of hope of his life and safetie The Saracens seeing and knowing this his banner that part of them which enuironed the Citie by water made towards him with twentie Gallies and thirteene shippes which they commonly cal Cazh seeking to inclose the Kings shippe But by Gods helpe the billowes of the Sea swelling and raging against them and the Kings shippe gliding and passing through the waues with an easie and nimble course arriued suddenly in the hatten of Ioppa the enemies frustrated of their purpose and sixe of the Saracens were hurt and wounded by shot out of the Kings shippe So that the King entering into the Citie and nowe appearing in safetie in all their sightes the spirits of all them that mourned for him and vntil then lamented as though hee had bene dead reuiued because that the head and King of the Christians and prince of Ierusalem was yet aliue and come againe vnto them in perfect health ¶ Mention made of one Hardine of England one of the chiefest personages and a leader among other of two hundred saile of ships of Christians that landed at Ioppa in the yeere of our Lord God 1102. CHronicon Hierosolymitanum libro 9. cap. 11. Interea dum haec obsidio ageretur 200. naues Christianorum nauigio Ioppen appulsae sunt vt adorarent in Hierusalem Horum Bernardus Witrazh de terra Galatiae Hardinus de Anglia Otho de Roges Hadewerck vnus de praepotentibus Wesifalorum primi ductores fuisse referuntur c. Erat autem tertia feria Iulij mensis quando hae Christianorum copiae Deo protegente huc nauigio angustiatis obsessis ad opem collatae sunt Sarracenorum autem turmae videntes quia Christianorum virtus audacter facie ad faciem vicino sibi hospitio proximè iungebatur media nocte oâbiincumbente amotis tentorijs amplius milliari subtractae consederunt dum luce exorta consilium inirent vtrum Ascalonem redirent aut ciues Iaphet crebris assultibus vexarent The same in English VVHile the Sarazens continued their siege against Ioppa two hundred saile of Christian ships arriued at Ioppa that they might performe their deuotions at Hierusalem The chiefe men and leaders of these Christians are reported to haue bene Bernard Witrazh of the land of Galatia Hardine of England Otho of Roges Haderwerck one of the chiefe noble men of Westphalia c. This Christian power through Gods speciall prouision arriued here for the succour and reliefe of the distressed besieged Christians in Ioppa the third day of Iuly 1102. and in the second yeere of Baldwine king of Ierusalem Whereupon the multitude of the Sarazens seeing that the Christian power ioyned themselues boldly close by them euen face to face in a lodging hard by them the very next night at midnight remooued their tents and pitched them more then a mile off that they might the next morning bee aduised whether they should returne to Ascalon or by often assaults vexe the citizens of Iaphet Chronicon Hierosolymitanum eodem libro 9. cap. 12. continueth this historie of these two hundreth saile of ships and sheweth how by their prowesse chiefly the multitude of the Sarazens were in short space vanquished and ouerthrowen The words are these Ab ipso verò die terriae feriae dum sic in superbia elatione suae multitudinis immobiles Saraceni persisterent multis armorum terroribus Christianum populum vexarent sexta feria appropinquance Rex Baldwinus in tubis cornibus a Iaphet egrediens in manu robusta equitum peditum virtutem illorum crudeli bello est aggressus magnis hinc hinc clamoribus intonantes Christiani quoque qui nauigio appulsi sunt horribili pariter clamore cum Rege Baldwino graui strepitu vociferantes Babylonios vehementi pugna sunt aggressi saeuissimis atque mortiferis plagis eos affligentes donec bello fatigati vltra vim non sustinentes fugam versus Ascalonem inierunt Alij verò ab insecutoribus eripi existimantes marâ se credentes intolerabili procellarum fluctuatione absorpti sunt Et sic ciuitas Ioppe cum habitatoribus suis liberata est Ceciderunt hac die tria millia Sarracenorum Christianorum verò pauci perijsse inuenti sunt The same in English YEt notwithstanding after the said third day of Iuly the Sarazens persisted high minded and insolent by reason of their great multitude and much annoied the Christian people with their many forceable and terrible weapons whereupon on the sixt day of Iuly early in the morning king Baldwine issued out of Iaphet his trumpets and cornets yeelding a great and lowd sound and with a very strong armie as well of horsemen as footemen who on euery side making great shoutes and outcries with fierce and sharpe battell set on the maine power of their enemies The Christians also who arriued in the nauie rearing great clamours and noyses with loud voices and shoutings in horrible wise together with king Baldwine assaulted likewise with strong battell the Babylonians and afflicted them with most sore and deadly wounds vntill the Sarazens being wearied with fighting nor able longer to endure and hold out against the valure of the Christians fled towards Ascalon And other of them hoping to escape from them that pursued them lept into the sea and were swalowed vp in the waues thereof And so the citie of Ioppa with the inhabitants thereof were freed of their enemies There were slaine this day three thousand Sarazens and but a few of the Christians perished ¶ A Fleete of Englishmen Danes and Flemmings arriued at Ioppa in the Holy land the seuenth yeere of Baldwine the second king of Hierusalem Written in the beginning of the tenth booke of the Chronicle of Hierusalem in the 8. yeere of Henry the first of England Cap. 1. AT the same time also in the seuenth yeere of the raigne of Baldwine the Catholike king of Hierusalem a very great warrelike Fleete of the Catholike nation of England to the number of about seueÌ thousand hauing with them more men of warre of the kingdom of Denmarke of Flanders and of Antwerpe arriued with ships which they call Busses at the hauen of the citie of Iaphet determining there to make their abode vntill they hauing obtained the kings licence and safe conduct might safely worship at Hierusalem Of which nauie the chiefest and best spoken repairing to the king spake to him in this maner Christ preserue the Kings life and prosper his kingdome from day to day Wee being men and souldiours of Christian profession haue through the helpe of God sayled hither through mightie and large seas from the farre countreys of England Flanders and Denmarke to worship at Ierusalem and to visit the sepulchre of our Lord. And therefore we are assembled to intreat your clemency touching the matter that by your fauour and safe conduct we may peaceably goe vp to Ierusalem and worship there and so returne Chap. 2. THe king fauourably hearing their whole
ouercome and all their nobles in the armie except seuen were slaine And for this cause when they purposing to inuade anie region are threatned by the inhabitants thereof to be slaine they doe to this day answere in old time also our whole number besides being slaine we remayned but seuen of vs aliue and yet notwithstanding we are now growen vnto a great multitude thinke not therefore to daunt vs with such brags But Chingis and the residue that remained aliue fled home into their countrey And hauing breathed him a little he prepared himselfe to warre and went forth against the people called Huyri These men were Christians of the sect of Nestorius And these also the Mongals ouercame and receiued letters or learning from them for before that time they had not the arte of writing and nowe they call it the hand or letters of the Mongals Immediately after hee marched against the countrey of Saruyur and of the Karanites and against the land of Hudirat all which he vanquished Then returned he home into his owne countrey and breathed himselfe Afterward assembling his warlike troupes they marched with one accord against the Kythayans and waging warre with them a long time they conquered a great part of their land and shut vp their Emperour into his greatest citie which citie they had so long time besieged that they began to want necessary prouision for their armie And when they had no victuals to feede vpon Chingis Cham commaunded his souldiers that they should eate euery tenth man of the companie But thây of the citie tought manfully against them with engines dartes and arrowes and when stones wanted they threw siluer and especially melted siluer for the same citie abounded with great riches Also when the Mongals had fought a long time and could not preuayle by warre they made a great trench vnderneath the ground from the armie vnto the middest of the citie and there issuing foorth they fought against the citizens and the remnant also without the walles fought in like manner At last breaking open the gates of the citie they entred and putting the Emperour with many other to the sworde they tooke possession thereof and conueighed away the golde siluer aâd all the riches therein And hauing appointed certaine deputies ouer the countrey they returned home into their owne lande This is the first time when the Emperour of the Kythayans being vanquished Chingis Cham obtayned the Empire But some parte of the countrey because it lyeth within the sea they could by no meanes conquere vnto this day The men of Kytay are Pagans hauing a speciall kinde of writing by themselues and as it is reported the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament They haue also recorded in hystories the liues of their forefathers and they haue Eremites and certaine houses made after the manner of our Churches which in those dayes they greatly resorted vnto They say that they haue diuers Saints also and they worship one God They adore and reuerence CHRIST IESVS our Lorde and beleeue the article of eternall life but are not baptized They doe also honourably esteeme and reuerence our Sciptures They loue Christians and bestowe much almes and are a very courteous and gentle people They haue no beardes and they agree partly with the Mongals in the disposition of their countenance In all occupations which men practise there are not better artificers in the whole worlde Their countrey is exceeding rich in corne wine golde silke and other commodities Of their warre against India maior and minor Chap. 10. ANd when the Mongals with their emperour Chingis Cham had a while rested themselues after the foresayd victorie they diuided their armies For the Emperour sent one of his sonnes named Thossut whom also they called Can that is to say Emperour with an armie against the people of Comania whom he vanquished with much warre and afterward returned into his owne country But he sent his other sonne with an armie against the Indians who also subdued India minor These Indians are the blacke Saracens which are also called AEthiopians But here the armie marched forward to fight against Christians dwelling in India maior Which the King of that countrey hearing who is commonly called Presbiter Iohn gathered his souldiers together and came foorth against them And making mens images of copper he set each of them vpon a saddle on horsebacke and put fire within them and placed a man with a paire of bellowes on the horse backe behinde euery image And so with many horses and images in such sorte furnished they marched on to fight against the Mongals or Tartars And comming neare vnto the place of the battell they first of all sent those horses in order one after another But the men that sate behind laide I wote not what vpon the fire within the images and blew strongly with their bellowes Whereupon it came to passe that the men and the horses were burnt with wilde fire and the ayre was darkened with smoake Then the Indians cast dartes vpon the Tartars of whom many were wounded and slain And so they expelled them out of their dominions with great confusion neither did we heare that euer they returned thither againe How being repelled by monstrous men shapen like dogs they ouercame the people of Burithabeth Chap. 11. BUt returning through the deserts they came into a certaine countrey wherin as it was reported vnto vs in the Emperours court by certaine clergie men of Russia and others who were long time among them and that by strong and stedfast affirmation they found certaine monsters resembling women who being asked by many interpreters where the men of that land were they answered that whatsoeuer women were borne there were indued with the shape of mankinde but the males were like vnto dogges And delaying the time in that countrey they met with the said dogges on the other side of the riuer And in the midst of sharpe winter they cast themselues into the water Afterward they wallowed in the dust vpon the maine land and so the dust being mingled with water was frozen to their backes and hauing often times so done the ice being strongly frozen vpon them with great fury they came to fight against the Tartars And when the Tartars threwe their dartes or shot their arrowes among them they rebounded backe againe as if they had âighted vpon stones And the rest oâ their weapons coulde by no meanes hurt them Howbeit the Dogges made an assault vpon the Tartars and wounding some of them with their teeth and slaying others at length they draue them out of their countries And thereupon they haue a Prouerbe of the same matter as yet rife among them which they speake in iesting sorte one to another My father or my brother was slaine of Dogges The women which they tooke they brought into their owne countrey who remayned there till their dying day And in traueiling homewardes the sayd
horses bee tired for we are not so well storâd with horses as they Those horses which the Tartars vse one day thây ride not vpon three or foure dayes after Moreouer if the Tartars draw homeward our men must not therefore depart and casseir their bandes or separate themselues asunder because they doe this vpon policie namely to haue our armie diuided that they may more securely inuade and waste the countrey And in very deede our captaines ought both day and night to keepe their armie in a readines and not to lie out of their armour but at all assayes to bee prouided for battell For the Tartars like diuels are alwaies watching and deuising howe to practise mischiefe Furthermore if in battell any of the Tartars be cast off their horse backes they must presently bee layd holde on and taken for being on foote they shoote strongly wounding and killing both horses and men Of the iourney of frier Iohn vnto the first guard of the Tartars Chap. 19. VVE therefore by the commaundement of the sea apostolique setting foorth towards the nations of the East chose first to trauel vnto the Tartars because we feared that there might be great danger imminent vpon the Church of God next vnto them by their inuasions Proceeding on therefore we came to the king of Bohemia who being of our familiar acquaintance aduised vs to take our iourney through Polonia and Russia For we had kinsfolkes in Polonia by whose assistance we might enter into Russia Hauing giuen vs his letters hee caused our charges also to be defrayed in all his chiefe houses and cities till we came vnto his nephew Boleslaus duke of Slesia who also was familiar and well knowen vnto vs. The like fauour he shewed vs also till wee came vuto Conradus duke of Lautiscia vnto whome then by Gods especiall fauour towards vs lord Wasilico duke of Russia was come from whose mouth we heard more at large câÌcerning the deedes of the Tartars for he had sent ambassadours thither who were returned backe vnto him Wherefore it being giuen vs to vnderstand that we must bestow giftes vpon them we caused certaine skinnes of beuers and other beastes to be bought with part of that money which was giuen vpon almes to succour vs by the way Which thing duke Conradus and the duches of Cracow and a bishop and certaine souldiers being aduertised of gaue vs likewise more of the same skins And to be short duke Wasilico being earnestly requested by the duke of Cracow and by the bishop and barons on our behalfe conducted vs with him vnto his owne land and there for certaine daies entertained vs at his owne charges to the ende that we might refresh our selues a while And when being requested by vs he had caused his bishops to resort vnto him we reade before them the Popes letters admonishing them to returne vnto the vnitie of the Church To the same purpose also we our selues admonished them and to our abilitie induced as well the duke as the bishops and others thereunto Howbeit because duke Daniel the brother of Wasilico aforesaid hauing as then taken his iourney vnto Baty was absent they could not at that time make a finall answere After these things duke Wasilico sent vs forward with one of his seruants as farre as Kiow the chiefe citie of Russia Howbeit we went alwayes in danger of our liues by reason of the Lituanians who did often inuade y e borders of Russia euen in those verie places by which we were to passe But in regard of the foresayd seruant wee were out of the Russians daunger the greatest part of whome were either slaine or caried into captiuitie by the Tartars Moreouer at Danilon wee were feeble euen vnto the death Notwithstanding wee caused our selues to bee carried in a waggon through the snowe and extreme colde And being come vnto Kiow wee consulted with the Millenary other noble men there concerning our iourney They told vs that if wee carried those horses which wee then had vnto the Tartars great store of snowe lying vpon the ground they would all dye be cause they knew not howe to digge vp the grasse vnder the snow as the Tartarian horses doe neither could there bee ought found for them to eate the Tartars hauing neither hay nor strawe nor any other fodder We determined therefore to leaue them behind at Kiow with two seruants appointed to keepe them And wee were constrayned to bestow gifts vpon the Millenary that we might obtaine his fauour to allowe vs poste horses and a guide Wherefore beginning our iourney the second daye after the feast of the Purification wee arriued at the towne of Canow which was immediatly vnder the dominion of the Tartars The gouernour whereof allowed vs horses and a guide vnto another towne wherein wee found one Michaeas to be gouernour a man full of all malice and despight Who notwithstanding hauing receiued giftes at our handes according to his maner conducted vs to the first guarde of the Tartars How he and his company were at the first receiued of the Tartars Chap. 20. VVHerefore the first saturday next after Ashwednesday hauing about the Sunnes going downe taken vp our place of rest the armed Tartars came rushing vpon vs in vnciuil and horrible maner being very inquisitiue of vs what maner of persons or of what condition we were when we had answered them that we were the Popes Legates receiuing some victuals at out handes they immediatly departed Moreouer in the morning rising and proceeding on our iourney the chiefe of them which were in the guard met with vs demaunding why or for what intent and purpose we came thither and what busines we had with them Unto whom we answered We are the legates of our lord the Pope who is the father lord of the Christians He hath sent vs as well vnto your Emperour as to your princes and all other Tartars for this purpose because it is his pleasure that all Christians should be in league with the Tartars and should haue peace with them It is his desire also that they should become great or in fauour with God in heauen therfore he admonisheth them aswel by vs as by his own letters to become Christians and to embrace the faith of our Lord Iesu Christ because they could not otherwise be saued Moreouer he giues theÌ to vnderstand that he much marueileth at their moÌstrous slaughters massacres of mankind especially of Christians but most of al of HungariaÌs Mountaineirs Polonians being al his subiects hauing not iniuried them in ought nor attempted to doe them iniurie And because the Lord God is grieuously offended thereat he aduiseth them from henceforth to beware of such dealing to repent them of that which they had done He requesteth also that they would write an answere vnto him what they purpose to doe hereafter and what their intention is All which things being heard and
of his subiects Of his age and demeanour and of his seale Chap. 28. THis Emperour when hee was exalted vnto his gouernment seemed to bee about the age of fourty or fourty fiue yeeres He was of a meane stature very wise and politike and passing serious and graue in all his demeanour A rare thing it was for a man to see him laugh or behaue himselfe lightly as those Christians report which abode continually with him Certaine Christians of his familie earnestly and strongly affirmed vnto vs that he himselfe was about to become a Christian. A token and argument whereof was that hee reteined diuers Cleargie men of the Christians Hee had likewise at all times a Chappell of Christians neere vnto his great Tent where the Clearkes like vnto other Christians and according to the custome of the Graecians doe sing publiquely and openly and ring belles at certaine houres bee there neuer so great a multitude of Tartars or of other people in presence And yet none of their Dukes doe the like It is the manner of the Emperour neuer to talke his owne selfe with a stranger though he be neuer so great but heareth and answeareth by a speaker And when any of his subiects howe great soeuer they bee are in propounding anie matter of importaunce vnto him or in hearing his answeare they continue kneeling vpon their knees vnto the ende of their conference Neither is it lawfull for any man to speake of any affaires after they haue beene determined of by the Emperour The sayde Emperour hath in his affaires both publike and priuate an Agent and Secretary of estate with Scribes and all other Officials except aduocates For without the noyse of pleading or sentence giuing all things are done according to the Emperours will and pleasure Other Tartarian princes do the like in those things which belong vnto theÌ But be it known vnto al men that whilest we remained at the said Emperors court which hath bin ordained and kept for these many yeeres the saide Cuyne being Emperor new elect together with al his princes erected a flag of defiance against the Church of God the Romane empire and against al Christian kingdomes and nations of the West vnlesse peraduenture which God forbid they will condescend vnto those things which he hath inoined vnto our lord the Pope to all potentates and people of the ChristiaÌs namely that they wil become obedient vnto him For except Christendom there is no land vnder heaueÌ which they stand in feare of and for that cause they prepare themselues to battel against vs. This Emperors father namely Occoday was poisoned to death which is the cause why they haue for a short space absteined from warre But their intent and purpose is as I haue aboue said to subdue the whole world vnto themselues as they were commanded by Chingis Can. Hence it is that the Emperor in his letters writeth after this maner The power of God Emperour of all men Also vpon his seale there is this posie ingrauen God in heauen and Cuyne Can vpon earth the power of God the seale of the Emperour of all men Of the admission of the Friers and Ambassadours vnto the Emperour Chap. 29. IN the same place where the Emperour was established into his throne we were summoned before him And Chingay his chiefe secretary hauing written downe our names and the names of them that sent vs with the name of the Duke of Solangi of others cried out with a loude voice rehearsing the said names before the Emperour and the assembly of his Dukes Which beeing done ech one of vs bowed his left knee foure times they gaue vs warning not to touch the threshold And after they had searched vs most diligently for kniues and could not find any about vs we entred in at the doore vpon the East side because no man dare presume to enter at the West doore but the Emperour onely In like maner euery Tartarian Duke entreth on the West side into his tent Howbeit the inferiour sort doe not greatly regard such ceremonies This therefore was the first time when we entred into the Emperours tent in his presence after he was created Emperour Likewise all other ambassadours were there receiued by him but very fewe were admitted into his tent And there were presented vnto him such abundance of gifts by the saide Ambassadours that they seemed to be infinite namely in Samites robes of purple and of Baldakin cloth silke girdles wrought with golde and costly skinnes with other gifts also Likewise there was a certaine Sun Canopie or small tent which was to bee caried ouer the Emperours head presented vnto him being set full of precious stones And a gouernour of one Prouince brought vnto him a companie of camels couered with Baldakins They had saddles also vpon their backs with certaine other instruments within the which were places for men to sitte vpon Also they brought many horses mules vnto him furnished w t trappers and caparisons some being made of leatherâ and some of iron And we were demanded whether we would bestow any gifts vpoÌ him or no But wee were not of abilitie so to doe hauing in a maner spent all our prouision There were also vpon an hill standing a good distance from the tents more then 500. carts which were all ful siluer and of gold and silke garments And they were all diuided betweene the Emperour and his Dukes and euery Duke bestowed vpon his owne followers what pleased him Of the place where the Emperor and his mother tooke their leaues one of another and of Ieroslaus Duke of Russia Chap. 30. DEparting thence we came vnto another place where a wonderfull braue tent all of red purple giuen by the Kythayans was pitched Wee were admitted into that also and alwaies when we entred there was giuen vnto vs ale and wine to drinke sodden flesh when we would to eate There was also a loftie stage built of boords where the Emperours throne was placed being very curiously wrought out of iuorie wherein also there was golde and precious stones and as we remember there were certain degrees or staires to ascend vnto it And it was round vpon the top There were benches placed about the saide throne whereon the ladies sate towarde the left hand of the Emperour vpon stooles but none sate aloft on the right hande and the Dukes sate vpon benches below the said throne being in the midst Certaine others sate behinde the Dukes and euery day there resorted great companie of Ladies thither The three tents whereof we spake before were very large but the Emperour his wiues had other great and faire tentes made of white felt This was the place where the Emperour parted companie with his mother for she went into one part of the land and the Emperour into another to execute iustice For there was taken a certaine Concubine of this Emperour which had poysoned his father
to ease themselues the filthy lozels had not the maners to withdrawe themselues farther from vs then a beane can bee cast Yea like vile slouens they would lay their tailes in our presence while they were yet talking with vs many other things they committed which were most tedious and loathsome vnto vs. But abâue all things it grieued me to the very heart that when I would vtter ought vnto them which might tend to their edification my foolish interpreter would say you shall not make me become a Preacher now I tell you I cannot nor I will not rehearse any such wordes And true it was which he saide For I perceiued afterward when I began to haue a litle smattering in the laâguage that when I spake one thing he would say quite another whatsoeuer came next vnto his witlesse tongues end Then seeing the danger I might incurre in speaking by such an interpreter I resolued much rather to holde my peace and thus we traueiled with great toile from lodging to lodging till at the length a fewe dayes before the feast of Saint Marie Magdalene we arriued at the banke of the mightie riuer Tanais which diuideth Asia from Europa euen as the riuer Nilus of AEgypt disioyneth Asia from Africa At the same place where wee arriued Baatu and Sartach did cause a certaine cottage to be built vpon the Easterne banke of the riuer for a companie of Russians to dwell in f to the ende they might transport Ambassadours and merchants in ferrie-boates ouer that part oâ the riuer First they ferried vs ouer and then our carts putting one wheele into one lyter and the other wheele into another lyter hauing bounde both the lyters together and so they rowe them ouer In this place our guide played the foole most extreamely For hee imagining that th e said Russians dwelling in the cottage should haue prouided vs horses sent home the beasts which we brought with vs in another cart y t they might returne vnto their owne masters And when we demanded to haue some beasts of theÌ they answered that they had a priuiledge from Baatu wherby they were bound to none other seruice but only to ferry ouer goers commers and that they receiued great tribute of marchants in regard therof We staied therfore by the said riuers side three daies The first day they gaue vnto vs a great fresh turbut the second day they bestowed rye bread and a litle flesh vpon vs which the purueyer of the village had taken vp at euerie house for vs and the third day dried fishes which they haue there in great abundance The saide riuer was euen as broad in that place as the riuer of Sein is at Paris And before we came there we passed ouer many goodly waters and full of fish howbeit the barbarous and rude Tartars know not how to take them neither do they make any reckoning of any fish except it be so great that they may pray vpon the flesh therof as vpon the flesh of a ram This riuer is the limite of the East part of Russia and it springeth out of the fennes of Maeotis which fennes stretch vnto the North Ocean And it runneth Southward into a certain great sea 700. miles about before it falleth into the sea called PoÌtus Euxinus And al the riuers which we passed ouer ran with ful stream into those quarters The foresaid riuer hath great store of wood also growing vpon the West side thereof Beyond this place the Tartars ascend no farther vnto the North for at that season of the yeere about the first of August they begin to returne backe vnto the South And therfore there is another cottage somwhat lower where passengers are ferried ouer in Winter time And in this place wee were driuen to great extremitie by reason that we could get neither horses nor oxen for any money At length after I had declared vnto them that my comming was to labour for the common good of all Christians they sent vs oxen men howbeit we our selues were faine to trauel on foote At this time they were reaping their rye Wheat prospereth not wel in that soile They haue the seed of Millium in great abundance The Russian women attire their heads like vnto our women They imbroder their safegards or gowns on the outside from their feet vnto their knees with particoloured or grey sâuffe The Russian men weare caps like vnto the Dutch men Also they weare vpon their heads certain sharpe high-crowned hats made of felt much like vnto a sugar loafe Then traueiled we 3. daies together not finding any people And when our selues and our oxen were exceeding weary and faint not knowing how far off we should find any Tartars on the sudden there came two horses running towards vs which we tooke with great ioy and our guide and interpreter mounted vpon their backes to see how far off they could descry any people At length vpon the fourth day of our iourney hauing found some inhabitants we reioyced like sea-faring men which had escaped out of a dangerous tempest and had newly recouered the hauen Then hauing taken fresh horses and oxen we passed on from lodging to lodging till at the last vpon the second of the Kalends of August we arriued at the habitation of Duke Sartach himselfe Of the dominion of Sartach and of his Subiects Chap. 16. THe region lying beyond Tanais is a very goodly countrey hauing store of riuers and woods toward the North part thereof There be mighty huge woods which two sorts of people do inhabite One of them is called Moxel being meere Pagans and without law They haue neither townes nor cities but only cottages in y e woods Their lord a great part of themselues were put to the sword in high Germanie Whereupon they highly commend the braue courage of the Almans hoping as yet to be deliuered out of the bondage of the Tartars by their meanes If any merchant come vnto them he must prouide things necessary for him with whom he is first of all enterteined all the time of his abode among them If any lieth with another mans wife her husband vnles he be an eiewitnes therof regardeth it not for they are not ielous ouer their wiues They haue abundance of hogs and great store of hony waxe and diuers sorts of rich costly skins and plentie of falcons Next vnto them are other people called Merclas which the Latines cal Merdui and they are Saracens Beyond them is the riuer of Etilia or Volga which is y e mightiest riuer that euer I saw And it issueth from the North part of Bulgaria the greater so trending along Southward disimboqueth into a certain lake coÌtaining in circuit the space of 4. moneths trauel whereof I will speak hereafter The two foresaid riuers namely Tanais Etilia otherwise called Volga towards the Northren regions through the which we traueiled are not distaÌt asunder aboue x. daies iourney
languages For I caused them to be translated at Acon into the character dialect of both the saide tongues And there were certain Armenian priests which had skil in the Turkish Arabian languages The aforesaid knight also of the order of the Temple had knowledge in the Syriake Turkish Arabian tongues Then we departed forth and put off our vestiments and there came vnto vs certaine Scribes together with the foresaid Coiat caused our letters to be interpreted Which letters being heard he caused our bread wine and fruits to be receiued And he permitted vs also to carie our vestiments and bookes vnto our owne lodging This was done vpon the feast of S. Peter ad vincula How they were giuen in charge to goe vnto Baatu the Father of Sartach Chap. 18. THe next morning betimes came vnto vs a certaine Priest who was brother vnto Coiat requesting to haue our boxe of Chrisine because Sartach as he said was desirous to see it and so we gaue it him About euentide Coiat sent for vs saying My lord your king wrote good words vnto my lord and master Sartach Howbeit there are certaine matters of difficulty in them concerning which he dare not determine ought without the aduise and counâell of his father And therfore of necessitie you must depart vnto his father leauing behind you the two carts which you brought hither yesterday with vestiments and bookes in my custodie because my lorde is desirous to take more diligent view thereof I presently suspecting what mischiefe might ensue by his couetousnes said vnto him Sir we will not onely leaue those with you but the two other carts also which we haue in our possession will we commit vnto your custodie You shall not quoth he leaue those behinde you but for the other two carts first named we will satisfie your request I saide that this could not conueniently be done but needes we must leaue all with him Then he asked whether we meant to tarie in the land I answered If you throughly vnderstand the letters of my lorde the king you know that we are euen so determined Then he replied that we ought to bee patient and lowly and so we departed from him that euening On the morrowe after he sent a Nestorian Priest for the carts and we caused all the foure carts to be deliuered Then came the foresaid brother of Coiat to meet vs and separated all those things which we had brought the day before vnto the Court from the rest namely the bookes and vestiments and tooke them away with him Howbeit Coiat had commanded that we should carie those vestiments with vs which wee ware in the presence of Sartach that we might put them on before Baatu if neede should require but the said Priest tooke them from vs by violence saying thou hast brought them vnto Sartach and wouldest thou carie them vnto Baatu And when I would haue rendred a reason he answered be not too talkatiue but goe your wayes Then I sawe that there was no remedie but patience for wee could haue no accesse vnto Sartach himselfe neither was there any other that would doe vs iustice I was afraide also in regard of the interpreter least he had spoken other things then I saide vnto him for his will was good that we should haue giuen away all that wee had There was yet one comfort remaining vnto me for when I once perceiued their couetous intent I conueyed from among our bookes the Bible and the sentences and certaine other bookes which I made speciall account of Howbeit I durst not take away the Psalter of my soueraigne Lady the Queene because it was too wel known by reason of the golden pictures therein And so we returned with the two other carts vnto our lodging Then came he that was appointed to be our guide vnto the court of Baatu willing vs to take our iourney in all poste-haste vnto whom I said that I would in no case haue the carts to goe with me Which thing he declared vnto Coiat Then Coiat commaunded that we should leaue them and our seruant with him And we did as he commanded And so traueling directly Eastward towards Baatu the third day we came to Etilia or Volga the streams whereof when I beheld I wondered from what regions of the North such huge and mighty waters should descend Before we were departed from Sartach the foresaid Coiat with many other Scribes of the court said vnto vs doe not make report that our Lord is a Christian but a Moal Because the name of a Christian seemeth vnto them to be the name of some nation So great is their pride that albeit they beleeue perhaps some things concerniâg Christ yet will they not bee called Christians being desirous that their owne name that is to say Moal should be exalted aboue all other names Neither wil they be called by the name of Tartars For the Tartars were another nation as I was informed by them Howe Sartach and Mangu-Can and Ken-Can doe reuerence vnto Christians Chap. 19. AT the same time when the French-men tooke Antioch a certaine man named Con Can had dominion ouer the Northren regions lying thereabouts Con is a proper âame Can is a name of authority or dignitie which signifieth a diuiner or soothsayer All diuiners are called Can amongst them Whereupon their princes are called Can because that vntoâ them belongeth the gouernment of the people by diuination Wee doe reade also in the historie of Antiochia that the Turkes seât for aide against the French-men vnto the kingdome of Con Can. For out of those parts the whole nation of the Turkes first came The said Con was of the nation of Kara-Catayâ Kara signifieth blacke and Catay is the name of a countrey So that Kara-Catay signifieth the blacke Catay This name was giuen to make a difference between the foresaid people and the people of Catay inhabiting Eastward ouer against y e Ocean sea concerning whom your maiesty shall vnderstand more hereafter These Catayans dwelt vpon certaine Alpes by the which I trauailed And in a certain plaine countrey within those Alpes there inhabited a Nestorian shepheard being a mighty gouernour ouer the people called Yayman which were Christians following the sâct of Nestorius After the death of Con Can the said Nestorian exalted himselfe to the kingdome and they called him King Iohn reporting ten times more of him then was true For so the Nestorians which come out of those parts vse to doe For they blaze abroade great rumors and reports vpon iust nothing Whereupon they gaue out concerning Sartach that he was become a Christian and the like also they reported concerning Mangu Can and Ken Can namely because these Tartars make more account of Christians then they doe of other people and yet in very deede themselues are no Christians So likewise there went foorth a great report concerning the said king Iohnâ Howbeit when I trauailed along by his
guide for the dispatching of certaine affaires in the court of Mangu All this countrey was wont to be called Organum and the people thereof had their proper language and their peculiar kinde of writing But it was altogether inhabited of the people called Contomanni The Nestorians likewise in those parts vsed the very same kinde of language and writing They are called Organa because they were wont to be most skilfull in playing vpon the Organes or citherne as it was reported vnto me Here first did I see worshippers of idoles concerning whom bee it knowen vnto your maiestie that there be many sects of them in the East countries How the Nestorians Saracens and Idolaters are ioyned together Chap. 26. THe first sort of these idolaters are called Iugures whose land bordereth vpon the foresaid land of Organum within the said mountains Eastward and in al their cities Nestorians do inhabit together and they are dispersed likewise towards Persia in the cities of the Saracens The citizens of y e foresaid city of Cailac had 3. idole-Temples and I entred into two of them to beholde their foolish superstitions In the first of which I found a man hauing a crosse painted with ink vpoÌ his hand wherupon I supposed him to be a Christian for he answered like a Christian vnto al questions which I demanded of him And I asked him Why therefore haue you not the crosse with the image of Iesu Christ therupon And he answered We haue no such custome Whereupon I coniectured that they were indeede Christians but that for lacke of instruction they omitted the foresaide ceremonie For I saw there behind a certaine chest which was vnto them in steed of an altar whereupon they set candles and oblations an image hauing wings like vnto the image of Saint Michael and other images also holding their fingers as if they would blesse some body That euening I could not find any thing els For the Saracens doe onely inuite men thither but they will not haue them speake of their religion And therfore when I enquired of the Saracens concerning such ceremonies they were offended thereat On the morrow after were the Kalends and the Saracens feast of Passeouer And changing mine Inne or lodging the same day I tooke vp mine abode neere vnto another idole-Temple For the citizens of the said citie of Cailac doe curteously inuite louingly intertaine all messengers euery man of them according to his abilitie and portion And entring into the foresaid idole-Temple I found the Priests of the said idoles there For alwayes at the Kalends they set open their Temples and the priests adorne themselues and offer vp the peoples oblations of bread and fruits First therefore I will describe vnto you those rites and ceremonies which are common vnto all their idole-Temples and then the superstitions of the foresaid Iugures which he as it were a sect distinguished from the rest They doe all of them worship towards the North clapping their hands together and prostrating themselues on their knees vpon y e earth holding also their foreheads in their hands Wherupon the Nestorians of those parts will in no case ioyne their hands together in time of prayer but they pray displaying their hands before their breasts They extend their Temples in length East and West and vpon the North side they build a chamber in maner of a Uestry for themselues to goe forth into Or sometimes it is otherwise If it be a foure square Temple in the midst of the Temple towards the North side therof they take in one chamber in that place where the quire should stand And within the said chamber they place a chest long and broad like vnto a table and behinde the saide chest towardes the South stands their principall idole which I sawe at Caracarum and it was as bigge as the idole of Saint Christopher Also a certaine Nestorian priest which had bin in Catay saide that in that countrey there is an idole of so huge a bignes that it may be seen two daies iourney before a man come at it And so they place other idoles round about the foresaid principal idole being all of them finely gilt ouer with pure golde and vpon the saide chest which is in manner of a table they set candles and oblations The doores of their Temples are alwayes opened towards the South contrary to the custome of the Saracens They haue also great belles like vnto vs. And that is the cause as I thinke why the Christians of the East will in no case vse great belles Notwithstanding they are common among the Russians and Grecians of Gasaria Of their Temples and idoles and howe they behaue themselues in worshipping their false gods Chap. 27. ALl their Priests had their heads and beards shauen quite ouer and they are clad in saffron coloured garments and being once shauen they lead an vnmaried life from that time forward and they liue an hundreth or two hundreth of them together in one cloister or couent Upon those dayes when they enter into their temples they place two long foormes therein and so sitting vpon the sayd foormes like singing men in a quier namely the one halfe of them directly ouer against the other they haue certaine books in their hands which sometimes they lay downe by them vpon the foormes and their heads are bare so long as they remaine in the temple And there they reade softly vnto themselues not vttering any voice at all Whereupon comming in amongst them at the time of their superstitious deuotions and finding them all siting mute in maner aforesayde I attempted diuers waies to prouoke them vnto speach and yet could not by any means possible They haue with them also whithersoeuer they goe a certaine string with an hundreth or two hundreth nutshels thereupon much like to our bead-roule which we cary about with vs. And they doe alwayes vtter these words Ou mam Hactani God thou knowest as one of them expounded it vnto me And so often doe they expect a reward at Gods hands as they pronounce these words in remembrance of God Round about their temple they doe alwayes make a faire court like vnto a churchyard which they enuiron with a good wall and vpon the South part thereof they build a great portal wherein they sit and conferre together And vpon the top of the said portall they pitch a long pole right vp exalting it if they can aboue all the whole towne besides And by the same pole all men may knowe that there stands the temple of their idoles These rites and ceremonies aforesayd be common vnto all idolaters in those parts Going vpon a time towardes the foresayd idole-temple I found certain priests sitting in the outward portal And those which I sawe seemed vnto me by their shauen beards as if they had bene French men They wore certaine ornaments vpon their heads made of paper The priestes of the foresaide Iugures doe vse such attire whithersoeuer they
and subduing the Infidels or els in keeping them vnder their obedience and subiection taken out of Munster THe order of the Dutch knights had their first original at Ierusalem in the yere of our Lorde 1190. within the Hospitall of the blessed Uirgine and the first Master of the saide order was called Henrie of Walpot vnder whome many good things and much wealth and riches were throughout all Germanie and Italie procured vnto the order and the saide Hospitall was remoued from Ierusalem vnto Ptolemais otherwise called Acon and the foresaid Order grew and mightily increased whereof I will hereafter discourse more at large in my Treatise of Syria Henrie of Walpot deceased in the yeere of Christ 1200. The 2. Master was Orâo of Kerpen and he continued Master of the Order for the space of sixe yeeres The 3. was Hermannus Bart a godly and deuout person who deceased in the yeere 1210. being interred at Acon as his predecessors were The 4. was Hermannus de Saltza who thirtie yeeres together gouerned the saide Order and managed the first expedition of warre against the infidels of Prussia and ordained another Master also in Prussia to bee his Deputie in the same region In the yeere 1239. the knights of the sword who traueâled into Liuonia to conuert the inhabitants thereof vnto Christ seeing they were not of sufficient force to performe that enterprise and that their enemies increased on all sides they vnited themselues vnto the famous Order of the Dutch knights in Prussia that their worthie attempt might bee defended and promoted by the aide and assistance of the saide Duch knights At the very same time the ensiâne of the crosse was exalted throughout all Germanie against the Prussians and a great armie of souldiers was gathered together the Burgraue of Meidenburg being generall of the armie who combining themselues vnto the Dutch knights ioyned battell with the Infidels and slew about fiue hundred Gentiles who beforetime had made horrible inuasions and in-roades into the dominions of Christians wasting all with fire and sword but especially the land of Colm and Lubonia which were the Prouinces of Conradus Duke oâ Masâouia Nowe the âoresaide knights hauing made so huge a slaughter built the castle of Reden betweene Pomerania and the land of Colm and so by degrees they gotte footing in the lande and daylie erected more castles as namely Crutzburg Wissenburg Resil Bartenstein Brunsburg and Heilsburg and furnisheâ them all with garrisons The fift Master of the Order was Conradus Landgrauius the brother of Lodouick which was husband vnto Ladie Elizabeth This Conradus by his fathers inheritance gaue great riches and possessions vnto the Order and caused Ladie Elizabeth to be interred at Marpuâg within the religious house of his saide Order Under the gouernment of this Master Acon in the lande of Palestina was subdued vnto the Saracens Moreouer in the yeere 1254. there was another great armie of Souldiers prepared against Prussia by the Princes of Germanie For Octacer aliâs Odoacer king of Bohemia Otto Marques of Brandeburg the Duke of Austria the Marques of Morauia the Bishops of Colen and of Olmutz came marching on with great strength of their Nobles and common souldiers and inuading the lande of Prussia in the Winter season they constrained the inhabitants thereof to receiue the Christian faith and to become obedient vnto the knights After which exploite by the aduise and assistance of king Odoacer there was a castle built vpon a certaine hill of Samogiâia which immediately after grewe to be a great citie being at this day the seate of the Prince of Prussia and it was called by Odoacer Kunigsberg that is to say Kings Mount or Mount royall being finished in the yeere 1255. Due of this fort the knights did bridle and restraine the furie of the Infidels on all sides and compelled them to obedience The sixt Master was called Boppo ab Osterna vnder whom the citie of Kunigsberg was built At the very same instant the knights beeing occupied about the warre of Curland the Prussians conspiring together and abandoning the Christian faith in furious maner armed themselues against y e Christians defaced and burnt down Churches sâew Priests and to the vtâost of their abilitie banished all faithfull people The report of which misdemeanour being published throughout all Germanie an huge armie was leuied and sent for the defence and succour of the knights which marching into the land of Natan made many slaughters through the inconstancie of fortune sometimes woonne and sometimes lost the victorie Also the Infidels besieged these three castles namelyâ Barstenstein Crutzberg and Kunigsberg and brought extreame famine vpon the Christians contained within the saide fortes Againe in the yeere of our Lord 1262. the Earle of Iuliers with other Princes and great chiualrie came downe and giuing charge vpon the Prussiansâ put three thousand of them to the edge of the sworde Afterward the Prussians banding themselues together were determined to spoile the castle of Kunigsberg but their confederacie being disclosed they had the repulse And when the knightes had preuailed against them they laide in pledges and yet for all that were not afraid to breake their fidelitie For vpon a certaine time after they had giuen diuers pledges they slewe two noble knights of the Order and so by that meanes incensed the principall of the saide order insomuch that they caused two paire of gallous to be set vp besides the castle thirtie of the Prussians pledges to be hanged therupon Which seueritie so vexed and prouoked the Prussians that in reuenge of the said iniury they renewed bloody and cruel warres slew many Christians yea and put 40. knights with the master of the Order and the Marshal vnto the edge of the sword There was at the same instant in Pomerania a Duke called Suandepolâus professing the Christian faith but being ioyned in league with the Prussians he indeuoured for many yeeres not onely to expell the knights but all Christians whatsoeuer out of the lande of Prussia in which warre the foresaide knights of the Order suffered many abuses For they lost almost all their castles and a great number of themselues also were slaine This Suandepolcus put in practise many lewde attempts against religion For albeit he was baptized he did more mischiefe then the very Infidels themselues vntill such time as the knights being assisted by the Princes of Germanie brought the saide Duke and the Prussians also into such straights that maugre their heads they were constrained to sue for peace Afterward Swandepolcus lying at the point of death admonished his sonnes that they should not doe any inâurie vnto the knights of the order affirming that himselfe neuer prospered so long as he vrged warre against them Howbeit his sonnes for a certaine time obserued not their fathers counsel vntill at length one of them named Warteslaus was created one of the Order and the other called Samborus bestowed by legacie his goods and possessions
streightly neither doe they eate any thing besides hearbes and salt fish as long as those fasting dayes doe endure but vpon euery Wednesday and Friday in euery weeke throughout the yeere they fast There are very many Monasteries of the order of S. Benedict amongst them to which many great liuings for their maintenance doe belong for the Friers and the Monkes doe at the least possesse the third part of the liuings throughout the whole Moscouite Empire To those Monkes that are of this order there is amongst them a perpetuall prohibition that they may eate no flesh and therefore their meate is onely salt fish milke and butter neither is it permitted them by the lawes and customes of their religion to eate any fresh fish at all and at those foure fasting times whereof we spake before they eate no fish at all onely they liue with hearbes and cucumbers which they doe continually for that purpose cause and take order to grow and spring for their vse and diet As for their drinke it is very weake and small For the discharge of their office they do euery day say seruice and that early in the mornings before day and they doe in such sort and with such obseruation begin their seruice that they will be sure to make an ende of it before day and about nine of the clocke in the morning they celebrate the Communion When they haue so done they goe to dinner and after dinner they goe againe to seruice and the like also after supper and in the meane time while they are at dinner there is some exposition or interpretation of the Gospel vsed Whensoeuer any Abbot of any monasterie dieth the Emperour taketh all his housholde stuffe beastes flockes of sheepe golde siluer and all that he hath or els hee that is to succeede him in his place and dignitie doth redeeme all those things and buyeth them of the Emperour for money Their churches are built of timber and the towers of their churches for the most part are couered with shingle boordes At the doores of their churches they vsually build some entrance or porch as we doe and in their churchyardes they erect a certaine house of wood wherein they set vp their bels wherein sometimes they haue but one in some two and in some also three There is one vse and custome amongst them which is strange and rare but yet it is very ridiculous and that is this when any man dyeth amongst them they take the dead body and put it in a coffine or chest and in the hand of the corps they put a litle scroule in the some there are these wordes written that the same man died a Rusle of Russes hauing receiued the faith and died in the same This writing or letter they say they send to S. Peter who receiuing it as they affirme reades it and by and by admits him into heauen and that his glory and place is higher and greater then the glory of the Christians of the Latine church reputing themselues to be followers of a more sincere faith and religion then they they hold opinion that we are but halfe Christians and themselues onely to be the true and perfect church these are the foolish and childish dotages of such ignorant Babarians Of the Moscouites that are Idolaters dwelling neere to Tartaria THere is a certaine part of Moscouie bordering vpon the countreys of the Tartars wherin those Moscouites that dwell are very great idolaters they haue one famous idole amongst them which they call the Golden old wife they haue a custome that whensoeuer any plague or any calamitie doth afflict the countrey as hunger warre or such like then they goe to consult with their idol which they do after this maner they fall down prostrate before the idol pray vnto it put in the presence of the same a cymbal about the same certaine persons stand which are chosen amongst them by lotâ vpon their cymball they place a siluer tode and sound the cymball and to whomsoeuer of those lotted persons that tode goeth he is taken and by and by slaine and immediately I know not by what illusions of the deuill or idole he is againe restored to life theâ doth reueale and deliuer the causes of the present calamitie And by this meanes knowing how to pacifie the idole they are deliuered from the imminent danger Of the forme of their priuate houses and of the apparell of the people THe common houses of the countrey are euery where built of beames of Firre tree the lower beames doe so receiue the round holownesse of the vppermost that by the meanes of the building thereupon they resist and expell all winds that blow and where the timber is ioined together there they stop the chinks with mosse The forme fashion of their houses in al places is foure square with streit and narrow windowes whereby with a transparent casement made or couered with skinne like to parchment they receiue the light The roofes of their houses are made of boords couered without with y e barke of trees within their houses they haue benches or griezes hard by their wals which commonly they sleepe vpon for the common people knowe not the vse of beds they haue stooues wherein in the morning they make a fire and the same fire doth either moderately warme or make very hote the whole house The apparell of the people for the most part is made of wooll their caps are picked like vnto a rike or diamond broad beneath and sharpe vpward In the maner of making whereof there is a signe and representation of nobilitie for the loftier or higher their caps are the greater is their birth supposed to be and the greater reuerence is giuen them by the common people The Conclusion to Queene Marie THese are the things most excellent Queene which your Subiects newly returned from Russia haue brought home concerning the state of that countrey wherfore if your maiestie shall be fauourable and grant a continuance of the trauell there is no doubt but that the honour and renowme of your name will be spred amongst those nations whereunto three onely noble personages from the verie creation haue had accesse to whom no man hath bene comparable The copie of the Duke of Moscouie and Emperour of Russia his letters sent to King Edward the sixt by the hands of Richard Chancelour THe Almighty power of God and the imcomprehensible holy Trinitie rightfull Christian beliefe c. We great Duke Iuan Vasiliuich by the grace of God great lord and Emperor of all Russia great Duke of Volodemer Mosco and Nouograd King of Kazan King of Astracan lord of Plesko and great duke of Smolensko of Twerria Ioughoria Permia Vadska Bulghoria and others lord and great duke of Nouograd in the Low countrey of Chernigo Rezan Polotskoy Rostoue Yaruslaueley Bealozera Liefland Oudoria Obdoria and Condensa Commander of all Siberia and of the North parts and lord of many other
Emperour to rule at Astracan who beeing arriued and hauing the number of 500. great boates vnder his conduct some laden with victuals souldiers and munition and other some with merchandise departed altogether the said 19. day from the said Nyse Nouogrod and the 22. we came vnto a castle called Vasiliagorod distant 25. leagues which we left vpon our right hand This towne or castle had his name of this Emperours father who was called Vasilius and gorod in the Russe tongue is as much to say as a castle so that Vasiliagorod is to say Vasilius castle and it was the furthest place that the said Emperour conquered from the Tartars But this present Emperour his sonne called Iuan Vasiliwich hath had great good successe in his warres both against the Christians and also the Mahometists and Gentiles but especially against the Tartars inlarging his Empire euen to the Caspian sea hauing conquered the famous riuer of Volga with all the countreis thereabout adiacent Thus proceeding on our iourney the 25. day of May aforesaide wee came to another castle called Sabowshare which wee left on our right hand distant from Vasiliagorod 16. leagues The countrey heereabout is called Mordouits and the habitants did professe the law of the Gentiles but nowe beeing conquered by this Emperour of Russia most of them are christened but lie in the woods and wildernesse without towne or habitation The 27. day we passed by another castle called Swyasko distant from Shabowshare aforesaid 25. leagues we left it on our right hand and the 29. came vnto an Island one league from the citie of Cazan from which falleth downe a riuer called Cazankareca entreth into the foresaide Volga Cazan is a faire town after the Russe or Tartar fashion with a strong castle situated vpon a high hill and was walled round about with timber earth but now the Emperour of Russia hath giuen order to plucke downe the old walles and to builde them againe of free stone It hath bene a citie of great wealth and riches and being in the hands of the Tartars it was a kingdome of it selfe and did more vexe the Russes in their warres then any other nation but 9. yeres past this Emperour of Russia conquered it and tooke the king captiue who being but young is nowe baptised and brought vp in his court with two other princes which were also kings of the said Cazan and being ech of theÌ in time of their raignes in danger of their subiects through ciuil discord came and rendred themselues at seueral times vnto the said Emperor so that at this present there are three princes in the court of Russia which had bene Emperours of the said Cazan whom the Emperour vseth with great honour We remained at Cazan till the 13. day of Iune and then departed from thence and the same day passed by an Island called the Island of merchants because it was woont to be a place where all merchants as well Russes and Cazanites as Nagayans and Crimmes and diuers other nations did resort to keepe mart for buying and selling but nowe it is forsaken and standeth without any such resort thither or at Cazan or at any place about it from Mosco vnto Mare Caspium Thus proceeding forward the 14. day we passed by a goodly riuer called Cama which we left on our left hand This riuer falleth out of the countrey of Permia into the riuer of Volga and is from Cazan 15. leagues and the countrey lying betwixt the said Cazan and the said riuer Cama on the left hand of Volga is called Vachen and the inhabitants be Gentiles and liue in the wildernesse without house or habitation and the countrey on the other side of Volga ouer against the said riuer Cama is called the land of Cheremizes halfe Gentiles halfe Tartars and all the land on the left hand of the said Volga from the said riuer vnto Astracan and so following the North and Northeast side of the Caspian sea to a land of the Tartars called Turkemen is called the countrey of Mangat or Nagay whose inhabitants are of the law of Mahomet and were all destroyed in the yeere 1558 at my being at Astracan through ciuill warres among them accompanied with famine pestilence and such plagues in such sort that in the said yeere there were consumed of the people in one sort and another aboue one hundred thousand the like plague was neuer seen in those parts so that the said countrey of Nagay being a countrey of great pasture remaineth now vnreplenished to the great contentation of the Russes who haue had cruel warres a long time together The Nagayans when they flourished liued in this maner they were diuided into diuers companies called Hords and euery Hord had a ruler whom they obeyed as their king and was called a Murse Towne or house they had none but liued in the open fields euery Murse or King hauing his Hords or people about him with their wiues children and cattell who hauing consumed the pasture in one place remooued vnto another and when they remooue they haue houses like tents set vpon wagons or carts which are drawen from place to place with camels therin their wiues children and all their riches which is very litle is caried about and euery man hath at the least foure or fiue wiues besides concubines Use of money they haue none but doe barter their cattell for apparell and other necessaries They delight in no arte nor science except the warres wherein they are expert but for the most part they be pasturing people and haue great store of cattel which is all their riches They eate much flesh and especially the horse and they drinke mares milke wherewith they be oftentimes drunke they are seditious inclined to theft and murther Corne they sowe not neither doe eate any bread mocking the Christians for the same and disabling our strengths saying we liue by eating the top of a weede and drinke a drinke made of the same allowing their great deuouring of flesh and drinking of milke to be the increase of their strength But now to proceed forward to my iourney All the countrey vpon our right hand the riuer Volga from ouer against the riuer Cama vnto the towne of Astracan is the land of Crimme whose inhabitants be also of the lawe of Mahomet and liue for the most part according to the fashions of the Nagayes hauing continual wars with the Emperour of Russia and are valiant in the fielde hauing countenance and support from the great Turke The 16. day of Iune we passed by certaine fishermens houses called Petowse twenty leagues from the riuer Cama where is great fishing for sturgeon so continuing our way vntill the 22. day and passing by another great riuer called Samar which falleth out of the aforesaide countrey and runneth through Nagay and entreth into the saide riuer of Volga The 28. day wee came vnto a great hill where was in times past
the shotte of arrowes and the theeues also incamped within an arrowe shotte of vs but they were betwixt vs and the water which was to our great discomfort because neither we nor our camels had drunke in 2. dayes before Thus keeping good watch when halfe the night was spent the Prince of the theeues sent a messenger halfe way vnto vs requiring to talke with our Captaine in their tongue the Carauan Basha who answered the messenger I will not depart from my companie to goe into the halfe way to talke with thee but if that thy Prince with all his companie will sweare by our Lawe to keepe the truce then will I send a man to talke with thee or els not Which the Prince vnderstanding as well himselfe as his company swore so loude that we might all heare And then we sent one of our company reputed a holy man to talke with the same messenger The message was pronounced aloude in this order Our Prince demaundeth of the Carauan Basha and of all you that be Bussarmans that is to say circumcised not desiring your bloods that you deliuer into his hands as many Caphars that is vnbeleeuers meaning vs the Christians as are among you with their goods and in so doing hee will suffer you to depart with your goods in quietnesse and on the contrary you shall be handled with no lesse cruelty then the Caphars if hee ouercome you as he doubteth not To the which our Carauan Basha answered that he had no Christians in his company nor other strangers but two Turkes which were of their Law and although hee had hee would rather die then deliuer them and that we were not afraide of his threatnings and that should he know when day appeared And so passing in talke the theeues contrary to their othe caried our holy man away to their Prince crying with a lowde voyce in token of victory Ollo ollo Wherewith we were much discomforted fearing that that holy man would betray vs but he being cruelly handled and much examined would not to death confesse anything which was to vs preiudiciall neither touching vs nor yet what men they had staine and wounded of ours the day before When the night was spent in the morning we prepared our selues to battel againe which the theeues perceiuing required to fall to agreement asked much of vs And to be briefe the most part of onr companie being loth to go to battel againe and hauing litle to loose safecoÌduct to passe we were compelled to agree and to giue the theeues 20 ninths that is to say 20 times 9 seuerall things and a camell to cary away the same which being receiued the theeues departed into the wildernes to their old habitation and we went on our way forward And that night came to the riuer Oxus where we refreshed our selues hauing bene 3. dayes without water and drinke and carried there all the next day making mery with our slaine horses and camels and then departed from that place for feare of meeting with the said theeues againe or such like we left the high way which went along the said riuer and passed through a wildernes of sand and trauelled 4 dayes in the same before we came to water and then came to a wel the water being very brackish and we then as before were in neede of water and of other victuals being forced to kill our horses and camels to eate In this wildernes also we had almost fallen into the hands of theeues for one night being at rest there came certaine scoutes and caried away certaine of our men which lay a litle separated from the Carauan wherewith there was a great shoute and crie and we immediatly laded our camels and departed being about midnight and very darke and droue sore till we came to the riuer Oxus againe and then we feared nothing being walled with the said riuer whether it was for that we had gotten the water or for that the same theeues were far from vs when the scouts discouered vs we knowe not but we escaped that danger So vpon the 23 day of December wee arriued ãâã tâie of Boghar in the lande of Bactria This Boghar is situated in the lowest part of all the land walled about with a high wall of earth with diuers gates into the same it is diuided into 3 partitions whereof two parts are the kings and the 3 part is for Marchants and markets and euery science hath their dwelling and market by themselues The Citie is very great and the houses for the most part of earth but there are also many houses temples and monuments of stone sumptuously builded and gilt and specially bathstoues so artificially built that the like thereof is not in the world the maner whereof is too long to rehearse There is a little riuer running through the middest of the said Citie but the water there of is most vnholsome for it breedeth sometimes in men that drinke thereof and especially in them that be not there borne a worme of aâell long which lyeth commonly in the legge betwixt the flesh and the skinne and is plucke out about the ancle with great art and cunning the Surgeons being much practised therein and if shee breake in plucking out the partie dieth and euery day she commeth out about an inch which is rolled vp and so worketh till she be all out And yet it is there forbidden to drinke any other thing then water mares milke and whosoeuer is found to breake that law is whipped and beaten most cruelly through the open markets and there are officers appointed for the seme who haue authoritie to goe into any mans house to search if he haue either Aquauitae wine or brage and finding the same doe breake the vessels spoile the drinke and punish the masters of the house most cruelly yea and many times if they perceiue but by the breath of a man that he hath drunke without further examination he shall not escape their hands There is a Metropolitane in this Boghar who causeth this law to bee so streightly kept and he is more obeyed then the king and will depose the king and place another at his will and pleasure as he did by this king that raigned at our being there and his predecessour by the meanes of the sayd Metropolitan for he betrayed him and in the night slewe him in his chamber who was a Prince that loued all Christians well This Countrey of Boghar was sometime subiect to the Persians do now speake the Persian tongue but yet now it is a kingdome of it selfe and hath most cruel warres continually with the sayd Persians about their religion although they be all Mahometists One occasion of their wars is for that the Persians will not cut the haire of their vpper lips as the Bogharians and all âther Tarâars doe which they accompt great sinne and cal them Caphars that is vnbeleeuers as they doe the Christians The
thence into Persia and to haue seene the trade of that countrey although I had enformed my selfe sufficiently thereof as well at Astracan as at Boghar and perceiued well the trades not to be much vnlike the trades of Tartaria but when I should haue taken my iourney that way it was let by diuers occasions the one was the great wars that did newly begin betwixt the Sophie and the kings of Tartaria whereby the waies were destroyed and there was a Carauan destroied with rouers theeues which came out of India and Persia by safe conduct and about ten daies iourney from Boghar they were robbed and a great part slaine Also the Metropolitan of Boghar who is greater then the king tooke the Emperors letters of Russia from me without which I should haue bene taken slaue in euery place also all such wares as I had receiued in barter for cloth and as I tooke perforce of the king other his Nobles in paiment of money due vnto me were not vendible in Persia for which causes and diuers others I was constrained to come backe againe to Mare Caspium the same way I went so that the eight of March 1559 we departed out of the said Citie of Boghar being a Carauan of 600 Camels and if we had not departed when we did I and my company had bene in danger to haue lost life and goods For ten daies after our departure the king of Samarcand came with an armie besieged the said Citie of Bogâar the king being absent and gone to the wars against another prince his kinsman as the like chanceth in those Countries once in two or three yeres For it is maruell if a King reigne there aboue three or foure yeres to the great destruction of the Countrey and marchants The 25 of March we came to the foresayd towne of Vrgence and escaped the danger of 400 rouers which lay in waâte for vs backe againe being the most of them of kindred to that company of theeues which we met with going foorth as we perceiued by foure spies which were taken There were in my company and committed to my charge two ambassadors the one from the king of Boghar the other from the king of Balke and were sent vnto the Emperor of Russia And after hauing taried at Vrgence and the Castle of Sellysure eight daies for the assembling and making ready of our Carauan the second of Aprill we departed from thence hauing foure moe Ambassadors in our companie sent from the king of Vrgence and other Soltans his brethren vnto the Emperor of Russia with answere of such letters as I brought them and the same Ambassadors were also committed vnto my charge by the sayde Kings and princes to whome I promised most faithfully and swore by our law that they should be well vsed on Rusland and suffered to depart from thence againe in safetie according as the Emperor had written also in his letters for they somewhat doubted because there had none gone out of Tartaria into Russia of long time before The 23 of Aprill we arriued at the Mare Caspium againe where we found our barke which we came in but neither anker cable cocke nor saile neuerthelesse wee brought hempe with vs and spunne a cable our selues with the rest of our tackling and made vs a saile of cloth of cotton wooll and rigged our barke as well as we could but boate or anker we had none In the meane time being deuising to make an anker of wood of a cart wheele there arriued a barke which came from Astracan with Tartars and Russes which had 2 ankers with whom I agreed for the one and thus being in a readines we set saile and departed I and the two Iohnsons being Master and Mariners our selues hauing in our barke the said sixe ambassadors and 25 Russes which had bene ââaues a long time in âarâaria nor euer had before my comming libertie or meanes to get home and these slaues serued to rowe when neede was Thus sailing sometimes along the coast and sometimes out of sight of lande the 13. day of May hauing a contrary winde wee came to an anker being three leagues from the shoare there rose a sore storme which continued 44. houres and our cable being of our owne spinning brake and lost our anker and being off a lee shoare and hauing no boate to helpe vs we hoysed our saile and bare roomer with the said shoare looking for present death but as God prouided for vs we ranne into a creeke ful of oze and so saued our selues with our barke liued in great discomfort for a time For although we should haue escaped with our liues the danger of the sea yet if our barke had perished we knew we should haue bene either destroyed or taken slaues by the people of that Countrey who liue wildly in the field like beasts without house or habitation Thus when the storme was seased we went out of the creeke againe and hauing set the land with our Compasse and taken certaine markes of the same during the time of the tempest whilest we ridde at our anker we went directly to the place where we ridde with our barke againe and found our anker which wee lost whereat the Tartars much marueiled how we did it While we were in the creeke we made an anker of wood of cart wheeles which we had in our barke which we threw away when wee had found out yron anker againe Within two dayes after there arose another great storme at the Northeast and we lay a trie being driuen far into the sea and had much ado to keepe our barke from sinking the billowe was so great but at the last hauing faire weather we tooke the Sunne and knowing howe the land lay from vs we fel with the Riuer Yaik according to our desire wherof the Tartars were very glad fearing that wee should haue bene driuen to the coast of Persia whose people were vnto them great enemies Note that during the time of our Nauigation wee set vp the redde crosse of S. George in our flagges for honour of the Christians which I suppose was neuer seene in the Caspian sea before We passed in this voyage diuers fortunes notwithstanding the 28. of May we arriued in safetie at Astracan and there remained till the tenth of Iune following as well to prepare vs small boates to goe vp against the streame of Volga with our goods as also for the companie of the Ambassadours of Tartarie committed vnto me to bee brought to the presence of the Emperour of Russia This Caspian sea to say some thing of it is in length about two hundred leagues and in breadth 150. without any issue to other seas to the East part whereof ioyneth the great desert countrey of the Tartars called Turkemen to the West the countreyes of the Chyrcasses the mountaines of Caucasus and the Mare Euxinum which is from the said Caspian Sea a hundred leagues To the North is the riuer
commodities they came at last to Shauaran againe where their ship was in harbour and then they shipt all their goods and embarked themselues also setting sayle the eight day of May in the yeere 1573. intending to fetch Astracan By reason of the varietie of the windes and dangerous flats of the Caspian sea they beat it vp and downe some 20. dayes And the 28. day riding at anker vpon the flats certaine Russe Cassaks which are outlawes or banished men hauing intelligence of their being there and of the great wealth that they had with them came to them with diuers boates vnder the colour of friendship and entred their ship but immediately they tooke their hatchets slew diuers of the Russes that were of the ship vpon the hatches Whereupon master Ducket Lionell Plumtree William Smith the master a man of singular valure and Amos Riall being vnder the Spardecke did so well behaue themselues that they skowred the hatches and slew 14. of the Cassaks gunners and hurt and wounded about 30. more being of them al in number 150. at the least armed with caliuers and other weapons fit for so villanous a purpose M. Ducket notwithstanding and the rest aforesaid receiued diuers wounds from the enemie and were so hurt and withall so oppressed with the multitude and force of them that they were at last constrained to make an agreement with the Cassaks by rendring the ship into their hands hauing receiued first their othes sworne by their crucifixes not to do any further harme to their persons Thus the shippe being taken and all the English grieuously hurt the Cassaks immediately discharged the ship of them putting them all into the ship boate with two or three Persian targets full of horse flesh and swines flesh without further victuals or reliefe they being in that case made the best hast they could to get to Astracan and being come to the towne master Ducket made great sute to the captaine to haue men and boates set out for the rescuing and recouering of the ship if it were possible who immediately sent out his sonne with fortie boates and fiue hundred men to pursue the Pirats and by good hap came to the place where they rid at anker with the ship but by reason of their foolishnes in striking vp their drums before they were come neere them the Cassaks discouering the boats cut their gabâes and put out to sea whereupon the boats not being able to folow them returned againe to Astracan After which 60. boats more were sent out to pursue them againe the second time that second army came to a place where they found many of those Cassaks and slew them and found out the places where they had hid certaine parcels of their goods in the earth in the chests of the ship all which they recouered againe for the English merchants to the value of 5000. li. of 30. or 40. thousand pound but all the rest the Cassaks in the ship had caried away In the same place they found further diuers of the Cassaks which the Englishmen had slaine buried in the earth and wrapt some in fortie or fifty yards of Sattin and Taffataes and some in Turkie carpets cut spoiled by those villanous Pirats of whom afterwards as many as could be taken by the Persians who entirely loued the English merchants were put to most cruell torments in all places according to their deserts But our men being thus spoyled of their goods and wounded in their bodies remained about two moneths at Astracan for their better recouerie hauing gotten some reasonable strength they then prouided boates and went vp the riuer of Volga to Cazan with such goods as they had recouered from the Cassaks From Cazan they went towards Yeraslaue but in the way the ice intercepted them about the beginning of October where suddenly in the night they were taken with a cruell and vehement frost and there withall the waters so congeled that their boates were crushed and cut in sunder with the ice whereby they sustained both a further danger of life and losse of goods but as much as they could preserue with much adoe they conueyed ouer land iu fleds to Vologda and from thence sent much of it to Saint Nicholas to be laden in the ships for England But Master Ducket Lionel Plumtree and Amos Riall went with some parcels to the Mosko and there sold certaine quantities of it to the Emperour who pitying the mightie losse that they had sustained by his owne rebellious people and subiects bought himselfe as much as hee liked and payed present money for the same So that Winter being spent out in Mosko and such wares prouided by them as serued for England they departed to Saint Nicholas and there embarked in the moneth of August and hauing endured a very terrible passage in nine weekes and three dayes with some hardnesse of victuals contrary and furious windes and other sea accidents they arriued at London in the moneth of October one thousand fiue hundred seuentie and foure and so made an ende of an vnfortunate voyage which if it had pleased God to prosper that all things had come home as safely as they were carefully prouided and painfully laboured for it had proued the richest voiage and most profitable returne of commoditie that had euer bene vndertaken by English merchants who notwithstanding all misfortunes lost nothing of their principall aduenture but onely the interest and gaine that might haue risen by the vse of their stocke in the meane time Further obseruations concerning the state of Persia taken in the foresayd fift voyage into those partes and written by M. Geffrey Ducket one of the Agents emploied in the same SHamaky is the fairest towne in all Media and the chiefest commoditie of that countrey is rawe silke the greatest plentie thereof is at a towne three dayes iourney from Shamaky called Arash and within 3. dayes iourney of Arash is a countrey named Grosin whose inhabitants are Christians are thought to be they which are otherwise called Georgians there is also much silke to be sold. The chiefe towne of that countrey is called Zegham from whence is caried yeerely into Persia an incredible quantitie of Hasell nuts all of one sort and goodnesse and as good and thin shaled as are our Filberds Of these are caried yeerely the quantitie of 4000. Camels laden Of the name of the Sophy of Persia why he is called the Shaugh and of other customes THe king of Persia whom here we call the great Sophy is not there so called but is called the Shaugh It were there dangerous to cal him by the name of Sophy because that Sophy in the Persian tongue is a begger it were as much as to call him The great begger He lieth at a towne called Casbin which is situate in a goodly fertile valley of 3. or 4. daies iourny in length The towne is but euil builded and for the most part all of
prouince is 35. thousand markes sterling being not the 5. part of his yerely reuenue Further he and his house be of such authoritie and power that in 40. dayes warning they are able to bring into the fielde 100. thousand Souldiers well furnished The conclusion of the Emperors Coronation was a peale of ordinance called a peale royall two miles without the citie being 170. great pieces of brasse of all sorts as faire as any can be made these pieces were all discharged with shot against bulwarkes made of purpose 20. thousand hargubusers standing in 8. rankes two miles in length appareled all in veluet coloured silke stammels discharged their shot also twise ouer in good order and so the Emperor accompanied with all his princes and nobles at the least 50. thousand horse departed through the City to his pallace This royall coronation would aske much time and many leaues of paper to be described particularly as it was performed it shal suffice to vnderstand that the like magnificence was neuer seene in Russia The coronation and other triumphes ended al the nobilitie officers and merchants according to an accustomed order euery one in his place and degree brought rich presents vnto the Emperor wishing him long life and ioy in his kingdome The sametime also Master Ierom Horsey aforesaid remayning as seruant in Russia for the Queenes most excellent Maiestie was called for to the Emperor as he sate in his imperiall seat and then also a famous Merchant of Netherland being newly come to Mosco who gaue him selfe out to be the king of Spaines subiect called Iohn de Wale was in like sort called for Some of the nobilitie would haue preferred this subiect of the Spaniard before Master Horsey seruant to the Queene of England whereunto Master Horsey would in no case agree saying he would haue his legges cut off by the knees before he would yeeld to such an indignitie offered to his Soueraigne the Queenes Maiesty of England to bring the Emperor a present in course after the King of Spaines subiect or any other whatsoeuer The Emperor and the Prince Boris Pheodorowich perceiuing the controuersie sent the Lord Treasorer Peter Iuanowich Galauyn and Vasili Shalkan both of the Counsell to them who deliuered the Emperor backe Master Horseys speech whereupon he was first in order as good reason admitted and presented the Emperor in the behalfe of the English Merchants trading thither a present wishing him ioy and long to raigne intranquilitie and so kissed the Emperors hand he accepting the present with good liking and auouching that for his sisters sake Queene Elizabeth of England he would be a gracious Lord to her Merchants in as ample maner as euer his father had ben and being dismissed he had the same day sent him 70. dishes of sundry kinds of meats with 3. carts laden with al sorts of drinks very bountifully After him was the foresayd subiect of the Spanish king admitted with his present whom the Emperor willed to be no lesse faithfull and seruiceable vnto him then the Queene of Englands subiects were had bene and then the king of Spaines subiects should receiue fauour accordingly All these things thus in order performed praises were sung in all the churches The Emperor and Empresse very deuoutly resorted on foote to many principal Churches in the Citie and vpon Trinitie Sunday betooke themselues to a progresse in order of procession to a famous monasterie called Sergius and the Trinitie 60. miles distant from the Citie of Mosco accompanied with a huge armie of Noblemen Gentlemen and others mounted vpon goodly horses with furniture accordingly The Empresse of deuotion tooke this iourney on foot all the way accompanied with her princesses and ladies no small number her guard and gunners were in number 20000. her chiefe counseller or attendant was a noble man of the blood Roial her vncle of great authoritie called Demetri Iuanowich Godonoua All this progresse ended both the Emperor and Empresse returned to Mosco shortly after the Emperor by the direction of the prince Boris Pheodorowich sent a power into the land of Siberia where all the rich Sables Furres are gotten This power conquered in one yeere and a halfe 1000. miles In the performance of this warre there was taken prisoner the Emperor of the countrey called Chare Sibersky and with him many other dukes and noble men which were brought to Mosko with a guard of souldiers and gunners who were receiued into the citie in very honorable maner and do there remaine to this day Hereupon the corrupt officers Iudges Iustices captains and lieutenants through the whole kingdom were remooued and more honest men substituted in their places with expresse commandement vnder seuere punishment to surcease their old bribing extortion which they had vsed in the old Emperors time and now to execute true iustice without respect of persons and to the end that this might be the better done their lands and yeerly stipends were augmented the great taskes customes and duties which were before layd vpon the people in the old Emperors time were now abated and âome wholy remitted and no punishments commanded to be vsed without sufficient and due proofe although the crime were capitall deseruing death many Dukes and noble men of great houses that were vnder displeasure and imprisoned 20. yeeres by the old Emperor were now set at libertie and restored to their lands all prisoners were set at libertie and their trespasses forgiuen In summe a great alteration vniuersally in the gouernment folowed and yet all was done quietly ciuilly peaceably without trouble to the Prince or offence to the Subiect and this bred great assurance and honour to the kingdom and all was accomplished by the wisedom especially of Irenia the Empresse These things being reported and caried to the eares of the kings and princes that were borderers vpon Russia they grew so fearefull and terrible to them that the Monarch of all the Scythians called the Crimme Tartar or great Can himselfe named Sopheâ Keri Alli came out of his owne countrey to the Emperor of Russia accompanied with a great number of his nobilitie well horsed although to them that were Christians they seemed rude yet they were personable men and valiant their comming was gratefull to the Emperor and their entertainment was honourableâ the Tartar prince hauing brought with him his wiues also receiued of the Russe Emperor entertainment and princely welcome according to their estates Not long after 1200. Polish gentlemen valiant Souldiors and proper men came to Mosko offring their seruice to the Emperor who were all entertained and in like sort many Chirkasses and people of other natioâs came and offred seruice And assoone as the report of this new created Emperor was spred ouer other kingdoms of Europe there were sent to him sundry Ambassadors to wish him ioy and prosperitie in his kingdom thither came Ambassadors from the Turke from the Persian the Boghariaâ the Crimme the Georgian and many other Tartar
the Queenes most excellent Maiestie from the Lord Boris Pheodorouich Godonoua BY the grace of God great Lord and great Duke Theodore Iuanouich gouernour of Russia Volodimer Mosco and Nouogrod King of Cazan and Astracan Lord of Vobsko and great Duke of Smolensco Otuer Vghori Perme Viatsky Bulgary and other regions Lord and great Duke of Nouogrod in the low countrey of Chernigo of Rezan Polotsko Rostoue Ieroslaue Bealozera and of Lifland of Vdorsky Obdorsky Condinsky and all the countrey of Sibery and commander of all the North parts and Lord ouer the countrey of Iuersky and King of Grusinsky and of the countrey of Kabardinsky Cherchasky and duke of Igorsky Lord and ruler of many countreys more c. Most resplendent Queene Elizabeth of England France and Ireland c. his princely Maiesties seruant Lord and Master of his horses and high Steward of his house and President of the territories of Cazan and Astracan Boris Pheodorouich Godonoua vnto your most excellent Maiesty great Ladie Queene Elizabeth send my humble commendations It hath pleased your Maiestie to write vnto me your gracious and princely letter by your seruant Thomas Lind which letter I receiued with all humblenesse During the time of the abode of your Messenger Thomas Lind here in the Mosco it pleased God of his mercifulnesse and our Lady the mother of God and holy Saints by the prayers of our lord and king his Maiestie Theodore Iuanouich ouer all Russia gouernour the right beleeuer and louer of Christ to send our Queene and gracious Lady Irene a yoong Princesse to the great ioy and comfort of our kingdome named Pheodocine Wherefore we giue all honour and glory to the almightie God vnspeakeable whose giftes had beene manifolde with mercie vnto vs for which all wee Christians laud and praise God After all this your seruant was occasioned to stay vntill the comming of your merchants from the sea port Touching the letters which you haue receiued from your louing brother our Lord and Master by your ambassadour therein you perceiue sufficiently my good meaning in trauailing for the continuance of amitie and friendship betwixt you mighty great princes in the which I will continue mine endeuour Also your merchants I haue taken into my protection for to defend them for the loue I beare to your Maiestie As heeretofore I haue done it willingly and with great care of their good so I meane to continue so farre as God will giue me leaue to the end that brotherly loue be holden betweene you Princes without disturbance As I haue beene to your merchants in times past so now by the permission and commandement of our Lord and Master I will be their defendour in all causes and will cause all our authorised people to fauour them and to defend them and to giue them free liberty to buy and sell at their pleasure The merchants doe not certifie your princely Maiestie of all our friendship and fauour shewed vnto them from time to time And whereas your Maiestie hath now written to our Lord and Master for the debts which your merchants ought to haue of William Turnebull lately disceased I hauing perused your Maiesties letter whereby I am requested to be a meane for the recouerie and obtaining of their sayd debts I haue moued it to our Lord and King his Maiestie that order may be giuen therein and that his kinseman Rainold Kitchin with three persons more may be sent ouer together with the sayd Turnebulles stuffe and other things as billes books and writings All which shall be deliuered to your merchants Agent and his fellowes and in money 600 rubbles of the sayd Turnebulles And touching your merchants I will haue a great care ouer them and protect them whereby they shall suffer no damages in their trade and all kinde of trafficke in merchandise shall be at their libertie Written in our Lord and Kings Maiestie royall citie of Mosco in the yeere from the beginning of the world 7101 in the moneth of Ianuarie A letter from the Lord Boris Pheodorowich to the right honourable Lord William Burghley Lord high Treasurer of England BY the grace of God great Lord King and great Duke Theodor Iuanouich gouernour of Russia Volodimer Mosco and Nouogrod King of Cazan and Astracan Lord of Vobsco and great Duke of Smolensco Otuer Vghory Perme Viatsky Bulgary and other regions Lord and great Duke of all Nouogrod in the low countreys of Chernigo of Liffeland of Vdorsky Obdorsky Condinsky and all the countrey of Sibery and commaunder of all the North parts and Lord ouer the countrey of Iuersky and King of Grosinsky and of the countreys of Kabardinsky Cherchasky and Duke of Igorsky Lord and ruler of many Countreys more c. His princely Maiesties seruant Lord and Master of his horses and high Steward of his house President of the territories of Cazan and Astracan Boris Pheodorowich Godonoua to the most honourable Counseller of the most resplendent mightie great Lady Elizabeth Queene of England France and Ireland William Burghley Lord and Knight of the Garter high Treasurour of England sendeth greeting I perceiue by your letter that your merchants last shippes came home in sastie and that you haue receiued the letters sent by them by the hands of Francis Cherie one from our Lord and great King of all Russia his Maiesty vnto your Queenes most excellent Maiesty and one from me to her Highnesse and one from my selfe to you and the contents thereof you haue caused to be read and well vnderstood at large And whatsoeuer is therein written concerning Ierome Horsey you haue sought out the ground thereof and that he is in great displeasure And her Highnesse hath written in her letter concerning her Maiesties merchants that whereas I haue taken them into protection she taketh it very louingly and kindely that for her sake they haue receiued so great kindnesse And touching the damages and hinderances which your merchaunts haue sustained by meanes of the Emperours authorised people and officers and that they were not permitted to trafficke at libertie at the Sea port in the yeere 1589 for the space of three weekes it hath beene against the Emperours Maiesties will and pleasure as also against mine Where you desire and wish that betweene our Emperours Maiestie and your Queenes Maiestie their loue and amitie may not bee seperated at any time but to continue and you request mee that I should be good vnto the English merchants and to defend them from all such damages hereafter your honours louing letter I haue therein throughly considered and as I haue bene heretofore so I will still continue to be a meane betwixt our Lorde and kings Maiestie and your great Lady the Queene her highnesse for the mainteyning of brotherly loue and amitie most ioyfully and willingly as God knoweth aswel hereafter as I haue bene heretofore praying you to doe the like also Mine onely desire is for your most excellent Princesse sake to do all that lyeth in mâe
Denmarke aforetime of Norway who by so many âilles of supplication out of Island in old time and of late haue beene often interrupted for the setting through of controuersies concerning possessions Wee call Krantzius himselfe to witnesse against himselfe whose words in the first section were these Before the receiuing of Christian faith the Islanders liuing according to the lawe of nature did not much differ from our lawe c. If by the lawe of nature then doubtlesse by that lawe of iustice which giueth to euery man his owne If by the lawe of iustice then certainely distinctions of properties and possessions must needes haue taken place in our Nation and although this very lawe is often transgressed and that haynously euen in the Church notwithstanding both the Church and also heathen men doe acknowledge it to be most iust and good The seuenth section They make all one reckoning of their whelpes and of their children except that of the poorer sort you shall easier obtaine their sonne then their shalke ALthough in the beginning of this Treatise I thought that Munster and other men of great name in those things which they haue left written concerning Islande were not to bee charged with slander yet whether that fauour may here be shewed by any man whatsoeuer be he neuer so fauourable and neuer so sincere I doe not sufficiently conceiue For what should moue such great men following the despightfull lyes and fables of mariners to defame and staine our nation with so horrible and so shamefull a reproch Surely nothing else but a carelesse licentiousnesse to deride and contemne a poore and vnknowen Nation and such other like vices But be it knowen to all men that this vntrueth doth not so much hurt to the Islanders as to the authors themselues For in heaping vp this and a great number of others into their Histories they cause their credite in other places also to be suspected And hereby they gaine thus much as Aristotle sayth that when they speake trueth no man will beleeue them without suspition But attend a while Reader and consider with me the grauitie and wisedome of these great Clarkes that we may not let passe such a notable commendation of Island Krantzius and Munster haue hitherto taught that the Islanders are Christians Also that before the receiuing of Christian faith they liued according to the lawe of nature Also that the Islanders liued after a law not much differing from the lawe of the Germanes Also that they liued in holy simplicitie Attend I say good Reader and consider what markes of Christianitie of the law of nature of the Germanes law of holy simplicitie these authors require and what markes they shew and describe in the Islanders There was one of the sayd markes before namely that the Islanders doe place hell or the prison of the damned within the gulfe and bottome of mount Hecla concerning which reade the first section of this part and the seuenth section of the former The seconde marke is that with the Anabaptists they take away distinctions of properties and possessions in the section next going before The third and most excellent is this those singular naturall affections that loue and tender care and that fatherly and godly minde of the Islanders towards their children namely that they make the same accompt of them or lesse then they doe of their dogges What Will Munster and Krantzius after this fashion picture out vnto vs the law of Christ the lawe of nature the lawe of the Germanes and holy simplicitie O rare and excellent picture though not altogether matching the skill of Apelles O sharpe and wonderfull inuention if authenticall O knowledge more then humane though not at all diuine But wee Islanders albeit the farthest of all nations and inhabiting a frozen clime require farre other notes of Christianitie For we haue the commaundement of God that euery man should loue his neighbour as himselfe Nowe there is none I suppose that doeth not loue or esteeme more of himselfe then of his dogge And if there ought to bee so great fauour so great estimation so great loue vnto our neighbour then how great affection doe wee owe vnto our children The most neare and inseparable loue of whom besides that nature hath most friendly setled in our mindes the loue of God also commandeth vs to haue speciall regard in trayning them vp Exod. 12.24 Ephes. 6.4 namely that there may be in holy marriage certaine seminaries of Gods Church and exercises of all pietie and honestie according to the excellent saying of the Poet. God will haue each family a litle Church to be ALso Of humane life or mans societie a Schole or College is holy matrimonie That it may be manifest that among Christians their sonnes are more to be accompted of and regarded then their dogges and if any doe no otherwise esteeme of them that they are no Christians But this naturall affection towarde our most deare of-spring is plainely seene in the heathen themselues that whomsoeuer you totally depriue of this you denie them also to bee men The mothers of Carthage testifie this to be true when as in the third Punic warre the most choyse and gallant young men in all the Citie were sent as pledges into Sicilia whom they followed vnto the shippes with most miserable weeping and lamentation and some of them being with griefe separated from their deare sonnes when they sawe the sayles hoysed and the shippes departing out of the hauen for very anguish cast themselues headlong into the water as Sabellicus witnesseth Egaeus doth testifie this who when hee sawe the shippe of his sonne Theseus returning âut of Creete with blacke sayles thinking that his sonne had perished ended his life in the next waters Sabell lib. 3. cap. 4. Gordianus the elder Proconsul of Affrica doth testifie this who likewise vpon rumors of the death of his sonne hanged himselfe Campoful lib. 5. cap. 7. Also locasta the daughter of Creon Auctolia daughter of Simon Anius King of the Thuscans Orodes King of the Parthians and an infinite number of others Concerning whom reade Plutarch star lib. 2. and other authors c. To these may be added that sentence Loue descendeth c. So that you see it is no lesse proper to a man entirely to loue his children then for a bird to flie that if our writers at any time haue confessed the Islanders to be men much lesse to be Christians they must will they nill they ascribe vnto them this loue and affection towardes their children If not they doe not onely take from them the title and dignitie of men but also they debase them vnder euery brute beast which euen by the instinct of nature are bound with exceeding great loue and tender affection towards their young ones I will not adde against this shamelesse vntruth most notable examples of our owne countreymen I will omit our lawes of man-stealing more ancient then the Islanders themselues being receiued from the Noruagians
and great signes together with alterations of kingdomes warres of infidels against the Christians and victories of the Christians against the infidels And as they wondered at these relations he declared vnto them the passion of the seuen Sleepers with the proportion and shape of eache of their bodies which things no man liuing had as then committed vnto writing and that so plainely and distinctly as if he had conuersed a long time in their company Hereupon the earle sent a knight the bishop a clearke and the abbot a monke vnto Maniches the Emperour of Constantinople with the letters and gifts of their King Who giuing them friendly entertainment sent them ouer vnto the bishop of Ephesus and wrote his letters vnto him giuing him charge that the English Ambassadours might be admitted to see the true and material habiliments of the seuen Sleepers And it came to passe that King Edwards vision was approued by all the Greekes who protested they were aduertised by their fathers that the foresaid seuen Sleepers had alwayes before that time rested vpon their right sides but after the Englishmen were entered into the caue those Sleepers confirmed the trueth of the outlandish prophesie vnto their countreymen Neither were the calamities foretold any long time delayed for the Agarens Arabians Turkes and other vnbeleeuing nations inuading the Christians harried and spoiled Syria Lycia the lesser Asia and many cities of Asia the greater and amongst the rest Ephesus yea and Ierusalem also The voyage of Alured bishop of VVorcester vnto Ierusalem an 1058. Recorded by Roger Houeden in parte priore Annalium fol. 255. linea 15. ALuredus Wigorniensis Episcopus ecclesiam quam in ciuitate Glauorna à fundamentis construxerat in honore principis Apostolorum Petri honorificè dedicauit posteà regis licentia Wolstanum Wigorniensem Monachum à se ordinatum Abbatem constituit ibidem Dein praesulatu dimisso Wiltoniensis ecclesiae qui sibi ad regendum commissus fuerat Hermanno cujus suprà mentionem fecimus reddito mare transijt per Hungariam profectus est Hierosolymam c. The same in English IN the yere of our Lord 1058. Alured bishop of Worcester very solemnely dedicated a Church which himselfe had founded and built in the citie of Glocester vnto the honour of S. Peter the chiefe Apostle and afterward by the kings permission ordained Wolstan a Monke of Worcester of his owne choice to be Abbate in the same place And then hauing left his Bishopricke which was committed vnto him ouer the Church of Wilton and hauing resigned the same vnto Hermannus aboue mentioned passed ouer the seas and trauailed through Hungarie vnto Ierusalem c. The voyage of Ingulphus Abbat of Croiland vnto Ierusalem performed according to Florentius Wigorniensis in the yeere of our Lord 1064 and described by the said Ingulphus himselfe about the conclusion of his briefe Historie EGo Ingulphus humilis minister Sancti Guthlaci Monasterijque sui Croilandensis natus in Anglia a parentibus Anglicis quippè vrbis pulcherrimae Londoniarum pro literis addiscendis in teneriori aetate constitutus primum Westmonasterio postmodum Oxoniensi studio traditus eram Cumque in Aristotele arripiendo supra multos coaetaneos meos profecissem etiam Rhetoricam Tullij primam secundam talo tenus induebam Factus ergo adolescentior fastidiens parentum meorum exiguitatem paternos lares relinquere palatia regum aut principum affectans mollibus vestiri pomposisque lacinijs amiciri indies ardentius appetebam Et eceè inclytus nunâ rex noster Anglie tunc adhuc comes Normanniae Wilhelmus ad colloquium tunc regis Angliae Edwardi cognati sui cum grandi ministrantium comitatu Londonias aduentabat Quibus citius insertus ingerens me vbÃque ad omnia emergentia negotia peragenda cum prosperè plurima perfecissem in breui agnitus illustrissimo comiti astrictissimê adamatus cum ipso Normanniam enauigabam Factus ibidem scriba eius pro libito totam comitis curiam ad nonnullorum inuidiam regebam quosque volui humiliabam quos volui exaltabam Cum que iuuenili calore impulsus in tam celso statu supra meos natales consistere taederem quin semper ad altiora conscendere instabili animo ac nimium prurienti affectu ad erubesceÌtiam ambitiosus auidissimè desiderarem nuntiatur per vniuersam Normanniam plurimos archiepiscopos imperij cum nonnullis alijs terroe principibus velle pro merito animarum suarum more peregrinorum cum debita deuotione Hierosolymam proficisci De familia ergo comitis domini nostri plurimi tam milites quà m clerici quorum primus praecipuus ego eram cum licentia domini nostri comitis beneuolentia in dictum iter nos omnes accinximus Alemanniam petentes equites triginta numero ampliùs domino Maguntino coniuncti sumus Parati namque omnes ad viam cum dominis episcopis connumerati septem mislia pertranseuntes prosperè multa terrarum spatia tandem Constantinopolim peruenimus Vbi Alexium Imperatorem eius adorantes Agâosophiam vidimus infinita sanctuaria osculati sumus Diuertentes inde per Lyciam in manus Arabicorum latronum incidimus euisceratique de infinitis pecunijs cum mortibus multorum maximo vitae nostrae periculo vix euadentes tandem desideratissimam ciui atem Hierosolymam leto introitu tenebamus Ab ipso tunc patriarcha Sophronio nomine viro veneranda canitie honestissimo ac sanctissimo grandi cymbalorum tonitru luminarium immenâo fulgore suscepti ad diuinissimam ecclesiam sanctissimi sepulchri tam Syrorum quà m Latinorum solenni processione deducti sumus Ibi quot preces inorauimus quot lachrymas infleuimus quot suspiria inspirauimus solus eius inhabitator nouit D. noster Iesus Christus Ab ipso itaque gloriosissimo sepulchro Christi ad alia sanctuaria ciuitatis inuisenda circumducti infinitam summam sanctarum ecclesiarum oratoriorum quae Achim Soldanus dudum destruxerat oculis lachrymosis vidimus Et omnibus ruinis sanctisimae ciuitatis tam extra quà m intra numerosis lachrymis intimo affectu compassi ad quorundam restaurationem datis non paucis pecunijs exire in patriam sacratissimo Iordane intingi vniuersaque Christi vestigia osculari desiderantissima deuotione suspirabamus Sed Arabum latrunculi qui omnem viam obseruabant longiùs a ciuitate euagari sua rabiosa multitudine innumera non sinebant Vere igitur accedente stolus nauium lanuensium in porta Ioppensi applicuit In quibus cum sua mercimonia Christiani mercatores per ciuitates maritimas commutassent sancta loca similitèr adorassent ascendentes omnes mari nos commisimus Et iactati fluctibus procellis innumeris tandem BrundusiuÌ prospero itinere per Apuliam Romam petentes sanctoruÌ Apostolorum Petri Pauli limina copiosissima sanctoruÌ martyrum monumenta per omnes stationes osculati
petition granted vnto them a strong band of men to conduct them which brought them safely from all assaults and ambushes of the Gentiles by the knowen wayes vnto Ierusalem and all other places of deuotion After that these pilgrims new Christian strangers were brought thither they offering vnto our Lord their vowes in the temple of the holy sepulchre returned with great ioy and without all let vnto Ioppa where finding the king they vowed that they would assist him in all things which should seeme good vnto him who greatly commending the men and commanding them to be well entertained with hospitality answered that he could not on the sudden answere to this point vntill that after he had called his nobles together he had consulted with my lord the Patriarch what was most meet and conuenient to be done and not to trouble in vaine so willing an army And therefore after a few dayes calling vnto him my lord the Patriarch Hugh of Tabaria Gunfride the keeper and lieutenant of the tower of Dauid and the other chiefestmen of warre he determined to haue a meeting in the city of Rames to consult with them what was best to be done Chap. 3. WHo being assembled at the day appointed and proposing their diuers opinions iudgements at length it seemed best vnto the whole company to besiege the city Sagitta which is also called Sidon if peraduenture through Gods helpe and by the strength of this new army by land and sea it might be ouercome Whereupon all they which were there present and required that this city should be besieged because it was one of those cities of the Gentiles which continually rebelled were commended and admonished of the king euery one to go home and to furnish themselues with things necessary and armour for this expedition Euery one of them departed home likewise Hugh of Tabaria departed being a chiefe man of warre against the inuasions of the enemies which could neuer be wearied day nor night in the countie of the Pagans in pursuing them with warre and warlike stratagemes all the dayes of his life Immediatly after this consultation the king sent ambassadours to all the multitude of the English men requiring them not to remoue their campe nor fleet from the city of Iaphet but quietly to attend the kings further commandement The same ambassadours also declared vnto the whole army that the king and all his nobility had determined to besiege and assault the city Sagitta by sea and by land and that their helpe and forces would there be needfull and that for this purpose the king and the patriarch were comming downe vnto the city of Acres and that they were in building of engins and warlike instruments to inuade the walles and inhabitants thereof and that in the meane season they were to remaine at Iaphet vntill the kings further commandement were knowen Whereupon they all agreed that it should so be done according to the kings commandement and answered that they would attend his directions in the hauen of Iaphet would in all points be obedient vnto him vnto the death Chap. 4. THe king came downe to Acres with the patriarch and all his family building and making there by the space of fortie dayes engins and many kindes of warlike instruments and appointing all things to be made perfectly ready which seemed to be most conuenient for the assaulting of the city Assoone as this purpose and intent of the king was come vnto the eares of the inhabitants of Sagitta and that an inuincible power of men of warre was arriued at Iaphet to helpe the king they were greatly astonied fearing that by this meanes they should be consumed and subdued by the king by dint of sword as other cities to wit Caesaria Assur Acres Cayphas and Tabaria were vanquished and subdued And therefore laying their heads together they promised to the king by secret mediatours a mighty masse of money of a coyne called Byzantines and that further they would yeerely pay a great tribute vpon condition that ceasing to besiege and inuade their city he would spare their liues Whereupon these businesses were handled from day to day betweene the king and the citizens and they sollicited the king for the ransomming both of their city and of their liues proffering him from time to time more greater gifts And the king for his part being carefull and perplexed for the payment of the wages which he ought vnto his souldiers harkened wholy vnto this offer of money Howbeit because he feared the Christians least they should lay it to his charge as a fault he durst not as yet meddle with the same Chap. 5. IN the meane space Hugh of Tabaria being sent for accompanied with the troopes of two hundred horsemen and foure hundred footmen inuaded the countrey of the Grosse Carle called Suet very rich in gold and siluer most abundant in cattle frontering vpon the countrie of the Damascenes where hee tooke a pray of inestimable riches and cattle which might haue suffised him for the besiege of Sagitta whereof he ment to impart liberally to the king and his companie This pray being gathered out of sundry places thereabout and being led away as farre as the citie of Belinas which they call Caesaria Philippi the Turkes which dwelt at Damascus together with the Saracens inhabitants of the countrie perceiuing this flocking on all partes together by troopes pursued Hughes companie to rescue the pray and passed foorth as farre as the mountaines ouer which Hughes footemen did driue the pray There beganne a great skirmish of both partes the one side made resistance to keepe the pray the other indeuoured with all their might to recouer it vntill at length the Turkes and Saracens preuailing the pray was rescued and brought backe againe which Hugh and his troopes of horsemen suddenly vnderstanding which were on the side of the mountaines incontinently rid backe vpon the spurre among the straight and craggie rockes skirmishing with the enemies aud succouring their footemen but as it chanced they fought vnfortunately For Hugh being vnarmed and immediatly rushing into the middest of all dangers and after his woonted manner inuading and wounding the infidels being behinde with an arrowe shot through the backe which pierced thorough his liuer and brest he gaue vp the ghost in the handes of his owne people Hereupon the troopes of the Gentiles being returned with the recouered pray and being deuided through the secret and hard passages of the craggie hilles the souldiers brought the dead bodie of Hugh which they had put in a litter into the citie of Nazareth which is by the mount Thaber where with great mourning and lamentation so worthie a prince and valiant champian was honourably and Catholikely interred The brother of the said Hugh named Gerrard the same time lay sicke of a grieuous disease Which hearing of the death of his brother his sicknesse of his body increasing more vehemently through griefe he also deceased within eight dayes after and
aliue which being once knowen in the citie of Achon as it was a great discomfort to them so it was a great helpe to the Christians for winning the citie The next day aster which was the seuenth of Iune king Richard came to Achon which at that time had bene long besieged by the Christians After whose comming it was not long but the Pagans within the citie seeing their wals to be vndermined and towers ouerthrowen were driuen by composition to escape with life and limme to surrender the citie to the two kings Another great helpe to the Christians in winning the citie was this In the said city of Achon there was a secret Christian among the Saracens who in time of the siege thereof vsed at sundry times to cast ouer the wals into the campe of the Christians certaine bils written in Hebrue Greeke and Latine wherein he disclosed to the Christians from time to time the doings and counsels of the enemies aduertising them how and what way they should worke and what to beware and alwayes his letters began thus In nomine Patris Filij Spiritus sancti Amen By reason whereof the Christians were much aduantaged in their proceedings but this was a great heauines vnto them that neither he would vtter his name nor when the citie was got did they euer vnderstand who he was To make of a long siege a short narration Upon the twelfth day of Iuly the yeere aforesaid the Princes and Captaines of the Pagans vpon agreement resorted to the tent of the Templaries to commune with the two kings touching peace and giuing vp of their citie the forme of which peace was thus 1 That the Kings should haue the citie of Achon freely and fully deliuered vnto them with all which was therein 2 That 500. captiues of the Christians should be restored to them which were in Achon 3 That the holy crosse should be to them rendred and a thousand Christian captiues with two hundreth horsemen whosoeuer they themselues would chose out of all them which were in the power of the Saladine 4 That they would giue vnto the Kings two hundreth thousand Bysants so that they themselues should remaine as pledges in the Kings hands for the performance hereof that if in fortie daies the aforesayd couenauts were not accomplished they should abide the Kings mercie touching life and limme These couenants being agreed vpon the Kings sent their souldiers and seruants into the citie to take a hundreth of the richest best of the city to close them vp in towers vnder strong keeping the residue they committed to be kept in houses and in streetes ministring vnto them according to their necessities to whom notwithstanding this they premitted that so many of them as would be baptized and receiue the faith of Christ should be free to goe whither they would wherupon many there were of the Pagans which for feare of death pretended to be baptized but afterward so soone as they could reuolted againe to the Saladine for the which it was afterward commauded by the Kings that none of them should be baptized against their wils The thirteenth day of the said moneth of Iuly King Philip of France and king Richard after they had obteined the possession of Achon deuided betweene them all things therein conteined as well the people as golde and siluer with all other furniture whatsoeuer was remaining in the citie who in deuiding the spoyle were so good caruers to themselues that the Knights and Barons had but litle to their share whereupon they began to shâw themselues somewhat discontented which being knowen of the kings they sent them answere that their wils should be satisfied The twentieth day of Iuly king Richard speaking with the French King desired him that they two with their armies would binde themselues by othe to remaine there stil in the land of Ierusalem the space of 3. yeeres for the winning and recouering againe of those countreys but he sayd he would sweare no such othe and so the next day after king Richard with his wife and sister entred into the citie of Achon and there placed himselfe in the kings pallace The French king remayning in the houses of the Templaries where he continued till the end of that moneth About the beginning of the moneth of August Philip the French king after that he and King Richard had made agreement betweene Guido Conradus the Marques about the kingdome of Ierusalem went from Achon to Tyrus notwithstanding king Richard all the Princes of the Christian armie with great intreatie desired him to tary shewing what a shame it were for him to come so farre and now to leaue vndone that for which he came and on the 3. day of August departed from Tyrus leauing the halfe part of the Citie of Achon in the hands of the aforesayd Conradus Marques After his departure the Pagans refused to keepe their couenants made who neither would restore the holy Crosse nor the money nor their captiues sending word to king Richard that if he beheaded the pledges left with him at Achon they would choppe off the heads of such captiues of the Christians as were in their hands Shortly after this the Saladine sending great gifts to king Richard requested the time limited for beheading of the captiues to be proroged but the king refused to take his gifts and to graunt his request whereupon the Saladine caused all the Christian captiues within his possession forthwith to be beheaded which was the 28. of August which albeit king Richard vnderstood yet would not he preuent the time before limitted for the execution of his prisoners being the 20. day of August vpon which day he caused the prisoners of the Saracens openly in the sight of the Saladines armie to loose their heads the number of whom came to two thousand and fiue hundreth saue onely that certaine of the principal of them he reserued for purposes and considerations especially to make exchange for the holy Crosse and certaine other of the Christian captiues After this king Richard purposed to besââge the Citie of Ioppe where by the way betwene Achon and Ioppe neere to a towne called Assur Saladine with a great multitude of his Saracens came fiercely against the kings rereward but through Gods mercifull grace in the same battell the kings warriers acquited themselues so well that the Saladine was put to flight whom the Christians pursued the space of 3. miles he lost that same day many of his Nobles Captaines in such sort as it was thought that the Saladine was not put to such confusion 40. yeres before and but one Christian Captaine called Iames Auernus in that conâlict was ouerthrowen From thence king Richard proceeding further went to Ioppe and then to Ascalon where he found first the citie of Ioppe forsaken of the Saracens who durst not abide the kings comming Ascalon the Saladine threw downe to the ground likewise forsooke the whole land
of Egypt in the yeere 1218. And then Henry the king vpon the motion of Honorius the third bishop of Rome sent thither this earle Ranulph with a great power of armed souldiers to further the enterprise of the Christians whose valure in that warre by the testimonie of Polidor Virgil was marueilously commended of all men After the end of which businesse he being returned into his countrey wrote a booke of the lawes of England It is also reported that he wrote other books but time the destroyer of many memorials hath taken them from vs. He flourished in the yeere after the natiuity of Christ 1230 being very aged and in the reigne of K. Henry the third The voyage of Petrus de Rupibus bishop of VVinchester to Ierusalem in the yere of grace 1231 and in the 15 of Henry the third ANno gratiae 1231 mense verò Iulio Petrus Wintoniensis episcopus completo in terra sancta iam sere per quinquennium magnificè peregrinationis voto reuersus est in Angliam Kalendis Augusti Wintoniam veniens susceptus est cum processione solenni in sua ecclesia cathedrali The same in English IN the yere of grace 1231 and in the moneth of Iuly Peter bishop of Winchester hauing spent almost fiue whole yeres in fulfilling his vow of pilgrimage in the Holy land with great pompe returned into England about the Kalends of August and comming vnto Winchester was receiued with solemne procession into his cathedrall church The honourable and prosperous voyage of Richard earle of Cornewall brother to king Henry the third accompanied with William Longespee earle of Sarisburie and many other noble men into Syria IN the 24 yeere of king Henry the third Richard earle of Cornwall the kings brother with a nauy of ships sailed into Syria where in the warres against the Saracens he greatly aduanced the part of the Christians There went ouer with him the earle of Sarisburie William Longspee and William Basset Iohn Beauchampe Geoffrey de Lucie Iohn Neuel Geoffrey Beauchampe Peter de Brense and William Furniuall Simon Montfort earle of Leicester went ouer also the same time but whereas the earle of Cornwall tooke the sea at Marseils the earle of Leicester passed thorow Italy and tooke shipping at Brindize in Apulia and with him went these persons of name Thomas de Furniual with his brother Gerard de Furniuall Hugh Wake Almerike de S. Aumond Wiscard Ledet Punchard de Dewin and William de Dewin that were brethren Gerard Pesmes Fouke de Baugie and Peter de Chauntenay Shortly after also Iohn earle of Albemarle William Fortis and Peter de Mallow a Poictouin men for their valiancy greatly renowmed went thither leading with them a great number of Christian souldiers Matth. Paris Matth. West Holensh pag. 225. col 2. The comming of the Emperour of Constantinople called Baldwine into England in the yere 1247 out of Matthâ Paris Holensh pag. 239. vol. 2. ABout the same time Baldwine naming himselfe emperour of Constantinople came againe into England to procure some new ayd of the king towards the recouery of his empire out of the which he was expelled by the Greeks The voyage of VVilliam Longespee Earle of Sarisburie into Asia in the yeere 1248 and in the 32 yeere of the reigne of Henry the third king of England LEwis the French king being recouered of his sickenesse which he fell into in the yere 1234 vowed thereupon for a free will sacriâice to God that he if the Councell of his realme would suffer him would in his owne person visit the Holy land which matter was opened and debated in the Parliament of France held in the yeere 1247. Where at length it was concluded that the king according to his vow should take his iourney into Asia and the time thereof was also prefixed which should be after the feast of S. Iohn Baptist the next yeere ensuing At which time William Longespee a worthie warrior with the bishop of Worcester and certaine other great men in the Realme of England mooued with the example of the Frenchmen prepared themselues likewise to the same iourney It fell out in this enterprise that about the beginning of October the French king assaulted and tooke Damiata being the principall fort or hold of the Saracens in all Egypt Anno 1249. and hauing fortified the Citie with an able garrison left with the Duke of Burgundie he remooued his tents from thence to goe Eastward In whose armie followed William Longespee accompanied with a piked number of English warriors retaining vnto him But such was the disdaine of the Frenchmen against this William Longespee and the Englishmen that they could not abide them but flouted them after an opprobrious maner with English tailes insomuch that the French king himselfe had much adoe to keepe peace betweene them The originall cause of this grudge betweene them began thus There was not farre from Alexandria in Egypt a strong fort or castle replenished with great Ladies and rich treasure of the Saracens which hold it chanced the sayd William Longespee with his company of English soldiers to get more by politique dexteritie then by open force of armes wherwith he his retinue were greatly enriched When the ârenchmen had knowledge hereof they not being made priuie hereto began to conceiue an heart burning against the English souldiers could not speake well of them after that It hapned againe not long after that the sayd William had intelligence of a company of rich merchants among the Saracens going to a certaine Faire about the parts of Alexandria hauing their camels asses and mules richly loden with silkes precious iewels spices gold siluer with cart loades of other wares beside victuall and other furniture whereof the souldiers then stood in great need he hauing secret knowledge hereof gathered all the power of Englishmen vnto him that he could and so by night falling vpon the merchants some he slew with their guides and conducters some hee tooke some hee put to flight the carts with the driuers and with the oxen camels asses and mules with the whole cariage and victuals he tooke brought with him loosing in all the skirmish but one souldier and eight of his seruitors of whom notwithstanding some he brought home wounded to be cured This being knowen in the Campe foorth came the Frenchmen which all this while loytered in their pauillions and meeting this cariage by the way tooke all the foresayd praie whole to themselues rating the said William and the Englishmen for aduenturing and issuing out of the Campe without leaue or knowledge of their Generall contrary to the discipline of warre William said againe he had done nothing but he would answere to it whose purpose was to haue the spoyle deuided to the behoofe of the whole armie When this would not serue hee being sore grieued in his minde so cowardly to be spoyled of that which he so aduenturously had trauailed for went to the
marching forward till they came to a castle named Castrum peregrinorum situate vpon the sea coast and taried there that night and the next day they returned againe toward Acra In the meane season the king of Ierusalem sent vnto the noble men of Cyprus desiring them to come with speed to ayd the Christians but they would not come saying they would keepe their owne land and go no further Then prince Edward sent vnto them desiring that at hiââequest they would come and ioyne in ayd with him who immediatly thereupon came vnto him with great preparation furniture for the warres saying that at his commandement they were bound to do no lesse for that his predecessors were sometimes the gouernors of that their land and that they ought alwayes to shew their fidelity to the kings of England Then the Christians being herewith animated made a third voyage or roadâ and came as farre as the fort called Vincula sancti Petri and to S. Georgius and when they had slain certaine there not finding any to make resistance against them they reâired againe from whence they came when thus the fame of prince Edward grew amongst his enemies and that they began to stand in doubt of him they deuised among themselues how by some pollicy they might circumuent him and betray him Whereupon the prince and admirall of Ioppa sent vnto him faining himselfe vnder great deceit willing to become a Christian and that he would draw with him a great number besides so that they might be honorably entertained and vsed of the Christians This talke pleased the prince well and perswaded him to finish the thing he had so well begun by writing againe who also by the same messenger sent and wrote backe vnto him diuers times about the sâme matter whereby no mistrust should spring This messenger sayth mine author was one ex caute nutritis one of the stony hearted that neither feared God nor dreaded death The fift time when this messenger came and was of the princes sâruants searched according to the maner and custome what weapon and armour he had about him as also his purse that not so much as a knife could be seene about him he was had vp into the princes chamber and after his reuerence done he pulled out certaine letters which he deliuered the prince from his lord as he had done others before This was about eight dayes after Whitsuntide vpon a Tuesday somewhat before night at which time the prince was layed vpon his bed bare headed in his ierkin for the great heat and intemperature of the weather When the prince had read the letters it appeared by them that vpon the Saturday next following his lord would be there ready to accomplish all that he had written and promised The report of these newes by the prince to the standers by liked them well who drew somewhat backe to consult thereof amongst themselues In the meane time the mâssenger kneeling and making his obeisance to the prince questioning further with him put his hand to his belt as though he would haue pulled out sâme secret letters and suddenly he pulled out an inuenomed knife thinking to haue stroken the prince into the belly therewith as he lay but the price lifting vp his hand to defend the blow was striken a great wound into the arme and being abouâ to fetch another stroke at him the prince againe with his foot tooke him such a blow that he feld him to the ground with that the prince gate him by the hand and with such violence wrasted the knife from him that he hurt himselfe therewith on the forehead and immediatly thrust the same into the belly of the messenger and striker and slew him The princes seruants being in the next chamber not farre off hearing the bussing came with great haste running in and finding the messenger lying dead in the floore one of them tooke vp a stoole and beat out his braines whereat the prince was wroth for that he stroke a dead man and one that was killed before But the rumour of this accident as it was strange so it went soone thorowout all the Court and from thence among the common people for which they were very heauy and greatly discouraged To him came also the Captaine of the Temple and brought him a costly and precious drinke against poison least the venime of the knife should penetrate the liuely blood and in blaming wise sayd vnto him did I not tell your Grace before of the deceit and subtilty of this people Notwithstanding sayd he let your Grace take a good heart you shall not die of this wound my life for yours But straight way the Surgions and Physicians were sent for and the prince was dressed and within few dayes after the wound began to putrifie and the flesh to looke dead and blacke whereupon they that were about the prince began to mutter among themselues and were very sad and heauy Which thing he himself perceiuing said vnto them why mutter you thus among your selues what see you in me can I not be healed tell me the trueth be ye not afrayd Whereupon one sayd vnto him and it like your Grace you may be healed we mistrust not but yet it will be very painfull for you to suffer May suffering sayd he againe restore health yea sayth the other on paine of losing my head Then sayd the prince I commit my selfe vnto you doe with me what you thinke good Then sayd one of the Physicians is there any of your Nobles in whom your Grace reposeth special trust to whom the prince answered Yea naming certeine of the Noble men that stood about him Then sayd the Physician to the two whom the prince first named the Lord Edmund and the lord Iohn Voisie And doe you also faithfully loue your Lord and Prince Who answered both Yea vndoubtedly Then sayth he take you away this gentlewoman and lady meaning his wife and let her not see her lord and husband till such time as I will you thereunto Whereupon they tooke her from the princes presence crying out and wringing her hands Then sayd they vnto her Be you contented good Lady Madame it is better that one woman should weepe a little while then that all the realme of England should weepe a great season Then on the morrow they cut out all the dead and inuenimed flesh out of the princes arme and threw it from them and sayd vnto him how cheereth your Grace we promise you within these fifteene dayes you shall shew your selfe abroad if God permit vpon your horsebacke whole and well as euer you were And according to the promise he made the prince it came to passe to the no little comfort and admiration of all his subiects When the great Souldan heard hereof and that the prince was yet aliue he could scarsely beleeue the same and sending vnto him three of his Nobles and Princes excused himselfe by them calling his god to witnesse
many of them as he pleased and the rest the saide man carried vnto the place from whence he came In this citie lyeth the body of Athanasius vpon the gate of the citie And then I passed on further vnto Armenia maior to a certaine citie called Azaron which had bene very rich in olde time but nowe the Tartars haue almost layed it waste In the saide citie there was abundance of bread and flesh and of all other victuals except wine and fruites This citie also is very colde and is reported to be higher situated then any other city in the world It hath most holesome and sweete waters about it for the veines of the said waters seeme to spring and flow from the mighty riuer of Euphrates which is but a dayes iourney from the saide city Also the said citie stands directly in the way to Tauris And I passed on vnto a certaine mountaine called Sobissacalo In the foresaide countrey there is the very same mountaine whereupon the Arke of Noah rested vnto the which I would willingly haue ascended if my company would haue stayed for me Howbeit the people of that countrey report that no man could euer ascend the said mountaine because say they it pleaseth not the highest God And I trauailed on further vnto Tauris that great and royal city which was in old time called Susis This city is accompted for traffique of marchandize the chiefe city of the world for there is no kinde of victuals nor any thing else belonging vnto marchandize which is not to be had there in great abundance This city stands very commodiously for vnto it all the nations of the whole worlde in a maner may resort for traffique Concerning the said citie the Christians in those parts are of opinion that the Persian Emperour receiues more tribute out of it then the King of France out of all his dominions Neare vnto the said city there is a salt-hill yeelding salt vnto the city and of that salt ech man may take what pleaseth him not paying ought to any man therefore In this city many Christians of all nations do inhabite ouer whom the Saracens beare rule in all things Then I traueiled on further vnto a city called Soldania wherein the Persian Emperour lieth all Sommer time but in winter hee takes his progresse vnto another city standing vpon the Sea called Baku Also the foresaid city is very great and colde hauing good and holesome waters therein vnto the which also store of marchandize is brought Moreouer I trauelled with a certaine company of Carauans toward vpper India and in the way after many dayes iourney I came vnto the citie of the the three wisemen called Cassan which is a noble and renowmed city sauing that the Tartars haue destroyed a great part thereof and it aboundeth with bread wine and many other commodities From this city vnto Ierusalem whither the three foresaid wisemen were miraculously led it is fiftie dayes iourney There be many wonders in this citie also which for breuities sake I omit From thence I departed vnto a certaine city called Geste whence the Sea of Sand is distant one dayes iourney which is a most wonderfull and dangerous thing In this city there is abundance of all kinds of victuals and especially of figs reisins and grapes more as I suppose then in any part of the whole world besides This is one of the three principall cities in all the Persian Empire Of this city the Saracens report that no Christian can by any meanes liue therein aboue a yeere Then passing many dayes iourney on forward I came vnto a certaine citie called Comum which was an huge and mightie city in olde time conteyning well nigh fiftie miles in circuite and hath done in times past great damage vnto the Romanes In it there are stately palaces altogether destitute of inhabitants notwithstanding it aboundeth with great store of victuals From hence traueiling through many countreys at length I came vnto the land of Iob named Hus which is full of all kinde of victuals and very pleasantly situated Thereabouts are certaine mountaines hauing good pastures for cattell vpon them Here also Manna is found in great aboundance Foure partriges are here solde for lesse then a groat In this countrey there are most comely olde men Here also the men spin and card and not the women This land bordereth vpon the North part of Chaldea Of the maners of the Chaldaeans and of India FRom thence I traueled into Chaldea which is a great kingdome and I passed by the tower of Babel This region hath a language peculiar vnto it selfe and there are beautifull men and deformed women The men of the same countrey vse to haue their haire kempt and trimmed like vnto our women and they weare golden turbants vpon their heades richly set with pearle and pretious stones The women are clad in a course smock onely reaching to their knees and hauing long sleeues hanging downe to the ground And they got bare-footed wearing breeches which reach to the ground also They weare no attire vpon their heads but their haire hangs disheaueled about their ââres and there be many other strange things alâo From thence I came into the lower India which the Tartars ouerran and wasted And in this countrey the people eat dates for the most part whereof 42. li. are there sold for lesse then a groat I passed further also many dayes iourney vnto then Ocean sea and the first land where I arriued is called Ormes being well fortified and hauing great store of marchandize and treasure therein Such and so extreme is the heat in that countrey that the priuities of men come out of their bodies and hang downe euen vnto their mid-legs And therefore the inhabitants of the same place to preserue their owne liues do make a certaine ointment and anointing their priuie members therewith do lap them vp in certaine bags fastened vnto their bodies for otherwise they must needs die Here also they vse a kinde of Bark or shippe called Iase being compact together onely with hempe And I went on bourd into one of them wherein I could not finde any yron at all and in the space of 28. dayes I arriued at the city of Thana wherein foure of our Friers where martyred for the faith of Christ. This countrey is well situate hauing abundance of bread and wine and of other victuals therein This kingdome in olde time was very large and vnder the dominion of king Porus who fought a great battel with Alexander the great The people of this countrey are idolaters worshipping fire serpents and trees And ouer all this land the Saracens do beare rule who tooke it by maine force and they themselues are in subiection vnto king Daldilus There be diuers kinds of beasts as namely blacke lyons in great abundance and apes also and monkeis and battes as bigge as our doues Also there are mise as bigge as our
for then his soule should suffer great torments neither could I by any meanes remooue them from that errour Many other nouelties and strange things there bee in this countrey which no man would credite vnles he saw them with his owne eyes Howbeit I before almighty God do here make relation of nothing but of that only whereof I am as sure as a man may be sure Concerning the foresaid islands I inquired of diuers wel-experienced persons who al of them as it were with one consent answered me saying That this India contained 4400. islands vnder it or within it in which islands there are sixtie and foure crowned kings and they say moreouer that the greater part of those islands are wel inhabited And here I conclude coÌcerning that part of India Of the vpper India and of the prouince of Mancy FIrst of al therefore hauing traueled many dayes iourney vpoÌ the Ocean-sea toward the East at length I arriued at a certaine great prouince called Mancy being in Latine named India Concerning this India I inquired of Christians of Saracens of Idolaters and of al such as bare any office vnder the great Can. Who all of them with one consent answered that this prouince of Mancy hath mo then 2000. great cities within the precincts thereof that if aboundeth with all plenty of victuals as namely with bread wine rise flesh and fish All the men of this prouince be artificers marchants who though they be in neuer so extreme penurie so long as they can helpe themselues by the labor of their hands wil neuer beg almes of any man The men of this prouince are of a faire and comely personage but somewhat pale hauing their heads shauen but a litle but the women are the most beautiful vnder the sunne The first city of y e said India which I came vnto is called Ceuskalon which being a daies iourney distant froÌ the sea stands vpon a riuer the water whereof nere vnto the mouth where it exonerateth it selfe into the sea doth ouârflow the land for the space of 12. daies iourney All the inhabitants of this India are worshippers of idols The foresaid city of Ceuskalon hath such an huge nauy belonging thereunto that no man whould beleeue it vnlesse he should see it In this city I saw 300. li. of good new ginger sold for lesse then a groat There are the greatest and the fairest greese most plenty of them to be sold in al the whole world as I suppose they are as white as milke and haue a bone vpon the crowne of their heads as bigge as an egge being of the colour of blood vnder their throat they haue a skin or bag hanging downe halfe a foot They are exceeding fat wel sold. Also they haue ducks and hens in that country one as big as two of ours There be moÌstrous great serpents likewise which are taken by the inhabitants eaten whereupon a solemne feast among them without serpents is nought set by and to be briefe in this city there are al kinds of victuals in great abundance From thence I passed by many cities at length I came vnto a city named Caitan wherin y e friers Minorites haue two places of aboad vnto the which I transported the bones of the dead friers which suffred martyrdom for the faith of Christ as it is aboue mentioned In this city there is abundance of al kind of victuals very cheap The said city is as big as two of Bononia in it are many monasteries of religious persons al which do worship idols I my selfe was in one of those Monasteries it was told me that there were in it iii. M. religious men hauing xi M. idols and one of y e said idols which seemed vnto me but litle in regard of the rest was as big as our Christopher These religious men euery day do feed their idol-gods wherupon at a certaine time I went to behold the banquet and indeed those things which they brought vnto them were good to eat fuming hote insomuch that the steame of the smoke thereof ascended vp vnto their idols they said that their gods were refreshed with the smoke howbeit all the meat they conueyed away eating it vp their owne selues and so they fed their dumb gods with the smoke onâly Of the citie Fuco TRaueling more eastward I came vnto a city named Fuco which conteineth 30. miles in circuit wherin be exceeding great faire cocks and al their hens are as white as the very snow hauing wol in stead of feathers like vnto sheep It is a most stately beautiful city standeth vpon the sea Then I went 18. daies iourney on further passed by many prouinces cities and in the way I went ouer a certain great mountaine vpon y e one side whereof I beheld al liuing creatures to be as black as a cole the men and women on that side differed somwhat in maner of liuing froÌ others howbeit on the other side of the said hil euery liuing thing was snow-white the inhabitants in their maner of liuing were altogether vnlike vnto others There all maried women cary in token that they haue husbands a great trunke of horne vpon their heads From thence I traueiled 18. dayes iourney further and came vnto a certaine great riuer and entered also into a city whereunto belongeth a mighty bridge to passe the said riuer And mine hoste with whom I soiourned being desirous to shew me some sport said vnto me Sir if you will see any fish taken goe with me Then hee led me vnto the foresaid bridge carying in his armes with him certaine diue-doppers or water-foules bound vnto a company of poles and about euery one of their necks he tied a threed least they should eat the fish as fast as they tooke them and he caried 3. great baskets with him also then loosed he the diue-doppers from the poles which presently went into the water within lesse then the space of one houre caught as many fishes as filled the 3. baskets which being full mine hoste vntyed the threeds from about their neckes and entering the second time into the riuer they fed themselues with fish and being satisfied they returned and suffered themselues to be bound vnto the saide poles as they were before And when I did eate of those fishes me thought they were exceeding good Trauailing thence many dayes iourneys at length I arriued at another city called Canasia which signifieth in our language the city of heauen Neuer in all my life did I see so great a citie for it conteineth in circuit an hundreth miles nâithââ sawe I any plot thereof which was not throughly inhabited yea I sawe many houses of tenne or twelue stories high one aboue another It hath mightie large suburbs containing more people then the citie it selfe Also it hath twelue principall gates and about the distance of eight miles in the high
way vnto âuery one of the saide gates standeth a city as big by estimation as Venice and Padua The foresaid city of Canasia is situated in waters or marshes which alwayes stand still neither ebbing nor flowing howbeit it hath a defence for the winde like vnto Venice In this citie there are mo then 10002. bridges many whereof I numbred and passed ouer them and vpon euery of those bridges stand certaine watchmen of the citie keeping continuall watch and ward about the said city for the great Can the Emperour of Catay The people of this countrey say that they haue one duetie inioyned vnto them by their lord for euery fire payeth one Balis in regard of tribute and a Balis is fiue papers or pieces of silke which are worth one floren and an halfe of our coine Tenne or twelue housholds are accompted for one fire and so pay tribute but for one fire onely Al those tributary fires amount vnto the number of 85. Thuman with other foure Thuman of the Saracens which make 89. in al And one Thuman coÌsisteth of 10000. fires The residue of the people of the city are some of them Christians some marchants and some traueilers through the countrey whereupon I marueiled much howe such an in infinite number of persons could inhabite and liue together There is great aboundance of victuals in this citie as namely of bread and wine and especially of hogs-flesh with other necessaries Of a Monastery where many strange beastes of diuers kindes doe liue vpon an hill IN the foresaide citie foure of our friers had conuerted a mighty and riche man vnto the faith of Christ at whose house I continually abode for so long time as I remained in the citie Who vpon a certaine time saide vnto me Ara that is to say Father will you goe and beholde the citie And I said yea Then embarqued we our selues and directed our course vnto a certaine great Monastery where being arriued he called a religious person with whom he was acquainted saying vnto him concerning me this Raban Francus that is to say this religious Frenchman commeth from the Westerne parts of the world and is now going to the city of Cambaleth to pray for the life of the great Can and therefore you must shew him some rare thing that when hee returnes into his owne countrey he may say this strange sight or nouelty haue I seâne in the city of Canasia Then the said religious man tooke two great baskets full of broken reliques which remained of the table and led me vnto a little walled parke the doore whereof he vnlocked with his key and there appeared vnto vs a pleasant faire greene plot into the which we entred In the said greene stands a litle mount in forme of a steeple râplenished with fragrant herbes and fine shady trees And while we stood there he tooke a cymball or bell and rang therâwith as they vse to ring to dinner or beuoir in cloisters at the sound whereof many creatures of diuers kinds came downe from the mount some like apes some like cats some like monkeys and some hauing faces like men And while I stood beholding of them they gathered themselues together about him to the number of 4200. of those creatures putting themselues in good order before whom he set a platter and gaue them the said fragments to eate And when they had eaten he rang vpon his cymbal the second time and they al returned vnto their former places Then wondring greatly at the matter I demanded what kind of creatures those might be They are quoth he the soules of noble men which we do here feed for the loue of God who gouerneth the world and as a man was honorable or noble in this life so his soule after death entreth into the body of some excellent beast or other but the soules of simple and rusticall people do possesse the bodies of more vile and brutish creaures Then I began to refute that foule error howbeit my speach did nothing at all preuaile with him for hee could not be perswaded that any soule might remaine without a body From thence I departed vnto a certaine citie named Chilenfo the walls whereof conteined 40. miles in circuit In this city there are 360. bridges of stone the fairest that euer I saw and it is wel inhabited hauing a great nauie belonging thereunto abounding with all kinds of victuals and other commodities And thence I went vnto a certaine riuer called Thalay which where it is most narrow is 7. miles broad and it runneth through the midst of the land of Pygmaei whose chiefe city is called Cakam and is one of the goodliest cities in the world These Pigmaeans are three of my spans high and they make larger and better cloth of cotten and silke then any other nation vnder the sunne And coasting along by the saide riuer I came vnto a certaine citie named Ianzu in which citie there is one receptacle for the Friers of our order and there be also three Churches of the Nestorlans This Ianzu is a noble and great citie containing 48 Thuman of tributarie fiers and in it are all kindes of victuals and great plenty of such beastes oules and fishes as Christians doe vsually liue vpon The lord of the same citie hath in yeerely reuenues for salt onely fiftie Thuman of Balis and one balis is worth a floren and a halfe of our coyne insomuch that one Thuman of balis amounteth vnto the value of fifteene thousand florens Howbeit the sayd lord fauoureth his people in one respect for sometimes he forgiueth them freely two hundred Thuman least there should be any scarcity or dearth among them There is a custome in this citie that when any man is determined to banquet his friends going about vnto certaine tauernes or cookes houses appointed for the same purpose he sayth vnto euery particular hoste you shall haue such and such of my friendes whom you must intertaine in my name and so much I will bestowe vpon the banquet And by that meanes his friendes are better feasted at diuerse places then they should haue beene at one Tenne miles from the sayde citie about the head of the foresayd riuer of Thalay there is a certaine other citie called Montu which hath the greatest nauy that I saw in the whole world All their ships are as white as snow and they haue banqueting houses in them and many other rare things also which no man would beleeue vnlesse he had seene them with his owne eyes Of the citie of Cambaleth TRaueiling eight dayes iourney further by diuers territories and cities at length I came by fresh water vnto a certaine citie named Lencyn standing vpon the riuer of Karauoran which runneth through the midst of Cataie and doeth great harme in the countrey when it ouerfloweth the bankes or breaketh foorth of the chanell From thence passing along the riuer Eastward after many dayes trauell and the sight of diuers cities I
to yeeld the towne Notwithstanding he sayd the people had ordained two men among them for to goe to the great Turke to speake of their particular doings and to haue some suretie of their persons wiues and children to the ende that it were not done to them as to those of Bellegrado The sayd Acmek led the three ambassadours toward the great Turke And when they were entered into the pauillion the sayde messire Passin made the report of his ambassade to the sayd lord and sayd that the great master yeelded him the towne vnder the promise made by his Imperiall maiestie with the treatie promised Of the which promise hee held him sure and certaine and that hee would doe no lesse howbeit the people had required him to giue them licence to goe to his maiestie for to aske some request of him Then the two citizens besought the great Turke that he would for suretie remooue his campe from the towne to the ende that they should haue no maner of harme to their bodies nor goods and that they that would goe should goe and that they that would abide still might be well entreated The great Turke answered by his interpreter to messire Passin that hee accepted the towne and promised agayne vpon his faith and on his honour to the lord great master that he would performe that he had promised and sent to him by the same Passin that he should not doubt of the contrary and if he had not ships ynough for to carie his people and their goods that hee would let them haue of his and that he would deliuer the artillerie that was woont to be in the ships of y e Religion And as touching the request of the people he sayd that he would remooue the campe and that they that would abide might abide and they should bee well entreated and should pay no tribute in fiue yeeres and their children should not be touched and who so would goe within the sayd space of fiue yeeres they should goe in good time These wordes ended our ambassadours tooke leaue of him when they were departed they spake againe with the sayd Acmek Basha for to haue a letter of the contents of the promise of the sayd lord And by his commandement the sayd letter was made where by he promised to let go the great master with all his knights strangers and men of the towne that would go with their goods without hauing displeasure of any of his people of the campe or by the wayes When the letter was made it was deliuered to messire Passin And as touching withdrawing of the campe the sayd Basha promised againe that he would do it since the great lord would so howbeit he remooued but from the trenches and some of his people went a litle way off And the sayd Basha demaunded in the Turkes behalfe that they should send to him in hostage foure and twentie knights whereof two should bee of the great Crosse and two and twentie citizens And the sayd lord should send onely a captaine with three or foure hundred Ianissaries for to keepe the towne when the campe were withdrawen And so it was done and beside this hee gaue twelue dayes respite to the lord great master to prepare him and depart out of Rhodes And in conclusion all this done our ambassadours returned and made the report to the reuerend great master of all that they had done and practised with the great Turke and the sayd Basha and gaue him the letter for to goe surely Then the great master with his counsell ordained the foure and twentie persons and other of the towne When they were readie they went to the campe where they were well intreated foure dayes During this time Ferra Basha passed froÌ the maine land to the campe with foure and twentie or fiue and twentie thousand Ianissaries which by the commaundement of the great Turke was gone vpon the borders of the countreis of the Sophie For the Turke seeing the people of the campe discouraged and willing no more to goe to the assaults sent to the sayde Basha to come to Rhodes with his people which would haue withstood vs sore as fresh men And it was the worke of God and a wonderfull myracle that they came after that the appointment was made for if they had come afore it is to be supposed that the deed had gone otherwise and there had bene many strokes giuen but I beleeue that the ende should haue bene pitious for vs but God would not that the Turke should haue victory vpon vs as hee might haue had seeing the great aduauntage that he had in all things but he blinded him and would not that he should know his might And on the other part it may be said and marueiled how it was possible alway to haue ouercome our enemies in all assaults skirmishes and at the end to loose the towne it was the will of God that so hath pleased for some cause to vs vnknowen It is to bee thought that lacke of men and gunshot and the enemies so farre within the towne and ready to enter at other places with the treasons haue caused the towne to be lost Two or three dayes after the comming of the sayd Basha his Ianissaries and other of the campe entred into the Towne which was on Christmas day within the time giuen to vs and then the Turkes word was broken if it were his will or not I cannot tell Neuerthelesse there was no sword drawen and in that respect promise was kept But they made pillage and entered by force into the houses of the castle and tooke all that they might and would After that they had ransacked the houses they entered into the churches and pilled all that they found and brake the images And there was no crucifix nor figure of our lady nor of other saints that were left whole Then with great inhumanitie they went into the hospitall of poore and sicke folke called the Fermorie and tooke all the siluer vessell that the sicke folke were serued with and raised them out of their beds and droue them away some with great strokes and staues and some were cast downe from the galleries When these hounds had done that acte they went to the church of saint Iohn and tooke downe the tombes of the great masters and sought if there were any treasure hid in them and they forced certaine women and maidens And all they that were christened and had bene Turkes afore were they men women or children and children that the sayd men had made christians they led into Turkie which thing is of greater importance then any of the other The morrow after Christmas day the reuerend lord great master went to the great Turkes pauillion for to visite him and to be better assured of his promise the which lord he made to be wel gratiously receiued And he signified vnto him by his interpreter that the case so happened to him was a thing vsuall and common as to
in the sea and ioineth on the North side to the land It hath a litle castle built into the sea with a peere for litle ships and galleis to harbour in It hath on the South side of the chanell the Island of Sapientia with other litle Islands all disinhabited The chanell lieth Southwest and Northeast betweene the Islands and Morea which is firme land This Modon was built by the Venetians but as some say it was taken froÌ them by force of the Turke and others say by composition in like case Coron and Napolis de Romania which is also in Morea This night the Flemmish pilgrimes being drunke would haue slaine the patrone because he ankered here The 11. day we set saile againe and as we passed by Modon we saluted them with ordiâance for they that passe by this place must salute with ordinance if they haue or els by striking their top sailes for if they doe not the towne will shoot at them This day towaâd 2. of the clocke wee passed by the Island of Prodeno which is but litle and desert vnder the Turke About 2. houres before night we had sight of the Islands of Zante and Cephalonia which are from Modon one hundreth miles The 12. day in the morning with the wind at West we doubled between Castle Torneste and the Island of Zante This castle is on the firme land vnder the Turke This night we ankred afore the towne of Zante where we that might went on land and rested there the 13. 14. and 15. at night we were warâed aboord by the patrone This night the ship tooke in vitailes and other necessaries The 16. in the morning we set saile with a prosperous wind and the 17. we had sight of Cauo de santa Maria in Albania on our right hand and Corfu on the left hand This night we ankered before the castles of Corfu and went on land and refreshed our selues The 18. by meanes of a friend we were licenced to enter the castle or fortresse of Corfu which is not onely of situation the strongest I haue seene but also of edification It hath for the Inner warde two strong castles situated on the top of two high cragges of a rocke a bowe shoot distant the one from the other the rocke is vnassaultable for the second warde it hath strong walles with rampiers and trenches made as well as any arte can deuise For the third warde and vttermost it hath very strong walles with rampires of the rocke it selfe cut out by force and trenched about with the Sea The bulwarkes of the vttermost warde are not yet finished which are in number but two there are continually in the castle seuen hundred souldiours Also it hath continually foure wardes to wit for the land entrie one for the sea entrie another and two other wardes Artillerie and other munition of defence alwayes readie planted it hath sufficient besides the store remaining in their storehouses The Venetians hold this for the kây of all their dominions and for strength it may be no lesse This Island is very fruitfull and plentifull of wine and corne very good and oliues great store This Island is parted from Albania âith a chanell in some places eight and ten and in other but three miles Albania is vnder the Turke but iâ it are many Christians All the horsemen of Corfu are Albaneses the Island is not aboue 80. or 90. miles in compasse The 19.20 and 21. we remained in the towne of Corfu The 22. day wee went aboord and set saile the wind being very calme wee toed the ship all that day and toward Sunne set the castle sent a Fragatta vnto vs to giue vs warning of three Foistes comming after vs for whose comming wee prepared and watched all night but they câme not The 23. day in the morning being calme wee toed out of the Streight vntill wee came to the olde towne whereof there is nothing standing but the walles There is also a new Church of the Greekes called Santa Maria di Cassopo and the townes name is called Cassopo It is a good porte About noone wee passed the Streight and ârew toward the ende of the Island hauing almost no wind This night after supper by reason of a certaine Hollander that was drunke there arose in the ship such a troublesome disturbance that all the sâip was in an vprore with weapons and had it not bene rather by Gods helpe and the wisedome and patience of the patrone more then by our procurement there had bene that night a great slaughter But as God would there was no hurt but onely the beginner was put vnder hatches and with the fall hârt his face very sore All this night the wind blew at Southeast and sent vs forward The 24. in the morning wee found our selues before an Island called Saseno which is in the entrie to Valona and the wind prosperous The 25. day we were before the hils of Antiueri and about sunne set wee passed Ragusa and three houres within night we ankered within Meleda hauing Sclauonia or Dalmatia ân the right hand of vs and the winde Southwest The 26 in the morning we set sayle and passed the channell between Sclauonia and Meleda which may be eight mile ouer at the most This Iland is vnder the Raguses At after noone with a hard gale at west and by north we entered the channell betweene the Iland Curzola and the hilles of Dalmatia in the which channell be many rockes and the channell not past 3 miles ouer and we ankered before the towne of Curzola This is a pretie âowne walled about and built vpon the sea side hauing on the toppe of a round hill a faire Church This Iland is vnder the Ueneâians there grow very good vines also that part toward Dalmatia is well peopled and husbanded especially for wines In the said Iland we met with the Uenetian armie to wit tenne gallies and three foysâes All that night we remained there The 27 we set sayle and passed along the Iland and towards aftârnoone we passed in before the Iland of Augusta and about sunne set before the towne of Lesina whereas I am informed by the Italians they take all the Sardinas that they spend in Italy This day we had a prosperous winde at Southeast The Iland of Lesina is vnder the Uenetians a very fruitfull Iland adioyning to the maine of Dalmatia we left it on our right hand and passed along The 28 in the morning we were in the Gulfe of Quernero and about two houres after noone we were before the cape of Istria and at sunne set we were at anker afore Rouignio whiâh is also in Istria and vnder the Uenetians where all ships Uenetian and others are bound by order from Venice to take in their Pilots to goe for Venice All the sommer the Pilots lie at Rouignio and in winter at Parenzo
this kingdome and haue kept and enioyed the same almost this hundred yeeres Now this great Turke called Sultan Selim in the right of the Soldan of AEgypt whom his grandfather called also Sultan Selim conquered pretendeth a right title vnto it and now as you may vnderstand by reading of this short Treatise hath by conquest obtained the same Whom I pray the euerliuing God if it be his holy will shortly to root out from thence To the Reader I Am not ignorant gentle Reader how hard a matter it is for any one man to write that which should please and satisfie all persons we being commonly of so diuers opinions and contrary iudgements againe Tully affirmeth it to be a very difficult thing to finde out any matter which in his owne kinde may be in all respects perfect Wherefore I trust by your owne iudgement I ought of reason to be the sooner pardoned my translation being precisely tied to mine authours meaning if any thing heerein besides be thought to be wanting I haue learned by the way how comberous a thing it is to turne the selfesame matter out of the Italian language into our countrey speech But who so doeth what he possiâly can is bound to no more And I now at the request of others who put me in minde that I was not onely borne vnto my selfe haue accomplished that in the ende which I promised and was required With what paine and diligence I referre me to them which are skilfull in the Italian tongue or may the better iudge if it please them to trie the same casting aside this exampler I speake it not arrogantly I take God to witnesse but mens painefull trauels ought not lightly to be condemned nor surely at any time are woont to be of the learned or discreet By whose gentle acceptation if these my present doings be now supported I will perswade my selfe that I haue reaped sufficient fruit of my trauell Vnto whome with all my heart I wish prosperous successe in all their affaires Ann. Dom. 1572. W. M. In Turchas precatio SVmme Deus succurre tuis miseresce tuorum Et subeat gentis te noua cura tuae Quem das tantorum fiâem Rex magne laborum In nos vibrabit tela quoúsque Sathan Antè Rhodum mox inde Chium nunc denique Cyprian Turcharum cepit sanguinolenta manus Mustafa foedifragus partes grassatur in omnes Et Veneta Cypriam strage cruentat humum Nec finem imponit sceleri mollitùe furorem Nec nisi potato sanguine pastus abit Qualis quae nunquam nisi plena tuménsque cruore Sanguisuga obsessam mittit hirudo cutem Torturam sequitur tortura cruorque cruorem Et caedem admissam caedis alîus amor Saeuit inops animi nec vel se temperat ipse Vel manus indomitum nostra domare potest At tu magne Pater tumidum disperde Tyrannum Nec sine mactare semper ouile tuum Exulet hoc monstrum ne sanguine terra redundet Excutiántque nouum Cypria regna iugum Et quòd Christicolae foedus pepigere Monarchae Id faustum nobis omnibus esse velis Tupugna illorum pugnas bella secundes Captiuósque tibi subde per arma Scythas Sic tua per totum fundetur gloria mundum Vnus sic Christus fiet vna fides Gulielmus Malim The true report of all the successe of Famagusta made by the Earle Nestor Martiningo vnto the renowmed Prince the Duke of Venice THe sixteenth day of February 1571 the fleet which had brought the ayde vnto Famagusta departed from thence whereas were found in all the army but foure thousand footmen eight hundred of them chosen souldiers and three thousand accounting the Citizens and other of the Uillages the rest two hundred in number were souldiers of Albania Aâter the arriuall of the which succour the fortification of the City went more diligently forward of all hands then it did before the whole garison the Grecian Citizens inhabiting the Towne the Gouernours and Captaines not withdrawing themselues from any kinde of labour for the better incouragement and good example of others both night and day searching the watch to the intent with more carefull heed taking they might beware of their enemies against whom they made no sally out of the City to skirmish but very seldome especially to vnderstand when they might learne the intent of the enemies Whilest we made this diligent prouision within the Citie the Turks without made no lesse preparation of all things necessary fit to batter the fortresse withall as in bringing out of Caramania and Syria with all speed by the Sea many woollpacks a grâat ââantitie of wood and timber diuers pieces of artillery engins and other things expedient for their purpose At the beginning of April Halli Basha landed there with fourscore gallies or thereabout in his company who brought thither that which of our enemies was desired who soone aâter departing from thence and leauing behinde him thirty gallies which continually transported souldiours munition fresh victuals and other necessaries besides a great number of Caramusalins or Brigandines great Hulkes called Maones and large broad vessels termed of them Palandrie which continually passed to and fro betweene Cyprus and Syria and other places thereabout which they did with great speed standing in feare of the Christan army And about the middest of the same moneth the Turkes caused to be brought out of the Citie of Nicosia which they had woone a little before fifteene pieces of artillery and raising their army from whence they were before making ditches and trenches necessary incamped themselues in gardens and toward the West part of Famagusta neere a place called Precipola The fiue and twentieth day of the same moneth they raised vp mounts to plant their artillery vpon and caused trenches to be made for harquebuzers one very nigh another approching still very neere the Citie in such order as was almost impossible to stay the same fortie thousand of their Pioners continually labouring there the most part of all the night The intent of the enemie being then knowen and in what part of the Citie he minded most to plant his battery we tooke diligent heed on the other part to repaire and fortifie all places necessary within For the which cause wee placed a great watch in that way which was couered with a counterscharfe and in the sallies of their priuy Posterâes for the defence of the said counterscharfe there were new flanckerâ made also Trauerses called Butterisses made vpon the Cortaine with one trench of Turâes two foot high and broad the which was made on that side of the wall of the Citie which was already battered with the shot of the Turkes with certaine loope holes for our Harquebuzers by the which they defended the counterscharfe Two noble personages Bragadino and Baglione personally tooke this charge on them by the which meanes the Christian affaires passed in very good order All the bread for our
Giambelat Bey the Sangiaccho of Tripolis the Begliarbei of Greece the Bassa of Sciuassi and of Marasco Ferca Framburaro the Sangiaccho of Antipo Soliman Bey three Sangiacchos of Arabia Mustafa Bey generall of the Uenturers Fergat gouernour of Malathia the Framburaro of Diuerie the Sangiaccho of Arabia and other Sangiacchos of lesser credite with the number of fourescore thousand persons besides as by the muster made by his Commission might well appeare The Framburaro which was at Rhodes was appointed and left gouernour at Famagusta and the report was that there should bee left in all the Island of Cyprus twentie thousand persons with two thousand horses many of the which I saw being very leane and euill appoynted for seruice It seemeth also a thing not impertinent to the matter to signifie to you how I by the especiall grace of God was deliuered out of their cruel hands I hauing paied within two fortie dayes all the which time I was slaue fiue hundred Zechins for my ransome to him whose prisoner I was by the meanes of the Consul for the French merchants a ligier then at Tripolis who a litle before came from Tripolis in Syria vnto Cyprus into the Turkes campe Yet for all that I had paied this summe of money to him hee would not so set me at libertie but fed mee vp still with faire wordes and promised mee that hee would first bring mee vnto his gouernement which abutted vpon a piece of the famous riuer of Euphrates and afterward dismisse me The which malice and falsehood of his I perceiuing determined with my selfe to giue him the slip and to flee so I waiting my time and repairing often to the Citie at length met with a small Fisher boate of the which a poore Grecian was Owner and master with whom in one night with two onely dares and a small saile made of two shirts I passed ouer from Cyprus vnto Tripolis being a very great danger of drowning whereas I remained in couert in the house of certaine Christians vntill the fiue and twentie of September at what time I departed from thence in a little French shippe called Santa Victor which came into these partes and as wee rode wee touched at a part of Cyprus Westward called Capo delle Garte where as I came on land and talking with certaine of the inhabitants of the Uillages who were then by chaunce a Hauking demaunded of them how they were intreated of the Turkes and after what sort the Island was tilled to the which they answered that they could not possiblie bee in worse pickle then they were at that present not enioying that quietly which was their owne being made villaines and slaues and almost alwayes carying away the Bastonados so that now they sayd they knew by triall too perfectly the pleasant and peaceable gouernment of the Christians wishing and praying God that they might shortly returne And concerning the tillage of the Island they made answere moreouer that no part of it was plowed or laboured sauing onely that mountaine which was towards the West and that because they were litle troubled with the crueltie of the Turkes but as for the plaine and East part of the Island there was small seede sowen therein but became in a maner desert there being left but few inhabitants and lesse store of cattell there Afterward wee departing from thence arriued in Candia I for my part being clothed in sackecloth whereas soone after by the great curtesie of the right honourable Signior Latino Orsino I was new apparelled accordingly friendly welcommed and my necessitie relieued From whence I shortly after sayling in a Cypriottes ship thankes be to almightie God arriued in this Citie in health and âm safely come home now at the honorable feete of your highnesse The Captains of the Christians slaine in Famagusta THe lord Estor Baglione The lord Aluigi Martinengo The lord Federico Baglione The knight of Asta Uicegouernor The capitaine Dauid Noce Master of the Campe. The capitaine Meani of Perugia Serieant Maior The earle Sigismond of Casoldo The earle Francesco of Lobi of Cremona The captaine Francesco Troncauilla The captaine Hannibal Adamo of Fermo The captaine Scipio of the citie of Castello The captaine Charles Ragonasco of Cremona The captaine Francesco Siraco The captaine Roberto Maluezzo The captaine Caesar of Aduersa The captaine Bernardin of Agubio The captaine Francesco Bugon of Verona The captaine Iames of Fabiano The captaine Sebastian del Sole of Florence The captaine Hector of Brescia the successour to the captaine Caesar of Aduersa The captaine Flaminio of Florence successor vnto Sebastian del Sole The captaine Erasmus of Fermo successor to the captaine of Cernole The captaine Bartholomew of Cernole The captaine Iohn Battista of Riuarole The captaine Iohn Francesco of Venice The names of Christians made slaues THe Earle Herocles Martinengo with Iulius Caesar Ghelfo a Souldiour of Bressa The earle Nestor Martinengo which fled The captaine Marco Criuellatore The lord Herocles Malatesta The captaine Peter Conte of Montalberto The captaine Horatio of Veletri The captaine Aluigi Pezano The Conte Iames of Corbara The captaine Iohn of Istria The captaine Soldatelli of Agubio The captaine Iohn of Ascoli The captaine Antonie of the same towne The captaine Sebastian of the same towne The captaine Salgano of the citie of Castello The captaine Marcheso of Fermo The captaine Iohn Antonio of Piacenza The captaine Carletto Naldo The captaine Lorenzo Fornaretti The captaine Barnardo of Brescia The captaine Barnardino Coco The captaine Simon Bagnese successour to the captaine Dauid Noce The captaine Tiberio Ceruto successor vnto Conte Sigismond The captaine Ioseph of Lanciano successour vnto captaine Francesco Troncauilla The captaine Morgante successor to captain Hannibal The Lieutenant successour vnto the captaine Scipio The Standerdbearer successour to captaine Roberto The captaine Ottauio of Rimini successour to the captaine Francesco Bugon The captaine Mario de Fabiano successour to captaine Iacomo The captaine Francesco of Venice successour vnto captaine Antonio The captaine Matteo of Capua The captaine Iohn Maria of Verona The captaine Mancino The Fortifiers Iohn Marmori slaine The knight Maggio slaue Turkish Captaines at Famagusta MVstafa Generall The Bassa of Aleppo The Bassa of Natolia slaine Musafer Bassa of Nicosia The Bassa of Caramania The Aga of the Giannizers Giambelat Bey The Sangiaccho of Tripolis slaine The Begliarbei of Greece The Bassa of Sciuassi and Marasco Ferca Framburaro The Sangiaccho of Antipo slaine Soliman Bey slaine Three Sangiacchos of Arabia slaine Mustafa Bey General of the Venturers slain Fergat ruler of Malathia slaine The Framburaro of Diuerie slaine The woorthy enterprise of Iohn Foxe an English man in deliuering 266. Christians out of the captiuitie of the Turkes at Alexandria the 3. of Ianuarie 1577. AMong our merchants here in England it is a common voiage to traffike into Spaine whereunto a ship being called The three halfe Moones manned with 38. men and well fensed with munitions
the better to encounter their enemies withall and hauing wind tide set from Portsmouth 1563. and bended her iourney toward Siuill a citie in Spaine intending there to trafique with them And falling neere the Streights they perceiued theÌselues to be beset round with eight gallies of the Turkes in such wise that there was no way for theÌ to flie or escape away but that either they must yeeld or els be sunke Which the owner perceiuing manfully encouraged his company exhorting them valiantly to shew their manhood shewing them that God was their God and not their enemies requesting them also not to faint in seeing such a heape of their enemies ready to deuour them putting them in mind also that if it were Gods pleasure to giue them into their enemies hands it was not they y t ought to shew one displeasant looke or countenance there against but to take it patiently not to prescribe a day and time for their deliuerance as the citizens of Bethulia did but to put themselues vnder his mercy And againe if it were his mind and good will to shew his mighty power by theÌ if their enemies were ten times so many they were not able to stand in their hands putting them likewise in mind of the old and ancient woorthinesse of their countreymen who in the hardest extremities haue alwayes most preuailed and gone away conquerors yea and where it hath bene almost impossible Such quoth he hath bene the valiantnesse of our countreymen and such hath bene the mightie power of our God With other like incouragements exhorting them to behaue themselues manfully they fell all on their knees making their prayers briefly vnto God who being all risen vp againe perceiued their enemies by their signes and defiances bent to the spoyle whose mercy was nothing els but crueltie whereupon euery man tooke him to his weapon Then stood vp one Groue the master being a comely man with his sword and target holding them vp in defiance agaynst his enemies So likewise stood vp the Owner the Masters mate Boateswaine Purser and euery man well appointed Nowe likewise sounded vp the drums trumpets and flutes which would haue encouraged any man had he neuer so litle heart or courage in him Then taketh him to his charge Iohn Foxe the gunner in the disposing of his pieces in order to the best effect and sending his bullets towards the Turkes who likewise bestowed their pieces thrise as fast toward the Christians But shortly they drew neere so that the bowmen fel to their charge in sending forth their arrowes so thicke amongst the Gallies also in doubling their shot so sore vpon the gallies that there were twise so many of the Turkes slaine as the number of the Christians were in all But the Turks discharged twise as fast against the Christians so long that the ship was very sore stricken bruised vnder water Which the Turkes perceiuing made the more haste to come aboord the Shippe which ere they could doe many a Turke bought it deerely with the losse of their liues Yet was all in vaine and boorded they were where they found so hote a skirmish that it had bene better they had not medled with the feast For the Englishmen shewed themselues men in deed in working manfully with their browne bils and halbardes where the owner master boateswaine and their company stoode to it so lustily that the Turkes were halfe dismaied But chiefly the boateswaine shewed himself valiant aboue the rest for he fared amongst the Turkes like a wood Lion for there was none of them that either could or durst stand in his face till at the last there came a shot from the Turkes which brake his whistle asunder and smote him on the brest so that he fell downe bidding them farewell to be of good comfort encouraging them likewise to winne praise by death rather then to liue captiues in misery and shame Which they hearing in deed intended to haue done as it appeared by their skirmish but the prease and store of the Turkes was so great that they were not able long to endure but were so ouerpressed that they could not wield their weapons by reason whereof they must needs be taken which none of them intended to haue bene but rather to haue died except onely the masters mate who shrunke from the skirmish like a notable coward esteeming neither the valure of his name nor accounting of the present example of his fellowes nor hauing respect to the miseries whereunto he should be put But in fine so it was that the Turks were victors whereof they had no great cause to reioyce or triumph Then would it haue grieued any hard heart to see these Infidels so violently intreating the Christians not hauing any respect of their manhood which they had tasted of nor yet respecting their owne state how they might haue met with such a bootie as might haue giuen them the ouerthrow but no remorse hereof or any thing els doth bridle their fierce and tiramious dealing but that the Christians must needs to the gallies to serue in new offices and they were no sooner in them but their garments were pulled ouer their eares and torne from their backes and they set to the oares I will make no mention of their miseries being now vnder their enemies raging stripes I thinke there is no man wil iudge their fare good or their bodies vnloden of stripes and not pestered with too much heate and also with too much cold but I will goe to my purpose which is to shew the ende of those being in meere miserie which continually doe call on God with a stedfast hope that he will deliuer them and with a sure faith that he can doe it Nigh to the citie of Alexandria being a hauen towne and vnder the dominion of the Turkes there is a roade being made very fensible with strong wals whereinto the Turkes doe customably bring their gallies on shoare euery yeere in the winter season and there doe trimme them and lay them vp against the spring time In which road there is a prison wherein the captiues such prisoners as serue in the gallies are put for all that time vntill the seas be calme and passable for the gallies euery prisoner being most grieuously laden with irons on their legges to their great paine and sore disabling of them to any labour taking Into which prison were these Christians put and fast warded all the Winter season But ere it was long the Master and the Owner by meanes of friends were redeemed the rest abiding still by the miserie while that they were all through reason of their ill vsage and worse fare miserably starued sauing one Iohn Fox who as some men can abide harder and more miserie then other some can so can some likewise make more shift and worke more deuises to helpe their state and liuing then other some can doe being somewhat skilfull in the craft of a Barbour by
that way that they were now in a newe maze thinking that God had forsaken them and left them to a greater danger And forasmuch as there were no victuals now left in the gally it might haue beene a cause to them if they had beene the Israelites to haue murmured against their God but they knew how that their God who had deliuered them out of AEgypt was such a louing and mercifull God as that hee would not suffer them to be conformded in whom he had wrought so great a wonder but what calamitie soeuer they sustained they knew it was but for their further triall and also in putting them in mind of their farther miserie to cause them not to triumph and glory in themselues therefore Hauing I say no victuals in the gally it might seeme that one miserie continually fel vpon an others neck but to be briefe the famine grew to be so great that in 28 dayes wherein they were on the sea there died eight persons to the astonishment of all the rest So it fell out that vpon the 29 day after they set from Alexandria they fell on the Isle of Candie and landed at Gallipoli where they were made much of by the Abbot and Monks there who caused them to stay there while they were well refreshed and eased They kept there the sworde wherewith Iohn Fox had killed the keeper esteeming it as a most precious iewell and hung it vp for a monument When they thought good hauing leaue to depart from thence they sayled along the coast till they arriued at Tarento where they solde their gallie and deuided it euery man hauing a part thereof The Turkes receiuing so shamefull a foile at their hand pursued the Christians and scoured the seas where they could imagine that they had bent their course And the Christians had departed from thence on the one day in the morning and seuen gallies of the Turkes came thither that night as it was certified by those who followed Fox and his companie fearing least they should haue bene met with And then they came a foote to Naples where they departed a sunder euery man taking him to his next way home From whence Iohn Fox tooke his iourney vnto Rome where he was well entertayned of an Englishman who presented his worthy deede vnto the Pope who rewarded him liberally and gaue him his letters vnto the king of Spaine where he was very well entertained of him there who for this his most worthy enterprise gaue him in fee twentie pence a day From whence being desirous to come into his owne countrie he came thither at such time as he conueniently could which was in the yeere of our Lorde God 1579. Who being come into England went vnto the Court and shewed all his trauell vnto the Councell who considering of the state of this man in that hee had spent and lost a great part of his youth in thraldome and bondage extended to him their liberalitie to helpe to maintaine him now in age to their right honour and to the incouragement of all true hearted Christians The copie of the certificate for Iohn Fox and his companie made by the Prior and the brethren of Gallipoli where they first landed VVE the Prior and Fathers of the Couent of the Amerciates of the city of Gallipoli of the order of Preachers doe testifie that vpon the 29 of Ianuary last past 1577 there came in to the said citie a certaine gally from Alexandria taken from the Turkes with two hundreth fiftie and eight Christians whereof was principal Master Iohn Fox an Englishman a gunner and one of the chiefest that did accomplish that great worke whereby so many Christians haue recouered their liberties In token and remembrance whereof vpon our earnest request to the same Iohn Fox he hath left here an olde sworde wherewith he slewe the keeper of the prison which sword we doe as a monument and memoriall of so worthy a deede hang vp in the chiefe place of our Couent house And for because all things aforesaid are such as we will testifie to be true as they are orderly passed and haue therefore good credite that so much as is aboue expressed is true and for the more faith thereof we the Prior and Fathers aforesaide haue ratified and subscribed these presents Geuen in Gallipoly the third of Februarie 1577. I Frier Vincent Barba Prior of the same place confirme the premisses as they are aboue written I Frier Albert Damaro of Gallipoly Subprior confirme as much I Frier Anthony Celleler of Gallipoly confirme as aforesaid I Frier Bartlemew of Gallipoly confirme as aboue said I Frier Francis of Gallipoly confirme as much The Bishop of Rome his letters in the behalfe of Iohn Fox BE it knowen vnto all men to whom this writing shall come that the bringer hereof Iohn Fox Englishman a Gunner after he had serued captiue in the Turkes gallies by the space of foureteene yeeres at length thorough God his helpe taking good oportunitie the third of Ianuarie last past slew the keeper of the prison whom he first stroke on the face together with foure and twentie other Turkes by the assistance of his fellow prisoners and with 266. Christians of whose libertie he was the author launched from Alexandria and from thence arriued first at Gallipoly in Candie and afterwardes at Tarento in Apulia the written testimony and credite of which things as also of others the same Iohn Fox hath in publike tables from Naples Vpon Easter eue he came to Rome and is now determined to take his iourney to the Spanish Court hoping there to obtaine some reliefe toward his liuing wherefore the poore distressed man humbly beseecheth and we in his behalfe do in the bowels of Christ desire you that taking compassion of his former captiuitie and present penurie you doe not onely suffer him freely to passe throughout all your cities and townes but also succour him with your charitable almes the reward whereof you shall hereafter most assuredly receiue which we hope you will afford to him whom with tender affection of pitie wee commende vnto you At Rome the 20 of Aprill 1577. Thomas Grolos Englishman Bishop of Astraphen Richard Silleum Prior Angliae Andreas Ludouicus Register to our Soueraigne Lord the Pope which for the greater credit of the premises haue set my seale to these presents At Rome the day and yeere aboue written Mauricius Clement the gouernour and keeper of the English Hospitall in the citie The King of Spaine his letters to the Lieutenant for the placing of Iohn Fox in the office of a Gunner TO the illustrious Prince Vespasian Gonsaga Colonna our Lieutenant and Captaine Generall of our Realme of Valentia Hauing consideration that Iohn Fox Englishman hath serued vs and was one of the most principall which tooke away from the Turkes a certaine gallie which they haue brought to Tarento wherein were two hundred fiftie and eight Christian captiues we licence him to practise and giue him
ground if a stranger meete one of them he will surely thinke by the state that she goeth with that he meeteth a Lady I departed from this Citie of Venice vpon Midsommer day being the foure and twentieth of Iune and thinking that the ship would the next day depart I stayed and lay a shippeboord all night and we were made beleeue from time to time that we should this day and that day depart but we caried still till the fourteenth of Iuly and then with scant winde wee set sayle and sayled that day and that night not aboue fiftie Italian miles and vpon the sixteene day at night the winde turned flat contrary so that the Master knewe not what to doe and about the fift houre of the night which we reckon to be about one of the clocke after midnight the Pilot descried a saile and at last perceiued it to be a Gallie of the Turkes whereupon we were in great feare The Master being a wise fellowe and a good sayler beganne to deuise howe to escape the danger and to loose litle of our way and while both he and all of vs were in our dumps God sent vs a merry gale of winde that we ranne threescore and tenne leagues before it was twelue a clocke the next day and in sixe dayes after we were seuen leagues past Zante And vpon Munday morning being the three and twentie of the same moneth we came in the sight of Candia which day the winde came contrary with great blasts and stormes vntill the eight and twentie of the same moneth in which time the Mariners cried out vpon me because I was an Englishman sayd I was no good Christian and wished that I were in the middest of the Sea saying that they and the shippe were the worse for me I answered truely it may well be for I thinke my selfe the worst creature in the worlde and consider you your selues also as I doe my selfe and then vse your discretion The Frier preached and the sermon being done I was demaunded whether I did vnderstand him I answered yea and tolde the Frier himselfe thus you saide in your sermon that we were not all good Christians or else it were not possible for vs to haue such weather to which I answered be you well assured that we are not indeede all good Christians for there are in the ship some that hold very vnchristian opinions so for that time I satisfied him although they said that I would not see when they said the procession and honoured their images and prayed to our Lady and S. Marke There was also a Gentleman an Italian which was a passenger in the ship and he tolde me what they said of me because I would not sing Salue Regina and Aue Maria as they did I told them that they that praied to so many or sought helpe of any other then of God the Father or of Iesus Christ his onely sonne goe a wrong way to worke and robbed God of his honour and wrought their owne destructions All this was told the Friers but I heard nothing of it in three daies after and then at euening prayer they sent the purser about with the image of our Lady to euery one to kisse I perceiuing it went another way from him and would not see it yet at last he fetched his course about so that he came to me offered it to me as he did to others but I refused it whereupon there was a great stirre the patron and all the friers were told of it and euery one saide I was a Lutheran and so called me but two of the friers that were of greatest authoritie seemed to beare mee better good will then the rest and trauelled to the patron in my behalfe and made all well againe The second day of August we arriued in Cyprus at a towne called Missagh the people there be very rude and like beasts and no better they eat their meat sitting vpon the ground with their legges a crosse like tailors their beds for the most part be hard stones but yet some of them haue faire mattraces to lie vpon Upon thursday the eight of August we came to Ioppa in a small barke which we hired betwixt Missagh and Salina and could not be suffered to come on land till noone the next day and then we were permitted by the great Basha who sate vpon the top of a hill to see vs sent away Being come on land we might not enter into any house for victuals but were to content our selues with our owne prouision and that which we bought to carie with vs was taken from vs. I had a paire of stirrops which I bought at Venice to serue me in my iourney and trying to make them fit for me when the Basha saw me vp before the rest of the companie he sent one to dismount me and to strike me whereupon I turned me to the Basha and made a long legge saying Grand mercie Signior and after a while we were horsed vpon litle asses and sent away with about fiftie light horsemen to be our conduct through the wildernesse called Deserta foelix who made vs good sport by the way with their pikes gunnes and fauchins That day being S. Laurence day we came to Rama which is tenne Italian miles from Ioppa and there we stayed that night and payed to the captaine of the castell euery man a chekin which is seuen shillings and two pence sterling So then we had a new gard of souldiers and left the other The house we lodged in at Rama had a doore so low to enter into that I was faine to creepe in as it were vpon my knees within it are three roomes to lodge trauellers that come that way there are no beds except a man buy a mat and lay it on the ground that is all the prouision without stooles or benches to sit vpon Our victuals were brought vs out of the towne as hennes egges bread great store of fruite as pomgranates figges grapes oringes and such like and drinke we drue out of the well The towne it selfe is so ruinated that I take it rather to be a heape of stones then a towne Then the next morning we thought to haue gone away but we could not be permitted that day so we stayed there till two of the clocke the next morning and then with a fresh gard of souldiers we departed toward Ierusalem We had not ridde fiue English miles but we were incountered with a great number of the Arabians who stayed vs and would not suffer vs to passe till they had somewhat so it cost vs for all our gard aboue twentie shillings a man betwixt Ioppa and Ierusalem These Arabians troubled vs oftentimes Our Truchman that payed the money for vs was striken downe and had his head broken because he would not giue them as much as they asked and they that should haue rescued both him and vs stood still
pidimos a Dios omnipotente prospere y accrescente con toda felicitad y honra De la ciudad de Londres a los veynte dias de Iulio del mil y quinientos y ochenta y quatro annos Al seruitio de vuestra Alteza per y en nombre de todos les tratantes en Turquia Io el Mayor de Londres Edward Osborne The same in English RIght high and mightie king May it please your highnesse to vnderstand that the most high and most mightie maiestie of the Grand Signor hath confirmed certaine articles of priuileges with the most excellent maiestie of our Queene of England that her subiects may freely go and come and traffike by sea and land in the dominions of his most mighty maiesty as appeareth more at large by y e said articles whereof we haue sent the copy vnto M. Ioh. Tipton our Commissarie to shew the same vnto your highnes Against the tenor of which articles one of our ships which came from Patras which is in Morea laden with corants and other merchandizes which were bought in those parts was sunke by 2. gallies of your citie of Alger and the greatest number of the men thereof were slain and drowned in the sea the residue being detained as slaues An acte very contrary to the meaning of the aforesaid articles and priuileges which is the occasioÌ that by these presents we beseech your highnesse very humbly that since it hath pleased the most mightie maiestie of the Grand Signor to fauour vs with the sayd priuileges it would please your Highnesse in like maner to assist vs in the same graunting vs by your authoritie your ayde and fauour according as our hope is that these poore men so detained in captiuitie as is aforesaid may be set at libertie returne into their countrey And likewise that your highnesse would send to giue order to the captaines masters and people of your gallies that from hencefoorth they would suffer vs to vse our traffique with sixe ships yerely into Turkie vnto the dominions of the Grand Signor in peace and safetie that they do not withstand those our said priuileges euery one of our foresaid ships carying with them a passeport of his most high and most mightie maiestie to be knowen by And for that your so singular fauour and curtesie which in so doing we shall receiue we on our part with all bounden duetie vnto your highnesse will seeke to honour you in that behalfe according as the sayd master Iohn Tipton to whom wee referre our selues touching all other circumstances shall more at large enforme your highnesse whose most excellent person and estate we pray and beseech almightie God to prosper and increase with all felicitie and honour From the Citie of London the 20. of Iuly 1584. At the seruice of your highnesse for and in the name of our whole company trading into Turkie I Maior of London Edward Osburne Notes concerning the trade of Alger THe money that is coined in Alger is a piece of gold called Asiano Doublaes and two Doublaes make an Asiano but the Doubla is most vsed for all things be sold by Doublaes which Doubla is fiftie of their Aspers there The Asper there is not so good by halfe more as that in Constantinople for the Chekin of gold of the Turkes made at Constantinople is at Alger worth an 150. Aspers and at Constantinople it is but 66. Aspers The pistolet and roials of plate are most currant there The said pistolet goeth for 130. Aspers there the piece of 4. roials goeth for 40. Aspers but oftentimes is sold for more as men need them to cary vp into Turkie Their Asianos and Doublaes are pieces of course gold worth here but 40. s. the ounce so the same is currant in no place of Turkie out of the kingdom of Alger neither the Aspers for that they be lesse then others be for they coine them in Alger The custome to the king is inward 10. per centum to the Turke to be paid of the commoditie it selfe or as it shall be rated There is another custome to the Ermine of one an halfe per centum which is to the Iustice of the Christians the goods for this custome are rated as they are for the kings custome Hauing paid custome inwards you pay none outwards for any commoditie that you doe lade more then a reward to the gate keepers The waight there is called a Cantare for fine wares as mettals refined and spices c. which is here 120. li. subtil Mettall not refined as lead iron and such grosse wares are sold by a great Cantare which is halfe as big againe so it is 180. li. subtil of ours here The measure of corne is by a measure called a Curtia which is about 4. bushels of our measure and corne is plentiful there and good cheape except when there hapneth a very dry yeere The surest lodging for a Christian there is in a Iewes house for if he haue any hurt the Iew and his goods shall make it good so the Iew taketh great care of the Christian and his goods that lieth in his house for feare of punishment An Englishman called Thomas Williams which is M. Iohn Tiptons man lieth about trade of merchandize in the streete called The Soca of the Iewes Notes concerning the trade in Alexandria ALexandria in Egypt is a free port and when a man commeth within the castles presently the Ermyn sends aboord to haue one come and speake with him to know what goods are aboord and then hee will set guards aboord the ship to see all the goods discharged And then from the Ermin you goe to the Bye onely for that he will inquire newes of you and so from thence to the Consuls house where you lie The Uenetians haue a Consul themselues But all other nations goe to the French nations Consul who will giue you a chamber for your selues apart if you will so haue it The customs inward of all commodities are ten in the hundred the custome is paid in wares also that you buy for the same wares in barter you pay also ten in the hundred at the lading of the wares But if you sell for mony you pay no more custome but the ten aforesaid and one and a half in the hundred which is for the custome of the goods you lade for the sayd mony for more custome you pay not But for all the money you bring thither you pay nothing for the custome of the same And if you sell your wares for mony and with the same money buy wares you pay but two in the hundred for the custome thereof And if you steale any custome if it be taken you pay double custome for that you steale The weight of Alexandria is called Pois Forforeine which is a kintal in that place which maketh at Marseils 109. li. of Marseils waight at 15 ounces the pound which is
destroyed whereof I neede not make any other mention The new Cairo answereth euery yeere in tribute to the grand Signior 600000 ducates of golde neat and free of all charges growing on the same which money is sent to Constantinople about the fine of September by the way of Aleppo alwayes by lande vnder the custodie of three hundred horsemen and two hundred Ianizaries footmen The citie of Cairo is adorned with many faire Mesquitas rich great anâ of goodly and gorgeous building among which are fiue principall The first is called Morastanâ that is to say The hospitall which hath of rent fiue hundred ducats of golde euery day left vnto it by a king of Damasco from auncient times which king hauing conquered Cairo for the space oâ fiue dayes continually put the people thereof to the sword and in the end repenting him of so great manslaughter caused this cruelty to cease and to obtaine remission for his sinne commiâted caused this hospitall to be built enriching it as is aboue said The second famous monument of Cairo is called Neffisaâ of one Neffisa buried there who was a Dame of honour and mooued by lust yeelded her body voluntarily without rewarde to any that required the same and sayde she bestowed this almes for the loue of her Prophet Mahomet and therefore at this day they adore her reuerence her and finally haue canonized her for a Saint affirming that shee did many miracles The third is called Zauia della Innachari who was one of the foure Doctors in the law The fourth is called Imamsciafij where is buried Sciafij the second Doctor of this law Of the other two Doctors one is buried in Damasco the other in Aleppo The fift last famous monument is Giamalazar that is the house of Lazarus and this is the generall Uniuersity of the whole kingome of Egypt In this place Anno 1566 in the moneth of Ianuary by misfortune of fue were burned nine thousand bookes of great value as well for that they were written by hand as also wrought so richly with golde that they were worth 300 and 400 ducats a piece one with another And because it could neuer be knowen yet how this fire beganne they haue and doe holde the same for a most sinister augurie and an euident and mânifest signe of their vtter ruine The houses of Cairo without are vâry faire within the greater number richly adorned with hangings wrought with golde Euery person which resorteth to this place for traffiques sake is bound to pay halfe a duckat except the gentlâmen Venetians Siotes and Rhaguseans because they are tributarie to the Grand Signior Cairo is distant from the riuer Nilus a mile and more being situate on a plaine saue that on the one side it hath a faire little hill on the toppe whereof stands a faire castle but not strong for that it may be battered on euery side but very rich large compassed about with faire gardens into the which they conueigh water for their necessitie out of Nilus with certaine wheeles other like engines This magnificent citie is adorned with very fruitfull gardens both pleasant and commodious with great plenty of pondes to water the same Notwithstanding the great pleasures of Cairo are in the moneth of August when by meanes of the great raine in Ethiopia the riuer Nilus ouerfloweth and watereth all the countrey and then they open the mouth of a great ditch which extendeth into the riuer and passeth through the midst of the citie and entring there are innumerable barkes rowing too and fro laden with gallant girles and beautifull dames which with singing eating drinking and feasting take their solace The women of this countrey are most beautifull and goe in rich attire bedecked with gold pretious stones and iewels of great value but chiefely perfumed with odours and are very libidinous and the men likewise but foule and hard fauoured The soile is very fertile and abundant the flesh fat which they sell without bones their candles they make of the marowe of cattell because the Moores eate the tallow They vse also certaine litle furnaces made of purpose vnder the which they make fire putting into the furnace foure or fiue hundred âgges and the said fire they nourish by litle and litle vntill the chickens be hatched which after they be hatched and become somewhat bigger they sell them by measure in such sort as we sell and measure nuts and chestnuts and such like Of certaine notable monuments without the citie of Cairo WIthout the Citie sixe miles higher into the land are to be seene neere vnto the riuer diuerse Piramides among which are three marueilous great and very artificially wrought Out of one of these are dayly digged the bodies of auncient men not rotten but all whole the cause whereof is the qualitie of the Egyptian soile which will not consume the flesh of man but rather dry and harden the same and so alwayes conserueth it And these dead bodies are the Mummie which the Phisitians and Apothecaries doe against our willes make vs to swallow Also by digging in these Pyramides oftentimes are found certaine Idoles or Images of golde siluer and other mettall but vnder the other piramides the bodies are not taken vp so whole as in this but there are found legges and armes comparable to the limmes of giants Neare to these piramides appeareth out of the sand a great head of stone somewhat like marble which is discouered so farre as the necke ioyneth with the shoulders being all whole sauing that it wanteth a little tippe of the nose The necke of this head contayneth in circuit about sixe and thirty foot so that it may be according to the necke considered what greatnesse the head is of The riuer Nilus is a mile broad wherein are very many great Croccodiles from Cairo vpward but lower then Cairo passeth no such creature and this they say is by reason of an inchantment made long since which hindereth their passage for comming any lower then Cairo Moreouer of these creatures there are sometimes found some of an incredible bignesse that is to say of fourtie foot about The males haue their members like to a man and the females like to a woman These monsters oftentimes issue out of the water to feede and finding any small beasts as sheepe lambes goates or other like doe great harme And whiles they are foorth of the water if they happen at vnwares vpon any man woman or childe whom they can âuercome they spare not their liues In the yeere of our Lorde one thousand fiue hundred and sixtie it happened that certaine poore Christians trauelling by Cairo towardes the countrey of Prete Ianni to rescue certaine slaues were guided by a Chaus and iourneyed alongst the banke of the said riuer The Chaus remained lingering alone behinde to make his prayers as their custome is at a place called Tana whom being busie in his double deuotion one of these Crocodiles ceazed by the shoulders and drew
garments and turbants vpon certaine of the chiefe of the Arabians to the ende they may giue him and his Carouan free passage who also promise that their followers likewise shall doe no damage to the Carouan and bind themselues to accomplish the same promising also by worde of mouth that if the Carouan bee robbed they will make restitution of such things as are stollen but notwithstanding the Carouan is by them oftentimes damnified and those which are robbed haue no other restitution at the Arabians handes then the shewing of them a paire of heeles flying into such places as it is impossible to finde them Nowe the Carouan continuing her accustomed iourneys and hauing passed the abouesayd castles and others not woorthie mention at length commeth to a place called Iehbir which is the beginning and confine of the state and realme of Serifo the king of Mecca where at their approching issueth out to meete them the gouernour of the land with all his people to receiue the Carouan with such shouting and triumph as is impossible to expresse where they staie one whole day This place aboundeth with fresh and cleare waters which with streames fall downe from the high mountaines Moreouer in this place are great store of dates and flesh great store and good cheape and especially laced muttons which willingly fall downe and here the wearie pilgrimes haue commoditie to refresh themselues saying that this wicked fact purgeth them from a multitude of sinnes and besides increaseth deuotion to prosecute the voiage Touching the building in these places it is to bee iudged by the houses halfe ruinated that it hath bene a magnificent citie but because it was in times past inhabited more with thieues then true men it was therefore altogether destroyed by Soldan Gauri king of AEgypt who going on pilgrimage vnto Mecca and passing by this place there was by the inhabitants here of sâme iniurie done vnto his Carouan which hee vnderstanding of dissembled till his returned from Mecca and then caused it to bee burned and destroyed in pitifull âort for reuenge of the iniurie done vnto the Carouan The Carouan hauing rested and being refreshed as is abouesayd the next day departeth on the way and the first place they arriue at woorthy mention is called Bedrihonem in which place as is aforesayd grow those little shrubbes whereout Balme issueth And before the Carouan arriueth at this place a mile from the citie is a large and great field enuironed about with most high and huge mountaines And in this field according to the Alcoran their prophet Mahomet had a most fierce and cruell battell giuen by the Christians of the countrey and other people which set themselues agaynst them and withstood his opinion so that hee was ouercome and vanquished of the Christians and almost halfe of his people slaine in the battell Whereupon the prophet seeing himselfe in such extremitie fell to his prayers and they say that God hauing compassion vpon his deare friend and prophet heard him and sent him infinite thousands of angels wherewith returning to the battell they conquered and ouercame the conquerour And therefore in memorie of this victorie the Carouan lodgeth euery yeere one night in this place making great bonefires with great mirth And they say that as yet there is heard vpon the mountaines a litle drumme which while the Carouan pâsseth neuer ceaseth sounding And they say further that the sayd drumme is sounded by the angels in signe of that great victory graunted of God to their prophet Also the Mahumetan writings affirme that after the ende of the sayd battell the prophet commaunded certaine of his people to goe and burie all the Mahumetans which were dead in the fields who going knew not the one from the other because as yet they vsed not circumcision so they returned vnto him answering that they had bene to doe his commaundement but they knew not the Musulmans from the Christians To whom the prophet answered saying Turne againe and all those which you shall finde with their faces downeward leaue them because all they are misbeleeuers and the other which you shall finde with their faces turned vpward them burie for they are the true Musulmani and so his commaundement was done The next morning by Sunne rising the Carouan arriueth at Bedrihonem in which place euery man washeth himselfe from toppe to toe as well men as women and leauing off their apparell hauing each one a cloth about their priuities called in their tongue Phorah and another white one vpon their shoulders all which can goe to Mecca in this habite do so and are thought to merite more then the other but they which cannot doe so make a vowe to sacrifice a Ramme at the mountaine of pardons and after they bee washed it is not lawfull for any man or woman to kill either flea or lowse with their handes neither yet to take them with their nailes vntill they haue accomplished their vowed orations in the mountaine of pardons abouesayd and therefore they cary with them certaine stickes made of purpose in maner of a File called in their language Arca Cassah Guâh with which they grate their shoulders And so the Carouan marching commeth within two miles of Mecca where they rest that night In the morning at the breake of day with all pompe possible they set forward toward Mecca and drawing neere thereunto the Seripho issueth foorth of the citie with his guard accompanied with an infinite number of people shouting and making great triumph And being come out of the citie a bowe-shoote into a faire field where a great multitude of tents are pitched and in the middest the pauillion of the captaine who meeting with the Serifo after salutations on each side they light from their horses and enter into the pauillion where the king of Mecca depriueth himselfe of all authoritie and power and committeth the same to the aboue-named captaine giuing him full licence and authoritie to commaund gouerne and minister iustice during his aboad in Mecca with his company and on the other side the captaine to require this liberalitie vsed toward him by the Serifo giueth him a garment of cloth of gold of great value with certaine iewels and other like things After this sitting downe together vpon carpets and hides they eate together and rising from thence with certaine of the chiefest and taking with them the garment and gate abouesayd they goe directly to the Mosquita attended on but with a fewe and being entered they cause the olde to be pulled downe and put the newe couerture vpon the house of Abraham and the olde vesture is the eunuchs which serue in the sayde Mosquita who after sell it vnto the pilgrimes at foure or fiue serafines the pike and happy doth that man thinke himselfe which can get neuer so litle a piece thereof to conserue euer after as a most holy relique and they say that putting the same vnder the head of a man at the houre of his death through vertue
Iland called Carichij fro wheÌce we sailed to Ormus in sight of the Persian shore on the left side and on the right side towards Arabia we discouered infinite Ilands Ormus ORmus is an Iland in circuit fiue and twenty or thirty miles and it is the barrenest and most drie Iland in all the world because that in it there is nothing to be had but salt water and wood all other things necessary for mans life are brought out of Persia twelue miles off and out of other Ilands neere thereunto adioyning in such abundance and quantity that the city is alwayes replenished with all maner of store there is standing neere vnto the waters side a very faire castell in the which the captaine of the king of Portugall is alwayes resident with a good band of Portugalles and before this castell is a very faire prospect in the city dwell the maried men souldiers and marchants of euery nation amongst whom there are Moores and Gentiles In this city there is very great trade for all sorts of spices drugges silke cloth of silke brocardo and diuers other sorts of marchandise come out of Persia and amongst all other trades of merchandise the trade of Horses is very great there which they carry from thence into the Indies This Iland hath a Moore king of the race of the Persians who is created and made king by the Captaine of the castle in the name of the king of Portugall At the creation of this king I was there and saw the ceremonies that they vse in it which are as followeth The olde King being dead the Captaine of the Portugals chuseth another of the blood royall and maketh this election in the castle with great ceremonies and when hee is elected the Captaine sweareth him to be true and faithfull to the King of Portugall as his Lord and Gouernour and then he giueth him the Scepter regall After this with great feasting pompe and with great company he is brought into the royall palace in the city This King keepeth a good traine and hath sufficient reuenues to maintaine himselfe without troubling of any because the Captaine of the castle doeth mainteine and defend his right and when that the Captaine and he ride together he is honoured as a king yet he cannot ride abroad with his traine without the consent of the Captaine first had it behooueth them to doe this and it is necessary because of the great trade that is in the city their proper language is the Persian tongue There I shipped my selfe to goe for Goa a city in the Indies in a shippe that had fourescore horses in her This is to aduertise those Marchants that go from Ormus to Goa to shippe themselues in those shippes that carry horses because euery shippe that carrieth twenty horses or vpwards is priuileged that all the marchandise whatsoeuer they carry shall pay no custome whereas the shippes that carry no horses are bound to pay right per cento of all the goods they bring Goa Diu and Cambaia GOa is the principall city that the Portugals haue in the Indies where is resident the Uiceroy with his Court and ministers of the King of Portugall From Ormus to Goa is nine hundred foure score and ten miles distance in which passage the first city that you come to in the Indies is called Diu and is situate in a little Iland in the kingdome of Cambaia which is the greatest strength that the Portugals haue in all the Indies yet a small city but of great trade because there they lade very many great ships for the straights of Mecca and Ormus with marchandise and these shippes belong to the Moores and Christians but the Moores can not trade neither saile into those seas without the licence of the Uiceroy of the king of Portugall otherwise they are taken and made good prises The marchandise that they lade these ships withall commeth froÌ Cambaietta a port in the kingdome of Cambaia which they bring from thence in small barks because there can no great shippes come thither by reason of the sholdnâsse of the water thereabouts and these sholds are an hundred or fourescore miles about in a straight or gulfe which they call Macareo which is as much to say as a race of a tide because the waters there run out of that place without measure so that there is no place like to it vnlesse it be in the kingdome of Pegu where there is another Macareo where the waters run out with moreforce then these doe The principall city in Cambaia is called Amadauar it is a dayes iourney and an halfe from Cambaietta it is a very great city and very populous and for a city of the Gentiles it is very well made and builded with faire houses and large streets with a faire place in it with many shippes and in shew like to Cairo but not so great also Cambaietta is situate on the seas side and is a very faire city The time that I was there the city was in great calamity scarsenesse so that I haue seene the men of the countrey that were Gentiles take their children their sonnes and their daughters and haue desired the Portugals to buy them and I haue seene them solde for eight or ten larines a piece which may be of our money x.s. or xiii s. iiii d. For all this if I had not seene it I could not haue beleeued that there should be such a trade at Cambaietta as there is For in the time of euery new Moone and euery full Moone the small barks innumerable come in and out for at those times of the Moone the tides and waters are higher then at other times they be These barkes be laden with all sorts of spices with silke of China with Sandols with Elephants teeth Ueluets of Vercini great quantity of Pannina which commeth from Mecca Chickinos which be pieces of golde woorth seuen shillings a piece sterling with money and with diuers sorts of other marchandize Also these barks lade out as it were an infinite quantity of cloth made of Bumbast of all sorts as white stamped and painted with great quantity of Indico dried ginger conserued Myrabolans drie and condiâe Boraso in paste great store of sugar great quantity of Cotton abundance of Opium Assa Feâida Puchio with many other sorts of drugges turbants made in Dui great stones like to Corneolaes Granats Agats Diaspry Calcidonij Hematists and some kinde of naturall Diamonds There is in the city of Cambaietta an order but no man is bound to keepe it but they that will but all the Portugall marchants keepe it the which is this There are in this city certaine Brokers which are Gentiles and of great authority and haue euery one of them fifteene or twenty seruants and the Marchants that vse that countrey haue their Brokers with which they be serued and they that haue not bene there are informed by their friends of the order and
these thieues part the spoyles that they take on the Sea with the king of Calicut for hee giueth leaue vnto all that will goe a rouing liberally to goe in such wise that all along that coast there is such a number of thieues that there is no saillng in those Seas but with great ships and very well armed or els they must go in company with the army of the Portugals From Cranganor to Cochin is 15. miles Cochin COchin is next vnto Goa the chiefest place that the Portugales haue in the Indies and there is great trade of Spices brugges and all other sortes of merchandize for the kingdome of Portugale and there within the land is the kingdome of Pepper which Pepper the Portugales lade in their shippes by bulke and not in sackes the Pepper that goeth for Portugale is not so good as that which goeth for Mecca because that in times past the officers of the king of Portugale made a contract with the king of Cochin in the name of the king of Portugale for the prizes of Pepper and by reason of that agreâment betweene them at that time made the price can neither rise nor fall which is a very lowe and base price and for this cause the villaines bring it to the Portugales greene and full of filthe The Moores of Mecca that giue a better price haue it cleane and drie and better conditioned All the Spices and drugs that are brought to Mecca are stollen from thence as Contrabanda Cochin is two cities one of the Portugales and another of the king of Cochin that of the Portugales is situate neerest vnto the Sea and that of the king of Cochin is a mile and a halfe vp higher in the land but they are both set on the bankes of one riuer which is very great and of a good depth of water which riuer commeth out of the mountaines of the king of the Pepper which is a king of the Gentiles in whose kingdome are many Christians of saint Thomas order the king of Cochin is also a king of the Gentiles and a great faithfull friend to the king of Portugale and to those Portugales which are married and are Citizens in the Citie Cochin of the Portugales And by this name of Portugales throughout all the Indies they call all the Christians that come out of the West whether they bee Italians Frenchmen or Almaines and all they that marrie in Cochin do get an office according to the trade he is of this they haue by the great priuileges which the Citizens haue of that city because there are two principal commodities that they deale withal in that place which are these The great store of Silke that commeth from China and the great store of Sugar which commeth from Bengala the married Citizens pay not any custome for these two commodities for all other commodities they pay 4. per cento custome to the king of Cochin rating their goods at their owne pleasure Those which are not married and strangers pay in Cochin to the king of Portugale eight per cento of all maner of merchandise I was in Cochin when the Uiceroy of the king of Portugale wrought what hee coulde to breake the priuilege of the Citizens and to make them to pay custome as other did at which time the Citizens were glad to waigh their Pepper in the night that they laded the ships withall that went to Portugale and stole the custome in the night The king of Cochin hauing vnderstanding of this would not suffer any more Pepper to bee weighed Then presently after this the marchants were licensed to doe as they did before and there was no more speach of this matter nor any wrong done This king of Cochin is of a small power in respect of the other kings of the Indies for hee can make but seuentie thousand men of armes in his campe hee hath a great number of Gentlemen which hee calleth Amochi and some are called Nairi these two sorts of men esteeme not their liues any thing so that it may be for the honour of their king they will thrust themselues forward in euery danger although they know they shall die These men goe naked from the girdle vpwardes with a clothe rolled about their thighs going barefooted and hauing their haire very long and rolled vp together on the toppe of their heads and alwayes they carrie their Bucklers or Targets with them and their swordes naked these Nairi haue their wiues common amongst themselues and when any of them goe into the house of any of these women hee leaueth his sworde and target at the doore and the time that hee is there there dare not any bee so hardie as to come into that house The kings children shall not inherite the kingdome after their father because they hold this opinion that perchance they were not begotten of the king their father but of some other man therefore they accept for their king one of the sonnes of the kings sisters or of some other woman of the blood roial for that they be sure they are of the blood roiall The Nairi and their wiues vse for a brauerie to make great holes in their eares and so bigge and wide that it is incredible holding this opinion that the greater the holes bee the more noble they esteeme themselues I had leaue of one of them to measure the circumference of one of them with a threed and within that circumference I put my arme vp to the shoulder clothed as it was so that in effect they are monstrous great Thus they doe make them when they be litle for then they open the eare hang a piece of gold or lead thereat within the opening in the hole they put a certaine leafe that they haue for that purpose which maketh the hole so great They lade ships in Cochin for Portugale and for Ormus but they that goe for Ormus carrie no Pepper but by Contrabanda as for Sinamome they easilie get leaue to carrie that away for all other Spices and drugs they may liberally carie them to Ormus or Cambaia and so all other merchandize which come from other places but out of the kingdom of Cochin properly they cary away with them into Portugale great abundance of Pepper great quantitie of Ginger dried and conserued wild Sinamom good quantitie of Arecca great store of Cordage of Cairo made of the barke of the tree of the great Nut and better then that of Hempe of which they carrie great store into Portugale The shippes euery yeere depart from Cochin to goe for Portugall on the fift day of December or the fift day of Ianuary Nowe to follow my voyage for the Indies from Cochin I went to Coulam distant from Cochin seuentie and two miles which Coulam is a small Fort of the king of Portugales situate in the kingdom of Coulam which is a king of the Gentiles and of small trade at that place they lade onely halfe a ship
almost there is not any passage From Cao Comori to the Iland of Zeilan is 120. miles ouerthwart Zeilan ZEilan is an Iland in my iudgement a great deale bigger then Cyprus on that side towards the Indies lying Westward is the citie called Columba which is a hold of the Portugales but without walles or enimies It hath towards the Sea a free port the lawfull king of that Iland is in Columbo and is turned Christian and maintained by the king of Portugall being depriued of his kingdome The king of the Gentiles to whom this kingdome did belong was called Madoni which had two sonnes the first named Barbinas the prince and the second Ragine This king by the pollicie of his yoonger sonne was depriued of his kingdome who because hee had entised and done that which pleased the armie and souldiours in despight of his father and brother being prince vsurped the kingdome and became a great warriour First this Iland had three kings the king of Cotta with his conquered prisoners the king of Candia which is a part of that Iland and is so called by the name of Candia which had a reasonable power â and was a great friend to the Portugals which sayd that hee liued secretly a Christian the third was the king of Gianifampatan In thirteene yeeres that this Ragine gouerned this Iland he became a great tyrant In this Iland there groweth fine Sinamom great store of Pepper great store of Nuttes and Arochoe there they make great store of Cairo to make Cordage it bringeth foorth great store of Christall Cats eyes or Ochi de Gati and they say that they finde there some Rubies but I haue sold Rubies well there that I brought with me from Pegu. I was desirous to see how they gather the Sinamom or take it from the tree that it groweth on and so much the rather because the time that I was there was the season which they gather it in which was in the moneth of Aprill at which time the Portugals were in armes and in the field with the king of the countrey yet I to satisfie my desire although in great danger tooke a guide with mee and went into a wood three miles from the Citie in which wood was great store of Sinamome trees growing together among other wilde trees and this Sinamome tree is a small tree and not very high and hath leaues like to our Baie tree In the moneth of March or Aprill when the sappe goeth vp to the toppe of the tree then they take the Sinamom from that tree in this wise They cut the barke of the tree round about in length from knot to knot or from ioint to ioint aboue and belowe and then easilie with their handes they take it away laying it in the Sunne to drie and in this wise it is gathered and yet for all this the tree dieth not but agaynst the next yeere it will haue a new barke and that which is gathered euery yeere is the best Sinamome for that which groweth two or three yeeres is great and not so good as the other is and in these woods groweth much Pepper Negapatan FRom the Iland of Zeilan men vse to goe with small shippes to Negapatan within the firme land and seuentie two miles off is a very great Citie and very populous of Portugals and Christians of the countrey and part Gentiles it is a countrey of small trade neither haue they any trade there saue a good quantitie of Rice and cloth of Bumbast which they carie into diuers partes it was a very plentifull countrey of victuals but now it hath a great deale lesse and that abundance of victuals caused many Portugales to goe thither and build houses and dwell there with small charge This Citie belongeth to a noble man of the kingdome of Bezeneger being a Gentile neuerthelesse the Portugales and other Christians are well intreated there and haue their Churches there with a monasterie of Saint Francis order with great deuotion and very well accommodated with houses round about yet for all this they are amongst tyrants which alwayes at their pleasure may doe them some harme as it happened in the yeere of our Lord God one thousand fiue hundred sixtie and fiue for I remember very well how that the Nayer that is to say the lord of the citie sent to the citizens to demaund of them certaine Arabian horses and they hauing denied them vnto him and gainesayd his demaund it came to passe that this lord had a desire to see the Sea which when the poore citizens vnderstood they doubted some euill to heare a thing which was not woont to bee they thought that this man would come to sacke the Citie and presently they embarked themselues the best they could with their mooueables marchandize iewels money and all that they had and caused the shippes to put from the shore When this was done as their euill chance would haue it the next night following there came such a great storme that it put all the shippes on land perforce and brake them to pieces and all the goods that came on land and were saued were taken from them by the souldiours and armie of this lord which came downe with him to see the Sea and were attendant at the Sea side not thinking that any such thing would haue happened Saint Thomas or San Tome FRom Negapatan following my voyage towards the East an hundred and fiftie miles I found the house of blessed Saint Thomas which is a Church of great deuotion and greatly regarded of the Gentiles for the great miracles they haue heard to haue bene done by that blessed Apostle neere vnto this Church the Portugals haue builded them a Citie in the countrey subiect to the king of Bezeneger which citie although it bee not very great yet in my iudgement it is the fairest in all that part of the Indies and it hath very faire houses and faire gardens in vacant places very well accommodated it hath streeteâ large and streight with many Churches of great deuotion their houses be set close one vn ãâã other with little doores euery house hath his defence so that by that meanes it is of force sufficient to defend y e Portugals against the people of that countrey The Portugals there haue no other possession but their gardens and houses that are within the citie the customes belong to the king of Bezeneger which are very small and easie for that it is a countrey of great riches and great trade there come euery yeere two or three great ships very rich besides many other small ships one of the two great ships goeth for Pegu and the other for Malacca laden with fine Bumbast cloth of euery sort painted which is a rare thing because those kinde of clothes shew as they were gilded with diuers colours and the more they be washed the liuelier the colours will shew Also there is other cloth of Bumbast which is wouen with
saue your goods from the Arabians which be alwayes there abou ts robbing and in the night when your boates be made fast it is necessarie that you keepe good watch For the Arabians that bee theeues will come swimming and steale your goods and flee away against which a gunne is very good for they doe feare it very much In the riuer of Euphrates from Birra to Felugia there be certaine places where you pay custome so many Medines for a some or Camels lading and certaine raysons and sope which is for the sonnes of Aborise which is Lord of the Arabians and all that great desert and hath some villages vpon the riuer Felugia where you vnlade your goods which come from Birra is a little village from whence you goe to Babylon in a day Babylon is a towne not very great but very populous and of great traffike of strangers for that it is the way to Persia Turkia and Arabia and from thence doe goe Carouans for these and other places Here are great store of victuals which come from Armenia downe the riuer of Tygris They are brought vpon raftes made of goates skinnes blowne full of winde and bordes layde vpon them and thereupon they lade their goods which are brought downe to Babylon which being discharged they open their skinnes and carry them backe by Camels to serue another time Babylon in times past did belong to the kingdome of Persia but nowe is subiect to the Turke Ouer against Babylon there is a very faire village from whence you passe to Babylon vpon a long bridge made of boats and tyed to a great chaine of yron which is made fast on either side of the riuer When any boates are to passe vp or downe the riuer they take away certaine of the boates vntill they be past The Tower of Babel is built on this side the riuer Tygris towardes Arabia from the towne about seuen or eight miles which tower is ruinated on all sides and with the fall therof hath made as it were a litle mountaine so that it hath no shape at all it was made of brickes dried in the sonne and certaine canes and leaues of the palme tree layed betwixt the brickes There is no entrance to be seene to goe into it It doth stand vpon a great plaine betwixt the riuers of Euphrates and Tygris By the riuer Euphrates two dayes iourney from Babylon at a place called Ait in a fielde neere vnto it is a strange thing to see a mouth that doth continually throwe foorth against the ayre boyling pitch with a filthy smoke which pitch doth runne abroad into a great fielde which is alwayes full thereof The Moores say that it is the mouth of hell By reason of the great quantitie of it the men of that countrey doe pitch their boates two or three inches thicke on the out side so that no water doth enter into them Their boates be called Danec When there is great store of water in Tygris you may goe from Babylon to Basora in 8 or 9 dayes if there be small store it will cost you the more dayes Basora in times past was vnder the Arabians but now is subiect to the Turke But some of them the Turke cannot subdue for that they holde certaine Ilandes in the riuer Euphrates which the Turke cannot winne of them They be theeues all and haue no setled dwelling but remoue from place to place with their Camels goates and horses wiues and children and all They haue large blew gownes their wiues eares and noses are ringed very full of rings of copper and siluer and they weare rings of copper about their legs Basora standeth neere the gulfe of Persia and is a towne of great trade of spices and drugges which come from Ormus Also there is great store of wheate âyce and dates growing thereabout wherewith they serue Babylon and all the countrey Ormus and all the partes of India I went from Basora to Ormus downe the gulfe of Persia in a certaine shippe made of boordes and sowed together with cayro which is threede made of the huske of Cocoes and certaine canes or strawe leaues sowed vpon the seames of the bordes which is the cause that they leake very much And so hauing Persia alwayes on the left hande and the coast of Arabia on the right hande we passed many Ilandes and among others the famous Ilande Baharim from whence come the best pearles which be round and Orient Ormus is an Island in circuit about fiue and twentie or thirtie miles and is the driest Island in the world for there is nothing growing in it but onely salt for their water wood or victuals and all things necessary come out of Persia which is about twelue miles from thence All the Ilands thereabout be very fruitfull from whence all kinde of victuals are sent vnto Ormus The Portugales haue a castle here which standeth neere vnto the sea wherein there is a Captaine for the king of Portugale hauing vnder him a conuenient number of souldiers wherof some part remaine in the castle and some in the towne In this towne are marchants of all Nations and many Moores and Gentiles Here is very great trade of all sortes of spices drugs silke cloth of silke fine tapestrie of Persia great store of pearles which come from the Isle of Baharim and are the best pearles of all others and many horses of Persia which serue all India They haue a Moore to their king which is chosen and gouerned by the Portugales Their women are very strangely attyred wearing on their noses eares neckes armes and legges many rings set with iewels and lockes of siluer and golde in their eares and a long barre of golde vpon the side of their noses Their eares with the weight of their iewels be worne so wide that a man may thrust three of his fingers into them Here very shortly after our arriuall wee were put in prison and had part of our goods taken from vs by the Captaine of the castle whose name was Don Mathias de Albuquerque and from hence the eleuenth of October he shipped vs and sent vs for Goa vnto the Uiceroy which at that time was Don Francisco de Mascarenhas The shippe wherein we were imbarked for Goa belonged to the Captaine and carried one hundred twentie and foure horses in it All marchandise carried to Goa in a shippe wherein are horses pay no custome in Goa The horses pay custome the goods pay nothing but if you come in a ship which bringeth no horses you are then to pay eight in the hundred for your goods The first citie of India that we arriued at vpon the fift of Nouember after we had passed the coast of Zindi is called Diu which standeth in an Iland in the kingdome of Cambaia and is the strongest towne that the Portugales haue in those partes It is but litle but well stored with marchandise for here they lade many great shippes with diuerse commodities for
right way was full of thieues where we passed the countrey of Gouren where we found but few villages but almost all wildernes saw many buffes swine deere grasse longer then a maÌ and very many Tigers Not far from Porto Piqueno southwestward standeth an hauen which is called Angeli in the countrey of Orixa It was a kingdom of it selfe the king was a great friend to strangers Afterwards it was taken by the king of Patan which was their neighbour but he did not enioy it long but was taken by Zelabdim Echebar which is king of Agra Delli Cambaia Orixa standeth 6. daies iourney from Satagan southwestward In this place is very much Rice and cloth made of cotton great store of cloth which is made of grasse which they call Yerua it is like a silke They make good cloth of it which they send for India diuers other places To this hauen of Angeli come euery yere many ships out of India Negapatan Sumatra Malacca and diuers other places lade from thence great store of Rice much cloth of cotton wooll much sugar long pepper great store of butter other victuals for India Satagam is a faire citie for a citie of the Moores and very plentifull of all things Here in Bengala they haue euery day in one place or other a great market which they call Chandeau and they haue many great boats which they cal pericose wherewithall they go from place to place and buy Rice and many other things these boates haue 24. or 26. oares to rowe them they be great of burthen but haue no couerture Here the Gentiles haue the water of Ganges in great estimation for hauing good water neere them yet they will fetch the water of Ganges a great way off and if they haue not sufficient to drinke they will sprinkle a litle on them and then they thinke themselues well From Satagam I trauelled by the countrey of the king of Tippara or porto Grande with whom the Mogores or Mogen haue almost continuall warres The Mogen which be of the kingdom of Recon and Rame be stronger then the king of Tippara so that Chatigan or porto Grande is oftentimes vnder the king of Recon There is a country 4. daies iournie from Couche or Quicheu before mentioned which is called Bottanter and the citie Bottia the king is called Dermain the people whereof are very tall and strong and there are marchants which come out of China they say out of Muscouia or Tartarie And they come to buy muske cambals agats silke pepper and saffron like the saffron of Persia The countrey is very great 3. moneths iourney There are very high mountains in this countrey one of them so steep that when a man is 6. daies iourney off it he may see it perfectly Upon these mountains are people which haue eares of a spanne long if their eares be not long they call them apes They say that when they be vpon the mountaines they see ships in the Sea sayling to and fro but they know not from whence they come nor whether they go There are marchants which come out of the East they say from vnder the sunne which is from China which haue no beards and they say there it is something warme But those which come from the other side of the mountains which is from the North say there it is very cold These Northren merchants are apparelled with woollen cloth and hats white hosen close and bootes which be of Moscouia or Tartarie They report that in their countrey they haue very good horses but they be litle some men haue foure fiue or sixe hundred horses and kine they liue with milke and fleshe They cut the tailes of their kine and sell them very deere for they bee in great request and much esteemed in those partes The haire of them is a yard long the rumpe is aboue a spanne long they vse to hang them for brauerie vpon the heades of their Elephants they bee much vsed in Pegu and China they buie and sell by scores vpon the ground The people be very swift on foote From Chatigan in Bengala I came to Bacola the king whereof is a Gentile a man very well disposed and delighteth much to shoot in a gun His countrey is very great and fruitful and hath store of Rice much cotton cloth and cloth of silke The houses be very faire and high builded the streetes large the people naked except a litle cloth about their waste The women weare great store of siluer hoopes about their neckes and armes and their legs are ringed with siluer and copper and rings made of elephants teeth From Bacola I went to Serrepore which standeth vpon the riuer of Ganges the king is called Chondery They be all hereabout rebels against their king Zebaldim Echebar for here are are so many riuers Ilands that they flee from one to another whereby his horsemen cannot preuaile against them Great store of cotton cloth is made here Sinnergan is a towne sixe leagues from Serrepore where there is the best and finest cloth made of cotton that is in all India The chiefe king of all these countries is called Isacan and he is chiefe of all the other kings and is a great friend to all Christians The houses here as they be in the most part of India are very litle and couered with strawe and haue a fewe mats round about the wals and the doore to keepe out the Tygers and the Foxes Many of the people are very rich Here they will eate no flesh nor kill no beast they liue of Rice milke and fruits They goe with a litle cloth before them and all the rest of their bodies is naked Great store of Cotton cloth goeth from hence and much Rice wherewith they serue all India Ceilon Pegu Malacca Sumatra and many other places I went from Serrepore the 28. of Nouember 1586. for Pegu in a small ship or foist of one Albert Carauallos and so passing downe Ganges and passing by the Island of Sundiua porto Grande or the countrie of Tippera the kingdom of Recon and Mogen leauing them on our left side with a faire wind at Northwest our course was South by East which brought vs to the barre of Negrais in Pegu if any contrary wind had come we had throwen many of our things ouer-boord for we were so pestered with people goods that there was scant place to lie in From Bengala to Peguis 90. leagues We entred the barre of Negrais which is a braue barre hath 4. fadomes water where it hath least Three dayes after we came to Cosmin which is a very pretie towne and standeth very pleasantly very well furnished with all things The people be very tall well disposed the women white round faced with litle eies the houses are high built set vpon great high postes
onely Italians which dayly traffique ouer land and vse continuall trade going and comming that way The voyage of M. Iohn Eldred to Trypolis in Syria by sea and from thence by land and riuer to Babylon and Balsara 1583. I Departed out of London in the ship called the Tiger in the company of M. Iohn Newbery M. Ralph Fitch and sixe or seuen other honest marchants vpon Shroue munday 1583 and arriued in Tripolis of Syria the first day of May next insuing at our landing we went on Maying vpon S. Georges Iland a place where Christians dying aboord the ships are woont to be buried In this city our English marchants haue a Consull and our nation abide together in one house with him called Fondeghi Ingles builded of stone square in maner like a Cloister euery man hath his seuerall chamber as it is the vse of all other Christians of seuerall nations This towne standeth vnder a part of the mountaine of Libanus two English miles distant from the port on the side of which port trending in forme of an halfe Moone stand fiue blocke houses or small forts wherein is some very good artillery and the forts are kept with about an hundred Ianisaries Right before this towne from the seaward is a banke of mouing sand which gathereth and increaseth with the Westerne winds in such sort that according to an olde prophesie among them this banke is like to swallow vp ouerwhelme the towne for euery yere it increaseth and eateth vp many gardens although they vse all policy to diminish the same and to make it firme ground The city is about the bignesse of Bistow and walled about though the walles be of no great force The chiefe strength of the place is in a Citadell which standeth on the South side within the walles and ouerlooketh the whole towne and is strongly kept with two hundred Ianisaries and good artillery A riuer passeth thorow the midst of the city where with they water their gardens and mulbery trees on which there grow abundance of silke wormes wherewith they make great quantity of very white silke which is the chiefest naturall commodity to be found in and about this place This rode is more frequented with Christian marchants to wit Uenetians Genouois Florentines Marsilians Sicilians Raguses and lately with English men then any other port of the Turks dominions From Tripolis I departed the 14 of May with a carauan passing three dayes ouer the ridge of mount Libanus at the end whereof we arriued in a city called Hammah which standeth on a goodly plaine replenished with corne cotton wooll On these mountaines which we passed grow great quantity of gall trees which are somewhat like our okes but lesser and more crooked on the best tree a man shall not finde aboue a pound of galles This towne of Hammah is fallen and falleth more and more to decay and at this day there is scarse one halfe of the wall standing which hath bene very strong and faire but because it cost many mens liues to win it the Turke will not haue it repaired and hath written in the Arabian tongue ouer the castle gate which standeth in the midst of the towne these words Cursed be the father and the sonne that shall lay their hands to the repairing hereof Refreshing our selues one day here we passed forward with camels three dayes more vntill we came to Aleppo where we arriued the 21 of May. This is the greatest place of traffique for a dry towne that is in all those parts for hither resort Iewes Tartarians Persians Armenians Egyptians Indians and many sorts of Christians and inioy freedome of their consciences and bring thither many kinds of rich marchandises In the middest of this towne also standeth a goodly castle raised on high with a garison of foure or fiue hundred Ianisaries Within some miles round about are goodly gardens and vineyards and trees which beare goodly fruit neere vnto the riuers side which is but small the walles are about three English miles in compasse but the suburbs are almost as much more The towne is greatly peopled We departed from thence with our camels the last of May with M. Iohn Newbery and his company and came to Birrah in three dayes being a small towne situated vpon the riuer Euphrates where it beginneth first to take his name being here gathered into one chanell whereas before it commeth downe in manifolde branches and therefore is called by the people of the countrey by a name which signifieth a thousand heads Here is plenty of victuals wherof we all furnished our selues for a long iourney downe the aforesayd riuer And according to the maner of those that trauell downe by water we prepared a small barke for the conueyance of our selues and of our goods These boats are flat bottomed because the riuer is shallow in many places and when men trauell in the moneth of Iuly August and September the water being then at the lowest they are constrained to cary with them a spare boat or two to lighten their owne boats if they chance to fall on the sholds We were eight and twenty dayes vpon the water betweene Birrah and Felugia where we disimbarked our selues and our goods Euery night after the Sun setteth we tie our barke to a stake go on land to gather sticks and set on our pot with rice or brused wheat and hauing supped the marchants lie aboord the barke and the mariners vpon the shores side as nere as they can vnto the same In many places vpon the riuers side we met with troops of Arabians of whom we bought milke butter egges and lambs and gaue them in barter for they care not for money glasses combes corall amber to hang about their armes and necks and for churned milke we gaue them bread and pomgranat peeles wherewith they vse to tanne their goats skinnes which they churne withall Their haire apparell and colour are altogether like to those vagabond Egyptians which heretofore haue gone about in England Their women all without exception weare a great round ring in one of their nostrels of golde siluer or yron according to their ability and about their armes and smalles of their legs they haue hoops of golde siluer or yron All of them aswel women and children as men are very great swimmers and often times swimming they brought vs milke to our barke in vessels vpon their heads These people are very theeuish which I proued to my cost for they stole a casket of mine with things of good value in the same from vnder my mans head as he was asleepe and therefore trauellers keepe good watch as they passe downe the riuer Euphrates at Birrah is about the breadth of the Thames at Lambeth and in some places narrower in some broader it runneth very swiftly almost as fast as the riuer of Trent it hath diuers sorts of fish in it but all are scaled some
at the ende of this discourse hereunto annexed which letter and present with one from the grand Signor was sent by M. Edward Bushell and M. William Aldridge ouer-land the 20 of March who passed through Vâlachia and Moldauia so through Poland where Michael prince of Valachia and Aron Voiuoda prince of Moldauia receiuing letters from the ambassador entertained theÌ with al curtesie through whose meanes by the great fauour which his lordship had with the grand Signior they had not long before both of them bene aduanced to their princely âignities Hee likewise presented Sigala the Admirall of the Seas with Abâim Bassa who maried the great Turkes daughter and all the other Uizirs with diuers pieces of plate fine English cloth other costly things the particulars whereof to auoid tediousnesse I omit All the presents thus ended the ship shooting ten pieces of ordinance at the Seraglio point as a last farewell departed on her iourney for England the first of Nouember my selfe continuing in Constantinople vntill the last of Iuly after This yere in the spring there was great preparation for the Hungarian wars and the great Turke threatened to goe himselfe in person but like Hellogabalus his affections being more seruiceable to Venus then to Mars he stayed at home Yet a great army was dispatched this yere who as they came out of Asia to goe for Hungary did so pester the streets of Constantinople for the space of two moneths in the spring time as scarse either Christian or Iew could without danger of losing his money passe vp and downe the city What insolencies murders and robberies were committed not onely vpon Christians but also vpon Turks I omit to write and I pray God in England the like may neuer be seene and yet I could wish that such amongst vs as haue inioyed the Gospel with such great and admirable peace and prosperity vnder her Maiesties gouernment this forty yeeres and haue not all this time brought forth better fruits of obedience to God and thankfulnesse to her Maiesty were there but a short time to beholde the miserable condition both of Christians and othere liuing vnder such an infidell prince who not onely are wrapped in most palpable grosse ignorance of mind but are cleane without the meanes of the true knowledge of God I doubt not but the sight hereof if they be not cleane void of grace would stirre them vp to more thankefulnesse to God that euer they were borne in so happy a time and vnder so wise and godly a prince professing the true religion of Christ. The number of souldiours which went to the warres of Hungary this yere were 470000 as by the particulars giuen by the Admirall to the Ambassadour hereunder do appeare Although all these were appointed and supposed to goe yet the victories which the Christians in the spring had against the Turks strooke such a terrour in many of the Turkish souldiours as by report diuers vpon the way thither left their Captaines and stole away The number of Turkish souldiers which were appointed to goe into Hungary against the Christian Emperour May 1594. SInan Bassa generall with the Saniacke masould that is out of office with the other Saniackâ in office or of degree 40000. Achmigi that is Aduenturers 50000. The Agha or Captaine with his Ianisaries and his Giebegies 20000. The Beglerbeg of Graecia with all his Saniacks 40000. The company of Spaheis or horsemen 10000â The company of Silitari 6000. The company of Sagbulue and of Solbulue both together 8000. The Bassa of Belgrad 80000. The Bassa of Temiswâr 80000. The Bassa of Bosna 80000. The Bassa of Buda 80000. The Saniack of Gersech 80000. Out of Asia The Bassa of Caramania 120000. The Bassa of Laras 120000. The Bassa of Damasco 120000. The Bassa of Suas 120000. The Bassa of Van or Nan. 120000. The Bassa of Vsdrum 120000. Of Tartars there be about 100000. Thus you may see that the great Turke maketh warre with no small numbers And in anno 1597 when Sultan Mahâmet himselfe went in person into Hungary if a man may beleeue reports he had an army of .600000 For the city of Constantinople you shall vnderstand that it is matchable with any city in Europe aswell in bignesse as for the pleasant situation thereof and commodious traffike and bringing of all maner of necessary prouision of victuals and whatsoeuer els mans life for the sustentation thereof shall require being seated vpon a promontory looking toward Pontus Euxinus vpon the Northeast and to Proponâs on the Southwest by which two seas by shipping is brought great store of all maner of victuals The city it selfe in forme representeth a triangular figure the sea washing the walles vpon two sides thereof the other side faceth the continent of Thracia the grand Signiors seraglio standeth vpon that point which looketh into the sea being cut off from the city by a wall so that y e wall of his pallace conteineth in circuit about two English miles the seuen towers spoken of before stand at another corner Constantines olde pallace to the North at the third corner The city hath a threefolde wall about it the innermost very high the next lower then that and the third a countermure and is in circuit about ten English miles it hath foure and twenty gates and when the empire was remooued out of the West into the East it was inriched with many spoiles of olde Rome by Vespasian and other emperours hauing many monuments and pillars in it worthy the obseruation amongst the rest in the midst of Constantinople standeth one of white marble called Vespasians pillar of 38 or 40 yards high which hath from the base to the top proportions of men in armour fighting on horsebacke it is likewise adorned with diuers goodly buildings stately Mesquitas whereof the biggest is Sultan Solimans a great warriour which liued in the time of Charles the fifth but the fairest is Santa Sophia which in the time of the Christian emperours was the chiefe cathedrall church and is still in greatest account with the great Turke it is built round like other Greekish churches the pauements and walles be all of marble it hath beneath 44 pillars of diuers coloured marble of admirable heigth and bignesse which stand vpon great round feet of brasse much greater then the pillars and of a great heigth some ten yards distant from the wall from which vnto these pillars is a great gallery built which goeth round about the church and vpon the outside of the gallery stand 66 marble pillars which beare vp the round roofe being the top of the church it hath three pulpits or preaching places and about 2000 lampes brought in by the Turke Likewise vpon one side in the top is the picture of Christ with the 12 Apostles but their faces are defaced with two or three ancient tombs of Christians to the West sticketh an arrow in the toppe of the church which as the
I Was desired by certaine of my friends to make some mention of this Uoiage that some memorie thereof might remaine to our posteritie if either iniquitie of time consuming all things or ignorance creeping in by barbarousnesse and contempt of knowledge should hereafter bury in obliuioâ so woorthie attempts so much the greatlier to bee esteemed as before neuer enterprised by Englishmen or at the least so frequented as at this present they are and may bee to the great commoditie of our marchants if the same be not hindered by the ambition of such as for the conquering of fortie or fifâie miles here and there and erecting of certaine fortresses thinke to be Lordes of halfe the world enuying that other should enioy the commodities which they themselues cannot wholy possesse And although such as haue bene at charges in the discouering and conquering of such landes ought by good reason to haue certaine priuileges preheminences and tributes for the same yet to speake vnder correction it may seeme somewhat rigorous and agaynst good reason and conscience or rather agaynst the charitie that ought to be among Christian men that such as inuade the dominions of other should not permit other friendly to vse the trade of marchandise in places neerer or seldome frequented of them whereby their trade is not hindered in such places where they themselues haue at their owne election appointed the Martes of their traffike But forasmuch as at this present it is not my intent to accuse or defend approoue or improoue I will cease to speake any further hereof and proceed to the description of the first voyage as briefly and faithfully as I was aduertised of the same by the information of such credible persons as made diligent inquisition to know the trueth thereof as much as shall be requisite omitting to speake of many particular things not greatly necessarie to be knowen which neuerthelesse with also the exact course of the nauigation shall be more fully declared in the second voiage And if herein fauour or friendship shall perhaps cause some to thinke that some haue bene sharply touched let them lay apart fauour and friendship and giue place to trueth that honest men may receiue prayse for well doing and lewd persons reproch as the iust stipend of their euill desertes whereby other may be deterred to doe the like and vertuous men encouraged to proceed in honest attempts But that these voyages may be more plainly vnderstood of all men I haue thought good for this purpose before I intreat hereof to make a briefe description of Africa being that great part of the world on whose West side beginneth the coast of Guinea at Cabo Verde about twelue degrees in latitude on this side the Equinoctiall line and two degrees in longitude from the measuring line so running from the North to the South and by East in some places within 5 4 and 3 degrees and a halfe vnto the Equinoctiall and so foorth in maner directly East and by North for the space of 36 degrees or thereabout in longitude from the West to the East as shall more plainly appeare in the description of the second voyage A briefe description of Afrike gathered by Richard Eden IN Africa the lesse are these kingdoms the kingdom of Tunis and Constantina which is at this day vnder Tunis and also the region of Bugia Tripoli and Ezzah This part of Afrike is very barren by reason of the great deserts as the deserts of Numidia and Barca The principall ports of the kingdome of Tunis are these Goletta Bizerta Potofarnia Bona and Stora The chiefe cities of Tunis are Constantina and Bona with diuers other Under this kingdom are many Ilands as Zerbi Lampadola Pantalarea Limoso Beit Gamelaro and Malta where at this present is the great master of the Rhodes Under the South of this kingdom are the great deserts of Lybia All the nations in this Africa the lesse are of the sect of Mahomet and a rusticall people liuing scattred in villages The best of this part of Afrike is Barbaria lying on the coast of the sea Mediterraneum Mauritania now called Barbaria is diuided into two parts as Mauritania Tingitana and Caesariensis Mauritania Tingitana is now called the kingdom of Fes and the kingdom of Marocco The principall citie of Fes is called Fessa and the chiefe citie of Marocco is named Marocco Mauritania Caesariensis is at this day called the kingdom of Tremisen with also the citie called Tremisen or Telensin This region is full of deserts and reacheth to the Sea Mediterraneum to the citie of Oram with the port of Mersalquiber The kingdom of Fes reacheth vnto the Ocean Sea from the West to the citie of Argilla and the port of the sayd kingdom is called Sala The kingdom of Marocco is also extended aboue the Ocean Sea vnto the citie of Azamor and Azafi which are vpon the Ocean Sea toward the West of the sayd kingdom Nere Mauritania Tingitana that is to say by the two kingdoms of Fes and Marocco are in the Sea the Ilands of Canarie called in old time The fortunate Ilands Toward the South of this region is the kingdom of Guinea with Senega Ialofo Gambra and many other regions of the Blacke Moores called Aethiopians or Negros all which are watered with the riuer Negro called in old time Niger In the sayd regions are no cities but onely certaine lowe cottages made of boughes of trees plastered with chalke and couered with strawe In these regions are also very great deserts The kingdom of Marocco hath vnder it these seuen kingdoms Hea Sus Guzula the territorie of Marrocco Duccala Hazchora and Tedle The kingdom of Fes hath as many as Fes Temesne Azgar Elabath Errif Garet and Elcair The kingdom of Tremisen hath these regions Tremisen Tenez and Elgazair all which are Machometists But all the regions of Guinea are pure Gentiles and idolatrous without profession of any religion or other knowledge of God then by the law of nature Africa the great is one of the three parts of the world knowen in old time and seuered from Asia on the East by the riuer Nilus on the West from Europe by the pillars of Hercules The hither part is now called Barbarie and the people Moores The inner part is called Lybia and Aethiopia Afrike the lesse is in this wise bounded On the West it hath Numidia On the East Cyrenaica On the North the sea called Mediterraneum In this countrey was the noble city of Carthage In the East side of Afrike beneath the red sea dwelleth the great and mighty Emperour and Christian king Prester Iohn well knowen to the Portugales in their voyages to Calicut His dominions reach very farre on euery side and hath vnder him many other Kings both christian and heathen that pay him tribute This mightie prince is called Dauid the Emperour of Aethiopia Some
the Queenes Maiestie my Mistresse and that hee had sent them to attend vpon me it being his pleasure that I should tarie there on shoare fiue or sixe dayes for my refreshing So being mounted vpon the Iennet they conducted mee through the Towne into a faire fielde vpon the Sea-side where was a tent prouided for mee and all the ground spread wâth Turkie carpets and the Castle discharged a peale of ordinance and all things necessarie were brought into my tent where I both tooâe my table and lodging and had other conuenient tents for my seruants The souldiers enuironed the tents and watched about vs day and night as long as I lay there although I sought my speedier dispatch On the Wednesday towards night I tooke my horse and traueiled ten miles to the first place of water that we could finde and there pitched our tents till the next morning and so traueiled till ten of the clocke and then pitched our tents till foure and so traueiled as long as day light would suffer about 26 miles that day The next day being Friday I traueiled in like order but eight and twentie miles at the most and by a Riuer being about sixe miles within sight of the Citie of Marocco we pitched our tents Immediatly after came all our English marchants and the French on horsebacke to meete me and before night there came an Alcayde from the king with fiftie men diuers mules laden with victuall and banker for my supperâ declaring vnto me how glad the king shewed himsâlfe to heare of the Queenes Maiestie and that his pleasure was I should be receiued into his countrey as neuer any Christian the like and desired to knowe what time the next day I would come into his citie because he would that all the Christians as also his nobilitie should meete me and willed Iohn Bampton to be with him early in the morning which he did About seuen of the clocke being accompanied with the French and English marchants and a great number of souldiers I passâd towards the citie and by that time I had traueiled 2 miles there met me all the Christians of the Spaniards and Portugals to receiue me which I knowe was more by the kings commandement then of any good wils of themselues for some of them although they speake me faire hung downe their heads like dogs and especially the Portugales and I countenanced them accordingly So I passed on till I came within two English miles of the Citie and then Iohn Bampton returned shewing me that the king was so glad of my comming that hee could not deuise to doe too much to shewe the good will that hee did owe to the Queenes Maiestie and her Realme His counsellers met me without the gates and at the entrie of the gates his footmen guard were placed on both sides of my horse and so brought me to the kings palace The king sate in his chaire with his Counsell about him as well the Moores as the Elchies and according to his order giuen vnto me before I there declared my message in Spanish and made deliuerie of the Queenes Maiesties letters and all that I spake at that present in Spanish hee caused one of his Elâhies to declare the same to the Moores present in the Larbe tongue Which done he answered me againe in Spanish yeelding to the Queenes Maiestie great thankes and offering himselfe and his countrey to bee at her Graces commaundâment and then commaunded certaine of his Counsellers to conduct mee to my lodging not being farre from the Court. The house was faire after the fashion of that countrey being daily well furnished with al kind of victuall at the kings charge The same night he sent for mee to the Court and I had conference with him about the space of two houres where I throughly declared the charge committed vnto mee from her Maiestie finding him conformable willing to pleasure and not to vrge her Maiestie with any demaundes more then conueniently shee might willingly consent vnto hee knowing that out of his countrey the Realme of England might be better serued with lackes then hee in comparison from vs. Further he gaue me to vnderstand that the king of Spaine had sent vnto him for a licence that an Ambassadour of his might come into his countrey and had made great meanes that if the Queenes maiesty of England sent any vnto him that he would not giue him any credit or intertainment albeit said he I know what the king of Spaine is and what the Queene of England and her Realme is for I neither like of him nor of his religion being so gouerned by the Inquisition that he can doe nothing of himselfe Therefore when he commeth vpon the licence which I haue granted he shall well see how litle account I will make of him and Spaine and how greatly I will extoll you for the Queenes maiestie of England He shall not come to my presence as you haue done and shall dayly for I minde to accept of you as my companion and one of my house whereas he shall attend twentie dayes after he hath done his message After the end of this speech I deliuered Sir Thomas Greshams letters when as he tooke me by the hand and led me downe a long court to a palace where there ranne a faire fountaine of water and there sitting himselfe in a chaire he commanded me to sit downe in another and there called for such simple Musicians as he had Then I presented him with a great base Lute which he most thankfully accepted and then he was desirous to heare of the Musicians and I tolde him that there was great care had to prouide them and that I did not doubt but vpon my returne they should come with the first ship He is willing to giue them good intertainment with prouision of victuall and to let them liue according to their law and conscience wherein he vrgeth none to the contrary I finde him to be one that liâeth greatly in the feare of God being well exercised in the Scriptures as well in the olde Testament as also in the New and he beareth a greater affection to our Nation then to others because of our religion which forbiddeth worship of Idols and the Moores called him the Christian king The same night being the first of Iune I continued with him till twelue of the clocke and he seemed to haue so good liking of me that he tooke from his girdle a short dagger being set with 200 stones rubies and turkies and did bestow it vpon me and so I being conducted returned to my lodging for that time The next day because he knew it to be Sunday our Sabboth day he did let me rest But on the munday in the afternoone he sent for me and I had conference with him againe and musicke Likewise on the tuesday by three of the clocke he sent for me into his garden finding him layd vpon a
silke bed complayning of a sore leg yet after long conference he walked into another Orchard whereas hauing a faire banketting-house and a great water and a new gallie in it he went aboord the gallie and tooke me with him and passed the space of two or three houres shewing the great experience he had in Gallies wherein as he said he had exercised himselfe eighteene yeres in his youth After supper he shewed me his horses and other commodities that he had about his house and since that night I haue not sâene him for that he hath kept in with his sore legge but he hath sent to me daily The 13 of Iune at sixe of the clocke at night I had againe audience of the king and I continued with him till midnight hauing debated as well for the Queenes commission as for the well dealing with her marchants for their traffike here in these parts saying he would do much more for the Queenes maiesty and the Realme offering that all English ships with her subiects may with good securitie enter into his ports and dominions as well in trade of marcandize as for victuall water as also in time of warre with any her enemies to bring in prises and to make sales as occasion should serue or else to depart againe with them at their pleasure Likewise for all English ships that shall passe along his coast of Barbarie thorow the straites into the Leuant seas that he would graunt safe conduct that the said ships and marchants with their goods might passe into the Leuant seas and so to the Turks dominions and the king of Argiers as his owne and that he would write to the Turke and to the king of Argier his letters for the well vsing of our ships and goods Also that hereafter no Englishmen that by any meanes may be taken captiues shall be solde within any of his dominions whereupon I declared that the Queenes maiesty accepting of these his offers was pleased to confirme the intercourse trade of our marchants within this his countrey as also to pleasure him with such commodities as he should haue need of to furnish the necessities and wants of his countrey in trade of marchandize so as he required nothing contrarie to her honour and law and the breach of league with the Christian princes her neighbours The same night I presented the king with the case of combes and desired his maiestie to haue special regard that the ships might be laden backe againe for that I found litle store of salt-peter in readinesse in Iohn Bamptons hands He answered me that I should haue all the assistance therein that he could but that in Sus he thought to haue some store in his house there as also that the Mountayners had made much in a readinesse I requested that he would send downe which he promised to doe The eighteene day I was with him againe and so continued there till night and he shewed me his house with pastime in ducking with water-Spaniels and baiting buls with his English dogges At this time I mooued him againe for the sending downe to Sus which he granted to doe and the 24. day there departed Alcayde Mammie with Lionell Edgerton and Rowland Guy to Sus and caried with them for our accompts and his company the kings letters to his brother Muly Hammet and Alcayde Shauan and the Uiceroy The 23. day the king sent me out of Marocco to his garden called Shersbonare with his gard and Alcayde Mamoute and the 24. at night I came to the court to see a Morris dance and a play of his Elchies He promised me audience the next day being Tuesday but he put it off till Thursday and the Thursday at night I was sent for to the king after supper and then he sent Alcayde Rodwan and Alcayde Gowry to conferre with me but after a little talke I desired to be brought to the King for my dispatch And being brought to him I preferred two bils of Iohn Bamptons which he had made for prouision of Salt-peter also two bils for the quiet traffique of our English Marchants and bils for sugars to be made by the Iewes as well for the debts past as hereafter and for good order in the Ingenios Also I mooued him againe for the Salt-peter and other dispatches which he referred to be agreed vpon by the two Alcaydes But the Friday being the 20. the Alcaydes could not intend it and vpon Saturday Alcayde Rodwan fell sicke so on Sunday we made meanes to the King and that afternoone I was sent for to conferre vpon the bargaine with the Alcaydes and others but did not agree Upon Tuesday I wrote a letter to the King for my dispatch and the same afternoone I was called againe to the Court and referred all things to the King accepting his offer of Salt-peter That night againe the King had me into his Gallie and the Spaniels did hunt the ducke The Thursday I was appointed to way the 300. kintals grosse of Salt-peter and that afternoone the Tabybe came vnto mee to my lodging shewing mee that the king was offended with Iohn Bampton for diuers causes The Sunday night late being the 7. of Iuly I got the King to forgiue all to Iohn Bampton and the King promised me to speake againe with me vpon Munday Upon Tuesday I wrote to him againe for my dispatch and then hee sent Fray Lewes to mee and said that he had order to write Upon Wednesday I wrote againe and he sent me word that vpon Thursday I should come and be dispatched so that I should depart vpon Friday without faile being the twelfth of Iuly So the fridayâ after according to the kings order appointment I went to the court whereas motion and petition was made for the confirmation of the demaunds which I had preferred they were all granted and likewise the priuileges which were on the behalfe of our English marchants requested were with great fauour and readinesse yeelded vnto And whereas the Iewes there resident were to our men in certaine round summes indebted the Emperors pleasure and commandement was that they should without further excuse or delay pay and discharge the same And thus at length I was dismissed with great honour and speciall countenance such as hath not ordinarily bene shewed to other Ambassadors of the Christians And touching the priuate affaires intreated vpon betwixt her Maiestie and the Emperour I had letters from him to satisfie her highnesse therein So to conclude hauing receiued the like honourable conduct from his Court as I had for my part at my first landing I embarked my selfe with my foresaid company and arriuing not long after in England I repaired to her Maiesties court ended my Ambassage to her highnesse good liking with relation of my seruice performed The voyage of Thomas Stukeley wrongfully called Marques of Ireland into Barbary 1578. Written by Iohannes Thomas Freigius in Historia de caede Sebastiani Regis Lusitaniae
contemners of other nations and most constant obseruers of their owne lawes and customes in all which respects it came to passe that there was woonderfull labour and diligence employed aboue thirty yeeres together onely to get an entrance vntill in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred fourescore and three two fathers of the foresayd society that had pretty skill in the letters and language of China vtterly despairing of mans helpe and depending vpon the prouidence of almighty God obtained licence of the Tutan or Uice-roy to build them an house and a Church in the City of Xaâquin which by reason of the commodiousnesse thereof is the seat of the Uice-roy himselfe This worke being begunne the sayd fathers of the society for the nouelty thereof were a few yeeres right well entreated by the Magistrates insomuch that two others out of India had free and easie accesse vnto them one couple remaining still in their foresayd house at Xauquin and the other two taking their iourney for the inner prouinces to conuert more people vnto the faith who notwithstanding afterward other Magistrates not approouing of their attempts were constrained to retire Nowe all the time wherein the foresayd fathers abode at Xauquin being more then fiue yeeres certaine of the common people were restrained from false superstition to Christian religion and seuenty persons were baptized But the enemy of mankinde who omitteth none opportunity for the hinderance of Christian religion suggested into the mindes of the Chinians being as I sayd of their owne nature a people estranged from the traffique and acquaintance of other nations and alwayes being too too suspicious of strangers that they should exhibite letters of supplication vnto the Caien and the Tutan their principall Magistrates to haue the fathers expelled out of Xauquin which Magistrates repairing vnto their foresayd house and Church entered consultation how they might bannish them out of the sayd City of Xauquin in which thing verily they vsed great moderation not any way offending or exasperating the mindes of the fathers but onely signifying that they had regard vnto the estate of their Common-wealth For the Tutan or Uice-roy calling the fathers vnto him and to let passe other accidents vsing courteous and familiar conference with them declared by many arguments that their habitation in the City of Xauquin was not conuenient especially sithens so many Magistrates resorted vnto that City who would take great offence at the presence of strangers For the which cause he perswaded them to accept some part of the money which they had bestowed in the building of their house and so to returne either home into their owne countrey or vnto the port of Macao Howbeit such was the instant supplication of the fathers and so woorthy of compassion that the Tutan or Uice-roy in the extreame and mediterrane borders of the prouince of Coantum assigned vnto them a new habitation at the city called Xaucheo commending them also to a certaine Magistrate who was come from the same place to salute him Thither therefore the sayd fathers not without great sorrow and griefe of the Christians hied themselues and as we are informed by their last letters they haue euen now layed the foundation of their first building and haue also written that they are like to liue much more peaceably and conueniently for the propagating of Christian religion These be the first beginnings of Christianity in China where euen as in other places of the Christian Common-wealth the seed is to be sowen with great labour and teares that acceptable fruits may be reaped with gladnesse Leo. It is euen as you haue sayd Michael and nowe for this your pleasant and eloquent discourse we do acknowledge ourselues much bounden vnto you A Letter written from Goa the principall City of all the East Indies by one Thomas Steuens an English man and sent to his father M. Thomas Steuens Anno 1579. AFter most humble commendations These shall be to craue your dayly blessing with like commendations vnto my mother and withall to certifie you of my being according to your will and my duety I wrote vnto you taking my iourney from Italy to Portugall which letters I thinke are come to your hands so that presuming thereupon I thinke I haue the lesse need at this time to tell you the cause of my departing which neuerthelesse in one word I may conclude if I do but name obedience I came to Lisbon toward the end of March eight dayes before the departure of the shippes so late that if they had not bene stayed about some weighty matters they had bene long gone before our comming insomuch that there were others ordained to goe in our places that the kings prouision and ours also might not be in vaine Neuerthelesse our sudden comming tooke place and the fourth of Aprill fiue ships departed for Goa wherein besides shipmen and souldiers there were a great number of children which in the seas beare out better their men and no maruell when that many women also passe very well The setting foorth from the port I need not to tell how solemne it is with trumpets and shooting of ordinance you may easily imagine it considering that they go in the maner of warre The tenth of the foresayd moneth we came to the sight of Porto Santo neere vnto Madera where an English shippe set vpon ours which was then also alone with a few shots which did no harme but after that our ship had layed out her greatest ordinance they straight departed as they came The English shippe was very faire and great which I was sory to see so ill occupied for she went rouing about so that we saw her againe at the Canarian Iles vnto the which we came the thirteenth of the sayd moneth and good leisure we had to woonder at the high mountaine of the Iland Tenerif for we wandred betweene that and great Canaria foure dayes by reason of contrary windes and briefly such euill weather we had vntill the foureteenth of May that they despaired to compasse the Cape of Good hope that yeere Neuerthelesse taking our voyage betweene Guinea and the Ilands of Capo Verde without seeing of any land at all we arriued at length vnto the coast of Guinie which the Portugals so call chiefly that part of the burning zone which is from the sixt degree vnto the Equinoctiall in which parts they suffered so many inconueniences of heats and lacke of windes that they thinke themselues happy when they haue passed it for sometimes the ship standeth there almost by the space of many dayes sometime she goeth but in such order that it were almost as good to stand still And the greatest part of this coast not cleare but thicke and cloudy full of thunder and lightening and raine so vnholesome that if the water stand a little while all is full of wormes and falling on the meat which is hanged vp it maketh it straight full of wormes Along all that coast we often times saw a thing
of a Nauigable sea by the Northeast to goe round about the world For that he iudged by the eye onely seeing we in this our cleare aire doe account twentie miles a kân at Sea His second reason is that there was an Unicornes horne found vpon the coast of Tartaria which could not come said he thither by any other meanes then with the tides through some fret in the Northeast of Mare Glaciale there being no Unicorne in any part of Asia sauing in India and Cataia which reason in my simple iudgement forceth as litle First it is doubtfull whether those barbarous Tartarians do know an Unicornes horne yea or no and if it were one yet it is not credible that the Sea could haue driuen it so farre being of such nature that it will not swimme Also the tides running too and fro would haue driuen it as farre backe with the ebbe as it brought it forward with the flood There is also a beast called Asinus Indicus whose horne most like it was which hath but one horne like an Unicorne in his forehead whereof there is great plenty in all the North parts therunto adioyning as in Lappia Noruegia Finmarke c. as Iacobus Zieglerus writeth in his historie of Scondia And as Albertus saieth there is a fish which hath buâ one horne in his forehead like to an Unicorne and therefore it seemeth very doubtfull both from whence it came and whether it were an Unicornes horne yea or no. His third and last reason was that there came a continuall streame or current through Mare Glaciale of such swiftnesse as a Colmax told him that if you cast any thing therein it would presently be carried out of sight towards the West Whereunto I answered that there doth the like from Maeotis Palus by Pontus Euxinus Sinus Bosphorus and along the coast of Graecia c. As it is affirmed by Contarenus and diuers others that haue had experience of the same and yet that Sea lieth not open to any maine Sea that way but is maintained by fresshets as by Tanais Danubius c. In like maner is this current in Mare Glaciale increased and maintained by the Dwina the riuer Ob c. Now as I haue here briefly recited the reasons alleaged to prooue a passage to Cataia by the Northeast with my seuerall answeres thereunto so will I leaue it to your iudgement to hope or dispaire of either at your pleasure How that the passage by the Northwest is more commodious for our traffique then the other by the East if there were any such Cap. 9. FIrst by the Northeast if your windes doe not giue you a maruelous speedie luckie passage you are in danger being so neere the Pole to be benighted almost the one halfe of the yeere and what danger that were to liue so long comfortlesse voide of light if the âold killed you not each man of reason or vnderstanding may iudge 2 Also Mangia Quinzai and the Moluccae are neerer vnto vs by the Northwest then by the Northeast more then two fiue parts which is almost by the halfe 3 Also we may haue by the West a yerely returne it being at all times nauigable whereas you haue but 4. moneths in the whole yeere to goe by the Northeast the passage being at such eleuation as it is formerly expressed for it cannot be any neerer the South 4 Furthermore it cannot be finished without diuers winârings by the way hauing no hauens in any temperate climate to harbour in there for it is as much as we can well saile from hence to S. Nicholas in the trade of Moscouia and returne in the nauigable season of the yeere from S. Nicholas to Cerimissi Tartari which stande at 80 degrees of the Septentrionall latitude it is at the least 400 leagues which amounteth scarce to the third part of the way to the end of your voyage by the Northeast 5 And yet after you haue doubled this Cape if then there might be found a nauigable Sea to carie you Southeast according to your desire yet can you not winter conueniently vntil you come to 60 degrees and to take vp one degree running Southeast you must saile 24 leagues and three foure parts which amounteth to 495 leagues 6 Furthermore you may by the Northwest saile thither with all Easterly windes and returne with any Westerly windes whereas you must haue by the Northeast sundry windes and those proper according to the lying of the coast and Capes you shal be inforced to double which windes are not alwaies to be had when they are looked for wherby your iourney should be greatly prolonged and hardly endured so neere the Pole As we are taught by sir Hugh Willoughbie who was frozen to death farre neerer the South 7 Moreouer it is very doubtfull whether we should long inioy that trade by the Northeast if there were any such passage that way the commodities thereof once knowen to the Moscouite what priuilege so euer hee hath granted seeing pollicy with the masse of excessiue gaine to the inriching so greatly of himselfe and all his dominions would perswade him to presume the same hauing so great opportunitie to vtter the commodities of those countries by the Narue But by the Northwest we may safely trade without danger or annoyance of any prince liuing Christian or Heathen it being out of all their trades 8 Also the Queenes Maiesties dominions are neerer the Northwest passage then any other great princes that might passe that way and both in their going and returne they must of necessitie succour themselues and their ships vpon some part of the same if any tempestuous weather should happen Further no princes nauie of the world is able to incounter the Queenes Maiesties nauie as it is at this present and yet it should be greatly increased by the traffike insuing vpon this discouerie for it is the long voyages that increase and maintaine great shipping Now it seemeth necessarie to declare what commodities would growe thereby if all these things were as we haue heretofore presupposed and thought them to be which next adioyning are briefly declared What commodities would ensue this passage once discouered Cap. 10. FIrst it were the onely way for our princes to possesse the wealth of all the East parts as they terme them of the world which is infinite aâ appeareth by the experience of Alexander the great in the time of his conquest of India and other the East parts of the world alleaged by Quintus Curtius which would be a great aduancement to our countrey a wonderfull inriching to our prince and an vnspeakable commoditie to all the inhabitants of Europe 2 For through the shortnesse of the voyage we should be able to sell all maner of merchandize brought from thence farre better cheape then eitâer the Portugall or Spaniard doth or may do And further we should share with the Portugall in the East the Spaniard in the West by trading to
stone in token of Christian possession In this place there is plentie of blacke Ore and diuers pretie stones The seuenteenth of August the Captaines with their companies chaced and killed a great white Beare which aduentured and gaue a fierce assault vpon twentie men being weâponâd And he serued them for good meate many dayes The eighteenth of Augâst the Pinnesse with much adoe being set together the sayde Captaine Best determined to depart vp the streights to prooue and make tryall as before was pretended some of his company greatly persuading him to the contrary and specially the Carpenter that set the same together who sayde that hee would not aduenture himselfe therein for fiue hundreth pounds for that the boate hung together but onely by the strength of the nayles and lacked some of her principall knees and tymbers These wordes somewhat discouraged some of the company which should haue gone thereinâ Whereupon the Captaine as one not altogether addicted to his owne selfe-will but somewhat foreseeing how it might be afterwards spoken if contrary fortune should happen him Lo hâ hath followed his owne opinion and desperate resolutions and so thereafter it is befallen him calling the Master and Mariners of bâst iudgement together declare vnto them how much the cause imported him in his credite to seeke out the Generall as well to confârre with him of some causes of weight as otherwise to make due examinatiân and tryall of the goodnesse of the Ore whereof they had no assurance but by gesse of the eye and it was well like the other which so to cary home not knowing the goodnesse thereof might be as much as if they should bring so many stones And therefore hee desired them to deliuer their plaine and honest opinion whether the Pinnesse were sufficient for him so to aduenture in or no. It was answered that by carefull heede taking thereunto amongst the yce and the foule weather the Pinnesse might suffice And hereupon the Masters mate of the Anne Francis called Iohn Gray mansully and honestly offering himselfe vnto his Captaine in this aduenture and seruice gaue cause to others of his Mariners to follow the attempt And vpon the nineteenth of August the sayd Captaine being accompanied with Captaine Vpcote of the Moone and eighteene persons in the small Pinnesse hauing conuenient portion of victuals and things necessary departed vpon the sayd pretended Uoyage leauing their shâppe at anchor in a good readinesse for the taking in of their fraight And hauing little winde to sayle withall they plyed alongst the Souther shore and passed aboue 30. leagues hauing the onely helpe of mans labour with Dares and so intending to keepe that shore aboord vntil they were got vp to the farthest and narrowest of the streights minded there to crosse ouer and to search likewise alongst the Northerland vnto the Countesses sound and from thence to passe all that coast along whereby if any of the Fleete had bene distressed by wrecke of rocke or yce by that meanes they might be perceiued of them and so they thereby to giue them such helpe and reliefe as they could They did greatly feare and euer suspect that some of the Fleete were surely cast away and driuen to seeke sowre ââllets amongst the colde cliffes And being shotte vp about fortie leagues within the Streights they put ouer towardes the Norther shore which was not a little dangerous for their small boates And by meanes of a sudden flawe were dryuen and faine to seeke harborough in the night amongst all the rockes and broken ground of Gabriels Ilands a place so named within the streights aboue the Countesse of Warwicks sound And by the way where they landed they did finde certaine great stones set vp by the Countrey people as it seemed for markes where they also made many Câosses of stone in token that Christians had bene thâre The 22. of August they had sight of the Countesses sound and made the placeperfect from the toppe of a hill and keeping along the Norther shore perceiued the smoke of a fire vnder a hils side whereof they diuersly deemed When they came neerer the place they perceiued people which wafted vnto them as it seemed with a flagge or ensigne And because the Country people had vsed to doe the like when they perceiued any of our boats to passe by they suspected them to be the same And comming somewhat neerer they might perceiue certaine tents and discerne this ensigne to be of mingled colours blacke and white after the English fashion But because they could see no Shippe nor likelihood of harborough within fiue or sixe leagues about and knewe that none of our men were woont to frequent those partes they could not tell what to iudge thereof but imagined that some of the ships being carried so high with the storme and mistes had made shipwracke amongst the yce or the broken Islande there and were spoyled by the countrey people who might vse the sundry coloured flagge for a policie to bring them likewise within their danger Whereupon the sayd Captaine with his companies resolued to recouer the same ensigne if it were so from those base people or els to lose their liues and all together In the ende they discerned them to be their countreymen and then they deâmed them to haue lost their Ships and so to be gathered together for their better strength On the other side the company ashoare feared that the Captaine hauing lost his Shippe came to seeke forth the Fleete for his reliefe in his poore Pinnisse so that their extremities caused eche part to suspect the worst The Captaine now with his Pinnisse being come neere the shoare commanded his Boate carefully to be kept aflote lest in their necessitie they might winne the same from him and seeke first to saue themselues for euery man in that case is next himselfe They haled one another according to the manner of the Sea and demaunded what cheere and either partie answered the other that all was well whereupon there was a sudden and ioyfull outshoote with great flinging vp of caps and a braue voly of shotte to welcome one another And truely it was a most strange case to see how ioyfull and gladde euery partie was to see themselues meete in safetie againe after so strange and incredible dangers Yet to be short as their dangers were great so their God was greater And here the company were working vpon new Mines which Captaine Yorke being here arriued not long before had found out in this place and it is named the Countesse of Sussex Mine After some conference with our friends here the Captaine of the Anne Francis departed towards the Countesse of Warwicks sound to speake with the Generall and to haue tryall made of such mettall as he had brought thither by the Goldfiners And so he determined to dispatch againe towards his ship And hauing spoken with the General he receiued order for all causes and direction as
there had bene great trade of people to make traine But by such things as there we found wee knew that they were not Christians of Europe that had vsed that trade in fine by searching with our boat we found small hope to passe any farther that way and therefore recouered the sea and coasted the shore towards the South and in so doing for it was too late to search towards the North we found another great inlet neere 40 leagues broad where the water eutred in with violent swiftnesse this we also thought might be a passage for no doubt the North partes of America are all Islands by ought that I could perceiue therein but because I was alone in a small barke of thirtie tunnes and the yeere spent I entred not into the same for it was now the seuenth of September but coasting the shore towardes the South wee saw an incredible number of birds hauing diuers fishermen aboord our barke they all concluded that there was a great skull of fish we being vnprouided of fishing furniture with a long spike nayle made a hooke and fastened the same to one of our sounding lines before the baite was changed we cooke more then fortie great Cods the fish swimming so abundantly thicke about our barke as is incredible to bee reported of which with a small portion of salt that we had we preserued some thirtie couple or thereaboutes and so returned for England And hauing reported to M. Secretarie Walsingham the whole successe of this attempt he commanded me to present vnto the most honourable Lord high Treasurour of England some part of that fish which when his Lordship saw heard at large the relation of this second attempt I receiued fauourable countenance from his honour aduising me to prosecute the action of which his Lordship conceiued a very good opinion The next yere although diuers of the aduenturers fell from the Action as all the Westerne marchants and most of those in London yet some of the aduenturers both honorable worshipfull continued their willing fauor and charge so that by this meanes the next yeâe two shippes were appointed for the fishing and one pinnesse for the discouerie Departing from Darmouth through Gods mercifull fauour I arriued at the place of fishing and there according to my direction I left the two ships to follow that busines taking their faithful promise not to depart vntill my returne vnto them which should be in the fiue of August and so in the barke I proceeded for the discouerie but after my departure in sixeteene dayes the two shippes had finished their voyage and so presently departed for England without regard of their promise my selfe not distrusting any such hard measure proceeded for the discouerie and followed my course in the free and open sea betweene North and Northwest to the latitude of 67 degrees and there I might see America West from me and Gronland which I called Desolation East then when I saw the land of both sides I began to distrust it would prooue but a gulfe notwithstanding desirous to know the full certainty I proceeded and in 68 degrees the passage enlarged so that I could not see the Westerne shore thus I continued to the latitude of 73 degrees in a great sea free from yee coasting the Westerne shore of Desolation the people came continually rowing out vnto me in their Canoas twenty forty and one hundred at a time and would giue me fishes dryed Salmon Salmon peale Cod Caplin Lumpe Stone-base and such like besides diuers kinds of birds as Partâige Fesant Guls Sea birds and other kindes of flesh I still laboured by signes to know from them what they knew of any sea toward the North they still made singes of a great sea as we vnderstood them theÌ I departed from that coastâ thinking to discouer the North parts of America after I had sailed towards the West 40 leagues I fel vpon a great banke of yce the winde being North and blew much I was constrained to coast the same toward the South not seeing any shore West from me neither was there any yce towards the North but a great sea free large very salt and blew of an vnsearcheable depth So coasting towards the South I came to the place where I left the ships to fish but found them not Then being forsaken left in this distresse referring my self to the mercifull prouidence of God I shaped my course for England vnhoped for of any God alone releeuing me I arriued at Dartmouth By this last discouery it seemed most manifest that the passage was free without impediment toward the North but by reason of the Spanish fleet vnfortunate time of M. Secretaries death the voyage was omitted neuer sithens attempted The cause why I vse this particluar relation of all my proceedings for this discouery is to stay this obiection why hath not Dauis discouered this passage being thrise that wayes imploied How far I proceeded in what forme this discouery lieth doth appeare vpon the Globe which M. Sanderson to his very great charge hath published for the which he deserueth great fauor commendations The discouerie of the Isles of Frisland Iseland Engroneland Estotilaud Drogeo and Icaria made by two brethren namely M. Nicholas Zeno and M. Antonio his brother Gathered out their letters by M. Francisco Marcolino TN the yere of our Lord 1200 there was in the Citie of Venice a famous Gentleman named Messer Marino Zeno who for his great vertue and singular wisedome was called and elected gouernour in certaine common wealths of Italy in the administration whereof he bore himselfe so discretly that he was beloued of all men and his name greatly reuerenced of those that neuer knew or saw his person And amongst sundry his worthy workes this is recorded of him that he pacified certaine grieuous ciuile dissentions that arose among the citizens of Verona whereas otherwise if by his graue aduise and great diligence they had not bene preuented the matter was likely to breake out into hot broyles of warre He was the first Podesta or Ruler that the Common wealth of Venice appointed in Constantinople in the yeere 1205 when our state had rule thereof with the French Barons This Gentleman had a sonne named Messer Pietro who was the father of the Duke Rinieri which Duke dying without issue made his heire M. Andrea the sonne of M. Marco his brother This M. Andrea was Captaine Generall and Procurator a man of great reputation for many rare partes that were in in him He had a sonne M. Rinieri a worthy Senatour and prudent Counsellour of whom descended M. Pietro Captaine Generall of the league of the Christians against the Turkes who was called Dragon for that in his shield in stead of a Manfrone which was his armes at the first he bare a Dragon He was father to M. Carlo II grande the famous Procurator and Captaine generall against the Genowayes in those cruell warres
on the Sea homeward a sore tempest arose and perforce droue him backe againe to an vnknowen Port of the sayd land where he by the most cruell barbarous Indians on the sudden was slaine with all his company except the two young schollers aforesayde whom the barbarous Indians by reason they were of comely stature and beautifull personages tooke and forthwith presented them to their King and Queene which both being very well liked of the King courteously entreated and ordeined Edesius to be his Butler and Frumentius his Secretarie and in few yeeres by reason of their learning and ciuill gouernment they were had in great fauour honour and estimation with the Princes But the King departing this life left the Queene his wife with her yong sonne to gouerne and gaue free scope and libertie to the two Christians at their best pleasure to passe to their natiue soyles allowing them all necessaries for the same Yet the Queene who highly fauoured them was very sorowfull they should depart and therefore most earnestly intreated them to tarie and assist her in the gouernment of her people till such time as her young sonne grewe to ripe yeeres which request they fulfilled And Frumentius excelling Edesius farre in all wisedome ruled both the Queene and her subiects at his discretion whereby he tooke occasion to put in practice priuily that the foundation of Christian religion might be planted in the hearts of such as with whom he thought his perswasion might best preuaile and that soonest would giue eare vnto him which being brought to passe accordingly hee then with his fellow Edesius tooke leaue of the Queene to returne to his natiue countrey And so soone as he was arriued there he reuealed to the Emperour Constantine the effect of all those euents who both commending his deedes and wholy allowing thereof by the aduise and good liking of Athanasius then Bishop of Alexandria did arme and set forth a conuenient power for the ayde of Frumentius in this his so godly a purpose And by this meanes came the Emperour afterwards by faire promises and by force of armes together vnto the possession of all the Indians countrey The author of this storie Ruffinus receiued the trueth hereof from the very mouth of Edesius companion to Frumentius Moreouer Eusebius in his Historie Ecclesiasticall in precise termes and in diuers places maketh mention how Constantine the great not onely enlarged his Empire by the subduing of his next neighbours but also endeuoured by all meanes to subiect all such remote Barbarous and Heathen nations as then inhabited the foure quaters of the worlde For as it is written the Emperour throughly ayded with a puissant armie of valiant souldiers whom he had before perswaded to Christian religion in proper person himselfe came euen vnto this our country of England then called the Island of Britaines bending from him full West which he wholy conquered made tributarie and setled therein Christian faith and left behinde him such Rulers thereof as to his wisedome seemed best From thence hee turned his force towardes the North coast of the world and there vtterly subdued the rude and cruell Nation of the Scythians whereof part by friendly perswasions part by maine strength hee reduced the whole to Christian faith Afterwards he determined with himselfe to search out what strange people inhabited in the vttermost parts of the South And with great hazard and labour making his iourney thither at last became victour ouer them all euen to the countrey of the Blemmyans and the remote AEthiopians that now are the people of Presbyter Iohn who yet till this day continue and beare the name of Christians In the East likewise what Nation soeuer at that time he could haue notice of he easily wonne and brought in subiection to the Empire So that to conclude there was no region in any part of the world the inhabitants whereof being Gentiles though vnknowen vnto him but in time he ouercame and vanquished This worthy beginning of Constantine doth his sonnes succeeding his âoâme and also diuers other Emperours afterward to their vttermost endeuour followed and continued which all the bookes of Eusebius more at large set foorth Theodoretus likewise in his Ecclesiasticall historie maketh mention how Theodosius the vertuous Emperour imployed earnestly all his time as well in conquering the Gentiles to the knowledge of the holy Gospel vtterly subuerting their prophane Temples and abominable Idolatry as also in extinguishing of such vsurping tyrants as with Paganisme withstood the planting of Christian religion After whose decease his sonnes Honorius and Arcadius were created Emperours the one of the East the other of the West who with all stout godlinesse most carefully imitated the fore steps of their Father eyther in enlarging their territories or increasing the christian flocke Moreouer it is reported by the sayd authors that Theodosius iunior the Emperour no whit inferiour in vertuous life to any of the aboue named Princes with great studie and zeale pursued and proÌsecuted the Gentiles subdued their tyrants and countries and vtterly destroyed all their idolatry conuerting their soules to acknowledge their onely Messias and Creator and their Countries to the enlargement of the Empire To be briefe who so listeth to read Eusebius Pamphilus Socrates Scholasticus Theodoritus Hermia Sozomen and Euagrius Scholasticus which all were most sage Ecclesiasticall writers shall finde great store of examples of the worthy liues of sundry Emperours tending all to the confirmation of my former speeches And for like examples of later time yea euen in the memorie of man I shall not neede to recite any other then the conquest made of the West and East Indies by the Kings of Spaine and Portugall whereof there is particular mention made in the last Chapter of this booke Herein haue I vsed more copy of examples then otherwise I would haue done sauing that I haue bene in place where this maner of planting the Christian faith hath bene thought of some to be scarce lawfull yea such as doe take vpon them to be more then meanely learned To these examples could I ioyne many moe but whosoeuer is not satisfied with these fewe may satisfie himselfe in reading at large the Authors last aboue recited Thus haue I as I trust prooued that we may iustly trade and traffique with the Sauages and lawfully plant and inhabite their Countries The third Chapter doeth shew the lawfull title which the Queenes most excellent Maiestie hath vnto those Countries which through the ayde of Almighty God are meant to be inhabited ANd it is very euident that the planting there shal in time right amply enlarge her Maiesties Territories and Dominions or I might rather say restore her to her Highnesse ancient right and interest in those Countries into the which a noble and worthy personage lineally descended from the blood royall borne in Wales named Madockap Owen Gwyneth departing from the coast of England about the yeere of our
downe and rising vp suddenly againe hee cryed thrise with a loude voyce Chiogh Chiogh Chiogh Thereupon nine or tenne of his fellowes running right vp ouer the bushes with great agilite and swiftnesse came towardes vs with white staues in their handes like halfe pikes and their dogges of colour blacke not so bigge as a greyhounde followed them at the heeles but wee retired vnto our boate without any hurt at all receiued Howbeit one of them brake an hogshead which wee had filled with fresh water with a great branche of a treâ which lay on the ground Upon which occasion we bestowed halfe a dousââ muskets shotte vpon them which they auoyded by falling flatte to the earth and afterwarde retired themselues to the woodes One of the Sauages which seemed to bee their Captaine ware a long mantle of beastes skinnes hanging on one of his shoulders The rest were all naked except their priuities which were couered with a skinne tyed behinde After they had escaped our shotte they made a great fire on the shore belike to giue their fellowes warning of vs. The kindes of trees that wee noted to bee here were goodly Okes Firre trees of a great height a kinde of tree called of vs Quickbeame and Cherie trees and diuerse other kindes to vs vnknowne because wee stayed not long with diligence to obserue them and there is great shewe of rosen pitch and tarre Wee found in both the places where wee went on land abundance of Raâpeses Strawberies Hurtes and herbes of good smâll and diuers good for the skuruie and grasse very ranke and of great length Wee sawe fiue or sixe boates sayling to the Southwestwardes of Cape Briton which wee iudged to bee Christians which had some trade that way Wee sawe also while wee were on shore the manner of their hanging vp of their fish and flesh with withes to dry in the ayre they also lay them vpon raâtes and hurdles and make a smoake vnder them or a softe fire and so drie them as the Sauages vse to doe in Virginia While wee lay foure leagues South of Cape Briton wee sounded and had sixtie fathomes blacke ozie ground And sayling thence Westwarde nine or ten leagues off the short we had twenty foure fathomes redde sande and small whitish stones Wee continued our course so farre to the Southwest that wee brought ourselues into the latitude of fourtie foure degrees and an half hauing sayled fiftie or sixtie leagues to the Southwest of Cape Briton We found the current betwene this Cape Briton and Cape Rey to set out toward the Eastsoutheast In our course to the West of Cape Briton we saw excâeding great store of seales and abundance of Porposes whereof we killed eleuen We sawe Whales also of all âortes aswell small as great and here our men tooke many berded Coddes with one teate vnderneath which are like to the Northeast Cods and better then those of Newfoundland From our arriuall at the hauen of Saint Francis in Newfoundland which was as is aforesayde the eleuenth of Iuly we continued beating vp and downe on the coast of Arambeâ to the West and Southwest of Cape Briton vntill the twentie eight of September fully by the space of eleuen weekes and then by the perswasion of our Master and certaine others wee shaped our course homeward by the Isles of the Açores and came first to Coruo and Flores where beating vp and downe and missing of expected prayâ we sayled by Tercera and from thence to Saint Michael where we sought to boorde a Portugall shippe which we found too well appointed for vâ to bring along with vs and so being forced to leaue them behinde and hauing wasted all our victuals wee were constrained against our willes to hasten home vnto our narrowe Seas but it was the two and twentieth of December before wee could get into the Downes where for lacke of winde wee kept our Christmas with dry breade onely for dropping of our clothes One thing very strange hapened in this voyage to witte that a mightie great Whale followed our shippe by the space of many dayes as we passed by Cape Razo which by no meanes wee coulde chase from our ship vntill one of our men fell ouerboord and was drowned after which time shee immediatly forsooke vs and neuer afterward appeared vnto vs. A briefe note concerning the voyage of M. George Drake of Apsham to the Isle of Ramea in the aforesayd yere 1593. IN the beginning of the former relation written by Richard Fisher seruant to the worshipfull Master Hill of Redriffe is as you reade a briefe reporte of their loosing of their consort the shippe of Master George Drake of Apsham which though shee came directly to the Isle of Ramea yet because shee was not ready so soone by two moneths as she ought to haue bene she was not onely the hinderance of her consort the Marigolde lost the season of the yere for the making of her voyage of killing the Morses or Sea Oxen which are to be taken in Aprill May and Iune but also suffered the fit places and harboroughs in the Isle which are but two as farre as I can learne to be forestalled and taken vp by the Britons of Saint Malo and the Baskes of Saint Iohn de Luz by comming a day after the Fayre as wee say Which lingering improuidence of our men hath bene the ouerthrowe of many a worthy enterprize and of the vndertakers of the same The relation of this voyage at large I was promised by the Authour himselfe but the same not comming to my handes in tyme I am constrained to leaue it out The want whereof for the better vnderstanding of the state of the sayde Island the frequenting of that gainefull trade by the aforesayd nations of the of Britons and Baskes may in part be supplyed by the voyage of Master Charles Leigh to the sayde Island of Ramea which also comming much too late thither as Master George Drake had done was wholly preuented and shutte out to his and his friendes no small detriment and mischiefe and to the discouraging of others hereafter in the sayd gainefull and profitable trade Neuertherthelesse albeit hitherto the successe hath not answered our expectation through our âwne default as is abouesaidâ yet I was very willing to set downe in briefe and homely stile some mention of these three voyages of our owne men The first of M. George Drake the second of M. Siluester Wyet the third of M. Charles Leigh because they are the first for ought that hitherto is come to my knowledge of our owne Nation that haue conducted English ships so farre within this gulfe of S. Laurence and haue brought vs true relation of the manifold gaine which the French Britaynes Baskes and Biskaines do yerely returne from the sayd partes while wee this long time haue stood still and haue bene idle lookers on making courtisie who should giue the first aduenture or once being giuen who
these townes they found a pie in a cage after the maner of Castile and certaine shadowes or canopies like vnto those which are brought from China wherein were painted the Sunne the Moone and many Starres Where hauing taken the height of the pole-starre they found themselues to be in 37 degrees and ½ of Northerly latitude They departed out of this prouince and keeping still the same NORTHERLY course foureteene leagues from thence they found another prouince called The Cunames where they saw other fiue townes the greatest whereof was called Cia being so large that it conteined eight market-places the houses whereof being plaistered and painted with diuers colours were better then any which they had seene in the prouinces before mentioned the people which they heere saw they esteemed to be aboue twenty thousand persons They presented to our men many curious mantles and victuals excellently well dressed so that our men deemed this nation to be more curious and of greater ciuility and better gouernment then any other that hitherto they had seene They shewed them rich metals and the mountaines also not farre off whereout they digged them Heere our people heard of another prouince standing toward the Northwest wherevnto they purposed to goe Hauing trauelled about sixe leagues they came to the sayd prouince the people whereof were called Ameies wherin were seven very great townes conteining to their iudgement aboue thirty thousand soules They reported that one of the seuen townes was very great and faire which our men would not go to see both because it stood behinde a mountaine and also for feare of some mishappe if in case they should be separated one from another This people are like vnto their neighbours of the former prouince being as well prouided of all necessaries as they and of as good gouernment About fifteene leagues from this prouince trauelling alwayes toward the West they found a great towne called Acoma conteining aboue sixe thousand persons and situate vpon an high rocke which was aboue fifty paces hie hauing no other entrance but by a ladder or paire of staires he wen into the same rocke whereat our people maruelled not a little all the water of this towne was kept in cisternes The chiefe men of this towne came peaceably to visit the Spanyards bringing them many mantles and chamois-skinnes excellently dressed and great plenty of victuals Their corne-fields are two leagues from thence and they fetch water out of a small riuer nere thereunto to water the same on the brinks whereof they saw many great banks of Roses like those of Castile Here are many mountaines that beare shewes of mettals but they went not to see them because the Indians dwelling vpon them are many in number and very warlike Our men remained in this place three dayes vpon one of the which the inhabitants made before them a very solemne dance comming foorth in the same with gallant apparell vsing very witty sports wherewith our men were exceedingly delighted Twenty foure leagues from hence toward the West they came to a certaine prouince called by the inhabitants themselues Zuny by the Spanyards Cibola containing great numbers of Indians in which prouince Francisco Vazquez de Coronado had bene and had erected many crosses and other tokens of Christianity which remained as yet standing Heere also they found three Indian Christians which had remained there euer since the said iourny whose names were Andrew de Culiacan Gaspar de Mexico and Antonio de Guadalajara who had almost forgotten their owne language but could speake that countrey speech very well howbeit after some small conference with our men they easily vnderstood one another By these three Indians they were informed that threescore dayes iourney from this place there was a very mighty lake vpon the bankes where of stood many great and good townes and that the inhabitants of the same had plenty of golde an euident argument wherof was their wearing of golden bracelets earrings and also that after the sayd Francis Vasquez de Coronado had perfect intelligence thereof hee departed out of this prouince of Cibola to goe thither and that hauing proceeded twelue dayes iourney he began to want water and thereupon determined to returne as he did indeed with intention to make a second voyage thither at his better opportunity which afterward he performed not being preuented of his determined iourney by death Upon the newes of these riches the sayd Captaine Antony de Espcio was desirous to go thither and though some of his companions were of his opinion yet the greater part and the frier were of the contrary saying that it was now high time to returne home vnto New Biscay from whence they came to giue account of that which they had seene which the sayd greater part within few dayes put in execution leauing the captaine with nine companions onely that willingly followed him who after hee had fully certified himselfe of the riches abouesayd and of the great quantity of excellent mettals that were about that lake departed out of this prouince of Cibola with his companions and trauelling directly toward the West after hee had passed 28 leagues he fouÌd another very great prouince which by estimation conteined aboue 50000 soules the inhabitants whereof assoone as they vnderstood of their approch sent them word vpon paine of death to come no neerer to their townes whereto the captaine answered that their comming was in no wise to hurt them as they should well perceiue and therefore requested them not to molest him in his intended voyage and withall gaue to the messenger are ward of such things as they brought with them who there upon made so good report of our people and so appeased the troubled minds of the Indians that they granted them free accesse vnto their townes and so they went thither with 15. Indians their friends of the prouince of Cibola aforesaid and the three Mexican Indians before mentioned When they were come within a league of the first towne there came forth to meete them aboue 2000. Indians laden with victuals whom the Captaine rewarded with some things of small value which they made great accompt of and esteemed more precious then gold As they approched neere vnto the towne which was named Zaguato a great multitude of Indians came forth to meete them and among the rest their Caçiques with so great demonstration of ioy and gladnes that they cast much meale of Maiz vpon the ground for the horses to tread vpon with this triumph they entred the towne where they were very wel lodged and much made of which the Captaine did in part requite giuing to the chiefest among them hats and beads of glasse with many such trifles which he caried with him for the like purpose The said Caçiques presently gaue notice to the whole prouince of the arriual of these new guests whom they reported to bee a courteous people and such as offered
house as much as he will without the cost of any thing but of the letting in Also there is a great caue or ditch of water that commeth through the Citie euen vnto the high place where come euery morning at the break of the day twentie or thirtie Canoas or troughes of the Indians which bring in them all maner of prouision for the citie which is made and groweth in the Countrey which is a very good commoditie for the inhabitants of that place And as for victuals in the said Citie of beefe mutton and hennes capons quailes Guiny-cockes and such like all are very good cheape To say the whole quarter of an oxe as much as a slaue can carry away from the Butchers for fiue Tomynes that is fiue Royals of plate which is iust two shillings and sixe pence and a fat sheepe at the Butchers for three Royals which is 18. pence and no more Bread is as good cheape as in Spaine and all other kinde of fruites as apples peares pomegranats and quinces at a reasonable rate The Citie goeth wonderfully forwards in building of Frieries and Nunneries and Chappels and is like in time to come to be the most populous Citie in the world as it may be supposed The weather is there alwayes very temperate the day differeth but one houre of length all the yere long The fields and the woods are alwayes greene The woods full of popiniayes and many other kinde of birdes that make such an harmonie of singing and crying that any man will reioyce to heare it In the fields are such odoriferous smels of flowers and hearbs that it giueth great cement to the senses About the Citie of Mexico two three or foure leagues off are diuers townes of Indians some of 4000. or 6000. housholds which doe stand in such a goodly soyle that if Christians had the inhabitation thereof it would be put to a farther benefite In my time were dwelling and aliue in Mexico many ancient men that were of the conquerours at the first conquest with Hernando Cortes for then it was about 36. yeeres agoe that the said Countrey was conquered About Mexico there are diuers Mines of siluer and also in other places there about but the principall Mines that are in all New Spaine are in Sacatecas 80. leagues from Mexico and the Mines of S. Martin thirtie leagues both to the Northwestward of Mexico where is great store of gold and siluer Also there is a place called the Misteca fiftie leagues to the Northwest which doth yeeld great store of very good silke and Cochinilla Wine and oyle there is none growing in the Countrey but what commeth out of Spaine Also there are many goodly fruits in that Countrey whereof we haue none such as Plantanos Guyaues Sapotes Tunas and in the wildernes great store of blacke cheries and other wholsome fruites The Cochinilla is not a worme or a flye as some say it is but a berrie that groweth vpon certaine bushes in the wilde field which is gathered in time of the yeere when it is ripe Also the Indico that doeth come from thence to die blâw is a certaine heathe that groweth in the wilde fieldes and is gathered at one time of the yeere and burnt and of the ashes thereof with other confections put thereunto the saide Indico is made Balme Salsa perilla Cana fistula sugâr oxe hides and many other good and seruiceable things the Countrey doeth yeeld which are yeerely brought into Spaine and there solde and distributed to many nations ROBERT TOMSON A voyage made by M. Roger Bodenham to S. Iohn de Vllua in the bay of Mexico in the yeere 1564. I Roger Bodenham hauing a long time liued in the city of Siuil in Spaine being there married and by occasion thereof vsing trade and traffique to the parts of Barbary grew at length to great losse and hindrance by that new trade begun by me in the city of Fez whereupon being returned into Spaine I began to call my wits about mee and to consider with my selfe by what meanes I might recouer and renew my state and in conclusion by the ayde of my friends I procured a ship called The Barke Fox pertâining to London of the burden of eight or nine score tunnes and with the same I made a voyage to the West India hauing obteined good fauour with the Spanish merchants by reason of my long abode and marriage in the countrey My voyage was in the company of the Generall Don Pedro Melendes for Noua Hispania who being himselfe appointed Generall for Terra Firma and Peru made his sonne Generall for New Spaine although Pedro Melendes himselfe was the principall man and directer in both fleets We all departed from Cadiz together the last day of May in the yere 1564 and I with my ship being vnder the conduct of the sonne of Don Pedro aforesayd arriued with him in Noua Hispania where immediatly I tooke order for the discharge of my merchandise at the port of Vera Cruz otherwise called Villa Rica to be transported theâce to the city of Mexico which is sixty and odde leagues distant from the sayd port of Villa Rica In the way are many good townes as namely Pueblo de los Angeles and another called Tlaxcalan The city of Mexico hath three great causeyes to bring men to it compassed with a lake so that it needeth no walles being so defended by the water It is a city plentifull of all necessary things hauing many faire houses churches and monasteries I hauing continued in the countrey the space of nine moneths returned againe for Spaine with the Spanish fleet and deliuered the merchandise and siluer which I had in the ship into the Contractation house and there receiued my fraight which amounted outwards and homewards to the value of 13000 ducats and more I obserued many things in the time of my abode in Noua Hispania aswell touching the commodities of the countrey as the maners of the people both Spanâards and Indians but because the Spanish histories are full of those obseruations I omit them and referre the readers to the same onely this I say that the commodity of Cochinilla groweth in greatest abundance about the towne of Pueblo de los Angeles and is not there woorth aboue forty pence the pound A notable discourse of M. Iohn Chilton touching the people maners mines cities riches forces and other memorable things of New Spaine and other prouinces in the West Indies seene and noted by himselfe in the time of his trauels continued in those parts the space of seuenteene or eighteene yeeres IN the yeere of our Lord 1561 in the moneth of Iuly I Iohn Chilton went out of this city of London into Spaine where I remained for the space of seuen yeres from thence I sailed into Noua Hispania and so trauelled there and by the South sea vnto Peru the space of seuenteene or eighteene yeeres and after that time expired I returned into Spaine and
Biscay where I solde my merchandise for exchange of siluer for there were there certaine rich mines discouered by the aforesayd Biskaine Going from Mexico I directed my voyage somewhat toward the Southwest to certaine mines called Tamascaltepec and so trauelled forward the space of twenty dayes thorow desert places vnhabited till I came to the valley of S. Bartholomew which ioyneth to the prouince of New Biscay In all these places the Indians for the most part go naked and are wilde people Their common armour is bowes and arrowes they vse to eate vp such Christians as they come by From hence departing I came to another prouince named Xalisco and from thence to the port of Nauidad which is 120 leagues from Mexico in which port arriue alwayes in the moneth of April all the ships that come out of the South sea from China and the Philippinas and there they lay their merchandise ashore The most part whereof is mantles made of Cotton wooll Waxe and fine platters gilded made of earth and much golde The next Summer following being in the yeere 1570 which was the first yeere that the Popes Buls were brought into the Indies I vndertooke another voyage towards the prouince of Sonsonate which is in the kingdome of Guatimala whither I caried diuers merchandize of Spaine all by land on mules backs The way thitherward from Mexico is to the city of the Angels and from thence to another city of Christians 80 leagues off called Guaxaca in which there dwelt about 50 Spanyards and many Indiaâs All the Indians of this prouince pay their tribute in mantles of Cotton wooll and Cochinilla whereof there groweth abundance thorowout this countrey Neere to this place there lieth a port in the South sea called Aguatulco in the which there dwell not aboue three or foure Spanyards with certaine Negroes which the king mainteineth there in which place Sir Francis Drake arriued in the yeere 1579 in the moneth of April where I lost with his being there aboue a thousand duckets which he tooke away with much other goods of other merchants of Mexico from one Francisco Gomes Rangifa factour there for all the Spanish merchants that then traded in the South sea for from this port they vse to imbarke all their goods that goe for Peru and to the kingdome of Honduras From Guaxaca I came to a towne named Nixapa which standeth vpon certaine very high hilles in the prouince of Sapotecas wherein inhabit about the number of twenty Spanyards by the King of Spaines commandement to keepe that country in peace for the Indians are very rebellious and for this purpose hee bestoweth on them the townes cities that be within that prouince From hence I went to a city called Tecoantepec which is the farthest towne to the Eastward in all Noua Hispania which sometime did belong to the Marques de Valle and because it is a very fit port standing in the South sea the king of Spaine vpon a rebellion made by the sayd Marques against him tooke it from him and doth now possesse it as his owne Heere in the yeere 1572 I saw a piece of ordinance of brasse called a Demy culuerin which came out of a ship called the Iesus of Lubec which captaine Hawkins left in S. Iohn de Vllua being in fight with the Spanyards in the yeere 1568 which piece they afterwards caried 100 leagues by land ouer mighty mountaines to the sayd city to be embarked there for the Philippinas Leauing Tecoantepec I went still along by the South sea about 150 leagues in the desolate prouince of Soconusco in which prouince there groweth cacao which the Christians cary from thence into Noua Hispania for that it will not grow in any colde countrey The Indians of this countrey pay the king their tribute in cacao giuing him foure hundred cargas and euery carga is 24000 almonds which carga is woorth in Mexico thirty pieces of reals of plate They are men of great riches and withall very proud and in all this prouince thorowout there dwell not twenty Christians I trauelled thorow another prouince called Suchetepec and thence to the prouince of Guasacapan in both which prouinces are very few people the biggest towne therein hauing not aboue two hundred Indians The chiefest merchandise there is cacao Hence I went to the city of Guatimala which is the chiefe city of all this kingdome in this city doe inhabit about 80 Spanyards and here the king hath his gouernors councell to whom all the people of the kingdome repaire for iustice This city standeth from the coast of the South sea 14 leagues within the land and is very rich by reason of the golde that they fetch out of the coast of Veragua From this city to the Eastward 60 leagues lieth the prouince Sonsonate where I solde the merchandize I caried out of Noua Hispania The chiefest city of this prouince is called S. Saluador which lieth 7 leagues from the coast of the South sea and hath a port lying by the sea coast called Acaxutla where the ships arriue with the merchandize they bring from Noua Hispania and from thence lade backe againe the cacao there dwell heere to the number of threescore Spanyards From Sonsonate I trauelled to Nicoia which is in the kingdome of Nicaragua in which port the king buildeth all the shipping that trauell out of the Indies to the Malucos I went forward from thence to Costa rica where the Indians both men and women go all naked and the land lieth betweene Panama and the kingdome of Guatimala and for that the Indians there liue as warriers I durst not passe by land so that here in a towne called S. Saluador I bestowed that which I caried in annile which is a kinde of thing to die blew withall which I caried with me to the port of Cauallos lying in the kingdome of Honduras which port is a mighty huge gulfe and at the comming in on the one side of it there lieth a towne of little force without ordinance or any other strength hauing in it houses of straw at which towne the Spanyards vse yeerely in the moneth of August to vnlade foure ships which come out of Spaine laden with rich merchandise and receiue in heere againe their lading of a kinde of merchandise called Annile and Cochinilla although it be not of such value as that of Noua Hispania and siluer of the mines of Tomaangua and golde of Nicaragua and hides and Salsa perilla the best in all the Indies all which merchandize they returne and depart from thence alwayes in the moneth of April following taking their course by the Island of Iamaica in which Island there dwell on the West side of it certeine Spanyards of no great number From this place they go to the cape of S. Anthony which is the vttermost part of the Westward of the Island of
Cuba and from thence to Hauana lying hard by which is the chiefest port that the king of Spaine hath in all the countreys of the Indies and of greatest importance for all the ships both from Peru Hunduras Porto rico S. Domingo Iamaica and all other places in his Indies arriue there in their returne to Spaine for that in this port they take in victuals and water and the most part of their lading here they meet from all the foresayd places alwayes in the beginning of May by the kings commandement at the entrance of this port it is so narrow that there can scarse come in two ships together although it be aboue sixe fadome deepe in the narrowest place of it In the North side of the comming in there standeth a tower in which there watcheth euery day a man to descrie the sailes of ships which hee can see on the sea and as many as he discouereth so many banners he setteth vpon the tower that the people of the towne which standeth within the port about a mile from the tower may vnderstand thereof Under this tower there lieth a sandy shore where men may easily go aland and by the tower there runneth a hill along by the waters side which easily with small store of ordinance subdueth the towne and port The port within is so large that there may easily ride a thousand saile of ships without anker or cable for no winde is able to hurt them There inhabit within the towne of Hauana about three hundred Spanyards and about threescore souldiers which the king mainteineth there for the keeping of a certeine castle which hee hath of late erected which hath planted in it about twelue pieces of small ordinance and is compassed round with a small ditch wherethorow at their pleasure they may let in the sea About two leagues from Hauana there lieth another towne called Wanabacoa in which there is dwelling about an hundred Indians and from this place 60 leagues there lieth another towne named Bahama situate on the North side of the Island The chiefest city of this Island of Cuba which is aboue 200 leagues in length is also called Sant Iago de Cuba where dwelleth a bishop about two hundred Spanyards which towne standeth on the South side of the Island about 100 leagues from Hauana All the trade of this Island is cattell which they kill onely for the hides that are brought thence into Spaine for which end the Spanyards mainteine there many negroes to kil their cattell and foster a great number of hogs which being killed and cut into small pieces they dry in the Sun and so make it prouision for the ships which come for Spaine Hauing remained in this Island two moneths I tooke shipping in a frigat and went ouer to Nombre de Dios and from thence by land to Panama which standeth vpon the South sea From Nombre de Dios to Panama is 17 leagues distance from which towne there runneth a riuer which is called the riuer of Chagre which runneth within 5 leagues of Panama to a place called Cruzes thorow which riuer they cary their goods and disimbarke them at the sayd Cruzes and from thencâ they are conueyed on mules backs to Panama by land where they againe imbarke them in certeine small shippes in the South sea for all the coast of Peru. In one of these ships I went to Potossi and from thence by land to Cusco and from thence to Paita Here I remained the space of seuen moneths and then returned into the kingdome of Guatimala and arriued in the prouince of Nicoia and Nicaragua From Nicaragua I trauelled by land to a prouince called Nicamula which lieth toward the North sea in certaine high mountaines for that I could not passe thorow the kingdome of Guatimala at that time for waters wherewith all the Low countreys of the prouince of Soconusco lying by the South sea are drowned with the raine that falleth aboue in the mountaines enduring alwayes from April to September which season for that cause they call their Winter From this prouince I came into another called De Vera Paz in which the chiefest city is also called after that name where there dwelleth a bishop and about forty Spanyards Among the mountaines of this countrey toward the North sea there is a prouince called La CaÌdona where are Indian men of war which the king can not subdue for that they haue townes and forts in a great lake of water aboue in the sayd mountaines the most part of them goe naked and some weare mantles of cotton wooll Distant from this about 80 leagues I came into another prouince called the prouince of Chiapa wherein the chiefest city is called Sacatlan where there dwelleth a bishop and about an hundred Spanyards In this countrey there is great store of Cottân wooll whereof the Indians make fiue linnen cloth which the Christians buy and cary into Noua Hispania The people of this prouince pay their tribute to the king all in Cotton wooll and Feathers Foureteene leagues from this city there is another called Chiapa where are the finest gennets in all the Indies which are caried hence to Mexico 300 leagues from it From this city I trauelled still thorow hilles and mountaines till I came to the end of this prouince to a hill called Ecatepec which in English signifieth The hill of winde for that they say it is the highest hill that euer was discouered for from the top of it may be discouered both the North and the South seas and it is in height supposed to be nine leagues They which trauell ouer it lie alwayes at the foot of it ouer night and begin their iourney about midnight to trauell to the top of it before the Sunne rise the next day because the winde bloweth with such force afterwards that it is impossible for any man to goe vp from the foot of this hill to Tecoantepec the first towne of Noua Hispania are about fifteene leagues And so from hence I iourneyed to Mexico By and by after I came to Mexico which was in the yere 1572 in the company of another Spanyard which was my companion in this iourney we went together toward the prouince of Panuco which lieth vpon the coast of the North sea and within three dayes iourney we entred a city called Mestitlan where there dwelt twelue Spanyards the Indian inhabitants there were about thirty thousand This city standeth vpon certaine hie mountaines which are very thicke planted with townes very holesome and fruitfull hauing plentifull fountaines of water running thorow them The high wayes of these hilles are all set with fruits and trees of diuers kindes and most pleasant In euery towne as we passed thorow the Indians presented vs with victuals Within twenty leagues of this place there is another city called Clanchinoltepec belonging to a gentleman where there inhabit about fourty thousand Indians and
there are among them eight or nine friers of the Order of Saint Augustine who haue there a Monastery Within three dayes after we departed from this place and came to a city called Guaxutla where there is another Monastery of friers of the same Order there dwell in this towne about twelue Spanyards From this place forwards beginneth a prouince called Guastecan which is all plaine grounds without any hilles The first towne we came vnto is called Tancuylabo in which there dwell many Indians high of stature hauing all their bodies painted with blew and weare their haire long downe to their knees tied as women vse to doe with their haire-laces When they goe out of their doores they cary with them their bowes and arrowes being very great archers going for the most part naked In those countreys they take neither golde nor siluer for exchange of any thing but onely Salt which they greatly esteeme and vse it for a principall medicine for certaine wormes which breed in their lips and in their gummes After nine dayes trauell from this place we came to a towne called Tampice which is a port towne vpon the sea wherein theâe dwell I thinke forty Christians of which number whilest were abode there the Indians killed foureteene as they were gathering of Salt which is all the trade that they haue in this place it standeth vpon the entrie of the riuer of Panuco which is a mighty great riuer and were it not for a sand that lieth at the mouth of it ships of fiue hundred tunne might goe vp into it aboue three score leagues From hence we went to Panuco foureteene leagues from Tampice which in times past had bene a goodly city where the king of Spaine had his gouernour but by reason that the Indians there destroyed the Christians it lieth in a maner waste conteining in it not aboue tenne Christians with a priest In this towne I fell sicke where I lay one and forty dayes hauing no other sustenance then fruit and water which water I sent for aboue sixe leagues off within the countrey Here I remained till my companion came to me which had departed from me another way reteining in my company onely a slaue which I brought with me from Mexico And the last day in Easter weeke my companion came to me finding me in a very weake state by reason of the vnholesomenesse of the place Notwithstanding my weakenesse I being set on an horse and an Indian behinde mee to holde mee wee went forward on our voyage all that day till night The next day in the morning we passed ouer the riuer in a canoa and being on the other side I went my selfe before alone and by reason there met many wayes traled by the wilde beasts I lost my way and so trauelled thorow a great wood about two leagues and at length fell into the hands of certaine wilde Indians which were there in certaine cottages made of straw who seeing me came out to the number of twenty of them with their bowes and arrowes and spake vnto mee in their language which I vnderstood not and so I made signes vnto them to helpe mee from my horse which they did by commandement of their lord which was there with them and lighted downe They caried me vnder one of their cottages and layed me vpon a mat on the ground and perceiuing that I could not vnderstand them they brought vnto mee a little Indian wench of Mexico of fifteene or sixteene yeeres of age whom they commanded to aske me in her language from whence I came and for what intent I was câme among them for sayth she doest thou not know Christian how that these people will kill and eat thee To whom I answered let them doe with me what they will heere now I am Shee replied saying thou mayest thanke God thou art leane for they feare thou hast the pocks otherwise they would eate thee So I presented to the king a little wine which I had with me in a bottle which he esteemed aboue any treasure for for wine they will sell their wiues and children Afterwards the wench asked me what I would haue and whether I would eat any thing I answered that I desired a little water to drinke for that the countrey is very hote and shee brought me a great Venice glasse gilded full of water And maruelling at the glasse I demanded how they câme by it She tolde me that the Casique brought it from Shallapa a great towne distant 30 leagues from this place on the hilles whereas dwelt certeine Christians and certeine friers of the Order of S. Augustine which this Casique with his people on a night slew and burning the friers monasterie among other things reserued this glasse and from thence also brought me Hauing now bene conuersaât with them about three or foure houres they bid her aske me if I would goe my way I answered her that I desired nothing els So the Casique caused two of his Indians to leade me forward in my way going before me with their bowes and arrowes naked the space of three leagues till they brought me into an high way and then making a signe vnto me they signified that in short time I should come to a towne where Christians inhabited which was called S. Iago de los valles standing in plaine fields walled about with a mud âall the number of the Christians that dwelt therein were not abâue foure or fiue and twenty vnto which the king of Spaine giueth Indians and townes to keepe the countreys subiect vnto him Heâre the Christians haue their mâghty mules which they cary for all the parts of the Indies and into Peru for that all their merchandize are caried by this meanes by land In this towne aforesayd I found my company which I had lost before who made no other account oâ me but that I had beene slaine and the Christians there likewise maruelled to heare that I came from those kinde of Indians aliue which was a thing neuer seene nor heard of before for they take a great pride in killing a Christian and to weare any part of him where he hath any haire growing hanging it about their necks and so are accounted for valiant men In this towne I remained eighteene dayes till I recouered my health and in the meane space there came one Don Francisco de Pago whom the viceroy Don Henrico Manriques had sent for captaine generall to open and discouer a certeine way from the sea side to the mines of Sacatecas which were from this place 160 leagues for to transport their merchandize by that way leauing the way by Mexico which is seuen or eight weeks trauell So this captaine tooke me and my company with the rest of his souldiers to the number of forty which he had brought with him and fiue hundred Indians which we tooke âut of two towns in this prouince called Tanchipa and Tamaclipa
down and when they had a while surueyed and taken a perfect view of vs they came to all such as had any coloured clothes amongst vs and those they did strip starke naked and tooke their clothes away with them but those that were apparelled in blacke they did not meddle withall and so went their wayes and left vs without doing vs any further hurt onely in the first brunt they killed eight of our men And at our depature they perceiuing in what weake case we were pointed vs with their hands which way we should go to come to a towne of the Spaniards which as we afterwards perceiued was not past ten leagues from thence vsing these words Tampice Tampice Christiano Tampice Christiano which is as much we thinke as to say in English at Tampice you shall find the Christians The weapons that they vse are no other but bowes and arrowes and their arme is so good that they very seldome misse to hit any thing that they shoote at Shortly after they had left vs stript as aforesayd we thought it best to deuide our selues into two companies and so being separated halfe of vs went vnder the leading of one Anthony Godard who is yet a man aliue and dwelleth at this instant in the towne of Plimmouth whom before we chose to be captaine ouer vs all and those which went vnder his leading of which number I Miles Philips was one trauailed Westward that way which the Indians with their hands had before pointed vs to go The other halfe went vnder the leading of one Iohn Hooper whom they did choose for their captain with the company that went with him Dauid Ingâââ was one and they tooke their way and trauelled Northward and shortly after within the space of two dayes they were againe incountered with the sauage people and their captaine Hooper and two more of his company were slaine then againe they diuided themselues and some held on their way still Northward and other some knowing that we were gone Westward sought to meet with vs againe as in truth there was about the number of 25 or 26 of them that met with vs in the space of foure dayes againe and then we began to reckon amongst our selues how many wee were that were set on shore and we found the number to be an hundred and fourteene whereof two were drowned in the sea and eight were slaine at the first incounter so that there remained an hundred and foure of which 25 went Westward with vs and 52 to the North with Hooper and Ingram and as Ingram since hath often told me there were not past three of their company slaine and there were but sixe and twenty of them that came againe to vs so that of the company that went Northward there is yet lacking and not certainely heard of the number of three and twenty men And verely I doe thinke that there are of them yet aliue and married in the said countrey at Cibola as hereafter I purpose God willing to discourse of more particularly with the reason and causes that make mee so to thinke of them that were lacking which were Dauid Ingram Twide Browne and sundry others whose names wee could not remember And being thus met againe together we trauelled on still Westward sometime thorow such thicke woods that we were inforced with cudgels to breake away the brambles and bushes from tearing our naked bodies other sometimes we should trauell thorow the plaines in such high grasse that wee could scarse see one another and as we passed in some places we should haue of our men slaine and fall downe suddenly being sârooken by the Indians which stood behinde trees and bushes in secret places and so killed our men as they went by for wee went scatteringly in seeking of fruites to relieue our selues We were also oftentimes greatly annoyed with a kind of flie which in the Indian tongue is called Tequani and the Spaniards called them Muskitos There are also in the sayd countrey a number of other kinde of flies but none so noysome as these Tequanies bee you shall hardly see them they be so small for they are scarse so big as a gnat they will sucke ones blood marueilously and if you kill them while thây are sucking they are so venimous that the place will swell extremely euen as one that is stoong with a Waspe or Bee but if you let them sucke their fill and to goe away of themselues then they doe you no other hurt but leaue behinde them a red spot somewhat bigger then a flea-biting At the first wee were terribly troubled with these kinde of flies not knowing their qualities and resistance wee could make none against them being naked as for cold wee feared not any the countrey there is alwayes so warme And as we trauelled thus for the space of tenne or twelue dayes our captaine did oftentimes cause certaine to goe vp into the toppes of high trees to see if they could descrie any towne or place of inhabitants but they could not perceiue any and vsing often the same order to climbe vp into high trees at the lângth they descried a great riuer that fell from the Northwest into the maine sea and presently after we heard an harquebuze shot off which did greatly incourage vs for thereby wee knew that we were neere to some Christians and did therefore hope shortly to finde some succour and comfort and within the space of one houre after as we trauelled we heard a cocke crowe which was also no small ioy vnto vs and so we came to the North side of the riuer of Panuco where the Spaniards haue certaine Salines at which place it was that the haquebuze was shot off which before we heard to which place we went not directly but missing thereof we left it about a bow-shot vpon our left hand of this riuer wee dranke very greedily for wee had not met with any water in sixe dayes before and as we were here by the riuer side resting our selues and longing to come to the place where the cocke did crowe and where the harquebuze was shot off we perceiued many Spaniards vpon the other side of the riuer riding vp and downe on horsebacke and they perceiuing vs did suppose that we had beene of the Indians their bordering enemies the Chichimeci the riuer was not past halfe a bowe shoot ouer and presently one of the Spaniards tooke an Indian boate called a Canoa and so came ouer being rowed by two Indians and hauing taken the view of vs did presently rowe ouer backe againe to the Spaniards who without any delay made out about the number of twenty horsemen and imbarking themselues in the Canoas they led their horses by the reines swimming ouer after them and being come ouer to that side of the riuer where we were they sadled their horses and being mounted vpon âhem with their lances charged they came very fiercely running at vs. Our captaine Anthony Godard seeing them
declared hereafter thought that this Inga of whom this emperour now liuing is descended tooke his way by the riuer of Amazones by that branch which is called Papamene for by that way followed Orellana by the coÌmandement of Gonzalo Piçarro in the yere 1542 whose name the riuer also beareth this day which is also by others called Marannon although Andrew Theuet doeth affirme that betweene Marannon and Amazones there are 120 leagues but sure it is that those riuers haue one head and beginning and the Marannon which Theuet describeth is but a branch of Amazones or Orellana of which I will speake more in another place It was attempted by Ordas but it is now little lesse then 70 yeres since that Diego Ordas a knight of the order of Saint Iago attempted the same and it was in the yeere 1542 that Orellana discouered the riuer of Amazones but the first that euer saw Manoa was Iuan Martinez master of the munition to Ordas At a port called Morequito in Guiana there lieth at this day a great anker of Ordas his ship and this port is some 300 miles within the land vpon the great riuer of Orenoque I rested at this port foure dayes twenty dayes after I left the ships at Curiapan The relation of this Martinez who was the first that discouered Manoa his successe and ende are to bee seene in the Chancery of Saint Iuan de puerto rico wherof Berreo had a copy which appeared to be the greatest incouragement aswell to Berreo as to others that formerly attempted the discouery and conquest Orellana after he failed of the discouery of Guiana by the sayd riuer of Amazones passed into Spaine and there obteined a patent of the king for the inuasion and conquest but died by sea about the Islands and his fleet seuered by tempest the action for that time proceeded not Diego Ordas followed the enterprise and departed Spaine with 600 souldiers and 30 horse who arriuing on the coast of Guiana was slaine in a mutiny with the most part of such as fauoured him as also of the rebellious part insomuch as his ships perished and few or none reâurned neither was it certeinly knowen what became of the sayd Ordas vntill Berreo found the anker of his ship in the riuer of Orenoque but it was supposed and so it is written by Lopez that he perished on the seas and of other writers diuersly conceiued and reported And hereof it came that Martines entred so farre within the land and arriued at that city of Inga the emperour for it chanced that while Ordas with his army rested at the port of Morequito who was either the first or second that attempted Guiana by some negligence the whole store of powder prouided for the seruice was set on fire and Martinez hauing the chiefe charge was condemned by the Generall Ordas to be executed foorthwith Martinez being much fauoured by the souldiers had all the meanes possible procured for his life but it could not be obteined in other sort then this That he should be set into a canoa alone without any victuall onely with his armes and so turned loose into the great riuer but it pleased God that the canoa was caried downe the streame and that certeine of the Guianians mette it the same euening and hauing not at any time seene any Christian nor any man of that colour they caried Martinez into the land to be woondred at and so from towne to towne vntill he came to the great city of Manoa the seat and residence of Inga the emperour The emperour after he had beheld him knew him to be a Christian for it was not long before that his brethren Guascar and Atabalipa were vanquished by the Spanyards in Peru and caused him to be lodged in his palace and well enterteined Hee liued seuen moneths in Manoa but was not suffered to wander into the countrey any where He was also brought thither all the way blind fold led by the Indians vntill he came to the entrance of Manoa it selfe and was foureteene or fifteene dayes in the passage He auowed at his death that he entred the city at Noon and then they vncouered his face and that he trauelled all that day till night thorow the city and the next day from Sun rising to Sun setting yer he came to the palace of Inga After that Martinez had liued âeuen moneths in Manoa and began to vnderstand the language of the countrey Inga asked him whether he desired to returne into his owne countrey or would willingly abide with him But Martinez not desirous to stay obteined the fauour of Inga to depart with whom he sent diuers Guianians to conduct him to the riuer of Orenoque all loden with as much golde as they could cary which he gaue to Martinez at his departure but when he was arriued neere the riuers side the borderers which are called Orenoqueponi robbed him and his Guianians of all the treasure the borderers being at that time at warres which Inga had not conquered saue onely of two great bottels of gourds which were filled with beads of golde curiously wrought which those Orenoqueponi thought had bene no other thing then his drinke or meat or graine for food with which Martinez had liberty to passe and so in canoas hee fell downe from the riuer of Orenoque to Trinidad and from thence to Margarita and also to Saint Iuan de puerto rico where remaining a long time for passage into Spaine he died In the time of his extreme sicknesse and when he was without hope of life receiuing the Sacrament at the hands of his Confessor he deliuered these things with the relation of his trauels and also called for his calabaças or gourds of the golde beads which he gaue to the church and friers to be prayed for This Martinez was he that Christened the city of Manoa by the name of El Dorado and as Berreo informed mee vpon this occasion Those Guianians and also the borderers and all other in that tract which I haue seene are maruellous great drunkards in which vice I thinke no nation can compare with them and at the times of their solemne feasts when the emperour carowseth with his captaines tributaries and gouernours the maner iâ thus All those that pledge him are first stripped naked and their bodies anointed all ouer with a kind of white balsamum by them called curca of which there is great plenty and yet very deare amongst them and it is of all other the most precious whereof wee haue had good experience when they are anointed all ouer certeine seruants of the emperour hauing prepared golde made into fine powder blow it thorow hollow canes vpon their naked bodies vntill they be all shining from the foot to the head and in this sort they sit drinking by twenties and hundreds and continue in drunkennesse sometimes sixe or seuen dayes together The same is also confirmed by a letter written into Spaine which was intercepted
The king of this land is called Carapana a man very wise subtill and of great experience being little lesse then an hundred yeeres olde in his youth he was sent by his father into the Island of Trinidad by reason of ciuill warre among themselues and was bred at a village in that island called Parico at that place in his youth hee had seene many Christians both French and Spanish and went diuers times with the Indians of Trinidad to Margarita and Cumaná in the West Indies for both those places haue euer beene relieued with victuall from Trinidad by reason whereof he grew of more vnderstanding and noted the difference of the nations comparing the strength and armes of his countrey with those of the Christians and euer after temporized so as whosoeuer els did amisse or was wasted by contention Carapana kept himselfe and his countrey in quiet plenty he also held peace with the Caribes or Canibals his neighbours and had free trade with all nations whosoeuer els had warre Berreo soiourned and rested his weake troupe in the towne of Carapana sixe weeks and from him learned the way and passage to Guiana and the riches and magnificence thereof but being then vtterly disable to proceed he determined to try his fortune another yere when he had renewed his prouisions and regathered more force which hee hoped for aswell out of Spaine as from Nueuo reyno where hee had left his sonne Don Antonio Ximenes to second him vpon the first notice giuen of his entrance and so for the present imbarked himselfe in canoas and by the branches of Orenoque arriued at Trinidad hauing from Carapana sufficient pilots to conduct him From Trinidad he coasted Paria and so recouered Margarita and hauing made relation to Don Iuan Sermiento the gouernour of his proceeding and perswaded him of the riches of Guiana he obteined from thence fifty souldiers promising presently to returne to Carapana and so into Guiana But Berreo meant nothing lesse at that time for he wanted many prouisions necessary for such an enterprise and therefore departed from Margarita seated himselfe in Trinidad and from thence sent his camp-master and his sergeant-maior backe to the borders to discouer the neerest passage into the empire as also to treat with the borderers and to draw them to his party and loue without which he knew he could neither passe safely nor in any sort be relieued with victuall or ought els Carapana directed his company to a king called Morequito assuring them that no man could deliuer so much of Guiana as Morequito could and that his dwelling was but fiue dayes iourney from Macureguarai the first ciuill towne of Guiana Now your lordship shall vnderstand that this Morequito one of the greatest lords or kings of the borders of Guiana had two or three yeeres before bene at Cumaná and at Margarita in the West Indies with great store of plates of golde which he caried to exchange for such other things as he wanted in his owne countrey and was dayly feasted presented by the gouernours of those places and held amongst them some two moneths in which time one Vides gouernour of Cumaná wanne him to be his conductour into Guiana being allured by those croissants and images of golde which hee brought with him to trade as also by the ancient fame and magnificence of El Dorado whereupon Vides sent into Spaine for a patent to discouer and conquer Guiana not knowing of the precedence of Berreos patent which as Berreo affirmeth was signed before that of Vides so as when Vides vnderstood of Berreo and that he had made entrance into that territory and foregone his desire and hope it was verily thought that Vides practised with Morequito to hinder and disturbe Berreo in all he could and not to suffer him to enter thorow his signorie nor any of his companies neither to victuall nor guide them in any sort for Vides gouernour of Cumaná and Berreo were become mortall enemies as well for that Berreo had gotten Trinidad into his patent with Guiana as also in that he was by Berreo preuented in the iourney of Guiana it selfe howsoeuer it was I know not but Morequito for a time dissembled his disposition suffered Spanyards and a frier which Berreo had sent to discouer Manoa to trauell thorow his countrey gaue them a guide for Macureguaray the first towne of ciuill and apparelled people from whence they had other guides to bring them to Manoa the great city of Inga and being furnished with those things which they had learned of Carapana were of most price in Guiana went onward and in eleuen dayes arriued at Manoa as Berreo affirmeth for certeine although could not be assured thereof by the lord which now gouerneth the prouince of Morequito for he tolde me that they got all the golde they had in other townes on this side Manoa there being many very great and rich and as he sayd built like the townes of Christians with many roomes When these ten Spaniards were returned and ready to put out of the border of Aromaia the people of Morequito set vpon them and slew them all but one that swam the riuer and tooke from them to the value of forty thousand pezos of golde and one of them onely liued to bring the newes to Berreo that both his nine souldiers and holy father were benighted in the said prouince I my selfe spake with the captaines of Morequito that slew them and was at the place where it was executed Berreo inraged heerewithall sent all the strength he could make into Aromaia to be reuenged of him his people and countrey But Morequito suspecting the same fled ouer Orenoque and thorow the territories of the Saima and Wikiri recouered Cumaná where hee thought himselfe very safe with Vides the gouernour But Berreo sending for him in the kings name and his messengers finding him in the house of one Fashardo on the sudden yer he was suspected so as he could not then be conueyed away Vides durst not deny him as well to auoid the suspition of the practise as also for that an holy father was slaine by him and his people Morequito offered Fashardo the weight of three quintals in golde to let him escape but the poore Guianian betrayed on all sides was deliuered to the campe-master of Berreo and was presently executed After the death of this Morequito the souldiers of Berreo spoiled his territorie and tooke diuers prisoners among others they tooke the vncle of Morequito called Topiawari who is now king of Aromaia whose sonne I brought with me into England and is a man of great vnderstanding and policy he is aboue an hundred yeeres olde and yet of a very able body The Spaniards ledâe him in a chaine seuenteene dayes and made him their guide from place to place betweene his countrey Emeria the prouince of Carapana aforesayd and he was at last redeemed for an hundred plates of
golde and diuers stones called Piedras Hijadas or Spleene-stones Now Berreo for executing of Morequito and other cruelties spoiles and slaughters done in Aromaia hath lost the loue of the Orenoqueponi and of all the borderers and dare not send any of his souldiers any further into the land then to Carapana which he called the port of Guiana but from thence by the helpe of Carapana he had trade further into the countrey and alwayes appointed ten Spaniards to reside in Carapanas towne by whose fauour and by being conduââed by his people those ten searched the countrey thereabouts aswell for mines as for other trades and commodities They also haue gotâen a nephew of Morequito whom they haue Christened and named Don Iuan of whom they haue great hope endeuouring by all meanes to establish him in the sayd prouince Among many other trades those Spaniards vsed canoas to passe to the riuers of Barema Pawroma Dissequebe which are on the South side of the mouth of Orenoque and there buy women and children from the Canibals which are of that barbarous nature as they will for three or foure hatchets sell the sonnes and daughters of their owne brethren and sisters and for somewhat more euen their owne daughters Hereof the Spaniards make great profit for buying a maid of twelue or thirteene yeres for three or foure hatchets they sell them againe at Margarita in the West Indies for fifty and an hundred pezos which is so many crownes The master of my shippe Iohn Dowglas tooke one of the canoas which came laden from thence with people to be solde and the most of them escaped yet of those he brought there was one as well fauoured and as well shaped as euer I saw any in England and afterward I saw many of them which but for their tawnie colour may be compared to any of Europe They also trade in those riuers for bread of Cassaui of which they buy an hundred pound weight for a knife and sell it at Margarita for ten pezos They also recouer great store of Cotton Brasill wood and those beds which they call Hamacas or Brasill beds wherein in hot countreyes all the Spaniards vsed to lie commonly and in no other neither did we our selues while we were there By meanes of which trades for ransome of diuers of the Guianians and for exchange of hatchets and kniues Berreo recouered some store of golde plates eagles of golde and images of men and diuers birdes and dispatched his campe-master for Spaine with all that hee had gathered therewith to leuie souldiers and by the shew thereof to draw others to the loue of the enterprise And hauing sent diuers images aswell of men as beasts birds fishes so curiously wrought in gold he doubted not but to perswade the king to yeeld to him some further helpe especially for that this land hath neuer beene sacked the mines neuer wrought and in the Indies their works were well spent and the golde drawen out with great labour and charge He also dispatched messengers to his sonne in Nueuo reyno to leuie all the forces he could to come downe the riuer Orenoque to Emeria the prouince of Carapana to meet him he had also sent to Saint Iago de Leon on the coast of the Caracas to buy horses and mules After I had thus learned of his proceedings past and purposed I told him that I had resolued to see Guiana and that it was the end of my iourney and the cause of my comming to Trinidad as it was indeed and for that purpose I sent Iacob Whiddon the yeere before to get intelligence with whom Berreo himselfe had speech at that time and remembred how inquisitiue Iacob Whiddon was of his proceedings and of the countrey of Guiana Berreo was stricken into a great melancholy and sadnesse and vsed all the arguments he could to disswade me and also assured the gentlemen of my company that it would be labour lost and that they should suffer many miseries if they proceeded And first he deliuered that I could not enter any of the riuers with any barke or pinnesse or hardly with any ships boat it was so low sandy and full of flats and that his companies were dayly grounded in their canoas which drew but twelue inches water Hee further sayde that none of the countrey would come to speake with vs but would all flie and if we followed them to their dwellings they would burne their owne townes and besides that the way was long the Winter at hand and that the riuers beginning once to swell it was impossible to stem the current and that we could not in those small boats by any means cary victuall for halfe the time and that which indeed most discouraged my company the kings and lords of all the borders of Guiana had decreed that none of them should trade with any Christians for golde because the same would be their owne ouerthrow and that for the loue of gold the Christians meant to conquer and dispossesse them of all together Many and the most of these I found to be true but yet I resoluing to make triall of all whatsoeuer happened directed captaine George Gifford my vice-admirall to take the Lions whelpe and captaine Calfield his barke to turne to the Eastward against the mouth of a riuer called Capuri whose entrance I had before sent captaine Whiddon and Iohn Dowglas the master to discouer who found some nine foot water or better vpon the flood and fiue at low water to whom I had giuen instructions that they should anker at the edge of the shoald and vpon the best of the flood to thrust ouer which shoald Iohn Dowglas bwoyed and beckoned for them before but they laboured in vaine for neither could they turne it vp altogether so farre to the East neither did the flood continue so long but the water fell yer they could haue passed the sands as wee after found by a second experience so as now wee must either giue ouer our enterprise or leauing our ships at aduenture foure hundred mile behinde vs must run vp in our ships boats one barge and two wheries But being doubtfull how to cary victuals for so long a time in such bables or any strength of men especially for that Berreo assured vs that his sonne must be by that time come downe with many souldiers I sent away one King master of the Lions whelpe with his ship-boat to trie another branch of a riuer in the bottome of the bay of Guanipa which was called Amana to prooue if there were water to be found for either of the small ships to enter But when he came to the mouth of Amana he found it as the rest but stayed not to discouer it thorowly because he was assured by an Indian his guide that the Canibals of Guanipa would assaile them with many canoas and that they shot poisoned arrowes so as if he hasted not backe they should all be lost In the meane
next day following before noone hee came to vs on foote from his house which was foureteene English miles himselfe being a hundreth and tenne yeeres olde and returned on foote the same day and with him many of the borderers with many women and children that came to wonder at our nation and to bring vs downe victuall which they did in great plentie as venison porke hennes chickens foule fish with diuers sorts of excellent fruites and rootes and great abundance of Pinas the princes of fruites that grow vnder the Sunne especially those of Guiana They brought vs also store of bread and of their wine and a sort of Paraquitos no bigger then wrennes and of all other sorts both small and great one of them gaue mee a beast called by the Spaniards Armadilla which they call Cassicam which seemeâh to be all barred ouer with smal plates somewhat like to a Rinoceros with a white horne growing in his hinder parts as bigge a great hunting horne which they vse to winde in stead of a trumpet Monardus writeth that a little of the powder of that horne put into the eare cureth deafenesse After this olde King had rested a while in a little tent that I caused to bee set vp I beganne by my interpreter âo discourse with him of the death of Morequito his predecessour and afterward of the Spaniards and ere I went any farther I made him knowe the cause of my comming thither whose seruant I was and that the Queenes pleasure was I should vndertake the voyage for their defence and to deliuer them from the tyrannie of the Spaniards dilating at large as I had done before to those of Trinidad her Maiesties greatnesse her iustice her chaââteâ to all oppressed nations with as many of the rest of her beauties and vertues as either I could expresse or they conceiue all which being with great admiration attentiuely heard and marueilously admired I beganne to sound the olde man as touching Guiana and the state thereof what sort of common wealth it was who gouerned of what strength and policie howe farre it extended and what nations were friendes or enemies adioyning and finally of the distance and way to enter the same hee tolde mee that himselfe and his people with all those downe the Riuer towards the Sea as farre as Emeria the prouince of Carapana were of Guiana but that they called themselues Orenoqueponi and that all the nations betweene the riuer and those mountaines in sight called Wacaâiâa were of the same cast and appellation and that on the other side of those mountaines of Wacatima there was a large plaine which after I discouered in my returne called the valley of Amariocapana in all that valley the people were also of the ancient Guianians I asked what nations those were which inhabited on the farther side of those mountaines beyond the valley of Amariocapana hee answered with a great sign as a man which had inward feeling of the losse of his Countrey and libertie especially for that his eldest sonne was sleine in a battell on that side of the mountaines whom hee most entirely loued that hee remembred in his fathers lifetime when hee was very olde and himselfe a yong man that there came downe into that large valley of Guiana a nation from so farre off as the Sunne slept for such were his owne wordes with so great a multitude as they coulde not bee numbred nor resisted and that they were large coates and hattes of crimson colour which colour hee expressed by shewing a piece of red wood wherewith my tent was supported and that they were called Orejones and Epuremei those that had slaine and rooted out so many of the ancient people as there were leaues in the wood vpon all the trees and had nowe made themselues Lords of all euen to that mountaine foote called Curaaâ sauing onely of two nations the one called Awarawaqueri and the other Cassipagotos and that in the last battell fought betweene the Epuremei and the Iwarawaqueri his eldest sonne was chosen to carry to the aide of the Iwarawaqueri a great troupe of the Orenoqueponi and was there slaine with all his people and friendes and that hee had now remayning but one sonne and farther tolde mee that those Epuremei had built a great Towne called Macureguarai at the said mountaine foote at the beginning of the great plaines of Guiana which haue no ende and that their houses haue many roomes one ouer the other and that therein the great King of the Orejones and Epuremei kept three thousande men to defend the borders against them and withall dayly to inuade and slay them but that of late yeeres since the Christians offered to inuade his territories and those frontiers they were all at peace and traded one with another sauing onely the Iwarawaqueri and those other nations vpon the head of the riuer of Caroli called Cassipagotos which we afterwards discouered each one holding the Spaniard for a common enemie After hee had answered thus farre he desired leaue to depart saying that hee had farre to goe that hee was olde and weake and was euery day called for by death which was also his owne phrase I desired him to rest with vs that night but I could not intreate him but hee tolde mee that at my returne from the countrey aboue hee would againe come to vs and in the meane time prouide for vs the best he could of all that his countrey yeelded the same night hee returned to Orocotona his owne towne so as hee went that day eight and twentie miles the weather being very hot the countrey being situate betweene foure and fiue degrees of the Equinoctial This Topiawari is helde for the prowdest and wisest of all the Orenoqueponi and so hee behaued himselfe towardes mee in all his answeres at my returne as I marueiled to finde a man of that grauitie and iudgement and of so good discourse that had no helpe of learning nor breede The next morning we also left the port and sailed Westward vp to the Riuer to view the famous Riuer called Caroli as well because it was marueilous of it selfe as also for that I vnderstoode it ledde to the strongest nations of all the frontiers that were enemies to the Epuremei which are subiects to Inga Emperour of Guiana and Manoa and that night we anckered at another yland called Caiama of some fiue or sixe miles in length and the next day arriued at the mouth of Caroli When we were short of it as lowe or further downe as the port of Morequito wee heard the great rore and fall of the Riuer but when wee came to enter with our barge and whirries thinking to haue gone vp some fourtie miles to the nations of the Cassipagotos wee were not able with a barge of eight oares to row one stones cast in an houre and yet the Riuer is as broad as the Thames at Wolwich and wee tried both sides and the middle and
will they should aduance the crosse in what part or place of the towne it pleased theâ for he was for the Gouernour Antonio de Berreo who was his master Thereupon the said master of the campe tooke a great crosse and set it on end towarde the East and requested the whole campe to witnesse it and Domingo de vera firmed it thus It is well and firmely done And vnderneath Before me Rodrigo Carança Register of the armie THe first of May they prosecuted the said possession and discouerie to the towne on Carapana From thence the said Master of the campe passed to the towne of Toroco whose principall is called Topiawary being fiue leagues farther within the land then the first Nation and well inhabited And to this principall by meane of the Interpretor they gaue to vnderstand that his Maiestie and the said Corrigidor commanded them to take the possession of that lande and that thây should yeelde their obedience to his Maiestie and to his Corrigidor ând to the master of the campe in his name and that in token therof he would place a crosse in the middle of his towne Whereunto the said Cassique answered they should aduance it with a very good will and that he remained in the obedience of our lord the king and of the said Gouernour Antonio de Berreo whose vassall he would be The fourth of May we came to a Prouince aboue fiue leagues thence of all sides inhabited with much people the principall of this people came and met vs in peaceable maner and he is called Reuato he brought vs to a very large house where he entertained vs well and gaue vs âs much Golde and the interpreter asking him from whence that golde was he answered From a Prouince not passing a dayes iourney off where there are so many Indians as would shadowe the sunne and so much Golde as all yonder plaine will not contâine it In which Countrey when they enter into the Borracheras or their drunken feasts they take of the said Golde in dâst and anoynt themselues all ouer therewith to make the brauer shew and to the end the Golde may couer them they anoynt their bodies with stamped herbes of a glâwy substance they haue warre with those Indians They promised vs that if we would goe vnto them they would ayde vs but they were such iâfinite numbers as no doubt they would kill vs. And being asked how they gat y e same Gold they told vs they went to a certaine Dâwne or playne and pulled or digged vp the grasse by the roote which done they tooke of the earth putting it in great buckets which they caried to wash at the riuer and that which came in powder they kept for their Borraâheras or drunken feaâts and that which was in peeces they wrought into Eagles The âight of May wee went from thânce and marched about fiue leagues at the foote of a Hill wee found a principall called Arataco with three thousand Indians men and women all in peâce and with much victuall as Hennes and Uenison in great abundance and many sortes of wine Hee intreated vs to goe to his house and to rest that night in his Towne being of fiue hundred houses The interpreter asked whence hee had those Hennes he sayde they were brought from a mountaine not passing a quarter of a league thence where were many Indians yeâ so many as grasse on the ground and that these men had the points of their shoulders higher theââhe Crownes of their heads and hâd so many Hennes as was wonderfull and if wee would haue any wee should send them Iewes harpes for they would giue for euâry one two Hennes Wee tooke an Indian and gaue him fiue hundred Harpes the Hennes were so many that hee brought vs as were not to be numbred Wee sayde wee would goe thither they tolde vs they were now in their Borracheras or drunken feasts and would kill vs. Wee asked the Indian that brought the Hennes if it were true hee sayde it was most true Wee asked him how they made their Borracheras or drunken feasts hee sayde they had many Eagles of golde hanging on their breasts and Pearles in their eares and that they daunced being all couered with Golde The Indian sayde vnto vs if wee would see them wee should giue hâm some Hatchets and he would bring vs of those Eagles The Master of the Campe gaue him one Hatchet hee would giue him no more because they should not vnderstand we went to seeke golde he brought vs an Eagle that weighed 27. pounds of good Golde The Master of the Campe tooke it and shewed it to the souldiers and then threw it from him making shewe not to regard it About midnight came an Indian and sayd vnto him Giue mee a Pickeate and I will tell thee what the Indians with the high shoulders meane to doe The Interpreter tolde the Master of the Campe who commanded one to be giuen him hee then tolde vs those Indians were comming to kill vs for our marchandize Hereupon the Master of the Campe caused his company to bee set in order and beganne to march The eleuenth day of May wee went about seuen leagues from thence to a Prouince where wee found a great company of Indians apparelled they tolde vs that if wee came to fight they would fill vp those Plaines with Indians to fight with vs but if wee came in peace wee should enter and bee well entârtained of them because they had a great desire to see Christians and there they tolde vs of all the riches that was I doe not heere set it downe because there is no place for it but it shall appeare by the information that goeth to his Maiestie for if it should heere bee set downe foure leaues of paper would not containe it The Letter of George Burien Britton from the sayde Canaries vnto his cousin a French man dwelling in S. Lucar concerning El Dorado SIr and my very good cousin there came of late certaine Letters from a new discouered countrey not farre from Trinidad which they write hath Golde in great abundance the newes seemeth to bee very certaine because it passeth for good amongst the best of this Citie Part of the information of the Discouery that went to his Maiestie goeth inclosed in Alonsos letters it is a thing worth the seeing The report of Domingo Martinez of Iamaica concerning El Dorado HE sayth that in 1593. being at Carthagena there was a generall report of a late discouery called Nueuo Dorado and that a litle before his comming thither there came a Frigat from the said Dorado bringing in it the portrature of a Giant all of Gold of weight 47. kintals which the Indians there held for their Idoll But now admitting of Christianitie and obedience to the King of Spaine they sent their sayd Idol vnto him in token they were become Christians and held him for their King The company comming in the said Frigat reported Golde to be there in most
with another of 80 leagues in compasse The greatest Island that they discouered was according vnto the first finder called Guadalcanal on the coast whereof they sayled 150 leagues before they could knowe whither it were an Island or part of the maine land and yet they know not perfectly what to make of it but thinke that it may be part of that contiâent which stretcheth to the Streights of Magellanâ for they coasted it to eighteene âegrâes and could not find the ende thereof The gold that they found was vpon this Island or maine land of Guadalcanal whereas they landed and tooke a towne finding small graines of golde hanged vp in the houses thereof But because the Spaniards vnderstood not the language of the countrey and also for that the Indians were very stoue men and fought continually agaiâst them they could neuer leaue from whence that gold come nor yet what store was in the land These Indiâns vse to goe to sea in great Canoas that will carrie 100 men a piece wherein they haue many conflicts one against another howbeit vnto the Christians they could doe no great hurt for that with a small pinnesse and two faleâns a fewe may ouercome 100 of them At this place foureteene men mistrusting nothing rowed to land to take in fresh water whome on the sudden certaine Indians in foure Canoas set vpon tooke the ships boat and slewe all the men therein wherefore a man cannot goe on shore too strong nor yet be too wary in a strange land Hereupon the Spaniards went on shore in their pinnesse and burnt the towne and in this towne they found the small graines of gold before mentioned They were discouering of these Islands from one to another about foureteene moneths at the ende of which time because that vpon the coast where they were the wind continuing still in one place might bee an occâsion of longer tarying they consulted which way to returne Southward they durst not goe for feare of great tempests which are that way vsuall wherefore sayling to the North of the line they fell with the coast of Nueua Espanna on which coast they met with such terrible stormes that they were forced to cut their maine masts ouer-bourd and to lye nine moneths bearing it vp and downe in the sea before they could get into any harborow of the Christians In which time by reason of euill gouernement and for lacke of victuals and fresh water most of the men in their Admirall dyed for fiue whole dayes together they had neither water nor meate but in the other ships they behaued themselues so well that the greater part of them came safe vnto the land He that passeth the Streights of Magellan or saileth from the coast of Chili directly for the Malucos must needs runne in sight of some of these Islands before spoken of At which Islands lying so conueniently in the way to the Malucos you may furnish your selfe with plenty of victuals as hogges hennes excellent almonds potatos sugar-canes with diuers other sortes fit for the sustenance of man in great abundance Also among these Islands you shall haue some quantity of gold which the Indians will giue you in truck for other commodities For the Spaniards in their discouery of these Islands not seeking nor being desirous of gold brought home notwithstanding 40000 pezos with them besides great store of cloues and ginger and some sinamon also which is not so good as in other places The discouerer of these Islands named them the Isles of Salomon to the ende that the Spaniards supposing them to bee those Isles from whence Salomon fetched gold to adorne the temple at Ierusalem might bee the more desirous to goe and inhabite the same Now the same time when they thought to haue sent colonies vnto these Isilands Captaine Drake entered the South sea whereupon commandement was giuen that they should not be inhabited to the ende that such Englishmen and of other nations as passed the Streights of Magellan to goe to the Malâcos might haue no succour there but such as they got of the Indian people The admirable and prosperous Voyage of the worshipfull Master Thomas Candish of Trimley in the Countie of Suffolke Esquire into the South sea and from thence round about the circumference of the wâole earth begun in the yeere of our Lord 1586 and finishâd 1588. Written by Master Francis Pretty lately of Ey in Suffolke a Gentleman employed in the same action WEe departed out of Plimmouth on Thursâay the 21. of Iuly 1586. with 3. sayles to wit The Desire a ship of 120. tunnes The Content of 60 tuns and the Hugh gallant a barke of 40. tunnes in which small Fleete were 123. persons of all sortes with all kinde of furniture and victuals sufficient for the space of two yeeres at the charges of the worshipfull Master Thomas Candish of Tââmley in the Countie of Suffolke Esquire beeing our Generall On Tuesday the 26. of the same moneth we were 45. leagues from Cape Finis terrae where wee mette with 5. sayles of Biskaynes comming from the Grande Bay in Newfound-land as we supposed which our Admirall shot at and fought with them 3. houres but wee tooke none of them by reason the night grew on The first of August wee came in sight of Forteuentura one of the Isles of the Canaries about ten of the clocke in the morning On Sunday being the 7. of August we were gotten as high as Rio del oro on the coast of Barbarie On Munday the 19. we fell with cape Blanco but the winde blew so much at the North that we could not get vp where the Canters doe vse to ride and fish therefore wee lay off 6. houres West Southwest because of the sand which lieth off the cape Southwest and by South The 15. day of the same moneth we were in the height of cape Verde by estimation 50. leagues off the same The 18. Sierra leona did beare East off vs beeing 45. leagues from vs and the same day the winde shifted to the Northwest so that by the 20. day of the sayd moneth we were in 6. degrees ½ to the Northward from the Equinoctiall line The 23. we put roome for Sierra leona and the 25. day wee fell with the poynt on the South side of Sierra leona which Master Brewer knew very well and went in before with the Content which was Uice-admirall and we had no lesse then 5. fathoms water when we had least and had for 14. leagues in Southwest all the way running into the harbour of Sierra leona 16 14. 12. 10 and 8. fathoms of water The 26. of the said moneth âe put into the harborough and in going in we had by the Southermost point when we had least 5. fathoms water faire by the rocke as it lieth at the said point and after we came 2 or 3. cables length within the said rocke we neuer had lesse then 10.
spent not any during the time of our abode here Our Captaine and Master falling into the consideration of our estate and dispatch to goe to the Generall found our wants so great as that in a moneth wee coulde not fitte our shippe to set saile For wee must needes set vp a Smiths forge to make boltes spikes and nayles besides the repairing of our other wants Whereupon they concluded it to bee their best course to take the pinnesse and to furnish her with the best of the company and to goe to the Generall with all expedition leauing the shippe and the rest of the company vntill the Generals returne for hee had vowed to our Captaine that hee would returne againe for the Streights as hee had tolde vs. The Captaine and Master of the pinnesse being the Generals men were well contented with the motion But the Generall hauing in our shippe two most pestilent fellowes when they heard of this determination they vtterly misliked it and in secret dealt with the company of both shippes vehemently perswading them that our Captaine and Master would leaue them in the countrey to bee deuoured of the Canibals and that they were mercilesie and without charitie whereupon the whole company ioyned in secret with them in a night to murther our Captaine and Master with my selfe and all those which they thought were their friendes There were markes taken in his caben howe to kill him with muskets through the shippes side and bullets made of siluer for the execuâion if their other purposes should faile All agreed hereunto except it were the bote-swaine of our shippe who when hee knew the matter and the slender ground thereof reueâled it vnto our Master and so to the Captaine Then the matter being called in question those two most murtherous fellowes were found out whose names were Charles Parker and Edward Smith The Câptaine being thus hardly beset in perill of famine and in danger of murthering was constrained to vse lenitie and by courteous meanes to pacifâe this furie shewing that to doe the Generall seruice vnto whom he had vowed faith in this action was the cause why hee purposed to goe vnto him in the pinnesse considering that the pinnesse was so necessary a thing for him as that hee could not bee without her because hee was fearefull of the shore in so great shippes Whereupon all cried out with cursing and swearing that the pinnesse should not goe vnlesse the shippe went Then the Captaine desired them to shewe themselues Christians and not so blasphemously to be haue themselues without regard or thankesgiuing to God for their great deliuerance and present sustenance bestowed vpon them alleaging many examples of Gods sharpe punishment for such ingratitude and withall promised âo doe any thing that might stend with their good liking By which gentle speaches the matter was pacified and the Captaine and Master at the request of the company were content to forgiue this great treachery of Parker and Smith who after many admonitions concluded in these wordes The Lord iudge betweene you and mee which after came to a most sharpe reuenge euen by the punishment of the Almightie Thus by a generall consent it was concluded not to depart but there to stay for the Generals returne Then our Captaine and Master seeing that they could not doe the Generall that seruice which they desired made a motion to the companie that they would lay downe vnder their handes the losing of the Generall with the extremities wherein we then stoode whereunto they consented and wrote vnder their hands as followeth The testimoniall of the companie of The Desire touching their losing of their Generall which appeareth to haue beene vtterly against their meanings THe 26 of August 1591 wee whose names bee here vnder written with diuers others departed from Plimmouth vnder M. Thomas Candish our Generall with 4 ships of his to wit The Galeon The Robuck The Desire and The Black pinnesse for the performance of a voyage into The South sea The 19 of Nouember we fell with the bay of Saluador in Brasil The 16 of December we tooke the towne of Santos hoping there to reuictuall our selues but it fell not out to our contentment The 24 of Ianuary we set saile from Santos shaping our course for The Streights of Magellan The 8 of Februarie by violent stormes the sayde fleete was parted The Robuck and The Desire arriued in Porte Desire the 6 of March The 16 of March The Black pinnesse arriued there also and the 18 of the same our admirall came into the roadeâ with whom we departed the 20 of March in poore and weake estate The 8 of Aprill 1592 we entred The Streights of Magellan The 21 of Aprill wee ankered beyond Cape Froward within 40 leagues of The South sea where wee rode vntill the 15 of May. In which time wee had great store of snowe with some gustie weather the wind continuing still at Westnorthwest against vs. In this time wee were inforced for the preseruing of our victuals to liue the most part vpon muskles our prouision was so slender so that many of our men died in this hard extremitie Then our General returned for Brasil there to winter to procure victuals for this voyage against the next yeere So we departed The Streights the 15 of May. The 21 being thwart of Port Desire 30 leagues off the shoare the wind then at Northeast and by North at fiue of the clock at night lying Northeast wee suddenly cast about lying Southeast and by South and sometimes Southeast the whole fleete following the admirall our ship comming vnder his lee shot ahead him and so framed saile fit to keepe companie This night wee were seuered by what occasion wee protest wee know not whither we lost them or they vs. In the moruing we only saw The Black pinnesse then supposing that the admirall had ouershot vs. All this day wee stoode to the Eastwards hoping to find him because it was not likely that he would stand to the shoare againe so suddenly But missing him towards night we stood to the shoareward hoping by that course to finde him The 22 of May at night we had a violent storme with the winde at Northwest and wee were inforced to hull not being able to beare saile and this night we perished our maine tressâetrees so that wee could no more vse our maine top-saile lying most dangerously in the sea The pinnesse likewise receiued a great leake so that wee were inforced to seeke the next shoare for our reliefe And because famine was like to bee the best ende wee desired to goe for Port Desire hoping with seales and penguins to relieue our selues and so to make shift to followe the Generall or there to stay his comming from Brasil The 24 of May wee had much winde at North. The 25 was calme and the sea very loftie so that our ship had dangerous foule weather The 26 our fore-shrowdes brake so that if wee had not beene
Princes of Iapan to appeare and to sweare obedience vnto this his nephew Who with great pompe going vnto the Dairi to receiue that dignitie at his hande had surrendred vnto him the Castle of Miacó and the palaces of Quabacondono to dwell in Thus at the beginning of the third moone he set forward on his iourney to Nangoia hauing before giuen order that Augustine should passe ouer into the kingdome of Coray and that his other Captaines should remayne in Ceuxima Wherefore the twentieth day of the third Moone hee came vnto Nangoia where the companies of the other lordes beeing numbered were founde to bee 200000. persons besides those that were conducted by the foure foresayde gouernours In the meane season Augustine with his forces and with a Fleete of eight hundred Ships arriued at Coray In whose armie the lord Protasius excelled all others for though hee had but the leading of 2000. souldiers yet for the goodnesse of his armour and the beautie of his ships he was admired of all men At their very first entrance they wonne 2. castles of the kingdome of Coray by maine force wherein the Corayans reposed great confidence for they where enuironed with mighty high walles and defended with great multitudes of souldiers and with a kinde of gunnes of 2. spannes and ½ long which in stead of bullets discharged with a terrible noise woodden arrowes headed with forked points of yron but the sayd gunnes beeing able to hurt but a small distance off and the Iaponians being furnished with brazen ordinance vnknowen vnto the Corayans they presently draue them from their walles and with ladders made for the same purpose of great canes they forthwith scaled the same and planted their ensignes thereon the Corayans indeed for a short time making resistance but after a while betaking themselues to dishonorable flight 5000 men of their part being slaine and of Augustines but 100. and 400. wounded Augustine perceiuing that the Corayans could not endure any long assault determined to take vpon himselfe and his armie the whole burthen and honour of this warre and not staying for the gouernours his associates to âââh vp into the heart of the kingdome and to the principall City vnto which determination all the lordes that were with him gaue their consent This was no doubt a bolde yea and in some sort a rash enterprise of Augustine but yet it argueth a wise and valiant minde in him But this long delay was so grecuous to the Captaines which in Ceuxima expected the successe of the warre that before they heard any newes at all concerning the surprize of the two Castles they brought Augustine in suspition among their friends that hee ambitiously affected the honour of the whole warre Which thing beeing knowen vnto Quabacondono he was so troubled in mind euen before he came to Nangoia that suddenly hee commaunded the other Captaines to set sayle from Ceuxima But when Quabacondono was come to Nangoia and heard newes of the two Castles taken and that Augustine pursuing the victorie proceeded on towards the Miacó that is to say The kingly citie of Coray and was determined to inuade the same also all which Augustine himselfe wrote and requested him to send the other captaines and commanders to assayle the kingdom on aâ sides and to furnish the castles which he had taken and should take with garisons of souldiers because as yet he had not men enough to hold those fortresses which he had wonne he was surprized with such vnspeakable ioy as he affirmed openly that in all Iapan he had no subiect comparable to Augustine and that neither Nabunanga nor himselfe euer knewe any man indued with so valiant and couragious a mind I saith he knowing against whâm and with what forces I waged warre subdued by litle and litle all Iapan vnto me but Augustine in so short a time and with so small forces hath boldely set his foote in a forren region and with most glorious victory hath subdued the mightie kingdome of Coray Wherefore quoth he I will reward him with many kingdomes and wil make him neât vnto my selfe the greatest Prince in all Iapan Hee added farther that now his owne sonne seemed to bee risen from the death and that whosoeuer durst either disgrace or extenuate the deedes of Augustine he would grieuously punish him not respecting whether hee did it vpon reason or malice By this speach the name and report of Augustine grew so honourable amongst all men that thâse which most enuied his estate durst not speake one ill worde of him but highly commended him before Quabacondono This kingdome of Coray extendeth in length about 100. and in bredth 60. leagues And albeit the inhabitants in nation language and strength of body which maketh the people of China to dread thâm be different from the Chinians yet because they pay tribute to the king of China and exercise traffique with his subiects they doe after a sort imitate the Lawes apparell customes and gouernement of the Chinians They border on one side vpon the Tartars and other nations with whom sometimes they haue peace and sometimes warre but with the Chinians they haue continuall peace They are speciall good bow-men but at other weapons because they haue but few and those bad they are nothing so skilfull Wherefore they are not comparable to the Iaponians who by reason of their warres are continually exercised in armes and are by nature more couragious and valiant being furnished with yron-peeces with lances and with excellent swordes Onely in shipping they are inferiour to the Corayans and Chinians by reason of the hugenesse of their Ships which they vse vpon the sea Wherefore if they were to ioyne battels by sea there is no doubt but that both the foresayde Nations would bâ too hard for them But now because they knewe nothing of the comming of the Iaponian armie or for that they doubted that their sea-forces were the stronger or els because God was determined to punish them he suffered them to be destitute of all the defence of their shipping so that the Iaponians without any resistance landed vpon their dominions Now the fame of Augustines victory causing the armie notably to increase and the Mariners and many others which caryed burthens as they were trained vp in warre from thâir childhood bearing armes while the Corayan captiues supplied their baser offices so great a terrour possessed all the people of Coray where Augustine came that all the castles and fortresses which hee passed by were forsaken by their garisons and all men fled for refuge to the principall ciây And while other commanders and Christians sent from Ceuxima and Nangoia shaped their course for Coray Augustine had pitâhed his campe neere vnto the foresaid principall citie of the which being come within 3. dayes iourney âe was encountered by 20000. men whom at the very first assault hauing slaine 3000. of them hee put to flight But approching very neere vnto the citie and hauing
passed a riuer hee maintained a valiant conflict at a certaine narrow passage against 80000. Corayans 8000. whereof were slaine and a great number drowned in the riuer Heere while Augustine appointed all his troopes to remayne for two dayes to the end they might somewhat refresh their wearie limmes the king of Coray seeing himselfe besieged by his enemie and that many other Iaponian lordes with strong armies inuaded his kingdome on all sides determined to haue his citie strengthened with garisons and to retire himselfe into the in-land of China Which by reason of the abundance of horses that he had he was able right commodiously to performe Whereupon the second or third day after Augustine without any resistance entred the head-city being presented with great store of victuals and gifts by them that remained therein Thus Augustine with other captaines his associates became lord of the principall citie and wonne all the honour of the victory vnto himselfe for albeit by this time the other captaines were come from Ceuxima and many from Nangoia yet they found all things performed to thâir hands Quabacondono being aduertised of this second victory yeelded as much honour vnto Augustine as he could possibly deuise speaking so highly to the commendation both of him and of other Captaines his associates aâ if but the tenth part of his faire promises come to effect they shall be farre greater then they are and Augustine next vnto himselfe shall be the principall person in all Iapan And now he is become so famous in the Court and throughout the whole kingdome of Iapan that at all their meetings and assemblies there is no talke but onely of the valour and fortitude of Augustine who in twentie dayes space hath subdued so mightie a kingdome to the Crowne of Iapan And all the Nobles account him a most happy man being astonished at the immortall renowme which he hath attained vnto by this exploite yea and Quabacondono sent forthwith vnto him as vnto the conquerour and vanquisher of the Corayans in token of great honour a two-edged sword and a horse which among the Iaponians is a pledge of the most peerelesse honour that can possibly be done to a man and this very gift did Nabunanga in times past send vnto Quabacondono when hee had in any battel woune any kingdome from Morindono And by this great euent the power of the Christians God and his prouidence towards his children is knowen not onely to the Christians but euen to the very Ethnicks themselues for that in the heate of such extreme persecution it hath pleased his diuine Maiestie to lay the honour of all this warre vpon Christian lords Wherefore we doubt not but they wil proue more mighty and famous then euer they were Hence it commeth to passe that the Portugals ship come from China hath wintered in Iapan by which occasion the presence of the father Uisitour hath bene a great comfort not onely to vs but to all the other Christians who in regarde of the departure of so many men with Quabacondono and his captaines to the warres thought they should haue bene left vtterly forsaken and desâitute had not the father Uâsitour in whom they reposed all their confidence remayned here But the singular prouidence and loue of God towards vs appeared in this that hee would haue the sayd Ship contrary to their vsuall custome to winter in Iapan For when Quabacondono hauing obteined that victorie was determined to returne vnto Ximo they were all shrowded vnder the protection of the foresayd Fatherâ who hearing that hee was entred into Nangoia caused Frier Iohn Rodorigues and the gouernour of the Portugal ship to salute and welcome him For the Christians of Miacó which succeeded in their roomes that went for Coray aduised him in their letters so to doe And it was very acceptable to Quabacondono to see the Portugals captaine General attended vpon by so many Portugals sumptuously attired and comming with so many shippes in the company of Frier Iohn Rodoriguez and hee asked the Frier how the father Uisitour did And whether the presents to the Uice-roy liked him As also that hee tooke it in very good part that the Father had wintered in Iapan and that the Frier should stay with him Afterward writing an answere to the father he declared therin the great fauour which he bore to the captaine of the ship Whom hauing familiarly entertained him for the space of 2. houres hee dismissed with euident tokens of good will After the Captaines returne Frier Rodoriguez staying behinde aboue a moneth attempted very often to speake with Quabacondono of whom hee was alwayes most kindly vsed Afterward by reason of sicknesse hee returned to Nangasaque whereupon Quabacondono demaunded why he was not cured at the same place where himselfe remained Iacuino answered that beeing a stranger hee was to bee cured with such diet and medicines as were not there to bee had with which answere hee was satisfied Hence it is that by often conferences which were made by reason of the ambassage Quabacondono waxeth euery day more courteous and affable And yet for all this new occasions of troubles and afflictions are not cut off for certaine it is that Quabacondono hath giuen out that if he haue good successe with his warre against China he will make great alterations of estates in assigning the kingdomes of Coray and China to the Christian princes and placing in their roomes Ethnick lordes throughout Iapan which thing might redound to the ruine and destruction of all Christianitie heere neither should the Christians finde in Iapan any place of refuge And albeit Augustine had certainly informed the father Uisitour of the sayde alteration of estates and Iacuine had written vnto Augustine that Quabacoâdono had fully determined to alter the states or gouernments of Ximo and so consequently the state of Augustine and of the Christian princes of Arima and Omura yea and that the said two princes had notice thereof yet almightie God with the eyes of his infinitâ mercy hath vouchsafed to regard the prayers of his faithâull seruants who for this cause were most peâpleâed and sorowfull and to prouide this remedie following The Corayans hauing intelligence that their king and the forces which hee caried with him were in safety went the greatest part of them with as much victuals as they could get and hidde themseluâs in the mountains and woods remaining there with such hate and indignation against the Iaponians that with promise of safe conduct they could by no meanes be drawen out of their starting holes Wherefore albeit the Iaponians haue all the castles and places of defence in their owne possession yet because they want people to tille the ground and to doe them other necessary seruices they cannot chuse but forgoe all that which they haue woon Moreouer the common high wayes are so pestered with theeues and murtherers that vnlesse the Iaponians march in whole troopes all together they are suddenly oppressed with swarmâs of
This was Bake of Ratciâste who with the barke called the Roe robbed certaine Gâecians in the Lâuant The description of Augusta in Germanie Venice The number of ââwes in Vânice The excesse of the women of Venice His embarking at Venice for Ierusalem Cyprus Missagh Ioppa The Basha of Ioppa Rama Troopes of theeuish Arabians âis arriuall in the sight of Ierusalem The monuments in and about Ierusalem S. Helens chapell His departure from Ierusalem Tripolis in Syria Salina Missagh a town in Cyprus Candie Zante Istria Mustasa interpâes M. Wil. Hareborne sent ambassador to the Turke A request for the preferring of Mustafa Beg. Supply of the want of oile Leo Asricamââ lib. 8. Leo Africanus lib 4. This may be learned at Alget Ianuary the fourteenth C. Vincente C. Santa Maria. Tariffa Velez Malaga C. de Gates C. de Palos Denia Formentera Cabrera February the first Mallorca The shippes men goe on land at Porto de Sant Pedro. The Ambassadour betrayed February the sixth The English men are surprised The Spaniards come to the sea side to speake with the captaine The Spaniards come a game to parse The Ambassadour writeth to the Viceroy The ninth of February The ship Susan prepareth to defend herselfe The effect of the Viceroys letter in the Captaine of the Susan The eââect of the Ambassadors answere Galata Sardinia Fauagniana Cisimbri Pantalaria Sicilia C. Passaro Poâto de Contâ in Cephalonia Zante Prodeno Sapientia Modon C. Maâapan Cerigo C. Malio Menelaus âellapola Both Miloâ Fâlcânara Antâmilâ Fermeniâ Zââ Negroponte Andri Psaâa Sarafo Sigraâ port in Metelin Porto Delfin The city of Chio. A By. Ermin or Customer Baberno Tenedo Maure Galâpoli Marmora Araââia Silauria Ponte grande Ponte picola Ponte S. Stephano The arriuall of the Susan at Constantinople The Ambassadour giueth a present to the great Basâa A man halfe naked goeth before y e great Basâa The Ambassadours entertainment with the Bassas Santa Sophia A discription of their church The ship commeth to the custome house The Ambassador presenteth the Admirall Vchali The Susan goeth from the Custome house The Admirall departeth to the sea The Ambassadoârs repaire to the great Turke court The entertainment at dinner of the Ambassadours men The Turke is presented with a rich present An English ship sunke by two gallies of Alger The money of Alger The custome The waights The measure The surest lodging for a christian This is another officer Other smal customs you pay besides which may be at two in the huÌdred and for âonsullage you pay two in the hundred Cairo three daies iourney from Alexandria by land The Inuentorie of our ships and goods sunke and taken by the gallies of Alger Man doth purpose and God doth dispose A new master chosen The new master died The Iesus arriued in Tripolis Another ship of Bristow came to Tripolis A conspiracie practised by the French Factor to deceiue a Turkish marchant of 450 crowns The beginning of their troubles and occasion of all their miserie The Englishmen araigned Master Dier condemned to be hanged ouer a bulwarke A Frenchman turned Turke in hope of his life and afterward was hanged Euery fiue men allowed but two pence of bread a day The Turkes builded a church The Christians sent 3. times a weeke 30. miles to fetch wood Eighteene captiues run away from Tripolis The iudgement of God vpon blasââeââers The Greene Dragon The Kings sonne had a captiue that was sonne to one of the Queenes Maiesties guard that was forced to turne Turke The first motion for those Englishmens deliuerie The Englishmen released The plagues and punishments that happened to the King and his people The king lost 150. Camels taken by the wilde Moores Two Englishmen shipped to Constantinople with M. Barton The souldiers of Tripolis kil the King Two Gallies of Venice tooke the king of Tripolie his galley and killed the kings sonne and all the Turkes in it and released all the Christians being in number 150. Edoardo Baron Mahumed Beg. Hamburâ Brunswig Halberstat Eisleben Copper Mines Iena Great wood of firre trees Bamberg Nurenberg Augspurg The borders of Italy Venice Ragusa Seruia Chierâisa Or Fochia Nouibazar Or Nissa Sophia Phâlippopoli Andrinopoliâ Siliueri Constantinople Pompeys piller Prouaâ Vârna Or Moldania Paâsin vpon the riuer of Prut Yas Soâsâhen Nyester a riuer Camyenetâ Skala Leopolis or Leunpurg Grodecz Vilna Iaroslaw Lanczut Cracouia Leade Minesâ Bendzân Salt digged out of mountaines in Poland Bitom Oppelen Schurgasse Brigk Breslaw Magdeburg Lunenberg Hamborg Fontecho signifieth an house of trafique aâ the Sulyard Bichier Rossetto 1566. The descriptâon oâ Cairo Olde Thebes Pieces of dry wood in stead of torches The mountaine of pardons Grida a port neere Mecca The Portugals greatly feared in the Red sea Forty or fifty rich ships arriue yerely at Grida | ãâã A fathomâ Caesar Fredericke trauelled eighteene yeeres in the East Indies The authours going froÌ Venice to Cyprus and Tripoly The riuer Euphrates Feluchia a small city on Euphrates Mosul The Arabian theeues are in number like to Ants. The olde Babylon hath great trade w t marchants ãâã A bridge made of boats These bricks be in thicknes six or seuen inches and a foot a halfe square This hole whereour coÌmeth this pitch is most true and the water pitch runneth into the valley or Iland where the pitch resteth the water runneth into the riuer Euphrates and it maketh all the riuer to be as it were bâackish with the smell of pitch and brimstone Zizarij an ancient people At the castle of Corna the riuer Euphrates and Tygris do meet Ormus is the barrennest Iland in all the world Carichij an Iland in y e gulfe of Persia. Ormus is alwayes replenished with abundance of victuall and yet there is none that groweth in the Iland Great trade of merchandise in Ormus The election of the king of Ormus A priuilege for Marchants Diu. Cambaietta Marchants that trauell to the Indies must cary their prouision of houshold with theÌ Great ââoâe of men of warre and rouers oâ the coast of Cambaia A maruellous âoâd delight in women Tana an Iland whereoâ Odoricus writeth pag 41. Great ordinance made in pieces and âet seruiceable The chiefe place the Portugals haue in the Indies A very good sale for horses A most vnkind wicked treasoÌ against their prince this they haue for giuing credit to strangers rather then to their owne natiue people The sacking in the city An excellent good policy to intrap men A discription of the burning place Feasting and dancing when they should mourne Mourning when they should reioyce The cause why the women do so burâe themselues Penegonde Men ride on bullocksâ and trauell with thâm on the way The marchandise that come in and out to Bezeneger euery yere The apparell of those people Their Winter is our Summer Foure small fortes of the Portugals Bettell is a very profitable herbe in that countrey Enimies to the king of Portugall
ships as gallies galliasses and fusts and passed one after another before the towne and hauen of Rhodes three miles off and came to shore in a place nigh to land called Perambolin sixe miles from the towne In the which place the sayd hoste abode from that time to the end of that vnhappy siege The number and names of the vessels that came to besiege Rhodes THe number of the ships were these 30 galliasses 103 gallies aswell bastards as subtill mahonnets 15 taffours 20 fusts 64 great ships sixe or seuen gallions 30 galleres beside the nauy that waited for Christian men if any came to succour vs. These were the vessels that came at the first to lay the siege And sith that the sayd host came out of Perambolin there came from Syria 20 other sailes aswell gallies as fusts And many other ships came sith and ioyned with the sayd army in the time of the sayd siege And it was sayd that there were 400 sailes and moe The same day that part of the host came to the sayd place the reuerend lord great master ordeined a great brigandine to send into the West to certifie our holy father the pope and the Christian princes how the Turks army was afore Rhodes And in the sayd vessell he sent two knights one a French man named Sir Claude dansoyuille called Villiers and Sir Loys de Sidonia a Spaniard and they went to the pope and to the emperour After the comming of the Turks nauy into the sayd place it was 14 or 15 dayes or they set any ordinance on land great or small or any quantity of men came on shore whereof we marueiled And it was tolde vs by some that came out of the campe and also by the spies that the lord great master had sent abroad arayed as Turks that they abode the commandement of their great lord vntill the hoste by land were come into the campe Howbeit there came some number for to view the towne but they went pâiuily for the ordinance of the towne shot without cease All this while the gallies and galliasses went and came to land bringing vitaile and people At the which ships passing nigh the town were shot many strokes with bombards which made some slaughter of our enemies and when the most part of them was past they began to set ordinance on the land with great diligence Then the lord great master departed from his palace and lodged him nigh a church called The victory because that place was most to be doubted and also that at the other siege the great businesse and assault was there How the lord great master made his petition before the image of S. Iohn and offered him the keyes of the towne THe day before were made many predications and sermons and the last was in the church of S. Iohn Baptist. When the sermon was done a pontificall Masse was celebrate with all solemnities and all the reliques taken downe and the lord great master and all his knights with great deuotions and reuerence heard it And when the Masse was ended the lord great master made a pitious oration or prayer before Saint Iohn Baptist his protectour and aboue all other words which were too long to tell he besought him meekly that it would please him to take the keyes of that miserable city The which keyes he presented and layed vpon the altar before the image beseeching S. Iohn to take the keeping and protection thereof and of all the religion as by his grace he had giuen to him vnworthy the gouerning vnto that day and by his holy grace to defend them from the great power of the enemies that had besieged them How the women slaues would haue set fire in the towne THe eight day of Iuly it was knowen that the Turkish women being slaues and seruaunts in many houses of the towne had appointed to set fire in their masters houses at the first assault that should be made to the end that the men should leaue their posterns defenses to go and saue their houses and goods And it was found that a woman of Marchopora being a slaue was first moouer thereof the which was taken and put to execution The same day some of our men went out for to skirmish with the Turkes and many of them were slaine with shot of our artillerie and of our men but one How the Turkes layd their artillerie about the towne and of the maner and quantitie of their pieces and gunshot THe 18. day of Iuly for the beginning and first day they set vp a mantellet vnder the which they put three or foure meane pieces as sacres wherâwith they shot against the posterns of England and Prouence But the mantellet was soone broken and cast downe and their pieces destroyed with the shot of the wall and they that shot them were most part slaine As this first mantellet was broken by the great and innumerable people that they had they set all their ordinance on land and caried it to the places where it should be bent or nigh thereby And the 29. day of the same moneth they set vp two other mantellets One beside a church of saine Cosme and Damian and another toward the West And from these mantellets they shot great pieces as Culuerings double gunnes and great bombards agaynst the wals of England and Spaine to the which mantellets the ordinance of the towne gaue many great strokes and often brake them And the more to grieue the towne and to feare vs they set vp many other mantellets in diuers places almost round about the towne and they were reckoned foure score the which number was well lessened by the great quantitie of strokes of artillerie shot out of the towne from many places The artillerie of the Turkes was such as followeth FIrst there were sixe great gunnes cannons perriers of brasse that shot a stone of three foote and a halfe also there were 15. pieces of iron that shot stones of fiue or sixe spannes about Also there were 14. great bombards that shot stones of eleuen spans about Also there were twelue basiliskes whereof they shot but with 8. that is to weet foure shot agaynst the posterns of England and Spaine and two against the gate of Italy the other two shot sometime against Saint Nicholas tower Also there were 15. double gunnes casting bullets as basiliskes The meane shot as sacres and pasuolans were in great number The handgunshot was innumerable and incredible Also there were twelue potgunnes of brasse that shot vpward where of eight were set behind the church of S. Cosme and Damian and two at saint Iohn de la Fonâaine toward the port of Italy and the other two afore the gate of Auuergne the which were shot night and day and there were three sorts of them whereof the greatest were of sixe or seuen spannes about And the sayd stones were cast into the towne to make murder of people which is a thing very inhumane and fearefull which
maner of shooting is little vsed amongst christian men Howbeit by euident myracle thanked be God the sayd pieces did no great harme and slew not past 24. or 25. persons and the most part women and children and they began to shoot with the said pieces from the 19. day of the âame moneth vnto the end of August it was accounted that they shot 2000. times more or lesse Then the enemies were warned by the Iewe that wrote letters to them of all that was done and sayd in the towne that the sayd potgunnes did no harme wherefore they were angry for they thought that they had slaine the third part of our people and they were counselled by him to leaue that shooâing for it was but time lost and pouder wasted and then they shot no more with them It is of a trueth that they shot with the sayd potgunnes 12. or 15. times with bullets of brasse or copper full of wild fire and when they were in the ayre they flamed foorth and in falling on the ground they brake and the fire came out and did some harme But at the last wee knew the malice thereof and the people was warie from comming neere to them and therefore they did hurt no more folke How the captaine Gabriel Martiningo came to the succor of Rhodes and all the slaues were in danger to be slaine THe 24. day of the same moneth a brigantine arriued that was sent afore into Candie wherein came a worthy captaine named Gabriel Martiningo with two other captains And there went to receiue him messieur prou Iohn prior of S. Giles and the prior of Nauarre Then after his honourable receiuing as to him well appertained they brought him before the lord great master that louingly receiued him and he was gladly seene and welcommed of the people as a man that was named very wise and ingenious in feats of warre Then came a Spaniard renâgado from the host that gaue vs warning of all that was done in the field and of the approching by the trenches that our enemies made And in likewise there arose a great noise in the towne that the slaues Turks that wrought for vs in the diches had slaine their keepers and would haue fled which was not so Neuerthelesse the rumour was great and they rang alarme wherefore the sayd slaues comming to prison as it was ordeined in al the alarmes were met of the people which in great anger put them to death so that there were slain an hundred moe the same day And if the lord great master had not commanded that none should hurt them they had bene all slaine and there were fifteene hundreth of them which slaues did great seruice in time of the siege for they laboured dayly to make our defences and to cast earth out of the ditches and in all works they were necessary at our needs How the great Turke arriued in person before Rhodes THe 25 day of the sayd moneth many of our men went out for to skinnish in the field and made great murder of Turks and in likewise did our artillery And it is to be noted that the 28 day of the same moneth the great Turke in person passed le Fisco a hauen in the maine land with a galley and a fust and arriued about noone where his army lay the which day may be called vnhappie for Rhodes For his comming his presence and continuall abiding in the fielde is and hath beene cause of the victorie that he hath had When the gallie that he came in was arriued all the other shippes of the hoste hanged banners aloft in their toppes and on their sayle yerdes Soone after that the Turke was arriued he went to land and mounted on his horse and râde to his pauilion which was in a high place called Megalandra foure or fiue miles fro the towne out of the danger of the gunne shot And on the morow as it was reported to vs hee came to a Church nigh the towne called Saint Steuen for to viewe the Towne and fortresses whereas they had set vp mantellets for to lay their ordinance THe last day of Iuly one of our brigandines went out with a good company of men arayed as Turkes and some of them could speake Turkish and went by night to lande through the Turkes hoste and demaunded if there were any that would passe ouer into Turkie that they should haste them to come The Turkes weening that they had beene of Turkie there entred a 12. persons the which were carried to Rhodes by whom we knew what they did in the campe The first day of August the Captaine Gabriel Martiningo was made knight of the order of the religion by the lord great Master and was made the first auncient of the Italian nation of the first baliage or priorie that should be vacant And in the meane season the religion should giue him twelue hundred ducates for pension euery yeere and the same day he was receiued to the Councell in the roome of a baylife The fift day of the sayd moneth our master gunner was slaine with a gunne which was great losse for vs at that time The 15. day of the sayd moneth was knowen and taken for a traitor Messire Iohn Baptista the physicion aforesayd which confessed his euill and diuelish doings and had his head striken of Of the marueilous mounts that the Turks made afore the towne and how the capitaines were ordered in the trenches AFter the comming of the great Turke the enemies began to shoote with ordinance of another sort then they did before and specially with harquebushes and handguns and also to make their trenches and approches And also they did more diligence then afore to bring y e earth nigh the towne with spades and pickares And it is to weet that they mooued the earth from halfe a mile off and there were shot out of the towne innumerable strokes with ordinance against the sayd earth and innumerable quantitie of people hid behind the sayd earth were slaine Neuerthelesse they neuer left âârking till they had brought it to the brimmes of the ditches and when it was there they raiâeâ it higher and higher in strengthning it behind And in conclusion the sayd earth was higher then the wals of the towne by 10. or 12. foote and it seemed a hill And it was agaynst the gate of Auuergne and Spaine and beat our men that were at the gates bulwarks in such wise that none durst be seene till certaine defelices and repaires were made of plankes and boards to couer our people and keepe them from the shot And at the gate of Italy was made such another heape and in none other part When the trenches were thus made to the ditches the enemies made holes in the wals of the ditch outward wherethorow they shot infinitely with handgunnes at our men aswell on the walles as on the bulwarks and slew many of them Then the basshas and captaines entred into the trenches ech to
the streits of Mecca for Ormus and other places and these be shippes of the Moores and of Christians But the Moores cannot passe except they haue a passeport from the Portugales Cambaietta is the chiefe citie of that prouince which is great and very populous and fairely builded for a towne of the Gentiles but if there happen any famine the people will sell their children for very little The last king of Cambaia was Sultan Badu which was killed at the siege of Diu and shortly after his citie was taken by the great Mogor which is the king of Agra and of Delli which are fortie dayes iourney from the country of Cambaia Here the women weare vpon their armes infinite numbers of rings made of Elepsants teeth wherein they take so much delight that they had rather be without their meate then without their bracelets Going from Diu we come to Daman the second towne of the Portugales in the countrey of Cambaia which is distant from Diu fortie leagues Here is no ârade but of corne and rice They haue many villages vnder them which they quietly possesse in time of peace but in time of warre the enemie is maister of them From thence we passed by Basaim and from Basaim to Tana at both which places is small trade but only of corne and rice The tenth of Nouember we arriued at Chaul which standeth in the firme land There be two townes the one belonging to the Portugales and the other to the Moores That of the Portugales is neerest to the sea and commaundeth the bay and is walled round about A little aboue that is the towne of the Moores which is gouerned by a Moore king called Xa-Maluco Here is great traffike for all sortes of spices and drugges silke and cloth of silke sandales Elephants teeth and much China worke and much sugar which is made of the nutte called Gagara the tree is called the palmer which is the profitablest tree in the worlde it doth alwayes beare fruit and doth yeeld wine oyle sugar vineger cordes coles of the leaues are made thatch for the houses sayles for shippes mats to sit or lie on of the branches they make their houses and broomes to sweepe of the tree wood for shippes The wine doeth issue out of the toppe of the tree They cut a branch of a bowe and binde it hard and hange an earthen pot vpon it which they emptie euery morning and euery euening and still it and put in certaine dried raysins and it becommeth very strong wine in short time Hither many shippes come from all partes of India Ormus and many from Mecca heere be manie Moores and Gentiles They haue a very strange order among them they worshippe a cowe and esteeme much of the cowes doung to paint the walles of their houses They will kill nothing not so much as a louse for they holde it a sinne to kill any thing They eate no flesh but liue by rootes and ryce and milke And when the husbande dieth his wife is burned with him if shee be aliue if shee will not her head is shauen and then is neuer any account made of her after They say if they should be buried it were a great sinne for oâ their bodies there would come many wormes and other vermine and when their bodies were consumed those wormes would lacke sustenance which were a sinne therefore they will be burned In Cambaia they will kill nothing nor haue any thing killed in the towne they haue hospitals to keepe lame dogs and cats and for birds They will giue meat to the Ants. Goa is the most principal citie which the Portugals haue in India wherin the Uiceroy remaineth with his court It standeth in an Iland which may be 25. or 30. miles about It is a fââe citie and for an Indian towne very faire The Iland is very faire full of orchards and gardens and many palmer trees and hath some villages Here bee many marchants of all nations And the Fleete which commeth euery yeere from Portugal which be foure fiue or sixe great shippes commeth first hither And they come for the most part in September and remaine there fortie or fiftie dayes and then goe to Cochin where they lade their Pepper for Portugall Oftentimes they lade one in Goa the rest goe to Cochin which is from Goa an hundred leagues southward Goa standeth in the countrey of Hidalcan who lieth in the countrey sixe or seuen dayes iourney His chiefe citie is called Bisapor At our comming we were cast into the prison and examined before the Iustice and demanded for letters and were charged to be spies but they could prooue nothing by vs. We continued in prison vntill the two and twentie of December and then we were set at libertie putting in sureties for two thousand duckats not to depart the towne which sureties father Steuens an English Iesuite which we found there another religious maÌ a friend of his procured for vs. Our sureties name was Andreas Taborer to whom we paid 2150. duckats and still he demaunded more whereupon we made sute to the Uiceroy and Iustice to haue our money againe considering that they had had it in their hands neere fiue moneths and could prooue nothing against vs. The Uiceroy made vs a very sharpe answere and sayd wee should be better sifted before it were long and that they had further matter against vs. Whereupon we presently determined rather to seeke our liberties then to bee in danger for euer to be slaues in the country for it was told vs we should haue y e strapado Wherupon presently the fift day of April 1585. in the morning we ranne from thence And being set ouer the riuer we went two dayes on foote not without feare not knowing the way nor hauing any guide for we durst trust none Oue of the first townes which we came vnto is called Bellergan where there is a great market kept of Diamants Rubies Saphires and many other soft stones From Bellergan we went to Bisapor which is a very great towne where the king doeth keepe his court Hee hath many Gentiles in his court and they bee great idolaters And they haue their idols standing in the Woods which they call Pagodes Some bee like a Cowe some like a Monkie some like Buffles some like peacockes and some like the deuill Here be very many elephants which they goe to warre withall Here they haue good store of gold and siluer their houses are of stone very faire and high From hence wee went for Gulconda the king whereof is called Cuâup de lashach Here and in the kingdome of Hidalcan and in the countrey of the king of Decan bee the Diamants found of the olde water It is a very faire towne pleasant with faire houses of bricke and timber it aboundeth with great store of fruites and fresh water Here the men and the women do go with a cloth bound about their middles without any more apparell