Yucay which ioyning with another runnes into the North sea with a violent and furious course This spring when it comes out of the rocke Bilcanota as I have said is of the colour of lie having an asshie colour and castes a fume as a thing burnt the which runs farre in this sort vntill the multitude of waters that runne into it quench this smoake and fire which it drawes from the spring In new Spaine I have seene a spring as it were inke somewhat blew in Peru another of colour red like bloud wherevpon they call it the red river Of Rivers CHAP. 18. AMongst all Rivers not onely at the Indies but generally through the world the River Maragnon or of Amazons is the chiefe whereof we have spoken in the former booke The Spaniards have often sailed it pretending to discover the lands which by report are very rich especially those they call Dorado and Paytiti Iean de Salnies the Adelantade made a memorable entrie though of small effect There is a passage which they call Pongo one of the most daungerous in all the worlde for the river being there straightned and forced betwixt two high steepe rockes the water falles directly downe with so great a violence that comming steepe downe it causeth such a boyling as it seemeth impossible to passe it without drowning yet the courage of men durst attempt to passe it for the desire of this renowmed Dorado they slipt downe from the top to the bottome thrust on with the violence and currant of the floud holding themselves fast in their Canoes or barkes and although in falling they were turned topsie turvie and both they and their Canoes plunged into the deepe yet by their care and industry they recovered themselves againe and in this sort the whole army escaped except some few that were drowned And that which is more admirable they carried themselves so cunningly that they neyther lost their powlder nor munition In their returne having suffered many troubles and daungers they were forced in the end to passe backe that same way mounting by one of those high Rockes sticking their poniards in the rocke Captaine Peter d' Orsua made an other entry by the same river who being dead in the same voyage and the souldiers mutined other Captaines followed the enterprise by an arme that comes into the north sea A religious man of our company told vs that being then a secular man he was present in a manner at all that enterprise and that the tides did flowe almost a hundred leaguâ—s vp the river and whereas it enters into the sea the which is vnder the Line or very neere it hath 70. leagues breadth at the mouth of it a matter incredible and which exceedes the breadth of the Mediterranean sea though there be some others who in their descriptions give it but twenty five or thirty leagues bredth at the mouth Next to this river that of Plata or of Silver holdes the second place which is otherwise called Paraguâ—y which runnes from the mountaines of Peru into the sea in thirty five degrees of altitude to the South it riseth as they say like to the river of Nile but much more without comparison and makes the fields it overflowes like vnto a sea for the space of three moneths and after returneth againe to his course in the which ships do saile many leagues against the streame There are many other rivers that are not of that greatnes and yet are equall yea they surpasse the greatest of Europe as that of Magdalaine neere to Saint Marthe the great river and that of Alvarado in new Spaine and an infinit number of others Of the south side on the mountains of Peru the rivers are not vsually so great for that their current is not long and that many waters cannot ioyne together but they are very swift descending from the mountaines and have sodaine falles by reason whereof they are very dangerous and many men have perished there They increase and overflowe most in the time of heate I have gone over twenty and seaven rivers vpon that coast yet did I never passe any one by a foord The Indians vse a thousand devises to passe their rivers In som places they have a long cord that runs fro one side to th' other thereon hangs a basket into the which he puts himselfe that meanes to passe and then they drawe it from the bancke with another corde so as hee passeth in this basket In other places the Indian passeth as it were on horse backe vppon a bottle of straw and behinde him hee that desires to passe and so rowing with a peece of a boorde carries him over In other places they make a floate of gourds or pompions vppon the which they set men with their stuffe to carry over and the Indians having cordes fastned to them goe swimming before and drawe this floate of pompions after them as horses doe a Coach others goe behinde thrusting it forward Having passed they take their barke of pompions vppon their backe and returne swimming this they doe in the river of Saint at Peru. We passed that of Alvarado in new Spaine vpon a table which the Indians carried vpon their shoulders and when they lost their footing they swamme These devises with a thousand others wherewith they vse to passe their rivers breede a terrour in the beholders helping themselves with such weake and vnsure means and yet they are very confident They do vse no other bridges but of haire or of straw There are now vppon some rivers bridges of stone built by the diligence of some governours but many fewer then were needfull in such a country where so many men are drowned by default thereof and the which yeeldes so much silver as not onely Spaine but also other strange Countries make sumptuous buildings therewith The Indians do drawe from these floudes that runne from the mountaines to the vallies and plaines many and great brooks to water their land which they vsually doe with such industry as there are no better in Murcia nor at Millan it selfe the which is also the greatest and onely wealth of the Plaines of Peru and of many other partes of the Indies Of the qualitie of the land at the Indies in generall CHAP. 19. WE may know the qualitie of the land at the Indies for the greatest parte seeing it is the last of the three Elements whereof wee have propounded to treate in this Booke by the discourse we have made in the former Booke of the burning Zone seeing that the greatest part of the Indies dooth lie vnder it But to make it knowne the more particularly I have observed three kindes of lands as I have passed through those Regions whereof there is one very lowe another very high and the third which holds the middle of these two extreames The lower is that which lieth by the sea coasts whereof there is in all partes of the Indies and it is commonly very hote and moist so as it is
hath been said in the first booke neither is it knowne if there be any habitations in the other two Zones of the Poles and whether the land continues and stretcheth to that which is towards the Antartike or South Pole Neither do we know the land that lies beyond the straight of Magellan for that the greatest height yet discovered is in fiftie â—ix degrees as hath beene formerly saide and toward the Artike or Northerne Pole it is not knowne how farre the land extendes which runnes beyond the Cape of Mendocin and the Caliphornes nor the bounds and end of Florida neither yet how farre it extendes to the West Of late they have discovered a new land which they call New Mexico where they say is much people that speake the Mexicaine tongue The Philippines and the following Ilands as some report that know it by experience ranne above nine hundred leagues But to intreate of China Cochinchina Syam and other regions which are of the East Indies were contrary to my purpose which is onely to discourse of the West nay they are ignorant of the greatest part of America which lies betwixt Peru and Bresill although the bounds be knowne of all sides wherein there is diversitie of opinions some say it is a drowned land full of Lakes and waterie places Others affirme there are great and florishing kingdomes imagining there be the Paytiti the Dorado and the Caesars where they say are wonderfull things I have heard one of our company say a man worthy of credite that hee had seene great dwellings there and the waies as much beaten as those betwixt Salamanca and Villadillit the which he did see whenas Peter d'Orsua and after those that succeeded him made their entrie and discoverie by the great river of Amazons who beleeving that the Dorado which they sought was farther off cared not to inhabitâ— there and after went both without the Dorado which they could not finde and this great Province which they left To speake the truth the habitations of America are to this day vnknowne except the extreamities which are Peru Bresill and that part where the land beginnes to straighten which is the river of Silver then Tucuman which makes the round to Chille and Charcâ— Of late we have vnderstood by letters from some of ours which go to S. Croix in the Sierre that they go discovering of great Provinces and dwellings betwixt Bresill and Peru. Time will reveile them for as at this day the care and courage of men is great to compasse the world from one part to another so wee may beleeve that as they have discovered that which is now knowne they may likewise lay open that which reâ—â—nes to the end the Gospell may be preached to the whole world seeing the two Crownes of Portugall and Caâ—â—ille have met by the East and West ioyning their discoveries together which in truth is a matter to be observed that the one is come to China and Iappan by the East and the other to the Philippines which are neighbours and almost ioyning vnto China by the West for from the Ilands of Lusson which is the chiefe of the Philippines in the which is the Citie of Mamillâ— vnto Macan which is in the I le of Cauton are but foure score or a hundred leagues and yet we finde it strange that notwithstanding thâ—â— small distance from the one to the other yet according to their accoumpt there is a daies difference betwixt them so as it is Sunday at Macan whenas it is but Saterday at Mamille and so of the rest Those of Macan and of China have one day advanced before the Philippines It happened to father Aloâ—â—â— Sanches of whom mention is made before that parting from the Philippines he arrived at Macan the second day of Maie according to their computation and going to say the Masse of S. Athanasius he found they did celebrate the feast of the invention of the holy Crosse for that they did then reckon the third of Maie The like happened vnto him in another voyage beyond it Some have found this alteration and diversitie strange supposing that the fault proceedes from the one or the other the which is not so but it is a true and well observed computation for according to the difference of waies where they have beene we must necessarily say that when they meete there must bee difference of a day the reason is for that sailing from West to East they alwaies gaine of the day finding the sunne rising sooner and contrariwise those that saile from East to West do alwaies loose of the day for that the Sunne riseth later vnto them and as they approach neerer the East or the West they have the day longer or shorter In Peru which is westward in respect of Spaine they are above sixe houres behinde so as when it is noone in Spaine it is morning at Peru and when it is morning heere it is mid-night there I have made certaine proofe thereof by the computation of Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone Now that the Portugalls have made their navigations from West to East and the Castillans from East to West when they came to ioyne and meete at the Philippines and Macan the one have gained twelve houres and the other hath lost as much so as at one instant and in one time they finde the difference of twentie houres which is a whole day so as necessarily the one are at the third of Maie whenas the others accoumpt but the second and whenas the one doth fast for Easter eve the others eate flesh for the day of the resurrection And if we will imagine that they passe farther turning once againe about the world vsing the same computation when they should returne to ioyne together they should finde by the same accoumpt two daies difference for as I have saide those that go to the Sunne rising accoumpt the day sooner for that the Sunne riseth to them sooner and those that go to the setting accoumpt the day later for that it goes from them later finally the diversitie of the noone tide causeth the divers reckoning of the day And now for as much as those that doe saile from East to West change their noone tide without perceiving it and yet still follow the same computation they did when they parted of necessitie having made the compasse of the worlde they must finde the want of a whole day in their computation Of the Volcans or Vents of fire CHAP. 24. ALthough we finde vents of fire in other places as mount Aetna and Wesuvio which now they call mount Sâ—ma yet is that notable which is found at the Indies Ordinarily these Volcans be rockes or pikes of most high mountaines which raise themselves above the toppes of all other mountaines vpon their toppes they have a plaine and in the midst thereof a pitte or great mouth which discends even vnto the foote thereof a thing verie terrible to beholde Out of these mouthes there issues smoake and sometimes
Tropicks as Aristotle and Plinie have maintained and before them the Philosopher Parmenides the contrarie whereof is before sufficiently prooved both for the one and the other But many through curiositie may demaund if the Ancients had no knowledge of this trueth which to vs is now so apparent seeing that in trueth it seemeth very strange that this newe worlde which is so spacious as we doe visibly see it should be hidden from the Ancients by so many ages But some at this day seeking to obscure the felicitie of this age and the glory of our Nation strive to proove that the new found world was knowne to the Ancients And in trueth wee cannot deny but there was some apparency S. Ierome writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians sayth We seeke with reason what the Apostle meaneth in these wordes where he saith you have walked for a season according to the course of this world whether he would have vs to vnderstand that there is an other world which neither is nor depends of this world but other worldes whereof Clement writes in his Epistle the Ocean and the worldes which are beyond the Ocean These are the wordes of S. Ierome but in trueth I cannot finde this Epistle of S. Clement cited by S. Ierome yet I beleeve vndoubtedly that S. Clement hath written it seeing S. Ierome maketh mention thereof And with reason saint Clement saith that beyond the Ocean there is an other worlde yea many worldes as in trueth there is seeing there is so great distance from one newe worlde to an other new world I meane from Peru and the West Indies to China and the East Indies Moreover Plinie who hath beene so curious a searcher out of strange things reportes in his naturall Historie that Hannon a Captaine of the Carthaginians sayled through the Ocean from the Straight of Gibraltar coasting alongst the land even vnto the confines of Arabia and that hee left this his Navigation in writing If it bee as Plinie writes it followes that Hannon sayled as farre as the Portugals do at this day passing twice vnder the Equinoctiall which is a fearefull thing And the same Plinie reports of Cornelius Nepos a very grave Authour who saith that the same course hath beene sayled by an other man called Eudaxius but by contrary wayes for this Eudaxius following the King of Latyres passed by the redde sea into the Ocean and turning backe came to the Straight of Gibraltar the which Cornelius Nepos affirmes to have happened in his time And also other grave Authors do write that a ship of Carthage driven by force of winde into the Ocean came to a Land which vntill then was vnknowne and returning to Carthage kindled a great desire in the Citizens to discover and people this land the which the Senate perceyving did forbid this navigation by a rigorous decree fearing that with the desire of new lands they should leave to love their owne Countrie By all this wee may gather that the Ancients had some knowledge of the new world yet shall you hardly finde in the bookes of ancient Writers any thing written of our America and all the West Indies but of the East Indies I say there is sufficient testimonie not only of that on the other side but also of that on this side which then was farthest off going thither by a contrary way to that at this day Is it not easie to find Molaco in ancient bookes which they called the golden Chersonese the Cape of Comori which was called the Promontorie of Coci that great famous Iland of Sumatra so well knowne by the ancient name of Taprobana What shall wee say of the two Ethiopiaes the Brachmanes and that great Land of the Chinaes Who doubtes but there was often mention made thereof in ancient bookes But of the West Indies we find not in Plinie that in this navigation they passed the Ilands of the Canaries which he calleth Fortunate the principall whereof is sayd to be called Canarie for the multitude of dogs which are in it But there is scarce any mention in ancient books of the voyages which are made at this day beyond the Canaries by the Gulph which with reason they call great Yet many hold opinion that Seneca the Tragedian did prophecie of the West Indies in his Tragedie of Medea which translated saith thus An age shall come ere ages ende Blessedly strange and strangely blest When our Sea farre and neere or'prest His shoare shall farther yet extend Descryed then shall a large Land be By this profound Seas navigation An other World an other Nation All men shall then discovered see Thule accounted heretofore The worldes extreme the Northerne bound Shall be when Southwest parts be found A neerer Isle a neighbour shoare This Seneca reports in these verses we cannot wel deny but vnderstanding it litterally it is very true for if we reckon the many yeeres he speakes of beginning from the time of the Tragedian it is above a thousand and foure hundred yeeres past and if it were from the time of Medea it is above two thousand yeeres the which we see plainely now accomplished seeing the passage of the Ocean so long time hidden hath beene found out and that they have discovered a great land and a new world inhabited more spatious then all the Continent of Europe and Asia But therein may a question with reason be made whether Seneca spake this by divination or poetically and by chance And to speake my opinion I beleeve hee did divine after the manner of wise men and well advised for that in his time they vndertooke newe voyages and navigations by sea hee knew well like a Philosopher that there was an other land contrary and opposite vnto vs which they call Antichthon And by this ground he might conceyve that the industrie and courage of man might in the ende passe the Ocean and discover new lands and another world for that in Senecaes time they had knowledge of the Voyage which Plinie speaketh of whereby they passed the great Ocean The which seemes to bee the motive of Senecaes prophecie as he giveth vs to vnderstand by these former verses after the which having described the carefull life of the Ancients free from malice he followeth thus Now is it not as earst it was For whether the Ocean will or nill He traverst is by hardy will Which pastime makes time so to passe And a little after he saith thus Now every boat dares swimme and sport On surging Seas fearing no wracke Passengers seeking what they lacke So long a voyage thinke but short Nothing is nowe more to discover No place is now left to surprise Townes now that for defence devise With new fortifications cover All in the world turn'd round about No thing in place as t' was enured Nothing vnseene nothing assured This Circle vniverse throughout The Indian whom at home heate fries Drinkes of Araxis waters cold The Persian rich in
and pleasant It is certaine that we do not participate of any of the Elements nor have not the vse of any so often in our bodies as of the aire It is that which invironeth our bodies on all parts which enters into our bowells and at everie instant visits the heart and there ingraves her properties If the aire be any thing corrupted it causeth death if it be pure and healthfull it augmenteth the strength finally we may say that the aire alone is the life of man so as although we have goods and riches if the aire be troublesome and vnholsome wee cannot live quietly nor with content But if the aire be healthfull pleasant and sweete although we have no other wealth yet doth it yeelde content Considering with my selfe the pleasing temperature of many Countries at the Indies where they know not what winter is which by his cold doth freese them nor summer which doth trouble them with heat but that with a Matte they preserve themselves from the iniuries of all weather and where they scarce have any neede to change their garments throughout the yeere I say that often considering of this I find that if men at this day would vanquish their passions and free themselves from the snares of covetousnesse leaving many fruitelesse and pernicious disseines without doubt they might live at the Indies very pleasant and happily for that which other Poets sing of the Elisean fields and of the famous Tempe or that which Plato reports or faines of his Atlantike Iland men should finde in these lands if with a generous spirit they would choose rather to command their silver and their desires then to remaine slaves as they are That which wee have hitherto discoursed shal suffice touching the qualities of the Equinoctiall of colde heat drought raine and the causes of temperature The particular discourse of windes waters landes mettalls plants and beasts whereof there is great aboundance at the Indies shall remaine for the other bookes for the difficultie of that which is handled in this though briefly will happily seeme too tedious An advertisement to the Reader THE Reader must vnderstand that I wrote the two first bookes in Latine when I was at Peru and therefore they speake of matters of the Indies as of things present Being since returned into Spaine I thought good to translate them into our vulgar tongue and not to change my former maner of speeach But in the five following bookes for that I made them in Europe I have beene forced to change my stile and therein to treate of matters of the Indies as of Countries and things absent And for that this diversitie of speech might with reason offend the Reader I have thought good to advertise him thereof THE THIRD BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That the naturall Historie of the Indies is pleasant and agreeable CHAP. 1. EVerie naturall Historie is of it selfe pleasing very profitable to such as will raise vp their discourse and contemplation on high in that it doth move them to glorify the Author of all nature as we sea the wise holy men do specially David in many Psalmes And Iob likewise treating of the secrets of the Creator whereas the same Lord answereth Iob so amplie He that takes delight to vnderstand the wondrous works of Nature shal taste the true pleasure content of Histories the more whenas he shal know they are not the simple workes of men but of the Creator himself that he shall comprehend the naturall causes of these workes then shall he truly occupie himselfe in the studie of Philosophie But he that shall raise his consideration higher beholding the gret first architect of all these marvells he shal know his wisedom and infinite greatnes and we may say shall be divinely imployed And so the discourse of naturall things may serve for many good considerations although the feeblenes and weakenes of many appetites are commonly accustomed to stay at things lesse profitable which is the desire to know new things called curiositie The Discourse and Historie of naturall things at the Indies besides the common content it gives hath yet another benefite which is to treate of things a farre off the greatest part whereof were vnknowne to the most excellent Authors of that profession which have bin among the Ancients And if wee should write these naturall things of the Indies so amply as they require being so strange I doubt not but we might compile workse no lesse then those of Plinie Theophrastes and Aristotle But I hold not my selfe sufficient and although I were yet is not my intent but to note some naturall things which I haue seene and knowne being at the Indies or have received from men worthy of credit the which seeme rare to me and scarce knowne in Europe By reason whereof I will passe over many of them briefly ether bicause they are writen of by others or else require a longer discourse then I can now give Of the windes their differences properties and causes in generall CHAP. 2. HAving discoursed in the two former Books of that which concernes the heavens and the habitation of the Indies in generall it behooves â—s now to treate of the three elements aire water and land and their compounds which be mettalls plants and beasts for as for the fire I see no speciall matter at the Indies which is not in other regions vnlesse some will say that the manner to strike fire in rubbing two stones one against another as some Indians vse or to boyle any thing in gourdes casting a burning stone into it and other such like things are remarkeable whereof I have written what might be spoken But of those which are in the Vulcans and mouths of fire at the Indies worthy doubtlesse to be observed I will speake in their order treating of the diversitie of grounds whereas they finde these fires or Vulcans Therefore to beginne with the winds I say that with good reason Salomon in the great iudgement which God had given him esteemes much the knowledge of the windes and their properties being very admirable for that some are moyst others drie some vnwholesome others found some hote others colde some calme and pleasant others rough and tempestuous some barren and others fertile with infinite other differences There are some windes which blow in certaine regions and are as it were Lordes thereof not addmitting any entry or communication of their contraries In some partes they blow in that sorte as sometimes they are Conquerours sometimes conquered often there are divers and contrary winds which doe runne together at one instant dividing the way betwixt them sometimes one blowing above of one sort and another below of an other sorte sometimes they incounter violently one with another which puts them at sea in great danger there are some windes which helpe to the generation of creatures and others that hinder and are opposite There is a certaine wind of such
them Their water is very cleere and breedes little store of fish and that little is very small by reason of the cold which is there Continually Notwithstanding some of these Lakes be very hote which is another wonder At the end of the vallie of Tarapaya neere to Potozi there is a Lake in forme round which seemes to have been made by compasse whose water is extreamely hote and yet the land is very colde they are accustomed to bathe themselves neere the banke for else they cannot indure the heate being farther in In the midst of this Lake there is a boiling of above twenty foote square which is the very spring and yet notwithstanding the greatnes of this spring it is never seene to increase in any sort it seemes that it exhales of it selfe or that it hath some hidden and vnknowne issue neither do they see it decrease which is another wonder although they have drawne from it a great streame to make certaine engines grinde for mettall considering the great quantity of water that issueth forth by reason whereof it should decrease But leaving Peru and passing to new Spaine the Lakes there are no lesse to be observed especially that most famous of Mexico where we finde two sortes of waters one salt Lake to that of the sea and the other cleere and sweete by reason of the rivers that enter into it In the midst of this Lake is a rocke verie delightfull and pleasant where there are baths of hote water that issue forth the which they greatly esteeme for their health There are gardinsÌ„ in the middest of this Lake framed and fleeting vpon the water where you may see plottes full of a thousand sortes of hearbes and flowers and they are in such sort as a man cannot well conceive them without sight The Citie of Mexico is seated in the same Lake although the Spaniards have filled vp the place of the scituation with earth leaving onely some currents of water great and small which enter into the Citie to carrie such things as they have neede of as wood hearbes stone fruites of the countrie and all other things When Cortez conquered Mexico he caused Brigandins to be made yet afterwards he thought it more safe not to vse them therfore they vse Canoes whereof there is great store There is great store of fish in this Lake yet have I not seene any of price notwithstanding they say the revenue of this Lake is worth three hundred thousand duckets a yeere There are many other Lakes not far from this whence they bring much fish to Mexico The Province of Mechovacan is so called for that it aboundeth greatly with fish There are goodly and great Lakes in the which there is much fish and this Province is coole and healthfull There are many other Lakes whereof it is not possible to make mention nor to know them in particular onely we may note by that which hath beene discoursed in the former booke that vnder the burning Zone there is greater abundance of Lakes then in any other parte of the world and so by that which we have formerly spoken and the little we shall say of rivers and fountaines we will end this discourse of Waters Of many and divers Springs and Fountaines CHAP. 17. THere is at the Indies as in other parts of the world great diversitie of Springs Fountaines and Rivers and some have strange properties In Guancavilica of Peru where the mines of quick-silver be there is a Fountaine that casts forth hote water and in running the water turnes to rocke of which rocke or stone they build in a mauer all the houses of the Village This stone is soft and easie to cutte for they cut it as easily with yron as if it were wood it is light and lasting If men or beasts drinke thereof they die for that it congeales in the very entrailes and turnes into stone and for that cause some horses have died As this water turnes into stone the which flowes stoppes the passage to the rest so as of necessitie it changeth the course and for this reason it runnes in divers places as the rocke increaseth At the point of Cape S. Helaine there is a spring or fountaine of pitch which at Peru they call Coppey This should be like to that which the Scripture speakes of the savage valley where they did finde pits of pitch The Mariners vse these fountaines of pitch or Coppey to pitch their ropes and tackling for that it serves them as pitch and tarre in Spaine When I sailed into new Spaine by the coast of Peru the Pilot shewed me an Iland which they call the I le of Wolves where there is another fountaine or pit of Coppey or pitch with the which they anoint their tackling There are other fountaines and springs of Goultran rozen which the Pilot an excellent man in his charge tolde me he had seene and that sometimes sailing that waies being so farre into the sea as he had lost the sight of land yet did he know by the smell of the Coppey where he was as well as if he had knowne the land such is the savour that issues continually from that fountaine At the baths which they call the baths of Ingua there is a course of water which comes forth all hote and boiling and ioyning vnto it there is another whose water is as cold as ice The Ingua was accustomed to temper the one with the other it is a wonderfull thing to see springs of so contrarie qualities so neere one to the other There are an infinit number of other hote springs specially in the Province of Charcas in the water whereof you cannot indure to hold your hand the space of an Ave Maria as I have seene tried by wager In a farme neere to Cusco springs a fountain of salt which as it runs turns into salt very white exceeding good the which if it were in another countrie were no small riches yet they make very small accoumpt thereof for the store they have there The waters which runne in Guayaquel which is in Peru almost vnder the Equinoctiall line are held to be healthfull for the French disease and other such like so as they come from many places farre off to be cured And they say the cause thereof is for that in that Countrie there is great aboundance of rootes which they call Sallepareille the vertue and operation whereof is so knowne that it communicates her propertie to the waters wherein it is put to cure this disease Bilcanota is a mountaine the which according to common opinion is in the highest part of Peru the toppe whereof is all covered with snow and in some places is blacke like coale There issueth forth of it two springs in contrarie places which presently growe to be very great bâ—rookes and so by little and little become great flouds the one goes to Calloa into the great Lake Titicaca the other goes to the lands and is that which they call
experience that the course of rivers being turned the welles have beene dried vp vntill they returned to their ordinarie course and they give this reason for a materiall cause of this effect but they have another efficient which is no lesse considerable and that is the great height of the Sierre which comming along the coast shadowes the Lanos so as it suffers no winde to blowe from the land but above the toppes of these mountaines By meanes whereof there raines no winde but that from the Sea which finding no opposite doth not presse nor straine forth the vapors which rise to engender raine so as the shadowe of the mountaines keepes the vapors from thickning and convertes them all into mistes There are some experiences agree with this discourse for that it raines vpon some small hilles along the coast which are least shadowed as the rockes of Atico and Arequipa It hath rained in some yeeres whenas the Northern or easterly windes have blowen yea all the time they have continued as it happened in seventie eight vpon the Lanâ—s of Trugillo where it rained aboundantly the which they had not seene in many ages before Moreover it raines vpon the same coast in places whereas the Easterly or Northerne windes be ordinarie as in Guayaquil and in places whereas the land riseth much and turnes from the shadow of the mountaines as in those that are beyond Ariqua Some discourse in this maner but let every one thinke as he please It is most certaine that comming from the mountaines to the vallies they do vsually see as it were two heavens one cleere and bright above and the other obscure and as it were a graie vaile spread vnderneath which covers all the coast and although it raine not yet this mist is wonderfull profitable to bring forth grasse and to raise vp and nourish the seede for although they have plentie of water which they draw from the Pooles and Lakes yet this moisture from heaven hath such a vertue that ceasing to fal vpon the earth it breedes a great discommoditie and defect of graine and seedes And that which is more worthy of admiration the drie and barren sandes are by this deaw so beautified with grasse and flowers as it is a pleasing and agreeable sight and verie profitable for the feeding of cattell as we see in the mountaine called Sandie neere to the Cittie of Kings Of the propertie of new Spaine of the Ilands and of other Lands CHAP. 22. NEw Spaine passeth all other Provinces in pastures which breedes infinite troopes of horse kine sheepe and other cattell It aboundes in fruite and all kinde of graine To conclude it is a Countrie the best furnished and most accomplished at the Indies Yet Peru doth surpasse it in one thing which is wine for that there growes store and good and they daily multiplie and increase the which doth grow in very hote vallies where there are waterings And although there bee vines in new Spaine yet the grape comes not to his maturitie fit to make wine The reason is for that it raines there in Iulie and August whenas the grape ripens and therefore it comes not to his perfection And if any one through curiositie would take the paines to make wine it should be like to that of Genua and Lombardie which is very small and sharpe having a taste like vnto veriuice The Ilands which they call Barlovente which be Hispaniola Cuba Port Ricco others there abouts are beautified with many greene pastures and abound in cattell as neate and swine which are become wilde The wealth of these Ilands be their sugar-workes and hides There is much Cassia fistula ginger It is a thing incredible to see the multitude of these marchandizes brought in one fleete being in a maner impossible that all Europe should waste so much They likewise bring wood of an excellent qualitie and colour as Ebone others which serve for buildings and Ioyners There is much of that wood which they call Lignum Sanctum or Guage fit to cure the pox All these Ilands and others there abouts which are many have a goodly and pleasant aspect for that throughout the yeere they are beautified with grasse greene trees so as they cannot discerne when it is Autumne or Summer by reason of continuall moisture ioyned to the heate of the burning Zone And although this land be of a great circuite yet are there few dwellings for that of it selfe it engenders great Arcabutos as they call them which be Groves or very thicke Coppeses and on the plaines there are many marishes and bogges They give yet another notable reason why they are so smally peopled for that there have remained few naturall Indians through the inconsideratenesse and disorder of the first Conquerors that peopled it and therefore for the most part they vse Negros but they cost deere being very fit to till the land There growes neither bread nor wine in these Ilands for that the too great fertilitie and the vice of the soile suffers them not to seede but castes all forth in grasse very vneaqually There are no olive trees at the least they beare no olives but manie greene leaves pleasant to the view which beare no fruite The bread they vse is of Cacave whereof we shall heereafter speake There is gold in the riuers of these Ilands which some draw foorth but in small quantitie I was little lesse then a yeere in these ilands and as it hath beene told me of the maine land of the Indies where I have not been as in Florida Nicaraqua Guatimala and others it is in a maner of this temper as I have described yet have I not set downe every particular of Nature in these Provinces of the firme land having no perfect knowledge thereof The Countrie which doth most resemble Spaine and the regions of Europe in all the West Indies is the realme of Chille which is without the generall rule of these other Provinces being seated without the burning Zone and the Tropicke of Capricorne This land of it selfe is coole and fertile and brings forth all kindes of fruites that be in Spaine it yeeldes great aboundance of bread and wine and aboundes in pastures and cattell The aire is wholesome and cleere temperate betwixt heate and cold winter and summer are very distinct and there they finde great store of very fine gold Yet this land is poore and finally peopled by reason of their continuall warre with the Auricanos and their associates being a rough people and friends to libertie Of the vnknowne Land and the diversitie of a whole day betwixt them of the East and the West CHAP. 23. THere are great coniectures that in the temperate Zone at the Antartike Pole there are great and fertile lands but to this day they are not discovered neither do they know any other land in this Zone but that of Chille and some part of that land which runnes from Ethiopia to the Cape of Good Hope as
THE NATVRALL and Morall Historie of the East and West Indies Intreating of the remarkeable things of Heaven of the Elements Mettalls Plants and Beasts which are proper to that Country Together with the Manners Ceremonies Lawes Governements and Warres of the Indians Written in Spanish by Ioseph Acosta and translated into English by E. G 〈…〉 LONDON Printed by Val Sims for Edward Blount and William Aspley 1604. To the right Honorable Sir Robert Cicill Knight Baron of Essingden Vicount Cranborne principall Secretary to his Maiestie master of the Court of Wardes and Liveries and one of his Highnesse most honourable Privie Counsell RIght Honorable If it appeare presumption in me to shew my love my dutie betraies me to it The advantage I have gleaned from idle houres in exchanging this Indian History from Spanish to English is commended to your Honors Patronage whose first father Ioseph Acosta hath with great observation made worthie the over-looking A greater motive then that you are your selfe needed not to excite me to this dedication I beseech you my good Lord take it into shelter and receive that which is not for that which I would it were Let my insufficiencie be measured by my good will So shall my poore abilities thrive vnder your incouragement and happily leade me on to some stronger vndertaking wherein I shall bee bound to thanke you for mine owne paines and for ever remaine Your Lordships most devoted E. G. The Authors advertisement to the Reader MANY have written sundry bookes and discourses of the New World at the West Indies wherein they describe new and strange things discovered in those partes with the actes and adventures of the Spaniards which have conquered and peopled those Countries But hitherto I have not seene any other Author which treates of the causes and reasons of these novelties and wonders of nature or that hath made any search thereof Neither have I read any booke which maketh mention of the histories of the antient Indians and naturall inhabitants of the New World In truth these two things are difficult The first being the works of Nature contrarie to the antient and received Philosophy as to shew that the region which they call the burning Zone is very moist and in many places very temperate and that it raines there whenas the Sunne is neerest with such like things For such as have written of the West Indies have not made profession of so deepe Philosophie yea the greatest part of those Writers have had no knowledge thereof The second thing it treats of is of the proper historie of the Indians the which required much conference and travaile among the Indians themselves the which most of them that have treated of the Indies could not doe either not vnderstanding the language or not curious in the search of their Antiquities so as they have beene contented to handle those things which have beene most common and superficiall Desiring therefore to have some more particular knowledge thereof I have beene carefull to learne from men of greatest experience and best seene in these matters and to gather from their discourses and relations what I have thought sit to give knowledge of the deedes and custome of these people And for that which concernes the nature of those Countries and their properties I have learned it by the experience of many friends and by my dilligence to search discover and conferre with men of iudgement and knowledge In my opinion there are many advertisements which may serve and benefit better wits for the searching out of the truth or to proceede farther in finding that pleasing which is conteined heerein So as although this new World be not new but old in respect of the much which hath beene written thereof yet this historie may in some sort be hâ—ld for new for it is partly historicall and partly philosophicall as well for that they are the workes of nature as of free-will which are the deedes and customes of men the which hath caused mee to name it the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies Containing these two things In the first two bookes mention is made of that which concernes the heavens temperature and habitation of the world which books I had first written in Latine now I have translated them into Spanish vsing more the liberty of an author then the strict bonds of a translator to apply my self the better to those for whom it is written in the vulgar tong In the two following books is treated of that which concernes the Elements and naturall mixtures as Mettalls Plants Beasts and what else is remarkable at the Indies The rest of the bookes relate what I could certainely discover and what I thought worthie memory of the Indians themselves their Ceremonies Customs Governments Wars Adventures In the same Historie shall be spoken as I could learne and comprehend of the figures of the antient Indians seeing they had no writing nor characters as we have which is no small industry to have preserved their Antiquities without the vse of letters To conclude the scope of this worke is that having knowledge of the workes of nature which the wise Author of all nature made we may praise and glorifie the high God who is wonderfull in all things and all places And having knowledge of the Indians customes we may helpe them more easily to follow and persever in the high vocation of the Gospel to the knowledge whereof the Lord would draw this blinde nation in these latter daies Besides al these things every one may sucke out some profit for himselfe for that the wise do alwaies draw forth some good out of the smalest subiect as we finde deepe Philosophie in the least and basest creatures I must onely advertise the Reader that the two first bookes of this historie or discourse were written in Peru and the other five since in Europe dutie binding me to returne into these partes so as some speake of matters of the Indies as of things present and others as being absent And therefore I have thought it good to advertise the Reader heereof that this diversitie of speach may not be troublesome vnto him Farewell A Table of the most remarkable things contained in this Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies A. Abundance of waters vnder the burning zone folio 93 Absurditie of Platoes Atlantike Iland 73 Abuse of the Spaniards at Peru taking winter for summer 89 Acamapach first king of Mexico 482 Accord betwixt the king of Mexico his subiects before they attempted a warre 532 Adlaguagi a kind of mummery of women 367 Acts of Ferdinand Cortez 574 Adimant makes a path in the Sea 57 The Adamant impartes a vertue to yron to looke alwayes towards the north 58 Vse of the Adamant to saile by not antient 59 Adoration of the dead begunne and augmented 340 Adultery punished with death 469 Agilitie of monkies 315 Aire how necessary for the life of man 114 The Aire stirred with the motion of the heauens
Châ—lle beare good wine 296 Vines of the vallie of Yâ—a which doe growe and are never watered with any raine and how ibid Vines that carry grapes every moneth in the yeere ibid. Viracoâ—hâ— the name which the Indians gave to their supreme god with others of great power 333 Vuziliputzli the chiefe idoll of Mexico and his ornaments 352 Vittells set vppon the tombes of dead men to feede them 347 Voyce heard foretelling the ruine of Moteçuma 565 Volcan of Guatâ—mala more admirable than all the rest 194 Volcans how entertained 196 Voyage of Hannon the Carthaginâ—an admirable in his time 36 Vros bruâ—ish people which esteeme not themselves 94 Vtilitie of all naturall histories 117 Vnction of Vuzilovitli the second king of Mexico 521 W. WAy by which the Spaniards go to the Indies and their returne 128 Waters of Guayaquil most soveraigne for the French disease 174 Warres of the Mexicans most commonly to take prisoners 483 Westerne windes hurtefull to silke-wormes 144 Westerne windes blowe not in the burning zone 126 Whales how taken by the Indians and how they eate them 167 Windes very daungerous which kill and preserve the dead bodies without corruption 147 Windes called Brises in the burning zone which come from the east 127 Windes how many and their names 133 Windes of the land in the burning zone blow rather by night than by day and those of the sea contrary and why 142 Winde corrupts yron 144 Windes that blowe southerly make the coast habitable 125 One Winde hath diverse properties according to the place where it raignes and the cause 120 Winde doth cause strange diversities of temperature 112 Wisedome of this world weake in divine yea in humane things 31 Winter and summeâ— and the cause 90 Woods rare and sweete at the Indies 292 Words of a man which had his heart pulled out 390 Writing of the Chinois was from the toppe downeward and the Mexicans from the foote vpward 447 X. XAmabusis pilgrimes forced to confesse their sinnes vpon the toppe of a rocke 400 Y. YCa and Arica and their manner of sayling in skinnes 63 Yearâ— at the Indies divided into eighteene moneths 432 Youth very carefully instructed in Mexico 489 Yeare at Peru approaching neerer to ours than that of Mexico 437 Ytu a great feast at the Indies which they made in their necessitie 416 Yupanguâ— Ingua was in Peru like to an other Numa in Rome for the making of Lawes 261 Z. ZEphiruâ— a pleasant and wholesome winde 126 Zone which they call burning the Antients held inhabitable 30 Burning zone in some partes temperate in others colde and in others hote 101 Burning Zone peopled and pleasaunt contrary to the opinion of Philosophers 86 Burning Zone why temperate 105 In the burning Zone they saile easily from east to weast and not contrarie and why 132 In the burning Zone the neerenesse of the Sunne dooth not alwaies cause raine 100 The end of the Table Errata 111.22 for Paraguen reade Paraguay 120.30 for River reade Region 135.32 for to reade in 141.28 for the motion reade without any â—otion 148.33 for inhabited reade not inhabited 164.17 for greene reade great 198.23 for hundred reade five hundred 213.21 for Curuma reade Cucuma 229.17 for to reade and 235.11 for it reade that 241.8 for it reade his 253.12 for maces reade markes 274.8 for little reade like 278.19 for is no reade is a 351.25 for many reade in many 368.2 for possession reade profession 397.14 for to the communion reade to the people in manner of a communion 514.21 for partiall reade particular 324.32 for convenient in a maner reade in a convenient manner 335.3 for of reade to 347.25 for neither reade in their Gentle Reader from the folio 225. line 14 16 19 20. where you finde peeces reade pezoes till you come to folio 322. line 22. THE FIRST BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the East and West Indies Of the opinions of some Authors which supposed that the Heavens did not extend to the new-found world The first Chapter THE Ancients were so farre from conceypt that this new-found world was peopled by any Nation that many of them could not imagine there was any land on that part and which is more worthie of admiration some have flatly denyed that the Heavens which we now beholde could extend thither For although the greatest part yea the most famous among the Philosophers have well knowne that the Heaven was round as in effect it is and by that meanes did compasse and comprehend within it self the whole earth yet many yea of the holy doctors of greatest authoritie have disagreed in opinion vpon this point supposing the frame of this vniversall world to bee fashioned like vnto a house whereas the roofe that covers it invirons onely the vpper part and not the rest inferring by their reasons that the earth should else hang in the middest of the ayre the which seemed vnto them voyd of sense For as we see in every building the ground-worke and foundation on the one side and the cover opposite vnto it even so in this great building of the world the Heaven should remaine above on the one part and the earth vnder it The glorious Chrysostome a man better seene in the studie of holy Scriptures then in the knowledge of Philosophie seemes to be of this opinion when in his Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes he doth laugh at those which hold the heavens to be round And it seemes the holy Scripture doth inferre as much terming the Heavens a Tabernacle or Frame built by the hand of God And hee passeth farther vpon this point saying that which mooves and goes is not the Heaven but the Sunne Moone and Starres which moove in the heaven even as Sparrowes and other birds moove in the ayre contrary to that which the Philosophers hold that they turne with the Heaven itselfe as the armes of a wheele doe with the wheele Theodoret a very grave Authour followes Chrysostome in this opinion and Theophilus likewise as hee is accustomed almost in all thinges But Lactantius Firmian above all the rest holding the same opinion doth mocke the Peripatetickes and Academickes which give the heaven a round forme placing the earth in the middest thereof for that it seemeth ridiculous vnto him that the earth should hang in the ayre as is before sayde By which his opinion hee is conformable vnto Epicurus who holdeth that on the other part of the earth there is nothing but a Chaos and infinite gulph And it seemeth that S. Ierome draweth neere to this opinion writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians in these wordes The naturall Philosopher by his contemplation pierceth to the height of heaven and on the other part he findeth a great vast in the depth and bowels of the earth Some likewise say that Procopius affirmes the which I have not seene vpon the booke of Genesis that the opinion of Aristotle touching the forme and
is no doubt but in that other world all things should be ordred as in ours especially in the growing and order of the winds And having alleaged other reasons to no purpose he concludes saying We must confesse of necessitie that the Southerne wind is that which blowes and comes from the burning zone the which being so neere the sunne wantes water and pastures This is Aristotles opinion and in truth mans coniecture can hardly passe any farther So as I do often consider with a Christian contemplation how weake the Philosophie of the wise of this world hath beene in the search of divine things seeing in humaine things wherein they seeme so well read they often erre Aristotle holds that the habitable earth of the Pole Antartike in longitude from East to West is very great and in latitude from the Pole Antartike to the Equiâ—â—cticall is very sâ—â—all â—â— the which is so contrary to the truth that in a maner all the habitation on this side the Pole Antartike is in latitude I meane from the Pole to the line and in longitude from East to West it is so small as the latitude exceedes in three partes or more In his other opinion he affirmeâ— that the middle region is inhabitable being vnder the burning zone burnt vp by the excessive heate caused by the neâ—renes of the sunne and by this reason hath neither waters nor pastures The which is in like soâ—t contrary for the greatest part of this new world is scituated betwixt the two Tropickes vnder the burning zone and yet is it found very well peopled and inhabited by men and other sortes of creaâ—ures being a region of all the world the most fruitfull of waters and pastures and very temperate in the greatest paâ—t which the will of God hath so appointed to shew that even in naturall things he hath confounded the wisedome of this world To conclude wee must beleeve that the burning zone is well inhabited although the auncients have held it impossible But the other zone or region which lyeth betwixt the burning zone and that of the Pole Antartike although it bee in a climate more commodious for the life of man yet is it smally peopled and inhabited seeing wee know no other dwelling in it but the Kingdome of Chile and a small portion ioyning to the Cape of good Hope The rest is possessed by the Ocean Although many be of opinion the which I likewise hold that there is much more land not yet discovered the which should be firme land opposite to the Kingdome of Chile which runnes beyond the circkle or Tropicke of capricorne And if there be any without doubt it is a land of an excellent temper being in the midst of two extreames and scituate in the same climate with the best regions in Europe And in this regarde Aristotles coniecture was good But speaking of what is discovered at this day in this zone it is little in regard of the large countries inhabited vnder the burning zone That Plinie and the auncients held the same opinion with Aristotle CHAP. 10. THis opinion of Aristotles hath bene held by Plinie who saith thus The temperature of the middle region of the world where the sunne continually runnes his course is scorched and burnt vp as with a neere fire Ioyning to the same region there are two others of eyther side which lying betwixt the heat of this burning zone the cruell cold of the other two extreams are very temperate and can have no communication one with another by reason of the excessive heate of the heaven which hath bene the opinion of the Ancients generally discribed by the Poet in these verses Heavens circuit is of fiue zones one whereof Which still the sunne burnes makes the earth below With flames intempestiue red hotte to glow And the same Poet in another place Heare this if any harbour in that seate Whose quarter vnder that large zone is set Amidst foure others by the sunne enlightned And another Poet speakes more plainely As many regions are there on the ground As are in heaven wherein fiue parts are found Whereof the midst through heate raisd from the rayes Of scorching sunne inhabitable staies The Auncients have grounded their generall opinion vpon one reason which seemed to them certaine and not to be confuted for finding that the more a region drew neere vnto the South the hotter it was the proofe whereof was so infallible in those regions as by the same reason in Italie Apulia is hotter then Tuscane and in Spaine Andelozia then Biscaie A thing so apparent that although there bee but eight degrees difference or lesse betwixt the one and the other yet do wee finde the one extreame hotte and the other very colde whereby they did inferre that the region so neere the South having the sunne so directly for zenith must of necessity bee continually scorched with heate They did likewise see that the divers seasons of the yeere as the Spring Summer Autumne Winter were caused by the neerenes and distance of the sunne finding also that although they were farre from the Tropicke by which the sunne doth passe in summer yet when it approched neere vnto them at the same season they felt great heate Whereby they did coniecture that if they had had the sunne so neere vnto them as to go directly over their heads the heate would have bene so insupportable as it would burne and consume men with the vehemency thereof The same reason moved the Auncients to thinke that the middle region was not habitable and therefore they called it the burning zone And in truth if visible experience did not vnfold this doubt we should yet confesse that this reason were very peremptorie and Mathematicall whereby we may see how weake our vnderstanding is to comprehend these naturall things But wee may say it is fallen out to the great good and happines of our age to have the knowledge of these two great wonders that is to know how easily we may saile through the great Ocean and that vnder the burning zone men inioy a very temperate heaven the which the Auncients could never beleeve Of the last of these two wonders touching the qualitie and habitation of the burning zone by the grace of God we will discourse amply thereof in the next book I thinke it therefore fit in this booke to treat of the maner of sailing through the Ocean for that it imports vs much for the subiect of this worke But before wee come to this point it shall be good to shew what the Auncients thought of these new men whome we call Indians That in ancient Bookes we finde some knowledge of this newe world CHAP. 11. LEt vs returne to that which hath beene formerly spoken Wee must necessarily conclude that the Ancients did beleeve that eyther there were no men beyond the Tropicke of Cancer as S. Augustine and Lactantius doe affirme or if there were any at the least they did not inhabite betwixt the two
gems and gold Wash in the Rhine and Elbe likewise Seneca did coniecture this by the great courage of men as that which shall happen last saying It shall fall out in the latter age c. as hath bin before mentioned Of the opinion which Plato held of the West Indies CHAP. 12. IF any one hath treated more particularly of the west Indies the honor belongs to Plato who in his time faith thus In those dayes they could not sayle this Gulph meaning the Atlantike Sea which is the Ocean which meetes at the Straight of Gibraltar for that the passage was stopt at the mouth of the pillars of Hercules which is the same Straight of Gibraltar and this Iland was in those dayes ioyned to the foresaid mouth and was of that bignesse as it exceeded all Asia and Affricke together and then was there a passage to goe from these Ilands to others and from those others Ilandes they went to the firme Land the which was neere invironed with the very Sea This is reported by Critias in Plato And such as beleeve that this narration of Plato is a true Historie delivered in these termes say that this great Atlanticke Iland the which did exceed both Affricke and Asia in greatnesse did then comprehend the greatest part of the Ocean called Atlantike which the Spaniards nowe sayle in and that those other Ilands which he sayde were neere vnto this great one are those which wee now call the Ilands of Barlovante that is Cuba Hispaniola S. Iohn de Port ricco Iamaica and other Ilands of that Countrie and that the maine Land whereof hee maketh mention is the same wee now call firme Land that is Peru and America and that Sea which he sayth is adioyning to the firme Land is the South sea the which he calleth the very Sea for that in comparison of her greatnesse all other Seas both Mediterranean yea and the Atlantike Sea are small in regard thereof Hereby in trueth they give a cunning and wittie interpretation to these words of Plato But whether this interpretation should be held for true or not I am resolved to declare in an other place That some have held opinion that in places of holy Scripture whereas they speake of Ophir is to be vnderstood of our Peru. CHAP. 13. SOme hold opinion that mention is made of the West Indies in the holy scripture taking the region of Peru for that Ophir which so famous Robert Steevens or to say more truely Francis Vatable a man well seene in the Hebrew tong as I have heard our master report who was his disciple saith in his annotations vpon the 9. chapter of the 3. booke of Kingsâ— that the Iland of Hispaniola which Christopher Colombus found out was that of Ophir from whence Solomon caused to bee brought foure hundred and twentie or foure hundred and 50. talents of most fine and pure golde for that the golde of Cibao which our men bring from Hispaniola is of the same fashion and qualitie And there are many others which affirme that our Peru is Ophir deriving one name from another who beleeve that when as the booke of Paralipomenon was written they called it Peru grounding it vpon that which the holy scripture saith that they brought from Ophir pure gold precious stones and wood which was rare and goodly which things abound in Peru as they say But in my opinion it is farre from the truth that Peru should be Ophir so famous in the Bible For although in this Peru there be good store of gold yet is there not such aboundance as it may be equalled with the fame of the riches that was in auncient time at the East Indies I finde not that in Peru there are such precious stones or such exquisite woods as the like have not bend seene at Ierusalem For although there be exquisite Emeralds and some hard trees of Aromaticall wood yet do I not finde any thing ofso great commendation as the scripture giueth vnto Ophir Moreover it seemes not likely that Solomon would leave the East Indies most rich and plentifull to send his fleetes to this farther land whether if they had come so often as it is written we had surely found more signes and testimonies thereof Moreover the Etimologie of the name of Ophir and the change or reduction thereof to Peru seemes to me of small consideration being most certaine that the name of Peru is not very auncient nor common to all that countrie It hath beene vsuall in the discoverie of the new world to give names to lands and portes of the sea according to the occasions presented at their ariuall and I beleeve that the name of Peru hath bene so found out and put in practise for we find heere that the name hath bene given to all the countrie of Peru by reason of a river so called by the inhbitants of the countrie where the Spaniards arived vpon their first discoverie Whereby we maintaine that the Indians themselves bee ignorant and do not vse this name and appellation to signifie their land It seemeth moreover the same Authors will say that Sepher spoken of in the scripture is that which we now call Andes which are most high mountaines in Peru. But this resemblance of names and appellations is no sufficient proofe If that were of force we might as well say that Iectan is Iecsan mentioned in the holy scripture Neither may we say that the names of Titus and Paul which the Kings Inguas of Peru do vse come from the Romans or Christians seeing it is too weake an argument to draw a conclusion of great matters We see plainely that it is contrarie to the intention of the holy scriptures which some have written that Tharsis and Ophir were one and the same Province conferring the 22 chapter of the 4. booke of the Kings with the 20. chapter of the second booke of Paralipomenon for that in the booke of the Kings it is said that Iosaphat prepared a fleete of shippes in Asiongaber to fetch golde at Ophir and in Paralipomenon it is written that the same fleete was furnished to go vnto Tharsis Whereby it may be supposed that in these fore-said bookes where the scripture speakes of Tharsis and Ophir that it meanes one thing Some one may demaund what region or Province that Ophir was whether Solomons fleete went with the Mariners of Hyram King of Tyre and Sidon to fetch hold And whether King Iosaphats fleete pretending to go did suffer shipwracke and perish in Asiongaber as the holy scripture doth testifie In this I do willingly agree with the opinion of Ioseph in his books of Antiquities where he saith that it is a Province of the East Indies the which was found by that Ophir the sonne of Iectan wherâ—of mention is made in the 10. of Genessis and that Province did abound with most fine gold Thereof it comes they did so much extol the gold of Ophir or of Ophas or as some wil
Indies have discovered and peopled after the same sort as wee do at this day that is by the Arte of Navigation and aide of Pilots the which guide themselves by the heigth and knowledge of the heavens and by their industrie in handling and changing of their sailes according to the season Why might not this well be Must we beleeve that we alone and in this our age have onely the Arte and knowledge to saile through the Ocean Wee see even now that they cut through the Ocean to discover new lands as not long since Alvaro Mendana and his companions did who parting from the Port of Lima came alongâ—t the West to discover the land which lieth Eastward from Perâ— and at the end of three moneths they discovered the Ilands which they call the Ilands of Salomon which are many and very great and by all likelehood they lie adioyning to new Guinnie or else are very neere to some other firme land And even now by commandement from the King and his Counsell they are resolved to prepare a new fleete for these Ilands Seeing it is thus why may we not suppose that the Ancients had the courage and resolution to travell by sea with the same intent to discover the land which they call Anticthoâ— opposite to theirs and that according to the discourse of their Philosophie it should be with an intent not to rest vntill they came in view of the landes they sought Surely there is no repugnancie or contrarietie in that which wee see happen at this day and that of former ages seeing that the holy scripture doth witâ—es that Solomon tooke Masters and Pilots from Tyre and Sidon men very expert in Navigation who by their industry performed this voiage in three yeeres To what end thinke you doth it note the Arte of Mariners and their knowledge with their long voiage of three yeeres but to give vs to vnderstand that Solomons sleete sailed through the great Ocean Many are of this opinion which thinke that S. Augustine had small reason to wonder at the greatnes of the Ocean who might well coniecture that it was not so difficult to saile through considering what hath been spoken of Solomons Navigation But to say the truth I am of a contrary opinion neither can I perswade my selfe that the first Indians came to this new world of purpose by a determined voiage neither will I yeeld that the Ancients had knowledgein the Art of Navigation whereby men at this day passe the Ocean from one part to another where they please the which they performe with an incredible swiftnes and resolution neither do I finde in all Antiquities any markes or testimonies of so notable a thing and of so great importance Besides I finde not that in ancient bookes there is any mention made of the vse of the Adamant or Loadstone nor of the Compasse to saile by yea I beleeve they had no knowledge thereof And if we take away the knowledge of the compasse to saile by we shall easily iudge how impossible it was for them to passe the great Ocean Such as haue any knowledge of the sea vnderstand me well for that it is as easie to beleeve that a Mariner in full sea can direct his course where hee please without a compasse as for a blinde man to shew with his finger any thing be it neere or farre off And it is strange that the Ancients have bene so long ignorant of this excellent propertie of the Adamant stone for Plinie who was so curious in naturall causes writing of this Adamant stone speakes nothing of that vertue and propertie it hath alwaies to turne the iron which it toucheth towards the North the which is the most admirable vertue it hath Aristotle Theophrastes Dioscorides Lucretius nor any other Writers or naturall Philosophers that I have seene make any mention thereof although they treate of the Adamant stone Saint Augustine writing many and sundry properties and excellencies of the Adamant stone in his bookes of the Citie of God speakes nothing thereof And without doubt all the excellencies spoken of this stone are nothing in respect of this strange propertie looking alwaies towards the North which is a great wonder of nature There is yet another argument for Plinic treating of the first inventers of Navigation and naming all the instruments yet he speakes nothing of the compasse to saâ—e by nor of the Adamant stone I say onely that the art to know the starres was invented by the Phaeniciens And there is no doubt but whatsoever the Ancients knew of the Art of Navigation was onely in regard of the starres and observing the Shoares Capes and differences of landes And if they had once lost the sight of land they knew not which way to direct their course but by the Stars Sunne and Moone and that sailing as it doth often in a darke and cloudie season they did governe themselves by the qualitie of the winds and by coniecture of the waies which they had passed Finally they went as they were guided by their owne motions As at the Indies the Indians saile a long way by sea guided only by their owne industrie naturall instinct And it serues greatly to purpose that which Plinie writes of the Ilanders of Taprobana which at this day we call Sumatra speaking in this sort when as he treates of the art and industrie they vse in sailing Those of Taprobana see not the North to saile by which defect they supply with certaine small birdes they carrie with them the which they often let flie and as those birdes by a naturall instinct flie alwaies towards the land so the Mariners direct their course after them Who doubtes then if they had had any knowledge of the compasse they would not have vsed these little birdes for their guides to discover the Land To conclude this sufficeth to shew that the Ancients had no knowledge of the secrets of the Loadstone seeing that for so notable a thing there is no proper word in Latine Greeke or Hebrew for a thing of such importance could not have wanted a name in these tongues if they had knowne it Wherevpon the Pilots at this day to direct him his course that holds the helme sit aloft in the poope of the Shippe the better to obserue the compasse where as in olde time they sat in the prow of the Shippe to marke the differences of lands and seas from which place they commaunded the Helme as they vse at this day at the entrie or going out of any Port or haven and therefore the Greekes called Pilots Proritaes for that they remained still in the prow Of the properties and admirable vertue of the Adamant stone for Navigation whereof the Ancients had no knowledge CHAP. 17. BY that which hath been formerly spoken it appeares that the Navigation to the Indies is as certaine and as short as wee are assured of the Adamant stone And at this day we see many that
sittes firme and to give him full payment for this trouble he beates another stake into the other vent or nosthrill so as he stoppeth him quite and takes away his breathing then hee betakes him to his Canoe which he holdes tied with a corde to the whales side and goes to land having first tied his corde to the whale the which hee lettes runne with the whale who leapes from place to place whilest he finds water enough being troubled with paine in the end hee comes neere the land and remaines on ground by the hugenesse of his body vnable any more to moove then a great number of Indians come vnto the Conqueror to gather his spoiles they kill him and cut his flesh in peeces the which is bad enough this do they drie and beate into powlder vsing it for meate it dooth last them long wherein is fulfilled that which is spoken in another Psalme of the whale Dedisti eum escam populis Aethiopum Peter Mendez the Adelantade did often speake of this kinde of fishing Whereof Mâ—nardes makes mention in his booke There is an other fishing which the Indians do commonly vse in the sea the which although it be lesse yet is it worthy the report They make as it were faggots of bul-rushes or drie sedges well bound together which they call Baâ—sas having carried them vppon their shoulders to the sea they cast them in and presently leape vppon them being so set they lanch out into the deepe rowing vp and downe with small reedes of eyther side they goe a league or two into the sea to fish carrying with them their cordes and nettes vppon these faggots and beare themselves thereon They cast out their nettes and do there remaine fishing the greatest parte of the day and night vntill they have filled vp their measure with the which they returne wel satisfied Truely it was delightfull to see them fish at Callao of Lima for that they were many in number and every one set on horsebacke cutting the waves of the sea which in their place of fishing are great and furious resembling the Tritons or Neptunes which they paint vppon the water and beeing come to land they drawe their barke out of the water vpon their backes the which they presently vndoe and lay abroade on the shoare to drie There were other Indians of the vallies of Yca which were accustomed to goe to fish in leather or skinnes of sea-wolves blowne vp with winde and from time to time they did blowe them like balles of winde lest they should sinke In the vale of Canete which in olde time they called Guaroo there were a great number of Indian fishers but bicause they resisted the Ingua when he came to conquer that land he made shew of peace with them and therefore to feast him they appoynted a solemne fishing of manie thousand Indians which went to sea in their vessels of reeds at whose returne the Ingua who had layde many souldiers in ambush made a cruell butcherie of them so as afterward this land remained vnpeopled although it be aboundant and fertile I did see an other manner of fishing wherevnto Don Francis of Toledo the Viceroy didde leade mee yet was it not in the sea but in a river which they call great in the Province of Charcas where the Indians Chiraquanas plunged into the water and swimming wyth an admirable swiftnesse followed the fish where with dartes and hookes which they vse to carry in their right hand only swimming with the left they wound the fish and so hurt they brought them foorth seeming in this more like vnto fishes then men of the land But now that we have left the sea let vs come to other kinde of waters that remaine to be spoken of Of Lakes and Pooles that be at the Indies CHAP. 16. IN place of the Mediterranean Sea which is in the old world the Creator hath furnished this new with many Lakes whereof there are some so great as they may be properly called seas seeing the Scripture calleth that of Palestina so which is not so great as some of these The most famous is that of Titicaca which is at Peru in the Province of Callao the which as I have said in the former booke containes neere fourscore leagues in compasse into the which there runnes ten or twelve great rivers A while since they began to saile in it with barkes and shippes wherein they proceeded so ill that the first shippe was split with a tempest that did rise in the Lake The water is not altogether sower nor salt as that of the sea but it is so thicke as it cannot be drunke There are two kindes of fishes breed in this Lake in great aboundance the one they call Suches which is great and savorous but phlegmatike and vnwholesome and the other Bogos which is more healthfull although it be lesse and fuller of bones there are great numbers of wilde-duckes and wigens Whenas the Indians will feast it or shew delight to any one that passeth along the two banckes which they call Chucuyto and Omasugo they assemble a great number of Canoes making a circle and invironing the fowle vntill they take with their hands what they please and they call this maner of fishing Chaco On the one and the other banke of this Lake are the best habitations of Peru. From the issue thereof there growes a lesser Lake although it be great which they call Paria vpon the bankes whereof there are great numbers of cattell especially swine which grow exceeding fatte with the grasse vpon those banks There are many other Lakes in the high mountains whence proceede brooks rivers which after become great flouds Vpon the way from Arequippa to Callao there are two Lakes vpon the mountains of th' one other side the way from th' one flowes a brooke which growes to a â—loud and falles into the South sea from the other they say the famous river of Aporima takes her beginning from the which some hold that the renowned river of Amazos otherwise called Maragnon proceedes with so great an assembly and aboundance of waters which ioyne in these mountaines It is a question may be often asked why there are so many Lakes in the toppes of these mountaines into the which no river enters but contrariwise many great streames issue forth and yet do we scarce see these Lakes to diminish any thing at any season of the yeere To imagine that these Lakes grow by the snow that melts or raine from heaven that doth not wholy satisfie me for there are many that have not this aboundance of snow nor raine and yet we see no decrease in them which makes me to beleeve they are springs which rise there naturally although it be not against reason to thinke that the snow and raine helpe somewhat in some seasons These Lakes are so common in the highest toppes of the mountaines that you shall hardly finde any famous river that takes not his beginning from one of
land makes restitution casting his capes points and tongues farre into the sea piercing into the bowelles thereof In some partes one element ends and another beginnes yeelding by degrees one vnto another In some places where they ioyne it is exceeding deepe as in the Ilands of the South Sea and in those of the North whereas the shippes ride close to the land and although they sound three score and tenne yea foure score fadomes yet do they finde no bottome which makes men coniecture that these are pikes or poynts of land which rise vp from the bottome a matter woorthy of great admiration Heerevpon a very expert Pilote said vnto me that the Ilands which they call of Woolves and others that lie at the entry of the coast of New Spaine beeing called Cocos were of this manner Moreover there is a place in the midst of the great Ocean without the view of land and many leagues from it where are seene as it were two towers or pikes of a very high elevated rocke rising out of the middest of the sea and yet ioyning vnto it they finde no bottome No man can yet perfectly comprehend nor conceive the full and perfect forme of the land at the Indies the boundes being not wholy discovered to this day yet wee may ghesse that it is proportioned like a heart with the lungs The broadest of this heart is from Bresill to Peru the poynt at the straight of Magellan and the top where it ends is the firme land and there the continent begins by little and litle to extend itselfe vntill wee come to the height of Florida and the vpper landes which are not yet well discovered We may vnderstand other particularities of this land at the Indies by the Commentaries which the Spaniards have written of their successe and discoveries and amongest the rest of the Peregrination which I have written which in trueth is strange and may give a great light This in my opinion may suffice at this time to give som knowledge of things at the Indies touching the common elements of the which all parts of the worlde are famed THE FOVRTH BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies Of three kindes of mixtures or compounds of the which I must intreate in this Historie CHAP. 1. HAving intreated in the former booke of that which concernes the Elements and the simples of the Indies in this present booke we will discourse of mixtures and compounds seeming fit for the subiect we shall treate of And although there be many other sundrie kindes yet we will reduce this matter into three which are Mettalls Plants and Beasts Mettalls are as plants hidden and buried in the bowels of the earth which have some conformitie in themselves in the forme and maner of their production for that wee see and discover even in them branches and as it were a bodie from whence they grow and proceede which are the greater veines and the lesse so as they have a knitting in themselves and it seemes properly that these minerales grow like vnto plants not that they have any inward vegitative life being onely proper to plants but they are engendered in the bowels of the earth by the vertue and force of the Sunne and other planets and in long continuance of time they increase and multiply after the maner of plants And even as mettalls be plants hidden in the earth so we may say that plants be living creatures fixed in one place whose life is maintained by the nourishment which Nature furnisheth from their first begnning But living creatures surpasse plants in that they have a more perfect being and therefore have neede of a more perfect foode and nourishment for the search whereof Nature hath given them a moving and feeling to discover and discerne it So as the rough and barren earth is as a substance and nutriment for mettalls and that which is fertile and better seasoned a nourishment for plants The same plants serve as a nourishment for living creatures and the plants and living creatures together as a nourishment for men the inferiour nature alwaies serving for the maintenance and sustentation of the superiour and the lesse perfect yeelding vnto the more perfect whereby we may see how much it wants that gold and silver and other things which men so much esteeme by their covetousnesse should be the happines of man wherevnto he should tend seeing they be so many degrees in qualitie inferior to man who hath been created and made onely to be a subiect to serve the vniversall Creator of all things as his proper end and perfect rest and to which man all other things in this world were not propounded or left but to gaine this last end Who so would consider of things created and discourse according to this Philosophie might draw some fruite from the knowledge and consideration thereof making vse of them to know and glorifie their Author But he that would passe on farther to the knowledge of their properties and profits and would curiously search them out hee shall finde in these creatures that which the Wiseman saies that they are snares and pitfalles to the feete of fooles ignorant into the which they fall and loose themselves daily To this intent therefore and that the Creator may be glorified in his creatures I pretend to speake of some things in this Booke whereof there are many at the Indies worth the report touching mettalls plants and beasts which are proper and peculiar in those parts But for that it were a great worke to treate thereof exactly and requires greater learning and knowledge yea much more leisure then I have my intent is only to treate of some things succinctly the which I have observed as well by experience as the report of men of credite touching these three things which I have propounded leaving to men more curious and diligent to treate more amply of these matters Of the aboundance and great quantitie of Mettall at the West Indies CHAP. 2. THe wisedome of God hath made mettalls for phisicke and for defence for ornament and for instruments for the worke of men of which foure things we may easily yeelde examples but the principall end of mettalls and the last thereof is for that the life of man hath not onely neede of nourishment as the beasts but also he must worke and labour according vnto the reason and capacitie which the Creator hath given him And as mans vnderstanding doth apply it selfe to divers artes and faculties so the same Author hath given order that hee should finde matter and subiect to diverse artes for the conservation reparation suretie ornament and exaltation of his workes The diversitie therefore of mettalls which the Creator hath shut vp in the closets and concavities of the earth is such and so great that man drawes profit and commoditie from everie one of them Some serve for curing of diseases others for armes and for defence against the enemies some are for ornament
buy withall but did change and trucke one thing for another as Homer and Plinie report of the Ancients They had some other things of greater esteeme which went currant amongst them for price and in steede of coine and vnto this day this custome continues amongst the Indians as in the Provinces of Mexico in steede of money they vse Cacao which is a small fruite and therewith buy what they will In Peru they vse Cocae to the same end the which is a leafe the Indians esteeme much as in Paraguay they have stampes of yron for coine and cotten woven in S. Croix of the Sierre Finally the maner of the Indians trafficke and their buying and selling was to exchange and give things for things and although there were great martes and famous faires yet had they no neede of mony nor of brokers for that every one had learned what he was to give in exchange for every kinde of marchandise Since the Spaniards entred the Indians have vsed gold and silver to buy withall and in the beginning there was no coine but silver by weight was theirprice and mony as they report of the ancient Romans Since for a greater benefite they have forged coine in Mexico and Peru yet vnto this day they have not in the West Indies coined any mony of copper or other mettall but onely of silver and golde for the richnes of that Countrie hath not admitted nor received such money as they call bullion nor other kindes of alloy which they vse in Italie and in other Provinces of Europe Although in some Ilands of the Indies as S. Dominique Port Ricco they vse coine of leather which is square the which are currant onely in those Ilands having little silver or gold I say little although there be much for that no man digges it and refines it But for that the riches of the Indies and their maner to labour in the mines consistes of golde silver and quickeâ—silver I will speake some thing of these three mettalls leaving the rest for this time Of golde which they digge and refine at the Indies CHAP. 4. GOld amongst other mettals hath bin alwayes held the most excellent and with reason beeing the most durable and incorruptible of all others for sire which consumes and diminisheth the rest amends it and brings it to perfection Golde which hath often passed through the fire keepes his colour and is most fine and pure which properly is called as Plinie saith Obriso wherof the Scripture makes so often mention vse which consumeth all other mettalles as the same Plinie saith dooth not any thing waste golde nor yet hurte it neither is it eaten nor groweth olde And although his substance and body be firme and solide yet dooth it yeelde and bow woonderfully the Beaters and Drawers of golde knowe well the force it hath to bee drawen out without breaking All which things well considered with other excellent properties will give men of iudgement to vnderstand wherefore the holie Scripture dooth compare Charitie to golde To conclude there is little neede to relate the excellencies thereof to make it more desirable For the greatest excellencie it hath is to be knowne as it is amongst men for the supreame power and greatnesse of the worlde Comming therefore to our subiect at the Indies there is great abundance of this mettall and it is wel knowne by approoved histories that the Inguas of Peru did not content themselves with great and small vessels of gold as pots cups goblets and flagons yea with kowles or great vessells but they had chaires also and litters of massie golde and in their Temples they had set vppe maine Images of pure golde whereof they finde some yet at Mexico but not such store as when the first Conquerours came into the one and the other kingdome who found great treasure and without doubt there was much more hidden in th earth by the Indians It would seeme ridiculous to reporte that they have made their horse shooes of silver for want of yron and that they have payd three hundred crownes for a bottle of wine and other strange things and yet in trueth this hath come to passe yea and greater matters They drawe golde in those partes after three sorts or at the least I have seene all three vsed For eyther they find gold in graines in powlder or in stone They do call golde in graines small morsels of gold which they find whole without mixture of any other mettall which hath no neede of melting or refining in the fire and they call them pippins for that commonly they are like to pippins or seeds of melons or pompions and that wherof Iob speakes when he saies Leve illius aurum though sometimes there be greater and such as I have seene weighed many poundes It is the excellencie of this mettall alone as Plinie affirmes to be found thus pure and perfect which is not seene in any other mettalles which are alwayes earthly and have a scumme and neede purging by the fire I have likewise seene silver naturall like to Yea there is an other kinde which the Indians call Papas and sometimes they find peeces very fiue and pure like to small round rootes the which is rare in that mettall but vsuall in gold They finde little of this golde in pippin in respect of the other kindes Golde in stone is a veine of gold that groweth or ingendereth within the stone or flint as I have seene in the mines of Curuma within the government of Salines very great stones pierced and intermixed with gold others that were halfe gold and halfe stone The golde which groweth in this manner is found in pittes or mines which have their veines like to the silver mines but it is very hard to drawe it foorth Agatarchides writes in his first booke of the Erithrean or red sea as Phocion reportes in his Bibliotheca of the manner and fashion to refine golde drawne out of stones the which the antient Kings of Egypt were wont to vse it is a strange thing to see how that which is written resembles properly to the manner they vse at this day in refining these mettalls of golde and silver The greatest quantitie of golde which is drawne at the Indies is that in powlder the which is found in streames and places wher much water hath passed because the slouds at the Indies abound in this kinde of golde As the Ancients for this occasion did celebrate the river of Tagus in Spaine Paâ—olus in Asia and Ganges in the East Indies and callâ—d theâ— Râ—menta auri the which we others call golâ—e in pâ—wlâ—er and of this sort is the greatest quantitie of golde they have at this day At this present in tâ—e â—lands of Barlovent Hispaniola Cuba and Port Ricco there hath beene and is great quantity in the rivers but they bring little from thence into Spaine for want of the naturall inhabitants of the country the difficultie to
drawe it There is great aboundance in the kingdome of Chille of Quitto and in the new Realme of Grenado The most famous golde is that of Caranava in Peru and of Valdivia in Chille for that it riseth with his alloy and perfection which is twenty three carrats and a halfe and sometimâ—s more They make accompt likewise of the gold of Veraâ—â—a to be very fine They bring much golde to Mexico from the Philippines and China but commonly it is weake and of base alloy Golde is commonly found mixt with silver or with copper but that which is mixed with silver is commonly of fewer carraâ—s then that which is mixed with copper If there bâ—â—a siâ—e partâ— of silver Plinie saieth it is then properly called Flâ—â—â—â— which hath the property to shine more at the light of the fire then fine gold or fine silver That which is incorporate with copper is commonly of a higher value They refine powldred golde in basens washing it in many waters vntill the sand falles from it and the golde as most heavie remaineth in the bottome They refine it likewise with quicke-silver and strong water for that the allume whereof they make this water hath the vertue to separate gold from drosse or from other mettalls After it is purified and molten they make brickes or small barres to cary it vnto Spaine for being in powlder they cannot transport it from the Indies for they can neither custome it marke it nor take say vntill it be molten The foresaide Hisâ—â—riaâ— grapher reporteth that Spaine above all other Countries of the world did abound in gold and silver especially Galitia and Portugall above all the Asturiaâ—s whence hee saieth they brought every yeere twenty thousand pounds of golde and that they found not so great aboundance in any other place The which is confirmed in the booke of Macabees where it is saide that amongest the great riches of the Romans they had in their power the golde and silver of Spaine At this day the great treasure of Spaine comes from the Indies wherein the divinâ— Providence hath appoynted one Realme to serve another which doe imparte their wealth to participate their governement for the good the one of the other in communicating mutually the goodes and graces they doe inioy wee can not value nor esteeme the quantitie of golde that is brought from the Indies but we may well say it is much more then that which 〈◊〉 reports was brought yeerely from Spaine to Româ— In the fleete where I came which was in the yeâ—re 1585. the declaratiâ—n of the firme land was of of twelve cassons or chests of golde every casson at the least weied foure Arobes that is a hundred weight and a thousand fifty and sixe mares from New Spaine which was for the King only besides that which came for Merchants and private men being registred and much that came vnregistred This may suffice touching the golde of the Indies and now we will speake of silver Of the Silver at the Indies CHAP. 5. WE reade these wordes in the Booke of Iob Siluer hath certain beginnings and roots in his veins and golde hath a setled place where it ingenders and thickens yron with digging is drawne out of the earth and stone molten with heate is turned into copper Hereby he wisely shewes in few words the nature of silver golde yron copper We have spoken something of the places where golde is ingendered and congealed which is either of the foresaide stones in the deapth of mountaines and in the bowells of the earth or in the sand of rivers and where brookes have runne or else on the toppes of mountaines the which golde in powlder runnes downe with the water And this is the common opinion they holde at the Indies Wherevppon many of the common sort believe that the deluge having drowned all even to the highest hills hath beene the cause that at this day they finde this golde in the rivers and in places so farre off Now we wil shew how they discover the mines of silver their veines rootes and beginnings whereof Iob speakes And first I will say that the reason why they give silver the second place among all other mettalles is for that it approacheth neerer to golde then any other being more durable and lesse indomaged by the fire and more maniable then any other yea it passeth golde in brightnesse beauty and sound the which is cleere and agreeable for the colour is more conformable and resembling the light and the sound more percing more lively and more delicate Likewise there are some places where they value silver more then golde It is yet an argument to iudge that gold is more pretious rhen all other mettalls for that it is found with greater difficultie and Nature seemes more sparing in bringing it foorth although there be countries as they say of Chine where they finde golde more easily then silver yet it is more common and ordinarie to finde silver with more facilitie and greater abundance then gold The Creator hath furnished the Weast Indies with so great a treasure of silver as all that which we reade of in antient Histories and that which is spoken of the mines of Spaine and other provinces is not comparable to that we see in those partes The mines of silver are commonly found in mountaines and high rockes very desart although they have sometimes bin found in Plaines and Champaines There are two different kindes the one they call stragling the other fixed and setled The straggling are peeces of mettall found in certaine places the which drawne away there is no more found But the fixed veines are those which have a continuance in depth and length like to great branches and armes of trees and when they find anie one of them they commonly finde many in the same place The maner to purge refine silver which the Indians have vsed was by melting in dissolving this masse of mettall by fire which casts the earthly drosse aparte and by his force separates silver from lead tinne from copper and other mettalls mixt To this end they did build small furnaces in places whereas the winde did commonly blow and with wood and cole made their refining the which furnaces in Ptru they call Guayras Since the Spaniards entred besides this manner of refining which they vse to this day they likewise refine silver with quicke-silver and draw more by this means then in refining it by fire For there is some kind of silver mettall found which can by no meanes be purged and refined by fire but onely with quickesilver But thiâ— kinde of mettall is commonly poore and weake the which vsually they finde in greatest aboundance They câ—l that poore which yields least silver and great quantitie of other mettall and that rich which yieldes mâ—st silver It is strange to see not onely the difference betwixt the refining of mettall by fire and without it by quicke-silver but also that some of
Spaine and Italie we have seene admirable effects of this stone against the Tâ—verdette which is a kinde of plague but not so muchâ—s in Peru. They do apply it beaten and put into some liquor which may make it fit for the cure of melancholy the falling sickenes pestilent feavers many other diseases Some take it in wine others in vineger with water Dezahac of League de beufe borrage and other sortes as the Phisitians and Apoticaries can tell The Bezaar stone hath no proper savour as Rasis the Arabian doth testifie Wee have seene notable trialls and there is no doubt but the Author of this vniversall world hath given great vertues to this stone The Bezaar stones which comes from the East Indies have the first place of account they are of an olive colour the second are those of Peru and the third those of New Spaine Since that these stones were in request they say the Indians have made artificiall ones and many when they see these stones greater then the ordinarie they take them to be false and counterfait triall and experience is the best mistres to know them One thing is worthy admiration that they grow and are fashioned vpon very strange things as vpon the tagge of a point vpon a pinne or a peece of wood which they finde in the centre of this stone and yet do they not hold it false for that the beast might swallow it and the stone thicken vpon it and growes one vpon another and so it increaseth I did see in Peru two stones fashioned vpon Pignons of Castille which made vs to wonder much for that in all Peru we had not seene any pines or Pignons of Castille if they were not brought from Spaine which seemes to me very extraordinary This little may suffice touching the Bezaars stone They bring other phisicall stones from the Indies as the stone of Hyiada or of Rate the bloud stone the stones of milke and of the sea Those which they call Cornerinaâ— for the heart whereof there is no neede to speake having nothing common with the subiect of beastes whereof we have intreated which gives vs to vnderstand how the great Master and Author of all hath imparted his benefites and wonderfull secrets to all partes of the world for the which he is to be glorified for ever * ⎠* A Prologue to the Bookes following HAving intreated of the Natural Historie of the Indies I wil hereafter discourse of the Morall History that is to say of the deeds and customes of the Indies For after the heaven the temperature the scituation the qualities of the new world after the elements mixtures I mean mettals plants beasts whereof we have spoken in the former Bookes as occasion did serve both Order Reason doth invite vs to continue and vndertake the discourse of those men which inhabite the new world And therefore I pretend in the following bookes to speake what I thinke worthie of this subiect And for that the intention of this Historie is not onely to give knowledge of what hath passed at the Indies but also to continue this knowledge to the fruite we may gather by it which is to helpe this people for their soules health and to glorifie the Creator and Redeemer who hath drawne them from the obscure darkenes of their infidelitie and imparted vnto them the admirable light of his Gospel And therefore I will first speake in these bookes following what concernes their religion or superstition their customes their idolatries and their sacrifices and after what concernes their policie and government their lawes customes and their deedes And for that the memorie is preserved amongst the Mexicaine Nation of their beginnings successions warres and other things worthie the relation besides that which shall be handled in the sixt booke I will make a peculiar Discourse in the seventh shâ—wing the disposition and forewarnings this Nation had of the new Kingdome of Christ our Lord which should be extâ—nded in these Countries and should conquer them to himself as he hath doâ—e in all the rest of the world The which in truth is a thing worthie of great consideration to see how the divine providence hath appointeâ— that the light of his word should finde a passage in the furthest boundes of the world It is not my proiect at this time to write what the Spanâ—ardes have done in those partes for there are bookes enow written vpon this subiect nor yet how the Lordes servants have laboured and profited for that requires a new labour I will onely content my selfe to plant this Historie and relation at the doores of the Gospel seeing it is alreadie entered and to make knowne the Naturall and Morall things of the Indies to the end that Christianitie may be planted and augmented as it is expounded at large in the bookes we have written De procuranda Indiorum salute And if any one wonder at some fashions customes of the Indies wil scorne them as fooles or abhorre them as divelish and inhumane people let him remember that the same things yea worse have beene seene amongst the Greekes and Romans who have commanded the whole world as we may easily vnderstand not onely of our Authors as Eusebius of Cesarea Clement Alexandrine and others but also of their owne as Plinie Denis Halicarnassis and Plutarke for the Prince of darkenes being the head of all Infidelitie it is no new thing to finde among Infidells cruelties filthines and follies fit for such a Master And although the ancient Gentiles have farre surpassed these of the new world in valour and naturall knowledge yet may wee observe many things in them worthie the remembrance But to conclude they shew to be barbarous people who being deprived of the supernaturall light want likewise philosophie and naturall knowledge THE FIFT BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That the Pride and Malice of the Divell hath beene the cause of Idolatrie CHAP. 1. THE Pride and Presumption of the Divell is so great obstinate that alwaies hee seekes and strives to be honoured as God and doth arrogate to himselfe all hee can whatsoever doth appertaine to the most high God hee ceaseth not to abuse the blinde Nations of the world vpon whom the cleere light of the holy Gospel hath not yet shone Wee reade in Iob of this prowd tyrant who settes his eyes aloft and amongst all the sonnes of pride he is the King The holy Scripture instructes vs plainely of his vile intentions and his overweening treason whereby he hath pretended to make his Throne equall vnto Gods saying in Esay Thou diddest say within thy selfe I will mount vp to heaven and set my chaire vpon all the starres of heaven and I will sit vpon the toppe of the Firmament and in the sides of the North I will ascend above the height of the cloudes and will be like to the most High And in Ezechiel Thy heart was lifted vp and thou
of the two fifty years which finished the wheele They vsed a pleasant ceremony which was the last night they didde breake all their vesselles and stuffe and put out their fire and all the lights saying that the worlde should end at the finishing of one of these wheeles and it might be at that time for said they seeing the worlde must then end what neede is there to provide meate to eate and therfore they had no further neede of vessel nor fire Vpon this conceit they passed the night in great feare saying it might happen there would be no more day and they watched very carefully for the day but when they saw the day beginne to breake they presently beat manie drummes and sounded cornets flutes and other instruments of ioy and gladnesse saying that God did yet prolong the time with another age which were fiftie two yeares And then beganne an other wheele The first day and beginning of this age they took new fire and bought new vesselles to dresse their meate and all went to the high Priest for this new fire having first made a solemne sacrifice and given thanks for the comming of the day and prolongation of an other age This was their manner of accounting their yeares moneths weekes and ages How the Kings Inguas accounted the yeares and moneths CHAP. 3. ALthough this supputation of times practised amongest the Mexicaines bee ingenious enough and certaine for men that had no learning yet in my opinion they wanted discourse and consideration having not grounded their computation according vnto the course of the moone nor distributed their months accordingly wherein those of Peru have far surpassed them for they divided their yeare into as many dayes perfectly accomplished as we do heere and into twelve moneths or moones in the which they imployed and consumed the eleven daies that remaind of the moone as Polo writes To make the computation of their yeare sure and certaine they vsed this industry vppon the mountaines which are about the citty of Cusco where the Kings Inguas held their court beeing the greatest sanctuary of those realmes and as we should say an other Rome there were twelve pillars set in order and in such distaunce the one from the other as every month one of these pillers did note the rising and setting of the sunne They called them Suceanga by meanes whereof they taught and shewed the feasts and the seasons fitte to sowe and reape and to do other things They did certaine sacrifices to these pillars of the sunne Every month had his proper name and pecular feasts They beganne the yeare by Ianuary as wee doe But since a king Ingua called Pachacuto which signifies a reformer of the Temple beganne their yeare by December by reason as I coniecture that then the Sunne returneth from the last poynt of Capricorne which is the tropike neerest vnto them I know not whether the one or the other have observed any Bisexte although some holde the contrary The weekes which the Mexicaines did reckon were not properly weekes being not of seaven dayes the Inguas likewise made no mention thereof which is no wonder seeing the account of the weeke is not grounded vpon the course of the sunne as that of the yeare nor of the moone as that of the month but among the Hebrewes iâ— is grounded vpon the creation of the world as Moyses reporteth and amongest the Greekes and Latins vpon the number of the seven planets of whose names the dayes of the weeke have taken their denomination yet was it much for those Indians being men without bookes and learning to have a yeare seasons and feasts so well appoynted as I have sayd That no nation of the Indies hath beene found to have had the vse of letters CHAP 4. LEtters were invented to signifie properly the words we do pronounce even as woordes according to the Philosopher are the signes and demonstrations of mans thoughtes and conceptions And both the one and the other I say the letters and words were ordained to make things knowne The voyce for such as are present and letters for the absent and such as are to come Signes and markes which are not properly to signifie wordes but things cannot be called neyther in trueth are they letters although they be written for wee can not say that the Picture of the sunne be a writing of the sunne but onely a picture the like may be saide of other signes and characters which have no resemblance to the thing but serve onely for memorie for he that invented them did not ordaine them to signifie wordes but onely to note the thing neyther do they call those characters letters or writings as indeede they are not but rather ciphers or remembraunces as those be which the Spherists or Astronomers do vse to signifie divers signes or planets of Mars Venus Iupiter c. Such characters are ciphers and no letters for what name soever Mars may have in Italian French or Spanish this character doth alwaies signifie it the which is not found in letters for although they siguify the thing yet is it by meanes of words So as they which know not the tongue vnderstand them not as for example the Greekes nor the Hebrews cannot conceive what this word Sol doth signifie although they see it written for that they vnderstand not the Latine word so as writing and letters are onely practiced by them which signifie words therewith For if they signifie things mediately they are no more letters nor writings but ciphers and pictures whereby we may observe two notable things The one that the memory of histories and antiquities may bee preserved by one of these three meanes either by letters and writings as hath beene vsed amongst the Latines Greekes Hebrews and many other Nations or by painting as hath beene vsed almost throughout all the world for it is said in the second Nicene Counsell Painting is a booke for fooles which cannot reade or by ciphers and characters as the cipher signifies the number of a hundred a thousand and others without noting the word of a hundred or a thousand The other thing we may observe thereby is that which is propounded in this chapter which is that no Nation of the Indies discovered in our time hath had the vse of letters and writings but of the other two sortes images and figures The which I observe not onely of the Indies of Peru and new Spaine but also of Iappon and China And although this may seeme false to some seeing it is testified by the discourses that have beene written that there are so great Libraries and Vniversities in China and Iappon and that mention is made of their Chapas letters and expeditions yet that which I say is true as you may vnderstand by the discourse following Of the fashion of Letters and Bookes the Chinois vsed CHAP. 5. THere are many which thinke and it is the most common opinion that the writings which the Chinois vsed are letters as
preparation of theaters apparel bels drums and voices Some fathers report to have seene comedies which lasted ten or twelve dayes and nights without any want of comedians nor company to beholde them They doe make many different sceanes and whilst some act the others feede and sleep In these comedies they do commonly treate of morall things and of good examples intermingled with pleasant devises This is the summe of that which our men report of the letters and exercises of them of China wherein wee must confesse to be much wit and industrie But all this is of small substance for in effect all the knowledge of the Chinois tendes onely to reade and write no farther for they attaine to no high knowledge And their writing and reading is not properly reading and writing seeing their letters are no letters that can represent wordes but figures of innumerable things the which cannot be learned but in a long time and with infinite labour But in the end with all their knowledge an Indian of Peru or Mexico that hath learned to reade and write knowes more then the wisest Mandarin that is amongst them for that the Indian with foure and twentie letters which he hath learned will write all the wordes in the world and a Mandarin with his hundred thousand letters will be troubled to write some proper name as of Martin or Alonso with greater reason he shal be lesse able to write the names of things he knowes not So as the writing in China is no other thing but a maner of painting or ciphring Of the fashion of letters and writings which the Mexicaines vsed CHAP. 7. WE finde amongest the Nations of New Spaine a great knowledge and memorie of antiquitie and therefore searching by what meanes the Indians had preserved their Histories and so many particularities I learned that although they were not so subtill and curious as the Chinois and those of Iappon yet had they some kinde of letters and bookes amongest them whereby they preserved after their manner the deeds of their predecessors In the province of Yu-lataâ— where the Bishopricke is which they call de Honduras there were bookes of the leaves of trees folded and squared after their manner in the which the wise Indians contained the distribution of their times the knowledge of the planets of beasts and other naturall things with their antiquities a thing full of great curiositie and diligence It seemed to some Pedant that all this was an inchantment magicke arte who did obstinately maintaine that they ought to be burnt so as they were committed to the fire Which since not onely the Indians found to be ill done but also the curious Spaniards who desired to know the secrets of the countrey The like hath happened in other things for our men thinking that all was but superstition have lost many memorialls of an ancient and holy things which might have profited much This proceedeth of a foolish and ignorant zeale who not knowing nor seeking to knowe what concerned the Indians say preiudicately that they are all but witchcrafts and that all the Indians are but drunkards incapable to know or learne any thing For such as would be curiously informed of them have found many things worthy of consideration One of our company of Iesuites a man very witty and wel experienced did assemble in the province of Mexico the Antients of Tescuco of Talla and of Mexico conferring at large with them who shewed vnto him their books histories and kalenders things very woorthy the sight bicause they had their figures and hierogliphicks wherby they represented things in this maner Such as had forme or figure were represented by their proper images and such as had not any were represented by characters that signified them and by this meanes they figured and writ what they would And to observe the time when any thing did happen they had those painted wheeles for every one of them contained an age which was two and fifty yeares as hath beene said and of the side of those wheeles they did paint with figures and characters right against the yeare the memorable things that happened therein As they noted the yeare whenas the Spaniards entred their Countrey they painted a man with a hatte and a red ierkin vpon the signe of the reede which did rule then and so of other accidents But for that their writings and characters were not sufficient as our letters and writings be they could not so plainly expresse the words but onely the substance of their conceptions And forasmuch as they were accustomed to reherse Discourses and Dialogues by heart compounded by their Oratours and auntient Rhethoritians and many Chapas made by their Poets which were impossible to learne by their Hierogliphickes and Characters the Mexicaines were very curious to have their children learne those dialogues and compositions by heart For the which cause they had Schooles and as it were Colledges or Seminaries where the Auncients taught children these Orations and many other things which they preserved amongst them by tradition from one to another as perfectly as if they had beene written especially the most famous Nations had a care to have their children which had any inclination to be Rhetoritians and to practise the office of Orators to learne these Orations by heart So as when the Spaniardes came into their Country and had taught them reade and write our letters many of the Indians then wrote these Orations as some grave men doe witnes that had read them Which I say for that some which shall happly reade these long and eloquent discourses in the Mexicaine Historie will easilie beleeve they have beene invented by the Spaniardes and not really taken and reported from the Indians But having knowne the certaine trueth they will give credite as reason is to their Histories They did also write these Discourses after their manner by Characters and Images and I have seene for my better satisfaction the Pater noster Ave Maria and Simboll or generall confession of our faith written in this manner by the Indians And in trueth whosoever shall see them will wonder thereat For to signifie these wordes I a sinner do confesse my selfe they painted an Indian vppon his knees at a religious mans feete as one that confesseth himselfe and for this To God most mighty they painted three faces with their Crownes like to the Trinitie and To the glorious Virgine Marie they painted the face of our Lady and halfe the body of a little childe and for S. Peter and S. Paul heads with crowns and a key with a sword and whereas images failed they did set characters as Wherein I have sinned c. whereby wee may conceive the quickenesse of spirite of these Indians seeing this manner of writing of our prayers and matters of faith hath not beene taught them by the Spaniards neither could they have done it if they had not had an excellent conception of that was taught them And I have seene
the linages These six linages did alwayes entertaine amitie together marrying their children one with another and dividing their limites quietly then they studied with an emulation to encrease and beautifie their common-weale The barbarous Chichimecans seeing what passed beganne to vse some governement and to apparrell themselves being ashâ—med of what had passed for till then they had no shame And having abandoned feare by their communication with these other people they beganne to learne many things of them building small cottages having some pollicie and governement They did also choose Lordes whom they did acknowledge for their superiours by meanes whereof they did in a manner quite abandon this brutish life yet did they alwayes continue in the Mountaines divided from the rest Notwithstanding I hold it for certaine that this feare hath growne from other Nations and Provinces of the Indies who at the first were savage men who living onely by hunting piercing the rockie and rough countries discovering a new world the inhabitants whereof were almost like savage beasts without coverings or houses without tilled landes without cattell without King Law God or Reason Since others seeking better and new lands inhabited this fertile Countrey planting pollitike order and a kinde of common-weale although it were very barbarous After the same men or other Nations that had more vnderstanding then the rest laboured to subdue and oppresse the lesse mighty establishing Realmes and great Empires So it happened in Mexico at Peru and in some partes where they finde Citties and Common-weales planted among these Barbarians That which confirmes me in my opinion whereof I have amply discoursed in the first booke that the first inhabitants of the West Indies came by land and so by consequence that the first continent of the Indies ioynes with that of Asia Europe and Afsrike and the new world with the old although they have not yet discovered any countrey that toucheth and ioynes with the other world or if there be any sea betwixt the two it is so narrow that wilde beasts may easily swim over and men in small boates But leaving this Philosophie let vs returne to our history Of the Mexicaines departure of their iourney and peopling the Province of Mechovacan CHAâ— 4. THree hundred and two yeares after the former two linages had left their Country to inhabite new Spaine the Country being now well peopled and reduced to some forme of government Those of the seaventh cave or line arrived which is the Mexicaine Nation the which like vnto the rest left the Province of AZtlan and Teuculhuacan a pollitike courtlike and warlike Nation They did worship the idoll VitZliputZli whereof ample mention hath beene made and the divell that was in this idoll spake and governed this Nation easily This idoll commanded them to leave their Country promising to make them Princes and Lords over all the Provinces which the other six Nations did possesse that hee would give them a land abounding with gold silver pretious stones feathers and rich mantells wherevpon they went forth carrying their idoll with them in a coffer of reedes supported by foure of their principall priests with whom he did talke and reveale vnto them in secret the successe of their way and voyage advising them of what should happen He likewise gave them lawes and taught them the customes ceremonies and sacrifices they should observe They did not advance nor moove without commandement from this idoll He gave them notice when to march and when to stay in any place wherein they wholy obeyed him The first thing they did wheresoever they came was to build a house or tabernacle for their false god which they set alwaies in the middest of their Campe and there placed the Arke vppon an altare in the same manner as they have vsed in the holy Christian Church This done they sowed their land for bread and pulses which they vsed and they were so addicted to the obedience of their god that if he commanded them to gather they gathered but if he commanded them to raise their campe all was left there for the nourishment of the aged sicke and wearie which they lest purposely from place to place that they might people it pretending by this meanes that all the land should remaine inhabited by their Nation This going forth and peregrination of the Mexicaines will happily seeme like to that of Egypt and to the way which the children of Israell made seeing that they as well as those were warned to go forth and to seeke the land of promise and both the one and the other carried their god for their guide consulted with the arke and made him a tabernacle and he advised them giving them lawes and ceremonies and both the one and the other spake many yeares in their voyage to their promised land where we observe the resemblance of many other things as thehistories of the Mexicaines do report and the holy scripture testifie of the Israelites And without doubt it is a true thing that the Divell the prince of pride hath laboured by the superstitions of this Nation to counterfaite imitate that which the most high God did with this Nation for as is said before Satan hath a strange desire to compare and make himselfe equal with God so as this mortall enemy hath pretended falsely to vsurpe what communication and familiaritie he hath pleased with men Was there ever divell found so familiarly conversant with men as this divell VitzliputZli We may wel iudge what he was for that there was never seene nor heard speake of customes more superstitious nor sacrifices more cruel and inhumane then those which he taught them To conclude they were invented by the enemy of mankinde The chiefe and Captaine whome they followed was called Mexi whence came the name of Mexico of the Mexicaine Nation This people marching thus at leisure as the other six Nations had done peopling and tilling the land in divers partes whereof there is yet some shewes ruines after they had endured many travells and dangers in the end they came to the Province of Mechovacan which is as much to say as a land of fish for there is great abundance in goodly great lakes where contenting themselves with the scituation and temperature of the ground they resolved to stay there Yet having consulted with their idoll vpon this point and finding him vnwilling they demanded license to leave some of their men to people so good a land the which he granted teaching them the meanes how to do it which was that when the men and women should be entred into a goodly lake called Pascuaro to bathe themselves those which remained on land should steale away all their clothes and then secretly raise their campe and depart without any bruite the which was effected and the rest which dreamt not of this deceit for the pleasure they tooke in bathing comming forth and finding themselves spoiled of their garments and thus mocked and left by their companions they
Moteçuma or to speake truly to Tlacaellec his Generall for the good order and policy setled in the realme of Mexico as also for the counsells and goodly enterprises which they did execute and likewise for the numbers of Iudges and Magistrates being as well ordered there as in any common-weale yea were it in the most flourishing of Europe This King did also greatly increase the Kings house giving it great authoritie and appointing many and sundry officers which served him with great pompe and ceremony Hee was no lesse remarkable touching the devotion and service of his idolls increasing the number of his Ministers and instituting new ceremonies wherevnto hee carried a great respect Hee built that great temple dedicated to their god Vitziliputzli whereof is spoken in the other booke He did sacrifice at the dedication of this temple a great number of men taken in sundry victories finally inioying his Empire in great prosperitie hee fell sicke and died having raigned twenty eight yeares 〈◊〉 to his successor Ticociâ— who did not resemble him neither in valour nor in good fortune How Tlacaellec refused to be King and of the election and deedes of Ticocic CHAP. 17. THE foure Deputies assembled in counsell with the lords of Tcscucâ— Tacuba where Tlacaellec was President in the election where by all their voices Tlacaellec was chosen as deserving this charge better then any other Yet he refused it perswading them by pertinent reasons that they shuld choose another saying that it was better and more expedient to have another king and he to be his instrument and assistant as hee had beene till then and not to lay the whole burthen vpon him for that he held himselfe no lesse bound for the Common-weale then if hee were king It is a rare thing to refuse principalitie and commaund and to indure the paine and the care and not to reape the honour There are few that will yeeld vp the power and authority which they may hold were it profitable to the common-weale This Barbarian did heerein exceed the wisest amongst the Greekes and Romans and it may be a lesson to Alexander and Iulius Caesar whereof the one held it little to command the whole world putting his most deere and faithfull servants to death vpon some small iealosies of rule and empire and the other declared himselfe enemy to his country saying that if it were lawfull to do any thing against law and reason it was for a kingdome such is the thirst and desire of commaund Although this acte of Tlacaelâ—eâ—â— might well proceede from too great a confidence of himselfe seeming to him though he were not king yet in a maner that he commanded kings suffering him to carry certaine markes as a Tiara or ornament for the head which belonged onely to themselves Yet this act deserves greater commendation and to be well considered of in that he held opinion to be better able to serve his Common-weale as a subiect then being a soveraigne Lord. And as in a comedie he deserves most commendation that represents the personage that importes most bee it of a sheepheard or a peasant and leaves the King or Captaine to him that can performe it So in good Philosophy men ought to have a special regard to the common good and apply themselves to that office and place which they best vnderstand But this philosophie is farre from that which is practised at this day But let vs returne to our discourse and say that in recompence of his modestie and for the respect which the Mexicaine Electors bare him they demanded of Tlacaellec that seeing hee would not raigne whom he thought most fit Wherevpon hee gave his voice to a sonne of the deceased king who was then very yong called Ticocic but they replied that his shoulders were very weake to beare so heavy a burthen Tlacaellec answered that his were there to helpe him to beare the burthen as he had done to the deceased by meanes whereof they tooke their resolution and Ticoâ—ic was chosen to whom were done all the accustomed ceremonies They pierced his nosthrils and for an ornament put an Emerald therein and for this reason in the Mexicane bookes this king is noted by his nosthrills pierced Hee differed much from his father and predecessor being noted for a coward and not valiant He went to make warre for his coronation in a province that was rebelled where he lost more of his own men then hee tooke captives yet he returned saying that hee brought the number of captives required for the sacrifice of his coronation and so hee was crowned with great solemnitie But the Mexicaines discontented to have a king so little disposed to warre practised to hasten his death by poison For this cause hee continued not above foure yeares in the kingdome whereby wee see that the children do not alwaies follow the blood and valour of their fathers and the greater the glorie of the predecessors hath beene the more odious is the weakenes and cowardise of such that succeed them in command and not in merit But this losse was well repaired by a brother of the deceased who was also sonne to great Moteçuma called Axayaca who was likewise chosen by the advice of Tlacacllec wherein hee happened better then before Of the death of Tlacaellec and the deedes of Axayaca the seventh King of Mexicaines CHAP. 18. NOw was Tlacaellec very old who by reason of his age he was carried in a chaire vpon mens shoulders to assist in counsell when busines required In the end hee fell sicke whenas the king who was not yet crowned did visit him often sheading many teares seeming to loose in him his father and the father of his countrie Tlacaellec did most affectionately recommend his children vnto him especially the eldest who had shewed himselfe valiant in the former warres The king promised to have regard vnto him and the more to comfort the olde man in his presence he gave him the charge and ensignes of Captaine Generall with all the preheminences of his father wherewith the olde man remained so well satisfied as with this content he ended his daies If hee had not passed to another life they might have held themselves very happy seeing that of so poore and small a cittie wherein hee was borne he established by his valour and magnanimitie so great so rich and so potent a kingdome The Mexicans made his funerall as the founder of that Empire more sumptuous and stately then they had done to any of their former kings And presently after Axayaca to appease the sorrow which all the people of Mexico shewed for the death of their captaine he resolved to make the voyage necessary for his coronation Hee therefore led his army with great expedition into the province of Tequantepec two hundred leagues from Mexico where he gave battaile to a mighty army and an infinite number of men assembled together as well out of that province as from their neighbours to oppose themselves against the Mexicans
of water which they of Cuyoacan vsed For this cause he called the chiefe man of the cittie vnto him being a famous sorcerer having propounded his meaning vnto him the sorcerer wished him to be well advised what hee did being a matter of great difficulty and that hee vnderstoode if he drew the river out of her ordinary course making it passe to Mexico hee would drowne the citty The king supposed these excuses were but to frustrate the effect of his desseigne being therefore in choler he dismissed him home and a few dayes after hee sent a provost to Cuyoacan to take this Sorcerer who having vnderstanding for what intent the kings officers came hee caused them to enter his house and then he presented himself vnto them in the forme of a terrible Eagle wherewith the provost and his companions being terrified they returned without taking him AutZol incensed herewith sent others to whome hee presented himselfe in forme of a furious tygre so as they durst not touch him The third came and they found him in the forme of a horrible serpent whereat they were much afraide The king mooved the more with these dooings sent to tell them of Cuyoacan that if they brought not the sorcerer bound vnto him he would raze their citty For feare whereof or whether it were of his owne free will or being forced by the people he suffered himselfe to be led to the king who presently caused him to be strangled and then did he put his resolution in practise forcing a chanell whereby the water might passe to Mexico whereby hee brought a great current of water into the Lake which they brought with great ceremonies and superstitions having priests casting incense along the banks others sacrificed quailes and with the bloud of them sprinckled the channell bankes others sounding of cornets accompanied the water with their musicke One of the chiefe went attired in a habite like to their goddesse of the water and all saluted her saying that shee was welcome All which things are painted in the Annales of Mexico which booke is now at Rome in the holy Library or Vaticane where a father of our company that was come from Mexico did see it and other histories the which he did expound to the keeper of his Holinesse Library taking great delight to vnderstand this booke which before hee could never comprehend Finally the water was brought to Mexico but it came in such aboundaunce that it had welneere drowned the cittie as was foretold and in effect it did ruine a great parte thereof but it was presently prevented by the industry of Autzol who caused an issue to be made to draw foorth the water by meanes whereof hee repaired the buildings that were fallen with an exquisite worke being before but poore cotages Thus he left the citty invironed with water like another Venice and very well built hee raigned eleaven yeares and ended with the last and greatest successor of all the Mexicans Of the election of great Moteçuma the last king of Mexico CHAP. 20. WHen the Spaniards entred new Spaine being in the yeare of our Lorde one thousand five hundred and eighteen Moteçuma second of that name was the last king of the Mexicaines I say the last although they of Mexico after his death chose another king yea in the life of the same Moteçuma whome they declared an enemy to his country as we shall see heereafter But hee that succeeded him and hee that fell into the hands of the Marquise de Valle had but the names and titles of Kings for that the kingdome was in a maner al yeelded to the Spaniards so as with reason we account Moteçuma for the last king and so hee came to the periode of the Mexicaines power and greatnesse which is admirable being happened among Barbarians for this cause and for that this was the season that God had chosen to reveale vnto them the knowledge of his Gospel and the kingdome of Iesus Christ I will r◠late more at large the actes of Moteçuma then of the rest Before he came to be king he was by disposition ve◠ry grave and stayed and spake little so as when he◠gave his opinion in the privy counsell whereas he assisted his speeches and discourses made every one to admire him so as even then he was feared and respected He retired himselfe vsually into a Chappell appointed for him in the Temple of Vitziliputzli where they said their Idoll spake vnto him and for this cause hee was helde very religious and devout For these perfections then being most noble and of great courage his election was short and easie as a man vpon whom al mens eyes were fixed as woorthy of such a charge Having intelligence of this election hee hidde himselfe in this chappell of the Temple whether it were by iudgement apprehending so heavy and hard a burthen as to governe such a people or rather as I beleeve throgh hypocrisie to shew that he desired not Empery In the end they found him leading him to the place of councell whither they accompanied him with all possible ioy hee marched with such a gravitie as they all sayd the name of Moteçuma agreed very wel with his nature which is as much to say as an angry Lord. The electors did him great reverence giving him notice that hee was chosen king from thence he was ledde before the harth of their gods to give incense where he offered sacrifices in drawing bloud from his eares the calves of his legges according to their custome They attired him with the royall ornaments and pierced the gristle of his nosthrils hanging thereat a rich emerald a barbarous troublous custome but the desire of rule made all paine light and easie Being seated in his throne he gave andience to the Orations and Speeches that were made vnto him which according vnto their custome were eloquent and artificiall The first was pronounced by the king of Tescuco which being preserved for that it was lately delivered very worthy to be heard I will set it downe word by word and thus hee sayde The concordance and vnitie of voyces vpon thy election is a sufficient testimonie most noble yong man of the happines the realme shall receive as well deserving to be commaunded by thee as also for the generall applause which all doe shew by meanes thereof Wherein they have great reason for the Empire of Mexico doth alreadie so farre extend it selfe that to governe a world as it is and to beare so heavie a burthen it requires no lesse dexteritie and courage than that which is resident in thy firme and valiant heart nor of lesse wisedome and iudgement than thine I see and know plainely that the mightie God loveth this Cittie seeing he hath given vnderstanding to choose what was fit For who will not beleeve that a Prince who before his raigne had pierced the nine vaultes of heaven should not likewise nowe obtaine those things that are earthlie to releeve his people
or dish above once all must be new giving to his attendants that which had once served him so as commonly they were rich and sumptuous He was very carefull to have his lawes observed And when he returned victor from any waâ—â—e he fained sometimes to go and take his pleasure then would he disguise himselfe to see if his people supposing if he weare absent would omitte any thing of the feast or reception If there were any excesse or defect he then did punish it rigorously And also to discerne how his ministers did execute their offices he often disguised himselfe offering guistes and presents to the iudges provoking them to do in iustice If they offended they were presently punished with death without remission or respect were they Noblemen or his kinsmen yea his owne bretheren He was little conversant with his people and seldome seene retyring himselfe most commonly to care for the government of his realme Besides that hee was a great iusticier and very noble hee was very valiant and happy by meanes whereof hee obtained great victories and came to this greatnes as is written in the Spanish histories whereon it seemes needelesse to write more I will onely have a care heereafter to write what the bookes and histories of the Indies make mention of the which the Spanish writers have not observed having not sufficiently vnderstood the secrets of this country the which are things very worthy to be knowne as we shall see heereafter Of the presages and strange prodigies which happened in Mexico before the fall of their Empire CHAP. 23. ALthough the holy Scripture forbids vs to give credite to signes and vaine prognostications and that S. Ierome doth admonish vs not to feare tokens from heaven as the Gentiles do Yet the same Scripture teacheth vs that monstrous and prodigious signes are not altogether to bee contemned and that often they are fore-runners of some generall changes and chasticements which God will take as Eusebius notes well of Cesarea For that the same Lord of heaven and earth sendes such prodiges and new things in heaven in the elements in beasts and in his other creatures that this might partly serve as an advertisement to men and to be the beginning of the paine and chastisement by the feare and amazement they bring It is written in the second booke of Macabees that before that great change and persecution of the people of Israel which was caused by the tyranny of Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes whome the holy Scriptures call the roote of sinne there were seene for forty dayes together thorowout all Ierusalem great squadrons of horsemen in the ayre who with their armour guilt their lances and targets and vppon furious horses with their swordes drawne did strike skirmish and incounter one against the other and they say that the Inhabitants of Ierusalem seeing this they prayed to our Lord to appease his wrath and that these prodegies might turne to good It is likewise written in the booke of Wisedome That when God would drawe his people out of Egypt and punish the Egyptians some terrible fearefull visions appeared vnto them as fires seene out of time in horrible formes Ioseph in his booke of the Iewishwarres sheweth many and great wonders going before the destruction of Ierusalem and the last captivitie of his wicked people whome God iustly abhorred and Eusebius of Cesarea with others alleadge the same texts authorizing prognostications The Histories are full of like observations in great changes of states and common-weales as Paulus Orosius witnesseth of many and without doubt this observation is not vaine nor vnprofitable for although it be vanitie yea superstition defended by the lawe of our God lightly to beleeve these signes and tokens yet in matters of great moment as in the changes of nations kingdoms and notable laws It is no vaine thing but rather certaine and assured to beleeve that the wisedome of the most High dooth dispose and suffer these things fo retelling what shoulde happen to serve as I have saide for an advertisement to some and a chasticement to others and as a witnes to all that the king of heaven hath a care of man who as he hath appointed great and fearefull tokens of that great change of the world which shall bee the day of iudgement so doth it please him to send wonderful signes to demonstrate lesser changes in divers partes of the world the which are remarkeable whereof he disposeth according to his eternall wisedome Wee must also vnderstand that although the divell be the father of lies yet the King of Glorie makes him often to confesse the trueth against his will which hee hath often declared for very feare as hee did in the desart by the mouth of the possessed crying that Iesus was the Saviour come to destroy him as he did by the Pythonisse who saide that Paul preached the true God as when he appeared and troubled Pilates wife whom he made to mediate for Iesus a iust man And as many other histories besides the holy Scripture gave diverse testimonies of idols in approbation of christian religion wherof Lactantius Prosperus and others make mention Let them reade Eusebius in his bookes of the preparation of the Gospel and those of his demonstrations where he doth amply treate of this matter I have purposely spoken this that no man should contemne what is written in the Histories and Annales of the Indies touching Presages and strange signes of the approching end and ruine of their kingdome and of the Divelles tyranny whom they worshipped altogether Which in my opinion is worthy of credite and beliefe both for that it chanced late and the memory is yet fresh as also for that it is likely that the Divell lamented at so great a change and that God by the same meanes beganne to chastice their cruell and abhominable idolatries I will therefore set them downe heere as true things It chanced that Moteçuma having raigned many yeers in great prosperity and so pufft vp in his conceit as hee caused himselfe to be served and feared yea to be worshipped as a god that the Almighty Lord beganne to chastice him and also to admonish him suffering even the very Divelles whome he worshipped to tell him these heavy tidings of the ruine of his kingdome and to torment him by visions which had never bin seen wherewith hee remained so melancholy and troubled as hee was voyde of iudgement The idoll of those of Cholola which they called Quetzacoalt declared that a strange people came to possesse his kingdomes The king of Tescuco who was a great Magitian and had conference with the Divell came one day at an extraordinarie house to visite Moteçuma assuring him that his gods had tolde him that there were great losses preparing for him and for his whole realme many witches and sorcerers went and declared as much amongst which there was one did very particularly foretell him what should happen and as