Châ—lle beare good wine 296 Vines of the vallie of Yâ—a which doe growe and are never watered with any raine and how ibid Vines that carry grapes every moneth in the yeere ibid. Viracoâ—hâ— the name which the Indians gave to their supreme god with others of great power 333 Vuziliputzli the chiefe idoll of Mexico and his ornaments 352 Vittells set vppon the tombes of dead men to feede them 347 Voyce heard foretelling the ruine of Moteçuma 565 Volcan of Guatâ—mala more admirable than all the rest 194 Volcans how entertained 196 Voyage of Hannon the Carthaginâ—an admirable in his time 36 Vros bruâ—ish people which esteeme not themselves 94 Vtilitie of all naturall histories 117 Vnction of Vuzilovitli the second king of Mexico 521 W. WAy by which the Spaniards go to the Indies and their returne 128 Waters of Guayaquil most soveraigne for the French disease 174 Warres of the Mexicans most commonly to take prisoners 483 Westerne windes hurtefull to silke-wormes 144 Westerne windes blowe not in the burning zone 126 Whales how taken by the Indians and how they eate them 167 Windes very daungerous which kill and preserve the dead bodies without corruption 147 Windes called Brises in the burning zone which come from the east 127 Windes how many and their names 133 Windes of the land in the burning zone blow rather by night than by day and those of the sea contrary and why 142 Winde corrupts yron 144 Windes that blowe southerly make the coast habitable 125 One Winde hath diverse properties according to the place where it raignes and the cause 120 Winde doth cause strange diversities of temperature 112 Wisedome of this world weake in divine yea in humane things 31 Winter and summeâ— and the cause 90 Woods rare and sweete at the Indies 292 Words of a man which had his heart pulled out 390 Writing of the Chinois was from the toppe downeward and the Mexicans from the foote vpward 447 X. XAmabusis pilgrimes forced to confesse their sinnes vpon the toppe of a rocke 400 Y. YCa and Arica and their manner of sayling in skinnes 63 Yearâ— at the Indies divided into eighteene moneths 432 Youth very carefully instructed in Mexico 489 Yeare at Peru approaching neerer to ours than that of Mexico 437 Ytu a great feast at the Indies which they made in their necessitie 416 Yupanguâ— Ingua was in Peru like to an other Numa in Rome for the making of Lawes 261 Z. ZEphiruâ— a pleasant and wholesome winde 126 Zone which they call burning the Antients held inhabitable 30 Burning zone in some partes temperate in others colde and in others hote 101 Burning Zone peopled and pleasaunt contrary to the opinion of Philosophers 86 Burning Zone why temperate 105 In the burning Zone they saile easily from east to weast and not contrarie and why 132 In the burning Zone the neerenesse of the Sunne dooth not alwaies cause raine 100 The end of the Table Errata 111.22 for Paraguen reade Paraguay 120.30 for River reade Region 135.32 for to reade in 141.28 for the motion reade without any â—otion 148.33 for inhabited reade not inhabited 164.17 for greene reade great 198.23 for hundred reade five hundred 213.21 for Curuma reade Cucuma 229.17 for to reade and 235.11 for it reade that 241.8 for it reade his 253.12 for maces reade markes 274.8 for little reade like 278.19 for is no reade is a 351.25 for many reade in many 368.2 for possession reade profession 397.14 for to the communion reade to the people in manner of a communion 514.21 for partiall reade particular 324.32 for convenient in a maner reade in a convenient manner 335.3 for of reade to 347.25 for neither reade in their Gentle Reader from the folio 225. line 14 16 19 20. where you finde peeces reade pezoes till you come to folio 322. line 22. THE FIRST BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the East and West Indies Of the opinions of some Authors which supposed that the Heavens did not extend to the new-found world The first Chapter THE Ancients were so farre from conceypt that this new-found world was peopled by any Nation that many of them could not imagine there was any land on that part and which is more worthie of admiration some have flatly denyed that the Heavens which we now beholde could extend thither For although the greatest part yea the most famous among the Philosophers have well knowne that the Heaven was round as in effect it is and by that meanes did compasse and comprehend within it self the whole earth yet many yea of the holy doctors of greatest authoritie have disagreed in opinion vpon this point supposing the frame of this vniversall world to bee fashioned like vnto a house whereas the roofe that covers it invirons onely the vpper part and not the rest inferring by their reasons that the earth should else hang in the middest of the ayre the which seemed vnto them voyd of sense For as we see in every building the ground-worke and foundation on the one side and the cover opposite vnto it even so in this great building of the world the Heaven should remaine above on the one part and the earth vnder it The glorious Chrysostome a man better seene in the studie of holy Scriptures then in the knowledge of Philosophie seemes to be of this opinion when in his Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes he doth laugh at those which hold the heavens to be round And it seemes the holy Scripture doth inferre as much terming the Heavens a Tabernacle or Frame built by the hand of God And hee passeth farther vpon this point saying that which mooves and goes is not the Heaven but the Sunne Moone and Starres which moove in the heaven even as Sparrowes and other birds moove in the ayre contrary to that which the Philosophers hold that they turne with the Heaven itselfe as the armes of a wheele doe with the wheele Theodoret a very grave Authour followes Chrysostome in this opinion and Theophilus likewise as hee is accustomed almost in all thinges But Lactantius Firmian above all the rest holding the same opinion doth mocke the Peripatetickes and Academickes which give the heaven a round forme placing the earth in the middest thereof for that it seemeth ridiculous vnto him that the earth should hang in the ayre as is before sayde By which his opinion hee is conformable vnto Epicurus who holdeth that on the other part of the earth there is nothing but a Chaos and infinite gulph And it seemeth that S. Ierome draweth neere to this opinion writing vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians in these wordes The naturall Philosopher by his contemplation pierceth to the height of heaven and on the other part he findeth a great vast in the depth and bowels of the earth Some likewise say that Procopius affirmes the which I have not seene vpon the booke of Genesis that the opinion of Aristotle touching the forme and
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
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
the motion of the first motor which is the cause of day and night even so the difference which we see betwixt Winter and Summer proceeds from the neerenesse and distance of the Sunne according to the motion of the said Sunne which is the proper cause To speake trueth then it is Summer whenas the Sunne is neerest and Winter when it is farthest off Both heate and coldnesse and every other temperature growes of necessitie by the neerenesse and distance of the sunne but to raine or not to raine which is humiditie and drought doe not necessarily follow It is therefore easie to iudge besides this vulgar opinion that at Peru the Winter is cleere and without raine and the Summer full of showres and not otherwise as many beleeve that the winter is hotte and the summer cold They fall into the like error vpon the difference they make betwixt the Plaines and the Mountaines of Peru saying that when it is summer vpon the mountaine it is winter in the vallie which is in April Maie Iune Iuly and August for then the aire is very cleere vpon the mountaine without any raine or mistes and at the same season we commonly see fogges in the plaine which they call Guarva which is as it were a very sweet dew wherewith the sunne is covered But winter and summer as it is said are caused by the neerenesse and distance of the sunne Seeing then that throughout all Perâ— both vpon the Mountaines and on the Plaines the sunne approcheth and retyreth in one sort there is no reason to say that when it is summer in one part that it is winter in an other yet is it no mâ—tter of any importance to contend vpon the signification of words Let them terme them as they please and call that summer when it raines not although the heat be greater But that whereunto we must have greatest regard is the trueth of the subiect which is that drought and want of raine is not alwaies greatest when the sunne approcheth neerest as we see in the burning Zone That the burning Zone abounds with waters and pastures against the opinion of Aristotle who holds the contrarie CHAP. 6. BY the former Discourse wee may easily conceive that the burning Zone is not drie but abounding with waters the which is so true as it exceeds all the Regions of the world for store of waters except in some parts where there are sands and desart Countries as wee finde likewise in some other parts of the world As for water from Heaven wee have alreadie shewen that there is great aboundance of raine snow and haile which especially abound in the kingdome of Peru. But as for land-waters as rivers fountaines brookes springs floods and lakes I have not spoken thereof till now yet being an ordinarie thing that the waters below have a correspondencie with them above wee must not imagine that there can bee any want and in trueth there is so great store of springs and fountaines as you shall not finde in any Region or Countrie of the world so many lakes marishes and such store of rivers for the greatest part of America is almost inhabitable through too great aboundance of waters for that the rivers swelled with the great Raines in Summer doe often overflow their banckes with such furie as they breake all they incounter and in many places they cannot passe by reason of the mudde and myre of marishes and vallies for this cause those that live neere to Paraguen whereof wee have made mention foreseeing the rising of the River before it comes put themselves and their goods into Canoes and so preserve themselves and their goods fâ—oating vp and downe almost for the space of three moneths and when the River is returned within her boundes then they goe to their houses still wette and dropping with the â—â—ood And this River is so great as Nile Ganges Euphrates all together cannot equall it But what shall we say of the great river of Magdalaine which falles into the sea betwixt S. Martha and Carthagene and with reason is called the great river Sailing in those parts I was amazed to see her streame which was very cleere runne ten leagues into the sea being in breadth above two leagues not mingling noâ— vanquished with the violent waves of the Ocean But if we shall speake more of rivers that great floud called by some the river of Amazons by others Marannon and by some the river of Orellana which our Spaniards sailed in their discoveries ought to blemish all the rest and in truth I am in doubt whither I may tearme it a river or a sea It flowes from the mountaines of Peru from whence it receiâ—es a great aboundance of water both of raine and of rivers which it gathereth into it then passing by the great plaines of Pautiti Dorado and the Amazons in the end it falles into the Ocean almost right against the â—land of Marguerite and Trinidado It hath so large broad a channel specially in the last third part of her length as it contains in it many great â—lands And that which seemes incredible when you saile through the midst of it you shall see nothing but aire and water They say moreover that from the midst you cannot see nor discover with the eye many great and high mountaines which are vpon the bankes by reason of her great bredth We have learned from credible persons the great and wonderfull bredth of this river which in my opinion deserves well the name of Empresse and Queene of all flouds which was by the report of a brother of our company who being then yong sailed it in the company of Peter d'Orsua with whom hee was present at all the adventures of this strange entrie and discoverie and at the seditious and pernitious acts of that wicked Diego d' Aguirra from the which God delivered him to place him in our company Such are the rivers in that region which they call the burning Zone and the drie parcht vp countrie in the which Aristotle and the Ancients affirmed there were neither waters nor pastures But seeing I have made mention of the river of Marannon to shew the abundance of the waters that are in the burning zone it shall not be from the purpose to speake somewhat of that great Lake which they call Titicaca which is in the midst of the Province of Collao There are above ten great rivers which loose themselves entring into that Lake and yet hath it no issue but one small current of water although some hold it to be very deepe and of such a fashion as it is impossible to build a bridge over it for the depth of the water neither can they passe it by boate for the violence of the current They passe it by an artificiall and notable practice peculiar to the Indians with a bridge of straw laied vpon the water the which being of so light a substance sinkes not and yet this passage is very easie and
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
those we vse in Europe and that by them wee may write wordes and discourses and that they only differ from our letters and writings in the diversitie of caracters as the Greekes differ from the Latines and the Hebrews from the Chaldees But it is not so for they have no Alphabet neither write they any letters but all their writing is nothing else but painting and ciphering and their letters signifie no partes of distinctions as ours do but are figures and representations of things as of the Sunne of fire of a man of the sea and of other things The which appears plainely for that their writings and Chapas are vnderstood of them all although the languages the Chinois speake are many and very different in like sort as our numbers of ciphers are equally vnderstooode in the Spanish French and Arabian tongues for this figure 8. wheresoever it be signifies eight althogh the French call this number of one sort and the Spaniards of another So as things being of themselves innumerable the letters likewise or figures which the Chinois vse to signifie them by are in a maner infinite so as he that shall reade or write at China as the Mandarins doe must know and keepe in memory at the least fourescore and five thousand characters or letters and those which are perfect herein know above sixscore thousand Astrange and prodigious thing yea incredible if it were not testified by men worthy of credite as the fathers of our company who are there continually learning their language and writing wherein they have studied day and night above tenne yeares with a continuall labour for the charitie of Christ and the desire of salvation of soules prevailed in them above all this labour and difficultie For this reason learned men are so much esteemed in China for the difficultie there is to conceive them those only have the offices of Mandarins Governours Iudges and Captaines For this cause the fathers take great pains to instruct their children to reade and write There are many of these schooles where the children are taught where the masters teach them by day and the fathers at home by night so as they hurt their eyes much and they whippe them often with reedes although not so severely as they doe offenders They call it the Mandarin tongue which requires a mans age to be conceived And you must vnderstand that although the tongue which the Mandarins speake bee peculiar and different from the Vulgar which are many and that they studie it as they doe Latine Greeke heere and that the learned only throghout all China do vnderstand it so it is notwithstanding that all that is written in it is vnderstood in all tongues and although all the Provinces doe not vnderstand one another by speaking yet by writing they doe for there is but one sort of figures and characters for them all which signifie one thing but not the same word and prolation seeing as I have said they are onely to denote the things and not the worde as we may easily vnderstand by the examples of numbers in ciphering And they of Iappon the Chinois do reade and vnderstand well the writings one of another although they be divers Nations and different in tongue and language If they speake what they reade or write they should not bee vnderstood Such are the letters and bookes the Chinois vse being so famous in the world To make their impressions they grave a boord or plank with the figures they will print then do they stampe as many leaves of paper as they list of the same sort as they have made their pictures the which are graven in copper or wood But a man of iudgement may aske how they could signifie their conceptions by figures which approached neere or resemble the thing they would represent As to say the Sunne heats or that he hath beheld the Sunne or the day is of the Sunne Finally how it were possible to denote by the same figures the case the coniunction and the articles which are in many tongues and writings I answer therevnto that they distinguish and signifie this varietie by certaine points strikes and dispositions of the figure But it is difficult to vnderstand how they can write proper names in their tongue especially of strangers being things they have never seene and notable to invent figures proper vnto them I have made triall thereof being in Mexico with the Chinois willing them to write this proposition in their language Ioseph Acosta is come from Peru and such like wherevpon the Chinois was long pensive but in the end hee did write it the which other Chinois did after reade although they did vary a little in the pronountiation of the proper name For they vse this devise to write a proper name they seeke out something in their tongue that hath resemblance to that name and set downe the figure of this thing And as it is difficult among so many proper names to finde things to resemble them in the prolation so is it very difficult and troublesome to write such names Vpon this purpose father Allonso SancheZ told vs that when he was in China being led into divers Tribunall seates from Manderin to Manderin they were long in putting his name in writing in their Chapas yet in the end they did write it after their maner and so ridiculously that they scarce came neere to the name and this is the fashion of letters and writings which the Chinois vsed That of the Iapponois approched very neere although they affirme that the Noblemen of Iappon that came into Europe did write all things very easily in their language were they of our proper names yea I have had some of their writings shewed me whereby it seemes they should have some kinde of letters although the greatest part of their writings be by the characters and figures as hath bin saide of the Chinois Of the Schooles and Vniversities of China CHAP. 6. THe fathers of our company say that they have not seene in China any great schooles or vniversities of Philosophie and other naturall sciences beleeving there is not any but that all their studie is in the Mandarin tongue which is very ample and hard as I have said and what they studie bee things written in their owne tongue which be histories of sects and opinions of civill lawes of morall proverbes of fables and many other such compositions that depend thereon Of divine sciences they have no knowledge neither of naturall things but some small remainders of straied propositions without art or methode according to everie mans witte and studie As for the Mathematikes they have experience of the celestiall motions and of the starres And for Phisicke they have knowledge of herbs by means wherof they cure many diseases vse it much They write with pensils have many books writen with the hand and others printed but in a bad order They are great plaiers of come dies the which they perform with great
thing and worthy observation that the ayre is most cleere and without rayne vnder this burning Zone whenas the Sunne is farthest off and contrariwise there is most rayne snow and mists whenas the Sunne is neerest Such as have not travelled in this new world wil happily thinke this incredible and it will seeme strange even vnto such as have beene there if they have not well observed it but the one and the other will willingly yeeld in noting the certaine experience of that which hath beene sayd of this part of Peru which looks to the Southerne or Antartike Pole the Sunne is then farthest off when it is neerest vnto Europe that is in Maie Iune Iuly and August whenas hee makes his course in the Tropicke of Cancer During which Moneths the aire at Peru is very cleere and calme neyther doth there fall any snow or raine all their rivers fall much and some are dried vp quite but as the yeere increaseth and the Sunne approcheth neere vnto the Tropicke of Capricorne then begins it to raine and to snow and their Rivers swell from October to December Then after that the Sun retyring from Capricorne whenas his beames reflect directly vpon the heads of them of Peru then is the violence of their waters great then is the time of raine snow and great overflowings of their Rivers when as their heate is greatest that is from Ianuarie to mid March this is so true and certaine as no man may contradict it And at that time the contrary is found in the Regions of the Pole Articke beyond the Equinoctiall which proceeds from the same reason But let vs now looke into the temperature of Panama all that coast as well of new Spaine the Ilands of Barlovent Cuba Hispaniola Iamaica as of S. Iohn de Port ricco wee shall without doubt finde that from the beginning of November vntill Aprill they have the aire cleere and bright the reason is for that the Sunne passing by the Equinoctiall to the Tropicke of Capricorne retyres from those Regions more then at any other time of the yeere And contrariwise they have violent showers and great swellings of water whenas the Sunne returnes and is neerest vnto them which is from Iune vnto September for then his beames beate most vpon them The like happens at the East Indies as we learne daily by letters that come So as it is a generall rule although in some places there is an exception that in the Region of the South or burning Zone which is all one the aire is most cleere and driest whenas the Sun is farthest off and contrariwise when it approcheth there is greatest rayne and humiditie and even as the Sunne advanceth or retyreth little or much even so the earth abounds or wants water and moisture That in the Regions which be without the Tropicks there is greatest store of waters whenas the Sunne is farthest off contrary to that vnder the burning Zone CHAP. 4. IN Regions which lie without the Tropicks we see the contrary to that which hath beene spoken for that the rayne is mingled with cold the drought with heate the which is well knowne in all Europe and the old world as we see in the same manner in the new world whereof the whole Kingdome of Chile is a witnesse which lying without the Tropicke of Capricorne and in the same height with Spaine is subiect to the same lawes of Winter and Summer but that Winter is there whenas it is Summer in Spaine being vnder divers Poles So as when it is cold in these Provinces the waters are in great aboundance which is when the Sunne is farthest off from the beginning of Aprill to the end of September finally the disposition of seasons is like to that in Europe which is that the heat and drought comes whenas the Sunne returnes which is the cause that this Realme of Chile approcheth neerer the temperature of Europe then any other of the Indies as well in the fruites of the earth as in the bodies and spirits of men The like they report of that part which lies before the Inner Ethiopia that stretcheth out in manner of a point vnto the Cape Bonne Esperance or Good Hope the which they holde for a true cause of the inundations of Nile which bee in Summer whereof the Ancients have so much disputed for that in that Region the Winter and raine begins in April whenas the Sunne hath passed Aries and these waters which partly grow from snow and partly from raine assemble and make great Lakes and Pooles from whence by good and true Geographie the River of Nile proceedes and by this meanes goes by little and little stretching out her course till that having runne a long way it finally in the time of Summer overfloweth Egypt which seemeth against nature and yet it is certainely reported for at what time it is Summer in Egypt lying vnder the Tropicke of Cancer then is it winter at the springes of Nile which is vnder the other Tropicke of Capricorne There is in America an other inundation like to that of Nile at Paraguen or River de la Plata which is as much to say as the River of silver the which receiving yeerely infinite waters which fall from the Mountaines of Perâ— doth so terribly swell in her course and over-flowes that Region as the Inhabitants are forced during those Moneths to retyre themselves into boats and Canoes and to leave the dwelling of the Land That betwixt the two Tropicks the greatest aboundance of raine is in Summer with a discourse of Winter and Summer CHAP. 5. TO conclude Summer is alwayes accompanied with heate and drought in the two temperate Zones and Winter with cold and moistnesse but vnder the burning Zone those qualities are not alike for that raine accompanies heate and drought followeth the cold I vnderstand by cold want of excessive heat so as Winter is taken in our Europe for the colde and raynie season and Summer for the hot and cleere season Ouâ— Spaniards which live at Peru and in newe Spaine seeing these two qualities not to concurre together as in Spaine call that season Winter wherein there is greatest aboundance of raine and waters and Summer where there is little or nonâ— at all wherein they are plainely deceived although they aâ—â—irme by a generall rule that in the Mountaines of Peru it is Summer from the Moneth of Aprill to September for that the raine ceaseth in that season and that Winter is from the moneth of September vnto Aprill for that the showres returne then and therefore it is winter and summer at the same instant that in Spaine So as when the Sunâ—e goeth directly over their heads they then take it to bee the depth of Winter having greatest store of raine But it is worthy to be laughed at comming from ignorant men and vnlearned for even as the difference betwixt the day and night proceeds from the presence or absence of the Sunne in our hemisphere according to
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
that some are invironed with heat some with cold and others tempered with a moderate heat Plato placeth his most renowmed Atlantike Iland vnder the burning Zone then he saieth that at certaine seasons of the yeere it hath the sunne for Zenith and yet it was very temperate fruitfull and rich Plinie saieth that Taprobana which at this day they call Sumatra is vnder the Equinoctiall as in effect it is writing that it is not onely happie and rich but also peopled with men and beasts whereby we may easily iudge that although the Ancients held the heate of the burning Zone to be insupportable yet might they well vnderstand that it was not so great as they had spoken The most excellent Astrologer and Cosmographer Ptolome and the worthie Philosopher and Physitian Avicen were of a better resolution being both of opinion that vnder the Equinoctiall there were verie commodious habitations That the heat of the burning Zone is temperate by reason of the rayne and the shortnes of the dayes CHAP. 10. SInce the discoverie of this newe worlde wee have found by experience that which late Writers have held for trueth But it is a naturall thing whenas any matter beyond our conceit is made knowne vnto vs by experience we by and by examine the cause Therefore wee desire to know the reason why a Region where the sunne approacheth neerest is not onely temperate but in many parts cold Considering this matter generally I finde two general causes which maketh this Region temperate the one is that before mentioned for that this Region is very moist and subiect to raine and there is no doubt but the rayne doth refresh it for that the water is by nature cold and although by the force of the fire it be made hotte yet doth it temper this heat proceeding onely from the sunne-beames The which we see by experience in the inner Arabia the which is burnt with the Sunne having no showres to temper the violence thereof The clouds and mists are the cause that the sunne offends not so much and the showers that fall from them refresh both the ayre and the earth and moisten likewise how hot soever it be They drinke raine water and it quencheth the thirst as our men have well tried having no other to drinke So as reason and experience doth teach vs that raine of it selfe doth temper the heat and having by this meanes shewed that the burning Zone is much subiect vnto raine it appeares that there is matter in it to temper the violence of the heat To this I will adde an other reason which deserves to be knowne not only for this matter but for many others for although the Sunne be very hotte and burning vnder the Equinoctiall yet is it not long so as the heate of the day being there shorter and of lesse continuance it causeth not so violent a heate the which it behooves to specifie more particularly Such as are practised in the knowledge of the Spheare teach very well that the more the Zodiake is oblique and traversing our Hemisphere the more vnequall are the daies and nights and contrariwise where the sphere is straight and the signes mount directly there the dayes and nights are equalâ— And therefore in all that Region which is betweene the two Tropicks there is lesse inequality then without them and the more we approch the Line the lesse inequalitie we finde the which we have tryed in those parts Those of Quitto for that they are vnder the line have not throughout the whole yeere the dayes and nights more short at one season then at an other but are continually equall Those of Lima beeing distant almost twelve degrees finde some difference betwixt the dayes and the nights but very little for that in December and Ianuarie the dayes increase an houre or little lesse Those of PotoZi finde much more difference both in winter and in summer being almost vnder the Tropicke But those that live without the Tropikes find the dayes in winter shorter and in summer longer the more remote they are from the Equinoctial and come neere the Pole as we see in Germany and in England the daies are longer in summer then in Italie and in Spaine It is a thing which the Sphere doth teach and experience doth plainely shew vs. We must adde an other proposition which is likewise true and very considerable for all the effectes of nature to vnderstand the perseverance and continuation of the efficient cause to worke and moove This presupposed if any one demaund of me why vnder the Equinoctiall Line the heat is not so violent in summer as in some other Regions as in Andelousiae in the moneths of Iuly and August I will answere that in Andelousia the dayes are longer and the nights shorter and as the day being hot inflames and causeth heat so the nights being cold and moist give a refreshing According to the which at Peru there is no such great heat for that the dayes in summer are not long nor the nights short so as the heate of the day is much tempered by the freshnesse of the night And although the burning Zone be neerer the Sunne then all other Regions yet doth not the heate continue there so long It is a naturall thing that a small fire continued heats more then a greater that lastes but little especially if there bee any thing to refresh it He therefore that shal put these two properties of the Zone in one ballance that it is most rainie in the time of greatest heate and that the dayes are shortest there he shall perchance finde them to equall the other two contrarieties which bee that the Sunne is neerer and more directly over them then in other Regions That there be other reasons besides the former mentioned which shew that the burning Zone is temperate especially alongst the Ocean CHAP. 11. BEing a thing concluded that the two forenamed properties are common and vniversal to all the region of the burning Zone and yet in the same there are found some places very hote and other exceeding colde Also that the temperature is not there equall in all places but vnder one climate one part is hote another colde and the third temperate all at one season we are forced to seeke out other reasons whence this great diversitie should proceede in the burning Zone Discoursing therefore vpon this question I do finde threeapparant and certaine causes and a fourth more obscure and darke The apparant and certaine causes be The first is the Ocean the second the scituation of the land and the third the nature and propertie of many and sundry windes Besides these three which I holde for manifest I beleeve there is a fourth hidden and lesse apparant which is the propertie of the same land inhabited and the particular influence of the heavens Whoso woulde neerely consider the causes and generall reasons before mentioned shall finde them insufficient for the full resolution of this point observing that
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
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
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
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
that the 30. leagues to the South runne betwixt the rockes and most high mountaines whose tops are continually covered with snow so as they seeme by reason of their great height to be ioyned together which makes the entrie of the Straight to the South so hard to discover In these 30. leagues the sea is very deepe and without bottome yet may they fasten their ships to the land the bâ—nckes being straight and vneven but in the 70. leagues towards the North they finde ground and of either side there are large plaines the which they call Caâ—â—naâ— Many great rivers of faire and cleere water runne into this Straight and thereabout are great and wonderfull forrests whereas they finde some trees of excellent wood and sweete the which are not knowne in these partes whereofsuch as passed from thence to Peru brought some to shew There are many medowes within the land and many Ilands in the midst of the Straight The Indians that inhabite on the South side are little and cowards those that dwell on the North part are great and valiant they brought some into Spaine which they hadde taken They found peeces of blew cloth and other markes and signes that some men of Europe had passed there The Indians â—â—luted our men with the name of Iesia They are good Archers and goâ— clad in wilde beasts skinnes whereof there is great aboundance The waters of the Straight rise and fall as the tide and they may visibly see the tides come of the one side of the North sea and of the other from the South whereas they meete the which as I have said is thirtie leagues from the South and three score and tenne from the North. And although it seemes there should be more daunger then in all the rest yet whenas Captaine Sarmiâ—nto his shippe whereof I spake passed it they had no great stormes but found farre lesse difficultie then they expected for then the time was very calme and pleasant And moreover the waves from the north sea came broken by reason of the great length of three score and tenne leagues and the waves from the south sea were not raging by reason of the great deapth in which deapth the waves breake and are swallowed vp It is true that in winter the straight is not navigable by reason of the tempests and raging of the sea in that season Some shippes which have attempted to passe the Straight in winter have perished One onely shippe passed it on the South side which is the Captaine I made mention of I was fully instructed of all that I have spoken by the Pilote thereof called Hernando Alonse and have seene the true discription of the Straight they made in passing it whereof they carried the copie to the King of Spaine and the original to their viceroy of Peru. Of the ebbing and flowing of the Indian Ocean CHAP. 14. ONe of the mostadmirable secrets of Nature is the ebbing and flowing of the sea not onely for this strange property of rising and falling but much more for the difference there is thereof in diverse seas yea in diverse coastes of one and the same sea There are some seas that have no daily flowing nor ebbing as we see in the inner Mediterranean which is the Thyrene sea and yet it flowes and ebbes every day in the vpper Mediterranean sea which is that of Venice and iustly giveth cause of admiration that these two seas being Mediterranean and that of Venice being no greater then the other yet hath it his ebbing and flowing as the Ocean and that other sea of Italie none at all There are some Mediterranean seas that apparantly rise and fall everie moneth and others that neyther rise in the day nor in the moneth There are other seas as the Spanish Ocean that have their flux and reflux every day and besides that they have it monethly which commeth twice that is to say at the entry and at the ful of every Moone which they call Spring tides To say that any sea hath this daily ebbing and flowing and not monethly I knowe not any It is strange the difference we finde of this subiect at the Indies for there are some places whereas the sea doth daily rise fall two leagues as at Panama and at a high water it riseth much more There are other places where it doth rise and fall so little that hardly can you finde the difference It is ordinary in the Ocean sea to have a daily flowing and ebbing and that was twice in a naturall day and ever it falls three quarters of an houre sooner one day then another according to the course of the Moone so as the tide falles not alwayes in one houre of the day Some would say that this flux and reflux proceeded from the locall motion of the water of the sea so as the water that riseth on the one side falles on the other that is opposite vnto it so that it is ful sea on the one side when as it is a lowe water on the opposite as we see in a kettle full of water when wee moove it when it leanes to the one side the water increaseth and on the other it diminisheth Others affirme that the sea riseth in all partes at one time and decreaseth at one instant as the boyling of a pot comming out of the centre it extendeth it selfe on all partes and when it ceaseth it falles likewise on all partes This second opinion is true and in my iudgement certaine and tried not so much for the reasons which the Philosophers give in their Meteors as for the certaine experience wee may make For to satisfie my selfe vpon this point and question I demanded particularly of the said Pilot how he found the tides in the straight and if the tides of the South sea did fall whenas those of the North did rise And contrariwise this question being true why the increase of the sea in one place is the decrease thereof in another as the first opinion holdeth He answered that it was not so but they might see plainely that the tides of the North and South seas rise at one instant so as the waves of one sea incountred with the other and at one instant likewise they began to retire every one into his sea saying that the rising and falling was daily seene and that the incounter of the tides as I have saide was at three score and tenne leagues to the North sea and thirtie to the South Whereby wee may plainely gather that the ebbing and flowing of the Ocean is no pure locall motion but rather an alteration whereby all waters really rise and increase at one instat and in others they diminiâ—h as the boyling of a pot whereof I have spoken It were impossible to comprehend this poynt by experience if it were not in the Straight where all the Ocean both on th' one side on th' other ioynes together for none but Angelles can see it and iudge of the opposite parts for
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
barres of silver and much mâ—re which is above three hundred thousand ducats without any other guard o rescort than some Indians which serve onely to guide these sheepe and to lade and vnlade them or at the most some few Spaniardes and they sleepe all night in the middest of the fieldes without other guarde and yet in so long a way and so weake a guarde they never finde want or losse of anie thing in so great a treasure of silver so safe is the way in Peru. The burthen which one of these sheepe dooth commonly carry is of foure or sixe arrobes when their voyage is long they goe not above two three or foure leagues at the most on a day Those that guide those troupes have their ordinary lodgings where they are assured to have water and pasture and there they vnlade and set vppe their tents making fire and dressing their meates which is not painefull although it be a â—leugmatike and slowe manner of travell When there is but one dayes iourney one of these sheepe will beare eight arobes in weight or more and beares this burthen eight or tenne leagues in a day as the poore souldiers were wont to doe when they marched through Peru. This kinde of cattell delights most in a cold aire and for this cause they live vpon the Sierre and die in the Lanos by reason of the heate Sometimes these sheepe are all covered with ice and frost and yet they continue sound and well The bare sheepe are pleasant to behold for they will stay vpon the way raising vppe their neckes and will looke vpon any one very wistly and so they remaine a long time without mooving or any shew of feare which giveth occasion of laughter seeing them thus to stand And yet sometimes they do growe amazed sodainely and runne away with their burthens even to the highest rockes so as not being able to come vnto them they are constraind to kil them with an harquebuze lest they should loose their barres of silver which they sometimes carry The Pacos will grow reasty vnder their burdens lying downe and will endure to be cutte in a thousand peeces before they wil rise when this humor takes them whereof the proverb growes in Peru to say that one is reastie to signifie he is obstinate for that when any of these beasts is moodie it is with excesse the remedy they have is to stay and sit downe by the Paco making much on him vntill the fit be past and that he rise and sometimes they are forced to stay two or three houres They have a disease like to scabbes which they call Carache whereof they commonly die The Antients had a remedy to bury them quicke that had the Carache lest they shoulde infect the rest being a very contagious disease and goes from one to another An Indian that hath one or two of these sheepe is not reputed poore for one of them is woorth sixe or seaven peeces of assay and more according to the time and places Of the BeZaars stone CHAP. 42. THe Bezaars stone is found in all these beasts before mentioned which are proper to Peru whereof some Authors of our time have written whole bookes which they may reade that desire to have a more particular knowledge For the present subiect it shall be sufficient to say that this stone which they call Bezaar is found in the stomacke and belly of this beast somtimes one alone sometimes two three and foure They are very different in forme greatnesse and colour for that some are small like filberds lesse others like walnuts some like pigeons egges and others as bigge as a hens egge and I have seene some as bigge as an orange in forme some are round others in fashion like to lentils and many other formes For their colour som are black some white some grey darke greene and others as if they had beene guilded It is no certaine rule to iudge the best and most fine by the colour or forme All these stones are made and fashioned of divers films and skins one vpon another In the province of Xaura and other provinces of Peru they find these stones in divers kinds of beasts both wild and tame as in the Guanacos Pacos Vicugnes and Tarugues some adde an other kind which they say are wilde goates which the Indians call Cypris These other kindes of beastes are very well knowen in Peru whereof wee have already discoursed The Guanacos or country sheepe or Pacos have commonly the lesser stones and blacke neither are they so much approoved for the vse of Physicke They draw the greatest Bezaar stones from the Vicugnes and they are grey or white or of a darke greene which are helde for the better They esteem those of the Tarugues for the most excellent whereof there are some reasonable bigge they are commonly white inclining to grey and they have the filmes commonly bigger and thicker than the rest They finde the Bezaar stone equally both in male and female All beasts that ingender it chaw the cuid and commonly feede vpon the snow and rockes The Indians reporte teach by tradition from their fathers and Antients that in the province of Xaura and in other provinces of Peru there are many herbs and venomous beasts which poison the water and the pastures where they eate and drinke and where they breathe amiddest which venomous hearbs there is one very well knowne of the Vicugne by a naturall instinct and of other beasts that ingender the Bezaar stone which eate this hearb and by meanes thereof they preserve themselves from the poisoned waters and pastures and they say that of this hearb the stone is compounded in the stomacke whence it drawes all the vertue against poyson and other woonderfull effects This is the opinion tradition of the Indians discovered by men of great experience in the kingdome of Peru which agrees with reason and with that which Plinie reports of the mountaine goates which are nourished and fed vpon poison without suffering any harme The Indians being demaunded why the sheepe kine goates and calves such as are in Castille have not the Bezaar stone seeing that they feede on the same rockes their answer is That they beleeve not that those beasts of Castille eate of that hearb or that they have found the Bezaar stone in stags and fallow diere This seemes to agree with our knowlege for that in new Spaine they find the Bezaar stone although there be no Vicugnes Pacos Tarugues nor Guanacos but only stags in some of which they finde these stones The principall vertue of the BeZaar stone is against poison and venomous diseases although there bee heerein divers opinions some hold it for a mockerie others for a miracle Howsoever it be it is most certaine that it is of a great operation when it is applied in time convenient in a maner as hearbes and to persons capable and disposed for there is no medicine that doth alwaies cure infallibly In
banquet and dinner of the feast having first bid the idoll good morrow with a small dance which they made whilst the day did breake and that they prepared the sacrifice Then did all the Marchants assemble at this banket especially those which made it a trafficke to buy and sell slaves who were bound every yeare to offer one for the resemblance of their god This idoll was one of the most honoured in all the land and therefore the Temple where hee was was of great authoritie There were threescore staires to ascend vp vnto it and on the toppe was a court of an indifferent largenesse very finely drest and plastered in the midst whereof was a great round thing like vnto an Oven having the entrie low and narrow so as they must stoope very low that should enter into it This Temple had chambers and chappells as the rest where there were convents of Priests yong men maides and children as hath beene said and there was one Priest alone resident continually the which they changed weekely For although there were in every one of these temples three or foure Curates or Ancients yet did every one serve his weeke without parting His charge that weeke after he had instructed the children was to strike vp a drumme every day at the Sunne setting to the same end that we are accustomed to ring to evensong This drumme was such as they might heare the house sound thereof throughout all the partes of the Cittie then every man shut vp his merchandise and retired vnto his house and there was so great a silence as there seemed to be no living creature in the Towne In the morning whenas the day beganne to breake they beganne to sound the drumme which was a signe of the day beginning so as travellers and strangers attended this signall to beginne their iournies for till that time it was not lawfull to goe out of the cittie There was in this temple a court of a reasonable greatnes in the which they made great dances pastimes with games or comedies the day of the idolls feast for which purpose there was in the middest of this court a theatre of thirty foote square very finely decked and trimmed the which they decked with flowers that day with all the arte and invention that mought be beeing invironed round with Arches of divers flowers and feathers and in some places there were tied many small birds connies and other tame beasts After dinner all the people assembled in this place and the players presented themselves and played comedies some counterfeit the deafe and the rheumatike others the lame some the blinde and without handes which came to seeke for cure of the idoll the deafe answered confusedly the rheumatike did cough the lame halted telling their miseries and griefes wherewith they made the people to laugh others came foorth in the forme of little beasts some were attired like snailes others like toades and some like lizardes then meeting together they tolde their offices and every one retyring to his place they founded on small flutes which was pleasant to heare They likewise counterfeited butterflies and small birdes of diverse colours and the children of the Temple represented these formes then they went into a little forrest planted there for the nonce where the Priestes of the Temple drew them foorth with instruments of musicke In the meane time they vsed many pleasant speeches some in propounding others in defending wherewith the assistants were pleasantly intertained This doone they made a maske or mummerie with all these personages and so the feast ended the which were vsually doone in their principall feasts What profit may be drawne out of this discourse of the Indians superstitions CHAP 31. THis may suffice to vnderstand the care and paine the Indians tooke to serve and honour their Idolls or rather the divell for it were an infinite matter and of small profit to report every thing that hath passed for that it may seeme to some needlesse to have spoken â—hus much and that it is a losse of time as in reading the fables that are fained by the Romaines of Knighthoode But if such as holde this opinion will looke wel into it they shall finde great difference betwixt the one and the other and that it may be profitable for many considerations to have the knowledge of the cuâ—â—oms and ceremonies the Indians vsed first this knowledge is not only profitable but also necessary in those countries where these superstitions have beene practised to the end that Christians and the maisters of the Law of Christ may know the errours and superstitions of the Antients and observe if the Indians vse them not at this day either secretly or openly For this cause many learned and worthy men have written large Discourses of what they have found yea the Provinciall counsells have commaunded them to write and print them as they have doone in Lima where hath beene made a more ample Discourse than this And therefore it importeth for the good of the Indians that the Spaniardes being in those parts of the Indies should have the knowledge of all these things This Discourse may likewise serve the Spaniards there and all others whersoever to give infinite thankes to God our Lord who hath imparted so great a benefite vnto vs giving them his holy Lawe which is most iust pure and altogether profitable The which we may well know comparing it with the lawes of Sathan where so many wretched people have lived so miserably It may likewise serve to discover the pride envy deceipts and ambushes of the Divell which he practiseth against those hee holdes captives seeing on the one side hee seekes to imitate God and make comparison with him and his holy Lawe and on the other side hee dooth mingle with his actions so many vanities filthinesse and cruelties as hee that hath no other practise but to sophisâ—â—cate and corrupt all that is good Finally hee that shall see the darkenes and blindenes wherein so many Provinces and Kingdoms have lived so long time yea and wheâ—in many Nations and a great part of the world live yet deceived with the like trumperies he can not if he have a Christians heart but give thankes to the high God for such as hee hath called out of so great darkenes to the admirable light of his Gospel beseeching the vnspeakeable charitie of the Creator to preserve and increase them in his knowledge and obedience and likewise be grieved for those that follow still the way of perdition And that in the end hee beseech the Father of Pitty to open vnto them the treasures and riches of Iesus Christ who with the Father and Holy-ghost raignes in all Ages Amen THE SIXT BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That they erre in their opinion which holde the Indians to want iudgement CHAP. 1. HAving treated before of the religion the Indians vsed I pretend to discourse in this Booke of their customs policy and government for
subdued the city of Cuitlavaca with children the news and consideration whereof opened the eyes of those of Tescâ—co a chiefe and very cunning Nation for their manner of life So as the king of Tescuco was first of opinion that they should subiect themselves to the king of Mexico and invite him therevnto with his cittie Therefore by the advise of his Counsell they sent Ambassadors good Orators with honorable presents to offer themselves vnto the Mexicans as their subiects desiring peace and amitie which was gratiously accepted but by the advise of Tlacaellec he vsed a ceremony for the effecting thereof which was that those of Tescuco should come forth armed against the Mexicans where they should fight and presently yeelde which was an act and ceremony of warre without any effusion of bloud on either side Thus the king of Mexico became soveraigne Lord of Tescuco but hee tooke not their king from them but made him of his privie counsell so as they have alwayes maintained themselves in this manner vntill the time of Motecuma the second during whose raigne the Spaniards entred Having subdued the land and citty of Tescuco Mexico remained Lady and Mistris of all the landes and citties about the Lake where it is built Izcoalt having enioyed this prosperitie and raigned twelve yeeres died leaving the realme which had beene given him much augmented by the valour and counsell of his nephew Tlacaellec as hath afore beene saide who held it best to choose an other king then himselfe as shall heereafter be shewed Of the fift King of Mexico called Moteçuma the first of that name CHAP. 16. FOrasmuch as the election of the new King belonged to foure chiefe Electors as hath been said and to the King of Tescuco and the King of Tacubu by especiall priviledge Tlacaellec assembled these six personages as he that had the soveraigne authoritie and having propounded the matter vnto them they made choise of Moteçuma the first of that name nephew to the same Tlacaellec His election was very pleasing to them all by reason whereof they made most solemne feasts and more stately then the former Presently after his election they conducted him to the Temple with a great traine where before the divine harth as they call it where there is continuall fire they set him in his royall throne putting vpon him his royall ornaments Being there the King drew blood from his eares and legges with a griffons tallents which was the sacrifice wherein the divell delighted to be honoured The Priests Antients and Captaines made their orations all congratulating his election They were accustomed in their elections to make great feasts and dances where they wasted many lightes In this Kings time the custome was brought in that the King should go in person to make warre in some province and bring captives to solemnize the feast of his coronation and for the solemne sacrifices of that day For this cause King Moteçuma went into the province of Chalco who had declared themselves his enemies from whence having fought valiantly he brought a great number of captives whereof he did make a notable sacrifice the day of his coronation although at that time he did not subdue all the province of Chalco being a very warlike nation Many came to this coronation from divers provinces as well neere as farre off to see the feast at the which all commers were very bountifully entertained and clad especially the poore to whom they gave new garments For this cause they brought that day into the Cittie the Kings tributes with a goodly order which consisted in stuffes to make garments of all sorts in Cacao gold silver rich feathers great burthens of cotten cucumbers sundry sortes of pulses many kindes of sea fish and of the fresh water great store of fruites and venison without number not reckoning an infinite number of presents which other kings and Lords sent to the new king All this tribute marched in order according to the provinces and before them the stewards and receivers with divers markes and ensignes in very goodly order so as it was one of the goodliest things of the feast to see the entry of the tribute The King being crowned he imploied himselfe in the conquest of many provinces and for that he was both valiant and vertuous hee still increased more and moâ—e vsing in all his affaires the counsell and industry of his generall Tlacaellec whom he did alwaies love and esteeme very much as hee had good reason The warre wherein hee was most troubled and of greatest difficultie was that of the province of Chalco wherein there happened great matters whereof one was very remarkable which was that they of Chalcas had taken a brother of Moteçumaâ—s in the warres whome they resolved to choose for their king asking him very curteously if he would accept of this charge He answered after much importunity still persisting therein that if they meant plainely to choose him for their king they should plant in the market place a tree or very high stake on the toppe whereof they should make a little scaffold and meanes to mount vnto it The Chalcas supposing it had beene some ceremony to make himselfe more apparent presently effected it then assembling all his Mexicaines about the stake he went to the toppe with a garland of flowers in his hand speaking to his men in this maner O valiant Mexicaines these men will choose mee for their King but the gods will not permit that to be a King I should committee any treason against my countrie but contrariwise I wil that you learne by me that it behoveth vs rather to indure death then to ayde our enemies Saying these words he cast himselfe downe and was broken in a thousand peeces at which spectacle the Chalcas had so great horror and dispits that presently they fell vpon the Mexicaines and slew them all with their launces as men whom they held too prowde and inexorable saying they had divelish hearts It chanced the night following they heard two owles making a mornefull cry which they did interpret as an vnfortunate signe and a presage of their neere destruction as it succeeded for King Moteçuma went against them in person with all his power where he vanquished them and ruined all their kingdome and passing beyond the mountaine Meâ—ade hee conquered still even vnto the North sea Then returning towards the South sea hee subdued many provinces so as he became a mighty King all by the helpe and counsell of Tlacaellec who in a manner conquered all the Mexicaine nation Yet hee held an opinion the which was confirmed that it was not behoovefull to conquer the province of Tlascalla that the Mexicaines might have a fronter enemy to keepe the youth of Mexico in exercise and allarme and that they might have numbers of captives to sacrifice to their idols wherein they did waste as hath beene said infinite numbers of men which should bee taken by force in the warres The honour must be given to