and Palmaria c. by Iohn Griâ—alua his felowes the Iucaians captiuitie and discouery of Florida made by those Spanyardes which Diegus Velasquen sent out of Cuba and Ferd. Cortesius fyrst nauigation wherein he conquered Potanchana in newe Spayne the death of Valdiuia y e execution of Vascus Nunnez king MuteezuÌ„a his presentes to Charles the Emperour his bookes letters and superstitions finally the ruine of Hispaniola and vtter decaye thereof if heede shoulde not be taken in tyme. Last of al Gonzalus Ferdinandus Ouedus historie conteineth in .18 seuerall chapters eche one whereof hath his proper title a briefe declaration of the west Indysh nauigation of the metals the which are found in those lately discouered lands of the maners of the people rites customes and cerimonies of the beastes foules byrdes wormes fyshes seas riuers sprynges trees plantes hearbes diuers other thinges that are engendred there both on the land in the water To this haue we added certaine speciall reports of new Spaine or Mexico of Peru â–ª of Rio de la Plata the countrey lying therunto of the lands Laborador Baccalaos with the discoueryng of Florida And thus muche for the fyrst part of this volume The seconde part of this worke appeareth what it is by the title thereof set downe Fol. 230. to wyt a discourse to proue that there is a passage to the Moluccaes by the northwest the whiche presently M. Cap. Furbisher attempteth with certayne reportes of the prouince China in Cathayo where he hath to strike in his voyage and thyrdly of Giapan and other Ilandes by the way The whiche seconde part wherein matter concernyng the northwest is handled is so muche the shorter by how much the fyrst part seemed ouerlong besydes that the particularities of this corner of the worlde are not yet so throughly knowen but that other writers shal doubtlesse in more ample maner employe theyr labour therein after the returne of our northwesterne trauaylers The which I wyshe to be most happie and prosperous as they most valiantly painefully to the renowne of our Englyshe nation do shewe to haue taken it in hande In the thyrd part shal you fynd a discription of the northeasterne frosty seas and kingdomes lying that way as Moscouia Schondia or Denmarke Groenlande Islande Laponia Norway Suecia â–ª or Swethlande Bothnia and Gothlande out of Zeiglerus Paulus Iouius Haiton and Sebastian free lord or Baron of Herbestein with the countreys as well north and northeast beyond Moscouia namely Petzora Iuhra and other prouinces of the Tartars as also the voyages made through Moscouia by the merchauntes of London into Persia conteinyng many speciall thynges woorth the knowledge both of the countrey it self the commodities thereof the manners of the people and the priuiledges graunted vnto our merchauntes by the Sophie or Shaugh the Persian kyng Finally in the fourth part are set downe our merchauntes voyages into Guinea and the other parcelles of Affrike lying towardes the Southeast Lewes Vertomannus nauigations into Egypte Ethiopia Arabia Syria Persia and east India euen to the fruitefull Moluccaes with the prices of drugges and other wares brought from thence Whereto for a conclusion haue we added partly out of Maximilian Transiluanus letter wrytten vnto the Cardinall of Saltzburge and partly out of P. Martyrs other woorkes that famous nauigation made round about the whole world the contention betwixte the Portugales and Spanyardes for the Moluccaes the decydyng thereof by Pope Alexander the syxt and last of all the abridgement of P. Martyrs foure last Decades wherein especially that noble and gloryous conquest of Mexico is wrytten Generally this much of the foure partes of this large volume The lesser parcelles and speciall matter conteyned in eche part you haue so exactely rehearsed in the table of the Decades Fol. 173. and in the resydue of the whole woorke before eche chapter so euidently set downe that any particular table thereof at al the reader greatly needeth not if so be that he be able to remember in what region of the worlde East West North or South that be the which he looketh for Nowe concernyng R. Edens owne doynges syncerely to say what I thynke and curteousely to yeelde hym that due prayse the whiche worthyly these his labours deserue yet not to flatter hym neither where any faulte hath ben committed as hyghly he was to be commended for Englyshyng so straunge so wonderfull so profitable histories as these are nothyng inferior to the bookes of auncient writers far exceedyng the multitude of foolysh commentaries and friuolous translations to to licentiousely vsed in our tyme So may the gentle reader forbeare his ouersyghte in so great a woorke where some Spanyshe prouerbe harsh latine phrase or vncleane speache may seeme hardly Englyshed or any rashe note to shame the texte I woulde excuse hym for translatyng the dayes by the latine names as Fol. 12. Non. April thus At the Nones of Apryll item 3. Idus Octobris thus The thyrd daye of the Ides of October item Fol. 17. tertio Kalend. Maij. thus The thyrd daye before the Kalendes of Maye meanyng in deede the fyfth daye of Apryll the .13 day of October the 29. of Aprill but therein it shoulde seeme that he folowed his owne humor for he obserueth the same phrase of translatyng throughout P. Martyrs whole worke Many of his Englyshe woordes cannot be excused in my opinion for smellyng to much of the Latine as Dominators Fol 5. Ponderouse Fol. 23. Ditionaries Fol. 25. Portentouse Fol. 28. Antiques Fol. 31. despicable Eol 387. Solicitate Fol. 76. obsequiouse Fol. 90. homicide Fol. 390. imbibed Fol. 395. Destructiue Fol. 276. Prodigious Fol. 279. with other such lyke in the steede of Lords weyghtie subiectes wonderfull auncient lowe carefull duetifull manslaughter drunken noysome monstrous c. the which faultes he confesseth in other his owne verses wrytyng thus of hym selfe I haue not for euery worde asked counsayle of eloquent Eliot or Sir Thomas Moore Take it therefore as I haue intended the faultes with fauour may soone be a mended Certayne Preambles here folowe geathered by R. Eden for the better vnderstanding of the whole worke Of the fyrst discoueryng of the west Indies A Certayne Carauel saylyng in the West Ocean about the coastes of Spayne had a forcybly and continuall wynde from the East wherby it was dryuen to a land vnknowen and not described in any map or carde of the sea and was dryuen styl along by the coaste of the same for the space of many dayes vntyll it came to a hauen where in a short tyme the most part of the maryners beyng long before very weake and feble by reason of hunger and trauayll dyed So that onely the Pilot with three or foure other remayned alyue And not only they that dyed dyd not inioye the Indies whiche they fyrst discouered to theyr mysfortune but the resydue also that lyued had in maner as litle fruition of the same not leauyng or at the least
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
not openly publyshyng any memorie thereof neyther of the place or what it was called or in what yeere it was founde Albeit the fault was not theyrs but rather the malyce of other or the enuie of that which we call fortune I do not therfore marueyle that the auncient histories affyrme that great thynges proceede and increase of small and obscure begynnynges syth we haue seene the same veryfied in this fynding of the Indies being so notable and newe a thyng We neede not be curious to seeke the name of the Pilot syth death made a shorte ende of his doynges Some wyl that he came from Andaluzia and traded to the Ilandes of Canaria and the Iland of Madera when this large and mortal nauigation chaunced vnto hym Other say that he was a Byscanne and traded into Englande and Fraunce Gther also that he was a Portugale that either he went or came from Mina or India which agreeth well with the name of these newe landes as I haue sayd before Agayne some there be that say that he brought the Carauel to Portugale or to the Iland of Madera or to some other of the Ilandes called De los Azores Yet do none of them affyrme any thyng although they al affirme that the Pilot dyed in the house of Christopher Colon with whom remayned all suche writynges and annotations as he had made of his voyage in the sad Carauell aswell of such thynges as he obserued both by land and sea as also of the eleuation of the pole in those landes whiche he had discouered VVhat maner of man Christopher Colon otherwyse called Columbus was and how he came fyrst to the knowledge of the Indies CHristopher Colon was borne in Cugureo or as some say in Nerui a vyllage in the territorie of Genua in Italie He descended as some thynke of the house of the Pelestreles of Placentia in Lumbardie He beganne of a chylde to be a maryner of whose arte they haue great exercise on the ryuer of Genua He traded many yeeres into Suria and other partes of the East After this he became a maister in makyng cardes for the sea whereby he had great vantage He came to Portugale to know the reason description of the south coastes of Affrica and the nauigations of the Portugales thereby to make his cardes more perfecte to be solde He maryed in Portugale as some say or as many say in the Ilande of Madera where he dwelt at suche tyme as the sayd Carauell arryued there whose Pilot soiorned in his house and dyed also there bequeathyng to Colon his carde of the description of suche newe landes as he had found whereby Colon had the fyrst knowledge of the Indies Some haue thought y t Colon was wel learned in y e Latine tongue and the science of Cosmographie and that he was thereby fyrst moued to seeke the lands of Antipodes and the rych Ilande of Cipango wherof Marchus Paulus wryteth Also that he had redde what Plato in his dialoges of Timeus and Cricias writeth of the great Ilande of Atlantide and of a great land in the west Ocean vndiscouered beyng bygger then Asia and Affrica Furthermore that he had knowledge what Aristotell and Theophrastus saye in theyr bookes of maruayles where they wryte that certayne merchauntes of Carthage saylyng from the streyghtes of Gibraltar towarde the West and South founde after many dayes a great Ilande not inhabited yet replenyshed with al thynges requisite and hauing many nauigable ryuers In deede Colan was not greatly learned yet of good vnderstanding And when he had knowledge of the sayde newe landes by the information of the dead Pilot made relation thereof to certeyne learned men with whom he conferred as touching y e like thinges mentioned of olde autours He communicated this secrete and conferred chiefely with a fryer named Iohn Perez of Marchena that dwelt in the monastery of Rabida So that I veryly beleeue that in maner all that he declared and many thynges more that he leaft vnspoken were written by the sayde Spanyshe Pilot that dyed in his house For I am persuaded that if Colon by science atteined to the knowledg of the Indies he would long before haue communicat this secreate to his owne countrey men the Genueses that trauayle all the worlde for gaynes and not haue come into Spayne for this purpose But doubtelesse he neuer thought of any such thyng before he chaunced to be acquainted with the sayde Pilot who founde those landes by fortune accordyng to the saying of Plinie Quod ars docere non potuit casus inuenit That is That arte coulde not teache chaunce founde Albeit the more Christian opinion is to thynke that God of his singuler prouidence and infinite goodnesse at the length with eyes of compassion as it were lookyng downe from heauen vppon the sonnes of Adam so long kept vnder Sathans captiuitie intended euen then for causes to hym onely knowen to rayse those wyndes of mercy whereby that Carauell herein most lyke vnto the shyppe of Noe whereby the remnante of the whole world was saued as by this Carauel this newe worlde receyued the fyrst hope of theyr saluation was dryuen to these landes But we wyll now declare what great thynges folowed of this small begynnyng and howe Colon folowed this matter reuealed vnto hym not without Gods prouidence VVhat labour and trauayle Colon tooke in attemptyng his fyrst voyage to the Indies AFter the death of the Pilot maryners of the Spanyshe Carauell that discouered y e Indies Christopher Colon purposed to seeke the same But in howe muche more he desyred this the lesse was his power to accomplyshe his desyre For besyde that of hym selfe he was not able to furnyshe one shyppe he lacked also the fauoure of a kyng vnder whose protection he myght so enioye the ryches he hoped to fynde that none other myght take the same from hym or defeate him therof And seyng the kyng of Portugale occupied in the conquest of Africa and the Nauigations of the East whiche were then fyrst attempted the kyng of Castyle lykewyse no lesse busyed in the warres of Granada he sent to his brother Bartholomewe Colon who was also priuie to this secrete to practise with the kyng of England Henry the seuenth beyng very ryche and without warres promysyng to bryng hym great ryches in short tyme if he woulde shewe hym fauour and furnyshe hym with shyps to discouer the newe Indies whereof he had certayne knowledge But neyther here beyng able to bryng his sute to passe he caused the matter to be moued to the kyng of Portugale Don Alonso the fyfth of that name at whose handes he founde neither fauour nor mony forasmuch as the Licenciat Calzadilla the bishop of Viseo and one maister Rodrigo men of credite in the science of Cosmographie withstoode hym and contended that there neither was nor coulde any golde or other ryches be founde in the west as Colon affirmed By reason whereof he was very sad and pensiue but
Ilande not yet knowyng what his aduersaries and accusers had layde to his charge before the kyng of Spaine who being disquieted with theyr quarelinges and accusations and especially for that by reason of theyr discention of so greate abundance of golde and other thynges there was as yet but lyttle brought into Spayne appoynted a newe gouernour which shoulde see a redresse in these thynges and eyther to punyshe such as were fautie or els to sende them to him What was founde agaynst the Admirall and his brother or agaynst his aduersaries which accused hym I do not well knowe But this I am sure of that both the brethren are taken brought and caste in prison with theyr goodes confiscate But as soone as the king vnderstode that they were brought bounde to Cales he sent messengers in poste with commaundement that they should be loosed and come freely to his presence wherby he declared that he toke their troubles greeuously It is also said that the new gouernour sent letters to the kyng written with the Admiralles hand in straunge and vnknowen sypheringes to his brother the Lieuetenaunt being absent wyllyng hym to be in a redynes with a power of armed men to come and ayd hym if the Gouernoure should proffer hym any violence Wherof the gouernour hauing knowledge as he sayth beyng also aduertised that the Lieuetenaunt was gone to his brother before the men whiche he had prepared were in a redines apprehended them both vnwares before the multitude came togeather What wyl folowe tyme the most true and prudent Iudge wyll declare Thus fare ye well ¶ The eygth booke of the fyrst Decade to Cardinall Lodouike THe great ryche and plentifull Ocean sea heretofore vnknowen and nowe founde by Christophorus Colonus the Admiral by thautoritie furtherance of the Catholyke king I haue presented vnto your honour ryght noble Prince like a golden chayne vnworkmanly wrought but you shal now receiue a pretious iewell to be appendaunt therto Therefore among such as were pylottes or gouernours vnder the admyrall and had dyligently marked the courses dyfferences of the windes many had lycences graunted them of the kyng to seeke further at theyr owne charges vpon condition to pay hym faythfully his portion which is the fyfte part But because amonge all other one Petrus Alphonsus called Nignus by his surname sayled towarde the south with more prosperous fortune then any of the other I thinke it best first to speake somewhat of his voyage He therfore with only one shyp well furnished at his owne charges after that he had his passeporte with commaundement in no case to cast anker past fyftye leagues distant from anye place where the Admirall had touched sayled fyrst to Paria where the Admiral founde both the men and women so laden with cheines garlandes and braselettes of pearles as we haue sayde before Coastyng therfore along by the same shore accordyng to the kings commaundement yet leauing behynd hym the regions of Cumana and Manacapana he came to the regions which thinhabitantes therof cal Curiana where he found a hauen as he saith much lyke the port of Gades or Cales into the which enteryng he sawe a farre of certayne houses one the shore and perceyued when he drewe neere that it was a village of only eyght houses Proceading yet further for the space of three myles he espied an other village well replenyshed with people where there met hym fyftye naked men on a company hauing with them a certayne ruler who desyred Alphonsus to come to theyr coastes He brought with hym at thys tyme many haukes belles pynnes nedels braselettes cheynes garlandes and rynges with counterfet stones and glasses and such other tryfelles the which within the moment of an houre he had exchaunged for fyfteene ounces of theyr pearles which they wore aboute theyr neckes and armes Then they yet more ernestly desyred hym to sayle to theyr coastes promysyng hym that he shoulde there haue as many pearles as he woulde desyre He condiscended to theyr request and the day folowing came to the place where they appoynted hym Lying there at anker a great multitude of people resorted to hym instantly requyring hym to come alande But when he consydered the innumerable multitude of people which was there assembled and he had only .xxxiii. men in his company he durst not commit hym selfe to theyr handes but gaue them to vnderstand by sygnes and tokens that they shoulde come to the shyp with their Canoas for their boates which the men of the iland cal Canoas are made only of one whole peece of wood as in the Ilandes yet more rude and not so artificially as theyrs are these they call Gallitas These swarmed therfore to the shyp as faste as they might bringyng with them greate plenty of pearles which they cal Tenoras exchanging the same for our marchaundies He founde this people to be of gentyll nature simple and innocent being conuersant with them in theyr houses for the space of xx dayes Theyr houses are made of wood couered with the leaues of date trees Their meate for the moste parte is the shelfyshes in the which the pearles are engendered wherof their sea costes are full They haue also greate plenty of wyld beastes as hartes wyld bores and connies like vnto hares both in coloure and bignesse stocke doues also and turtle doues lykewyse geese and duckes which they norishe in theyr houses as we doo Peacockes flee aboute in maner in euery wood and groue but they are not distinct with sundry colours as ours are for the cockes are like vnto the hennes These people of Curiana are craftie hunters and exceding cunning archers so that they will not lyghtly misse any beaste or byrde that they shoote at Our men consumed certayne dayes heare very plesauntely duryng which time whosoeuer brought them a peacocke had for the same foure pinnes he that brought a pheasaunte had two and for a stocke doue or turtle doue one and for a goose a smale looking glasse or a litle stone of glasse Thus they bought and solde with profering and bydding denying and refusing as it had byn in a greate market When pinnes were profered them they asked what they shoulde do with them being naked But our men satisfied them with a craftie answere declaring by tokens that they were very necessary to picke theyr teeth and to pull thornes out of theyr fleshe But aboue al thynges haukes belles were most esteemed among them for theyr sound faire colour and woulde therfore geue much for one of them Our men lodging in their houses heard in the nyght season horrible noyses rorynges of wild beastes in the wooddes whiche are full of exceding great and hygh trees of sundrye kindes but the beastes of these woodes are not noysome to men for the people of the countrey goo daylye a huntyng naked with theyr bowes and arrowes yet hath it not ben harde of that any man hath ben
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
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
our purpose Of the settyng the rootes of Maizium Ages Iucca Battatas and such other beyng their common foode and of the vse of the same we haue spoken sufficiently before But by what meanes they were fyrst applyed to the commoditie of men we haue not yet declared We nowe therefore entende to entreate somewhat hereof The nienth booke of the thyrd Decade THey say that the fyrst inhabitours lyued contented with the rootes of Dates and Magueans which is an hearbe much lyke vnto that which is commonly called Sengrene or Orpin also the rootes of Guaiegans which are rounde and great muche lyke vnto puffes y e of earth or mushromes They dyd lykewyse eate Guaieros lyke vnto Persnips Cibaios lyke Nuttes Cibaioes and Macoanes like vnto Onions with diuers other such rootes They say that after many yeeres a certaine Boition that is a wyse old man saw vppon the bankes syde a bush lyke vnto fenell transplanting the roote therof brought it from wyldnesse to a better kynde by nooryshing it in gardens This was the begynning of Iucca which at the fyrst was deadly poison to al such as did eate therof rawe But for as muche as they parceyued it to be of pleasaunt tast they determined many wayes to proue the vse therof and at the length founde by experience that beyng sodde or fryed it was lesse hurtful by whiche meanes also they came to the knowledge of the venome lying hyd in the iuise of the roote Thus by drying salting seasoning and otherwyse temperyng it they brought it to theyr fyne bread whiche they call Cazabbi more delectable and holsome to the stomacke of man then bread made of wheate because it is of easyer digestion The same is to be vnderstood of other rootes and the grayne of Maizium which they haue chosen for theyr chiefe meate among the seedes of nature as we reade howe Ceres the daughter of Saturnus geathered wheate and barley with suche other corne as are now most in vse among men in Egypt of certayne graynes taken out of the mudde dryuen from the mountaynes of Ethiopia by thincrease of the riuer Nilus left in the playne at such tyme as Nilus resorted agayne to his chanell For the which fact we reade that the antiquitie gaue diuine honour to Ceres who fyrst nooryshed and increased suche chosen seedes There are innumerable kyndes of Ages the varietie wherof is knowen by theyr leaues and flowers One kynde of these is called Guanaguax this is white both within and without An other named Guaraguei is of violet colour without and white within The other kyndes of Ages they call Zazaueios these are redde without and white within Squiuetes are whyte within and without Tunna is altogeather of violet coloure Hobos is yelowe both of skynne and inner substaunce There is an other named Atibunieix the skynne of this is of violet coloure and the substaunce white Aniguamar hath his skynne also of violet coloure and is white within Guaccaracca hath a white skynne and the substaunce of violet colour There are many other which are not yet brought to vs. But I feare me lest in the rehearsall of of these I shal prouoke the spurres of malicious persons against me which wyl scorne these our doynges for that we haue wrytten of many such small thynges to a prince occupied in suche weyghtie affayres as vnto your holynesse vpon whose shoulders resteth the burden of the whole Christian worlde But I would aske of these malicious enuyers of other mens trauayles whether Plinie and such other famous writers when they directed and decicated such thyngs to kynges and princes entended only to profite them to whom they consecrated the fruite of theyr knowledge They sometimes intermixt famous things with obscure things light with heauie and great with small that by the furtheraunce of princes theyr vniuersall posteritie might enioye the fruition of the knowledge of thyngs At other times also beyng entent about perticular things and desirous of new things they occupied them selues in searchyng of perticular tractes and coastes with such thynges as nature brought foorth in the same by this meanes to come the better to more absolute and vniuersall knowledge Let them therfore contemne our doyng and we wyl laugh to scorne not theyr ignoraunce and slouthfulnesse but pernicious curiousnesse and therewith hauyng pytie of theyr frowarde dispositions wyll commit them to the venemous Serpentes of whom enuye tooke his fyrst originall It shall in the meane tyme abundauntly content vs that these thynges doo please your holynesse and that you do not dispyse our symple vestures wherewith we haue onely weaued togeather and not adourned geathered and not described such maruelous thynges in the garnyshyng whereof nature hath sufficiently shewed her cunnyng Our desyre is none other herein but for your sake to doo our endeuoure that these thynges may not peryshe let euery man take hereof what lyketh hym best Of the sheepe or Bullocke solde in the market nothyng remayneth in the euenyng because the shoulder pleaseth one the legge an other and the necke an other yea some haue most phantasie to the bowels and some to the feete Thus hauyng yenough wandered let vs returne to our purpose and declare with what woordes they salute the kynges chyldren when they are fyrst borne and howe they applye the begynning of their liues to the end and why their kinges are called by many names Therefore when the kyng hath a sonne borne suche as dwell neare about his pallace or village repayre to the queenes chamber where one saluteth the newe borne chylde with one name and an other with an other name God saue thee thou shynyng lampe sayth one An other calleth hym bryght and cleare Some name hym the victourer of his enimies and other some the puissaunt conquerour descended of blood royall and bryghter then gold with dyuers other suche vayne names Therefore lyke as euery of the Roman emperours was called Adiabenicus Parthicus Armenicus Dacicus Gothicus and Germanicus according to the titles of their parentes and auncestours euen so by thimposition of names inuented by other kinges Beuchicus Anacacoa the lord of the region of Xaragua of whom and of the wyse woman Anachaona his syster we haue spoken largly in the first Decade was called by all these names folowyng Tureigua Hobin whiche is asmuche to saye as a kyng shynyng as bryght as laton Starei that is bryght Huibo hyghnesse Duiheynequen a ryche flood With all these names and more then fourtie other suche dooth kyng Beuchius magnifie hym selfe as often as he commaundeth any thing to be doone or causeth any proclamation to be made in his name If the cryer by negligence leaue out any of these names the kyng thynketh it to sounde greatly to his contumely and reproche The lyke is also of other Howe fondely they vse them selues in makyng theyr testamentes we wyll nowe declare They leaue thinheritaunce of their kyngdomes to theldest sonnes of theyr eldest
thynke that the inhabitauntes of other Ilandes had theyr seedes of so many pleasaunt fruites from hence For the Cambales beyng a wylde and wanderyng people and ouerrunnyng all the countreye about them to hunte for mans fleshe were accustomed to bryng home with them whatsoeuer they founde straunge or profytable in anye place They are intractable and will admit no straungers It shall therefore bee needefull to ouercome them with great power For as well the women as men are experte archers and vse to inuenome theyr arrowes When the men go foorth of the lande a man huntyng the women manfully defend their coastes agaynst suche as attempt to inuade the same And hereby I suppose it was thought that there were Ilandes in the Ocean inhabited onely with women as Colonus the Admiral him selfe perswaded mee as I haue sayde in the fyrst Decade This Ilande hath also fruitefull mountaynes and playnes and notable ryuers It nourysheth hony in trees and in the caues of rockes as in Palma one of the Ilandes of Canarie hony is geathered among the bryers and bramble bushes About .xviii. myles Eastward from this Ilande lyeth an Ilande which our men named Desiderata beyng .xx. myles in circuite and verye fayre Also about tenne myles from Guadalupea towarde the South lyeth the Ilande of Galanta beyng thirtie myles in circuite and plaine It was so named for the neatenesse and beautifulnesse therof Niene myles distant from Guadalupea towarde the East there are sixe small Ilandes named Todos Sanctos or Barbata these are full of rockes barren yet necessary to be knowen to such as vse to trauayle the seas of these coastes Agayne from Guadalupea .xxxv. myles towarde the North there is an Ilande named Monsserratus conteynyng in circuite fourtie myles hauyng also in it a mountayne of notable heyght The Ilande named Antiqua distante from Guadalupea thirtie myles is about fourtie myles in circuite Diegus Colonus the sonne and heyre of Christiphorus Colonus tolde me that his wyfe whom he lefte in the Ilande of Hispaniola at his comming into Spayne to the courte did wryte vnto him that of late among the Ilandes of the Canibales there is one founde which aboundeth with golde On the lefte syde of Hispaniola towarde the South neere vnto the hauen Beata there lyeth an Ilande named Portus Bellus they tell marueilous thinges of the monsters of the sea about this Ilande and especially of the Tortoyses for they say that they are bygger then great rounde targettes At suche tyme as the heate of nature moueth them to generation they come foorth of the sea and makyng a deepe pyt in the sande they lay three or foure hundred egges therein When they haue thus emptied theyr bagge of conception they put as muche of the sande agayne into the pyt as may suffyse to couer the egges and so resorte agayne to the sea nothyng carefull of theyr succession At the day appoynted of nature to the procreation of these beastes there creepeth out a multitude of Tortoyses as it were pyssemares swarmyng out of an ant hyll and this onely by the heate of the Sunne without any helpe of theyr parentes They say that theyr egges are in maner as bygge as Geese egges They also compare the fleshe of these Tortoyses to bee equall with veale in taste There are besyde these innumerable Ilandes the whiche they haue not yet searched nor yet is it greatly necessary to syft this meale so fynely It may suffyse to vnderstande that there are large landes and many regions which shall heereafter receyue our nations tounges and maners and therewith embrase our religion The Troyans dyd not sodeinly replenyshe Asia the Tyrians Libya nor the Greekes and Phenices Spayne As touchyng the Ilandes whiche lye on the North syde of Hispaniola I haue let passe to speake For albeit they are commodious for tyllage and fyshyng yet are they lefte of the Spanyardes as poore and of small value We will nowe therefore take our leaue of this olde Tethis with her moyst and watery Nymphes and receyue to our new acquayntance the beautifull lady of the South sea rychly crowned with great pearles the Ilande of Dites beyng ryche both in name and in treasure In my Epistle booke which I sent vnto your holynesse this last yeere I declared howe Vaschus Nunnez Balboa the Captayne of them which passed ouer the daungerous mountaynes toward the South sea learned by report that in the prospecte of those coastes there laye an Ilande aboundyng with pearles of the greatest sort and that the kyng thereof was ryche and of great power infestyng with warres the other kynges his borderers and especially Chiapes and Tumacchus Wee declared further howe at that tyme it was left vntouched by reason of the ragyng tempestes which troubled that South sea three monethes in the yeere But it is now better knowne to our men who haue now also brought that fierce kyng to humanitie and conuerted him from a cruell Tyger to one of the meeke sheepe of Christes flocke sanctifyed with the water of baptisme with all his family and kyngdome It shall not therefore bee from our purpose to declare by the gouernaunce of what captaines or by what meanes these thinges were so happyly atchyued The tenth booke of the thyrde Decade AT the arryuall of Petrus Arias the newe gouernour of Dariena he gaue commaundement that one Gasper Moralis should take in hande thexpedition to the Iland of Dites He therfore tooke his vyage first to Chiapes and Tumacchus kings of the South whom Vaschus before had conciled and left friends to the Christians They friendly and magnifically enterteyned our men who prepared them a nauie of the kyngs boates to passe ouer into this Ilande which they call Dites not Margarita or Margaritea although it abounde with pearles which in the latin tonge are called Margaritae For they first called an other by this name which lyeth next to the mouth of Os Draconis in the region of Paria in the which also is found great plenty of pearles Gasper brought with him onely .lx. armed men to the Ilande for that hee could conuey ouer no greater number by reason of the smalnesse and narownes of their boates or barkes which they call Culchas made of one whole peece of timber as we haue sayd before The kyng of y e Iland came foorth agaynst them fiercely w t cruell and threatning countenance with a great bande of armed men crying in maner of a larome in token of the battaile Guazzauara Guazzauara which is as much to say as battayle against y e enemy is as it were a watch word to giue thonset wherwith also they threw their darts for they haue not thuse of bowes They were so obstinate desperate that they assailed our men w t foure Guazzauaras that is battayles At the length our men with certaine of Chiapes and Tumacchus men being olde
companions diligently numbred For it pleased the kyng at theyr beyng there and in their presence to commaunde his dyuers to goe a fyshyng for those kynde of fyshes They compare the matrices of these fyshes to the places of conception in Hennes in the whiche theyr egges are engendred in great multitudes and clusters and beleue that these fyshes bryng foorth theyr byrth in lyke maner For the better proofe whereof they say that they founde certayne pearles commyng foorth of their matrices as beyng nowe come to the tyme of theyr full rypenesse and moued by nature to come out of theyr moothers wombe openyng it selfe in tyme conuenient lykewyse that within a whyle after they sawe other succeede in lyke maner So that to conclude they sawe some commyng foorth and other some yet abydyng the tyme of theyr perfection which beyng complete they also became loose and opened the matrice They perceyued the pearles to bee inclosed in the myddest of theyr bellyes there to bee nourished and increase as an infant sucking his moothers pappes within her wombe before hee moue to come foorth of her priuie places And if it chaunce any of these shelfyshes to bee founde scattered in the sande of the sea as I my selfe haue seene Oysters disparcled on the shores in dyuers places of the Ocean they affyrme that they haue been violently dryuen thither from the bottome of the sea by force of tempestes and not to haue wandered thither of them selues But that they become whyte by the clearenesse of the mornyng deawe or waxe yelowe in troubled weather or otherwyse that they seeme to reioyce in fayre weather and cleare ayre or contrarywyse to bee as it were astonyshed and dymme in thunder and tempestes with suche other the perfect knowledge hereof is not to bee looked for at the handes of these vnlearned men whiche handle the matter but grossely and enquyre no further then occasion serueth Yet doe they affyrme by thexperience and industrie of the dyuers that the greatest pearles lye in the deepest places they of the meane sort hygher and the least hyghest of all and neerer to the brymme of the water And say therfore that the greatest doe not wander but that they are created nouryshed and increase in the deepest places of the sea whyther fewe dyuers and that but seeldome dare aduenture to diue so deepe to geather them aswell for feare of the sea crabbes whiche wander among these pearle fyshes to feede of them and for feare of other monsters of the sea as also least their breath should fayle them in to long remayning in the water And this they say to bee the cause why the oldest therfore byggest sea muscles inhabite y e deepest places from whence they are not lightly moued by tempestes Furthermore how much the bygger older these fyshes are they say that in their larger matrices the greater number bigger pearles are founde that for this cause there are fewer founde of the byggest sort They thinke also that when they first fall from their fyshes in the deepe places they are deuoured of other fyshes bycause they are not yet hearde Againe the smallest differ from the byggest in a certaine swelling or impostumation which y e Spaniardes call a tympany For they deny that to be a pearle which in olde muscles cleaueth faste to the shell but that it is a wart which being rased from the shell with a fyle is rounde bryght but onely of one syde and not precious being rather of the nature of the fyshe it selfe then of a pearle They confesse that they haue seene certayne of these muscles cleauyng on rockes yet these but fewe and nothyng woorth It is also to bee thought that the pearle fyshes or sea muscles which are founde in India Arabia the redde sea or Taprobana are ruled in suche order as the aforenamed famous aucthours haue written For their opinion herein is not vtterly to bee reiected forasmuch as they were learned men and trauayled long in the searchyng of these thinges But wee haue nowe spoken sufficiently of these sea fyshes and of their egges which the fonde nysenesse and wantonnesse of men haue made deerer then the egges of hennes or geese Let vs therefore entreate somewhat of other perticular thinges which are come to our knowledge of late Wee haue elswhere largely described the mouthes of the gulfe of Vraba with sundry and variable regions diuided with the manifolde gulfes of that sea But as concernyng the West coastes in the which our men haue buylded houses and planted their habitations on the bankes of Dariena I haue no newe matter to wryte Yet as touchyng the East partes of the gulfe I haue learned as foloweth They say that the vniuersall lande of the East region of the gulfe from the corner thereof farre reachyng into the sea and from the extreme or vttermoste mouth of the same receyuyng the waters of the sea whiche fall into it euen vnto Os Draconis and Paria is by one generall name called Caribana of the Caribes or Canibales whiche are founde in euery region in this tract But from whence they had theyr perticuler originall and howe leauyng theyr natiue soyle they haue spredde theyr generation so farre lyke a pestiferous contagion we wyll nowe declare Therefore from the fyrst front reachyng foorth into the sea in whose tract we sayde that Fogeda fastened his foote towarde the corner about niene myles distant there lyeth a village of Caribana named Futcraca three myles distant from this is the village of Vraba of the whiche it is thought that the whole gulfe toke his name bycause this village was once the head of the kyngdome About syxe myles from this is Feti Niene myles from Feti is Zerema And about twelue myles from this Sorache Our men founde all these villages full of people al the whiche gyue them selues onely to manhuntyng Insomuche that if they lacke enimies agaynst whom they may keepe warre they exercise crueltie agaynst them selues and eyther slaye the one the other or els dryue the vanquyshed to flyght Whereby it is apparant that by these theyr continuall warres and dryuyng the one the other out of theyr countreys this infection hath gone so farre not onely on the fyrme lande but also into the Ilandes I was also aduertised of an other thyng the whiche to my iudgement seemeth woorthy to be put in memorye One Coruales a iudge in causes of lawe among the Spanyardes of Dariena sayth that on a tyme walkyng abrode with his booke in his hande he met by the way with a fugityue whiche had fledde from the great landes lying farre towarde the west and remayned here with a Kyng with whom he was entertayned When this man perceyued the lawyer lookyng on his booke marueylyng thereat he came runnyng vnto hym and by interpretours of the kyng whom he serued spake thus vnto hym Haue you also bookes wherein you may reserue thynges in
Christians vse in tyllyng of their grounde and geatheryng of golde as we haue sayde These places appointed vnto them they keepe as long as them lyst and if they perceyue tokens of little golde they requyre an other plot of grounde of twelue pases to be assigned them leauyng the first in common And this is thorder which the Spaniardes inhabiting Dariena obserue in geatheryng of golde I suppose also that they vse the lyke order in other places Howbeit I haue not yet enquired so farre It hath been prooued that these twelue pases of grounde haue yelded to their choosers the summe of fourescore Castellanes of golde And thus leade they theyr lyues in fulfillyng the holy hunger of golde But the more they fyll their handes with fyndyng the more increaseth theyr couetous desyre The more woodde is layde to the fyre the more furiously rageth the flame Unsaciable couetousnesse is no more diminished with increase of rychesse then is the drinesse of the dropsye satisfyed with drynke I let passe many thinges whereof I intende to wryte more largely in tyme conuenient if I shall in the meane season vnderstande these to bee acceptable vnto your holynesse my duetie and obseruaunce to whose aucthoritie hath caused mee the gladlier to take this labour in hande The prouidence of the eternall creatour of all thinges graunt your holynesse many prosperous yeeres Here endeth the three bookes of the Decades Of Cuba Hispaniola and other Ilands in the VVest Indies seas and of the maners of the inhabitauntes of the same I Haue partlye declared before in my Decades howe certaine fugitiues which came out of the large West landes arriued in the confines of Dariena and howe that marueiling at the bookes of our men they declared that they sometime dwelt in regions whose inhabitantes vsed such instruments were ruled by politike lawes Also that they had cities fortified with walles and faire pallaces with streates well paued common places whither marchauntes resorte as to the burse or streate These landes our men haue now founde Therefore who were thauctors hereof or what successe they had herein who so desireth to knowe with the conditions of straunge regions and the maners of the people let him giue diligent attendaunce to suche thinges as folow Of the Ilande of Cuba now called Fernandina lying next vnto Hispaniola on the West syde and yet somewhat so bending towarde the North that the circle called Propicus Cancri diuideth it in the myddest whereas Hispaniola is distant from the Tropike and declinyng certayne degrees towarde the Equinoctiall line we haue spoken somewhat before In this Iland of Fernandina there are now sixe townes erected wherof the chiefe is named Sanstiago of S. Iames the patrone of the Spaniards In this there is natiue gold found both in y e mountaines and ryuers by reason wherof they are dayly occupied in geathering digging the same But shortly after that I had finished my sayd bookes three Spaniards y t were the most auncient citizens of Cuba as Franciscus Fernandes of Corduba Lupus Ocho Christophorus Morantes determined to seeke new lands as the myndes of the Spaniards are euer vnquiet giuen to attempt great enterprises They furnished at their owne charges three of those shyppes which they call Carauels and hauing first lycence of Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Ilande they departed with a hundred and ten men from the West angle of Cuba For this angle is most commodious to relieue shippes to make prouision for freshe water fuell Thus they sayled continually sixe dayes and a halfe betwene the west the South contented onely with the sight of the heauen the water during which tyme they suppose that they sayled not past threescore and sixe myles For they lay at anker all nyght wheresoeuer the fallyng of the Sunne tooke the day lyght from them least by wanderyng in vnknowen seas they myght chaunce to bee cast vppâ—â— rockes or sandes But at the length they chaunced vppon a great Ilande named Iucatana whose beginnyng thinhabitauntâ—â— call Eccampi Our men went to the citie standyng on the sea syde the which for the bygnesse thereof they named Cayrus or Alcair thinhabitauntes wherof enterteined them very friendly When they were entred into the citie they marueyled to beholde the houses buylded lyke Towres magnificall temples streates well paued and great exercise of bying and sellyng by exchaunge of ware for ware Their houses are either built of stone or of bricke and lyme and artificially wrought To the first porches of theyr houses and fyrst habitations they ascend by ten or twelue stayres they are couered either with tyles slates reades or stalkes of certayne hearbes they gratified the one the other with mutuall gyftes The Barbarians gaue our men many brooches and iewelles of golde very fayre and of cunnyng workemanshyp our men recompensed them with vestures of sylke and wooll counterfeyte stones of coloured glasse and chrystall Haukes belles of laton and suche other rewardes whiche they greatly esteemed for the straungenesse of the same they set nought by lookyng glasses bycause they haue certayne stones muche bryghter This nation is apparelled after a thousande fashions with vestures made of gossampyne cotton or bombage of dyuers coloures The women are couered from the girdle to the heele hauyng dyuers fasshions of vailes about their heades and brestes with great cautell least any part of their legges or feete be seene they resorte muche to their temples vnto the whiche the chiefe rulers haue the wayes paued from their owne houses they are Idolatours and circumcised they occupie their maner of exchaunging with muche fidelitie they vse to adourne the heares of their heades Being demaunded by thinperpretours of whom they receyued theyr circumcision they answered that there once passed an exceedyng fayre man by their coastes who left them that in token to remember him Other say that a man brighter then the Sunne went among them and executed that offyce but there is no certayntie heereof When our men had remayned there certayne dayes they seemed to bee molestous to thinhabitantes accordyng to the common saying The longer a ghest taryeth the worse is his entertaynement The which thyng our men perceyuyng they made the more hast away Being therefore prouided of all thinges necessary they tooke theyr viage directly towarde the West by the prouince which thinhabitauntes call Comi and Maiam They ouerpassed these regions takyng onely freshe water and fuell in the same The Barbarians both men women and children flocked to the sea syde astonysshed greatly to beholde the huge bygnesse of the shyppes Our men marueyled in maner no lesse to view their buyldinges and especially their temples situate neare vnto the sea and erected after the maner of towres Thus at the length hauyng sayled about a hundred and ten myles they thought it good to lay Anker in a prouince named Campechium whose chiefe towne
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
the recordation of such pleasaunt thynges And yet do not such thinges as are sauerie engender tediousnesse so that a pretious matter be adiourned with a pretious vesture A breefe rehearsal of the contentes of the bookes of the fyrst Decade and so folowyng of all the other Decades Folio 8. IN the fyrst booke is declared howe Christophorus Colonus otherwyse called Columbus persuaded Fernando and Elizabeth princes of Spayne to further his attempt in searchyng newe and vnknowen landes in the West Ocean Also of the .vii. Ilandes of Canaria by whom they were found and conquered Howe Colonus founde the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba and of the fierce people called Canibales or Caribes which are accustomed to eate mans fleshe Of the rootes called Ages Iucca and the grayne Maizìum whereof the people of the Ilandes made theyr bread Of the golde found in the sandes of ryuers of the Serpents which are without hurt also of turtle doues ducks popingaies Of Mastix and Aloe with dyuers fruites and trees vnknowen to vs and of the fruitefulnesse of the Ilande of Hispaniola which the Spanyardes call Spagnuola Of the seconde viage of Colonus into these regions and howe he was furnished with .xvii. shyppes and a thousande and two hundred souldiers with all kynde of artillarie artificers and grayne to sowe and of the tree from the which water droppeth continually into a trenche made by mans hande The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 12. HOwe Colonus departing from the Ilandes of Canarie sayled viii hundred twentie leagues in .xxi. daies came to Dominica an Iland of the Canibales of the fragrant sauoure of spices whiche proceded from the Ilandes Of the Ilandes of Galanta or Galana and Guadalupea and of the trees which beare that kynd of cotton which the Italians call Bombasine and the Spanyardes Algadon Of dyuers kyndes of Popingiayes and of the Ilande of Matinino or Madanino beyng inhabited onely with women also of dyuers other fruitefull Ilandes and of a conflicte whiche the Spanyardes had with the Canibales Of certayne Ilandes in the whiche are seene the mynes of metals and precious stones and of the fruitfull and populous Iland called Burichena or Boriquen or Insula S. Iohannis Howe all the Admirals men whiche at his fyrst viage he left in Hispaniola were slaine in his absence by the rebellion of Guaccanarillus kyng of the region of Xamana and of the free kynde of lyfe whiche they leade that haue not the vse of money Of the seuen maydens which swam three miles in the sea and of the maner of geathering of gold in the sands of riuers The contentes of the thyrd booke Fol. 17. A Particuler discription of the Iland of Hispaniola whiche Colonus thynketh to be Ophir from whence kyng Salomon had his great ryches of golde Of the marueylous fruitfulnesse of Hispaniola and of the suger canes growyng there Of the golden regions of Cipanga or Cibaua of the ryuers in whose sandes is founde great plentie of golde Of certayne graynes of gold of exceeding great quantitie Of wilde vines of plesaunt taste and of grasse which in foure dayes groweth as hygh as wheate Of the Ilande of Iohanna or Cuba being the end of the East and the West and of the fruitfull populous Iland of Iamaica How the Admirall thought that he had sayled about the lowest Hemisphere or half circle of the earth and of a secrete of Astronomie touching the same matter Howe the Admirall gaue names to seuen hundred Ilandes and passed by three thousand vnnamed Of certaine serpentes like vnto Crocodiles of eight foote long whose flesh is delicate to be eaten and of certayne trees whiche beare Gourdes Of the riuer whose water is very hotte and of the huntyng fyshe which taketh other fyshes Of great abundaunce of Tortoyses as bygge as targets and of a fruitfull mountayne well inhabited Of dogges of deformed shape and dumbe and of white and thicke water Of woods of Date trees and Pyneapple trees and of certayne people apparelled lyke whyte fryers Of certaine trees which beare spices and of Cranes of exceedyng bygnesse Of stocke doues of more pleasaunt taste then partriches An oration of a barbarous gouernour as touching the immortalitie of the soule Also of the rewarde of vertue and punishment of vice A similitude of the golden worlde and of prouision without care Howe the Admirall fell sicke by reason of to muche watcheyng and of a sediâ—ion whiche rose among the Spaniardes in the Ilande of Hispaniola The Contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 25. HOw the Kynges of the Ilande of Hispaniola were by the Spaniardes mysbehauiour prouoked to rebellion and howe the Admirall sent for them Howe kyng Counaboa the Lorde of the house of gold that is of the mountaines of Cibaua conspired the Admirals death and how he with his familie were taken prisoners Of a great famine that chaunced in the Ilande of Hispaniola and howe the Admirall builded certayne fortresses Of a peece of rude gold wayghing twentie vnces and of the myne of the rich metall called Elestrum Of the mountayne in the whiche is founde great plentie of Amber and Orpement and of the woodes of Brasyle trees Howe the inhabitantes are put to theyr tribute and how the nature of y e Region disposeth the maners of the people How the brother of kyng Caunaboa came agaynst the Admirall with an armie of fyue thousand naked men and howe he was taken and his armie put to flyght Of the fruitfull vale Magona in the sandes of whose ryuers is founde great plentie of golde and of certayne whirlewindes and tempests How the Admirall sent foorth his brother Bartholomeus Colonus with an armie of men to searche the golde mynes and of the Fosses which he founde to haue been dygged in old tyme. The Contentes of the .v. booke Fol. 27. for 29. HOwe the Lieuetenaunt builded a fortresse in the golde mines and prepared instrumentes for the purging and finyng of the golde Howe certayne shyppes laden with vittayles came from Spayne And howe the Lieuetenaunt sent the kynges whiche rebelled with three hundred captiues into Spayne Howe the Liefetenaunt remoued his habitation and buylded a fortresse whiche he called saint Dominickes towre also howe he passed ouer the ryuer Naiba and entred into the wooddes of Brasyle trees Howe the great kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa frendelye entertayned the Lieuetenaunt and brought hym to his pallace where the kynges wyues and concubines receyued hym honorably with pompes and triumphes Of the fortresses whiche were erected in Hispaniola and howe the Lieuetenaunt exacted tribute of the kynges whiche rebelled agayne Howe the Lieuetenaunt set vppon the kynges vnwares in the nyght season and tooke .xiiii. of them prysoners Howe kyng Guarionexius captayne of the conspiracie was pardoned and howe he persuaded the people to obedience Howe kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa sent messengers to the Lieuetenaunt to repayre to his pallace where he founde .xxxii. kyngs redy with theyr tributes And howe the queene Anacaona entysed hym
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
contentes of the fyrst booke Fol. 57. HOw after the death of Colonus the Admirall the kyng gaue free lycence to all such as would attempt any vyages and of the nauigations of Diego Nicuesa and Alphonsus Fogeda Of the Ilande Codego and the region of Caramairi and of certayne sweete apples which turne into woormes when they are eaten whose trees are also contagious How Alphonsus Fogeda the Lieuetenaunt of Vraba encouÌ„tring with the Barbarians had the ouerthrowe and howe in this conflicte fyftie of his men were slayne with Iohannes de la Cossa their captayne Howe Fogeda and Nicuesa the Lieuetenaunt of Beragua reuenged the death of theyr companyons and howe Fogeda came to the Ilande Fortis and the region of Caribana where he was repulsed from the golde mynes by the fiercenesse of the Barbarians vsyng arrowes infected with poyson Howe Fogeda was wounded in the thygh with a venemous arrowe and his men almost consumed with famyne Howe a Brigantyne was drowned with the stroke of a Fyshe and of the nauigation of Ancisus from Hispaniola to Vraba Of the lamentable shypwracke of Ancisus and of the Date trees and wylde Bores which he founde Of the fruites or apples of the trees called Cedars of Libane which beare olde fruites and new all the yeere Howe onely three of the Caniballes with their bowes and inuenomed arrowes assayled Ancisus with a hundred of his men in which conflict they wounded and slue manyâ—alsâ— of their swiftnesse of foote Of the great ryuer of Dariena and howe Ancisus encountred with fyue hundred of thinhabitauntes of the gulfe of Vraba and put them to flyght also how he founde great plentie of wrought golde and housholde stuffe in a thycket of reedes The contentes of the second booke Fol. 63. HOwe Nicuesa lost his felowes in the darke nyght and went past the mouth of the ryuer Beragua which he sought howe the captaynes of the other shyppes consulted howe to fynde him also of the ryuer Lagartos in the which great Lisartes are found much lyke vnto the Crocodiles of Nilus Howe the captaynes forsooke theyr shyppes that the souldyers myght bee without hope of departure and of the miserable chaunce of Petrus de Vmbria and his felowes By what chaunce Nicuesa was founde and of the calamities which he and his company susteyned also of the region of Gracia Dei or Cerabaro and of the ryuer of Sansti Matthei Howe Nicuesa caused them to remoue theyr habitation from Beragua to point Marmor where he buylded a fortresse and how his men by warre and famyne were consumed from seuen hundred and odde to scarsely one hundred Howe one Vaschus Nunnez vsurped thaucthoritie of the Lieuetenauntshyp of Vraba in thabsence of Fogeda and of the nauigation of Rodericus Colmenaris from Hispaniola to Vraba Of the ryuer Baira discendyng from the toppe of a high mountayne couered with snow and how Rodericus Colmenaris in a conflicte agaynst the Barbarians lost .xlvii. of his men by reason of theyr inuenomed arrowes Of the force of the poyson wherewith the Barbarians infecte theyr arrowes and a remedie for the same also howe Colmenaris by gunshot and kyndlyng fyers on the high toppes of the rockes came to the Spanyardes left desolate in Dariena The contentes of the thyrd booke Fol. 67. HOwe Nicuesa was sought foorth to acquict the contentions of Vraba and howe he was agayne reiected Howe Vaschus Nunnez inuaded tooke prysoners and spoyled the kynges borderyng about the region of Vraba and howe Ancisus Lieuetenaunt for Fogeda was cast in pryson and afterwarde set at libertie Howe Ancisus tooke his viage from Vraba to Spayne to accuse Vaschus who also at the same tyme sent Valdiuia aswell to speake in his defence as also to certifie the kyng of their doyngs Howe kyng Careta conspired with the Spanyardes agaynst kyng Poncha whom they put to flyght and spoyled his village Howe kyng Comogrus friendly enterteyned the Spanyardes and brought them to his pallace where he shewed them the dryed carkases of his auncestours reserued and sumptuously apparelled and how the kynges elder sonne gaue Vaschus and Colmenaris foure thousande ounces of wrought golde and fyftie slaues also a wyttie oration which he made to the Spanyardes wherin he certifyed them of a countrey exceedyng rych in golde c. The contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 72. OF horryble thunder lyghtnyng in the moneth of Nouember and of grayne which waxeth rype thryse a yeere also howe digestion is strengthened by outwarde colde Howe Valdiuia is sent agayne into Hispaniola to moue the gouernour and counsayle there to sende into Spayne to the kyng for a supplie of a thousande souldyers to make way to the golden mountaynes and howe he caryed with him the kynges portion that is the fyft part of golde and other thinges Howe Vaschus inuaded the kynges inhabytyng the regions about the gulfe of Vraba and howe he put kyng Dabaiba to flyght in whose village hee founde wrought golde amountyng to the weyght of seuen thousande Castellans Of Battes as byg as Turtle dooues which sometyme byte men in the nyght in theyr sleepe whose byting is also venomous but is healed with water of the sea or by cauterization as are also the woundes of venomous arrowes Of the Ilande of Cannafistula and a towne of fyue hundred houses whose kyng Abenamachei was taken and his arme cutte of in the fyght Of trees of exceedyng bygnesse and heyght and howe kyng Abibeiba had his pallace in the toppe of a tree from the which he was inforced to discend and entreate of peace The contentes of the fyfth booke Fol. 75. HOwe kyng Abraiba slue a captayne of the Spanyardes and caused the kynges to rebell also how they were put to flight and many of theyr men slayne Of fyue kynges which attempted a newe conspiracie with a hundred great Canoas and fyue thousande men and howe theyr intent was bewrayed by a woman and preuented also howe Rodericus Colmenaris sacked the village of Tichiri hung the kyng thereof with foure of his chiefe rulers and commaunded them to be shotte through with arrowes The contentes of the sixt booke Fol. 77. HOwe Vaschus with his confederates sent Iohannes Quicedus and Colmenaris from Dariena to Hispaniola and from thence to Spayne to the kyng for a thousand men to passe ouer the mountaynes to the golden regions and what miseries they susteyned in that viage also of the death of Valdiuia Zamudius and Fogeda Of the prosperous viage of Ancisus and howe God wrought miracles by the simple fayth of a mariner also how God respecteth thinfancie of fayth for zeales sake and howe one religion turned into another holdeth styll many thinges of the fyrst Howe many of the Barbarians were baptised by reason of the miracles and howe they rewarded the priestes by whom they were baptised Howe Ancisus shortly after his arryuall in Spayne resorted to the court and made his complaynt to the kyng of thinsolencie of Vaschus wherevppon the kyng gaue
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
greater respect to luker and gaynes then diligently to search the workes of nature whervnto I haue ben euer naturally inclined haue therfore with all possible endeuour applyed myne eyes intelligence to fynde the same And this present Summarie shall not be contrary or dyuers from my larger historie wherein as I haue sayde I haue more amply declared these thinges but shal onely more breefely expresse theffect thereof vntyl such tyme as God shall restore me to myne owne house where I may accomplyshe and fynyshe my sayde generall hystorie Whervnto to gyue the fyrst principle I say that Don Christopher Colonus as it is well knowen beyng the fyrst Admirall of this India discouered the same in the dayes of the Catholyke kyng Don Ferdinando and the lady Elizabeth his wyfe graundfather and graundmother vnto your maiestie in the yeere .1491 and came to Barzalona in the yeere .1492 with the fyrst Indians and other shewes and proofes of the great ryches and notice of this west Empire The which gyft and benefite was suche that it is vnto this day one of the greatest that euer any subiecte or seruaunt hath done for his prince or countrey as is manifest to the whole worlde And to say the trueth this shall doubtlesse bee so commodious and profytable vnto the whole realme of Spayne that I repute him no good Castilian or Spanyarde that doeth not recognise the same And as I haue sayde before forasmuche as in my sayde generall historie I haue more largely intreated of these thinges I intende at this present only briefely to rehearse certayne especiall thinges the whiche surely are very fewe in respecte of the thousandes that myght be sayde in this behalfe Fyrst therefore I will speake somewhat of the nauigation into these parties then of the generation of the nations which are founde in the same with theyr rytes customes â–ª and ceremonies also of beastes foules byrdes woormes fyshes seas ryuers sprynges trees plantes hearbes and dyuers other thinges whiche are engendered both on the lande and in the water And forasmuche as I am one of thorder and company of them that are appoynted to returne into these regions to serue your maiestie if therefore the thinges conteyned in this booke shall not be distincte in suche order as I promised to perfourme in my greater woorke I desyre your maiestie to haue no respect herevnto but rather to consider the noueltie of such straunge thinges as I haue herein declared whiche is the chiefe ende that moued mee to wryte Protestyng that in this Summarie I haue written the trueth of suche thinges as came to my remembraunce whereof not onely I my selfe can testifie but also dyuers other worthy and credible men which haue been in those regions and are now present in your maiesties courte And thus it shall suffyse to haue sayde thus much vnto your maiestie in maner of a proheme vnto this present worke whiche I most humbly desyre your maiestie as thankefully to accept as I haue written it faythfully Of the ordinary nauigation from Spayne to the west Indies THe nauigation which is commonly made from Spayne to the west India is from Siuile where your maiestie haue your house of contraction for those partes with also your offycers therevnto parteynyng of whom the captaynes take theyr passeporte and lycence The patrones of suche shippes as are appoynted to these viages imbarke them selues at San Luca di Barameda where the riuer Cuadalchiber entreth into the Ocean sea and from hence they folow their course toward the Ilands of Canarie Of these seuen Ilandes they commonly touche two that is eyther Grancanaria or Gomera and here the shyppes are furnyshed with freshe water fuell cheese beefe and suche other thinges which may seeme requisite to bee added to suche as they bryng with them out of Spayne From Spayne to these Ilandes is commonly eyght dayes sayling or little more or lesse and when they are arryued there they haue sayled two hundred and fyftie leagues whiche make a thousand myles accompting foure myles to a league as is their maner to recken by sea Departing from the sayd Ilands to folow their course the shyppes tary .xxv. dayes or a litle more or lesse before they see the fyrst lande of the Ilandes that lye before that whiche they call La Spagnuola or Hispaniola and the lande that is commonly fyrst seene is one of these Ilandes which they call Ogni sancti Marigalante or Galanta La Desseada otherwise called Desiderata Matanino Dominica Guadalupea San Christoual or some other of the Ilandes wherof there are a great multitude lying about these aforesayde Yet it sometymes so chaunceth that the shyppes passe without the sight of any of the sayd Ilandes or any other that are within that course vntill they come to the Ilande of Sancti Iohannis or Hispaniola or Iamaica or Cuba which are before the other It may also chaunce that they ouerpasse all these lykewyse vntyll they fall vppon the coastes of the firme lande But this chaunceth when the pilot is not well practised in this nauigation or not perfect in the true carde But makyng this viage with experte maryners whereof there is nowe great plentie one of the sayde fyrst Ilandes shall euer bee knowen And from the Ilandes of Canarie to one of the fyrst of these the distaunce is niene hundred leagues by sayling or more and from hence to the citie of sainct Dominike which is in the Iland of Hispaniola is a hundred and fyftie leagues so that from Spayne hitherto is a thousande and three hundred leagues Yet forasmuche as sometymes the nauigation proceedeth not so directly but that it chaunceth to wander euer on the one syde or on the other we may well say that they haue now sayled a thousand and fyue hundred leagues and more And if the nauigation bee slow by reason of some hynderaunce it commonly chaunceth to be fynished in xxxv or .xl. dayes and this happeneth for the most parte not accomptyng the extremes that is eyther of them that haue slowe passage or of them that arryue in very short tyme for we ought to consyder that which chaunceth most commonly The returne from those partes to Spayne is not fynished without longer tyme as in the space of fiftie dayes or a litle more or lesse Neuerthelesse in this present yeere of .1525 there came foure shyppes from the Ilande of San Dominico to sainct Luca in Spayne in .xxv. dayes But as I haue sayde we ought not to iudge of that which chaunceth seldome but of that which happeneth most ordinarily This nauigation is very safe and much vsed euen vnto the sayde Iland And from this to the firme land the shyppes trauerse diuers wayes for the space of fyue sixe or seuen dayes saylyng or more accordyng to the partes or coastes whither they directe theyr viages forasmuch as the sayde fyrme lande is very great and large and many nauigations and viages are directed to dyuers partes of the same Yet to the firme land which
way of Commendator of Aysa captayne vnder your maiestie who this present yeere attempted a viage to the place of the sayd spyces and not only the way is thus muche shortned but also a thyrd parte of the tyme is abbreuiate To conclude therefore if any had hytherto attempted this viage by the sea of Sur to seeke the Ilandes of spyces I am of firme opinion that they shoulde haue been founde long since as doubtlesse they may bee by the reasons of Cosmographie Howe thinges that are of one kynde dyffer in fourme and qualitie accordyng to the nature of the place where they are engendred or grow and of the beastes called Tygers IN the firme lande are founde many terrible beastes which some thinke to bee Tygers Whiche thing neuerthelesse I dare not affirme considering what aucthours do wryte of the lyghtnesse and agilitie of the Tyger wheras this beast being otherwyse in shape very like vnto a Tiger is notwithstandyng very slowe Yet true it is that according to the marueiles of the worlde and differences which naturall thinges haue in dyuers regions vnder heauen and dyuers constellations of the same vnder the which they are created we see that some suche plantes and hearbes as are hurtfull in one countrey are harmelesse and holsome in other regions And byrdes whiche in one prouince are of good taste are in other so vnsauery that they may not bee eaten Men lykewyse whiche in some countreys are blacke are in other places whyte and yet are both these and they men Euen so may it bee that Tygers are lyght in some region as they wryte and may neuerthelesse be slow and heauy in these Indies of your maiestie wherof we speake The sheepe of Arabie drawe their tayles long and bigge on the ground and the Bulles of Egypt haue theyr heare growyng towarde theyr heades yet are those sheepe and these bulles Men in some countreys are hardy and of good courage and in other naturally fearefull and bruityshe All these thinges and many more whiche may bee sayde to this purpose are easie to bee proued and woorthy to bee beleeued of suche as haue read of the lyke in aucthours or traueyled the worlde whereby theyr owne sight may teache them the experience of these thinges whereof I speake It is also manifest that Iucca whereof they make theyr bread in the Ilande of Hispaniola is deadly poyson if it bee eaten greene with the iuâ—se and yet hath it no such propertie in the firme lande where I haue eaten it many times and found it to be a good fruit The Bats of Spaine although they bite yet are they not venomous but in the firme land many dye that are bytten of them And in this fourme may so many thinges be sayd that tyme shall not suffice to write whereas my intent is only to prooue that this beast may bee a Tyger or of y e kynd of Tygers although it be not of such lightnesse and swiftnesse as are they wherof Plinie other aucthours speake discrybyng it to bee one of the swyftest beastes of the lande and that the ryuer of Tigris for the swyft course thereof was called by that name The fyrst Spanyardes whiche sawe this Tyger in the firme lande dyd so name it Of the kynde of these was that which Don Diego Columbo the Admirall sent your maiestie out of newe Spayne to Toledo Theyr heades are lyke to the heades of Lions or Lionesses but greater the rest of all theyr bodyes and theyr legges are full of blacke spottes one neere vnto an other and diuided with a circumference or fryndge of redde colour shewyng as it were a fayre woorke and correspondent picture about their croopes or hynder partes they haue these spottes byggest and lesse and lesse towarde theyr bellies legges and heades That which was brought to Toledo was young and but litle and by my estimation of the age of three yeeres but in the firme lande there are many founde of greater quantitie for I haue seene some of three spans in height and more then fiue in length They are beastes of great force with strong legges and well armed with nayles and fanges which wee call dogge teeth they are so fierce that in my iudgement no reall Lion of the byggest sort is so strong or fierce Of these there are many found in the firme lande which deuour many of the Indians doe much hurt otherwyse but since the comming of the Christians many haue been kyld with Crossebowes after this maner Assoone as the archer hath knowledge of the haunt of any of these Tigers he goeth searching their trase with his crossebow with a litle hound or begle and not with a greyhounde because this beast would soone kyll any dog that would venter on him When the hounde hath founde the Tyger he runneth about him baying continually and approcheth so neare him snappyng and grynnyng with so quycke fleeyng and returnyng that he heereby so molesteth this fierce beast that hee driueth him to take the next tree at the foote wherof he remaineth styll baying and the Tyger grynnyng and shewyng his teethe whyle in the meane tyme the archer commeth neare and .xii. or xiiii pases of stryketh him with the querell of his crossebowe in the brest and fleeth incontinent leauyng the Tyger in his trauayle for lyfe and death bytyng the tree and eatyng earth for fiercenesse then within the space of two or three houres or the day folowyng the archer returneth thyther and with his dogge fyndeth the place where he lyeth dead In the yeere .1522 I with the other rulers and magistrates of the citie of Sancta Maria Antiqua in Dariena tooke order in our counsayle a rewarde of foure or fyue peeces of golde to bee giuen to euery man that kylled any of these Tygers by reason whereof many were kyld in shorte space both with crossebowes and also with dyuers snares and ingens But to conclude I will not obstinately stand in opinion whether these beastes be Tygers or Panthers or of the number of any other suche beastes of spotted heare or also peraduenture some other newe beast vnknowen to the olde wryters as were many other whereof I haue spoken in this booke Of whiche thyng I doe not greatly marueyle forasmuche as vnto our tyme this great part of the worlde was vnknowen to the antiquitie insomuche that none of the wryters of that age nor yet Pcolome in his Cosmographie or any other since him haue made any mention heereof vntyll the fyrst Admyrall Don Christopher Colonus discouered the same A thing doubtlesse without comparyson muche greater then that which is sayde of Hercules that he fyrst gaue the entrance of the sea Mediterraneum into the Ocean whiche the Grekes coulde neuer doe before him And heereof ryseth the fable that the mountaynes of Calpe and Abila whiche are directly one agaynst an other in the strayght of Gibilterra the one beyng in Spayne and the
euen at this present there is nothyng wherefore it shoulde malice theyr prosperitie not beyng inferiour to them in any felicitie that in maner the heauens can graunt to any lande beyng furthermore suche as mâ—y inryche many prouinces and kyngdomes by reason of many ryche golde mynes that are in it of the beste golde that is founde to this day in the worlde and in greatest quantitie In this Iland nature of her selfe bryngeth foorth suche abundance of cotton that if it were wrought and mayntayned there shoulde be more and better then in any part of the world There is so great plentie of excellent Cassia that a great quantitie is brought from thence into Spaine from whence it is caried to diuers partes of the worlde It encreaseth so muche that it is a marueylous thyng to consider In this are many ryche shoppes where Suger is wrought and that of suche perfectnesse and goodnesse and in such quantitie that shyps come laden therewith yeerely into Spayne All such seedes settes or plantes as are brought out of Spayne and planted in this Ilande become muche better bygger and of greater encrease then they are in any part of our Europe And yf it chaunce otherwyse that sometymes they prosper not so well the cause is that they which should tyl and husband the ground sowe and plant in due seasons haue no respect heereunto beyng impatient whyle the wheat and vines waxe rype beyng geuen to wanderyng and other affayres of present gaynes as I haue sayde as searchyng the golde mynes fyshyng for pearles and occupying marchaundies with suche other trades for the greedy folowyng whereof they neglect and contempne both sowyng and plantyng Suche fruites as are brought out of Spayne into this Iland prosper marueylously and waxe rype all tymes of the yeere as hearbes of al sortes very good and pleasaunt to be eaten Also many Pomgranates of the best kynde and Oranges both sweete and sowre Lykewyse many fayre Limons and Cedars and a great quantitie of all such as are of sharpe sowre and bytter tast There are also many Fygge trees which bryng foorth theyr fruite all the whole yeere Lykewyse those kynde of Date trees that beare Dates and diuers other trees and plantes which were brought out of Spayne thyther Beastes do also encrease in lyke abundaunce especially the heardes of Ryne are so augmented both in quantitie and number that there are now many patrons of cattaile that haue more then two thousand heades of Neate and some three or foure thousande and some more Besyde these there are very many that haue heardes of foure or fyue hundred And trueth it is that this Iland hath better pasture for suche cattayle then any other countrey in the worlde also holsome and cleare water and temperate ayre by reason whereof the heardes of such beastes are much bygger fatter and also of better tast then ours in Spayne because of the ranke pasture whose moisture is better digested in the hearbe or grasse by the continuall temperate heate of the Sonne wherby beyng made more fat and vnctuous it is of better and more stedfast nouryshment For contynuall and temperate heate doth not only drawe much moysture out of the earth to the nouryshment of such thynges as growe and are engendred in that clime but doth also by moderation preserue the same from resolution and putrifaction digesting also and condensatyng or thycknyng the sayde moyst nouryshment into a gummie and vnctuous substaunce as is seene in all suche thynges as growe in those regions and this is the only naturall cause aswell that certayne great beastes and of long lyfe as the Elephant Rhinoceros with suche other are engendred only in the regions neare vnto the Equinoctiall as also that the leaues of suche trees as growe there do not wyther or fall vntyll they be thrust out by other accordyng to the verse of the poet whiche sayeth Et nata pira piris et ficus in ficubus extant this is in effect Peares growing vpon Peares and Fygges vpon Fygges Plinie also wryteth that suche trees are neuer infected with the disease of trees that the Latines call Caries whiche we may call the worme or canker beyng but a certayne putrifaction by reason of a watrishe nouryshment not well consolidate The same thyng hath been the cause that certayne Philosophers considering aswell that man is the hottest and moystest beast that is whiche is the best complexion as also that men lyue longest in certayne partes of India neare the Equinoctiall where yet to this day some liue to the age of an hundred and fyftie yeeres were of opinion that yf mankynde had any beginning on the earth that place ought by good reason to be vnder or not farre from y e Equinoctial line for the causes aforesayde Some of the Diuines also vpon lyke consideration haue thought it agreable that theyr Paradise shoulde be about the same within y e precinct of those riuers which are named in the booke of Genesis But to let passe these thyngs to returne to the historie In this Iland furthermore are manye Sheepe and a great number of Hogges of the whiche as also of the Ryne many are become wylde and lykewyse many Dogges and Cattes of those whiche were brought out of Spayne These and especially the Dogges do much hurt among the cattayle by reason of the negligence of the heardmen There are also many Horses Mares and Mules and such other beastes as serue the vse of men in Spayne and are muche greater then they of the fyrst broode brought thyther out of Spayne Some places of the Ilande are inhabited although not so many as were requisite Of the which I wyl say no more but that al the regions of the Ilande are so well situate that in the course of tyme all thynges shall come to greater perfection by reason of the rychnesse pleasauntnesse of the countrey and fertilitie of the soyle But nowe to speake somewhat of the principall and chiefe place of the Ilande whiche is the citie of San Domenico I saye that as touchyng the buildinges there is no citie in Spayne so much for so much no not Barsalona which I haue oftentymes seene that is to be preferred before this generally For the houses of San Domenico are for the most parte of stone as are they of Barsalona or of so strong wel wrought earth that it maketh a singuler and strong bynding The situation is much better then that of Barsalona by reason that the streates are much larger and plainer and without comparison more directe and streyght foorth For being builded nowe in our tyme besyde the commoditie of the place of the fundation the streetes were also directed with corde compase and measure wherin it excelleth al the cities that I haue seene It hath the sea so neere that of one syde there is no more space betwene the sea
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
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
these Barbarians of singular faith grauitie tolde vs of a marueylous in maner incredible thing that is seene among these Tartars And that his father being sent by the prince of Moscouia to the kyng of Sawolhense saw while he was in that legacie a certaine seede in that Iland somewhat lesse rounder then the seeds of Melones Of the which being hyd in the ground there groweth a fruite or plante very lyke a Lambe of the height of fiue spannes and is therefore called in theyr tongue Boranetz whiche signifieth a litle Lambe For it hath the head eyes eares and all other partes like vnto a Lambe newly eyued with also a very thyn skyn wherewith dyuers of the inhabitauntes of those regions are accustomed to lyue theyr cappes and hattes and other tyrements for theyr heades Many also confirmed in our presence that they had seene these skynnes He saide furthermore that that plant yf it may be called a plant hath blood and no fleshe but hath in the steade of fleshe a certayne substaunce lyke vnto the fleshe of Creuishes The hooffes also are not of horne as are the Lambes but couered with heare in the same fourme The roote cleaueth to the nauyl or myddest of the belly the plant or fruite lyueth vntil al the grasse hearbes growing about it being eaten the roote wythereth for lacke of nouryshment They say that it is very sweete to be eaten and is therfore greatly desyred and sought for of the Woolues and other rauenyng beastes And albeit I esteeme all that is sayde of this plant to be fabulous yet forasmuche as it hath been tolde me of credible persons I haue thought good to make mention hereof Of this strange fruite Mandeuile maketh mention where in the .lxxxiiii. Chapter of his Booke he wryteth thus Nowe shal I say of some landes countreys and Isles that are beyonde the lande of Cathay therefore whoso goeth from Cathay to India the hygh and the lowe he shall goe through a Kyngdome that men call Cadissen and is a great lande There groweth a manner of fruite as it were Gourdes and when it is rype mâ—n cut it asunder and fynde therein a beast as it were of fleshe bone and blood as it were a litle Lambe without wooll and men eate that beast and the fruite also whiche is a great marueyle neuerthelesse I sayde vnto them that I helde that for no marueyle for I sayde that in my countrey are trees that beare fruite that become byrdes fleeing which are good to be eaten and that that falleth into the water lyueth and that that falleth on the earth dyeth And they had great marueyle of this c. From the prince of Schidacke proceedyng twentye dayes iourney towarde the East are the people which the Moscouites cal Iurgenci whose prynce is Barack Soltan brother to the great Chan of Cathay In tenne dayes iourney from Barack Soltan they come to Bebeid Chan. And this is that great Chan of Cathay Names of dignities among the Tartars are these Chan signifieth a Kyng Soltan the sonne of a Kyng Bij a Duke Mursa the sonne of a Duke Olboud a noble man or counseller Olboadulu the sonne of a noble man Seid the hygh priest Ksi a priuate person The names of offices are these Vlan the seconde dignitie to the Kyng for the Kynges of the Tartars haue foure principal men whose counsell they vse in all their weyghtie affayres Of these the firste is called Schirni the seconde Barni the thyrde Gargni the fourth Tzipsan And to haue sayde thus muche of the Tartars it shal suffise Marcus Paulus wryteth that the great Chan is called Chan Cublai that is the great Kyng of Kynges as the great Turcke wryteth hym selfe in lyke maner as I sawe in a letter wrytten by hym of late in the citie of Ragusa in the whiche he vseth this subscription Soltan Soliman desclim Cham Signore de Signori en sempiterno The Nauigation by the frosen Sea AT my beyng in Moscouia when I was sent thyther by king Ferdinando my lorde and maister it so chaunced that Georgius Istoma the Duke of Moscouia his Interpreter a man of great experience who had before learned the latine tongue in the court of Iohn king of Denmarke was there present at the same tyme. He in the yeere of Christe .1496 beyng sent of his prince with maister Dauid a Scotte borne and then Ambassadour for the kyng of Denmarke whom also I knewe there at my firste legacie made me a breefe information of al the order of his iourney the which forasmuch as it may seeme difficult and laborious as wel for the distance as daungerous places I haue thought good to describe the same as I receyued it at his mouth Fyrst he sayde that beyng sent of his prince with the sayde Dauid they came fyrst to Nouogradia the great And whereas at that tyme the kyngdome of Suecia reuolted from the Kyng of Denmarke also the Duke of Moscouia was at discention with the Suetians by reason whereof they could not passe by the most accustomed way for the tumultes of warre they attempted theyr iourney by an other way longer but safer and came fyrst from Nouogradia to the mouthes of the ryuer of Dwina and Potiwlo by a very diffâ—cult and paynfull iourney For hee sayd that this iourney which can not be to muche detested for such labours and traueyles continueth for the space of three hundred leagues In fine takyng foure small shyppes or barkes at the mouthes of Dwina they sayled by the coast on the right hand of the Ocean where they sawe certayne hygh and rough mountaynes and at the length saylyng .xvi. leagues and passyng a great gulfe folowed the coast on the lefte hande and leauyng on the right hande the large sea whiche hath the name of the ryuer Petzora as haue also the mountaynes adiacent to the same they came to the people of Finlappia who although they dwell here there in low cottagies by the sea syde and leade in maner a beastly lyfe yet are they more meeke and tractable then the wylde Lappians He sayde that these also are tributaries to the prince of Moscouia Then leauing the lande of the Lappians and saylyng fourescore leagues they came to the region of Nortpoden vnder the dominion of the kyng of Suecia This the Moscouites call Kaienska Semla and the people Kaieni Departyng from hence and saylyng along by the coast of a wyndyng and bendyng shore reachyng towarde the ryght hande they came to a promontorie or cape called the Holy nose being a great stone reachyng farre into the sea to the similitude of a nose vnder the which is seene a caue with a whyrlepoole which swaloweth the sea euery syxe houres and castyng foorth the same agayne with terryble roaryng and violence causeth the sayde whyrlepoole Some call this the Nauell of the sea and other name it Charibdis He affyrmeth that the violence of this
maner rounde It is of largenesse from syde to syde .lx. Italian myles that is to say one degree The horizontall line of the Ilande passeth by the two poles Artike and Antartike and hath euer the day equall with the nyght without any sensible difference whether the Sunne be in Cancer or in Capricorne The starre of the pole Artike is there inuisible but the wardens are seene somewhat to moue about the starres called the Crosse are seene very hygh Of this Ilande with the other landes and Ilandes lying betweene Portugale and the same a certeyne pylotte of Portugale hath written a goodly vyage to Conte Rimondo FINIS The Nauigation and vyages of Lewes Vertomannus Gentelman of the citie of Rome to the regions of Arabia Egypte Persia Syria Ethiopia and East India both within and without the ryuer of Ganges c. In the yeere of our Lorde .1503 Conteynyng many notable and straunge thinges both hystoricall and naturall Translated out of Latine into Englyshe by Richarde Eden In the yeere of our Lord .1576 The Preface of the Authour THere haue ben many before me who to know the miracles of the worlde haue with diligent studie read dyuers Authours which haue written of such thinges But other giuing more credite to the lyuely voyce haue been more desirous to know the same by relation of such as haue traueyled in those countreys seene such thinges whereof they make relation for that in many bookes geathered of vncertaine aucthoritie are myxt false thinges with true Other there are so greatly desirous to know the trueth of these thinges that they can in no wyse be satisfied vntyll by theyr owne experience they haue founde the trueth by voyages and peregrinations into straunge countreys and people to know theyr maners fashions and customes with dyuers thinges there to be seene wherein the only readyng of bookes could not satisfie their thirst of suche knowledge but rather increased the same in so much that they feared not with losse of goods and daunger of lyfe to attempte great vyages to dyuers countreys with witnesse of theyr eyes to see that they so greatly desired to knowe The whiche thyng among other chaunced vnto me also For as often as in the bookes of hystories and Cosmographie I read of such marueylous thinges whereof they make mention especially of thinges in the East partes of the world there was nothyng that coulde pacifie my vnquiet mynde vntyll I had with myne eyes seene the trueth thereof I knowe that some there are indued with hygh knowledge mountyng vnto the heauens whiche will contempne these our writinges as base and humble bycause we doe not here after their maner with high and subtile inquisition intreate of the motions and dispositions of the starres and gyue reason of theyr woorkyng on the earth with their motions retrogradations directions mutations epicicles reuolutions inclinations diuinations reflexions and suche other parteynyng to the science of Astrologie which certeynely we doe not condempne but greatly prayse But measuryng vs with our owne foote we will leaue that heauie burden of heauen to the strong shoulders of Atlas and Hercules and only creepyng vppon the earth in our owne person beholde the situations of landes and regions with the maners and customes of men and variable fourmes shapes natures and propriettes of beastes fruites and trees especially suche as are among the Arabians Persians Indians and Ethiopians And whereas in the searchyng of these thinges we haue thanked be God satisfied our desire we thinke neuerthelesse that we haue done little excepte we should communicate to other such thinges as we haue seene and had experience of that they lykewyse by the readyng thereof may take pleasure for whose sakes we haue written this long and dangerous discourse of thinges which we haue seene in dyuers regions and sectes of men desiryng nothyng more then that the trueth may be knowen to them that desyre the same But what incommodities and troubles chaunced vnto me in these viages as hunger thirst colde heate warres captiuitie terrours and dyuers other suche daungers I will declare by the way in theyr due places The first Chapter of the nauigation from Venice to Alexandria in Egypte IF any man shall demaunde of me the cause of this my vyage certeynely I can shewe no better reason then is the ardent desire of knowledge which hath moued many other to see the worlde and miracles of God therin And forasmuch as other knowen partes of the world haue heretofore ben sufficiently traueyled of other I was determyned to visite and describe suche partes as here before haue not been sufficiently knowen and therefore with the grace of God and callyng vppon his holy name to prosper our enterprise departyng from Uenice with prosperous wyndes in fewe dayes we arryued at the citie of Alexandria in Egypte where the desyre we had to knowe thinges more straunge and further of would not permit vs to tarrie long And therefore departyng from thence and saylyng vp the ryuer of Nilus we came to the citie of new Babylon commonly called Cayrus or Alcayr Of the citie named Babylon or Alcayr a citie of Nilus in Egypt Cap. 2. WHen we arryued there I marueyled more then I am able to say yet when I approched so neare the citie that I myght wel see into it it seemed to me much inferior to the reporte and fame that was thereof for the greatnesse thereof seemed nothyng agreeable to the bruite and appeared no more in circuite then the citie of Rome although muche more peopled and better inhabited But the large fieldes of the suburbes haue deceyued many beyng dispersed with in maner innumerable villages whiche some haue thought to haue been part of the citie whiche is nothyng so For those villages and dispersed houses are two or three myles from the citie and round about it on euery syde Neyther is it here needefull to spende muche tyme in declaryng of theyr maners or religion forasmuch as it is well knowen that all the inhabitantes of those regions are Mahumetans and Mamalukes whiche are suche Christians as haue forsaken theyr fayth to serue the Mahumetans and Turkes Although commonly they that serued the Soltan of Babylon in tyme past before the Soltan was ouercome by the Turke were called Mamaluchi as they that serue the Turke are called Ienetzari But these Mamaluke Mahumetans are subiecte to the Soltan of Syria Of the cities of Berynto Tripoli and Antioch Cap. 3. THe riches fayrenesse and magnificence of Babylon aforesayde and the straunge souldiers Mamalukes as things knowen we will now pretermit Therfore departyng from Babylon and returnyng to Alexandria where we agayne entered into our sea we came to Berynto a citie on the sea coast of Syria Phoenicia where we spent many dayes This is inhabited of Mahumetans and plentifull of all thinges The sea beateth on the walles of the towne it is not compassed with walles but on the West syde towarde the sea Here founde we nothyng
of two dayes The Arabians compassed about the mountayne crying and threatenyng that they would breake in among the Camelles at the length to make an ende of the conflicte our Captayne assemblyng the merchauntes commaunded a thousande and two hundred peeces of golde to be giuen to the Arabians who when they had receyued the money sayde that the summe of ten thousande peeces of golde should not satisfie them for the water which we had drawen Whereby we perceyued that they began further to quarell with vs and to demaunde some other thing then money Wherevppon incontinent our Captayne gaue commaundement that whosoeuer in all our companie were able to beare armes should not mount vppon the Camelles but should with all expedition prepare them selues to fyght The day folowyng in the mornyng sendyng the Camelles before and inclosyng our army beyng about three hundred in number we met with the enemies and gaue the onset In this conflicte we lost only a man and a woman and had none other domage we slue of the Arabians a thousande and fyue hundred Whereof you neede not marueyle if you consyder that they are vnarmed and weare only a thynne loose vesture and are besyde almost naked theyr horses also beyng as euyll furnished and without saddles or other furniture Of a mountayne inhabited with Iewes and of the citie of Medinathalhabi where Mahumet was buried Cap. 11. IN the space of eyght dayes we came to a mountayne whiche conteyneth in circuite ten or twelue myles This is inhabited with Iewes to the number of fyue thousande or thereabout They are of very little stature as of the heyght of fyue or sixe spannes and some muche lesse They haue small voyces lyke women and of blacke colour yet some blacker then other They feede of none other meate then Goates fleshe They are circumcised and deny not them selues to bee Iewes If by chaunce any Mahumetan come into their handes they slay him alyue At the foote of the mountayne we founde a certayne hole out of the whiche flowed aboundaunce of water By fyndyng this oportunitie we laded sixtiene thousand Camels which thyng greatly offended the Iewes They wandred in that mountayne scattered lyke wylde Goates or Prickettes yet durst they not come downe partly for feare and partly for hatred agaynst the Mahumetans Beneath the mountayne are seene seuen or eyght thorne trees very fayre and in them we founde a payre of Turtle Doues which seemed to vs in maner a miracle hauyng before made so long iourneyes and sawe neyther beast nor foule Then proceedyng two dayes iourney we came to a certayne citie named Medinathalhabi foure myles from the sayd citie we founde a well Heere the Carauana that is the whole hearde of the Camelles rested And remayning here one day we washed our selues and chaunged our shertes the more freshely to enter into the citie it is well peopled and conteyneth about three hundred houses the walles are lyke bulwarkes of earth and the houses both of stone and bricke The soile about the citie is vtterly barren except that about two myles from the citie are seene about fyftie palme trees that beare Dates There by a certayne garden runneth a course of water fallyng into a lower playne where also passingers are accustomed to water theyr Camelles And heere oportunitie nowe serueth to confute the opinion of them whiche thynke that the Arke or Toombe of wicked Mahumet in Mecha to hang in the ayre not borne vp with any thyng As touchyng which thyng I am vtterly of an other opinion and affirme this neyther to be true nor to haue any lykenesse of trueth as I presently behelde these thynges and sawe the place where Mahumet is buried in the sayde citie of Medinathalhabi for we taryed there three dayes to come to the true knowledge of all these thynges When wee were desirous to enter into theyr Temple which they call Meschita and all other churches by the same name we coulde not be suffered to enter without a companion little or great They takyng vs by the hande brought vs to the place where they saye Mahumet is buried Of the Temple or Chapell and Sepulchre of Mahumet and of his felowes Cap. 12. HIs Temple is vaulted and is a hundred pases in length and fourescore in breadth the entry into it is by two gates from the sydes it is couered with three vaultes it is borne vp with iiii hundred columnes or pillers of white brick there are seene hanging lampes about the number of .3 thousande From the other part of the Temple in the first place of the Meschita is seene a Tower of the circuite of fyue pases vaulted on euery syde and couered with a cloth of silke and is borne vp with a grate of copper curiously wrought and distant from it two pases and of them that goe thyther is seene as it were through a lattesse Towarde the lefte hande is the way to the Tower and when you come thyther you must enter by a narower gate On euery side of those gates or doores are seene many bookes in maner of a Librarie on the one syde .xx. and on the other syde xxv These contayne the filthie traditions and lyfe of Mahumet and his fellowes within the sayde gate is seene a Sepulchre that is a digged place where they say Mahumet is buried and his felowes which are these Nabi Bubacar Othomar Aumar and Fatoma But Mahumet was theyr chiefe Captayne and an Arabian borne Hali was sonne in lawe to Mahumet for he tooke to wyfe his daughter Fatoma Bubacar is he who they say was exalted to the dignitie of a chiefe counseller and great gouernour although he came not to the hygh degree of an Apostle or prophet as dyd Mahumet Othomar and Aumar were chiefe Captaynes of the army of Mahumet Euery of these haue their proper bookes of theyr factes and traditions And hereof proceedeth the great dissention and discorde of religion and maners among this kynde of filthie men whyle some confirme one doctrine and some an other by reason of theyr diuers sectes of patrons Doctours and saintes as they call them By this meanes are they marueylously diuided among them selues and lyke beastes kyll them selues for such quarelles of dyuers opinions and all false This also is the chiefe cause of warre betweene the Sophie of Persia and the great Turke beyng neuerthelesse both Mahumetans and lyue in mortall hatred one agaynst the other for the mayntenaunce of theyr sectes Sainctes and Apostles whyle euery of them thynketh theyr owne to bee best Of the Secte of Mahumet Cap. 13. NOw will we speake of the maners and sect of Mahumet Understande therefore that in the highest part of the Tower aforesayd is an open rounde place Now shall you vnderstande what crafte they vsed to deceyue our Carauana The first euenyng that we came thyther to see the Sepulchre of Mahumet our Captaine sent for the chiefe priest of the Temple to come to him and
knowledge thereof But nowe intendyng to speake of the whole worlde I wyll not be long in my preface but begyn my narration as foloweth ¶ A briefe declaration of the viage or nauigation made about the worlde Geathered out of a large booke written hereof by master Antoni Pigafetta Vincentine knyght of the Rhodes and one of the companie of that vyage in the which Ferdinando Magalianes a Portugale whom some call Magellanus was generall captayne of the nauie ALthough Sebastian Munster in his vniuersall Cosmographie in the fyfth booke of the landes of the greater Asia which I translated into Englyshe about .24 yeeres sence hath wrytten of the vyage of Magellanus declaryng therein how the Spanyardes by the West and the Portugales by the East sayling to the Ilandes of Molucca compassed the whole globe of the worlde betweene them yet haue I heere thought it good to make a breefe repeticion of this vyage addyng hereunto dyuers notable thynges which were not touched of Munster as I haue geathered them out of the bookes of Antoni Pigafetta and Transiluanus wrytyng of the same vyage For albeit in deede it was a strange and woonderfull thyng that the Spanyardes and Portugales compassed the whole circumference of the worlde betweene them yet is it more marueylous that the same was done with one ship one companie of men as did the Spanyardes in this viage who keeping their continual course by the west returned into Spaine by the east a thing doubtlesse so much more woonderful and strange then if they had returned from the halfe circumference by the same way they went in how muche they were ignorant in the vyage neuer attempted before besyde the thousande daungers and perylles whiche they were daylye lyke to fal into aswell by wandryng in vnknowen coastes as also by fallyng into the handes of the Portugales by whose dominions in the East they shoulde needes passe of necessitie not trustyng to their gentlenesse for the controuersie whiche had been long betweene them for the Ilandes of Molucca I wyl therfore as I haue sayde make a briefe rehearsal of this viage from the begynnyng to the endyng omittyng neuerthelesse many notable thynges whiche are more largely described in the bookes of Maximilianus Transiluanus and Antonius Pigafetta The tenth day of August in the yeere of our Lord .1519 Ferdinando Magalianes ▪ departed from the port of Siuile in Spayne with a nauie of fyue shippes and 237. men wel furnished with all thynges necessary And saylyng first downe by the ryuer of Guadalchiber which runneth from the sayd port into the sea they came first to a place named Giouan Dulpharaz where are many villages of the Moores and from thence arryued at a castle of the duke of Medina Sidonia where is the port from whiche they enter into the sea to the cape saint Vincent beyng distant from the Equinoctial .37 degrees and from the sayd port .10 leagues and is from thence to Siuile betweene 17. and 20. leagues Heere they remayned certayne dayes to make newe prouision of such thinges as they lacked Departyng from hence the 20. day of September they arryued the 26. day of the same moneth at one of the Ilandes of Canarie called Tenerife beyng 25. degrees aboue the Equinostial In one of these Ilandes is none other water but that is continually engendred of a cloude which appeareth dayly at noone tyde as though it descended from heauen and compasseth about a certayne great tree from whose branches distylleth great aboundaunce of water and falleth in streames from the roote of the same into certaine trenches and cesternes made and placed to receyue it This water serueth sufficiently all the inhabitauntes and cattayle of the Iland The lyke thyng is also seene in the Ilande of saint Thomas lying directly vnder the Equinoctial line The thirde day of October about mydnyght the captayne commaunded them to lyght fyre brandes and to hoyse vp theyr sayles directyng theyr course towarde the South saylyng saylyng betwene Capo Verde of Affrike and the Ilandes lying about the same beyng from the Equinoctial fourteene degrees a halfe They sayled thus many dayes in the syght of the coast of Guinea of Ethiope where is the mountayne called Serra Liona being eyght degrees aboue the Equinoctial In this coast they had no maner of contrary wynde but a great calme and fayre weather for the space of threescore and ten dayes in the whiche they came vnder the Equinoctial line In this viage they sawe many strange Fyshes monsters of the Sea besyde another strange thyng whiche appeared vnto them For there appeared in their shippes certayne flames of fyre burnyng very cleare whiche they cal saint Helen saint Nicholas these appeared as though they had been vpon the mast of the shippes in suche clearenesse that they tooke away theyr syght for the space of a quarter of an houre by reason wherof they so wandred out of theyr course and were dispearsed in sunder that they in maner dispayred to meete agayne but as God would the sea and tempest beyng quieted they came safely to their determined course And before I speake any further of the viage I haue heere thought good to say somewhat of these strange fyers whiche some ignorant folke thynke to be spirites or suche other phantasies wheras they are but naturall thynges proceedyng of naturall causes and engendred of certayne exhalations Of these therfore the great Philosopher of our tyme Hieronimus Cardanus in his second booke De Subtilitate wryteth in this maner There are two maner of fyers engendred of exhalations wherof the one is hurtful the other without hurt That which is hurtfull is fyre in deede engendred of malicious and venemous vapours whiche in successe of tyme take fyre as apt matters to be kyndled The other kynde is no true fyre but lyke the matter that is in such olde putrified wood as geueth the shynyng of fyre without the substaunce or qualitie therof Of the kynde of true fyre is the Fyreball or Starre commonly called saint Helen which is sometyme seene about the mastes of shippes beyng of such fyerie nature that it sometyme melteth brasen vessels and is a token of drownyng forasmuch as this chaunceth only in great tempestes for the vapour or exhalation wherof this fyre is engendred can not be dryuen togeather or compact in fourme of fyre but of a grosse vapour and by a great power of wynde and is therefore a token of imminent perill As on the contrary parte the lyke fyres called in olde tyme Castor and Pollux and nowe named the two lightes of Sainct Peter and Sainct Nicolas which for the most parte fall on the cables of the shyppes leapyng from one to an other with a certayne flutteryng noyse lyke byrdes are a token of securitie and of the tempest ouerpassed For they are but vapours cleauyng to the cables which in successe of tyme the fyre
thousande pounde of our money The starres about the south pole A similitude declaryng Antipodes The maner of of fyshyng for pearles Petrus Arias Wanton and superfluous pleasures The fyshyng place of kyng Chiapes Gold in maner in euery house The rych treasury of nature The golde mynes of Dariena King Teaocha enterteyneth Vaschus frendly Twenty pound weyght of wrought gold Desartes ful of wylde beastes Dryed fyshe Kyng Pacra a tyraunt Great heate in the moneth of Nouember Hurt by wylde beastes A Tyger Calidonia is a forrest in Scotlande Nemea is a wood in Greece Tigers whelpes Thus the Egiptians take Crocodiles The dogge tyger taken The roryng of the tyger Tigers flesh eaten The biâ—the tyger Tigers whelpes A straunge thyng Kyng Pacra Natural hatred of vice Foure Kynges deuoured of dogges The vse of dogges in warre against naked men The Canibales are expert archers Swoordes of wood Fiftie pound weight of gold Kyng Bononiama frend to the christians Wrought gold The oration of kyng Bononiama The sparke of the lawe of nature is the lawe written in the hartes of men Great plenty of golde A symilitude for the profe of plentye of golde Chaunge of dyet is daungerous Old souldiers A long lent Comogrus Two poore kynges Desartes Vessels of golde kyng Chiorisus sendeth Vaschus xxx dyshes of pure golde Axes of Iron more esteemed then any golde Plenty of gold and scarcenesse of meate A good policie The cause of vehement windes neere the Equinocciall Vaschus his Wordes to King Tumanama Oderuut quem metuunt Xxx. pounde weight of wrought gold Threescore poundes weight of gold They abhorrce labour The coloure of the golden earth and a triall of the same Tokens of great plentle of gold Feeblenesse of hunger and watching The riuer Comogrus Vaschus returneth to Dariena The good fortune of Vaschus O flatteryng fortune looke his death in the booke of the Iland lately found The earth is our generall mother The cout of infernal Pluto Manhuntees The fyersnessâ— of the Canibales Our duty to god and naturall loue to mankinde The office of Christian princes The haruest is great The fourth nauigation of Colonus the Admiral From Spaine to Hispaniola a thousande and two hundred leagues Simple people A great marchaunt Gentle people The regions of Tuia Maia Seuen kyndes of date trees Wilde vines Mirobalanes Byrdes and foules People of goodly stature They poynt theyr bodyes The swyft course of the sea from the East to the West Freshe water in the sea Fayre ryuers Great reedes Great Tortoyses Quatuor tempora The region of Quicuri The hauen of Cariai or Mirobalanus Ciuile and humane people Trees growing in the sea after a strange sort Plinie A strange kynd of Monkeys A Monkey fyghteth with a man A conflyct betwene a Monkey and a wyld Bore The bodyes of kynges dryed and reserued Crownes of beastes clawes Spytefull people Guns make peace Seuen golden ryuers Note wher the plentie of gold endeth Crocodiles of sweet sauour Alcayr or Babylon in Egypt Shyppes eaten with wormes Alexandria in Egypt Howe the kyng of Beragua entertayned the Lieuetenant Their reuereÌ„ce to their kyng Slynges and dartes Libertie more esteemed then ryches The Spanyardes are dryuen to flyght A miserable case Necessitie hath no lawe Howe farre life is to be estemed Sanctus Dominicus Landes founde by Colonus Themperat regions and holsome ayre Expert miners A godly nature in golde Golden haruest High and great mountaynes Tirrhenum is nowe called Tuscane The mouÌ„tayns of Beragua higher then the cloudes Mountaynes of fiftie myles heyght Ianus otherwase called Iaphet the son of Noe. By this coniecture the way shoulde open to Cathai by the Hiperboreans Looke the nauigation of Cabote Deca iii. lib. vi The great riuer Maragnonus The great riuer Dabaiba or sancti Iohannes The riuers haue theyr increase from the sprynges of the mountaynes The ryuer of Nilus in Egypt Maryshes and desolate wayes A superstitious opinion of the originall of the mountaynes of Dabaiba Dragons and Crocodiles in the maryshes The hauen Cerabaro Twentie golden ryuers Precious stones A precious Diamond of exceeding bignes Topasis The nauigation of Petrus Arias The Ilande of Canarie Prouision of freshe water and fuel The sea of hearbes These mountaines are called Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata Decade .ii. lib. 1. and .ii. Mountaynes couered with snowe The stoutnes of the Barbarians The Canibales fight in the water The vse of gunnes The generation of thunder and lyghtning Plentie of fysh Cunning fyshers Tapistrie This is he whom Cardanus praiseth Precious stones The Smaradge is the true Hâ—merode Another kynde of Amber is founde in Whales Golde and Brasile Marchasites are flowres of mettals by the colours whereof the kyndes of mettals are knowen These Locustes burne the corne with touching and deuoure the residue They are in India of three foote length Gardens Insubres are nowe called Lumbardes and Hetruci Tuscans One myriade is ten thousande The manner of plantyng the roote Iucca Earth turned into rootes Howe bread is made of rootes Panicum is a grayne somewhat lyke mil The Italians cal it Melica He meaneth the equal length of day and nyght which is continualy in regions vnder the Equinoctiall line Holsome ayre Gossampine Cotton Fethers Bowes and arrowes Dead bodies reserued Gonzalus Ouiâ—dus sayeth that they gylt marueylously with the iuce of a certayne hearbe White marble The great riuer Maragnonus This ioyneth with the mighty riuer called Flumen Amazonum founde of late Clokes of fethers The swift course of the water Fourtie leagues in one nyght Sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft course from the East into the West The Equinoctial line Why al waters moue towarde the south or Equinoctial read Cardanus ae subtilit liber ii de elementis Strayghtes As by the strayght of Magelanus The north landes The frosen sea Sebastian Cabot The voyage of Sebastian Cabot from Englande to the frosen sea Demogorgon is the spirite of the earth People couered with beastes skynnes The Ilandes of the Canybales The Ilande Fortis Salte A strange thing Howe Vaschus receiued the newe gouernour Habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line Where the new gouernour planteth his habitation A passinger shyp Decurians are officers deuided into tennes c. The gold mines of Dabaiba An errour The region of Saturma The Ilande of Dominica Difficult saylyng agaynst the course of the sea The daungerous straightes of Scylla and Charibdis The vehement course of the sea from the east to the west By what meanes the Sonne beames are cause of feruent heate The pernitious ayre of Dariena Toades and Flees engendred of drops of water Necessitie hath no lawe A house set on fyre with lightnyng A dogge deuoured of a Crocodile Tanquam canis de Nilo The bytyng of Battes Lions and Tygers Beastes waxe higher in theyr kynde Note Broma or Bissa are wormes which destroy shyppes A venemous tree Perhaps their venemous arrows are made of this wood A preseruatiue against poison The Ilandes of the
Hercules and Alexander The colonies of the Romans in regions subdued The great Ilande of Saynct Laurence or Madagascar The Ilands of Taprobana or Giaua Plinie The historie of Cornelius Nepos Shyps of India driuen into the sea of Germanie An enterprise wherby Princes may obtayne true fame and glory Cathay discouered by Marcus Paulus The citie of Lubyke The kyng of Polonie The Duke of Moscouia An ambassadour from the Duke of Moscouia The woordes of the Ambassadour of Moscouia The way from Moscouia to the North Ocean Cathay Volochda Vstiug Iug. Succana Duina Colmogor The North Ocean Great woods Gothlande The Moscouites haue knowledge of the great Cam of Cathay Permia Pescora Catena mundi Obdora Vecchiadoro Obo The lake Chethay The Tartars The citie of Cambalu Note this secrete Difficult traueylyng in Moscouia Commendation of the Spanyardes and Portugales The hystorie of Paulus Centurio 〈◊〉 his reade more at large in the booke of Paulus Iomus Malice may doe more with some then vertue The Caspian sea Riga The Tartars of Lordo Desartes The vyage by the North sea The woorthinesse of this vyage The vyages of the Frenchmen to the lande of Baccalaos Pleasaunt countreys New France Apostrophe to to the Christian Princes Great ryuers A thyng woorthy to be searched The way to Cathay and the Ilandes of Molucca by the Northwest A notable enterpryse The noble enterprise of Antonie di Mendoza viceroy of Mexico The discoueryng of the Northwest partes Shyppes saylyng from Cathay by the North Hyperboream sea to the coastes of the Northwest parte of the lande of Baccaleos Cathay The sea from newe Fraunce or Tarra Britonum to Cathay A notable booke A great and glorious enterprise Sebastian Cabote the grand pylot of the West Indies Commendation of Sebastian Cabote Sebastian Cabote tolde me that he was borne in Brystow â–ª that at .iiii yeeres olde he was carryed with his father to Venice and so returned agayne into England with his father after certayne yeeres whereby he was thought to haue ben borne in Venice The fyrst vyage of Sebastian Cabote The lande of Florida The seconde vyage of Cabote to the land of Brasile and Rio della Plata Cabote tolde me that in a region within this ryuer he sowed .50 graynes of wheate in September and geathered therof .50 thousande in December as writeth also Francisco Lopes The viage to Moscouia The hystory of Moscouia The dyuers names of Moscouia Roxolani Rosolanâ— Ruthem The ryuer Mosco The ryuer Boristhenes Themperour of Cathay The frosen sea Lacus Cromicus Saturnus Amaltheum The dominion of the Duke of Moscouia The citie of Moscouia The chiefe cities of Moscouia The Duke of Moscouia Emperour of Russia The duke of Moscouia his tytle Duke Basilius Theyr power Theyr obedience to theyr prynce Theyr warres conquestes Gunnes Only the Moscouites haue not felt the commodiâ—â—s of peace Theyr language Dalmatia Pannonia Hungarie Their original The Sclauion tongue reacheth farre Great woods white beares and blacke woolues Abundance of hony and waxe Rych furres Theyr maner of bargayning Rude wylde people Tartares Ciuile people in cities Theyr money They embrase the Christian faith which they receyued of the Apostles The counsayle of Nicene Basilius Magnus Chrisostomus Their constancie in theyr religion The bishops define controuersies in religion Theyr bishops The Archbishop The patriarke of constantinople A notable example of a Christian Prince Theyr religion A monasterie of ccc Munkes Priestes Masse A misterie The primatiue churche A strange custome Sarmatia Asiatica The Scythian Ocean The ryuer of Volga Lacus albus The Caspian sea Theyr chiefe cities The wylde Tartars Hordas The bygnes of the citie of Moscouia Syluer The region of Moscouia Beastes A fayre and stronge castel in the citie of Mosca The Dukes pallaice Theyr drynke They are geuen to drunkennesse Corne and grayne Stoues The famous ryuer of Tanais The marishes of Meotis Volga Ocha The sea Euxinum The forest of Hircania Vri. Alces They trauayle in winter on sleades Causeys of tymber Trees and fruites Corne and graynes Hony in wods and trees Lakes or pooles of Hony A man almost drowned in hony A merueylous chaunce Beares feede of hony bees Beares inuade Bulles The Beares byrth The Beares denne Beares lyue without meate xl dayes The sleape of Beares The religion of the Moscouites The Scythians subiect to the Duke of Moscouia It was then an opinion that all ryuers sprong out of mountaynes The fruitfull region of Colmogora The great ryuer Diuidna Wheate without plowing The ryuer of Iuga Vstiuga Furres The naturall cause of much hony in colde regions Gummes and spyces in hoote countreys Floures in colde regions Floures of trees Blossomes of trees An example of the degrees of heate The generation of floures by moderate heate Long dayes and shorce nyghtes Bramble and fearne Spyces The sauour of floures What Plinie wryteth of hony Sirius is otherwyse called Canicula that is the Dogge of whom the canicular dayes haue theyr name What is hony Howe hony is corrupted â—ony of great quantitie in North regions Hot nyghtes in colde regions A simiâ—itude Naturall heat doeth subtyle and digest all thinges Subtyle vapours digested by heate Colde regions Ziglerus Ziglerus The qualitie of sommer in colde regions The course of the Sunne Vapours Short and warme nyghts Gothlande One day of .vi. monethes Howe the sommer is increased in colde regions Rome Colde nyghtes in hot regions The Romane wynter Our night of vi monethes Obiections The twylightes The lyght of the Moone The nyght vnder the pole A demonstration The Moone Remedies of nature art The olde writers persuaded by coniecture A brasen potte broken with frost Fyshes of the North seas The North sea The qualitie of water The land The diuine prouidence in moderatyng the elementes The nature of the sea Salt Generatyue heate Outward colde is cause of inwarde heate Metals Vapoures and exhalations Whales Beastes Hereby may be considered the cause of the death of our men that sayle directly to Guinea No passage from our extremitie to an other but by a meane Caues and Dennes Valleis The best furres Sables Beastes that lye hyd in wynter All beasts haue the nature of the place where they are engendred What exercise may do Vse maketh masteries Scondia Scone is fayre in the duch tongue The fertilitie of Schondia He meaneth Diodorus Siculus Thinuasions of the Gothes Transiluania The Gothes Lumbardes Fruitfull pasture Religion neglecteâ— Inchaunteâ—â— The viage of Sebastian Cabot to the frosen sea Gronelande Wardhus Lapponia and Gronelande Schoeni Cabot tolde me that this I se is of fresh water not of the sea A commixtion of salt water fresh The sea between Norway and Island Terra Viridis Pigmei Baccallaos Islande called Thyle Schoene is lx furlonges Myracles of nature in Islande Three marueylous mountaynes Helga Hecla Straunge visions Ise. A straunge thyng Foure spryngs oâ— contrary nature Aboundaunce of brymstone Dryed fyshe Scarsenesse of corne Haukes White Rauens
three Ilands is called Muscostrom that is boyling At the flowing of the sea it is swalowed into the Caues and is blowne out agayne at the reflowing with no lesse violence then the streames of ryuers fall from mountaines This sea is nauigable vntyl it be lower then the mouthes of the rockes Such as chaunce into it out of due time are caried headlong into Whyrpooles The fragmentes of the lost shyps are seldome cast vp agayne But when they are cast vp they are so brused and fretted against the rockes that they seeme to be ouergrowne with hoare This is the power of nature passing the fabilous Simpleiades the fearful Malea with the dangerous places of Silla and Caribdis and all other miracles that nature hath wrought in any other sea hytherto knowen to man The Ilands about Norway are of such fruitful pasture that they bryng not theyr beastes into the stables before the moneth of Nouember and do in many places wynter them abrode Suecia or Suethlande SVecia is a kyngdome ryche in Golde Syluer Copper Leade Iron fruite cattayle and exceedyng increase of fyshe of the ryuers lakes and the sea and hath no lesse plentie of such wylde beastes as are taken with huntyng Towarde the West it is ended with the mountaynes of Norway from the Castel of Wardhus vnto th ende .51.63.40 Towarde the South with the line from this ende vnto the degrees 53.30.61 And from thence vnto the degrees 61.60.30 Aboue the gulfe of Suecia towarde the north with the south end of Lapponia from the castel of Wardhus vnto the ende .62.70 Towarde the East it is ended with the line from this ende vnto the degree .63.69 c. Stokholme the chiefe citie .64.61 This is the chiefe mart towne of Suecia and is strongly defended by art and nature It is situate in maryshes after the maner of Uenice and was therfore called Stokholme forasmuch as beyng placed in the water the fundation is fortified with stockes or piles The sea entreth inâ—o it with two armes or branches of such largenesse and depth that shyps of great burden and with maine sayles may enter by the same with theyr ful fraight This suffered of late yeeres greeuous spoile and destruction to the singular exemple of cruel hostilitie and such as the lyke hath not been lyghtly shewed to any other citie receiued by league and composion In al the tract from Stokholme to the lake aboue the ryuer of Dalekarle whiche is in the degree .56 30 63 50. are mountaynes fruiteful of good syluer copper and lead They get great ryches by the salmons and plentie of other fyshes whiche they take in certayne great lakes The dukedome of Agermannia occupieth the north syde to the confines of Laponia This tract is ful of wods in the which they hunt the beastes called Vros or Bisontes which in theyr tongue they call Elg that is wylde Asses These are of such heyght that the hyghest part of theyr backes are equal with the measure of a man holdyng vp his armes as hygh as he may reach c. Vpsalia the chiefe citie .62.62.30 here is buryed the body of saint Henricus kyng and martyr Copperdalia that is the copper valley is a Dukedome southwarde from the Dukedom of Iemptia Under this is the valyant nation of the people called Dalekarly Oplandia is a Dukedome and the nauil or myddest of Scondia The citie of Pircho on the North syde of the lake of Meler â–ª was once a great citie and able to arme .xiiii. thousande men to the warres but is nowe brought to a vyllage All the tracte of Oplandia hath mynes of Syluer Copper and Steele Of the Ilandes and rockes that lye about Suecia the myddest is .67.30.61.30 These were called of the olde writers Done the reason of which name remayneth vnto this daye For there are in these innumerable multitudes of byrdes insomuch that thinhabitauntes of the next coast sayle thyther in the moneth of May whyle the byrdes syt on theyr egges which they steale and reserue them in salt for a long tyme. Bothnia BOthnia is so named of the pretious furres of all sortes that are caryed from thence into foraigne regions For by these and theyr fyshyng they haue great commoditie Salmons of the best sort are taken in these seas are great riches among these nations Bothnia is diuided into two partes as Northbothnia South Bothnia called Ostrobothhia Northbothnia is termined with the South ende of the Lapones vnto the ende .78.30.69 Towarde the East it is termined with this ende and vnto the degree .78.30.68.20 Towarde the West with the line terminyng the East syde of Suecia And towarde the South with the residue of the gulfe of Suecia from th ende that hath degrees .63.69 Ostrobothnia towarde the East is termined from the sayde ende of the most East coast And towarde the South with a line extended by the mountaynes from this ende vnto the degree .71 66 Towarde the North and West with part of the gulfe of Suecia c. Gothia or Gothlande GOthia is by interpretation good For the holy name of God is in the Germane tongue Goth that is Good At what tyme the Gothes vpon a generall consent sent foorth theyr ofspring or sucession to seeke new seates or countreys to inhabite and when they possessed the coastes of Meotis and Asia none of the olde wryters haue made mention as farre as I know But they haue been knowen since the tyme that the Romanes dilated theyr Empire by Illirium now called Slauonie vnto the ryuer of Danubius and were also famous from the time of Cesar Dictator and Octauianus Augustus by reason of their great warres at Danubius being the vtermost bound of Thempire Neuerthelesse in that renowme what Gothia was vnder what part of heauen it was scituate or of whom the Gothes tooke their original it hath been vnknowen almost to this age This is termined toward the North with the South ende of Suetia and towarde the West with the other mountaynes of Norway whiche continue from the boundes of Suetia to the mouthes of the ryuers of Trolheta c. It hath many goodly Townes Cities Castles Mines c. The citie of Visba being in the degree .61.30.54.15 was an ancient and famous mart Towne as is Genua in Italie at this day but afterward being afflicted by y e incursions of the Pirates of the Danes and Moscouites it was left desolate There remayne to this day certayne ruines whiche testifie the auncient nobilitie In this place were the firste stations of the Gothes that possessed Meotis It is at this day of fruiteful soyle and famous by many goodly and strong Castles Monasteries There is among other a Monasterie of the order of Saint Benedict in the whiche is a librarie of about two thousande bookes of old auctors About the yeere of Christe fourescore and eyght the Gothes vnto whom resorted
a great multitude of other people of these North partes of the worlde as from Liâ—onia Prusia Russia and Tartaria with diuers other countreyes makyng them diuers Kynges and Captaynes dyd depopulate and bryng in subiection the more part of Europe inuaded Italie destroied Rome inhabited that parte of Italie nowe called Lumbardie and lykewyse subdued the Realmes of Castile and Aragonie Their warres continued aboue three hundred yeeres Finland and Eningia FInlandia is as much to saye as a fayre land or fyne lande so named for the fertilitie of the grounde Plinie seemeth to call it Finnonia for he saieth that about the coastes of Finland â–ª are many Ilands without names of the which there lyeth one before Scithia called Pannonia The gulfe called Sinus Finnonicus â–ª is so named at this day of the land of Finnonia Finnonia confineth with Scithia and runneth without all Tanais that is to say without the lymittes of Europe to the confines of Asia But that the name of Einlande seemeth not to agree hereunto the cause is that this place of Plinie is corrupted as are many other in this aucthour So that from the name of Finnonia or Phinnonia it was a lykely errour to call it Pannonia forasmuche as these wordes doo not greatly differ in wrytyng and sounde so that the counterfect name was soone put in the place of the true name by hym that knew Pannonia and read that name before beyng also ignorant of Phinnonia Eningia had in olde tyme the tytle of a kyngdome it is of such largenesse but hath now only the title of an inferiour gouernour beyng vnder the dominion of the Slauons â–ª and vsyng the same tongue In religion it obserued the rytes of the Greekes of late yeeres when it was vnder the gouernance of the Moscouites But it is at this present vnder the kyng of Suecia obserueth thinstitutions of the Occidentall churche Spanyshe wynes are brought thither in great plentie which the people vse meryly and cheerefully It is termined on the North side by the South lyne of Ostrobothnia and is extended by the mountaynes Toward the West it is termined with the sea of Finnonia accordyng to this description and hath degrees .71 66. c. Of the difference of regions and causes of great cities after the description of Hieronimus Cardanus Liber .xi. De Subtilitate THere is an other difference of regions caused of cold and heate For suche as are neare vnto the poles are vexed with to muche colde and suche as are vnder the line where the Sunne is of greatest force are oppressed with heate Suche as are in the middest betweene both are nearest vnto temperatenesse Under the pole it is impossible that there should be populous cities bycause the lande is barren and the caryage or conueyaunce of fruites victualles and other necessaryes is incommodious By reason whereof it is necessarie that the inhabitauntes of such regions lyue euer in continuall wanderyng from place to place or els in small vyllages Suche as inhabite temperate regions haue meane cities aswell for that they haue more commodious conueyaunce for necessaryes as also that they may dwel better and more safely togeather then in vyllages by reason of fortifying their townes with walles and exercising of artes and occupations wherby the one may the better helpe the other Yet that olde Rome beyng in a temperate region was of such incredible bygnesse the cause was that it obteyned the Empyre of the worlde by reason whereof all nations had confluence thyther and not the greatnesse of the walles But it is necessarie that the greatest cities be in hotte regions fyrst for that in such regions part of the soile is either barren if it lacke water or els most fruitfull if it abounde with water And for this inequalitie when they fynde any place meete to susteyne a multitude it foloweth of necessitie that great cities be builded in such places by reason of great concourse of people resortyng to the same An other great cause is that whereas in such regions marchauntes come very farre to such commodious places they passe through many desarte and perillous regions So that it shal be necessary for theyr better securitie to come in great companyes as it were great armies And therefore whereas such a societie is once knyt togeather in a commodious place it should bee great hynderance aswell to the inhabitants as to marchauntes if they should wander in incommodious places And by this confluence both of such as dwell neare to such places and also of strangers and such as dwell farre of it is necessary that in continuaunce of tyme small townes become great cities as are these Quinsai Singui Cambalu Memphis Cairus or Alcair otherwyse called Babilon in Egypt But if here any will obiecte Constantinople in olde tyme called Bizantium beyng in a temperate region although it be not to be compared to such cities as are more then lx myles in circuite yet doe we answere herevnto that the Turkes Empyre is the cause of the greatnesse hereof as we sayde before of Rome The historie written in the latine tongue by Paulus Ionius byshop of Nuceria in Italie of the legation or ambassade of great Basilius Prince of Moscouia to Pope Clement the .vij. of that name In which is conteyned the description of Moscouia with the regions confinyng about the same euen vnto the great and rych Empire of Cathay I Intend first briefly to describe the situation of the region which we plainely see to haue ben litle knowen to Strabo Ptoleme then to proceede in rehearsing the maners customes religion of the people and this in maner in the like simple stile and phrase of speach as the same was declared vnto vs by Demetrius the Ambassadour a man not ignorant in the latin tongue as from his youth brought vp in Liuonia where he learned the first rudiments of letters and being growne to mans age executed thoffice of an Ambassadour into diuers Christian prouinces For whereas by reason of his approued faithfulnesse industrie he had before ben sent as Oratour to the kynges of Suecia and Denmarke the great maister of Prussia hee was at the last sent to Themperour Maximilian in whose court being replenyshed with all sortes of men while he was câ—nuersant if any thing of barbarous maners yet remayned in so docible quiet a nature the same was put away by frâ—ming him selfe to better ciuilitie The cause of his legacie or ambassade was giuen by Paulus Centurio a Genuese who when he had receiued letters commendatory of pope Leo the tenth came to Moscouia for the trade of marchaundies of his owne mynde conferred with the familiars of Duke Basilius as touching the conformation of the rites of both churches He furthermore of great magnanimitie and in maner outragious desire sought â—ow by a new and incredible viage spices might be brought from India For while before hee had exercised the trade of marchandies in