honie and waxe which the Antes did make being somewhat bitter Vpon the sea coast also they found certaine fishes which commonly went vpright in the water hauing the faces and natures of women which the fishermen of those places were acquainted with In the yéere 355. before Christ it is said that the Spanyards sailed through the maine sea till they came vnto the flats of India Arabia and those coasts adioyning whereunto they caried diuers marchandises which trade they vsed in great ships And sailing to the northwest they came vnto certaine flats which with the flowing of the sea were couered and with the ebbe were discouered finding there many Tunnies of great bignes where they commonly vsed to fish them to their great profit because they were the first vntill that time that they had séene and were greatly esteemed The time of Alexander Magnus as appiereth by the ages of the world was before the comming of Christ 324. yéeres we all know that he was borne in Europe but he trauailed into Asia Africa and passed through Armenia Assyria Persia Bactria standing northerly in 44. degrées of latitude which is the farthest countrey in longitude wherein he was in all his iourneyes From thence he descended into India by the mountaines of Imaus and the valleyes of Paropanisus and prepared a nauie in the riuer Indus and therewith passed into the Ocean sea where he turned by the lands of Gedrosia Caramania Persia vnto the great citie of Babylon leauing Onesicritus and Nearcus captaines of his fléete which afterwards came vnto him by the straight of the Persian sea and vp the riuer of Euphrates leauing that countrey and coast discouered After this Ptolemey raigned king of Egypt who by some is reputed to haue béen bastard sonne vnto Philip father of the foresaid Alexander the great This Ptolemey imitating the forenamed kings Sesostris aud Darius made a trench or ditch of an hundred foote broad and of thirty foote déepe and ten or twelue leagues in length till he came to The bitter Welles pretending to haue his worke run into the sea from a mouth of the riuer Nilus called Pelusium passing now by the citie Damiata But this thing tooke none effect for that the Red sea was thought to be higher by thrée cubits then the land of Egypt which would haue ouerflowed all the countrey to the ruine and losse thereof In the yéere 277. before the incarnation succéeded in the gouernment of the kingdome one Philadelphus who brought to passe that the marchandises should come out of Europe to the citie of Alexandria vpwards by the riuer Nilus vnto a city named Coptus and from thence to be conueyed by land to a hauen standing vpon the Red sea called Myos-Hormos which way was trauailed in the night the pilots directing themselues by the stars which were expert in that practise And because water was scant that way they vsed to carrie it with them for all the companie till at the last to auoide that trouble they digged very déepe wels and made large cisterns for the receipt of raine water by which the way furnished with that commoditie which at the first it wanted grewe in continuance of time to be the more frequented But whereas the straight way was dangerons by reason of flats and islands the aforesaid king Philadelphus with his armies went on the side of Troglodytica and in an hauen called Berenice caused the ships to arriue which came out of India being a place of more suretie and lesse perill from whence they might easily carrie the wares to the citie of Coptus and so to Alexandria And by this meane Alexandria grew so famous and rich that in those daies there was no citie of the world comparable to it And to speake briefly and particularly of the abundance of trafficke there vsed it is left written for an assured truth that in the time of king Ptolemey Auletes father vnto Cleopatra it yéelded in customes vnto him yéerly seuen millions and an halfe of gold although the trafficke was not then scant twenty yéeres old by way of that citie But after that this prouince and countrey became subiect to the Emperours of Rome as they were greater in power and néerer in couetousnes so they enhansed the customes so that within a little time the citie yéelded double the foresaide summe For the traffike grew so excéeding great that they sent euery yéere into India 120. ships laden with wares which began to set saile from Myos-Hormos about the middle of Iuly and returned backe againe within one yéere The marchandise which they did carrie amounted vnto one million two hundred thousand crownes and there was made in returne of euery crowne an hundred In so much that by reason of this increase of wealth the matrones or noble women of that time and place spent infinitely in decking themselues with precious stones purple pearles muske amber and the like whereof the writers and historians of that age speake very greatly Cornelius Nepos alleaged by Plinie maketh report of a king of Egypt that raigned in his time called Ptolemaeus Lathyrus from whom one Eudoxus fled vpon occasion and the better to auoid and escape his hands he passed through the Arabicke gulfe and the sea all along the coast of Africa and the Cape of Bona Sperança till he came vnto the Island of Cadiz and this nauigation by that course was in those daies as often vsed as now it is if we may giue credit to the histories Which appiereth the more manifest by this that Caius Caesar the sonne of Augustus going into Arabia did finde in the Red sea certaine péeces of those ships which came thither out of Spaine It was a vse also long after those daies to passe to India by land For so did the kings of the Soldans and the princes of Bactria and other famous captaines who trauailing thither and into Scythia by land had the view of those prouinces and countreyes so farre till they came that way vnto the * West and to the seas thereof on the north part whereunto many marchants then did trauaile Marcus Paulus Venetus writeth much hereof And although at the first his booke was taken for a fabulous thing yet now there is better credit giuen vnto it for that by the late experiences of the trauailers and marchants of these daies into those parts the names of the countreyes cities and townes with their situations latitudes and commodities are now found true as he and other historiographers of that time haue reported In the 200. yéere before the incarnation it is written that the Romanes sent an armie by sea into India against the great Can of Cathaia which passing through the straight of Gibraltar and running to the northwest found right ouer against the Cape Finisterre ten Islands wherein was much tinne And they may be those which were called the Cassiterides being come to 50. degrées of
and came to an anker in an hauen of it called Guliguli where they went on land and tooke a village standing by the riuer where they found dead men hanging in the houses for the people there are eaters of mans flesh Here the Portugals burnt the ship wherein Francis Serrano was for she was old and rotten They went to a place on the other side standing in 8. degrées toward the south where they laded cloues nutmegs and mace in a Iunco or barke which Francis Serrano bought here They say that not farre from the Islands of Banda there is an Island where there bréedeth nothing else but snakes and the most are in one caue in the middest of the land This is a thing not much to be woondred at for as much as in the Leuant sea hard by the Isles of Maiorca and Minorca there is another Island of old named Ophiâ—sa and now Formentera wherein there is great abundance of these vermine and in the rest of the Islands lying by it there are none In the yéere 1512. they departed from Banda toward Malacea and on the baxos or flats of Luçapinho Francis Serrano perished in his Iunke or barke from whence escaped vnto the Isle of Mindanao nine or ten Portugals which were with him and the kings of Maluco sent for them These were the first Portugals that came to the Islands of Cloues which stand from the Equinoctiall line towardes the north in one degrée where they liued seuen or eight yeeres The Island of Gumnape now called Ternate is much to be admired for that it casteth out fire There were some princes of the Moores and couragious Portugals which determined to goe néere to the firie place to sée what it was but they could neuer come néere it But Antonie Galuano hearing of it vndertooke to goe vp to it and did so and found a riuer so extreme cold that he could not suffer his hand in it nor yet put any of the water in his mouth And yet this place standeth vnder the line where the sunne continually burneth In these Islands of Maluco there is a kinde of men that haue spurres on their ankles like vnto cocks And it was told me by the king of Tydore that in the Islands of Batochina there were people that had tailes and had a thing like vnto a dug betwéen their cods out of the which there came milke There are smal hennes also which lay their egges vnder the ground aboue a fathome and an halfe and the egges are bigger then ducks egges and many of these hennes are blacke in their flesh There are hogs also with hornes and parats which prattle much which they call Noris There is also a riuer of water so hot that whatsoeuer liuing creature coÌ„meth into it their skins will come off and yet fish bréede in it There are crabs which be very swéete and so strong in their clawes that they will breake the iron of a pikâ—axe There be others also in the sea little and hairie but whosoeuer eateth of them dieth immediately There be likewise certaine oisters which they doe call Bras the shels whereof haue so large a compasse that they doe Christen in them In the sea also there are liuely stones which doe grow and increase like vnto fish whereof very good lime is made and if they let it lie when it is taken out of the water it looseth the strength and it neuer burneth after There is also a certaine trée which beareth flowers at the sunne set which fall downe as soone as they be growne There is a fruit also as they say whereof if a woman that is conceaued of childe eateth the childe by by mooueth There is further a kinde of herbe there growing which followeth the sunne and remooueth after it which is a very strange and maruailous thing In the yéere 1512. in the moneth of Ianuarie Alfonsus de Albuquerque went backe from Malaca vnto Goa and the ship wherein he went was lost and the rest went from his companie Simon de Andrada and a few Portugals were driuen vnto the Islands of Maldiua being many full of palme trées and they stand lowe by the water which staied there till they knew what was become of their gouernour These were the first Portugals that had séene those Islands wherein there growe Cocos which are very good against all kinde of poison In this yéere 1512. there went out of Castile one Iohn de Solis borne in Lisbon and chiefe pilot vnto Don Fernando And he hauing licence went to discouer the coast of Brasill He tooke the like course that the Pinsons had done he went also to the Cape of S. Augustine and went forwards to the south coasting the shore and land and he came vnto The Port De Lagoa and in 35. degrées of southerly latitude he found a riuer which they of Brasill call Parana-guaçu that is The great Water He sawe there signes of siluer and therefore called it Rio de Plata that is The Riuer of siluer And it is said that at that time he went farther because he liked the countrey well but he returned backe againe into Spaine and made account of all things to Don Fernando demaunding of the king the gouernment thereof which the king granted him Whereupon he prouided thrée ships and with them in the yéere 1515. he went againe into that kingdome but he was there slaine These Solisses were great discouerers in those partes and spent therein their liues and goods In the same yéere 1512. Iohn Ponce of Leon which had béene goueruour of the Isle of S. Iohn armed two ships and went to séeke the Isle of Boyuca where the naturals of the countrey reported to be a Wel which maketh old men yoong Whereupon he laboured to finde it out and was in searching of it the space of sixe monethes but could finde no such thing He entred into the Isle of Bimini and discouered a point of the firme land standing in 25. degrées towards the north vpon Easter day and therefore he named it Florida And because the land séemed to yeeld gold and siluer and great riches he begged it of the king Don Fernando but he died in the discouerie of it as many more haue done In the yéere 1513. Vasco Nunnes de Valboa hearing spéech and newes of The south sea determined to goe thither although his companie dissuaded him from that action But being a man of good valure with those soldiers that he had being 290. he resolued to put himselfe into that ieoperdie He went therefore from Dariene the first day of September carrying some Indians of the countrey with him to be his guides and he marched ouerthwart the land sometimes quietly sometimes in war and in a certaine place called Careca he found Negroes captiues with curled haire This Valboa came to the sight of the South Sea on the 25. day of the said
them and the villages round about became his friends He went vnto the citie of Zempoallan there he heard newes that Francis Garay was on the coast with fower ships to come on land And by subtiltie he got nine of his men of whom he vnderstood that Garay had béene in Florida and came vnto the riuer Panuco where he got some golde determining to stay there in a towne which is now called Almeria Cortos ouerthrew the idols in Zempoallan the tombes of their kings whome they worshipped as Gods and tolde them that they were to worship the true God From thence he went toward Mexico the 16. day of August 1519. and trauailed thrée daies iourney and came to the citie of Zalapan and to another beyond it named Sicuchimatl where they were well receiued and offered to be conducted to Mexico because Muteçuma had giuen such commandement Beyond this place he passed with his companie a certaine hill of thrée leagues high wherein there were vines In another place they found aboue a thousand loades of wood ready cut and beyond they met with a plaine countrey and in going through the same he named it Nombre de Dios. At the bottome of the mountaine he rested in a towne called Teâ—hixuacan and from thence they went through a desolate countrey and so came to another mountaine that was very colde and full of snow and they lay in a towne named Zaclotan And so from towne to towne they were well receiued and feasted till they came into another realme named Tlaxcallan which waged warre against Muteçuma and being valiant they skirmished with Cortes but in the end they agréed and entred into league with him against the Mexicans and so they went from countrey to countrey till they came within fight of Mexico The king Muteçuma fearing them gaue them good entertainment with lodging and all things necessarie and they were with this for a time contented but mistrusting that he and his should be slaine he tooke Muteçuma prisoner and brought him to his lodging with good garde Cortes demanded how farre his realme did extend and sought to know the mines of gold and siluer that were in it and how many kings neighbours to Muteçuma dwelled therein requiring certaine Indians to be informed thereof whereof he had eight prouided and he ioined to them eight Spanyards and sent them two and two into fower countreyes namely into Zuçolla Malinaltepec Tenich Tututepec They which went vnto Zuçolla went 80. leagues for so much it was from Mexico thither They which went to Mahnaltepec went 70. leagues séeing goodly countries and brought examples of gold which the naturals of the countrey tooke out of great riuers and all this prouince belonged vnto Muteçuma The countrey of Tenich and vp the riuer were not subiect to Muteçuma but had warre with him and would not suffeâ— the Mexicans to enter into their territorie They sent ambassadors vnto Cortes with presents offering him their estate and amitie whereof Muteçuma was nothing glad They which went to Tututepec standing néere the South sea did also bring with them examples of gold and praised the pleasantnes of the countrey and the multitude of good harbours vpon that coast shewing to Cortes a cloth of cotton wooll all wouen with goodly workes wherein all the coast with the hauens and créekes were set foorth But this thing then could not be prosecuted by reason of the comming of Pamphilus de Naruaez into the countrey who set all the kingdome of Mexico in an vprore In this yéere 1519. the tenth day of August one Fernande de Magallanes departed from Siuill with fiue ships toward the Islands of Maluco he went along the coast of Brasill till he came vnto the riuer of Plate which the Castillians had before discouered From thence therefore he began his discouerie and came vnto an hauen which he called The Porte of Saint Iulian standing in 49. degrées and there he entred and wintred they endured much cold by reason of snow and ice the people of that countrey they found to be of great stature and of great strength taking men by the legs and renting them in the middest as easily as one of vs will rent an hen they liue by fruits and hunting They called them Patagones but the Brasilians doe call them Morcas In the yéere 1520. in the beginning of the moneth of September growing then somewhat temperate they went out of the port and riuer of Saint Iulian hauing lost in it one of their ships and with the other fâ—wer he came vnto the Streights named after the name of Magâ—llanes standing in 52. degrées and a halfe From thence one of the ships returned backe vnto Castile whereof was captaine and pilot one Stephen de Porto a Portugall and the other thrée went forward entring into a mightie sea called Pacificum without séeing any inhabited land till they came in 13. degrées towards the north of the Equinoctiall in which latitude they came vnto Islands which they called Los Iardines and from thence they sailed to the Archipelagus of S. Lazarus and in one of the Islands called Matan Magallanes was slaine and his ship was burnt and the other two went vnto Borneo and so from place to place they went backe vntill they came to the Islands of Malâ—cos leauing many others discouered which I rehearse not because I finde not this voiage exactly written About this time Pope Leo the tenth sent one Paulus Centurio as ambassadour to the greot Duke of Moscouie to wish him to send into India an armie along the coast of Tartarie And by the reasons of this ambassadour the said Duke was almost persuaded vnto that action if other inconueniences had not letted him In this same yéere 1520. in Februarie Diego Lopes de Sequeira gouernour of India went towards the Streight of Mecha and carried with him the ambassadour of Presbyter Iohn and Roderigo de Lima who also went as ambassadour to him They came vnto the Island of Maçua standing in the Red sea on the side of Africa in 17. degrées towards the north where he set the ambassadours on land with the Portugals that should goe with them Peter de Couillan had béene there before being sent thither by king Iohn the second of Portugall but yet Francis Aluarez gaue principall light and knowledge of that countrey In the yeere 1520. the licenciate Lucas Vasques de Aillon and other inhabitants of S. Domingo furnished two ships and sent them to the Isles of Lucayos to get slaues and finding none they passed along by the firme land beyond Florida vnto certaine countreyes called Chicora and Gualdapé vnto the riuer Iordan and the Cape of Saint Helena standing in 32. degrées toward the north They of the countrey came downe to the sea side to see the ships as hauing neuer before séene the like The Spanyards went on
other things of the countrey and they of Tecoantepec did the like and not long after this Casique sent for aide to Cortes against his neighbours which did warre against him In the yéere 1523. Cortes sent vnto him for his aide Peter de Aluarado with two hundred soldiers footemen and fortie horsemen and the Caciques of Tecoantepec and Quahutemallan asked them for the monsters of the sea which came thither the yéere past meaning the ships of Gil Gonsales de Auila being greatly amazed at the sight of them and woondring much more when they heard that Cortes had bigger then those and they painted vnto them a mightie Carake with sixe masts and sailes and shroudes and men armed on horsebacke This Aluarado went through the countrey and builded there the city of Sant Iago or Saint Iames and a towne which he called Segura leauing certaine of his people in it In the same yeere 1523. in the moneth of May Antonie de Britto being captaine of the Isles of Maluco sent his cosen Simon de Breu to learne the way by the Isle of Borneo to Malaca They came in sight of the Islands of Manada and Panguensara They went through the straight of Treminao and Taguy and to the Islands of Saint Michael standing in 7. degrées and from thence discouered the Islands of Borneo and had sight of Pedra branca or the White stone and passed through the straight of Cincapura so to the citie of Malaca In this same yéere 1523. Cortes went with 300. footemen and 150. horsemen and 40000. Mexicans to Panuco both to discouer it better and also to inhabite it and withall to be reuenged vpon them which had killed and eaten the soldiers of Francis Garay They of Panuco resisted him but Cortes in the end ouerthrew them and conquered the countrey And hard by Chila vpon the riuer he built a towne and named it Santo Stephano del puerto leauing in it 100. footemen and thirtie horsemen and one Peter de Vallâ—io for lieutenant This iourney cost him 76. thousand Castillians besides the Spanyards horses and Maxicans which died there In this yéere 1523. Francis de Garay made nine ships and two brigandines to goe to Panuco and to Rio de las Palmas to be there as gouernour for that the Emperour had granted vnto him from the coast of Florida vnto Panuco in regard of the charges which he had béene at in that discouerie He carried with him 850. soldiers and 140. horses and some men out of the Island of Iamaica where he furnished his fléet with munition for the warre and he went vnto Xagua an hauen in the Island of Cuba where he vnderstood that Cortes had peopled the coast of Panuco and that it might not happen vnto him as it did to Pamphilus de Naruaez he determined to take another companion with him and desired the Doctor Zuazo to goe to Mexico and procure some agréement betwéene Cortes and him And they departed from Xagua each one about his busines Zuazo came in great ieoperdie and Garay went not cléere without Garay arriued in Rio de las Palmas on S. Iames his day and then he sent vp the riuer one Gonsaluo de Ocampo who at his returne declared that it was an euill and desert countrey but notwithstanding Garay went there on land with 400. footemen and some horsemen and he commanded one Iohn de Grijalua to search the coast and he himselfe marched by land towards Panuco and passed a riuer which he named Rio montalco he entred into a great towne where they found many hennes wherewith they refreshed themselues and he tooke some of the people of Chila which he vsed for messengers to certaine places And after great trauaile comming to Panuco they found no victuailes there by reason of the warres of Cortes and the spoile of the soldiers Garay then sent one Gonçalo de Ocampo to Sant Isteuan del puerto to know whether they would receiue him or no. They had a good answere But Cortes his men priuily by an ambushment tooke 40. of Garayes horsemen alleaging that they came to vsurpe the gouernment of another and besides this misfortune he lost fower of his ships whereupon he left off to procéede any farther While Cortes was preparing to set forward to Panuco Francis de las Casas and Roderigo de la Paz arriued at Mexico with letters patents wherein the Emperour gaue the gouernment of Nueua Spagna and all the countrey which Cortes had conquered to Cortes and namely Panuco Whereupon he staied his iourney But he sent Diego de Ocampo with the said letters patents and Pedro de Aluarado with store of footemen and horsemen Garay knowing this thought it best to yéeld himselfe vnto Cortes his hands and to go to Mexico which thing he did hauing discouered a great tract of land In this yéere 1523. Gil Gonçales de Auila made a discouerie and peopled a towne called San Gil de buena vista standing in 14. degrées toward the north and almost in the bottome of the Bay called the Ascension or the Honduras He began to conquere it because he best knew the secrets thereof and that it was a very rich countrey In this yéere 1523. the sixt day of December Peter de Aluarado went from the citie of Mexico by Cortes his commandement to discouer conquere Quahutemallan Vtlatlan Chiapa Xochnuxco and other townes toward the South sea He had with him thrée hundred soldiers 170. horsemen foure field péeces and some noble men of Mexico with people of the countrey to aide him as well in the warre as by the way being long He went by Tecoantepec to Xochnuxco and other places aboue said with great trauaile and losse of his men but he discouered and subdued all the countrey There are in those parts certaine hils that haue Alume in them and out of which distilleth a certaine liquor like vnto oile and sulphur or brimstone whereof the Spanyards made excellent gunpowder He trauailed 400. leagues in this voiage and passed certaine riuers which were so hot that they could not well endure to wade through them He builded a citie calling it Sant Iago de Quahutemallan Peter de Aluarado begged the gouernment of this countrey and the report is that it was giuen him In the yeere 1523. the 8. day of December Cortes sent Diego de Godoy with 100. footemen and 30. horsemen two field péeces and many of his friends Indians vnto the towne Del Espiritu santo He ioined himselfe with the captaine of that towne and they went to Chamolla the head citie of that prouince and that being taken all the countrey grew quiet In the yéere 1524. in Februarie Cortes sent one Roderigo Rangel with 150. Spaniards and many of the Tlaxcallans and Mexicans against the Zapoteeas and Nixticas and vnto other prouinces and countreyes not so well discouered
they were resisted at the first but quickly put the people to the woorst and kept them for euer after in subiection In this same yéere 1524. one Roderigo de Bastidas was sent to discouer people and gouerne the countrey of Santa Martha where he lost his life because he would not suffer the soldiers to take the spoile of a certaine towne They ioined with Peter Villa-forte and he being sometimes his entire friend did helpe to kill him with daggers lying in his bed Afterward Don Pedro de Lugo and Don Alfonso his sonne were gouernours of that place which vsed themselues like couetous tyrants whereof grew much trouble In this same yéere also 1524. after that the Licenciate Lucas Vasques de Aillon had obtained of the Emperour the gouernment of Chicora he armed for that purpose certaine ships from the citie of Santo Domingo and went to discouer the countrey and to inhabite it but he was lost with all his companie leauing nothing done woorthy of memorie And I cannot tell how it commeth to passe except it be by the iust iudgement of God that of so much gold and precious stones as haue béene gotten in the Antiles by so many Spaniards little or none remaineth but the most part is spent and consumed and no good thing done In this yéere 1524. Cortes sent one Christopher de Olid with a fléete to the Island of Cuba to receiue the vitailes and munition which Alonso de Contreras had prepared and to discouer and people the countrey about Cape De Higueras and the Honduras and to send Diego Hurtado de Mendoça by sea to search the coast from thence euen to Darien to finde out the Streight which was thought to run into the South sea as the Emperour had commanded He sent also two ships from Panuco to search along the coast vnto Florida He commanded also certaine brigandines to search the coast from Zacatullan vnto Panama This Christopher de Olid came to the Island of Cuba and made a league with Diego Velasquez against Cortes and so set saile and went on land hard by Puerto de Cauallos standing in 10. degrées to the north and built a towne which he called Triumpho de la Cruz. He tooke Gil Gonzales de Auila prisoner and killed his nephew and the Spaniards that were with him all sauing one childe and shewed himselfe an enimie to Cortes who had spent in that expedition thirty thousand Castellans of gold to doe him pleasure withall Cortes vnderstanding hereof the same yéere 1524. and in the moneth of October he went out of the citie of Mexico to seeke Christopher de Olid to be reuenged of him and also to discouer carrying with him thrée hundred Spanish footemen and horsemen and Quahutimoc king of Mexico and other great Lords of the same citie And comming to the towne called La villa del Espiritu santo he required guides of the Lords of Tauasco and Xicalanco and they sent him ten of their principall men for guides who gaue him also a map of cotton wooll wherein was painted the situation of the whole countrey from Xicalanco vnto Naco and Nito and euen as farre as Nicaragua with their mountaines hils fields meadowes vallies riuers cities and townes And Cortes in the meane time sent for thrée ships which were at the hauen of Medellin to follow him along the coast In this yeere 1524. they came to the citie of Izancanac where he vnderstood that the king Quahutimoc and the Mexicans that were in his companie were conspired against him and the Spanyards for the which he hanged the king and two others of the chiefe and so came to the citie of Mazaclan and after that to Tiaca the head citie of a prouince so called standing in the middest of a lake and here about they began to finde the traine of the Spanyards which they went to seeke and so they went to Zuzullin and at length came to the towne of Nito from Nito Cortes with his owne companie and all the Spanyards that he found there departed to the shore or strand called La Baâ—a de Sant Andres and finding there a good hauen he builded a towne in that place and called it Natividad de nuestra SenÌ„ora From hence Cortes went to the towne of Truxillo standing in the hauen of the Honduras where the Spanyards dwelling there did entertaine him well and while he was there there arriued a ship which brought newes of the stirre in Mexico in Cortes his absence whereupon he sent word to Gonsalo de Sandoual to march with his companie from Naco to Mexico by land toward the South sea vnto Quahutemallan because that is the vsuall plaine and safest way and he left as captaine in Truxillo Fernando de Saavedra his cosen and he himselfe went by sea along the coast of Iucatan to Chalchicoeca now called Sant Iuan de Vllhua and so to Medellin and from thence to Mexico where he was well receiued hauing béene from thence 18. monethes and had gone fiue hundred leagues trauailing often out of his way and enduring much hardnes In the yéere 1525. Francis Pizarro and Diego de Almagro went from Panama to discouer Peru standing beyond the line towarde the South which they called Nueua Castillia The gouernour Pedro Arias would not entermeddle with this expedition because of the euill newes which his captaine Francis Vezerra had brought Francis Pizarro went first in a ship hauing with him 124. soldiers and Almagro went after him in another ship with 70. men He came to Rio de San Iuan standing in thrée degrées where he got two thousand pesoes of gold and not finding Pizarro he went to séeke him repenting his doings by reason of a mishap that he had But he went first to an Island called Isla del Gorgona and afterward to another called Isla del Gallo and to the riuer called Rio del Peru standing in two degrées northward whereof so many famous countreyes take their name From thence they went to Rio de San Francisco and to Cabo de Passaos where they passed the Equinoctiall line and came to Puerto Vejo standing in one degrée to the south of the line from whence they sailed to the riuers of Chinapanpa Tumbez and Payta standing in 4. or 5. degrées where they had knowledge of king Atabalipa and of the exceeding wealth and riches of his palace Which newes mooued Pizarro spéedily to returne home againe to Panama and so into Spaine and to request the gouernment of that countrey of the Emperour which he also obtained He had spent aboue thrée yéeres before in this discouerie not without enduring great trauaile and perils In the same yéere 1525. there was sent out of Spaine a fléete of seuen ships whereof was captaine generall Don Garsia de Loaisa to the Islands of Maluco They went from the citie of the Groine and passed by the Islands
of the Canaries and went to Brasill where they found an Island in two degrées and named it S. Matthew and it seemed to be inhabited because they found in it orenge trées hogs and hennes in caues and vpon the rindes of most of the trées there were grauen Portugall letters shewing that the Portugals had béene there 17. yéeres before that time A patache or pinnesse of theirs passed the streight of Magellane hauing in her one Iohn de Resaga and ran all along the coast of Peru and Noua Spagna They declared all their successe vnto Cortes and told him that frier Garsia de Loaisa was passed to the islands of cloues But of this fléete the Admirall onely came thither wherein was captaine one Martine Mingues de Carâ—houa for Loaisa and the other captaines died by the way All the Moores of Maluco were found well affectioned to the Spaniards In the same yéere 1525. the pilot Stephen Gomes went from the port of the Groine toward the north to discouer the streight vnto the Malucos by the north to whom they would giue no charge in the fléete of frier Garsia de Loaisa But yet the Earle Don Fernando de Andrada and the Doctor Beltram and the marchant Christopher de Sarro furnished a gallion for him and he went from the Groine in Galicia to the Island of Cuba and to the point of Florida sailing by day because he knew not the land He passed the bay Angra and the riuer Enseada and so went ouer to the other side It is also reported that he came to Cape Razo in 46. degrées to the north from whence he came backe againe to the Groine laden with slaues The newes hereof ran by and by through Spaine that he was come home laden with cloues as mistaking the word and it was carried to the Court of Spaine but when the truth was knowne it turned to a pleasant iest In this voiage Gomes was ten monethes In this yéere 1525. Don George de Meneses captaine of Maluco and with him Don Garcia Henriques sent a foyst to discouer land towards the north wherein went as captaine one Diego de Rocha and Gomes de Sequeira for pilot In 9. or 10. degrées they found certaine Islands standing close together and they called them the Islands of Gomes de Sequeira he being the first pilot that discouered them And they came backe againe by the Island of Batochina In the yéere 1526. there went out of Siuill one Sebastian Cabota a Venetian by his father but borne at Bristol in England being chiefe pilote to the Emperour with fower ships toward Maluco They came to Pernambuco and staied there thrée monethes for a winde to double the Cape of Saint Augustine In the Bay of Patos or of ducks the Admirall ship perished and being without hope to get to the Isles of Maluco they there made a pinnesse to enter vp the riuer of Plate and to search it They ran 60. leagues vp before they came to the barre where they left their great ships and with their small pinnesses passed vp the riuer Parana which the inhabitants count to be the principall riuer Hauing rowed vp 120. leagues they made a fortresse and staied there aboue a yéere and then rowed further till they came to the mouth of another riuer called Paragioa and perceiuing that the countrey yéelded gold and siluer they kept on their course and sent a brigandine before but those of the countrey tooke it and Cabote vnderstanding of it thought it best to turne backe vnto their forte and there tooke in his men which he had left there and so went downe the riuer where his ships did ride and from thence he sailed home to Siuill in the yéere 1530. leauing discouered about two hundred leagues within this riuer reporting it to be very nauigable and that it springeth out of a lake named Bombo It standeth in the firme land of the kingdome of Peru running through the vallies of Xauxa and méeteth with the riuers Parso Bulcasban Cay Parima Hiucax with others which make it very broad and great It is said also that out of this lake runneth the riuer called Rio de San Francesco and by this meane the riuers come to be so great For the riuers that come out of lakes are bigger then those which procéede from a spring In the yéere 1517. one Pamphilus de Naruaez went out of S. Lucar de Barameda to be generall of the coast and land of Florida as farre as Rio de las Palmas and had with him fiue ships 600. soldiers 100. horses besides a great summe and quantitie of victuailes armour clothing and other things He could not goe on land where his desire was but went on land somewhat néere to Florida with thrée hundred of his companie some horses and some victuailes commanding the ships to goe to Rio de las Palmas in which voiage they were almost all lost and those which escaped passed great dangers hunger and thirst in an Island called Xamo and by the Spaniards Malhada being very drie and barren where the Spaniards killed one another and the people also of the countrey did the like Naruaez and those which went with him sawe some golde with certaine Indians and he demanded of them where they gathered it and they answered that they had it at Apalachen They therefore searched this gold and in searching came to the said towne where they found no gold nor siluer they saw many Bay trées and almost all other kinde of trées with beasts birds and such like The men and women of this place are high and strong very light and so swift runners that they will take déere at their pleasure and will not grow wearie though they run a whole day From Apalachen they went to a towne called Aute and from thence to Xamo a poore countrey with small sustinance These people bring vp their children very tenderly and make great lamentation when any of them dieth they neither wéepe nor lament at the death of any olde bodie Here the people desired the Spanyards to cure their sicke folks for they had many diseased and certaine of the Spanyards being in extreme pouertie assaied it and vsed praier and it pleased God that they did indéede recouer as well those that were hurt as those which were otherwise diseased in so much that one which was thought verily to be dead was by them restored to life as they themselues reporte They affirme that they passed through many countreies and many strange people differing in language apparell and customes And because they plaied the physitions they were as they passed greatly estéemed and held for Gods and the people did no hurt vnto them but would giue them part of such things as they had Therefore they passed quietly and trauailed so farre till they came to a people that vse continually to liue in heards with their cattel as the Arabians doe They be
Xalisco and told Nunnes de Gusman that they had found tokens of pearles he went into the ship and so went to séeke the pearles he discouered along the coast aboue 150. leagues They said that Ferdinando de Grijalua sailed thrée hundred leagues from Tecoantepec without seeing any land but onely one Island which he named The Isle of Saint Thomas because he came vnto it on that Saints day it standeth in 20. degrées of latitude In this yéere 1535. Pisarro builded the citie de los Reyes vpon the riuer of Lima. The inhabitants of Xauxa went to dwell there because it was a better countrey standing in 12. degrées of southerly latitude In this same yéere of 1535. he caused the citie of Truxillo to be builded on a riuers side vpon a fruitfull soile standing in 8. degrées on that side He built also the citie of Saint Iago in Porto Viejo besides many others along the sea coast and within the land where there bréede many horses asses mules kine hogs goates shéepe and other beasts also trées and plants but principally rosemary oranges limons citrons and other sower fruits vines wheate barlie and other graines radishes and other kinde of herbage and fruits brought out of Spaine thither to be sowne and planted In the same yéere 1535. one Diego de Almagro went from the citie of Culco to the prouinces of Arequipa and Chili reaching beyond Cusco towards the South vnto 30. degrées This voiage was long and he discouered much land suffering great hunger cold and other extremities by reason of the abundance of ice which stoppeth the running of the riuers so that men and horses die in those parts of the colde About this time Ferdinando Pilarro came out of Spaine to the citie de los Reyes and brought with him the title of Marquisate of Atanillos for his brother Francis Pisarro vnto Diego de Almagro he brought the gouernment of 100. leagues ouer and besides that which was discouered and named it The New kingdome of Toledo Ferdinando Pilarro went straight to the citie of Cusco and one Iohn de Rada went to Almagro into Chili with the Emperours patents Diego de Almagro hauing receiued the letters patents which the Emperour had sent him went straight from Chili vnto Cusco to haue it séeing it did appertaine vnto him Which was the cause of a ciuill warre They were mightily oppressed with want of victuailes and other things in this their returne and were enforced to eate the horses which had died fower moneths and a halfe before when they passed that way In this same yéere 1535. Nunnez DacunÌ„a being gouernour of India while he was making a fortresse at the citie of Diu he sent a fleete to the riuer of Indus being froÌ„ thence 90. or 100. leagues towards the north vnder the Tropicke of Cancer The captaines name was Vasques Perez de San Paio also he sent another armie against Badu the king of Cambaia the captaine whereof was Cosesofar a renegado They came to the barre of that mighty riuer in the moneth of December of the water whereof they found such trial as Quintus Curtius writeth of it when Alexander came thither In this yeere 1535. one Simon de Alcazaua went from Siuill with two ships and 240. Spaniards in them Some say they went to New Spaine others that they went to Maluco but others also say to China where they had béene with Ferdinando Perez de Andrada Howsoeuer it was they went first vnto the Canaries and from thence to the streight of Magelan without touching at the land of Brasill or any part at all of that coast They entred into the streight in the moneth of December with contrarie windes and cold weather The soldiers would haâ—â— had him turne backe againe but he would not He went into an hauen on the South side in 53. degrées There the captaine Simon of Alcazaua commanded Roderigo de Isla with 60. Spanyards to goe and discouer land but they rose vp against him and killed him and appointed such captaines and officers as pleased them and returned Comming thwart of Brasil they lost one of their ships vpon the coast and the Spanyards that escaped drowning were eaten by the Sauages The other ship went to Saint Iago in Hispaniola and from thence to Siuill in Spaine In this same yéere 1535. Don Pedro de Mendoça went from Cadiz towards the riuer of Plate with twelue ships and had with him two thousand men which was the greatest number of ships and men that euer any captaine carried into the Indies He died by the way returning homewards The most part of his men remained in that riuer and builded a great towne containing now two thousand houses wherein great store of Indians dwell with the Spanyards They discouered and conquered the countrey till they came to the mines of Potossi and to the towne La Plata which is 500. leagues distant from them In the yéere 1536. Cortes vnderstanding that his ship wherein Fortunio Ximenez was pilote was seased on by Nunnez de Guzman he sent foorth thrée ships to the place where Guzman was and he himselfe went by land well accompanied and found the ship which he sought all spoiled and rifled When his thrée other ships were come about he went aboord himselfe with the most part of his men and horses leauing for captaine of those which remained on land one Andrew de Tapia So he set saile and comming to a point the first day of May he called it Saint Philip and an Island that lieth fast by it he called Sant Iago Within three daies after he came into the bay where the pilot Fortunio Ximenez was killed which he called La plaia de Santa Cruz where he went on land and commanded Andrew de Tapia to discouer Cortes tooke shipping againe and came to the riuer now called Rio de San Pedro y San Paulo where by a tempest the ships were separated one was driuen to the bay de Santa Cruz another to the riuer of Guajaual and the third was driuen on shore hard by Xalisco and the men thereof went by land to Mexico Cortes long expected his two ships that he wanted but they not comming he hoised saile entred into the Gulfe now called Mar de Cortes Mar Vermejo or the Gulfe of California and shot himselfe 50. leagues within it where he espied a ship at anker sailing towards her he had béene lost if that ship had not succored him But hauing graued his ship he departed with both the ships from thence Hée bought victuals at a déere rate at Saint Michael of Culhuacan and from thence he went to the hauen of Santa Cruz where hée heard that Don Antonio de Mendoça was come out of Spaine to be Viceroy He therefore left to be captaine of his men one Francis de Vlloa to send him certaine ships to discouer that coast While he was
at Acapulco messengers came vnto him from Don Antonio de Mendoça the Viceroy to certifie him of his arriuall and also he sent him the coppie of a letter wherein Francis Pisarro wrote that Mango Ynga was risen against him and was come to the citie of Cusco with an hundred thousand fighting men and that they had killed his brother Iohn Pisarro and aboue 400. Spaniards and 200. horses and he himselfe was in danger so that he demanded succour and aide Cortes being informed of the state of Pisarro and of the arriuall of Don Antonio de Mendoça because he would not as yet be at obedieÌ„ce First he determined to sende to Maluco to discouer that way a long vnder the Equinoctial line because The Islands of Cloues stand vnder that paralele And for that purpose he prepared 2. ships with prouision victuals men besides all other things necessarie He gaue the charge of one of these ships to Ferdinando de Grijalua and of the other vnto one Aluarado a Gentleman They went first to Saint Michael de Tangarara in Peru to succour Francis Pisarro and from thence to Maluco all along néere the line as they were commanded And it is declared that they sailed aboue a thousand leagues without fight of land on she one side nor yet on the other of the Equinoctiall And in two degrées toward the north they discouered one Island named Asea which séemeth to be one of the Islands of Cloues 500. leagues little more or lesse as they sailed they came to the sight of another which they named Isla de los Pescadores Going still in this course they sawe another Island called Hayme towards the south and another named Apia and then they came to the fight of Seri turning towards the north one degrée they came to anker at another Island named Coroa and from thence they came to another vnder the liue 〈…〉 and from thence vnto Bufu standing in the same course The people of all these Islands are blacke and haue their haire frisled whom the people of Maluco do call Papuas The most of them eate mans flesh and are witches so giuen to diuilishnes that the diuels walk among them as coÌ„panions If these wicked spirits do finde one alone they kill him with cruell blowes or smoother him Therefore they vse not to goe but when two or thrée may be in a companie There is héere a bird as bigge as a Crane he flieth not nor hath any wings wherewith to flée he runneth on the ground like a Déere of their small feathers they do make haire for their idols There is also an herbe which being washed in warme water if the leafe thereof be laide on any member and licked with the toong it will draw out all the blood of a mans body and with this leafe they vse to let themselues blood From these Islands they came vnto others named the Guelles standing one degree towards the north east and west from the Isle Terenate wherein the Portugals haue a fortresse these men are haired like the people of the Malucoes These Islands stande 124. leagues from the Island named Moro and from Terenate betwéene 40. and 50. From whence they went to the Isle of Moro the IslaÌ„ds of Cloues going from the one vnto the other But the people of the countrey would not suffer them to come on lande saying vnto them Go vnto the fortresse where the captain Antonie Galuano is and we will receiue you with a good will for they would not suffer them to come on land without his licence for he was factor of the countrey as they named him A thing woorthie to be noted that those of the countrey were so affectioned to the Portugals that they would venter for them their liues wiues children and goods In the yéere 1537. the licenciate Iohn de Vadillo gouernour of Cartagena went out with a good armie from a porte of Vraba called Saint Sebastian de buena Vista being in the gulfe of Vraba and from thence to Rio verde from thence by land without knowing any way nor yet hauing any carriages they went to the end of the countrey of Peru and to the towne La plata by the space of 1200. leagues a thing woorthie of memorie For from this riuer to the mountaines of Abibe the countrey is full of hils thicke forests of trées and many riuers and for lacke of a beaten way they had pierced sides The mountaines of Abibe as it is recorded haue 20. leagues in bredth They must be passed ouer in Ianuarie Februarie March and Aprill And from that time forward it raineth much and the riuers will be so greatly encreased that you cannot passe for them There are in those mountaines many heards of swine many dantes lyons tygers beares ounses and great cats and monkeis and mightie snakes and other such vermine Also there be in these mountaines abundance of partridges quailes turtle doues pigeons and other birdes and foules of sundrie sorts Likewise in the riuers is such plentie of fish that they did kill of them with their staues and carrying canes and nets they affirme that a great army might be sustained that way without being distressed for want of victuals Moreouer they declared the diuersities of the people toongs and apparell that they obserued in the countries kingdomes and prouinces which they went through and the great trauels and dangers that they were in till they came to the towne called Villa de la Plata and vnto the sea there unto adioyning This was the greatest discouerie that hath béene heard of by land and in so short a time And if it had not béene done in our daies the credite thereof would haue béene doubtfull In the yéere 1538. there went out of Mexico certaine friers of the order of Saint Francis towards the north to preach to the Indians the Catholicke faith He that went farthest was one frier Marke de Nizza who passed through Culâ—acan and came to the prouince of Sibola where he found seuen cities and the farther he went the richer he found the countrie of gold siluer precious stones and shéepe bearing very fine wool Vpon the fame of this welth the viceroy don Antonio de Mendoça and Cortes determined to send a power thither But when they could not agrée thereupon Cortes went ouer into Spaine in the yéere 1540. where afterward he died In this yéere 1538. began the ciuil warre betweene Pisarro and Alonagro wherein at the last Alinagro was taken and beheaded In the same yéere 1538. Antonie Galuano being chiefe captaine in the isles of Maluco sent a ship towards the north whereof one Francis de Castro was captaine hauing commandement to conuert as many as he could to the faith He himselfe christened many as the lords of the Celebes Macasares Amboynos Moros Moratax and diuers other places When Francis de
in conseruing and great loialtie and patience with many seruices vnto his king and master In which of all these he had most contentation it cannot easily be determined Wherefore your noble Grace may see that this treatie and the others were made with sighes and afflictions which his inferiour will might haue raised vp in him against his superiour reason Neither was he willing to take for his remedie that which that great Turke Zelim sonne to the great Mahumet did for he tooke Constantinople and died in Rome who vsed to make himselfe drunke because he would not remember the great estate which he lost nor yet woulde he giue eare vnto those things which many of his friends would tell him wishing he would settle his mind out of the kingdome for otherwise he should neuer be able to liue whereunto he answered that in this point he would rather be compared vnto the great Timocles the Athenian then to be like the excellent Romane Coriolanus Which is a goodly example of a true and faithfull Portugall Though it were not so as I doe say yet I doe heare that the hospitals be full of the most faithfull subiects to their prince and countrey Wherefore by all reason this treatie ought to be of your Grace fauoured setting apart all ouersights if there be any in this worke of the author I being not able to attaine vnto the vnderstanding of the contrary God prosper your Grace with long life and increase of honour An excellent Treatise of ANTONIE GALVANO Portugall containing the most ancient and moderne discoueries of the world especially by nauigation according to the course of times from the flood vntill the yeere of grace 1555. WHile I had a desire to gather together some olde and some new discoueries which haue béene made by sea and by land with their iust times and situations they séemed to be two things of so great difficultie that being coÌ„fused in the authors of them I determined once to desist froÌ„ any such purpose For touching the course of time the Herbreâ—es declare that from the beginning of the world to the flood were 1656. yéeres The Seuentie Interpreters make mention of 2242. And S. Augustine reckoneth 2262. In the situations likewise there be many differences For there neuer sailed together in one fleete at sea from ten pilots to the number of 100. but that some of them found themselues by reckoning in one longitude and other some in another But considering better with my selfe that the difficulties are openâ—o and the differences amended by others of more exact iudgement and vnderstanding therein I purposed notwithstanding to procéede in this worke of Discoueries Some there be that say that the world hath fully béene discouered and they alleage this reason that as it hath bâ—ene peopled and inhabited so it might be frequented and nauigable and the rather for that the men in that age were of a longer life and of lawes and languages almost one There be others of a contrarie opinion to this holding that all the earth could not be knowne nor the people conuersant one with another For though it had béene so once yet the same would haue beene lost againe by the malice of men and the want of iustice among the inhabitants of the earth But bicause the best and most famous discoueries were made by sea and that principally in our times I desire to knowe who were the first Discouerers since the time of the flood Some affirme that they were the Gréekes others say the Phoenicians others also the Egyptians The people of India agrée not hereunto affirming that they were the first that sailed by sea namely the Tabencos which now we call the Chinois And they alleage for the proofe of this that they be the Lords of the Indiaes euen vnto the Cape of Bona Sperança the island of S. Laurence which is inhabited by them and al along the sea as also the Iauaes Timores Celebes Macaâ—ares Malucos Borneos Mindanaos Luçones Lequeos Iapones and other Islands being many in number and the firme lands of Cauchin-China Laos Bramas Pegu Arracones till you come vnto Bengala And besides this New Spaine Peru Brasill the Antiles with the rest adioining vnto them as appéereth by the fashions and maners of the men and women and by their proportions hauing small eies flat noses with other proportions to be seene And to this day many of these Ilands and countreies are called by the names of Bâ—tochina Bocho-China which is as much to say as the countreies of China Further it appeereth by histories that the arke of Noe rested vpon the north parts of the mountaines of Armenia which stands in 40. degrées and vpwards and that immediately thereupon Scythia was first peopled for that it is an high land and appéered first after the flood And séeing the prouince and countrey of the Tabenâ—os is one of the chiefest of all Tartarie as they report it is to be thought that they were of the most ancient inhabitants and men of the most ancient nauigations the seas being as calme as the riuers be in those parts lying betwéene the Tropicks where the daies and nights do not much differ as well in the howers as in the temperature where there blow no outragious windes to cause the waters to rise or to be troubled And by late experience it is sound that the small barks wherein they saile haue onely a great high bough in the middest of the barke standing in steed both of mast and saile and the master holdeth onely an â—are in his hand to stirre withall and so they saile swiftly along the coast and the rest of the passengers sit onely vpon certaine poles which are fastened in the barke which they call Catamarones and so they passe without rowing It is further said that the people of China were somtimes Lords of the most part of Scythia and sailed ordinarily along that coast which séemeth to reach vnto 70. degrées toward the north Cornelius Nepos is the author of this who particularly affirmeth that in the time that Metellus the fellowe Consul of Afranius was Proconsul in France the king of Sueâ—ia sent vnto him certaine Indians which came thither in a ship from this countrey comming by the north and by the flats of Germanie And it is probable that they were people of China for that they from 20. 30. and 40. degrees vpwards haue strong ships and clynchers that can well brooke the seas and indure the cold and intemperature of such northerly regions As for Cambaia there is shipping also in it and the people by report haue vsed the seas many yéeres but it seemeth not that they were any of them which came into France for that they trafficke onely to Cairo and are men in déed of little trafficke and lesse clothing As for those which escaped the destruction of the flood they were therewith so amazed that they durst not descend into the plaines and
in 20. degrées and informed Don Henry of the state of that couÌ„trey by the Moores which they brought from thence Whereupon he sent one Fernan Lopez de Sauado to giue knowledge thereof to Pope Martine trusting to make these things commodious to Holy Church Vpon which knowledge the Pope granted indulgences and euerlasting pardon and all other things demanded of him vnto those which should die in this enterprise After this in the yéere 1443. Don Henry commanded Antonie Gonsales to carrie backe the slaues which he had brought and to ransome them in their countrey Which he did and the Moores gaue them in trucke for them againe blacke Moores with curled haire and some gold so that now that place is called Rio de Oro that is the Golden Riuer whereby the desire of the discouerie might be the more increased Not long after he sent out another named Nunnez Tristan who came vnto the Islands of Arguin where he tooke more slaues and brought them to Portugall in the yéere 1444. Hereupon also one Lansarote a groome of Don Gilians chamber with others associated with him armed out certaine ships which went coasting til they came to the Islands of Garze where they tooke two hundred slaues which were the first that were brought from thence to Portugall In the yéere 1445. there went as captaine of a barke one Gonsalo de Syntra an esquire belonging to Don Henry into those parts and he went on land where he was taken with sixe or seuen more of his company which place was therefore called after his name Angra de Gonsaluo de Syntra This was the first losse which the Portugals receiued in their discoueries In the yéere following Don Henry sent out thrée carauels wherein went as captaines Antonie Gonsales Diego Aloizio and Gomes Perez who had their direction not to enter into Rio de Oro nor to beare themselues disorderly but to trauaile in peace and to conuert as many infidels as they could to Christianitie But none of these things were performed by them for they returned without doing any memorable act In the same yéere 1446. another esquire belonging to the king of Portugall called Denis Fernandes of the citie of Lisbon entred into these discoueries more to winne fame then to reape commoditie by them And he being in his voiage came to the riuer of Sanaga standing betwéene 15. and 16. degrées of latitude towards the north where he tooke certaine Negroes and not contented therewith he went forward and discouered Cape Verde standing in 14. degrees on the same side and there he set vp vpon the land a crosse of wood and then returned with great contentation In the yéere 1447. one Nunnez Tristan went foorth to discouer in a carauell and he passed the aforesaid Cape Verde and Rio Grande and went past it vnto another standing beyond it in 12. degrées where he was also taken with 18. Portugals more but the ship came home againe in safetie conducted by fower or fiue which escaped the hands of the Negroes In this yéere also 1447. it happened that there came a Portugall ship through the streight of Gibraltar and being taken with a great tempest was forced to runne westwards more then willingly the men would and at last they fell vpon an Island which had seuen cities and the people spake the Portugall toong and they demanded if the Moores did yet trouble Spaine whence they had fled for the losse which they receiued by the death of the king of Spaine Don Roderigo The boateswaine of the ship brought home a little of the sand and sold it vnto a goldsmith of Lisbon out of the which he had a good quantitie of gold Don Pedro vnderstanding this being then gouernour of the realme caused all the things thus brought home and made knowne to be recorded in the house of Iustice There be some that thinke that those Islands whereunto the Portugals were thus driuen were the Antiles or Newe Spaine alleaging good reasons for their opinion which here I omit because they serue not to my purpose But all their reasons séeme to agrée that they should be that countrey which is called Noua Spagna In the yéere 1449. the king Don Alfonso gaue licence vnto his vncle Don Henry to inhabit the Islands of the Açores which were long before discouered And in the yéere 1458. this king went into Africa and there he tooke the towne called Alcaçer And in the yéere 1461. he commanded Signior Mendez a gentleman of his house to build the castle of Arguin whereof he gaue vnto him the gouernment as to his lieutenant In the yéere 1462. there came into the realme of Portugall thrée Genowais of good parentage the chiefe of whom was called Antonie de Noli and of the other two the one was his brother the other was his nepâ—ew and each of these had his seuerall ship crauing libertie of Don Henry to discouer the Islands of Cape Verde which was granted them Others say that the places which they discouered were those which Antiquitie called the Gorgades Hesperides and Dorcades but they named them Mayo Sainct Iago and Sainct Philip because they discouered them on those Saints daies but they are also called by some the Islands of Antonio In the yéere following 1463. this good noble man Don Henry died leaning from Cape De Non discouered vnto the mountaine called Sierra Leona standing on this side the line in 8. degrées of latitude where no man had béene before that time In the yéere 1469. the king of Portugall did let out for yéerely rent the trade of Guiney vnto one called Fernan Gomez which countrey afterwards was called The Mine He let it out for fiue yéeres for two hundred thousand Reyes by the yéere which is of our English money 138. l. 17. â— 9. d. ob and added vnto his lease this condition that euery yéere he should discouer an hundred leagues In the yéere following which was 1470. this king went into Africa with his sonne Prince Iohn where they tooke the towne of Arzila and the people of the citie of Tanger fled out for feare and that he tooke also It séemeth that good fortune followeth a couragious attempt In the yéere 1471. Fernan Gomes gaue commandement that the coast should be discouered as it lay Which was vndertaken by Iohn de S. Aren and Iohn de Scouar and they went and found the Mine in 5. degrées of latitude And the next yéere which was 1472. one Fernando da Poo discouered the Island now called after his name Also about this time the Islands of Sainct Thomas and Del Principe were discouered standing vnder the line with the firme land also wherein is the kingdome of Benin reaching to the Cape de Santa Catarina standing on the south side of the line in 3. degrées The man
that made this discouerie was a seruant of the kings and his name was Sequeira Many suppose that than also there were those places countreyes and Islands discouered which before were neuer knowne to vs since the flood In the yéere 1480. the valiant king Don Alphonso died and left many things woorthy of memorie behinde him and his sonne Don Iohn the second succéeded him Who in the yéere 1481. gaue direction for the building of the castle De Mina to one Diego d'Azambuxa who did so and was made captaine of it In the yéere 1484. the foresaid king Iohn sent out one Diego Caon a knight of his Court to discouer and he went to the Riuer of Congo standing on the south side in 7. or 8. degrées of latitude where he erected a pillar of stone with the royall armes and letters of Portugall wherein he wrote the commandement that he had receiued from the king with the time and day of his being there From thence he went vnto a riuer néere the Tropicke of Capricorne setting still vp pillars of stone where he thought it conuenient and so came backe againe vnto Congo and to the king of that countrey who thereupon sent an ambassadour and men of credite into Portugall In the next yéere or the second following one Iohn Alonso d'Aueiro came from the kingdome of Benin and brought home pepper with a taile which was the first of that kinde séene in Portugall In the yéere 1487. king Iohn sent to discouer India ouer land In which iourney went one Pedro de Couillan a seruant of the kings and Alfonso de Payua because they could speake the Arabian toong They went out in the moneth of May and the same yeere they tooke shipping at Naples and arriued in the Isle of Rhodes and lodged in the house that was prouided for the Portugall knights of that order from thence they went to Alexandria and so to Cayro and thence to the hauen of Toro in the companie of the Carauans or carriers which were Moores There they tooke shipping and being on the Red sea they arriued at the citie of Aden and there they separated themselues for Alfonso de Payua went towards Aethiopia and Pedro de Couillan into India Who came vnto the cities of Cananor and Calicut and came backe vnto Goa where he tooke shipping vnto Sofala being on the coast of Africa in the southerne latitude of 20. degrées to sée the mines that were of so great name From Sofala he turned backe to Mosambique and vnto the cities of Quiloa Mombaza and Melinde till he came backe againe vnto the citie of Aden where he and Alfonso de Payua deuided themselues and thence he sailed againe through the Red sea vnto the citie of Cayro where he thought to haue met with his companion but there he heard that he was dead by the letters that he receiued from king Iohn his master in which letters he was farther commanded to trauaile into the countrey and dominions of Presbyter Iohn Vpon this commandement he prouided for his farther iourney and from Cairo went backe againe to the hauen of Toro and from thence to Aden where he had béen twise before and there hearing of the fame of the citie of Ormuz he determined to goe thither and therefore went along the coast of Arabia vnto the Cape Razalgate standing vnder the Tropicke of Cancer and from thence he went to Ormuz standing in 27. degrées on that side There he learned and vnderstood of the streigth of Persia and of that countrey and entred there into the Red sea and passed ouer to the realme of the Abassini which commonly is called Presbyter Iohns countrey or Aethiopia and there he was detained till the yéere 1520. when there came thither the ambassadour Don Roderigo de Lima This Pedro de Couillan was the first Portugall that euer knew and saw the Indias and those seas and other places adioyning thereunto In the yéere 1490. the king sent vnto Congo one Gonzalo de Sosa a gentleman with thrée ships and in them sent home the ambassadour of Congo which was sent into Portugall whom Diego Caon had brought from thence who at his being in Portugall was baptised both himselfe and others of his companie The aforesaid Gonzalo de Sosa died in that iourney by the way and in his roome they chose his nephew Ruy de Sosa for their captaine and so being come vnto Congo the king was very glad of their comming and yéelded himselfe and the greater part of his realme to be baptized whereof the Portugals had good cause to reioice séeing by them so many Infidels were conuerted from gentilitie and paganisme to Christianitie The first beginning of the Discoueries of the Spanyards with the continuation of the Discoueries of the Portugals IN the yéere 1492. in the time of Don Ferdinando king of Castile he being at the siege of Granada dispatched one Christopher Columbus a Genoway with three ships to goe and discouer Noua Spagna who first had offered his seruice for a westerne discouerie vnto king Iohn of Portugall but he would not entertaine him He being sufficiently furnished for this enterprise departed from the towne of Palos the third day of August hauing with him as captaines and pilots Martin Alfonso Pinzon Francis Martinez Pinzon Vincent Yannes Pinzon and Bartholomew Columbus his brother with 120. persons more in his companie and some affirme that they were the first that sailed by latitudes They tooke the Canaries in their way and there refreshed themselues taking their course thence towards Cipango but finding the sea by the way full of wéeds they were amazed and with great feare arriued at the Antiles the tenth day of October and the first Island that they descried was called Guanahany where they went on land and tooke possession of it and named it San Saluador This Island standeth in 25. degrées of northerly latitude And after that they found many Islands which they called the Princes because they were the first that they had discouered The Sauages of those parts call these Islands by the name of Lucaios hauing in déede seuerall names for them And they doe stand on the north side almost vnder the Tropicke of Cancer As for the Island of S. Iames or Iamaica it standeth betwéene 16. and 17. degrées Thence they went to the Island which the naturals of the countrey call Cuba and the Spanyards call it Ferdinandina bicause their kings name was Ferdinando standing in 22. degrées from whence the Indians conducted them vnto another Island which they call Hayti and the Spanyards called it Isabella in the memorie of the Quéene of Castile which was so called and they named it also Hispaniola In that Island the Admirall ship of Columbus was cast away of the timber and planks whereof they made a forte wherein they
left 38 men and a captaine called Roderigo de Arana to learne the language and customes of the countrey They brought from thence musters and shewes of gold pearles and other things which that countrey yéelded and ten Indians also whereof sixe died the rest were brought home and baptized Hereupon there grewe such a common desire of trauaile among the Spanyards that they were ready to leape into the sea to swim if it had béen possible into those new found parts The aforesaid company of Columbus at their comming home tooke in their way the Isles of the Açores and the 4. day of March in the yéere 1493. they entred into the bar of Lisbon which discouerie pleased not the king of Portugall Whereupon rose a contention betwéene those two kings Christopher Columbus being arriued went presently into Castile with the newes of all things and acquainted the king Fernando with the discontentednes of the king of Portugall whereupon he and the Quéene Isabella his wife sent streight word thereof vnto Pope Alexander the 6. whereat he and the Italians were in great admiration maruailing that there was any more land besides that which was vnder the Romanes But the end of this matter was this Alexander the Pope gaue these countreies by his iudgement vnto the kingdomes of Leon and Castile with this condition That they should labour to extirpate idolatrie and plant the Holy faith in those countreyes Fernando the king hauing receiued this answere was glad of it and sent Christopher Columbus againe on the former voiage hauing made him Admirall and giuen him other honors with particular armes and a posie written about his armes to this effect For Castile and for Leon A new world found out Colon. In the yéere 1493. the 25. of the moneth of October Christopher Columbus went backe vnto the Antiles and froÌ„ Cadiz he tooke his course hauing in his companie 17. ships and 1500. men in them with his brethren Bartholomew Columbus and Diego Columbus with other knights gentlemen men of law and religious men with chalices crosses rich ornaments and with great power and dignitie from Pope Alexander the 10. day after their setting foorth they arriued at the Canaries from thence in 25. or 30. daies they sailed vnto the Antiles the first Island that they saw standeth in 14. degrées towards the north due west from Cape Verde on the coast of Africa They say that the distance from thence to the Canaries is 800. leagues The name they gaue it was Deseada that is the Desired or wished Island for the great desire which the companie had to come to sight of land After that they discouered many more which they named the Virgines which the naturals of the countrey call the Caribas for that the men of that countrey are good warriers and shoote well in bowes They poison their arrowes with an herbe whereof he that is hurt dieth biting himselfe like as a mad dog doth From these Islands and others they went vnto the principall Island there which they of the countrey doe call Boriquen and the Spanyards call it S. Iohn and thence to Hispaniola or Isabella where they found all the men dead which there they had left Here the Admirall left the most part of the people to plant it and appointed his brethren to be gouernours there and so tooke two ships and went to discouer the other side of the Island of Cuba and from thence to Iamaica All these Islands stand from 16. vnto 20. degrées of northerly latitude In the meane time that the Admiralâ— sailed about his brethren and they that were left with them were much troubled because the Sauages did rise against them So that Christopher Colon went backe againe into Spaine to tell the king and Quéene of his aduentures In the yéere 1494. and in the moneth of Ianuarie there was an agréement made of the differences which were betwéene the two kings of Spaine and Portugall For the which agréement there were sent out of Portugall Ruy de Soâ—a and Don Iohn his sonne and the Doctor Ayres de Almada and for the king of Spaine there were Don Henry Henriques Don Iohn de Cardenas and the Doctor Maldonado All these met in the towne of Tordesillas and they deuided the world froÌ„ the north to the south by a meridian which standeth west from the Islands of Cape Verde 300. leagues so that the one halfe which lay vnto the east should belong vnto Portugall and that which lay to the west to the king of Spaine whereby notwithstanding libertie to trauell was left equall vnto both In the yéere following 1495. Iohn king of Portugall died and Emmanuel his cosen began to reigne In the yéere 1496. there was a Venetian in England called Iohn Cabota who hauing knowledge of such a new discouerie as this was and perceiuing by the globe that the Islands before spoken of stood almost in the same latitude with his countrey and much néerer to England then to Portugall or to Castile he acquainted king Henrie the seuenth then king of England with the same wherewith the saide king was greatly pleased and furnished him out with two ships and thrée hundred men which departed and set saile in the spring of the yéere and they sailed westward til they came in sight of land in 45. degrées of latitude towards the north and then went straight northwards till they came into 60. degrées of latitude where the day is 18. howers long and the night is very cléere and bright There they found the aire cold and great Islands of ice but no ground in an hundred fathoms sounding and so from thence finding the land to turne eastwards they trended along by it discouering all the Bay and riuer named Deseado to see if it passed on the other side Then they sailed backe againe till they came to 38. degrées towards the Equinoctiall line and from thence returned into England There he others which say that he went as far as the Cape of Florida which standeth in 25. degrées In the yéere 1497. The king of Spaine Don Fernando sent out Christopher Columbus with sixe ships and he himselfe prouided two ships at his owne cost and sending his brother before he made saile from the Bay of Cadiz carrying with him his sonne Don Diego Colon It was then reported that he went to take the Island of Madera because he mistrusted the French men and therefore sent thither thrée ships others say it was to the Canaries But howsoeuer it was this is true that he and thrée more went vnto the Islands of Cape Verde and ran along by the line finding great calmes and raine and the first land which they came vnto of the Antiles was an Island standing in 9. degrées of latitude towards the north ioining fast vnto the maine land which they called La Trinidada and so he entred into the Gulfe of Paria and came out of
ships vpon the commandement of Emmanuel the king to discouer the coast of Brasil and they sailed in the sight of the Canaries and from thence to Cape Verde where they refreshed themselues in the towne of Bezequiche and passed from thence beyond the line southward and fell with the land of Brasill in fiue degrées of latitude and so went forward till they came in 32. degrées little more or lesse according as they accounted it and from thence they came backe in the moneth of Aprill because it was there at that time cold and tempestuous They were in that voiage fifteene monethes and came to Lisbon againe in the beginning of September 1502. In the yâ—ere 1502. one Alfonso Hoieda went to discouer Terra firma and followed his course till he came to his prouince of Vraba The next yéere following also one Roderigo Bastidas of Siuill went out with two carauels at his owne cost and the first land of the Antiles that he saw was an Island which he named Isla Verde that is the Gréene Island standing fast by the Island of Guadalupe towards the land and from thence they tooke their course towards the west to Santa Martha and Cape De la Vela and to Rio Grande or the Great riuer and they discouered the hauen of Zamba the Coradas Carthagena and the Islands of S. Barnard of Baru and Islas de Arenas and went forward vnto Isla fuerte and to the point of Caribana standing at the end of the Gulfe of Vraba where they had sight of the Farrallones standing on the other side hard by the riuer of Darien and from Cape De la Vela vnto this place are two hundred leagues and it standeth in 9. degrées and two parts of latitude From thence they crossed ouer vnto the Island of Iamaica where they refreshed themselues In Hispaniola they graued their ships because of the holes which certaine wormes of the water had eaten in the planks In that countrey they got fower hundred markes of golde although the people there be more warlike then in Noua Spania for they poison their arrowes which they shoote In this same yéere 1502. Christopher Columbus entred the fourth time into his discouerie with fower ships at the commandement of Don Fernando to séeke the Streight which as they said did diuide the land from the other side and he carried with him Ferdinando his sonne They went first to the Island of Hispaniola to Iamaica to the riuer Azua to the Cape of Higueras and vnto the Islands Gamares and to the Cape of Hunduras that is to say the Cape of the Depthes from thence they sailed towards the east vnto the Cape Gracias a Dios and discouered the prouince and riuer of Veragua and Rio Grande and others which the Indians call Hienra And from thence he went to the riuer of Crocodiles which now is called Rio de Chagres which hath his springs néere the South Sea within fower leagues of Panama and runneth into the North Sea and so he went vnto the Island which he called Isla de Bastimentos that is the Isle of Victuailes and then to Puerto Bello that is the Faire hauen and so vnto Nombre de Dios and to Rio Francisco and so to the hauen of Retrete and then to the Gulfe of Cabesa Cattiua and to the Islands of Caperosa and lastly to the Cape of Marble which is two hundred leagues vpon the coast from whence they began to turne againe vnto the Island of Cuba and from thence to Iamaica where he grounded his ships being much spoiled and eaten with wormes In this yéere also 1502 Don Vasques de Gama being now Admirall went againe into India with 19. or 20. Carauels He departed from Lisbon the tenth day of Februarie and by the last day of that moneth he came to an anker at Cape Verde and from thence he went vnto Mosambique and was the first that crost from that Island into India and he discouered another in 4. degrées of latitude which he called the Island of the Admirall and there he tooke his lading of pepper and drugs and left there one Vincent Sodre to kéepe the coast of India with fiue ships These were the first Portugals that with an armie did run along the coast of Arabia Foelix It is there so barren that their cattell and camels are onely maintained with drie fish brought from the sea whereof there is such plenty and abundance that the cats of the countrey doe vse to take them In the yeere following as it is reported one Antonie de Saldanta discouered the Island which in old time was called Coradis and now Socotora and the Cape of Guardafu which adioineth vnto that countrey In the yéere 1504. Roderigo de Bastidas obtained licence of king Ferdinando and by the meanes of Iohn de Lodesma and others of Siuill armed and furnished out two ships hauing for his pilot one Iohn de Cosa of Saint Marie Port and he went to discouer that part of Tierra firma where now standeth Carthagena being in ten degrées and a halfe of northerly latitude And it is said that they found the captaine Luis de la Guerra and they together tooke land in the Isle of Codego where they tooke sixe hundred persons of the Sauages And going farther along the coast they entred into the Gulfe of Vraba where they found sand mingled with gold being the first that was brought to the king Don Ferdinando from thence they returned to the citie of Santo Domingo laden with slaues without victuailes because they of the countrey would not bargaine with them which grew to their great trouble and griefe In the later end of this yéere died Ladie Isabella Quéene of Castile Which Quéene while she liued would not suffer any man of Arragon Catalunia Valencia nor any borne in the countrey of Don Fernando her husband to enter into these discoueries saue those which were their seruants or by speciall commandement but only the Castillians Biscaines those which were of her owne Signiories by whom all the lands aforesaid were discouered In the yéere 1505. vpon our Lady day in March Francisco de Almeida Viceroy of India tooke his course with 22. sailes towards India as now is accustomed He came vnto the citie of Quiloa where he built a fort appointing one Peter Fereira to be captaine thereof and beyond Melinde he trauersed to the Island of Angediua where he placed as captaine one Emmanuell Passauia In Cananor also he built another fort giuing the captainship of it to Laurence de Brito In Cochin he did the like where Don Alfonso de Noronia was made captaine This yéere one Peter de Anhaya did build the fortresse of Sofala whereof also himselfe was made captaine In the later end of this yéere the Viceroy commanded his sonne whose name was Don Laurenço to make some
entrie vpon the Islands of Maldiua and with contrarie weather he arriued at the Islands which of ancient time were called Traganae but the Moores called them Ytterubenero and we call them Ceilan where he went on land and made peace with the people there and afterward came backe vnto Cochin sailing along the coast and fully discouering it In the middest of this Island there stands a rocke of stone very high hauing the signe of the foote of a man vpon the top of it which they say to be the footestep of Adam when he went vp into the heauens and the Indians haue it in great reuerence In the yéere 1506. after the death of the Quéene of Spaine king Philip and Quéene Ioan his wife came into Spaine to take possession thereof and king Don Fernando went into Arragon being his owne patrimonie In this same yeere the said king Philip died and then Fernando came againe to gouerne Spaine and he gaue licence vnto all Spanyards to goe vnto the New land and to the Aâ—tiles but not to the Portugals In this yéere and in the moneth of May Christopher Columbus died and his sonne Don Diego Columbus succeeded in his roome In the yéere 1506. and entring into the moneth of March Tristan de Acunna and Alfonso de Albuquerque went into India with 14. ships in their companie and sailed till they came to an anker at the towne of Bezequiche where they refreshed themselues and before they came to the Cape of Bona Sperança in 37. degrées they found certaine Islands which now are named the Isles of Tristan de Acunna where they had such a tempest that therewithall the fléete was dispersed Tristan de AcunÌ„a and Alfonso de Albuquerque went vnto Mosambique and Aluaro Telez ran so far that he came to the Island of Samatra and so backe againe vnto the Cape of Guardatu hauing discouered many Islands sea and land neuer séene before that time of any Portugall Emmanuel Telez de Meneses was also driuen without the great Island of S. Laurence and he ran along the coast thereof and arriued at last at Mosambique and there met with Tristan de AcunÌ„a who was the first captaine that wintred there and by them it was told that in this Island was much Ginger Cloues and siluer whereupon he went and discouered much of it within the land but finding nothing he came backe againe vnto Mosambique from whence he sailed vnto Melinde and ran along that coast and entred into Braua and from thence they crost ouer to the Island of Socotora where they built a fortresse and made one Don Antonio de Noronia captaine thereof In the yéere 1507. in the moneth of August Tristan de AcunÌ„a tooke shipping for India and Alfonso de Albuquerque remained there with fiue or sixe ships to kéepe the coast and entrie of the Streight but being not therewith satisfied he tooke his course ouer vnto Arabia and running along that coast he doubled the Cape of Rosalgate standing vnder the Tropicke of Cancer In the yeere 1509. one Diego Lopez de Sequeira went out of Lisbon with fower sailes vnto the Island of Saint Laurence and continued in his voiage almost a yéere and in the moneth of May the same yéere he arriued in Cochin where the Viceroy gaue him one ship more and in the beginning of the moneth of September he tooke his course vnto Malacca passing betwéene the Islands of Nicubar and many others He went also to the land of Samatra to the cities of Pedir and Pacem and all along by all that coast vnto the Island of A Poluoreira and the flats of Capacia and from thence he went ouer vnto Malacca standing in 2. degrées of latitude towards the north but in that citie the people killed and tooke as prisoners some of his men and thereupon he turned backe againe into India hauing discouered in this voiage fiue hundred leagues This Island of Samatra is the first land wherein we knew mans flesh to be eaten by certaine people which liue in the mountaines called Bacas who vse to gilde their téeth They hold opinion that the flesh of the blacke people is swéeter then the flesh of the white The buffes kine and hennes which are in that countrey are in their flesh as blacke as any inke They say that there are certaine people there called Daraqui Dara which haue tailes like vnto shéepe and some of their welles yéeld oile The king of Pedir is reported to haue a riuer in his land running with oile which is a thing not to be maruelled at séeing it is found written that in Bactria there is also a well of oile it is farther said that there groweth here a trée the iuice whereof is strong poison and if it touch the blood of a man he dieth immediately but if a man doe drinke of it it is a soueraigne remedie against poison so seruing both for life and death Here also they doe coine péeces of gold which they call Drachmas brought into the land as they say by the Romanes which séemeth to haue some resemblance of truth because that from that place forward there is no coined gold but that which is thus coined doth run currant in the buying of marchandise and other things In the yéere 1508. one Alfonso de Hoieda with the fauour of Don Fernando purposed to goe vnto Tierra firma to conquer the prouince of Darien He went foorth at his owne charges discouered The Firme land where it is called Vraba which he named Castilia del Oro that is Golden Castilia bicause of the gold which they found among the sand along the coast And they were the first Spanyards that did this Alfonso de Hoieda went first from the Island of Hispaniola and the citie of San Domingo with fower ships and thrée hundred soldiers leauing behinde him the bachiler Anciso who afterwards compiled a booke of these discoueries And after him there went also one ship with victuals munition and 150. Spanyards He went on land at Carthagena but there the people of the countrey tooke slew and eate 70. of his soldiers whereupon he grew very weake In this yéere 1508. one Drego de Niquesa prepared seuen ships in the port of Beata to goe vnto Veragua and carried in them almost 800. men When he came to Carthagena he found there Alfonso de Hoieda sore spoiled with his former losse but then they both ioined together and went on land and auenged themselues of the people And in this voiage Diego de Niquesa went and discouered the coast called Nombre de Dios and went vnto the sound of Darien and called it Puerto de Misas which is vpon the riuer of Pito When they were come vnto Veragua he went on shore with his armie his soldiers being out of hope to returne to Hispaniola Alfonso de Hoieda began a
fortresse in Caribana against the Caribes which was the first towne that the Spanyards builded in the Firme land and in Nombre de Dios they built another and called it Nuestra Sennora de la Antigua They builded also the towne of Vraba And there they left for their captaine and lieutenant one Francis Pisarro who was there much troubled They builded other towns also whose names I here omit But these captaines had not that good successe which they hoped for In the yéere 1509. the second Admirall Don Diego Columbus went into the Island of Hispaniola with his wife and houshold And she being a gentlewoman carried with her many other women of good families which were there married and so the Spanyards and Castillians began to people the countrey for Don Fernando the king had giuen them licence to discouer and people the townes of Hispaniola so that the same place grew to be famous and much frequented The foresaid Admirall also gaue order to people the Island of Cuba which is very great and large and placed there as his lieutenant one Diego Velasques who went with his father in the second voiage In the yéere 1511. in the moneth of Aprill Alfonso de Albuquerque went from the citie of Cochin vnto Malaeca In which yéere and moneth the Chineans went from Malaeca into their owne countrey and Alfonso sent with them for master a Portugall called Duarte Fernandes with letters also and order vnto the king of the Mantias which now is called Sian standing in the South They passed through the streight of Cincapura and sailed towards the north went along the coast of Patane vnto the citie of Cuy and from thence to Odia which is the chiefe citie of the kingdome standing in 14. degrées of northerly latitude The king greatly honoured and welcomed Duarte Fernandes being the first Portugall that he had séene and with him he sent backe ambassadours to Albuquerque They passed ouer land towards the west vnto the citie of Tanaçerim standing vpon the sea on the other side in 12. degrées where they imbarked themselues in two ships and sailed along the coast vnto the citie of Malacca leauing it all discouered The people of this countrey of Sian are people that eate of all kinde of beastes or vermine They haue a delight to carrie round bels within the skin of their priuie members which is forbidden to the king and the religious people It is said that of all other people of those parts they be most vertuous and honest They commend themselues much for their chastitie and pouertie They bring no heunes nor doues vp in their houses This kingdome hath in length 250. leagues and in bredth 80. Of this only kingdome the king may bring foorth into the field thirtie thousand elephants when he goeth to warre besides those which remaine in the cities for the garde of them The king much estéemeth a white elephant and a red one also that hath eies like vnto flaming fire There is in this countrey a certaine small vermine which vseth to cleaue fast to the trunke of the elephant and draweth the blood of the elephant and so he dieth thereof The skull of this vermine is so hard that the shot of an handgun cannot enter it they haue in their liuers the figures of men and women which they call Tokeâ—a and are much like vnto a mandrake And they affirme that he which hath one of them about him cannot die with the stroke of any iron They haue also wilde kine in this countrey in the heads of whome they finde stones which are of vertue to bring good hap and fortune to marchants After that Duarte Fernandes had béen with the Mantales or people of Sian Alfonso de Albuquerque sent thither a knight called Ruy Nunnez de Acunna with letters and ambassage vnto the king of the Seguies which we call Pegu. He went in a Iunco of the countrey in sight of the Cape Rachado and from thence went vnto the citie of Pera which standeth fast by the riuer Salano and many other villages standing all along this riuer where Duarte Fernandes had béene before vnto the cities of Tanaçerim and of Martauan standing in 15. degrées toward the north and the citie of Pegu standeth in 17. This was the first Portugall which trauailed in that kingdome and he gaue good information of that countrey and of the people which vse to were bels in their priuities euen as the Mantales doe In the end of this yeere 1511. Alfonso de Albuquerque sent thrée ships to the Islands of Banda and Maluco And there went as Generall of them one Antonio de Breu and with him also went one Francis Serrano and in these ships there were 120. persons They passed through the Streight of Saban and along the Island of Samatra and others leauing them on the left hand towards the east and they called them the Salites They went also to the Islands of Palinibam and La Suparam from whence they sailed by the noble Island of Iaua and they ran their course east sailing betweene it and the Island of Madura The people of this Island are very warlike and strong and doe little regard their liues The women also are there hired for the warres and they fall out often together and kill one another as the Mocos doe delighting onely in shedding of blood Beyond the Island of Iaua they sailed along by another called Bali and then came also vnto others called Aujaue çambaba Solor Galao Mallua Vitara Rosalangum Arus from whence are brought delicate birds which are of great estimation because of their feathers they came also to other Islands lying in the same parallele on the south side in 7. or 8. degrées of latitude And they be so nere the one to the other that they séeme at the first to be one entire and maine land The course by these Islands is aboue fiue hundred leagues The ancient Cosmographers call all these Islands by the name Iauos but late experience hath found their names to be very diuers as you see Beyonde these there are other Islands toward the north which are inhabited with whiter people going arraied in shirts doublets and slops like vnto the Portugals hauing also money of siluer The gouernours among them doe carrie in their hands red staues whereby they séeme to haue some affinitie with the people of China There are other Islands and people about this place which are redde and it is reported that they are of the people of China Antonie de Breu and those that went with him tooke their course toward the north where is a smal Island called Gumnape or Ternate from the highest place whereof there fall continually into the sea flakes or streames like vnto fire which is a woonderfull thing to behold From thence they went to the Islands of Burro and Amboino
came on land in Iucatan standing in 20. degrées of latitude at a point which they called Punta de las Duennas that is to say The point of Ladies which was the first place wherein they had séen Temples and buildings of lime and stone The people here goe better apparelled then in any other place They haue crosses which they worship setting them vpon their tombes when they be buried Wherby it séemeth that in times past they had in that place the faith of Christ among them And some say that thereabouts were The seuen Cities They went round about it towards the north which is on the right hand from whence they turned backe vnto the Island of Cuba with some examples of gold and men which they had taken And this was the first beginning of the discouerie of New Spaine In the yéere 1518. Lopez Suares commanded Don Iohn de Silueira to goe to the Islands of Maldiua and he made peace with them and from thence he went to the citie of Chatigam situated on the mouth of the riuer Ganges vnder the Tropicke of Cancer For this riuer and the riuer Indus which standeth an hundred leagues beyond the citie of Diu and that of Canton in China doe all fall in t the sea vnder one parallele or latitude And although before that time Fernan Perez had béen commanded to goe to Bengala yet notwithstanding Iohn de Silueira ought to beare away the commendation of this discouerie because he went as captaine generall and remained there longest learning the commodities of the countrey and maners of the people In the said yéere 1518. the first day of May Diego Velasques gouernour of the Island of Cuba sent his nephew Iohn de Grisalua with fower ships two hundred soldiers to discouer the land of Iucatan And they founde in their way the Island of Cosumel standing towards the north in 19. degrées and named it Santa Cruz because they came to it the third of May. They coasted the land lying vpon the left hand of the Gulfe and came to an Island called Ascension because they came vnto it vpon Ascension day They went vnto the end of it standing in 16. degrées of latitude from whence they came backe because they could finde no place to goe out at and from hence they went round about it to another riuer which they called The riuer of Grisalua standing in 17. degrées of latitude the people thereabout troubled them sore yet notwithstanding they brought from thence some gold siluer and feathers being there in great estimation and so they turned backe againe to the Island of Cuba In the same yéere 1518. one Francis Garay armed thrée ships in the Isle of Iamaica at his owne charges and went towards the point of Florida standing in 25. degrées towards the north séeming to them to be an Island most pleasant thinking it better to people Islands then the firme land because they could best conquere them and kéepe them They went there on land but the people of Florida killed many of them so that they durst not inhabite it So they sailed along the coast and came vnto the riuer of Panuco standing 500. leagues from the point of Florida in sailing along the coast but the people resisted them in euery place Many of them also were killed in Chila whom the Sauages flaied and eate hanging vp their skinnes in their Temples in memoriall of their valiantnes Notwithstanding all thiâ— Francis de Garay went thither the next yéere and begged the gouernment of that countrey of the Emperour because he sawe in it some shew of gold and siluer In the yeere 1519. in the moneth of Februarie Fernando Cortes went from the Island of Cuba to the land which is called Noua Spania with 11. ships and 550. Spanyards in them The first place where he went on land was the Island of Cosumel where they immediately destroied all the Idols and set crosses on the altars and the images of the virgine Marie From this Island they went and arriued on the firme land of Iucatan at the point De las Duenâ—as or the point of Ladies and went thence to the riuer of Tauasco and set vpon a citie fast by called Potoncian inuironed with wood and the houses were built with lime and stone and couered with tile they fought there egarly and there appeered vnto them S. Iames on horsebacke which increased their courage They called that citie Victoria and they were the first people which were subdued to the Spanyards obedience in all Newe Spaine From hence they went discouering the coast till they came vnto a place named S. Iohn de Vllhua distant as they said from Mexico where the king Muteçuma was 60. or 70. leagues and there was a seruant of his that gouerned that prouince named Tendilli which gaue them good entertainment although they vnderstood not one another But Cortes had 20. women whereof one was called Marine borne in thaâ— countrey They were the first that were baptized in New Spaine And from that time forward Marine and Aguilar serued as interpreters Tendilli presently gaue knowledge of this vnto Muteçuma that a kinde of bearded people were arriued in his countrey for so they called the Castillians But he was troubled vpon that newes for his Gods which are to be thought to be diuels had told him that such people as the Spanyards were should destroy his law and countrey and be Lords thereof And therefore he sent gifts vnto Cortes in value 20. thousand ducats but would not come to him Because S. Iohn de Vllhua was then no place for a nauie to ride in Cortes sent Francis de Montâ—io and the pilot Antonie Alaminos in two brigandines to discouer that coast who came to a place where they might ride without danger They came to Panuco standing in 23. degrées northward from whence they came backe vpon an agreement to goe vnto Culuacan being an hauen of more safetie They set saile but Cortes went by land westward with the most part of his men on horsebacke and they came vnto a citie called Zempoallan where they were well receiued And from thence he went to another towne called Chiauitztlan with the Lord of which towne as with all the countrey besides he made league to be against Muteçuma And when he knew that his ships were come he went vnto them and there builded a towne and called it Villa rica de la vera cruz From whence he sent vnto Charles the Emperour a present and made report of all that he had done and how he determined to goe to Mexico and to visite Muteçuma and besought the Emperour to giue him the gouernment of that countrey And because his people should not rise in mutinie as they began he destroied all his ships Cortes presently went from Villa rica de la vera Cruz leauing there 150. Spanish horsemen and many Indians to serue
land where they receiued good entertainment and had giuen vnto them such things as they lacked But they brought many of them into their ships and then set saile and brought them away for slaues but in the way one of their ships sunke and the other was also in great hazard By this newes the Licentiate Aillon knowing the wealth of the countrey begged the gouernment thereof of the Emperour and it was giuen him whither he went to get money to pay his debt About this time Diego Velasques gouernour of Cuba hearing the good successe of Cortes and that he had begged the gouernment of New Spaine which he held to be his he furnished out thither against Cortes 18. ships with 1000. men and 80. horses whereof he sent as Generall one Pamphilus de Naruaez He came vnto the towne called Villa rica de la vera Cruz where he tooke land and commanded those of the countrey to receiue him as gouernour thereof But they tooke his messenger prisoner and sent him to Mexico where Cortes was Which thing being knowne of Cortes he wrote letters vnto Naruaez not to raise any vprore in the countrey which he had discouered offering him obedience if he had any commission from the Emperour but he corrupted the people of the countrey with money Whereupon Cortes went from Mexico and tooke Naruaez prisoner in the towne of Zampoallan and put out one of his eies Naruaez being thus taken prisoner his armie submitted themselues to Cortes and obeied him Whereupon presently he dispatched 200. soldiers vnto the riuer of Garay and he sent Iohn Vasquez de Leon with other two hundred vnto Cosaalco and withall sent a Spanyard with the newes of his victorie vnto Mexico But the Indians being in the meane time risen hurt the messenger Which being knowne to Cortes he mustered his men and found a thousand footemen and two hundred horsemen with the which he went towards Mexico where he found Peter de Aluarado and the rest which he had left there aliue in safetie wherewith he was greatly pleased and Muteçuma made much of him But yet the Mexicans ceased not but made warre against him and the warre grew so hot that they killed their king Muteçuma with a stone and then there rose vp another king such an one as pleased them till such time as they might put the Spanyards out of the citie being no more then 504. footemen and fortie horsemen The Spanyards with great losse being driuen out of Mexico retired themselues with much adoe to Tlaxcallan where they were well receiued and so they gathered together 900. Spanyards 80. horsemen and two hundred thousand Indians their friends and allies and so they went backe againe to take Mexico in the moneth of August in the yéere 1521. Cortes obtaining still more and more victories defermined to sée further within the countrey and for this purpose in the yéere 1521. and in October he sent out one Gonsalo de Sandoual with 200. footemen and 35 horsemen and cortaine Indians his friends vnto Tochtepec and Coazacoalco which had rebelled but at length yéelded And they discouered the countrey and built a towne 120. leagues from Mexico and named it Medelin and another towne they made naming it Santo Spirito fewer leagues from the sea vpon a riuer and these two townes kept the whole countrey in obedience This yéere 1521. in December Emmanuell king of Portugall died and after him his sonne king Iohn the 3. reigned In the yéere 1521. there went from Maluco one of Magellans ships laden with clâ—ues they victualed themselues in the Island of Burro and from thence went to Timor which standeth in 11. degrées of southerly latitude Beyond this Island one hundred leagues they discouered certaine Islands and one named Eude finding the places from thence forward peopled Afterward passing without Samatra they met with no land till they fell with the Cape of Bona Sperança where they tooke in fresh water and wood So they came by the Islands of Cape Verde and from thence to Siuill where they were notably receiued as well for the cloues that they brought as that they had compassed about the world In the yéere 1522. in Ianuarie one Gilgonzales armed fower ships in the Island of Tararequi standing in the South sea with intent to discouer the coast of Nicaragâ—a and especially a streight or passage from the South sea into the North sea And sailing along the coast he came vnto an hauen called S. Vincent and there landed with 100. Spanyards and certaine horsemen and went within the land 200. leagues and he brought with him 200. pesoes of gold and so came backe againe to S. Vincent where he found his pilot Andrew Nigno who was as far as Tecoantepec in 16. degrées to the north and had sailed thrée hundred leagues from whence they returned to Panama and so ouer land to Hispaniola In the same yéere 1522. in the moneth of Aprill the other ship of Magallanes called The Trinitie went from the Island of Tidoré wherein was captaine Gonzalo Gomez de Espinosa shaping their course toward Noua Spania and because winde was scant they stirred toward the northeast into 16. degrées where they found two Islands and named them the Isles of Saint Iohn and in that course they came to another Island in 20. degrées which they named La Griega where the simple people came into their ships of whom they kept some to shew them in Noua Spania They were in this course fower monethes vntill they came into 42. degrées of northerly latitude where they did sée sea fishes called Seales and Tunies And the climate séemed vnto them comming newly out of the heat to be so cold and vntemperate that they could not well abide it and therefore they turned backe againe to Tidore being thereunto enforced also by contrarie windes These were the first Spanyards which had béene in so high a latitude toward the north And there they found one Antonie de Briâ—to building a fortresse which tooke from them their goods and sent 48. of them prisoners to Malaca In this yéere 1522. Cortes desirous to haue some hauens on the South sea and to discouer the coast of â—oua Spania on that side whereof he had knowledge in Muteçuma his time bicause he thought by that way to bring the drugs from Maluco and Banda and the spiceris from Iaua with lesse trauaile and danger he sent fewer Spaniards with their guides to Tecoantepec Quaâ—utemallan and other hauens where they were wel receiued and brought some of the people with them to Mexico And Cortes made much of them and afterwards sent ten pilots thither to search the seas there about They went 70. leagues in the sea but found no hauen One Casique or Lord called Cuchataquir vsed them well sent with them to Cortes 200. of his men with a present of gold and siluer and
a towne vpon the riuer of Cira and called it Saint Michael of Tangarara which was the first towne inhabited by Christians in those partes whereof Sebastian de Benalcazar was appointed captaine Then he searched out a good and sure hauen for his ships and found that of Payta to be an excellent harbour In this same yéere 1531. there went one Diego de Ordas to be gouernour in the riuer of Maragnon with thrée ships sixe hundred soldiers and 35. horses He died by the way so that the intention came to none effect After that in the yéere 1534. there was sent thither one Hierome Artal with 130. soldiers yet he came not to the riuer but peopled Saint Michael de Neueri and other places in Paria Also there went vnto this riuer Maragnon a Portugall gentleman named Aries Dacugna and he had with him ten ships nine hundred Portugals and 130. horses He spent much but he that lost most was one Iohn de Barros This riuer standeth in thrée degrées toward the South hauing at the entrance of it 15. leagues of breadth and many Islands inhabited wherein grow trées that beare incence of a greater bignes then in Arabia gold rich stones and one emeraud was found there as big as the palme of a mans hand The people of the countrey make their drinke of a kinde of dates which are as big as quinces In the yéere 1531. one Nunnez de Gusman went from the citie of Mexico towards the northwest to discouer and conquer the countreies of Xalisco Ceintiliquipac Ciametlan Toualla Cnixco Ciamolla Culhuacan and other places And to doe this he caried with him 250. horses and fiue hundred soldiers He went through the countrey of Mechuacan where he had much gold ten thousand marks of siluer and 6000. Indians to carrie burdens He conquered many countreyes called that of Xalisco Nueua Galicia because it is a ragged countrey and the people strong He builded a citie which he called Compostella and another named Guadalajara because he was borne in the citie of Guadalajara in Spaine He likewise builded the townes de Santo Espirito de la Conception and de San Miguel standing in 24. degrées of northerly latitude In the yéere 1532. Ferdinando Cortes sent one Diego Hurtado de Mendoça vnto Acapulco 70. leagues from Mexico where he had prepared a small fléete to discouer the coast of the South sea as he had promised the Emperour And finding two ships readie he went into them and sailed to the hauen of Xalisco where he would haue taken in water and wood but Nunnez de Gusman caused him to be resisted and so he went forward but some of his men mutined against him and he put them all into one of the ships and sent them backe into New Spaine They wanted water and going to take some in the bay of the Vanderas the Indians killed them But Diego Hurtado sailed 200. leagues along the coast yet did nothing woorth the writing In the yéere 1533. Francis Pisarro went from the citie of Tumbes to Caxamalca where he tooke the king Attabalipa who promised for his ransome much gold and siluer and to accomplish it there went to the citie of Cusco standing in 17. degrées on the South side Peter de Varco and Ferdinando de Sotto who discouered that iourney being 200. leagues all causies of stone and bridges was made of it and from one iourney to another lodgings made for the Yngas for so they call their kings Their armies are very great and monstrous For they bring aboue an hundred thousand fighting men to the field They lodge vpon these causies and haue there prouision sufficient and necessarie after the vse and custome of Chiâ—â—â— as it is said Ferdinando Pisarro with some horsemen went vnto Paciacama 100. leagues from Caxamalca and discouered that prouince And comming backe he vnderstood how Guascar brother to Attabalipa was by his commandement killed and how that his captaine Ruminaguy rose vp in armes with the citie of Quito After this Attabalipa was by the commandement of Pisarro strangled In the yéere 1534. Francis Pisarro séeing that the two kings were goue began to enlarge himselfe in his signiories and to build cities forts and townes to haue them more in subiection Likewise he sent Sebastian de Banalcazar the captaine of S. Michael of Tangarara against Ruminaguy vnto Quito He had with him two hundred footemen and 80. horsemen He went discouering and conquering 120. leagues from the one citie to the other east not farre from the Equinoctiall line where Peter Aluarado found mountaines full of snow and so cold that 70. of his men were frosen to death When he came vnto Quito he began to inhabite it and named it S. Francis In this countrey there is plentie of wheate barlie cattell and plants of Spaine which is very strange Pisarro went straight to the citie of Cusco and found by the way the captaine Quisquiz risen in armes whome shortly he defeated About this time there came vnto him a brother of Attabalipa named Mango whom he made Ynga or king of the countrey Thus marching forward on his iourney after certaine skirmishes he tooke that excéeding rich and wealthie citie of Culco In this same yéere 1534. a Briton called Iaques Cartier with thrée ships went to the land of Corterealis and the Bay of Sainâ— Laurence otherwise called Golfo Quadrato and fell in 48. degrées and an halfe towards the north and so he sailed till he came vnto 51. degrees hoping to haue passed that way to China and to bring thence drugs and other marchandise into France The next yéere after he made another voiage into those partes and found the countrey abounding with victuailes houses and good habitations with many and great riuers He sailed in one riuer toward the southwest 300. leagues and named the countrey thereabout Noua Francia at length finding the water fresh he perceiued he could not passe through to the South sea and hauing wintered in those parts the next yéere following he returned into France In the yéere 1535. or in the beginning of the yéere 1536. Don Antonie de Mendoça came vnto the citie of Mexico as Viceroy of New Spaine In the meane while Cortes was gone for more men to continue his discouerie which immediately he set in hand sending foorth two ships from Tecoantepec which he had made readie There went as captaines in them Fernando de Grijalua and Diego Bezerra de Mendoça and for pilots there went a Portugal named Acosta and the other Fortunio Ximenez a Biscaine The first night they deuided themselues Fortunio Ximenez killed his captaine Bezerra and hurt many of his confederacie and then he went on land to take water and wood in the Bay of Santa Cruz but the Indians there slue him and aboue 20. of his companie Two mariners which were in the boate escaped and went vnto
Gastro arriued at the Island of Mindanao sixe kings receiued the water of Baptisme with their wiues children and subiects and the most of them Antonie Galuano gaue commandement to be called by the name of Iohn in remembrance that king Iohn the third raigned then in Portugall The Portugals and Spaniards which haue béene in these Islands affirme that there be certaine hogs in them which besides the téeth which they haue in their mouthes haue other two growing out of their snouts and as many behinde their eares of a large span and an halfe in length Likewise they say there is a tree the one halfe whereof which standeth towards the east is a good medicine against all poyson the other side of the trée which standeth toward the west is very poison and the fruite on that side is like a bigge pease and there is made of it the strongest poyson that is in all the world Also they report that there is there another trée the fruite whereof whosoeuer doth eate shall be twelue houres besides himselfe and when he commeth againe vnto himselfe he shall not remember what he did in the time of his madnes Moreouer there are certaine crabs of the land whereof whosoeuer doth eate shall be a certaine space out of his wits Likewise the countrey people declare that there is a stone in these Islands whereon whosoeuer sitteth shall be broken in his bodie It is farther to be noted that the people of these Islands do gild their téeth In the yéere 1539. Cortes sent thrée ships with Francis Vlloa to discouer the coast of Coludean northward They vient from Acapulco and touched at S. Iago de buqna sperança and entred into the gulfe that Cortes had discouered and sailed till they came in 32. degrées which is almost the farthest end of that gulfe which place they named Ancon de Sane Andres because they came thither on that saints daie Then they came out a long the coast on the other side and doubled the point of California and entred in betwéene certaine Islands and the point and so sailed along by it till they came to 32. degrées from whence they returned to newe Spaine enforced thereunto by contrarie windes and want of victuals hauing béene out about a yéere Cortes according to his account spent 200000. ducates in these discoueries From Cabo del Enganno to another cape called Cabo de Liampo in China there are 1000. or 1200. leagues sayling Cortes and his captaines discouered new Spaine from 12. degrées to 32. from south to the north being 700. leagues finding it more warme then cold although snow do lie vpon certaine mountaines most part of the yéere In new Spaine there be many trées flowers and fruits of diuers sorts and profitable for many things The principall trée is named Metl It groweth not very high nor thicke They plant and dresse it as we do our vines They say it hath fortie kinde of leaues like wouen clothes which serue for many vses When they be tender they make conserues of them paper and a thing like vnto flaxe they make of it mantles mats shooes girdles and cordage These trées haue certaine prickles so strong and sharpe that they sewe with them The roots make fire and ashes which ashes make excellent good lie They open the earth from the roote and scrape it and the iuice which commeth out is like a sirrupe If you do féeth it it will become honie if you purifie it it will be sugar Also you may make wine and vineger thereof It beareth the Coco The rinde rosted and crushed vpon sores and hurts healeth and cureth The iuice of the tops and roots mingled with incense are good against poyson and the biting of a viper For these manifold benefits it is the most profitable trée knowne to growe in those parts Also there be there certaine small birds named Vicmalim Their bill is small and long They liue of the dewe and the iuice of flowers and roses Their feathers be verie small and of diuers colours They be greatly estéemed to worke golde with They die or sléepe euerie yéere in the moneth of October fitting vpon a little bough in a warme and close place they reuiue or wake againe in the moneth of Aprill after that the flowers be sprung and therefore they call them the reuiued birds Likewise there be snakes in these parts which sound as though they had bels when they créepe There be other which engender at the mouth euen as they report of the viper There be hogges which haue a nauell on the ridge of their backs which assoone as they be killed and cut out will by and by corrupt and stinke Besides these there be certaine fishes which make a noyse like vnto hogs and will snort for which cause they be named snorters In the yéere 1538. and 1539. after that Diego de Almagro was beheaded the Marques Francis Pisarro was not idle For he sent straight one Peter de Baldiuia with a good companie of men to discouer and conquere the countrey of Chili He was wel receiued of those of the countrey but afterwards they rose against him and would haue killed him by treason Yet for all the warre that he had with them he discouered much land and the coast of the sea toward the southeast till he came into 40. degrées and more in latitude While he was in these discoueries he heard newes of a king called Leucengolma which commonly brought to the field two hundred thousand fighting men against another king his neighbour and that this Leucengolma had an Island and a temple therein with two thousand priestes and that beyond them were the Amazones whose Quéene was called Guanomilla that is to say The goldeu heauen But as yet there are none of these things discouered About this time Gomez de Aluarado went to conquer the prouince of Guanuco and Francis de Chauez went to subdue the Conchincos which troubled the towne of Truxillo and the countreyes adioyning Peter de Vergara went to the Bracamores a people dwelling toward the north from Quito Iohn Perez de Vergara went against the Ciaciapoians Alfonsus de Mercadiglio went vnto Mulubamba Ferdinando and Gonzaluo Pisarros went to subdue Collao a countrey very rich in gold Peter de Candia went to the lower part of Collao Peranzures also went to conquer the said countrey And thus the Spanyards dispersed themselues and conquered aboue seuen hundred leagues of countrey in a very short space though not without great trauailes and losse of men The countreyes of Brasill and Peru stand east and west almost 800. leagues distant The néerest is from the Cape of Saint Augustine vnto the hauen of Truxillo for they stand both almost in one parallele and latitude And the farthest is 950. leagues reckoning from the riuer of Peru to the streits of Magellan which places lie directly north south through which countrey passe certaine mountaines named the
earthquake with raine and lightning which sunke 70. houses They passed ouer cold and snowie hils where they found many Indians frozen to death maruelling much of the great snowe that they found vnder the Equinoctiall line From hence they went to a prouince called Cumaco where they tarried two monethes because it rained continually And beyond they sawe the Cinamome-trées which be very great the leaues thereof resembling bay leeues both leaues branches rootes and all tasting of Cinamome The rootes haue the whole taste of Cinamome But the best are certaine knops like vnto Alcornoques or acornes which are good marchandise It appéereth to be wilde Cinamome and there is much of it in the East Indies and in the Islands of Iaoa or Iaua From hence they went to the prouince and citie of Coca where they rested fifty daies From that place forwards they trauailed along by a riuers side being 60. leagues long without finding of any bridge nor yet any foorde to passe ouer to the other side They found one place of this riuer where it had a fall of 200. fathoms déepe where the water made such a noise that it would make a man almost deafe to stand by it And not far beneath this fall they say they found a chanell of stone very smooth of two hundred foote broad and the riuer runneth by and there they made a bridge to passe ouer on the other side where they went to a countrey called Guema which was so poore that they could get nothing to eate but onely fruits and herbes From that place forward they found a people of some reason wearing certaine clothing made of cotton wooll where they made a brigandine there they found also certaine Canoas wherein they put their sicke men and their treasure and best apparell giuing the charge of them to one Francis de Orellana and Gonsaluo Pizarro went by land with the rest of the companie along by the riuers side and at night went into the boates and they trauailed in this order two hundred leagues as it appeereth When Pizarro came to the place where he thought to finde the brigandine and Canoas and could haue no sight of them nor yet heare of them he thought himselfe out of all hope because he was in a strange countrey without victuales clothing or any thing else wherefore they were faine to eate their horses yea and dogs also because the countrey was poore and barren and the iourney long to goe to Quito Yet notwithstanding taking a good hart to themselues they went on forwards in their iourney trauailing continually 18. monethes and it is reported that they went almost 5. hundred leagues wherein they did neither sée sunne nor any thing else whereby they might be comforted wherefore of two hundred men which went foorth at the first there returned not backe past ten vnto Quito and these so weake ragged and disfigured that they knew them not Orellana went fiue hundred or sixe hundred leagues downe the riuer séeing diuers countreyes and people on both sides thereof among whom he affirmed some to be Amazones He came into Castile excusing himselfe that the water and streames draue him downe perforce This riuer is named The riuer of Orellana other name it the riuer of the Amazones because there be women there which liue like vnto them In the yéere 1540. Cortes went with his wife into Spaine where he died of a disease seuen yéeres after In the yéere 1541. it is recorded that Don Stephan de Gama gouernour of India sailed toward the streit of Mecca He came with al his fléete vnto an anker in the Island of Maçua and from thence vpwards in small shipping he went along the coast of the Abassins and Ethiopia till he came to the Island of Suachen standing in 20. degrées towardes the north and from thence to the hauen of Cosâ—ir standing in 27. degrées and so he crossed ouer to the citie of Toro standing on the shore of Arabia and along by it he went vnto Suez which is the farthest ende of the streit and so he turned backe the same way leauing that countrey and coast discouered so far as neuer any other Portugall captaine had done although Lopez Suarez gouernour of India went to the hauen of Iuda and the hauen of Mecca standing on the coast of Arabia in 23. degrées of latitude and 150. leagues from the mouth of the streit Don Stephan de Gama crossing ouer from Cosâ—ir to the citie of Toro as it is reported found an Island of Brimstone which was dispeopled by the hand of Mahumet wherein many crabs doe bréede which increase nature wherefore they be greatly esteemed of such as are vnchaste Also they say that there are in this streit many roses which open when women are in their labour Iohn Leo writeth in the very end of his Geographie which he made of Africa that there is in the mountaines of Atlas a roote called Surnag ouer which if a maid chance to make water shée shall léese her virginitie In the same yéere 1541. Don Diego de Almagro killed the Marques Francis Pizarro and his brother Francis Martinez of Alcantara in the citie de los Reyes otherwise called Lima and made himselfe gouernour of that countrey In the yéere 1540. the Viceroy Don Antony de Mendoza sent one Francis Vasquez de Coronado by land vnto the prouince of Sibola with an armie of Spaniards and Indians They went out of Mexico and came to Culuacan and from thence to Sibola which standeth in 30. degrées of latitude They required peace with the people and some victuals being thereof destitute But they answered that they vsed not to giue any thing to those that came vnto them in warlike manner So the Spaniards assalted the towne and tooke it and called it Nueua Granada because the generall himselfe was borne in Granada The soldiers found themselues deceiued by the words of the Friers which had béene in those parts before and because they woulde not returne backe to Mexico againe with emptie hands they went to the towne of Acuco where they had knowledge of Axa and Quiuira where there was a king very rich that did worship a crosse of golde and the picture of the quéene of Heauen They indured many extremities in this iourney and the Indians fled away from them and in one morning they found thirtie of their horses dead From Cicuie they went to Quiuira which was two hundred leagues off according to their account passing all through a plaine countrey and making by the way certaine hillocks of cowe dung because thereby they might not loose their way in their returne They had there haile-stones as bigge as Oranges Now when they were come to Quiuira they found the king called Tatarrax which they sought for with a iewell of copper hanging about his necke which was all his riches They saw neither any crosse nor any image
of the quéene of Heauen nor any other token of Christian religion It is written of this countrey that it is but smally inhabited principally in the plaine and champion places because the men and women goe in herds with their cattell whereof they haue great plentie euen as the Arabians do in Barbarie and they remooue from place to place euen as the season serueth and the pastures to féede their cattle In these parts are certaine beasts almost as bigge as horses they haue very great hornes and they beare wooll like vnto shéepe and so the Spaniards call them They haue abundance of oxen verie monstrous being camel-backed and hauing long beards and on their necke long manes like vnto horses They liue with eating of these oxen and drinking of their blood and apparell themselues with the skins of the same The most part of the flesh that they do eate is rawe or euill rosted for they lacke pots to séeth it in They cut their meat with certaine kniues made of flint stone Their fruite are damsons hasel-nuts walnuts melons grapes pines and mulberies There be dogges so bigge that one of them alone will hold a bull though he be neuer so wilde When they remooue these dogs do carrie their children wiues and stuffe vpon their backes and they are able to carrie fiftie pound waight I passe ouer many things because the order which I follow will not permit me to be long In the yéere of our Lord 1542. one Diego de Freitas being in the realme of Siam and in citie of Dodra as captaine of a ship there fled from him thrée Portugals in a Iunco which is a kind of ship towards China Their names were Antony de Mota Francis Zeimoro and Antony Pexoto directing their course to the citie of Liampo standing in 30. and odde degrées of latitude There fell vpon their sterne such a storme that it set them off the land and in fewe daies they sawe an Island towards the east standing in 32. degrées which they do name Iapan which seemeth to be the Isle of Zipangri whereof Paulus Venetus maketh mention and of the riches thereof And this Island of Iapan hath gold siluer and other riches In this yéere 1542. Don Antonio de Mendoça Viceroy of Nueua Spagna sent his captaines and pilots to discouer the coast of Cape del Enganno where a fléete of Cortez had been before They sailed till they came to a place called Sierras Neuadas or The snowie mountaines standing in 40. degrées toward the north where they saw ships with merchandises which carried on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the images of certaine birdes called Alcatraâ—zi and had the yards of their sailes gilded and their prowesse laid ouer with siluer They séemed to be of the Isles of Iapan or of China for they said that it was not aboue thirtie daies sailing vnto their countrey In the same yéere 1542. Don Antony de Mendoça sent vnto the Islands of Mindanao a fléete of sixe ships with fower hundred soldiers and as many Indians of the countrey the generall whereof was one Rui Lopez de villa Lobos being his brother in law and a man in great estimation They set saile from the hauen of Natiuidad standing in 20. degrées towards the north vpon All Saints éeue and shaped their course towards the west They had sight of the Island of S. Thomas which Hernando de Grijalua had discouered and beyond in 17. degrées they had sight of another Island which they named La Nublada that is The cloudie Island From thence they went to another Island named Roca partida that is The clouen Rocke The 3. of December they found certaine Baxos or states of sixe or seuen fathoms déepe The 15. of the same moneth they had sight of the Islands which Diego de Roca and Gomez de Sequeira and Aluaro de Saauedra had discouered and named them Los Reyes because they came vnto them on Twelfe day And beyond them they found other Islands in 10. degrées all standing round and in the midst of them they came to an anker where they tooke fresh water and wood In the same yéere 1542. Don Diego de Almagro was slaine in Peru by the hands of one Don Vaca de Castro In the yéere 1543. in Ianuarie they departed from the foresaid Islands with all the fléete and had sight of certaine Islands out of which there came vnto them men in a certaine kinde of boats and they brought in their hands crosses and saluted the Spaniards in the Spanish toong saying Buenas dias Matelotes that is to say Good morrow companions whereat the Spaniards much marueiled being then so farre out of Spaine to sée the men of that countrey with crosses and to be saluted by them in the Spanish toong and they séemed in their behauiour to incline somewhat to our Catholique faith The Spaniards not knowing that many thereabout had béene Christened by Francis de Castro at the commandement of Antony Galuano some of them named these Islands Islas de las cruzes and others named them Islas de los Matelotes In the same yéere 1543. the first of February Rui Lopez had sight of that noble Island Mindanao standing in 9. degrées they could not double it nor yet come to an ancre as they would because the christened kings and people resisted them hauing giuen their obedience to Antonie Galuano whom they had in great estimation and there were fiue or sixe kings that had receiued baptisme who by no meanes would incurre his displeasure Rui Lopez perceiuing this and hauing a contrary winde sailed along the coast to finde some aide and in 4. or 5. degrées he found a small Island which they of the countrey call Sarangam which they tooke perforce and in memory of the vizeroy who had sent them thither they named it Antonia where they remained a whole yéere in which time there fell out things worthie to be written but because there are more histories that intreat of the same I leaue them meaning to medle with the discoueries onely In the same yéere 1543. and in the moneth of August the generall Rui Lopez sent ane Bartholmew de la torre in a smal ship into new Spaine to acquaint the vizeroy don Antonio de Mendoça with all things They went to the Islands of Siria Gaonata Bisaia and many others standing in 11. and 12. degrées towards the north where Magellan had béene and Francis de Castro also who there baptized many and the spaniards called theÌ„ the Philippinas in memory of the prince of Spaine Here they tooke victuals and wood and hoised sailes they sailed for certaine daies with a fore-winde till it came upon the skanting and came right vnder the tropique of Cancer The 25. of september they had sight of certaine Islands which they named Malabrigos that is to say The euil roads Beyond them they discouered Las dos Hermanas that is The two