet without comparison the Emerald which Theophrastus speakes of which the King
two three or foure leagues at the most on a day Those that guide those troupes haue their ordinarie lodgings where they are assured to haue water and pasture and there they vnlade and set vp their Tents making fire and dressing their meates which is not painfull although it be a flegmatike and slow manner of trauell When there is but one dayes iourney one of these sheepe will beare eight Arrobes in weight or more and beares this burthen eight or ten leagues in a day as the poore Souldiers were wont to doe when they marched through Peru. This kinde of Cattell delights most in a cold aire and for this cause they liue vpon the Sierre and die in the Lanos by reason of the heate Sometimes these sheepe are all couered with Ice and frost and yet they continue sound and well The bare sheepe are pleasant to behold for they will stay vpon the way raysing vp their necks and will looke vpon any one very wistly and so they remaine a long time without moouing or any shew of feare which giueth occasion of laughter seeing them thus to stand And yet sometimes they doe grow amazed sodainly and runne away with their burthens euen to the highest Rocks so as not being able to come vnto them they are constrayned to kill them with an Harquebuze lest they should lose their barres of Siluer which they sometimes carry The Pacos will grow reastie vnder their burthens lying down and will endure to be cut in a thousand pieces before they will rise when this humor takes them wherof the prouerb growes in Peru to say that one is reastie to signifie he is obstinate for that when any of these beasts is moodie it is with excesse the remedie they haue is to stay and sit downe by the Paco making much on him vntill the fit be past and that he rise and sometimes they are forced to stay two or three houres They haue a disease like to scabs which they call Carache whereof they commonly die The Ancients had a remedie to burie them quicke that had the Carache lest they should infect the rest being a very contagious disease and goes from one to another An Indian that hath one or two of these sheepe is not reputed poore for one of them is worth sixe or seuen pieces of assay and more according to the time and places The Bezaars stone is found in all these beasts before mentioned which are proper to Peru whereof some Authors of our time haue written whole bookes which they may reade that desire to haue a more particular knowledge For the present subiect it shall be sufficient to say that this stone which they call Bezaar is found in the stomacke and belly of this beast sometimes one alone sometimes two three and foure They are very different in forme greatnesse and colour for that some are small like Filberds and lesse others like Walnuts some like Pidgeons egges and others as bigge as a Hens egge and I haue seene some as bigge as an Orange in forme some are round others in fashion like to Lentils and many other formes For their colour some are blacke some white some grey darke greene and others as if they had beene gilded It is no certaine rule to iudge the best and most fine by the colour or forme All these stones are made and fashioned of diuers films and skins one vpon another In the Prouince of Xaura and other Prouinces of Peru they finde these stones in diuers kindes of beasts both wilde and tame as in the Guanacos Pacos Vicugnes and Tarugues some adde an other kinde which they say are wilde Goates which the Indians call Cypris These other kindes of beasts are very well known in Peru whereof we haue alreadie discoursed The Guanacos or Countrie sheepe or Pacos haue commonly the lesser stones and blacke neither are they so much approued for the vse of physicke They draw the greatest Bezaar stones from the Vicugnes and they are grey or white or of a darke greene which are held for the better They esteeme those of the Tarugues for the most excellent whereof there are some reasonable bigge they are commonly white inclining to grey and they haue the filmes commonly bigger and thicker then the rest They finde the Bezaar stone equally both in Male and Female All beasts that ingender it chaw the cuid and commonly feede vpon the Snow and Rocks The Indians report and teach by tradition from their Fathers and Ancients that in the Prouince of Xaura and in other Prouinces of Peru there are many herbs and venemous beasts which poison the water and the pastures where they eate and drinke and where they breathe amiddest which venemous herbs there is one very well knowne of the Vicugne by a naturall instinct and of other beasts that ingender the Bezaar stone which eate this herbe and by meanes thereof they preserue themselues from the poisoned waters and pastures and they say that of this herbe the stone is compounded in the stomacke whence it drawes all the vertue against poison and other wonderfull effects This is the opinion and tradition of the Indians discouered by men of great experience in the Kingdome of Peru which agrees with reason and with that which Plinie reports of the Mountaines Goats which are nourished and fed vpon poison without suffering any harme The Indians being demanded why the Sheepe Kine Goats and Calues such as are in Castile haue not the Bezaar stone seeing that they feede on the same Rocks their answere is That they beleeue not that those beasts of Castile eate of that herbe or that they haue found the Bezaar stone in Stags and fallow Deere This seemes to agree with our knowledge for that in new Spaine they finde the Bezaar stone although there be no Vicugnes Pacos Tarugues nor Guanacos but onely Stags in some of which they finde these stones One thing is worthy admiration that they grow and are fashioned vpon very strange things as vpon the tagge of a Point vpon a Pin or a piece of Wood which they finde in the centre of this stone and yet doe they not hold it false for that the beast might swallow it and the stone thicken vpon it and growes one vpon another and so it increaseth I did see in Peru two stones fashioned vpon Pignons of Castile which made vs to wonder much for that in all Peru wee had not seene any Pines or Pignons of Castile if they were not brought from Spaine which seemes to mee very extraordinarie This little may suffice touching the Bezaars stone They bring other physicall stones from the Indies as the stone of Hyiada or of Rate the bloud stone the stones of Milke and of the Sea Those which they call Cornerinas for the Heart whereof there is no neede to speake hauing nothing common with the subiect of beasts whereof wee haue intreated which giues vs to vnderstand how the great Master and Author of all hath imparted his benefits
because of her euill sight I thinke her to be a night Beast and the friend of darknesse Sometimes the Christian men find these Beasts and bring them home to their houses where also they creepe all about with their naturall slownesse insomuch that neither for threatning or pricking they will mooue any faster then their naturall and accustomed pace And if they finde any Trees they creepe thither immediately and mount to the top of the highest branch thereof where they remayne continually for the space of eight or ten or twentie dayes without eating of any thing as farre as any man can iudge And whereas I my selfe haue kept them in my house I could neuer perceiue other but that they liue onely of Aire and of the same opinion are in manner all men of those Regions because they haue neuer seene them eate any thing but euer turne their heads and mouthes toward that part where the wind bloweth most whereby may be considered that they take most pleasure in the Ayre They bite not nor yet can bite hauing very little mouthes they are not venemous or noyous any way but altogether brutish and vtterly vnprofitable and without commoditie yet knowne to men sauing onely to mooue their minds to contemplate the infinite power of God who delighteth in the varietie of creatures whereby appeareth the power of his incomprehensible wisdome and maiestie so farre to exceed the capacitie of mans vnderstanding In these Regions there are likewise found certaine Fowles or Birds which the Indians call Alcatraz these are much bigger then Geese the greatest part of their feathers are of russet colour and in some parts yellow their bils or beakes are of two spannes in length and very large neere to the head and growing small toward the point they haue great and large throates and are much like to a Fowle which I saw in Flanders in Brussels in your Maiesties Palace which the Flemmings call Haina And I remember that when your Maiestie dined one day in your great Hall there was brought to your Maiesties presence a Caldron of water with certaine fishes aliue which the said fowle did eat vp whole and I think verily that that fowle was a fowle of the Sea because she had feet like fowles of the water as haue also these Alcatrazi which are likewise fowles of the Sea and of such greatnesse that I haue seene a whole coate of a man put into the throats of one of them in Panama in the yeere 1521. And forasmuch as in that Coast of Pama there passeth and flyeth a great multitude of these Alcatrazi being a thing very notable I will declare the manner hereof as not onely I but also diuers other now present in your Maiesties Court haue oftentimes seene Your Maiestie shall therefore vnderstand that in this place as I haue said before the Sea of Sur riseth and falleth two leagues and more from sixe houres to sixe houre so that when it increaseth the water of the Sea arriueth so neere to the houses of Panama as doth our Sea called Mare Mediterraneum in Barzalona or in Naples and when the said increasing of the Sea commeth there commeth also therewith such a multitude of small fishes called Sardines that it is so maruellous a thing to behold that no man would beleeue it that hath not seene it Insomuch that the Cacique that is the King of that Land at such time as I dwelt there was bound daily as he was commanded by your Maiesties Gouernour to bring ordinarily three Canoas or Barkes full of the said Sardines and to vnlade the same in the Market place which were afterward by the Ruler of the Citie diuided among the Christian men without any cost or charge to any of them Insomuch that if the people had beene a much greater multitude then they were and as many as are at this present in Toledo or more and had none other thing to liue by they might haue beene sufficiently susteined by these Sardines beside the ouerplus which should haue remayned But to returne to the fowles whereof wee haue spoken As the Sea commeth and the Sardines with the same euen so likewise come the said Alcatrazzi therewith and flye continually ouer it in such a multitude that they appeare to couer the vpper part or floore of the water and thus continue in mounting and falling from the ayre to the water and from the water to the ayre during all the time of their fishing and assoone as they haue taken any of these Sardines they flye aboue the waters and eate them incontinently and suddenly returne againe to the water for more continuing thus course by course without ceasing in like manner when the Sea falleth they follow their fishing as I haue said There goeth also in the company of these fowles another kind of fowles called Coda inforcata that is the forked tayle whereof I haue made mention before and assoone as the Alcatraz mounteth from the water with her prey of the Sardines suddenly this Coda inforcata giueth her so many strokes and so persecuteth her that shee causeth her to let fall the Sardines which shee hath in her mouth the which assoone as they are fallen and before they yet touch the water the Coda inforcata catcheth them euen in the fall in such sort that it is a great pleasure to behold the combat betweene them all the day long The number of these Alcatrazzi is such that the Christian men are accustomed to send to certaine Ilands and Rockes which are neere about Panama with their Boates or Barkes to take these Alcatrazzi while they are yet young and cannot flie and kill as many of them with staues as they will vntill they haue therewith laden their Barkes or Canoas these young ones are so fat and well fed that they cannot bee eaten and are taken for none other intent but onely to make Grease for Candles to burne in the night for the which purpose it serueth very well and giueth a cleere light and burneth easily After this manner and for this purpose innumerable of them are killed and yet it seemeth that the number of them that fish for Sardines doe daily increase There are other fowles called Passere sempie that is simple Sparowes these are somewhat lesse then Seamewes and haue their feet like vnto great Malards and stand in the water sometimes and when the ships saile fiftie or a hundred leagues about the Ilands these fowles beholding the ships comming toward them breake their flight and fall downe vpon the Saile yards Masts and Cables thereof and are so simple and foolish that they tarrie vntill they may easily bee taken with mens hands and were therefore called of the Mariners simple Sparrowes they are blacke and vpon their blacke haue their head and shoulders of feathers of a darke russet colour they are not good to bee eaten although the Mariners haue sometimes beene inforced to eate them There is another kind of Birds in the firme Land
that this fish is one of the best in the world to the taste and the likest vnto flesh especially so like vnto beefe that who so hath not seene it whole can iudge it to be none other when hee seeth it in pieces then very Beefe or Veale and is certainly so like vnto flesh that all the men in the world may herein be deceiued the taste likewise is like vnto the taste of very good Veale and lasteth long if it be powdred so that in fine the Beefe of these parts is by no meanes like vnto this This Manate hath a certaine stone or rather bone in his head within the braine which is of qualitie greatly appropriate against the disease of the stone if it be burnt and ground into small powder and taken fasting in the morning when the paine is felt in such quantitie as may lye vpon a peny with a draught of good whiâ—e wine For being thus taken three or foure mornings it acquieteth the griefe as diuers haue told me which haue proued it true and I my selfe by testimonie of sight doe witnesse that I haue seen this stone sought of diuers for this effect There are also diuers other fishes as bigge as this Manate among the which there is one called Vihnella This fish beareth in the top of his head a sword being on euery side full of many sharp teeth this sword is naturally very hard and strong of foure or fiue spans in length and of proportion according to the same bignesse and for this cause is this fish called Spada that is the Sword fish Of this kinde some are found as little as Sardines and other so great that two yokes of Oxen are scarsly able to draw them on a Cart. But whereas before I haue promised to speake of other fishes which are taken in these Seas while the ships are vnder saile I will not forget to speake of the Tunny which is a great and good fish and is oftentimes taken and kild with Trout speares and hookes cast in the water when they play and swim about the ships In like manner also are taken many Turbuts which are very good fishes as are lightly in all the Sea And here is to be noted that in the great Ocean Sea there is a strange thing to be considered which all that haue beene in the Indies affirme to bee true And this is that like as on the Land there are some Prouinces fertile and fruitfull and some barren euen so doth the like chance in the Sea So that at some windes the ships saile fiftie or a hundred or two hundred leagues and more without taking or seeing of one fish and againe in the selfe same Ocean in some places all the water is seen tremble by the moouing of the fishes where they are taken abundantly It commeth further to my remembrance to speake somewhat of the flying of fishes which is doubtlesse a strange thing to behold and is after this manner When the ships saile by the great Ocean following their viage there riseth sometimes on the one side or on the other many companies of certaine little fishes of the which the biggest is no greater then a Sardine and so diminish lesse and lesse from that quantitie that some of them are very little these are called Volatori that is flying fishes they rise by great companies and flocks in such multitudes that it is an astonishment to behold them Sometimes they rise but little from the water and as it chanceth continue one flight for the space of an hundred paces and sometimes more or lesse before they fall againe into the Sea sometimes also they fall into the ships And I remember that on an euening when all the companie in the ship were on their knees singing Salue Regina in the highest part of the Castle of the poope and sailed with a full winde there passed by vs a flocke of these flying fishes and came so neere vs that many of them fell into the ship among the which two or three fell hard by mee which I tooke aliue in my hand so that I might well perceiueâ— that they were as bigge as Sardines and of the same quantitie hauing two wings or quils growing out of their sinnes like vnto those wherewith all fishes swim in Riuers these wings are as long as the fishes themselues As long as their wings are moist they beare them vp in the aire but assoone as they are drie they can continue their flight no further then as I haue said before but fall immediatly into the Sea and so rise againe and flie as before from place to place In the yeere 1515. when I came first to enforme your Maiestie of the state of the things in India and was the yeere following in Flanders in the time of your most fortunate successe in these your Kingdomes of Arragon and Castile whereas at that voyage I sayled aboue the Iland Bermuda otherwise called Garza being the furthest of all the Ilands that are found at this day in the world and arriuing there at the depth of eight yards of water and distant from the Land as farre as the shot of a piece of Ordinance I determined to send some of the ship to Land aswell to make search of such things as were there as also to leaue in the Iland certaine Hogs for increase But the time not seruing my purpose by reason of contrarie winde I could bring my ship no neerer the Iland being twelue leagues in length and sixe in breadth and about thirtie in circuit lying in the three and thirtieth degree of the North side While I remayned here I saw a strife and combat betweene these flying fishes and the fishes named Gilt heads and the fowles called Sea-mewes and Cormorants which surely seemed vnto me a thing of as great pleasure and solace as could be deuised while the Gilt heads swam on the brim of the water and sometimes lifted their shoulders aboue the same to raise the flying fishes out of the water to driue them to flight and follow them swimming to the place where they fall to take and eate them suddenly Againe on the other side the Sea-mewes and Cormorants take many of these flying fishes so that by this meanes they are neither safe in the Aire nor in the Water In the selfe same perill and danger doe men liue in this mortall life wherein is no certaine securitie neither in high estate nor in lowe Which thing surely ought to put vs in remembrance of that blessed and safe resting place which God hath prepared for such as loue him who shall acquiet and finish the trauailes of this troublesome world wherein are so many dangers and bring them to that eternall life where they shall finde eternall securitie and rest Of the increase and decrease that is rising and falling of our Ocean Sea and South Sea called the Sea of Sur. I Will now speake of certaine things which are seene in the
from place to place by the winde or course of the water Quintus Curtius writeth in his Historie that great Alexander came to the Citie of Memi where is a great Caue or Denne in the which is a Spring or Fountaine that continually auoideth a great quantitie of Bitumen in such sort that it is an easie thing to beleeue that the stones of the wals of Babylon might be laid therewith according as the said Author writeth I haue seene this Mine of Bitumen not onely in the Iland of Cuba but also such another in new Spaine in the Prouince of Panuco Thus farre I haue giuen you from Master Eden his Edition wherein because many things necessary to the naturall History of the Indies are in the Authors Summarie and in his 20. Books of a larger Historie I haue added hither such things as I thought fittest The Vâ—ias are like great Rats and the Cories like Conies of which the people in Hispaniola eate as also of the Yuanas Chemi and Mohni are little creatures also in that Iland which and their little mute Dogges were all the foure footed Beasts they had saue that of Rats there is some question The Indians of Iamaica and Cuba vse to catch fish with the fish Rouerso as Huntsmen or Falconers vse Hounds or Haukes in their game The Indians take it sometimes in their Nets of which I haue eaten and when they will bring vp one of them they feede it in the Sea and carrie it tied to their Canar by a strong line which when they see a fish fit for pray they loosen and vse words to excite courage and valour in this fish which presently flies like an arrow at that fish and fastens thereon and the Indian lets the line runne out at length being oiled of many fadomes and hauing a peece of wood at the end to buoy it till the fish be wearied this little fish little aboue a spanne long vnsightly to looke on still holding fast till the Indian gathering in his cord prepares to shoare to take the greater fish with much commendation and words of encouragement to this chase-fish perswading him to let goe his hold which otherwise should sooner by violence breake in peeces this Huntsman then force him to vnfasten Thus will he fasten on the belly of a Tortoise so great that two Indians and sometimes sixe haue enough to doe to carrie the same to their houses This fish Rouerso hath scailes Staire fashioned or like the roofe of a mans mouth and on them certain prickles very sharpe and strong whereby he fastens himselfe to what fish him pleaseth and these prickly scales he hath on the most part of his body They haue likewise a cunning wild-goose-chase in a great Lake casting in certaine great emptie Pompons in the season when Geese resort thither wherewith they being accustomed grow out of feare and will sit on them to bee carried Being thus acquainted the Indian puts one of these emptie Pompons on his head and with much dexteritie of swimming enters amongst the Geese and when one hath made him his Porter no part of his body being seene he swimmes from the rest and then with his hand pulls her in and hangs her thus strangled at his girdle and begins a fresh game When their Caciques are dead they lay them on a piece of wood or stone and make a fire about the same which may not burne them but by degrees draw forth all the moysture in sweat leauing onely the skin and bones and then in a place separate repose the same with the Ancestors which before had beene so dealt with this being their best Booke of Heraldrie to recount the Names and seuerall Descents in that Pedegree If any die in battell or so that they cannot recouer his body they compose Songs which the Children learne touching him and the manner of his death to supply that memoriall These Songs they call Areytos As for Letters they were so ignorant that seeing the intercourse of Spaniards by Letters they thought that Letters could speake and were very cautelous in their carriage of them lest the Letters might accuse them of ill demeanor by the way When they will disport themselues the Men and Women meet and take each other by the hand and one goeth before which is called Tequina or their Master with certaine paces measured to his singing in a low voice what commeth in his minde and after him all the multitude answereth in a higher voice with like measures proportioned to the tune and so continue they three or foure houres with Chicha or Mayz-wine among sometimes also changing the Tequina and taking another with a new tune and song Their Houses are commonly round like a Tent and sometimes with a double water passage which they call Buhio of good Timber thatched with Straw or long Grasse the Walls of Reed pitched into the ground In the Prouince of Abrayne in Golden Castile and thereabouts there are many Villages of Indians which dwell on the tops of Trees in Houses or Roomes there made to which they ascend by certaine staires of Besuco which growes about Trees and is vsed to binde their Walls and Timbers in their houses before mentioned Beneath the ground is fenny and couered with water not so high as a man and where it is deeper they vse Canoas and therewith passe to drie Land to sow their Mays and Iucca Battatas and Aies In those houses they are secured from wild Beasts Enemies and Fire They are not Archers and vse Clubs In the Gulfe of Vraba where Rio Grande enters the Sea are many Palme trees in the middest of the Riuer growing neere together on the tops whereof are houses made as the former and much bigger in which many Inhabitants dwell together and haue their beds tyed to the lower parts of the said Palme trees These beds they call Hamacas being couerlets of Cotten of good threed and well wouen of two or three braces long but narrower with cordes at the ends The cordes are of Cotton or of Henequen or Cabuya this the courser threed that the finer and able to cut Iron made of the leafe of a certaine herbe These Indians fight also with Clubs and did much harme to Captaine Vasco Nunes di Balboa his men which returned with losse not able to ouer-come them I haue also obserued that these Indians haue the bones of their skulls foure times as thicke as those of the Christians so that to strike them with a Sword must be warily done the Swords being thereby often broken Besides the Tigre and other beasts before mentioned in the firme Land are the Beori the Christians call them Dants not that they are such but for some resemblance as is also said of the Tigre of the bignesse of a meane Mule without hornes ash-coloured they know not to dresse and tanne their hides They take them with Dogs but if they take water they are fierce and
be knowne as we shall see hereafter It chanced thâ—t Motâ—çuma hauing reigned many yeeres in great prosperitie and so puft vp in his conceit as he caused himselfe to be serued and feared yea to be worshipped as a God that the Almighty Lord began to chastice him and also to admonish him suffering euen the very Deuils whom he worshipped to tell him these heauy tydings of the ruine of his Kingdome and to torment him by Visions which had neuer beene seene wherewith hee remayned so melancholy and troubled as he was void of judgement The Idoll of those of Châ—lolâ— which they called Quetzacoalt declared that a strange people came to possesse his Kingdomes The King of Tescuco who was a great Magitian and had conference with the Deuill came one day at an extraordinary houre to visit Moteçuma assuring him that his Gods had told him that there were great losses preparing for him and for his whole Realme many Witches and Sorcerers went and declared as much amongst which there was one did very particulary foretell him what should happen and as hee was with him hee told him that the pulses of his feete and hands failed him Moteçuma troubled with these newes commanded all those Sorcerers to be apprehended but they vanished presently in the Prison wherewith he grew into such a rage that he might not kill them as hee put their wiues and children to death destroying their Houses and Families Seeing himselfe importuned and troubled with these aduertisements hee sought to appease the anger of his Gods and for that cause hee laboured to bring a huge stone thereon to make great Sacrifices For the effecting whereof hee sent a great number of people with Engins and Instruments to bring it which they could by no meanes mooue although being obstinate they had broken many Instruments But as they stroue still to raise it they heard a voyce joyning to the stone which said they laboured in vaine and that they should not raise it for that the Lord of things created would no more suffer those things to be done there Moteçuma vnderstanding this commanded the Sacrifice to be performed in that place and they say the voyce spake againe Haue I not told you that it is not the pleasure of the Lord of things created that it should bee done and that you may well know that it is so I will suffer my selfe to bee transported a little then after you shall not mooue mee Which happened so indeed for presently they carried it a small distance with great facilitie then afterwards they could not mooue it till that after many Prayers it suffered it selfe to bee transported to the entry of the Citie of Mexico where suddenly it fell into the Lake where seeking for it they could not find it but it was afterwards found in the same place from whence they had remooued it wherewith they remayned amazed and confounded At the same time there appeared in the Element a great flame of fire very bright in the forme of a Pyramide which beganne to appeare at midnight and went still mounting vntill the Sunne rising in the morning where it stayed at the South and then vanished away It shewed it selfe in this sort the space of a whole yeere and euer as it appeared the people cast forth great cryes as they were accustomed beleeuing it was a presage of great misfortune It happened also that fire tooke the Temple when as no body was within it nor neere vnto it neyther did there fall any lightning or thunder whereupon the Guards crying out a number of people ranne with water but nothing could helpe so as it was all consumed and they say the fire seemed to come forth of pieces of timber which kindled more by the water that was cast vpon it There was a Comet seene in the day time running from the West to the East casting an infinite number of sparkles and they say the forme was like to a long tayle hauing three heads The great Lake betwixt Mexico and Tescuco without any winde earthquake or any other apparant signe began sudainly to swell and the waues grew in such sort as all the buildings neere vnto it fell downe to the ground They say at that time they heard many voices as of a woman in paine which said sometimes O my children the time of your destruction is come and otherwhiles it said O my children whither shall I carry you that you perish not vtterly There appeared likewise many Monsters with two heads which being carried before the King sudainly vanished There were two that exceeded all other Monsters being very strange the one was the Fishers of the Lake tooke a Bird as bigge as a Crane and of the same colour but of a strange and vnseene forme They carried it to Moteçuma who at that time was in the pallace of teares and mourning which was all hanged with blacke for as he had many Pallaces for his recreation so had he also others for times of affliction wherewith he was then heauily charged and tormented by reason of the threatnings his gods had giuen him by these sorrowfull aduertisements The Fishers came about noone setting this Bird before him which had on the top of his head a thing bright and transparent in forme of a Looking-glasse wherein he did behold a warlike Nation comming from the East armed fighting and killing He called his Diuines and Astronomers whereof there was a great number who hauing seene these things and not able to yeelde any reason of what was demanded of them the Bird vanished away so as it was neuer more seene whereupon Moteçuma remained very heauy and sorrowfull The other which happened was a Laborer who had the report of a very honest man he came vnto him telling him that being the day before at his worke a great Eagle flew towards him and tooke him vp in his talents without hurting him carrying him into a certaine Caue where it left him The Eagle pronouncing these words Most mighty Lord I haue brought him whom thou hast commanded me This Indian Laborer looked aboue on euery side to whom he spake but he saw no man Then he heard a voyce which said vnto him Doost thou not know this man whom thou seest lying vpon the ground and looking thereon he perceiued a man to lye very heauy asleepe with royall ensignes flowers in his hand and a staffe of perfumes burning as they are accustomed to vse in that Country whom the Labourer beholding knew it was the great King Moteçuma and answered presently Great Lord this resembles our King Motezuma The voice said againe Thou sayest true behold what he is and how hee lies asleepe carelesse of the great miseries and afflictions prepared for him It is now time that he pay the great number of offences he hath done to God and that he receiue the punishment of his tyrannies and great pride and yet thou seest how carelesse he lyes blinde in his owne miseries and without any
of December they made their first Feast which was the principall of all others and for that cause they called it Capacrayme which is to say A rich and principall Feast In this Feast they offered a great number of sheepe and Lambes in Sacrifice and they burnt them with sweet wood then they caused Gold and Siluer to bee brought vpon certayne sheepe setting vpon them three Images of the Sunne and three of the Thunder the Father the Sonne and the Brother In these Feasts they dedicated the Inguas children putting Guaras or Ensignes vpon them and they pierced their eares then some old man did whip them with slings and annoynted their faces with bloud all in signe that they should be true Knights to the Ingua No stranger might remayne in Cusco during this moneth and this Feast but at the end thereof they entred and they gaue vnto them pieces of the paste of Mays with the bloud of the Sacrifice which they did eate in signe of confederation with the Ingua as hath beene said before It is strange that the Deuill after his manner hath brought a Trinitie into Idolatry for the three Images of the Sunne called Apomti Churunti and Intiquaoqui which signifieth Father and Lord Sunne the Sonne Sunne and the Brother Sunne In the like manner they named the three Images of Chuquilla which is the God that rules in the Region of the Ayre where it Thunders Raines and Snowes I remember that beeing in Cuquisaca an honourable Priest shewed me an information which I had long in my hands where it was prooued that there was a certayne Guaca or Oratory whereas the Indians did worship an Idoll called Tangatanga which they said was one in three and three in one Comming then to the Feast of the second moneth which they called Camey besides the Sacrifices which they made they did cast the ashes into the Riuer following fiue or sixe leagues after praying it to carry them into the Sea for that the Virochoca should there receiue this present In the third fourth and fift moneth they offered a hundred blacke sheepe speckled and grey with many other things which I omit for being too tedious The sixt moneth is called Hatuncuzqui Aymorey which answereth to May in the which they sacrificed a hundred sheepe more of all colours in this Moone and moneth which is when they bring May from the fields into the house they made a Feast which is yet very vsuall among the Indians and they doe call it Aymorey This Feast is made comming from the Chacra or Farme vnto the house saying certayne Songs and praying that the Mays may long continue the which they call Mamacora They take a certayne portion of the most fruitfull of the Mays that growes in their Farmes the which they put in a certayne Granier which they doe call Pirua with certayne Ceremonies watching three nights they put this Mays in the richest garments they haue and being thus wrapped and dressed they worship this Pirua and hold it in great veneration saying it is the Mother of the Mays of their Inheritances and that by this meanes the Mays augments and is preserued In this moneth they make a particular Sacrifice and the Witches demand of this Pirua if it hath strength sufficient to continue vntill the next yeere and if it answeres No then they carry this Mays to the Farme to burne whence they brought it according to euery mans power then make they another Pirua with the same Ceremonies saying that they renew it to the end the Seed of Mays may not perish and if it answers that it hath force sufficient to last longer they leaue it vntill the next yeere This foolish vanitie continueth to this day and it is very common amongst the Indians to haue these Piruas and to make the Feast of Aymorey The seuenth moneth answereth to Iune and is called Aucaycuzqui Intiraymi in it they made the Feast that is called Intiraymi in the which they sacrificed a hundred sheepe called Guanacos and said it was the Feast of the Sunne In this moneth they made many Images of Quinua wood carued all attired with rich garments and they made their dancings which they doe call Cayo At this Feast they cast flowers in the high wayes and thither the Indians came painted and their Noblemen had small plates of Gold vpon their beards and all did sing we must vnderstand that this Feast falleth almost at the same time when as the Christians obserue the Solemnitie of the holy Sacrament which doth resemble it in some sort as in dancing singing and representations And for this cause there hath beene and is yet among the Indians which celebrated a Feast somewhat like to ours of the holy Sacrament many Superstitions in celebrating this ancient Feast of Intiraymi The eight moneth is called Chahua Huarqui in the which they did burne a hundred sheep more all grey of the colour of Viscacha according to the former order which moneth doth answere to our Iuly The ninth moneth was called Yapaguis in which they burnt an hundred sheepe more of a Chesnut colour and they doe likewise kill and burne a thousand Cuyes to the end that neither the Frost the Ayre the water nor the Sunne should hurt their Farmes and this moneth doth answere vnto August The tenth moneth was called Coyarami in the which they burnt a hundred white sheepe that had fleeces In this moneth which answereth to September they made the Feast called Situa in this manner They assembled together the first day of the Moone before the rising thereof and in seeing it they cryed aloude carrying Torches in their hands and saying Let all harme goe away striking one another with their Torches They that did this were called Panconcos which being done they went to the common Bath to the Riuers and Fountaines and euery one to his owne Bath setting themselues to drinke foure dayes together In this moneth the Mamacomas of the Sunne made a great number of small Loaues with the bloud of the Sacrifices and gaue a piece to euery stranger yea they sent to euery Guaca throughout the Realme and to many Curacas in signe of confederation and loyaltie to the Sun and the Ingua as hath beene said The Bathes drunkennesse and some Relickes of this Feast Situa remayne euen vnto this day in some places with the Ceremonies a little different but yet very secretly for that these chife and principall Feasts haue ceased The eleuenth moneth Homaraymi Punchaiquis wherein they sacrficed a hundred sheepe more And if they wanted water to procure raine they set a blacke sheepe tyed in the middest of a Plaine powring much Chica about it and giuing it nothing to eate vntill it rayned which is practised at this day in many places in the time of our October The twelfth and last moneth was called Aymara wherein they did likewise sacrifice a hundred sheepe and made the Feast called Raymicantara Raquis In this moneth which
which they had taken captiues opening their brests and plucking out their hearts sprinkling their bloud in the Ayre their fellowes looking on and not able to reuenge it They slew likewise many Indians foure Spaniards of Aluarado's company whom they ate in the open sight of the Army The Mexicans danced drank themselues drunke made bonefires strucke vp their Drums and made all solemne expressings of ioy Dread Disdaine and all the Furies that Passion or Compassion could coniure vp had now filled the Spaniards hearts and their Indian partakers and Cortes that hitherto had hoped to reserue some part of the Citie now did the vtmost that Rage aed Reuenge could effect helped no lesse within with Famine and Pestilence then with Sword and Fire without At last Mexico is razed the Earth and Water sharing betwixt them what the Fire had left and all which had sometime challenged a lofty inheritance in the Ayre Their King also was taken all that mightie State subuerted And as the Mexicans before had prophesied That the Tlaxantleca's should againe build the Citie if conquered for them if conquerors for the Spaniards It was re-builded with a hundred thousand houses fairer and stronger then before The Siege lasted three Moneths and had therein two hundred thousand Indians nine hundred Spaniards fourescore Horses seuenteene Peeces of Ordinance thirteene Galliots and sixe thousand Canoas Fiftie Spaniards were slaine and sixe Horses of the Mexicans a hundred thousand besides those which died of Hunger and Pestilence This was effected Anno 1521. on the thirteenth day of August which for that cause is kept festiuall euery yeare For the Description of the Country wherein Mexico is situate Cortes in his second Narration to the Emperour saith it is enuironed with hils He telleth of some hils also in his iourney wherein diuers of his people died with cold in the middest is a plaine of 70. leagues compasse and therein two Lakes which extend the circuit of 50. leagues the one salt which ebbeth and floweth an argument for Patritius his opinion that saltnesse is a chiefe cause of that vicissitude of ebbing and flowing in the Ocean the other fresh When the water of the Salt Lake increaseth it runneth lâ—ke a violent streame into the fresh Lake which when it decreaseth is repaired againe by the like issue of this into the former Nunno di Gusmau hath written his expedition into Mâ—choacan and other Countries of New-Spaine 1530. subduing and taking possession for the Emperour He found some of them Sodomites others Sacrificers of mens flesh and some closly practising this butchery after they had professed themselues Christians none of them which durst looke a Horse in the face but were afraid that that Beast would eate them The seuerall peoples by him reckoned would here be tedious to name which we may say of the like made by Godoy and Aluarado Of the Customes of the Auntient Mexicans one of Cortes his Gentlemen hath written a Treatise extant in Ramusius wherein are described their Citie Temples Rites of Sacrifice and the like as after followeth out of him and others CHAP. IX Larger Relations of things most remarkeable obserued by the Spaniards at their first comming Cholollas holies Popocatepecs ashes Mutezumas multiforme magnificence and maiestie Mexican Citie and Temple with other antiquities gathered out of the Third part of the Historie of Francis Lopez de Gomara CHololla is a Citie as Tlaxcallan and hath but one person who is Gouernour and generall Captaine chosen by the consent of all the Citizens It is a Citie of twenty thousand housholds within the wals and in the suburbs as much more It sheweth outwards very beautifull and full of Towers for there are as many Temples as dayes in the yeare and euery Temple hath his Tower Our men counted foure hundred Towers The men and women are of good disposition well fauoured and very wittie The women are Goldsmiths and also Caruers the men are warriers and light fellowes and good Maisters for any purpose they goe better apparelled then any other Indians yet seene They weare for their vpper garment cloakes like vnto Moriscos but after another sort All the Countrey round about them is fruitfull and errable ground well watered and so full of people that there is no waste ground in respect whereof there are some poore which begge from doore to doore The Spaniards had not seene any beggers in that Countrey before they came thither Chololla is a Citie of most deuotion and religion in all India it is called the Sanctuary or holy place among the Indians and thither they trauelled from many places farre distant in Pilgrimage and for this cause there were so many Temples Their Cathedrall Temple was the best and highest of all the New Spaine with a hundred and twenty steps vp vnto it The greatest Idoll of all their gods was called Quezalcouately God of the Aire who was say they the founder of their Citie being a Virgin of holy life and great penance He instituted fasting and drawing of bloud out of their eares and tongues and left a precept that they should sacrifice but onely Quailes Doues and other foule He neuer ware but one garment of Cotten which was white narrow and long and vpon that a mantle beset with certaine red crosses They haue certaine greene Stones which were his and those they keepe for relickes One of them is like an Apes head Here they abode twenty dayes and in this meane while there came so many to buy and sell that it was a wonder to see And one of the things that was to be seene in those faires was the earthen vessell which was exceeding curious and fine The hill called Popocatepec THere is a hill eight leagues from Chololla called Popocatepec which is to say a hill of smoake for many times it casteth out smoake and fire Cortes sent thither ten Spaniards with many Indians to carry their victuall and to guide them in the way The ascending vp was very troublesome and full of craggie rocks They approached so nigh the top that they heard such a terrible noise which proceeded from thence that they durst not goe vnto it for the ground did tremble and shake and great quantity of ashes which disturbed the way but yet two of them who seemed to be most hardie and desirous to see strange things went vp to the top because they would not returne with a sleeuelesse answer and that they might not be accounted cowards leauing their fellowes behinde them proceeding forwards The Indians said what meane these men for as yet neuer mortall man tooke such a iourney in hand These two valiant fellowes passed through the Desart of Ashes and at length came vnder a great smoake very thicke and standing there a while the darkenesse vanished partly away and then appeared the vulcan and concauity which was about halfe a league in compasse out of the which the ayre came abounding with a great noise very shrill and whistling in
376.10 Histories recorded three wayes 1051.40 How in Peru 1053 20 Historie of the Mexicans in Pictures beginnes at Page 1067. And continues to Page 1117 Hydes of Russia 416.50 Hydes of Kowes abundance brought from the West-Indies to Spaine 962.50 Hyperborean Sea 651.60 Hyrcania where 49.20 Hoaquan an Idoll with three eyes The God of Eye-sight in China 406.1 Hocata-Chan the Tartar 113 30 Hocktyde when and why instituted 621.20 Hogge sacrificed in China 307.1 196.20 Hogges with their nauels on their backes their description fiercenesse and manner of hunting them 966.10 20. 868.20 Hohi an Indian Tree the excellent nature of it 986.1 Hola the Bishops Sea of North Island 654 Hold with hope the Land where or whither any such 730.50 596. The Latitude 568 60 Hollanders denied entrance into China 406.30 They take the Iesuites Shippe of Iapon ibid. Holoen a Character vsed in Armenia diuers from the Armenian Character 110.20 Holy-dayes in Tartary how kept 29.50 Christian Priests then blesse the Princes Cup ibid. Holy Ghost the Greekes Heresie about him 452 Holy Land the Tartars often attempt the Recouery for the Christians See Pages 116 117.118.119 The Designe giuen ouer vpon the Chan Tartars turning Saracen 120 10. The Christians much afflicted by this alteration ibid. The Designe set on foot againe 12â— 30. c. An Expedition thither giuen ouer 123.20.30 And another 123.50 Holy water vsed in Russia 455 40. Sent to the Emperour farre and neere 457.20 Holy water the Armenians vse Frankincense in stead of it 50 30 Holy-water of the Mexicans 1134 50 Holy-water not knowne in the East 32.40 Honey abundant in Russia 416.60 Honey in Russia whereabouts most 231.50 Honey bred in a mans skull 627.60 Honey made of the sap of a tree 957.20 Honduras the extent of its Iurisdiction Commodities Mynes Latitude of the chiefe City and of the other Townes 879.40 Gulfe and Coast of it Ports Bayes all in the North Sea c. 880 Honorâ— wearing out in China 387 60. c. Hope Iland discouered 466.40 Hope Sanderson in the Northwest the latitude 843.30 845.30 Horda in Tartarian signifies the middest 16.40 Why the Cans Court is called so ibid. HordaslaÌ„dia prouince in Norway 65 Horne of a Seafish mistaken for an Vnicornes 650.40 Horn-nesse the East part of Island 518.50 Horne-Sownd in Greenland the latitude variation of the Compasse 717.50 Altitude of the Sun there Iun. 14.718 See also pag. 846.20 Horne-Sownd and Whale-fishing there 467.1 Horse consulted withall in Tartary 44.40 Horse of China vnseruiceable in warres 381 Horse-flesh why eaten by the Tartars 441.50 They let their Horse bloud and drinke it ibid. Horse shoes of siluer for want of Iron in the Indies 943.20 Horses for the warres the Tartars bring two one to eate 441.40 How to carrie their Horse legges ibid. Horses most excellently hoofed 73 50 Horses of the Spaniards the Indians thought they could speake 1118.40 Sir Ierome Horseyes Russian Story 740. An honourable Act of his 742.30.40 Sent Ambassadour by the Emperour to Queene Elizabeth 743. Returnes ibid. His fauour in the Russian Court 743.50 60. Returnes honourably againe into England The fauours hee did for the Muscouie Company The Emperours fauours towards him 744 Hosanna sung on Palme Sunday in Russia 456 Hospitals and Free-Schooles for Children their fashion 205.40 In China 276.1 Put to trades ibid. 99.50 Hospitals for lame Souldiers 272 30 Hostia the Etymon of it 1037.30 Hot-houses the Russian Physicke 230.60 Houre-glasses going with water or fire 383.30 Houses of Tartars described 3.30 Their largenesse 3.40 Carried vpon Carts drawne by two and twenty Oxen 3.40 Their order of placing foure ten and nine seuerall quarters of men and women 4.30 Houses of the Indians of Cuba 994 60. Dwelling on the tops of trees where ibid. 995.1 Houses couered with Elkes skinnes 522.50 Hoyce Hill in Orkney 827.30 Hubbards Hope the latitude 848 50 Hudson his Discouery 464.40 Hull men trade to Greenland 467 50. How they first came thither 465.30 They bring backe the Zelanders to molest the Londoners fishing 468.1 Their Voyage to the Riuer Obi 530. To Cherry Iland 562. Other Discoueries 714.40 Humane Sacrifices of the Mexicans 1014.1015.30 Sir Humphrey Gilbarts Voyage to Newfoundland 808.50 Humvu a valiant Chinois who expelled the Tartars 387.40 The Kingdome continues in his Line ibid. Hunduras in the Indies the Spaniards way thither 859.10 The chiefe places along the Coast ibid. Hungary ouerrune by the Tartars 61.40 When they departed from it 63.50 They returne 114.40 Hungaria the Estate in Rubruquis his time 52.10 Hungarians how surprised by the Tartars the Story of it 440.30.40 Hunnes whence descended 18.50 Hunting vsed by the great â—â—am described 85.30 And his hawking ibid. Hunting in Lithuania the manner 629 Hunting of the Mexicans the manner of it 1031.40 Husbands disliking their Wiues turne Fryers in Russia 455.1 Husbands selling their Wiues fort want of meanes 738 Husbandmen exempt from the Warres 215.30 Husbandry of Nature 961.10 Huuph a China word 187.20 Huzamguee the chiefe City of Cauchin 281 I IAci the Citie 91.40 Iacobite heresie in Africa 317 40 Iacolit the Easterne Patriarch and his Iurisdiction 70.1 Iacolsu a Riuer in Island the course 656 Iagac a mighty Riuer where and whence it riseth 18.50 Iaic or Iagac the Riuer where 18 50.231 Iamayca the Iland on the North of Hispaniola 859.10 Iamayca Iland in the West Indies when first discouered altitude distance from Cuba and Hispaniola Villages Plantations Ports distances of places in it c. 864 Iamboli or Balachei the City 634 10 Iames Hall slaine by a Gronelander 832.50 Sir Iames Lancasters Sownd the latitude 847 Iangi in the Courts of Tartary 28 60. 24.40 Iangumur or Ciangamur in the Tartarian is white Lake 80.30 Iangui the noble City 96.50 Iaon is three leagues 254.10 Iapan is sundry Iles they containe thirtie three Kingdomes their Piracies vpon China distance from China and the Philippinaes valour of the people 906 Iapon how and when discouered 318.10 Distance betwixt that and Malaca 318.20 The Seas troublesome 318.40 Iaponian Ambassage to the Pope 322.10 What Ilands goe vnder that name 322.50 The habit of there Ambassadors Their entertainment at Rome 323.10 Quabacondono tyrannises ouer al the Princes there 323.40 Meaco the chiefe City 324. The three chiefe men there 324.20 Their change of titles ib. Their Pope ib. The Lords of Tensa command all there ibid. It contayneth aboue sixtie Iurisdictions 324.40 Their Theologie ibid. 60. 325.1 Their manner of sending their 〈◊〉 ibid. 10. And their curious workemanship ibid. The number of Iesuites there ibid. Parted from China by Corai ibid. Earthquake Comets and prodigious Raines there 326. They burne their Dead 327.10 They are sooner Conuerted to Christianitie then the Chinois 332.20 Taught to paint ibid. A poore Countrey 344.30 Their Alphabet 384. But foure and twentie houres sayle from China 408.50 Iaruslaue Citie the situation 419.20 Iascot of Gold worth ten Markes in Tartarie 21.50 34.10
445. 1583. Sir H. Gilbert Hak. to 3. p. 143. 1585. Master Dauis Hak. to 3. p. 98. seq 1586. 1587. Fretum Dauis Hak. Tom. 1. pag. 297. 25. 1553. 1578. 25. 1594. These Voiages follow 1595. 1596. I haue by me a French Storie of Spitsbergh published 1613 by a Dutchman which writeth against this English allegation c. but hotter arguments then I am willing to answer William Hudson Discouereth to 81. Degrees Whale Bay Hackluits Headland Hudsons Toutches Thomas Welden 1609. Thomas Edge the Author 1610. Ionas Poole first Namer of Greenland * See Bâ—ffins North-west Discouerie Vnicorne a Sea fishes Horne 1611. First Whale-killing Biscayners vsed 500. Morses killed Shipwracke by Ice Hull Ship Cherie Iland Ship ouer set 1612. Hollanders Allen Sallowes Spanish Ship Woodcocke Imprisoned 1613. Beniamin Ioseph Fifteene ships Intâ—rlopâ—rs Hope Iland 1614. Thirteen â—hâ—ps and two Pinnâ—ssâ—s armed Eighteene Dutch ships 80. Degrees discouered Sherwin and Baffin 1615. Fast in Ice in Iune fourteene dayes King of Denmarke demands Toll Vn English English to serue Dutch Spanish Dane against their owne 1616. Edges Iland 1617. Witches Iland Hull men 1618. Zelanders Marmaduke Sir Iohn Cunningham East India Aduenturers ioyne Dutch assault the English 1619. 1620. 1621. 1622. Shipwracke * The ordinarie growne Whale Finnes Small eyes Some kinds haue greater Stow mentions one taken on Tenet shoare the eye of which was a Cart-loade a man might stand in the hole vpright The like wee may ghesse of the throat c. Nature being herein luxuriant and diuersified You may see this Story of the Whale-killing presented liuely in the Map which Captaine Edge hath liberally added to this Relation Whale Finnes Eight kinds of Whales known 1. Grand bay Whale 2. Sarda 3. Trumpa Spermacoete 4. Otta Sotta 5. Gibarta 6. Sedeua 7. Sedeua Negro 8. Sewria Antiphrastical appellation I haue found this description of Greenland with other notes written by Ro. Fotherby Deere Yet in China euen neere the Sea and farre neerer the Sun betwixt 30. and 40. the Winters are extreme â— Foth * Prolegomena ad Hudsoni Detect edit Amstelodami per Hos. Gerard. 1611. A thing not continued cannot bee effected All things are effected in conuenient time The first finding is hard but the second attempt is easier A comparison of the heate vnder the line with the cold vnder the North Pole The resoluâ—e intent and opinions of William Barents Iune 5. The particulars beeing knowne to many of our Mariners I omit Langenes Lombsbay Admirals Iland Cape Negro Black point Williams Iland Sea-horses oâ— Morses Beeren-fort white Beare terrible Iland of Crosses Cape Nassaw Cape Trust. Ice point Gold Stones Orange Ilands Morses described There returne backe againe Oliuer Brunell Blacke Iland Crosse-point Saint Laurenâ—â— Bay Sconce point Colgoyen Matfloe and Delgoy They meet with their companie States Iland Iames Hemskerke famous for the Gibralter exploit Image point Samoyeds land Traen Bay They goe oâ— Land Images They speake with Samoyeds Sea open Samoyeds apparell Haire person stature Their King Their Sleds Departure Image Hundreds of ill shapen Images States-Iland A Beare killâ— two men Her stoutnesse They kill the Beare Twist-point Matfloe and Delgoy Iune Three Sunnes and foure Rain-bowes The like hath beene seene in England about the time this worke entred the Presse Ice Greene water Beares or Cherie-Iland Egges Danger escaped Variation of the Compasse Great white Beare Fight with her Beares skin 12. foot long Dead Whale 80. Degrees and 11 minuts Another fight with a white Beare Beares skin 13. foot long Red Geese Egges Red Geese breed their young Geese vnder 80. Degrees in Greenland Fable of Barnacles Note Beare assaults them Variation of the Compasse 16. Degrees Store of Birds Iuly Cherie-Iland They part companie Willoughbies Land conceited from some Maps Noua Zembla Admirals Iland Crosse Iland in 76. degrees 20. minutes Two Beares Their sent Variation 26. degrees perhaps 16. August Point Nassaw Trust-point Ice 52. fathom deepe Snow Beares assault Icie thunder Beare killed Orange Iland Point Desire Earth on the top of Azure Ice Boat broken with Ice Inclosed with Ice Escape of three men Ship lifted vp and beset with Ice Another danger Rother broken September Riuer of fresh water and Wood. Ship fastned in Ice They determine to winter there How God in our extremest need when we were forced to lie all the Winter vpon the Land sent vs Wood to make vs a house and to serue vs to burne in the cold Winter Three Beares It freezeth in the salt water two fingers thicke in â— night House builded Hard and violent frost Ground not to be thawed May-pole of Snow Extreme Snow Hence it may seeme that the course of the Tides and Sea is from the North. Beere melted Sea couered with Ice Beare assaultâ— the ship Barrels and Iron hoopes broken with Ice All come to the House Fight with Beares White Foxe Beares fat for Lampe Nouember Sun Moone Sun riseth South South-east and goeth downe South South-west not full aboue the Earth Foxes succeed Beares They see the Sun no more after the third of Nouember Stilo nouo or our Octob. 24. Moone continually seene in the Sunnes absence Darknesse Bread shared and Beere Beere strength lesse with frost Ship ballast couered with water Fox-trap Wine shared Drinke water Ill washing Bathing and purging Store of Snow Fox-skin-caps December Lye still in Cabins Stone heated to heat them Cold and Smoake Ice cracking noyse Ice in the House Clock frozen Doore digged open Cold stronger then fire and Sacke Sea-coale fire Swounding stifling by the Cole-vapour and closenesse Benefit of cold Shooes on feet frozen within They weare no shooes Clothes on their backes frozen Cold blisters Extreame and terrible freezing Sunnes comfort House inclosed with snow Sun in Tropicus Capricorni 24. Decem. Stilo nouo Cold Christmasse Ill signe indeed Cold inuincible Burne before freeze behind Snow higher then the house Snow-steps Fire conquered heat smelt before felt An. Dom. 1597. Ianuary Vane Three Kings of Cullen King of Noua Zembla Day-light espied Beares in the ship Oculus Tauri Aurora blusheth to lie so long in bed Cold relenteth Sunne appeareth againe Ian. 24. Sun fully seen How the Sun which they had lost the 4. of Nouember did appeare to them againe vpon the 24. of Ianuary which was very strange and contrary to all learned mens opinions Difference of longitude betwixt Venice and their wintring place Note for deg of longitude Beares returne with the Sun Sicke man dieth The Summer Beare February They goe out at the chimney Heat of the Sunne Beare slaine 100. Pound of fat taken out of a Beare vsefull for Lamps March Note Sol in Aries Shoots of Felt and Rugge Aprill Beare assault the house Beares Den. May. Burgers of Noua Zembla Bucke Beares Liuer venomous Iune Beare slayne They depart The Letter is omitted It was subscribed by Iacob Hemskerke Peter Peterson Vos Master Hans Vos Laurence Willimson Peter Cornelison Iohn Remarson William Barents
Gerrat de Veer Leonard Hendrickson Iacob Iohnson Scheadam Iacob Iohnson Sterrenburg Orange Iland Open Scutes Dangerous attempt to draw the Boat ouer the Ice W. Barents dieth Enclosed again with Ice and againe Trust-point Extreame cold The stretching of the Land from the house where we wintred along by the North-side of Noua Zembla to the Straights of Wey-gats where we past ouer to the Coast of Russia and ouer the entrie of the white Sea to Cola according to the Card here insuing Three Beares One Beare carryeth another in his mouth and eat it Strong Beare Iuly Huge Beare Admirals Iland Cape Plancio Langenes Cape Cant. Strange Birdâ— breeding in strong cold Two Russian Lodies or Lodgies No Raine Scuruy-grasse or Leple leaues cure their scowring and Scorbuticall infirmitie August Pitzora Compasse deceiueth by ill Neighbourhood Russian Compasse Lapland Russian Houses Laplanders miâ—rable life Slutterie a fast breaker Kilduin September Trees a rare sight Coola Thâ—ir Scute and Boat layd vp for a Monument how much more worthily then the old worlde Argo Intelligence from Samoyeds 1595. Barkes going from Pechora to Gielhsidi wintering there Gielhsidi won from the Tartars 1592. 1592. No Ebbe not Floud September 9. Gombornse-skare The long North bottom Swafster Whitsarke Hernoldus Hooke Sound Hauen in Groneland Skagen Ford. Beare Ford. A great fishing for Whales A great Swalth Allabong Sound Store of Oxen. The Icie Mountayne The Hauen of Fendebother Note Corse Hought An hunting of white Beares More Easterly all Desart The Towne from Hernoldus Hooke West-ward The Towne of Godoâ—ford A great Church with a white Crosse on it Peters Wike Wartsdall Boy in the Norsâ— tongue signifieth a Towne A Monasterie Rompnes Ford. A Nunnerie Wegen Kerke Hot waters in Groneland A place called Vose belonging to the King Saint Nicolas Church Emestnes Ford. Southwoders Wicke Bloming Granwicke Daleth Garden A great Wood Oxen Kine and Horses Excellent Stone that fire cannot hurt Eight great Orchards belonging to the Cathedrall Church Swalster Ford. Ericks Hought Skogel Kerke Fossa Sound Breda Ford. Larmut Ford. Ice Dorpe The Skerlengers Many Horses Oxen and Kine Iuer Boty the Author A great Wildernesse called Hemel Hatsfelt to the North of the West land Mines of Siluer white Beares white Hawkes all sorts of Fish Groneland not so cold as Iseland or Norway Fruits Punuâ— and Potbarse Trolebothon Trolebothon a great Wildernesse The Commodities of Gronland Good counsell for trauelling to Gronland Tynder-boxes for fire Courses for Gronland A storme in the North. Whitsarke Ericks Ford. A storme in the South· The first and second Paragraphs were published in Latine by Hessell Gerardus An. 1612. here a little contracted the last I found in M. Hakluyts Papers Arica or Oneeko Wichida White Sea to the North of Russia Samoieds Oysel and Vstiug Mart Townes for the Samoieds The first Voyage vnto the Samoieds countreyes The second Voyage Many Deserts and diuers great Riuers Riuer Obi. Great wealth to be gotten by the Trâ—de to the Riuer of Obi. Conditions of the people Gouâ—rnment Dyâ—t No Bread Shooting Apparell Houses Great wealth obtayned by continuance of this Voyage L. Boris that Theodore Emperour The Russes pronounce th as ph Imperiall priuiledge The first Voyage set out by Boris Godonoua They submit themselues to the Moscouiteâ— Trauâ—il beyond Obi. Elkes or Lâ—shes Raine Deere Dogs equal in swiftnesse to Harts Samoieds shooting * Stiuer Castles builded Sinke of bad people Siberia and Siber * Then Malefactors of Amsterdam at the Prison c. This Iournall to the North-east was hardly obtayned by some friends in Court The great danger for imparting this Iourney Osoil Iauinis 17. daies iourney distant from Osoil against the streame Iugoria Riuer Petsora Neem Riuer 3. weekes iourney from Iauinis From Neem to Wisera 5. dayes iourney From Wisera to Soil Camscoy 9. dayes Volga by the Tartars called Etil Soil Camscoy The Riuer Soiba The Riuer Cosna Mountaines in three parts Coouinscoy Camen Cirgniscoy Camen Poduinscoy Camen Vergateria Toera Riuer Vergateria the first Towne of Siberia 1590. Russian Gouernour Fiue dayes iourney to Iaphanis Tabab a mighty Riuer 200. leagues from Toera From Iaphanis to Tinna 12. dayes iourney by sled Many trauell farre beyond Oby toward the East South Tobolsca the chiefe Towne of Siberia Tobolsca on the Riuer Yrtis Tobol Riuer Tassa Riuer Pohemy a Towne Yrtis Riuer Olscoygorod razed Zergolta a town builded in an Iland of the Riuer Oby Noxinscoy Castle 200. leagues aboue Zergolta They trauell 400. leagues into the Inland beyond Noxinscoy The Reigne of Boris Godonoua The Citie Tooma Tartar King Ostachies a people Tara a Towne Iorgoetum Besobia Mangansoiscoigorod Narim and Tooma beyond Obi. Reyne Deere and exceeding swift Dogs vsed insteed of Horses and fed with Fishes Telta Riuer to the East beyond Obi. Comgof-scoi Castle Ten weekes trauell Eastward from Obi. wherein the Tingoesies were first discouered Tingoesie a people dwelling in Companies vpon the great Riuer Ieniscè The Tingoesies deformed with swellings vnder their throats a disease attending drinkers of snow-Snow-water Mountaines on the East side of Ieniscè casting out fire and brimstone The ouerflowing of Ieniscè in the spring as it may seem from melted Snow Reason why Waygats is stopped with Ice Ice 60. or 50. fathoms thicke in the Streight of Waygats The fiâ—st voyage Eastward beyond the Riuer Ienisce Many Nations dwell toward the South which are in warre one with another Such are the Zagatay Tartars as before in Goes is seene The second voyage East beyond the Riuer Ienisce Certaine people taken The Riuer Pisida Bells The description of the people dwelling vpon the Riuer Pisida Such are the people of the East both Tartars and Chinois The third voyage beyond Ienisce Eastward The â—owling of brazen Bells of which they haue in China and perhaps in the North parts aboue it Horses in Pisida Vessels sayling downe Pisida with square sayles They came not home till Autumne The plesantnesse of this Countrey in Aprill and May. The opinion of thâ— Author of this Story The fourth Voyage to the Riuer Pâ—sida The â—owling of Brazen Bells Mountaynes casting out flames of fire The fift Voyage by Obi and the sea-coast to the Riuer Ieniscé Lucas Captain of the Discouerie by Sea Taes Riuer falleth into Obi. The Riuer Torgalfe falleth into Ieniscé An Ouer-hall of two leagues only The right way to discouer the North-east parts Note Mezen Pechora Montâ—aia Reca The Voloc 〈◊〉 Ouer-hall Zelena Reca Obi Riuer Taes Riuer and Castle· Toorou-hansko â—eemouia Tingoâ—sie Riuer Yâ—nisey Riuer The Boulashies Seeahee Yenisey the greater and lesse Imbaki Ostaki Geta Riuer Summers trauell from Tingosey to Geta. Vessels of greater burthen drawne with the Rope a thing vsed in China Cherie Iland Ionas Poole Six Biscainers Crosse Road. May. Bigs Hole Kildin in Lappia Olena Iune Cape Comfort A ship of Amsterdam Callinos They goe on shoare Ten Lodias of Pinega bound for Noua Zembla A good Harbour Stephen Burrow Three Lodias
Shewing the reason why the Sunne without the Tropicks causeth greatest quantitie of waters when it is farthest off and contrariwise within them it breedeth most when it is neerest l. 2. chap. 7. Exceptions to generall rules The Authors experience Various and diuersified tempers of the Torrid Zone Causes of temperatenâ—sse vnder the Line and within the Tropicks Second cause That there bee other reasons besides the former mentioned which shew that the burning Zone is temperate especially alongst the Ocean Chap. 11. Arist. 〈◊〉 Dionys. c. 15. 〈◊〉 câ—â—l â—ierar That the cold windes bee the principal cause to make the burning Zone temperate Chap. 13. It is noted by trauellers that there is a hot winde sometimes neere to Balsara and Ormus which swalloweth mens breath and suddenly kils them Linschoten obserue at Goa the wind to blow twelue houres from the Sea and other twelue constantly from the land Temper of the Indies Of the windes their differences properties and causes in generall lib. 3. cap. 2. * We haue abbreuiated and to preuent tediousnesse cut off a great part of Acostas obseruations in the two former bookes as hauing handled the same in our Pilgrimage l. 8. where we haue shewed whence men and beasts might come thither and that the opinion of the worlds vnhabitablenesse betwixt the Tropicks is false for the daily raines when the Sunne is neerest the long nights therein great dewes the breezes and constant course of the windes the great Lakes Riuers height of Hills c. make those parts not onely habitable but more temperate then others and fitter for mans life there being more heat at and on this side the Tropicks then vnder the Line We here doe but cull ouâ— choise things for better vnderstanding the naturall historie of those parts for other things referring the Reader to the Authour himselfe Occasionally our notes shall elucidate those things also which are in the Text omitted * Vulcans as Aetâ—â— Hecla c. sulphurous earth whence â—â—re issueth Generall windes Monsoâ—â— Windes receiue their qualities from the places by which they passe Psalme 134. Ieremie 10. Herera hath shewed the height of the Hills to bee the cause of the windes constancy and raines raritie Eastern winde raineth betwixt the Tropicks That the burning Zone the Brises or Easterly windes doe continually blow and without the Zone the Westerne and that the Easterly are ordinarie alwayes there Chap. 4. Iuan de Gacos in Decade 1. lib. 4. cap. 6. They goe one way to the Indies and return another why Sayling 2700. leagues without sight of Land in two moneths See Candishes voyage Cause of the Brises Motion of the Primum Mobile carrieth the inferiour aire with it The Comet 1577. seene eight dayes sooner in Peru then in Spaine The Brize or motion of the air with the heauens is a winde Why withouâ— the Zone in a greater altâ—tude we finde alwaies Westerly windes Chap. 7. 〈◊〉 windes Of the exceptions to the foresaid Rules of the winds and calmes both at Land and at Sea Chap. 8. Cause of the variety of windes Simile Note Of some maruellous effects of the windes which are in some parts of the Indies Chap. 9. Silkewormes killed with South-west windes Exo. c. 10. 14. Iob 17. Ioan 4. Osâ—e 13. Dan. 3. The like Linschoten obserueth in the Terceras Sea sicknesse whence Agitation and Sea ayre Strange passion at Pariacaca by the ayre there Height of Pariacaca 〈◊〉 too subtile for mens bodies So we see Horses to beate the water with their feete to make it more grosse and thereby more agreeable to their bodies Vicunos Great Desart Punas ayre kilâ—ing Strange Story The same confirmed by a Iesuites report and a Dominicans Such effects of cold wâ— haue obserued in Russia and other Northern parts and the like Master Kniuet will tell vs at the Maggelan Straits No Mediterranean Sea of great note in America Terra firme Straight of land but eight leag betwixt North South Seas Herodotus Iouius Experience in Drakes and Maires voyage haue found them no straights but broken Ilands to the South contrary to our Author here See of this Sir Francis Drakes Voyage to 1. l. 2 I haue omitted Sarmientoes voiage c. The supposed Straight in Florida Of the ebbing and flowing of the Indian Ocean Chap. 14. The Philosophers in searching the cause of ebbing and flowing haue easily erred following the Greekes and Latines which knew not the Ocean and could not therfore know the cause * Hernando Alonso which with Sarmiento had gone to the Straights to seeke Captaine Drake At the Downes on our coast two tides meet one from the Westerne Sea or slewe the other from the North which there cause much varietie Of sundry Fishers and their manner of fishing at the Indies The Manati a strange fish The Whales also bring forth their yong aliue and nourish them with their brests being in that huge creature scarce twice so big as the breasts of a woman and farre lesse then those of many women Their foode is also Sea weedes Sharking sharkes They haue rough heads whereby they cleaue and sticke fast to the Sharke which thus are forced to caâ—ry them with their swift motion of whose off all also they liue Crocodiles * Yet so as euer and anon hee dips it in the water his tongue being so short that otherwise he could not swallow it Tigre kils a Crocodile Indians exploit on a Crocodile Whale killed by the Sauages Of Lakes and Pooles that be at the Indies Chap. 16. Thicke water Fishes and fishing Originall of Lakes Greatest riuers flow from Lakes Hot Lake and many wonders thereof Lakes of Mexico salt and fresh Râ—ch Lake Of many and diuers Springs and Fountains Chap. 17. Hot Spring turning into Stone Fountaine of Pitch Cold and hot Springs together Salt Spring which yeeldes Salâ— without boiling Pocke-â—pring Smoak Spring Inke c. Of Riuers Chap. 18. Maragnon or Amazons Water-fall Golden thirst Riuer of Plata increasing as Nilus How they passe their Riuers Haire and Straw Bridges L. 3. C. 19 Decay of people in the Indies by the Spaniards Corn groundâ— The Indies mountainous and thereby temperate Of the properties of the land of Peru. Chap. 20 One winde onely The Plaines the hils and the Andes See sup in Herera Raine almost euer and almost neuer Diuers Beasts Their bread The reason why it raines on the Lanos along the Sea coast Chap. 21. Of the propertie of new Spaine of the Ilands and of other Lands Chap. 22. Peru wine Sugar workes and Hides Indians wasted Of the vnknowne Land and the diuersitie of a whole day betwixt them of the East and the West Chap. 23. Of the Volcans or Vents of fire Chap. 24. Terrible earthquake at Guatimala Couetous Priest Causes of this burning Basil. Psal. 28. in exaâ— Of Earthquakes Cap. 26. Great earthquakes Noyse before the earthquake Why the Sea coast is subiect to earthquakes Earthquake at Ferrara terrible Aâ— Angoango Metals grow as
Dante 's Armadillos Yguanas Chinchilles Cuyes Viscachas Light-Dogge Of Micos or Indian Monkeys Chap. 39. Lustie leape Strange sight Monkey learned Zealous Of Vicugnes and Tarugnes of Peru Chap 40. Aristot. lib. 3. de partib animal c. 2. lib. 10. c. 7â— Indian hunting Experiment for the eyes Bezar stone Tarugues Of Pacos Guanacos and Indian Muttons Chap. 41. Two kindes Sixe Arobes is a hundred and fiftie pounds weight Of the Bezaars stone Chap. 42. Plin. l. 10. c. 72. Gold of Indians base Manner of mynes and searching for gold Gold in mynes Spanish customes for vsage of mynes Water a good neighbour Women gold-washers Other Labourers Fiue to a tray Gold in Riuers or poulder Gold engendred on hill tops His reason Some may thinke that coles shels other ludibria naturae naturally grow there Gold in graines One huge piece of gold A Marke is a pound of 8. ounces summa 16. pound weight eight ounces 〈◊〉 12. ounces to the pound Indian gilding Men continue an houre vnder water Naturall succession Of this read more largely in the Decads Huge Pearle By the computation of Venice foure graines make a Caract Peare-pearles Deuils Imposture Pythagoreaâ— Pâ—aces Indian coniurings or consultations Eclipses and Prognostications Reason why men kill themselues to serue their Masters in the other world Images of the Diuell Tempests Small Wormes troublesome Lice forsake them Lice finde them againe Nigua Vipers Adders Dragons Spiders huge Toades Their renuing Singing Crabs or rather Tortoises Serpents called Iuanni Nâ—te Small Birds Tâ—mineios Bardati or Armadillos a kinde of Moles Beareâ— Anteâ— Iohson mentions the like neere Gambâ—a Great wonders in least creatures A strange beast which seemeth a kind of Camelion Foules and Birds Alcatraz Panama Pilchards Passere sempie Picuti Birds with bils heauier then bodies Foolish Sparowes wisely prouident Gazzuole Pintadelli Great Fowles Cocos I haue seene one of these Fruits opened the which when it was whole if it were shaken the water was hard shogge therein as it were in a Bottle but in time it consumed was partly congealed into a salt substance Good against the wind and stone Collick Great Trees Great Canoas A maruellous Tree Kindling of fire without fire Putrified wood shining in the night Plinie Almost â—ll Indian trees continue euer greene Cassia Eâ—rth hot lower then a fadome A secret thing Radicall moisture Reed-springs or fountaines of water Platani or Plantans Figges Tunas Bihaos Hauas Dying of Cotton A strange thing * It was not a venemous iuce of the fruit but spirâ—â—uall disobedience in eaâ—ing contrarie to Gods commâ—nâ—ement whiâ—h poysoned Adams soule with sinne the wages whereof is death Canibals inuenome their Arrowes Petrus Arrias The water of the Sea The gulfe of Vraba Xagua Blacke â—â—aines Hohi Some thinke these to be mirobalanes Date trees The Inhabitanâ—s of the Sea of Sur. An herbe that beareth cordes Cabuia and Henequen A strange thing Leaues Thistle trees A leafe of great vertue Tiburons Manates Great Tortoises Tiburons of Sharkes Plinie Crocodiles Manates The fish Manate A remedie against the stone The Sword fish Tunny Turbut Note The Sea somewhere fertile somewhere barren Flying fishes The Iland of Bermuda Not too hie for the Pie Nor too low for the Crow Beragua The West Ocean The Sea Meditarraneum Hispaniola Cuba Ocean without ebbing and flowing The ebbe at Panama falleth two leagues or sixe miles The South Sea Esquegua and Vrraca The Riuer of Chagre The Iland Bastimento The maruellous Bridge Naturall stone Bridge Tigres Plants and herbes Birds Men. Sheepe Bulls Iucca Bats Plinie The Tigre The hunting of Tigres A Tigre made tame The Indian women Vnnaturall abortions Large breasts Child-birth The men of India The King is borne on mens backes Letting of bloud They haue no beards They paint their bodies The Canibals Trumpets Armor of gold Their gallantnesse in the warres Their Iewels How the women beare vp their teates with bars of Gold The stature colour of the Indians The Indians called Coronati The Iland of Giants Iucatos The sculs of Indians heads Men are desirous of new things The commodities of Hispaniola England and Sicilie Gold Mines Cotton Cassia Sheepe and Hogs Dogs and Cats become wilde The scituation of Hispaniola A Cathedrall Church and Monasteries in Hispaniola An Hospitall The people Cienas a kinde of Glowormes Crowes stinking and sweet partridges Bullets for Guns wrought by nature A Fountaine of thâ— Pitch of Bitumen Quintus Curtius Bitumen of Babylon The Rouerso a strange fish to hunt with Perhaps this Rouerso is the little fish which cleaueth to the Sharke and is by him carried in all his Chases feeding on the scrapâ— Memorials of the dead Ignorance of Letters Areytos songs and dances Houses of three sorts * Besuco seemes to be as bind-weed or Iuie but stronger and more pliant The beasts of those parts Dants Gatto Ceruiero Leopards Foxes Red and fallow Deere Marterns Monkeys Dogs Churchia Fowles Parrots Night-sparrows Bats Peacocks and Turkeys Sea-crowes Wilde Hennes Partriches Pheasants Flies and Wasps Bees Ants c. Hist. â— l. 15. c. 1. vid. inf Historia Gen. l. 2. c. 14. Beginnings of thâ— foule disease Lib. 3. c. 6. * Those before mâ—ntioned out of Ramuâ—io Friars quarrels Lib. 4. c. 2. Lib 3. c. 11. Ouiedos fift Booke is of their religion c. Lib. 6. c. 3. Superstâ—tious conceit of the Sacrament It was ordayned against the Huraâ—ans of the conscience not of the weather Lib. 7. c. 10. Cockâ— Cats differing from the Spanish wherein our English doe much agree with the Indian Strange water-spout Lib. 13. c. 2. Sea Monster stupendious * 25. passa which sometimes signifieth fathoms * An Italian fowle Lib. 14. c. 7. Water hawkes L. 15. c. 1. Greatest harme by least creatures Vncertainty of Superstition Gal. 4. Rom. 4. Eph. 4. Rom. 8. Ioh. 14. â— Tim. 4. Col. 1. Col. 2. Col. 3. Heb. 13. Eph. 5. 1. Ioâ— 4. Mat. 11. Num. 11. Ier. 2.13 Mat. 25. Ioh. 1. L. 16. c. 15. Lawyers dangerous in the Spanish Indies L. 17. c. 4. Filthy Marriages Ouiedâ—s testimony of Indian Christianity He thinkes it a Fable that is told of Crosses found in Iucaâ—an Strange passages of Fowles L. 17. c. 15. L. 17. c. 18. Abomâ—nâ—ble deuoâ—ions L. 18. c. 2. L 19 c. 2. Piâ—ch Fountaine C. 9. Two shel-fishes which yeeld Pearles * He cals him a Pirate but sheweth no reason of that name Pewter English voyage to the Wâ—st Indies A. 1517. L. 19. c. 13. L. 20. * Ouiedo writ other Bookes of the firme Land which are not extant L. 7. Eccles. 1. L. 7. c. 2. Chichimecas Their sauage course of life Ottomies New Mexico Aztlan Tuculhuacan Their beginnings 900. yeeres agoe A.D. 720. How the six Linages of Nauatalcas peopled the Land of Mexico Chap. 3. Suchimilcos Chalchas Tepanecans Azcapuzalco Tescuco Culhua Tlalluicans Quabunachua Tlascaltecans Giants Note of Giants Beginnings of ciuilitie Of the Mexicans departure of their iourney and peopling the Prouince
white Lime and so tough that being contriued in building it lasteth for euer The rest after the fire is out serue in stead of stones to make walls and vaults and will not dissolue or breake except with some Iron toole Their Winter lasteth nine moneths and yet there is a faire Hauen where this water falleth into the Sea not frozen by meanes whereof there is great resort of wild Fowle and Fish whch they take in infinite multitudes The Fishers Boates are made like to a Weauers shuttle of the skinnes of Fishes fashioned with the bones of the same Fishes and being sowed together with many doubles they are so strong that in foule weather they will shut themselues within the same not fearing the force either of Sea or winde Neither can the hard-hearted Rockes breake these yeelding Vessels They haue also as it were a Sleeue in the bottome thereof by which with a subtill deuice they conuey the water foorth that soaketh into them The most of these Friers spake the Latine tongue A little after this Nicolo returned and dyed in Friesland whither his brother Antonio had before resorted to him and now succeeded both in his goods and honour whom Zichmui employed in the Expedition 〈◊〉 Estotiland which happened vpon this occasion Sixe and twentie yeeres before foure Fisher-Boates were apprehended at Sea by a mightie and tedious storme wherewith after many dayes they were brought to Estotiland aboue a thousand miles West from Friesland vpon which one of the Boates was cast away and sixe men that were in it were taken and brought to a populous Citie where one that spake Latine and had been cast by chance vpon that Iland in the name of the King asked them what Country-men they were and vnderstanding their case hee acquainted the King therewith They dwelt there fiue yeeres and found it â—o bee an Iland very rich being little lesse then Iseland but farre more fruitfull One of them said hee saw Latine bookes in the Kings Librarie which they at this present doe not vnderstand They haue a peculiar Language and Letters or Characters to themselues They haue mines of Gold and other Mettals and haue Trade with Engroneland They sow Corne and make Beere and Ale They build Barkes but know not the vse of the Compasse and haue many Cities and Castles The King sent these Fisher-men with twelue Barkes Southwards to a Countrey which they call Drogio in which Voyage escaping dreadfull tempests at Sea they encountred with Canibals at Land which deuoured many of them These Fishers shewing them the manner of taking Fish with Nets escaped and for the presents which they made of their Fish to the chiefe men of the Country were beloued and honoured One of these more expert it seemeth then the rest was holden in such account that a great Lord made warre with their Lord to obtaine him and so preuayled that he and his companie were sent vnto him And in this order was hee sent to fiue and twentie Lords which had warred one with another to get him in thirteene yeeres space whereby hee came to know almost all those parts which he said was a great Countrey and as it were a new World The people are all rude and voide of goodnesse they goe naked neither haue they wit to couer their bodies with the Beasts skinnes which they take in Hunting from the vehement cold They are fierce and eate their enemies hauing diuers Lawes and Gouernours Their liuing is by hunting Further to the South-west they are more ciuill and haue a more temperate ayre They haue Cities and Temples dedicated to Idols where they sacrifice Men and after eate them and haue also some vse of Gold and Siluer Hee fledde away secretly and conueying himselfe from one Lord to another came at length to Drogio where hee dwelt three yeeres After this time finding there certaine Boates of Estotiland hee went thither with them and growing there very rich furnished a Barke of his owne and returned into Friesland where hee made report vnto his Lord of that wealthy Countrey Zichmui prepared to send thither but three dayes before they set foorth this Fisherman dyed Yet taking some of the Marriners which came with him in his stead they prosecuted the Voyage and encountred after many dayes an Iland where ten men of diuers Languages were brought vnto them of which they could vnderstand none but one of Iseland Hee told them that the Iland was called Icaria and the Knights thereof called Icari descended of the ancient pedigree of Dedalus King of Scots who conquering that Iland left his Sonne there for King and left them those Lawes which to that present they retayned And that they might keepe their Lawes inuiolate they would receiue no Stranger Onely they were contented to receiue one of our men in regard of the Language as they had done those ten Interpreters Zichmui sayling hence in foure dayes descried Land where they found abundance of Fowle and Birds egges for their refreshing The Hauen they called Cap Trin. There was a Hill which burning cast out smoake where was a Spring from which issued a certayne water like Pitch which ranne into the Sea The people of small stature wilde and fearefull hid themselues in Caues Zichmui built there a Citie and determining to inhabite sent Antonio backe againe with the most of his people to Friesland This Historie I haue thus inserted at large which perhaps not without cause in some things may seeme fabulous not in the Zeni which thus writ but in the relations which they receiued from others Howsoeuer the best Geographers are beholden to these Brethren for that little knowledge they haue of these parts of which none before had written nor since haue there beene any great in-land Discoueries The Ship-wracke of Master PIERO QVIRINO described by CHRISTOFORO FIORAVANTI and NICOLO DI MICHIEL who were present there heere contracted IT semeth to bee a conuenient dutie to make a memoriall and not suffer to bee buryed in obliuion that most lamentable and cruell Voyage full of innumerable and extreame miseries which befell a Venetian Ship wherein wee carryed aboue seuen hundred Buttes of Wine Spices Cottons and other Merchandises of great value furnished in Candia with threescore and eight men to goe towards the West The Master whereof was Master Piero Quirini a Venetian Gentleman in the yeare 1431. Who after many troubles misfortunes and wants befalne him after his departure from Candia towards the West on the sixth of Nouember in the foresaid yeere of the Lord by chance came into the mouth of the Channels of Flanders and went farre beyond them by a storme from the South towards the North-west about one hundred and fortie miles running still vpon the Iland of Vssenti where by agreement wee Christoforo Fiorauanti and Nicolo Michiel say that at noone wee founded the bottome of the Sea with the Lead and found our selues in fiue and fiftie fathome of water and afterward