doth teach vs. But whether it be so or otherwise for I will not contradict Aristotle but in that which is most certaine in the end they agree all that the middle region of the ayre is colder than the lowest next to the earth as experience dooth shew vs seeing that in this middle region are congealed snowe haile frosts and other signes of extreame colde The middle region then which they call the burning Zone having on the one side the sea and on the other the mountaines we must hold them for sufficient causes to temper and coole the heate That the colde windes be the principall cause to make the burning Zone temperate CHAH. 13. THe temperature of this region ought chiefly to be attributed to the property of the wind that blows in that country the which is pleasant and fresh The providence of the great God Creator of al things hath bin such as he hath ordained fresh and coole windes in that region where the sunne makes his course which seemes should be burnt vp that by their coolenes the excessive heate of the sunne might be qualified And they are not farre from apparance of reason which held that the earthly Paradise was vnder the Equinoctiall If they had not deceived themselves in the cause of their opinion saying that the equalitie of the dayes and nights was sufficient of it selfe to make that Zone temperate to which opinion many others have beene opposite of which number was that renowmed Poet saying That coast incessantly by hotte beames tyred Of Phoebus who from thence never retyred The coolenesse of the night then is not sufficient to moderate and to correct the violent heate of the Sunne but rather this burning Zone receives so sweet a temperature by the benefite of the fresh and pleasant aire as notwithstanding it were held by the Ancients to be more hotte then a burning furnace yet those which inhabite there take it for a delightfull spring It appeares by arguments and very apparant reasons that the cause heereof consistes principally in the qualitie of the winde We see in one climate some regions and Citties hotter then others onely for that they feele lesse winde to refresh them The like is in other Countries where no winde blowes the which are all on fire like vnto a furnace There are many of these Villages and Townes in Bresill Ethiopia and Paraguen as every one knoweth and that which is more considerable wee see these differences not only on the Land but also on the Sea there are some seas where they feele great heat as they report of that of Mozambigus and Ormus in the East and of the Sea of Panama in the West the which for this reason engenders and brings forth great Lizards called Cayamans as also in the sea of Bresill There are other seas in the same degree of height very colde as that of Peru in the which wee were a cold as I have said before when we first sailed it which was in March when the Sunne was directly over vs. In truth on this continent where the land and sea are of one sort wee cannot imagine any other cause of this so great a difference but the qualitie of the winde which doth refresh them If wee shall neerely looke into the consideration of the winde whereof we have spoken wee may resolve many doubts which some obiect and which seeme strange and wonderfull wherefore the Sunne casting his beames vppon the burning Zone and particularly at Peru and that more violently then in Spaine in the Canicular daies yet they defend the heat with a light covering so as with a slender covering of mats or straw they are better preserved from the heate then in Spaine vnder a roofe of wood or a vault of stone Moreover why are not the nightes in summer at Peru as hotte and troublesome as in Spaine Wherefore on the highest tops of mountaines even amongst the heaps of snow you shall sometimes feele great and insupportable heat Wherefore in all the Province of Colao when ye come into the shade how little soever you feele cold But comming into the Sunne beames you presently finde the heate excessive Why is all the coast of Peru being ful of sands very temperate And why is Potozi distant from the silver Citie but eighteene leagues and in the same degree of so divers a temperature that the Countrie being extreamely colde it is wonderfully barren and drie And contrariwise the silver Citie is temperate inclining vnto heat and hath a pleasant and fertil soile It is more certaine that the winde is the principall cause of these strange diversities for without the benefite of these coole windes the heate of the Sunne is such as although it bee in the midst of the snow it burnes and sets all on fire but when the coolenes of the aire returnes suddenly the heat is qualified how great soever it be and whereas this coole winde raines ordinarie it keepes the grosse vapours and exhalations of the earth from gathering together which cause a heavie and troublesome heat whereof we see the contrarie in Europe for by the exhalation of these vapours the earth is almost burnt vp with the Sunne by day which makes the nights so hotte and troublesome as the aire doth often seeme like vnto a furnace for this reason at Peru this freshnes of the winde is the cause by the meanes of some small shade at the Sunnesetting that they remaine coole But contrariwise in Europe the most agreeable and pleasing time in summer is the morning and the evening is the most hotte and troublesome But at Peru and vnder all the Equinoctiall it is not so for every morning the winde from the sea doth cease and the Sunne beginnes to cast his beames and for this reason they feele the greatest heat in the morning vntill the returne of the same windes which otherwise they call the tide or winde of the sea which makes them first to feele cold We have tried al this whilst we were at the Ilands of Barlovante where in the mornings we did sweat for heat and at noone we felt a fresh aire for that then a North-easterly wind which is fresh and coole doth commonly blow That they which inhabite vnder the Equinoctiall live a sweete and pleasant life CHAP. 14. IF those which have held opinion that the earthly Paradise was vnder the Equinoctiall had beene guided by this discourse they had not seemed altogether deceived not that I will conclude that the delightfull Paradice whereof the Scripture speakes was in that place which were too great a temeritie to affirme it for certaine But I may well say if there be any Paradice on earth it ought to bee placed whereas they inioy a sweete and quiet temperature for there is nothing more troublesome or repugnant to mans life then to live vnder a heaven or aire that is contrarie troublesome or sicklie as there is nothing more agreeable then to inioy a heaven that is sound sweet
steede whereof they vse counting with their Quipocamayes the which is peculiar vnto them But which reckoning all they can report is not past 400. yeeres Instructing my selfe carefully of them to know from what land and what nation they passed to that where they â—ow live I have found them so farre vnable to give any reason thereof as they beleeve confidently that they were created at their first beginning at this new world where they now dwell But we have freed them of this error by our faith which teacheth vs that all men came from the first man There are great and apparant coniectures that these men for a long time had neither Kings nor common weales but lived in troupes as they do at this day in Florida the Chiriquanas those of Bresill and many other nations which have no certaine Kings but as occasion is offered in peace or warre they choose their Captaines as they please But some men excelling others in force and wit began in time to rule and domineere as Nembroth did so increasing by little and little they erected the kingdomes of Peru and Mexico which our Spaniards found and although they were barbarous yet did they farre surpasse all the other Indians Behold how the foresaid reason doth teach vs that the Indians began to multiply for the most part by savage men and fugitives which may suffice touching the beginning of these men we speake of leaving the rest vntill we treate of their Historie more at large THE SECOND BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That it is not out of purpose but necessarie to treate of the 〈…〉 CHAP. 1. FOR the well conceiving of things at the Indies it is necessarie to know the nature and disposition of that Region which the Ancients did call the burning Zone the which they held inhabitable seeing the greatest part of this new world which hath bin of late discovered lies and is scituate vnder this region in the midst of heaven And it seemes to me greatly to purpose which some do say that the knowledge of things at the Indies depends of the well vnderstanding the nature of the Equinoctiall for that the difference which is betwixt the one and the other world proceeds in a maner from the qualities of this Equinoctiall And we must note that all the space betwixt the two Tropickes must be properly taken and held for this middle line which is the Equinoctiall so called for that the Sunne running his course therein makes the daies nights even throughout the world yea they that dwell vnder this line inioy throughout the yeare the same equalitie of daies and nights In this Equinoctiall line we finde so many admirable qualities that with great reason mans vnderstanding doth studie and labour to search out the causes not moved therevnto so much by the doctrine of ancient Philosophers as by reason and certaine experience For what reason the Ancients held that the burning Zone was inhabitable CHAP. 2. EXamining this subiect from the beginning no man can denie that which we plainely see that the Sunne when it drawes neere doth heate and when it retyres groweth cold The daies and nightes with the Winter and Summer be witnesses heereof whose varietie with the heate and cold growes by the neerenes and distance of the Sunne Moreover it is certaine the more the Sunne approacheth and casteth his beames prependicularly the more the earth is scorched and burnt the which we see plainely in the heate of the South and in the force of Summer whereby we may iudge in my opinion that the farther a Countrie is distant from the course of the Sunne the more cold it is So we finde by experience that the Countries and Regions which approach neerest to the North are coldest and contrariwise those that lie neere the Zodiake where the Sunne keepes his course are most hot For this cause Ethiopia passeth Affrike and Barbarie in heate Barbarie exceedes Andalousia Andalousia Castile and Arragon surpasse Biscaie and Fraunce And the more they decline to the North the colder they are and so by consequence those which approach neerest to the Sunne and are beaten perpendicularly with his beames they do most feele the heate thereof Some vrge another reason to this effect which is that the motion of the heaven is very â—odaine and light towards the Tropikes but neere the Poles it is slow and heavie whereby they conclude that the region which the Zodiake circles and conteines is set on fire with heate for three causes and reasons the one for the neerenes of the Sunne the other for that his beames reflect directly and the third for that it doth participate and feele this swift and sodaine motion of the heaven See what reason and discourse teacheth vs touching the cause of heat and cold vpon the regions of the earth But what shall we say of the two other qualities wet and drie Even the same For the drought seemes to grow by the neerenes of the Sunne and moistnes being retired farre off for that the night being colder then the day is likewise more moist and the day which is drier is also hotter Winter whilst the Sun runnes his course farther off is more cold and rainie and Summer when the Sunne is neere is more hotte and drie for even as the fire hath the propertie to parch and burne so hath it to drie vp the moistnes These things therefore considered Aristotle and other Philosophers attribute vnto the regions of the South which they call burning an excessive heat and a drouth likewise And therefore they said this region is wonderfully scorched and drie so by consequence hath neither waters nor pastures whereby of necessitie it must be contrarie and vnfit for mans life That the burning Zone is very moist contrary to the opinion of the Ancients CHAP. 3. ALl that we have propounded seemes vndoubtedly true and to purpose and yet the conclusion they would draw from it is directly false for that the Region of the South which they call the burning Zone is peopled and inhabited by men and wee our selves have stayed long there beeing very commodious pleasant and agreeable If therefore it be so as we cannot denie it that from a true proposition we cannot draw a false conclusion and yet this conclusion should be false as indeed it is we must of necessitie returne backe the same way to examine this proposition more strictly whence the error should proceede we will first shew the trueth as assured experience doth teach vs then will we proove it although it be verie difficult and will endevour to give a reaâ—on following the termes of Philosophie The last point that wee propounded that the drought is greatest whenas the Sunne is neerest to the earth seemeth certaine and infallible and yet it is very false fâ—r there is never greater aboundance of raine in the burning Zone then whenas the Sunne goeth directly over them and is very neere Truely it is an admirable
thou not knowe whence it commeth nor whither it shall goe To teach vs that conceiving a little of matters which are present common vnto vs wee should not presume to vnderstand that which is so high and so hidden as the causes and motives of the Holy-ghost It is therefore sufficient that wee knowe his operations and effectes the which are plainely discovered in his greatnes and perfections and to have treated alitle philosophically of the windes and the causes of their differences properties and operations which wee have produced into three the place by which they passe the regions where they blowe and the celestiall virtue the beginning and motive of the windes Of certaine properties of windes which blowe at the new worlde CHAP. 3. IT is a question much disputed by Aristotle whether the Southerne winde which we call Abreguo blowes from the pole Antartike or onely from the Equinoctiall lineâ— which is properly to demaund if beyond the Equinoctiall it holde the same qualitie of hote and rainie as we see here It is a point whereof we may with reason stand in doubt for although it passe the Equinoctiall yet is it still the Southerne wind seeing it comes from the same parte of the worlde as the Northerne winde which comes to the contrary continues stil the same winde although it passe the burning Zone and Equinoctiall line And it seemes hereby that these two windes should hold their first properties the one to be hote and moist the other colde and drie the South to breede mists and raine and the North to disperse them and to make a cleere Skie Notwithstanding Aristotle leanes to the contrary opinion for that in Europe the Northerne winde is colde because it comes from the Pole a region extreamely colde and the Southerne winde contrariwise is hotte because it comes from the South which is the region the Sunne dooth most heate By this reason then we should believe that the South winde should be colde to them that inhabite on the other side of the line and the Northerne wind should be hote for in those partes the Southerne wind comes from the Pole the Northerne from the Line And though it seemes by this reason that the Southern winde should be more colde there than the Northern is heere for that they holde the region of the South Pole to be more colde then that of the North by reason that the Sunne stayeth seaven dayes every yeere in the Tropike of Cancer more then it dooth in the Tropicke of Capricorne as it appeareth by the Equinoxes and Solstices he makes in the two Circles wherein it seemeth that Nature would shew the preheminence and excellencie of this moity of the worlde which is in the North above the other parte in the South so as it seemeth there is reason to beleeve that these qualities of the windes doe change in passing the Line but in trueth it is not so as I could comprehend by the experience I had some yeeres being in those partes of the Indies which lie on the South of the other side of the Line It is true that the Northerne winde is not vsually colde and cleere there as heere In some parts of Peru as at Lima and on the Plaines they find the Northern windes troublesome and vnwholesome and all along the coast which runs above five hundred leagues they holde the Southerne windes for healthfull and coole and which is more most cleere and pleasant yea it never raines contrary to that wee see in Europe and of this side the Line Yet that which chaunceth vpon the coast of Peru is no generall rule but rather an exception and a wonder of Nature neuer to raine vpon that coast and ever to have one winde without giving place to his contrary whereof we will heereafter speake our minde Now let vs stand vpon this point that the Northerne winde beyond the line hath not the same properties which the Southerne winde hath on this side although they both blow from the midday to regions and parts of the world which be opposite and contrarie For it is no generall rule there that the Northerne winde is neither hote nor rainie there as the South winde is on this side but contrariwise it raines whenas the South winde blowes there as we see in all the Sierre or mountaine of Peru in Chile and in the Countrie of Congo which is on the other side of the line and farre advanced into the Sea And in Potozi likewise the winde which they call Tomahani which is our North if my memorie faile me not is extreamely cold drie and vnpleasant as it is heere with vs. Yet doth not the Northerne winde disperse the cloudes vsually there as it doth heere but contrariwise if I be not deceived it doth often cause raine There is no doubt but the windes do borrow this great diversitie of contrarie effects from the places by which they passe and the neere regions where they are bred as we see by daily experience in a thousand places But speaking in generall of the qualitie of the windes we must rather looke to the coastes or partes of the world from whence they proceede then to observe whether they be on this side or beyond the line as it seemes the Philosopher held opinion These capitall windes which be the East and West have no such universall qualities nor so common in this continent nor in the other as the two former The Solanus or Easterne winde is commonly here troblesome vnholsome the Westerne or Zephirus is more milde and healthfull At the Indies and in all the burning Zone the Easterne winde which they call Brise is contrariwise very healthfull and pleasant Of the West I cannot speake any thing certaine or generall for that it blowes not at all or very seldome in the burning Zone for in all the navigation betwixt the two Tropikes the Easterne winde is ordinary And for that it is one of the admirable workes of Nature it shall be good to vnderstand the cause and the beginning thereof That the burning Zone the Brises or Easterly windes do continually blowe and without the Zone the westerne and that the Easterly are ordinarie alwaies there CHAP. 4. THe waies at Sea are not as at Land to returne the sameway they passe It is all one way saieth the Philosopher from Athens to Thebes and from Thebes to Athens but it is not so at Sea for we go one way and returne by another The first which discovered the East and weast Indies laboured much with great difficultie to finde out their course vntill that Experience the mistris of these secrets had taught them that to saile through the Ocean is not like the passage in Italie through the Mediterranean sea where in their returne they observe the same Ports and Capes they had sight of in their passage attending still the benefite of the winde which changeth instantly and when that failes they have recourse to their owers and so the
vse our Spanish name Dios fitting it to the accent or pronounciation of the Indian tongues the which differ much whereby appeares the small knowledge they had of God seeing they cannot so much as name him if it be not by our very name yet in trueth they had some little knowledge and therefore in Peru they made him a rich temple which they called Pachacamac which was the principall Sanctuarie of the realme And as it hath beene saide this word of Pachacamac is as much to say as the Creator yet in this temple they vsed their idolatries worshipping the Divell and figures They likewise made sacrifices and offrings to Viracocha which helde the chiefe place amongst the worships which the Kings Inguas made Heereof they called the Spaniards Virocochas for that they holde opinion they are the sonnes of heaven and divine even as others did attribute a deitie to Paul and Barnabas calling the one Iupiter and the other Mercurie so woulde they offer sacrifices vnto them as vnto gods and as the Barbarians of Melite which is Malté seeing that the viper did not hurt the Apostle they called him God As it is therefore a trueth conformable to reason that there is a soveraigne Lorde and King of heaven whome the Gentiles with all their infidelities and idolatries have not denyed as wee see in the Philosophy of Timee in Plato in the Metaphisickes of Aristotle and in the Aesculape of Tresmigister as also in the Poesies of Homer Virgil. Therefore the Preachers of the Gospel have no great difficultie to plant perswade this truth of a supreame God be the Nations of whome they preach never so barbarous and brutish But it is hard to roote out of their mindes that there is no other God nor any other deitie then one and that all other things of themselves have no power being nor workeing proper to themselves but what the great and only God and Lord doth give and impart vnto them To conclude it is necessarie to perswade them by all meanes in reproving their errors as well in that wherein they generally faile in worshipping more then one God as in particular which is much more to hold for Gods and to demand favour and helpe of those things which are not Gods nor have any power but what the true God their Lord and Creator hath given them Of the first kinde of Idolatrie vpon naturall and vniversall things CHAP. 4. NExt to Viracocha or their supreme God that which most commonly they have and do adore amongst the Infidells is the Sunne and after those things which are most remarkable in the celestiall or elementarie nature as the moone starres sea and land The Guacas or Oratories which the Inguas Lords of Peru had in greatest reverence next to Viracocha and the sunne was the thunder which they called by three divers names Chuquilla Catuilla and Intiillapa supposing it to bee a man in heaven with a sling and a mace and that it is in his power to cause raine haile thunder and all the rest that appertaines to the region of the aire where the cloudes engender It was a Guaca for so they called their Oratories generall to all the Indians of Peâ—â— offering vnto him many sacrifices and in Cusco which is the Court and Metropolitane Cittie they did sacrifice children vnto him as to the Sunne They did worship these three Viracocha the Sunne and Thunder after another maner then all the rest as Pollo writes who had made triall thereof they did put as it were a gauntlet or glove vpon their hands when they did lift them vp to worshippe them They did worshippe the earth which they called Pachamama as the Ancients did the goddessâ— Tellus and the sea likewise which they call Mamacocha as the Ancients worshipped Thetis or Neptune Moreover they did worship the rainebow which were the armes and blazons of the Ingua with two snakes stretched out on either side Amongst the starres they all did commonly worship that which they called Colca and we heere Cabrille They did attribute divers offices to divers starres and those which had neede of their favour did worship them as the shepheard did sacrifice to a starre which they called Vrcuhillay which they hold to be a sheepe of divers colours having the care to preserve their cattell and they imagine it is that which the Astronomers call Tyra These shepheards worshippe two other starres which walke neere vnto them they call them Catâ—chillay and Vrcuchillay and they faine them to be an Ewe and a Lambe Others worshipped a starre which they called Machacuâ—y to which they attribute the charge and power over serpents and snakes to keepe them from hurting of them They ascribe power to another starre which they called Chuguinchinchay which is as much as Tigre over Tigres Beares and Lyons and they have generally beleeved that of all the beasts of the earth there is one alone in heaven like vnto them the which hath care of their procreation and increase And so they did observe and worship divers starres as those which they called Chacana Topatarca Mamanan Mirco Miquiquicay and many other So as it seemed they approached somewhat neere the propositions of Platoes Idees The Mexicaines almost in the same maner after the supreame God worshiped the Sunne And therefore they called Hernando CorteZ as he hath written in a letter sent vnto the Emperour Charles the fift Sonne of the Sunne for his care and courage to compasse the earth But they made their greatest adoration to an Idol called Vitzilipuztli the which in all this region they called the most puissant and Lord of all things for this cause the Mexicaines built him a Temple the greatest the fairest the highest and the most sumptuous of all other The scituation beautie thereof may wel be coniectured by the ruines which yet remaine in the midst of the Cittie of Mexico But heere the Mexicaines Idolatrie hath bin more pernicious and hurtfull then that of the Inguas as wee shall see plainer heereafter for that the greatest part of their adoration and idolatrie was imployed to Idols and not to naturall things although they did attribute naturall effects to these Idolls as raine multiplication of cattell warre and generation even as the Greekes and Latins have forged Idolls of Phoebus Mercurie Iupiter Minerva and of Mars To conclude whoso shall neerely looke into it shall finde this manner which the Divell hath vsed to deceive the Indians to be the same wherewith hee hath deceived the Greekes and Romans and other ancient Gentiles giving them to vnderstand that these notable creatures the Sunne Moone Starres and Elements had power and authoritie to doe good or harme to men And although God hath created all these things for the vse of man yet hath he so much forgotte himselfe as to rise vp against him Moreover he hath imbased himselfe to creatures that are inferiour vnto himselfe worshiping and calling vpon their workes forsaking his Creator As the Wise man saieth
Philosophie worthy of accoumpt The greatest part of Platoes Interpreters affirme that it is a true Historie whatsoever Critias reports of the strange beginning of the Atlantike Iland of the greatnes thereof of the warres they had against them of Europe with many other things That which gives it the more credite of a true Historie be the wordes of Critias whom Plato brings in in his time saying that the subiect he meanes to treate of is of strange things but yet true The other disciples of Plato considering that this discourse hath more shew of a fable then of a true Historie say that we must take it as an allegorie and that such was the intention of their divine Philosopher Of this opinion is Procles and Porphire yea and Origene who so much regardes the writings of Plato as when they speake thereof they seeme to bee the bookes of Moses or of Esdras and whereas they thinke the writings of Plato have no shew of truth they say they are to be vnderstood mystically and in allegories But to say the truth I do not so much respect the authoritie of Plato whom they call Divine as I wil beleeve he could write these things of the Atlantike Iland for a true Historie the which are but meere fables seeing hee confesseth that hee learned them of Critias being a little childe who among other songs sung that of the Atlantike Iland But whether that Plato did write it for a true Historie or a fable for my part I beleeve that all which he hath written of this Iland beginning at the Dialogue of Time and continuing to that of Critias cannot be held for true but among children and old folkes Who will not accoumpt it a fable to say that Neptune fell in love with Clite and had of her five paire of twinnes at one birth And that out of one mountaine hee drew three round balles of water and two of earth which did so well resemble as you would have iudged them all one bowell What shall wee say moreover of that Temple of a thousand pace long and five hundred broade whose walles without were all covered with silver the seeling of gold and within ivorie indented and inlaied with gold silver and pearle In the end speaking of the ruine thereof he concludes thus in his time In one day and one night came a great deluge whereby all our souldiers were swallowed by heapes within the earth and in this sort the Atlantike Iland being drowned it vanished in the Sea Without doubt it fell out happily that this Iland vanished so suddenly seeing it was bigger then Asia and Affrike and that it was made by enchantment It is in likesort all one to say that the ruines of this so great an Iland are seene in the bottome of the sea and that the Mariners which see them cannot saile that way Then he addes For this cause vnto this day that Sea is not navigable by reason of the bancke which by little little is growne in that drowned Iland I would willingly demand what Sea could swallow vp so infinite a continent of land greater then Asia and Affrike whose confines stretched vnto the Indies and to swallow it vp in such sort as there should at this day remaine no signes nor markes thereof whatsoever seeing it is well knowne by experience that the Mariners finde no bottome in the Sea where they say this Iland was Notwithstanding it may seeme indiscreete and farre from reason to dispute seriously of those things which are reported at pleasure or if we shall give that respect to the authoritie of Plato as it is reason we must rather vnderstand them to signifie simply as in a picture the prosperitie of a Citie and withall the ruine thereof For the argument they make to prove that this Atlantike Iland hath bene really and indeede saying that the sea in those parts doth at this day beare the name of Atlantike is of small importance for that wee knowe Mount Atlas whereof Plinie sayes this sea tooke the name is vpon the confines of the Mediterranean Sea And the same Plinie reportes that ioyning to the said Mount there is an Iland called Atlantike which he reportes to be little and of small accompt That the opinion of many which holde that the first race of the Indians comes from the Iewes is not true CHAP. 23. NOw that wee have shewed how vnlikely it is that the first Indians passed to the Indies by the Atlantike Iland there are others holde opinion that they tooke the way whereof Esdras speakes in his fourth booke in this manner And whereas thou sawest that he gathered an other peaceable troope vnto him thou shalt know those are the ten tribes which were caried away captives out of their own land in the time of king Ozeas whom Salmanazar king of the Assyrians tooke captives and ledde them beyond the river so were they brought into an other land but they tooke this counsell to themselves to leave the multitude of the heathen and go forth into a farther countrie where never mankind dwelt that they might there observe their statutes which they could not keepe in their owne land and they entred by the narrowe passages of the river Euphrates for then God shewed his wonders and stayed the springs of the flood vntill they were passed over for the way vnto that Countrie is very long yea of a yeere and a halfe and this Region is called Arsareth then dwelt they there vntill the latter time and when they come forth againe the most Mightie shall hold still the springs of the river againe that they may goe through for this cause sawest thou this multitude peaceable Some will apply this text of Esdras to the Indies saying they were guided by God whereas never mankinde dwelt and that the land where they dwelt is so farre off as it requires a yeere and a halfe to performe the voyage beeing by nature very peaceable And that there are great signes and arguments amongst the common sort of the Indians to breed a beleefe that they are descended from the Iewes for commonly you shall see them fearefull submisse ceremonious and subtill in lying And moreover they say their habites are like vnto those the Iewes vsed for they weare a short coat or waste-coat and a cloake imbroidered all about they goe bare-footed or with soles tied with latchers over the foot which they call Oiotas And they say that it appeares by their Histories as also by their ancient pictures which represent them in this fashion that this attire was the ancient habite of the Hebrewes and that these two kinds of garments which the Indians onely vse were vsed by Samson which the Scripture calleth Tunicam and Sidonem beeing the same which the Indians terme wast-coat and cloake But all these coniectures are light and rather against them then with them for wee know well that the Hebrewes vsed letters whereof there is no shew among the Indians they were great
safe This Lake containes almost foure score leagues thirtie five in length and fifteene in bredth at the largest place There are many Ilands which in olde time were inhabited and tilled but now lie waste It brings forth a great aboundance of reedes which the Indians call Totora which serves them to a thousand vses for it is meate for swine for horses and for men they make houses therewith fire and barkes To conclude the Vros in this their Totora finde all they have neede of These Vros be such dull and brutish people as they esteeme not themselves men It is reported of them that being demanded of what nation they were They answered they were not men but Vros as it were some kinde of beastes There are whole villages of these Vros inhabiting in the Lake in their boates of Totora the which are tied together and fastened to some rocke and often times the whole village changeth from place to place So as hee that would seeke them now whereas they were yesterday shall finde no shew nor remainder of them or of their village The current or issue of this Lake having runne above fiftie leagues makes another Lake but lesse then the first which they call Paria and containes in it some small Ilands but they finde no issue thereof Some imagine it runnes vnder the ground that it falles into the South sea giving out that there is a branch of a river which they see rise and enter into the sea neere the banke having no knowledge of the Spring But contrariwise I beleeve that the waters of this Lake dissolve and are dispearsed within the Lake it selfe through the heate of the Sunne This discourse seemes sufficient to prove that the Ancients had no reason to holde that the middle region was inhabitable for the defect of waters seeing there is such store both from heaven and on the earth Shewing the reason why the Sunne without the Tropicks causeth greatest quantitie of waters when it is farthest off and contrariwise within them it breedeth most when it is neerest CHAP. 7. COnsidering with my selfe often times what should cause the Equinoctial to be so moist as I have said to refute the opinion of the Ancients I finde no other reason but the great force of the sunne in those partes whereby it drawes vnto it a great aboundance of vapors from out of the Ocean which in those parts is very great and spatious and having drawne vnto it this great aboundance of vapours doth suddenly dissolve them into raine and it is approoved by many tryed experiences that the raine and great stormes from heaven proceed from the violent heat of the Sunne first as we have said before it raines in those countries whenas the Sunne casts his beames directly vpon the earth at which time he hath most force but when the Sun retyres the heat is moderate and then there falls no raine whereby we may conclude that the force and heat of the Sunne is the cause of raine in those Countries Moreover we observe both in Peru New Spaine and in all the burning Zone that the raine doth vsually fall in after-noone when as the sunne-beames are in their greatest force being strange to see it raine in the morning And therefore travellers fore-seeing it begin their iourneyes earely that they may end and rest before noone for they hold that commonly it raines after noone Such as have frequented and travelled those Countriâ—s can sufficiently speake thereof And there are that having made some abode there say that the greatest aboundance of raine is when the Moone is at the full but to say the trueth I could never make sufficient proofe thereof although I have observed it Moreover the dayes the yeere and the moneths shew the trueth hereof that the violent heate of the sunne causeth the raine in the burning Zone experience teacheth vs the like in artificiall thinges as in a Limbecke wherein they draw waters from hearbs flowers for the vehemencie of the fire forceth and driveth vp an aboundance of vapours which being pressed and finding no issue are converted into liquor and water The like wee see in gold and silver which wee refine with quicke-silver the fire being small and slow wee draw out almost nothing of the quicke-silver but if it bee quicke and violent it doth greatly evaporate the quick-silver which incountring the head above doth presently turne into liquor and begins to drop downe Even so the violent heate of the sunne produceth these two effects when it finds matter disposed that is to draw vp the vapours on high and to dissolve them presently and turne them into raine when there is any obstacle to consume them And although these things seeme contrary that one sunne within the burning Zone being neere should cause raine and without the Zone afarre off should breed the like effect so it is that all well considered there is no contrarietie A thousand effects in naturall causes proceede of contrarie things by divers meanes we drie linnen by the fire and in the aire and yet the one heats and the other cooles pastures are dried and hardened by the sunne and with the frost moderate exercise provokes sleepe being too violent it hindereth if you lay no wood on the fire it dieth if you lay on toâ— much it likewise quencheth for the onely proportion entertaines and makes it to continue To well discerne a thing it must not be too neere the eie nor too farre off but in a reasonable distance proportionable being too farre off from any thing we loose the sight and too neere likewise we cannot see it If the sunne beames be weake they draw vp no fogge from the rivers if they be violent having drawne vp the vapours they presently dissolve and consume them but if the heat be moderate it drawes vp and preserves it for this reason the vapours rise not commonly in the night nor at noone but in morning whenas the sunne begins to enter into his force There are a thousand examples of naturall causes vpon this subiect which we see do often grow from contrarie things whereby we must not wonder if the sunne being neere engenders raine and being farre off works the like effect but being of a moderate and proportionable distance causeth none at all Yet there remaines one doubt why the neerenes of the sunne causeth the raine vnder the burning Zone and without when it is farthest off In my opinion the reason is that in Winter without the Tropicks the sunne hath not force sufficient to consume the vapours which rise from the land and sea for these vapours grow in great aboundance in the cold region of the aire where they are congealed and thickened by the extremitie of the cold and after being pressed they dissolve and turne into water Therefore in Winter when the sunne is farthest off the daies short and the nights long his heat hath small force but when the sunne approacheth which is in the summer time his force is
such as it drawes vp the vapors and suddenly consumes and disperseth them for the heat and the length of the daies grow through the neerenes of the sunne But within the Tropickes vnder the burning Zone the far distance of the sunne workes the same effects that the neerenes doth without the Tropiks by reason whereof it raines no more vnder the burning Zone when the sunne is farre off then without the Tropicks when it is neerest for that in this approaching and retyâ—ing the sunne remaines alwaies in one distance whence proceedes this effect of cleerenes But when the sunne is in the period of his force in the burning zone and that he cast his beames directly vpon the inhabitants heads there is neither cleerenes nor drienes as it seems there should be but rather great and strange showers for that by this violent heat he drawes vp suddenly a great aboundance of vapours from the Earth and Ocean which are so thicke as the winde not able easily to disperse them they melt into water which breedeth the cold raine in so great aboundance for the excessive heat may soone draw vp many vapours the which are not so soone dissolved and being gathered together through their great aboundance they melt and dissolve into water The which we may easily discerne by this familiar example rost a peece of porke mutton or veale if the fire be violent and the meate neere we see the fatte melts suddenly and droppes away the reason is that the violent heat drawes forth the humour and fatte from the meate and being in great aboundance cannot dissolve it and so it distills more away But when the fire is moderate and the meat in an equall distance we see that it rostes hansomely and the fatte drops not too suddenly for that the moderate heat drawes out the moistnes which it consumes suddenly And therefore Cookes make a moderate fire and lay not their meate too neere nor too farre off lest it melt away The like may be seene in another experience in candles of tallow or waxe if the wike bee great it melts the tallow or the waxe for that the heat cannot consume the moistnes which riseth but if the flame be proporcionable the waxe melts nor droppes not for that the flame doth waste it by little and little as it riseth The which seemeth to me the true reason why vnder the Equinoctiall and burning Zone the violence of the heat doth cause raine the which in other Regions growes through want thereof How wee should vnderstand that which hath been formerly spoken of the burning Zone CHAP. 8. IF in naturall and phisicall things we must not seeke out infallible and mathematicall rules but that which is ordinarie and tried by experience which is the most perfect rule wee must then beleeve what wee have said that there is more humiditie vnder the burning Zone then in other Regions and that it raines lesse there when the sunne is neerest must be taken and vnderstood after one sort as in truth it is the most common and ordinarie But this is not to hinder the exceptions which nature hath given to this rule making some Regions of the burning Zone extreamely drie The which is reported of Ethiopia and wee have seene it in a great part of Peru where all that land or coast which they call Plaines wants raine yea land waters except some vallies where rivers fall from the mountaines the rest is a sandie and barren soile where you shall hardly finde any springs but some deepe welles But with the helpe of God wee will shew the reason why it raineth not in these Plaines the which many demand for now I onely pretend to shew that there are many exceptions to naturall rules whereby it may happen that in some part of the burning Zone it raines not when the sunne is neerest but being farthest off although vnto this daie I have neither seene nor heard of it but if it be so wee must attribute it to the particular qualitie of the earth and also if sometimes the contrarie doth chance we must have regard that in naturall things there happens many contrarieties and leâ—s whereby they change and dissolve one another For example it may be the sunne will cause raine and that the winds will hinder it or else cause more aboundance then hath been vsuall The windes have their properties and divers beginnings by the which they worke divers effects the which are most commonly contrarie to that which the order season requires Seeing then in all places we see great varieties in the yeere which proceedes from the divers motions and aspectes of Planets it is not out of purpose to say that in the burning Zone wee may see and observe some things contrarie to that we have tried But to conclude that which we have spoken is a certaine and vndoubted truth which is that the great draught which the Ancients held to be in the middle region which they call the burning Zone is nothing at all but contrariwise there is great humiditie and then it raines most when the sunne is neerest That the Burning Zone is not violently hotte but moderate CHAP. 9. HItherto wee haue treated of the humiditie of the Burning Zone now it shall be fit to discourse of the other two qualities Hotte and Colde We have shewed in the beginning of this Discourse how the Ancients held that the burning Zone was hotte and exceeding drie the which is not so for it is hote and moist and in the greatest part the heat is not excessive but rather moderate which some would hold incredible if we had not tried it When I passed to the Indies I will tell what chaunced vnto mee having read what Poets and Philosophers write of the bâ—â—ning Zone I perswaded my selfe that comming to the Equinoctiall I should not indure the violent heate but it fell out otherwise for when I passed which was when the sun was there for Zenith being entered into Aries in the moneth of March I felt so great cold as I was forced to go into the sunne to warme me what could I else do then but laugh at Aristotles Meteors and his Philosophie seeing that in that place and at that season whenas all should be scorched with heat according to his rules I and all my companions were a colde In truth there is no region in the world more pleasant and temperate then vnder the Equinoctiall although it be not in all parts of an equall temperature but have great diversities The burning Zone in some parts is very temperate as in Quitto and on the plaines of Peru in some partes verie colde as at Potozi and in some very hote as in Ethiopia Bresill and the Molucques This diversitie being knowne and certaine vnto vs we must of force seeke out another cause of cold and heat then the sunne beames seeing that in one season of theyeere and in places of one height and distance from the Pole and Equinoctiall we finde so great diversitie
which daily happens in diverse partes of the Equinoctiall Manomotapa and a great part of the kingdom of Prester Iean are seated vnder the line or very neere In which regions they endure excessive heate and the men are all blacke the which is not onely in those parts of the land farre from the sea but also in Ilands invironed with the sea The Iland of Saint Thomas is vnder the Line the Ilands of Cape Verd are very neere and both in the one and the other are violent heates and the men are likewise blacke Vnder the same line or very neere lies a part of Peru and of the new kingdome of Grenado which notwithstanding are very temperate Countries inclining rather to colde then heate and the inhabitants are white The Country of Bresill is in the same distance from the line with Peru and yet both Bresill and all that coast is extreamely hot although it be in the North sea and the other coast of Peru which is in the South sea is very temperate I say then that whosoever would consider these differences and give a reason thereof cannot content himselfe with these generall rules before specified to proove that the burning Zone may be a temperate land Among the speciall causes and reasons I have first placed the Sea for without doubt the neerenesse thereof doth helpe to temper and coole the heat for although the water be salt yet is it alwayes water whose nature is cold and it is a thing remarkeable that in the depth of the Ocean the water cannot be made hot by the violence of the Sunne as in rivers finally even as salt-peeter though it be of the nature of salt hath a propertie to coole water even so we see by experience that in some ports and havens the salt-water doth refresh the which wee have observed in that of Callao whereas they put the water or wine which they drinke into the Sea in flaggons to be refreshed whereby wee may vndoubtedly finde that the Ocean hath this propertie to temper and moderate the excessive heate for this cause we feele greater heat at land then at sea Caeteris paribus and commonly Countries lying neere the sea are coooler then those that are farther off Caeteris paribus as I have said even so the greatest part of the new world lying very neere the Ocean wee may with reason say although it bee vnder the burning Zone yet doth it receive a great benefite from the sea to temper the heat That the highest landes are the coldest and the reason thereof CHAP. 12. BVt if we shall yet search more particularly we shall not finde in all this land an equall temperature of heate although it be in equal distance from the sea and in the same degree seeing that in some partes there is great heate and in some very little Doubtlesse the cause thereof is that the one is lower and the other higher which causeth that the one is hote and the other colde It is most certaine that the toppes of the mountaines are colder then in the bottome of the vallies the which proceedes not onely for that the sunne beames have greater repercussions vpon lower places although it be a great reason yet there is an other which is that the Region of the ayre is colder when it is farthest from the ground The Plaines of Collao at Peru of Popaian in new Spaine make sufficient proofe hereof For without al doubt those parts are high countries and for this reason cold although they be all invironed with high points of mountaines much subiect to the Sunne beames But if we demand why at Peru and in new Spaine the Plaines along the coast be very hote and the plaines of the same Countries of Peru and new Spaine be contrariwise colde In truth I see no other reason can be given but that the one is a lowe country and the other high Experience dooth teach vs that the middle region of the ayre is colder than the neather And therefore the more the mountaines approach to the middle the colder they are being covered with snow and frosts Reason it selfe dooth yeelde to it For if there be a sphere and region of fire as Aristotle and the other Philosophers say the middle region of the ayre must be most colde by Antiparistasis the colde being expelled and thickned there as in summer time we see in wells that are very deepe For this cause the Philosophers affirme that the two extreame regions of the ayre that above and the other belowe are the hottest and the middle region more colde If it be thus as experience doth teach vs we shall yet draw out another reason and notable argument to shew that the burning Zone is temperate which is that the greatest part of the Indies is a high countrey filled with many mountaines which by their neerenesse refresh the neighbour countries You may continually see vppon the toppes of these mountaines snow haile and frozen waters and the cold so bitter as the grasse is all withered so as the men and beasts which passe that way are benummed with colde This as I have saide is in the burning Zone and it happens most commonly when they have the sunne for zenith It is therefore most certaine and conformable vnto reason that the mountaines are colder than the valleis and plaines for that they participate more of the middle region of the aire which is very colde The cause why the middle region of the ayre is more colde hath bin shewed before for that the region of the aire next to the fiery exhalation the which according to Aristotle is vpon the spheare of the aire repells and thrustes backe all the colde the which retires it selfe into the middle region of the aire by Antiparistasis as the Philosophers speake Now if any one should question with me in this manner If it be so that the ayre is hot and moist as Aristotle holdes and as we commonly say whence then proceeds the cold which is congealed in the middle region of the ayre seeing it cannot come from the fierie spheare For if it come from the water or the earth by this reason the lower region of the aire should be colder than the middle To answer truely what I thinke I will confesse that this Argument and Obiection is so difficult as I am almost ready to follow the opinion of such as reproove the qualities agreements and disagreements which Aristotle gives vnto the Elements saying they are but imaginations who for this occasion hold the aire to be colde by nature And to this end they vse many arguments and reasons whereof we will propound one very familiar and well knowne leaving the rest aparte In the canicular dayes we are accustomed to beate the ayre with a fanne and we finde that it doth refresh vs so as these Authors affirme that heate is no private property of any other Element but of fire only which is dispersed and mingled with all things as the great Denis
a quality as when it blowes in some country it causeth it to raine fleas and in so great aboundaunce as they trouble and darken the aire and cover all the sea shoare and in other places it raines frogges These diversities and others which are sufficiently knowne are commonly attributed to the place by the which these windes passe For they say that from these places they take their qualities to be colde hote drie or moyst sickly or sound and so of the rest the which is partly true and cannot be denied for that in a small distance you shall see in one winde many diversities For example the Solanus or Easterne winde is commonly hote and troublesome in Spaine and in Murria it is the coolest and healthfullest that is for that it passeth by the Orchards and that large champaine which wee see very fresh In Carthagene which is not farre from thence the same winde is troublesome and vnholesome The meridionall which they of the Ocean call South and those of the Mediterranean sea Mezo giorno commonly is raynie and boisterous and in the same Citie wherof I speake it is wholesome and pleasant Plinie reports that in Affricke it raines with a Northerne winde and that the Southerne winde is cleere Hee then that shall well consider what I have spoken of these windes hee may conceive that in a small distance of land or sea one winde hath many and diverse qualities yea sometimes quite contrary whereby we may inferre that he draweth his property from the place where it passeth the which is in such sort true although we may not say in 〈◊〉 as it is the onely and principall cause of the diversitie of the windes It is a thing we easely finde that in a river containing fiftie leagues in circuite I putte it thus for an example that the winde which blowes of the one parte is hote and moist and that which blowes on the other is colde and drie Notwithstanding this diversitie is not found in places by which it passeth the which makesmee rather â—o say that the windes bring these qualities with them whereby they give vnto them the names of these qualities For example we attribute to the Northerne winde otherwise called Cicrco the property to be colde and drie and to dissolve mists to the Southerne winde his contrary called Levâ—sâ—he wee attribute the contrary qualitie which is moist and hote and ingenders mists This being generall and common we must seeke out another vniversall cause to give a reason of these effects It is not enough to say that the places by which they passe give them these qualities seeing that passing by the same places we see contrary effects So as we must of force confesse that the region of the heaven where they blowe gives them these qualities as the Septentrionall is colde because it commes from the North which is the region farthest from the Sunne The Southerne which blows from the Midday or South is hote and for that the heate drawes the vapours it is also moist and raynie and contrariwise the north is drie and subtile for that it suffereth no vapours to congeale And in this maner wee may discourse of other windes giving them the qualities of the region where they blowe But looking more precisely into it this reason can not satisfie me I will therefore demaund What doth the region of the aire by which they passe if iâ— doth 〈◊〉 them their qualities I speake it for that in German in the Southerne winde is hote and moist and in Affrike the Northerne is cold and drie Notwithstanding it is most certaine that in what region soever of Germanie the Southerne winde is ingendred it must needes be more cold then any part of Affrike where the Northerne is ingendred And if it be so why is the Northerne winde more cold in Affrike then the Southerne in Germany seeing it proceeds from a hotter region Some may answer me that the reason is for that it blowes from the North which is colde but this is neither sufficient nor true for if it were so whenas the Northerne winde blowes in Affrike it should also runne and continue his motion in al the Region even vnto the North the which is not so For at one instant there blowe Northerne windes very colde in countries that are in fewer degrees and Southerne winds which are very hotte in countries lying in more degrees the which is most certaine vsuall and well knowne Whereby in my opinion wee may inferre that it is no pertinent reason to say that the places by which the winds do passe give them their qualities or that they be diversified for that they blowe from divers regions of the ayre although the one and the other have some reason as I have said But it is needefull to seeke further to knowe the true and originall cause of these so strange differences which we see in the windes I cannot conceive any other but that the same efficient cause which bringeth foorth and maketh the winds to grow dooth withall give them this originall qualitie for in trueth the matter whereon the windes are made which is no other thing according to Aristotle but the exhalation of the interior Elements may well cause in effect a great parte of this diversitie being more grosse more subtile more drie and more moist But yet this is no pertinent reason seeing that we see in one region where the vapours and exhalations are of one sorte and qualitie that there rise windes and effectes quite contrary We must therefore referre the cause to the higher and celestiall efficient which must be the Sunne and to the motion and influence of the heavens the which by their contrary motions give and cause divers influences But the beginnings of these motions and influences are so obscure and hidden from men and on the other part so mighty and of so great force as the holie Prophet David in his propheticall Spirite and the Prophet Ieremie admiring the greatnes of the Lorde speake thus Qui profert ventos dâ— thesauris suis. He that drawes the windes out of his treasures In trueth these principles and beginnings are rich and hidden treasures for the Author of all things holdes them in his hand and in his power and when it pleaseth him sendeth them foorth for the good or chastisement of men and sends foorth such windes as hee pleaseth not as that Eolus whome the Poets doe foolishly faine to have charge of the winds keeping them in a cave like vnto wild beasts We see not the beginning of these windes neyther do we know how long they shal continue or whither they shall goe But we see and know well the diverse effects and operations they have even as the supreme trueth the Author of all things hath taught vs saying Spiritus vbi vult spirat vocemeius audis nescis vnde venit aut qâ—â— vadit The spirit or winde blowes where it pleaseth and although thou feelest the breath yet doost
Easterne windes and the Westerne and likewise of other windes CHAP. 5. ALthough that which we have spoken be generall and well approoved yet there remaines still a desire in me to learne the cause of this secret why vnder the burning Zone we saile alwaies from East to Weast with so great facilitie and not from Weast to East Which is as much as if wee should demaund why the Easterly windes raine there and not the Weasterly for that according to good Philosophie that which is perpetuall vniversall and of it selfe as the Philosophers say must have a proper cause and of it selfe But before I stay at this question which seemes remarkeable it shal be necessary to shew what we vnderstand by Brises or Easterly windes and Weasterly for that it will serve much for this subiect and for many other matters touching windes and navigations The Pilotes make two and thirty poynts of windes for that to bring their ship to the desired haven they must make their account as punctually and as strictly as they can for bending to the one side or the other never so little in the end of their course they should finde themselves farre from their pretended place And they reckon but twoo and thirty quarters of the windes for that more woulde confound the memorie But with reckoning as they accompt two and thirty windes so may they reckon three score and foure one hundred twenty and eight and two hundred fifty and six Finally multiply these partes to an infinite for the place where the shippe is being as it were the centre and all hemisphere in circumference what should let but wee may accompt lines without number the which comming from this centre drawe directly to these lineall circles in so many partes which might cause as many diverse windes seeing that the winde comes from all partes of the hemisphere which we may divide into as many parts as we will imagine yet the wisedome of man conformable to the holy Scripture observes foure windes the principall of all others and as it were the foure corners of the worlde the which they ioyne in making a crosse with two lines whereof the one goes from one Pole to another and the other from one Equinoctiall to the other Of the one side the North or Aquilon and the Southerne winde or mid-day opposite and on the other side the East which comes from the Sunne rising and the Weast from his setting And although the holy Scripture in some places speakes of other diversities of windes as of Eurus and Aquiloâ— which those in the Ocean sea call Nordest they of the mediterranean sea Gregual whereof there is mention made in Saint Paulâ— navigation yet the same holy Scripture makes mention of those foure notable windes which all the worlde knowes which areas is saide North South East and Weast But for that we finde three differences in the rising of the Sunne from whence the name of East comes that is the two greatest declinings which he doth vsually make and the meane betwixt them both as hee dooth rise in diverse places in winter in summer and in that which holdes the middle of these two seasons For this reason they have reckoned two other windes the East of summer and the East of winter and by consequence two Weasts the one of summer and the other of winter their contraries So as there are eight windes in eight notable poyntes of heaven which are the two Poles the two Equinoxes the two Solstices and their opposites in the same Circle the which are called by divers names and appellations in every place of the sea and land Those which saile the Ocean doe vsually call them thus They give the name of North to those windes that blowe from our Pole which carrieth the same name and Northeast that which is neerest and comes from the summer East They call East that which comes directly from the rising Equinoctiall and Southeast that which comes from the winter rising To the Mid-day or Pole Antartike they give the name of Southwest and to that of the winters setting the name of Southwest to the right setting Equinoctiall the name of West and to the summers setting Northweast They divide amongst them the rest of the winds and give them their names as they participate and approach to others as North-northweast North-north-east East-northeast East-southeast South-southweast Weast-southwest Weast-norwest so as by their names we know whence they proceed In the Mediterranean sea although they follow the same division and maner of reckoning yet doe they give them other different names they call the North Tramontana and his contrary the South MeZo-giorno or Mydy the East they call Levant and the Weast Povant and those which crosse these foure they call thus Southeast is by them named Xirocque or Xaloque and his opposite which is Norwest Mestrall they call the northeast Greâ— or Greguall and the Southweast his contrary Levesche Libique or Affricaine In Latine the foure knowne winds be Sâ—ptentrio Auster Subsolanus Favonius and those which be interlaced are Aquilo Vulturnus Affricus and Corus according vnto Plinie Vulturnus and Eurus is the same winde that Southeast or Xaloque Favonius is the Weast or Ponâ—nt Aquilo and Boreas is Nortest or Gregual or Tramontana Affricus and Libique is the Southweast or Levesche Auster and Notus is the South or Midday Corus and Zephirus the Northwest or Mestral and to the Northeast or Gregual they give no other name then Phenicien Some divide them after an other maner but for that it is not now our purpose to repeate the Latine and Greeke names of all the windes lette vs onely shew which be those amongst these windes that the Mariners of the Indian Ocean call Brises and lower winds I was long in some difficulty about these names seeing them to vse them very diversly vntill I found that these names were more generall then proper and peculiar They call Brises those which serve to goe to the Indies the which blowe in their poope which by this meanes comprehend all the Easterly windes and those which depend of them And they do call lower windes those which are fitte to returne from the Indies which blowe from the South to the summer-weast so as they be as it were two Esquadrons of windes of eyther side the Corporalles be of oneside Northeast or Greguall on the other Southweast or Levesche But you must vnderstand that of the number of eight windes and differences which we have counted five are proper to saile by and not the other three I say that when a ship sailes at sea he may make a long voyage with one of these windes although they serve him not equally but he cannot vse any of the other three As if a shippe goe to the South he shall saile with the North Northeast Northweast and with East and Weast for side-windes serve to goe or to come But with a Southerne wind he cannot saile being directly contrary nor with with his two Collaterals
which is Southest and Southwest which is a very triviall thing common to them that saile And therefore it is not needefull to explaine them heere but to signifie that the side-windes of the right East are those which commonly blow to the burning Zone which they doe call Brises and those from the South declining to the Weast which serve to saile from Weast to East are not common in the burning Zone and therefore they seeke them without the tropikes and the Indian Mariners commonly call them lower windes or Vents dábas What is the reason why sailing vâ—der the burning Zone we finde alwayes Easterly windes CHAP. 6. LEt vs now speake of that which toucheth the Question propounded what should be the reason whie vnder the burning Zone wee saile easily from East to Weast and not contrary wherein we must presuppose two certaine groundes The one is that the motion of the first moover which they call Diurnall not onâ—lie drawes and mooves with him the celestiall spheares which are inferiour vnto him as wee see daily in the sunne the moone and the starres but also the Elements do participate of this motion insomuch as they are not hindered The earth is not mooved by reason of her heavinesse which makes it immooveable being far from this first motor The element of water moves not likewise with this Diurnall motion for that it is vnited to the earth and make one sphere so as the earth keeps it from all circular motion But th' other two elements of fire aire are more subtil and neerer the heavenly regions so as they participate of their motion and are driven about circularly as the same celestial bodies As for the fire without doubt it hath his sphere as Aristotle and other Philosophers have held but for the aire which is no point of our subiect it is most certaine that it mooves with a motion diurnall which is from East to Weast which we see plainely in Comets that moove from the East vnto the Weast mounting descending and finally turning in the hemispheare in the same sort as the Starres move in the firmament for otherwise these Comets being in the region sphere of the aire whereas they ingender appeares consum'd It should be impossible for them to moove circularly as they doe if the element of the aire doth not moove with the same motion that the first motor dooth For these elements being of a burning substance by reason they should be fixt without mooving circularly if the sphere where they are did not moove if it be not as we faine that some Angell or intellectuall Spirite dooth walke with the Comet guiding it circularly In the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred seaventy and seaven appeered that wonderfull Comet in forme like vnto a feather from the horizon almost to the middest of heaven and continued from the first of November vntill the eight of December I say from the first of November for although in Spaine it was noted but the ninth of November according to the testimony of Writers of that time yet at Peru where I was then I remember well we did see it and observe it eight dayes before and all the time after Touching the cause of this diversity some may dilate vpon it particularly I will onely shew that during those fourtie dayes which it continued we all observed both such as were in Spaine and we that lived then at the Indies that it mooved daily with an vniversall motion from East to Weast as the Moone and other Planets wherby it appeeres that the sphere of the aire being its Region the element it selfe must of necessitie moove after the same sort We noted also that besides this vniversall motion it had an other particular by which it moved with the planets fro west to east for every night it turned more Eastward like vnto the Moone Sunne and Planet of Venus Wee did also observe a third particular motion whereby it mooved from the zodiacke towards the North for after some nights it was found neerer vnto the Septentrionall signes And it may be this was the reason why the great Comet was sooner seene by those that were southerly as at Peru and later discovered by them of Europe for by this third motion as I have saide it approached neerer the Northerne Regions Yet every one may well observe the differences of this motion so as wee may well perceive that many and sundry celestiall bodies give their impressions to the sphere of the aire In like sorte it is most certaine that the ayre mooves with the circular motion of the heaven from Est to West which is the first ground before mentioned The second is no lesse certaine the which is that the motion of the aire in those parts that are vnder the Line or neere vnto it is very swift and light the more it approacheth to the Equinoctiall but the farther off it is from the Line approching neere the Poles the more slowe and heavie this motion is The reason heereof is manifest for that the mooving of the celestiall bodies being the efficient cause of the mooving of the ayre it must of necessitie be more quicke and light where the celestiall bodies have their swiftest motion To labour to shew the reason why the heaven hath a quicker motion vnder the burning Zone which is the Line then in any other part of the heaven were to make small account of men seeing it is easie to see in a wheele that its motion is more slowe and heavy in the part of greatest circumference then in the lesse and that the greater circumference ends at one instant with the lesser From these two grounds proceedes the reason where such as saile great gulphs from east to west doe alwayes finde the winde in their powpe going in a small altitude and the neerer they come to the Equinoctiall the more certaine and durable the winde is And contrariwise sailing from west to east they always finde the winde contrary for that the swift motion of the Equinoctiall drawes after it the element of the aire as it doth the surplus of the higher spheares So as the aire dooth alwayes follow the motion of the day Going from east to weast without any alteration and the motion of the aire being swift draweth after it all the vapours and exhalations which rise from the sea which causeth in those Regions a continuall easterly winde which runnes from the Levant Father Alonso Sanches a religious man and of our company who hath travelled the east and west Indies as a man ingenious and of experience said that sailing vnder the Line or neere vnto it with a continued and durable season it seemed to him to be the same aire mooved by the heaven the which guided the ships and was not properly a winde nor exhalation but an aire moved with the daily course of the sunne for proofe whereof he shewed that the season is alwayes equall and alike at the gulph of Danees and in
other great gulphes where wee saile vnder the burning Zone by reason whereof their sailes are always of one fashion without any blustring having no neede in a manner to change them in all their course And if the ayre were not mooved by the heavens it might sometimes faile sometimes change to the contrary and sometimes there would grow some stormes Although this be learnedly spoken yet can we not deny it to be a winde seeing there are vapours and exhalations of the sea and that we sometimes see the Brise or easterly winds stronger sometimes more weake and placed in that sort as sometimes they can hardly carry all their sailes We must then know and it is true that the aire mooved draweth vnto it the vapours it findes for that the force is great and findes no resistance by reason whereof the easterne and weasterne windes are continuall and in a maner alwayes alike in those parts which are neere the Line and almost vnder all the burning zone which is the course the Sunne followes betwixt the two circles of Cancer and Capricorne Why without the Zone in a greater altitude wee finde alwayes westâ—rly windâ—s CHAP. 7. WHoso would neerely looke into what hath bin spoken may likewise vnderstand that going from the west to the east in altitude beyond the Tropikes we shall finde westerne windes for that the motion of the Equinoctiall being so swift it is a cause that the ayâ—e mooveth vnder it according to this motion which is from east to weast drawing after it the vapors and exhalations that rise of either side the Equinoctial or burning zone incountâ—ing the course and motion of the zone are forced by the repercussion to returne almost to the contrary whence growe the southweast winds so ordinary in those parts Even as we see in the course of waters the which if they be incountred by others of more force returne in a maner backe So it seemes to be like in vapours and exhalations whereby it growes that the windes doe turne and separate themselves from one part to another These westerly winds do commonly raiâ—â— in a meane altitude which is from twenty and seeven to thirty and seven degrees though they be not so certaine nor so regular as the Brises that are in a lesse altitude The reason is for that the southwest windes are no causes of this proper and equal motion of the heaven as the Brises are being neere to the Line But as I have said they are more ordinarie and often more furious and tempestuous But passing into a greater altitude as of fortie degrees there is as small assurance of windes at sea as at land for sometimes the east or north winde blowes and sometimes the south or weast whereby it happeneth their navigations are more vncertaine and more dangerous Of the exceptions to the foresaid Rules and of the Windes and Calmes both at Land and at Sea CHAP. 8. THat which we have spoken of winds which blow ordinarilie within and without the Zone must be vnderstood of the maine Sea and in the great gulphes for at land it is otherwise where we finde all sorts of windes by reason of the inequalitie which is betwixt the mountaines and the vallies the great number of Rivers and Lakes and the divers scituations of Countries whence the grosse and thicke vapors arise which are moved from the one part or the other according to the diversitie of their beginnings which cause these divers windes the motion of the aire caused by the heaven having not power enough to draw and move them with it And this varietie of windes is not onely found at land but also vpon the sea coast which is vnder the burning Zone for that there be foraine or land windes which come from the land and many which blow from the sea the which windes from the sea are commonly more wholesome and more pleasant then those of the land which are contrariwise troublesome and vnwholesome although it be the differrence of the coast that causeth this diversitie commonly the land windes blow from mid-night to the sunne rising and the sea windes vntill sunne setting The reason perhaps may be that the earth as a grosse substance fumes more whenas the sunne shines not vpon it even as greene wood or scarce drie smoakes most when the flame is quenched But the sea which is compounded of more subtile partes engenders no fumes but when it is hote even as straw or haie being moist and in small quantitie breedes smoake when it is burnt and when the flame failes the fume suddenly ceaseth Whatsoever it be it is certaine that the land winde blowes by night and that of the sea by day So that even as there are often contrarie violent and tempestuous windes vpon the sea coast so do we see very great calmes Some men of great experience report that having sailed many great passages at sea vnder the line yet did they never see any calmes but that they alwaies make way little or much the aire being moved by the celestiall motion which is sufficient to guide a ship blowing in poope as it doth I have already said that a ship of Lima going to Maniâ—â—a sailed two thousand seven hundred leagues alwaies vnder the line or not above twelve degrees from it and that in the moneths of Februarie and March whenas the sunne is there for Zenith and in all this space they found no calmes but alwaies a fresh gale so as in two moneths they performed this great voyage But in the burning Zone and without it you shall vsually see great calmes vpon the coastes where the vapors come from the Ilands or maine land And therefore stormes and tempestes and the suddaine motions of the aire are more certaine and ordinarie vpon the coastes whereas the vapors come from the land then in full sea I meane vnder the burning Zone for without it and at sea there are both calmes and whirlewindes Notwithstanding sometimes betwixt the two Tropickes yea vnder the line you shall have great raine and suddaine showers yea farre into the sea for the working whereof the vapors and exhalations of the sea are sufficient which moving sometimes hastily in the aire cause thunder and whirlewindes but this is more ordinarie neere to the land and vpon the land When I sailed from Peru to new Spaine I observed that all the time we were vpon the coast of Peru our voiage was as it was ordinary very calme and easie by reason of the Southerne winde that blowes having alwaies a fore winde returning from Spaine and new Spaine As we passed the gulph lanching farther into the sea almost vnder the line we found the season coole quiet and pleasant with a full winde but comming neere to Nicaragua and to all that coast we had contrarie windes with great store of raine and fogges All this navigation was vnder the burning Zone for from twelve degrees to the South which is Lima wee sailed to the seventeenth which is Gautulco a port of
lies all to the north and by that land thereafter discovered a sea on the other side the which they called the South sea for that they decline vntill they have passed the Line and having lost the North or Pole articke they called it South For this cause they have called all that Ocean the South sea which lieth on the other side of the East Indies althogh a great part of it be seated to the north as al the coast of new Spaine Nuaragna Guatimala and Panama They say that hee that first discovered this sea was called Blasconunes of Bilbo the which he did by that part which we now call maine land where it growes narrow and the two seas approach so neere the one to the other that there is but seaven leagues of distance for although they make the way eighteene from Nombre de Dios to Panama yet is it with turning to seeke the commoditie of the way but drawing a direct line the one sea shall not be found more distant from the other Some have discoursed and propounded to cut through this passage of seaven leagues and to ioyne one sea to the other to make the passage from Peru more commodious and easie for that these eighteene leagues of land betwixt Nombre de Dios and Panama is more painefull and chargeable then 2300. by sea wherevpon some would say it were a meanes to drowne the land one sea being lower then another As in times past we finde it written that for the same consideration they gave over the enterprize to win the red sea into Nile in the time of King Sesostris and since in the Empire of the Othomans But for my part I hold such discourses and propositions for vaine although this inconvenient should not happen the which I will not hold for assured I beleeve there is no humaine power able to beat and breake downe those strong and impenetrable mountaines which God hath placed betwixt the two seas and hath made them most hard rockes to withstand the furie of two seas And although it were possible to men yet in my opinion they should feare punishment from heaven in seeking to correct the workes which the Creator by his great providence hath ordained and disposed in the framing of this vniversall world Leaving this discourse of opening the land and ioyning both seas together there is yet another lesse rash but very difficult and dangerous to search out Whether these two great gulphes do ioyne in any other part of the world which was the enterprize of Fernando Magellan a Portugall gentleman whose great courage and constancie in the research of this subject and happy successe in the finding thereof gave the name of eteâ—nall memory to this straight which iustly they call by the name of the discoverer Magellan of which straight we will intreate a little as of one of the greatest wonders of the world Some have beleeved that this Straight which Magellan had discovered in the South sea was none or that it was straightned as Don Alonso d' Arsille writes in his Auracane and at this day there are some that say there is no such straight but that they are Ilands betwixt the sea and land for that the maine land endes there at the end whereof are all Ilands beyond the which the one sea ioynes fully with the other or to speake better it is all one Sea But in turth it is most certaine there is a straight and a long and stretched out land on eyther side although it hath not yet beene knowne how farre it stretcheth of the one side of the straight towards the South After Magellan a shippe of the Bishoppe of Plaisance passed the straight Don Guiâ—ieres Carvaial whose maste they say is yet at Lima at the entrie of the palace they went afterwards coasting along the South to discover the Straight by the commandement of Don Garcia of Mendoce then governer of Chille according to that which Captaine Ladrillero found it and passed it I have read the discourse and report he made where he saieth that he did not hazard himselfe to land in the Straight but having discovered the North sea he returned back for the roughnes of the time winter being now come which caused the waves comming from the North to grow great and swelling and the sea continually foming with rage In our time Francis Drake an Englishman passed this straight After him Captaine Sarmiento passed it on the South side And lastly in the yeere 1587. other Englishmen passed it by the instruction of Drake which at this time runne along all the coast of Peru. And for that the report which the master Pilot that passed it made seemeth notable vnto me I will heere set it downe Of the Straight of Magellan and how it was passed on the South side CHAP. 11. IN the yeere of our Lord God one thousand five hundred seaventy nine Francis Drake having passed the Straights that runne alongest the coast of Chille and all Peru and taken the shippe of Saint Iean d' Anthona where there was a great number of barres of silver the Viceroy Don Francis of Toledo armed and sent foorth two good shippes to discover the Straight appoynting Peter Sarmiento for Captaine a man learned in Astrologie They parted from Callao of Lima in the beginning of October and forasmuch as vpon that coast there blowes a contrary winde from the South they tooke the sea and having sailed litle above thirty days with a favourable winde they came to the same altitude of the Straight but for that it was very hard to discover they approched neere vnto the land where they entred into a great Bay in the which there is an Archipelague of Ilands Sarimento grew obstinate that this was the Straight and staied a whole moneth to finde it out by diverse wayes creeping vppe to the high mountaines But seeing they could not discover it at the instance of such as were in the army they returned to sea The same day the weather grew rough with the which they ranne their course in the beginning of the night the Admiralls light failed so as the other shippe never see them after The day following the force of the winde continuing still being a â—ide wind the Admiralles shippe discovered an opening which made land thinking good to enter there for shelter vntill the tempest were past The which succeeded in such sort as having discovered this vent they found that it ranne more and more into the land and coniecturing that it should be the Straight which they sought they tooke the height of the Sunne where they found themselves in fiftie degrees and a halfe which is the very height of the Straight and to be the better assured they thrust out their Brigandine which having run many leagues into this arme of the sea without seeing any end they found it to be the very Straight And for that they had order to passe it they planted a hie Crosse there with letters thereon
they had many pittes and mines of quickesilver which continue there to this day that the Romans suffered it not to be refined in Spaine left they should steale some of it but they carried it to Rome sealed vp in a masse as they drew it out of the mine and after refined it They did yeerely bring from Spaine especially from Andalusie about tenne thousand pound weight which the Romans valued as an infinite treasure I have reported all this out of that Author to the end that those which doesee what passeth at this day in Peru may have the content to know what chanced in former ages among the mightiest Lords of the world I speake for the Inguas kings of Peru and for the naturall Indians thereof which have laboured and digged long in these mines of quicke-silver not knowing what quicke-silver was seeking onely for Cinabrium or vermillion which they call Limpi the which they esteeme much for that same effect that Plinie reportes of the Romans and Ethiopians that is to paint the face and bodies of themselves and their idolls the like hath been much practised by the Indians especially when they went to the warres and vse it at this day in their feasts and dauncing which they call slubbering supposing that their faces and visages so slubbered did much terrifie and at this day they holde it for an ornament and beautifying for this cause there were strange workes of mines in the mountaines of Guanâ—avilca which are in Peru neere to the cittie of Guamanguâ— out of the which they drew this mettal it is of such a manner that if at this day they enter by the caves or Soccabones which the Indians made in those dayes they loose themselves finding no passage out but they regarded not quicke-silver which naturally is in the same substance or mettall of vermillion neither hadde they knowledge of any such matter The Indians were not alone for so long a time without the knowledge of this treasure but likewise the Spaniards who vntill the yeare of the incarnation of our Saviour one thousand five hundred three score and six and threescore and seaven at such time as the licentiate Castro governed in Peru discovered not the mines of quicke-silver which happened in this manner A man of iudgement called Henrique Guarâ—es a Portugall borne having a peece of this coloured mettall as I have saide which the Indians call Limpi with which they paint their faces as hee beheld it well found it to be the same which they call Vermillion in Castille and for that hee knew well that vermillion was drawne out of the same mettall that quickesilver was hee coniectured these mines to be of quickesilver went to the place whence they drew this mettall to make triall thereof The which hee found true and in this sorte the mines of Palcas in the territorie of Guamangua being discovered great numbers of men went thither to drawe out quickesilver and so to carry it to Mexico where they refine silver by the meanes of quickesilver wherewith many are inriched This country of mines which they call Guancavilca was then peopled with Spaniards and Indians that came thither and come still to worke in these mines of quicke-silver which are in great numbers and very plentifull but of all these mines that which they call d' Amador de Cabrera or of Saintes is goodly and notable It is a rocke of most hard stone interlaced all with quickesilver and of that greatnesse that it extendes above foure score Varres or yardes in length and forty in breadth in which mine they have many pittes and ditches of three score and tenne stades deepe so as three hundred men may well worke together such is the capacity thereof This mine was discovered by an Indian of Amador of Cabrera called Navincopa of the village of Acoria the which Amador of Cabrera caused to be registred in his name He was in surte against the Procurer fiscall but the vsufruite was adiudged to him by sentence as the discoverer Since he solde his interest to another for two hundred and fifty thousand ducates and afterwards thinking he had bin deceived in the sale he commenced an action against the buyer being worth as they say above five hundred thousand ducats yea some holde it to be worth a million of golde a rare thing to see a mine of that wealth Whenas Don Francisco of Toledo governed in Peru there was one which had bin in Mexico and observed how they refined silver with mercury called Pero Fernandes de Valesco who offred to refine silver at Potozâ— with mercury and having made triall thereof in the yeare of our redemption one thousand five hundred seaventy and one perfourmed it with credite then beganne they to refine silver at PotoZi with quicksilver which they transported from Guancavelicqua which was a goodly helpe for the mines for by the meanes of quickesilver they drew an infinite quantity of mettal from these mines whereof they made no accompt the which they called scrapings For as it hath beene said the quickesilver purifies the silver although it be drie poore and of base alloy which can not be doone by melting in the fire The Catholike King drawes from it quickesilver mines without any charge or hazard almost foure hundred thousand peeces of a mine the which are foureteene rialls a peece or little lesse besides the rights that rise in Potozi where it is imployed the which is a great riches They doe yearely one with another drawe from these mines of Guancavilca eight thousand quintalls of quickesilver yea and more The maner how to drawe out Quicke-silver and how they refine Silver CHAP. 12. LEt vs now speake how they draw out Quicke-silver and how they refine Silver therewith They take the stone or mettall where they finde the quicke-silver the which they put into the fire in pots of earth well luted being well beaten so as this mettall or stone comming to melt by the heate of the fire the quicke-silver seperates it selfe and goes forth in exhalation and sometimes even with the smoake of the fire vntill itincounters some body where it staies and congeales and if it passe vp higher without meeting of any hard substance it mountes vp vntill it be colde and then congeled it falles downe againe When the melting is finished they vnstoppe the pottes and draw forth the mettall sometimes staying vntill it be very cold for if there remained any fume or vapor which should incounter them that vnstopt the pottes they were in danger of death or to be benumined of their limbes or at the least to loose their teeth And for that they spend an infinite quantitie of wood in the melting of these mettalls A Miller called Rodrigo de Tores found out a profitable invention which was to gather certaine straw which growes throughout all those mountaines of Peru the which they call Ycho it is like vnto a hard reede wherewith they make their fire It is a strange thing to see the force
but much more for the exquisite effect it hath to cure woundes and divers other remedies as experience hath taught in the cure of diseases The Balme which comes from the West Indies is not of the same kind of right Balme which they bring from Alexandria or Caire and in old time was in Iudea which Iudea as Plinie writeth did of all the world possesse this greatnesse vntill the Emperor Vespasian broght it to Rome into Italie The reason why I say the liquor of the one and the other are not of one kinde is for that the trees from whence it comes are very different for the balme tree of Palestine was small and fashioned like to a Vine as Plinic reporteth who had seene it and those that at this day that have seene them in the East say as much As also the holy Scripture calles the place where the Balme thickens Vine of Enguaddy for the resemblance it hath to vine At the Indies I have seene the tree from whence they draw the Balme which is as bigge as a poungarnet tree and some thing neere the fashion and if my memory failes me not it hath nothing common with the vine although that Strabo writes that the ancient tree of Balme was of the bignes of a poungarnet tree But in their accidents and operations their liquors are alike as likewise they be in their admirable smells and in the cure and healing of wounds in colour and substance seeing they report of other Balmes that there is some white vermilion greene and blacke the which is likewise seene in that of the Indies And as they drew forth the ancient in cutting and making incisions in the barke to cause the liquor to distill out so do they with that at the Indies although it distilles in greater aboundance And as in the ancient there is one kinde which is pure the which they call Opobalsamum which be the very teares that distill so as there is another sort which is not so exquisite the which they drawe from the barke and leaves strained and boiled on the fire the which they call Xilobalssamum The like is also in the Indian Balmes there is one pure that distilles from the tree and others that the Indians draw out by straining and boiling the leaves and wood yea they do sophisticate and augment it with other liquors to make it increase It is not without reason they call it Balme for in truth it is so although it be not of the same kinde of the ancient yet it is much esteemed and should be more if the great aboundance were not the cause as in Emeraldes and Pearles That which importes most is the vse wherein it is imployed for creame and vnctions in the Church and in such veneration for that the Apostolike sea hath given libertie to give creame of Balme at the Indies and that they should vse it in confirmation and other ceremonies which they vse They bring Balme to Spaine from new Spaine from the Province of Guatimalla from Chiappa and other places where it aboundes most although the most esteemed be that which comes from the Iland of Tollu which is vpon the maine land not farre from Carthagene This Balme is white and commonly they holde the white to bee more perfect then the red although Plinie gives the first place to the vermilion the second to the white the third to greene and the last to blacke but it seemes that Strabo esteemed more the white Balmes as ours doe Monardes discourseth at large of the Indian Balme in the first and second part especially of that of Carthagene and Tollu which is all one I have not found that the Indians in olde time did much esteeme Balme nor yet imploy it in any important vse although Monardes saieth that the Indians cured their woundes therewith and from thence the Spaniardes learned it Of Amber and other Oyles Gums and Drugges which they bring from the Indies CHAP. 29. NExt to Balme Amber holdes the second place it is another liquor which is likewise sweete and medicinall but more thicke and turnes into a paste of a hote complexion and a good perfume the which they apply to woundes bruises and other necessities wherein I will referre my selfe to the Phisitions especially to Doctor Monardes who in his first Part hath written of this liquor and many others that are phisicall which comes from the Indies This Amber comes from new Spaine which hath that advantage above other Provinces in goomes liquors and iuyce of trees whereby they have such aboundance of matter for perfume and phisicke as is the Animé whereof there comes great store Copall or Suchicopal which is another kinde storax and encense which have excellent operations and have a very good smell fit for fumigations Likewise the Tacamahaca and Caranna which are also very medicinall They bring likewise from this Province oyle of Aspicke which the Phisitians and Painters vse much the one for plasters the other to vernish their pictures They bring also for the Phisitians Cassia fistule the which growes plentifully in S. Dominique It is a great tree which carries these canes as his fruite They brought in the fleete wherein I came from S. Dominique fortie eight quintalles of Cassia fistule Salcepareille is not lesse knowne for a thousand remedies wherein it is vsed There came in the same fleete fiftie quintalles from the same Iland There is much of this Saâ—ceparâ—ille at Peru and most excellent in the Province of Guaâ—aquill which is vnder the Line Many go to be cured into this Province and it is the opinion of some that the pure water onely which they drinke gives them health for that it passeth by rootes as I have said from whence it drawes this vertue so as there needes no great covering or garments to make a man sweate in that countrie The wood of Guayac which they call Lignum sanctum or Indian wood growes aboundantly in the same Ilands and is as heavie as yron so as it presently sinkes in the water heereof they brought in the same fleete 350. quintalls and they might have brought twentie yea a hundred thousand of this wood if there were vse for it There came in the same fleete and from the same Iland 130. quintalles of Bresill wood the which is fierie red so well knowne and much vsed in dying and other things There are at the Indies infinite numbers of other aromaticall woodes gummes oyles and drugges so as it is not possible to name them all neither doth it now much import I say onely that in the time of the Kings Inguas of Câ—sco and the Mexicaine Kings there were many great personages expert in curing of diseases with simples and did goodly cures having the knowledge of the many vertues and properties of hearbes rootes woodes and plants which grow there and whereof the Ancients of Europe have had no knowledge There are a thousand of these simples fit to purge as the rootes of Mechoaçan
hast said I am God and have set in the chaire of God in the midst of the sea Thus doth Sathan continually persist in this wicked desire to make himselfe God And although the iust and severe chastisement of the most high hath spoiled him of all his pompe and beautie which made him grow prowd being intreated as his fellonie and indiscretion had deserved as it is written by the same Prophets yet hath he left nothing of his wickednes and perverse practises the which hee hath made manifest by all meanes possible like a mad dogge that bites the sword wherewith he is strucken For as it is written the pride of such as hate God doth alwaies increase Hâ—nce comes the continuall and strange care which this enemie of God hath alwaies had to make him to be worshipt of men inventing so many kinds of Idolatries wherby he hath so long held the gretest part of the world in subiection so as there scarce remaines any one corner for God his people of Israel And since the power of the Gospel hath vanquished and disarmed him and that by the force of the Crosse hee hath broken and ruined the most important and puissant places of his kingdome with the like tyrannie hee hath begunne to assaile the barbarous people and Nations farthest off striving to maintaine amongst them his false and lying divinitie the which the Sonne of God had taken from him in his Church tying him with chaines as in a cage or prison like a furious beast to his great confusion reioycing of the servants of God as he doth signify in Iob. But in the end although idolatrie had beene rooted out of the best and most notable partes of the worlde yet he hath retired himself into the most remote parts and hath ruled in that other part of the worlde which although it be much inferiour in nobilitie yet is it not oflesse compasse There are two causes and chiefe motives for the which the divell hath so much laboured to plantidolatry and all infidelity so as you shall hardly finde any Nation where there is not some markes thereof The one is this great presumption and pride which is such that whoso would consider how hee durst affront the very Sonne of God and true God in saying impudently that he should fall downe and worship him the which he did although he knew not certainely that this was the very God yet had he some opinion that it was the Sonne of God A most cruell and horrible pride to dare thus impudently affront his God truely he shall not finde it very strange that hee makes himselfe to be worshipped as God by ignorant Nations seeing hee would seeke to be worshipped by God himselfe calling himselfe God being an abhominable and detestable creature The other cause and motive of idolatrie is the mortall hatred hee hath conceived for ever against mankinde For as our Saviour saith hee hath beene a murtherer from the beginning and holdes it as a condition and inseparable qualitie of his wickednesse And for that he knowes the greatast misery of man is to worship the creature for God for this reason hee never leaves to invent all sortes of Idolatries to destroy man and make him ennemy to God There are two mischiefes which the divell causeth in idolatry the one that hee denies his God according to the text Thou hast left thy God who created thee The other is that hee dooth subiect himselfe to a thing baser than himselfe for that all creatures are inferior to the reasonable and the divell although hee be superior to man in nature yet in estate he is much inferior seeing that man in this life is capable of Divinitie and Eternitie By this meanes God is dishonoured and man lost in all parts by idolatry wherwith the divell in his pride is well content Of many kindes of idolatry the Indians have vsed CHAP. 2. IDolatry saieth the holy-Ghost by the Wise man is the cause beginning and end of all miseries for this cause the enemy of mankinde hath multiplied so many sortes and diversities of idolatry as it were an infinite matter to specifie them all Yet we may reduce idolatry to twoo heades the one grounded vppon naturall things the other vpon things imagined and made by mans invention The first is divided into two for eyther the thing they worship is generall as the Sunne Moone Fire Earth and Elements or else it is particular as some certayne river fountaine tree or forrest when these things are not generaly worshipped in their kindes but onely in particular In this first kind of idolatry they have exceeded in Peru and they properly cal it Guaca The second kinde of idolatry which depends of mans invention fictions may likewise be divided into two sortes one which regards onely the pure arte and invention of man as to adore the Images or statues of gold wood or stone of Mercury or Pallas which neyther are nor ever were any thing else but the bare pictures and the other that concernes that which really hath beene and is in trueth the same thing but not such as idolatry faines as the dead or some things proper vnto them which men worshippe through vanitie and flatterie so as wee reduce all to foure kindes of idolatry which the infidells vse of all which it behooveth vs to speake something That the Indians have some knowledge of God CHAP. 3. FIrst although the darkenesse of infidelitie holdeth these Nations in blindenesse yet in many thinges the light of truth and reason works somewhat in them And they commonly acknowledge a supreame Lorde and Author of all things which they of Peru called Vnachocha and gave him names of great excellence as Pachacamac or Pachayachachic which is the Creator of heaven and earth and Vsapu which is admirable and other like names Him they did worship as the chiefest of all whom they did honor in beholding the heaven The like wee see amongest them of Mexico and China and all other infidelles Which accordeth well with that which is saide of Saint Paul in the Acts of the Apostles where hee did see the Inscription of an Altare Ignoto Deo To the vnknowne God Wherevpon the Apostle tooke occasion to preach vnto them saying He whome you worship without knowing him doe I preach vnto you In like sort those which at this day do preach the Gospel to the Indians find no great difficultie to perswade them that there is a high God and Lord over all and that this is the Christians God and the true God And yet it hath caused great admiration in me that although they had this knowledge yet had they no proper name for God If wee shall seeke into the Indian tongue for a word to answer to this name of God as in Latin Deus in Greeke Theos in Hebrew El in Arabike Alla but wee shall not finde any in the Cuscan or Mexicaine tongues So as such as preach or write to the Indians
their gods They drunke no wine and slept little for that the greatest part of their exercises were by night committing great cruelties and martiring themselves for the Divell and all to bee reputed great fasters and penitents They did vse to discipline themselves with cordes full of knottes and not they onely but the people also vsed this punishment and whipping in the procession and feast they made to the idoll TeZcalipuca the which as I have said before is the god of penance for then they all carried in their hands new cordes of the threed of Manguey a fadome long with a knot at the end and therewith they whipped themselves giving great lashes over their shoulders The Priests did fast five daies together before this feast eating but once a day and they lived apart from their wives not going out of the Temple during those five daies they did whip themselves rigorously in the maner aforesaid The Iesuites which have written from the Indies treate amply of the penances and exceeding rigor the Boncos vse all which was but counterfait and more in shew then in trueth In Peru to solemnize the feast of the Yta which was great all the people fasted two daies during the which they did not accompany with their wives neyther did they eate any meate with salt or garlike nor drinke Chica They did much vse this kinde of fasting for some sinnes and did penance whipping themselves with sharpe stinging nettles and often they strooke themselves over the shoulders with certaine stones This blinde Nation by the perswasion of the Divell did transport themselves into craggy mountaines where sometimes they sacrificed themselves casting themselves downe from some high rocke All which are but snares and deceites of him that desires nothing more then the losse and ruine of man Of the Sacrifices the Indians made to the Divell and whereof CHAP. 18. IT hath beene in the aboundance and diversitie of Offrings and Sacrifices taught vnto the Infidells for their idolatrie that the enemy of God and man hath most shewed his subtiltie and wickednes And as it is a fit thing and proper to religion to consume the substance of the creatures for the service and honour of the Creator the which is by sacrifice even so the father of lies hath invented the meanes to cause the creatures of God to be offered vnto him as to the Author and Lord thereof The first kinde of sacrifices which men vsed was very simple for Caine offered the fruites of the earth and Abell the best of his cattell the which likewise Noe and Abraham did afterwardes and the other Patriarkes vntil that this ample ceremony of Levi was given by Moses wherein there are so many sortes and differences of sacrifices of divers things for divers affaires and with divers ceremonies In like sort among some Nations hee hath beene content to teach them to sacrifice of what they had but among others hee hath passed farre giving them a multitude of customes and ceremonies vpon sacrifices and so many observances as they are wonderfull And thereby it appeares plainely that he meanes to contend and equall himselfe to the ancient law and in many things vsurpe the same ceremonies Wee may draw all the sacrifices the Infidells vse into three kindes one of insensible things another of beasts and the third of men They did vse in Peru to sacrifice Coca which is an hearb they esteeme much of Mays which is their wheate of coloured feathers and of Chaquira which otherwise they call Mollo of shelles or oysters and sometime gold and silver being in figures of little beasts Also of the fine stuffe of Cumbi of carved and sweete wood and most commonly tallow burnt They made these offerings or sacrifices for a prosperous winde and faire weather or for their health and to be delivered from some dangers and mishappes Of the second kinde their ordinary sacrifice was of Cuyes which are small beasts like rabbets the which the Indians eate commonly And in matters of importance or when they were rich men they did offer Pacos or Indian sheepe bare or with wooll observing curiously the numbers colours and times The maner of killing their sacrifices great or small which the Indians did vse according to their ancient ceremonies is the same the Moores vse at this day the which they call Alquible hanging the beast by the right fore legge turning his eyes towards the Sun speaking certaine wordes according to the qualitie of the sacrifice they flew for if it were of colour their wordes were directed to Chuquilla and to the Thunder that they might want no water if it were white smoothe they did offer it to the Sunne with certaine wordes if it had a fleece they did likewise offer it him with some others that he might shine vpon them and favour their generation If it were a Guanaco which is gray they directed their sacrifice to Viracocha In Cusco they did every yeare kill and sacrifice with this ceremony a shorne sheepe to the Sunne and did burne it clad in a red waste-coate and when they did burne it they cast certaine small baskets of Coca into the fire which they call Vilcaronca for which sacrifice they have both men and beasts appointed which serve to no other vse They did likewise sacrifice small birdes although it were not so vsuall in Peru as in Mexico where the sacrificing of quailes was very ordinarie Those of Peru did sacrifice the birdes of Puna for so they call the desart when they should go to the warres for to weaken the forces of their adversaries Guacas They called these sacrifices Cuzcovicca or Contevicca or Huallavicca or Sophavicca and they did it in this maner they tooke many kindes of small birdes of the desart and gathered a great deale of a thornie wood which they call Yaâ—lli the which being kindled they gathered together these small birdes This assembly they called Quiâ—o then did they cast them into the fire about the which the officers of the sacrifice went with certaine round stones carved whereon were painted many snakes lions toades and tigres vttering this word Vsachum which signifies let the victorie be given vnto vs with other wordes whereby they sayed the forces of their enemies Guacas were confounded And they drew forth certaine blacke sheepe which had beene kept close some daies without meate the which they called Vrca and in killing them they spake these words As the hearts of these beasts be weakened so let our enemies be weakned And if they found in these sheep that a certaine peece of flesh behind the heart were not consumed by fasting and close keeping they then held it for an ill augure They brought certaine black dogs which they call Appuros and slew them casting them into a plaine with certaine ceremonies causing some kinde of men to eate this flesh the which sacrifices they did lest the Ingua should be hurt by poison and for this cause they fasted from morning vntill the stars were vp
citty of Mexico there were above three hundred Mango Ingua Yupanguâ— amongst the Kings of Cusco was hee that most augmented the service of their idolls inventing a thousand kindes of sacrifices feasts and ceremonies The like did King Iscoalt in Mexico who was the fourth king There was also a great number of superstitions and sacrifices in other Nations of the Indians as in the Province of Guatimala at the Ilands in the new Kingdome in the Province of Chille and others that were like Common-wealthes and Comminalties But it was nothing 〈◊〉 respect of Mexico and Cusco where Sathan was in â—ome or in his Ierusalem vntill he was cast out against his will and the holy Crosse planted in his place and the Kingdome of Christ our God occupied the which the tyrant did vsurpe Of some Feast celebrated by them of Cusco and how the Divell would imitate the mysterie of the holy Trinitie CHAP. 28. TO conclude that which concernes Religion there restes something to speake of the feasts and solemnities which the Indians did celebrate the which for that they are divers and many cannot be all specified The Ingnas Lords of Peru had two kindes of feasts some were ordinarie which fell out in certaine moneths of the yeere and others extraordinary which were for certaine causes of importance as when they did crowne a new King when they beganne some warre of importance when they had any great neede of water or drought or other like things For the ordinary feasts we must vnderstand that every moneth of the yeare they made feasts and divers sacrifices and although all of them had this alike that they offered a hundred sheepe yet in colour and in forme they are very divers In the first moneth which they call Rayme which is the moneth of December they made their first feast which was the principall of all others and for that cause they called it Capacrayme which is to say a rich and principall feast In this feast they offered a great number of sheepe and lambs in sacrifice and they burnt them with sweete wood then they caused gold and silver to be brought vpon certaine sheepe setting vppon them three Images of the Sun and three of the thunder the father the sonne and the brother In these feasts they dedicated the Inguas children putting the Guaras or ensignes vpon them and they pierced their eares then some olde man did whip them with slings and annoynted their faces with blood all in signe that they should be true Knights to the Ingua No stranger might remaine in Cusco during this moneth and this feast but at the end thereof they entred and they gave vnto them peeces of the paste of mays with the blood of the sacrifice which they did eate in signe of confederation with the Ingua as hath bin said before It is strange that the Divell after his manner hath brought a trinitie into idolatry for the three images of the Sunne called Apomti Churunti and Intiquaoqui which signifieth father and lord Sunne the sonne Sunne and the brother Sunne In the like maner they named the three Images of Chuquilla which is the God that rules in the region of the aire where it thunders raines and snows I remember that being in Cuquisaca an honourable priest shewed me an information which I had long in my handes where it was prooved that there was a certaine Guaca or Oratory whereas the Indians did worship an idoll called Tangatanga which they saide was one in three and three in one And as this Priest stood amazed the reat I saide that the Divell by his infernall and obstinate pride whereby he alwayes pretendes to make himselfe God did steale all that he could from the trueth to imploy it in his lyings and deceits Comming then to the feast of the second moneth which they called Camey besides the sacrifices which they made they did cast the ashes into the river following five or sixe leagues after praying it to carry them into the sea for that the Virochoca should there receive this present In the third fourth and fift moneth they offered a hundred blacke sheepe speckled and grey with many other things which I omitte for being too tedious The â—ixt moneth is called Hatâ—â—cuZ qui Aymorey which answereth to Maie in the which they sacrificed a hundred sheepe more of all colours in this moone and moneth which is when they bring Maie from the fieldes into the house they made a feast which is yet very vsuall among the Indians and they doe call it Aymorey This feast is made comming from the Chacra or farme vnto the house saying certaine songs and praying that the Mays may long continue the which they call Mamacora They take a certaine portion of the most fruitefull of the Mays that growes in their farmes the which they put in a certaine grenier which they doe call Pirua with certaine ceremonies watching three nightes they put this Mays in the richest garments they have and beeing thus wrapped and dressed they worship this Pirua and hold it in great veneration saying it is the mother of the mays of their inheritances and that by this means the mays augments is preserved In this moneth they make a particular sacrifice and the witches demaund of this Pirua if it hath strength sufficient to continue vntill the next yeare and if it answers no then they carry this Mays to the farme to burne whence they brought it according to every mans power then make they another Pirua with the same ceremonies saying that they renue it to the end the seede of Mays may not perish and if it answers that it hath force sufficient to last longer they leave it vntill the next yeare This foolish vanitie continueth to this day and it is very common amongest the Indians to have these Piruas to make the feast of Aymorey The seaventh moneth answereth to Iune and is called Aâ—caycuZ qui Intiraymi in it they made the feast that is called Intiraymi in the which they sacrificed a hundred sheepe called Guanacos and saide it was the feast of the Sunne In this moneth they made many Images of Quinua wood carved all attired with rich garmentes and they made their dancings which they do call Cayo At this feast they cast flowers in the high wayes and thither the Indians came painted and their noblemen had small plates of golde vpon their beards and all did sing wee must vnderstand that this feast falleth almost at the same time whenas the Christians observe the solempnitie of the holy Sacrament which doth resemble it in some sort as in dauncing singing and representations And for this cause there hath beene and is yet among the Indians which celebrated a feast somewhat like to ours of the holy Sacrament many superstitions in celebrating this ancient feast of Intiâ—aymi The eight month is called Chahua Huarqui in the which they did burne a hundred sheepe more all grey of the colour of Viscacha according to the former order which