taken in the Ilande of Guanahaini beinge nere vnto Cuba wyllinge hym to come nere and not to bee afrayde When he harde Didacus speke to him in his owne tonge he came bowldly to hym and shortly after resorted to his coÌ„pany persuadinge them to come without all feare After this message was doone there descended frome the rockes to the shippes abowt three score and ten of thinhabibitantes proferinge frendeshippe and gentelnes to owre men whiche the Admirall accepted thankefully and gaue them dyuers rewardes And that the rather for that he had intelligence by Didacus thenterpretoure that they were the kynges fysshers The kynges fysshers sent of theyr lorde to take fysshe ageynst a solemne feaste which he prepared for an other kynge And wheras the Admirales men had eaten the fysshe whiche they lefte at the fyre they were the gladder therof bycause they had lefte the serpentes Serpentes esteemed for delicate meaâ— Ophiophagi â–ª For there is nothinge amonge theyr delicate dysshes that they esteeme so muche as these serpentes In soo muche that it is no more lawfull for the common people to eate of them then peacockes or phesantes amonge vs. As for the fysshes they doubted not to take as many more the same nyght Beynge asked why they fyrst rosted the fysshe which they entended to beare to their kynge They answered that they might bee the fressher and vncorrupted Thus ioyninge handes for a token of further frendeship euery man resorted to his owne The Admirall went forwarde as he had appoynted folowing the faulinge of the sonne from the beginninge of Cuba cauled Alpha and O. The shores or sea bankes euen vnto this hauen albeit they be ful of trees yet are they rowgh with mountains Of these trees suâ—e were ful of blossoomes and flowres and other laden with fruites Blossomes fruites bothe at one tyme. Beyonde the haueÌ„ the lande is more fertile and peopulous whose inhabitantes are more gentyll and more desyrous of owre thinges For as sone as they had espied owre shâ—ppes they flocked all to the shore brynginge with them suche breade as they are accustomed to eate and gourdes full of water offeringe theym vnto owre men and further desyringe them to coome alande In all these Ilandes is a certeyne kynde of trees as bygge as elmes whiche beare gourdes in the steade of fruites Trees which beare gourds These they vse only for drinkynge pottes and to fetche water in but not for meate for the inner substance of them is sowrer then gaule the barke as harde as any shelle At the Ides of Maye the watche men lokinge owte of the toppe castell of the shyppe towarde the Southe sawe a multitude of Ilandes standinge thicke together A multitude of Ilandes beynge all well replenished with trees grasse and herbes and wel inhabyted In the shore of the continent he chauÌ„ced into a nauigable ryuer whose water was soo hotte hotte water that no man myght endure to abyde his hande therein any tyme. The day folowinge espying a farre of a Canoa of fysher men of thinhabitantes fearinge least they shulde flye at the syght of owre men he commaunded certeyne to assayle them pryuily with the shyppe boates But they fearinge nothinge taryed the comminge of owre men Nowe shal you heare a newe kind of fyshinge A straunge kynde of fysshynge Lyke as we with greyhoundes doo hunte hares in the playne fieldes So doo they as it were with a huntyng fysshe A hâ—ntynge â—ysshe take other fysshes This fysshe was of shape or fourme vnknowen vnto vs but the body therof not muche vnlyke a greate yele hauinge on the hynder parte of the heade a very towgh skynne lyke vnto a greate bagge or purse This fysshe is tyed by the syde of the boate with a corde lette downe soo farre into the water that the fysshe maye lye close hyd by the keele or bottome of the same for shee may in no case abyde the sight of the ayer Thus when they espie any greate fysshe or tortoyse wherof there is great abundance bygger then great targettes they let the corde at lengthe Abuâ—â—ance of toâ—oyâ—es But when she feeleth her selfe loosed shee enuadeth the fysshe or tortoyse as swiftly as an arrowe And where she hath once fastened her howld shee casteth the purse of skynne wherof we spâ—ke before And by drawyng the same togyther soo graspeleth her pray that no mans strength is sufficient to vnloose the same excepte by lyttle and lyttle drawinge the lyne shee bee lyfted sumwhat aboue the brymme of the water For then as sone as she seeth the brightnes of the ayer shee lettethe goo her howlde The praye therfore beinge nowe drawen nere to the brymme of the water Fyssher men there leapeth soodenly owte of the boate into the sea soo manye fysshers as maye suffice to holde faste the praye vntyll the reste of the coompany haue taken it into the boate Which thinge doone they loose soo muche of the cord that the hunting fysshe may ageyne returnâ— to her place with in the water where by an other corde they let downe to her a piece of the praye as we vse to rewarde greyhoundes after they haue kylled theyr game This fysshe they caule GuaicanuÌ„ The fysshe Guaicanum But owre men caule it Reuersum They gaue owre men foure tortoyses taken by this meanes And those of such byggenes that they almoste fylled theyr fysshinge boate For these fysshes are esteemed amonge them for delicate meate Owre men recompensed them ageyne with other rewardes and soo lette them departe Beinge asked of the coompasse of that lande they aunswered that it had no ende westewarde Most instantly defyringe the Admirall to coome alande humaine people or in his name to sende one with theÌ„ to salute their Cazicus that is their kinge Affirmynge that he wolde gyue owre men many presentes yf they wolde goo to hym But the Admiral leaste he shulde bee hyndered of the vyage which he had begunne refused to goo with them Then they desyred to knowe his name and towld owre men lykewyse the name of theyr kyng Thus sayling on yet further euer toward the West within fewe dayes he came nere vnto a certeyne exceding high mouÌ„tayne wel inhabyted by reason of the great fertilitie of the same A mounâ—aine fruitefull and well inhabited Thinhabitauntes of this mountayne browght to owre shippe breade gossampine cotton cunnies and sundry kyndes of wyldfowle demaunâ—ynge relygiously of thinterpretoures if this nation descended not from heauen The kynge of this people and dyuers other sage men that stoode by hym informed hym that that lande was no Ilande Shortly after enteringe into one of the Ilandes beinge on the lefte hande of this lande they fownde no body therin for they fledde al at the commyng of owre men Yet fownde they there fowre dogges of maruelous deformed shape Dogges of strange shape and dumme and suche as coulde not barke This kynd of dogges they eate as we do
spytefull and opprobrious woordes he swore great othes that he woolde furthwith inuade the Ilande spoylynge destroyinge burnynge drownynge and hangynge sparinge neyther swoorde nor fyre vntyll he hadde reuenged theyr iniuries And therwith commaunded his Culchas to bee in a redynes But the twoo kynges Chiapes and Tumaccus exhorted hym frendly to deferre this enterprise vntyll a more quiete season bycause that sea was not nauigable withowte greate daunger beinge nowe the begynnynge of Nouember Wherin the kynges seemed to saye trewe For as Vaschus hym selfe wryteth great roryng of the sea was harde amonge the Ilandes of the goulfe by reasoÌ„ of the raginge and conflicte of the water Great ryuers also descending from the toppes of the mountaynes the same time of the yeare Great ryuerâ— faulyng from mountaâ—nes ouerflowyng theyr bankes dryuyng downe with theyr vyolence greate rockes and trees make a marueylous noyse Lykewise the furie of the South and Northeast wyndes associate with thunder and lyghtnynge at the same season dyd greatly moleste them Thunder and lyghtnynge in Nouember Whyle the wether was fayre they were vexed in the night with could and in the day time the heate of the sonne troubled them wherof it is noo maruaile forasmuche as they were neare vnto the Equinoctiall lyne Colde in the nyght nere the Equinoctial although they make noo mention of the eleuation of the pole For in such regions in the nyght the mone and other coulde planettes but in the daye the soone and other hotte planettes doo chiefely exercise theyr influence Althowghe the antiquitie were of an other opinion habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall lyne supposinge thâ— Equinoctiall circle to bee vnhabitable and desolate by reason of the heate of the soonne hauinge his course perpendiculerly or directly ouer the same except a fewe of the contrary opinion whose assertions the Portugales haue at these dayes by experience proued to bee trewe The natiuitations of the Portiugales towarde the southe pole Antipodes he meaneth S. Augustine and Lectautius For they saile yearely to thinhabitantes of the south pole being in maner Antipodes to the people cauled Hyperborei vnder the North pole and exercise marchaundies with them And here haue I named Antipodes forasmuch as I am not ignorant that there hath byn men of singular witte and great lernyng which haue denyed that there is Antipodes that is such as walke feete to feete But it is most certeyne that it is not gyuen to anye one man to knowe all thynges For euen they â—lso were men whose propertie is to erre and bee deceaued in many thynges Neuerthelesse the Portugales of owre tyme haue sayled to the fyue and fyftie degree of the south pole The starres â—bâ—iâ—â—e the southe pole Where coompasinge abowte the poynt thereof they myght see throughowte al the heauen about the same certeyne shynynge whyte cloudes here there amonge the starres lyke vnto theym whiche are seene in the tracte of heauen cauled Lactea via Lactea via that is the mylke whyte waye They say there is noo notable starre neare about that pole lyke vnto this of owres which the coÌ„mon people thynke to bee the pole it selfe cauled of the Italians Tramontana and of the Spanyardes Nortes but that the same fauleth benethe the Ocean A simyliâ—ude declarynge Antipodes When the sonne descendeth from the myddeste of the exiltree of the woorlde frome vs it rysethe to them as a payre of balances whose weyght inclynynge from the equall poyse in the myddest towarde eyther of the sydes causeth the one ende to ryse as much as the other fauleth When therefore it is autumne with vs it is sprynge tyme with theÌ„ And summer with vs when it is wynter with them But it suâ—fiseth to haue sayde thus much of strange matters Let vs now therfore returne to the historie and to owre men ¶ The seconde booke of the thyrde Decade VAschus by thaduice of kynge Chiapes and Tumacus determyned to deferre his vyage to the sayde Ilande vntyll the nexte sprynge or summer at which tyme Chiapes offered hym selfe to accoompany owre men and ayde theÌ„ therin all that he myght In this meane tyme Vaschus had knowleage that these kynges had nettes and fysshynge places in certeyne stations of that sea nere vnto the shore where they were accustomed to fyshe for sea musculs in the which perles are engendred The maner of fysshynge for perles And that for this purpose they had certeyne dyuers or fysshers exercised frome theyr youthe in swymmynge vnder the water But they doo this onely at certeyne tymes when the sea is calme Tâ—â—e kindes oâ— perâ—es that they may theselyer coome to the place where these shell fyshes are woonte to lye For the bygger that they are soo much ly they the deaper and nerer to the bottome But the lesser as it were dowghters to the other are nerer the bryme of the wâ—ter Lykewyse the leaste of all as it were their nieses are yet nearer to the superficiall parte therof Too them of the byggeste sorte whiche lye loweste the fysshers descende the depthe of three mens heyght and sumtyme foure But to the doughters or nieses as their succession they descend onelye to the mydde thygh Sumtymes also after that the sea hathe byn disquyeted with vehemente tempestes they fynde a greate multytude of these fysshes on the sandes beyng dryuen to the shore by the vyolence of the water The perles of these whiche are founde on the sande are but lytle The fisshe it selfe is more pleasaunte in eatynge then are owre oysters as owre men report But perhappes hunger the sweete cause of all meates caused owre men soo too thynke Whether perles bee the hartes of sea musculs as Aristotell supposed or the byrthe or spaune of there intrals as Plinye thought Or whether they cleaue contynually to the rockes Dyuers questiâ—s as coÌ„cernynge perles or wander by coompanies in the sea by the guydinge of theldeâ—e Whether euerye fysshe brynge foorthe one perle or more at one byrthe or at dyuers Also whether theye bee fyled frome the rockes wherunto theye cleaue or maye bee easylye pulled awaye or otherwyse faule of by them selues when theye are coomme to there full grouth Lykewyse whether perles bee harde within the shelle or softe owre men haue as yet noo certayne experyence But I truste or it bee longe too knowe the truth hereof For owre men are euen nowe in hande with the matter Also as soone as I shall bee aduertysed of the arryuall of Petrus Arias the capytayne of owre men Petrus arias I wyll desyre hym by my letters to make diligent searche for these thynges and certifye me therof in all poyntes I knowe that he wyll not bee slacke or omytte any thynge herein For he is my verye frende and one that taketh greate pleasure in consyderynge the woorkes of nature And surelye it seemeâ—h vnto me vndecente that wee shoulde with sylence ouerslyppe so greate a thynge whiche aswell
whiche he named Baccallaos he sayth that he found the like course of the waters toward the west Baâ—â—â—llaos or Terra Baccalleaâ—um but the same to runne more softely and gentelly then tâ—e swifte waters whiche the Spanyardes found in their nauigations southeward Wherefore it is not onely more lyke to bee trewe but ought also of necessitie to bee concluded that betwene both the landes hetherto vnknowen there shulde bee certeyne great open places wherby the waters shulde thus continually passe from the East into the weste which waters I suppose to bee dryuen about the globe of the earth by the vncessaunt mouynge and impulsion of the heauens The mouyng of heuen causeth the sea to moue and not to bee swalowed vp and cast owt ageyne by the breathynge of Demogorgon as sume haue imagined bycause they see the seas by increase and decrease Demogorgon is the spirite of the earth to flowe and reâ—â—owe Sebastian Cabot him selfe named those landes Baccallaos bycause that in the seas therabout he founde so great multitudes of certeyne bigge fysshes much lyke vnto â—umes which thinhabitantes caule Baccallaos that they sumtymes stayed his shippes He founde also the people of those regions couered with beastes skynnes People couered with beastes skâ—nâ— Yet not without thuse of reason He saythe also that there is greate plentie of beares in those regions whiche vse to eate fysshe howe beares take and eate fysshes of the sea For plungeinge theym selues into the water where they perceue a multitude of these fysshes to lye they fasten theyr clawes in theyr scales and so drawe them to lande and eate them So that as he saith the beares beinge thus satisfied with fysshe are not noysom to men He declareth further that in many places of these regions Perhappes this laton is copper which hoâ—deth gold For latoÌ„ hath no myne and is an artificiall metal and not natural Cabot cauled owt of Englands into Spayne he sawe great plentie of laton amonge thinhabitantes Cabot is my very frende whom I vse famylierly and delyte to haue hym sumtymes keepe mee company in myne owne house For beinge cauled owte of England by the commaundement of the catholyke kynge of Castile after the deathe of Henry Kynge of Englande the seuenth of that name he was made one of owre counsayle and assystance as touchynge the affayres of the newe Indies lookynge dayely for shippes to bee furnysshed for hym to discouer this hyd secreate of nature This vyage is appoynted to bee begunne in March in the yeare next folowynge The Second viage of Cabot beinge the yeare of Chryst M. D. Xâ—I What shall succeade yowre holynes shal be aduertised by my letters if god graunte me lyfe Sume of the Spanyardes denye that Cabot was the fyrst fynder of the lande of Baccallaos And affirme that he went not so farre westewarde But it shall suffice to haue sayde thus much of the goulfes strayghtes and of Cebastian Cabot Let vs nowe therefore returne to the Spanyardes At this tyme they let passe the hauen of Carthago vntouched with all the Ilandes of the Canibales there aboute The Ilandes of the Canybales whiche they named Insulas Sancti Bernardi Leauynge also behynde theyr backes all the region of Caramairi Heare by reason of a sooden tempeste they were caste vppon the Ilande Fortis The Ilande Fortis beinge about fyftie leagues distante from the enteraunce of the goulfe of Vraba In this Ilande they founde in the houses of thinhabitantes many baskets made of certeyne greate sea reedes ful of salte For this Ilande hath in it many goodly salte bayes by reason whereof they haue greate plentie of salte which they sell to other nations for such thynges as they stande in neede of Salte Not farre from hense A straunge thynge a great curlewe as bygge as a storke came flying to the gouernours shippe and suffered her selfe to bee â—easely taken which beinge caryed about amonge all the shippes of the nauie dyed shortly after They sawe also a great multytude of the same kynde of foules on the shore a farre of The gouernour his shyppe whiche we sayde to haue loste the rudder beinge nowe sore broosed and in maner vnprofytable they lefte behynde to folowe at leasure The nauie arriued at Dariena the twelfth day of the Calendes of Iuly how Petrus Arias with the kynges nauy arriued at Dariena and the gouernour his shippe beinge voyde of men was dryuen a lande in the same coastes within foure dayes after The Spanyardes whiche nowe inhabited Dariena with theyr Capitayne and Lieuetenant Vuschus Nunnez Balboa of whom we haue largely made mention before beinge certified of tharryual of Petrus Arias and his coompanye howe Uaschus receaued the new gouernour wente foorthe three myles to meete him receaued him honorably religiously with the psalme Te deum Laudamus giuing thankes to god by whose safe coÌ„ducte they were brought so prosperously thether to al theyr confortes They receaued them gladly into theyr houses builded after the maner of those prouinces I may well caule these regions Prouinces whye these regions are cauâ—ed proâ—â—â—ces a Procul victis that is such as are ouercome farre of forasmuch as owre men doo nowe inhabite the same all the barbarous kynges and Idolatours beinge eiected They enterteyned them with such chere as they were able to make them as with the frutes of those regions and newe breade bothe made of rootes and the grayne Maiâ—ium Other delicates to make vp the feast were of theyr owne store whiche they brought with theym in theyr shyppes as poudered flesshe salted fysshe and breade made of wheate For they brought with them many barrelles of wheate meale for the same purpose Barrelles of meale Here maye yowre holynes not withowt iuste cause of admiracion beholde a kynges nauie and great multitude of Christians inhabytinge not onely the regions situate vnder the circle of heauen cauled Tropicus Cancri but also in maner vnder the Equinoctiall lyne habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall lyne contrary to thopinion of the owlde wryters a fewe excepted But after that they are nowe mette togyther let vs further declare what they determyned to doo Therefore the daye after that the nauie arriued there assembled a coompany of the Spanyardes thinhabitoures of Dariena to the number of foure hundreth and fyftie men Petrus Arias the gouernour of the nauie and his coompany conferred with them bothe priuilie and openlye of certeyne articles wherof it was the kynges pleasure he shulde enquire And most especially as concernyng such thynges wherof Vaschus the fyrste fynder and Admirall of the Southe sea made mentioÌ„ in his large letter sent froÌ„ Dariena to Spayn In this inquisition they founde all thynges to bee trewew herof Vaschus had certifyed the kynge by his letters And there vppon concluded that in the dominions of Comogra Pocchorrosa Tumanama at thassignement of Vaschus certeine fortresses shuld bee erected
amonge the Latines it often tymes soo chaunceth that onely the accent or aspiration chaungeth the signification of the woorde howe the aspiration changeth the signification of wordes as hora for an houre and ora for the plurale number of this woorde os which signifieth the mouth Also ora which signifieth regions or coastes The lyke also chaunceth in the diuersitie of the accente as occido I kyll and occiâ—o I faule Euen so in the language of these simple men there are many thynges to bee obserued But let vs nowe returne to the description In the prouince of Hubabo are these regions Xamana Canabacoa Cuhabo with many other the names wherof I haue not yet learned The prouince of Caibabo conteyneth these regions Magua and Cacacubana Thinhabitantes of this region haue a peculyar language much differinge from the common language of the Iland Dyuers languages in the Ilande and are cauled Macoryxes There is also an other region cauled Cubana whose language differeth from the other Lykewyse the region of Baiohaigua hath a dyuers toonge There are also other regions as Dahabon Cybaho and Manabaho Catoy is in the myddle of the Ilande By this runnethe the ryuer Nizaus And the montaynes cauled Mahaitin Hazua and Neibaymao confine with the same In the prouince of Bainoa are the regions of Maguana Iagohaiucho Bauruco Dabaiagua and Attibuni so named of the ryuer Also Caunoa Buiaici Dahabonici Maiaguariti Atiei Maccazina Guahabba Anniuici Marien Guaricco Amaguei Xaragua Yaguana Azzuei Iacchi Honorucco Diaguo Camaie and Neibaimao In Guaccaierima the last prouince these regions are conteyned Mauicarao Guabagua Taquenazabo Nimaca Bainoa the lesse Cabaymi Iamaizi Manabazao Zauana Habacoa and Ayqueroa But let vs entreate sumwhat of the particulars of the regions In the prouince of Caizcimu with in the great goulfe of the beginnynge there is a greate caue in a hollowe rocke vnder the roote of a hygh mountayne A greate caue in the rocke of a mountayne about twoo furlonges from the sea The enterie of this caue is not much vnlyke the doores of a great temple beinge very large and turnynge many wayes Andreas Moralis the shyp master A daungerus enterprise at the commaundement of the gouernoure tempted to searche the caue with the smaulest vessels He sayth that by certeyne priuie wayes manye ryuers haue concourse to this caue as it were to a sinke or chanell Riuers deuoured of caues After thexperience here of they ceased to maruaile whither other ryuers ranne whiche commynge fourescore and tenne myles were swalowed vp so that they appeared no more nor yet fell into the sea by any knowen wayes Nowe therfore they suppose that ryuers swalowed vp by the holowe places of that stony mountayne faule into this caue As the shipmaster entered into the caue his shippe was almost swalowed For he saith that there are many whyrlepooles and rysinges or boylinges of the water which make a violent conflicte and horrible rorynge one encounteryng the other Also many huge holes holowe places So that what on the one syde with the whirle pooles whirlepooles and conflictâ— of waters on the other side with the boyling of the water his shyp was long in maner tossed vp and downe lyke a baule It greatly repented hym that he had entered yet knewe he no way how to come forth He now wandered in darkenesse as wel for the obscurenesse of the caue into the which he was farre entered Clowdes in the caue as also that in it were thicke cloudes engendered of the moist vapours proceading of the conflicte of the waters whiche coÌ„tinually faule with great violence into the caue on euery side He compareth the noyse of these waters to the faule of the famous ryuer of Nilus from the montaines of Ethyope The Cataractes of Nilus They were al so deafe that one could not here what an other said But at the length with great daunger feare he came foorth of the caue as it had byn owte of hel Aboute three score miles distante from the chiefe citie of saincte Dominicke there are certeyne hyghe montaynes vppon the toppes wherof is a lake or standynge poole inaccessible A standynge poole in the tâ—ppe of a hygh mountayne neuer yet seene of them whiche came latelye to the Ilande bothe by reason of the roughnesse of the montaines and also for that there is noo pathe or open waye to the toppes of the same But at the length the shyppe maister beinge condâ—cted thether by one of kynges ascended to the toppes of the montaines and came to the poole Hee saith that the coulde is there of sum force And in token of wynter hee founde ferne and bramble busshes whiche two growe only in coulde regions Ferne and bramble busshes growe only in coulde regions These montaynes they caule Ymizui Hibabaino This poole is of freshe water three myles in compasse and wel replenysshed with diuerse kindes of fysshes Many smaule riuers or brookes faule into it It hath no passage owte bycause it is on euery syde enclosed with the toppes of mountaynes But lette vs nowe speake of an other poole whiche maye well bee cauled a sea in the mydlande and bee coompared to the Caspian or Hircanian sea in the fyrme land of Asia The Caspiaâ— and hircanian sea with certeyne other lakes and pooles of fresshe water ¶ The eyghte booke of the thirde decade THe prouynce of Bainoa beynge thrise as bygge as the three fyrst that is Caizcimu Vhabo and Caihabo includeth a valley named Caiouani in the whiche there is a lake of salte soure and bytter water as wee reade of the sea cauled Caspium A great lake of soure and salte water lyinge in the firme lande betwene Sarmatia and Hircania Wee haue therfore named it Caspium althoughe it bee not in the region of Hircania It hath manye swalowinge goulfes Swalowinge goulfes by the whiche bothe the water of the sea springeth into it and also suche as faule into it from the montaines Sea fysshes in lakes of the midlande are swalowed vppe They thyncke that the caues therof are so large and deepe that great fysshes of the sea passe by the same into the lake Emonge these fysshes there is one cauled Tiburonus whiche cutteth a man in sunder by the myddest at one snappe with his teethe The deuourynge fysshe cauled Tâ—buronus and deuoureth hym In the ryuer Hozama runnynge by the chiefe citie of sayncte Dominicke these Tiburoni do sumtymes coome from the sea and deuoure manye of thinhabitauntes Especially suche as do dayly ploonge them selues in the water to thintent to keepe their bodyes verye cleane The ryuers whiche faule into the lake The ryuers that fauâ—e into the lake Caspium are these From the Northe syde Guaninicabon From the Southe Xaccoei from the Easte Guannabo And from the West Occoa They saye that these ryuers are great and continuall And that besyde these there are .xx. other smaule ryuers whiche
brymme of the water And saye therfore that the greatest do not wander but that they are created nourysshed and increase in the deepest places of the sea whether fewe dyuers and that but seeldome dare aduenture to diue so deepe to gather them aswel for feare of the sea crabbes whiche wander emonge these perle fyshes to feede of them Sea crabbes and for feare of other monsters of the sea as also leste their brethe shuld fayle them into long remayninge in the water And this they saye to bee the cause why the owldest and therfore byggest sea muscles The sea muscles wherin perles are engendred inhabyte the deepest places from whense they are not lyghtly moued by tempestes Furthermore howe muche the bygger and oulder these fyshes are they say that in their larger matrices the greater number and bygger pearles are founde And that for this cause there are fewer founde of the byggest sorte They thyncke also that when they fyrste faule from their fysshes in the deepe places they are deuoured of other fysshes bycause they are not yet harde Ageyne the smaulest differ from the byggest in a certayne swellynge or impostumation whiche the Spaniardes caule a tympane For they denye that to be a pearle which in oulde muscles cleaueth fast to the shel But that it is a warte whiche beynge rased from the shell with a fyle is rounde and bryght but onely of one syde and not precious beynge rather of the nature of the fyshe it selfe then of a pearle They confesse that they haue seene certayne of these muscles cleauynge on rockes Yet these but fewe and nothynge woorthe It is also to bee thought that the pearle fysshes or sea muscles whiche are founde in India Arabie the redde sea or Taprobana are ruled in suche order as the afore named famous autours haue written For their opinion herein is not vtterly to bee reiected forasmuche as they were learned men and trauayled longe in the serchynge of these thynges But wee haue nowe spoken suffyciently of these sea fysshes and of their egges which the fonde nysenes and wantonnesse of men haue made dearer then the egges of hennes or geese Lette vs therfore entreate sumwhat of other particular thynges whiche are coome to owre knowledge of late We haue elles where largely described the mouthes of the goulfe of Vraba with sundrye and variable regions diuided with the manyfolde goulfes of that sea But asconcernynge the West coastes in the whiche owre men haue buylded houses and planted their habitations on the bankes of Dariena I haue no newe matter to write Yet as touching the East partes of the goulfe The regions of the â—ast syde of the goulfe of Uraba I haue learned as foloweth They saye that the vnyuersal lande of the East region of the goulfe from the corner therof farre reachynge into the sea and from the extreame or vtter moste mouthe of the same receauynge the waters of the sea whiche faule into it euen vnto Os Draconis and Paria is by one generall name cauled Caribana The region of Caribana of the Caribes or Canibales whiche are founde in euery regyon in this tracte But from whense they had their particular originall The original of the Canibales and howe leauynge their natiue soyle they haue spredde their generation so farre lyke a pestiferous contagion wee wyll nowe declare Therfore from the fyrste fronte reachynge foorth into the sea in whose tracte we said that Fogeda fastened his foote toward the corner about nyne myles distant there lyeth a vyllage of Caribana named Fuâ—craca The vylages of Caribana Three myles distant from this is the vyllage of Vraba of the whiche it is thoughte that the hole goulfe tooke his name because this vyllage was once the heade of the kyngedome Aboute syxe myles from this is Feâ—i Nyne myles from Fetiâ— is Zerema Manhunâ—ers And about twelue myles from this Sorache Owre men founde all these vyllages full of people all the whiche gyue them selues onely to manhuntynge In so muche that if they lacke enemyes ageynst whom they maye keepe warre they exercise crueltie ageynst them selues and eyther sleye the one the other or elles dryue the vanquysshed to flyghte Whereby it is apparante that by these their continuall warres and dryuynge the one the other owte of their countreis this infection hath gonne so farre not onelye on the fyrme lande but also into the Ilandes I was also aduertised of an other thynge the whiche to my iudgement seemeth woorthye to bee putte in memorye One Corrales a iudge in causes of lawe amonge the Spanyardes of Dariena sayth that on a tyme walkyng abrode with his booke in his hande he met by the waye with a fugityue which had stedde from the great landes lyinge farre toward the weste and remayned here wyth a Kynge wyth whom he was enterteyned When this man perceaued the lawier lookynge on his booke marueylynge thereat he came runninge vnto him and by interpretours of the kynge whom he serued spake thus vnto him Haue yowe also bookes wherin yowe may reserue thynges in perpetual memorye Bookes Loke in the begynnyng of the booke of the landes lately founde And letters wherby yowe may declare yowre mynde to suche as are absent And herewith desyred that the booke might bee opened vnto hym supposyng that he shulde therein haue founde the letters of his owne countrey But when he sawe theim vnlyke he sayde further that in his countrey there were cities fortified with waules and gouerned by lawes and that the people also vsed apparell But of what religion they were I dyd not learne Yet had owre men knowleage both by the woordes and signes of this fugitiue that they were circumcised Circumcised people What nowe thinke yowe hereby most holy father Or what do yowe diuine may come hereof when tyme shall subdue al these vnder yowre throne what chaunced to the Capitaines whiche the gouernour sent dyuers wayes Let vs nowe entermyngle certeyne smaule thynges amonge these great matters I haue not thought good to pretermitte that which chaunced to Iohannes Solysius who to searche the South syde of the supposed continent departed with three shippes from porte Ioppa not farre distante from the Ilandes of Gades or Cales in the Ocean the fourth day of the Ides of September in the yeare M D. xv Or what successe Iohannes Pontius had whom the newe gouernour Petrus Arias appoynted to vanquishe and destroy the Caribes or Canibales deuourers of mans fleshe Looke decade iii. liber .vi. Also to what ende the vyages of the other capitaynes came whiche were sent foorth dyuers wayes at the same tyme As Gonzalus Badaâ—ocius Franciscus Bezerra and Valleius Iohannes Solicius tooke the matter in hande in an euyll houre The vyage of Iohannes Solisius He sayled beyonde the poynt of saynt Augustine which they caule Cabo S. Augustini toward the South syde of the supposed continent beyonde the Equinoctiall lyne Cap. S. Augustiâ—i â–ª For as
is in the bottome of the chanell and where naturally the riuer runneth of greatest force So that it chaunceth sum tyme that when the bedde of the ryuer is good and ryche they fynde in it great quantitie of golde And therfore yowe maiestie ought to vnderstande for a generall rule as it appereth in facte that all golde is engendered in the toppes and hyghest places of the montaines And in continuance of time is by lyttle and lyttle browght downe to the vales and plaines by showres of rayne and the faules of sprynges ryuers and brookes hauynge their originall in the mountaynes and descendynge from the same notwithstandynge it bee oftentymes founde in the plaines farre from the mountaynes But when it chaunceth to be founde in great quantitie it is for the moste parte amonge the mountaynes and in the riuers or their branches more then in any other parte of the plaine And in these two maners is it commonly founde moste abundauntly And for the better profe that golde is engendered on hyghe and is brought downe into the lowe places I haue one great tooken therof whiche causeth me to beleue it for certeine And this is to consyder that coles neuer putrifie nor corrupt vnder the ground if they be made of stronge woodde Wherby it chaunceth that diggyng the earth by the fouldes or indented places of the mountaynes or on the sydes and breakynge a myne in the earthe where it had not byn broken before and hauyng nowe dygged one or two or three poles in measure the myners founde certeyne coles of wood vndeâ— the same leuel where they found gold And this I saye in the earth whiche was taken for a vyrgine that is to saye such as had not before byn opened for any myne The which coles coulde not naturally bee engendred there or enter in by any meanes But when the superficial part of the earth was equal with the leuel where the coles were founde it is lyke that the coles were left there by sum occasion of fyre that they fastned there in tyme and that afterwarde in longe continuance of tyme they were by lyttle and lyttle couered with the earth which the often showers of rayne washed from the mountaynes so that by the course of yeares the earth ouergrewe the coles vnto the sayde leuell and measure whiche had before tyme byn the superficiall parte of the earthe where the coles and golde were founde togyther whereby it maye appeare that the golde was no more engendered there then were the coles but brought thyther from the mountaynes by the faules of waters as we haue fayde forasmuche as the mountaynes are the matrices and bowels of all ryche metals Further and besyde this I say that in how much more the gold is gonne farre from the naturall place of his generation to the place where it is founde it is so muche the more puryfied and fyned and of a better carracte And the nearer that it is founde to his proper myne or vaine where it is engendered it is so muche the baser fouler and more crude and of a baser alay and caracte and dothe wast so much the more in meltynge and remayneth more brickle Sumetyme there are founde graynes of golde of greate quantitie and of greate weyght aboue the earth and sumtymes also vnder the earth And the greateste of all other that was founde to this daye in the Indies was that which was loste in the sea about the Ilande Beata whiche weyed three thousande and twoo hundreth Castellans of golde which are in value foure thousand a hundreth thirtie and eyght ducades of golde which waye one Arroua and seuen pounde or .xxxii. pounde after .xii. ounces to the pounde A marke is â— pounde of viii ounces summa xlâ—i.li weyght .viii. ounces after xii ounces to the .li. whiche make threescore and foure markes of golde And I sawe in the yeare .1515 in the handes of Mychel Passamonte treasurer to yowre maiestie two graines of the which one wayde seuen poundes which are .xiiii. markes and are in the value aboute threescore and fyue ducades of golde euery marke The other was of .x. markes which are lyue poundes of lyke value and of very good golde of .xxii. taractes and better There are also founde many other greate graynes although not equall vnto these in byggenes And forasmuche as I haue spoken of golde I haue thought good to declare sumewhat howe the Indians can very excellently gylte suche vesselles of copper and base golde as they make For they can gyue them so fayre and fâ—oryshynge a coloure that all the masse whiche they gylte appearethe as though it were golde of .xxii. caractes and better This colour they gyue with a certeyne herbe as thoughe it were wrought by the arte of any goldesmyth of Spayne or Italie and wold of them bee esteemed as a thynge of greate ryches and a secreate maner of gyldynge And for as muche as I haue spoken sufficiently of the myne of golde I wyll nowe speake sumwhat of copper bycause I haue made mention thereof This metall is founde in many of the Ilandes of the Indies and also in the firme lande And is founde dayely in greate quantitie holdynge sumwhat of golde But for the desyre that owre men haue to golde they nothynge esteeme the copper although there myght great commoditie and profiâ—te he had therby and also by other metals whiche they nothynge regarde excepte syluer whiche is founde abundantly in that parte of the firme lande which is cauled newe Spayne But of this it shall suffice to haue sayde thus muche bycause I haue more particularly entreated of these thynges in my generall hystorie of India ¶ Of the maner of fyshynge for perles THe Indians exercise this kynde of fysshynge for the moste parte in the coastes of the North in Cubagua and Cumana And manye of theym which dwell in the houses of certeyne particular lordes in the Ilandes of San Dominico and Sancti Iohannis resort to the Ilande of Cubagua for this purpose Theyr custome is to go fyue syxe or seuen or more in one of theyr Canoas or barkes erly in the mornynge to sume place in the sea there about where it appeareth vnto theÌ„ that there shulde bee greate plentie of those shell fyshes which sume caule muscles and sume oysters wherin perles are engendered And there they plonge them selues vnder the water euen vnto the bottome sauynge one that remaynethe in the Canoa or boate which he keepeth styll in one place as neare as he can lookynge for theyr returne owte of the water And when one of them hath byn a good whyle vnder the water he cyseth vp and commeth swymmynge to the boate enterynge into the same and leauynge there all the oysters whiche he hath taken and brought with hym For in these are the perles founde And when he hathe there rested hym selfe a whyle and eaten parte of the oysters he returneth ageyne to the water where he remaynethe as longe as he can endure and then
tonge and as many as he can conteyne in the holownesse therof at which tyme he suddeynly draweth it into his mouth and eateth them and returneth ageyne to the same practise immediatly vntyl he haue eaten as manye as hym lysteth or as longe as he can reache any with his tonge The flesshe of this beaste is fylthy and vnsauery But by reason of thextreme shyftes and necessitie that the Christian men were put to at theyr fyrst commynge into these partes they were inforced to proue al thynges and so fel to theatyng of these beastes But when they had founde more delycate meates they fell into hatred with this These antes haue thapperaunce of the place of theyr enteraunce into the hyllocke vnder the grounde And this at so lyttle a hole that it could hardely be founde yf certeyne of them were not seene to passe in and owt But by this way the beares coulde haue no such poure to hurte them as aboue at the sayde ryftes as I haue sayde There is an other strange beaste whiche by a name of contrary effecte A straunge beast whiche seemeth a kynd of Chameleon the Spanyardes caule Cagnuolo leggiero that is the lyght dogge wheras it is one of the sloweste beastes in the worlde and so heauy and dull in mouynge that it canne scarsely go fyftie pases in a hole day These beastes are in the firme lande and are very straunge to beholde for the disproportion that they haue to all other beastes They are abowte two spannes in length when they are growne to theyr full byggenesse But when they are very younge they are sumewhat more grosse then longe They haue foure subtyle fiete and in euery of them foure clawes lyke vnto byrdes and ioyned togyther Yet are nother theyr clawes or theyr fiete able to susteyne theyr bodyes from the grounde By reason wherof and by the heauynesse of theyr boddies they drawe theyr bellyes on the grounde Theyr neckes are hygh and streyght and all equall lyke the pestle of a morter which is altogyther equall euen vnto the toppe withowt makynge any proportion or similitude of a headde or any dyfference excepte in the noddle And in the toppes of theyr neckes they haue verye rounde faces much lyke vnto owles And haue a marke of theyr owne heare after the maner of a cyrcle whiche makethe theyr faces seeme sumwhat more longe then large They haue smaule eyes and rounde And nostrylles lyke vnto munkeys They haue lyttle mouthes and moue theyr neckes frome one syde to an other as thoughe they were astonysshed Theyr chiefe desyre and delyte is to cleaue and stycke faste vnto trees or sume other thynge whereby they may clyme alofte And therfore for the moste parte these beastes are founde vppon trees whervnto cleauynge fast they mounte vp by lyttle and lyttle steyinge them selues by theyr longe clawes The coloure of theyr heare is betwene russet and whyte and of the proper coloure of the heare of a wesell They haue no tayles and theyr voyce is much dyfferynge frome other beastes for they synge onely in the nyght And that continually frome tyme to tyme syngynge euer syxe notes one hygher then an other so faulynge with the same that the fyrste note is the hyghest and the other in a baser tewne as yf a man shuld say La sol fa mi re vt So this beast sayth Ha ha ha ha ha ha And doubtelesse it seemeth vnto me that as I haue sayde in the chapiter of the beaste cauled Bardari that those beastes might bee thoriginall and document to imbarbe horses euen so the fyrste inuenture of musycke myght seeme by the hearynge of this beast to haue the fyrst principles of that scyence rather then by any other thynge in the worlde But nowe to returne to the hystorie I say that in a shorte space after this beaste hath soonge and hath paused a whyle she returneth ageyne to the selfe same songe and doth this only in the nyght and not in the day By reason wherof and also bycause of her euyll syght I thynke her to bee a nyght beaste and the frende of darkenesse Sumtymes the Christian menne fynde these beastes and brynge theym home to theyr howses where also they creepe all abowte with theyr naturall slowenesse in so much that nother for threatenynge or pryckynge they wyll moue any faster then theyr natural and accustomed pase And yf they fynde any trees they creepe thyther immediatly and mounte to the toppe of the hyghest braunche thereof where they remayne continually for the space of eyght or tenne or twentie dayes without eatynge of any thinge as farre as any man can iudge And wheras I my selfe haue kepte theym in my house I coulde neuer perceaue other but that they lyue onely of ayer And of the same opinion are in maner all men of those regions bycause they haue neuer scene them eate any thynge but euer turne theyr heades and mouthes towarde that parte where the wynde bâ—oweth most whereby may bee consydered that they take moste pleasure in the ayer They byte not nor yet can byte hauyng very lyttle mouthes They are not venemous or noyous any way but altogyther brutishe and vtterly vnprofytable and without commoditie yet knowen to men sauynge onely to moue theyr myndes to contemplate thinfinite poure of god who delyteth in the varietie of creatures wherby appeareth the poure of his incomprehensible wisedome and maiestie so farre to excede the capacitie of mans vnderstandynge In these regions there are likewise found certeyne foules or byrdes which the Indians caule Alcatraz Foules and byrdes Alcatraz These are much bygger then geese The greatest parte of theyr fethers are of russet coloure and in sume partes yelowe Theyr bylles or beakes are of two spannes in length and verye large neare to the heade and growynge smaule towarde the poynte They haue greate and large throtes And are much lyke to a foule which I sawe in Flaunders in Brusselles in yowre maiesties pallaice which the Flemynges caule Haina And I remember that when yowr maiestie dyned one day in yowre great haule there was brought to yowre maiesties presence a chauderne of water with certeyne fysshes alyue which the sayde foule did eate vp hole And I thynke verely that that foule was a foule of the sea bycause shee had fiete lyke foules of the water as haue also these Alcatrazi which are likewyse foules of the sea and of such greatnesse that I haue seene a hole cote of a man put into the throates of one of theym in Panama in the yeare 1521. And forasmuch as in that coaste of Panama Panama â–ª there passeth and flyeth a greate multitude of these Alcatrazi beinge a thynge very notable I wyll declare the maner hereof as not onely I but also dyuers other nowe presente in yowre maiesties courte haue often tymes seene Yowre maiestie shall therfore vnderstande that in this place as I haue sayde before the sea or Sur ryseth and fauleth two leagues and more from syxe
of dyuers sortes very fayre and commodious Furthermore of this woodde the Christians vse to make dyuers musicall instrumentes as clarisimbals lutes gyterns and suche other the whiche bysyde theyr fayre shydynge coloure lyke vnto giete are also of a good sounde and very durable by reason of the hardenesse of the woodde After that I haue sayde thus much of trees and plantes I haue thought good also to speake sumwhat of herbes An herb that bearethe cordes You shall therefore vnderstande that in these Indies there is an herbe much lyke vnto a yelowe lyllie abowte whose leaues there growe and creepe certeyne cordes or laces as the lyke is partly seene in the herbe which we caule lased sauery But these of the Indies are muche bygger and longer and so stronge that they tye theyr hangynge beddes thereby whiche they caule Hamacas wherof we haue spoken elswhere These cordes they caule Cabuia and Henequen Cabuia heâ—â—quen which are al one thing sauynge that Henequen is lesse and of a fyner substaunce as it were line And the other is grosser lyke the wycke or twyste of hempe and is imperfecte in comparison to the other They are of coloure betwene whyte and yelowe lyke vnto abarne and sum also whyte With Henequen whiche is the moste subtyle and fyne threede the Indians sawe in sunder fetters A strauÌ„g thiâ—ge cheynes or barres of Iren in this maner They moue the threede of Henequen vppon the iren which they intende to saw or cutte drawynge the one hande after the other as doo they that sawe puttynge euer nowe and then a portion of fyne sande vppon the threede or on the place or parte of the Iren where they continue rubbynge the sayde threede So that yf the threede be worne they take an other and continewe in theyr woorke as before vntyl they haue cutte in sunder the iren although it bee neuer so bygge and cut it as yf it were a tender thynge and easye to bee sawne And for asmuch as the leaues of trees may bee counted amonge herbes Leaues I wyll here speake sumewhat of the qualitie of the leaues of certeyne trees which are founde in the Iland of Hispaniola These trees are so full of thornes that there is no tree or plante that seemeth more wylde and deformed so that I can not well determyne whether they bee trees or plantes They haue certeyne braunches full of large and deformed leaues which braunches were fyrste leaues lyke vnto the other As the braunches made of these leaues growe foorthe inlength there commeth other leaues of them So that â—n fine it is a dyfficult thyng to descrybe the forme of these trees except the same shulde bee doone by a paynter wherby the eye myght conceaue that wherein the toonge fayleth in this behalfe The leaues of this tree are of such vertue A leafe of great vertue that beyng well beaten and spreadde vppon a cloth after the maner of a playster and so layde to a legge or arme that is broken in many pieces it healeth it in fyftene dayes and maketh it as hole as though it had neuer byn broken Durynge the tyme of this operation it cleaueth so fast to the flesshe that it can not without much difficultie bee taken away But as soone as it hath healed the sore and wrought his operation it looseth it selfe from the place where it was layde as I my selfe and dyuers other which haue proued it knowe by experience ¶ Of fysshes and of the maner of fysshynge IN the sea coastes of the firme lande there are dyuers and sundry kyndes of fysshes muche differynge in shape and forme And althoughe it be impossible to speake of all yet wyll I make mention of sum And fyrst to begynne at sardynes yowe shall vnderstande that there is founde a kynde of these fysshes very large and with redde tayles beinge a very delicate fysshe The beste kyndes of other fysshes are these Moxarre Diabace Brettes Dahaos Thorn backes and Salmons All these and dyuers other which I donot now remember are taken in great quantitie in ryuers There are lykewyse taken very good creuysshes There are also founde in the sea certeyne other fysshes as soles mackerelles turbuttes Palamite Lizze Polpi Chieppe Xaibas Locustes Oysters exceadynge great Tortoyses and Tiburoni of maruelous byggenesse Tiburons Also Manates Manates and Murene and manye other fysshes which haue no names in oure language And these of such diuersitie and quantitie as can not bee expressed without large wrytynge and longe tyme. But to let passe to intreate particulerly of the multitude of fysshes I intende to speake chiefely and sumwhat largely of three sortes of moste notable fysshes wherof the fyrst is the great Tortoyses Gâ—eat Tortoyâ—es the seconde is cauled Tiburon and the thyrde Manate And to begynne at the fyrste I saye that in the Ilande of Cuba are founde great Tortoyses which are certeyne shell fysshes of such byggenesse that tenne or fyfteene men are scarsely able to lyfte one of them owt of the water as I haue byn informed of credible persons dwellynge in the same Ilande But of that which I my selfe haue seene I can testifie that in the firme lande in the vyllage of Acla there are of this sorte sum taken and kylled of suche byggenes that sixe men with much difficultie coulde scarsely drawe them owt of the water And commonly the least sort of them are as much as two men may cary at a burden That which I sawe lifted vp by syxe men had her shell a yarde and a quarter in length and in breadth more then fyue yardes The maner of takynge them is this It sumtymes chaunceth that in theyr greate nettes whiche they caule shoote neâ—tes there are founde certeyne Tortoyses of the common sorte in great quantities And when they coomme owt of the sea and bringe foorth theyr egges and go togyther by coompanies from the sea to feade on the lande the Christians or Indians folowe theyr steppes whiche they fynde in the sande and soone ouertake them bycause they are very heauy and slowe in goynge although they make all the haste they can to returnâ— to the sea as soone as they espie any boddie When they that pursewe them haue ouertaken them they put a stake or staffe vnder theyr legges and ouerturne theÌ„ on theyr backes as they are yet runnynge so that they can go no further nor yet ryse ageyne or turne And thus they suffer them to lye styll whyle they folowe after the reste which they ouerturne in lyke maner And by this meanes take very manye at suche tymes as they coome furth of the sea as I haue sayde This fysshe is very excellent and holsome to be eaten and of good taste The seconde of the three fysshes wherof I haue spoken is the Tiburon Tiburons This is a very greate fysshe and very quicke and swyfte in the water and a cruell deuourer These are often tymes taken as well when the shippes are vnder sayle in the
testimonie of sight doo wytnesse that I haue seene this stone sought of dyuers for this effecte There are also dyuers other fysshes as bygge as this Manate The swoorde fysshe Emonge the which there is one cauleâ— Vihuella This fyâ—he beareth in the toppe of his headde a swoorde beinge on euery syde full of many sharpe teeth This swoorde is naturally very harde stronge of foure or fyue spannes in length and of proportion accordynge to the same byggenes And for this cause is this fyshe cauled Spada that is the swoord fyshe Of this kynde sum are found as lyttle as sardines and other so greate thâ—â— two yokes of oxen are scarsely able to drawe them on a carte But whereas before I haue promysed to speake of other fysshes which are taken in these seas whyle the shyppes are vnder sayle I wyl not forget to speake of the Tunnye which is a great and good fysshe Tunnye and is oftentymes taken and kylde with troute speares and hookes caste in the water when they play and swymme aboute the shyppes In lyke maner also are taken many turbuts which are very good fysshes as are lyghtly in all the sea Turbut And here is to bee noted that in the greate Ocean sea there is a straunge thynge to bee considered whiche all that haue byn in the Indies affirme to bee trewe And this is that lyke as on the lande there are sum prouinces fertile and frutfull Note and sum barren euen so dooth the lyke chaunce in the sea So that at sum wyndes the shyppes sayle fiftie or a hundreth or two hundreth leaques and more withowt takyng or seinge of one fysshe And ageyne in the selfe same Ocean in sum places all the water is seene tremble by the mouynge of the fysshes where they are taken abundauntly It commeth further to my rememberaunce to speake sumwhat of the flyinge of fysshes Flyinge fysshes which is doubtlesse a straunge thynge to beholde and is after this maner When the shyppes sayle by the greate Ocean folowynge theyr vyage there ryseth sumtymes on the one syde or on the other many coompanies of certeyne lyttle fysshes of the which the byggest is no greater then a sardyne and soo diminisshe lesse and lesse from that quantitie that sum of them are very lyttle These are cauled Volatori that is flyinge fysshes They ryse by great coompanies and flockes in such multitudes that it is an astonysshement to beholde them Sumtymes they ryse but lyttle from the water as it chaunceth continew one flyght for the space of a hundreth pases and sumtymes more or lesse before they faule ageyne into the sea Sumtymes also they faule into the shyppes And I remember that on an euenyng when all the company in the shippe were on theyr knees syngynge Salue regina in the highest parte of the Castel of the poope and sayled with a full wynde there passed by vs a flocke of these flyinge fysshes and came so neare vs that many of them fell into the shyppe amonge the which two or three fell hard by me which I tooke alyue in my hande so that I myght well perceaue that they were as bigge as sardynes and of the same quantitie hauynge two wynges or quylles growyng owt of theyr fynnes lyke vnto those wherwith all fysshes swymme in ryuers These wynges are as longe as the fysshes theym selues As longe as theyr wynges are moyste they beare them vp in the ayer But as soone as they are drye they can continewe theyr flyght no further then as I haue sayde before but faule immediatly into the sea and so ryse ageyne and flye as before from place to place In the yeare A thousand fyue hundreth fiftene when I came fyrst to informe your maiestye of the state of the thynges Indya and was the yeare folowynge in Flaunders in the tyme of youre moste fortunate successe in these youre kyngedomes of Aragonie and Castyle wheras at that vyage I sayled aboue the Iland Bermuda otherwyse cauled Garza The Iland of Bermuda beynge the furtheste of all the Ilandes that are founde at thys daye in the worlde and arryuynge there at the deapthe of eight yeardes of water and dystant from the land as farre as the shotte of a piece of ordynaunce I determined to sende sume of the shyppe to lande as well to make searche of suche thynges as were there as also to leaue in the Ilande certayne hogges for increase But the tyme not seruyng my purpose by reason of contrarye wynde I could bryng my shyppes no nearer the Ilande beinge twelue leaques in lengthe and syxe in breadth and about thyrty in circuite lying in the thyrtie thre degre of the northe syde Whyle I remayned here I sawe a stryfe and combatte betwene these flyinge fyshes and the fyshes named gylte heades and the foules cauled seamewes and cormorauntes whych suerlye seemed vnto me a thynge of as greate pleasure and solace as coulde bee deuysed whyle the gylte heades swamme on the brymme of the water and sumtymes lyfted their shulders aboue the same to rayse the swymmynge fysshes owt of the water to dryue them to flyght and folowe them swymming to the place where they faule to take and eate them sodaynlye Agayne on the other syde the seamewes and cormorantes take manye of these flying fysshes so that by thys meanes theye are nother safe in the ayre nor in the water Not to hie for the pye nor to lowe fro the crowe In the selfe same perrell and daunger doo men lyue in thys mortall lyfe wherin is no certayne securytye nether in hygh estate nor in lowe Which thynge suerlye ought to put vs in rememberaunce of that blessed and safe restynge place whych god hath prepared for such as loue hym who shall acquyete and fynyshe the trauayles of thys troubelous worlde wherin are so manye daungyours and brynge them to that eternall lyfe where they shall fynde eternall securytye and reste But to returne to the hystorye these byrdes and foules whych I sawe were of the Ilande of Bermuda nere vnto the whych I sawe these flyinge fysshes For they coulde bee of no other lande forasmuche as they are not accustomed to wander farre frome the coastes where they are bredde ¶ Of thincrease and decrease that is rysynge and faullynge of our Ocean sea and Southe sea caulled the sea of Sur. I Wyll nowe speake of certeayne thynges whiche are seene in the Prouynce or at the leaste in the citie of golden Castyle otherwyse cauled Beragua Beragua and in the coastes of the North sea and of the South sea caulled the sea of Sur. Not omittyng to note one synguler and meruelous thynge which I haue consydered of the Ocean sea wherof hytherto no cosmographer pylote or maryner or any other haue satisfyed me I say therfore as it is well knowen to your maiestye and all such as haue knowlege of the Ocean sea that this greate Ocean casteth from it selfe the sea Mediterraneum by the mouthe
seeme to haue theyr boddyes paynted with dyuers colours And that amonge other there is one seene bygger then the residue who maketh great mirth and reioysynge This greaâ—e deuyll they caule Setebos and caule the lesse Chelâ—ule One of these giantes which they toke declared by signes that he had seene deuyls with two hornes aboue theyr heades with longe heare downe to theyr feete And that they cast furth fyre at theyr throtes both before and behynde The Capitayne named these people Patagoni Patagoni The most part of them weare the skynnes of suche beastes wherof I haue spoken before And haue no houses of continuaunce but make certeyne cotages whiche they couer with the sayde skynnes and cary them from place to place They lyue of raw flesshe and a câ—rteyne sweete roote whiche they caule Capar One of these which they had in theyr shippes dyd eate at one meale a basket of byskette The gyantes feedynge and drunke a bowle of water at a draught They remayned fyue monethes in this porte of saint Iuliâ—n where certeyne of the vnder capitaynes conspirynge the death of theyr general They cospire ageynst theyr Capitayne were hanged and quartered Amonge whom the treasurer Luigo of Mendozza was one Certeyne of the other conspiratours he left in the sayd land of Patogoni Departyng from hense to the .52 degree toward the pole Antartike lackynge a thyrde parte where they founde a ryuer of fresshe water and good fysshe Theyr shyppes were here in great daungiour They remayned twoo monethes in this porte where they made newe prouision of fresshe water fuell and fysshe Here the Capitayne caused all his men to bee confessed Confession Approchynge to the .52 degrees they founde the straight nowe cauled the straight of Magellanus The straight of Magellanus beinge in sum place L. x. leaques in length and in breadth sumwhere very large and in other places lyttle more then halfe a leaque in bredâ—h On both the sydes of this strayght are great and hygh mountaynes couered with snowe beyonde the whiche is the enteraunce into the sea of Sur. The South sea This enteraunce the Capitayne named Mare Pacificum Mare pacificuâ— Here one of the shyppes stole away punilie and returned into Spaine In this was one of the giantes who dyed as soone as he felt the heate that is abowte the Equinoctiall lyne When the Capitayne Magalianes was past the straight and sawe the way open to the other mayne sea The giantes diâ—d foâ— heat he was so gladde therof that for ioy the teares fell from his eyes and named the poynt of the lande from whense he fyrst sawe that sea Capo Dâ—siderato Capo Desideâ—ato Supposing that the shyp which stole away had byn loste they erected a croâ—â—e vppon the top of a hyghe hyll to directe their course in the straight yf it were theyr chaunce to coome that way They founde that in this strayght in the moneth of October the nyght was not past foure houres longe Short nights in the moneth of October They found in this strayght at euery three myles a safe hauen and excellent water to drynke woodde also and fysshe and greate plentie of goodherbes They thynke that there is not a fayrer strayght in the worlde Here also they sawe certeyne â—â—yinge fysshes Fâ—ying fyâ—â—hes The other giante which remayned with them in the shyp named breade Capar water Olâ— redde clothe Cherecaâ—red colour The gyantes language Cheiche blacke colour Amel And spoke al his wordes in the throte On a tyme as one made a crosse before him and kyssed it shewynge it vnto â—ym he suddeynely cryed Setebos and declared by signes that if they made any more crosses Setebos wold enter into his body and make him brust But when in fine he sawe no hurte coome thereof he tooke the crosse and imbrased and kyssed it oftentymes desyringe that he myght bee a Chrystian before his death He was therfore baptysed and named Paule The gyant is baptised Departynge owt of this strayght into the sea cauled Mare Pacificum the .xxviii. day of Nouember in the yeare .1520 they sayled three moonethes and .xx. dayes before they sawe any lande Three monethes sa yt lyng without the syght of lande And hauynge in this tyme consumed all theyr bysket and other vyttayles they fell into suche necessitie that they were inforced to eate the pouder that remayned therof beinge nowe full of woormes and stynkynge lyke pysse by reason of the salte water Extreme fâ—mâ—n Theyr fresshe water was also putrifyed and become yelowe They dyd eate skynnes and pieces of lether which were foulded abowt certeyne great ropes of the shyps But these skynnes beinge made verye harde by reason of the soonne rayne and wynde they hunge them by a corde in the sea for the space of foure or fiue dayes to mollifie them and sodde them and eate them By reason of this famen and vnclene feedynge summe of theyr gummes grewe so ouer theyr teethe Diâ—easeâ— of famen that they dyed miserably for hunger And by this occasion dyed .xix. men and also the giante with an Indian of the lande of Brasile otherwyse cauled Terra de papagalli that is the lande of popingiayes Besyde these that dyed .xxv. or .xxx were so sicke that they were not able to doo any seruice with theyr handes or armes for feeblenesse So that there was in maner none without sum disease In these three monethes xx dayes they sayled foure thousande leaques in one goulfe by the sayde sea cauled Pacificâ—m that is peaceable whiche may well bee so cauled forasmuch as in all this tyme hauyng no syght of any lande they had no misfortune of wynde oâ— any other tempest Durynge this tyme also they discouered only two little Ilandes vnhabited where they sawe nothing but birdes and trees and therefore named theym infortunate Ilandes Unfortunate Ilandes beinge one from the other abowte two hundreth leaques distante The firste of these Ilandes is from the Equinoctial toward the pole Antartike .xv. degrees and the other fyue Theyr sailinge was in suche sorte that they sailed daily betweene l.lx to .lxx. leaques what they sayled daylâ— So that in fine if god of his mercy had not gyuen them good wether it was necessary that in this soo greate a sea they shuld all haue dred for hunger Whiche neuerthelesse they escaped soo hardely that it may bee doubted whether euer the like viage may be attempted with so good successe They consydered in this nauigation that the pole Antartike hath no notable starre after the sorte of the pole Artike But they sawe many starres gathered togyther The â—tarreâ— abowâ— the south pole whyche are like two clowdes one separate a lâ—ttle from an other and sum what darke in the myddest Betweene these are two starres not very bigge nor muche shynninge whiche moue a little And these two are the pole Antartike The needell of theyr compasse varyed sumwhat
ewes brynge furth lambes twyse a yeare The people are wytty and of gentyl behauoure Cunnynge also in artes faythful of promes The bewtie of Chrystian Princes and of maners not greatly to bee discommended saue that they are ignorant of Chryst who neuertheless is nowe knowen vnto them in many places as our hope is he shal be dayly more and more if all princes wyll herein putte theyr helpynge handes to the plowe of owre lorde and sende labourers into his vyneyarde ¶ Of the great ryuer cauled Rio de la Plata that is the ryuer of syluer This is ryuer reacheth very farre in length bredth and is cauled Uruai in the Indian tounge Into this fauleth an other ryuer named Paraue Paraue The fyrste that sayled into the ryuer of Plata was Iohn Dias Solis Iohn Dias Solis whom the ryght noble kynge of Spayne Ferdinandus made Admyral of these seas In the ryuer lyeth an Ilande whiche Iohn Dias named Martinus Gratias bycause a pylot of his so cauled The Ilande Martinus Gratias was buryed there This Ilande is situate in the myddest of the ryuer and is dystant from the mouth of the same abowt fortie leaques As the sayde Admirall attempted to expugne the Iland he was suddeynly oppressed and slayne of the Indians that priuilie assayled hym Wherwith neuerthelesse theyr barbarous crueltie was not satisfyed vntyll they had torne him in pieses and deuoured hym But many yeares after Themperoures maiestie and kynge of Spayne Charles the fyfte sente foorth Sebastian Cabot a man of great courage and skylfull in Cosmographi The viage of Sebastian Cabote to the ryuer of Plata and of no lesse experience as concernynge the starres and the sea with commaundement to discouer and subdue the Ilandes of Tharsis Tharâ—is Ophir Ophir Cipango Cipango and Coi Cathay Cathay Receauynge therfore his commission and proceadynge forwarde on his vsage he arryued by chaunce at this Ilande The cause wherof was that the principall vessell was lost by shipwracke and the men that saued theyr lyues by swymmynge were receaued into other shyppes Perceauynge therfore that by reason of this chaunce he could by no meanes performe his vyage attempted he intended to expugne the sayde Ilande and theruppon to conueygh his vytayles to land to prepare his soldiers to thinuasion to plant colonyes and to erect for tresses by the ryuers syde wherby the Spanyardes myght bee defended from the violence of the barbarians But before he attempted this he was aduertised that the Ilande was riche in golde and syluer Which thynge dyd so encorage him that withowt respect of perel he thought best to expugne it by one meanes or other wherein his bouldenes tooke good effecte as often tymes chaunceth in great affayres Furthermore as touchynge the ryuer The ryuer of Plata Sebastian Cabote made relation that he neuer sawe any coÌ„parable vnto this in bredth and depth For whereas it fauleth into the sea it conteyneth .xxv. leaques in breath From the mouth of the ryuer Cabot sayled vp the same into the lande for the space of three hundreth and fiftie leaques as he wryteth in his owne carde That it is of great depth may hereby bee consydered that manye greate ryuers faule into it so that the chanell can not bee shalowe that conteyneth such abundance of water and suche plentie of good and great fysshes For there in is maner no fysshe in the sea that is not founde in this ryuer As soone as the Spanyards were set alande they made a proofe if the soyle were frutfull to beare corne Takynge therefore fiftie graynes of wheate and commyttynge the same to the earth in the moneth of September Maruelous fruâ—fuâ—nes they gathered therof two thousande and fiftie at December nexte folowynge wherin sume beinge deceaued and mistakynge the thynge haue wrytten in the steade of twoo thousande and fiftie fyftie thousande and two The lyke fertilitie is there of all other grayne and pulse Furthermore thinhabitauntes declared that not farre from that place ther are great and hygh mountaynes in the which is founde great plentie of golde And no great distance from the same to bee other mountaynes no lesse frutefull of syluer Mountaynes conteynynge golde and syluer and many other thynges longe to rehearse Thinhabitauntes are paynefull men and tyll the grounde diligently wherin they take great pleasure and haue therfore great plentie of breade of Maizium There are sheepe of suche byggenesse that they compare them to younge camels or asses as sum say Great sheepe Theyr woolle is very fine and nearest vnto the fyennesse of sylke There are also beastes of dyuers kyndes Amonge men there is dyfference that such as lyue in the mountaynes are whyte Men with deformed legs and for the most parte lyke vnto the men of owre regions But they that dwell abowt the ryuer as though they tooke theyr coloure therof are blackysshe or purple of the coloure of fine Iren or steele Theyr colouâ— This also chaunceth to many of them that theyr fiete and legges are lyke the legs and fiete of the foule cauled the oystreche ¶ Of the hygher East India cauled India Tercera or Trecera IN this India whiche the Portugales caule Tercera are very great kyngedomes as the kyngdomes of Bengala Pegu Berma EraÌ„cangui Dausian Copelam and the greate kyngdome of Malacha Malacha cauled of the owlde wryters Aurea Chersonesus whose chiefe citie isalso cauled Malacha and was in owlde tyme named Tachola Tachola Under this kyngedgme are infinite Ilandes cauled Maluche The Ilande of â—alucha whereof the principall are these Iaua the greater Iaua the lesse Polagua Mendana Cubu Cailon Huban Bur Tenado Anbon and Gilolo With infinite other On the Southwest parte from Malacha is the great Ilande of Samotra cauled in owlde tyme Laprobana The Iland of Samotra in the which are the kyngedomes of Peâ—ir Biraen Pazer Ardagni and Ham. This Iland and al the other cauleâ— Maluche Spyces brynge furth great quantitie of cloues cinamome nuttemegges maces and all other kyndes of spyces exe pâ—o pepper which groweth in the prouince of Calecut aâ—d the Ilande of Ceilam Calocut Ceilam All these sortes of spices are caryed to Malacha to bee soulde But the greatest parte of them is caryed to Cathay and China and from thense to the north partes of Tartarie Cathay China This kyngdome of China is very great and was in owlde tyme cauled Sina Here is founde great plentie oâ— precious stones Precious stones The people are very subtyle and ryche They are all appareled eyther in sylke or cloth Sylke or vestures of other woorkemanshippe and are of good ciuilitie They doo not gladly permitte the Portugales or other straungers to trafike in theyr kyngedome whose moste famous place vppon the sea syde is named Cautan Cautan and the sea Machiam cauled of the owlde wryters the sea of Sina ¶
Maria Antiqua in Dariena and howe the Spanyardes were of necessitie inforced to plant theyr fyrst colonie and habitacion there The cause of the varietie of regions lyinge all vnder one degree or paralelle and by what meanes the soonne beames are cause of feruent heate Of toades and flees engendered of droppes of water and of a house set on fyre with lyghtnynge Tanquaâ—m canis â— Nilo Of a dogge deuoured of a Crocodyle and of the venemus bytynge of great battes Also of Lions and Tygers and other wylde beastes Howe in these regions all foure footed beastes growe to a bygger quantitie then they whiche were of the fyrste bâ—oode Also of certeyne trees of whose planckes if ships be made they are safe frome the woormes cauled Broma or Byssas Of a tre whose wod is present poyson yf it be only borne about And of an herbe that is a preseruatiue ageinst the same Of the ryche Ilandes of the south sea and of certeyne expeditions ageynst the Canibales ¶ The contentes of the .vii. booke Fol. 124. ¶ The particular description of the Ilande of Hispaniola and of the ryche Ilande cauled Margaritea Diues lyinge in the South sea Also of the greate abundaunce of bigge pearles founde in the same Howe the autoure compareth Hispaniola to the earthely Paradyse And howe it farre excelleth Italy in fertilitie and temperate ayre Of the fyrste inhabitours of Hispaniola of the Ilandes of Canarie Howe the inhabitauntes of Hispaniola in theyr songes rhymes had certeyne prophesies that appareled men shulde coome to theyr contrey and brynge them into seruitude And of theyr familiaritie with spirites Also howe those spirites haue no more appered to them sence they were baptised Of theyr expertenesse in swymmynge And of theyr delycate serpentes byrdes foules and popingiais Of the forme and situation of Hispaniola nere the Equinoctiall And howe coulde is in sum place thereof accidentall and not by the situation of the region Of oxen and swyne of exceadinge bygnesse And of eares of wheate as bygge as a mans arme in the braun Also howe the swyne are fedde with myrobalanes c. Of plenty of golde brasyle mastix gossampyne Electrum c And of thincommodities of intemperate regions Of dyuers languages in the Ilande And howe the prouynces are deuided into regions Howe Andreas Moralis sayled into a daungerous and darke caue within the rocke of a mountayne And of hole ryuers deuoured of suche caues Also of the conflycte of the waters Of a standynge poole in the tope of an hygh mountayne And howe ferne and bramble busshes growe only in coulde regyons The contents of the .viii booke Fol. 130 ¶ Of a greate lake or standyng poole of sowre and salte water and of the sea fysshes in the same in the myddelande of the Ilande Also of deuourynge fysshes cauled Tiburoni Of the ryuers fauling into the lakes and of CC. springes in the space of a furlonge Ameruelous hystory of a kynge stryken dumme and lame by a myracle And of the Indian language Howe suche as are drowned in the lake are neuer caste vp ageyne And of the Ilande Guarizacca in the myddeste of a standynge lake Also of a lake of fresshe water and an other of salte and fresshe water Of a large playne of two hundreth myles in length And an other of hundrethe and twentie Of the meruelous fysshe or monster of the sea cauled Manati or Matum fedde with mans hande and howe she caryeth men ouer the lake Of the mountaynes vales hylles playnes and ryuers of Hispaniola And howe golde is founde in all mountaines and golde and fysshe in all ryuers Of salte bayes and howe the ryuers haue theyr increase from the caues of the mountaynes Also howe there is no hurtefull beaste in the Ilande Of the pleasures of Hispaniola And of the region of Cotohi well inhabyted and situate in a playne in the toppes of mountaynes reachynge to the clowdes Of moderate coulde in the mountaynes and of ferne of merueylous bygnesse Howe pure and massie gold is founde in the region of Cotoy or Cotohy And that the veyne of golde is a lyuynge tree Also of the rootes braunches and floures of the same and howe certeyne caues are susteyned with pyllers of golde What golde is broughte yearely frome Hispaniola into Spayne And of the salte of the mountaynes beinge as hard as stones and cleare as crystall Also sprynges of salte fressh and sower water Of certeyne wylde men lyuynge in caues and deunes with out any certeyne language And of theyr merueylous swiftnesse a foote Of pytche of the rocke and twoo kyndes of trees And of the leafe of a tree vsed in the steede of paper Also howe thinhabitantes thinke that the Christians can make those leaues speake and disclose all secreates Of a stronge coloure made of the iuse of a certeyn apple And of the herbe whose smoke is poyson The contentes of the .ix. booke Fol. 136. Of the kyndes of frutes wherwith thinhabitauntes of Hispaniola lyued fyrste and howe they came to the knoweledge of Iucca Also howe Ceres fyrst found wheate and barley in Egypte Why theyr kinges are cauled by dyuers names by what names they salute the kynges chyldren when they are borne Howe they make theyr testamentes and howe certeyne of the kynges wyues and concubines are buryed with them Of the variable motions of the elementes in Hispaniola And where it rayneth but lyttle and where much Of the colonies and vyllages that the Spanyardes haue buylded in Hispaniola of the other Ilands about the same Of a sprynge which runnyng vnder the sea from Hispaniola breaketh furth in the Iland of Arethusa Also of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctial and of the ryche golde mynes of the Ilande of Cuba Of the gumme cauled Animae Album And of the Canibale Also whereby it was thought that there were Ilandes of women Of hony founde in trees and rockes And of the generall on of greate Tortoyses and of theyr egges ¶ The contentes of the .x. booke Fol. 140. ¶ Of the expedition ageynste the kynge of the Ilande Dites in the south sea And howe after foure conflictes submyttynge hym selfe he gaue our men a hundreth and ten pounde weyght of greate pearles Also howe he agreed to pay yearely a hundreth pounde weyght of pearles for a tribute Howe axes and hatchettes are more esteemed then golde or perles And of greate plentie of hartes and cunnyes Also howe the kynge of Dites and his famelie were baptised Of perles of great pryce And howe Paule the bysshop of Rome bowght a perle for foure and fortie thousand ducades Dyuers opinions of the generation of perles And of a hundreth perles founde in one shel fysshe Also of the byrth of pearles Of the regions of the Easte syde of the goulfe of Uraba And of the originall of the Canibales Of certeyne circumcised people which haue the knowledge â—f letters and vse â—ookes And what chaunced of the capitaynes which Petrus Arias sente furth dyuers wayes
of people then in any other place As owre men approched towarde them there came certeine messengers from their Cacici that is the kynges of the countrey to desyre the Admirall in the name of theyr princes to coome to theyr palayces withowte feare humayne people and that they and al theyrs shulde bee at his commaundement When the Admirall had thanked them and made his excuse for that tyme there came innumerable people with theyr boates to the shippes hauyng for the most parte cheynes abowte theyr neckes garlandes on theyr heades and braselettes on theyr armes of pearles of India Cheynes and garlandes of gold perles And that so commonlye that owre women in playes and tryumphes haue not greater plentie of stones of glasse and crystall in theyr garlandes crownes gerdels and suche other tyrementes Beinge asked where they gathered them they poynted to the next shore by the sea bankes They signified also by certeyne scorneful giestures which they made with theyr mouthes and handes that they nothyng esteemed perles Baskettes ful of pearles I knowe who had bags ful Taking also baskettes in their handes they made signes that the same might bee fylled with them in shorte space But bycause the corne wherwith his shyppes were laden to bee caryed into Hispaniola had taken hurt by reason of the salte water he determined to deferre this marte to a more conuenient tyme. Yet he sent to lande two of the shippe boates laden with men to thintent to fetch sum garlandes of perles for exchange of our thynges and also sumwhat to searche the nature of the Region and disposition of the people They enterteyned owr meÌ„ gentelly howe the Admirals men were enterteyned and came flockynge to them by heapes as it hadde byn to beholde sume straunge monsters Fyrste there came to meete owre men two men of grauitie whome the multitude folowed One of these was well in age and the other but younge They thinke it was the father with his soonne whiche shulde succede hym When the one had saluted and embrased the other they browght owre men into a certeyne rownde howse nere vnto the whiche was a greate courte Hether were browght many chayers and stooles made of a certeyne blacke woodde cheyers and stâ—les of hebene and very coonningely wrowght After that owre men and theyr Princes were sette theyr wayting men came in laden sume with sundry delicate dysshes and sume with wyne Fruites and wyne But theyr meate was only fruites and those of dyuers kyndes and vtterly vnknoweÌ„ to vs. Theyr wyne was both whyte and redde not made of grapes but of the lycour of dyuers fruites and very pleasaunte in drynkynge wyne of the lycour of fruites After this banquette made in the owlde mans howse the younge man browght them to his tabernacle or mancion place where was a greate coompany bothe of men and women but they stoode deceauered the one from the other They are whyte whyte men nere the Equinoctial euen as owre men are sauynge suche as are much conuersant in the sonne They are also very gentyll and full of humanitie towarde strangiers They coouer theyr pryuie partes with gossampine cotton wrowght with sundry coloures and are besyde all naked There was fewe or none that had not eyther a coller a cheyne or a braselette of golde and pearles and many had all Beinge asked where they had that golde they poynted to certeyne mountaynes mountaynes are the matrices of golde seemynge with theyr countenaunce to dissuade owre men from goinge thyther For puttinge theyr armes in theyr mouthes and grynninge as thowgh they bytte the same stylle poyntinge to the mountaynes they seemed to insinuate that men were eaten there But whether they mente by the Canibales Canibales or wylde beastes owre men cowlde not well perceaue They tooke it excedinge greeuouslye that they coulde nother vnderstande owre men nor owre men them When they which were sente to lande were returned to the shippes abowte three of the clocke at after noone the same daye bringinge with them certeyne garlandes and collers of pearles they loosed theyr ankers to departe myndinge to coome ageyne shortly when all thynges were sette in good order in Hispaniola But he was preuented by an other which defeated hym of the rewarde of his trauayle He was also hyndered at this tyme by reasoÌ„ of the shalownes of the sea violeÌ„t course of the water Shalownes of the sea which with continual tossing broosed the greatest ship as often as any great gale of wynde arose To auoyde the daungiours of suche shalowe places and shelfes he euer sent one of the smaulest carauelles before The vse of careuelles or brigantines to try the way with soundinge and the byggest shâ—ppes folowed behynde The Regions beinge in the large prouince of Paria for the space of CCXXX myles are cauled of thinhabitantes Cumana and Manacapana Cumana and Manacapana regions of the prouince of Paria Curiana from these regions distant three score leaques is there an other Region cauled Curiana When he had thus passâ—d ouer this long tract of sea supposing styll that it had byn an Ilande doutinge that he might passe by the Weste to the Northe directlye to Hispaniola he chaunced into a ryuer of .xxx. cubettes depthe of such breadth as hath not lyghtly byn harde of A ryuer of maruelous depth and bredth For he affirmeth it to bee .xxviii. leaques A lyttle further toward the Weste yet sumwhat more sowthwarde as the bending of the shore requyred â—he entered into a sea full of herbes or weedes A â—ea of weedes The seede of the herbes whiche swymme on the water are muche lyke the berryes of the tree cauled Lentiscus Lentiscus which beareth the sweete guÌ„me cauled Mâ—stix Mastix They grewe soo thicke that they sumetyme in maner stayed the shippes The Admirall reported that here there is not one daye thorowghe owte all the yeare muche longer or shorter then an other And that the Northe pole is here eleuate onely fyue degrees as at Paria The eleuation of the pole at Paria in whose tracte all these coastes lye Hee also declared certeyne thynges as concerninge the variete of the northe pole The which because they seeme contrarye to thoppinions of all the Astronomers Note a secreâ—te as concerning the pole starre I wyll touche them but with a drye foote as sayth the prouerbe But it is wel knowen moste noble prince that the starre which we caule the pole starre or north starre cauled of the Italians Tramontana is not the very poynte of the pole Artyke vppon the whiche the axes or extremities of heauens are turned abowte The which thynge may well be proued if when the starres fyrst appeare An experieÌ„ce yowe beeholde the pole starre throwgh any narowe hole For soo applyinge yowre instrument therto in the morninge sumwhat before the day springe haue blemyshed theyr lyght yf then
bothe of wynde and sea and vexed with intollerable heate Yet sayled they on further not without greate daunger for the space of twoo hundrethe and fortie leaques folowing yet the same wynde by the lost pole Wherfore whether habitable Regions bee vnder the Equinoctiall lyne or not habitable Regions vnder the Equinoctial lyne let these men and the owlde wryters aswel Philosophers as poetes and cosmographers discusse For these men affirme it to bee habitable and maruelouâ—ly replenished with people and they that it is vnhabitable by reason of the soone beames dependinge perpendicularly or directlye ouer the same Yet were there many of the oulde wryters whiche attempted to proue it habitable These maryners beinge demaunded if they sawe the south pole they answered that they knewe no starre there lyke vnto this pole that myght be decerned aboute the poynte But that they sawe an other order of starres and a certeyne thicke myst rysynge from the horizontall lyne An other order of starres A thycke mist which greatly hyndered theyr syght They contende also that there is a great heape or rysynge in the myddest of the earth A rysinge in the myddest of the earth which taketh away the syght of the southe pole vntyll they haue vtterly passed ouer the same But they verely beleue that they sawe other images of starres muche differinge from the situation of the starres of owre hemispherie or halfe circle of heauen Howe soo euer the matter bee as they informe vs wee certifie yowe At the lengthe the seuenth day of the calendes of Februarye they espied lande a farre of And seinge the water of the sea to bee troubelous soundinge with theyr plummet they founde it to bee .xvi. fathames deepe Goinge a lande and tarienge there for the space of twoo dayes they departed bycause they saw no people steringe althowghe they fownde certeyne steppes of men by the sea syde Thus grauinge on the trees and the stones nere vnto the shore the kynges name and theyrs and the tyme of theyr comming thether they departed Not farre froÌ„ this station folowynge the fyers on the lande by nyght they founde a nation lyinge vnder the open fyrmamente after the maner of warre Owre men thought it not beste to trowble them vntyll the morninge Therefore at the rysinge of the soonne fortie of owre men well armed wente toward them ageynst whom came furth .xxxii. of them with bowes slinges and dartes euen redy to the feyght The other coompanye folowed them armed after the same maner Owr men affirme that they were of hygher stature then eyther the Almaynes or Pannonians People of hygh stature They behelde owre men with frownynge and threatenynge countenaunce But owre men thought it not good to faule to bickeringe with them vncerteyne whether it were for feare or bycause they wolde not dryue theÌ„ to flight Wherfore they went aboute to allure them by faire meanes rewardes But they refused all kynde of gentelnes stoode euer in a redines to feight declaringe the same by signes and tokens Thus owr men resorted to theyr shippes and they to the place from whence they came without any further busynes The same nyght abowte mydnyght they fledde and left the place voyde where they lay in campe Owre men suppose them to bee a vagabunde and wanderinge nacion lyke vnto the Scythians A vagabunde kynde of men withowte houses or certeyne dwellinge places lyuinge onely with the fruites of the earth hauing theyr wyues and chyldren folowinge them Such as measured their footesteppes in the sande affirme with greate othes that one of theyr feete is almost as longe as twoo feete of owre men of the meane sorte Saylinge on yet further Giantes they founde an other ryuer but not of deapth sufficient to beare the carauels They sent therfore the foure shippe boates to lande ful of armed men to search the countrey They espyed vppon a hyghe hyll nere vnto the sea syde a greate multitude of people to whom owre coompany sent furthe one man with certeyne of owre thynges to allure them to exchaunge And when he had cast a haukes bell towarde them they cast downe a wedge of golde a cubette longe The which as he stouped to take vppe they soodenly inclosed hym and caryed hym awaye But he was shortly after rescued by his coompanyons to sum of their paynes for they slewe eyght of owre men and wounded many a farre of with theyr arrowes and dartes made of wood hardened at the endes with fyre After this they encoompased owre shippe boates within the ryuer and came rasshelye within the reache of owre men Desperate bouldenes layinge houlde on the boates sydes where they were thrust throwgh and hewen in peeces as it had byn sheepe by reason they were naked Yet wolde they not for al this gyue ouer but tooke from owre men one of their boates hauing noo men in it For the gouernour therof being slayne with an arrowe the other fledde and escaped And thus they lefte this fierce and warlyke people saylinge towarde the northweste alonge by the same coastes with sorowfull hartes for the death of theyr coompanyons When they had sayled abowte .xl. leaques they chaunced into a sea of suche fresshe water A sea of fresshe water that they fylled theyr barelles and hogges heades therwith Searching the cause hereof they vnderstoode that a vehement course of ryuers discended with great violence from the toppes of certeyne greate hylles They say also that there lyeth within the sea many fortunate and fruitfull Ilandes Many fruitefull Ilandes and well inhabyted And that thinhabitantes of this tracte are men of meeke nature and suche as doo not refuse strangers humane people Yet lyttle profytable to them bycause they had noo marchandyes for their purpose as golde or precyous stones For lacke wherof they broughâ— frome thense thyrtie captiues to sell for slaues Thinhabitantes caule this Region Mariatambal MariataÌ„ball The Region of the easte parte of that ryuer is cauled Camomorus Camomorus And that of the weste parte Paricora Paricora in the midlande wherof thinhabitantes signified that there is greate plentie of golde For folowynge this ryuer directly toward the Northe as the bendynge of the shore requyred they recouered ageyne the syght of the north pole All the coaste of this tracte perteyneth to Paria Regions of Paria the which as we sayd before was fyrst founde by Colonus hym selfe Golde and perles and hath in maner in euery place greate abundaunce of pearles They saye that these coastes are adioynynge vnto and all one with Os Draconis Os Draconis and also bortherynge vppon the Regions of Cumana Cumana Manacapana Manacapana Curiana Curiana Cauchieta and Cuchibachoa Wherfore they thought it to bee parte of the firme lande of India beyonge the ryuer of Ganges For the greate and large coompaâ—se therof dothe not permit that it shulde bee an Ilande Albeit the hole earth vncouered with
and runneth downe by the sydes of the mountaynes The lyke is also seene in this famous towne of Valladoleto where we nowe suiorne in a certeyne greene close not past a furlonge distant from the waules of the towne I graunte therfore that in certeyne places by conuersion of the ayrie dewe into water within the caues of suche mountaynes many sprynges and ryuers are engendred But I suppose that nature was not sollicitate to brynge furthe suche greate fluds by this so smaule industry Twoo reasons therfore do sound beste to my iudgement whereof the one is the often faule of rayne The often fal of raâ—ne and contâ—nuall sprynge time The other the continuall autumne or sprynge tyme which is in those regions beinge soo nere vnto the Equinoctial that the common people can perceaue no difference betwene the length of the day and the night throwgh owt al the yeare whereas these two seasons are more apte to engender abundance of rayne then eyther extreme wynter or feruent summer An other reason in effect much lyke vnto the fyrst The Equinocâ—iall is this If the sea bee full of pores and that by the pores therof beinge opened by the Southe windes The pores of the sea the South wynd wee shal consent that vapours are lyfted vp wherof the watery cloudes are engendred this lande must needes bee moysted with moo shoures then anye other yf it bee as narowe as they saye and enuironed with twoo mayne seas collaterally beatinge on the same Howe so euer it be I can not but gyue credit to the report of such worthy men as haue recourse to those regions And can noo lesse then declare the same albeit it may seeme incredible to sume ignorant persons not knowynge the poure of nature to whome Plinie was persuaded that nothynge was impossible Nothinge impossible to the poure of naure Wee haue therfore thought it good to make this discourse by the way of argument least on the one syde men of good lernyng and iudgement and on the other syde suche as are studious to fynde occasions of quarelynge in other mens wrytynges shulde iudge vs to bee so vndescreete lyghtly to gyue creditte to euery tale not beinge consonant to reason But of the force and greate violence of those fresshe waters The cause of the greatnes and force of the goulfe which repulsinge the sea make so greate a goulfe as wee haue sayde I thinke the cause therof to bee the greate multitude of fluddes and ryuers which beinge gathered togither make so great a poole and not one ryuer as they suppose And for as muche as the mountaynes are excedynge hyghe and stiepe hygh and stiepe hylles I thinke the violence of the faule of the waters to be of such force that this conflicte betwene the waters is caused by thimpulsion of the poole that the salte water can not enter into the goulfe But here perhappes sume wyll marueyle at me why I shulde marueyle soo muche hereat speakynge vnto me scornefully after this maner Why dothe he soo marueyle at the greate ryuers of these Regions Hathe not Italye his Eridanus The fludde Eridanus named the kynge of ryuers of the owlde wryters Haue not other regions also the lyke as wee reede of Tanais Tanais Ganges Ganges and Danubius Danubius which are sayde soo to ouercoome the sea that freshe water may bee drawne fortie myles within the fame These menne I woolde satisfie with this answere The famous ryuer of Padus in Italye whiche they nowe caule Po Padus and was of the Greekes cauled Eridanus hath the greate mountaynes cauled Alpes diuidinge Fraunce Alpes Germanie and Pannonie from Italye lyinge at the backe therof as it were bulwarges agger full of moysture And with a longe tracte receauinge Ticinum with innumerable other great ryuers Ticinum fauleth into the sea Adriatike The sea Adriatike sume caule the goâ—lfe of Uenes The lyke is also to bee vnderstode of the other But these ryuers as owre men were enformed by the kynges faul into the Ocean sea with larger and fuller chanels nere hand And sume there are which affirme this lande to bee very large in other places althowgh it bee but narowe here There commeth also to my remembrance an other cause the whiche althowgh it bee of no greate force An other reason yet doo I entende to wryte it Perhappes therfore the length of the lande reachyng far from the Easte to the weste if it bee narowe may bee a helpe hereunto For as wee reade that the ryuer Alpheus passethe through the holowe places vnder the sea from the citie of Elis in Peloponoso The ryuer Alpheus and breaketh foorth at the fountayne or sprynge Arethusa in the Iland of Sicilia Arethusa so is it possible that these mountaynes may haue suche longe caues perteynynge vnto theim Longe caues in the mountaynes that they may be the receptacles of the water passing through the landes beinge farre distante And that the same waters commynge by soo longe a tracte may in the way bee greately encreased by the conuersion of ayer into water as wee haue sayde Thus muche haue I spoken freely permittinge bothe to them whiche doo frendely enterprete other mens doinges and also to the malicious scorners to take the thynge euen as them lysteth For hetherto I can make no further declaration hereof But wheÌ„ the truth shal be better knoweÌ„ I wyl do my diligence to commit the same to wryting Nowe therefore forasmuche as we haue spoken thus muche of the breadth of this land we enteÌ„d to describe the length forme of the same ¶ The tenth booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed Continent THat lande reacheth foorth into the sea euen as doth Italy althowgh not like the legge of a man as it doth The length and forme of the Iland Cap. S. Augusti But I nowe compare a Pigmean or a dwarfe to a giant For that part therof which the Spaniardes haue ouer runne from the sayde Easte poynt which reacheth towarde the sea Atlantike the ende not beinge yet founde towarde the Weste is more then eyght tymes longer then Italye Eyght tymes bygger tâ—en Italy besyde that part whiche the Portugales poâ—sesse Italy is in length a thouâ—and and two hundreth myles and in breadth foure hundreth and ten And by what reason I am moued to say eyght tymes yowre holynes shall vnderstande From the tyme therefore that I fyrste determined to obeye their requestes who wylled me fyrste in yowre name to wryte these thynges in the laten tonge I dyd my endeuoure that al thinges myght coome foorth with dewe tryall and experience Wherupon I repayred to the byshoppe of Burges beinge the chiefe refuge of this nauigation As wee were therfore secretly togyther in one chamber we had many instrumentes perteynynge to these affayres as globes and manye of those mappes which are commonly cauled the shipmans cardes or cardes of the sea Cardes
Where makynge faste theyr boates they rested there that nyght Here the water soo encreased that it almost ouerdowed the Iland The increasing of the South sea They say also that that south sea doth soo in maner boyle and swelle that when it is at the hyghest it doth couer many greate rockes which at the faule therof are seene farre aboue the water But on the contrary parte all suche as inhabite the North sea The Northe Ocean affirme with one voyce that hit scarsely riseth at any tyme a cubet aboue the bankes as they also confesse which inhabite the Ilande of Hispaniola and other Ilandes situate in the same The Ilande therfore beinge nowe drye by the faule of the water they resorted to theyr boates which they founde all ouerwhelmed and full of sande and sume sore brused with great ryftes and almost lost by reason theyr cables were broken hard shyft in necessitie Such as were brused they tyed fast with theyr gyrdels with slippes of the barkes of trees and with tough and longe stalkes of certein herbes of the sea stopping the ryftes or chynkes with grasse accordynge to the presente necessitie Thus were they enforced to returne backe ageyne lyke vnto men that came frome shippewracke beinge almost consumed with hunger bycause theyr vytayles were vtterly destroyed by tempeste Thinhabitantes declared that there is harde all the yeare horrible rorynge of the sea amonge those Ilandes as often as it rysethe or fauleth But this most especially in those three monethes in the which it is moste boystious as Chiapes towlde Vaschus before Meanynge as they coulde coniecture by his woordes October Nouember and December for he signifie the present moone and the twoo moones folowynge countynge the moonethes by the moones whereas it was nowe October Here therefore refresshynge hym selfe and his souldiers a whyle and passynge by one vnprofitable kynge he came to an other whose name was Tumaccus The Region Tumacca after the name of the region beinge situate on that syde of the goulfe This Tumaccus came foorth ageynste owre men as dyd the other and with lyke fortune For he was ouercoome dryuen to flyght kynge Tumaccus is driuen to flyght and many of his men slayne He hym selfe was also sore wounded but yet escaped Vaschus sent certeyne messengers of the Chiapeans to hym to returne and not to bee afrayde But he could be nothyng moued nether by promysses nor threateninges Yet when the messengers were instant ceassed not to threaten death to him and his famely with the vtter desolation of his kyngedome if he persisted in that obstinacie at the length he sent his soonne with them whom Vaschus honorably enterteyninge apparelinge hym gorgiously and gyuing hym many gyftes sent hym to his father wyllynge hym to persuade hym of the puissaunce munificence liberalitie humanitie and clemencie of owre men Tumaccus beinge mooued by this gentelnes declared toward his sonne came with him the thyrde day bryngynge nothynge with hym at that tyme. But after that he knewe that owre men desyred goulde and pearles Golde and perles he sent for syxe hundreth and .xiiii. Pesos of golde and two hundreth and fortie of the biggest and fayrest perles besyde a great number of the smaulest sorte Owre men marueyled at the byggenes and fayrenes of these perles although they were not perfectely whyte bycause they take theym not owte of the sea musculs excepte they fyrst rost them Musculs of the sea that they may theselyer open them selfe and also that the fysshe maye haue the better taste whiche they esteeme for a delicate and princely dysshe and set more thereby then by the perles them selues Of these thynges I was enformed of one Arbolantius beinge one of Vaschus coompanions whom he sent to the kyng with manye perles and certeyne of those sea musculs But when Tumâ—ccus sawe that owre men soo greatly regarded the bewtie of the perles he commaunded certeyne of his men to prepare them selues to goo a fysshynge for perles Fysshyng for perles Who departinge came ageyne within foure dayes bringynge with them twelue pounde weight of orient perles after eight ounces to the pounde xii pounde weyght of perles Thus reioysinge on bothe parties they embrased and made a league of continual frendeshippe Tumaccus thought him selfe happie that he had presented owre men with such thankeful gyftes and was admitted to theyr frendshippe and owre men thinkynge them selues happie and blessed that they had founde suche tokens of great ryches swalowed downe theyr spettle for thyrste The thyrst of golde At all these doinges kynge Chiapes was present as a wytnes and coompanion He also reioysed not a lyttle aswell that by his conductinge he sawe that owre men shulde bee satisfied of theyr desyre as also that by this meanes he had declared to the next kynge his bortherer and enemie what frendes he had of owre men by whose ayde he myght lyue in quyetnes and bee reuenged of his aduersarie if neede shulde soo requyre Ambition amonge naked men For as wee haue sayde these naked kynges infeste theim selues with greuous warres onely for ambition and desyre to rule Vaschus bosteth in his epistell that he lerned certeyne maruelous secreates of Tumaccus him selfe as concernynge the greate ryches of this lande wherof as he sayth he woold vtter nothyng at this presente This Ilande is cauled Margarites Diues or Dites for asmuche as Tumaccus toulde it him in his eare But he was enformed of bothe the kynges that there is an Ilande in that goulfe greater then any of the other hauing in it but onely one kynge and hym of soo great poure A kynge of greate poure that at suche tymes of the yeare as the sea is caulme he inuadethe theyr dominions with a greate nauie of Culchas spoyling and caryinge a way for a praye all that he meeteth This Iland is distant from these coastes onely twentie myles Soo that the promontories or poyntes therof rechyng into the sea may bee seene from the hylles of this Continent In the sea nere about this Ilande sea musculs are engendred of such quantitie that many of them are as brode as buckelers Biggeperles In these are perles founde beinge the hartes of those shell fysshes often tymes as bygge as beanes sumtymes bygger then olyues and such as sumptuous Cleopatra myght haue desyred Cleopatra queene of Egypt resolued a pearle in vineger and drunke it price v. thousande pounde of owr mony thefâ—rcenes of Uâ—schus Althoughe this Ilande bee soo nere to the shore of this firme lande yet is the begynnyng therof in the mayne sea without the mouth of the goulfe Vaschus beinge ioyfull and mery with this rych communication fantasinge nowe in maner nothing but princes treasures beganne to speake fierce and cruell woordes ageynst the tyranne of that Ilande meanyng hereby too woonne the myndes of the other kynges and bynde them to hym with a nearer bande of frendeship Yet therfore raylynge further on hym with
.xvii. shippes and a M. and fyue hundreth men althoughe there were onely a thousand and two hundreth assygned hym by the kynges letters It is sayde furthermore that he lefte behynd hym more then two thousande verye pensyue and syghynge that they also myght not be receaued proferynge them selues to go at their owne charges He taried .xvi. dayes in Gomera to thintente to make prouysyon of fuell and freshe water Prouision of fresshe water and fuell But chiefely to repayre his shyppes beynge sore brosed with tempestes and especially the gouernours shippe whiche had loste the rudder For these Ilandes are a commodious restynge place for all suche as intende to attempte any nauygations in that mayne sea Departynge from hense in the nones of Maye he sawe no more lande vntyll the thirde daye of Iune at the whiche he arriued at Dominica an Ilande of the Canibales The Iland of Dominica being distant from Gomera aboute eyght hundreth leaques Here he remayned foure dayes makinge newe prouision of freshe water and fuell durynge whiche tyme he sawe no man nor yet any steppes of men But founde plentie of sea crabbes and greate lysartes From hense he sayled by the Ilandes of Matinina otherwyse cauled Madanino Guadalupea Guadalupea otherwyâ—e cauled Carucuerâ—a or Queraquiera and Galanta otherwyse cauled Galana of all whiche we haue spoken in the fyrste decade He passed also throughe the sea of herbes or weedes continuyng a long tracte Yet nother he nor Colonus the Admyrall who fyrste founde these Ilandes and sayled through this sea of weedes haue declared anye reason howe these weedes shoulde coome The sea of herbes Summe thynke the sea too be verye muddye there and that these weedes are engendered in the bottome therof and so beynge loosed to ascende to the vppermooste parte of the water as wee see oftentymes chaunce in certeyne stondynge pooles and sumtymes also in greate ryuers Other suppose that they are not engendered there but to bee beaten from certeyne rockes by the vyolence of the water in tempestes And thus they leaue the matter in dowte Neyther haue they yet any certeyne experyence whether they stycke faste and gyue place to the shyppes or wander loose vppon the water But it is to bee thought that they are engendered there For otherwyse they shulde bee dryuen togyther on heapes by thympulsyon of the shyppes euen as a beasome gathereth the swepynges of a house and shulde also lette the course of the shyppes The fourth day after that he departed frome Dominica These mountaynes are cauled Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata decâ—de ii liber i .ii. the hyghe mountaynes couered with snowe wherof we haue spoken in the seconde decade appered vnto hym They saye that there the seas runne as swyftely towarde the weste The swyfte courâ—e of the sea towarde the west as it were a ryuer faulyng from the toppes of hyghe montaynes Although they sayled not directly toward the west but inclined sumwhat to the south From these montaynes fauleth the ryuer of Gaira The ryuer Gaira famous by the slaughter of owre men at such tyme as Rodericus Colmenares passed by those coastes as we haue sayde before Lykewyse many other fayre ryuers haue their originall from the same montaynes This prouynce in the whiche is also the regyon of Caramairi hath in it two notable hauens Caramairi of the which owre men named the one Carthago or Carthagona Carthago and the other Sancta Martha the region wherof thinhabitantes caule Saturma Saturma The porte of Sancta Martha is nearer to the montaines couered with snowe cauled Montes Niuales Mountaynes couered with snowe for it is at the rootes of the same montaines But the hauen of Carthago is more westewarde aboute fyftie leaques He writeth marueylous thynges of the hauen of Sancta Martha whiche they also confirme that came lately froÌ„ theÌ„se Of the which younge Vesputâ—us is one to whoÌ„ Americus Vesputius his vncle being a FloreÌ„tine borne left the exact knowlege of the mariners facultie Americus Vespâ—tius as it were by inheritance after his death for he was a very expert maister in the knowledge of his carde his compasse and the eleuation of the pole starre with all that perteineth therto This younge Vesputius was assygned by the kyng to bee one of the maisters of the gouernours shyppe bicause he was cunninge in iudgyng the degrees of the eleuation of the pole starre by the quadrante For the charge of gouernynge the rudder was chiefely coommytted to one Iohannes Serranus a Spaniarde who had oftentymes ouer runne those coastes Vesputius is my verye familyar frende and a wyttie younge man in whose coompany I take great pleasure and therefore vse hym oftentymes for my geste He hath also made many vyages into these coastes and diligently noted suche thinges as he hath seene Petrus Arias therfore writeth and he confyrmeth the same that thinhabitantes of these regyons tooke their originall of the Caribes or Canibales as appeared by the desperate fiercenes and crueltie which they oftentymes shewed to owre men when they passed by their coastes Suche stouâ—enes and fortitude of mynde is natuâ—â—llye engendered in these naked Barbarians The stoutnes of the Barbarianâ— that they feared not to aâ—sayle owre hole nauy to forbyd them to coome a land They feyght with venemous arrowes as we haue sayde before Perceauynge that owre men contempned their threatnynges they ranne furiously into the sea euen vppe to the breastes The Canibales feyghâ— in the water nothynge fearinge eyther the bygnes or multitude of owre shyppes but ceased not continually beinge thus in the water to cast dartes and shute their venemous arrowes as thicke as hayle In so muche that owre men had bynne in great daunger if they had not byn defended by the cages or pauisses of the shyppes and their targettes Yet were two of them wounded whiche died shortely after But this conflycte continued so sharpe that at the length owre men were enforced to shute of their byggest pieces of ordinaunce with hayleshotte The vse of gunnes At the slaughter and terrible noyse wherof the barbarians beynge sore discomfited and shaken with feare thynkynge the same to be thunder and lyghtnynge The generacion of thunder and lyghtnynge tourned their backes and fledde amayne They greately feare thunder bycause these regyons are oftentymes vexed with thunder and lyghtnynge by reason of the hyghe montaynes and nearenesse of the same to the region of the ayer wherin such fierie tempestes are engendered which the philosophers caule Meteora Meteora And all be it that owre men had nowe dryuen their enemyes to flyght and sawe them disparcled and owte of order yet dowted they and were of dyuers opinions whether they shulde pursue them or not On the one partie shame pricked them forwarde and on the other syde feare caused them to caste many perelles especially consyderynge the venemous arrowes whiche these barbarians canne direct so certeynely
sepulchers in their owne houses Sumwhere also they drye them spyce them adourne them with precyous iewells and ouches and so reuerently place them in certeyne tabernacles made for the same purpoâ—e in their owne palayces When owre men had many of their tabellets braslettes collers and suche other ouches whiche they caule Guanines they founde them rather to bee made of laton then of golde Ouches of laton Gonzalus Ouiedus sayth that they gilt marueloâ—â—â—y with the iuse of a certeyne herbe wherby they suppoâ—e that they haue vsed to exchaunge their ware with summe craftie straungers whiche broughte theÌ„ those counterfect ouâ—hes to defraude them of their golde For euen owre menne perceaued not the deceate vntyll they came to the meltynge Furthermore certayne of owre buylders wanderynge a lyttell way from the sea coastes chaunced to fynde certayne pyeces of white marble whyte marble Wherby they thynke that in tyme paste summe straungers haue coome too those landes whiche haue dygged marble owte of the mountaines and lefte those fragmentes on the plaine There owre men learned that the ryuer Maragnonus descendeth frome the montaynes couered with snowe cauled Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata The great ryuer Maragnonus This ioyneth with the myghty ryuer cauled Flumen Amazonum found of late And the same to bee encreased by many other ryuers whiche faule into it throughowte all the lowe and watelye regions by the whiche it runneth with so longe a tracte from the sayde montaynes into the sea And this to bee the cause of the greatnesse therof These thynges beyng thus brought to passe the gouernour coÌ„maunded the trumpitour to blowe a retraite Whervppon they whiche were sente to lande beynge fyue hundreth in noumber makynge a great shoute for ioye of their victory sette them selues in order of battayle and so keping their array returned to the shippes laden with spoyle of those prouinces and shynynge in souldiers clokes of fethers Clokes of fethers with faire plumes and crestes of variable colours In this meane tyme hauynge repaired their shyppes and furnysshed the same with all necessaries they loosed anker the xvi daye of the Calendes of Iuly directynge their course to the hauen of Carthagena in the whiche viage they destroyed and wasted certayne Ilandes of the Canibales lyinge in the waye accordynge as they were commaunded by the kynge But the swifte course of the water deceaued bothe Iohannes Serranus the chiefe Pilet of the gouernours shyppe The swyfte course oâ— the water and all the other althoughe they made their boste that they perfectely knewe the nature therof For they affyrme that in one night they were caried forty leaques beyonde their estimation xâ— leaques in one nyght The syxte booke of the thirde Decade HEre muste we sumwhat digresse from cosmography and make a philosophicall discours to searche the secreate causes of nature For wheras they al affyrme with on coÌ„sent that the sea runneth there from the Easte to the weste as swyftly as it were a ryuer faulinge from hyghe mountaynes Sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft course from the East into the west I thoughte it not good to lette so great a matter slyppe vntouched The whiche while I consyder I am drawen into no smaule ambyguitie and doute whether those waters haue their course whiche flowe with so contynuall a tracte in circuite from the Easte as thowghe they fledde to the west neuer to retourne and yet neyther the weste therby any whitte the more fylled nor the Easte emptied If we shall saye that they faule to their centre as is the nature of heuye thynges and assigne the Equinoctiall lyne to be the centre as summe affyrme what centre shall we appointe to bee able to receaue so great aboundaunce of water The equinoctiall lyne why all waters moue towarde the south or Equinoctial â—reade Cardanus de subtiliâ— lâ—ber .ii. de Eâ—ementis Or what circumference shal be founde weate They whiche haue searched those coastes haue yet founde no lykely reason to be trewe Many thynke that there shoulde bee certeyne large straightes or enterances in the corner of that great lande whiche we described to bee eyght tymes bygger then Italye Strayghtes and the corner therof to be full of goulfes wherby they suppose that summe strayghtes shulde passe through the same lyinge on the weste syde of the Ilande of Cuba And that the sayde straightes shoulde swalowe vp those waters and so conuey the same into the weste and from thense ageyn into owre Easte Ocean or north seas as summe thynke As by the strayght of Magellanus The north landes Other wyll that the goulfe of that great lande bee closed vppe and the land to reache farre towarde the northe on the backe syde of Cuba so that it embrace the northe landes whiche the frosen sea encompaseth vnder the northe pole And that all the lande of those coastes shoulde ioyne togyther as one firâ—e lande Wherby they coniecture that those waters shulde bee turned aboute by the obiecte or resystaunce of that lande so bendynge towarde the north as we see the waters â—courned aboute in the crooked bankes of certeyne ryuers But this agreeth not in all poyntes For they also whiche haue searched the frosen sea The frosen sea and sayled frome thense into the weste do lykewyse affyrme that those northe seas flowâ— contynually towarde the weste although nothing so swiftely These northe seas haue byn searched by one Sebastian Cabot a Uenetian borne Sebastian Cabot whom beinge yet but in maner an infante his parentes caryed with them into Englande hauyng occasion to resorte thether for trade of marchandies as is the maner of the Uenetians too leaue no parte of the worlde vnsearched to obteyne richesse The venetians He therfore furnisshed two shippes in England at his owne charges The viage of Sebastian Cabot from Englande to the froâ—en sea And fyrst with three hundreth men directed his course so farre toward the northe pole that euen in the mooneth of Iuly he founde monstrous heapes of Ise swimming on the sea Frost in the moneth of Iuly and in maner continuall day lyght Yet sawe he the lande in that tracte free from Ise whiche had byn molten by heate of the sunne Thus seyng suche heapes of Ise before hym he was enforced to tourne his sayles and folowe the weste so coastynge styll by the shore that he was thereby broughte so farre into the southe by reason of the lande bendynge so muche southward that it was there almoste equall in latitude with the sea cauled Fretum Herculeum Fretum herculeum diuideth Spayne the Moores and is nowe cauled the strayghtes of Marrok hauynge the north pole eleuate in maner in the same degree He sayled lykewise in this tracte so farre towarde the weste that he had the Ilande of Cuba his lefte hande in maner in the same degree of langitude As he traueyled by the coastes of this greate lande
foorthwith to thintente there to plant theyr colonie or habitacion where the newe gouernour planted his habitatioÌ„ To the better accomplysshemente hereof they sent immediatly one Iohannes Aiora a noble younge gentelman of Corduba and vnder Lieuetenant The viage of Iohannes Aiora with foure hundreth men and foure carauelles and one other lyttle shippe Thus departinge he sayled fyrst directly to the hauen of Comogrus The hauen of Comogrus dystant from Dariena aboute twentie and fyue leagues as they wryte in theyr last letters Frome hense he as appoynted to sende a hundreth and fyftie of his foure hundreth towarde the South by a newe and ryghter way founde of late by the which as they say it is not paste .xxvi. leagues from the palaice of kynge Comogrus to the enteraunce of the goulfe of Sancti Michaelis Sainte Mychaels goulfâ— The residewe of the foure hundreth shall remayne there to bee an ayde and succour to all such as shall iorney to and fro Those hundreth and fiftie which are assigned to go southwarde take with them for interpretours certeine of owre men which had lerned the sootherne language of the bonde men which were gyuen to Vaschus when he ouerranne those regions and also certeyne of the bondemâ—n them selues which had nowe lerned the Spanysshe tonge They say that the hauen of Pocchorrosa The hauen Pocchorrosa is onely seuen leaques distante frome the hauen of Comogrus In Pocchorrosa he is assigned to leaue fyftâ—e men with the lyghtest shyp which maye bee a passinger betwene them A passynger shyppe that lyke as we vse poste horses by lande so may they by this currant shippe in shorte space certifie the Lieuetenaunt and thinhabitours of Dariena of suche thynges as shall chaunce They entende also to buylde houses in the region of Tumanama The palaice of kynge Tumanama Kyng Tumanama is distant from Pocchorrosa about twentie leaques Of these foure hundreth men beinge of the owlde souldiers of Dariena and men of good experience fyftie weare appoynted to bee as it were Decurians to guide and conducte the newe men from place to place to do their affaires Decurians are officers deuided into â—ennes c. When they had thus sette all thynges in order they thought it good to aduertise the king hereof and therwith to certifye hym that in those prouinces there is a kynge named Dabaiba whose dominion is very riche in golde Kyng Dabaiba But the same to be yet vntouched by reason of his great power His kingedome ioyneth to the seconde greate ryuer named Dabaiba after his name The gold mynes of Dabaiba whiche fauleth into the sea owt of the corner of the goulfe of Vraba as we haue largely declared before The common reporte is that all the lande of his dominions is ryche in golde The palayce of kynge Dabaiba is fyfty leaques distante from Dariena The pallaice of kynge Dabaiba Thinhabitantes saye that from the palaice the golde mynes reache to the borthers on euery syde The gold mynes of Dariena Albeit owre men haue also golde mynes not to bee contempned euen within three leaques of Dariena in the which they gather golde in many places at this presente Yet doo theye affyrme greater plentie to bee in the mynes of Dabaiba In the bookes of owre fyrste frutes wrytten to yowre holynesse we made mention of this Dabaiba wherin owre men were deceaued and mystooke the matter â—n erroure For where they founde the fyssher men of kyng Dabaiba in the marysshes they thought his region had byn there also They determyned therfore to sende to kynge Dabaiba three hundreth choyse younge men to be chosen owte of the hole army as moste apte to the warres Eâ—pedition ageinst kynge Dabaiba and well furnysshed with all kyndes of armoure and artillery to thintent to go vnto hym and wyl hym eyther frendly and peaceably to permytte them to inhabyte parte of his kingdome with the fruition of the golde mynes or elles to bydde him battayle and dryue hym owte of his countrey In their letters they often â—ymes repete this for an argument of great rychesse to coome Great plentie of golde that they in maner dygged the grounde in noo place but founde the earthe myxte with sparkes and smaule graynes of golde They haue also aduertised the kynge that it shal be commodious to place inhabitours in the hauen of Sancta Martha in the region of Saturma The regyon of Saturma that it maye bee a place of refuge for them that sayle from the Ilande of Dominica from the whiche as they saye it is but foure or fyue dayes saylyng to that hauen of the regyon of Saturma The Ilande of Dominica And from the hauen but thre dayes saylyng to Dariena Dariena But this is to bee vnderstode in goynge and not in returnynge For the returnyng from thense is so laborious and difficulte by reason of the contrary course of the water Difficulte saylyng ageynst the course of the sea that they seeme as it were to ascende hyghe montaynes and stryue ageynste the poure of Neptunus This swyfte course of the sea towarde the Weste is not so violente to theym whiche retourne to Spayne frome the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba Althoughe they also do laboure ageynste the faule of the Ocean The cause wherof is that the sea is here verye large so that the waters haue their full scoope But in the tracte of Paria the waters are constrayned together by the bendynge sydes of that great lande and by the multytude of Ilandes lyinge ageynste it as the lyke is seene in the straightes or narowe seas of Sicilie where the violent course of the waters cause the daungerous places of Scylla and Charybdis The daungerous straightes of Scylla Charybdis by reason of those narowe seas whiche conteine Ionium Libicum and Tirrhenum Colonus the fyrst fynder of these regyons hath lefte in wrytynge that saylynge from the Ilande of Guanassa Guanassa and the prouynces of Iaia Iaia Maia Maia and Cerabaro Cerabaro beyng regyons of the west marches of Beragua Beragua he founde the course of the water so vehemente and furious ageynste the fore parte of his shippe whyle he sailed from those coastes towarde the Easte that he coulde at no tyme touche the grounde with his soundynge plummet but that the contrary vyolence of the water woolde beare it vppe from the bottome The vehement course of the sea fro the east to the west He affyrmeth also that he coulde neuer in one hole daye with a meately good wynde wynne one myle of the course of the water And this is the cause why they are oftentymes enforced to sayle fyrste by the Ilandes of Cuba and Hispaniola and so into the mayne sea toward the North when they returne to Spaine that the Northe wyndes maye further their vyage whiche they can not brynge to passe by a directe course The northâ— wynde But
faule into this Caspium CCâ— sprynges within the space of a furlonge Also on the Northe syde within a furlonge of the lake there are aboue twoo hundreth springes occupyinge lykewise aboute a furlonge in circuite the water wherof is coulde in soomer freshe also and holsome to bee droonke These sprynges make a ryuer than can not bee waded ouer whiche neare at hande ioynynge with the other fauleth into the lake Here muste wee staye a whyle The kynge of this regyon founde his wyfe praying in a chapel builded by the Christians with in the precincte of his dominion A myracle and required her coompanie to satisfye his fleshely luste His wyfe reproued hym and put hym in remembraunce to haue respecte to the holye place The woordes whiche shee spake to hym The Indian language were these Teitoca Teitoca whiche is as muche to saye as bee quyet bee quyet Techeta cynato guamechyna That is god wyl bee greatly angerie Guamechyna sygnifyeth god Techeta greatly Cynato angrie But the husbande halynge her by the arme sayde Guaibba that is go Cynato macabuca guamechyna That is what is that to me if god be angerye A kyng stricken dumme and lame by â— myracle And with these woordes as he profered her violence soodenlye he became dumme and lame Yet by this myracle beynge striken with repentaunce he euer after ledde a relygious lyfe In soo muche that from thense foorthe hee woolde neuer suffer the chapell to bee swepte or decked with any other mannes hande By the same myracle manye of thinhabitauntes and all the Christians beyng moued resorted deuoutly to the chappell They take it in good parte that the kynge suffered the reuenge of that reproche Lette vs nowe retourne to Caspium That salte lake is tossed with stormes and tempestes And oftentymes drowneth smaule shyppes or fyssher boates and swaloweth them vppe with the maryners Such as are drowned in the lake are not cast vp ageyne In so muche that it hath not byn harde of that any man drowned by shyppewracke euer ploonged vppe ageyne or was caste on the shore as commonly chaunceth of the deade bodyes of suche as are drowned in the sea These tempestes are the deintie banquetes of the Tiburones This Caspium is cauled Hagueigabon In the myddest hereof lyeth an Ilande named Guarizacca The Ilande Guarizacca in the myddest of the poole A lake of salt and freshe water to the whiche they resorte when they go a fysshynge But it is not cultured There is in the same playne an other lake nexte vnto this whose water is myxte of salte and freshe And is therfore nother apte to bee droonke not yet to bee refused in vrgente necessytie This conteineth in length .xxv. miles and in breadth eight myles In summe places also nyne or ten It receaueth manye ryuers whiche haue no passage owte of the same but are swalowed vppe as in the other Water springeth out of the sea into this also but in no great quantitie whiche is the cause that it is so commyxte In the same prouynce towarde the Weste syde there is an other lake of freshe water A lake of fresshe water not farre distante from Caspius This thinhabitauntes caule Iainagua The same salte lake hath on the North syde therof an other named Guaocaa This is but lyttle as not past three or foure myles in breadth and one in length The water of this maye well bee droonke On the southe syde of the salte lake there lyeth an other named Babbareo of three myles in length and in maner rounde The water of this is freshe as of â—he two other This lake bycause it hath no passage owte nor yet any swalowynge goulfes conueyeth the superfluous waters to the sea if it be encreased with the streames whiche faule sumtimes more abondantly froÌ„ the montaines This is in the region of Xamana in the prouince of Bainoa There is an other cauled Guaniba lying betwene the East the South nere vnto the syde of Caspius This is ten myles in length and almoste rounde A lake of ten myles in lâ—ngth There are furthermore many other smaule standyng pooles or lakes disparsed here and there in the Iland whiche I wyll lette passe leste I shulde bee tedious in remainyng to longe in one thynge I wyll therfore make an ende with this addition that in all these great plentie of fyshe and foule is nourysshed All these lakes lye in a large playne the whiche from the East reacheth into the West a hundreth and twentie myles A playne of a hundreth and twentie miles beyng of breadth .xviii. myles where it is narowest and .xxv. where it is largest Lookyng toward the West it hath collaterally on the lefte hande the montaines of Daiguani And on the ryght hande the montaines of Caigua so cauled of the name of the vale it selfe At the rootes of the montaines of Caigua toward the North syde there lyeth an other vale much longer larger then that before named For it conteineth in length almoste two hundreth myles A playne of two hundreth myles in length And in breadth .xxx. wher it is largest about .xx. wher it is narowest This vale in summe parte therof is cauled Maguana In an other place Iguamu elles where Hathathiei And forasmuche as wee haue here made mention of this parte of the vale named Hathathiei wee wyll sumwhat digresse from the discourse of this description and entreate of a thinge so straunge and maruelous that the lyke hath not vyn hard of So it is therfore that the kyng of this region named Caramatexius taketh great pleasure in fysshinge Into his nettes chanced a yonnge fyshe of the kynde of those huge monsters of the sea whiche thinhabitours caule Manari The maruelous fysshe Manari not founde I suppose in owre seas nor knowen to owre men before this tyme. This fyâ—he is foure footed and in shape lyke vnto a tortoyse althoughe shee be not couered with a shel but with scales And those of such hardnesse couched in suche order that no arrowe can hurâ—e her Her scales are byseâ— defend with a thousand knobbes Her backe is playne and her heade vtterly lyke the heade of an oxe She lyueth both in the water and on the lande She is slowe of mouynge of condition meeke gentell A monster of the sea fedde with mans hande assocyable and louing to mankind and of a maruelous sence or memorie as are the elephant and the delphyn The king norisshed this fyshe certeine daies at home with the breade of the countrey made of the roote of Iucca and Panycke with suche other rootes as men are accustomed to eate For when shee was yet but younge he cast her into a poole or lake neare vnto his palaice there to bee fedde with hande This lake also receaueth waters and casteth not the same foorth ageine It was in tyme passe cauled Guaurabo But is nowe cauled the lake of Manaâ—i after the name
he into the poole euen vnto the chynne For beinge from theyr infancie exercised in swymmynge and accustomed to the waters they refuse not to continue therein a longe space The foules thynkynge this gourde to be one of the other that swymme vppon the water the fouler goeth softly to the place wher he seeth the greatest flocke of foules And with waggynge his heade counterfectinge the mouing of the wauerynge gourdes drawethe neare to the foules where softely puttynge foorth his ryght hande he soodenly snatcheth one by the legges and plungeth her into the water where he putteth her into a bagge whiche he hath with hym of purpose The other foules supposinge that this dyued into the water of her owne motion to seke for foode as is their maner are nothyng moued hereby but go forwarde on their waye as before vntyll they also faule into the same snare I haue here for this cause entered into the declaration of theyr maner of huntynge and foulynge that by these more pleasaunt narrations I may sumwhat mytigate and asswage the horrour conceaued in yowre stomake by the former rehearsall of theyr bluddy actes and cruell maners Lette vs nowe therfore speake sumwhat ageyne of the newe and later opinions as concernynge the swyfte course of the sea towarde the west about the coastes of Paria Lâ—â—er opinions of the swift course of the Ocean towarde the west also of the maner of gathering of golde in the golde myne of Dariena as I was aduertised of late And with these two quyet and peaceable thynges we wyl make an ende of the tragical affayres of the Ocean and therwith byd yowre holynes fare wel So it is therfore that Andreas Moralis the pylot and Ouiedus of whom we haue made mention before repayred to me at my house in the towne of Matrite As we met thus togyther there arose a contention betwene them two as concernynge this course of the Ocean They both agree that these landes and regions perteynynge to the dominion of Castile doo with one continuall tract and perpetuall bonde embrase as one hole firme lande or continent al the mayne lande lyinge on the north syde of Cuba and the other Ilandes The contineÌ„t or firme land beinge also northwest both from Cuba and Hispaniola Yet as touchynge the course of the water they varrie in opinion For Andreas wyll that this vyolent course of water bee receaued in the lappe of the supposed continente which bendeth so much and extendeth so farre towarde the North as we haue said And that by the obiect or resistance of the lande so bendynge and crookynge the water shulde as it were rebounde in coompasse and by force therof be dryuen about the north syde of Cuba and the other Ilandes excluded without the circle cauled Tropicus Caneri where the largenes of the sea maye receaue the waters faulynge frome the narowe streames and therby represse that inordinate course by reason that the sea is there very large and great I can compare his meanynge to nothynge more aptely then to the swyfte streame commyng foorth of a mylle and faulyng into the myl poole For in al suche places where waters runne with a vyolent faule through narowe chanels and are then receaued in large pooles they are soodenly disparcled and theyr violence broken So that wheras before they seemed of such force as to ouerthrowe all thynges beinge in theyr waye it can not then be perceaued which way they runne The Admiral him selfe Diegus Colonus The vyages of Diegus Colonus sonne and heyre to Christophorus Colonus the fyrst fynder of these landes who had nowe in commyng and goinge foure tymes passed throughe these seas beinge demaunded of me what he founde or perceaued in saylynge too and fro The vyage from the new landes to Spayne answered that there was muche difficultie in returnynge the same way by the which they go But wheras they fyrst take the waye by the mayne sea towarde the North before they directe theyr course to Spayne he saythe that in that tract he felt the shippe sumtymes a lyttle dryuen backe by the contrary course of the water Yet supposeth that this chaunceth onely by the ordinarie flowynge and reflowynge of the sea And the same not to be enforced by the circumflection or course of the water reboundynge in compasse as we haue sayde But thinketh rather that this mayne lande or supposed continent shulde sumwhere bee open And that the sayde open place shoulde bee as it were a gate enterie or streyght diuydyng the North partes of that lande from the South by the which also the Ocean runnynge towarde the West may by the rotation or impulsion of the heauens bee dryuen about the hole earth Ouiedus agreeth with Andreas Motralis as touchynge the continuall adherence and closenes of the sayde continente Yet neyther that the waters shulde so beate ageynst the bendynge backe of the West lande or bee in such sorte repulsed and dryuen into the mayne sea But saith that he hath diligently consydered that the waters runne from the deepest and myddest of the maine sea towarde the West Also that saylinge nere vnto the shore with smaule vesselles he founde the same waters to returne ageine towarde the East The contrary course of waters So that in the same place they runne together with contrary course as we oftentimes see the lyke to chaunce in riuers wherby the obiecte of the bankes diuers whirlepooles and turnynges aryse in the water By reason wherof if any chaffe strawe woodde or any other thyng of lyght substance be caste in any suche places in ryuers it foloweth that al such as runne with the water in the myddest of the chanell procede well forwarde But suche as faule into the bendynge goulfes and indented margentes of the crooked bankes are caryed ouerthwarte the chanell and so wander about vntyll they meete with the ful and directe course of the ryuer Thus haue we made yowe partener of suche thinges as they haue gyuen vs and writen their dyuers opinions We wyll then gyue more certeyne reason when more certeyne truth shal be knowen We must in the meane tyme leane to opinions vntil the day coome appointed of god to reueale this secreate of nature with the perfecte knowleage of the pointe of the pole starre The poynt of the pole star Hauyng sayd thus muche of the course of the Ocean a briefe declaration of the golde mynes of Dariena The golde mynes of Dariena and the maner of gatherynge golde shall close vppe owre Decades and make an ende of owre trauayles Wee haue sayde that nyne myles distante from Dariena are the sydes of the hylles and the drye playnes in the whiche golde is gathered bothe on the drye lande and also on the bankes and in the chanelles of ryuers Therfore to al such as are wyllynge to gather golde there is of ordinarie custome appointed to euery man by the suruoiers of the mynes a square plotte of grounde conteyning twelue pases at
fearynge thexemple of thinhabitantes of Potanâ—hana the fame wherof myght haue coome to theyr eares or els hopynge that vnder the shadowe of suche valiant menne they myght obteyne ayde and succour ageynst theyr enemies and bortherers For as I haue sayde before they dystroye one an other with continuall warre for the desyre to inlarge theyr dominions Owre men refused perpetuall habitacion and accepted theyr frendely profer for a tyme. As they came alande the people folowed them on euery syde with bouwes in theyr handes which they helde ouer owre mens heades to defende them from the rayne as though they had walked in a continual arbour Here they encamped And least the residue lefte in the shippes shulde in the meane tyme waxe slothefull with Idlenes the gouernour gaue commaundement to Alaminus the pylot and Francis Montegius to search the west partes of that lande whyle he relieued the weried souldiers and healed suche as were wounded To them that went forward on this vyage he assigned two brigantines with fiftie men An other vâ—age of two brygantines fiftie men Unto this goulfe the course of the water was gentyl enough and moderate where the sea runneth swyftly from the East to the West But when they had sayled a lyttle further towarde the Weste they founde the sea runnynge with so swift a course as if it were a great ryuer faulynge from the tops of hygh mountaynes In so much that in a shorte space of tyme it caried them fiftie myles from theyr felowes When they were now entered into this violent streame of the water A conflict betwene the waters comming from the west and from the south they sawe on their left hand a large playne sea which mette with the course of the other waters faulynge from the weste And lyke as two great ryuers that runne contrary wayes make a vehement conflycte where they meete so seemed the waters commyng from the Southe to resyst these waters as enemyes that had entered into the ryght or possessyon of an other On the contrary parte they sawe the lande reachynge farre bothe on the lefte hande and on the ryght In this strife betwene the waters they were so tossed on bothe sydes and entangled with whirlepooles A dangerous and peinefull vyage that they longe wrestled with owte hope of lyfe At the length with muche difficultie turnynge the stemmes or forpartes of their shyppes ageynst the streame from whense they came and labourynge al that they myght with their oers and sayles they coulde scarsely ouercoome the rage of the water In so much that where as they thought that they had in one nyght sayled twoo myles they founde that they were dryuen backe foure myles Yet at the length with goddes helpe they ouercame this daungerours conflycte They spente .xxii. daies in this lyttle space of sea And when they were nowe returned to their felowes declared vnto them that that ende was the land of Colluacana whiche they adiudged to be parte of the supposed continent The land of Colluacana The lande whiche they sawe a farre of before their fase they suppose eyther to be annexed to owre continent or to bee ioyned to the large North regions cauled Baccalaos The land of Baccaleos or Baccalâ—arum wherof we haue made mention in owr Decades in the vyage of Sebastian Cabote This matter is yet doubtefull But wee truste it shall once bee better knowen While Alaminus and Montegius searched these secreates the kynge of the prouince whose name was Multoxumam sent owre men by one of his chiefe offycers beynge also his Lieuetenaunt of the sayde towne many ryche and goodly presentes of golde syluer and precious stoones Rych presenâ—es of golde and precious sleâ—es sette and wroughte after a marueylous straunge deuyse and with no lesse cunnynge woorkemanshyp Here they determined to sende messengiers to owre newe Emperour to knowe his pleasure that they myght in this prouince planâ— a newe colonie or habitation And this dyd they withowte thaduise of Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Iland of Cuba or Fernandina who fyrste sente them foorth with commaundement to returne ageyne after they had searched these regions and obteyned plentie of golde While they consulted hereof they were of dyuers opinions But the moste part alleaged that in this case it was not requisyte to make the gouernour of their counsaile Forasmuche as the matter shulde be referred to a higher Iudge as to the kyng of Spaine him selfe When they were thus agreed they receaued vyttayles of the gentle kyng of the prouince and assigned the place of their colonie twelue myles from the sayde towne in a fruteful and holsome soile A newe colonie For their generall gouernour they elected Cortesius the gouernour of the nauye against his wyll as sum saye For other magistrates to gouerne the citie which they intended to build he choose Portuâ—arerius and Montegius of whome we haue made mention before This Cortesius hath written a booke of these thinges They chose also certeyne messengiers to sende to the kyng by the conduction of Alaminus the pylot Furthermore foure of the princes of this prouince offered theÌ„ selues wyllyngly to go with owre men into Spaine to thintent to see owre landes and that kynge whose poure is soo great and whose auctoritie reacheth so farre They brought lykewise two women with them which serued obeied theÌ„ in all thinges after the maner of theyr countrey The people of this nation is of broune or yelowyshe colour Bothe the men and the women haue pendauntes of gold and precious stones hanginge at their eares The men also boore their nether lyppes full of holes from the vppermoste parte of the lyppe euen vnto the nethermoste parte of the gumme They weare rynges and plates at ther lyppes At these they hange certeyne rynges and plates of golde and syluer fastned to a smaule and thynne plate lyinge within betwene the lippe and the gumme At the byggest hole in the myddest of the lip there hangeth a rounde plate of syluer as brode as the coyne cauled a Corolyne and as thicke as a mannes fynger I do not remember that euer I sawe any thinge that seemed more fylthy in myne eye The dyuers phantasies of men Yet do they thynke that there is nothing more cumly vnder the circle of the moone Wherby we may see howe vainely mankynde wandereth in his owne blyndnesse The Ethiopian thincketh the blacke colour to be fayrer then the white And the white man thinketh otherwise They that are pouled thinke that more decent then to weare a bush and they that weare beardes iudge it a deformitie to be shauen As appetite therfore moueth and not as reason perswadeth men runne after vanities And euery prouynce is rulâ—d by their ownesense as writeth saint Ierome From whense they haue their golde we haue spoken sufficiently before But as owre men marueyled where they had their syluer Syluer they shewed them certayne high mountaynes whiche are continually couered
they take this with them to begyn with all vntyl Tuyra who maketh them all these fayre promisses prouyde them of greater quantitie This haue I my selfe sene in the toppe of the mountaynes of Guaturo where hauynge in pryson the kynge of that prouince who rebelled from thobedience of yowre maiestie and demaundynge of hym to whom perteyned those sepultures or graues whiche I sawe in his houâ—e he answered that they were of certeyne Indians whiche â—â—ewe them selues at the death of his father And bycause they are oftentymes accustomed to burye greate quantities of wrought golde with them I caused twoo graues to bee opened wherein was nothynge founde but a vessell full of the grayne of Maizium and a bundell of Iucca as I haue sayde And demaundyng the cause hereof of the kinge and the other Indians they aunswered that they that were buryed there were the labourers of the grounde and men skylful in sowynge of seedes and makynge of breade and seruauntes to the kynges father And to th ende that theyr soules shoulde not dye with theyr bodyes they slewe them selues at the deathe of the kynge theyr master to lyue with hym in heauen And to thintent that they myght seene him there in the same office they reserued that Maizium and Iucca to sowe it in heauen Wherunto I aunswered them in this maner Beholde howe your Tuyra deceaueth yowe And howe all that he teacheth yow is false Yowe see how in so long a tyme sence they are deade they haue not yet taken awaye this Maizium and Iucca which is nowe putrified and woorth nothynge and not lyke to bee sowen in heauen To this the kynge replyed sayinge In that they haue not taken it away nor sowen it in heauen the cause is that they chaunced to fynde enowgh there by reason wherof they had no neade of this To this errour manye thynges were sayde which seemed of lyttle force to remoue hym from his false opinion and especially any such as at that age are occupyed of the deuyll whom they paynt of the selfe same forme and coloure as he appereth vnto theym in dyuers shapes and formes They make also Images of golde copper and woodde to the same similitudes in terrible shapes and so variable as the paynters are accustomed to paynt them at the feete of saynte Mychaell tharchangell or in anye other place where they paynt them of most horrible portiture Lykewyse when the deuyll greatly intendeth to feare theym he threteneth to sende them great tempestes which they caule Fuâ—acanas or Haurachanas and are so vehement that they ouerthrowe many howses and great trees And I haue seene in montaynes full of many and greate trees thâ—t for the space of three quarters of a league the mâ—untayne hathe byn subuerted and the trees ouerâ—hrowen and plucked owte of the earthe with the rootes a thynge doubtelesse so fearefull and terryble to behold that it may verely appere to be doen by the hand of the deuyll And in this case the Christian men ought to consider with good reason that in al places where the holy sacrament is reserued the sayd tempestes are no more so owtragious or so perelous as they were wonte to bee ¶ Of the temperature of the regions vnder or neare to the burnt lyue cauled Torrida zona or the Equinoctiall and of the dyuers seasons of the yeare THe landes and regions that are neare about the clymes of the Equinoctiall lyne are naturally hotte althowghe they bee otherwise temperate by the diuine prouidence And therfore suche flesshe or fyshe as is taken and kylled in these regions can not bee preserued from putrefaction except it be tosted sodden or perboylde the same daye that it is kylde And wheras I haue sayde that such regions are naturally hot and yet temperate by the prouidence of god it is so in deede And therfore not without cause the auncient autours were of opinion that the burnte lyne or Torrida zona where passeth the lyne of the Equinoctiall shulde be vnhabitable by reason the soonne hath greater dominion in that place then in any other of the sphere remaynynge continually betwene the two tropykes of Cancer and Capricorne For when in these regions the earth is opened or dygged froÌ„ the superficial parte therof to the depth of a mans heyght it is founde temperate And within this space the trees and plantes fasten and spreade their rootes and no dieper Extendynge the same as farre in breadth in the ground as do theâ—r braunches in the ayer And enter no dieper into the grounde then I haue sayde bycause that beneth the depth of the said space of a mans heyght the earth is verye hotte the vppâ—r parte beinge temperate and verye moyste aswell by reason of thaboundaunce of water whiche fauleth from heauen vppon that earth at certeyne ordinarie seasons of the yeare as also for the multitude of great ryuers brokes sprynges and marysshes wherby the myghtie and supreme lorde which made theâ—e landes hath moste prudently prouyded for the preseruation of the same R. E. As touchynge this poynt whiche was vnknowen to the owlde wryters and withowt consideration wherof reaâ—on can not perfectly conceaue howe temperate regione shulde be vnder the Equinoctiall lyne I haue thought good for the better manifestynge of this â—ecreate woorke of nature to note owte of Cardanus his booke de Elementis howe all waters haue theyr courâ—e toward the South as to the lowest part of the earth he wayteth therefore as foloweth The water was made of lesse quantitie then the earth and only in maner in the superficiall parte therof that place might bee lefte for the habitation of beastes and that water by his couldnesse myght temperate and not destroy the lyfe of beastes And bicause this generation of lyuynge creatures was only necessary on the superficiall partes of the earth in comparison to the hole therfore was the water made to occupie onely the superficiall parte in the which metals plantes beastes and fysshes shulde bee nuryshed And bycause there was great perell least it shulde be to much conâ—umed by the ayer and heate of the soonne continuall mouinge was ioyned to it wherby it gathereth couâ—denes and is preserued from sodeyne resolution For suche waters as doo not moue â–ª doo soone putrifie and are easely resolued into ayer By reason wherof nature prouyded for the generation of water in couâ—de places as vnder the coles and mountaynes And whereas the earth vnder the Equinoctiall shuâ—de otherwiâ—e for lacke of moyster haue bin to much burned and scorched â–ª nature also prouyded that that parte of the earth shulde bee lowest by reason whâ—reof all waters haue theyr course towarde the South to mitigate with moyster thextremitie of heate which otherwise shulde haue byn intollerable in that câ—yme And by this reason the famous ryuer of Nilus in Egypte albeit it haue his originall and â—prynge owt of the mountaynes of the mone cauled Montes Lunae nere vnto the cyrcle of Capricoâ—ne yet runnynge with all his braunches vnder and
that when they haue caused the sayde ryndes and leaues to boyle togyther they make in the same vessell without any chaunge as I haue sayde as many colours as them lysteth Whiche thynge I suppose to coomme to passe by the disposition of the coloure whiche they haue fyrste gyuen to the thynge that they intende to dye or colour whether it bee threede webbe or clothe or any thynge that they intende to coloure ¶ Of venemous apples wherwith they poyson theyr arrowes THe apples wherewith the Indian Canibales inueneme theyr arrowes growe on certeyne trees couered with many braunches and leaues beinge very greene and growyng thicke They are laden with abundaunce of these euyll frutes and haue theyr leaues lyke the leaues of a peare tree but that they are lesse and rounder The frute is much lyke the muscadell peares of the Ilande of Sicilie or Naples in forme and byggenesse And are in sum partes steyned with redde spottes and of very sweete sauours These trees for the moste parte growe euer by the sea coastes and neare vnto the water And are so fayre and of pleasaunte sauour that there is no man that seethe theym but wyll desyre to eate therof In so much that if it may bee spoken of any frute yet growynge on the earth Note I wolde saye that this was the vnhappy frute wherof owre fyrste parentes Adam and Eue tasted wherby they both lost theyr felicitie and procured death to them theyr posteritie Of these frutes and of the greate antes whose bytynge causeth swellynge whereof I haue spoken els where and of the eutes or lysartes and vypers and such other venemous thynges the Canibales which are the chyefe archers amonge the Indians Canibales archiers are accustomed to poyson theyr arrowes wherwith they kyll all that they wounde wherwith they inuenymther arrowes These venemes they mengle togyther and make thereof a blacke masse or composition which appeareth lyke vnto very blacke pytche Of this poyson I caused a great quantitie to be burnt in Sancta Maria Antiqua in a place two leaques and more within the lande with a greate multitude of theyr inuenemed arrowes and other munition with also the house wherein they were reserued This was in the yeare .1514 at suche tyme Pâ—trus Arias as tharmy arriued there with capitayne Pedrarias da villa at the commaundemente of the Catholyke kynge Don Ferdinando But to returne to the hystory These apples as I haue said growe neare vnto the sea And wheras the Christians which serue yowr maiestie in these parties suppose that there is no remedy so profytable for such as are wounded with these arrowes as is the water of the sea if the wounde be much wassted therwith The water of the sea by which meanes sum haue escaped although but fewe yet to saye the trewthe albeit the water of the sea haue a certeyne caustike qualitie agenyst poyson it is not a sufficient remedy in this case nor yet to this day haue the Christian perceaued that of fiftie that haue byn wounded three haue recouered But that yowr maiestie may the better consyder the force of the veneme of these trees yowe shall further vnderstande that yf a man doo but repose hym selfe to sleepe a lyttle whyle vnder the shadow of the same he hath his head and eyes so swolne when he ryseth that the eye lyddes are ioyned with the chekes And if it chaunce one droppe or more of the dewe of the sayde tree to faule into the eye it vtterly destroyeth the syght The pestilent nature of this tree is such that it can not bee declared in fewe woordes Of these there groweth greate plentie in the goulfe of Vraba towarde the North coast on the Weste and Easte syde The goulf of vraba The wood of these trees when it burneth maketh so greate a stynke that noo man is able to abyde it by reason it causeth so great a peyne in the headde Amonge other trees which are in these Indies as well in the Ilandes as in the firme lande there is an other kynde which they caule Xagua Xagua wherof there is great plentie They are very hygh and streyght and fayre to beholde Of these they vse to make pykes and iauelyns of dyuers lengthes and byggenesse They are of a fayre colour betwene russette and whyte This tree bryngeth foorth a greate frute as bygge as Papauer or poppie and much lyke therunto It is very good to be eaten when it is â—ype Owte of this they gette a very cleare water wherwith they wasshe theyr legges and sumetymes all theyr boddyes when they feele theyr flesshe werye faynt or loose The which water bysydâ— that it hath a byn dynge qualitie it hath also thâ—s propertie thâ—t what so euer it toucheth it steyneth it blacke by lyâ—tle and lyttle vntyll it bee as blacke as giete which coloure can not be taken away in lesse space then tenne or twelue dayes And if the nayle bee but touched therwith it is so steined that it can by no meanes bee taken away vntyll it eyther faule of or growe owte and bee clypped away by lyttle and lyttle as I my selfe haue oftentymes seene by experience There is an other kynde of trees whith they caule Hobi. Hobi. These are very great and fayre Sum thynke these to be miâ—obalanes cause holsome ayer where they growe and a pleasaunt shadow and are founde in great abundaunce Theyr frute is very good and of good tast and sauoure and much lyke vnto certeyne damsons or prunes beinge lyttle and yelowe But theyr stone is very great by reason wherof they haue but lyttle meate Theyr barke or rynde boyled in water maketh a holsome bathe for the legges bycause it bindeth and steyeth the loosenesse of the flesshe so sencibly that it is a marueyle to consyder It is suerly a holsome and excellent bathe ageynst such fayntnesse And is the beste tree that may bee founde in those parties to sleepe vnder For it causeth no heauinesse of the headde as doo dyuers other trees Whiche thynge I speake bycause the Christians are muche accustomed in those regions to lye in the fyeldes It is therfore a common practice amonge them that where so euer they fynd these trees there they spreade theyr mattresses and beddes wherin they sleepe There are also a kynde of hyghe date trees and full of thornes Date trees The woodde of these is moste excellent beinge very blacke and shynynge and so heauy that no parte thereof can swymme aboue the water but synketh immediatly to the bottome Of this woodde they make theyr arrowes and dartes Also iauelyns speares and pykes And I saye pykes bycause that in the coastes of the sea of Sur Thinhabitanâ—es of the sea of Sur. beyonde Esquegus and Vracha the Indians vse great and longe pykes made of the woodde of these date trees Of the same lykewyse they make clubbes and swoordes and dyuers other weapons Also vesselles and housholde stuffe
Ocean as also when they lye at anker or at any other time and especially the leaste kynd of these fisshes When the shippes are vnder sayle the biggest sorte are taken after this maner When the Tiburon seeth the shippe sailinge he foloweth it swymmynge behynde The which thinges the mariners seeinge caste furthe all the fylthe of the shippe into the sea for the fysshe to eate who neuerthelesse foloweth theÌ„ with equal pase although thâ—y make neuer suche haste wyth full wynd and sailes and waloweth on euery syde and about the shyppe And thus foloweth it sumetyme for the space of a hundreth and fyftie leaques and more And when the mariners are disposed to take them they cast downe by the sterne of the shippe a hoke of yren as bigge as the biggest finger of a mans hande of three spannes in lengthe and crooked like a fysshehooke with beardes accordinge to the bignesse thereof and fastened to an iren chayne of fyue or syxe linkes neare vnto th ende and from thense tyed with a greate rope fastening also on the hooke for a bayte a piece of sum fisshe or hogges flessh or sum other flesshe or the bouwelles and intralles of an other Tiburon whâ—che they haue taken before whiche may easely bee doone for I haue seene nyne taken in one day And if they wold haue taken more they myght also Thus when the Tiburon hath pleasauntly folowed the ship a longe viage at the lengthe he swaloweth the baite with the hooke And aâ—well by his stryuinge to flye or escape as also by the swyfte passage of the sâ—yppe the hooke ouerthwarteth and catcheth hold of his chappes The which fisshe wheÌ„ it is takeÌ„ it is of suche huge bâ—ggenesse that twelue or fyfeteene men are scarsely able to drawe it owt of the water and lifte it into the shyppe Where one of the mariners gyueth it many knockes on the headde with a clubbe or beetle vntil he haue slaine it They are sumtymes founde of tenne or twelue foote long and of fyue syxe or seuen spannes in breadth where they are brodest They haue very greate and wyde mouthes to the proportion of the reste of theyr boddies and haue two rowes of teethe the one sumewhat separate from the other of cruell shape standing very thicke When they haue slayne this fysshe they cutte the boddy therof in smaule pieses and put it to drye hangynge it three or foure dayes at the cordes of the sayle clothes to drye in the wynde and then eate it It is doubtlesse a good fysshe and of greate commoditie to serue the shippes for vitalles for many dayes The leaste of these fysshes are moste holsome and tender It hath a skinne much like to the skynne of a sole whervnto the sayde Tuberon is like in shape Which I saye bycause Plinie hath made mention of none of these three fisshes among the number of them wherof he wryteth in his natural historie Plinie These Tiburons coomme furth of the sea and enter into the ryuers where they are no lesse perelous then greate lisartes or Crocodiles wherof I haue spoken largely before Crocodyles For they deuoure men kine and horses euen as doo the Crocodiles They are very daungerous in certeyne wasshynge places or pooles by the ryuers sydes and where they haue deuoured at other tymes Dyuers other fysshes both greate and smaule of sundry sortes and kyndes are accustomed to folowe the shyppes goynge vnder sayle of the which I wyl speake sumwhat when I hâ—ue wrytten of Manate which is the thyrde of the three whereof I haue promysed to entreate Manates Manate therefore is a fysshe of the sea of the byggest sorte and muche greater then the Tiburon in length and breadth And is very brutysshe and vyle so that it appeareth in forme lyke vnto one of those great vesselles made of goates skynnes wherin they vse to cary newe wyne in Medina de Campo or in Areualo The headde of this beast is lyke the head of an oxe with also lyke eyes And hath in the place of armes two great stumpes wherwith he swymmeth It is a very gentle and tame beaste And coÌ„meth ofteÌ„tymes owt of the water to the next shore where if he find ny herbes or grasse he feedeth therof Owre men are accustomed to kyl many of these and dyuers other good fysshes with theyr crossebowes pursuinge them in barkes or Canoas bycause they swymme in maner aboue the water The whiche thynge when they see they drawe them with a hooke tyde at a smaule corde but sumwhat stronge As the fysshe flyeth away the archer letteth go and prolongeth the corde by lyttle and lyttle vntyll he haue lette it go many fathams At the ende of the corde there is tyde a corke or a piece of lyght woodde And when the fysshe is goone a lyttle way hathe coloured the water with his bludde and feeleth hym selfe to faynt and drawe towarde th ende of his lyfe he resortethe to the shore and the archer foloweth gatherynge vp his corde wherof whyle there yet remaine sixe or eyght fathams or sumwhat more or lesse he draweth it towarde the lande and draweth the fysshe therwith by little and lyttle as the waues of the sea helpe hym to doo it the more easely Then with the helpe of the reste of his companie he lyftethe thâ—s greate beast owt of the water to the lande beinge of such hygnesse that to conuey it from thense to the citie it shal be requâ—site to haue a carte with a good yoke of oxen and sumtymes more accordyng as these fysshes are of byggenesse sum being much greater then other sum in the same kynde as is seene of other beastes Sumtymes they lyft these fysshes into the Canoa or barke withowt drawynge them to the lande as before For as soone as they are slayne they flote aboue the water And I beleue verely that this fysshe is one of the best in the world to the taste and the lykest vnto flesshe Eâ—pecially so lyke vnto biefe that who so hath not seene it hole can iudge it to bee none other when he seethe it in pieces then verye biefe or veale And is certeynly so lyke vnto flesshe that all the men in the worlde may herein bee deceaued The taste lykewyse is lyke vnto the tast of very good veale and lasteth longe yf it bee poudered So that in fine the base of these parties is by no meanes lyke vnto this This Manate The fysshe Manate hath a câ—rteine stone or rather bone in his headde within the brayne which is of qualitie greatly appropriate ageynste the disease of the stone A remedy ageynst the stone if it bee burnte and grounde into smaule pouder and taken fastynge in the mornynge when the payne is felte in such quantitie as may lye vppon a penye with a drawght of good whyte wyne For beynge thâ—s taken three or foure mornynges it aâ—quieteth the grefe as dyuers haue toulde me whiche haue proued it trewe And I my selfe by
men of holy lyuynge and vertuous exemple There is also a very good hospitall for the ayde and succour of pore people An hospitale whiche was founde by Michaell Passament threasurer to yowr maiestie To conclude this citie froÌ„ day to day increaseth in welth and good order aswel for that the sayde Admyrall and viceroy with the lorde Chaunceloure and counsayle appoynted there by yowr maiestie haue theyr continuall abydynge here as also that the rychest men of the Ilande resort hyther for theyr moste commodious habitation and trade of such marchaundies as are eyther brought owt of Spayne or sent thyther from this Iland which nowe so abundeth in many thynges that it serueth Spayne with mâ—ny commodities as it were with vsury requityng such benefites as it fyrst receaued from thense The people of this Ilande are commonlye of sumewhat lesse stature then are the Spanyardes and of a shynynge or cleare browne coloure They haue wyues of theyr owne and absteyne from theyr dowghters systers and mothers They haue large forheades longe blacke heare and no beardes or heare in any other parts of theyr bodies aswel meÌ„ as women The people except very fewe as perhaps scarsely one amonge a thousand They go as naked as they were borne excepte that on the partes which may not with honestie bee seene they weare a certeyne leafe as brode as a mans hande which neuerthelesse is not kepte close with suche diligence but that sumtymes a man may see that they thynke sufficiently hydde In this Iland are certeyne glo woormes that shyne in the nyght as doo owres Glo wormes But are muche bygger and gyue a greater lyght In so much that when the men of the Ilande goo any iorneys in the nyght they beare summe of these woormes made fast abowt theyr fiete and heade in suche sorte that he that shulde see them a farre and ignorant of the thinge wolde bee greatly astonyshed therat By the lyght of these also the women woorke in theyr houses in the night These woormes they caule Cleuas Theyr lyght lasteth for the space of three dayes and diminissheth as they begynne to drye vp There is also a kynd of crowes whose breath stynketh in the mornynge and is sweete at after noone Crowes styâ—kynge and sweete The excremente which they auoyde is a lyuynge worme As touchynge other thynges of this Ilande whereof Peter Martyr hath more largely intreated in his Decades I haue thought it superfluous to repeate the same ageyne owte of this hystorie of Gonzalus Ferdinandus but haue here gathered only suche thynges as eyther are not touched of Peter Martyr or not so largely declared as I haue doone the lyke in all other notable thynges which I haue collected owt of this Summarie of Gonzalus ¶ Of the Ilande of Cuba and other OF the Ilande of Cuba and the other as the Ilandes of Sancti Iohannis and Iamaica Saynt Iohn his Ilande Iamaica the same maye bee sayde in maner in all thynges as before of Hispaniola although not so largely Yet in lesse quantitie doo they brynge foorth the lyke thynges as gold copper cattayle trees plantes fysshes and such other of the whiche wee haue spoken there In Cuba is a certeyne kynde of Partyches beinge verye little with theyr fethers much of the colour of turtle dooues Partriches but are of muche better taste to bee eaten They are taken in great number And beinge brought wylde into the houses they becoome as tame within the space of three or foure dayes as though they had byn hatched there They becoomme exceadynge fatte in short space and are doubtelesse the most delicate and pleasaunt meate that euer I haue eaten But to let passe many other thynges that myght here bee sayde and to speake of two maruelous thynges which are in this Iland of Cuba wherof the one is Pellettes for gunnes wrought by nature that a valley conteynynge twoo or three leaques in length betwene two mountaynes is full of a kynde of very harde stones of suche perfecte roundenesse and lyke vnto pellettes of gunnes that no arte can make better or more exactly polysshed Of these sum are as smaule as pellettes for handegunnes and other so increasynge bygger and bygger from that quantitie that they may serue for all sortes of artyllerie althoughe they bee of byggenesse to receaue one or two or more quintales of pouder euery quintale conteynyng one hundreth weyght or of what other quantitie so euer they bee These pelletes are founde through owte al the valley within the earth as in a myne which they digge and take owâ—e such as they neede of all sortes The other marueylous thinge of this Iland is this That farre from the sea there issheweth owt of a mountayne a certeyne lycour much lyke the cley of Babilon cauled Bitumen or lyke vnto pytche in great quantitie and such as is very commodious for the calkynge of shyppes A fountayne of the pytche of Bitumen This fauleth continually from the rocke and runneth into the sea in suche abundaunce that it is seene flotynge aboue the water on euery side of the sea there abowt as it is dryuen frome place to place by the wynde or course of the water Quintus Cursius wryteth in his hystorie Quintus Cuâ—sius that great Alexander came to the citie of Memi where is a great caue or denne in the which is a sprynge or fountayne that continually auoydethe a great quantitie of Bitumen in such sort that it is an easy thing to beleue that the stones of the walles of Babilon myght bee layde therwith accordynge as the sayde auctoure wryteth Bitumen of Babiâ—on I haue seene this myne of Bitumen not only in the Iland of Cuba but also such an other in new Spayne which was found of late in the prouince of Panuco where it is much better then the other of Cuba Panuco as I haue seene by experience in calkynge of shyppes ¶ Of the lande of Baccaleos cauled Terra Baccalearum situate on the North syde of the firme lande SHortly after that yowr Maiestie came to the citie of Toledo there arryued in the moneth of Nouember Steuen Gomes the pylot who the yeare before of 1524. by the commaundement of yowre maiestie sayled to the Northe partes and founde a greate parte of lande continuate from that which is cauled Baccaleos discoursynge towarde the West to the .xl. and .xli. degree Baccaleos froÌ„ whense he broughe certeyne Indians for so caule wee all the nations of the new founde landes of the whiche he brought sum with hym from thense who are yet in Toledo at this present Indians and of greater stature then other of the firme lande as they are commonlye Theyr coloure is much lyke thother of the firme lande They are great archers and go couered with the skinnes of dyuers beastes both wylde and tame Ryche furres and syluer In this lande are many excellent furres as marterns sables and such other rych furres
salt water and fresshe wheras for the same cause the goulfe of Gothland is frosen bycause it is streyght narow in the whiche also the lyttle quantitie of salt water is ouercoome by the abundance of fresshe water of many and greate ryuers that faule into the goulfe But betwene Norwaye and Islande The sea betwene Norway and Islande the sea is not frosen for the contrary cause forasmuch as the poure of fresshe water is there ouercomme of thabundance of the salte water There is a fame but of vncerteyne autoritie that the Spanyardes sayle at this presente to Gronlande and to an other lande which they caule Terra viridis Terra Viridis that is the greene lande bringynge from thense suche wares as are founde in Gronlande Towarde the north it reacheth to the vnknowen lande vnder the pole from whense also the theues and robbers of thâ— Pigmei coomme into this lande Pigme Whiche is an argument that the regions vnder the pole are inhabited and almost enuironed with the sea as are they whiche the Cosmographers caule Chersonnesi or Peninsula that is almost Ilandes ☞ The description of Gronlande ¶ The description of the East syde whiche lyeth towarde Norway Wardhus castell 54.  70. 50. Towarde the North. 53. 30. 71. 30. The fyrst extention 40.  71. 40. The seconde extention 28.  72.  Huitsarch promont 22.  67.  The extention 5.  61. 45. It is continued from thense by the coastes of the lande of Baccallaos Baccalaos 356. 60. Towarde the west and north it is termined with an vnknowen ende of landes and seas Islande ISlande is interpreted the lande of Ise and is cauled of the owlde wryters Tâ—yle Island cauled Thyle It is extended betwene the south and the north almost two hundreth schoenes in longitude Schoeni is lx furlonges It is for the most part full of mountaynes and vncultured But in the playnes it hath suche frutefull pastures that they are fayne sumtymes to dryue the beastes from thâ—ir feedynge least they shulde bee suffocate with to much faâ—nes Miracles of nature in Islande This Iland is famous by the strange miracles of natuâ—e of the which Saxo Grammaticus in his hystorie of Denmarke and Olanus Gothus in his description of the nâ—râ—h landes doo make mention There are in it three mountaynes of marueylous height the toppes where of are couered with perpetuall snowe Three maruelous mountaynes But the nether partes of them are of lyke nature to the mountayne Etna in the Ilande of Sicilie boyling with continuall flames of fyre and castynge furth brymstone One of these is named Helga helgate and the other Mons Cruciâ— that le the mounte of the crosse The thyrde is named Hecla hecla whose flames neyther consume flare or rowe matters moste apte to take syre nor yet are quenched with water And with lyke force as the shotte of great artillerie is driuen furth by violence of fyre euen so by the commixtion and repugnaunce of fyre coulde and brymstome greate stones are here throwne into the ayer Nere vnto these mostraynes are three chynkes or open places in the earthe of houge byggenesse and suche depth eâ—pecially at the mounte Hecla that no syght can attayne therto Straunge vilions But to such as looke into them there fyrst appeare men as thowgh they were drowned and yet breathyng furth theyr sowles who beinge exhorted by theyr frendes to resorte to theyr owne they aunswere with moornynge voyce and greuous syghes that they must departe frome thense to the mount Hecla and therwith suddeynly vanysshe owte of syght I se floweth abowt the Ilande for the space of seuen or eyght moonethes Ise. makynge by runnynge togyther a certeyne miserable waylinge and gronynge noyse not vnlyke the voyce of man Purgatory Thinhabitauntes thynke that in this Ise the mounte Hecla A straunge thynge are the places where the euyll soules of theyr people are tormented If any man take a greate portion of this Ise and kepe it as diligently as may bee in a close vessell or cofer the same dooth so vanysshe at the tyme when the other I se abowt the Ilande dissolueth that not so much as one droppe of water or Ise can therof bee founde Not farre from these mountaynes reachynge toward the sea coastes are foure sprynges of water of moste diuers and contrary nature Four springs of contrary nature The fyrste by reason of his perpetuall and feruente heate suddeynely turneth all bodies that are caste therin into stones reseruynge neuerthelesse theyr fyrst forme and shape The seconde is of intollerable couldenesse The thyrde is sweeter then hony and most pleasaunte to quenche thyrst The fourth is playne poyson pestilent and deadely There is furthermore in these sprynges suche abundaunce of brymstone Abundaunce of brimstone that a thousande pounde weight therof is bought for lyttle as for the tenth parte of a ducate Theyr chiefe wares are dryed fysshe Dryed fysshe as soles maydens playces salpas stockefysshes and such other which they exchange for wheat and such other thynges as are browght thyther from Lubeck Hamborowe and Amsterdam For they haue oftentymes such scarsenesse of corne Scarsenes of corne that they vse dryed fysshe in the steade of breade althowgh in soommer the Ilande so floryssheth with greene and frutefull medowes that they are fayne sumtimes to dryue theyr beastes from pasture leaste they shulde suffocate for to much fattenesse as I haue sayde before They make very good butter and apte to bee vsed in matters of phisicke There are founde dyuers kindes of good haukes haukes as faulcons gerfalcons lanners and sperhaukes Also rauens crowes beares hares and foxes both whyte and blacke white raueÌ„s They haue most swyfte horses and such as runne .xxx. myles continually withowt rest or bayte They haue manye churches and houses buylded of the bones of whales and other greate fysshes houses of whales bones The nauigation is not open to this Ilande but in sommer season and that only for the space of foure moonethes The nauigation to Island by reason of the coulde and Ise whereby the passage is stopped If any stryfe or debate aryse on the sea amonge the mariners for the commoditie of the hauen the gouernour of the place althowgh he haue knowleage therof yet dooth he not punysshe them forasmuch as it apperteyneth not to his office to decerne such thynges as are doonne on the sea but only on the lande Shippes are there often tymes in great perell by reason of whales and such other monsters of the sea whales excepte the mariners take good heede and keepe them farre frome the shyppes with the noyse of droommes and emptie barrels cast into the sea There are many mynstrels and other that play on instrumentes with the sweete noyse whereof they vse to allure foules and fisshes to theyr nettes and snares One thynge seruyng for contrary vses Many also
admit no passage to Suecia The sea betwene Norway the Ilandes is cauled Tialleslund Euripus or the streightes The Ilande of Lofoth whose myddest .42 67 10. Langanas whose myddest 41 67 Uastral The streightes or boyling sea whose myddest .41 30 67 30. The sea betwene these three Ilandes is cauled Muscostrom that is boylynge At the flowynge of the sea it is swalowed into the caues and is blowne owt ageyne at the reflowynge with no lesse violence then the streames of ryuers faule from mountaynes This sea is nauigable vntyll it bee lower then the mouthes of the rockes Such as chaunce into it owt of dewe tyme are caried headlonge into whyrlepooles The fragmentes of the lost ships are seldome call vp ageyne But when they are caste vp they are so brused and freted ageynste the rockes Dangerous places in the sea that they seeme to bee ouergrowne with hore This is the poure of nature passyng the fabulous Simplegades and the fearefull Malea with the daungerous places of Silla and Caribdis and all other miracles that nature hath wrought in any other sea hytherto knowen to man The Ilandes abowt Norway are of such frutfull pasture Frutfull Ilandes about Norway that they brynge not theyr beastes into the stables before the moneth of NoueÌ„ber And do many places winter theÌ„ abrode Suecia or Suethlande ¶ Suecia is a kyngedome ryche in golde syluer Golde and syluer copper leade Iren fruyte cattayle and exceadynge increase of fysshe of the ryuers lakes and the sea And hath no lesse plentie of such wylde beastes as are taken with huntinge Towarde the West it is ended with the mountaynes of Norway from the Castel of Wardhus vnto th end wardhus castell 51 63 40 Towarde the South with the line from this ende vnto the degrees .53 30. 61. And frome thense vnto the degrees .61 60. 30. Aboue the goulfe of Suecia The goulfe of Suecia toward the north with the south ende of Lapponia from the castel of Wardhus vnto th ende .62 70. Towarde the Easte it is ended with the line frome this ende vnto the degree .63 69. c. Stokholme the chiefe citie The citie of Stockholme 64. 61. This is the chiefe mart towne of Suecia and is strongely defended by arte and nature It is situate in marisshes after the maner of Uenece and was therefore cauled Stokholme forasmuche as beinge placed in the water the fundation is fortified with stockes or piles The sea entereth into it with two armes or branches of such largenes and depth that ships of great burden and with mayne sayles may enter by the same with theyr full fraight This suffered of late yeares greuous spoyle destruction to the singular exemple of cruel hostilitie And such as the like hath not bin lightly shewed to any other citie receaued by league composition In al the tract from Scokholme to the lake aboue the riuer of Dalekarle which is in the degree Gold in could regâ—ons 56. 30. 63. 50. are mouÌ„taines frutful of good siluer copper and leade They gette great ryches by the salmons and plentie of other fysshes whiche they take in certeyne greate lakes Fysshe The dukedome of Agermannia occupieth the north syde to the consines of Laponia This tract is ful of wods in the wâ—iche they hunt the beastes cauled Uros or Bisontes which in theyr toonge they caule Elg The beaste cauled Uroâ— or Elg. that is wilde asses These are of such height that the highest part of their backes are equal with the measure of a man holdynge vp his armes as hyghe as he may reach c. Upsalia the chiefe citie Upsalia 62. 62. 30. here is buried the body of saynt Hericus kynge and martyr Copperdalia that is the copper valley Copperdaliâ— is a dukedome southwarde from the dukedome of Iemptia Under this is the valient nation of the people cauled Dalekarly Oplandia is a dukedome the nauil or middest of Scondia Oplandia The citie of Pircho on the north syde of the lake of Meler was once a great citie and able to arme .xiiii. thousande men to the warres but is nowe browght to a vyllage All the tracte of Oplandia hath mynes of syluer copper and steele Of the Ilandes and rockes that lye abowte Suecia the myddest is .67 30 61 30. These were cauled of the owlde wryters Done the reason of which name remayneth to this day For there are in these innumerable multitudes of byrdes Byrdes In so muche that thinhabitauntes of the nexte coaste sayle thyther in the mooneth of May whyle the byrdes syt on theyr egges which they steale and reserue them in salte for a longe tyme. Egges reserued in salte Bothnia BOthnia is so named of the precious furres of all sortes that are caried from thense into foraigne regions Precious furres For by these and theyr fysshynge they haue great commoditie Fysshe Salmons of the best sort are taken in these seas and are great ryches amonge these nations Bothnia is diuided into twoo partes as Nordbothnia and South Bothnia cauled Ostrobothnia Nordbothnia is termined with the south ende of the Lapones vnto the ende .78 30 69. Towarde the East it is termined with this end and vnto the degree .78 30 68 20. Towarde the West with the line terminynge the East syde of Suecia And towarde the Southe with the residue of the goulfe of Suecia from th ende that hath degrees .63 69. Ostrobothnia towarde the East is termined from the said ende of the most East coaste And towarde the South with a line extended by the mountaynes frome this ende vnto the degree .71 66 Towarde the north and weste with part of the goulfe of Suecia c. Gothia or Gothlande GOTHIA is by interpretacion good For the holye name of God is in the Germayne toonge Goth that is Good At what tyme the Gothes vppon a general consent sent furth theyr ofsrpyng or succession to seeke newe seates or countreys to inhabite Thinuasions of the Gothes and when they possessed the coastes of Meotis and Asia none of the owlde wryters haue made mention as farre as I knowe But they haue byn knowen sence the tyme that the Romanes dilated theyr Empyre by Illirium nowe cauled Slauonie vnto the ryuer of Danubius And were also famous from the tyme of Cesar Dictator and Octauianus Augustus by reason of theyr greate warres at Danubius beinge thuttermost bounde of Thempire The warre of the gotheâ— ageynst the Romans Neuerthelesse in that renoume what Gothia was vnder what parte of heauen it was situate or of whom the Gothes toke theyr original it hath byn vnknoweÌ„ almost to this age This is termined towarde the north with the south ende of Suecia And towarde the weste The boundes of Gothland with the other mountaynes of Norway which continewe from the boundes of Suecia to the mouthes of the ryuers of Trolheta c. It hath many goodly townes cities castels mines
be noted One quent is .x hundreth thousand◠wherof the one is that for so smaule charges they haue increased the reuenues of the crowne of Castyle as much as the Indies are in value The other is that endynge the conquest of the Moores who possessed the kyngdome of Granada eyght hundreth yeares they immediately beganne the conquest of the Indies as though the nation of the Spanyardes were euer appoynted to feyght ageynst infidels and enemies of the fayth of Iesu Chryst. By this trauayle of Colonus in so noble an enterpryse and so harde successe dooth the sayinge of Plinie appere to be most trew wher in the preface of his natural hystory wryttē to thēprour Uespasiā he writeth ī this maner Res ardus vetustis novitatem dare Nouis autori tatem absoletis nitorem obseuris lucem sastiditis gratiam dubiis fidem omnibus vero naturam et naturae fuatl omnia Itaque etiam non assecutis voluisse abund◠pulchrum atque magnificum est That is to say It is a dyfficulte thynge to gyue newenes to owlde thynges autoritie to newe thynges bewtie to thynges owt of vse fame to the obscure fauoure to the hatefull credite to the doubtefull nature to all and all to nature To such neuerthelesse as can not attayne to all these it is greately commendable and magnificall to haue attempted the same In the scuchen of armes gyuen to Colon by Don Ferdinando and queene Elizabeth Catholike princes so cauled for theyr warres ageynst the infidels these verses were wrytten Por Castilla y por Leon Nueuo mundo hallo Colon. That is For Castile and for Leon The newe worlde founde Colon. ¶ Of newe Spayne cauled Noua Hispania or Mexico NEwe Spayne is that parte of the continent or firme lande that lyeth West and South frome the lande of Floryda This was subdued to thempire of Castile by the ryght noble gentelman Ferdinando Cortese the marquesse of the vale of Quaxaca In this lande are many provinces cōteynyng in thē in maner innumerable cities amonge whichthat is the chiefe which the Indiās caule Mexico or Temixtitan The citie of Mexico or Temixtitan cōsystyng of more thē fiue hundreth thousand inhabitauntes It standeth in the myddest of a lake of salte water as doth Uenece in the sea The lake conteyneth fortie Persian myles cauled Parasange euery one consystynge of .xxx. furlons and more as sum say In these regions is founde great plentie of golde syluer Golde and syluer and precious stones with innumerable other thynges both necessary for the lyfe of man and pleasaunt as sylke Sylke bombasine cotton Cotton alame Alam Safferne Woade woade with dyuers other thynges wherwith clothe sylke is dyed There is also such abundance of suger Sugar that certeyne Spanysshe shippes are yearely fraighted therwith and brynge the same into Siuile from whense it is caryed in maner to all partes of Chrystendome Thinhabitauntes of Mexico are subtyle people and vse much craft in theyr bargening They haue not the vse of golde and syluer monye Shelles for money but vse in the steade therof the halfe shelles of almonds whiche kynde of Barbarous money they caule Cacao or Cacanguate In maner al kyndes of corne are there very good cheape Corne Beastes especially barly and wheate They haue great plentie of hartes wylde bores Lyons Leopardes and Tygers which beastes wander in maner in euery place The region is moste commodious for haukynge and huntynge for the great abundaunce it hath of beastes and foules haukyng and huntynge But the people exercise all theyr cunnynge in makynge the images of theyr Idolatry and in paintyng Paintynge Theyr women are valiant and sumptuous in theyr apparell and other tyrementes For they so vychely frynge and byset the same with perles women sumptuously appareled precious stones and golde that nothynge can be more excellent They haue a kynde of paper greatly differyng from owrs In this they expresse theyr mindes by certeyn figures For they haue nor otherwise thuse ofletters The nation is desyrous of warre and dooth not longe keepe the condicions of peace vnuiolated A warlike nation But delyteth rather in ciuile and most cruell battayle amonge them selues then to lyue in peace and quietnesse Suche as in the warres faule by any meanes into the handes of theyr enemies eyther by submission or otherwyse are partely sacrificed to the Idoles Captiues sacrificed to Idoles and the residue gyuen to the souldiers to bee eaten in lyke maner as wee rewarde dogges and haukes with parte of theyr pray They haue innumerable Idoles which euery one maketh for his particular god after the phantasie of his own brayne and gyueth therto diuine honour Albeit at this day they doo by lyttle and lyttle leaue of theyr barbarous fiercenesse and with owre religion embrase better maners For they nowe professe the fayth of Chryst and in his name pray vnto God the father Vnderstande here that as touchynge these regions cauled new Spayne yow may reade at large in the booke here before entiteled of the landes and Ilandes lately founde This booke foloweth immediatly after the Decades althowgh the printer haue also wrytten the thyrde decade ouer the head of that booke which intreateth principally of the regions nowe cauld newe Spayne Of the conquest of this Mexico Francisco Lopez hath written a large booke in the Spanysshe tounge ¶ Of Peru. The prouince cauled Peru was also named noua Cathilia by them that fyrste founde it This region is the west parte of America and is situate in the longitude of .290 degrees proceadynge from the West to the East And southwarde begynneth fiue degrees beyonde the Equinoctial line and is extended very farre into the south This is taken to bee the rychest lande in golde syluer Peru is the rychest lande that is knowen perles precious stones and spyces that euer was founde yet to this day For golde is there in such plentie that they make pyspots therof and other vessels applyed to fylthy vses But this is more to bee marueyled at that in a citie cauled Collao was founde a house all couered with massie plates of golde A house couered withgold In theyr warres also theyr harnesse was of golde and syluer harnes of golde Theyr weapons are bowes arrowes flynges dartes and pikes Thinhabitantes are warlyke people and of great agilitie They haue cities defended with lawes and armes The region is exceadyng frutefull A frutful region and yeldeth corne twyse in the yeare It is so florysshynge with many fayze wooddes mountaynes ryuers and other both pleasaunt and necessary commodities that it seemeth in maner an earthly Paradyse It hath dyuers kyndes of beastes and yet none hurtfull or of rauenynge kynde There are sheepe of such heyght that they vse them in the steade of horses Great sheepe Sume wryte that they are as bygge as the younge foles of camels and that theyr woolle is very softe and fine Also that the
like is sene in only ayer inclosed as in orgen pipes and such other instrumentes that go by winde For wynde as say the philosophers is none other then ayer vehemently moued wynde as we see in a payer of belowes and suche other Sum of owre men of good credit that were in this last vyage to Guinea affirme ernestly that in the nyght season they felt a sensible heate to coomme from the beames of the moone The heate of the moone The which thynge althoâ—ghe it be straunge and insensible to vs that inhabite coulde regions yet doothe it stande with good reason that it may so be forasmuche as the nature of the starres and planets as wryteth Plinie consysteth of fyre The nature of â—he stars and conâ—eyneth in it a spirite of lyfe whiche cannot be wiâ—hout heate And that the moone gyueth heate vpon the earth the prophete Dauyd seemeth to confirme in his Cxx. Psalme where speakynge of such men as are defended from euyls by goddes protection he sayth thus Per diem sol non exuret te necluna per noctem That is to say In the day the soonne shall not burne the nor the moone by nyght They say furthermore that in certeyne places of the sea they sawe certeyne stremes of water which they caule spoutes faulynge owt of the ayer into the sea Spoutes of water fauling out of the ayer And that sum of these are as bygge as the greate pyllers of churches In so muche that sumtymes they faule into shyppes and put them in greatâ— daungiour of drownynge Sum phantasie that these shulde bee the â—arractes of heauen whiche were all opened at Noes fludde Cataracts of heauen But I thynke them rather to be suche fluxions and eruptions as Aristotle in his boke de Mundo saith to chauÌ„se in the sea For speakynge of suche straunge thynges as are seene often tymes in the sea Uehement motions in the sea he wryteth thus Often tymes also euen in the sea are seene euaporations of fyre and suche eruptions and breakyng furth of sprynges that the mouthes of ryuers are opened whyrlepooles and fluxions are caused of such other vehement motions not only in the middest of the sea but also in creekes and streyghtes At certeyne tymes also a great quantitie of water is suddeynly lyfted vp and caryed abowt with the moone c. By which woordes of Arystotle it dooth appere that such waters maye bee lyfted vp in one place at one tyme and suddeynly faule downe in an other place at an other tyme. And hereunto perhappes perteyneth it that Kycharde Chaunceler toulde me that he harde Sebastian Cabot reporte A straunge thynge that as farre as I remember eyther abowt the coastes of Brasile or Rio de Plata his shyppe or pinnes was suddeinly lyfted from the sea and cast vpon the land I wotte not howe farre The which thynge and suche other lyke woonderfull and straunge woorkes of nature whyle I consyder and caule to rememberaunce the narownes of mans vnderstandynge and knowleage in comparyson of her mighty poure The poure of nature I can but cease to maruayle and confesse with Plinie that nothynge is to her impossible the leaste parte of whose poure is not yet knowen to men Many thynges more owre men sawe and consydered in this vyage worthy to bee noted wherof I haue thought good to put sum in memory that the reader maye aswell take pleasure in the varietie of thynges as knowleage of the hystorye Amonge other thynges therefore touchynge the maners and nature of the people this may seeme straunge that theyr princes and noble men vse to pounse and rase theyr skynnes with prety knottes in diuers formes as it were branched damaske They â—ase their â—kinnes thynkynge that to be a decent ornament And albeit they go in maner all naked yet are many of them and especially their women in maner laden with collars braslettes hoopes and chaynes eyther of golde copper or Iuery Fine iewells I my selfe haue one of theyr braselettes of Iuery wayinge twoo pounde and vi ounces of Troye weyght whiche make .xxxviii. ounces A braslet This one of theyr women dyd weare vppon her arme It is made of one hole piece of the byggest parte of the toothe turned and sumwhat carued with a hole in the myddest wherin they put theyr handes to weare it on theyr arme Sum haue of euery arme one and as many on theyr legges â—hackelles wherewith sum of theym are so galded that althoughe they are in maner made lame therby yet wyll they by no meanes leaue them of sum weare also on theyr legges great shackels of bryght copper which they thynke to bee no lesse cumly They weare also collars braslets garlandes and gyrdels of certeyne blewe stones lyke beades Lykewyse sum of theyr women weare on theyr bare armes certeyne foresleeues made of the plates of beaten golde â—inges On theyr fyngers also they weare rynges made of golden wyres with a knotte or wrethe lyke vnto that whiche chyldren make in a rynge of a russhe Amonge other thinges of golde that owr men bowght of them for exchaunge of theyr wares were certeyne dogges chaynes and collers Dogs chainâ— of golde They are very ware people in theyr bargenynge and wyl not lose one sparke of golde of any value They vse weyghtes and measures and are very circumspecte in occupyinge the same They that shall haue to do with them must vse them â—entelly â–ª for they wyl not trafike or brynge in any wares if they be euyll vse At the fyrst vâ—age that owr men had inâ—o theâ—e parties it so chaunsed that at theyr departure from the fyrste place where they dyd trafike one of them eyther stole a muskâ— catte or tooke her a way by force A muâ—ke cat not inâ—strustynge that that shulde haue hyndered theyr bargenynge in an other place whyther they intended to go But for al the hast they could make with full sayles the fame of theyr mysusage so preuented theÌ„ that the people of that place also offended therby wold bring in no wares In so muche that they were inforced eyther to restore the catte or pay for her at theyr price before they could trafike there Theyr houses are made of foure postes or trees Their housâ—s and couered with bouwes Theyr common feedynge is of rootes and such fysshes as they take Their feding wherof they haue great plentie There are also such flyinge fysshes as are seene in the sea of the Weste Indies Fleing fishes Owre men salted of theyr fysshes hopynge to prouyde store therof But they wolde take no salte And muste therefore be eaten furthwith as sum say Howe be it other affirme that if they be salted immediatly after they be taken they wyl last vncorrupted .x. or .xii. dayes But this is more straunge that parte of such flesshe as they caryed with them owte of Englande and putrifyed there A straunge thyng became sweete ageyne at theyr
from the Ilandes Of the Ilandes of Galanta or Galana and Guadalupea and of the trees which beare that kynde of cotton whiche the Italians caule Bombasine and the Spanyardes Algadon Of dyuers kyndes of popingiayes And of the Iland of Matinino or Madanino being inhabited only with women Also of dyuers other frutefull Ilandes And of a conflicte which the Spanyardes had with the Canibales Of certeyne Ilandes in the which are seene the mynes of metals and precious stones and of the frutefull and peopulous Ilande cauled Burichena or Boriquen or Insula S. Iohanuis Howe all the Admirals men whiche at his fyrst vyage he lefte in Hispaniola were slayne in his absence by the rebellion of Guaccanarillus kynge of the Region of Xamana and of the free kynde of lyfe which they leade that haue not the vse of money Of the .vii. maydens which swamme .iii. myles in the sea And of the maner of gatheryng of gold in the sands of riuers ¶ The Contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 10. ¶ A particular description of the Ilande of Hispaniola whiche Colonus thynketh to be Ophir from whense kynge Salomon had his great ryches of golde Of the maruelous frutefulnes of Hispaniola and of the suger canes growynge there Of the golden regions of Cipanga or Cibaua and of the ryuers in whose sandes is founde great plentie of golde Of certeyne graines of gold of exceadyng great quantitie Of wylde vines of pleasaunt taste and of grasse which in foure dayes groweth as hygh as wheate Of the Ilande of Iohanna or Cuba beinge the ende of the East and the West And of the frutefull and peopulous Ilande of Iamaica Howe the Admirall thought that he had sayled abowte the lowest hemispherie or halfe circle of the earth and of a secreate of Astronomie touchynge the same matter Howe the Admirall gaue names to .vii. hundreth Ilandes and passed by three thousande unnamed Of certeyne serpentes lyke vnto Crocodiles of .viii. foote longe whose flesshe is delicate to be eaten and of certeyne trees which beare gourdes Of the ryuer whose water is very hotte and of the huntynge fysshe which taketh other fysshes Of great abundaunce of Tortoyses as bygge as targets and of a frutefull mountayne well inhabited Of dogges of deformed shape and dum And of whyte and thicke water Of wooddes of date trees and pynepaple trees and of certeyne people appareled like white friers Of certeyne trees whiche beare spices and of cranes of exceadynge bignes Of stocke doues of more pleasaunte taste then partriches An oration of a barbarous gouernoure as touchinge the immortalitie of the sowle Also of the rewarde of vertue and punysshmente of vice A similitude of the golden worlde and of prouision with owte care Howe the admirall fell sicke by reason of to much watchynge And of a sedition which rose among the Spaniardes in the Ilande of Hispaniola ¶ The Contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 18. Howe the Kynges of the Ilande of Hispaniola were by the Spaniardes mysbehauoure prouoked to Rebellion And howe the admirall sent for them Howe kinge Caunaboa the Lorde of the house of golde that is of the mountaynes of Cibaua conspired the Admirals death and how he with his familie were takeÌ„ prisoners Of a greate famine that chaunced in the Iland of Hispaniola and howe the Admiral builded certeyne fortresses Of a piece of rude golde waighinge .xx. vnces and of the myne of the riche metall cauled Electrum Of the mountayne in the whyche is founde greate plentye of Amber and orpemente And of the wooddes of brasile trees Howe thinhabitauntes are put to they re tribute And howe the nature of the Region disposethe the maners of the people Howe the brother of kinge Caunaboa came ageynste the Admiral with an army of fiue thowsand naked men and how he was taken and his amry put to flyght Of the frutfull vale Magona in the sandes of whose ryuers is founde great plentie of golde and of certeyne whirlewyndes and tempestes Howe the Admirall sente foorthe his brother Bartholomeus Colonus with an army of meÌ„ to search the gold mines of the fosses which he found to haue bin digged in old tyme ¶ The Contentes of the .v. booke Fol. 22. Howe the Lieuetenaunt builded a fortresse in the golde mynes And prepared instrumentes for the pourginge and fyninge of the golde Howe certeyne shyppes laden with vyttayles came frome Spayne And howe the Lieuetenaunt sent the kynges which rebelled with three hundreth captiues into Spayne Howe the Liefetenaunte remoued his habytacion And buylded a fortresse which he cauled saynt Dominickes towre Also howe he passed ouer the ryuer Naiba and entered into the wooddes of brasyle trees Howe the great kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa frendely enterteyned the Lieuetenaunt and browght hym to his pallayce where the kynges wyues and concubines receaued him honorably with pompes and triumphes Of the fortresses which were erected in Hispaniola And howe the Lieuetenaunt exacted tribute of the kynges whiche rebelled ageyne Howe the Lieuetenaunt sette vppon the kynges vnwares in the nyght season and tooke .xiiii. of them prysoners Howe kynge Guarionexius capitayne of the conspiracie was pardoned howe he persuaded the people to obedience Howe kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa sente messingers to the Lieuetenaunt to repayre to his pallayce where he founde xxxii kinges redy with theyr tributes And howe the queene Anacaona entysed hym to eate of the serpentes flesshe Howe the serpentes flesshe is prepared to be eaten And how delicate meate theyr egges are yf they be sodden Howe queene Anacaona syster to kynge Beuchius Aâ—acauchoa enterteyned the Liefetenaunt and gaue hym muche housholde stuffe and many vessels of Hebene woodde artificially wrought and carued Howe kynge Anacauchoa and the queene his syster went aboorde the Liefetenaunt his shyppe and howe greately they were amased to beholde the furniture therof Howe Roldanus Xeminus a Spaniarde rebelled in the Lieuetenauntes absence by whose mysdemeanour also kinge Guarionexius was prouoked to a newe conspiracie with hym Maiobanexius the kynge of the mountaynes ☞ The contentes of the syxte boke Foli 28. ¶ The thyâ—de vyage of Colonus and howe he diuerted from his accustomed rase by the Ilandes of Canarie to the Ilande of Madera for feare of certayne frenche pirates and rouers Of the .xiii. Ilandes which in olde tyme were cauled Hesperides and are nowe cauled the Ilandes of Caput Uiride or Cabouerde Also of the Tortoyses of the Ilande of Bonauista wherwith the leaper is healed Howe the Admirall founde contagious ayre and extreme heate nere the Equinoctial where the north pole was eleuate onely fyue degrees And how sailyng from thence westward he founde the starres placed in other order and the sea rysynge as it were the backe of a mountayne Howe the Admyrall saylynge westwarde and neuer passyng owte of the clyme or paraleles of Ethiope founde a temperate Region and people of goodly corporature And what difference is betwene the natures of Regions beyng vnder one paralele and one eleuation of the pole
Of the Ilandes of Puta and Margarita and of the swift course or faule of the Ocean from the East to the weste Of the goulfes cauled Os Draconis And of the conflicte betwene the freshe water and the salte Of a sea of freshe water And a mountayne inhabited onely with monkeys and marmasettes Of the fayre riche and large region of Paria And howe frendly thinhabitantes entreated the Admyrall and his men Also of pleasaunte wyne made of dyuerse fruites And of greate abundaunce of perles and golde Of the regions of Cumana Manacapana and Curiana beynge regions of the large prouynce of Paria And of the â—ea of herbes or weedes A certeyn secreate as touchynge the pole starre and the eleuation of the same Also of the roundnesse of the earthe Of the mountaynes of Paria in the toppes wherof Colonus ernestly affirmeth the earthly Paradise to be situate And whether Paria be part of the firme land or coÌ„tinent of India ¶ The contentes of the .vii. booke Fol. 33. ¶ Howe Roldanus Xeminus with his confetherates accused the Admirall to the kynge And howe he pourged hym selfe and accused them Howe kynge Guarionexius rebelled ageyne And with him kyng Maiobanexius Also howe they with other kinges came ageynst the Lieuetenaunte with an armye of .viii. thousande naked and paynted Ciguauians Also twoo rare exemples of frendshyppe and faythfulnes in barbarous princes Howe Colonus the Admirall and the Lieuetenaunte hys brother were sent bounde into Spayne And newe officers appoynted in theyr places The contentes of the .viii. booke Fol. 37 ¶ The Nauigation of Petrus Alphonsus frome Spayne to Paria where in the region of Curiana he had in shorte space .xv. vnces of pearles greate plenty of vytailes for haukes bellees pynnes lokinge glasses and suche other tryfelles Of certeyn coniectures wherby Paria is thought to bee parte of the firme lande And of the golden region of Cauchieta where in the moneth of Nouember the ayre is temperate and not coulde Howe Alphonsus had a conflicte with the Canibals and howe they are acustomed to inuade other contreys Of greate abundaunce of salte in the region of Haraia howe the dead bodyes of theyr prynces are dryed reserued and relygiously honoured Howe Alphonsus at his returne to Spayne frome Curiana brought with hym threescore and .xvi. pounde weight of pearles which he bought for owre tryfells amountinge only to the value of fiue shillyngs The contentes of the .ix. booke Fol. 40. ¶ The Nauigation of Uincentius Pinzonus and Aries Pinzonus and howe they sayled beyonde the Equinoctiall lyne losse the syght of the northe starre and founde the starres in other order Howe Uincentius passynge the equinoctiall towarde the southe pole founde fierce and warlike people of great stature And of the sea of freshe water Howe Uincentius directing his course towarde the north weste from the equinoctiall recouered the syght of the northe pole and by the regions of Mariatamball Camomorus and Pericora came to the fayre and ryche prouince of Paria and to the regyons of Os Draconis Cumana Manacapana Curiana c. A coniecture that Paria wherby is ment that mayne land now cauled America shulde be parte of the fyrme lande or continent of India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges and no ilande And of the excedynge great riuer Maragnonus replenished with Ilandes Of Boriostomea and Spiriostomea the mouthes of the famous ryuer of Danubius cauled in olde tyme Ister And of the commodities of the regions and Ilandes about Paria Also of the woodes of brasile trees Of many frutfull Ilandes wasted and lefte desolate by reson of the Canâ—balles crueltie And of the trees of Cassia Fistula Also of other trees of excedyng bygnesse The description of a certayne monstruous beaste And how Uincentius loste two of his shyppes by tempeste Howe Uincentius at his returne to Spayne brought with hym cinamome gynger and certayne precious stoones cauled Topases And of the nauigations of certayne other inhabitantes of the towne of Palos Of the precious medicine cauled Anime Album And of the diuerse superstitions of the inhabitauntes of Hispaniola Also of their Idolatry and howe they honour the ymages of deuylles whiche they caule Zemes. ¶ The Contentes of the .x. booke Fol. 48. Of great glentie of golde perles and frankenâ—ence found in the regions of Paria And of innumerable beastes in shape dyfferynge from owres Howe the Spaniardes profered them selues to conquere the newe founde landes beynge in largenesse thryse as great as Europe besyde the southe landes parteynynge to the Portugales And howe the nature of the place altereth the formes and qualities of thynges Of the Ilande of Cuba and of the golde mynes of the Iland of Sancti Iohannis otherwise cauled Burichena or Buchena Also of the ryche golde mynes of Hispaniola and of the order of workynge in the same Of the two chiefe golde mynes of Hispaniola And of a pece of golde weyinge thre thousande thre hundreth and tenne pounde weyght Howe the golde is fyned and distrybuted And howe that only in the meltynge shops of the two golden mynes of Hispaniola is molten yearely aboue three hundreth thousande pounde weyght of golde Howe thenterpryses of the Spanyardes are not inferior to thactes of Saturnus or Hercules And howe the Admyrall discouered the lande ouer ageynst the west corner of Cuba and the Ilande or Guanassa ¶ The Contentes of the bookes of the seconde Decade ¶ The contentes of the fyrst booke Fol. 51. ¶ Howe after the death of Colonus the Admirall the kyngâ— gaue free lycence to all suche as wolde attempte any vyages And of the nauigatioÌ„s of Diego Nicuesa AlphoÌ„sus Fogeda Of the Ilande Codego and the region of Caramairi And of certeyne sweete apples whiche turne into woormes when they are eaten whose trees are also contagious Howe Alfonsus Fogeda the Lieuetenaunt of Uraba encounterynge with the barbarians had the ouerthrowe And howe in this conflicte fyftie of his men were slayne with Iohannes de la Cossa theyr capytayne Howe Fogeda and Nicuesa the Lieuetenaunte of Beragua reuenged the death of theyr coompanyons And howe Fogeda came to the Ilande Fortis and the region of Caribana where he was repulsed from the golde mynes by the fiercenesse of the barbarians vsyng arrowes infected with poyson Howe Fogeda was wounded in the thygh with a venemous arrowe and his men almost consumed with famyn Howe a brigantine was drowned with the stroke of a fysshe And of the nauigation of Ancisus from Hispaniola to Uraba Of the Lamentable shyppewracke of Ancisus And of the date trees and wytde bores which he founde Of the frutes or apples of the trees cauled Ceders of Libane which beare owlde frutes and newe all the yeare Howe onely three of the Canibales with theyr bowes and inuenemed arrowes assayled Ancisus with a hundreth of his men In which conflicte they wounded and slewe many Also of theyr swyftnesse of foote Of the great ryuer of Dariena And how Ancisus encountered with fyue hundreth of
popingiayes which are in thâ— region of Paria and howe thinhabitours are apparelled Also of the fyue kynges that made a league of frendeshyppe with Uincentius Howe Uincentius sayled Eastwarde by the tracte of the regions of Paria vntyll he came to the poynte of that longe lande which the autour supposeth to be the greate Ilande Atlantike wherof the owlde wryters make mention Cap. S. Aâ—gustini ¶ The contentes of the .viii. booke Fol. 80. ¶ A contention betwene the Castilians and Portugales as concernynge the diuision of the newe founde landes And howe the controuersie was fynysshed by the byshop of Rome Howe Don Chrystopher the gouernoure of the Ilande of Sancti Iohannis was slayne by the Canibales and the bysshop put to flyght Also of the other bysshops of the Ilandes Howe the Canibales of the Iland of Sancta Crux slew and eate a kynge with certeyne of his men beinge frendes to the Chrystians and made faggottes of theyr bones And how querelynge with owre men they put them to silence ¶ The contentes of the .ix. booke Fol. 81. ¶ Of the maruelous frutefulnes of the regions of Beragua Uraba and Dariena And of the dyuers kyndes of trees and frutes Also of the pleasaunt taste of swynes flesshe beinge fedde with the frutes of Mirobalane trees Of Lions and Tygers and other wylde beastes And of a beaste of straunge forme Of the ryuers of the goulfe of Uraba as the ryuer of Dariena and Rio Grandis And howe the great serpentes cauled Crocodiles are founde in other ryuers bysyde Nilus in Egypte Also howe thautour of this booke was sent Ambassadour to the Soldane of Alcayr in Egipte Of the Portugales nauigations and of the ryuer Senega founde by them to bee a chanel of Nilus Also of the multitude of byrdes foules beinge in the marysshes of Dariena A phylosophicall discourse of thoriginall and generatioâ— of sprynges and ryuers And of the breadth of the lande diuydynge the north and south Ocean Of the great ryuer Maragnonus and of the earthly Paradyse And howe sprynges are engendered by conuercion of ayer into water Of the often faule of rayne vnder the Equinoctiall line and of the pores of the sea opened by the South wyndes Of the great ryuers of Tanais Ganges Danubius and Eridanus famous to the owlde wryters And howe certeine ryuers runnynge throughe the caues of the earthe breake furth into sprynges afarre of ¶ The contentes of the .x. booke Fol. 86. ¶ Howe the newe founde landes discouered by the Spanyardes in the West Ocean are eyght tymes bygger then Italie besyde that which the Portugales possesse And of the cardes of the sea drawen by Colonus and Americus Uesputius The order of measurynge the lande And howe a league conteyneth foure myles by sea and but three by lande The Nauâ—gation of Iohannes Dias and of the sundrye eleuations of the pole starre Of the Ilande of Boiuca or Agnaneo and of the springe whose water being dronke causeth owld men to loke yonge Howe Nicuesa and his souldiers were so oppreâ—sed with famin that they were dryuen to eate mangie dogges toades and deade men And howe a brothe made of a dogges skinne was soulde for many pieces of golde ¶ The contentes of the bookes of the thyrde Decade ¶ The contentes of the fyrst booke Fol. 88. ¶ Of the desperate aduenture and good fortune of Uaschus And how with a hundreth fourscore and ten men he brought that to passe for the whâ—ch Petrus Arias was sente with a thousande and two hundreth fresshe souldyers Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold and howe superfluities hynder libertie Howe Uaschus in one conflicte slewe syxe hundreth barbaryans with theyr kynges And howe he founde the house of kyng Quarequa infected with vnnatural lechery commaundynge that the kynge and fortie suche as he kepte for that purpose shulde be gyuen for a pray to his dogges whiche he vsed to serue in the warres ageynst these naked people Of a region of blacke Moores And howe Uaschus came to the toppes of the mountaynes where geuynge thankes to god he behelde the newe south Ocean neuer before sene nor knowen to men of owre worlde Howe Uaschus put kynge Chiapes to flyght and after made a league of frendeshyppe with hym And howe the king gaue hym .iiii. hundreth poundes weyght of wrought golde Howe kynge Coquera was putte to fâ—yght who also beinge receaued to frendeshyppe gaue Uaschus syxe hundreth and fiftie poundes weyght of wrought golde Of the goulfe cauled Sinus S. Michaelis beinge full of inhabited Ilandes And of the manly corage and godly zeale of Uaschus Also of the rysynge and faulyng of the south sea Howe kynge Tumaccus beinge dryuen to flyght and afterwarde reconciled gaue Uaschus .vi. hundreth and .xiiii. pesos of golde and two hundreth and fortie of the greatest and fayrest pearles And howe the kynge caused his men to fyshe for pearles Of the Ilande cauled Margaritea Diues And of the abundaunce of fayre and great pearles founde therin Of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line And of the Portugales nauigations to the Antipodes inhabytynge the fyue and fiftie degree of the south pole Also a declaration of Antipodes and of the starres about the south pole ¶ The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 95. ¶ Of the maner of fysshynge for pearles and of the three kyndes therof Also dyuers other questions coÌ„cernyng perles Of the multitude of the shell fysshes wherin perles are ingendered and founde in maner in all places in the south sea And of abundaunce of golde founde almoste in euery house Also howe the treasurie of nature is in those coastes And of the golde mynes of Dariena Howe kynge Teaocha gaue Uaschus .xx. poundes weight of wrought golde and two hundreth perles Also of desertes full of wylde beastes and howe Uaschus was troubled with greate heate in the moneth of Nouember Howe a dogge Tyger was taken and his whelpes tyed in cheynes and torne in pieces Also howe Uaschus gaue .iiii kynges to his dogges to be deuoured Of the vse of dogges in theyr warres and of the fiercenesse of the Canibales Howe kynge Bononians fauoured the Chrystians and gaue Uaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also his oration to Uaschus A similitude prouynge greate plentie of golde in the regions of the south sea and of the trauayles which owlde souldyers are able to susteyne ¶ The contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 99 ¶ Howe kynge Buchibuea submytted hym selfe to Uaschus and sent hym certeyne vesselles of golde Also howe kyngâ— Chiorisus sente hym .xxx. dysshes of pure golde Howe iren serueth for more necessary vses then gold Also an exemple of the lyfe of owr fyrste parentes Howe kynge Pocchorrosa submytted hym selfe and gaue Uaschus .xv. pounde weyght of wrought golde Also howe Tumanama the great kynge of the golden regions towardâ— the south sea is taken prisoner Lykewyse howe he gaue Uaschus .xxx. pounde weyght of pure and wrought golde and his noble men .lx. poundes weyght of golde Of the cause
of vehement wyndes nere vnto the Equinoctiall line and of the coloure of the earth of the golden mines Of the large and frutefull playne of zauana and of the ryuer Comogrus Also howe kynge Comogrus baptised by the name of Charles gaue Uaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Of the good fortune of Uaschus and howe he was turned froÌ„ Goliath to Eliseus and frome Anteus to Hercules And with what facilitie the Spanyardes shall hereafter obteyne greate plentie of golde and pearles Of the Spanyardes conquestes and fiâ—rcâ—nesse of the Canibales Also an exhortacion to Chrystian princes to sette forwarde Chrystes religion ¶ The contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 104 â–ª ¶ The fourth vyage of Colonus the Admitall frome Spayne to Hispaniola and to the other Ilandes and coastes of the firme lande Also of the florysshynge Ilande Guanassa Of seuen kyndes of date trees wylde vyues and Myrobalanes Also of byrdes and foules Of people of goodly stature which vse to paynt theyr bodyes And of the swyfte course of the sea from the east to the west Also of fresshe water in the sea Of the large regions of Paria Os Draconis and Quiriquetana And of greate Tortoyses and reedes Also of the foure frutefull Ilandes cauled Quatuor Tempora and .xii. Ilandes cauled Limonares Of sweete sauours and holsome ayer And of the region Quicuri and the hauen Cariai or Myrobalanus Also of certeyne ciuyle people Of trees groynge in the sea after a straunge sorte and of a straunge kynde of Moonkeys which inuade men and feight with wylde bores Of the greate goulfe of Cerabaro replenisshed with many frutefull Ilandes and of the people which weare cheynes of golde made of ouches wrought to the similitude of dyuers wylde beastes and foules Of fyue vyllages whose inhabitauntes gyue them selues onely to gatherynge of golde and are paynted vsynge to weare garlandes of Lyons and Tygers clawes Also of seuen ryuers in all the which is founde greate plentie of golde And where the plentie of golde ceaseth Of certeyne people which paynt theyr bodyes and couer theyr priuie members with shelles hauynge also plates of golde hangynge at theyr nosethrylles Of certeyne woormes which beinge engendered in the seas nere abowt the Equinoctiall eate holes in shyppes And how the Admirals shyppes were destroyde by them Howe the kynge of Beragua enterteyned the Lieuetâ—nant and of the great plentie of gold in the ryuer of Duraba and in al the regions there about Also in rootes of trees and siones and in maner in all the ryuers Howe the Lieuetenaunt and his coompany wolde haue erectâ—d a colonie besyde the ryuer of Beragua and was repulsed by thinhabitauntes Howe the Admirall fel into the handes of the barbarians of the Ilande of Iamaica where he lyued miserably the space of tenne moonethes And by what chaunce he was saued and came to the Ilande of Hispaniola Of holsome regions temperate ayer and continual spring al the hole yeare Also of certeyne people which honour golde religiously durynge theyr golden haruest Of the mountaynes of Beragua beinge fiftie myles in heyght and hygher then the clowdes Also the discription of other mountaynes and regions there about comparynge the same to Italy Colonus his opinion as touchynge the supposed continente and ioynynge of the noâ—th and south Ocean Also of the breadth of the sayde continente or firme lande Of the regions of Uraba and Beragua and the great riueâ— Maragnonus and the ryuer of Dabaiba or Sancti Iohannis Also of certeyne marysshes and desolate wayes and of dragons and Crocodiles engendered in the saâ—e Of .xx. golden ryuers abowt Dariena and of certeyne precious stones especially a diamunde of marueilous byggenesse bought in the prouince of Pâ—â—ia Of the heroical factes of the Spanyardes and howe they contemne effeminate plâ—asures Also a similitude prouynge greate plentie of golde and precious stones ¶ The contentes of the fyfth booke Fol. 113. ¶ The nauigation of Petrus Arias from Spayne to Hispaniola and Dariena and of the Ilandes of Canarie Also of the Ilandes of Madanino Guadalupea and Gatanâ—a Of the sea of herbes and mountaynes couered with snow Also of the swyfte course of the sea towarde the west Of the ryuer Gaira the region Caramairi and the porte Carthago and Sancta Martha Also of Americus Uesputius and his expert cunnynge in the knowledge of the carde compasse and quadrant Howe the Canibales assayled Petrus Arias with his hole nauie and shot of theyr venemous arrowes euen in the sea Also of theyr houses and housholde stuffe Howe Gonzalus Quiedus founde a saphire bygger then a goose egge Also emerodes calcidonies iaspers and amber of the mountaynes Of woddes of brasile trees plentie of golde and marchasites of metals founde in the regions of Caramairi Gaira and Saturma Also of a straunge kynde of marchaundies exercised amonge the people of Zunu That the region of Caramairi is lyke to an earthly Paradise And of the frutefull mountaynes and pleasaunte gardeynes of the same Of many goodly countreys made desolate by the fiercenes of the Canibales and of dyuers kyndes of breade made of rootes Also of the maner of plantynge the roote of Iucca whose iuise is deadely poyson in the Ilandes and without hurte in the continent or firme lande Of certeyne golden ryuers hartes wylde bores foules gossampine whyte marble and holsome ayer Also of the greate ryuer Maragnonus descendynge from the mountaines couered with snowe cauled Serra Neuata Howe Petrus Arias wasted certeyne Ilandes of the Canibales Also howe by the swyfte course of the sea his shyppes were caried in one nyght fortie leaques beyonde thestimation of the beste pylottes ¶ The contentes of the syxte booke Fol. 118. ¶ Of sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft a course from the Easte to the west and of the greate goulfe of the north parte of the firme lande The vyage of Sebastian Cabote from Englande to the frosen sea and howe beinge repulsed with Ise in the moonethe of Iuly he sayled farre westwarde Of people apparelled with beastes skynnes And howe beares take fysshes in the sea and eate them Howe Sebastian Cabote after that he had discouered the lande of Baccallaos or Baccallearum was cauled out of Englande into Spayne where he was made one of thassistaunce of the counsayle of th affayres of India of his second viage Of the Ilande Fortis And howe a great foule as bygge as a storke lyghted in the gouernours shyppe Also howe he arryued at Dariena with the kynges nauie Howe Uaschus receaued the newe gouernour And of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctial Howe Petrus Aries the newe gouernour distributed his army to conquere the south regions ryche in golde and to erecte newe colonies in the same Of the ryche golde mynes of Dabaiba and of thexpedition ageynst the kynge of that region Of the Uiolent course of the sea from the east to the west And of the difficulte saylynge ageynst the same Of the pestiferous and vnholsome ayer of Sancta
goates Here is great plentie of geese duckes Duckes and hearons hearons Betwene these Ilandes and the continente he entered into soo narowe streyghtes that he coulde scarsely turne backe the shippes And these also so shalowe that the keele of the shyps sumtyme rased on the sandes The water of these streyghtes Streightes for the space of fortie myles was white and thycke lyke vnto mylke whyte and thicke water and as thowgh mele had byn sparkeled throwgh owte al that sea And when they had at the lengthe escaped these strayghtes and were nowe coome into a mayne and large sea and had sayled theron for the space of foure score myles they espyed an other excedinge hygh mountayne whyther the Admirall resorted to store his shyppes with fresshe water and fuel Heare amonge certeyne wooddes of date trees wooddes of date trees and pyneable trees of excedyng height he fownd two natiue sprynges of fresshe water In the meane tyme whyle the woodde was cuttynge and the barrelles fyllyng one of owre archers went into the wood to hunt where he espyed a certeyne man with a whyte vesture Men appareled like white fryers soo lyke a fryer of thorder of saynt Marye of Mercedis that at the fyrste sight he supposed it had byn the Admiralles preeste which he browght with hym beyng a man of the same order But two other folowed hym immediatlye owte of the same wooddes shortly after he sawe a farre of a hole coompany of men clothed in apparel beinge abowte .xxx. in nomber Then turning his backe and cryinge owte to his felowes he made haste to the shyppes with all that he myght dryue These apparelled men made signes and tokens to hym to tary and not to bee afrayde But that notwithstandinge he ceased not to flye The Admirall beinge aduertised hereof and not a lyttle reioysynge that he had fownde a ciuile people in continently sent forth armed men with commaundement that yf neede should soo requyre they shulde enter fortie myles into the Ilande vntyl they myght fynde eyther those apparelled men or other inhabitantes of that countrey When they hadde passed ouer the woodde they came into a greate playne full of grasse and herbes in which appeared no token of any pathe way Here attemptinge to goo throwgh the grasse and herbes they were soo entangled and bewrapte therin that they were scarsely able to passe a myle the grasse beinge there lyttle lower then owre rype corne grasse almost as hyghe as corne Beinge therfore weryed they were enforced to returne ageyne fyndyng no pathe way The day folowing he sent foorth .xxv. armed men an other way Commaunding them to make diligent searche and inquisition what maner of people inhabited the land Who departinge when they had fownde not farre from the sea syde certeyne steppes of wylde beastes Steppes of wyld beastes feete of the which they suspected sum to bee of Lyons feete being striken with feare returned backe ageyne As they came they fownde a woodde in the which were many natiue vines here and there crepinge abowte highe trees Natiue vines with many other trees bearinge aromaticall fruites and spyces Trees bearinge spyces and sweete fruites Of these vines they browght with them into Spaine many clusters of grapes very ponderous and full of lycoure But of the other fruites they browght none bycause they putrified by the waye in the shippe and were caste into the sea They saye also that in the laundes or medowes of those wooddes they sawe flockes of greate cranes twyse as bygge as owres Greate Cranes As he went forward and turned his sayles towarde certeyne other mountaines he espied two cotages on the shore in the whiche he sawe onely one man who beinge browght to the shyppe signified with heade fyngers and by al other signes that he coulde deuise that the lande which lay beyonde those mountaynes was very full of people And as the Admirall drewe nere the shore of the same there mette hym certeyne Canoas hauinge in them many people of the countrey who made signes and tokens of peace and frendeshyp But here Didacus thinterpretour whiche vnderstoode the language of thinhabitantes of the beginning of Cuba Dyuers languages in the Ilande of Cuba vnderstode not them one whytte wherby they consydred that in sundry prouinces of Cuba were sundry languages He had also intelligence that in the inlande of this Region was a kynge of greate power and accustomed to weare apparell He sayth that all the tracte of this shore was drowned with water and full of mudde besette with many trees after the maner of owre marysshes Yet whereas in this place they wente alande for fresshe water they fownde many of the shelfysshes in the whiche pearles are gathered Pearles in â—helfysshes But that coulde not cause the Admirall to tracte the tyme there entendinge at this viage only to proue howe many landes seas he coulde discouer accordinâ—e to the kynges commaundement As they yet proceded forwarde they sawe here and there al the waye alonge by the shore a great smoke rysinge vntyll they came to an other mountayne foure score myles distant There was no rocke or hyll that coulde be seene but the same was all of a smoke But whether these fyers were made by thinhabitantes for their necessary busynes or as we are wont to sette beacons on fyre when we suspecte thapproche of owre enemies thereby to gyue warninge to theyr neyghbours to bee in a redines and gather togyther if perhappes owre men shulde attempte any thinge ageynst them or otherwyse as seemethe most lykely to caule them togyther as to a wonder to behould owre shippes they knewe yet no certentie In this tracte the shores bended sumetyme towarde the Southe and sumetyme towarde the Weste and westesouthwest And the sea was euery where entangeled with Ilandes The sea entangeled with Ilandes by reason whereof the keeles of the shippes often tymes rased the sandes for shalownes of the water So that the shyppes beinge very sore brused and appayred the sayles cables and other tackelinges in maner rotten and the vytayles especially the byskette breade corrupted by takynge water at the riftes euyll closed the Admirall was enforced to turne backe ageyne This laste poynte where he touched of Cuba not yet beinge knowen to be an Ilande he cauled Euangelista Euangelista Thus â—urning his sayles toward other Ilandes lyinge not farre from the supposed continente he chaunced into a mayne sea where was suche a multitude of greate tortoyses A multitude of great tortoyses that sumtyme they stayed the shyppes Not longe after he entered into a gulfe of whyte water A goufe of whyte water humaine people lyke vnto that wherof we spake before At the lengh fearing the shelfes of the Ilands he returned to the shore of Cuba by the same way which he came Here a multitude of thinhabitantes as well women as men resorted to hym with cheerefull countenaunce and without feare
Cales or Gades of Hercules pyllers hercules pyllers directly to the Lieuetenaunt his brother These shyppes by chaunce arryued fyrst on that syde of the Ilande where Roldanus Xeminus ranged with his coompanyons Roldanus in shorte tyme hadde seduced them promysinge them in the steade of mattockes A violente persasion wenches pappes for laboure pleasure for hunger abundance and for wearynes and watchinge sleepe and quietnes Guarionexius in the meane tyme The furie of guarionexius assemblynge a power of his freendes and confetherates came oftentymes downe into the playne and slewe as many of the Christian men as he coulde meete conuenientlye and also of the Ilande menne whiche were theyr freendes wastynge theyr grounde destroyinge theyr seedes and spoylinge theyr vylages But Roldanus and his adherentes albeit they had knowleage that the Admiral wolde shortly coome yet feared they nothynge bycause they had seduced the newe menne which came in the fyrste shippes Whyle the Lieuetenaunt was thus tossed in the middest of these stormes in the meane tyme his brother the Admyrall set forwarde froÌ„ the coastes of Spayâ—e But not directly to Hispaniola For he turned more towarde the southe In the which vyage The thyrde vyage of â—olenus the Admirall what he dyd what coastes both of the lande and sea he coompased and what newe regions he discouered wee wyl fyrst declare For to what ende and conclusion the sayde tumultes and seditions came wee wyll expresse in th ende of the booke folowynge Thus fare ye well ¶ The syxte booke of the fyrste decade to Lodouike Cardinall of Aragonie COlonus the Admyral the thyrde day of the Calendes of Iune in the yeare of Christe .1498 hoysed vp his sayles in the hauen of the towne Barramedabas not farre distante from Cales and set forwarde on his vyage with eyght shippes laden with vytayles and other necessaries He diuerted from his accustomed rase which was by the Ilandes of Canarie by reason of certeyne frenchemen pirates and couers on the sea Frenche meÌ„ pyrats whiche laye in the ryght way to meete with hym In the way froÌ„ Cales to the Ilandes of Canarie abowte foure score and ten myles towarde the lefte hande is the Ilande of Madera The Iland of Madera more southwarde then the citie of Ciuile by foure degrees For the pole artyke is eleuate to Ciuile xxxvi degrees But to this Iland as the mariners saye only .xxxii. He sayled therfore fyrste to Madera And sendinge from thense directly to Hispaniola the resydue of the shippes laden with vytayles and other necessaries he hym selfe with one shyppe with deckes and two marchaunt carauelles coasted towarde the southe to coome to the Equinoctial lyne The Admiral ayleth to the Equinoctiall and so furth to folowe the tracte of the same towarde the West to thintent to searche the natures of suche places as he coulde fynde vnder or nere vnto the same leauinge Hispaniola on the north syde on his ryght hande In the myddle of his rase lye xiii Ilandes of the Portugales whiche were in owlde tyme cauled Hesperides And are nowe cauled Caput Viride or Caboeurde â—ixii Ilandes of hesperides now cauled Cabouerde These are situate in the sea ryght ouer ageynst the inner partes of Ethiope Westwarde two dayes saylinge One of these the Portugales caule Bonauista With the snayles or rather tortoyses of this Ilande many leprous men are healed and clensed of theyr leprositie healynge of the leper Departing sodainly from hense by reason of the contagiousnes of the ayre he sayled CCCCLXXX myles towarde the Weste southwest which is the myddest betwene the weste and the southe There was he so vexed with maladies and heate for it was the moneth of Iune that his shyppes were almoste sette on fyre Contagious ayre and extreeme heate The hoopes of his barrels cracked and brake and the fresshe water ranne owte The men also complayned that they were not able to abyde that extremitie of heate Here the northe pole was eleuate only .v. degrees from the Horizontall The pole eleuate .v. degrees For the space of .viii. dayes in the which he suffered these extremites only the fyrst day was fayre but all the other clowdy and rayny yet neuerthelesse feruent hotte Wherefore it oftentymes repented hym not a little that euer he tooke that way Beinge tossed in these dangiours and vexations eyght contynuall dayes at the lengthe an Eastsoutheaste wynde arose and gaue a prosperous blaste to his sayles Which wynde folowinge directly towarde the weste he fownde the starres ouer that paralelle placed in other order The starres placed in other order and an other kynde of ayer as the Admirall hym selfe towlde me And they al affirme that within three dayes saylinge they fownde moste temperate and pleasaunte ayre The Admirall also affirmeth that from the clime of the great heate and vnholsome ayer he euer ascended by the backe of the sea as it were by a hygh mountayne towarde heauen A sea rysyng lyke a mountayne Yet in all this tyme coulde he not once see any lande But at the length the day before the Calendes of Iuly the watcheman lookynge foorth of the toppecastell of the greatest shyppe cryed owte alowde for ioy that he espyed three excedynge hyghe mountaynes Exhortinge his felowes to bee of good cheere and put away all pensiuenes For they were very heauy and sorowfull as well for the greefe which they susteyned by reason of thintollerable heate as also that their freshe water fayled them which ranne owte at the ryftes of the barels caused by extreme heate as we haue sayde heate causeth the barrels to breke Thus beinge wel conforted they drewe to the lande Yet at theyr fyrst approche they coulde not arryue by reason of the shalownes of the sea nere the shore Yet lookyng owte of theyr shyppes they might well perceaue that the Region was inhabyted and well cultured For they sawe very fayre gardens and pleasaunte medowes frome the trees and herbes wherof when the mornynge dewes beganne to ryse there proceaded manye sweete sauoures Swete sauours proceadynge frome the lande Twentie myles distant from hense they chaunced into a hauen verye apte to harborowe shippes but it had no ryuer runninge into it Saylinge on yet sumwhat further he fownde at the lengthe a commodious hauen wherin he might repayre his shippes and make prouision of fresshe water and fuell Arenalis cauleth this lande Puta The Iland of Puta They fownd no houses nere vnto the hauen but innumerable steppes of certeine wilde beastes feete of the which they fownde one deade much lyke a goate The day folowynge People of ly corporature longe heare nere the Equinâ—ctiall they sawe a Canoa commynge a farre of hauinge in it .xxiiii younge men of godly corporature high stature al armed with targets bowes arrowes The heare of theyr heds was loÌ„ge plaine cutte on the forheade much after the maner of the Spanyardes Theyr priuie
partes were couered with fillettes of gossampyne cotton of sundry coloures enterlaced And were besyde al ouer naked Here the Admirall consideringe with hym selfe the corporature of this people and nature of the lande he beleaued the same to bee soo much the nerer heauen then other Regions of the same paralelle The higher the coulder and further remoued from the grosse vapours of the vales and marysshes howe muche the hygheste toppes of the byggest mountaynes are distante from the deepe vales For he ernestly affirmeth that in all that nauigation he neuer wente owte of the paralelles of Ethiope So greate difference is there betwene the nature of thinhabitantes and of the soyles of dyuers Regions all vnder one clyme or paralelle â–ª as is to see betwene the people and regions being in the firme lande of Ethiope Difference betwene people of one câ—ime Ethiopia and theym of the Ilandes vnder the same clime hauinge the pole starre eleuate in the same degree For the Ethiopians are all blacke hauinge theyr heare curld more lyke wulle then heare But these people of the Iland of Putâ— beinge as I haue sayde vnder the clyme of Ethiope are whyte with longe heare and of yelowe colour Wherfore it is appâ—rente the cause of this soo greate difference Note the cause of difference to bee rather by the disposition of the earthe then constitucion of heauen For wee knowe that snowe fauleth on the mountaynes of the Equinoctiall or burnte lyne and the same to endure there continually We knowe lykewyse that thinhabitantes of the Regions farre distante frome that lyne towarde the northe are molested with greate heate ¶ The Admiral that he myght allure the younge men to him with gentelnes shewed them lokynge glasses fayre bright vesselles of copper haukes belles and suche other thynges vnknowen to them But the more they were cauled so much the more they suspected crafte and deceate and fledde backewarde Yet dyd they with greate admiracion beholde owre men and theyr thynges but styll hauinge their ores in theyr handes redy to flye When the Admirall sawe that he coulde by no meanes allure theÌ„ by gyftes he thought to proue what he coulde do with musicall instrumentes Musical instrumentes and therefore commaunded that they which were in the greatest shippe shulde play on theyr drummes and shalmes But the younge men supposinge this to bee a token of battayle lefte theyr ores and in the twynlynge of an eye hadde put theyr arrowes in theyr bowes and theyr targettes on theyr armes And thus directinge theyr arrowes towarde owre men stoode in expectacioÌ„ to knowe what this noyse myght meane Owre men lykewise preparinge theyr bowes and arrowes approched toward theÌ„ by lyttle and lyttle But they departinge from the Admirals shippe and trustinge to the dexteritie of theyr ores came soo neare one of the lesse shippes that one of theym plucked the clooke from the gouernour of that shippe and as wel as they coulde by signes requyred hym to coome alande promysinge feyth that they wolde common with hym of peace But when they sawe hym goo to the Admirals shippe whether he went to aske leaue that he might common with them suspectinge heareby sume further deceate they lept immmediatly into the Canoa and fledde as swyft as the wynde So that to conclude they coulde by no meanes be allured to familiaritie Wherfore the Admirall thowght it not conuenient to bestowe any longe tyme there at this vyage No greate space frome this Ilande euer towarde the weste the Admirall saith he fownde so owteragious a faule of water runninge with such a violence from the Easte to the Weste The violent course of the water from the Easte to the Weste that it was nothynge inferioure to a myghty streame faulynge from hyghe mountaynes He also confessed that since the fyrst daye that euer he knewe what the sea mente he was neuer in suche feare Proceadinge yet sumwhat further in this daungerous vyage he fownde certeyne goulfes of .viii. myles as it had byn thenteraunce of sume greate hauen into the which the sayde violent streames dyd faule These goulfes or streyghtes he cauled Os Draconis The goulfe cauled Os Draconis that is the dragons mouth And the Iland directly ouer ageynste the same he named Margarita Owte of these streyghtes isshewed no lesse force of fresshe water whiche encounteringe with the saulte dyd stryue to passe foorth Soo that betwene bothe the waters was no smaule conflict A conflict betwene the freâ—he water the salte But enteringe into the goulfe at the lengthe he fownde the water therof very fresshe and good to drynke The Admyrall hym selfe and they which were his companions in this vyage beinge men of good credit and perceauinge my diligence in searchinge for these matters towlde me yet of a greater thynge That is that for the space of .xxvi leaques amountynge to a hundreth and foure myles he sayled euer by freshe water A sea of fresh water In so muche that the further he proceaded especially towarde the west he affirmeth the water to bee the freâ—her After this he came to a highe mountayne marmasets monkeys inhabited onely with moonkeys or marmasits on that part towarde the East For that syde was rowgh with rockye and stony mountains And therfore not inhabyted with men Yet they that went a lande to searche the countrey fownde nere vnto the sea many fayre fieldes well tylled and sowen But noo people nor yet houses or cotages Parhappes they were gone further in to the countrey to sowe theyr corne and applye theyr husbandry as wee often see owre husbande men to leaue theyr stations and vyiages for the same purpose In the weste syde of that mountayne they espyed a large playne whither they made haste The fayre large region of paria and cast anker in the brode ryuer As soone as the inhabitantes had knowleage that a strange nation was arryued in theyr coastes they came flockinge withowte all feare to see owre men We vnderstode by theyr sygnes and poyntynges that this Region was cauled Paria and that it was very large In so muche that the further it reacheth towarde the weste to be so muche the better inhabited and replenished with people The Admiral therfore takynge into his shyppe foure of the men of that lande searched the weste partes of the same By the temperatenes of the ayer the pleasauntnes of the grownde Temperate ayer and frutful grounde and the multytude of people which they saw dayly more and more as they sayled they coniectured that these thynges portended sum great matter As in deede their opinion fayled them not as we wyll further declare in his place The soonne not yet rysen but beginninge euen now to ryse beinge one day allured by the pleasauntnes of the place and sweete sauours which breathed from the land to the shippes Sweete sâ—uours proceadynge frome the lande they went alande Here they fownde a greater multytude
Death for death Then with the Canibales owne clubbe he layde on hym al that he might dryue with hande and foote grinninge and fretinge as it had byn a wylde bore Thinkynge that he had not yet sufficiently reuenged the death of his companyons when he had beaten owte his braynes and guttes When he was demaunded after what sorte the Canibales were woont to inuade other contreys howe the canibales fortifie their caÌ„pe he answered that they euer vsed to carye with them in theyr Canoas a greate multitude of clubbes The whiche where soo euer they lande they pitche in the grownde and encampe them selues within the coompasse of the same to lye the more safely in the nyght season In Curiana they fownde the head of a capitaine of the Canibales nailed ouer the doore of a certeyne gouernoure for a token of victorie as it hadde byn the standerde or helmette taken from the enemye in battayle In these coastes of Paria is a Region cauled Haraia Haraia in the whiche greate plentie of salte is gathered after a strange sorte For the sea beinge there tossed with the poure of the wyndes dryueth the salte waters into a large playne by the sea syde Salte engendred of the water of the sea where afterward when the sea waxeth câ—ulme and the soonne begynnethe to shyne the water is congeled into moste pure and whyte salte wherewith innumerable shyppes might bee laden if men doo resorte thether for the same beefore there faule any rayne For the rayne meltethe it and causeth it to synke into the sande and soo by the pores of the earthe to returne to the place from whense it was dryuen Other say that the playne is not fylled from the sea but of certeine springes whose water is more sharpe and salt theÌ„ the Sprynges of of salt water water of the sea Thinhabitantes doo greatlye esteeme this bay of salte Which they vse not only for theyr owne commoditie but also woorkinge the same into a square forme lyke vnto brickes they sell it to strangers for exchaunge of other thynges whiche they lacke In this Region they stretche and drye the deade bodies of theyr kinges and noble men The bodies of princes dryed reserued layinge the same vpon a certeyne frame of woodde much lyke vnto a hurdle or grediren with a gentell fyre vnder the same thus by lyttle and lyttle consuminge the flesshe and keepinge the skynne hole with the bones inclosed therein These dryed carcases they haue in greate reuerence and honour them for theyr householde and famylier goddes They say that in this place they sawe a man and in an other place a woman thus dryed and reserued When they departed from Curiana the .viii day of the Ides of February to returne to Spayne they had three score and .xvi. poundes weight after .viii. vnces to the pownde of perles which they bought for exchange of owre thynges amountinge to the value of fyue shyllinges Threescore xvi poundes weight of perles for .v. shillynges Departinge therfore they consumed three score dayes in theyr iourney althowgh it were shorter then frome Hispaniola by reason of the contynuall course of the sea into the weste The course of the sea toward the weste whiche dyd not only greately stey the shippe but also sumtymes dryue it backe But at the length they came home soo laden with perles that they were with euery maryner in maner as common as chaffe But the master of the shyppe Petrus Alphonsus perles as coÌ„moÌ„ as chaffe â—etrus AlphoÌ„sus in prison beinge accused of his coompanyons that he had stowlen a great multitude of precious perles and defrauded the kynge of his portion which was the fyueth parte was taken of Fernando de Vega a man of greate lerninge and experience and gouernour oâ— Gallecia where they arryued and was there kepte in pryson a longe tyme. But he styll denyethe that euer he deteyned anye parte of the perles Many of these perles were as bygge as hasell nuttes Orient perles as bygge as hasel nuttes and oriente as we caule it that is lyke vnto them of the Easte partes Yet not of soo greate price by reason that the holes therof are not soo perfecte When I my selfe was presente with the ryght honorable duke of Methyna and was bidden to dyner with hym in the citie of Ciuile they browght to hym aboue a hundreâ—h and twentie vnces of perles to be soulâ—e which surely did greatly delyte me with their fayrenes and brightnes Sum saye that Alphonsus hadde not these perles in Curiana being distante from Os Draconis more theÌ„ a hundreth and twentie leaques Curiana Os Draconis but that he had them in the Regions of Cumana and Manacapana Cumana Manacapana nere vnto Os Draconis and the Ilande of Margarita The Iland of Margarita For they deny that there is any perles fownde in Curiana But sithe the matter is yet in controuersie we wyll passe to other matters Thus muche yowe haue whereby yowe maye coniecture what commoditie in tyme to coome may bee looked for from these newe landes of the west Ocean wheras at the fyrste discoueringe they shewe such tokens of greate ryches Thus fare ye well ¶ The .ix. booke of the fyrst Decade to Cardynall Lodouike VIncentiagnes Pinzonus and also Aries Pinzonus The nauigation of vincentius and Aries Pinzonus his neuie by his brothers syde which accompanyed the Admiral Colonus in his fyrste vyage and were by him appoynted to bee masters of twoo of the smaule shippes which the Spaniardes caule Carauelas beinge mooued by the greate ryches and amplytude of the new landes furnyshed of theyr owne charges foure carauels in the hauen of theyr owne countrey which the Spanyardes caule Palos bortheringe on the weste Ocean Hauynge therfore the kynges licence and passeporte to departe Licence and passeporte they loosed froÌ„ the hauen abowte the Calendes of December in the yeare 1499. This hauen of Palos is three score and twelue myles distant from Gades commonly cauled Cales and three score and foure myles from Ciuile Cales Ciuile All thinhabitantes of this towne not one excepted are greately gyuen to searchinge of the sea and continually exercysed in sayling They also directed their vyage fyrst to the Ilandes of Canarie by the Ilandes of Hesperides The Ilandes of Canarie nowe cauled Cabouerde Cabouerde which sum caule Gorgodes Meducias Saylinge therfore directly towarde the southe frome that Iland of the Hesperides which the Portugales being possessers of the same caule Sancti Iacobi and departinge frome thense at the Ides of Ianuary they folowed the southwest wynde s. Iames Ilande beinge in the myddest betwene the south and the weste When they supposed that they had sayled aboute three hundrethe leaques by the same wynde they say that they loste the syght of the Northe starre The North pole owte of syght and were shortelye after tossed with excedinge tempestes
water largely taken may bee cauled an Ilande The hole earth largely takâ—â— â–ª maye bee cauled an Ilande From the poynte of that land where they lost the sight of the north pole saylynge by a continuall tracke abowte three hundreth leaques towarde the weste syde of Paria they say that almoste in the mydde way they chaunced into a ryuer cauled Maragnonum Maragnonus a ryuer of exceadâ—nge breadâ—h and full of Ilands looke decade â—i liber ix which they affirme to bee of such excedinge breadth that it myght seeme incredible if the antiquitie dyd not make mention of the lyke Beinge demaunded of me if it were not salte water where it diuided the lande they answered that the water therof was very fresshe and sweete And that the further it ranne to bee soo muche the fressher Also full of Ilandes homsome fyshe They bare auouche the breadth therof to bee more then thirtie leaâ—ues Yet if wee well weighe and consyder the largenes and wydenes of Boriostomea and Spiriosiomea the mouthes of the famous ryuer of Ister nowe cauled Danubius howe farre they violate or corrupte the salte water with their freshenes Boriostomea and Spiriosâ—omea â–ª mouthes of the ryuer of Danubius wee shall cease to marueile althowgh this other ryuer bee greater For who can diminysshe the poure of nature but that it may make this bigger then the other and an other bygger then this And I suppose this to bee the ryuer wherof Colonus the Admirall made mention in the discription of his vyage in these coastes But wee shall hereafter haue further knowleage hereof Let vs nowe therfore returne to the commodities of these Regions They fownde in many Ilandes abowte Paria The commodities of the Regions and Ilandes about Paria Brasile great wooddes of brasile trees And brought awaye with them three thousande poundes weight thereof They say that the brasile of Hispaniola is muche better then this to dye clothe with a more fayre and durable colour FroÌ„ hense folowynge the wynde whiche the Spanyardes caule Norduest and the Italians Graeco they passed by many Ilandes very fruitefull yet lefte desolate and wasted by reason of the crueltie of the Canibales Mani fruitful Ilandes lefte desolate For they went alande in many places and fownde the ruines of many destroyed howses Yet in sum places they founde men but those exceadinge fearefull flyinge to the mountaynes rockes and wooddes at the sight of euery straunger or shippe and wanderinge without houses or certeyne abydinge places for feare of the Caniballes layinge wayte and huntinge after them Canibales Here they founde those great trees which of theÌ„ selues in dyuers places bringe furth the fruite or spice whiche the Apothecaries caule Cassia fâ—stula Trees of Cassia fistula And that of noo lesse goodnes then that which the phisitians minister to such as bee diseased with the ague Buâ— it was not ripe at theyr beinge there They affirme that there are trees of suche byggenes Trees of maruelous byggenes that .xvi. men ioyninge handes togyther and standinge in coompasse can scarsely embrase sum of them Emonge these trees is fownde that monstrous beaste with a snowte lyke a foxe a tayle lyke a marmasette A monstrouâ— beâ—ste eares lyke a batte handes lyke a man and feete lyke an ape bearing her whelpes abowte with her in an owtwarde bellye muche lyke vnto a greate bagge or purse The deade carkas of this beast you sawe with me and turned it ouer and ouer with yowre owne handes marueylynge at that newe belly and wonderfull prouision of nature They say it is knowen by experience that shee neuer letteth her whelpes goo owte of that purse exexcept it bee eyther to play or to sucke vntyl suche tyme that they bee able to gette theyr lyuing by them selues They tooke this beaste with her whelpes But the whelpes dyed shortely after in the shyppes Yet the damme liued certeyne moonethes But at the length not beinge able to abyde soo greate alteration of ayer and chaunge of meate Alteracion of ayer chaÌ„ge of meate shee dyed also in the way But of this beaste wee haue sayde enowgh Let vs now therfore returne to the autoures of these thynges These twoo Pinzoni the vncle and the neuie susteyned manye great trowbles and horrible tempestes and perilles in this nauigation For when they had nowe sayled by the coastes of Paria abowte .vi. hundreth leaques and as they supposed beyonde the citie of Cathay and the coastes of Easte India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges Cathay in India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges there rose soodenly soo fierce a tempeste in the mooneth of Iuly that of the foure carauels which they had with them twoo were drowned euen beefore theyr eyes A shipwracke by tempest and the thyrde lyenge at anker with lyke soodennes caryed owte of theyr syght throwgh the violence of the tempeste The fourth also lyinge at anker was soo shaken and broosed that al the seames therof were almost loosed Yet came they to lande owt of this laste shyppe but vtterlye despayrynge of the shyppe Wherfore consultynge with them selues what was best to bee doone in soo extreeme a case and how to prouide them a safe dwellinge place in those Regions beinge owt of al hope how to departe from thense Extreme remedie in a desperat case they determined to sley all the inhabitantes of the contrey nere abowte them leaste they with the other shulde conspire togyther to kyl them but theyr fortune was better For the carauell which the tempeste had caryed a way was coome to them ageyne This had in it .xviii. men And the other that remayned was saued and repayred With these two therfore they tooke theyr vyage directly to Spaine And thus beinge tossed with tempestes and vexed with aduersities they returned to theyr natiue contrey of Palos to theyr wyues and children the day before the Calendes of October with the losse of many of theyr dere frendes and neighbours they browght with them Cinamome and gynger Cinamome and gynger but not very good bycause they were not there fully seasoned with the heate of the soone before they brought them froÌ„ thense They browght also certeyne precious stones whiche Baptista Elysius that excellent philosopher and yowre lordeshippes phisitian affirmeth to bee trewe Topases Topases After these mens returne other of theyr neighbours beinge moued thereto by a certeyne emulation to proue yf theyr fortune wolde bee anye better lyke men of good corage Men of noble corage beinge nothing discomforted by the harde fortune of theyr neighboures knowinge that it often tymes chaunceth that that which is one mans vndoinge is an other mans makynge attempted a newe vyage towarde the sowthe by the coastes of Paria A nother vyage folowynge the steppes of Colonus the Admiral who had fyrst discouered the same They also browght with them greate plentie of Cassia fistula And fownde that precious medecine cauled of the
by the vnfortunate destenie of Petrus de Vmbria The enterprise death of Petrus de Umbria For he beinge a man of prompt wytte and apt forwardenes to attempte thynges in whiche sumetyme fortune wyll beare a stroke notwithstandinge owre prouidence tooke vpon hym thaduenture to searche the shore to thintent to find a waye for his felowes where they myght beste coome alande For this purpose he chose hym twelue maryners and wente aboorde the shippe boate whiche serued the greateste shyppes The flowinge of the sea raged and rored there with a horrible whurlinge as wee reede of the daungerous place of Scylla in the sea of Scicilie The daungerous place of Scilla in the sea of Cicilie by reason of the houge and ragged rockes reachyng into the sea from which the waues rebounding with violence make a greate noyse and rowghnes on the water whiche rowghnes or reflowinge the Spanyardes caule Resacca In these daungers wretched Vmbria wresteled a while But in shorte space a waue of the sea almoste as bygge as a mountayne reboundinge from the rockes ouerwhelmed the boate and deuoured the same with the men euen in the sight of theyr felowes So that of them all onely one escaped by reason he was experte in swymmynge Swymminge For gettinge holde of the corner of a rocke and susteynynge the rage of the sea vntyll the nexte daye when it wexed caulme and the shore was drye by the faule of the water he escaped and resorted to his coompanye But Vmbria with the other eleuen were vtterlye caste away The resydue of the coompany durst not commite them selues to the shippe boates but went alande with theyr brigantines Where remaynynge a fewe dayes and saylinge alonge by the ryuer they founde certeyne vyllages of thinhabitantes which they caule Mumu. Here they beganne to build a fortresse and to sowe seedes after the maner of theyr countrey in a certeyne vale of frutefull grownde bicause in other places the region is baren As these thynges were thus dooinge in Beragua one of their coompanye standynge vppon the toppe of a hyghe rocke of especiall and lyftynge his eyes towarde the Weste beganne to crye Lynnyn sayles lynnyn sayles And the nerer it drewe towarde hym he perceaued it to bee a shyppe boate comminge with a lyttle sayle Yet receaued they it with muche reioysinge for it was the fyssher boate of Nicuesa his carauele The fyssher boate of Nicuesa his carauele and of capacitie to carye onely fyue men and had nowe but three in it which had stoulne it from Nicuesa bycause he refused to gyue credit to theim that he had passed Beragua and lefte it behynde hym Eastwarde For they seinge Nicuesa and his felowes to consume dayely by famynne thowght they woolde proue fortune with that boate if their chaunce myght bee to fynde Beragua as in deede it wss Debatinge therefore with theyr felowes of these matters they declared howe Nicuesa erred and loste the carauele by tempest The miserable case of Nicuesa and that he was nowe wanderinge amonge the marysshes of vnknowen coastes full of myserie and in extreeme penurie of all thynges hauinge nowe lyued for the space of three score and tenne dayes only with herbes and rootes and syldoome with frutes of the countrey contented to drinke water and yet that often tymes faylynge bycause he was instant to trauayle westwarde by foote supposing by that meanes to come to Beragua Colonus the fyrste fynder of this mayne lande had coasted alonge by this tracte and named it Gratia Dei but the inhabitantes caule it Cerabaro The Region of Gratia Dei or Cerabaro Throwghe this Region there runneth a ryuer which owre men named Sancti Matthei The ryuer of Sancti Matthei distante from the weste syde of Beragua aboute a hundrethe and thirtie myles Here I lette passe the name of this ryuer and of manye other places by the names which thinhabitantes vse bycause owre men are ignorant thereof Thus Lupus Olanus the conductor of one of the shippes of Nicuesa and nowe also vice Leauetenaunt in his steede after that he hadde receaued this information of the maryners sente thether a brigantine vnder theyr guydynge these maryners therfore which came in the fyssher boate founde Nicuesa The rigorousnes of Nicuesa and browght hym to the place where Olanus laye whome at his commynge he caste in pryson and accused hym of treason bycause he vsurped thautoritie of the Lieuetenauntshippe and that for the desyre he had to beare rule and bee in autoritie he tooke no care of his errours also that he behaued hym selfe negligently demaundinge further more of hym what was the cause of his soo longe delay Lykewyse he spake to al the vnder officers sharplye and with a troubled mynde And within fewe dayes after commaunded them to trusse vp theyr packes and make them redye to departe They desyred hym to quyet hym selfe and to forbeare them a while vntyl they had reaped the corne that they had sowne which wolde shortly bee rype For all kynd of corne waxeth rype there euery fourth moonethe after it is sowne Come waâ—eth rype euery fourth month But he vtterly denyed to tarye and whytte but that he woolde foorthwith departe from that vnfortunate lande And plucked vp by the rootes al that euer was browght into the goulfe of Beragua and commaunded them to directe theyr course towarde the Easte After they had sayled aboute the space of .xvi. myles a certeyne younge man whose name was Gregorie a Genues borne and of a chylde browght vp with Colonus The commendacion of a younge man browght vp with Colonus cauled to rememberance that there was a hauen not farre frome thense And to proue his sayinge trewe he gaue his felowes these tokens that is that they shulde fynde vppon the shore an anker of a loste shyppe halfe couered with sande And vnder a tree nexte vnto the hauen a sprynge of cleere water They came to the lande founde the anker and the sprynge and commended the wytte and memorye of the younge man that he only amonge many of the marynes whiche had searched those coastes with Colonus bore the thynge soo well in mynde This hauen Colonus cauled Portus Bellus Portus Bellus Wheras in this vyage for lacke of vytayles they were sumetymes enforced to goo alande they were euel entreated of the inhabitantes By reason wherof theyr strengthes were soo wekened with huÌ„ger weakenes of hunger that they were not able to keepe warre ageynst naked men or scarsely to beare theyr harnes on their backes And therfore owre men loste twentie of theyr coompanie which were slayne with venemous arrowes They consulted to leaue the one halfe of theyr felowes in the hauen of Portus Bellus And the other parte Nicuâ—sa tooke with hym towarde the Easte where abowte twentie and eyght myles froÌ„ Portus Bellus he intended to buylde a fortresse harde by the sea syde vppon the poynte or cape which in tyme paste Colonus named
Marmor Cap Marmor But they were soo feeble by reason of longe hunger that theyr strength serued them not to susteyne suche laboure Yet he erected a lyttle towre able to resyst the fyrst assaute of the inhabitantes This towre he cauled Nomen Dei Nomen Dei From the tyme that he left Beragua what in the iorney amonge the sandie playnes then also for hunger whyle he buylded the towre Nicuesa his men coÌ„sumed of the fewe which remayned a lyue he loste twoo hundreth And thus by lyttle and lyttle the multitude of seuen hundreth foure score and fyue men was nowe browght to scarsely one hundreth Whyle Nicuesa lyued with these few miserable men there arose a conteÌ„tion amonge them of Vraba Contencion about the lieuetenauntship of Uraba as concerninge the Lieuetenantshippe For one Vaschus Nunnez Uaâ—chus Nunnez moneth sedition by the iudgemente of all men trustynge more to his strengthe then wytte stoured vp certeyne lyght felowes ageynst Ancisus sayinge that Ancisus had not the kynges letters patentes for that office And that it was not sufficient that he was autorised by Fogeda Ancisus lieuetenaunt for Fogeda And therfore forbodde that he shulde execute the office of the Lieuetenaunteshippe And wylled theym to chuse certeyne of theyr owne coompanye by whose counsayle and authoritie they myght bee gouerned Thus beinge diuided into factions by reason that Fogeda their capitayne came not ageyne whom they supposed to bee nowe deade of his venemous wounde they contended whether it were beste to substitute Nicuesa in his place The wyseste sorte suche as were famylier with Nicuesa and coulde not beare thinsolencie of Vaschus Nunnez thowght it good that Nicuesa shuld bee Nicuâ—sa sowght owt throwgh owt all those coastes For they had knoweledge that he departed from Beragua bycause of the barennes of the grounde And that by thexemple of Ancisus and suche other as had made shippewracke it were possible that he might wander in sume secreate place And that they coulde not be quiete in theire myndes vntyll they knewe the certeÌ„tie whether he with his felowes were alyue or deade But Vaschus Nunnez fearinge leaste at the commyng of Nicuesa he shulde not bee had in autoritie emonge his felowes sayde they were mad men to thinke that Nicuesa lyued And althowgh he were alyue yet that they hadde noo neade of his helpe For he auouched that there was none of his felowes that were not as meete to rule as Nicuesa While they were thus reasonynge too and froo one Rodericus Colmenaris arryued in those coastes with two greate shippes hauinge in theym three score fresshe men Rodericus Colmenaris with greate plentie of vitailes and apparel Of the navigation of this Colmenaris The nauigation of Rodericus Colmenaris I intende to speake sumewhat more He therfore departed from the hauen of Hispaniola cauled Beata where they prepare and furnysshe theym selues whiche make any viage into these landes aboute the Ides of October in the yeare .1510 And landed the .ix. of Nouember in a Region in the large prouince of Paria founde by Colonus betwene the hauen Carthago and the Region of Cuchibachoa Cuchibacoa In this viage what by the rowghnes of the sea fiercenes of the barbariaÌ„s he suffered many incommodities For when his fresshe water fayled he sayled to the mouthe of a certeyne riuer which thinhabitantes caule Gaira The ryuer Gaira beinge apte to receaue shippes This ryuer had his course from the toppe of an exceadinge hyghe mountayne couered with snowe An exceding hygh mountayne couered with snowe hygher then the which all the coompanyons of this capitayne Rodericus saye that they neuer sawe And that by good reason yf it were couered wyth snowe in that Region which is not past ten degrees distante from the Equinoctial lyne As they beganne to drawe water owt of their shippeboate a certeyne Kynge made towarde theym appareled with vestures of gossampine cotton hauinge twentie noble men in his coompanye appareled also Appareled men Whyche thinge seemed straunge to owre men and not seene before in those parties The Kinges apparell hunge loose from his shoulders to his elbowes And from the geâ—dle downewarde it was muche like a womans kertle reachinge euen to his heeles As he drewe neere towarde owre men he seemed frendly to admonysshe theym to take none of the water of that ryuer affirminge it to bee vnholsome for men And shewed theym that not farre from thense there was a ryuer of good water They came to the ryuer And endeuouringe to coome nere rhe shore they were dryuen backe by tempeste Also the burbulinge of the sande declared the sea to bee but shalowe there They were therefore enforced to returne to the fyrste ryuer where they myght safely caste anker This Kinge layde wayte for owre men For as they were fyllinge theire barrelles he set on theym with abowt seuen hundreth men as owre men iudged armed after theire maner althowgh they were naked For only the kynge and his noble men were appareled They tooke away the shippeboate and brooke it in maner to chips soo fiercely assylynge owre menne with theyr venemous arrowes Seuen and forty Spanyardes are sâ—aine with venemous arrowes that they slewe of them fortie and seuen beefore they coulde couer them selues with theyr targettes For that poyson is of such force that albeit the woundes were not great yet they dyed therof immediatly For they yet knewe noo remedie ageynste this kynde of poyson Ierua A remedy agenste venemous arrows as they after lerned of thinhabitantes of Hispaniola For this Ilande bringeth foorth an herbe which quencheth and mortifieth the violent poyson of the herbe wherewith theyr arrowes are infected soo that it bee ministred in tyme. Yet of owre coompany whiche went for water seuen escaped that conflicte and hyd them selues in a hollowe tree Seuen men left behynde lurkynge there vntyll nyght Yet escaped they not the handes of theyr enemyes For the shippe departed from thense in the nyght season and lefte them there supposinge that they had byn slayne Thus by manye â–ª suche perels and daungers which I lyghtly ouerpasse bicause I wyl not bee tedious to yowre holynes he arryued at the length at the hauen of Vraba The hauen of Uraba and cast anker at the easte syde therof froÌ„ whense not longe before owre men departed to the west syde by reason of the barennes of that soyle When he had contynued a whyle in the hauen and sawe noo man stourynge marueylinge at the silence of the places for he supposed there to haue fowunde his felowes he coulde not couiecture what this shulde meane and there vppon beganne to suspecte that eyther they were deade or that they had chaunged the place of theyr habitacion To knowe the certentie hereof he commaunded all the greate ordinaunce and other smaule gunnes which he had in his shippes to bee charged And fyers to bee made in the
necessitie they were oppressed And what they had lerned of Comogrus as concernynge the Regions towarde the Southe wyllynge them in consideration therof to aduertyse the kynge to sende them a thousande souldiers A newe supply of a thousande souldyers by whose helpe they myght by force make waye throwghe the mountaynes diuidynge the sea on bothe sydes if they coulde not brynge the same to passe quyetly The same Valdiuia was also sent on this message caryinge with hym to the kynges treasourers hauinge theyr office of recepte in Hispaniola three hundreth poundes weyght of golde after eyght ounces to the pounde for the fyfte portion dewe to the kynges escheker This pounde of .viii. vnces the Spanyardes caule Marcha Marcha whiche in weyght amounteth to fyftie pieces of golde cauled Castellani But the Castilians caule a pound Pesum We conclude therfore Pesus that the sume hereof was .xv. thousande of those peeces of golde cauled Castellani And thus is it apparente by this accompte that they receaued of the barbarous kynges a thousande and fyue hundreth poundes of eyght ounces to the pounde A thousande and fyue hundreth pounds weyght of wrought gold All the whiche they founde redy wrought in sundry kyndes of ouches as cheynes braselets tablets and plates bothe to hange before theyr brestes and also at theyr eares and nosethryls Valdiuia therefore tooke shyppinge in the same carauell in the whiche he came last and returned also beefore the thyrde day of the Ides of Ianuary in the yeare of Christ M.D.XI. What chaunced to hym in this vyage wee wyll declare in place conuenient But let vs nowe returne to them which remayned in Vraba After the dismissinge of Valdiuia beinge pricked forwarde with owtragious hunger they determined to searche the inner partes of that goulfe in sundry places The goulfe of Uraba The extreme angle or poynt of the same goulfe is distant from the enterance therof aboute foure score myles This angle or corner the Spanyardes caule Culata Culata Vaschus hym selfe came to this poynte with a hundreth men coastynge alonge by the goulfe with one brygantine and certeyne of the boates of those regions which the Urabians caule Vru Uaschus searcheth the goulfe of Uraba lyke vnto them whiche thinhabitantes of Hispaniola caule Canoas From this poynt there fauleth a ryuer from the East into the goulfe A maruelous great ryuer â–ª faulyng into the gâ—uâ—fe of Uraba ten tymes bygger then the ryuer of Dariena which also fauleth into the same Saylyng alonge by the ryuer about the space of thirtie myles for they caule it nyne leaques and sumwhat inclynynge towarde the ryght hande southwarde they founde certeyne vyllages of thinhabitantes the Kynge whereof was cauled Dabaiba Owre men also were certifyed before that Cemacchus the kynge of Dariena whom they put to flyght in the battayle kynge Dabaiba and â—hemacchus are dryuen to flyght fledde to this Dabaiba But at the commynge of owre men Dabaiba also fledde It is thowght that he was admonysshed by Cemacchus that he shulde not abyde the brunte of owre men He folowed his counsayle forâ—ooke his vyllages and lefte all thynges desolate Yet owre men founde heapes of bowes and arrowes Also much household stuffe and many fysshyng boates But those maryshe groundes were neyther apte for sowinge of seedes or planting of trees Marysshe grounde By reason wherof they founde there fewe suche thynges as they desyred that is plentie of vytayles For thinhabitantes of this Region haue noo breade but such as they get in other contreys nere abowte them by exchaunge for theyr fyâ—she only to serue theyr owne necessitie Yet founde they in the houses of them that fledde golde wrought and grauen amountynge to the sume of seuen thousande of those pieces whiche we sayde to bee cauled Castellani wrought gold wheyghynge vii thousand Castellaneâ— Also certeyne canoas of the which they brought away twoo with them and great plentie of theyr houâ—holde stuffe with certeyne bundels of bowes and arrowes They saye that from the marysshes of that ryuer there coome certeyne battes in the nyght season as bygge as turtle dooues Battes as bygge as turtle doueâ— inuadyng men and bytinge them with a deadly wounde as sume of them testifie whiche haue byn bytten of the same I my selfe communing with Ancisus the Lieuetenant whom they reiected Ancisus bytten of a batte and amonge other thynges askynge him of the venemous bytinge of these battes he toulde me that he hym selfe was bytten by one of them on the heele his foote lyinge vncouered in the nyght by reason of the heate in sommer season But that it hurt hym noo more then yf he hadde byn bytten by any other beaste not venemous Other saye that the bytynge of sume of them is venemous Yet that the same is healed incontinently Remedies ageynst venemous arrows if it be wasshed with water of the sea Ancisus toulde me also that the venemous woundes made by the Canibales arrowes infected with poyson are healed by wasshynge with water of the sea and also by cauterising with hotte Irens And that he had experience thereof in the region of Caribana where many of his men were so wounded They departed therfore from the poynte of the goulfe of Vraba not well contented bycause they were not laden with vitailes In this their returne there arose soo greate a tempest in that wyde goulfe A tempest that they were enforced to caste into the sea all the householde stuffe whiche they tooke from the poore wretches whiche lyued onely by fisshinge The sea also swalowed vpp the two boates that they tooke from theym wherewyth the men were likewise drowned The same tyme that Vaschus Nunnez attempted to searche the poynte of the goulfe towarde the southe euen then by agremente dyd Rodericus Colmenaris take his viage towarde the mountaynes by the easte Colmenaris taketh his vyage towarde the montains with threscormen by the ryuer of the other goulfe Aboute fortie miles distante from the mouthe of the ryuer for they caule it twelue leaques he founde certeyne vilages situate vppon the bankes of the ryuer whose Chiui that is kinge they caule Turui With this kinge dyd Colmenaris yet remayne when Vaschus after his returne to Dariena sayling by the same ryuer came to hym Here refresshinge theyr hole coompany with the vitailes of this Turui kynge Turui they departed from thense togyther Other fortie myles from hense the ryuer encoompaseth an Iland inhabited with fyssher men In this bycause they sawe greate plentie of the trees which beare Cassia fâ—stula they named the Iland Cannafistula The Iland of Cannafistula They found in it threescore villages of tenne cotages apiece On the right syde of the Iland there runneth an other ryuer whose chanell is of depth suffiente to beare brigantines This ryuer they cauled Riuum Nigrum She ryuer or Riuuâ— Niger A toâ—â—e of v. hundreth houses from the mouthe wherof
about xv myles distante they founde a towne of fyue hundreth houses seuered whose Chebi that is kinge was cauled Abenamachei They all forsooke theyr houses as soone as they harde of owre mennes commyng But when they sawe that owre men pursued them they turned ageyne and ranne vppon them with desperate mindes as men driuen from their owne possessions Theyr wepons are swordes of wod and long staues like iauelens hardened at the ende with fyer But they vse neyther bowes nor arrowes nor any other of thinhabitantes of the weste syde of the goulfe Thâ—nhabitantes of the west â—yde of the goulfe The pore naked wretches were easely dryuen to flight with owre weapons As owre men folowed theym in the chase they tooke the kinge Abenamachei and certeine of his noble men kynge Abenamachei is taken and his arme cut of A common souldier of owres whom the kynge had wounded coomminge to hym when he was taken cutte of his arme at one stroke with his swoorde But this was doone vnwares to the capitaynes The number of the Christian men which were here was aboute a hundrethe and fiftie the one halfe whereof the capytaynes lefte here and they with the resydue rowed vpp the ryuer ageyne with twelue of the boates of those Regions whiche they caul Vru as they of Hispaniola caule them Canoas as we haue sayde From the ryuer of Riuus Niger and the Iland of Cannafistula Many other ryuers fauling into Riuus Niger for the space of threescore and ten myles leauing both on the right hande on the lefte many riuers faulinge into it bigger then it selfe they entred into one by the conductynge of one of the naked inhabitantes beinge appoynted a guyde for that purpose Uppon the banke of this ryuer next vnto the mouthe of the same there was a kynge cauled Abibeiba kyng abibeiba dwellethe in a tree who bycause the Region was full of marysshes had his palaice buylded in the toppe of a highe tree a newe kynde of byldynge and seldome seene But that lande beareth trees of suche exceding heigth Abundance of moyster heat is cause of byggenes that emonge theyr branches a man may frame large houses As wee reede the like in diuers autoures howe in many Regions where the ocean sea rysethe and ouerflowethe the lande the people were accustomed to flye to the high trees and after the faule of the water to take the fysshe lefte on the lande The rysynge of the Ocean sea This maner of buyldinge is to laye beames crosse ouer the branches of the trees faste bownde togyther and there vppon to rayse theyr frame strongly made ageynste wynde and wether Owre men suppose that they buylde theyr houses in trees by reason of the greate fluddes and ouerflowinge of ryuers whiche often tymes chaunce in those Regions These trees are of suche heighth Trees of maruelous height that the strength of no manes arme is able to hurle a stone to the houses buylded therein And therfore doo I gyue the better credit to Plinie and other autours whiche wrytte that the trees in sume places in India are soo high by reason of the frutefulnes of the grounde Plinie abundance of water and heate of the Region that noo man is able to shute ouer theym with an arrowe And by iudgemente of all men it is thowght that there is noo frutfuller ground vnder the soonne Frutefull grounde then this is whereof wee nowe entreate Owr men measuringe manye of these trees founde theym to bee of suche biggnes that seuen men ye sumetymes eight holdinge hande in hande with theyr armes streached furthe were scarsely able too fathâ—me them aboute Yet haue they theyr cellers in the grounde Cellers in the grounde well replenysshed with such wynes wherof wee haue spoken beefore For albeit that the vehemencie of the wynde is not of poure to caste downe those houses or to breeke the branches of the trees yet are they tossed therewith and swaye sumwhat from syde to syde by reason wherof the wyne shulde bee muche troubeled with moouinge All other necessarye thinges they haue with theym in the trees When the kynge or any other of the noble men dyne or suppe in these trees theyr wyues are browght theym from the celleres by theyr seruantes whyche by meanes of exercise are accustomed with noo lesse celeritie to runne vppe and downe the steares adherente to the tree then doo owre waytynge boyes vppon the playne grounde fetche vs what wee caule for from the cobbarde bysyde owr dyninge table Owre men therfore came to the tree of kinge Abibeiba and by thinterpretoures cauled hym foorthe to communication gyuinge hym signes of peace and there vppon willinge hym to coomme downe But he denyed that he woolde coomme owte of his house Desyringe them to suffer hym to lyue after his fasshion But owre men fell from fayre woordes to threateninge that excepte he wolde descende with all his famelie they wolde eyther ouerthrowe the tree or elles set it on fyer When he had denied them ageyne they fell to hewinge the tree with theyr axes Abibeiba seeinge the chippes faule from the tree on euery syde Abibeiba the kynge of the tree yeldethe to Uaschus chaunged his purpose and came downe with only two of his soones Thus after they had entreated of peace they communed of gatheringe of golde Abibeiba answered that he had noo golde and that he neuer had any neede therof nor yet regarded it any more then stones But when they were instante vppon hym he sayde vnto them Gold no more estemed then stones If yowe soo greatly desyre golde I will seeke for sume in the nexte mountaynes and bringe it vnto yowe For it is plentifully engendred in those mountaynes Then he appointed a day when he wold bringe this golde But Abibeiba came neyther at the day nor after the daye appoynted They departed therfore from thense well refresshed with his vitailes and wyne but not with goulde as they hoped Yet were they enformed the like by Abibeiba and his ditionaries as concerninge the golde mynes and the Canibales as they harde before of kinge Comogrus Saylinge yet further aboute thirtie myles they chaunced vppon certeyne cotages of the Canibales Canibales But vtterly voyde with owte men or stuffe For when they had knowleage that owre men wandered in the prouinces nere aboute theym they resorted to the mountaynes caryinge al theyr goodes and stuffe wyth them ¶ The fyfte booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed continent IN the meane tyme whyle these thynges were doone alonge by the shores or bankes of the ryuer a certeyne Decurian that is a capytayne ouer tenne of the coompanye of those which Vascus and Colmenaris had lefte for a garryson in Riuo Nigro in the dominion of kynge Abinamachei whether it were that he was compelled throwgh hunger or that his fataule dayes was nowe coome he attempted with his souldiers to searche the countreys nere there about
foules as well apte to bee eaten as also to delite the eares of menne with pleasaunt noyse But owre Spanyardes bycause they are ignorant in foulynge take but fewe Also innumerable popingayes of sundry kindes are found chattering in the groues of those fenny places Of these there are sume equall to Capons in byggenes and sume as lyttle as sparowes But of the diuersitie of popingayes Popingayes we haue spoken sufficientely in the fyrst Decade For in the rase of this large lande Colonus hym selfe browght and sent to the courte a greate number of euery kynde A philosophical discourse as cuÌ„cerning thoriginal of springes and ryuers the which it was lawfull for all the people to beholde and are yet dayly browght in lyke maner There remayneth yet one thynge moste woorthy to bee put in hystorye The which I had rather to haue chaunced into the handes of Cicero or Liuie then into myne For the thynge is soo marueylous in my estimation that I fynde my wytte more entangeled in the description hereof then is sayde of the henne when shee seeth her younge chekyn inwrapped in towe or â—laxe The breadth of that lande from the North Ocean to the south sea is only syxe dayes iourney by relation of thinhabitantes The breadth of the â—ande at Uraba froÌ„ the North Ocean to the South sea The multitude therfore and greaâ—nes of the ryuers on the one side and on the other syde the narowenes of the lande brynge me into suche doubte howe it can coome to passe that in soo little a space of three dayes iourney measurynge from the hygh toppes of those mountaynes I doo not vnderstande howe soo many and soo great ryuers may haue recourse into this north sea For it is to bee thought that as many doo flowe towarde thinhabitantes of the southe These ryuers of Vraba are but smaule in comparison of many other in those coastes For the Spanyardes say that in the tyme of Colonus they founde and passed by an other ryuer after this A ryuer of maruelous byggenes loke the first decade the ix boke whose goulfe faulynge in to the sea they affirme to bee lyttle lesse then a hundreth myles in the fyrste coastes of Paria as wee haue sayde elsewhere For they saye that it fauleth from the toppes of hyghe mountaynes with soo swyfte and furious a course that by the violence and greatnes therof it dryueth backe the sea althowgh it bee rowghe and enforced with a contrary wynde They all affirme lykewyse that in all the large tracte therof they felt noo sower or salte water but that all the water was fresshe sweete and apte to bee droonke Thinhabitantes caule this ryuer Maragnonum The great ryuer Maragnonus lâ—ber iâ— decade i. And the regions adiacent to the same Mariatambal Mariatambal Camamorus Camamorus and Paricora Paricora Besyde those ryuers whiche I haue named before as Darien Grandis Dabaiba Beragua Sancti Mathei Boius gaâ—ti Delagartos Gaira they which of late haue searched those coastes haue founde many other Deliberatinge therefore with my selfe from whense these mountaynes beinge soo narowe and nere vnto the sea on bothe sydes haue such great holowe caues or dennes of suche capacitie and from whense they are fylled to cast foorth such abundance of water hereof also askynge them the opinions of the inhabitantes they affirme them to bee of dyuers iudgementes herein Alleagynge fyrst the greatnes of the mountaynes to bee the cause whiche they say to bee very hygh which thynge also Colonus the first fynder therof affirmeth to bee trewe Adding there vnto that the Paradise of pleasure is in the toppes of those mountaines whiche appeare from the goulfe of Paria and Os Draconis Paradice Loke .vi â—oke fyrst decade as he is fully persuaded They agree therfore that there is greate caues within these mountaynes but it resteth to consyâ—er froÌ„ whense they are fylled The sea If therefore all the ryuers of fresshe waters by thoppinion of manye do soo flowe owte of the sea as dryuen and compelled throwghe the paâ—sages or pores of the earth by the ponderous weyght of the sea it selfe as wee see them breake furth of the sprynges and directe their course to the sea ageyne The land enclosed with two seas then the thynge is lesse to bee marueyled at here then in other places For wee haue not redde that in any other place twoo such seas haue enuironed any lande with soo narowe lymittes For it hath on the right syde the great Ocean where the sonne goeth downe on the lefte hande And an other on the other syde where the sonne ryseth nothynge inferioure to the fyrst in greatenes for they suppose it to bee myxte and ioyned as all one with the sea of East India This lande therefore being burdened with so great a weight on the one syde and on the other yf this opinion bee of anye value is enforced to swalowe vp such deuoured waters and ageyne to cast foorth the same in open springes and streames But if wee shall denye that the earth draweth humours of the sea and agree that all fountaynes or sprynges are engendered of the conuersion or turnynge of ayer into water distilling within the halowe places of the montaynes as the most part thinke we wyll gyue place rather to thautoritie of them whiche stycke to those reasons then that owre sense is satisfyed of the full truth therof Yet doo I not repugne that in sume caues of mountaynes water is turned into ayer Conursion of ayer into water in the caues of mountaynâ—s For I my selfe haue seene howe in the caues of manye mountaynes in Spayne in maner showers of rayne doo faule continually And that the water gathered by this meanes doth send furth certeyne ryuers by the sydes of the mountaynes wherwith al suche trees as are planted on the sâ—iepe or foote of the mountaynes as vines Oliue trees and suche other are watered And this especially in one place As the ryght honorable Lodouike the Cardinall of Aragonie moste obsequious to yowre holynes and twoo other byshoppes of Italy wherof the one is Siluius Pandonus and the other an Archebysshop whose name and tytle I doo not remember can beare me wytnes For wheÌ„ wee were togyther at Granata lately delyuered from the dominion of the Moores and walked for owre pastyme to certeine pleasaunte hylles by the whiche there ranne a fayre ryuer Whyle Cardinall Lodouike occupied hym selfe in shutynge at byrdes whiche were in the bushes nere vnto the ryuer I and the other twoo bysshops determined to clime the mountaynes to searche thoriginall and springe of the ryuer for wee were not farre from the toppes thereof Folowynge therefore the course of the ryuer wee founde a greate caue in which was a continuall faule of water as it had byn a â—houre of rayne Showers of rayne in the caues of montaynes the water wherof faulyng into a trenche made with mans hand encreaseth to a ryuer
In this great tracte there are two regions wherof the one is cauled Taia and the other Maia The regyons of Taia and Maia He writeth that all that lande is very fayre and holsome by reason of the excellent temperatnesse of the ayer And that it is inferiour to no lande in frutefull ground beinge partely full of mountaines and partely large playnâ—s Also replenyshed with many goodly trees holsome herbes and frutes continuynge greene and floryshynge all the hole yeare It beareth also verye many holy trees and pyne aple trees Also .vii. kyndes of date trees wherof summe are frutefull and summe baren Seuen kyndes of date trees It bringeth furth lykewyse of it selfe Pelgoras and wilde vynes laden with grapes euen in the wooddes emonge other trees wylde vines He saythe furthermore that there is suche abundaunce of other pleasaunte and profitable frutes that they passe not of vynes Of one of those kyndes of date trees they make certeyne longe and brode swoordes and dartes These regyons beare also gossampyne trees here and there commonly in the wooddâ—s Lykewise Mirobalanes of sundry kyndes Mâ—robalanes as those which the phisitians caule Emblicos and Chebulos Maizium also Iucca Ages and Battatas lyke vnto those whiche we haue sayde before to bee founde in other regions in these coastes The same nooryssheth also lyons Tygers Hartes Roes Goates and dyuers other beastes Lykewyse sundry kyndes of byrdes and foules Byrdes and foules Emonge the whiche they keepe onely them to franke and feede whiche are in colour bygnes and taste muche lyke vnto owre pehennes He saith that thinhabitantes are of high and goodly stature People of goodly stature well lymâ—ed and proportioned both men and women Couerynge their priuye partes with fyne breeches of gossampine cotton wrought with dyuers colours And that they may seeme the more cumlye and bewtifull as they take it they paynte their bodyes redde and blaâ—ke with the iuce of certeyne apples whiche they plante in their gardens for the saâ—e purpose Summe of them paynte their hole bodies They paynt theyr bodyes summe but parte and other summe drawe thâ— portitures of herbes floures and knottes euery one as seemeth beâ—te to his owne phantasye Their language differeth vtterlye from theirs of the Ilandes nere aboute them The â—wyfte courâ—e of the sea from the East to the West From these regions the waters of the sea ranne with as full course towarde the weste as if it had byn the faule of a swyfte riuer Neuerthelesse he determined to searche the Easte partes of this lande reuoluynge in his mynde that the regions of Paria and Os Draconis with other coastes founde before toward the Easte Pariâ— shulde bee neare theraboute as in deede they were Departyng therfore from the large region of Quiriquetana the xiii daye of the calendes of September when he had sailed thirtie leaques he founde a ryuer without the mouth wherof he drewe freshe water in the sea Fresshe water in the sea Where also the shoore was so cleane withowte rockes that he founde grounde euery where where he myght aptely caste anker He writeth that the swifte course of the Ocean was so vehement and contrarye that in the space of fortye dayes he coulde scarcelye sayle threscore and tenne leaques and that with muche diffyâ—ultie with many fetches and coompasynges Fâ—â—ches and compasinges fyndyng him selfe to bee sumtimes repulsed and dryuen farre backe by the vyolente course of the sea when he woolde haue taken lande towarde the euenynge leâ—sâ—e perhappes wanderynge in vnknowen coastes in the darckenesâ—e of the nyght he myghte bee in daunger of shypwracke He writeth that in the space of eyght leaques he found three great and fayre ryuers vppon the banckes wherof Faire ryuers Great reedes there grewe reedes bygger then a mannes thygh In these ryuers was also greate plentye of fyshe and great tortoyses Great tortoyses Lykewise in many places mulâ—itudes of Crocodiles lyinge in the â—ande and yanyng to â—ake the heate of the soonne Besyde dyuers other kyndes of beastes whervnto he gane no names He sayth alâ—o that the soyle of that lande is very diuers aâ—d variable beyng sumwhere stonye and full of rough and â—eâ—ggie promontoâ—â—es or poyntes reachynge into the sea And in other places as frutfull as maye bee They haue also diuers kynges and rulers Dyuers languages In summe places they caule a kynge Cacicus in other places they caule hym Quebi and sumwhere Tiba Suche as haue behaued them selues valiantly in the warres ageynste their enemies and haue their faces full of scarres they caule Cupras and honour them as the antiquitie dyd the goddes whiche they cauled Heroes Heroâ—â— â–ª supposed to bee the soules of suche men as in their lyfe tyme excelled in vertue and noble actes The common people they caule Chiui and a man they caule Hoâ—â—cuâ— When they saye in their language take man they say Hoppa home After this he came to an other ryuer apte to beare great shyppes Before the mouthe wherof lâ—ye foure smaule Ilandes full of florisshing and frutfull trees These Ilandes he named Quatuor tempora Quatuor tempora From hense saylynge towarde the Easte for the space of .xiii. leaques styll ageinste â—he vyolent course of the water he founde twelue other smaule Ilandes In the whiche bycause he founde a newe kynde of frutes muche like vnto owre lemondes he cauled them Limonares Twelâ—e IlaÌ„ds naâ—ed Liâ—â—â—naâ—es Wanderynge yet further the same waye for the â—pace of .xii. leaques he founde a great hauen enteryng into thâ— land after the maner of a goulfe the space of three lâ—aquâ—s and in maner as brode into the whiche fell a great ryuer Heâ—e was Nicuesa loste afterwarde when he sougâ—te Berâ—gaâ— By reaâ—on wherof they cauled it Rio delos perdidoâ— Rio de los peâ—didos that is the ryuer of the loste men Thus Colonus the Admirall yet further conâ—ynuynge his courâ—e ageynste the furye of the â—ea fouâ—de manye hyghe montaynes and horrible valleys with dyuers ryuers and hauens from all the whiche as he saythe proceaded sweete sauers greatly recâ—eatynge and confortynge nature In so muche that in all this longe tracte there was not one of his men deseaâ—ed vntyll he caâ—e to a region whiche thinhabitantes cauâ—e Quicuri The region of Quâ—curi in the whiche is the hauen cauled Cariai named Mâ—robalanus by the admyrall bycause the Mirobalane trees are natiue in the regions therabout In this hauen of Cariai The hauen of Cariai or Mirobalanus there came about two hundreth of thinhabitantes to the sea syde with euerye of them three or foure dartes in their handes Yet of condition gentell enoughe and not refusyng straungers Their commyng was for none other purpose then to knowe what this newe nation mente or what they broughâ—e with them When owre men had gyuen them sygnes of peace they came swymmynge to the shyppes and desyred to barter with them by exchaunge The
vnto Vraba and the hauen Cerabaro Cap. S. Augustini Vraba Cerabaro and to the furthest landes found hytherto westwarde they had euer greate mountaynes in syghte bothe nere hande and farre of in all that longe rase These mountaynes were in sume place smooth pleasaunt and frutfull Frutful mountaynes full of goodly trees and herbes And sumwhere hygh rowgh ful of rockes and baren as chaunseth in the famus mountayne of Taurus in Asia and also in dyuers coastes of our mountaynes of Apennini Aâ—ennini are mountaynes which dâ—uide Italy lute .ii. partes and suche other of lyke byggenesse The rydgies also of these mountaynes are diuided with goodly and fayre valleis That part of the mountaynes which includeth the lymettes of Beragua Beragaa is thought to be hygher then the clowdes The mountaynes of Beragua higher then the clâ—udes in so much that as they saye the tops of them can seldome bee seene for the multitude of thicke clowdes which are beneath the same Colonus the Admirall the fyrste fynder of these regions affirmeth that the toppes of the montaynes of Beragua are more then fiftie myles in heyghth Montaynes of fiftie miles heyght He sayth furthermore that in the same region at the rotes of the montaynes the way is open to the south sea and compareth it as it were betwene Uenice and Genua or Ianua as the Genues wyll haue it cauled whiche fable that theyr citie was buylded of Ianus Ianus otherwyâ—e cauled Iaphet the son of Noe. He affirmeth also that this lande reacheth foorth towarde the south And that from hense it taketh the begynnynge of breadth lyke as from the Alpes owte of the narowe thygh of Italy Italy is lyke vnto a legge in the sea the mountaynes of the alpes are in the thyghe therof we see the large and mayne landes of Fraunce Germanye and Pannonye to the Sarmatians and Scythyans euen vnto the mountaynes and rockes of Riphea and the frosen sea and embrase therwith as with a continuall bonde all Tracia and Grecia with all that is included within the promontorie or poynt of Malea and Hellespontus southwarde and the sea Euzinus and the marysshes of Maeotis in Scythia northwarde The Admirall supposethe Colonus his opinion of the suppoâ—ed Continent By this coniecture the way shuld be open to Cathay by the hiperboreâ—â— that on the lefte hande in saylynge towarde the weste this lande is ioyned to India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges And that on the ryght hande towarde the North it bee extended to the frosen sea beyonde the Hyperboreans and the North pole So that both the seas that is to meane that south sea which we sayde to bee founde by Vaschus and owre Ocean shulde ioyne and meete in the corners of that land And that the waters of these seas doo not onely inclose and compasse the same withowt diuision as Europe is inclosed with the seas of Hellespontus and Tanais with the frosen Ocean owre sea of Tyrrhenum with the Spanysshe seas But in my opinion the vehement course of the Ocean toward the weste doth signifie and lette that the sayde two seas shulde not so ioyne togither Looke the nâ—uigation of Cabote deca iii. lib. vi But rather that that land is adherent to the firme landes towarde the Northe as we haue sayde before It shall suffice to haue sayde thus muche of the length hereof Let vs nowe therfore speake sumwhat of the breadth of the same The breadth of the lande We haue made mention before howe the south sea is diuided by narowe lymittes from owre Ocean as it was proued by thexperience of Vaschus Nunâ—ez and his coompanions which fyrst made open the way thyther But as dyuersly as the mountaynes of owre Alpes in Europe are sumwhere narowe and in sume place brode euen so by the lyke prouideÌ„câ— of nature this lande in sume parte therof reacheth farre in breadth and is in other places coarcted with narowe limettes from sea to sea with valleys also in sume places wherby men may passe from the one syde to the other Where we haue descrybed the regions of Vraba and Beragua to bee situate The regions of Uraba and Beragua these seas are deuided by smaule distaunce Yet owght we to thynke the region which the great ryuer of Maragnonus runneth through The greate riuer Maragnonus to bee very large if we shall graunt Maragnonum to bee a ryuer and no sea as the freshe waters of the same owght to persuade vs. For in suche narowe caues of the earth there can bee no swalowinge goulfes of such bygnesse as to receaue or nooryshe so great abundance of water The lyke is also to bee supposed of the great ryuer of Dabaiba which we sayde to bee from the corner of the goulfe of Vraba in sume place of fortie fathomes depth The great riuer Dabaiba or sancty Iohannis and sumwhere fiftie Also three myles in breadth and so to faule into the sea We must needes graunt that the earth is brode there by the whiche the ryuer passeth from the hyghe mountaynes of Dabaiba from the East and not from the west They say that this ryuer consisteth and taketh his encrease of foure other ryuers faulynge from the mountaynes of Dabaiba The ryuers haue their increase from the sprynges of the montaynes Owre men caule this ryuer Flumen S. Iohannis They say also that from hense it fauleth into the goulfe of Vraba by seuen mouthes as doothe the ryuer of Nilus into the sea of Egypte The ryuer of Nilus in Egypte Lykewyse that in the same region of Vraba there are in sume places narowe streyghtes not passynge fyftene leaques and the same to bee saluage and withowt any passage by reason of dyuers marysshes and desolate wayes Marisshes and desolate wayes which the Latines caule Lamas But the Spanyardes accordynge to theyr varietie caule theÌ„ Tremedales Trampales Cenegales Sumideros and Zabondaderos But before we passe any further it shall not bee greatly from owr purpose to declare from whense these mountaynes of Dabaiba haue theyr name accordynge vnto thantiquities of thinhabitantes A superstitious opinion of thoriginall of montaines of Dabaiba They saye therefore that Dabaiba was a woman of greate magnanimitie and wysedome emonge theyr predicessours in owlde tyme whom in her lyfe all thinhabitantes of those prouinces did greatly reuerence and beinge deade gaue her diuine honour and named the regioÌ„ after her name beleuynge that shee sendeth thunder and lyghtnynge to destroy the frutes of the earth yf shee bee angered and to send plentie if shee bee well pleased This superstition hathe byn persuaded them by a craftie kynde of men vnder pretense of religion to thintent that they might enioye suche gyftes and offeringes as were brought to the place where shee was honoured Dragons and crocodiles in the marishes This is sufficient for this purpose They saye furthermore that the marysshes of the narowe
of the motions of the Ocean sea to and fro this shal suffyce Let vs now therfore reherse what they write of Dariena of their habitation there which they caule Sancta Maria Antiqua Sancta Maria Antiqua the fyâ—st habitation of the spaniardes in the fyrme lande planted on the sea bankes of Dariena The situation of the place hath no natural munition or defense And the ayer is more pestiferous then in Sardus Sardus the Ilande of Sardinia The Spanyshe inhabitours are all pale yelowe lyke vnto them that haue the yelowe gianndyes Whiche neuerthelesse commeth not of the nature of the region as it is situate vnder the heauen For in many regyons beyng vnder the selfe same degree of latitude hauyng the pole of the same eleuation The variety of regions lynge vnder one paralel they fynd holsome temperate ayer in such places where as the earth bryngeth forth fayre sprynges of water or where holsome ryuers runne by bankes of pure earthe without mudde but moste especyally where they inhabyte the sydes of the hylles and not the valleyes But that habytation whiche is on the bankes of the ryuer of Dariena is sytuate in a deepe valley and enuironed on euery syde with hyghe hylles By reason wherof it receaueth the soonne beames at noonetyde directly perpenticular ouer their heades and are therfore sore vexed by reflection of the beames bothe before behynde and from the sydes For it is the reflection of the soonne beames whiche causeth feruente heate By what meanes the â—onne beames are cauâ—e of feruent heate â–ª and not their accesse or nerenesse to the earth Forasmuche as they are not passyble in them selues as dothe manyfestly appeare by the snowe lyinge contynually vnmolten vpon certeyne hygh montaynes as yowre holynesse knoweth ryghte well The soonne beames therfore faulyng on the montaynes are reflected downewarde into the valley by reason of thobiecte of the declynynge sydes of the hylles as it were the faule of a greate rounde stoone rowled frome the toppe of a montayne The valley therfore receaueth both those beames whiche faule directly theron and also those whiche are reflected downwarde from euery syde of the montaynes Their habitation therfore in Dariena The pernicious ayer of Darienâ— is pernicious and vnholsome onely of the particular nature of the place not by the sytuation of the regyon as it is placed vnder the heauen or â—â—eare to the soonne The place is also contagious by the nature of the soyle by reason it is coompased aboute with muddy and stynkynge marysshes thinfection wherof is not a lyttle encreased by the heate The vyllage it selfe is in a maryshe and in maner a standynge puddle where of the droppes faulyng from the handes of the bond men whyle they water the pauementes of their houses Toades and flees engendered of droppes of water toades are engendered immediately as I my selfe sawe in an other place the droppes of that water turne into flees in the soomer season Furthermore where so euer they dygge the grounde the deapthe of a handefull and a halfe there springeth owte vnholsome and corrupte water of the nature of the ryuer which runneth through the deepe muddy chanel of the valley and so fauleth into the sea Now therfore they consulte of remouyng their habytation Necessytie caused them fyrst to fasten their foote heare Necessytie hath no â—awâ— bycause that they whiche fyrst arryued in those landes were oppressed with suche vrgente hunger that they had no respecte to chaunge the place althoughe they were thus vexed by the contagion of the soyle and heate of the soonne besyde the corrupte water and infectious ayer by reason of venemous vapours and exhalations rysynge from the same An other great incommoditie was that the place was destitute of a commodious hauen beynge three leaques distante from the mouthe of the goulfe The waye is also roughe and diffyculte to brynge vyttayles and other necessaries from the sea But lette vs nowe speake sumwhat of other particular thynges whiche chaunsed Therfore shortly after that they weare arryued there happened many thynges wherof they had no knowledge before A certayne well learned phisytion of Ciuile whome partely thautorytie of the bysshoppe of Dariena and partely the desyre of golde had allured to those landes was so scarred with lyghtnynge in the nyghte season lyinge in bedde with his wyfe that the house and all the stuffe therin beynge sette on fyer and burnte A houâ—e sette on fyer with lyghtnynge he and his wyfe beynge bothe soore scorched ranne foorthe cryinge and almoste naked hardely escapynge the daunger of deathe At an other tyme as certayne of them stoode on the shoore a great Crocodyle sodenly caryed awaye a masty of a yeare and a halfe owlde A dogge deuoured of a crocodyle as a kyte shulde haue snatched vppe a chicken Tanquam canis e Nilo And this euen in the presence of theym all where the myserable dogge cryed in vayne for the helpe of his mayster In the nighte season they were tormented with the bytynge of battes whiche are there soo noysome that if they byte any man in his sleape The byting of battes they putte hym in daunger of lyfe onely with drawynge of bludde In so muche that summe haue dyed therof faulynge as it were into a consumption through the malyciousnesse of the venemous wounde If these battes chaunce to fynde a cocke or a henne abrode in the nyght season they byte them by the combes and so kyll them They also whiche wente laste into these regions do wryte that the lande is troubeled with Crocodyles Lyons and Tigers Lyons and tygers But that they haue nowe deuised artes and ingens howe to take them Lykewyse that in the houses of their felowes they founde the hydes and cases of suche Lyons and Tygers as they had kylled They wryte furthermore that by reason of the rankenesse and frutefulnesse of the grounde kyne swyne and horses doo maruelously increase in these regions and growe to a muche bygger quantitie then they whiche weare of the first broode Beastes wer bygger in theâ—r kynde Of the excedynge hyghnesse of the trees with their fruites of the garden herbes fruites plantes and seedes whiche owre men broughte from Spayne and sowed and set the same in these regyons lykewyse of the hertes and other foure footed beastes bothe tame and wylde also of dyuers kyndes of foules byrdes and fysshes they write euen as we haue declared in the decades before Careta the kynge of the regyon of Cioba how the gouernour enterteyned kyng Careta was with them for the space of three dayes whome when they had frendly enterteyned and shewed hym the secreate places of their shyppes their horses also with their trappars bardes and other furnimentes besyde many other thinges whiche seemed straunge to hym and had further delited his mynd with the harmony of their musycall instrumentes and gyuen hym many rewardes they dysmyssed hym halfe amased
of this fyshe whiche wandered safelye in the same for the space of .xxv. yeares and grewe excedyng byg What so euer is written of the Delphines of Baian or Arion are muche inferior to the dooinges of this fysh which for her gentle nature they named Matum that is gentle or noble Therefore when so euer any of the kynges familyers especially suche as are knowen to her resorte to the bankes of the lake and caule Matum Matum Matum then she as myndefull of suche benefites as she hath receaued of men lyftethe vp her heade and commeth to the place whither she is cauled A fyshe caryeth men oueâ— the lake and there receaueth meate at the handes of suche as feede her If any desirous to passe ouer the lake make signes and tokens of theyr intente she boweth her selfe to them therewith as it were gentelly inuitynge them to amount vppon her and conueyeth them safely ouer It hath byn seene that this monstrous fysshe hath at one tyme safely caryed ouer tenne men singinge and playinge A maruelouâ— thynge But if by chaunce when she lyfteed vp her heade she espyed any of the Christian men she woolde immediatly ploonge downe ageyne into the water and refuse to obey bycause she had once receaued iniury at the handes of a certeyne wanton younge man amonge the Christians who hadde caste a sharpe darte at her although she were not hurte by reason of the hardenes of her skynne beinge roughe and ful of skales and knobbes as we haue sayde Yet dyd she beare in memorie thiniurie she susteyned with so gentell a reuenge requitynge thingratâ—tude of hym which hâ—d delte with her so vngentelly From that day when so euer she was cauled by any of her familiers shâ— woolde fyrst looke circumâ—pectly about her least any were present appareled after the maner of the Christians She woolde oftentymes play and wrestle vppon the banke with the kynges chamberlens And especially with a younge man whom the kynge fauoured well beinge also accustomed to feede her Shee woolde bee sumetymes as pleasaunt and full of play as it had byn a moonkey or marmaset And was of longe tyme a great comfort and solace to the hole Ilande For no smaule confluence aswell of the Christians as of thinhabitantes had dayly concourse to beholde so straunge a myracle of nature the contemplation wherof was no lesse pleasaunt then woonderfull They say that the meate of this kynde of fysshe is of good taste And that many of them are engendered in the seas therabout But at the length this pleasaunt playfelowe was loste and caried into the sea by the great ryuer Attibunicus The ryuer Attibunicus one of the foure which diuide the Ilande For at that tyme there chaunced so terrible a tempest of wind rayne with such fluds ensewing that the like hath not lightly byn hard of By reason of this tempest the ryuer Attibunicus so ouerflowed the bankes that it fylled the hole vale myxt it selfe with all the other lakes At which tyme also this gentell Matum and pleasaunte companyon The situation of the great â—ale folowynge the vehemente course and faule of the fluddes was therby restored to his oulde moother and natyue waters and sence that tyme neuer seene ageyne Thus hauynge digressed sufficiently let vs nowe coome to the situation of the vale It hathe collaterally the mountaynes of Cibaua and Caiguam which brynge it to the South sea The mountaynes of Cibaua and Caiguam There is an other vale beyonde the mountaynes of Cibaua towarde the North. This is cauled the vale of Guarionexius bycause that before the memorie of man the predicessours and auncestours of kyng Guarionexius to whom it is descended by right of inheritaunce The greate vale of Guariâ—nexius were euer the lordes of the hole vale Of this kynge we haue spoken largely in the fyrst narration of the Ilande in the fyrst Decade This vale is of length from the East to the West a hundreth and fourescore myles And of breadth from the South to the North thirtie myles wher it is narowest and fiftie where it is brodeste It begynneth from the region Canobocoa by the prouinces of Huhabo and Caiabo And endeth in the prouince of Bainoa and the region of Mariena It lyeth in the myddest betwene the mountaynes of Câ—baua and the mountaynes of Cabonai and Cazacubuna There is no prouince nor any region which is not notable by the maiestie of mountaynes Mountaynes frutefulnes of vales Uales pleasauntnesse of hylles hylles and delectablenes of playnes Playnes with abundaunce of fayre ryuers runnynge through the same Ryuers There are no sides of mountaynes or hylles no ryuers which abound not with golde and delycate fysshes Golde in all mountaynes and golde and fysshe in all ryuers except only one ryuer which from thoriginall therof with the sprynges of the same breakynge foorth of the mountaynes commeth owt salte and so contynueth vntyll it peryshe This ryuer is cauled Bahuan and runneth through the myddle of the region Maguana in the prouince of Bainoa They suppose that this ryuer hathe made it selfe awaye vnder the grounde by sume passages of playster or salte earthe For there are in the Ilande many notable salte bayes Salte bayes wherof we wyl speake more hereafter We haue declared howe the Ilande is diuided by foure ryuers fyue prouinces howe the Ilande is diuided with mountaynes There is also an other particion whiche is this The hole Ilande consysteth of the tops of foure mountaines which diuide it by the myddest from the East to the weste In all these is abundance of nooryshynge moysture and greate plentie of golde Golde of the caues also of the whiche the waters of al the riuers into the which the caues emptie them selues haue theyr originall and increase The ryuers haue theyr increase from the caues of the mountaynes There are lykewyse in theÌ„ horryble dennes obscure and darke vales and myghtie rockes of stone There was neuer any noysome beaste founde in it Nor yet any rauenynge foure footed beaste No hurtful or raueninge beast in the Ilande No lyon no beare no fierce tygers no craftie foxes nor deuouring woolfes Al thynges are blessed and fortunate And nowe more fortunate for that so many thousandes of men are receaued to bee the sheepe of Christes flocke all theyr Zemes and Images of deuylles being reiected and vtterly out of memorie The autours excuse If I chaunce nowe and then in the discourse of this narration to repeate one thynge dyuers tymes or otherwise to make digression I must desyre yowre holynes therwith not to bee offended For whyle I see heare and wryte these thinges mee seemeth that I am herewith so affected that for verye ioy I feele my mynde stirred as it were with the spirite of Apollo as were the Sibylles whereby I am enforced to repeate the same ageyne Especially when I consyder howe farre the amplitude of owre
â—old is brought yerely from hispaniola into Spayne the sum of foure hundreth and sumtymes fyue hundreth thousande ducates of gold is brought yearely into Spayne as may be gathered by the fyfthe portion dewe to the kynges Excheker which amounteth to the sum of a hundreth and fourscore or fourescore and ten thousande Castellanes of golde and sumtymes more What is to bee thought of the Ilande of Cuba and Sancti Iohannis otherwise cauled Burichâ—na beyng both very ryche in golde we wyll declare further hereafter To haue sayde thus muche of golde Salte of the mountaynes very hard and cleare it shall suffyce Wee wyll nowe therfore speake sumwhat of salte wherwith wee may season and reserue suche thynges as are bought with golde In a region of the prouince of Bainoa in the montaynes of Daiaguo about twelue myles distant from the salte lake cauled Caspius there are salte bayes in the montaynes in a maner as hard as stoones also clearer and whiter then cristall There are lykewyse suche salte baies whiche growe woonderfully in Laiâ—taâ—ia now cauled Cataloma in the territorie of the duke of Cadona the chiefe ruler in that region But suche as knowe theym bothe affyrme that these of Bainoa are moste notable They saye also that this can not be clefte without wedges and beatelles of Iron But that of Laleâ—ana Salt as hard as stones maye easlye bee broken as I my selfe haue proued They therfore compare this to suche stoones as may easely bee broken And the other to marble In the prouince of Caizimu â–ª in the regions of Iguanama Caiacoa and Guariagua there are sprynges whose waters are of maruelous nature Sprynges of salt fresshe and sower water beynge in the superfytial or vppermooste parte freâ—he In the myddest myxte of salte and freâ—he And in the lowest parte salte and sower They thincke that the salte water of the sea issheweth owte softely and the freshe to sprinke owte of the mountaines The one fauleth downe and the other ryseth are not therfore so vniueâ—sally myxt wherby the one may vtterly corrupt thother If any man laye his eare to the grounde neare to any of these springeâ— he shal perceaue the ground there to bee so hollowe holowe caues in the grounde that the reboundyng noyse of a horseman comminge may be harde for the space of three myles and a foote man one myle In the laste region towarde the southe named Guaccaiarima in the lordshyp of Zauana Certeyne wyld men lyuing in caueâ— and dennes they say there are certeyne wyld men whiche lyue in the caues dennes of the montaynes contented onely with wilde fruites These men neuer vsed the companye of any other nor wyll by any meanes becoome tame They lyue without any certaine dwellynge places and with owte tyllage or culturynge of the grounde as wee reade of them whiche in oulde tyme lyued in the golden age They say also that these men are withowte any certaine language Men without a certeyne language They are sumtymes seene But owre men haue yet layde handes on none of them If at any tyme they coome to the syght of men and perceyue any makynge toward them they flye swifter then a harte Ye they affyrme them to bee swifter then grehowndes Men as swift as greihouÌ„ds What one of these solytarie wanderers dyd it is worth the hearyng So it is that owr men hauyng granges adioyning nere vnto the thicke wods certen of theÌ„ repaired thither in the mooneth of SepteÌ„ber in the yeare M.D.xiiii In the meane tyme A wyld man runneth away with a chylde one of these wylde men came leapynge owte of the woodde And approchynge sumwhat toward them with smyling countenaunce soodenly snatched vppe a childe of therse beynge the soonne of the owner of the graunge whiche he begotte of a woman of the Ilande He ranne awaye with the childe and made sygnes to owre men to folowe hym Many folowed aswel of owre men as of the naked inhabytantes but all in vayne Thus when the pleasaunt wanderer perceaued that the Christians ceased to pursue hym he lefte the childe in a crosse waye by the whiche the swyneheardes were accustomed to dryue the swyne to their pasture Shortly after a swynchearde founde the chyld and brought hym home to his father yet tormentynge hym selfe for sorowe supposynge that wylde man to haue byn one of the kynde of the Canibales and that his soonne was nowe deuowred In the same Ilande they gather pytche whiche sweateth owte of the rockes Pitche of the rocke beynge muche harder and sourer then the pitche of the tree and is therfore more commodious to calke or defende shyppes ageynste the woormes cauled Bromas wherof wee haue spoken largely before This Ilande also bryngeth foorth pitche in two kyndes of trees Pitche of two kyndes of trees as in the Pyne tree and an other named Copeia I neede not speake of the pyne tree The pine tree bycause it is engendered and knowen in maner euery where Lette vs therfore speake sumwhat of the other tree cauled Copeia The tree Copeia Pitche is lykewyse gathered of it as of the pyne tree althoughe summe saye that it is gathered by distyllyng or droppyng of the woode when it is burnt It is a straunge thynge to here of the leafe thereof and how necessary prouision of nature is shewed in the same It is to be thought that this is the tree in the leaues wherof the Chaldeans beynge the fyrste fynders of letters expressed their myndes before the vse of paper was knowen The leafe of a tree in the steede of paper This leafe is a spanne in breadth and almost round Owre men write in them with pynnes or nedles or any suche instrumentes made of metall or woodde in maner as well as on paper It is to bee lawghed at what owre men haue perswaded the people of the Ilande as towchynge this leafe They beleue that leaues do speake The symple soules beleue that at the commandement of owre men leaues do speak and disclose secreates A pretie storie They were brought to this credulitie by this meanes One of owre men dwellynge in the citie of Dominica the chiefe of the Ilande delyuered to his seruaunte beyng a man borne in the Ilande certayne rosted connies whiche they caule Vtias beynge no bygger then myse wyllynge hym to carie the same to his frende whiche dwelte further within the Ilande This messenger whether it were that he was therto constrayned through hunger or entysed by appetite deuoured three of the counnies by the waye He to whome they were sente writ to his frynde in a leafe howe manye he receaued When the mayster had looked a whyle on the leafe in the presence of the seruaunt he sayde thus vnto hym Ah soonne where is thy faythe Coulde thy gredye appetyte preuayle so muche with the as to cause the to eate the connies commytted to thy fydelytie The poore wretche trembelynge and greatlye amased confessed
sycke his poure went forward vnder the conducting of his Lieuetenant Gaspar Spinosa a Iudge in cases of lawe in Dariena At the same time other were sent foorth to the Ilande of Dites to exacte the portion of pearles lymited to the king for his tribute What shal succede tyme will bring to owre knowleage The other two attempted thinhabitantes beyond the goulfe Franciscus Bezerra passyng ouer by the corner of the goulfe and the mouthes of the ryuer of Dabaiba The expediâ—ion of Fraunces Beâ—arra â—geynst the Canibales with two other capitaines and a hundreth and fyftie souldiers well appointed went to make warre vppon the Canibales euen in Caribana their owne chiefest dominion toward the vyllage of Turusy wherof we haue made mention before in the comming of Fogeda They brought also with them diuers engens of warre Gunâ—eâ— â–ª as â—hree pieces of ordinanunce whose shot were bygger then egges Likewise forty archers and .xxv. hagbutters to thintent to reache the Caniballes a farre of and to preuent their venemed arrowes But what became of hym and his company or where they arriued we haue yet no parfecte knowleage Certaine which came of late from Dariena to Spaine reported that at their departure they of Dariena stode in great feare least they also were tossed with sum misfortune The other capitaine Valleius Ualeius â—epulsed of the Canibales obteyned the fore parte of the goulfe But he passed ouer by an other waye then dyd Bezerra For he tooke the beginning of Caribana and Bezerra the ende Valleius returned ageine But of the three score and ten men whiche he conueighed ouer with hym hee lefte fortye and eyght slaine emonge the Canibales These are the newes whiche they bringe that came laste from Daâ—iena There came to me the day before the Ides of October in this yeare M.D.xvi. Rodericus Colmenares of whom we haue made mention before and one Franciscus Delapuente This Franciscus was one of the vnder capitaines of this bande whose chiefe capitaine was Gonsalus Badaiocius who hardly escaped the handâ—s of kyng Pariza These twoo capitaines therfore Rodericus and Franciscus who departed from Dariena immediatly after the misfortune whiche befell to Badaiocius and his companye The Ilandes of the south sâ—a do both affirme the one that he hath harde and the other that he hath seene that in the Southe sea there are diuers Ilandes lying westwarde from the Iland of Dites and saincte Michaels goulfe In this sea 〈◊〉 Ilâ—ndes of Molucca most frutefull of â—pices in many of the which are trees engendred and nourisshed which bring foorth the same aromaticall fruites as doth the region of Collocutea Collocutea This lande of Collocutea with the regions of Cochinus and Camemorus Cochinus and Camemorus from whense the Portugales haue their spyces are the chiefe marte places from whense the Portugales haue their spices And hereby do they coniecture that the land where the frutfulnesse of spyce begynneth shulde not be farre from thense In so much that many of them whiche haue ouerrunne those coastes do onely desyre that leaue may be graunted them to searche further and that they wil of their owne charges frame and furnishe shippes and aduenture the viage to seeke those Ilandes and regions They thinke it best that these shippes shulde bee made and prepared he meaneth by the streight of Magellanus euen in saincte Michaels goulfe And not to attempte this vyage by sainte Augustines point which waye were both longe and diâ—fyculte and ful of a thousande daungers and is saide to reache beyonde the forty degree of the pole Antartike The same Franciscus being partener of the trauailes and daungiers of Gonsalus saithe that in ouer runninge those landes he founde great heardes of hartes and wylde bores howe they take hartes and wylde bores and that he toke many of them by an arte which thinhabitauntes taught him whiche was to make pittes or treÌ„ches in their walkes and to couer the same with bouwes By this meanes also they deceaue al other kindes of wild and foure footed beastes But they take foules after the same maner that we do As stocke doues with an other tame stocke done brought vp in their houses Stocke dâ—ueâ— These they tye by a strynge and suffer them to flye a little emong the trees To the which as other birdes of their kind resort they kil theÌ„ with their arrowes Theyr maner of foulynge Otherwyse they take theÌ„ with nettes in a bare place pourged from trees bushes and scateryng certeyne seedes rounde about that place in the myddeste whereof they tye a tame foule or byrde of the kynde of them whiche they desyre to take In lyke maner do they take popingiayes and other foules But they say that popingiayes are so simple Poâ—ingiayes arâ— eaâ—ely taken that a great multitude of them wyll flye euen into the tree in whose bouwes the fouler sytteth swarme about the tame chatterynge popingiaye sufferynge them selues to bee easely taken For they are so without feare of the syght of the fouler that they tary whyle he cast the snare about theyr neckes the other beinge nothynge feared hereby thoughe they see hym drawe them to him with the snare and put them in the bagge which he hath about hym for the same purpose There is an other kynde of foulynge A straunge kynde of foulynge heretofore neuer harde of and pleasaunt to consyder We haue declared before howe that in certeyne of the Ilandes and especially in Hispaniola there are dyuers lakes or standynge pooles In sume of these beinge no deaper then men may wade ouer them are seene great multytudes of water foules as wel for that in the bottome of these lakes there growe many herbes and weedes as also that by reason of the heate of the sonne pearceinge to the naturall place of generation and corruption Fysshes and woâ—mes engeÌ„dered of sume where beinge doubled in force by reflection and preserued by moyster there are engendered of the stymines of the earth and water and by the prouidence of the vniuersall creator innumerable lyttle fysâ—hes with a thousande sundry kyndes of frogges wormes knattes flyes and such other The foules which vse these lakes Foules are of dyuers kyndes As duckes geese swannes seemewes gulles and such other We haue sayde also that in theyr orchardes they noryshe a tree which beareth a kynde of greate gourdes Of these gourdes therefore well stopped leaste any water shulde enter in at theyr ryftes and cause them to sinke Gourdes of the tree they cast many in the shalowe pooles where by theyr continuall wanderynge and wauerynge with the motions of the wynde and water they put the foules owt of suspection and feare The fouler in the meane tyme disguysinge hym selfe as it were with a visour putteth a great gourde on his head much lyke to a helmet with two holes neare about his eyes his face and hole heade besyde beinge couered therwith And thus entereth
the arbitriment of the chooser so that it bee not grounde already occupied or lefte of other The portion of grounde beinge thus chosen as it were assygned of the augures to buylde a temple they inclose their slaues within the same whose helpe the Christians vse in tyllynge of their grounde and gatherynge of golde as we haue saide These places appointed vnto them they keepe as long as them lyue And if they perceaue tookens of lyttle golde they requyre an other plotte of ground of twelue pases to be assigned them leauyng the first in commen Owre inclosiers woolde leaue no such commens And this is thorder which the Spaniardes inhabitinge Dariena obserue in gatheryng of golde I suppose also that they vse the lyke order in other places How be it I haue not yet enquired so farre It hath byn proued that these twelue pases of grounde haue yelded to their choosers the summe of fourescore Castellans of gold Aurisacra Famâ—e And thus leade they theyr lyues in fulfyllynge the holy hunger of golde But the more they fyll their handes with fyndynge The broosie of couetousnes the more increaseth their couetous desyre The more woodde is layde to the fyer the more furiously rageth the flame Unsaciable couetousnesse is no more diminisshed with increase of rychesse then is the drinesse of the dropsye satisfyed with drinke I lette passe manye thynges wherof I intende to write more largely in tyme conuenient if I shall in the meane season vnderstande these to be acceptable vnto yowre holynesse my dewtie and obseruaunce to whose autoritie hath caused me the gladlier to take this labour in hande The prouidence of the eternall creatour of all thynges graunt yowre holynesse many prosperous yeares ¶ The laste booke of Peter Martyr of Angleria of the Landes and Ilandes lately founde and of the maners of the inhabitauntes of the same I Haue partli declared before in mi decades how certeine fugitâ—ues which came owt of the large West landes arriued in the confynes of Dariena Loke Decade â—ii Liber x. And howe that marueylinge at the bookes of owre men they declared that they sumtyme dwelte in regions whose inhabitauntes vsed suche instrumentes and were ruled by politike lawes Also that they had cities fortified with waules Cities fortifyed with waules and faire pallaces with streates well paued and common places whyther marchauntes resort as to the burse or streate These landes owre men haue nowe founde Therfore who were thautours hereof or what successe they had herein who so desireth to know with the conditions of straunge regions and the maners of the people let hym giue diligent attendance to such thynges as folowe Of the Iland of Cuba nowe cauled Fernandina The Iland of Cuba or Fernandâ—na lyynge nexte vnto Hispaniola on the west syde and yet sumwhat so bendynge towarde the Northe that the circle cauled Tropicus Caneri deuideth it in the myddeste wher as Hispaniola is distante from the Tropike and declinynge certen degrees toward the Equinoctial line we haue spoken sumwhat before In this Iland of Fernandina there are nowe syxe townes â—rected Wherof the chiefe is named Sanctiago of saynt Iames the patrone of the Spanyardes In this there is natiue golde found both in the mountaynes and ryuers By reason wherof they are daylye occupied in gathering digging the same But shortely after that I had finished my sayde bookes thre Spanyardes that were the most auncient citizens of Cuba The Spaniards of Cuba attempt new vyages as Francâ—scus Fernandes of Corduba Lupus Ocho Christophorus Morantes determined to seeke newe landes as the myndes of the Spanyardes are euer vnquiet and geuen to attempte great enterprises They furnyshed at their owne charges three of those shyppes whiche they caule Carauels And hauynge fyrste lycence of Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Ilande they departed with a hundreth and ten men from the West angle of Cuba The west angle of â—uba For this angle is moste commodious to relieue shyppes and to make prouision for freshe water and fuell Thus they sayled continually syxe dayes and a halfe betwene the West and the South contented onely with the syght of the heauen and the water durynge whiche tyme they suppose that they sayled not past threescore and syxe myles Note For they ley at anker all nyght where so euer the faulynge of the soonne tooke the day light from them leaste by wanderynge in vnknowen seas they myght chaunce to be cast vppon rockes or sandes But at the length they chaunced vppon a great Ilande named Iucatana The Iland of Iucatana whose beginnyng thinhabitauntes caule Eccampi A great citie well buylded Owre men went to the citie stondynge on the sea syde the whiche for the bygnes therof they named Eâ—yrus or Alcair Thinhabitauntes enterteined them very frendly When they were entered into the citie they marueyled to behold the houses buylded lyke towres magnifycall temples Temples streates well paued and great excercise of bying and sellyng by exchaunge of ware for ware humane people Their houses are eyther bylte of stone or of bricke and lyme and artifycially wrought To the fyrste porches of their houses and fyrst habitations they ascend by ten or twelue steares They are couered eyther with tyles Cunnyng artifycers slates reades or stalkes of certeyne herbes They gratified the one the other with mutuall gyftes The barbarians gaue owre men many brooches and iewelles of golde verye fayre and of cunnyng woorkmanshyppe Owre men recompensed them with vestures of sylke and woolle counterfecte stones of coloured glasse and christall haukes belles of laton and suche other rewardes whiche they greatly esteemed for the straungenes of the same They sette nowght by lookynge glasses bycause they haue certeyne stoones muche brighter Appareled people This nation is appareled after a thousande fasshyons with vestures made of gossampyne cotten or bombage of dyuers coloures The women are couered from the girdle to the heele hauynge dyuers fasshions of veles aboute their heades and brestes with great cautele least any parte of their legges or feete bee seene They resorte muche to their temples vnto the which the chiefe rulers haue the wayes paued from their owne houses They are Idolatours and circumcised Circumciâ—ed Idâ—laters They occupie their maner of exchaunginge with muche fydelitie They vse to adourne the heares of their heades being demanded by thinterpretours of whom they receaued their circumcisyon they answered that there once passed an exceadynge fayre man by their costes who lefte them that in tooken to remember hym Other saye that a manne brighter thâ—n the soone went emonge them and executed that offyce But there is no certentie hereof When owre men had remayned there certeyne dayes they seemed to bee molestous to thinhabitantes accordynge to the common sayinge The longer a geste tarieth the woorse is his enterteynement The whiche thynge owre men perceauyng they made the more hâ—st awaye Beynge therfore prouided of all
thynges neceâ—sary they tooke their vyage directly towarde the west by the prouidence whâ—che thinhabitauntes caule Comi and Mâ—iâ—m Comi Maiâ—m They ouer passed these regions takyng onely freshe water and fuel in the same The barbarians both men women and châ—ldren flocked to the sea syde astonysshed greatly to behold the huge bygnesse of the shyppes Owre men marueyled in maner no leâ—se to viewe their buyldynges and especially their temples sytuate neare vnto the sea and erected after the maner of towers Thus at the length hauyng sayled about a hundreth and ten myles they thought it good to ley anker in a prouince named Campechium Campechium whose chiefe towne consysteth of three thousande houses A towne of three thousand howses Thinhabitauntes came swymmynge to the shyppes marueylyng excedyngly at the maner of saylinge and at the sayles and other tackelynges But when they hard the thunder of the gunnes sawe the smoke and smelte the sauour of brimstone and fyer they supposed that thunderboultes and lyghtnynges had byn sente from god The kynge receaued owre men honorably and broughte them into his pallayce where he feasted them well after his maner They are accustomed to eate fleshe and haue great plentie of beastes and foules Plentie of beastes and foules as peacockes and other whiche they francke and feede in their houses Also dyuers kyndes of wylde foules of the mountaines wooddes and waters Likewise partriches quailes turtle dooues duckes and geese Of beastes they haue connies woolues lyons tigers foxes wylde boores hartes and hares After this banquet the kyng with his traine and famylie brought owre men into a brode crosse way where many streates do meete Theyr Idoles and Idolatry In this they shewed them as it were a great and highe aulter buylded foure square of marble compacte together partly with the toughe cleye of Babilon cauled Bitumem and partly with smaule stoones It had on euery syde foure steares Uppon the altare was an Image of a man made of marble and fast by it the Images of two beastes of vnknowen shape whiche seemed as thoughe they wolde with yanynge mouthes haue torne in sunder the bealy of the mannes Image On the other syde stoode a great serpent compacte of the sayde toughe cleye and smaule stoones This serpent beynge in length .xlvii. foote and of the bygnesse of a large oxe seemed to deuour a lyon of marble and was al by sparcled with freshe bludde Harde by the altare were thre postes fastned in the ground the which three other trauersed and were susteined with stones In this place offenders were put to death In token wherof they sawe innumerable arrowes steined with bludde sum scatered sum lyinge on heapes and sum broken Also a great number of mennes bones lying in a court or yarde nere vnto this funestal place Their houses are here also builded of lime and stone houses of lyme stone They named this king Lazarus bicause they arriued at this lande on saint Lazarus day Departing froÌ„ hense directing theyr course styl toward the West for the space of .xv. myles they came to a prouince named Aquanil The prouince Aquinall whose chiefe towne is cauled Moseo Moseo the kynge thereof Cupoton He behelde owre men with a frowarde countenaunce and fought occasion to doo them sume priuie mischiefe whyle they sought for fresshe water For he made signes vnto them that on the further syde of the nexte hyll they shulde fynde sprynges of water intendyng to haue assayled them in that narowe passage But by the colouryng of theyr forheades as they are accustomed in theyr warres and by the bearynge of theyr bowes and other weapons owr men perceaued theyr wylynes and refused to go any further Yet a thousande of the Barbarians assayled theym vnwares and vnprepared By reason wherof they were put to flyght and dyuers of them slayne in the chase The Spanyardes are put to flyght and many slayne Many that fledde to warde the shippes were entangeled in the mudde and maryshes nere vnto the shore Twentie and two were slayne with arrowes and the resydewe for the most parte wounded Franciscus Fernandes the gouernour of the nauie receaued in this conflicte three and thirtie woundes And in maner none escaped without hurt If they had gonne to the hylles whiche were appoynted them they had byn slayne euery man They therfore that escaped returned to the Ilande of Fernardina frome whense they came where they were receaued of theyr felows with heauie chere But when Diegus Velasquen the gouernoure of the Ilande had intelligence hereof An other expedition he immediatly furnyshed a newe nauie of foure Caraueles with three hundreth men Of this nauie he appoynted Iohn Grisalua his neuie to be the gouernour And assigned for vnder capitaynes Alphons Auila Frances Montegio and Peter Aluarado For the pylot he assigned Antonie Alamino who had the regiment of the fyrst nauie They attempted the same vyage ageyne but declyned sumwhat more towarde the South about threscore and tenne myles Before they sawe any lande they espyed a towre a farre of by the viewe wherof they came to an Ilande named Cozumella The Iland of Cozumella from the whiche they smelte sweete sauours proceadynge with the wynde Sweete sauours before they approched to the lande by the space of three myles They founde the Ilande to be fortie and fiue myles in circuite It is playne and of maruelous frutefull sâ—yle A frutefull Ilande There is also golde in it but it is not engendered there but brought thether from other regions It aboundeth with hony fruites and herbes And hath also great plentie of foules and foure footed beastes Theyr order and maner of lyuyng is in al thynges lyke vnto theyrs of Iucatana Towres and â—emples Lykewyse theyr howses temples streates and apparell In many of theyr houses are great postes of marble after the maner of owre buyldynge They founde there the fouÌ„dations of certeyne owlde towres ruinate And one especially with .xviii. steares ascendynge to it after the maner of solemne temples They marueyled greatly at owre shippes and maner of saylynge At the fyrst they wolde admyt no straungers but shortly after receaued them gentelly Theyr chiefe ruler whom owre men supposed to bee a preeste led them vp to the toppe of the towre where they erected a banner and addicted the Ilande to the dominion of the kynge of Castyle namynge it Sancta Crux Cozumella named Sancta Crux bycause they entered into the same in the nones of Maye beinge then the feaste of the holye crosse They saye that it was cauled Cozumella of kynge Cozumellaus whose auncestours were the fyrst that inhabited the Ilande Idoles lyke beares In the towre they founde many chambers furnyshed with Images made both of earthe and marble to the similytude of beares These they caule vppon with a houlynge and lamentable songe Idolatry perfumyng them with sweete odours and other wyse honourynge them as
theyr domesticall goddes They are also circumcised The kynge was in fayre apparel made of gossampine cotton curiously wrought He was lame on the one foote by reason that as he once exercysed hym selfe in swymmynge a deuourynge fyshe cauled Tuberon byt of al the toes Gentell peopâ—e of one of his feete He entreated owre men very frendly and made them great chiere After they had byn here thre dayes they departed And saylynge styll towarde the Weste they espyed great mountaynes a farre of But as they drewe neare they perceaued it to bee the Ilande of Iucatana beinge distant from Cozumella onely fyue myles Iucatana but fyue myles from Cozumeâ—la Directynge therfore theyr course towarde the south syde of Iucatana they compased it on that syde which lyeth nearest to the supposed continent Yet coulde they not sayle rounde about it by reason of the multitude of rockes shalowe places and shelfes of sande Then Alaminus the pylot turned his sailes to the North side wherof he had better knowleage Thus at the length they came to the towne Campeebium and kynge Lazarus with whom they had bin that attempted the fyrst vyage the yeare before At the fyrst they were gentelly receaued and requyred to resort to the towne But shortly after The Barbarians make resistaunce they repented that they had bydden them and there vpon wylled them to stay about a stones cast from the towne and to proceade no further When owre men desyred that they myght make prouision for freshe water before theyr departure they assigned them to a certeyne well which they had lefte behynde them Declaringe further that it shulde be lawfull for them to take water there or els no wheare Owre men rested that nyght in the fyelde adioynynge to the well The which thynge the Barbarians suspectinge assembled an army of three thousande men and encamped not farre from them Bothe partes passed awaye the nyght without sleepe They fearynge leaste owre menne shulde breake into the towne And owre men least the Barbarians shulde inuade them soodenly on the one parte with trumpettes and on the other syde with the noyse of timbrels kept them styll wakynge that were disposed to sleape At the sprynge of the day the Barbarians approched to owre mens campe cauled for thinterpretours of Cuba whose language is much agreable vnto theyrs They had diuised to lyght a torche of frankensence and to place the same betwene bothe tharmies to thintent that if owre men dyd not depart before the torche were consumed to stande to theyr perell A conflicte The torch was wasted and the matter came to hand strokes They slewe onely one of owre men with an arrowe bycause his target fayled hym But many were wounded After this conflicte owre men resorted to theyr ordinaunce which they had planted neare vnto the well When they had discharged certeyne pecces the Barbarians fledde backe into the towne Owre men were of fierce and greedy courage to haue pursued them but that Grisalua the gouernour wolde not suffer theÌ„ From thense they proceaded to the last ende of Iucatana The length of Iucaâ—ana which they founde to reache more then two hundreth myles frome the East to the West Here they founde a comodious hauen and named it Portus desideratus From hense they sayled to other landes and came to the region nexte to Iucatana Westwarde whiche they doubte whether it be an Ilande or parte of the firme lande but thinke it rather to be annext to the continent In this there is a goulfe which they suppose to be incoompased with bothe the landes But of this there is no certentie Thinhabitantes caule this region Caluacam or otherwise Oloan. The region of Caluacam or Oloan. They founde here also a great ryuer whiche by his violente course and faule driueth freshe water two myles into the sea This they cauled Grisalua after the name of the gouernoure The ryuer Grisalua The barbarians marueilyng at the huge greatnesse and mouynge of owre shyppes came swarmyng the bankes on bothe sydes the ryuer to the number of syxe thousande men armed with targettes and brest plates of gold Targets and brest plates of golde bowes and arrowes brode swoordes of heauy woodde and longe iauelens hardened at the endes with fyer Thus stondynge in battayle raye to defende their coostes and with proude countenaunces forbyddinge owre men to coome alande Bothe parties watched al that nyght in armes In the dawne of the day owr men espied about a hundreth Canoas whiche we haue saide to be their boates full of armed men Here also the language of thinterpretours of Cuba agreed well enowghe with thers When they had admitted the peace profered them by thinterpretours al the Canoas staied excepte one whiche approched toward the shippes A certeyne ruler that was in this Canoa demaunded of owre men what they sought in other mennes landes They answered gold And that for permutation of other ware and not of gift or vyolently The Canoa returned and the ruler certified the kyng hereof who came gladlye to the shyppes When he had saluted the gouernour he cauled his chamberlen vnto hym commaundynge him to bringe his armure and other ornamentes of golde wherwith he armed Crisalua from the toppe of the heade to the soule of the foote Armure of golde In so muche that what so euer any man of armes armed at all partes is emong vs accustomed to weare of Iren or steele when he commeth in to the fielde Experte artificers all suche kynde of furnitures made of golde and wrought with woonderfull arte the kyng gaue to the gouernour He recompensed hym with vestures of sycke clothe lynen and other of owre thinges â–ª In the beginning of this Iucatana when they sayled to Cozumella they chaunced vppon a Canoa of fyssher men to the number of nyne fysshyng with hookes of golde Fysshe hokes of golde They tooke them all prisoners One of them was knowen to this kyng who promysed the daye folowyng to sende the gouernour as muche golde for his raunsome as the man hym selfe waied But the gouernour denyed that he coulde release hym withowte the consent of his felowes And therfore kept hym styll to proue what he could further knowe of hym Departing from hense and saylynge styll westwarde they founde a great goulfe in the which three smaule Ilandes were sytuate Of these The Ilandes of Sacrifice they went to the byggest But oh abhominable crueltie oh most corrupted myndes of men and deuelyshe impietie Let euery godly man close the mouth of his stomake lest he be desturbed Chyldren sacrified to Idoles They offer younge children of bothe kyndes to their Idoles of marble and earth Emonge their Idoles of marble Their Idoles of marble there standeth a lyon hauynge a hole throwgh the necke into the whiche they poure the bludde of the miserable sacrifyce that it maye from thense runne downe into a syncke of marble Lette vs nowe declare with what ceremonies they
not far from them there were seueÌ„ Christians captiues which in tyme past were dryuen thither by tempeste The Ilande of Cozumella is onely fyue miles distant from Iucatana The gouernour Cortâ—siâ—s being aduertised herof An other vyage furnyshed ii Carauels with fyftie meÌ„ wyllyng theÌ„ incontinent to direct their viage thither to make serch for these meÌ„ They toke with theÌ„ thre interpretours of Cozumella whose laÌ„guage agreeth with theirs with letâ—ers to the Christians if any myght be found He further declared vnto theym howe goodly a matter they shoulde bringe to passe if they coulde bringe away any of them For he no wayes doubted but that by their information he shuld be fully certified of the commodities of all those tractes and the maners of thinhabitauntes Thus they departed with commaundement to retourne within the space of syxe dayes But when they had remayned there now .viii. days and hard no woorde of their Cozumellane interpretours whome they had sent alande with the message and letters owre men returned to Cozumella without them suspectyng that they were other slaine or deteyned And where as the hole nauye was now determyned to depart from Cozumella but that they were hyndered by contrary wynde they sodenly espied towarde the weste a Canoa coommynge from Iucatana and in it one of the Christian captiues named Hieronimus Aquillaris who had lyued seuen yeares in that Ilande Aquillaris .vii. yeares captiue in the Iland of Iucatana With what ioye they embrased the one the other the chance may declare They were no lesse desyrous to heare then he to tell of the mysfortune whâ—che befell to hym and his coompanions And here it shal not bee greatly from my purpose breefely to rehearse how the thynge chaunced In my Decades I haue made mention of a certayne noble man named Valdiuia Valdiuia whome the Spanyardes whiche inhabited Dariena in the supposed continente of the goulf of Vraba sent to the Iland of Hispaniola to Colonus the Admiral and viceroy with the residue of the Senate and counsel there to whom perteyneth the redresse and orderynge of all thinges in these newe landes to sygnifye vnto them in what extreme necessitie and penurie they lyued Unhappy Valdiuia therfore The shipwracke of Ualdiuis takynge this matter in hand in an euell houre was with a sudden and vyolent whirlewinde dryuen vppon certayne quickesandes in the prospecte of the Ilande of Iamaica lyinge on the South syde of Hispaniola and Cuba These blind and swalowyng sandes the Spaniardes caule vypers The quicke sandes cauled vypers And that by good reason bycause in them many shyppes are entangled as the lycertes are implycate in the tayles of the vipers While the Carauell thus wresteled with the water it was so bruste in sunder that Valdiuia with thirtie of his felowes coulde scarsely with muche difficultie descende into the shyppe boate where without â—ers and without sayles they were caried awaye by the vyolence of the water For as we haue said before in owre Decades the seas do runne there continually with a vyolent course towarde the West The course of the sea towarde the west They wandered thus .xiii. dayes not knowyng whyther they went nor yet fyndynge any thyng to eate Famen consumed seuen of them whiche were caste in the sea to feede the fyshes The resydue lykewise in maner consumed by famen and faulynge from one calamitie into an other were driuen to Iucatana and fell into the handes of a cruell kynge who slewe Valdiuia the gouernour with certayne of his felowes Ualdiuia is sacrificed to Idoles And when hee had fyrst sacrifyced them to his Zemes shortely after he eate them with his frindes of that conspiracie For they eate onely their enemyes and straungiers And doo otherwise absteyne from mannes fleshe In this meane tyme while Hieronimus Aqullraris with syxe of his felowes were reserued to be sacrifyced the thirde daye howe Aquillaris escaped they brooke their bandes escaped the handes of that cruell tyranne and fledde to an other kynge beynge his enemye who receaued them yet onely as bondemen It is a straunge thinge to heare of the moother of this Aquillaris For as soone as she harde that her soonne was faulen into the handes of the nations that eate mannes fleshe shee fell madde incontinent So that when so euer after shee sawe any meate rostyng at the fyer or onely ready spytted to laye to the fyer shee ceased not to crye out in this maner O me moste wretched moother Behold the members of my son But to returne to owre purpose When Aquillaris had now receaued the gouernours letter sente by the Cozumellane messengers hee declared to the kynge his mayster whose name was Taxmarus what was their erraunt thither kynge Taxmarus and wherfore they were sent vsyng in the meane tyme many large discourses in expressynge the great poure and magnifycence of their kynge who had of late arriued in those coastes Also of their humanitie and gentilnesse toward their frindes and suche as submytted them selues to them and againe their rygour and fiercenesse ageynst suche as stoobernly eyther contemned them or denyed their requestes With these woordes he broughte Taxmarus into suche feare that the maister was now fayne to desyre his seruaunt so to handell the matter that they myght quyetly enter into his dominion as his freendes and not as his enemies Aquillaris promised in their behalfe that they shuld not onely coome in peace but also to ayde hym ageynst his enemyes if neede shulde so require Whervppon hee dismissed Aquillaris and with hym three of his famâ—liers and coompanions Thus they sayled together from Cozumella to Iueatana to the ryuer whiche they had founde before in the fyrst vyage thither by the gouernance of Alaminus the pilot They found the mouthe of the ryuer stopped with sande The mouth of a ryuer stoâ—ped with sande as wee reade of the ryuer of Nilus in Egipte when the wyndes cauled EtesuÌ„ blowe in summer and especially in the canicular dayes Therfore where as they coulde not enter into theÌ„ ryuer with the biggeste vesselles although it bee otherwise apte to receaue great shyppes the gouernour caused two hundreth men to be sette alande with the brigantynes and shyppe boates wyllynge Aquillaris to offer peace to thinhabitauntes They demaunded what owre men required Aquillaris answered vyttayles There was a longe space of sande by the syde of the towne whither they wylled them to resorte promysynge to brynge them vyttayles thither the daye folowynge Turky hens Owre men wente and they came accordynge to their promisse and brought with them eyght of their hennes beynge as bygge as peacockes of brownyshe coloure and not inferiour to peacockes in pleasaunte tast They brought also as muche bread made of Maizium whiche is a graine not muche vnlyke vnto panyke as wolde scarcely serue tenne hungry men And here with desyred them to depart But when they perceaued that owre men made no hast away immediately there
Amonge the whiche certes those are esteemed moste trewe and autentyke which haue byn wrytten by wyttie and expert men well trauayled in the worlde as faythfull wytnesses of suche thynges as they haue partely seene and byn partely informed by credible persons Of this mynde and opinion was Plinie who better then any other autoure hathe wrytten in xxxvii bookes al that perteyneth to the naturall historie conteyned al in one volume dedicated to Uespasian Themperour Wherein as a prudente historiographer he declareth suche thynges as he had harde Attributynge the seconde autoritie to suche as he had redde in autoures that wrote before hym And thyrdely ioyned to the same hystorie such thynges as he hym selfe had seene as moste certeyne testimonie Whose exemple I folowynge wyl in this my breefe summarie reduce and represent to yowr maiesties memorie such thynges as I haue seene in yowre Empyre of the West Indies aswell in the Ilandes as in the firme lande of the Ocean sea where I haue serued nowe more then twelue yeares in the place of suruoyer of the golde mynes by the commaundemente of the Catholyke kynge Don Fernando the fyfte of that name and graundfather vnto yowre maiestie to whom god gaue great fame and glorie Sense whose death also I haue lykewies serued and trust whyle the rest of my lyfe yet remayneth to serue yowre maiestie as shall please yowe to commaunde As touchynge which thinges and such other lyke I haue more largely written in a hystorie begunne as sone as my age was rype to take suche matters in hande Wherein furthermore I haue made mention of suche thynges as haue chaunced in Spaine from the yeare .1494 vnto this tyme. Addynge also thereunto suche thynges woorthy memorie as I haue obserued in other realmes and prouinces where I haue trauayled And haue likewise particulerly wrytten the lyues and woorthy actes of the catholyke Princes of famous memorie Don Ferdinando and lady Elizabeth his wyfe to theyr last dayes After whose fruition of heauenly Paradyse I haue noted suche thynges as haue chaunced in yowre most fortunate succession Not omittynge particularly to wryte a large booke of such thynges as haue seemed moste woorthy to bee noted as touchynge yowre maiesties Indies But for asmuche as that volume remaineth in the citie of San. Dominico in the Ilande of Hispaniola where I dwell and am placed in housholde with wyfe chyldren and famelie I haue brought no more with me of that my writynge then I beare in memorie Determynynge notwithstandynge for yowre maiesties recreation to make a breefe rehearsall of certeyne notable thynges wherof I haue more largely entreated in my sayde general historie and such as may seeme moste woorthy to bee redde of yowre maiestie Of the which although a great parte haue byn wrytten by other who haue also seene the same yet perhappes they are not so exactly and particularly described as of me forasmuche as in maner all that trauayle into these Indies haue greater respecte to luker and gaynes then diligently to searche the woorkes of nature wherunto I haue byn euer naturally inclyned and haue therfore with all possible endeuour applyed myne eyes and intelligence to fynde the same And this presente Summarie shall not bee contrary or dyuers from my larger historie wherin as I haue sayde I haue more amplye declared these thynges but shal onely more breefely expresse theffect therof vntyl such tyme as Godde shal restore me to myne owne house where I may accomplyshe and fynishe my sayd general hystorie Where vnto to gyue the fyrst principle I say that Don Christopher Colonus as it is well knowen beinge the fyrste Admyrall of this India discouered the same in the dayes of the Catholyke kynge Don Ferdinando and the ladye Elyzabeth his wyfe graundfather and graundmother vnto yowre maiestie In the yeare .1491 And came to Barzalona in the yeare 1492. with the fyrst Indians and other shewes and profes of the great ryches and notice of this west Empire The whiche gyfte and benefyte was suche that it is vnto this daye one of the greatest that euer any subiect or seruant hath done for his prince or countrey as is manifeste to the hole worlde And to saye the trewth this shall doubtlesse bee so commodious and profytable vnto the hole realme of Spayne that I repute hym no good Castilian or Spanyarde that doothe not recognise the same And as I haue sayde before forasmuch as in my sayde generall historie I haue more largely intreated of these thynges I intend at this present only briefely to rehearse certeyne especiall thynges the whiche suerly are verye fewe in respecte of the thousandes that myght bee sayde in this behalfe Fyrst therfore I wyl speake sumwhat of the nauigation into these parties Then of the generation of the nations whiche are founde in the same with their rytes customes and cerimonies Also of beastes foules byrdes woormes fysshes seas ryuers sprynges trees plantes herbes and dyuers other thinges which are engendered boothe on the lande and in the water And forasmuche as I am one of thorder and company of them that are appointed to returne into these regions to serue yowre maiestie yf therfore the thynges conteyned in this booke shall not bee distincte in such order as I promised to performe in my greater woorke I desyre yowre maiestie to haue no respecte herevnto but rather to consyder the noueltie of suche straunge thynges as I haue herein declared whiche is the chiefe ende that moued me to write Protestyng that in this Summarie I haue written the trewth of suche thynges as coome to my remembraunce wherof not onely I my selfe can testifye but also diuers other woorthy and credible men which haue bin in those regions and are nowe presente in yowre maiesties courte And thus it shal suffyce to haue saide thus much vnto yowre maiestie in maner of a proheme vnto this present worke which I most humbly desyre yowre maiesticas thankfully taccept as I haue written it faythfully ¶ Of the ordinary nauygation from Spayne to the Weste Indies THe nauygation whiche is commonly made from Spayne to the Weste India is from Siuile where yowre maiestie haue yowre house of contractation for those partes with also yowre offycers thervnto perteynynge of whom the capitaines take their passeporte and lycence The patrones of suche shyppes as are appoynted to these vyages imbarke theym selues at san Luca di Barameda where the ryuer Cuadalchiber entereth into the Ocean sea And from hense they folowe their course toward the Ilandes of Canarie Of these seuen Ilandes they commonly touche two that is eyther Grancanaria or Gomera ▪ And here the shyppes are furnysshed with freshe water fuell cheese biefe and suche other thynges whiche may seeme requisyte to be added to suche as they brynge with them owte of Spayne From Spayne to these Ilandes is coommonly eyght dayes saylinge or lyttle more or lesse And when they are arryued there they haue sayled two hundereth and fyftie leaques whiche make a thousande myles accomptyng foure
beyonde the Equinoctiall cyrcle â—t diâ—parseth throwgh owt the burnt line of Torrida â—ona and by the same vyolent course fauleth into owre sea nere vnto the citie of Alexandria It was necessary therfore that the greatest parte of the coulde and moyst element shulde haue recourse thyther and consyst there wheras was the grâ—atest necessitie therof to temper the heate of the soonne by moystynge and coolynâ—e the earthe and the ayer as vnder the Equinoctiall And herewith also hath most prudent nature prouyded for the securitie and preseruation of the places lyinge betwene bothe thextremities of heate and colde as betwene the poles and the Equinoctiall For the waters flowynge euer one wayes and kâ—pynge one course no regions can be drowned by studdes which thynge they well obserue that delyuer fieldes from inundations or ouâ—rflowynges and that take in hande to drye vp marysshes It therfore waters had not theyr courâ—e and faul towarde places lowâ— or declynynge the hole casth shulde bee ouerflowne as a marrysshe And that the most declynynge parte shulde bee towarde the South and sumwhat hygher about the poles the cause is aswell the consumynge deare of the soonne in the Southâ— partes as the preseruynge coulde of the hygh mountaynes nere to the poles For we haue els where proued that heate consumeth and wasteth as coulde gathereth and preserueth And for this cause that parte of the earthe that is nearest the poles is was and euer shal be highest and likewise lowest in the middest furthest from the poles And therfore it was not conuenient that the sonne shuld â—aue his course on euery syde neither to the poles For if it weare â—â—ryed alyke to euery parte throughowt the worlde it is necessary â—hat the earth bee equall and by that reason shulde it eyther bee altogether dryed or elles all ouerflowed with water But where as this coulde not suffyce to the free course of ryuers for the often intercourse of higher places lyinge in the waye whereby ouerflowynges and stayes of watâ—rs and their corruption myght ensue mooste prouydent nature hath gyuen this priuileage to water that it maye so much ascende as it hath discended that by his meanes passynge ouer mountaynes and hylles it maye at the length bee caryed into the sea c. hytherto Cardanus lette vs nowe returne to the historie There are also many roughe and hyghe mountaynes with temperate ayer and pleasaunt cleare and moderate nightes Of the whiche particularitie the auncient writers hauyng no certeyne knowleage affyrmed the said burnte lyne or Torrida zona or Equinoctial to be naturally vnhabitable As touching which thing I am able to witnesse the contrary by testimonie of syght and feelyng as by most certeine senses hauyng liued many yeares in this regions by reason wherof better credit ought to be giuen to me then to suche as haue grounded their opinion onely vpon coniectures And to speake further of the sytuation of these regyons yowe shall vnderstande that the coaste of the Northe sea beynge in the goulfe of Vraba and in the porte of Dariena where the shyppes arryue whiche coome owte of Spayne is in the syxte degree and a halfe and in the seuenth and from syxe and a halfe vnto eyght excepte a smaule pointe which entereth into the sea toward the North That pointe which of this land and new parte of the worlde lieth moste towarde the East is the cape of saincte Augustine which is in the eight degree So that the said goulfe of Vraba is distant from the Equinoctiall lyne from a hundreth and twentie to a hundreth and thirtie leaques and three quarters of a leaque after thaccompte of .xvii. leaques and a hâ—lfe for euerye degree from pole to pole And thus for a lyttle more or lesse goeth all the coaste By reason wherof in the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena and in all that course of the forsayde goulfe of Vraba at all tymes of the yeaâ—e the dayes and nyghtes are in maner of equall length And if there bee any dyfference betwene theym by reason of this smaule distance from the Equinoctial it is so lyttle that in .xxiiii. houres makynge a naturall daye it canne not bee perceaued but by the iudgement of speculatiue men and suche as vnderstande the sphere From hense the North starre is seene very lowe And when the starres which are cauled the wardens of the north starre are vnder the chariotte it can not bee seene bycause it is vnder the horisontal And whereas I haue sayde beefore that it rayneth in these regions at certeyne ordinarie tymes it is so in deede For it is wynter and summer there at contrary tymes to that whiche is in Spayne where the greateste coulde of froste and rayne is in December and Ianuary And the greatest heate of sommer aboute saynt Iohannes daye at mydsommer or in the moneth of Iuly But in golden Castile or Beragua it is contrary For the sommer and tyme of greatest drowght and withowt rayne is at Chrystmas and a moneth before and a moneth after And the tyme when it rayneth most is about midsommer and a moneth before and a moneth after And this season whiche they caule wynter is not for that it is any coulder then then at any other tyme of the yeare or hotter at Christmas then at other seasons the tyme in these regions being euer after one maner but for that that in this tyme which they caule wynter the soonne is hyd from theyr syghtes by reason of cloudes and rayne more then at other tymes Yet forasmuch as for the moste parte of the yeare they lyue in a cleare open and temperate ayer they sumwhat shrynke and feele a lyttle coulde durynge the tyme of the said moist and cloudy ayer althowgh it bee not coulde in deede or at the least suche coulde as hath any sensible sharpenes ¶ Of dyuers particular thynges as woormes serpentes beastes foules trees c. MAny other thynges myght be sayde much differyng from these wherof I haue spoken But to lette passe the multitude of thynges whiche are as variable as the power of nature is infinite and to speake of suche thynges as coome chiefely to my rememberaunce as mooste woorthy to be noted I wyll fyrste speake of terteyne lyttle and troubelous beastes whiche mayâ— seeme to bee engendered of nature to molest and vexe menne to shewe them and gyue them to vnderstand howe smaul and vyle a thynge may offende and disquiete them to th ende that they maye remember the pryncipall ende for the whiche they were created that is to knowe theyr maker and procurer of theyr saluation by the waye whiche is open to all Christian men and all other whiche wyll open the eyes of theyr vnderstandynge And although the thynges whereof wee entende nowe to speake may seeme vyle and lyttle to bee esteemed yet are they woorthy to bee noted and consydered to vnderstand the difference and variable woorkes of nature So it is therfore that whereas in many partes of the firme
engender and brynge foorthe bothe good and badde accordynge to the disposytion of the matter whiche they also doo partely dispose as the phylosophers affyrme Furthermore in the fyrme lande there are manye toades beyng very noyous and hurteful by reason of their great multitude They are not venemous They are seene in greate aboundance in Dariena where they are so bygge that when they dye in the time of drouth the bones of sum of them and especially the rybbes are of suche greatnesse that they appere too bee the bones of cattes or of summe other beastes of the same byggenesse But as the waters dyminishe and the moysture â—onsumeth in the tyme of drouth as I haue sayde they also consume therwith vntyll the yeare nexte folowing when the rayne and moysture increase at whiche tyme they are seene ageyne Neuerthelesse at this present there is no such quantitie of them as was wonte to bee by reason that as the land is better cultured by the Christians as well by the fellynge of wooddes and shrubbâ—s as also by the pasture of kine horses and other beastes so is it apparent that this poyson diminisheth dayly wherby that regyon becometh more holsome and pleasaunt These toades synge after three or foure sortes For summe of them synge pleasauntly other lyke owres of Spayne Summe also whistle and other summe make an other maner of noyse They are lykewyse of dyuers colours as summe greene summe russette or grey and summe almost blacke But of all sortes they are great and fylthye and noyous by reason of their great multitude yet are they not venemous as I haue sayde There are also a straunge kynde of crabbes Crabbeâ— â–ª whiche coome foorthe of certeyne holes of the earth that they them selues make The head and bodye of these make one rounde thing muche lyke vnto the hoode of a fawkon hauynge foure feete commyng owt of the one syde and as many owt of the other They haue also two mouthes like vnto a paire of smaule pinsers the one bygger then the other wherwith they byte but do no great hurte bycause they are not venemous Their skyn and bodye is smoothe and thynne as is the skynne of a man sauynge that it is sumwhat harder Their colour is russette or white or blewe and walke sydelonge They are very good to bee eaten In so muche that the Christians trauayling by the fyrme lande haue byn greatly nurysshed by them bycause they are founde in maner euery where In shape and forme they are muche lyke vnto the crabbe which we paynte for the sygne Cancer and like vnto those which are found in Spaine in Andalusia in the ryuer Guadalchiber where it entereth into the sea and in the sea coastes therabout sauynge that these are of the water and the other of the lande They are sumtymes hurtefull so that they that eate of them dye But this chaunceth onely when they haue eaten any venemous thyng or of the venemous apples wherwith the Canibale archers poyson their arrowes wherof I wyll speake hereafter And for this cause the Christians take hede howe they eate of these crabbes if they fynde them neare vnto the sayd apple trees Furthermore in these Indies aswell in the fyrme lande as in the Ilandes there is founde a kynde of serpentes which they caule Y. V. anas which summe caule Iuannas Serpentes cauled Iuanâ—i These are terrible and fearefull to syght and yet not hurtefull They are very delicate to bee eaten and it is not yet knowen whether they be beastes of the lande or fyshes bycause they lyue in the water and wander in the woddes and on the lande They haue foure feete and are commonly bigger then connies and in summe places bygger then otters with tayles lyke lisartes or eutes Their skynne is spotted and of the same kynd of smothnesse or barenesse although of dyuers colours Upon the ridge of their backes they haue many long prickes Theyr teethâ— are very sharpe and especially theyr fanges or dogge teeth Their throtes are longe and large reachynge from their beaâ—des to their breastes of the lyke skynne to the resydewe of their bodyes They are dumme and haue no voyce or make any noyse or crye although they bee kepte tyde to the foote of a cheste or any other thynge for the space of .xx. or .xxv. dayes withowt any thyng to eate or drynke excepte they gyue them nowe and then a lyttle of the breade of Cazabbi or summe such other thyng They haue foure feete and their fore feete as longe as a mans fynger with clawes lyke the clawes of a byrde but weaker and suche as can not grasple or take holde of any thynge They are muche better to bee eaten then to beholde For fewe that see them wyll haue desyre to eate of them by reason of their horrible shape excepte suche as haue byn accustomed to the beastes of these regyons whiche are more horrible and fearefull as this is not but onely in apparence Their fleshe is of much better tast then the fleshe of connyes and more holsome For it hurteth none but onely such as haue had the frenshe poxe In so much that if they haue onely byn touched of that infyrmitie although they haue byn hole of longe tyme neuerthelesse they feele hurte and complayne of the eatynge of these Iuannas as hath byn often tymes proued by experience There are founde in the fyrme lande certeyne byrdes so lyttle that the hole body of one of theym is no bygger then the toppe of the byggest fynger of a mans hande Byrdes and yet is the hare body withowt the fethers not paste halfe so bygge This byrde besyde her lyttlenes A very lyttle byrde is of such velocitie and swyftnes in flying that who so seeth her sleing in the ayer caÌ„ not se her flap or beate her winges after any other sort then do the dorres or huÌ„ble bees or betels so that there is no man that seeâ—h her flie that wold think her to be any other theÌ„ a dorre They make their nestes accordyng to the proportioÌ„ of their bâ—gnes And I haue scene that one of these byrdes with her nest put in a paire of gold weights altogether hath ward no more theÌ„ ii Tomini which are in poise .24 grams with the fethers wâ—th out the which she shulde haue wayed sumwhat leâ—se And doâ—bt lesse when I consider the fynenesse of the clawes and feete of these birdes I knowe not whervnto I may better liken them then to the lyttle byrdes whiche the lymmers of bookes are accustomed to paynte on the margentes of churche bookes and other bookes of deuine seruice Their fethers are of many faire colours as golden yelowe and greene beside other variable colours Theiâ— beake is verye longe for the proportion of theyr bodies and as fyne and subtile as a sowyng nedle They are very hardye so that when they see a man clyme the tree wheâ—e they haue theyr nestes they â—lye at hys face and stryke hym in the eyes
houres to syxe houres so that when it increaseth the water of the sea arryueth so neare to the houses of Panama as doth owre sea cauled Mare Mediteraneum in Barzalona or in Naples And when the sayd increasyng of the sea commeth there commeth also therwith such a multitude of the smaule fysshes cauled sardynes that it is so marueylous a thynge to beholde that no man wolde beleue it that hath not seene it In so much that the Cacique that is the kynge of that land at such tyme as I dwelt there was bounde dayly as he was commaunded by yowre maiesties gouernour to brynge ordynaryly three canoas or barkes full of the sayde sardynes and to vnlade the same in the markette place whiche were afterwarde by the ruler of the citie diuyded amonge the Christian men without any coste or charge to any of them In so much that yf the people had bin a much greater multitude then they were and as many as are at this presente in Toledo or more and had none other thynge to lyue by they myght haue byn sufficiently susteyned by these sardynes bysyde thouerplus which shulde haue remayned But to returne to the foules wherof we haue spoken As the sea commeth and the sardynes with the same euen so lykewyse coome the sayde Alcatrazzi therwith and flye continually ouer it in suche a multytude that they appeare to couer thupper parte or floure of the water And thus continue in mountynge and faulynge from the ayer to the water and from the water to the ayer durynge all the tyme of theyr fysshynge And as soone as they haue taken any of these sardynes they flye aboue the water and eate them incontinently and suddeynly returne ageyne to the water for more continuing thus course by course with owt ceasynge In lyke maner when the sea fauleth they folowe there fysshynge as I haue sayde There goethe also in the company of these foules an other kynde of foules cauled Coda inforcata that is the forked tayle whereof I haue made mention before And as soone as the Alcatraz mounteth from the water with her pray of the sardynes suddeynly this Coda inforcata gyueth her so many strokes and so persecuteth her that shee causeth her to let faule the sardynes which shee hath in her mouth The which as soone as they are faulne and before they yet touch the water the Coda inforcata catcheth them euen in the faule in suche sorte that it is a great pleasure to beholde the combatte betwene them all the daye longe The number of these Alcatrazzi is such that the Chrystian mennâ— are accustomed to send to certeyne Ilandes and rockes which are neare abowte Panama with theyr boates or barkes to takâ— these Alcatrazzi whyle they are yet younge and can not flye and kyll as many of them with staues as they wyll vntyll they haue therwith laden theyr barkes or canoas These younge ones are so fatte and wel fedde that they can not bee eaten And are taken for none other intent but only to make grease for candels to burne in the nyght for the whiche purpose it serueth very well and gyueth a cleare lyght and burneth easely After this maner and for this purpose innumerable of them are kylde And yet it seemeth that the number of them that fysshe for sardynes doo dayly increase There are other foules cauled Passere sempie Pâ—ssere sempie that is simple sparowes These are sumwhat lesse then semewes and haue theyr fiete lyke vnto great malardes And stande in the water sumtymes And when the shyppes sayle fyftie or a hundreth leaques abowte the Ilandes these foules beholdynge the shyppes commyng towarde them breake theyr flyght and faule downe vpon the sayle yardes mastes and cables therof And are so simple and folyshe that they tary vntyll they maye easely be taken with mens handes and were therefore cauled of the maryners simple sparowes They are blacke and vppon their blacke haue theyr headde and shoulders of fethers of a darke russet coloure They are not good to bee eaten althowgh the mariners haue sumtimes bin inforced to eate theÌ„ There is an other kynde of byrdes in the fyrme lande which the Christians caule Picuti Picuti bycause they haue very great beakes in respecte of the lyttlenesse of theyr boddies For theyr beakes are very heauy and waye more then theyr hole boddyes bysyde These byrdes are no bygger then quayles but haue a much greater bushement of fethers in so much that theyr fethers are more then theyr boddies Theyr fethers are very fayre and of many variable coloures Theyr beakes are a quarter of a yarde in length or more and bendynge downe towarde the earthe and three fyngers brode neare vnto the heade Theyr tonges are very quilles wherwith they make a greate hyssynge They make holes in trees with theyr beakes in the which they make theyr nestes And surely these byrdes are maruelous to beholde for the great difference whiche they haue from all other byrdes that I haue seene aswel for theyr toonges which are quylles as I haue sayde as also for the strangenesse of theyr syght and disproportion of their greate beakes in respect of the rest of theyr boddies There are no byrdes founde that prouyde better for the safegarde of theyr younge in the tyme of theyr breedynge to bee withowte daunger of wylde cattes that they enter not into theyr nestes to destroye theyr egges or younge And this aswell by the straunge maner of buyldyng theyr nestes as also by theyr owne defence And therfore when they perceaue that the cattes approche towarde them they enteâ— into theyr nestes and holdynge theyr beakes towarde thenteraunce of the same stande at theyr defence and so vexe the cattes that they cause them to leaue theyr enterpryse There are also other byrdes of sparowes whiche the Christians by contrary effect caule Matti that is fooles Wheras neuerthelesse there is no byrde that sheweth more wyt and crafte in defendynge her younge from perell Folysshe sparowes These byrdes are lyttle and in maner blacke and sumewhat bygger then owre thrusshes They haue certeyne whyte fethers in theyr neckes and the lyke sagacitie or sharpenes of sense as haue the byrdes or pyes cauled Gazzuole They seldome tymes light vppon the earth They make theyr nestes in trees separated from other bycause the wylde cattes cauled Mammoni are accustomed to leape frome tree to tree not descendynge to the grounde for feare of other beastes excepte when they are enforced by thyrste to coomme downe to drynke at suche tymes as they are sure not to bee molested And for this cause doo not these byrdes make theyr nestes but in trees farre diuyded from other They make them of a cubette in length or more after the maner of bagges or lyttle sackes large at the bottome and growynge narower and narower towarde the mouth whereby they are fastened hauynge the hole whereat they enter into the sacke of such byggenes as may onely suffice to reâ—eaue them And to th
of the strayght of Gibilterra in the which the water from th end and furtheste parte of that sea The West Ocean euen vnto the mouth of the sayde straight eyther in the East towarde the coaste commonlye cauled Leuante or in any other parte of the sayde sea Mediterraneum The sâ—a Mediteraneum the sea doothe not so faule nor increase as reason wolde iudge for so greate a sea But incresethe verye lyttle and a smaule space Neuerthelesse withoute the mouthe of the straight in the mayne Ocean it increaseth and fauleth verye muche and a great space of grounde from syxe houres to syxe houres as in all the coastes of Spayne Britannye Flanders Germanye and England The selfe same Ocean sea in the fyrme lande newly founde in the coastes of the same lyynge towarde the Northe dothe neyther ryse nor faule nor lykewise in the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba and all the other Ilandes of the same sea lyinge towarde the northe Hispaniola Cuba for the space of thre thousande leaques but onelye in lyke maner as doothe the sea Mediterrâ—neum in Italye whiche is in maner nothynge in respecte to that increase and decrease whiche the sayde Ocean hath in the coastes of Spayne and Flaunders But this is yet a greater thynge that also the selfe same Ocean in the coastes of the sayde fyrme lande lyinge towardâ— the Southe in the citie of Panama and also in the coaste of that lande whiche lyethe towarde the Easte and Weste frome that citie as in the Ilande of pearles or Margaritea whiche the Indians caule Tarrarequi and also in Taboga and Otoque and in all other Ilandes of the southe sea of Sur the water ryseth and fauleth so much that when it fauleth it goth in maner owt of syghte which thynge I my selfe haue seene oftentymes And here youre maiestie may note an other thynge that from the northe sea to the southe sea beynge of suche dyfferâ—nce the one from the other in rysynge and faulynge The South sea yet is the lande that deuydeth theym not paste eyghteene or twentye leaques in breadthe frome coaste to coaste So that bothe the sayde seas beynge all one Ocean this straunge effecte is a thynge worthy greately to bee considered of al suche as haue inclination and desyre to knowe the secreate woorkes of nature wherin the infinite powre and wysedome of god is seene to bee such as may allure all good natures to reuerence and loue so diuine a maiestie The power and wâ—sdome of god is sene in his creatures And wheras by the demonstrations of lerned men I am not satisfyed of the natural cause hereof I content my selfe to knowe and beleue that he which hathe made these thynges dooth knowe this and many other whiche he hath not granted to the reason of man to comprehend much lesse to so base a wyt as myne is They therefore that are of greater vnderstandynge shall searche the cause hereof for them and for me forasmuch as I haâ—e onely put the matter in question as a wytnesse that haue seene thexperience of the thynge ¶ Of the strayght or narowe passage of the lande lyinge betwene the North and South sea by the whiche spyces way much sooner and easlyer be brought from the Ilandes of Molucca into Spayne by the West Ocean then by that way wherby the Portugales sayle into East India IT hath byn an opinion amonge the Cosmographers and Pylottes of late tyme and other which haue had practise in thynges touchynge the sea that there shulde bee a strayghâ— of water passynge from the North sea of the firme in to the South sea of Sur whiche neuerthelesse hath not byn seene nor founde to this daye And suerlye yf there be any suche strayght â–ª we that inhabite those partes do thynke the same shulde bee rather of lande theÌ„ of water For the fyrme lande in sum partes therof is so strayght and narrowe that the Indyans saye that frome the mountaynes of the prouynce of Esquegua or Vrraca Esquegua and vrrace whych are betwene the one sea and the other If a man assend to the toppe of the mountaynes and looke towarde the Northe he maye see the water of the North sea of the Prouynce of Beragua And ageyne lookynge the contrarye waye may on the other syde towarde the Southe see the sea of Sur and the prouynces whyche confyne with it as doo the territoryes of the twoo Lordes or kynges of the sayde prouinces of Vrraca and Esquegua And I beleue that if it bee as the Indyans saye of al that is hetherto knowen this is the narowest strayght of the fyrme lande whiche sume affyrme to bee full of rough mountaynes Yet doo I not take it for a better waye or so shorte as is that whyche is made from the porte cauled Nomen dei whiche is in the Northe sea vnto the newe citye of Panama beynge in the coaste and on the banke of the sea of Sur. Nomen Deâ— Panama Whiche waye is likewyse very rough ful of thicke wods mountaines ryuers valleys and verye diffyculte to passe through and can not bee doone withowt greate laboure and trauayle Sum measure this waye in this part to bee from sea to sea .xviii. leaques whych I suppose to bee rather .xx. not for that it is any more by measure but bicause it is rough and dyffyculte as I haue sayde and as I haue founde it by experyence hauynge nowe twyse passed that way by foote countyng from the porte and vyllage of Nomen Dei vnto the dominion of the Cacique of Iuanaga otherwyse cauled Capira .viii. leaques And frome thense to the ryuer of Chagre The ryuer of Chagre other .viii. leaques So that at this ryuer beinge .xvi. leaques from the sayde porte endeth the roughnesse of the way Then from hense to the maruelous brydge are two leaques And beyonde that other twoo vnto the port of Panama So that all togyther in my iudgemente make .xx. leaques And if therfore this nauigation may bee founde in the South sea for the trade of spices as we trust in God to bee brought from thense to the sayde porte of Panama as is possible enough they may afterwarde easly passe to the Northe sea notwithstaddynge the difficultie of the waye of the .xx. leaques aforesayde Whiche thynge I affirme as a man well trauayled in these regions hauynge twyse on my feete passed ouer this strayght in the yeare .1521 as I haue sayde It is furthermore to bee vnderstode that it is a maruelous facilitie to bryng spices by this way which I wil now declare From Panama to the ryuer of Chagre are foure leaques of good and fayre way by the which cartes may passe at pleasure by reason that the mountaynes are but fewe and lyttle and that the greateste parte of these foure leaques is a playne grounde voyde of trees And when the cartes are coomme to the sayde ryuer the spices may bee caryed in barkes and pinnesses For this ryuer
about them before and behyâ—de as lowe as to theyr knees and hammes wherwith they couer theyr priuie partes and are naked all theyr boddie bysyde The principal men beare theyr priuities in a holowe pype of golde but the common sorte haue theym inclosed in the shelles of certeyne great welkes and are bysyde vtterly naked For they thynke it no more shame to haue theyr cods seene then any other parte of theyr boddies And in many prouinces bothe the men and women go vtterly naked without any such couerture at al. In the prouince of Cueua they caul a man Chuy and a woman Ira which name is not greately disagreeable to many both of theyr women and of owres These Indians gyue great honour and reuerence to theyr Cacique that is theyr kynges and rulers The principall Cacique The kynge is borne on meÌ„s bâ—ckes hath twelue of his most stronge Indians appoynted to beare hym when he remoueth to any place or gothe abrod for his pleasure Two of them cary hym syttyng vppon a longe piece of woodde which is naturally as lyght as they can fynd The other tenne folowe nexte vnto hym as foote men They keepe continually a trottynge pase with hym on theyr shulders When the twoo that cary hym are wery other twoo coomme in theyr places without any disturbance or stey And thus if the way bee playne they cary hym in this maner for the space of .xv. or .xx. leaques in one day The Indians that are assigned to this office are for the moste parte slaues or Naboriti that is such as are bounde to continuall seruice I haue also noted that when the Indians perceaue them selues to bee troubled with to much bludde Lettinge of bludde they lette theym selues blud in the calfes of theyr legges brawnes of theyr armes This doo they with a very sharpe stone and sumtymes with the smaule toothe of a vyper or with a sharpe reede or thorne All the Indians are commonly without beardes They haue no beardes In so much that it is in maner a maruayle to see any of them eyther men or women to haue any downe or heare on theyr faces or other partes of theyr boddies Albeit I sawe the Cacique of the prouince of Catarapa who had heare on his face and other partes of his boddie as had also his wyfe in suche places as women are accustomed to haue They paynte theyr bodies This Cacique had a great part of his body paynted with a blacke colour which neuer fadeth And is much lyke vnto that wherwith the Mores paynt them selues in Barberie in token of nobilitie But the Moores are paynted specially on theyr vysage and throte and certeyne other partes Likewyse the principall Indians vse these payntynges on theyr armes and brestes but not on theyr vysages bycause amonge them the slaues are so marked When the Indians of certeyne prouinces go to the battayle especially the Caniball archers they cary certeyne shelles of greate welkes of the sea which they blowe and make therwith great sounde muche lyke the noyse of hornes The Canibales They carye also certeyne tymbrels which they vse in the steade of drummes Also very fayre plumes of fethers and certeyne armure of golde Armure of golde especially great and rounde pieces on theyr â—restes and splintes on there armes Lykewyse other pieces whiche they put on theyr heades and other partes of theyr bodyes Their galantnes in the warres For they esteeme nothynge so much as to appeare galante in the wars and to go in most coomely order that they can deuyse glysterynge with precious stones iewelles golde and fethers Of the leaste of these welkes or perewincles they make certeyne lyttle beades of diuers sortes and colours They make also little brassâ—lets whiche they mengle with gaudâ—es of golde Their Iuellâ— These they rowle about there armes frome the elbowe to the wreste of the hande The lyke also doo they on theyr legges from the knee to the soles of theyr feete in token of nobilitie Especially theyr noble women in dyuers prouinces are accustomed to weare such Iewelles and haue theyr neckes in maner laden therwith These beades and Iewels and such other trynkettes they caule Caquâ—ras Bisyde these also they weare certeyne rynges of golde at theyr cares and nostrelles which they bore ful of holes on both sides so that the ringes hange vppon theyr lyppes Sum of these Indians are poulde and rounded Albeâ—t commonly both the men and women take it for a decent thynge to weare longe heare which the women weare to the myddest of theyr shulders and cut it equally especially aboue theyr browes This doo they with certeyne harde stones which they keepe for the same purpose The principall women when theyr teates faule or becoome loose beare them vp with hartes of golde of the length of aâ—spanne and a halfe howe the women beare vp their sâ—aâ—es wyâ—h barres of golde wel wrought and of such byggenesse that sum of them way more then two hundreth Castilians or ducades of golde These barres haue holes at both thendes whereat they tye two smaul cordes made of cotton at euery ende of the barres One of these cordes goth ouer the shulder and the other vnder the arme holes where they tye both togyther so that by thâ—s meanes the barre beareth vp theyr teates Sum of these chiefe women go to the battayle with theyr husbandes or when they themselues are regentes in any prouinces in the which they haue all thynges aâ— commaundement and execute thoffice of generall capitaynes and cause them selues to bee caryed on mens backes in lyke maner as doo the Caciques of whom I haue spoken before These Indians of the firme lande are muche of the same stature and coloure as are they of the Ilandes The stature coloure of the Indians They are for the most part of the colour of an olyue If there bee any other difference it is more in byggenesse then otherwyse And especially they that are cauled Coronati are stronger and bygger then any other that I haue seene in these parties The Indians cauled Coronati except those of the Ilande of giantes whiche are on the south syde of the Ilande of Hispaniola The Ilande of giantes nere vnto the coastes of the firme lande And lykewyse certeyne other which they caule Yucatos which are on the north syde Iucatoâ— All which chiefely although they bee no giantes yet are they doubtelesse the byggeste of the Indyans that are knowen to this day and commonly bygger then the Flemynges and especially many of them aswell women as men are of very hyghe stature and are all archiers bothe men and women These Coronati inhabite thirtie leaques in length by these coastes from the poynt of Canoa to the greate ryuer which they caule Guadalchibir nere vnto Sancta Maria de gratia As I trauersed by those coastes I fylled a butte of freshe water of that ryuer syxe leaques in the sea frome the
mouthe therof where it fauleth into the sea They are cauled Coronati that is crowned bycause theyr heare is cutte round by theyr rares and poulde lower a great compase abowte the crowne much lyke the fryers of saynt Augustines order And bycause I haue spoken of theyr maner of wearynge theyr heare here commeth to my rememberaunce a thynge which I haue oftentymes noted in these Indians And this is that they haue the bones of the sculles of theyr heades foure tymes thycker and much stronger then owres The sculles of the IndiaÌ„s heades So that in commâ—ng to hand strokes with them it shal be requisite not to strike them on the heades with swoordes For so haue many swoordes bynne broken on theyr heades with lyttle hurt doone And to haue sayde thus much of theyr customes and maners it shal suffice for this tyme bycause I haue more largely intreated herof in my generall hystorie of the Indies Yet haue I nother there nor here spoken much of that parte of the firme lande whiche is cauled Noua Hispania that is newe Spayne whereof the Ilande of Iucatana is part forasmuche as Ferdinando Cortese hath wrytten a large booke thereof New Spaine Of the houses of these Indians The houseâ— of the Christians in India I haue spoken sufficiently elswhere Yet haue I thought good to informe yowr maiestie of the buyldynge and houses which the Christians haue made in dyuers places in the firme lande They buylde them nowe therfore with two solars or loftes and with loopes and wyndowes to open and shutte Also with stronge tymber and very fayre bordes In suche sorte that any noble man maye wel and pleasauntly bee lodged in sum of them And amonge other I my selfe caused one to bee builded in the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena whiche coste me more then a thousande and fyue hundreth Castelians Darienâ— being of such sort that I may well interteyne and commodiously lodge any Lorde or noble man reseruynge also a parte for my selfe and my famelie For in this may many householdes bee kepte both aboue and benethe It hath also a fayre garden with many orange trees bothe sweete and sowre Ceders also and Lemondes Gardeâ—â— of the which there is nowe great plentie in the houses of the Chrystians On one syde of the gardeyne there runneth a fayre ryuer The situation is very pleasaunte with a good and holsome ayer and a fayre prospecte abowte the ryuer In fine owre truste is that in fewe yeares al thynges in these regions shall growe to a better state accordynge to the holy intention of yowre maiestie Of the chiefe Ilandes Hispaniola and Cuba THe Indians which at this present inhabite the Ilande of Hispaniola are but fewe in number and the Chrystyans not so many as they ought to bee forasmuche as many of them that were in this Ilande are gonne to other Ilandes and to the fyrme lande For beynge for the moste parte younge men vnmaried and desirous dayly to see newe things wherin mans nature deliteth Men are desirous of newe thinges they were not willinge to continewe longe in on place especially seeing dailie other newe landes discouered where they thowght theye might sooner fylle there purses by beinge present at the firste spoyle Wherin neuerthelesse their hope deceaued many of them and especially suche as bad houses and habitations in â—hys Ilande For I certeynly beleue confyrmynge my selfe herein with the Iudgement of many other that if any one Prynce had no more signiores then only this Ilande it shuld in shorte tyme bee suche as not to giue place eyther to Sicilie or Englande The commodities of hispaniola-Englande and Sicilie wheras euen at this present there is nothynge wherefore it shulde malice their prosperitie not beinge inferioure to them in any filicite that in maner the heauens can graunte to any lande being furthermore suche as maye inriche many prouinces and kâ—ngedomes by reason of manye riche golde mynes that are in it of the beste golde that is founde to this day in the worlde Golde mines and in greatest quantitie In this Ilande nature of her selfe bringeth furthe suche aboundance of cotton that if it were wrought and maynteyned there shuld be more and better then in any parte of the world Cotton There is so greate plentie of excellent Cassia that a grâ—ate quaÌ„titie is brought from thense into Spayne Cassia from whense it is caried to dyuers partes of the worlde In increaseth so muche that it is a meruelous thynge to consider In this are many ryche shoppes wher suger is wrought Suger and that of such perfectenes and goodnes and in suche quantitie that shippes come laden therwith yearly into Spayne Plantes and Herbes All suche sedes sertes or plantes as are brought out of Spayne and planted in this Ilande becoomme muche better bygger and of greater increase then they are in any parte of owre Europe And if it chaunce otherwyse that sumetymes they prosper nor so well the cause is that they which shulde tyll and husband the grounde Greate thynges hindered by respecte of presente gaynes and sowe and plant in dewe seasons haue no respect hereunto being impacient whyle the wheate and vynes waxe rype beinge gyuen to wanderynge and other affayres of present gaynes as I haue sayde as searchynge the gold mines fyshynge for pearles and occupyinge marchaundies with such other trades for the greedy folowyng wherof they neglecte and contempne both sowynge and plantynge Suche frutes as are brought owt of Spayne into this Ilande prosper maruelously and waxe rype all tymes of the yeare as herbes of all sortes very good and pleasaunt to bee eaten Also many pomegranates of the best kynde and oranges bothe sweete and sower Orangies Pomegranates Lykewyse many fayre Lymones ceders and a great quantitie of all such as are of sharpe sowre and bytter taste There are also many fygge trees whiche brynge furth theyr frute all the hole yeare Figges al the yeare Lykewyse those kynd of date trees that beare dates Dates and dyuers other trees and plantes which were brought owt of Spayne thyther Beastes doo also increase in lyke abundaunce Beastes and especially the heardes of kyne are so augmented both in quantitie and number that there are nowe many patrones of cattayle that haue more then two thousand heades of neate Greate heardes of cattaâ—l and sum three or foure thousande and sum more Bysyde these there are very many that haue heardes of foure or fyue hundrethe And trewth it is that this Iland hath better pasture for such cattayle then any other countrey in the worlde good pasture also holsome and cleare water and temperate ayer by reason whereof the heardes of such beastes are much bygger fatter and also of better taste then owres in Spayne bycause of the ranke pasture whose moysture is better digested in the herbe or grasse by the continuall and temperate heate of the soonne
The effecte of continual and moderate heate wherby being made more fatte and vnctuous it is of better and more stedfast nuryshement The cause of fatte nurisshemente For continuall and temperate heate dooth not only drawe muche moysture owt of the earth to the nuryshement of such thynges as growe and are engendered in that clyme but dooth also by moderation preserue the same from resolution and putrefaction digestynge also and condensatynge or thyckenynge the sayde moyste nuryshemente into a gummie and vactuous substaunce as is seene in all suche thinges as growe in those regions And this is the only naturall cause aswell that certeyne great beastes and of longe lyfe as the Elephante and Rhinoceros with such other are engendered only in regions nere vnto the Equinoctiall Beastes of longe lyfe â—n regions abowte the Equinoctiall line as also that the leaues of such trees as growe there doo not wyther or faule Trees whos leaues doe not wither vntyll they bee thruste owt by other accordynge to the verse of the poete which sayth Et nata pira piris et ficus in ficubus extant That is in effecte peares growynge vppon peares and fygges vppon fygges Plinie also wryteth that suche trees are neuer infected with the disease of trees that the Latines caule Caries which we may caule the worme or canker The cancar of the tree being but a certeyne putrifaction by reason of a wateryshe nuryshement not well consolidate The same thynge hath bynne the cause that certeyne Phylosophers considerynge aswell that man is the hottest and moystest beast that is which is the best complexion as also that men lyue longeste in certeyne partes of India nere the Equinoctiall where yet to this day summe liue to thage of a hundreth and fiftie yeares were of opinion that yf mankynde had any begynnynge on the earthe Longe lyuâ—de men in India that place owght by good reason to be vnder or not farre from the Equinoctiall lyne for the causes aforesayde Paradise beare the equinoctial line Sum of the diuines also vppon lyke consideration haue thought it agreable that theyr Paradyse shulde bee about the same within the precincte of those ryuers which are named in the booke of Genesis But to lette passe these thynges and to returne to the hystorie In this Ilande furthermore are many sheepe and a great number of hogges Shepee and hogges of the which as also of the kyne manye are becoome wyld And lykewyse many dogges and cattes of those which were brought owt of Spayne Dogges and cattes becom wylde These and especially the dogges doo much hurte amonge the cattayle by reason of the negligence of the hearde men There are also many horses mares and mules and suche other beastes as serue thuse of men in Spayne and are much greater then they of the fyrst brode brought thether owt of Spayne The situation of hispaniola Sum places of the Ilande are inhabyted although not so many as were requisite Of the whiche I wyll saye no more but that all the regions of the Ilande are so well situate that in the course of tyme all thynges shall coomme to greater perfection by reason of the rychnesse and pleasauntnesse of the countrey and fertilitie of the soile But nowe to speake sumwhat of the principall and chiefe place of the Ilande which is the citie of San Domenico The citie of sandomenico I saye that as touchynge the buildynges there is no citie in Spaine so muche for so muche no not Barsalona whiche I haue oftentymes seene that is to bee preferred before this generallye For the houses of San Domenico are for the moste parte of stone as are they of Barsalona or of so stronge and well wrought earth that it maketh a singuler stronge byndyng The situacion is muche better theÌ„ that of Barsalona by reason that the are much larger and playner â–ª and without comparyson more directe and streyght furth For beinge buylded nowe in owr tyme bysyde the commoditie of the place of the foundation the streates were also directed with corde compase and measure wherin it excelleth al the cities that I haue sene It hath the sea so nere that of one syde there is no more space betwen the sea and the citie then the waules And this is about fyftie pases where it is furthest of On this syde the waters of the sea beate vppon the naturall stones and fayre coaste On the other parte harde by the syde and at the foote of the houses passeth the ryuer Ozama whiche is a marueylous porte wherin laden shyppes ryse very nere to the lande and in maner vnder the house wyndâ—wes The riuer â—zama no further from the mouth of the ryuer where it entereth into the sea then is frome the foote of the hyll of Monyuye to the monastery of saynt Frances or to the lodge of Barsalona In the myddest of this space in the citie is the fortresse and castle vnder the which and twentie pases distant from the same passe the shippes to aryse sum what further in the same ryuer From the enteraunce of the shyppes vntyll they cast anker they sayle no further from the houses of the citie then thyrtie or fortie pases bicause of this syde of the citie the habitacion is nere to the ryuer The port or hauen also The hauen is so fayre and commodious to defraight or vnlade shyppes as the lyke is founde but in fewe places of the worlde The chymmeis that are in this citie are abowt syxe hundreth in number and such houses as I haue spoken of before Of the which sum are so fayre and large that they maye well receaue and lodge any lorde or noble manne of Spayne with his trayne and famelie And especially that which Don Diego Colon viceroy vnder your maiestie hath in this citie is suche that I knowe no man in Spayne that hath the lyke by a quarter in goodnesse consyderynge all the commodities of the same Lykewyse the situation thereof as beinge aboue the sayde porte and altogyther of stone and hauynge many faire and large roomes with as goodly a prospect of the lande and sea as may be deuysed seemeth vnto me so magnificall and princelyke that yowr maiestie maye bee as well lodged therin as in any of the mooste exquisite builded houses of Spayne There is also a Cathedrall churche buylded of late where aswell the byshop accordyng to his â—ignitie A cathedrall churche and monasterie in hispaniola as also the canones are wel indued This church is wel buylded of stone and lyme and of good woorkemanshyppe There are furthermore three monasteries bearyng the name of saynt Dominike saynt Frances and saynt Marie of Mercedes The whiche are all well buylded althoughe not so curiouslye as they of Spayne But speakynge without preiudice of any other religious monasterie yowre maiestie may bee well assured that in these three monasteries god is as wel serued as in any other religious house with
inundation hauynge knoweleage that the redde sea was hygher by three cubites then al the countrey of Egypt Other say that this was not the cause but that he doubted that yf he shulde haue let the sea coome any further all the water of Nilus shulde haue byn therby corrupted which onely mynystreth drynke to all Egypte But notwithstandynge all these thynges aforesayde all this vyage is frequented by lande from Egypte to the redde sea The viage bilande from Egypte to the red sea in which passage are three causeis or hyghe wayes The fyrst begynneth at the mouth of Nilus named Pelusio All which way is by the sandes In so much that if there were not certeyne hyghe reedes fyxt in the earth to shewe the ryght way the causei coulde not be founde by reason the wynde euer couereth it with sande The second causei is two myles from the mountayne Cassius And this also in th ende of .lx. myles commeth vppon the way or causey of Pelusius inhabited with certeyne Arabians cauled Antei The thyrde begynneth at Gerro named Adipson and passeth by the same Arabians for the space of .lx. myles sumwhat shorter but full of rowgh mountaynes and great scarsenesse of water All these causeis What kynge ptolomeus discouered leade the way to the citie of Arsinoe buylded by Tolomeus Philadelphus in the goulfe Carandra by the red sea This Ptolomeus was the fyrst that searched al that parte of the red sea which is cauled Trogloditica Of this trenche described of Strabo and Plinie there are seene certeyne tokens remaynynge at this present as they affirme which haue byn at Sues beyonde the citie of Alcayr otherwyse cauled Babylon in Egypte But the marchauntes that of later dayes trauayle this viage by lande ryde through the dry baren desertes on camels both by day and by night directynge theyr way by the starres and compase as do maryners on the sea and caryinge with them water sufficient for many dayes iorneys Alcayre The places of Arabie and India named of Strabo and Plinie The viage to Easte Indya frequented in owlde tyme. are the selfe same where the Portugales practise theyr trade at this daye as the maners and customes of the Indians doo yet declare The custoÌ„es and maners of the Indyans For euen at this presente theyr women vse to burne theym selues alyue with the deade bodies of theyr husbandes Which thynge as wryteth Strabo in his .xv. booke they dyd in owlde tyme by a lawe for this consideration that sumtyme being in loue with other they forsooke or poysoned theyr husbandes And forasmuch as accordynge to this custome the owlde poete Propertius who lyued abowt a hundreth yeares before thincarnation of Chryst hath in his boke made mention of the contention that was amonge the Indian women which of them shuld bee burned aliue with theyr husbandes I haue thought good to subscribe his verses whiche are these Foelix Pois lex funeris vna maritis Quos aurora suis rubra colorat equis Mamque vbi mortifero iacta est fax vltima lecto Vxorum suis stat pia turba comis Et certamen habent lethi quae viua sequatur Coniugium pudor est non licuisse mori Ardent victrices flammae pectora praebent Imponuntque suis ora perusta viris As touthynge these vyages both by sea and by lande to East India Cathay many thynges are wrytten very largely by dyuers autours which I omytte bycause they perteyne not so much vnto vs as doth the viage attempted to CATHAY by the north seas and the coastes of Moscouia discouered in owre tyme by the viage of that excellent yonge man Rychard Chaunceler no lesse lerned in all mathematicall sciences then an expert pylotte The vyage to Cathay Rycharde Chaunceler in the yeare of owre lorde .1554 As concernynge this vyage I haue thought good to declare the communication which was betwene the sayde learned man Galeatius Butrigarius and that great philosopher and noble gentelman of Italie named Hieronimus Fracastor as I fynde wrytten in the Italian hystories of nauigations As they were therfore conferrynge in matters of learnynge and reasonynge of the science of Cosmographi A lerned discourse of dyuers vyages the sayde lerned man hauynge in his hande an instrument of Astronomie declared with a large oration howe muche the worlde was bounde to the kynges of Portugale rehearsynge the noble factes doone by them in India The vigages of the Portugales and what landes and Ilandes they had discouered â–ª and how by theyr nauigations they made the whole worlde hange in the ayer The worlde hangynge on the â—yer He further declared what parts of the baul of the earth remained yet vndiscouered And sayde that of the landes of the inferior hemispherie or halfe compase of the baule towarde the pole Antartike what is knowen of the lower hemispherie there was nothynge knowen but that lyttle of the coaste of Brasilia vnto the streight of Magellanus The lande of Brasile Also a part of Peru Peru. And a lyttle aboue Affrike towarde the cape of Bona Speranza Also that he marueyled withowte measure that this thynge was no better considered of Christian Princes to whoÌ„ god hath deputed this charge The charge dewtie of Christian princes hauyng euer on theyr counsailmen of great lernynge which may informe them of this thing beinge Note so marueylous and noble whereby they maye obteyne glorie and fame by vertue and bee impuled amonge men as goddes by better demerites then euer were Hercules great Alexander who trauayled only into India hercules and Alexander and that by makynge the men of this owre hemispherie knowen to theym of the other halfe compase of the baule beneth vs they might by the tytle of this enterpryse withowt comparyson farre excell all the noble factes that euer were doone by Iulius Cesar or any other of the Romane Emperours Which thynge they myght easely brynge to passe by assignynge colonies to inhabite dyuers places of that hemispherie in lyke maner as dyd the Romanes in prouinces newely subdued The colonies of the Romans in regions subdued Whereby they myght not only obteyne great ryches but also inlarge the Christian fayth and Empire to the glory of god and confusion of infidels After this he spake of the Ilande of saynt Laurence cauled in owlde tyme Madagascar The great Iland of saynt Laurence or Madagascaâ— which is greater then the realme of Castile and Portugale and reachethe from the .xii. degree towarde the pole Antartike vnto the xxvi degree and a halfe lyinge Northeaste frome the cape of Bona Speranza and partly vnder the line of Tropicus Capricorni beinge well inhabited and of temperate ayer with abundaunce of all thynges necessarie for the lyfe of man and one of the most excellent Ilandes that is founde this daye in the worlde And that neuerthelesse there is nothynge knowen therof except only a fewe smaule
and famen insuinge therof but that all beastes shulde perysshe before the sommer folowynge when they shulde bringe furth theyr broode or succession And that for these causes the sayde coulde clime shulde bee perpetually desolate and vnhabitable To al which obiections we answere in this maner As touchynge the nyghtes not increased I saye that it was not conuenient to assume that for any reason For not as the soonne fauleth so suddeynly commeth the darke night but that the euenynge dooth substitute and prolonge the day longe after The twylyghtes as also the day sprynge or dawnynge of the daye gyueth a certeyne lyght before the rysinge of the soonne After the whiche the residue of the nyght that receaueth no light by the sayde euenynge and mornynge twilightes is accomplysshed by the lyght of the moone The lyght of the mone so that the nyghtes are seldome vnaugmented Let this bee an exemple proued by owre temperate regions wherby we may vnderstande the condition of the nyght vnder the pole â—he myght vnder the pole Therfore euen there also the twilightes helpe the nyght a longe tyme as we wyl more presently demonstrate It is approued by the Astronomers that the soonne descendynge from the highest halfe sphere by xviii paralels of the vnder horizon makethe an ende of the twylight A demonstration so that at the lengthe the darke nyght succedeth And that the soonne approchynge and rysynge aboue the hyghest halfe sphere by as many paralels dooth diminysshe the nyght and increase the twylyght Ageyne by the position or placeinge of the sphere vnder the pole the same is the horizontall that is the Equinoctiall Those paralelles therefore that are paralels to the horizontal line are also paralels to the Equinoctiall So that the soonne descendynge there vnder the horizon dooth not brynge darke nyghtes to those regions vntyll it coomme to the paralele distant .xviii. partes from the Equinoctiall Other demonstrations hereof are made by certeyne fygures of Astronomie whiche I wolde haue added hereunto but that I coulde not gette the same grauen or cutte Durynge the tyme of these sayde syxe moonethes of darkenesse vnder the pole the nyght is destitute of the benefite of the soonne and the sayde twylyghtes onely for the space of three moonethes in the whiche the soonne goeth and returneth by the portion of the ouerthwart circle But yet neyther this tyme of three moonethes is withowt remedy frome heauen For the moone with her full globe increased in lyghte The Moone hath accesse at that tyme and illuminateth the moonethes lackynge lyght euery one by them selues halfe the course of the moonethe by whose benefite it coommeth to passe that the night named as vnaugmentâ—d possesseth those regions no longer then one mooneth and a halfe neyther that continually or al at one tyme but this also diuided into three sorts of shorter nyghtes of the whiche euery one endureth for the space of twoo weekes and are illuminate of the moone accordyngly And this is the reason conceaued of the poure of the sphere wherby we testifie that the sommers and nyghtes vnder the pole are tollerable to lyuynge beastes But wee wyll nowe declare by other remedies of nature and arte Remedies of nature art that this coulde so greatly feared is more remisse tollerable then owre opinion so that compared to the nature of such beastes as liue there it may bee abydden And there is no doubt but there are autours of more antiquitie then that age in the which any thynge was exactly knowen or discouered of the north regions The owlde wryters therfore persuaded onely by naked coniecture dydde gather what they myght determine of those places Or rather by the estimation of heauen the which bycause they felte it to bee hardely tollerable to them selues and lesse to men borne in the clyme of Egypte and Grecia tooke therby an argument of the hole habitable earth The hystorie of Strabo is knowen that a potte of brasse which was broken in sunder with frosen water A brasen pot broken with frost was brought from Pontus and shewed in Delphis in token of a greuous wynter Here therfore they that so greatly feared the winter such as chaunceth to the earth vnder the xlviii paralele and therefore consecrated that broken pot to the temple of Apollo what coulde such men trewly define vppon regions so farre withowt that paralele whether they were inhabited or not But such as folowed these being contented with thinuentions of the owlde autours and borne in maner vndâ—r the same qualitie of heauen persisted wyllyngly in the same opinion with more confidence then consideration of the thynges whereof wee nowe intreate so lyghtly was that opinion receaued as touching the vnhabitable clime vnder the poles But we with better confidence and faithe forasmuch as we are not instructed with coniectures intend to stande ageynst the sentence of the owld autours Affirming the north regions within the coulde clime to bee inhabyted with hearynges Fysshes of the North seas coddes haddockes and brettes tunnyes and other great fysshes with thinfinite number wherof tables are furnysshed through a great parte of Europe Al whiche are taken in the north sea extended beyonde owr knoweleage The North sea This sea at certeyne tymes of the yeare poureth furth his plentifulnesse or rather dryueth furth his increase to seke newe mansions and are here taken in theyr passage Furthermore also euen the mouthes of the riuer of Tyber receaue a fysshe as a newe gest sent from the north sea This swamme twyse through Fraunce and twise throughe Spayne Ouer-passed the Ligurian and Tuscan sea to communicate her selfe to the citie of Rome The lakes also and ryuers of those regions are replenysshed with fysshe In so much that no poure of coulde is able to extinguyâ—she thincrease of the yeare folowinge and the succession reparable so many hundreth yeares And I playnely thinke that yf it shulde of necessitie folowe that one of these two elementes The qualitie of water the earthe and the water shuldâ— be destructiue to lyuynge creatures the water shulde chiefely haue wrought this effecte But this is founde so tractable that in the diepe wynter both that increase is brought furth and fysshynge is also exercised The lande is lykewise inhabited with lyke plentifulnesse The lande But that we wander not to farre Let the fayth hereof rest in thexposition folowynge wherin we intend to declare howe by the poure of nature and industry of man this commoditie may coomme to passe Therfore as touchynge nature wee suppose that the diuine prouidence hath made nothynge vncommunicable The diuine prouidence in moderatynge the elements but to haue gyuen such order to all thynges wherby euery thynge maye bee tollerable to the nexte The extremeties of the elementes consent with theyr next The ayer is grosse abowt the earth and water But thinne and botte abowt the fyre By this prouidence of nature the vttermost sea is very salte The
nature of the sea And salte as wytnesseth Plinie yeldeth the farnesse of oyle But oyle by a certeyne natiue heate is of propertie agreable to fyre The sea then beinge all of such qualitie Salte poureth furth it selfe far vppon thextreme landes whereby by reason of the saltenesse therof it moueth and stereth vp generatiue heate Generatiue heate as by fatnesse it noryssheth the fecunditie of thynges generate It gyueth this frutfulnes to the earth at certeyne fluds although the earth also it selfe haue in his inner bowels the same liuely and nurysshynge heate wherby not only the dennes caues and holowe places Owtwarde could is cause of inwarde heate but also sprynges of water are made warme And this so much the more in howe muche the wynter is more vehement This thyng dooth more appere by this exemple that the mountaynes of Norway and Suethlande are fruteful of metals in the which syluer and copper are concocte and molten into veynes which can scarsely bee doonne in fornaces By this reason also the vapours and hotte exhalations perceinge the earthe and the waters Uapours and exhalations and throwghe both those natures breathynge furth into the ayer tempereth the qualitie of heauen and maketh it tollerable to beastes as wytnesseth the huge byggenesse of the whales in those seas whales with the strength of bodye and longe lyfe of suche beastes as liue on the lande Beastes whiche thynge coulde not bee excepte all thynges were there commodiously nurysshed by the benefite of the heauen and the ayer For nothyng that in the tyme of increase is hyndered by any iniurie or that is euyll fedde all the tyme it lyueth can prosper well hereby maye bee considered the cause of the deathe of owr men that sayle dirâ—ctly to Guinea Neyther are such thynges as lyue there offended with theyr naturall wynter as thowgh an Egiptian or Ethiopian were suddeynly conueyed into those coulde regions For they were in longe tyme by lyttle and lyttle browght fyrst acquaynted with the nature of that heauen as may be proued both by the lyfe of man and by the historie of holy scripture They that were led from Mesopotania and that famous towre of Babilon towarde the north partes of the worlde in the fyrst dispertion of nations dyd not immediatly passe to thextreme boundes No passage from one extremitie to another but by a meane but planted theyr habitations fyrst vnder a myddle heaueÌ„ betwene both as in Thracia and Pontus where theyr posteritie was accustomed the better to susteyne the rygoure of Scythia and Lanais as he 〈◊〉 at commeth from winter to soommer maye the better after abyde Ise and snowe beinge fyrst hardened therto by the frostes of Autumne In lyke maner mortall men accustomed to beare the hardenesse of places nexte vnto theym were therby at the length more confirmed to susteyne the extremes And here also if any sharpenesse remayne that maye seeme intollerable nature hathe prouyded for the same with other remedies For the lande and sea hathe gyuen vnto beastes diepe and large caues dennes Caues and dennes and other holowe places and secreate corners in mountaynes and rockes bothe on the lande and by the sea bankes in the which are euer conteyned warme vapoures so much the more intent and vehement in howe much they are the more constrayned by extreme could Nature hath also gyuen valleys diuerted and defended frome the north wyndes Ualleys Shee hath lykewise couered beastes with heare so much the thicker in howe muche the vehemencie of could is greater by reason wherof the best and rychest furres are browght frome those regions The best furres as Sables whose price is growne to great excesse nexte vnto gold and precious stones Sables and are estemed princely ornamentes The beastes that beare these furres are hunted chiefely in wynter whâ—ch thynge is more straunge bycause theyr heare is thenne thicker and cleaueth faster to the skyn Howe greauous then shall we thinke the winter to bee there where this lyttle beast lyueth so well and where the hunters may search the dennes and hauntes of such beastes throwghe the wooddes and snowe Beastes that lye hyd in wynter But suche beastes the condition of whose bodies is so tender that they are not able to abyde thiniurie of coulde eyther lye hydde in wynter or chaunge theyr habitation as do certeyne beastes also in owre clime Nature hath furthermore gyuen remedie to man bothe by arte and industry to defende him selfe both a brode and at home Abrode with a thicke vesture and the same well dowbeled At home with large fyers on harthes chymyneys and in stooues for the day with close chambers and couches softe and warme beddes for the nyght by whiche remedies they mirigate the winters which seeme rigorous to straungers All beastes haue the nature of the place where they are engendereâ— althowghe they are to thinhabitauntes more tollerable then owre opinion as in deede by the fyrst natural mixture or composition of theyr bodies such thinges are agreable to them as seeme very harde to other The lion in Affrike and the beare in Sarmatia are fierce as in theyr presente strength and vigoure but translated into a contrary heauen are of lesse strength and courage The foule cauled Ciconia which sum thinke to bee the storke dooth not tary the winter yet doo the cranes coomme at that tyme. The Scythian wyll accuse the Romane heauen as induccinge feuers wheras neuerthelesse there is none more holsoome what exercise may doo Such as haue byn tenderly browght vp if they coomme suddenly in to the campe can not away with hunger watchynge heate passages throwgh ryuers baâ—tayles sieges and assaultes But the owld souldier exercised in the warres vseth these as meditations of the fielde as hardened therto by longe experience He that hath byn accustomed to the shadowe of the citie and wyll attempte the sayinge of the poet Uirgil Nudus ara sere nudus that is naked and bare withowt house home shall to his perell make an ende of the verse Use maketh masteries Hâ—bebis frigora febrem that is he shall haue the coulde ague Suche thynges therfore as seeme harde vnto vs beinge accustomed by lyttle and lyttle becomme more tollerable In so much that this exercise of suâ—feraunce by such degrees dooth oftentymes grow to prodigious effectes facte beyonde owre expectation And thus wee seeme to haue made sufficient demonstration by heauen nature and arte wherby it may appere that no part of the lande or sea is denyed to lyuynge creatures The reader may also perceaue how large matter of reasons and exemples may bee opened for the declarynge of owre opinion wherein wee rest Let theâ—fore thautoritie of the ancient autours gyue place and the consent of the newe wryters agree to this hystory not as nowe at the length comprehendâ—d whereas before many hundreth yeares Germanie and Scondia had entercourse of Scondia marchaundâ—es not seuered by the large
goulfe of Bothia â–ª but as nowe by owr commentaries brought to light And hauâ—ng sayde has much in maner of a preface we wâ—ll nowe procede to wryte of the north regions ¶ Schondia SChondia Sâ—hondama or Schondenmarchia is as much to say as fayre Dania or fayre Denmarke Scone is fayre in the duch toonge Plinie in one place nameth it Scandia and in an other Scandinauiâ— if there bee no fauce in the templers It was named Schondia by reason of the fayrenesse and true fulnesse therof And this aswell for that in beneficiall heauen fertilitie of gronnde The fertilitie of â—condia commodite of hauens and marte townes abundaunce of ryuers and fysshe plentie of beastes great quantitie of metall as golde syluer copper and leade diligent culturynge the grounde with townes and cities wel inhabited and gouerned by ciuile lawes it gyuethe place to none other fortunate region This was in maner vnknowen to the owlde Greekes and Latins as may appeare by this argomente that with one consente they affirmed that in these north regions the could zonâ— or clime was condemned to perpetuall snowe intollerable to all lyuynge creatures For few of theÌ„ haue made mention hereof as to be inhabited Amonge whom Plinie as one of the chiefe sayth in his fourth booke that Schondania is of vnknowen byggenesse and only that portion therof to be knowen which is inhabited with the nation of the Hilleuiâ—nes in fiftie vyllages Neyther yet is Eningia lesse in opinion he meaneth Diodorus Siculus Other more auncient then Plinie haue placed most fortunate regions with men of longe lyfe whiche the Greekes caule Macrobios and of moste innocente behauour vnder the tracte of those landes and that there came from thence to Delphos certeyne religious virginnes with vowes and gyftes consecrated to Apollo And furthermore that that nation obserued this institution vntyll the sayde virgins were violated of them of whome they were receaued as straungers These are most cleare testimonies of Antiquitie both of the greatnesse of Schondia and the people that inhabite the same althowgh they were sence vnknowen as lykewyse the Gothes departynge from these north landes althowghe they obteyned Thempire of the regions abowte the marisshes of Meotis and the coastes of the sea Euxinus â—hinuasions of the Gothes with the realme of Denmarke wherof that is thought to bee a portion which is nowe cauled Transiluania and the bankes of the ryuer of Danubius â—ransiluania and in fine inuaded the Romane Empire yet were not the regions wel knowen from whense they tooke theyr originall Therefore lyke as parte of the owlde wryters are vnsufficient wytnesses to testifie of owre narrations as touchynge these landes vnknowen to them Euen so the other parte which excluded the same as vnhabitable are to bee conuinced leaste theyr autoritie beinge admitted shuld ingender opinions not agreeable or conuenient to the nature of places Sigismundus Liberus in his commentaries of Moscouia wryteth thus Scandia or Scondia is no Iland as sume haue thought but parte of the continente or firme lande of Suetia which by a longe tracte reacheth to Gothlande And that nowe the kynge of Denmarke possesseth a great parte therof But wheras the wryters of these thinges haue made Scondia greater then Suetia that the Gothes and Lumbardes came frome thense The Gothes and Lumbardes they seeme in my opinion to comprehende these three kyngedomes as it were in one body only vnder the name of Scondia forasmuch as then that parte of lande that lyeth betwene the sea Balthrum whiche floweth by the coastes of Finlandia and the frosen sea was vnknowen And that by reason of so many marisshes innumerable ryuers and intemperatnesse of heauen it is yet rude vncultured and lyttle knowen Which thynge hath byn the cause that summe iudged all that was cauled by the name of Scondia to bee one great Ilande ¶ Gronlande GRonlande is interpreted greene lande so cauled for the great increase and frutefulnesse of pasture Frutefull pasture By reason wherof what great plentie of cattayle there is it may hereby appere that at such tyme as shyppes may passe thyther they set furth great heapes of cheese and butter to bee sould wherby wee coniecture that the lande is not rowgh with barren mountaynes It hath two Cathedrall Churches vnder thordinaâ—ion of Nidrosia To one of these was of late yeares a bysshop appoynted onely by the tytle of a suffragane in consideration that while the metropolitane dooth neglect the direction of religion for the distance of the place and difficult nauigation the people is in maner faulne to gentilitie Religion neglected beinge of them selfe of mouable wyttes and gyuen to magical artes For it is sayde that they as also the people of Laponia doo rayse tempestes on the sea with magical inchauntmentes Inchaunters and brynge such shippes into daungeour as they intâ—â—de to spoile They vse lyttle shyppes made of lether and safe ageynste the brusynge of the sea and rockes and with them assayle other shippes Peter Martyr of Angletia writeth in his Decades of the Spanisshe nauigations that Sebastian Cabote sayling from Englande continually towarde the north The vyage of Sebastian Cabote to the frosen sea folowed that course so farre that he chaunsed vppon greate flakes of Ise in the mooneth of Iuly and that diuertynge from thense he folowed the coaste by the shore bendynge towarde the South vntyl he came to the clime of the Ilande of Hispaniola aboue Cuba an Iland of the Canibales Which narration hath giuen me occasion to extende Gronlande beyonde the promontory or cape of Huitsarch to the continente or firme lande of Lapponia aboue the castell of Wardhus Gronlande wardhus which thynge I did the rather for that the reuerende Archebysshoppe of Nidrosia constantely affirmed that the sea bendethe there into the forme of a crooked elbowe It agreeth herewith also that the Lapones consent with them in the lyke magical practises and doo neyther imbrase the Christian religion nor refuse it wherby I haue thowght this lykenesse of customes to bee betwene them bycause they ioyne togyther in one continent Lapponia Gronlande The distance lykewyse seemeth not to disagree For betwene both these people Schoeni the distance is not full twoo hundreth Schâ—ni euery one being a space of grounde conteinyng .lx. furlonges which make .vii. myles and a halfe It furthermore agreeth with this coniecture that Cabote chaunsed into such Ise. And albeit as touchynge the mooneth of Iuly Cabote tould me that this Ise is of fresshe water and not of the sea I wyll contend it is not well rehersed no althowghe he had sayled vnder the pole for such reasons as wee haue declared before to the contrary neuerthelesse that at sum tyme he sayled by Ise this testifieth in that he sayled not by the mayne sea but in places nere vnto the lande comprehendyng and imbrasyng the sea in forme of a goulfe A commixtioÌ„ of
people An exemple of tyranni they prouided for thindempnitie of theyr owne estâ—te by forcible extenuatinge the gooddes and poure of them whom they desired to kepe in subiâ—ction This is the fortune of Norway whose edefies townes and cities cannot defende theyr auncient amplitude and dignitie neyther is there any hope of repayrynge theyr state For there are no consultations admitted for the redresse of the common welth No man dare shewe his aduice or attempte any thing vncerteyne of the myndes and consent of other To this difficultie is added the qualitie of the place For the Danes haue in theyr poure all the nauigations of Norway whereby it may exercise no trade by sea neyther cary furthe wares to other places So that in fine it may seeme most vnfortunate The myserâ—ble state of Norway as lackynge the fauoure of heauen the sea and the lande From henâ—e is brought into all Europe a fysske of the kindes of them whiche wee caule haddockes or hakes indurate and dryed with coulde and beaten with clubbes or stockes by reason whereof the Germayns caule them stockefysshe Stockfysse The takâ—nge of these is most commended in Ianuarie that they may bee sufficiently dryed and hardened with coulde For such as are taken in the more temperate monethes doo corrupte and putrifie And are not meete to bee caried furth The description of the west coaste with the parte thereof lyinge most towarde the north Wardhus that is the watche house or watche towre .54 70 30. It is a stronge castell or fortresse appoynted to the Lapones The coaste folowynge 48 50 70. Matthkur c. All the coast from hense and the places neare abowt vnto the degree .45 69. beinge sumtyme lefte desolate by the seditions and destruction of Norway the Lapones chose for theyr habitations The Laponeâ— as commynge to a more beneficiall heauen FroÌ„ the Castel of Wardhus vnto the degree .40 30 64 10 all the coaste in the sprynge tyme is daungerous to passe by reason of whales of such huge byggenesse that sum of theym growe to a hundreth cubites Shippes in daungâ—our by reason of whales For these fysshes at that tyme of the yeare resort togyther for generation Such shyppes as chaunce to faule eyther vppon theyr bodies or into suche whyrlepooles as they make by theyr vehemenâ— motions are in great perell The remedie to auoyde this daungiour is to poure into the sea Castoreum that is oyle made of the stones of the beaste cauled the Beuer Castoreum mengeled with water For with this the hole hearde of whales vanyssheth suddeynely to the bottome of the sea They make a terrible rorynge The rorynge of whales and haue two breathynge places in the hyghest parte of theyr forheades standynge furth right a cubite in length and are as brode at the endes beinge couered with a skynne throughe the which they blow waters lyke showers or stormes of raine The prickes of theyr backes are founde conteynynge three els in circuite whales salted and reserued and euery knotte betwene theym of one elle They are at the least of .lx. cubites in length And are salted and kept in store houses The greatest are vnprofitable to bee eaten by reason of theyr ranke and vnsauery taste which can not bee qualified Nidrosia standing vpon the south syde of the sea banke The citie of Nidrosia was the chiefe citie and metropolitane churche throwgh owt all Norway Iselande Gronlande and the Ilandes there abowt This citie was noble at the fyrst vnder the â—lorysshing Empire of Norway conteinynge in circuite .xxiiii. parysshes but it is nowe browght in maner to a village and is cauled in the Germayne toonge Truthaim as the house of the Dryides There remayneth at this daye a Cathedrall churche in token of the ancient felicitie A magnificall churche beinge suche that in byggenesse workemanship of wrought stone the lyke is not in all Christendome The greeses or compasse abowt the altare was destroyde by fyre and was repared at the same tyme that wee write this historie The charge of the reparasion was esteemed to bee seuen thousande crownes by which smaule portion an estimate maye bee made of the excellencie of the hole Churche The tracte of all the sea coastes Norwaye is very quyete and meeke The sea is not frosen The snowes indure not longe This lande hath also a peculiar pestilence which they caule Leem or Lemmer This is a lyttle foure footed beaste abowte the byggenesse of a raâ—te with a spotted skynne Noysome beastes of vnknowen generation These faule vppon the grounde at certeyne tempestes and suddeyne showers not yet knowen from whense they comme as whyther they are browght by the wyndes from remote Ilandes or otherwise engendered of thicke and feculent clowdes But this is well knowen that as soone as they faule downe greene grasse and herbes are founde in theyr bowels not yet digested They confume all greene thynges as doo locustes And such as they only byte wyther and dye This pestilence lyueth as longe as it dooth not taste of the grasse newelye sproonge They coome togyther by flockes as do swalowes And at an ordinarie tyme eyther dye by heapes with great infection of the lande as by whose corruption the ayer is made pestiferous and molesteth the Noruegians with swymmynge in the headde and the iaundies or are consumed of other beastes named Lefrat Towarde the East it is included with in the lâ—ne that is drawen by the mountaynes whose endes or vttermost boundes they are that lye towarde the south aboue the mouthes of the ryuer Trolhetta But that parâ—e that lyeth towarde the north passeth by the castel of Wardhus wardhus and is extended to the vnknowen lande of the Lapones The vnknowen lande of the Laponâ—s The lake cauled Mos and the Ilande of Hossuen in the myddest therof is in the degree .45 30 61. In this lake appeareth a straunge monster which is a â—erpent of houge byggenesse A â—erpent of houge biggenesse And as to all other places of the worlde blasynge starres doo portende thalteration and chaunge of thynges so dooth this to Norway It was seeâ—e of late in the yeare of Christ M. D. xxii apperynge farre â—boue the water rowlynge lyke a greate pyller And was by coniecture farre of esteemed to bee of fiftie cubites in length Shortely after folowed the reiectynge of Christiernus kynge of Denmarke God warneth vs by signes of thynges to coome Suche other monstrous thynges are sayde to bee seene in dyuers places of the worlde And doubtlesse excepte wee shulde thinke that the diuine prouidence hauynge mercie vpon mortall men and hereby warnynge them of their offences dooth sende suche straunge thynges as also blasing starres and armies feyghtynge in the ayer with suche other portentous monsters wherof no causes can bee founde by naturall thynges we might els suspecte that such syghtes were but imaginations of the sence of man deceaued On the East side are exceading rowgh montaynes which
dayes By which tarying leaste they shulde bee hyndered they caryed on theyr shulders with greate laboure theyr barkes and fardelles ouer a streyght of lande conteynyng halfe a leaque in breadth From hense they sayled to the region of the wyld Lappones The region of the Wylde Lappones cauled Dikilappones to a place named Dront Dâ—ont beinge CC. leaques distant from Dwina towarde the North. And thus farre as he sayth doth the prince of Moscouia exacte tribute Furthermore leauyng theyr barkes here they fynysshed the residue of theyr iorney on sleades Iorneyinge on sleades He further declared that there were heardes of hartes as are with vs of oxen whiche in the Noruegians tounge are cauled Rhen beinge sumwhat bygger then owre hartes howe the baites drawe sleades These the Lappones vse in this maner They ioyne them to sleades made lyke fyssher botes as wee put horses to the carte The man in the sleade is tyed fast by the feete least he fall owte by the swyfte course of the hartes In his lefte hande he holdeth a collar or rayne wherwith he moderateth the course of the hartes and in the ryght hand a pyâ—â—ed staffe wherwith he may susteine the sleade froÌ„ faulyng if it chaunce to decline to much on any part And he toulde me that by this meanes he trauayled twentie leaques in one daye â—â— leaques in one day and then dismysses the harte who by hym selfe returned to his owne master and accustomed stable This iorney thus fynysshed they came to Berges a citie of Norduegia or Norway The citie of Berges in Norway situate dâ—rectly towarde the north betwene the mountaynes and went from thense to Denmarke on horsebacke At Dront and Berges the day is sayde to bee .xxii. houres longe in the sommer Equinoctiall Blasius an other of the prynce of Moscouia his interpretours who a fewe yeares before was sent of his prince into Spayne to Themperour declared vnto vs an other and shorter way of his iorney A shorter iorney For he sayde that when he was sent from Moscouia to Iohn the kyng of Denmarke he came fyrste on foote vnto Rostowe Rostow And takynge shyppe there came to Pereaslaw Pereaslaw and from Pereaslaw by the ryuer Uolga to Castromow Castromow and that from thense goynge seuen Werstes by lande he came to a lyttle ryuer saylynge by the which when fyrst he came to Uuolochda Uuolochda then to Suchana Suchana and Dwina Dwina and in fine to the citie of Berges in Norway ouerpassynge in this vyage all the perelles and laboures that Istoma rehearsed before he came at the length to Hafnia the châ—efe citie of Denmarke hafnia whiche the Germaynes caule Koppenhagen KoppenhageÌ„ But in theyr returnynge home they both confesse that they came to Moscouia by Liuonia Liuonia and that they were a yeare in this vyage Albeit Georgius Istoma sayde that halfe the parte of that tyme he was hyndered by tempestes and inforced to tary longe in many places by the waye Yet they both lykewyse constantely affirme that in this iorney eyther of them trauayled a thousand threescore and ten Werstes werste is almost an Italian myle that is three hundreth and fortie leaques Furthermore also Demetrius who of late was sent ambassadour from the prynce of Moscouia to the bysshoppe of Rome by whose relation also Paulus Iouius wrote his description of Moscouia confirmed all these thynges to bee trewe Paulus Iouius All they being demaunded of me of the congeled or frosen sea made none other answere but that in places nere vnto that sea Ryuers faulyng into the froâ—en sea they saw many and great riuers by whose vehemente course and abundaunt flowynge the seas are dryuen farre from the shore and that the sayde water of the ryuers is frosen with the sea a good space from the lande as in Liuonia and other partes of Suecia For althowgh by the vehemencie of the wyndes wynde the Ise is broken in the sea Ise. yet dooth this chaunce seldome or neuer in ryuers excepte by sum inundation or flud the Ise gathered togyther bee lyfted vp and broken For the flakes or pieses of Ise caryed into the sea by force of the ryuers doo flote aboue the water in maner all the hole yeare and are ageyne so vehemently frosen togyther that a man maye there sumtymes see great heapes of the Ise of manye yeares I se of many yeares as dooth appere by such pieses as are dryuen to the shore by the wynde I haue also byn credebly informed by faythfull men that the sea Baltheum otherwyse cauled the goulfe of Liuonia is often tymes frosen in many places The sea Baltheum They say furthermore that in that region whiche is inhabyted of the wylde Lappones the soonne in the sommer Equinoctiall dooth not faule for the space of .xl. dayes where the son fauleth not in .xl. dayâ— yet that the body therof is so hydden with a darke myste or cloude three houres that the beames doo not appere Neuerthelesse to gyue such lyght durynge that tyme that the darkenesse hyndereth not theyr woorke The Moscouites make theyr boste that these wylde Lappones are tributaries to theyr prynce The Wylde Lappones are tributaries to the Moscouites Wherat I do not greatly maruayle forasmuch as they haue none other neare vnto them that may demaunde tribute of them Theyr trybute is onely furres and fysshe Furres and fysshe hauynge in maner none other thynge greately commodious And albeit they lacke breade salte and other intysementes and glutteny and lyue onely with fysshe and wylde beastes yet are they exceadyng prone to lechery They are such expert archers Experte archers that if in theyr huntynge they espye any beastes whose skynnes they desyre to saue vnperysshed they wyll not lyghtly mysse to hytte them in the nosethrylles â—hen they go furth on huntynge they are accustomed to leaue at home with theyr wyues suche marchauntes or straungers as they haue receaued into theyr houses Good felowshyp So that if at theyr returne they perceaue theyr wyues throwgh the company of the strangers to be myrier and more iocunde then they were wonte to bee they gyue the straungers sum present But yf they fynd it otherwyse they thrust them furth of the doores with woordes of reproche But nowe by the company they haue with straungers that resorte thyther for gaynes they begyn to leaue theyr natiue barbarousnesse They gladly admitte marchauntes bycause they brynge them apparel of grose cloth also hatchettes needels spones knyues drynkynge cuppes earthen and brasen pottes with such othâ—r necessarie wares Necessary warres So that they vse now to eate sodden and rosted meate and doo embrase more ciuile maners Theyr owne apparell is made of the skynnes of dyuers beastes sowed togyther And in this apparell they sumtymes comme to Moscouia Yet fewe of them haue cappes or hosen which they vse to make of hartes skynnes
matters of hard compositions as quarreys and stones ouerthwartynge the same hauynge euer respecte to the owtwarde signes whiche yow folowe forecastynge in yowre mynde how yowe may directly arryue to the same euen as the maryners directe theyr course by theyr compasse and syght of the north starre Also bysyde that place where yow haue determined to make the enteraunce and begynnynge of the caue howses of office for the myners yow muste take choyse of an other place eyther on the front of the mountayne or on the syde that it may bee neare and commodious to make one or two or mo cotages for the commoditie and necessitie of the woorkemen One of these must bee appoynted for theyr dormitorie where sum may rest and sleepe whyle other woorke and that yow may the more commodiously be present and assystaunt to theyr doynges diligently to beholde all thynges and to conforte theim in theyr laboures also to dispence and bestowe theyr vyttayles as shall bee nedefull and to reseruâ— the same in safe custodie with dayly prouision of al thynges apperteynynge The other must bee as it were a smythes forgâ— wherin theyr worne and broken tooles must bee renewed and other newe made to thintent that the woorke be not hyndered for lacke of store of necessarie instrumentes When thesâ— thynges are thus fynysshed with good prouision of vyttayles and a sufficient number of expert myners then in the name of God and good aduenture causynge a preste to blesse the mosâ— tayne with all the shoppes and to baptise the caue dedicatynge it as the maner is to the holy Trinitie or to owr Lady or to the name of sum other saynt which yowe haue in deuotâ—on Baptisinge dedication of the caue with inuocation to theym to prosper yowre attemptes yow shall with good courage and hope begynne to dygge the caue with intente to folowe the same withowte ceasynge as farre as yowre abilitie shall reache or vntyll yowe haue passed ouer the lymettes signified by the signes before named Takynge euer diligent heade that yowe begyn yowre caue as lowe as yow may at the foote of the mountayne in such order that yowr myners so continue and folow the same by a right line The makiÌ„ge of the caue that they encounter the veyne of the myne by the shortest and safest way that may bee deuised For it often times chaunceth that althowgh the caue haue byn wel begunne yet hath it not byn well folowed Causes of hiÌ„deraunce for that the myners beinge withdrawen from the ryght course by the hope of suche braunches of mynes as haue appered vnto them in the waye doo often times decline from theyr atteÌ„pted course and from the signes which they owght to haue folowed And bysyde other preceptes see that yow beare in memory to procure that in dyggynge yow eschewe as muche as yowe maye the cuttynge of softe or brykell stones Soft stones aswell for that it may bee daungerous for ruine of the caue as also that it seldome chaunceth that any mynes are founde in such stones But yf yow shal chauncâ— so to fynde them that yow can by no meanes auoyde them A confort yow that where suche cause of feare sheweth it selfe both that yow lose not the charges of the caue and for the beâ—ter safegarde of yowre woorkemen it shal be necessary that yow vse all possible diligence in well vpholdynge and fortyfyingâ— the caue with arches of waules trauersed with stronge postes of tymber after the maner of framed beames The fortefâ—iÌ„â— of the caue susteyned with grose and stronge pyles made of good and stronge tymber of oke or other great trees And in this maner owght yow to proceade in dyggyng yowre myne that yow may with more securitie enioy the frute of yowr trauayle howe the caueâ— were made in olde tyme. But in the owlde tyme they that dygged mynes as is yet to see in the caues lefte of them folowed an other maner so that in the steade of begynnynge the caue belowe at the foote of the mountayne as doo the later myners they begunne to dygge theyr caue in the vpper or hyghest parte where the daye discouered the myne dyggynge downewarde after the maner of a pytte or a well folowynge the same sumtyme on the one syde and sumtyme on the other euen vnto the depth as the veyne shewed it selfe to theyr syght whereof I haue thought good to make mention for that in thoppinion of many men this way dooth seeme much better and of more securitie to fynde that they seeke then to dygge by the sydes bycause that by this meanes they haue euer the mine before theyr eyes eyther more or lesse as a line to leade them to the grosse masse Yet who so consydereth the thynge well shall vnderstande that the later myners haue better conceaued the reason of this woorke in respecte as is to see of many more commodities and securities which insue rather of this maner of woorkynge then of the other as the difficultie to descende and ascende the caue the daungiour lest it bee stopped vp by many ruines bysyde the traualyous labour to draw owt the mine with the rockes fragmentes of stones And aboue al thynges that they shal not bee able to drawe owt the waters whiche are often tymes so abundaunt that they greatly increase the charges and trauayles of the patrones of the mynes by reason of the greate ayde and helpe which shal be requisite to haue in that case and also for the makynge of wheeles troughes pypes pumpes Abundanuâ—â— of water in the mynes with suche other instrumentes seruynge for the purpose to drawe owt the waters And yet with all this it often tymes chauÌ„ceth that although they labour hereat coÌ„tinually yet shal they be iÌ„forced to forsake their profitable laudable eÌ„terpryse So that to conclude The beste maner of makinge the caue I saye as yowe maye well vnder stand that it is a much better way and of more securitie to begynne the diggyng of the caue rather at the roote or fote of the mouÌ„tayne and to enter into the same by litle and lytle a slope vpwarde then to begynne at the toppe or the highest backe therof And this both for the more commodious passinge furthe of the water and also for the easier trauaile of the labourers Obseruynge euer diligently the chaunge of the signes whiche appere vnto yow owtwardly The change of the signes vsynge the rudder and compasse as do they that sayle on the sea For hereby the myners shal be instructed euer to folowe the right way in the caue vntill by the conductinge of wytte and arte The rudder compasse they bee browght to the place of the grose masse or bodie of the tree whyche is the cause fontayne and original from whense the sayd tinctures fumosites and mineral signes are diriued and sente furth to the superficiall partes And as concernynge this puâ—pose I thincke it good to declare vnto yow howe in
thinhabitauntes of the goulfe of Uraba and put them to flyght Also howe he founde greate plentâ—e of wrought golde and housholde stuffe in a thycket of reedes ¶ The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 58. ¶ Howe Nicuesa loste his felowes in the darke nyght and went past the mouth of the ryuer Beragua which he sought And howe the capitaynes of the other shyppes consulted how to fynde hym Also of the ryuer Lagartos in the which great Lysartes are founde much lyke vnto the Crocodiles of Nilus Howe the capitaynes forsooke theyr shyppes that the souldyers myght bee without hope of departure And of the miserable chaunce of Petrus de Umbria and his felowes By what chaunce Nicuesa was founde and of the calamities which he and his coompany susteyned Also of the region of Gracia Dei or Cerabaro and of the ryuer of Sancti Matthei Howe Nicuesa caused them to remoue theyr habitacion from Beragua to poynte Marmor where he bylded a fortresse And howe his men by warre and famyn were consumed from seuen hundreth and odde to scarsely one hundreth Howe one Uaschus Nunnez vsurped thautoritie of the Lieuetenaunte shyppe of Uraba in thabsence of Fogeda And of the nauigation of Rodericus Colmenatis from Hispaniola to Uraba Of the ryuer Gaira descendynge from the toppe of a hygh mountayne couered with snowe And howe Rodericus Colmâ—naris in a conflicte ageynst the barbarians loste .xlvii. of his men by reason of theyr inuenemed arrowes Of the force of the poyson wherewith the barbarians infecte theyr arrowes and a remedie for the same Also howe Colmenaris by gunneshot and kyndelynge fyers on the hyghe toppes of the rockes came to the Spanyardes lefte desolate in Dariena ¶ The contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 61. ¶ Howe Nicuesa was sought foorth to acquiete the contentions of Uraba And howe he was ageyne reiected Howe Uaschus Nunnez inuaded tooke prysoners and spoyled the kynges bortherynge abowt the region of Uraba And howe Ancisus Lieuetenaunt for Fogeda was cast in pryson and afterwarde set at libertie Howe Ancisus tooke his vyage from Uraba to Spayne to accuse Uaschus who also at the same tyme sent Ualdiuia aswell to speake in his defence as also to certifie the kynge of theyr doynges Howe kynge Careta conspired with the Spanyardes ageynst kynge Poncha whom they put to flyght and spoyled his vyllage Howe kynge Comogrus frendely enterteyned the Spanyardes and brought them to his pallaice where he shewed them the dryed Carkases of his auncestours reserued and sumptuously apparelled And howe the kynges elder sonne gaue Uaschus and Colmenaris foure thousand vnces of wrought gold and fiftie slaues Also a wyttie oration which he made to the Spanyardes wherein he certifyed theym of a countrey exceadynge ryche in golde c. ¶ The contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 66. ¶ Of horryble thunder and lyghtnynge in the mooneth of Nouember and of grayne which waxeth rype thryse a yeare Also how digestion is strengthened by owtwarde coulde Howe Ualdiuia is sent ageyne into Hispaniola to mouâ— the gouernour and counsayle there to sende into Spayne to the kynge for a supplie of a thousand souldyers to make way to the golden mouÌ„taynes And howe he caryed with hym the kynges portion that is the fyfte parte of golde and other thynges Howe Uaschus inuaded the kynges inhabytynge the regions about the goulfe of Uraba and howe he put kyng Dabaiba to flyght in whose vyllage he founde wrought goldâ— amountynge to the weyght of seuen thousande Castellans Of battes as bygge as turtle dooues which sumtyme bytâ— men in the nyght in theyr sleepe whose bytynge is also venemous but is healed with water of the sea or by cauterization as are also the woundes of venemous arrowes Of the Ilande of Cannafistula and a towne of fyue hundreth houses whose kynge Abenamachei was taken and his arme cutte of in the fyght Of trees of exceadynge bygnesse and heyght And howe kynge Abibeiba had his pallaice in the toppe of a tree frome the which he was inforced to descende and entreate of peace ¶ The contentes of the fyfth booke Fol. 69. ¶ Howe kynge Abraiba slewe a capitayne of the Spanyards and caused the kynges to rebell Also howe they were put to flyght and many of theyr men slayne Of fyue kinges which attempted a newe conspiracie with a hundreth great Canoas and fiue thousand men And howe theyr intent was bewrayed by a woman and preuented Also howe Rodericus Colmenaris sacked the vyllage of Tichiri and honge the kynge therof with foure of his chiefe rulers and commaunded them to be shotte through with arrowes ¶ The contentes of the syxte booke Fol. 72. ¶ Howe Uaschus with his confetherates sente Iohannes Quicedus and Colmenaris from Dariena to Hispaniola and from theÌ„se to Spayne to the kyng for a thousand men to passe ouer the mountaynes to the golden regions And what miseries they susteyned in that vyage Also of the death of Ualuia Zamudius and Fogeda Of the prosperous vyage of Ancisus And howe godde wrought miracles by the simple fayth of a mariner Also hoâ— god respecteth thinfancie of fayth for zeles sake And howe one religion turned into another holdeth styll many thinges of the fyrste Howe many of the barbarians were baptised by reason of the miracles And howe they rewarded the prestes by whome they were baptised Howe Ancisus shortly after his arryuall in Spayne resorted to the courte and made his complaynt to the kinge of thinsolencie of Uaschus wheruppon the kynge gaue sentence ageynst hym And howe apte the barbarous nations are to embrase the Christian fayth ¶ The contentes of the seuenth booke Fol. 79. ¶ Howe Quicedus and Colmenaris the procuratours of Dariena were honorably enterteyned at the courte and brought to the kynges presence And howe theyr complexion was chaunged by alteration of the ayer Howe Petrus Arias a noble man was elected gouernouâ— and Lieuetenaunt of Dariena And howe other of the court laboured for the same office Also howe the bysshop of Burges spake to the kynge in his behalfe Howe Petrus Arias had a thousande and two hundrethe souldyers appoynted hym at the kynges charges And of thâ— kynges custome houâ—e in the citie of Ciuile cauled the house of the contractes of India Howe a great number of Spanyardes profered theÌ„ selues to go at theyr owne charges And of a restraâ—nt made that no straunger myght passe without the kynges licence Also howe the autour reproueth Aloisius Cadamustus a wryter of the Portugales vyages Howe Petrus Arias shortely after his departure frome Ciuile lost two of his shyppes and was dryuen backe agâ—yne by tempest And howe beinge newly furnysshed hee paâ—sed the Oâ—ean with more prosperous wyndes The thyrde vyage of Uincentius Pinzonus and howe he came to the regions of Paria where encounterynge with thinhabitauntes he put them fyrst to flyght but after faulyng to entreatie of peace they gaue hym greate plentie of golde and abundaunce of masculine frankensence with dyuers other princely presentes Of the greate multitude of