honie and waxe which the Antes did make being somewhat bitter Vpon the sea coast also they found certaine fishes which commonly went vpright in the water hauing the faces and natures of women which the fishermen of those places were acquainted with In the yéere 355. before Christ it is said that the Spanyards sailed through the maine sea till they came vnto the flats of India Arabia and those coasts adioyning whereunto they caried diuers marchandises which trade they vsed in great ships And sailing to the northwest they came vnto certaine flats which with the flowing of the sea were couered and with the ebbe were discouered finding there many Tunnies of great bignes where they commonly vsed to fish them to their great profit because they were the first vntill that time that they had séene and were greatly esteemed The time of Alexander Magnus as appiereth by the ages of the world was before the comming of Christ 324. yéeres we all know that he was borne in Europe but he trauailed into Asia Africa and passed through Armenia Assyria Persia Bactria standing northerly in 44. degrées of latitude which is the farthest countrey in longitude wherein he was in all his iourneyes From thence he descended into India by the mountaines of Imaus and the valleyes of Paropanisus and prepared a nauie in the riuer Indus and therewith passed into the Ocean sea where he turned by the lands of Gedrosia Caramania Persia vnto the great citie of Babylon leauing Onesicritus and Nearcus captaines of his fléete which afterwards came vnto him by the straight of the Persian sea and vp the riuer of Euphrates leauing that countrey and coast discouered After this Ptolemey raigned king of Egypt who by some is reputed to haue béen bastard sonne vnto Philip father of the foresaid Alexander the great This Ptolemey imitating the forenamed kings Sesostris aud Darius made a trench or ditch of an hundred foote broad and of thirty foote déepe and ten or twelue leagues in length till he came to The bitter Welles pretending to haue his worke run into the sea from a mouth of the riuer Nilus called Pelusium passing now by the citie Damiata But this thing tooke none effect for that the Red sea was thought to be higher by thrée cubits then the land of Egypt which would haue ouerflowed all the countrey to the ruine and losse thereof In the yéere 277. before the incarnation succéeded in the gouernment of the kingdome one Philadelphus who brought to passe that the marchandises should come out of Europe to the citie of Alexandria vpwards by the riuer Nilus vnto a city named Coptus and from thence to be conueyed by land to a hauen standing vpon the Red sea called Myos-Hormos which way was trauailed in the night the pilots directing themselues by the stars which were expert in that practise And because water was scant that way they vsed to carrie it with them for all the companie till at the last to auoide that trouble they digged very déepe wels and made large cisterns for the receipt of raine water by which the way furnished with that commoditie which at the first it wanted grewe in continuance of time to be the more frequented But whereas the straight way was dangerons by reason of flats and islands the aforesaid king Philadelphus with his armies went on the side of Troglodytica and in an hauen called Berenice caused the ships to arriue which came out of India being a place of more suretie and lesse perill from whence they might easily carrie the wares to the citie of Coptus and so to Alexandria And by this meane Alexandria grew so famous and rich that in those daies there was no citie of the world comparable to it And to speake briefly and particularly of the abundance of trafficke there vsed it is left written for an assured truth that in the time of king Ptolemey Auletes father vnto Cleopatra it yéelded in customes vnto him yéerly seuen millions and an halfe of gold although the trafficke was not then scant twenty yéeres old by way of that citie But after that this prouince and countrey became subiect to the Emperours of Rome as they were greater in power and néerer in couetousnes so they enhansed the customes so that within a little time the citie yéelded double the foresaide summe For the traffike grew so excéeding great that they sent euery yéere into India 120. ships laden with wares which began to set saile from Myos-Hormos about the middle of Iuly and returned backe againe within one yéere The marchandise which they did carrie amounted vnto one million two hundred thousand crownes and there was made in returne of euery crowne an hundred In so much that by reason of this increase of wealth the matrones or noble women of that time and place spent infinitely in decking themselues with precious stones purple pearles muske amber and the like whereof the writers and historians of that age speake very greatly Cornelius Nepos alleaged by Plinie maketh report of a king of Egypt that raigned in his time called Ptolemaeus Lathyrus from whom one Eudoxus fled vpon occasion and the better to auoid and escape his hands he passed through the Arabicke gulfe and the sea all along the coast of Africa and the Cape of Bona Sperança till he came vnto the Island of Cadiz and this nauigation by that course was in those daies as often vsed as now it is if we may giue credit to the histories Which appiereth the more manifest by this that Caius Caesar the sonne of Augustus going into Arabia did finde in the Red sea certaine péeces of those ships which came thither out of Spaine It was a vse also long after those daies to passe to India by land For so did the kings of the Soldans and the princes of Bactria and other famous captaines who trauailing thither and into Scythia by land had the view of those prouinces and countreyes so farre till they came that way vnto the * West and to the seas thereof on the north part whereunto many marchants then did trauaile Marcus Paulus Venetus writeth much hereof And although at the first his booke was taken for a fabulous thing yet now there is better credit giuen vnto it for that by the late experiences of the trauailers and marchants of these daies into those parts the names of the countreyes cities and townes with their situations latitudes and commodities are now found true as he and other historiographers of that time haue reported In the 200. yéere before the incarnation it is written that the Romanes sent an armie by sea into India against the great Can of Cathaia which passing through the straight of Gibraltar and running to the northwest found right ouer against the Cape Finisterre ten Islands wherein was much tinne And they may be those which were called the Cassiterides being come to 50. degrées of
latitude they found a Straight and passing through it towards the west they arriued in the Empire of India and fought with the king of Cathay and so came backe againe vnto the citie of Rome Which thing howsoeuer it may séeme either possible or not possible true or not true yet so I finde it left to vs recorded in the * histories of that time In the 100. yéere after the incarnation of Christ the Emperour Traiane prepared an armie by sea vpon the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and departed from them and sailed to the Islands of Zyzara and passing the straight of Persia entred into the Ocean sea and sailed towards India all along the coast till he came to that place where Alexander had béen and there he tooke certaine ships which came from Bengala of whom he learned the state of that countrey But because he was then in yéeres and wearie with his trauaile but especially because he found there small reliefe for his armie he returned backe After that the Romanes had gotten the most part of the world there were in that age made many and notable discoueries But then came the Gothes Moores and other barbarous nations and destroied all For in the yéere 412. after the incarnation of Christ they tooke the citie of Rome And the Vandales came out of Spaine and conquered Africa And in the yeere 450. the king called Atila destroied many cities in Italie at which time the citie of Venice began And in this age the Frankes and Vandals entred into France In the yéere 474. the Empire of Rome was lost and fell from the Romanes to the Gothes And after this came the Lombards into Italie namely in the yéere 560. Also about this time the sect of the Arrians preuailed greatly and at this time one Merline of England was famous for his prophecies To be short in the yéere 611. sproong vp the Mahumetane sect and Morisco regiment which by force inuaded both Africa and Spaine By all this it may appéere that in that age all the world was in an hurly burly and all places very tumultuous In so much that trafficke and marchandise ceased for no nation durst trade one with another neither by sea nor land nothing as then remained stedfast neither in monarchies nor kingdomes signiories religions lawes artes sciences nor nauigations Nor so much as the records and writings of such things did remaine but were all burnt and consumed by the barbarous crueltie and vnbrideled power of the Gothes who became so couetous and ambitious that they purposed of themselues to begin a new world and to roote out the memorie and blot out the knowledge of all other nations besides But they that succéeded after these times in the gouernment of things perceiuing the great and huge losse that the Christian world had by the want of trafficke and ceasing of nauigation whereby those commodities and marchandises could not be spent which before went ordinarily from one nation to another by the vse of trade to the end that this decay and losse might be repaired and the treasures of the East might be imparted with the West as it was woont in the times of quietnes and peaceable liuing they began to deuise a way to passe to India which was not as the former way was by the Red sea and the riuer Nilus but a way of farther sailing farther length and cost also For they brought their ware vp the riuer Indus and there vnladed it carrying it by land through the countrey of Paropanisus by Carauans vnto the prouince of Bactria and then shipped it in barks on the riuer Oxus which falleth into the Caspian sea and so sailed ouer that sea vnto an hauen of the riuer Rha named Citracan or Astracan and so vpwards in the said riuer which now is called Volga and as it appéereth they carried it to the citie of Nouogrode in the prouince of Resan which now belongeth to the great Duke of Moscouia standing toward the north in 54. degrées of latitude therehence they trauailed ouer land vnto the prouince of Sarmatia vnto the riuer Tanais which is the diuision of Europe from Asia where they againe laded it in barks and caried it downe the riuer into the lake Maeotis and to the citie of Caffa which in ancient time was called Theodosia which then belonged to the Genowais who came thither for those wares in their galliasses or great ships It is also left written that the trade this way endured vntill the raigne of Commodita Emperour of Armenia who prouided for a better course and commanded this trafficke of the spices to be conueied by the Caspian sea and so through the kingdome of Hiberia which now is called Georgiana and from thence they entred by the riuer Phasis now Phasso into Pontus Euxinus and so vnto the city of Trapezunda standing in 40. and odde degrées of northerly latitude And to that place came shipping for the marchandises out of Europe and Africa It is further left recorded concerning this way of trafficke that Nicanor determined or had already begun to open aboue 120. miles of land which lieth betwéene the Caspian sea and Pontus Euxinus that they might come and goe by water with their spices drugs and other commodities there vsed But in the meane time this mischiefe happened that Ptolemey Ceraunos killed him and by his death this woorthy and famous enterprise ceased without effect But the other way being also at last lost by reason of the wars of the Turks it pleased God to open another way to these marchandises from the Isle of Samatra the citie of Malacca and the Island of Iaua vnto Bengala and so carrying them vp the riuer Ganges vnto the citie of Agra from whence they trauailed ouer land vnto another citie standing néere the riuer Indus named Boghar where they discharged bicause the citie of Cabor standeth too farre within the land being the principall citie of the Mogores From thence they went forward to the great citie of Samarcand standing in the countrey of Bactria and there the marchants of India Persia and Turkie met bringing thither their seuerall commodities as cloth of gold veluets chamolets scarlet and woollen clothes which were carried to Cathay and the great kingdome of China wherehence they brought againe gold siluer precious stones pearles silke muske and many other things of great value and much rubarbe After this these marchandise drugs and spiceries were carried in ships vpon the Indian sea vnto the streight of Ormus and to the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and were vnladen in the citie of Balsara standing in 31. degrées towards the north and from thence they were caried ouer land vnto the cities of Aleppo Damascus and Barutti standing on the same side in 35. degrées And there the Venetian gallies or galliasses which transported pilgrims into the holy land came and receiued of those goods In the yéere 1153.
they were resisted at the first but quickly put the people to the woorst and kept them for euer after in subiection In this same yéere 1524. one Roderigo de Bastidas was sent to discouer people and gouerne the countrey of Santa Martha where he lost his life because he would not suffer the soldiers to take the spoile of a certaine towne They ioined with Peter Villa-forte and he being sometimes his entire friend did helpe to kill him with daggers lying in his bed Afterward Don Pedro de Lugo and Don Alfonso his sonne were gouernours of that place which vsed themselues like couetous tyrants whereof grew much trouble In this same yéere also 1524. after that the Licenciate Lucas Vasques de Aillon had obtained of the Emperour the gouernment of Chicora he armed for that purpose certaine ships from the citie of Santo Domingo and went to discouer the countrey and to inhabite it but he was lost with all his companie leauing nothing done woorthy of memorie And I cannot tell how it commeth to passe except it be by the iust iudgement of God that of so much gold and precious stones as haue béene gotten in the Antiles by so many Spaniards little or none remaineth but the most part is spent and consumed and no good thing done In this yéere 1524. Cortes sent one Christopher de Olid with a fléete to the Island of Cuba to receiue the vitailes and munition which Alonso de Contreras had prepared and to discouer and people the countrey about Cape De Higueras and the Honduras and to send Diego Hurtado de Mendoça by sea to search the coast from thence euen to Darien to finde out the Streight which was thought to run into the South sea as the Emperour had commanded He sent also two ships from Panuco to search along the coast vnto Florida He commanded also certaine brigandines to search the coast from Zacatullan vnto Panama This Christopher de Olid came to the Island of Cuba and made a league with Diego Velasquez against Cortes and so set saile and went on land hard by Puerto de Cauallos standing in 10. degrées to the north and built a towne which he called Triumpho de la Cruz. He tooke Gil Gonzales de Auila prisoner and killed his nephew and the Spaniards that were with him all sauing one childe and shewed himselfe an enimie to Cortes who had spent in that expedition thirty thousand Castellans of gold to doe him pleasure withall Cortes vnderstanding hereof the same yéere 1524. and in the moneth of October he went out of the citie of Mexico to seeke Christopher de Olid to be reuenged of him and also to discouer carrying with him thrée hundred Spanish footemen and horsemen and Quahutimoc king of Mexico and other great Lords of the same citie And comming to the towne called La villa del Espiritu santo he required guides of the Lords of Tauasco and Xicalanco and they sent him ten of their principall men for guides who gaue him also a map of cotton wooll wherein was painted the situation of the whole countrey from Xicalanco vnto Naco and Nito and euen as farre as Nicaragua with their mountaines hils fields meadowes vallies riuers cities and townes And Cortes in the meane time sent for thrée ships which were at the hauen of Medellin to follow him along the coast In this yeere 1524. they came to the citie of Izancanac where he vnderstood that the king Quahutimoc and the Mexicans that were in his companie were conspired against him and the Spanyards for the which he hanged the king and two others of the chiefe and so came to the citie of Mazaclan and after that to Tiaca the head citie of a prouince so called standing in the middest of a lake and here about they began to finde the traine of the Spanyards which they went to seeke and so they went to Zuzullin and at length came to the towne of Nito from Nito Cortes with his owne companie and all the Spanyards that he found there departed to the shore or strand called La Baâ—a de Sant Andres and finding there a good hauen he builded a towne in that place and called it Natividad de nuestra SenÌ„ora From hence Cortes went to the towne of Truxillo standing in the hauen of the Honduras where the Spanyards dwelling there did entertaine him well and while he was there there arriued a ship which brought newes of the stirre in Mexico in Cortes his absence whereupon he sent word to Gonsalo de Sandoual to march with his companie from Naco to Mexico by land toward the South sea vnto Quahutemallan because that is the vsuall plaine and safest way and he left as captaine in Truxillo Fernando de Saavedra his cosen and he himselfe went by sea along the coast of Iucatan to Chalchicoeca now called Sant Iuan de Vllhua and so to Medellin and from thence to Mexico where he was well receiued hauing béene from thence 18. monethes and had gone fiue hundred leagues trauailing often out of his way and enduring much hardnes In the yéere 1525. Francis Pizarro and Diego de Almagro went from Panama to discouer Peru standing beyond the line towarde the South which they called Nueua Castillia The gouernour Pedro Arias would not entermeddle with this expedition because of the euill newes which his captaine Francis Vezerra had brought Francis Pizarro went first in a ship hauing with him 124. soldiers and Almagro went after him in another ship with 70. men He came to Rio de San Iuan standing in thrée degrées where he got two thousand pesoes of gold and not finding Pizarro he went to séeke him repenting his doings by reason of a mishap that he had But he went first to an Island called Isla del Gorgona and afterward to another called Isla del Gallo and to the riuer called Rio del Peru standing in two degrées northward whereof so many famous countreyes take their name From thence they went to Rio de San Francisco and to Cabo de Passaos where they passed the Equinoctiall line and came to Puerto Vejo standing in one degrée to the south of the line from whence they sailed to the riuers of Chinapanpa Tumbez and Payta standing in 4. or 5. degrées where they had knowledge of king Atabalipa and of the exceeding wealth and riches of his palace Which newes mooued Pizarro spéedily to returne home againe to Panama and so into Spaine and to request the gouernment of that countrey of the Emperour which he also obtained He had spent aboue thrée yéeres before in this discouerie not without enduring great trauaile and perils In the same yéere 1525. there was sent out of Spaine a fléete of seuen ships whereof was captaine generall Don Garsia de Loaisa to the Islands of Maluco They went from the citie of the Groine and passed by the Islands
the mouth which they name Bocca de Dragone or the Dragons mouth and they tooke their course hard by the coast where they found thrée small Islands which they named Los Testigos that is to say The Witnesses beyond which standeth the Island of Cubagua where is great fishing of muscle pearles where also as they say there springeth a Well of aile and beyond that Island they came to the Isles of Frailes Roques Aruba and Curaçao with other small ones all along the Bay and they came to the point of Cabo de Vela and discouered along the coast almost 200. leagues from whence they crossed ouer to Hispaniola hauing had also sight of the Island called Beata In this same yéere 1497. on the 20. day of the moneth of Iune one Vasques de Gama sailed from Lisbon by the king Emmanuels commandement to India with 3. ships wherein there went for captaines Vasques de Gama Paulus de Gama his brother and Nicolas Coello with 120. men with whom also there went one ship laden only with vittailes and in 14. daies they came vnto Cape Verde vnto the Island of Saint Iago where they refreshed themselues and from thence they went along the coast beyond the Cape of Bona Sperança whereupon they erected certaine pillers of stone and so came vnto Mosambique standing in 15. degrées to the south of the line where they staied not long but went from thence to Mombaza and vnto Melinde where the king of that place gaue them pilots which conducted them into India in which discouerie they found out Los Baxos do Padua that is to say the flats of Padua In the yéere 1498. in the moneth of May they came to an anker before the citie of Calicut and Panana where they remained all the winter and the first day of September they set saile towards the north discouering the coast all along till they came to the Island of Angediua which standeth on that side in 15. degrées of latitude where they came to an anker in the beginning of October and so they departed from Angediua in Februarie in the yéere 1499. and came in sight of the coast of Africa about Melinde towards the north 3. or 4. degrées from thence they sailed vnto the said citie and so vnto Mosambique againe and to the Cape of Bona Sperança sailing along by the coast and then they came to the Islands of Cape Verde and last of al to the citie of Lisbon in the moneth of September hauing béene in the voiage 26. monethes In the yéere 1499 on the 13. day of the moneth of Nouember there departed frō Palos one Vincent Yannez Pinson and his nephew Aries Pinson with fower ships well appointed at their owne coast and charges to discouer the new world vnder the licence of the king of Castile and with commandement not to touch there where the Admirall Columbus had béene And so they went to the Islands of Cape Verde and passed the line to the southward and discouered the Cape of Saint Augustine standing on that side in 8. degrées of latitude and there they wrote on the rindes of pine trées the names of the king and of the Quéene also the yéere and day when they arriued there They fought with the people of Brasil but got nothing they tooke their course all along the coast towards the west vnto the riuer Maria Tambal and at that time they had taken thirty and odde prisoners The chiefe places where they touched were the Cape of S. Augustine and the angle or point of S. Luke and Tierra de los Humos the Riuers of Marannon and of the Amazones and Rio dolce or the Swéete riuer and other places along the coast and they came to ten degrées of latitude on the north side where they lost two ships and their companie and remained in that voiage of discouery ten moneths and 15. daies In the yéere 1500. and in the moneth of March one Pedro Aluarez Cabral sailed out of Lisbon with 13. ships with commandement not to come néere the coast of Africa to shorten his way and he losing the sight of one of his ships went to séeke her and in séeking of her lost his course and sailed till he came within sight of the land The Generall was so long in séeking his ship that the companie were wearie of it and entreated him to leaue his enterprise The next day they fell in sight of the coast of Brasil whereupon the Generall commanded a barke to goe to land and séeke an hauen which they did and found a good and safe hauen and they named it Puerto Seguro that is to say The Safe hauen standing on the south side in 17. degrées of latitude From thence they sailed towardes the Cape of Bona Sperança and Melinde and crossed ouer to the riuer of Cochin which before was not knowne where they laded themselues with pepper and at their returne Sancho de Thouar discouered the citie of Sofala vpon the coast of Africa In this same yéere 1500. it is reported that Gaspar Cortereal craued a generall licence of the king Emmanuel to discouer the New found land He went from the Island Terçera with two ships well appointed at his owne cost and he sailed vnto that climate which standeth vnder the north in 50. degrées of latitude which is a land nowe called after his name and he came home in safetie vnto the citie of Lisbon And making another time this voiage the ship was lost wherein he went and the other came backe into Portugall Wherefore his brother Michael Cortereal went to séeke him with thrée ships well appointed at his owne cost and when they came vnto that coast and found so many entrances of riuers and hauens euery ship went into her seuerall riuer with this rule and order that they all thrée should meete againe the 20. day of August The two other ships did so and they séeing that Michael Cortereal was not come at the day appointed nor yet afterwards in a certaine time returned backe into the realme of Portugall and neuer heard any more newes of him nor yet any other memorie But that countrey is called The land of Cortereall vnto this day In the yéere 1501. in the moneth of March Iohn de Noua departed from the citie of Lisbon with fower ships and passed the line on the south side into 8. degrees of latitude and he discouered an Island which he called the Isle de Ascension And he went vnto Mosambique and to Melinde and from thence he crossed ouer vnto the other side where they tooke lading and so came back and doubled the Cape and found an Island called Santa Helena being but a small thing but yet of great importance in respect of the situation thereof In this same yéere 1501. and in the moneth of May there departed out of Lisbon thrée
came on land in Iucatan standing in 20. degrées of latitude at a point which they called Punta de las Duennas that is to say The point of Ladies which was the first place wherein they had séen Temples and buildings of lime and stone The people here goe better apparelled then in any other place They haue crosses which they worship setting them vpon their tombes when they be buried Wherby it séemeth that in times past they had in that place the faith of Christ among them And some say that thereabouts were The seuen Cities They went round about it towards the north which is on the right hand from whence they turned backe vnto the Island of Cuba with some examples of gold and men which they had taken And this was the first beginning of the discouerie of New Spaine In the yéere 1518. Lopez Suares commanded Don Iohn de Silueira to goe to the Islands of Maldiua and he made peace with them and from thence he went to the citie of Chatigam situated on the mouth of the riuer Ganges vnder the Tropicke of Cancer For this riuer and the riuer Indus which standeth an hundred leagues beyond the citie of Diu and that of Canton in China doe all fall in t the sea vnder one parallele or latitude And although before that time Fernan Perez had béen commanded to goe to Bengala yet notwithstanding Iohn de Silueira ought to beare away the commendation of this discouerie because he went as captaine generall and remained there longest learning the commodities of the countrey and maners of the people In the said yéere 1518. the first day of May Diego Velasques gouernour of the Island of Cuba sent his nephew Iohn de Grisalua with fower ships two hundred soldiers to discouer the land of Iucatan And they founde in their way the Island of Cosumel standing towards the north in 19. degrées and named it Santa Cruz because they came to it the third of May. They coasted the land lying vpon the left hand of the Gulfe and came to an Island called Ascension because they came vnto it vpon Ascension day They went vnto the end of it standing in 16. degrées of latitude from whence they came backe because they could finde no place to goe out at and from hence they went round about it to another riuer which they called The riuer of Grisalua standing in 17. degrées of latitude the people thereabout troubled them sore yet notwithstanding they brought from thence some gold siluer and feathers being there in great estimation and so they turned backe againe to the Island of Cuba In the same yéere 1518. one Francis Garay armed thrée ships in the Isle of Iamaica at his owne charges and went towards the point of Florida standing in 25. degrées towards the north séeming to them to be an Island most pleasant thinking it better to people Islands then the firme land because they could best conquere them and kéepe them They went there on land but the people of Florida killed many of them so that they durst not inhabite it So they sailed along the coast and came vnto the riuer of Panuco standing 500. leagues from the point of Florida in sailing along the coast but the people resisted them in euery place Many of them also were killed in Chila whom the Sauages flaied and eate hanging vp their skinnes in their Temples in memoriall of their valiantnes Notwithstanding all thiâ— Francis de Garay went thither the next yéere and begged the gouernment of that countrey of the Emperour because he sawe in it some shew of gold and siluer In the yeere 1519. in the moneth of Februarie Fernando Cortes went from the Island of Cuba to the land which is called Noua Spania with 11. ships and 550. Spanyards in them The first place where he went on land was the Island of Cosumel where they immediately destroied all the Idols and set crosses on the altars and the images of the virgine Marie From this Island they went and arriued on the firme land of Iucatan at the point De las Duenâ—as or the point of Ladies and went thence to the riuer of Tauasco and set vpon a citie fast by called Potoncian inuironed with wood and the houses were built with lime and stone and couered with tile they fought there egarly and there appeered vnto them S. Iames on horsebacke which increased their courage They called that citie Victoria and they were the first people which were subdued to the Spanyards obedience in all Newe Spaine From hence they went discouering the coast till they came vnto a place named S. Iohn de Vllhua distant as they said from Mexico where the king Muteçuma was 60. or 70. leagues and there was a seruant of his that gouerned that prouince named Tendilli which gaue them good entertainment although they vnderstood not one another But Cortes had 20. women whereof one was called Marine borne in thaâ— countrey They were the first that were baptized in New Spaine And from that time forward Marine and Aguilar serued as interpreters Tendilli presently gaue knowledge of this vnto Muteçuma that a kinde of bearded people were arriued in his countrey for so they called the Castillians But he was troubled vpon that newes for his Gods which are to be thought to be diuels had told him that such people as the Spanyards were should destroy his law and countrey and be Lords thereof And therefore he sent gifts vnto Cortes in value 20. thousand ducats but would not come to him Because S. Iohn de Vllhua was then no place for a nauie to ride in Cortes sent Francis de Montâ—io and the pilot Antonie Alaminos in two brigandines to discouer that coast who came to a place where they might ride without danger They came to Panuco standing in 23. degrées northward from whence they came backe vpon an agreement to goe vnto Culuacan being an hauen of more safetie They set saile but Cortes went by land westward with the most part of his men on horsebacke and they came vnto a citie called Zempoallan where they were well receiued And from thence he went to another towne called Chiauitztlan with the Lord of which towne as with all the countrey besides he made league to be against Muteçuma And when he knew that his ships were come he went vnto them and there builded a towne and called it Villa rica de la vera cruz From whence he sent vnto Charles the Emperour a present and made report of all that he had done and how he determined to goe to Mexico and to visite Muteçuma and besought the Emperour to giue him the gouernment of that countrey And because his people should not rise in mutinie as they began he destroied all his ships Cortes presently went from Villa rica de la vera Cruz leauing there 150. Spanish horsemen and many Indians to serue
of Nicaragua which springeth out of a lake thrée or fower leagues from the South sea and falleth into the North sea whereupon doe saile great barks and crayers The other place is from Tecoantepee through a riuer to Verdadera Cruz in the Bay of the Honduras which also might be opened in a streight Which if it were done then they might saile from the Canaries vnto the Malucos vnder the climate of the Zodiake in lesse time and with much lesse danger then to saile about the Cape de Bona Sperança or by the streight of Magelan or by the Northwest And yet if there might be found a streight there to saile into the sea of China as it hath béene sought it would doe much good In this yéere 1529 one Damian de Goes a Portugal being in Flanders after that he had trauailed ouer all Spaine was yet desirous to sée more countreyes and fashions and diuersities of people and therefore went ouer into England and Scotland and was in the courts of the kings of those parts and after that came againe into Flanders and then trauailed through Zealand Holland Brabant Luxenburge Suitzerland and so through the cities of Colen Spyres Argentine Basill and other parts of Alemaine then came backe againe into Flanders and from thence he went into France through Picardie Normandie Champaine Burgundie the dukedome of Borbon Gascoigne Languedoc Daulphinie the dukedome of Sauoy and passed into Italy into the dukedome of Millaine Ferrara Lombardie and so to Venice and turned backe againe to the territorie of Genoa and the dukedome of Florence through all Tuscane and he was in the citie of Rome and in the kingdome of Naples from the one side to the other From thence he went into Germanie to Vlmes and other places of the Empire to the dukedome of Sueuia and of Bauier and the Archdukedome of Austrich the kingdome of Boeme the dukedome of Morania and the kingdome of Hungarie and so to the confines of Graecia From thence he went to the kingdome of Poland Prussia and the dukedome of Liuonia and so came into the great dukedome of Moscouia From whence he came backe into High Alemayne and through the countreyes of the Lantzgraue the dukedome of Saxonie the countreyes of Denmarke Gotland and Norway trauailing so farre that he found himselfe in 70. degrées of latitude towards the North. He did sée speake and was conuersant with all the kings princes nobles and chiefe cities of all Christendome in the space of 22. yéeres So that by reason of the greatnes of his trauell I thought him a man woorthie to be here remembred In the yéere 1529. or 1530. one Melchior de Sofa Tauarez went from the citie of Ormuz vnto Balfera and the Islands of Gissara with certaine ships of warre and passed vp as farre as the place where the riuers Tygris and Euphrates méete one with the other And although other Portugals had discouered and sailed through that streight yet neuer any of them sailed so farre vpon the fresh water till that time when he discouered that riuer from the one side to the other wherein he saw many things which the Portugals knew not Not long after this one Ferdinando Coutinho a Portugall came vnto Ormuz and being desirous to sée the world he determined to goe into Portugall from thence ouer land to sée Asia and Europe And to doe this the better he went into Arabia Persia and vpwards the riuer Euphrates the space of a moneth and saw many kingdomes and countreies which in our time had not béene séene by the Portugals He was taken prisoner in Damasco and afterward crost ouer the prouince of Syria and came vnto the citie of Alepo He had béene at the holy Sepulchre in Ierusalem and in the citie of Cayro and at Constantinople with the Great Turke and hauing séene his court he passed ouer vnto Venice and from thence into Italie France Spaine and so came againe to Lisbon So that he and Damian de Goes were in our time the most noble Portugals that had discouered and séene most countreyes and realmes of their owne affections In the same yéere 1530. little more or lesse one Francis Pisarro which had béene in Spaine to obtaine the gouernment of Peru turned backe againe to the citie of Panama with all things that he desired he brought with him fower brethren Ferdinand Iohn Gonzaluo and Francis Martines de Alcantara They were not well receiued by Diego de Almagro and his friends for that Pisarro had not so much commended him to the Emperour as he looked for but omitted the discouerie wherein he had lost one of his eies and spent much yet in the end they agreed and Diegro de Almagro gaue vnto Pisarro 700. pezoes of golde victuailes and munition wherewith he prepared himselfe the better for his iourney Not long after this agréement Francis Pisarro and his brethren went in two ships with the most of their soldiers and horses but he could not arriue at Tumbez as he was minded and so they went on land in the riuer of Peru and went along the coast with great paines because there were many bâ—gs and riuers in their way wherein some of his men were drowned They came to the towne of Coaché where they rested where they found much gold and emeraulds of which they brake some to sée if they were perfect From thence Pisarro sent to Diego de Almagro twentie thousand pezoes of gold to send him men horses munition and victuailes and so he went on his iourney to the hauen named Porto Viejo and thither came vnto him one Sebastian de Benalcazar with all such things as had sent for which pleased and pleasured him very much In the yéere 1531. he hauing this aide passed ouer into a rich Island called Puna where he was well receiued of the gouernour yet at last he conspired to kill him and all his men but Pisarro preuented him and tooke many of the Indians and bound them with chaines of gold and siluer The gouernour caused those that kept his wines to haue their noses armes and priuie members to be cut off so iealous was he Here Pisarro found aboue sixe hundred men prisoners belonging to the king Attabalipa who waged warre against his eldest brother Guascar to winne reputation These he set at libertie and sent them to the citie of Tombez who promised to be a meane that he should be well receiued in those partes But when they saw themselues out of bondage they forgat their promise and incited the people against the Spaniards Then Pisarro sent thrée Spaniards to Tombez to treate for peace whome they tooke and slew and sacrificed and their priestes wept not for pitie but of custome Pisarro hearing of this cruell fact passed ouer to the maine and set vpon the citie one night suddenly and killed many of them so that they presented him with gifts of gold and siluer and other riches and so became friends This done he builded
a towne vpon the riuer of Cira and called it Saint Michael of Tangarara which was the first towne inhabited by Christians in those partes whereof Sebastian de Benalcazar was appointed captaine Then he searched out a good and sure hauen for his ships and found that of Payta to be an excellent harbour In this same yéere 1531. there went one Diego de Ordas to be gouernour in the riuer of Maragnon with thrée ships sixe hundred soldiers and 35. horses He died by the way so that the intention came to none effect After that in the yéere 1534. there was sent thither one Hierome Artal with 130. soldiers yet he came not to the riuer but peopled Saint Michael de Neueri and other places in Paria Also there went vnto this riuer Maragnon a Portugall gentleman named Aries Dacugna and he had with him ten ships nine hundred Portugals and 130. horses He spent much but he that lost most was one Iohn de Barros This riuer standeth in thrée degrées toward the South hauing at the entrance of it 15. leagues of breadth and many Islands inhabited wherein grow trées that beare incence of a greater bignes then in Arabia gold rich stones and one emeraud was found there as big as the palme of a mans hand The people of the countrey make their drinke of a kinde of dates which are as big as quinces In the yéere 1531. one Nunnez de Gusman went from the citie of Mexico towards the northwest to discouer and conquer the countreies of Xalisco Ceintiliquipac Ciametlan Toualla Cnixco Ciamolla Culhuacan and other places And to doe this he caried with him 250. horses and fiue hundred soldiers He went through the countrey of Mechuacan where he had much gold ten thousand marks of siluer and 6000. Indians to carrie burdens He conquered many countreyes called that of Xalisco Nueua Galicia because it is a ragged countrey and the people strong He builded a citie which he called Compostella and another named Guadalajara because he was borne in the citie of Guadalajara in Spaine He likewise builded the townes de Santo Espirito de la Conception and de San Miguel standing in 24. degrées of northerly latitude In the yéere 1532. Ferdinando Cortes sent one Diego Hurtado de Mendoça vnto Acapulco 70. leagues from Mexico where he had prepared a small fléete to discouer the coast of the South sea as he had promised the Emperour And finding two ships readie he went into them and sailed to the hauen of Xalisco where he would haue taken in water and wood but Nunnez de Gusman caused him to be resisted and so he went forward but some of his men mutined against him and he put them all into one of the ships and sent them backe into New Spaine They wanted water and going to take some in the bay of the Vanderas the Indians killed them But Diego Hurtado sailed 200. leagues along the coast yet did nothing woorth the writing In the yéere 1533. Francis Pisarro went from the citie of Tumbes to Caxamalca where he tooke the king Attabalipa who promised for his ransome much gold and siluer and to accomplish it there went to the citie of Cusco standing in 17. degrées on the South side Peter de Varco and Ferdinando de Sotto who discouered that iourney being 200. leagues all causies of stone and bridges was made of it and from one iourney to another lodgings made for the Yngas for so they call their kings Their armies are very great and monstrous For they bring aboue an hundred thousand fighting men to the field They lodge vpon these causies and haue there prouision sufficient and necessarie after the vse and custome of Chiâ—â—â— as it is said Ferdinando Pisarro with some horsemen went vnto Paciacama 100. leagues from Caxamalca and discouered that prouince And comming backe he vnderstood how Guascar brother to Attabalipa was by his commandement killed and how that his captaine Ruminaguy rose vp in armes with the citie of Quito After this Attabalipa was by the commandement of Pisarro strangled In the yéere 1534. Francis Pisarro séeing that the two kings were goue began to enlarge himselfe in his signiories and to build cities forts and townes to haue them more in subiection Likewise he sent Sebastian de Banalcazar the captaine of S. Michael of Tangarara against Ruminaguy vnto Quito He had with him two hundred footemen and 80. horsemen He went discouering and conquering 120. leagues from the one citie to the other east not farre from the Equinoctiall line where Peter Aluarado found mountaines full of snow and so cold that 70. of his men were frosen to death When he came vnto Quito he began to inhabite it and named it S. Francis In this countrey there is plentie of wheate barlie cattell and plants of Spaine which is very strange Pisarro went straight to the citie of Cusco and found by the way the captaine Quisquiz risen in armes whome shortly he defeated About this time there came vnto him a brother of Attabalipa named Mango whom he made Ynga or king of the countrey Thus marching forward on his iourney after certaine skirmishes he tooke that excéeding rich and wealthie citie of Culco In this same yéere 1534. a Briton called Iaques Cartier with thrée ships went to the land of Corterealis and the Bay of Sainâ— Laurence otherwise called Golfo Quadrato and fell in 48. degrées and an halfe towards the north and so he sailed till he came vnto 51. degrees hoping to haue passed that way to China and to bring thence drugs and other marchandise into France The next yéere after he made another voiage into those partes and found the countrey abounding with victuailes houses and good habitations with many and great riuers He sailed in one riuer toward the southwest 300. leagues and named the countrey thereabout Noua Francia at length finding the water fresh he perceiued he could not passe through to the South sea and hauing wintered in those parts the next yéere following he returned into France In the yéere 1535. or in the beginning of the yéere 1536. Don Antonie de Mendoça came vnto the citie of Mexico as Viceroy of New Spaine In the meane while Cortes was gone for more men to continue his discouerie which immediately he set in hand sending foorth two ships from Tecoantepec which he had made readie There went as captaines in them Fernando de Grijalua and Diego Bezerra de Mendoça and for pilots there went a Portugal named Acosta and the other Fortunio Ximenez a Biscaine The first night they deuided themselues Fortunio Ximenez killed his captaine Bezerra and hurt many of his confederacie and then he went on land to take water and wood in the Bay of Santa Cruz but the Indians there slue him and aboue 20. of his companie Two mariners which were in the boate escaped and went vnto
may touch with their hand the boughs of the trées on the one and on the other side also And to come néerer to the matter it is not long since that in the east the Islands of Banda were diuers of them ouerflowen and drowned by the sea And so likewise in China about nine score miles of firme ground is now become a lake as it is reported Which is not to be thought maruellous considering that which Ptolemey and others haue written in such cases which here I omit to returne to my purpose After the flood 800. yéeres we reade that the citie of Troy was builded by the Dardans and that before that time they brought out of the Indies into Europe by the Red sea spices drugs and many other kindes of marchandises which were there more abundant then now they be Whereunto if credit may be giuen we may conceaue that the sea was of old haunted and frequented séeing that then they of the East had so much and so great trafficke with them of the West that they brought their marchandise vnto an hauen which was named Arsinoe being that which at this day is called Suez standing in 30. degrées on the north part of the Arabian Gulfe It is also by authors farther written that from this hauen of Arsinoe or Suez these marchandises were carried by Carauans or great companies of carriers vpon camels asses and mules vnto the Leuant sea vnto a city called Cassou standing on the coast in 32. degrées of latitude yeelding vnto euery degrée 17. leagues and an halfe as the maner is And there are by account from the one sea to the other 35. leagues or 105. miles These carriers by reason of the heate of the countrey trauailed in the night onely directing themselues by stars and by marks of postes and canes which they vsed to sticke in the ground as they went But after that because this course and iourney had many inconueniences they changed and altered the same twise to finde out the most commodious way 900. yéeres or there about after the flood and before the destruction of Troy there was a king in Egypt called Sesostris who perceiuing that the former courses and passages for the carrying of marchandises by men beasts were chargeable to the one most painfull to the other prouided to haue a way or streame cut out of the land from the Red sea vnto an arme of the riuer Nilus which rūneth vnto the Citie Heroum that by the meanes thereof ships might passe and repasse with their marchandises from India into Europe and not be discharged till they came into Italie So that this Sesostris was the first king which built great caracks to trauaile this way But this enterprise for all that tooke little effect For if it had Africa had then béen made as an Island all compassed with water being no more ground betweene sea and sea then the space of 20. leagues or 60. miles About this time the Graecians gathered together an army or fléete which now is called Argonautica whereof Iason and Alceus were captains general Some say they went from the Isle of Creta others from Graecia But whence soeuer they departed they sailed through the Proponticke sea and Saint Georges Sleeue vnto the Euxine sea where some perished and Iason thereupon returned backe into Greece Alceus reported that he was driuen with a tempest to the lake Maeotis where he was forsaken of al his company and they which escaped with great trauaile passed through by land vnto the Ocean sea of Almaine where they tooke shipping passing the coasts of Saxonie Frisland Holland Flanders France Spaine Italie and so returned vnto Peloponesus and Greece discouering the most part of the coast of Europe Strabo alleaging Aristonicus the Grammarian sheweth that after the destruction of Troy Menelaus the king came out of the straights of the Leuant seas into the sea Atlanticke and coasted Africa and Guinea and doubled the Cape of Bona Sperança and so in time arriued in India Of which voyage of his there may be many more particulars gathered out of the histories This Mediterrane sea was also sometimes called The Adriaticke The Aegaean and the Herculean sea with other names according to the lands coasts Islands which it passeth by running into the great sea Atlanticke along the coast of Africa In the yéere 1300. after the flood Solomon caused a nauie to be prepared on the Red sea at an hauen called Ezeon Geber to saile to the East India where by opinion stande the Islands called Tharsis and Ophir This nauie was thrée yéeres on this voyage and then returned and brought with them gold siluer cypres c. Whereby it séemeth that those places and Islands were those which now be called the Luçones Lequeos and Chinaes For we know few other parts from whence some of those things are brought or wherein nauigation was so long since vsed It is left vs also in histories that a king of Egypt called Neco desiring greatly to ioyne the Red sea with the riuer Nilus commanded the Phoenicians to saile from the straight of Mecca to the farther end of the Mediterrane sea to sée if it did make any turne backe againe vnto Egypt Which commandement they obeied sailing towards the south all along the coast and countrey of Melinde Quiloa Sofala till they came to the Cape of Bona Esperança finding the sea continually on the left hand But when they had doubled the Cape and found the coast continually on the right hand they maruailed much at it Notwithstanding they continued their course forward toward the north al along the coast of Guiney and the Mediterrane sea till they came backe againe into Egypt whence they first went out In which discouerie they remained two yéeres And these are thought to be the first that compassed by sea all the coast of Afrike and sailed round about it In the yéere 590. before the incarnation of Christ there went out of Spaine a fléete of Carthaginian marchants vpon their owne proper costs and charges which sailed toward the west through the high seas to sée if they could finde any land and they sailed so farre that they found at last the Islands which we now call the Antiles and Noua Spagna which Gonzalo Fernandes de Quiedo saith were then discouered although Christopher Columbus afterwards by his trauaile got more exact knowledge of them and hath left vs an euident notice where they be But all these historians which wrote of these Antiles before as of doubtfull and vncertaine things and of places vndiscouered doe now plainly confesse the same to be the countrey of Noua Spagna In the yéere 520. before the incarnation and after the setting out of the aforesaid army Cambyses king of Persia tooke Egypt after whom succéeded Darius the sonne of Histaspis and he determined to make an end of the enterprise which king Sesostris had begun
in the time of Fredericke Barbarossa it is written that there came to Lubec a citie of Germanie one Canoa with certaine Indians like vnto a long barge which seemed to haue come from the coast of Baccalaos which standeth in the same latitude that Germanie doth The Germaines greatly woondered to sée such a barge and such people not knowing from whence they came nor vnderstanding their spéech especially because there was then no knowledge of that countrey as now there is it may be credible that though the boate was small in respect of those huge seas yet the winde and water might bring them thither as we sée in these our daies that the Almadie which is but a small boate commeth notwithstanding from Quiloa Mosambique and Sofala to the Island of S. Helena being a small spot of land standing in the maine Ocean off the coast of Bona Sperança so farre separated In the yéere 1300. after the comming of Christ the great Soldan of Cayro commanded that the spiceries and drugs and marchandises of India should be carried through the Red sea as it was vsed before at which time they vnladed on the Arabian side at the hauen of Iuda and carried them vnto the house at Mecca and the carriers of it were the pilgrims So that each Prince vsed a custome to augment the honour and increase the profite of his countrey And these Soldans had speciall regarde to Cayro from whence the wares were carried vnto the countreyes of Egypt Lybia Africa the kingdomes of Tunez Tremessen Fez Marocco Suz and some of it was carried beyond the mountaines of Atlas vnto the citie of Tombuto and the kingdome of the Ialophos vntill afterwards that the Portugals did bring it about the Cape of Bona Sperança vnto the citie of Lisbone as in place conuenient we purpose to shew more at large In the yéere 1344. king Peter the fourth of that name reigning in Arragon the Chronicles of his time report that one Don Luis of Cerda sonne vnto the sonne of Don Iohn of Cerda craued aide of him to goe and to conquers the Isles of the Canaries standing in 28. degrées of latitude to the north because they were giuen vnto him by Pope Clement the sixt which was a French man Whereby in those daies there grew a knowledge of those Islands in all Europe and specially in Spaine for such great Princes would not begin nor enterprise things of such moment without great certaintie About this time also the Island of Madera was discouered by an English man called Macham who sailing out of England into Spaine with a woman of his was driuen out of his direct course by a tempest and arriued in that Island and cast his anker in that hauen which now is called Machico after the name of Macham And bicause his louer was then sea-sicke he there went on land with some of his companie and in the meane time his ship weyed and put to sea leauing him there whereupon his louer for thought died Macham which greatly loued her built in the Island a chappell or hermitage to burie her in calling it by the name of Iesus Chappell and wrote or graued vpon the stone of her tombe his name and hers and the occasion whereupon they arriued there After this he made himselfe a boate all of a trée the trées being there of a great compasse about and went to sea in it with those men of his companie that were left with him and fell with the coast of Africke without saile or oare and the Moores among whom he came tooke it for a miracle and presented him vnto the king of that countrey and that king also admiring the accident sent him and his companie vnto the king of Castile In the yéere 1395. king Henrie the third of that name reigning in Castile the information which Macham gaue of this Island and also the ship wherein he went thither mooued many of France and of Castile to goe and discouer it and the great Canarie And they which went were principally the Andaluzes the Biscaines and the Guepusâ—oes carrying with them many people and horses But I know not whether the charge of that voiage was theirs or the kings But by whom soeuer it was set out they seeme to be the first that discouered the Canaries and landed in them where also they tooke 150 of the Islanders prisoners Concerning the time of this discouerie there is some difference among the writers for some affirme this to be done in the yeere 1405. The first beginning of the Portugall Discoueries THe Chronicles of Portugall haue this record That after the incarnation of Christ 1415. king Iohn the first of that name king of Portugall departed from the citie of Lisbon with the Prince Don Duarte or Edward and Don Peter and Don Henry his sonnes with other Lords and nobles of his realme and sailed into Africa where he tooke the great citie of Ceuta standing on the north side thereof betwéene 35. and 36. degrees in latitude which was one of the principall causes of the enlarging of the dominions of Portugall When they were come from thence Henry the kings third sonne desirous to enlarge the kingdome to discouer strange vnknowne countreyes being then in Algarbe gaue direction for the discouery of the coast of Mauritania For in those daies none of the Portugals had euer passed the Cape de Non standing in 29. degrées of latitude And for the better accomplishing of this discouerie the aforesaid Don Henry prepared a fléete gaue commandement to the chiefe captaines to procéede in discouerie from the aforesaide Cape forward Which they did But when they came to another Cape named Bojador there was not one of them that durst goe farther or beyond it at which fearefull and cowardly faintnes of theirs the Prince was excéedingly displeased In the yéere 1417. king Iohn the second reigning in Castile and his mother Ladie Katharine then vsing the gouernment one Monsieur Ruben of Bracamonte which was then Admirall of France craued the conquest of the Islands of the Canaries with the title to be king of them for a kinsman of his called Monsieur Iohn Betancourt which being granted him by the Quéene and farther also partly furnished out he departed from Siuill with a good armie But the chiefe or principall cause that mooued him to enter into this action was to discouer and perfectly to take a view of the Island of Madera whereof Macham before had giuen so much information But for all that he went vnto the Canaries and carried with him a Friar called Mendo to be as Bishop thereof admitted by Pope Martine the fift When they were landed they wonne Lancerota Forteuentura Gomera and Ferro from whence they sent into Spaine many slaues honie waxe Camfora or Camfire hides Orchall figs Sanguis Draconis and other marchandises whereof they made good profit And this armie also as they report discouered Porto Santo
in 20. degrées and informed Don Henry of the state of that couÌ„trey by the Moores which they brought from thence Whereupon he sent one Fernan Lopez de Sauado to giue knowledge thereof to Pope Martine trusting to make these things commodious to Holy Church Vpon which knowledge the Pope granted indulgences and euerlasting pardon and all other things demanded of him vnto those which should die in this enterprise After this in the yéere 1443. Don Henry commanded Antonie Gonsales to carrie backe the slaues which he had brought and to ransome them in their countrey Which he did and the Moores gaue them in trucke for them againe blacke Moores with curled haire and some gold so that now that place is called Rio de Oro that is the Golden Riuer whereby the desire of the discouerie might be the more increased Not long after he sent out another named Nunnez Tristan who came vnto the Islands of Arguin where he tooke more slaues and brought them to Portugall in the yéere 1444. Hereupon also one Lansarote a groome of Don Gilians chamber with others associated with him armed out certaine ships which went coasting til they came to the Islands of Garze where they tooke two hundred slaues which were the first that were brought from thence to Portugall In the yéere 1445. there went as captaine of a barke one Gonsalo de Syntra an esquire belonging to Don Henry into those parts and he went on land where he was taken with sixe or seuen more of his company which place was therefore called after his name Angra de Gonsaluo de Syntra This was the first losse which the Portugals receiued in their discoueries In the yéere following Don Henry sent out thrée carauels wherein went as captaines Antonie Gonsales Diego Aloizio and Gomes Perez who had their direction not to enter into Rio de Oro nor to beare themselues disorderly but to trauaile in peace and to conuert as many infidels as they could to Christianitie But none of these things were performed by them for they returned without doing any memorable act In the same yéere 1446. another esquire belonging to the king of Portugall called Denis Fernandes of the citie of Lisbon entred into these discoueries more to winne fame then to reape commoditie by them And he being in his voiage came to the riuer of Sanaga standing betwéene 15. and 16. degrées of latitude towards the north where he tooke certaine Negroes and not contented therewith he went forward and discouered Cape Verde standing in 14. degrees on the same side and there he set vp vpon the land a crosse of wood and then returned with great contentation In the yéere 1447. one Nunnez Tristan went foorth to discouer in a carauell and he passed the aforesaid Cape Verde and Rio Grande and went past it vnto another standing beyond it in 12. degrées where he was also taken with 18. Portugals more but the ship came home againe in safetie conducted by fower or fiue which escaped the hands of the Negroes In this yéere also 1447. it happened that there came a Portugall ship through the streight of Gibraltar and being taken with a great tempest was forced to runne westwards more then willingly the men would and at last they fell vpon an Island which had seuen cities and the people spake the Portugall toong and they demanded if the Moores did yet trouble Spaine whence they had fled for the losse which they receiued by the death of the king of Spaine Don Roderigo The boateswaine of the ship brought home a little of the sand and sold it vnto a goldsmith of Lisbon out of the which he had a good quantitie of gold Don Pedro vnderstanding this being then gouernour of the realme caused all the things thus brought home and made knowne to be recorded in the house of Iustice There be some that thinke that those Islands whereunto the Portugals were thus driuen were the Antiles or Newe Spaine alleaging good reasons for their opinion which here I omit because they serue not to my purpose But all their reasons séeme to agrée that they should be that countrey which is called Noua Spagna In the yéere 1449. the king Don Alfonso gaue licence vnto his vncle Don Henry to inhabit the Islands of the Açores which were long before discouered And in the yéere 1458. this king went into Africa and there he tooke the towne called Alcaçer And in the yéere 1461. he commanded Signior Mendez a gentleman of his house to build the castle of Arguin whereof he gaue vnto him the gouernment as to his lieutenant In the yéere 1462. there came into the realme of Portugall thrée Genowais of good parentage the chiefe of whom was called Antonie de Noli and of the other two the one was his brother the other was his nepâ—ew and each of these had his seuerall ship crauing libertie of Don Henry to discouer the Islands of Cape Verde which was granted them Others say that the places which they discouered were those which Antiquitie called the Gorgades Hesperides and Dorcades but they named them Mayo Sainct Iago and Sainct Philip because they discouered them on those Saints daies but they are also called by some the Islands of Antonio In the yéere following 1463. this good noble man Don Henry died leaning from Cape De Non discouered vnto the mountaine called Sierra Leona standing on this side the line in 8. degrées of latitude where no man had béene before that time In the yéere 1469. the king of Portugall did let out for yéerely rent the trade of Guiney vnto one called Fernan Gomez which countrey afterwards was called The Mine He let it out for fiue yéeres for two hundred thousand Reyes by the yéere which is of our English money 138. l. 17. â— 9. d. ob and added vnto his lease this condition that euery yéere he should discouer an hundred leagues In the yéere following which was 1470. this king went into Africa with his sonne Prince Iohn where they tooke the towne of Arzila and the people of the citie of Tanger fled out for feare and that he tooke also It séemeth that good fortune followeth a couragious attempt In the yéere 1471. Fernan Gomes gaue commandement that the coast should be discouered as it lay Which was vndertaken by Iohn de S. Aren and Iohn de Scouar and they went and found the Mine in 5. degrées of latitude And the next yéere which was 1472. one Fernando da Poo discouered the Island now called after his name Also about this time the Islands of Sainct Thomas and Del Principe were discouered standing vnder the line with the firme land also wherein is the kingdome of Benin reaching to the Cape de Santa Catarina standing on the south side of the line in 3. degrées The man
entrie vpon the Islands of Maldiua and with contrarie weather he arriued at the Islands which of ancient time were called Traganae but the Moores called them Ytterubenero and we call them Ceilan where he went on land and made peace with the people there and afterward came backe vnto Cochin sailing along the coast and fully discouering it In the middest of this Island there stands a rocke of stone very high hauing the signe of the foote of a man vpon the top of it which they say to be the footestep of Adam when he went vp into the heauens and the Indians haue it in great reuerence In the yéere 1506. after the death of the Quéene of Spaine king Philip and Quéene Ioan his wife came into Spaine to take possession thereof and king Don Fernando went into Arragon being his owne patrimonie In this same yeere the said king Philip died and then Fernando came againe to gouerne Spaine and he gaue licence vnto all Spanyards to goe vnto the New land and to the Aâ—tiles but not to the Portugals In this yéere and in the moneth of May Christopher Columbus died and his sonne Don Diego Columbus succeeded in his roome In the yéere 1506. and entring into the moneth of March Tristan de Acunna and Alfonso de Albuquerque went into India with 14. ships in their companie and sailed till they came to an anker at the towne of Bezequiche where they refreshed themselues and before they came to the Cape of Bona Sperança in 37. degrées they found certaine Islands which now are named the Isles of Tristan de Acunna where they had such a tempest that therewithall the fléete was dispersed Tristan de AcunÌ„a and Alfonso de Albuquerque went vnto Mosambique and Aluaro Telez ran so far that he came to the Island of Samatra and so backe againe vnto the Cape of Guardatu hauing discouered many Islands sea and land neuer séene before that time of any Portugall Emmanuel Telez de Meneses was also driuen without the great Island of S. Laurence and he ran along the coast thereof and arriued at last at Mosambique and there met with Tristan de AcunÌ„a who was the first captaine that wintred there and by them it was told that in this Island was much Ginger Cloues and siluer whereupon he went and discouered much of it within the land but finding nothing he came backe againe vnto Mosambique from whence he sailed vnto Melinde and ran along that coast and entred into Braua and from thence they crost ouer to the Island of Socotora where they built a fortresse and made one Don Antonio de Noronia captaine thereof In the yéere 1507. in the moneth of August Tristan de AcunÌ„a tooke shipping for India and Alfonso de Albuquerque remained there with fiue or sixe ships to kéepe the coast and entrie of the Streight but being not therewith satisfied he tooke his course ouer vnto Arabia and running along that coast he doubled the Cape of Rosalgate standing vnder the Tropicke of Cancer In the yeere 1509. one Diego Lopez de Sequeira went out of Lisbon with fower sailes vnto the Island of Saint Laurence and continued in his voiage almost a yéere and in the moneth of May the same yéere he arriued in Cochin where the Viceroy gaue him one ship more and in the beginning of the moneth of September he tooke his course vnto Malacca passing betwéene the Islands of Nicubar and many others He went also to the land of Samatra to the cities of Pedir and Pacem and all along by all that coast vnto the Island of A Poluoreira and the flats of Capacia and from thence he went ouer vnto Malacca standing in 2. degrées of latitude towards the north but in that citie the people killed and tooke as prisoners some of his men and thereupon he turned backe againe into India hauing discouered in this voiage fiue hundred leagues This Island of Samatra is the first land wherein we knew mans flesh to be eaten by certaine people which liue in the mountaines called Bacas who vse to gilde their téeth They hold opinion that the flesh of the blacke people is swéeter then the flesh of the white The buffes kine and hennes which are in that countrey are in their flesh as blacke as any inke They say that there are certaine people there called Daraqui Dara which haue tailes like vnto shéepe and some of their welles yéeld oile The king of Pedir is reported to haue a riuer in his land running with oile which is a thing not to be maruelled at séeing it is found written that in Bactria there is also a well of oile it is farther said that there groweth here a trée the iuice whereof is strong poison and if it touch the blood of a man he dieth immediately but if a man doe drinke of it it is a soueraigne remedie against poison so seruing both for life and death Here also they doe coine péeces of gold which they call Drachmas brought into the land as they say by the Romanes which séemeth to haue some resemblance of truth because that from that place forward there is no coined gold but that which is thus coined doth run currant in the buying of marchandise and other things In the yéere 1508. one Alfonso de Hoieda with the fauour of Don Fernando purposed to goe vnto Tierra firma to conquer the prouince of Darien He went foorth at his owne charges discouered The Firme land where it is called Vraba which he named Castilia del Oro that is Golden Castilia bicause of the gold which they found among the sand along the coast And they were the first Spanyards that did this Alfonso de Hoieda went first from the Island of Hispaniola and the citie of San Domingo with fower ships and thrée hundred soldiers leauing behinde him the bachiler Anciso who afterwards compiled a booke of these discoueries And after him there went also one ship with victuals munition and 150. Spanyards He went on land at Carthagena but there the people of the countrey tooke slew and eate 70. of his soldiers whereupon he grew very weake In this yéere 1508. one Drego de Niquesa prepared seuen ships in the port of Beata to goe vnto Veragua and carried in them almost 800. men When he came to Carthagena he found there Alfonso de Hoieda sore spoiled with his former losse but then they both ioined together and went on land and auenged themselues of the people And in this voiage Diego de Niquesa went and discouered the coast called Nombre de Dios and went vnto the sound of Darien and called it Puerto de Misas which is vpon the riuer of Pito When they were come vnto Veragua he went on shore with his armie his soldiers being out of hope to returne to Hispaniola Alfonso de Hoieda began a
fortresse in Caribana against the Caribes which was the first towne that the Spanyards builded in the Firme land and in Nombre de Dios they built another and called it Nuestra Sennora de la Antigua They builded also the towne of Vraba And there they left for their captaine and lieutenant one Francis Pisarro who was there much troubled They builded other towns also whose names I here omit But these captaines had not that good successe which they hoped for In the yéere 1509. the second Admirall Don Diego Columbus went into the Island of Hispaniola with his wife and houshold And she being a gentlewoman carried with her many other women of good families which were there married and so the Spanyards and Castillians began to people the countrey for Don Fernando the king had giuen them licence to discouer and people the townes of Hispaniola so that the same place grew to be famous and much frequented The foresaid Admirall also gaue order to people the Island of Cuba which is very great and large and placed there as his lieutenant one Diego Velasques who went with his father in the second voiage In the yéere 1511. in the moneth of Aprill Alfonso de Albuquerque went from the citie of Cochin vnto Malaeca In which yéere and moneth the Chineans went from Malaeca into their owne countrey and Alfonso sent with them for master a Portugall called Duarte Fernandes with letters also and order vnto the king of the Mantias which now is called Sian standing in the South They passed through the streight of Cincapura and sailed towards the north went along the coast of Patane vnto the citie of Cuy and from thence to Odia which is the chiefe citie of the kingdome standing in 14. degrées of northerly latitude The king greatly honoured and welcomed Duarte Fernandes being the first Portugall that he had séene and with him he sent backe ambassadours to Albuquerque They passed ouer land towards the west vnto the citie of Tanaçerim standing vpon the sea on the other side in 12. degrées where they imbarked themselues in two ships and sailed along the coast vnto the citie of Malacca leauing it all discouered The people of this countrey of Sian are people that eate of all kinde of beastes or vermine They haue a delight to carrie round bels within the skin of their priuie members which is forbidden to the king and the religious people It is said that of all other people of those parts they be most vertuous and honest They commend themselues much for their chastitie and pouertie They bring no heunes nor doues vp in their houses This kingdome hath in length 250. leagues and in bredth 80. Of this only kingdome the king may bring foorth into the field thirtie thousand elephants when he goeth to warre besides those which remaine in the cities for the garde of them The king much estéemeth a white elephant and a red one also that hath eies like vnto flaming fire There is in this countrey a certaine small vermine which vseth to cleaue fast to the trunke of the elephant and draweth the blood of the elephant and so he dieth thereof The skull of this vermine is so hard that the shot of an handgun cannot enter it they haue in their liuers the figures of men and women which they call Tokeâ—a and are much like vnto a mandrake And they affirme that he which hath one of them about him cannot die with the stroke of any iron They haue also wilde kine in this countrey in the heads of whome they finde stones which are of vertue to bring good hap and fortune to marchants After that Duarte Fernandes had béen with the Mantales or people of Sian Alfonso de Albuquerque sent thither a knight called Ruy Nunnez de Acunna with letters and ambassage vnto the king of the Seguies which we call Pegu. He went in a Iunco of the countrey in sight of the Cape Rachado and from thence went vnto the citie of Pera which standeth fast by the riuer Salano and many other villages standing all along this riuer where Duarte Fernandes had béene before vnto the cities of Tanaçerim and of Martauan standing in 15. degrées toward the north and the citie of Pegu standeth in 17. This was the first Portugall which trauailed in that kingdome and he gaue good information of that countrey and of the people which vse to were bels in their priuities euen as the Mantales doe In the end of this yeere 1511. Alfonso de Albuquerque sent thrée ships to the Islands of Banda and Maluco And there went as Generall of them one Antonio de Breu and with him also went one Francis Serrano and in these ships there were 120. persons They passed through the Streight of Saban and along the Island of Samatra and others leauing them on the left hand towards the east and they called them the Salites They went also to the Islands of Palinibam and La Suparam from whence they sailed by the noble Island of Iaua and they ran their course east sailing betweene it and the Island of Madura The people of this Island are very warlike and strong and doe little regard their liues The women also are there hired for the warres and they fall out often together and kill one another as the Mocos doe delighting onely in shedding of blood Beyond the Island of Iaua they sailed along by another called Bali and then came also vnto others called Aujaue çambaba Solor Galao Mallua Vitara Rosalangum Arus from whence are brought delicate birds which are of great estimation because of their feathers they came also to other Islands lying in the same parallele on the south side in 7. or 8. degrées of latitude And they be so nere the one to the other that they séeme at the first to be one entire and maine land The course by these Islands is aboue fiue hundred leagues The ancient Cosmographers call all these Islands by the name Iauos but late experience hath found their names to be very diuers as you see Beyonde these there are other Islands toward the north which are inhabited with whiter people going arraied in shirts doublets and slops like vnto the Portugals hauing also money of siluer The gouernours among them doe carrie in their hands red staues whereby they séeme to haue some affinitie with the people of China There are other Islands and people about this place which are redde and it is reported that they are of the people of China Antonie de Breu and those that went with him tooke their course toward the north where is a smal Island called Gumnape or Ternate from the highest place whereof there fall continually into the sea flakes or streames like vnto fire which is a woonderfull thing to behold From thence they went to the Islands of Burro and Amboino
moneth and on Saint Michaels day came vnto it where he imbarked himselfe against the will of Chiapes who was the Lord of that coast who wished him not to doe so because it was very dangerous for him But he desirous to haue it knowne that he had béene vpon those seas went forwards and came backe againe to land in safetie and with great contentment bringing with him good store of gold siluer and pearles which there they tooke For which good seruice of his Don Ferdinando the king greatly fauoured and honoured him This yéere 1513. in the moneth of Februarie Alfonsus de Albuquerque went froÌ„ the citie of Goa towards the streight of Mecha with twenty ships They arriued at the citie of Aden and battered it and passed forward and entred into the Streight They say that they saw a crosse in the element and worshipped it They wintered in the Island of Camaran This was the first Portugall captaine that gaue information of those seas and of that of Persia being things in the world of great account In the yéere 1514. and in the moneth of May there went out of Saint Luâ—ar one Pedro Arias de Auila at the commandement of Don Ferdinando He was the fourth gouernour of Castillia del Oro or Golden Castile for so they named the countreyes of Dariene Carthagena and Vraba and that countrey which was newly conquered He carried with him his wife the Lady Elizabeth and 1500. men in seuen ships and the king appointed Vasco Nunnez de Valboa gouernour of the South Sea and of that coast In the beginning of the yéere 1515. the gouernour Pedro Arias de Auila sent one Gaspar Morales with 150. men vnto the Gulfe of S. Michael to discouer the Islands of Tararequi Chiapes and Tumaccus There was a Casique Valboas friend which gaue him many Canoas or boates made of one trée to rowe in wherein they passed vnto The Island of pearles the Lord whereof resisted them at their comming on land But Chiapes and Tumaccus did pacifie him in such order that the captaine of the Isle had them home vnto his house and made much of them and receiued baptisme at their hands naming him Pedro Arias after the gouernours name and he gaue vnto them for this a basket full of pearles waying 110. pounds whereof some were as big as hasell nuts of 20. 25. 26. or 31. carats euery carat is fower graines There was giuen for one of them 1200. ducats This Island of Tararequi standeth in 5. degrées of latitude towards the north In this yéere 1515. in the moneth of March the gouernour sent one Gonsaluo de Badaios with 80. soldiers to discouer new lands and they went from Dariene to Nombre de Dios where came vnto them one Lewis de Mercado with fiftie men more which the gouernour sent to aide him They determined to discouer toward the South saying that that countrey was the richest They tooke with them Indians to be their guides and going along the coast they found slaues marked with irons as the Portugals doe vse and hauing marched a good way through the countreyes with great trauaile they gathered together much golde and fortie slaues to doe them seruice but one Casique named Pariza did set vpon them and slue and tooke the most part of them The gouernour hearing of these newes the same yéere 1515. sent foorth his sonne Iohn Arias de Auila to be reuenged and to discouer also by sea and by land They went westward to Cape De Guerra standing in little more then sixe degrées towards the north and from thence vnto Punta de Borica and to Cape Blanco or the White Cape standing in 8. degrées and an halfe they discouered 250. leagues as they affirme and peopled the citie of Panama In this very yéere 1515. in the moneth of May Alfonsus de Albuquerque gouernour of India sent from the citie of Ormuz one Fernando Gomes de Lemos as ambassadour vnto Xec or Shaugh Ismael king of Persia and it is declared that they trauailed in it 300. leagues and that it is a pleasant countrey like vnto France This Xeâ— or Shaugh Ismael went on hunting and fishing for troutes whereof there are many And there be the fairest women in all the world And so Alexander the great affirmed when he called them The women with golden eies And this yéere this woorthy Viceroy Alfonsus de Albuquerque died In the yéere 1416. and one hundred yéeres after the taking of Ceuta in Barbaâ—ie Lopez Suares being gouernour of India there was a dispatch made by the commandement of the kings highnes vnto one Fernando Perez de Andrada to passe to the great countrey and kingdome of China He went from the citie of Cochin in the moneth of Aprill They receiued pepper being the principal marchandise to be sold in all China of any value And he was farther commanded by the king Don Emmanuel to goe also to Bengala with his letter and dispatch to a knight called Iohn Coelo This was the first Portugall as farre as I know which drunke of the water of the riuer Ganges This yéere 1516. died Don Fernando king of Spaine In the yéere 1517. this Fernando Perez went vnto the citie of Malacha and in the moneth of Iune he departed from thence towards China with eight sailes fower Portugals and the others Malayans He arriued in China And because he could not come on land without an ambassage there was one Thomas Perez which had order for it and he went from the citie of Canton where they came to an anker They went by land fower hundred leagues and came vnto the citie of Pekin where the king was for this prouince and countrey is the biggest that is in the worlde It beginneth at Sailana in twentie degrées of latitude towards the north and it endeth almost in 50. degrées Which must be 500. leagues in length and they say that it containeth 300. leagues in bredth Fernando Perez was 14. moneths in the Isle Da Veniaga learning as much as he could of the countrey according as the king his master had commanded him And although one Raphael Perestrello had beene there in a Iunke or barke of certaine marchants of Malaca yet vnto Fernando Perez there ought to be giuen the praise of this discouerie as well for that he had commandement from the king as in discouering so much with Thomas Perez by land and George Mascarenhas by sea and for coasting vnto the citie of Foquiem standing in 24. degrees of latitude In this same yéere 1517. Charles which afterward was Emperour came into Spaine and tooke possession thereof And in the same yéere Francis Fernandes de Cordoua Christopher Morantes and Lopez Ochoa armed thrée ships at their owne proper charges from the Island of Cuba They had also with them a barke of Diego Velasques who then was gouernour They
other things of the countrey and they of Tecoantepec did the like and not long after this Casique sent for aide to Cortes against his neighbours which did warre against him In the yéere 1523. Cortes sent vnto him for his aide Peter de Aluarado with two hundred soldiers footemen and fortie horsemen and the Caciques of Tecoantepec and Quahutemallan asked them for the monsters of the sea which came thither the yéere past meaning the ships of Gil Gonsales de Auila being greatly amazed at the sight of them and woondring much more when they heard that Cortes had bigger then those and they painted vnto them a mightie Carake with sixe masts and sailes and shroudes and men armed on horsebacke This Aluarado went through the countrey and builded there the city of Sant Iago or Saint Iames and a towne which he called Segura leauing certaine of his people in it In the same yeere 1523. in the moneth of May Antonie de Britto being captaine of the Isles of Maluco sent his cosen Simon de Breu to learne the way by the Isle of Borneo to Malaca They came in sight of the Islands of Manada and Panguensara They went through the straight of Treminao and Taguy and to the Islands of Saint Michael standing in 7. degrées and from thence discouered the Islands of Borneo and had sight of Pedra branca or the White stone and passed through the straight of Cincapura so to the citie of Malaca In this same yéere 1523. Cortes went with 300. footemen and 150. horsemen and 40000. Mexicans to Panuco both to discouer it better and also to inhabite it and withall to be reuenged vpon them which had killed and eaten the soldiers of Francis Garay They of Panuco resisted him but Cortes in the end ouerthrew them and conquered the countrey And hard by Chila vpon the riuer he built a towne and named it Santo Stephano del puerto leauing in it 100. footemen and thirtie horsemen and one Peter de Vallâ—io for lieutenant This iourney cost him 76. thousand Castillians besides the Spanyards horses and Maxicans which died there In this yéere 1523. Francis de Garay made nine ships and two brigandines to goe to Panuco and to Rio de las Palmas to be there as gouernour for that the Emperour had granted vnto him from the coast of Florida vnto Panuco in regard of the charges which he had béene at in that discouerie He carried with him 850. soldiers and 140. horses and some men out of the Island of Iamaica where he furnished his fléet with munition for the warre and he went vnto Xagua an hauen in the Island of Cuba where he vnderstood that Cortes had peopled the coast of Panuco and that it might not happen vnto him as it did to Pamphilus de Naruaez he determined to take another companion with him and desired the Doctor Zuazo to goe to Mexico and procure some agréement betwéene Cortes and him And they departed from Xagua each one about his busines Zuazo came in great ieoperdie and Garay went not cléere without Garay arriued in Rio de las Palmas on S. Iames his day and then he sent vp the riuer one Gonsaluo de Ocampo who at his returne declared that it was an euill and desert countrey but notwithstanding Garay went there on land with 400. footemen and some horsemen and he commanded one Iohn de Grijalua to search the coast and he himselfe marched by land towards Panuco and passed a riuer which he named Rio montalco he entred into a great towne where they found many hennes wherewith they refreshed themselues and he tooke some of the people of Chila which he vsed for messengers to certaine places And after great trauaile comming to Panuco they found no victuailes there by reason of the warres of Cortes and the spoile of the soldiers Garay then sent one Gonçalo de Ocampo to Sant Isteuan del puerto to know whether they would receiue him or no. They had a good answere But Cortes his men priuily by an ambushment tooke 40. of Garayes horsemen alleaging that they came to vsurpe the gouernment of another and besides this misfortune he lost fower of his ships whereupon he left off to procéede any farther While Cortes was preparing to set forward to Panuco Francis de las Casas and Roderigo de la Paz arriued at Mexico with letters patents wherein the Emperour gaue the gouernment of Nueua Spagna and all the countrey which Cortes had conquered to Cortes and namely Panuco Whereupon he staied his iourney But he sent Diego de Ocampo with the said letters patents and Pedro de Aluarado with store of footemen and horsemen Garay knowing this thought it best to yéeld himselfe vnto Cortes his hands and to go to Mexico which thing he did hauing discouered a great tract of land In this yéere 1523. Gil Gonçales de Auila made a discouerie and peopled a towne called San Gil de buena vista standing in 14. degrées toward the north and almost in the bottome of the Bay called the Ascension or the Honduras He began to conquere it because he best knew the secrets thereof and that it was a very rich countrey In this yéere 1523. the sixt day of December Peter de Aluarado went from the citie of Mexico by Cortes his commandement to discouer conquere Quahutemallan Vtlatlan Chiapa Xochnuxco and other townes toward the South sea He had with him thrée hundred soldiers 170. horsemen foure field péeces and some noble men of Mexico with people of the countrey to aide him as well in the warre as by the way being long He went by Tecoantepec to Xochnuxco and other places aboue said with great trauaile and losse of his men but he discouered and subdued all the countrey There are in those parts certaine hils that haue Alume in them and out of which distilleth a certaine liquor like vnto oile and sulphur or brimstone whereof the Spanyards made excellent gunpowder He trauailed 400. leagues in this voiage and passed certaine riuers which were so hot that they could not well endure to wade through them He builded a citie calling it Sant Iago de Quahutemallan Peter de Aluarado begged the gouernment of this countrey and the report is that it was giuen him In the yeere 1523. the 8. day of December Cortes sent Diego de Godoy with 100. footemen and 30. horsemen two field péeces and many of his friends Indians vnto the towne Del Espiritu santo He ioined himselfe with the captaine of that towne and they went to Chamolla the head citie of that prouince and that being taken all the countrey grew quiet In the yéere 1524. in Februarie Cortes sent one Roderigo Rangel with 150. Spaniards and many of the Tlaxcallans and Mexicans against the Zapoteeas and Nixticas and vnto other prouinces and countreyes not so well discouered
earthquake with raine and lightning which sunke 70. houses They passed ouer cold and snowie hils where they found many Indians frozen to death maruelling much of the great snowe that they found vnder the Equinoctiall line From hence they went to a prouince called Cumaco where they tarried two monethes because it rained continually And beyond they sawe the Cinamome-trées which be very great the leaues thereof resembling bay leeues both leaues branches rootes and all tasting of Cinamome The rootes haue the whole taste of Cinamome But the best are certaine knops like vnto Alcornoques or acornes which are good marchandise It appéereth to be wilde Cinamome and there is much of it in the East Indies and in the Islands of Iaoa or Iaua From hence they went to the prouince and citie of Coca where they rested fifty daies From that place forwards they trauailed along by a riuers side being 60. leagues long without finding of any bridge nor yet any foorde to passe ouer to the other side They found one place of this riuer where it had a fall of 200. fathoms déepe where the water made such a noise that it would make a man almost deafe to stand by it And not far beneath this fall they say they found a chanell of stone very smooth of two hundred foote broad and the riuer runneth by and there they made a bridge to passe ouer on the other side where they went to a countrey called Guema which was so poore that they could get nothing to eate but onely fruits and herbes From that place forward they found a people of some reason wearing certaine clothing made of cotton wooll where they made a brigandine there they found also certaine Canoas wherein they put their sicke men and their treasure and best apparell giuing the charge of them to one Francis de Orellana and Gonsaluo Pizarro went by land with the rest of the companie along by the riuers side and at night went into the boates and they trauailed in this order two hundred leagues as it appeereth When Pizarro came to the place where he thought to finde the brigandine and Canoas and could haue no sight of them nor yet heare of them he thought himselfe out of all hope because he was in a strange countrey without victuales clothing or any thing else wherefore they were faine to eate their horses yea and dogs also because the countrey was poore and barren and the iourney long to goe to Quito Yet notwithstanding taking a good hart to themselues they went on forwards in their iourney trauailing continually 18. monethes and it is reported that they went almost 5. hundred leagues wherein they did neither sée sunne nor any thing else whereby they might be comforted wherefore of two hundred men which went foorth at the first there returned not backe past ten vnto Quito and these so weake ragged and disfigured that they knew them not Orellana went fiue hundred or sixe hundred leagues downe the riuer séeing diuers countreyes and people on both sides thereof among whom he affirmed some to be Amazones He came into Castile excusing himselfe that the water and streames draue him downe perforce This riuer is named The riuer of Orellana other name it the riuer of the Amazones because there be women there which liue like vnto them In the yéere 1540. Cortes went with his wife into Spaine where he died of a disease seuen yéeres after In the yéere 1541. it is recorded that Don Stephan de Gama gouernour of India sailed toward the streit of Mecca He came with al his fléete vnto an anker in the Island of Maçua and from thence vpwards in small shipping he went along the coast of the Abassins and Ethiopia till he came to the Island of Suachen standing in 20. degrées towardes the north and from thence to the hauen of Cosâ—ir standing in 27. degrées and so he crossed ouer to the citie of Toro standing on the shore of Arabia and along by it he went vnto Suez which is the farthest ende of the streit and so he turned backe the same way leauing that countrey and coast discouered so far as neuer any other Portugall captaine had done although Lopez Suarez gouernour of India went to the hauen of Iuda and the hauen of Mecca standing on the coast of Arabia in 23. degrées of latitude and 150. leagues from the mouth of the streit Don Stephan de Gama crossing ouer from Cosâ—ir to the citie of Toro as it is reported found an Island of Brimstone which was dispeopled by the hand of Mahumet wherein many crabs doe bréede which increase nature wherefore they be greatly esteemed of such as are vnchaste Also they say that there are in this streit many roses which open when women are in their labour Iohn Leo writeth in the very end of his Geographie which he made of Africa that there is in the mountaines of Atlas a roote called Surnag ouer which if a maid chance to make water shée shall léese her virginitie In the same yéere 1541. Don Diego de Almagro killed the Marques Francis Pizarro and his brother Francis Martinez of Alcantara in the citie de los Reyes otherwise called Lima and made himselfe gouernour of that countrey In the yéere 1540. the Viceroy Don Antony de Mendoza sent one Francis Vasquez de Coronado by land vnto the prouince of Sibola with an armie of Spaniards and Indians They went out of Mexico and came to Culuacan and from thence to Sibola which standeth in 30. degrées of latitude They required peace with the people and some victuals being thereof destitute But they answered that they vsed not to giue any thing to those that came vnto them in warlike manner So the Spaniards assalted the towne and tooke it and called it Nueua Granada because the generall himselfe was borne in Granada The soldiers found themselues deceiued by the words of the Friers which had béene in those parts before and because they woulde not returne backe to Mexico againe with emptie hands they went to the towne of Acuco where they had knowledge of Axa and Quiuira where there was a king very rich that did worship a crosse of golde and the picture of the quéene of Heauen They indured many extremities in this iourney and the Indians fled away from them and in one morning they found thirtie of their horses dead From Cicuie they went to Quiuira which was two hundred leagues off according to their account passing all through a plaine countrey and making by the way certaine hillocks of cowe dung because thereby they might not loose their way in their returne They had there haile-stones as bigge as Oranges Now when they were come to Quiuira they found the king called Tatarrax which they sought for with a iewell of copper hanging about his necke which was all his riches They saw neither any crosse nor any image