all yours in health and eternall felicitie Amen Your Lordships moste humble Thomas Hacket ¶ An Admonition to the Reader I Doubt not gentle Reader but that the description of this present historie wil make thée to wonder as well bicause of the varietie of things that herein then mayst Reade as also of many others whiche at the firste wil seme vnto thée rather monstrous than naturall But after that thou hast soberly wayed considered the great effects of our mother dame nature I doe surely beleue y t such admiratiōs shal haue no more place in thée Also let it not seme to thée strāge the setting forth of many strāge trées as Palme trées and others with beasts of the fielde and foules of the Ayre the which are cleane contrarie to the setting forth of our Cosmographers and Anciente writers who for bicause that they haue not sene the places and for the smal experience and knowledge that they had did greatly erre But if thou herein stande in doubt then those that haue trauelled thether and those Indians that were brought frō thence can affirme al things herein contayned to be true Furthermore if that there be here in this booke any wordes that seme to thée rude or il placed thou shalt therefore accuse the feuer and death y e feuer which hath so kept or cleaned to the Author since his returne home that he had no leasure to peruse his boke before that it came to the Printer being prouoked to deliuer it at the commaundement of the Cardinall of Sens and death which happened to Ambrose de la porte a good student and well sene in the Frenche tong who had taken vpō him the whole charge of this present boke Notwithstanding gentle Readers our good will herein hath not bene wanting onely wishing for recompence that it may be agreable to thée Farewell In prayse of the Author THe farthest scope of heauen and earth also The subtile stremes inclosed in the grounde The mighty Mines of Metals that doe gro In lurking vaynes that hidden are profounde The Cristall pearle the Diamond so fayre The floting fish of diuers kindes of hew Of diuers soiles to which thou mayst repayre Of other landes that yet to vs be new Hath Theuet here through trauell his and payne Educted forth to satisfie thy minde Who well deserues thy thankefull speech to gayne As single eye of iudgement thyne shall finde Therefore as craues this his deserued stile So of his worke let iudgement thyne procede Who of good will this libell did compile To further thee that tooke the same to rede IN THEVETVM NOVI ORBIS peragratorem descriptorem Io. Auratus literarum Graecarum Regius professor AVre tenus sed non pedibus nec nauibus vllis Plurimus terras mensus est maria Multa tamen non nota maris terraequeue relicta His loca nec certis testificata notis At maria terras pariter vagus iste Theuetus Et visu mensus nauibus pedibus Pignora certa refert longarum haec scriptae viarum Ignotiqueue orbis cursor author adest Vix quae audita alijs subiecta fidelibus edit Hic oculis terra sospes ab Antipodum Tantum alijs hic Cosmograephis Cosmographus anteit Auditu quanto certior est oculus Vale in Christo ¶ To my Lord the Right reuerend Cardinall of Sens keper of the great seales of France Andrew Theuet wisheth peace and felicitie MY good Lorde being sufficiently enformed how greatly after the moste commendable and no lesse great and paynfull exercise to the which it pleased the King to employe and bestowe your prudencie forcasting witt you take pleasure not onely to reade but also to see and taaste some fayre Historie the which among so many cares might recreat your spirite and giue it a delectable libertie of his moste graue and carefull businesse I haue boldened my selfe to present vnto you this my discourse of a longer farre voyage made into India America otherwise by vs named Fraunce Antartike being partly peopled and partly discouered by our Pilotes a land which at this day may be called the fourth parte of the vvorlde not onely by the withdrawings of our orizons as by the diuersitie of nature of bests and temperatnesse of the ayre of the countrey Also for that none heretofore hath sought it out supposing al Cosmographers yea persuading with themselues that the world was lymitted in that which the elders to vs had shewed And although that this worke semeth to me of it selfe to be very litle to be offered before the eyes of your Lordship notwithstanding the greatnesse of your name will extol the basenesse of my worke seing also that I am assured wel of your wonted clemēcie vertue and desire to heare wonderfull things that easily you will iudge howe that my intention doeth tende to no other ende but onely to make you vnderstand that I haue no other delyght than to offer vnto you that thing of the which you may draw and receiue some contentation and wherein sometimes you shalbe eased of the great and troublesome affayres which are offered in thys degree and office that you holde For there is no mind or spirit be it neuer so constant but that sometymes is troubled with the quicke dispatch graue and weighty affaires of a common weale Therefore it is needefull sometimes to ordayne as the learned Phisition doth to a pacient or sicke body some chaunge of meates to recreate the appetite of them which by their infirmitie and sicknesse cannot broke nor taste one kind of meate continually be it neuer so pleasant This therefore is the cause why the ancient Philosophers and others did oftentimes withdrawe themselues from being wrapped in or charged with the publike affayres As also the great Orator Cicero witnesseth to haue absented him selfe many tymes from the Senate of Rome to the great displeasure of the cytizens for to remayne in his countreyhouse to be delighted in the plesant and Harmonicall melodie of the birdes Seing then that among oures as he among the Romaynes for your singular erudition prudencie and eloquence you are as chiefe and principall minister of the triumphant common weale of Fraunce and such a one as describeth Plato in his common weale that is to know great Lorde and a louer of vertue and science therefore it is not without reason to imitate and folow him in this point Euen so my good Lorde as returning all weake and wery of so long a voyage I was by you first of your grace receiued and welcomed home which gaue me to vnderstand and know that you are the singular patron of vertue and of all those that folowe it also to my iudgement I thinke I could not direct this my little labour to a better than to you the which if it please you to receiue so beningly as with a good affectioned will I do present and direct it and also to reade and peruse it you shal find in my
furthermore that the Neigers hitherwarde are more ciuill and better nurtered than these of Ginney bicause of the great resorte of Marchantes that trade thither also they prouoke others to barter for their golde for things of smal value as kniues glasses and suche like Also the Portingals trade and bargaine with the Mores of Ginney beside other things for Iuorie that we call Eliphants téethe And one among others shewed me that at one time they haue ladē twelue thousand of these téethe among the which there was one found among the other that wayed a hundred pounde waight for as we haue sayd the lande of Ethiopia nourisheth Eliphantes the which they take at the chase as we doe here wilde Boares and so they eate the flesh which many affirme to be very good the which I had rather beleue than taste or to stand disputing thereof I will not therefore in this place stand to reason or set out the vertues and properties of this beast the moste gentlest and approching to humain reason than any other séeing that this beast hathe bene so muche celebrated of our elders and also by those of our time and knowing that Plinie Aristotle many others haue sufficiently treated thereof and of his fleshe the which some say is medicinable and good against the Leprosie The téethe that we call Iuorie dothe comfort the heart and the stomake and it wil also helpe with all his substance the parte or belly of the mother I will not therefore wryte that which they haue written for that it is not to our purpose Neuerthelesse I will not leaue to speake that which I haue sene the which is if that they can get any yong Eliphantes they teache them many prety knackes For this beast is very apt and of a good vnderstanding Of the Equinoctiall line and of the Ilandes of S. Omer Cap. 18. LEauing therefore this parte of Gynney on our lefte hande after we had stayed there but a while for the infection of the aire as we haue before shewed we kept our course coasting alwayes to the height of the Caape of Palmes and of that which is called the thrée poyntes where as runneth a faire Riuer able to beare great shippes by the reason whereof there is good trade all ouer the Countrey and the which beareth golde and siluer aboundantly in lumpes and therefore the Portingalles haue landed there and being in fauoure with the Inhabitantes they haue builded there a faire Castle the which they haue named the Mine Castle And not w tout a cause for their Golde is without comparison more finer than that of Calicute or of India America It is on this side the Equinoctiall about thrée degrées and a halfe There is founde a riuer that commeth from the Mountaines of the Countrey named Cania and another more lesser named Rhegium the which beareth or bringeth very good Fishe also Cocodrils very daungerous as Nylle and Senega and they eate them as we doe Venson I will not forget what was shewed me to haue bene sene neare to the Mine Castle a sea monster hauing the shape of a man that the floud had left on the shore the which was heard crie In like case the female came with the next floud crying aloud and sorowing for the absence of hir make the which is a wonderfull and straunge thing By this may be knowen that the Sea doeth nourish and bring forthe diuers and straunge kinde of monsters as well as the land Being now by our iourneys come euen vnder the Equinoctiall I minde not to passe any further without noting somewhat This line Equinoctiall or Circle Equinoctiall or else Equator is a trace imagined of the Sunne by the midst of the world the which deuideth in two equall partes two times the yeare that is to wit the fourth of September and theleuenth of March and then the Sunne passeth directly by the Zenithe of the earth and leaueth vs this imagined Circle equall to the Tropicks others that may be iudged betwene the two Poles the Sunne going from the East to the West it is true that the sunne goeth al the yeare by the Ecliptike to the Zodiake sauing on the dayes aboue named standeth directly ouer them that inhabit there Furthermore they haue right course without y e one of the Poles be more erected than the other the day the night are to thē equall therefore they were named Equinoctiall and according as the Sunne doth depart from the one to y e other Pole there is vnequalities of dayes and nights and eleuation of the Pole Then the Sunne declining by litle and litle from this point Equinoctial goeth by his Zodiake almost to the Tropike of Capricorn and passing no farther causeth the Solstice of winter then returning passeth by the sayd Equinoctiall till that he come to the signe of Cancer whereas is the Solstice of Sommer therefore he maketh vj. signes parting from the Equinoctiall to eche one of these Tropikes The elders haue estéemed this countrey or Zone among the Tropikes to be vnhabitable bicause of the extreme heate as those that are neare to the two Poles bicause of the colde Neuerthelesse within these few yeares this Zone hath bene discouered by Nauigations and inhabited for that it was found frutefull and abounding in many good things notwithstanding the heat as the Ilandes of S. Omer and others of the which we will speake hereafter Some vnder this line cōparing the coldnesse of the night with the heate of the day haue taken this argument that in that respect there might be good temperatenesse biside many other reasons y t I omit for this present The heat that is there séemed to me no hotter than it is here at Midsomer Furthermore there is much tempest thunder lightnings and raines therfore at the Ilands of S. Omer as also in a nother Iland named the Ile of Rats there is as much verdure or grenenesse as is possible These Ilands vnder the Equinoctiall line are marked in our cardes Marins S. Omer or S. Thomas inhabited at this day by Portingals although that they be not so frutefull as certain others Also there is gathered a certain suger but they trade with the Barbarians and Ethiopians Golde molten Pearles Muske Rhubarbe Beastes Byrdes and other things according to the countrey Also in these Ilandes the seasons and times are vnequall and differing from other countries the people more subiect to sicknesse than they of the North part the which difference vnequalitie commeth of the Sunne the which sheweth his qualities by the ayre being betwene him and vs. It passeth as euery one knoweth two times the yere customably thereby and then y e Equinoctial descrieth him in the monthes of Marche and September About this lyne is founde such abundance of fishes of sundry diuers kindes that it is a maruelous and a wōderful thing to sée them aboue water and I haue heard them make such a
Tabrobane Melinde Cannonor and others they take on the left hande costing the Ile of S. Laurence guiding the head of the ship to Weast or Southweast hauing the winde at Weaste Northweaste This countrey of the Easte Indies extendeth so farre that many iudge it to be the thirde parte of the worlde Mela and Diodorus writeth y t the sea compassing these Indies from the South to the Easte is of such a greatnesse that with much payne they can passe though the wind be fauorable in the space of fortie dayes but I dare affirme twice fortie This countrey therefore is on that side compassed with the sea which bicause of that is named the Indian sea or Indique confining towardes the North to the hill Cancasa and is named India of a Riuer named Indus as Tartaria of the Riuer Tartar passing by the countrey of the greate King Chan. Yt is inhabited with people of diuers kinds as well in manners as in Religion A great parte is vnder the ohedience of Prester Iohn the which holdeth the Christian Fayth the others are Mahometists as we haue before shewed speaking of Ethiopia and others are Idolaters The other way at the departing of this Caape that is on the right hand leadeth to America the which we folowed hauing the wind good and fauorable neuerthelesse we remayned a good long time on the water as well for the distaunce of the places as for the winde that afterwarde fell contrarie the which made vs to lynger euen to the eightene degrée of our lyne and then agayne it began to fauor vs. Before passing any farther I will shewe a thing that is worthy of memorie Aproching or drawing néere to America within fiftie leagues we began to smell the ayre of the lande otherwyse than the smell of the sea with such a swéete and pleasant smell of the Trées Herbes Fruits and Floures of the countrey that neuer balme were it the balme of Egypte that euer smell swéeter or pleasanter Therefore I leaue you to thinke or iudge what greate ioye the poore Nauigantes had although that of a long time before they had eaten no breade also being out of hope to recouer any for their retourne The next day which was the laste day of October about nine of the clocke in the morning we discried the high hills of Croistmouron although that was not the place whereas we pretended to goe wherefore costing the lande a thrée or foure Leagues not minding to descend a lande being well enformed that the inhabitantes there are allyed with the Portingals and therefore for nothing we woulde aborde or descende there keping on our way till the second of Nouember that we aryued to a certayne place named Maqueh for to enquire of things specially of the King of Portingals Armye whereas preparing our boates and barges for to come a shore and set foote on lande there appeared foure olde men of the countrey for that the yong men were gone to the warre the which olde men at the firste fled away thinking we had bene Portingals their enimies but shewing them a token of assurance in the ende they came néere vs. Neuerthelesse staying there not aboue foure and twentie houres we hoyssed sayle for to drawe towarde Caape de Frie distant from Maqueh twentie fiue leagues This countrey is maruellous fayre in tymes past inhabited by the Portingals the which gaue it that name which before was called Gekan and there they reared a tort minding there to remayne for bicause of the goodnesse of the place But within a shorte tyme after for what cause I knowe not but the Barbarous men of the countrey made them all to dye and eate them vp as they vse customably their enimies And at our ariuall they helde two Portingals that they had taken in a little boate and to them they though to doe the lyke to whom our comming was a pleasure for by vs they were recouered out of the handes of these cruell inhabitantes Pomponius Meleus calleth this Caape of which we speake the front of Africa for that beyonde it bendeth lyke an Angle and retourneth by little and little into the North and East there whereas is the ende of the mayne land and of Africa of the which Ptolomeus had neuer any knowlege This Caape also is the chiefe or heade of Newe Africa the which towarde Capricorne extendeth to the mountaynes of Habacia and Gaiacia the flat countrey is little inhabited it is very brutish and Barbarous yea monstrous not that the men are so disformed as many haue written as though that in their sléepe they had dreamed it being not afrayde to affirme that there are people of whome their eares hang to their héeles others with one eye in the foreheade as Arismases others without heade others hauing but one foote but of such a bredth that therewith they may shadowe them selues against the heate of the Sunne and they call them Monomeres Monosceles and Sciapodes certaine others being ignorant doe write yet more strangenesse yea late writers writing without iudgement reason or experience I will not altogether denye the monsters which are vnnaturall approued by the Philosophers and affirmed by experience But I doe impugne things that are so farre out of reason let vs returne to our Promentarie There is founde diuers kindes of dangerous beastes venomous among others the Basiliscus hurtfull to the inhabitants also to the strangers and to those that go to fish on the Borders This Basiliscus as euery man may know is a venomous beast that killeth a man with his onely looke the body about nine inches long the head like fier vpō y t which ther is a white spot in maner of a crowne the mouth red the rest of the face of blacke colour the which I knowe by the skinne that I dyd sée in the handes of an Arabian he chaseth away all other Serpentes with his hissing as Lucian sayth for to remayne alone master of the fielde To be short I may say with Salust that there dyeth more people by wilde beasts in Africa than by any other inconuenience This much thought I good to speake by the way Of the Iland Madagascar otherwise of S. Laurence Cap. 23. THE great desire that I haue to let slip nothing that is necessarie and profitable to the Readers bindeth me that I thinke it the office and duetie of a writer to treate of al things that partayne to his argument without leauing one word out the which thing hath stired me vp to set out in this place this Ilande so notable hauing seuenty eight degrées of longitude no minut and of latitude aleuen degrées and thirtie minutes very well peopled and inhabited with blacke wilde men within a certayne time the which kepe or holde the like maner of Religion as the Mahometists some being Idolaters but after another manner It was firste discouered by the Portingals and named S. Laurence and before Madagascar in their language
rich and fruitfull of all things for that it lieth well And also the trées bring forthe fruit of themselues without planting grafting setting or sowing neuerthelesse their fruits are as good swéete and plesant to eate as if the trée had bene grafted We sée in our countrey that the fruits of the fields that is to wit those that the earth bringeth forthe without laboring is rude wilde soure swete and without any good tast the others are contrary Therfore in this Iland is much better fruit than on the maine lande although that it be vnder one Zone and temperatenesse among the which there is one that they name in their language Chicorin and the Trée that beareth them is like to a fether trée of Egipt or Arabia as well in height as in leaues The which fruit is séene héere the which the shippes bring and we cal them Nuts of India the which the Marchants holde deare for they are very faire and proper to make bottels for the wine being a certaine time in these vessels hath a maruelous swete smell and pleasaunt bicause that the fruit hath a smell like Muske Furthermore those that customably drinke in these cuppes or vessels as I was enformed of a Iewe are preserued from the head ache from the ache in the flankes and prouoketh vrine The which being noted of Plinie and others they say that al kinde of Palmes are healthfull and good for many things This fruit wherof we speake is altogether good The Indians Ethiopians being visited with sicknesse péele the fruit drink the iuice or liquor the which is white like to milk and therewith they are eased also with this fruit they make a kinde of sustenance being mingled with certain meale of dried rootes or dried fishe of the which they eate after that it is wel boiled together This liquor is not to be kept long but for the time that is may be kept it is without comparison better for the partie that taketh it than any kinde of conserues that may be found And for the longer keping of this fruit they boile the liquor the which when it is colde they put into vessels therfore appointed others put therein Honey to make it pleasaunt to drinke The trée that beareth this fruit is so tender that if it be neuer so little touched or pricked with any sharpe or pointed thing the iuice will come forthe the which is pleasant to drinke and very proper to quenche thirst All these Ilands that are found on the coast of Ethiopia as the Isle of Prince hauing .35 degrées of longitude minute .0 and of latitude minute .0 Mopata Zonzibar Monfia S. Apolin and S. Thomas vnder the line are riche and fruitfull almost all full of these Palme trées and other trées bearing fruit that are maruellous good There are found diuers other kinde of Palme trées bearing fruit although that not all like those of Egypt and in all the Indies of America and Perou as well on the maine land as in the Ilands are found of seuen sortes of Palme trées all differing in fruit the one from the other Among the which I haue found some that beare Dates good to eate as those of Egipt of Arabia Felicia and of Siria Moreouer in this said Iland are Melons of a meruellous greatnesse being as great as a man may compasse or embrace of a ruddy coloure Also there are some white and others yellow but muche more wholesomer than oures in Europe There are also diuers kindes of good herbes and health some among the which there is one the which they name Spagnin the which they vse for their woundes and sores also against the biting of Vipers and other venemous beastes for it draweth out the venime or poison Furthermore there is founde great quantitie of good Saunders in the woodes and groues As touching beastes wilde and tame fishes and birdes our Iland norisheth of all sortes and in as great quantitie as is possible In the which Iland there is a straunge birde made like a puttocke or rauenous foule the bill like a Hauke hir eares hanging downe to hir throte the féete very rough and full of fethers being of a white shining coloure like to siluer onely the fethers on hir head are blackishe This birde is named in their language Pa in the Persian tongue Pie or Lege and this foule liueth with Serpents of the which there are great quantitie and of diuers kindes Also there are other kinde of birdes not like to those in our Countrey As for beastes there are a great number of Eliphants and beasts with one horne being of two kindes Of the which the one is the Asse of India hauing the foote not clouen as those that are found in the land of Persia the other is named Orix or clouen foote There are no wilde Asses but onely on the dry land Whether y t there be any Vnicorns I know not but being at the Indies of America certain of the Indians came to sée vs aboue .lx. or .lxxx. leagues of whome as we did question with of many things they shewed vs that in their countrey there was a great nūber of certain great beastes like to a kinde of wilde cowes y t they haue hauing one only horne in their forehead about a fadome lōg but to say y t they are Vnicorns I am not sure hauing no perfect knowledge therof I haue before shewed y t this countrey or Iland norisheth great store of serpents Lezards of a maruelous greatnesse y t which are easily takē w tout dāgers Also y e Neigers eat these Lezards so do the Indians of America There are lesser ones of y e bignesse of a lege that are very good and delicate to eat beside many good fishe and foule which they eate when they sée time Among other secretes bicause of the multitude of fishe there are great store of Whales out of the which the inhabitaunts of the Countrey draw Amber the which many take to be gray Amber a thing that is here very skāt and precious Also it is very hearty and good to comfort the most notable partes of our humaine body and with the same they make a great trade with straunge Marchauntes Of our arriuall to Fraunce Antartike otherwise named America to the place named Caape Defria Cap. 24. AFter that by deuine prouidence with so many trauailes common and ordinarie to so long a Nauigation we were come to the maine land not so soone as our heartes desired which was the tenth day of Nouember and in stead of taking our rest it behoued vs to discouer séeke out proper places to make or reare newe siedges being no lesse astonied or amazed that the Troyans were at their arriuall into Italie Hauing therefore stayed but a while at the former place where as we landed as in the former Chapter we haue shewed we spred againe our sa-les sailing towarde Caape Defria wheras we were well receiued of the
ginger muske gray amber myrabolanes rubarbe gold pearles and other richesse specially in the Ilandes of Matel Magian Tidora and Terenata nere inough the one to the other thinking by this same straight to find a way more shorter and necessarie was minded to attempt it departing from the Canaries to the Ilandes of Caape verde keping his right course to the promontarie of saincte Augustine eight degrées beside the line coasting neare to the Caape of Virgins distant from the Equinoctial fiftie two degrées néere to the straight before spoken And after he had sailed the space of fiue dayes from the east right to the West on the Ocean the which in swelling or flowing caried them without sayle right to the South the which made them ioyful glad although the most part of their men were dead by the incōmodities of the sea the aire but chiefly by hunger thirst In this straight are many fair Ilands but not inhabited the country about is very baren ful of hilles and mountaines and there is founde nothing but rauishyng beastes birdes of diuers kindes chiefly Estriges woodde of diuers sorts Cedres and others Also an other kynde of trée bearing fruite almoste like a cherie but muche more pleasant to eate This is the occasion and how this straight was founde out since they haue founde out an other waye sailyng vpon a great riuer on the coast of Perou in the land of Chagra foure lagues from Panana and from the goulfe S. Michel .25 leagues Not long after a captaine hauing sailed a certaine time vpon these floodes aduentured to visite the countrey And the king of the wylde men of that countrey named in their language Therea receiued hym very gently with presentes of golde and pearles as certaine Spaniardes haue shewed me that were in their cōpanie although y t in going on the land they were not without greate daunger as well for the wilde beastes as other incommodities They founde afterwarde a certaine number of the inhabitauntes of the countrey very wilde and more to be feared than the first to the which for the smal trust and confidence that they had in them they offered and promised theyr seruice and friendshyp specially to their King whome they call Atorizo of whome also they receyued certaine presentes as great pieces of golde waying ten pounde After that they had giuen to him also of suche things as they had and thought would be moste to hys contentation the which was small yron wourke shirtes and gownes of small value In the ende with good guide they came vnto Daryen from thence they entred in and discouered the south sea on the other coast or side of America in the which are the Moluques wher as they hauing found y e cōmodities before shewed haue fortified them selues hard by y e sea so y t by this straight of land they haue without comparison shortened their way without entring into the straight of Magellan as well for their tradings as for other commodities And since that time they trafike and trade to the Ilande of Moluques the which are great at this present inhabited and conuerted to the christē faith the which before was peopled with very cruel people much more cruell than those of America which wer blinded in ignorāce and hauing no knowledge of the great riches and tresure that the countrey brought forth About this place of the west sea ther are foure Ilands desert inhabited as they say onely with Satyres therfore they haue named them Ilands of Satyres Likewise in this same sea are found ten Ilands named Manioles inhabited with wilde men the which are of no religion nere to the which there are great rocks that draw the ships vnto them bicause of the yron wherwith they are nailed For the which cause those that trade into that country there are constrained to vse small ships or skiffes pinned with wood for to eschae the danger of these rockes or adamant stone Thus far as touchyng y e straight of Magellan Nowe as touchyng the other lande named Australl which in costing y e straight is left on the left hand is not yet known of christiās but only of an English pylote being a man aswell séene estemed in nauigation as any that can be founde who hauing passed this straight shewed me that he had descended on land so that I was bold to demaund of him what people did inhabit in y e cuntrey he shewed me y t they wer mighty black men which I know to be cōtrary knowing that this land is almost of the height of England Scotlād for the countrey is of suche a temperatnesse that it is subiect to winter with continuall frostes and snowes How that those that inhabite from the riuer of Plate vnto the straight of Magellan are our Antipodes cap. 57. ALthough we se as wel in y e sea as in riuers many Ilandes diuided separated from the maine land yet neuerthelesse y e element of y e erth is estemed to be one alone and onely bodie the whiche is no other thing than this largenesse of the earth the which séemeth vnto vs all full for his great and wonderful amplitude And such was the opinion of Thales Milesius one of the seuen wise men of Grecia and other philosophers as Plutarke sheweth Oecetes the great philosopher and Pythagoras ordained .ij. partes of the world that is this wherin we inhabit which we name Hemispheria and that of the Antipodes which we likewise cal the lower Hemispherie Theopompus the historiograph sayth after Hermogenes that Silenas shewed king Midas that there was an other world and globe of earth than this which we are in Macrobius last of all doth most amply treate of these two hemispheries and partes of the earth to whose works ye may haue recourse yf that ye minde to knowe farther on the opinions of Philssophie But thus much must be known whether that these two partes of the earth ought to be altogether separated as earths that differ and so to be iudged to be two worldes the which is not true considering that there is but one element of the earth the whiche wée must iudge is cut by the sea in two parts as Solin writeth in his polyhistor speakyng of the people Hyperbores but I had rather say that the whole worlde is separated into two equall partes by this imagined circle which we name equinoctiall Furthermore if ye behold the image and figure of the worlde in a globe or a earde ye shall clerely sée howe the sea diuideth the earth in two parts not altogether equall whiche are the two hemispheries so named by the Grekes one parte of the world containeth Asia Affrica and Europe the other containeth America Florida Canada and other regions comprehended vnder the names of the occidentall of West Indies in the which many thinke our Antipodes to inhabite I knowe well that there are many opinions of the Antipodes some iudge and think that
not waigh half a pounde it bringeth forth other stoanes like Iron sledges and foure or fiue Leagues vpon the Hill are founde other stones that smell like smoke and therefore the inhabitants think that in the hil ther is some smoky Mine Of the Ile of Iron Cap 7. AMong these Ilandes I thinke good particularly to describe the Ile of Iron next to Tenerif so named for bicause that there are founde Mynes of Iron as the Ile of Palme so named bicause of y e multitude of Palme trées that are there and so of others And although that it be the least of the others for his circuite is not aboue 6. Leagues yet neuerthelesse it is fruitful for the circuite that it containeth as well in canes bearing Suger as in beasts fruits fayre gardens aboue al y e rest It is inhabited w t the Spaniards as wel as y e rest As touching corne ther is not sufficieÌ„t for the dwellers therfore the greatest part as y e slaues are coÌ„strained to nourishe them selues w t milke and chéese made of goates milke of y t which ther is plenty and therefore they looke fresh well disposed and maruellous wel nourished for bicause that such nourishment by custome is familiar to their nature likewise for that the good temperatnesse of the ayre fauoureth them Some half Philosopher or half PhisitioÌ„ giuing alwayes honor to theÌ„ that merit honor may here demaunde whe that they vsing these things are not grauelly knowing y t milke and chéese engender grauel as may be sene in many in our Europe I answere that chéese of it selfe may be good and bad grauelly and not grauelly according to the quantitie that is taken and the nature disposition of the person True it is that to vs which being not contented with one kinde of meate we take oftentimes euen in an houre twenty or thirty kindes of meates and drinkes it may be hurtfull but not to them which vse one kinde only yea and that moderatly We sée that the Indians liue seuen or eight moneths in the warre with meale made of certayne harde and dry rootes in the which some woulde Iudge that there were no nourishment nor sustenance The inhabitantes of Creta Cypris liue almost with no other thing than milke the which is better than that of the Canaries for that it is Kowe milke and other Goates milke Furthermore that milke is good nourishment that proÌ„ptly is conuerted into bloud for that it is but bloud whitted in y e dug or roother Plinie in his seconde boke .42 Chap. sheweth that Zorastes liued xx yeres in the wildernesse onely with chéese y t Pamphiliens in the war had almost no other victuals but chéese made of Asses Camels milke the which also I haue sene the Arabians do the which did not onely drinke milke in steade of water passing the Desert of Egypt but also gaue it vnto their horses Also the Ancient Spaniards for â—he moste parte of the yeare lyued with Ackornes as Strabo sheweth Possidonius of the which they made their bread and their drinke of certayne rootes and not onely the Spaniards but many others as Vergill reciteth in Georgicon but nowe the season serueth vs to liue more swéeter and more humaynly The men in all these Ilands are more broken to labor and trauel than the Spaniards in Spaine hauing no lerning but rustically To coÌ„clude they of knowledge that are wel sene in the Nauigation aswel Portingals as Spaniards say that this Iland is right vnder the Diametrial as they haue noted in their carde Marins limitating all that is from the North to the South as the Equinoctiall lyne of Weast and East the which lines are equall in greatnesse for euery one coÌ„taineth .360 degrées and euery degrée as before we haue sayde is seuentene leagues and a halfe And euen as the Equinoctial lyne diuideth the Sphere in two and the foure and twenty clymats twelue in the East and as much in the Weast also this Diametriall passing by this former Ilande as the Equinoctiall by the Iles of S. Omer cutteth or breaketh the Paralizes and all the sphere by the half of the North to the South Other things I haue not founde in this Ilande worthy of memorie sauing that there are greate quantitie of Scorpions more dangerous thaÌ„ those that I haue séene in Turkie as I haue knowen by experience Also the Turkes gather them for to make Oyle good for medicine as the Phisition can very well vse it Of the Ilandes of Madera Cap. 8. WE reade not in Authors how that these Ilandes were discouered but within these sixtie yeares that the Spaniardes and Portingals haue hazared and enterprised many Nauigations towarde the Weast and as we haue sayde before Ptolomeus had vnderstanding of the Fortunate IlaÌ„ds euen to the Caape verd Plinie also maketh mention y t Iuba brought two dogs from the great Canaria beside many Authors that thereof haue spoken Then the Portingals were the first that found out these Ilands of the which we speake and named them in their language Madera the which is as muche to say as Woode for that it was altogether a Wildernesse full of woode and not inhabited These Ilands lye betwene Gibaltare and the Canaries towardes the West and in our Nauigation we coasted them on the right hand being distant from the Equinoctiall about .32 degrées and from the Canaries .63 leagues Now for to discouer and labour this Countrey as a Portingale being a master Pilot shewed me they were constrained to set fire in the woode as well of the highest as of others Of the greatest and principallest Iland that is made in maner of a Triangle as Δ of the Greekes coÌ„taining in circuit .14 leagues or therabout Wherein the fire continued the space of vj. or .vij. dayes with suche a vehement heate that they were constrained to saue them selues in their ships and the others that had not this meane nor libertie cast themselues into the Sea vntill the smoke of the fire was past Incontinently after they began to labor the ground to plant and sowe diuers graines the which profited greatly bicause of the good disposition and temperatenesse of the aire Afterwarde they builded and edified houses and Castles so that at this day there is found no place so faire and pleasant Among other things they haue planted great plentie of Canes that beare very good suger with the which they haue a great trade into other Countreis and at this day the suger of Madera beareth the name The people that nowe inhabite Madera are muche more ciuill and fuller of humanitie than they of the Canaries and they trade with others as humainely as is possible Their greatest trade is Suger and Wine of the which we will treate héereafter at large Also they haue Honey Waxe Oranges Citrons Lemonds Pomegranads and Corderians they make great quantitie of Comfets the best that may be
the cause that the séedes cannot bud out nor floure bicause of the extreme heate and drieth So soone as they sée their grounde watered or dewed they begin to sowe and after they haue sowed within thrée monethes the fruite is ripe redy to be cut Their drinke is the Iuice of Palme trées and water Among the trées of this countrey there are founde some of the greatnesse of our Oke trées the which beareth fruite as great as dates with the nut they make Oyle that hath meruelous properties The firste is that it holdeth water in yellowe collour like safferne with y e which they dye or collour their little boulles that they drinke in also there hattes that are made of the strawe of rice Furthermore this Oyle hath a smell like to Marche violets and a sauor or taast like Olyue Oyle therefore many eat of it with their Fish Ryce and other meates that they eate Thus much thought I good to speake of this ryuer and countrey of Senega the which extendeth from the coast of Leuant to the land of Thuensar and from the South parte of the Realme Cambra from the ponent to the Weaste sea keping alwayes our course certayne dayes after we began to enter into the countrey of Ethiopia in that parte that is named the Kingdome of Noby which is of a greate circuite with many Kingdomes and prouinces of the which we will hereafter speake Of the Ilands Hisperides othervvise named Caape verd Cap. 13. AFter that we had lefte our Promentary on the lefte hande for to kepe our course as right as it was possible making the Southwest a quarter of South almost a whole day but about ten or eleuen of the clocke the winde came contrary the which cast vs on the right hande towardes certayne Ilandes the which are called by our carde Marins Ilandes of Caape verd the which are distant from the Canaries about two hundreth leagues and from the Promentarie sixtie leagues by sea and a hundreth leagues from Budomell in Affrica following the coste of Ginnie towarde the pole Antartike These Ilandes are ten in number of the which there are two wel peopled with Portingals that firste discouered them brought them to their obedience one of them which they haue named S. Iames Iland is better peopled than the rest also thither is made greate trading by the Moores as well of those that inhabite the mayne lande as of the others that sayle to the Indies in Ginnie and of Manycongra in the countrey of Ethiopia This Ilande is distāt from the Equinoctiall lyne fiftene degrées an other likewise named S. Nicolas Ile inhabited as the other the others are not so peopled as Flera Plintana Pintoria and Foyon in the which there are a certayne number of people and slaues sent thither by the Portingals to labor the grounde in some places where they finde it beste and chiefly for to get goate skinnes of the which ther is great store therewith make good trade haue thereof a great vent and therefore the Portingals pass twise or thrise in a yere with ships and munitions leading with them dogs and bringing nets and snares for to chase and hunte wild goates the which after they are skinned they reserue onely the skinnes the which they season with salt and earth in certaine vessels made for that purpose for to kepe them for putrifieng and so they carry them into their countrey and therewith they make their Marokins that are so greately estemed with vs. Also they inhabitants of these Ilands are bound to render or pay for tribut for euery one to the King of Portingall the number of six thousande goates wilde and tame being salted and dried the which they deliuer to those that of the parte or for the Kings behoofe make the voyage with his greate shippes to the Easte Indies as to Calicut and other places passing by these Ilandes and these number of goates are bestowed for their sustenance during the voyage which is two yeres long or more for bicause of the distaunce of places and the greate Nauigation that they muste make Moreouer the ayre in these Ilandes is Pestilent and vnholsome so that the firste Christians that beganne there to inhabit were of a long tyme vexed with sickenesse as well to my Iudgement for the vntemperatnesse of the ayre that in such places cannot be good as also the changing of dyet and of countrey Also the burning Agues are there very familier common to the slaues specially and the bloudy flixe of the which neither the one nor the other procéede not but of humors extreme hot bicause of their continuall trauaile and naughty nourishment also of the hotnesse of the air with the water that is next and therfore they receiue excesse of these two Eliments Of the Torterels and of an herbe that they call Orselie Cap. 14. SEing y t in our Nauigation we are minded to write certaine secretes obserued in places where we haue bene it shal not be hurtful to speak of Torterels that these former Ilands doe norishe in as great quantitie as goates There is found four kind of Torterels of y e land of the sea the third liuing in fresh water the fourthe in marishes Of the which I meane not to speake particularly but only of those that are séene on the sea coastes that compasse these Ilands These kind of Torterels wil leape from the Sea to the shore at his appoynted time making with his clawes a hole in the sande wherein after she hath laid hir egges being of the number of eight paire of the which speaketh Aristotle couereth them so well that it is vnpossible to sée them or to finde them vntill that the floude commeth that vncouereth them then bicause of the extreme heate that is there of the Sunne they engender and open as the Henne of hir egge the which consisteth in greate number of Torterels of the greatnesse of Crabbes which is a kinde of Fishe the which the floud returning beareth into the Sea Among these Torterels there are some of suche a greatnesse specially in these partes whereof I speake that foure men cannot almost beare one as of a truth I haue séene and vnderstanded of men worthy of credence Plinie sheweth that in the Indian Sea there are so great Torterels that the shel is bigge inough to couer a meane house and that at the Ilandes of the red Sea they might make therewith vessels Nauigable The sayde author sayeth also that there are the like at the straight of Carmania in the Persian sea There are many wayes to take them Sometimes this great beast of a desire to swim more easily seketh the vpper parte of the water a little before noone when the day is faire where as hauing the backe bare and vncouered out of the water sodainly their shell is so well dried by the Sunne that they cannot descend to the depth of the sea so that they floote aboue
vnconstant with many other vices which wold be to long to reherse therfore I wil leaue this to Philosophers Let vs come to our purpose These Ethiopians Indians vse Magike bicause they haue many herbes other things proper for that exercise And it is certaine true that there is a certain Sympathia in things and hid Antipathia the which cannot be knowen but by long experience And bicause that we coasted a countrey somwhat far in this land named Ginney I thinke good to write therof particularly Of Ginney Cap. 17. AFter that we had refreshed vs at Caape verd it behoued vs to passe further hauing y e wind at Northeast maruelous fauourable for to conducte vs right vnder the Equinoctiall line the which we ought to passe but being come to the height of Ginney lying in Ethiopia the winde became cleane contrary bicause that in that region the windes be very vnconstant with raine tempest and thunder so that the Nauigation on that coast is very dangerous Now the fourth day of September we arriued into this Countrey of Ginney on the West borders But somewhat far within the lande it is inhabited with a very straunge people bicause of their Idolatry darke ignoraunce Before that this Countrey was discouered and the people knowen it was thought that they had liued like the Ethiopians hauing the like manner of religion of those of the higher Ethiope and of Senega but it is found cleane contrary for all they that inhabite or dwel from the said Senega to the Caape of good hope are al Idolaters without the knowledge of god and his law And these people are so blinded and ignorant that the first thing that they méete in the morning be it birde serpent or other wilde or tame beast they take it with them bearing it about them all the day about what businesse so euer they haue as a God or protector of their worke if they go a fishing in any of their litle boates of bark they will put it in one of the endes of the boate well wrapped with some leaues hauing an opinion and beleuing that it wil bring them all the day good lucke be it on lande or on water neuerthelesse they beleue in God alleaging y t he is there aboue immortall but vnknowne for that he will not be knowne to them sensibly The which erroure differeth nothing from the error of the Gentiles in times past that worshipped diuers Gods vnder the coloure of Images and similitudes But yet this is a thing worthy to be noted though it be superstitious and abhominable that these pore ignorant and brutishe men had rather worship corruptible things than to be reputed without a God Diodorus the Sicillian writeth that the Ethiopians had the first knowledge of the fained gods to whom they began to vow and to sacrifice Also Homer signifieth that Iupiter with other Gods went into Ethiopia as well for that they were there honored and sacrificed vnto as for the wholesomnesse of the Countrey The like you haue of Castor and Pollux the which going on the sea at the request of the Greekes against Troy were vanished in the aire and were neuer after séene againe the which giueth opinion to some to thinke y t they were rauished placed among the starres of the Sea also many name them the cleare starres of the sea attributing their names Caster Polux to two fair bright starres The sayd people haue neither temples nor churches nor other places appoynted for sacrifice and prayer Besides this they are without comparison much more wicked than those of Barbarie or Affrica in such sort that the straungers dare not aborde them nor set foote on land but by pledges otherwise they would take them and handle them like slaues These Villaines or wicked impes goe all naked sauing some since the time that their Countrey hathe bene somewhat frequented haue worne a little shirt of Cotten or some suche thing the which is brought them from other places They make not so great trade with beastes as in Barbarie there is very fewe fruits bicause of the drinesse extreme heat for this region is vnder y e signe Taurus they liue a good many yeares and yet séeme not olde so that a man of a C. yeares olde would be iudged with vs not aboue .xl. Neuerthelesse they liue with the fleshe of wilde beasts without séething roasting or wel preparing of it they haue also some fishe and great aboundaunce of Oysters more larger some than halfe a foote but they are more dangerous to eate than any other fishe they cast a liquor like to milke and yet the inhabitants eate thereof without any danger and they vse as well salte water as freshe They commonly make war with other nations their weapons are bowes and arows as the other Ethiopians and Affricans The women of this Countrey frequent the warre as much as the men and they beare for the most part a large buckle of fine gold or other mettal at their eares lips and also on their armes The waters of this countrey are very dangerous and also the aire is vnholesome for that to my iudgement the South winde being very hot and moist and familiar in that countrey is subiect to all kinde of putrefactions the which we féele many times in this Countrey And therefore they that of our Countrey and of other Countreys of Europe that trauaile to Gynney cannot remaine there long without receiuing some sicknesse the which chaunced to vs for many of our companie died and others remained a long time sicke and with great paine they recouered their health For the which cause we remained not there long time I will not omit that in Ginney the fruit that is most rife and common and with the which the straungers of straunge Countreis lade their ships is named Maniguetta being very good and wel estemed aboue other spices with the which the Portingalles make a great trade This fruit commeth vp in the fields like an Onion The other that commeth from Molucquer and Calicut is not so wel estéemed by a great deale This people of Ginney trade with certaine Barbariens adiacent golde and salt after a straunge fashion There are certaine places ordained among them where as eche one of his parte bringeth his Marchandise those of Ginney salte and the others gold molten in lumpes and without any other talke togither bicause of the small trust and confidence one of another as the Turkes and Arabians and some of America with their neighbors they leaue in the place before spoken the golde and the salte of eache part This being done these Ethiopians of Ginney if they finde there golde inough for their salt they take it away otherwise they leaue it and let it lie The which the other séeing that their golde wil not satisfie they adde vnto it vntill that there be sufficient then they beare away that that to eche one doth appertaine You shall vnderstande
néere to the North of the which we haue before shewed are peopled and inhabited although according to the saying of Herodita these hills are directly vnder the Pole The first that founde out the lande contayned vnder the two temperat zones to be inhabited as Plutarche writeth was Parmenides Many haue written that not onely the zone Torida may be inhabited but also wel peopled The which Aueroys proueth by the witnessing of Aristotle in the fourth Chapter of his booke intituled of the worlde and of the firmament Auicen in the like case in his second doctrine and Albertus Magnus in his sixte Chapter of the nature of Regions efforcing to proue by naturall reason that this zone is inhabited yea more profitable for our humaine life than those vnder the tropickes So that by this meanes we will conclude and say that it is better more commodious more wholesome for our humayne life than any others For euen as the colde is an enimie so in like case the heate is friendly to our bodies knowing that our life is nothing but heat and moysture to the contrary death is colde and drinesse By this therfore ye may knewe that all the earth is peopled and is neuer without dwellers neither for colde nor heate but for barennesse and whereas it is vnfruitfull it may be inhabited as I haue sene in Arabia and in other countreys Also man was created of God for that he might dwell and lyue in what parte of the worlde he woulde were it hote colde or temperate for he him selfe sayde to our first parentes Growe increase and multiplie The experience furthermore teacheth as many times we haue sayde howe large the worlde is and commendable to all creatures the which we may sée by the continuall Nauigations on the sea and by the long iourneys on the lande Of the multitude and diuers kindes of fishes being vnder this lyne Equinoctial Cap. 20. BEfore the departing out of our lyne I thinke it good to declare particularly of the fish that is found about seuen or eight leagues on this side and beyonde the lyne of diuers colours and such a multitude that it is not possible to number them or to heape them together the which are as a greate heape of corne in a barne And ye shall note that among these fishes many haue folowed our ships more than thrée hundreth leagues specially the Dorades of the which we will speake hereafter more at large The Marsouins or sea Hogs after that they had perceiued our ship from farre dyd swimme a mayne against vs the which gaue to the Mariners a certayne signe and forshewing of that parte from whence the winde ought to come for these Sea beastes say they will swimme against one and in a greate company as foure or fiue hundreth together This fish is named Marsouin of Marissus in Latine which is as much to say as a sea Hog bicause that he is like almoste to Hogs on the earth for he hath the lyke grunt or noyse and hath the snoute lyke the ende of a Canne and on the heade a certayne cundite or opening by the which he yaunneth or purgeth euen as the Whale The Mariners take many of them with certayne gynnes of Iron being sharpe and pointed at the ende and croked and they doe eate but little thereof hauing other better fish but the liuer and lights is very good delicate being bothe like and also in taste to a Hogs harscelet When they are taken drawing towarde their death they caste greate sighes as we sée our countrey Hogs do when they are let bloude The female bringeth but twoo at a tyme. It was therefore a wonderfull thing to sée this greate number of fish making a maruelous greate noyse without comparison the which some peraduenture wil thinke strange and vncredible but I will affirme it to be so for that I sawe it As I sayd before that there is fish found of al colours red as those whō they named Bonnites the others Azure like golde shining brighter than fine Azure as those named Dorades others gréene gray blacke Yet I will not say that out of the sea they shoulde kepe those colours Plinie rehearseth that in Spaine in a fountayne the fish are of the coloure of golde but out of the fountayne they are lyke to others the which may come of the colour of the water being so betwene our eye and the fishe euen as a glasse being of a gréene or blewe colour representeth the things that ar within of the same colour Now to retourn to our Dorade many as wel Ancients as others haue written of the nature of fishes but very homelie for that they haue not sene but hearde say and specially of the Dorade Aristotle writeth that she hath foure finnes two aboue and two vnder and that she maketh her yong ones in sommer y e female remayneth hyd a certaine time but he telleth not how long Plinie to my iudgement hath borowed or lerned this of Aristotle speaking of this fishe saying that she hideth hir self in the sea a certayne time but in passing further he hath defined this tyme to be when it is extreme hot for that it cannot endure so greate a heate There are founde great ones like Samons others that are lesser from the head to the tayle it hath a creste and all that parte coloured lyke fine Azure in such sorte that it is vnpossible to excogitate or thinke a more fayrer colour the inferior or lower parte shineth like fire golde and for this cause it was named Dorade also of Aristotle in his lāguage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the interpretors call Aurata and it is very fierce on the flying fish the which she foloweth and chaseth in the water as the hounde chaseth a haare in the fieldes for she liueth by pray casting hir selfe hye aboue water after this flying fish and if that she fayleth at one time she recouereth at another tyme. This fish folowed our shippes the space of seuen wekes without once forsaking of them yea night and day vntill that she founde the sea vnsauery or not for hir nature I knowe wel that this fish hath ben much celebrated and estemed in tymes paste among Noble men for that she is very delicate and pleasant to eat For we reade of Sergius that founde the meanes to haue one brought to Rome the which was serued at a bancket to the Emperour whereas it was meruelously estemed And since that tyme hath this fish Dorade bene greatly estemed among the Romaynes so that there was no sumptuous banket but that it was serued for a greate dayntie dish And whereas this fish is scant in sommer harde to come by Sergius the Senator founde the meanes to kepe it with foode aliue to the ende that this fish shoulde not fayle them in no season and for this curiositie it was named Aurata or golden fish This fish is in much better sauor in Winter
necessarie to cut their woodde the which before they were constrained to cutte with stones or to sette a fyre the trées for to beate them downe and for to make their bowes and arrowes they vse no other thing Moreouer they are very charitable and as much as their lawe of Nature dothe permit them Those things that they receyue of Christians they sette much store by but of suche commodities as groweth in their countrey as sustenance beastes fruites and fishe they are very liberall for they haue little other thyng not onely to vs and among them selues but also to any other nation prouided that they be not their enimies For so soone as they shal sée any a farre off enter into theyr countrey they will present vnto them victualls lodgyng and a mayde for his seruice as we haue before shewed Also agaynste thys pylgryme or straunger the women and maydens wyll come and then they wyll sytte downe and crie and wéepe for ioye the which if thou wylt endure casting out teares they wyl say in their language Thou art welcome thou arte of our best friendes thou hast taken great paines to come and visite vs and many other gréetings Also the father and chiefe of the familie shalbe in their beds wéeping euen as the women If they iorney thirtie or fortie leagues be it by water or land they liue common together if one haue and others want he shall distribute to the néedeful the like do they to strangers And moreouer this people are curious of new things and wondreth according to the prouerbe Ignorance is the mother of wonder but yet for to get from a stranger that thing that he fansieth they can so wel flatter that it is hard to say them nay First the men when any doth visite them in their lodgyngs or cabans after they haue saluted them they will drawe nere to you with such familiaritie and assurance that they will streight ways take your cappe or hatte and putting it on their heads one after an other they will beholde and wonder at them selues hauyng opinion to be the fairest others will take youre dagger sworde or other knife if ye haue any and therewith will with wordes and iestes threaten their ennimies And to be shorte they will rifle you and ye must refuse them nothing for if ye doe ye shall neither haue grace fauour seruice loue nor friendship in déede when they haue rifled ye they will restore and giue you againe youre trinkettes as much will the women and maidens doe being muche greater flatterers than the men and alwayes for to get to them some thyng this is of a truthe that they will be contented with a trifle they wil come to you euen with the like grace as doe the men with some fruites or other things of small value with the which they vse to make presentes saying in their language Agatouren which is as muche to say howe good thou arte by a manner of flatterie Fory asse pia shewe me suche thyngs as thou haste being very desirous of newe things as little glasses litle heades of glasse Also ye shal haue following of you a companie of yong children and they will aske in their language Hamaba pinda Giue vs some fishe hookes the which they vse to take litle fishe with And they are well instructed in this terme before sayde Agatouren Thou arte good if ye giue them that which they demaund otherwise with a frowarde looke they will saye to ye Hippochi goe thou arte naught Daganaiepa aionga thou muste be killed with other threatnings and iniuries but they wil not giue any thing vnlesse ye giue them besides this they will marke ye and knowe ye again for the deniall that you haue made them The description of a sicknesse named Pians to the which are subiect these people of America as well in the Ilandes as the maine land Ca. 45. KNowing wel y t there is nothing not frō the earth vnto y e first heauen what making or proportion so it hath but that is subiect to chaunging and alteration the aire then that compasseth vs béeing not simplie an aire but made and composed is not alwais like in all times nor in all places but nowe of one fashion incontinent of an other And for that all diseases as oure Phisitians shewe vs come or happen either of the aire or of the maner of mens liuing I am determined to write and set out here a sicknesse or disease verie rife and common in these countreys of America and of the West discouered in our time Now this sickenesse named pians by the people of the countrey cōmeth not of the corruption of the aire for it is there verie good tēperat which sheweth by expeence the fruites that the earth bringeth forth with the benefite of the aire without y e which nothing is made bee it of Nature or artificiall Also that the sycknesse procéedyng of the corruption of the ayre hurteth as aswell the yong as the olde the ryche as well as the poore notwithstandyng the internall or inwarde disposition Therefore it muste néedes bée that it procéedeth of some misgouernement as to much carnall and fleshely frequentation the man with the woman considering that thys people is very lecherous carnal and more than brutishe specially the women for they do seeke and practise all the meanes to moue man to lust This sickenesse is no other thyng than the pocks that raigneth and hath power ouer all Europe specially among the Frenchemen For of vs it is named the Frenche pockes the whych disease as the Frenchmen wright was first taken at a voyage into Naples and thether it was broughte by the Spanyardes from the West Indies For before it was discouered and made subiecte to the Spanyardes there was no mention therof It is not onely here in Europe but also in Grecia in Asia and in Affrica Well let vs returne vnto the wylde mens euyll and to the remedies that they doe vse therefore Nowe this euill taketh the parties as well wilde men as Christians that are there by contagion or touching euen as the pockes dothe in the realme of Fraunce Also it hath the like Symptomes and it is so daungerous that if it be waxen old it is harde and daungerous to heale for sometimes it dothe afflict them euen to the death As for the Christians whiche doe inhabite in the lande of America if they couple them selues with the women they shall neuer bée rid of the same but shall fall into the daunger thereof muche more sooner than they of the countrey For the curing of this disease likewise for a certain alteration that oftentymes commeth wyth this euill they make a certaine decoction of the barke of a trée named in their language Hiuourahe of the which they drincke more easier to cure than with our medicine and they are more easier to be healed than others to my iudgement for their temperatenesse and complection which are not
broken out with infections as the Frenchmen are Thus much thought I needefull to speake in this place And he that will make any difficultie to beleue my words let him aske the opinion of the moste learnedest Physitions of the originall cause of this disease and what internall partes are soonest grieued where it is nourished For I sée at this day many contradictions but not among the lerned And to my séeming I fynde very fewe that toucheth the pricke specially of those that take vpon them to heale it among the which there are men and women so ignorant that they cause many mishaps vnto the poore pacientes for in stéede of curyng and healyng of them they make them worse and worse There are other kinde of diseases as ophthalmies of the whiche we haue alreadie shewed that comes of ouermuch smoke for that they make their fires in many corners and places of their lodgings the which are great for that they assemble a great number for to take vp their lodgings I knowe well that al ophthalmies come not of smoke but wher of so euer it be it commeth of the ylnesse of the brain being by some meanes grieued Also all the diseases of the eies are not ophthalmies as may bée séene among the inhabitauntes of America of whiche we speake for many haue loste their sight hauing no inflamation in their eyes And this fulnesse and abundance of troubles of the braine as I maye learne and vnderstande commeth of the ayre and southwindes hot and moyst very common in America the whiche sodainly fylleth the brayne as Hippocrates sheweth Also we feele in our selues our bodies to wax heauy specially the head when the winde is at south For to heale this paine of the eyes they cut a braunch of a certaine trée very soft rinde like to a kind of palme trée the which they bring home to their houses and they let drop the iuyce being redde into the eye of the pacient Moreouer this kind of people is always subiect to the leprosie paralysey and other exterior vices as we are in this country but they are alwayes whole and well disposed walkyng with a great courage and boldnesse their heads lifting vp like a stagge or hart This much by the way of this sicknesse the most daungerous that is in Fraunce Antartike or America Of the diseases most rife and common in America and the meane that they obserue to cure them Cap. 46. THere is none be they neuer of so rude and grosse memorie but that knoweth well that these Americanes are made of foure elementes as all naturall bodies are so that by this meanes they are subiect to the like affections that wée are In déede diseases and sickneesss may be diuers and contrary according to the temperatenesse of the ayre and maner of lyuyng Those in that countrey that inhabite neare the sea are subiecte to rotten diseases as Feuers Catarres and others In the whiche these poore people are so persuaded and abused of their Prophetes of whome we haue spoken the whiche are called for to heale them when they haue these diseases and they haue this foolishe opinion that they can cure them we can not better compare these impes thā to a companie of new fond foolish ignorant Physitions in our dayes here in our realme y t persuade the pore people make profession that they can heale all kinde of diseases curable and vncurable the whiche I woulde very well beleue if that science were become ignorance Therfore these Prophetes make them to beleue that they doe speake vnto the spirites and soules of their parentes and that nothyng to them is vnpossible also that they can cause the soule to speake within the bodie Moreouer when soeuer any sycke man féeleth his stomacke to swelle by the occasions of some humours in the stomacke and liuer the whyche by debilitie or otherwyse he can not caste or vomite vp he thinketh that it is his soule that complaineth Now these goodly Phrophetes for to heale this disease wil suck with their mouth the place where the sore or disease lieth thinking that by this meanes they drawe it oute Lykewyse they sucke one an other but not with such belefe and opinion the women vse other meanes they wyll put into the pacientes mouth a thréede of cotton a two foote long the whiche afterwardes they sucke thynkyng also by thys thréede for to get away thys disease or sickenesse If one of them doe hurte an other in ernest or otherwyse he is bounde to sucke his wounde vntill the tyme that he bée healed And in the meane tyme they doe abstayne frome certayne meates the which they thinke is contrary They haue y e mean to lette bloud betwéene the shoulders with a kynde of herbe very cutting or with the teeth of some beast The maner how to diet the pacient is this They wil neuer giue him no meate nor sustenance before he doe aske it and they will rather let him languish a whole moneth They are not so often grieued with sicknesse as we be although they go all naked day and nyghte also they vse no excesse or superfluitie in their meates or drinkes In other things they are very curious to knowe the trées and fruites they will not tast of any fruite that is perisht vnlesse it be thorough ripe The fruite of which they commonly eate in their sicknesses is named Naua being great made in maner of a Pine apple thys fruite when it waxeth ripe becommeth yelow the which is very excellent as wel for his swetenesse as his relish as pleasant as fine suger and more It is not possible to bring of them into this countrey but conserued for being ripe they will not long kéepe Furthermore it beareth no grain wherfore they plāt them by litle slippes as the fruites that are grafted in our countrey Also before it be ripe it is so roughe in eating that it will pull of the skinne of your lips the leafe of this trée when it groweth is like to the leafe of a large Iounck or sags I wil not forget that amōg their diseases they haue one maruellous indisposition which commeth by litle wormes that enter into their féete named in their language Tom that are litle ones and I thinke that they ingender in their féet for there will be somtimes such a number in one place that they wyll rayse a knob as big as a beane with doloure and paine in that place the whiche paine also chaunced to vs for being there our féete and our handes were couered with little clothes in the which when they were broken was onely one white worme with filthe And for to shunne this griefe the wilde men make a certain oyle of a fruite named Hibonconhu like vnto a Date the which is not good to eate they preserue it in little vessels of fruites named in their language Caramenio and therwith they rubbe the places that are grieued a
things that they neuer sawe To this purpose I remember that they woulde perswade vs that in high Africa there was people that had eares hanging downe to there hales the which is nothing so but a manifest fable and lye The fifth prouince is Canar hauing on the west side the South Sea the which is a maruelous cold countrey for the Frost and Snowe lyeth there all the yeare long And although that in others Regions of Perou the colde be not so violent and that there commeth and procedeth great plenty of good fruites yet there is not such teÌ„peratnesse in Sommer for in Sommer in other places the ayre is extreme hot vntemperat the which causeth a corruption chiefly in the fruites Also that venemous beastes are not founde in colde countries as they are in hote regions Therefore al being considered it is harde to iudge which of these countries ought to be preferred before the other to this we may replie that there is no commoditie but that hath his incommoditie Moreouer there is yet another named Calao wherein is more trading and occupying than in any other countrey in Perou the which also is the cause that it is better peopled It extendeth from the Easte coast to the mountaynes of Andes and from the Weaste to the mountaynes of Nanades the people in this countrey is named Xuli Chilan Acos Pomata Cepita and Trianguauaco Although it be wilde and Barbarous yet it is neuerthelesse very tractable bicause of the marchandise and trade that there is vsed otherwise it woulde not be lesse confirmable than the rest of America In this countrey there is a great laake named in their language Titicata whiche is to say Iland of Fethers for that that in this Lake there are certaine lyttle Ilands in the which are founde a great number of byrds great and small and of such diuers kyndes as is almost vncredible Now the last couÌ„trey that is in Perou named Carcas next adiaceÌ„t to Chila in the which standeth the famous and rich Citie of Platte the countrey being very rych bicause of the fayre Riuers and Mynes of Golde and Siluer Therefore this great countrey containeth is called all that is comprehended from the Riuer of Platte vnto Quitto as we haue already shewed and of which we haue declared y e eight principall countries and prouinces This maine land being so long and broade is like to the fygure of a triangle although that many call it an Ilande the which cannot or else will not make a difference betwene an Iland that which we call almost an Iland By this meanes ye nede not to doute that from the straight of Magellan .50 degrees of latitude and .30 minuts and .303 degrées of longitude beyond the lyne being more than .68 degrées on this syde is the maine lande In dede if that this little lande betwene new Spaine Perou hauing in bredth but .17 leagues from the Ocean to the South were cut from the one Sea to the other then Perou might be called an Iland but Daryen a straight of lande so named of the Riuer of Daryen doth let it yet it behoueth somwhat to speake of Perou As touching the Religion of these wyld men of that countrey which are not yet reformed to our Fayth they holde a very straunge opinion of a great â—â—ttell that they kéepe secretly saying that the Sea in times past passed out thereof with all his Fishes and that out of a nother thing proceded the Sunne the Moone the first Man and the first Woman the which their false and deceitfull priestes haue persuaded and shewed them named Bohitis and they haue beleued and giuen credit thereto a long tyme vntil that the Spanyards haue dissuaded the most parte of these dreames and delusions Besides this these people are very idolatrous aboue others One worshippeth according to his minde what pleaseth him The fishers worship a fish named Lyburon and the rest worship certain beasts and byrds Those that labor the ground make gardens worship the Earth but they all in generall take the Sunne to be a great God lykewise y e Moone the earth thinking that by the Sunne the Moone all things are ruled and gouerned In swearing or taking an othe they will lay theyr hand on the Earthz beholde the Sunne they also holde opinion that there hath ben a Deluge as those of America saying that there came a Prophet from the North parts that dyd maruels the which after he was put to death had neuerthelesse power to lyue The Spanyards occupy all this mayne land from the Riuer of Marignan vnto Furna and Daryen and yet more further on the west coast which is the straightest or narowest place of the mayne lande by the which the way lyeth to Moluques Furthermore it exteÌ„deth to the Ryuer of Palme wheras they haue so well edified and peopled all the countrey that it is a maruellous thing to sée the riches that at this day that countrey bringeth forth lyke vnto a great kingdome First to begin almost thoroughout al the Ilands of Perou there are Mynes of Gold or siluer with certaine Emerauldes and Turkesses neuertheless e hauing not so lyuely a color as those y t come from Malaca and Calicut The most welthiest people of all the countrey of Perou are those y t they name Iugas valiant aboue other nations they worship cattell and all other kynde of domesticall beasts in greater number than we doe here for the countrey thereto is giuen in such sorte that beastes hydes and skyns of all sorts is their chief marchandise and they kill the beasts onely for theyr skynnes The greatest number of these domesticall beasts are become wylde bicause that there are so great multitude so y t they let them stray in the woods day night for that they haue no place to harbor theÌ„ in their houses And for to take theÌ„ they set snares and chase them as we doe Venison As for Corne as I vnderstand it cannot profit there nor grow in no part of Perou no more than in America Therefore aswell gentlemen as others lyue with a kynde of sustenance y t they name Cassade which is a kinde of cakes made of a roote named Manihot Furthermore they haue great plenty of Myll fish As touching wine there groweth none in stede whereof they make other kyndes of beuerege This much as touching the circuit of Perou the which with his Ilands of the which I wil treat hereafter is brought to such a forme that at this preseÌ„t ye shal finde townes castels cities bâ—â—oughes houses bishopricks coÌ„mon weales all kende of liuings so y t ye will iudge it to be a nother Europe By this we know how great the power goodnesse of our God is his prouidence to all people for euen as y e Turks Mores heathen people seke to destroy Christes religion so coÌ„trarily in other places it
like that of Magellan by the which ye may enter from the West sea to the South sea Gemafrigius although he was expert in Mathematike hath herein failed erred for he maketh vs beleue that this Riuer of which we speake is a straight the which is named Septentrionall and so hath he sette it out in his Mappa Mundi If that which he hath written be true in vaine then haue the Portingals bene and Spanyards to séeke a new straight distant from this aboue .3000 leagues for to enter into the South sea to goe to the Ilands of Moluques where as the spices are This Countrey of New found land is inhabited with barbarous men being clothed in wilde beastes skinnes as are those of Canada this people is very frowarde and vntractable as our men can well testifie that goe thither euery yeare a fishing They that dwel by the Sea liue with little kinde of other meate than fishe which they take in the sea wherof they take a great multitude chiefly sea Wolues of which they eate the flesh which is very good With the fat of this fish they make a certaine Oyle that after it is come to his perfection hath a redde colour which they drink at their tables as we do wine or béere Of the skin of this fish which is strōg and thick as if it were of some wild beasts they make clokes garments according to their maner which is a meruellous thing that in a element so moist as that is which is moist of it self cā be norished a beast or fish that hath the skin hard and dry as beasts of the earth haue Likewise they haue other fishes that haue hard skins as y e Grampas the Dog fish and others with strong shels as Torterels Oysters Muscles suche like Besides this they haue great plenty of other good fish bothe smal and great of which they liue daily I maruell that the Iewes Turkes Grekes many other natiōs in the East eat no Dolphins nor of many other kinde of fishes that are without shell as wel in the sea as in fresh waters which maketh me to iudge that these people are more wiser better aduised to finde the tast in meats more delicate than wheras are Turks Arabians and other superstitious people In those parts there is also found Whales I meane in y e hie sea for such fish neuer cometh toward the shore to liue with such little fish Notwithstanding the fish that the Whale doth most commonly eate is no greater than a Carpe a thing almost vncredible considering hir greatnesse the reason therof as some say is for bicause y t the whale hath but a litle throte in cōparison of y e greatnesse of his body therfore he cannot deuour a greater fish The which is a wonderfull secrete vnknowne as well to our elders as to vs although that they haue treated of fishes the female hath but one yōg one at a time which she bringeth forth as a beast of y e earth without egge that which is more wōderful she giueth suck to hir yōg one after y t she hath brought it forth And therfore she hath .ij. rothers vnder hir belly vnder y e nauel which no other fish hath neither in the sea nor in fresh water but only y e sea Wolfe as witnesseth Plinie This whale is dangerous to méete on the sea as the Bayones cā wel tel by experiēce for they vse to take them To the purpose ye shall note when that we wer in America some Marchantes ship y t passed from one lād to another for marchādise was ouerthrown all y t was within hir lost by a whale y t touched hir w t hir tail In the same place wheras the Whale frequenteth there is found moste commonly a fishe that is his mortall enimie so that if she méete the Whale she will pricke the whale vnder the belly which is the softest and tenderest place with hir tong that cutteth like a Barbars raser so that he being thus hurt cannot saue himself but that he dieth as the inhabitants of New found land do shew and the common fisher men In this Sea of Newe found land there is a kinde of fishe that the people of the countrey call Hehec hauing a bil like a Popengay and other fishes with shell There is found in the same place great store of Dolphins that shewe themselues many times aboue water leaping and floting the which some iudge to be foreshewings of tempests and fowle weather from the part or coast that they come from as Plinie sheweth Isidorus in his Etymologies which I haue also knowne by experience the which is more surer than the witnessing either of Plinie or of any other Some haue written that there is fine kindes of signes and forthe wings of tēpests and stormes on the Sea as Polybius being with Scipio Aemilian in Affrica Furthermore there are great plenty of great muscles and as for beastes of the earth there are a great number very wilde and daungerous as great Beares the which are almost all white and bisides beastes there are foules of the aire of which the fethers are all white the which I thinke happeneth bicause of the extréeme coldnesse of the Countrey but these Beares which I spake of are day and night about the houses of this people for to deuoure their Oyle and Fishe As touching these Beares although that we haue treated thereof at large in our Cosmographie of Leuant yet notwithstanding we will speake somewhat thereof by the way howe the inhabitants of the Countrey take them being afflicted with y e importunitie that they make them Therfore they make certaine pittes in the ground very déepe néere to trees and rockes and then they couer them finely with leaues and braunches and this they vse where as are hiues or multitude of Hony Bées which these Beares séeke and follow with all diligence thereof they are very desirous not only so much for to fil them therewith but for to heale their eyes the whiche they haue naturally blemished and all their braine also that being stinged with these Hony Bées there falleth from them a bloud specially from the head wherby their paine is eased so that they are comforted thereby There is also séene a kinde of great beastes like to Buffles hauing hornes very great their skin is grayishe of which they make garments and of many other beasts whose skins are very riche This Countrey is full of hils and mountaines and very barraine as well for bicause of the vntemperatenesse of the aire as of the condition of y e lande smally inhabited and ill tilled As for birds there are not found suche quantitie as in America or at Perou nor yet so faire There are two kinde of Egles of which the one kinde kéepeth the waters and liueth onely with fishe chiefly with shell fishe the which she taketh vp and flieth into the
aire and so letteth it fall and breaketh it for to get the fishe out this Egle maketh hir nest in great hie trées by the sea side Also in this Countrey there is many faire riuers and a multitude of good fishe This people prepareth for nothing but that which is néedefull to sustaine nature so that they are not curious in meates for they goe not to séeke any thing in farre Countreys and yet their nourishment is healthsome and therefore they know not what sicknesse meanes but they liue in peace and in continuall health so that they haue no occasion to conceiue enuie one against an other bicause of their goods and patrimonie for they are in a maner all equall in goodes and riches being in one mutuall contentation and equalnesse in pouerty Also they haue no place ordained for to minister iustice for bicause that among them they do nothing worthy of reprehension They haue no lawes no more than the worthy Americanes other people but only the law of nature The people that dwell toward the sea as I haue shewed liue with fish and others that are farre from the sea are content with fruits of the earth that commeth forth the most part without labour of mannes hands and after this sorte liued the people in the first age as Plinie witnesseth also we sée in our dayes how the earth bringeth forth fruit without labor Virgill sheweth that the Forest Dodana began to die bicause of his age or else for bicause that it could not satisfie the multitude of people that then did multiply and therefore they began to labor and till the earth for to receiue the fruits therof for the sustainmēt of their liues so that they began husbādry Moreouer these people make not warre vnlesse that their enimies come to séeke them then they put them al to defence like to the Canadians their instruments that giue men corage to fight are beastes skinnes spread in maner of a circle which serueth them in steade of drummes with fluites of bones of Déere like to the Canadians if that they perceiue their enimies a farre of they will prepare to fight with their armors and weapōs which are bowes and arrowes And before y t they enter into battell their principall guide the which they honour as a King shal goe the first being armed with faire skins and fethers sitting on the shoulders of two mighty men to the ende that euery one should sée him and know him also to be ready to obey him what so euer he shall commaund And when they obtaine victory he shall lacke no honor so they returne ioyfull to their houses with their banners displayed which are braunches of trées garnished with fethers of swannes wauering in the aire and bearing the skin of the face of their enimies spred in litle circles in token of victorie Of the Ilands of Essores Cap. 83. THere resteth now nothing of all our voyage but to speake of certain Ilands that they call Essores which we coasted on the right hand not without great dāger of shipwracke For .iij. or .iiij. degrées beyond and on this side there bloweth alwayes a winde so cold contagious that for this respect it is feared of the Pilots Nauigants as the most dangerous place that is in the voyage be it to goe either to the Indies or to America by this ye may know y t the Sea in those parts are neuer calme but alwayes rough growne as we sée many times the winde to blow vp the dust into the aire the which we cal a tempest or fowle weather which is as well vpon y e land as on the sea for in the one and the other it riseth like a poynt of fire that raiseth the water of a heigthe when it plaweth or boileth as I haue many times sene And therfore it séemeth that the wind hath a mouing vpward like a whirle wind of which I haue spoken in an other place For this cause these Ilands wer so named bicause of the great Essor that causeth this winde in the said Ilands for Essores is as much to say to dry or to wipe cleane These Ilands are distant from Fraunce about .x. degrées and a halfe and they are .ix. in nūber of which the best of them are inhabited with Christians Portingalles whether as they did send many slaues for to laboure the ground the which by their great paine and diligence they haue made fruitfull with all good fruits necessary for mannes sustenaunce chiefly with wheat the which groweth there so plentifully that therewith all the land of Portingall is furnished The which they transport in their ships with many good fruits as well naturally of the Countrey as other where but there is one amongst others named Hyrcy the plant wherof was brought from the Indies for there was none thereof found before euen as in the Canaries Likewise in our Europe before they began to labor the earth to plant and to sowe diuers kinds of fruits men were contented onely with that the earth brought forthe of his nature hauing then to drinke nothing but cléere water and for their clothing the barks and leaues of trées with certaine skins of beastes as we haue already shewed In the which we may cléerely sée a wonderful prouidence of our God the which hath placed in the sea great quantitie of Ilands bothe little and great which doeth abide and sustaine the brunt of the waues of the sea that goeth not beyonde their compasse or limits neither hurteth the inhabitaunts for the Lord as the Prophet sayth hath appoynted his limits the which he doeth not ouerpasse Of these Ilands some are inhabited that before were desert and many are forsaken that in times past were inhabited and peopled as we sée hath hapned to many Cities and Townes of the Empire of Greece Trapezande and Egipt such is the ordinance of God that things héere in earth shall not be perdurable but subiect to chaunging The which being considered of our Cosmographers in our dayes they haue added to the Tables of Ptolomeus newe matters of our time for since y e time and knowledge that he hath written there hath happened many newe things Now these Ilands of Essores were desert before that the Portingalls knew them Neuerthelesse they were full of woods of all sorts among the which is founde a kynd of Ceder named in their speach Orcantine with the which they make fyne karued works as tables cofers and many vessels for the Sea This wood hath a very good smel and wil not rot neither be worme eaten be it dry or wette as other wood wil. Of the which also Plinie speaketh that in his time was found at Rome in an old Sepulcher certaine bookes of Philosophy betwene two stones within a lyttle chest made of Ceader wood the which had ben vnder the grounde aboue fyue hundreth yeares Furthermore I remember that I haue read in times
The opinion of Diogenes for the buriall of the bodie The funeralles of the deade is approued by holy scripture The vse and custome of the Romanes and others at the funeralls of a Citizen Alexander the great Mortugabes lodgings of the wilde men and how they be builded The Arabians and TartariaÌ„s haue no place to remaine in Trees that beare cotton Iny Manigot Arat a byrde Hennes Popingayes No vse of gold nor siluer among them The charitie of the wilde men one toward an other Pians a sickenesse in America and his oirginall The wildmen are very lecherous and carnall The true originall of the French pocks as the Frenche men write The curing of this disease Hiuourahe a tree The wilde meÌ„ are afflicted with ophthalmies and from whence they proceede All the paines of the eyes with ophthalmies The southe winde and yll token The foolishe opinion of the wilde men in their prophets and of their diseases A methode meane to heal the disease obserued of these wylde men How the pacient liueth wheÌ„ he is sicke Naua an excellent fruite Tom a kinde of wormes Hibonconhu a fruit and for what vse The trafike of the wild men The description of Toucan a bird of America A straunge hat made of fethers Secretes brought by the author into Fraunce or America The order of the world before the vse of money What the christiaÌ„s and Americans do trade together A kinde of spice Of the spice of Calicut The IlaÌ„d of Corchel The Iland of Zebut Aborney The Ilands of Moluqus and of the spice that commeth from thence The description of Carinde a birde of excellent beauty Aiouroub a greene birde Marganas Who it was that first caged birdes Great plenty of Popengayes in America The exclamation of Marcus Cato against the abuses of his time Ierahuua a kind of Palme Quiapian a birde Annon a bird Another kinde of birde Hiuourahe a tree Gouanbuch a bird very litle How the AmericaÌ„s take wilde beastes The wilde Bore of America The Harte of America The property of a Harts horn A fond opinioÌ„ of the wilde men The descriptioÌ„ of Coary a strange beaste A kinde of Fesantes Macouacanna a kind of Partriges Tapihire a beaste The descriptioÌ„ of Tapihire A kinde of strange fish Hyuourahe a tree The vsage of the barcke of this tree The excellency of the frute of this tree Loth in Homer The descriptioÌ„ of a tree named Vhebehason Two kinde of honey Bees Hira honey Bees Hirat a beast The vsage of honey much commended of diuers people Melissus King of Creta Why the Poets haue fayned that the honey Bees flied into Iupiters mouth Red gumme America not knowen of the ancieÌ„t writers The descriptioÌ„ of a beast named Hauthy Chamellion The wonderfull workes of Nature The maner of the wyld men to get Fyre Thata Thatatin The first inueÌ„tioÌ„ of Fyre Vulcan inuentor of Fyer The opinion of the wylde men against a deluge How the wild men do number The original of these Americans How the wild men did first vse to cut wood Dedalus the first inuenter of a Forge Pedris inuenter of the Saw A kinde of Fish The lyeng of the Ryuer of Vases Cacuycu Sagauius a beast Tatton a beast Quoniambeâ— a King redouted Peroes How many it is to bee thought that Iulius Caesar hath slaine in his battailes The discription of the land of Morpion The fruitfulnesse of Morpion Nauas Piraipouchy The riuer of Platte why it is so named The first voyage attempted by the Spanyards to the Riuer of Platte â–ª The seconde voyage A slaughter of Spaniards The third voyage The fourth voyage The policie of Captaine Aruall Wylde men as great as GyaÌ„ts The richesse of the countrey about the riuer of Platte Saricouieme a daintie beast The lyeng of the straight of Magellan The voyage oâ— Frrnandus of Magellan The Caape of Virgins Therea Atorizo The straighte of Daryen The Ilandes of the Moluques The lande of Australl To know that there are two worlds or no. Diuers opinions of the Antipodes What people the Antipodes and Antichtones the one to the other A difference betwene Antipodes and Antictones Anteci Pataeci The maner of going of the Antipodes was not well knowen nor approued of the elders Saint August lib. 15. of the Citie of God The common occupations of the wild men Howe these wilde men labour the earth Myll white and blacke Hetich In America no vse of corne Husbandrie hath bene of a long time The first vse of Corne. Meale of rotes Manihot The straunge maner of eating of the wylde men A kinde of white beanes How they make salte Bread made of spice and salte Bread of drie fishe Nenuphar a kinde of colewort Peno absou a tree A birde of a strange and wonderfull beautie Gerahuua Iry The lande of Brasile discouered by the Portingales Oraboutan the brasile tree A voyage into the east countrey by Onesicritus captaine to Alexander the greate Yelow wood Wood of the color of purple A battaile drawen in purple wood white wood Lâ—â— 10. ca. 19. Betula Diuersitie in earth How the Author returned from America Caape Saint Augustine Caape of good hope why it is called Lyon of the sea Caape of saint Michell Verie daungerous lands discouered by captaine Pynson Castel Marin Fermanbow The Ilrude of S. Paule Continuall warre betwene the Spaniardes and the Canibals The fruitfulnesse of their countrey Haouay a venemous tree The riches of the countrey of Canibals The Ryuer of Marignan separateth Perou from the Canibals Aurelane a Riuer of Perou The IlaÌ„d of the Trinitie very riche A kinde of tree like to a Palme tree The seapacifick or peaceable or the sea of Magellan Mhe lying of the Riuer of Plate The lying and wonderfull greatnesse of the Riuer of Aurelana The originall of Nyll Aurelana or the Riuer of Amazones The IlaÌ„d of the Holy Crosse The stature of these wild meÌ„ Amazones of America Thre sorts of Amazones Many opinioÌ„s on the naming and Etimology of Amazones Philostratus Amazones are warlike womeÌ„ Asia tributarie to Scithia the terme of .500 yeares Lampedo and Marthesia the first Quenes of Amazones How the Amazones of America liued Hovv these Amazones put their enimies to death The originall of the Amazones of America are vncertaine How the Spaniardes arriued into the countrey of Amazones and how they were receiued How the Spanyardes continued their voiage to MorpioÌ„ Deuision of their company for to kâ—pe on to the riuer of Plate A very good Mine of siluer Mines of gold and siluer Plate a river and why it is so named The straight of Magellan The peaceable sea Ilands of Moluques inhabited by the Spanyardes The cape of three poynts The lands of the king of Spaine in the Indies The lande that the king of Portingal hath in the Indies Countreys not yet discouered The shipwrak of a Portingal The Ilande of Rats why it was so named The coÌ„modites of the Ilande of Rats The Zone betwene two Tropickes are inhabited A
noyse about the ships side that we could not hear one another speke whether this is bicause of y e heat of the Sunne or for any other reasons I leaue that to the Philosophers There resteth nowe to shewe that euen about our Equinoctiall I taasted the water the which was more swéeter pleasāter to drinke thā in other places wheras it is very salt though that many affirme the contrarie iudging that it shoulde be rather more salter for that it draweth to the lyne whereas the heate is most vehement knowing that from thence commeth the saltnesse of the sea and therfore that shoulde be more swéeter that is towarde the Poles I do verily thinke that from the one Pole to the other euen to the line that as the ayre is not equally temperat so in like case the water is not temperat But vnder the lyne the temperatnesse of the water doeth folowe the temperatnesse of the ayre Therefore there is a good reason why the water in that part is more swéeter than in other places Being passed this line we found the sea more and more calmer and peaceable keping our course towarde the Caape of good hope That not onely all that is vnder the lyne is inhabited but also al the worlde is inhabited contrary to the opinion of our elders Cap. 19. IT is euidently sene howe greate the curiositie of men is either for a desire to knowe things or for to attayne to possessions or else to auoyde Idlenesse that they haue hazarded them selues as the wise man sayth and beside him the Poet Horace sayth in his Epistles to all dangers and trauels for to eschew pouertie to leade a more quiet life without trouble or payne Notwithstanding it might be ynough for them to know and vnderstande that the soueraygne workmaster hath made with his owne handes this worlde al rounde so that the water hath ben separated from the lande to the ende that more commodiously euery one might inhabit in his proper Eliment or at the leaste in that place whereas he thought moste beste Neuerthelesse not content with this they would knowe if it be all ouer inbabited Notwithstanding for such finding out and diligence I esteme them for my parte as much and rather more worthy of prayse than our late writers and Nauigators for that they haue first opened to vs these things Otherwise with greate payne we could not haue knowen them nor comprehended but Thales Pithagoras Aristotle and many others as well Greekes as Latins haue sayde that it is not possible that all partes of the world should be inhabited the one parte for the greate and vnsuportable heate another parte for the great and vehemēt cold Other Authors deuiding the world into two parts called Himisperes one of y e which they say can in no wise be inhabited But the other parte in the which we are muste of necessitie be inhabited And so of foure partes of the worlde they take away thrée so that to their opinion there shoulde rest but two that be habitable And for the better vnderstanding thereof to eche one excepting those that haue knowledge thereof I will declare this more playner minding therefore to proue that al the world is inhabited They suppose that there is fiue zones in all the worlde by the which they will measure and compasse all the earth of the which two are colde two temperate and the other hot And if you wil know how they gather these fiue Zones extende your lefte hande towarde the Sunne rysing being the fingers spredde abroade and by this meane Probus Grammaticus dyd teach or instructe Then when you haue beheld the Sunne thorough the lower parts of your fingers bowe and bende them euery one in forme or manner of a Circle By the thumbe ye shall knowe the colde zone which is the North the which by the excessiue coldenesse as they doe affirme is vnhabited Neuerthelesse the experience hath shewed within fewe yeares that all those partes well néere to our Pole also vnder the Paralezey Artike ioyning to the Hyperbores as Scauia Dacea Swetherlande Gotlande Norway Denemarcke Thilia Lyuonia Pilapea Pruse lande Russia Muscouia Ruthenie whereas there is nothing but Ise and continual coldnesse to benotwithstanding inhabited with frowarde and brutish men The which to our Englishe Marchantes is well ynough knowen Therefore the Ancient writers in this do greatly erre are not to be beleued hauing onely spoken by gesse and thought and not by experience Let vs speake of the other zones the other finger next to the thumbe doeth signifie the tempeperat zone the which is inhabited extendeth to the tropicke of Cancer though y t in drawing néere it be more hot than temperat as that which is iustly in the midst that is to know betwene this tropicke the Pole The thirde finger doeth represent the zone placed betwene the two tropickes named Torrida bicause of the extreme heate of the Sunne the which resteth and burneth vp all and therefore it was iudged vnhabitable The fourth finger is the other zone temperated of the Antipodes a meane betwene the tropicke of Capricorne and the other Pole the which is inhabited The fifth which is the little finger signifieth the other zone colde the which in like case they haue estemed vnhabited for the like reason as they alleged for the former Pole of the which we may say as much as we haue sayde of the North parte for the like reason is of bothe After then that this rule or example is knowen it is easily knowen what partes of the Worlde are inhabited and which are not according to the opiniō of the Auncient writers Plinie diminishing that which is inhabited sayth that of the fiue partes that are named zones we muste take away thrée bicause they are not inhabited the which hath bene shewed by the thumbe the greate finger and the little finger Also he taketh away al that occupieth the Weast sea And in another place he writeth that y e earth that is vnder y e Zodiack is onely inhabited The causes that he allegeth why these thrée zones are vnhabited is the vehement colde which for the farre distance absence of the Sunne is in y e Region of the two Poles and the greate and extreme heate that is vnder the zone Torrida is bicause of the continuall presence of the Sunne As much doe our late Theologiās affirme and write The contrary notwithstanding may be shewed by the writings of these Authors before alleged by the authoritie of Philosophers specially of our tyme by the witnessing of holy Scriptures and then by experience which passeth all the which by me hath bene made Strabo Mela Plinie although that they disproue the zones write neuerthelesse that there are men in Ethiopia in the Ilande named by the elders Aurea and also in the Ile Tabroban Malaca and Zamotra vnder the zone Torrida also that Scandenauia the hills Hyperbores and the countrey adiacent