poore men cruelly takyng pietie of theyr infantes newly borne especially gyrles doe many tymes with theyr owne feete strangle them Noble men and other lykewyse of meaner calling generally haue but one wyfe a peece by whom although they haue issue yet for a trifle they diuorse themselues from their wiues and the wiues also sometimes from their husbands to marry with others After y e seconde degree coosins may there lawfully marry Adoption of other mens children is much vsed among them In great townes most men and women can write and reade This nation feedeth sparely theyr vsuall meate is ryse and salattes and neare the sea syde fyshe They feast one an other many tymes wherein they vse great diligence especially iâ— drinkyng one to an other insomuch that the better sorte least they myght rudely commit some fault therin doe vse to reade certaine bookes written of dueties and cerimonies apperteynyng vnto bankettes To be delicate and fine they put theyr meat into their mouthes with litle forkes accompting it great rudenes to touch it with theyr fingers wynter and sommer they drynke water as hot as they may possible abyde it Theyr houses are in daunger of fyre but finely made and cleane layde all ouer with straw pallettes wherevppon they doe both sit in steede of stooles and lye in theyr clothes with billets vnder theyr heades For feare of defilyng these pallettes they goe eyther barefoote within doores or weare strawe pantofles on theyr buskynnes whan they come abroade the which they laye asyde at theyr returne home agayne Gentlemen for the most parte doe passe the nyght in banketting musike and vayne discourses they sleepe the day tyme. In Meaco and Sacaio there is good store of beddes but they be very litle and may be compared vnto our pues In bryngyng vp theyr children they vse wordes onely to rebuke them admonishyng as diligently and aduisedly boyes of six or seuen yeeres age as though they were olde men They are giuen very much to entertayne strangers of whom most curiously they loue to aske euen in trifles what forreyne nations doe and theyr fashions Suche argumentes and reasons as be manifest and are made playne with examples doe greatly persuade them They detest all kynde of theft whosoeuer is taken in that faulte may be slayne freely of any body No publike prisons no common gayles no ordinary Iusticers priuately eche householder hath the hearyng of matters at home in his owne house and the punishyng of greater crymes that deserue death without delaye Thus vsually the people is kept in awe and feare About foure hundred yeeres agoe as in theyr olde recordes we fynde all Giapan was subiecte vnto one Emperor whose royall seate was Meaco in the Giaponishe language called Cubucama But the nobilitie rebellyng agaynst him by litle and litle haue taken away the greatest parte of his dominion howbeit his title continually remayneth and the residue in some respect doe make great accompt of him stil acknowledging him for theyr superior Thus the Empyre of Giapan in tymes past but one alone is now diuided into sixtie sixe kyngdomes the onely cause of ciuile warres continually in that Iland to no small hynderaunce of the Gospell whilest the kynges that dwell neare togeather inuade one an other eche one couetyng to make his kyngdome greater Furthermore in the citie Meaco is the pallace of the high priest whom that nation honoureth as a God he hath in his house .366 Idolles one whereof by course is euery nyght set by his syde for a watcheman He is thought of the common people so holy that it may not be lawfull for him to goe vppon the earth if happely he doe set one foote to the grounde he looseth his office He is not serued very sumptuously he is maynteined by almes The heads and beards of his ministers are shauen they haue name Cangues and theyr aucthoritie is great throughout all Giapan The Cubucama vseth them for Embassadours to decide controuersies betwixte princes and to ende theyr warres whereof they are wont to make very great gayne It is now two yeeres since or there about that one of them came to Bungo to entreat of peace betwixt the kyng thereof and the kyng of Amanguzzo This Agent fauouring the kyng of Bungo his cause more than the other brought to passe that the foresayde kyng of Bungo should keepe two kingdomes the which he had taken in warres from the king of Amanguzzo Wherefore he had for his rewarde of the kyng of Bungo aboue thirtie thousande Ducattes And thus farre heereof I come now to other superstitions and ceremonies that you may see deare brethren that whiche I sayde in the beginnyng howe surlye the deuyll hath deceyued the Giaponishe nation and howe diligent and ready they be to obey and worshyp him And first all remembrance and knowledge not onely of Christ our redeemer but also of that one God the maker of all thinges is cleane extinguished vtterly abolished out of the Giapans hartes Moreouer theyr superstitious sectes are many wheras it is lawfull for eche one to folow that which lyketh him best but the principall sectes are two namely the Amidans and Xacaians Wherfore in this countrey shall you see many monasteryes not onely of Bonzii men but also of Bonziae women diuersly attyred for some doe weare whyte vnder and blacke vpper garments other goe apparelled in ashe colour theyr Idole hath name Denichi from these the Amidanes differ very muche Agayne the men Bonzii for the most parte dwell in sumptuous houses and haue great reuenues These felowes are chast by commaundement marry they may not vnder payne of death In the mydst of theyr Temple is erected an Aulter whereon standeth a wodden Idole of Amida naked from the gyrdle vpwarde with holes in his eares after the maner of Italian Gentlewomen sittyng on a woodden rose goodly to beholde They haue great libraries and halles for them all to dyne and suppe togeather and belles wherewith they are certayne houres called to prayers In the euenyng the Superintendent gyueth eche one a theame for meditation After mydnyght before the Aulter in theyr Temple they doe say Mattens as it were out of Xaca his last booke one quier one verse the other quier an other Early in the mornyng eche one gyueth him selfe to meditation one houre they shaue theyr heades and beardes Theyr Cloysters be very large and within the precincte thereof Chappelles of the Fotoquiens for by that name some of the Giapanish Sainctes are called theyr holydayes yeerely be very many Most of these Bonzii be Gentlemen for that the Giaponish nobilitie charged with many children vse to make most of them Bonzii not being able to leaue for eche one a patrymony good ynough The Bonzii most couetously bent know all the wayes howe to come by money They sell vnto the people many scroles of paper by the helpe whereof the common people thinketh it selfe warranted from all power of the deuylles They borowe lykewyse money to bee
reade them ouer to your Honours recreation as one of the principall causes wherefore at this tyme they were set foorth If varietie of matter occurrents out of forraigne countryes newes of newe founde landes the sundry sortes of gouernement the different manners fashions of diuers nations the wonderfull workes of nature the sightes of straunge trees fruites foule and beastes the infinite treasure of Pearle Golde Siluer ioyes may recreate and delight a mynde trauelled in weighty matters weeried with great affayres credit me good Madam in listning vnto this worke shall you haue recreation you shall finde delight in reading ouer these relations wherein so newe so straunge so diuers so many recreations and delightes of the mynd are expressed Your Honours good lykyng thereof wyll be to me no small contentation for this worke paynefully doone a good occasion spedyly to finish the rest of my owne labours concerning this faculty a great encouragement and comfort to bestow my whole time hereafter only in that study wherewith all my former knowledge in Philosophy and Geography may ende The whiche conueniently now I am in good hope to perfourme with my Lorde and your Ladyshyps good leaue and continuance of my duety and effectuall desire to doe your Honours the better seruice At London the 4. day of Iuly 1577. Your Honors seruaunt humbly at commaundement Richarde VVilles R. VVilles Preface vnto the Reader wherein is set downe a generall summe as it were of the whole worke THis greate and large bolume consisteth principally of foure partes agreeable vnto those foure corners of the worlde whereunto the skilfull seamen and merchauntes aduenturers of late yeeres haue chiefely traueiled and yet specially are wont to resorte The first part conteyneth foure Decades written by P. Martyr a learned graue counseller of Charles the Emperour fifte of that name concernyng the Spanyardes voyages Southwestwarde theyr famous exploites doone in these newly discouered partes of the worlde the whiche vsually wee now call the west Indies Hereunto haue we added Gonzalus Eerdinandus Ouiedus breefe historie touching the same matter so that the first part of our volume hath fiue particular bookes In the first whereof cap 1.2.3 4 and 5. P. Martir describeth Columbus first and second nauigations and discoueries of certaine Ilandes made by hym specially and his brother In the 6. chapter or booke thereof for both names we finde is set foorth Columbus third voiage and the discouery of Peru in the maigne west Indish lande In the seuenth his troubles both in the west Indies and retourne into Spaigne with his brother being both prisoners The 8. is of P. Alfonsus voyages that same way In the 9. are declared the trauailes of Vincent and Peter Pinzoni and other Spaniards likewise thither from Palos The 10. is a conclusion of the whole Decade with particuler mention of some special nouelties Colūbus fourth voiage beganne So that in the first Decade you haue historically set downe the discouerye of the west Indies taken in hande about the yeere of our Lorde .1492 by Columbus and his companions vntill the yeere 1510. as P. Martir witnesseth fol. 8. 43 47. and 54. This worthy trauayler and skilfull seaman died at Validolid in Spaigne An. dom 1506. as Lopez reporteth cap. 25. in his generall historie de las Indias The second Decade conteyneth Peru matters entituled by P. Martir Creditus Cortinens that is a continent or maigne lande as in deede it is of it selfe with the rest of America in lyke maner as Europe Affryk Asia be one continent or maigne lande vnited togeather In the fyrst and seconde chapters of this Decade shall you reade the voyages of Fogeda and Nicuesa to Dariena In the thyrd Colmenaris trauayles Nicuesa his death and the Indishe kyng Comogrus beneuolence In the fourth Vasquez Nunnez doynges in Vraba gulfe His conquest of rebellious Barbarian kyngs in the fifte In the syxt Quicedus Colmenaris ambassage out of Dariena to Hispaniola and the religion of king Commendator in Cuba The seuenth booke conteineth Petrus Arias iorney to Paria in Peru. The .8 the dissention betwixt the Spaniardes and Portugales for theyr boundes and makyng of fyue Bishops in these newely founde partes of the worlde In the 9 are shewed the ryuers of Darien and philosophically the causes of so great waters there That countrey is described in the .10 and the extreme hunger abydden by the companions of Nicuesa set forth In the fyrst second and thyrd chapters of the thyrde Decade is conteyned an abridgement of Vascus Nunnez relations concerning his voyage to the south sea for it lyeth south from Darien vsually termed nowe a dayes Mar del zur and may also be called the wyde east Indyshe Ocean The discouery thereof made by Nunnez the kyng subdued by hym especially kyng Commogrus christenyng by the name of Charles and the wynnyng of kyng Tumanama or Tubanama and his countrey In the fourth chapter shal you fynd Columbus fourth vyage began An. do 1502 to the mayne west Indyshe lande with the description of some part therof lying betwyxt our Atlantike or westerne Ocean and the aforesayde Mar del zur as Vraba and Beragua In respecte of the history and course of yeeres this booke myght haue been placed before the seconde Decade but it shoulde seeme that these reportes came no sooner to P. Martyr his handes wherefore he began this fourth booke ryght well thus I was determined c. The fyfth booke conteyneth P. Arias iorney mentioned dec 2 lib. 7. to the north syde of Peru wherein Carthagena and S. Martha two famous hauens do stande with a description of the countrey and people thereof In the syxt you haue a disputation touchyng the Leuant streame or easterne surge of the sea the discouery of Baccalaos done by Cabot P. Arias arriuall in Darien the buildyng of S. Maria antiqua there with other fortresses finally the commodities and vnwholesomnesse of Darien In the .7 8. .9 bookes shal you haue a description of Hispaniola Cuba and other Ilandes thereabout done by Andreas Moralis And in the .10 shall you reade of the Ilande Diues in Mar del zur of the kyng therof subdued by Andreas Moralis of Pearles the finding therof of Petrus Arias Captaynes doinges agaynst the Caniballes of the Barbares fowlyng the manner of the geatheryng of gold in Dariena The fourth Decade for so was it named in the Spanyards edition of P. Martyr his woorkes set forth at Alcala in Spayne An. do 1530. though the Basile and Cullen printers haue entituled it De insulis nuper inuentis that is of Ilandes lately found out to wyt after Columbus voyages this booke I say was by P. Mar. culled out of the Indian registers conteynyng speciall notes that seemed vnto hym most meete to be publyshed as the discouery of certayne Ilandes and creekes namely Iucatan done by Fernandes of Corduba his companions Cozumella the Ilands of Sacrifice the Ilandes of women the prouince Coluacan
also through the maliciousnesse of the venime consumed and was dried vp by lytle litle While these things chaunced thus they espied Nicuesa the other captayne to whom Beragua the region of the West syde of Vraba was assigned to inhabite He gaue wynd to his sayles to take his voyage toward Beragua the day after that Fogeda departed out of the hauen of Carthago He with his armie that he brought with hym coasted euer along by the shore vntyll he came to the gulfe Coiba whose kynges name is Careta Here he founde theyr language to be in manner nothyng lyke vnto that of Hispaniola or of the hauen of Carthago whereby he perceyued that in this tracte there are many languages differyng from theyr owne borderers Nicuesa departyng from Coiba went to the prouince or Lieuetenauntshyp of Fogeda his companion Within a fewe dayes after he hym selfe entryng into one of those marchaunt shyppes whiche the Spanyardes call Carauelas commaunded that the bigger vessels should folow farre behinde He tooke with hym two smal shyppes commonly called Bergandines or Brigandines I haue thought it good in al the discourse of these bookes to vse the common names of thinges because I had rather be playne then curious especially forasmuche as there do dayly aryse many newe thynges vnknowen to the antiquitie whereof they haue left no true names After the departure of Nicuesa there came a shyppe from Hispaniola to Fogeda the captayne wherof was one Barnardino de Calauera who had stolne the same from Hispaniola with threescore men without leaue or aduice of the Admiral and the other gouernours With the vyttualles which this shyppe brought they refreshed them selues and somewhat recouered theyr strengthes muche weakened for lacke of meate Fogeda his companions whyspered and muttered agaynst hym daylye more and more that he fedde them foorth with vayne hope for he had tolde them that he left Ancisus in Hispaniola whom he chose by the kinges commission to be a iudge in causes because he was learned in the law to come shortly after him with a shyp laden with vyttualles and that he marueyled that he was not come many dayes synce And herein he sayd nothing but trueth for when he departed he left Ancisus halfe redye to folowe hym But his felowes supposyng that al that he had sayde of Ancisus had ben fayned some of them determined priuily to steale away the two Brigandines from Fogeda and to returne to Hispaniola But Fogeda hauyng knowledge hereof preuented theyr deuice for leauyng y e custodie of the fortresse with a certayne noble gentleman called Francisco Pizarro he him selfe thus wounded with a fewe other in his companye entred into the shyppe wherof we spake before and sayled directly to Hispaniola both to heale the wounde of his thygh yf any remedie myght be found and also to knowe what was the cause of Ancisus tarying leauyng hope with his felowes whiche were nowe brought from three hundred to threescore partly by famine and partly by warre that he woulde returne within the space of .xv. dayes prescribyng also a condition to Pizarro and his companions that it should not be imputed to them for treason to depart from thence yf he came not agayne at the day appoynted with vyttuales and a newe supplye of men These .xv. dayes beyng nowe past wheras they coulde yet heare nothyng of Fogeda and were dayly more and more oppressed with sharpe hunger they entred into the two Brigandines which were left and departed from that land And as they were nowe saylyng on the mayne sea towarde Hispaniola a tempest sodaynely arysyng swalowed one of the Brigandines with all that were therein Some of theyr felowes affyrme that they playnely sawe a fyshe of huge greatnesse swimmyng about the Brigandine for those seas bryng foorth great monsters and that with a stroke of her tayle she broke the rudder of the shyppe in peeces whiche faylyng the Brigandine being driuen about by force of the tempest was drowned not farre from the Iland called Fortis lying betwene the coastes of the hauen Carthago and Vraba As they of the other Brigandine would haue landed in the Ilande they were dryuen backe with the bowes and arrowes of the fierce barbarians Proceeding therefore on theyr voyage they mette by chaunce with Ancisus betwene the hauen of Carthago and the region of Cuchibacoa in the mouth of the riuer whiche the Spanyardes called Boium gatti that is the house of the catte because they sawe a catte fyrste in that place Boium in the tongue of Hispaniola is a house Ancisus came with a shyppe laden with al thynges necessarie both for meate and drynke and apparell bryngyng also with hym an another Brigandine This is he for whose commyng the captayne Fogeda looked for so long He loosed anker from Hispaniola in the Ides of September and y e fourth day after his departure he espyed certayne hygh mountaynes the whiche for the abundance of snow which lieth there continually in the tops therof the Spanyards called Serra Neuata when Colonus the fyrst fynder of those regions passed by the same The fift day he sayled by Os Draconis â–ª They which were in the Brigandine tolde Ancisus that Fogeda was returned to Hispaniola but Ancisus supposyng that they had fained that tale commaunded them by thauctoritie of his commission to turne backe agayne The Brigandiners obeyed folowed him yet made they humble suite vnto him that he woulde graunt them that with his fauour they myght eyther goe agayne to Hispaniola or that he hym selfe would bring them to Nicuesa and that they woulde for his gentlenesse declared towarde them in this behalfe rewarde hym with two thousande drammes of golde for they were ryche in golde but poore in bread But Ancisus assented to neyther of theyr requestes affyrmyng that he myght by no meanes goe any other way then to Vraba the prouince assigned to Fogeda Whereupon by theyr conduct he tooke his voyage directly towarde Vraba But nowe let it not seeme tedious to your holynesse to heare of one thyng woorthy to be remembred whiche chaunced to this Lieuetenant Ancisus as he came thyther for he also cast anker in the coastes of the region of Caramairi whiche we sayde to be famous by reason of the hauen of Carthago and of the goodly stature strength and beautie both of men and women beyng in the same Here he sent certayne to goe alande on the shore both to fetch fresh water also to repayre the ship boate which was sore bruised In this meane tyme a great multitude of the people of the countrey armed after theyr manner came about our men as they were occupyed about theyr busynesse and stoode in a redynesse to fyght for the space of three dayes continually duryng whiche time neyther durst they set vpon our men nor our men assaile them Thus both parties keepyng theyr aray stoode styll three whole dayes the one gasyng on the other Yet al
two of his ships and so tossed the other that they were enforced to heaue ouerboorde part of theyr vyttualles to lyghten them All suche as escaped sayled backe agayne to the coastes of Spayne where beyng newly furnyshed and refreshed by the kyngs officers they went forward on theyr voyage The master Pylote of the gouernours shyp was Iohannes Vesputius a Florentine the neuiew of Americus Vesputius who left him as it were by discent of inheritance thexperience of the Maryners facultie and knowledge of the sea carde and compasse But we were aduertised of late by certayne whiche came from Hispaniola that they had passed the Ocean with more prosperous winde for this marchaunt shyppe commyng from Hispaniola founde them landing at certaine Ilands neere therabout But in the meane time whyle my importunate callers on Galeaceus Butrigarius and Iohannes Cursius men studious by al meanes to gratifie your holynesse ceassed not to put me in remembrance that they had one in a redines to depart into Italy taried only to cary with him vnto your holines these my fayre Nereides although rudely decked lest I shoulde bestow much tyme in vayne I haue let passe many things wil reherse only such as seeme in my iudgement moste worthy memory although somwhat disordered as occasion hath serued So it is therefore that this Petrus Arias hath a wife named Helisabetha Boadilla beyng niese by the brothers syde to the marques of Boadilla whiche rendred the citie of Segouia to Fernando and Helisabeth princes of Spayne at suche time as the Portugales inuaded the kingdome of Castile by reason wherof they were encouraged fyrst to resyst and then with open warre to assayle and expulse the Portugales for the great treasure whiche kyng Henry brother to queene Helisabeth had geathered togeather there This marquesse while she liued did euer shewe a manly and stoute mynde both in peace and warre so that by her counsayle many noble thinges were brought to good effecte in Castile vnto this noble woman the wyfe of Petrus Arias was niese by her brothers syde She folowyng the magnanimitie of her aunt perceiuyng her husband nowe furnyshyng hym selfe to depart to the vnknowen coastes of the newe worlde and those large tractes of lande and sea spake these wordes vnto hym My most deare and welbeloued husbande we ought not nowe to forgeat that from our young yeeres we haue ben ioyned togeather with the yoke of holy matrimonie to thintent that we shoulde so lyue togeather and not asunder duryng the tyme of our natural lyfe wherefore for my part to declare my affection herein you shal vnderstande that whither soeuer your fatall destenie shall dryue you eyther by the furious waues of the great Ocean or by the manyfolde and horrible daungers of the lande I wyl surely beare you company there can no peryll chaunce to me so terrible nor any kynde of death so cruell that shal not be muche easyer for me to abyde then to liue so farre separate from you It were muche better for me to dye and eyther to be cast into the sea to be deuoured of the fyshes or on the lande to the Canibales then with continual mournyng and bewaylyng to liue in death and dye lyuyng whyle I consume in lookyng rather for my husbandes letters then for hym selfe This is my ful determination not rashly nor presently excogitate nor conceiued by the lyght phantasie of womans brayne but with long deliberation and good aduisement Nowe therefore choose to whether of these two you wyll assent eyther to thruste your swoorde in my throte or to graunt me my request As for the children which god hath geuen vs as pledges of our inseparable loue for they had foure sonnes and as many daughters shall not stay me a moment let vs leaue vnto them such goodes and possessions as haue ben left vs by our parentes and freendes whereby they may lyue among the woorshypfull of theyr order for other thynges I take no care When this noble matrone of manly vertue had finished these woordes her husbande seeyng the constant mynde of his wyfe and her in a redynesse to do accordyng to her woordes had no hart to denye her louyng petition but embracing her in his armes commended her intent and consented to her request She folowed hym therfore as did Ipsicratea her Mithridates with her heare hangyng loose about her shoulders for she loued her husband as dyd Halicarnassea of Caria hers being dead and as dyd Artemisia her Mausolus We haue also had aduertisment since theyr departure that she beyng brought vp as it were amōg soft fethers hath with no lesse stoute courage susteyned the roringes and rages of the Ocean then dyd eyther her husbande or any of the Maryners brought vp euen among the sourges of the sea But to haue sayde thus muche hereof this shall suffise let vs nowe speake of other thynges no lesse worthy memorie Therfore wheras in the first Decade we haue made mention of Vincentius Annez Pinzonus ye shal vnderstand ▪ that he accōpanied Christophorus Colonus the Admiral in his first voyage and afterwarde made an other voyage of his owne charges with only one shyppe Agayne the fyrst yeere after the departyng of the Captayne 's Nicuesa and Fogeda he ran ouer those coastes from Hispaniola and searched al the South syde of Cuba from the East to the West and sayled rounde about that Iland whiche to that day for the great length thereof was thought to haue ben part of the continent or firme land although some other say that they dyd the lyke Vincentius Annez therefore knowyng nowe by experience that Cuba was an Ilande sayled on further and found other landes Westwarde from Cuba but suche as the Admiral had first touched Wherfore beyng in manner encompassed with this newe lande turning his course towarde the left hande and rasing the coastes of that lande by the East ouerpassing also the mouthes of the gulfes of Beragua Vraba and Cuchibachoa he arryued at the region whiche in the first Decade we called Paria and Os Draconis and entred into the great gulfe of freshe water which Colonus discouered beyng replenyshed with great abundance of fyshe and famous by reason of the multitude of Ilandes lying in the same beyng distant Eastwarde from Curiana about an hundred and thirtie myles in the which tracte are the regions of Cumana and Manacapana whiche also in the sixt booke of the fyrst Decade we sayd to be regions of the large prouince of Paria where many affyrme to be the greatest plentie of the best pearles and not in Curiana The kynges of these regions whom they cal Chiacones as they of Hispaniola cal them Cacici beyng certified of the comming of our men sent certayne spyes to enquire what new nation was arryued in theyr coastes what they brought and what they would haue and in the meane tyme furnyshed a number of theyr Canoas whiche they call Chichos with men armed after theyr manner for they were
not a lytle astonyshed to beholde our shippes with the sayles spread whereas they vse no sayles nor can vse but small ones yf they woulde by reason of the narownesse of theyr Canoas Swarmyng therefore about the shyppe with theyr Canoas whiche we may wel cal Monoxyla because they are made of one whole tree they feared not to shoote at our men beyng yet within their shyppes and keepyng them selues vnder the hatches as safely as yf they had ben defended with stone walles But when our men had shotte of certayne peeces of ordinaunce agaynst them they were so discomfited with the noyse and slaughter thereof that they droue them selues to flyght Being thus disparcled our men chased them with the ship boate toke many and slue many When the kynges heard the noyse of the gunnes and were certified of the losse of theyr men they sent ambassadours to Vincentius Agnes to entreate of peace fearyng the spoyle of theyr goodes and destruction of theyr people yf our men should come alande in theyr wrath and furie They desyred peace therefore as coulde be coniectured by theyr signes and poyntynges for our men vnderstoode not one woord of theyr language And for the better proofe that they desyred peace they presented our men with three thousande of those weyghtes of gold that the Spanyardes call Castellanum Aureum whiche they commonly call Pesum Also a great barrel of wood ful of moste excellent masculine Frankencense weighing about two thousande and sixe hundred poundes weight after eight ounces to the pounde whereby they knewe that that lande brought foorth great plentie of Frankencense for there is no entercourse of marchaundies betweene the inhabitauntes of Paria and the Sabeans being so farre distant wheras also they of Paria knowe nothing without theyr owne coastes With the golde and Frankencense whiche they presented to our men they gaue them also a great multitude of theyr peacockes both cockes and hennes dead and alyue aswel to satisfie theyr present necessitie as also to carry with them into Spayne for encrease lykewyse certayne carpettes couerlettes table clothes and hangyngs made of Gossampine silke finely wrought after a strange deuice with pleasant and variable colours hauyng golden belles and such other spangles and pendauntes as the Italians call Sonaglios and the Spanyardes Cascaueles hangyng at the purfles therof They gaue them furthermore speakyng popyngayes of sundry colours as many as they woulde aske for in Paria there is no lesse plentie of popyngayes then with vs of doues or sparows Thinhabitants of these regions both men women are apparelled with vestures made of gossampine cotton the men to the knees and the women to the calfe of the legge The fashion of theyr apparel is simple and playne muche lyke vnto the Turkes but the mens is double and quilted like that which the Turkes vse in the warres The princes of Paria are rulers but for one yeere but theyr auctoritie is no lesse among the people both in peace and warre then is thauctoritie of other kyngs in those regions Their villages are builded in compasse along by the bankes of al that great gulfe Fyue of theyr princes came to our men with theyr presentes whose names I thought woorthy to be put in this historie in remembrance of so notable a thing Chiaconus Chiauaccha that is the prince of Chiauaccha for they cal princes or kings Chiaconus Chiaconus Pintiguanus Chiaconus Chamailaba Chiaconus Polomus ▪ and Chiaconus Potto The gulfe beyng first found of the Admiral Colonus they cal Baia Natiuitatis because he entred into the same in the day of y e natiuitie of Christ but at that time he only passed by it without any further searchyng and Baia in the Spanyshe tong signifieth a gulfe Whē Vincentius had thus made a league with these princes folowyng his appoynted course he founde many regions toward y e East desolate by reason of diuers floods and ouerflowyngs of waters also many standyng pooles in diuers places and those of exceeding largenesse He ceassed not to folowe this tracte vntyl he came to the poynt or cape of that most long lande This poynt seemeth as though it would inuade the mount Atlas in Aphrica for it prospecteth towarde that part of Aphrike which the Portugales cal Caput bonae Sperantiae The poynte◠or capes of the mount Atlas are rough and sauage neere vnto the sea The cape of Bona Speranza geathereth thyrtie and foure degrees of the South pole called the pole Antartike but that poynt only seuen degrees I suppose this lande to be that whiche I fynde in olde wryters of Cosmographie to be called the great Ilande Atlantike without any further declaryng eyther of the situation or of the nature thereof The eight booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed continent WHen Iohn the king of Portugale liued whiche was predecessour to him that nowe raigneth there arose a great contention betweene the Castilians and the Portugales as concernyng the dominion of these newe founde landes The Portugales because they were the fyrst that durst attempt to searche the Ocean sea synce the memorie of man affirmed that al the nauigations of the Ocean ought to parteyne to them only The Castilians argued on the contrary part that whatsoeuer God by the ministration of nature hath created on the earth was at the begynnyng common among men and that it is therefore lawful to euery man to possesse such lands as are voyde of Christian inhabitours Whyle the matter was thus vncertaynelye debated both parties agreed that the controuersie shoulde be desyded by the byshop of Rome and plighted fayth to stande to his arbitrement The kyngdome of Castile was at that tyme gouerned by that great queene Helisabeth with her husband for the Realme of Castile was her dowrie She also and the kyng of Portugale were cosyn germanes of two systers by reason whereof the dissention was more easyly pacified By the assent therfore of both parties Alexander the bishop of Rome the .vi. of that name by thaucthoritie of his leaden bull drewe a right lyne from the North to the South an hundred leagues Westwarde without the paralels of those Ilandes whiche are called Caput Viride or Cabouerde within the compasse of this lyne although some denye it falleth the poynt of this lande whereof we haue spoken whiche they cal Caput Sancti Augustini otherwyse called Promontorium Sancti Augustini that is saint Augustines cape or poynt and therefore it is not lawful for the Castilians to fasten foote in the begynnyng of that land Vincentius Annez therefore departed from thence beyng aduertised of the inhabitantes that on the other syde of the hygh mountaynes towarde the South lying before his eyes there was a region called Ciamba whiche brought forth great plentie of golde Of certayne captiues whiche he tooke in the gulfe of Paria whiche certaynely parteyneth to the dominion of Castile he brought some with him to Hispaniola and left
sentence against him and how apt the Barbarous nations are to embrase the Christian fayth The contentes of the seuenth booke Fol. 81. HOwe Quicedus and Colmenaris the procuratours of Dariena were honourably enterteyned at the court and brought to the kynges presence and howe theyr complexion was chaunged by alteration of the ayre Howe Petrus Arias a noble man was elected gouernour and Lieuetenaunt of Dariena and howe other of the court laboured for the same office also howe the bishop of Burges spake to the kyng in his behalfe Howe Petrus Arias had a thousande and two hundred souldyers appoynted him at the kynges charges and of the kynges custome house in the citie of Ciuile called the house of the contractes of India Howe a great number of Spanyardes profered them selues to goe at theyr owne charges and of a restraint made that no straunger myght passe without the kyngs licence also how the aucthour reproueth Aloisius Cadamustus a wryter of the Portugales viages Howe Petrus Arias shortly after his departure from Ciuile lost two of his shyppes and was dryuen backe agayne by tempest and howe beyng newly furnyshed he passed the Ocean with more prosperous wyndes The thyrd viage of Vincentius Pinzonus and howe he came to the regions of Paria where encountryng with thinhabitauntes he put them fyrst to flyght but after fallyng to intreatie of peace they gaue him great plentie of golde and abundaunce of masculine frankensence with dyuers other princely presentes Of the great multitude of Popingiayes whiche are in the region of Paria and howe thinhabitours are apparelled also of the fyue kynges that made a league of friendshyp with Vincentius Howe Vincentius sayled Eastwarde by the tracte of the region of Paria vntyl he came to the poynt of that long lande which the aucthour supposeth to be the great Ilande Atlantike wherof the olde wryters make mention The contentes of the .viii. booke Fol. 86. A Contention betweene the Castilians and Portugales as concernyng the diuision of the new founde landes and howe the controuersie was fynished by the bishop of Rome Howe Don Christopher the gouernour of the Ilande of Sancti Iohannis was slayne by the Caniballes and the bishop put to flyght also of the other bishops of the Ilandes Howe the Caniballes of the Ilande of Sancta Crux slue and ate a kyng with certayne of his men beyng friendes to the Christians and made faggottes of theyr bones and howe quarellyng with our men they put them to silence The contentes of the .ix. booke Fol. 87. OF the marueylous fruitfulnesse of the regions of Beragua Vraba and Dariena and of the dyuers kyndes of trees and fruites also of the pleasaunt taste of swynes fleshe beyng fedde with the fruites of Mirobalane trees Of Lions and Tygers and other wylde beastes and of a beast of straunge fourme Of the ryuers of the gulfe of Vraba as the ryuer of Dariena and Rio Grandis and howe the great serpentes called Crocodiles are founde in other ryuers besyde Nilus in Egypt also howe thaucthour of this booke was sent Ambassadour to the Soldane of Alcayr in Egypt Of the Portugales nauigations and of the ryuer Senega found by them to bee a chanell of Nilus also of the multitude of byrds and foules being in the maryshes of Dariena A phylosophicall discourse of thoriginall and generation of sprynges and ryuers and of the breadth of the lande diuydyng the North and South Ocean Of the great ryuer Maragnonus and of the earthly Paradyse and how springs are engendred by cōuertion of ayre into water Of the often fall 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 olde wryters and howe certayne ryuers runnyng through the caues of the earth breake foorth into spryngs a farre of The contentes of the .x. booke Fol. 91. HOwe the newe founde landes discouered by the Spanyards 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 Vesputius The order of measuryng the lande and howe a league conteyneth foure myles by sea and but three by lande The Nauigation of Iohannes Dias and of the sundry eleuations of the pole starre Of the Ilande of Boiuca or Agnaneo and of the spryng whose water being drunke causeth olde men to looke young How Nicuesa and his souldyers were so oppressed with famine that they were driuen to eate mangie dogges Toades and dead men and howe a broth made of a dogge skynne was solde for many peeces of golde The Contentes of the bookes of the thyrd Decade The contentes of the fyrst booke Fol. 94. OF the desperate aduenture and good fortune of Vaschus and howe with a hundred fourescore and ten men hee brought that to passe for the which Petrus Arias was sent with a thousand and two hundred freshe souldyers Howe Iron serueth for more necessary vses then golde and howe superfluities hynder libertie Howe Vaschus in one conflicte slue sixe hundred Barbarians with theyr kynges and howe he founde the house of kyng Quarequa infected with vnnaturall lechery commaundyng that the kyng and fourtie such as he kept for that purpose should bee gyuen for a pray to his dogges which he vsed to serue in the warres agaynst these naked people Of a region of blacke Moores and howe Vaschus came to the toppes of the mountaynes where gyuyng thankes to God hee behelde the newe South Ocean neuer before seene nor knowne to men of our world Howe Vaschus put kyng Chiapes to flyght and after made a league of friendshyp with him and how the kyng gaue him .iiii. hundred poundes weyght of wrought golde Howe kyng Coquera was put to flyght who also being receyued to friendshyp gaue Vaschus sixe hundred and fyftie poundes weyght of wrought golde Of the gulfe called Sinus S. Michaelis beyng full of inhabited Ilandes and of the manly courage and godly zeale of Vaschus also of the rysyng and fallyng of the South sea Howe kyng Tumacchus beyng dryuen to flyght and afterwarde reconciled gaue Vaschus sixe hundred and fourtiene peeses of golde and two hundred and fourtie of the greatest and fayrest pearles and howe the kyng caused his men to fyshe for pearles Of the Ilande called Margaritea Diues and of the abundance of fayre and great pearles founde therein Of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line and of the Portugales nauigations to the Antipodes inhabityng the fyue and fyftie 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. 101. OF the maner of fyshyng for pearles and of the three kyndes thereof also dyuers other questions concernyng pearles Of the multitude of the shell fyshes wherein pearles are ingendred and founde in maner in all places in the South sea and of abundaunce of golde founde almost in
leagues beyonde thestimation of the best pilotes The contentes of the sixt booke Fol. 124. OF sundry opinions why the sea runnneth with so swyft a course from the East to the West and of the great gulfe of the North part of the fyrme lande The viage of Sebastian Cabot from England to the frosen sea â–ª and howe beyng repulsed with Ise in the moneth of Iuly he sayled farre Westwarde Of people apparelled with beastes skinnes and how Beares take fyshes in the sea and eate them How Sebastian Cabot after that he had discouered the lande of Baccallaos or Baccallearum was called out of Englande into Spayne where he was made one of the assistaunce of the counsayle of the affayres of India and of his second viage Of the Ilande Fortis and howe a great foule as bygge as a Storke lyghted in the gouernours shyp also howe he arryued at Dariena with the kinges nauie Howe Vaschus receyued the new gouernour and of habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall How Petrus Arias the new gouernour distributed his armie to conquere the South regions ryche in golde and to erect new colonies in the same Of the ryche golde mynes of Dabaiba and of the expedition agaynst the kyng of that region Of the violent course of the sea from the East to the West and of the difficult saylyng agaynst the same Of the pestiferous and vnholsome ayre of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena and how the Spaniardes were of necessitie enforced to plant theyr fyrst colonie and habitation there The cause of the varietie of regions lying all vnder one degree or paralel and by what meanes the Sonne beames are cause of feruent heate Of toades and flees engendred of droppes of water and of a house set on fyre with lyghtnyng Of a Dogge deuoured of a Crocodyle and of venemous byting of great Bats also of Lions Tigers other wilde beasts How in these regions all foure footed beastes growe to a bigger quantitie then they which were of y e fyrst broode also of certayne trees of whose planckes if shyps be made they are safe from the wormes called Broma or Bissas Of a tree whose wood is present poyson yf it be only borne about and of an hearbe that is a preseruatiue agaynst the same Of the ryche Ilandes of the south sea and of certayne expeditions agaynst the Canibales The contentes of the .vii. booke Fol. 130. THe particuler description of the Ilande of Hispaniola and of the ryche Iland called Margaritea Diues lying in the South sea also of the great abundaunce of bygge pearles founde in the same Howe the auctoure compareth Hispaniola to the earthly Paradyse and howe it farre excelleth Italy in fertilitie and temperate ayre Of the fyrst inhabitours of Hispaniola and of the Ilandes of Canarie Howe thinhabitauntes of Hispaniola in theyr songues and rhymes had certayne prophesies that apparelled men shoulde come to theyr countrey and bryng them into seruitude and of theyr familiaritie with spirites also howe those spirites haue no more appeared to them since they were baptised Of theyr expertenesse in swymmyng and of theyr delicate Serpentes byrdes foules and Popingiays Of the fourme and situation of Hispaniola neere the Equinoctiall and howe colde is in some place thereof accidentall and not by the situation of the region Of the Oxen and Swyne of exceedyng bygnesse and of eares of wheat as bygge as a mans arme in the brawne also howe the Swyne are fedde with Mirobalanes c. Of plentie of golde Brasyle Mastix Gossampyne Electurum of thincommodities of intemperate regions Of dyuers languages in the Ilande and howe the prouinces are diuided into regions Howe Andreas Moralis sayled into a daungerous and darke caue within the rocke of a mountayne and of whole ryuers deuoured of suche caues also of the conflyct of the waters Of a standyng poole in the toppe of an hygh mountayne how fearne and bramble bushes growe onely in colde regions The Contentes of the .viii. booke Fol. 135. OF a great lake or standyng poole of sowre and salte water and of the sea fyshes in the same in the myd lande of the Ilande also of deuouryng fyshes called Tiburoâ—i Of the ryuers fallyng into the lakes and of CC. sprynges in the space of a furlong A marueylous hystorye of a kyng stryken dumbe and lame by a myracle and of the Indian language Howe suche as are drowned in the lake are neuer cast vp agayne and of the Ilande Guarizacca in the myddest of a standyng lake also of a lake of freshe water and an other of salte and freshe water Of a large playne of two hundred myles in length and an other of an hundred and twentie Of the marueilous fyshe or monster of the sea called Manati or Matum fedde with mans handes 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 mountaynes and golde and fyshe 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 beast in the Ilande Of the pleasures of Hispaniola and of the region of Cotohi wel inhabited situate in a plaine in the toppes of mountaynes reachyng to the cloudes Of moderate colde in the mountaynes and of fearne of marueylous bygnesse Howe pure and massie golde is founde in the region of Cotoy or Cotohi and that the vaine of gold is a lyuyng tree also of the rootes branches and floures of the same and howe certayne caues are susteyned with pyllers of golde What gold is brought yeerely from Hispaniola into Spaine and of the salte of the mountaines being as hard as stones and cleare as crystall also sprynges of salte freshe sowre water Of certayne wylde men lyuing in caues and dennes without any certaine language and of their marueylous swiftnes a foote Of pytche of the rocke and two kyndes of trees and of the leafe of a tree vsed in the steede of paper also howe thinhabitants thynke that the Christians can make those leaues speake and disclose all secretes Of a strong coloure made of the iuice of a certayne apple and of the hearbe whose smoke is poyson The contentes of the nienth booke Fol. 142. OF the kindes of fruites wherewith the inhabitauntes of Hispaniola lyued fyrst and how they came to the knowledge of Iucca also how Ceres fyrst founde Wheate and Barley in Egypt Why theyr kynges are called by diuers names and by what names they salute the kynges chyldren when they are borne How they make theyr testamentes and how certayne of the kynges wyues and concubines are buried with them Of the variable motions of the elementes in Hispaniola and where it rayneth but litle and where muche Of the colonies and villages that the Spaniardes haue builded in Hispaniola and of the other Ilandes about the same Of a spryng whiche runnyng vnder the sea from Hispaniola breaketh foorth in the Iland of Arethusa also
of the habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall and of the ryche golde mynes of the Ilande of Cuba Of the Gumme called Animae Album and of the Canibales also wherby it was thought that there were Ilandes of women Of hony founde in trees and rockes and of the generation of great Tortoyses and of theyr egges The contentes of the tenth booke Fol. 146. OF the expedition agaynst the kyng of the Ilande Dites in the South sea and howe after foure conflictes submitting hym selfe he gaue our men an hundred ten pounde weyght of great pearles also howe he agreed to paye yeerely a hundred pounde weyght of pearles for a tribute Howe axes and hatchettes are more esteemed then golde or pearles and of great plentie of Hartes and Cunnies also howe the kyng of Dites and his familie were baptised Of pearles of great pryse and howe Paule the Bishop of Rome bought a pearle for foure and fortie thousand ducades Diuers opinions of the generation of pearles and of a hundred pearles founde in one shel fyshe also of the birth of pearles Of the regions of the East syde of the gulfe of Vraba and of the originall of the Canibales Of certayne circumcised people which haue the knoweledge of letters and vse of bookes and what chaunced of the captaynes which Petrus Arias sent foorth diuers wayes also howe Iohn Solisius was slayne of the Canibales and of theyr fiercenesse Howe Iohn Pontius was repulsed of the Canibales and of the lewde behauiour of Iohn Aiora Of the variable fortune of Gonsalus Badaiocius and howe after he had geathered great ryches of gold he had the ouerthrow and was spoyled of all Of the golden region of Coiba Dites and how theyr slaues are marked in the face Of the Ilandes of the South sea and of the regions from whence the Portingales fetche theyr spyces Of a straunge kynde of fowlyng and of the trees that beare Gourdes Of the later opinions as touching the swift course of the Ocean towarde the West and of the continent or fyrme lande also of the viage from the newe landes to Spayne Of the golde mynes of Dariena and of the maner of geatheryng of golde in the same also of the dropsie of couetousnesse which is not satisfied with ryches For the contentes of the booke of the Ilandes of the West Indies seas reade the margent notes of the same FINIS ⧠Gonzalus Ferdinandus Ouiedus of the west Indies R. E. To the Reader ALthough among dyuers which haue written of the Ocean and VVest Indies there is none to be compared to Peter Martyr of Angleria in declaryng by philosophicall discourses the secrete causes of naturall affectes both as touchyng the lande the sea the starres and other straunge workes of nature yet forasmuch as of later dayes those countreys haue been better knowne and searched and dyuers such particuler and notable thinges founde as are conteyned in the histories of later writers among the number of whom Conzalus Ferdinandus Ouiedus whom learned Cardanus compareth to the ancient writers is doubtlesse the chiefe I haue therefore thought good to ioyne to the Decades of Peter Martyr certayne notable thinges which I haue geathered out of his booke intituled the Summarie or abridgement of his generall hystorie of the west Indies written in the firme lande of the same in the citie of Sancti Maria Antiqua in Dariena where he dwelt was gouernor many yeeres and dedicated to Themperours maiestie as may appeare by the Epistle folowyng To the most hygh and myghtie prince Charles the fyft o◠that name Emperor of Rome Kyng of Spaine of the two Cicilies of both the sydes of the streyght of Faro Kyng of Hierusalem and Hungarie Duke of Burgonie and Earle of Flaunders Lord and inheritour of the firme lande and Ilandes of the VVest Ocean c. Gonzalus Ferdinandus Ouiedus his most humble seruaunt wysheth health and perpetuall felicitie THe thinges which principally preserue and mayntayne the workes of nature in the memories of men are hystories and bookes composed of the same among the whiche certes those are esteemed most true and autentyke which haue been wrytten by wyttie and expert men well traueyled in the world as faythfull witnesses of such thinges as they haue partly seene and been partly informed by credible persons Of this mynde and opinion was Plinie who better then any other aucthor hath written in .xxxvii. bookes all that parteyneth to the naturall historie conteyned all in one volume dedicated to Vespasian Themperour Wherin as a prudent historiographer he declareth such thinges as hee had heard attributing the second authoritie to such as he had redde in aucthours that wrote before him And thyrdly ioyned to the same hystorie such thinges as he him selfe had seene as most certayne testimonie Whose example I folowyng will in this my breefe summarie reduce and represent to your maiesties memorie such thinges as I haue seene in your Empyre of the West Indies aswell in the Ilandes as in the firme lande of the Ocean sea where I haue serued now more then twelue yeeres in the place of surueyer of the golde mynes by the commaundement of the Catholyke kyng Don Fernando the fyft of that name and graundfather vnto your maiestie to whom God gaue great fame and glorie Since whose death also I haue lykewyse serued and trust whyle the rest of my lyfe yet remayneth to serue your maiestie as shall please you to commaunde As touchyng whiche thinges and suche other lyke I haue more largely written in an hystorie begun assoone as my age was rype to take such matters in hande Wherein furthermore I haue made mention of suche thinges as haue chaunced in Spayne from the yeere .1494 vnto this tyme addyng also therevnto suche thinges woorthy memorie as I haue obserued in other realmes and prouinces where I haue trauayled and haue lykewyse particulerly wrytten the lyues and worthy 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 such thinges as haue chaunced in your most fortunate succession not omittyng particulerly to wryte a large booke of suche thinges as haue seemed most woorthy to bee noted as touchyng your maiesties Indies But forasmuch as that volume remayneth in the citie of San. Dominico in the Ilande of Hispaniola where I dwell and am placed in housholde with wyfe chyldren and famylie I haue brought no more with me of that my writyng then I beare in memorie determynyng notwithstandyng for your maiesties recreation to make a breefe rehearsall of certayne notable thinges wherof I haue more largely entreated in my sayd generall historie and such as may seeme most woorthy to be redde of your maiestie Of the which although a great parte haue been written by other who haue also seene the same yet perhappes they are not so exactly and particulerly described as of mee forasmuche as in maner all that trauayle into these Indies haue
and dyuers other All the Tartars whiche inhabite towarde the East beyonde the ryuer of Volga haue no dwellyng places nor yet cities or Castles but cary about with them certayne cartes or wagens couered with beastes hydes vnder the whiche they reste as we do in our houses They remoue togeather in great companyes whiche they call Hordas They are warlyke people and good horsemen and are all Macometistes Sebastian Munster in his booke of Uniuersall Cosmographie wryteth that the citie of Mosca or Moscouia conteyneth in circuite .xiiii. myles and that it is twyse as bygge as the citie of Praga in Bohemie Of the countrey of Moscouia besyde other prouinces subiecte to the same he wryteth thus It extendeth in largenesse foure hundreth myles and is ryche in syluer It is lawful for no man to go out of the realme or come in without the Dukes letters It is playne without mountaynes and full of woodds and marishes The beastes there by reason of the colde are lesse then in other countreys more southwarde In the middest of the citie of Mosca beyng situate in a playne there is a Castell with .xvii. towres and three bulwarkes so strong fayre that the lyke are scarsely seene in any other place There are also in the Castell .xvi churches and three very large courtes in the whiche the noble men of the courte haue theyr lodgynges The Dukes pallaice is buylded after the maner of the Italian buyldyng and very fayre but not great Theyr drynke is mede and beere as is the maner of the most part of the people that inhabite the North partes of the woorlde They are exceedyngly geuen to droonkennesse Yet as some saye the princes of the lande are prohibit on payne of death to absteine from suche strong drinkes as are of force to inebriate except at certayne times when licence is graunted them as twise or thrise in the yeere They plowe the ground with horses and plowes of wood Theyr corne and other grayne by reason of long colde do seldome waxe rype on the ground by reason wherof they are sometimes inforced to rype drye them in their stooues and hot houses and then grynd them They lacke wyne and oyle Moscouia is extended vnto Iurham and Corelia which are in Scithia The famous ryuer of Tanais the Moscouites call Don hauyng his sprynges and originall in Moscouia in the Dukedome of Rezense It ryseth out of a ground that is playne baren muddy full of maryshes and wooddes And where it proceedeth toward the East to the mountaynes of Scythia and Tartarie it bendeth to the south and commyng to the maryshes of Meotis it falleth into them The riuer of Volga sometyme called Rha and now called of the Tartars Edell runneth towards the North certaine myles to whom is ioyned the riuer Occa or Ocha flowing out of Moscouia and then bendyng into the South and encreased with many other riuers falleth into the sea Euximum which diuideth Europe and Asia The wood or forrest called Hircania silua occupieth a small portion of Moscouia Yet is it somewhere inhabited and by the long labour of men made thynner and barer of trees In that part that lieth toward Prusia is a kinde of great fierce Bulles called Vri or Brisonts as writeth Paulus Iouius There are also Alces much lyke vnto Hartes with long snowtes of flesh and long legges without any bowyng of theyr houx or pasternes These beastes the Moscouites cal Lozzi and the Almaines Helenes The iorney that is betweene Vlna of Lituania by Smolence to Mosca is trauayled in winter on sleades by the snow congeled by long frost and made very slypperie and compact lyke Ise by reason of much wearyng and treadyng by meanes whereof this viage is perfourmed with incredible celeritie But in the Sommer the playne countreyes can not be ouercome without difficult labour For when the snow beginneth to be disolued by contynuall heate it causeth marishes and quamyres inextricable and daungerous both for horse and man were it not for certaine Causeis made of timber with in maner infinite labour The region of Moscouia as I haue said beareth neither Uines nor Oliue trees nor yet any other trees that beare any apples or fruites of very pleasant and sweete sauour or tast except Cherry trees forasmuch as al tender fruites and trees are burnt of the cold blasts of the North wynde Yet do the fieldes beare al kyndes of corne as wheate and the grayne called Siligo whereof the fynest kynde of breade is made also Mylle and Panycke whiche the Italians call Melica Lykewyse al kyndes of pulse as Beanes Peason Tares and such other But theyr cheefe haruest consisteth of Honye and Waxe forasmuch as the whole region is replenished with fruitefull Bees which make most sweete Hony not in the husband mens hyues but euen in hollow trees And hereby commeth it to passe that both in the wooddes and shalowed launes are seene many swarmes of Bees hangyng on the bowes of trees so that it shall not be necessarie to call them togeather or charme them with the sound of Basens There are oftentymes founde great masses of Hony combes conserued in trees of the olde Hony forsaken of bees forasmuche as the husbandmen can not seeke euery tree in so great and large woods Insomuche that in the stockes or bodies of exceedyng great and hollowe trees are sometymes founde great pooles or lakes of Hony Demetrius thambassadour of the Duke of Moscouia whom he sent to the Bishop of Rome not many yeeres since made relation that a husbandman of the countrey not farre from the place where he remayned seekyng in the woods for Hony descended into a great hollowe tree full of Honye into the which he slypt vp to the breast and lyued there only with Hony for the space of two dayes calling in vaine for helpe in that desart of woodds and that in fine dispayryng of helpe he escaped by a marueylous chaunce beyng drawen out by a great Beare that descended into the tree with her loynes downewarde after the maner of men For when the man as present necessitie and oportunitie serued perceyued the Beare to be within his reache he sodenly clasped her about the loynes with his armes and with a terrible crye prouoked the beast to enforce her strength to leape out of the tree and therewith to drawe hym out as it chaunced in deede These regions abounde with Beares whiche euery where seeke both Honye and Bees not only herewith to fyll theyr bellyes but also to helpe theyr syght For theyr eyes are oftentymes dulled and theyr mouthes wounded of the Bees both which greefes are eased by eatyng of Honye They haue weakest heades as Lions haue strongest Insomuche that when beyng thereto enforced they cast them selues downe headlong from any rockes they couer theyr heades with theyr feete and lye for a tyme astonyshed
nyghtes in sommer season in such colde regions is a great helpe herevnto Cardanus writeth in his booke De Plantis that bramble fearne growe not but in colde regions as doeth wheate in temperate regions and that spices and hot seedes can not growe in colde regions forasmuch as beyng of thynne substaunce they should soone bee mortified extinct by excessiue colde For as he sayeth nothing can concocte rype and attenuate the substance of fruites without the helpe of ayre agreeable to the natures of such thinges as are brought foorth in the same although it may doe this in rootes But in maner all floures are of sweete sauour forasmuch as the moysture that is in them being thynne and but litle is by meane heate soone and easily concocte or made rype Suche also as are soone ryâ—e are soone rotten accordyng to the prouerbe Plinie although in the .xi. booke of his naturall hystorie Cap. viii he wryteth that hony is geathered of the floures of all trees and settes or plantes except sorell and the hearbe called Chenopode which some call Goose foote yet he affirmeth that it descendeth from the ayre for in the .xii. Chapter of the same booke he wryteth thus This commeth from the ayre at the rysing of certayne starres and especially at the rysyng of Sirius and not before the rysyng of Vergiliae which are the seuen starres called Pleiades in the spryng of the day For then at the mornyng spryng the leaues of trees are founde moist with a fatte dewe Insomuche that suche as haue been abrode vnder the firmament at that tyme haue theyr apparell annoynted with lyquour and the heare of theyr head clammy And whether this bee the swette of heauen or as it were a certayne spettyll of the starres eyther the iuise of the ayre purgyng it selfe I woulde it were pure lâ—quide simple of his owne nature as it first falleth from aboue But now descendyng so farre and infected not only with suche vncleane vapours and exhalations as it meeteth with by the way but afterwarde also corrupted by the leaues of trees hearbes and floures of sundry tastes and qualities and lykewyse aswell in stomackes of the bees for they vomite it at their mouthes as also by long reseruyng the same in Hiues it neuerthelesse reteyneth a great parte of the heauenly nature c. Agayne in the xiiii Chapter of the same booke he wryteth that in certayne regions towarde the North as in some places of Germanie hony is founde in suche quantitie that there haue been seene hony combes of eyght foote long and blacke in the holow parte By the which woordes of Plinie and by the principles of naturall philosophie it doeth appeare that aboundaunce of hony should chiefly be engendred in suche regions where the heate of sommer is temperate and continuall as well by nyght as by day as it is not in hot regions where the nyghtes be long and colde as is declared in the Decades For lyke as suche thinges as are fyned by continuall heate mouyng and circulation are hyndered by refrigeration or colde as appeareth in the arte of styllyng and hatchyng of egges euen so by the action of temperate and continuall heate without interposition of contrarie and mortifying qualitie crude thinges are in shorte tyme made rype sower made sweete thicke made thinne heauie made lyght grosse made subtyle harde made softe dead made lyuyng and in fine bodyes made spirites as manifestly appeareth in the marueylous woorke of dygestion of lyuyng beastes whereby the finest parte of theyr nouryshment is turned into blood and the finest of that blood conuerted into spirites as the lyke is also seene in the nouryshment of trees plantes and hearbes all other thinges that growe on the grounde all which are moued digested subtiliate attenuate ryped and made sweete by the action of this continuall heate whereof I haue spoken To conclude therefore if hony be eyther the swette of the starres or the iuise of the ayre purgyng it selfe as Plinie wryteth or otherwyse engendred of subtyle and fine vapours rysing from the earth and concocte or digested in the ayre by the sayde continuall and moderate heate it may seeme by good reason that the same should be engendred in sommer season more aboundantly in colde regions then in hot for the causes aforesayde And that it may by aucthoritie and reason more manifestly appeare both that the heate of sommer in colde regions is continuall as I haue sayde and also that the colde in wynter is not there so intollerable to thinhabitauntes of those regions as other doe thynke I haue thought good for the better declaration hereof to adde herevnto what I haue geathered out of the booke of Ziglerus wrytten of the Northe regions Of the North regions and of the moderate and continual heate in colde regions aswell in the nyght as in the day in sommer season Also howe those regions are habitable to thinhabitauntes of the same contrary to the opinion of the olde wryters OF this matter Ziglerus in his booke of the North regions in the description of Scondia wryteth as foloweth We will intreate of this matter not as putting the same in question as did the olde writers nor geathering iudgement deducted of reasons in way of argument forasmuche as we are already more certayne by hystorie that these cold regions are inhabited We will first therfore shew by natural reason and by consideration of the sphere declare howe by the helpe of man and arte colde regions are inhabited without domage or destruction of lyuyng beastes And will first speake of the qualitie of sommer declaryng howe it is there augmented Yet intend I not to comprehende all that may be sayde in this matter but only rehearse suche reasons and similitudes as are most apparent and easie to be vnderstoode In such regions therefore as are extended from the burnt lyne or Equinoctiall towarde the North as much as the sunne ryseth higher ouer them so much are they the more burnt with heat as Affrica bycause it ryseth highest ouer them as they are nearest to the Equinoctial tarying with them so much the shorter tyme causeth shorter dayes with longer colder nyghtes to restore the domage of the day past by reason of the moisture consumed by vapour But in such regions ouer the which the sun ryseth lower as in Sarmatia it remayneth there the longer in the day and causeth so much the shorter and warmer nyghtes as reteynyng warme vapours of the day past which vapours helpe the woorke of the day I speake as I haue founde by experience sayth Vpsalieâ—sis For I haue felte the sommer nyghtes scarsely tollerable for heate in Gothlande whereas I felte them colde in Rome This benefite of the increase of the day doeth augment so much the more in colde regions as they are nearer the poles and ceaseth not vntyll it come directly ouer the center
the seate of the Empyre was translated by the valiaunt Emperours for necessarie considerations that suche ayde furniture and requisites as appertayne to the warres myght be neare at hande at suche tyme as they keepe continuall warre agaynst the Tartars theyr borderers For it is situate without Volga on the bankes of the ryuer Clesma whiche falleth into Volga But Moscha aswell for those gyftes and commodities whereof we haue spoken as also that it is situate in the myddest of the most frequented place of all the region and Empyre and defended with the ryuer and Castell hath in comparyson to other cities been thought most woorthie to be esteemed for the chiefe Moscha is distant from Nouogrodia fyue hundred myles and almost in the myd way is the citie of Ottoferia otherwyse called Otwer or Tuwer vppon the ryuer of Volga This ryuer neare vnto the fountaynes and sprynges of the same not yet increased by receyuyng so many other ryuers runneth but slowly and gentelly and passeth from thence to Nouogrodia through many woods and desolate playnes Furthermore from Nouogrodia to Riga the nexte porte of the Sarmatian sea is the iourney of a thousande myles litle more or lesse This tract is thought to be more commodious then the other bycause it hath many townes and the citie of Plescouia in the way beyng imbrased with two ryuers From Riga perteynyng to the dominion of the great maister of the warres of the Liuons to the citie of Lubecke a porte of Germanie in the gulfe of Cymbrica Chersonesus now called Denmarke are numbred about a thousande myles of daungerous saylyng From Rome to the citie of Moscha the distance is knowen to bee two thousande and sixe hundred myles by the nearest way passyng by Rauenna Taruisium the Alpes of Carnica Also Villacum Noricum and Vienna of Pannouie and from thence passyng ouer the ryuer of Danubius to Olmutium of the Marouians and to Cracouia the chiefe citie of Polonie are compted .xi. hundred myles From Cracouia to Vilna the head citie of Lithuania are compted fyue hundred myles and as many from that citie to Smolenzko situate beyonde Boristhenes from whence to Moscha are compted sixe hundred myles The iourney from Vilna by Smolenzko to Moscha is traueyled in wynter with expedite sleades and incredible celeritie vppon the snowes hardened with long frost and compacte lyke Ise by reason of muche wearyng But in sommer the playnes can not bee ouerpassed but by difficulte and laborious trauayle For when the snowes by the continuall heate of the Sunne begyn to melte and dissolue they cause great maryshes and quamyres able to intangle both horse and man were it not that wayes are made through the same with brydges and causes of wood and almost infinite labour In all the region of Moscouia there is no vayne or mine of golde or syluer or any other common metall except Iron neyther yet is there any token of precious stones and therefore they buye all those thinges of straungers Neuerthelesse this iniurie of nature is recompensed with aboundance of rich furres whose price by the wanton nysenesse of men is growen to suche excesse that the furres parteynyng to one sorte of apparell are now solde for a thousande crownes But the tyme hath been that these haue been bought better cheape when the furthest nations of the North being ignorant of our nyse finenesse and breathyng desyre towarde effeminate and superfluous pleasures exchaunged the same with muche simplicitie oftentymes for trifles and thinges of small value Insomuche that commonly the Permians and Pecerrians were accustomed to giue so many skinnes of Sables for an Iron Axe or Hatchet as being tyed harde togeather the marchantes of Moscouia could drawe through the hole where the hafte or handle entereth into the same But the Moscouites sende into all partes of Europe the best kynde of flaxe to make lynnen cloth and hempe for ropes Also many Oxe hydes and exceedyng great masses of waxe They proudely deny that the Romane churche obteyneth the principate and preeminent aucthoritie of all other They so abhorre the nation of the Iewes that they detest the memorie of them and will in no condition admyt them to dwell within theyr dominions esteemyng them as wycked and mischieuous people that haue of late taught the Turkes to make gunnes Beside the bookes that they haue of the ancient Greeke doctours they haue also the commentaries and homelies of saint Ambrose Augustine Ierome Gregorie translated into the Illyrian or Slauon tongue which agreeth with theyrs For they vse both the Slauon tongue and letters as doe also the Sclauons Dalmates Bohemes Pollones and Lithuanes This tongue is spredde further then any other at this day For it is familiar at Constantinople in the court of the Emperours of the Turks and was of late hearde in Egypte among the Mamalukes in the court of the Soltane of Alcayre otherwyse called Memphis or Babilon in Egypt A great number of bookes of holy scripture are translated into this tongue by the industrie of Sainct Ierome and Cyrillus Furthermore besyde the hystories of their owne countreys they haue also bookes conteyning the facts of great Alexander and the Romane Emperours and lykewyse of Marcus Antonius Cleopatra They haue no maner of knowledge of philosophie Astronomie or speculatiue phisicke with other liberal sciences But such are taken for Phisitians as professe that they haue oftentymes obserued the vertue and qualitie of some vnknowen hearbe They number the yeeres not from the byrth of Christ but from the begynnyng of the world And this they begin to accompt not from the moneth of Ianuary but from September They haue fewe and simple lawes throughout all the kyngdome made by the equitie and conscience of theyr prynces and approued by the consent of wyse and good men and are therfore greatly for the wealth and quyetnesse of the people forasmuche as it is not lawfull to peruerte them with any interpretations or cauillations of lawyers or Atturneys They punysh theeues rouers priuie pyckers and murtherers When they examyne malefactours they powre a great quantitie of cold water vpon such as they suspecte whiche they say to be an intollerable kynde of torment But sometymes they manacle suche as are stubborne and will not confesse apparent crymes Theyr youth is exercised in dyuers kyndes of games and playes resemblyng the warres whereby they both practise pollicie and increase theyr strength They vse runnyng both on horsebacke and a foote Also runnyng at the tylt wrestlyng and especially shootyng For they gyue rewardes to such as excell therein The Moscouites are vniuersally of meane stature yet very square set and myghtyly brawned They haue all grey eyes long beardes shorte legges and bygge bellyes They ryde very shorte and shoote backewarde very cunnyngly euen as they flye At home in theyr houses theyr fare is rather plentifull then deyntie For theyr tables
and cruell Basilius the Sonne of Iohn was the fyrst that tooke vppon hym the name and title of a kyng in this maner The great lord Basilius by the grace of God kyng and lorde of all Russia and the great Duke of Vuolodimaria Moscouia Nouogradia c. Furthermore wheras nowe this Prince is called Emperour I haue thought good to shewe the title and cause of this errour Note therfore that Czar in the Ruthens tongue signifieth a kyng whereas in the language of the Slauons Pollons Bohemes and other the same worde Czar signifieth Cesar by whiche name the Emperours haue been commonly called For both they and the Slauons that are vnder the kyngdome of Hungarie call a kyng by an other name as some Crall other Kyrall and some Korall but thynke that only an Emperour is called Czar Whereby it came to passe that the Ruthene or Moscouite interpretours hearyng theyr Prince to be so called of strange nations began them selues also to name hym an Emperour thâ—nk the name of Czar to be more worthy then the name of a kyng although they signifie all one thyng But who so wyll reade all theyr histories and bookes of holy scripture shall fynde that a kyng is called Czar and an Emperour Kessar By the lyke errour the Emperour of the Turkes is called Czar who neuerthelesse of antiquitie vsed no hygher tytle then the name of a kyng expressed by this worde Czar And hereof the Turkes of Europe that vse the Slauon tongue call the citie of Constantinople Czargard that is the kyngs citie Some call the Prince of Moscouie the whyte kyng which I thynke to proceede of the whyte Cappes or other tyrementes they weare on theyr heades lyke as they call the kyng of Pertia Kisilpassa that is redde head He vseth the tytle of a kyng when he wryteth or sendeth to Rome the Emperour the Pope the Kyng of Suetia and Denmarke the great maister of Prusia and Liuonia and also to the great Turke as I haue been credibly enfourmed but he is not called kyng of any of them except perhaps of the Liuons Yet by reason of his later conquestes some haue thought hym worthy the name of a kyng or rather of an Emperour because he hath kyngs vnder his Empire To the kyng of Polone he vseth this title The great lorde Basilius by the grace of God lord of al Russia and great Duke of Vuolodimeria Moscouia Nouogradia c. leauyng out the title of a kyng For none of them vouchsafeth to receyue the letters of the other augmented with any newe title as I knewe by experience at my beyng in Moscouia at which time Sigismundus the kyng of Polone sent hym his letters augmented with the title of the Duke of Moscouia wherwith he was not a litle offended They glory in theyr histories that before Vuolodimeria and Olha the land of Russia was baptised and blessed of Sainct Andrewe the Apostle of Christ affirmyng that he came from Grecia to the mouthes of the ryuer Boristhenes and that he sayled vp the ryuer to the mountaynes where as is nowe Chiouia and that there he blessed all the lande and placed his crosse prophesyng also that the grace of God shoulde be great there and that there shoulde be many churches of Christian men Lykewyse that he afterward came to the sprynges of Boristhenes vnto the great Lake Vuolok and by the ryuer Louat descended into the Lake Ilmer from whence by the ryuer Vuolcon whiche runneth out of the same Lake he came to Nouogradia and passed from thence by the same ryuer to the Lake Ladoga and the ryuer Heua and so vnto the sea whiche they call Vuarezkoia beyng the same that we call the Germane sea betweene Vuinlandia or Finlandia and Liuonia by the whiche he sayled to Rome and was at the last crucified for Christ his Gospell in Peloponnesus by the tirranie of Agus Antipater as theyr cronacles make mention The Prince euery seconde or thyrde yeere causeth a muster to bee taken of the Sonnes of the Boiorons and taketh an accompte booth of theyr number and howe manye Horses and men euery of them is able to make and then appoynteth a certayne stypende to suche as are able further to beare theyr owne charges in the warres They haue seldome any rest or quietnesse For they eyther keepe warre with the Lithuanians Liuonians Suetians or Tartars of Casan Or if it so chaunce that the prince keepe no warre yet doth he yeerely appoynte garrysons of .xx. thousande men in places about Tanais and Occa to represse the incursions and robberyes of the European Tartars called Precopites As in other matters euen so in the order of warrefare there is great diuersitie among men For the Moscouian as soone as he beginneth to flye thinketh of none other succoure but putteth all his confidence therin Beyng pursued or taken of his enimie he neyther defendeth hym selfe nor desireth pardon The Tartar cast of from his horse spoyled of all his armure and weapones and also sore wounded defendeth hym selfe with handes feete and teethe and by all meanes he may vntyll his strength and spirite fayle hym The Turke when he seeth hym selfe destitute of all helpe and hope to escape doth humbly desyre pardon castyng away his weapons and armure and reaching forth to the victourer his handes ioyned togeather to be bounde hopyng by captiuitie to saue his lyfe The Moscouites in placeyng theyr armie chuse them a large playne where the best of them pytch theyr tentes and the other make them certaine arbours of bowes fyxt in the grounde bendyng togeather the toppes thereof which they couer with theyr clokes to defende them selues theyr bowes arrowes saddels and other theyr necessaries from rayne They put foorth theyr horses to pasture and for that cause haue theyr tentes so farre in sunder which they fortifie neither with cartes or trenches or any other impedyment except perhappes the place be defended by nature as with wooddes ryuers and maryshes It may perhappes seeme straunge howe he mayntayneth hym and his so longe with so small an armye as I haue sayde I wyll nowe therefore briefely declare theyr sparyng and frugalitie He that hath syxe or sometymes more horses vseth one of them as a packe horse to beare all theyr necessaryes He hath also in a bagge of two or three spannes long the flower or meale of the graine called mille and .viii. or .x. pounds weyght of Swines fleshe poudred He hath lykewyse a bagge of salte myxt with pepper if he be rych Furthermore euery man caryeth with hym a hatchet a fyre boxe and a brasen potâ—e so that if they chaunce to come to any place where they can fynde no fruites Garlyke Onyons or fleshe they kyndle a fyre and fyll theyr pottes with water whereunto they put a spoonefull of meale with a quantitie of salt and make pottage therof wherwith the maister and all his seruauntes lyue contented But if the maister bee very
Artawischa Sibut Lepin Sossa Obi. Kitaisko Vuogolici Irtische Ierom. Tumen Grustina Kitai Blacke men without speech Serponow Lucomorya Men that yeerely dye and reuyue A straunge trade of marchaundies Obi. Calami Ryuers â–ª Aurea Anus Obdora Cossin Cassima Tachnin People of moÌ„strous shape A fyshe lyke a man Plinie writeth of the lyke fysh Mountaynes The great Chane of Cathay Lucomoria Tumen Petzora Papin Hygh mountaynes supposed to be Hyperborei and Rhiphei Engreonland Stolp Cathay The fruitfull prouince of Rezan Iaroslaw Hony Donco Asoph Capha Constantinople Tanais diuideth Europe from Asia The sprynges of Tanais A great lake The ryuer Schat Casan Astrachan Meotis Tulla Achas Fruitefull regions about Tanais Plentie of wyld beastes Fyre and salt Where Tanais is fyrst nauigable Asoph The marte of Asoph Libertie allureth straungers The altars of Alexander and Cesar. The holy mountaynes Tanais the lesse From Moscouia to Asoph Moscouia in Asia and not in Europe The prouince of Permia Maryshes in sommer Duina Vstiug Tribute Furres and Horses Munkes and Heremites Patentes Marcus Panlus wryteth that these doggs are almost as byg as Asses that they vse six to one sleade Iugaria Hungaria Pannonia Attila The hygher or 〈…〉 called Auâ—tria Polonie Buda Furres Pearles precious stones Sibier Aspreolos I thynke to bee Marternes yet some thinke them to be Squirels Gesnerus wryteth that the kinges of the Tartars haue their tentes couered without with the skimes of Lions within with the skynnes of Sables and Ermines Czeremisse Habitation without houses Salte The Tartars of Casan Horda Besermani The stature of the Tartars They absteine from hogges fleshe Abstinence Voracitie So do the Turkes Iorneing by the pole starre Mares milke Horse fleshe eaten Clenly Horse heades deyntie meates The Tartars horses Saddels and styrrops of wood The Tartars women The Tartars curse No iustice among the Tartars The Tartas are theeues and poore They reioyce in spoylyng The feelde Tartars A meery tale Casan The kynge of Casan Archers Waryners The towne Tartars Moscouia inuaded by the Tartars The prince of Moscouia tributary to the Tartars Duke Basilius army agaynst the Tartars The kyng of Casan submitteth hym selfe The Iland of marchauntes The Caspian sea Persia. Armenia Astrachan The Tartars neare to the Caspian sea Nogai The possession of three bretherne The kynges called Sawolhenses A maruelous frute lyke a lambe Wandeuile Barnacles of the Orkeneys Barack Soltan Cathay Nouogradia Suecia vnder the kyng of Denmarke Dwina Potiwlo Hygh mountaynes neare the north Ocean Finlappia The wylde Lappians The region of Nortpoden The cape called the holy nose A whyrlpoole oâ— swalowing goulfe Such whyrlepooles are cauled vipers The stone called Semes Superstition Sacrifice to the stone Semes The cape Motka The castel of wardhus The region of the wylde Lappones Dront Iourneying on Sleades How the Harts draw Sleades Twentye leagues in one day The citie of Berges in Norway A shorter iourney Rostowe Pereaslaw Castromow Vuolochda Sucâ—ana Dwina Hafnia Koppenhagen Liuonia Werst is almost an Italian myle Paulus Iouius Ryuers fallyng into the frosen sea wynde Ise. I se of many yâ—eres The sea Baltheum Where the Sunne falleth not in .xl. days The wyld Lappones are tributares to the Moscouites Furres and fyshe Expert archers Good felowshyp Necessarie wares No vse of mony Theyr cotages Mountaynes continually burnyng The ryuer Petzora The beast called Mors. The prouidence of nature The frosen sea Engreonland or greonland Iiar I would reade Mair that is in the Sarasen language mixt of Turkish Egiptian February interpreted by them the moneth to set shyps to the sea A werst is theyr myle and is three quarters of an Englyshe myle Media nowe called Sharuan Armenians Christians A marueylous long wall builded by great Alexander The magnificence of Abdalaca kyng of Media Haukyng and huntyng The Turkes Ambassadours resist maister Ienkinson Great holinesse in shooes Christians called Frankes The Turkes sonne beheaded Christians Georgians Hasell Nuttes Casbin The kynges Concubines How straungers are vsed Haly A goodly and well grounded religion Theyr opinion of Christ. Theyr money Theyr bookes and learnyng Such was the lawe of the Macedons for Treason Dissention for religion Shauing Theyr pryestes and preaching Theyr Lent Abstinence froÌ„ wyne but not from drunkennes Theyr saintes and holy men Pilgrimage Theyr prayer and worshiping of God and Mahumet Washyng and outward clenlenesse Their swearing The kynges magnificence Pursiuantes The kynges companie with his wyues and concubines A very Sardanapalus The succession of the kyngdome Mariage Circumcisâ—on Theyr houses maner of eateyng Bond men bond women Women bougth solde and let to hire Abundance of Oyle ishuing out of the ground Oleum Petroleum Two sortes of Kyne Foxes in great plentie Abraham Oâ—tilius Tamerlanes Thamurlanes Tamburlanes or Tamurthlam Georgians Christians Contention for religion betweene Turkes and Persians Persians Turkes Anno. do 1280. Phison is thought to be Ganges Sarasins that is Mahumetans Abraham Ortelius Babilon of Chaldea and not of Egypt Tauris or Teueris Ismael they pronounce Smael Mortus Ali. Enukes or gelded men Londro London The Venetians trafique in England English cloths carses fyne wool Busor men be they that forsake theyr faith and receyue the religion of Mahumet Kyssell Bashe are the gentlemen that weare red cappes The commoditie which Englishe merchants may haue by the trade into Persia. Oxen and kyne beare burdens Ambision Africa The coast of Guinea Tunes Bugia Tripoli Numidia Ilandes of Tunes Malta The desartes of Libia Barbarie Mauritania The kinkdoms of Fes and marrocko Tremisen Oram Massaquiber Salla Azamor The Ilandes of Canarie Guinea Ethiopians Marrocko Fes Tremisen Guinea Africa the great Affricke the leasse Carthage Prester Iohn Cape de Buona Speranza The sea of sande Alcair From whence the queene of Saba came Manicongni The earthly Paradice The trees of the Sunne and Moone The Primrose The Lion The Moone Pinteado Brasile Guinea The flatteryng of fortune The Ilandes of Madera A galeon of the kyng of Portugale The Castell of Mina The Ilandes of Canarie The Ilande of S. Nicolas Guinea The ryuer of Sesto Graynes The thirst of golde The Castell of Mina The quantitie of golde Benin Pepper Furie admitteth no counsayle The Rossia Rottyng heate Scorchyng heate Benin Francisco Nicolas Lamberte The kyng of Banin his courte Reuerence towarde the kyng The communication betweene the kyng of Benin and our men Pepper The kynges gentelnesse towarde our men The disorder and death of our men The death of wyndan Pinteado euyll vsed of the maryners This Lambart was a LoÌ„dener borne whose father had been Lorde mayre of London and this Lambart sometyme a knyght of the rodes one as he was vnmaried so he liued in the feare of God and was the fyrst of that order that forsoke the Pope and claâ—e to Gods holy worde The death of Pinteado Seuen hundred reis are .x. s. Alcayre is halfe a bushell The I le of Madera The I le of palmes Teneriffa The Canaries From Madera
by Vasques Gama and other traueylers aduentures Consider the fruites the drugges the pearle the treasure the millions of golde and siluer the Spanyardes haue brought out of the VVest Indies since the first viage of Columbus The great commodities our nation reapeth by the traueyle of our countreymen into Barbary Guiny and Moscouia wil be a sufficient testimony vnto all vs Englishmen what it is to be a skilful traueyler what to bee a paineful Geographer and learned Desire of rule breedeth victories victories come by cōquestes conquestes are furthered by traueyle traueyle can not bee maynteyned without great wealth wealth maketh all traueyle pleasant The Northwesterne vyage be it neuer so full of difficulties will become as plausible as any other iourney if our passengers may returne with plentie of siluer silkes and pearle Let Columbus Americus Cortesius be wel set foorth againe and bountefully rewarded you shal heare of other newe found landes yet altogeather vnknowen Let Gama be set in place and Gama will tell you the situation the maners the force and wealth of forreyne nations ▪ for Gama his endeuor was not onely by his friend Coelius to descrye the countrey whersoeuer he came but also to learne him selfe the riches strength and conditions of the people Honour maynteyneth arte and the skill in Geography as all other sciences hath but a tyme of preferment the whiche than chiefly myght bee looked for whan it is most esteemed This in the noble mynde of Cadamust bred that earnest desire after Don Henrico his example to traueyle to pen his owne aduentures into the Southeast and East partes to make the nauigation of Gama and his companions knowen vnto the worlde The occasions the good successe the great commodities wherof Barros a counseller of the Portugale Kyng paynted out long agoe in manye bookes Osorius of late historically hath written the same in fewe This made Marcus Paulus Venetus a courtier in Tartary Hayton the Armenian to become a Frenchman Lewes Vartomanne a traueyler in Ethiopia Brocardus an inhabiter of Iury eche one of them to leaue his painful iorney with posteritie in wrytyng This enflamed the Spanyardes to take vppon them the discouery of the VVest and Southwesterne landes done and written by Columbus Pinzonus Alfonsus Cortesius and Americus of whom that region America hath name VVhose long letters and tedious reportes of thinges there brought to passe in the conquest of that halfe worlde the straunge beastes the sundry sortes of fruites the ioyes and riches the whiche that countrey yeeldeth the manners and fashions of the people their cities and princely palaces theyr nobilitie their maner of gouernement their warres theyr seruile estate vnder the kynges of Spayne their conuersion vnto the Christian fayth P. Martyr a learned and graue man borne at Angleria in the duchy of Milane then President of the Spanish kinges counsell for the west Indies gathered into one volume and leauing a side all superfluous narrations made thereof as it were one briefe and continuall historie This volume deuided he into eyght Decades after the Greeke worde so calling the sundry parcels thereof for that eche one conteyneth in it ten particuler bookes or chapters R. Eden our countreyman dyd into English whan K. Philippe was in Englande the three first Decades and the fourth also though vnder a wrong title according to the Dutche Printers edition wherin the fifte sixte seuenth and eight Decades were lefte out He translated moreouer Gonzales Ferdinandus Ouiedus breuiary of the west Indies geathered togeather out of many myghty and huge workes some other prety pamflettes concernyng the Spanyardes and Portugalles voiages into the late discouered lands adding thereto certeine discourses of the north partes These his aforesayde doinges as fewe mennes workes at the first come exactly abrode this paynefull translatour mynded if not to amende at the least to augment by puttyng thereunto in English Lewes Vartomannus Nauigation into Aegypte Arabia Siria Persia and India with our Merchantes Moscouian and Persian trauelles but death preuented his purpose not suffryng him to accomplish his desire Christian charitie therefore vnto the party departed caused me to helpe his workes forwarde Nature moued me to take some paynes in placing orderly that whiche he had confusely gyuen out the better to direct and the more to profit the reader My profession enforced me to cut of some superfluous translations and to fill vp the rest of his doinges with P. Martyrs other writinges and finally to furnishe his want with my owne store Hoping and perswading with my selfe that if God likewise call me from these worldly Nauigations and earthly descriptions before my other trauell in this facultye taken long since in hande be ended some other professor of Cosmography wil so rewarde me after my death as presently of this dead man I doe deserue Other credite seeke I none therefore I loke for no prayse I hope not for honor I gape for no gayne by this kind of studie I knowe this day no place no preferment no publike chayre no ordinarie lecture no commune stipende no special reward due vnto the studentes in Geography no not at this time when this faculty was neuer more set by no not in this realme where yt neuer more florished The honorable name of a Christian and the infallible fruites thereof euer inclined me euen from my tender yeeres for the smal portion of learning that god hath lent me to do good if I could vnto many and specially to make those my friendes and wel doers knowen vnto the worlde by whose beneuolence fauour I doe liue and am mainteined In the smal number whereof for amongst many wel willers I finde but few well doers your Honor right noble Lady my Lorde you his noble children and yours since my first returne from beyond the seas must I confesse to haue stoode me chiefly in steede humbly acknowledge the first yeerely pension I euer was assured of in England to haue ben by your Ladiship bestowed on me VVherefore as I will most willingly yeelde vnto many other of your Honors gētlemē to come of great houses to haue welthier friendes larger possessions reuenues than I to be more actiue more comely more wyse politike learned to haue seene more so in hūble duety loyal seruice sincere affection good wil to your Honor I may I can I wyl contende with any of them all euen to the vttermust force and power of my hart head body life blood mynd soule In testimony wherof and full assurance of my seruice vnto you for euer these last doings of R. Eden newly encreased my first labours in our language his history mine of trauel in the west East Indies altogeather in one volume duetifully do I present vnto your Honour with al humility praying most earnestly requesting your good Ladiship that you will vouchsafe it by leysure in this iourney the whiche my Lorde and you haue determined into the west countrey to let your page
Ilande This is the summe of those thynges whiche olde Critia sayde he had vnderstoode of Solon And certaynely these wordes of Plato of the said Iland haue caused great contention among many great Philosophers which haue written commentaries vpon the sayde Dialogue of Timeus composed by Plato Insomuche that the same in those dayes being vtterly vnknowen many haue taken this narration of Solon for an allegorical fable and haue interpreted the same in diuers senses and meanynges But it may nowe well appeare the true meanyng hereof to be this that Plato intendyng to wryte of the vniuersall frame of the worlde the whiche he knewe to be made an habitation for the diuine best man and also beholdyng therin the great ornament and beautie of the heauen and starres whereby man myght knowe his God and creatour it myght seeme to hym a thyng to farre from reason that only two partes thereof shoulde be inhabited and the other part desolate and depriued of men and that the Sunne and starres might seeme to shewe theyr lyght only halfe theyr course without profite shining only vpon the sea and desolate places destitute of man and other liuing creatures And therefore Plato had in great admiration the hystorie of the sayde Egyptian priest makyng mention of an other part of the worlde besyde Asia Europa and Africa and thought it woorthy to be rehearsed in the beginning of his diuine Dialogue aforesayde We ought therefore certainely to thinke our selues most bounde vnto God that in these our tymes it hath pleased hym to reueale and discouer this secrete in the fyndyng of this newe worlde whereby we are certaynely assured that vnder our Pole starre and vnder the Equinoctial line are most goodlye and ample regions as well and commodiously inhabited as are other partes of the worlde best knowen vnto vs. The testimonie of the Poet Seneca in his Tragedie De Medea where by the spirite of Poetical furie he sayth Venient annis Secula seris quibus Oceanus Vincula rerum laxet et ingens Pateat tellus Typhisque nouos Detegat Orbes Nec sit terris vltima Thyle Whiche may be thus Englished In late yeeres newe worldes shal be founde And newe landes shal then appeare on the grounde When Typhis Nauigation newe worldes shal fynde out Then shal not Thyle for last be left out For then shal the Ocean dissolue his large bandes And shewe foorth newe worldes regions and landes ⧠To the moste noble prince and catholike kynge Charles Peter Martyr of Angleria wisheth perpetual felicitie THe diuine prouidence from the time that he fyrst created the worlde hath reserued vnto this day the knowledge of the great and large Ocean sea In the whiche tyme he hath opened the same chiefely vnto you moste mightie Prince by the good fourtune and happie successe of your grandfather by your mother syde The same prouidence I knowe not by what destenie hath brought me out of my natiue countrey of Milane and out of the citie of Rome where I continued almost .x. yeeres into Spaine that I myght particularlye collecte these marueilous and newe thinges which shoulde otherwyse perhappes haue lien drowned in the whirlepoole of obliuion forasmuche as the Spanyardes men worthy great commendation had only care to the generall inuentions of these thinges Notwithstanding I do not chalenge vnto me only the thankes of the trauaile bestowed herein whereas the chiefe rewarde therof is due to Ascanius vicount Cardinal who perceauyng that I was wylling to departe out of the citie to be present at the warres of Granatum disswaded me from my purpose But seeing that I was fully resolued to departe exhorted required me to write vnto him suche newes as were famous in Spaine worthy to be noted I toke therfore my iourney into Spayne chiefely for the desyre I had to see thexpedition whiche was prepared agaynst the enimies of the fayth forasmuche as in Italye by reason of the dissention among the Princes I coulde fynde nothyng wherewith I myght feede my wytte beyng a younge man desyrous of knowledge and experience of thynges I was therefore presente at the warres from whence I writte to Cardinal Ascanius and by sundry epistles certifyed hym of such thinges as I thought most woorthye to be put in memorie But when I perceiued that his fortune was turned from a naturall mother to a stepdame I ceassed from wrytyng Yet after I sawe that by thouerthrowe of the enimies of our fayth Spayne was pourged of the Moores as of an euil weede plucked vp by the rootes leste I shoulde bestowe my slippery yeares in vnprofitable idlenesse I was mynded to returne to Italie But the singuler benignitie of both the Catholyke kyng and queene nowe departed and theyr large promises towarde me vpon my returne from my legacie of Babylon deteyned me from my purpose Yet doth it not repent me that I drew backe my foote aswel for that I see in no other place of the world at this tyme the lyke woorthy thinges to be done as also that in maner throughout all Italie by reason of the discorde of Christian Princes I perceiued all thynges to runne headlong into ruine the countreys to be destroyed and made fatte with humane blood the cities sacked virgins and matrones with theyr goods and possessions caried away as captiues and miserable innocentes without offence to be slayne vnarmed within theyr owne houses Of the whiche calamities I dyd not onely heare the lamentable outcryes but dyd also feele the same For euen the blood of myne owne kinsfolkes and frendes was not free from that crueltie As I was therefore musyng with my selfe of these thynges the Cardinal of Arragone after that he had seene the two fyrst bookes of my Decades wrytten to Ascanius required me in the name of kyng Frederike his vncle to put foorth the other eyght epistle bookes In the meane tyme also whyle I was voyde of al care as touching the matters of the Ocean the Apostolicall messengers of the byshop of Rome Leo the tenth by whose holsome counsayle and aucthoritie we trust the calamities of Italy shal be fynished raysed me as it were from sleepe encoraged me to proceede as I had begun To his holynesse I wrytte two Decades comprysed in short bookes after the maner of epistles and added them to the fyrst which was printed without mine aduise as shal further appeare by the preface folowyng But nowe I returne to you most noble Prince from whom I haue somwhat digressed Therfore wheras your grandfather by your mothers side haue subdued al Spaine vnder your dominion except only one corner of the same and haue also lefte you the kingdome of Naples with the fruteful Ilands of our seas it is surely a great thing and worthy to be noted in our cronacles But not offendyng the reuerence due to our predecessours whatsoeuer from the begynnyng of the worlde hath been doone or wrytten to this day to my iudgement seemeth but lyttle yf we
mynde agaynst hym departed into Spayne Wherefore aswel to purge hym selfe of suche crimes as they should lay to his charge as also to make a supply of other men in the place of them whiche were returned and especiallye to prouide for vyttualles as wheate wine oyle and suche other whiche the Spanyardes are accustomed to eate because they coulde not yet well agree with such meates as they founde in the Ilandes determined shortly to take his voyage into Spayne but what he dyd before his departure I wyll breefely rehearse The kynges of the Ilandes which had hytherto lyued quietly and content with theyr lytle whiche they thought aboundant wheras they nowe perceiued that our men began to fasten foote within theyr regions to beare rule among them they toke the matter so greeuously that they thought nothyng els but by what meanes they myght vtterlye destroy them and for euer abolyshe the memory of theyr name for that kinde of men the Spanyardes I meane which folowed the Admiral in that nauigation were for the moste part vnruly regarding nothyng but idlenesse play and libertie and woulde by no meanes absteyne from iniuries rauishing of the women of the Ilandes before the faces of their husbandes fathers and brethren by which theyr abominable mysdemeanour they disquieted the myndes of all the inhabitantes insomuche that wheresoeuer they founde any of our men vnprepared they slue them with such fiercenesse and gladnesse as though they had offered sacrifice to God Intendyng therfore to pacifie theyr troubled myndes and to punyshe them that slue his men before he departed from thence he sent for the king of that vale whiche in the booke before we described to be at the foote of the mountaynes of the region of Cibana this kynges name was Guarionexius who the more strayghtly to concyle vnto hym the frendshyp of the Admirall gaue his syster to wyfe to Didacus a man from his chyldes age brought vp with the Admirall whom he vsed for his interpreter in the prouinces of Cuba After this he sent for Caunaboa called the lorde of the house of golde that is of the mountaynes of Cibana For this Caunaboa he sent one Captayne Hoieda whom the ditionaries of Caunaboa had enforced to keepe his holde besieging for the space of thirtie dayes the fortresse of saint Thomas in the whiche Hoieda with his fyftie souldiers stoode at theyr defence vntyll the comming of the Admirall Whyle Hoieda remayned with Caunaboa manye ambassadours of the kynges of diuers regions were sent to Caunaboa perswading him in no condition to permit the Christians to inhabite the Ilande except he had rather serue then rule On the other partie Hoieda aduertised Caunaboa to goe to the Admiral and to make a league of frendshyp with hym but the ambassadours on the contrary part threatned hym that if he woulde so doo the other kynges woulde inuade his region But Hoieda aunswered them agayne that whereas they conspired to maynteyne theyr libertie they should by that meanes be brought to seruitude destruction if they entended to resist or kepe warre against the Christians Thus Caunaboa on the one side and the other beyng troubled as it were a rocke in the sea beaten with contrary flooddes and muche more vexed with the stormes of his gyltie conscience for that he had priuily slayne .xx. of our men vnder pretence of peace feared to come to the Admirall but at the length hauyng excogitated his deceyt to haue slayne the Admirall and his companye vnder the colour of frendshyp yf oportunitie would so haue serued he repayred to y e Admiral with his whole familie and many other wayting on him armed after theyr manner Beyng demaunded why he brought so great a rout of men with him he aunswered that it was not decent for so great a prince as he was to goe out of his house without suche a bande of men but the thyng chaunced muche otherwyse then he looked for for he fell into the snares whiche he had prepared for other for whereas by the way he began to repent hym that he came foorth of his house Hoieda with many fayre woordes promises brought him to the Admiral at whose commaundement he was immediatly taken and put in prison so that the soules of our men were not long from theyr bodyes vnreuenged Thus Caunaboa with al his familie beyng taken the Admirall was determined to runne ouer the Ilande but he was certified that there was suche famine among the inhabitauntes that there was alredy fyftie thousande men dead thereof and that they dyed yet dayly as it were rotten sheepe the cause whereof was wel knowen to be theyr owne obstinacie and frowardnesse for wheras they sawe that our men entended to choose them a dwelling place in the Ilande supposing that they myght haue dryuen them from thence if the vittualles of the Ilande should fayle they determined with them selues not only to leaue sowyng and plantyng but also to destroy and plucke vp by the rootes euery man in his owne region that whiche they had alredy sowen of both kyndes of bread whereof we made mention in the firste booke but especially among the mountaynes of Cibana otherwyse called Cipanga forasmuche as they had knowledge that the golde whiche aboundeth in that region was the chiefe cause that deteyned our men in the Iland In the meane tyme he sent foorth a Captayne with a bande of men to searche the South syde of the Ilande who at his returne reported that throughout all the regions that he trauayled there was suche scarcenesse of bread that for the space of .xvi. dayes he ate nothyng but the rootes of hearbes and of young date trees or the fruites of other wylde trees but Guarionexius the kyng of the vale lying beneath the mountaynes of Cibana whose kyngdome was not so wasted as the other gaue our men certayne vyttualles Within a fewe dayes after both that the iourneys myght be the shorter and also that our men myght haue more safe places of refuge if the inhabitauntes shoulde hereafter rebell in lyke manner he buylded another fortresse whiche he called the Towre of Conception betweene the Citie of Isabella and Saint Thomas fortresse in the marches of the kyngdome of this Guarionexius within the precincte of Cibana vpon the syde of a hyll hauyng a fayre riuer of holsome water runnyng harde by the same Thus when the inhabitantes sawe newe buyldinges to be dayly erected and our shippes lying in the hauen rotten and halfe broken they began to dispayre of any hope of libertie and wandred vp and downe with heauie cheare From the Towre of Conception searchyng diligentlye the inner partes of the mountaynes of Cibana there was a certayne kyng whiche gaue them a masse of rude golde as bigge as a mans fyst weighing .xx. ounces this golde was not founde in the banke of that riuer but in a heape of drye earth and was lyke vnto the stone called Tophus whiche is soone
whole to the kyng in that shyp in the which the gouernour Boadilla was commyng home into Spaine the shyp with all the men beyng drowned by the way by reason it was ouer laden with the weyght of gold multitude of men albeit there were mo then a thousande persons which saw and handeled the piece of gold And wheras here I speake of a pounde I do not meane the common pounde but the summe of the ducate of gold with the coyne called Triens which is the third part of a pounde which they call Pesus The summe of the weight hearof the Spanyardes call Castelanum Aureum All the gold that is digged in the mountaines of Cibaua and Port Regale is caried to the tower of Conception where shoppes with al thinges appertayning are redy furnished to fine it melt it and caste it into wedges That doone they take the kynges portion therof which is the fyfte parte and so restore to euery man his owne which he gotte with his labour But the gold which is founde in saynt Christophorus myne and the regions there about is caryed to the shoppes which are in the vyllage called Bonauentura In these two shops is moulten yeerely aboue three hundred thousand pound wayght of gold Yf any man be knowen deceytfullye to keepe backe any portion of golde whereof he hath not made the kynges officers priuie he forfeyteth the same for a fyne There chaunceth among them oftentymes many contentions and controuersies the whiche vnlesse the magistrates of the Ilande do fynyshe the case is remoued by appellation to the hygh counsayle of the court from whose sentence it is not lawfull to appeale in al the dominions of Castyle But let vs nowe returne to the newe landes from whence we haue digressed They are innumerable diuers and exceedyng fortunate Wherefore the Spanyardes in these our dayes and theyr noble enterpryses do not geue place eyther to the factes of Saturnus or Hercules or anye other of the auncient prynces of famous memory which were canonized among the goddes called Heroes for theyr searchyng of newe landes and regions and bryngyng the same to better culture and ciuilitie Oh God howe large farre shal our posteritie see the Christian religion extended howe large a campe haue they now to wander in whiche by the true nobilitie that is in them or mooued by vertue wyll attempt eyther to deserue lyke prayse among men or reputation of well doyng before God What I conceiue in my mynde of these thynges I am not able to expresse with penne or tongue I wil now therfore so make an end of this perpendiculer conclusion of the whole Decade as myndyng hereafter to search and geather euery thyng particulerly that I may at further leysure wryte the same more at large For Colonus the Admiral with foure ships and a hundred threescore and ten men appoynted by the kyng discouered in the yeere of Christe .1520 the lande oueragaynst the West corner of Cuba distant from the same about a hundred and thirtie leagues in the myddest of whiche tracte lyeth an Ilande called Guanassa From hence he directed his voyage backwarde toward the East by the shore of that coast supposyng that he shoulde haue founde the coastes of Paria but it chaunced otherwise It is sayde also that Vincencius Agnes of whom we haue spoken before and one Iohannes Daiz with diuers other of whose voyages I haue as yet no certayne knowledge haue ouerrunne those coastes but yf God graunt me lyfe I trust to knowe the trueth hereof and to aduertise you of the same Thus fare ye well The ende of the fyrst Decade The fyrst booke of the seconde Decade to Leo Bishop of Rome the tenth of that name of the supposed continent or firme lande SInce the tyme that Galeatius Butrigarius of Bononie and Iohannes Cursius of Florence most holy father came to the Catholique kyng of Spayne the one of your holinesse ambassage and the other for the affayres of his common wealth I was euer for the moste parte in theyr companye and for theyr vertues and wysedome had them in great reuerence And whereas they were greatlye geuen to studie and continuall reuoluing of diuers auctours they chaunced vpon certayne bookes negligently let slyppe out of my handes entreatyng of the large landes and regions hytherto lying hyd and almost West Antipodes founde of late by the Spanyardes Yet being allured and delyted with the newnesse and straungenesse of the matter although rudely adourned they commended the same therewith earnestly desyryng me in theyr owne names and requiring me in the name of your holynesse to adde hereunto al such thynges as were founde after that tyme and to geue them a copie therof to sende to your holynesse that you myght thereby vnderstande both howe great commodities is chaunced to the progenie of mankynde as also encrease of the millitant congregation in these our dayes by the fortunate enterpryses of the kynges of Spayne For lyke as rased and vnpaynted tables are apte to receiue what fourmes soeuer are fyrst drawen thereon by the hande of the paynter euen so these naked and simple people doo soone receyue the customes of our religion and by conuersation of our men shake of theyr fierce and natiue barbarousnesse I haue thought it good therfore to satisfie the request of these wyse men espetially vsyng thaucthorytie of your name wherunto not to haue obeyed I shoulde esteeme my selfe to haue commytted a heynous offence Wherfore I wyll nowe briefly rehearse in order what hyd coastes the Spanyardes ouerran who were thaucthours therof where they rested what further hope they brought and finallye what greate thynges those tractes of landes do promyse in time to come In the declaration of my decade of the ocean which is nowe prynted and dyspersed throughout Chrystendome vnwares to me I described howe Christophorus Colonus founde those ilandes wherof wee haue spoken and that turnyng from thence towarde the left hande southward he chaunced into greate regions of landes and large seas dystant from the Equinoctiall lyne onely from fyue degrees to tenne where he founde brode ryuers and exceeding hygh mountaynes couered with snowe and harde by the sea bankes where were manye commodious and quyet hauens But Colonus being now departed out of this lyfe the kyng beganne to take care how those lands might be inhabited with Christian men to thincrease of our fayth Wheruppon he gaue lycence by his letters patentes to al such as would take the matter in hand and espetially to two wherof Diego Nicuesa was one the other was Alphonsus Fogeda Wherfore about the Ides of December Alphonsus departing fyrst with three hundred souldiers from the ilande of Hispaniola in the which we sayd the Spaniardes had builded a cytie planted theyr habitation saylyng in maner ful south he came to one of the hauens found before which Colonus named Portus carthaginis both because of the iland
marueylyng at the oration of the naked young man for they had for interpreters those three men whiche had ben before a yeere and a halfe conuersaunt in the court of kyng Careta pondered in theyr mindes and earnestly consydered his sayinges so that his rashnesse in scatteryng the golde out of the ballaunces they turned to myrth and vrbanitie commendyng his dooyng and saying therin Then they asked hym frendly vpon what certaine knowledge he spake those thynges or what he thought best herein to be done yf they should bring a greater supply of men To this young Comogrus staying a whyle with him selfe as it were an Oratour preparing hym selfe to speake of some graue matter and disposing his body to a iesture meete to perswade spake thus in his mother tongue Geue eare vnto me O you Christians Albeit that the greedie hunger of golde hath not yet vexed vs naked men yet do we destroy one another by reason of ambition and desyre to rule Hereof spryngeth mortal hatred among vs and hereof commeth our destruction Our predecessours kept warres and so dyd Comogrus my father with princes beyng borderers about him In the whiche warres as we haue ouercome so haue we ben ouercome as doth appeare by the number of bondmen among vs which we toke by the ouerthrowe of our enimies of the whiche I haue geuen you fyftie Lykewyse at another tyme our aduersaries hauyng the vpper hande agaynst vs ledde awaye many of vs captiue for suche is the chaunce of warre Also among our familiers whereof a great number haue ben captiues with them beholde here is one whiche of long time led a payneful lyfe in bondage vnder the yoke of that kyng beyonde the mountaynes in whose kyngdome is such abundance of gold Of hym and suche other innumerable and lykewyse by the resort of free men on theyr side commyng to vs and agayne of our men resortyng to them by safe conduct these thynges haue ben euer as well knowen vnto vs as our owne possessions but that you may be the better assured hereof and be out of al suspection that you shall not be deceiued make me the guyde of this voyage byndyng me fast and keepyng me in safe custodie to be hanged on the next tree yf you fynde my sayinges in anye poynt vntrue Folowe my counsayle therefore and sende for a thousande Christian men apt for the warres by whose power we may with also the men of warre of Comogrus my father armed after our manner inuade the dominions of our enimies where both you may be satisfied with golde and we for our conductyng and aydyng you in this enterpryse shall thinke our selues abundantly rewarded in that you shal helpe to deliuer vs from the iniuries and perpetuall feare of our enimies After these woordes this prudent young Comogrus helde his peace and our men mooued with great hope and hunger of golde began agayne to swalowe downe theyr spyttle The fourth booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed continent AFter that they had taryed here a fewe dayes and baptised Comogrus with all his familie and named hym by the name of Charles after the kyng of Spayne they returned to theyr felowes in Dariena leauyng with hym the hope of the thousande souldiers whiche his sonne required to passe ouer those mountaynes towarde the South sea Thus entryng into the vyllage whiche they had chosen to inhabite they had knowledge that Valdiuia was returned within sixe monethes after his departure but with no great plentie of vyttualles because he brought but a smal shyppe yet with hope that shortly after there shoulde be sent them abundance of vyttualles and a newe supplye of men For young Colonus the Admiral and viceroy of Hispaniola and the other gouernours of the Ilande acknowledged that hytherto they had no respect to them of Dariena because they supposed that Ancisus the Lieuetenaunt had safely arryued there with his shyppe laden with vyttualles wylling them from hencefoorth to be of good cheare and that they shoulde lacke nothyng hereafter but that at this present tyme they had no bigger ship wherby they myght send them greater plentie of necessaries by Valdiuia The vyttuals therfore which he brought serued rather somwhat to mitigate theyr present necessitie then to satisfie theyr lacke Wherefore within a fewe dayes after Valdiuia his returne they fel agayne into lyke scarcenesse especially forasmuche as a great storme and tempest whiche came from the hygh mountaynes with horrible thunder and lyghtnyng in the moneth of Nouember brought with it suche a floodde that it partly caryed away and partly drowned al the corne and seedes which they had sowen in the moneth of September in a fruitefull grounde before they went to kyng Comogrus The seedes whiche they of Hispaniola call Maizium and they of Vraba call Hobba whereof they make theyr bread whiche also we sayde to be rype thryse euery yeere because those regions are not bytten with the sharpenesse of wynter by reason of theyr neerenesse to the Equinoctial lyne It is also agreeable to the principles of natural philosophie that this bread made of Maizius or Hobba shoulde be more wholsome for the inhabitauntes of those countreys then bread made of wheate by reason that it is of easier digestion for whereas colde is wantyng the natural heate is not dryuen from the outwarde partes into the inwarde partes and precordials whereby digestion is muche strengthened Beyng therefore thus frustrate of the increase of theyr seedes and the kynges neere about them spoyled of both vyttualles and golde they were enforced to seeke theyr meate further of and therwith to signyfie to the gouernours of Hispaniola with what great necessitie they were oppressed and what they had learned of Comogrus as concernyng the Regions towarde the South willyng them in consideration thereof to aduertise the kyng to send them a thousande souldiers by whose helpe they myght by force make waye through the mountaynes diuidyng the sea on both sydes if they coulde not bryng the same to passe quietly The same Valdiuia was also sent on this message carying with hym to the kynges treasurers hauing theyr office of receipt in Hispaniola three hundred poundes weyght of golde after eyght ounces to the pounde for the fyft portion due to the kynges excheker This pound of eight ounces the Spaniardes call Marcha whiche in weight amounteth to fyftye peeces of golde called Castellani but the Castilians call a pounde Pesum We conclude therefore that the summe hereof was .xv. thousand of those peeces of gold called Castellani And thus is it apparent by this accompt that they receiued of the barbarous kinges a thousande and fyue hundred poundes of eyght ounces to the pounde all the whiche they founde readye wrought in sundrye kyndes of ouches as cheynes braselets tablets and plates both to hang before theyr brestes and also at theyr eares and nosethryls Valdiuia therfore tooke shypping in the same Carauell in the which he came last and returned also before the
victourer beholde I heere delyuer vnto you your companions in suche plight as I receiued them wishyng that I had ben aswell able to gyue them health as they were hartyly welcome to suche poore entertaynement as I was able to shewe them For the fauoure and gentelnesse whiche I haue founde both in you and them he shall rewarde you whiche sendeth thunderyng and lyghtnyng to the destruction of myscheuous men and of his clemencye gyueth vnto good men plentie of Iucca and Maizium in due season As he spake these woordes he lyfted vp his handes and eyes towarde the Sonne whom they honour as God Then he spake further to Vaschus saying In that you haue destroyed and slayne our violent and proude enemies you haue brought peace and quietnesse to vs and our familyes and bounde vs for euer to loue and obey you You haue so ouercome and tamed wylde monsters that we thynke you to bee sent from heauen for the punyshement of euyll men and defence of innocentes that vnder the protection of your myghtie swoorde we maye hereafter leade our lyues without feare and with more quietnesse geue thankes to the geuer of all good thynges for his mercie shewed vnto vs in this behalfe When the interpretoure had tolde Vaschus that the kyng Bononiana had sayde these woordes and suche lyke Vaschus rendered hym lyke thankes for his humanitie declared towarde our men and rewarded hym as he had doone other in whom he founde lyke gentilnesse Vaschus wryteth that he learned manye thynges of this kyng as concernyng the great rychesse of these regions but that he woulde at this present speake nothing thereof and rehearseth the same as thinges lyke to haue good successe What this implicate Hiperbole or aduauncement meaneth I do not well vnderstand but he plainly seemeth hereby to promise many great thynges And suerly it is to be thought that accordyng to his hope great riches may be loked for For they came in maner into none of thinhabitaunts houses but that they founde in them eyther bresteplates or curettes of golde or elles golden ouches iewels or garlandes to weare about their heades neckes or armes I coniecture therfore thus by a similitude of our houses If among vs any man of great power were moued with the desyre to haue great plentie of Iron and woulde enter into Italie with a mayne force as dyd the Gothes in tyme past what abundance of Iron shoulde he haue in theyr houses whereas he shoulde fynde in one place a fryingpan in another a caldron here a triuet and there a spitâ—e and these in manner in euery poore mans house with suche other innumerable whereby any man may coniecture that iron is plentifully engendred in suche regions where they haue so great vse thereof Our men also perceiued that the inhabitauntes of these regions do no more esteeme golde then we do iron nor yet so much after they sawe to what vse iron serued vs. Thus much haue I thought good to write to your holynesse of suche thynges as I haue geathered out of the letters of Vaschus Nunnez and learned by woorde of mouth of suche as were his companions in these affayres As we receiue them so we geue them vnto you Tyme whiche reuealeth al secretes shal hereafter minister larger argument of wrytyng They coulde at this tyme do no great thyng in searchyng the golde mynes forasmuche as of a hundred fourescore and tenne men which Vaschus brought with him from Dariena there remayned only threescore and ten or at the most fourescore whose ayde he nowe vsed in these daungerous aduentures leauing euer the crased men behynde hym in the kynges houses all the way that he went but they moste especially fel into sundry diseases whiche came lately from Hispaniola for they were not able to abyde such calamities as to lyue only contented with the bread of those regions and wylde hearbes without salt drynkyng none other then riuer water and that oftentymes eyther lackyng or vnholsome where as before theyr stomackes had ben vsed to good meates But the olde souldiers of Dariena were hardened to abyde all sorowes exceedyng tollerable of labour heate hunger watchyng insomuche that merily they make theyr boast that they haue obserued a longer sharper Lent then euer your holynesse enioyned for they say that for the space of foure whole yeeres they ate none other then hearbes and fruites except nowe and then perhappes fyshe and very seldome fleshe yea and that sometyme for lacke of all these they haue not abhorred from mangie dogges and fylthy toades as we haue sayde before The olde souldiers of Dariena I call those whiche fyrste folowed the captaynes Nicuesa and Fogeda to inhabite the lande of the whiche nowe fewe were lyuyng But let vs nowe omyt these thynges and returne to Vaschus the vyctourer of the mountaynes The thyrde booke of the thyrde Decade WHen Vaschus had remained thyrtie dayes in the palace of kyng Pacra concilyng vnto him the mindes of the inhabitauntes and prouidyng thynges necessarie for his companions As he departed froÌ„ thence by the conduct of certayne of kyng Teaocha his men and came to the banke of the riuer Comogrus wherof the region and kyng thereof are named by the same name he found the sydes of these mountaynes so rude and barren that there was nothyng apt to be eaten but wilde rootes and certayne vnpleasaunt fruites of trees Two kynges beyng neere of blood inhabited this vnfortunate region which Vaschus ouerpassed with all speede for feare of hunger One of these poore kynges was named Cotochus and the other Ciuriza He tooke them both with him to guyde hym the way and dismissed Teaocha his men with vittuals and rewards Thus for the space of three dayes he wandered through many desart woods craggy mountaynes muddie marishes ful of suche quamyres that men are oftentimes swalowed vp in them if they loke not y e more warely to their feete also through places not frequented with resort of men and suche as nature had not yet opened to theyr vse forasmuche as the inhabitauntes haue seldome entercourse betweene them but only by sundry incursions the one to spoyle and destroy the other beyng otherwyse contented to lyue onlye after the lawe of nature without al worldly toyle for superfluous pleasures Thus entryng at the length into the territorie of another kyng whose name was Bechebâ—ea they founde all thynges voyde and in scilence for the kyng and his subiectes were al fledde to the woods When Vaschus sent messengers to fetche hym he dyd not onlye at the fyrst submit hym selfe but also promise his ayde with all that he myght make Protestyng furthermore that he fledde not for feare that our men woulde doo them iniurie but that he hyd hym selfe for verye shame and greefe of mynde for that he was not able to receiue them honorablye accordyng vnto theyr dignitie because his store of vitayles was consumed Yet in
say that this ryuer consisteth and taketh his encrease of foure other ryuers fallyng from the mountaynes of Dabaiba Our men call this ryuer Flumen S. Iohannis They say also that from hence it falleth into the gulfe of Vraba by seuen mouthes as dooth the ryuer of Nilus into the sea of Egypt Lykewyse that in the same region of Vraba there are in some places narowe streyghtes not passing fyfteene leagues and the same to be sauage and without any passage by reason of dyuers maryshes and desolate wayes whiche the Latines call Lamas but the Spanyardes accordyng to theyr varietie call them Tremedales Trampales Cenegales Sumideros Zabondaderos But before we passe any further it shall not be greatly from our purpose to declare from whence these mountaynes of Dabaiba haue theyr name accordyng vnto thantiquities of thinhabitantes They sayd that Dabaiba was a woman of great magnanimitie and wysedome among theyr predecessours in olde tyme whom in her lyfe all thinhabitantes of those prouinces dyd greatly reuerence and beyng dead gaue her diuine honour and named the region after her name beleeuyng that she sendeth thunder and lyghtnyng to destroy the fruites of the earth yf she be angred and to sende plentie if shee be well pleased This superstition hath been persuaded them by a craftie kynde of men vnder pretence of religion to thintent that they myght enioy suche gyftes and offeringes as were brought to the place where she was honoured This is sufficient for this purpose They say furthermore that the maryshes of the narowe land whereof we haue spoken bring forth great plentie of Crocodiles Dragons Battes and Gnats beyng very hurtfull Therefore whensoeuer they take any iourney towarde the south they go out of the way toward the mountaynes and eschewe the regions neere vnto those perylous fennes or maryshes Some thynke that there is a valley lying that way that the ryuer runneth which our men cal Rio de los perdidos that is the ryuer of the lost men so named by the misfortune whiche there befell to Nicuesa and his company and not farre distant from the hauen Cerabaro whiche diuideth those mountaines toward the south But let vs now finishe this booke with a fewe other thinges woorthy to be noted They say therefore that on the ryght hand and left hande from Dariena there are twentye ryuers in all the whiche great plentye of gold is found Beyng demaunded what was the cause why they brought no greater aboundance of golde from thence they answeared that they lacked miners and that the men whiche they tooke with them from Spayne thyther were not accustomed to labour but for the most part brought vp in the warres This land seemeth also to promise many precious stones For besyde those which I sayde to be founde neere vnto Cariai and Sancta Martha one Andreas Moralis a pilot who had trauayled those coastes with Iohannes de la Cossa whyle he yet lyued had a precious Diamonde whiche he bought of a naked young man in the region of Cumana in the prouince of Paria This stone was as long as two ioyntes of a mans myddle fynger and as byg as the fyrst ioynt of the thumbe beyng also paynted on euery syde consisting of eyght squares perfectly fourmed by nature They say that with this they made scarres in anuylles and hammers and brake the teeth of fyles the stone remayning vnperyshed The young man of Cumana wore this stone about his necke among other ouches solde it to Andreas Moralis for fyue of our counterfect stones made of glasse of diuers colours wherewith the ignorant young man was greatly delyted They found also certayne Topases on y e shore But the estimation of gold was so farre entred into the heades of our men that they had no regarde to stones Also the most part of the Spanyardes do laugh them to scorne which vse to weare many stones specially such as are common iudging it to be an effeminate thyng and more meete for women then men The noble men onely when they celebrate solemne mariages or set foorth any triumphes weare cheynes of gold beset with precious stones and vse fayre apparel of silke embrodered with golde intermixt with pearles and precious stones and not at other tymes They thynke it no lesse effeminate for men to smel of the sweete sauours of Arabie and iudge hym to be infected with some kynde of fylthy lechery in whom they smel the sauour of muske or Castoreum But lyke as by one apple taken from a tree we may perceiue the tree to be fruiteful and by one fyshe taken in a ryuer we may knowe that fyshe is ingendred in the same euen so by a litle gold and by one stone we ought to consyder that this lande bringeth foorth great plentie of golde and precious stones What they haue founde in the porte of Sancta Martha in the region of Cariai when the whole nauie passed thereby vnder the gouernaunce of Petrus Arias and his company with certayne other of the kynges officers I haue sufficiently declared in his place To be short therefore al thynges do so floryshe growe encrease and prosper that the last are euer better then the fyrst And surely to declare my opinion herein whatsoeuer hath heretofore ben discouered by the famous trauayles of Saturnus and Hercules with suche other whom the antiquitie for their heroical factes honoured as gods seemeth but litle and obscure if it be compared to the Spanyardes victorious labours Thus I bydde your holynesse farewell desyryng you to certifie me howe you lyke these fyrst fruites of the Ocean that beyng encouraged with your exhortations I may the gladlyer and with lesse tediousnesse wryte suche thinges as shall chaunce hereafter The fyfth booke of the thyrde Decade AL suche lyuyng creatures as vnder the cyrcle of the moone bring foorth any thing are accustomed by thinstincte of nature as soone as they are delyuered of theyr byrth eyther to close vp the matrice or at the least to be quyet for a space But our most fruitefull Ocean and newe worlde engendreth and bryngeth foorth dayly new byrthes wherby men of great wyt and especially such as are studious of new and marueylous thynges may haue somewhat at hand wherwith to feed theyr myndes Yf your holynesse do aske to what purpose is all this ye shal vnderstand that I had scarsly finished the historie of such thynges as chaunced to Vaschus Nunnez and his companie in theyr voyage to the south sea when sodenly there came new letters from Petrus Arias the new gouernour whom the kyng had appoynted the yeere before with an army of men and a nauy of shyps to sayle to these newe landes He signified by his letters that he with his nauie and company arryued al safely Furthermore Iohannes Cabedus whom your holinesse at the request of the most catholique kyng had created Bishop of that prouince of Dariena and three other of the cheefe officers ioyned in commission
that they pronounce theyr aspirations more vehemently then we do the consonant f Yea all suche wordes as in theyr tongue are aspirate are pronounced with lyke breath and spirite as is f. sauyng that heerin the neather lippe is not moued to the vppermost teeth With open mouthes and shakyng theyr breastes they breath out these aspirations ha he hi ho hu as the Hebrues and Arabians are accustomed to pronounce theyrs I fynde also that the Spanyardes vse the lyke vehemencie in the aspirations of those wordes which they haue receyued of the Moores Arabians which possessed Spaine and continued there many yeeres as in these wordes Almohadda which signifieth a pyllow or boulster also Almohaza that is a horse combe with diuers such other wordes which they speake in maner w t panting breastes and vehement spirite I haue thought it good to rehearse these thyngs because among the Latines it oftentimes so chaunceth that only the accent or aspiration chaungeth the signification of the worde as hora for an houre and ora for the plurale number of this worde os whiche signifieth the mouth also ora whiche signifieth regions or coastes The lyke also chaunceth in y e diuersitie of y e accent as occido I kil occido I fal euen so in the language of these simple men there are many thynges to be obserued But let vs now returne to the discription In the prouince of Hubabo are these regions Xamana Canabacoa Cubabo with many other the names wherof I haue not yet learned The prouince of Cubabo conteyneth these regions Migua and Cacacubana The inhabitauntes of this region haue a peculier language much differing from the common language of the Iland and are called Maioriexes There is also an other region called Cubana whose language differeth from the other Lykewyse the region of Baiohagua hath a diuers tongue There are also other regions as Dahabon Cybaho and Manababo Cotoy is in the middle of the Iland By this runneth the riuer Nizaus and the mountaines called Mathaitin Hazua Neibaymao confine w t the same In the prouince of Bainoa are y e regions of Maguana Iagohaiucho Baurucco Dabaiagua Attibuni so named of the riuer also Caunoa Buiaici Dababonici Maiaguariti Atiei Maccazina Guahabba Anniuici Mariē Guaricco Amaguei Xaragua Yaguana Azuei Iacchi Honorucco Diaguo Camaie Neibaimao In Guaccaierima y e last prouince these regions are conteined Mauicarao Guabagua Taquenazabo Nimaca Baiona the lesse Cabaini Iamaici Manabaxao Zauana Habacoa and Ayquiora But let vs entreate somewhat of the particulers of the regions In the prouince of Caizcimu within the great gulfe of the beginning there is a great caue in a hollow rocke vnder the roote of a high moūtayne about two furlonges from the sea the entry of this caue is not muche vnlyke the doores of a great temple beyng very large and turning many wayes Andreas Moralis the shypmaister at the commaundement of the gouernour attempted to search the caue with the smalest vessels He sayeth that by certayne priuie waies many ryuers haue concourse to this caue as it were a syncke or chanel After thexperience hereof they ceassed to marueyle whither other riuers ranne which comming fourscore and ten miles were swalowed vp so that they appeered no more nor yet fell into the sea by any knowen wayes Nowe therefore they suppose that ryuers swalowed vp by the hollowe places of that stony mountayne fall into this caue As the shypmaister entred into the caue his shyp was almost swalowed For he sayth that there are many whyrlepooles and rysinges or boylynges of the water whiche make a violent conflict and horrible roryng one encounteryng the other also many huge holes and hollowe places so that what on the one syde with whirlpooles and on the other syde with the boylyng of the water his shyppe was long in maner tossed vp and downe like a ball It greatlye repented hym that he had entred yet knew he no way how to come foorth He now wandred in darknesse aswell for the obscurenesse of the caue into the which he was farre entred as also that in it were thicke clouds engendred of the moist vapours proceeding of the conflict of the waters which continually fal with great violence into the caue on euery syde He compareth the noyse of these waters to the fal of the famous ryuer Nilus from the mountains of Ethiope they were also deafe that one coulde not heare what an other saide But at the length with great daunger and feare he came foorth of the caue as it had been out of hell About threescore myles distant from the cheefe citie of sainct Dominicke there are certayne hygh mountaynes vpon the toppes whereof is a lake or standing poole inaccessible neuer yet seene of them which came latelye to the Ilande both by reason of the roughroughnesse of the mountaynes and also for that there is no pathe or open way to the toppes of the same But at the length the shypmaister beyng conducted thyther by one of the kynges ascended to the toppes of the mountaynes and came to the poole He sayth that the colde is there of some force and in token of wynter he founde fearne and bramble bushes whiche two growe only in colde regions These mountaines they call Ymizui Hibabaino This poole is of freshe water three myles in compasse and well replenyshed with diuers kyndes of fyshes Many small riuers or brookes fall into it It hath no passage out bycause it is on euery syde enclosed with the toppes of mountaynes But let vs nowe speake of an other poole whiche may well be called a sea in the mydlande and be compared to the Caspian or Hircanian sea in the fyrme lande of Asia with certayne other lakes and pooles of freshe water The eyght booke of the thyrde decade THe prouince of Bainoa beyng thrise as bigge as the three fyrst that is Caizcimu Vhabo and Caibabo includeth a valley named Caiouani in the whiche there is a lake of salt sower and bytter water as we reade of the sea called Caspium lying in the firme lande betwene Sarmatia and Hircania We haue therefore named it Caspium although it bee not in the region of Hircania It hath manye swalowyng gulfes by the whiche both the water of the sea spryngeth into it and also suche as fall into it from the mountaynes are swalowed vp They thynke that the caues thereof are so large and deepe that great fyshes of the sea passe by the same into the lake Among these fyshes there is one called Tiburonus whiche cutteth a man in sunder by the myddest at one snap with his teeth and deuoureth hym In the ryuer Hozama runnyng by the cheefe citie of saint Dominicke these Tiburoni do sometymes come from the sea and deuoure many of thinhabitauntes especially suche as do dayly ploonge them selues in the water to thintent to keepe their bodyes very cleane The ryuers whiche fall
nauie of ten Carauelles and fyue hundred men with two small brigantines as it were in the steade of lyght horsemen or forerunners whose ayde they myght vse as scoutes to search the wayes for daunger of rockes and shalow sandes or shelfes They shipte also certayne horses as fyue stoned horses and .xxvi. mares apt for the warres For theyr generall gouernour and Admirall of the nauy they elected Fernando Cortesius who at y t tyme was y e chief ruler of the citie of Sanctiago For vnder Capitaynes they appoynted Alfons Portucareius Francis Montegius Alfons Auila Aluerado Spatense Iohn Velasquen and Diegus Ordassus They styll folowed the same wynde from the last angle of Cuba towarde the West Assoone as Francis Fernandes of Corduba and then Iohn Grisalua came within prospecte of the Ilande of Sacrifyces whereof wee haue made mention before sodeinly a tempest of contrary wynde prohibited them to take lande and droue them backewarde to Cozumella lying on the East syde of Iucatana this Ilande hath onely one hauen named sainct Iohns porte and hath in it onely syxe townes also none other water then in welles and cesternes bycause it lacketh ryuers and sprynges by reason it is playne conteynyng onely .xlv. myles in circuite At the commyng of our men thinhabitauntes fledde to the thicke woods and forsooke theyr townes for feare Our men entred into theyr houses where they founde plentie of vittayles and many ornamentes parteynyng to the furnyshyng of theyr houses as hanginges and carpettes of dyuers colours sheetes also of gossampine cotton whiche they call Amaccas and muche apparell They haue furthermore innumerable bookes of the which with many other thinges sent to our newe Emperour wee will speake more largely heereafter The souldiers wandered about the Ilande and viewed all thinges diligently keepyng them selues styll in battayle raye least they myght bee sodeinly inuaded They founde but a fewe of thinhabitauntes and onely one woman in theyr company By thinterpretours of Cuba and other which the Spaniardes tooke first from Iucatana they perswaded the woman to call the kynges that were absent They came gladly and made a league of friendshyp with our men whereby they were restored to theyr houses and a great parte of their stuffe They are circumcised Idolatours and sacrifyce children of both kyndes to their Zemes which are the Images of their familiar and domesticall spirites whiche they honour as goddes When I enquired of Alaminus the pilot also of Francis Montegius and Portucarerius from whence they had the children they offered in sacrifyce they answered that they bought them in the Ilandes thereabout by exchaunge for golde and other of their trafycke For in all this so large a space of land the deuilyshe anxietie for the desyre of wicked money hath not yet oppressed thinhabitauntes They say the same also of the Ilandes lately founde whereof two are named Destam and Sestam whose inhabitants go naked and for scarcenesse of children sacrifice dogges which they nouryshe aswell for that purpose as also to eate as wee doe Cunnies these dogges are dumme can not barke hauing snoutes lyke vnto Foxes Suche as they destinate to eate they gelde while they are whelpes whereby they waxe very fat in the space of foure monethes They reserue all the bytches for increase and but fewe dogges Our men diswaded them from these superstitions declaryng howe they were abhominable and detested of God They were soone perswaded and desyred a lawe which they myght folowe Our men therfore declared vnto them that there was onely one God which made heauen and earth the giuer of all good thinges beyng of one incomprehensyble substaunce vnder triplicitie of person Assoone as they heard these wordes they broke their Zemes and pared scraped and washed the pauements and walles of their temples Our men gaue them a paynted picture of the blessed virgine which they placed reuerently in their temple about it a crosse to be honoured in the remembraunce of God and man and the saluation of mankynde They erected also an other great crosse of wood in the toppe of the temple whyther they oftentymes resorte togeather to honour the Image of the virgine Thinhabitauntes signifyed by thinterpretours that in the Ilande of Iucatana not farre from them there were seuen Christians captiues which in tyme past were driuen thither by tempest The Ilande of Cozumella is onely fyue myles distant from Iucatana The gouernour Cortesius being aduertised hereof furnished two Carauels with fiftie men willing them incōtinent to direct their viage thither to make search for these mē They tooke w t them iii. interpretors of Cozumella whose lāguage agreeth w t theirs with letters to the Christians if any might be founde He further declared vnto them howe goodly a matter they should bryng to passe if they coulde bryng away any of them For hee no wayes doubted but that by their information he should be fully certified of the commodities of all those tractes the maners of thinhabitauntes Thus they departed with commaundement to returne within the space of six dayes But when they had remayned there now .viii. dayes heard no word of their Cozumellane interpretours whom they had sent alande with the message and letters our men returned to Cozumella without them suspectyng that they were either slaine or deteyned And where as the whole nauie was now determined to depart from Cozumella but that they were hyndered by contrary wynde they sodeinly espied towarde the west a Canoa commyng from Iucatana and in it one of the Christian captiues named Hieronimus Aquillaris who had lyued seuen yeeres in that Ilande With what ioye they embrased the one the other the chaunce may declare They were no lesse desyrous to heare then he to tell of the mysfortune which befell to him and his companions And heere it shall not bee greatly from my purpose briefely to rehearse howe the thing chaunced In my Decades I haue made mention of a certayne noble man named Valdiuia whom the Spanyardes which inhabited Dariena in the supposed continent of the gulf of Vraba sent to the Iland of Hispaniola to Colonus the Admirall and viceroy with the residue of the Senate and counsaile there to whom parteyneth the redresse and orderyng of all thinges in these new landes to signifie vnto them in what extreme necessitie and penurie they lyued Unhappy Valdiuia therefore takyng this matter in hande in an euyll houre was with a sodeine and violent whirle wynde dryuen vppon certayne quickesandes in the prospecte of the Ilande of Iamaica lying on the South syde of Hispaniola and Cuba These blynde and swalowyng sandes the Spaniardes call vypers and that by good reason bycause in them many shyppes are entangled as the Lisertes are implycate in the tayles of the vypers While the Carauell thus wresteled with the water it was so burst in sunder that Valdiuia with thirtie of his felowes could scarcely with
syluer and precious stones set and wrought after a marueylous straunge deuice and with no lesse cunnyng woorkemanshyp Heere they determined to sende messengers to our newe Emperour to knowe his pleasure that they myght in this prouince plant a newe colonie or habitation and this dyd they without the aduise of Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Iland of Cuba or Fernandina who fyrst sent them foorth with commaundement to returne agayne after they had searched these regions and obtayned plentie of golde While they consulted herof they were of diuers opinions but the most part alleaged that in this case it was not requisite to make the gouernour of theyr counsayle forasmuch as y e matter shoulde be referred to a higher Iudge as to the king of Spaine hym self When they were thus agreed they receyued vittayles of the gentle king of the prouince and assigned the place of their colonie twelue myles from the saide towne in a fruiteful holsome soile For theyr generall gouernoure they elected Cortesius the gouernour of the nauie agaynst his wyll as some saye For other magistrates to gouerne the citie which they intended to builde he chose Portucarerius and Montegius of whom we haue made mention before They chose also certayne messengers to send to the kyng by the conduction of Alaminus the pilot Furthermore foure of the princes of this prouince offered them selues wyllyngly to go with our men into Spayne to thintent to see our landes and that kyng whose power is so great and whose auctoritie reacheth so farre They brought lykewyse two women with them whiche serued and obeyed them in all thinges after the maner of their countrey The people of this nation is of browne or yelowyshe colour Both the men and the women haue pendauntes of gold pretious stones hanging at their eares The men also bore theyr neather lippes full of holes from the vppermost part of the lippe euen vnto the neathermost part of the gumme At these they hang certayne rynges and plates of golde and syluer fastned to a smal and thynne plate lying within betwene the lip the gumme At the biggest hole in the middest of the lippe there hangeth a rounde plate of syluer as brode as the coyne called a Carolyne as thicke as a mans finger I do not remember that euer I sawe any thyng that seemed more fylthy in myne eye Yet do they thynke that there is nothyng more comly vnder the circle of the moone whereby 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 powled thynke that more decent then to weare a bushe 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 prouince is ruled by theyr owne sense as writeth saint Ierome From whence they haue their gold we haue spoken sufficiently before But as our men marueyled where they had theyr syluer they shewed them certayne high mountaines which are continually couered w t snowe sauing that at certaine times of the yeere the only toppes are seene bare bicause the snow is there molten by reason of y e thicke and warme cloudes The plaines therfore or milde softe pleasaunt mountaines seeme to bring foorth golde and the rough craggie mountaynes with theyr colde valleyes are the places where syluer is engendred They haue also Laton whereof they make such Mases and Hammers as are vsed in the warres dygging Mattockes also and Spades for they haue neyther Iron nor steele But let vs nowe speake of the presentes sent into Spayne to the kyng and fyrst of the bookes These procuratours therefore of the newe colonie of the prouince of Coluacana among other their presentes brought also a great number of bookes the leaues whereof are made of the inner ryndes or barkes of trees thinner then eyther that of the Elme or of y e Salowe these they smeere or anoynt with the pitche of molten Bitumem and whyle they be soft extend them to what fourme them lysteth When they bee cold and harde they rubbe them ouer with a certayne playster It is to be thought that they beate the playster into fyne floure and so temperyng it with some byndyng moysture to make a crust therewith vppon the leaues whereon they wryte with anye sharpe instrument and blot the same agayne with a spunge or some suche other thyng as marchaunt men and noble mens stewards are accustomed to do with their wryting tables made of the woodde of figge trees The leaues of theyr bookes are not set in order after the maner of ours but are extended many cubittes in length The matters whiche they write are conteyned in square tables not lose but so bound togeather with the tough flexible clay called Bitumem that they seeme lyke woodden tables whiche had been vnder the handes of cunnyng Bookbynders Which way so euer the booke lieth open there are two leaues seene and two sydes wrytten with as many lying vnder them except the booke be vnfoulded in length For vnder one leafe there are many leaues ioyned togeather The fourmes of theyr letters are nothyng lyke vnto ours but are muche more crooked and entangled lyke vnto fyshhookes knottes snares starres fyles dyse and suche other muche lyke vnto the Egyptian letters and wrytten in lines lyke vnto ours Heere and there betweene the lines are pictured the shapes of men and diuers beastes and especyally the Images of kynges and other noble men Whereby it is to be thought that in such bookes the factes of theyr kinges are conteined as we see the lyke among vs how our printers expresse the summe of histories in pictures that men may therby be the more allured to bye suche bookes The coueringes of theyr bookes are also artificially wrought and paynted When they are shut they seeme to differ nothing from ours in fourme In these bookes are furthermore comprehended theyr lawes rytes of ceremonies and sacrifyces annotations of Astronomie accomptes computations of tymes with the maner of graffyng sowing and other thynges parteynyng to husbandry They begyn the yeere from the goyng downe of the seauen starres called Vergiliae or Pleiades and count theyr monethes accordyng to the mones They name a moneth Tona of the Moone for in theyr language they call the Moone Tona They recken the dayes by the sonnes therefore as many dayes as they name they saye so manye sonnes the Sonne in theyr tongue is called Tonatico They distribute the yeere without any reason why into twentie monethes and the moneth into as many dayes The temples whiche they frequent they adourne with golden hangynges and other ornamentes of golde and syluer with precious stones intermyxt At the spryng of the day they perfume theyr temples with frankensence and make theyr prayers before they take in hand any other busynesse
to eate of the Serpentes fleshe Howe the Serpentes fleshe is prepared to be eaten and how delicate meate theyr egges are if they be sodden Howe queene Anacauchoa syster to kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa entertained y e Liefetenant gaue him much houshold stuffe and many vessels of Hebene wodd artifically wrought carued Howe kyng Anacauchoa and the queene his syster went aboorde the Lieuetenantes shyppe and howe greatly they were amased to beholde the furniture therof Howe Roldanus Xeminus a Spanyarde rebelled in the Lieuetenauntes absence by whose mysdemeanour also kyng Guarionexius was prouoked to a newe conspiracie and with hym Maiobanexius the kyng of the mountaynes The contentes of the syxt booke Foli 35. THe thyrd viage of Colonus howe he diuerted from his accustomed rase by the Ilandes of Canarie to the Iland of Madera for feare of certayne frenche pirates and rotters Of the .xiii. Ilandes whiche in olde tyme were called Hesperides and are nowe called the Ilandes of Caput Viride or Cabouerde Also of the Tortoyses of the Ilande of Bonauista wherewith the leper is healed Howe the Admiral found contagious ayre and extreme heate neere the Equinoctial where the north pole was eleuate onely fyue degrees and howe saylyng from thence westwarde he founde the starres placed in other order and the sea rysyng as it were the backe of a mountayne Howe the Admiral saylyng westwarde and neuer passyng out of the clyme or paralels 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 swyfte course or fall of the Ocean from the East to the West Of the gulfe called 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 Monkyes and Marmasettes Of the fayre ryche and large region of Paria and howe frendly thinhabitantes entreated the Admirall and his men Also of pleasaunt wyne made of dyuers fruites and of great abundaunce of pearles and golde Of the regions of Cumana Manacapana Curiana being regiōs of y e large prouince of Paria of y e sea of hearbes or weeds A certayne secrete as touchyng the pole starres and the eleuation of the same also of the roundnesse of the earth Of the mountaynes of Paria in the toppes wherof Colonus earnestly affirmeth the earthly paradise to be situate and whether Paria be parte of the firme land or continent of India The contentes of the .vii. booke Fol. 39. HOwe Roldanus Xeminus with his confederates accused the Admirall to the kyng and howe he pourged hym selfe and accused them Howe kyng Guarionexius rebelled agayne and with hym kyng Maiobannexius also howe they with other kynges came agaynst the Lieuetenaunt with an armie of eyght thousande naked and paynted Ciguauians also two rare examples of frendshyp and faythfulnesse in barbarous princes Howe Colonus the Admirall and the Lieuetenant his brother were sent bound into Spayne and newe officers appoynted in theyr places The contentes of the eight booke Fol. 43. THe nauigation of Petrus Alphonsus from Spayne to Paria where in the region of Curiana he had in short space .xv. ounces of pearles great plenty of victuals for haukes belles pinnes lokyng glasses and such other tryfles Of certayne coniectures whereby Paria is thought to be part of the fyrme land of the golden region of Cauchieta where in the moneth of Nouember the ayre is temperate and not colde How Alphonsus had a conflict with the Canibales and how they are accustomed to inuade other countreys Of great abundaunce of salt in the region of Haraia and how the dead bodies of theyr princes are dryed reserued and religiously honoured Howe Alphonsus at his returne to Spayne from Curiana brought with him threscore sixteene pounde weyght of pearles whiche he bought for our tryfles amountyng only to the value of fyue shillynges The contentes of the nienth booke Fol. 47. THe nauigation of Vincentius Pinzonus and Aries Pinzonus and howe they sayled beyond the Equinoctiall line lost the syght of the north starre and founde the starres in other order Howe Vincentius passing the Equinoctial toward the South pole founde fierce and warlyke people of great stature and of the sea of freshe water Howe Vincentius directing his course towarde the Northwest from the Equinoctiall recouered the syght of the North-pole and by the regions of Mariatambal Camomorus and Pericora came to the fayre and rych prouince of Paria and to the regions of Os draconis Cumana Manacapana Curiana c. A coniecture that Paria wherby is ment that mayne lande nowe called America shoulde be part of the fyrme lande or continent of India beyonde the riuer of Ganges no Iland and of the exceeding great riuer Maragnonus replenished with Ilandes Of Boriostomea and Spiriostomea the mouthes of the famous ryuer of Dunabius called in old tyme Ister and of the commodities of the regions and Ilandes about Paria also of the woods of Brasile trees Of many fruitfull Ilandes wasted and left desolate by reason of the Canibales crueltie and of the trees of Cassia Fistula also of other trees of exceeding bygnesse The discription of a certayne monstruous beast and howe Vincentius lost two of his shyps by tempest Howe Vincentius at his returne to Spaine brought with hym Cinamome Ginger and certayne precious stones called Topases And of the nauigations of certayne other inhabitantes of the towne of Palos Of the precious medicine called Animae Album and of the diuers superstitions of the inhabitauntes of Hispniola also of theyr Idolatrie and howe they honour the Images of deuylles whiche they call Zemes. The Contentes of the tenth booke Fol. 54. OF great plentie of gold pearles and frankensence founde in the regions of Paria and of innumerable beastes in shape differyng from ours Howe the Spaniardes proffered them selues to conquere the new founde landes beyng in largenesse thryse as great as Europe besyde the South landes parteynyng to the Portingales and howe the nature of the place altereth the fourmes and qualities of thynges Of the Ilande of Cuba and of the golde mynes of the Ilande of Sancti Iohannis otherwyse called Burichena or Buchena Also of the ryche gold mynes of Hispaniola and of the order of workyng in the same Of the two chiefe golde mynes of Hispaniola and of a peece of golde weighing three thousande three hundred and ten pounde weyght How the gold is fined and distributed ▪ and howe that only in the melting shops of the two golden mines of Hispaniola is molten yeerely aboue three hundred thousand pounde weight of gold Howe thenterpryses of the Spanyardes are not inferiour to thactes of Saturnus or Hercules and howe the Admirall discouered the lande ouer agaynst the West corner of Cuba and the Ilande of Guanassa The Contentes of the bookes of the seconde Decade The
euery house also howe the treasurie of nature is in those coastes and of the golde mynes of Dariena Howe kyng Teaocha gaue Vaschus .xx. poundes weyght of wrought golde and two hundred pearles also of desartes full of wylde beastes and howe Vaschus was troubled with great heate in the moneth of Nouember Howe a dogge Tyger was taken and his whelpes tyed in cheynes and torne in peeces also how Vaschus gaue .iiii. kynges to his dogges to be deuoured Of the vse of dogges in theyr warres and of the fiercenesse of the Caniballes How kyng Bononiana fauoured the Christians gaue Vaschus xx pound weyght of wrought golde also his oration to Vaschus A similitude prouyng great plentie of golde in the regions of the South sea and of the trauayles which olde souldyers are able to susteyne The contentes of the thyrd booke Fol. 105. HOwe kyng Buchibuea submitted him selfe to Vaschus sent him certayne vesselles of golde also how kyng Chiorisus sent him .xxx. dyshes of pure golde Howe Iron serueth for more necessary vses then golde also an example of the lyfe of our fyrst parentes Howe kyng Pocchorrosa submitted hym selfe and gaue Vaschus fyftiene pounde weyght of wrought golde also how Tumanama the great kyng of the golden regions towarde the South sea is taken prysoner lykewyse howe he gaue Vaschus .xxx. pounde weyght of pure and wrought golde and his noble men .lx. pounds weyght of golde Of the cause of vehement wyndes neere vnto the Equinoctiall lyne and of the coloure of the earth of the golden mynes Of the large and fruitefull playne of Zauana and of the ryuer Comogrus also howe kyng Comogrus baptised by the name of Charles gaue Vaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Of the good fortune of Vaschus and howe he was turned from Goliath to Elizeus from Anteus to Hercules with what facilitie the Spaniardes shall hereafter obtayne great plentie of golde and pearles Of the Spanyardes conquestes and fiercenesse of the Canibales also an exhortation to Christian princes to set forwarde Christes religion The contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 110. THe fourth viage of Colonus the Admiral from Spayne to Hispaniola and to the other Ilandes and coastes of the firme lande also of the floryshyng Ilande Guanassa Of the seuen kyndes of Date trees wylde vines and Mirobalanes also of byrdes and foules Of people of goodly stature whiche vse to paynt theyr bodyes and of the swyfte course of the sea from the east to the west also of freshe water in the sea Of the large regions of Paria Os Draconis and Quiriquetana and of great Tortoyses and reedes also of the foure fruitefull Ilands called Quatuor Tempora and .xii. Ilands called Limonares Of sweete sauoures and holsome ayre and of the region Quicuri and the hauen Cariai or Mirobalanus also of certayne ciuil people Of trees growyng in the sea after a straunge sort and of a straunge kynde of Monkyes whiche inuade men and feyght with wylde Bores Of the great gulfe of Cerabaro replenished with many fruitefull Ilandes and of the people whiche weare cheynes of golde made of ouches wrought to the similitude of dyuers wylde beastes and foules Of fyue villages whose inhabitauntes geue them selues onely to geatheryng of golde and are paynted vsyng to weare garlandes of Lions and Tygers clawes also of seuen ryuers in al the which is founde great plentie of golde and where the plentie of gold ceasseth Of certayne people whiche paynt theyr bodyes and couer theyr priuie members with shelles hauyng also plates of gold hangyng at theyr nosethrylles Of certayne woormes whiche beyng engendred in the seas neere about the Equinoctial eate holes in the shyppes and howe the Admirals shyppes were destroyed by them Howe the king of Beragua entertayned the Lieuetenaunt and of the great plentie of golde in the ryuer of Duraba and in al the regions there about also in rootes of trees and stones and in maner in al ryuers Howe the Lieuetenaunt and his company woulde haue erected a colonie besyde the ryuer of Beragua was repulsed by thinhabitauntes Howe the Admiral fel into the handes of the Barbarians of the Iland of Iamaica where he liued miserably the space of tenne monethes and by what chaunce he was saued and came to the Ilande of Hispaniola Of holsome regions temperate ayre and continual spryng al the whole yeere also of certayne people which honour golde religiously duryng theyr golden haruest Of the mountaynes of Beragua beyng fyftie myles in length and higher then the cloudes also the discription of other mountaynes and regions thereabout comparyng the same to Italy Colonus his opinion as touchyng the supposed continent and ioynyng of the north and south Ocean also of the breadth of the sayde continent or firme lande Of the regions of Vraba Beragua and the great ryuer Maragnonus and the ryuer of Dabaiba or Sancti Iohannis also of certayne maryshes and desolate wayes and of Dragons and Crocodiles engendred in the same Of .xx. golden ryuers about Dariena and of certayne precious stones especially a Diamonde of marueylous byggnesse bought in the prouince of Paria Of the heroical factes of the Spanyardes and howe they contemne effeminate pleasures also a similitude prouing great plentie of golde and precious stones The contentes of the fyft booke Fol. 119. THe nauigation of Petrus Arias from Spayne to Hispaniola and Dariena and of the Ilandes of Canarie also of the Ilands of Madanino Guadalupea and Galanta Of the sea of hearbes mountaynes couered with snow also of the swyft course of the sea towards the West Of the ryuer Gaira the region Caramairi and the port Carthago and Sancta Martha also of Americus Vesputius and his expert cunnyng in the knowledge of the carde compasse and quadrant How the Canibales assayled Petrus Arias with his whole nauie and shot of theyr venomous arrowes euen in the sea also of theyr houses and housholde stuffe How Gonsalus Ouiedus founde a Saphire bygger then a goose egge also Emerodes Calcidonies Iaspers and Amber of the mountaynes Of woods of Brasyle trees plentie of gold and marchasites of metals founde in the regions of Caramairi Gaira and Saturma also of a straunge kynde of marchaundies exercised among the people of Zunu That the region of Caramairi is lyke to an earthy Paradise of the fruitfull mountaynes and pleasaunt gardens of the same Of many goodly countreis made desolate by the fiercenesse of the Canibales and of diuers kyndes of bread made of rootes also of the maner of plantyng the roote of Iucca whose iuise is deadly poyson in the Ilandes and without hurt in the continent or fyrme lande Of certayne golden ryuers Hartes wylde Boores foules gossampine whyte marble and holsome ayre also of the great ryuer Maragnonus discending from the mountaynes couered with snowe called Serra Neuata How Petrus Arias wasted certaine Ilands of the Canibales how by the swyft course of the sea his shyps were caried in one night fourtie
splintes on their armes Lykewyse other peeces which they put on theyr heades and other partes of theyr bodies For they esteeme nothyng so muche as to appeare galant in the warres and to goe in most comely order that they can deuyse glysteryng with precious stones Iewels golde and feathers Of the least of these welkes or perewincles they make certayne litle beades of dyuers sortes and colours they make also litle bracelets which they myngle with gaudies of golde these they rowle about theyr armes from the elbowe to the wrest of the hande The lyke also doe 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 suche Iewelles and haue theyr neckes in maner laden therewith these beades and Iewelles and suche other trynkets they call Caquiras Besyde these also they weare certaine rynges of golde at theyr eares and nostrelles whiche they bore full of holes on both sydes so that the rynges hang vppon theyr lyppes Some of these Indians are poulde and rounded albeit commonly both the men and women take it for a decent thyng to weare long heare whiche the women weare to the myddest of theyr shoulders cut it equally especially aboue their browes this doe they with certayne harde stones whiche they keepe for the same purpose The pryncipall women when theyr teates fall or become loose beare them vp with barres of gold of the length of a spanne and a halfe well wrought and of suche byggenesse that some of them weygh more then twoo hundred Castelans or Ducades of golde these barres haue holes at both the endes whereat they tye two small cordes made of cotton at euery ende of the barres One of these cordes goeth ouer the shoulder and the other vnder the arme holes where they tye both togeather so that by this meanes the barre beareth vp theyr teates Some of these chiefe women goe to the battayle with theyr husbandes or when they them selues are regentes in any prouinces in the whiche they haue all thinges at commaundement and execute the office of generall captaines and cause them selues to bee caryed on mens backes in lyke maner as doe the Caciques of whom I haue spoken before These Indians of the firme lande are muche of the same stature and colour as are they of the Ilands they are for the most part of the colour of an olyue if there be any other difference it is more in bignesse then otherwise especially they that are called Coronati are stronger and bygger then any other that I haue seene in these parties except those of the Ilande of Giantes which are on the South side of the Ilande of Hispaniola neare vnto the coastes of the firme land and likewise certaine other which they call Iucatos which are on the North syde All which chiefly although they bee no Giantes yet are they doubtlesse the byggest of the Indians that are knowen to this day commonly bygger then the Flemynges and especially many of them aswell women as men are of very hygh stature and are all archers both men and women These Coronati inhabite thyrtie leagues in length by these coastes from the poynt of Canoa to the great ryuer which they call Guadalchiber neere vnto Sancta Maria de gratia As I trauersed by those coastes I fylled a butte of freshe water of that ryuer syxe leagues in the sea from the mouth thereof where it falleth into the sea They are called Coronati that is crowned because theyr heare is cutte rounde by theyr eares and poulde lower a great compase about the crowne much lyke the fryers of saint Augustines order And because I haue spoken of theyr maner of wearyng theyr heare heere commeth to my remembraunce a thyng 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 ours so that in commyng to handstrokes with them it shal be requisite not to strike them on the heads with swoords for so haue many swoordes been broken on theyr heades with litle hurte doone And to haue sayde thus much of theyr customes and maners it shall suffise for this tyme because I haue more largly intreated herof in my general historie of the Indies Yet haue I neyther there nor here spoken muche of that part of the firme lande whiche is called Noua Hispania that is newe Spayne whereof the Iland of Iucatana is part forasmuche as Ferdinando Cortesie hath written a large booke therof Of the houses of these Indies I haue spoken sufficiently els where Yet haue I thought good to infourme your maiestie of y e building and houses which the Christians haue made in diuers places in the firme lande They buylde them nowe therefore with two solars or loftes and with loopes and wyndowes to open and shutte also with strong tymber and very fayre boordes in suche sorte that any noble man may well and pleasauntly be lodged in some of them And among other I my selfe caused one to be builded in the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena which cost me more then a thousand and fiue hundred Castelans beyng of such sort that I may well entertayne and commodiously lodge any Lord or noble man reseruing also part for my selfe and my famylie for in this may many householdes be kept both aboue and beneath It hath also a fayre garden with many Orange trees both sweete and sowre Cedars also and Limons of the which there is nowe great plentie in the houses of the Christians On one syde of the garden there runneth a fayre riuer The situation is very pleasaunt with a good and holsome ayre and a fayre prospecte about the ryuer In fine our trust is that in fewe yeeres al thinges in these regions shal growe to a better state accordyng to the holy intention of your 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 Christians not so many as they ought to be forasmuche as many of them that were in this Iland are gone to other Ilandes and to the fyrme lande For beyng for the most parte young men vnmaried and desirous daily to see newe things wherin mans nature deliteth they were not willing to continue long in one place especially seeing daily other newe landes discouered where they thought they might sooner fill their purses by being present at the fyrst spoyle Wherin neuerthelesse their hope deceiued many of them and especially such as had houses habitations in this Ilande For I certainly beleeue confyrming my selfe herein with the iudgement of many other that if any one Prince had no more seignories then only this Ilande it shoulde in short tyme be such as not to geue place either to Sicilie or England wheras
very strong and swyfte Theyr horsemen are armed with pykes Ryuettes Mases of yron and arrowes Fewe haue hooked swoordes Theyr bodyes are defended with rounde Targets after the maner of the Turkes of Asia or with bendyng and cornarde Targettes after the maner of the Greekes Also with coates of mayle Brygantines and sharpe Helmets Basilius dyd furthermore instytute a bande of Hargabusiers on horsebacke and caused many great brasen peeces to be made by the workemanshyp of certayne Italians and the same with theyr stockes and wheeles to be placed in the Castle of Mosca The kyng him selfe with princely magnificence and singular familiaritie wherwith neuerthelesse no parte of the maiestie of a kyng is violate is accustomed to dyne openly with his noble men strange Ambassadours in his owne chamber of presence where is seene a marueylous quantitie of siluer gylt plate standyng vpon two great and high cubbardes in the same chamber He hath not about him any other garde for the custody of his person sauing only his accustomed familie For watch and warde is diligently kept of the faithful multitude of the citizens Insomuch that euery warde or quarter of the citie is inclosed with gates rayles and barres neyther is it lawfull for any man rashely to walke in the citie in the nyght or without lyght All the courâ—e consisteth of noble men Gentlemen and choyse souldyers which are called out of euery region by theyr townes and vyllages and commaunded to wayte course by course at certayne monethes appoynted Furthermore when warre is proclaymed all the armie is collected both of the olde souldyers and by musteryng of newe in all prouinces For the Lieuetenantes and Captaynes of the army are accustomed in al cities to muster the youth to admyt to the order of souldyers such as they thinke able to serue the turne Theyr wages is payde them of the common treasury of euery prouince whiche is geathered and partly payde also in the tyme of peace although it be but litle But such as are assigned to the warres are free from all tributes and inioye certayne other priuilegies whereby they may the more gladly and cheerfully serue theyr kyng and defende theyr countrey For in the tyme of warre occasion is mynistred to shewe true vertue and manhood where in so great and necessarie an institution euery man accordyng to his approued actiuitie and ingenious forwardenesse may obtayne the fortune eyther of perpetuall honour or ignominie Vix olim vlla fides referrentibus horrida regna Moschorum Ponti res glacialis erat Nunc Iouio autore illa oculis lustramus et vrbes Et nemora et montes cernimus et fluuios Moschouiam monumenta Ioui tua culta reuoluens Caepi alios mundos credere Democriti Other notable thinges as concernyng Moscouia geathered out of the bookes of Sigismundus Liberus Note that when he sayth myles he meaneth leagues FRom whence Russia had the name there are dyuers opinions Some thynke that it was so named of one Russus the sonne or neuiew of Lech the kyng of the Polons Other affirme that it was so called of a certayne olde towne named Russus not farre from Nouogoroda or Nouogradia the more Some also thynke that it was so called of the browne coloure of the nation But the Moscouians confute all these opinions as vntrue affirmyng that this nation was in olde tyme called Rosseia as a nation dispersed as the name it selfe doth declare For Rosseia in the Ruthens tongue doth signifie dispersed or scattered The whiche thyng to be true dyuers other people commyxt with thinhabitauntes and dyuers prouinces lying here and there betwene diuers parts of Russia do plainly declare But whence soeuer they tooke theyr name doubtlesse all the people that vse the Slauon tongue and professe the fayth of Christ after the maner of the Greekes called in theyr common language Russi and in the Latin tongue Rutheni are increased to such a multitude that they haue eyther expulsed all the nations that lye betwene them or drawne them to theyr maner of lyuing in somuche that they are nowe called all Rutheni by one common name Furthermore the Slauon tongue whiche at this daye is somewhat corruptly called Sclauon runneth exceedyng farre as vsed of the Dalmates Bossuenser Croatians Istrians and by along tracte of the sea Adriatike vnto Forum Iulij Of the Caruians also whom the Venetians call Charsos and lykewyse of the Carniolans and Carinthians vnto the ryuer Drauus Furthermore of the Stirians within Gretzium and by Muera vnto Danubius and from thence of the Misians Seruians Bulgarians and other inhabityng euen vnto Constantinople Furthermore of the Bohemians Lusacians Silesians Morauians and thinhabitauntes neere vnto the ryuer Vagus in the kyngdome of Hungarie The Polones also and the Ruthenians whose Empire reacheth very farre lykewyse the Circasians and Quinquemontanians vnto Pontus and is from thence vsed in the North partes of Germanie among the remnant of the Vandales inhabityng here and there All whiche nations although they acknowledge them selues to bee Sclauons yet the Germans takyng the denomination onely of the Vandales call all them that vse the Slauon tongue Vuenden or Vuinden or Vuindysh Of the Princes that nowe reigne in Russia the chiefe is the great Duke of Moscouia who possesseth the greatest part thereof The seconde is the great Duke of Lithuania and the thyrde the kyng of Polonie who nowe obteyneth the dominion of Polonie and Lithuania In aucthoritie and dominion ouer his subiectes the prince of Moscouie passeth all the monarkes of the worlde For he depriueth all his noble men and gentelmen of all theyr holdes and munitions at his pleasure He trusteth not his owne brethren but oppresseth all with lyke seruitude Insomuch that whom so euer he commaundeth either to remaine with him in the courte or to go to the warres or sendeth on ambassage they are compelled to be at theyr owne charges except the young gentelmen the sonnes of the Boiarons that is the noble men of the lowest degree He vsurpeth this aucthoritie aswell ouer the spiritualtie as the temporaltie constituting what him listeth of the goods and lyfe of all men Of his counsellers there is not one that dare dissent from hym in any thyng They openly confesse that the wyl of theyr prince is the will of God and therfore call hym the key bearer and chamberlen of God beleeue hym to be the executor of Gods will By reason wherof the prince hym selfe when any peticion is made to hym for the deliuerie of any captiue is acaccustomed to answere when God commaundeth he shal be deliuered Lykewyse when any asketh a question of an vncertaine or doubtful thyng theyr custome is to answere thus God knoweth and the great Prince It is vncertayne whether the crueltie and fyrcenesse of the nation do require so tyrannous a Prince or whether by the tiranny of the Prince the nation is made so fierce
lesse dignitie the ancient renoume thereof greatly diminished and the name deuided into the prouinces confine or adiacent vnto it So that now the prouince of Persia as it is diuided conteyneth eight kingdomes whereof the first is named Chasum the seconde Churdistam the third Loc the fourth Cielstam the fyft Instanich the sixte Zerazi the seuenth Socham and the eight Timochaim in the confines of Persia. There are very fayre and goodly horses of great price insomuch that sometymes one is solde for .200 pounds of Turon Merchants bring them to the cities of Chisi and Curmosa situate on the sea side and sell them into India Also Asses be there very fayre and great insomuch that sometymes one is solde for .xxx. pounde weight of siluer The people is of euyll disposition quarellous theeues and murderers and robbe and kyll merchantes by the way except they goe in great companyes Yet in the cities they are of betâ—er maners and of more humanitie also very excellent artificers in woorkes of gold silke Embroderie needle woorke and suche lyke They haue aboundance of bombasine wheate barlye myll wyne also and fruites but in religion they are Mahumetans Of the kyngdome of the Persians Haithon in his booke de Tartaris Cap. vii writeth as foloweth THe kyngdome of the Persians is diuided chiefly into two partes whiche make one kyngdome bicause they are both subiecte to the dominion of one kyng The first parte of Persia beginneth in the East from the confines of the kingdome of Turquestan and is extended toward the West to the great ryuer of Phison which is the chiefe among the foure floodes which run out of earthly Paradyse Towarde the North it is extended to the Caspian sea and towarde the South vnto the desartes of India The region is in maner all playne in the middest whereof are two very great and riche cities the one is named Boctara and the other Seonorgant The Persians haue a language proper to them selues they vse merchandies and tyllage of the grounde and among them selues lyue in peace In tyme paste they were Idolatours and honoured fyre chiefly for God But after that the secte of the Mahumetans occupied the dominion of those landes they became vniuersally Saracens beleeuing the deuilishe doctrine of Mahumet The other parte of Persia beginneth from the riuer Phison and is extended Westward vnto the confines of the kyngdomes of Media and partely also of Armenia the greater Toward the North it is extended vnto the Caspian sea on the South syde it confineth with a certaine prouince of the kingdom of Media and in this prouince are two great cities one named Nesabor and the other Sachen whiche in secte and maners are lyke vnto the other Of Persia and of dyuers cities therof other notable thinges reade heereafter the thirde booke of the voyage of Lodouicus Vartomannus Also the first booke of the same voyage Cap. 12. of Mahumet and his fellowes where you may see the difference in religion betweene the Turkes and Persians beyng both Mahumetans The name of the Sophie Thomas Shaugh and why he is so called THe Persians doe not call theyr kyng by the name of Sophie but this name Sophie is giuen him by other nations for of his owne people he is called Thomas Shaugh whiche is Thomas the ruler Soltan or gouernour for Shaugh is not the name of a kyng but of an office For a kyng in theyr language is called Pachet but no Prince is called by this name before hee haue reigned by seuen discentes but he that nowe reygneth is but only of fyue discentes and is therefore called only Shaugh which is a name of office He hath foure wyues and .xii. sonnes and hath kepte one of his sonnes in prison many yeeres for a great ouerthrowe whiche he gaue the Turke in the warres although he tooke the same for acceptall seruice and a noble exployt Yet forasmuch as by that facte he obteyned great renoume of a valiant and warlyke man he began him selfe to haue him in suspition least the glorie of that enterprise myght encourage him to attempt somewhat agaynst his father as oftentymes the Turkes sonnes haue rebelled agaynst theyr fathers yet liuyng and displaced them of their dignitie Of the kyngdome of Ormus confine to Persia and of the trafique betweene them Also of the citie and Ilande of Ormus or Armusium ORmus is a great kyngdome and hath a peculiar Kyng tributorie to the kyng of Portugale This kyngdome conteyneth all the sea coastes of Arabia in the gulfe of Persia from the mouth of the riuer of Euphrates vntill the Cape of Razalguati and also parte of the kingdome of Persia whiche is adiacent vnto the streight of Bazora called Fretum Bazorae and in maner all the Ilandes of the gulfe of Persia called Sinus Persicus The Metrapolis or chiefe citie of the kingdome of Ormus is the citie of Ormus situate in an Iland named Geru being one of the famost martes of these partes of the world The Iland is within the gulf of Persia not far within the streight of Bazora This streight of Bazora other haue named the streight of Ormus being betweene Arabia Foelix and the region of Persia. The region of Ormus is well peopled hath many goodly places cities The gulfe is not euery where nauigable by reason of many shelues and lowe places Within foure dayes sayling of Ormus are the Ilandes of Baharen where are found the fayrest orientall pearls of the world Ormus vseth trafique of merchandies with Adem Cambaia and with the kingdomes of Decan Goa with the portes of Narsinga Malabar The chiefe merchandies brought from thence are horses of Arabia Persia pearles salt peter brimstone silke Tutia Alume also Alume of Alexandria or Borace Uâ—triol or Copporose salt in great quantitie siluer Muske Ambar wheate many dryed fruites Ryse many other prouisions of vittailes and other thinges to be eaten For these they returne pepper cloues Cinamon Ginger and diuers other sorts of spices and drugges which are dispersed into sundry regions of Persia and Arabia and also into Aden where there is great plentie But if they be deare in Ormus it is not possible that they should be caryed to Cair to come into Italie Theyr returne is with Ryse as much as they can haue white cloth Iron Theyr horses are of marueylous great price in the kyngdomes of Goa Decan and Narsinga and therefore yeerely the merchantes of Ormus bryng many thither and yet sometyme one horse is there at the price of vii hundred of those peeces of golde which they call Saraffos The best are of Arabia the seconde of Persia and the woorst of Cambaia Of the Sophie and kyngdome of Persia after the later writers PErsia is one of the greatest and most famous Prouinces of the worlde It toucheth not the sea but at the gulfe of Ormus On the syde of Cambaia it confineth with the people named Motagues on the syde of
not vnlyke of heare They haue eyes lyke swyne the snout or trunke very long wherwith they put meate and drinke into their mouth and therefore may it well be called the hande of the Elephant The mouth is vnder the throte much lyke the mouth of a Sowe and the trunke is holowe and can therwith holde fast stickes or slaues and them rule as it were with a hande I sawe also the trunke of a tree ouerthrowen by an Elephant which xxiiii men attempting could not doe The two great teeth or tuskes are placed in the highest iawe Ech of their eares are two handfuls byg whether the beast be of the bygger or lesse kinde The feete are like vnto such round thicke trenchers of wood as he commonly vsed The foote conteineth fyue hoofes in roundnesse like vnto great Oysters The tayle is lyke to the tayle of a Bufle foure handfull long and of thyn heare The Females are also bigger then the Males they are of sundry bignes for some are of .xiii. handfuls high and other of .xiiii. handfuls and some also haue been seene of sixtiene handfuls They goe slowly and walowing and therfore some that haue not ben vsed to them are moued to vomite euen as it were on the sea Yet is it a pleasure to ryde on the young Elephantes bicause they goe softly like ambeling Mules When you mount on them they stoope bend their knees that you may easily ascende They are neuer brydeled neyther vse theyr keepers any halters to gouerne them Of the ingendering of Elephantes and of the magnificence riches of the king of Narsinga Cap. 10. WHen they ingender they resorte to the medowes or woods for by a certaine naturall shamefastnesse they doe it not but in secrete places Although some Aucthours haue written that Elephants engender backward Some take it for a great present to giue the king the member or pissell of an Elephant whiche perhappes they doe for the exceedyng great price of Elephantes For some are solde there for fyue hundred peeces of golde and some as they say for two thousande which peraduenture is not for theyr greatnesses of bodie but rather for certayne properties wyt docilitie wherein some farre exceede other euen as among men And I dare well say that I haue seene some men much inferior to Elephants in wyt and sense Therefore the kyng of Narsinga in riches and dominion farre exceedeth all kynges that euer I haue seene or hearde of The citie in situation and fayrenesse representeth the citie of Milane except only that it is in a declining place and lesse equal Other kingdoms which are subiect to this lye round about it as the kyngdome of Ausonia Venice lye about Milane Their Bramini so are the priestes named tolde me y t the king receiueth dayly of that citie for tribute or reuenue the summe of twelue thousandes of those peeces of golde whiche they call Pardios He maynteyneth an army of many thousandes of men for he liueth in continuall warre with his borderers He is an Idolatour and honoureth the deuyl euen as doth the kyng of Calecut They that are of the rychest sorte vse a slender inwarde apparell or peticote not very long and bynde theyr heades with a phillet or broade bande of sundry colours after the maner of the Mahumetans The common sorte couer only theyr priuities and are besyde all naked The kyng weareth a Cappe of cloth of golde of two handfulles long when he goeth to warre he weareth a vesture of bombasine and thereon a cloke adourned with plates of gold hauyng the borderer garde besette with all sortes of precious stones and Iewelles His horse with the furniture is esteemed to bee woorth as muche as one of our cities by reason of innumerable Iewelles of great price When he goeth a huntyng three other kynges beare him company whose office is to be euer neare him and guyde him When he maketh any iourney or rydeth abrode he is accompanyed with six thousand horsemen And therefore it is manifeste that not only for these thynges whereof we haue spoken but also for dyuers other of lyke magnificence hee is one of the greatest Kynges in the worlde He coyneth money and peeces of golde named Pardios Also other siluer money of lesse value whiche they call Fano conteynyng the value of sixtiene of the smallest money of copper Traueylers may here goe safely through all his dominions if they can auoyde the daunger of the Lions Of theyr dyet and order of lyuyng I will speake more largely where occasion shall serue to wryte of Calecut This kyng of Narsinga is a great friende to the Christians and is in great amitie with the kyng of Portugale and besyde him hee knoweth none other Christian Prince and therefore the Portugales are here friendly and honourably vsed When I had remayned in this citie many dayes I returned to the citie of Canonor And after I had remayned there three dayes I entered further into the lande and came to a citie named Trompata about twelue myles from Canonor The inhabitauntes are Idolatours It is neare vnto the sea and therefore there are seene many merchantes Mahumetans They lyue moderately haue in maner none other ryches then nuttes of India but there are very fayre trees to make shyppes There are in the citie aboue fiftiene thousande Mahumetans although the Kyng be an Idolatour Departyng from hence I came to the citie of Pandara and from thence passyng by the citie of Capagot I came at the length to the famous citie of Calecut And to be breefe I haue here ouerpassed to speake largely of many other people and kyngdomes as are these Chianul Dabul Bathecalo Onouè Bangolor Cauonor Cuchin Cacilon and Calonue which I haue done to the ende that I may entreat more largely of Calecut as the chiefest and as it were the head and metropolitane of all the cities of India For it is certayne that the Kyng of Calecut in royall maiestie exceedeth all the kynges of the East and is therefore in theyr language called Samory that is to say God on the earth The fyfth booke of East India and fyrst of the famous citie of Calecut Cap. 1. THe citie of Calecut is situate vppon the continent or firme lande and the sea beateth vppon the houses of the citie There is no porte but on the South syde about a myle from the citie is a ryuer which runneth into the Ocean sea by a narow mouth This runneth by many braunches into the playne feeldes and is of the inhabitantes by diuers trenches dispearsed to water the grounde It is not past the depth of three or foure foote of water The course of it bendeth towarde the citie and runneth into it The citie is not compassed with walles but conteyneth in circuite sixe thousande houses not adherent or ioynyng togeather after the maner of ours but by a
as sayled behynd the Sunne towarde the West dyd greatly lengthen the daye And albeit that the sayde booke of Peter Martyr is peryshed yet hath not fortune permytted that the memorie of so woorthy and marueylous an enterpryse shoulde vtterly be extincte forasmuche as a certayne noble gentelman of the citie of Vincenza in Italie called master Antonie Pigafetta who beyng one of the companie of that voyage and after his returne into Spayne in the shyppe Victoria was made knyght of the Rhodes wrote a particular and large booke thereof whiche he gaue to Themperours Maiestie and sent a copie of the same into Fraunce to the lady Regent mother vnto the French king who committed it to an excellent philosopher called master Iacobus Faber hauing long studied in Italy wyllyng hym to translate it into the Frenche tongue This booke therefore was printed fyrst in the Frenche tongue and then in the Italian with also an epistle to the Cardinall of Salsepurge as touchyng the same voyage written by Maximilian Transiluane secretarie to Themperours Maiestie in the yeere 1522. And doubtlesse among all the cities of Italie the citie of Vincenza may herein muche glorie that besyde the auncient nobilitie and many excellent and rare wyttes whiche it hath brought foorth aswell in learnyng as discipline of warre it hath also had so woorthy and valiaunt a gentleman as was the sayde master Antonie Pigafetta who hauyng compassed about the ball or globe of the worlde hath lykewyse described that voyage particularly For the whiche his so noble and wonderfull an enterprise so happily atchiued if the same had ben done in the olde tyme when Th empyre of the Greekes and Romans floryshed he shoulde doubtlesse haue ben rewarded with an Image of marble or gold erected in a place of honour in perpetuall memorie and for a singular example of his vertue to the posteritie In fine this may we boldly affyrme that the antiquitie had neuer such knowledge of the worlde whiche the Sunne compasseth about in .xxiiii. houres as we haue at this present by the industrie of men of this our age But before I speake any thyng of the vyage I haue thought it good fyrst to adde hereunto the Epistle of Maximilian Transiluane which he wrote to the Cardinall of Salsepurge as a preface to his sayde booke ¶ The Epistle of Maximilian Transiluane secretarie to the Emperours Maiestie written to the ryght honorable and reuerende lorde the lord Cardinal of Salepurge of the marueylous and woonderfull nauigation made by the Spanyardes rounde about the worlde in the yeere of Christ M.D.xix. IN these dayes my most honorable and reuerend lord returned one of those fiue ships whiche the yeere before Themperours beyng at Saragosa in Spaine were at his maiesties commaundement sent to the newe worlde heretofore vnknowen vnto vs to seeke the Ilandes of spices For albeit the Portugales bryng vs great quantitie of Spyces from that part of East India whiche in olde tyme was called Aurea Chersonesus where is nowe thought to be the great rych citie of Malaccha yet in East India growe none of those Spyces except Pepper For other Spyces as Sinamome Cloues Nuttemegs and Mase whiche is the huske that couereth the shell of the Nut are brought from other farre countreys and from Ilandes scarsely knowen by theyr names from the whiche Ilandes they are brought in shyppes or barkes made without any Iron tooles and tyed togeather with cordes of Date trees with rounde sayles lykewyse made of the small twigges of the branches of Date trees weaued togeather These barkes they call Giuâ—che with the whiche barkes and sayles they make theyr viage with only one wynde in the stearne or contrarywyse Neyther yet is it a thyng greatly to be marueiled at that these Ilands where the Spices growe haue ben vnknowen so many worlde 's past vnto our tyme forasmuch as all suche thynges as vnto this daye haue ben wrytten of old autours of the places where spices growe are all fabulous and false Insomuch that the countreys where they affyrme them to growe are nowe certaynely founde to be further from the place where they growe in deede then we are from them For lettyng passe many other thynges that are wrytten I wyll speake more of this which Herodotus otherwise a famous auctoure affirmeth that Sinamome is founde in the toppes of the nestes of certayne byrdes and foules that bryng it from farre countreys and especially the Phenyx the whiche I knowe no man that euer hath seene But Plinie who might more certaynely affyrme thinges by reason that before his tyme many thynges were knowen and discouered by the nauigations of great Alexander and other sayth that Sinamome groweth in that part of Ethiope which the people inhabit called Trogloditi Neuerthelesse it is now found that Sinamome groweth very far from all Ethiope now much further from the Trogloditi which dwel in caues vnder the ground But to our men which are now returned from those partes and the Ilandes of spices hauyng also good knowledge of Ethiope it was necessarie to passe far beyond Ethiope before they come to these Ilands and to compasse about the whole worlde and many tymes vnder the greatest circumference of heauen The which nauigations made by them beyng the most marueylous thyng that euer was done by man vppon the earth sence the fyrst creation of the worlde and neuer founde before or knowen or attempted by any other I haue deliberated faythfully to wryte to your honorable lordeshyppe and to declare the whole successe thereof As touchyng which matter I haue with all diligence made inquisition to knowe the trueth aswell by relation of the Captayne of that shyppe as also by conference with euery of the maryners that returned with hym All whiche gaue the seâ—fe same information both to Themperours Maiestie and diuers other And this with such faythfulnesse and sinceritie that not onely they are iudged of all men to haue declared the trueth in all thynges but haue thereby also geuen vs certaine knowledge that al that hath hitherto ben sayd or wrytten of olde autours as touchyng these thynges are false and fabulous For who wyl beleeue that men are founde with onely one legge Or with suche feete whose shadowe couereth theyr bodyes Or men of a cubite heyght and other suche lyke beyng rather monsters then men Of the whiche neyther the Spanyardes who in our tyme saylyng by the Ocean sea haue discouered all the costes of the lande towarde the West both vnder and aboue the Equinoctiall nor the Portugales who compassyng about all Affryke hath passed by all the East and lykewyse discouered all those costes vnto the great gulfe called Sinus Magnus nor yet the Spaniardes in this theyr last nauigation in the which they compassed about the whole earth dyd neuer in any of theyr viages wryte of such monsters which doubtlesse they would not haue omytted if they myght haue had certayne
magnanimitte to sende to the sayde fyrme landes and Ilandes honest vertuous and learned men suche as feare GOD and are able to instruct thinhabitantes in the Catholyke fayth and good maners applying all theyr possible deligence in the premisses We furthermore streightly inhibite all maner of persons of what state degree order or condition soeuer they be although of Imperiall and regall dignitie vnder the payne of the sentence of excommunicatiō which they shal incurre if they do to the contrary that they in no case presume without speciall lycence of you your heyres and successours to trauayle for merchaundies or for any other cause to the sayde landes or Ilandes founde or to be founde discouered or to be discouered towarde the West and South drawyng a lyne from the pole Artyke to the pole Antartike whether the firme landes and Ilandes founde and to be founde be situate toward India or toward any other part beyng distant from the line drawen a hundred leagues toward the west from any of the Ilands commonly called De los Azores and Capo Verde Notwithstandyng constitutions decrees and Apostolycall ordinaunces whatsoeuer they are to the contrary In hym from whom Empyres dominions and all good thynges do proceede Trustyng that almyghtie GOD directyng your enterprices if you folowe your Godly and laudable attemptes your labours and trauayles herein shall in shorte tyme obtayne a happie ende with felicitie and glory of all Christian people But forasmuche as it shoulde be a thyng of great difficultie these letlers to be caryed to all suche places as shoulde be expedient we wyll and of lyke motion and knowledge do decree that whyther so euer the same shal be sent or wheresoeuer they shal be receiued with the subscription of a common notarie thereunto requyred with the seale of any person constitute in ecclesiasticall dignitie or suche as are aucthorised by the Eclesiasticall court the same fayth and credite to be geuen thereunto in iudgement ▪ or els where as shoulde be exhibyted to these presentes It shal therefore be lawefull for no man to infrynge or rashly to contrary this letter of our commendation exhortation request donation graunt assignation constitution deputation decreee commaundement inhibition and determination And if any shall presume to attempte the same he ought to know that he shal therby incurre the indignation of almyghty God and his holy Apostles Peter and Paule Geuen at Rome at saint Peters In the yeere of thincarnation of our lorde M. CCCC.lxxxxiii The fourth day of the nones of Maye the fyrst yeere of our seate An Abridgement of P. Martyr his .5.6.7 and .8 Decades and particulerly of Ferd. Cortesius conquest of Mexico by R. VV. THe fyrst foure Decades of P. Martyr you haue already seene done into Englyshe by R. Eden as also certayne parcelles of the foure last P. Martir made eight decades of the west Indish newes in lesse labour these may be run ouer speciall regarde being had vnto that Decade wherein the more principall matter is expressed I meane the fyrst and that chiefly for the famous conquest of the citie Themistitan in Mexico prouince yea of all that great region we doe nowe vsually call newe Spaine As for the sixte Decade it conteyneth very little matter woorth the rehearsal except it be certeine reportes of the Spaniards how they found where they traueyled in the West Indies plough stuffe of gold that the prince of Nicoragua with his family became christian that certaine beardles Indians greatly feare suche men as haue beardes that they vse to sacrifice lyue men vnto their Idolles eyther taken in the warres or fatted vp at home bountefully for that purpose that Nicoragua Mere for the greatnesse and vnknowen length thereof for the ebbes and fluddes and many Ilandes therin myght woorthely be called a freshe water sea This freshet hath ben thought to run into the Northwesterne streicte rather of ignorance the course therof being not throughly knowen than that it so falleth out in deede as P. Martyr wryteth Finally in the .9 .10 bookes of the sixt Decade newes is sent to Rome of the controuersie betwixt the Spaniardes Portugales concernyng the Moluccaes handled more effectually in more ample maner by R. Eden Fol. 448. than P. Martyr in this place penned it Wherfore it were a needlesse woorke and actum agere in deede to trouble the reader therewith any further especially whereas in this volume mention hath ben made therof euen by P. Martyr him selfe as you haue already seene The lyke opinion am I also of touching the .vii. .viii. decades some parcels wherof the Aucthour doth repeate out of his former writinges as Dec. 7. c. 2. the ruine of the Ilandes Iucaies out of his fourth Dec. c. 3. Item out of the second Decade c. 10. the nature of that spring in the Ilande Boiuca otherwyse called Agnaneo the water whereof who so drinketh by reporte of an old man becommeth young agayne is in many woordes repeated by P. Martyr Dec. 7. c. 7. the whole summe of whose seconde discourse thereof is expressed in the former place by R. Edens addition of this clause Perhappes with some diet the which woordes are not in P. Martyr his texte to be shorte the two kindes of breade the Indians doe make of the rootes Iucca and a kynd of graine called Maiz suffitiently declared Dec. 1. lib. 1. Dec. 3. lib. 5. lib. 9. Dec. 3. be repeated againe Dec. 8. c. 3. Other parcelles of these aforesayd Decades wherein the subtelties of theyr Magicians and Coniurers Peaces or Pages are discribed their Tigres crueltie their sundry kindes of wylde beastes foule Serpents their diuers sortes of trees and fruites partly may you reade of in the breuiarie of Gonzal Ferd. Ouiedus historie as of the fountayne of pytch the stone pellets naturally made for Gunnes Fol. 224. out of the .7 Decade c. 7. and the Glowoormes out of the same c. 9. partly in R. Eden his notes of newe Spayne Peru Rio de la Plata Baccaleos and Florida set downe in this volume Fol. 225. as particulerly of the Nutshelles vsed in steede of money taken out of P. Mart. Dec. 8. c. 4. Partly in Theuetus woorkes of the newe founde worlde Englished long since and finally in those bookes which sundry learned Simplicistes haue lately written principally to ayde the Phisitians of our tyme. Some other curiosities there be conteyned in P. Martyr his two last Decades namely the Iucaien women to be so fayre that for theyr loue other countrey Barbares seeke to inhabite those Ilandes Dec. 7. c. 1. The Spanyardes well vsed of the Iucaiens contrary to all curtesie to haue carried away many of those Ilanders into slauery and misery Agayne certayne traueylers to haue ben seene there that had tayles lyke fyshe Dec. 7. c. 2. Fonde fantasies of mens soules departed Dec. 7. c. 3. wandring first North and than South about the worlde afterwarde to growe young agayne in iolitie Agayne other to imagine that the departed
set foorth at large those thinges by leasure which briefly are noted and signified in fewe vnto some that willingly woulde not be altogeather ignorant thereof nor yet stande to long in any such discourses To set downe particulerly eche Spanyarde and Portugale his doynges in these new discouered landes to drawe Geographically the places to wryte all their battelles victories and conquestes to describe the cities rased the townes erected to poynte out the Capitaynes personages to shewe theyr traueyles and good hap it would requyre an other Homere an other Thucydides an other Liuius labour it would requyre an other Emperour to set students a woorke as Iustinian dyd his lawe geatherers the relations of the Indyshe traueylers are so many in number theyr reportes so diuers the volumes written therof so huge and in so sundry languages R.W. FINIS R. VVilles Speciall aduises to be obserued in readyng ouer this woorke Fol. 6. De Medea put out De. Fol. 7. Of my Decades reade of my fyrst Decade For as the two fyrst bookes of the first Decade were by P.M. dedicated vnto Ascanio Visconte than Cardinall and Uicechaunceller of Rome so are the eight bookes folowing in the same Decade written to the Cardinall of Aragonia Fol. 54. Euery Decade hath ten bookes or Chapters whereof it hath according to the Greeke woord that name Fol. 20 A. and. O. c. His meanyng is that this selfe same poynte is extreme West in respect of one halfe of the worlde and extreme East in respecte of the other halfe or hemisphere beneath vs. Fol. 31. Iuga de Canias Reade Iuego de Canas Fol. 35. Barramedabas Reade Barrameda Fol. 39. To be part of the continent This was then spoken for want of further knowledge as in other writynges folowyng it will appeare Fol. 45. The gold whereof they are made is natiue c. This place should be thus Englished Their golde is lyke vnto that golde in Germany wherof the Florenes are made The nexte sentence likewise is not without some falte of the translator for the latin goeth thus Alibi in eo tractu intra vaginam mentularem neruum reducunt funicuio que praeputium alligant Fol. 47. Gorgodes Meducias Reade Medusaeas Fol 49. Being demaunded of me This place should you reade thus Being demaunded of me afterwarde were it not a sea separating two landes they answered the water there of to be fresh sweete the further they went vp against the streame it to be so much the more freshe sweete to be full of Ilandes and holesome fishe They dare aduouche the breadth thereof to be more than .30 leagues and the ryuer very swiftly to fall into the sea yeeldyng vnto the fury of the freshe water Fol. 49. Beyond the citie of Cathayo They supposed it according to theyr skyll in vnknowen places Fol. 50. Animae album Reade Animen Item You shall now therfore This sentence is not in P.M. But an other of the same length wherin he abaseth his own knowledge in respecte of T. Liuius and auoucheth the fantasiâ—s folowing to be better than Lucianus tales for that Lucianus â—â—â—ned his fables but these follyes to be truly suche in deede Fol 51. But nowe most noble Prince Three other vaine tales are here left out of the beginning of the sea and the original of woman kynde all Greece could neuer haue imagined more vayne more scornefull more shamefull fables and so are they lefte to such as lyst to reade them in that language wherin P. Martyr dyd wryte them with the prayse of suche Barbarous ministers as doe preache them Fol. 57 The yeere of Christ .1520 Reade .1502 Fol. 83. Pezulana Reade Petrus Arias Fol. 89. Or that in Niogita Reade or that in the blacke burnt Moores countrey or kyngdome of Melinde Fol. 90. Water is turned into ayre Reade ayre is turned into water Fol. 98. The niene Boates of Culchas Reade or Culchas Fol. 153. Coâ—lacutea Reade Calecut Cochin Comorin Fol. 164. Etesti Reade Etesiae Fol. 169. â—emobal Reade Cempoal Fol. 186. The generations of nations Reade of metalles Fol. 231. Eight Reade eighteth Item 36. Reade 63. Fol. 232 The West Ocean Reade South Ocean namely Mar del zur Fol. 234. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the margine should haue place in the texte before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reade the Greeke verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fol. 252. P. 231. In the margine put it out Fol. 253. Peruse these foure volumes Read the foure volumes Fol. 260. Santlianum Reade Santianum Fol. 265. Obo alias Oba and Obi Fol. 268. Fladimer al Volodimer Item Smolne al Smolensko Fol. 269. Impreignable Reade inexpugnable Fol. 270. Nicene Reade Nice And of theyr fayth more lykely hereafter fol 273 although fol. 302. the former opininion be recited againe Fol. 274. Prohibit Reade prohibited Fol. 283 â–ª Volham Reade Volgha Item Diuidna al Duina Item Vistiuga Reade eche where Vstinga Fol. 279. Schondia for these countreys folowing see Ortelius 45. table in his first edition de reg Septentional Fol. 280. Sigismundus liberus Reade liber for he was Baron of Harbestein the Deutche Barons are called frey heren wherof in latin also his title was written Liber Baro ab Herbestein out of his woorkes is that discourse taken Fol. 301. Fol. 281. Wardhus Castle .54 the one rowe of figures here signifieth the longitude the other sheweth the Latitâ—de The reader for his assuraunce herein shall doe well to conferre all the figures so set with the Mappes lest he be deceyued Fol. 294. By vnknowen nations Reade motions Fol. 297. The ryuer Clesma al. Desma Item Marouians Reade Morauians Fol. 298. This tongue is spred further Read agayne of the Sclauon tongue at large Fol. 301. Fol. 304. Bengas Of theyr money and also of all other nations coynes shall you haue a speciall discourse heereafter if God sende vs lyfe Fol. 308. Tumen It should seeme to be that Tamen spoken of before Fol. 246. Fol. 310. To Artach Reade in Artachs Fol. 311. Besermanni What they be Reade Fol. 335. Fol. 312. As do the Christians imagining so of vs for that many Christians to wyt the meaner sorte dwel commonly euer in one place Fol. 316. Seuen werstes to wyt seuen Moscouian myles that is fyue Englyshe myles and somewhat more Fol. 321. It shall suffice to the reader put out to Item Sachana al. Sughaua Hisnouogrod Reade Nisnouogrod Tartars Nogaies pointe it thus Tartars Nogais Bilbil al Bilbek Casbin Reade Casmin Baccho al Bachu Fol. 323. Sharuan al Chirua and Seruan Tollepan Reade Torbante Fol. 324. Arash al. Exesch Fol. 326. Unto Mecha in Arabia to honour Mahumets tombe whereof you shall reade in Lewes Vartomannus Nauigations Item Ardaxuil Reade Ardouil Item Fol. 320. for Ardeuelim Fol. 327. Ought to be beloued Reade beleeued Fol. 329. Tulibante Reade Torbante Fol. 329. The Persians to wyt the Gentlemen of Persia. Esteeming artes and sciences for silkes and furnitures of horses Fol. 326. 330. Fol. 330.
Houses of Whales bones The nauigation to Islande Whales One thyng seruyng for contrary vses A shypmans quadrant People of great agilitie A strange apparell The cause of an olde errour So doe the Tartars Plentie of wylde beastes No Serpents Great Gnats Aboundaunce of fyshe Shyps without nayles Science honoured Bargeâ—nâ— without woordes No horses A beast of marueylous strength and swyftnesse What Schoenus is looke in Gronlande The chaunge of the horizon The olde aucthours called all the North people Scythyans â—â—â—smus laâ—â—â—teth this 〈◊〉 fyrst 〈◊〉 de ratine contionan di â–ª where he speaketh of the people called Pilapii Idolatrie A mysterie of mariage in fyre and flynt Experte inchaunters Magicall dartes The canker One nyght of three moneths Riche furres Plentie of sea fyshe Wardhus Kyngdomes destroyed by factions The Danes The defant of princes An exemple of tyrannie The myserable state of Norway Stockfyshe The Lapones Shyppes in daunger by reason of whales Castoreum The roryng of whales whales salted and reserued The citie of Nidrosia A magnificiall churche Noysome beasts of vnknowen generation Wardhus The vnknowen land of the Lapons A serpent of huge bignesse God warneth vs by signes of thyngs to come The streightes or boyling sea Dangerous places in the sea Fruitfull Ilands about Norway Golde and syluer Wardhus castell The gulfe of Suecia The citie of Stokholme Golde in colde regions Fyshe The beaste called Vros or Elg. Vpsalia Copperdalia Oplandia Byrdes Egges reserued in salte Precious furres Fyshe Thinuasions of the Gothes The warre of the gothes agaynst the Romanes The boundes of gothland The citie of Visba Danes and Moscouites A librarie of two thousand bookes The gothes inuaded Europe and destroyed Rome Pannonia falsly taken for Finnonia Eningia Spanishe wines Demetrius the ambassadour of Moscouia Paulus Centurio Spices brought from India to Moscouia The ryuer Indus Oxus or Hoxina a ryuer of Asia runneth through the desartes of Sythia The sea Hircanum is now called mare Abacuâ—ke or mare de Sala Citrachan or Astracan Sarmatia is that great countrey wherin is conteyned Russia Lâ—â—oma and Tartaria and the North and East parte of Polonia Agaynst the Portugales The trade of spices in olde tyme. Spices corrupted The Caspian sea Basilius wrot to Pope Adriane Warre betwene the Polones and Moscouites The seconde viage of Paulus to Moscouia The Pope pâ—rswâ—deth Basilius to acknowledge the Romane churche Demetrius intertaynement at Rome Demetrius is brought to the Popes presence Basilius letters to Pope Clement Cardinall Campegius The ruynes of Rome The description of Moscouia The Aultars of great Alexander Marishes in sommer The forest of Hercynia Wylde beastes The Scythian Ocean The beastes called Vri or Bisontes Helenes Of the Scythians and Tartars Amaxouii Horda The large dominion of the Tartars Cathay The Tartars of Europe The Tartars of Asia are subiecte to the Duke of Moscouia The Tartars beyonde the riuer of Volga Nogai Sigismundus calleth them Nogayâ—ri The noblest nation of the Tartars The ryuer Taxartes Ismael the Sophi kyng of Persia. The citie of Samarcanda Tanburlanes the myghtie Emperour of the Tartars The conquestes of Tamburlanes Baiasetes This apparell they haue of the Persians The Tartars trafficke with the Moscouites The Tartars of the South syde of Moscouia Gete and Roxolani Russia Moscouia called whyte Russia Lituania Prussia Liuonia Denmarke Norway Suecia The people of Laponia Armeline furres Bargaynyng without wordes The dark region by this dark region and pigmei is the way to Chathay by the North sea The Scythian Ocean The region of Colmogora The ryuer of diuidna The ryuer of Iuga or Iug. Vstiuga The riuer of Diuidna of Duina The riuer of Suchana The frosen sea Duina and Suchana Greonlande or Engreonland Vnderstande myles of Germany that is leagues Rych furres Lupi Ceruarii Sables The mountaynâ—s called Hiperborei Haukes of diuers kyndes The passage from Moscouia to Cathay Cathay Maister Eliot calleth Cathay the region of Sinarum The Gothes subuerted the romane Empire The north region conspired against the Romans Moscouia The citie of Mosca Richard Chaunceler told me that these masts are smoâ— what hollow on the one syde that the whole syde of the next entereth into y e same whereby they lye very close The castel of Mosca White Hares and Roe buckes The ryuer Ocha Volga Nouogradia Rha. The white Lakes The Riphean Hiperborcan mountaynes Tanais and Borysthenes The sea Euxinus The Caspian sea Astrachan Media Armenia Persia. Casan Sura Surcium Nouogrodia The Temple of Sancta Sophia The eleuation oâ— the pole at Nouogrodia Moscouia Heate by reason of shorte nyghtes The citie of Volodemaria The citie of Moscha Ottoferia Volga Riga The citie of Plescouia The citie of Lubecke From Rome to Moscouia Wynter trauayle by Ise and snow Maryshes in sommer Other writers deny this Rych furres The price of furres How many Sables skynnes for an Axe Flaxe Oxe hydes Waxe But truely They abhorre the Iewes Theyr bookes and religion The Slauon tongue spred further then any other Sainct Ierome was borne in Dalmatia now called Sclauonia Howe they number the yeeres Fewe and simple lawes The exercise of youth Shootyng The corporature of the Moscouites Theyr fare Fleshe preserued long by reason of colde Haukyng and huntyng Plentie of fyshe Fyshe long reserued in Ise. Wyne Maluasie All the North parte of the fyrme lande was called Scythia and the people Scythians Drynke cooled with Ise. Wyne of Cherryes Theyr women Thomas Paleologus The conquest of the Turkes in Grecia Howe the princes choose theyr wyues Duke Basilius War betweene the Polones and Moscouites War betweene the Moscouites and Tartars The Moscouites army Their banner Their horses and horsemen Theyr armure Hargabusiers Gunnes The Prince dyneth openly Sigismundus sayth that much of this is golde The custodie of of the citie The Dukes courte Souldyers wages of the common treasury Russia The browne coloure of the Russes Russeia The Slauon tongue spreadeth farre Vandales The princes of Russia The Duke of Moscouia Why the Duke of Moscouia was called an Emperour The great Turke The whyte kyng The Duke of Moscouia his tytle Russia baptised by Sainct Andrewe the Apostle The Moscouites warres Dyuers maners of dyuers people in the warres The Moscouites army Howe he maintayneth his army Instrumentes of warre The Moscouites and Tartars apparell The prouince of Moscouia Extreame colde Extreame heate in cold regions Litle beastes The citie of Moscouia or Mosca Holsome ayre A ryche spoyle The Iland of Solowki Bieloiesero The length of the day The trade from Moscouia to the Caspian sea Bieloiesero or the whyte lakes Diuersitie of temperameÌ„t in small distance A lake of brymstone Exchange of furres for other ware The dominion of the duke of Moscouia Volochda werste Vstiug Suchana Iug. So called of his swift and pleasant streame Pienega Nicolai Kuluio The regions by the North sea Pieza Piescoia Rubicho Czircho Czilma Petzora Pustoosero Vssa Cingulus mundi Stzuchogora Potzscheriema Camenipoias Samoged Foules and beastes Wylde people Poiassa Camen