have sailed from Lisbone to Goa from Siville to Mexico and through all the South sea even vnto China and to the straight of Maggellan and that as certainely as easily as the Husbandman goeth from his Farme vnto the Citie We have also seene men that have made fifteene yea eighteene voiages to the Indies and we have heard speake of some Ancients which have made above twentie vioges passing and repassing the great Ocean in the which they have not seene any signes of such as have traveled nor met with any passengers to demand the way of them For as the Wife man saith a ship cutteth the waves of the water leaving no way where it passeth nor any path in the flouds But by the vertue and propertie of the Adam ant stone it makes as it were a beaten path in this Ocean The high Creator of all things having imparted this vertue vnto it that by the touch of iron it hath alwaies his motion and aspect towards the North in what part of the world soever you be Some search what should be the cause of this wonderfull propertie and imagine I know not what simpathie But for my part I take more pleasure and content in the considerations of these wonders to praise the power and greatnes of the Almightie and reioyce in the contemplation of his admirable workes and to say with Solomon speaking vpon this subiect O father whose providence governes and maintaines a peece of wood giving it an assured way vpon the sea and in the midst of the swelling waves to shew that in the like sort thou canst save and deliver man from all perill and shipwracke yea although he were in the midst of the sea without shippe But for that thy works are full of wisedome men hazard their lives in a small peece of wood and passe through the sea in a shippe and are saved And vpon the same subiect the Psalmist saieth They which go to the sea in shippes and trafficke by the great waters have seene the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the depth of the sea And in truth it is not one of the least wonders of God that the force of so small a stone should command the sea and force the infinite depth thereof to obey him and follow his commandement But for that it is an vsuall thing and seemes easie men do not admire it nor take any great regard thereof and for that his bountie is such the ignorant make lesse account thereof Notwithstanding such as will duly consider it are led by reason to blesse the wisedome of God and to give him thankes for so great a benefite Being then decreed in heaven that these nations of the Indies which have lyen so long hidden should bee knowne and discovered and that this rowt should be frequented to the end so many soules should come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ and winne eternall life There was an assured guide provided for such as travell that way that is the Compasse to saile by and the vertue of the Adamant stone Wee doe not certainely know at what time this Art of sailing was brought to light But for my part I hold for certaine that it is not veriâ— ancient for besides the reasons alleadged in the former chapter I have not read in any ancient Author treating of dialles any mention made of the Adamant And yet vndoubtedly the principall and most necessarie instument for sunne dialls which we vse at this day is the needle of iron touched with the Adamant stone Some approved Authors write in the Historie of the East Indies that the first which began to discover this secret vpon the sea was Vascor de Gama who in the height of Mosambique met with certaine Mariners Moores which vsed this compasse or needle to saile by and by the meanes thereof he sailed through those seas yet they write not from whom they learned this Art And some amongst them are of our opinion that the Ancients were ignorant of this secret Moreover I will shew a greater wonder of the needle to saile by which we might hold incredible if we had not proofe thereof by vndoubted experience The iron touched or rubbed with that part of the Adamant stone which is towards the South hath this vertue to turne alwaies and in all places to the contrarie which is the North. Yet doth it not in all places directly regard it but hath certaine points and climats where it directly regardes the North and their staies but changing this climate it inclines a little either to the East or to the West the farther it goes from this climat which the Mariners cal North-east or North-west which is to say coasting or inclining to the East or to the West And it is a thing of such consequence to vnderstand this declining or coasting of the needle that if they observe it not advisedly although it bee small they shall stray wonderfully in their course and arrive in another place then where they pretended to go Once a very expert Pilot of Portugal told mee that there were foure poyntes in all the world whereas the needle looked directly towards the North the which hee named but I do not well remember them One is in the height of the Iland of Corvo at the Terceres or Acores which is very well knowne to all men but passing to a greater altitude it declines to the West and contrariwise drawing to a lesse altitude towardes the Equinoctiall it leanes to the East The masters of this Arte can well tell how farre and how much For my part I would gladly know of such as presume to knowe all thinges what should bee the cause of this effect and for what reason a little yron touched with the Adamant stone receyves such vertue as to looke alwayes towards the North and with such dexteritie that it vnderstandeth the sundry Clymates and scituations of the world and which way it should turne and incline as well as any Philosopher or Cosinographer whatsoever And seeing wee cannot well discover the causes and reasons of these thinges which wee see dayly without doubt they were very hard to beleeve if they were not apparent Herein we discover our follie vanitie to make our selves iudges ' to subiect divine high things to our reason discourse It is therefore better as S. Gregorie the divine sayth â—o subiect reason vnto faith for that in her owne mansion she hath no governement But this shall suffice Let vs returne to our purpose and conclude that the vse of the needle to sayle by was vnknowne to the Ancients whereby we may resolve that it was impossible to make a determined voyage parting from the other world to come to this by the Ocean Wherein an answere is made to them that say that in times passed they have sayled through the Ocean as at this day CHAP. 18. THat which is alleaged to the contrary of that which hath beene spoken that Salomons Fleet
THE NATVRALL and Morall Historie of the East and West Indies Intreating of the remarkeable things of Heaven of the Elements Mettalls Plants and Beasts which are proper to that Country Together with the Manners Ceremonies Lawes Governements and Warres of the Indians Written in Spanish by Ioseph Acosta and translated into English by E. G 〈…〉 LONDON Printed by Val Sims for Edward Blount and William Aspley 1604. To the right Honorable Sir Robert Cicill Knight Baron of Essingden Vicount Cranborne principall Secretary to his Maiestie master of the Court of Wardes and Liveries and one of his Highnesse most honourable Privie Counsell RIght Honorable If it appeare presumption in me to shew my love my dutie betraies me to it The advantage I have gleaned from idle houres in exchanging this Indian History from Spanish to English is commended to your Honors Patronage whose first father Ioseph Acosta hath with great observation made worthie the over-looking A greater motive then that you are your selfe needed not to excite me to this dedication I beseech you my good Lord take it into shelter and receive that which is not for that which I would it were Let my insufficiencie be measured by my good will So shall my poore abilities thrive vnder your incouragement and happily leade me on to some stronger vndertaking wherein I shall bee bound to thanke you for mine owne paines and for ever remaine Your Lordships most devoted E. G. The Authors advertisement to the Reader MANY have written sundry bookes and discourses of the New World at the West Indies wherein they describe new and strange things discovered in those partes with the actes and adventures of the Spaniards which have conquered and peopled those Countries But hitherto I have not seene any other Author which treates of the causes and reasons of these novelties and wonders of nature or that hath made any search thereof Neither have I read any booke which maketh mention of the histories of the antient Indians and naturall inhabitants of the New World In truth these two things are difficult The first being the works of Nature contrarie to the antient and received Philosophy as to shew that the region which they call the burning Zone is very moist and in many places very temperate and that it raines there whenas the Sunne is neerest with such like things For such as have written of the West Indies have not made profession of so deepe Philosophie yea the greatest part of those Writers have had no knowledge thereof The second thing it treats of is of the proper historie of the Indians the which required much conference and travaile among the Indians themselves the which most of them that have treated of the Indies could not doe either not vnderstanding the language or not curious in the search of their Antiquities so as they have beene contented to handle those things which have beene most common and superficiall Desiring therefore to have some more particular knowledge thereof I have beene carefull to learne from men of greatest experience and best seene in these matters and to gather from their discourses and relations what I have thought sit to give knowledge of the deedes and custome of these people And for that which concernes the nature of those Countries and their properties I have learned it by the experience of many friends and by my dilligence to search discover and conferre with men of iudgement and knowledge In my opinion there are many advertisements which may serve and benefit better wits for the searching out of the truth or to proceede farther in finding that pleasing which is conteined heerein So as although this new World be not new but old in respect of the much which hath beene written thereof yet this historie may in some sort be hâ—ld for new for it is partly historicall and partly philosophicall as well for that they are the workes of nature as of free-will which are the deedes and customes of men the which hath caused mee to name it the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies Containing these two things In the first two bookes mention is made of that which concernes the heavens temperature and habitation of the world which books I had first written in Latine now I have translated them into Spanish vsing more the liberty of an author then the strict bonds of a translator to apply my self the better to those for whom it is written in the vulgar tong In the two following books is treated of that which concernes the Elements and naturall mixtures as Mettalls Plants Beasts and what else is remarkable at the Indies The rest of the bookes relate what I could certainely discover and what I thought worthie memory of the Indians themselves their Ceremonies Customs Governments Wars Adventures In the same Historie shall be spoken as I could learne and comprehend of the figures of the antient Indians seeing they had no writing nor characters as we have which is no small industry to have preserved their Antiquities without the vse of letters To conclude the scope of this worke is that having knowledge of the workes of nature which the wise Author of all nature made we may praise and glorifie the high God who is wonderfull in all things and all places And having knowledge of the Indians customes we may helpe them more easily to follow and persever in the high vocation of the Gospel to the knowledge whereof the Lord would draw this blinde nation in these latter daies Besides al these things every one may sucke out some profit for himselfe for that the wise do alwaies draw forth some good out of the smalest subiect as we finde deepe Philosophie in the least and basest creatures I must onely advertise the Reader that the two first bookes of this historie or discourse were written in Peru and the other five since in Europe dutie binding me to returne into these partes so as some speake of matters of the Indies as of things present and others as being absent And therefore I have thought it good to advertise the Reader heereof that this diversitie of speach may not be troublesome vnto him Farewell A Table of the most remarkable things contained in this Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies A. Abundance of waters vnder the burning zone folio 93 Absurditie of Platoes Atlantike Iland 73 Abuse of the Spaniards at Peru taking winter for summer 89 Acamapach first king of Mexico 482 Accord betwixt the king of Mexico his subiects before they attempted a warre 532 Adlaguagi a kind of mummery of women 367 Acts of Ferdinand Cortez 574 Adimant makes a path in the Sea 57 The Adamant impartes a vertue to yron to looke alwayes towards the north 58 Vse of the Adamant to saile by not antient 59 Adoration of the dead begunne and augmented 340 Adultery punished with death 469 Agilitie of monkies 315 Aire how necessary for the life of man 114 The Aire stirred with the motion of the heauens
and pleasant It is certaine that we do not participate of any of the Elements nor have not the vse of any so often in our bodies as of the aire It is that which invironeth our bodies on all parts which enters into our bowells and at everie instant visits the heart and there ingraves her properties If the aire be any thing corrupted it causeth death if it be pure and healthfull it augmenteth the strength finally we may say that the aire alone is the life of man so as although we have goods and riches if the aire be troublesome and vnholsome wee cannot live quietly nor with content But if the aire be healthfull pleasant and sweete although we have no other wealth yet doth it yeelde content Considering with my selfe the pleasing temperature of many Countries at the Indies where they know not what winter is which by his cold doth freese them nor summer which doth trouble them with heat but that with a Matte they preserve themselves from the iniuries of all weather and where they scarce have any neede to change their garments throughout the yeere I say that often considering of this I find that if men at this day would vanquish their passions and free themselves from the snares of covetousnesse leaving many fruitelesse and pernicious disseines without doubt they might live at the Indies very pleasant and happily for that which other Poets sing of the Elisean fields and of the famous Tempe or that which Plato reports or faines of his Atlantike Iland men should finde in these lands if with a generous spirit they would choose rather to command their silver and their desires then to remaine slaves as they are That which wee have hitherto discoursed shal suffice touching the qualities of the Equinoctiall of colde heat drought raine and the causes of temperature The particular discourse of windes waters landes mettalls plants and beasts whereof there is great aboundance at the Indies shall remaine for the other bookes for the difficultie of that which is handled in this though briefly will happily seeme too tedious An advertisement to the Reader THE Reader must vnderstand that I wrote the two first bookes in Latine when I was at Peru and therefore they speake of matters of the Indies as of things present Being since returned into Spaine I thought good to translate them into our vulgar tongue and not to change my former maner of speeach But in the five following bookes for that I made them in Europe I have beene forced to change my stile and therein to treate of matters of the Indies as of Countries and things absent And for that this diversitie of speech might with reason offend the Reader I have thought good to advertise him thereof THE THIRD BOOKE of the Naturall and Morall Historie of the Indies That the naturall Historie of the Indies is pleasant and agreeable CHAP. 1. EVerie naturall Historie is of it selfe pleasing very profitable to such as will raise vp their discourse and contemplation on high in that it doth move them to glorify the Author of all nature as we sea the wise holy men do specially David in many Psalmes And Iob likewise treating of the secrets of the Creator whereas the same Lord answereth Iob so amplie He that takes delight to vnderstand the wondrous works of Nature shal taste the true pleasure content of Histories the more whenas he shal know they are not the simple workes of men but of the Creator himself that he shall comprehend the naturall causes of these workes then shall he truly occupie himselfe in the studie of Philosophie But he that shall raise his consideration higher beholding the gret first architect of all these marvells he shal know his wisedom and infinite greatnes and we may say shall be divinely imployed And so the discourse of naturall things may serve for many good considerations although the feeblenes and weakenes of many appetites are commonly accustomed to stay at things lesse profitable which is the desire to know new things called curiositie The Discourse and Historie of naturall things at the Indies besides the common content it gives hath yet another benefite which is to treate of things a farre off the greatest part whereof were vnknowne to the most excellent Authors of that profession which have bin among the Ancients And if wee should write these naturall things of the Indies so amply as they require being so strange I doubt not but we might compile workse no lesse then those of Plinie Theophrastes and Aristotle But I hold not my selfe sufficient and although I were yet is not my intent but to note some naturall things which I haue seene and knowne being at the Indies or have received from men worthy of credit the which seeme rare to me and scarce knowne in Europe By reason whereof I will passe over many of them briefly ether bicause they are writen of by others or else require a longer discourse then I can now give Of the windes their differences properties and causes in generall CHAP. 2. HAving discoursed in the two former Books of that which concernes the heavens and the habitation of the Indies in generall it behooves â—s now to treate of the three elements aire water and land and their compounds which be mettalls plants and beasts for as for the fire I see no speciall matter at the Indies which is not in other regions vnlesse some will say that the manner to strike fire in rubbing two stones one against another as some Indians vse or to boyle any thing in gourdes casting a burning stone into it and other such like things are remarkeable whereof I have written what might be spoken But of those which are in the Vulcans and mouths of fire at the Indies worthy doubtlesse to be observed I will speake in their order treating of the diversitie of grounds whereas they finde these fires or Vulcans Therefore to beginne with the winds I say that with good reason Salomon in the great iudgement which God had given him esteemes much the knowledge of the windes and their properties being very admirable for that some are moyst others drie some vnwholesome others found some hote others colde some calme and pleasant others rough and tempestuous some barren and others fertile with infinite other differences There are some windes which blow in certaine regions and are as it were Lordes thereof not addmitting any entry or communication of their contraries In some partes they blow in that sorte as sometimes they are Conquerours sometimes conquered often there are divers and contrary winds which doe runne together at one instant dividing the way betwixt them sometimes one blowing above of one sort and another below of an other sorte sometimes they incounter violently one with another which puts them at sea in great danger there are some windes which helpe to the generation of creatures and others that hinder and are opposite There is a certaine wind of such
they had many pittes and mines of quickesilver which continue there to this day that the Romans suffered it not to be refined in Spaine left they should steale some of it but they carried it to Rome sealed vp in a masse as they drew it out of the mine and after refined it They did yeerely bring from Spaine especially from Andalusie about tenne thousand pound weight which the Romans valued as an infinite treasure I have reported all this out of that Author to the end that those which doesee what passeth at this day in Peru may have the content to know what chanced in former ages among the mightiest Lords of the world I speake for the Inguas kings of Peru and for the naturall Indians thereof which have laboured and digged long in these mines of quicke-silver not knowing what quicke-silver was seeking onely for Cinabrium or vermillion which they call Limpi the which they esteeme much for that same effect that Plinie reportes of the Romans and Ethiopians that is to paint the face and bodies of themselves and their idolls the like hath been much practised by the Indians especially when they went to the warres and vse it at this day in their feasts and dauncing which they call slubbering supposing that their faces and visages so slubbered did much terrifie and at this day they holde it for an ornament and beautifying for this cause there were strange workes of mines in the mountaines of Guanâ—avilca which are in Peru neere to the cittie of Guamanguâ— out of the which they drew this mettal it is of such a manner that if at this day they enter by the caves or Soccabones which the Indians made in those dayes they loose themselves finding no passage out but they regarded not quicke-silver which naturally is in the same substance or mettall of vermillion neither hadde they knowledge of any such matter The Indians were not alone for so long a time without the knowledge of this treasure but likewise the Spaniards who vntill the yeare of the incarnation of our Saviour one thousand five hundred three score and six and threescore and seaven at such time as the licentiate Castro governed in Peru discovered not the mines of quicke-silver which happened in this manner A man of iudgement called Henrique Guarâ—es a Portugall borne having a peece of this coloured mettall as I have saide which the Indians call Limpi with which they paint their faces as hee beheld it well found it to be the same which they call Vermillion in Castille and for that hee knew well that vermillion was drawne out of the same mettall that quickesilver was hee coniectured these mines to be of quickesilver went to the place whence they drew this mettall to make triall thereof The which hee found true and in this sorte the mines of Palcas in the territorie of Guamangua being discovered great numbers of men went thither to drawe out quickesilver and so to carry it to Mexico where they refine silver by the meanes of quickesilver wherewith many are inriched This country of mines which they call Guancavilca was then peopled with Spaniards and Indians that came thither and come still to worke in these mines of quicke-silver which are in great numbers and very plentifull but of all these mines that which they call d' Amador de Cabrera or of Saintes is goodly and notable It is a rocke of most hard stone interlaced all with quickesilver and of that greatnesse that it extendes above foure score Varres or yardes in length and forty in breadth in which mine they have many pittes and ditches of three score and tenne stades deepe so as three hundred men may well worke together such is the capacity thereof This mine was discovered by an Indian of Amador of Cabrera called Navincopa of the village of Acoria the which Amador of Cabrera caused to be registred in his name He was in surte against the Procurer fiscall but the vsufruite was adiudged to him by sentence as the discoverer Since he solde his interest to another for two hundred and fifty thousand ducates and afterwards thinking he had bin deceived in the sale he commenced an action against the buyer being worth as they say above five hundred thousand ducats yea some holde it to be worth a million of golde a rare thing to see a mine of that wealth Whenas Don Francisco of Toledo governed in Peru there was one which had bin in Mexico and observed how they refined silver with mercury called Pero Fernandes de Valesco who offred to refine silver at Potozâ— with mercury and having made triall thereof in the yeare of our redemption one thousand five hundred seaventy and one perfourmed it with credite then beganne they to refine silver at PotoZi with quicksilver which they transported from Guancavelicqua which was a goodly helpe for the mines for by the meanes of quickesilver they drew an infinite quantity of mettal from these mines whereof they made no accompt the which they called scrapings For as it hath beene said the quickesilver purifies the silver although it be drie poore and of base alloy which can not be doone by melting in the fire The Catholike King drawes from it quickesilver mines without any charge or hazard almost foure hundred thousand peeces of a mine the which are foureteene rialls a peece or little lesse besides the rights that rise in Potozi where it is imployed the which is a great riches They doe yearely one with another drawe from these mines of Guancavilca eight thousand quintalls of quickesilver yea and more The maner how to drawe out Quicke-silver and how they refine Silver CHAP. 12. LEt vs now speake how they draw out Quicke-silver and how they refine Silver therewith They take the stone or mettall where they finde the quicke-silver the which they put into the fire in pots of earth well luted being well beaten so as this mettall or stone comming to melt by the heate of the fire the quicke-silver seperates it selfe and goes forth in exhalation and sometimes even with the smoake of the fire vntill itincounters some body where it staies and congeales and if it passe vp higher without meeting of any hard substance it mountes vp vntill it be colde and then congeled it falles downe againe When the melting is finished they vnstoppe the pottes and draw forth the mettall sometimes staying vntill it be very cold for if there remained any fume or vapor which should incounter them that vnstopt the pottes they were in danger of death or to be benumined of their limbes or at the least to loose their teeth And for that they spend an infinite quantitie of wood in the melting of these mettalls A Miller called Rodrigo de Tores found out a profitable invention which was to gather certaine straw which growes throughout all those mountaines of Peru the which they call Ycho it is like vnto a hard reede wherewith they make their fire It is a strange thing to see the force
others PoullaZes which in my opinion are of the kinde of ravens are of a strange lightnes and have a very quicke sight being very fit to clense Citties for that they leave no carion nor dead thing They passe the night on trees or vpon rockes and in the morning they come to the cities and townes sitting on the toppes of the highest buildings where they attend their prey Their yong have white feathers as they report of ravens and so change into blacke The Guacamayac be birdes bigger then Parrets resemble them somthing they are esteemed for the varietie of their feathers which be very faire pleasing In new Spaine there are aboundance of birdes with excellent feathers so as there be not any found in Europe that comes neere them as we may see by the images of feathers they bring from thence the which are with great reason much valued and esteemed giving cause of admiration that with the feathers of birdes they should make so excellent a worke and so perfectly equall as they seeme properly to be the true coloures of a painter and have so lively and pleasing a regard as the Painter cannot exceede it with his pencill and colours Some Indians which are good and expert workemen in this Art will represent perfectly in feathers whatsoever they see drawne with the pencill so as the Painters of Spaine have in this point no advantage over them Don Philip the Prince of Spaine his schoolemaster did give vnto him three figures or poâ—traitures made of feathers as it were to put in a Breviary His Highnes did shew them to King Philip his father the which his Maiesty beholding attentively said that hee had never seene in so small a worke a thing of so great excellency and perfection One day as they presented to Pope Sixtus quintus another square bigger then it wherein was the figure of St. Francis and that they had told him it was made of feathers by the Indians he desired to make triall thereof touching the table with his fingers to see if it were of feathers for that it seemed strange to see them so properly fitted that the eye could not iudge nor discerne whether they were naturall colours of feathers or artificiall done with the pencill It is a goodly thing to see the lustre which a greene an orange tawny like gold and other fine colours do cast and beholding them another way they seeme dead colours They make the best and goodliest figures of feathers in the Province of Mechovacan and in the village of Pascaro The manner is with small delicate pinsors they pul the feathers from the dead fowles and with a fine paste they cunningly ioyne them together They take the smal delicate feathers of those birds which in Peru they call Tâ—mineyâ—s or others like vnto them which have the most perfect colours in their feathers The Indians besides these images did vse feathers in many other most excellent workes especially for the ornament of Kings and Noblemen their Temples and Idolls There are also other great birdes which have excellent and fine feathers whereof they make plumes of sundry colours especially when they go to warre inriching them with gold and silver very artificially which was a matter of great price They have the same birdes still but they are not so curious neither do they make so many gentill devises as they were wont There are other birdes at the Indies contrarie to these of so rich feathers the which besides that they are ill favovred serve to no other vse but for dung and yet perchance they are of no lesse profite I have considered this wondering at the providence of the Creator who hath so appointed that all creatures should serve man In some Ilands or Phares which are ioyning to the coast â—of Peru wee see the toppes of the mountaines all white and to sight you would take it for snow or for some white land but they are heapes of dung of sea fowle which go continually thither and there is so great aboundance as it riseth many elles yea many launces in height which seemes but a fable They go with boates to these Ilands onely for the dung for there is no other profit in them And this dung is so commodious and profitable as it makes the earth yeelde great aboundance of fruite They cal this dung Guano whereof the valley hath taken the name which they call Limaguaâ—a in the valleys of Peru where they vse this dung and it is the most fertile of all that countrie The quinces poungranets and other fruites there exceede all other in bountie and greatnes and they say the reason is for that the water wherewith they water it passeth by a land compassed with this dung which causeth the beautie of this fruite So as these birdes have not only the flesh to serve for meate their singing for recreation their feathers for ornament and beautie but also their dung serves to fatten the ground The which hath bin so appointed by the soveraigne Creator for the service of man that he might remember to acknowledge and be loyall to him from whom all good proceedes Of Beasts for the Chases CHAP. 38. BEsides the Beasts of Chase whereof we have spoken which be common to the Indies and Europe there are others which I doe not remember to have seene heere vnlesse perhappes they have been brought from thence There are beasts called Sainos made like small hogges which have this singular to themselves to have their navill vppon the ridge of their backes these go by troupes through the woods they are cruell and nothing fearefull but contrariwise they assaile and have their tallents sharpe as rasors wherewith they make dangerous wounds and incisions if such as hunt them put not themselves in safetie Such as hunt them for the more safer killing of them they climbe vp into trees whither the Sainos or hogges come presently in troupes biting the tree when they cannot hurte the man and then with their launces they kill what they will They are very good to eate but they must of necessitie cut off the round peece where the navil growes vpon the backe for otherwise within a day they corrupt There is another kinde of little beast like to sucking pigges and they call them Guadatinaias I am in doubt whether there were any swine at the Indies â—efore the Spaniardes came thither like to these in â—paine for that in the discoverie of the Ilands of Soloman it is said they found hennes and swine of Spaine But howsoever it be it is most certaine that this cattell hath greatly multiplied at the Indies They eate the flesh fresh and hold it to be as holesome and as good as if it were of mutton as in Carthagene in some partes they are become wilde and cruell the which they hunt like wilde boares as we see in S. Dominique and other Ilands where the beasts live in the forrests In some places they feede them with the graine of Mays and they
would favour their cause and partie even for the good of the Infidells who should bee converted vnto the holy Gospel by this meanes for the waies of God are high and their paths admirable Of the maner how the Divine providence disposed of the Indies to give an entrie to Christian Religion CHAP. 28. I Will make an end of this historie of the Indies shewing the admirable meanes whereby God made a passage for the Gospel in those partes the which we ought well to consider of and acknowledge the providence and bountie of the Creator Every one may vnderstand by the relation and discourse I have written in these bookes as well at Peru as in New Spaine whenas the Christians first set footing that these Kingdomes and Monarchies were come to the height and period of their power The Inguas of Peru possessing from the Realme of Chille beyond Quitto which are a thousand leagues being most aboundant in gold silver sumptuous services and other things as also in Mexico Moteçuma commaunded from the North Ocean sea vnto the South being feared and worshiped not as a man but rather as a god Then was it that the most high Lord had determined that that stone of Daniel which dissolved the Realmes and Kingdoms of the world should also dissolve those of this new world And as the lawe of Christ came whenas the Romane Monarchie was at her greatnes so did it happen at the West Indies wherein we see the iust providence of our Lord For being then in the world I meane in Europe but one head and temporall Lord as the holy Doctors do note whereby the Gospel might more easily beimparted to so many people and nations Even so hath it happened at the Indies where having given the knowledge of Christ to the Monarkes of so many Kingdomes it was a meanes that afterwards the knowledge of the gospell was imparted to all the people yea there is herein a speciall thinge to bee observed that as the Lordes of Cusco and Mexico conquered new landes so they brought in their owne language for although there were as at this day great diuersitie of tongues yet the Courtlie speeche of Cusco did and doth at this day runne above a thousand leagues and that of Mexico did not extend farre lesse which hath not beene of small importance but hath much profited in making the preaching easie at such a time when as the preachers had not the gift of many tongues as in olde tymes He that woulde knowe what a helpe it hath beene for the conversion of this people in these two greate Empyres and the greate difficultie they haue founde to reduce those Indians to Christ which acknowledge no Soueraigne Lorde let him goe to Florida Bresill the Andes and many other places where they have not prevailed so much by their preaching in fiftie yeares as they have done in Peru and newe Spaine in lesse then five If they will impute the cause to the riches of the countrie I will not altogether denie it Yet were it impossible to have so great wealth and to bee able to preserve it if there had not beene a Monarchie This is also a worke of God in this age when as the Preachers of the gospell are so colde and without zeale and Merchants with the heat of covetousnes and desire of commaund search and discouer newe people whether wee passe with our commodities for as Saint Austin saith the Prophesie of Esaie is fulfilled in that the Church of Christ is extended not onely to the right hand but also to the left which is as he declareth by humaine and earthly meanes which they seeke more commonly then Iesus Christ. It was also a great providence of our Lord that whenas the first Spaniardes arrived there they founde ayde from the Indians them selves by reason of their partialities and greate diuisions This is well knowne in Peru that the division betwixt the two brothers Atahulpa and Guasca the great King Guanacapa their father being newly dead gave entry to the Marquise Don Francis Pizarre and to the Spaniards for that either of them desired his alliance being busied in warre one against the other The like experience hath beene in New Spaine that the aide of those of the province of Tlascalla by reason of their continuall hatred against the Mexicaines gave the victory and siegniory of Mexico to the Marquise Fernando Cortes and his men and without them it had beene impossible to have wonne it yea to have maintained themselves within the country They are much deceived that so little esteeme the Indians and iudge that by the advantage the Spaniards have over them in their persons horses and armes both offencive and deffencive they might easily conquer any land or nation of the Indies Chille standes yet or to say better Aranco and Tuâ—â—â—pel which are two citties where our Spaniards could not yet winne one foote of ground although they have made warre there above five and twenty yeares without sparing of any cost For this barbarous nation having once lost the apprehention of horse and shotte and knowing that the Spaniards fall as well as other men with the blow of a stone or of a dart they hazard themselves desperately entring the pikes vppon any enterprise How many yeares have they levied men in New Spaine to send against the Chychymequos which are a small number of naked Indians armed onely with bowes and arrowes yet to this day they could not bee vanquished but contrariwise from day to day they grow more desperate and resolute But what shall wee say of the Chucos of the Chiraguanas of the Piscocones and all the other people of the Andes Hath not all the flower of Peru beene there bringing with them so great provision of armes and men as we have seene What did they With what victories returned they Surely they returned very happy in saving of their lives having lost their baggage and almost all their horses Let no man thinke speaking of the Indians that they are men of nothing but if they thinke so let them go and make triall Wee must then attribute the glory to whom it appertaines that is principally to God and to his admirable disposition for if Moteçuma in Mexiço and the Ingua in Peru had bin resolute to resist the Spaniards and to stoppe their entrie Cortes and Pizarre had prevailed little in their landing although they were excellent Captaines It hath also beene a great helpe to induce the Indians to receive the law of Christ the subiection they were in to their Kings and Lords and also the servitude and slaverie they were helde in by the divells tyrannies and insupportable yoake This was an excellent disposition of the Divine Wisedome the which drawes profite from ill to a good end and receives his good from an others ill which it hath not sowen It is most certaine that no people of the West Indies have beene more apt to receive the Gospel then those which were most subiect to