and returned to Lahor losing many Elephants and Horses in the way both by Famine then oppressing the Countrey and the difficultie of the Passages the Elephants sometimes in the ascent of Hils helping themselues with their Trunkes leaning and staying themselues being burthened thereon as on a staffe The Prince which is now King was assaulted by a fierce Lionesse as he rode on a Female Elephant which yet hee wounded first with a Dart then with a Shot and lastly smote her with the hand-Gun it selfe wherewith being ouerthrowne a Souldier came in and slew her but with losse of his owne life The next yeere 1598. Echebar went to Agra chiefe Citie of a Kingdome which hee had also conquered a hundred leagues from Lahor towards the South passing that way to Decan Hee had eight hundred Elephants and seuen thousand Camels to carrie his Tents and Prouisions yea his Secretarie had at the same time seuen hundred Camels and seuentie Elephants for his owne furniture and therefore it is lesse maruaile of the Kings The King conducted in this Expedition aboue a thousand Elephants instructed to fight and a hundred thousand Soldiers Hee passed the Mountaines of Gate by almost impassable Passages spending sometimes a whole day in passing the space of a Musket-shot One of his Captaines went before with fiftie thousand who tooke one of the Decans strongest Holds and made easie way to the Conquest of the rest of Melics Dominions which hee left in the Gouernment of his sonne Brampore fell into his hands being destitute of defence This was Anno 1600. Miram the King thereof had forsaken it and betaken himselfe to Syra a strong Hold both by Nature and Art It was seated on the top of a Hill which reacheth fiue leagues enuironed with a triple Wall so built that one might bee defended from the next Within was a Well of running Water and all necessarie Prouisions for threescore thousand persons for many yeeres It had three thousand great Peeces of Ordnance In this Castle according to the Countrey custome the next of the Bloud Royall were kept with their Families nor might depart except the Throne emptie the next Heire was hence deliuered much after that which is written of Amara in the Abassens Countrey and it seemes borrowed from thence so many slaues of those parts being here entertained and some in the highest Employments At this time besides King Miram there were seuen of these Princes The Gouernour was an Abassine with seuen other Vnder-Commanders all renegado Mahumetanes The Mogoll layde siege thereto with almost two hundred thousand men but more preuailed as before in Melics Countrey with Bribes and Promises then Force Thus inuiting Miram to a Conference swearing By the Kings head accounted an inuiolable Oath as is that By their Fathers head that hee should bee permitted safe returne Some of his Councellours perswaded him to goe hee went with a kinde of Stole on his necke hanging to his knees in token of subiection And comming before the Mogoll bowed himselfe but was cast to the ground by some of his Captaines and forceably detained The Abassine Gouernour sent his sonne to demand performance of Achebar his promise who being questioned of his Father the Abassen and the hopes to obtaine the Castle freely answered for his Fathers fidelitie and that if Miram were not restored they should not want a Successour with which libertie he prouoked the Mogol to cause him to be slaine which his Father hearing strangled himselfe And the wals were soone after battered at least entred and a breach made through the open gates by golden shot none of these seuen for feare of treason daring to take the Royall Soueraigntie These with the King were dispersed into diuers parts of his Kingdome and maintenance allowed them Thus remained Echebar Lord of these parts and longed to adde the rest of India whatsoeuer is betwixt Indus and Ganges euen to the Cape Comori to his Dominion He writ a Letter about this time to the Vice-Roy of Goa beginning thus I mention it to shew you his Titles which he arrogated The Great and Mightie Lord of the Law of MAHOMET The Renowmed and Great King Vanquisher of the Kings his Enemies Obserued and Honoured of Great Men Exalted aboue other Kings in ample Honour and Dignitie The onely Man for Gouernment amongst all the Princes of the World His Ambassage to ARIAS DE SALDAGNA c. The ninth day of Frauard the first moneth of the yeere beginning at the Aequinoctiall Vernall in the fortie sixe yeere viz. of His Reigne At this time dyed the Gouernour or Vice-Roy of Lahor which left to the King who is Heire Generall and Successour of euery mans wealth three millions of Gold coyned besides other Gold Siluer Iewels Horses Elephants furniture and goods almost inualuable This also for a taste of the meanes accrewing to this Kings Treasure Echebar returning to Agra gaue libertie to the Iesuites to conuert as many as would to Christianitie The King of Candacar or Candahar not able to defend himselfe against Abduxa King of the Vsbechs surrendred himselfe and his Kingdome to Echebar The particulars of his other Conquests I cannot relate His last victory I know not whether to impute to his happinesse or not It was against his Sonne in which the griefe to haue such an enemy could not but be more then the glory of the exploit This happened Anno 1602. Echebar being forced to giue ouer his Decan Conquest by his Sonnes vntimely challenge of the Scepter who weary of his Fathers long life stiled himselfe King and his Father the Great King Armies were gathered on both sides on both sides were sent Letters and Messengers The Mother of Echebar being nintie yeeres old laboured a peace but not preuailing fell sicke which caused him to returne from this expedition against his Sonne But her body not able to ouercome the disease yeelded to death Her Sonne shaued his head beard and eye-browes and mourned after the Country fashion in blue his Nobles doing the like three dayes Her huge Treasure which shee had bequeathed to her children and Nephewes the King seized on The Prince was perswaded to come to his Father without an Army which he did and after some rebuke was reconciled and remained content with the Kingdome of Cambaia or Guzzerat He seemed much addicted to the Iesuites and obtained his Fathers Licence for a Temple at Agra to the building whereof hee gaue a thousand pieces of Gold On the twentie seuen of October Anno 1605. Echebar dyed in the Climactericall yeere 63. of his age and fiftie of his reigne In his sicknesse Selim the Prince whom some suspected of dealing as the Turkish Selim had done with his Father Baiazet came not into the Presence and much consultation was amongst the Great ones to conferre the Succession vpon Cussero his sonne But the issue was that vpon his Oath to maintaine the Law of Mahomet and of full pardon to his Sonne
Discouerers vtterly deny this History affirming that there are but Cabans here and there made with Perkes and couered with barkes of trees or with skins and both the Riuer and inhabited place is called Pemtegoet and not Agguncia And there can be no great Riuer as they affirme because the great Riuer Canada hath like an insatiable Merchant engrossed all these water-commodities so that other streames are in manner but meere Pedlers The Armouchiquois are a traiterous and theeuish people next vnneighbourly neighbours to the Etechemins they are light-footed and lime-fingered as swift in running away with their stollen prey as the Grey-hound in pursuing it Champlein testifieth that the Armouchiquois are deformed with little heads short bodies armes small like a bone as are their thighs also their legges great and long and disproportioned with likenesse of proportion when they sit on their heeles their knees are halfe a foot higher then their heads They are valiant and planted in the best Countrey Monsieur du Point arriued in those parts in the yeere 1605. and du Monts remoued the French Habitation to the Port-Royall Monsieur de Pourtrincourt sailed thither in the yeere 1606. and with him the Author of the Booke called Noua Francia who hath written the Rites and Customes of these Countries Hee saith that the Armouchiquois are a great people but haue no adoration They are vicious and bloudy Both they and the Souriquois haue the industry of Painting and Caruing and doe make Pictures of Birds Beasts and Men both in stone and wood as well as the workmen in these parts They as is said ascribe not Diuine worship to any thing but yet acknowledge some Spirituall and inuisible Power I know not by what Diuine Iustice and Iniustice of the Diuell it comes to passe that God hath giuen some men vp so farre vnto the Diuels tyrannie that he hath banished out of their hearts the knowledge and worship of the True God and yet the nature of Man cannot be without apprehension of some greater and more excellent Nature and rather then want of all Religion they will haue a Religious-irreligious commerce with the Diuell Yea the more all knowledge of God is banished the baser seruice doe Men in doing and suffering yeeld to the Diuell as to leaue other parts to their owne places it falleth out in these Regions The Prince and greatest Commander of Men among them seemes by this meanes to bee the Diuels Vicegerent and by wizardly and diuellish practices to vp-hold his owne greatnesse So it was with Sagamos Membertou if any body were sicke he was sent for he made inuocations on the Diuell he bloweth vpon the partie grieued maketh incision sucketh the bloud from it a practice vsed in very many Countries of the Continent and Ilands of America if it be a wound he healeth it after the same maner applying a round slice of Beauers stones Some present is therefore made to him of Venison or skinnes If it be a question to haue newes of things absent hauing first questioned with his spirit he rendereth his Oracle commonly doubtfull very often false and sometimes true He rendered a true Oracle of the comming of Poutrincourt to du Pont saying his Diuell had told him so When the Sauages are hungry they consult with Membertous Oracle and he telleth them the place whither they shall goe and if there be no game found the excuse is that the Beast hath wandered and changed place but very often they finde And this makes them beleeue that the Diuell is a God and know none other although they yeeld him no adoration When these Aoutmoins so they call these Wizards consult with the Diuell they fixe a staffe in a pit to which they tye a Cord and putting their head into the pit make inuocations or coniurations in a language vnknowne to the others that are about and this with beatings and howlings vntill they sweat with paine When this Diuell is come the Master Aoutmoin makes them beleeue that hee holds him tyed by his cord and holdeth fast against him forcing him to giue him an answer before he let him goe That done he beginneth to sing something in the praises as it seemeth of the Diuel that hath discouered some game vnto them and the other Sauages that are there make answer with some concordance of musicke among them Then they dance with songs in another not vulgar language after which they make a fire and leape ouer it and put halfe a pole out of the top of the Cabin where they are with something tied thereto which the Diuell carrieth away Memberton carried at his necke the marke of his profession which was a purse triangle-wise couered with their imbroidered worke within which there was somewhat as bigge as a Nut which he said was his Diuell called Aoutem This function is successiue and by tradition they teach their eldest sonnes the mysterie of this iniquitie Euery Sagamos either is or hath his Aoutmoin The men and women weare their blacke haire long hanging loose ouer the shoulder wherein the men sticke a feather the women a bodkin They are much troubled with a stinging fly for preuention whereof they rub themselues with a certaine kinde of grease and oyles They paint their faces with blue or red but not their bodies For their marriages they are contracted with the consent of Parents who will not giue their Daughters in marriage to any except he be a good hunter The women are said to bee chaste and the contrary seldome found and though the husband hath many wiues yet is there no iealousie among them The widowes heere if there husbands be killed wil not marrie againe nor eate flesh till their death be reuenged Otherwise they make no great difficultie which Cartier reporteth of Canada to marry againe if they find a fit match Sometimes the Sauages hauing many wiues will giue one to their friend if he likes her so to disburden themselues The women eate not with the men in their meetings but apart When they make feasts they them end with dances all in a round to which one singeth at the end of euery song all make a loud long exclamation and to be the more nimble they strip themselues starke naked If they haue any of their enemies heads or armes they will carry them as a iewell about their necks whiles they dance sometimes biting the same After their Feasts they will diet themselues liuing sometimes eight dayes more or lesse with the smoke of Tobacco They are in nothing laborious but in hunting They sow but so much as will serue them for sixe moneths and that very hardly during the Winter they retire three or foure moneths space into the woods and there liue on Acornes Fish and Venison They wash not themselues at meales except they be monstrous foule and then wipe on their owne or their Dogs haires Their entertainment is with small complement the Guest sits downe by his
the Day which the Lord hath made wee will reioyce and bee glad in it And now I see a better sight then all my Pilgrimage could yeeld Christian Churches without Heathenish Iewish or Antichristian pollutions a Royall King truely entituled Defender of the Faith a Learned Clergie wise and Honourable Counsellers peaceable and loyall Commons in a word England presents it selfe to mine eyes representing to my mind a Map of Heauen and Earth in the freedome of Bodie and Soule yea where our subiection and seruice is Freedome which I haue not else-where found in all my Perambulation of the World I feele my selfe herewith rauished and in a ioyfull extasie cannot but crie out It is good for vs to bee heere in the true Church and Suburbs of the true Heauen Heere then Reader let me rest me till I see whether thy kind acceptation of this will make mee willing to accept another and neerer but harder European Pilgrimage Trin-vni Deo gloria TWO RELATIONS ONE OF THE NORTHEASTERNE PARTS EXTRACTED OVT OF SIR IEROME HORSEY KNIGHT HIS many yeeres obseruations and experience in his frequent and Honourable Employments to and from the Muscouite Emperours and the adioyning PRINCES THE OTHER OF THE SOVTHEASTERNE Parts viz. GOLCHONDA and other adiacent Kingdomes within the Bay of Bengala Written by Mr. William Methold MOLLIA CVM DVRIS LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Henry Fetherstone and are to bee sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Rose 1626. To the Reader REader I here present vnto thee in a later seruice that which deserued a fitter place in another Worke and which I had sought with much industrie before without successe I am ashamed againe to tell thee with what little effect my Russian labours for Intelligence were seconded but since my PILGRIMES published Sir Ierome Horseys kindnesse offered me without seeking better Intelligence then any others could haue giuen for the times of Iuan and Feodore with the politike preparations of Boris vnto the Muscouian Empire a Story whereof I was so much more desirous to publish because our Age if euer so short a time in any Age or any State can hardly parallel the like practises of humane Policies to couetous cruell ambitious ends ended in the Authours and Actors owne Tragedies God taking the wise in their craftinesse and iustly spoyling the vniust spoylers of their spoyles liues states yea rooting out their whole Families the greatnesse and glory whereof they had sought to aduance by such wicked courses and withall punishing the wickednes of the people by so frequent forreigne Inuasions and intestine Combustions that wee may out of others euils learne this good Discite iustitiam moniti the true vse of all Historie I had out of Alexander Gwagninus Paulus Oderbornius and others collected some Relations of Iuan Vasiliwich and his Sonnes but those could see but the out-sides of things and giue vs but huskes shels and rumours which often are vncertaine sometimes false but here wee present an Eye-witnesse which tooke not vp Newes on trust by wonted Bils and Tales of Exchange but was admitted vnto the Mysteries of that State in the Historie of the Imperiall Acts written in their Records and in his owne personall and honourable Employments betwixt Queene Elizabeth of glorious Memory and the Russian Emperours And indeed want of the Languages of remote Regions hath hatched many imperfect Histories the blind leading the blind into errour wherein as I haue euer loued truth so was I glad to rectifie our Russian Relations by opportunitie of so worthy a Guide whose Papers had before furnished Doctor Fletcher with the best peeces of his Intelligence Euen here also I was straitned in time the Presse pursuing me so fast that I had not leisure to transcribe at large the Authours Danish Polish and Germane Relations nor to adde forme or beauty from Arte and perhaps this natiue nakednesse in a Iournall or Trauelling Method will be to some most acceptable The Author and matter addes better lustre to the Worke then my words can the one so full of varietie and weight the other an experienced and Religious Knight employed in many and honourable Seruices of State and honouring the Name and Family of the Horseys with his Acts Arts and good Parts Who had long since also dedicated this Worke to that Honourable Patriote Sir Francis Walsingham Now for Master Methold I had spared some of Frederikes Balbies and Fitches Relations if these had comne in time which so many times I had both by messages and in person sought and by reason of the Authours absence or businesses was frustrate But the Reader will finde his labour and cost recompensed in the Rarities of matter and stile also trauelling beyond the wonted pace of a Merchant-Traueller The Relation is correspondent to the Subiect it entreates of a Mine of Diamants and is a Mine of Diamants it selfe Gemmes may bee put on after the whole bodie so I call my former large Worke is attired and after that full repast as Indian Drugs vsed in second Seruices it will second thee with a new and refresh thee with a fresh Indian appetite and present vnto thee like Spectacles after great Feasts such a muster of Indian Elements affaires men arts Religions customes and other varieties as before we were not able to bring on our Stage Vale fruere EXTRACTS OVT OF SIR IEROME HORSEYS OBSERVATIONS IN SEVENTEENE YEERES TRAVELS AND EXPERIENCE IN RVSSIA AND OTHER COVNTRIES ADIOYNING Hauing before seene FRANCE and the Low Countries by Sir EDWARD HORSEYS meanes and in the company and charge of Master William Mericke Agent for the Company I Arriued in Muscouia A. 1573. and hauing some smack in the Greeke by affinity thereof in short space attained the ready knowledge of their vulgar speech the Sclauonian Tongue the most copious elegant Language of the World with some small difference of Dialect comming neere the Polish Lettois and Transyluanian and all those Countries adiacent being vsed by Merchants in Turkie also Persia in India I read their Chronicles written and kept in secret by a great Prince of that Country Knez Misthislofskie who out of his loue and fauour imparted vnto mee many secrets obserued in the memory of his fourescore yeeres time of the nature and gouernment of that State To omit things of former ages Vasily Andreowich hauing enlarged his Dominions vpon the Pole and Swethen and specially on the Crimme Tartars left his people strong and rich his Countries diuided into foure parts and two Sonnes the eldest of fiue yeeres called Volica Knez Iuan Vasilliwich which reigned after him the other of two yeeres Duke of Vaga Iuan grew vp comely in person indued with excellent gifts At twelue yeeres age he married Nastacia Romanoua which became so wise and vertuous that she was much loued and feared a long time carrying the whole sway Her Husband being young and riotous she ruled with admirable wisdome so that he
much of it is exported to Mocha and Arrecan and not a little drunke amongst themselues It is but weake yet sure more care in curing and making it vp would helpe that fault they onely dry the leaues in the Sun and vse it so without further sophistication These are the generall Commodities of this Countrey which are dispersed in some measure through the World but are best knowne in Indian Traffique and produce constantly certaine profit in their exportation to other parts to which purpose they build great Ships and good ones too considered in their burthen and materials but not comparable to ours for beautie conueniencie or defence some of them not lesse then 600. tunnes substantially built of very good timber and Iron whereof we haue had vpon some occasion good experience in careening the Globe Salomon and Clawe in the Riuer of Narsoporpeta With these their Ships they traffique ordinarily to Mocha in the Red Sea to Achijne vpon Sumatra to Arrecan Pegu and Tannassery on the other side the Gulfe and to many Ports alongst their owne Coasts as farre as Zeloan and the Cape Comorijne To Mocha they set sayle in Ianuary and returne in September or October following and thither the King sends yeerely a proportion of Rice as an Almes to be distributed amongst the Pilgrimes which resort to Mecha and Medina where their Prophet Mahomets Shrine is visited with much deuotion He sendeth also an Aduenture the proceed whereof is inuested in Arabian Horses which are returned not aboue sixe or eight in a Shippe whereof they make great account For in this Countrey there is no Race of good Horses Tobasco they send in great quantities many small Rocans to make Launces certaine sorts of Calicoes proper for Turbants Iron Steele Indico Beniamin and Gumme Lacke For which they returne some few watered Chamblets but the most part ready money in Sultannees or Rials of eight In September the Ships for Achijne Arrecan Pegu and Tannassery set all sayie for it is to be vnderstood that alongst this and all other Coasts of India the windes blow constantly trade sixe moneths one way and sixe moneths another which they call the Monsons alternately succeeding each other not missing to alter in Aprill and October onely variable towards their end so that taking the last of a Monson they set sayles and with a fore-winde arriue at their desired Hauen and there negotiating their Affaires they set sayle from thence in February or March following and with the like fauourable gale returne in Aprill vnto their owne Ports To Acheene they export much Steele and some Iron diuers sorts of Calicoes both white and painted and of late times when the Myne was first discouered store of Diamonds which were sold to great benefit from whence they returne Beniamin and Camphora of Barouse Pepper of Priaman and Tecoo Brimstone and all sorts of Porcellane and China Commodities if to be had to sell againe to profit To Arrecan they send store of Tobacco some Iron and few sorts of painted clothes and returne from thence some Gold and Gumme Lacke but most part Rice which they sell about Pallecat and that Coast of Narsinga To Pegu they export much Siluer in Rials of eight Cotton yarne and Beethyles dyed red with seueral sorts of paintings bring from thence the perfect Rubies Saphires which are dispersed through the World much Gold the best Gum Lack with some Tin Quicksiluer To Tannassery they carry red Cotton yarne red and white Beethyles paintings of seuerall sorts befitting that Countries weare and landing them at Tannassery carry them from thence to Syam fourteene dayes iourney ouer Land from whence by the like conueyance they bring all sorts of China Commodities as Porcellane Sattins Damaskes Lankeene Silke Lignum Aloes Beniamin of Camboia and great store of Tinne and a wood to die withall called Sapan wood the same we heere call Brasill Alongst their owne Coast they trade with smaller shipping lading Rice and other graine where it is cheapest selling it againe on the Coast of Bisnagar to great benefit taking children in exchange which cost not them aboue three or foure shillings a childe and they sell againe in Musulipatnam and other places for forty shillings And thus much shal suffice to haue written of this Kingdom wherein I haue been the more prolixe because my own knowledge fortified with almost fiue yeeres experience assureth me of the truth of what I haue written Where this Country endeth the Kingdome of Bengala beginneth subsisting at this time vnder the Monarchy of the Great Mogull which he ruleth by his Gouernours disposed into seuerall Prouinces whose powerfull Neighbourhood causeth the King of Golchonda to keepe constant Garisons which with the aduantage of Riuers and Deserts secureth him on that side of his Kingdome In this Countrey we are meere strangers the Coast is too dangerous and our shipping too great to aduenture them amongst so many shelfes and sands yet are we enformed by such as comes from thence and confirmed by the price and abundance of such things as that Countrey produceth that it is the most plentifull of all the East For once a yeere there ariueth at Musulipatnam a Fleet of small Vessels from thence of burden about twenty tunnes the plankes onely sowne together with Cairo a kinde of Cord made of the rinds of Coconuts and no Iron in or about them In which Barkes they bring Rice Butter Sugar Waxe Honey Gumme Lacke Long Pepper Callico Lawnes and diuers sorts or Cotton-cloth Raw Silke and Moga which is made of the barke of a certaine tree and very curious Quilts and Carpets stitched with this Moga all which considering the plenty of the place whereunto they bring them should come hither as we say of Coales carried to New-castle yet here they sell them to contented profit Many Portugals decayed in their estates or questioned for their liues resort hither liue here plentifully yet as banished men or Out-lawes without gouernment practice or almost profession of Religion to conclude it may truly be spoken of this Countrey as it is abusiuely of another Bengala bona terra mala gons It is the best Countrey peopled with the worst Nation of whom this repute runnes currant in India the men are all Theeues and the women Whoores Here the famous Ganges disimboqueth into the Sea fructifying it seemes the Countrey but little sanctifying the Inhabitants whereof I can speake very little as hauing alwayes liued at great distance from it onely I haue heard it is full of Crocodiles and so are most Riuers within the Gulfe where I haue seene many of immense bignesse which the Ferrimen that passe men and cattle ouer those Riuers know how to charme and then with safety ferry ouer the Passengers in the bodies of one or two Palmito trees ioyned and swimme ouer the Cattle the order of which charming hauing once seene I thought good to insert Beeing at a Riuers side and ready to passe it we espied
where on the weeke dayes they cannot haue occasion or company for publique prayers therfore if they read only the Seruice on holy dayes and neuer studie for more which I would it were not the idle practise of some euen the Heathen shall rise vp in iudgement against them I subscribe with hand and practice to our Liturgie but not to such Lethargie whose darkenesse is so much the more intollerable in this Sun-shine of the Gospell wherein wee haue a gracious King so diligent a frequenter of Sermons and Reuerend Bishops notwithstanding other their weighty Ecclesiasticall employments yet diligent Preachers The studious of Geographie may somewhat be helped in that kinde not that we intend an exact Geographie in mentioning euery Citie with the degrees of Longitude and Latitude but yet limiting euery Countrie in his true situation and bounds and performing happily more then some which take vpon them the title of Geographers as their chiefe profession and more then any which I know hath done in our language He which admireth and almost adoreth the Capuchine Iesuite or other Romanists for selfe-inflicted whippings fastings watchings vowes of obedience pouertie and single life and their not sparing their limmes and liues for their will-worships may see in all these the Romanists equalled by Heathens if not out-stripped euen by the reports of the Iesuites and other their Catholiques Bodily exercise profiteth little but Godlinesse is profitable vnto all and hath the promise of this life and that which is to come Here also the Reader may see most of their Popish Rites deriued out of Chaldean Egyptian and other Fountaines of Paganisme as in the later taske we shall haue more occasion to shew Heere euery English man may see cause to praise God continually for the light of his truth communicated to vs whereas it is in comparison but a small part of the World that soundeth the sacred name of Iesus and of those that professe it how infinit are the sects and superstitions God hath shewed his Word vnto our IACOB THE DEFENDER OF HIS FAITH his Statutes and his Iudgements vnto this ISRAEL of Great Brittaine Hee hath not dealt so with euery Nation neither haue the Heathen nor scarcely if scarcely any other Christian Nation so much knowledge of his iudgements And yet how seditious are some how prophane are others how vnthankfull the most That beastly Sinne of Drunkennesse that biting Sinne of Vsurie that Deuillish Sinne of Swaggering ruffling in deformitie of clothes like monstrous Chimaeras and barking out a multiformitie of oathes like hellish Cerberi as if men could not be Gallants vnlesse they turned Deuils These are the paiments wee returne vnto the Lord in stead of prayers for and loyaltie to his Maiestie peaceablenesse and charitie to each others modestie and sobrietie in our selues For the forme I haue sought in some places with varietie of phrase in all with varietie of matter to draw thee along with mee in this tedious Pilgrimage Some names are written diuersly according to the differing Copies which I followed which thy discretion will easily conceiue I doe not in euery question set downe my censure sometimes because it were more then needes sometimes because of the difficultie I mention Authors sometimes of meane quality for the meanest haue sence to obserue that which themselues see more certainly then the contemplations and Theorie of the more learned I would also acknowledge the labour of the meanest I haue laboured to reduce Relations to their first Authors setting their names to their Allegations the want whereof hath much troubled mee whilst the most leaue out their Authors as if their owne assertion were sufficient authoritie in things borrowed I haue to my great paines contracted and Epitomized whole Volumes and some very large into one Chapter a thing vsuall through these Relations Where I haue found plentifull discourse for Religion my chiefe aime I am shorter in other Relations and where I haue had lesse helpes for that discouerie I insist more on the wonders of Nature and discoueries by Sea and Land with other remarkeable accidents These Rarities of Nature I haue sometimes suted in a differing phrase and figure of speech not that I affect a fantasticall singularitie but that these Diuine workes might appeare in Robes if not fitting their Maiestie yet such as our Word-Robe did willingly without any great affectation or studie affoord not without example of the Scripture which vseth to bring in the mute Creatures speaking and performing as it were other personall offices nor without this effect to make the Reader stay a while with obseruation and wonder besides that variety of it selfe is delightsome If any mislike the fulnesse in some places and the barrennesse of words in others let them consider we handle a World where are Mountaines and Vallies fertile habitations and sandy desarts and others steps whom I follow hold me sometimes in a narrower way which elsewhere take more libertie I touch here and there a Controuersie both for illustration of Historie and in season and out of season to shew my affectation to the Truth Now if any man thinke that it were better these rotten bones of the passed and stinking bodies of the Present superstitions were buried then thus raked out of their graues besides that which hath beene said I answere That I haue sufficient example in the Scriptures which were written for our learning to the ends of the World and yet depaint vnto vs the vgly face of Idolatry in so many Countries of the Heathens with the Apostasies Sects and Heresies of the Iewes as in our first and second booke is shewed and the Ancient Fathers also Iustin Tertullian Clemens Irenaeus Origen and more fully Eusebius Epiphanius Philastrius and Augustine haue gone before vs in their large Catalogues of Heresies and false Opinions I appeale vnto any indifferent Reader for some not Readers nor indifferent I respect not whose Authoritie perhaps would be but indifferent if they must first win it by being Authors of so big I dare not say so great volumes if there be any either Idolatries or other impieties in this worke of mâ—ne expressed beyond theirs which heere out of the Scriptures are mentioned Stewes in the Temple humane Sacrifices to Moloch Tamuz his mourning Sodomites Incests with other fleshly worldly beastly Deuillish monstâ—â—s of iniquitie obtruded vnder Religions Sacred Mantle amongst the Amorites Egyptians and Iewes before the comming of Christ or greater darkenesse and more hellish then when the Light it selfe was made manifest and the Darknesse comprehended it not Herods butcheries Iudas his treacherie the blasphemies of the Scribes Priests and Pharises and the crucifying of the Sonne of God by men for men or since if as stinking loathsome monstrous abuses haue 〈◊〉 beene offered to the Christian Name in worse impostures and pollutions by the Nicholaitans and other incarnat Deuils recorded by those Fathers and other Ecclesiasticall Authors then any of those heere in this booke obserued to which if that which
life which without such stay should haue beene immortall the vse whereof was after granted rather to supply necessitie when the Floud had weakened the Earth then to minister a greater abundance then before it had and least of all to satisfie the greedie and curious appetites of more then beastly men Liberall and bountifull was GODS allowance which yet as man abused in eating the forbidden fruit so whether any sinfull man did transgresse by eating the flesh of beasts as iniquity increased it is vncertaine And yet it is likely that when the Earth was filled with crueltie as men escaped not beastly butcherie so beasts escaped not butcherly inhumanitie and men that stay not now for commission to eate mans flesh would then much lesse aske leaue to feed on beasts Then did the godly Patriarchs liue many hundred yeares without such food whereas now we reach not to one with this helpe that I speake not of those which by abuse hereof are as cruell to themselues in shortning their dayes by surfets as to the Creatures making their bellies to become Warrens Fish-pooles Shambles and what not saue what they should bee Had not Man beene Deuillish in sinning hee had not beene beastly in feeding nay the beasts had abhorred that which now they practise both against their Lord and their fellow-seruants The Wolfe should haue dwelt with the Lambe the Leopard should haue lyon with the Kid and the Calfe and the Lyon and the fat Beast together and a little Childe might leade them And this in the time of the Floud appeared when all of them kept the peace with each other and dutifull allegeance to their Prince in that great Family and little moueable World Noahs Arke The place of Adams dwelling is expressed by MOSES And the Lord GOD planted a Garden East-ward in Eden and there he put the man whom hee had made Genes 2.8 Maruell it is to see the confusion which sinne bringeth which appeareth not onely in the bodie soule dyet and other Prerogatiues of our first Parents but in this place also then a place of pleasure a Paradise and Garden of delights after a place prohibited and kept by the blade of a Sword shaken now the place cannot bee found in Earth but is become a common place in mens braines to macerate and vexe them in the curious search hereof Some doe conuert this History into an Allegory as did the Manichees and the Originists confuted by Methodius as Epiphanius witnesseth Hierome in Dan. 10. saith that seeking for shadowes in the truth they ouer-turne the Truth it selfe Vmbras imagines in veritate quaerentes ipsam conantur euertere veritatem vt flumina arbores Paradisum putent Allegoriae legibus se debere subruere Such Mysticall Mist-all and Misse-all Interpreters are our Familists in these times by vnseasonable and vnreasonable Allegories raysing mysts ouer the Scripture-sense which thereby they misse and cannot find Augustine relateth three opinions that Allegoricall which he confuteth the literall and that which followeth both the one and the other as himselfe doth The Hermians and Seleucians are said to denie that there was any such place and the naked Adamites accounted their Church to be Paradise Others are as prodigall ascribe hereunto all the Earth which was a Paradise till sinne brought in a Curse Thus holdeth Wolfgangus Wissenburg Goropius also Vadianus are of like minde That mans exile was but the alteration of their happy cōdition that the fiery sword was the fiery Zone A great while it went for currant that it was a pleasant Region by a long tract of Sea and Land separated from our habitable World and lifted vp to the Circle of the Moone whereby it was out of the reach of Noahs floud as truly perhaps as Patricius and others haue found another World in the Moone with men and beasts therein of greater stature and longer life then here with vs Thus hath Petrus Comestor and Strabus and many Trauellers in old times haue trauelled with this conceit of their Fooles Paradise and brought forth a lie as appeareth by their Legends That Saint Brandon sayled thither from Ireland is as true as that he met Iudas in the way released from his paines as he was alway from Saturday to Sunday Euen-song or that they made fire on a fish supposing it to bee an Iland as that Legend telleth It should seeme the Man in the Moone called him and shewed him the way to this Paradise or that Dinias which according to the Relations of Antonius Diogenes trauelling beyond Thule went so farre North that hee came to the Moone which seemed a shining Earth where he saw many strange sights as credible as the former or else great Lucifer himselfe who as a later Traueller reporteth hath lately bequeathed a Lieutenancie to Ignatius and his Colony of Iesuites in the New Hell in that New-found-World of the Moone the care of the foundation whereof he committeth to that Iebusiticall societie But let vs descend from this Lunaticke Paradise Others place it Eastward in the highest top of the Earth where the foure Riuers mentioned by Moses haue their originall whence they runne and are swallowed vp of the Earth and after rising in diuers places of the World are knowne by the names of Nilus Ganges Tigris Euphrates Hugo de S. Victore and Adrichomius are of this opinion yea the great Cardinall Caretane and Bellarmine place Henoch and Elias in Earthly Paradise yet liuing there vntill the time of Antichrist which wood he cannot see beeing in the middest of it for Trees But the discouery of the World by Trauellers 〈◊〉 description thereof by Geographers will not suffer vs to follow them to the want of which Art I meane Geographie such fantasies may be imputed whereby also is confuted the opinion of them which place it vnder the Equinoctiall Circle as Durandus and Bonauentura Others account so much to Paradise as those foure Riuers doe water euen the chiefe part of Afrike and Asia and some confine it in streighter limits of Syria Arabia and Mesopotamia as if Adam had been so couetous as his Posteritie or so laborious as to husband so large Countries The false interpretation of those Riuers to bee Nilus Ganges c. was the cause of this errour the Septuagint translating in stead of Sichor which is Nilus Gihon the name of one of these streames Moses as it were of purpose by an exact Chorography and delineation of the situation doth meete with those errours and with other the like which I doe not here relate Neither is their opinion to be followed which drowne all altogether in the Deluge seeing that after that time Moses wrote this Franciscus Iunius in his readings on Genesis hath largely and learnedly handled this matter and added a Map also of Heden in which it stood and the course of the Riuers with the Countries adiacent In
thousand of his people fled and seated himselfe in a part of Armenia about Erzerum and after vpon some better hopes resolued to returne againe into Persia but in seeking to passe the Riuer Euphrates was drowned and his followers dispersed following their ancient Trade of wandring Heards-men Hee left behinde him foure sonnes Tencur-Teken Iundogdis Ertogrul the father of Ottoman and Dunder The two eldest returned into Persia The two youngest stayed and with them foure hundred Families with their Tents and Carts their moueable Houses And insinuating into the Sultan Aladins good liking by sute and desert this Ertogrul was rewarded as yee haue heard being made Lord of Suguta and Warden of those Marches and liued there in securitie till he was of great yeeres and had seene much alteration in that state He died Anno 1289. hauing liued ninetie three yeeres And him succeeded by common consent as Lord ouer the Oguzian Turkes his sonne Ottoman saluted therefore by the name of Osman Beg or Lord Osman Hee first got into his subiection a great part of the Castles and Forts of the greater Phrygia equally protecting his Subiects both Christians and Turkes he conquered Nice the name whereof is reuerend for the first Generall Councell of Christendome and Aladin the second Sultan of Iconium sent vnto him a faire Ensigne a Sword and Robe with ample Charters that whatsoeuer he tooke from the Christians should be his owne and that publike prayers should be said in their Temples for his health which was of him humbly accepted and such prayers made by one Dursu whom hee had appointed Bishop and Iudge of Carachiser Anno 1300. Neapolis was made his seat Royall Hee fished so well in the troubled streame of the Greeke Empire that hee subdued the most part of Phrygia Mysia and Bythinia and Prusa after a long siege was yeelded vnto his sonne Orchanes and made the Royall seat of the Ottoman-Kings where Ottoman himselfe was buried 1328. His sonne Orchanes succeeded Aladin his brother contenting himselfe with a priuate life who after built two Mahumetan Churches and another at Prusa Orchanes also erected in Nice a sumptuous Temple appointing a Preacher to preach to the people euery Friday and two faire Abbies in the one of which hee with his owne hands serued the strangers and poore the first-dinner Hee was the first that builded Abbies among the Turkes followed herein by most of his Successours Hee got Nicomedia and the Townes adioyning He also wonne all Charasia and at his returne built a Church and Abbey at Prusa placing therein religious men sought out with all diligence His sonne Solyman first of the Turkes that had possessed any foot in Europe crossed the Hellespont and wanne the Castle Zemeenic and after that Maditus receptacles for the Turks which came ouer in multitudes hee transporting Christians into Asia to dwell in their roome And after he wan Gallipoli spoyling the Countrie and winning from the Greekes who were negligent in preuenting or remedying this danger But Solyman dying with a fall his old father Orchanes liued not two moneths after a Prince very zealous in his superstition who besides building diuers Churches Abbies Colledges and Cells allowed Pensions to all such as could in the Church say the booke of Mahomets law by heart and competent maintenance to the Iudges that they should not sell justice Amurath which succeeded exceeded him in his blind zeale Hee kept in awe the Turkish Princes in Asia and wanne many Townes and Castles in Thracia and amongst others Adrianople the seat Royall of the Turkish Kingdome vntill Constantinople was after subdued This was done 1362. Hee ordained that euery fifth captiue of the Christians aboue fifteene yeeres old should bee taken vp for the Turkish King which were distributed among the Turkish hus-bandmen in Asia to learne the Turkish Language Religion and Manners and after two or three yeeres choice was made of the better sort to attend vpon the Princes person and for his warres called Ianizars that is new Souldiers which Order after grew to great account and is yet a principall pillar of the Turkish greatnesse He ouerthrew Aladin the Caramanian King which made the other Princes of the Selzuccian Family to submit themselues vnto him And busying himselfe in his new Conquests in Europe after a great victorie obtained against Lazarus Despot of Seruia as he viewed the slaine carkasses was slaine of a wounded and halfe-dead Souldier who comming staggering as it were to beg his life stabbed this great CoÌ„queror with a dagger hidden vnder his garments Baiazet his sonne and successour oppresseth most of the Mahumetan Princes in Asia inuadeth Valachia besiegeth Constantinople eight yeers ouerthroweth the King of Hungarie in battell subdueth the Caramanian Kingdome and amidst his aspiring fortunes is by Tamberlane depriued of his Kingdome and libertie shut vp and carried about in an yron Cage against the barres whereof he beat out his braines Anno 1399. Mahomet his sonne after much warre with his brethren wholly possesseth the Ottoman Kingdome both in Europe and Asia almost quite ouerthrowne before by Tamerlane Hee tooke the Caramanian King and his sonne Mustapha prisoners who became his Vassals as did also the Vâ—lachian Prince he died 1422. Amurath his successor winneth Thessalonica the greatest part of Aetolia inforceth the Princes of Athens Phocis and Boeotia to become his Tributaries oppresseth the Mahumetan Princes of Asia subdueth Seruia spoileth Hungarie Hee after retired himselfe to a Monasticall life in a Monasterie which yet the affayres of State forced him to leaue againe He inuading Epirus at the siege of Croia dyed 1450. Mahomet was there saluted Sultan in the field a man equally vnequall and troublesome to the Christian and Mahumetan Princes He wanne Constantinople the twentieth of May 1453. the taking whereof is by Leonardus Chiensis declared in a Treatise composed of that vnhappie argument and likewise by Cardinall Isidorus Ruthenus Hee wanne Trabezond the Imperiall seat of another Christian Empire Anno 1460. Hence hee was called Emperour a name not giuen to the Turkish Kings He burnt Athens Anno 1452. Hee obtained Epirus and Mysia Anno 1436. and did much harme against the Soldan and Mamalukes He conquered Euboea and Illyricum in the yeere 1474. ouerthrew the Persians and in the last act of his bloodie life he tooke by Achmetes his Captaine Otranto or Hydruntum in Italy with no small terrour to all Italy Hee was sir-named Great and is said to haue conquered two hundred Cities twelue Kingdomes and two Empires which he lest to Baiazet his sonne Anno 1481. His other sonne Zemes was forced to flee into Italy where a great summe of money was yeerely allowed the Pope to keepe him for his owne securitie and for loue of his brother whom Alexander the Bishop is reported to poyson as some thinke by composition with the grand Seignior He had some warres against the Mamalukes some against the
goat skins the haire thereof being dried in the Sunne one before and the other behinde embracing the bodie in forme of a girdle otherwise naked Winter and Summer They dwell without the Cities in Suburbs and Villages Thus vnder the colour of Religion they roame vp and downe and make no conscience to rob kill and murther if they finde themselues the stronger with a small Hatchet which they beare vnder their girdle all men of whatsoeuer Law or Nation They are fornicators and most detestable in that most detestable sinne of Sodomie For shew of holinesse they eate of a certaine herb called Matslach the violent operation whereof maketh them to become madde so as through a certaine furie they with a certaine knife or razor doe cut their necks stomacks and thighes vntill they be full of most horrible wounds which to heale they lay vpon them a certaine herbe letting it lie vpon their hurt vntill it be altogether consumed into ashes suffering in the meane time extreme paine with maruellous patience Thus do they imitate their Prophet Mahomet who through abstinence in his den fell into such a furie say they that hee would haue throwne himselfe from the top of it And therefore fooles and madde men are in great reuerence yea they account such for Saints and if such madde men strike or rob them they take it in good part and say they shall haue good lucke after it They erect stately Monuments ouer such mad mens graues as at Aleppo one Sheh Boubac who being mad went alwayes naked being dead they built a house ouer his graue where to this day saith our Author there are Lampes burning day and night and many of these Daruises there remained to looke to his Sepulchre and to receiue the offerings of such as come as many do euery weeke out of Aleppo If any be sicke or in danger they vow to offer money or other things to Sheh Boubac if they recouer The same account they make of one Sheh Mahammet a mad man yet liuing in Aleppo going naked with a spit on his shoulder Men and women will come and kisse his hand or some other part of his body and aske him counsell for they hold that mad mens soules are in heauen talking with GOD and that he reuealeth secrets to them And euen the Bassaes themselues wil kisse and consult with this Oracle Hard I deeme it to say whether is the mad man In a late victorie against the Christians they affirme that this Sheh Mahammet was seene in the field many thousand miles distant fighting against their enemies whom by his helpe they ouercame But to returne to our Daruises this our Author saith that oftentimes great Bassaes in displeasure with the Emperor will retire themselues into this Order as the Hospital and Sanctuarie of their diseased and dangerous state Their witnesse is of better account then any other mans although he were an Emir or of the kindred of Mahomet They liue of Almes as the other Religious doe which they begge in the name of Haly. They haue in Natolia a Sepulchre of a Saint called by them Scidibattal who say they conquered the most part of Turkie and about the place of the Sepulchre is an habitation and couent where aboue fiue hundred of these Deruises dwell and there once in the yeere they keepe a generall assembly in which their Superiour whom they call Assambaba is present and President their Counsell or Chapter consisting saith Menauinus of aboue eight thousand of their Order One of these Deruislars drawing neere vnto Baiazet the second as if he would haue receiued an Almes of him desperately assailed him with a short Scimatar which he closely hid vnder his hypocriticall habite But Baiazet by the starting of his horse afraid of this Hobgoblin auoided the deadly blow but not vnwounded neither had he so escaped had not Ishender Bassa with his Hors-mans Mace presently strucke downe the desperate villaine as he was redoubling his blow who was forthwith rent in pieces by the Souldiers Baiazet thereupon proscribed all them of that superstitious Order and banished them out of his Empire The like as Steptemcastrensis saith they had attempted against Mahomet his father in his youth while Amurath was yet liuing And in our daies Mehemet or Muhemet the great Visier Bassa who swayed almost wholly and onely their mightie Empire as appeareth in the Historie of that State in the dayes of Soliman Selym and Amurath and as Master Harborne relateth was esteemed to possesse two and twentie millions of gold was not assaulted only but murthered by one of these Deruislers For whereas it is a custome of the great men that at ordinarie houres all their Chaplaines or Priests assemble themselues in the Diuano there together mumbling their superstitions and this Deruisler ordinarily thither admitted vpon an old grudge for that Mahomet had before depriued him of a Souldiers place and pension when the Visier sate there to giue publike audience sitting right against him after his Mumpsimus finished the Visier reaching vnto him his wonted Almes he with a dagger closely before prouided stabs him into the breast and was therefore of Mehemets slaues with exquisite torments done to death In their great Counsell before mentioned there are young men clothed in white which tell the most memorable obseruations in their trauells which they present to the Assambaba in writing subscribed with their names On the Friday they vse after praier and eating the herbe Asseral to read the same with dances and after their dance which is about a huge fire made of as much wood as an hundred beasts can carrie they cut the skin of their armes legs or breasts engrauing some figure thereon whereto they after apply ashes and vrine In the doing hereof they vtter this speech This I cut for the loue of such a woman Vpon the last day of their Feast they take leaue of their Gouernor and depart in troupes like Souldiers with Banners and Drums and so returne vnto their owne Monasteries The Torlaquis by others called Durmislurs cloath themselues with sheeps and goats skins like vnto the Deruis aboue the same they wrap about them in manner of a cloake the skinne of a great Beare with the haire made fast vpon their stomacke with the legs vpon their heads they weare a white Bonnet of Felt folded with small plaits hauing the rest of their bodies altogether naked They also burne their Temples as the former A beastly generation For they know not nor will not learne to read write or doe any ciuill profitable act but liue idlely vpon almes roaguing thorow the Countrey alone and in troupes thorow the Desarts robbing such as they meet handsomely apparelled causing them to goe as they doe naked They professe palmistry and fortune-telling the people feeing and feeding them for such vanities And sometimes they carry with them an old man whom they worship as a God lodging themselues neere the best house of the
fiue thousand euery one of whom findeth an Elephant to the Common-wealth They haue this name of Sera the chiefe Citie by Ptolomey placed in 177. 15. and 38. 36. This Region he limiteth on the West with Scythia extra Imaum on the East with Terra incognita and likewise on the North here some place the Promontorie Tabin there the Easterne Ocean on the South with part of India extra Gangem Our silkes haue the name of this Region where it is made of a most fine wooll growing on the leaues of trees Dionys saith of flowers of the earth Tam multiplici opere saith PLINY tam longinquo orbe petitur vt in publico matrona transluceat This Serica Castaldus calleth Cataio and so doe most of our new writers Orosius numbreth from the Serike Ocean to the Caspian Sea two and fortie Nations of Hyrcanians and Scythians and from thence Westward to the Riuer Tanais thirtie foure The Region betwixt Albania and the Caspian he attributeth to the Amazons The Seres are supposed to inhabite the Countrey now called Cathay which name Niger deriueth from a Scythian Nation called Chata They had a law against Idolatrie worship of Images They had no Temples CHAP. XI Of the Tartarians and of Diuers Nations which they Subdued with their Pristine Rights THe names of Scythia and Sarmatia are now together with those Nations swallowed vp and drowned in that Tartarian deluge which about foure hundred yeeres since with a sudden torrent ouerwhelmed the gteatest part of Asia that we speake not of Europe the heart whereof quaked and trembled with feare of this Tempest From Rome did Pope Innocent the fourth send Embassadors by entreaties to preuent their Armes when as they had alreadie ouerrunne besides those Countries which still beare their name Russia Polonia Silesia Morauia Hungaria euen as farre as Austria So farre was the huge vnwealdie Empire of Alexander or of the Romans short of the Tartarian greatnesse that the expedition of some one of the Subiects of this Empire hath pierced as farre into the West as euer Alexander into the East and that happily among more resolute courages then the Persians or Indians effeminated with wealth and Peace could affoord and Tamerlane alone some ages after if wee credit that Historie of his life translated out of the Arabike subdued and obtayned more besides his owne inheritance then all that which the Romanes had atchieued in that eight hundred yeeres and vpwards wherein their Empire was growing to the full but of him afterwards §. I. Of the beginning of the Tartarian Nation THe name Tartar is proper to a Riuer in Mongull from whence it was deriued to the people inhabiting neere the same which after gaue both name and lawes to so great a part of the world For thus writeth Ioannes de Plano Carpini which was sent Embassador to the Tartarian Court from Pope Innocent Anno 1246. There is a Countrey in the East part of the world called Mongol which had sometimes foure sorts of Inhabitants Yeka-Mongol that is the great Mongols Sumorgul that is water-Mongols these called themselues Tartars of a Riuer which runneth thorow their Countrey named Tartar the third Merkat the fourth Metrit These all were alike in person and language but diuided amongst themselues into seuerall Prouinces and vnto seuerall Princes In the land of Yeka-Mongol was Cingis who began to bee a mightie hunter before the Lord for he learned to steale men He ranged into other Countries taking as many captiues as he could and ioyned them vnto himselfe Also he allured the men of his owne Countrey vnto him who followed him as their Ring-leader to doe mischiefe Then began he to warre vpon the Sumongols or Tartars and slew their Captayne and after many conflicts subdued them to himselfe and brought them all into bondage Afterward he vsed their helpe against the Merkats whom also hee vanquished in battell Proceeding from thence hee fought against the Metrites and vanquished them also Naimani hearing that Cingis was thus exalted greatly disdayned thereat for they had a great and mighty Emperour vnto whom all the foresaid Nations payed tribute Whose sonnes when hee was dead succeeded him in his Empire Howbeit being yong and foolish they knew not how to gouerne the people but were diuided and fell at variance among themselues These inuaded Cingis his Countrey putting the Inhabitants to the sword but were after ouerthrowne by the Mongols and either slaine or made captiues Some fetch the Tartarian pedigree from the ten Tribes of Israel which Salmanasar carryed captiues and in their Maps place hords of Danites Nepthalites c. in the furthest Northerly and Easterly bounds of Asia which yet are a great part of the world not only from Media whither those people were conueyed but from any part of the Assyrian Empire The King of Tabor or Tybur in these parts is said to haue come into France to Francis the French King about the yeare 1540. and was after at Mantua by Charles the Emperor burned for secret sollicitation of him and other Christian Princes to Iudaisme And Opmeerus reporteth of that their iourney passing thorow Euphrates miraculously staying his streame to wonder at the vanitie of Writers when they went into a Region called Aisarich which was a yeere and a halfes trauell there to keepe their Law where neuer before had beene any habitation But these things haue small probabilitie M. Paulus who with his Father and Vncle liued many yeeres in the Court of the great Chan aboue three hundred yeeres since saith that they dwelled at first if such wandring may be so called in the North where they had no Lord ouer them but payed tribute to a great Signor there called Vncam and here in these Countries Presbyter Iohn to whom they payed the tenth of their beasts But this Vncam or Presbyter Iohn fearing their numbers euery where multiplying deuised to disperse them through the World which the Tartars perceiuing with ioynt consent forsooke their former habitation and departed thence farre off into the North denying further tribute vnto Vncam After they had there continued a certayne time they chose to their King about the yeere 1162. one which was called Cingis Can who ruled them with such modestie and iustice that they loued and feared him as a god his fame reducing all the other Tartars in other parts vnder his obedience He thus strengthened wearie of those desarts commanded them to arme themselues with bowes and other weapons and began to inuade and conquer Cities and Prouinces to his subiection the principall inhabitants whereof hee carryed with him kindly entertayning them leauing such discreete Gouernours in the same that the people were secured in their persons and goods When he had thus subdued about nine Prouinces he sent his Embassador to Vncam to demand his daughter in marriage which Vncam with much indignation and many threatnings denying Cingis assembling his forces marched
against him and by the way enquired of his Astrologers and Diuiners touching his successe They taking a greene reed cleft it a sunder placing the parts thereof a good distance one from another and writ vpon the one the name of Vncam and Cingis on the other telling the King that whiles they were reading their coniuring charmes these reeds would fight together and the victory should remaine with him whose reede got the better which acordingly came to passe in the sight of the Armie Cingis his reed ouercomming the other as after Cingis himselfe did Vncam whom he slew in the field and possessed his daughter and state wherin he continued sixe yeeres conquering Cities and Kingdomes and at last was wounded at a Castle called Thaigin in the knee whereof he dyed and was buryed in Mount Altay The next Emperour after his account was Cin Can the third Baythin Can the fourth Allau the brother of Mangu Esu Can the fifth Mongu Can the sixth the seauenth Cublai Can who not only inherited what the former had conquered but in the sixtieth yeere of his raigne subdued in a manner the rest of those parts of the World The word Can signifieth Emperour Wheresoeuer these Emperours dye they are buryed in Altay aforesayd they which carry him killing all they meete within the way bidding them goe to the other world to serue their Emperor For this end they also slay the best horses to serue their dead Lord in another world When Mangu Can was buried there were more then ten thousand men slaine by the Souldiers which conueyed him In this Historie of M. Paul obserue that this Catalogue of Emperours is vnsound for W. de Rubruquis in Bathyes time was at the Court of Mangu Can to whom Bathy was subiect Occoday is left out and Esu put in The cause of this errour seemeth to bee the giuing of this name Can to the chiefe Dukes as Bathy c. and the want of exact written Chronicles in those times amongst them §. II. The great Exploits of CINGIS or CANGIVS the first Tartarian Emperor FOr further light into this Historie I thinke it not amisse to set downe what Haithon or Anthony the Armenian hath written of the Tartarian beginnings This our Author was Royally descended in Armenia where hee liued about three hundred yeeres since and at the request of Pope Clement the fift writ the History of the Tartars from Cingis or Cangius till Mango Can taken out of the Tartarian Histories the rest he partly saw with his eyes and partly learned of his Vnckle an eye-witnesse of the same who had attended on Haithon the Armenian King in the great Cans Court The Countrey where the Tartars first dwelt saith Haithon is beyond the Mount Belgian where they liued like beasts hauing neither letters nor Faith nor Habitation nor Souldiâ—rie nor reputation among their Neighbour-Nations There were of them diuers Nations called by one common name Mogli which were diuided into seuen principall Tribes whose names were Tartar Tangut Cunat Talair Sonieh Monghi Tebeth These all being subiects to their Neighbours a poore old man being a Smith who as they beleeue was ingendred of the Sun beames saw in his sleepe an armed man on a white horse which said vnto him O Cangius The will of the Immortall GOD is that thou bee the Gouernour of the Tartarians and Ruler of the seuen Nations to free them from their bondage and tribute This his vision when he reported to others they would not beleeue him vntill that the night following the chiefe men amongst themselues saw the same man with command from the immortall GOD to yeeld obedience vnto Cangius This they performed with all reuerence and spred in the midst of them a black felt with a seat thereon on which the seuen Princes or chiefe men placed Cangius calling him Can that is Emperor and kneeled before him This happily was then the most sumptuous Throne their State could afford but continued in the Royall inuestiture of their succeeding Soueraignes their exceeding Riches and Conquests notwithstanding at two of which solemnities saith our Author I my selfe haue beene present Cangius thus inthronized on his felt commanded them many things first to beleeue the immortall GOD and from thence forwards the Tartars began to call vpon the name of the immortall GOD seeking for his ayde in all their enterprises secondly hee commanded to make a generall view of all such as were able to beare armes appointing Captaines ouer tens ouer thousands and ouer ten thousands which made a full Regiment Hee commanded also those seuen principall heads of their Tribe to bereaue themselues of their dignities and for further triall of their obedience each of them to bring thither his eldest sonne and to cut off his head each with his owne hand which they refused not to doe in reuerence to that diuine ordinance whereby hee was made their Soueraigne Cangius hauing thus made tryall of their fidelitie subdued many Nations and one day hauing his horse slaine in battell vnder him was forsaken of his Tartars dispayring his recouerie after they saw him fall and might easily haue beene slaine had not his enemies through ignorance neglected him to pursue the rest which Cangius perceiuing conueyed himselfe into a thicket of shrubs and when his enemies returned to despoile the dead an Owle came and sate on the shrub vnder which Cangius was hidden which caused them not to suspect any to lurke there and so they departed He the next night fled to his people who seeing him and hearing the order of his escape gaue thanks to the immortall GOD who by meanes of that Bird had preserued him They also had after this that Fowle in such reuerence that it is accounted a happy thing to weare one of her feathers on their heads Cangius afterwards assaulting his enemies brought vnder both them and all the Countries on that side of Belgian The exact time of these things Haithon could not learne notwithstanding his much enquiry which he imputeth to their want of letters at that time These Countries thus conquered the armed man appeared to him the second time and commanded him in the name of the immortall GOD to passe the Mountayne Belgian and goe towards the West where he should conquer Kingdomes Signories and Lands And that thou mayest be assured that this is the will of GOD arise and goe with thy people towards the Mountayne to that part which ioyneth on the Sea There thou shalt dismount and turne thee toward the East and kneeling downe nine times shalt worship the immortall GOD and he which is Almightie shall shew thee the way by which thou mayest commodiously passe Cangius presently commands his people with their wiues and families to accompanie him in this enterprise and when they were come to the Sea forgat not with his followers to performe those nine worships and staying there that night in his prayers the next day hee saw that the Sea had gone nine foot backe from
That such parts of Armenia as the Saracens now possessed and the Tartars should recouer from them might returne to the Crowne of Armenia Mangu-Can answered after deliberation with his Nobles to the first That himselfe would bee a Christian and perswade other his subiects but force none thereunto and to the rest in order that his requests in all should be fulfilled and to that end hee would send his brother Haolon into those parts as is before alreadie shewed Thus was Mangu baptized by a Bishop then Chauncellor of Armenia and all his houshold and many Nobles of both sexes But before Ierusalem could bee recouered Mangu died and Cobila or Cublai Can succeeded in whose time M. Paulus was an eye-witnesse of the Tartarian proceedings who affirmeth That this Cublai exceeded in power not his predecessours onely but all the Kingdomes of Christians and Saracens although they were ioyned in one Before hee obtained the Soueraigntie hee shewed himselfe a valiant Souldier but after hee was Emperour hee neuer fought field but once against Naiam his vncle who was able out of the Prouinces wherein he gouerned to bring together foure hundred thousand Horse to whom Caidu should haue added a hundred thousand Horse more These both conspired against their Master and Lord Cublai but before their forces were ioyned Cublai stopping the passages that none might passe to carrie newes suddenly assembled within ten dayes iourney of Cambalu three hundred and threescore thousand Horse and an hundred thousand Footmen With this power riding day and night he came suddenly on his enemies and hauing first consulted with his Diuiners after their manner gaue the on-set and tooke Naiam prisoner whom hee strangled betwixt two Carpets lest the Earth should drinke or the Sunne should see the bloud of that imperiall family Naiam had beene secretly baptized and now also had the Crosse for his Banner which occasioned the Iewes and Saracens to scoffe at the Christians but Cublai vnderstanding hereof called them all before him and said that the Crosse would not helpe such wicked men as Naiam who was a Traitour to his Lord say yee not therefore that the GOD of the Christians is vniust to forsake his followers for hee is the chiefe Bountie and Iustice Cublai by his Captaines conquered the Kindomes of Mien Bengala Mangi c. HONDIVS his Map of TARTARIA TARTARIA CHAP. XII A Continuation of the Tartarian Historie and the question discussed whether Cathay and China be the same and the iourney of BENEDICT GOES by land from Labor §. I. Of the Tartarian Succession to our dayes AFter Cublai can succeeded Tamor Can sonne to Cingis the eldest sonne of Cublai in whose time Haithon which then liued saith That there were besides three great Tartarian Princes but subiect to the great Can Chap◠which ruled in Turquestan who was able to bring into the field foure hundred thousand Horsemen armed Hotchtay in the Kingdome of Cumania who was able to arme six hundred thousand horsemen to the wars but not so resolute as the former Carbanda the third ruled in Tauris able to assemble an Army of three hundred thousand Horse well prouided And all these liued in the Westerne bounds of the Tartarian Empire euerie way inferiour in wealth and numbers to the Southerly and Easterly parts thereof Tarik Mircond a Persian in his Catalogue of the Cans or Tartarian Emperours calleth Cublai by a transposition of the syllables Vlaku For thus doth hee recite their names with the yeeres of their coronations Chinguis in the yeere of the Hegira 602. Otkay Khaon 626. Gayuk Khaon 643. Manchu Khaon 644. Vlaku Khaon 657. Haybkay Khaon 663. Hamed Khan or Nicudar Oglan 680. Argon Khon 683. Ganiaru Khon 690. Budukhan 693. Gazunkhan 694. Alyaptukhan 703. Sulton Abuzayd Bahader Khan 716. These from Cublai or Vlaku are the Cans or Vice-royes of Persia and those parts adioyning and not the great Cans themselues But of these and of Tamerlane and his issue wee haue before related at large in the fourth Persian Dynastie I haue seene the transcript of a letter sent by King Edward the Second written 1307. in the first yeere of his reigne October 16. to Diolgietus King of the Tartars against Mahomet and in behalfe of William Liddensis Episcopus and others to preach to his people But these Tartars it seemeth were of the neerer Mahumetans and not the great Can of Cathay Since Tamor Can we haue not so continued a Historie of their Empire and Emperours as before and yet wee haue had succeeding testimonies a long time of their State and Magnificence but neither so diligent obseruers nor so exact Writers as the former besides that their Histories seeme in some things more fabulous Of this later sort are Odoricus a Frier which liued three yeeres in the Emperors Court and trauelled as farre as Quinsay who died in the yeere 1331. Sir Iohn Mandeuile our Country-man spent many yeere in those Countries a few yeeres after Odoricus and writ the Historie of his Trauels in the reigne of Edward the third of England Echiant Can being then Emperour of the Tartars in which if many things seeme not worthy credit yet are they such as Odoricus or some others not of the worst Authors had before committed to writing and haply by others after his time in those dayes when Printing wanted foisted into his booke Once hee setteth downe the distances and passages of Countries so exactly as I thinke he could not then haue learned but by his owne Trauels After his time Nicholo di Conti a Venetian trauelled thorow India and Cathay after twentie fiue yeeres returning home and going to Eugenius the fourth then Pope to bee absolued because hee had denied the Christian Faith to saue his life his enioyned penance was truly to relate to Poggius tht Popes Secretarie his long peregrination This was in the yeere 1444. About the same time Iosafa Barbaro a Venetian in the yeere 1436. had learned of a Tartarian Embassadour which had beene at Cambalu and returning by Tana was entertained of the said Iosafa some particulars touching the great Cham and Cathay some part whereof he heard after confirmed by the mouth of Vsun-cassan the mightie Persian King in the yeere 1474. So that from the yeere 1246. thus farre we haue continued succession of the Cathayan Historie besides that which an Arabian hath written in this Historie of Tamerlane now extant in English §. II. The question discussed whether Cathay be the same with China I Am the more curious in naming these Authors lest any should thinke that which is written of this people to bee fabulous all these in a manner concurring in the most substantiall things and because many confound the Countries and affaires of China and Cathay The cause of both which opinions may bee because that in these last hundred yeeres and more in which more of the World then euer before hath been discouered yet nothing of moment is found out of this
about three hundred yeeres since placeth Cambalu in 144. 8. Long. and 35.25 Latit it may happily bee 45. degrees in Latitude one Figure being falsified or else inuerted for 53. And as this Latitude disagreeth from that of Paquin so the Longitude a great deale more this confirming this opinion further that Chaggi Memet Mar. Polo Mandeuil Odoricus Nicolo di Conti and others eye-witnesses speake of China or Mangi and of Cathay as diuers Countries And Farfur King of Mangi possessed his Countries now knowne by the name of China in peace till An. 1269. being counted a richer Countrie then Cathay it selfe which was conquered before if wee vnderstand it properly and Cambalu seemeth to bee the Citie wherein Cingis the first Cham besieged and tooke the Cathayan Emperour Paulus also mentioneth among the greatest Cities of Mangi Panghin and Nanghin reporting further that Mangi alone had in it a thousand and two hundred great rich and illustrious Cities as much as is reported of whole China and more and that after Cublai Can had conquered that State he diuided it into nine tributarie Kingdomes gouerned by so many Vice-royes vnder him And these Cities hee fortified with Garrisons not of the Naturall inhabitants but of Cathay And these things are reported by him who long liued in these parts non interfuit solum sed etiam praefuit quorum pars magna fuit possessing the place of Gouernour vnder the Can three yeeres according to the Tartarian custome in Iangui one of the chiefe Cities of Mangi hauing vnder it twentie seuen other Cities and the whole Prouince of Mangi hee placeth South-East from Cathay And wherefore doth the King of China alwayes abide in Paquin in the Northerly part of his Kingdome but as all which write here of affirme because of the Tartars which from those parts conquered the Kingdome which if they were so base a people as Pantogia affirmeth could not be so dreadfull to the Chinois that their King for their sakes should there make his residence in the skirts and borders of the Kingdome Alhacen a learned Arabian wrote the Historie of Tamerlanes life wherein hee telleth of the great Cham of Cambula and the King of China as diuers Princes of diuers Countries one of which accrewed to Tamerlaine by marriage of the Chams onely daughter and the other by conquest What needed such a wall which I my selfe haue seene drawne in a Map of China of a verie large forme and made in China it selfe with Chinian characters hanging in Master Hakluits Chamber at Westminster made by the Chinois if the Tartars were not mightie neighbours especially themselues being so mightie and populous But it is vnknowne And who knew that there was such a Kingdome as China an hundred yeeres agoe Or who hath sayled that way to seeke this since And how long was it before it was knowne in our world that there was such a Prince in the world as the great Negus aboue mentioned in Aethiopia especially hee hauing no Ships for Warre or Merchandize nor many scarce any good Hauens by Sea to make himselfe knowne and within land Nature hath as it were imprisoned him barring vp the passages with Mountains and Desarts which seemeth now to be the case of the Cathayan furthered by the iealousie of many great Princes not to admit any Forreiner in or licence any of theirs to passe our for feare of innouation Sed plenum aleae est saith SCALIGER de ijs aliquid statuere quae nobis per caliginem duntaxat nota sunt It is hard to determine in these mistie mysteries Euen as in Nature it falleth out that the Sunne shineth there many houres before it ariseth to vs so in Historie it may happen that there may shine a Tartarian Sun in Cathay when as a darke night in this long iniquitie of distance hideth him from our eyes Thus haue I argued the question and well know not which way to determine If this could any thing further the Iesuiticall vow to the Papacie I could then suspect this opinion of Noueltie they indeed being the Nouatores a word which Serarius so delights to fixe vpon vs or Veteratores as Scaliger answeres him quibus nihil antiquius quà m antiquare antiquitatem as H. Stephanus obiects to some Lypsian Mimikes but in matters of Geographie wee may follow him more safely then in Ouranographie as neerer of kinne to that Great Compasser of the Earth I know not how to answere many obiections against this Chinian Cathay but by deniall of truth in Trauellers assertions some taking too Hyperbolicall and Diabolicall authoritie or in the coniectures of Saracens which seeing Paganisme in China so conspire with Popish Imagerie in selfe-imagined worship with whites lights funerall rites and other blacke darke dead deuotions wherein the Chinois and Iesuits seemed alike thought them of one religion the Iesuites owne coniecture or that Time the consumer of all things hath deuoured Cities Peoples and Religions or what else soeuer If any respect my opinion in this controuersie I confesse the iournall of Goes lately published and hereafter inserted hath made mee make a new search and take a neerer view and though Time the Father of Truth must determine the question more fully yet this is for the present my iudgement if I may so stile it That neither they which confound Cathay with China nor they which wholly separate them are to be followed Medio tutissimus ibis They seeme in this altercation to let truth fall betweene them which in my conceit is this that the present Kingdome of China comprehends the best part of Cathay besides the ancient Chinian limits by Polo called Mangi For Mangi which is the true China was by the great Can diuided into nine Prouinces or Kingdomes as Paulus which assisted in that Conquest relateth But when Humvu expelled the Tartars out of China hee indeuoured the same in all the best parts of Cathaya now the Northerly parts of the Chinian Kingdome where the Tartars were strongest and had kept their residence These Northerly parts were gouerned by Yunlo his Nephew and Generall of his Forces who after Humvu his death dispossessed his Sonne and fixed his vsurped Imperiall seat at Paquin or Pequim in the North as being better secured there of his friends and against the Tartars also his practising neighbours This Citie hee called Pequim that is the Northerne Court in relation to Nanquim or Nanquin which signifieth the Southerly Court where Humvu had before resided both which continue Royall Cities or supreme Courts to this day The same which in respect aforesaid they call in China language quim the Tartarian founders called in their Idiome Cambalu Citie of the Prince which name the Tartars and Saracens as you haue heard continue But that all Cathay is not included in these sixe Prouinces subiect to China our reasons before out of Rubruquis are sufficient And that there is yet a Grand Can in those parts Lord of
Maotis but whether in deuouring the people with their swords as they did the pastures with their cattel they came from hence or these from thence or that Pliny might easily wander in so wandering a subiect all auer that from hence they went first into Persia and in succeeding ages haue made many fertile Countries like their Turcomania where Master Ienkinson saith groweth no grasse but heath whereon the cattell feed The Ottoman-horse blasting with his breath the ground he treads on according to their owne Prouerbe there neuer groweth grasse more The Turkeman Nation is saith Haithon for the most part Mahumetan and many of them without Law at all They vse the Arabike Letters §. III. Of the Zagathayan Tartars THese Desarts and Theeues haue almost made vs forget our diuision according to which wee should haue told you that from the Caspian Sea hither you must according to Maginus call the Tartars generally Zagathayans so called of Zagathay the Great Cans brother sometime their Prince Which name comprehendeth also diuers other Nations more ciuill then the former possessing the Countries sometime knowne by the names of Bactriana Sogdiana Margiana now Ieselbas that is Greene heads of the colour of their Turbants differing from the Persians whom they call for like cause Red-heads These haue cruell warres continually with the Persians whom they call Caphars as they doe the Christians for their supposed heresie of which in the Persian relation hath beene shewed and for that they will not cut the haire of their vpper lips for which they are accounted of the Tartars great sinners In Boghar is the seat of their Metropolitane who is there more obeyed then the King and hath sometime deposed the King and placed another at his pleasure There is a little Riuer running through the Citie whose water breedeth in them that drinke thereof especially strangers a worme of an ell long which lieth in the leg betwixt the flesh and the skin and is plucked out about the anckle with great Art of Surgeons well practised herein And if it breake in plucking out the partie dieth They plucke out an inch in a day which is rolled vp and so proceed till she be all out And yet will not the Metropolitane suffer any drinke but water or Mares milke hauing Officers to make search and punish such as transgresse with great seueritie Zagatai liued the space of one hundred twentie and one yeeres before Marcus Paulus and was as hee saith a Christian but his sonne followed him in his Kingdome not in his Religion Here in this Countrey is Samarcand the Citie of Great Tamerlaine of some called Temir Cuthlu that is as Mathias a Michou interpreteth it Happy Sword whose Armie contained twelue hundred thousand whose Conquests exceed if Histories exceed not all the Great Alexanders Pompeys Caesars or any other Worthies of the World And one of the greatest Monarch now of the Earth The Great Mogore is said to descend of him Of him are many Histories written by some that haue liued since his time and could not well know his proceedings it being generally deplored that this Achilles wanted a Homer which Alexander applauded in him but wanted for himselfe onely one Alhacen an Arabian which then liued hath written largely thereof and that as he saith by Tamerlans command which Iean du Bec Abbot of Mortimer in his voyage into the East Countrie met with and had it interpreted to him by an Arabian and wee vpon his credit which if any thinke to be insufficient I leaue it to his choice and censure That Author saith that Tamerlan descended of the Tartarian Emperours and Og his father was Lord of Sachetay who gaue to his sonne Tamerlan which name signifieth Heauenly grace in their Tongue his Kingdome while hee yet liued appointing two wise Counsellours Odmar and Aly to assist him Hee was well instructed in the Arabian learning and a louer of Learned men Nature had set in his eyes such rayes of Maiestie and beautie that men could scarce endure to looke on them He wore long haire contrary to the Tartarian Custome pretending that his mother came of the race of Sampson He was strong and had a faire leg whereas Leunclauius saith he was called Tamurleng of his lamenesse His first Warre was against the Muscouite whom he ouercame The second against the King of China with like successe I mention not his battailes in ciuill warres The third against Baiazet the Turke whom he captiued passing thither by the way of Persia where Guines Author of the Sophian Sect a great Astrologer and accounted a holy man encouraged him with prophesies of his good successe This Warre he made against Baiazet in behalfe of the Greeke Emperour and others whom the Turke oppressed He went priuately to Constantinople and had sight of the Citie with all kindnesse from the Emperour He inuaded Syria and Aegypt ouerthrew the Soldan and won Cairo destroyed Damascus visited and honoured Ierusalem and the holy Sepulchre and granted great Priuiledges thereunto The Princes of Lybia and barbarie by their Embassages in Aegypt acknowledged his Soueraigntie In his returne by Persia he was encountred by Guines who brought with him an infinite number of sundry kindes of beasts which he made tame and by which he taught men As soone as he saw Tamerlan he made his Praiers towards the Heauens for his health and for the Religion of the Prophet excommunicating the Ottomans as enemies to the faithfull beleeuers Tamerlan gaue him fifteene or sixteen thousand of his prisoners which he instructed in his opinion and after conquered Persia and so returned to Samarcand where he had vowed to erect a Church and Hospitall with all sumptuous Magnificence thence he went to Mount Althay to burie his vncle and father in law the Great Chan in whose State he succeeded He enriched Samarcand with the spoiles gotten in his warres and called the Temple which he there built the Temple of Salomon wherein he hanged vp Trophees and Monuments of his victories and caused all his battailes there to be ingrauen thereby said he to acknowledge the Goodnesse of GOD. His Religion was not pure Mahumetisme for he thought GOD was delighted with varietie of worships yet he hated Polytheisme and Idols onely one GOD he acknowledged and that with much deuotion after this manner Thus he beat downe all the Idols in China but honoured the Christians with great admiration at the strict life of some Votaries When Aly his Counsellour was dead he built a stately Tombe for him at Samarcand and caused prayers to be said three dayes for his soule Being neere his end hee blessed his two sonnes laying his hand on the head of Sautochio the elder and pressing it downe but lifting vp the chinne of Letrochio the younger as it were presaging vnto him the Empire although the elder were proclaimed But this Empire was too great and too suddenly erected to continue Of his successe and successors in Persia you
it selfe to the Portugall yoke And because we haue in this Chapter mentioned so many Wonders let this also haue place among if not aboue the rest which presently happened Whiles the Portugalls were busie in their Buildings a certaine Bengalan came to the Gouernour which had liued as hee affirmed three hundred thirtie fiue yeeres The old men of the Countrey testified That they had heard their Ancestors speake of his great age and himselfe had a sonne fourescore and tende yeeres old and not at all Booke-learned yet was a speaking Chronicle of those passed times His teeth had sometimes fallen out others growing in their places and his beard after it had beene very hoarie by degrees returned into his former blacknesse About an hundred yeeres before this time he had altered his Pagan Religion into the Arabian or Moorish For this his miraculous age the Sultans of Cambaya had allowed him a stipend to liue on the continuance of which he now sought and did obtaine of the Portugals Friar Ioano dos Santos cells a long story of one yet aliue Ann. 1605. of whom the Bishop of Cochin had sent men to inquire who by diligent search found that hee was then three hundred eightie yeeres old and had married eight times the father of many generations They say his teeth had thrice fallen out and thrice renewed his haire thrice hoary and as oft black againe Hee could tell of nineteene successiue Kings which reigned in Horan his Countrey in Bengala He was also borne a Gentile and after turned Moore and hoped he said to dye a Christian reioycing to see a picture of Saint Francis saying Such a man when he was twentie fiue yeeres old had foretold him this long life But to returne Mamudius successor to Badurius sought with all his forces to driue these new Lords out of Diu as Solyman had done before by a Nauie and Armie sent thither but both in vaine of which Wars Damianus à Goes hath written diuers Commentaries But this whole Countrey is now subiect to the Mogor It was in Alexanders time peopled by the Massani Sodrae or Sabracae Praestae and Sangadae as Ortelius hath placed them where Alexander as in diuers other places he had done erected a Citie of his owne name called Alexandria Daman another Key of this Bay and entrance of the Riuer Indus into the Sea fell to the Portugals share The Land of Cambaya is the fruitfullest in all India which causeth great traffique of Indians Portugals Persians Arabians Armenians c. The Guzarates or Cambayans are the subtillest Merchants in all those parts They haue amongst them many Histories of Darius and Alexander which sometime were Lords of this Indian Prouince The Portugals haue at diuers times conquered diuers of the chiefe Townes in this Kingdome some whereof they keepe still The women in Diu by Art dye their teeth black esteeming themselues so much the more beautifull and therefore go with their lips open to shew the blacknesse of their teeth drawing away the couer of their lips as if they were lip-lesse giuing the prize of Beautie to a double deformitie Blacknesse and a Mouth O Hellish wide When a Cambayan dyeth they burne his body and distribute the ashes vnto the foure Elements of which man consisteth part to the Fire part to the Ayre to the Water also and Earth their due portions as Balby hath obserued M. Patrike Copland Minister in the Dragon with Captaine Best writes that hee rode in this Countrey from Medhaphrabadh to Surat in a Coach drawne with Oxen which is the most ordinary though they haue goodly Horses He saw at once the goodliest Spring and Haruest that euer he had seene Fields joyning together whereof one was greene as a medow the other yellow as gold ready to be cut of Wheat and Rice All along goodly Villages full of trees yeelding Taddy the Palme of which after a new sweet Wine strengthning and fattening A Smith which loued his liquor said hee could wish no other wages but a pot of this Taddy alway at his girdle §. II. Of the Kingdomes of Decan OF the Decans we haue spoken before in the Mogol conquests Decan is the name of a Citie sixe leagues from which is a Hill out of which the Diamond is taken This Hill is kept with a Garrison and walled about Of the Decan Kingdomes Barros hath reported That about the yeere 1300. Sa Nosaradin reigned in Delly or Delin and inuaded the Kingdome of Canara which reacheth from the Riuer Bate North of Chaul vnto the Cape Comori and wonne much from the Ancestors of the King now termed of Bisnaga At his returne he left Habedsa his Lieutenant who added to the former Conquests gathering a Band of all mixtures Gentiles Moores Christians His sonne was confirmed in the Gouernment therefore called Decan and the people Decanins because of this confusion of so many Nations of which his Fathers and His forces consisted for Decanins signifies Bastards He shooke off alleageance to his Lord and acknowledged none Superiour Hee also much encreased his Dominions His name was Mamudsa Hee appointed eighteene Captaines or Commanders allotting to each seuerall Prouinces These Captaines hee made were but slaues that so hee might the easier hold them in subjection He commanded that each of them should build a Palace at Bedir his chiefe Citie and there reside certaine moneths in the yeere his sonne remayning there in perpetuall hostage These in processe of time grew fewer and therefore greater the King holding nothing but his Royall Citie all the Empire being in the hands of these slaues which when the Portugals came thither were no more but Sabay Niza-Malucco Madre Malucco Melic Verida Coge Mecadam the Abessine Eunuch and Cota Malucco The mightiest of them was Sabay Lord of Goa His sonne was Hidalcam Thus Barrius Garcias ab Horto writes That the Mogors had possessed the Kingdome of Delly but a certaine Bengalan rebelling against his Master slue him vsurped his State and by force of warre added this of Canara also to his Dominion he was called Xaholam This King made his sisters sonne his Successor who was much addicted to Forreiners He diuided his Kingdome into twelue parts or Prouinces ouer which he set so many Captaines Idalcam from Angidaua to Cifarda from thence to Negatona Nizamaluco Ouer Balaguate or the vp-hill Countrey for Bala in the Persian language signifieth The toppe and Guate a Hill Imadmaluco and Catalmaluco and Verido c. These all rebelled and captiued Daquem their King at Beder the chiefe Citie of Decan and shared his Kingdome amongst themselues and some Gentiles partners in the conspiracie They were all forreiners but Nizamaluco This and the other names before mentioned were Titles of Honour giuen them with their Offices by the King corrupted by the vulgar in pronouncing Idalcam is Adel-ham Adel in the Persian language signifieth Iustice Ham is the Tartarian appellation signifying a Prince or King which name might well
second of fresh the third of Honey the fourth of Milke the lift of Tair which is Creame beginning to sowre the sixt of Sugar the seuenth of Butter that the Earth had nine corners whereby it was borne vp by the Heauen Others dissented and said that the Earth was borne vp by seuen Elephants the Elephants feete stood on Tortoises and they were borne by they know not what When the Naicho of Tangaor died 375. of his Concubines willingly offered themselues to the fire to honour his Funerall so much can Custome harden so delicate and soft-hearted a nature The Temples in the Countrey haue great reuenues which in some places are encreased by the deuotion of women which prostitute themselues to gaine for their Idols and many young Girles are brought vp for this purpose Many are in these parts of the Sect of the Guzzarates which kill no quicke thing as is spoken Some haue a stone hanging about their necks as bigge as an Egge with certaine lines drawne thorow the middle thereof and this they worship and call it Tambarane they keepe euery Friday holi-day The Kingdome of Orissa hath on the Sea-coast 350. miles betwixt the richer Kingdomes of Bengala and Bisnagar poore of Ports and Traffique Frederike writes that before the King of Patane had conquered Orissa there was great Trade for Oile of Zerzeline Lacca Long Pepper Ginger Mirabolans and cloth made of herbs which grow with a bowle as bigge as an Orange yeelding silke The Countrey was so safe that a man might haue trauelled with his Gold in his hand The King was a Gentile and resided in the Citie Catecha sixe dayes Iourney within Land The King of Patane was soone after subdued by the Mogoll The Inhabitants except a few Moores are Gentiles little or nothing that I can learne differing in Rites from their Neighbours of which yee haue heard Some ascribe to the Citie Orissa as the name so the Principalitie of the other Cities of this Kingdome In these parts is the Citie of Saint Thomas or Malepur where they say Saint Thomas after he had preached the Gospell to the Indians was martyred and burned The Legend which some report of his death were too tedious to recite and as little likelihood of truth is in that long tale of the miraculous Crucifixes heere found related by Osorius who likewise declareth the Rites of those Saint Thomas-Christians of their Chaldean-Pope Cardinals Patriarches and Bishops of which in a another place we shall more fitly speake On the first day of Iuly Saint Thomas Holiday is celebrated as well by the Pagans as Christians and his Sepulchre is had in deuout estimation both of the Moores Gentiles and Christians each pretending the right of his owne Religion to the Church where this Saint lieth interred to which the Indian Christians goe on Pilgrimage carrying with them a little of that earth for a great Relique A Moore had the keeping of the Church which was built after our fashion and begged of the commers for maintenance of it and of a light continually burning therein The Portugals now inhabit this Towne almost desolate the Iesuites also haue heere a Residence The Church doores by the Superstition of some are almost cut in pieces and carried away to set in Gold and Siluer and to weare about their neckes as a holy relike the Portugals herein being exceedingly vaine and attributing hereunto many Miracles verifying that Prouerbe which the Spaniards vse affirming the Portugals to be Pocos sotos deuotâ—s One sent Linschoten a whole Bead-roll or paire of Beads thereof the bringer affirming that those Beades had calmed a Tempest miraculously by the way The Inhabitants in this respect haue driuen their Church-doores full of nailes but Saint Thomas bones are now remoued to Goa Those doores are of such renowned holinesse because they were made of that wood which Saint Thomas drew with his girdle out of the Hauen which it choaked and could not before this Miracle by any meanes be remoued One thing I thought not to omit that there bee whole Villages and Kindreds of people in other things like to other men but are borne with one of their legs and one foot from the knee downwards as thicke as an Elephants legge which the common people imagine to be a curse by Diuine Iustice inflicted vpon the whole Generation for that their Progenitors murthered Saint Thomas Linschoten saith he hath seene and spoken with them and could learne no other cause thereof It is to them a deformitie but no let or impediment otherwise The Gouernour of Musulipatan being of Mahomets posteritie had agreed for custome to take foure per centum and exacted twelue Offering the English there diuers wrongs Here the Gentiles haue in those parts a Feast when the New Moone comes vpon Munday and then both Sexes wash themselues in the Sea as a matter of much Indulgence for their sinnes And then after much indignitie the Cape-Merchant Floris performed a worthy exploit deseruing still to flourish though he be dead The Gouernours Sonne being set ouer the Custome and at the Custome-house guarded with his Souldiers Floris entred alone as it were for businesse and as he had plotted a few English followed by diuers wayes which seized on the weapons of the Guard at the Custome-house doore and Floris laid hold of the Gouernours Sonne Wencatadra by name which was suddenly conueyed into their Boat three thousand people presently running to the shoare But being vnder their ships protection they both secured themselues and for redemption of his Sonne forced the Father to pay all debts by him detained with satisfaction for wrongs offered Yet such was his Superstition that he almost first starued a shipboord rather then he would eate or drinke with the English Thus from the foure and twentieth of Nouember till the thirtieth he kept a strict Bramene Fast the English pittying his misery and willing therefore to take pledges in his roome But after that weeke of cleane Lent without eating or drinking he was redeemed the debts being paid by his Father And hence let the Reader iudge of bodily exercise and opus operatum without true faith how little it auaileth In Narsapur Peta a place not farre hence where they Careened the Globe happened in August that yeere such ouerflowings of water that many thousands of men and cattell were drowned Townes Fields of Rice and Salt-hils ouerflowne foure thousand houses washed away and two Stone Bridges ouer the Riuer one of nineteene the other of fifteene Arches comparable to Rochester Bridge standing three fadome aboue water Many Portugals also liue in the parts of Bengala adioyning like Wildmen and Iaric speakes of 1200. which thus obserue not Christianitie and therefore may be reckoned amongst these Heathens And thus haue we finished our perambulation of the Continent of Asia Some perhaps will maruell why I haue not handled the Muscouites and Russians in this Asian Discourse to whom I answere That
full of Iuyce like Lemmons at the end as Apples haue a stalke so this Fruit hath a Nut like the kidney of a Hare with kernels toothsome and wholsome The lambos exceedeth in beauty taste smell and medicinable vertue it is as bigge as a Peare smelleth like a Rose is ruddie and the tree is neuer without fruit or blossomes commonly each branch hauing both ripe and vnripe fruits and blossomes all at once Linschoten saith on the one side the tree hath ripe fruites and the leaues falne the other couered with leaues and flowres and it beareth three or foure times in a yeere The Iangomas grow on a tree like a Plum-tree full of prickles and haue power of binding The Papaios will not grow but Male and Female together but of these also the Carambolas Iambolijns and other Indian fruits I leaue to speake as not writing an Indian Herball but onely minding to mention such things which besides their Country haue some variety of Nature worthy the obseruation For the rest Gracias ab Horto translated by Carolus Clusius Paludanus Linschoten Christophorus Acosta writing particularly of these things and others in their generall Herbals may acquaint you Of this sort is the Indian Figge tree if it may be called a tree which is not aboue a mans height and within like to a Reed without any woody substance it hath loaues a fathome long and three span abroad which open and spread abroad on the top of it It yeeldeth a fruit in fashion of the clusters of Grapes and beareth but one bunch at once contayning some two hundred Figges at least which being ripe they cut the whole tree downe to the ground leauing onely the root out of which presently groweth another and within a moneth after beareth fruit and so continueth all the yeere long They are the greatest sustenance of the Country and are of very good taste and smell and in those parts men beleeue that Adam first transgressed with this fruit But of greater admiration is the Coquo tree being the most profitable tree in the world of which in the Ilands of Maldiua they make and furnish whole ships so that saue the men themselues there is nothing of the ship or in the ship neyther tackling merchandize or ought else but what this tree yeeldeth The tree groweth high and slender the wood is of a spungy substance easie to bee sowed when they make Vessels thereof with cordes made of Cocus For this Nut which is as bigge as an Estridge Egge hath two sorts of huskes as our Walnuts whereof the vppermost is hayry like hempe of which they make Ockam and Cordage of the other shell they make drinking Cups The fruit when it is almost ripe is full of water within which by degrees changeth into a white harder substance as it ripeneth The liquor is very sweet but with the ripening groweth sowre The liquor extracted out of the tree is medicinable and if it stand one houre in the Sunne it is very good Vineger which being distilled yeeldeth excellent Aquauitae and Wine Of it also they make by setting it in the Sunne Sugar Of the meate of the Nut dryed they make Oyle Of the pith or heart of the tree is made paper for Bookes and Euidences Of the leaues they make couerings for their Houses Mats Tents c. Their apparell their firing and the rest of the Commodities which this tree more plentifull in the Indies then Willowes in the Low Countryes yeeldeth would be too tedious to recite They will keepe the tree from bearing fruit by cutting away the blossomes and then will hang some Vessell thereat which receiueth from thence that liquor of which you haue heard It is the Canarijns liuing and they will climbe vp these trees which yet haue no boughes but on the top like Apes This tree hath also a continuall succession of fruits and is neuer without some No lesse wonder doth that tree cause which is called Arbore de rais or the Tree of Roots Clusius calleth it by Plinies authoritie the Indian Figge tree and Goropius with more confidence then reason affirmeth it to be the Tree of Adams transgression It groweth out of the ground as other trees and yeeldeth many boughes which yeeld certayne threeds of the colour of Gold which growing down-wards to the earth doe there take root againe making as it were new trees or a wood of trees couering by this meanes the best part somtimes of a mile in which the Indians make Galleries to walke in The Figges are like the common but not so pleasant The Arbore triste deserueth mention It growes at Goa brought thither as is thought from Malacca The Hollanders saw one at Achi in Samatra In the day time and at Sunne-setting you shall not see a flowre on it but within halfe an houre after it is full of flowres which at the Sun-rising fall off the leaues shutting themselues from the Sunnes presence and the tree seeming as if it were dead The flowres in forme and greatnesse are like to those of the Orange-tree but sweeter in Acostas iudgement then any flowres which euer hee smelled the Portugals haue vsed all meanes to haue it grow in Europe but our Sunne hath refused to nourish such sullen vnthankfull Malecontents And that yee may know the Indians want not their Metamorphoses and Legends they tell that a man named Parisatico had a Daughter with whom the Sunne was in loue but lightly forsaking her he grew amorous of another whereupon this Damosell slue herselfe and of the ashes of her burned carkasse came this tree Bettele is a leafe somewhat like a Bay leafe and climbeth like Iuie and hath no other fruit neither is any fruit more in vse then these leaues at bed and boord and in the streets as they passe they chew these leaues and in their gossippings or visiting of their friends they are presently presented with them and eate them with Arecca which is a kind of Indian Nut. It saueth their teeth from diseases but coloureth them as if they were painted with blacke bloud When they chew it they spit out the iuyce and it is almost the onely exercise of some which thinke they could not liue if they should abstaine one day from it They haue an Herbe called Dutroa which causeth distraction without vnderstanding any thing done in a mans presence sometimes it maketh a man sleepe as if hee were dead the space of foure and twentie houres except his feet be washed with cold water which restoreth him to himselfe and in much quantitie it killeth Iarric cals it Doturo and sayth that Pinnerus the Iesuite and his Family at Lahor were by meanes of this herbe giuen them by a theeuish seruant distracted and the goods then carried out of their house The women giue their husbands thereof and then in their sights will prostitute their bodies to their Iewder louers and will call them Coruudos stroking them by the beard the husband sitting with his eyes open
the mountaines which happily they atchieued Yea the Portugals wearied with the warres which they were forced to maintayne in defence of those places they held in Africa the expences so much surmounting the reuenue abandoned them to the Seriffs And now the want of enemies procured enmitie betwixt the Brethren who trying that valour against each other which before they had exercised ioyntly against their enemies the issue was that the younger in two battels hauing ouercome the elder and at the second which was Anno 1544. hauing taken him prisoner confined him to Tafilete Hee now sole Monarch of Marocco conuerts his forces against the King of Fez to try if he could bee his Master in the field as hee sometimes had beene in the Schoole and failed not of his attempt but hauing once taken and freed him the second time because he had broken promise he depriued him and his sonnes of estate and life He also by meanes of his sonnes took Tremizen which soone after was recouered from them by Sal Araes Vice-roy of Algier and Fez also added by an ouerthrow of the Seriff to the Turkes conquest who gaue the gouernment of Fez to Buasson Prince of Veles But he in an vnfortunate battell with the Seriff lost his life and state Mahomet going after to Taradant was by the way slaine in his Pauilion by the Treason of some Turkes suborned thereunto by the King of Algier of whom all but fiue in their returne were slaine by the people Anno 1559. Mulley Abdala the Seriffs sonne was proclaymed King Some write that by occasion of a Rebellion in Sus hee sent to the bordering Turkes for aide who first helped after murthered him and hauing sacked Taradant and ouer-runne the Countrey two moneths together were in their returne by the Mountainers cut off Mully Abdala hauing raigned fifteene yeeres dyed leauing behind him thirteene sonnes the eldest Abdala commanded the rest to be killed but Abdelmelech the second brother escaped into Turkie and Muley Hamet the third brother esteemed of a simple and quiet spirit not any way dangerous to the state was spared The other tenne were put to death in one day at Taradant where they had beene brought vp This Abdela dying left behind him three sonnes Muley Mahomet Muley Sheck Muley Nassar the two younger escaped into Spaine where Sheck is yet liuing and turned Christian Nassar returned in the foureteenth yeere of Muley Hamets Raigne and had almost driuen Muley Sheck then Gouernour of Fez vnder his Father to his heeles had not superstition more preuayled with Nassars followers then Allegeance For when Lent came his Souldiers would needs home to keepe their Easter at their owne houses for feare whereof Nassar hastily giuing battest was there slaine Abdelmelech before fled into Turkie now came backe with Turkish forces and got the Kingdome from Mahomet who fleeing or as others write sending for succour to Sebastian King of Portugall obtained it In the yeere 1578. Fiue thousand Germans were entertayned in the Portugall pay for the expedition and great forces were leuyed the Pope sending Stukely that English Traytor falsely termed Marquesse of Ireland with fixe hundred Italians to Sebastian who the foure and twentieth of Iune tooke Sea and the next day with a Fleet of one thousand and three hundred sayle or as Doglioni hath it setting in order his Armada of fiue hundred sayle and blessing his Royall Standard with thirtie sixe thousand Footmen and foure thousand Horse set forth towards Africa Where Abdelmelech being sickly had assembled an Armie of fifteene thousand Footmen and foure and fortie thousand Horse men On the fourth day of August they joyned battell and the Duke of Auero with his Portugals made a great impression into the Moores host which Abdelmelich labouring beyond his naturall force to withstand saued his people but lost his life not by the Sword of the enemy but by the weakenesse of his body deliuered vp to death His brother Hamet ruled the Armie as yet ignorant of what had befalne and made such slaughter of the Portugals that the Duke of Auero the King of Portugall and other great Personages there fell and Mahomet himselfe was drowned in fleeing ouer a Riuer Thus remayned Hamet victorious and at one time had the dead corpes of three Kings in his Tent Such is the furie of Waire the force of death trampling vnder foot the meanest and triumphing ouer the greatest Stukely among the rest receiued due wages for his treacherie and disloyaltie to his Countrey slaine out of his Countrey by the barbarous Barbarian To Abadelmelech was Master Edmund Hogan employed in Embassage by the Maiestie of our late Soueraigne Anno one thousand fiue hundred seuentie seuen and with all good Offices entertayned To Hament his Successour was from the same Sacred Maiestie sent Ambassadour Master Henry Roberts Anno one thousand fiue hundred eightie fiue who was there Lieger three yeeres This Muley Hamet in a Letter to the Earle of Leicester thus begins In the name of the mercifull and pitifull God The blessing of God light vpon our Lord and Prophet Mahomet and those that are obedient vnto him The seruant of God both mightie in warre and mightily exalted by the grace of God Myra Momanyn the sonne of Myra Momanyn the Iarif the Hozeni whose Kingdomes God maintayne Vnto the right famous c. In an Edict published in behalfe of the English hee stileth himselfe The seruant of the Supreame God the Conquerour in his cause the successor aduanced by God c. He flayed off the skin from the carkasse of Mahomet drowned in the battell as is said and filled it full of Straw and sent it through all Prouinces of his Kingdome for a spectacle He raigned seuen and twentie yeeres He sent an Embassage into England Anno a thousand sixe hundred and one performed by Abdala Waecad Anowne His people did so feare him that Abdala Creme his Customer hauing one onely Sonne who in an idle businesse and busie idlenesse would needs feed his curious eyes with the light of the Palace where the Kings Concubines were caused him to bee strangled before his face He gouerned the Alarbes which are supposed to bee of Arabian Race and said to vse the Arabike Language Inhabitants of the plaine and Champaine Countries of Marocco Fez and Sus in peace and subiection receiuing their tents duly paid The Brebers or Mountainers are the Natiues and ancient Inhabitants chased by the former into strong Cities and the Naturall Forts of Hils as our Progenitors serued the Britaines forcing them to the Mountaines of Wales and Cornwall a people of another Language called Tamaset and disposition whom hee could not so easily tame and therefore in policie hee drew them into forreine Expeditions especially against the Negros thereby extending his Empire so farre that way as by Camell it was sixe moneths iourney from Marocco to the extremest bounds Likewise he vsed them to goe with the Carauans
Hia falling and many of his followers vpon him till a certaine Alcayde knowing him cryed that Bomobali that is the King of clouts or rags was slaine whereupon all forsooke him and fled his other troupes now also comming to the flight which before his indiscretion and impatience would not suffer him to vse in the fight Thus died this glorious vainglorious Saint a man of great valour which hee had tryed in thirty seuerall Battailes and skirmishes in which he obtained the better both against Sidan and the Mountayners whose Corne-fields he burnt destroyed their Vineyards and in two or three daies had cut down sixty thousand Oliue-trees The place of this battle betwixt Hamet and Hia was in or neere the Gardens which are said to extend foure miles from Marocco the time in October 1613. Alcuid Azus was then in Marocco with the Sonne of Hamet both which vpon this disaster fled with abundance of Treasure but by the Larbies were taken and Azus his head presently smitten off as the supposed contriuer of many policies to their detriment Hamets Sonne was carried to Marocco and presented to Sidan where after diuers contumelies opprobriously carried on an Asse diuers dayes he was at last slaine When Side Hia had slaine Hamet hee grew suspected to Sidan because hee did not then presently proclaime him nor durst he aduenture to the City till Hia had remooued his forces further The City meane while sustayned diuers abuses by the Souldiers as before by the Vsurper in so much that Sidan wept when hee entred and saw the beauty of his Palace defaced which some say is comparable in greatnesse and statelinesse to the best in Christendome and kept within doores three moneths or more After this comming forth hee brake his Couenant with Hia and those which before he had pardoned were now put to death and some also grieuously tortured Whereupon Hia tooke armes againe and came neere to Marocco with a great Power which suddenly he was forced to disperse and to returne home for feare of Treason by Side Lassan a great man in his Armie which was reported to hold intelligence with Sidan and to haue written to him Thus barbarous and miserable is the present State of Barbary Sidan the only Suruiuer of the Brethren possessing Marocco Fez acknowledging no Souereigne but the City gouerned by the Magistrates thereof and in the Countrey each Cast or Tribe by it selfe Mully Abdela the Sonne of Mully Shek liues sometimes at Micanes sometimes at Alcasar little respected maintayning himselfe by spoyle and robbery and Side Hia enioying the Royall profits of the Kingdome of Sus. He liues commonly at Taradant holds the Countrey subiect but arrogates not the title of King His word is Lanserel hoc layenore Side Hia that is Let the Truth liue and Side Hia flourish A late Letter from thence signifies the feare that Sidan had of Hia's third approch to Marocco in which respect he sent two thousand Souldiers into the Countrey of Draa thence to enter into Sus if such inuasion happened But we haue beene too tedious Actors of this Barbarian Tragedie Wee must forward on our Pilgrimage and now hauing glutted our eyes with bloud let vs take more quiet view of the other parts of this Kingdome Agmet was sometimes called a second Marocco from whence it standeth foure and twenty miles The Hils and Valley about it adorned with Gardens and Vineyards a faire Riuer and fertile fields yeelding fiftie fold encrease haue assembled Natures Forces to ioyne with Arte if Magicke may be so termed and the Histories write true for the common good of Agmet and Marocco The Riuer runneth as is thought to Marocco vnder the ground which secret passage is attributed to the Wizards of Ioseph Founder of Marocco lest the water course should be cut off from the City This fruitfull Agmet in Leo's time was peopled onely with Foxes and wild beasts sauing that a certaine Heremite held the Castle with a hundred of his Disciples The Mountaynes are very rude according to their rough and cold places of habitation many of them couered continually with Snow In Nififa they gaze and wonder at strangers in Semede they forced Leo to play the Iudge and Notarie accepting no excuse eight dayes and then set him in a Church-porch and after a certaine Prayer presented themselues with their presents before him Cockes Hens Nuts Garlike and some of the better sort a Goat which all he gaue his Host money they had none for him In Secsina there is at all times of the yeere Snow There are many great Caues wherein they winter their beasts in Nouember Ianuary and February They weare no shooes but certaine Sandals and are lustie men at ninety or a hundred yeeres old Temnella is an Hereticall Hill and Towne which hath a faire Temple They are of Elmaheli his Sect and challenge any stranger which comes amongst them to dispute In Hantera are many Iewes of the Carraim Sect The fourth Region of this Kingdom is Guzzula confining with the Hill Ilda on the West Atlas on the North Hea on the East They haue no walled Townes but great Villages neither haue they King or Gouernour the cause of Ciuill Warres amongst them yet doe they obserue three dayes in a Weeke truce when euery man may trauell or batter safely A certaine Heremite who was reputed a Saint was Authour of this three dayes truce in each weeke Hee had but one eye I my selfe sayth Leo saw him and found him to bee trustie courteous and liberall Duccala the fifth Region lyeth betweene Tensift and the Ocean Habib and Omirabih At Azaphi the Prince was in Leo's time murthered at Church while he was in his deuotions by a subiect who was chosen Gouernour but the Portugals obtayned the place Azamur a Citie exceedingly addicted to Sodomie was also punished with Portugall slauerie and most of the Countrey thereabouts In the Hill called Greene-hill liue many Heremites of the fruits onely there growing Here are many Altars and Saints after the Mahumetan fashion Mahumet King of Fez in the yeere of our Lord 1512. passed this way with his Armie and at euery Altar made a stand and there kneeling would thus say My God thou knowest that my intent of comming to this wilde place is onely to helpe and free the people of Duccala from the wicked and rebellious Arabians and from our cruell enemies the Christians and if thou doest not approue it let thy scourge light onely on my person for these people that follow me deserue not to be punished Hence he sent me Ambassadour to Marocco Hascora the sixt Region of Marocco is situate betweene the Riuer Tensift and Quadelhabid . Alemdio in Hascora was conquered to the King of Fez by a Merchant whose Paramour the Prince had taken away for which adulterie he was by the Iudges condemned to be stoned The Prince of Temcenes was so addicted to Arabian poetrie that hee gaue Leo then a youth of sixteene yeeres old
Camels whose riches thereby acquired appeare in the Letters of Lawrence Madoc and wee before haue touched Gago is much frequented by Merchants and things are sold at excessiue rates In an hundred miles space you shall scarce find one in those parts that can reade or write and the King accordingly oppresseth them with taxations In Guber they sow their Corne on the waters which Niger with his ouerflowings brings vpon the Countrey and haue aboundant recompence Izchia King of Tombuto conquered the King of Guber of Agadez also and of Cano which haue great store of Merchants Likewise of Casena and Zegzeg and Zanfara in which I finde little worth the remembrance Cano hath some Relikes of Christianitie and they are named by the Apostles names Guangara was not onely oppressed by the said Izchia of Tombuto but by Abraham King of Borno Borno confineth with Guangara on the West and extendeth Eastwards fiue hundred miles The people haue no Religion neither Christian Iewish nor Mahumetane but like Beasts liue with their Wiues and Chrildren in common and as a Merchant which liued long amongst them and learned their Language told Leo they haue no proper names as in other Nations but as they giue him some name on distinction by his height fatnesse or other peculiar accidents The King warreth with his neighbours hee is descended of the Libyan people Bardoa For maintenance of his Warres he will giue great prices for Horses exchanging fifteene or twentie Slaues for one which Slaues he tooke from his enemies When I was in this Kingdome I found there many Merchants that were wearie of this Traffique because they stayed for their Slaues till the King returned from his Warres Yet the King Teemes to bee rich all his Horse-furniture Stirrops Spurres Bridles Bits were all of Gold and his Dishes Platters or whatsoeuer he did eate or drinke in yea his Chaines for his Dogges were for the most part or most fine Gold He hath many both white and blacke people subject to him Gaoga bordereth Westward on Borno and thence trendeth to Nubia betweene the Desarts of Serta on the North and another Desart confining on a winding crooke of Nilus about fiue hundred miles square It hath neither Ciuilitie Letters nor Gouernment The Inhabitants haue no vnderstanding especially they which dwell in the Mountaines who goe naked in the Summer-time their priuities excepted Their houses are made of boughes which easily take fire They haue store of Cattell A hundreth yeeres before Leo's time they were brought in subjection by a Negro slaue who first slew his Master and by helpe of his goods made preyes in the next Regions exchanging his Captiues for Horses of Aegypt and so became King of Gaoga His Nephewes Sonne Homara then raigned and was much respected by the Soldan of Cairo Leo was at his Court and found him a man passing liberall He much honoured all that were of the linage of Mahomet The Nubae in olde times were many Kingdomes as Strabo affirmeth not subject to the Aethiopians and were then Nomades or Wanderers and Robbers As it is now taken Iohn Leo being our Author Nubia stretcheth from Gaoga vnto Nilus hauing the Aegyptian Confines on the North and the Desarts of Goran on the South They cannot saile out of this Kingdome into Aegypt For the Riuer Nilus whiles it is couetous of largenesse loseth his deepnesse and couering certaine Plaines becommeth so shallow that both men and beasts may wade ouer Dangala is their chiefe Towne and hath ten thousand Families but ill built their houses being Chalke and Straw The Inhabitants with their traffique to Cairo become rich There is in this Kingdome great store of Corne and Sugar Ciuit Sandall and Iuorie They haue strong poyson one graine whereof giuen to ten persons will kill them all in a quarter of an houre and one man if he alone take it presently An ounce hereof is sold for an hundred Ducats It is not sold but to strangers which first take their oath that they will not vse it in their Countrey And if any sell thereof secretly it costs him his life for the King hath as much for Custome as the Merchant for price Some Portugals trauelling thorow Nubia saw many Churches ruined by the Arabians and some Images The Iewish and Mahumetan Superstition haue there almost preuailed In old time they had Bishops sent them from Rome which by meanes of the Arabians was after hindered The Nubian King warreth with the Inhabitants of Goran called Zingani who speake a Language that none else vnderstand and with others in the Desarts on the other side of Nilus towards the Red Sea whose Language seemes to be mixt with the Chaldaean and resembles the speech of Suachen in the Countrey of Prester Iohn They are called Bugiha and liue very miserably They had once a Towne on the Red Sea called Zibid whose Port answereth directly to that of Zidem which is forty miles from Mecca This Zibid for their robberies was destroyed by the Sultan Ortelius saith that in Nubia they were sometimes Christian and now are scarcely of any Religion at all They sent into Prester Iohns Countrey for Priests when Aluares d was there to repaire their almost ruined Christianitie but without effect Sanutus reckons here other Kingdomes Gothan Medra Dauma whereof because wee haue little but the names I can write nothing Now if any would looke that we should heere in our Discourse of the Negro's assigne some cause of that their Blacke colour I answere that I cannot well answere this question as being in it selfe difficult and made more by the varietie of answeres that others giue hereunto Some alleage the heate of this Torrid Region proceeding from the direct beames of the Sunne and why then should all the West Indies which stretch from the one Tropike to the other haue no blacke people except a few in Quareca which haply were not Naturals of the place And if this were the cause why should Africa yeeld white people in Melinde and neere the Line blacker at the Cape of Good Hope in fiue and thirtie then in Brasill vnder the Line Some leauing the hot impressions in the Aire attribute it to the drinesse of the Earth as though the Libyan Desarts are not more dry and yet the people no Negro's and as though Niger were heere dried vp Some to the hidden qualitie of the soyle and why then are the Portugals children and generations white or Mulatos at most that is tawnie in Saint Thomee and other places amongst them as also the Inhabitants of Melinde Madagascar and other places in the same height in and adioyning to Africa Some ascribe it as Herodotus to the blacknesse of the Parents Sperme or Seed and how made they the search to know the colour thereof which if it hath a thing by others denied by what reason should it imprint this colour on the skinne And how comes it that they are reddish at their birth yellowish in
Rials and with vs eight Shillings for that by him the furious spirit of Nilus is slacked and cooled being detayned in the way by many Sluces for that purpose made The great Turke denying this the Abassine caused those Dammes to be broken and by drowning Egypt in vncouth manner forced that great Monarch to composition Aluarez denies both the Mountaynes of Luna and the melting of Snow which is supposed the cause of this Riuers hastinesse and ascribeth the ouer-flowing of Nilus to the extreme raines in Ethiopia whose Fountaynes diuers Portugals haue seene hee saith in Goyame The Turke notwithstanding hath by warring vpon him erected a new Beglerbegship in his Dominions Aluarez liued there sixe yeeres and was once within thirtie miles of Nilus but in all his trauels neuer saw that Riuer So little accesse haue the Ethiopians barred out by vnpassable passages vsually to the same Andrea Corsali reporteth that the Prete Dauid was of oliue colour but shewed his face but once in the yeere hauing at other times his face couered for greater state and therefore also spake to none but by an Interpreter The Inhabitants are branded with fire which they vse not for Baptisme but in obseruation of a custome of Salomon who so marked his slaues as they affirme Friar Luys giueth another reason thereof saying that when the world groned vnder Arrianisme the Abassine Emperour caused his Subiects to brand themselues with a threefold marke or stampe in the forehead to testifie their faith of and in the Trinitie which now since their commerce with the Roman Christians is in manner wholly left except in the ruder and more vnciuill parts of Barnagasso the borders of the Empire The same Author saith that in Ethiopia are Elephants the Rhinoceros and besides other beasts the Vnicorne in the Kingdome of Goyame and in the Hills of the Moone but seldome seene onely the horne is found which he casteth in manner as the Hart. There are also he saith birds of Paradise and such store and varietie of flowers all the yeere long that their Eunuchs are alway decked with them There is one flower not any where else known called Ghoyahula much resembling a Mary-gold but exceeding faire in varietie and excellency of colours fragrant smell abundance of leaues in the flower and with a more rare qualitie beginning to open at noone and so by little and little opening more and more till midnight alway the sent encreasing with the opening after midnight it shuts by little and little till noone denying by the same degrees her pleasing offices to both senses of Sent and Sight He tells also of a little Bird to which Nature hath committed the tuition of this Flower which all the time that it is open flyes about it driues away things offensiue sings sweetly and spreads her selfe thereon with other things very strange I dare not affirme very true He mentioneth also a bird called the Rhinoceros of the ayre much bigger then an Eagle and hauing a bow-fashioned bill or beake foure foot long and a horne betweene the eyes with a black line alongst it It is a cruell fowle and attends on battells and camps The Portugalls had sight of one at the Red Sea when Soliman the Eunuch had his Nauie in the Red Sea The horne is of the same propertie with that of the Vnicorne and Rhinoceros There are fishes also called Rhinocerotes of the Sea many of which are paid the Prete for Tribute Many many other Ethiopian rarities wee might obserue out of this Authour but if it deserue credit the Hill Amara after his description may furnish you for and beyond all the rest of Ethiopia as a second earthly Paradise CHAP. V. Relations of Ethiopian rarities collected out of Friar LVYS a Spanish Author §. I. Of the Hill Amara THe hill Amara hath alreadie beene often mentioned and nothing indeed in all Ethiopia more deserueth mention whether wee respect the naturall site or the employment thereof Somewhat is written thereof by Geographers and Historians especially by Aluarez whom we haue chiefly followed in the former Relations of this Countrie as an eye-witnesse of the most things reported but neither they nor he haue any thing but by relation sauing that he passed two dayes iourney along by the said Hill and that also had almost cost him his life But Iohn de Baltasar saith our Friar liued in the same a long time and therein serued Alexander which was afterwards Emperor and was often by commandement of the same man when he was Emperor sent thither out of his Relations Friar * Luys saith hee hath borrowed that which here we offer you And here we offer you no small fauour to conduct you into and about this place where none may come but an Ethiopian and that by expresse licence vnder paine of leauing his hands feet and eyes behind in price for his curiositie and not much lesse is the danger of such as offer to escape from thence Aluarez himselfe being an eye-witnesse of some such cruell executions inflicted for that offence This Hill is situate as the Nauill of that Ethiopian Body and Centre of their Empire vnder the Equinoctiall Line where the Sunne may take his best view thereof as not encountring in all his long iourney with the like Theatre wherein the Graces and Muses are Actors no place more graced with Natures store or furnished with such a store-house of bookes the Sunne himselve so in loue with the sight that the first and last thing hee vieweth in all those parts is this Hill and where Antiquitie consecrated vnto him a stately Temple the gods if yee beleeue Homer that they feasted in Ethiopia could not there nor in the world find a fitter place for entertainment all of them contributing their best store if I may so speake to the banquet Bacchus Iuno Venus Pomona Ceres and the rest with store of fruits wholsome ayre pleasant aspect and prospect secured by Mars lest any sinister accident should interrupt their delights if his garrisons of Souldiers were needfull where Nature had so strongly fortified before onely Neptune with his ruder Sea-deities and Pluto with his black-guard of barking Cerberus and the rest of that dreadful traine whose vnwelcome presence would trouble all that are present are all saue Charon who attends on euery feast yea now hath ferried away those supposed deities with himselfe perpetually exiled from this place Once Heauen and Earth Nature and Industrie haue all beene Corriuals to it all presenting their best presents to make it of this so louely presence some taking this for the place of our Fore-fathers Paradise And yet though thus admired of others as a Paradise it is made a Prison to some on whom Nature had bestowed the greatest freedome if their freedome had not beene eclipsed with greatnesse and though goodly starres yet by the Sunnes brightnesse are forced to hide their light when grosse and earthly bodies are seene their noblenesse making
Pilgrimage CHAP. VI. Relations of Aethiopia by GODIGNVS and other Authours lately published seeming more credible §. I. The seuerall Countreyes of Abassia Their Situation Inhabitants Riuers and Lakes IF I should haue left out the former Chapter for the vncertaine truth or certayne falshoods therein contayned some perhaps would eyther for the Pilgrims words or the Friers inuention haue desired it were it but as a Comedie to delight our tyred Reader For my selfe had my Intelligence so well serued me at first it had been easier then not to haue admitted then here now to haue omitted it I haue therefore suffered it still to enioy a place rather for your delight then credit and here would giue you those things that are more likely I hope I cannot warrant more true such as Nicolaus Godignus and others haue written some things being the same which before out of Aluares others are mentioned besides other things exacter or later And first of the Countrey it selfe Ioannes Gabriel Captayne of the Portugall Souldiers in these parts hath written that the Abassine Empire contayneth sixe and twentie Kingdomes in ancient right diuided in foureteene Regions eight of these Kingdome lye in successiue order from Swachen towards to West the first of which is Tigrai contayning seuenteene great Tracts vnder so many Lieutenants or Gouernours which rule all affaires of Peace and War The Turkes possesse the Sea parts the Saracens the Coast adioyning the Inland is inhabited promiscuously by Christians and Ethnicks They are blacke of hue deformed in shape in condition miserable of conditions wicked They haue goodly Riuers dryed vp in Summer where yet with little digging both water is found and fishes called Sagasi The next Kingdome to Tigrai is Daneali hauing the Red Sea on the East thence extending Westwards not farre nor fertile inhabited by Moores tributaries to the Abassine Angote Amara Boa Leca are foure Kingdomes inhabited by Christians only The seuenth Kingdome is very large of seuenteene Tracts partly inhabited by Ethnickes partly Christians it is called Abagamedri Dambea hath also Ethnickes mixed with Christians being but two Tracts On the other side of Dancali towards the Red Sea Aucaguerle trends alongst the Coast possessed by the Moores not subiect to the Abassine Adel followeth in twelue degrees Northerly in which is Zeila sometimes called Aualites a famous Mart the whole Kingdome is inhabited by Moores vnneighbourly Neighbours to the Abassines whence came Gradagna or Gradamar the Mahumetan King which had wel-nigh subdued all Aethiopia when the Portugals opposed themselues who after diuers ouerthrowes tooke him and cut off his head After this is Dahali which trendeth towardes Membaxas the Inhabitants some Christians some Ethnikes pay tribute to the Prete Oecie followeth more within land the Inhabitants Moores and Ethnikes subiect to the Abassine Arium and Fatigaer the next Kingdomes are Christian Zinger Ethnicke Rozanagum the sixteenth Kingdome is Christian but not subiect to the Abassine Empire From hence extend other Kingdomes towards the North Roxa of Ethnickes Goma of Christians and Ethnickes Such is Nerea a large Kingdome towards Monomotapa Zethe is inhabited by Ethnickes subiect to the Emperour The next are Conche and Mahaola small and altogether Ethnicke Goroma a great Kingdomoe of twenty Tracts Christians and Heathens almost wholly compassed by Nilus able for plenty to feed many Armies with which it is vsually infestect The Seedman followes the haruest man presently after the reaping sowes new Seed without other tillage The three last Kingdomes lye towards Egypt Damote Sua Iasculum through this euery Lent passe great troupes of Pilgrimes to Ierusalem The foureteene Regions or Prouinces I forbeare to mention Of all these Kingdomes at this day onely Tigrai Abagamedri Dambea and Goroma are obedient to the Abassine There are foure principall Riuers in this Aethiopia Taucea running from the South to the North the sandy Earth in the way continually stealing and vnderearth passages robbing him of the watery Tribute which he intendeth to the Sea neere it are high vnpassable Mountaynes inhabited by Abassine Iewes which still obserue the Mosaicall Law fierce and terrible to their Neighbours and could neuer be conquered by the Abassines The second Riuer is Oara exceeding Nilus in watery store which he bestoweth in like manner on the Countrey by which he passeth into the Zeilan Sea The waters are pleasant but the Abassine Christians will not drinke thereof because passing through the Countries of Mahumetans it yeelds them nourishment The third Riuer is Gabea which neere to Mombaza visits the Ocean The fourth is Nilus There are as many Lakes The first Aicha in Angote The second Dambeabahar that is the Sea of Dambea not farre from Gubbai where the Emperours in these times reside if they betake themselues out of their Tents into the City This Lake is sixty miles long and fiue and twenty broad receiues on one side the waters of Nilus is full of fishes and Riuer-horses which sometimes are dangerous to passengers two Iesuits in one of their Boates made of Rushes hardly escaping their assaults Many small Ilands are in this Lake in one of which is a Towre their Treasury and to which Malefactors are confined The third Lake is Zella in Oecie the fouth Xacala not farre from it §. II. Of the Soyle Fruits Creatures Seasons and Climate ANtonie Fernandes in an Epistle dated here in Iune 1610. numbreth aboue fortie Prouinces in Abassia but in substance agrees in the former The Soyle hee sayth is hollow and full of deepe Clifts in the midst of the plaine fields you shall often see steepe and high Rockes of solid stone which in time of warre serue them in stead of Forts The whole Region is full of Metals but neglected partly by the sloth of the Inhabitants partly for feare to bring Turkish Inuasions vpon them if such baits were discouered They take so much Iron only as they finde without digging on the face of the Earth Corne Herbes Trees are there in variety but these not excellent in their fruits except one the fruit whereof saues their liues by the vertue it hath against Wormes whereto this people is much subiect by their eating of raw flesh and therefore euery moneth purge themselues with this fruit they haue Peaches Pomegranates Citrons Indian Figges but not in great plenty They haue Hares Harts Goats Swine Elephants Camels Buffles Lions Panthers Tigres Rhinocerots and other like Beasts One so huge that a man on horsebacke may passe vpright vnder his belly feeding on leaues from the tops of trees and formed like a Camell Their Riuer-horses doe much harme to the fruits of the Earth being of Vast bodies and their mouth three quarters of a yard in the opening In the night they come forth and if the Husbandmen did not keepe diligent watch would doe extreme harme to the Corne they feed also on grasse In the water they are very fierce and like Dogges assault men and teare them They are so afraid of fire
from a great Serpent and when two other Hares came thither that Hare for their entertainment killed a Deere which was then the onely Deere that was and strewing the haires of that Deeres hide euery haire proued a Deere He said they worshipped towards a certaine Hoope or Sphere doubled a crosse which was set vpon an heape of stones in their houses They had a house without the Towne for the Women in the time of their naturall sicknesse to keepe in where no men might come But of their opinions and ceremonies in Religion who fitter to be heard then a Virginian an experienced Man and Counseller to Opochancanough their King and Gouernour in Powhatans absence Such is Tomocomo at this present in London sent hither to obserue and bring newes of our King and Country to his Nation some others which haue beene heere in former times being more silly which hauing seene little else then this Citie haue reported much of the Houses and Men but thought we had small store of Corne or Trees the Virginians imagining that our men came into their Countrey for supply of these defects This Man therefore being landed in the West parts found cause of admiration at our plenty in these kinds and as some haue reported began to tell both Men and Trees till his Arithmetike fayled For their numbring beyond an hundred is imperfect and somewhat confused Of Him Sir Thomas Dales man being our Interpreter I learned that their Okeeus doth often appeare to them in His House or Temple the manner of which apparition is thus First foure of their Priests or sacred Persons of which he said he was one goe into the House and by certaine words of a strange Language which he repeated very roundly in my hearing but the Interpreter vnderstood not a word nor doe the common people call or coniure this Okeeus who appeareth to them out of the Aire thence comming into the House and walking vp and downe with strange words and gestures causeth eight more of the principall persons to be called in all which twelue standing round about him he prescribes to them what hee would haue done Of him they depend in all their proceedings if it bee but in a hunting Iourney who by winds or other awefull tokens of his presence holds them in a superstitious both feare and confidence His apparition is in forme of a personable Virginian with a long blacke locke on the left side hanging downe neere to the foot This is the cause why the Virginians weare these sinister lockes which some thinke I haue heard Sir Thomas Dale and Master Rolph of that opinion was first by our Men in the first Plantation little aboue thirty yeeres since borrowed from these Sauages a faire vnlouely generation of the Loue-locke Christians imitating Sauages and they the Deuill this Virginian so admiring this Rite that in arguing about Religion he obiected to our God this defect that hee had not taught vs so to weare our haire After that he hath stayed with his twelue so long as he thinkes fit he departeth vp into the ayre whence he came Tomocomo auerred that this was Hee which made Heauen and Earth had taught them to plant so many kinds of Corne was the Author of their good had prophesied to them before of our mens comming knew all our Countrey whom he made acquainted with his comming hither and told him that within so many moneths he would returne but the Deuill or Okeeus answered that it would bee so many more neyther at his returne must he goe into that house till Okeeus shall call him He is very zealous in his superstition and will heare no perswasions to the truth bidding vs teach the Boyes and Girles which were brought ouer from thence Hee being too olde now to learne Being asked what became of the soules of dead men he pointed vp to Heauen but of wicked men that they hung betweene Heauen and Earth This Tomocomo hath Matachanna one of Powhatans Daughters to wife The vulgar are held in great awe by their Ignorance and when any of them haue got a good Deere some of the greater will pretend Okeeus his name and cause it to be brought to His House and then share it at their pleasure They hold it a disgrace to feare death and therefore when they must dye doe it resolutely as happened to one which had robbed the English and by Powhatan vpon complaint made to Him was fetched sixscore miles from the place where he lurked and by this Tomocomo in the presence of the English executed his braines being knocked out shewing no signe of feare or dismayednesse They vse to make Blacke Boyes once in fourteene or fifteene yeeres generally for all the Country this hapned the last yeere 1615. when all of a certaine age that haue not beene made Blacke Boyes before are initiated in this Ceremonie They vse to make some at other times by themselues as before is shewed of Rapahannok out of Captaine Smith and Master White which then mistooke it for a Sacrifice Some foure moneths after that Rite they liue apart and are fed by some appointed to carry them their foode they speake to no man nor come in company seeme distracted some thinke by some Deuillish apparition scarred certaine to oblige them to that Deuillish Religion as by a Hellish Sacrament of the Deuils institution and will offer to shoot at such as come nigh them And when they come into company yet are for a certaine time of silent and strange behauiour and will doe any thing neuer so desperate that they shall be bidden if they tell them they shall bee old men if they goe not into the fire they will doe it There is none of their men but are made Blacke Boyes at one time or other Let vs obserue these things with pitty and compassion and endeuour to bring these silly soules out of the snare of the Deuill by our prayers our purses and all our best endeuours This may be added that their young people haue in manner no knowledge and the vulgar little of their Religion They vse also to beguile them with their Okee or Image of him in their houses into whose mouth they will put a Tobacco pipe kindled and one behind that Image drawes the smoke which the siluer vulgar and children thinke to be done by their God or Idoll They haue a certaine herbe called Weysake like Liuerwort which they chew and spit into poysoned wounds that are thereby healed in foure and twenty houres In finding out their medicinall Roote it is the Relation of Master George Percie six of them hold together by the armes and so goe singing and withall searching and when they haue found it sit downe singing crossing the Root with their hands for a good space then gather chew and spit He thus describeth their dances One stands in the middest singing and clapping hands all the rest dance about him shooting hollowing stamping with antike gesture like
charmes were the cause that made the earth bring forth her fruit and that he might the easier perswade them he retired himselfe once or twice a yeere to a certain house accompanied with two or three of his friends where he vsed inchantments If any man offered to see what he did it cost him his life Euery yeere he offereth a man in the time of Haruest which was kept for that purpose and taken of such Spaniards as had suffered shipwrack on that Coast They which further desire to know the riches and commodities of these Countries may resort to the Authors in this Chapter mentioned Sir Francis Drake in the yeere 1586. besides his worthy exploits in other places tooke the Forts of S. Iohn and Saint Augustine whence he brought Pedro Morales and Nicholas Burgoignon whose relations concerning that Countrey Master Hackluit hath inserted among other his painfull labours Dauid Ingram reported many strange things which he saith he saw in these parts Elephants Horses and beasts twice as big as Horses their hinder parts resembling Greyhounds Buls with eares like Hounds beasts bigger then Beares without head or necke but hauing their eyes and mouthes in their brests and another beast Cerberus he cals him Colluchio which is saith he the Deuill in likenesse of a Dogge and sometimes of a Calfe with many other matters wherein he must pardon me if I be not too prodigall of my Faith He tels also of punishment of adultery by death the woman cutting the adulterers throat and the neerest kinsman hers after many prayers to the Colluchio and a further punishment in that they haue no quicke bodie buried with them to attend them into the other world as all others haue But they that list to beleeue may consult with the Author Anthony Goddard another of Ingrams company left by Sir Iohn Hawkins going another way at Panuco yeelded himselfe to the Spaniards with whom was Miles Philips and Iob Hortop whose discourses of their disaduentures with the Spaniards and Indians Master Hakluit hath published and hath Goddards also written CHAP. VIII Of the Countreys situate Westward from Florida and Virginia towards the South-Sea §. I. Of Cibola Tigues Quiuira and Noua Albion WE haue hitherto discouered those parts of this Northerne America which trend along the North Sea which the English and French Nations haue most made knowne vnto vs further Westward the mid-land countreys are not so well knowne yet following our Spanish guides wee here present them from their relations to your view When as Cortez had conquered Mexico as after followeth to be related he was made Admirall of the South-Seas but the gouernment of Mexico and New Spaine was with the title of Vice-roy giuen to Antonio de Mendoza These two partly in emulation of each others glory partly in hope of enriching themselues sought to discouer vnknowne Lands the one by Sea the later both by Sea Land The Viceroy sent as he himselfe testifieth Francis Vasquez de Coronado and Frier Marco de Nisa with Stephen a Negro by land out of whose relations we haue inserted that which concerneth our purpose Marke the Frier and Stephen set forth with certaine Indians in this Discouerie and Stephen going before came to Ceuola as Marke related where hee was slaine the Frier followed with his Indian guides and passed thorow one place where was small store of Victuall because it had not there rained as the Inhabitants affirmed in three yeares space The Indians call him Hayota that is a man come from Heauen Hee passed on further led by the same of Ceuola which with other sixe Cities were reported to be vnder the gouernment of one Lord and to haue houses of stone consisting of diuers stories where were many Turqueses with many other strange reports of their Markets multitudes and wealth But because the Frier came not there for feare of the Negros entertainment let vs listen to Francis Vasquez who came saw and ouercame An 1540. He went with his Army from Culiacan which is 200. leagues from Mexico and after a long and tedious iourney he at last arriued in this Prouince and conquered almost with the losse of himselfe the first Citie of the seuen which he called Granado Twice he was striken downe with stones from the wall as he offered to scale the same He saith that their houses were of foure or fiue stories or lofts to which they ascended on ladders and that they had Cellers vnder the ground good and paued But those seuen Cities were small Townes all standing in the compasse of foure leagues all called by that generall name of Ceuola or Cibola and none of them particularly so called but hauing other peculiar names they were of like building In this Towne which he conquered stood 200. houses walled about and 300. others not walled The Inhabitants had remoued their wiues and wealth to the Hill Hee reporteth of beasts there Beares Tygres Lions and Sheepe as bigge as horses with great hornes and little tayles Ounces also and Stagges That which the Indians worshipped as farre as they could learne was the Water which said they caused the Corne to grow and maintained their life Hee found there a garment excellently embroidered with needle-worke Vasquez went hence to Tiguez to Cieuic and to Quiuira as Lopez de Gomara reporteth This way is full of crooke-backed Oxen. Quiuira is in 40. degrees and the Countrey is temperate They saw Ships in the Sea which bare Alcatoazes or Pelicans of Gold and Siluer in their Prowes laden with Merchandise which they tooke to be of China or Cathay The men in these parts cloath and shoo themselues with leather they haue no bread of any kind of graine their chiefe food is flesh which they often eate raw either for custome or for lacke of wood They eate the fat as they take it out of the Oxe and drinke the bloud hot which of our buls is counted poison and the flesh they warme for they seethe it not at a fire of Oxe-dung They rather may be said to rauin then to eate it holding the flesh with their teeth cut it with rasors of stone They goe in companies as the Scythian Nomades Tartarian floords and many other Nations following the seasons and best pasturings for their oxen These Oxen are of the bignesse and colour of our Buls but their hornes are not so great They haue a great bunch vpon their shoulders and more haire on their fore-part then on the hinder and it is like wooll They haue as it were a horse-mane on their backe bone and much haire and very long from their knees downwards They haue great tufts of haire on their foreheads and haue a kinde of beard vnder their chins and throats the males haue very long tayles with a great knob or flocke at the end so that in some respect they resemble a Lyon in other the Camels Horses Oxen Sheepe or Goats They push with their hornes and in their rage
a farre Countrey and their King returned againe and said he would send such as should rule them And he hath now sent these Spaniards saith he Hereupon he counselled them to yeeld themselues Vassals to the Emperour which they did at his command though with many teares on his part and theirs at this farewell of their libertie Mutezuma presently gaue to Cortes in the name of tribute a great quantitie of Gold and other Iewels which amounted to sixteene hundred thousand Castlins of Gold besides Siluer §. III. The conquest of Mexico CORTES had hitherto a continuall victory in Mexico without any fight but newes was brought him of Pamphilo de Naruaes who was sent yywith eighty horse and some hundreths of Spaniards by Velasques to interrupt the proceedings of Cortes who leauing two hundred men in Mexico with 250. other came suddenly in the night and took Neruaes prisoner and returned to Mexico with Naruaes his company now his followers also where he found his men exceedingly distressed by the Citizens for a murther committed in the great Temple at a solemn Feast where in a religious dance they were slaine for the rich garments and Iewels they ware by the Spaniards Cortes came in good time for the reliefe of his men and Mutezuma caused the Mexicans to bridle their rage which presently was renued and when Mutezuma was againe by his Guardians the Spaniards caused to speake to the people a blow of a stone on his temple wounded him whereof three dayes after he died Cortes had some thousands of the Tlaxoltecas to help him but was driuen to fly from Mexico with all his Spaniards and Indians which he did closely in the night but yet an all-arme was raised and the bridges being broken much slaughter of his people was made by the Mexicans and all his treasure in manner lost They pursued after him also and had two hundred thousand in the field when it was Cortes his good hap to slay the Standard-bearer whereupon the Indians forsooke the field This battell was fought at Otumpan At Tlazcallan he and his were kindly entertained they had prepared before 50000. men to goe to Mexico for his helpe and now they promised him all offices of loyaltie and seruice With their helpe he subdued Tepeacac and built certaine Brigandines and Frigats which were carried many leagues on the backs of those Indians and there fastned and finished without which he could neuer haue wonne Mexico In Tezcuco certaine Spaniards had been taken sacrificed and eaten which Cortes now reuenged on them Eight thousand men had carried the loose pieces and Timber of this Nauie guarded with twenty thousand Tlaxcalans and a thousand Tamemez or Porters which carried victuals attending They calked them with Towe and for want of Tallow and Oyle they vsed Mans Grease of such as had been slaine in the Warres For so the Indians vsed to take out the Grease of their Sacrifices Cortes had here nine hundred Spaniards of which fourescore and sixe were horsemen three cast Pieces of iron fifteene small Peeces of Brasse and a thousand weight of Powder and 100000 Indian Souldiers on his side Hee made a fluce or trench aboue twelue foot broad and two fathome deepe halfe a league long in which forty thousand men wrought fifty dayes He lanched his Vessels and soone ouercame all the Canoas of the Lake or which were reckoned in all fiue thousand The Spaniards brake the Conduits of sweet water wherewith the Citie was wont to be serued Quabutimoc now the new King of Mexico receiuing incouragement from the diuellish Oracle caused to breake downe the Bridges and to exercise whatsoeuer wit or strength could doe in defence of his City somtimes conquering sometimes as is the doubtfull chance of warre conquered Cortes had in Tezcuco ordained a new King a Christian Indian of the royall bloud who much assisted him in this siege The Spaniards being Lords of the Lake and of the Causeys by helpe of their Galliots and Ordnance they fiered a great part of the Citie One day the Mexicans had gotten some aduantage and thereupon celebrated a Feast of Victory The Priests went vp into the Towers of Tlalelulco their chiefe Temple and made there perfumes of sweet Gummes in token of victory and sacrificed forty Spaniards which they had taken captiues opening their breasts and plucking out their hearts sprinkling their bloud in the Aire their fellowes looking on and not able to reuenge it They slew likewise many Indians and foure Spaniards of Aluarado's company whom they are in the open sight of the Armie The Mexicans danced dranke themselues drunke made bonefires strucke vp their Drummes and made all solemne expressings of ioy Dread Disdaine and all the Furies that Passion or Compassion could coniure vp had now filled the Spaniards hearts and their Indian partakers and Cortes that hitherto had hoped to reserue some part of the Citie now did the vtmost that Rage and Reuenge could effect helped no lesse within with Famine and Pestilence then with Sword and Fire without At last Mexico is razed the Earth and Water sharing betwixt them what Fire had left and all which had sometime challenged a lofty inheritance in the Ayre Their King also was taken all that mighty State subuerted And as the Mexicans before had prophecied That the Tlaxantleca's should againe build the Citie if conquered for them if conquerors for the Spaniards It was re-builded with a hundred thousand houses fairer and stronger then before The siege lasted three moneths and had therein two hundred thousand Indians nine hundred Spaniards fourescore Horses seuenteene Peeces of Ordinance thirteene Galliots and sixe thousand Canoas Fifty Spaniards were slaine and sixe Horses Of the Mexicans a hundred thousand besides those which died of hunger and Pestilence This was effected Anno 1521. on the thirteenth day of August which for that cause is kept festiuall euery yeere For the Description of the Country wherein Mexico is situate Cortes in his second Narration to the Emperour saith it is enuironed with hils He telleth of some hils also in his iourney wherein diuers of his people died with cold in the middest is a plaine of 70. leagues compasse and therein two lakes which extend the circuit of fifty leagues the one salt which ebbeth and floweth an argument for Patritius his opinion that saltnesse is a chiefe cause of that vicissitude of ebbing and flowing in the Ocean the other fresh When the Water of the salt Lake increaseth it runneth like a violent streame into the fresh Lake which when it increaseth is repaired againe by the like issue of this into the former Nunno di Gusman hath written his expedition into Mechoacan and other Countries of New-Spaine 1530. subduing and taking possession for the Emperour Hee found some of them Sodomites others Sacrificers of mens flesh and some closely practising this butcherie after they had professed themselues Christians none of them which durst looke a Horse in the face but were afraid that that Beast
To speake largely of New Gallicia Mechuacan Guastecan and other Regions would not be much to the Readers delight and lesse to to my purpose CHAP XI Of the Idols and Idolatrous Sacrifices of New Spaine §. I. Of their Gods THe Indians as Acosta obserueth had no name proper vnto God but vse the Spanish word Dios fitting it to the accent of the Cuscan or Mexican Tongues Yet did they acknowledge a supreme power called Vitziliputzli terming him the most puissant and Lord of all things to whom they erected at Mexico the most sumptuous Temple in the Indies After the Supreme God they worshipped the Sun and therefore called Cortes as he writ to the Emperour Sonne of the Sunne That Vitziliputzli was an Image of Wood like to a Man set vpon an Azure-coloured stoole in a Brankard or Litter at euery corner was a piece of wood like a Serpents head The stoole signified that he was set in Heauen He had the forehead Azure and a band of Azure vnder the nose from one eare to the other Vpon his head hee had a rich plume of feathers couered on the top with Gold hee had in his left hand a white Target with the figures of fiue Pine Apples made of white Feathers set in a crosse and from aboue issued forth a Crest of Gold At his sides he had foure Darts which the Mexicans say had beene sent from Heauen In his right hand hee had an Azured staffe cut in fashion of a wauing Snake All these ornaments had their mysticall sense The name of Vitziliputzli signifies the left hand of a shining feather Hee was set vpon an high Altar in a small boxe well couered with linnen Clothes Iewels Feathers and ornaments of Gold and for the greater veneration he had alwayes a Curtain before him Ioyning to the Chappel of this Idoll there was a Pillar of lesse work and not so wel beautified where there was another Idoll called Tlaloc These two were alwayes together for that they held them as companions of equal power There was another Idoll in Mexico much esteemed which was the God of Repentance and of Iubilees and Pardons for their sinnes Hee was called Tezcalipuca made of a blacke shining stone attired after their manner with some Ethnike deuices it had Earings of Gold and Siluer and through the nether lip a small Canon of Christall halfe a foot long in which they sometimes put an Azure Feather sometimes a greene so resembling a Turqueis or Emerald it had the haire bound vp with a haire-lace of Gold at the end whereof did hang an Eare of Gold with two Fire-brands of smoke painted therein signifying that he heard the Prayers of the afflicted and of sinners Betwixt the two eares hung a number of small Herons He had a Iewell hanging at his necke so great that it couered all his stomack vpon his armes Bracelets of Gold at his nauill a rich greene stone and in his left hand a Fan of precious Feathers of greene azure and yellow which came forth of a Looking Glasse of Gold signifying that he saw all things done in the World In his right hand he held foure Darts as the Ensignes of his Iustice for which cause they feared him most At his festiuall they had pardon of their sinnes They accounted him the God of Famine Drought Barrennesse and Pestilence They painted him in another forme sitting in great Maiestie on a stoole compassed in with a red Curtaine painted and wrought with the heads and bones of dead men In the left hand was a Target with fiue Pines like vnto Pine Apples of Cotton and in the right hand a little Dart with a threatning countenance and the arme stretched out as if he would cast it and from the Target came foure Darts The countenance expressed anger the body was all painted blacke and the head full of Quailes Feathers Quecalcauatl was their God of the Aire In Cholula they worshipped the God of Merchandize called Quetzaalcoalt which had the forme of a Man but the visage of a little Bird with a red bill and aboue a combe full of Warts hauing also rankes of teeth and the tongue hanging out It carried on the head a pointed Mitre of painted paper a Sithe in the hand and many toyes of Gold on the legs it had about it Gold Siluer Iewels Feathers and habits of diuers colours and was set aloft in a spacious place in the Temple All this his furniture was significant The name importeth Colour of a rich Feather No maruell if this God had many Suters seeing Gaine is both God and godlinesse to the most the whole World admiring and adoring this Mammon or Quetzaalcoalt Tlaloc was their God of Water to whom they sacrificed for Raine They had also their Goddesses the chiefe of which was Tozi which is to say Our Grand Mother of which is spoken before she was flayed by the command of Vitziliputzli and from hence they learned to flay men in Sacrifice and to clothe the liuing with the skins of the dead One of the Goddesses which they worshipped had a Sonne who was a great Hunter whom they of Tlascalla afterwards tooke for a God being themselues addicted much to that exercise They therefore made a great Feast vnto this Idoll as shal after follow They had another strange kind of Idoll which was not an Image but a true Man For they tooke a Captiue and before they sacrificed him they gaue him the name of the Idoll to whom he should be sacrificed apparelling him also with the same ornaments And during the time that this representation lasted which was for a yeere in some feasts sixe moneths in some in others lesse they worshipped him in the same manner as they did their God he in the meane time eating drinking and making merry When hee went through the streets the people came forth to worship him bringing their Almes with children and sicke folkes that hee might cure and blesse them suffering him to doe all things at his pleasure onely he was accompanied with ten or twelue men lest he should flee And hee to the end hee might bee reuerenced as hee passed sometimes sounded on a small Flute The Feast being come this fat Foole was killed opened and eaten The Massilians are said to haue vsed the like order nourishing One a whole yeere with the purest meats and after with many Ceremonies to leade him through the City and sacrifice him Lopes de Gomara writeth that the Mexicans had two thousand Gods but the chiefe were Vitziliputzli and Tezcatlipuca These two were accounted Brethren There was another God who had a great Image placed on the top of the Idols Chappell made of all that Countrey seeds grownd and made in paste tempered with childrens bloud and Virgins sacrificed whose hearts were plucked out of their opened brests and offered as first fruits to that Idoll It was consecrated by the Priests with great solemnitie all
same things not else-where found in India They make their teeth white with an herbe which all the day they chew in their mouthes CHAP II. Of Cumana and Paria §. I. Of the People and strange Creatures in Cumana CVmana is a Prouince named of a Riuer called Cumana where certayne Franciscans Anno 1516. built them a Monasterie and the Spaniards were very diligent in the fishing for Pearles About that time three Dominicans went fourescore miles West from thence to preach the Gospell and were eaten of the Indians which hindered not but others of the same order founded them a Monasterie in Ciribici neere Maracapana Both these Orders tooke paines with the Indians to conuert them and taught their children to write and read and to answer at Masse and the Spaniards were so respected that they might safely walke alone through all the Country but after two yeeres and a halfe the Indians whether for their too much imployment in the Pearle-fishing or for other cause rebelled and killed a hundred Spaniards slue the Friers one of which was then saying Masse and as many Indians as they found with them which the Spaniards of Domingo soone after reuenged The losse of Cumana hindered their Trade for Pearles at Cubagua and therefore the King sent Iames Castilion to subdue them by force which hee did and began the Plantation of New Caliz for the Spaniards to inhabit there Cubagua was called by Columbus the Finder the Iland of Pearles situate in twelue degrees and a halfe of Northerly Latitude and containes twelue miles in circuit This little Iland is exceeding great in commoditie that accreweth by those Pearles which hath amounted to diuers millions of gold They fetch their Wood from Margarita an Iland foure miles to the North and their Water from Cumana which is two and twentie miles thence they haue a Spring of medicinall Water there in the Iland The Sea there at certaine times of the yeere is very red which those Pearle-oysters by some naturall purgation are said to cause There are Fishes or Sea-monsters which from the middle vpwards resemble men with Beards Haire and Armes The people of Cumana goe naked couering only their shame At Feasts and Dances they paine themselves or else anoint themselues with a certaine Gumme in which they stick Feathers of many colours They cut their haire aboue the Eares and will not suffer it to grow on any places of their bodies esteeming a bearded man a Beast They take great paines to make their teeth blacke and account them women which haue them white They blacke them with the powder of the leaues of a certaine Tree called Gay these leaues they chew after they are fifteene yeeres old they mixe that powder with another of a kinde of Wood and with Chalke of white shels burned in manner as the Easterne Indians vse their Betele and Arecca with Chalke of Oysters and this mixture they beare continually in their mouthes still chewing it that their teeth are as blacke as coales and so continue to their death They keepe it in Baskets and Boxes and sell it in the markets to some which come farre for it for Gold Slaues Cotton and other Merchandize This keepeth them from paine and rotting of the teeth The Maides goe naked only they bind certain bands hard about their knees to make their hips and thighes seeme thicke which they esteeme no small beautie The married Women liue honestly or else their husbands will diuorce them The chiefe men haue as many Wiues as they will and if any stranger come to lodge in one of their houses they make the fairest his Bed-fellow These also shut vp their Daughters two yeeres before they marrie them all which time they goe not forth nor cut their haire After which there is made a great feast and very many bidden which bring their varietie of cheere also wood to make the new Spouse a house A man cuts off the Bridegroomes haire before and a woman the Brides and then they eate and drinke with much excesse till night This is the lawfull wife and the other which they marry afterwards obey This. They giue their Spouses to be defloured to their Piaces so they call their Priests which these reuerend Fathers account their Preeminence and Prerogatiue the Husbands their honour the Wiues their warrant The men and women weare Collars Bracelets Pendants and some Crownes of Gold and Pearls the Men weare Rings in their Noses the Women Brooches on their brest whereby by at first sight the sexe is discerned The Women Shoot Runne Leape Swim as well as the Men their paines of trauell are small they till the Land and looke to the house whiles the men Hunt and Fish They are high-minded treacherous and thirstie of reuenge Their chiefe weapons are poisoned Arrowes which they prepare with the bloud of Snakes and other mixtures All of both sexes from their infancy learne to shoot Their meat is whatsoeuer hath life as Horse-leeches Bats Grashoppers Spiders Bees Lice Wormes raw sodden fried and yet their Countrey is replenished with good Fruits Fish and Flesh This Diet or as some say their Water causeth spots in their eyes which dimme their sight They haue as strange a Fence or hedge for their Gardens and possessions namely a threed of Cotton or Bexuco as they call it as high as a mans Girdle and it is accounted a great sinne to goe ouer or vnder the same and he which breakes it they certainly beleeue shall presently die So much safer is their threed wouen with this imagination then all our stone-wals The Cumanois are much addicted to Hunting wherein they are very expert and kill Lyons Tygres Hogs and all other foure-footed Beasts with Bowes Nets Snares They take one Beast which they call Capa that hath the soles of his feet like a French shoo narrow behinde broad and round before Another called Aranata which for the Physnomie and subtiltie seemes to be a kinde of Ape it hath mouth hands and feet like a man a goodly countenance bearded like a Goat They goe in Heards they bellow loud runne vp Trees like Cats auoid the Huntsmans Arrow and cast it with cleanly deliuerie againe at himselfe Another Beast hath a long snout and feedeth on Ants putting his tongue into a hollow Tree or rather place where the Ants are and as many of them as come thereon hee licks in The Friers brought vp one till the stinke thereof caused them to kill it snouted like a Foxe rough-haired which voided in the excrements long and slender Serpents which presently dyed This Beast stinking while he liued and worse now dead yet was good food to the Indians They haue one which will counterfeit the voice of a crying child and so cause some to come forth and then deuoure them The like is written of the Hyana That shee will call the Shepheards by their names and then destroy them when they come forth They haue Parrots as
his Pinnasse left him in forty seuen The Ro-bucke kept with him to thirtie sixe Captaine Barker transgressing his directions was slaine with fiue and twenty men on Land and the Boat lost and soone after 25. others followed the like fortunes ten others by the cowardise of the Master of the Ro-bucke forsaken at Spirito Sancto which stole away with sixe monethes victuals for an hundred and twenty persons they being but forty sixe At Sebastians happened another mutinie by treacherie of an Irish man here Master Kniuet and other sicke persons were set on shore Intending againe for the Straits he beate and was beaten vp and downe the frowning Seas and came within two leagues of Saint Helena but could not attaine it and professeth he had rather haue put himselfe on an Iland if hee could not attaine it and professeth hee had rather haue put himselfe on an Iland if he could haue found one which the Charts place in eight degrees then returne and now was scarce able to hold a Pen when he wrote this Hee dyed homewards Since that Sir Richard Hawkins passed the Straits into the South Sea of which his Voyage I haue read a long Discourse written by himselfe Hee fell into the hands of the Spaniards which tooke him in the South Sea Let me adde this touching these Straits that possession thereof was formally taken by turfe and twigge after the English manner in the first Voyage Captaine Drake deliuering the said seisin to Captaine Winter in the name of Queene Elizabeth and her Successors This did Captaine Winter himselfe relate to me at Bathe in the presence of many desiring to haue it published this last September 1618. forty yeeres after the performance with many other particulars of that his Voyage CHAP. VII Of Terra Australis and Chili AS for the Land on the Southerne side of the Straits it is called the Land of Fire either because the Discouerers saw fire thereabouts or because that cold Climate so much needeth fire More Easterly against the Cape of Good Hope is the Land Terra di Vista This Land about the Straits is not perfectly discouered whether it be Continent or Ilands Some take it for Continent and extend it more in their imagination then any mans experience towards those Ilands of Salomon and New Guinnee esteeming of which there is great probabilitie that Terra Australis or the Southerne Continent may for the largenesse thereof take vp a fift place in order and the first in greatnesse in the diuision and parting of the whole World Master Brerewood our Learned Countriman as is before obserued perswadeth himselfe that it is as large as the Easterne Continent which containeth Europe Africa and Asia altogether His reasons are that touching latitude it is knowne to approch neere if not on this side the Aequator and touching Longitude to runne along in a continuall circuit about the Earth fronting both the other Continents Another reason which he deemeth of more certaine importance is this that the Land to the North side of the Line in the other Continents of the Old and New World is at least foure times as large as that part of them which lyeth to the South Now for as much as the face of the Sea is leuell so hee argueth being therefore called Aequor Aqua and secondly the Earth beeing equally poysed on both sides of her owne Centre and thirdly this Centre being but one to the Water and the Earth euen no other then the Centre of the World it followeth thereupon that the Earth should in answerable measure and proportion lift it selfe and appeare aboue the face of the Sea on the South side of the Line as it doth on the North. And consequently that what is wanting in the South parts of the other Continents towards the counteruailing of the North parts which is about three fiue parts of both the other Continents layed together must of necessitie be supplyed in this Continent of the South Lopez Vaz writeth That the Gouernours which the King of Spaine sendeth for Peru and New Spaine haue a custome to discouer new Countries The Licentiate Castro being Gouernour of Peru sent forth a Fleet from Lima which sayling 800. leagues Westward found certaine Ilands in 11. degrees to the South of the Equinoctiall with a kind of people of yellowish complexion and all naked Heere they found Hogs Dogges Hens Cloues Ginger Cinamon and some Gold The first Iland they named Izabella the greatest Guadalcanal on the Coast whereof they sayled 150. leagues where they tooke a Towne and some graines of Gold hanged vp in the Houses They burnt their Towne because they had in a sudden surprize killed fourteene of their men They spent fourteene moneths in this Discouery and named them the Ilands of Salomon that by that name men might bee further induced to discouer and inhabit them imagining that Salomon had his Gold from thence Noua Guinea was discouered by Villalobos sent from New Spaine in the yeere 1543. going to discouer the Moluccas Herera saith it was discouered by Aluaro of Saauedra Anno 1527. and the Ilands of Salomon in the yeere 1567. by Lope Garcia of Castro which are many and great but eighteene principall some of them 300. leagues in compasse two of 200. others of 100. and of fifty and lesse the Inhabitants some blacke some white some browne the greatest named Saint Isabel 150. leagues in length and eighteene in breadth Saint Nicholas 150. leagues in compasse The Inhabitants are blacke of hue and wittie The Spaniards haue coasted it 700. leagues and yet cannot tell whether it bee an I le or Continent Hesselius Gerardus hath largely set forth the Petition or Memoriall of Peter Ferdinandez de Quir vnto the King of Spaine about his discouery of those Southerne vnknowne Ilands for the Plantation of the same I haue since seen this his Supplication to the King in Spanish with other memorials thereof wherein he saith that hee was sent with two ships to discouer the Ilands of Salomon and taking his course about the height of the Magellan Straits discouered a mayne Land and sayled eight hundred Leagues on the Coast till hee came in fifteene degrees Southward from the Line where he found a fruitfull Countrey He discouered a Bay into which fall two great Riuers where they purpose to settle a Plantation Order was taken that he should presently be sent from Peru with commission to take vp 1200. men with shipping and other necessaries and as many the yeere after out of New Spaine He found out three and twenty Ilands 230. leagues from Mexico Taumaco Chicayma where are great Oysters with Pearles Guaytopo the people whereof are as white as the Spaniards Tucopio Fonofono c. They pray to the Deuill which hath conference with an Indian vnseene from a piece of wood and to him and all the rest many times by night he toucheth the face and brest with cold touches but they could neuer learne what he was
a very great Crocodile shewing himselfe aboue water and swimming downe the streame in our way whereupon the Ferriman entring the Riuer to the calues of his logs he stands vpon one of them muttering to himselfe certaine words and withall tying knots vpon a small Coard he held in his hand to the number of seuen which Coard hee left hanging on a bush thereby and confidently pusht vs and our Horses ouer the Crocodile lying all this while still in our sight not able as he said to open his iawes so hauing ferried vs ouer he made haste to returne and vntie the Coard affirming that if the Crocodile should be starued by the power of this Charme his Charme would from thenceforth lose its power and effect Arrecan borders vpon Bengala and participates in its plenty from whence there commeth yeerely shipping to the Coast of Choromandel The King is by Religion a Gentile but such a one as holdeth all meates and drinkes indifferent he marrieth constantly his owne sister and giueth for reason the first mens practice in the infancy of the World affirming that no Religion can deny that Adams Sons married Adams daughters He is very kind to Strangers giuing good respect and entertainment to Moores Persians and Arabians which liue in his Countrey professing publikely the practice of their Mahumetan Superstition Hee hath also diuers times inuited the Dutch and English to resort vnto his Countrey but the Dutch by good experience hauing had sometimes a Factory there the English not by their example but true knowledge of the little Trade and lesse benefit auoyd his importunity yet continue good correspondence with him and his people as knowing it a plentifull Country and not inconuenient to supply themselues with many necessaries if difference with other Nations should enforce them to that extremity Betwixt this King and the Mogull there is continuall Warre both by Sea and Land defensiue on the King of Arrecans part securing his owne Countrey that bordereth vpon Bengala From thence confronting in small skirmishes the opposite party but any set or great battle I haue not heard of to haue beene fought betwixt them In which warres he giueth so good entertainment to strangers that I haue knowne diuers Hollanders that hauing expired their couenanted time of seruice with the East Indian Company and so purchased then freedome haue gone to serue this King and receiued good countenance and content in his employment of them Pegu borders vpon Arrecan and is a most plentifull and temperate Country yet hardly recouered from the desolation where with warre plague and famine had within few former yeeres infested it which is most visible in the vast Country the Cities being alwayes first and best replenished , and that all other places may the better bee so it is death to export a woman from thence and certaine profit to bring them The King is a Gentile by his Religion agreeing in all points of opinion and pactice with the Kings of Arrecan Tannassery Syam all of them in probability receiuing their Rudiments from the Chineset who without question sometimes commanded those Countries their vicinity resemblance in Phisiognomy and conformity in many customes being my best reasons to goe along with these thus farre that are of opinion the Chineses sometimes Monarchised as farre as Madagascar The King which now reigneth was Nephew to the last notwithstanding he had children which this hath supprest and hath in his time recouered from the King of Syam what hee had enforced from his Predecessor amongst others the town and Kingdom of Zangomay and therein an Englishman named Thomas Samuel who not long before had beene sent from Syam by Master Lucas Anthonison to discouer the Trade of that Country by the sale of certaine goods sent along with him to that purpose which Thomas Samuell together with all other strangers was by the King taken from Zangomay and carried to Pegu where not long after Samuel dyed the King seising vpon what he had by Inuentory with purpose as by the sequell to giue account thereof to the lawfull Proprietors The Kingdome of Pegu beginng to bee better established Merchants of diuers Nations began to repaire thither againe about their negotiations where some of Musulipatnam by conference with Moores that were Samuels associates vnderstood his death and the Kings taking his goods into his hands with the probability of recouery if sought after which they making knowne to the English at their returne to Musulipatnam it happened that Master Lucas Anthonison who imployed Samuel from Syam to Zangomay was then Agent at Musulipatnam who apprehending this encouragement consulted with his assistants and resolued to send two English with a Letter and Present to the King and some small aduenture to beare the charge of the Voyage and make tryall of the Trade which tooke place and they embarquing at Musulipatnam the tenth of September arriued at Siriam the Port of Pegu the third of October following whose entertaynment I giue you in their owne words as I finde them written in their Letters to Musulipatnam The King hearing of our comming sent foure Galliots with Presents to the Ambassador and vnto vs sending vs word that he did much reioyce at our comming into his country These Gallies hauing 50 oares of a side with eight Noblemen in them caused our Ship to come to an anchor before the town of Siriam the 7. of October the King of Pegues Brother being chiefe Gouernour sending two Noblemen abord of our Ship writing our names our age of yeeres the cause of our cōming we assuring them that we were messengers sent from Musulipatnam by our chief Captain hauing a Present a Letter vnto the King which when his Highnesse shall be pleased to receiue shall vnderstand the effect of our businesse and the cause of our comming The tenth day of October wee were sent for on shoare by the Kings Brother who sitting in a large house of Bamboson in great state bedeckt with Iewels in his eares with Gold Rings with rich stones on his fingers being a white man and of very good vnderstanding demanding of vs the question the Noblemen before did and we answering him as wee did before because that our speeches should be found alwayes as one we gaue him at that time a fine for a Present to the intent that he might speake and write to the King his Brother in our behalfe that we might haue accesse vnto the King the sooner that our businesse might haue effect The eight of Nouember the King sent for vs and the Kings Brother prouided for vs a Beate with six men to rowe and also a Nobleman with vs to Pegu to be our Guard hauing Narsarcan and Hodges Ismael with vs vnto which Nobleman we gaue a Present for in this place heere is nothing to bee done or spoken or any busines performed without Bribes Gifts or Presents Arriuing in Pegu the eleuenth of Nouember hauing our Present with vs Bany Bram
sent his men vnto vs writing our names as before time they also bade vs choose any ground where we would for to build vs a house but at our owne cost and charge as all other mens custome is Our House being finished straight order was giuen that we must not walke any where out of our house to speake with any man vntill the King had spoken with vs and our Present deliuered The King sent vs a Present of victuals with two Noblemen with it which was some grace to vs though it was not of much value and our comfort is that all men report that the King is very well pleased as our comming into his Country The seuen and twentieth of December the King sent for our Present and sent two Horses for vs and being come to a gate of the Towne to stay for his comming when hee came out hee sent for vs What speech or conference he had with vs Narsarca can certifie you but it was to no purpose concerning our businesse nor could we get none to moue the King in our businesse for none of his Subiects dare moue the King in our businesse more then he demands The next our Letter was sent for and interpreted by a Portugall a slaue to the King but one that speakes Pegu We had much trouble with him about the true vnderstanding of it being not written in Portugese The next day wee deliuered that Present you sent to Bany Bram who gaue vs many faire speeches like to others but we haue found them all to no purpose The Country is far from your Worships expectation for what men soeuer come into his Country he holds them but as his slaues neyther can any man goe out of his Country without his leaue for hee hath watch both by Land and Water and he of himselfe is a Tyrant and cannot eat before he hath drawne bloud from some of his people with death or otherwise For the businesse of Thomas Samuel and the Mallayor they had a falling out some 12. moneths before he dyed and he tooke all the Companies goods into his hands and the Mallayor had Narsarcans in his hands and comming to Pegu he fell sicke by the way and dyed in short time after he came to Pegu but before his death the Mallayor was called for to giue account what men were indebted to Samuel and the Pegues Bermanes that were indebted payd it to the King but the Moores that were indebted said when the English came they would pay them we went with others to Nichesa and requested him to moue the King in our behalfe for our dispatch who returned answere came we to demand our goods and the English had neuer come to trade in his Country when our Ships came hee would giue all the goods and what the English could demand to giue them content In another Letter the first of March wee had word sent vs the King would not let vs go vntill some English Ships came to Pegu For the mony wee brought with vs it is all spent and wee are here in a most miserable estate and know no way to helpe our selues For the King hath neyther giuen vs any of our goods nor leaue to recouer none of our debts nor taken our Cloth but we are like lost sheep and still in feare of being brought to slaughter Therefore we beseech you and the rest of our Countrimen and Friends to pittie our poore distressed estate and not to let vs be left in a Heathen Country slaues to a tyrannous King Though the King gaue vs nothing yet had hee but giuen vs leaue to come away wee could haue certified your Worship of meanes to helpe to haue recouered all the mony and goods we came for Lead and Tinne heere is none to be sold but if we receiue any mony we do meane one of vs to goe into the Country to buy some if any profit may be made of it The Coast of Pegu is cleere and water enough on the Bar for any Ship and for Pilots there are many to be had in Musulipatnam that know the Coast very well We intreat you for Gods sake to be mindfull of vs and to pitty the poore estate we are here in and send some Ship to release vs and we shall be bound to pray for your Worships good health and prosperitie This was the substance of their aduice deliuered in their owne words which might bee true at that time for then indeed they were inforced to stay but not long after the Ships departure they found good sale for their Cloth and it should seeme better vent for the mony for before the Ships came againe in October following they had consumed their Capitall and taken vp besides what their credit could supply for which they could giue no other account but that most was lost at play and the rest profusely spent whereof the Right Worshipfull East Indian Company are most sensible and my selfe at that time in that place had some reason to be acquainted withall but leauing them namelesse according to the obscurity of their qualities and irregularity of their proceedings The King restoring most of the same goods Samuel dyed possessed of at the instant of the Ships departure and not before lest their ryot should haue consumed all he then enforced them to depart toward Musulipatnam that could haue been well contented to haue stayed behind where they arriued in Aprill An. 1619. bringing with them a Letter from the King written vpon a Palmito Leafe signifying his desire to giue free Trade and entertainment to the English Nation if they would with their shipping repaire vnto his Country and with all he sent as a Present a Ring set with a Ruby two Mats two Betele Boxes and two narrow pieces of Damaske all worth twenty Nobles or thereabouts and so ended this negotiation The Rubies and Saphires which are brought from hence are found in the Kingdome of Ana subiect also to this King and much esteemed in all parts of India Tannassery lyeth next to Pegu a small Kingdome and tributary to the King of Syam for which place this is but the Port and that only to the Inhabitants of this Gulfe For we find a way with our shipping into the Riuer of Syam where the Right Worshipfull East Indian Company haue at this time their Seruants to whose abler relation I leaue the description of those Parts adding onely from the credible reports of our owne the Dutch that Nation the strange increase of the Swine of that Country amongst which here are found no Boares yet haue they Pigs according to the custome of other Swine And one Sir Drift a Dutchman of good account another that liued long in that place affirmed vnto mee the truth hereof both in that Countryes beliefe and his owne experience for at his comming from thence he tooke certaine Pigs which he kept aboard the Ship within six moneths they farrowed Pigs yet not a
because the Turkish Empire was so full of seditions and the Sophi had sent his Embassadour to them to chuse a fit warrior that they might with ioynt forces assault the Ottoman §. IIII. Of their Schooles and Cities THere are in all the Cities of Aethiopia two Schooles or Colledges for the instruction of youth one for the male sexe the other for the female each diuided into three parts the first for the Gentlemens children the second for Citizens the third for the baser vulgar with their seuerall instructers and without communion medling or conuersing of the one with the other the Seminarie or Colledge of Boyes is a quarter of a league without the City the other within There are they taught Letters and Religion All euen the Kings themselues are bound to send their children thither to be instructed and the Priests resort thither for Confession and ministring the Sacrament to them They may resort home at Festiuall times otherwise they are there detained The Virgins from ten to twenty the other from ten to sixteene yeeres of their age They haue not only this order in their wel ordered Schooles but in their disordered misorderly Stews the deuils work-houses and suburbs of Hell which yet in Rome and places of that Religion are permitted and admitted the Cities and his Holinesse selfe is not a little enriched with that which God prohibited The price of the Dogge and of the Whore The Ethiopians permit not any to bee strange women but strangers of other Countreys which may not enter into their Cities nor may the Nobles enter into the common houses which belong to the Citizens or these to those of the Plebians nor any but to those peculiarly designed their state vnder paine of death as adulterers to bee cast to Lyons These women are hired by certaine Officers at a common price and are not to take any thing of particular men they goe in pale-coloured garments and if they distaste and forsake that beastly trade they send them to some places subiect vnto the Portugals not admitting them to conuerse with their women for feare of infection But to leaue these Beasts the Ethiopians giue great respect to their Physicians which are onely of their Gentry and that not all that will but onely such as certaine Officers shall chuse of euery Citie to be sent to their generall Vniuersities of which there are seuen in Ethiopia there to be taught naturall Philosophy Logicke and other Arts they know not together with Physicke and the Arts of the Apothecarie and Chirurgian They are there maintained at the publike charge of the Cities that send them When the Doctors and Instructers see them fit for Graduates they go with them to the Monks of Alleluya and of Plurimanos who with a Monkes Cowle or Hood and other Doctoricall Ensignes doe inuest and inaugurate them in that Degree They are great Herbarists They make Mummia otherwise then in other parts where it is either made of bodies buried in the Sands or taken out of ancient Sepulchres where they had been laid being inbalmed with Spices For they take a captiue Moore of the best complexion and after long dieting and medicining of him cut off his head in his sleepe and gashing his body full of wounds and therein all the best Spices and then wrap him vp in Hay being before couered with a Seare-cloth after which they burie him in a moist place couering the body with earth Fiue dayes being passed they take him vp againe and remouing the Seare-cloth and Hay hang him vp in the Sunne whereby the body resolueth and droppeth a substance like pure Balme which liquor is of great price The fragrant sent is such while it hangeth in the Sunne that it may be smelt he saith a league off The priuiledges of Physicians are that they are freed from the common custome of giuing one in three of their sonnes for the Emperors warres that they may ride on Elephants in the Cities which is allowed onely to the Emperors Prelates and Priests that are Virgins They may also weare Miniuer-hoods and are free from Subsidies and Paiments Theologie and the Chaldee tongue is taught onely among their Priests and Ecclesiasticall persons in their Churches and Monasteries They reade Diuinitie in their natiue tongue the Text is the foure first generall Councels the Scripture they reade in Chaldee which is with them as Latine with vs They handle not questions as the Schoolemen in Logicall disputations and Arguings but copiously and eloquently interpret the Scriptures Because we haue mentioned their Cities Saba and Zambra let vs take some briefe view of them and so leaue this Spaniard whose Discourse hath I hope not without some delight thus long holden you Besides these two Cities none haue aboue three thousand houses in them But these are populous and magnificent with Towers Temples triumphant Arches Obeliskes Piramides and the like tokens of industry Antiquitie and Maiestie Saba was founded by that Queene which visited Salomon and was the mother-Citie of the Empire It hath fiue thousand houses great and sumptuous the streets spacious with Portals or Pent-houses that men may walke safe from the Sunnes violence It hath foure chiefe Gates all of Alabaster and Iasper wrought with Antique-workes the Gate-doores of Cedar curiously carued The wayes that leade to these Gates for the space of two leagues are set with Palmes Planes Oranges Cedars Cypresses and other trees on both sides for shade fruit the foure high streets goe thorow the Citie acrosse and where they meet is an Arch or Vault erected on high Pillars fairely wrought and gilded with the brazen Image of S. Matthew their supposed Patron as bigge as a Giant gilded also the worke of Architects sent by Francis Duke of Florence Neere to this Citie are Mines of Gold Gardens and other places of pleasure and profit Zambra is greater containing thirty thousand houses and innumerable concourse of people It stands in the Kingdome of Cafates and nigh that great Lake which hereof is called Zambra where the Emperor leauing his wonted maner of remouing vp downe in Tents haue fixed his Court-royall and yet without the Citie are many Tents that belong to the Court Here the Prete liueth with two and forty sons of Kings with his great Councell and the Latine Alexander the third built the Palace here 1570. by the Duke of Florence his workmen If I should follow the Frier further I could leade you on in a delectable way but doubtfull like the Poets writings and bring you into Elisian but fabulous fields fertile in al things but truth wherein let the Reader pardon that I haue already been so long rather then tedious in this Vtopian Aethiopia at the first much suspected by me as by many passages in the Story is expressed but since largely written against by Godignus a Iesuit and by latter Relations found eyther vncertaine or false whose paines shall helpe make vp another Chapter and then will we proceed in our
Colony and by the bitternesse of that great Frost 1607. aboue halfe took their deaths Wingfield and Archer were sent for England Being busied in the Spring to rebuild their towne Nelson arriued with his lost Phoenix so they supposed his ship and dealt honestlier then they report of the former Mariners The second of Iune 1608. Smith left the Fort to discouer the Bay of Chesapeack in the way wanting of conuenient watering places they were so thirstie as they would haue refused two Barricoes of gold for one of water and they arriued at Iames Towne in September where they found some sicke many dead and the President prisoner which place by election of the Councell and request of the company was bestowed on Smith Captaine Newport returned with rich presents of Bason Ewer Bed Cloathes with a Crowne for Powhatan which made him ouer-value himselfe some Poles and Dutch which were sent to make Pitch and Tarre Glasse mils and Sope-ashes proued after treacherous Powhatan minding murther and villany at once sixteene of our men were beset with seuen hundred which by the policy of Smith seasing on Opechancanough their King was preuented and turned to their enriching with their commodities and amongst other they vsed poison which wrought not After Smith tooke the King of Paspaheigh prisoner which forced the Sauages to peace Thus haue we a little while beheld Tragicall more then shewes on this Virginian Theatre those things which were well intended being ill peruerted and their greatest aduantages arising from casuall disaduantages diuersitie of emulations beclowding that morning starre a disastrous Comet shining rather with fierie gleames of ciuill broiles and brawles in that Hemisphere then comfortable illumination and influence to the common good The Sauages were now in good termes with the English their Plantation at Iames Town where they had built a Church and many houses in some reasonable manner flourished the countrey was with great paines and perils of the President further discouered their Swine Hens and other prouision nourished and some quantitie of many commodities as Furres Dies Minerals Sassafrasse Sturgeon and other things sent hither in testimonie of their industry and successe And Virginia grew now in such request that nine ships were furnished with the better part of fiue hundred men to inhabite there in the yeere one thousand sixe hundred and nine the gouernment being deuolued to the L. de la Ware Sir Thomas Gates was appointed Lieutenant Generall Sir George Summers Admirall of Virginia and were sent to reside there as Gouernours of the Colony But the Sea-uenture wherein the two Knights and Captaine Newpott with a hundred and fifty persons sayled after long conflict with the two angry elements was sent to bee imprisoned in Bermuda where betweene two Rocks the ship split the people escaping to Land In the meane time three of the other ships had landed their men in Virginia some of whom were such as had been the emolous and enuious corriuals of the President which they then began to shew and to second the same a greater hurt by Gun-powder befell him which forced him for his recouerie to set sayle for England after hee had liued there three yeeres maintaining himselfe and his that time principally with such food as the Countrey yeelded He saith he left behinde at his returne fiue hundred men and women three Ships seuen Boats two hundred expert Souldiers thirtie nine of their Weroances or Kings as Subjects and Contributers to the English so farre subiect that at his command they haue sent their subjects to Iames Towne to receiue correction at his appointment for wrongs done and their Countries were free to the English for trauell or trade But Necessitie forced him to leaue the Countrey which it forced the other appointed Gouernours not to finde Hinc illa lachrymae Hence proceeded the disorder and confusion which after happened amongst them A great bodie was heere which acknowledged no head and therefore grew vnweldie and distempered Some sought for rule ouer others which were ouer-ruled by vnruly passions of Ambition and faction in themselues others sought their ease except sometimes they were ouer-busie in diseasing others and deuouring that which others had carefully laboured for Ruine seiseth on the Church Rapine makes prey and spoile of the goods Rauine deuoureth their beasts Famine consumeth the men Iniuries make the Indians their enemies two of the ships perish vpon Vshant and one man alone was left to bring home newes of their perishing the rest returne laden with Letters of discouragement painting out Famine Sedition and other Furies which had broken loose amongst them in the blackest colours which were sealed with report of the losse of their Admirall to make vp the measure of mischiefe All this did not daunt the Noble Spirit of that resolute Lord appointed Lord Gouernour who in the beginning of April one thousand sixe hundred and ten set sayle from the coast of England and on the ninth of Iune arriued safely at the disfortified Fort in Virginia where he found the present State like to the Boxe of Pandora who being endowed with manifold good gifts each of the gods bestowing one on her was sent with a boxe full of euils to Prometheus who refused the offer but by Epimetheus was opened whereby all euils were suffered to fly out Hope onely remaining which he shut fast in the bottome And thus was it with this Virginian Pandora enriched with the best offerings of Natures bounty but by Epimethean carelesnesse all euils had now dispersed themselues and made the Virginian Colony a stage of Misery onely Hope remayned But alas euen that also proued sicke and was ready to giue vp the Ghost in the dangerous sicknesse which befell that Noble Lord which forced him after eight moneths sicknesse to returne for England againe He shipped himselfe indeed for Meuis an Iland in the West Indies famous for wholsome Bathes but by Southerly winds was compelled to change his purpose and at last to make home hauing left Deputie Gouernour Captaine George Percie a Gentleman of honour and resolution with vpward of two hundred persons Almightie God that had thus farre tried the patience of the English would not suffer them to be tempted aboue that they were able and therefore in his secret Prouidence before any knowledge was here had of his Lordships sicknesse had ordayned Sir Thomas Dale should be furnisht out with a good supply of three ships men cattell and many prouisions , all which arriued safe at the Colony the tenth of May 1611. He by his Letters and the Lord Gouernour by his Relations did animate the Aduenturers the one protesting himselfe willing and readie to lay all that hee was worth vpon the Aduenture of the action rather then so honourable a worke should faile and to returne with all conuenient expedition if their friendly endeuours would therein second his resolutions the other writing that foure of the best Kingdomes in Christendome put all
together may no way compare with this Countrey either for commodities or goodnesses of soyle This sparke kindled in their hearts such constancie of zeale and forwardnesse that they furnished out Sir Thomas Gates who had happily returned with the rest from Bermudas with six ships 300. men and a hundred Kine with other Cattle Munition and prouision of all sorts Sir Thomas Dale hauing newes that it was a Fleet of enemies prepared himselfe and the rest to an encounter but it ended with a common ioy in the shaking of hands and not of Pikes Lawes are now made for lawlesnesse had marred so much before for the honour of God frequenting the Church obseruation of the Sabbath reuerence to Ministers obedience to superiours mutuall loue honest labours and against Adultery Sacriledge wrong and other vices Harbengers of Gods wrath and mans destruction The Colony consisted of seuen hundred men of sundry Arts and Professions few of them sicke which hauing left the Fort at Cape Henry fortified and kept by Captaine Dauies and the keeping of Iames Towne to that Noble and wel-deseruing Gentleman Master George Perole is remoued vp the Riuer fourescore miles further beyond Iames Towne to a place of higher ground strong and defencible by nature with good Ayre plenty of Springs much faire and open grounds freed from Woods and wood enough at hand Here they burnt brickes cut downe wood and euery man fals to somewhat they haue built they say competent houses the first story all of bricke that euery man may haue his lodging and dwelling by himselfe with a sufficient quantity of ground allotted thereto Here also they were building an Hospitall with fourescore lodgings and beds already sent for the sicke and lame as the Booke called the New life of Virginia relateth Master Whitaker in his Letter and Booke from Henrico 1612. testifieth the health and welfare of the Colonie Samuel Argal in the yeere 1613. affirmed likewise that hee found the state of Virginia farre better then was reported In one Voyage they had gotten 1100. bushels of Corne they found a slow kind of Cattle as bigge as Kine which were good meate and a medicinable sort of earth They tooke Pokohuntis Powhatans dearest daughter prisoner a matter of good consequence to them of best to her by this meanes being become a Christian and married to Master Rolph an English Gentleman Thus I haue beene bold somewhat largely to relate the proceedings of this Plantation to supplant such slanders and imputations as some haue conceiued or receiued against it and to excite the diligence and industry of all men of ability to put to their helping hand in this Action so Honourable in it selfe Glorious to God in the furtherance of his Truth and beneficiall to the Common-wealth and to the priuate purses of the Aduenturers if the blooming of our hopes be not blasted with our negligence As for the want of successe hitherto Careat successibus opto Quisquis ab euentu facta notanda putet Reason should preuaile with Men leaue sense and euent of things as an argument for Beasts That reason which sheweth Virginia's more then possibilities probabilities doth also point out the causes of those ill Successes Discontents at Sea Ignorance of the Country and of their Language Diuision in the Councell Commanders some of them not skilfull Souldiers nor forward Aduenturers Care to relade the Ships before they could prouide Houses of Victuals Ambition Cruelty Neglect of the Seasons for Fish and Land-commodities Brackish slimy Water at Iames Fort Riot Sloth False information in England Sending ill People that consumed the rest with idlenesse Want of Authority to punish them That kind of Aristocraticall Authority first established occasion of their Quarrels Iniuries to and from the Saluages and yet a necessity of their vse and helpe Sicknesse caused by the grosse and vaporous Aire and soyle about Iames Towne and drinking water The theeuish trucke and exchange which some secretly held with them The treachery of Fugitiues Falshood of the Sauages and the Many many faults as they report of Mariners in priuate truckings and night marts both with our Men and Sauages Their long stay and spending the Colonies reliefe besides Extraordinary casualties of fire cold shipwracke and if wee beleeue Ouiedo and obserue the like amongst the Spaniards the very Aire of the Indies seemes to be of inclination and disposition to contentions which easily ruine and dissolue the greatest and best enterprises that I speake not of the Deuils malice to Christian hopes Experience hath now made men wiser both to preuent and remedie these euils and to order their proceedings accordingly And although Fame fils not our eares with so often and many Virginian rumors as aforetimes yet we know that still waters are deepest and wee cannot but hope that those worthy Virginian-Consuls cunctando restituunt rem rather with carefull prouidence and watchfull diligence working sure then with humerous hastinesse laying foundations to a leisurely repentance seeking more the common good there then to be the common talke heere Once they there maintayne themselues now a long time without the wonted charge to the Company and diuers of our Nobility and Gentry doe now as after a long slumber while we are writing these things againe bethinke them of this Virginian Plantation whereunto the profitable Neighbour-hood of the Summer Iles or Bermudas may be good furtherance God Almighty prosper both that the Word may goe out of Bermuda and the Law of the Lord from Virginia to a truer conuersion of the American World then hitherto Our Humorists or Spanish insolencies haue intended §. III. Of the Soyle People Beasts Commodities and other Obseruations of Virginia FOr the description of the Countrey Master Hakluyt from Others Relations in his third Volume of Voyages hath written largely of those parts discouered for Sir Walter Raleigh Concerning the later Captaine Iohn Smith partly by word of mouth partly by his Map thereof in print and more fully by a Manuscript which hee courteously communicated to mee hath acquainted mee with that whereof himselfe with great perill and paine had beene the Discouerer being in his discoueries taken Prisoner as is before said and escaping their fury yea receiuing much honour and admiration amongst them by reason of his Discourses to them of the motion of the Sunne of the parts of the World of the Sea c. which was occasioned by a Diall then found about him They carried him Prisoner to Powhatan and there beganne the English acquaintance with that sauage Emperour The summe of his obseruation in that and other Discoueries since concerning the Countrey is this Virginia is situate betweene 34. and 44. degrees of Northerly latitude the bounds whereof on the East side are the great Ocean Florida on the South on the North Noua Francia the Westerne limits are vnknowne But that part which began to bee planted by the English Southerne Colony in the yeere 1606. is vnder the degrees 37.