vnder 29. degrées and ◠accounting for one mealetide thirtéene miles so that I gessed as then to be 25. myles from China On Sonday after noone we held our course in the same sort East and East and by South for all that euening and the night following till the next day at noone with a still winde and water and had no Sunne to take the height but I made my account of eightéen miles for a meale tide at halfe a strike to the East and East and by North the wind being scant South From Monday at noon we still had a calme South wind which continued so that euening and all night and about Tuesday morning the wind was somwhat fuller till noone whē I tooke the height of the Sunne and found vs to be vnder 29. degrees and ¾ running East and East and by South for the space of 22. miles From Tuesday at noone being vnder the height aforesaid I willed them to saile east hauing the same wind but somewhat calmer all that night to Wednesday at noone and then we began to sée driuing in the sea some Sea-scumme or Cuttle bones hauing sayled fiftéene myles making my account to be yet 30. miles from the Island Tanaxuma hauing neither Sunne nor Starres to take the heights From Wednesday at noone the wind began to blow somwhat full South Southwest and because it was signified vnto me that the streames in that countrey ranne towardes the Island of Lequeo and perceiuing likewise in some places a certaine yellowe skumme driuing vpon the water which appeared vnto vs like ripe Limons I willed them presently to holde East Northeast and about euening wée sawe many signes of land as péeces of réedes risen and such like things At night I badde them runne East and East and by North but the first watch béeing done when the Chinish Pilot should watch his course hée had gone a great way out of the course hauing runne Eastward till the morning when againe I willed them to sayle East and by North the winde béeing as it was till Thursday at ten of the clocke and then although it was darke and close weather wee beganne to sée a land that séemed verie cloudie and couered with dampie mistes lying Southeast from vs and were about thrée myles from it Along by the same lande there lay two Islandes wée holding our course in the same sort vntill by the first land Eastward wee sawe another great high and long lande and at the end of the aforesaid high land Eastward wée sawe two other Islandes whereof the one was verie great stretching Northeast and Southwest and the other close by it stretching North and South being the smallest with many pointes On the North side of this small Island about a mile from thence there are fiue small Islands or stonie Cliffes vpon a rowe from the first Island that we sawe which is the last Island of those that are called As Sete Irmaas that is the seuen sisters lying on the Northeast side to the aforesaid small Island with many pointes it may be about sixe myles Eastward as we were right against the aforesaid first Island of Stonie Cliffes it might bée about fiue houres after noone hauing run as we thought since wee had sight of land about twentie and foure miles The Thursday aforesaid in the morning wée tooke the height of the North Starre being vnder thirtie degrees and ⅙ Comming within two myles of the Island that wée saw first of the Islands of stonie Cliffes wee ranne Northeast and Northeast and by East and when wee were right against it whereby it laie Southward from vs béeing about thrée myles from it on the North side thereof wée sawe another great high and long Iland with many trees which as wée learned is called Icoo it reacheth East and West and wée were about three miles from it but by reason of the darke weather and mistes wee could not discerne it and comming somewhat néerer to it wée sawe another Island lying close by the West point of the aforesaid Iland beeing lesse than the other and because wée were by the aforesaid West point betweene both wee were fully determined to runne through the channell that shewed betweene the said two Islandes but because there was no man in the shippe that had any knowledge thereof fearing Riffes and shallowes wee durst not aduenture but wound vp to the East point to passe by the winde about the high Island running as much as wée might with a Southerly winde hauing great waues that put vs to the lande and so wee sayled East Southeast hauing yet about two myles to passe by the Island but night came on beeing verie darke so that wee could discerne no land although wee were close by it and to keepe from it wee ranne the same course till about one of the clocke after midnight then the moone shined yet wée could not see the Island but made Northward towardes it with fewe Sailes to the Island of Tanaxuma which according to my account should lie right before vs wherewith wée passed ouer the rest of the night till the morning when we sawe the Island Tanaxuma that laye right before vs beeing about two myles from it it beeing verie cloudie and wée made Northward towardes it to passe by the West side thereof but wée could not doe it by reason that the winde was Southwest and wee were by the South point thereof running along by the East side about halfe a mile from it This Island reacheth North and South beeing long and lowe ground hauing white sandie strandes with a verie gréene countrey of valleyes it hath many Pine trees but they stand scattering from each other and verie open it is about seuen or eight myles long hauing in the middle way on the East side close by the land an Island or stonie Cliffe which farre off sheweth like a Foist vnder Saile This Island lyeth vnder thirtie degrees and ½ right in the middle it is all saire and cleare ground From this Island of Tanaxuma Northwarde wée sawe a verie great and high lande reaching East and West about eight miles making as it seemed on the same coast Northeast and Northeast and by North from Tanaxuma an opening which is the mouth of the creeke called Xabuxij This Créeke hath for a marke that the lande on the East side thereof runneth all stéeping to the hooke or point of the Creeke beeing a flatte ground and on the West side the land is as high as the first that wee sawe lying North and South with Tanaxuma This coast aforesaid may lie distāt ouerthwart from the Island of Tanaxuma about seuen or eight myles From the North point of this Island wee made towardes the Créeke and béeing in the middle of our way the wind fell West Southwest whereby wee were enforced to lye by it the weather béeing calme so that the water that with the flood ranne Eastward draue vs off that wée could hardly get the Hauen but the ebbe that
the greater it séemeth This Island is very high in the middle and descendeth downeward towards the end The Northeast point is lower then the southeast so that it maketh as it were a tongue sticking out which is very lowe From thence East Northeastward are certaine Islands shewing like cliffes The depth in that place is fiue and twenty fadome muddy ground Wednesday being the seuentéenth we had a North Northeast wind and then it came North-east and began to blowe so stiffe that we were forced to strike all our sailes letting the shippe driue all that day Southeastward and by night wee willed the man at the helme to steere northwest and about morning the winde began to blowe so stiffe with so great waues that we were forced to go with half our foukesaile with all our cords wel bound made fast and the storm or Tuffon was so great that wee were forced to bind all that wee had on boord els it was presently stricken in péeces This Tempest began first North Northeast and so ranne about till it was North Northwest At the departure whereof it was so boysterous that the waues séemed to touch the clowdes This was vpon Thursday being the two and twentith day of the new Moone the next night following the wind came west but because as then the Sea ranne verie high we let not our sailes fall but in the morning we had the wind southwest and then we let fall our sailes minding to follow on our course with great ioy throughout our ship thinking certainely wee had the windes of the Monson but towards night it was calme againe and then wee had a North wind holding our course eastward but not long after it was altogither calme notwithstanding the waues ranne out of the South so that about two of the clocke we had the wind southeast wherewith we hoised sailes running northeast and Northeast and by North and when it began to be day we saw the Island called Dos Reys Magos that is the thrée kings lying South about tenne or twelue miles from vs and there I found the heigth of the sunne to be 26 degrées and ⅔ being the one and twenty day of the Moone The day before wee sawe the Island Fermosa which is a very high Land and séemeth to reach vnto the cloudes there wee had fiue and fortie and fiftie fadome water muddy ground On friday at sunne rising we cast out our lead and found one and twentie fadome with blacke sande The first token that we had of the aforesaid Tempest was a small Raine-bowe close by the Horizon on the Sea side being a faire russet colour with two other greater Rainebowes whereof the point or end shewed almost like the cloud called Olhos de Bois that is Cats eyes which are small clouds which at the first shewe seeme no greater then a mans fist about the Cape De bona Speranza which by the sailors that saile in the East Indian Seas are much marked for they are tokens of suddaine falling Tempestes and cruell stormes as in the voyage from India to Portingale is alreadie partly declared wherefore it is good to bée aduertised thereof the better to looke vnto it and to watch for them to y e which end I thought it not from the matter to speake of them in this place But returning vnto our matter I aduertise you that when you are come into those countries as long as the winde commeth out of the North and so Southwest you are to make no account thereof for it will presently bée North Northeast and East but when it is calme then you shall haue a Southeast winde and then South and Southwest which are the monson and windes of that time but if it beginne againe to be calme it may so fall out that it will bée East Southeast but it will presently be southeast againe with faire weather which wée also found in this Monson of Iuly Anno 1585. Monday the two and twentie day wée tooke the height of the Sunne at 27. degrées and 1 ◠hauing a Southeast Southsoutheast winde with good weather and helde our course Northeast and as I gessed wée had runne after wée had faire weather and wind about two and twentie miles béeing from the lande of China from the Cape called Sumbor about 12. myles being yet about an hundred miles from the Island of Meaxuma and that day wée cast out the Lead and found 55. and 57. fadome water and sawe many blacke and white Sea foules that helde thereabout the blacke birdes by the Portingales being called Alcatrases The thrée and twentie beeing Tuesday wée had verie good weather in such manner that at that mealetide wée sailed about fiftéene miles béeing about twelue miles from the firme land of China In the morning we cast out the Lead and found one and fiftie fadome with white and blacke sand Wednesday being the four and twentie day wee had the height of the Sunne at 29. degrées with an East Southeast and Southeast winde and good weather holding our course Northeast and Northeast and by North and sometimes but not much Northeast and by East I made my account to haue holden Northeast and by North and so to haue sailed 16. miles being yet from the Island of Meaxuma about 70. miles lying Northeast from vs and there we cast out our Lead and found 49. fadome déepe sandie muddy ground Thursday the 25. of Iuly wee tooke not the height of the Sunne because wee lay driuing without sayles with an East wind winding Southward and so helde till the 26. day and draue Westward finding two fadome lesse in our depth The 26. we wound Northward without sailes yet not long after wee let our foresaile fall but wholly against my mind but onely at the importunate desire of the Chinish Pilat saying that the same day wee should haue the winde larger which was not so but cleane contrarie so that all the way wee made in that sort was more troublesome vnto bs wherefore it is better for such as finde themselues in those countries of 29. degrées to stay for Southeast windes and then to runne North Northeast Northeast and Northeast and by North because the waters and streames runne verie strong towards Liampo and when you are vnder 30. and 31. degrées hauing a South Southeast winde then you shall haue great labour and much paine to get the Island Meaxuma for so it happened vnto vs because the wind was so strong that we could beare but our foresaile and halfe the maine top-saile as also because the Sea ranne very high and hollow and put our shippe out of course and that the streames ranne Southeast This is about 25. or 30. miles from the Island Meaxuma But as soone as the winde came full whereby wee ranne East East and by North and East Northeast at 40. and 34. fadome water the ground being verie smal sand holding as much Eastward as possibly we might and sometimes east and by South wherby we
haue stopped their mouthes with money There wée vnderstood that the Island of Guoto hath sixe or seuen Hauens that are very good running from the one side to the other but the Hauen aforesaid had no issue but so much pleasure it did vs that there we had the new Moone which was the first of March and the third day wee set sayle againe it being Shroue Tuesday with a North Northeast winde and a verie cléere morning and béeing out wée helde our course Southwest following on our course wherewith wée sawe the Island Meaxuma and the Pannellas or Pots lying South Southeast from vs wée tell right vpon the middle thereof Those Panellas are two small stones and Meaxuma is an Island and when you are Northeast and Southwest right ouer against it it sheweth like two or three Islands wherof that on the Northeast side is long and the greatest and sheweth as if it had a Cliffe This Island is the longest but not verie high and that in the middle is small hauing thrée sharp points like Organ pipes with a Cliffe likewise lying Northeastward The other Island on the Southwest side is round and plain stéepe lande shewing higher then all the other and séemeth to haue Cliffes round about it On the other side lie the Panellas aâ—oresaide and although I said before they are but two stones yet they are three two standing togither and the other somewhat further from them and lie with the Island Meaxuma Northwest and Southeast From thence forward wee held our course to China and Macau in such manner as I shewed in another place and hereafter once againe I will declare The 41. Chapter Another voiage made out of the Hauen of Langasaque from the Island of Iapon to Macau in China in the Santacrus the Gunner being Diricke Geriâ—son of Enckehusâ—n in Ann. 1586. THE 20. of March we departed out of the Hauen of Langasaque it being the first day of the newe Moone vpon a Thursday with a northeast and North Northeast winde and by nine of the clocke in the morning wée were as farre as the Island dos Cauallos running West Southwest and being two myles beyond the Island Dos Cauallos wee had a calme and then the wind came Northwest in such sort that wee ranne Southwest and Southwest and by west and sometimes halfe a strike with a slacke winde The next day in the morning we saw the Islands of Corequyn and Guoto and about eight of the clock in the forenoone we saw the Island Meaxumâ— so that we sawe those three Islands all at once and about twilight we were east Southeast and West Southwest with the Island of Meaxuma and so helde our course Southwest hauing a hard Northeast wind with raine the aire being very darke and close yet the Rackes came out of the Southwest Vpon Sunday we cast out the Leade and found somewhat more then forty fadome water muddye ground and was about forty myles from Meaxuma This depth is a banke lying in the middle way betwéene the Island Meaxuma and Cabo de Suâ—â—bor in the firme land of China Vpon munday the foure and twentith day wée tooke not the height of the sunne because we saw it not hauing so small a winde that the ship might stéere vpright and because we made little way wee cast out the lead and found forty fadome muddy ground this was at noone and at night about sunne setting we cast it out againe and founâ— fiue and fifty fadome whereby we perceiued that wee began to passe ouer a banke at that time we had all one wind being Northeast and North North-east with a good blast and yet the clouds came South-west and South South-west so strong that they put vs in feare doubting the wind would be there but we had certaine men in our shippe that had seene and found it so in that place and yet no alteration whereby they put vs in some comfort in such sort that wee followed on our course with that wind Vpon Tuesday at noone wée tooke the height of the Sunne not full nine and twenty degrées hauing not long before as I gessed marked one point in the Card and estéemed that wee had sayled a hundred myles from the Hauen of â—angasaque but by the Sunne it was not so The sixe and twenty being Wednesday wee tooke not the heigth of the sunne because it was a close day but wee had a good Northeast wind and made good way so that wee seemed to make thirtie myles â—n one mealetide but I made account but of fiue and twenty myles because wee thought the ship sailed not ouer fast that day we sawe many Cuttle bones driuing vpon the water held our course Southwest till morning and because the winde beganne to bee stiffe I thought it good to make towards the land to know it therefore as day appeared wee ran West till it was euening without knowing Land by reason of the mistineâ—â—e of the aire but by the depths our gessing wee thought wee were about 5 or 6 miles from the land our depth was 37 fadome and being towards night with cloudy weather we ran southwest and southwest and by south all that night and when day came being thursday wee gessed to bee ouer against the Lagaâ—to or Crocodille a cliffe so called about fiue or sixe miles to Seaward from it but wee found it to be somewhat more Thursday being the seuen and twenty as soone as day appeared we ranâ—e West towards the Land and about foure of the clocke in the afternoone we saw the land being the Islands Dos Camaroâ—s that is the Islands of Granata those Islanâ—s are not too high as soone as we saw them wee helde our course South Southwest and hauing sailed a little way we saw another round Island called Ilha do Bâ—boxâ—â— which lay right before vs as soone as wee saw it we presently ran South to shun it because we were not aboue a quarter of a mile from it there wee found so strong a streame and course of water which ranne with vs that in short time we were two or three myles from the aforesaid Island in such manner that all that night wee ranne South and South and by West and South Southwest and when the moone rose we held our course southwest The eight and twenty being Friday about morning we began to runne West Southwest west and west and by South and at noon or thereabouts we cast out the Lead and found nine and twenty fadome muddy ground and running so with that course for a little time we saw land but it was so close and misty that we could not know it but about two or three of y e clock in the afternoone it began to cleare vp and then we knew it to be the Island of Chinchon being North from vs and there wee cast out the Lead and found nineteene fadome water sandy ground and not long after we sawe the whole coast and firme Land of China and so we ran all
behinde them and sailed but foure in companie that of Nuno da Silua béeing one till they came to the Baye called Baya de las Islas that is the Baye of the Islands lying vnder nine and fortie degrées where it is said that Magellanes lay and wintered there with his Shippe when hée first discouered the Straight which now holdeth his name In this Bay being the twentie of Iune they entred and there ankered so close to the land that they might send to it with a Harquebush shot and there they saw the land to be inhabited with Indians that were apparelled with skinnes with their legges from the knées downwarde and their armes from the elbows downward couered all the rest of their bodies béeing naked with bowes and arrowes in their handes being subtill great and well formed people and strong and high of stature where sixe of the English men went on land to fetch fresh water and before they leapt on land foure of the Indians came vnto their boate to whome the English men gaue bread and wine and when the Indians had well eaten and drunke they departed thence and going somwhat farre from them one of the Indians cryed to them and saide Magallanes Esta heminha Terra that is Magallanes this is my countrey and because the English men followed them it séemed the Indians fledde-vpward into the lande and béeing somewhat farre off they turned backe againe and with their arrowes slewe two of the English Shippers one being an English man the other a Netherlander the rest came backe againe and saued themselues in the boate wherewith they presently put off from the shoare and there they stayed till the seuentéenth of August vpon the which day they set saile running along by the coast about a mile and a halfe from the lande for there it is all faire and good ground at twentie and fiue and twentie fadome déepe and were about foure or fiue dayes before they came to the mouth or entrie of the Straightes but because the winde was contrarie they stayed till the foure and twentie of August before they entred The entrie or mouth of the Straight is about a myle broad on both sides béeing bare and flat land on the North side they sawe Indians making great fires but on the South side they saw no people stirring The foure and twentie day aforesaide they beganne to enter into the straights with an East Northeast wind This Straight may be about an hundred and ten miles long and in breadth a mile about the entry of the Straight and halfe way into it it runneth right forth without any windings or turnings and from thence about eight or ten miles towardes the end it hath some boughes and windings among the which there is one so great a hooke or running in that it séemeth to runne into the other land and there it is lesse then a mile broad from one lande to the other and from thence forwarde it runneth straight out againe And although you finde some crookings yet they are nothing to speake of The issue of the Straight lieth westward and about eight or ten miles before you come to the end then the Straight beginneth to be broader and it is all high lande to the end thereof after you are eight miles within the Straight for the first eight myles after you enter is low flat land as I saide before and in the entrie of the Straight you finde the streame to runne from the South sea to the North sea and after they began to saile in with the East Northeast winde being entred they passed along without any let or hinderance either of wind or weather and because the high land on both sides lay couered with snow and that all the Straight is faire and cleare they held their course a Harquebush shot in length from off the North side hauing nine and ten fadome déepe with good ground as I said before where if neede require a man may anker the hilles on both sides béeing full of trées some of the hilles and trées reaching downe to the sea side in some places hauing plaine and euen land and there they saw not any great riueâ—s but some small riuers that issued out of the Riffes and Breaches of the lande and in the country where the great Bough or crooking is on the South side they saw certaine Indian Fishermen in their Canoas or Scutes being such as they sawe first on the North side but more people they saw not on the South side Beeing out of the Straight on the other side béeing vpon the sixt of September of the aforesaide yeere they held their course Northwest for the space of thrée dayes and the third day they had a northeast winde that by force draue them West Southwest which course they helde for the space of ten or twelue dayes with fewe sailes vp and because the winde began to be verie great they tooke in all their sailes and lay driuing till the last of September The foure and twentie day of the same moneth hauing lost the sight of their pinnace which was about an hundred tunne then againe they hoised saile because they came better holding their course Northeast for the space of seuen dayes and at the end of the said seuen dayes they had the sight of certaine Islands which they made towards for to anker but the weather would not permit them and béeing there the winde fell Northwest whereby they sailed West Southwest The next day they lost the sight of another of their companie which ship was about three hundred and sixtie tunnes for it was very foule weather so that in the end the Admirals shippe was left alone for the Ship of Nuno da Silua was left in the Baye where they wintered before they entred into the Straights and with this foule weather they ranne till they were vnder seuen fiftie degrees where they entred into a Hauen of an Island and ankered about the length of the shot of a great peece from the land at twentie fadome deepe where they staied thrée or foure dayes and the winde comming Southward they hoysed anker holding their course Northward for the space of two dayes and then they espied a small vnhabited Island where béeing arriued they stroke sayles and hoised out their boat and there they tooke many birds and Sea wolues The next day they set saile againe holding their course North Northeast and North to â—nother Island lying fiue or six myles from the firme lande on the North side of the Straight where they ankered about a quarter of a mile from the lande at twelue fadome water This Island is small and lowe lande and full of Indians the Island being altogither built and inhabited by them where they hoysed out their boate wherein the Admirall and twelue English men were entred going to fetch fresh water and to séeke for victuals and beeing landed vpon the Island the Indians in exchange of other things brought two Spanish shéepe and a little Mais
or rootes whereof they make bread and because it was late they returned againe vnto their shippe without doing any other thing for that day The next day the said Captaine with the aforesaide twelue men being Harquebushers rowed to land again and set two of their companie on shore with their vessels to fetch fresh water and by the place where they should fill their water there lay certaine Indians secretly hidden that fell vpon the two English men and tooke them which they in the boat perceiuing went out to helpe them but they were so assailed with stones and arrowes that all or the most part of them were hurt the Captaine himselfe béeing wounded with an arrowe on the face and will another arrowe in the head whereby they were constrained to turne backe againe without once hurting any of the Indians and yet they came so neare the boate that they tooke foure of their oares from them This done they set saile againe running along the coast with a South winde sailing so for the space of sixe miles passing by the Hauen called Saint Iago or Saint Iames where they put into a Hauen and there they tooke an Indian that lay fishing in a Scute or Canoa giuing him linnen and Butchers chopping kniues with other trifles and not long after there came an other Indian aboord their shippe called Felippe and hée spake Spanish hee gaue the English Captaine notice of a certaine shippe that lay in the Hauen of Saint Iago which they had left sixe miles behinde them with that intelligence the Indian béeing their guide the next day they set Saile and put to the aforesaide Hauen of Saint Iago and entring therein they tooke the saide Shippe wherein they found a thousand seuen hundred and 70. Bortigas of Spanish pots full of wine other thinges which hauing done they leapt on land where they tooke certaine sackes with meale with all whatsoeuer they could find they tooke likewise the ornaments and other Relickes out of the Church wherewith they departed from thence taking the aforesaid shippe with two menne that they found in her with them and so departed from that Hauen which lyeth vnder 32 degrées and ½ running along by the coast till they came vnder one and thirtie and thirty degrées which was the place where they had appointed to méet and there to stay for each other if by tempest or foule weather they chanced to be seperated and so loose each others company And comming vnder thirty degrées they found a very good Hauen wherein they entred and ankered at sixe fadome deepe the shotte of a great Péece from the Lande which was right ouer against a Riuer where they tooke in sixe Pipes of fresh water and to defend them that fetched the water they set twelue men vpon the Land and being busied in filling of their water they espied a company of men comming towards them wherof halfe of them were Spaniards being about two hundred and fifty horsemē and as many footemen but they had no sooner espied them but they presently entered into the Boat and escaped away loosing but one man The same night they set saile againe with both their Shippes running along the coast about ten miles further where they tooke in some fresh water but because they perceiued certaine horsemen they departed without lading any more water Frō thence they folowed on their course along the coast for the space of 30. myles where they entred into a desert or vnhabited Hauen yet they went not on Land for euery day they sawe people vpon the shore and there they made out a small pinnace the péeces whereof they brought readye framed out of England and hauing prepared it they launched it into the Water wherein the Captaine with fiftéene men entred with the cheefe Boatesman called Ian de Greicke being Maister of the shippe which they had taken in the Hauen of S. Iago wherewith they went to sée if they could finde the two Shippes that they had lost by stormy weather as I saied before and likewise thinking to goe on Land to fill certaine vessels with fresh Water they durst not venture for they sawe people on all side of the shoare so that in the end they returned againe without hearing of the other Shippes being there they tooke all the Ordinaunce out of their Shippe and newe dressed and rigged her which done they put a small péece of Ordinaunce into the Pinnace wherewith they set saile againe following on their course Hauing sayled thirtéene daies they came to an Island lying about the shot of a Base from the Lande where they ankered and there they found foure Indian Fishermen in two Canaos who tolde them that on the Firme Lande they might haue fresh water but they vnderstanding that there was not much and that it was somewhat within the Lande they would not spend any time about it but set sayle againe leauing the Fishermen with their Canaos following on their course along by the shore The next day being somewhat further they espied certaine Indian Fishermen that were vpon the Lande in their houses which the English Captaine perceauing presently entered into the Pinnace and rowed on Land where hee tooke three of the said Fishermen taking with him halfe of the Fish that lay packed vpon the shoare ready to bee laden with the which Indians and booty they came on boord againe The next day following they sawe a Barke laden with Fish that belonged to the Spaniards with foure Indians in it This Barke with the Indians and the Fish they tooke and bound the Spanish Shippe to their sterne and so drewe it after them leauing the said Indians within it who by night vnbound the Barke and secretly made away with Barke and Fish and were no more seene The next day the Captaine went into the Pinnace and because hee sawe certaine houses vppon the shoare hee made thither and beeing on Lande hee found two menne in them whereof one hee tooke leauing the other behinde and there hee found thrée thousand Pesoes of siluer euery Peso being the value of a Ryall of eight and seuen Indian Sheepe Hennes and all whatsoeuer they found wherewith they departed from thence following on their course and two dayes after they came by the hauen called Azijcka where they found two shippes the one laden with goods and Spanish wares out of the which they tooke only two hundred Bottigas or Spanish Pots with Wine and out of the other seuē and thirty Bharas of siluer which are péeces of tenne or twelue pound each Bharre and thinking to leape on shore with two Barkes that they found in the said Hauen with about seuen and thirty Harquebushes bowes they perceiued on the land certaine horsemen comming towards them whervpon they left off their pretence and tooke with them a Moore that they found within the Barkes with whome they retourned aboord The next day in the morning they burnt the shippe that was laden with the Spanish wares and tooke the other with
a better place in Portingale with the which promise he tooke the voyage vpon him I thinking vpon my affaires vsed all meanes I could to get into his seruice and with him to trauaile the voiage which I so much desired which fell out as I would wish for that my Brother that followed the Court had desired his Master beeing one of his Maiesties secretaries to make him purser in one of the ships that the same yere should saile vnto the East Indies which pleased me well in so much that his said Master was a great friend and acquaintance of the Archbishops by which meanes with small intreatie I was entertained in the Bishops seruice and amongst the rest my name was written downe wee being in all forty persons because my Brother had his choise which ship he would be in he chose the ship wherein the Archbishop sayled the better to help each other and in this manner we prepared our selues to make our voyage being in all fiue ships of the burthen of fourtéene or sixtéene hundreth Tunnes each ship their names were the Admirall S. Phillip the Vize Admirall S. Iacob These were two new ships one bearing the name of the King the other of his sonne the other thrée S Laurence S. Francisco and our shippe S. Saluator Vpon the eight of Aprill beeing good Friday in the yeare of our Lorde 1583. which commonly is the time when their ships set sayle within foure or fiue dayes vnder or ouer wee altogether issued out of the Riuer of Lisbone and put to sea setting our course for the Ilands of Madera and so putting our trust in God without whose fauour helpe we can doe nothing and all our actions are but vaine we sayled forwards Chapter 3. The manner and order vsed in the ships in their Indian Voyages THe shippes are commonlye charged with foure or fiue hundred men at the least sometimes more sometimes lesse as there are souldiers and saylers to bée found When they go out they are but lightly laden onely with certaine pipes of wine oyle and some small quantitie of Marchandize other thing haue they not in but balast victuals for the company for that the most and greatest ware that is commonly sent into India are rials of eight because the principall Factors for pepper doe euery yere send a great quantitie of mony therewith to buy pepper as also diuers particular Marchants as being the least ware that men can carry into India for that in these rials of eight they gaine at the least forty per cento when the ships are out of the riuer and enter into the sea all their men are mustered as well saylers as souldiers and such as are founde absent and left on land being registred in the bookes are marked by the purser that at their returne they may talke with their suerties for that euery man putteth in suerties and the goods of such as are absent béeing found in the ship are presently brought foorth and prised and an Inuentorie thereof béeing made it is left to bee disposed at the captaines pleasure The like is done with their goods that die in the ship but little of it commeth to the owners hands being imbeseled and priuily made away The Master and Pilot haue for their whole voyage forth and home againe each man 120. Millreyes euery Millreyes being worth in Dutch money seauen guilders and because the reckoning of Portingale monie is onely in one sort of money called Reyes which is the smalest money to bee founde in that countrie and although it bee neuer so great a summe you doe receaue yet it is alwaies reckoned by Reyes whereof 160. is as much as a Keysers gilderne or foure rials of siluer so that two reyes are foure pence and one reye two pence of Holland money I haue thought good to set it downe the better to shew and make you vnderstand the accounts they vse by reyes in the countrie of Portingale But returning to our matter I say the Master and the Pilot doe receaue before hand each man twenty foure millreyes besides that they haue chambers both vnder in the ship and cabbins aboue the hatches as also primage certaine tunnes fraught The like haue all the other officers in the ship according to their degrées and although they receaue money in hand yet it costeth them more in giftes before they get their places which are giuen by fauour and good will of the Proueador which is the chiefe officer of the Admiraltie and yet there is no certaine ordinance for their payes for that it is dayly altered but let vs reckon the pay which is commonly giuen according to the ordinance and maner of our ship for that yeare The chiefe Boteswain hath for his whole pay 50. Millreyes and receaueth ten in ready money The Guardian that is the quarter master hath 1400. reyes the month and for fraught 2800. and receaueth seuen Millreyes in ready money The Seto Piloto which is the Masters mate hath 1200. reyes which is thrée duckets the month and as much fraught as the quarter Master two Carpenters two Callafaren which helpe them haue each man foure duckets a month and 3900. Millreyes fraught The Steward that giueth out their meate and drinke and the Merinho which is he that imprisoneth men aborde and hath charge of all the munition and powder with the deliuering forth of the same haue each man a Millreyes the month and 2340. reyes fraught besides their chambers and fréedome of custome as also all other officers saylers pikemen shot c. haue euery man after the rate and euery one that serueth in the ship The Cooper hath thrée duckets a month and 3900 reyes fraught Two Strinceros those are they which hoise vp the maine yeard by a wheele and let it downe againe with a whéele as néedis haue each man one Millreyes the month and 2800. reyes fraught Thirty thrée saylers haue each man one Millreyes the month and 2800. reyes fraught 37. rowers haue each man 660. reyes the moneth and 1860. reyes fraught foure pagiens which are boyes haue with their fraught 443. reyes the month one Master gunner and eight vnder him haue each man a different pay some more some lesse The surgion likewise hath no certaine pay The factor and the purser haue no pay but only their chambers that is below vnder hatches a chamber of twentie pipes for each man ten pipes and aboue hatches each man his cabbin to sléepe in whereof they make great profit These are all the officers and other persons which sayle in the ship which haue for their portion euery day in victuals each man a like as well the greatest as the least a pound and thrée quarters of Bisket halfe a Can of Wine a Can of water an Arroba which is 32. pound of salt flesh the moneth some dryed fish onyons and garlicke are eaten in the beginning of the voyage as being of small valew other prouisions as Suger Honny Reasons Prunes
had made with the laÌ„d about one houre or more wee perceiued land right before vs and were within two miles thereof which by reason of the darke and misty weather we could no sooner perceiue which put vs in great feare for our iudgement was cleane contrarie but the weather beginning to cleare vp we knew the land for it was a part or bank of the point called Cabo Falso which is about fiftéene miles on this side the cape de Bona Speranza towards Mossambique the cape de Bona Speranza lieth vnder 34. degrées southward there wee had a calme and faire weather which continuing about halfe a day in the meane time with our lines we got great store of fishes vppon the same land at ten or twelue fadoms water it is an excellent fish much like to Haddocks the Portingales call them Pescados The twenty of the same month wee met againe with Saint Francisco and spake with her and so kept company together till the 24. of Iune when wee lost her againe The same day wee stroke all our sayles because wee had a contrarie wind and lay two dayes still driuing vp and downe not to loose anie way meane time wee were against the high land of Tarradonaâ—al which beginneth in 32. degrees and endeth in 30. and is distant from Capo de Bona Speranza 150. miles in this place they coÌ„monly vse to takâ— counsell of all the officers of the ship whether it is best for theÌ„ to sayle through within the land of S. Laurenso or without it for that within the land they sayle to Mossambique and from thence to Goa and sayling without it they cannot come at Goa by reason they fal down by meanes of the streame and so must sayle vnto Cochin which lieth 100. miles lower then Goa and as the ships leaue the cape then it is not good to make towards Mossambique because they cannot come in time to Goa by reason of the great calmes that are within the land but they that passe the Cape in the month of Iuly may well goe to Mossambique because they haue time inough there to refresh themselues and to take in fresh water and other victuals and so to lie at anker ten or twelue dayes together but such as passe the cape in the month of August doe come too late and must sayle about towardes Cochin thereby to loose no time yet it is dangerous much more combersome for that commonly they are sicke of swolen legges sore bellies and other diseases The 30. of Iuly wee were against the point of the cape called Das Corentes which are 130. miles distant from Terra Donatal and lieth vnder 24. degrées Southwarde there they begin to passe betwéene the Ilands The Ile Madagascar otherwise called Saint Laurence The Iland of S. Laurenso is by Marcus Paulus named the great Iland of Magastar by Andrea Theuet it is called Madagascar and is the greatest of all the East Ilandes for it is greater in compasse then eyther of the Kingdomes of Castile or Portingale and lieth on the other side of Africa as we passe the cape de Bona Speranza it containeth in length as Theuet describeth 72 degrees and in bredth eleauen degrees and is in coÌ„passe as some hold opinion 3000 Italian miles and as some write 4000. which should bee sixe or eight hundred Dutch miles This Iland is iudged to be very temperate and therefore well peopled but beleeue in Mahomet Marcus Paulus sayeth that the Iland is gouerned by foure ancient men it is full of wilde beasts and strange foules whereof he writeth many fables not worthie the rehearsall This Iland hath Elephants all kind of beasts which haue but one horn wherof one is called an Indian asse with whole feet vncloueÌ„ an other is called Orix with clouen feet it hath many snakes efftes great store of woodes of redde Sandale which are there little esteemed for the great abundance there the Sea yeeldeth much Amber it aboundeth also in Rice Barley Oranges Lemons Citrons Millons which are so great that a man can hardly gripe them both red white yellow and better then ours and much ginger which they eate greene Hony Sugar in such abundance that they know not whether to send it Saffron many medicinable hearbs and Indian nuts It likewise yeeldeth Siluer and hath manie Riuers beautifull Fountaines and diuers Hauens whether many Sarasins Mores doe bring their Marchandise as clothes of gold Siluer Linnen made of cotton wooll and such like From S. Laurenso to Mossambique which lieth from the firme land of Das Corentes 120. miles and is an Iland of 220. miles long stretching north south and in breadth 70. miles beginning from the first point vntill you come at the cape in 26. degrees and endeth in the North in 11. degrées The people of the Iland are blacke like those of Mossambique and goe naked but the haire of their heades is not so much curled as theirs of Mossambique and not full so blacke The Portingales haue no speciall traffique there because there is not much to be had for as yet it is not very well known The 1. of August we passed the flats called os Baixos de Iudea that is the Flats of the Iewes which are distant from the cape das Corentes 30. miles and lie betwéen the Iland of S. Laurence the firme land that is from the Iland fiftie miles and from the firme land seauenty miles which Flats begin vnder 22. degrées and a halfe and continue to twentie one degrées there is great care to bee taken lest men fall vpon them for they are very dangerous and many ships haue bin lost there and of late in Anno 1585. a ship comming from Portingale called S. Iago beeing Admirall of the Fleet and was the same that the first voiage went with vs from Lisbone for vice Admirall as in another place we shall declare The fourth of August we discried the land of Mossambique which is distant from the Flattes of the Iewes nintie miles vnder fifteene degrées southwards The next day we entred into the road of Mossambique and as we entered we espied the foresaid ship called S. Iago which entered with vs and it was not aboue one houre after we had descried it beeing the first time wee had séene it since it left vs at the Iland of Madera where we seperated our selues There wee found likewise two more of our ships Saint Laureâ—zo and Saint Francisco which the day before were come thether with a small ship that was to sayle to Malacca which commonly setteth out of Portingale a month before any of the ships do set sayle for India only because they haue a longer voiage to make yet doe they ordinarily sayle to Mossambique to take in sweete water fresh victuals as their voiage falleth out or their victuals scanteth If they goe not thether theÌ„ they saile about on the back side of y e Iland of saint Laurenso not setting their course for
finished and standeth right against the first of the vnhabited little Ilands where the ships must come in and is one of the best and strongest built of all the Castles throughout the whole Indies yet haue they but small store of ordinance or munition as also not any souldiers more then the Captaine and his men that dwel therin But when occasion serueth the married Portingales that dwell in the Iland which are about 40. or 50. at the most are all bound to kéepe the Castle for that the Iland hath no other defence then onely that Castle the rest lieth open and is a flat sand Round about within the Castle are certaine whollie accustomed therunto as if they were Horses Moyles or Asses I haue spoken with men that came from thence and haue séen them and affirme it for a truth But returning to our matter of the gouernmement and vsage of the Portingales and their Captaine I say that the Captaine maketh the commoditie of his place within thrée yeares space that hee remaineth there which amounteth to the value of 300. thousand Duckets that is nine tunnes of golde as while we remained there the Captaine named Nuno Velio Perena himselfe shewed vs and it is most in gold that commeth from Sofala Monomotapa as I said before from Mossambique they carrie into India Gold Ambergris Eben wood and Iuorie and many slaues both men and women which are carried thether because they are the strongest Moores in all the East couÌ„tries to doe their filthiest and hardest labor wherein they onely vse them They sayle from thence into India but once euery year in the month of August till half September because that throughout the whole countries of India they must sayle with Monssoyns that is with the tides of the year which they name by the windes which blow certaine monthes in the yeare whereby they make their account to goe and come from the one place to the other the time that men may commonly sayle betwéene Mossambique and India is 30. dayes little more or lesse and then they stay in India till the month of Aprill when the winde or Monssoyn commeth againe to serue them for Mossambique so that euery yeare once there goeth and commeth one shippe for the Captaine that carrieth and bringeth his marchandise and no man may traffique from thence into India but only those that dwel and are married in Mossambique for that such as are vnmarried may not stay there by speciall priuiledge from the King of Portingall graunted vnto those that inhabite there to the end the Island should be peopled and therby kept and maintained Behind Mossambique lyeth the countrey of Prester Iohn which is called by them the countrey of Abexines wherevpon the coast of Mossambique vnto the red sea is commonly called the coast of Abex and diuers men of Prester Iohns land do send men of that country some being slaues and others tree into India which serue for Saylors in the Portingalles shippes that traffique in those countries froÌ„ place to place whose pictures counterfets as also their religioÌ„ maner of liuing and customes doeth hereafter follow in the pictures of India This coast of Abex is also by the Portingalles called the coast of Melinde because that vpon the same coast lyeth a towne and a Kingdome of that name which was the first towne and Kingdome that in the Portingals first discouerie of those countries did receiue them peaceably without treason or deceit and so to this day doth yet continue Wee stayed at Mossambique for the space of 15. dayes to prouide fresh water and victuails for the supplying of our wants in the which time diuers of our men fel sicke and died by reason of the vnaccustomed ayre of the place which of it selfe is an vnholsome land and an euill aire by meanes of the great and vnmeasurable heat The 20. of August wee set saile with all our companie that is our foure shippes of one fléete that came from Portingall and a shippe of the Captaines of Mossambique whose thrée yeares were then finished his name was Don Pedro de Castro in whose place the aforesaide Nuno Velio Pereira was then come The said Captain Don Pedro returned w t his wife family again into India for that the Kinges commandement and ordinance is that after the expiration of their thrée yeares office they must yet stay thrée years more in India at the commandement of the Vice Roy of India in the kings seruice at their owne charges before they must returne into Portingall vnlesse they bring a speciall patent from the King that after they haue continued thrée yeares in their office they may returne into Portingal againe which is very seldome séene vnlesse it be by speciall fauour and likewise no man may trauell out of India vnlesse hee haue the Vice Royes Pasport and without it they are not suffred to passe for it is very narrowly looked into The 24. of August in the morning wée descryed two Islandes which are called Insula de Comora and Insula de Don Ian de Castro The Islande Comora lyeth distant from Mossambique 60. miles Northwardes vnder 11. degrées on the South side is a very high land so high that in a whole dayes saile with a good winde wee could not lose the sight therof the same day the shippes seperated themselues againe according to the ancient manner for the occasions aforesaid The third of September we once againe passed the Equinoctiall line which runneth betwéene Melinde and Braua townes lying vppon the coast of Abex and the line is froÌ„ Mossambique Northwards 230. miles and from the line to the Cape de Quardafum are 190. miles and lyeth vnder 12. degrées on the North side of the Equinoctiall vpon this coast betwéene Mossambique and the Cape de Guardafum lyeth these townes Quiloa in time past called Rapta Mombassa which is a towne situate in a little Island of the same name which sheweth a farre off to be high sandie downes and hath a hauen with two fortes to defende it Melinde Pate Braua and Magadoxo each being a kingdome of it selfe holding the lawe of Mahomet the people are somewhat of a sallower colour then those of Mossambique with shining hayre gouerning their Citties after the manner of the Arabians and other Mahometanes This corner or Cape of Guardafum is the ende of the coast of Abex or Melinde and by this cape East Northeast 20. miles within the Sea lyeth the rich Island called Socotora where they find Aloes which taketh the name of the Islande being called Aloe Socotorina and is the verie best being close and fast and from thence is it carried and conueyed into al places By this corner and Island beginneth the mouth or enterance of the â—streito de Mecka for that within the same vpon the coast of Arabia lyeth the citie of Mecka where the body of Mahomet hangeth in the ayre in an iron chest vnder a sky made of Adamant stone which is greatly sought vnto
thether out of all parts of India and from thence are sent ouer land to Venice and also carried throughout all Turkie Armenia Arabia Persia and euery way There are likewise brought thether all manner of marchandises from those Countries that is from Persia out of the Countrie named Coracone and Dâ—aâ— and other places great store of rich Tapestrie Couerlets which are called Alcatiffâ—s out of Turkie all manner of Chamlets out of Arabia diuers sortes of Drugges for Poâ—icaries as Sanguis draconis Manna Mirre Frankinsence such like diuers goodly horses that are excellent for bréeding all manner of most excellent Orientall Pearles out of Mascatte a Hauen lying betwéene the Cape of Roselgate and Moncadon vppon the coast of Arabia diuers sorts of Dates and Marmelades which from Ormus is carried into India and all places are serued therewith likewise the money called Larynen which hath as it were two legges stretching out like a péece of siluer wide that is beaten flat printed about with certain small Characters which is coyned in Persia at a place called Lary being fine Siluer is brought thether in great quantities wherby there is as great dealing with them as with other marchandises because of the greate gaine that is gotten by them and in India they goe very high Now to know the cause of so great traffique and concourse of people in this Ilande of Ormus you must vnderstand that euery yeare twice there commeth a great companie of people ouer land which are called Caffiles or Carâ—anes which come from Aleppo out of the Countrie of Surie thrée daies iornie from Tripoli which lyeth vppon the coast of the Mediterranean Sea this companie of people or Caffila obserue this order that is euery yeare twice in the months of Aprill and September There is a Captaine and certain hundreths of â—annisaries which conuaye the said Caffila vntill they come to the Towne of Bassora from whence they trauaile by water vnto Ormus The marchants know the times when the Caruana or Caffila will come so that against that time they make and prepare their marchandises in a readinesse and then are brought thether diuers Cammels Dromedaries Moyles and horses euerye man his troope which are there likewise to bee solde so that there are assembled at the least fiue or sixe thousand persons all together and ryde all in order like a battell that marcheth in the fielde two and two vpon a Cammell or else ware hanging on both sides of the Cammel as you shal sée in the Picture that followeth With a good garde of â—anisaries because they are often times set vpon by the Arabians which are great théeues and come to robbe them for they must trauaile in the woods at the least fortie daies together wher in euery thrée or foure dayes they finde wels or pits from wheÌ„ce they prouide themselues of water which they carrie with them in beastes skins tanned whereof they make Flaskes and Botles The people nowe of late yeares haue left off their robbing and stealing in the hiph waies but long before the birth of Christ they vsed it as the Prophet Ieremie doth witnes saying in his third Chapter and second verse Lift vp your eyes and behold what fornicatioÌ„ you commit in euery place you sit in the streetes and stay for your companions like the Arabian in the woodes c. I remember that wee fell among many thousande of these people which in great pouertie dwell within the woodes and sandie downes that are altogether barren where they liue in the heate of the Sunnes lying with their Cammels getting their lyuing only by robbing and stealing their meate and best breade are Cakes which they bake vnder Cammels dung dried in the Sunne which the Sand maketh hotte and Cammels Milke and flesh with such like vnprofitable meate to conclude they liue like miserable men as in truth they are Likewise ther are certaine victualers that follow this companie which carrie all kinde of things with theÌ„ as Honie Dates Shéepe Goates Hens Egges c. and all other sorts of victuals and prouision so that for money they may haue what they will euery night they lie still and haue their Tents wherein they sléepe kéeping good watch in this manner they trauaile to the Towne of Bassora and passe through Babylon now called Bagedet and through other places Being at Bassora they stay their certaine daies wher againe they assemble themselues to returne home and trauaile in the like sorte backe againe vnto Aleppo whereby all manner of marchandises out of all places are brought thether in great aboundance by great numbers of traueling Marchants of al nations whatsoeuer except Spaniards Portingals and the King of Spaines subiects which are narrowly looked vnto although diuers times many of them passe among the rest vnder the names of French men English men or Venetians which nations haue their factors and seruants continually resident in Aleppo as also in Tripoli where their dayly traffique is from Venice Marsellis and London and in Tripoli they vnlade their wares and there the shippes take in their lading and from thence they send their marchandises by land to and from Aleppo where they vse great traffique and haue many priuiledges and freedomes graunted them by the great Turke And for that wee are nowe speaking of Turks I must not forget to shew you how and in what sort the great Turke hath euery day newes and letters from all his kingdomes Countries that are so great wild wast and spread so farre abroad one from the other You must vnderstand that throughout the whole Countrie of Turkie they vse Doues or Pigeons which are brought vp accustomed thereunto hauing rings aboute their legges These Doues or Pigions are borne from Bassora and Babylon vnto Aleppo and Constantinople and so from thence backe againe and when there is any great occasion of importance to bee aduertised or sent they make the letter fast vnto the ring that is about the Pigions féete and so let them flie whereby the letter with the Doue is brought vnto the place whither it should goe and they flie sometimes a thousand miles which men would thinke impossible but yet it is most true and affirmed by such as come from thence I haue séene of the Doues in India that a Venetian my good friend shewed me which for the strangenesse thereof had brought of them with him into India But let vs now returne vnto our matter of the I le of Ormus which lyeth vnder 27. degrées and in Sommer time is so vnreasonable and intollerable hotte that they are forced to lie and sléepe in wooden Cesterns made for the purpose full of water and all naked both men and women lying cleane vnder water sauing only their heads al their houses are flat aboue and in the toppes therof they make holes to let the ayre come in like those of Cayro and they vse certaine instruments like Waggins with bellowes to beare the people in and together winde to coole
the same as an infallible law which groweth vpon this occasion A long time since there was in China a great mightie familie which together with all their friends and acquaintance secretly conspired and agréed to ryse vp against the King of China to driue him out of his kingdome and to kill him and hauing so done to place themselues therein but it could not so secretly be contriued and wrought but in the end it was knowne whereupon the king punished them most gréeuously and caused diuers of the principall conspirators to be put to death and all others he found to be consenting therunto should haue felt the like paine which gréeued the Counsell and other Noble men of the countrie for that diuers of their néerest kinsmen were of that conspiracie so that with humble and long petition to the King they besought him to let them liue and to punish them with some easier punishment then death but that which they sought desired at the king all things considered was little better then death which was that he would banish them and all their posteritie for euer out of the countrie into the Ilands of Iapen which as then were not inhabited and this as they desired was done whereby there is so great enuie and hatred betwéene them and the men of China that they hate each other to the death and doe all the mischief one vnto the other that they can imagine or deuise euen vntill this time The men of Iapen haue done much mischief vnto the men of China and many times fallen vpon their coasts and put all to fire and sword and now at this present haue not any conuersation with them but onely they trafficke with the Portingales and to shewe themselues whollie their deadlie enemies in all their actions they are cleane contrary vnto the men of China and to the same end haue changed all their customes ceremonies and manners of curtesie from the men of China To recite the particulars would be ouer long yet I will in briefe set down some fewe examples of the customes and manners therein One is where the China vseth the curtesie of salutation to a man with the head and hand wheÌ„ they méet together the Iapens to the contrarie put off their shoes whereby they shewe them reuerence and as the Chinaes stand vp when they minde to receyue any man and to doe him reuerence they to the contrarie set themselues down accounting it a verie vnséemely thing to receyue or bid a man welcome standing on their féet and as we put on our clokes when we meane to goe abroad into the towne or countrie they put them off when they goe forth putting on great wyde bréeches and coming home they put them off again and cast their clokes vpon their shoulders and as among other nations it is a good sight to see men with white and yealow hayre and white teeth with them it is estéemed the filthiest thing in the world and séeke by all meanes they may to make their hayre and téeth blacke for that the white causeth their grief and the blacke maketh them glad The like custome is among the women for as they goe abroad they haue their daughters maydes before them and their men seruants come behind which in Spaigne is cleane contrarie and when they are great with childe they tye their girdles so hard about them that men would thinke they shuld burst and when they are not with Childe they weare their girdles so slacke that you would thinke they would fall from their bodies saying that by experience they do finde if they should not doe so they should haue euill lucke with their fruict and presently as soone as they are deliuered of their children in stéed of cherishing both the mother and the child with some comfortable meat they presently wash the childe in cold water and for a time giue the mother very little to eate and that of no great substance Their manner of eating and drinking is Euerie man hath a table alone without table clothes or napkins and eateth with two peeces of wood like the men of China they drinke wine of Rice wherewith they drink themselues drunke and after their meat they vse a certaine drinke which is a pot with hote water which they drinke as hote as euer they may indure whether it be Winter or Summer The Turkes holde almost the same maÌ„ner of drinking of their Chaona which they make of certaine fruit which is like vnto the Bakelaer and by the Egyptians called Bon or Ban they take of this fruite one pound and a half and roast them a little in the fire and then sieth them in twentie poundes of water till the half be consumed away this drinke they take euerie morning fasting in their chambers â—ut of an eâ—rthen pot being verie hote as we doe here drinke aquacomposita in the morning and they say that it strengtheneth and maketh them warme breaketh wind and openeth any stopping The manner of dressing their meat is altogether contrarie vnto other nations the aforesaid warme water is made with the powder of a certaine hearbe called Chaa which is much estéemed and is well accounted of among them and al such as are of any countenance or habilitie haue the said water kept for them in a secret place and the gentlemen make it themselues and when they will entertaine any of their friends they giue him some of that warme water to drinke for the pots wherein they sieth it and wherein the hearbe is kept with the earthen cups which they drinke it in they esteeme as much of them as we doe of Diamants Rubies and other precious stones and they are not esteemed for their newnes but for their oldnes and for that they were made by a good workman and to know and kéepe such by themselues they take great and speciall care as also of such as are the valewers of them and are skilfull in them as with vs the goldsmith priseth and valueth siluer and gold and the Iewellers all kindes of precious stones so if their pots cuppes be of an old excelleÌ„t workmaÌ„s making they are worth 4 or 5 thousaÌ„d ducats or more the peece The King of Bungo did giue for such a pot hauing thrée feet 14 thousand ducats and a Iapan being a Christian in the town of Sacay gaue for such a pot 1400 ducats and yet it had 3 peeces vpon it They doe likewise estéeme much of any picture or table wherein is painted a blacke trée or a blacke bird and when they knowe it is made of wood and by an ancient cuÌ„ning maister they giue whatsoeuer you will aske for it It happeneth some times that such a picture is sold for 3 or 4 thousand ducats and more They also estéeme much of a good rapier made by an old and cunning maister such a one many times costeth 3 or 4 thousand Crowns the péece These things doe they kéeepe and estéeme for their Iewels as
being dead are burnt to ashes and some women being aliue are burned with them that is such as are Gentlemen or Noblemen and the wiues of the Bramenes which are their Idolatrous Préestes Also for the Marchantes some of them eate all things except Cowes or Buffles flesh which they esteeme to be holy Others eate not any thing whatsoeuer that hath either life or bloud in it as those of Gusarata and the Banianes of Cambaia which obserue Pythagoras lawe most of them pray vnto the Sunne and Moone yet they doe all acknowledge a God that made created and ruleth all things and that after this life there is an other wherein men shall be rewarded according to their workes But they haue Idoles and Images which they call Pagodes cut and formed most vgly and like monstrous Deuils to whome dayly they offer and say that those holy men haue béene liuing among them whereof they tell so many miracles as it is wonderfull and say that they are intercessors betwéene them and God The Deuill often times answereth them out of those Images whome they likewise know and doe him great honour by offering vnto him to keepe friendshippe with him and that hee should not hurt them They haue a custome when any maide is to bee married and that they will honour their Pagode for the more credite to the Bridegrome they bring the Bride with great triumph and Musicke before their Pagode which is made with a Pinne of Iuorie bone to whome the neerest friends and kinswomen of the Bride together with the Bride doe goe and by force make the Image to take the Brides maydenhead so that the bloud remaineth still vpon the Image for a remembrance thereof and then after other deuelish superstitions and ceremonies hauing made their offrings they bring the Bride home where she is deliuered to the Bridgrome he being verie ioyfull and proud that their Pagode hath honored him so much and eased him of so much labour They haue for the most part a custome to pray vnto the first thing they méete withal in the morning and all that day after they pray vnto it be it Hogge or any other thing And if in the morning when they goe out they chaunce at the first sight to sée a Crow whereof there are great numbers in India they will not goe forth of their doores all that day no not for all the goods in the world for they estéeme it an euill signe and an vnluckie day They pray likewise to the new Moone and when shee first appeareth they fall vppon their knées and salute her with great deuotion there are among them certaine people called Iogos which are such as we call Hermits and those doe they estéeme for holy men these men liue a verie strict life with great abstinence and make the common people belieue many strange things They haue likewise many Southsayers and Witches which vse Iugling and trauell throughout the countrie hauing about them many liue Snakes which they know how to bewitch and being shut vp in little baskets they pull them out and make them daunce turne and winde at the sound of a certaine Instrument wheron they play and speake vnto them They winde them about their neckes armes and legges kissing them with a thousand other deuises onely to get money They are al for the most part verie skilfull in preparing of poysons wherewith they doe many strange things and easily poyson each other their dwellings and houses are verie little and lowe couered with straw without windowes and verie low and narrow doores so that a man must almost créepe vpon his knées to goe in their houshold stuffe is Mats of straw both to sit and lie vpon their Tables Table-clothes and Napkins are made of the great Indian Figge leaues they serue them not onely for Tables Shéetes and other linnen but also for Dishes wherein they put their meate which you shall likewise sée in the Grocers and Pothecaries shops to put and wrap in all things whatsoeuer they haue within their shops as we doe in paper They likewise ioyne them together in such sort that they can put both butter oyle such liquid stuffes therein and also whatsoeuer coÌ„meth to hand To dresse their meat they haue certaine earthen pots wherein they séeth Rice and make holes in the ground wherein they stampe it or beate it with a woodden pestel made for the purpose and they are so miserable that they buy the Rice in the Huskes as it groweth on the grounde and some of them haue Rice sowen behinde their house to serue their necessarie vse They vse to drinke out of a copper Canne with a spout wherby they let the water fall downe into their mouths and neuer touch the pot with their lippes Their houses are commonly strawed with Cowe dung which they say killeth Fleas They are verie cleane on their bodies for euery day they wash themselues all their body ouer as often as they ease themselues or make water both men and women like the Moores or Mahometans They wash themselues with the left hand because they eate with the right hand and vse no spoones They doe kéepe and obserue their ceremonies and superstitions with great deuotion for they neuer goe forth without praying when they trauaile by the way They haue on euery hill cliffe hole or denne their Pagodes and Idols in most diuilish and deformed shapes cut and hewed out of the stones and rockes with their furnises hard by them and a cesterne not farre from them which is alwaies full of water and euery one that passeth by washeth their féete therein and so fall downe before their Idoll some setting before him for an offering fruits Rice Egges Hennes c. as their deuotions serue then commeth the Bramenes their Priest and taketh it away and eateth it making the common people beléeue that the Pagode hath eaten it When they will make a voyage to Sea they vse at the least fourtéene dayes before they enter into their ships to make so great a noyse with sounding of Trumpets and to make fiers that it may be heard and seene both by night and day the ship being hanged about with flagges wherewith they say they feast their Pagode that they may haue a good Voyage The like doe they at their returne for a thankesgiuing fourtéene dayes long and thus they vse to doe in all their feastes affaires mariages childbirths and at other times of the yeare as sowing and mowing c. The heathenish Indians that dwell in Goa are verie rich Marchants and traffique much there is one stréete within the towne that is full of shops kept by those Heathenish Indians that not onely sell all kindes of Silkes Sattins Damaskes and curious workes of Porselyne from China and other places but all manner of wares of veâ—uet Silke Sattin and such like brought out of Portingall which by meanes of their Brokers they buy by the great and sell them againe by the péece or elles wherein they are
and other such like oyntments wherewith they ease themselues This sicknes consumeth many Portingalles euery yeare some because they haue little to eat lesse to drink of any meat or drink that is nourishing vse much company of womeÌ„ because y e land is naturall to prouoke theÌ„ thervnto as also y e most part of the soldiers by such means haue their liuing and their maintenance which often times costeth them both life and limme for although men were of iron or steele the vnchaste life of a woman with her vnsatiable lustes were able to grinde him to powder and swéep him away like dust which costeth many a mans life as the Kinges Hospitall can wel beare witnes wherein they lodge whensoeuer they are sicke where euery yeare at the least there entered 500. liue men and neuer come forth till they are dead and they are only Portingals for no other sick person may lodge therin I mean such as are called white men for the other Indians haue an Hospitall by themselues In this Hospitall they are verie well looked vnto by Iesuites and Gentlemen whereof euery month one of the best is chosen and appointed who personally is there by them and giueth the sicke persons whatsoeuer they will desire and sometimes spend more by foure or fiue hundred Duckats of their owne purses then the Kings allowance reacheth vnto which they doe more of pride and vaine glorie then for compassion onely to haue the praise and commendation of liberalitie It is no shame there to lie in the Hospitall for many men go thether willingly although they haue wherewith to keepe themselues in their houses and haue both wife and children These Hospitals in India are very necessarie for the Portingals otherwise they shold consume away like miserable men but by y e means they are relieued whatsoeuer they haue eyther sicknesse wounds secrete diseases pockes piles or any such like there they are healed and sometimes visited by the Viceroy himselfe when he thinketh vpon them and that his commodities come in He that wil not lie there and hath any woundes or priuie diseases may come thether twice euery day and be drest goe his way againe without any question or deniall When they die therein they are by two slaues carried into the Church yarde without eyther singing or ringing onely one man followeth after them throweth some holy water vppon the graue but if the sicke man chanceth to leaue any goods behind him and speaketh vnto the Priestes to bring him to his graue and to say Masses for his soule then they runne thither by heapes and burie him like a man of countenance eyther in the Church or chauncell according to his will and then hath hee singing and ringing enough But returning to our matter of sicknesse pockâ—s and piles with other secret diseases they are in those countries verie common not hidden or concealed for they thinke it no shame more then to haue any other disease They heale them with the roote China there are some that haue had them at the least thrée or foure times and are not any thing at all shunned or disliked for the same but dare both boast and bragge thereof It is not any thing perillous for the bodie insomuch that they had rather haue them and feare them lesse then any of the foresaid diseases The plague hath neuer béen in India neither is it known vnto the Indians but poysoning witchcraft such like whereby some lose their healthes and some their liues is their dayly exercise and very common with them The stone grauel and rupture raigneth much among them specially among married men by reason of the great quantitie of water that they drinke being giuen to all pleasure and riotousnes enioying all what their hearts desire sitting alwayes with their bellies open in their shirtes in a gallerie recreating themselues with the wind which cooleth them sometimes hauing a slaue to scratch and pare their nayles and féete another the head the third holds a Fan to driue away the flées Their is the common vse for two houres after noone where likewise they take an afternoones sléepe and euer as they haue thirst they bring him a dish of conserues or other comfets that the water shoulde not worke too much in his bodie but taste the better With such and the like exercises they do passe the day til night comes on so that commonly they haue all swollen bellies like Bacchus whereby the soldiers and other Indians call them Barrigois that is bellies or great bellies The day both Summer and Winter is there all of a length not much difference onely in the chaunge they haue about an houres difference The sunne riseth at sixe and setteth at sixe When it is noone commonly they haue the Sunne in the middle of the element iust ouer their heades and it giueth no shadowe although it stretcheth somewhat out as the Sunne taketh his course In Goa you may sée both the Poles of the world the North and South starres stande not farre aboue the Horizon And this shall suffice for the times and seasons of the yeare sicknesses and other diseases in India as breuitie requireth The 35. Chapter Of the money waight and measure of India and Goa THe principall and commonest money is called Pardaus Xeraphiins and is siluer but very brasse and is coyned in Goa They haue Saint Sebastian on the one side and thrée or foure arrowes in a bundle on the other side which is as much as thrée Testones or thrée hundred Reijs Portingall money and riseth and falleth little lesse or more according to the exchange There is also a kinde of reckoning of money which is called Tangas not that there is any such coined but are so named onely in telling fiue Tangas is one Pardaw or Xeraphin badde money for you must vnderstande that in telling they haue two kinds of money good and badde for foure Tangas good money are as much as fiue Tangas bad money Wherfore when they buy and sell they bargaine for good or badde money There is likewise a reckoning of Vintiins which is not likewise in coyne but onely named in telling of these foure good and fiue badde doe make a Tangas The lowest and smallest money is called Bazaruco these are fiftéene badde and eightéene good to a Vintiin and three Bazarucos are as much as two Reiâ—s Portingal money It is molten money of badde Tinne so that 375. Bazarucos are one Pardaw or Xeraphiin There is also a kinde of money out of Persia called Lariins which are long very good and fine siluer without any allay These are worth 105. and 108. Bazarucos as the exchaunge goeth little more or lesse They haue a kind of money called Pagodes which is of Gold of two or three sortes and are aboue eight Tangas in value They are Indian and Heathenish money with the picture of a Diuell vpon them and therefore are called Pagodes There is another kinde of gold money which
grow in India many Iniamos and Batatas These Iniamos are as bigge as a yelow roote but somewhat thicker and suller of knots and as thicke on the one place as in the other they grow vnder the earth like earth Nuts and of a Dun colour and white within like earth Nuts but not so swéete Iniamos were this yeare brought hethâ— out of Guinea as bigge as a mans legge and all of a like thicknesse the outward part is Dun coloured within verie white rosted or sodden they are verie pleasant of taste and one of the principal meates of the Black-Moores The Batatas are somewhat red of colour and of fashion almost like the Iniamos but swéeter of taste like an earth Nut. These two fruits are verie plentifull specially Iniamos which is as common and necessarie a meate as the Figges they eate them for the most part rosted and vse them commonly for the last seruice on the boorde they â—eth them likewise in an other sort for â—orrage and sâ—eth them with flesh like Colwortes or Turnops the like doe they with Batatas The 56. Chapter Of the Palme trees whereon the Indian Nuts called Cocus doe grow THese Trées are commonlie called by most of the Indians Persians and Arabians Maro the nuts Nareâ— The Malabares call the Trees Tenga Maran and the fruite being ripe Tenga but vnripe and being as yet greene 〈◊〉 In Goa â—anha the Portingalls call this fruit Coquo by reason of the thrée holes that are therein like to a Munkies head Auicenna calleth these Iaâ—ial-Indi that is Indian nuts The Malayans of Malacca call the trees Trican and the fruit Nihor This is the most profitable tree of all India as in order I will declare vnto you the profit that ariseth thereby they grow most in the Islands of Maldiua and in Goa and the countries round about them as also through the whole coast of Malabar whereby they traffique with them into all places as to Cambaia Ormus c. The tree wareth very high and straight of the thickenes of a small spanne little more or lesse it hath no branches but in the vppermost part thereof in the top grow the leaues which spread like vnto Date trées and vnder the leaues close to the tree grow the Coquos together commonly ten or twelue one close by another but you shall seldome finde one of them growing alone by it self The blossome of this fruite is very like the blossome of a Chestnut The wood of the tree is very sappy like a spunge and is not firme they doe not grow but on the sea sides or bankes of riuers close by the strand and in sandie grounds for there groweth none within the land They haue no great rootes so that a man would thinke it were impossible for them to haue any fast hold within the earth and yet they stand so fast and grow so high that it maketh men scare to see men clime vppon them least they should fall downe The Canarijns clime as nimbly and as fast vpon them as if they were Apes for they make small steppes in the trées like staires whereon they step and so clime vp which the Portingales dare not veÌ„ter their planting is in this manner They first plant the Coquos or Nuts whereof the trees doe spring and when they are about the height of a man in winter time they plant them againe and dung them with ashes and in summer time water them They growe well about houses because commonlie there they haue good earth and beeing well looked vnto and husbanded they yeeld fruit in fewe yeares which is the Canarijns liuinges that dwell here and there among those trees and haue no other occupation but onely to dresse those trees which they farme of the Landlords and by the fruite thereof doe get their liuinges Those trees are more aboundant with them then Oliue trées in Spaine or willow trées in the Low countries The profits they reape thereby are these First the wood is very good for many things although it be spungious and â—appy by reason of the length of it for in the Islandes of Maldiua they make whole ships thereof without any iron nayles in them for they sow them together with the cordes that are made of the said Cocus or Nut the ropes and cables beeing likewise of the same tree as also the sayles which they make of the leaues which leaues are called Olas They serue likewise to make the Canarijns houses and for hattes which they vse to carrie ouer their heades for the sunne or the raine they make also mattes or Tents that lie ouer the Palamkins when it raineth to couer the women when they are caried abroad and such like thinges they likewise make thereof very fine Hattes that are much esteemed and cost three or foure Pardawes the péece which they weare in Summer for lightnes They farme or hire those trées for two causes one for the Coquos or fruit to eate it the other to presse wine out of them thereof to drinke The nuts are as great as an estrige egge some smaller and some greater and are outwardly couered with a Huske or Shell which as long as it groweth on the trée is gréene with out like an Acorne with his huske or cup. The Indian nuts are couered ouer with two sortes of huskes or shels whereof the vttermost is hayrie and of it they make Cairo that is all their cables and ropes and stop and make their ships close with it in stead of Ocam or tow for that it keepeth the ships closer in saltwater then our Ocam or Tow because in salt water it closeth and shutteth it selfe closer together Of the other they make not onelie drinking cups in India but here with vs also for that the common people beleeue there is a certaine vertue in them against stirring of the body but it is not so This Huske beeing drie and pulled off is haire like hempe whereof all the cordes and Cables that are vsed throughout al India are made as well vppon the land as in the ships it is of colour verie like the ropes of Sparta in Spaine they are very good but they must be kept in salt water whereby they continue very long but in fresh or raine water they doe presently rot because they are not drest with pitch and tarre as our ships are The ship wherein I came out of India into Portingall had no other ropes nor cables nor any such kinde of stuffe but such as were made of the Indian Cocus called Cayro which continued very good sauing only y t we were forced euery fourtéene dayes to wash our cables in the Sea whereby they serued vs as well as cables of hemp The fruit when it is almost ripe is called Lanha and within is full of water and then it is white of colour thin and soft and the longer the Cocus is on the tree the more the water groweth and changeth into white which is the meat of the nut within
this Snake-woode whereof there is much in Seylon where also are many of those beastes and great store of Snakes so that if it be neuer so sore bitten hauing eaten of this wood it is presently healed as if it had neuer béene hurt By this means the inhabitants haue found it out begun to make account of it since that time it is proued and found to be good for many â—iseases as aforesaid wherefore nowe it is much traffiqued withall and carryed into all countries as also into Portingall from thence hether Garcius ab horto writeth of three sorts of this wood whereof you may there reade two of these sortes of Snake-wood I haue in my house to be shewen one is that which Iohn Hughen writeth to bee the root of a tree white and bitter of taste with a rough Ash colouâ— barke the other was sent me â—u◠〈…〉 from the learned Doctor Simon 〈◊〉 Tonar which is as thicke as a maâ— arâ—e with a barke besprinckled spotted like a Snake which inwardlie is white and bitter of taste The 76 Chapter Of the wood Caiamba or â—num Aloes THe â—ignuÌ„ Aloes which in India is called Calamba and Palo Dâ—guilla is most in Malacca in the Islande of Sumatra Camboia Sion and the Countries bordering on the same the trees are like Oliue trees and somewhat greater when it is cut off it smelleth not so well because it is gréene for the dryer it is the better it smelleth the best and that which smelleth most is the innermost part of the wood some of it is better then the rest which the Indians doe presently knowe howe to finde out the best and finest is called Calamba and y e other Palo Daguilla Now to know which is the best you must vnderstand that the wood that is very heauie with black and brown veynes and which yéeldeth much Oyle or moystnesse which is founde by the fire is the best and the greater and thicker that it is the better it is and hath the more vertue Of this wood they make many costly thinges and it hath a speciall and precious smell so that it is greatly estéemed specially the Calamba which if it be good is solde by weight against siluer and gold The Palo Daguilla next after the Calamba is much accounted of There is another kind of Palo Daguilla which is called Aquilla Braua or wild Aquilla and is also much esteemed for the Indians vse it therewith to burne the bodies of their Bramenes and other men of account when they are dead and because it is costly therefore it is a great honour to those that are burnt therewith as it is to those that with vs are buried in Tombes of marble stones but it is not comparable to the other Palo Daguilla nor the Calamba The wilde Aguilla groweth most in the Island of Seylon and on the coast of Choramandel and the best Palo Daguilla and Calamba groweth in Malacca These costly woods are much vsed in India for Beades and Crucifixes which are holden in great reuerence and in truth is very much to be esteemed for without all doubt it hath an excellent smel which surpasseth all other woods and the like can not bee founde but onely in the soresaide places from whence it commeth Lignum Aloes Agallochum Xylo alias Paradise-woode by the Arabians called Agalugen and Haud by the inhabitantes of Gusurate and Decan Vd in Malacca Garro and the best Calamba Of this wood I haue many sortes all very pleasant of smell speckled with veines and full of moysture and withall close and very heauie this wood being taken inwardly is good for a stinking breath it is also very good against a watrish and moyst stomacke which can receyue no meate but casteth it forth it is also good for one that hath a weake liuer that is sick of the red Melison or of the Plurisie The 77. Chapter Of the root China THe root China came into India and was there first knowne in Anno 1535. for before that time they knewe it not for that as then they cured the Pore which in India is a common disease with the woode called Guaiacum that is brought out of the Spanish Indies and was at that time in a manner weyghed against Gold and as the land of China is much subiect to the disease of the Pore it seemeth that God hath giuen them this roote to cure and help the same and since it was knowne and found out in India they would neuer vse any other remedy because there is great store of it and the best in all the world wherby men in those countries doe not once make any account of the Poxe or feare the healing therof for that it is more easilier healed then any other disease also it is no shame with them although they haue had it at y e least 3 or 4. times this root is now with them in so great abundance and common vse that it is very good cheape for that it is not worth at the most aboue halfe a Pardaw the pound which in Portingall money is a Teston and a halfe The sicke persons do vse it in this manner following they take of the root cut it in smalll peeces or slyces the wayght of an ounce which they seeth in foure pottes or quartes of water letting it séeth till it be halfe consumed whereof they séeth fresh euery day this water they must drink alone eat bisket with nothing els but smal rosted Chickens without any Butter suet salt or any other sauce but onely drie with the Bisket and this must bee their dinner at night some Reasons and tosted breade with Hony and nothing els euery day twice they must lie on their beddes wel couered to make them sweat euery time an hower or an hower and a halfe which they must continue for the space of thirtie dayes alwaies kéeping themselues out of the ayre and from the wind and lapping their heads and their eares very close staying continually within the house and aboue all thinges abstayning from the carnall company of women These pointes aforesaid being obserued without all doubt they shall find great profite and if the roote doth worke within them they shall know it by this meanes for that the paine in their lims and specially in their ioyntes will grieue them more and more which is a good signe that it worketh in their bodies and thoroughly searcheth the same and this paine will still increase for the space of 15. or 20. dayes yea and sometimes vntill 25. dayes and therefore he that will vse it must not dispaire for without faile it wil be so as I haue said within a day two or thrée more or lesse The 25. dayes at the furthest being passed then their paine will begin to deminish with so great a lightnes and ease that within the other fiue dayes whereby the 30. dayes will bee accomplished the whole paine will be gone so that the body and all the members
will be as fresh and liuely as if they neuer had béene sicke hauing vsed this rule aforesaid And although the roote China being sodden in the water causeth a great appetite and a hungry stomacke neuerthelesse they must in any sorte beware that they eate but little and with measure that according to the rule prescribed for if they break it but one day nay but one houre all their labour were lost and so they must be forced to begin their diet again It must likewise bee vnderstood that the older and longer of continuance the pockes are so much the sooner will the roote heale them as also the older the persons to be healed are of yeares because that then the humors are not so ripe as in young yeares When the 3â— dayes are expired they must beware of drinking other drinke and to that end they must keepe the peeces and slices that were cut and sodden as before euery ounce by it selfe and therof take euery day a heape of the same roote so sodden and seeth them againe in a pot with as much water as they shall need to drinke but this seething need not to be done as the first seething with consumption of the water but only let it seeth vp once and no more This water must they drinke in this sorte for the space of 2â— or 30. dayes more and beware of fish or any goose or heauie meates as Oxe Cow or Hogges flesh and such like as also they must keepe themselues from much aire or winde whereby their bodies beeing healed may returne to their perfect healthes againe and after these twenty or thirty dayes are full expired then they must begin to vse all kinde of meates and drinkes although when the first thirtie dayes are out they may well goe abroad so they bee carefull of themselues and they shall not neede to sweate any more after the said first thirty dayes also it must bee remembred that such as meane to take this diet for their healthes it will bee good before they vse it to take a good purgation when the first fifteene dayes are out then take a second and so at the end of the thirtie day anâ— other whereby it will worke with more effect and with Gods help they shall be as lustie and sound as euer they were as it hath beene prooued by many thousandes in India This roote is not onely good for the Pockes and Piles but also for crampes and palsies and all cold diseases as for lumites that are stiffe and benummed with cold for the Gout for the Emperour Charles the fift himselfe did vse the same and found that it did him good But it must bee vnderstood that it is not good to vse it at all times of the yeare for in the dogge dayes and also in Summer by reason of the heat it is not good neyther in winter because of the cold but it is best to be vsed in Lent and Haruest time for then it is most temperate weather yet alwaies with the counsell of the learned Phisition the better to know the disposition complection inclination and age of the persons together with the time of the yeare the situation and climate of the countrie The manner of healing aforesaid is as it is vsed in India but in China which is a colder countrey and almost vnder the same degrees that these Countries are vnder they vse to seeth the water stronger for there they put 2 ounces or an ounce and a halfe of the wood into so much water and let it seeth vntill the water be two partes consumed which in India will not bee borne because of the great heate It is likewise to be vnderstood that the person and the disease of the person must be well considered for that if the sicknes bee not very great they must take lesse roote and let lesse water consume in the seething the younger persons also must haue stronger drinke then old â—olkes because they haue more humors in their bodies And yee must consider that hee which will take or vse this roote or the water thereof not beeing sicke it will waste and consume his flesh and good blood and doe himselfe great hurt wherfore good counsell and aduise must alwaies be taken before it be vsed and also iâ— it bee taken too hotte and too much it burneth both the liuer and the lunges and will fill the body full of pyles scurffe and maâ—gâ—es with other such like diseases whereby a man shall haue worke enough to driue those new diseases out of his body and fall out of one sicknes into another rather become worse then hee was at the first This I thought good in briefe to shew you thereby to teach such as knowe it not the true vse of his roote if it bee done in time when neede requireth for that many doe spende their wealthes and which is more are all their liues long out of hope for eâ—er to recouer their healthes againe vpon a disease which with so little cost is so easilie to be cured The summe of the foresaid water is likewise good against all scabbes and swellinges of the said Mâ— Neapo◠〈◊〉 or y e French pockes the best rootes are the blackest with few knots and white within for the reddish are not so good the wood or trée wherof it groweth is like a Haw-thorne straight and about three or foure spannes high the roote thereof is called the wood of China or Pockewood when they are gréene they eate them raw and being sodden they taste almost like suger canes but not so sweet The tree hath but few leaues but they are almost like the leaues of a young Orange tree These plants or trees in China are called Lampaton as the Chinos themselues doe say This shall suffice for this root of China so called because it is found in no place but in China what is more to be said of it I leaue vnto the learned Phisitions others that deale withall and haue better experience thereof The roote of China is commonlie vsed among the Egyptians not onelie for the pockes but for many other diseases specially for a consumption for the which they seeth the roote China in broth of a henne or cocke whereby they become whole and faire of face This roote drieth much and cooleth sweate it resisteth euill humors and strengthneth the liuer it healeth watery and filthie Vlcers and scurffes Leprie Is is good for a man that hath the pockes and for those that are dried vp and medicinable against a hard and a great milt The 78. Chapter Of Amsion alias Opium AMsion so called by the Portingales is by the Arabians Mores and Indians called Affion in latine Opio or opium It commeth out of Cairo in Egypt and out of Aden vpon the coast of Arabia which is the point of the land entring into the red Sea sometimes belonging to the Portingales but most part out of Cambaia from Decan that of Caâ—o is whitish and
It is likewise much caried abroad both into Portingale and els where but they are most vsed in India for there the women speciallie those of Bengala vse to weare manillias or bracelets of them about their armes that is to say those of most account and they must not take a maidens maidenhead from her that is of any estate or degree but she must haue some of these mother of Pearle bracelets about her armes which at this day is yet much vsed and obsâ—â—ued whereby it is verie much wornâ— Torteanxes there are likewise in great numbers throughout all India of their shelles they make many curious deuises as Combes Cuppes and Boles to drinke in with tablemen and diuers such like thinges knowing howe to giue it a faire and shining colour most pleasant to behold and is more estéemed of in India theÌ„ the mother of pearle by reason of the beautifull colour they set vppon it The 85. Chapter Of Diamonds DIamonds by the Arabians and Mores called Almas and by the Indians where they grow Iraa and by the Malagans where they are likewise fouÌ„d Itam They grow in the Countrie of Decam behinde Ballagate by the Towne of Bisnagar wherein are two or three hilles from whence they are digged whereof the King of Bâ—snagar doth reape great profitte for hee causeth theÌ„ to be straightly watched and hath farmed them out with this condition that all Diamonds that are aboue twenty fiue Mangeleyns in waight are for the king himselfe euery Mangelyn is foure graines in waight and if anie man bee found that hideth anie such hee looseth both life and goods There is yet another hill in the Countrie of Decam which is called Vellia that is the old Rocke from thence come the best Diamonds and are sold for the greatest price which the Diamand grinders Iewellers and Indians can very well discerne from the rest These Diamonds are much brought to sell in a Faire that is holden in a Towne called Lâ—spor lying in the same countrie of Decam betweene Goa and Cambaia whether the Banianes and Gusurates of Cambaia doe goe and buy them vp bringing them to Goa and other places They are very skilfull in these matters so that no Ieweller can goe beyond them but oftentimes they deceiue the best Iewellers in all Christendome In this Roca Vellia there are Diamondes founde that are called Nayfes ready cut which are naturall and are more estéemed then the rest specially by the Indians themselues In the straight called Tania pura a countrie on the one side of Malacca there is likewise an old rocke which also is called Roca-Vellia where many Diamondes are found that are excellent they are small but verie good and heauie which is good for the seller but not for the buyer Diamonds are digged like gold out of Mynes and where they digge one yeare the length of a man into the ground within three or foure yeares after there are Diamondes founde againe in the same place which grow there Sometimes they find Diamonds of one hundred and two hundred Mangelyns and more but verie few There is another stone called a Topace for colour which is almost like the Diamond but darker of lesse estimation There are many of them founde that are of great valew for that kinde of stone and are likewise digged out of the earth like Diamonds in many places of India There are also white Saffires and Rubies which can hardly bee knowne from Diamonds vnles it be by very good and expert Iewellers and Diamond grinders There is likewise founde in India a kinde of thing much like to Rock-christall but indéede it is none for there is no Christall to be found in India nor in any of the oriental countries It is called berylo and is little different from Christall It is much found in Cambaia Pegu and Seylon and they make many things thereof as beades seales and diuers other thinges which they sell vnto the Christians and vse among themselues The 86. Chapter Of Rubies Espinelles Granades Emeralds and other precious stones RVbies are of manie sorts but the best are those that are called carbunckles which are Rubies that waigh aboue 25. quilates wherof there are verie few and seldome to be found The best Rubies that are of the best colour and water are in India called Tockes which are like Carbunckles there are others called Ballax which are of a lower price then the first and they are red There are others called Espinellas that are of colour like fire and are lesse esteemed then the other two sortes because they haue not the right water of Rubies There are Rubies also of manie other sorts wherof some are white like Diamonds as I said before other of a Carnation colour or much like white Cherries when they are ripe There are Rubies found halfe white halfe red some halfe Rubies halfe Safires and a thousand such other sortes The cause thereof is because that in the rockes and hils where they grow their first colour is white and by the force of the Sunne are in time brought to their perfection and ripenesse and béeing perfect they are of colour red like the Carbunckle and Tockes aforesaid but wanting somewhat of their perfection and being digged out before that time they are of diuers colours as I said before and how much paler they are and lesse red then the Tockes so much are they lesse in valew for as they are in beautie and perfection so are they estéemed euery one in their kinde Those that are halfe Rubies and halfe Safires which the Indians call Nilcandi that is to say halfe Safier and halfe Rubie proceed of this that the Rubies and Safiers grow alwaies in one rocke whereby they are oftentimes founde halfe one halfe other The Rubies by the Arabians and Persians are called Iacut by the Indians Manica The Safiers are of two sortes one of a darke blew the other of a right blew the Iacinth Granades and Robasses are likewise certaine kinds of Rubies but little esteemed the Indians call them the yellow and carnation Rubies and so foorth according to their colour These Iacinthes Granadoes and Robasses are in so great numbers in Cananor Calecut and Cambaia that they are to sell in euerie Market and corner of the streets by whole corgias each corgia hauing twentie péeces at the least in it they sell the corgia for one stiuer or two at the most as many as you will desire but you must vnderstand they are of the smallest sort The Safier is not of so great estimation as the Rubie and yet is one of the most precious stones that are next the Diamond and the Rubie the Rubies Safiers and other stones aforesaid doe grow and are found in rockes and hilles like Diamonds they come out of Calecut Cananor and from manie places in the land of Bisnaga but most out of the Island of Seylon which are the best but those of the Countrie of Pegu are esteemed the finest whereof there is great store The
parts with a very good table and were to bee compared with a Diamond of one Quilate it would bee worth 40. duckets but hauing any imperfections euery maÌ„ may well consider what hurt and abate they may doe in the price and after the same rate make his account as hee doth in Rubies the Ballayeses are likewise sold by waight but not in that sort as Diamonds and Rubies but they are estéemed according to the waight that is the best â—layes that may be found being of one Quilate may be worth ten duckets and hauing any faults eyther in colour or other perfections is of lesse valew but beeing perfect as I said alreadie it is worth ten duckets and two Quilates twentie duckets of three Quilates thirtie duckets and so after the rate as it is small or great being of the waight it should bee and beeing imperfect euery man ofskill may well consider what it is worth being of one Quilate estéeme it thereafter The 91. Chapter Of Orientale Pearles THe Orientale Pearles are better then those of the Spanish Indies and haue great difference in the price for they are worth more and haue a better glasse being clearer and fairer Those of the Spanish Indies commonly beeing darker deader of colour yet there are some found in the Portingall Indies that are nothing inferiour to the Orientale Pearles but they are very few Now to valew them as they shuld be I wil only set the good Pearles at a price A Pearle that in all partes is perfect both of water glasse and beautie without knobs of forme very rouÌ„d or proportioned like a pearle without dents being of one Quilate is worth a ducket and after this rate I will make my reckoning as I doe with Diamonds Rubies and Emeraulds and if there be any faults in the water clearenes and fashion or that it hath any knobs or other defaults it may well be considered what hurt it may bee vnto the sale thereof and according to the goodnes or badnes valew the price therof which hauing valewed we must sée what it weigheth and then make the reckoning thereof as with Diamonds Rubies Emeraulds if there be a whole string or a chaine full of Pearles you must looke well vpon theÌ„ for where there are many they are not all alike the greatest beeing the best the other after the rate for the goodnes of the great wil beare the badnes of the smal but if it be contrary then the bargen is not very good This shall suffice for instruction to such as desire to deale therewith to haue alwaies in their memorie and what herein is wanting for the better vnderstanding and knowledge hereof it may be supplied by true Iewellers and stone cutters that are skilfull in this point and with these instructions can easily help so that a maÌ„ shall not need wholly to put his trust in those that for their owne profit will giue them but bad counsell therein The 92. Chapter Of â—rtaâ—ne â—emorable thinges passed in India during my residence there IN the month of December Anno 158â— there ariued in the towne and Island of Ormus foure EnglishmeÌ„ which came from Aleppo in the couÌ„trie of Suria hauing sayled out of England and passed through the straightes of Gibraltar to Tripoli a towne and Hauen lying on the sea coast of Suria where all the shippes discharge their wares and marchandises and frome thence are caryed by land vnto Alleppo which is nyne dayes iourney In Aleppo there are resident diuers marchants and Factors of all Nations as Italians Frenchemen EnglishmeÌ„ Armenians Turkes Mores euerie man hauing his Religion apart paying tribute vnto the great Turke In that towne there is great trafficke for that from thence euerie yeare twyse there trauelleth two Caâ—ylen that is companies of people and Camelles which trauell vnto India Persia Arabia and all the countries bordering on the same and deale in all sorts of marchandise both to and from those Countries as I in an other place haue alreadie declared Three of the said Englishmen aforesaide were sent by the Companie of Englishmen that are resident in Aleppo to see if in Ormus they might keepe any Factors and so trafficke in that place like as also the Italians doe that is to say the Venetians which in Ormus Goa and Malacca haue their Factors and trafficke there as well for stones and pearles as for other wares and spices of those countries which from thence are caryed ouer land into Veâ—e One of these Englishmen had beene 〈◊〉 before in the said towne of Ormus and there had taken good information of the trade and vpon his aduise and aduertisement the other were as then come thether with him bringing great store of marchandises with them as Clothes Saffron all kindes of drinking glasses and Haberdashers wares as looking glasses kniues and such like stuffe and to conclude brought with them all kinde of small wares that may be deuised And although those wares amounted vnto great summes of money notwithstaÌ„ding it was but onlie a shadow or colour thereby to giue no occasion to be mistrusted or seen into for that their principall intent was to buy great quantities of precious Stones as Diamantes Pearles Rubies c. to the which ende they brought with them a great summe of money and Gold and that verie secretly not to be deceyued or robbed thereof or to runne into anie danger for the same They being thus aryued in Ormus hyred a Shop and began to sell their wares which the Italians perceyuing whose Factors continue there as I sayd before and fearing that those Englishmen finding good vent for their commodities in that place wold be resident therein and so daylie increase which would be no small losse and hinderance vnto them did presently inuent all the subtile meanes they could to hinder them and to that end they went vnto the Captaine of Ormus as then called Don Gonsalo de Meneses telling him that there were certaine Englishmen come into Ormus that were sent only to spy the Country and said further that they were Heretickes and therefore they sayd it was conuenient they shuld not be suffered so to depart without béeing examined and punished as enimies to the example of others The Captaine being a friend vnto the Englishmen by reason that one of them which had bene there before had giuen him certaine presents would not be perswaded to trouble them but shipped them with all their wares in a Shippe that was to sayle for Goa and sent them to the Viceroy that he might examine and trye them as hee thought good where when they were aryued they were cast into prison and first examined whether they were good Christians or no and because they could speake but bad Portugale onlie two of them spake good Dutche as hauing bene certaine yeares in the lowe Countries and there traffiqued There was a Dutch Iesuite borne in the towne of Bâ—gges in Flaunders that had bin resident in the Indies for the space
this custome they obserued in this our nauigation for sodainely the cloud came with a most horrible storme and fell vppon them before they coulde preuent it whereby seuen or eight of them were sunke into the seas and neuer heard of againe and the rest with great hurt and much daunger escaped But from that time forwards they looked better to themselues and haue learned to know it so that at this present they watch for it and yet it giueth them worke enough to doe This storme falling ouer their heads in this sorte continueth through the whole Countrey of Terra Donatal vntil you passe the Cape de bona Speranza The 12. of March being vnder 31. degrees wée were right in the winde and had a calme whereupon we stroke all our sayles and so lay driuing 4. dayes together which the Portingalles call Payraes hauing a verie high sea which tossed our shippes in such sort that the Saylers estéemed it to be worse then a storme for that there the waues of the Sea mette in such sorte on all sides and clasped the shippe in such manner betwixt them that they made all her ribbes to cracke and in a manner to open so that it is very dangerous for the shippes We were in very great care for our Fouke-maste and therefore we bound our Mastes and all the shippes about with Cables as harde as possible wee might This continued till the 17. of March and then we had a little wind so that we hoised saile againe but it continued no longer then to the next day and then we fell againe into the wind and had a storme wherewith our maine yard brake and then againe wee stroke al our sails and so lay driuing or Payraering as the Portingalles call it In the meane time we mended our maine yard and so wee continued driuing without our sailes till the 20. of March with great risings of the waues of the sea which much tormented vs as in that place they commonly doe all the which time we were vnder 31. degrées and could not passe forward In that time we saw many birdes which the Portingals call Antenalen and are as bigge as Duckes The 2◠of March wee had a little winde but very sharpe yet we hoysed our sailes and sayled by the wind The next night after we had a calme which continued to the 22. day and then we fell againe into the winde with so great a storme that wee were compelled to strike all our sayles which wee coulde hardly pull in and could not stay the shippe in any sort it draue so fast whereby wee were in great daunger so that wee were compelled to binde the bonnet about the Fore-castle which was our sayle for other sayle we might not beare and so sayled backwarde whether the winde would driue vs thereby to haue some ease and yet we had enough to doe for wee were compelled to throwe our great Boate ouer bord with all the chests pots and vesselles that stoode vpon the Hatches with other wares such as came first to hand This storme continued for the space of two dayes three nights without ceasing The 25. of March being the day before Palme sunday we had a better wind and weather after we had giuen great almes to our blessed Ladie of the Annuntiation whose Feast was vppon that day and again hoysed vp our sayles keeping our course towards the Cape At the same time we had a disease in our ship that tooke vs in y e mouth lippes throate and tongue which tooke off the skin and made them swell whereby they could not eate but with great paine and not one in the ship but had it The eight of Aprill in the Morning after we had sayled fifteene daies before the winde towards the Cape we perceiued some signes of the land which is greene water but wee found no ground yet was it not aboue fortie miles from the land according to the Pilots iudgement We saw there also diuers of the Birds called Mangas de Velludo that is to say Veluet sleues for they haue vpon the ends of their wings blacke points like Veluet all the rest beeing white and somewhat gray which they hold for a certaine signe of land that lyeth within the Cape de Bona Speranza called Baya de la Goa or the Bay of the Lake and lyeth vnder thirtie thrée degrées a halfe from the coast that reacheth towards Mosambique The ninth of Aprill at night we were againe right in the winde being vnder thirtie fiue degrees and a halfe with a great storme and foule wether that continued till the 14. of the same Month so that we were compelled not being able to endure the force of the Sea with the continuall storme and foule wether to sayle back againe before the wind with the halfe of our Fouke sayle vp for that wee found our selues not strong enough to driue without sayles as the shippes commonly vse to doe which oftentimes is the cause of their casting away as it may well be iudged by reason of the great force and strength of the waues that runne there so that it seemeth almost impossible for a ship to beare out so great a force though it were of Iron And although we sayled before the winde yet wée had danger inough for that the Sea came behinde and ouer our shippe and filled all the Hatches whereby wee were compelled to binde our Mastes Cables and all the shippe round about with Ropes that with y e great force of the Sea it might not stirre and flye in péeces And forced wee were to Pumpe night and day hauing at each ende of the Fouke-yarde a rope that reached to the Pilot and at each rope there stoode fifteene or sixteene men the Pilot sitting in his seate and the vnder Pilot behinde vpon the sterne of the shippe to marke the course of the Sea and so to aduertise the other Pilot. At the ruther there stoode ten or twelue men and the other Saylers vpon the Hatches to rule the sayles as the waues came and couered the shippe the vnder Pilot called and then the chiefe Pilot spake to them at the Ruther to hold stiffe and commaunded the ropes that were at the Fouke yarde to bee pulled stiffe the Saylers likewise and the chiefe Boteswaine standing on the Hatches to keepe the ship right in the waues for if the waues had once gotten vs about that they had entred on the sides of the shippe it had certainly beene said of vs Requiescant in pace And it was there almost as cold as it is here with vs in winter when it freeseth not whereby wee were all sore toyled and in a manner out of hart so that wee esteemed our selues cleane cast away for we were forced by turnes to go to the ruther from thence to the pumpe not one excepted so that we had no time to sleepe rest eate nor cloath our selues and to help vs the better the staffe of our Ruther brake in péeces and had
almost slaine two or three of our men But God had pittie on vs so that there happened no other hurt but that some of them were a litle amazed This continued to the fourteenth of April without any change whereupon all the Officers of the shippe assembled together with others of the companie taking counsell what was best to be done and perceiuing the shippe not to bee strong enough to passe the Cape they concluded by protestation whereunto they subscribed their hands to sayle with the ship to Mosambique and there to winter and to repaire the shippe and prouide all necessaries for it which greatly greeued the common sort because they did find as great danger in turning backe againe to Mosambique as to passe the Cape for that they were to sayle againe by the land Donatal which they feared as much as the Cape and also though they did arriue at Mosambique yet they accounted it as much as a lost Viage For that they must stay there till the next yeare and there spend all they haue for that all things that come thether are brought out of India so that euerie thing is there as â—eare as gold which would bee hard for the poore Saylers and Swabbers as hauing but little meanes to relieue themselues and therby they should be constrained to sel that litle they had broght with them for halfe the value and besides that they were as then about â—00 miles froÌ„ Mosambique Wherefore there grew great noyse and murmuring in the ship among the Saylers that cursed the Captaine and the Officers because the ship was badly prouided for it had not one rope more then hung about the ship nor any thing wherof to make them if those that we had should haue chanced to breake The Captaine laide the faulte on the Master because hee asked them not when hee was at land and the Maâ—ter saide that he had spoken for them and that the Cairo or Hemp whereof in India the ropes are made was deliuered vnto the Captaine and that he had sold y e best part thereof to put the money in his purse that was the cause why we wanted with this disorder they bring their matters to passe not once remembring what may after fall out but when they are in danger theÌ„ ther is nothing els but crying Misericordia and calling to our lady for helpe the Captaine could not tell what to answere séeing vs in that trouble but said that he maruelled at nothing so much as why our Lord God suffered them beeing so good Christians and Catholiques as they were to passe the Cape with so great torments and dangerous weather hauing so great and strong shippes and that the Englishmen béeing as he said Heretickes and blasphemers of God with so smal weake vessels passed y e Cape so easilie for they had receaued newes in India that an English Shippe had passed the Cape with verie great ease And so wee made backe againe towards Mosambique being in great dispaire for that no man cared for laying his hand to worke and hardlie would any man obay the Officers of the Shippe In this manner sayling wee perceiued diuers vesselles and bordes with dead men bound vpon them driuing in the Sea which comforted vs a little thinking that some other of the shippes were in the same taking and had throwne some of their goods ouer bord and so made towardes Mosambique before vs whereby we thought to haue company and that we alone were not vnfortunate for that is commonlie said that companions in miserie are a comfort one to an other and so it was to vs but I would to God it had bene so as we imagined but it was farre worse then turning backe againe for those were the signes of the casting away of the S. Thomas as being in the Iland of S. Helena as we were afterwards aduertised The 15. of April we had an other great calme which continued till the 17 day and taking the hight of the Sunne we found our selues to be vnder 37 degrees to the great admiration of al the company for that being as I said vnder 35 degrees and hauing sayled for the space of 5 dayes with so great a wind and stormy weather towards Mosambique we should rather by al mens reason haue lessened our degrees by estimation wee made account to haue bene vnder 30 or 32 degrees at the highest but the cause why our shippe went backward in that sort against wind and weather towards the Cape thinking wee made towards Mosambique was by the water which in those countries carieth with a verie strong streame towards the cape as the Pylot tould vs he had proued at other times yet he thought not that the water had runne with so great a streame as now by experience he found it did so as it séemed that God miraculouslie against all mans reason and iudgement and all the force of wind and stormes would haue vs passe the Cape wheÌ„ we were least in hope thereof whereby we may plainelie perceiue that all mens actions without the hand of God are of no moment The same day againe we saw gréene water and the birdes called Mangas de Velludo or veluet sléeues which are certain signes of the cape de bona Speranza which put vs once againe in hope to passe it and about euening a swallow flew into our shippe wherat they much reioiced saying that it was a sign and foreshowing that our Lady had sent the Swallow on bord to comfort vs and that we should passe the Cape wherewith they agreed once againe to proue if we could passe it séeing we had such signes and tokens to put vs in good comfort that God would help vs. This being concluded we sung the Letany with Ora pro nobis and gaue many almes with promises of pilgrimages and visitations and such like things which was our dayly worke With that the saylers others began to take courage and to be lustie euery man willinglie doing his office offering rather to lose life and welfare in aduenturing to passe the Cape then with full assurance of their safetie to returne vnto Mosambique we had as then great waues and very bigge water in the sea which left vs not till wee came to the other side of the Cape The 18 of Aprill we fell againe into the wind with as great stormes and foule weather as euer we had before so that we thought verily we should haue bene cast away for that at euerie minute the sea couered our ship with water to lighten her we cast diuers chestes and much Cinamon with other thinges that came first to hand ouer bord wherewith euerie man made account to die and began to confesse themselues and to aske each other forgiuenes thinking without more hope that our last day was come This storme continued in this sort at the least for the space of 24 houres in the mean time great almes were giuen in our shippe to many Virgin Maries and other Saints
with great deuotion promise of other wonderfull things when they came to land at the last God comforted vs and sent vs better weather for that the 19 of Aâ—â—ill the wether began to cleéere vp and therewith we were in better comfort The 20. of Aprill we tooke the hight of the Sunne and found it to be â—6 degrées and againe we saw greene water and some birds which they call Alcatraces and many Sea-wolues which they hold for certain signes of the cape de Bona SperaÌ„za as we thought were hard by the land but yet saw none the same day we had the wind somewhat fuller and were in great hope to passe the Cape so that the men began to be in better comfort by reason of the signes we haue seene All that day we saw greene water till the 22 of Apr. vpon which day twice and in the night following we cast out the Lead and found no ground which is a good signe that wee had passed the Cape called das Agulhas or the cape of needles which lieth vnder 35 degrees and is about 20 miles from the Cape de bona Speranza which lieth vnder 34 degrées a half And because that about this cape Das Agulhas there is ground found at the least 30 or 40 miles from the land we knew wee were past it as also by the colour of the water and the birds which are alwaies found in those countries and the better to assure vs thereof the great high sea left vs that had so long tormented vs and then we found a smoother water much differing from the former so that as theÌ„ we seemed to be come out of hell into Paradice with so great ioy that we thought we were within the sight of some hauen and withall had a good winde though somewhat cold The 23 of Aprill we passed the Cape de Bona Speranza with a great and generall gladnes it being as then 3 months and three dayes after we set sayle from Cochiin not once seeing any land or sand at all but onelie these assured tokens of the said Cape which happened very seldome for that the pilots doe alwaies vse what meanes they can to see the cape and to know the land thereby to know certainlie that they are past it for then their degrees must lessen and there they may as soone make towards Mosambique as to the Iland of S. Helena for although they can well perceiue it by y e water yet is it necessary for them to see the land the better to set their course vnto S. Helena wherein they must alwaies kéepe on the left hand otherwise it were impossible for them to come at it if they leaue that course for if they once passe it they can not come to it again because there bloweth continually but one kind of wind which is South east and thus hauing passed the Cape we got before the wind The 24 of Aprill the Pilot willed vs to giue the Bona viagen vnto the Cape de Bona Speranza according to the custome with great ioy and gladnes of all that were in the shippe for that as theÌ„ they assure themselues that they sayl to Portingal and not to turne againe into India for so long as they are not past the Cape they are alwaies in doubt and as then we were about 50. miles beyond the Cape The signes and tokens whereby they know themselues certainly to haue passed the Cape are great heapes and péeces of thicke réedes that alwaies thereabouts driue vppon the water at least 15 or â—â— miles from the land as also certaine birds by the Portingals called Feyâ—oins somewhat greater then sea mâ—wâ—s being white full of blacke spots ouer al their bodies very easie to be known from al other birds These are certain signes whereby the Pilotes doe certainly perswade themselues that they are past the Cape and hauing passed it they set their course for S. Helena Northwest Northwest by west The 27 of Apr. we were right in the wind and so continued till the next day and theÌ„ we had a calm being vnder 3â— degrees on Portingal side The â—9 of Apr. wâ— gâ—t before the wind which is the generall wind y t alwaies bloweth in those countries al the whole yere vntill y â— come to the Equinoctial line and is a Southeast wind so y t they may wel let their sayles stand lay them down to slâ—ep for in y e greatest wind y t bloweth there they need not strike their maine yard aboue half the mast The 12 of May in the morning betimes we discouered the IlaÌ„d of S. Helena whereat there was so great ioy in the ship as if we had bene in heauen as then we were about 2 miles from y e land the Iland lying from vs West south west whereunto we sayled so close that with a caliuer shot we might reach vnto the shore being hard by it we sayled about a corner of the land that from vs lay Northwest which hauing compassed wee sayled close by the land West North west the land on that side beeing so high and still that it séemed to be a wall that reached vnto the skyes And in that sort we sayled about a mile and a half and compassed about y e other corner that lay westward from vs which corner béeing compassed we presentlie perceiued the shippes that lay in the road which were those ships that set sayle before vs out of India lying about a small half mile from the foresaid corner close vnder the land so that the land as then lieth South east from them and by reason of the high land the shippes lie there as safe as if they were in a hauen for they may well heare the wind whistle on the top of their maine yards but lower it can not come and they lie so close vnder the land that they may almost cast a stone vpon the shore There is good ground there at 25 and 30 fadomes deep but if they chance to put further out or to passe beyond it they must goe forward for they can get no more vnto y e land and for this cause we kept so close to the shore that the height of the laÌ„d took the wind froÌ„ vs the ship wold not steer without wind so that it draue vpon the land wherby our horesprit touched y e shore therwith we thought that shippe goods had all beene cast away but by reason of the great depth being 1â— fadomes water and with the help of the Boats and men off the other ships that came vnto vs we put off from the land without any hurt and by those Boates wee were brought to a place wher the other ships lay at Anker which is right against a valley that lyeth betwéene two high hilles wherein there standeth a little Church called Saint Helena There we found fiue shippes which were the ship that came from Malacca and the S. Mary that had béene there about 15. daies
into the Iland as there doe and they may kill them with stones and staues by reason of the gret numbers of them Now for fruites as Portingall Figges Pomgranets Oranges Lemons Citrons and such like fruites there are so many that growe without planting or setting that all the valleyes are full of them which is a great pleasure to beholde so that it séemeth to bee an earthly Paradise It hath fruite all the yeare long because it raineth there by showers at the least fiue or six times euerie day and then againe the Sunne shineth so that whatsoeuer is planted there it groweth verie well but because the Portingales are not ouer curious of new things there groweth not of al sorts of fruites of Portingall and India in that Iland for assuredly without any doubt they would growe well in that land because of the good temperature of the ayre besides this they haue so great abundance of Fish round about the Iland that it séemeth a wonder wrought of God for with crooked nayles they may take as much Fish as they will so that all the shippes doe prouide themselues of Fish of all sorts in that place which is hanged vp and dried and is of as good a taste and sauor as any Fish that euer I eate and this euery man that hath beene there affirmeth to be true And the better to serue their turnes vpon the Rockes they find salt which serueth them for their necessarie prouisions so that to conclude it is an earthly Paradise for y e Portingall shippes and seemeth to haue been miraculously discouered for the refreshing and seruice of the same considering the smalnesse and highnesse of the land lying in the middle of the Ocean seas and so far from the firme land or any other Ilands that it séemeth to be a Boye placed in the midle of the Spanish Seas for if this Iland were not it were impossible for the shippes to make any good or prosperous Viage for it hath often fallen out that some shippes which haue missed thereof haue endured the greatest miserie in y e world and were forced to put into the coast of Guinea there to stay the falling of the raine and so to get fresh water and afterwardes came halfe dead and spoyled into Portingall It is the fashion that all the sicke persons that are in the shippes and can not wel sayle in them are left there in the Iland with some prouision of Rice Bisket Oyle and some Spices for Fish and flesh they may haue enough for when the ships are gone then all the beastes which by reason of the great number of people fly into the mountaines come downe againe into the valleyes where they may take them with their handes and kill them as they list those sicke men stay there till the next yeare till other ships come thether which take them with them they are commonly soone healed in that Iland as being a verie sound and pleasant countrie and it is verie seldome seene that any of them dyeth there because they haue alwaies a temperate ayre and coole winde and alwayes fruite throughout the whoâ—â— yeare The king will not suffer any man to dwell in it because they should not destroye spoyle the countrie and holde it as their owne but will haue it common for euerie man to take what he hath neede of In time past there dwelt an Hermet in the I le who continued there for certaine yeares vnder pretence of doing penance and to vphold the Church hee killed many of the Goates and Buckes so that euerie yeare hee sold at the least fiue or sixe hundred skinnes and made great profit therof which the King hearing caused him presently to bee brought from thence into Portingall Likewise vpon a certaine time two Caâ—â—ares or blacke people of Mosambique and one Iauer with two women slaues stoale out of the shippes and hid themselues in the Rockes of this Iland which are verie high and wilde whereby men can hardly passe them They liued there together and begot children so that in the ende they were at the least twentie persons who when the ships were gone ran throughout the Iland and did much hurt making their houses dweling places betweene some of the hilles where not any of the Portingales had beene nor yet could easily come at them and therein they hid themselues vntill the shippes were gone but in the end they were perceiued and the Portingales vsed all the meanes they could to take them but they knew so well how to hide and defend themselues that in many yeares they could not be taken in the end fearing that they might in time be hurtfull vnto them and hinder them much by expresse commaundement of the King after long and great labour they tooke them all and brought them prisoners into Portingall so that at this present no man dwelleth therein but onely the sicke men as I told you before When the ships come thether euerie man maketh his lodging vnder a trée setting a Tent about it for that the trees are there so thicke that it presently séemeth a little towne or an armie lying in the fielde Euerie man prouideth for himselfe both flesh fish fruite and woode for there is enough for them all and euerie one washeth Linnen There they hold a generall fasting and prayer with Masse euerie daye which is done with great deuotion with procession and thankesgiuing and other Himnes thanking God that hee hath preserued them from the danger of the Cape de Bona Speranza and brought them to that Iland in safetie There they vse oftentimes to Carus their names and markes in trees plants for a perpetuall memorie whereof many hundredth are there to be found which letters with the growing of the trées doe also grow bigger and bigger we found names that had been there since the yeare of the Lord 1510. 1515. and euerie yeare orderly following which names stoode vpon Figge trées euery letter being of the bignesse of a spanne by reason of the age and growing of the trées This shal suffice for the description of the Iland of Saint Helena The 21. of May being Saint Helenas day and Whitsunday after we had taken in all our fresh water and other necessaries we set sayle altogether in companie and directed Th◠〈…〉 Pâ—â—ntâ—d 〈◊〉 London by â—ohn Wolfe 〈◊〉 by William Rogers THE TRVE Description of the ISLAND of 〈◊〉 lyeiâ—g 〈◊〉 by â— degrees on y e Sâ—uth syde of y e Equinoctiall lyne Printed at London by Iohn Wolfe Gâ—â—uen by William Rogers our course towardes Portingall leauing about fiftéene sicke men in the Ilande some slaues that ranne out of the ships The 26. of May in the Euening wee spake with the Saint Mary and the next day with the Gallion of Malacca the same Morning and in the after noone with the Admirall who willed vs to follow him vnto the Iland of the Ascention The same day one of our slaues fell ouer bord although we vsed all the
hearbe is like Samper but yellow of colour hath berries like Goose berries but nothing in them The Portingalles call it Sargasso because it is like the herbes that groweth in their welles in Portingall called Sargasso wherevpon that sea is called Sargasso It is not knowne from whence it commeth for there is no land nor Island that is knowne to bee neare that sea but the coast of Africa which is at the least more then 400. miles from thence It is thought it commeth from from the ground and yet there is no ground in that place to bee founde and in sayling to India the shippes come not into that sea for then they kéepe closer to the shore so that it is not once séene and it is not found in any place but there beginning at 20. degrées continuing to 34. degrées so thicke and so full as if they were whole Islandes most strange to beholde In that countrey it is as cold in winter as it is here with vs when it fréezeth not which the Portingalles estéeme a great cold and cloath themselues against it as we doe in a mightie great frost The last of Iune wee were vnder 23. degrees being right vnder the Sunne for y t the Sun was then in the same height and we also vnder y e Tropike of Cancer which is the furthest part that the Sunne goeth Northwarde and then it turneth againe vnto the Equinoctial line and from thence into the South Wee passed y e line of Tropicus Capricorni twice once on the South side by the ende of the Island of S. Laurence and then againe vnder 23. degrées after we had passed the Cape de bona Speranza The 2. of Iuly wee were vnder the height of the Islands of Canarie which lie vnder 28. and 29. degrées and are distant from the coast of Barbarie and Africa from 30. to 80. miles which Islandes lay on our right hande and because in those Islandes there are many things that are worthie the noting therefore I thought it conuenient to make a briefe description of them The 96. Chapter A briefe description of the Islands of Canaria THe Islandes of Canaria are seuen which in times past were called the Fortunadas and at this day by the Spaniards are called the Canaries by reason of the great numbers of dogges which they founde in them when they were first discouered The names of the Islands are great Canarie Teneriffe La Palma La Gomera El'Hierro Lansarotte and Fuerte Ventura In the Island of Teneriffe there is a hil called Pico de Terraira which is thought to bee the highest hill that euer was found for it may easily bee séene at the least threescore miles into the sea before they come at it It cannot be climed but in the monthes of Iuly and August for all the other monthes it lyeth full of snowe although below in the Island and in other Islands thereabouts they sée no snow It is thrée dayes iourney to clime vp into it and on the toppe therof it is flat and when it is clear and faire weather a man may from thence sée all the Islandes round about it although some of them are at the least 50. miles distant and as much in compasse The two monthes in which they vse to clime vp vpon the hill they bring downe certaine peeces of brimstone from whence it is much caried into Spaine and at my being in the Island of Tercera a shipper one of my acquaintance that came from Teneriffe gaue me a péece thereof for a remembrance of him In one of those Islandes called Hierro or of Iron there is a wonderfull and strange thing to be séene and I verely thinke it is one of y e strangest things in the world This Island is on of the greatest of all the seuen but it is an vnfruitful and barren land and so drie that in all the Island there is not one droppe of fresh water to bee found but onely in some places vppon the sea side which is farre from hand so that it profiteth the inhabitants but very little But God of his mercie hath prouided for the want of water both for men and beastes in this maner for there is a great trée which no man knoweth for the like is not found in any other place the leaues whereof are small and long and alwaies gréene without chaunging colour this trée is couered and compassed about with a small cloud which alwaies continueth in one forme and neuer altereth nor diminisheth and this cloud casteth dew vpon the leaues of the trée which hang down and drop continually without ceasing a most cleare thinne and fine water which falleth into certaine Cesternes that by the inhabitants of the Island are made round about vnder the trée therein to kéepe and preserue the water The Island of Ascention so called because it was discouered vppon the day of Christs ascention into heauen is not inhabited because of the vnfruitfulnes therof because it wanteth fresh water which is also the cause that it is not visited by the ships for that they hope for no refreshing in the same The hilles of this Iland are redde like Bolus About this Iland are many birds because of the great numbers of fishes that are about it specially small flying fishes which in Portingall are called Pisce Bolodor Reade more hereof in the booke in Folio 175. And this water is in so great abundance that it serueth all the Island for their necessarie vses not onely for the people but also for their cattle throughout all the Isle and no man can remember when that wonder first began On the right side of this Island about an hundred miles distant there is yet an other wonder to be noted which is that oftentimes there is an Islande séene thereaboutes called San Borondon where diuers men haue been on lande being onely such as fell vppon it on the sodaine and not looking for it who affirme it to bee a very fayre pleasant and gréene Countrey full of trées and all kinds of victuaile and that it is inhabited by people that are Christians but no man knowes of what nation they are neyther what language they speake The Spaniards of the Islandes of Canaria haue many times sayled towardes it to view it but they could neuer find it whereupon there goeth diuers opinions of it for some think it to be inchanted and that it may not bee seene but vppon certaine dayes some thinke it to bee very small and alwaies couered with cloudes and that therefore it can not bee séene nor founde out and also the great stormes and strength of the water driueth the shippes from it but to conclude it is holden for a truth that the Ilande lyeth thereaboutes as all those that come from thence doe certainly affirme The Ilandes of Canaria are very fruitfull and plentifull of all thinges both victuailes and other necessaries They haue of all kinds of corne specially excellent good Wine which from thence is caried into
all places There is likewise great store of Sugar which is much esteemed and also caryed into all countries of Christendome which causeth great trafficke vnto those Ilands as well by Spaniardes and Portingalles as other nations and is the common staple for the shippes that sayle out of Spayne into the West Indies and refreshe themselues there and also take in such Wyne as they commonly vse to carry with them to the West Indies They haue also great abundance of Cattle and Cammelles and are now inhabited by Spanyardes hauing yet therein many of the naturall borne inhabitantes which they doe call Guanchas who by reason of their long conuersation with the Spaniardes doe wholly vse their customes and manner of apparell The chiefe of these Islands is great Canaria where there is a Bishop and the inquisition with the tribunal Royall and it hath the gouernment ouer all the other Islandes that are called the Canaries The 6. of Iulie wee were vnder 32. degrees where wee lost the generall North-East wind and had a calme and saw much of the hearbe called Sargasso which couered all the sea The 〈◊〉 of the same month we got againe before the wind being vnder 34. degrees and then we saw no more of the hearbe Sargasso but a faire cleare sea The eighteenth of Iulie wee were vnder 39. degrees vnder which height lieth the Iland called de Coruo and the Island of Tercera and also the riuer of Lisbone all these dayes we had many calmes The next day wee had a West winde being a right fore-wind and saw many flying fishes almost as great as Haddockes that flew thrée or foure fadomes high aboue the water The 22. of Iuly the winde continuing about noone we saw the Ilands called Flores and de Coruo which lie one close to the other from thence to the Island of Tercera Eastward are 70. miles At that time wee began to haue many sick men that is to say some sicke in their eyes and some in their breaste and bellies by reason of the long voiage and because their victuals began to loose the taste sauour and many wanted meat whereby diuers of them through want were compelled to seeth rice with salt water so that some of them died which many times were found vnder the fore deck that had laine â—ead two or three dayes no man knowing it which was a pittifull sight to behold considering the miserie they indured aboard those ships There died in our ship from India vnto that place of slaues and others to the number of 24. persons The same day about Euening being hy the Islandes of Flores and Coruo wee perceiued thrée shippes that made towards vs which came from vnder the land which put vs in great feare for they came close by our Admiral shot diuers times at him at another ship of our companie whereby wee perceiued them to be English men for they bare an English flagge vpon their maine tops but none of them shewed to be aboue 60. tunnes in greatnes About Euening they followed after vs and all night bore lanternes with Candles buâ—ning in them at their sternes although the Moone shined The same night passing hard by the Island of Fayarl the next day being betwéene the Island of S. George that lay on our right hand and the small Island called Câ—oâ—o on our left hand we esspied the thrée English ships still following vs that tooke counsell together whereof one sayled backwards thinking that some other ship had come after vs without company for a small time was out of sight but it was not long before it came againe to the other two wherewith they tooke counsell came all thrée together against our shippe because we lay in the lée of all our ships and had the Island of S. George on the one side in steede of a sconce thinking to deale so with vs that in the end we should be constrained to runne vppon the shore whereof wee wanted not much and in that manner with their flagges openly displayed came lustily towardes vs sounding their Trumpets and sayled at the least three times about vs beating vs with Musket and Caliuer and some great péeces and did vs hurt in the body of our shippe but spoyled all our sayles and ropes and to conclude we were so plagued by them that no man durst put forth his head and when wee shot off a peece we had at the least an houres worke to lade it againe whereby wee had so great a noise and crie in the ship as if we had all bin cast away whereat the English men themselues beganne to mocke vs and with a thousand iesting words called vnto vs. In the meane time the other shippes hoised all their sailes did the best they could to saile to the Island of Tercera not looking once behinde them to help vs doubting they should come too late thether not caring for vs but thinking themselues to haue done sufficiently so they saued their own stakes whereby it may easily be séene what company they kéepe one with the other what order is among them In the end the English men perceiuing small aduantage against vs little knowing in what case and feare we were as also because we were not far froÌ„ Tercera left vs which made vs not a litle to reioyce as thinking our selues to be risen from death to life although we were not well assured neither yet voide of feare till we lay in the road before Tercera vnder the safetie of the Portingales fort that we might get thether in good time we made all the sailes we could on the other side we were in great doubt because wee knew not what they did in the Island nor whether they were our friendes or enemies and wee doubted so much the more because wee found no men of war nor any Caruels of aduise froÌ„ Portingal as we made our accounts to doe that might conuay vs from thence or giue vs aduise as in that countrie ordinarilie they vse to do because the English men had bin so victorious in those parts it made vs suspect that it went not well with Spaine they of the Iland of Tercera were in no lesse feare then we for that séeing our deer they thought vs to be Englishmen that we came to ouer run the Iland because the 3. English meÌ„ had bouÌ„d vp their flags came in company with vs for the which cause the Iland sent out 2. Caruels that lay there with aduise from the King for the Indian ships that should come thither Those Caruels came to view vs and perceiuing what wee were made after vs wherevppon the English ships left vs made towardes them because the Caruels thought them to be friends and shunned them not as supposing them to be of our company but we shot foure or fiue times and made signes vnto them that they should make towards the Island which they presently did The English men perceiuing that did put forwards into
veneas that is I will haue thée to ouercome which being read by the Cardinall and other Gentlemen that to honour him brought him abord his shippe it was thought to be a point of exceeding folly but it is no strange matter among the Portingalles for they aboue all others must of force let the foole peepe out of their sleeues specially when they are in authoritie for that I knew the said Mathiâ—s d' Alburkeâ—k in India being a soldier and a Captaine where he was esteemed and accounted for one of the best of them and much honoured and beloued of all men as behauing himselfe courteously to euery man whereby they all desired that he might be Viceroy But when he once had receyued his Patent with full power and authority from the king to be Viceroy he changed so much froÌ„ his former behauior that by reason of his pride they al began to feare curse him that before he departed out of Lâ—sbâ—ne as it is often seene in many men that are aduanced vnto state dignity The 20. of Ianuarie Anno 1591. there was newes brought out of Portingall into Tercera that the Englishmen had taken a shippe that the king had sent into the Pâ—rtingall-Indie with aduise to the Viceroy for the returning again of the foure ships that should haue gone to India because the ships were come backe againe that ship was stuffed and laded as full of goods as possible it might bee hauing likewise in ready money 500. thousand duckets in Rials of 8. besides other wares It departed from Lisbone in the month of Nouember 1590. met with y e EnglishmeÌ„ with whom for a time it fought but in y e end it was takeÌ„ caried into England with men all yet wheÌ„ they came there the men were set at libertie returned into Lisbone where the Captaine was committed prisoner but he excused himselfe was released w t whom I spake my selfe he made this report vnto mee At the same time also they tooke a ship that came from the Mine laden w t gold 2. ships laden with Pepper and spices that were to saile into Italie the pepper onely that was in them being worth 170. thousand duckets all these ships were caried into England and made good prise In the month of Iuly an 1591. there happened an earthquake in the Iland of S. Michael which continued from the 26. of Iuly to the 12. of August in which time no man durst stay within his house but fled into the fields fasting praying w t great sorrow for y e many of their houses fel down a towne called Villa Franca was almost cleane razed to y e ground all the cloisters and houses shaken to the earth therein some people slain The land in some places rose vp and the cliffes remoued from on place to another some hils were defaced and made eueÌ„ with the ground The earthquake was so strong that the ships which lay in the road on the sea shaked as if the world would haue turned round there sprang also a fountaine out of the earth from whence for the space of 4. daies there flowed a most cleare water after that it ceased At the same time they heard such thunder noise vnder the earth as if all the Deuils in hel had been assembled together in that place wherewith many dyed for fear The Iland of Tercera shooke 4. times together so that it seemed to turne about but there happened no misfortune vnto it Earthquakes are common in those Ilandes for about 20. yeares past there happened another earthquake wherein a high hill that lyeth by y e same towne of Villa Franca fell halfe downe and couered all the towne with earth and killed many men The 25. of August y e kings Armada coÌ„ming out of Farâ—â— ariued in Tercera being in all 30. ships Biskaâ—es Portingals Spaniards 10. Dutch â—lieboats y t were arested in Lisbone to serue y e king besides other smal ships Pataros y t came to serue as messengers froÌ„ place to place to discouer the seas This nauie came to stay for conuoy the ships that shold come froÌ„ the Spanish Indies the â—lieboates were apointed in their returne home to take in the goodes y t were saued in y e lost ship y t came froÌ„ Malacca to câ—Ì„uoy it to Lisbon The 13. of September the saide Armado ariued at the Iland of Coruo where the Englishmen with about sixtéene shippes as then lay staying for the Spanish Fleete whereof some or the most parte were come and there the English were in good hope to haue taken them But when they perceyued the kings Army to be strong the Admirall being the Lorde Thomas Howard commaunded his Fléete not to fall vpon them nor any of them once to seperate their shippes from him vnlesse he gaue commission so to doe notwithstanding the Vice Admirall Sir Rychard Greenfield being in the ship called the Reuenge went into the Spanish fléete and shot among them doing them great hurte and thinking the rest of the company would haue followed which they did not but left him there and sayled away the cause why could not be knowne which the Spaniardes perceiuing with seuen or eight shippes they borded her but she withstood them all fighting with them at the least 12. houres together and sunke two of them one being a newe double Flie boat of 1200. tunnes and Admirall of the Flie boates the other a Biscaine But in the ende by reason of the number that came vppon her she was taken but to their great losse for they had lost in fighting and by drowning aboue 4â—â— men and of the English were slaine about a hundred Sir Rychard Greenfield himselfe being wounded in his braine whereof afterwardes hee dyed He was borne into the ship called the Saint Paule wherein was the Admirall of the fléet Don Alonso de Barsan there his woundes were drest by the Spanish Surgeons but Don Alonso himselfe would neither see him nor speake with him all the rest of the Captaines and Gentlemen went to visite him and to comfort him in his hard fortune wondring at his courage and stout heart for that he shewed not any signe of faintnes nor changing of colour But feeling the hower of death to approch hee spake these wordes in Spanish said Here die I Richard Grâ—enfield with a ioyfull and quiet mind for that I haue ended my life as a true soldier ought to do y t hath fought for his countrey Queene religion and honor whereby my soule most ioyfull departeth out of this bodie and shall alwaies leaue behinde it an euerlasting fame of a valiant and true soldier that hath done his dutie as he was bound to doe When he had finished these or such other like words hee gaue vp the Ghost with great and stout courage and no man could perceiue any true signe of heauinesse in him This Sir Richard Greenfield was a great and a
according to their manner and after many other wordes hee willed them to bring some Iron saying they should haue teeth for it which hauing done he brought forth his teeth This riuer as I saide is verie broad and full of Crocodiles and sea horses it hath many creekes and as they sailed from Crementun it lyeth Southeast where in the night they lauered 2. or 3. houres and came twice on ground and â—â— sayling forwardes they passed by an Island called Caraceâ—â—bo lying in the mouth of the riuer as there are many being verie low and flat land and ful of trees From that Island there came a Caâ—utien aboord their ship and in it eighteene persons and with them they had a smal drum of a hollow stocke whereon they played and being by the ship foure or fiue of them stept in whereof one of them vppon his face breast and armes was al white he bore a greene branch of a tree with a little bel and some whiting in his hand which hee strowed about the ship ringing the bel when they or any of our men spake hee made shewe as it were to consecrate and blesse the ship which done sirting downe and stammering in his words like a man possessed with some sprite or one that had a shaking feuer There was a great pot of Palme wine brought forth whereof they dranke one vnto the other which continued for the space of halfe an houre which done they went into their scâ—te rowed to land making signes to our men to come on shore and to barter with them for their wares which they did carrying them some Iron and other marchandise and went into the gouernors house being in a village where among other things they saw a little cottage about three foote high couered with straw and opeÌ„ on the side vnder the which stood a little gibet wheron hung a little horne with certaine stuffe therein which they would not lette them see by no meanes and vnder the gibet stood a staffe with a dead childes scul fixed vpon it hauing in the one eye a bone much like the bone that is founde in the head of a â—addocke whereof with vs they make horses bridles and collars for degs at the foote of the staff lay al sorts of bones both of fishes and beasts and among the rest the â—awes of a Prisâ—â— which in our countrey is called a sword fish without teeth which the master tooke away brought it vnto me our men asking what y t might signifie they said there lay a dead carcas and being in another village as they passed forwarde they sawe at the least twentie men sitting at the doore of one of their houses whereof some seemed to bee of the principal commanders and within that house there was a noyse of singing both by great and smal that it made them muse whereupon they asked what it meant they saide there was one dead The women being in trauel are not any thing ashamed but euery one both yong and old men and women run vnto her the doore standing wide open but one thing is to be wondered at that the children are al circumcised and yet they haue neither law order nor knowledge of God The countrey is fruitful and ful of al strange fruites and abounding in al kinds of beasts and birds of diners formes both great and smal There are some trees where vpon one branch there hang at the least 100. birdes nests altogether most pleasant to behold They hang by certaine strawes made fast vnto the boughes because snakes should not creepe in and suck their egges many of those nests were brought vnto me This shall suffice for the discription of the coast of Guinea after the which followeth the mightie kingdome of Congo The ancient writers helde opinion that this lande was not inhabited calling it Torriâ—â—am Zonam that is a place in the earth that through the heate of the sunne is burnt vp but they were altogether deceiued for as Odoardus Lopez a Portingale witnesseth hauing with many other Portingales long time inhabited therein There is good dwelling and the aire coÌ„trarie to al mens iudgements very temperate and that in winter there is no extreame cold but onely such weather as it is in haruest time at Rome They vse no linings nor shirte bandes nor change of clothes neither care they for the fire it is likewise no colder on the tops of the hilles then in the vallies but generally it is warmer with them in the winter then in the summer onely because of the continual raines specially about the middle of the day two houres before and as much after dinner which heat is very euill for our meÌ„ to endure The people of the countrie are black but part of the women fear what â—â—llow their haire for the most part is blacke and curled and some haue red haire they are of a mean stature therin not much vnlike the Portingales the balles of theyr eyes being of diuers colours blacke and sea colour their lips not so thicke as those of Nâ—bâ—a other Moores their faces of al proportions fat leane and indifferent betweene both like the Portingales and not like other Moores of Guinea that are foule and deformed The length of the day and night is in a maâ—er al one for that it differeth not one quarter of an houre to anie mans iudgement throughout the whole yeare their winter beginneth in our lent about the middle of March and their summer in the middle of September â— in winter it raigneth there continually for the space of fiue moneths that is Aprill May Iune Iuly August in which time there are but few faire daies and there the raine falleth in such great drops that it is wonderful which water is al dronke vp into the earth with the drienesse of the land in summer time wherein it raineth scarce once in sixe moneths with the raine likewise the riuer is filled with thick muddie water so that it floweth ouer the banks and moystneth the ground The windes that in summer doo continually blow in those countries are as Hippocrates and after him Iulius the first emperor of Rome naming them with a greek name Eâ—esâ—oâ— Northwest by the Portingales called Venâ—o Maestro or general wiâ—d as being ordinarie at that time of the yeare in all those countries which are likewise causes of the raines by driuing vp of mâ—stes and vapors vppon the tops of the hils which being there and resoluing into water doo fil the earth with raine and those continual raines are likewise causes of the growing and increasing of the great riuers that are in Egypt and Ethiopia as Niger and Nylus and al the riuers there abouts some running into the Mediterranean others into y e great Ocean seas by reason of their slime fattines and because in our sumer which is their winter for the most part it raineth throughout the countryes of Congo and Ethiopia it is not to be wondered at if the riuers be greater
and do ouerflow more then they are in the furder and very drie countries for in Egypt not accounting Alexandria with the places bordering on the same where it neuer raineth it is holden for a verie strange wonderful thing how the riuer Niâ— should grâ—w so high ful of thicke muddie water and alwaies at one time of the yeare not fayling therein thereby refreshing the earth and giuing foode both to man and beast whereby the ancient inhabitants of those countries did vse to offer sacrifices vnto that Riuer calling it as Ptolomeus in his fourth booke rehearseth a good Spirit and yet at this day many Christians esteeme it for a miracle for that without the increase thereof they would die for hunger their liues â—as Iohn Chrisostome sayth consisteth of the increasing of the waters so then the Northwest winds that in our summer time which is their winter blow in our countries are the meanes in those countries to gather cloudes and moystures vpon the high hilles from whence their raine proceedeth which raine is the cause that their countrey is not so colde as ours ingendering in those hot countries a certaine kinde of warme water Those raines then are likewise the cause of the growing ouerflowing of the riuer Niâ—us and other riuers in those countries wherof the inhabitants haue deuised and written to many fables But in their summer which is our winter there bloweth contrary windes as south and southeast which without al doubt are cold as blowing from the contrarie part of the Pole Antarctike and coole those countries as our winds do here in these countries like as with theÌ„ they cause a faire cleare aire so with vs they cause great store of raines by a certain natural disposition of the heauens the climates ruled and gouerned by the high wisedom of God that hath diuided the heauens ordained the course of the sun and other planets in such maner that al parts of the earth by their light brightnes are filled with warmth and coldnes therein do continue with great proportion and equalitie so that for certain if the freshnesse and coldnes of those winds did not refresh the countreyes of Ethiopia Congo and other places bordering on the same it were impossible for the inhabitants to indure the heate The same windes likewise doo refresh and comfort the inhabitants of Grecia the Islands of Candia and Cipies the countries of Asia Mynor and those of Suria and Egypt which liue by the refreshing of those generall Northwest west winds which rightly by the Grecians are called Zoephero that is bringing life those also are the cause that in Ethiopia Congo and other countries bordering thereon it neuer Snoweth no not vpon the highest hilles vnlesse it bee further off towardes the Cape de Bona Speranza or in some certaine places by the Portingales called Snow hilles as in Congo they finde neither Ice nor snow which with them would bee more esteemed then gold therewith to coole their drink so that the Riuers do not increase by the melting of snow but only by means of the coÌ„tinual raine of fiue moneths as I said before But returning to our former matter you may trauel to Congo by two waies one by the main sea to S. Helena and so further ouer or along by the coast of Affrica to the Island of Saint Thomas and so to the Cape of Lopes Gonzales lying vnder one degree vppon the South side of the Equinoctiall line about 21. Duch miles from Saint Thomas Island and from thence they saile with the wind that commeth off the land along the coast euerie euening casting anker in some creeke or hauen vntill they arriue at the place where they desire to be The kingdome of Congo beginneth at the Cape de S. Catharina which lyeth on the South side of the Equinoctial line vnder two degrees and a halfe and passing along the coast you saile by certain hils and strands not woorth the noting till you come to two creekes in forme somewhat like a paire of spectacles where there is a good hauen called Baro D Aluaro Gonzales that is the creeke or hauen of Aluaro Gonzaleâ— not farre from it runneth a little riuer into the sea by reason of the rednesse thereof by the Portingales called Rio de â—as Boreras Râ—slas because the water runneth ouer a certaine redde sande that coloureth the water at that place beginneth a high hill called by the Portingales la Sierra Complida that is a long hill passing further there is another riuer called â—a â—e â—as Almadias which is as much to say as the creeke or hauen for shippes because in that place many bankes are made in the mouth of this riuer there lyeth three Islands wherof the greatest is the middle being inhabited wherein there is a hauen for little ships the other two are not inhabited Parting from thence you come to the great riuer of Congo called Zaâ—e taking his beginning or spring partly froÌ„ the same lake froÌ„ whence the riuer Nylus doth flow This riuer casteth forth so great aboundance of water that it is incredible for that before it runneth into the sea it is at the least 5. miles broad on y e vpper part it is fresh water for 8 10. 16 Duch miles vnto the red sea whereby the pilots sailing ouer it know what place they are in Vpwards into this riuer you may saile with great barks she length of fine miles but not higher by reason of the discending and fall thereof from a steep high ground as the riuers of Nilus Donow and Rhein do in some places which are called Cataraâ—tas that is shedings or fallings of waters making so great a noyse that it may bee heard a great way from it In this riuer at the entry into the sea are many Islands al inhabited and very populous that haue diuers gouernours al subiectes to the king of Congo In tunes past those Islands made warres one against the other in certaine scutes cut out of the bodie of a great tree in their language called Licondo whereof some are so great that sixe men cannot fadome them with height and length correspondent so that one of the greatest being cutte in proportion of a scute woulde holde two hundred men Those scutes they rowe with ores wherwith they make great speede euery man hauing an ore and a bowe and when they fight they lay downe the ore and vse their bowe and to steere and winde those scutes they vse no other ruther than one of those ores In this riuer there are many strange beastes specially Crocadiles that are very great in their language called Carman the sea horse and another that seemeth to haue handes and a taile like vnto a Flaske which they call Ambize Angulo that is a sea hogge because it is as fatte as a hogge it hath a good and sauoury flesh not like fish although it bée a fish which feedeth not of that which is in the riuer but eateth
sun in their wars insteed of Ancients they tie the bones of certaine men who in their liues were valiaunt in armes vppon long staues and so carry them before them to incorage others to be the like and make them the readier to fight Their weapons are arrowes pikes made of palme tree wood and stone swordes They bury their kings with golden neckelaces sette with emerauldes and with bread and wine wherof the Spaniards haue foūd many such graues which they haue opened The people that dwell vpon the aforesaid great riuer are all Caniballs or Caribes as also those that dwell about saint Martha and in time past were Caribes The inhabitants of the Islandes of Boriquen Dominico Matitini Cibuchine now called saint Croce and Guadalupe as it is already declared which rowe on the water with scutes made of a certayn wood called Canois and that fought against those of Hispaniola and the people of the firme land whome they spoyled and eate The common opinion is that they came first out of the firme land of Caribana by Vraba and from Nombre de Dios in Indian speech called Caribes and all strong and valiaunt menne are nowe by them called Caribes which are very expert in bowes and arrowes The Brasilians name them Prophets or Soothsayers and Caribes Priests The people inhabiting in the valley of Tunia poison their arrowes and before the Spaniards ouercame them they hadde continuall warres against the people of Bagota or Bogota they are good souldiers cruel and very reuengeatiue when they goe to warres they carry their Idoll Chiappen with them as a iudge of the victorie vnto whome before they enter into the field they offer many sacrifices and offerings of certaine liuing men béeing the children of slaues or of their ennemies painting all the Image with bloud which doone they doe eate the flesh when they retourned victorious they helde great feasts with dauncings leapings and singings some drinking themselues druncke and agayne besmeering their Image with blood and being ouercome they were sorrowfull and heauy seeking by new sacrifices to intreats theyr Chiappen that hée woulde helpe and assist them and send them victory against theyr enemies S. Martha SAint Martha is also a Towne and Hauen of the Spaniardes lying on the firme land vnder eleuen degrees on the north side of the Equinoctial line about fiftie Spanish miles from Carthagena it lieth at the foote of certayne hills so monstrous high that it is incredible howe in so great extreame heate so great quantitie of snowe should lie vpon the toppes of those hills which is seene a great way off and whereby the hauen is knowne This country was discouered and taken by Roderigo de Bastidas in 1524. where it cost him his life not by the enemy but by his owne men that when he was asleepe killed him and gaue him fiue woundes in his body The people of this country are so cruell and fierce that they haue oftentimes driuen the Spaniards from their countrey not caring for the shippes but running into the sea till the water mounted as high as their breasts shooting with thousandes of poysoned arrowes and neuer would giue ouer were it not by meanes of the great shot together with the cries of such as were afraid and ran away thinking them to be thunder claps which oft times happen in those countries by reason of the euennesse of the countrey with the height of the hills The compasse of this hauen is three Spannish miles and so cleere that they may see stones lying on the ground within the water although it is at the least twentie elles deepe into this hauen there floweth twoo running waters but not fit for great ships but onely for little boates cut out of peeces of wood it is a great pleasure to heare what they report of the great numbers and goodnes of the fishes that are taken thereabouts both in fresh and salt water for the which cause they found many Fishermen thereabouts with many nettes made of packethreede hanging on cotten ropes which was their greatest liuing for that for fish they had whatsoeuer they desired of their neighbours In this country they found saphires emerauldes calcedonies iaspers amber brasil wood golde and pearles that is in the two prouinces Caramaira and Sacurma wherein the two hauens Carthagena and S. Martha do lie Caramaira is a very fruitfull and pleasant countrey wherein there falleth neither hard winter nor ouer hote summer day and night being there almost of a length The Spaniardes hauing taken in this country found gardeins ready planted moystned with strange waters like the gardeins in Italie their common meate is Ages luca Maiz Batatas and some fruites of trees such as other Indians therabouts do vse they eate fish also and mans flesh but not often Ages are rootes of the greatnesse of long turnopes in Italie pleasant of taste not much vnlike chesnuttes which they vse in banquets insteede of fruit Iuca is also a kinde of roote whereof they do make bread the Iuca that groweth in Cuba Hayti other Ilands is very hurtful being eaten raw and to the contrary that of S. Martha is very wholsome being otherwise eaten it is very good of taste these roots are planted not sowne which being ripe are as great as a mans arme or the smal of his leg ripeneth in halfe a yere but if it stand two yéeres in the ground it maketh better bread being ripe they are prest betweene 2 stones wherby the sap runneth forth which is very hurtful in the Islands vnlesse it be sodden as we doe milke otherwise being drunke of men or beasts it kills them as being a strong poison but sod till it consumeth to the half so let stand til it be cold it may be vsed insteede of vineger being sod til it be thick it becoms sweet like hony so they vse it in the firm land being raw for drink and sodden for vineger hony I said in the firme land for that in the Islands it is very dangerous venomous of the material substance of the roote being prest which is like almonds that are stampt they make round cakes as big as dollars which they bake is their Cacaui or bread wherewith they so long haue norished themselues this bread is somwhat harsh in the throat if it be not tempered with water or mixed with other meate Yet I had rather eate bread made of Maiz that is Brasilia wheate for that it giueth no lesse sustenance than our wheate is very wholsome agreeing with y e stomak wherof they make bread as we do of wheat Batatas are also common in great aboundance in this country which are roots of the thicknesse of a mans arme some smaller pleasant of taste and procuring good norishment yet they cause wind vnlesse you rost thē then they loose that effect specialy when they are eaten with any good wine of these rootes they also make conserues not much vnlike that which
likewise be iudged by the history of Francisco Xeresio who writeth that in Cusco there were houses hauing the gates walls and roofe couered with plates of golde Besides this Giraua writeth that the inhabitantes of Anzerma hadde their weapons breastplates necke peeces and peeces for their shinnes all of massy gold he likewise writeth that about Quito there were gold hilles that yeeld more gold then earth the like do all Historiographers witnesse that write of king Atabalidas ransome which was so great that the like was neuer heard of for that he caused the chamber wherein he was kept prisoner beeing of twoo and twentie foot long and seuenteene foot broad to be filled so full of gold that hee standing vpright therein and stretching his armes and fingers aboue his head as high as hee could reach the gold couered them offering that if they would haue siluer and leaue the gold he would fill the Chamber twice full but the Spaniards tooke the gold whereof the kings duty being a fift part amounted to sixe hundred and seuenteene thousand six hundred fortie seuen Carolus gyldernes 30000. marks of siluer euery horseman had 12000. castilians euerie Castillian of fourteene rialles besides siluer and euerie footeman 1450. castillians besides siluer being 180. markes so that to conclude the golde onely ammounted vnto in Flemish money the summe of three millions eighty eight thousand two hundred fiue carolus gylderns besides the siluer wherby may be knowne the great aboundance of gold and siluer that is in those countries and although Atabalida payed so great a treasour for his ransome yet was it not comparable vnto y e which his elder brother promised to pay so that he might saue his life for that he had all the treasor of his predecessors and also his fathers which were not knowne to Atabalida when he first entered into the kingdome from whence by force he hadde driuen his brother and placed him selfe therein We reade likewise that when the Spaniards first entred that country they shooed their horses with shooes of golde and what it yeeldeth yeerly at this present doth sufficiently appeare by the Armada that came from thence into Spaine the last yeere whiche needeth not heerein to bee declared But now proceeding to the description of the coast of Panama to Peru you must first vnderstand that Panama and Nombre de Dios are two townes lying one right ouer against the other the one on the north sea or north side of Peru the other on the south sea seuenteene miles distant one from the other Panama lying in a little valley so neere vnto the sea that when the moone is in the full the sea entereth into the houses lying neerest to the shore the houses thereof are part of reeds and partly made of other substances mixed together most couered with tiles but there are not many houses in the towne There is in this towne a very fitte and safe hauen but very small where with the streame or floud the shippes doe enter and with an ebbe they go out but not heauy laden for that such as are deepe laden would be in danger to fall vpon the flattes in this hauen there runneth both a great floud and ebbe so that where the water is very deepe within an houre after it will bee drie sand whereby the shippes must keepe somewhat from the land discharging and lading their shippes by little scutes as well such as come out of Spaine thither as that goe from thence into Spaine This Towne hath from Peru maiz meale hennes and hony it hath of it selfe kine and hogges oranges lemons coleworts onions lettuce melons and such like things in great abundance This prouince of Panama in time past was much inhabited and haunted by the Indians and al the riuers yeelded gold but now by the Spaniards are most fished drie When men will trauel by land from Panama to Nombre de Dios the first dayes iorney is faire and good way the next day you enter into woods which continue till you come to Nombre de Dios. In the middle of this way you come vnto a water which in three houres can hardly be passed ouer because of the many crookings windings thereof and many are cast away therein the streame specially in winter when there falleth much raine running most swiftly Such as compare this towne to Venice are much deceiued for that both of them put together with many other townes erected by the Spaniardes in those countries wil not make the compasse or greatnesse of the Cittie of Venice although euery man may iudge as pleaseth him As touching the maner of sayling from Panama to Peru as also at what times of the yeare you must vnderstand that the best and fittest times of the yeere are in the three first moneths that is Ianuary February and March vntill the moneth of Aprill for as then the Sea is open summer comming on and many of the Brisen which are east and northweast windes doe blowe no weast or southerly windes as then stirring whereby the ships do easily performe their voyages and commonly ariue at their desired hauens before any other winde specially south winde which for the most part of the yeare vpon the coast of Peru doe blowe They may likewise put out in the moneths of August and September but make not so good ariuage as in the moneths aforesaide and if any ships do put out of Panama at other times than in the moneths aforesaide they are sure to haue a long and tedious voyage and commonly som one of them is forced to turne backe againe not being able to gette the coast and are by reason of the southern winds which for the most part of the whole yeere blow vpon the coast as I said before as likewise because of the great contrarie streame many of them are brought into great danger It is very good with the wind blowing from Peru to sayle to Panama Nicaragua and other quarters thereabouts but to sayle to Peru from Panama it is very dangerous and vncertayne The ships that are laden with Spanish wares and depart from Panama first come to â—aboga and the Ilands bordering on the same which haue receiued their names from the Pearles where they take in fresh water in those Islands that are at the least fiue and twentie or thirtie together The Spaniardes in times past founde many Pearles whereof they helde the name of Islas de Paâ—las They lie hardly vnder eight degrées northward The greatest of them in times past was woont to be inhabited but not now because the fishing for pearles beginneth to decay and such as are owners of those Islandes there in keepe slaues of Nicaragua and Cubagâ—a that looke to their beastes and sowe the ground as being very fruitfull from thence they put into the sea westward then see y e poynt called Carrachine which lieth northwest and southest from the great Island of pearles called Taboga distant about thirty Italian miles which are seuen Spanish
bodies as bigge as akornes hauing deepe rootes worse and more deformed than por and must be wroong off by binding a threed about them when they are ripe they paynt their mouthes and boare holes in theyr eares nose lippes and cheekes vpon their festiuall dayes wearing iewels and pearles therein the scutes by them vsed in those countries to fish as also to saile in are like drifts made of thrée fiue seuen nine and eleuen light quarters or rafters of wood laid or bound together as men binde mastes and let them driue vppon the water and their manner is to binde the longest in the middle and the rest on both sides shorter than other and as their driftes are long or short so are their sailes proportioned and when they haue brought their drift a good way forwarâ— they throwe bread fruit and such like things into the sea praying for a good winde as being weary and wholly without strength to rowe any more The doores of the Churches in that Countrey stand Eastward hanged with certaine cotton linnen and in euery church there standeth two grauen Images of forme like blacke Buckes and before them there is a fire made of swéete wood which groweth in that countrey which fire burneth continually out of the which wood the barke being taken away there issueth a certaine sweet gumme I thinke it to be Cedar from whence the gumme Elemi is taken which is accounted for the life of the dead and the death of the liuing because it preserueth the dead body from putrifaction There are also in those temples certain Images of great serpents which they pray vnto and besides these common idolles euery man hath his seuerall Idoll each man according to the trade he vseth as the Fishermen a greate fish and the Hunters a hart or the Image of some wilde beast by the Cape Passao in some churches vpon euery piller thereof were placed the bodies of men women and children crucified that were so well kept and dried that by no meanes they could rot or cast foorth any vnswéete sauour there were likewise the heads of Indians set vpon nailes which with some certaine substaunce they had so closed and knitte together that they were no bigger in compasse than a mans fist their houses are made of great thicke réedes which growe in that countrey but for fruite they haue very little Procéeding further to the description of the coast and folowing on south and southweast to Cape saint Elena before you come to that poynt there are two hauens one called Colao the other Calemgo where the shippes anker to take in fresh water and woodde to burne and from the poynt saint Laurence to Cape saint Elena are full nine miles and lieth vnder twoo degrees and from the point towardes the north it maketh a hooke of land which is a very good Hauen about a bowe shoote from thence there standeth a fountayne which by certaine veines runneth into the sea from whence there issueth a certayne Bitumen altogether like pitch and by the Spaniardes is vsed about their shippes insteede of tarre and the Peruuians say that about that point in times past there dwelt great men like Giants but they knew not from whence they came and fedde vppon such meate as their neighbours vsed specially fish Those Giauntes fished likewise vppon drifts and manye times came on foote to land through the water where they had at the least two fadome déepe and somewhat more They went naked and were most cruell killing many of the people thereabouts When the Spaniardes arriued at Porto Vero they found therein two Images of those Giantes a man and a woman and the Peruuians say likewise that the destruction of those Giauntes was done by a boy that came downe from heauen shining like the Sunne that fought against them with fiery flames in such manner that where the flames touched they tare and rent the stones the rents and holes whereof are at this day to be seene and by that meanes the Giauntes ranne into certayne holes to hide themselues where they were all destroyed This tale was not greatly beléeued by the Spaniardes vntill one Iohn de Helmos borne in Truxillio Gouernour of Porto Vero in the yeare of our Lorde God euerlasting one thousand fiue hundred fourtie and thrée caused certayne places to bee digged vppe where they found so great bones and ribbes that it was incredible to bee mens bones but that they found the heads lying by them the teeth thereof being three fingers broad and foure fingers long and fiue quarters square which were sent into diuers places of Peru and from that time the Peruuians tale thereof was beleeued to be true The Spaniards opinions are that because the Giantes were giuen to sinne against the lawes of nature that the most righteous God had destroyed them by his Angel with fire from heauen as he did the Citties of Sodome and Gomorrha Yet is this not certainely to be credited because the Americans haue no histories bookes nor other writings to record the same onely the memories and rehearsalles of menne from time to time and by some tokens and memorialles there made of all sortes of painted cotten ropes which they call Quippos signifying by the number of knottes made of diuers fashions that which they would remember beginning from the bottome and so telling vpwardes from one to tenne and so forth painting the ropes of the same colour that the things were of which they woulde thereby signifie or haue in memorie whereof the Spaniardes by their Barbarian crueltie and negligence haue spoyled great numbers in euery prouince there were menne appoynted for the purpose in that manner to register such things as had happened as you may reade more at large in the Historie of Mexico those that did it were caled Quippo camayos of which cordes there were whole houses full which by such as were acquainted with them could easily be tolde although the things had béene done many yeeres before but returning againe to the description of the coast from the point of saint Elena you saile to the riuer of Tumbez which lieth almost nineteene miles off and from thence about foure miles lieth the Islande Pâ—na otherwise called the Island of Saint Iacob which is more than seuen miles and one half in compasse very rich and inhabited with so many people that they warred continually with the men of Tumbez and the people of the firme land betweene them hauing had many battells in open field but by continuaunce of tune and power of the Spaniardes they were in the ende wholely subdued This Island is very fruitful and ful of al sorts of trees abounding both with wilde beastes and fish also of fresh water for their apparel they vsed shirts and other clothes they fish with drifts of light wood bound vpon two other peeces of woodde as their neighbors do of the which drifts some of them are so great that at the least fiftie men and three horses might sit vpon them
which they vsed both with sailes and oares wherein they are very expert It chaunced on a time that the Peruuians bare certaine Spaniardes vpon one of those driftes and that they vntied the cordes that bound the wood thereof together whereby the Spaniardes were all drowned and the Indians saued themselues vpon the peeces of wood and many without them swamme to land as being very expert therein Their weapons are slings bowes clubbes and billes of siluer and copper also launces and pikes with heades of base golde both the menne and womeÌ„ weare many iewels their drinking cuppes and vesselles being of gold and siluer the Lorde of the Island was much honoured by his subiects and was so ielous that he cut off both the noses and priuy meÌ„bers of his seruaunts that attended on his wiues In this Island Pizarius and the Spaniards were very friendly entertained But the Gouernour perceiuing their great auarice and couetous desire in seeking for gold as also their lechery with the women fell vpon them with great numbers of Indians but in the end not being able to resist the Spaniardes he was forced to flie and keepe himselfe in the wooddes which victory was after by Pizarius most cruelly vsed and therewith passed ouer vnto the prouince of â—umbez which is about 12. miles distant but the inhabitants hauing heard of their cruelty vsed among those of Puna fled into a Castle lying somewhat inward from the sea but Pizarius to the contrary sent vnto the Gouernour making as thogh he would be friends with him whervpon the Gouernour came not alone but prepared himselfe very strong to go meete him thinking thereby to ouerthrowe him but the spaniards setting forward towards him in the night time passing ouer the riuer with their men being guided by such as were well acquainted with the way and going through sharp and rough waies they surprised the Peruuians by night as they lay sleeping and so ouercame them and after the ouerthrow entred the town of Tumbez which they robbed and spoiled the rich church taking away the same and in that towne hee was informed of the great riches in Perâ— Touching the Island Puna it is a common opinion both of the Indians Spaniards that in time past there was much golde and siluer hidden within theyr Temple Also the inhabitants at this present liuing do affirme that their forefathers were very religious and much addicted to soothsayings and other abuses very couetous and aboue all other things they vsed the accursed sin of Sâ—dome lying with their own sisters committing many other greeuous sinnes Into this Island fled brother Vincentius de Vaile viridi a Friar that was the chiefe cause of the warres against the Peruuians and after that first Bishop of Peru with two and fortie Spaniardes seeking to shunne the wrath of Didaci Almagâ—â— and hauing hidden himselfe in the night time the Ilanders with clubbes slew both him and his companye where hee receiued a very iust rewarde for his good workes In Puna and in the countries of Guaiaquil and Porto Veâ—o groweth the roote with vs called Zarzapeâ—â—â—a which is vsed against the por and other diseases In that Island they bruise it betweene two peeces of wood so presse out the iuyce which done they mixe it with warme water and giue it to the patient whereupon they sweate as much as possible they may which drincke they vse for certaine dayes eating onely a little bisket with a rosted henne in our country we vse to cut the roote in small peeces and seethe it causing the sicke person to drinke it certain dayes by this Island there lieth another but somwhat further into the sea called S Clara not that it is at this present neither was in time past inhabited as hauing neither woodde nor fresh water but onely because the predecessors of the Islanders of Puna vsed therein to bury their forefathers there offered their sacrifices y e place wherin they buried their dead was very high with whome they buried greate treasures of golde siluer other iewels as offered and layde vp for the vse and behoofe of their Gods which at the enterance of the Spaniards they caused to bee hidden no man knowing where it is become This riuer of Tumbez is greatly inhabited and in time past was much more populous by it there stoode a verie strong and beautifull Castle built by the Iugas or kings of Casco who ruled ouer all the countrey of Peru and therein kept a great treasor where there was a temple of the sunne and a couent of Maâ—aconas which is as much to say as cheefe or principall women and maides that were consecrated and appoynted for the seruice of the Temple which liued almost after the manner and custome of the Vastale virgins in Rome and were therein maintained but because these women with their seruices and works are spoken of hereafter I will for this present leaue them Touching the building of this castle it was long since destroyed yet not so wholly but that men may yet perceiue the greatnes and magnificence thereof The mouth of the Riuer Tumbez lyeth vnder foure degrees on the south side in the firme land Right ouer against Pana there are people that haue fiue or sixe of their foreteeth in the vpper gumme pulled forth some say they do it of pride and think it a beautie others say that they had their teeth pulled out as a punishment for certaine iniurie they hadde in times past doone and committed against the kings or Iugan of Pâ—ru and others say they offer theÌ„ vnto their Idols From the riuer Tumbez the coast runneth southwest to Cabo Blanco or the white Cape being distant full 11. miles and lyeth vnder three degrees and from whence it runneth west to the Island de Lobos or of â—olues betweene Cabo Blanco and the Isle de Lobos lyeth a poynt called Depaâ—na and in our Carde Pariana which reacheth almost as farre into the sea as Cabo Blanco from this pointe the coast reacheth againe southwest til you come to Parta betweene Cabo Blanco and Parta lyeth the towne of S. Michael which was the first town that the Spaniards built within Peru called Noua Castillia and was begun by Pâ—zâ—rius in the yeare of our Lord 1531. wherein also was the first Christian Church although at this time of small importance and so I wil leaue to speake thereof The whole coast from Tumbez is without hils or daies and where there are any dales they are bare only full of sand and stones and but fewe riuers issue from the coast the hauen of Pâ— lyeth beyond the Cape somwhat more then sixe miles and is a good hauen wherein they rig their ships newe tarre them being the principall staple of all Peru and of al the ships that sayle for those parts This hauen of Parta lyeth vnder fiue degrees from the Island of Wolues aforesaid thither you run east and by west which are distant three Spanish miles or
occasion of the droughts and of the other townes and places which lie in the further description of the sea coast BEfore I returne to procéeding with the description of the rest of the sea coasts from Lyma to Arequipa I thinke it not vnconuenient to declare why it raineth not in the plaine countrey of Peru lying on the sea side where neuertheles there is so great occasion giuen of raine because the Sea which commonly yeeldeth moysture lyeth vpon the one side and the hils whereon there is alwaies so great quantitie of water and snow vppon the other side you must vnderstand that vppon the hils summer beginneth in Aprill and continueth May Iune Iuly August and September and in October winter beginneth and continueth the other moneths til March not much differing from our Countries or froÌ„ Spain in that time they both plant build and gather in their fruites and seedes but day and night are al of a length onely that in Nouember they differ a little and in the plaine land it is contrary for when it is summer in the hils it is winter there so that in the plaine countrie summer beginneth in October and continueth til the moneth of Aprll where as then winter beginneth and surely it is a verie strange thing to thinke how so great difference should be in one countrey where a man may vppon one day in the morning trauaile from the hilles where it raineth and befoâ—e night bee in the plaine countrie where it neuer or verye seldome raineth for that from the beginning of October al the summer long it neuer raineth in that countrey onely there falleth certain dew which in many places hardly layeth the dust of the sandes wherefore the inhabitants of the plaine countrey must continually water their groundes and not till nor plant any more lande then they can bring the water vnto in other places by reason of the vnfruitfulnesse of the country there is no grasse as beeing all drie sandie and stonie grounds the trees growing theron are vnfruitfull with verie few leaues there likewise groweth diuers thistles and thornes and in some places nothing at all when it is winter in the plaine countrie there are certaine thicke and close cloudes onely as if the aire hung full of raine from whence there onely proceedeth a certaine small miseling that can hardly lay the dust of the sande which notwithstanding is a verie strange and wonderfull thing that the ayre being in that sort so thicke and close there falleth no other moysture and yet the sunne for many daies because of the clouds cannot be seene and as the hilles are verie high and the coast low it appeareth that the hilles draw the cloudes vnto them not suffering them to fal vpon the plaine lande so that when the waters do naturally keepe their course it raineth much in the hils and not in the plaine countrie but therein causeth a great heat and when the dew falleth then it is cleare weather vpon the hils and raines not there likewise it is very strange that for the most part of the yeere ther bloweth but one kind of wind in the plain countrie that is southwest windes which although in other countries they are commonly moyst and causes of raine there they are cleane contrarie I thinke because they are suppressed by the high hilles from whence they blow that they draw no moysture or dampenesse out of the sea into the aire wherby any great raine should folow by these windes also it happeneth that the water in the South sea runneth into the North and maketh a hard nauigation from Panama to Peru both against winde and streame in such sort that it cannot be done without lauering and striuing against the winde There is yet another thing to bee marked which is that vnder the line in some places it is moyst and in some places colde and moyst and in those plaine countries of Peru colde and drie and departing from thence to the other side it raineth continually Here followeth the description of the coast of the plaine countrey of Peru with the hauens and riuers lying therein between the towne of Lyma and the prouince of Dechia as also the degrees and the manner of the sayling on that coast THe Ships that saile from the towne of Lyma or of Kings take their course towards the south and so come to the hauen of Singalla which is verie great whereby at the first the Spaniards were in mind to haue built the town of kings in that place it lyeth distant from Lyma 2â— Spanish miles or 105. Italian miles whereof fiue make a Duch mile which is one and twentie Duch miles it lyeth not ful vnder fourteene degrees on the south side of the line Hard by the hauen of Sangalta lyeth an Island taking the name of the sea Wolues al the coast from thence forward is very low although in some places there are smal hils of plaine stone and some sandie downes wherein as yet neither before nor til this time it euer rained where also there falleth no other moysture then onely the smal dewe whereof I spake before about this Island of sea Wolues there are seuen or eight other Islandes which lie in Triangle wherof some are high some low and all vnhabited hauing neither water wood trees grasse nor any thing onely Sea Wolues and great store of sande The Peruuians of the firme land as they theÌ„selues say in times past vsed to goe into those Islands and there to offer sacrifices where it is thought much treasor lyeth hidden these Islands are distant from the firme land about three miles Further in the same course vnder 14. and 1 â— lyeth another Island of the same name and from thence sailing on and coasting along the shore southwest and southwest and by south and being 9. miles beyond the Island you come to a point called Nasca lying vnder fifteene degrees lesse ¼ vnder the which the shippes may anker but yet they cannot land with their boates neither throw foorth their Bocken following the same course vnder fifteene degrees 1 â— there is another head or poynt called S. Nicolas and from this cape the coast runneth southwest and when you haue sayled nine miles in that sort you come to a hauen called Hacan which lyeth vnder sixteene degrees from whence following on the coast you come to the riuer Diocouna on which side the coast is altogether wilde A little further there is another riuer called Camana and somewhat further the riuer Quilca and about halfe a mile beyonde it there is a verie good grounde where the ships may ride and anker which hauen is also called Quilca like the riuer and from thence as men put out they saile to the towne of Arequipa which lyeth 12. miles from this towne the hauen and the towne lying vnder seuenteene degrees ½ sayling along the coast of this hauen about three miles distant you see certaine Islands in the which certaine Indian fishermen of the firme lande doo
for that they left other mines as Pero and the riuer of Carabaâ—a wherein they founde golde to come thither because there they made more profite In those hilles and al the land thorow there are many vaines of all colours wherof men may make faire colours the siluer found in this myne and which belongeth to the king for his parte is carried by lande to Arequipa and from thence to Lyma Panama Nombre de Dios and Spaine A further description of the sea coast from Arequipa to Chile and from thence to the straights of Magellana CHulli a Hauen of Arequipa lieth vnder seuenteene degrees and a halfe and one mile and a halfe from thence the Riuer of Tambopalla and seuen miles and a halfe further there reacheth a poynt into the sea not ful a mile beyond or further out then the other lande vpon the which poynt there are three cliffes about this poynte not ful a mile from it there is a goodly hauen called Illo in our Carde Rio de Vlâ—e and there runneth a riuer into the sea that hath good water and is also called Illo lying vnder eighteene degrees and â…“ from thence the coast lyeth southeast and southeast and by east and fiue miles a halfe further there is a poynt which the Sea men call Moro del Diauolo that is a rounde house or houel of diuels This coast is al wild and desert and with great Baâ—zen not full foure miles further from this poynt there is another riuer not verie great but good water From this riuer Southeast and Southeast and by east sayling seuen miles and a halfe there reacheth another round houel which is verie high and maketh certaine downes beyond this poynt is an Island and therabouts lieth the hauen of Arica which lieth vnder 19. degrees and 1 â— from whence the coast reacheth Southwest not ful seauen miles further there runneth into the sea a riuer called Pizagua and in the same course sayling along the coast you come to the hauen Taracapa which is 19. miles ¼ harde by Taracapa lyeth a Island little more then a mile in compasse and is distant from theÌ„ about one mile and a halfe and there maketh a strand or bay of Sand by the hauen vnder 21. degrees from Taracapa you saile along the coast south by west about foure miles and then you come to the poynte of Decacanna and 12. miles beyond this point you come to the hauen Moxillioni which lyeth vnder 22. degrees and a halfe from this hauen sailing vpwardes south southwest about 67 miles and a halfe the coast lyeth in a manner straight and therein are some poyntes creekes and sandie baies at the ende whereof there is a great creeke where there is a good hauen called Copayo lying vnder 27 degrees aboue the which lieth a smal Islande about halfe a mile from the firme land from thence beginneth the country of Chile inhabited with people being past this hauen of Copaypao a little froÌ„ thence there lieth a point which makeh another creeke wheron standeth two cliffes at the end therof is a riuer of good water called Eâ— Glasco this point lieth vnder 28. degrees â— following the coast southwest on about eight miles and a half there is another poynte which maketh a great hauen for ships but therein is neither fresh water nor wood and hard by this hauen lieth the hauen of Coquinbo betweene this and the poynt passing by seuen Islands there is a hauen vnder 29. and a half seuen miles and a halfe further following the same course there is another poynt about the which there is a great creeke or bay called Antogayo in the Carde Bahio de Tage about foure mile further lieth the Riuer Limara in the Card Lemare from this riuer you keepe the same course to another creeke or bay about 7. miles distant which hath a cliffe but no fresh water lying vnder 31. degrees and is called Choapa in our card Cupa further in the same course about 15. miles there is a verie good hauen called de Qâ—iâ—nicâ—o in our Card Cutero at Quintero it lyeth vnder 32. degrees seuen miles and a halfe further is the hauen Val Paraize and from the town of S. Iacomo by vs called Chile after the name of the country Touching this country of Chile it is very great stretching along the sea coast reaching aboue Chaicas and Peru a cold countrey which is by reason of the scituation thereof as lying by the Pole Antartico wherefore it is called Chile that is the cold countrie partly because of the great cold which men indure trauailing ouer the Andes vnto this countrey and partly because of the coldnes of the countrey it selfe although it is much like Spaine touching the temperatenesse of the aire This countrey was first discouered by Petro de Valdiuia in the yeare of our Lorde 1539. and is all inhabited in some place it is hillie and in other places plaine fieldes poynted and running very crooked by reason of the inflection and crooking of the sea Touching the rest of the scituation as I sayde before it is verie temperate hauing winter and summer as it is in Spain yet at contrary times for their summer is winter in Spaine and the Spaniards winter theyr summer The south starre that should answere and be right distant to our starre being there on land cannot be seene but onely a small white cloude betweene day and night making a smal circuite or compasse about certaine places of the Pole Antarctike There likewise you see foure starres in forme like a crosse with three other stars following them which make seauen stars like ours without any difference that may be perceiued onely that the foure which in the south make the form of a crosse stand closer together then those of our Pole Antarctico Touching their day and night they are in Chile according to the scituatioÌ„ short and long as with vs yet contrarie to ours for that our shortest dayes are theyr longest daies Their apparell and meates are altogether like those of Peru both men and women are of good complection and behauiour vpon the coast of this countrey are many riuers which by day do runne with water and by night they are without water because the snow by day melteth by reason of the heate of the sunne and so runneth downe from the hils which by night by reason of the cold aire congealeth and so runneth not In Chile and Chaicas they haue many sheepe that are like camels but that they haue not a hill vppon their backes like the Cammel The Spaniards vse them to ride vppon as being able to beare a man foure or fiue miles a day but being wearie they lie downe and will not rise whatsoeuer they doe vnto them be they neuer so much beaten and whosoeuer rideth vppon them the sheepe being wearie shee will cast vp the head towardes him that sitteth vpon her and blowe a filthie stinke into his face thereby to bee eased
Snakes like Eales bigger driuing in the sea you must likewise vnderstand that the streame of the water at the Cape de bona Speranza till the times aforesaid doe alwaies runne from the Cape del Gado or to the cape de bona Speranza southwestward notwithstanding y t some streams runne crosse through them that is along the Islandes as I 〈…〉 Pâ—â—iera runne Westward vpon the bankes of Cabo das correntes to the Riuer called Aguada de Boapaz the streames run likewise Westwardes towardes the creeke that lyeth by the Cape das Agulhas at Agundi de San Bras the streame runneth towardes the land and vpon these coastes you shall find y t the stiffer the wind bloweth out of the West the more the water and streames runne against the wind The 5. Chapter Of the nauigation and course from Lisbone to the East Indies written set down by the Kings Pilot called Rodriges de Lagos a Portingall WHen you put out of the riuer of Lisbone to saile to the Iland called Porto Santo you must run Southwest and setting out of Lisbone you must marke the sunne by the Compasse to proue it that is in the rising and setting of the Sunne and the middle betweene her rising and setting which is North and South and as much as you finde the needle of the compasse to lie northeastward so much you must run southwarde for 〈◊〉 lyeth northeast and southwest with y e riuer of Lisbon wherewith it meeteth full and euen when you perceiue or haue a sight of Porto Santo or the Iland Madeia sayling to the Iland La Palma then you shal giue all that which the Néedle of the Compasse lyeth Northeastward and somewhat more for that it lyeth more Eastwarde then it is set downe in the sea Carde and from thence to the Island de Ferro to the which Island you shall likewise winde a little more Westward then it lyeth in the Carde and hereof fayle not as being negligent to obserue it for although you abate ten miles from your course to the Islande La Palma as it is in the Carde yet you shall go right vpon it and hauing past the Island La Palma then your best way is to run southward 30. miles from the Islands of Capo Verde alwaies giuing all that which the Néedle of the Compasse lyeth Northeastward or that you shall runne betwéene two meale tydes that the one mealetide South and the other South and by East setting your course to the South or the better to vnderstand it all that which the Néedle of the Compasse yeeldeth which may be halfe a strike and rather lesse then more and sayling from vnder 22. to 18. degrées you shall sée gréene water which commeth from the point called Capo Branco and from the créeke where the fortresse of Aâ—guâ—â—n lyeth which gréene water if you see it more then two meale tides then it is a signe y t you are near the coast but if you see but a little gréen water that is lesse then for the space of two mealetides then you are nearer to the Islandes and comming vnder ten degrees as long as you are by the coast of Guinea you shall giue the Needle of the Compasse no abatement or cutting off because the water draweth towardes the land whereby the Northeasterne drawing of the Needle of the Compasse which may bee a thirde parte of a strike agréeth with the drawing of the water and so the shippe runneth southeast and the water and streame commeth alwaies out of the south whereby it is driuen vnto the shore Sayling from 5. to 3. degrées it is good to keepe off the coast from 70. to 100. miles and not more for being more it would not be good for your voyage the reason is for y t being 100 miles or more froÌ„ the coast theÌ„ you haue but few south windes to get the coast againe but rather haue all the thunders and lightnings from the East to the South and southeast which kéepe you from getting to the shore and because those thunders come vpon you on all sides therefore it is good to runne if it be possible from â—0 to 8â— miles that is to 2â— degrees and 1 â— where you shall finde a southeast wind continuing from the 2â— of Aprill to the 15. of May but if you stay till the end of Aprill it may happen that as then you shall not haue the southeast wind before you be vnder one degrée of the Equinoctiall line The signes you haue vppon this coast of Guinea are some of the birds Garagiaus and if the thunders come out of the East being 60. or 70. miles from the shore you shal sée certaine Swallows and Duckers when you haue the southeast wind and that you make towardes the point or bough of Brasilia although in the first day of your nauigation it diminisheth not so much in the height as it should you must not be abashed thereat for that which you find to be lesse diminished is not by reason that the water or streame hindreth you as many and the most parte of men are of opinion for that the degrees hard by the Equinoctiall are greater then others that are higher as you shall well perceyue sayling to India or comming from thence with a fore wind vnder the line then the degrées diminish but a little whereby it may be assured that the small diminution or running forwarde is not by reason of the water or streame that runne to the Antilhas or foure Ilandes of the Spanish Indies comming to the line or a degrée further then in any sorte turne not againe vnto Guinea for it woulde bee against your selfe and thereby you should spende your time in vaine for that some ships that departed out of Lisbone in my company that from vnder the line they would wind towardes Guinea which I did not but contrarily made ouer to Brasilia whereby those shippes came a month later then I did into India In this bough or crossing to Brasilia you shall set your course as the wind serueth and looke well to your Compasse for that as soone as you are past the line then the Néedle of the Compasse lyeth halfe a strike and more to the Northeast and sailing from the 8. of the 18. degrée then the more the Néedle of the Compasse lyeth Northeast the further you are from the coast of Brasilia and saie that you lay East and West with Cape S. Augusten and that the Néedle of the Compasse should yéelde two third partes of a strike Northeastwarde then you are 150. miles from it to seaward in which is thus to be vnderstoode that if the Compasse were made in Portingall there lay halfe a strike Northeastward if it bee good and true it will do the same vpon the coast of Brasilia being East and west with the Abrolhos and about 170 or 200. miles from it then the Néedle of the compasse shal lie a whole strike or somewhat more Northeastward for that the Meridian of
which you commonly finde in those voyages from China to Iapon If you faile of it at sometime it is not often it commeth and beginneth from one point and so runneth with a continuall storme almost about all the points in compasse blowing most stiffely whereby the poore Sailers haue worke ynough in hande and in such sort that not any stormes throughout all the orientall Indies is comparable vnto it wherefore it is necessary to looke well to it and to chuse your times that by calmes sodainely you bee not vnaduisedly ouertaken as euery man that hath sayled those wayes can sufficiently showe you and euery one or most part of them haue found it to be so When you are right against the Island A Ilha Fermosa then runne Northeast by the which course you shall goe right vpon the straight of Arima which is a good way and as soone as you finde ground on the loofe side and haue seuentie fiue fadome water then you shall goe right vpon the middle of the Island of Meaxuma and hauing lesse depth then your course is not good but of force you must séeke another course to sayle the better but being too loofeward it is good especially when you see the Island Sancta Clare which is a smal Island on the Northeast side thereof hauing two or thrée Cliffes and somewhat farther forward the Island Coâ—aquyn which is very great being deuided into thrée parts I haue passed by the land side thereof which is a very good way and there you néede not feare any thing but onely certaine stones that lye along by the Island which you may easily perceiue for the Sea breaketh vpon them You must holde your course along by it leauing the stones on the larboorâ— side about the length of the shot of a Base from you and when you are past them then kéepe aloofe as much as you may inward to Sea thereby to shunne thrée Islandes or Cliffes which lye on the other side right ouer against the thicke and great Lande for betwéene them and it it is all full of Riffes And therefore your best course is to runne to Seaward from the Island of Coiaquyn in the middle way from the aforesaid great thicke Lande that lyeth before the Islandes or Cliffes of the Riffes lyeth the Hauen of Amacusa which is very great where the Créeke of Arima beginneth From thence North North westward from you you shall presently sée the Island of Cabexuma When you are right against Cabexuma somewhat beyond it you shall sée sixe Islands or Cliffes which you shall passe on the Sea side and then East-warde and East and by North you shall sée the Island called Ilha dos Cauallos or of Horses which on the Sea side hath a great houell and on the other side towardes the Island of Firando two Cliffes lying along by the coast which shew like two Ships vnder sayle Also further forward towards Firando there is two flat Islands lying along the coast called the Islands of Resting as that is the Islands of Riffes If when you come out of the Sea you haue cause to anker before you put into the Hauen being by the Islands or Cliffes then put out newe Cables making them fast that you loose not your ankers for there it is very déepe and sharpe Being right against the aforesaid six or seuen Islands or Cliffes then runne right vpon the Island Dos Cauallos and when you are by it that is inward of the point You shall along by the Island sée a Sand aboue the water all the other Islandes and Cliffes that you shall sée shall lye on the lareboord side which is vpon the side of the Island Facunda and so you shall runne till you enter into the Hauen of Langasaque hauing nothing to feare then that you sée before your eyes for there you haue both Sea and ground as it is vpon the coast of Spaine The 36. Chapter A voyage made from Macau in China to the hauen of Langasaque or Nangasache in the Island of Iapon in the shippe called the S. crus the captaine being a Portingall called Francisco Pais and the Gunner Dericke Geritson of Enchuisen in the yeare of our Lord 1585 written by the Pilote of the same shippe THe fift of Iuly Anno 1585 vpon a Friday in the morning wée set sayle from the point that lyeth right against the Cloister of S. Frauncis minding to runne to Loofeward from a round Island or Cliffe lying East Southeast from thence but because the wind was so scant wee could not doe it so that we were forced to driue so to get through the Channell of Lanton as wee did The depth that wee found therein was from fiue to sixe fadome water and that was close by the round Island that lyeth to Seaward from the Island of Lanton and from thence forward it beginneth to bee déeper being eightéene twenty fadome and that depth wee found till wee were without the Island called A Ilha de Leme that is the Island of the Harquebush This Island of Lanton as you make towards it hath a point where the wind fell very scarce in such manner that wee could hardly kéepe of an Island lying on the left hand of the chanell if the streame had not beene so strong that it draue the shippe ouerthwart to Loofeward otherwise we had indured great labor and trouble to passe through the channell because that towards night we were about foure miles from the Island Ilha do Leme the course wee held that night was East and East and by South because wee had a sharpe wind hauing twenty and sixe and twenty fadome déep muddy ground about sunne rising wée sawe right before vs the Island of Branco or the white cliffe and because of the depths aforesaid wée gessed that we were about half a mile beyond it The sixt of Iuly being Saterday we could not take the height of the sunne because it was right ouer our heads hauing a Southeast and South Southeast wind with very hote weather by day but by night it was somewat colder we held our course East Northeast East and east and by North as the winde blewe and about noone we found fiue and twenty and seuen twenty fadome water with small black sandy ground being in sight of lande and at Sunne rising we sawe the Land of Lamon which is a long flat land like a Table or plaine field on the East Northeast side hauing a thin point of Land reaching inward to the Sea and on the West southwest side there runneth out another thinne point of sand into the sea and hard by against the thickest part thereof you sée the forme of a white place which is the Island of Lamon to Seaward whereof lyeth thrée Cliffes Lying at the end of the Riffe of the Island of Lamon there wée call forth our Leade and found 27 fadome water with small white and some blacke sand with small shels among it being about seuen or eight miles from the
in great danger The 45. Chapter Of the tides and increasing of the waters of Malacca IN the entry of the Hauen of Patane lying on the East side of the country and coast of Mallacca to the Island of Bintao which lyeth by the straight of Singa Pura vnder the Equinoctiall line the streames doe alwaies runne Southward in the months of Nouember and December From the Island Pulo Condor lying right against the hauen and land of Camboia to the Island Pulo Timao lying on the East side of the coast of Malacca at such time as you come froÌ„ China holding your course halfe a strike from the south the streams run towards the Island Borneo and being halfe a strike Southwestward then the streames run towards the coast of Pan which lyeth on the coast of the East side of Mallacca From Pulo Condor to the Island Pulo Sesir lying right against the coast of Camboia the streames run Eastward and by Pulo Sesir in the way towards China the streames runne to the coast of Champa and from the Falce Varella which is distant from the right Varella fiftéen miles lying on the coast of Camboia y e streames runne Eastward about fiue or sixe myles from the coast which is at the end of Iuly and in the month of August In the Monson of the South windes when you saile from Mallacca to China the streames from the Gulfe of Pulo Catao and the Island Aynao runne to the créeke of Enseada da Cauchinchina vntill the last of December and from Ianuary forward then the streams in that Gulfe and countrey runne towards the Sands that lie ouer against the coast of Champa in Camboia from the other side and the later it is in the yeare from the Month of Ianuary forward the stronger they run towards the sands In the Monson of China when you saile from China to Mallacca then the streams run very strong from the Island Pulo Catao to y e Island Puto Cambir both lying on the coast of Camboia or Champa It happeneth oftentimes that from the eight and twenty of Iuly to the fourth of August from the Varella to Pulo Catao you haue calme sea and then you haue the Terreinhos which are Windes blowing from the land out of the West and northwest and the Viracoins which are winds that come from the Sea out of the East Southeast and east Northeast being in the North they presently change into the south whervpon it becommeth calme till the Terreinhos or land winds doe come again and thus they hold about two miles from the coast and not further for they are winds that do only blow vpon y e coast as in other places it is already sufficiently declared in speaking of the Terreinhos and Viracoins When you saile by the Island of Lequeo Pequeno or small Lequeo towards the land of Bungo in the Island of Iapon the streames in that country do run eastward to the Island of Tanaxuma From 30 degrées Northward a little further theÌ„ to the middle way to Iapon the streames from that country to the coast of China run northward towards the créeke A Enseada de Nanguyn in the monson of the south and southwest winds In this monson of South and Southwest winds the streams from the Island Pulo Tayo lying by the Island Aynao in the coast of China run Southwestward to the Islands of Sanchoan and Cantao The 46. Chapter Of the tides both for ebbe and flood by the daies and houres of the Moone in the haueÌ„ of Macau in China with the height of the same Hauen found by experience of an expert Pilot. THe 19. of September I marked the course of the Tides of China within the hauen of Macau it being Full Moone and I found it to be full sea about halfe an houre and somewhat more after eight of the clocke in the morning which I tryed at the Full moone to sée if it would agrée with the New Moone The 3. of Februarie An. 1585. I tooke the height of the Sunne which as then was about 13. degrées from the line and I found that the Hauen of Macau lieth full vndec 22. degrées 1 â— and as then I likewise tried the tides of the same hauen and found it to be full Sea a little after 12. of the clock the moone being thrée daies old in such sort that by the same account with a new Moone it is full sea in that hauen at ten a clocke and 2 â— in the morning which I also tried by the new Moone The 16. of Februarie Anno 1585. I marked the Tides within the Hauen of Macau it being then full moone and found the first day of the full moone that it was high water at eleuen of the clocke and a halfe before noone The 2. of Iune Ann. 1585. I marked the tides in the Hauen of Macau found it to be full Sea iust at 12. of the clocke at noâ—ne the moone being foure dayes old so that after the same account it is full sea at nine of the clocke in the morning béeing new moone but these Tides of China fall not out iustly vnlesse it be foure daies before and fiue daies after the changing of the Moone for then there is as much water as vpon the third day which I affirme to be most true because I haue often and many times tryed it to be so The cause is for that before it it is all Islands and Channels so that when the waters beginne to fall they ebbe not aboue thrée houres but with an East wind they ebbe with a greater course The 47. Chapter Of the signes and tokens of the tides waters and windes vpon the coast of China and in the way to Iapon IN the time of the monson of the South and Southwest windes it is most certaine in the whole coast of China and the way to Iapon that when the winds of the monson blow and from thence run into the East that they turne not againe out of the East into the south but from thence into the North and hauing continued there for a certaine time they turne againe into the east and from thence into the South if it be a Northeast wind then it turneth often times into the Southwest and not into the East but not often but the surest is as aforesaid It changeth also often times from North to South and not into the East which is very common and when the Sunne setteth and hath some red carnation cloudes about it and that many beames issueth from the Sunne in such manner that it séemeth to blaze then it is a signe of great stormes and tempests Likewise in the rising and going downe of the Moone if it sheweth in the like maner it is a signe of stormes and tempests When the Sunne riseth so faire and cléere that you may in a manner sée into it and perfectly discerne the compasse thereof then it signifieth good weather The like doth it signifie in the setting of
hee shot her mast ouer boord and hauing wounded the maister with an arrowe the shippe presently yéelded which they tooke and sayled with her further into the Sea all that night and the next day and night making all the way they could The third day being out of sight of lande they began to search the shippes and to lade the goods out of her into their Shippe which was a thousand thrée hundred Bharres or peeces of siluer and foureteene chests with Ryals of eight and with golde but what quantity it was I knowe not onely that the passengers said that there was great store and that thrée hundred Bharres of the siluer belonged to the King the rest belonging to certaine Marchaunts that done they let the Shippe with the men sayle on their course putting the thrée Pilotes in her that they brought with them so that as then they had none but their owne men aboord being the sixt of March and from thence they helde their course towards the Lande of Nicaraga The thirtéenth of March either the day before or after in the morning they descried Land not being very high beeing a small Island two miles from the Firme land and there they found a small Baye wherein they ankered at fiue fadome déep close by the Lande and there they stayed till the second day Vpon the which day there passed a Frigate close by the Island which with their Pinnace they followed and taking her brought her to the English Shippe which Frigate was laden with Salsaperilla or Pocke-root and Bottigas or Pots with Butter and Honny and with other things The English Captaine went on boord and cast the Salsaperilla on the Lande leauing all the rest of the wares in the Frigate and then hee put all his Péeces into the Frigate that so he might lay his shippe on shore to new calke and trim her which continued till the thrée and twenty or foure and twenty of March which done and hauing made prouision of wood fresh water they helde on their course along by the coast sayling Westward taking the said Frigate and her menne with them and hauing sayled two daies they tooke their men out of her and set them in the Pinnace among the which were two Saylers that meant to sayle to Panama and from thence to China whereof one they tooke with the Letters and Sea-cardes that hee had about him among the which were the Letters of the King of Spaine sent to the Gouernour of China as also the Sea-cardes wherewith they should make their voyage and direct themselues in their course And so sailing on till the sixt of Aprill about euening they discouered a ship that held two miles to seaward from the land and before the next day in the morning they were hard by her and sodainely fell vpon her while her men slept presentlie made the mē enter into their ship among the which was one Don Francisco Caratte which done they followed on their course with the said ship out of the which they tooke certaine packes and other wares but I know not what it was They likewise tooke a Moore out of it and thrée dayes after they both let the Shippe and menne goe whether they would setting therein the two Saylers that should goe for China which they had taken in the Frigate kéeping onely one saylor to shew them where they should find fresh water to the which end they tooke the empty vessels with them to fill with water and so kept on their course to the hauen of Guatulco where they put in being vpon munday the thirtéenth of Aprill and hauing ankered they stayed there till the sixe and twenty of Aprill and being about thrée or foure houres in the night they set saile holding their course Westward and an houre or two before they let Nuno da Silua goe putting him into another shippe that lay in the Hauen of Guatulco From thence forward the Englishmen passed on their voyage to the Islands of Malucos and from thence they passed by the Cape De Bona Esperanza and so to England as it is well knowne so that this is only the description of the voyage that they made while the said Pilote Nuna da Silua was with them Hereafter followeth the Coppy of a Letter written by Sir Francis Drake beeing in the South Sea of newe Spaigne in his shippe called the golden Hart with the shippe of S. Iohn de Anton which hee had taken to his companions in the other shippes that were of his company and by foule weather seperated from him as I saied before The Contents whereof were these Maister Wouter if it pleaseth Godthat you should chance to méete with this shippe of S. Iohn de Anton I pray you vse him well according to my word and promise giuen vnto them and if you want any thing that is in this Shippe of S. Iohn de Anton I pray you pay them double the value for it which I wil satisfie again and command your men not to doe her any hurt and what composition or agréement wée haue made at my returne into England I will by Gods helpe performe although I am in doubt that this Letter will neuer come to your hands notwithstanding I am the man I haue promised to bee Beséeching God the Sauiour of all the world to haue vs in his kéeping to whome onely I giue all honour praise and glory This I haue written is not onely to you Maister Wouter but also to Maister Thomas Maister Charles Maister Caube and Maister Anthonie with all our other good friendes whome I commit to the tuition of him that with his bloud redéemed vs and am in good hope that wee shall bee in no more trouble but that hee will helpe vs in aduersitie desiring you for the Passion of Christ that if you fall into any danger that you will not despaire of Gods mercy for hee will defend you and preserue you from all daunger and bring vs to our desired Hauen to whom bee all honor glory and praise for euer and euer Amen Your sorrowfull captain whose heart is heauy for you Francis Drake An aduertisement to the Reader ALthough at the first it was my only intent to set downe the voyages and courses of the oriental coasts Islands and countries of the East parts with some other Nauigations of the places therabouts with the situations thereof as I haue already declared notwithstanding for that among other my Record I haue found the Nauigations of all the Hauens Riuers and Points of the coast of Brasilia and the voiages of the Portingales vnto the same together with the courses stretchings and situations of the Antillas or fore Islands of new Spaigne together with all the channels that runne betweene them and the Hauens as well of the aforesaid Islands as of the Firme Land of new Spaigne and likewise of the other side of the coast of Angola or Aethiopia I thought it not vnconuenient to set them downe in this place although it bee
a mile from the land it is but a fadome and a halfe déepe being hard stones The people of y e country passe ouer it with nailed barkes with pitched or loopes two péeces sailes of réeds or mats an yron dreg with sharpe téeth This coast reacheth Northeast to foure and thirtie degrées where there lieth a great riuer that commeth from Nanquyn within the mouth or entry hath an Island that is inhabited by many people both horse and footemen This Island maketh the Riuer to haue two mouths or entries from thence forward the land reacheth North Northeast and by East and comming to that part which lieth Southeast there the land hath an end or point and by that meanes it maketh a great Créeke From this point forward the coast runneth North again after turning again Northwestward Into the which coast those of Iapon doe ordinarily come to Trafficke with the Countrey people called Cooray and there you haue Hauens and harbors hauing a kind of small open péeces of wouen worke which the Iapons fetch from thence whereof I am certainely informed as also touching the nauigation vnto that land by Pilots that haue sailed and searched cleane through it as followeth From this point of the Creeke of Nanquyn twenty miles Southeastward there lyeth certaine Islands at the end whereof on the East side there lyeth a very great and high Island much inhabited as well by horse as footemen These Islands by the Portingales are called As Ilhas de core but the great Island Core is called Chausien on the Northwest side it hath a small Créeke wherein there lyeth an Island which is the Hauen but it is not very déepe There the lord of the country hath his pallace and is continually resident Fiue and twenty miles Southeast from this Island lieth the Island of Goto one of the Islands of Iapon which lyeth from the point of the Créeke of Nanquyn East and by North to Seaward sixtie miles or somewhat more This instruction I had from a Nobleman of Portingale called Pero da cunha that hath séene and trauelled through all the Countrey hauing by him all aduise seruing for the purpose as being of great experience hauing arriued and stayed in the Countrey aforesaid by tempest and stormy weather against their wils minding to sayle to Iapon and from thence againe to the aforesaide Island of Goto the Islands lying from this Island towards the land betwéene them and close about them all ouer are many riffes and stones The instruction of the Créeke of Nanquyn I had from an expert Pilote borne in the lande of Algaine in Spaigne that lost his Shippe vpon the Sands that sticke out from the Riuer of Nanquyn hauing runne round about all this Créeke with a Barke and hée saide that being within when the Sunne rose it came from ouer the land and that from the riuer of Nanquyn there ranne some sands and droughts reaching southward to two and thirty degrées and to the middle way of the Goulfe of Iapon Here endeth the description of the furthest parts that the Portingales haue sailed along by the Coasts lands and Islands of the Kingdome of China being that part thereof which at this day is knowne and discouered The 31. Chapter The description of a voiage made by a Portingale Pilote from Liampo to Iapon in a Chinchea Soma that is a Chinchon ship with the description of the coast of Bungo Miaco Cacay the Island Toca all countries of Iapon ON Wednesday the thirty of Iune being the third day of the new moone in the morning we set sayle out of the northeast chanell of the Island Siongicam with a southeast wind and being without the Island we had the wind South Southeast and ran east and somewhat East and by North about euening we had a South Southwest wind running East East and by South and East southeast with very great billowes out of the south whereby we could hardly kéepe on our course sayling with our sayles but halfe vp and in the morning we ran halfe a strike east and by south and east southeast because the wind came some what ful to the South west with shoures of raine and great billowes that rose very high by which means the waters and streames in these countries run Northward we made our account to haue sailed in the course of East and East and by North 26 miles in one meale tide which was til thursday at noone being the first of Iuly We had alwaies great and mighty waues because it was a Spring tyde all the night hauing great lightnings out of the East and in all the points of the Compasse from North to South On thursday the first of Iuly from noone to night we had a southwest wind running East and East and by South and somwhat East Southeast with great showres of raine without any high wind and being two houres within night the skie closed round about and became close with a great raine wherwith the wind beganne to be calme turning Northward which the officers of the Soma perceiuing being men of China they began to be in great feare for the Chinais doe hold for certaine that in the Moone of the moneth of Iuly vntill it bee 12. dayes old all along the coast of China there will follow great stormes and as I thinke it is till S. Iames day till when they alwaies looke for stormes and foule weather for that I my selfe vpon the same day haue passed two great stormes And touching our North wind y e began still to encrease they perceiuing it put presently Westward againe towardes the Islands and had sayled from noone to that time about ten miles in such manner that as wee gessed we were 36. miles from the land of China and so wée held our course in that manner West and West and by North after that hauing a close skie with little wind whereby we made very litle way On Friday the North wind beganne to blowe higher wee running so till noone and in that Westerly course wée sayled about sixe miles From Friday at noone we sailed with this North wind all that euening and by night til Saterday in the morning then the wind came Northeast then East and so West till noone whereby wee made our account to haue sailed eightéene miles letting the shippe goe West and West and by North and in all that time wée had neither Sunne nor Starre to take the height On Saterday two or thrée houres after noone the wind fell South the weather beginning to cleare vp and so wée ranne one glasse and perceiuing the weather to settle we turned againe towards Iapon being as then in mine opinion about 12. myles from the coast of China and so we held our course that euening and all the next night East and East and by South with a small wind and calme Sea The next day being Sonday at noone we tooke the height of the Sunne at 30. degrées 1 ◠part lesse wée set out