moneth and on Saint Michaels day came vnto it where he imbarked himselfe against the will of Chiapes who was the Lord of that coast who wished him not to doe so because it was very dangerous for him But he desirous to haue it knowne that he had béene vpon those seas went forwards and came backe againe to land in safetie and with great contentment bringing with him good store of gold siluer and pearles which there they tooke For which good seruice of his Don Ferdinando the king greatly fauoured and honoured him This yéere 1513. in the moneth of Februarie Alfonsus de Albuquerque went froÌ„ the citie of Goa towards the streight of Mecha with twenty ships They arriued at the citie of Aden and battered it and passed forward and entred into the Streight They say that they saw a crosse in the element and worshipped it They wintered in the Island of Camaran This was the first Portugall captaine that gaue information of those seas and of that of Persia being things in the world of great account In the yéere 1514. and in the moneth of May there went out of Saint Luâ—ar one Pedro Arias de Auila at the commandement of Don Ferdinando He was the fourth gouernour of Castillia del Oro or Golden Castile for so they named the countreyes of Dariene Carthagena and Vraba and that countrey which was newly conquered He carried with him his wife the Lady Elizabeth and 1500. men in seuen ships and the king appointed Vasco Nunnez de Valboa gouernour of the South Sea and of that coast In the beginning of the yéere 1515. the gouernour Pedro Arias de Auila sent one Gaspar Morales with 150. men vnto the Gulfe of S. Michael to discouer the Islands of Tararequi Chiapes and Tumaccus There was a Casique Valboas friend which gaue him many Canoas or boates made of one trée to rowe in wherein they passed vnto The Island of pearles the Lord whereof resisted them at their comming on land But Chiapes and Tumaccus did pacifie him in such order that the captaine of the Isle had them home vnto his house and made much of them and receiued baptisme at their hands naming him Pedro Arias after the gouernours name and he gaue vnto them for this a basket full of pearles waying 110. pounds whereof some were as big as hasell nuts of 20. 25. 26. or 31. carats euery carat is fower graines There was giuen for one of them 1200. ducats This Island of Tararequi standeth in 5. degrées of latitude towards the north In this yéere 1515. in the moneth of March the gouernour sent one Gonsaluo de Badaios with 80. soldiers to discouer new lands and they went from Dariene to Nombre de Dios where came vnto them one Lewis de Mercado with fiftie men more which the gouernour sent to aide him They determined to discouer toward the South saying that that countrey was the richest They tooke with them Indians to be their guides and going along the coast they found slaues marked with irons as the Portugals doe vse and hauing marched a good way through the countreyes with great trauaile they gathered together much golde and fortie slaues to doe them seruice but one Casique named Pariza did set vpon them and slue and tooke the most part of them The gouernour hearing of these newes the same yéere 1515. sent foorth his sonne Iohn Arias de Auila to be reuenged and to discouer also by sea and by land They went westward to Cape De Guerra standing in little more then sixe degrées towards the north and from thence vnto Punta de Borica and to Cape Blanco or the White Cape standing in 8. degrées and an halfe they discouered 250. leagues as they affirme and peopled the citie of Panama In this very yéere 1515. in the moneth of May Alfonsus de Albuquerque gouernour of India sent from the citie of Ormuz one Fernando Gomes de Lemos as ambassadour vnto Xec or Shaugh Ismael king of Persia and it is declared that they trauailed in it 300. leagues and that it is a pleasant countrey like vnto France This Xeâ— or Shaugh Ismael went on hunting and fishing for troutes whereof there are many And there be the fairest women in all the world And so Alexander the great affirmed when he called them The women with golden eies And this yéere this woorthy Viceroy Alfonsus de Albuquerque died In the yéere 1416. and one hundred yéeres after the taking of Ceuta in Barbaâ—ie Lopez Suares being gouernour of India there was a dispatch made by the commandement of the kings highnes vnto one Fernando Perez de Andrada to passe to the great countrey and kingdome of China He went from the citie of Cochin in the moneth of Aprill They receiued pepper being the principal marchandise to be sold in all China of any value And he was farther commanded by the king Don Emmanuel to goe also to Bengala with his letter and dispatch to a knight called Iohn Coelo This was the first Portugall as farre as I know which drunke of the water of the riuer Ganges This yéere 1516. died Don Fernando king of Spaine In the yéere 1517. this Fernando Perez went vnto the citie of Malacha and in the moneth of Iune he departed from thence towards China with eight sailes fower Portugals and the others Malayans He arriued in China And because he could not come on land without an ambassage there was one Thomas Perez which had order for it and he went from the citie of Canton where they came to an anker They went by land fower hundred leagues and came vnto the citie of Pekin where the king was for this prouince and countrey is the biggest that is in the worlde It beginneth at Sailana in twentie degrées of latitude towards the north and it endeth almost in 50. degrées Which must be 500. leagues in length and they say that it containeth 300. leagues in bredth Fernando Perez was 14. moneths in the Isle Da Veniaga learning as much as he could of the countrey according as the king his master had commanded him And although one Raphael Perestrello had beene there in a Iunke or barke of certaine marchants of Malaca yet vnto Fernando Perez there ought to be giuen the praise of this discouerie as well for that he had commandement from the king as in discouering so much with Thomas Perez by land and George Mascarenhas by sea and for coasting vnto the citie of Foquiem standing in 24. degrees of latitude In this same yéere 1517. Charles which afterward was Emperour came into Spaine and tooke possession thereof And in the same yéere Francis Fernandes de Cordoua Christopher Morantes and Lopez Ochoa armed thrée ships at their owne proper charges from the Island of Cuba They had also with them a barke of Diego Velasques who then was gouernour They
lowe countreies but kept the hils And we reade of Nimrode who 130. yéeres after the flood built the Tower of Babell intending thereby to saue himselfe if there should come any more such floods Therefore it seemeth that they which first came to be sailers were those which dwell in the east in the prouince of China although others contrariwise hold them which dwell in the west as in Syria to haue vsed the trade of the sea soonest after the flood But this contention about the antiquitie of nauigation I leaue to the Scythians and Egyptians who were at great variance and difference in this matter for each of them chalenged vnto themselues the honour of the first sea trauaile But omitting all iars and differences thereabouts I will apply my selfe to my purposed discourse and speake of that which histories haue left in record THere be some wel séene in Antiquities which say that in the 143. yéere after the flood Tubal came by sea into Spaine whereby it séemeth that in those times nauigations were vsed into our parts out of Ethiopia And they also say farther that not long after this the Quéene Semyramis went against the Indians in that riuer wherof they tooke their name and therein gaue battaile vnto the king Stabrobates wherin he lost a thousand ships Which being credible by the ancient historie prooueth manifestly that in those parts in those times were many ships and the seas frequented in good numbers In the 650. yéere after the flood there was a king in Spaine named Hesperus who in his time as it is reported went and discouered as far as Cape Verde the Island of S. Thomas whereof he was prince And Gonsaluo Fernandes of Ouiedo the Chronicler of Antiquities affirmeth that in his time the Islands of the West Indies were discouered and called somewhat after his name Heâ—perides and he alleageth many reasons to prooue it reporting particularly that in 40. daies they sailed from Cape Verde vnto those Islands There are others that say that the like was done from this Cape vnto the Islands of S. Thomas and the Isle De Principe and that they be the Hesperides and not the Anâ—iles And they doe not differ far from reason seeing in those times and many yeeres after they did vse to saile onely along the coast not passing through the maine Ocean sea for they had neither altitude nor compasse then in vse nor any mariners so expert It cannot be denied but that there were many countries Islands Capes Isâ—hmos and points which now are grown out of knowledge because the names of them are found in histories But the age of the world and force of waters haue wâ—sted and consumed them and separated one countrey from another both in Europe Asia Afâ—ica New Spaine Peru and other places Plato saith in his dialogue of Timaeus that there were in ancient times in the Ocean sea Atlanticke certaine great Islands and countries named Atlantides greater then Afrike and Europe and that the kings of those parts were Lords of a great part of this our countrey but with certaine great tempests the sea did ouerflow it and it remained as mud and shingle so that in a long time after no ships could passe that way It is also recorded in histories that fast by the Island of Cadiz towards the Straights of Gibraltar there was a certaine Island which was called Aphrodisias well inhabited and planted with many gardens and orchards and yet at this day we haue no knowledge of this Aphrodisias but only a bare mention of it in ancient authors The said Island of Cadiz is further said to haue béen so large and big that it did ioine with the firme land of Spaine The Islands of the Açores were sometimes a point of the mountaines of Estrella which ioine vnto the sea ouer the towne of Syntra And also from Sierra Verde or the gréene mountaine which adioineth vnto the water hard by the citie of Sasin in the land of Cucu which is the selfe same Island of Mouchin where Algarbe is come the Islands of Porto Santo and Madera For it is held as a true and vndoubted veritie that all Islands haue their roots running from the firme land though they be neuer so farre from the continent for otherwise they could not stand firme There are other histories which say that from Spaine vnto Ceuta in Barbarie men sometimes trauailed on foote vpon drie land and that the Islands of Sardinia and Corsica did ioine the one with the other as also did Sicilia with Italie and Negroponto with Graecia We reade also that there were found hulles of ships ankers of iron and other memorials of shipping vpon the mountaines of Sussa farre within the land where as it seemeth now no salt water or sea euer came In India also and in the land of Malabar although now there be great store of people yet many writers affirme that it was once a maine sea vnto the foote of the mountaines and that the Cape of Comarim and the Island of Zeilan were all one thing As also that the Island of Samatra did ioine with the land of Malacca by the flats of Caypasia and not farre froÌ„ thence there stands now a little Island which few yéeres past was part of the firme land that is ouer against it Furthermore it is to be séene how Ptolemey in his tables dotâ— set the land of Malacca to the south of the line in thrée or fower degrées of latitude whereas now it is at the point thereof being called â—entana in one degrée on the north side as appéereth in the Straight of Cincapura where daily they doe passe through vnto the coast of Sian and China where the Island of Aynan standeth which also they say did ioine hard to the land of China and Ptolemey placeth it on the north side far from the line standing now aboue 20. degrées from it towards the north as Asia and Europe now stand Well it may be that in time past the land of Malacca and China did end beyond the line on the south side as Ptolemey doth set them foorth because it might ioine with the point of the land called â—entana with the Islands of Biâ—tan Banca Salitres being many that waies the land might be all slime oaze And so the point of China might ioine with the Islands of the Luçones Borneos Lequeos Mindanaos others which stand in this parallele they also as yet hauing in opinion that the Island of Samatra did ioine with Iaua by the chanell of Sunda and the Islands of Bali Aujaue çambaua Solor Hogaleao Maulua Vintara Rosalaguin and others that be in this parallele and altitude did all ioine with Iaua and so they séeme outwardly to those that descrie them For at this day the Islands stand so néere the one to the other that they séeme all but one firme land and whosoeuer passeth betwéene some of them
may touch with their hand the boughs of the trées on the one and on the other side also And to come néerer to the matter it is not long since that in the east the Islands of Banda were diuers of them ouerflowen and drowned by the sea And so likewise in China about nine score miles of firme ground is now become a lake as it is reported Which is not to be thought maruellous considering that which Ptolemey and others haue written in such cases which here I omit to returne to my purpose After the flood 800. yéeres we reade that the citie of Troy was builded by the Dardans and that before that time they brought out of the Indies into Europe by the Red sea spices drugs and many other kindes of marchandises which were there more abundant then now they be Whereunto if credit may be giuen we may conceaue that the sea was of old haunted and frequented séeing that then they of the East had so much and so great trafficke with them of the West that they brought their marchandise vnto an hauen which was named Arsinoe being that which at this day is called Suez standing in 30. degrées on the north part of the Arabian Gulfe It is also by authors farther written that from this hauen of Arsinoe or Suez these marchandises were carried by Carauans or great companies of carriers vpon camels asses and mules vnto the Leuant sea vnto a city called Cassou standing on the coast in 32. degrées of latitude yeelding vnto euery degrée 17. leagues and an halfe as the maner is And there are by account from the one sea to the other 35. leagues or 105. miles These carriers by reason of the heate of the countrey trauailed in the night onely directing themselues by stars and by marks of postes and canes which they vsed to sticke in the ground as they went But after that because this course and iourney had many inconueniences they changed and altered the same twise to finde out the most commodious way 900. yéeres or there about after the flood and before the destruction of Troy there was a king in Egypt called Sesostris who perceiuing that the former courses and passages for the carrying of marchandises by men beasts were chargeable to the one most painfull to the other prouided to haue a way or streame cut out of the land from the Red sea vnto an arme of the riuer Nilus which rūneth vnto the Citie Heroum that by the meanes thereof ships might passe and repasse with their marchandises from India into Europe and not be discharged till they came into Italie So that this Sesostris was the first king which built great caracks to trauaile this way But this enterprise for all that tooke little effect For if it had Africa had then béen made as an Island all compassed with water being no more ground betweene sea and sea then the space of 20. leagues or 60. miles About this time the Graecians gathered together an army or fléete which now is called Argonautica whereof Iason and Alceus were captains general Some say they went from the Isle of Creta others from Graecia But whence soeuer they departed they sailed through the Proponticke sea and Saint Georges Sleeue vnto the Euxine sea where some perished and Iason thereupon returned backe into Greece Alceus reported that he was driuen with a tempest to the lake Maeotis where he was forsaken of al his company and they which escaped with great trauaile passed through by land vnto the Ocean sea of Almaine where they tooke shipping passing the coasts of Saxonie Frisland Holland Flanders France Spaine Italie and so returned vnto Peloponesus and Greece discouering the most part of the coast of Europe Strabo alleaging Aristonicus the Grammarian sheweth that after the destruction of Troy Menelaus the king came out of the straights of the Leuant seas into the sea Atlanticke and coasted Africa and Guinea and doubled the Cape of Bona Sperança and so in time arriued in India Of which voyage of his there may be many more particulars gathered out of the histories This Mediterrane sea was also sometimes called The Adriaticke The Aegaean and the Herculean sea with other names according to the lands coasts Islands which it passeth by running into the great sea Atlanticke along the coast of Africa In the yéere 1300. after the flood Solomon caused a nauie to be prepared on the Red sea at an hauen called Ezeon Geber to saile to the East India where by opinion stande the Islands called Tharsis and Ophir This nauie was thrée yéeres on this voyage and then returned and brought with them gold siluer cypres c. Whereby it séemeth that those places and Islands were those which now be called the Luçones Lequeos and Chinaes For we know few other parts from whence some of those things are brought or wherein nauigation was so long since vsed It is left vs also in histories that a king of Egypt called Neco desiring greatly to ioyne the Red sea with the riuer Nilus commanded the Phoenicians to saile from the straight of Mecca to the farther end of the Mediterrane sea to sée if it did make any turne backe againe vnto Egypt Which commandement they obeied sailing towards the south all along the coast and countrey of Melinde Quiloa Sofala till they came to the Cape of Bona Esperança finding the sea continually on the left hand But when they had doubled the Cape and found the coast continually on the right hand they maruailed much at it Notwithstanding they continued their course forward toward the north al along the coast of Guiney and the Mediterrane sea till they came backe againe into Egypt whence they first went out In which discouerie they remained two yéeres And these are thought to be the first that compassed by sea all the coast of Afrike and sailed round about it In the yéere 590. before the incarnation of Christ there went out of Spaine a fléete of Carthaginian marchants vpon their owne proper costs and charges which sailed toward the west through the high seas to sée if they could finde any land and they sailed so farre that they found at last the Islands which we now call the Antiles and Noua Spagna which Gonzalo Fernandes de Quiedo saith were then discouered although Christopher Columbus afterwards by his trauaile got more exact knowledge of them and hath left vs an euident notice where they be But all these historians which wrote of these Antiles before as of doubtfull and vncertaine things and of places vndiscouered doe now plainly confesse the same to be the countrey of Noua Spagna In the yéere 520. before the incarnation and after the setting out of the aforesaid army Cambyses king of Persia tooke Egypt after whom succéeded Darius the sonne of Histaspis and he determined to make an end of the enterprise which king Sesostris had begun
honie and waxe which the Antes did make being somewhat bitter Vpon the sea coast also they found certaine fishes which commonly went vpright in the water hauing the faces and natures of women which the fishermen of those places were acquainted with In the yéere 355. before Christ it is said that the Spanyards sailed through the maine sea till they came vnto the flats of India Arabia and those coasts adioyning whereunto they caried diuers marchandises which trade they vsed in great ships And sailing to the northwest they came vnto certaine flats which with the flowing of the sea were couered and with the ebbe were discouered finding there many Tunnies of great bignes where they commonly vsed to fish them to their great profit because they were the first vntill that time that they had séene and were greatly esteemed The time of Alexander Magnus as appiereth by the ages of the world was before the comming of Christ 324. yéeres we all know that he was borne in Europe but he trauailed into Asia Africa and passed through Armenia Assyria Persia Bactria standing northerly in 44. degrées of latitude which is the farthest countrey in longitude wherein he was in all his iourneyes From thence he descended into India by the mountaines of Imaus and the valleyes of Paropanisus and prepared a nauie in the riuer Indus and therewith passed into the Ocean sea where he turned by the lands of Gedrosia Caramania Persia vnto the great citie of Babylon leauing Onesicritus and Nearcus captaines of his fléete which afterwards came vnto him by the straight of the Persian sea and vp the riuer of Euphrates leauing that countrey and coast discouered After this Ptolemey raigned king of Egypt who by some is reputed to haue béen bastard sonne vnto Philip father of the foresaid Alexander the great This Ptolemey imitating the forenamed kings Sesostris aud Darius made a trench or ditch of an hundred foote broad and of thirty foote déepe and ten or twelue leagues in length till he came to The bitter Welles pretending to haue his worke run into the sea from a mouth of the riuer Nilus called Pelusium passing now by the citie Damiata But this thing tooke none effect for that the Red sea was thought to be higher by thrée cubits then the land of Egypt which would haue ouerflowed all the countrey to the ruine and losse thereof In the yéere 277. before the incarnation succéeded in the gouernment of the kingdome one Philadelphus who brought to passe that the marchandises should come out of Europe to the citie of Alexandria vpwards by the riuer Nilus vnto a city named Coptus and from thence to be conueyed by land to a hauen standing vpon the Red sea called Myos-Hormos which way was trauailed in the night the pilots directing themselues by the stars which were expert in that practise And because water was scant that way they vsed to carrie it with them for all the companie till at the last to auoide that trouble they digged very déepe wels and made large cisterns for the receipt of raine water by which the way furnished with that commoditie which at the first it wanted grewe in continuance of time to be the more frequented But whereas the straight way was dangerons by reason of flats and islands the aforesaid king Philadelphus with his armies went on the side of Troglodytica and in an hauen called Berenice caused the ships to arriue which came out of India being a place of more suretie and lesse perill from whence they might easily carrie the wares to the citie of Coptus and so to Alexandria And by this meane Alexandria grew so famous and rich that in those daies there was no citie of the world comparable to it And to speake briefly and particularly of the abundance of trafficke there vsed it is left written for an assured truth that in the time of king Ptolemey Auletes father vnto Cleopatra it yéelded in customes vnto him yéerly seuen millions and an halfe of gold although the trafficke was not then scant twenty yéeres old by way of that citie But after that this prouince and countrey became subiect to the Emperours of Rome as they were greater in power and néerer in couetousnes so they enhansed the customes so that within a little time the citie yéelded double the foresaide summe For the traffike grew so excéeding great that they sent euery yéere into India 120. ships laden with wares which began to set saile from Myos-Hormos about the middle of Iuly and returned backe againe within one yéere The marchandise which they did carrie amounted vnto one million two hundred thousand crownes and there was made in returne of euery crowne an hundred In so much that by reason of this increase of wealth the matrones or noble women of that time and place spent infinitely in decking themselues with precious stones purple pearles muske amber and the like whereof the writers and historians of that age speake very greatly Cornelius Nepos alleaged by Plinie maketh report of a king of Egypt that raigned in his time called Ptolemaeus Lathyrus from whom one Eudoxus fled vpon occasion and the better to auoid and escape his hands he passed through the Arabicke gulfe and the sea all along the coast of Africa and the Cape of Bona Sperança till he came vnto the Island of Cadiz and this nauigation by that course was in those daies as often vsed as now it is if we may giue credit to the histories Which appiereth the more manifest by this that Caius Caesar the sonne of Augustus going into Arabia did finde in the Red sea certaine péeces of those ships which came thither out of Spaine It was a vse also long after those daies to passe to India by land For so did the kings of the Soldans and the princes of Bactria and other famous captaines who trauailing thither and into Scythia by land had the view of those prouinces and countreyes so farre till they came that way vnto the * West and to the seas thereof on the north part whereunto many marchants then did trauaile Marcus Paulus Venetus writeth much hereof And although at the first his booke was taken for a fabulous thing yet now there is better credit giuen vnto it for that by the late experiences of the trauailers and marchants of these daies into those parts the names of the countreyes cities and townes with their situations latitudes and commodities are now found true as he and other historiographers of that time haue reported In the 200. yéere before the incarnation it is written that the Romanes sent an armie by sea into India against the great Can of Cathaia which passing through the straight of Gibraltar and running to the northwest found right ouer against the Cape Finisterre ten Islands wherein was much tinne And they may be those which were called the Cassiterides being come to 50. degrées of
latitude they found a Straight and passing through it towards the west they arriued in the Empire of India and fought with the king of Cathay and so came backe againe vnto the citie of Rome Which thing howsoeuer it may séeme either possible or not possible true or not true yet so I finde it left to vs recorded in the * histories of that time In the 100. yéere after the incarnation of Christ the Emperour Traiane prepared an armie by sea vpon the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and departed from them and sailed to the Islands of Zyzara and passing the straight of Persia entred into the Ocean sea and sailed towards India all along the coast till he came to that place where Alexander had béen and there he tooke certaine ships which came from Bengala of whom he learned the state of that countrey But because he was then in yéeres and wearie with his trauaile but especially because he found there small reliefe for his armie he returned backe After that the Romanes had gotten the most part of the world there were in that age made many and notable discoueries But then came the Gothes Moores and other barbarous nations and destroied all For in the yéere 412. after the incarnation of Christ they tooke the citie of Rome And the Vandales came out of Spaine and conquered Africa And in the yeere 450. the king called Atila destroied many cities in Italie at which time the citie of Venice began And in this age the Frankes and Vandals entred into France In the yéere 474. the Empire of Rome was lost and fell from the Romanes to the Gothes And after this came the Lombards into Italie namely in the yéere 560. Also about this time the sect of the Arrians preuailed greatly and at this time one Merline of England was famous for his prophecies To be short in the yéere 611. sproong vp the Mahumetane sect and Morisco regiment which by force inuaded both Africa and Spaine By all this it may appéere that in that age all the world was in an hurly burly and all places very tumultuous In so much that trafficke and marchandise ceased for no nation durst trade one with another neither by sea nor land nothing as then remained stedfast neither in monarchies nor kingdomes signiories religions lawes artes sciences nor nauigations Nor so much as the records and writings of such things did remaine but were all burnt and consumed by the barbarous crueltie and vnbrideled power of the Gothes who became so couetous and ambitious that they purposed of themselues to begin a new world and to roote out the memorie and blot out the knowledge of all other nations besides But they that succéeded after these times in the gouernment of things perceiuing the great and huge losse that the Christian world had by the want of trafficke and ceasing of nauigation whereby those commodities and marchandises could not be spent which before went ordinarily from one nation to another by the vse of trade to the end that this decay and losse might be repaired and the treasures of the East might be imparted with the West as it was woont in the times of quietnes and peaceable liuing they began to deuise a way to passe to India which was not as the former way was by the Red sea and the riuer Nilus but a way of farther sailing farther length and cost also For they brought their ware vp the riuer Indus and there vnladed it carrying it by land through the countrey of Paropanisus by Carauans vnto the prouince of Bactria and then shipped it in barks on the riuer Oxus which falleth into the Caspian sea and so sailed ouer that sea vnto an hauen of the riuer Rha named Citracan or Astracan and so vpwards in the said riuer which now is called Volga and as it appéereth they carried it to the citie of Nouogrode in the prouince of Resan which now belongeth to the great Duke of Moscouia standing toward the north in 54. degrées of latitude therehence they trauailed ouer land vnto the prouince of Sarmatia vnto the riuer Tanais which is the diuision of Europe from Asia where they againe laded it in barks and caried it downe the riuer into the lake Maeotis and to the citie of Caffa which in ancient time was called Theodosia which then belonged to the Genowais who came thither for those wares in their galliasses or great ships It is also left written that the trade this way endured vntill the raigne of Commodita Emperour of Armenia who prouided for a better course and commanded this trafficke of the spices to be conueied by the Caspian sea and so through the kingdome of Hiberia which now is called Georgiana and from thence they entred by the riuer Phasis now Phasso into Pontus Euxinus and so vnto the city of Trapezunda standing in 40. and odde degrées of northerly latitude And to that place came shipping for the marchandises out of Europe and Africa It is further left recorded concerning this way of trafficke that Nicanor determined or had already begun to open aboue 120. miles of land which lieth betwéene the Caspian sea and Pontus Euxinus that they might come and goe by water with their spices drugs and other commodities there vsed But in the meane time this mischiefe happened that Ptolemey Ceraunos killed him and by his death this woorthy and famous enterprise ceased without effect But the other way being also at last lost by reason of the wars of the Turks it pleased God to open another way to these marchandises from the Isle of Samatra the citie of Malacca and the Island of Iaua vnto Bengala and so carrying them vp the riuer Ganges vnto the citie of Agra from whence they trauailed ouer land vnto another citie standing néere the riuer Indus named Boghar where they discharged bicause the citie of Cabor standeth too farre within the land being the principall citie of the Mogores From thence they went forward to the great citie of Samarcand standing in the countrey of Bactria and there the marchants of India Persia and Turkie met bringing thither their seuerall commodities as cloth of gold veluets chamolets scarlet and woollen clothes which were carried to Cathay and the great kingdome of China wherehence they brought againe gold siluer precious stones pearles silke muske and many other things of great value and much rubarbe After this these marchandise drugs and spiceries were carried in ships vpon the Indian sea vnto the streight of Ormus and to the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and were vnladen in the citie of Balsara standing in 31. degrées towards the north and from thence they were caried ouer land vnto the cities of Aleppo Damascus and Barutti standing on the same side in 35. degrées And there the Venetian gallies or galliasses which transported pilgrims into the holy land came and receiued of those goods In the yéere 1153.
in the time of Fredericke Barbarossa it is written that there came to Lubec a citie of Germanie one Canoa with certaine Indians like vnto a long barge which seemed to haue come from the coast of Baccalaos which standeth in the same latitude that Germanie doth The Germaines greatly woondered to sée such a barge and such people not knowing from whence they came nor vnderstanding their spéech especially because there was then no knowledge of that countrey as now there is it may be credible that though the boate was small in respect of those huge seas yet the winde and water might bring them thither as we sée in these our daies that the Almadie which is but a small boate commeth notwithstanding from Quiloa Mosambique and Sofala to the Island of S. Helena being a small spot of land standing in the maine Ocean off the coast of Bona Sperança so farre separated In the yéere 1300. after the comming of Christ the great Soldan of Cayro commanded that the spiceries and drugs and marchandises of India should be carried through the Red sea as it was vsed before at which time they vnladed on the Arabian side at the hauen of Iuda and carried them vnto the house at Mecca and the carriers of it were the pilgrims So that each Prince vsed a custome to augment the honour and increase the profite of his countrey And these Soldans had speciall regarde to Cayro from whence the wares were carried vnto the countreyes of Egypt Lybia Africa the kingdomes of Tunez Tremessen Fez Marocco Suz and some of it was carried beyond the mountaines of Atlas vnto the citie of Tombuto and the kingdome of the Ialophos vntill afterwards that the Portugals did bring it about the Cape of Bona Sperança vnto the citie of Lisbone as in place conuenient we purpose to shew more at large In the yéere 1344. king Peter the fourth of that name reigning in Arragon the Chronicles of his time report that one Don Luis of Cerda sonne vnto the sonne of Don Iohn of Cerda craued aide of him to goe and to conquers the Isles of the Canaries standing in 28. degrées of latitude to the north because they were giuen vnto him by Pope Clement the sixt which was a French man Whereby in those daies there grew a knowledge of those Islands in all Europe and specially in Spaine for such great Princes would not begin nor enterprise things of such moment without great certaintie About this time also the Island of Madera was discouered by an English man called Macham who sailing out of England into Spaine with a woman of his was driuen out of his direct course by a tempest and arriued in that Island and cast his anker in that hauen which now is called Machico after the name of Macham And bicause his louer was then sea-sicke he there went on land with some of his companie and in the meane time his ship weyed and put to sea leauing him there whereupon his louer for thought died Macham which greatly loued her built in the Island a chappell or hermitage to burie her in calling it by the name of Iesus Chappell and wrote or graued vpon the stone of her tombe his name and hers and the occasion whereupon they arriued there After this he made himselfe a boate all of a trée the trées being there of a great compasse about and went to sea in it with those men of his companie that were left with him and fell with the coast of Africke without saile or oare and the Moores among whom he came tooke it for a miracle and presented him vnto the king of that countrey and that king also admiring the accident sent him and his companie vnto the king of Castile In the yéere 1395. king Henrie the third of that name reigning in Castile the information which Macham gaue of this Island and also the ship wherein he went thither mooued many of France and of Castile to goe and discouer it and the great Canarie And they which went were principally the Andaluzes the Biscaines and the Guepusâ—oes carrying with them many people and horses But I know not whether the charge of that voiage was theirs or the kings But by whom soeuer it was set out they seeme to be the first that discouered the Canaries and landed in them where also they tooke 150 of the Islanders prisoners Concerning the time of this discouerie there is some difference among the writers for some affirme this to be done in the yeere 1405. The first beginning of the Portugall Discoueries THe Chronicles of Portugall haue this record That after the incarnation of Christ 1415. king Iohn the first of that name king of Portugall departed from the citie of Lisbon with the Prince Don Duarte or Edward and Don Peter and Don Henry his sonnes with other Lords and nobles of his realme and sailed into Africa where he tooke the great citie of Ceuta standing on the north side thereof betwéene 35. and 36. degrees in latitude which was one of the principall causes of the enlarging of the dominions of Portugall When they were come from thence Henry the kings third sonne desirous to enlarge the kingdome to discouer strange vnknowne countreyes being then in Algarbe gaue direction for the discouery of the coast of Mauritania For in those daies none of the Portugals had euer passed the Cape de Non standing in 29. degrées of latitude And for the better accomplishing of this discouerie the aforesaid Don Henry prepared a fléete gaue commandement to the chiefe captaines to procéede in discouerie from the aforesaide Cape forward Which they did But when they came to another Cape named Bojador there was not one of them that durst goe farther or beyond it at which fearefull and cowardly faintnes of theirs the Prince was excéedingly displeased In the yéere 1417. king Iohn the second reigning in Castile and his mother Ladie Katharine then vsing the gouernment one Monsieur Ruben of Bracamonte which was then Admirall of France craued the conquest of the Islands of the Canaries with the title to be king of them for a kinsman of his called Monsieur Iohn Betancourt which being granted him by the Quéene and farther also partly furnished out he departed from Siuill with a good armie But the chiefe or principall cause that mooued him to enter into this action was to discouer and perfectly to take a view of the Island of Madera whereof Macham before had giuen so much information But for all that he went vnto the Canaries and carried with him a Friar called Mendo to be as Bishop thereof admitted by Pope Martine the fift When they were landed they wonne Lancerota Forteuentura Gomera and Ferro from whence they sent into Spaine many slaues honie waxe Camfora or Camfire hides Orchall figs Sanguis Draconis and other marchandises whereof they made good profit And this armie also as they report discouered Porto Santo
in 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
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
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
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
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
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
of Nicaragua which springeth out of a lake thrée or fower leagues from the South sea and falleth into the North sea whereupon doe saile great barks and crayers The other place is from Tecoantepee through a riuer to Verdadera Cruz in the Bay of the Honduras which also might be opened in a streight Which if it were done then they might saile from the Canaries vnto the Malucos vnder the climate of the Zodiake in lesse time and with much lesse danger then to saile about the Cape de Bona Sperança or by the streight of Magelan or by the Northwest And yet if there might be found a streight there to saile into the sea of China as it hath béene sought it would doe much good In this yéere 1529 one Damian de Goes a Portugal being in Flanders after that he had trauailed ouer all Spaine was yet desirous to sée more countreyes and fashions and diuersities of people and therefore went ouer into England and Scotland and was in the courts of the kings of those parts and after that came againe into Flanders and then trauailed through Zealand Holland Brabant Luxenburge Suitzerland and so through the cities of Colen Spyres Argentine Basill and other parts of Alemaine then came backe againe into Flanders and from thence he went into France through Picardie Normandie Champaine Burgundie the dukedome of Borbon Gascoigne Languedoc Daulphinie the dukedome of Sauoy and passed into Italy into the dukedome of Millaine Ferrara Lombardie and so to Venice and turned backe againe to the territorie of Genoa and the dukedome of Florence through all Tuscane and he was in the citie of Rome and in the kingdome of Naples from the one side to the other From thence he went into Germanie to Vlmes and other places of the Empire to the dukedome of Sueuia and of Bauier and the Archdukedome of Austrich the kingdome of Boeme the dukedome of Morania and the kingdome of Hungarie and so to the confines of Graecia From thence he went to the kingdome of Poland Prussia and the dukedome of Liuonia and so came into the great dukedome of Moscouia From whence he came backe into High Alemayne and through the countreyes of the Lantzgraue the dukedome of Saxonie the countreyes of Denmarke Gotland and Norway trauailing so farre that he found himselfe in 70. degrées of latitude towards the North. He did sée speake and was conuersant with all the kings princes nobles and chiefe cities of all Christendome in the space of 22. yéeres So that by reason of the greatnes of his trauell I thought him a man woorthie to be here remembred In the yéere 1529. or 1530. one Melchior de Sofa Tauarez went from the citie of Ormuz vnto Balfera and the Islands of Gissara with certaine ships of warre and passed vp as farre as the place where the riuers Tygris and Euphrates méete one with the other And although other Portugals had discouered and sailed through that streight yet neuer any of them sailed so farre vpon the fresh water till that time when he discouered that riuer from the one side to the other wherein he saw many things which the Portugals knew not Not long after this one Ferdinando Coutinho a Portugall came vnto Ormuz and being desirous to sée the world he determined to goe into Portugall from thence ouer land to sée Asia and Europe And to doe this the better he went into Arabia Persia and vpwards the riuer Euphrates the space of a moneth and saw many kingdomes and countreies which in our time had not béene séene by the Portugals He was taken prisoner in Damasco and afterward crost ouer the prouince of Syria and came vnto the citie of Alepo He had béene at the holy Sepulchre in Ierusalem and in the citie of Cayro and at Constantinople with the Great Turke and hauing séene his court he passed ouer vnto Venice and from thence into Italie France Spaine and so came againe to Lisbon So that he and Damian de Goes were in our time the most noble Portugals that had discouered and séene most countreyes and realmes of their owne affections In the same yéere 1530. little more or lesse one Francis Pisarro which had béene in Spaine to obtaine the gouernment of Peru turned backe againe to the citie of Panama with all things that he desired he brought with him fower brethren Ferdinand Iohn Gonzaluo and Francis Martines de Alcantara They were not well receiued by Diego de Almagro and his friends for that Pisarro had not so much commended him to the Emperour as he looked for but omitted the discouerie wherein he had lost one of his eies and spent much yet in the end they agreed and Diegro de Almagro gaue vnto Pisarro 700. pezoes of golde victuailes and munition wherewith he prepared himselfe the better for his iourney Not long after this agréement Francis Pisarro and his brethren went in two ships with the most of their soldiers and horses but he could not arriue at Tumbez as he was minded and so they went on land in the riuer of Peru and went along the coast with great paines because there were many bâ—gs and riuers in their way wherein some of his men were drowned They came to the towne of Coaché where they rested where they found much gold and emeraulds of which they brake some to sée if they were perfect From thence Pisarro sent to Diego de Almagro twentie thousand pezoes of gold to send him men horses munition and victuailes and so he went on his iourney to the hauen named Porto Viejo and thither came vnto him one Sebastian de Benalcazar with all such things as had sent for which pleased and pleasured him very much In the yéere 1531. he hauing this aide passed ouer into a rich Island called Puna where he was well receiued of the gouernour yet at last he conspired to kill him and all his men but Pisarro preuented him and tooke many of the Indians and bound them with chaines of gold and siluer The gouernour caused those that kept his wines to haue their noses armes and priuie members to be cut off so iealous was he Here Pisarro found aboue sixe hundred men prisoners belonging to the king Attabalipa who waged warre against his eldest brother Guascar to winne reputation These he set at libertie and sent them to the citie of Tombez who promised to be a meane that he should be well receiued in those partes But when they saw themselues out of bondage they forgat their promise and incited the people against the Spaniards Then Pisarro sent thrée Spaniards to Tombez to treate for peace whome they tooke and slew and sacrificed and their priestes wept not for pitie but of custome Pisarro hearing of this cruell fact passed ouer to the maine and set vpon the citie one night suddenly and killed many of them so that they presented him with gifts of gold and siluer and other riches and so became friends This done he builded
a towne vpon the riuer of Cira and called it Saint Michael of Tangarara which was the first towne inhabited by Christians in those partes whereof Sebastian de Benalcazar was appointed captaine Then he searched out a good and sure hauen for his ships and found that of Payta to be an excellent harbour In this same yéere 1531. there went one Diego de Ordas to be gouernour in the riuer of Maragnon with thrée ships sixe hundred soldiers and 35. horses He died by the way so that the intention came to none effect After that in the yéere 1534. there was sent thither one Hierome Artal with 130. soldiers yet he came not to the riuer but peopled Saint Michael de Neueri and other places in Paria Also there went vnto this riuer Maragnon a Portugall gentleman named Aries Dacugna and he had with him ten ships nine hundred Portugals and 130. horses He spent much but he that lost most was one Iohn de Barros This riuer standeth in thrée degrées toward the South hauing at the entrance of it 15. leagues of breadth and many Islands inhabited wherein grow trées that beare incence of a greater bignes then in Arabia gold rich stones and one emeraud was found there as big as the palme of a mans hand The people of the countrey make their drinke of a kinde of dates which are as big as quinces In the yéere 1531. one Nunnez de Gusman went from the citie of Mexico towards the northwest to discouer and conquer the countreies of Xalisco Ceintiliquipac Ciametlan Toualla Cnixco Ciamolla Culhuacan and other places And to doe this he caried with him 250. horses and fiue hundred soldiers He went through the countrey of Mechuacan where he had much gold ten thousand marks of siluer and 6000. Indians to carrie burdens He conquered many countreyes called that of Xalisco Nueua Galicia because it is a ragged countrey and the people strong He builded a citie which he called Compostella and another named Guadalajara because he was borne in the citie of Guadalajara in Spaine He likewise builded the townes de Santo Espirito de la Conception and de San Miguel standing in 24. degrées of northerly latitude In the yéere 1532. Ferdinando Cortes sent one Diego Hurtado de Mendoça vnto Acapulco 70. leagues from Mexico where he had prepared a small fléete to discouer the coast of the South sea as he had promised the Emperour And finding two ships readie he went into them and sailed to the hauen of Xalisco where he would haue taken in water and wood but Nunnez de Gusman caused him to be resisted and so he went forward but some of his men mutined against him and he put them all into one of the ships and sent them backe into New Spaine They wanted water and going to take some in the bay of the Vanderas the Indians killed them But Diego Hurtado sailed 200. leagues along the coast yet did nothing woorth the writing In the yéere 1533. Francis Pisarro went from the citie of Tumbes to Caxamalca where he tooke the king Attabalipa who promised for his ransome much gold and siluer and to accomplish it there went to the citie of Cusco standing in 17. degrées on the South side Peter de Varco and Ferdinando de Sotto who discouered that iourney being 200. leagues all causies of stone and bridges was made of it and from one iourney to another lodgings made for the Yngas for so they call their kings Their armies are very great and monstrous For they bring aboue an hundred thousand fighting men to the field They lodge vpon these causies and haue there prouision sufficient and necessarie after the vse and custome of Chiâ—â—â— as it is said Ferdinando Pisarro with some horsemen went vnto Paciacama 100. leagues from Caxamalca and discouered that prouince And comming backe he vnderstood how Guascar brother to Attabalipa was by his commandement killed and how that his captaine Ruminaguy rose vp in armes with the citie of Quito After this Attabalipa was by the commandement of Pisarro strangled In the yéere 1534. Francis Pisarro séeing that the two kings were goue began to enlarge himselfe in his signiories and to build cities forts and townes to haue them more in subiection Likewise he sent Sebastian de Banalcazar the captaine of S. Michael of Tangarara against Ruminaguy vnto Quito He had with him two hundred footemen and 80. horsemen He went discouering and conquering 120. leagues from the one citie to the other east not farre from the Equinoctiall line where Peter Aluarado found mountaines full of snow and so cold that 70. of his men were frosen to death When he came vnto Quito he began to inhabite it and named it S. Francis In this countrey there is plentie of wheate barlie cattell and plants of Spaine which is very strange Pisarro went straight to the citie of Cusco and found by the way the captaine Quisquiz risen in armes whome shortly he defeated About this time there came vnto him a brother of Attabalipa named Mango whom he made Ynga or king of the countrey Thus marching forward on his iourney after certaine skirmishes he tooke that excéeding rich and wealthie citie of Culco In this same yéere 1534. a Briton called Iaques Cartier with thrée ships went to the land of Corterealis and the Bay of Sainâ— Laurence otherwise called Golfo Quadrato and fell in 48. degrées and an halfe towards the north and so he sailed till he came vnto 51. degrees hoping to haue passed that way to China and to bring thence drugs and other marchandise into France The next yéere after he made another voiage into those partes and found the countrey abounding with victuailes houses and good habitations with many and great riuers He sailed in one riuer toward the southwest 300. leagues and named the countrey thereabout Noua Francia at length finding the water fresh he perceiued he could not passe through to the South sea and hauing wintered in those parts the next yéere following he returned into France In the yéere 1535. or in the beginning of the yéere 1536. Don Antonie de Mendoça came vnto the citie of Mexico as Viceroy of New Spaine In the meane while Cortes was gone for more men to continue his discouerie which immediately he set in hand sending foorth two ships from Tecoantepec which he had made readie There went as captaines in them Fernando de Grijalua and Diego Bezerra de Mendoça and for pilots there went a Portugal named Acosta and the other Fortunio Ximenez a Biscaine The first night they deuided themselues Fortunio Ximenez killed his captaine Bezerra and hurt many of his confederacie and then he went on land to take water and wood in the Bay of Santa Cruz but the Indians there slue him and aboue 20. of his companie Two mariners which were in the boate escaped and went vnto
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
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
Andes which diuide Brasill from the empire of the Ingas After this maner the mountaines of Taurus and Imaus diuide Asia into two parts which mountaines begin in 36. and 37. degrées of northerly latitude at the end of the Mediterran sea ouer against the Isles of Rhodes and Cyprus running still towards the East vnto the sea of China And so likewise the mountaines of Atlas in Africa diuide the tawnie Moores from the blacke Moores which haue frisled haire beginning at mount Meâ—es about the desert of Barca and running along vnder the Tropicke of Cancer vnto the Atlanticke Ocean The mountains of the Andes be high ragged and in some places barren without trées or grasse whereon it raineth and snoweth most commonly Vpon them are windes and sudden blastes there is likewise such scarcitie of wood that they make fire of turffes as they do in Flanders In some places of these mountaines and countries the earth is of diuers colours as blacke white red gréene blew yellow and violet wherewith they die colours without any other mixture From the bottomes of these mountaines spring many small and great riuers principally from the east side as appéereth by the riuers of the Amazones of S. Francis of Plata and many others which runne through the countrey of Brasil being larger then those of Peru or those of Castilia del oro There grow on these mountaines many turneps rapes and other such like rootes and herbes One there is like vnto Aipo or Rue which beareth a yellow flower and healeth all kinde of rotten sores and if you apply it vnto whole and cleane flesh it will eate it vnto the bone so that it is good for the vnsound and naught for the whole They say there be in these mountains tigers lions beares woolues wilde cats foxes Dante 's Ounces hogs and déere birdes as well rauenous as others and the most part of them are blacke as vnder the North both beasts birdes be white Also there be great terrible snakes which destroied a whole armie of the Ingas passing that way yet they say that an olde woman did inchant them in such sort that they became so gentle that a man might sit vpon one of them The countrey of Peru adioining vnto the mountaines of Andes westward toward the sea and containing 15. or 20. leagues in bredth is all of very hot sand yet fresh bringing foorth many good trées and fruites because it is well watered where there growe abundance of flags rushes herbes and trées so slender and loose that laying your hands vpon them the leaues will fall off And among these herbes and fresh flowers the men and women liue and abide without any houses or bedding euen as the cattell doe in the fields and some of them haue tailes They be grosse and weare long haire They haue no beards yet haue they diuers languages Those which liue on the tops of these mountains of Andes betwéene the cold and the heate for the most part be blinde of one eie and some altogether blinde and scarce you shall finde two men of them together but one of them is halfe blinde Also there groweth in these fields notwithstanding the great heate of the sand good Maiz and Potatos and an herbe which they name Coca which they carrie continually in their mouthes as in the East India they vse another herbe named Betele which also they say satisfieth both hunger and thirst Also there are other kindes of graines and rootes whereon they féede Moreouer there is plentie of wheate barly millet vines and fruitful trées which are brought out of Spaine and planted there For all these things prooue well in this countrey because it is so commodiously watered Also they sow much cotton wooll which of nature is white red blacke gréene yellow orange tawnie and of diuers other colours Likewise they affirme that from Tumbez southward it doth neither raine thunder nor lighten for the space of fiue hundred leagues of land but at some times there falleth some little shower Also it is reported that from Tumbez to Chili there breede no peacocks hennes cocks nor eagles falcons haukes kites nor any other kinde of rauening fowles and yet there are of them in all other regions and countreies but there are many duckes géese herous pigeons partriges quailes and many other kindes of birdes There are also a certaine kinde of fowle like vnto a ducke which hath no wings to flie withall but it hath fine thinne feathers which all the body Likewise there are bitters that make war with the seale or sea wolfe for finding them out of the water they will labour to picke out their eies that they may not sée to get to the water againe and then they doe kill them They say it is a pleasant sight to behold the fight betwéene the said bitters and seales With the beards of these seales men make cleane their téeth because they be wholesome for the toothach There are certaine beastes which those of the countrey call Xacos and the Spanyards shéepe because they beare wooll like vnto a shéepe but are made much like vnto a déere hauing a a saddle backe like vnto a camell They will carrie the burteen of 100. weight The Spanyards ride vpon them and when they be wearie they will turne their heads backward and void out of their mouthes a woonderful stinking water From the riuer of Plata and Lima southward there bréede no crocodiles nor lizards no snakes nor any kinde of vene mous vermine but great store of good fishes bréede in those riuers On the coast of Saint Michael in The South sea there are many rocks of salt couered with egges On the point of Saint Helena are certaine Well springs which cast foorth a liquor that serueth in stead of pitch and tarre They say that in Chili there is a fountaine the water whereof will conuert wood into stone In the hauen of Truxillo there is a lake of fresh water and the bottome thereof is of good hard salt In the Andes beyond Xauxa there is a riuer of fresh water in the bottome whereof there lieth white salt Also they affirme by the report of those of the countrey that there haue dwelt giants in Peru of whose statures they found in Porto viejo and in the hauen of Truxillo bones and iawes with téeth which were thrée and fower fingers long In the yeere 1540. the captaine Ferdinando Alorchon went by the commandement of the Viceroy Don Antonio de Mendoça with two ships to discouer the bottome of the gulfe of California and diuers other countries In this yeere 1540. Gonsaluo Pisarro went out of the citie of Quito to discouer the countrey of Canell or Cinamome a thing of great fame in that countrey He had with him two hundred Spanyards horsemen and footemen and thrée hundred Indians to carrie burthens He went forward til he came to Guixos which is the farthest place gouerned by the Ingas where there happened a great