and the kyng of Portugale These Iudges gaue sentence vppon this matter callyng the contrary parte before them vppon the brydge of Caya in the yeere .1524 The Portugales could neyther disturbe or deferre the sentence nor yet would they allowe it to be iust and accordyng to ryght Saying that there was not sufficient processe made that they should passe to the giuyng of sentence and so departed threatenyng to sleye the Castilians as many as they should fynde in the Ilandes of the Malucas For they knewe ryght well that theyr countreymen the Portugales had already taken the shyppe called the Trinitie and had also taken the Castilians in Tidore Then also departed our men takyng theyr iourney to the Courte gyuyng vp to the Emperour all their writinges and declaration what they had done And according to this declaration must be signed and marked all Globes and Mappes whiche good Cosmographers maisters doe make The line also of the repartition and last diuision of the newe world of the Indies ought to passe litle more or lesse by the poyntes of Humos and Buen Abrigo as I haue sayde in an other place And thus shall it appeare euidently that the Ilandes of spices and also the great Ilande of Samotra doe parteyne to Castile But the lande of Brasile parteyneth to the kyng of Portugale where the Cape of sainct Augustine is being .viii. degrees beneath the Equinoctiall This lande reacheth from the poynte of Humos to the poynte of Buen Abrigo and is in length North and South .viii. hundred leagues being also some way two hundred leagues East and West And heere after these serious matters wee will rehearse one mery thyng whiche was this It so chaunced that as Frances de Melo Diego Lopes of Sequeyra and other of those Portugales of this assembly walked by the ryuers syde of Guadiana a litle boye who stoode keepyng his mothers clothes which shee had washed demaunded of them whether they were those men that parted the worlde with the Emperour And as they answered yea he tooke vp his sherte and shewed them his bare arse saying Come and drawe your lyne heere through the myddest Which saying was afterward in euery mans mouth and laughed at in the towne of Badaios yea euen among the Commissioners them selues of whom some were angry and some marueyled at the saying of the chylde The cause and aucthoritie whereby they diuided the Indies THe Castilians and Portugales had long debated and reasoned about the golde myne of Guinea which was found in the yeere of our Lorde .1471 in the tyme of the raigne of Don Alonso kyng of Portugale y e fyrst of that name This was a matter of great importaunce For the Negros or blacke Moores for thinges of no value gaue golde by whole handfulles whiche was at that tyme when the sayde kyng of Portugale pretended title and clayme to the kingdome of Castile in the ryght of his wife Queene Ioane called the excellent agaynst the Catholyke Princes Isabel and Don Fernando whose it was in deede But that stryfe was ended as soone as Don Fernando had vanquished Don Alonso at a place called Temulos nor farre from Toro whiche place Don Fernando chose rather to make warre agaynst the Moores of Granada then to buye and sell with the blacke Moores of Guinea And thus the Portugales remayned with the conqueste of Affryke from the streightes forwarde which beganne where the infante of Portugale Don Henrique sonne to Kyng Iohn the bastarde and maister of Auis dyd begyn to enlarge it When Pope Alexander the .vi. beyng a Ualentinian borne had knowledge hereof hee mynded to gyue the Indies to the kynges of Castile without any preiudice to the Portugales who had conquered the sea coastes of Affryke These Indies the Pope gaue of his owne mynde without the motion of any other with this burden charge that they should conuerte the Idolatours to the fayth of Christ and commaunded a lyne or meridian to bee drawen North and South from one hundred leagues Westward beyonde one of the Ilandes of Capo Verde towarde the Weste bycause the Spanyardes should not meddle in Affrike parteynyng to the conquest of the Portugales to the auoydyng of all stryfe betweene them Kyng Iohn of Portugale the seconde of that name was greatly offended when he red the Bull and donation of the pope although his owne Ambassadours had made the selfe same request vnto his holinesse He also founde him selfe agreeued with the Catholyke princes Isabel and Fernando that they had shortened the course of the landes he had discouered depriuyng him of the rychesse which belonged to him and therefore refused to stande to the Popes Bull in this case desiryng the Catholyke princes Isabel and Fernando to graunt him three hundred leagues more to the West besyde the one hundred which they had graunted before and thâ—rewith sent his shyppes to keepe the coastes of Affryke The princes Catholyke were content to satisfie his mynd and to please him according to theyr gentle nature and for the aliance that was betweene them And in fine with the consent agreement of the Pope graunted two hundred sixtie leagues more then the Bull made mention of at Tordesillas the seuenth day of Iune in the yeere of our Lorde .1494 And wheras our kynges thought that they shoulde haue loste grounde in graunting so many leagues that way they woon by that meanes the Ilandes of the Malucas with many other ryche Ilandes The kyng of Portugale also herein deceyued him selfe or was deceyued of his whom he put in trust hauyng no certayne knowledge of the situation of the Ilandes of the ryche Spicery in demaundyng that which the kyng dyd demaunde For it had ben better for him to haue requested the three hundred and sixtie leagues rather Eastwarde from the Ilandes of Capo Verde then towarde the Weste And yet for all that I doubt whether the Malucas should haue fallen within his conquest accordyng to the ordinarie accoumpte and dimension which the Pylottes and Cosmographers doe make And after this maner they diuided the Indies betweene them by aucthoritie of the Pope for the auoydyng of further stryfe and contention Howe and by what occasion the Emperour layde the Ilandes of Maluccas to pledge to the kyng of Portugale WHen the Kyng of Portugale Don Iuan the thyrd of that name had knowledge that the Cosmographers and pylottes of Castile had drawen the lyne from the place before named and that he could not deny the trueth fearyng also thereby to leese the trade of spices made suite request to the Emperour that he should not sende foorth Louisa nor Sebastian Cabote to the Malucas and that the Castilians should not attempte the trade of spices nor see suche euylles and miseries as his Captaynes had shewed in those Ilandes to them that aduentured that viage with Magallanes which thyng he greatly couered although he payde
mountaynes be cutte it groweth agayne within the space of foure dayes hygher then wheate And forasmuche as many showres of rayne doo fall in this region whereof the ryuers and flooddes haue theyr encrease in euery of the whiche golde is founde myxt with sande in all places they iudge that the golde is dryuen from the mountaynes by the vehement course of the streames whiche fall from the same and runne into the ryuers The people of this region are geuen to idlenesse and play for suche as inhabite the mountaynes syt quakyng for colde in the Wynter season and had rather to wander vp and downe idelly then take the paynes to make them apparell where as they haue wooddes full of Gossampine cotton but suche as dwell in the valles or playnes feele no colde in Wynter When the Admirall had thus searched the beginning of the region of Cibana he repayred to Isabella for so he named the citie where leauyng the gouernaunce of the Ilande with his deputies he prepared hym selfe to search further the limittes of the Ilande of Cuba or Iohanna whiche he yet doubted to be the firme lande and distant from Hispaniola only .lxx. myles This dyd he with more speedye expedition callyng to remembraunce the kynges commaundement who wylled hym fyrst with al celeritie to ouerrunne the coastes of the new Ilandes lest any other prince shoulde in the meane time attempt to inuade the same for the kyng of Portugale affirmed that it parteyned only to him to discouer these vnknowen landes but the bishop of Rome Alexander the sixt to auoyde the cause of this dissention graunted to the kyng of Spayne by the aucthoritie of his leaden bulles that no other prince shoulde be so bolde as to make any voyages to any of these vnknowen regions lying without the precinct of a direct lyne drawen from the North to the South a hundred leagues Westwarde without the paralels of the Ilandes called Capud Viride or Cabâ—uerde whiche we thinke to be those that in olde tyme were called Hesperides these parteyne to the kyng of Portugale and from these his Pylotes whiche do yeerely searche newe coastes and regions directe theyr course to the East saylyng euer towarde the left hande by the backe of Aphrike and the seas of the Ethiopians neyther to this day had the Portugales at any tyme sayled Southwarde or Westwarde from the Ilandes of Cabouerde Preparing therfore three shyppes he made haste towarde the Ilande of Iobanna or Cuba whyther he came in short space and named the poynt therof where he fyrste arryued Alpha and O that is the fyrste and the last for he supposed that there had ben the ende of our East because the sonne falleth there and of the West because it ryseth there For it is apparant that Westwarde it is the beginning of India beyonde the ryuer of Ganges and Eastwarde the furthest ende of the same whiche thyng is not contrary to reason forasmuche as the Cosmographers haue left the lymittes of India beyond Ganges vndetermined where as also some were of opinion that India was not farre from the coastes of Spaine as we haue said before Within the prospect of the beginnyng of Cuba he founde a commodious hauen in the extreme angle of the Ilande of Hispaniola for in this part the Ilande receiueth a great goulfe this hauen he named Saint Nicholas porte beyng scarcely twentie leagues from Cuba As he departed from hence and sayled Westward by the South syde of Cuba the further that he went so muche the more the sea seemed to be extended in breadth and to bende towarde the South On the South syde of Cuba he founde an Ilande whiche the inhabitauntes call Iamaica this he affirmeth to be longer broder then the Iland of Scicile hauyng in it only one mountaine which on euery part beginning from the sea ryseth by litle and litle into the myddest of the Ilande and that so playnely without roughnesse that such as goe vp to the toppe of the same can scarcely perceiue that they assende This Ilande he affyrmeth to be very fruiteful and ful of people aswel in thinner partes of the same as by the shore and that the inhabitantes are of quicker wytte then in the other Ilandes and more expert Artificers and warlyke men For in many places where he woulde haue aryued they came armed against him and forbode him with threatnyng wordes but beyng ouercome they made a league of frendshyp with hym Thus departing from Iamaica he sayled toward the West with a prosperous wynde for the space of threescore and tenne dayes thynking that he had passed so farre by the compasse of the earth being vnderneath vs that he had ben neare vnto Aurea Chersonesus nowe called Malaccha in our east India beyonde the begynnyng of Persides for he playnely beleeued that he had left only two of the twelue houres of the sunne which were vnknowen to vs for the olde wryters haue left halfe the course of the sunne vntouched where as they haue but only discussed that superficial parte of the earth whiche lyeth betweene the Ilandes of Gades and the ryuer of Ganges or at the vttermost to Aurea Chersonesus In this Nauigation he chaunced on many furious seas running with a fall as it had ben the streames of floods also many whyrlepooles and shelfes with many other dangers and strayghtes by reason of the multitude of ilandes whiche lay on euery syde But not regardyng al these perylles he determined to proceede vntil he had certaine knowledge whether Cuba were an ilande or firme lande Thus he sayled forward coastyng euer by the shore toward the West for the space of CC.xxii leagues that is about a thousande and three hundred myles and gaue names to seuen hundred ilandes by the way leauyng also on the left hande as he feared not to report three thousande here and there But let vs nowe returne to suche thynges as he founde woorthy to be noted in this nauigation Saylyng therefore by the syde of Cuba and searchyng the nature of the places he espyed not farre from Alpha and O a large hauen of capacitie to harborowe many shyppes whose entraunce is bendyng beyng inclosed on both sydes with capes or poyntes whiche receiue the water this hauen is large within and of exceedyng deapth Saylyng by the shore of this porte he sawe not farre from the same two cotages couered with reedes and in many places fyre kyndled Here he sent certayne armed men out of the shyppes to the cotages where they founde neyther man nor woman but rostemeate yenough for they founde certayne spyttes of wood lying at the fyre hauyng fyshe on them about a hundred pounde weight and two serpentes of eyght foote long apeece whereat marueylyng and lookyng about if they could espye any of the inhabitauntes and that none appeared in syght for they fledde al to the mountaynes at the commyng of our men
and calleth the spirite with loude voyce by certayne names whiche no man vnderstandeth but hee and his disciples After he hath done thus a whyle if the spirite yet deferre his commyng hee drynketh of the sayde water and therewith waxeth hotte and furious and inuerteth and turneth his inchauntment and letteth him selfe blood with a thorne marueilously turmoylyng him selfe as wee reade of the furious Sybilles not ceassyng vntyl the spirit be come who at his comming entreth into him and ouerthroweth him as it were a greyhound should ouerturne a Squerell then for a space hee seemeth to lye as though hee were in great payne or in a rapte woonderfully tormentyng him selfe duryng whiche agonie the other disciple shaketh the siluer bell continually Thus when the agonie is past and he lyeth quietly yet without any sense or feelyng the kyng or some other in his stead demaundeth of him what he desireth to know and the spirit answereth by the mouth of the rapte Piaces with a directe and perfecte answere to all poyntes Insomuche that on a tyme certayne Spanyardes beyng present at these mysteries with one of the kynges and in the Spanyshe tounge demaundyng the Piaces of their shyppes which they looked for out of Spayne the spirite answered in the Indian tounge and tolde them what day and houre the shyppes departed from Spayne how many they were and what they brought without fayling in any poynte If he be also demaunded of the eclypse of the Sunne or Moone which they greatly feare and abhorre he giueth a perfect answere and the lyke of tempestes famin plentie warre or peace and such other thinges When all the demaundes are finished his disciples call him aloude ryngyng the siluer bell at his eare and blowyng a certayne powder into his nosethrilles whereby he is raysed as it were from a dead sâ—eape beyng yet somewhat heauy headed and faynte a good whyle after Thus beyng agayne rewarded of the kyng with more bread hee departeth agayne to the desartes with his disciples But since the Christian fayth hath been dispearsed throughout the Ilande these deuyllyshe practises haue ceassed and they of the members of the deuyll are made the members of Christ by baptisme forsakyng the deuyll and his workes with the vayne curiositie of desyre of knowledge of thinges to come whereof for the most parte it is better to be ignorant then with vexation to know that which can not be auoyded Furthermore in many places of the firme lande when any of the kynges dye all his householde seruauntes aswell women as men whiche haue continually serued him kyll them selues beleeuyng as they are taught by the deuyll Tuyra that they whiche kyll them selues when the kyng dyeth goe with him to heauen and serue him in the same place and offyce as they dyd before on the earth whyle hee lyued and that all that refuse so to doe when after they dye by theyr naturall death or otherwyse theyr soules to dye with theyr bodyes and to bee dissolued into ayre and become nothyng as doe the soules of Hogges Byrdes Fyshes or other bruite beastes and that only the other may enioy the priuiledge of immortalitie for euer to serue the kyng in heauen And of this false opinion commeth it that they which sowe corne or set rootes for the kynges bread and geather the same are accustomed to kyll them selues that they may enioy this priuiledge in heauen and for the same purpose cause a portion of the graine of Maizium and a bundle of Iucca whereof theyr bread is made to be buryed with them in their graues that the same may serue them in heauen if perhappes there should lacke seedes to sowe and therefore they take this with them to begyn withall vntil Tuyra who maketh them all these fayre promises prouyde them of greater quantitie This haue I my selfe seene in the toppe of the mountaynes of Guaturo where hauing in pryson the kyng of that prouince who rebelled from thâ—bedience of your maiestie and demaundyng of him to whom parteyned those sepultures or graues which I sawe in his house hee answered that they were of certayne Indians which slue them selues at the death of his father And because they are oftentimes accustomed to bury great quantities of wrought gold with them I caused twoo graues to be opened wherein was nothyng founde but a vessell full of the graine of Maizium a bundle of Iucca as I haue sayde And demaundyng the cause hereof of the kyng and the other Indians they answered that they that were buryed there were the labourers of the grounde and men skylfull in sowyng of seedes and makyng of bread and seruauntes to the kynges father and to the ende that their soules should not dye with theyr bodyes they slue them selues at the death of the kyng theyr maister to lyue with hym in heauen and to the intent that they myght serue him there in the same offyce they reserued that Maizium and Iucca to sowe it in heauen Wherevnto I aunswered them in this maner Beholde howe your Tuyra deceyueth you and howe all that hee teacheth you is false You see howe in so long a tyme since they are dead they haue not yet taken away this Maizium and Iucca which is nowe putrified and woorth nothyng and not lyke to bee sowen in heauen To this the kyng replyed saying in that they haue not taken it away nor sowen it in heauen the cause is that they chaunced to fynde enough there by reason whereof they had no neede of this To this errour many thinges were sayd which seemed of litle force to remoue him from his false opinion and especially any such as at that age are occupyed of the deuyl whom they paynt of the selfe same fourme and colour as hee appeareth vnto them in dyuers shapes and fourmes They make also Images of golde copper and wood to the same similitudes in terrible shapes and so variable as the paynters are accustomed to paynt them at the feete of sainct Michaell tharchangell or in any other place where they paynte them of most horrible portiture Lykewyse when the deuyll greatly intendeth to feare them hee threatneth to sende them great tempestes whiche they call Furacanas or Haurachanas and are so vehement that they ouerthrow many houses and great trees And I haue seene in mountaynes full of many and great trees that for the space of three quarters of a league the mountayne hath been subuerted and the trees ouerthrowen and plucked out of the earth with the rootes a thing doubtlesse so fearefull and terrible to beholde that it may veryly appeare to bee done by the hande of the deuyll And in this case the Christian men ought to consider with good reason that in all places where the holy sacrament is reserued the sayde tempestes are no more so outragious or so perilous as they were wont to bee Of the temperature of the regions vnder or neare to the burnt lyne called Torrida Zona or the Equinoctiall and of the dyuers seasons of
in euery citie there be many neuerthelesse in three of them remaine onely such as be condemned to die Their death is much prolonged for that ordinarily there is no execution doone but once a yeere though many die for hunger and colde as we haue seene in this prison Execution is done in this maner The Chian to wyt the hygh commissioner or Lord cheefe Iustice at the yeeres ende goeth to the head citie where he heareth agayne the causes of suche as be condempned Many tymes he delyuereth some of them declaryng that boord to haue been wrongfully put about theyr neckes the visitation ended he choseth out seuen or .viii. not many more or lesse of the greatest malefactours the whiche to feare and keepe in awe the people are brought into a great market place where al the great Louteas meete togeather and after many cerimonies and superstitions as the vse of the countrey is are beheaded This is done once a yeere who so escapeth that day may be sure that he shal not be put to death al that yeere folowyng so remayneth at the kynges charges in the greater prison In that prison where we lay were al waies one hundred moe of these condemned persons besides them that lay in other prisons These prisons wherin the condemned caytyfes do remayne are so strong that it hath not been hard that any prisoner in al China hath escaped out of pryson for in deed it is a thyng impossible The prisons are thus builded Fyrst al the place is myghtelye walled about the walles be very strong and hygh the gate of no lesse force within it three other gates before you come where the prysoners do lye there many great lodginges are to be seene of the Louteas Notaries Parthions that is such as do there kepe watch and ward day and nyght the court large and paued on the one syde wherof standeth a pryson with two myghtie gates wherin are kept such prisoners as haue committed enormious offences This prison is so great that in it are streates and Market places wherein al thyngs necessarie are sold. Yea some prysoners liue by that kynde of trade buyeng and selling and letting out beds to hyre some are dayly sent to pryson some dayly deliuered wherfore this place is neuer voyde of seuen or eyght hundred men that go at libertie Into one other pryson of condempned persons shall you goo at three yron gates the court paued and vauted rounde about open aboue as it were a cloister In this cloister be eight roomes with yron doores and in eache of them a large Gallerie wherein euery night the prisoners do lie at length their feete in the stocks theyr bodies hampered in huge woodden grates that kepe them frō sitting so that they lie as it were in a cage sleepe if they can in the morning they are losed againe that they may go into y e court Notwithstanding the strength of this pryson it is kept with a garrison of men part whereof watche within the house part of them in the Court some keepe about the pryson with lanterns and watchebelles answeryng one an other fyue tymes euerye nyght and geuing warning so lowde that the Loutea resting in a chamber not neare thereunto may heere them In these prysons of condemned persons remayne some .15 other 20. yeeres imprisoned not executed for the loue of theyr honorable frendes that seeke to prolong theyr lyues Many of these prysoners be shomakers and haue from the king a certayne allowaunce of rise some of them worke for the keeper who suffereth them to goe at libertie without fetters and boordes the better to worke Howbeit when the Loutea calleth his checke rolle with the keper vieweth them they al weare theyr lyuereys that is boords at theyr neckes yronned hand and foote When any of these prysoners dieth he is to be seene of the Loutea and Notaries brought out at a gate so narrow that there can but one be drawen out there at once The prysoner beyng brought foorth one of the aforesayde Parthians stryketh hym thryse on the head with an yron sledge that doone he is deliuered vnto his frendes yf he haue any otherwyse the kyng hyreth men to cary hym to his buriall in the fieldes Thus adulterers and theeues are vsed Such as be imprisoned for debt once knowen lye there vntyl it be payed The Taissu or Loutea calleth them many tymes before him by the vertue of his office who vnderstanding the cause wherefore they doo not pay theyr debtes appointeth them a certayne tyme to doe it wtin the compasse wherof if they discharge not theyr debtes beyng debters in deede then they be whipped condemned to perpetual imprisonment yf the creditours be many one is to be payd before an other they do contrary to our maner pay him fyrst of whom they last borowed and so ordinarily the rest in suche sort that the fyrst lender be the last receyuer The same order is kept in paying legacies the last named receyueth his portion first They accompt it nothyng to shew fauour to such a one as can doo the lyke agayne but to doo good to them that haue litle or nothing that is worth thanks therfore pay they the last before the first for that their entent seemeth rather to be vertuous then gainful When I sayde that suche as bee committed to pryson for theft murther were iudged by the Court I ment not them that were apprehended in the deed doyng for they need no tryall but are brought immediatly before the Tutan who out of hand giueth sentence Other not taken so openly and doe neede tryall are the malefactors put to execution once a yeere in the chiefe cities to keepe in awe the people or condempned doe remayne in prison lokyng for theyr day Theeues being taken are carryed to prison from one place to an other in a chest vpon mens shoulders hyred therefore by the kyng the Chest is sixe handfulles hygh the prisoner sitteth therein vppon a benche the couer of the chest is two boordes amyd them both a pillerylyke hole for the prisoner his necke there sitteth he with his head without the chest the rest of his body within not able to moue or turne his head this way or that way nor to plucke it in the necessities of nature he voydeth at a hole in the bottome of the chest the meat hee eateth is put into his mouth by others There abydeth he day and nyght duryng his whole iourney if happely his porters stumble or the chest doe iogge or be set downe carelesly it turneth to his great paynes that sitteth therein all such motions beyng vnto him hangyng as it were Thus were our companyons carryed from Cinceo seuen dayes iourney neuer taking any rest as afterward they told vs theyr greatest griefe was to staye by the way as soone as they came beyng taken out of the chests they were not able to stande on theyr feete and two of them dyed shortly after Whan
of that countrey is rawe silke and the greatest plentie thereof is at a towne three dayes iourney from Shamaki called Arashe and within three dayes iourney of Arashe is a countrey named Groysine whose inhabitauntes are Christians are thought to be they which are otherwise called Georgians there is also much silke to be solde The chiefe towne of that countrey is called Zeghaui from whence is carryed yeerely into Persia an incredible quantitie of hasell Nuttes all of one sorte and goodnesse and as good and thyn shaled as are our Fylberdes Of these are caryed yeerely the quantitie of 4000. Camelles laden Of the name of the Sophie of Persia and why he is called the Shaugh and of other customes THe Kyng of Persia whom here we call the great Sophi is not there so called but is called the Shaugh It were there daungerous to call him by the name of Sophi bycause that Sophi in the Persian tongue is a begger and it were as much as to call him the great begger He lyeth at a towne called Casbin whiche is situat in a goodly fertile valley of three or foure dayes iorney in length The towne is but euyll buylded and for the most part all of brycke not hardened with fyre but onely dryed at the Sunne as is the most part of the buyldyng of all Persia. The kyng hath not come out of the compasse of his owne house in .xxxiii. or .xxxiiii. yeeres whereof the cause is not knowen but as they saye it is vppon a superstition of certayne prophesies to whiche they are greatly addicted he is nowe about fourescore yeeres of age and very lustie And to keepe hym the more lustye he hath foure wyues alwayes and about three hundred concubynes And once in the yeere he hath all the fayre maydens and wyues that may bee founde a great way about brought vnto hym whom he diligently peruseth feelyng them in all partes takyng suche as he lyketh and puttyng away some of them which he hath kept before And with them that he putteth away he gratifieth some suche as hath doone hym the best seruice And if he chaunce to take any mans wyfe her husbande is very glad thereof and in recompence of her oftentymes he geueth the husbande one of his olde store whom he thankfully receyueth If any straunger beyng a Christian shall come before hym he must put on a newe payre of showes made in that countrey and from the place where he entereth there is dygged as it were a causye all the way vntyll he come to the place where he shall talke with the kyng who standeth alwayes aboue in a gallerye when he talketh with any strangers and when the stranger is departed then is the causye cast downe and the grounde made euen agayne Of the religion of the Persians THeyr religion is all one with the Turkes sauyng that they dyffer who was the ryght successor of Mahumet The Turkes saye that it was one Homer and his sonne Vsman But the Persians saye that it was one Mortus Ali whiche they woulde proue in this maner They say there was a counsayle called to decide the matter who shoulde be the successour and after they had called vppon Mahumet to reuele vnto them his wyll and pleasure therein there came among them a litle lizarde who declared that it was Mahumetes pleasure that Mortus Ali should be his successour This Martus Ali was a valiant man and slewe Homer the Turkes prophet He had a swoorde that he fought withall with the whiche he conquered all his enimies and kylled as many as he stroake When Mortus Ali dyed there came a holy prophet who gaue them warnyng that shortly there woulde come a whyte Camell vppon the which he charged them to lay the body and swoorde of Mortus Ali and to suffer the Camell to carye it whether he woulde The whiche beyng perfourmed the sayde whyte Camell caryed the swoorde and body of Mortus Ali vnto the sea syde and the Camell goyng a good way into the sea was with the swoorde and bodye of Mortus Ali taken vp into heauen for whose returne they haue long looked for in Persia. And for this cause the kyng alwayes keepeth a horse redye sadled for hym and also of late kepte for hym one of his owne daughters to be his wyfe but she dyed in the yeere of our Lorde .1573 And saye furthermore that yf he come not shortly they shal be of our beleefe much lyke the Iewes lookyng for theyr Messias to come and reigne among them lyke a worldly kyng for euer and deliuer them from the captiuitie which they are nowe in among the Christians Turkes and Gentyles The Saugh or Kyng of Persia is nothyng in strength and power comparable vnto the Turke for although he hath a great Dominion yet is it nothyng to be compared with the Turkes neyther hath he any great Ordinaunce of Gunnes or Harkebuses Notwithstandyng his eldest sonne Ismael about twentie and fyue yeeres past fought a great battayle with the Turke and sleue of his armye about an hundred thousande men who after his returne was by his father cast into pryson and there continueth vntyl this daye for his father the Shaugh had hym in suspition that he would haue put hym downe and haue taken the regiment vppon hym selfe Theyr opinion of Christ is that he was an holy man and a great Prophet but not lyke vnto Mahumet saying that Mahumet was the last Prophet by whom all thynges were finished and was therefore the greatest To proue that Christ was not Goddes sonne they saye that God had neuer wyfe and therefore coulde haue no sonne or chyldren They goe on pylgrymage from the furthest part of Persia vnto Mecha in Arabia and by the way they visite also the sepulchre of Christ at Ierusalem whiche they nowe call Couche Kalye The most part of Spyces whiche commeth into Persia is brought from the Iland of Ormus situate in the gulfe of Persia called Sinus Persicus betweene the mayne lande of Persia and Arabia c. The Portugales touche at Ormus both in theyr viage to East India and homewarde agayne and from thence bryng all suche Spyces as is occupied in Persia and the regions there about for of Pepper they bryng verye small quantitie and that at a verye deare pryse The Turkes oftentymes bryng Pepper from Mecha in Arabia whiche they sell as good cheape as that which is brought from Ormus Sylkes are brought from noo place but are wrought all in theyr owne countrey Ormus is within two myles of the mayne lande of Persia and the Portugales fetche theyr freshe water there for the whiche they paye trybute to the Shaugh or kyng of Persia. Within Persia they haue neyther golde nor syluer mynes yet haue they coyned money both of golde and syluer and also other small moneys of Copper There is brought into Persia an incredible summe of Duche Dolours which for the most part is there
the hart A man worthy to serue any prynce and most vilely vsed And of seuenscore men came home to Plymmowth scarsely fourtie and of them many dyed And that no man shoulde suspect these wordes whiche I haue sayd in commendation of Pinteado to be spoken vppon fauour otherwyse then truth I haue thought good to ad hereunto the coppie of the letters which the kyng of Portugale and the infant his brother wrote vnto hym to reconcyle hym at suche tyme as vppon the kyng his maisters displeasure and not for any other cryme or offence as may appeare by the sayde letters he was only for pouertie inforced to come into Englande where he fyrst persuaded our merchauntes to attempt the sayde vyages to Guinea But as the kyng of Portugale to late repented hym that he had so punyshed Pinteado vppon malicious informations of suche as enuied the mans good fortune euen so may it hereby appeare that in some cases euen Lions them selues may either be hyndred by the contempt or ayded by the helpe of the poore myse accordyng vnto the fable of Esope The copie of Antoni Anes Pinteado his letters patentes wherby the king of Portugale made him knyght of his house after al his troubles and imprisonment which by wrong information made to the king he had susteined of long time being at the last deliuered his cause knowen and manifested to the kyng by a grey fryer the kynges confessour I The kyng do geue you to vnderstande lorde Frances Desseosa one of my counsaile and ouerseer of my house that in consideration of the good seruice which Antonie Anes Pinteado the sonne of Iohn Anes dwellyng in the towne called the porte hath done vnto me my wyl and pleasure is to make him knight of mi house alowing to him in pension seuē hundred reis monethly and euery day one alcayre of barly as long as he keepeth a horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinaunce of my house Prouydyng alwayes that he shal receyue but one mariage gifte And this also in such condition that the tyme which is excepted in our ordinaunce forbiddyng such men to marry for gettyng suche chyldren as myght succeede them in this alowance which is syxe yeeres after the makyng of this patent shal be fyrst expired before he do mary I therfore commaund you to cause this to be entred in the booke called the Matricola of our housholde vnder the title of knyghtes And when it is so entred let the clarke of y e Matricola for the certaintie thereof wryte on the backsyde of this Aluala or patent the number of the leafe wherin this our graunt is entered Which doone let him returne this writing vnto the said Anthonie Anes Pinteado for his warrant I Diego Henriques haue wrytten this in Almarin the twenty and two day of September in the yeere of our Lorde .1551 And this beneuolence the kyng gaue vnto Anthonie Anes Pinteado the twentie and fyue day of Iuly this present yeere Rey. The secretaries declaration written vnder the kynges graunt YOur Maiestie hath vouchsafed in respect consideration of the good seruice of Anthonie Anes Pinteado dwellyng in the port and sonne of Iohn Anes to make hym knyght of your house with ordinarie allowance of seuen hundred Reys pension by the moneth and one Alcayr of Barley by the day as long as he kepeth a Horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinance of your house with condition that he shall haue but one mariage gyft and that not within the space of .vi. yeeres after the makyng of these letters patentes The secretaries note Entered in the booke of the Matricola Fol. 683. Francisco de Siquera The coppie of the letter of Don Lewes the infant and brother to the kyng of Portugale sent into England to Anthonie Anes Pinteado ANthonie Anes Pinteado I the infant brother to the kyng haue me hartely commended vnto you Peter Gonsalues is gone to seeke you desiring to bryng you home againe into your countrey And for that purpose hath with hym a safe conduct for you graunted by the kyng that thereby you maye freelye and without all feare come home And allthough the weather be foule and stormye yet fayle not to come For in the tyme that his Maiestie hath geuen you you maye do many thynges to your contentation and gratyfiyng the king whereof I woulde be ryght glad and to bryng the same to passe wyll do all that lyeth in me for your profite But forasmuche as Peter Gonsalues wyl make further declaration hereof vnto you I say no more at this present Wrytten in Luxburne the eyght day of December Anno. M.D.LII. The infant Don Lewes AL these forsayde wrytynges I sawe vnder seale in the house of my frende Nicholas Liese with whom Pinteado left them at his vnfortunate departyng to Guinea But notwithstandyng all these freendly letters and fayre promises Pinteado durst not attempt to goe home neyther to keepe company with the Portugales his countrey men without the presence of other forasmuch as he had secrete admonitions that they entended to sley hym yf tyme and place myght haue serued theyr wicked entent The second viage to Guinea AS in the fyrst viage I haue declared rather the order of the historie then the course of the nauigation wherof at that time I could haue no perfect information so in the discription of this seconde viage my cheefe intent hath been to 〈◊〉 the course of the same accordyng to the obseruation and ordinary custome of the maryners and as I receyued it at the handes of an expert Pilot beyng one of the cheefe in this viage who also with his owne handes wrote a briefe declaration of the same as he founde and tryed al thynges not by coniecture but by the art of saylyng and instrumentes parteynyng to the mariners facultie Not therefore assumyng to my selfe the commendations due vnto other neyther so bolde as in any part to change or otherwyse dispose the order of this viage so well obserued by arte and experyence I haue thought good to set foorth the same in suche sort and phrase of speache as is commonly vsed among them and as I receyued it of the sayd pilot as I haue said Take it therefore as foloweth In the yeere of our lorde .1554 the .11 daye of October we departed the ryuer of Temmes with three goodly shyppes the one called the Trinitie a ship of the burden of seuenscore tun the other called y e Barthelmew a shyppe of the burden of lxxxx the thyrd was the Iohn Euangelist a shyp of seuenscore tunne With the sayde shyppes and two pynnesses whereof the one was drowned in the coast of Englande we went forwarde on our vyage and stayed at Douer .xiiii. dayes We stayed also at Rye three or foure dayes Moreouer last of all we touched at Darthmouth The fyrst day of Nouember at .ix of the clocke at nyght departyng from the coaste of Englande we sette of the stert bearyng southwest al that nyght in the
him Take these I pray thee for thou shalt not refuse them He gaue also to eche of the Christians two Rubies whiche were woorth a thousand crownes to be solde but those which he gaue the Persian were esteemed woorth a hundred thousand crownes This kyng therefore doubtlesse in munificence passeth all the kynges of the worlde and in maner no lesse in richesse for he receyueth yeerely of his subiectes two hundred thousand peeces of golde This region bryngeth foorth all sortes of colours and great plentie of bombasine and silke but these great riches the kyng consumeth on his souldiers Not long after newes were brought that the kyng of Aua was commyng with a myghtie force whom the kyng in maner with an innumerable army went to resist Here also in certayne places we sawe women burned aftâ—r the maner of Tarnassari Of the citie of Melacha and the great ryuer of Gaza Cap. 17. VVIthin two dayes after taking ship we sailed westwarde towarde the citie of Melacha and arryued there in eight dayes saylyng Not farre from this citie is a famous ryuer named Gaza the largest that euer I sawe conteynyng xxv myles in breadth On the other syde is seene a very great Ilande whiche they call Sumetra and is of olde writers named Traprobana The inhabitauntes say that it conteyneth in circuite fyue hundred myles When wee came to the citie of Melacha which some call Melcha we were incontinent commaunded to come to the Soltan being a Mahumetan and subiecte to the great Soltan of Chini and payeth him tribute Of whiche tribute they say the cause is that more then fourescore yeeres past that citie was buylded by the kyng of Chini for none other cause then only for the commoditie of the hauen being doubtlesse one of the fayrest in that Ocean and therefore it is lykely that many shyppes should resorte thyther for merchandies The region is not euery where fruitefull yet hath it sufficient of wheate and fleshe and but little wood They haue plentie of foules as in Calecut but the Popingays are much fayrer There is also founde Sandalum and Tynne Lykewyse Elephantes horses sheepe kyne Pardalles Bufles Peacockes and many other beastes and foules They haue but fewe fruites and therefore there is no merchandies to be solde but spices and silke The people are of blackyshe ashe colour Theyr apparell is like to the Mahumetans of the citie Memphis otherwise named Cayr Alchayr or Babylon of Nilus They haue very large foreheades rounde eyes and flatte noses It is dangerous there to goe abrode in the night the inhabitantes are so giuen to murder and robbery for they kill one another lyke dogges and therefore the merchantes remayne in their shyppes all the nyght The people are fierce of euyll condition and vnruly for they will obey to no gouernour being altogeather giuen to sedition and rebellion and therefore say vnto theyr gouernours that they will forsake the countrey if they stryue to bynde them to order whiche they say the more boldly bycause they are neare vnto the sea and may easily departe into other places For these causes we spent no long tyme here but hyring a Brigantine we sayled to the Ilande of Sumatra where in fewe dayes saylyng we arryued at a citie of the Ilande named Pyder distaunt about fourescore myles from the continent or firme lande Of the Ilande of Sumatra or Taprobana Cap. 18. WE haue sayd here before that the Ilande of Sumatra conteyneth in circuite fyue hundred myles The citie where we fyrst arryued in the Iland is named Pider hauyng a very fayre port I beleeue veryly this Ilande to be Taprobana as also most autours do agree It is gouerned by foure kynges and all Idolaters in fashions apparell and maner of lyuyng not muche differyng from the kyng of Tarnassari The women burne them selues after the death of theyr husbandes as do they of whom we haue spoken before They are of whityshe coloure with large forheades rounde eyes and of brasyll colour They weare theyr heare long and haue very brode and flatte noses and are of despicable stature Iustice is there well obserued Their mony is of golde syluer and tynne The golde coyne hath on the one syde the grauen head of a deuyl and on the other syde a wagon or charrette drawen with Elephantes The syluer mony hath the lyke coyne tenne of these are valued for one of golde But of the tynne coyne .xxv. make the value of one of golde Here are seene more Elephantes bygger and fayrer then in any other place that I haue been This people hath no experience of warres but are geuen altogeather to gaynes and merchandies They are hospitable and enterteyne strangers frendly Of an other kynde of Pepper Also of sylke and the precious gumme called Laserpitium or Belzoe Cap. 19. IN the sayde Iland is a kynde of long Pepper in great abundance Pepper in theyr language is called Molaga is much longer whiter then that which is brought hither yet lighter hotter it is sold there not by weight but bi measure as wheat with vs. It is there in so great abundaunce that there is caryed from hence yeerely twentie shyppes laden with Pepper This is caryed to Cathay and is there well solde by reason of the coldnesse of the region The tree that beareth this kynde of pepper hath a greater body and larger and fatter leaues then the pepper tree of Calecut This Ilande beareth also plentie of sylke whiche for the most parte is made after our maner There is an other sorte which the trees bryng foorth of them selues in the wooddes and feeldes without menage or dressyng but this is woorse then the other Here also groweth the Laser tree whiche bryngeth forth the precious gumme named Laserpitium or Belzoe as the inhabitantes and merchauntes tolde vs but because I haue not seene it I wyll speake no more of it Of three sortes of the tree of Aloes Cap. 20. FOrasmuch as varietie delighteth and the wel disposed mind can neuer be satiate with contemplation of the marueylous and sundry woorkes of God in nature therfore that the reader may take the more pleasure or at the least feele lesse tediousnesse in the reading of these thyngs I haue thought good to wryte somewhat more of suche thynges as I haue seene You shall therefore vnderstande that there is no great plentie of true Aloes or Laserpitium brought to vs because it is brought hyther from the furthest partes of the worlde Understande furthermore that there are three kyndes or sortes of Aloes greatly differyng in goodnesse The perfectest they call Calampat whiche the aforesaide Ilande bryngeth not forth But it is brought from the citie of Sarnau not farre from the place where the sayde Aloes Calampat is engendred as the Christian merchauntes or companions tolde vs. There is an other kynde of Aloes named Iuba or Luba brought hyther by this ryuer
to the west they iudged to be a hundred fyftie myle They affirme all these ilandes to be maruelous fayre and fruitefull This last they called Sancta Maria Antiqua Saylyng forwarde and leauyng many other ilandes after they had sayled about fourtie myles they chaunced vpon an other much bygger then any of the rest which thinhabitans call Ay Ay but they named it Insula crucis Here they cast anker to fetche freshe water The Admiral also commaunded .xxx. men to goe a lande out of his owne shyp and to search the ilande Here they founde foure dogges on the shore The Inhabitants are Canibales and maruelous experte in shooting as wel women as men and vse to infect their arrowes with poyson When they had taried there two dayes they sawe a farre of a Canoa in the whiche were eight men and as many women hauyng with them bowes and arrowes They fiercely assayled our men without all feare and hurt some of them with theyr venemous arrowes Among these there was a certayne woman to whom the other gaue reuerence and obeyed as though she were theyr queene Her sonne wayted vppon her beyng a young man strongly made of terrible and frownyng countenance and a Lions face Our men leaste they shoulde take the more hurte by beyng wounded a farre of thought it beste to ioyne with them Therfore with al speede setting forward with their ores the brigandine in whiche they were sette alande they ouerturned their Canoa with a great violence whiche being ouerwhelmed they notwithstanding as wel the women as the men swymming caste theyr dartes at our men thicke and threefolde At the length geatheryng them selues togeather vpon a rocke couered with the water they fought manfully vntyll they were ouercome and taken one beyng slayne and the queenes sonne sore wounded When they were brought into the Admirals shippe they dyd no more put of their fiercenes and cruel countenaunces then do the Lions of Lybia when they perceiue them selues to be bounde in chaynes There is no man able to beholde them but he shall feele his bowels grate with a certayne horrour nature hath endued them with so terrible menacing and cruell aspect This coniecture I make of mee selfe other which oftentymes went with me to see them at Methymna Campi but nowe to returne to the voyage Proceeding thus further and further more then fyue hundred myles fyrste towarde the west southwest then towarde the southwest and at the length towarde the west northwest they entred into a mayne large sea hauyng in it innumerable ilandes marueylously dyfferyng one from another for some of them were very fruitefull and full of hearbes and trees other some very drye barren and rough with high rockye mountaynes of stone whereof some were of bryght blewe or asurine colour and other glysteryng whyte wherefore they supposed them by good reason to be the mâ—nes of mettalles and precious stones but the roughnesse of the sea and multitude of ilandes standyng so thycke togeather hyndered them so that they coulde cast no anker lest the bigger vesselles shoulde runne vppon the rockes therefore they deferred the searchyng of these ilandes vntyll another tyme they were so manye and stoode so thycke that they coulde not number them yet the smaller vesselles whiche drewe no great deapth entred among them and numbred fourtie and syxe ilandes but the bygger vessels kept aloofe in the mayne sea â–ª for feare of the rockes They call the sea where this multitude of ilandes are situate Archipelagus From this tracte proceding forward in the midde way there lyeth an ilande whiche thinhabitantes call Burichina or Buchena but they named it Insula S. Iohannis Dyuers of them whom we had delyuered from the Canibales sayde that they were borne in this ilande affirming it to be verye populous and frutefull hauing also many faire wooddes and hauens Ther is deadly hatred and continual battayle betwene them and the Canibales They haue no boates to passe from their owne coastes to the Canibales but if it be their chaunce to ouercome them when they make incursion into theyr countrey to seeke their praye as it sometyme happeneth the fortune of warre being vncertayne they serue them with like sause requiting death for death For one of them mangeleth an other in pieces and roste them and eate them euen before their eyes They taryed not in this ilande Yet in the west angle therof a fewe of them went a lande for freshe water and founde a great and high house after the maner of their buyldyng hauing .xii. other of their vulgare cotages placed about the same but were all lefte desolate whether it were that they resorted to the mountaynes by reason of the heate which was that tyme of the yeere and to returne to the playne when the ayre waxeth coulder or els for feare of the Canibales whiche make incursion into the ilande at certayne seasons In al this ilande is only one kyng The south syde hereof extendeth about two hundreth myles Shortly after they came to the ilande of Hispaniola being distante from the firste ilande of the Canibales fyue hundreth leagues Here they founde al thinges out of order and theyr felowes slayne whiche they lefte here at their fyrst voyage In the begynnyng of Hispaniola hauing in it many regions and kyngdomes as we haue sayde is the region of Xamana whose kyng is named Guaccanarillus This Guaccanarillus ioyned frendship with our men at the fyrst voyage and made a league with them but in the absence of the Admirall he rebelled and was the cause of our mens destruction although he dissimuled the same and pretended frendship at the Admirales returne As our men sayled on yet a litle further they espied a long Canoa with many ores in whiche was the brother of Guaccanarillus with only one man wayting on hym He brought with him two images of golde whiche he gaue the Admyrall in the name of his brother and tolde a tale in his language as concernyng the death of our men as they prooued afterwarde but at this tyme had no regarde to his communication for lacke of interpretours whiche were eyther all dead or escaped and stolne away when they drewe neare the ilandes But of the ten seuen dyed by chaunge of ayre and dyet The inhabitauntes of these ilandes haue ben euer so vsed to lyue at libertie in play and pastyme that they can hardly away with the yoke of seruitude which they attempte to shake of by all meanes they may And surely yf they had receiued our religion I woulde thynke theyr lyfe moste happie of all men yf they myght therewith enioye theyr auncient libertie A fewe thinges contente them hauyng no delyte in suche superfluities for the whiche in other places men take infinite paynes and commit manye vnlawfull actes and yet are neuer satisfied whereas manye haue to muche and none yenough But among these symple
Cuba by the same way whiche he came Here a multitude of thinhabitantes as well women as men resorted to hym with cheerefull countenances and with feare bringyng with them popingayes bread water and cunnyes but especially stocke doues much bygger then ours which he affirmeth in sauour and taste to be muche more pleasaunt then our partryches Wherefore where as in eating of them he perceiued a certayne sauoure of spyce to proceede from them he commaunded the croppe to be opened of suche as were newely kylled and founde the same full of sweete spyces whiche he argued to be the cause of theyr strange taste For it standeth with good reason that the fleshe of beastes shoulde drawe the nature and qualitie of theyr accustomed nouryshment As the Admirall harde masse on the shore there came towarde hym a certayne gouernoure a man of foure score yeeres of age and of great grauitie although he were naked sauing his pryuie partes He had a great trayne of men wayting on hym All the whyle the prieste was at masse he shewed him selfe very humble and gaue reuerent attendance with graue and demure countenaunce When the masse was ended he presented to the Admirall a baskette of the fruites of his countrey delyuering the same with his owne handes When the Admirall had gentelly entertayned him desyring leaue to speake he made an oration in the presence of Didacus the interpreter to this effect I haue byn aduertised most mighty prince that you haue of late with great power subdued many lands and Regions hytherto vnknowen to you and haue brought no litle feare vppon all the people and inhabitauntes of the same the whiche your good fortune you shal beare with lesse insolencie if you remember that the soules of men haue two iourneyes after they are departed from this body The one foule and darke prepared for suche as are iniurious and cruell to mankynde the other pleasaunt and delectable ordeyned for them which in theyr lyfe tyme loued peace and quietnes If therfore you acknowledge your selfe to be mortall and consider that euery man shal receiue condigne rewarde or punyshement for suche thynges as he hath done in this life you wyl wrongfully hurte no man When he had saide these wordes and other lyke which were declared to the Admirall by the interpreter he marueyling at the iudgement of the naked olde man answeared that he was gladde to heare his opinion as touching the sundry iourneys and rewardes of soules departed from theyr bodyes supposing that nother he or any other of thinhabitantes of those Regions had had any knowledge thereof declaring further that the chiefe cause of his comming thither was to instruct them in such godly knowledge and true religion and that he was sent into those countreyes by the Christian kyng of Spayne his lord and maister for the same purpose and specially to subdue and punyshe the Canibales and suche other mischeuous people and to defend innocentes against the violence of euyl dooers wyllyng hym and al other suche as imbraced vertue in no case to be afrayde but rather to open his mynde vnto hym yf eyther he or any other suche quiet men as he was had susteyned any wrong of theyr neyghbours and that he woulde see the same reuenged These comfortable words of the Admirall so pleased the olde man that notwithstandyng his extreme age he woulde gladly haue gone with the Admiral as he had done in deede yf his wyfe and chyldren had not hyndered hym of his purpose but he marueyled not a lytle that the Admiral was vnder the dominion of another and much more when the interpretour tolde hym of the glorye magnificence pompe great power and furnimentes of warre of our kinges and of the multitudes of cities and townes whiche were vnder theyr dominions Intendyng therefore to haue gone with the Admirall his wyfe and chyldren fell prostrate at his feete with teares desyring him not to forsake them and leaue them desolate at whose pitiful requestes the woorthy olde man beyng mooâ—ed remayned at home to the comfort of his people and familie satisfiyng rather them then hym selfe for not yet ceassyng to woonder and of heauie countenance because he myght not depart he demaunded oftentymes yf that lande were not heauen whiche brought foorth suche a kynde of men For it is certaine that among them the lande is as common as the sunne and water and that Myne and Thyne the seedes of all myscheefe haue no place with them They are content with so lytle that in so large a countrey they haue rather superfluitie then scarcenesse so that as we haue sayde before they seeme to lyue in the golden worlde without toyle lyuyng in open gardens not intrenched with dyches diuided with hedges or defended with walles they deale truely one with another without lawes without bookes and without iudges they take hym for an euyl and myscheuous man whiche taketh pleasure in dooyng hurt to other And albeit that they delyte not in superfluities yet make they prouision for the increase of suche rootes whereof they make theyr bread as Maizium Iucca and Ages contented with suche symple dyet whereby health is preserued and diseases auoyded The Amirall therefore departyng from thence and myndyng to returne agayne shortly after chaunced to come agayne to the Ilande of Iamaica beyng on the south syde thereof and coasted all along by the shore of the same from the West to the East from whose last corner on the East syde when he sawe towarde the North syde on his left hande certayne hygh mountaynes he knewe at the length that it was the south syde of the Ilande of Hispaniola whiche he had not yet passed by Wherefore at the Calendes of September entryng into the hauen of the same Ilande called saint Nicholas hauen he repayred his shyppes to the intent that he might agayne waste and spoyle the Ilandes of the Canibales and burne all theyr Canoas that those rauenyng wolues might no longer persecute and deuoure the innocent sheepe but he was at this tyme hyndered of his purpose by reason of a disease which he had gotten by to much watching Thus beyng feeblâ— aâ—d weake he was ledde of the Maryners to the citie of Isâ—â—ella where with his two brethren whiche were there and other of his familiars he recouered his health in shorte space yet coulde he not at this tyme assayle the Canibales by reason of sedition that was risen of late among the Spanyardes whiche he had left in Hispaniola whereof we wyll speake more hereafter Thus fare ye well The fourth booke of the first Decade to Lodouike Cardinal of Aragonie COlonus the Admiral of the Ocean returning as he supposed from the continent or fyrme lande of East India had aduertisment that his brother Boilus and one Peter Margarita an olde familiar of the kynges and a noble man with diuers other of those to whom he had left the gouernment of the Ilande were of corrupted
resolued into sande This masse of golde I mee selfe sawe in Castile in the famous Citie of Metbymna Campi where the Court lay al that wynter I sawe also a great peece of pure Electrum of the which belles and Apothecaries morters many suche other vesselles and instrumentes may be made as were in olde tyme of copper the citie of Corinthus This peece of Electrum was of suche weight that I was not only with both my handes vnable to lift it from the ground but also not of strength to remoue it eyther one way or other they affirmed that it weyed more then three hundred pounde weyght after eyght ounces to the pounde it was founde in the house of a certayne prynce and left hym by his predecessours and albeit that in the dayes of the inhabitauntes yet lyuyng Electrum was no where digged yet knewe they where the myne thereof was but our men with muche adoo coulde hardely cause them to shewe them the place they bore them suche priuie hatred yet at the length they brought them to the myne beyng now ruinate and stopped with stones and rubbyshe it is muche easyer to dygge then is the iron myne and might be restored agayne yf myners and other workmen skylful therein were appoynted thereto Not farre from the towre of Conception in the same mountaynes is founde great plentie of Amber and out of certaine rockes of the same distilleth a substance of the yelowe colour whiche the Paynters vse Not farre from these mountaynes are many great woods in the whiche are none other trees then Brasile which the Italians cal Verzino But here perhaps ryght noble prynce you woulde aske what should be the cause that where as the Spanyardes haue brought out of these Ilandes certayne shyppes laden with Brasile somewhat of Gossampine cotton a quantitie of Amber a lytle golde some spyces why they haue not brought suche plentie of golde and suche other ryche marchaundizes as the fruitefulnesse of these regions seeme to promyse To this I aunswere that when Colonus the Admirall was lykewyse demaunded the cause hereof he made aunswere that the Spanyardes whiche he tooke with hym into these regions were geuen rather to sleepe play and idlenesse then to labour and were more studious of sedition and newes then desirous of peace and quietnesse also that being geuen to licenciousnesse they rebelled forsooke him findyng matter of false accusation against hym because he went about to represse theyr outragiousnesse by reason whereof he was not yet able to breake the power of the inhabitauntes and freelye to possesse the full dominion of the Ilande and these hynderaunces to be the cause that hytherto the gaynes haue scarsely counteruayled the charges albeit euen this yeere whyle I wrote these thyngs at your request they geathered in two monethes the summe of a thousande and two hundred poundes weyght of gold But because we entende to speake more largely of these thynges in theyr place we wyll nowe returne from whence we haue digressed When the inhabitauntes perceiued that they coulde by no meanes shake the yoke from theyr necks they made humble supplication to the Admiral that they myght stande to theyr tribute and applye them selues to reincrease the fruites of theyr countrey beyng nowe almost wasted He graunted them theyr request and appoynted suche order that euery region shoulde pay theyr tribute with the commodities of theyr countreys accordyng to theyr portion and at suche tyme as they were agreed vpon but the violent famine did frustrate al these appoyntmentes for al the trauayles of theyr bodyes were scarcelye able to suffise to fynde them meate in the wooddes whereby to susteyne theyr lyues beyng of long tyme contented with rootes and the fruites of wylde trees yet many of the kynges with theyr people euen in this extreme necessitie brought part of theyr tribute most humblye desyryng the Admiral to haue compassion of their calamities and to beare with them yet a whyle vntyl the Ilande were restored to the olde state promysyng further that that whiche was nowe wantyng shoulde then be double recompenced But fewe of the inhabitauntes of the mountaynes of Cibaua kept theyr promise because they were sorer oppressed with famine then anye of the other They say that the inhabitantes of these mountaynes dyffer no lesse in language and manners from them whiche dwel in the playnes then among vs the rusticalles of the countrey from the gentlemen of the courte wheras notwithstanding they lyue as it were both vnder one portion of heauen and in many thinges much after one fashion as in nakednesse and rude simplicitie But nowe let vs returne to Caunaboa the king of the house of golde beyng in captiuitie When he perceiued hym selfe to be â—ast in prison frettyng and gratyng his teeth as it had been a Lion of Libia and dayly and nyghtly deuysyng with hym selfe howe he myght be delyuered beganne to perswade the Admiral that forasmuche as he had nowe taken vnto his dominion the region of Cipanga or Cibaua wherof he was king it shoulde be expedient to sende thyther a garrison of Christian men to defende the same from the incursions of his olde enimies and borderers for he sayde that it was signified vnto him that the countrey was wasted and spoyled with suche incursions By this craftie deuise he thought to haue brought to passe that his brother whiche was in that region and the other his kynsfolkes and frendes with theyr adherentes should haue taken eyther by sleight or force as many of our men as myght haue redeemed hym But the Admiral vnderstandyng his craftie meanyng sent Hoieda with suche a companye of men as myght vanquishe the Cibauians yf they shoulde moue warre agaynst them Our men had scarcelye entred into the region but the brother of Caunaboa came agaynst them with an armie of fyue thousande naked men armed after theyr manner with clubbes arrowes tipt with bones and speares made harde at the endes with fyre He stole vpon our men beyng in one of theyr houses and encamped rounde about the same on euery syde This Cibauian as a man not ignorant in the discipline of warre about the distaunce of a furlong from the house diuided his armie into fyue battayles appoyntyng to euery one of them a circuite by equall diuision and placed the froont of his owne battayle directly agaynst our men When he had thus set his battayles in good aray he gaue certayne signes that y e whole armie should marche forwarde in order with equall paces and with a larome freshly assayle theyr enimies in such sort that none might escape But our men iudging it better to encountre with one of the battayles then to abyde the brunt of the whole armie gaue onset on the mayne battayle aranged in the playne because that place was most commodious for the horsmen When the horsmen therefore had geuen the charge they ouerthrewe them with the brestes of theyr horses and slue as
hym When he came to the Lieuetenauntes presence he frendly requyred hym to perswade his lord and maister in his name and earnestly to admonishe hym not to suffer his florishyng kyngdome to be spoyled or hym selfe to abyde the hasarde of warre for Guarionexius sake and further to exhorte hym to delyuer hym excepte he woulde procure the destruction both of hym selfe his people and his countrey When the messenger was returned Maiobanexius assembled the people declaring vnto them what was doone but they cryed out on him to deliuer Guarionexius and began to curse the daye that euer they had receaued hym thus to disturbe theyr quietnesse Maiobanexius answered them that Guarionexius was a good man had well deserued of him geuing him many princely presentes and had also taught both his wife and him to sing and daunce which thing he did not little esteeme and was therfore fully resolued in no case to forsake him or agaynst al humanitie to betray hys frende which fled to him for succoure but rather to abide al extremities with him then to minister occasion of obloquie to slaunderers to reporte that he had betraied his ghest whom he toke into his house with warranties Thus dimissing the people sighing and with sorowfull hartes he called Guarionexius before him promising him agayne that he would be partaker of his fortune while life lasted in so much that he thought it not best to send any further woorde to the Lieuetenaunt but appoynted him whom before he sent to him to keepe the way with a garrison of men to thintent that yf any messengers should be sent from the Lieuetenaunt to slay them by the way and admit none to communication or further entreatie of peace In the meane time the Lieutenaunt sent two wherof the one was a captiue Ciguauian and the other an Iland man of them which were frendes to our men and they were both taken and slaine The Lieutenaunt folowed them only with ten footemen foure horsemen finding his messengers dead in the way he was further prouoked to wrath and determined more extremely to deale with Maiobanexius therfore went forward incontinently with his whole army to his cheefe pallace of Capronum where he yet lay incampe At his approche al y e kinges fled euery man his way forsoke their capitaine Maiobanexius who also with al his famylye fled to y e rough moūtaines Some of the Ciguauians sought for Guarionexius to slay hym for that he was the cause of all these troubles but his feete saued his lyfe for he fledde in tyme to the mountaines where he lurked in maner alone among the desolate rockes Wheras now the Lieuetenauntes souldiers were foreweryed with long warre with watching laboure and hunger for it was nowe three monethes sence the warres began many desyred leaue to departe to the towre of Conception where they had graneges exercised tillage He gaue them their passeports with alowance of vittayles and so that onely thyrtie remayned with hym These three monethes warre they contynued very paynefull and myserablye So that duryng al that tyme they had none other meate but only Cazibi that is such rootes wherof they make theyr bread and that but seldome to theyr fyll also Vsias that is lyttle beastes lyke Conyes if by chaunce nowe and then they tooke some with theyr houndes Their drinke was none other then water such as they founde somtyme sweete and somtyme muddy saueryng of the maryshes Emong these delicates that lyttle sleepe that they had was euer for the most parte abrode vnder the firmament and that not without watchemen and in continual remoouing as the nature of warre requireth With these fewe therfore the Lieuetenaunt determined to searche the mountaynes dennes and caues if he coulde in any place fynde the steppes of Maiobanexius or Guarionexius In the meane tyme certayne of his men whom hunger enforced to goe a hunting to proue if they coulde take any conies chaunced vppon two of Maiobanexius familyers which were sent to certaine villages of his to make prouision of bread These he enforced to declare where theyr lorde lay hid vsed the same also for guides to bring our men to the place Twelue of our men tooke this enterpryse in hand painting them selues after y e maner of the Ciguauians So that by this stratageme or policie they came sodenly vppon Maiobanexius and tooke hym prisoner with his wyfe children family and conueighed them to the towre of Conception to the Lieuetenaunt Within a fewe dayes after hunger compelled Guarionexius to come out of the dennes whom certaine of the people fearing the Lieuetenaunt bewrayed to our hunters The Lieuetenaunt being certified hereof sent foorth a bande of foote men commaunding them to lye in ambushe vntyll suche tyme as Guarionexius went from the playnes to the mountaynes and then sodenly to entrappe hym They went as they were commaunded tooke hym and brought hym away with them and by this meanes were al the regions neare about pacified and quieted A certayne noble woman of neare kynred to Maiobanexius and wyfe to another kyng whose dominion was yet vntouched folowed hym in all these aduersities They affirme this woman to be the fayrest and most beautifull that euer nature brought foorth in the Iland Whom when the king her husbande who loued her most ardently as her beautie deserued hearde say that she was taken prysoner he wandered vp and downe the desartes lyke a man out of his wytte not knowyng what to doo or say But at the length he came to the Lieutenaunt promisyng most faythfullye that he woulde submit him selfe and al that he coulde make vnder his power so that he woulde restore hym his wyfe The Lieutenaunt accepted the condition restored him his wife with certaine other rulers and gentlemen which he had taken prysoners before charging them and bynding them with an othe to be euer redy at his commaundement Shortly after this king of his owne free motion came agayne to the Lieutenaunt bryngyng with him fyue thousande men without weapons sauyng only suche instrumentes as they vse in tyllage of theyr ground He brought with hym also seedes to sowe wherwith at his owne charge he caused such plentie of theyr corne and fruites to growe in sundry places of the larg vale wherof we spake before that shortly after were seene many fayre and fruitfull feeldes that came therof and for his gentelnesse being rewarded of the Lieuetenaunte with certayne of our thynges he departed ioyfullye When the report hereof came to the Ciguauians it mooued the mindes of the kynges to hope of clemencie whereuppon they came together to the Lieuetenaunt with humble submission and faithfull promyse euer after to be vnder his obedience desyryng hym to restore vnto them theyr kyng with his familie At theyr request the kynges wyfe and his housholde was set at libertie but the king kept styl as a prysoner These thynges dyd the Lieutenaunt in the
blowing breathyng and suckyng the forehead temples and necke of the patient whereby they say they drawe the euyl ayre from him and sucke the disease out of his vaynes then rubbyng hym about the shoulders thyghes and legges and drawyng downe theyr handes close by his feete holdyng them yet faste togeather they runne to the doore beyng open where they vnclose and shake theyr handes affyrmyng that they haue dryuen away the disease and that the pacient shall shortly be perfectlye restored to health After this commyng behynde hym he conueigheth a peece of fleshe out of his owne mouth lyke a iuggeler and sheweth it to the sycke man saying Beholde you haue eaten to muche you shal nowe be whole because I haue taken this from you But yf he entende yet further to deceiue the patient he perswadeth hym that his Zemes is angry eyther because he hath not buylded hym a chappell or not honoured him religiously or not dedicated vnto hym a groue or garden And if it so chaunce that the sycke person dye his kynsfolks by witchcrafte enforce the dead to confesse whether he dyed by naturall desteny or by the negligeÌ„ce of the Boitius in that he had not fasted as he shoulde haue done or not ministred a conuenient medicine for the disease so that if this phisition be founde fautie they take reuâ—nge of hym Of these stones or bones whiche these Boitii cary in theyr mouthes yf the women can come by them they keepe them religiously beleeuyng them to be greatly effectuall to helpe women trauaylyng with chylde and therefore honour them as they do theyr Zemes. For diuers of the inhabitantes honour Zemes of diuers fashions some make them of wood as they were admonyshed by certayne visions appearing vnto them in the woods Other whiche haue receiued aunswere of them among the rockes make them of stone and marble Some they make of rootes to the similitude of suche as appeare to them when they are geatheryng the rootes called Ages whereof they make theyr bread as we haue sayd before These Zemes they beleue to send plentie fruitfulnes of those rootes as the antiquitie beleued such fayries or spirites as they called Dryades Hamadryades Satyros Panes and Nereides to haue the cure prouidence of the sea woods sprynges and fountaynes assignyng to euerye thing their peculier goddes Euen so do thinhabitantes of this Ilande attribute a Zemes to euery thyng supposyng the same to geue eare to theyr inuocations Wherefore as often as the kyngs aske counsel of theyr Zemes as concernyng their warres increase of fruites or scarcenes or health and sicknesse they enter into the house dedicate to theyr Zemes where snuffing vp into theyr nosthryls the pouder of the herbe called Cohobba wherwith the Boitii are dryuen into a furie they say that immediatly they see the houses turned topsye turuie and men to walke with theyr heeles vpward of such force is this pouder vtterly to take away al sence As soone as this madnesse ceasseth he embraceth his knees with his armes holdyng downe his head And when he hath remayned thus a whyle astonyshed he lyfteth vp his head as one that came newe out of sleepe and thus lookyng vp toward heauen fyrst he fumbleth certaine confounded woordes with hym selfe then certayne of the nobilitie or cheefe gentlemen that are about him for none of the common people are admitted to these mysteries with loude voyces geue tokens of reioycing that he is returned to them from the speach of the Zemes demaundyng of hym what he hath seene Then he openyng his mouth doateth that the Zemes spake to hym duryng the tyme of his traunce declaryng that he had reuelations either concerning victorie or destruction famine or plentie health or syckenesse or whatsoeuer happeneth fyrst on his tongue Nowe most noble Prince what neede you hereafter to marueyle of the spirite of Apollo so shakyng his Sibylles with extreme furie you had thought that the superstitious antiquitie had peryshed But nowe wheras I haue declared thus muche of the Zemes in general I thought it not good to let passe what is sayde of them in particuler They say therefore that a certayne kyng called Guamaretus had a Zemes whose name was Corochotum who they say was oftentimes woont to descend from the hyghest place of the house where Guamaretus kept hym fast bound They affirme that the cause of this his breakyng of his bandes and departure was eyther to hyde hym selfe or to goe seeke for meate or els for the acte of generation and that sometymes beyng offended that the kyng Guamaretus had ben negligent and slacke in honouring hym he was woont to lye hyd for certayne dayes They say also that in the kynges vyllage there are sometyme chyldren borne hauyng two crownes whiche they suppose to be the children of Corochotum the Zemes. They fayne likewyse that Guamaretus being ouercome of his enimies in battayle and his village with the pallace consumed with fyre Corochotus brake his bands and was afterwarde founde a furlong of safe and without hurte He hath also another Zemes called Epileguanita made of wood in shape lyke a foure footed beast who also is sayde often tymes to haue gonne from the place where he is honoured into the wooddes As soone as they perceiue hym to be gone a great multitude of them geather togeather to seeke him with deuout prayers and when they haue founde hym bryng hym home religiously on theyr shoulders to the chappel dedicated vnto hym But they complayne that sence the commyng of the Christian men into the Iland he fled for altogeather and coulde neuer sence be founde wherby they diuined the destruction of theyr countrey They honoured an other Zemes in the lykenes of a woman on whom wayted two other lyke men as they were mynisters to her One of these executed thoffice of a mediatour to the other Zemes which are vnder the power and commaundement of this woman to raise wyndes cloudes and rayne The other is also at her commaundement a messenger to the other Zemes which are ioyned with her in gouernaunce to geather togeather the waters which fall from the hygh hylles to the valleies that being loosed they may with force bruste out into greate floodes and ouerflowe the countrey yf the people do not geue due honoure to her Image There remayneth yet one thing worthy to be noted wherwith we will make an end of this booke It is a thing well knowen and yet freshe in memory among the inhabitantes of the iland that there was somtime two kings of the which one was the father of Guarionexius of whom we made mention before which were woont to absteyne fyue daies togeather continualy from meate drinke to know somewhat of their Zemes of thinges to come and that for this fasting beyng acceptable to their Zemes they receyued answere of them that within few yeeres there shoulde come to the ilande a nation of men couered with apparell
also through the maliciousnesse of the venime consumed and was dried vp by lytle litle While these things chaunced thus they espied Nicuesa the other captayne to whom Beragua the region of the West syde of Vraba was assigned to inhabite He gaue wynd to his sayles to take his voyage toward Beragua the day after that Fogeda departed out of the hauen of Carthago He with his armie that he brought with hym coasted euer along by the shore vntyll he came to the gulfe Coiba whose kynges name is Careta Here he founde theyr language to be in manner nothyng lyke vnto that of Hispaniola or of the hauen of Carthago whereby he perceyued that in this tracte there are many languages differyng from theyr owne borderers Nicuesa departyng from Coiba went to the prouince or Lieuetenauntshyp of Fogeda his companion Within a fewe dayes after he hym selfe entryng into one of those marchaunt shyppes whiche the Spanyardes call Carauelas commaunded that the bigger vessels should folow farre behinde He tooke with hym two smal shyppes commonly called Bergandines or Brigandines I haue thought it good in al the discourse of these bookes to vse the common names of thinges because I had rather be playne then curious especially forasmuche as there do dayly aryse many newe thynges vnknowen to the antiquitie whereof they haue left no true names After the departure of Nicuesa there came a shyppe from Hispaniola to Fogeda the captayne wherof was one Barnardino de Calauera who had stolne the same from Hispaniola with threescore men without leaue or aduice of the Admiral and the other gouernours With the vyttualles which this shyppe brought they refreshed them selues and somewhat recouered theyr strengthes muche weakened for lacke of meate Fogeda his companions whyspered and muttered agaynst hym daylye more and more that he fedde them foorth with vayne hope for he had tolde them that he left Ancisus in Hispaniola whom he chose by the kinges commission to be a iudge in causes because he was learned in the law to come shortly after him with a shyp laden with vyttualles and that he marueyled that he was not come many dayes synce And herein he sayd nothing but trueth for when he departed he left Ancisus halfe redye to folowe hym But his felowes supposyng that al that he had sayde of Ancisus had ben fayned some of them determined priuily to steale away the two Brigandines from Fogeda and to returne to Hispaniola But Fogeda hauyng knowledge hereof preuented theyr deuice for leauyng y e custodie of the fortresse with a certayne noble gentleman called Francisco Pizarro he him selfe thus wounded with a fewe other in his companye entred into the shyppe wherof we spake before and sayled directly to Hispaniola both to heale the wounde of his thygh yf any remedie myght be found and also to knowe what was the cause of Ancisus tarying leauyng hope with his felowes whiche were nowe brought from three hundred to threescore partly by famine and partly by warre that he woulde returne within the space of .xv. dayes prescribyng also a condition to Pizarro and his companions that it should not be imputed to them for treason to depart from thence yf he came not agayne at the day appoynted with vyttuales and a newe supplye of men These .xv. dayes beyng nowe past wheras they coulde yet heare nothyng of Fogeda and were dayly more and more oppressed with sharpe hunger they entred into the two Brigandines which were left and departed from that land And as they were nowe saylyng on the mayne sea towarde Hispaniola a tempest sodaynely arysyng swalowed one of the Brigandines with all that were therein Some of theyr felowes affyrme that they playnely sawe a fyshe of huge greatnesse swimmyng about the Brigandine for those seas bryng foorth great monsters and that with a stroke of her tayle she broke the rudder of the shyppe in peeces whiche faylyng the Brigandine being driuen about by force of the tempest was drowned not farre from the Iland called Fortis lying betwene the coastes of the hauen Carthago and Vraba As they of the other Brigandine would haue landed in the Ilande they were dryuen backe with the bowes and arrowes of the fierce barbarians Proceeding therefore on theyr voyage they mette by chaunce with Ancisus betwene the hauen of Carthago and the region of Cuchibacoa in the mouth of the riuer whiche the Spanyardes called Boium gatti that is the house of the catte because they sawe a catte fyrste in that place Boium in the tongue of Hispaniola is a house Ancisus came with a shyppe laden with al thynges necessarie both for meate and drynke and apparell bryngyng also with hym an another Brigandine This is he for whose commyng the captayne Fogeda looked for so long He loosed anker from Hispaniola in the Ides of September and y e fourth day after his departure he espyed certayne hygh mountaynes the whiche for the abundance of snow which lieth there continually in the tops therof the Spanyards called Serra Neuata when Colonus the fyrst fynder of those regions passed by the same The fift day he sayled by Os Draconis â–ª They which were in the Brigandine tolde Ancisus that Fogeda was returned to Hispaniola but Ancisus supposyng that they had fained that tale commaunded them by thauctoritie of his commission to turne backe agayne The Brigandiners obeyed folowed him yet made they humble suite vnto him that he woulde graunt them that with his fauour they myght eyther goe agayne to Hispaniola or that he hym selfe would bring them to Nicuesa and that they woulde for his gentlenesse declared towarde them in this behalfe rewarde hym with two thousande drammes of golde for they were ryche in golde but poore in bread But Ancisus assented to neyther of theyr requestes affyrmyng that he myght by no meanes goe any other way then to Vraba the prouince assigned to Fogeda Whereupon by theyr conduct he tooke his voyage directly towarde Vraba But nowe let it not seeme tedious to your holynesse to heare of one thyng woorthy to be remembred whiche chaunced to this Lieuetenant Ancisus as he came thyther for he also cast anker in the coastes of the region of Caramairi whiche we sayde to be famous by reason of the hauen of Carthago and of the goodly stature strength and beautie both of men and women beyng in the same Here he sent certayne to goe alande on the shore both to fetch fresh water also to repayre the ship boate which was sore bruised In this meane tyme a great multitude of the people of the countrey armed after theyr manner came about our men as they were occupyed about theyr busynesse and stoode in a redynesse to fyght for the space of three dayes continually duryng whiche time neyther durst they set vpon our men nor our men assaile them Thus both parties keepyng theyr aray stoode styll three whole dayes the one gasyng on the other Yet al
noble man and a knyght of the order of Galatraua of whiche order all are called Commendatores this kings desyre was to be named after him Kyng Commendator therefore frendly receiued Ancisus gaue him great abundance of al thinges necessarie But what Ancisus learned of theyr religion during the tyme of his remaynyng there I haue thought good to aduertise your holynesse You shal therfore vnderstande that certayne of our men saylyng by the coastes o◠〈◊〉 left with kyng Commendator a certayne poore Maryner beyng diseased who in short space recoueryng his health and hauyng nowe somewhat learned theyr language began to growe into great estimation with the kyng and his subiectes insomuche that he was oftentimes the kynges Lieuetenant in his warres agaynst other princes his borderers This mans fortune was so good that al thynges prospered well that he tooke in hande and albeit that he were not learned yet was he a vertuous and well meanyng man accordyng to his knowledge and dyd religiouslye honour the blessed virgin bearyng euer about with him her pycture fayre paynted vpon paper and sowed in his apparel neere vnto his brest signifiyng vnto the kyng that this holynes was the cause of al his victories perswading him to doo the like and to cast away all his Zemes which were none other then the similitudes of euill spirites most cruell enimies and deuourers of our soules and to take vnto him the holy virgin and mother of God to be his patronesse if he desyred all his affayres aswel in warre as in peace to succeede prosperously also that the blessed virgyn woulde at no tyme fayle hym but be euer redye to helpe him and his if they woulde with deuout hartes call vppon her name The maryner had soone perswaded the naked nation and therevppon gaue the king who demaunded the same his pycture of the virgin to whom he buylded and dedicated a chapell and an alter euer after contemning and reiecting his Zemes. Of these Zemes made of gossampine cotton to the similitudes of spirites walking in the nyght which they oftentimes see and speake with them familyerly we haue spoken sufficiently in the nyenth booke of the first Decade Furthermore according to the institution of this maryner when the sonne draweth towarde the fall this king Commendator with al his famyly both men and women resort daylye to the saide chapell of the virgin Marie where kneeling on theyr knees and reuerently bowing downe theyr heades holdyng theyr hands ioyned together they salute the image of the virgin with these woordes Aue Maria Aue Maria for fewe of them can rehearse any more wordes of this prayer At Ancisus his being there they tooke hym and his felowes by the handes and ledde them to this chapell with reioysing saying that they woulde shewe them marueylous thinges When they were entred they poynted with theyr fyngers to the Image of the virgyn al to be set and hanged about with ouches and iewels and many earthen pottes fylled some with sundry meates and some with water rounde about all the tabernacle for these thinges they offer to the image in the steede of sacrifice according to theyr olde superstition towarde theyr Zemes. Being demaunded why they dyd thus they answered Lest the image should lacke meate if perhaps it should be a hungred for they most certainly beleue that images may hunger and that they doo eate drinke But what ayde and helpe they confesse that they haue had of the godly power of this image that is of the blessed virgyn it is a thing woorthy to be heard and most assuredly to bee taken for a trueth for by the report of our men there is such feruent godly loue and zeale in these simple men toward the holy virgin that to them being in the daunger of warre agaynst theyr enimies they doo in maner yf I may so terme it compel her to descende from heauen to helpe them in theyr necessities For such is the goodnes of God that he hath left vnto men in maner a pryce whereby we may purchase hym with his holy angels sayntes that is to witte burnyng loue charitie and zeale Howe therfore can the blessed virgin at any time be absent from them which call for her helpe with pure faith and feruent loue Commendator him selfe with al his noble men and gentelmen doo testifie with one voyce that in a fought battayle in the whiche this maryner was capitaine bearing with him this picture of the virgin Marie the Zemes of theyr enimies turned their backes and trembled in the presence of the virgins image and in the sight of them all for euerye of them bryng theyr Zemes to the battaile hoping by theyr helpe to obteine the victorie Yea they say further that during the time of the battaile they saw not only an Image but a liuely woman clothed in fayre and white apparel ayding them against theyr enimies which thing also the enimies them selues acknowledged confessyng that on the contrary part she appeared to them shakyng a scepter in her hande with threatenyng countenance whiche caused theyr hartes to shake and faint for feare but after that this Maryner departed from them being taken into a shyppe of certayne Christians passyng by those coastes Commendator declared that he with al his subiectes continually obserued his institutions insomuch that beyng at contention with another prince whiche of theyr Zemes were most holy and of greatest power the matter grewe to such extremitie that they tryed it with hande strokes and that in all these attemptes the blessed virgin neuer fayled hym but was euer present in the brunt of the battayle and gaue hym easie victorie with a smal power of men against a maine armie of his enimies Beyng demaunded with what woordes they cryed vpon the virgin Mary when they assayled theyr enimies they answered that they had learned no other wordes of the Maryners doctrine but Sancta Maria adiuua nos Sancta Maria adiuua nos That is holy Marie helpe vs holy Marie helpe vs and this also in the Spanishe tongue for he had left these wordes in the mouthes of all men Whyle they murthered and destroyed them selues thus on both sydes they fell to entreatie of peace and agreed to trye the matter not hande to hande by combatte of certayne chosen for both parties as the maner was among the Romanes and diuers other nations in the old tyme or by any sleight or policie but that two young men shoulde be chosen for eche partie one with theyr handes bounde faste behynde them in the playne fyelde bothe parties beyng sworne to acknowledge that Zemes to be the better which fyrst loosed the bandes of the young man which stoode bounde for the tryall of his religion Thus diuidyng them selues and placyng the sayd young men before them in the syght of them all with theyr handes fast bounde by theyr enimies the contrary parte called fyrst on theyr Zemes that
is the deuyl to whose similitude theyr Images are made who immediately appeared in his lykenesse aboute the young man that stoode bounde in the defence of Satans kyngdome But as soone as Commendator with his companye cryed Sancta Maria adiuua nos Sancta Maria adiuua nos forthwith there appeared a fayre virgin clothed in whyte at whose presence the deuyl vanquished immediatly But the virgin hauing along rod in her hande putting the same on the bandes of the young man that stoode for Commendator his handes were loosed immediatly in the syght of them all and his bandes found about the handes of hym that stoode for the other partye insomuch that they them selues founde hym double bounde But for all this were not the enimies satisfyed quarelling that this thyng was done by some sleyght or deuise of man not by the power of the better Zemes. And thereuppon requyred for thaduoydyng of all suspection that there myght be eyght graue and sage men appoynted for eche side foure which should bynde the men in the syght of them all and also geue iudgement whether the thing were done without craft or guyle Oh pure simplicitie and constant fayth oh golden and blessed confidence Commendator and his familiers doubted not to graunt theyr enimies theyr request with lyke fayth wherewith the diseased woman obteyned health of the fluxe of her blood and wherby Peter feared not to walke on the sea at the syght of his maister Christ. These young men therfore were bounde in the presence of these eight graue men and were placed within theyr lystes in the syght of both parties Thus vpon a signe geuen when they called vpon theyr Zemes there appeared in the sight of them al a deuil with a long taile a wide mouth great teeth and hornes resemblyng the similitude of the image whiche the kyng beyng enimie to Commendator honored for his Zemes. As the deuyl attempted to loose the bandes of his client the blessed virgin was immediatly present as before at the cal of Commendator his subiects with her rodde loosed the bandes of her supplyant whiche were agayne likewyse founde fast tyed about the handes of hym that stoode for the contrarye part The enimies therfore of Commendator being stricken with great feare and amased by reason of this great myracle confessed that the Zemes of the virgin was better then theyr Zemes for the better proofe whereof these pagans being borderers to Commendator whiche had euer before ben at continuall warre and enmitie with hym when they had knowledge that Ancisus was arryued in those coastes they sent Ambassadours vnto hym to desire him to sende them priestes of whom they might be baptised wherupon he sent them two which he had there with hym at that present They baptised in one day an hundred and thyrtie of thinhabitantes sometime enimies to Commendator but nowe his frendes and ioyned with hym in aliance All suche as came to be baptised gaue the priestes of theyr owne liberalitie either a cocke or a henne but no capons for they can not yet skill howe to carue theyr cocke chickens to make them capons Also certayne salted fishes and newe fyne cakes made of theyr bread likewise certayne foules franked and made fatte When the priestes resorted to the shyppes syxe of these newe baptised men accompanyed them laden with vittuals wherewith they ledde a ioyful Easter for on the Sunday two dayes before saynt Lazarus day they departed from Dariena and touched at that tyme only the cape or angle of Cuba neere vnto the East syde of Hispaniola At the request of Commendator Ancisus left with him one of his companye to the intent to teache hym and his subiectes with other his borderers the salutation of the angell whiche we cal the Aue Maria for they thynke them selues to be so much the more beloued of the blessed virgin as they can rehearse the more woordes of that prayer Thus Ancisus takyng his leaue of kyng Commendator directed his course to Hispaniola from which he was not farre Shortly after he tooke his voyage to Spayne and came to Valladoleto to the kyng to whom he made greeuous complaynt of the insolencie of Vaschus Nunnez insomuche that by his procurement the kyng gaue sentence agaynst hym Thus muche haue I thought good most holy father whereof to aduertise your holynesse as concernyng the religion of these nations not only as I haue ben enstructed of Ancisus with whom I was dayly conuersaunt in the Court and vsed hym familiarlye but also as I was enfourmed of diuers other men of great aucthoritie to the intent that your excellencie may vnderstande howe docible this kynd of men are and with what facilitie they may be allured to embrace our religion but this can not be done sodenly yet we haue great cause to hope that in short time they wyl be al drawen by litle and litle to the Euangelical lawe of Christe to the great encrease of his flocke But let vs nowe returne to the messengers or procuratours as concernyng the affayres of Dariena The seuenth booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed continent FRom Dariena to Hispaniola is eyght dayes saylyng and sometimes lesse with a prosperous winde yet Quicedus and Colmenaris the procuratours of Dariena by reason of tempestes contrary windes could scarcely sayle it in a hundred dayes When they had taryed a fewe dayes in Hispaniola and had declared the cause of the commyng to the Admirall and the other gouernours they toke shipping in two marchant shippes beyng redy furnyshed whiche were also accustomed to sayle to and fro betweene Spayne and the Ilande of Hispaniola They departed from Dariena as we sayde before the fourth day of the Calends of Nouember in the yere of Christ .1512 and came not to the court before the Calendes of May in the yeere folowyng beyng the yeere of Christ .1513 At theyr commyng to the court Iohannes Fonseca to whom at the beginnyng the charge of these affayres was committed whom also for his faythfull seruice towarde the kyng your holynesse created general Commissarie in the warres agaynst the Moores receiued them honourably as men commyng from the newe worlde from naked nations and landes vnknowen to other men By the preferment therefore of the Byshop of Burges Quicedus and Colmenaris were brought before the kyng and declared theyr legacie in his presence Suche newes and presentes as they brought were dilectable to the kyng and his noble men for the newnesse and strangenesse thereof They also soiourned with me oftentymes Theyr countenaunces do declare the intemperatnesse of the ayre and region of Dariena for they are yelowe lyke vnto them that haue the yelowe gaundies and also swolne but they ascribe the cause hereof to the hunger whiche they susteyned in tymes past I haue ben aduertised of the affayres of this newe worlde not only by these procuratours of Dariena and Ancisus and Zamudius but
recourse to those regions and can no lesse then declare the same albeit it may seeme incredible to some ignorant persons not knowing the power of nature to whom Plinie was perswaded that nothing was impossible We haue therefore thought it good to make this discourse by the way of argument lest on the one syde men of good learnyng and iudgement and on the other syde suche as are studious to finde occasions of quarellyng in other mens wrytynges shoulde iudge vs to be so vndiscrete lightly to geue credite to euery tale not being consonant to reason but of the force and great violence of those freshe waters whiche repulsyng the sea make so great a gulfe as we haue sayde I thynke the cause thereof to be the great multitude of floods and riuers whiche beyng geathered togeather make so great a poole and not one ryuer as they suppose And forasmuch as the mountaines are exceeding high and steepe I thinke the violence of the fall of the waters to be of suche force that this conflict betweene the waters is caused by thimpulsion of the poole that the salt water can not enter into the gulfe But here perhaps some wyll marueyle at me why I should marueyle so muche hereat speakyng vnto me scornefully after this manner Why doth he so marueyle at the great riuers of those regions Hath not Italie his Eridanus named the kyng of ryuers of the old wryters Haue not other regions also the lyke as we reade of Tanais Ganges and Danubius which are sayde so to ouercome the sea that freshe water may be drawen fourtie myles within the same These men I would satisfie with this aunswere The famous ryuer of Padus in Italie whiche they nowe call Po and was of the Greekes called Eridanus hath the great mountaynes called Alpes diuiding Fraunce Germanie and Pannonie from Italie lying at the backe therof as it were bulwarkes agger full of moysture and with a long tracte receiuyng Ticinam with innumerable other great ryuers falleth into the sea Adriatike The lyke is also to be vnderstoode of the other But these ryuers as our men were enfourmed by the kynges fall into the Ocean sea with larger and fuller channels neere hande and some there are whiche affirme this lande to be very large in other places although it be but narowe here There commeth also to my remembraunce another cause the whiche although it be of no great force yet do I entende to wryte it Perhaps therefore the length of the lande reachyng farre from the East to the West if it be narowe may be a helpe hereunto for as we reade that the ryuer Alpheus passeth through the holowe places vnder the sea from the citie of Elis in Peloponeso and breaketh forth at the fountayne or spryng Arethusa in the Iland of Sicillia so is it possible that these mountaines may haue such long caues parteynyng vnto them that they may be the receptacles of the water passing through the landes beyng farre distant and that the same waters commyng by so long a tracte may in the way be greatly encreased by the conuersion of ayre into water as we haue sayde Thus much haue I spoken freely permitting both to them which do frendly interprete other mens dooyngs and also to the malitious scorners to take the thing euen as them lysteth for hytherto I can make no further declaration hereof but when the trueth shal be better knowen I wil do my diligence to commit the same to wrytyng Nowe therfore forasmuch as we haue spoken thus muche of the breadth of this lande we entende to describe the length and fourme of the same The tenth booke of the seconde Decade of the supposed continent THat lande reacheth foorth into the sea euen as doth Italy although not lyke the legge of a man as it doth But nowe I compare a Pigmean or a dwarfe to a Giant for that part thereof whiche the Spanyardes haue ouer runne from the sayd East poynt which reacheth towarde the sea Atlantike the ende not beyng yet founde towarde the West is more then eyght tymes longer then Italie And by what reason I am moued to say eyght tymes your holynesse shall vnderstande From the tyme therefore that I fyrste determined to obeye theyr requestes who wylled me fyrst in your name to wryte these thinges in the Latine tongue I did my endeuour that al things myght come foorth with due tryal and experience whereupon I repayred to the Bishop of Burges beyng the cheefe refuge of this nauigation As we were therfore secretely togeather in one chamber we had many instruments parteining to these affaires as globes and many of those maps whiche are commonly called the shipmans cardes or cardes of the sea Of the which one was drawen by the Portugales wherunto Americus Vesputius is said to haue put to his hande beyng a man most expert in this facultie and a Florentine borne who also vnder the stipende of the Portugales had sayled towarde the South pole many degrees beyonde the Equinoctiall In this carde we founde the first front of this lande to be broder then the kynges of Vraba had perswaded our men of theyr mountaynes To another Colonus the Admiral while he yet lyued and searched those places had geuen the beginning with his owne handes whereunto Bartholomeus Colonus his brother and Lieuetenaunt had added his iudgement for he also had sayled about those coastes Of the Spanyardes lykewyse as many as thought them selues to haue anye knowledge what parteyned to measure the land the sea drewe certayne cardes in parchment as concernyng these nauigations Of all other they moste esteeme them whiche Iohannes de la Cossa the companion of Fogeda whom we sayde to be slayne of the people of Caramairi in the hauen of Carthago and another expert pylote called Andreas Moralis had set foorth And this aswel for the great experience which they both had to whom these tractes were aswel knowen as the chambers of theyr owne houses as also that they were thought to be cunninger in that part of Cosmographie which teacheth the discription and measuring of the sea Conferring therfore al these cardes togeather in euery of the whiche was drawen a lyue expressing not the myles but leagues after the maner of the Spanyardes we tooke our compasses began to measure the sea coastes after this order From that poynt or fronte whiche we sayde to be included within the lyue parteynyng to the Portugales iurisdiction beyng drawen by the paralelles of the Ilandes of Cabouerde but a hundred leagues further towarde the West whiche they haue nowe also searched on euery syde we founde three hundred leagues to the entraunce of the riuer Maragnonum and from thence to Os Draconis seuen hundred leagues but somwhat lesse by the discription of some for they doo not agree in al poyntes exquisitely The Spanyards wyl that a league conteyne foure myles by sea and but three by lande From Os Draconis
euery house also howe the treasurie of nature is in those coastes and of the golde mynes of Dariena Howe kyng Teaocha gaue Vaschus .xx. poundes weyght of wrought golde and two hundred pearles also of desartes full of wylde beastes and howe Vaschus was troubled with great heate in the moneth of Nouember Howe a dogge Tyger was taken and his whelpes tyed in cheynes and torne in peeces also how Vaschus gaue .iiii. kynges to his dogges to be deuoured Of the vse of dogges in theyr warres and of the fiercenesse of the Caniballes How kyng Bononiana fauoured the Christians gaue Vaschus xx pound weyght of wrought golde also his oration to Vaschus A similitude prouyng great plentie of golde in the regions of the South sea and of the trauayles which olde souldyers are able to susteyne The contentes of the thyrd booke Fol. 105. HOwe kyng Buchibuea submitted him selfe to Vaschus sent him certayne vesselles of golde also how kyng Chiorisus sent him .xxx. dyshes of pure golde Howe Iron serueth for more necessary vses then golde also an example of the lyfe of our fyrst parentes Howe kyng Pocchorrosa submitted hym selfe and gaue Vaschus fyftiene pounde weyght of wrought golde also how Tumanama the great kyng of the golden regions towarde the South sea is taken prysoner lykewyse howe he gaue Vaschus .xxx. pounde weyght of pure and wrought golde and his noble men .lx. pounds weyght of golde Of the cause of vehement wyndes neere vnto the Equinoctiall lyne and of the coloure of the earth of the golden mynes Of the large and fruitefull playne of Zauana and of the ryuer Comogrus also howe kyng Comogrus baptised by the name of Charles gaue Vaschus .xx. pounde weyght of wrought golde Of the good fortune of Vaschus and howe he was turned from Goliath to Elizeus from Anteus to Hercules with what facilitie the Spaniardes shall hereafter obtayne great plentie of golde and pearles Of the Spanyardes conquestes and fiercenesse of the Canibales also an exhortation to Christian princes to set forwarde Christes religion The contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 110. THe fourth viage of Colonus the Admiral from Spayne to Hispaniola and to the other Ilandes and coastes of the firme lande also of the floryshyng Ilande Guanassa Of the seuen kyndes of Date trees wylde vines and Mirobalanes also of byrdes and foules Of people of goodly stature whiche vse to paynt theyr bodyes and of the swyfte course of the sea from the east to the west also of freshe water in the sea Of the large regions of Paria Os Draconis and Quiriquetana and of great Tortoyses and reedes also of the foure fruitefull Ilands called Quatuor Tempora and .xii. Ilands called Limonares Of sweete sauoures and holsome ayre and of the region Quicuri and the hauen Cariai or Mirobalanus also of certayne ciuil people Of trees growyng in the sea after a straunge sort and of a straunge kynde of Monkyes whiche inuade men and feyght with wylde Bores Of the great gulfe of Cerabaro replenished with many fruitefull Ilandes and of the people whiche weare cheynes of golde made of ouches wrought to the similitude of dyuers wylde beastes and foules Of fyue villages whose inhabitauntes geue them selues onely to geatheryng of golde and are paynted vsyng to weare garlandes of Lions and Tygers clawes also of seuen ryuers in al the which is founde great plentie of golde and where the plentie of gold ceasseth Of certayne people whiche paynt theyr bodyes and couer theyr priuie members with shelles hauyng also plates of gold hangyng at theyr nosethrylles Of certayne woormes whiche beyng engendred in the seas neere about the Equinoctial eate holes in the shyppes and howe the Admirals shyppes were destroyed by them Howe the king of Beragua entertayned the Lieuetenaunt and of the great plentie of golde in the ryuer of Duraba and in al the regions there about also in rootes of trees and stones and in maner in al ryuers Howe the Lieuetenaunt and his company woulde haue erected a colonie besyde the ryuer of Beragua was repulsed by thinhabitauntes Howe the Admiral fel into the handes of the Barbarians of the Iland of Iamaica where he liued miserably the space of tenne monethes and by what chaunce he was saued and came to the Ilande of Hispaniola Of holsome regions temperate ayre and continual spryng al the whole yeere also of certayne people which honour golde religiously duryng theyr golden haruest Of the mountaynes of Beragua beyng fyftie myles in length and higher then the cloudes also the discription of other mountaynes and regions thereabout comparyng the same to Italy Colonus his opinion as touchyng the supposed continent and ioynyng of the north and south Ocean also of the breadth of the sayde continent or firme lande Of the regions of Vraba Beragua and the great ryuer Maragnonus and the ryuer of Dabaiba or Sancti Iohannis also of certayne maryshes and desolate wayes and of Dragons and Crocodiles engendred in the same Of .xx. golden ryuers about Dariena and of certayne precious stones especially a Diamonde of marueylous byggnesse bought in the prouince of Paria Of the heroical factes of the Spanyardes and howe they contemne effeminate pleasures also a similitude prouing great plentie of golde and precious stones The contentes of the fyft booke Fol. 119. THe nauigation of Petrus Arias from Spayne to Hispaniola and Dariena and of the Ilandes of Canarie also of the Ilands of Madanino Guadalupea and Galanta Of the sea of hearbes mountaynes couered with snow also of the swyft course of the sea towards the West Of the ryuer Gaira the region Caramairi and the port Carthago and Sancta Martha also of Americus Vesputius and his expert cunnyng in the knowledge of the carde compasse and quadrant How the Canibales assayled Petrus Arias with his whole nauie and shot of theyr venomous arrowes euen in the sea also of theyr houses and housholde stuffe How Gonsalus Ouiedus founde a Saphire bygger then a goose egge also Emerodes Calcidonies Iaspers and Amber of the mountaynes Of woods of Brasyle trees plentie of gold and marchasites of metals founde in the regions of Caramairi Gaira and Saturma also of a straunge kynde of marchaundies exercised among the people of Zunu That the region of Caramairi is lyke to an earthy Paradise of the fruitfull mountaynes and pleasaunt gardens of the same Of many goodly countreis made desolate by the fiercenesse of the Canibales and of diuers kyndes of bread made of rootes also of the maner of plantyng the roote of Iucca whose iuise is deadly poyson in the Ilandes and without hurt in the continent or fyrme lande Of certayne golden ryuers Hartes wylde Boores foules gossampine whyte marble and holsome ayre also of the great ryuer Maragnonus discending from the mountaynes couered with snowe called Serra Neuata How Petrus Arias wasted certaine Ilands of the Canibales how by the swyft course of the sea his shyps were caried in one night fourtie
is nearest to this Ilande and lyeth directly agaynst San Dominico the passage is finished in the tyme aforesayde But it shal be much better to remit all this to the carde of these nauigations and the new Cosmographie of the whiche no parte was knowne to Ptolome or any other of the olde wryters Of two notable thinges as touching the west Indies and of the great rychesse brought from thence into Spayne AFter my vniuersall discription of the historie of the Indies there commeth to my remembraunce two thinges chiefly to be noted as touchyng Thempire of these West Indies pertaining to the dominion of your maiestie and these besyde the other perticulars whereof I haue sufficiently spoken are to be considered as thinges of great importaunce Whereof the one is the shortnesse of the way with what expedition your maiesties shyppes may passe beyonde the mayne firme lande of these Indies into the new South sea called Mare del Sur lying beyond the same this to thintent to come to the Ilandes where the spices grow beside the other innumerable rychesse of y e kingdomes seigniories which confine with the said sea where are so many people nations of dyuers tongues maners The other thing is to consider howe innumerable treasures are entred into Spayne by these Indies aswell that which commeth dayly from thence as also that is continually to be looked for both of gold pearle other marchaundies which are first brought into this your realme of Spayne before they are seene of other nations or traded into other realmes Whereby not onely this your realme is greatly inriched but also the benefite thereof redoundeth to the great profite of other countreys which are neare therevnto A testimonie of this are the double ducades which your maiestie haue caused to bee coyned and are dispearsed throughout the whole worlde But after they are once passed out of this your realme they neuer returne againe because they are the best currant money of the worlde And therefore if after they haue been in the handes of straungers they chaunce to bee returned agayne into Spayne they come disguised in an other habite and are diminished of the goodnesse of theyr golde with the stampe of your maiestie chaunged So that if it were not for theyr suche defacynges in other realmes for the cause aforesayde there should not bee founde so great quantitie of fyne golde of the coyne of any prince in the world as of your maiesties and the cause of all this are your Indies Of the mynes of golde and the maner of workyng in them THis particuler of the mynes of gold is a thing greatly to bee noted and I may much better speake hereof thē any other man forasmuch as there are nowe .xii. yeeres past since I serued in the place of the surueier of y e melting shops parteyning to the gold mynes of y e firme land and was the gouernour of the mynes of the Catholike kyng Don Ferdinando after whose departure from this lyfe I serued long in the same roome in the name of your maiestie By reason wherof I haue had great occasion to know how gold is found and wrought out of the mynes and doe know ryght well y t this land is exceeding rych hauing by my accompt and by the labour of my Indians slaues geathered and fyned a great portion of the same may therfore the better affyrme this by testimony of sight For I am well assured that in no part of Castilia del oro that is golden Castile otherwise called Beragua no man coulde aske mee of the mynes of golde but that I durst haue bounde my selfe to haue discouered them in the space of ten leagues of the countrey where it should haue been demaunded me and the same to be very rych for I was alowed all maner of charges to make search for the same And although gold be found in maner euery where in these regions of golden Castile yet ought we not in euery place to bestow the trauel charge to geat it out because it is of lesse quantitie and goodnesse in some place then in some And the myne or veyne which ought to be folowed ought to be in a place which may stand to saue much of y e charges of the labourers and for the administration of other necessary thinges that the charges may be recompenced with gaynes for there is no doubt but that gold shal be found more or lesse in euery place And the golde whiche is founde in golden Castile is very good of .xxii. caractes or better in fynesse Furthermore besyde this great quantitie of gold which I haue sayd to be found in the mynes there is also from day to day found or otherwyse gotton great treasure of such wrought gold as hath ben in y e custodie of the subdued Indians theyr kynges aswel of such as they haue geuen for theyr fyne and raunsome or otherwyse as frendes to the Christians besyde that whiche hath ben violently taken from the rebelles but the greatest parte of the wrought golde whiche the Indians haue is base and holdeth somewhat of copper of this they make braslettes and chaynes and in the same they close theyr iewels whiche theyr women are accustomed to weare esteemed more then al the richesse of the worlde The maner howe golde is geathered is this eyther of suche as is founde in Zauana that is to saye in the playnes and ryuers of the champion countrey beyng without trees whether the earth be with grasse or without or of suche as is sometymes founde on the land without the ryuers in places where trees growe so that to come by the same it shal be requisite to cut downe many and great trees But after which so euer of these two maners it be founde eyther in the ryuers or breaches of waters or els in the earth I wyl shewe howe it is founde in both these places and howe it is separate and pourged Therefore when the myne or veyne is discouered this chaunceth by searchyng and prouyng in such places as by certaine signes and tokens do appeare to skylful men apte for the generation of golde and to holde golde and when they haue found it they folowe the myne and labour it whether it be in the ryuer or in the playne as I haue sayde And if it be founde on the playne fyrst they make the place very cleane where they entende to dygge then they dygge eyght or tenne foote in length and as muche in breadth but they goe no deeper then a spanne or two or more as shal seeme best to the maister of the myne dyggyng equally then they washe all the earth whiche they haue taken out of the sayde space and if herein they fynde any golde they folowe it and if not they dygge a spanne deeper and washe the earth as they dyd before and if then also they fynde nothyng they continue in diggyng and washyng y e earth as before vntyl
euen at this present there is nothyng wherefore it shoulde malice theyr prosperitie not beyng inferiour to them in any felicitie that in maner the heauens can graunt to any lande beyng furthermore suche as mâ—y inryche many prouinces and kyngdomes by reason of many ryche golde mynes that are in it of the beste golde that is founde to this day in the worlde and in greatest quantitie In this Iland nature of her selfe bryngeth foorth suche abundance of cotton that if it were wrought and mayntayned there shoulde be more and better then in any part of the world There is so great plentie of excellent Cassia that a great quantitie is brought from thence into Spaine from whence it is caried to diuers partes of the worlde It encreaseth so muche that it is a marueylous thyng to consider In this are many ryche shoppes where Suger is wrought and that of suche perfectnesse and goodnesse and in such quantitie that shyps come laden therewith yeerely into Spayne All such seedes settes or plantes as are brought out of Spayne and planted in this Ilande become muche better bygger and of greater encrease then they are in any part of our Europe And yf it chaunce otherwyse that sometymes they prosper not so well the cause is that they which should tyl and husband the ground sowe and plant in due seasons haue no respect heereunto beyng impatient whyle the wheat and vines waxe rype beyng geuen to wanderyng and other affayres of present gaynes as I haue sayde as searchyng the golde mynes fyshyng for pearles and occupying marchaundies with suche other trades for the greedy folowyng whereof they neglect and contempne both sowyng and plantyng Suche fruites as are brought out of Spayne into this Iland prosper marueylously and waxe rype all tymes of the yeere as hearbes of al sortes very good and pleasaunt to be eaten Also many Pomgranates of the best kynde and Oranges both sweete and sowre Lykewyse many fayre Limons and Cedars and a great quantitie of all such as are of sharpe sowre and bytter tast There are also many Fygge trees which bryng foorth theyr fruite all the whole yeere Lykewyse those kynde of Date trees that beare Dates and diuers other trees and plantes which were brought out of Spayne thyther Beastes do also encrease in lyke abundaunce especially the heardes of Ryne are so augmented both in quantitie and number that there are now many patrons of cattaile that haue more then two thousand heades of Neate and some three or foure thousande and some more Besyde these there are very many that haue heardes of foure or fyue hundred And trueth it is that this Iland hath better pasture for suche cattayle then any other countrey in the worlde also holsome and cleare water and temperate ayre by reason whereof the heardes of such beastes are much bygger fatter and also of better tast then ours in Spayne because of the ranke pasture whose moisture is better digested in the hearbe or grasse by the continuall temperate heate of the Sonne wherby beyng made more fat and vnctuous it is of better and more stedfast nouryshment For contynuall and temperate heate doth not only drawe much moysture out of the earth to the nouryshment of such thynges as growe and are engendred in that clime but doth also by moderation preserue the same from resolution and putrifaction digesting also and condensatyng or thycknyng the sayde moyst nouryshment into a gummie and vnctuous substaunce as is seene in all suche thynges as growe in those regions and this is the only naturall cause aswell that certayne great beastes and of long lyfe as the Elephant Rhinoceros with suche other are engendred only in the regions neare vnto the Equinoctiall as also that the leaues of suche trees as growe there do not wyther or fall vntyll they be thrust out by other accordyng to the verse of the poet whiche sayeth Et nata pira piris et ficus in ficubus extant this is in effect Peares growing vpon Peares and Fygges vpon Fygges Plinie also wryteth that suche trees are neuer infected with the disease of trees that the Latines call Caries whiche we may call the worme or canker beyng but a certayne putrifaction by reason of a watrishe nouryshment not well consolidate The same thyng hath been the cause that certayne Philosophers considering aswell that man is the hottest and moystest beast that is whiche is the best complexion as also that men lyue longest in certayne partes of India neare the Equinoctiall where yet to this day some liue to the age of an hundred and fyftie yeeres were of opinion that yf mankynde had any beginning on the earth that place ought by good reason to be vnder or not farre from y e Equinoctial line for the causes aforesayde Some of the Diuines also vpon lyke consideration haue thought it agreable that theyr Paradise shoulde be about the same within y e precinct of those riuers which are named in the booke of Genesis But to let passe these thyngs to returne to the historie In this Iland furthermore are manye Sheepe and a great number of Hogges of the whiche as also of the Ryne many are become wylde and lykewyse many Dogges and Cattes of those whiche were brought out of Spayne These and especially the Dogges do much hurt among the cattayle by reason of the negligence of the heardmen There are also many Horses Mares and Mules and such other beastes as serue the vse of men in Spayne and are muche greater then they of the fyrst broode brought thyther out of Spayne Some places of the Ilande are inhabited although not so many as were requisite Of the which I wyl say no more but that al the regions of the Ilande are so well situate that in the course of tyme all thynges shall come to greater perfection by reason of the rychnesse pleasauntnesse of the countrey and fertilitie of the soyle But nowe to speake somewhat of the principall and chiefe place of the Ilande whiche is the citie of San Domenico I saye that as touchyng the buildinges there is no citie in Spayne so much for so much no not Barsalona which I haue oftentymes seene that is to be preferred before this generally For the houses of San Domenico are for the most parte of stone as are they of Barsalona or of so strong wel wrought earth that it maketh a singuler and strong bynding The situation is much better then that of Barsalona by reason that the streates are much larger and plainer and without comparison more directe and streyght foorth For being builded nowe in our tyme besyde the commoditie of the place of the fundation the streetes were also directed with corde compase and measure wherin it excelleth al the cities that I haue seene It hath the sea so neere that of one syde there is no more space betwene the sea
poore men cruelly takyng pietie of theyr infantes newly borne especially gyrles doe many tymes with theyr owne feete strangle them Noble men and other lykewyse of meaner calling generally haue but one wyfe a peece by whom although they haue issue yet for a trifle they diuorse themselues from their wiues and the wiues also sometimes from their husbands to marry with others After y e seconde degree coosins may there lawfully marry Adoption of other mens children is much vsed among them In great townes most men and women can write and reade This nation feedeth sparely theyr vsuall meate is ryse and salattes and neare the sea syde fyshe They feast one an other many tymes wherein they vse great diligence especially iâ— drinkyng one to an other insomuch that the better sorte least they myght rudely commit some fault therin doe vse to reade certaine bookes written of dueties and cerimonies apperteynyng vnto bankettes To be delicate and fine they put theyr meat into their mouthes with litle forkes accompting it great rudenes to touch it with theyr fingers wynter and sommer they drynke water as hot as they may possible abyde it Theyr houses are in daunger of fyre but finely made and cleane layde all ouer with straw pallettes wherevppon they doe both sit in steede of stooles and lye in theyr clothes with billets vnder theyr heades For feare of defilyng these pallettes they goe eyther barefoote within doores or weare strawe pantofles on theyr buskynnes whan they come abroade the which they laye asyde at theyr returne home agayne Gentlemen for the most parte doe passe the nyght in banketting musike and vayne discourses they sleepe the day tyme. In Meaco and Sacaio there is good store of beddes but they be very litle and may be compared vnto our pues In bryngyng vp theyr children they vse wordes onely to rebuke them admonishyng as diligently and aduisedly boyes of six or seuen yeeres age as though they were olde men They are giuen very much to entertayne strangers of whom most curiously they loue to aske euen in trifles what forreyne nations doe and theyr fashions Suche argumentes and reasons as be manifest and are made playne with examples doe greatly persuade them They detest all kynde of theft whosoeuer is taken in that faulte may be slayne freely of any body No publike prisons no common gayles no ordinary Iusticers priuately eche householder hath the hearyng of matters at home in his owne house and the punishyng of greater crymes that deserue death without delaye Thus vsually the people is kept in awe and feare About foure hundred yeeres agoe as in theyr olde recordes we fynde all Giapan was subiecte vnto one Emperor whose royall seate was Meaco in the Giaponishe language called Cubucama But the nobilitie rebellyng agaynst him by litle and litle haue taken away the greatest parte of his dominion howbeit his title continually remayneth and the residue in some respect doe make great accompt of him stil acknowledging him for theyr superior Thus the Empyre of Giapan in tymes past but one alone is now diuided into sixtie sixe kyngdomes the onely cause of ciuile warres continually in that Iland to no small hynderaunce of the Gospell whilest the kynges that dwell neare togeather inuade one an other eche one couetyng to make his kyngdome greater Furthermore in the citie Meaco is the pallace of the high priest whom that nation honoureth as a God he hath in his house .366 Idolles one whereof by course is euery nyght set by his syde for a watcheman He is thought of the common people so holy that it may not be lawfull for him to goe vppon the earth if happely he doe set one foote to the grounde he looseth his office He is not serued very sumptuously he is maynteined by almes The heads and beards of his ministers are shauen they haue name Cangues and theyr aucthoritie is great throughout all Giapan The Cubucama vseth them for Embassadours to decide controuersies betwixte princes and to ende theyr warres whereof they are wont to make very great gayne It is now two yeeres since or there about that one of them came to Bungo to entreat of peace betwixt the kyng thereof and the kyng of Amanguzzo This Agent fauouring the kyng of Bungo his cause more than the other brought to passe that the foresayde kyng of Bungo should keepe two kingdomes the which he had taken in warres from the king of Amanguzzo Wherefore he had for his rewarde of the kyng of Bungo aboue thirtie thousande Ducattes And thus farre heereof I come now to other superstitions and ceremonies that you may see deare brethren that whiche I sayde in the beginnyng howe surlye the deuyll hath deceyued the Giaponishe nation and howe diligent and ready they be to obey and worshyp him And first all remembrance and knowledge not onely of Christ our redeemer but also of that one God the maker of all thinges is cleane extinguished vtterly abolished out of the Giapans hartes Moreouer theyr superstitious sectes are many wheras it is lawfull for eche one to folow that which lyketh him best but the principall sectes are two namely the Amidans and Xacaians Wherfore in this countrey shall you see many monasteryes not onely of Bonzii men but also of Bonziae women diuersly attyred for some doe weare whyte vnder and blacke vpper garments other goe apparelled in ashe colour theyr Idole hath name Denichi from these the Amidanes differ very muche Agayne the men Bonzii for the most parte dwell in sumptuous houses and haue great reuenues These felowes are chast by commaundement marry they may not vnder payne of death In the mydst of theyr Temple is erected an Aulter whereon standeth a wodden Idole of Amida naked from the gyrdle vpwarde with holes in his eares after the maner of Italian Gentlewomen sittyng on a woodden rose goodly to beholde They haue great libraries and halles for them all to dyne and suppe togeather and belles wherewith they are certayne houres called to prayers In the euenyng the Superintendent gyueth eche one a theame for meditation After mydnyght before the Aulter in theyr Temple they doe say Mattens as it were out of Xaca his last booke one quier one verse the other quier an other Early in the mornyng eche one gyueth him selfe to meditation one houre they shaue theyr heades and beardes Theyr Cloysters be very large and within the precincte thereof Chappelles of the Fotoquiens for by that name some of the Giapanish Sainctes are called theyr holydayes yeerely be very many Most of these Bonzii be Gentlemen for that the Giaponish nobilitie charged with many children vse to make most of them Bonzii not being able to leaue for eche one a patrymony good ynough The Bonzii most couetously bent know all the wayes howe to come by money They sell vnto the people many scroles of paper by the helpe whereof the common people thinketh it selfe warranted from all power of the deuylles They borowe lykewyse money to bee
and halfe deade with knockes They walke sometymes on two feete and spoyle trees backewarde Sometyme also they inuade Bulles and so hang on them with all theyr feete that they weerye them with weight The Beare as sayeth Plinie bringeth foorth her byrth the thirtie day and often tymes two Theyr birth is a certaine white masse of flesh without fourme and litle bigger then a mouse without eyes and without heare with only the nayles or clawes commyng foorth but the damme with continuall lyckyng by litle and litle figureth the informe byrth When she entreth into the denne which shee hath chosen shee creepeth thyther with her belly vpwarde least the place should be founde by the steppes of her feete And beyng there deliuered of her byrth remaineth in the same place for the space of .xiiii. dayes immoueable as wryteth Aristotle They lyue without meat .xl. dayes and for that tyme susteyne them selues only by lyckyng and suckyng theyr ryght foote At the length chaunsing to finde meate they fyll them selues so full that they remedy that surfeyte by vomyte which they prouoke by eatyng of Antes Theyr byrth is oppressed with so heauy a sleepe for the space of .xiiii. dayes that it can not be raysed eyther with prickyng or woundes and in the meane tyme growe exceedyng fatte After fourtiene dayes they wake from sleepe and begyn to lycke and sucke the soles of theyr fore feete and lyue thereby for a space Nor yet is it apparent that they lyue by any other meate vntyll the spring tyme of the yeere At whiche tyme begynnyng to runne abrode they feede of the tender buddes and young sprygges or braunches of trees and other hearbes correspondent to theyr lyppes Before fiue hundred yeeres the Moscouites honoured the Goddes of the Gentyles And then fyrst receyued the Christian fayth when the Byshoppes of Grecia began to discent from the church of the Latines and therefore receyued the rites of the Greekes They minister the sacrament with fermented breade vnder both kyndes And thinke that the soules of dead men are not helped with the suffragies of priestes nor yet by the deuotion of theyr friendes or kynsfolke Also that the place of Purgatorie is a fable In the tyme of the diuine seruice the hystorie of the myracles of Christ and the Epistles of sainct Paule are rehearsed out of the Pulpitte Beyonde Moscouia are many people which they call Scythians and are partely subiecte to the Prince of Moscouia These are they which Duke Iuan subdued as are the people of Perm Baskird Cezriremissa Iuhra Corela and Permska These people were Idolatours before the Duke compelled them to baptisme appointed a byshop ouer them named Steuen whom the Barbarians after the departure of the Duke flayed alyue and slue But the Duke returnyng shortly after afflicted them sore and assigned them a newe byshop It is here also to be noted that the olde Cosmographers fayned that in these regions towarde the North pole there should be certayne great mountaynes which they called Ripheos and Hyperboreos which neuerthelesse are not founde in nature It is also a fable that the ryuers of Tanais Volham doe spring out of hygh mountaynes whereas it is apparent that both these ryuers and many other haue theyr originall in the playnes Next to Moscouia is the fruitful region of Colmogora through the whiche runneth the ryuer of Diuidna beyng the greatest that is knowen in the North partes of the worlde This ryuer increaseth at certayne tymes of the yeere as doeth the ryuer of Nilus in Egypt ouerfloweth the fieldes rounde about and with aboundaunce of fatte moysture resisteth the coldnesse of the ayre Wheate sowne in the grounde groweth aboundauntly without ploughyng and fearyng the newe iniurie of the proude ryuer springeth groweth and rypeth with wonderfull celeritie of hastyng nature Into the ryuer of Diuidna runneth the ryuer of Iuga And in the very angle or corner where they meete is a famous marte towne named Vstiuga beyng a hundred and fyftie myles distant from the chiefe citie of Mosca To this marte towne from the higher countreis are sent the precious furres of Marternes Sables Woolues such other which are exchaunged for dyuers other kyndes of wares marchandies Hytherto Munsterus And forasmuche as many doe marueyle that such plentie of hony should bee in so coole a countrey I haue thought good to declare the reason and naturall cause heereof It is therefore to be considered that lyke as spices gums and odoriferous fruites are engendred in hotte regions by continuall heate duryng all the whole yeere without impression of the mortifying qualitie of colde whereby all thynges are constrayned as they are dilated by heate euen so in colde and moyst regions whose moysture is thynner and more wateryshe then in hot regions are floures engendred more aboundauntly as caused by impression of lesse and faynter heate woorkyng in thynne matter of wateryshe moysture lesse concocte then the matter of gummes and spyces and other vncâ—uous fruites and trees growyng in hot regions For although as Munster sayeth here before the region of Moscoâ—â—a beareth neyther vines or Oliues or any other fruitee of sweete sauour by reason of the coldnesse thereof neuerthelesse forasmuch as floures wherof hony is chiefly geathered may in sommer season growe aboundantly in the playnes maryshes woode not onely on the ground but also on trees in colde regions it is agreeable to good reason that great plentie of hony should be in suche regions as abounde with floures which are brought foorth with the fyrst degree of heate and fyrst approche of the sunne as appeareth in the spryng tyme not only by the spryngyng of floures in fieldes and Gardeynes but also of blossomes of trees spryngyng before the leaues or fruite as the lyghter and thynner matter fyrst drawne out with the lowest and least degree of heate as the lyke is seene in the arte of styllyng whereby all thynne and lyght moystures are lyfted vp by the fyrst degree of the fyre and the heauyest and thyckest moystures are drawne out with more vehement fyre As we may therefore in this case compare the generation of floures to the heat of May the generation of gummes to the heat of Iune and spyces to the heate of Iuly Euen so in suche colde regions whose summer agreeth rather with the temperate heate moysture of May then with thextreme heate of the other monethes that heate is more apte to bring foorth aboundance of floures as thinges caused by moderate heate as playnly appeareth by their tast and sauour in which is no sharpe qualitie of heate eyther byting the tongue or offendyng the head as is in spices gums and fruites of hotte regions And as in colde and playne regions moderate heate with aboundance of moisture are causes of the generation of floures as I haue sayde so lykewyse the length of the dayes and shortnesse and warmenesse of the
and other great fyshes The nauigation is not open to this Iland but in sommer season and that only for the space of foure monethes by reason of the colde and Ise whereby the passage is stopped If any stryfe or debate aryse on the sea among the mariners for the commoditie of the hauen the gouernour of the place although he haue knowledge thereof yet doeth he not punyshe them forasmuche as it apperteyneth not to his office to decerne such thinges as are done on the sea but only on the lande Ships are there oftentymes in great peryll by reason of Whales such other monsters of the sea except the Mariners take good heede and keepe them far from the shyps with the noyse of Drummes and emptie barrels cast into the sea There are many Mynstrels and other that play on instruments with the sweete noyse wherof they vse to allure foules and fyshes to their nettes and snares Many also lye lurkyng in caues and dennes to auoyd the sharpnesse of cold as the Affricanes doe the lyke to defend them selues from the heate On the top of a certaine mountayne called Weyszarch lying betweene Island and Gruntland or Greonland is erected a shypmans quadrant of marueylous bygnesse made by two Pirates named Pinnigt and Pothorst in fauour of suche as sayle by those coastes that they may thereby auoyde the daungerous places lying towarde Greonland The myddest of the Ilande 7 0 65 30. The citie Harsol c. 7 40 60 42. Laponia THe region of Laponia was so named of the people that inhabite it For the Germanes call all suche Lapones as are simple or vnapte to thinges This people is of small stature and of suche agilitie of bodie that hauyng theyr quyuers of arrowes gerte to them and theyr bowes in theyr handes they can with a leape cast themselues through a circle or hope of the diameter of a cubite They fight on foote armed with bowes and arrowes after the maner of the Tartars They are exercised in hurlyng the darte and shootyng from theyr youth insomuche that they gyue theyr chyldren no meate vntyll they hyt the marke they shoote at as dyd in olde tyme thynhabitauntes of the Ilandes called Baleares They vse to make theyr apparell streight and close to theyr bodyes that it hynder not theyr woorke Theyr wynter vestures are made of the whole skynnes of Seales or Beares artificially wrought and made supple These they tye with a knotte aboue theyr heads leauyng onely two holes open to looke through and haue all the residue of theyr bodyes couered as though they were sowed in sackes but that this beyng adopted to all partes of theyr bodyes is so made for commoditie and not for a punyshment as the Romanes were accustomed to sow paricides in sackes of leather with a Cocke an Ape and a Serpent and so to hurle them alyue altogeather into the ryuer of Tyber And heereby I thynke it came to passe that in olde tyme it was rashly beleeued that in these regions there were men with rough heary bodyes like wylde beastes as parte made relation through ignoraunce parte also takyng pleasure in rehearsall of suche thinges as are straunge to the hearers The Lapones defended by this arte and industry goe abrode and withstand the sharpenesse of wynter and the North wyndes with all the iniuryes of heauen They haue no houses but certayne Tabernacles lyke tentes or hales wherewith they passe from place to place and chaunge their mansions Some of them lyue after the maner of the people of Sarmatia called in olde tyme Amaxobii which vsed waynes in the steade of houses They are much giuen to huntyng and haue suche plentie of wylde beastes that they kyll them in maner in euery place It is not lawfull for a woman to goe foorth of the tent at that doore by the which her husbande went out on huntyng the same day nor yet to touche with her hande any parte of the beast that is taken vntyll her husbande reache her on the spytte suche a portion of fleshe as he thynketh good They tyll not the grounde The region nourysheth no kynde of Serpentes yet are there great and noysome Gnattes They take fyshe in great plentie by the commoditie whereof they lyue after the maner of the Ethiopians called Ichthiophagi For as these drye theyr fyshe with feruent heate so doe they drye them with colde and grynde or stampe them to pouder as small as meale or floure They haue suche aboundaunce of these fyshes that they hourd great plentie thereof in certeyne store houses to carry them vnto other landes neare about them as Northbothnia and whyte Russia Theyr shyppes are not made with nayles but are tyde togeather and made fast with cordes and wythes With these they sayle by the swyft ryuers betweene the mountaynes of Laponia beyng naked in sommer that they may the better swymme in the tyme of perill and geather togeather such wares as are in daunger to be lost by shypwracke Parte of them exercyse handie craftes as imbroderyng and weauyng of cloth interlaced with golde and syluer Suche as haue deuised any necessary Arte or doe increase and amende the inuentions of other are openly honoured and rewarded with a vesture in the which is imbrodered an argument or token of the thyng they deuised And this remayneth to the posteritie of theyr famelie in token of theyr desartes They frame shyppes buylde houses and make dyuers sortes of housholde stuffe artificially and transporte them to other places neare about They buye and sell both for exchaunge of wares and for money And this only by consent of both parties without communication yet not for lacke of wytte or for rudenesse of maners but bycause they haue a peculiar language vnknowen to theyr borderers It is a valiant nation and lyued long free and susteyned the warres of Norway and Suetia vntyll at the length they submitted them selues and payde ryche furres for theyr tribute They chose them selues a gouernour whom they cal a kyng But the kyng of Suetia gyueth him aucthoritie and administration Neuerthelesse the people in theyr suites and doubtful causes resorte to Suetia to haue theyr matters decised In theyr iourneys they goe not to any Inne nor yet enter into any house but lye all nyght vnder the firmament They haue no horses but in the steade of them they tame certayne wylde beastes which they call Reen beyng of the iust bygnesse of a Mâ—le with rough heare lyke an Asse clouen feete and braunched hornes lyke a Harte but lower and with fewer antlettes They will not abyde to be rydden But when theyr peytrels or drawyng collers are put on them and they so ioyned to the Chariotte or steade they runne in the space of .xxiiii. houres a hundred and fyftie myles or .xxx. Schoenos the whiche space they affyrme to chaunge the horizon thryse that is thryse to come to the furthest signe or
and cruell Basilius the Sonne of Iohn was the fyrst that tooke vppon hym the name and title of a kyng in this maner The great lord Basilius by the grace of God kyng and lorde of all Russia and the great Duke of Vuolodimaria Moscouia Nouogradia c. Furthermore wheras nowe this Prince is called Emperour I haue thought good to shewe the title and cause of this errour Note therfore that Czar in the Ruthens tongue signifieth a kyng whereas in the language of the Slauons Pollons Bohemes and other the same worde Czar signifieth Cesar by whiche name the Emperours haue been commonly called For both they and the Slauons that are vnder the kyngdome of Hungarie call a kyng by an other name as some Crall other Kyrall and some Korall but thynke that only an Emperour is called Czar Whereby it came to passe that the Ruthene or Moscouite interpretours hearyng theyr Prince to be so called of strange nations began them selues also to name hym an Emperour thâ—nk the name of Czar to be more worthy then the name of a kyng although they signifie all one thyng But who so wyll reade all theyr histories and bookes of holy scripture shall fynde that a kyng is called Czar and an Emperour Kessar By the lyke errour the Emperour of the Turkes is called Czar who neuerthelesse of antiquitie vsed no hygher tytle then the name of a kyng expressed by this worde Czar And hereof the Turkes of Europe that vse the Slauon tongue call the citie of Constantinople Czargard that is the kyngs citie Some call the Prince of Moscouie the whyte kyng which I thynke to proceede of the whyte Cappes or other tyrementes they weare on theyr heades lyke as they call the kyng of Pertia Kisilpassa that is redde head He vseth the tytle of a kyng when he wryteth or sendeth to Rome the Emperour the Pope the Kyng of Suetia and Denmarke the great maister of Prusia and Liuonia and also to the great Turke as I haue been credibly enfourmed but he is not called kyng of any of them except perhaps of the Liuons Yet by reason of his later conquestes some haue thought hym worthy the name of a kyng or rather of an Emperour because he hath kyngs vnder his Empire To the kyng of Polone he vseth this title The great lorde Basilius by the grace of God lord of al Russia and great Duke of Vuolodimeria Moscouia Nouogradia c. leauyng out the title of a kyng For none of them vouchsafeth to receyue the letters of the other augmented with any newe title as I knewe by experience at my beyng in Moscouia at which time Sigismundus the kyng of Polone sent hym his letters augmented with the title of the Duke of Moscouia wherwith he was not a litle offended They glory in theyr histories that before Vuolodimeria and Olha the land of Russia was baptised and blessed of Sainct Andrewe the Apostle of Christ affirmyng that he came from Grecia to the mouthes of the ryuer Boristhenes and that he sayled vp the ryuer to the mountaynes where as is nowe Chiouia and that there he blessed all the lande and placed his crosse prophesyng also that the grace of God shoulde be great there and that there shoulde be many churches of Christian men Lykewyse that he afterward came to the sprynges of Boristhenes vnto the great Lake Vuolok and by the ryuer Louat descended into the Lake Ilmer from whence by the ryuer Vuolcon whiche runneth out of the same Lake he came to Nouogradia and passed from thence by the same ryuer to the Lake Ladoga and the ryuer Heua and so vnto the sea whiche they call Vuarezkoia beyng the same that we call the Germane sea betweene Vuinlandia or Finlandia and Liuonia by the whiche he sayled to Rome and was at the last crucified for Christ his Gospell in Peloponnesus by the tirranie of Agus Antipater as theyr cronacles make mention The Prince euery seconde or thyrde yeere causeth a muster to bee taken of the Sonnes of the Boiorons and taketh an accompte booth of theyr number and howe manye Horses and men euery of them is able to make and then appoynteth a certayne stypende to suche as are able further to beare theyr owne charges in the warres They haue seldome any rest or quietnesse For they eyther keepe warre with the Lithuanians Liuonians Suetians or Tartars of Casan Or if it so chaunce that the prince keepe no warre yet doth he yeerely appoynte garrysons of .xx. thousande men in places about Tanais and Occa to represse the incursions and robberyes of the European Tartars called Precopites As in other matters euen so in the order of warrefare there is great diuersitie among men For the Moscouian as soone as he beginneth to flye thinketh of none other succoure but putteth all his confidence therin Beyng pursued or taken of his enimie he neyther defendeth hym selfe nor desireth pardon The Tartar cast of from his horse spoyled of all his armure and weapones and also sore wounded defendeth hym selfe with handes feete and teethe and by all meanes he may vntyll his strength and spirite fayle hym The Turke when he seeth hym selfe destitute of all helpe and hope to escape doth humbly desyre pardon castyng away his weapons and armure and reaching forth to the victourer his handes ioyned togeather to be bounde hopyng by captiuitie to saue his lyfe The Moscouites in placeyng theyr armie chuse them a large playne where the best of them pytch theyr tentes and the other make them certaine arbours of bowes fyxt in the grounde bendyng togeather the toppes thereof which they couer with theyr clokes to defende them selues theyr bowes arrowes saddels and other theyr necessaries from rayne They put foorth theyr horses to pasture and for that cause haue theyr tentes so farre in sunder which they fortifie neither with cartes or trenches or any other impedyment except perhappes the place be defended by nature as with wooddes ryuers and maryshes It may perhappes seeme straunge howe he mayntayneth hym and his so longe with so small an armye as I haue sayde I wyll nowe therefore briefely declare theyr sparyng and frugalitie He that hath syxe or sometymes more horses vseth one of them as a packe horse to beare all theyr necessaryes He hath also in a bagge of two or three spannes long the flower or meale of the graine called mille and .viii. or .x. pounds weyght of Swines fleshe poudred He hath lykewyse a bagge of salte myxt with pepper if he be rych Furthermore euery man caryeth with hym a hatchet a fyre boxe and a brasen potâ—e so that if they chaunce to come to any place where they can fynde no fruites Garlyke Onyons or fleshe they kyndle a fyre and fyll theyr pottes with water whereunto they put a spoonefull of meale with a quantitie of salt and make pottage therof wherwith the maister and all his seruauntes lyue contented But if the maister bee very
dismissed So that the murderer by the losse of a vyle Horse or a Bowe is discharged of the Iudge with these woordes Get thee hence and goe about thy businesse They haue no vse of gold and syluer except only a few merchauntes but exercyse exchaunge of ware for ware And yf it so chaunce that by sellyng of suche thynges as they haue stolne they get anye money of theyr borderers they bye therewith certayne apparrell and other necessaries of the Moscouites The regions of theyr habitations the feelde Tartars I meane are not lymitted with any boundes or borders There was on a tyme a certayne fatte Tarter taken prysoner of the Moscouites to whom when the Prince sayde howe art thou so fat thou dogge syth thou hast not to eate the Tartar aunswered Why should not I haue to eate syth I possesse so large a lande from the East to the West whereby I may be abundantly nouryshed But thou mayest rather seeme to lacke syth thou inhabytest so small a portion of the woorlde and dooest dayly stryue for the same Casan is a kyngdome also a citie and a castle of the same name scituate by the riuer Volga on the further banke almoste threescore and tenne leagues beneath Nouogradia the lower Along by the course of Volga towarde the East and South it is termined with desart feeldes towarde the Sommer East it confineth with the Tartars called Schibanski â–ª and Kosatzki The kyng of this prouince is able to make an armie of thyrtie thousande men especially footmen of the which the Czeremisse and Czubaschi are moste expert Archers The Czubaschi are also cunnyng Mariners The citie of Casan is threescore leagues distant from the principall castle Vuiathka Furthermore Casan in the Tartars language signifieth a brasen pot boylyng These Tartars are more ciuill then the other for they dwell in houses tyl the grounde and exercise the trade of marchandies They were of late subdued by Basilius the great Duke of Moscouia â–ª and had their Kyng assigned them at his arbitrement But shortlye after they rebelled agayne and associate with other Tartars inuaded the region of Moscouia spoyled and wasted many cities and townes and ledde away innumerable captiues euen from the citie of Moscouia which they possessed for a tyme and had vtterly destroyed the same yf it had not been for the valeauntnesse of the Almaine Gunnners whiche kept the castle with great ordinaunce They also put Duke Basilius to flyght and caused hym to make a letter of his owne hand to Machmetgirei theyr Kyng to acknowledge hym selfe for a perpetuall tributarie to them wherevpon they dissolued the siege and gaue the Moscouites free libertie to redeeme their captiues goods and so departed But Basilius not long able to abyde this contumelie and dishonour after that he had put to death suche as by flying at the first encountryng were the cause of this ouerthrow assembled an armie of an hundred and fourescore thousande men shortly after in the yeere .1523 and sent forwarde his armie vnder the conduct of his Lieuetenant and therewith an Heralde at armes to bydde battell to Machmetgirei the Kyng of Casan with woordes in this effecte The last yeere lyke a theefe and robber without byddyng of battel thou dyddest priuily oppresse mee wherefore I nowe chalenge thee once agayne to proue the fortune of warre if thou mystruste not thyne owne power To this the Kyng answered that there were manye wayes open for him to inuade Moscouia and that the warres haue no lesse respecte to the commoditie of tyme and place then of armure or strength and that hee would take the aduauntage thereof when and where it should seeme best to him and not to other With whiche woordes Basilius beyng greatly accensed and burnyng with desyre of reuenge inuaded the kingdome of Casan whose Kyng beyng stryken with sodayne feare at the approche of so terrible an army assigned the gouernaunce of his kyngdome to the yong Kyng of Taurica his Nâ—uie whyle he him selfe went to requyre ayde of the Emperour of the Turkes But in â—ine the Kyng of Casan submytted him selfe vppon certayne conditions of peace which the Moscouites dyd the gladlyer accept for that tyme because their victualles fayled them to mayneteyne so great a multitude But whereas Duke Basilius him selfe was not present at this last expedition hee greatly suspected Palitzki the Lieuetenant of the army to bee corrupted with brybes to proceede no further In this meane tyme the Kyng of Casan sent Ambassadours to Basilius to intreate of peace whom I sawe in the Dukes courte at my beyng there but I coulde perceyue no hope of peace to be betweene them For euen then Basilius to endomage the Casans translated the marte to Nouogradia whiche before was accustomed to be kepte in the Ilande of marchauntes neare vnto the citie of Casan Commaunding also vnder payne of greeuous punyshement that none of his subiectes shoulde resorte to the Ilande of marchauntes thynkyng that this translation of the marte shoulde greatly haue endomaged the Casans and that only by takyng away their trade of salte which they were accustomed to buye of the Moscouites at that marte they should haue been compelled to submyssion But the Moscouites them selues felte no lesse inconuenience heereby then dyd the Casans by reason of the dearth and scarsenesse that folowed heereof of all suche thinges as the Tartars were accustomed to bryng thyther by the ryuer of Volga from the Caspian sea the kyngdomes of Persia and Armenia and the marte towne of Astrachan especially the great number of most excellent fyshes that are taken in Volga both on the hyther and further syde of Casan But hauyng sayde thus muche of the warres betweene the prince of Moscouia and the Tartars of Casan we will nowe proceede to speake somewhat of the other Tartars inhabiting the regions towarde the Southeast and the Caspian sea Next beyond the Tartars of Casan are the Tartars called Nagai or Nogai which inhabite the regions beyonde Volga about the Caspian sea at the ryuer Iaick runnyng out of the prouince of Sibier These haue no kynges but Dukes In our tyme three brethren deuydyng the prouinces equally betweene them possessed those Dukedomes The first of them named Schidack possesseth the citie of Scharaitzick beyonde the ryuer of Rha or Volga toward the East with the region confinyng with the ryuer Iaick The seconde called Cossum enioyeth all the lande that lyeth betweene the ryuers of Kaman Iaick and Volga The third brother named Schichmamai possesseth parte of the prouince of Sibier and all the region about the same Schichmamai is as much to say by interpretation as holy or myghtie And in maner all these regions are ful of woods except that that lieth toward Scharaitz which consisteth of playnes and fieldes Betweene the riuers of Volga and Iaick about the Caspian sea there sometimes inhabited the kinges called Sawolhenses Demetrius Danielis a man among
was Teueris of the chiefe citie of Persia. He asked hym many thynges more as of the realme of Englande marueylyng that it shoulde be an Iland of so great rychesse and power as Edwardes declared vnto hym of the ryches and abundaunce of our merchaundies as he further vnderstode by our trafique in Moscouia and other countreys He demaunded also many thynges of the Queenes maiestie and of the customes and lawes of the realme saying oftentymes in his owne language Bara colla that is to saye wel said He asked also many thinges of kyng Philip and of his warres agaynst the Turke at Malta Then demaunded of hym what was the chiefe cause of his resorte into his realme And beyng certified that it was for the trade of merchaundies he asked what kynde of merchaundies he coulde bryng thyther Such sayde he as the Venetian merchauntes which dwellyng in our countrey in the citie of Londro sende to Uenes and from thence into Turkie by Halepo and Tripoli in Sorya from whence as by the seconde and thyrde handes with great charges of many customes and other thynges thereunto parteyning they are at the length brought into your countrey and cities of Persia. What merchaundies are those sayd the Sophie Edwardes answeared that they were great abundaunce of fine carseis of brode clothes of all sortes and coloures as scarlettes violettes and other of the fynest cloth of all the worlde Also that the Venetians brought out of Englande not onely such clothes redie made but furthermore great plentie of fyne wool to myngle with their wools of the which they coulde not otherwise make fyne cloth Affirming that there went out of Englande yeerely that wayes aboue two hundred thousande carseis and as manye brode clothes besyde fine wool and other merchaundies besyde also the great abundaunce of like clothes y t which were caried into Spaine Barbarie and diuers other countreys The Sophie then asked hym by what meanes such merchaundies myght be brought into Persia. Ryght well Sir sayde he by the way of Moscouia with more safetie and in much shorter tyme then the Venetians can bryng them fyrst from Englande to Uenes and from thence into Persia by the way of Turkye And therefore if it shall please your maiestie to graunt vs free passage into al your dominions with such priuileges as may apperteyne to the safegard of our lyues goodes and merchandies we wyl furnysh your countreys with al such merchandies other commodities in shorter tyme and better cheape then you may haue the same at the Turkes handes This talke and muche more was between the Sophie and Edwardes for the space of two houres all whiche thynges lyked hym so well that shortly after he graunted to the sayde Arthur Edwardes two other priuileges for the trade of merchandies into Presia all wrytten in Azure and golde letters and deliuered vnto the lorde keeper of the Sophie his great seale The lorde keeper was named Coche Califaye who sayde that when the Shaughe that is the kyng or prince dyd sytte to seale any letters that priuilege shoulde be sealed and deliuered to Laurence Chapman In this priuilege is one principal article for seruantes or merchantes That yf the Agent do perceyue that vpon theyr naughtie doynges they woulde become Busor men that then the Agent whersoeuer he shall fynde anye such seruant or seruantes to take them and put them in pryson and no person to keepe them or maynteyne them This article was graunted in respect of a custome among the Persians being Mahumetanes whose maner is frendly to receyue and wel entertayne both with giftes lyuyng all suche Christians as forsakyng theyr religion wyl become of the religion of the Persians Insomuch that before this priuilege was graunted there was great occasion of naughtie seruantes to deceyue and robbe theyr maisters that vnder the coloure of professyng that religion they might liue among them in such safetie that you might haue no law agaynst them eyther to punysh them or to recouer your goodes at theyr handes or els where For before the Sophie whom they say to be a marueylous wyse and gracious prince seemed to fauour our nation and to graunt them such priuileges the people abused them very much and so hated them that they would not touche them but reuiled them callyng them Cafars Gawars which is infydels or misbeleeuers But after they saw how greatly the prince fauoured them they had them afterward in great reuerence and would kysse theyr handes and vse them very frendly For before they tooke it for no wrong to rob them defraud them beare false witnesse against them such merchandies as they had bought or sold make them take it againe and chaunge it as often as them listed And yf any straunger by chaunce had kylled one of them they woulde haue the lyfe of two for one slayne and for the debtes of any straunger woulde take the goodes of any other of the same nation with many other such lyke abuses in maner vnknowen to the Prince before the complayntes of our men made vnto hym for reformation of such abuses which were the cause that no merchant strangers of contrary religion durst come into his dominions with theyr commodities which myght be greatly to the profite of hym and his subiectes The Articles 10 Item that the merchantes haue free lybertye as in theyr fyrst priuilege to go vnto Gylian and all other places of his dominions now or hereafter when occasion shal be geuen 11 Item yf by misfortune any of theyr ships should breake or fal vpon any part of his dominions on the sea coast his subiectes to help with al speede to saue the goodes to be deliuered to any of the sayd merchants that liueth or otherwyse to be kept in safetie vntyl any of them come to demaund them 12 Item yf any of the sayd merchants depart this lyfe in any citie or towne or on the hygh way his gouernours there to see theyr goodes safely kept and to be deliuered to any other of them that shal demaund them 13 Item the sayde merchants to take such camell men as they them selues wyl beyng countrey people and that no Kyssell Bayshe do let or hynder them And the sayde owners of the camels to be bounde to answere them such goodes as they shall receyue at theyr handes and the camell men to stande to the losses of theyr camels or horses 14 Item more that the sayde carryars do demaunde no more of them then theyr agreement was to pay them 15 Item more if they be at a pryce with any carryours and geuen earnest the Camell men to see they keepe theyr promesse 16 Item if any of the sayd merchauntes be in feare to trauaile to geue them one or more to go with them and see them in saftie with theyr goods to the place they wyll go vnto 17 Item in all places to say in all cities townes or villages on the hygh way his subiectes to geue them
where Themperour is accustomed to remayne in the sommer season There is lykewyse a great citie named Barbaregaf and Ascon from whence it is sayde that the Queene of Saba came to Hierusalem to heare the wysedome of Salomon This citie is but little yet very fayre and one of the chiefe cities in Ethiope In the sayde kyngdome is a prouince called Manicongni whose kyng is a Moore and tributarie to Themperour of Ethiope In this prouince are manie exceedyng hygh mountaynes vppon the which is sayde to be the earthly Paradyse and some say that there are the trees of the Sunne and Moone whereof the antiquitie maketh mention yet that none can passe thyther by reason of great desartes of a hundred dayes iourney Also beyond these mountaynes is the cape of Bona Speranza And to haue sayde thus much of Afrike it may suffice The first vyage to Guiena IN the yeere of our Lord .1553 the .xii. day of August sayled from Porchmouth two goodly shyppes the Primrose and the Lion with a pynnesse called the Moone being all well furnished aswel with men of the lustiest sorte to the number of seuen score as also with ordinaunce and vyttayles requisite to such a viage hauyng also two Captaynes the one a stranger called Antoniades Pinteado a Portugale borne in a towne named the porte of Portugale a wyse discreete and sober man who for his cunnyng in saylyng beyng as well an experte pylot as politike Captayne was sometyme in great fauour with the kyng of Portugale and to whom the coastes of Brasile and Guinea were commytted to be kepte from the Frenchmen to whom he was a terrour on the sea in those partes and was furthermore a Gentelman of the kyng his maisters house But as fortune in maner neuer fauoureth but flattereth neuer promiseth but deceiueth neuer rayseth but casteth downe agayne and as great wealth and fauour hath alwayes companions emulation and enuie he was after many aduersities and quarels made agaynst him inforced to come into Englande where in this golden vyage he was euil matched with an vnequal companion and vnlyke matche of most sundrie qualities and conditions with vertues fewe or none adourned Thus departed these noble shyppes vnder sayle on their vyage But first Captayne Wyndam puttyng foorth of his shyp at Porchmouth a kynseman of one of the head merchants and shewyng herein a muster of the tragicall partes he had conceyued in his brayne and with suche small begynnynges nouryshed so monstrous a byrth that more happie yea and blessed was that young man being lefte behynde then if he had been taken with them as some doe wishe he had done the lyke by theyrs Thus sayled they on their vyage vntyl they came to the Ilandes of Madera where they tooke in certayne wynes for the store of their shippes and payde for them as they agreed of the price At these Ilandes they met with a great Galion of the kyng of Portugale ful of men and ordinance yet such as could not haue preuayled if it had attempted to withstande or resist our shippes for the which cause it was set foorth not only to let and interrupte these our shippes of their purposed viage but all other that should attempte the lyke yet chiefly to frustrate our vyage For the Kyng of Portugale was sinisterly informed that our shyppes were armed to his castell of Mina in these parties whereas nothyng lesse was ment After that our shyppes departed from the Ilandes of Madera forwarde on theyr vyage began this woorthie Captayne Pinteados sorowe as a man tormented with the company of a terrible Hydra who hytherto flattered with him and made him a fayre countenaunce and shewe of loue Then dyd he take vppon him to commaund all alone settyng nought both by Captayne Pinteado with the reste of the merchante factours sometymes with opprobrious woordes and sometymes with threatnynges most shamefully abusing them taking from Pinteado the seruice of the boyes certaine mariners that were assigned him by the order and direction of the woorshipfull merchauntes and leauyng him as a common mariner whiche is the greatest despite and greefe that can be to a Portugale or Spanyarde to be diminishte theyr honour which they esteeme aboue all riches Thus saylyng forwarde on theyr vyage they came to the Ilands of Canarie continuing theyr course from thence vntyll they arryued at the Ilande of Saincte Nicolas where they vyttayled them selues with freshe meate of the fleshe of wylde Goates whereof is great plentie in that Ilande and in maner of nothing els From hence folowyng on theyr course and tarying heere and there at the desarte Ilandes in the way bycause they would not come to tymely to the countrey of Guinea for the heate and tarying somewhat to long for what can be well mynistred in a common wealth where inequalitie with tyrannie will rule alone they came at the length to the fyrst lande of the countrey of Guinea where they fell with the great ryuer of Sesto where they myght for theyr merchandies haue laden their shyppes with the graynes of that countrey whiche is a very hot fruite and muche lyke vnto a fygge as it groweth on the tree For as the fygges are full of small seedes so is the sayde fruite full of graynes which are lose within the codde hauyng in the myddest thereof a hole on euery syde This kynde of spyce is much vsed in colde countreys and may there be solde for great aduantage for exchaunge of other wares But our men by the persuasion or rather inforcement of this tragicall Captaine not regardyng and settyng lyght by that commoditâ—e in comparison to the fine golde they thirsted sayled an hundred leagues further vntyll they came to the golden lande where not attemptyng to come neare the Castell parteynyng to the kyng of Portugale which was within the ryuer of Mina made sale of theyr wâ—re onely on this syde and beyond it for the golde of that countrey to the quantitie of an hundred and fyftie poundes weyght there beyng in case that they myght haue dispatched all theyr ware for golde if the vntame brayne of Wyndam had or could haue gyuen eare to the counsayle and experience of Pinteado For when that Wyndam not satisfied with the golde whiche he had and more might haue had if he had taried about the Mina commaundyng the sayde Pinteado for so he tooke vppon him to leade the shyppes to Benin beyng vnder the Equinoctiall lyne and a hundred and fyftie leagues beyonde the Mina where he looked to haue theyr shyppes laden with pepper and beyng counsayled of the sayde Pinteado consideryng the late tyme of the yeere for that tyme to goe no further but to make sale of their wares suche as they had for golde whereby they myght haue ben great gayners But Wyndam not assentyng herevnto fell into a sodayne rage reuilyng the sayde Pinteado callyng him Iewe with
other opprobrious woordes saying This horson Iewe hath promysed to bryng vs to suche places as are not or as he can not bryng vs vnto but if he doe not I will cut of his eares and nayle them to the mast Pinteado gaue the foresayde counsayle to goe no further for the safegarde of the men theyr liues whiche they shoulde put in daunger if they came to late for the rossia whiche is theyr wynter not for colde but for smotheryng heate with close and cloudie ayre and storming wether of suche putrifying qualitie that it rotted the coates of theyr backes or els for commyng to soone for the scorching heate of the sunne whiche caused them to lynger in the way But of force and not of wyll brought he the shyppes before the ryuer of Benin where rydyng at an Anker sent theyr pinnesse vp into the riuer fyftie or threescore leagues from whence certayne of the merchauntes with Captayne Pinteado Francisco a Portugale Nicolas Lambert Gentelman and other merchauntes were conducted to the courte where the kyng remayned ten leagues from the ryuer syde whyther when they came they were brought with a great company to the presence of the Kyng who being a blacke Moore although not so blacke as the reste sat in a great houge hal long and wyde the walles made of earth without windowes the roofe of thynne boordes open in sundry places lyke vnto louers to let in the ayre And here to speake of the great reuerence they gyue to theyr kyng being suche that if we would gyue as muche to our sauiour Christ we should remoue from our heades many plagues which we dayly deserue for our contempte and impietie So it is therfore that when his noble men are in his presence they neuer looke him in the face but sit couryng as wee vppon our knees so they vppon theyr buttockes with theyr elbowes vppon theyr knees and theyr handes before theyr faces not looking vp vntyll the Kyng commaunde them And when they are commyng towarde the Kyng as farre as they doe see him doe they shewe suche reuerence syttyng on the grounde with theyr faces couered as before Likewise when they departe from him they turne not theyr backes towarde him but goe creeping backwarde with lyke reuerence And nowe to speake somewhat of the communication that was betweene the Kyng and our men you shall fyrst vnderstande that hee him selfe coulde speake the Portugale tongue whiche he had learned of a chylde Therefore after that he had commaunded our men to stande vp and demaunded of them the cause of theyr commyng into that countrey they aunswered by Pinteado that they were merchauntes traueylyng into those parties for the commodities of his countrey for exchange of wares whiche they had brought from theyr countreys beyng such as should bee no lesse commodious for him and his people The Kyng then hauyng of olde lying in a certayne store house thirtie or fourtie kyntalles of pepper euery kyntall beyng an hundred weyght wyllyng them to looke vppon the same and agayne to bryng him a sight of suche merchaundies as they had brought with them And therevppon sent with the Captaine and the merchauntes certayne of his men to conducte them to the waters syde with other to bryng the ware from the pinnesse to the courte Who when they were returned and the wares seene the kyng grewe to this ende with the merchantes to prouyde in thirtie dayes the ladyng of all theyr shyppes with pepper And in case theyr merchaundies would not extende to the value of so muche pepper he promised to credite them to theyr next returne and therevppon sent the countrey rounde about to geather pepper causing the same to be brought to the courte So that within the space of thirtie dayes they had geathered fourescore tunne of pepper In the meane season our men partly hauyng no rule of them selues but eatyng without measure of the fruites of the countrey and drinkyng the wyne of the Palme trees that droppeth in the nyght from the cutte branches of the same and in suche extreeme heate runnyng continually into the water not vsed before to suche sodayne and vehement alterations then the which nothyng is more daungerous were thereby brought into swellynges and agues insomuche that the later tyme of the yeere comming on caused them to dye sometimes .iii. somtimes .iiii. or .v. in a day Then Windam perceiuing the time of the .xxx. dayes to be expired his men dying so fast sent to the courte in poste to captaine Pinteado and the rest to come away and to tary no longer But Pinteado with the rest wrote backe to him againe certifying him of the great quantitie of pepper they had alredy geathered and looked dayly for much more Desiring him furthermore to remember the great praise and name they should wyn if they came home prosperously and what shame of the contrarie With which answere Wyndam not satisfied and many of their men dying dayly willed and commaunded them againe either to come away furthwith or els threatened to leaue them behynde When Pinteado hearde this aunsweare thynkyng to persuade hym with reason tooke his way from the courte towarde the shyppes beyng conducted thyther with men by the kynges commaundement In the meane season Windam all rageyng brake vp Pinteados Cabin brake open his chestes spoyled such prouision of colde stylled waters and suckettes as he had prouided for his health and lefte hym nothing neither of his instrumentes to saile by nor yet of his apparell and in the meane tyme fallyng sycke hym selfe dyed also Whose death Pinteado commyng abrode lamented as muche as if he had ben the deerest frende he had in the worlde But certayne of the maryners and other officers dyd spette in his face some callyng hym Iewe saying that he had brought them thyther to kyll them and some drawyng theyr swoordes at hym makyng a shewe to slay hym Then he perceyuyng that they would needes away desyred them to tary that he myght fetch the rest of the merchauntes that were lefte at the courte But they woulde not graunt his request Then desyred he them to geue hym the shyppe boate with as muche of an olde sayle as myght serue for the same promisyng them therewith to bryng Nicolas Lambert and the rest into England But al was in vayne Then wrote he a letter to the courte to the merchants informyng them of all the matter and promisyng them if God would lende hym lyfe to returne with al hast to fetch them And thus was Pinteado kept a bordeshyppe agaynst his wyll thrust among the boyes of the shyppe not vsed lyke a man nor yet like an honest boy but glad to fynde fauour at the cookes hande Then departed they leauing one of theyr shyppes behynd them which they sonke for lacke of men to cary her After this within syxe or seuen dayes saylyng dyed also Penteado for very pensiuenesse and thought that stroke hym to
slender lyke a fawne or hynde the hoofes of the fore feete are diuided in two much like the feete of a Goat the outwarde part of the hynder feete is very full of heare This beast doubtlesse seemeth wylde and fierce yet tempereth that fiercenesse with a certaine comelinesse These Unicornes one gaue to the Soltan of Mecha â–ª as a most precious and rare gyfte They were sent hym out of Ethiope by a kyng of that countrey who desired by that present to gratifie the Soltan of Mecha Of diuers thynges which chaunced to me in Mecha And of Zida a port of Mecha Cap. 20. IT may seeme good here to make mention of certayne thynges in the which is seene sharpenesse of witte in case of vrgent necessitie which hath no lawe as sayeth the prouerbe for I was dryuen to the poynt howe I myght priuely escape from Mecha Therefore whereas my Captayne gaue me charge to buy certaine thyngs as I was in the market place a certayne Mamaluke knewe me to be a Christian. And therefore in his owne language spake vnto me these woordes Inte mename That is whence arte thou To whom I answered that I was a Mahumetan But he sayde Thou sayest not truely I sayde agayne By the head of Mahumet I am a Mahumetan Then he sayde agayne Come home to my house I folowed him willingly When we were there he began to speake to me in the Italian tongue and asked me agayne from whence I was affyrmyng that he knewe me and that I was no Mahumetan Also that he had been sometyme in Genua and Venice And that his woordes myght be the better beleeued rehearsed many thinges whiche testified that he sayde trueth When I vnderstoode this I confessed freely that I was a Romane but professed to the fayth of Mahumet in the citie of Babylon and there made one of the Mamalukes Whereof he seemed greatly to reioyce and therefore vsed me honourably But because my desyre was yet to goe further I asked the Mahumetan whether that citie of Mecha was so famous as all the world spake of it and inquired of him where was the great aboundaunce of pearles precious stones spices and other rich merchandies that the bruite went of to be in that citie And all my talke was to the ende to grope the mynde of the Mahumetan that I might know the cause why such thinges were not brought thyther as in tyme paste But to auoyde all suspition I durst here make no mention of the dominion which the Kyng of Portugale had in the most parte of that Ocean and of the gulfes of the redde sea and Persia. Then he began with more attentyue mynde in order to declare vnto me the cause why that marte was not so greatly frequented as it had been before and layde the only faulte therof in the kyng of Portugale But when he had made mention of the Kyng I began of purpose to detracte his fame least the Mahumetan might thinke that I reioyced that the Christians came thyther for merchandies When he perceyued that I was of profession an enemy to the Christians he had me yet in greater estimation and proceeded to tell me many thynges more When I was well instructed in all thinges I spake vnto him friendly these woordes in the Mahumets language Menaha Menalhabi That is to say I pray you assist mee He asked me wherein To helpe me sayde I howe I may secretly departe hence Confirmyng by great othes that I would goe to those Kinges that were most enemies to the Christians Affirmyng furthermore that I knewe certayne secretes greatly to be esteemed whiche if they were knowen to the sayde kynges I doubted not but that in shorte tyme I shoulde bee sent for from Mecha Astonyshed at these woordes he sayde vnto mee I pray you what arte or secrete doe you knowe I answered that I would gyue place to no man in makyng of all maner of Gunnes and artillerie Then sayde hee Praysed be Mahumet who sent thee hyther to do him and his Saintes good seruice and willed me to remayne secretly in his house with his wyfe and requyred me earnestly to obtayne leaue of our Captayne that vnder his name he myght leade from Mecha fiftiene Camelles laden with spices without paying any custome for they ordinarily paye to the Soltan thirtie Saraphes of golde for transportyng of such merchandies for the charge of so many Camelles I put him in good hope of his request although he would aske for a hundred affyrmyng that that myght easily be obteyned by the priuileges of the Mamalukes and therefore desired him that I myght safely remayne in his house Then nothyng doubtyng to obtayne his request he greatly reioyced and talkyng with me yet more freely gaue me further instructions and counsayled me to repayre to a certayne Kyng of the greater India in the kyngdome and realme of Decham whereof we will speake hereafter Therfore the day before the Carauana departed from Mecha he willed me to lye hydde in the most secrete parte of his house The day folowyng early in the mornyng the trumpetter of the Carauana gaue warning to all the Mamalukes to make readie their horses to directe their iourney toward Syria with proclamation of death to all that shoulde refuse so to doe When I hearde the sounde of the Trumpet and was aduertised of the streight commaundement I was marueylously troubled in mynde and with heauy countenaunce desired the Mahumetans wyfe not to bewraye me and with earnest prayer committed myselfe to the mercie of God On the Tuesday folowyng our Carauana departed from Mecha and I remayned in the Mahumetans house with his wyfe but he folowed the Carauana Yet before he departed he gaue commaundement to his wyfe to bryng me to the Carauana which should departe from Zida the porte of Mecha to goe into India This porte is distant from Mecha .xl miles Whilest I laye thus hyd in the Mahumetans house I can not expresse how friendly his wife vsed me This also furthered my good interteynement that there was in the house a fayre young mayde the Niese of the Mahumetan who was greatly in loue with me But at that tyme in the myddest of those troubles and feare the fyre of Uenus was almost extincte in mee and therefore with daliaunce of fayre woordes and promises I styll kepte my selfe in her fauour Therefore the Fryday folowyng about noone tyde I departed folowyng the Carauana of India And about mydnyght we came to a certayne village of the Arabians and there remayned the rest of that nyght and the nexte day tyll noone From hence we went forwarde on our iourney towarde Zida and came thyther in the silence of the nyght This citie hath no walles yet fayre houses somewhat after the buyldyng of Italie Heere is great aboundaunce of all kynde of merchandies by reason of resorte in maner of all nations thyther excepte Iewes and Christians to whom it is not lawfull to come thyther Assoone as
certayne space distant one from the other eyther for feare of fyre or by ignorance of the builders It is a myle of length The houses are despicable as no hygher from the grounde then a man on horsebacke and are for the most parte couered with boughes of trees in the steede of tiles or other coueryng The cause whereof they say to bee that in digging the grounde fyue or sixe handfull depth water immediately issueth foorth And therefore they can laye no deeper foundations to beare the weyght of any greater buyldynges The houses of merchandyse or warehouses are solde for fyftiene or twentie peeces of golde But the common houses are of no greater price then two peeces of golde at the most and some for lesse Of the kyng of Calecut and of their Idolatrie Cap. 2. THe kyng of Calecut and his people are gyuen to Idolatrie and seruyng of the deuyll yet deny they not but that there is one great God maker of heauen and earth and fyrst and chiefe cause of all thinges But they adde therevnto a fable saying that God coulde take no pleasure of his principate or dominion if hee him selfe shoulde take vppon him the gouernement of the worlde and therefore that he gaue the vicarage of that gouernance to the deuyll who they say was sent from heauen for that purpose and to iudge the worlde renderyng vnto men well or euyll accordyng to theyr deseruyng This deuyll they name Deumo But the great God him selfe they call I amerani The kyng hath a Chapel in his Pallace where he honoureth this Deumo the Chapell is open on euery syde the breadth of a vaulte of two pases and is no hygher from the grounde then three pases The entraunce is by a doore of wood garnished with carued woorke conteynyng the dyuers monstruous fourmes and shapes of deuylles In the myddest of the Chapell is a seate of maiestie made of copper with also a deuyll of copper sittyng in it This deuyll hath on his head a crowne after the maner of the byshop of Rome but this hath ouerplus foure hornes his mouth gapyng with foure notable teeth a deformed nose louryng and grymme eyes a threatenyng looke crooked handes lyke a fleshe hooke and feete not much vnlyke the feete of a Cocke A monster doubtlesse horrible and fearefull to beholde In euery corner of the Chapell sit such deuylles of shining copper as though they were of flamyng fyre deuouryng soules miserably These soules are about the bygnesse of halfe a finger and some litle bigger He putteth one soule in his mouth with the ryght hande and with the lefte hande taketh an other from beneath Euery mornyng the priestes whom they call Bramini washe the Idoll with rose water and perfume him with sweete sauours and lying prostrate on the grounde pray vnto him They sacrifice vnto him once a weeke Theyr maner of sacrifice is this They haue a little cubbarde lyke vnto an Altar three handfulles hygh foure handfuls brode and fyue handfuls long this cubbard they strawe with all maner of floures and sweete pouders Then hauyng a great Chafingdyshe or the lyke vessell of siluer full of burnyng coles they put the blood of the Cocke thereon and also cast thereon innumerable sweete sauours In the meane tyme also with sensours in theyr handes they goe rounde about the Altar makyng perfume with frankensence ringyng a little siluer bell all the whyle of the sacrifice They kyll the Cocke with a siluer knyfe and the knyfe also being rayed with blood they put often in the fyre that no parte of the blood be lost Sometyme hauyng the knyfe in theyr hande they make certayne straunge gestures much lyke to those which the masters offense vse in giuyng or auoyding of strokes They neuer ceasse puttyng to more coles and spices or perfumes vntyl all the blood of the Cocke be burnt The priest that offereth the blood of the Cocke hath his armes and feete garnyshed with siluer plates and pendantes in such sorte that whyle hee moueth they make a certayne noyse much lyke vnto sonettes or Haukes belles He hath on his brest a certayne bosse conteynyng I know not what secrete figure which may seeme to be the secrete caract or signe of some mysterie The sacrifice being finished he taketh both his handes full of wheate and goeth from the Alter backeward lyke a Creuice neuer mouyng his eyes from the Alter vntyll he come to a certayne tree where openyng his handes hee casteth the wheate on the tree Then holdyng his handes aboue his head he returneth to the Alter and taketh away all that is thereon Of the maner which the kyng vseth at his meate Cap. 3. THe Kyng doeth not sit downe to his meate before foure of the priestes offer it to the deuyl in this maner Lifting theyr handes aboue theyr heades with also many other fantasticall gesticulations and murmuryng voyces they offer the meate to the deuyl spende long tyme in those ceremonyes to the end that the kyng should eate no meat that is not first offered to the deuyll They offer the meate in a tray of wood and therin laye it vppon the brode leaues of a certayne tree His meat is Ryse and dyuers other thinges as fruite fleshe and fyshe He sitteth on the grounde without cloth or Carpet The priestes in the meane tyme stande rounde about him but approcheth no nearer then foure or fyue pases obseruyng diligently the kinges woordes When the kyng hath lefte eatyng the priestes carry away all that is lefte and in a certayne place thereto appointed offer it to certayne Crowes which they keepe for the same purpose And therefore being vsed to be thus fedde geather togeather at a signe gyuen them and eate vp the meate These crowes are therefore of them esteemed holy and therefore it is not lawfull for any man to take them or hurte them Of the Priestes of Calecut called Bramini â–ª Cap. 4. THese Bramini are in place with them as are the chiefe priestes or byshoppes with vs. Therefore when the king shall marrie he lyeth not with his wyfe before shee be defloured by the Archbyshop yet taketh he not this vppon him without rewarde for the kyng gyueth him for his labour fiftie peeces of golde Only the kyng of Calecut keepeth this custome Of the dyuers sortes of Idolaters in the citie of Calecut Cap. 5. THe chiefest Idolaters and of the greatest dignitie are the Bramini They of the seconde order are named Naeri And in the same place with them as are with gentelmen whose office is when they go abrode to beare swoordes targettes bowes launces and other weapons The thyrde order consysteth of mecanike or handie craftes men In the fourth place are vitaylers and suche as make prouision of fyshe and fleshe Next vnto these are they that geather Pepper Wyne Walnuttes and suche other fruites and
spices The last and basest sort named Neraui are they that sowe and geather Ryse These as the inferiour tribe of men are in such subiection to the Bramini and Naeri that in payne of death they may approche no nearer vnto them then .l. pases And therefore they lye lurkyng in certayne shadowes and darke places and maryshes lest they shoulde suddenly chaunce to meete with them Wherefore when they come abrode that they may be hearde a farre of they crye with loude voice I wotte neare what that they may be hearde of the sayde Bramini and Naeri least beyng soddenly betrapped they shoulde be put to death Of the apparell of the kyng queene and Inhabitantes of the citie of Calecut And of their maner of feedyng Cap. 6. THe apparell of the kyng and queene is litle or nothyng differyng from the other Idolaters among the whiche the Mahumetans as strangers are not to be accompted They couer onely theyr priuie partes with bombasine cloth or sylke and are besyde all naked barefooted also and beareheadded But the Mahumetans weare single apparell reachyng only vnto the nauel The women are apparelled euen as are the men sauyng onely that they lette theyr heare growe very longe The kyng and nobilitie of the citie eate no fleshe except they fyrst aske counsayle of the Priestes But the common people may eate what fleshe they wyll excepte the fleshe of Kyne Bin they of the basest sorte named Nirani and Poliar may eate onely fyshes dryed at the Sunne Of theyr custome after the death of the kyng Cap. 7. AFter the death of the kyng if he haue any male chyldren lyuyng or brethren or brothers chyldren they succeede not in the kyngdome For of auncient lawe and custome the septer pertayneth to the kynges systers sonnes of whiche if there be none it commeth to the next of the blood And this for none other cause as they saye but that the priestes haue defloured the queene When the kyng goeth abrode or on huntyng the priestes be they neuer so young keepe the queene at home and remayne neere about her For there is nothyng more acceptable to the kyng then that the priestes shoulde so keepe companye with the queene And therefore the kyng may well thynke that the chyldren borne of her are not to be numbred amongst his chyldren and therefore taketh the chyldren of his systers to be neerest of his blood and ryght inheritours to the crowne When the kyng is dead all his subiectes by cuttyng theyr beardes and shauyng theyr headdes testifie how greeuously they take his death Yet hearein they vse not all one fashion for some cutte onely part of the heare of theyr chynne and some parte of the heare of theyr head and other all and so euery man as he doth phantasie Duryng the tyme that they celebrate the funerals of the kyng they that lyue by fyshyng forbeare fyshyng for the space of eyght dayes And when any of the kynges wyues dye they obserue the lyke ceremonyes as for the death of the kyng The kyng sometyme by a certayne supersticion absteyneth from venery or the company of women for the space of a yeere and lykewyse forbeareth to eate certayne leaues whiche they call Betolas beyng the leaues of Assyrian apples whiche they vse not onely for dilicates but also because theyr propertie is to moue men greatly to wanton lustes For the same purpose also they eate a certayne fruite named Coffolo somewhat lyke vnto Dates Of theyr chaungyng of wyues Cap. 8. THe gentelmen merchauntes to shew great curtesie and frendshyp one to the other vse somtime to chaunge wiues and therein vse this maner of speache My freende we haue nowe of long tyme lyued togeather as faythfull frendes and therefore for the laste accomplyshement of our frendeshyppe if it so please thee lette vs chaunge wyues Content sayth the other for I beare thee euen as good wyll The wyues refuse not to agree to the condition herein also to please theyr husbandes Then the one bryngeth his wyfe to the other saying Woman this man shall hereafter be thy husbande The other sayth the lyke to his wyfe also Thus all partes beyng agreed they depart with frendly embrasyng But the chyldren remayne with the fyrst husbande These Idolatars haue also diuers other customes For among some of them one woman is maryed to seuen husbandes of the whiche euery of them hath his nyght by course appoynted to lye with her And when she hath brought foorth a chylde she may geue it or father it to whiche of them she lysteth Who may in no case refuse it The maner of feedyng of the common people of the Idolatars and of theyr Iustice. Cap. 8. LYing along on the grounde they eate theyr meate out of a traye of copper For spoones they vse certayne leaues of trees Theyr meate commonly is Ryse fyshe spices and fruites of the commoner sort The labouryng men or ruder sorte eate so fylthyly that puttyng theyr foule handes in the potte they take out ryse by handfuls and so thrust it in theyr mouthes They vse this kynde of Iustice for homicide Where any hath slayne a man he is thus punyshed They haue a kynde of galows made in maner of a double crosse where whyle the murtherer is tyed fast one thrusteth a stake through his bodye where the poore wretche so hangeth vntyl he be dead But they that wounde or hurt any man redeeme the faulte for mony payde to the kyng They that are in debte are thus enforced to paye the same The creditour fyrst demaundeth his monye and if it be founde that the debitour breake promysse then he to whom the mony is owyng goeth to one of the kynges scriueners whiche are sayde to be a hundred and before hym makyng dewe proofe of the debte receiueth of hym a greene wande of a tree with aucthoritie to prosecute his debitour vntil he haue found hym where when he hath arrested him with these woordes go no further before thou paye me thryse rehearsed he sayth furthermore thus I charge thee by the head of Bramini and by the head of the kyng not to sturre from this place before thou paye me There is no shyfte but eyther to paye incontinent or there to loose his lyfe But if he be found alone and escape after the sayd woords he is euer after adiudged a rebell and therefore shall it be lawefull for any man to kyll hym whersoeuer he is founde within the kynges dominions Of the honoring of Idolles Cap. 9. WHen they praye to theyr Idolles in the mornyng before the Sunne ryse they resorte to the pooles or ryuers to washe them And so at their commyng home to theyr houses where they keepe theyr Idolles they touch nothyng before they praye to the Idolles prostrate on the grounde secreatly while they praye they make certayne deuylyshe gesticulations lyke mad men so maruelously defourmyng theyr faces eyes and mouthes
on the grounde praye vnto and then depart to theyr houses and countreys By this meanes they beleeue that all theyr synnes are quite forgeuen them and therefore for the space of three dayes they lyue there in safegarde as if it were in Sanctuarie and for that tyme is it not lawfull for any man to arrest or trouble an other for what so euer quarell Certainely I neuer saw in any place a greater multitude of people assembled except in the citie of Mecha The syxt booke contaynyng the voyage of India Of the Cities of Caicolon and Colon. Cap. 1. MY faythfull companyon Cociazenor the Persian of whom I haue made mention here before consyderyng that by the meanes of warres and imminent daungers there was nowe no place for merchaundies especially for that the Portugales had made sore warres and great slaughter in the citie of Calecut by occasion that the inhabitantes of the citie had conspired with the Mahumetans for the murther of eight and fourtie Portugales whiche was done at my beyng there I thought it best in tyme to depart from thence This facte so greatly moued the kyng of Portugale to reuenge that he hath since that tyme kepte hostile warres agaynst them and greatly consumed them and defaced their citie We therfore departyng from thence by a very fayre ryuer came to a citie named Caicolon distaunte from the citie of Calecut fiftie leagues the inhabitantes are idolaters There is great aboundaunce of merchaundies and great frequentation of merchauntes the soyle beareth plentie of the best kynde of pepper The kyng of the citie is not very rych In apparel and maners they differ litle from them of Calecut Heere we founde certayne merchantes Christians named of the profession of saint Thomas the Apostle They obserue the fastyng of fourtie dayes as we do and beleeue in the death and resurrection of Christ as we do and therfore celebrate Easter after our maner and obserue other solemnities of our religion after the maner of the Greekes They are commonly named by the names of Iohn Iames Matthias and Thomas Departyng from thence in the space of three dayes iorney we came to an other citie named Colon about twentie myles distant from the aforesayde The kyng is an idolater and a prince of great power hauyng euer an armie of twentie thousande horsemen there is a very fayre port Neare to the sea syde the soyle beareth no corne yet great aboundance of fruite and pepper as in the citie of Calecut but by reason of the warres we remayned no longer heere Not farre from hence we sawe men fyshe for pearles in maner as we haue sayde before of the citie and Ilande of Ormus Of Cyromandel a citie of India Cap. 2. THe citie of Cyromandel is by the sea syde and distant from the citie of Colon seuen dayes saylyng The citie is very large but without walles it is subiecte to the kyng of Narsinga and is within the syght of the Iland of Zaylon After that you are past the poynt of Comerin the soyle beareth plentie of Ryse This citie is in the way to diuers great regions and cities It is inhabited with innumerable Mahumetan merchantes resortyng thyther from many countreys There are no spyces but aboundaunce of fruite as in Calecut I founde there certayne Christians who affyrme that the bodye of saint Thomas the Apostle is there in a certayne place about twelue myles from this citie and also that there are certayne Christians whiche relygiously obserue the holy body and that the Christians are euyll vsed because of the warres whiche the kyng of Portugall hath made agaynst the people of these countreys Also that the Christians are sometyme murthered secretly lest it shoulde be knowen to the kyng of Narsinga who is in amitie and frendshyppe with the kyng of Portugall and greatly fauoureth the Christians The cause whereof as they saye is also partly by reason of a certayne myracle whiche was this The Christians on a tyme had a great conflicte with the Mahumetans where one of the Christians beyng sore wounded on his arme resorted incontinent to the sepulchre of saint Thomas where makyng his prayers touchyng the holy place his arme was immediatly healed Whereupon as they saye the kyng of Narsinga euer after greatly fauoured the Christians Here my companion solde muche of his wares But by reason of the warres betweene the kynges of Narsinga and Ternaseri we determined to depart from hence And therefore saylyng ouer a gulfe of .xx. leagues with great daunger we arriued at an Iland named Zailon very large as containing in circuite a thousande myles Of the Ilande of Zailon and the precious stones founde there Cap. 3 IN this Ilande are foure kynges of great dominion by reason of the largenesse of the Ilande But because of the warres among them at my beyng there I coulde not tarye long to haue particular knowledge of the region and maners of the people There are in the Ilande many Elephantes There is also a very long mountayne at the foote whereof are founde many precious stones named Piropi commonly called Rubines or Rubies The merchauntes iewelers come by them by this meanes Fyrst goyng to the kyng they bye of hym a certayne measure of that grounde where suche stones are founde of the largenesse of a cubite euery way The price of this is fyue pieeces of gold yet with suche condition that in dyggyng the grounde there is euer one present for the kyng to the ende that if in dyggyng be founde any of those precious stones exceedyng the weyght of x. Caractes the same to be reserued for the kyng And the rest that are founde vnder that wayght to apparteyne to the merchaunt Not farre from the sayde mountayne are founde diuers other sortes of precious stones as Iasynthes Saphires Topases and suche lyke Harde by the mountayne runneth a great ryuer The soyle bryngeth foorth the sweetest fruites that euer I sawe especially cloues and apples of Assiria of exceedyng sweetnesse and all other as in Calecut Of the tree of Cinamome in the Iland of Zaylon Cap. 4. THe tree of Cinamome is not much vnlike a Baye tree especially the leaues it beareth berryes as doth the Baye tree but lesse and whyte It is doubtlesse therefore none other then the barke of a tree and is geathered in this maner Euery thyrde yeere they cutte the branches of the tree Of this is great plentie in the sayde Ilande When it is fyrste geathered it is not yet so sweete but a moneth after when it waxeth drye A certayne Mahumetan merchaunt of the Ilande tolde my companyon that there in the top of a hygh mountayne is a certayne denne whyther the inhabitantes of the countrey resort to praye in memorye of our fyrst father Adam who they saye after he had synned by breakyng the commaundement of God lyued in that place in continuall penitence Whiche thing they
specially a great braunche of Corall they earnestly desired him to goe with them to a certayne citie where they promised him that by theyr procurement he shoulde sell his ware at great auantage if he would buye Rubie stones and that he might therby easily geat aboue tenne thousande peeces of golde Affirming that those kynde of stones were of muche greater value in Turkey Wherevnto my companion answered that he woulde goe with them if they would departe in shorte space We will sayde they departe euen to morow for here is a Foist whiche departeth hence to morowe and taketh her viage to the citie of Pego whyther we desyre to bryng you My companion consented the rather to his request bicause he was aduertised that he should fynde there certayne Persians his countrey men Therefore with this good companie departyng from the citie of Bangella and saylyng ouer a great gulfe lying on the South syde wee came at the length to the citie of Pego a thousande myles distaunt from Bangella Of Pego a famous citie of India Cap. 15. THe citie of Pego is not farre from the sea and is situate vppon the continent or fyrme lande A very fayre ryuer runneth by the citie by the which merchandies are caried to and fro The kyng of the citie is an Idolater The inhabitauntes in apparell liuyng and maners are lyke vnto them of Tarnassari but of whiter colour as in a colder region somewhat lyke vnto ours The citie is walled and the houses well buylded and very fayre of stone and lyme The kyng hath a myghtie armie both of footemen and horsemen and hath in his armie Pensionarie Christians borne euen in the same region Theyr wages is euery moneth sixe of those peeces of golde which they cal Pardaios is payde them out of the Kynges treasury They haue abundance of corne and flesh as in Calecut Here are but fewe Elephantes yet other beastes and foules as in Calecut Here are also trees for buyldyng and to make shyppes the fayrest that euer I sawe Also exceedyng great Reedes as byg as the bodie of a grosse man or a tubbe Here are likewyse siuit Cattes or Muske Cattes and of small pryce as three for one peece of golde There are fewe merchandyes in this citie except precious stones and specially Rubies which neuerthelesse are brought thyther from an other citie named Capela beyng towarde the East thirtie dayes iourney where are also founde precious stones named Smaragdes or Emeraldes When we arryued at Pego the kyng was absent fyue twentie dayes iourney in a place where he kepte warre agaynst the kyng of Aua. But shortly after he returned with great tryumphe for the victorie which he had agaynst his enemie Of the munificence humilitie and great richesse of the Kyng of Pego Cap. 16. THis kyng vseth not suche pompes and magnificence as doeth the kyng of Calecut But is of suche humanitie and affabilitie that a chylde may come to his presence and speake with him being neuerthelesse very ryche It is in maner incredible to speake of the ryche Iewelles precious stones pearles and especially Rubies which he weareth surmounting in value any great citie His fingers be full of Ringes and his armes all full of braselettes of golde all beset and moste gloriously shinyng with suche precious stones His legges also and feete beyng garnyshed in lyke maner His eares lykewyse are so laded with suche Iewelles that they hang downe halfe a handfull The splendour or shinyng of these Iewelles is so great that if one see the king in the darke night he shineth in maner as it were the beames of the sunne At good oportunitie the Christian merchantes spake to the kyng and certified him that my companion had brought sundry merchaundies of great estimation The kyng answered that they shoulde come to him the day folowyng bycause that that present day he shoulde sacrifice to the deuyll Therefore the nexte day he sent for vs willyng that my companion should bryng with him suche merchandies as he had The which the kyng toke great pleasure to behold and not without good cause for among other thinges there were two great branches of corrall of such bignesse and fayrenesse as no man there had euer seene the lyke The kyng astonished at these thinges asked the Christians what men we were They answered that we were Persians Then sayde the kyng to his interpretour Aske them if they will here make sale of theyr merchandies To whom then my companion sayde thus Most honorable Prince all these are yours take them and vse them at your pleasure Then sayde the kyng agayne These two yeeres paste I haue kepte continuall warre with the kyng of Aua and therfore my treasure of money is consumed But if you will bargaine by the way of exchaunge for precious stones and especially Rubies I will so deale with you that it shall not repent you Then sayde my companion to the Christians I pray you gyue the kyng to vnderstande that I desire none other thyng then the beneuolence of his highnesse and therefore that I desire him to take of my merchaundies what lyketh him best and that without money or permutation of any other thing When the kyng hearde this he answered that he had hearde by reporte that the Persians were very curtuous and liberall men and that he neuer knewe so liberall a man as this was and swore by the head of the deuyll that by this occasion he would proue which of them two should be most liberall and therefore callyng vnto him a Page of his chamber commaunded him to fetche a casket of precious stones This casket was of the breadth of a spanne and a halfe euery way square and full of Rubies hauyng also within it sundry receptacles or boxes where the stones were sorted in order When he had opened the casket he commaunded it to be set before the Persian willing him to take of those precious stones as many as he would But my companion the Persian yet more moued to liberalitie by this the Kinges munificence spake to the kyng these woordes O most honourable Prince I perceyue your beneuolence to be suche towarde me that I sweare by the holy head of Mahumet and all the mysteries of his religion wherevnto I am professed that I freely and gladly gyue vnto you all my merchaundies For I doe not trauayle about the worlde for gaynes of richesse but rather of desyre to see the worlde In the which thereto I neuer founde any thyng wherein I so greatly reioyced as in the beneuolence and fauour which your maiestie hath shewed me The kyng answered Wylt thou yet contende with mee in liberalitie And with those woordes tooke out of the casket of euery boxe some as many Rubies as he coulde holde in his hande with this rewarde whiche was two hundred Rubies shewed his kyngly munificence and beneuolence towarde the Persian saying vnto
of the sayd Ilande they I meane which feede of fleshe when they see theyr parentes so feeble by age that they serue for no vse but are tedious both to them selues and other they bryng them to the market or fayre and sell them to the Anthropophagi which vse to eate mans fleshe They that buye them kyll them out of hande eate them Likewyse when any young person among them falleth into any suche sickenesse that by the iudgement of theyr wyse men he can not escape to the ende that he should not vnprofitably lynger in paynes his brethren and kyns folkes sell hym to the Anthropophagi When my companion beyng deterted with these cruell maners shewed in countenance that he detested this horrible inhumanitie a certayne merchaunt of the inhabitantes sayde thus vnto hym O Persians no sacrifice can redeeme your sinnes in that you giue so fayre fleshe to the woormes to be eaten Therfore abhorryng these beastly maners we returned to our shyppe not intendyng any longer to tarry there Of the strange course of the sunne in the Iland of Gyaua Cap. 29. WHyle we remayned here the Christian merchantes euer desirous to shewe vs new and strange thinges whiche we myght declare at our returne into our countreys sayde thus vnto vs My friendes make reporte in your countrey of a straunge thyng whiche I will nowe shewe you Beholde sayde they the place of the Sunne in the South at hygh noone and thereby consider howe farre this region is from your countrey We then behelde the Sunne to runne toward the ryght hand and agayne to shewe or marke a sphere about two handfuls brode towarde the lefte hand which doubtlesse seemed to vs very straunge And this as they saye is euer seene in the moneth of Iuly But I nowe scarsely beare this in mynd for I there forgot euen the names of our monthes But this is certayne that in this region the tymes and seasons of the yeeres are lyke vnto ours and of lyke temperature of heat and colde Here my companion bought two fayre Emeraldes for a thousande peeces of golde and also two gelded children for two hundred peeces of golde for heere are certayne merchantes that buy none other ware then such gelded children Of our returne from the Ilande of Gyaua Cap. 30. AFter that we had remayned heere fyftiene dayes wery of the maners of the inhabitantes and of the coldnesse of the countrey that tyme of the yeere we determyned to proceede no further for this cause also that there remayned in maner none other region woorthie to be seene and therefore hyring a lyght shyp we departed from thence sayling Eastwarde for the space of fyftiene dayes and came at the length to the citie of Melacha where remayning three dayes we tooke our leaue of our companions the Christian merchauntes with friendly embrasinges and sorowfull myndes Which departure I take God to witnesse greeued me so sore that if I had been a single man without wyfe and children I would neuer haue forsaken suche friendly men We therefore departed and they remayned there saying that they would shortly returne to the citie of Sana and we takyng a Foist returned to the citie of Cyromandel By the way the gouernour of the shyp tolde vs that about the Ilandes of Gyaua and Taprobana there are aboue seuen thousande little Ilandes When we arryued at Melacha â–ª my companion bought as muche spices sweete sauours and silke as cost him fyue thousande peeces of golde But we came not to the citie of Gyromandel in lesse space then fyftiene dayes saylyng There we vnladed our Foist and after we had remayned there twentie dayes hyring an other Foist we came at the length to the citie of Colon where we founde .xxii. Christians of the realme of Portugale And fearyng that they would take me for some espion I began to imagine howe I myght depart from thence But seeyng that they were so fewe in number I chaunged my purpose especially for that there were many merchaunt Mahumetans whiche knewe that I had been at Mecha to see the bodie of Mahumet But within the space of twelue dayes we came to Calecut by the ryuer Agayne of the citie of Calecut after our returne thyther Cap. 31. AFter so many long and daungerous peregrinations and viages in the whiche we haue been partly satisfied of our desyre and partly weeryed by many suche occasions of inconueniences as chaunce in the way as they can well consider that haue been vsed to suche long iourneyes we determyned to proceede no further but to thynke only of our safe returne into our natiue countrey and therefore I will breefely declare what chaunced to me in the way the rather that other men takyng example by my traueyles may knowe the better howe to gouerne them selues in the lyke if lyke ardent affection shal moue them to take suche viages in hande as I am sure noble spirites of many valiant men will moue them thereto Therefore enteryng into the citie of Calecut we founde there two Christians borne in the citie of Milan the one named Iohn Maria and the other Peter Antonie These were Iewellers and came from Portugale with the kinges licence to buye precious stones When I had founde these men I reioyced more then I am able to expresse for we went naked after the maner of the inhabitantes At our fyrst meetyng seeyng them to bee whyte men I asked them if they were Christians They sayde yea Then sayde I that I was also a Christian by the grace of God Then takyng me by the hande they brought me to theyr house where for ioye of our meetyng we could scarsely satisfie our selues with teares embrasynges and kyssyng for it seemed nowe to mee a straunge thyng to heare men speake myne owne language or to speake it my selfe Shortly after I asked them if they were in fauour with the kyng of Calecut We are sayde they in great fauour with him and very familier Then againe I asked them what they were mynded to doe We desyre sayde they to returne to our countrey but we knowe not the meanes howe Then sayde I Returne the same way that you came Naye sayde they that may not bee for we are fledde from the Portugales bycause we haue made many peeces of great ordinaunce and other Gunnes for the Kyng of Calecut and therefore we haue good cause to feare and nowe especially for that the nauie of Portugale will shortly be heere I answered that if I myght escape to the citie of Canonor I doubted not but that I would geat theyr pardon of the gouernour of the Nauie There is small hope thereof sayde they we are so famous and well knowen to many other kynges in the way whiche fauour the Portugales and laye wayte to take vs for wee haue made more then foure hundred Gunnes little and great and therefore wee are out of all hope to escape that way In whiche theyr talke I perceyued howe fearefull
beganne a sturre and mutinie in maner of a tumulte Whiche when the gouernour vnderstoode commauÌ„ded al his Captaines souldiers other officers to plaâ—â— their artilerie order all thynges in redynesse least the 〈◊〉 sudden rage should attempte any thing agaynst the 〈…〉 al thynges were pacified in shorte tyme. Then 〈…〉 takyng me by the hande brought me into 〈…〉 and there demaunded of me what the kyng 〈…〉 of Calecut imagined or deuised to do 〈…〉 I infourmed hym of all thynges as 〈…〉 hauyng diligently searched to vnderstand all 〈…〉 When the gouernour was thus by me 〈…〉 secretes he appoynted a galley to bryng 〈…〉 who was then in the citie of Cusin The 〈…〉 the gallie was named Iohannes Seranus â–ª When 〈…〉 saw me he receiued me very fauourably I 〈…〉 also of al thynges Saying furthermore vnto hym 〈◊〉 myght by his fauoure obteyne pardon and assurance for 〈◊〉 sayde two Italians Peter Antonie and Iohn Maria which 〈…〉 made artillarie for the infidel princes I woulde procure that they shoulde returne to the Christians and do them ryght good seruice and that I was well assured that they dyd that by constraint Also y t they desyred none other thing then safe conduct and mony for theyr charges He was glad of this and graunted my request Whereuppon within three dayes after he sent me with letters to his sonne the gouernour in the citie of Canonor with commaundement to deliuer me as muche mony as shoulde suffice for the charges of the Christian exploratours or espions of the citie of Calecut I went therefore incontinent to Canonor where I agreed with one of the idolatours who for pouertie had gaged his wife children to cary letters to Calecut to Iohn Maria and Peter Antonie The content of which letters was that the Uiceroye had graunted them pardon and safe conducte and also mony for theyr charges Aduertisyng them to make none priuie of this thyng and especially to beware least it shoulde be knowen to theyr slaues or concubines For eche of them had a concubine a child a slaue Furthermore to leaue al their goods behynd them except thynges of great price as mony iewelles For they had a very fayre Diamond of the weyght of .xxxii. caractes esteemed to be woorth .xxxv. thousande crownes They had also a pearle of the weyght of .xxiiii. caractes Furthermore 〈◊〉 thousande rubies of the whiche some were of the weyght 〈…〉 and some of one and a halfe They had also .lxiiii. 〈…〉 garnyshed with many iewelles lykewyse in redye 〈…〉 and fyue hundred peeces of golde But see 〈…〉 much couetousnesse Whyle they thought to haue 〈…〉 all and theyr lyues therewith For not contentyng 〈…〉 with the aforesayde ryches they woulde needes also 〈…〉 notwithstandyng the aduertisement we had geuen 〈…〉 Gunnes three Munkeis two Muskecattes and two of 〈…〉 wherwith precious stones are polyshed All whiche 〈…〉 the onely cause of theyr death For whereas so many 〈…〉 not be secretly conueyed one of theyr slaues 〈…〉 〈…〉 of Calecut heereof who at the fyrst woulde scarsely 〈…〉 〈…〉 for the good opinion he had conceyued of them Yet sent foure 〈◊〉 his garde of them whiche are called Naery to 〈…〉 true But the slaue perceyuyng that the kyng woulde 〈◊〉 fauourably with them went to the hygh priest or Bishop of the fayth of the Mahumetans whom they call Cady and tolde hym all that before he had tolde the kyng of Calecut Addyng moreouer that the sayde Christians had disclosed theyr secretes to the Portugales When the Bishop vnderstode these thynges he called a counsayle of all the Mahumetan merchauntes wyllyng them of the common treasurie to geue a hundred peeces of golde to the kyng of Gioghi who was then at Calecut and to speake to hym in this maner It is not vnknowen to you most noble prince howe a fewe yeeres past when your maiestie came hither we receiued you with more honorable enterteinement then we are nowe able to do The cause whereof is no lacke of good wyl or knowledge of our deuetie towarde your hyghnesse but rather the great and manyfolde iniuries and oppressions whiche we haue susteyned and do dayely susteyne by our mortal enimies the Christians whereof we haue at this present example of two Christian traytors of this citie whiche haue disclosed to the Portugales al our secretes and therefore we make most humble petition vnto you to take of vs a hundred peeces of golde to commaund them to be slayne When the kyng of Gioghi hearde these woords he consented to theyr petition and forthwith appoynted two hundred men to commyt the murder And that they might be the lesse suspected of the Christians meanyng soddenly to kyll them in theyr house came by tenne and tenne as though they came to demaunde theyr accustomed rewarde But when the Christians sawe so great a company assembled about theyr house they suspected that they sought somewhat elles then theyr rewarde or offeryng and therefore incontinent takyng theyr weapons they fought so manfully at the wyndowes and doores of theyr house that they slue syxe men and woounded fourtie But at the length some of y e Gioghi shot at them certaine iron arrowes out of crosse bowes with the which they were both slayne the one beyng sore wounded in the head the other in the bodie As soone as they sawe them fall downe they cutte theyr throtes and takyng the hotte blood in the palmes of theyr handes drunke it vp with contumelious woordes agaynst the Christians After this murder the concubine of Iohn Maria came to Canonor with her young sonne whom I bought of her for eyght peeces of golde and causyng hym to be baptysed named hym Laurence because it was saint Laurence daye But within a yeere after he dyed of the frenche poxe whiche disease had then dispersed almost through all the worlde For I haue seene many infected with it foure hundred myles beyonde Calecut They call it Pua And they affyrme that this disease was neuer seene there past xvii yeeres before It is there more greeuous and outragious then with vs. Of the Nauie of the citie of Calecut and of the memorable conflicte betwene the Christians and Mahumetans In the whiche the Portugales with incredible valiantnesse gaue theyr enimies the ouerthrowe And howe the kyng of Canonor reioyced at their victorie Cap. 38. IN the yeere of our Lorde .1506 the fourth daye of March woorde was brought vs of the death of the sayde Christians The same daye from the cities of Calecut Pauan Capagot Pandaram Trompatam departed a great nauie of two hundred and eyght shippes of the whiche fourescore and foure were great shippes or shippes of burden and the rest were dryuen with Ores after the maner of Foystes whiche they call Parao The Nauie was manned with in maner innumerable Mahumetans shewyng themselues very braue in apparel of purple sylke and Bombasine with also theyr hygh and sharpe cappes after
Barbarians were .xv. slayne many sore wounded After the death of the Captayne they chose two other in his place of the which one was Odoardo Barbessa a Portugale and the other Iohn Serrano â–ª who was shortly after betrayde by the interpretour and taken prisoner with dyuers other Certaine dayes before the captaines death they had knowledge of the Ilandes of Molucca whiche they chiefely sought Departyng therefore from the Ilande of Mathan they sayled farre and came to the Cape of an other Ilande named Bohol In the myddest of this mayne sea which they named Archipelagus they consulted to burne the shyppe named Conception bycause they were nowe fewe in number and to furnyshe the other two shyppes with the artillerie thereof Thus directyng theyr course towarde Southwest they came to an other Ilande named Pauiloghon where they founde blacke men lyke vnto the Sarasins Shortly after they arryued at an other great Ilande whose kyng named Raia Calauar intreated them very friendly in all thynges as dyd the kyng of Massana This Ilande is ryche in golde and hath plentie of Rysse Gynger Hogges Goates Hennes and dyuers other thynges It is named Chippit and is viii degrees aboue the Equinoctiall lyne towarde our pole and in longitude from the place from whence they first departed .170 degrees and about .50 leagues from Zubut Departyng from hence they came to an other Ilande named Caghaian beyng .40 leagues from Chippit as they sayled betweene the Weste and Southwest This Ilande is very great and in maner vnhabited The people are Moores and were banished out of the Ilande of Burnei which some call Porne From this Ilande about .xxv. leagues betweene the Weste and Northweste they founde a marueylous fruitfull Ilande named Pulaoan beyng towarde our pole aboue the Equinoctiall niene degrees and a thirde parte and C.lxxix degrees and a thirde parte in longitude from the place of their departyng From this Ilande .x. leagues towarde the Southwest they sawe an other Ilande whiche seemed to them sometymes to mount as they sayled by the coastes thereof As they were entering into the port there arose a boystuous dark tempest which ceassed assoone as the fyres of the three saintes whereof we haue spoken before appeared vpon the cables From the beginning of this Iland to the porte are fyue leagues This Ilande is great and ryche and the chiefe citie thereof conteyneth .xxv. thousande houses The Kyng enterteyned our men very friendly and sent them besyde many other presentes two Elephantes trapped with silke to bryng them to his Pallace that brought the presentes which the Captayne 's sent him He hath a magnificall Courte and a great garde also a multitude of concubynes He is a Moore and is named Raia Siripada He is a kyng of great power and hath vnder him many other kynges Ilands and cities This Ilande of Burnei is aboue the Equinoctiall towarde our pole fyue degrees and a quarter and in longitude from the place of theyr departyng C.lxxvi degrees and two third partes Departyng from Burnei they came to an Ilande called Cimbulon beyng .viii. degrees aboue the Equinoctiall lyne Heere they remayned .xl. dayes to calke theyr shyppes and furnysh them with freshe water and fuell which was to them great payne and trauayle bycause they were in maner all bare footed their shooes and in maner their other apparel being worne by reason of the long vyage In the woods of this Iland they found a tree whose leaues as soone as they fall on the ground doe sturre and remoue from place to place as though they were alyue they are muche lyke the leaues of a Mulbery tree and haue on euery syde as it were two short blunt feete When they are cut or broken there is no blood seene come foorth of them Yet when any of them are touched they sodaynly moue and starte away Antoni Pigafetta kept one of them in a platter for the space of .viii. dayes and euer when he touched it it ranne rounde about the platter He supposeth that they lyue only by ayre Departyng from hence they directed theyr course by the West quarter towarde the Southeast to fynde the Ilandes of Molucca and sayled not farre from certayne mountaynes where they founde the sea full of great weedes and hearbes From hence they came to the Ilandes of Zolo and Taghima in the which are founde pearles of exceedyng bygnesse Folowyng theyr course towarde the Northeast they came to a great citie named Mangdando lying aboue the Ilandes of Butbuan and Calaghan where they tooke a Canoa of certayne of the inhabitantes by whom beyng infourmed of the Ilandes of Molucca they lefte theyr course towarde the Northeast and folowed the Southeast neare vnto a Cape of the Ilande of Buthuan they were aduertised for certentie that on the bankes of a certayne ryuer there dwelt men ouergrowen with heare and of hygh stature Folowyng styll theyr course by the Southeast and passyng by many small Ilandes they came to the Ilandes of Molucca the sixte day of Nouember and the .xxvii. moneth after their departure out of Spayne Beyng therefore ioyfull and gyuyng thankes vnto God they discharged all theyr ordinaunce In the coaste of all these Ilandes euen vnto the Ilandes of Molucca soundyng with theyr plummet they founde the deapth of the sea to be no lesse then a hundred and two yardes which is contrary to the saying of the Portugales who affyrme that no shyppe can passe that way without great daunger by reason of the shalownesse and rockes or shelues and for the darkenesse which the cloudes cause in the heauen All which things they fayned to the intent that none other should haue knowledge of theyr viages The eyght day of Nouember in the yeere 1521. before the rysing of the Sunne they entered into the porte of the Ilande of Tidore beyng one of the chiefe Ilandes of Molucca where they were honorably interteyned of the kyng who declared that he had long before seene a signe in heauen that certayne shyppes shoulde come from a farre countrey to the Ilandes of Molucca And that whereas for the better certificate thereof he considered the stations of the Moone he sawe therein the commyng of our shyppes and that we were the men whom he seemed to see in the same Wherevppon he profered him selfe to enter into league of friendshyp with the kyng of Spayne and to accepte our men as his brethren and chyldren wyllyng them to come alande as into theyr owne houses Also that for theyr commyng that Ilande shoulde no more bee called Tidore but Castile for the great loue whiche he bore to theyr Kyng whom he reputed as his Lorde and maister This Kyng is a Moore and is named Raia Sultan Mauzor The Ilandes of Molucca are fyue in number and are thus named Tarenate Tidore Mutir Macchian and Bacchian Of these Tarenate is the cheefest Directly agaynst the
thousande pounde of our money The starres about the south pole A similitude declaryng Antipodes The maner of of fyshyng for pearles Petrus Arias Wanton and superfluous pleasures The fyshyng place of kyng Chiapes Gold in maner in euery house The rych treasury of nature The golde mynes of Dariena King Teaocha enterteyneth Vaschus frendly Twenty pound weyght of wrought gold Desartes ful of wylde beastes Dryed fyshe Kyng Pacra a tyraunt Great heate in the moneth of Nouember Hurt by wylde beastes A Tyger Calidonia is a forrest in Scotlande Nemea is a wood in Greece Tigers whelpes Thus the Egiptians take Crocodiles The dogge tyger taken The roryng of the tyger Tigers flesh eaten The biâ—the tyger Tigers whelpes A straunge thyng Kyng Pacra Natural hatred of vice Foure Kynges deuoured of dogges The vse of dogges in warre against naked men The Canibales are expert archers Swoordes of wood Fiftie pound weight of gold Kyng Bononiama frend to the christians Wrought gold The oration of kyng Bononiama The sparke of the lawe of nature is the lawe written in the hartes of men Great plenty of golde A symilitude for the profe of plentye of golde Chaunge of dyet is daungerous Old souldiers A long lent Comogrus Two poore kynges Desartes Vessels of golde kyng Chiorisus sendeth Vaschus xxx dyshes of pure golde Axes of Iron more esteemed then any golde Plenty of gold and scarcenesse of meate A good policie The cause of vehement windes neere the Equinocciall Vaschus his Wordes to King Tumanama Oderuut quem metuunt Xxx. pounde weight of wrought gold Threescore poundes weight of gold They abhorrce labour The coloure of the golden earth and a triall of the same Tokens of great plentle of gold Feeblenesse of hunger and watching The riuer Comogrus Vaschus returneth to Dariena The good fortune of Vaschus O flatteryng fortune looke his death in the booke of the Iland lately found The earth is our generall mother The cout of infernal Pluto Manhuntees The fyersnessâ— of the Canibales Our duty to god and naturall loue to mankinde The office of Christian princes The haruest is great The fourth nauigation of Colonus the Admiral From Spaine to Hispaniola a thousande and two hundred leagues Simple people A great marchaunt Gentle people The regions of Tuia Maia Seuen kyndes of date trees Wilde vines Mirobalanes Byrdes and foules People of goodly stature They poynt theyr bodyes The swyft course of the sea from the East to the West Freshe water in the sea Fayre ryuers Great reedes Great Tortoyses Quatuor tempora The region of Quicuri The hauen of Cariai or Mirobalanus Ciuile and humane people Trees growing in the sea after a strange sort Plinie A strange kynd of Monkeys A Monkey fyghteth with a man A conflyct betwene a Monkey and a wyld Bore The bodyes of kynges dryed and reserued Crownes of beastes clawes Spytefull people Guns make peace Seuen golden ryuers Note wher the plentie of gold endeth Crocodiles of sweet sauour Alcayr or Babylon in Egypt Shyppes eaten with wormes Alexandria in Egypt Howe the kyng of Beragua entertayned the Lieuetenant Their reuereÌ„ce to their kyng Slynges and dartes Libertie more esteemed then ryches The Spanyardes are dryuen to flyght A miserable case Necessitie hath no lawe Howe farre life is to be estemed Sanctus Dominicus Landes founde by Colonus Themperat regions and holsome ayre Expert miners A godly nature in golde Golden haruest High and great mountaynes Tirrhenum is nowe called Tuscane The mouÌ„tayns of Beragua higher then the cloudes Mountaynes of fiftie myles heyght Ianus otherwase called Iaphet the son of Noe. By this coniecture the way shoulde open to Cathai by the Hiperboreans Looke the nauigation of Cabote Deca iii. lib. vi The great riuer Maragnonus The great riuer Dabaiba or sancti Iohannes The riuers haue theyr increase from the sprynges of the mountaynes The ryuer of Nilus in Egypt Maryshes and desolate wayes A superstitious opinion of the originall of the mountaynes of Dabaiba Dragons and Crocodiles in the maryshes The hauen Cerabaro Twentie golden ryuers Precious stones A precious Diamond of exceeding bignes Topasis The nauigation of Petrus Arias The Ilande of Canarie Prouision of freshe water and fuel The sea of hearbes These mountaines are called Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata Decade .ii. lib. 1. and .ii. Mountaynes couered with snowe The stoutnes of the Barbarians The Canibales fight in the water The vse of gunnes The generation of thunder and lyghtning Plentie of fysh Cunning fyshers Tapistrie This is he whom Cardanus praiseth Precious stones The Smaradge is the true Hâ—merode Another kynde of Amber is founde in Whales Golde and Brasile Marchasites are flowres of mettals by the colours whereof the kyndes of mettals are knowen These Locustes burne the corne with touching and deuoure the residue They are in India of three foote length Gardens Insubres are nowe called Lumbardes and Hetruci Tuscans One myriade is ten thousande The manner of plantyng the roote Iucca Earth turned into rootes Howe bread is made of rootes Panicum is a grayne somewhat lyke mil The Italians cal it Melica He meaneth the equal length of day and nyght which is continualy in regions vnder the Equinoctiall line Holsome ayre Gossampine Cotton Fethers Bowes and arrowes Dead bodies reserued Gonzalus Ouiâ—dus sayeth that they gylt marueylously with the iuce of a certayne hearbe White marble The great riuer Maragnonus This ioyneth with the mighty riuer called Flumen Amazonum founde of late Clokes of fethers The swift course of the water Fourtie leagues in one nyght Sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft course from the East into the West The Equinoctial line Why al waters moue towarde the south or Equinoctial read Cardanus ae subtilit liber ii de elementis Strayghtes As by the strayght of Magelanus The north landes The frosen sea Sebastian Cabot The voyage of Sebastian Cabot from Englande to the frosen sea Demogorgon is the spirite of the earth People couered with beastes skynnes The Ilandes of the Canybales The Ilande Fortis Salte A strange thing Howe Vaschus receiued the newe gouernour Habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line Where the new gouernour planteth his habitation A passinger shyp Decurians are officers deuided into tennes c. The gold mines of Dabaiba An errour The region of Saturma The Ilande of Dominica Difficult saylyng agaynst the course of the sea The daungerous straightes of Scylla and Charibdis The vehement course of the sea from the east to the west By what meanes the Sonne beames are cause of feruent heate The pernitious ayre of Dariena Toades and Flees engendred of drops of water Necessitie hath no lawe A house set on fyre with lightnyng A dogge deuoured of a Crocodile Tanquam canis de Nilo The bytyng of Battes Lions and Tygers Beastes waxe higher in theyr kynde Note Broma or Bissa are wormes which destroy shyppes A venemous tree Perhaps their venemous arrows are made of this wood A preseruatiue against poison The Ilandes of the