in y e night than the day for that by good Philosophy the greatest light shadoweth the least the which maketh the Nauigants afraide that haue no knowledge thereof before This flame hath a very euill smel and therfore ye néede not to thinke suche manner of fire straunge knowing that they are naturall things as the Phylosophers witnesse that is those places are ful of fire and hot Mines of the which procéedeth a vapor hot and dry like to fire the which cannot be done without aire Also from thence procéede waters naturally hot furthermore in Esclauonie by Apolonia there is a fountaine coming out of a rocke whereas is séene procéede a flame of fire whereby all the waters adiacent are as boyling This place or Ile of fire is inhabited with Portingals as many other are in those quarters And so euen as the burning heate of this hill doth in no wise let the frutefulnesse of the lād the which bringeth forthe diuers kindes of good fruits where as is a great temperatnesse of the aire liuely springes and fair fountaines also the sea that cōpasseth it doth not quench this vehement heate as rehearseth Plinie of Chimera alwayes burning and quencheth with earth or hay being cast vpon it but with water it is kindled Of Ethiopia Cap. 16. ALthough that many Cosmographers haue sufficiētly described the Countrey of Ethiopia also among our writers those the which haue made many faire Nauigations by this coast of Affrica in many and farre Countreys notwithstanding this shall not let but that according to my endeuor I wil declare some secretes obserued in sailing by this saide coast into the great America Ethiopia therfore extendeth so far that it hath parte bothe of Asia and Affrica and therfore they are deuided in two That parte which is in Affrica is named India or Leuant of the red sea and to the North part of Egipt Affrica toward the South parte of the floud Nigritis the which as we haue said is called Senega To the ponent it hath the whole parte of Affrica the which extendeth to the banke side or brinkes of the West And so it hath ben named by the name of Ethiops the sonne of Vulcane the which before had many other names Toward the West it is hilly small inhabited in the East others set it out after this sorte folowing There are two Ethiops the one is vnder Egipt riche and large and in the same is the Ile Mirva great among those of Nylle and of the same parte extending to the East raigneth Prester Iohn The other part is not so well knowen nor discouered it is of suche a greatnesse sauing only by y e borders of the sea Others deuide it otherwise that is to wit the one parte being in Asia and the other in Affrica that now are called the Indies of Leuant compassed with the red Sea in Barbarie towardes the Northe to the Countrey of Libia in Egipt This countrey is very hilly of the which y e hils are Bed Iona Bardita Mescha Lipha Some haue written that the first Ethiopians and Egiptians among other were most rude ignorant leading a wild life euen as brute beasts without lodging or remaining but resting them wheras they wer benighted worse than at this day do the Masonists From the Equinoctiall toward the Antartike ther is a great coūtrey of Ethiopians y t norish great Eliphāts Tigers Rhinoceros beasts so named There is another region bearing Cynamon betwene the armes of Nylle the realme of Etabecke on bothe sides of Nylle is inhabited with Christians The others are named Ickthiophages liuing only with fishe being in times past brought vnder the obedience and subiection of Alexander The Anthropophages are neare to the hils of the Mone and the rest extending from thence to Capricorne and returning towarde the Caape of good hoppe and inhabited with diuers and sundry people hauing diuers similitudes and monstrous Neuerthelesse they are estéemed to be y e first borne into the world also the first that haue inuented religion and ceremonies and therfore they were neuer vnder the yoke of subiection but haue alwayes liued at libertie It is a wonderfull thing to sée the honor and amitie that they beare to their King for if it chaunce that he be grieued in his body his subiects or houshold seruaunts will be the like estéeming it a thing vnpertinent to remaine whole and their King grieued or offended The greatest part of these people are al naked bicause of the extréeme heat of the Sunne others couer their priuie partes with certaine skinnes others couer halfe of their body and others their whole body Meroa is the hed Towne of Ethiopia in the olde time it was named Saba and since by Cambises Meroa There are diuers kinds of religion Some are Idolaters as hereafter shalbe declared the others worship the Sunne when it riseth but they despise the West This Countrey aboundeth in miracles and wonders it nourisheth toward India very great beastes as great Dogges Eliphants Rhinocerous of a wōderfull height Dragons Basiliscus and others furthermore trées so hie that no Archer can shoote to the toppe with many other wonderfull things as also Plinie reherseth in the seconde boke the .xvij Chapter of his naturall Historie Their corne is customably Mill and Barley with the which also they make a certaine drink and they haue fewe other fruites and trées sauing only certaine great Palme trées They haue also in some places good quantitie of precious stones more than in other Also it shal not be out of the way to say that these people are very blacke according as the heat is more or lesse vehemēt and that that colour commeth of a superficiall action being the great heate of the Sunne the which is the cause also y t they are very fearfull The heat of the aire being so violent draweth out the natural heat of the heart and other interior parts therfore they remain colde within being destitute of the naturall heate and onely burned outwarde as we may sée in other things The action of heat in what thing so euer it be is no other thing thā resolution or dissipation of the Eliments when it perseuereth and is violent in suche sorte that the most subtillest Eliments being consumed there remaineth but y e earthly part keping colour and consistence of the earth as we sée Ashes and burned woode Then to the skin of this people so burned there resteth but the earthly parte of the humor the others being dispersed which causeth the coulour I said they were fearful bicause of the inward coldnesse for hardinesse and manhoode commeth not but with a vehement heate of the heart The which causeth the Englishmen those that are vnder the North Pole which cōtrary are cold without but maruelous hot within to be hardy couragious ful of great boldnesse Therfore these Neigers haue their heade curled their téethe white great lips croked legges the women
aire and so letteth it fall and breaketh it for to get the fishe out this Egle maketh hir nest in great hie trées by the sea side Also in this Countrey there is many faire riuers and a multitude of good fishe This people prepareth for nothing but that which is néedefull to sustaine nature so that they are not curious in meates for they goe not to séeke any thing in farre Countreys and yet their nourishment is healthsome and therefore they know not what sicknesse meanes but they liue in peace and in continuall health so that they haue no occasion to conceiue enuie one against an other bicause of their goods and patrimonie for they are in a maner all equall in goodes and riches being in one mutuall contentation and equalnesse in pouerty Also they haue no place ordained for to minister iustice for bicause that among them they do nothing worthy of reprehension They haue no lawes no more than the worthy Americanes other people but only the law of nature The people that dwell toward the sea as I haue shewed liue with fish and others that are farre from the sea are content with fruits of the earth that commeth forth the most part without labour of mannes hands and after this sorte liued the people in the first age as Plinie witnesseth also we sée in our dayes how the earth bringeth forth fruit without labor Virgill sheweth that the Forest Dodana began to die bicause of his age or else for bicause that it could not satisfie the multitude of people that then did multiply and therefore they began to labor and till the earth for to receiue the fruits therof for the sustainmēt of their liues so that they began husbādry Moreouer these people make not warre vnlesse that their enimies come to séeke them then they put them al to defence like to the Canadians their instruments that giue men corage to fight are beastes skinnes spread in maner of a circle which serueth them in steade of drummes with fluites of bones of Déere like to the Canadians if that they perceiue their enimies a farre of they will prepare to fight with their armors and weapōs which are bowes and arrowes And before y t they enter into battell their principall guide the which they honour as a King shal goe the first being armed with faire skins and fethers sitting on the shoulders of two mighty men to the ende that euery one should sée him and know him also to be ready to obey him what so euer he shall commaund And when they obtaine victory he shall lacke no honor so they returne ioyfull to their houses with their banners displayed which are braunches of trées garnished with fethers of swannes wauering in the aire and bearing the skin of the face of their enimies spred in litle circles in token of victorie Of the Ilands of Essores Cap. 83. THere resteth now nothing of all our voyage but to speake of certain Ilands that they call Essores which we coasted on the right hand not without great dāger of shipwracke For .iij. or .iiij. degrées beyond and on this side there bloweth alwayes a winde so cold contagious that for this respect it is feared of the Pilots Nauigants as the most dangerous place that is in the voyage be it to goe either to the Indies or to America by this ye may know y t the Sea in those parts are neuer calme but alwayes rough growne as we sée many times the winde to blow vp the dust into the aire the which we cal a tempest or fowle weather which is as well vpon y e land as on the sea for in the one and the other it riseth like a poynt of fire that raiseth the water of a heigthe when it plaweth or boileth as I haue many times sene And therfore it séemeth that the wind hath a mouing vpward like a whirle wind of which I haue spoken in an other place For this cause these Ilands wer so named bicause of the great Essor that causeth this winde in the said Ilands for Essores is as much to say to dry or to wipe cleane These Ilands are distant from Fraunce about .x. degrées and a halfe and they are .ix. in nūber of which the best of them are inhabited with Christians Portingalles whether as they did send many slaues for to laboure the ground the which by their great paine and diligence they haue made fruitfull with all good fruits necessary for mannes sustenaunce chiefly with wheat the which groweth there so plentifully that therewith all the land of Portingall is furnished The which they transport in their ships with many good fruits as well naturally of the Countrey as other where but there is one amongst others named Hyrcy the plant wherof was brought from the Indies for there was none thereof found before euen as in the Canaries Likewise in our Europe before they began to labor the earth to plant and to sowe diuers kinds of fruits men were contented onely with that the earth brought forthe of his nature hauing then to drinke nothing but cléere water and for their clothing the barks and leaues of trées with certaine skins of beastes as we haue already shewed In the which we may cléerely sée a wonderful prouidence of our God the which hath placed in the sea great quantitie of Ilands bothe little and great which doeth abide and sustaine the brunt of the waues of the sea that goeth not beyonde their compasse or limits neither hurteth the inhabitaunts for the Lord as the Prophet sayth hath appoynted his limits the which he doeth not ouerpasse Of these Ilands some are inhabited that before were desert and many are forsaken that in times past were inhabited and peopled as we sée hath hapned to many Cities and Townes of the Empire of Greece Trapezande and Egipt such is the ordinance of God that things héere in earth shall not be perdurable but subiect to chaunging The which being considered of our Cosmographers in our dayes they haue added to the Tables of Ptolomeus newe matters of our time for since y e time and knowledge that he hath written there hath happened many newe things Now these Ilands of Essores were desert before that the Portingalls knew them Neuerthelesse they were full of woods of all sorts among the which is founde a kynd of Ceder named in their speach Orcantine with the which they make fyne karued works as tables cofers and many vessels for the Sea This wood hath a very good smel and wil not rot neither be worme eaten be it dry or wette as other wood wil. Of the which also Plinie speaketh that in his time was found at Rome in an old Sepulcher certaine bookes of Philosophy betwene two stones within a lyttle chest made of Ceader wood the which had ben vnder the grounde aboue fyue hundreth yeares Furthermore I remember that I haue read in times
clymat zone or paralegie it be aswel of the sea costes Ilandes and mayne land the temperatnesse of the ayre the forme and maner of liuing of the inhabitants the forme and propertie of beasts of the earth and of the sea also of trees and roots with their frutes mines and precious stones shewing it liuely and truely as neare as is possible As touching the reste I wold thinke my selfe happie if that it would please you to accepte and receiue this my little labor with as willing a heart as I doe present it as for the rest I am assured that it wil be agreable if the Reader thinke well and way in his minde the long and dangerous peregrination that I haue taken in hand for to see with the eye to bring to light those things most memoriall that I cold note and gather together as hereafter shalbe sene The first Chapter How the Author tooke shipping ALthough that the firmament and all things that are contayned vnder the Moone euen to the scope of the earth séeme as the veritie is to haue bene made for man yet neuerthelesse it is so that dame Nature mother of all things hath bene and is alwayes such a one that she hath preserued and kept hid within the things that are most precious and excellentest of hir worke yea she hath remised hir selfe contrary to things artificiall the moste expertest workeman that euer was were it Appelles or Phidias euen so as in the outwarde shew remayneth the paynting grauing or decking of the vessel or statue and within it remayneth altogether rude and vnpollished But in nature we sée the contrary Let vs first take example by the humayne body Al the art and excellencie of nature is hidden within also of al other naturall bodies the exterior or outwarde parte is nothing in comparison if that of the interior part it taketh not his perfection The earth sheweth outwardly a sorowful and heauy face being for the most parte couered with stones thornes and thistles or such lyke but if the husbandman minde to open it with the plough he shall finde this vertue so excellent redy to bring him forth abundance and to recompence him a thousand folde Also the vertue of the roote of the plante being without a harde barcke sometimes single sometimes double that part of the frute that is most precious wherein the vertue to bring forth his lyke is hid within as in the surest place or belly of the sayd frute Euen as the laborer or husbandman hauing tylled the earth receiueth thereby greate profit and aduantage others not contented onely to sée the waters would in like case sounde them by the way of this noble Nauigatiō with shippes and vessels and for bicause that thereby they haue founde gathered inestimable riches y t which is not without reason seing al things were made for man the Nauigation is become by little little so frequented and folowed of men that many not continually remaining in vnconstant Ilands haue in the end aborded the mayne land good and fruitfull the which before the experiēce was not thought neither according to the opiniō of our elders Therefore the principal cause of our Nauigatiō was for that Mounsieur de Villegagnon knight of Malta a very expert gentleman as wel in Nauigation as in other honest comely affaires hauing with more deliberation receiued the Kings commaundement for that he was sufficiently enformed of my voyage made into the countrey of Leuant and the good perfect knowledge that I had in Nauigation did most instantly request me yea vnder the Authoritie of the King my soueraygne Lorde Prince to whom I owe all honor obedience charging and commaunding me to assist him in the accomplishing of his enterprise the which I frely graūted as wel for the obediēce that I will giue to my natural Prince according to my capacitie as also for the honestie of the thing although it was payneful And therfore the sixt day of May 1555. after that the sayd Mounsieur de Villegagnon had giuen order for the rigging and trimming of his ships for munitions other things of warre but with much greater difficultie than to an Armie marching on the lād and to the qualitie of his men of al estats gentlemē souldiers and diuers artificers to be short all things being made redy and prepared in as good order as might be the tyme being come for vs to take shipping at new Hauen a porte town the cause why it was so named I will shew before passing further being so named to my iudgement of this worde that signifieth sea or straight or if you say Hauen ab hauriendis aquis lying in Normandie whereas forsaking the lande we hoysed sayle sayling vpon that great sea by good right named Occean bicause of his raging of this Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as som iudge being wholy vnder the power and mercy of the winde and waues I know well that in times past according to the superstitious Religion of the Gentiles many made their Vowes Prayers and Sacrifices to diuers Goddes according as their necessitie did shewe then among those that would goe on the water some before hande would caste some péece of money therein as a presente or offering for to cause the Goddes of y e sea to be fauorable and to appease their Ire Others attributing som deuinitie to the windes thought to appease them by strange ceremonies As we find the Calabrians to haue done to Lapix a wind so named likewise the Thurins and Pamphiliens to certayne others Also we reade in Aeneidos in Virgill if it be worthy of credence that notwithstanding the importunate prayer of Iuno to Aeolus King of windes the miserable Troyan remayned on the sea and the quarrell of the Goddes that did folowe By this we may euidently knowe the error and abuse with the which the Antiquitie was blinded being an erronious and damnable opinion attributing to one of the least creatures and vnder the power of man that which appertayneth to the onely Creator to whome I cannot sufficiently giue prayse in this place for his fauor shewed to vs in deliuering vs out of such blinded ignoraunce And for my parte for that of his onely grace he hath so fauoured our voyage that giuing vs a good full winde we haue safely and peaceably passed the streights and from thence to the Canaries Ilands distant from the equinoctial .27 degrées and from our France fiue hūdreth leagues or there about Now for many reasons I thought good to begin this my discourse at our embarkment and shipping as by a more certaine and sure meane the which being done I thinke louing Reader if that you take pleasure to reade it I doute not but to guide you from point to point and from place to place euen from the beginning vnto the end as right as is possible obseruing the longitude and latitude of countries Neuerthelesse whereas I
these Ilāds of Canaries And the cause why it is there better gathered desired is for that the Ilāds in the sea Meditareum on the cost of gréeke lād as Metelin Rhodes other places bearing good suger before the Turke had the dominiō of them haue ben spoyled by negligence or otherwise And in all the countrey of Leuant I haue sene no suger made but in Egypt y e canes y t beare it growe on the brinke of Nyll the which also is greatly estemed of the people of the marchants y t trade thether as much rather more than Canarie Suger The elders before vs estemed greately the Suger of Arabia for that it was maruellous harty and pleasant specially for medicine to the which vse they did put it to little other But now adayes voluptuousnesse is so incresed specially in our Europe that there cannot be neuer so little a banket made after our maner of liuing but that euery sause must be sugered and also our meates and drinkes The which thing was defended to the Athenians by their lawes as a thing that did effeminate the people the which the Lacedemonians haue folowed by example But of a trueth the great Lordes of Turkie drinke sugered waters for bicause that wine is defended them by their lawe As touching the wine that was inuented by the greate Phisition Hyppocrates it was onely permitted to sicke folke and vnable but at this day it is so common with vs as it is scarce in other countreys So much haue we spoken by the way on the talke of suger let vs nowe returne to our mater As for corne there is sufficient in these Ilands also of very good wine better than the wine of Candia where as they make Malmesies as we will declare intreating of the Ilands of Madera Of flesh also there is sufficient as wilde and tame goates birds of all kindes greate quantitie Oranges Citrons Lemonds Pomegranads and other fruites Palmes and greate quantitie of good Hony There is also about the riuers and floudes little trées named Paper and in the sayd riuers and floudes there are fishes named Silures the which Paulus Iouius in his booke of fishes thinketh to be Sturgion of the which the poore slaues féede on sweating for trauell almost breathlesse and oftentymes they féede thereon for wante of other meate And thus much I will say by the way that they are very hardly intreated of the Spaniards specially of the Portingals yea worsse than of the Turkes or Arabians And I am constrayned to speake thereof for that I haue sene it my selfe Among other things there is found an herb against the hils sides commonly called Oriselia the which they gather with greate diligēce for to dye colour Furthermore they make a kinde of blacke gumme the which they name Bre of the which there is greate abundāce in Tenerif They take thornes of y t which there is great quantitie and breake them and lay them by pece one vpon another like crosses and vnder eche heape there is a little hole of no great depth and then they set fire on this woodē almost at the very top and then it rendereth his gumme that falleth into this hole Others do make it with lesse labor for the hole being made they set fier on y e trée this gumme bringeth them great profit in their trade that they make to Perou of the which they vse to calke ships and other vessels for the sea putting it to no other vse As touching the harte of this trée being somewhat red the poore people that dwel on the hils and moūtaynes cut it by long stickes of the length of halfe a fadome as greate as our thumbe and lighting it at one ende it serueth in stede of a cādel Also the Spaniards vse it after this manner Of the high mountaines of Pike properly called Pikehill Cap. 6. IN one of these Ilands named Tenerif there is a Hil of so wonderful a highth that the mountaynes of Armenia of Persia Tartaria neither the Hyll Lybem in Syria the mounte Ida Athos nor yet the mounte Olympus so much celebrat by the Historiographers ought not to be cōpared to this Hil the which containeth in circuite at the leaste twenty miles from the foote to the top 54. miles This moūtaine or Hil is named Pike at al times snowy mysty and ful of great and cold vapors and also of snow although that it is not easily sene to my iudgement for bicause that it extendeth to the lower Region of the Aire the which is very colde as Philosophers and Astronomers holde opinion so that the snow cannot melt bicause that in that place the Sunne cannot cast hir beames and therefore the superior or vpper part remayneth alwayes colde This mountayne or Hill is so high that if the ayre be cleare it may be sene fiftie Leagues on the water and more the top and the bottome of this hill though one be néere or farre of is made in maner of this Gréeke figure Ω the which signifieth Omega I haue also sene the Hill called Ethna .30 Leagues and on the sea néere to Cypris I haue sene a certayne mountayne of Armenia fiftie Leagues of though I haue not the eye sight so good as Linxius who from the Promontorie of Lylibie in Cicilie did discerne and sée the ships in the porte of Carthage I am sure that some will thinke this strange esteming that a mans eye coulde in no wise sée nor discerne so far of but neuerthelesse this is most true in plainnesse but not in height The Spaniards haue diuers tymes assayed to sounde the height of this hyll and for to doe it they haue many tymes sent a certayne number of people with mulles bearing bread wine other munitions but they neuer returne againe as I haue ben crediblie informed of those that haue dwelled there ten yeres And therefore they holde opinion that in the sayd hill as wel on the toppe as on the circuite there are some reste or remnant of these wilde Canarians that thither are retired and kepe the sayde hyll liuing with Rootes and with wilde beastes the which kill and slaye those that presume to get vp the hill to discouer the toppe thereof Also of this Ptolomeus hath had knowledge saying that beyond the Columnes or pillers of Hercules In a certain Ile there is a hil of a maruellous and wonderful height and therefore towarde the toppe it is alwayes couered with Snowe from the sayde hille there falleth greate aboundance of water that watereth all the Ilande the which maketh it very fruitfull of Canes Sugers and other thinges And there is no other water than that which commeth from that hill otherwise the countreys that are vnder the tropike of Cancer wold remayne barren bicause of the excessiue heate It bringeth forth abundantly great stones like to spunges are very light so that one as great as a mans heade doth
the cause that the séedes cannot bud out nor floure bicause of the extreme heate and drieth So soone as they sée their grounde watered or dewed they begin to sowe and after they haue sowed within thrée monethes the fruite is ripe redy to be cut Their drinke is the Iuice of Palme trées and water Among the trées of this countrey there are founde some of the greatnesse of our Oke trées the which beareth fruite as great as dates with the nut they make Oyle that hath meruelous properties The firste is that it holdeth water in yellowe collour like safferne with y e which they dye or collour their little boulles that they drinke in also there hattes that are made of the strawe of rice Furthermore this Oyle hath a smell like to Marche violets and a sauor or taast like Olyue Oyle therefore many eat of it with their Fish Ryce and other meates that they eate Thus much thought I good to speake of this ryuer and countrey of Senega the which extendeth from the coast of Leuant to the land of Thuensar and from the South parte of the Realme Cambra from the ponent to the Weaste sea keping alwayes our course certayne dayes after we began to enter into the countrey of Ethiopia in that parte that is named the Kingdome of Noby which is of a greate circuite with many Kingdomes and prouinces of the which we will hereafter speake Of the Ilands Hisperides othervvise named Caape verd Cap. 13. AFter that we had lefte our Promentary on the lefte hande for to kepe our course as right as it was possible making the Southwest a quarter of South almost a whole day but about ten or eleuen of the clocke the winde came contrary the which cast vs on the right hande towardes certayne Ilandes the which are called by our carde Marins Ilandes of Caape verd the which are distant from the Canaries about two hundreth leagues and from the Promentarie sixtie leagues by sea and a hundreth leagues from Budomell in Affrica following the coste of Ginnie towarde the pole Antartike These Ilandes are ten in number of the which there are two wel peopled with Portingals that firste discouered them brought them to their obedience one of them which they haue named S. Iames Iland is better peopled than the rest also thither is made greate trading by the Moores as well of those that inhabite the mayne lande as of the others that sayle to the Indies in Ginnie and of Manycongra in the countrey of Ethiopia This Ilande is distāt from the Equinoctiall lyne fiftene degrées an other likewise named S. Nicolas Ile inhabited as the other the others are not so peopled as Flera Plintana Pintoria and Foyon in the which there are a certayne number of people and slaues sent thither by the Portingals to labor the grounde in some places where they finde it beste and chiefly for to get goate skinnes of the which ther is great store therewith make good trade haue thereof a great vent and therefore the Portingals pass twise or thrise in a yere with ships and munitions leading with them dogs and bringing nets and snares for to chase and hunte wild goates the which after they are skinned they reserue onely the skinnes the which they season with salt and earth in certaine vessels made for that purpose for to kepe them for putrifieng and so they carry them into their countrey and therewith they make their Marokins that are so greately estemed with vs. Also they inhabitants of these Ilands are bound to render or pay for tribut for euery one to the King of Portingall the number of six thousande goates wilde and tame being salted and dried the which they deliuer to those that of the parte or for the Kings behoofe make the voyage with his greate shippes to the Easte Indies as to Calicut and other places passing by these Ilandes and these number of goates are bestowed for their sustenance during the voyage which is two yeres long or more for bicause of the distaunce of places and the greate Nauigation that they muste make Moreouer the ayre in these Ilandes is Pestilent and vnholsome so that the firste Christians that beganne there to inhabit were of a long tyme vexed with sickenesse as well to my Iudgement for the vntemperatnesse of the ayre that in such places cannot be good as also the changing of dyet and of countrey Also the burning Agues are there very familier common to the slaues specially and the bloudy flixe of the which neither the one nor the other procéede not but of humors extreme hot bicause of their continuall trauaile and naughty nourishment also of the hotnesse of the air with the water that is next and therfore they receiue excesse of these two Eliments Of the Torterels and of an herbe that they call Orselie Cap. 14. SEing y t in our Nauigation we are minded to write certaine secretes obserued in places where we haue bene it shal not be hurtful to speak of Torterels that these former Ilands doe norishe in as great quantitie as goates There is found four kind of Torterels of y e land of the sea the third liuing in fresh water the fourthe in marishes Of the which I meane not to speake particularly but only of those that are séene on the sea coastes that compasse these Ilands These kind of Torterels wil leape from the Sea to the shore at his appoynted time making with his clawes a hole in the sande wherein after she hath laid hir egges being of the number of eight paire of the which speaketh Aristotle couereth them so well that it is vnpossible to sée them or to finde them vntill that the floude commeth that vncouereth them then bicause of the extreme heate that is there of the Sunne they engender and open as the Henne of hir egge the which consisteth in greate number of Torterels of the greatnesse of Crabbes which is a kinde of Fishe the which the floud returning beareth into the Sea Among these Torterels there are some of suche a greatnesse specially in these partes whereof I speake that foure men cannot almost beare one as of a truth I haue séene and vnderstanded of men worthy of credence Plinie sheweth that in the Indian Sea there are so great Torterels that the shel is bigge inough to couer a meane house and that at the Ilandes of the red Sea they might make therewith vessels Nauigable The sayde author sayeth also that there are the like at the straight of Carmania in the Persian sea There are many wayes to take them Sometimes this great beast of a desire to swim more easily seketh the vpper parte of the water a little before noone when the day is faire where as hauing the backe bare and vncouered out of the water sodainly their shell is so well dried by the Sunne that they cannot descend to the depth of the sea so that they floote aboue
thinke they haue as the Cryb a people of Thracia and other barbarous men in certaine Ilands of the sea Magilanike a thing very detestable and vnworthie of christendome to whome may serue for example these poore brutishe men The women for the tyme that they be greate with childe shall not beare or carie any heauie burthens neyther shall do any great labour for feare to be hurt The woman being brought to bed or deliuered the wiues shal carie the chyld to the sea to be washed or to some Ryuer and then will bring it to the mother who shall remaine in hir childe bed twentie dayes and foure houres the father shall cutte the childes nauell with his téeth as I my selfe haue séene as for the rest they handle and vse the women in child bed as tenderly as we doe here the norishment of the litle childe is the mothers milke notwithstāding that within certain days after his natiuitie they wil giue it grosser sustenance The father shortly after the childe is borne shall giue him a bow and arrow in his hand as a beginnyng and protestation of warre and vengeaunce of their enimies But yet there is one thing that marreth al that is that the fathers mothers before they marry their daughters wil gyue them to be abused to the first cōmer for a little value principally to Christians that trade thither if they will couple with them as wée haue before shewed Wée fynde in some histories of certaine people lyuing in maner as these wilde men do in their mariages Seneca in one of his Epistles and Strabo in hys Cosmographie writeth that the Lydians and Armenians hadde a custome to sende their virgins and maidens to the sea borders there in offering them selues to all commers to get them husbandes or else their dowries As muche sayeth Iustinus dyd the virgins of Cypris for to get their dowries and mariages which when they were quit and well iustified offered to the Goddesse Venus a present or offeryng We may fynde at this day amongst vs that making great profession of vertue and religion would doe the lyke and rather more without offering presente or candle the which I knowe of a truthe As touching the consanguinitie in Mariage Saincte Hierome writeth that the Athenians were woonte to marrie the brethren wyth the systers and not the Auntes wyth the nephewes the whych is contrary to the order of the Americanes Lykewise in oure countrey a woman of late hadde libertie to marrie hir selfe to fiue husbandes and not contraried Beside this we sée the Turkes and Arabians tooke many wiues I speake it not for that it is honest and allowable but for that we christians should auoyde such things To conclude our wylde men vse the maner and order that wée haue shewed so that a mayden is seldome maried hauing hir virginitie but beyng once maryed they dare doe no faulte for their husbandes doe looke straightly to them hauing a suspition of Iealousie shée may leaue hir husbande if that she be euill intreated the whiche oftentimes commeth to passe as we reade of the Aegyptians that dydde the lyke before they had any lawes In this pluralitie of women that they vse as wée haue sayde there is alwayes one aboue the others moste fauoured whiche is not subiect to so much trauell as the others All the children that procéede by the mariage of these wiues are reputed legittimate saying that the first Author of generation is the father and not the mother which is the cause that many tymes they kill the male children of their enimies being prisoners bicause y e such children in time to come might be their enimies Of the ceremonies buriall and funeralls that they vse to the deceassed Capit. 43. SEyng that I haue shewed you their doing and maner of liuyng and other theyr orders and ceremonies there resteth to speake of their Funerals and burialls For all that these kinde of people are brutishe and vnciuile yet haue they this custome and opinion to lay the dead bodies in the earth after that the soule is separated from the body in the place wher as the deceased in hys life time toke most plesure thinking so as they say that they can not put hym in place more notable than in the earth that bringeth forth the men that beareth so many fruites and other richesse profitable and necessarie for the vse of man There haue ben many lewde and vnaduised Heathen Philosophers that toke no care what should becom of their bodies after their decease whether it were cast out to y e beasts in the fields or birds of y e aire they forced not As Diogenes who after his death cōmaunded that this body should be cast out to the foules of the aire beastes of the fielde for to be eaten and deuoured saying that after his death his bodie should fele no more pain and that he loued much better that his body shold serue for sustenance than to putrifie and rot Likewise Lycurgus among the Lacedemonians did giue straight cōmaundement as Seneca writeth that after his deathe his body shoulde be cast into the sea others that there should be burned to ashes These poore people of America though they be brutish and ignorant shewe them selues after the death of their parentes or frends with out comparison more reasonable than aunciently dyd the Parthians who for all that they had lawes in stede of putting their dead bodies into the earthe cast them out to be a praie for soules and dogs Also the Taxilians did cast their dead bodies to the soules of the ayre and the Caspians in like maner The Ethiopians did cast the dead bodies into the waters the Romans did burne them to ashes as many other nations haue done By this ye may sée that the wilde men are not so voide of honestie but that they haue some knowledge of good considering that without lawe or faith they haue this knowledge and aduise that is to wit as much as Nature hath taught them Therfore they burye the deade bodies in the earth as we haue alreadie sayde in like maner as did aunciently the Nasomones Nowe the buriall of the dead is approued as well by the olde as by the new testament Likewise the ceremonies if they be duly obserued as well for that they haue bene vessels and instrumēts of the soule diuine and immortal as also to giue hope of the resurrection to come Here might I bring in many things as touching this mater but for that it is not my argument I omitte it and let it passe Nowe therefore among these wylde men yf that a housholder happen to dye hys wyues and hys néere kinsefolke and friends shall make a maruellous mournyng not for the space of thrée or foure dayes but foure or fiue monethes and this greatest sorow is foure or fiue of the first dayes ye shall heare them make such a noyse and harmonie as dogges and catts ye shall see as well men as women
like that of Magellan by the which ye may enter from the West sea to the South sea Gemafrigius although he was expert in Mathematike hath herein failed erred for he maketh vs beleue that this Riuer of which we speake is a straight the which is named Septentrionall and so hath he sette it out in his Mappa Mundi If that which he hath written be true in vaine then haue the Portingals bene and Spanyards to séeke a new straight distant from this aboue .3000 leagues for to enter into the South sea to goe to the Ilands of Moluques where as the spices are This Countrey of New found land is inhabited with barbarous men being clothed in wilde beastes skinnes as are those of Canada this people is very frowarde and vntractable as our men can well testifie that goe thither euery yeare a fishing They that dwel by the Sea liue with little kinde of other meate than fishe which they take in the sea wherof they take a great multitude chiefly sea Wolues of which they eate the flesh which is very good With the fat of this fish they make a certaine Oyle that after it is come to his perfection hath a redde colour which they drink at their tables as we do wine or béere Of the skin of this fish which is strōg and thick as if it were of some wild beasts they make clokes garments according to their maner which is a meruellous thing that in a element so moist as that is which is moist of it self cā be norished a beast or fish that hath the skin hard and dry as beasts of the earth haue Likewise they haue other fishes that haue hard skins as y e Grampas the Dog fish and others with strong shels as Torterels Oysters Muscles suche like Besides this they haue great plenty of other good fish bothe smal and great of which they liue daily I maruell that the Iewes Turkes Grekes many other natiōs in the East eat no Dolphins nor of many other kinde of fishes that are without shell as wel in the sea as in fresh waters which maketh me to iudge that these people are more wiser better aduised to finde the tast in meats more delicate than wheras are Turks Arabians and other superstitious people In those parts there is also found Whales I meane in y e hie sea for such fish neuer cometh toward the shore to liue with such little fish Notwithstanding the fish that the Whale doth most commonly eate is no greater than a Carpe a thing almost vncredible considering hir greatnesse the reason therof as some say is for bicause y t the whale hath but a litle throte in cōparison of y e greatnesse of his body therfore he cannot deuour a greater fish The which is a wonderfull secrete vnknowne as well to our elders as to vs although that they haue treated of fishes the female hath but one yōg one at a time which she bringeth forth as a beast of y e earth without egge that which is more wōderful she giueth suck to hir yōg one after y t she hath brought it forth And therfore she hath .ij. rothers vnder hir belly vnder y e nauel which no other fish hath neither in the sea nor in fresh water but only y e sea Wolfe as witnesseth Plinie This whale is dangerous to méete on the sea as the Bayones cā wel tel by experiēce for they vse to take them To the purpose ye shall note when that we wer in America some Marchantes ship y t passed from one lād to another for marchādise was ouerthrown all y t was within hir lost by a whale y t touched hir w t hir tail In the same place wheras the Whale frequenteth there is found moste commonly a fishe that is his mortall enimie so that if she méete the Whale she will pricke the whale vnder the belly which is the softest and tenderest place with hir tong that cutteth like a Barbars raser so that he being thus hurt cannot saue himself but that he dieth as the inhabitants of New found land do shew and the common fisher men In this Sea of Newe found land there is a kinde of fishe that the people of the countrey call Hehec hauing a bil like a Popengay and other fishes with shell There is found in the same place great store of Dolphins that shewe themselues many times aboue water leaping and floting the which some iudge to be foreshewings of tempests and fowle weather from the part or coast that they come from as Plinie sheweth Isidorus in his Etymologies which I haue also knowne by experience the which is more surer than the witnessing either of Plinie or of any other Some haue written that there is fine kindes of signes and forthe wings of tēpests and stormes on the Sea as Polybius being with Scipio Aemilian in Affrica Furthermore there are great plenty of great muscles and as for beastes of the earth there are a great number very wilde and daungerous as great Beares the which are almost all white and bisides beastes there are foules of the aire of which the fethers are all white the which I thinke happeneth bicause of the extréeme coldnesse of the Countrey but these Beares which I spake of are day and night about the houses of this people for to deuoure their Oyle and Fishe As touching these Beares although that we haue treated thereof at large in our Cosmographie of Leuant yet notwithstanding we will speake somewhat thereof by the way howe the inhabitants of the Countrey take them being afflicted with y e importunitie that they make them Therfore they make certaine pittes in the ground very déepe néere to trees and rockes and then they couer them finely with leaues and braunches and this they vse where as are hiues or multitude of Hony Bées which these Beares séeke and follow with all diligence thereof they are very desirous not only so much for to fil them therewith but for to heale their eyes the whiche they haue naturally blemished and all their braine also that being stinged with these Hony Bées there falleth from them a bloud specially from the head wherby their paine is eased so that they are comforted thereby There is also séene a kinde of great beastes like to Buffles hauing hornes very great their skin is grayishe of which they make garments and of many other beasts whose skins are very riche This Countrey is full of hils and mountaines and very barraine as well for bicause of the vntemperatenesse of the aire as of the condition of y e lande smally inhabited and ill tilled As for birds there are not found suche quantitie as in America or at Perou nor yet so faire There are two kinde of Egles of which the one kinde kéepeth the waters and liueth onely with fishe chiefly with shell fishe the which she taketh vp and flieth into the
Grecia by the Phenicians that then ruled on the sea being reputed to their great glory as the first finders out of that which they had learned of the Egyptians The men in this parte on the coaste of Europe vse to noynte their ioyntes with Oyle of the which they haue greate plenty before they take in hand any greate exercise for al softe and pliable things are not easy to breake they principallie make warre with the Spanyardes on their borders partly for religion partly for other causes It is true that the Portingals of late time haue ouercome certaine places in Barbaria and edified townes and Castels and planted our Religion specially one faire towne named the holy Crosse for that they ariued stayed there the same day it is at the foote of a faire mountayn But within this twoo yeres the wicked people of the countrey being assembled together haue throwne downe from the sayde mountayne so many greate stones that they had pulled out thereof that in the ende the poore Portingals were constrayned to forsake the place there is alwayes such enimitie or hatred among them that they trade and trafficke together their Suger Oyle Ryce Lether and other marchandise by leauing of pledges and hostages They haue quātitie of good fruts as Oranges Lemōds Citrons Pomegarneds the which they eat for wante of better meate and Ryce in stede of Wheate also they drinke Oyles as we do Wine They liue many yeares more to my iudgement bicause of the sobrietie they vse than otherwise Of the fortunate Ilandes novv called the Canaries Cap. 5. LEauing Barbaria on the left hande hauing alwayes the winde fauorable we knew by our compasse how néere we were to the fortunate Ilandes lying on the borders of Mauritania toward the west being so named by our elders bicause of the good tēperatnesse of the aire frutfulnesse of the same Nowe the first day of September in the foresayde yeare about sixe of the clocke in the morning we had sight of one of these Ilands bicause of the hyght of a great Hill of the which we wil speke more largely and particularly hereafter These Ilandes as some do affirme are .x. in number of which there are thrée that the Authors make no mention of for that they are vnhabited the other seuen which are named Tenerif the Ile of yron Gomeria and the great Iland properly called Canaria are distant from the Equinoctial .27 degrées the other thrée Forteuenturia Palma and Lencelota are .28 degrées so that by this ye may sée that from the first to the last is a degrée the which is .17 Leagues and a halfe reckening from the North to the South according to the opinion of Pillotes But without further talke he that wold finde out by the degrées of the firmament the quantitie of leagues and stades that the earth doth contayne and what proportion there is from league to degrée the which ought to be obserued of him that will write of coūtreys as a true Cosmographer let him reade Ptolomeus the which treateth therof at large in his Cosmography Among these Ilands there is none of them but the greatest that is named Canaria bicause of the multitude of greate Dogs that there are nourished as Plinie sheweth and many others after him that say as yet that Iuba bare away twayne But nowe they are all named the Canaries without any distinction for this onely reason before shewed But in my opinion I thinke they were named Canaries for the abundance of Canes and wild Réedes that growe on the sea brink as for the Canes or Réedes y t beare Suger the Spaniards haue planted a great many since the tyme that they haue there inhabited but ther did inhabite brutish Barbarous men before that there were any Dogs the which standeth by good reason for I knowe well by experience that in all the countreis and Indies y t haue ben discouered and founde out of late dayes they had neuer knowledge of dog or catte as hereafter shal be shewed Yet I knowe well that the Portingals haue brought thether some and kept them for to hunte after wild beastes Plinie therefore speaketh in this maner the first is called Ombrion whereas there is no signe of house nor building In the mountaines there is a fountaine trées like vnto that which is named Ferula both blacke and white out of the which may be wrong or writhen water Of the blacke ones the water is very bitter to the contrary the white ones the water is pleasant to drinke The other is called Iunonia whereas there is but one onely house builded of stone ther is sene another that is next to this but lesse of the sayd name another that is full of greate Lizardes Right ouer against these before shewed there is another named the Iland of Snowe for that it is alwayes couered with snowe The next to that is Canaria so called bicause of the multitud of great dogs y t it engendreth as we haue before shewed wherof Iuba King of Mauritania had two in the saide Ile ther are some apperāce of old buildings This coūtrey in times past hath ben inhabited with wild Barbarous people not knowing God but altogether Idolaters worshipping y e Sūne y e Moone certaine other planets as soueraigne deities of the which they thought they receiued al their benefits but in lesse thā .58 yeres y e Spaniards haue subdued and ouercome them and slayne part of them and the rest they hold and kepe as slaues and captiues and they inhabiting there haue established or set vp the Christian fayth so that at this present ther is none of the ancient dwellers left onely a fewe excepted that are hid in the mountaynes as in the mountayne of Pych of the which we will speake hereafter folowing True it is that that place is the refuge of all the banished of Spaine the which for punishement are sent thither into exile so that there is an infinite number also of slaues the which serue as well to labor the grounde as to do other labors I do much maruel how the inhabitantes of these Ilands and of Afrike for that they are néere neighbors haue so differed in language in colour Religion and in maners Also that many vnder the Romaine Empire haue conquered and subdued the greatest parte of Africa and neuer touched these Ilands as they haue done in the sea Meditareum knowing also that they are very fruitfull seruing as a victualer to y e Spaniards euē as Cicilie serueth to the Romaines and Geneuois This countrey of it selfe is good being so well tilled it bringeth greate profit and the most in Sugers For within these fewe yeares they haue planted many Canes that bring forth greate quantitie of Sugers maruelous good not only in these Ilands but in other places that they hold there Neuerthelesse it is not so good in any part as in
Indians or wilde men of the Countrey shewing according to their manner euident signes of ioy neuerthelesse we stayed ther but .iij. dayes they welcomed vs one after an other according to their custome with this word Carainbe which is as muche to say as welcome or ye are welcome And for to shew their good wils one of their great Morbicha Onassonb that is to say King feasted vs with a kinde of meale made of rootes and with their Cahonin which is a drinke made of Mill is named Auaty and it is great like a pease there is bothe white and blacke And for to make this drinke they let this Mill boile with other rootes the which after it is boyled hath a coloure like to Claret wine and these Indians finde it so good that therewith they will be dronken as men will be with wine in our Countrey It is thicke like to wine lées Héere I wil shew you a superstition that they vse to make this drink after the straungest maner in the world After that it hath boyled in carthen vessels made for that purpose there shall come certaine virgins or maidens that shall chawe or champe in their mouthes this Mill being so boyled or sodden then they shall put it into a nother vessel therunto appointed or if that a woman be called therto she must first abstain certaine dayes from hir husband otherwise they thinke that this Byuerige or drinke will neuer come to good perfection This being done they will make it boyle againe vntill that it be purged or cleansed as we sée the wine boyling in the tunne then within certaine dayes after they drinke thereof Now after that they had entertained vs after this sorte they brought vs afterwarde to sée a large stone of fiue féete long or there about in the which appeared certaine strokes of a rod or small wand and the print of two féete the which they affirme to be of their great Caraibe whome they haue in as great reuerence as the Turks haue Mahomet for bicause say they that he hath giuen them the vse and knowledge of fire likewise to plant rootes for before they liued but with leaues as doe the brute beastes Being thus guided and led about by their King we forgate not diligently to know and visite the place wheras among other commodities requisite and necessary we founde that there was no freshe water to be had but far from thence the which letted vs to stay ther any long time for y e which we were sorie considering the bounty of the countrey In this place there is a Riuer of salt water passing betwene two hills separated the one from the other about a stones throwe and entreth into the countrey about .36 leagues This Riuer hath great quantitie of good fish of diuers kindes chiefly greate moulets so that whilest we were there we sawe the Indians catche of these fishes aboue a thousand in a shorte space Furthermore there are many birdes of diuers kindes with strange fethers some as red as fine scarlet others white ashey and other colours And with these fethers the wilde men or Indians make hats and garments either for to couer them or for beauty When they goe a warfare or when they haue any skirmish with their enimies Others also make them Gownes and Caps after their maner and for a manifest truth it may be knowen by a gowne that I brought home with the which gowne I made present to Monsieur Troisteux a gentleman of the house of my Lorde the right reuerend Cardinall of Sens. Among these number of birdes al differing from those of our Himisperia there is one which they name in their language Arat the which is a very hearon in proportion sauing that his fethers are red as Dragons bloud Furthermore there are sene trées without number being gréene all the yeare long of the which the moste parte rendreth diuers kindes of gumme as well in coiour as otherwise Also there is growing on the sea bankes little vines which is a kinde of cockle of the greatnesse of a pease the which the wilde men beare or hang about their necke like pearles specially when they are sicke for they say it prouoketh the belly and serueth for a purgation some of them make powder thereof and eate it Moreouer they say that it is good to stay a bloudy flixe the which semeth to me contrary to his purging vertue Neuerthelesse it may haue bothe bicause of the diuersitie of his substances And therefore the women beare it more oftener at their neckes adn armes than the men Likewise there is found in that countrey and on the sea borders on the sande greate plenty and a kinde of fruite that the Spaniards name sea beanes being rounde lyke a Teston but more greater and more thicker of a ruddy colour so that if you sawe them you wold say they were Artificiall the people of the countrey set nought by them neuerthelesse the Spaniards cary them into their countrey and the Womē and Maydens commonly hang them about their necke being set in gold or siluer the which they say hath vertue against the collicke the payne in the head and others To be short this place is pleasant and fruitfull and they that enter farther into that countrey shall finde a flat countrey couered with strange kinde of trées the like are not in Europe being also beautified with fayre Riuers and springs and very cleare waters among the which there is a fish very monstrous for a freshe water fish this fish is of the largenesse and greatnesse of a herring armed from the head to the tayle like a little beaste of the earth named Taton the heade without comparison greater than the body hauing thrée bones in the chyne and very good to eate at the least the Indians eate of them and they name it in their language Tamonhata Of the Riuer of Ganabara otherwise called Ianaria and how that the countrey whereas we ariued was named Fraunce Antartike Cap. 25. HAuing no time to remaine any lōger at Cape de Fria for the reason before shewed it behoued vs to depart so the we wayed our ankers and hoised vp sailes to sail to some other place to the great displeasure of the Indians of that Countrey that thought we wold haue stayed a longer time folowing the promise that we had made them at our first arriuall Therfore we sailed the space of foure dayes vntil the tenth that we found this great riuer of Ganabara being so named of the inhabitaunts of the Countrey for that it is like to the lake or otherwise Ianaria by those that first did discouer it being distaunt from the place from whence we departed .30 leagues and by the way the winde became contrary Now therefore that we had passed many little Ilands on the sea coast and the straight of our riuer being about a gunne shotte brode we were determined to enter in at that place or straight and with
another and so folowing in order the Auditors sit downe on the earth vnlesse it be some ancient men that lye on their beds the which considering with my selfe commeth to my remembrance the moste commendable custome of the gouernors of Thebes an ancient Citie in Grecia the which for to coÌ„sult together of the affaires of the common welth would alwayes sit downe vpon the ground the which maner of doing is estemed an argument of prudence Furthermore it is a strange thing that these Americans do neuer make amongst them any paction or concorde though that their hatred be great as other natioÌ„s do be they neuer so cruel barbarous as the Turkes Moores and Arabians and I thinke that if Theseus the first inuenter of peace amoÌ„g the Greekes were among them he shoulde be more troubled than euer he was this people haue certaine sleights of warre to trap one another as well as in other places Therefore these Americans haue perpetuall enimitie one against another at all tymes against their neighbors before shewed séeking their enimies and fighting as furiously together as is possible the which causeth eache village to fortifie to make themselues strong with people and weapons They will assemble together on the nights in greate number for to kepe watche and warde For they are wonte to skirmish togethers more on nightes than on dayes if that they haue knowledge therof before hande or otherwise do suspecte the comming of their enimies they wil plante in the grounde rounde about their lodgings the compasse of a bowe shot sharp pointed pins of wood the which are so set in the earth that they are scaÌ„t perceiued this kind of policie they vse to gal pierce the féet of their enimies which are al bare and naked as well as the rest of their bodies to the ende that by this meanes they might intangle their enimies for to kill some others for to take prisoners It is a greate honor to them the which departe out of their countrey for to assayle their enimies on the borders and when that they haue taken many of their enimies prisoners in theyr countries he that hath taken most prisoners is honored and celebrated among others as a great King or a great Lorde when he hath most killed and when they meane sodainly to assayle a towne or village they wil hide them selues in the woodes lyke Foxes lurking there for a certayne tyme vntil they haue espied the tyme and vantage to come forth sodainly to beset their enimies WheÌ„ they be come to a village they know the mene to set fier theron for to make them come forth with their wiues children bag and baggage being come forth they assaile one another shoting of their arrowes also with their Maces Swords of wood that to behold them it is a good passe-time they wil bite one another w t their téeth in all places wheras they caÌ„ take hold shewing sometymes the bones of those whome they haue vanquished and ouercome before times in the warrs and eaten to be short they do y e worst they câ—n to feare anger their enimies Some ye shall sée takeÌ„ prisoners bouÌ„d manacled like theues And when those returne from warre far in their owne countries vanquishers God knoweth the noyse and passetyme that they make The women folow their husbands to the warres not for to fight as the Amazoness doe but for to minister to their husbands foode and other necessaries requisite in the warres for sometymes they make iorneys of fiue or six moneths before they returne he that is greatest among them hath moste wiues to serue him And when they make any greate iorney they set fire on their houses and if they haue any good thing they hide it vnder the ground vntill their returne Their vittels that they haue is such as the lande beareth that is rootes very delicate and pleasant to eate and flesh of wild beastes and fish dried in the smoke their beds of cotton are caried with them the men beare nothing but bowes and arrowes in their handes their weapons are also greate Swordes and Clubs of wood very heauy their bowes are as long as oure bowes in Englande their arrowes are made pointed some of Canes that growe on the sea coast and others are made of a kynde of a woodde named Hayri bearing leafe lyke to a Palme trée the whiche is of the coloure of blacke Marble therefore many say it is hornbeame but it semeth to me otherwise for the right and perfect hornebeame is more shining Furthermore the Hornebeame trée is not lyke this for this is very thorney al ouer The best Hornbeam is to be had in Calicut and in Ethiopia This wood is so heauie that it sincketh to the bottome of the water lyke Iron therefore these wilde men make therewith their swordes and clubs to fight with in the warres It beareth a great fruit somewhat pointed at one of the endes within it a whit kernel of y e which fruit I haue brought home with me a greate many Besides this the wild men make faire collers of this woode also it is so harde and tough as I haue before shewed that y e arowes that therewith are made are so strong that it wil pearce a good corselet or Harneis their third weapoÌ„ or defence is a great buckeler the which they vse in the warres it is very loÌ„g made of the skin of a beast like in colour to the Neate or Oxen in our countrey so diuers in colours The bucklers are of such strength as the bucklers Barcellonoys so that they wil beare out the shot of a handgunne And as touching handguns many of them haue and cary with them to the warres the which the Christians haue giueÌ„ them but they knowe not howe to vse them but oftentymes they shoote them of onely for to fear their enimies Their maner of fighting as well on the lande as on the water Cap. 39. IF you aske me why these wild men make warre one against an other seeing that they are not greater Lords one than another also for y t they do not esteme worldly riches that the earth bringeth forth more than serueth their necessitie you shal vnderstaÌ„d that the cause of their warre is euill ynough grounded it is onely a desire of vengeance that they haue without any other reason or cause but euen like brute beasts that cannot agrée one w t another by no honest meane to conclude they say that they haue bene alwayes their mortall enimies They méete together then as we haue sayde before in greate numbers for to go and finde out their enimies if that they haue receiued any iniurie before hand wheras they méete together shoote one at another after they ioine together taking holde of their heade eares biting one another by the armes yea buffetting one another with their fistes There is no speaking of horse They are very obstinate and couragious in such sorte
thing very necessary as they doe affirme against these wormes Also sometimes they anoynt therewithall their bodies when they be weary Bisides this the oyle is proper for woundes and sores as they haue knowne by experience Thus much as touching their infirmities and the remedies that these Americans vse The maner hovv to trade among these people of a birde named Toucan and of the spicerie of that Countrey Cap. 47. ALthough that in America there is diuers kindes of people neuerthelesse brutish and of diuers sorts and fashions accustomed alwayes to make warre one with another Notwithstanding they let not to trade trafike as wel among themselues as with the christians and straungers specially those that are néere to the Sea with such commodities as is to be had in the Countrey Their greatest trade is with Estridge fethers garnishings of swords made of fethers other fethers muche set by and estéemed the which are brought from the higher Countrey to the sea side aboue a hundreth or sixe score leagues also great quantitie of coloures white and blacke also of the gréene stones that they beare hanging in their lips as we haue before shewed The others that dwel on the sea coast where as the Christians to trafike receiue certain hatchets kniues daggers swordes and other iron tooles beades of glasse combes loking glasses and other little trifles of small value which they trucke with their neighbors hauing no other mean sauing only to giue one marchandise for an other and they vse after this maner giue me that and I will giue thée this without any further talk On the sea coast the most frequented Marchandise is the fethers of a birde that is named in their language Toucan the properties of which I wil describe séeing it commeth to purpose This birde is of the greatnesse of a Pigeon there is an other kinde like to a Pie of like fethers that the other haue that is to wit bothe twaine blacke sauing that about the taile there are some red fethers among the blacke Vnder the brest the fethers are yellow about foure fingers broade as well in bredth as in lengthe and it is not possible to finde yellow more excellent nor finer coloure than is the fethers of this birde at the ende of the taile there are little fethers as redde as bloud The wilde men take the skin of that parte that is yellow and they vse it to make garnishings of swordes after their maner and certaine garments hattes and other things I the author of this worke brought a hatte of fethers very riche and faire out of America the which was presented to the King of Fraunce Henry by name as a precious iewell And of these birdes there are none founde but in America beginning from the riuer of Platte vnto the riuer of Amazones Ther are some sene at Perou but they are not so great as the others At newe Spayne Florida Messique and newe found lande there is none to be séene bicause the countreis are to cold of the which they stande in great feare Moreouer this birde liueth with no other thing among the wooddes where he maketh his residence but with certaine fruites that the Countrey doeth bring forthe some might thinke that this were a water birde the which is not so for that I haue séene the contrary To the rest this birde is disformed and monsterous hauing the bill more greater and more longer than the rest of the body I haue also broughte one of them from thence that was giuen me with the skinnes of many of diuers couloures some as redde as fine scarlet others yelow blewe and others of diuers colours These fethers be much set by of y e Americans with the which they trafike and trade as we haue before shewed This also is of a truthe that before the vse of money they traded after this sorte ware for ware so that the wealth and richesse of men yea of Kings Princes and Magistrates did consist in beastes shepe goates and Camels of the which ye haue examples in Berosus and Diodorus the which shewe vs by wrytings the maner and vse that the elders before vs vsed to trade one with another the which vse I finde to differ very little from the Americanes order and other barbarous people So that in times past one thing was giuen for an other as shéepe for corne woolle for salte and suche like The trafike of one Countrey with an other if we cōsider it wel is maruellous profitable necessary for by it ciuil societie is kept also it is much estéemed throughout all nations Plinie in his seuenth booke doeth attribute the first inuention and vse thereof to be among the Venicians The trade that many of the Christians vse with the Americanes is brasell woode Popengayes cotten and other things in trucke and chaunge of those things before shewed they bring also from thence a kinde of spice which is the graine of an herbe or little trée of thrée or foure foote highe the fruit is like to our countrey strawberies as well in coloure as otherwise When it is ripe there is within it a séede like to fenell séede Our christian Marchants doe loade this kinde of spice being nothing so good as the spice that groweth on the coast of Ethiopia and in Ginney also it is not to compare to the spice that is had at Calicut or of Tabroban And this ye shall note by the way that though it be named Calicut spice ye must not thinke that it is all of Calicut but commeth a fiftie leagues off from Ilands vnknown and chiefly from an Iland named Corchell Notwithstanding Calicut is the chiefest place whether all the Marchaundise of the East countreys is broughte and there it is shipte and therefore it is called the spice of Calicut the which is better than the spice of America The King of Portingall as euery one knoweth hathe greate profite of the spices that he receiueth from thence but not so muche as in times past for bicause that since the Spanyardes haue discouered the Iland of Zebut riche and of a great compasse the whiche ye shall finde after ye haue passed the straight of Magellan This Ilande beareth a Mine of Golde Ginger and great aboundaunce of white Purselaine Afterwarde they found out Aborney fiue degrées from the Equinoctiall and many other Ilandes inhabited with Neigers vntill they came to Moloqus where as is Atidora Terenata Mata and Machian little Ilandes somewhat neare the one to the other as are the Canaries of the which we haue spoken These Ilandes are distant from Fraunce more than .180 degrées lying to the West they bring forthe many good spices muche better than those of America This much by the way of Moloquus hauing first treated of the trafike and trade that the wilde men vse of America Of birdes most common in America Cap. 48. AMong many kindes of birdes that nature diuersly bringeth forthe setting out
the meane howe to grynde corne and to bake bread for before they dyd eate the fruites of the earth as Nature brought them forthe whether that the earth was laboured or no but that all men vniuersally on the earth haue liued like as do the brute beastes it is rather a fable than a true story fained by Poets and of suche as imitate them as Virgile sheweth in Georgicon But I beleue rather the holie Scripture that maketh mention of Abell and of his first fruites that he offered to God Well the Americanes make meale of those rootes that are called Manihot which are as great as my arme a foote and a halfe long and they are writhen or crooked most commonly And this roote is of a litle tree in height from y e grounde aboute foure foote the leaues are like to those which we call Patallionis which are in number sixe or seuen at the ende of euery trée and euery leafe halfe a foote long thrée fingers brode Their maner to make this sustenaunce or meate is this they bruse these rootes either drie or gréene with a large barke of a trée garnished aboute with very harde stones this beyng done they make it hot in some vessell of earth on the fire with a certaine quantitie of water so that it gathereth into small lumpes and it is very good when it is thus vsed and a good nourisher And ye shall vnderstande that from Perou Canada and Florida in all the landes and countreys betwene the Ocean and Magellan as America Caniball euen to the straight of Magellan they vse this kinde of foode the which is very cōmon and yet there is distant from the one end to the other more than two thousande leagues by lande and they vse it with their fleshe and fishe as we doe breade These wilde men vse a strange maner in their eating for they neuer bryng their handes to their mouthes but caste theyr meate into their mouthes more than a foote off to the whiche they are verie apte Also they mocke christians that vse otherwise All the labours aboute these rootes are remitted to the women thynking it not decent for mē to occupie them selues therin These Americans doe plant beanes the which are all white and flatte more large and longer than ours Also they haue a kynde of white gourdes not differing to those that grow in Turkey and Italy they boyle them and then eate them with salte the which salte is made with salt water boyled when it is consumed to halfe with an other thyng they make it tourne into salt Likewise with this salt and a kind of spice of graines they make loaues of bread as byg as a mans heade of the which many eate with fleshe and fishe chiefly the women Beside this they mingle many times spice with their meale not beaten to dust as we doe but as it is gathered Moreouer they make bread with dried fishe very good to eate with other things mingled with it whiche I do not knowe I will not forgette here a kinde of colewort leaues almost like to the brode leaues that growe on ryuers sides the whiche they call Nenuphar with an other kinde of herbe growing like our thistles Nowe there resteth to speake of a trée which they name in their language Peno absou This trée beareth a fruite of the greatnesse of a good bigge apple round like an egge the which is not good to eate but rather daungerous as poyson This fruite hath within sixe nuttes like our Almondes but somewhat more larger and flatte in the which is a kernel which as they say is good to heale woundes and sores when that they haue bene hurte in the warre with the Arrowes of their enimies or otherwise I haue brought of them into France which I haue giuen vnto my frends the meane to vse them is this First they draw out of this kernell certaine oyle the which they put vpon the wounde The barke of this trée hath a very straunge smell and the leafe always gréene of the thyckenesse of a testorne and made lyke the leaues of Pourslane In this trée frequenteth a byrde hauing a great bushe of feathers on hir head as yealowe as fyne golde the tayle blacke and the rest of hir feathers yealow and blacke with some strikes of dyuers other coloures redde aboute the chappes betwéene the byll and the eyes lyke scarlette and she kéepeth this trée onely for hir foode whyche is littell wormes that she fyndeth in the sayde trée To make shorte leauyng many kyndes of trées I wyll say thus muche that there are fiue or sixe kinde of palme trées bearynge fruite not as those of Aegypte that beare Dates for these beare none but other kynde of fruites some as great as an egge the others lesse Among the whiche palme trées is that whyche they calle Gerahuua a nother named Iry the whyche beareth a nother kynde of fruite differing there is also that dothe beare their fruite all rounde and as greate as a prune or damsyn beyng of the like coloure when it is rype the whiche before hath a taste lyke veriuyce it beareth a whyte kernell of the greatnesse of a hasyll nutte the which these wylde men doe eate Thus muche as touchyng oure America the whiche I haue thoughte good to sette oute after that I had knowne the secretes therof the whiche wée maye hereafter sette forth more at large Lykewise of many trées hearbes and other secretes with their propreties accordyng to the experience of the people of the cuntrey the which we haue left out to auoyde prolixitie Also we haue thoughte good by the way somewhat to speake as touchyng the lande of Brasile Howe and after what sorte the lande of America was discouered and Brasill wood founde with many other trees sene no where but in that countrey Cap. 59. THis we know of a truth that Americus Vesputia is the firste that discouered the mayne lande betwene the two seas though not all the lande but the moste parte And since the Portingals many tymes being not content with their limits haue alwayes hazarded themselues to discouer and fynd out countreis euen as they founde the cōmodities and as they were intertained of the people of the countrey They therfore visiting the countreys and séeking as the Troyans dyd in the lande of Carthage they sawe diuers fourmes and manners of feathers with the whiche they dyd trade and traffike specially redde ones whiche were coloured so that they were desirous to knowe the meane howe to make this coloure The people of the countrey shewed them the Brasille trée whyche they doe name in their language Oraboutan and is very fayre to looke on the barke therof is of a gray colour withoute and the woodde is redde within and chiefly the harte the whyche is more excellente than the reste whereof they do occupie moste so that then the Portingales broughte home their shyps laden therewyth And synce that
out not comprehending them although that they are of no lesse coÌ„passe and greatnesse than Sicilia Corsica Cypris or Candia nor yet of lesse value therefore shall this parte be limitted towards the South to Florida There resteth now only to describe the third parte the which shall begin at Noua Espania or new Spaine comprehending all the prouinces of Anauac Vcatan Eulhuacan Xalixa Thalco Mixtecapan Tezeuco Guzanes Apalachen Pancho Aute and the kingdome of Micuacan from Florida vnto the land of Bacalles which is a great Region vnder the which also is comprehended the land of Canada and the prouince of Chicora which is .33 degrées on this side the line the land of Labrodor newe found land compassed with the frostie Sea on the Northe side This Countrey of the West Indies being thus deuided not specifying many things from the one ende to the other that is to witte many things froÌ„ the one end to the other that is to wit from the straight of Magellan at the which we haue begon vnto the ende of the farthest land of the Indies it is more then .4800 leagues of length and by this ye may descerne the bredthe excepting the straight of Parias before named therfore they are now called y e great Indies being without comparison more greater than the East Indies As touching the rest I desire the reader to take in good parte this little deuision vntil it please God to giue vs meane to make one more greater Likewise to treate more at large of this countrey but thus much I thought néedefull in the meane time to bring to light Of the Iland of Rats Cap. 67. LEauing these Canibals for the small comfort y t there was to be had hauing the winde at South we sailed to a very faire Iland distant froÌ„ the line .iiij. degrées the which is very daungerous in the aboording of it for it is no lesse daungerous to a front thaÌ„ some great Cape or Promentary for that it entreth farre into the sea and for rockes that are about it and ranged on the coast side This Iland was vnluckely found out to the mishappe of those that first did discouer it Some Portingall ship passing by on that coast for default of good gouernment striking against a rocke néere to this Iland brake in pieces and drowned excepting .xxiij. meÌ„ that saued them selues in this Iland in which place they remained the terme of two yeares wheras they died only two excepting which in the meane time liued with Rattes Birdes and other beastes And as on a time there passed by a ship of Normandie that returned from America they set their skiffe out for to rest in that Ilande whereas they found these two poore Portingalls that were onely lefte of this shipwrake the which they brought away with them And these Portingals had named it the Iland of Rats bicause of the multitude of Rats of diuers kindes that there are so that they say that their companions died onely being vexed with these vermin These beastes liue with egs of Torterels that they make on the Riuage of the Sea and with birds egs wherof there is great store Also when we went for to seke fresh water whereof we had such greate nede that some amongst vs were constrayned to drinke their owne water or bryn the which dured the terme of thrée monethes and the famyn foure moneths we sawe there so many birdes and so priuie that we might haue laden therewith our ships neuerthelesse we coulde not recouer fresh water vnlesse we had entred very farre into the couÌ„trey As for the rest it is fayre decked with many fayre trées being gréene the moste parte of the yeare euen like a goodly gréene medowe in the moneth of May although it be within foure degrées of the lyne Though that this Iland is not inhabited yet it is not vnpossible no more than others in the Zone as the Ilandes of S. Homer vnder the Equinoctial others And if it wer inhabited I am wel assured that it would make one of the fairest places in al the Worlde and riche there might be made very good Suger Spices and other things of great value I know well that many Cosmographers haue had this opinion that the Zone betwene the two Tropickes was vnhabited for the extreame heate of the Sunne notwithstanding y t experience sheweth the coÌ„trary without any farther contention euen as the Zones to the twoo Poles bicause of the colde Heroditus and Solon affirmeth that the hils Hiperbores are inhabited and likewise Canada drawing néere to the North and other count yet more néere approching the colde Sea of the whiche we haue alredy spoken Therefore let vs returne to our IlaÌ„d of Rats This place by good right is so named for bicause of the abundance of Rats that lyue there of the whiche there are diuers kindes one kinde among the reste that the wilde men of America eat named in their language Sohiatan and they haue their hayre gray the flesh good delicate like a little leueret There is another named Hiexousou greater than the others but not so good to eat they are as great as those of Egypt called Pharaos Rats Others there are as greate as Wezels that the wild meÌ„ eate not for bicause that when they are dead they stinke like carion the which I haue sene also there are founde diuersitie of Serpentes named Gerara the which are not good to eate but there are others named Theirab that are good for of these Serpentes there are diuers kindes that are nothing venemous nor like to those of our Europe so that their biting is neither mortall nor any thing dangerous there are to be sene redde ones scaled of diuers coloures lykewise I haue sene gréene ones as gréene as the bay leafe they are not so greate of body as the others notwithstanding they are very long Therefore it is not to be marueled at how these wild men there aboutes eate these Rats without daunger and Serpents euen as they do Lezardes as before we haue shewed Likewise néere to this Ilande is founde a kynde of fish and also vpon the coaste of America very daungerous also much feared and redoubted of the wilde men for that she is a rauening fish and as daungerous as a Lyon or a Woulfe famished this fish is named Houperou in their language and eateth other fish in the water excepting one that is as greate as a little Carpe the which foloweth him alwayes as if there were soâ—â—â— Sympathia or secrete loue betwene them or else he foloweth him for to be preserued and kept sure from other fishes So that the wilde men fishing all naked as they do alwayes feare him not without a cause for if he catche them he will either drowne them or strangle them or looke where he toucheth he carieth away a piece with his téethe Also they will take héede how to eate of this fishe but if y t they can take him
is greatly subiect to earthquakes and to hayles and therefore these poore people being ignorāt of natural things yea much more of heauēly things are greatly afrayd although that these things are common they think that these things procede from their Gods for that they haue offended them Notwithstanding earthquakes commeth not but of windes that are shut in in certayn crasses of the earth the which by greate power causeth it to shake as in lyke manner it causeth many times great trées to shake yea and bloweth them vp by the rootes of the which Aristotle doth shewe As touching hayle it is not to be maruell though it be rife bicause of the vntemperatnesse and vnconstancie of the ayre being very colde in this Region bicause of the distāce of the Sunne the which commeth no néerer than when it commeth to our Tropicke And therefore the water that falleth from the Firmamēt is alwayes frosen bicause that the aire is alwayes colde and therefore it is alwayes haile or snow Now these Canadians when that they féele such incommodities for the affliction that they receiue they kepe thēselues in their houses with certaine domestical beasts that they nourish And there they make their mone to their Idols whose forme and lykenesse is not much vnlike to the fabulouse picture of Melusin of Lusignam being halfe a Serpent and halfe a Woman for the heade of their Idoll with hir haire representeth according to their brutish maner a woman And the rest of their body is lyke to a Serpent The which may cause Poets to fayne that Melusin was their Goddesse The earthquakes be dangerous although the case be euident Séeing that we are come to speake of earthquakes we will shewe thereof one word according to the opinion of naturall Philosophers with the inconueniences that folowe Thales Milesius one of the seuen wise men of Grecia sayde that water was the beginning of al things and that the earth floting in y e middest of this water was in a continuall quaking sometymes more and sometymes lesse Of this same opinion was Democrites and fayde furthermore that the water vnder the earth being burst out by rayne coulde not bicause of his excesse quantitie be contayned in the vaynes and compasse of the earth but caused these earthquakes and of this procedeth the Springs and Fountaynes that we haue Anaxagoras sayd it was fier the which coueting as it is his nature to rise hye and to ioyne with the fier Elementarie causeth not onely this quaking but certayne openings goulfes and such lyke in the earth as we may sée in certa yne places and confirmed his opinion in that the earth burneth in certayne places Anaximines doeth affirme the earth it selfe to be the cause of this quaking the whiche being opened bicause of the excessiue heate of the Sunne the ayre entereth in greate quantitie and with vyolence the whiche after that the earth is closed agayne hath no issue And by this meanes the belly of the earth beginneth to moue this causeth the earthquake The which semeth more to agrée with reason and trueth than the others according as we haue folowing Aristotle also that the winde is no other thing than an ayre that riseth rangingly But leauing these opinions of naturall causes and of earthquakes the which may come by other reasons only by the permission of the most highest vnknowen to vs. The inconueniens and mishaps that come thereby is ouerwhelming of Towns and Cities as happened in Asia of seuen Cities in the time of Tiberius Caesar and of the Metropolitane Citie of Bithinie during the raigne of Cōstantinus Many also haue ben swallowed vp by the earth and others drowned with waters as was Elicea and Aura at the ports of Corinth And for to be short this earthquake commeth sometimes with such vehemence that beside the inconueniences afore shewed it maketh Ilandes of mayne land as it hath done Sicily with certayne places in Siria and others it ioyneth sometymes Ilandes to mayne land as Plinie saith to be happened of those of Doromscia Parua in millites In Africa many playnes and valleys are at this day turned to lakes and riuers Also Seneca sheweth that a flocke aboue fiue hundreth Shepe and other beastes and foules were on a tyme swallowed vp and lost by an earthquake And for this reason the moste parte kepe them by the Riuers sides for to eschewe this earthquake being taught by experience and not by reason that marish grounde and wet places are not so subiect to earthquakes as the mayne and the hyelande and therefore this reason is very easy to those that vnderstād the occasion of the earthquakes before alleged And for this cause the riche and renomed temple of Diana in Ephesus the which continued more than two hundreth yeares being so strongly edified that it meriteth to be in the number of one of the spectacles of the world was set on piles of woode in a marishe place for bicause that it should not be subiect to Earthquakes vntil such time as one Heluidius or as some terme him Eratosthenes being foolishly minded for bicause that he would be knowne and that his memorial might be shewed did set it on fire and consumed it to ashes Also for this cause the Romains had edified a Temple to Hercules by the riuer of Tyber and there they did pray and offer sacrifices Nowe this earthquake is so vehement and contagious in Canada that within .v. or .vj. leagues of their houses within the Countrey there shall be found more than two thousand trées ouerthrowne to the earth as well on hils as on valeys rockes ouerthrowne one vpon an other the ground to sinke and to be swalowed vp and all this hapneth not but of mouing and stirring of the earth The like may happen to other Countreys that are subiecte to earthquakes Thus much thought I good to speake of earthquakes without straying farre from our matter Of the Countrey called New found land Cap. 82. AFter that we were departed from the heigth of the gulfe of Canada it behoued vs to passe further kéeping our course right North leauing the lande of Labrador and the Ilands called the Ilands of Deuils and the Cape of Marco distant from the line .56 degrées we coasted on the left hand the Countrey that is named Newe founde lande the which is very colde and therfore those that did first finde it out made there no long abiding nor those neither that goe thither oftentimes for fishe This new found land is a region that is one of the farthest partes of Canada and in the same land there is found a riuer the which bicause of his bredth and length séemeth to be almost a Sea and it is named the riuer of the thrée brethren being distant from the Ilands of Essores foure hundreth leagues and from Fraunce nine hundreth it separateth the Prouince of Canada from this New found land Some iudge it to be a narow Sea
of the shels of Torterels A historie of a Portingal gentleman A Portingall healed of the Leprosie Orselie a herbe The Ile of fire and why it was so named The Hill Pusola Lib. 2. cap. 106. The spreading of Ethiopia Senega floud in times past named Nigritis The description of Ethiopia Miroa an Ilande The realme of Etabecke and Ickthiophages The loue of the Anthropophages towards their King Meroa the chief towne of Ethiopia aunciently named Saba Why the Ethiopians and other are black Indians and Ethiopians vse Magique The Inhabitants of Ginney to the Cape of good hope are all Idolaters Castor and Pollux called the bright starres and lanternes of the sea The maners and order of liuing of those of Ginney The aire of Ginney is vnholesome Maniguetta a fruit much estemed among spices The trade of Iuorie EliphaÌ„t a beast approching to humain reson A riuer or flud bearing Mines of golde and siluer Cania and Rhegium riuers Two sea moÌ„sters like to man and wife The description of the Equinoctiall line From whence commeth the name Equinoctiall The temperatenesse of the aire vnder the Equinoctiall line The Ile of S. Omer or of S. Thomas Abundance of diuers fishes vnder the lyne The sea water is sweet vnder the Equinoctiall Man hath great desire to knewe and se things The opinion of many Philosophers that say all the world is not inhabited Fiue Zones by the which the worlde is measured The cold zone The temperat Zone Zone Torida Another temperat zone Another colde zone The zone Torida and hills Hyperbores are inhabited The zone Torida more coÌ„modious and wholesom thaÌ„ the others Marsouin and why it is so named A fouÌ„taine that sheweth fish lyke golde Aristotle and Plinie of the Dorade Lib. 6. cap. 16. The descriptioÌ„ of the Dorade Dorade the fish hath bene greatly estemed in tymes paste among the Romaines Among these Dorades those were most set by that were brought from Tarenta being made fat at the lake Licryn as witnesseth Martiall in the thirde boke of his Epigrams The Ile of the Ascention an why it was s named Diuers kinds of straÌ„ge birds and in great number Aponars birdes Caape of good hast Ile of Aponards and why it is so named The Ile of thascention not yet inhabited as many others India Meridionall Caape of good hope why it is called Lyon of the sea Rhinoceros or beasts of Ethiopia The spreading of East India Sea Indique A signe to the Nauigants that they drewe neere to America The hills of CroistmouroÌ„ Maqueh Caape de Fria Gekan The maner of these Barbaroê° men is to eate their enimies The fruitfulnesse of the Ile of S. Laurence Chicorin a fruit that we name nuts of India The Ile of Prince Seuen sortes of Palme trees in the Indies of America Spagnin a kind of herbe Pa a straunge birde The Asse of India Orix Gray Amber very cordiall Caape Defria Cahonin a drinke in America The superstition of these Indians in making this drinke A Riuer of salt water Birdes with diuers coloured fethers A gown made of fethers brought from America Arat a red bird Ganabara so called bicause of the likenesse to the lake Manihot a rote that the wilde men vse to eate A pleasant and comfortable Iland in the which the Lord of Villegagnon fortified him selfe A rocke from whence procedeth a lake Oysters hauing pearles The maner of these wild meÌ„ to take fish Panapana a kinde of fish A kinde of thornebacke Ineuonea Trees bering oysters America not known of the Cosmographers in times past Americus Vespucia did first finde out America The lying of America What the inhabitants of America are America is a very fruitfull countrey What parte of America is inhabited by the Spaniards and Portingals The Religion of the Americans Toupan Hetich rootes Charaiba America first discouered in the yere 1497 The Canibals are a people that liue with humaine flesh HoWe these AmericaÌ„s liue Adamians a kinde of heretikes that maintained nakednesse The opinioÌ„ of the Turlupins and the Philosophers of Ciniques coÌ„cerning nakednesse Iulius Caâ—â—â— did weare a cap against the order of the Romaines The stature and naturall coloure of the Americanes The wilde me liue without lawes The Americanes detest and abhorre salte meates The Lezard of America How these Americans kepe silence at their meat Auaty a drink The more delicate a man is nourished the lesse strength he hath A kinde of herbe that cutteth like steele A monstrous forme of a childe couered with scales Abantes a people in Asia The maner of the Athenians Genipat a tree and the fruite The maner how to make colour of this tree Genipat The maner of these wild meÌ„ to colour their bodies Vsub a kinde of Gumme An other tree named Genipat Petun an herb and howe it is vsed A fountaine at Lyncestis and his propertie The discription of a tre named Paquouere Pacoua the fruit A dead Cocodrill Iacareabson A stone of the coloure of an Emerauld Why the Americanes are tormented of wicked sprites Aguan a euill sprite in their language Grigri The opinion of the wilde men as touching their naturall dreames Pages Prophets Pages or Charaibes What these pages and Charaibes are and of their deceit The ceremonies of these Prophetes to cal vpon the wicked spirit What the intorrogations are that they make to the wicked spirit Houioulsira Two kindes of Magike Against those that beleue sorceries and witchcraftes Thurgia a daÌ„nable Magike Zabulus Which is the right Magike What Magus in the Persian toÌ„g signifieth Zalmoxis Zorastria Cherepicouare The opinion of the wilde men on the immortalitie of the soule Pindahouson a King in the wilde couÌ„trey This Toupan is to be vnderstanded the almighty God The superstition of the wilde men Hairi a tree Hornebeame a tree The buckler that they vse The cause why the wilde men fight one against another The wilde meÌ„ obstinate and couragious The custome of the Americans is to eate their enimies A prouerbe The inhabitants of Morpion are enimies to those of Ianaria Almadies made of the barcke of a tree The superstition of the men in taking of the barks of the trees A foolish opinion of the wild men and of the Turkes and Moores Drummes Flutes other Instrumentes do stir vp the spirites How they intreate their prisoners The wilde men feare not death How the women and maiden prisoners are intreated Cerimonies against the execution of their prisoners Cahouin a drinke The Canibals are mortall enimies to the Spanyardes Vengeance is defended to Christians A history of a Portingall being prisoner to the wildemen The faithfulnesse of the wilde men but not to Christians How they of America do marry The deflouring of maids before they be maried A defeÌ„ce made by the Lord of Villegagnon that the FreÌ„ch men shold not acquaint them selues wyth the wilde women The auncient custome of the Lydians Armenians and the inhabitants of Cypris The wyld meÌ„ haue many wiues The maner of the wilde men to burye the dead