and inviron this great masse of the earth the which was wrought by the wisedome of that great Architect They say the earth is built vpon the waters and vpon the sea but contrariwise the earth is rather vnder the waters for according to common iudgement and imagination that which is on the other part of the earth which we inhabite seemes to be vnder the earth and so by the same reason the waters and sea which doe compasse in the earth on the other part should be vnderneath and the earth aboue yet the very truth is that what is properly beneath that is alwaies in the midst of the vniversall but the holy scripture frames it selfe to our manner of conceiving and speaking Some may demaund seeing the earth is set vpon the waters as the scripture sayeth whereon the waters are placed or what support have they And if the earth and the water make one round globe how can all this monstrous masse be sustayned To this the holy scripture answereth them in another place giving vs greatest cause to admire the power of the Creator and saith in these wordes The earth extends towards the North vpon the Vast and stayes hanging vpon nothing The which in trueth is very well spoken for that really it seemes this heape of earth and water is set vpon nothing when we describe it in the middest of the ayre as in trueth it is But this wonder which men so much admire God himselfe hath not layd open demanding of the same Iob in these termes Tell mee if thou canst who hath layd the lyne or cast the lead for the building of the world and with what morter the foundations have beene layed and ioyned Finally to make vs vnderstand the fashion and modell of this admirable frame of the world the Prophet Dauid accustomed to sing and praise his divine works saies very well in a Psalme made of this subiect in these wordes Thou which hast built the earth vpon firmenes it selfe that it cannot stagger nor move for ever and ever Meaning to shew the cause why the earth set in the midst of the ayre falleth not nor staggereth from place to place for that by nature it hath sure foundations layed by the most wise Creator to the end it might sustaine it selfe without any other support Mans imagination is therefore deceived in this place seeking other foundations of the earth and for want thereof doth measure divine things according to humaine reason So that we neede not to feare how gâ—eat or heavy soever this masse of earth then hanging in the aire seemeth to be that it can fal or turne topsy turâ—y being assured vpon this point for that the same Psalmist saieth that it shall neuer be overthrowne Truly Dauid with reason after he had beheld and sung the wonderfull workes of the Lord doth not cease to praise him in the same saying O how great wonderfull are the workes of the Lord. It appeares that all spring from his knowledge And in truth if I shall freely speake my opinion touching this point often in my trauell passing the great gulfes of the Ocean and marching by other regions of so strange lands staying to behold and consider the greatnes of these workes of the Lord I felt a wonderfull consolation of the soveraigne wisedome and greatnes of the Creator who shines in his works in comparison whereof all the Pallaces Castells and princely buildings together with all the inventions of man seeme nothing yea are base and contemptible in respect thereof O how often hath come into my minde and mouth that place of the Psalme which sayeth thus Great comfort hast thou given me O Lord by thy workes I will not cease to reioyce in the contemplation of the workes of thy hands Really and in truth the workes of God haue I know not what secret hidden grace and vertve the which although they be often beheld yet do they still cause a new taste and content whereas contrariwise the workes of man although they be built with exquisite art yet often seene they are no more esteemed but breede a distaste be they most pleasant Gardins Pallaces or stately Temples be they Piramides of proud buildings Pictures carved images or stones of rare worke and invention or whatsoever else adorned with all the beauties possible Yet is it most certen that viewing them twice or thrice with attention the eye presently turnes away being glutted with the sight thereof But if you beholde the sea with attention or some steepe mountaine growing from a plaine to a strange heigth or the fieldes clad in their naturall verdure with pleasant flowres or the raging course of some river beating continually against the rocks finally what worke of nature soever although it be often viewed yet doth it still breede a new content and never gluttes the sight the which is like vnto a stately bancket of the divine wisedom which doth alwaies cause a new consideration without any lothing Containing an answere to that which is obiected out of the holy Scripture against the roundnes of the earth CHAP. 4. REturning then to the figure of heaven I know not out of what authoritie of the holy scripture they can prove that it is not round nor his motion circular neither do I see whereas S. Paul calles the heaven a Tabernacle or a Tent which God made not man how can it be applied to this purpose for although he telleth vs that it was made by God yet must we not therefore coniecture that the heaven covereth the earth like to a roofe on the one part only neither that the heaven was framed without motion as it seemes some would inferre The Apostle in this place treated of the conformity of the auncient Tabernacle of the lawe saying therevpon that the Tabernacle of the new law of grace is heaven into the which the great Priest Iesus Christ entred once by his bloud and thereby is vnderstood that there is as great preheminence of the new aboue the old as there is difference betwixt the author of the new which is God and of the olde which was man although it be most certen that the olde was built by the wisedome of God who instructed his workeman BeZeleell Neither must we imagine that these comparisons parables and allegories doe in all thinges agree with that wherevnto they are applyed as the happy Crysostome hath learnedly spoken vpon this point The other authoritie which S. Augustine saies is alleaged of some to shew that the heaven is not round is this The heavens stretch forth like vnto a skin Whereby he concludes that it is not round but flat on the vpper part wherevnto the same Doctor doth answere verie well and familiarly giuing vs to vnderstand that that place of the Psalme is not properly to be vnderstood of the figure of heaven but onely to shew with what facilitie God built so great a heaven being no more painefull for him to
what is in the other life but if hell as Divines holde be in the centre of the earth the which containes in diameter above two thousand leagues we can not iudge that this fire is from the centre for that hell fire as saint Basil and others teach is very different from this which wee see for that it is without light and burneth without comparison much more then ours And therefore I conclude that what I have saide seemes to me more reasonable Of Earthquakes CHAP. 26. SOme have held that from these Volcans which are at the Indies the earthquakes proceed being very common there but for that they ordinarily chance in places farre from those Volcans it can not be the totall cause It is true they have a certaine simpathy one with another for that the hote exhalations which engender in the inner concavities of the earth seeme to be the materiall substance of fire in the Volcans whereby there kindleth an other more grosse matter and makes these shewes of flame and smoke that come forth And these exhalations finding no easie issue in the earth move it to issue forth with great violence wherby we heare that horrible noise vnder the earth and likewise the shaking of the earth being stirred with this burning exhalation Even as gunpowlder in mines having fire put to it breakes rockes and walles and as the chesnut laid into the fire leapes and breakes with a noyse whenas it casts forth the aire which is contained within the huske by the force of the fire Even so these Earthquakes do most commonly happen in places neere the water or sea As we see in Europe and at the Indies that townes and citties farthest from the sea and waters are least afflicted therewith and contrariwise those that are seated vpon portes of the sea vpon rivers the sea coast and places neere vnto them feele most this calamitie There hath happened in Peru the which is wonderfull and worthy to be noted Earthquakes which have runne from Chille vnto Quitto and that is above hundred leagues I say the greatest that ever I heard speake of for lesser be more common there Vpon the coast of Chille I remember not well in what yeare there was so terrible an Earthquake as it overturned whole mountains and thereby stopped the course of rivers which it converted into lakes it beat downe townes and flew a great number of people causing the sea to leave her place some leagues so as the shippes remained on drie ground farre from the ordinary roade with many other heavie and horrible things And as I well remember they say this trouble and motion caused by the Earthquake ranne three hundred leagues alongest the coast Soone after which was in the yeere eighty two happened that Earthquake of Arequipa which in a maner overthrew the whole citie Since in the yeere eightie sixe the ninth of Iulie fell an other Earthquake in the cittie of Kings the which as the Viceroy did write hadde runne a hundred three score and tenne leagues alongest the coast and overthwart in the Sierre fiftie leagues The mercy of the Lord was great in this earth quake to forewarne the people by a great noyse which they heard alittle before the Earthquake who taught by former experiences presently put themselves in safetie leaving their houses streets and gardins to go into the fieldes so as although it ruined a great parte of the Cittie and of the chiefest buildings yet there died not above fifteene or twenty persons of all the Inhabitants It caused the like trouble and motion at sea as it had done at Chille which happened presently after the Earthquake so as they might see the sea furiously to flie out of her boundes and to runne neere two leagues into the land rising above foureteene fadome it covered all that plaine so as the ditches and peeces of wood that were there swamme in the water There was yet an other earthquake in the Realme and Cittie of Quitto and it seemes all these notable Earthquakes vppon that coast have succeeded one an other by order as in trueth it is subiect to these inconveniences And therefore although vpon the coast of Peru there be no torments from heaven as thunder and lightning yet are they not without feare vppon the land and so everie one hath before his eies the Heraults of divine Iustice to moove him to feare God For as the Scripture saith Fecit haec vt timeatur Returning then to our purpose I say the sea coast is most subiect to these earthquakes the reason is in my iudgement for that the water dooth stop the conduites and passages of the earth by which the hote exhalations should passe which are engendered there And also the humiditie thickning the superficies of the earth dooth cause the fumes and hot exhalations to goe close together and incounter violently in the bowells of the earth which doe afterwards breake forth Some have observed that such Earthquakes have vsually hapned whenas a rainie season falles after some drie yeâ—res Wherevpon they say that the Earthquakes are most rare where are most welles the which is approoved by experience Those of the Cittie of Mexico holde opinion that the Lake whereon it is seated is the cause of the Earthquakes that happen there although they be not very violent and it is most certaine that the Townes and Provinces farre within the land and farthest from the sea receive sometimes great losses by these Earthquakes as the Cittie of Chachapoyas at the Indies and in Italie that of Ferrara although vpon this subiect It seemes this latter being neere to a river and not farre from the Adriatic sea should rather be numbred among the sea-Townes In the yeere of our Lord one thousand five hundred eightie and one in Cugiano a Cittie of Peru otherwise called the Peace there hapned a strange accident touching this subiect A village called Angoango where many Indians dwelt that were sorcerers and idolatrers fell sodainely to ruine so as a great parte thereof was raised vp and carried away and many of the Indians smothered and that which seems incredible yet testified by men of credit the earth that was ruined and so beaten downe did runne and slide vpon the land for the space of a league and a halfe as it had beene water or wax molten so as it stopt and filled vppe a Lake and remayned so spread over the whole countrey How the land and sea imbrace one an other CHAP. 27. I Wil end with this Element of earth vniting it to the precedent of water whose order and embracing is truely of it selfe admirable These two elements have one spheare divided betweene them and entertaine and embrace one another in a thousand sortes and maners In some places the water encounters the land furiously as an enemy and in other places it invirons it after a sweete and amiable manner There are partes whereas the sea enters far within the land as comming to visite it and in other partes the
immoveable The which seemeth to me easie to comprehend and will be to all others if it may be lawfull to imagine that which my fancy doth conceive for if we suppose that every star and planet be a body of it selfe that it be led guided by an Angell as Habacuc was carried into Babilon who I pray you is so blind but seeth that all the diverse aspects which we see appeare in planets starres may proceede from the diuersity of motion which he that guides them doth voluntarily giue them We cannot then with any reason affirme but that this space region by which they faine that stars do continually march and rowle is elementarie and corruptible seeing it divides it selfe when they passe the which vndoubtedly do not passe by any void place If then the region wherein the starres and planets move be corruptible the stars and planets of their owne motion should be by reason likewise corruptible and so by consequence they must alter change and be finally extinct for naturally that which is conteined is no more durable then that which conteineth And to say that the Celestiall bodies be corruptible it agreeth not with the psalme That God made them for euer And it is lesse conformable to the order preservation of this vniversall world I say moreover to confirme this truth that the heauens move and in them the starres march in turning the which we cannot easily discerne with our eyes seeing we see that not onely thestarres do moue but also the regions whâ—le parts of heaven I speake not onely of the shining and most râ—splendent parts as of that which we call Via lactea and the vulgar S. Iaques way but also of the darker and obscurer parts in heaven For there we see really as it were spots and darkenes which are most apparent the which I remember not to haue seene at any time in Europe but at Peru and in this other Hemisphere I haue often seene them very apparant These spots are in colour and forme like vnto the Eclips of the Moone and are like vnto it in blacknes and darkenes they march fixed to the same starres alwaies of one forme and bignes as we haue noted by infallible observation It may be this will seeme strange to some they will demand whence these spots in heaven should grow To the which I cannot answere otherwise at this time but as the Philosophers do affirme that this Via lactea or milken way is compounded of the thickest parts of the heaven and for this cause it receiues the greater light and contrariwise there are other parts very thinne and transparent the which receiuing lesse light seeme more blacke obscure Whether this be the true reason or no I dare not certenly affirme Yet is it true that according to the figure these spots have in heaven they moue with the same proportion with their starres without any separation the which is a true certaine and often noted experience It followeth then by all that we haue said that the heaven containeth in it all the parts of the earth circling continually about it without any more doubt How the holy Scripture teacheth vs that the earth is in middest of the world CHAP. 3. ALthough it seemes to Procopius Gaza and to some others of his opinion that it is repugnant to the holy Scripture to place the earth in the middest of the world and to say that the heaven is round yet in truth this doctrine is not repugnant but conformable to that which it doth teach vs. For laying aside the tearmes which the Scripture it selfe doth vse in many places The roundnesse of the earth And that which it sayeth in an other place that whatsoever is corporeall is vnvironed and compassed in by the heavens and conteyned within the roundnes thereof at the least thy cannot deny but that place of Ecclesiastes is very plaine where it is said The Sunneriseth and sets and returnes to the same place and so begins to rise againe he takes his course by the South turning towards the North this spirit marchâ—th compassing about all thinges and then returnes to the same place In this place the paraphrase and exposition of Gregorie Neocesarien or Nazianzene sayeth The Sunne hauing runne about the whole earth returnes as it were turning to the same point That which Solomon saveth being interpreted by Gregorie could not be trve if any part of the earth were not invironed with the heaven And so S. Ierome doth vnderstand it writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians in this sort The most common opinion affirmes agreeing with Ecclesiastes That the heaven is round mooving circularly like vnto a bowle And it is most certaine that no round figure conteyneth in it eyther longitude latitude heigth or depth for that all parts are equall Whereby it appeares according to S. Ierome That those which hold the heaven to be round are not repugnant to the holy Scripture but conformable to the same And although that S. Basile especially and S. Ambrose who doth vsually imitate him in his bookes called Hexameron seeme somewhat doubtfull of this point yet in the end they grant that the world is round It is true that S. Ambrose doth not yeelde to this quintessence which Aristotle attributes to the heavens without doubt it is a goodly thing to see with what a grace and excellent stile the holy Scripture treates of the scituation and firmenes of the earth to breed in vs a wonderfull admiration and no lesse content to behold the vnspeakable power and wisedome of the Creator For that in one place God himselfe saies that it was hee which planted the pillers which support the earth giving vs to vnderstand as S. Ambrose doth well expound it that the vnmeasurable weight of the whole earth is held vp by the hands of the divine power The holy Scripture doth commonly so call them and vseth this phrase naming them the pillers of heaven and earth not those of Atlas as the Poets faine but of the eternall word of God who by his vertue supports both heaven and earth Moreover the holy Scripture in an other place teacheth that the earth or a great part thereof is ioyned to and compassed in by the Element of water speaking generally that God placed the earth vpon the waters And in another place that hee framed the roundnes of the earth vpon the Sea And although S. Augustine doth not conclude vpon this text as a matter of faith that the earth and the water make one globe in the midst of the world pretending by this meanes to give another exposition to the words of the Psalme yet notwithstanding it is most certaine that by the words of the psalme we are given to vnderstand that we haue no other reason to imagine any other ciment or vniting to the earth then the Element of water the which although it be pliant and moveable yet doth it support
build so huge a couer as the heaven is then to vnfould a double skin Or else the Psalmist pretending to shew vs the great maiesty of God to whome the heaven with his greatnes and beautie doth serve in like manner as our tents and pavilions in the field The which was well expressed by a Poet calling it The Tent of the cleere heaven In like sort the place of Isaii which sayeth Heaven serves mee as a chaire and the earth for a foote-stoole But if wee follow the error of the Antromorphites which did atribute corporall members vnto God according to his divinitie we should haue occasion vppon this last text to examine how it were possible the earth should be a foote-stoole to Gods feete and how the same God could hold his feete of the one part and the other and many heads round about seeing that hee is in all partes of the world which were a vaine and ridiculous thing Wee must therefore conclude that in the holy scriptures we ought not to follow the letter which killes but the spirit which quickneth as saith S. Paul Of the fashion and forme of Heaven at the new-found world CHAP. 5. MAny in Europe demaund of what forme and fashion Heaven is in the Southerne parts for that there is no certaintie found in ancient bookes who although they graunt there is a Heaven on this other part of the world yet come they not to any knowledge of the forme thereof although in trueth they make mention of a goodly great Starre seene in those partes which they call Canopus Those which of late dayes have sayled into these parts have accustomed to write strange things of this heaven that it is very bright having many goodly starres and in effect thinges which come farre are commonly described with encrease But it seemes contrary vnto me holding it for certaine that in our Region of the North there is a greater nomber and bigger Starres finding no starres in these partes which exceed the Fisher or the Chariot in bignesse It is true that the Crosse in these partes is very fayre and pleasing to behold wee call the Crosse foure notable and apparant starres which make the forme of a crosse set equally and with proportion The ignorant suppose this Crosse to be the southerne Pole for that they see the Navigators take their heigth thereby as we are accustomed to doe by the North starre But they are deceyved and the reason why Saylers doe it in this â—orte is for that in the South parts there is no fixed starre that markes the Pole as the North starre doth to our Pole And therefore they take their heigth by the starre at the foot of the Crosse distant from the true and fixed Pole Antarticke thirtie degrees as the North starre is distant from the Pole Articke three degrees or little more And so it is more difficult to take the heigth in those parts for that the sayd starre at the foote of the Crosse must bee right the which chanceth but in one houre of the night which is in divers seasons of the yeere in divers houres and often times it appeareth not in the whole night so as it is very difficult to take the heigth And therefore the most expert Pilots regard not the Crosse taking the heigth of the Sunne by the Astrolabe by which they know in what height they are wherein commonly the Portugals are more expert as a Nation that hath more discourse in the Arte of Navigation then any other There are also other starres in these southerne parts which in some sort resemble those of the North. That which they call the Milken way is larger and more resplendent in the south parts appearing therein those admirable blacke spots whereof wee have made mention As for other particularities let others speake of them with greater curiositle and let this which wee have sayde suffice for this time That there is Land and Seavader the two Poles CHAP. 6. IIt is no smal labour to have vnfolded this doubt with this knowledge and resolution that there is a Heaven in these parts of the Indies which doth cover them as in Europe Asia and Aâ—â—riâ—ke And this point serveth often against many Spaniards who beeing here sigh for Spaine having no discourse but of their countrie They wonder yea they grow discontented with vs imagining that we have forgotten make small accompt of our native soyle To whom we answere that the desire to returne into Spaine doth nothing trouble vs being as neere vnto Heaven at Peru as in Spaine as saint Ierome saith well writing vnto Paulinus That the gates of Heaven are as neere vnto Brittanie as to Ierusalem But although the Heaven doth compasse in the world of all paâ—ts yet must we not imagine that there is land necessarily on all parts of the world For being so that the two elements of earth and water make one globe or bowle according to the opinion of the most renowmed ancient Authors as Plutarch testifieth and as it is prooved by most certaine demonstrations wee may coniecture that the sea doth occupie all this part which is vnder the Antartike or southerne Pole so as there should not remaine any place in these partes for the earth the which saint Augustine doth very learnedly hold against them that maintaine the Antipodes saying that although it bee prooved and wee beleeve that the worlde is round like to a bowle wee may not therefore inferre that in this other part of the worlde the earth is vncovered and without water Without doubt saint Augustine speakes well vpon this point and as the contrary is not prooved so doth it not follow that there is any land discovered at the Antarticke Pole The which experience hath now plainely taught vs for although the greatest part of the worlde vnder the Pole Antarticke be sea yet is it not altogether but there is likewise land so as in all parts of the world the earth and water imbrace one another which truely is a thing to make vs admire and glorifie the Arte of the soveraigne Creator We know then by the holy Scripture that in the beginning of the worlde the waters were gathered together in one place so as the earth remayned vncovered Moreover the same holy Writte doth teach vs that these gatherings together of the water were called Sea and as there be many so of necessitie there must be many Seas And this diversitie of seas is not onely in the Mediterranean Sea whereas one is called Euxiâ—e another the Caspian an other the Erethean or redde Sea an other the Persian an other of Italie and so many others But also in the great Ocean which the holy Scripture doth vsually call a gulph although really and in trueth it be but a Sea yet in many and divers manners as in respect of Peru and all America the one is called the North Sea the other the South and at the East Indies the one is called
have sailed from Lisbone to Goa from Siville to Mexico and through all the South sea even vnto China and to the straight of Maggellan and that as certainely as easily as the Husbandman goeth from his Farme vnto the Citie We have also seene men that have made fifteene yea eighteene voiages to the Indies and we have heard speake of some Ancients which have made above twentie vioges passing and repassing the great Ocean in the which they have not seene any signes of such as have traveled nor met with any passengers to demand the way of them For as the Wife man saith a ship cutteth the waves of the water leaving no way where it passeth nor any path in the flouds But by the vertue and propertie of the Adam ant stone it makes as it were a beaten path in this Ocean The high Creator of all things having imparted this vertue vnto it that by the touch of iron it hath alwaies his motion and aspect towards the North in what part of the world soever you be Some search what should be the cause of this wonderfull propertie and imagine I know not what simpathie But for my part I take more pleasure and content in the considerations of these wonders to praise the power and greatnes of the Almightie and reioyce in the contemplation of his admirable workes and to say with Solomon speaking vpon this subiect O father whose providence governes and maintaines a peece of wood giving it an assured way vpon the sea and in the midst of the swelling waves to shew that in the like sort thou canst save and deliver man from all perill and shipwracke yea although he were in the midst of the sea without shippe But for that thy works are full of wisedome men hazard their lives in a small peece of wood and passe through the sea in a shippe and are saved And vpon the same subiect the Psalmist saieth They which go to the sea in shippes and trafficke by the great waters have seene the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the depth of the sea And in truth it is not one of the least wonders of God that the force of so small a stone should command the sea and force the infinite depth thereof to obey him and follow his commandement But for that it is an vsuall thing and seemes easie men do not admire it nor take any great regard thereof and for that his bountie is such the ignorant make lesse account thereof Notwithstanding such as will duly consider it are led by reason to blesse the wisedome of God and to give him thankes for so great a benefite Being then decreed in heaven that these nations of the Indies which have lyen so long hidden should bee knowne and discovered and that this rowt should be frequented to the end so many soules should come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ and winne eternall life There was an assured guide provided for such as travell that way that is the Compasse to saile by and the vertue of the Adamant stone Wee doe not certainely know at what time this Art of sailing was brought to light But for my part I hold for certaine that it is not veriâ— ancient for besides the reasons alleadged in the former chapter I have not read in any ancient Author treating of dialles any mention made of the Adamant And yet vndoubtedly the principall and most necessarie instument for sunne dialls which we vse at this day is the needle of iron touched with the Adamant stone Some approved Authors write in the Historie of the East Indies that the first which began to discover this secret vpon the sea was Vascor de Gama who in the height of Mosambique met with certaine Mariners Moores which vsed this compasse or needle to saile by and by the meanes thereof he sailed through those seas yet they write not from whom they learned this Art And some amongst them are of our opinion that the Ancients were ignorant of this secret Moreover I will shew a greater wonder of the needle to saile by which we might hold incredible if we had not proofe thereof by vndoubted experience The iron touched or rubbed with that part of the Adamant stone which is towards the South hath this vertue to turne alwaies and in all places to the contrarie which is the North. Yet doth it not in all places directly regard it but hath certaine points and climats where it directly regardes the North and their staies but changing this climate it inclines a little either to the East or to the West the farther it goes from this climat which the Mariners cal North-east or North-west which is to say coasting or inclining to the East or to the West And it is a thing of such consequence to vnderstand this declining or coasting of the needle that if they observe it not advisedly although it bee small they shall stray wonderfully in their course and arrive in another place then where they pretended to go Once a very expert Pilot of Portugal told mee that there were foure poyntes in all the world whereas the needle looked directly towards the North the which hee named but I do not well remember them One is in the height of the Iland of Corvo at the Terceres or Acores which is very well knowne to all men but passing to a greater altitude it declines to the West and contrariwise drawing to a lesse altitude towardes the Equinoctiall it leanes to the East The masters of this Arte can well tell how farre and how much For my part I would gladly know of such as presume to knowe all thinges what should bee the cause of this effect and for what reason a little yron touched with the Adamant stone receyves such vertue as to looke alwayes towards the North and with such dexteritie that it vnderstandeth the sundry Clymates and scituations of the world and which way it should turne and incline as well as any Philosopher or Cosinographer whatsoever And seeing wee cannot well discover the causes and reasons of these thinges which wee see dayly without doubt they were very hard to beleeve if they were not apparent Herein we discover our follie vanitie to make our selves iudges ' to subiect divine high things to our reason discourse It is therefore better as S. Gregorie the divine sayth â—o subiect reason vnto faith for that in her owne mansion she hath no governement But this shall suffice Let vs returne to our purpose and conclude that the vse of the needle to sayle by was vnknowne to the Ancients whereby we may resolve that it was impossible to make a determined voyage parting from the other world to come to this by the Ocean Wherein an answere is made to them that say that in times passed they have sayled through the Ocean as at this day CHAP. 18. THat which is alleaged to the contrary of that which hath beene spoken that Salomons Fleet
thing and worthy observation that the ayre is most cleere and without rayne vnder this burning Zone whenas the Sunne is farthest off and contrariwise there is most rayne snow and mists whenas the Sunne is neerest Such as have not travelled in this new world wil happily thinke this incredible and it will seeme strange even vnto such as have beene there if they have not well observed it but the one and the other will willingly yeeld in noting the certaine experience of that which hath beene sayd of this part of Peru which looks to the Southerne or Antartike Pole the Sunne is then farthest off when it is neerest vnto Europe that is in Maie Iune Iuly and August whenas hee makes his course in the Tropicke of Cancer During which Moneths the aire at Peru is very cleere and calme neyther doth there fall any snow or raine all their rivers fall much and some are dried vp quite but as the yeere increaseth and the Sunne approcheth neere vnto the Tropicke of Capricorne then begins it to raine and to snow and their Rivers swell from October to December Then after that the Sun retyring from Capricorne whenas his beames reflect directly vpon the heads of them of Peru then is the violence of their waters great then is the time of raine snow and great overflowings of their Rivers when as their heate is greatest that is from Ianuarie to mid March this is so true and certaine as no man may contradict it And at that time the contrary is found in the Regions of the Pole Articke beyond the Equinoctiall which proceeds from the same reason But let vs now looke into the temperature of Panama all that coast as well of new Spaine the Ilands of Barlovent Cuba Hispaniola Iamaica as of S. Iohn de Port ricco wee shall without doubt finde that from the beginning of November vntill Aprill they have the aire cleere and bright the reason is for that the Sunne passing by the Equinoctiall to the Tropicke of Capricorne retyres from those Regions more then at any other time of the yeere And contrariwise they have violent showers and great swellings of water whenas the Sunne returnes and is neerest vnto them which is from Iune vnto September for then his beames beate most vpon them The like happens at the East Indies as we learne daily by letters that come So as it is a generall rule although in some places there is an exception that in the Region of the South or burning Zone which is all one the aire is most cleere and driest whenas the Sun is farthest off and contrariwise when it approcheth there is greatest rayne and humiditie and even as the Sunne advanceth or retyreth little or much even so the earth abounds or wants water and moisture That in the Regions which be without the Tropicks there is greatest store of waters whenas the Sunne is farthest off contrary to that vnder the burning Zone CHAP. 4. IN Regions which lie without the Tropicks we see the contrary to that which hath beene spoken for that the rayne is mingled with cold the drought with heate the which is well knowne in all Europe and the old world as we see in the same manner in the new world whereof the whole Kingdome of Chile is a witnesse which lying without the Tropicke of Capricorne and in the same height with Spaine is subiect to the same lawes of Winter and Summer but that Winter is there whenas it is Summer in Spaine being vnder divers Poles So as when it is cold in these Provinces the waters are in great aboundance which is when the Sunne is farthest off from the beginning of Aprill to the end of September finally the disposition of seasons is like to that in Europe which is that the heat and drought comes whenas the Sunne returnes which is the cause that this Realme of Chile approcheth neerer the temperature of Europe then any other of the Indies as well in the fruites of the earth as in the bodies and spirits of men The like they report of that part which lies before the Inner Ethiopia that stretcheth out in manner of a point vnto the Cape Bonne Esperance or Good Hope the which they holde for a true cause of the inundations of Nile which bee in Summer whereof the Ancients have so much disputed for that in that Region the Winter and raine begins in April whenas the Sunne hath passed Aries and these waters which partly grow from snow and partly from raine assemble and make great Lakes and Pooles from whence by good and true Geographie the River of Nile proceedes and by this meanes goes by little and little stretching out her course till that having runne a long way it finally in the time of Summer overfloweth Egypt which seemeth against nature and yet it is certainely reported for at what time it is Summer in Egypt lying vnder the Tropicke of Cancer then is it winter at the springes of Nile which is vnder the other Tropicke of Capricorne There is in America an other inundation like to that of Nile at Paraguen or River de la Plata which is as much to say as the River of silver the which receiving yeerely infinite waters which fall from the Mountaines of Perâ— doth so terribly swell in her course and over-flowes that Region as the Inhabitants are forced during those Moneths to retyre themselves into boats and Canoes and to leave the dwelling of the Land That betwixt the two Tropicks the greatest aboundance of raine is in Summer with a discourse of Winter and Summer CHAP. 5. TO conclude Summer is alwayes accompanied with heate and drought in the two temperate Zones and Winter with cold and moistnesse but vnder the burning Zone those qualities are not alike for that raine accompanies heate and drought followeth the cold I vnderstand by cold want of excessive heat so as Winter is taken in our Europe for the colde and raynie season and Summer for the hot and cleere season Ouâ— Spaniards which live at Peru and in newe Spaine seeing these two qualities not to concurre together as in Spaine call that season Winter wherein there is greatest aboundance of raine and waters and Summer where there is little or nonâ— at all wherein they are plainely deceived although they aâ—â—irme by a generall rule that in the Mountaines of Peru it is Summer from the Moneth of Aprill to September for that the raine ceaseth in that season and that Winter is from the moneth of September vnto Aprill for that the showres returne then and therefore it is winter and summer at the same instant that in Spaine So as when the Sunâ—e goeth directly over their heads they then take it to bee the depth of Winter having greatest store of raine But it is worthy to be laughed at comming from ignorant men and vnlearned for even as the difference betwixt the day and night proceeds from the presence or absence of the Sunne in our hemisphere according to
safe This Lake containes almost foure score leagues thirtie five in length and fifteene in bredth at the largest place There are many Ilands which in olde time were inhabited and tilled but now lie waste It brings forth a great aboundance of reedes which the Indians call Totora which serves them to a thousand vses for it is meate for swine for horses and for men they make houses therewith fire and barkes To conclude the Vros in this their Totora finde all they have neede of These Vros be such dull and brutish people as they esteeme not themselves men It is reported of them that being demanded of what nation they were They answered they were not men but Vros as it were some kinde of beastes There are whole villages of these Vros inhabiting in the Lake in their boates of Totora the which are tied together and fastened to some rocke and often times the whole village changeth from place to place So as hee that would seeke them now whereas they were yesterday shall finde no shew nor remainder of them or of their village The current or issue of this Lake having runne above fiftie leagues makes another Lake but lesse then the first which they call Paria and containes in it some small Ilands but they finde no issue thereof Some imagine it runnes vnder the ground that it falles into the South sea giving out that there is a branch of a river which they see rise and enter into the sea neere the banke having no knowledge of the Spring But contrariwise I beleeve that the waters of this Lake dissolve and are dispearsed within the Lake it selfe through the heate of the Sunne This discourse seemes sufficient to prove that the Ancients had no reason to holde that the middle region was inhabitable for the defect of waters seeing there is such store both from heaven and on the earth Shewing the reason why the Sunne without the Tropicks causeth greatest quantitie of waters when it is farthest off and contrariwise within them it breedeth most when it is neerest CHAP. 7. COnsidering with my selfe often times what should cause the Equinoctial to be so moist as I have said to refute the opinion of the Ancients I finde no other reason but the great force of the sunne in those partes whereby it drawes vnto it a great aboundance of vapors from out of the Ocean which in those parts is very great and spatious and having drawne vnto it this great aboundance of vapours doth suddenly dissolve them into raine and it is approoved by many tryed experiences that the raine and great stormes from heaven proceed from the violent heat of the Sunne first as we have said before it raines in those countries whenas the Sunne casts his beames directly vpon the earth at which time he hath most force but when the Sun retyres the heat is moderate and then there falls no raine whereby we may conclude that the force and heat of the Sunne is the cause of raine in those Countries Moreover we observe both in Peru New Spaine and in all the burning Zone that the raine doth vsually fall in after-noone when as the sunne-beames are in their greatest force being strange to see it raine in the morning And therefore travellers fore-seeing it begin their iourneyes earely that they may end and rest before noone for they hold that commonly it raines after noone Such as have frequented and travelled those Countriâ—s can sufficiently speake thereof And there are that having made some abode there say that the greatest aboundance of raine is when the Moone is at the full but to say the trueth I could never make sufficient proofe thereof although I have observed it Moreover the dayes the yeere and the moneths shew the trueth hereof that the violent heate of the sunne causeth the raine in the burning Zone experience teacheth vs the like in artificiall thinges as in a Limbecke wherein they draw waters from hearbs flowers for the vehemencie of the fire forceth and driveth vp an aboundance of vapours which being pressed and finding no issue are converted into liquor and water The like wee see in gold and silver which wee refine with quicke-silver the fire being small and slow wee draw out almost nothing of the quicke-silver but if it bee quicke and violent it doth greatly evaporate the quick-silver which incountring the head above doth presently turne into liquor and begins to drop downe Even so the violent heate of the sunne produceth these two effects when it finds matter disposed that is to draw vp the vapours on high and to dissolve them presently and turne them into raine when there is any obstacle to consume them And although these things seeme contrary that one sunne within the burning Zone being neere should cause raine and without the Zone afarre off should breed the like effect so it is that all well considered there is no contrarietie A thousand effects in naturall causes proceede of contrarie things by divers meanes we drie linnen by the fire and in the aire and yet the one heats and the other cooles pastures are dried and hardened by the sunne and with the frost moderate exercise provokes sleepe being too violent it hindereth if you lay no wood on the fire it dieth if you lay on toâ— much it likewise quencheth for the onely proportion entertaines and makes it to continue To well discerne a thing it must not be too neere the eie nor too farre off but in a reasonable distance proportionable being too farre off from any thing we loose the sight and too neere likewise we cannot see it If the sunne beames be weake they draw vp no fogge from the rivers if they be violent having drawne vp the vapours they presently dissolve and consume them but if the heat be moderate it drawes vp and preserves it for this reason the vapours rise not commonly in the night nor at noone but in morning whenas the sunne begins to enter into his force There are a thousand examples of naturall causes vpon this subiect which we see do often grow from contrarie things whereby we must not wonder if the sunne being neere engenders raine and being farre off works the like effect but being of a moderate and proportionable distance causeth none at all Yet there remaines one doubt why the neerenes of the sunne causeth the raine vnder the burning Zone and without when it is farthest off In my opinion the reason is that in Winter without the Tropicks the sunne hath not force sufficient to consume the vapours which rise from the land and sea for these vapours grow in great aboundance in the cold region of the aire where they are congealed and thickened by the extremitie of the cold and after being pressed they dissolve and turne into water Therefore in Winter when the sunne is farthest off the daies short and the nights long his heat hath small force but when the sunne approacheth which is in the summer time his force is
such as it drawes vp the vapors and suddenly consumes and disperseth them for the heat and the length of the daies grow through the neerenes of the sunne But within the Tropickes vnder the burning Zone the far distance of the sunne workes the same effects that the neerenes doth without the Tropiks by reason whereof it raines no more vnder the burning Zone when the sunne is farre off then without the Tropicks when it is neerest for that in this approaching and retyâ—ing the sunne remaines alwaies in one distance whence proceedes this effect of cleerenes But when the sunne is in the period of his force in the burning zone and that he cast his beames directly vpon the inhabitants heads there is neither cleerenes nor drienes as it seems there should be but rather great and strange showers for that by this violent heat he drawes vp suddenly a great aboundance of vapours from the Earth and Ocean which are so thicke as the winde not able easily to disperse them they melt into water which breedeth the cold raine in so great aboundance for the excessive heat may soone draw vp many vapours the which are not so soone dissolved and being gathered together through their great aboundance they melt and dissolve into water The which we may easily discerne by this familiar example rost a peece of porke mutton or veale if the fire be violent and the meate neere we see the fatte melts suddenly and droppes away the reason is that the violent heat drawes forth the humour and fatte from the meate and being in great aboundance cannot dissolve it and so it distills more away But when the fire is moderate and the meat in an equall distance we see that it rostes hansomely and the fatte drops not too suddenly for that the moderate heat drawes out the moistnes which it consumes suddenly And therefore Cookes make a moderate fire and lay not their meate too neere nor too farre off lest it melt away The like may be seene in another experience in candles of tallow or waxe if the wike bee great it melts the tallow or the waxe for that the heat cannot consume the moistnes which riseth but if the flame be proporcionable the waxe melts nor droppes not for that the flame doth waste it by little and little as it riseth The which seemeth to me the true reason why vnder the Equinoctiall and burning Zone the violence of the heat doth cause raine the which in other Regions growes through want thereof How wee should vnderstand that which hath been formerly spoken of the burning Zone CHAP. 8. IF in naturall and phisicall things we must not seeke out infallible and mathematicall rules but that which is ordinarie and tried by experience which is the most perfect rule wee must then beleeve what wee have said that there is more humiditie vnder the burning Zone then in other Regions and that it raines lesse there when the sunne is neerest must be taken and vnderstood after one sort as in truth it is the most common and ordinarie But this is not to hinder the exceptions which nature hath given to this rule making some Regions of the burning Zone extreamely drie The which is reported of Ethiopia and wee have seene it in a great part of Peru where all that land or coast which they call Plaines wants raine yea land waters except some vallies where rivers fall from the mountaines the rest is a sandie and barren soile where you shall hardly finde any springs but some deepe welles But with the helpe of God wee will shew the reason why it raineth not in these Plaines the which many demand for now I onely pretend to shew that there are many exceptions to naturall rules whereby it may happen that in some part of the burning Zone it raines not when the sunne is neerest but being farthest off although vnto this daie I have neither seene nor heard of it but if it be so wee must attribute it to the particular qualitie of the earth and also if sometimes the contrarie doth chance we must have regard that in naturall things there happens many contrarieties and leâ—s whereby they change and dissolve one another For example it may be the sunne will cause raine and that the winds will hinder it or else cause more aboundance then hath been vsuall The windes have their properties and divers beginnings by the which they worke divers effects the which are most commonly contrarie to that which the order season requires Seeing then in all places we see great varieties in the yeere which proceedes from the divers motions and aspectes of Planets it is not out of purpose to say that in the burning Zone wee may see and observe some things contrarie to that we have tried But to conclude that which we have spoken is a certaine and vndoubted truth which is that the great draught which the Ancients held to be in the middle region which they call the burning Zone is nothing at all but contrariwise there is great humiditie and then it raines most when the sunne is neerest That the Burning Zone is not violently hotte but moderate CHAP. 9. HItherto wee haue treated of the humiditie of the Burning Zone now it shall be fit to discourse of the other two qualities Hotte and Colde We have shewed in the beginning of this Discourse how the Ancients held that the burning Zone was hotte and exceeding drie the which is not so for it is hote and moist and in the greatest part the heat is not excessive but rather moderate which some would hold incredible if we had not tried it When I passed to the Indies I will tell what chaunced vnto mee having read what Poets and Philosophers write of the bâ—â—ning Zone I perswaded my selfe that comming to the Equinoctiall I should not indure the violent heate but it fell out otherwise for when I passed which was when the sun was there for Zenith being entered into Aries in the moneth of March I felt so great cold as I was forced to go into the sunne to warme me what could I else do then but laugh at Aristotles Meteors and his Philosophie seeing that in that place and at that season whenas all should be scorched with heat according to his rules I and all my companions were a colde In truth there is no region in the world more pleasant and temperate then vnder the Equinoctiall although it be not in all parts of an equall temperature but have great diversities The burning Zone in some parts is very temperate as in Quitto and on the plaines of Peru in some partes verie colde as at Potozi and in some very hote as in Ethiopia Bresill and the Molucques This diversitie being knowne and certaine vnto vs we must of force seeke out another cause of cold and heat then the sunne beames seeing that in one season of theyeere and in places of one height and distance from the Pole and Equinoctiall we finde so great diversitie
that some are invironed with heat some with cold and others tempered with a moderate heat Plato placeth his most renowmed Atlantike Iland vnder the burning Zone then he saieth that at certaine seasons of the yeere it hath the sunne for Zenith and yet it was very temperate fruitfull and rich Plinie saieth that Taprobana which at this day they call Sumatra is vnder the Equinoctiall as in effect it is writing that it is not onely happie and rich but also peopled with men and beasts whereby we may easily iudge that although the Ancients held the heate of the burning Zone to be insupportable yet might they well vnderstand that it was not so great as they had spoken The most excellent Astrologer and Cosmographer Ptolome and the worthie Philosopher and Physitian Avicen were of a better resolution being both of opinion that vnder the Equinoctiall there were verie commodious habitations That the heat of the burning Zone is temperate by reason of the rayne and the shortnes of the dayes CHAP. 10. SInce the discoverie of this newe worlde wee have found by experience that which late Writers have held for trueth But it is a naturall thing whenas any matter beyond our conceit is made knowne vnto vs by experience we by and by examine the cause Therefore wee desire to know the reason why a Region where the sunne approacheth neerest is not onely temperate but in many parts cold Considering this matter generally I finde two general causes which maketh this Region temperate the one is that before mentioned for that this Region is very moist and subiect to raine and there is no doubt but the rayne doth refresh it for that the water is by nature cold and although by the force of the fire it be made hotte yet doth it temper this heat proceeding onely from the sunne-beames The which we see by experience in the inner Arabia the which is burnt with the Sunne having no showres to temper the violence thereof The clouds and mists are the cause that the sunne offends not so much and the showers that fall from them refresh both the ayre and the earth and moisten likewise how hot soever it be They drinke raine water and it quencheth the thirst as our men have well tried having no other to drinke So as reason and experience doth teach vs that raine of it selfe doth temper the heat and having by this meanes shewed that the burning Zone is much subiect vnto raine it appeares that there is matter in it to temper the violence of the heat To this I will adde an other reason which deserves to be knowne not only for this matter but for many others for although the Sunne be very hotte and burning vnder the Equinoctiall yet is it not long so as the heate of the day being there shorter and of lesse continuance it causeth not so violent a heate the which it behooves to specifie more particularly Such as are practised in the knowledge of the Spheare teach very well that the more the Zodiake is oblique and traversing our Hemisphere the more vnequall are the daies and nights and contrariwise where the sphere is straight and the signes mount directly there the dayes and nights are equalâ— And therefore in all that Region which is betweene the two Tropicks there is lesse inequality then without them and the more we approch the Line the lesse inequalitie we finde the which we have tryed in those parts Those of Quitto for that they are vnder the line have not throughout the whole yeere the dayes and nights more short at one season then at an other but are continually equall Those of Lima beeing distant almost twelve degrees finde some difference betwixt the dayes and the nights but very little for that in December and Ianuarie the dayes increase an houre or little lesse Those of PotoZi finde much more difference both in winter and in summer being almost vnder the Tropicke But those that live without the Tropikes find the dayes in winter shorter and in summer longer the more remote they are from the Equinoctial and come neere the Pole as we see in Germany and in England the daies are longer in summer then in Italie and in Spaine It is a thing which the Sphere doth teach and experience doth plainely shew vs. We must adde an other proposition which is likewise true and very considerable for all the effectes of nature to vnderstand the perseverance and continuation of the efficient cause to worke and moove This presupposed if any one demaund of me why vnder the Equinoctiall Line the heat is not so violent in summer as in some other Regions as in Andelousiae in the moneths of Iuly and August I will answere that in Andelousia the dayes are longer and the nights shorter and as the day being hot inflames and causeth heat so the nights being cold and moist give a refreshing According to the which at Peru there is no such great heat for that the dayes in summer are not long nor the nights short so as the heate of the day is much tempered by the freshnesse of the night And although the burning Zone be neerer the Sunne then all other Regions yet doth not the heate continue there so long It is a naturall thing that a small fire continued heats more then a greater that lastes but little especially if there bee any thing to refresh it He therefore that shal put these two properties of the Zone in one ballance that it is most rainie in the time of greatest heate and that the dayes are shortest there he shall perchance finde them to equall the other two contrarieties which bee that the Sunne is neerer and more directly over them then in other Regions That there be other reasons besides the former mentioned which shew that the burning Zone is temperate especially alongst the Ocean CHAP. 11. BEing a thing concluded that the two forenamed properties are common and vniversal to all the region of the burning Zone and yet in the same there are found some places very hote and other exceeding colde Also that the temperature is not there equall in all places but vnder one climate one part is hote another colde and the third temperate all at one season we are forced to seeke out other reasons whence this great diversitie should proceede in the burning Zone Discoursing therefore vpon this question I do finde threeapparant and certaine causes and a fourth more obscure and darke The apparant and certaine causes be The first is the Ocean the second the scituation of the land and the third the nature and propertie of many and sundry windes Besides these three which I holde for manifest I beleeve there is a fourth hidden and lesse apparant which is the propertie of the same land inhabited and the particular influence of the heavens Whoso woulde neerely consider the causes and generall reasons before mentioned shall finde them insufficient for the full resolution of this point observing that
which daily happens in diverse partes of the Equinoctiall Manomotapa and a great part of the kingdom of Prester Iean are seated vnder the line or very neere In which regions they endure excessive heate and the men are all blacke the which is not onely in those parts of the land farre from the sea but also in Ilands invironed with the sea The Iland of Saint Thomas is vnder the Line the Ilands of Cape Verd are very neere and both in the one and the other are violent heates and the men are likewise blacke Vnder the same line or very neere lies a part of Peru and of the new kingdome of Grenado which notwithstanding are very temperate Countries inclining rather to colde then heate and the inhabitants are white The Country of Bresill is in the same distance from the line with Peru and yet both Bresill and all that coast is extreamely hot although it be in the North sea and the other coast of Peru which is in the South sea is very temperate I say then that whosoever would consider these differences and give a reason thereof cannot content himselfe with these generall rules before specified to proove that the burning Zone may be a temperate land Among the speciall causes and reasons I have first placed the Sea for without doubt the neerenesse thereof doth helpe to temper and coole the heat for although the water be salt yet is it alwayes water whose nature is cold and it is a thing remarkeable that in the depth of the Ocean the water cannot be made hot by the violence of the Sunne as in rivers finally even as salt-peeter though it be of the nature of salt hath a propertie to coole water even so we see by experience that in some ports and havens the salt-salt-water doth refresh the which wee have observed in that of Callao whereas they put the water or wine which they drinke into the Sea in flaggons to be refreshed whereby wee may vndoubtedly finde that the Ocean hath this propertie to temper and moderate the excessive heate for this cause we feele greater heat at land then at sea Caeteris paribus and commonly Countries lying neere the sea are coooler then those that are farther off Caeteris paribus as I have said even so the greatest part of the new world lying very neere the Ocean wee may with reason say although it bee vnder the burning Zone yet doth it receive a great benefite from the sea to temper the heat That the highest landes are the coldest and the reason thereof CHAP. 12. BVt if we shall yet search more particularly we shall not finde in all this land an equall temperature of heate although it be in equal distance from the sea and in the same degree seeing that in some partes there is great heate and in some very little Doubtlesse the cause thereof is that the one is lower and the other higher which causeth that the one is hote and the other colde It is most certaine that the toppes of the mountaines are colder then in the bottome of the vallies the which proceedes not onely for that the sunne beames have greater repercussions vpon lower places although it be a great reason yet there is an other which is that the Region of the ayre is colder when it is farthest from the ground The Plaines of Collao at Peru of Popaian in new Spaine make sufficient proofe hereof For without al doubt those parts are high countries and for this reason cold although they be all invironed with high points of mountaines much subiect to the Sunne beames But if we demand why at Peru and in new Spaine the Plaines along the coast be very hote and the plaines of the same Countries of Peru and new Spaine be contrariwise colde In truth I see no other reason can be given but that the one is a lowe country and the other high Experience dooth teach vs that the middle region of the ayre is colder than the neather And therefore the more the mountaines approach to the middle the colder they are being covered with snow and frosts Reason it selfe dooth yeelde to it For if there be a sphere and region of fire as Aristotle and the other Philosophers say the middle region of the ayre must be most colde by Antiparistasis the colde being expelled and thickned there as in summer time we see in wells that are very deepe For this cause the Philosophers affirme that the two extreame regions of the ayre that above and the other belowe are the hottest and the middle region more colde If it be thus as experience doth teach vs we shall yet draw out another reason and notable argument to shew that the burning Zone is temperate which is that the greatest part of the Indies is a high countrey filled with many mountaines which by their neerenesse refresh the neighbour countries You may continually see vppon the toppes of these mountaines snow haile and frozen waters and the cold so bitter as the grasse is all withered so as the men and beasts which passe that way are benummed with colde This as I have saide is in the burning Zone and it happens most commonly when they have the sunne for zenith It is therefore most certaine and conformable vnto reason that the mountaines are colder than the valleis and plaines for that they participate more of the middle region of the aire which is very colde The cause why the middle region of the ayre is more colde hath bin shewed before for that the region of the aire next to the fiery exhalation the which according to Aristotle is vpon the spheare of the aire repells and thrustes backe all the colde the which retires it selfe into the middle region of the aire by Antiparistasis as the Philosophers speake Now if any one should question with me in this manner If it be so that the ayre is hot and moist as Aristotle holdes and as we commonly say whence then proceeds the cold which is congealed in the middle region of the ayre seeing it cannot come from the fierie spheare For if it come from the water or the earth by this reason the lower region of the aire should be colder than the middle To answer truely what I thinke I will confesse that this Argument and Obiection is so difficult as I am almost ready to follow the opinion of such as reproove the qualities agreements and disagreements which Aristotle gives vnto the Elements saying they are but imaginations who for this occasion hold the aire to be colde by nature And to this end they vse many arguments and reasons whereof we will propound one very familiar and well knowne leaving the rest aparte In the canicular dayes we are accustomed to beate the ayre with a fanne and we finde that it doth refresh vs so as these Authors affirme that heate is no private property of any other Element but of fire only which is dispersed and mingled with all things as the great Denis
remedy and all they finde is to stoppe their noses their eares and their mouthes as much as may be and to cover themselves with cloathes especially the stomacke for that the ayre is subtile and piercing going into the entrailes and not onely men feele this alteration but also beasts that sometimes stay there so as there is no spurre can make them goe forward For my part I holde this place to be one of the highest parts of land in the worlde for we mount a wonderfull space And in my opinion the mountaine Nâ—vade of Spaine the Pirences and the Alpes of Italie are as ordinarie houses in regarde of hie Towers I therefore perswade my selfe that the element of the aire is there so subtile and delicate as it is not proportionable with the breathing of man which requires a more grosse and temperate aire and I beleeve it is the cause that doth so much alter the stomacke trouble all the disposition The passages of the mountaines Nâ—vade and other of Europe which I have seene although the aire be colde there and doth force men to weare more clothes yet this colde doth not take away the appetite from meate but contrariwise it provokes neyther dooth it cause any casting of the stomacke but onely some paine in the feete and handes Finally their operation is outward But that of the Indies whereof I speake without molesting of foote or hand or any outward parte troubles all the entrailes within and that which is more admirable when the sunne is hote which maketh mee imagine that the griefe wee feele comes from the qualitie of the aire which wee breathe Therefore that is most subtile and delicate whose colde is not so sensible as piercing All this ridge of mountains is for the most part desart without any villages or habitations for men so as you shall scarce finde any small cotages to lodge such as do passe by night there are no beasts good or bad but some Vicunos which are their countrey muttons and have a strange and wonderfull property as I shall shew in his place The grasse is often burnt and all blacke with the aire and this desart runnes five and twenty or thirty leagues overthwart and in length above five hundred leagues There are other desarts or places inhabited which at Peru they call Punas speaking of the second poynt we promised where the quallitie of the ayre cutteth off mans life without feeling In former time the Spaniardes went from Peru to the realme of Chille by this mountaine but at this day they do passe commonly by sea and sometimes alongst the side of it And though that way be laborious and troublesome yet is there not so great daunger as by the mountaine where there are Plaines on the which many men have perished and died and sometimes have scaped by great happe whereof some have remained lame There runs a small breath which is not very strong nor violent but proceedes in such sorte that men fall downe dead in a manner without feeling or at the least they loose their feete and handes the which may seeme fabulous yet is it most true I have knowne and frequented long the Gennerall Ierome Costilla the auntient peopler of Cusco who had lost three or foure toes which fell off in passing the desart of Chille being perished with this aire and when he came to looke on them they were dead and fell off without any paine even as a rotten Apple falleth from the tree This Captaine reported that of a good army which hee had conducted by that place in the former yeeres since the discoverie of this kingdome by Almagro a great part of the men remained dead there whose bodies he found lying in the desart without any stink or corruption adding thervnto one thing very strange that they found a yong boy alive and being examined how hee had lived in that place hee saide that hee laie hidden in a little cave whence hee came to cutte the flesh of a dead horse with a little knife and thus had he nourished himselfe a long time with I know not how many companions that lived in that sort but now they were all dead one dying this day and another to morrow saying that hee desired nothing more then to die there with the rest seeing that he found not in himselfe any disposition to goe to any other place nor to take any taste in any thing I have vnderstoode the like of others and particularly of one that was of our company who being then a Secular man had passed by these desarts and it is a strange thing the qualitie of this colde aire which killes and also preserves the dead bodies without corruption I have also vnderstoode it of a reverend religious man of the Order of Saint Dominike and Prelate thereof who hadde seene it passing by the desarts and which is strange hee reported that travelling that way by night was forced to defend himselfe against that deadly winde which blowes there having no other meanes but to gather together a great number of those dead bodies that lay there and made therof as it were a rampire and a bolster for his head in this manner did he sleepe the dead bodies giving him life Without doubt this is a kinde of cold so piercing that it quencheth the vitall heate cutting off his influence and being so exceeding colde yet doth not corrupt nor give any putrifaction to the dead bodies for that putrifaction groweth from heate and moystnesse As for the other kinde of ayre which thunders vnder the earth and causeth earthquakes more at the Indies then in any other Regions I wil speake thereof in treating the qualities of the land at the Indies We wil content our selves now with what wee have spoken of the wind and aire and passe to that which is to be spokâ—n of the water Of the Ocean that invirons the Indies and of the North and South Seas CHAP. 10. AMongst all waters the Ocean is the principall by which the Indies have beene discovered and are invironed therewith for either they be Ilands of the Ocean sea or maine land the which wheresoever it ends is bounded with this Ocean To this day they have noâ— discovered at the Indies any mediterranian sea as in Europe Asia and Affrike into the which there enters some arme of this great sea and makes distinct seas taking their names from the Provinces they bathe and almost all the mediterranean Seas continue and ioyne together and with the Ocean itselfe by the straight of Gibraltar which the Ancients called the Pillers of Hercules although the red sea being separated from the mediterranean seas enters alone into the Indian Ocean and the Caspian sea ioynes not with any other so that at the Indies wee finde not anie other sea then this Ocean which they divide into two the one they call the north sea and the other the south for that the Indies which were first discovered by the Ocean and reacheth vnto Spaine
that the 30. leagues to the South runne betwixt the rockes and most high mountaines whose tops are continually covered with snow so as they seeme by reason of their great height to be ioyned together which makes the entrie of the Straight to the South so hard to discover In these 30. leagues the sea is very deepe and without bottome yet may they fasten their ships to the land the bâ—nckes being straight and vneven but in the 70. leagues towards the North they finde ground and of either side there are large plaines the which they call Caâ—â—naâ— Many great rivers of faire and cleere water runne into this Straight and thereabout are great and wonderfull forrests whereas they finde some trees of excellent wood and sweete the which are not knowne in these partes whereofsuch as passed from thence to Peru brought some to shew There are many medowes within the land and many Ilands in the midst of the Straight The Indians that inhabite on the South side are little and cowards those that dwell on the North part are great and valiant they brought some into Spaine which they hadde taken They found peeces of blew cloth and other markes and signes that some men of Europe had passed there The Indians â—â—luted our men with the name of Iesia They are good Archers and goâ— clad in wilde beasts skinnes whereof there is great aboundance The waters of the Straight rise and fall as the tide and they may visibly see the tides come of the one side of the North sea and of the other from the South whereas they meete the which as I have said is thirtie leagues from the South and three score and tenne from the North. And although it seemes there should be more daunger then in all the rest yet whenas Captaine Sarmiâ—nto his shippe whereof I spake passed it they had no great stormes but found farre lesse difficultie then they expected for then the time was very calme and pleasant And moreover the waves from the north sea came broken by reason of the great length of three score and tenne leagues and the waves from the south sea were not raging by reason of the great deapth in which deapth the waves breake and are swallowed vp It is true that in winter the straight is not navigable by reason of the tempests and raging of the sea in that season Some shippes which have attempted to passe the Straight in winter have perished One onely shippe passed it on the South side which is the Captaine I made mention of I was fully instructed of all that I have spoken by the Pilote thereof called Hernando Alonse and have seene the true discription of the Straight they made in passing it whereof they carried the copie to the King of Spaine and the original to their viceroy of Peru. Of the ebbing and flowing of the Indian Ocean CHAP. 14. ONe of the mostadmirable secrets of Nature is the ebbing and flowing of the sea not onely for this strange property of rising and falling but much more for the difference there is thereof in diverse seas yea in diverse coastes of one and the same sea There are some seas that have no daily flowing nor ebbing as we see in the inner Mediterranean which is the Thyrene sea and yet it flowes and ebbes every day in the vpper Mediterranean sea which is that of Venice and iustly giveth cause of admiration that these two seas being Mediterranean and that of Venice being no greater then the other yet hath it his ebbing and flowing as the Ocean and that other sea of Italie none at all There are some Mediterranean seas that apparantly rise and fall everie moneth and others that neyther rise in the day nor in the moneth There are other seas as the Spanish Ocean that have their flux and reflux every day and besides that they have it monethly which commeth twice that is to say at the entry and at the ful of every Moone which they call Spring tides To say that any sea hath this daily ebbing and flowing and not monethly I knowe not any It is strange the difference we finde of this subiect at the Indies for there are some places whereas the sea doth daily rise fall two leagues as at Panama and at a high water it riseth much more There are other places where it doth rise and fall so little that hardly can you finde the difference It is ordinary in the Ocean sea to have a daily flowing and ebbing and that was twice in a naturall day and ever it falls three quarters of an houre sooner one day then another according to the course of the Moone so as the tide falles not alwayes in one houre of the day Some would say that this flux and reflux proceeded from the locall motion of the water of the sea so as the water that riseth on the one side falles on the other that is opposite vnto it so that it is ful sea on the one side when as it is a lowe water on the opposite as we see in a kettle full of water when wee moove it when it leanes to the one side the water increaseth and on the other it diminisheth Others affirme that the sea riseth in all partes at one time and decreaseth at one instant as the boyling of a pot comming out of the centre it extendeth it selfe on all partes and when it ceaseth it falles likewise on all partes This second opinion is true and in my iudgement certaine and tried not so much for the reasons which the Philosophers give in their Meteors as for the certaine experience wee may make For to satisfie my selfe vpon this point and question I demanded particularly of the said Pilot how he found the tides in the straight and if the tides of the South sea did fall whenas those of the North did rise And contrariwise this question being true why the increase of the sea in one place is the decrease thereof in another as the first opinion holdeth He answered that it was not so but they might see plainely that the tides of the North and South seas rise at one instant so as the waves of one sea incountred with the other and at one instant likewise they began to retire every one into his sea saying that the rising and falling was daily seene and that the incounter of the tides as I have saide was at three score and tenne leagues to the North sea and thirtie to the South Whereby wee may plainely gather that the ebbing and flowing of the Ocean is no pure locall motion but rather an alteration whereby all waters really rise and increase at one instat and in others they diminiâ—h as the boyling of a pot whereof I have spoken It were impossible to comprehend this poynt by experience if it were not in the Straight where all the Ocean both on th' one side on th' other ioynes together for none but Angelles can see it and iudge of the opposite parts for
that man hath not so long a sight nor so nimble and swift footing as were needefull to transporte his eyes from one parte to another in so short a time as a tide will give him respite which are only six houres Of sundry Fishers and their maner of fishing at the Indies CHAP. 15. THere are in the Indian Ocean an infinite number of fishes the kindes properties whereof the Creator only can declare There are many such as we have in the sea of Europe as shaddes and aloses which come from the sea into the rivers dorads pilchards and many other There are others the like I doe not thinke to have seene in these partes as those which they doe call Cabrillas which doe somewhat resemble the trowt and in new Spaine they call them Bobos they mount from the sea into the rivers I have not seene any Besugues there nor trowts although some say there are in Chille There are Tonins in some partes vpon the coast of Peru but they are rare and some are of opinion that at a certaine time they do cast their spawne in the Straight of Magellan as they doe in Spaine at the Straight of Gibraltar and for this reason they finde more vpon the coast of Chille although those I have seene there are not like to them in Spaine At the Ilandes which they call Barlovente which are Cuba Saint Dominique Port rique and Iamaique they find a fish which they call Manati a strange kinde of fish if we may call it fish a creature which ingenders her yoong ones alive and hath teates and doth nourish them with milke feeding of grasse in the fieldes but in effect it lives continually in the water and therefore they eate it as fish yet when I did eate of it at Saint Dominique on a friday I hadde some scruple not for that which is spoken but for that in colour and taste it was like vnto morselles of veale so is it greene and like vnto a cowe on the hinder partes I didde woonder at the incredible ravening of the Tibâ—rons or sharkes whenas I did see drawne from one that was taken in the Port out of his gullet a buchers great knife a great yron hooke and a peece of a cowes head with one whole horne neyther doe I knowe if both were there or no. I did see in a creeke made with that sea a quarter of a horse for pleasure hanging vpon a stake whither presently came a company of these Tiburons at the smel thereof and for the more pleasure this horse flesh was hung in the aire I knowe not how many hand breadth from the water this company of fish flocke about it leaping vp and with a strange nimblenesse cut off both flesh and bone off the horse leg as if it had beene the stalke of a lettuce their teeth being as sharpe as a rasour There are certaine small fishes they call Rambos which cleave to these Tiburons neyther can they drive them away and they are fed with that which falles from the Tiburons There are other small fishes which they call flying fishes the which are found within the tropickes and in no other place as I thinke they are pursued by the Ducades and to escape them they leape out of the sea and goe a good way in the ayre and for this reason they are called flying Fishes they have wings as it were of linnen cloth or of parchment which do supporte them some space in the ayre There did one flie or leape into the shippe wherin I went the which I did see and observe the fashion of his wings In the Indian histories there is often mention made of Lezards or Caymans as they call them and they are the very same which Plinie and the Antients call Crocodiles they finde them on the sea side and in hote rivers for in colde rivers there are none to be found And therefore they finde none vpon all the coast of Peru vnto Payra but forward they are commonly seene in the rivers It is a most fierce and cruell beast although it be slow and heavie Hee goes hunting and seekes his prey on the land and what hee takes alive he drownes it in the water yet dooth hee not eate it but out of the water for that his throate is of such a fashion as if there entred any water he should easily be drowned It is a woonderfull thing to see a combat betwixt a Caymant and a Tigre whereof there are most cruell at the Indies A religious man of our company tolde me that he had seene these beasts fight most cruelly one against the other vpon the sea shoare the Caymant with his taile gave great blowes vnto the Tygre striving with his great force to carry him into the water and the Tygre with his pawes resisted the Caymant drawing him to land In the end the Tigre vanquished and opened the Lezard it seemes by the belly the which is most tender and penetrable for in every other parte hee is so hard that no lance and scarce a harquebuze can pierce it The victory which an Indian had of a Caymant was yet more rare the Caimant had carried away his yong childe and sodainely plunged into the sea the Indian mooved with choller cast himselfe after him with a knife in his hand and as they are excellent swimmers and dievers and the Caymant swimmeth alwayes on the toppe of the water hee hurt him in the belly and in such sort that the Caymant feeling himselfe wounded went to the shoare leaving the little infant dead But the combate which the Indians have with Whales is yet more admirable wherein appeares the power and greatnesse of the Creator to give so base a Nation as be the Indians the industry and courage to incounter the most fierce and deformed beast in the worlde and only to fight with him but also to vanquish him not to triumph over him Considering this I have often remembred that place of the Psalme speaking of the Whale Draco iste quem formasti ad illudendum eum What greater mockerie can there be then to see an Indian leade a whale as bigge as a mountaine vanquished with a corde The maner the Indians of Florida vse as some expert men have tolde me to take these whales whereof there is great store is they put themselves into a Canoe which is like a barke of a tree and in swimming approach neere the whales side then with great dexteritie they leape to his necke and there they ride as on horse backe expecting his time then hee thrustes a sharpe and strong stake which hee carries with him into the whales nosthrill for so they call the hole or vent by which they breathe presently hee beates it in with an other stake as forcibly as hee can in the meane space the whale dooth fuâ—iously beate the sea and raiseth mountaines of water running into the deepe with great violence and presently riseth againe not knowing what to doe for paine the Indian still
them Their water is very cleere and breedes little store of fish and that little is very small by reason of the cold which is there Continually Notwithstanding some of these Lakes be very hote which is another wonder At the end of the vallie of Tarapaya neere to Potozi there is a Lake in forme round which seemes to have been made by compasse whose water is extreamely hote and yet the land is very colde they are accustomed to bathe themselves neere the banke for else they cannot indure the heate being farther in In the midst of this Lake there is a boiling of above twenty foote square which is the very spring and yet notwithstanding the greatnes of this spring it is never seene to increase in any sort it seemes that it exhales of it selfe or that it hath some hidden and vnknowne issue neither do they see it decrease which is another wonder although they have drawne from it a great streame to make certaine engines grinde for mettall considering the great quantity of water that issueth forth by reason whereof it should decrease But leaving Peru and passing to new Spaine the Lakes there are no lesse to be observed especially that most famous of Mexico where we finde two sortes of waters one salt Lake to that of the sea and the other cleere and sweete by reason of the rivers that enter into it In the midst of this Lake is a rocke verie delightfull and pleasant where there are baths of hote water that issue forth the which they greatly esteeme for their health There are gardinsÌ„ in the middest of this Lake framed and fleeting vpon the water where you may see plottes full of a thousand sortes of hearbes and flowers and they are in such sort as a man cannot well conceive them without sight The Citie of Mexico is seated in the same Lake although the Spaniards have filled vp the place of the scituation with earth leaving onely some currents of water great and small which enter into the Citie to carrie such things as they have neede of as wood hearbes stone fruites of the countrie and all other things When Cortez conquered Mexico he caused Brigandins to be made yet afterwards he thought it more safe not to vse them therfore they vse Canoes whereof there is great store There is great store of fish in this Lake yet have I not seene any of price notwithstanding they say the revenue of this Lake is worth three hundred thousand duckets a yeere There are many other Lakes not far from this whence they bring much fish to Mexico The Province of Mechovacan is so called for that it aboundeth greatly with fish There are goodly and great Lakes in the which there is much fish and this Province is coole and healthfull There are many other Lakes whereof it is not possible to make mention nor to know them in particular onely we may note by that which hath beene discoursed in the former booke that vnder the burning Zone there is greater abundance of Lakes then in any other parte of the world and so by that which we have formerly spoken and the little we shall say of rivers and fountaines we will end this discourse of Waters Of many and divers Springs and Fountaines CHAP. 17. THere is at the Indies as in other parts of the world great diversitie of Springs Fountaines and Rivers and some have strange properties In Guancavilica of Peru where the mines of quick-silver be there is a Fountaine that casts forth hote water and in running the water turnes to rocke of which rocke or stone they build in a mauer all the houses of the Village This stone is soft and easie to cutte for they cut it as easily with yron as if it were wood it is light and lasting If men or beasts drinke thereof they die for that it congeales in the very entrailes and turnes into stone and for that cause some horses have died As this water turnes into stone the which flowes stoppes the passage to the rest so as of necessitie it changeth the course and for this reason it runnes in divers places as the rocke increaseth At the point of Cape S. Helaine there is a spring or fountaine of pitch which at Peru they call Coppey This should be like to that which the Scripture speakes of the savage valley where they did finde pits of pitch The Mariners vse these fountaines of pitch or Coppey to pitch their ropes and tackling for that it serves them as pitch and tarre in Spaine When I sailed into new Spaine by the coast of Peru the Pilot shewed me an Iland which they call the I le of Wolves where there is another fountaine or pit of Coppey or pitch with the which they anoint their tackling There are other fountaines and springs of Goultran rozen which the Pilot an excellent man in his charge tolde me he had seene and that sometimes sailing that waies being so farre into the sea as he had lost the sight of land yet did he know by the smell of the Coppey where he was as well as if he had knowne the land such is the savour that issues continually from that fountaine At the baths which they call the baths of Ingua there is a course of water which comes forth all hote and boiling and ioyning vnto it there is another whose water is as cold as ice The Ingua was accustomed to temper the one with the other it is a wonderfull thing to see springs of so contrarie qualities so neere one to the other There are an infinit number of other hote springs specially in the Province of Charcas in the water whereof you cannot indure to hold your hand the space of an Ave Maria as I have seene tried by wager In a farme neere to Cusco springs a fountain of salt which as it runs turns into salt very white exceeding good the which if it were in another countrie were no small riches yet they make very small accoumpt thereof for the store they have there The waters which runne in Guayaquel which is in Peru almost vnder the Equinoctiall line are held to be healthfull for the French disease and other such like so as they come from many places farre off to be cured And they say the cause thereof is for that in that Countrie there is great aboundance of rootes which they call Sallepareille the vertue and operation whereof is so knowne that it communicates her propertie to the waters wherein it is put to cure this disease Bilcanota is a mountaine the which according to common opinion is in the highest part of Peru the toppe whereof is all covered with snow and in some places is blacke like coale There issueth forth of it two springs in contrarie places which presently growe to be very great bâ—rookes and so by little and little become great flouds the one goes to Calloa into the great Lake Titicaca the other goes to the lands and is that which they call
which this straw hath to melt and dissolve these mettalls the which falles out as Plinie saies that there is gold which melts more easily with the flame of straw then with hote burning coales They put the quicke-silver thus molten into skinnes for that it keepes best in lether and in this sort they lay it into the Kings store-howse from whence they carry it by sea to Ariqua and so to Potozi by land vpon their sheepe There is yeerely spent in PotoZi for the refining of mettalles about six or seven thousand quintalles of quicke-silver besides that they drawe from the plates which is the earth or drosse of the first washings of these mettalls which are made in caldrons The which plates they burne in their furnaces to draw out the quicke-silver which remaines in them and there are above fiftie of these furnaces in the Citie of PotoZi and in Tarpaya The quantitie of mettalls which they refine as some men of experience have made the account doth amount yeerely to above three hundred thousand quintalles from the earth and drosse whereof being molt and refined they may draw yeerely above two thousand quintalles of quick-silver We must vnderstand there are divers sortes of mettalls for some yeelde much silver and waste little quicke-silver others consume much quicke-silver and yeelde little silver and there are others which consume much quicke-silver and yeeldes much silver and others that consume little quicke-silver and also yeelde little silver and as men incounter in these mettalles so they grow rich or poore in their trafficke Although commonly the rich mettall yeeldes much silver and consumes much quicke-silver and likewise that which is poore yeeldes little silver and consumes as little mercurie They first beat and grinde the mettall very small with hammers and other instruments which beat this stone like vnto tanne milles and being well beaten they searce it in a copper searce making the poulder as small and fine as if it were horse haire these searces being well fitted doe sift thirtie quintalles in a day and a night then they put the poulder of the mettall into the vessels vpon furnaces whereas they anoint it and mortifie it with brine putting to everie fiftie quintalles of poulder five quintalls of salt And this they do for that the salt seperates the earth and filth to the end the quicke-silver may the more easily draw the silver vnto it After they put quicke silver into a peece of holland and presse it out vpon the mettall which goes forth like a dewe alwaies turning and stirring the mettall to the end it may be well incorporate Before the invention of these furnaces of fire they did often mingle their mettall with quicke-silver in great troughes letting it settle some daies and did then mix it and stirre it againe vntill they thought all the quicke-silver were well incorporate with the silver the which continued twentie daies and more and at the least nine daies Since they discovered as the desire to get is diligent that to shorten the time fire did much helpe to incorporate silver the sooner with quicke-silver they in vented these furnaces whereon they set vessels to put in their mettall with salt and quicke-silver and vnderneath they put fire by little and little in furnaces made for the nonce vnderneath so as in five or six daies the quicke-silver is incorporate with the silver And when they finde that the mercurie hath done his part and assembled all the silver leaving nothing behinde but is well imbrued as a spunge doth water dividing it from the earth lead and copper with the which it is engendered Then after they seperate it likewise from the quicke-silver the which they do in this sort they put the mettall in caldrons and vessells full of water where with certaine wheeles they turne the mettall round about as if they should make mustard and so the earth and drosse goes from the mettall with the water that runs away The silver quicke-silver as most ponderous remaining in the botome the mettal which remaines is like vnto sand then they take it out and wash it againe in great platters of wood or keelers full of water still drawing the earth from it vntill they leave the silver and quicke-silver well clensed There slippes away also some small portion of silver and quicke-silver with the earth and drosse which they call washings the which they after wash againe and draw out the remainder When the silver and quicke-silver are clensed and beginne to shine and that there remaines no earth they put all the mettall into a cloth which they straine out very forcibly so as all the quicke-silver passeth out being not incorporate with the silver and the rest remaines as a loafe of silver like to a marke of almonds pressed to draw oyle And being thus pressed the remainder containes but the sixt part in silver and five in mercurie So as if there remaines a marke of threescore pounds ten are of silver and fiftie of mercurie Of these markes they make pinnes as they call them like pine apples or sugar loaves hollow within the which they commonly make of a hundred pound weight then to seperate the silver from the quicke-silver they put it into a violent fire which they cover with an earthen vessell like to the mold of a sugar loafe or vnto a capuchon or hoode the which they cover with coales and set fire vnto it whereby the quicke-silver exhales in smoake the which striking against the capuchon of earth it thickens and distills like vnto the smoake of a potte covered and by a pipe like vnto a limbecke they receive the quicke-silver which distills the silver remaining without changing the forme but in weight it is diminished five partes of that it was and is spungious the which is worthy the observation Of two of these loaves they make one barre of silver in weight 65. or 66. markes and in this sort they carry it to the touch custome and marke Silver drawne with mercurie is so fine that it never abates of two thousand three hundred and fourescore of alloy and it is so excellent that the worke-men are inforced to alay it putting some mixture to it as they do likewise in their mints whereas their mony is stampt Silver indures all these martiredomes if we may so call it to be refined the which if we consider well it is a bodie framed where they grinde sift kneade lay the leven bake the silver besides all this they wash it and wash it againe they bake it and bake it againe induring the pestells sives troughes furnaces caldrons presses and finally by the water and fire I speake this for that seeing seeing this art in PotoZi I did consider what the Scripture speakes of the iust Colabit eos et purgabit quasi argentum And that which they speake in another part Sic vt argentum purgatum terra purgatum sâ—ptuplum So as to purifie silver to refine and clense it from the
many places yea in many partes there are races found as good as the best in Spaine as well for passing of a carrier and for pompe as also for travell and therefore they vse horses most commonly although there be no want of moyles whereof there are many especially where they make their carriages by land There is no great numbers of asses having no great vse for them neither for travell nor service There are some few caâ—mells I have seene some in Peru that were brought from the Canaries and have multiplied there alittle In S. Dominique dogges have so multiplied in number and bignes as at this day it is the scourge and affliction of that Iland for they eate the sheepe and go in troupes through the fields Such that kill them are rewarded like to them that kill woolves in Spaine At the first there were no dogges at the Indies but some beasts like vnto little dogges the which the Indians call Alco and therefore they call all dogges that go from Spaine by the same name by reason of the resemblance that is betwixt them The Indians doe so love these little dogges that they will spare their meate to feede them so as when they travell in the countrie they carrie them with them vpon their shoulders or in their bosomes and when they are sicke they keepe them with them without any vse but onely for company Of some Beasts of Europe which the Spaniardes found at the Indies and how they should passe thither CHAP. 34. IT is certaine that they have carried from Spaine all these beasts whereof I have spoken of which kindes there were none at the Indies when they were first discovered about a hundred yeares since for besides that it may be wel approved by witnesses at this day living It is also a sufficient argument to see that the Indians in their toâ—gue have no proper words to signifie these beasts but they vse the same Spanish names although they be corrupted for being ignorant of the thing they tooke the word common to those places from whence they came I have found this a good rule to discerne what things the Indians had before the Spaniardes came there and what they had not for they gave names to those they had and knew before and have given new names to these that are newly come vnto them which commonly are the same Spanish names although they pronounce them after their maner as for a horse wine and wheate They found of some sortes of beasts that are in Europe were not carried thither by the Spaniards There are Lions Tigres Beares Boares Foxes and other fierce wilde beasts whereof we have treated in the first booke so as it was not likely they should passe to the Indies by Sea being impossible to swimme the Ocean and it were a follie to imagine that men had imbarked them with them It followes therefore that this worlde ioynes with the new in some part by which these beasts might passe and so by little and little multiplied this world The lions which I have seene are not red neither have they such haire as they vsually paint them with They are grey and not so furious as they seeme in pictures The Indians assemble in troupes to hunt the lion and make as it were a circle which they do call Chaco wherewith they inviron them and after they kil them with stones staves and other weapons These lions vse to climbe trees where being mounted the Indians kil them with launces and crossebowes but more easily with harquebuzes The Tygres are more fierce and cruell and are more dangerous to meete because they breake foorth and assaile men in treason They are spotted as the Historiographers describe them I have heard some report that these Tygres were very fierce against the Indians yet would they not adventure at all vppon the Spaniards or very little and that they would choose an Indian in the middest of many Spaniardes and carry him away The Beares which in Cusco they call Otoioncos be of the same kinde that ours are and keepe in the ground There are few swarmes of Bees for that their honniecombes are found in trees or vnder the ground and not in hives as in Castille The honny comhes which I have seene in the Province of Charcas which they call Chiguanas are of a grey colour having little iuyce and are more like vnto sweete strawe than to hony combs They say the Bees are litle like vnto flies and that they swarme vnder the earth The hony is sharp and black yet in some places there is better and the combes better fashioned as in the province of Tucuman in Chille and in Carthagene I have not seene nor heard speakâ— of wilde boares but of foxes and other wild beasts that eate their cattell and fowle there are more than their shepheards would willingly have Besides these beasts that are furious and hurtfull there are others that are profitable and have not beene transported by the Spaniardes as stagges and diere whereof there is groâ—t aboundance in all the forrests But the greatest parte is a kinde of diere without hornes at the least I have never seene nor heard speake of other and all are without hornes like vnto Corcos It seemes not hard to beleeve but is almost certain that all these beasts for their lightnesse and being naturally wilde have passed from one world to an other by some parts where they ioyne seeing that in the great Ilands farre from the maine land I have not heard that there are any though I have made diligent inquiry Of Fowles which are heere and are at the Indies and how they could passe thither CHAP. 35. WEe may more easily beleeve the same of birdes and that there are of the same kindes that wee have as partridges turtles pigeons stockdoves quailes and many sorts of falcons which they send from New Spaine and Peru to the noblemen of Spaine for they make great accompt of them There are also Herons and Eagles of diverse kindes and there is no doubt but these birds such like have sooner passed thither than lions tygres and stagges There are likewise at the Indies great numbers of parrots especially vpon the Andes of Peru and in the Ilands of Port Ricco and saint Dominique where they flee by flockes as pigeons do here To conclude birdes with their wings may goe where they will and truely many kindes might well passe the gulph seeing it is certaine as Plinie affirmeth that there are many that passe the sea and goe into strange regions although I have not read that any fowle hath passed by flight so great a gulph as is the Indian Ocean yet hold I it not altogether impossible seeing the common opinion of mariners that you shall finde them twoo hundred leagues and more from the land And as Aristotle dooth teach that birdes endure the water easely having little respiration as wee see in sea fowle which dive and remain long vnder the
seeke occasion to ruine them But their god Vitzliputzli comforted them appearing that night to an olde man commaunding him to say to the king his sonne in his name that hee should make no difficultie to accept of this tribute he would help them and make the meanes easie which after happened for the time of tribute being come the Mexicanes carried the trees that were required and moreover a garden made and floating in the water and in it much Mays which is their corne already grained and in the eare there was also Indian pepper beetes Tomates which is a great sappy and savourie graine french pease fâ—gges gourds and many other things al ripe and in their season Such as have not seene the gardines in the lake of Mexico in the middest of the water will not beleeve it but will say it is an inchantment of the Divell whom they worship But in trueth it is a matter to be done and there hath beene often seene of these gardens floating in the water for they cast earth vpon reedes and grasse in such sort as it never wastes in the water they sowe and plant this ground so as the graine growes and ripens very well and then they remove it from place to place But it is true that to make this great garden easily and to have the fruites grow well is a thing that makes men iudge there was the worke of VitziliputZli whome otherwise they call Patillas specially having never made nor seene the like The king of Azcapuzalco wondred much when he sawe that accomplished which he held impossible saying vnto his subiects that this people had a great god that made all easie vnto them and hee sayd vnto the Mexicaines that seeing their God gave them all things perfit hee would the yeare following at the time of tribute they shoulde bring in their gardine a wilde ducke and a heron sitting on their egges in such sorte that they should hatch their yoong ones as they should arrive without failing of a minute vpon paine of his indignation The Mexicans were much troubled and heavy with this prowde and strict commaunde but their god as he was accustomed comforted them in the night by one of his priests saying that he would take all that charge vpon him willing them not to fear but beleeve that the day would come whenas the Azcapuzalcos should pay with their lives this desire of new tributes The time being come as the Mexicans carried all that was demaunded of their gardins among the reeds and weeds of the gardin they found a ducke and a heron hatching their egges and at the same instant when they arived at AzcapuZalco their yong ones were disclosed Whereat the king of AzcapuZalco wondring beyond measure he said againe to his people that these were more than humane things and that the Mexicans beganne as if they would make themselves lordes over all those provinces Yet did he not diminish the order of this tribute and the Mexicans finding not themselves mighty enough endured this subiection and slavery the space of fifty yeeres In this time the king Acamapixtli died having beautified the Citty of Mexico with many goodly buildings streets conduits of water and great aboundance of munition Hee raigned in peace and rest forty yeares having bin alwayes zealous for the good and increase of the common-weale As hee drew neare his end hee did one memorable thing that having lawfull children to whom he might leave the succession of the realme yet would he not do it but contrariwise hee spake freely to the common-weale that as they had made a free election of him so they should choose him that should seeme fittest for their good government advising them therein to have a care to the good of the common-weale and seeming grieved that he left them not freed from tribute subiection hee died having recommended his wife and children vnto them he left all his people sorowfull for his death Of the second King and what happened in his raigne CHAP. 10. THe obsequies of the dead king performed the Antients the chiefe of the realme and some part of the people assembled together to choose a King where the Antients propounded the necessitie wherein they were and that it was needefull to choose for chiefe of their citty a man that had pity of age of widows and orphans and to be a father of the commonweale for in very deede they should be the feathers of his wings the eie-browes of his eyes and the beard of his face that it was necessarie he were valiant being needefull shortly to vse their forces as their god had prophesied Their resolution in the end was to chuse a sonne of the predecessor vsing the like good office in accepting his sonne for successor as hee had done to the common-weale relying thereon This young man was called Vitzilovitli which signifieth a rich feather they set the royall crowne vpon his head and annointed him as they have beene accustomed to doe to all their Kings with an ointâ—â—nt they call Divine being the same vnction wherewith they did annoynt their Idoll Presently an Orator made an eloquent speech exhorting him to arme himselfe with courage and free them from the travells slavery and misery they suffered being oppressed by the AzcapuZalcos which done all did him homage This king was not married and his Counsell helde opinion that it was good to marry him with the daughter of the king of Azcapuzalco to have him a frind by this aliance and to obtain some diminution of their heavy burthen of tributes imposed vpon them and yet they feared lest he should disdaine to give them his daughter by reason they were his vassalls yet the king of AzcapuZalco yeelded therevnto having humbly required him who with curteous wordes gave them his daughter called Ayanchigual whom they ledde with great pompe and ioy to Mexico and performed the ceremony and solemnity of marriage which was to tie a corner of the mans cloke to a part of the womans vaile in signe of the band of marriage This Queene broght foorth a sonne of whose name they demaunded advise of the king of AzcapuZalco and casting lots as they had accustomed being greatly given to soothsayings especially vpon the names of their children he would have his grand-childe called Chimalpopoca which signifies a target casting smoke The Queene his daughter seeing the contentment the King of AzcapuZalco had of his grand-child tooke occasion to intreat him to releeve the Mexicaines of the heavy burthen of their tributes seeing he had now a grand-child Mexicaine the which the King willingly yeelded vnto by the advise of his Counsell granting for the tribute which they paid to bring yeerely a couple of duckes and some fish in signe of subiection and that they dwelt in his land The Mexicaines by this meanes remained much eased and content but it lasted little For the Queene their Protectrix died soone after and the yere following likewise Vitzilovitli the king of Mexico died
Discourse vpon the discoverie of Magellan by Sarmiento 154 Division of Peru into Lanos Sierres Andes 184 Division of the people 456 Division of the Cittie of Mâ—xico into foure quarters made by the commaundement of their God 512 Divinations practisâ—d by the Indians and how 406 Divorces practised amongst the Mexicaines and how 409 Death the punishment of Virgins that were incontinent 367 Death of Chimalpopoca the yoong king of Mexico slâ—ine treacherously by the Tapanecanâ— 526 Death of Moâ—esuma the lâ—st king of Mexico 576 Doctors of the holy church not to be reprooved differing in opinion of Philosophie 2 Dogges as dangerous as wolves 301 Dogges daungerous in the Ilands of Cuba Hispaniola and others 70 Drake an Englishman didde passe the straight of Magellan in our time others since 154 Duckes in great aboundaunce in the Lake of Titicaca and how they doe hunt them 171 Drought followes not the neerenesse of the Sunne 85 E. EAgle vppon a Tunall the Armes of Mexico and why 513 Earthquakes very strange and the cause 197 Earth how it is sustained 10 The Earth vnder the pole Antartike is not all covered with waters 18 The Earth in longitude is all of one temperature but not in latitude 29 The Earth with the water make one globe ibid. Eclipse of the Moone a certain proofe of the roundnesse of the heavens 6 Effectes naturall proceede from contrary causes 96 Elements participate with the motion of the first moover 138 Electours of the king of Mexico were commonly his kinsmen 485 Election of the kings of Mexico the feastes at their instalment ibid. Election of the first Kâ— of Mexico 515 Entry of the Spaniards into new Spain in the yeere 1518. 558 Entrie of Cortez into Mexico 574 Errour of imagination 23 Esaies passage expounded by the exemplification of the Gospel 208 Emerauldes more esteemed in former time then now 249 Exercises wherin they instructed their youth 487 Explication of a passage of saint Paule against the roundnes of the earth 14 Explication of the 110 Psalme vppon the same subiect 15 F. FAmiliar reasons to teach an Indian that the Sunne is no god â—42 Fasting of the Indians before the feaâ—â— of Ita not accompanying with their wives 374 A Father loosing his children was held for a great sinner hâ— would kil his childreÌ„ to save his own life 399 Fertâ—litie vnfruitefull in the Ilandes of new Spainâ— 187 Feasts of Merchants made with many sportes 424 Feast of the Idoll of Tlascalla 355 Feasts for to have raine 411 Feasts for every moneth 412 Fâ—re drawne out of two stickes rubbd one against another by the Indians 119 Fire in hell different from ours 195 Fire from heaven consumed for their sinnes 63 Fish flying 165 Fountaine casting vp hote water the which turnes into a rocke 173 Figge tree whereof the one halfe carries fruite at one season the other at another 297 â—loures of Europe grow best at the Indies 283 â—loridians had no knowledge of golde 207 Flowing and ebbing of the sea is no local motion but an alteration and fervâ—â— of the waters 162 Flowing and ebbing of the seas divers ibid. Fountaine of salt in Cuscâ— 174 Forrests wonderfull thicke at the Indies 291 Forrests of orange trees at the Indies 294 Forme of that which is discovered at Peru. 201 Frâ—â—ciâ— Hâ—â—nandes the Author of a rarâ— booke of plants rooteâ— and physicall hearbes at the Iâ—dies â—90 Fruites of Europe much incrâ—ased aâ— the Indies 294 G. GArlicke much esteemed aâ— thâ— Indieâ— 261 Gardinâ— vppon the water in the midst of a Lake 172 Gardins artificially made vppon the water tâ— remove where they please 519 Giantâ— came in anâ—ient time to Peru. 62 Golde found in three sortes 212 Gold of Caravana most famous at Pâ—ru 214 Gold and silver esteemed throughout the whole world 206 Golde silver served the Indians but for ornament 209 Gold why esteemd above other mettalles 212 Golde how refined into powlder 214 Goomes with physicall and odoâ—ifâ—rous oyles with their names 287 Gonzales Pziarre vanquished and defeated his crueltie against the Indians 475 Governors of provinces how estâ—blâ—shed by the Inguas 455 Guacas or Sanctuaries very well maintained 463 Guancos and Vicunaâ— wilde goates 70 Guayaquil an Indian oake and verie sweete 292 Guayavos an Indian fruite 277 Guaynacapa the great and valiant Ingua and his life he was worshipped as a god in his life 479 Guayras furnaces to refine gold 233 Gospel preached to the Indians when their Empire was at the hâ—ghest even aâ— to the Romans 583 H. HAtunâ—â—squi Ayâ—â—râ—y the sixâ— mâ—neth of the Indians which answereth vnto Maie 413 Harts of men pulld out and sacrificed how that ceremony beganne 509 Haire of the prieâ—â—s horribly long and annoynted with rozen 403 Heaven is round and turnâ—â— vppon two Poles prooved more by experience than demonstration 5 Heaven no farther from the earth of the one side than of the other 18 Hennes found at the Indies at the fâ—â—st discovery which they called Gualpa and their egges Ponto 306 Hercules Pillers the limites of the Roman Empire of the old world 27 Hipocrisie of Mâ—tesuma last King of Mâ—xico 554 Historie of the Indies not to bee contemned and why 495 Historie of Mâ—xico kept in the Librarie of Vatican 550 Historie of Mexico how framed 446 Horses goodly and strong at the Indies 301 Horse-shooes of silver for want of yâ—on 212 House admirably filled with all sortes of beasts like to another Noes Arke 484 Humor of the Iewes contrary to that of the Indians 76 I. IEalousie of the Indies one against an other for renowme of valour 472 Idlenesse bannished by the Inguas as dangerous for the subiects 457 Idoll carried by foure Priestes for a guide whenas the Mexicaines did seek a new land like to the children of Israel 504 Idolls of the kings Inguas reverenced as themselves 356 Iland of Suâ—atra now called Taprobaâ—a 37 Iland â—tlâ—nâ—ikâ— of Plaâ—â— a meere fabâ—e 72 Iland of fagots made with exceeding labour to passe an army vppon the sea 550 Ilandâ—s very farre from the firme land noâ— inhabiâ—ed â—9 Iâ—nmortalitie of the soule beleeved by the Indies 347 Indies what it signifieth and what we vnderstand by that word 47 Weast Indies most popular governements in the which there were but two kingdomes 453 Indians not greatly desirous of silver 76 Indians have lived in troups as those doe of Florida Brâ—sill and other places 80 Indians good swimmers 168 Indians had no proper word to signifie God 334 The Indians know all Artes necessarie for mans life without any need one of another 466 Infants sacrificed to the Sunne 336 Inguas kings of Peru worshipped after their deaths 344 The Inguas empery continued above 300. yeares 471 Inguas married their sisters 455 Inundation of Nile a naturall thing though it seeme supernaturall 88 Iustice by whome executed in Mexico 486 Indian bookes how they can be made without letters 440 Iustice severely executed by Motesuma the last king of Mexico
circular motion of the Heaven is contrarie and repugnant to the holy Scriptures But whatsoever the Ancients say or holde touching this point it must not trouble vs for that it is wel knowne and verified that they have not beene so studious in the knowledge and demonstrations of Philosophie beeing busied in other studies of farre greater importance But that which is more to be admired is that S. Augustine himselfe so well seene in all naturall Sciences yea very learned in Astrologie and Physicke remaynes yet still in doubt not able to resolve whether the Heaven did compasse in the earth on all parts What care I saith he if we suppose the Heaven doth inviron the earth on all parts like vnto a bowle beeing in the middest of the world as a bottome is compassed with threed or that we say it is not so and that the Heaven covereth the earth of one part onely as a great Basin that hangs over it In the same place he seemeth to shew nay hee speaketh plainely that there is no certaine demonstration to proove the figure of the world to be round but onely by simple coniectures In which places cited and others they hold the circular motion of the Heaven very doubtfull But wee ought not to take it offencively nor esteeme lesse of the Doctors of the holy Church if in some points of Philosophie and naturall knowledge they have varied in opinion from that which is helde for good philosophie seeing all their studie hath been to know preach and serve the Creator of all things wherein they have bin excellent and having well imployed their studies in causes of greater waight it is a small matter in them not to have knowen all particularities concerning the creatures But those vaine Philosophers of our age are much more to bee blamed who having attayned to the knowledge of the being and order of the creatures and of the course and motion of the Heavens have not yet learned wretched as they are to knowe the Creator of all things but busying themselves wholly in his workes have not yet mounted by their imaginations to the knowledge of the Soveraigne Author thereof as the holy Scripture teacheth vs or if they have knowne him they have not served and glorified him as they ought blinded with their imaginations whereof the Apostle doth accuse and blame them That the Heaven is round on all parts mooving in his course of it selfe CHAP. 2. BVt comming to our subiect there is no doubt but the opinion which Aristotle and the other Peripateticks held with the Stoicks that the figure of Heaven was round and did moove circularly in his course is so perfectly true as we which doe now live in Peru see it visibly Wherin experience should be of more force then all Philosophicall demonstrations being sufficient to proove that the Heaven is round and comprehends and contaynes the earth within it of al parts And to cleere any doubt that might grow it sufficeth that I have seene in this our Hemisphere that part of Heaven which turnes about this earth the which was vnknowne to the Ancients and have observed the two Poles whereon the Heavens turne as vpon their Axeltrees I say the Articke or North Pole which those of Europe beholde and the other Antarticke or Southerne Pole whereof saint Augustine is in doubt the which we change and take for the North here at Peru having passed the Equinoctiall line Finally it sufficeth that I have sayled neere 70. degrees from North to South that is forty of the one side of the line and 23. on the other omitting at this present the testimony of others which have sayled much farther then my selfe in a greater height comming neere 70. degrees towards the South Who will not confesse but the ship called the Victoriâ— worthie doubtlesse of eternall memorie hath wonne the honor and praise to have best discovered and compassed the round earth yea that great Chaos and infidite Vast which the ancient Philosophers affirmed to bee vnder the earth having compassed about the worlde and circled the vastnesse of the great Oceans Who is hee then that will not confesse by this Navigation but the whole earth although it were bigger then it is described is subiect to the feet of man sâ—eing he may measure it Thus without doubt the Heaven is of a round and perfect figure and the earth likewise imbracing and ioyning with the water makes one globe or round bowle framed of these two elements having their bounds limits within their own roundnes greatnes The which may be sufficiently proved by reasons of Philosophie and Astrologie leaving al subtil definitions commonly obiected That to the most perfect body which is the Heaven we must give the most perfect figure which without doubt is round whose circular motion could not be firme nor equall in it selfe if it had any corner or nooke of any side or if it were crooked as of necessitie it must be if the Sun Moone stars made not their course about the whole world But leaving all these reasons it seemes that the Moone is sufficient in this case as a faithfull witnesse of the Heaven it selfe seeing that her Eclypse happens but when as the roundnesse of the earth opposeth it selfe diametrally betwixt her and the Sunne and by that meanes keepes the Sunne-beames from shining on her The which could not chance if the earth were not in the midst of the world compassed in and invironed by the whole Heaven Some haue doubted whether the light of the Moone were borrowed from the brightnes of the Sunne but it is needlesse seeing there can bee found no other cause of the Eclipses full and quarters of the Moone but the communication of the beames which proceed from the Sunne In like sort if wee will carefully examine this matter we shall finde that the darkenesse of the night proceedes from no other cause but from the shadow which the earth makes not suffering the light of the sunne to passe to the other parte of the heaven where his beames shine not If then it be so that the sunne passeth no farther neyther doth cast his beames on the other part of the earth but onely turnes about and returnes to his setting making a ridge vpon the earth by his turning the which he must of force confesse that shall denie the roundnes of the heaven seeing according to their saying the heaven as a basen doth onely couer the face of the earth it should then plainly follow that wee could not obserue the difference betwixt the daies and nights the which in some regions be short and long according to the seasons and in some are alwaies equall the which S. Augustine noteth in his bookes De Genes ad litter am That we may easily comprehend the oppositions conversions elevations descents and all other aspects and dispositions of Planets and starres when we shall vnderstand they move and yet notwithstanding the heaven remaines firme and
is no doubt but in that other world all things should be ordred as in ours especially in the growing and order of the winds And having alleaged other reasons to no purpose he concludes saying We must confesse of necessitie that the Southerne wind is that which blowes and comes from the burning zone the which being so neere the sunne wantes water and pastures This is Aristotles opinion and in truth mans coniecture can hardly passe any farther So as I do often consider with a Christian contemplation how weake the Philosophie of the wise of this world hath beene in the search of divine things seeing in humaine things wherein they seeme so well read they often erre Aristotle holds that the habitable earth of the Pole Antartike in longitude from East to West is very great and in latitude from the Pole Antartike to the Equiâ—â—cticall is very sâ—â—all â—â— the which is so contrary to the truth that in a maner all the habitation on this side the Pole Antartike is in latitude I meane from the Pole to the line and in longitude from East to West it is so small as the latitude exceedes in three partes or more In his other opinion he affirmeâ— that the middle region is inhabitable being vnder the burning zone burnt vp by the excessive heate caused by the neâ—renes of the sunne and by this reason hath neither waters nor pastures The which is in like soâ—t contrary for the greatest part of this new world is scituated betwixt the two Tropickes vnder the burning zone and yet is it found very well peopled and inhabited by men and other sortes of creaâ—ures being a region of all the world the most fruitfull of waters and pastures and very temperate in the greatest paâ—t which the will of God hath so appointed to shew that even in naturall things he hath confounded the wisedome of this world To conclude wee must beleeve that the burning zone is well inhabited although the auncients have held it impossible But the other zone or region which lyeth betwixt the burning zone and that of the Pole Antartike although it bee in a climate more commodious for the life of man yet is it smally peopled and inhabited seeing wee know no other dwelling in it but the Kingdome of Chile and a small portion ioyning to the Cape of good Hope The rest is possessed by the Ocean Although many be of opinion the which I likewise hold that there is much more land not yet discovered the which should be firme land opposite to the Kingdome of Chile which runnes beyond the circkle or Tropicke of capricorne And if there be any without doubt it is a land of an excellent temper being in the midst of two extreames and scituate in the same climate with the best regions in Europe And in this regarde Aristotles coniecture was good But speaking of what is discovered at this day in this zone it is little in regard of the large countries inhabited vnder the burning zone That Plinie and the auncients held the same opinion with Aristotle CHAP. 10. THis opinion of Aristotles hath bene held by Plinie who saith thus The temperature of the middle region of the world where the sunne continually runnes his course is scorched and burnt vp as with a neere fire Ioyning to the same region there are two others of eyther side which lying betwixt the heat of this burning zone the cruell cold of the other two extreams are very temperate and can have no communication one with another by reason of the excessive heate of the heaven which hath bene the opinion of the Ancients generally discribed by the Poet in these verses Heavens circuit is of fiue zones one whereof Which still the sunne burnes makes the earth below With flames intempestiue red hotte to glow And the same Poet in another place Heare this if any harbour in that seate Whose quarter vnder that large zone is set Amidst foure others by the sunne enlightned And another Poet speakes more plainely As many regions are there on the ground As are in heaven wherein fiue parts are found Whereof the midst through heate raisd from the rayes Of scorching sunne inhabitable staies The Auncients have grounded their generall opinion vpon one reason which seemed to them certaine and not to be confuted for finding that the more a region drew neere vnto the South the hotter it was the proofe whereof was so infallible in those regions as by the same reason in Italie Apulia is hotter then Tuscane and in Spaine Andelozia then Biscaie A thing so apparent that although there bee but eight degrees difference or lesse betwixt the one and the other yet do wee finde the one extreame hotte and the other very colde whereby they did inferre that the region so neere the South having the sunne so directly for zenith must of necessity bee continually scorched with heate They did likewise see that the divers seasons of the yeere as the Spring Summer Autumne Winter were caused by the neerenes and distance of the sunne finding also that although they were farre from the Tropicke by which the sunne doth passe in summer yet when it approched neere vnto them at the same season they felt great heate Whereby they did coniecture that if they had had the sunne so neere vnto them as to go directly over their heads the heate would have bene so insupportable as it would burne and consume men with the vehemency thereof The same reason moved the Auncients to thinke that the middle region was not habitable and therefore they called it the burning zone And in truth if visible experience did not vnfold this doubt we should yet confesse that this reason were very peremptorie and Mathematicall whereby we may see how weake our vnderstanding is to comprehend these naturall things But wee may say it is fallen out to the great good and happines of our age to have the knowledge of these two great wonders that is to know how easily we may saile through the great Ocean and that vnder the burning zone men inioy a very temperate heaven the which the Auncients could never beleeve Of the last of these two wonders touching the qualitie and habitation of the burning zone by the grace of God we will discourse amply thereof in the next book I thinke it therefore fit in this booke to treat of the maner of sailing through the Ocean for that it imports vs much for the subiect of this worke But before wee come to this point it shall be good to shew what the Auncients thought of these new men whome we call Indians That in ancient Bookes we finde some knowledge of this newe world CHAP. 11. LEt vs returne to that which hath beene formerly spoken Wee must necessarily conclude that the Ancients did beleeve that eyther there were no men beyond the Tropicke of Cancer as S. Augustine and Lactantius doe affirme or if there were any at the least they did not inhabite betwixt the two
the motion of the first motor which is the cause of day and night even so the difference which we see betwixt Winter and Summer proceeds from the neerenesse and distance of the Sunne according to the motion of the said Sunne which is the proper cause To speake trueth then it is Summer whenas the Sunne is neerest and Winter when it is farthest off Both heate and coldnesse and every other temperature growes of necessitie by the neerenesse and distance of the sunne but to raine or not to raine which is humiditie and drought doe not necessarily follow It is therefore easie to iudge besides this vulgar opinion that at Peru the Winter is cleere and without raine and the Summer full of showres and not otherwise as many beleeve that the winter is hotte and the summer cold They fall into the like error vpon the difference they make betwixt the Plaines and the Mountaines of Peru saying that when it is summer vpon the mountaine it is winter in the vallie which is in April Maie Iune Iuly and August for then the aire is very cleere vpon the mountaine without any raine or mistes and at the same season we commonly see fogges in the plaine which they call Guarva which is as it were a very sweet dew wherewith the sunne is covered But winter and summer as it is said are caused by the neerenesse and distance of the sunne Seeing then that throughout all Perâ— both vpon the Mountaines and on the Plaines the sunne approcheth and retyreth in one sort there is no reason to say that when it is summer in one part that it is winter in an other yet is it no mâ—tter of any importance to contend vpon the signification of words Let them terme them as they please and call that summer when it raines not although the heat be greater But that whereunto we must have greatest regard is the trueth of the subiect which is that drought and want of raine is not alwaies greatest when the sunne approcheth neerest as we see in the burning Zone That the burning Zone abounds with waters and pastures against the opinion of Aristotle who holds the contrarie CHAP. 6. BY the former Discourse wee may easily conceive that the burning Zone is not drie but abounding with waters the which is so true as it exceeds all the Regions of the world for store of waters except in some parts where there are sands and desart Countries as wee finde likewise in some other parts of the world As for water from Heaven wee have alreadie shewen that there is great aboundance of raine snow and haile which especially abound in the kingdome of Peru. But as for land-waters as rivers fountaines brookes springs floods and lakes I have not spoken thereof till now yet being an ordinarie thing that the waters below have a correspondencie with them above wee must not imagine that there can bee any want and in trueth there is so great store of springs and fountaines as you shall not finde in any Region or Countrie of the world so many lakes marishes and such store of rivers for the greatest part of America is almost inhabitable through too great aboundance of waters for that the rivers swelled with the great Raines in Summer doe often overflow their banckes with such furie as they breake all they incounter and in many places they cannot passe by reason of the mudde and myre of marishes and vallies for this cause those that live neere to Paraguen whereof wee have made mention foreseeing the rising of the River before it comes put themselves and their goods into Canoes and so preserve themselves and their goods fâ—oating vp and downe almost for the space of three moneths and when the River is returned within her boundes then they goe to their houses still wette and dropping with the â—â—ood And this River is so great as Nile Ganges Euphrates all together cannot equall it But what shall we say of the great river of Magdalaine which falles into the sea betwixt S. Martha and Carthagene and with reason is called the great river Sailing in those parts I was amazed to see her streame which was very cleere runne ten leagues into the sea being in breadth above two leagues not mingling noâ— vanquished with the violent waves of the Ocean But if we shall speake more of rivers that great floud called by some the river of Amazons by others Marannon and by some the river of Orellana which our Spaniards sailed in their discoveries ought to blemish all the rest and in truth I am in doubt whither I may tearme it a river or a sea It flowes from the mountaines of Peru from whence it receiâ—es a great aboundance of water both of raine and of rivers which it gathereth into it then passing by the great plaines of Pautiti Dorado and the Amazons in the end it falles into the Ocean almost right against the â—land of Marguerite and Trinidado It hath so large broad a channel specially in the last third part of her length as it contains in it many great â—lands And that which seemes incredible when you saile through the midst of it you shall see nothing but aire and water They say moreover that from the midst you cannot see nor discover with the eye many great and high mountaines which are vpon the bankes by reason of her great bredth We have learned from credible persons the great and wonderfull bredth of this river which in my opinion deserves well the name of Empresse and Queene of all flouds which was by the report of a brother of our company who being then yong sailed it in the company of Peter d'Orsua with whom hee was present at all the adventures of this strange entrie and discoverie and at the seditious and pernitious acts of that wicked Diego d' Aguirra from the which God delivered him to place him in our company Such are the rivers in that region which they call the burning Zone and the drie parcht vp countrie in the which Aristotle and the Ancients affirmed there were neither waters nor pastures But seeing I have made mention of the river of Marannon to shew the abundance of the waters that are in the burning zone it shall not be from the purpose to speake somewhat of that great Lake which they call Titicaca which is in the midst of the Province of Collao There are above ten great rivers which loose themselves entring into that Lake and yet hath it no issue but one small current of water although some hold it to be very deepe and of such a fashion as it is impossible to build a bridge over it for the depth of the water neither can they passe it by boate for the violence of the current They passe it by an artificiall and notable practice peculiar to the Indians with a bridge of straw laied vpon the water the which being of so light a substance sinkes not and yet this passage is very easie and
and pleasant It is certaine that we do not participate of any of the Elements nor have not the vse of any so often in our bodies as of the aire It is that which invironeth our bodies on all parts which enters into our bowells and at everie instant visits the heart and there ingraves her properties If the aire be any thing corrupted it causeth death if it be pure and healthfull it augmenteth the strength finally we may say that the aire alone is the life of man so as although we have goods and riches if the aire be troublesome and vnholsome wee cannot live quietly nor with content But if the aire be healthfull pleasant and sweete although we have no other wealth yet doth it yeelde content Considering with my selfe the pleasing temperature of many Countries at the Indies where they know not what winter is which by his cold doth freese them nor summer which doth trouble them with heat but that with a Matte they preserve themselves from the iniuries of all weather and where they scarce have any neede to change their garments throughout the yeere I say that often considering of this I find that if men at this day would vanquish their passions and free themselves from the snares of covetousnesse leaving many fruitelesse and pernicious disseines without doubt they might live at the Indies very pleasant and happily for that which other Poets sing of the Elisean fields and of the famous Tempe or that which Plato reports or faines of his Atlantike Iland men should finde in these lands if with a generous spirit they would choose rather to command their silver and their desires then to remaine slaves as they are That which wee have hitherto discoursed shal suffice touching the qualities of the Equinoctiall of colde heat drought raine and the causes of temperature The particular discourse of windes waters landes mettalls plants and beasts whereof there is great aboundance at the Indies shall remaine for the other bookes for the difficultie of that which is handled in this though briefly will happily seeme too tedious An advertisement to the Reader THE Reader must vnderstand that I wrote the two first bookes in Latine when I was at Peru and therefore they speake of matters of the Indies as of things present Being since returned into Spaine I thought good to translate them into our vulgar tongue and not to change my former maner of speeach But in the five following bookes for that I made them in Europe I have beene forced to change my stile and therein to treate of matters of the Indies as of Countries and things absent And for that this diversitie of speech might with reason offend the Reader I have thought good to advertise him thereof THE THIRD BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That the naturall Historie of the Indies is pleasant and agreeable CHAP. 1. EVerie naturall Historie is of it selfe pleasing very profitable to such as will raise vp their discourse and contemplation on high in that it doth move them to glorify the Author of all nature as we sea the wise holy men do specially David in many Psalmes And Iob likewise treating of the secrets of the Creator whereas the same Lord answereth Iob so amplie He that takes delight to vnderstand the wondrous works of Nature shal taste the true pleasure content of Histories the more whenas he shal know they are not the simple workes of men but of the Creator himself that he shall comprehend the naturall causes of these workes then shall he truly occupie himselfe in the studie of Philosophie But he that shall raise his consideration higher beholding the gret first architect of all these marvells he shal know his wisedom and infinite greatnes and we may say shall be divinely imployed And so the discourse of naturall things may serve for many good considerations although the feeblenes and weakenes of many appetites are commonly accustomed to stay at things lesse profitable which is the desire to know new things called curiositie The Discourse and Historie of naturall things at the Indies besides the common content it gives hath yet another benefite which is to treate of things a farre off the greatest part whereof were vnknowne to the most excellent Authors of that profession which have bin among the Ancients And if wee should write these naturall things of the Indies so amply as they require being so strange I doubt not but we might compile workse no lesse then those of Plinie Theophrastes and Aristotle But I hold not my selfe sufficient and although I were yet is not my intent but to note some naturall things which I haue seene and knowne being at the Indies or have received from men worthy of credit the which seeme rare to me and scarce knowne in Europe By reason whereof I will passe over many of them briefly ether bicause they are writen of by others or else require a longer discourse then I can now give Of the windes their differences properties and causes in generall CHAP. 2. HAving discoursed in the two former Books of that which concernes the heavens and the habitation of the Indies in generall it behooves â—s now to treate of the three elements aire water and land and their compounds which be mettalls plants and beasts for as for the fire I see no speciall matter at the Indies which is not in other regions vnlesse some will say that the manner to strike fire in rubbing two stones one against another as some Indians vse or to boyle any thing in gourdes casting a burning stone into it and other such like things are remarkeable whereof I have written what might be spoken But of those which are in the Vulcans and mouths of fire at the Indies worthy doubtlesse to be observed I will speake in their order treating of the diversitie of grounds whereas they finde these fires or Vulcans Therefore to beginne with the winds I say that with good reason Salomon in the great iudgement which God had given him esteemes much the knowledge of the windes and their properties being very admirable for that some are moyst others drie some vnwholesome others found some hote others colde some calme and pleasant others rough and tempestuous some barren and others fertile with infinite other differences There are some windes which blow in certaine regions and are as it were Lordes thereof not addmitting any entry or communication of their contraries In some partes they blow in that sorte as sometimes they are Conquerours sometimes conquered often there are divers and contrary winds which doe runne together at one instant dividing the way betwixt them sometimes one blowing above of one sort and another below of an other sorte sometimes they incounter violently one with another which puts them at sea in great danger there are some windes which helpe to the generation of creatures and others that hinder and are opposite There is a certaine wind of such
which is Southest and Southwest which is a very triviall thing common to them that saile And therefore it is not needefull to explaine them heere but to signifie that the side-windes of the right East are those which commonly blow to the burning Zone which they doe call Brises and those from the South declining to the Weast which serve to saile from Weast to East are not common in the burning Zone and therefore they seeke them without the tropikes and the Indian Mariners commonly call them lower windes or Vents dábas What is the reason why sailing vâ—der the burning Zone we finde alwayes Easterly windes CHAP. 6. LEt vs now speake of that which toucheth the Question propounded what should be the reason whie vnder the burning Zone wee saile easily from East to Weast and not contrary wherein we must presuppose two certaine groundes The one is that the motion of the first moover which they call Diurnall not onâ—lie drawes and mooves with him the celestiall spheares which are inferiour vnto him as wee see daily in the sunne the moone and the starres but also the Elements do participate of this motion insomuch as they are not hindered The earth is not mooved by reason of her heavinesse which makes it immooveable being far from this first motor The element of water moves not likewise with this Diurnall motion for that it is vnited to the earth and make one sphere so as the earth keeps it from all circular motion But th' other two elements of fire aire are more subtil and neerer the heavenly regions so as they participate of their motion and are driven about circularly as the same celestial bodies As for the fire without doubt it hath his sphere as Aristotle and other Philosophers have held but for the aire which is no point of our subiect it is most certaine that it mooves with a motion diurnall which is from East to Weast which we see plainely in Comets that moove from the East vnto the Weast mounting descending and finally turning in the hemispheare in the same sort as the Starres move in the firmament for otherwise these Comets being in the region sphere of the aire whereas they ingender appeares consum'd It should be impossible for them to moove circularly as they doe if the element of the aire doth not moove with the same motion that the first motor dooth For these elements being of a burning substance by reason they should be fixt without mooving circularly if the sphere where they are did not moove if it be not as we faine that some Angell or intellectuall Spirite dooth walke with the Comet guiding it circularly In the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred seaventy and seaven appeered that wonderfull Comet in forme like vnto a feather from the horizon almost to the middest of heaven and continued from the first of November vntill the eight of December I say from the first of November for although in Spaine it was noted but the ninth of November according to the testimony of Writers of that time yet at Peru where I was then I remember well we did see it and observe it eight dayes before and all the time after Touching the cause of this diversity some may dilate vpon it particularly I will onely shew that during those fourtie dayes which it continued we all observed both such as were in Spaine and we that lived then at the Indies that it mooved daily with an vniversall motion from East to Weast as the Moone and other Planets wherby it appeeres that the sphere of the aire being its Region the element it selfe must of necessitie moove after the same sort We noted also that besides this vniversall motion it had an other particular by which it moved with the planets fro west to east for every night it turned more Eastward like vnto the Moone Sunne and Planet of Venus Wee did also observe a third particular motion whereby it mooved from the zodiacke towards the North for after some nights it was found neerer vnto the Septentrionall signes And it may be this was the reason why the great Comet was sooner seene by those that were southerly as at Peru and later discovered by them of Europe for by this third motion as I have saide it approached neerer the Northerne Regions Yet every one may well observe the differences of this motion so as wee may well perceive that many and sundry celestiall bodies give their impressions to the sphere of the aire In like sorte it is most certaine that the ayre mooves with the circular motion of the heaven from Est to West which is the first ground before mentioned The second is no lesse certaine the which is that the motion of the aire in those parts that are vnder the Line or neere vnto it is very swift and light the more it approacheth to the Equinoctiall but the farther off it is from the Line approching neere the Poles the more slowe and heavie this motion is The reason heereof is manifest for that the mooving of the celestiall bodies being the efficient cause of the mooving of the ayre it must of necessitie be more quicke and light where the celestiall bodies have their swiftest motion To labour to shew the reason why the heaven hath a quicker motion vnder the burning Zone which is the Line then in any other part of the heaven were to make small account of men seeing it is easie to see in a wheele that its motion is more slowe and heavy in the part of greatest circumference then in the lesse and that the greater circumference ends at one instant with the lesser From these two grounds proceedes the reason where such as saile great gulphs from east to west doe alwayes finde the winde in their powpe going in a small altitude and the neerer they come to the Equinoctiall the more certaine and durable the winde is And contrariwise sailing from west to east they always finde the winde contrary for that the swift motion of the Equinoctiall drawes after it the element of the aire as it doth the surplus of the higher spheares So as the aire dooth alwayes follow the motion of the day Going from east to weast without any alteration and the motion of the aire being swift draweth after it all the vapours and exhalations which rise from the sea which causeth in those Regions a continuall easterly winde which runnes from the Levant Father Alonso Sanches a religious man and of our company who hath travelled the east and west Indies as a man ingenious and of experience said that sailing vnder the Line or neere vnto it with a continued and durable season it seemed to him to be the same aire mooved by the heaven the which guided the ships and was not properly a winde nor exhalation but an aire moved with the daily course of the sunne for proofe whereof he shewed that the season is alwayes equall and alike at the gulph of Danees and in
sittes firme and to give him full payment for this trouble he beates another stake into the other vent or nosthrill so as he stoppeth him quite and takes away his breathing then hee betakes him to his Canoe which he holdes tied with a corde to the whales side and goes to land having first tied his corde to the whale the which hee lettes runne with the whale who leapes from place to place whilest he finds water enough being troubled with paine in the end hee comes neere the land and remaines on ground by the hugenesse of his body vnable any more to moove then a great number of Indians come vnto the Conqueror to gather his spoiles they kill him and cut his flesh in peeces the which is bad enough this do they drie and beate into powlder vsing it for meate it dooth last them long wherein is fulfilled that which is spoken in another Psalme of the whale Dedisti eum escam populis Aethiopum Peter Mendez the Adelantade did often speake of this kinde of fishing Whereof Mâ—nardes makes mention in his booke There is an other fishing which the Indians do commonly vse in the sea the which although it be lesse yet is it worthy the report They make as it were faggots of bul-rushes or drie sedges well bound together which they call Baâ—sas having carried them vppon their shoulders to the sea they cast them in and presently leape vppon them being so set they lanch out into the deepe rowing vp and downe with small reedes of eyther side they goe a league or two into the sea to fish carrying with them their cordes and nettes vppon these faggots and beare themselves thereon They cast out their nettes and do there remaine fishing the greatest parte of the day and night vntill they have filled vp their measure with the which they returne wel satisfied Truely it was delightfull to see them fish at Callao of Lima for that they were many in number and every one set on horsebacke cutting the waves of the sea which in their place of fishing are great and furious resembling the Tritons or Neptunes which they paint vppon the water and beeing come to land they drawe their barke out of the water vpon their backes the which they presently vndoe and lay abroade on the shoare to drie There were other Indians of the vallies of Yca which were accustomed to goe to fish in leather or skinnes of sea-wolves blowne vp with winde and from time to time they did blowe them like balles of winde lest they should sinke In the vale of Canete which in olde time they called Guaroo there were a great number of Indian fishers but bicause they resisted the Ingua when he came to conquer that land he made shew of peace with them and therefore to feast him they appoynted a solemne fishing of manie thousand Indians which went to sea in their vessels of reeds at whose returne the Ingua who had layde many souldiers in ambush made a cruell butcherie of them so as afterward this land remained vnpeopled although it be aboundant and fertile I did see an other manner of fishing wherevnto Don Francis of Toledo the Viceroy didde leade mee yet was it not in the sea but in a river which they call great in the Province of Charcas where the Indians Chiraquanas plunged into the water and swimming wyth an admirable swiftnesse followed the fish where with dartes and hookes which they vse to carry in their right hand only swimming with the left they wound the fish and so hurt they brought them foorth seeming in this more like vnto fishes then men of the land But now that we have left the sea let vs come to other kinde of waters that remaine to be spoken of Of Lakes and Pooles that be at the Indies CHAP. 16. IN place of the Mediterranean Sea which is in the old world the Creator hath furnished this new with many Lakes whereof there are some so great as they may be properly called seas seeing the Scripture calleth that of Palestina so which is not so great as some of these The most famous is that of Titicaca which is at Peru in the Province of Callao the which as I have said in the former booke containes neere fourscore leagues in compasse into the which there runnes ten or twelve great rivers A while since they began to saile in it with barkes and shippes wherein they proceeded so ill that the first shippe was split with a tempest that did rise in the Lake The water is not altogether sower nor salt as that of the sea but it is so thicke as it cannot be drunke There are two kindes of fishes breed in this Lake in great aboundance the one they call Suches which is great and savorous but phlegmatike and vnwholesome and the other Bogos which is more healthfull although it be lesse and fuller of bones there are great numbers of wilde-duckes and wigens Whenas the Indians will feast it or shew delight to any one that passeth along the two banckes which they call Chucuyto and Omasugo they assemble a great number of Canoes making a circle and invironing the fowle vntill they take with their hands what they please and they call this maner of fishing Chaco On the one and the other banke of this Lake are the best habitations of Peru. From the issue thereof there growes a lesser Lake although it be great which they call Paria vpon the bankes whereof there are great numbers of cattell especially swine which grow exceeding fatte with the grasse vpon those banks There are many other Lakes in the high mountains whence proceede brooks rivers which after become great flouds Vpon the way from Arequippa to Callao there are two Lakes vpon the mountains of th' one other side the way from th' one flowes a brooke which growes to a â—loud and falles into the South sea from the other they say the famous river of Aporima takes her beginning from the which some hold that the renowned river of Amazos otherwise called Maragnon proceedes with so great an assembly and aboundance of waters which ioyne in these mountaines It is a question may be often asked why there are so many Lakes in the toppes of these mountaines into the which no river enters but contrariwise many great streames issue forth and yet do we scarce see these Lakes to diminish any thing at any season of the yeere To imagine that these Lakes grow by the snow that melts or raine from heaven that doth not wholy satisfie me for there are many that have not this aboundance of snow nor raine and yet we see no decrease in them which makes me to beleeve they are springs which rise there naturally although it be not against reason to thinke that the snow and raine helpe somewhat in some seasons These Lakes are so common in the highest toppes of the mountaines that you shall hardly finde any famous river that takes not his beginning from one of
Yucay which ioyning with another runnes into the North sea with a violent and furious course This spring when it comes out of the rocke Bilcanota as I have said is of the colour of lie having an asshie colour and castes a fume as a thing burnt the which runs farre in this sort vntill the multitude of waters that runne into it quench this smoake and fire which it drawes from the spring In new Spaine I have seene a spring as it were inke somewhat blew in Peru another of colour red like bloud wherevpon they call it the red river Of Rivers CHAP. 18. AMongst all Rivers not onely at the Indies but generally through the world the River Maragnon or of Amazons is the chiefe whereof we have spoken in the former booke The Spaniards have often sailed it pretending to discover the lands which by report are very rich especially those they call Dorado and Paytiti Iean de Salnies the Adelantade made a memorable entrie though of small effect There is a passage which they call Pongo one of the most daungerous in all the worlde for the river being there straightned and forced betwixt two high steepe rockes the water falles directly downe with so great a violence that comming steepe downe it causeth such a boyling as it seemeth impossible to passe it without drowning yet the courage of men durst attempt to passe it for the desire of this renowmed Dorado they slipt downe from the top to the bottome thrust on with the violence and currant of the floud holding themselves fast in their Canoes or barkes and although in falling they were turned topsie turvie and both they and their Canoes plunged into the deepe yet by their care and industry they recovered themselves againe and in this sort the whole army escaped except some few that were drowned And that which is more admirable they carried themselves so cunningly that they neyther lost their powlder nor munition In their returne having suffered many troubles and daungers they were forced in the end to passe backe that same way mounting by one of those high Rockes sticking their poniards in the rocke Captaine Peter d' Orsua made an other entry by the same river who being dead in the same voyage and the souldiers mutined other Captaines followed the enterprise by an arme that comes into the north sea A religious man of our company told vs that being then a secular man he was present in a manner at all that enterprise and that the tides did flowe almost a hundred leaguâ—s vp the river and whereas it enters into the sea the which is vnder the Line or very neere it hath 70. leagues breadth at the mouth of it a matter incredible and which exceedes the breadth of the Mediterranean sea though there be some others who in their descriptions give it but twenty five or thirty leagues bredth at the mouth Next to this river that of Plata or of Silver holdes the second place which is otherwise called Paraguâ—y which runnes from the mountaines of Peru into the sea in thirty five degrees of altitude to the South it riseth as they say like to the river of Nile but much more without comparison and makes the fields it overflowes like vnto a sea for the space of three moneths and after returneth againe to his course in the which ships do saile many leagues against the streame There are many other rivers that are not of that greatnes and yet are equall yea they surpasse the greatest of Europe as that of Magdalaine neere to Saint Marthe the great river and that of Alvarado in new Spaine and an infinit number of others Of the south side on the mountains of Peru the rivers are not vsually so great for that their current is not long and that many waters cannot ioyne together but they are very swift descending from the mountaines and have sodaine falles by reason whereof they are very dangerous and many men have perished there They increase and overflowe most in the time of heate I have gone over twenty and seaven rivers vpon that coast yet did I never passe any one by a foord The Indians vse a thousand devises to passe their rivers In som places they have a long cord that runs fro one side to th' other thereon hangs a basket into the which he puts himselfe that meanes to passe and then they drawe it from the bancke with another corde so as hee passeth in this basket In other places the Indian passeth as it were on horse backe vppon a bottle of straw and behinde him hee that desires to passe and so rowing with a peece of a boorde carries him over In other places they make a floate of gourds or pompions vppon the which they set men with their stuffe to carry over and the Indians having cordes fastned to them goe swimming before and drawe this floate of pompions after them as horses doe a Coach others goe behinde thrusting it forward Having passed they take their barke of pompions vppon their backe and returne swimming this they doe in the river of Saint at Peru. We passed that of Alvarado in new Spaine vpon a table which the Indians carried vpon their shoulders and when they lost their footing they swamme These devises with a thousand others wherewith they vse to passe their rivers breede a terrour in the beholders helping themselves with such weake and vnsure means and yet they are very confident They do vse no other bridges but of haire or of straw There are now vppon some rivers bridges of stone built by the diligence of some governours but many fewer then were needfull in such a country where so many men are drowned by default thereof and the which yeeldes so much silver as not onely Spaine but also other strange Countries make sumptuous buildings therewith The Indians do drawe from these floudes that runne from the mountaines to the vallies and plaines many and great brooks to water their land which they vsually doe with such industry as there are no better in Murcia nor at Millan it selfe the which is also the greatest and onely wealth of the Plaines of Peru and of many other partes of the Indies Of the qualitie of the land at the Indies in generall CHAP. 19. WE may know the qualitie of the land at the Indies for the greatest parte seeing it is the last of the three Elements whereof wee have propounded to treate in this Booke by the discourse we have made in the former Booke of the burning Zone seeing that the greatest part of the Indies dooth lie vnder it But to make it knowne the more particularly I have observed three kindes of lands as I have passed through those Regions whereof there is one very lowe another very high and the third which holds the middle of these two extreames The lower is that which lieth by the sea coasts whereof there is in all partes of the Indies and it is commonly very hote and moist so as it is
fire some cast little smoake and have in a manner no force of Volcans as that of Arequipa which is of an vnmeasurable height and almost all fand It cannot be mounted vp in lesse then two daies yet they have not found any shew of fire but onely the reliques of some sacrifices which the Indians made while they were Gentiles and sometimes it doth cause a little smoake The Volcan of Mexico which is neere to the Village of Angels is likewise of an admirable height whereas they mount thirty leagues in turning from this Volcan issueth not continually but sometimes almost every day a great exhalation or whirle-winde of smoake which ascends directly vp like to the shot of a Crosse-bow and growes after like to a great plume of feathers vntill it ceaseth quite and is presently converted into an obscure and darke cloude Most commonly it riseth in the morning after the Sunne rising and at night when it setteth although I have seene it breake out at other times Sometimes it dooth cast foorth great store of ashes after this smoake They have not yet seene any fire come from it yet they feare it will issue forth and burne al the land round about which is the best of all the kingdome And they holde it for certaine that there is some correspondencie betwixt this Vulcan the Sierre of Tlaxcala which is neere vnto it that causeth the great thunders and lightnings they doe commonly heare and see in those parts Some Spaniards have mounted vppe to this Volcan and given notice of the mine of sulphre to make powlder thereof Cortez reportes the care hee had to discover what was in this Volcan The Volcans of Guatimalla are more renowned as well for their greatnesse and height which those that saile in the South Sea discover a farre off as for the violence and terrour of the fire it casts The three and twentieth day of December in the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred eighty and sixe almost all the Cittie of Guatimalla fell with an Earthquake and some people slaine This Volcan had then sixe moneths together day and night cast out from the toppe and vomited as it were a floud of fire the substance falling vpon the sides of the Volcan was turned into ashes like vnto burnt earth a thing passing mans iudgement to conceive how it could cast so much matter from its centre during sixe moneths being accustomed to cast smoake alone and that sometimes with small flashes This was written vnto me being at Mexico by a Secretarie of the audience of Guatimalla a man woorthy of credite and at that time it had not ceased to cast out fire This yeere past being in Quitto in the Cittie of Kings the Volcan which is neere therevnto cast such aboundance of ashes that in many leagues compasse thereabout it darkened the light of the day and there fell such store in Quitto as they were not able to goe in the streetes There have beene other Volcans seene which cast neither smoake flame nor yet ashes but in the botome they are seene to burn with a quicke fire without dying such a one was that which in our time a coverous and greedy Priest seeing perswaded himselfe that they were heapes of golde hee did see burning imagining it coulde be no other matter or substance which had burnt so many yeeres and not consumed And in this conceit hee made certaine kettles with chaines and an instrument to gather and drawe vp the golde out of this pitte or Volcan but the fire scorned him for no sooner did his yron chaine and caldron approach neere the fire but sodainely they were broken in peeces Yet some tolde mee that this man was still obstinate seeking other inventions for to drawe out this golde as he imagined What should be the reason why the fire and smoake continues so long in these Vulcans CHAP. 25. THere is no neede now to make any mention of other Vulcans seeeing wee may well vnderstand by the former what they are yet is it woorthy the search what should be the cause why the fire and smoake continues in these Volcans for that it seemes a prodigious thing yea against the course of Nature to vomite and cast out so many flames Whence dooth this matter proceede or whether it be ingendred within the bowelles thereof Some have held opinion that these Volcans consume the inner substance they have of Nature and for this reason they beleeve that naturally they shal end whenas they have consumed the fuell as a man may say that is within them According to which opinion we see at this day some mountaines and rockes from whence they drawe a burnt stone which is light but very hard and is excellent to builde with as that which is carried to Mexico And in effect there are some shewes of that which hath beene spoken that these mountaines or rockes hadde sometimes a naturall fire which hath died after the matter was consumed and so these stones have remayned burnt and pierced with the fire as we see For my part I will not contradict it that in those places there hath not bin fire sometimes or Volcans But there is some difficultie to be beleeve it should be so in all Volcans considering the matter they cast out is almost infinite and that being gathered together it could not be contained in the same concavitie from whence it goes Moreover there are some Volcans that in hundreds yea thousands of yeeres are alwaies of one fashion casting out continually smoke fire and ashes Plinie the Historiographer of naturall things as the other Plinie his nephew reports searching out the secret how this should passe and apprâ—ching too neere th'exhalation of fire of one of these Volcans died and thinking by his diligence to find an end thereof had an end of his life For my parte vpon this consideration I think that as ther are places in th' earth whose vertue is to draw vaporous matter and to convert it into water which be the fountaines that alwayes runne and have alwayes matter to make them runne for that they drawe vnto them the substance of water In like sorte there are places that have the propertie to draw vnto them hote exhalations and to convert them into fire and smoake which by their force and violence cast out other thicke matter which dissolves into ashes into pumice stone or such like substance and for a sufficient argument to proove it to be so in these Volcans they sometimes cast smoke and not alwayes and sometimes fire and not alwayes which is according to that it can drawe vnto it and digest as the fountaines which in winter abound and in summer decrease yea some are quite dried vp according to the force and vigour they have and the matter that is presented even so it is of these Volcans which cast fire more or lesse at certaine seasons Others say that it is hell fire which issueth there to serve as a warning thereby to consider
drawe it There is great aboundance in the kingdome of Chille of Quitto and in the new Realme of Grenado The most famous golde is that of Caranava in Peru and of Valdivia in Chille for that it riseth with his alloy and perfection which is twenty three carrats and a halfe and sometimâ—s more They make accompt likewise of the gold of Veraâ—â—a to be very fine They bring much golde to Mexico from the Philippines and China but commonly it is weake and of base alloy Golde is commonly found mixt with silver or with copper but that which is mixed with silver is commonly of fewer carraâ—s then that which is mixed with copper If there bâ—â—a siâ—e partâ— of silver Plinie saieth it is then properly called Flâ—â—â—â— which hath the property to shine more at the light of the fire then fine gold or fine silver That which is incorporate with copper is commonly of a higher value They refine powldred golde in basens washing it in many waters vntill the sand falles from it and the golde as most heavie remaineth in the bottome They refine it likewise with quicke-silver and strong water for that the allume whereof they make this water hath the vertue to separate gold from drosse or from other mettalls After it is purified and molten they make brickes or small barres to cary it vnto Spaine for being in powlder they cannot transport it from the Indies for they can neither custome it marke it nor take say vntill it be molten The foresaide Hisâ—â—riaâ— grapher reporteth that Spaine above all other Countries of the world did abound in gold and silver especially Galitia and Portugall above all the Asturiaâ—s whence hee saieth they brought every yeere twenty thousand pounds of golde and that they found not so great aboundance in any other place The which is confirmed in the booke of Macabees where it is saide that amongest the great riches of the Romans they had in their power the golde and silver of Spaine At this day the great treasure of Spaine comes from the Indies wherein the divinâ— Providence hath appoynted one Realme to serve another which doe imparte their wealth to participate their governement for the good the one of the other in communicating mutually the goodes and graces they doe inioy wee can not value nor esteeme the quantitie of golde that is brought from the Indies but we may well say it is much more then that which 〈◊〉 reports was brought yeerely from Spaine to Româ— In the fleete where I came which was in the yeâ—re 1585. the declaratiâ—n of the firme land was of of twelve cassons or chests of golde every casson at the least weied foure Arobes that is a hundred weight and a thousand fifty and sixe mares from New Spaine which was for the King only besides that which came for Merchants and private men being registred and much that came vnregistred This may suffice touching the golde of the Indies and now we will speake of silver Of the Silver at the Indies CHAP. 5. WE reade these wordes in the Booke of Iob Siluer hath certain beginnings and roots in his veins and golde hath a setled place where it ingenders and thickens yron with digging is drawne out of the earth and stone molten with heate is turned into copper Hereby he wisely shewes in few words the nature of silver golde yron copper We have spoken something of the places where golde is ingendered and congealed which is either of the foresaide stones in the deapth of mountaines and in the bowells of the earth or in the sand of rivers and where brookes have runne or else on the toppes of mountaines the which golde in powlder runnes downe with the water And this is the common opinion they holde at the Indies Wherevppon many of the common sort believe that the deluge having drowned all even to the highest hills hath beene the cause that at this day they finde this golde in the rivers and in places so farre off Now we wil shew how they discover the mines of silver their veines rootes and beginnings whereof Iob speakes And first I will say that the reason why they give silver the second place among all other mettalles is for that it approacheth neerer to golde then any other being more durable and lesse indomaged by the fire and more maniable then any other yea it passeth golde in brightnesse beauty and sound the which is cleere and agreeable for the colour is more conformable and resembling the light and the sound more percing more lively and more delicate Likewise there are some places where they value silver more then golde It is yet an argument to iudge that gold is more pretious rhen all other mettalls for that it is found with greater difficultie and Nature seemes more sparing in bringing it foorth although there be countries as they say of Chine where they finde golde more easily then silver yet it is more common and ordinarie to finde silver with more facilitie and greater abundance then gold The Creator hath furnished the Weast Indies with so great a treasure of silver as all that which we reade of in antient Histories and that which is spoken of the mines of Spaine and other provinces is not comparable to that we see in those partes The mines of silver are commonly found in mountaines and high rockes very desart although they have sometimes bin found in Plaines and Champaines There are two different kindes the one they call stragling the other fixed and setled The straggling are peeces of mettall found in certaine places the which drawne away there is no more found But the fixed veines are those which have a continuance in depth and length like to great branches and armes of trees and when they find anie one of them they commonly finde many in the same place The maner to purge refine silver which the Indians have vsed was by melting in dissolving this masse of mettall by fire which casts the earthly drosse aparte and by his force separates silver from lead tinne from copper and other mettalls mixt To this end they did build small furnaces in places whereas the winde did commonly blow and with wood and cole made their refining the which furnaces in Ptru they call Guayras Since the Spaniards entred besides this manner of refining which they vse to this day they likewise refine silver with quicke-silver and draw more by this means then in refining it by fire For there is some kind of silver mettall found which can by no meanes be purged and refined by fire but onely with quickesilver But thiâ— kinde of mettall is commonly poore and weake the which vsually they finde in greatest aboundance They câ—l that poore which yields least silver and great quantitie of other mettall and that rich which yieldes mâ—st silver It is strange to see not onely the difference betwixt the refining of mettall by fire and without it by quicke-silver but also that some of
therewith and with some other discontents discovered this secret vnto his maister called Villaroel a Spaniard who then remained at Porco This Villaroel desirous to vnderstand the trueth went to Potozi finding the riches his Yanacona or servant had discovered vnto him caused the Indian Guanca to be inrolled vndertaking with him the saide veine which was called Centeno they call it vndertaking that is as much as to note and marke the mine and so much ground in circuite for him which the Lawe graunts vnto those that discover any mine or vnto those that digge them by meanes whereof having discovered them to the Iustice they remayned Lords of the mine to dig and drawe foorth the silver as being their owne paying only their duties vnto the King which is a fift parte So as the first discovery and inregistring of the mines of Potozi was the 21. of April in the yeare of our Lord one thousand five hundred fortie five in the territorie of Porco by the saide Villaroel a Spaniard and Guanâ—a an Indian Presently after they discovered another veine which they called the veine of Tinne the which is very rich although it be rough and very painfull to worke in the mettall being as hard as slint Since the thirtie day of August in the same yeere of a thousand five hundred forty and five the veine called Mendieta was inrolled and these are the foure principall veines of Potozi They say of the rich veine the first that was discovred that the metall lay above the ground the height of a launce like vnto rockes raising the superficies of the earth like vnto a crest of three hundred foote long and thirteene foote broade and that this remained bare vncovered by the deluge This veine having resisted the violence and force of the water as the hardest part The mettall was so rich as it was halfe silver and this veine continued in his bounty fiftie or three score stades which is the height of a man and then it failed In this maner the mines of Potozi were discovered by the Divine Providence who for the felicitie of Spaine would have the greatest treasure that ever was in this world discovered at such time whenas the Emperour Charles the fift of famous memorie held the Empire the kingdomes of Spaine and the Seigniorie of the Indies Presently after that the discoverie of Potozi was knowne in Peru many Spaniardes and the most parte of the Bourgeois of the silver Cittie which is eighteene leagues from Potozi came thither to take mines yea there came many Indians from divers provinces especially tha GuayZadores of Porco so as within a short space it was the best peopled habitation of all the kingdome Of the treasure which is daily drawne from the rocke or mountaine of Potozi CHAP. 7. I Have often doubted if in antient Histories there were found any so rich mines as those we have seen in our time in Peru. If there were ever rich mines in the worlde and famous for this effect they have bin those of Spaine which they of Cartbage did inioy and since the Romans the which as I have saide are not onely famous and esteemed in prophane bookes but also in the holy Scriptures Hee that maketh most particular mention of these mines at the least that I have seene is Plinie who writeth thus in his naturall Historie They finde silver almost in all provinces but that of Spaine is the best which growes and ingenders in a barren soile vppon mountaines and rockes It is a certaine and infallible thing that in places where they have once discovered any of these veines there are others not farre off which is likewise found in all other mettalls and for this the Greekes in my opinion called them mettalls It is strange that the pits or holes of these mines of Spaine the which they beganne to digge in Hannibals time are at this day and hold the names of their discoverers Amongst these mines that which Bebello discovered which holdes his name vnto this day was very famous and they say it yeelded so great riches to Hanniball that evâ—rie day they gathered three hundred pounds weight of silver and vnto this day they have alwaies continued labouring in this mine so as it is now digd 15. hundred pases deep into the mountaine Out of which pits notwithstanding the deapth the Gascoinâ—s that labour in them drawe out the water that they may worke with more ease whilest their candelles and lights last and that in such aboundaunce as it seemes to be a river Hitherto are the woordes of Pliny the which I would set downe word by word the better to content such as know what mines be seeing that what is tried at this day was then in vse And truely the riches of this mine of Hannibal vpon the Pirrenean hilles was great and famous which the Romans possessed having continued the worke even vnto Plinies time which was about three hundred yeeres The deapth of this mine was fifteene hundred pases which is a mile and a halfe and it was so rich in the beginning that it was woorth daily to the maister thereof three hundred poundes at twelve ounces to the pound But although this were a great treasure it did not approach neere to that which in our time hath bin found in Potozi for as it appeareth by the Registers of the house of contraction of that Province and as many antient men worthy of credite doe testifie whenas the licentiate Pollo governed that Province the which was many yeeres after the discovery of this mountaine they did every saterday enter a hundred and fifty and twoo hundred thousand peeces whereof the Kings fift amounted to thirty and forty thousand peeces and for every yeere a million and a halfe or little lesse So as according to that computation they didde drawe every day from this mine thirtie thousand peeces whereof there came to the King for his fift sixe thousand peeces a day There is yet another thing to be spoken of to shew the riches of Potozi that the account which hath been made was only of silver that was marked and customed And it is wel knowne in Peru that they have long vsed silver in these Realmes which they call currant which was neither marked nor customed And they holde it for certain which know these mines that in these daies the greatest parte of silver drawne at Potozi was not customed and this had course amongest the Indians and much amongst the Spaniardes as I have seene continued to mytime so as it may appeare the third part of the riches of Potozi yea the one halfe came not to light neither was it customed There is yet a more notable consideration in that which Plinie saieth they hadde digged a fifteene hundred pases in this mine of Bebellâ— and that continually they found water which is the greatest hinderaunce they have to drawe foorth theyr mettall But in this of Potozi although they have digged two hundred stades or heights of
properties of quicke-silver are admirable and that this maner of refining of silver is remarkable I will discourse of quicke-silver of the mines and worke and what is requisite for that subiect Of the wonderfull properties of Quicke-silver CHAP. 10. QVickesilver so called by the Latines for that it runnes and slides suddenly from place to place amongst all other mettalls hath great and wonderfull vertues The first is although it be a true mettall yet is it not hard neither hath it any certaine forme nor subsistance like to other mettalls but is liquide not like vnto gold and silver molten but of his owne proper nature and although it be a liquor yet is it more heavie then any other mettall and therefore all others swim above and sinke not to the bottome being more light I have seene two poundes of yron put into a barrell of quicke-silver the which did swimme about like vnto wood or corke vpon the water Plinie gives an exception heerevnto saying that gold alone doth sinke and not swimme above it I have not seene the experience but it may be this growes by reason that quicke-silver by nature doth inviron gold and covers it which is one of the most important properties it hath for it ioynes with gold in a strange maner it seekes it where it lies and invirons it in such sort as it doth distinguish and sepâ—rate it from any other body or mettall wherewith it is mixt for this reason such take gold as will preserve themselves from the dangerrs and discommodities of quicke-silver They have vsed a remedie to those in whose eares they had put quicke-silver to cause them to die secretly to put little plates of gold into their eares for that gold hath the vertue to draw out Mercurie and after they drew out thefe plates all white with the quicke-silver it did sticke vnto them Being one day at Madril I went to see the exquisite workes which Iacomo de Treco a rare worke man of Milan made for S. Laurence the Roiall it was my hap to be there one day whenas they gilded certaine peeces of a countertable of brasse which is done with quicke-silver and for that the fume of Mercurie is mortall he told me that the worke-men preserved themselves from this venome by swallowing a double duckat of gold roled vp the which being in the stomacke drawes vnto it all the quicke-silver that enters in fume by the eares eyes nostrilles and mouth and by this meanes freed themselves from the danger of quicke-silver which the gold gathered in the stomacke and after cast out by the excrements a thing truly worthy of admiration After the quicke-silver hath purified and purged gold from all other mettalls and mixtures he is likewise seperated from the golde his friend by the heate of the fire the which purifies it from all quicke-silver Plinie saies that by a certaine art and invention they did seperate gold from quicke-silver It seemes to me the Ancients had no knowledge to refine silver by quicke-silver which at this day is the greatest vse and chiefe profite of quickesilver for that he saies plainely that quickesilver ioynes with no other mettall but with gold and when he makes mention of refining of silver he speakes onely but of the manner of melting whereby wee may inferre that the Ancients had no knowledge of this secret In truth though there be a league and simpathie betwixt golde and quicke-silver yet whereas the mercurie findes no gold it ioynes with silver though not in the like maner as with gold but in the end it doth clense and purge it from earth copper lead amongst the which the silver growes without any neede of fire to melt it yet must they vse fire to seperate it from the silver as I will shew hereafter Quick-silver holds no account of other mettalls but of golde and silver but contrariwise it doth corrupt them force and consume them and flieth from them as much as may be The which is likewise admirable and for this cause they put it in earthen vessells or in beasts skinnes For if it be put in vessells of copper of yron or other mettall it presently pierceth and corrupts them And therefore Plinie calleth it the poyson of all things for that it consumes and spoyles all We finde quick-silver in the graves of dead men which after it hath consumed the bodies comes foorth pure and whole There hath beene likewise found in the bones and marrow of men and beasts who having received it in fume by the mouth and nosthrills congeales within them and pierceth even vnto the bones Therefore it is a dangerous thing to frequent so perillous and mortall a creature It hath an other propertie which is to runne and make a hundred thousand small droppes whereof not one is lost be they never so little but they returne every way to their liquor It is almost incorruptible having nothing in a maner that may consume it And therfore Plinie calles it the eternall sweate It hath yet another propertie that although it dooth separate gold from copper and all other mettalles yet they that will guilde copper brasse or silver vse quicke-silver as the meanes of this vnion for with the helpe thereof they guilde mettalls Amongest all the woonders of this strange liquor that seemes to me most woorthy observation that although it be the weightiest thing in the worlde yet is it converted into the lightest of the worlde which is smoake and sodainely the same smoake which iss o light a thing turnes againe into so heavy a substance as is the proper liquor of quicke-silver whereinto it is dissolved for this smoake incountering the mettall on high being a solide bodie or comming into a colde region sodainely it thickens and is converted into quickesilver and if you set him once againe to the fire hee dooth likewise returne into smoake to be resolved againe into quicke-silver A strange transmutation of so heavy a substance into so light a thing and of so light into so heavy the which we may hold for a rare thing in Nature And therfore the Author of Nature is iustly to be glorified in these and all other strange properties of this mettall seeing that all things created doe properly obey their secret and vnknowne lawes Of the place where they finde quicke-silver and how they discovered these rich mines in Guancavilca CHAP. 11. QVicke-silver is found in a kinde of stone which dooth likewise yeelde Vermillion which the Antients called Minium and at this day they call the Images of cristall miniades which are painted with quick-silver The Antients made great accompt of this Minium or vermillion holding it for a sacred colour as Plinie reportes saying that the Romans were accustomed to paint the face of Iupiter and the bodies of those that triumphed in Ethiopia yea their idolles and their Governors likewise had their faces coloured with this Minium And this vermillion was so esteemed at Rome which they brought onely from Spaine where
disturbing one another The Indians did commonly vse their idolatries in these trees so strange and deformed even as did the antient Gentiles as some Writers of our time doe report Of Plants and fruits which have bin carried out of Spaine to the Indies CHAP. 31. THe Indians have received more profit and have bin better recompensed in plants that have bin broght from Spaine than in any other marchandise for that those few which are carried from the Indies into Spaine growe little there and multiply not and contrariwise the great number that have beene caried from Spaine to the Indies prosper wel multiplie greatly I know not whether I shall attribute it to the bounty of the plants that goe from hence or to the goodnesse of the soile that is there Finally there is at the Indies any good thing that Spaine brings foorth in some places it is better in some worse as wheate barley hearbes and all kindes of pulses also lettuce colewortes radishes onions garlike parsley turneps parseneps Becengenes or apples of love siccorie beetes spinage pease beanes vetches and finally whatsoever groweth heere of anie profite so as all that have voyaged thither have beene curious to carry seedes of all sorts and all have growen although diversly some more some lesse As for those trees that have most aboundantly fructified be orange trees limons citrons and others of that sort In some partes there are at this day as it were whole woods and forrests of orange trees the which seeming strange vnto mee I asked who had planted the fields with so many orange trees they made mee answer that it did come by chaunce for that oranges being fallen to the ground and rotten their seeds did spring and of those which the water had carried away into diverse partes these woods grew so thicke which seemed to me a very good reason I have saide that this fruite hath generally increased most at the Indies for that I have not beene in any place but I finde orange trees for that all their soyle is hote and moist which this tree most desires There growes not any vppon the Sierre or mountaine but they carry them from the vallies or sea coast The conserve of oranges which they do make at the Ilands is the best I have seene anie where peaches presses and apricockes have greatly multiplied especially in New Spaine At Peru there growes few of these kindes of fruites except peaches and much lesse in the Ilands There growes apples and peares yet but scarcely there are but few plumbs but aboundance of figges chiefly in Peru. They finde quinces in all the country of the Indies and in New Spaine in such aboundance as they gave vs fifty choice ones for halfe a riall There is great store of pomegranets but they are all sweete for the sharp are not there esteemed There are very good melons in some partes of Peru. Cherries both wilde and tame have not prospered well at the Indies the which I do not impute to want of temperature for that there is of all sorts but to carelesnesse or that they have not well observed the temperature To conclude I do not finde that in those partes there wants any dainty fruite As for grosse fruites they have no Beillottes nor chesnuttes neither doe I finde that any have growne there to this day Almonds growe there but rarely They carry from Spaine for such as are dainty mouthed both almonds nuttes and filberds but I have not knowne they had any medlers or servises which importes little In my iudgement this may suffice to shew that there wanteth no delightfull fruites Now let vs speake somewhat of plants that profit and which have been carried from Spaine and so will ende that Treatise beeing too troublesome Of grapes vignes olives mulberies and kanes of sugar CHAP. 32. I Meane by profitable plants those which besides that which they eate in the house bring silver to theyr maisters the chiefe of these is the vigne whereof commeth wine vinegar grapes greene and dry veriuyce and sirrope But the wine is the best There growes no wine nor grapes in the Ilandes nor firme land but in new Spaine there are some vignes which beare grapes and yet make no wine The cause is for that the grape ripens not well by reason of the raine that falles in the months of Iuly and August which hinders their ripening so as they serve onely to eate They carry wine out of Spaine and from the Canaries to all partes of the Indies except Peru and the realme of Chillé where there are vignes that yeelde excellent wine which increase daily both in quantity for that it is a great riches in that country and in beauty for that they are become with time and practise more expert vignerous The vignes of Peru are commonly in hote vallies where there are waters which they water with the hand because there falles no raine at all from heaven and vppon the Lanos and Sierre it comes not in time There are some places where the vignes are not watered neither from heaven nor earth and yet they increase in great aboundance as in the valley of Yca and in the ditches that they call VillacuZi in which places they finde ditches or th' earth suncke downe amongest the dead sands which are thorowout the yeare of a woonderfull coolenesse and yet it raines not there at any time neither is there any maner of meanes to water it artificially the reason is because the soile is spongious and suckes vp the water of the rivers that fall from the mountaine which moisten these sands or else it is the moistnesse of the sea as others suppose which passing over this sand is the cause why it is not barren nor vnprofitable as the Philosopher teaches The vignes have so increased there as for this cause onely the tithes of the Churches are multiplied five or sixe times double within these twentie yeares The most fertile vallies for vignes be Victor neare to Arequipa Yca in the territory of Lima and Caraguato in the Countrey of Chuquiavo they carry this wine to Potozi Cusco and divers partes which yeeldes a great revenue for notwithstanding all the aboundance they have a bottle or arobe is there woorth five or sixe duckats and if it be Spanish wine as they commonly carry in their fleetes it is woorth tenne or twelve They make wine like to that of Spaine in the realme of Chille being in the same climate but it corrupteth being carried to Peru they eate the grape where they cannot drink the wine And it is strange that in the citty of Cusco you shall finde ripe grapes all the yeare long the reason is as they say for that those valleis bring foorth fruits in diverse moneths of the yeare either for that they cutte their vignes in diverse seasons or that this varietie proceedes from the quality of the soyle but whatsoever it be it is most certaine there are some vallies which carry fruit all the yeare If
water Even so we may say that the fowle which bee at this present vppon the maine land and in the Ilands at the Indies might passe the sea resting themselves in some small Ilands or vpon some land which they discovered by a naturall instinct as Plinie reporteth of some or peradventure falling into the water when they were weary of flying and after beganne their flight a new when they had alittle rested As for the fowles which we see in the Ilands where there are no beasts I beleeve certainly that they passed by one of the foresayde meanes But for other birdes which we finde vppon the maine land especially those whose flight is shorte it is more credible that they came thither as the beasts did which are of the same kindes that wee have in Europe For at the Indies there are great birds very heavy as Estridges whereof there are many in Peru which doe vse sometimes to terrifie the Indian sheepe as they do goe with their burthens But leaving these birds that govern themselves without the care of man but onely for hawking let vs now speake of tame fowle I wondered at hennes seeing there were som at the Indies before the Spaniards came there the which is well approoved for they have a proper name of the country and they call a henne Gualpa and the egge Pâ—nto and they vse the same proverb wee doe to call a coward a henne Those that were at the discovery of the Ilands of Soloman do report that they have seene hennes there like vnto ours wee may conceive that the henne being so tame a fowle and so profitable men might carry them with them when they passed from one place to another as we see at this day the Indians in their travel carry their henne with them or chicken vpon the burthen they have on their shoulders and likewise they carry them easily in their cages of reedes or wood Finally there be at the Indies many kindes of beasts and birdes such as we have in Europe as I have specified and other sortes which I leave to others to discourse of How it spould be possible that at the Indies there should be anie sortes of beasts whereof the like are no where else CHAP. 36. IV were a matter more difficult to shew and prove what beginning many sundry sorts of beasts had which are found at the Indies of whose kindes we have none in this continent For if the Creator hath made them there wee may not then alleadge nor flie to Noahs Arke neither was it then necessary to save all sorts of birds and beasts if others were to be created anew Moreover wee could not affirme that the creation of the world was made and finished in sixe dayes if there were yet other new kinds to make and specially perfit beasts and no lesse excellent than those that are knowen vnto vs If we say then that all these kindes of creatures were preserved in the Arke by Noah it followes that those beasts of whose kindes we finde not any but at the Indies have passed thither from this continent as we have saide of other beasts that are knowne vnto vs. This supposed I demand how it is possible that none of their kinde shoulde remaine heere and how they are found there being as it were travellers and strangers Truly it is a question that hath long held me in suspens I say for example if the sheep of Peru and those which they call Pacos and Guanacos are not found in any other regions of the worlde who hath carried them thither or how came they there seeing there is no shew nor remainder of them in all this worlde If they have not passed from some other region how were they formed and brought foorth there It may be GOD hath made a new creation of beasts That which I speake of these Pacos and Guanacos may be said of a thousand different kindes of birdes and beasts of the forrest which have never beene knowne neither in shape nor name and whereof there is no mention made neither among the Latins nor Greekes nor any other nations of the world We must then say that though all beasts came out of the Arke yet by a naturall instinct and the providence of heaven diverse kindes dispersed themselves into diverse regions where they found themselves so well as they woulde not parte or if they departed they did not preserve themselves but in processe of time perished wholy as we do see it chaunce in many things For if we shall looke precisely into it we shall finde that it is not proper and peculiar alone to the Indies but generall to many other Nations and Provinces of Asia Europe and Affrike where they say there are certaine kindes of creatures that are not found in other regions at the least if they be any where else they are knowne to be carried from thence Seeing then these creatures came out of the Arke as for example the elephant which we finde only in the East Indies and from thence have beene imparted to other regions wee may say as much of these creatures of Peru and of others of the Indies which are not found in any other part of the world Wee may likewise consider well vppon this subiect whether these beasts differ in kind and essentially from all others or if this difference be accidentall which might growe by diverse accidents as we see in the linages of men some are white others blacke some giants others dwaâ—fes and in apes some have no taile others have and in sheepe some are bare others have fleeces some great and strong with a long necke as those of Peru others weake and little having a short necke as those of Castille But to speake directly whoso would by this Discourse shewing only these accidentall differences preserve the propagation of beasts at the Indies and reduce them to those of Europ he shal vndertake a charge he will hardly discharge with his honor For if we shall iudge the kindes of beasts by their properties those of the Indies are so diverse as it is to call an egge a chesnut to seeke to reduce them to the knowne kinds of Europe Of Fowles that are proper to the Indies CHAP. 37. THere are many kindes of notable fowles at the Indies eyther of the same sort that ours be or of different They bring certaine birds from China that have no feete and all their bodies are almost feathers They sit not vpon the ground but hang vpon boughs by strings or feathers which they have and so rest themselves like flies or aierie things In Peru there are birdes which they â—â—ll Tómineios so small that often times I have doubted seeing them flie whether they were bees or butter-flies but in truth they are birdes Contrariwise those which they call Condores be of an exceeding greatnes and of such a force that not onely they will open a sheepe and eate it but also a whole calfe Those which they call Auras and
Spaine and Italie we have seene admirable effects of this stone against the Tâ—verdette which is a kinde of plague but not so muchâ—s in Peru. They do apply it beaten and put into some liquor which may make it fit for the cure of melancholy the falling sickenes pestilent feavers many other diseases Some take it in wine others in vineger with water Dezahac of League de beufe borrage and other sortes as the Phisitians and Apoticaries can tell The Bezaar stone hath no proper savour as Rasis the Arabian doth testifie Wee have seene notable trialls and there is no doubt but the Author of this vniversall world hath given great vertues to this stone The Bezaar stones which comes from the East Indies have the first place of account they are of an olive colour the second are those of Peru and the third those of New Spaine Since that these stones were in request they say the Indians have made artificiall ones and many when they see these stones greater then the ordinarie they take them to be false and counterfait triall and experience is the best mistres to know them One thing is worthy admiration that they grow and are fashioned vpon very strange things as vpon the tagge of a point vpon a pinne or a peece of wood which they finde in the centre of this stone and yet do they not hold it false for that the beast might swallow it and the stone thicken vpon it and growes one vpon another and so it increaseth I did see in Peru two stones fashioned vpon Pignons of Castille which made vs to wonder much for that in all Peru we had not seene any pines or Pignons of Castille if they were not brought from Spaine which seemes to me very extraordinary This little may suffice touching the Bezaars stone They bring other phisicall stones from the Indies as the stone of Hyiada or of Rate the bloud stone the stones of milke and of the sea Those which they call Cornerinaâ— for the heart whereof there is no neede to speake having nothing common with the subiect of beastes whereof we have intreated which gives vs to vnderstand how the great Master and Author of all hath imparted his benefites and wonderfull secrets to all partes of the world for the which he is to be glorified for ever * ⎠* A Prologue to the Bookes following HAving intreated of the Natural Historie of the Indies I wil hereafter discourse of the Morall History that is to say of the deeds and customes of the Indies For after the heaven the temperature the scituation the qualities of the new world after the elements mixtures I mean mettals plants beasts whereof we have spoken in the former Bookes as occasion did serve both Order Reason doth invite vs to continue and vndertake the discourse of those men which inhabite the new world And therefore I pretend in the following bookes to speake what I thinke worthie of this subiect And for that the intention of this Historie is not onely to give knowledge of what hath passed at the Indies but also to continue this knowledge to the fruite we may gather by it which is to helpe this people for their soules health and to glorifie the Creator and Redeemer who hath drawne them from the obscure darkenes of their infidelitie and imparted vnto them the admirable light of his Gospel And therefore I will first speake in these bookes following what concernes their religion or superstition their customes their idolatries and their sacrifices and after what concernes their policie and government their lawes customes and their deedes And for that the memorie is preserved amongst the Mexicaine Nation of their beginnings successions warres and other things worthie the relation besides that which shall be handled in the sixt booke I will make a peculiar Discourse in the seventh shâ—wing the disposition and forewarnings this Nation had of the new Kingdome of Christ our Lord which should be extâ—nded in these Countries and should conquer them to himself as he hath doâ—e in all the rest of the world The which in truth is a thing worthie of great consideration to see how the divine providence hath appointeâ— that the light of his word should finde a passage in the furthest boundes of the world It is not my proiect at this time to write what the Spanâ—ardes have done in those partes for there are bookes enow written vpon this subiect nor yet how the Lordes servants have laboured and profited for that requires a new labour I will onely content my selfe to plant this Historie and relation at the doores of the Gospel seeing it is alreadie entered and to make knowne the Naturall and Morall things of the Indies to the end that Christianitie may be planted and augmented as it is expounded at large in the bookes we have written De procuranda Indiorum salute And if any one wonder at some fashions customes of the Indies wil scorne them as fooles or abhorre them as divelish and inhumane people let him remember that the same things yea worse have beene seene amongst the Greekes and Romans who have commanded the whole world as we may easily vnderstand not onely of our Authors as Eusebius of Cesarea Clement Alexandrine and others but also of their owne as Plinie Denis Halicarnassis and Plutarke for the Prince of darkenes being the head of all Infidelitie it is no new thing to finde among Infidells cruelties filthines and follies fit for such a Master And although the ancient Gentiles have farre surpassed these of the new world in valour and naturall knowledge yet may wee observe many things in them worthie the remembrance But to conclude they shew to be barbarous people who being deprived of the supernaturall light want likewise philosophie and naturall knowledge THE FIFT BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That the Pride and Malice of the Divell hath beene the cause of Idolatrie CHAP. 1. THE Pride and Presumption of the Divell is so great obstinate that alwaies hee seekes and strives to be honoured as God and doth arrogate to himselfe all hee can whatsoever doth appertaine to the most high God hee ceaseth not to abuse the blinde Nations of the world vpon whom the cleere light of the holy Gospel hath not yet shone Wee reade in Iob of this prowd tyrant who settes his eyes aloft and amongst all the sonnes of pride he is the King The holy Scripture instructes vs plainely of his vile intentions and his overweening treason whereby he hath pretended to make his Throne equall vnto Gods saying in Esay Thou diddest say within thy selfe I will mount vp to heaven and set my chaire vpon all the starres of heaven and I will sit vpon the toppe of the Firmament and in the sides of the North I will ascend above the height of the cloudes and will be like to the most High And in Ezechiel Thy heart was lifted vp and thou
into a very darke chappell where their idoll was that he might offer sacrifice to his daughter that was in that place But it chanced that the incense that was vpon the harth according to their custome kindled in such sort as hee might discerne his daughters haire and having by this meanes discovered the crueltie and deceit hee went forth crying alowde and with all his men he fell vpon the Mexicaines forcing them to retyre to the lake so as they were almost drowned The Mexicaines defended themselves casting certaine little darts which they vsed in the warres wherewith they much galled their ennemies But in the end they got land and leaving that place they coasted along the lake very weary and wet the women and little children crying and making great exclamations against them and their god that had brought them into this distresse They were inforced to passe a river that could not be waded through and therefore they advised to make small boates of their targets and of reedes wherein they passed Then afterwardes having left Culhuacan they arived at Iztacalco and finally to the place where the hermitage of Saint Anthonie now is at the entry of Mexico and to that quarter which they now call S. Paul During which time their idoll did comfort them in their travells and incoraged them promising great matters Of the Foundation of Mexico CHAP. 7. THe time being now come that the father of lies should accomplish his promise made to his people who could no longer suffer so many turnings travells and dangers it happened that some old priests or sorcerers being entred into a place full of water-lillies they met with a very faire and cleere current of water which seemed to be silver and looking about they found the trees medowes fish and all that they beheld to be very white wondring heereat they remembred a prophecie of their god whereby he had given them that for a token of their place of rest and to make them Lords of other Nations Then weeping for ioy they returned to the people with these good newes The night following VitzliputZli appeared in a dreame to an antient priest saying that they should seeke out a Tunal in the lake which grew out of a stone which as he told them was the same place where by his commandement they had cast the heart of Copil sonne to the sorceresse their enemy and vpon this Tunal they should see a goodly Eagle which fed on certaine small birdes When they should see this they should beleeve it was the place where their Cittie should be built the which shuld surmountal others be famous throughout the world Morning being come the old man assembled the whole people from the greatest to the least making a long speach vnto them how much they were bound vnto their god and of the Revelation which although vnworthy hee had received that night concluding that all must seeke out that happie place which was promised them which bred such devotion and ioy in them all that presently they vndertooke the enterprise and dividing themselves into bandes they beganne to search following the signâ—s of the revelation of the desired place Amiddest the thickest of these water-lillies in the lake they met with the same course of water they had seene the day before but much differing being not white but red like blood the which divided it selfe into two streames whereof the one was of a very obscure azure the which bred admiration in them noting some great mistery as they said After much search heere and there the Tunal appeared growing on a stone whereon was a royall Eagle with the wings displaied towardâ—s the Sunne receiving his heat About this Eagle were many rich fethers white red yellow blew and greene of the same sort as they make their images which Eage held in his tallants a goodly birde Those which sawe it and knew it to be the place fore-tolde by the Oracle fel on their knees doing great worship to the Eagle which bowed the head looking on every sideâ—â—hen was their great cries demonstrations and thankes vnto the Creator and to their great god Vitzliputzli who was there father and had alwaies told them truth For this reason they called the cittie which they founded there Tenoxtiltan which signifies Tunal on a stone and to this day they carry in their armes an Eagle vpon a Tunal with a bird in his tallant and standing with the other vpon the Tunal The day following by common consent they made an hermitage adioyning to the Tunal of the Eagle that the Arke of their god might rest there till they might have meanes to build him a sumptuous Temple and so they made this hermitage of flagges turfes covered with straw then having consulted with their god they resolved to buy of their neighbours stone timber lime in exchange of fish frogges and yong kids and for duckes water-hennes courlieus and divers other kindes of sea fowles All which things they did fish and hunt for in this Lake whereof there is great aboundance They went with these things to the markets of the Townes and Citties of the Tapanecans and of them of Tescuco their neighbours and with pollicie they gathered together by little and little what was necessary for the building of their Cittie so as they built a better Chappell for their idoll of lime and stone and laboured to fill vp a great part of the lake with rubbish This done the idoll spake one night to one of his priests in these tearmes Say vnto the Mexicaines that the Noblemen divide themselves everie one with their kinsfolkes and friends and that they divide themselves into foure principall quarters about the house which you have built for my rest and let every quarter build in his quarter at his pleasure The which was put in execution and those be the foure principall quarters of Mexico which are called at this day S. Iean S. Mary the round S. Paul and S. Sebastian After this the Mexicaines being thus divided into these foure quarters their god commanded them to divide amongest them the gods he should name to them and that they should give notice to every quarter principal of the other foure particall quarters where their gods should be worshipped So as vnder every one of these foure principall quartâ—rs there were many lesse comprehended according to the number of the idolls which their god commanded them to worship which they called Calpultetco which is as much to say as god of the quarters In this manner the Cittie of Mexico Tenoxtiltan was founded and grew great Of the sedition of those of Tlatelulco and of the first Kings the Mexicaines did choose CHAP. 8. THis division being made as afore-said some olde men and Antients held opinion that in the division they had not respected them as they deserved for this cause they and their kinsfolke did mutine and went to seeke another residence and as they went thorough the lake they found a small peece of ground
of water which they of Cuyoacan vsed For this cause he called the chiefe man of the cittie vnto him being a famous sorcerer having propounded his meaning vnto him the sorcerer wished him to be well advised what hee did being a matter of great difficulty and that hee vnderstoode if he drew the river out of her ordinary course making it passe to Mexico hee would drowne the citty The king supposed these excuses were but to frustrate the effect of his desseigne being therefore in choler he dismissed him home and a few dayes after hee sent a provost to Cuyoacan to take this Sorcerer who having vnderstanding for what intent the kings officers came hee caused them to enter his house and then he presented himself vnto them in the forme of a terrible Eagle wherewith the provost and his companions being terrified they returned without taking him AutZol incensed herewith sent others to whome hee presented himselfe in forme of a furious tygre so as they durst not touch him The third came and they found him in the forme of a horrible serpent whereat they were much afraide The king mooved the more with these dooings sent to tell them of Cuyoacan that if they brought not the sorcerer bound vnto him he would raze their citty For feare whereof or whether it were of his owne free will or being forced by the people he suffered himselfe to be led to the king who presently caused him to be strangled and then did he put his resolution in practise forcing a chanell whereby the water might passe to Mexico whereby hee brought a great current of water into the Lake which they brought with great ceremonies and superstitions having priests casting incense along the banks others sacrificed quailes and with the bloud of them sprinckled the channell bankes others sounding of cornets accompanied the water with their musicke One of the chiefe went attired in a habite like to their goddesse of the water and all saluted her saying that shee was welcome All which things are painted in the Annales of Mexico which booke is now at Rome in the holy Library or Vaticane where a father of our company that was come from Mexico did see it and other histories the which he did expound to the keeper of his Holinesse Library taking great delight to vnderstand this booke which before hee could never comprehend Finally the water was brought to Mexico but it came in such aboundaunce that it had welneere drowned the cittie as was foretold and in effect it did ruine a great parte thereof but it was presently prevented by the industry of Autzol who caused an issue to be made to draw foorth the water by meanes whereof hee repaired the buildings that were fallen with an exquisite worke being before but poore cotages Thus he left the citty invironed with water like another Venice and very well built hee raigned eleaven yeares and ended with the last and greatest successor of all the Mexicans Of the election of great Moteçuma the last king of Mexico CHAP. 20. WHen the Spaniards entred new Spaine being in the yeare of our Lorde one thousand five hundred and eighteen Moteçuma second of that name was the last king of the Mexicaines I say the last although they of Mexico after his death chose another king yea in the life of the same Moteçuma whome they declared an enemy to his country as we shall see heereafter But hee that succeeded him and hee that fell into the hands of the Marquise de Valle had but the names and titles of Kings for that the kingdome was in a maner al yeelded to the Spaniards so as with reason we account Moteçuma for the last king and so hee came to the periode of the Mexicaines power and greatnesse which is admirable being happened among Barbarians for this cause and for that this was the season that God had chosen to reveale vnto them the knowledge of his Gospel and the kingdome of Iesus Christ I will r◠late more at large the actes of Moteçuma then of the rest Before he came to be king he was by disposition ve◠ry grave and stayed and spake little so as when he◠gave his opinion in the privy counsell whereas he assisted his speeches and discourses made every one to admire him so as even then he was feared and respected He retired himselfe vsually into a Chappell appointed for him in the Temple of Vitziliputzli where they said their Idoll spake vnto him and for this cause hee was helde very religious and devout For these perfections then being most noble and of great courage his election was short and easie as a man vpon whom al mens eyes were fixed as woorthy of such a charge Having intelligence of this election hee hidde himselfe in this chappell of the Temple whether it were by iudgement apprehending so heavy and hard a burthen as to governe such a people or rather as I beleeve throgh hypocrisie to shew that he desired not Empery In the end they found him leading him to the place of councell whither they accompanied him with all possible ioy hee marched with such a gravitie as they all sayd the name of Moteçuma agreed very wel with his nature which is as much to say as an angry Lord. The electors did him great reverence giving him notice that hee was chosen king from thence he was ledde before the harth of their gods to give incense where he offered sacrifices in drawing bloud from his eares the calves of his legges according to their custome They attired him with the royall ornaments and pierced the gristle of his nosthrils hanging thereat a rich emerald a barbarous troublous custome but the desire of rule made all paine light and easie Being seated in his throne he gave andience to the Orations and Speeches that were made vnto him which according vnto their custome were eloquent and artificiall The first was pronounced by the king of Tescuco which being preserved for that it was lately delivered very worthy to be heard I will set it downe word by word and thus hee sayde The concordance and vnitie of voyces vpon thy election is a sufficient testimonie most noble yong man of the happines the realme shall receive as well deserving to be commaunded by thee as also for the generall applause which all doe shew by meanes thereof Wherein they have great reason for the Empire of Mexico doth alreadie so farre extend it selfe that to governe a world as it is and to beare so heavie a burthen it requires no lesse dexteritie and courage than that which is resident in thy firme and valiant heart nor of lesse wisedome and iudgement than thine I see and know plainely that the mightie God loveth this Cittie seeing he hath given vnderstanding to choose what was fit For who will not beleeve that a Prince who before his raigne had pierced the nine vaultes of heaven should not likewise nowe obtaine those things that are earthlie to releeve his people
he was with him hee tolde him that the pulses of his feete and hands failed him Moteçuma troubled with these news commanded all those sorcerers to be apprehended but they vanished presently in the prison wherewith hee grewe into such a rage that hee might not kill them as hee putte their wives and children to death destroying their houses and families Seeing himselfe importuned and troubled with these advertisements he sought to appease the anger of his gods and for that cause hee laboured to bring a huge stone thereon to make great sacrifices For the effecting whereof hee sent a great number of people with engins and instruments to bring it which they could by no meanes moove although being obstinate they had broken many instruments But as they strove still to raise it they heard a voyce ioyning to the stone which said they laboured in vaine and that they should not raise it for that the Lorde of things created would no more suffer those things to be doone there Moteçuma vnderstanding this ommaunded the sacrifice to be perfourmed in that â—lace and they say the voyce spake againe Have I not told you that it is not the pleasure of the Lord of things created that it should be done and that you may well know that it is so I will suffer myselfe to be transported alittle then after you shall not moove mee Which happened so indeede for presently they carried it a small distance with great facility then afterwards they could not moove it till that after many prayers it suffered itselfe to be transported to the entry of the citty of Mexico where sodainly it fel into the Lake where seeking for it they could not finde it but it was afterwards found in the same place from whence they had remooved it wherewith they remayned amazed and confounded At the same time there appeared in the element a great flame of fire very bright in the forme of a Pyramide which beganne to appeare at midnight and went still mounting vntill the Sunne rising in the morning where it stayed at the South and then vanished away It shewed itselfe in this sort the space of a whole yeare and ever as it appeared the people cast foorth great cries as they were accustomed beleeving it was a presage of great misfortune It happened also that firâ— tooke the Temple whenas no body was within it nor neare vnto it neither did there fall any lightning or thunder wherevpon the guardes crying out a number of people ran with water but nothing could helpe so as it was all consumed and they say the fire seemed to come forth of peeces of timber which kindled more by the water that was cast vpon it There was a Comet seene in the day time running from the west to the east casting an infinite number of sparkles and they say the forme was like to a long taile having three heads The great lake betwixt Mexico and Tescuco without any wind earthquake or any other apparant signe beganne sodainely to swell and the waves grewe in such sort as all the buildings neare vnto it fell downe to the ground They say at that time they heard many voices as of a woman in paine which sayde sometimes O my children the time of your destruction is come and otherwhiles it sayde O my children whither shall I carry you that you perish not vtterly There appeared likewise many monsters with two heads which being carried before the king sodainely vanished There were two that exceeded all other monsters being very strange the one was the fishers of the lake tooke a bird as bigge as a Crane and of the same colour but of a strange and vnseene form They caried it to Moteçuma who at that time was in the pallace of teares and mourning which was all hanged with blacke for as he had many palaces for his recreation so had he also others for times of affliction where with hee was then heavily charged and tormented by reason of the threatnings his gods had given him by these sorrowfull advertisements The fishers came about noone setting this bird before him which had on the toppe of his head a thing bright and transparent in forme of a looking glasse wherein he did behold a warrelike nation comming from the east armed fighting and killing He called his Divines and Astronomers whereof there was a great number who having seene these things and not able to yeelde any reason of what was demaunded of them the bird vanished away so as it was never more seene wherevpon Moteçuma remained very heavy and sorrowfull The other which happened was a laborer who had the report of a very honest man came vnto him telling him that being the day before at his worke a great Eagle flew towardes him and tooke him vppe in his talants without hurting him carying him into a certaine cave where it left him the Eagle pronouncing these words Most mightie Lorde I have brought him whome thou hast commaunded me This Indian laborer looked about on every side to whome hee spake but hee sawe no man Then he heard a voyce which sayde vnto him Doost thou not knowe this man whome thou seest lying vpon the ground and looking thereon he perceived â— man lie very heavy asleepe with royall ensignes floures in his hand and a staffe of perfumes burning as they are accustomed to vse in that countrey whome the labourer beholding knew it was the great king Moteçuma and answered presently Great Lord this resembles our King Moteçuma The voyce saide againe Thou saiest true behold what he is and how he lies asleepe carelesse of the great miseries and afflictions prepared for him It is nowe time that hee pay the great number of offences hee hath doone to God and that he receive the punishment of his tyrannies and great pride and yet thou seest how carelesse hee lies blinde in his owne miseries and without any feling But to the end thou maiest the better see him take the staffe of perfumes hee holdes burning in his hand and put it to his face thou shalt then find him without feeling The poore laborer durstnot approach neere him nor doe as he was commaunded for the great feare they all hadde of this king But the voyce saide Have no fâ—are for I am without comparison greater than this King I can destroy him and defend him doe therefore what I commaund thee Wherevpon the laborer took the staffe of perfumes out of the kings hand and put it burning to his nose but he mooved not nor shewed any feeling This done the voice said vnto him that seeing hee had found the king so sleepy he should go awake him and tell him what he had seene Then the Eagle by the same commandement tooke the man in his tallents and set him in the same place where he found him and for accomplishment of that which it had spoken hee came to advertise him They say that Moteçuma looking on his face found that he was burnt the which he had not
that he would not kill him neither was it his intention to hurt them but their obstinate folly was guiltie of all the misery afflictions they had suffered neither were they ignorant how often he had required peace and amity at their hands He then commanded them to be intreated curteously Many strange admirable things chanced in this conquest of Mexico for I neither hold it for an vntruth nor an addition which many write that God favoured the Spaniards by many miracles for else it had bin impossible to surmount so many difficulties without the favour of heaven and to subiect this nation with so few men For although we were sinners vnworthy so great a favour yet the cause of our God the glorie of our faith the good of so many thousands soules as were in these countries whome the Lord had predestinate wrought this change which wee now see by supernaturall meanes and proper to himselfe which calles the blinde and prisoners to the knowledge of himselfe giving them light and libertie by his holy Gospel And to the end you may the better vnderstand this and give credite therevnto I will aleadge some examples which in my opinion are fit for this history Of some miracles which God hath shewed at the Indies in favour of the faith beyond the desert of those that wrought them CHAP. 27. SAint Croix of the mountaine is a very great province and farre from the Kingdome of Peru neighbour to diverse infidell nations which have not yet any knowledge of the Gospel if since my departure the fathers of our company which remane there have not instructed them Yet this province of S. Croix is christned and there are many Spaniards and great numbers of Indians baptized The maner how Christianitie entred was thus A souldier of a lewd life resident in the province of Charcas fearing punishment being pursued for his offences went farre vp into the countrie and was received curteously by this barbarous people The Spaniard seeing them in a great extremity for water and that to procure raine they vsed many superstitious ceremonies according to their vsuall maner he said vnto them that if they would do as he said they should presently have raine the which they willingly offered to performe Then the souldier made a great crosse the which he planted on a high and eminent place commanding them to worship it and to demand water the which they did A wonderful thing to see there presently fel such aboundance of raine as the Indians tooke so great devotion to the holy crosse as they fled vnto it in all their necessities and obtained all they demanded so as they brake downe their idolls and beganne to carry the crosse for their badge demanding preachers to instruct and to baptise them For this reason the province to this day hath beene called S. Croix de la Sierre But to the end we may see by whom God wrought these miracles it shall not be vnfit to shew how that this souldier after he had some yeares done these miracles like an Apostle and yet nothing reformed in his lewd course of life left the province of Charcas and continuing in his wicked courses was publikely hanged at Potozi Polo who knew him wel writes all this as a notable thing happened in his time Cabeca de Vaca who since was governour of Paraguey writes what happened vnto him in his strange peregrination in Florida with two or three other companions the onely remainder of an army where they continued ten yeares with these Barbarians traveling and searching even vnto the South sea being an author worthy of credite he saieth that these Barbarians did force them to cure certaine diseases threatning them with death if they did it not they being ignorant in any part of phisicke and having nothing to apply forced by necessitie made evangelicall medicines saying the praiers of the Church and making the signe of the crosse by meanes whereof they cured these diseases which made them so famous as they were forced to exercise this office in all townes as they passed the which were innumerable wherein our Lord did aide them miraculously and they themselves were thereat amazed being but of an ordinarie life yea one of them was a Negro Lancero was a souldier of Peru of whom they knew no other merit but to be a souldier he spake certaine good wordes vpon wounds and making the signe of the crosse did presently cure them so as they did say as in a proverbe the psalme of Lancero Being examined by such as held authority in the Church his office works were approved Some men worthy of credite report and I have heard it spoken that in the cittie of Cusco whenas the Spaniards were besieged and so straightly pressed that without helpe from heaven it was impossible to escape the Indians casting fire on the tops of the houses whether the Spaniards were retyred in which place the great Church is now built although the covering were of a kind of straw which they call Chicho and that the fire they cast was of the wood of fat slimy firre-trees yet nothing was set on fire nor burnt for that there was a woman did quench it presently the which the Indians did visibly see as they confessed afterwards being much amazed It is most certaine by the relations of many and by the histories which are written that in divers battailes which the Spaniards had as well in New Spaine as in Peru the Indians their enemies did see a horse-man in the aire mounted on a whit horse with a sword in his hand fighting for the Spaniards whence comes the great reverence they beare at the Indies to the glorious Apostle Saint Iames. Other whiles they did see in some battailes the image of our Ladie from whom the Christians have received in those partes incomparable favours and benefites if I should particularly relate all the workes of heaven as they happened it would make a very long discourse It sufficeth to have said this by reason of the favour which the Queene of glorie did to our men when they were pressed and pursued by the Mexicans the which I have set downe to the end we may know how our Lord hath had a care to favour the faith and Christian religion defending those that maintained it although happily by their workes they deserved not so great favours and benefites from heaven And therefore we ought not to condemne all these things of the first Conquerours of the Indies as some religious and learned men have done doubtlesse with a good zeale but too much affected For although for the most part they were covetous men cruell and very ignorant in the course that was to be observed with the Infidels who had never offended the Christians yet can we not deny but on their part there was much malice against God and our men which forced them to vse rigor and chastisement And moreover the Lord of all although the faithfull were sinners