theyr spices and Iewelles by weyght Of the inhabitantes of Poliar and Hiraua and how they nourysh their children Cap. 19. THe women weane theyr children when they come to the age of three monethes and afterward nourysh them with Goates milke and when in the morning they haue giuen them milke they tomble them in the sandes all foule filthie where they let them lye all the day and are so scorched of the Sunne that farre of they seeme like Bufles Calues I neuer sawe more deformed or filthie creatures at euenyng theyr mothers gyue them milke agayne By this kinde of wylde bringing vp they become men of marueylous dexteritie in swiftnesse of runnyng and other thinges of great agilitie as to walke vppon ropes swymmyng leapyng vaultyng and such lyke Of foure footed beastes foules and birdes of Calecut Cap. 20. THere are many beastes and kyndes of birdes as Lions wilde Bores Hartes Hyndes Bufles Kyne Goates and Elephantes yet not all engendred there but brought thyther partly from other places There are also parottes of sundry colours as greene purple other mixte colours There is such multitude of them that there are men appointed to keepe them from the Ryse in the fieldes as we vse to keepe Crowes from the corne They are marueylous crying and chattering and of small price as one solde for two pense or halfe a souse There are many other birdes much vnlyke to ours which euery mornyng and euenyng make so great a noyse sweete singing that nothing can be more pleasant or delectable to heare and therfore the inhabitantes lyue in great pleasure and in maner as it were in an earthly Paradyse in continuall spryng and florishyng of floures hearbes trees all the yeere long besyde also the goodly and holsome temperatenesse of the ayre being neither extreme hotte nor colde but in maner in temperature of continuall spring tyme. That region hath also Monkeys which are there of small price These are very hurtfull to husbandmen and such as liue by tillage of the grounde for they clyme the trees of those goodly Indian Nuts precious fruite wherof we haue spoken here before of the which they make wyne which these beastes do spill and cast downe the vesselles that are made faste there to receyue the sayde liquor of wyne Of certayne Serpentes which are seene in Calecut Cap. 21. THere are certayne Serpentes of suche bignesse that they are equal to swine theyr heads are much greater then the heads of Bores they are foure footed and of the length of foure cubites and are engendred in marishes The inhabitantes say that they are without poison and doe not otherwyse hurt then by byting There are furthermore three kindes of Serpentes of the which some are of so strong poison that if they drawe neuer so litle blood present death foloweth whiche thing chaunced oftentymes whilest I was there Of these kindes of serpentes some are of the bignesse of an Aspe many much bigger Of these there are a very great number The cause wherof they say is this That the kyng of Calecut of a certaine foolishe superstition maketh so great accompt of these Serpentes that he causeth litle houses or cottages to be made for them beleeuyng that they haue vertue against ouer much raine ouerflowing of riuers and therfore if a man kill any of them he is punished with death as though he had killed a man and the like punishment is also for him that killeth a cowe They greatly esteeme these Serpents bicause as they say they came from heauen and therfore they take them for heauenly spirites which they affirme for that only with touching they bring present death And this is y e cause that there are many serpentes being thus permitted by the commaundement of the king These serpents know the Idolaters inhabitants from Mahumetans or other strangers and wil sooner venture vppon them When I was there I came into a house where eight men laye dead and greatly swolne whiche the day before were killed by these serpents yet doe they esteeme it for good lucke when going abrode they meete with any of them Of the lightes and Lampes which are seene in the Pallace of the kyng of Calecut Cap. 22. IN the kynges Courte or Pallace are diuers mansions and very many chambers and therefore in the euenyng when it waxeth darke there are seene innumerable burning Lampes In the hall of the pallace are seene ten or twelue candelstickes of laton very fayre and of cunnyng workemanshyp muche lyke vnto goodly fountaynes and of the heyght of a man In eche of them are dyuers vesselles and in euery vessel three candels light of two spannes length and great plentie of oyle In the first vessell are many Lampes made of cordes of bombasine cotten In the myddle part is seene a narower vessel also full of lampes and lightes In the lowest vessell also the like number of lightes But in an other vessel in the toppe of all the candelsticke are in maner innumerable lightes mainteyned with oyle and haue matches of bombasine cotton At the angles or corners of these candelsticks are the Images of deuils whiche also holde the lightes that are in the kinges presence When any of the kinges blood dyeth hee sendeth for all the Bramini or priestes of his realme commaund them to mourne for the space of a yeere At theyr commyng hee banqueteth them three dayes togeather and at theyr departyng giueth eche of them fyue peeces of golde Of the great multitude of Idolaters which resort to Calecut for pardon of their sinnes Cap. 23. NOt farre from the citie of Calecut is a certayne churche or Temple compassed about with water lyke an Iland builded after an auncient fashion hauing a double order of pillars much lyke the Temple of sainct Iohn De Fonte in the citie of Rome In the middest of the Temple is an Altar of stone where the people sacrifice to Idolles Betweene the pillars on hygh is a Boate of the length of two pases and full of oyle Also rounde about the Temple are many trees with an innumerable multitude of Lampes lightes hanging on them The temple also it selfe is as ful of lyghtes The .xxv. day of December resorteth thyther an infinite multitude of people from all partes euen for the distance of .xv. dayes iorney and especially of the priestes to whom parteyneth the order of sacrificeyng But they do not sacrifice vnto theyr Idolles before they washe them selues in the water whiche is about the Temple When the priestes assende to the place whereas is the boate fylled with oyle as we haue said they spryncle the people with the sayd oile but annoynte onely their heads Who beyng so annoynted may then proceede to the sacrifice On the one syde of the altar where they sacrifice is seene a most horrible fourme of a deuyl to whom the people prostrate
the hart A man worthy to serue any prynce and most vilely vsed And of seuenscore men came home to Plymmowth scarsely fourtie and of them many dyed And that no man shoulde suspect these wordes whiche I haue sayd in commendation of Pinteado to be spoken vppon fauour otherwyse then truth I haue thought good to ad hereunto the coppie of the letters which the kyng of Portugale and the infant his brother wrote vnto hym to reconcyle hym at suche tyme as vppon the kyng his maisters displeasure and not for any other cryme or offence as may appeare by the sayde letters he was only for pouertie inforced to come into Englande where he fyrst persuaded our merchauntes to attempt the sayde vyages to Guinea But as the kyng of Portugale to late repented hym that he had so punyshed Pinteado vppon malicious informations of suche as enuied the mans good fortune euen so may it hereby appeare that in some cases euen Lions them selues may either be hyndred by the contempt or ayded by the helpe of the poore myse accordyng vnto the fable of Esope The copie of Antoni Anes Pinteado his letters patentes wherby the king of Portugale made him knyght of his house after al his troubles and imprisonment which by wrong information made to the king he had susteined of long time being at the last deliuered his cause knowen and manifested to the kyng by a grey fryer the kynges confessour I The kyng do geue you to vnderstande lorde Frances Desseosa one of my counsaile and ouerseer of my house that in consideration of the good seruice which Antonie Anes Pinteado the sonne of Iohn Anes dwellyng in the towne called the porte hath done vnto me my wyl and pleasure is to make him knight of mi house alowing to him in pension seuē hundred reis monethly and euery day one alcayre of barly as long as he keepeth a horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinaunce of my house Prouydyng alwayes that he shal receyue but one mariage gifte And this also in such condition that the tyme which is excepted in our ordinaunce forbiddyng such men to marry for gettyng suche chyldren as myght succeede them in this alowance which is syxe yeeres after the makyng of this patent shal be fyrst expired before he do mary I therfore commaund you to cause this to be entred in the booke called the Matricola of our housholde vnder the title of knyghtes And when it is so entred let the clarke of y e Matricola for the certaintie thereof wryte on the backsyde of this Aluala or patent the number of the leafe wherin this our graunt is entered Which doone let him returne this writing vnto the said Anthonie Anes Pinteado for his warrant I Diego Henriques haue wrytten this in Almarin the twenty and two day of September in the yeere of our Lorde .1551 And this beneuolence the kyng gaue vnto Anthonie Anes Pinteado the twentie and fyue day of Iuly this present yeere Rey. The secretaries declaration written vnder the kynges graunt YOur Maiestie hath vouchsafed in respect consideration of the good seruice of Anthonie Anes Pinteado dwellyng in the port and sonne of Iohn Anes to make hym knyght of your house with ordinarie allowance of seuen hundred Reys pension by the moneth and one Alcayr of Barley by the day as long as he kepeth a Horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinance of your house with condition that he shall haue but one mariage gyft and that not within the space of .vi. yeeres after the makyng of these letters patentes The secretaries note Entered in the booke of the Matricola Fol. 683. Francisco de Siquera The coppie of the letter of Don Lewes the infant and brother to the kyng of Portugale sent into England to Anthonie Anes Pinteado ANthonie Anes Pinteado I the infant brother to the kyng haue me hartely commended vnto you Peter Gonsalues is gone to seeke you desiring to bryng you home againe into your countrey And for that purpose hath with hym a safe conduct for you graunted by the kyng that thereby you maye freelye and without all feare come home And allthough the weather be foule and stormye yet fayle not to come For in the tyme that his Maiestie hath geuen you you maye do many thynges to your contentation and gratyfiyng the king whereof I woulde be ryght glad and to bryng the same to passe wyll do all that lyeth in me for your profite But forasmuche as Peter Gonsalues wyl make further declaration hereof vnto you I say no more at this present Wrytten in Luxburne the eyght day of December Anno. M.D.LII. The infant Don Lewes AL these forsayde wrytynges I sawe vnder seale in the house of my frende Nicholas Liese with whom Pinteado left them at his vnfortunate departyng to Guinea But notwithstandyng all these freendly letters and fayre promises Pinteado durst not attempt to goe home neyther to keepe company with the Portugales his countrey men without the presence of other forasmuch as he had secrete admonitions that they entended to sley hym yf tyme and place myght haue serued theyr wicked entent The second viage to Guinea AS in the fyrst viage I haue declared rather the order of the historie then the course of the nauigation wherof at that time I could haue no perfect information so in the discription of this seconde viage my cheefe intent hath been to 〈◊〉 the course of the same accordyng to the obseruation and ordinary custome of the maryners and as I receyued it at the handes of an expert Pilot beyng one of the cheefe in this viage who also with his owne handes wrote a briefe declaration of the same as he founde and tryed al thynges not by coniecture but by the art of saylyng and instrumentes parteynyng to the mariners facultie Not therefore assumyng to my selfe the commendations due vnto other neyther so bolde as in any part to change or otherwyse dispose the order of this viage so well obserued by arte and experyence I haue thought good to set foorth the same in suche sort and phrase of speache as is commonly vsed among them and as I receyued it of the sayd pilot as I haue said Take it therefore as foloweth In the yeere of our lorde .1554 the .11 daye of October we departed the ryuer of Temmes with three goodly shyppes the one called the Trinitie a ship of the burden of seuenscore tun the other called y e Barthelmew a shyppe of the burden of lxxxx the thyrd was the Iohn Euangelist a shyp of seuenscore tunne With the sayde shyppes and two pynnesses whereof the one was drowned in the coast of Englande we went forwarde on our vyage and stayed at Douer .xiiii. dayes We stayed also at Rye three or foure dayes Moreouer last of all we touched at Darthmouth The fyrst day of Nouember at .ix of the clocke at nyght departyng from the coaste of Englande we sette of the stert bearyng southwest al that nyght in the
specially a great braunche of Corall they earnestly desired him to goe with them to a certayne citie where they promised him that by theyr procurement he shoulde sell his ware at great auantage if he would buye Rubie stones and that he might therby easily geat aboue tenne thousande peeces of golde Affirming that those kynde of stones were of muche greater value in Turkey Wherevnto my companion answered that he woulde goe with them if they would departe in shorte space We will sayde they departe euen to morow for here is a Foist whiche departeth hence to morowe and taketh her viage to the citie of Pego whyther we desyre to bryng you My companion consented the rather to his request bicause he was aduertised that he should fynde there certayne Persians his countrey men Therefore with this good companie departyng from the citie of Bangella and saylyng ouer a great gulfe lying on the South syde wee came at the length to the citie of Pego a thousande myles distaunt from Bangella Of Pego a famous citie of India Cap. 15. THe citie of Pego is not farre from the sea and is situate vppon the continent or fyrme lande A very fayre ryuer runneth by the citie by the which merchandies are caried to and fro The kyng of the citie is an Idolater The inhabitauntes in apparell liuyng and maners are lyke vnto them of Tarnassari but of whiter colour as in a colder region somewhat lyke vnto ours The citie is walled and the houses well buylded and very fayre of stone and lyme The kyng hath a myghtie armie both of footemen and horsemen and hath in his armie Pensionarie Christians borne euen in the same region Theyr wages is euery moneth sixe of those peeces of golde which they cal Pardaios is payde them out of the Kynges treasury They haue abundance of corne and flesh as in Calecut Here are but fewe Elephantes yet other beastes and foules as in Calecut Here are also trees for buyldyng and to make shyppes the fayrest that euer I sawe Also exceedyng great Reedes as byg as the bodie of a grosse man or a tubbe Here are likewyse siuit Cattes or Muske Cattes and of small pryce as three for one peece of golde There are fewe merchandyes in this citie except precious stones and specially Rubies which neuerthelesse are brought thyther from an other citie named Capela beyng towarde the East thirtie dayes iourney where are also founde precious stones named Smaragdes or Emeraldes When we arryued at Pego the kyng was absent fyue twentie dayes iourney in a place where he kepte warre agaynst the kyng of Aua. But shortly after he returned with great tryumphe for the victorie which he had agaynst his enemie Of the munificence humilitie and great richesse of the Kyng of Pego Cap. 16. THis kyng vseth not suche pompes and magnificence as doeth the kyng of Calecut But is of suche humanitie and affabilitie that a chylde may come to his presence and speake with him being neuerthelesse very ryche It is in maner incredible to speake of the ryche Iewelles precious stones pearles and especially Rubies which he weareth surmounting in value any great citie His fingers be full of Ringes and his armes all full of braselettes of golde all beset and moste gloriously shinyng with suche precious stones His legges also and feete beyng garnyshed in lyke maner His eares lykewyse are so laded with suche Iewelles that they hang downe halfe a handfull The splendour or shinyng of these Iewelles is so great that if one see the king in the darke night he shineth in maner as it were the beames of the sunne At good oportunitie the Christian merchantes spake to the kyng and certified him that my companion had brought sundry merchaundies of great estimation The kyng answered that they shoulde come to him the day folowyng bycause that that present day he shoulde sacrifice to the deuyll Therefore the nexte day he sent for vs willyng that my companion should bryng with him suche merchandies as he had The which the kyng toke great pleasure to behold and not without good cause for among other thinges there were two great branches of corrall of such bignesse and fayrenesse as no man there had euer seene the lyke The kyng astonished at these thinges asked the Christians what men we were They answered that we were Persians Then sayde the kyng to his interpretour Aske them if they will here make sale of theyr merchandies To whom then my companion sayde thus Most honorable Prince all these are yours take them and vse them at your pleasure Then sayde the kyng agayne These two yeeres paste I haue kepte continuall warre with the kyng of Aua and therfore my treasure of money is consumed But if you will bargaine by the way of exchaunge for precious stones and especially Rubies I will so deale with you that it shall not repent you Then sayde my companion to the Christians I pray you gyue the kyng to vnderstande that I desire none other thyng then the beneuolence of his highnesse and therefore that I desire him to take of my merchaundies what lyketh him best and that without money or permutation of any other thing When the kyng hearde this he answered that he had hearde by reporte that the Persians were very curtuous and liberall men and that he neuer knewe so liberall a man as this was and swore by the head of the deuyll that by this occasion he would proue which of them two should be most liberall and therefore callyng vnto him a Page of his chamber commaunded him to fetche a casket of precious stones This casket was of the breadth of a spanne and a halfe euery way square and full of Rubies hauyng also within it sundry receptacles or boxes where the stones were sorted in order When he had opened the casket he commaunded it to be set before the Persian willing him to take of those precious stones as many as he would But my companion the Persian yet more moued to liberalitie by this the Kinges munificence spake to the kyng these woordes O most honourable Prince I perceyue your beneuolence to be suche towarde me that I sweare by the holy head of Mahumet and all the mysteries of his religion wherevnto I am professed that I freely and gladly gyue vnto you all my merchaundies For I doe not trauayle about the worlde for gaynes of richesse but rather of desyre to see the worlde In the which thereto I neuer founde any thyng wherein I so greatly reioyced as in the beneuolence and fauour which your maiestie hath shewed me The kyng answered Wylt thou yet contende with mee in liberalitie And with those woordes tooke out of the casket of euery boxe some as many Rubies as he coulde holde in his hande with this rewarde whiche was two hundred Rubies shewed his kyngly munificence and beneuolence towarde the Persian saying vnto
not openly publyshyng any memorie thereof neyther of the place or what it was called or in what yeere it was founde Albeit the fault was not theyrs but rather the malyce of other or the enuie of that which we call fortune I do not therfore marueyle that the auncient histories affyrme that great thynges proceede and increase of small and obscure begynnynges syth we haue seene the same veryfied in this fynding of the Indies being so notable and newe a thyng We neede not be curious to seeke the name of the Pilot syth death made a shorte ende of his doynges Some wyl that he came from Andaluzia and traded to the Ilandes of Canaria and the Iland of Madera when this large and mortal nauigation chaunced vnto hym Other say that he was a Byscanne and traded into Englande and Fraunce Gther also that he was a Portugale that either he went or came from Mina or India which agreeth well with the name of these newe landes as I haue sayd before Agayne some there be that say that he brought the Carauel to Portugale or to the Iland of Madera or to some other of the Ilandes called De los Azores Yet do none of them affyrme any thyng although they al affirme that the Pilot dyed in the house of Christopher Colon with whom remayned all suche writynges and annotations as he had made of his voyage in the sad Carauell aswell of such thynges as he obserued both by land and sea as also of the eleuation of the pole in those landes whiche he had discouered VVhat maner of man Christopher Colon otherwyse called Columbus was and how he came fyrst to the knowledge of the Indies CHristopher Colon was borne in Cugureo or as some say in Nerui a vyllage in the territorie of Genua in Italie He descended as some thynke of the house of the Pelestreles of Placentia in Lumbardie He beganne of a chylde to be a maryner of whose arte they haue great exercise on the ryuer of Genua He traded many yeeres into Suria and other partes of the East After this he became a maister in makyng cardes for the sea whereby he had great vantage He came to Portugale to know the reason description of the south coastes of Affrica and the nauigations of the Portugales thereby to make his cardes more perfecte to be solde He maryed in Portugale as some say or as many say in the Ilande of Madera where he dwelt at suche tyme as the sayd Carauell arryued there whose Pilot soiorned in his house and dyed also there bequeathyng to Colon his carde of the description of suche newe landes as he had found whereby Colon had the fyrst knowledge of the Indies Some haue thought y t Colon was wel learned in y e Latine tongue and the science of Cosmographie and that he was thereby fyrst moued to seeke the lands of Antipodes and the rych Ilande of Cipango wherof Marchus Paulus wryteth Also that he had redde what Plato in his dialoges of Timeus and Cricias writeth of the great Ilande of Atlantide and of a great land in the west Ocean vndiscouered beyng bygger then Asia and Affrica Furthermore that he had knowledge what Aristotell and Theophrastus saye in theyr bookes of maruayles where they wryte that certayne merchauntes of Carthage saylyng from the streyghtes of Gibraltar towarde the West and South founde after many dayes a great Ilande not inhabited yet replenyshed with al thynges requisite and hauing many nauigable ryuers In deede Colan was not greatly learned yet of good vnderstanding And when he had knowledge of the sayde newe landes by the information of the dead Pilot made relation thereof to certeyne learned men with whom he conferred as touching y e like thinges mentioned of olde autours He communicated this secrete and conferred chiefely with a fryer named Iohn Perez of Marchena that dwelt in the monastery of Rabida So that I veryly beleeue that in maner all that he declared and many thynges more that he leaft vnspoken were written by the sayde Spanyshe Pilot that dyed in his house For I am persuaded that if Colon by science atteined to the knowledg of the Indies he would long before haue communicat this secreate to his owne countrey men the Genueses that trauayle all the worlde for gaynes and not haue come into Spayne for this purpose But doubtelesse he neuer thought of any such thyng before he chaunced to be acquainted with the sayde Pilot who founde those landes by fortune accordyng to the saying of Plinie Quod ars docere non potuit casus inuenit That is That arte coulde not teache chaunce founde Albeit the more Christian opinion is to thynke that God of his singuler prouidence and infinite goodnesse at the length with eyes of compassion as it were lookyng downe from heauen vppon the sonnes of Adam so long kept vnder Sathans captiuitie intended euen then for causes to hym onely knowen to rayse those wyndes of mercy whereby that Carauell herein most lyke vnto the shyppe of Noe whereby the remnante of the whole world was saued as by this Carauel this newe worlde receyued the fyrst hope of theyr saluation was dryuen to these landes But we wyll now declare what great thynges folowed of this small begynnyng and howe Colon folowed this matter reuealed vnto hym not without Gods prouidence VVhat labour and trauayle Colon tooke in attemptyng his fyrst voyage to the Indies AFter the death of the Pilot maryners of the Spanyshe Carauell that discouered y e Indies Christopher Colon purposed to seeke the same But in howe muche more he desyred this the lesse was his power to accomplyshe his desyre For besyde that of hym selfe he was not able to furnyshe one shyppe he lacked also the fauoure of a kyng vnder whose protection he myght so enioye the ryches he hoped to fynde that none other myght take the same from hym or defeate him therof And seyng the kyng of Portugale occupied in the conquest of Africa and the Nauigations of the East whiche were then fyrst attempted the kyng of Castyle lykewyse no lesse busyed in the warres of Granada he sent to his brother Bartholomewe Colon who was also priuie to this secrete to practise with the kyng of England Henry the seuenth beyng very ryche and without warres promysyng to bryng hym great ryches in short tyme if he woulde shewe hym fauour and furnyshe hym with shyps to discouer the newe Indies whereof he had certayne knowledge But neyther here beyng able to bryng his sute to passe he caused the matter to be moued to the kyng of Portugale Don Alonso the fyfth of that name at whose handes he founde neither fauour nor mony forasmuch as the Licenciat Calzadilla the bishop of Viseo and one maister Rodrigo men of credite in the science of Cosmographie withstoode hym and contended that there neither was nor coulde any golde or other ryches be founde in the west as Colon affirmed By reason whereof he was very sad and pensiue but
mynde agaynst hym departed into Spayne Wherefore aswel to purge hym selfe of suche crimes as they should lay to his charge as also to make a supply of other men in the place of them whiche were returned and especiallye to prouide for vyttualles as wheate wine oyle and suche other whiche the Spanyardes are accustomed to eate because they coulde not yet well agree with such meates as they founde in the Ilandes determined shortly to take his voyage into Spayne but what he dyd before his departure I wyll breefely rehearse The kynges of the Ilandes which had hytherto lyued quietly and content with theyr lytle whiche they thought aboundant wheras they nowe perceiued that our men began to fasten foote within theyr regions to beare rule among them they toke the matter so greeuously that they thought nothyng els but by what meanes they myght vtterlye destroy them and for euer abolyshe the memory of theyr name for that kinde of men the Spanyardes I meane which folowed the Admiral in that nauigation were for the moste part vnruly regarding nothyng but idlenesse play and libertie and woulde by no meanes absteyne from iniuries rauishing of the women of the Ilandes before the faces of their husbandes fathers and brethren by which theyr abominable mysdemeanour they disquieted the myndes of all the inhabitantes insomuche that wheresoeuer they founde any of our men vnprepared they slue them with such fiercenesse and gladnesse as though they had offered sacrifice to God Intendyng therfore to pacifie theyr troubled myndes and to punyshe them that slue his men before he departed from thence he sent for the king of that vale whiche in the booke before we described to be at the foote of the mountaynes of the region of Cibana this kynges name was Guarionexius who the more strayghtly to concyle vnto hym the frendshyp of the Admirall gaue his syster to wyfe to Didacus a man from his chyldes age brought vp with the Admirall whom he vsed for his interpreter in the prouinces of Cuba After this he sent for Caunaboa called the lorde of the house of golde that is of the mountaynes of Cibana For this Caunaboa he sent one Captayne Hoieda whom the ditionaries of Caunaboa had enforced to keepe his holde besieging for the space of thirtie dayes the fortresse of saint Thomas in the whiche Hoieda with his fyftie souldiers stoode at theyr defence vntyll the comming of the Admirall Whyle Hoieda remayned with Caunaboa manye ambassadours of the kynges of diuers regions were sent to Caunaboa perswading him in no condition to permit the Christians to inhabite the Ilande except he had rather serue then rule On the other partie Hoieda aduertised Caunaboa to goe to the Admiral and to make a league of frendshyp with hym but the ambassadours on the contrary part threatned hym that if he woulde so doo the other kynges woulde inuade his region But Hoieda aunswered them agayne that whereas they conspired to maynteyne theyr libertie they should by that meanes be brought to seruitude destruction if they entended to resist or kepe warre against the Christians Thus Caunaboa on the one side and the other beyng troubled as it were a rocke in the sea beaten with contrary flooddes and muche more vexed with the stormes of his gyltie conscience for that he had priuily slayne .xx. of our men vnder pretence of peace feared to come to the Admirall but at the length hauyng excogitated his deceyt to haue slayne the Admirall and his companye vnder the colour of frendshyp yf oportunitie would so haue serued he repayred to y e Admiral with his whole familie and many other wayting on him armed after theyr manner Beyng demaunded why he brought so great a rout of men with him he aunswered that it was not decent for so great a prince as he was to goe out of his house without suche a bande of men but the thyng chaunced muche otherwyse then he looked for for he fell into the snares whiche he had prepared for other for whereas by the way he began to repent hym that he came foorth of his house Hoieda with many fayre woordes promises brought him to the Admiral at whose commaundement he was immediatly taken and put in prison so that the soules of our men were not long from theyr bodyes vnreuenged Thus Caunaboa with al his familie beyng taken the Admirall was determined to runne ouer the Ilande but he was certified that there was suche famine among the inhabitauntes that there was alredy fyftie thousande men dead thereof and that they dyed yet dayly as it were rotten sheepe the cause whereof was wel knowen to be theyr owne obstinacie and frowardnesse for wheras they sawe that our men entended to choose them a dwelling place in the Ilande supposing that they myght haue dryuen them from thence if the vittualles of the Ilande should fayle they determined with them selues not only to leaue sowyng and plantyng but also to destroy and plucke vp by the rootes euery man in his owne region that whiche they had alredy sowen of both kyndes of bread whereof we made mention in the firste booke but especially among the mountaynes of Cibana otherwyse called Cipanga forasmuche as they had knowledge that the golde whiche aboundeth in that region was the chiefe cause that deteyned our men in the Iland In the meane tyme he sent foorth a Captayne with a bande of men to searche the South syde of the Ilande who at his returne reported that throughout all the regions that he trauayled there was suche scarcenesse of bread that for the space of .xvi. dayes he ate nothyng but the rootes of hearbes and of young date trees or the fruites of other wylde trees but Guarionexius the kyng of the vale lying beneath the mountaynes of Cibana whose kyngdome was not so wasted as the other gaue our men certayne vyttualles Within a fewe dayes after both that the iourneys myght be the shorter and also that our men myght haue more safe places of refuge if the inhabitauntes shoulde hereafter rebell in lyke manner he buylded another fortresse whiche he called the Towre of Conception betweene the Citie of Isabella and Saint Thomas fortresse in the marches of the kyngdome of this Guarionexius within the precincte of Cibana vpon the syde of a hyll hauyng a fayre riuer of holsome water runnyng harde by the same Thus when the inhabitantes sawe newe buyldinges to be dayly erected and our shippes lying in the hauen rotten and halfe broken they began to dispayre of any hope of libertie and wandred vp and downe with heauie cheare From the Towre of Conception searchyng diligentlye the inner partes of the mountaynes of Cibana there was a certayne kyng whiche gaue them a masse of rude golde as bigge as a mans fyst weighing .xx. ounces this golde was not founde in the banke of that riuer but in a heape of drye earth and was lyke vnto the stone called Tophus whiche is soone
resolued into sande This masse of golde I mee selfe sawe in Castile in the famous Citie of Metbymna Campi where the Court lay al that wynter I sawe also a great peece of pure Electrum of the which belles and Apothecaries morters many suche other vesselles and instrumentes may be made as were in olde tyme of copper the citie of Corinthus This peece of Electrum was of suche weight that I was not only with both my handes vnable to lift it from the ground but also not of strength to remoue it eyther one way or other they affirmed that it weyed more then three hundred pounde weyght after eyght ounces to the pounde it was founde in the house of a certayne prynce and left hym by his predecessours and albeit that in the dayes of the inhabitauntes yet lyuyng Electrum was no where digged yet knewe they where the myne thereof was but our men with muche adoo coulde hardely cause them to shewe them the place they bore them suche priuie hatred yet at the length they brought them to the myne beyng now ruinate and stopped with stones and rubbyshe it is muche easyer to dygge then is the iron myne and might be restored agayne yf myners and other workmen skylful therein were appoynted thereto Not farre from the towre of Conception in the same mountaynes is founde great plentie of Amber and out of certaine rockes of the same distilleth a substance of the yelowe colour whiche the Paynters vse Not farre from these mountaynes are many great woods in the whiche are none other trees then Brasile which the Italians cal Verzino But here perhaps ryght noble prynce you woulde aske what should be the cause that where as the Spanyardes haue brought out of these Ilandes certayne shyppes laden with Brasile somewhat of Gossampine cotton a quantitie of Amber a lytle golde some spyces why they haue not brought suche plentie of golde and suche other ryche marchaundizes as the fruitefulnesse of these regions seeme to promyse To this I aunswere that when Colonus the Admirall was lykewyse demaunded the cause hereof he made aunswere that the Spanyardes whiche he tooke with hym into these regions were geuen rather to sleepe play and idlenesse then to labour and were more studious of sedition and newes then desirous of peace and quietnesse also that being geuen to licenciousnesse they rebelled forsooke him findyng matter of false accusation against hym because he went about to represse theyr outragiousnesse by reason whereof he was not yet able to breake the power of the inhabitauntes and freelye to possesse the full dominion of the Ilande and these hynderaunces to be the cause that hytherto the gaynes haue scarsely counteruayled the charges albeit euen this yeere whyle I wrote these thyngs at your request they geathered in two monethes the summe of a thousande and two hundred poundes weyght of gold But because we entende to speake more largely of these thynges in theyr place we wyll nowe returne from whence we haue digressed When the inhabitauntes perceiued that they coulde by no meanes shake the yoke from theyr necks they made humble supplication to the Admiral that they myght stande to theyr tribute and applye them selues to reincrease the fruites of theyr countrey beyng nowe almost wasted He graunted them theyr request and appoynted suche order that euery region shoulde pay theyr tribute with the commodities of theyr countreys accordyng to theyr portion and at suche tyme as they were agreed vpon but the violent famine did frustrate al these appoyntmentes for al the trauayles of theyr bodyes were scarcelye able to suffise to fynde them meate in the wooddes whereby to susteyne theyr lyues beyng of long tyme contented with rootes and the fruites of wylde trees yet many of the kynges with theyr people euen in this extreme necessitie brought part of theyr tribute most humblye desyryng the Admiral to haue compassion of their calamities and to beare with them yet a whyle vntyl the Ilande were restored to the olde state promysyng further that that whiche was nowe wantyng shoulde then be double recompenced But fewe of the inhabitauntes of the mountaynes of Cibaua kept theyr promise because they were sorer oppressed with famine then anye of the other They say that the inhabitantes of these mountaynes dyffer no lesse in language and manners from them whiche dwel in the playnes then among vs the rusticalles of the countrey from the gentlemen of the courte wheras notwithstanding they lyue as it were both vnder one portion of heauen and in many thinges much after one fashion as in nakednesse and rude simplicitie But nowe let vs returne to Caunaboa the king of the house of golde beyng in captiuitie When he perceiued hym selfe to be â—ast in prison frettyng and gratyng his teeth as it had been a Lion of Libia and dayly and nyghtly deuysyng with hym selfe howe he myght be delyuered beganne to perswade the Admiral that forasmuche as he had nowe taken vnto his dominion the region of Cipanga or Cibaua wherof he was king it shoulde be expedient to sende thyther a garrison of Christian men to defende the same from the incursions of his olde enimies and borderers for he sayde that it was signified vnto him that the countrey was wasted and spoyled with suche incursions By this craftie deuise he thought to haue brought to passe that his brother whiche was in that region and the other his kynsfolkes and frendes with theyr adherentes should haue taken eyther by sleight or force as many of our men as myght haue redeemed hym But the Admiral vnderstandyng his craftie meanyng sent Hoieda with suche a companye of men as myght vanquishe the Cibauians yf they shoulde moue warre agaynst them Our men had scarcelye entred into the region but the brother of Caunaboa came agaynst them with an armie of fyue thousande naked men armed after theyr manner with clubbes arrowes tipt with bones and speares made harde at the endes with fyre He stole vpon our men beyng in one of theyr houses and encamped rounde about the same on euery syde This Cibauian as a man not ignorant in the discipline of warre about the distaunce of a furlong from the house diuided his armie into fyue battayles appoyntyng to euery one of them a circuite by equall diuision and placed the froont of his owne battayle directly agaynst our men When he had thus set his battayles in good aray he gaue certayne signes that y e whole armie should marche forwarde in order with equall paces and with a larome freshly assayle theyr enimies in such sort that none might escape But our men iudging it better to encountre with one of the battayles then to abyde the brunt of the whole armie gaue onset on the mayne battayle aranged in the playne because that place was most commodious for the horsmen When the horsmen therefore had geuen the charge they ouerthrewe them with the brestes of theyr horses and slue as
of .viii. dayes in the which he suffered these extremites onely the fyrst day was fayre but al the other clowdy and rayny yet neuerthelesse feruent hotte Wherefore it oftentymes repented hym not a litle that euer he tooke that way Being tossed in these dangers and vexations eyght continuall dayes at the lengthe an Eastsoutheast wynde arose and gaue a prosperous blaste to his sayles Whiche wynde folowing directly towarde the west he founde the starres ouer that paralell placed in other order and an other kynde of ayre as the Admirall hym selfe toilde me And they al affirme that within three dayes sayling they founde most temperate and pleasaunt ayre The Admiral also affirmeth that from the clime of the great heate and vnholsome ayre he euer ascended by the backe of the sea as it were by a hygh mountayne towarde heauen yet in all this tyme coulde he not once see any land But at the length the day before the Calendes of Iuly the watchman lookyng foorth of the toppe castel of the greatest shippe cried out aloude for ioy that he espied three exceding hygh mountaynes exhorting his felowes to be of good cheere and to put away al pensiuenes for they were very heauy and sorowfull as well for the greefe which they susteyned by reason of thintollerable heate as also that their freshe water fayled them whiche ranne out at the ryftes of the barels caused by extreme heate as we haue sayd Thus being wel comforted they drew to the land but at theyr fyrst approch they could not aryue by reason of the shalownes of the sea neere the shore Yet loking out of theyr shyppes they myght well perceiue that the Region was inhabyted and wel cultured for they sawe very fayre gardens and pleasaunt medowes from the trees and herbes wherof when the mornyng deawes beganne to ryse there proceaded manye sweete sauoures Twentie myles distant from hence they chaunced into a hauen very apte to harborowe shyppes but it had no ryuer running into it Sayling on yet somwhat further he founde at the length a commodious hauen wherin he might repayre his shyppes and make prouision of freshe water and fuel Arenalis calleth this land Puta They found no houses nere vnto the hauen but innumerable steppes of certeyn wilde beastes feete of the whiche they founde one dead muche lyke a goate The day folowyng they sawe a Canoa commyng a farre of hauyng in it foure and twentie young men of goodly corporature and high stature al armed with targets bowes arrowes the heare of theyr heades was long and playne and cutte on the forehead much after the manner of the Spanyards their pryuie partes were couered with fyllets of gossampine cotton of sundry colours enterlaced were beside al ouer naked Here the Admiral consydering with him selfe the corporature of this people and nature of the lande he beleeued the same to be so muche the nearer heauen then other regions of the same paralel and further remooued from the grosse vapours of the vales and maryshes howe muche the hyghest toppes of the byggest mountaynes are distant from the deepe vales For he earnestly affirmeth that in al that nauigation he neuer went out of the paralels of Ethiope So great difference is there betweene the nature of thinhabitauntes and of the soyles of diuers regions al vnder one clime or paralel as is to see betweene the people and regions beyng in the fyrme lande of Ethiope and them of the Ilandes vnder the same clime hauyng the pole starre eleuate in y e same degree For the Ethiopians are all blacke hauing theyr heare curled more like wool then heare but these people of the Iland of Puta beyng as I haue sayde vnder the clyme of Ethiope are white with long heare and of yelow colour Wherefore it is apparant the cause of this so great difference to be rather by the disposition of the earth then constitution of heauen For we knowe that snowe falleth on the mountaynes of the Equinoctial or burnt lyne and the same to endure there continuallye we knowe lykewyse that the inhabitauntes of the regions farre distant from that lyne towarde the north are molested with great heate The Admirall that he myght alure the young men to hym with gentlenesse shewed them lookyng glasses fayre and bryght vessels of copper haukes belles and suche other thynges vnknowen to them But the more they were called so muche the more they suspected craft and deceyte and fledde backewarde Yet dyd they with great admiration beholde our men and theyr thynges but styll hauyng theyr ores in theyr handes redy to flee When the Admirall sawe that he coulde by no meanes allure them by gyftes he thought to prooue what he coulde do with musicall instrumentes and therefore commaunded that they whiche were in the greatest shyp should play on theyr drummes and shawlmes But the young men supposing this to be a token of battayle left theyr ores in the twinclyng of an eye had theyr arrowes in theyr bowes and theyr targets on their armes and thus directing theyr arrowes towarde our men stoode in expectation to knowe what this noyse might meane Our men likewyse preparyng theyr bowes and arrowes approched towarde them by litle and litle But they departing from the Admirals shyppe and trusting to the dexteritie of theyr ores came so neare one of the lesse shyppes that one of them plucked the cloke from the gouernour of the shyppe and as wel as they coulde by signes required hym to come alande promisyng fayth that they woulde commune with him of peace But when they sawe him goe to the Admirals shyp whyther he went to aske leaue that he might commune with them suspecting hereby some further deceyt they leapt immediatlye into the Canoa and fleedde as swyft as the wynde so that to conclude they could by no meanes be allured to familiaritie Wherfore the Admiral thought it not conuenient to bestowe any long time there at this voyage No great space from this Ilande euer towarde the West the Admiral sayth he found so outragious a fal of water runnyng with suche a violence from the East to the West that it was nothyng inferior to a myghtie streame fallyng from hygh mountaynes He also confessed that synce the fyrst day that euer he knewe what the sea meant he was neuer in suche feare Proceedyng yet somewhat further in this daungerous voyage he founde certayne gulfes of eyght myles as it had ben the entraunce of some great hauen into the whiche the sayde violent streames dyd fall These gulfes or streyghtes he called Os Draconis that is the Dragons mouth and the Ilande directly oueragaynst the same he called Margarita Out of these strayghtes issued no lesse force of freshe water whiche encounteryng with the salte dyd stryue to passe foorth so that betweene both the waters was no small conflycte But entryng into the gulfe at the length he founde the water thereof verye freshe and good to drynke The Admirall
as also to cary his baggages and open the strayghtes through the desolate places and craggie rockes ful of the dennes of wylde beastes for there is seldome any entercourse of buying and sellyng betweene these naked people because they stande in neede of fewe thynges and haue not the vse of money but yf at any tyme they exercise any barteryng they doo it but neere hande exchangyng golde for houshold stuffe with their confines which somwhat esteme y e same for ornament when it is wrought Other superfluities they vtterly contemne as hynderaunces of theyr sweete libertie forasmuche as they are geuen only to play and idlenes And for this cause y e high wayes which lye betwene theyr regions are not muche worne with manye iourneyes yet haue theyr scoutes certayne priuie markes wherby they knowe the way the one to inuade the others dominions and spoyle and infest them selues on both sydes with mutual incursions priuily in the nyght season By the helpe therefore of theyr guides and laborers with our Carpenters he passed ouer the horrible mountaynes and many great ryuers lying in the way ouer the which he made brydges either with pyles or trunks of trees And here doo I let passe many thynges whiche they suffered for lacke of necessaries being also in maner ouercome with extreme labour lest I shoulde be tedious in rehearsing thinges of small value But I haue thought it good not to omyt suche dooynges as he had with the kynges by the way Therefore or euer he came to the toppes of the high mountaynes he entred into a region called Quarequa and mette with the king thereof called by the same name with a great bande of men armed after theyr manner as with bowes and arrowes long and brode two handed swoordes made of wood long staues hardened at the endes with fyre dartes also and slynges He came proudely and cruellye agaynst our men and sent messengers to them to bydde them stande and proceede no further demaundyng whyther they went and what they had to doo there Herewith he came foorth and shewed hym selfe beyng apparelled with al his nobilitie but the other were al naked Then approching towarde our men he threatned thē with a Lions countenance to depart from thence except they woulde be slayne euery mothers sonne When our men denyed that they woulde goe backe he assayled them fiercely but the battayle was soone finished for assoone as they hearde the noyse of the hargabusies they beleeued that our men caryed thunder and lyghtnyng about with them Many also beyng slayne and sore wounded with quarrels of crossebowes they turned theyr backes and fledde Our men folowing them in the chase hewed them in peeces as the Butchers doo fleshe in the shambles from one an arme from another a legge from hym a buttocke from another a shoulder and from some the necke from the bodye at one stroke Thus syxe hundred of them with theyr kyng were slayne lyke bruite beastes Vaschus founde the house of this kyng infected with moste abominable and vnnaturall lechery for he founde the kynges brother and many other young men in womens apparell smoothe and effeminately decked whiche by the report of suche as dwelt about hym he abused with preposterous venus Of these about the number of fourtie he commaunded to be geuen for a pray to his dogges for as we haue sayd the Spanyardes vse the helpe of dogges in theyr warres agaynst the naked people whom they inuade as fiercely and rauenyngly as yf they were wilde bores or Hartes insomuche that our Spanyardes haue founde theyr dogges no lesse faythful to them in al dangers and enterprises then dyd the Colophonians or Castabalences whiche instituted whole armies of dogges so made to serue in the warres that beyng accustomed to place them in the forefronte of the battayles they neuer shronke or gaue backe When the people had hearde of the seuere punyshment whiche our men had executed vpon that fylthy kynde of men they resorted to them as it had ben to Hercules for refuge by violence bryngyng with them all suche as they knewe to be infected with that pestilence spyttyng in theyr faces and crying out to our men to take reuenge of them and rydde them out of the worlde from among men as contagious beastes This stynkyng abomination had not yet entred among the people but was exercised onlye by the noble men and gentlemen But the people lyftyng vp theyr handes eyes toward heauen gaue tokens that God was greeuously offended with suche vyle deedes affyrmyng this to be the cause of theyr so many thunderynges lyghtnyng and tempestes wherewith they are so often troubled and of the ouerflowyng of waters which drowne theyr sets and fruites whereof famyne and diuers diseases ensue as they symply and faythfully beleue although they knowe none other GOD then the sunne whom only they honour thinkyng that it doth both geue and take away as it is pleased or offended Yet are they very docible and easie to be allured to our customes and religion if they had any teacher In theyr language there is nothyng vnpleasaunt to the eare or harde to be pronounced but that all theyr woordes may be wrytten with latine letters as we sayde of the inhabitauntes of Hispaniola It is a warlyke nation and hath ben euer hytherto molestous to theyr borderers but the region is not fortunate with fruiteful grounde or plentie of golde Yet is it full of great barren mountaynes beyng somewhat colde by reason of their height and therefore the noble men and gentlemen are apparelled but the common people liue content only with the benefites of nature There is a region not past two dayes iourney distant from Quarequa in whiche they founde only blacke Moores and those exceedyng fierce and cruel They suppose that in tyme past certayne blacke Moores sayled thyther out of Ethiopia to robbe and that by shypwracke or some other chaunce they were dryuen to those mountaynes The inhabitaunts of Quarequa lyue in continual warre and debate with these blacke men Here Vaschus leauing in Quarequa many of his souldiers which by reason they were not yet accustomed to such trauayles and hunger fel into diuers diseases tooke with hym certayne guides of the Quarequatans to conduct hym to the toppes of the mountaynes From the pallace of kyng Poncha to the prospect of the other south sea is only sixe dayes iourney the which neuerthelesse by reason of many hinderances chaunces and especially for lacke of vittuals he coulde accomplishe in no lesse then .xxv. dayes But at the length the seuenth day of the Calendes of October he behelde with woonderyng eyes the toppes of the hygh mountaynes shewed vnto hym by the guides of Quarequa from the whiche he myght see the other sea so long looked for and neuer seene before of any man commyng out of our worlde Approching therfore to the toppes of the mountaynes he commaunded his armye to
Cabot is my very frend whom I vse famâ—lierlye and delyte to haue hym sometymes keepe me company in my owne house For beyng called out of Englande by the commaundement of the catholique kyng of Castile after the death of Henry kyng of Englande the seuenth of that name he was made one of our counsayle and assistaunce as touching the affayres of the new Indies lookyng dayly for shyppes to be furnished for hym to discouer this hyd secret of nature This voyage is appoynted to be begunne in Marche in the yeere next folowyng beyng the yeere of Christ .1516 What shall succeede your holynesse shal be aduertysed by my letters yf God graunt me lyfe Some of the Spaniardes denye that Cabot was the fyrst fynder of the lande of Bacallaos and affirme that he went not so farre westewarde But it shall suffice to haue sayde thus muche of the gulfes and strayghtes and of Sebastian Cabot Let vs nowe therfore returne to the Spaniardes At this tyme they let passe the hauen of Carthago vntouched with al the Ilandes of the Canibales there aboute whiche they named Insulas Sancti Bernardi leauyng also behind theyr backes al the region of Caramairi Heere by reason of a sodayne tempest they were caste vpon the Ilande Fortis beyng about fyftie leagues distant from the enteraunce of the gulfe of Vraba In this Iland they founde in the houses of thinhabitantes many baskettes made of certayne great sea reedes ful of salt For this Iland hath in it many goodly salt bayes by reason wherof they haue great plentie of salte which they sell to other nations for such thyngs as they stande in neede of Not farre from hence a great Curlew as bygge as a Storke came flying to the gouernours shyp and suffered her selfe to be easely taken whiche beyng carryed aboute among all the shyppes of the nauie dyed shortly after They sawe also a great multitude of the same kynde of foules on the shore a farre of The gouernours shyppe whiche we sayd to haue lost the rudder beyng now sore broosed and in maner vnprofytable they left behynde to folowe at leasure The nauie arryued at Dariena the twelfth day of the Calendes of Iuly and the gouernours shyppe beyng voyde of men was dryuen alande in the same coastes within foure dayes after The Spanyardes whiche now inhabited Dariena with theyr Captayne and Lieuetenaunt Vaschus Nunnez Balboa of whom we haue largelye made mention before beyng certifyed of the arriuall of Petrus Arias and his companye went foorth three myles to meete him and receiued him honorably and religiously with the psalme Te deum laudamus geuyng thankes to god by whose safe conduct they were brought so prosperously thyther to al theyr comfortes They receyued them gladly into theyr houses builded after the maner of those prouinces I may wel cal these regions Prouinces a Procul Victis that is such as are ouercome farre of forasmuche as our men do now inhabite the same al the barbarous kynges and Idolatours beyng eiected They entertayned them with such cheare as they were able to make them as with the fruites of those regions and new bread both made of rootes and the graine Maizium Other delicates to make vp the feast were of theyr own store which they brought with them in theyr ships as poudred flesh salted fyshe and bread made of wheat for they brought with them many barrelles of wheate meale for the same purpose Heere may your holynesse not without iust cause of admiration beholde a kynges nauye and great multitude of Christians inhabiting not only the regions situate vnder the cyrcle of heauen called Tropicus Cancri but also in maner vnder the Equinoctiall line contrary to the opinion of the olde wryters a fewe excepted But after that they are nowe mette togeather let vs further declare what they determined to do Therfore the day after that y e nauie arriued there assembled a company of Spanyards thinhabitours of Dariena to the nuÌ„ber of foure hundred and fiftie men Petrus Arias the gouernour of the nauy and his companye conferred with them both priuilie and openlye of certayne articles whereof it was the kynges pleasure he shoulde enquire and most especially as concernyng suche thynges wherof Vaschus the fyrst fynder and Admirall of the South sea made mention in his large letter sent from Dariena to Spayne In this inquisition they founde althyngs to be true whereof Vaschus had certified the king by his letters and therevpon concluded that in the dominions of Comogra Pocchorrosa Tumanama at the assignement of Vaschus certayne fortresses shoulde be erected foorthwith to thintent there to plant theyr colonie or habitation To the better accomplyshment hereof they sent immediatly one Iohannes Aiora a noble young gentleman of Corduba and vnder Lieuetenant with foure hundred men and foure Carauels and one other lytle shyp Thus departyng he sayled fyrst directly to the hauen of Comogrus distant from Dariena about twentie and fyue leagues as they wryte in theyr last letters From hence he is appoynted to send a hundred and fyftie of his foure hundred towarde the South by a newe and ryghter way founde of late by the whiche as they say it is not past twentie and syxe leagues from the pallace of kyng Comogrus to the entraunce of the gulfe of Sancti Michaelis The residue of the foure hundred shal remayne there to be an ayde and succour to al such as shall iorney to and fro Those hundred and fyftie whiche are assigned to go southward take with them for interpretours certain of our men which had learned the soothern language of the bondmen which were geuen to Vaschus when he ouerranne those regions and also certayne of the bondemen them selues which had nowe learned the Spanyshe tongue They say that the hauen of Pocchorrosa is only seuen leagues distant from the hauen of Comogrus In Pocchorrosa he is assigned to leaue fyftie men with the lightest ship which may be a passinger betwene them that like as we vse post horses by land so may they by this currant shyp in short space certifie the Lieuetenaunt and thinhabitours of Dariena of such thynges as shal chaunce They entend also to build houses in the region of Tumanama The pallace of king Tumanama is distant froÌ„ Pocchorrosa about twenty leagues Of these foure hundred men beyng of the olde souldiers of Dariena men of good experience fyftie were appointed to be as it were Decurians to guide and conduct the new men from place to place to do theyr affayres When they had thus set all thynges in order they thought it good to aduertyse the kyng hereof and therwith to certyfye hym that in those prouinces there is a kyng named Dabaiba whose dominion is verye ryche in gold but the same to be yet vntouched by reason of his great power His kyngdome ioyneth to the second great ryuer named Dabaiba after his name whiche falleth into the sea out
are also other Ilands situate about this Coluacana or Galuacam the which are inhabited onely with women lyuing without the companye of men after the maner of the Amazones But they that ponder the matter more wysely thynke them rather to be certayne women whiche haue vowed chastitie and professed a solitarie life as the Nunnes do with vs or as the virgins called Vestales or Bonae Deae were accustomed to do among the gentiles in olde tyme. At certayne tymes of the yeere men of the other Ilandes resorte vnto them not for thintent of generation but moued with pitie to helpe them to dresse theyr gardens and tyll theyr grounde The reporte goeth lykewyse that there are other Ilandes of corrupt women to whom men resort for carnall copulation and that they cut of one of the pappes of theyr women children lest it shoulde hynder theyr shootyng also that they keepe only the women children and send away the men children Our men therefore drewe neare to the shore of Coluacana where they quietly exercised marchandies with thinhabitantes The king gaue them a great Pot of golde also braselettes chaynes brooches with many other iewels and all of golde Our men agayne on the other part satisfied hym with such stuffe as they had done other before Heere would they gladly haue planted a new colonie or habitation but that the gouernour woulde not permit them wherat they grudged not a litle The houses and other edifices of this prouince are builded lyke vnto Towres It hath also fyfteene great townes in it Of these they affyrme that they haue seene some consistyng of more then twentie thousand houses not ioyning togeather but disseuered with courtes and gardens They haue also certayne large market places encompassed with walles and streates wel paued likewise fornaces ouens made of lime and bricke furthermore al sortes of handie craftes men and very cunning artificers This kynges name was Potanchanus and the region is called Palmaria The towne where the kyng keepeth his court conteyneth .xv. thousand houses When they receyue any straungers make a league of frendship with them they are accustomed with a knyfe made of a sharp stone to let them selues blood in the tongue hande arme or some other part of the bodie and this euen in the syght of them whom they admit to frendship in token that they are redy to shed theyr blood in theyr frendes causes Theyr priestes professe a vertuous lyfe and lyue vnmaried What it is to haue do to w t women no man knoweth before he be maried Fornication and adulterie which seldome chaunceth among them they count abhomination The women are of marueilous chastitie Euery noble man after that he haue had one wife may haue as many concubines as hym lysteth but a maried woman taken in adulterie is solde of her husband but this onely to the prince at whose handes it shal be lawfull for her kynsfolke to redeme her It is not lawefull for suche as are not maried to syt at the same table with them that are maried or to eate of the same dyshe or drynke of the same cup. In the moneth of August and September they absteyne .xxxv. dayes not onely from fleshe whereof they haue great plentie but also from fyshe and all other thynges that lyue by blood and duryng these dayes lyue onely with hearbes and fruites They recken twentie dayes to the moneth and twentie monethes to the yeere Our men consumed certayne dayes heere very pleasauntly When they departed coasting stil by the same shore they came to an other kyng whom they named Ouandus When he had intelligence that our men desired gold he brought foorth certaine plats of molten gold But when the gouernour signified vnto hym by the interpretours that he desired great plentie of that metall the day folowing he brought him a mans image of gold beyng a cubite in length also a fanne of golde and an Idole of one of his domestical gods of curious woorkmanship likewyse garlandes of stones of sundrye colours with many brest plates brooches and other kyndes of ornamentes and all of golde He gaue hym furthermore abundaunce of delicate meates well salted and powdred with spices When he had required our men to come alande he commaunded his seruauntes with all speede to prepare a great multitude of braunches of trees and to wayte vppon our men to his pallace As they went thus in order some behynde and some before on both sydes they seemed so to shadow our men with bowes as though they had gone in a continuall arbour The kyng hym selfe hauyng a Septer in his hande dyd set them in theyr arraye and some tyme stryke suche as were negligent in bearyng theyr bowes They shewed them selues obedient in all thynges and with graue countenaunce humbled them selues to receyue his strypes When he was demaunded where he had suche plentie of golde he poynted with his fynger to the next mountaynes and to the riuers descending from the same They are so accustomed to the riuers and exercised in swymmyng that it is all one to them to lyue in the water and on the lande When they desire togeather golde they plunge them selues in the riuers and bryng from the bottome therof both theyr handes full of sande whiche syftyng from hande to hande they geather out the graynes of golde And by this meanes in the space of two houres they fyll a reede as bygge as a mans fynger Of the sweete sauours of these lands many thinges might be spoken the which bycause they make rather to theffeminatyng of the myndes of men then for any necessary purpose I haue thought best to omit them The kyng also gaue the gouernour a young virgine of twelue yeeres of age adourned with ryche and fayre iewelles Of the stones whiche hee had of this kyng one was valued at two thousande Castellanes of golde Thus at the length they departed from this kyng laden with golde and precious stones Grisalua the gouernour sent one of the Carauelles to his vncle Diego Velasquen gouernour of the Ilande of Cuba with messengers to delyuer him the golde iewelles and other ornaments the resydue in the meane tyme styll folowed the tracte towarde the West One of them in the whiche Frauncis Montegius the vnder gouernour was caryed sayled harde by the shore and the other two kepte aloofe within prospecte of the lande Thinhabitauntes of these coastes also no lesse marueylyng at the shyppes then dyd the other came with twelue Canoas to Montegius desyryng him by thinterpretours to come alande promysyng in the name of theyr kyng that hee should bee honourably entertayned But Montegius answered that hee coulde not assent to theyr request bycause his companions were so farre from him Yet dyd hee gyue them certayne of our thinges straunge vnto them and thankes for their gentlenesse Shortly after espying a great towne they directed their course thither Thinhabitauntes prohibyted them to
of the habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall and of the ryche golde mynes of the Ilande of Cuba Of the Gumme called Animae Album and of the Canibales also wherby it was thought that there were Ilandes of women Of hony founde in trees and rockes and of the generation of great Tortoyses and of theyr egges The contentes of the tenth booke Fol. 146. OF the expedition agaynst the kyng of the Ilande Dites in the South sea and howe after foure conflictes submitting hym selfe he gaue our men an hundred ten pounde weyght of great pearles also howe he agreed to paye yeerely a hundred pounde weyght of pearles for a tribute Howe axes and hatchettes are more esteemed then golde or pearles and of great plentie of Hartes and Cunnies also howe the kyng of Dites and his familie were baptised Of pearles of great pryse and howe Paule the Bishop of Rome bought a pearle for foure and fortie thousand ducades Diuers opinions of the generation of pearles and of a hundred pearles founde in one shel fyshe also of the birth of pearles Of the regions of the East syde of the gulfe of Vraba and of the originall of the Canibales Of certayne circumcised people which haue the knoweledge of letters and vse of bookes and what chaunced of the captaynes which Petrus Arias sent foorth diuers wayes also howe Iohn Solisius was slayne of the Canibales and of theyr fiercenesse Howe Iohn Pontius was repulsed of the Canibales and of the lewde behauiour of Iohn Aiora Of the variable fortune of Gonsalus Badaiocius and howe after he had geathered great ryches of gold he had the ouerthrow and was spoyled of all Of the golden region of Coiba Dites and how theyr slaues are marked in the face Of the Ilandes of the South sea and of the regions from whence the Portingales fetche theyr spyces Of a straunge kynde of fowlyng and of the trees that beare Gourdes Of the later opinions as touching the swift course of the Ocean towarde the West and of the continent or fyrme lande also of the viage from the newe landes to Spayne Of the golde mynes of Dariena and of the maner of geatheryng of golde in the same also of the dropsie of couetousnesse which is not satisfied with ryches For the contentes of the booke of the Ilandes of the West Indies seas reade the margent notes of the same FINIS ⧠Gonzalus Ferdinandus Ouiedus of the west Indies R. E. To the Reader ALthough among dyuers which haue written of the Ocean and VVest Indies there is none to be compared to Peter Martyr of Angleria in declaryng by philosophicall discourses the secrete causes of naturall affectes both as touchyng the lande the sea the starres and other straunge workes of nature yet forasmuch as of later dayes those countreys haue been better knowne and searched and dyuers such particuler and notable thinges founde as are conteyned in the histories of later writers among the number of whom Conzalus Ferdinandus Ouiedus whom learned Cardanus compareth to the ancient writers is doubtlesse the chiefe I haue therefore thought good to ioyne to the Decades of Peter Martyr certayne notable thinges which I haue geathered out of his booke intituled the Summarie or abridgement of his generall hystorie of the west Indies written in the firme lande of the same in the citie of Sancti Maria Antiqua in Dariena where he dwelt was gouernor many yeeres and dedicated to Themperours maiestie as may appeare by the Epistle folowyng To the most hygh and myghtie prince Charles the fyft o◠that name Emperor of Rome Kyng of Spaine of the two Cicilies of both the sydes of the streyght of Faro Kyng of Hierusalem and Hungarie Duke of Burgonie and Earle of Flaunders Lord and inheritour of the firme lande and Ilandes of the VVest Ocean c. Gonzalus Ferdinandus Ouiedus his most humble seruaunt wysheth health and perpetuall felicitie THe thinges which principally preserue and mayntayne the workes of nature in the memories of men are hystories and bookes composed of the same among the whiche certes those are esteemed most true and autentyke which haue been wrytten by wyttie and expert men well traueyled in the world as faythfull witnesses of such thinges as they haue partly seene and been partly informed by credible persons Of this mynde and opinion was Plinie who better then any other aucthor hath written in .xxxvii. bookes all that parteyneth to the naturall historie conteyned all in one volume dedicated to Vespasian Themperour Wherin as a prudent historiographer he declareth such thinges as hee had heard attributing the second authoritie to such as he had redde in aucthours that wrote before him And thyrdly ioyned to the same hystorie such thinges as he him selfe had seene as most certayne testimonie Whose example I folowyng will in this my breefe summarie reduce and represent to your maiesties memorie such thinges as I haue seene in your Empyre of the West Indies aswell in the Ilandes as in the firme lande of the Ocean sea where I haue serued now more then twelue yeeres in the place of surueyer of the golde mynes by the commaundement of the Catholyke kyng Don Fernando the fyft of that name and graundfather vnto your maiestie to whom God gaue great fame and glorie Since whose death also I haue lykewyse serued and trust whyle the rest of my lyfe yet remayneth to serue your maiestie as shall please you to commaunde As touchyng whiche thinges and suche other lyke I haue more largely written in an hystorie begun assoone as my age was rype to take such matters in hande Wherein furthermore I haue made mention of suche thinges as haue chaunced in Spayne from the yeere .1494 vnto this tyme addyng also therevnto suche thinges woorthy memorie as I haue obserued in other realmes and prouinces where I haue trauayled and haue lykewyse particulerly wrytten the lyues and worthy actes of the catholyke Princes of famous memorie Don Ferdinando and Lady Elizabeth his wyfe to theyr last dayes After whose fruition of heauenly Paradyse I haue noted such thinges as haue chaunced in your most fortunate succession not omittyng particulerly to wryte a large booke of suche thinges as haue seemed most woorthy to bee noted as touchyng your maiesties Indies But forasmuch as that volume remayneth in the citie of San. Dominico in the Ilande of Hispaniola where I dwell and am placed in housholde with wyfe chyldren and famylie I haue brought no more with me of that my writyng then I beare in memorie determynyng notwithstandyng for your maiesties recreation to make a breefe rehearsall of certayne notable thinges wherof I haue more largely entreated in my sayd generall historie and such as may seeme most woorthy to be redde of your maiestie Of the which although a great parte haue been written by other who haue also seene the same yet perhappes they are not so exactly and particulerly described as of mee forasmuche as in maner all that trauayle into these Indies haue
opened and the rynde taken of there are founde within it many good drye Fygges whiche beyng rosted or stewed in an Ouen in a close pot or some suche other thyng are of pleasaunt tast much lyke to the conserue of Hony they putrifie not on the sea so soone as some other fruites do but contynue fyfteene dayes and more yf they be geathered somewhat greene they seeme more delicate on the sea then on the land not for that they any thing encrease in goodnesse on the sea but because that whereas on the sea other thynges are lackyng whereof is plentie on the land those meates seeme of best tast whiche satisfie present necessitie This trunke or spryg which bryngeth foorth the sayd cluster is a whole yeere in growing and brynging foorth fruite in which tyme it hath put foorth rounde about it ten or twelue sprygges as bygge as the fyrst or principall and multiplieth no lesse then the principall in bringing foorth of clusters with fruites lykewyse at theyr tyme and also in bryngyng foorth other and many sprygges as is sayde before From the whiche sprygges or trunkes as soone as the cluster of the fruite is taken away the plant beginneth to drye and wyther whiche then they take out of the grounde because it doth none other then occupie it in vayne and without profyte They are so many and do so marueylously encrease and multiplie that it is a thyng in maner encredible They are exceeding moyst insomuch that when they are plucked vp from the place where they grow there ishueth foorth a great quantitie of water aswel out of the plant as out of the place where it grewe in suche sort that al the moysture of the earth farre about myght seeme to be geathered togeather about the truncke or blocke of the sayd plant with the fruites whereof the Antes are so farre in loue that they are seene in great multitudes in the braunches of the plantes so that for the multitude thereof it sometyme so chaunceth that men are enforced to take away the plantes from theyr possession these fruites are founde at al tymes of the yeere There is also an other kinde of wilde plants that groweth in the feeldes whiche I haue not seene but in the Ilande of Hispaniola although they be founde in other Ilandes of the Indies these they call Tunas They growe of a Thistle full of thornes and bryng foorth a fruite muche lyke vnto great Figges whiche haue a crowne lyke Medlers and are within of a hygh colour with graynes and the rynde lyke vnto a fygge they are of good taste and grow abundantly in the fieldes in many places They worke a strange effecte in suche as eate them for if a man eate two or three or more they cause his vrine to bee of the very colour of blood which thyng chaunced once to my selfe For on a tyme as I made water and sawe the colour of my vrine I entred into a great suspition of my lyfe beyng so astonyshed for feare that I thought the same had chaunced to mee vpon some other cause insomuche that surely my imagination myght haue done mee hurte but that they which were with mee dyd comforte mee immediatly declaryng the cause thereof as they knew by experience beyng auncient inhabitours in those regions There groweth also an other plant which the people of the countrey call Bihaos this putteth foorth certayne streight branches and very brode leaues which the Indians vse for dyuers purposes For in some places they couer theyr houses with the leaues thereof couched and layde after the maner of thetche wherevnto it serueth very well Sometymes also when it rayneth they cast these ouer theyr heades to defende them from the water They make also certayne chestes which they call Hauas weaued after a strange sorte and intermyxt with the leaues of this Bihaos These chestes are wrought in such sorte that although it rayne vpon them or they chaunce to fall into the water yet are not suche thinges wet as are within them they are made of the branches of the sayde Bihaos with the leaues weaued togeather therewith In these they keepe salte and other subtile thinges They vse them also for an other purpose which is this that fyndyng them in the fieldes at such tyme as they haue scarsenesse of vittayles they dyg vp the rootes of these plantes while they are yet young or eate the plant it selfe in that parte where it is most tender which is from a foote vnder the grounde where it is as tender and whyte as a reede or bulrushe And forasmuche as wee are nowe come to the ende of this narration it commeth to my remembraunce to make mention of an other thyng which is not farre from my purpose and this is howe the Indians doe slayne or dye cloath of bombage cotton or any other thyng whiche they inâ—ende to dye of dyuers colours as blacke tawny greene blewe yelow and redde which they doe with the barkes or ryndes and leaues of certayne trees which they know by experience to be good for this practise and by this arte they make colours in suche perfection and excellencie that no better can bee deuysed But this seemeth a strange thyng that they doe all this in one selfe same vessell So that when they haue caused the sayde ryndes and leaues to boyle togeather they make in the same vessell without any chaunge as I haue sayde as many colours as them lysteth Whiche thing I suppose to come to passe by the disposition of the colour which they haue fyrst gyuen to the thyng that they intende to dye or colour whether it bee threed webbe or cloth or any thing that they intende to colour Of venomous Apples wherewith they poyson theyr arrowes THe Apples wherewith the Indian Caniballes inuenome theyr arrowes growe on certaine trees couered with many branches and leaues being very greene and growing thicke They are laden with abundance of these euyll fruites and haue their leaues lyke the leaues of a peare tree but that they are lesse and rounder the fruit is much lyke the muscadel peares of the Ilande of Sicilie or Naples in fourme and bygnesse and are in some partes steyned with redde spottes and of very sweet sauour these trees for the most parte growe euer by the sea coastes and neere vnto the water and are so fayre and of pleasaunt sauour that there is no man that seeth them but will desyre to eate thereof insomuche that if it may bee spoken of any fruite yet growyng on the earth I woulde say that this was the vnhappy fruite whereof our fyrst parentes Adam and Eue tasted whereby they both lost theyr felicitie and procured death to them and theyr posteritie Of these fruites and of the great Antes whose byting causeth swellyng whereof I haue spoken elsewhere and of the Eutes or Lysartes and vypers and such other venomous thinges the Canibals which are the cheefe archers among the Indians are accustomed
learned men I am not satisfyed of the naturall cause hereof I content my selfe to knowe and beleeue that he whiche hath made these thynges dooth knowe this and many other which he hath not graunted to the reason of man to comprehende muche lesse to so base a wyt as myne is They therefore that are of greater vnderstandyng shall search the cause hereof for them and for me forasmuche as I haue onely put the matter in question as a wytnesse that haue seene thexperience of the thyng Of the strayght or narrowe passage of the land lying betweene the North and South sea by the which spyces may much sooner and easlyer be brought from the Ilandes of Molucca into Spaine by the VVest Ocean then by that way whereby the Portugales sayle into the East India IT hath been an opinion among the Cosmographers and Pilottes of late tyme and other whiche haue had practyse in thynges touchyng the sea that there shoulde be a strayght of water passing from the North sea of the fyrme into the South sea of Sur which neuerthelesse hath not been seene nor founde to this day And surely yf there be any such strayght we that inhabite those partes do thynke the same should be rather of land then of water For the fyrme land in some partes thereof is so strayght and narrowe that the Indians say that from the mountaynes of the prouince of Esquegua or Vrraca which are betweene the one sea and the other if a man ascend to the top of the mountaines and looke toward the North he may see the water of the North sea of the prouince of Beragua againe looking the contrary way may on the other syde towards the South see the sea of Sur and the prouinces which confine with it as do the territories of the two Lordes or kynges of the sayde prouinces of Vrraca and Esquegua And I beleeue that yf it be as the Indians say of all that is hytherto knowen this is the narrowest strayght of the fyrme land whiche some affirme to be full of rough mountaynes Yet do I take it for a better way or soo short as is that whiche is made from the port called Nomen Dei whiche is in the North sea vnto the newe citie of Panama beyng in the coast and on the bancke of the sea of Sur whiche way is lykewyse very rough full of thycke wooddes mountaynes ryuers valleyes and very difficult to passe through and can not be done without great labour trauaile Some measure this way in this part to be from sea to sea eighteene leagues whiche I suppose to be rather twentie not for that it is any more by measure but because it is rough and difficult as I haue sayde and as I haue founde it by experience hauyng now twise passed that way by foote countyng from the port and village of Nomen Dei vnto the dominion of the Cacique of Iuanaga otherwyse called Capira eyght leagues and from thence to the ryuer of Chagre other eyght leagues So that at this riuer beyng sixteene leagues from the sayde port endeth the roughnesse of the way then from hence to the marueilous brydge are two leagues and beyonde that other two vnto the port of Panama So that altogeather in my iudgement make twentie leagues And yf therefore this nauigation may be founde in the South sea for the trade of spyces as we trust in God to be brought from thence to the sayde port of Panama as is possible enough they maye afterwarde easely passe to the North sea notwithstandyng the difficultie of the way of the twentie leagues aforesayde Which thyng I affirme as a man wel trauayled in these regions hauyng twyse on my feete passed ouer this strayght in the yeere 1521. as I haue said It is furthermore to be vnderstoode that it is a marueilous facilitie to bryng spices by this way which I wil now declare From Panama to the ryuer of Chagre are foure leagues of good and fayre way by the which cartes may passe at pleasure by reason that the mountaines are but few and litle and that the greatest part of these foure leagues is a playne grounde voyde of trees and when the cartes are come to the sayde ryuer â–ª the spyces may be caried in Barkes and pynnesses For this riuer entreth into the North sea fyue or syxe leagues lower then the port of Nomen Dei and emptieth it selfe in the sea neere vnto an Iland called Bastimento where is a verye good and safe port Your maiestie may now therfore consyder howe great a thyng â–ª and what commoditie it may be to conuey spices this way forasmuch as y e riuer of Chagre hauing his originall only two leagues from the South sea continueth his course and emptieth it selfe into the other North sea This riuer runneth fast and is verye great and so commodious for this purpose as may be thought or desired the marueylous brydge made by the worke of nature beyng two leagues beyond the sayde ryuer other two leagues on this syde the port of Panama so lying in the mydde waye betweene them both as framed naturally in suche sort that none which passe by this viage doth see any such brydge or thinke that there is any such buyldyng in that place vntyll they be in the top thereof in the way towarde Panama But assoone as they are on the brydge lookyng towarde the ryght hande they see a litle ryuer vnder them whiche hath his chanell distant from the feete of them that walke ouer it the space of two speares length or more The water of this ryuer is very shalowe not passyng the deapth of a mans legge to the knee and is in breadth betweene thyrtie and fourtie pases and falleth into the ryuer of Chagre Towarde the ryght hand standyng on this brydge there is nothing seene but great trees The largenesse of the brydge conteyneth fyfteene pases and the length thereof about threescore or fourescore pases The arche is so made of most harde stone that no man can beholde it without admiration beyng made by the hygh and omnipotent creatour of all thinges But to returne to speake somewhat more of the conueying of spices I say that when it shall please almyghtie God that this nauigation aforesayde shall be founde by the good fortune of your maiestie and that the spyces of the Ilandes of the South sea whiche may also be otherwyse called the Ocean of the East India in the which are the Ilandes of Molucca shal be brought to the sayd coast and the port of Panama and be conueyed from thence as we haue sayde by the fyrme lande with cartes vnto the ryuer of Chagre and from thence into this our other sea of the North from whence they may afterwarde be brought into Spayne I say that by this meanes the viage shal be shortned more then seuen thousand leagues with muche lesse daunger then is by the viage nowe vsed by the
euen at this present there is nothyng wherefore it shoulde malice theyr prosperitie not beyng inferiour to them in any felicitie that in maner the heauens can graunt to any lande beyng furthermore suche as mâ—y inryche many prouinces and kyngdomes by reason of many ryche golde mynes that are in it of the beste golde that is founde to this day in the worlde and in greatest quantitie In this Iland nature of her selfe bryngeth foorth suche abundance of cotton that if it were wrought and mayntayned there shoulde be more and better then in any part of the world There is so great plentie of excellent Cassia that a great quantitie is brought from thence into Spaine from whence it is caried to diuers partes of the worlde It encreaseth so muche that it is a marueylous thyng to consider In this are many ryche shoppes where Suger is wrought and that of suche perfectnesse and goodnesse and in such quantitie that shyps come laden therewith yeerely into Spayne All such seedes settes or plantes as are brought out of Spayne and planted in this Ilande become muche better bygger and of greater encrease then they are in any part of our Europe And yf it chaunce otherwyse that sometymes they prosper not so well the cause is that they which should tyl and husband the ground sowe and plant in due seasons haue no respect heereunto beyng impatient whyle the wheat and vines waxe rype beyng geuen to wanderyng and other affayres of present gaynes as I haue sayde as searchyng the golde mynes fyshyng for pearles and occupying marchaundies with suche other trades for the greedy folowyng whereof they neglect and contempne both sowyng and plantyng Suche fruites as are brought out of Spayne into this Iland prosper marueylously and waxe rype all tymes of the yeere as hearbes of al sortes very good and pleasaunt to be eaten Also many Pomgranates of the best kynde and Oranges both sweete and sowre Lykewyse many fayre Limons and Cedars and a great quantitie of all such as are of sharpe sowre and bytter tast There are also many Fygge trees which bryng foorth theyr fruite all the whole yeere Lykewyse those kynde of Date trees that beare Dates and diuers other trees and plantes which were brought out of Spayne thyther Beastes do also encrease in lyke abundaunce especially the heardes of Ryne are so augmented both in quantitie and number that there are now many patrons of cattaile that haue more then two thousand heades of Neate and some three or foure thousande and some more Besyde these there are very many that haue heardes of foure or fyue hundred And trueth it is that this Iland hath better pasture for suche cattayle then any other countrey in the worlde also holsome and cleare water and temperate ayre by reason whereof the heardes of such beastes are much bygger fatter and also of better tast then ours in Spayne because of the ranke pasture whose moisture is better digested in the hearbe or grasse by the continuall temperate heate of the Sonne wherby beyng made more fat and vnctuous it is of better and more stedfast nouryshment For contynuall and temperate heate doth not only drawe much moysture out of the earth to the nouryshment of such thynges as growe and are engendred in that clime but doth also by moderation preserue the same from resolution and putrifaction digesting also and condensatyng or thycknyng the sayde moyst nouryshment into a gummie and vnctuous substaunce as is seene in all suche thynges as growe in those regions and this is the only naturall cause aswell that certayne great beastes and of long lyfe as the Elephant Rhinoceros with suche other are engendred only in the regions neare vnto the Equinoctiall as also that the leaues of suche trees as growe there do not wyther or fall vntyll they be thrust out by other accordyng to the verse of the poet whiche sayeth Et nata pira piris et ficus in ficubus extant this is in effect Peares growing vpon Peares and Fygges vpon Fygges Plinie also wryteth that suche trees are neuer infected with the disease of trees that the Latines call Caries whiche we may call the worme or canker beyng but a certayne putrifaction by reason of a watrishe nouryshment not well consolidate The same thyng hath been the cause that certayne Philosophers considering aswell that man is the hottest and moystest beast that is whiche is the best complexion as also that men lyue longest in certayne partes of India neare the Equinoctiall where yet to this day some liue to the age of an hundred and fyftie yeeres were of opinion that yf mankynde had any beginning on the earth that place ought by good reason to be vnder or not farre from y e Equinoctial line for the causes aforesayde Some of the Diuines also vpon lyke consideration haue thought it agreable that theyr Paradise shoulde be about the same within y e precinct of those riuers which are named in the booke of Genesis But to let passe these thyngs to returne to the historie In this Iland furthermore are manye Sheepe and a great number of Hogges of the whiche as also of the Ryne many are become wylde and lykewyse many Dogges and Cattes of those whiche were brought out of Spayne These and especially the Dogges do much hurt among the cattayle by reason of the negligence of the heardmen There are also many Horses Mares and Mules and such other beastes as serue the vse of men in Spayne and are muche greater then they of the fyrst broode brought thyther out of Spayne Some places of the Ilande are inhabited although not so many as were requisite Of the which I wyl say no more but that al the regions of the Ilande are so well situate that in the course of tyme all thynges shall come to greater perfection by reason of the rychnesse pleasauntnesse of the countrey and fertilitie of the soyle But nowe to speake somewhat of the principall and chiefe place of the Ilande whiche is the citie of San Domenico I saye that as touchyng the buildinges there is no citie in Spayne so much for so much no not Barsalona which I haue oftentymes seene that is to be preferred before this generally For the houses of San Domenico are for the most parte of stone as are they of Barsalona or of so strong wel wrought earth that it maketh a singuler and strong bynding The situation is much better then that of Barsalona by reason that the streates are much larger and plainer and without comparison more directe and streyght foorth For being builded nowe in our tyme besyde the commoditie of the place of the fundation the streetes were also directed with corde compase and measure wherin it excelleth al the cities that I haue seene It hath the sea so neere that of one syde there is no more space betwene the sea
whan any of them calleth his name he answereth Syr and as we doe say that the kyng hath made some gentleman so say they that there is made a Loutea And for that amongest them the degrees are diuers both in name and office I will tell you onely of some principalles beyng not able to aduertise you of all The maner howe gentlemen are created Louteas and doe come to that honour and title is by the gyuyng of a broad gyrdle not like to the rest a cap at the commaundement of the kyng The name Loutea is more generall and common vnto moe than equalitie of honour therby signified agreeth withall Such Louteas that doe serue their prince in weightie matters for iustice are created after triall made of their learning but the other whiche serue in smaller affayres as Capitaynes Constables Sergeantes by lande and sea Receyuers and such lyke wherof there be in euery citie as also in this very many are made for fauour the chiefe Louteas are serued kneelyng The whole prouince China is diuided as I haue sayde into thirtiene shyres in euery shyre at the least is one gouernour called there Tutan in some shyres there be two Chiefe in office nexte vnto them be certayne other named Chians that is hygh Commissioners as you would say or visiters with full aucthoritie in suche wyse that they doe call vnto an accompt the Tutanes them selues but their aucthoritie lasteth not in any shyre longer than one yeere Neuerthelesse in euery shyre beyng at the least seuen cities yea in some of them fyftiene or sixtiene beside other Boroughes townes not well to be numbred these visiters where they come are so honoured and feared as though they were some great princes At the yeeres ende their circuit done they come vnto that citie which is chiefe of others in the shyre to doe iustice there finally busiyng them selues in the searchyng out of such as are to receyue the order of Louteas whereof more shall be sayde in an other place Ouer and besydes these officers in the chiefe citie of eche one of these aforesayde thirtiene prouinces is resident one Ponchiassi Capitayne thereof and Treasurer of all the kynges reuenues This Magistrate maketh his abode in one of the foure greatest houses that be in all these head cities And although the principall parte of his function be to be Capitayne to be Treasurer of the reuenues in that prouince to sende these reuenues at appoynted tymes to the Court yet hath he notwithstandyng by his office also to meddle with matters apperteynyng vnto iustyce In the seconde great house dwelleth an other Magistrate called Anchiassi a great offycer also for he hath dealynges in all matters of iustice Who although hee bee somewhat inferior in dignitie vnto the Ponchiassi yet for his great dealynges and generall charge of iustice whosoeuer seeth the affayres of the one house and the other myght iudge this Anchiassi to be the greater Tuzi an other officer so called lyeth in the thyrd house a magistrate of importance specially in thinges belongyng vnto warfare for thereof hath he charge There is resident in the fourth house a fourth officer bearyng name Taissu In this house is the principall pryson of all the citie Eche one of these Magistrates aforesayde may both laye euyll doers in pryson and deliuer them out agayne except the facte be heynous and of importance in suche a case they can doe nothing except they doe meete altogeather And if the deede deserue death all they togeather can not determine thereof without recourse made vnto the Chian wheresoeuer he bee or to the Tutan and eftsones it falleth out that the case be referred vnto hygher power In all cities not onely chiefe in eche shyre but in the rest also are meanes founde to make Louteas Many of them doe studie at the prince his charges wherfore at the yeeres ende they resort vnto the head cities whyther the Chians doe come as it hath been earst sayde as well to gyue these degrees as to sit in iudgement ouer the prysoners The Chians goe in circuit euery yeere but suche as are to be chosen to the greatest offices meete not but from three yeeres to three yeeres and that in certayne large halles appoynted for them to be examined in Many thynges are asked them wherevnto if they doe aunswere accordingly and be found sufficient to take their degree the Chian by and by graunteth it them but the Cappe gyrdle wherby they are knowen to be Louteas they weare not before that they be confirmed by the kyng Theyr examination done and tryall made of them such as haue taken their degree wont to be giuen them with all cerimonies vse to banket and feast many dayes together as the Chineans fashion is to end all their pleasures with eatyng and drinkyng and so remayne chosen to doe the kyng seruice in matters of learnyng The other examinates founde insufficient to proceede are sent backe to their studie againe Whose ignoraunce is perceiued to come of negligence default such a one is whipped and sometymes sent to pryson where wee lying that yeere whan this kynde of acte was we found many thus punished and demaundyng the cause therof they sayde it was for that they knew not howe to answere vnto certayne thinges asked them It is a worlde to see howe these Louteas are serued and feared in suche wise that in publyke assemblies at one shryke they gyue all the seruitors belongyng vnto iustice tremble thereat At their being in these places whan they lyst to moue be it but euen to the gate these seruitors do take them vp and carry them in seates of beaten golde After this sort are they borne whan they goe in the citie eyther for their owne businesse abrode or to see eche other at home For the dignitie they haue and office they doe beare they be al accompanyed the very meanest of them all that goeth in these seates is vshered by two men at the least that cry vnto the people to gyue place howbeit they neede it not for that reuerence the common people hath vnto them They haue also in theyr company certayne Sergeantes with their Maces eyther siluered or altogeather siluer some two some foure other six other eight conueniently for eche one his degree The more principall and chiefe Louteas haue going orderly before these Sergeantes many other with staues and a great many catchpoules with roddes of Indishe canes dragged on the grounde so that the streetes beyng paued you may heare a farre of as well the noyse of the roddes as the voyce of the cryers These felowes serue also to apprehende others and the better to be knowen they weare liuery redde girdles and in their cappes Pecockes feathers Behynde these Louteas come such as doe beare certayne tables hanged at staues endes wherein is written in siluer letters the name degree and office of that Loutea whom they folowe In lyke maner they
tofore it hath been sayde in it therefore the Gouernours and Rulers muche lyke vnto our Shyryffes be so appoynted sodenly and speedely discharged agayne that they haue no tyme to growe naught Furthermore to keepe the state in more securitie the Louteas that gouerne one shyre are chosen out of some other shyre distaunt farre of where they must leaue theyr wyues chyldren and goodes carryeng nothyng with them but them selues True it is that at theyr commyng thyther they do fynde in a redinesse all thynges necessarie theyr house furniture seruantes and all other thynges in suche perfection and plentie that they want nothyng Thus the kyng is well serued without all feare of treason In the principall cities of the shyres be foure cheefe Louteas before whom are brought all matters of the inferiour townes throughout the whole realme Diuers other Louteas haue the maneagyng of iustice and receyuyng of rentes bounde to yeeld an accompte thereof vnto the greater officers Other doo see that there be no euyll rule keept in the citie eache one as it behoueth hym Generally al these do impryson malefactours cause them to be whypped racked hoysing them vp downe by the armes with a corde a thyng very vsuall there and accompted no shame These Louteas do vse great diligence in y e apprehending of theeues so that it is a wonder to see a theefe escape away in any towne citie or village Upon the sea neere vnto the shore many are taken and looke euen as they are taken so be they fyrst whypped and afterward layd in prison where shortly after they all dye for hunger and colde At that tyme when we were in pryson there died of them aboue threscore and ten Yf happely any one hauyng the meanes to geat foode do escape he is set with the condemned persones and prouided for as they be by the kyng in such wyse as hereafter it shal be sayde Theyr whyps be certayne peeces of canes cleft in the middle in such sort that they seeme rather playne then sharpe He that is to be whipped lieth grouelong on the ground Upon his thighes the Hangman layeth on blowes myghtely with these canes that the standers by tremble at theyr crueltie Ten sâ—rypes drawe a great deale of blood twentie or thyrtie spoyle the fleshe altogeather fyftie or threescore wyll require long tyme to be healed and yf they come to the number of one hundred then are they incurable The Louteas obserue moreouer this when any man is brought before them to be examined they aske hym openly in the hearing of as many as be present be y e offence neuer so great Thus did they also behaue them selues with vs. For this cause amongst them can there be no false witnes as dayly amongst vs it falleth out This good commeth therof that many being alwaies about the iudge to heare the euidence and beare witnesse the processe can not be falsifyed as it happeneth sometymes with vs. The Mores Gentiles Iewes haue al their sundry othes y e Mores doo sweare by theyr Mossafos the Brachmans by theyr Fili the rest likewise by the thynges they do worshyppe The Chineans though they be wonte to sweare by heauen by the Moone by the Sunne and by all theyr Idolles in iudgement neuerthelesse they sweare not at all If for some offence an othe be vsed of any one by and by with the least euidence he is tormented so be the wytnesses he bryngeth if they tell not the truth or do in any poynt disagree except they be men of worshyppe and credyte who are beleeued without any farther matter the rest are made to confesse the trueth by force of tormentes and whyppes Besydes this order obserued of them in examinations they do feare so muche theyr kyng and he where he maketh his abode keepeth them so lowe that they dare not once styrre Agayne these Louteas as great as they be notwithstanding the multitude of Notaries they haue not trusting any others do write al great processes and matters of importance them selues Moreouer one vertue they haue worthy of great prayse and that is being men so well regarded and accompted of as though they were princes they be patient aboue measure in geuyng audience We poore straungers brought before them myght saye what we woulde as all to be lyes and falaces that they dyd wryte ne dyd we stande before them with the vsuall cerimonies of that countrey yet dyd they beare with vs so patiently that they caused vs to wonder knowyng specially howe litle any aduocate or iudge is wonte in our countrey to beare with vs. For where so euer in any towne of Christendome shoulde be accused vnknowen men as we were I knowe not what ende the very innocentes cause woulde haue but we in a Heathen countrey hauyng our great ennimies two of the chiefest men in a whole towne wantyng an interpreter ignorant of that countrey language dyd in the ende see our great aduersaryes cast into pryson for our sake and depriued of theyr offices and honoure for not doyng iustice yea not to escape death for as the rumor goeth they shal be beheadded Somewhat is nowe to be sayde of the lawes that I haue been hable to knowe in this countrey and fyrst no thefte or murther is at any tyme pardoned adulterers are put in pryson and the facte once proued condemned to dye the womans husbande must accuse them this order is keapt with men and women found in that fault but theeues and murtherers are inprisoned as I haue sayd where they shortly dye for hunger and colde If any one happely escape by brybyng the gayler to geue hym meate his processe goeth farther and commeth to the courte where he is condemned to dye Sentence beyng geuen the prysoner is brought in publyke with a terrible bande of men that laye hym in Irons hande and foote with a boorde at his necke one handefull broade in length reachyng downe to his knees clefte in two partes and with a hole one handefull downewarde in the table fyt for his necke the whiche they enclose vp therein naylyng the boorde fast togeather one handefull of the boorde standeth vp behynde in the necke the sentence and cause wherefore the fellon was condemned to dye is wryten in that parte of the table that standeth before This cerimonie ended he is laid in a great prison in the companie of some other condemned persons the which are found by the king as long as they do liue The boord aforsaid so made tormenteth the prysoners very much keeping them both from rest eke lettyng them to eate commodyously theyr handes beyng manecled in Irons vnder that bord so y t in fine there is no remedy but death In y e chiefe cities of euery shire as we haue erst said there be foure principal houses in ech of them a prison but in one of them where the Taissu maketh his abode there is a greater a more principal prison theÌ„ in any of y e rest although
or poynte of the axes or axceltree of the worlde where the sunne beyng at the hyghest in sommer is eleuate about .xxiiii. degrees In which regions one continuall day consisteth of .vi. monethes from the spryng tyme by the standyng of the sunne called Solflitium in the signe of Cancer to Autumne The Sunne therfore without any offence of the nyght gyueth his influence vppon those landes with heate that neuer ceaseth duryng that tyme which maketh to the great increase of sommer by reason of continuaunce Wee haue now therefore thought good to geather by a certayne coniecture howe greatly we thynke the sommer to be increased heereby We haue before declared howe hygh the sunne is eleuate ouer the regions that are vnder the poles at the staye of the sunne And so many partes is it eleuate in Rome at the staye of the sunne in wynter that is at the shortest day in the yeere But here in the myd wynter the sunne at noonetyde is beneficiall and bryngeth foorth floures Roses and Ieâ—â—floures I haue geathered some in winter in the moneth of December not procured at home by humane arte but growyng in open Gardens in maner in euery bed vnder the bare heauen brought foorth only by the sunne But this benignitie of the sunne continueth not past fyue houres in the naturall day forasmuch as the operation thereof is extinct by the coldenesse of the nyght folowyng But if this benefite myght be receyued without hinderaunce of the nyght as it is vnder the poles and so continue many monethes in hot regions vnto wynter it should surely bring foorth many wonderful thinges if moysture fayled not And by this condition thus propounded we may well conceyue that the Romane wynter although it be not hotte yet to be equall in heate to the full spryng tyme in the same citie during the tyme of the sayd fyue houres And thus by a similitude of the height of the sunne vnder both places and of the knowen qualitie of the Romane heauen and by the accesse of the sunne to such places where the longest day continueth certayne moneths we may geather that sommer in places vnder the pole is lyke vnto and equall with the full Romane spryng But the more difficult question is of the tyme of the .vi. monethes in the whiche the Sunne leaueth those regions and goeth by the contrary or ouerthwarte circle toward the south in wynter For they say that at that tyme those regions are deformed with horrible darkenesse and nyghtes not increased whiche may be the cause that beastes can not seeke theyr foode And that also the colde should then bee intollerable By which double euyls all thynges constrayned should dye so that no beast were able to abyde the iniuryes of wynter and famyne insuyng thereof but that all beastes should peryshe before the sommer folowyng when they should bryng foorth theyr broode or succession and that for these causes the sayde colde clyme should bee perpetually desolate and vnhabitable To all which obiections we answere in this maner As touchyng the nyghtes not increased I say that it was not conuenient to assume that for any reason For not as the Sunne falleth so sodeynly commeth the darke nyght but that the euenyng doeth substitute and prolong the day long after as also the day spryng or dawnyng of the day gyueth a certayne lyght before the rysing of the Sunne After the which the residue of the nyght that receyueth no lyght by the sayde euenyng and mornyng twilightes is accomplyshed by the lyght of the Moone so that the nyghtes are sildome vnaugmented Let this bee an example prooued by our temperate regions whereby we may vnderstande the condition of the nyght vnder the pole Therefore euen there also the twilightes helpe the nyght a long tyme as we will more presently demonstrate It is approoued by the Astronomers that the Sunne descendyng from the highest halfe sphere by eightiene paralels of the vnder horizon maketh an ende of the twilight so that at the length the darke night succeedeth And that the Sunne approchyng and rysing aboue the hyghest halfe sphere by as many paralels doeth dyminyshe the nyght and increase the twylyght Agayne by the position or placyng of the sphere vnder the pole the same is the horizontall that is the Equinoctiall Those paralelles therefore that are paralelles to the horizontall lyne are also paralelles to the Equinoctiall So that the Sunne descendyng there vnder the horizon doeth not bryng darke nyghtes to those regions vntyll it come to the paralels distant .xviii. partes from the Equinoctiall Duryng the tyme of these sayde syxe monethes of darkenesse vnder the pole the nyght is destitute of the benefite of the Sunne and the sayde twylyghtes onely for the space of three monethes in the whiche the Sunne goeth and returneth by the portion of the ouerthwarte circle But yet neyther this tyme of three monethes is without remedy from heauen For the Moone with her full globe increased in lyght hath accesse at that tyme and illuminateth the monethes lackyng lyght euery one by them selues halfe the course of the moneth by whose benefite it commeth to passe that the nyght named as vnaugmented possesseth those regions no longer then one moneth and a halfe neyther that continually or all at one tyme but this also diuided into three sortes of shorter nyghtes of the whiche euery one endureth for the space of two weekes and are illuminate of the Moone accordyngly And this is the reason conceyued of the power of the sphere whereby we testifie that the sommers and nyghtes vnder the pole are tollerable to lyuyng beastes But we wyll nowe declare by other remedies of nature and arte that this colde so greatly feared is more remisse and tollerable then our opinion so that compared to the nature of suche beastes as lyue there it may be abydden And there is no doubte but there are autours of more antiquitie then that age in the whiche any thyng was exactly knowen or discouered of the North regions The olde wryters therefore persuaded onely by naked coniecture dyd geather what they myght determyne of those places Or rather by the estimation of heauen the whiche because they felte it to bee hardely tollerable to them selues and lesse to men borne in the clyme of Egypt and Grecia tooke thereby an argument of the whole habitable earth The hystorie of Strabo is knowen that a potte of brasse whiche was broken in sunder with frosen water was brought from Pontus and shewed in Delphis in token of a greeuous wynter Here therefore they that so greatly feared the wynter suche as chaunceth to the earth vnder the xlviii paralele and therefore consecrated that broken potte to the temple of Appollo what coulde suche men truely define vppon regions so farre without that paralele whether they were inhabited or not But suche as folowed these beyng contented with thinuentions of the olde autours and borne
of that countrey is rawe silke and the greatest plentie thereof is at a towne three dayes iourney from Shamaki called Arashe and within three dayes iourney of Arashe is a countrey named Groysine whose inhabitauntes are Christians are thought to be they which are otherwise called Georgians there is also much silke to be solde The chiefe towne of that countrey is called Zeghaui from whence is carryed yeerely into Persia an incredible quantitie of hasell Nuttes all of one sorte and goodnesse and as good and thyn shaled as are our Fylberdes Of these are caryed yeerely the quantitie of 4000. Camelles laden Of the name of the Sophie of Persia and why he is called the Shaugh and of other customes THe Kyng of Persia whom here we call the great Sophi is not there so called but is called the Shaugh It were there daungerous to call him by the name of Sophi bycause that Sophi in the Persian tongue is a begger and it were as much as to call him the great begger He lyeth at a towne called Casbin whiche is situat in a goodly fertile valley of three or foure dayes iorney in length The towne is but euyll buylded and for the most part all of brycke not hardened with fyre but onely dryed at the Sunne as is the most part of the buyldyng of all Persia. The kyng hath not come out of the compasse of his owne house in .xxxiii. or .xxxiiii. yeeres whereof the cause is not knowen but as they saye it is vppon a superstition of certayne prophesies to whiche they are greatly addicted he is nowe about fourescore yeeres of age and very lustie And to keepe hym the more lustye he hath foure wyues alwayes and about three hundred concubynes And once in the yeere he hath all the fayre maydens and wyues that may bee founde a great way about brought vnto hym whom he diligently peruseth feelyng them in all partes takyng suche as he lyketh and puttyng away some of them which he hath kept before And with them that he putteth away he gratifieth some suche as hath doone hym the best seruice And if he chaunce to take any mans wyfe her husbande is very glad thereof and in recompence of her oftentymes he geueth the husbande one of his olde store whom he thankfully receyueth If any straunger beyng a Christian shall come before hym he must put on a newe payre of showes made in that countrey and from the place where he entereth there is dygged as it were a causye all the way vntyll he come to the place where he shall talke with the kyng who standeth alwayes aboue in a gallerye when he talketh with any strangers and when the stranger is departed then is the causye cast downe and the grounde made euen agayne Of the religion of the Persians THeyr religion is all one with the Turkes sauyng that they dyffer who was the ryght successor of Mahumet The Turkes saye that it was one Homer and his sonne Vsman But the Persians saye that it was one Mortus Ali whiche they woulde proue in this maner They say there was a counsayle called to decide the matter who shoulde be the successour and after they had called vppon Mahumet to reuele vnto them his wyll and pleasure therein there came among them a litle lizarde who declared that it was Mahumetes pleasure that Mortus Ali should be his successour This Martus Ali was a valiant man and slewe Homer the Turkes prophet He had a swoorde that he fought withall with the whiche he conquered all his enimies and kylled as many as he stroake When Mortus Ali dyed there came a holy prophet who gaue them warnyng that shortly there woulde come a whyte Camell vppon the which he charged them to lay the body and swoorde of Mortus Ali and to suffer the Camell to carye it whether he woulde The whiche beyng perfourmed the sayde whyte Camell caryed the swoorde and body of Mortus Ali vnto the sea syde and the Camell goyng a good way into the sea was with the swoorde and bodye of Mortus Ali taken vp into heauen for whose returne they haue long looked for in Persia. And for this cause the kyng alwayes keepeth a horse redye sadled for hym and also of late kepte for hym one of his owne daughters to be his wyfe but she dyed in the yeere of our Lorde .1573 And saye furthermore that yf he come not shortly they shal be of our beleefe much lyke the Iewes lookyng for theyr Messias to come and reigne among them lyke a worldly kyng for euer and deliuer them from the captiuitie which they are nowe in among the Christians Turkes and Gentyles The Saugh or Kyng of Persia is nothyng in strength and power comparable vnto the Turke for although he hath a great Dominion yet is it nothyng to be compared with the Turkes neyther hath he any great Ordinaunce of Gunnes or Harkebuses Notwithstandyng his eldest sonne Ismael about twentie and fyue yeeres past fought a great battayle with the Turke and sleue of his armye about an hundred thousande men who after his returne was by his father cast into pryson and there continueth vntyl this daye for his father the Shaugh had hym in suspition that he would haue put hym downe and haue taken the regiment vppon hym selfe Theyr opinion of Christ is that he was an holy man and a great Prophet but not lyke vnto Mahumet saying that Mahumet was the last Prophet by whom all thynges were finished and was therefore the greatest To proue that Christ was not Goddes sonne they saye that God had neuer wyfe and therefore coulde haue no sonne or chyldren They goe on pylgrymage from the furthest part of Persia vnto Mecha in Arabia and by the way they visite also the sepulchre of Christ at Ierusalem whiche they nowe call Couche Kalye The most part of Spyces whiche commeth into Persia is brought from the Iland of Ormus situate in the gulfe of Persia called Sinus Persicus betweene the mayne lande of Persia and Arabia c. The Portugales touche at Ormus both in theyr viage to East India and homewarde agayne and from thence bryng all suche Spyces as is occupied in Persia and the regions there about for of Pepper they bryng verye small quantitie and that at a verye deare pryse The Turkes oftentymes bryng Pepper from Mecha in Arabia whiche they sell as good cheape as that which is brought from Ormus Sylkes are brought from noo place but are wrought all in theyr owne countrey Ormus is within two myles of the mayne lande of Persia and the Portugales fetche theyr freshe water there for the whiche they paye trybute to the Shaugh or kyng of Persia. Within Persia they haue neyther golde nor syluer mynes yet haue they coyned money both of golde and syluer and also other small moneys of Copper There is brought into Persia an incredible summe of Duche Dolours which for the most part is there
maner rounde It is of largenesse from syde to syde .lx. Italian myles that is to say one degree The horizontall line of the Ilande passeth by the two poles Artike and Antartike and hath euer the day equall with the nyght without any sensible difference whether the Sunne be in Cancer or in Capricorne The starre of the pole Artike is there inuisible but the wardens are seene somewhat to moue about the starres called the Crosse are seene very hygh Of this Ilande with the other landes and Ilandes lying betweene Portugale and the same a certeyne pylotte of Portugale hath written a goodly vyage to Conte Rimondo FINIS The Nauigation and vyages of Lewes Vertomannus Gentelman of the citie of Rome to the regions of Arabia Egypte Persia Syria Ethiopia and East India both within and without the ryuer of Ganges c. In the yeere of our Lorde .1503 Conteynyng many notable and straunge thinges both hystoricall and naturall Translated out of Latine into Englyshe by Richarde Eden In the yeere of our Lord .1576 The Preface of the Authour THere haue ben many before me who to know the miracles of the worlde haue with diligent studie read dyuers Authours which haue written of such thinges But other giuing more credite to the lyuely voyce haue been more desirous to know the same by relation of such as haue traueyled in those countreys seene such thinges whereof they make relation for that in many bookes geathered of vncertaine aucthoritie are myxt false thinges with true Other there are so greatly desirous to know the trueth of these thinges that they can in no wyse be satisfied vntyll by theyr owne experience they haue founde the trueth by voyages and peregrinations into straunge countreys and people to know theyr maners fashions and customes with dyuers thinges there to be seene wherein the only readyng of bookes could not satisfie their thirst of suche knowledge but rather increased the same in so much that they feared not with losse of goods and daunger of lyfe to attempte great vyages to dyuers countreys with witnesse of theyr eyes to see that they so greatly desired to knowe The whiche thyng among other chaunced vnto me also For as often as in the bookes of hystories and Cosmographie I read of such marueylous thinges whereof they make mention especially of thinges in the East partes of the world there was nothyng that coulde pacifie my vnquiet mynde vntyll I had with myne eyes seene the trueth thereof I knowe that some there are indued with hygh knowledge mountyng vnto the heauens whiche will contempne these our writinges as base and humble bycause we doe not here after their maner with high and subtile inquisition intreate of the motions and dispositions of the starres and gyue reason of theyr woorkyng on the earth with their motions retrogradations directions mutations epicicles reuolutions inclinations diuinations reflexions and suche other parteynyng to the science of Astrologie which certeynely we doe not condempne but greatly prayse But measuryng vs with our owne foote we will leaue that heauie burden of heauen to the strong shoulders of Atlas and Hercules and only creepyng vppon the earth in our owne person beholde the situations of landes and regions with the maners and customes of men and variable fourmes shapes natures and propriettes of beastes fruites and trees especially suche as are among the Arabians Persians Indians and Ethiopians And whereas in the searchyng of these thinges we haue thanked be God satisfied our desire we thinke neuerthelesse that we haue done little excepte we should communicate to other such thinges as we haue seene and had experience of that they lykewyse by the readyng thereof may take pleasure for whose sakes we haue written this long and dangerous discourse of thinges which we haue seene in dyuers regions and sectes of men desiryng nothyng more then that the trueth may be knowen to them that desyre the same But what incommodities and troubles chaunced vnto me in these viages as hunger thirst colde heate warres captiuitie terrours and dyuers other suche daungers I will declare by the way in theyr due places The first Chapter of the nauigation from Venice to Alexandria in Egypte IF any man shall demaunde of me the cause of this my vyage certeynely I can shewe no better reason then is the ardent desire of knowledge which hath moued many other to see the worlde and miracles of God therin And forasmuch as other knowen partes of the world haue heretofore ben sufficiently traueyled of other I was determyned to visite and describe suche partes as here before haue not been sufficiently knowen and therefore with the grace of God and callyng vppon his holy name to prosper our enterprise departyng from Uenice with prosperous wyndes in fewe dayes we arryued at the citie of Alexandria in Egypte where the desyre we had to knowe thinges more straunge and further of would not permit vs to tarrie long And therefore departyng from thence and saylyng vp the ryuer of Nilus we came to the citie of new Babylon commonly called Cayrus or Alcayr Of the citie named Babylon or Alcayr a citie of Nilus in Egypt Cap. 2. WHen we arryued there I marueyled more then I am able to say yet when I approched so neare the citie that I myght wel see into it it seemed to me much inferior to the reporte and fame that was thereof for the greatnesse thereof seemed nothyng agreeable to the bruite and appeared no more in circuite then the citie of Rome although muche more peopled and better inhabited But the large fieldes of the suburbes haue deceyued many beyng dispersed with in maner innumerable villages whiche some haue thought to haue been part of the citie whiche is nothyng so For those villages and dispersed houses are two or three myles from the citie and round about it on euery syde Neyther is it here needefull to spende muche tyme in declaryng of theyr maners or religion forasmuch as it is well knowen that all the inhabitantes of those regions are Mahumetans and Mamalukes whiche are suche Christians as haue forsaken theyr fayth to serue the Mahumetans and Turkes Although commonly they that serued the Soltan of Babylon in tyme past before the Soltan was ouercome by the Turke were called Mamaluchi as they that serue the Turke are called Ienetzari But these Mamaluke Mahumetans are subiecte to the Soltan of Syria Of the cities of Berynto Tripoli and Antioch Cap. 3. THe riches fayrenesse and magnificence of Babylon aforesayde and the straunge souldiers Mamalukes as things knowen we will now pretermit Therfore departyng from Babylon and returnyng to Alexandria where we agayne entered into our sea we came to Berynto a citie on the sea coast of Syria Phoenicia where we spent many dayes This is inhabited of Mahumetans and plentifull of all thinges The sea beateth on the walles of the towne it is not compassed with walles but on the West syde towarde the sea Here founde we nothyng