sea and the next day all day and the next nyght after vntyl the thyrde day of the sayde moneth about noone makyng our way good dyd runne .60 leagues Item from .xii. of the clocke the thyrde daye tyll .xii. of the clocke the .iiii. day of the sayde moneth makyng our way good southest dyd runne euery three houres two leagues which amounteth to .xvi. leagues the whole Item from xâ—i of the clocke the .iiii. day to .xii. of the clocke the .v. day running southwest in the sea dyd runne .xii. leagues Item runnyng from .xii. of the clocke the .v day vntyll .xii. of the cloke the .vi. day runnyng southeast dyd runne xviii leagues And so from .xii. of the clocke the .vi. day vntyll .xii. of the clocke the .vii. day runnyng southsouthwest dyd runne euery houre .ii. leagues which amount to .xlviii. leagues the whole Item from .xii. of the clocke the .vii. day tyll .iii. of the clocke the .viii. day southsouthwest runnyng in the sea dyd runne .xxx. leagues Item from three of the clocke the .viii. day vntill .iii. of the clocke the .ix. day runnyng southsouthwest dyd runne .xxx. leagues Item from .iii. of the clocke the .ix. day tyll .iii. of the clocke the .x. daye dyd southsoutheast in runnyng in the sea the summe of .xxiiii. leagues Also from .iii. of the clocke the .x. day vntyll .xii of the clocke the .xi. daye dyd runne southsouthwest the summe of .xii. leagues and from .xii. of the clocke tyll .vi of the sayde daye dyd runne vi leagues Running south and by west in the sea from .vi. of the clocke the xi day til .vi. of the clocke the xii day dyd runne .xxxvi. leagues From .vi. of the clocke at after noone the .xii. daye tyll .vi. of the clocke the .xiii. daye at after noone dyd runne .xiii. leagues Item from .vi. of the clocke the .xiii. daye tyll .vi. of the clocke the .xiiii. day at after noone we were becalmed that we coulde lye southwest with a sayle And the .xv. daye in the mornyng the wynd came to the East and Eastnortheast The .xvii. daye in the mornyng we had syght of the I le of Madera whiche doth ryse to hym that commeth in the northnortheast part vpryght lande in the west part of it and very hygh and to the southsoutheast a lowe long lande and a long poynt with a saddle thorough the myddest of it standeth in the .xxxii. degrees and in the west part many sprynges of water runnyng downe from the mountayne and many whyte fieldes lyke vnto corne fieldes and some whyte houses to the southeast parte of it and the toppe of the mountayne sheweth very ragged if you may see it and in the northeast part there is a byght or bay as though it were a harborowe Also in the sayd part there is a rocke a litle distance from the shore and ouer the sayde byght you shall see a great gap in the mountayne The .xix. day at .xii. of the clocke we had syght of the I le of Palmes and Teneriffa and the Canaries The I le of Palme riseth round and lyeth southeast and northwest and the northwest part is lowest In the south is a round hyll ouer the head land and an other round hyll aboue that in the land There is betwene the Southeast part of the I le of Madera and the northwest part of the I le of Palme .lvii. leagues This I le of Palme lyeth in the .xxix. degrees And our course from Madera to the I le of Palme was south south and by west so that we had sight of Teneriffa of the Canaries The southeast part of the I le of Palme and the northnortheast of Teneriffa lieth southeast and northwest and betweene them is twentie leagues Teneriffa and the great Canarie called Grancanaria and the West part of Fortisuentura standeth in .xxvii. degrees and a halfe Gomera is a fayre Iland and very ragged and lyeth West Southwest of Teneriffa And who so euer wyll come betweene them two Ilandes must come South and by East and in the South part of Gomera is a towne and a good rode in the sayde parte of the Ilande and it standeth in twentie and seuen degrees and three terces Teneriffa is an hygh land a great hygh pycke lyke a suger loafe and vpon the said picke is snow throughout al the whole yeere And by reason of that pycke it may be knowen aboue al other Ilandes and there we were becalmed the .xx. day of Nouember from syxe of the clocke in the mornyng vntyl foure of the clocke at after noone Betweene Gomera and Cape de las Barbas THe .xxii. day of Nouember vnder the Tropyke of Cancer the Sunne goeth downe West and by South Upon the coast of Barbarie .xxv. leagues by North Cape blanke at three leagues of the mayne there is .xv. fadome and good shelly grounde sand among and no streames and two small Ilandes standyng in the .xxii. degrees a terce From Gomera to Cape de las Barbas is an hundred leagues and our course was South and by East The sayde Cape standeth in xxii and a halfe and all that coast is flatte .xvi. or xvii fadome deepe Uii. or .viii leagues of frâ—m the ryuer de Oro to cape de las Barbas there vse many Spanyardes and Portugales to trade for fyshyng duryng the moneth af Nouember and al that coast is very lowe landes Also we went from cape de las Barbas southsouthwest and southwest and by south tyl we brought our selues in .xx. degrees and a halfe reckonyng our selues .vii. leagues of and that was the least sholes of cape Blanke Then we went South vntil we brought our selues in thyrtene degrees reckonyng our selues twentie and fyue leagues of And in fyfteene degrees we did reare the crossiers and we myght haue reared them sooner if we had loked for them They are not ryght a Crosse in the moneth of Nouember by reason of the nyghtes are short there Neuerthelesse we had the syght of them the .xxix. day of the sayde moneth at nyght The fyrst of December out thyrteene degrees we set our course South and by East vntyl the fourth day of December at twelue of the clocke the same day Then we were in niene degrees and a terce reckonyng our selues thyrtye leagues of the sholes of the ryuer called Ria Grande beyng West Southwest of them the whiche sholes be thyrtie leagues long The fourth of December â–ª we began to set our course Southeast we beyng in syxe degrees and a halfe The nienth day of December we set our course East Southeast the fourteenth day of the sayde moneth we set our course East we beyng in fyue degrees and a halfe reckonyng our selues thyrtie and syxe leagues from the coast of Guinea The .xix. of the sayde moneth we set our course East and by North reckoning our selues .xvii. leagues distant from Cape Mensurado the sayde Cape beyng East Northeast of vs and the ryuer of
hungrye he eateth all alone and the seruauntes are sometymes enforced to fast for the space of two or three dayes And if the maister intende to fare somewhat more delycately then he addeth thereto a litle portion of Swynes fleshe I speake not this of the best of them but of such as are of the meane sort The gouernours and captaynes of the armie do sometymes bydde the poorer sorte to theyr tables where they feede them selues so well that they fast two or three dayes after When they haue fruites Garlyke and Onyons they can well forbeare all other meates Proceedyng forwarde to the battayle they put more confidence in theyr multitude and with what great armies they assayle theyr enimies then eyther in the strength and valyauntnesse of theyr souldiers or in well instructyng theyr armie and fight better a farre of then at hand and therfore study howe to circumuent or inclose theyr enimies and to assayle them on the backe halfe They haue many trumpetters the which while they blow al at once after theyr maner make a maruelous straunge noyse They haue also another kynde of instrumentes which they call Szurna these they blow without ceassyng for the space of an houre togeather so temperyng the same and holdyng in the wynde whyle they draw more that the noyse seemeth continually without intermission They vse all one maner of apparell as longe coates without pleyghtes and with narrowe sleeues after the maner of the Hungarians These the Christians vse to butten on the ryght syde and the Tartars vseyng the lyke butten them on the lefte syde They weare redde and short buskyns that reache not to theyr knees and haue the soles thereof defended with plates of Iron In maner all theyr shyrtes are wrought with diuers coloures about the necke and haue the Collars and Ruffes beset with litle round Baules like Beades of Syluer or gylted Copper and some tyme Pearles also They gyrd them selues beneath the bellie euen as low as theyr pryuie members that they may seeme more burlye which they greatly esteeme as doo at this daye the Spanyardes Italians and Almanes The prouince of Moscouia is neyther very large nor fruitful forasmuch as the fertilitie is hindred with sandye ground which either with to much drynesse or moysture killeth the corne Furthermore immoderate and sharpe vntemperatenesse of the ayre whyle the colde of the wynter ouercommeth the heate of the Sunne sometymes doth not suffer the corne to rype For the colde is there sometymes so extreame that lyke as with vs in somer by reason of heate euen so there by extreame cold the earth hath many great chinckes or breaches Water also cast into the ayre and spytle fallyng from ones mouth are frosen before they touche the grounde I my selfe when I came thither in the yeere 1526. sawe the braunches of fruitfull trees wythered by the colde of the wynter be fore whiche was so extreame that many of theyr wagoners and carriers whom they call Gonecz were found frosen to death in theyr sleades There were some that at the same tyme leadyng and dryuing theyr cattayle from the next villages to Moscouia died by the way with their beastes through the extremitie of the colde Furthermore the same yeere many players that were accustomed to wander about the countrey with daunsing Beares were found dead in the high wayes Wilde Beares also enforced therto by famine left the woods and ran here and there into diuers villages and houses at whose commyng whyle the men of the countrey forsooke theyr houses and fledde into the fieldes many of them peryshed through the vehemencie of the cold Agayne it sometymes so chaunceth that in Sommer the heate is as extreame as in the yeere .1525 in the whiche almost all kyndes of pulse and grayne were scorched and burnt and suche a dâ—arth of corne folowed that drought that that which before was bought for three Dengas was afterward solde for twentie or thyrtie Furthermore also many villages woods and stackes of corne were set on fyre by the extreame heate the smoke wherof so fylled the region that the eyes of many were sore hurt therby There arose also as it were a darke and thycke myst without smoke whiche so molested the eyes that many lost theyr syght therby They sow and nouryshe the seedes of Melons with great diligence in certayne raysed beddes myxt with doung wherby they fynde a remedie both agaynst extreame cold and heat For if the heat exceede they make certayne ryftes in the beds as it were breathyng places lest the seedes shoulde be suffocate with to much heate And if the cold be extreame it is tempered with the heate of the mucke or doung Theyr beastes are much lesse then ours yet not all without hornes as one hath wrytten For I haue there seene Oxen Kine Goates and Rammes al with hornes Not farre from the citie of Mosca are certayne monasteries whiche a farre of seeme lyke vnto a citie They say that in this citie is an incredible number of houses and that the syxt yeere before my commyng thyther the prince caused them to be numbred and found them to be more then one and fourtie thousand fyue hundred houses The citie is very large and wyde and also very slabby and myrye by reason wherof it hath many bridges and causeyes The ayre of the region is so holsome that beyond the spryngs of Tanais especially towards the North and a great part also towards the East the pestilence hath not been hearde of synce the memorye of man Yet haue they sometymes a disease in theyr bowelles and heades not much vnlyke vnto the pestilence This disease they call a heate wherwith such as are taken dye within fewe dayes Some write that Iohn the Duke of Moscouia and Sonne of Basilius vnder the pretence of religion sacked spoyled the citie of Nouogradia and caried with hym from thence to Moscouia three hundred sleades laden with gold syluer and precious stones of the gooddes of the Archbishop the merchauntes citisins and strangers Solowki is an Ilande situate in the North sea eyght leagues from the continent betweene Duina and the prouince of Corela Howe farre it is distaunt from Moscouia can not be well knowen by reason of many Fennes Marishes wooddes and desolate places lying in the way Albeit some say that it is not three hundred leagues from Moscouia and twoo hundred from Bieloiesero In this Ilande is made great plentie of salte and it hath in it a monasterie into the which it is not lawfull for any woman or virgin to enter There is also great fyshyng for herryng They say that heere the Sunne at the sommer Equinoctiall shyneth continually except two houres Demetriowe is a citie with a Castell distante from Moscouia xii leagues declinyng from the West somewhat towarde the north By this runneth the riuer Lachroma that runneth into the ryuer of Sest Sest also receyueth the ryuer Dubna which vnladeth it selfe
Sesto beyng East The .xxi. day of the sayde moneth we fel with Cape Mensurado to the Southeast about two leagues of This Cape may be easely knowen by reason the rysyng of it is like a Porpose head Also toward the Southeast there are three trees whereof the Eastermost tree is the hyghest and the myddlemost is lyke a hie stacke and the Southermost lyke vnto a Gibet and vppon the mayne are foure or fyue hygh hylles rysyng one after an other lyke rounde hoommockes or hyllockes And the Southeast of the three trees is three trees lyke a brandierwyse and all the coast along is whyte sand The sayde Cape standeth within a litle in syxe degrees The .xxii. of December we came to the ryuer of Sesto and remayned there vntyll the .xxix. day of the sayde moneth Here we thought it best to send before vs the pynnesse to the ryuer of Dulce called Rio Dulce that they myght haue the begynnyng of the market before the commyng of the Iohn At the ryuer of Sesto we had a Tunne of graynes This riuer standeth in .vi. degrees lackyng a terce From the ryuer of Sesto to Rio Dulce is .xxv. leagues Rio Dulce standeth in fyue degrees and a halfe The ryuer of Sesto is easye to be knowen by reason there is a ledge of rockes on the Southeast parte of the Rode And at the entryng into the hauen are fyue or sixe trees that beare no leaues This is a good harborowe but very narow at the entrance into the ryuer There is also a rocke in the hauens mouth ryght as you enter And all that coast betweene Cape de Monte and cape de las Palmas lyeth Southeast and by East Northwest and by West being three leagues of the shore And you shall haue in some places rockes two leagues of and that betweene the riuer of Sesto and cape de las Palmas Betweene the ryuer of Sesto the ryuer Dulce is .xxv. leagues and the high lande that is betweene them both is called Cakeado being eight leagues from the ryuer of Sesto And to the Southeastwarde of him is a place called Shawgro and an other called Shyawe or Shauo where you may get freshe water Of this Shyawe lyeth a redge of rockes and to the Southeastwarde lyeth a hedlande called Croke Betweene Cakeado and Croke is .ix. or ten leagues To the Southeastwarde of is a harborowe called saint Vincent Ryght ouer agaynst sainct Vincent is a rocke vnder the water two leagues and a halfe of the shore To the Southeastwarde of that rocke you shall see an Ilande about three or foure leagues of this Ilande is not paste a league of the shore To the East Southeast of the Ilande is a rocke that lyeth aboue the water and by that rocke goeth in the ryuer of Dulce which you shall know by the sayde ryuer and rocke The Northwest syde of the hauen is flatte sande and the Southeast syde thereof is lyke an Ilande and a bare platte without any trees and so is it not in any other place In the Rode you shall ryde in xiii or .xiiii. fadomes good owes and sande beyng the markes of the Rode to bryng the Ilande and the Northeast lande togeather and here we Ankered the last of December The third day of Ianuary we came from the riuer of Dulce Note that cape de las Palmas is a fayre high lande but some lowe places thereof by the water syde looke lyke redde cliffes with whyte strakes lyke wayes a cable length a peece this is to the East parte of the cape This cape is the Southermost lande in all the coast of Guinea and standeth in foure degrees and a terce The coast from Cape de las palmas to Cape Trepoyntes or the tres Puntas is fayre and cleare without rocke or other daunger Twentie and fyue leagues from Cape de las Palmas the lande is hygher then in any place vntyl we come to Cape Trepoyntes And about ten leagues before you come to Cape Trepoyntes the land ryseth styll hygher and hygher vntyl you come to Cape Trepoyntes Also before you come to the sayde Cape after other fyue leagues to the Northwest part of it there is certayne broken grounde with two great rockes and within them in the byght of a bay is a castel called Arra parteining to the kyng of Portugale You shal know it by the sayd rockes that lye of it for there is none suche from Cape de las Palmas to cape Trepoyntes This coast lyeth East by North West by South From Cape de las Palmas to the sayd castel is fourscore and fyfteene leagues And the coast lyeth from the sayd castel to the westermost point of the Trepoyntes Southeast and by South Northwest and by North. Also the westermost poynt of the Trepoyntes is a low land lying halfe a myle out in the sea and vppon the innermoste necke to the land ward is a tuft of trees there we arryued the eleuenth day of Ianuary The twelf day of Ianuary we came to a towne called Samma or Samua beyng .viii. leagues from Cape Trepoyntes toward East Northeast Betweene Cape Trepoyntes and the towne of Samua is a great ledge of rockes a great way out in the sea We continued foure dayes at that towne the captayne therof would needs haue a pledge a shore But when they receiued the pledge they kept him still would trafficke no more but shot of theyr ordinance at vs. They haue two or three peeces of ordinance and no more The .xvi. day of the sayde mooneth we made reckonyng to come to a place called Cape Corea where captayne Don Ihon dwelleth whose men entertayned vs frendly This Cape Corea is foure leagues Eastwarde of the castell of Mina other wyse called La mina or Castello de mina where we arryued the .xviii. day of the moneth Here we made sayle of all our cloth sauing two or three packes The .xxvi. day of the same moneth we weighed anker and departed from thence to the Trinitie whiche was .vii. leagues Eastwarde of vs where she solde her wares Then they of the Trinitie wylled vs to go Eastwarde of that .viii or .ix. leagues to sell part of theyr wares in a place called Perecow and an other place named Perecow Grande beyng the eastermost place of both these whiche you shall knowe by a great rounde hyll neere vnto it named Monte Rodondo lying westward from it and by the water syde are many hygh palme trees From hence dyd we set forth homewarde the .xiii. day of February and plyed vp alongest tyll we came within .vii or .viii. leagues to Cape Trepointes About .viii. of the clocke the .xv. day at afternoone we dyd cast about to seawarde and beware of the currantes for they wyl deceiue you sore Whosoeuer shall come from the coaste of Mina homewarde let hym be sure to make
hym selfe and they which were his companions in this byoage beyng men of good credit and perceauing my dilygence in searchyng for these matters tolde me yet of a greater thyng that is that for the space of .xxvi. leagues amountyng to a hundreth and foure myles he sayled euer by freshe water insomuch that the further he proceaded especially towarde the west he affirmed the water to be the fresher After this he came to a highe mountayne inhabited onely with Monkeyes or Marmasits on that part towarde the East For that syde was rowgh with rockye and stony mountaynes and therefore not inhabited with men Yet they that went a lande to searche the countrey founde nere vnto the sea many fayre fieldes well tylled and sowen but no people nor yet houses or cotages Parhappes they were gone further into the countrey to sowe theyr corne and applye theyr husbandry as wee often see our husbandemen to leaue theyr stations and villages for the same purpose In the west syde of that mountayne they espyed a large playne whither they made hast and cast anker in the brode ryuer As soone as the inhabitantes had knowledge that a strange nation was arryued in theyr coastes they came flockyng without all feare to see our men We vnderstode by theyr sygnes and poyntynges that this Region was called Paria and that it was very large in so muche that the further it reacheth towarde the weste to be so muche the better inhabited and replenished with people The Admiral therfore takyng into his shippe foure of the men of that lande searched the west partes of the same By the temperatenes of the ayer the pleasaūtnes of the ground and the multitude of people which they sawe daily more more as they sayled they coniectured that these thynges portended some great matter as in deede their opinion failed them not as we will further declare in his place The sonne not yet rysen but beginnyng euen nowe to ryse being one day allured by the pleasauntnes of the place and sweete sauours whiche breathed from the lande to the shyppes they went a lande Here they founde a greater multytude of people then in any other place As our men approched towarde them there came certeine messengers from their Cacici that is the kinges of the countrey to desyre the Admirall in the name of theyr princes to come to theyr palaces without feare and that they and al theyrs shoulde bee at his commaundement When the Admirall had thanked them and made his excuse for that tyme there came innumerable people with theyr boates to the shyppes hauyng for the most parte cheynes about theyr neckes garlandes on theyr heades and braselettes on theyr armes of pearles of India and that so commonlye that our women in playes and tryumphes haue not greater plentie of stones of glasse and crystall in theyr garlands crownes girdels and suche other tyrementes Beyng asked where they gathered them they poynted to the next shore by the sea bankes They signified also by certeyne scornefull iestures whiche they made with theyr mouthes and handes that they nothyng esteemed pearles Taking also baskettes in their handes they made signes that the same myght be fylled with them in shorte space But because the corne wherwith his shyppes were laden to be caryed into Hispaniola had taken hurt by reason of the salt water he determined to deferre this marte to a more conuenient tyme Yet he sent to land two of the shyp boates laden with men to thintent to fetch some garlands of pearles for exchange of our thynges and also somwhat to searche the nature of the Region and disposition of the people They enterteyned our men gentelly and came flocking to them by heapes as it had ben to beholde some strange monsters Fyrst there came to meete our men two men of grauitie whom the multitude folowed One of these was well in age and the other but young They thinke it was the father with his sonne whiche should succeede hym When the one had saluted and embrased the other they brought our men into a certeyne rounde house neere vnto the whiche was a great courte Hyther were brought many chayers and stooles made of a certeyne blacke wood and very cunnyngly wrought After that our men and theyr Princes were sette theyr waytyng men came in laden some with sundry delycate dysihes and some with wyne But theyr meat was only fruites and those of dyuers kyndes and vtterly vnknowen to vs. Theyr wyne was both whyte and redde not made of grapes but of the lycour of dyuers fruites and very pleasaunte in drynkyng After this banquet made in the olde mans house the young man brought them to his tabernacle or mantion place where was a great company both of men and women but they stoode disseuered the one from the other They are whyte euen as our men are sauing suche as are much conuersant in the sunne They are also very gentle and full of humanitie towarde strangers They couer theyr priuie partes with gossampine cotton wrought with sundry colours and are besyde all naked There was fewe or none that had not eyther a coller a chayne or a bracelet of golde and pearles and many had all Beyng asked where they had that golde they poynted to certayne mountaynes seemyng with theyr countenaunce to disswade our men from goyng thither For putting theyr armes in theyr mouthes and grynnyng as though they bytte the same styll poyntyng to the mountaynes they seemed to insinuate that men were eaten there but whether they meant by the Canibales or wylde beastes our men coulde not wel perceiue They tooke it exceedyng greeuouslye that they coulde neyther vnderstande our men nor our men them When they whiche were sent to lande were returned to the shyppes about three of the clocke at after noone the same day bryngyng with them certayne garlandes and collers of pearles they loosed theyr ankers to departe mindyng to come agayne shortlye when all thynges were set in good order in Hispaniola but he was preuented by another whiche defeated him of the rewarde of his trauayle He was also hyndered at this time by reason of the shalownesse of the sea violent course of the water which with continuall tossyng bruised the greatest shippe as often as any great gale of wind arose To auoyde the daungers of suche shalowe places and shelfes he euer sent one of the smallest Carauelles before to trye the way with soundyng and the byggest shyppes folowed behynde The regions beyng in the large prouince of Paria for the space of CCxxx myles are called of the inhabitants Cumana and Manacapana from these regions distant lx leagues is there an other region called Curiana When he had thus passed ouer this long tract of sea supposing styl that it had ben an Ilande doubtyng that he myght passe by the West to the North directly to Hispaniola he chaunced into a ryuer of .xxx. cubits deapth and of suche breadth as hath
to be his assystantes as Alfonsus de Ponte Diegus Marques and Iohannes de Tauira confyrmed the same letters and subscribed them with theyr names The nauigation therefore of Petrus Arias was in this maner The day before the Ides of Apryl in the yeere of Christe .1514 he hoysed vp his sayles in the towne of saint Lucar de Barrameda situate in the mouth of the ryuer Baetis which the Spanyardes nowe cal Guadalchebir The seuen Ilandes of Canaria are about foure hundred myles distant from the place where this riuer falleth into the sea Some thynke that these are the Ilandes whiche the olde wryters dyd call the fortunate Ilandes but other thynke the contrary The name of these Ilandes are these The two that appeare fyrst in sight are named Lanzelota and Fortisuentura On the backhalfe of these lyeth Magna Canaria or Grancanaria Beyond that is Teuerif and Gomera somewhat towarde the north from that Palma and Ferrea lye behynde as it were a bulwarke to al the other Petrus Arias therfore arriued at Gomera the eyght day after his departure with a nauie of seuenteene ships a thousand and fiue hundred men although there were only a thousand and two hundred assigned hym by the kynges letters It is sayd furthermore that he left behynde hym more then two thousande very pensiue and sighing that they also myght not be receiued proferyng them selues to goe at theyr owne charges He taryed xvi dayes in Gomera to the intent to make prouision of fuel and freshe water but cheefely to repayre his shyppes beyng sore broosed with tempestes and especially the gouernours shyppe which had lost the rudder For these Ilandes are a commodious restyng place for al suche as intende to attempt any nauigations in that maine sea Departing from hence in the Nones of May he sawe no more lande vntyll the thyrde day of Iune at the whiche he arryued at Dominica an Ilande of the Canibales being distant from Gomera about eight hundred leagues Here he remained foure dayes makyng newe prouision of freshe water and fuell duryng whiche tyme he sawe no man nor yet anye steppes of men but founde plenty of sea Crabbes and great Lisarts From hence he sayled by the Ilandes of Matinina otherwyse called Madanino Guadalupea and Galanta otherwyse called Galana of al which we haue spoken in the fyrst Decade He passed also through the sea of hearbes or weedes continuing a long tract Yet neyther he nor Colonus the Admiral who fyrst found these Ilandes and sayled through this sea of weedes haue declared any reason how these weedes should come Some thynke the sea to be verye muddye there and that these weedes are engendred in the bottome thereof and so beyng loosed to ascende to the vppermost part of the water as we see oftentymes chaunce in certayne standyng pooles and sometymes also in great ryuers Other suppose that they are not engendred there but to be beaten from certayne rockes by the violence of the water in tempestes And thus they leaue the matter in doubt Neyther haue they yet any certayne experience whether they stycke fast and geue place to the shyppes or wander loose vpon the water But it is to be thought that they are engendred there for otherwyse they shoulde be dryuen togeather on heapes by the impulsion of the shyppes euen as a beasome geathereth the sweepynges of a house and shoulde also let the course of the shyppes The fourth day after that he departed from Dominica the hyghe mountaynes couered with snowe whereof we haue spoken in the seconde Decade appeared vnto hym They say that there the seas runne as swyftly towarde the west as it were a ryuer fallyng from the toppes of hygh mountaynes although they fayled not directly toward the west but inclined somewhat to the south From these mountaynes falleth the ryuer of Gaira famous by the slaughter of our men at such tyme as Rodericus Colmenares passed by those coastes as we haue sayde before Lykewyse many other fayre ryuers haue theyr original from the same mountaynes This prouince in the which is also the region of Caramairi hath in it two notable hauens of y e which our men named the one Carthago or Carthagena and thother Sancta Martha the region wherof thinhabitants call Saturma The port of Sancta Martha is nerer to the mountaynes couered with snow called Montes Niuales for it is at the rootes of the same mountaines but y e hauen of Carthago is more westward about fyftie leagues He wryteth marueylous things of the hauen of Sancta Martha whiche they also confirme that came lately from thence Of the which young Vesputius is one to whom Americus Vesputius his vncle beyng a florentine borne left the exact knowledge of the mariners facultie as it were by inheritance after his death for he was a very expert maister in the knowledge of his carde his compasse and the eleuation of the pole starre with all that parteyneth therto This young Vesputius was assigned by the kyng to be one of the maisters of the gouernours shyp because he was cunnyng in iudging the degrees of the eleuation of the pole starre by the quadrant For the charge of gouerning the rudder was cheefly committed to one Iohannes Serranus a Spaniard who had oftentymes ouerrunne those coastes Vesputius is my very familier frende and a wittie young man in whose company I take great pleasure and therfore vse hym oftentymes for my ghest He hath also made many voyages into these coastes and diligentlye noted suche thynges as he hath seene Petrus Arias therfore wryteth and he confirmeth the same that thinhabitantes of these regions tooke theyr originall of the Caribbes or Canibales as appeared by the desperat fyersnesse and crueltie which they oftentimes shewed to our men when they passed by theyr coastes Suche stoutnesse and fortitude of mynde is naturallie engendred in these naked Barbarians that they feared not to assayle our whole nauy and to forbyd them to come a lande They fyght with venemous arowes as we haue sayde before Parceyuyng that our men contemned theyr threatnynges they ranne furyously into the sea euen vp to the breastes nothyng fearyng eyther the bygnesse or multitude of our shyppes but ceased not contynuallie beyng thus in the water to cast dartes and to shoote theyr venemous arrowes as thycke as hayle Insomuch that our men had byn in great daunger yf they had not bin defended by the cages or pauisses of the shippes and their targettes Yet were two of them wounded which died shortely after But this conflict continued so sharp that at the length our men were enforced to shoote of theyr greatest pieces of ordinaunce with hayleshoote at the slaughter and terrible noyse wherof the Barbarians beyng sore discomfited and shaken with feare thynkyng the same to be thunder and lyghtnyng turned theyr backes and fledde amayne They greatly feare thunder because these regions are oftentimes vexed with thunder and lyghtnynges by reason
it is couered is lykewyse edged with .xxv. golden belles and knobbes and hath on the crest a greene bird with the feete byll and eyes of golde Also foure speares much lyke vnto troute speares or yee le speares the wood whereof is all couered with quilles of diuers colours marueylously wreathed with golden wyers and plates intermyxte Euery of these speares haue three pikes whose edges or teeth are all of precious stones made fast with wyers of golde Of lyke workemanship they brought a great scepter beset with precious stones belles of golde also a braseleâ— of golde and shooes made of a Hartes skynne sowed and imbrodered with golden wyers with a whiâ—e sole beneath Furthermore a glasse of a bryght blewe stone and an other of white both enclosed in golde Lykewyse a precious stone of the kynde of them that are called Sphinges inclosed in gold Furthermore the head of a great Lisarte two great shelles two Duckes the shapes of diuers other birds foules and fyshes and all of massie golde Furthermore .xxiiii. rounde and square targettes shieldes and buckelers of golde and fyue of syluer Also a triple crowne of plates and wyers oâ— golde marueylously wreathed with quilles and â—eathers of diuers colours hauyng on the front a plate of golde on the which is grauen the Image of the Idole Zemes. About this Image hang foure other plates lyke crosses of golde in the which are grauen the heades of diuers beastes as Lions Tigers Woolues and suche other They brought also the similitudes of certayne beastes made some of roddes or twygges and some of woodde with the beastes owne skynnes thereon and garnyshed with collers of laton belles Lykewyse diuers sheetes weaued of gossampyne cotton of sundry colours whereof two are rychly frynged with golde and precious stones and three other with quilles and feathers intermyxte with gossampine cotton of sundry colours and checkered lyke the panes of a chest boorde Some are on the one side of blacke white and redde colours and on the other syde plaine without any varietie Other some are wrought in lyke maner with variable colours with a wheele or circle of blacke in the myddest intermyxte with shyning fethers and sparkes of golde lyke starres They brought also cloth of Aras or Uerdure of marueylous workemanshyppe Lykewyse a souldiers cloake such as their princes weare in the warres with certayne priuye coates of fence and sundry tirements parteynyng to their heads with also many such other thinges more beautiful to the eye then ryche or precious whereof to entreate particulerly it should be more tedious then profytable I let passe heere also to speake of many particuler nauigations and of the trauailes and daungers which they susteyned in the same with the monsters and secretes of nature they sawe which are all conteyned in the registers of our Senate of the affayres of India out of the which I haue selected these fewe annotations such as seemed to mee most meete to bee published Notwithstandyng these ryche and goodly presentes yet were they that brought them and also Coriesius the gouernour of the nauie and aucthour of erecting their newe colonie in those remote regions adiudged by the Senate to haue done agaynst ryght and equitie in that they attempted the same without thaduice of the gouernour of the Iland of Cuba who sent them foorth by the kyngs auctoritie wheras they dyd other thinges beside their commission yea although they went to the kyng not first knowing his pleasure whom the kyng had substitute his Lieuetenaunt in that Ilande insomuch that by his procuratour he accused them before the Senate as fugitiue theeues and traytours They on y e other part alleaged y t they had done the kyng better seruice then he that they had shewed sufficient obedience in appeaâ—yng to the kyng as the hygher Iudge But the gouernour required by the vertue of his commission the kinges letters pattents y t they myght be beheaded for their disobedience against him whom they knewe to bee aucthorised by the kyng They agayne replied that they had not offended the kyng but rather deserued rewarde for their great daungers and trauailes Both the reward and punishment were deferred and a day appointed when both parties should be heard Let vs nowe therefore come to the Spanyardes of Dariena thinhabitours of the gulfe of Vraba in the supposed continent Wee haue sayde before that Dariena is a ryuer runnyng towarde the West syde of the gulfe of Vraba On the banke of this ryuer the Spanyardes planted their first colonie or habitation after they had vanquished kyng Chemaccus this colonie they named Sancta Maria Antiqua by reason of a vowe which they made to the virgine Marie in the tyme of the battaile against Chemaccus To these as wee haue made mention in the ende of our Decades was Petrus Arias sent with a thousand and two hundred men at the request of Vaschus Nunnez Balboa who was then the gouernour of Dariena and the first that found and discouered the large South sea heretofore vnknowne We haue also declared how at the arriuall of Petrus Arias the newe gouernour hee diuided his armie into Centurions that is captaines ouer hundreds whom hee sent foorth dyuers wayes What tragedies folowed heereof I will absolue in fewe wordes bycause all are horrible and vnpleasaunt For since we fynyshed our Decades there hath been none other then kyllyng sleying murderyng and accusing The kyng made Vaschus gouernour but duryng his pleasure His courage was such and his factes so notorious that hee could not long abyde the hautynes of Petrus Arias To bee breefe their fallyng out and discorde confounded all thinges Iohn Cacedus the pulpit fryer of the order of sainct Frances dyd his vttermost endeuour to make them friendes promysyng vnto Vaschus the daughter of Petrus Arias to wyfe But no meanes could be founde how these two whiche bore the chiefe rule myght bee brought to agreement At the length the matter grew to such extremitie that Petrus Arias fyndyng occasion of quarellyng agaynst Vaschus sent processe to the magistrates of the towne whereby he commaunded them to strangle Vaschus and fyue other which were chiefe captaines vnder him alleagyng that they and their confederates conspired to rebell in the South sea and that Vaschus him selfe for that intent had buylded and furnished foure shippes to search the south coastes of the supposed continent also that to his three hundred souldiers and companions which hee had with him he should speake wordes of this effecte as foloweth My friendes and felowes of my long paynes and trauayles howe long shall wee bee subiecte to the commaundement of other syth we haue bydden the brunt and ouercome thinterprise for the whiche this newe gouernour was sent with so great a multitude Who can any longer abyde his pryde and insolencie Let vs therefore folowe these coastes whyther so euer fortune
the contrary parte of the sayde lande discouered The sayd maister Antonie wrote furthermore that by the opinion of men well practised there was discouered so great a space of that countrey vnto the sayde sea that it passed .950 leagues whiche make .2850 myles And doubtlesse if the Frenche men in this theyr newe Fraunce would haue passed by lande toward the sayd Northwest and by North they should also haue founde the sea whereby they myght haue sayled to Cathay But aboue all thynges this seemed vnto me most woorthie of commendation that the sayde maister Antonie wrote in his letter that he had made a booke of al the naturall and marueylous thinges whiche they founde in searchyng those countreys with also the measures of landes and altytudes of degrees A worke doubtlesse which sheweth a princely and magnificall mynd wherby we may conceiue that if God had giuen him the charge of the other hemispherie he would or now haue made it better knowen to vs. The which thing I suppose no man doth greatly esteeme at this tyme beyng neuerthelesse the greatest and most glorious enterpryse that may be imagined And heere makyng a certayne pause and turnyng him selfe towarde vs hee sayde Doe you not vnderstande to this purpose howe to passe to India towarde the Northwest wynde as dyd of late a citizen of Uenece so valiant a man and so well practised in all thinges perteynyng to nauigations and the science of Cosmographie that at this present hee hath not his lyke in Spayne insomuche that for his vertues hee is preferred aboue all other pylottes that sayle to the West Indies who may not passe thyther without his lycence and is therefore called Piloto Maggiore that is the graunde pylote And when we sayde that wee knewe him not hee proceeded saying that beyng certayne yeeres in the citie of Siuile and desirous to haue some knowledge of the nauigations of the Spanyardes it was tolde him that there was in the citie a valiant man a Uenecian borne named Sebastian Cabote who had the charge of those thinges beyng an expert man in that science and one that could make cardes for the sea with his owne hande and that by this reporte seekyng his acquayntaunce hee founde him a very gentle person who enterteyned him friendly and shewed him many thinges and among other a large Mappe of the worlde with certayne perticular nauigations aswell of the Portugales as of the Spanyardes and that hee spake further vnto him in this effecte When my father departed from Uenece many yeeres since to dwell in Englande to folowe the trade of merchandyes hee tooke mee with him to the citie of London whyle I was very young yet hauing neuerthelesse some knowledge of letters of humanitie and of the sphere And when my father dyed in that tyme when newes were brought that Don Christopher Colonus Genuese had discouered the coasts of India wherof was great talke in all the court of kyng Henry the seuenth who then reigned insomuche that all men with great admiration affirmed it to be a thing more diuine then humane to sayle by the West into the East where spyces growe by a way that was neuer knowen before By which fame and report there increased in my harte a great flame of desyre to attempte some notable thyng And vnderstandyng by reason of the sphere that if I should sayle by the way of the Northwest wynde I should by a shorter tracte come to India I therevppon caused the kyng to bee aduertised of my diuise who immediately commaunded two Carauels to be furnyshed with all thinges apperteynyng to the vyage which was as farre as I remember in the yeere .1496 in the begynnyng of sommer Beginning therefore to sayle toward Northwest not thinking to fynde any other lande then that of Cathay and from thence to turne toward India But after certayne dayes I founde that the lande ranne towarde the North which was to me a great displeasure Neuerthelesse saylyng along by the coast to see if I could fynde any gulfe that turned I founde the lande styll continent to the .56 degree vnder our pole And seeyng that there the coast turned toward the East dispayring to fynde the passage I turned backe agayne and sayled downe by the coast of that lande towarde the Equinoctiall euer with intent to fynde the sayde passage to India and came to that parte of this firme lande whiche is nowe called Florida Where my victualles faylyng I departed from thence and returned into Englande where I founde great tumultes among the people and preparance for warres in Scotlande by reason whereof there was no more consideration had to this vyage Whervppon I went into Spayne to the Catholyke kyng and queene Elizabeth who beyng aduertised what I had done enterteyned mee and at theyr charges furnyshed certayne shyppes wherewith they caused mee to sayle to discouer the coastes of Brasile where I founde an exceedyng great and large ryuer named at this present Rio della Plata that is the ryuer of siluer into the whiche I sayled and folowed it into the firme lande more then sixe hundred leagues fyndyng it euery where very fayre and inhabited with infinite people whiche with admiration came runnyng dayly to our shyppes Into this ryuer runne so many other riuers that it is in maner incredible After this I made many other vyages whiche I now permyt And wexyng olde I gyue my selfe to rest from suche traueyles bycause there are nowe many young and lusty Pylotes and mariners of good experience by whose forwardnesse I doe reioyce in the fruites of my labours and rest with the charge of this office as you see And this is as muche as I haue vnderstoode of maister Sebastian Cabote as I haue geathered out of dyuers nauigations written in the Italian tongue And whereas I haue before made mention howe Moscouia was in our tyme discouered by Richarde Chanceler in his viage towarde Cathay by the direction and information of the sayd maister Sebastian who long before had this secrete in his mynd I shall not neede heere to describe that viage forasmuche as the same is largely and faythfully written in the Latine tongue by that learned young man Clement Adams schoolemaister to the Queenes Henshemen as he receyued it at the mouth of the sayd Richard Chanceler Neuerthelesse I haue thought good heere to speake somewhat of Moscouia as I haue redde in the booke of Iohn Faber written in the Latine tongue to the ryght noble Prince Ferdinando Archeduke of Austria and Infant of Spaine of the maners and religion of the Moscouites as he was partly instructed by the Ambassadours of the Duke of Moscouie sent into Spayne to Themperours maiestie in the yeere .1525 He wryteth therefore as foloweth I thynke it fyrst conuenient to speake somewhat of the name of this region whereby it is called at this day and howe it was called in olde tyme. Conferryng therefore the moste
and halfe deade with knockes They walke sometymes on two feete and spoyle trees backewarde Sometyme also they inuade Bulles and so hang on them with all theyr feete that they weerye them with weight The Beare as sayeth Plinie bringeth foorth her byrth the thirtie day and often tymes two Theyr birth is a certaine white masse of flesh without fourme and litle bigger then a mouse without eyes and without heare with only the nayles or clawes commyng foorth but the damme with continuall lyckyng by litle and litle figureth the informe byrth When she entreth into the denne which shee hath chosen shee creepeth thyther with her belly vpwarde least the place should be founde by the steppes of her feete And beyng there deliuered of her byrth remaineth in the same place for the space of .xiiii. dayes immoueable as wryteth Aristotle They lyue without meat .xl. dayes and for that tyme susteyne them selues only by lyckyng and suckyng theyr ryght foote At the length chaunsing to finde meate they fyll them selues so full that they remedy that surfeyte by vomyte which they prouoke by eatyng of Antes Theyr byrth is oppressed with so heauy a sleepe for the space of .xiiii. dayes that it can not be raysed eyther with prickyng or woundes and in the meane tyme growe exceedyng fatte After fourtiene dayes they wake from sleepe and begyn to lycke and sucke the soles of theyr fore feete and lyue thereby for a space Nor yet is it apparent that they lyue by any other meate vntyll the spring tyme of the yeere At whiche tyme begynnyng to runne abrode they feede of the tender buddes and young sprygges or braunches of trees and other hearbes correspondent to theyr lyppes Before fiue hundred yeeres the Moscouites honoured the Goddes of the Gentyles And then fyrst receyued the Christian fayth when the Byshoppes of Grecia began to discent from the church of the Latines and therefore receyued the rites of the Greekes They minister the sacrament with fermented breade vnder both kyndes And thinke that the soules of dead men are not helped with the suffragies of priestes nor yet by the deuotion of theyr friendes or kynsfolke Also that the place of Purgatorie is a fable In the tyme of the diuine seruice the hystorie of the myracles of Christ and the Epistles of sainct Paule are rehearsed out of the Pulpitte Beyonde Moscouia are many people which they call Scythians and are partely subiecte to the Prince of Moscouia These are they which Duke Iuan subdued as are the people of Perm Baskird Cezriremissa Iuhra Corela and Permska These people were Idolatours before the Duke compelled them to baptisme appointed a byshop ouer them named Steuen whom the Barbarians after the departure of the Duke flayed alyue and slue But the Duke returnyng shortly after afflicted them sore and assigned them a newe byshop It is here also to be noted that the olde Cosmographers fayned that in these regions towarde the North pole there should be certayne great mountaynes which they called Ripheos and Hyperboreos which neuerthelesse are not founde in nature It is also a fable that the ryuers of Tanais Volham doe spring out of hygh mountaynes whereas it is apparent that both these ryuers and many other haue theyr originall in the playnes Next to Moscouia is the fruitful region of Colmogora through the whiche runneth the ryuer of Diuidna beyng the greatest that is knowen in the North partes of the worlde This ryuer increaseth at certayne tymes of the yeere as doeth the ryuer of Nilus in Egypt ouerfloweth the fieldes rounde about and with aboundaunce of fatte moysture resisteth the coldnesse of the ayre Wheate sowne in the grounde groweth aboundauntly without ploughyng and fearyng the newe iniurie of the proude ryuer springeth groweth and rypeth with wonderfull celeritie of hastyng nature Into the ryuer of Diuidna runneth the ryuer of Iuga And in the very angle or corner where they meete is a famous marte towne named Vstiuga beyng a hundred and fyftie myles distant from the chiefe citie of Mosca To this marte towne from the higher countreis are sent the precious furres of Marternes Sables Woolues such other which are exchaunged for dyuers other kyndes of wares marchandies Hytherto Munsterus And forasmuche as many doe marueyle that such plentie of hony should bee in so coole a countrey I haue thought good to declare the reason and naturall cause heereof It is therefore to be considered that lyke as spices gums and odoriferous fruites are engendred in hotte regions by continuall heate duryng all the whole yeere without impression of the mortifying qualitie of colde whereby all thynges are constrayned as they are dilated by heate euen so in colde and moyst regions whose moysture is thynner and more wateryshe then in hot regions are floures engendred more aboundauntly as caused by impression of lesse and faynter heate woorkyng in thynne matter of wateryshe moysture lesse concocte then the matter of gummes and spyces and other vncâ—uous fruites and trees growyng in hot regions For although as Munster sayeth here before the region of Moscoâ—â—a beareth neyther vines or Oliues or any other fruitee of sweete sauour by reason of the coldnesse thereof neuerthelesse forasmuch as floures wherof hony is chiefly geathered may in sommer season growe aboundantly in the playnes maryshes woode not onely on the ground but also on trees in colde regions it is agreeable to good reason that great plentie of hony should be in suche regions as abounde with floures which are brought foorth with the fyrst degree of heate and fyrst approche of the sunne as appeareth in the spryng tyme not only by the spryngyng of floures in fieldes and Gardeynes but also of blossomes of trees spryngyng before the leaues or fruite as the lyghter and thynner matter fyrst drawne out with the lowest and least degree of heate as the lyke is seene in the arte of styllyng whereby all thynne and lyght moystures are lyfted vp by the fyrst degree of the fyre and the heauyest and thyckest moystures are drawne out with more vehement fyre As we may therefore in this case compare the generation of floures to the heat of May the generation of gummes to the heat of Iune and spyces to the heate of Iuly Euen so in suche colde regions whose summer agreeth rather with the temperate heate moysture of May then with thextreme heate of the other monethes that heate is more apte to bring foorth aboundance of floures as thinges caused by moderate heate as playnly appeareth by their tast and sauour in which is no sharpe qualitie of heate eyther byting the tongue or offendyng the head as is in spices gums and fruites of hotte regions And as in colde and playne regions moderate heate with aboundance of moisture are causes of the generation of floures as I haue sayde so lykewyse the length of the dayes and shortnesse and warmenesse of the
a great multitude of other people of these North partes of the worlde as from Liâ—onia Prusia Russia and Tartaria with diuers other countreyes makyng them diuers Kynges and Captaynes dyd depopulate and bryng in subiection the more part of Europe inuaded Italie destroied Rome inhabited that parte of Italie nowe called Lumbardie and lykewyse subdued the Realmes of Castile and Aragonie Their warres continued aboue three hundred yeeres Finland and Eningia FInlandia is as much to saye as a fayre land or fyne lande so named for the fertilitie of the grounde Plinie seemeth to call it Finnonia for he saieth that about the coastes of Finland â–ª are many Ilands without names of the which there lyeth one before Scithia called Pannonia The gulfe called Sinus Finnonicus â–ª is so named at this day of the land of Finnonia Finnonia confineth with Scithia and runneth without all Tanais that is to say without the lymittes of Europe to the confines of Asia But that the name of Einlande seemeth not to agree hereunto the cause is that this place of Plinie is corrupted as are many other in this aucthour So that from the name of Finnonia or Phinnonia it was a lykely errour to call it Pannonia forasmuche as these wordes doo not greatly differ in wrytyng and sounde so that the counterfect name was soone put in the place of the true name by hym that knew Pannonia and read that name before beyng also ignorant of Phinnonia Eningia had in olde tyme the tytle of a kyngdome it is of such largenesse but hath now only the title of an inferiour gouernour beyng vnder the dominion of the Slauons â–ª and vsyng the same tongue In religion it obserued the rytes of the Greekes of late yeeres when it was vnder the gouernance of the Moscouites But it is at this present vnder the kyng of Suecia obserueth thinstitutions of the Occidentall churche Spanyshe wynes are brought thither in great plentie which the people vse meryly and cheerefully It is termined on the North side by the South lyne of Ostrobothnia and is extended by the mountaynes Toward the West it is termined with the sea of Finnonia accordyng to this description and hath degrees .71 66. c. Of the difference of regions and causes of great cities after the description of Hieronimus Cardanus Liber .xi. De Subtilitate THere is an other difference of regions caused of cold and heate For suche as are neare vnto the poles are vexed with to muche colde and suche as are vnder the line where the Sunne is of greatest force are oppressed with heate Suche as are in the middest betweene both are nearest vnto temperatenesse Under the pole it is impossible that there should be populous cities bycause the lande is barren and the caryage or conueyaunce of fruites victualles and other necessaryes is incommodious By reason whereof it is necessarie that the inhabitauntes of such regions lyue euer in continuall wanderyng from place to place or els in small vyllages Suche as inhabite temperate regions haue meane cities aswell for that they haue more commodious conueyaunce for necessaryes as also that they may dwel better and more safely togeather then in vyllages by reason of fortifying their townes with walles and exercising of artes and occupations wherby the one may the better helpe the other Yet that olde Rome beyng in a temperate region was of such incredible bygnesse the cause was that it obteyned the Empyre of the worlde by reason whereof all nations had confluence thyther and not the greatnesse of the walles But it is necessarie that the greatest cities be in hotte regions fyrst for that in such regions part of the soile is either barren if it lacke water or els most fruitfull if it abounde with water And for this inequalitie when they fynde any place meete to susteyne a multitude it foloweth of necessitie that great cities be builded in such places by reason of great concourse of people resortyng to the same An other great cause is that whereas in such regions marchauntes come very farre to such commodious places they passe through many desarte and perillous regions So that it shal be necessary for theyr better securitie to come in great companyes as it were great armies And therefore whereas such a societie is once knyt togeather in a commodious place it should bee great hynderance aswell to the inhabitants as to marchauntes if they should wander in incommodious places And by this confluence both of such as dwell neare to such places and also of strangers and such as dwell farre of it is necessary that in continuaunce of tyme small townes become great cities as are these Quinsai Singui Cambalu Memphis Cairus or Alcair otherwyse called Babilon in Egypt But if here any will obiecte Constantinople in olde tyme called Bizantium beyng in a temperate region although it be not to be compared to such cities as are more then lx myles in circuite yet doe we answere herevnto that the Turkes Empyre is the cause of the greatnesse hereof as we sayde before of Rome The historie written in the latine tongue by Paulus Ionius byshop of Nuceria in Italie of the legation or ambassade of great Basilius Prince of Moscouia to Pope Clement the .vij. of that name In which is conteyned the description of Moscouia with the regions confinyng about the same euen vnto the great and rych Empire of Cathay I Intend first briefly to describe the situation of the region which we plainely see to haue ben litle knowen to Strabo Ptoleme then to proceede in rehearsing the maners customes religion of the people and this in maner in the like simple stile and phrase of speach as the same was declared vnto vs by Demetrius the Ambassadour a man not ignorant in the latin tongue as from his youth brought vp in Liuonia where he learned the first rudiments of letters and being growne to mans age executed thoffice of an Ambassadour into diuers Christian prouinces For whereas by reason of his approued faithfulnesse industrie he had before ben sent as Oratour to the kynges of Suecia and Denmarke the great maister of Prussia hee was at the last sent to Themperour Maximilian in whose court being replenyshed with all sortes of men while he was câ—nuersant if any thing of barbarous maners yet remayned in so docible quiet a nature the same was put away by frâ—ming him selfe to better ciuilitie The cause of his legacie or ambassade was giuen by Paulus Centurio a Genuese who when he had receiued letters commendatory of pope Leo the tenth came to Moscouia for the trade of marchaundies of his owne mynde conferred with the familiars of Duke Basilius as touching the conformation of the rites of both churches He furthermore of great magnanimitie and in maner outragious desire sought â—ow by a new and incredible viage spices might be brought from India For while before hee had exercised the trade of marchandies in
Emperours and defaced the citie of Rome He answered that both the nation of the Gothes of the name of king Totilaâ— theyr chiefe captayne was of famous memorie among them And that dyuers nations of the North regions conspired to that expedition and especially the Moscouites Also that that armie increased of the confluence of the Barbarous Liuons and wandryng Tartars But that they were all called Gothes forasmuche as the Gothes that inhabited Scondania and Iselande were the auctours of that inuasion And with these boundes are the Moscouites inclosed on euery syde whom we thynke to be those people that Ptolome called Modocas but haue doubtlesse at this day theyr name of the ryuer Mosco which runneth through the cheefe citie Mosca named also after the same This is the most famous citie in Moscouia aswell for the situation thereof beyng in maner in the myddest of the region as also for the commodious oportunitie of riuers multitude of houses and strong fence of so fayre and goodly a Castell For the citie is extended with a long tract of buildynges by the bankes of the ryuer for the space of fyue myles The houses are made all of tymber and are diuided into Parlours Chambers and Rytchyns of large roomes yet neyther of vnseemely heyght or to lowe but of decent measure and proportion For they haue great trees apt for the purpose brought from the forest of Hercinia Of the which made perfectly round lyke y e mastes of shyps and so layd one vpon an other that they ioyne at the endes in ryght angles where beyng made very fast and sure they frame theyr houses therof of meruaylous strength with smal charges and in verye short tyme. In maner all the houses haue pryuate gardens aswel for pleasure as commoditie of hearbes wherby the circuite of the dispersed citie appeareth very great Al the wardes or quarters of the citie haue their peculiar Chappels But in the cheefest and highest place therof is the Church of our Lady of ample and goodly workemanshyppe whiche Aristoteles of Bononie a man of singular knowledge and experience in Architecture builded more then threescore yeeres since At the very head of the citie a litle ryuer called Neglinia which dryueth many corne mylles entereth into the ryuer Moscus and maketh almost an Ilande in whose end is the Castel with many strong towers and bulwarkes builded very fayre by the deuice of Italian Architecturs that are the maisters of the kynges woorkes In the fieldes about the citie is an incredible multitude of Hares and Roe Buckes the which it is lawful for no man to chase or pursue with dogges or nettes except only certayne of the kyngs familiars and straunge Ambassadours to whom he geueth licence by speciall commaundement Almost three partes of the citie is inuironed with two riuers and the residue with a large Mote that receiueth plentie of water from the sayde ryuers The citie is also defended on the other syde with an other ryuer named Iausa whiche falleth also into Moscus a litle beneath the citie Furthermore Moscus runnyng towards the South falleth into the riuer Ocha or Occa muche greater then it selfe at the towne Columna and not very farre from thence Ocha it selfe encreased with other ryueâ—s vnladeth his streames in the famous ryuer Volga where at the place where they ioyne is situate the citie of Nouogradia the lesse so named in respect of the greater citie of that name from whence was brought the fyrst colonie of the lesse citie Volga called in olde tyme Rha hath his originall of the great marishes named the whyte Lakes These are aboue Moscouia betweene the North and the West and send foorth from them almost all the ryuers that are dispersed into diuers regions on euery syde as we see of the Alpes from whose toppes and sprynges descend the waters of whose concourse the ryuers of Rhene Po and Rodanum haue theyr encrease For these maryshes in the steade of mountaines full of sprynges minister abundant moysture forasmuche as no mountaynes are yet founde in that region by the long trauayles of men insomuche that many that haue been studious of the old Cosmographie suppose the Riphean and Hiperborean mountaines so often mentioned of the auncient wryters to be fabulous From these maryshes therfore the riuers of Duina Ocha Moscus Volga Tanais and Boristhenes haue theyr oryginall The Tartares call Volga Edel Tanais they call Don And Boristehenes is at this tyme called Neper This a litle beneath Taurica runneth into the sea Euxinus Tanais is receyued of the maryshes of Meotis at the noble Marte Towne Azoum But Volga leauyng the citie of Mosca towardes the South and runnyng with a large circuite and great Wyndynges and Creekes fyrst towardes the East then to the West and lastlye to the South falleth with a full streame into the Caspian or Hircan sea Aboue the mouth of this is a citie of the Tartars called Citrachan whiche some call Astrachan where Martes are kept by the Merchauntes of Media Armenia and Persia. On the further bancke of Volga there is a towne of the Tartars called Casan of the whiche the Horda of the Casanite Tartars tooke theyr name It is distant from the mouth of Volga and the Caspian sea .500 myles Aboue Casan .150 myles at the entraunce of the ryuer Sura Basilius that now reigneth buylded a towne called Surcium to thintent that in those desartes the marchantes and traueylers which certifie the gouernours of the marches of the doinges of the Tartars and the maners of that vnquiet nation may haue a â—afe mansion among theyr customers The Emperours of Moscouia at dyuers tymes eyther moued thereto by occasion of thinges present or for the desyre they had to nobilitate newe and obscure places haue kepte the seat of theyr court and Empyre in dyuers cities For Nouogrodia which lyeth toward the West and the Lyuon sea not many yeeres past was the head citie of Moscouia and obteyned euer the chiefe dignitie by reason of the incredible number of houses and edifies with the oportunitie of the large lake replenyshed with fyshe and also for the fame of the most auncient venerable Temple which more then foure hundred yeeres since was dedicated to Sancta Sophia Christ the sonne of God accordyng to the custome of the Emperours of Bizantium nowe called Constantinople Nouogrodia is oppressed in maner with continuall wynter and darkenesse of long nyghtes For it hath the pole Artike eleuate aboue the Horizon threescore and foure degrees and is further from the Equinoctiall then Moscouia by almost six degrees By which dyfference of heauen it is sayde that at the sommer steye of the Sunne it is burnt with continuall heate by reason of the shorte nyghtes The citie also of Volodemaria beyng more then twoo hundred myles distant from Mosca towarde the Easte had the name of the chiefe citie and kynges towne whyther
very strong and swyfte Theyr horsemen are armed with pykes Ryuettes Mases of yron and arrowes Fewe haue hooked swoordes Theyr bodyes are defended with rounde Targets after the maner of the Turkes of Asia or with bendyng and cornarde Targettes after the maner of the Greekes Also with coates of mayle Brygantines and sharpe Helmets Basilius dyd furthermore instytute a bande of Hargabusiers on horsebacke and caused many great brasen peeces to be made by the workemanshyp of certayne Italians and the same with theyr stockes and wheeles to be placed in the Castle of Mosca The kyng him selfe with princely magnificence and singular familiaritie wherwith neuerthelesse no parte of the maiestie of a kyng is violate is accustomed to dyne openly with his noble men strange Ambassadours in his owne chamber of presence where is seene a marueylous quantitie of siluer gylt plate standyng vpon two great and high cubbardes in the same chamber He hath not about him any other garde for the custody of his person sauing only his accustomed familie For watch and warde is diligently kept of the faithful multitude of the citizens Insomuch that euery warde or quarter of the citie is inclosed with gates rayles and barres neyther is it lawfull for any man rashely to walke in the citie in the nyght or without lyght All the courâ—e consisteth of noble men Gentlemen and choyse souldyers which are called out of euery region by theyr townes and vyllages and commaunded to wayte course by course at certayne monethes appoynted Furthermore when warre is proclaymed all the armie is collected both of the olde souldyers and by musteryng of newe in all prouinces For the Lieuetenantes and Captaynes of the army are accustomed in al cities to muster the youth to admyt to the order of souldyers such as they thinke able to serue the turne Theyr wages is payde them of the common treasury of euery prouince whiche is geathered and partly payde also in the tyme of peace although it be but litle But such as are assigned to the warres are free from all tributes and inioye certayne other priuilegies whereby they may the more gladly and cheerfully serue theyr kyng and defende theyr countrey For in the tyme of warre occasion is mynistred to shewe true vertue and manhood where in so great and necessarie an institution euery man accordyng to his approued actiuitie and ingenious forwardenesse may obtayne the fortune eyther of perpetuall honour or ignominie Vix olim vlla fides referrentibus horrida regna Moschorum Ponti res glacialis erat Nunc Iouio autore illa oculis lustramus et vrbes Et nemora et montes cernimus et fluuios Moschouiam monumenta Ioui tua culta reuoluens Caepi alios mundos credere Democriti Other notable thinges as concernyng Moscouia geathered out of the bookes of Sigismundus Liberus Note that when he sayth myles he meaneth leagues FRom whence Russia had the name there are dyuers opinions Some thynke that it was so named of one Russus the sonne or neuiew of Lech the kyng of the Polons Other affirme that it was so called of a certayne olde towne named Russus not farre from Nouogoroda or Nouogradia the more Some also thynke that it was so called of the browne coloure of the nation But the Moscouians confute all these opinions as vntrue affirmyng that this nation was in olde tyme called Rosseia as a nation dispersed as the name it selfe doth declare For Rosseia in the Ruthens tongue doth signifie dispersed or scattered The whiche thyng to be true dyuers other people commyxt with thinhabitauntes and dyuers prouinces lying here and there betwene diuers parts of Russia do plainly declare But whence soeuer they tooke theyr name doubtlesse all the people that vse the Slauon tongue and professe the fayth of Christ after the maner of the Greekes called in theyr common language Russi and in the Latin tongue Rutheni are increased to such a multitude that they haue eyther expulsed all the nations that lye betwene them or drawne them to theyr maner of lyuing in somuche that they are nowe called all Rutheni by one common name Furthermore the Slauon tongue whiche at this daye is somewhat corruptly called Sclauon runneth exceedyng farre as vsed of the Dalmates Bossuenser Croatians Istrians and by along tracte of the sea Adriatike vnto Forum Iulij Of the Caruians also whom the Venetians call Charsos and lykewyse of the Carniolans and Carinthians vnto the ryuer Drauus Furthermore of the Stirians within Gretzium and by Muera vnto Danubius and from thence of the Misians Seruians Bulgarians and other inhabityng euen vnto Constantinople Furthermore of the Bohemians Lusacians Silesians Morauians and thinhabitauntes neere vnto the ryuer Vagus in the kyngdome of Hungarie The Polones also and the Ruthenians whose Empire reacheth very farre lykewyse the Circasians and Quinquemontanians vnto Pontus and is from thence vsed in the North partes of Germanie among the remnant of the Vandales inhabityng here and there All whiche nations although they acknowledge them selues to bee Sclauons yet the Germans takyng the denomination onely of the Vandales call all them that vse the Slauon tongue Vuenden or Vuinden or Vuindysh Of the Princes that nowe reigne in Russia the chiefe is the great Duke of Moscouia who possesseth the greatest part thereof The seconde is the great Duke of Lithuania and the thyrde the kyng of Polonie who nowe obteyneth the dominion of Polonie and Lithuania In aucthoritie and dominion ouer his subiectes the prince of Moscouie passeth all the monarkes of the worlde For he depriueth all his noble men and gentelmen of all theyr holdes and munitions at his pleasure He trusteth not his owne brethren but oppresseth all with lyke seruitude Insomuch that whom so euer he commaundeth either to remaine with him in the courte or to go to the warres or sendeth on ambassage they are compelled to be at theyr owne charges except the young gentelmen the sonnes of the Boiarons that is the noble men of the lowest degree He vsurpeth this aucthoritie aswell ouer the spiritualtie as the temporaltie constituting what him listeth of the goods and lyfe of all men Of his counsellers there is not one that dare dissent from hym in any thyng They openly confesse that the wyl of theyr prince is the will of God and therfore call hym the key bearer and chamberlen of God beleeue hym to be the executor of Gods will By reason wherof the prince hym selfe when any peticion is made to hym for the deliuerie of any captiue is acaccustomed to answere when God commaundeth he shal be deliuered Lykewyse when any asketh a question of an vncertaine or doubtful thyng theyr custome is to answere thus God knoweth and the great Prince It is vncertayne whether the crueltie and fyrcenesse of the nation do require so tyrannous a Prince or whether by the tiranny of the Prince the nation is made so fierce
in Volga And by the commoditie of thus many ryuers many ryche marchaundies are brought without great labour or difficultie from the Caspian sea by the ryuer Volga to Moscouia and dyuers other prouinces and cities about the same Bieloiesero a citie with a Castell is situate at a lake of the same name For Bieloiesero in the Moscouites tongue signifieth a whyte lake The citie standeth not in the lake as some haue sayde Yet is it so enuironed with maryshes that it may seeme to be inexpugnable In consideration wherof the princes of Moscouia are accustomed to keepe theyr treasure there Bieloiesero is from Moscouia a hundred leagues and as muche from Nouogradia the great The lake it selfe is .xii. leagues in length and as much in breadth and hath as they say three hundred ryuers falling into it The inhabitauntes of this place haue a peculyar language although now in maner all speake the Moscouites tongue The longest day here in the sommer Equinoctial is sayd to consist of .xix. houres A man of great name and credit tolde mee that at the begynnyng of the spryng when the trees began nowe to bee greene he went in poste from Moscouia to Bieloiesero and passyng ouer the ryuer Volga founde the region there so couered with Ise and snow that hee was fayne to dispatche the residue of his iourney on steades And although the wynter be longer there yet doe the fruites waxe rype and are geathered euen at the same tyme that they are in Moscouia Within an arrowe shotte of the lake there is an other lake that bringeth foorth brymstone which a certayne riuer running out of the same carrieth with it in great quantitie flotyng aboue the water lyke a scomme yet through the ignoraunce of the people they haue no commoditie thereby The people that inhabite the regions lying farre North and East from Moscouia exchange their furres for apparel Kniues needles Spoones Hatchets and suche other necessary wares for they haue not the vse of golde and syluer The description of the regions people and riuers lying North and East from Moscouia as the way from Moscouia to the riuer Petzora and the prouince Iugaria or Iuhra and from thence to the riuer Obi. Likewyse the description of other countreys and regions euen vnto thempire of the great Cham of Cathay THE dominion of the prince of Moscouia reacheth farre towarde the East North vnto the places whiche we wyll nowe describe As concernyng whiche thyng I translated a booke that was presented vnto me in the Moscouites tongue haue here made a breefe rehearsal of the same I wyl first therfore describe the iourney from Moscouia to Petzora and so to Iugaria and Obi. From Moscouia to the citie of Vuolochda are numbred fyftie werstes one werst conteynyng almoste the space of an Italian myle From Vuolochda to Vstiug toward the ryght hande descending with the course of the riuer of Vuolochda and Suchana with whom it ioyneth are compted fyue hundred werstes where within two werstes of the towne called Strelze and hard by the citie of Vstiug Suchana ioyneth Iug which runneth from the South from whose mouth vnto the sprynges of the same are numbred fyue hundred werstes Note that whereas here before the aucthor numbreth but fyftie werstes from Moscouia to Vuolochda it seemeth that the place is corrupted by the Printers mistakyng one woorde for an other as Quinquaginta whiche is fyftie for Quingenta whiche is fyue hundred For the distance is no lesse from Moscouia to Vuolochda then is from Vuolochda to Vstiug whiche is fyue hundred werstes But Suchana and Iug after they ioyne togeather lose their first names and make both one riuer named Dwina by the which the passage to the citie of Colmogor conteineth fyue hundred werstes from whence in the space of sixe dayes iourney Dwina entreth into the North Ocean at syxe mouthes and the greatest parte of this iourney consysteth by Nauigation for by lande from Vuolochda vnto Colmogor passyng ouer the ryuer Vuaga are a thousande werstes Not farre from Colmogor the riuer Pienega runnyng from the East on the ryght hand for the space of seuen hundred wersts falleth into Dwina From Dwina by the riuer Pienega by the space of two hundred werstes they come to a place called Nicolai from whence within halfe a werst shyppes haue passage into the riuer Kuluio whiche hath his originall from a lake of the same name towarde the North from whose sprynges is eight dayes viage to the mouth of the same where it entreth into the Ocean Sayling by the coastes of the ryght hande of the sea they passe by the regions of Stanuwische Calunczscho and Apnu And sayling about the promontorie or cape of Chorogoski Nosz Stanuwische Camenckh and Tolstickh they come at the length into the riuer Mezen and from thence in the space of syxe dayes to a village of the same name standing in the mouth of the riuer Pieza by the whiche agayne ascendyng towarde the left hande and Sommer East they come to the riuer Piescoia from whence sayling for the space of fyue werstes they come into two lakes in the whiche are seene two wayes ▪ whereof one on the ryght syde goeth to the riuer Rubicho by the whiche they passe to the riuer Czircho Other by an other and shorter way bryng their shyppes from the lake directly into Czircho from whence excepte they be hyndered by tempest they come in the space of three weekes to the riuer and mouth of Czilma flowyng into the great riuer Petzora whiche in that place is two werstes in breadth Saylyng from hence they come in the space of syxe dayes to the Towne castle of Pustoosero neare vnto the which Petzora entreth into the North Ocean at syxe mouthes The inhabitantes of this place are men of simple wyt they receyued the fayth of Christ and were baptised in the yeere M.D.xviii From the mouth of Czilma vnto the mouth of the ryuer Vssa goyng by Petzora is one moneths vyage Vssa hath his springes in the mountaine Poyas Semnoi being on the left hand toward the sommer East springeth out of a great stone of the same mountayne called Camen Bolschoi From the sprynges of Vssa to the mouthes of the same are numbered more then a thousande Werstes Furthermore Petzora runneth from this south winter parte from whence ascending from the mouthes of Vssa vnto the mouthes of the ryuer Stzuchogora is three weekes vyage They that described this vyage sayde that they rested betweene the mouthes of the ryuers of Stzuchogora and Potzscheriema and lefte theyr victualles there whiche they brought with them from Russia Beyond the ryuers of Petzora and Stzuchogora towarde the mountayne Camenipoias and the sea with the Ilandes there about and the Castell of Pustoosero are dyuers and innumerable nations whiche by one cōmon name are
his way good west vntyl he recken hym selfe as farre as Cape de las Palmas where the currant setteth alwayes to the eastwarde And within .xx. leagues eastwarde of Cape de las Palmas is a ryuer called De los Potos where you may haue freshe water and balasse enough and plentie of Iuery or Elephantes teeth This ryuer standeth in foure degrees and almost two terces And when you reckon your selfe as farre shotte as Cape de las Palmas beyng in a degree or a degree and a halfe you may go west west by north vntyl you come in three degrees and then you may go west northwest and northwest and by west vntyll you come in fyue degrees and then northwest And in the .vi. degrees we met northerly wyndes and great rooflyng of tydes And as we coulde iudge the currantes went to the north northwest Furthermore betweene Cape de Monte and Cape verde go great currantes which deceiue many men The .xxii. daye of Apryll we were in .viii. degrees and two terces and so we ranne to the northwest hauyng the wynde at northeast and east northeast and sometymes at east vntyll we were at .xviii. degrees and a terce whiche was on Maye daye And so from .xviii. and two terces we had the wynde at east and east northeast and sometymes at east southeast and then we reckened the Ilandes of Cape Verde easte southeast of vs we iudgyng our selues to bee .xlviii. leagues of And in .xx. and .xxi. degrees we had the wynde more easterly to the southwarde then before And so we ran to the Northwest north northwest and sometymes north by west and north vntyll we came into .xxxi. degrees where we reckoned our selues a hundred and fourescore leagues southwest and by south of the Iland de Flore or de los Flores and there wee met with the wynd at south southeast and set our course northeast In .xxiii. degrees we had the wynde at the South and southwest and then we set our course north northeast and so we ranne to .xl. degrees and then we set our course northeast the wynde being at the southwest and hauyng the Ile de Flore East of vs and xvii leagues of In .xli. degrees we met with the wynde at Northeast and so we ranne northwestwarde then we met with the wynde at the west northwest and at the west within .vi. leagues runnyng towarde the northwest and then we cast about and laye northeast vntyll we came in .xlii. degrees where wee set our course East northeast iudgyng the I le of Coruo south and by west of vs and xxxvi leagues distant from vs. A remembrance that the .xxi day of May we communed with Iohn Rafe and he thought it best to goe northeast and iudged him selfe .xxv. leagues Eastwarde to the Ile de Flore and in .xxxix. degrees and a halfe Note that in the fourth day of September vnder niene degrees we lost the sight of the north starre Note also that in the .xlv. degrees the compasse is varied .viii. degrees to the West Item in .xl. degrees the compasse dyd vary .xv. degrees in the whole Item in .xxx. degrees and a halfe the compasse is varyed .v. degrees to the West Be it also in memorie that two or three dayes before we came to cape Trepointes the pynnesse went alongest the shore thinkyng to sell some of our wares and so we came to Anker three or foure leagues west and by south of the cape Trepointes where we lefte the Trinitie Then our pynnesse came aboorde with all our men the Pynnesse also tooke in more wares They tolde me moreouer that they would goe to a place where the Prymrose was and had receyued muche golde at the first vyage to these parties and tolde me furthermore that it was a good place but I fearyng a brigantine that was then vppon the coast dyd wey and folow them left the Trinitie about foure leagues of from vs and there we rode agaynst that towne foure dayes so that Martine by his owne desire and assent of some of the Commissioners that were in the pinnesse went a shore to the towne and there Iohn Berin went to trafique from vs being three myles of trafcking at an other towne The towne is called Samma or Samua for Samma and Sammaterra are the names of the two first townes where we did traficke for golde to the Northeast of cape Trepoints Hetherto continueth the course of the vyage as it was described by the sayd Pylot Now therfore I wil speake somewhat of the countrey and people and of such thinges as are brought from thence They brought from thence at the last vyage foure hundred pound weight and odde of gold of .xxii. Carrattes and one graine in finenesse also .xxxvi. buttes of graynes and about two hundred and fyftie Elephantes teeth of all quantities Of these I sawe and measured some of .ix. spannes in length as they were crooked Some of them were as bygge as a mans thygh aboue the knee and weyed about foure score and tenne pounde weight a peece They say that some one hath been seene of a hundred and .xxv. pounde weyght Other there were which they call the teeth of calues of one or two or three yeeres whereof some were a foote and a halfe some two foote and some three or more accordyng to the age of the beast These great teeth or tuskes growe in the vpper iawe downewarde and not in the nether iawe vpwarde wherin the paynters and arras woorkers are deceyued At this laste vyage was brought from Guinea the head of an Elephante of suche huge bygnesse that only the bones or crauewe thereof besyde the nether iawe and great tuskes weyghed about two hundred weyght and was as muche as I coulde well lyfte from the grounde insomuche that consideryng also heerewith the weyght of two suche great teethe the nether iawes with the lesse teeth the tongue the great hangyng eares the bygge and long snoute or troonke with all the fleshe braynes and skynne with all other partes belongyng to the whole head in my iudgement it could wey little lesse then fyue hundred weight This head dyuers haue seene in the house of the woorthie merchant syr Andrewe Iudde where also I saw it and beheld it not onely with my bodyly eyes but much more with the eyes of my mynde and spirite considered by the woorke the cunnyng and wysedome of the workemaister without which consideration the sight of suche straunge and wonderfull thinges may rather seeme curiosities then profitable contemplations The Elephante whiche some call an Oliphante is the biggest of all foure footed beastes his forelegges are longer then his hynder he hath ankles in the lower parte of his hynder legges and fyue toes on his feete vndiuided his snoute or troonke is so long and in suche fourme that it is to him in the steede of a hande for hee neyther eateth nor drynketh but by
the prince of Ierusalem al at once In the tyme of haruest and geatheryng of fruites he is geuen wholy to praye and robbyng and with great subtiltie deceyueth the Arabians for when they thynke hym to be a myle or two of he is with them sodenly betymes in the mornyng and inuadyng theyr landes carryeth away theyr fruites Wheate and Barlye euen as he fyndeth it in the sackes and so lyueth contynually day and nyght with suche incursions When his Mares be weeried with continuall runnyng he resteth a whyle and to refreshe them geueth them Camelles mylke to drynke to coole them after theyr great labour Those Mares are of such marueylous swyftnesse that when I presently sawe them they seemed rather to flee then to runne Note also that these Arabians ryde on horses only couered with certayne clothes or mattes and weare none other vesture then only an inwarde coate or peticoate for weapon they vse a certayne long Dart of Reedes of the length of ten or twelue cubites poynted with Iron after the maner of Iauelyns and frynged with sylke When they attempt any incursyons they marche in suche order that they seeme to go in troupes they are of despicable and litle stature and of coloure betweene yealowe and blacke which some call Oliuastro They haue the voyces of women and the heare of theyr head long and blacke and layde out at large They are of greater multitude then a man woulde beleeue and are among them selues at contynuall stryfe and warre They inhabite the mountaynes and haue certayne tymes appoynted to robberye for this purpose they obserue especially the tyme when they are certayne of the passage of the Pylgryms and other that iorney that way to Mecha then lyke theeues they lye in the way and robbe them When they make these theeuysh inuasions they bryng with them theyr wyues chyldren families and all the goodes they haue Theyr houses they put vpon the Camelles for other houses haue they none but lyue onlye in tentes and pauylyons as do our Souldiers Suche tabernacles are made of blacke wooll and that rough and fylthy But to returne to our viage The eleuenth day of April departed from Mezaris a company of Camels which companie they call the Carauana to the number of .xxxv. thousand with fourtie thousand men But we were no more then threescore persons of whom the Mamalukes had taken the charge to guyde and garde vs and the Carauana of our companie whiche the Mamalukes diuided into three partes as some in the fronte other in the myddest of the army and other in a wyng after the maner of a halfe Moone inclosyng the whole armie for in this order march the peregrines which iorney in these regions as hereafter we wyll further declare But you shall fyrst vnderstand that Damasco is from Mecha fourtie dayes and fourtie nyghtes iorney Departyng therefore from Mezaris we continued our iorney that day vntyll the .xxii. houre of the day Then our Captayne and guide Agmirus after he had geuen the watch woorde and signe commaunded that euerye man shoulde rest and remayne in the place where the signe shoulde be geuen them Therefore as soone as they hearde the signe by the sound of a Trumpet they stayed and after they had vnburdened theyr Camels spent there two houres to victual them selues and theyr beastes then the Captayne geuyng a newe signe chargyng theyr Camelles agayne they departed speedyly from thence Euery Camell hath at one feedyng fyue Barly loaues rawe and not baked as bygge as a Pomegranate Takyng Horse they continued that iorney the daye and nyght folowyng vntyll xxii houres of the day and at that houre they obserue the order whiche we haue spoken of herebefore Euery eyght daye they drawe water by dyggyng the grounde or sande by the way neuerthelesse somewhere are founde Welles and Sesternes Also euery eyght daye they rest theyr Camelles two dayes to recouer theyr strength The Camelles are laden with incredible Burdens and double charge that is to meane the burden of two great Mules They drynke but once in three dayes Of the strength and valiantnesse of the Mamalukes Cap. 9. WHen they tary and rest them at the waters aforesayde they are euer enforced to conflict with a great multitude of the Arabians but the battayle is for the most parte without bloodshed For although we haue often tymes fought with them yet was there only one man slayne on our parte for these Arabians are so weake and feeble that threescore Mamalukes haue often put to the worst fyftie thousande Arabians For these feelde Arabians whiche are called Pagani are not in strength or force of armes to be compared to the Mamalukes of whose actiuitie I haue seene great experience among the whiche this is one A certayne Mamaluke layde an Apple vppon the head of his seruant at the distance of about .xii. or .xiiii. pases stroke it of from his head I sawe lykewyse an other who ryding on a sadled horse with full course for they vse saddles as we doe tooke of the saddle from the horse styll runnyng and for a space bearyng it on his head put it agayne on the horse styll continuing his full course Of the cities of Sodoma and Gomorrha Cap. 10. PAssyng the iourney of twelue dayes we came to the playne or valley of Sodoma and Gomorrha where we founde it to be true that is written in holy scripture for there yet remayne the ruynes of the destroyed citie as witnesse of Gods wrath We may affyrme that there are three cities and eche of them situate on the declining of three hylles and the ruines doe appeare about the heyght of three or foure cubites There is yet seene I wotte neare what lyke blood or rather lyke redde waxe myxte with earth It is easie to beleeue that those men were infected with most horrible vices as testifieth the baren drye filthie and vnholsome region vtterly without water Those people were once fedde with Manna but when they abused the gyft of God they were sore plagued Departyng twentie myles from these cities about thirtie of our company peryshed for lacke of water and dyuers other were ouerwhelmed with sande Goyng somewhat further forewarde we founde a little mountayne at the foote whereof we founde water and therefore made our abode there The day folowyng early in the mornyng came vnto vs xxiiii â–ª thousande Arabians askyng money for the water which we had taken We answered that we would paye nothyng bycause it was gyuen vs by the goodnesse of God Immediatly we came to hand strokes We geatheryng our selues togeather on the sayde mountayne as in the safest place vsed our Camelles in the steede of a bulwarke and placed the merchauntes in the myddest of the army that is in the myddest of the Camelles whyle we fought manfully on euery syde The battayle continued so long that water fayled both vs and our enemies in the space
when he came declared vnto him that the only cause of his commyng thyther was to visite the Sepulchre and bodie of Nabi by which woord is signified the Prophet Mahumet and that he vnderstoode that the price to be admitted to the sight of these mysteries should be foure thousande Saraphes of golde Also that he had no parentes neyther brothers sisters kinsefolkes chyldren or wyues neyther that he came thyther to buye merchaundies as spices or Baccar or Nardus or any maner of precious Iewelles but only for very zeale of religion and saluation of his soule and was therefore greatly desirous to see the bodie of the Prophet To whom the priest of the Temple they call them Side with countenance lyke one that were distraught made aunswere in this maner Darest thou with those eyes with the which thou hast committed so many horrible sinnes desyre to see him by whose sight God hath created heauen and earth To whom agayne our Captayne aunswered thus My Lorde you haue sayde truely neuerthelesse I pray you that I may fynde so much fauour with you that I may see the Prophet whom when I haue seene I will immediately thrust out myne eyes The Side aunswered O Prince I will open all thynges vnto thee So it is that no man can denye but that our Prophet dyed heere who if he would myght haue dyed at Mecha But to shewe in him selfe a token of humilitie and thereby to gyue vs example to folowe him was willyng rather heere then elsewhere to departe out of this worlde and was incontinent of Angelles borne into heauen and there receyued as equall with them Then our Captayne sayde to him Where is Iesus Christus the sonne of Marie To whom the Side answered At the feete of Mahumet Then sayde our Captayne agayne It suffyceth it suffyceth I will knowe no more After this our Captayne commyng out of the Temple and turnyng him to vs sayd See I pray you for what goodly stuffe I would haue payde three thousande Saraphes of golde The same daye at euenyng at almost three a clocke of the nyght ten or twelue of the Elders of the secte of Mahumet entred into our Carauana whiche remayned not paste a stone cast from the gate of the citie These ranne hyther and thyther crying lyke madde men with these wordes Mahumet the messenger and Apostle of God shall ryse agayne O Prophet O God Mahumet shall ryse agayne haue mercy on vs God Our Captayne and we all raysed with this crye tooke weapon with all expedition suspectyng that the Arabians were come to robbe our Carauana We asked what was the cause of that exclamation and what they cryed for they cryed as doe the Christians when sodeynly any marueylous thyng chaunceth The Elders answered Sawe you not the lyghtnyng whiche shone out of the Sepulchre of the Prophet Mahumet Our Captayne answered that he sawe nothyng and we also beyng demaunded answered in lyke maner Then sayde one of the olde men Are you slaues That is to say bought men meanyng thereby Mamalukes Then sayde our Captayne We are in deede Mamalukes Then agayne the olde man sayde Yâ—u my Lordes can not see heauenly thinges as beyng Neophiti that is newly come to the fayth and not yet confirmed in our religion To this our Captayne answered agayne O you madde and insensaâ—e beastes I had thought to haue giuen you three thousande peeces of golde but now O you dogges and progenie of dogges I will gyue you nothyng It is therefore to bee vnderstoode that none other shynyng came out of the Sepulchre then a certayne flame which the priests caused to come out of the open place of the Towre spoken of here before whereby they would haue deceyued vs. And therfore our Captaine commaunded that thereafter none of vs should enter into the Temple Of this also we haue most true experience and most certaynely assure you that there is neyther Iron or steele or the Magnes stone that should so make the toombe of Mahumet to hange in the ayre as some haue falsely imagined neyther is there any mountayne nearer then foure myles we remayned here three dayes to refreshe our company To this citie victualles and all kynde of corne is brought from Arabia Foelix and Babylon or Alcayr and also from Ethiope by the redde sea whiche is from this citie but foure dayes iourney The iourney to Mecha Cap. 14. AFter that we were satisfied or rather wearyed with the filthinesse and lothesomenesse of the trumperyes deceites trifles and hypocrises of the religion of Mahumet we determyned to goe forward on our iourney and that by guiding of a pylot who myght directe our course with the mariners boxe or compasse with also the carde of the sea euen as is vsed in saylyng on the sea And thus bendyng our iourney to the West we founde a very fayre well or fountayne from the which flowed great aboundance of water The inhabitantes affyrme that Sainct Marke the Euangelist was the aucthour of this fountayne by a miracle of God when that region was in maner burned with incredible drynesse Here we and our beastes were satisfied with drynke I may not here omit to speake of the sea of sande and of the daungers thereof This was founde of vs before we came to the mountayne of the Iewes In this sea of sand we traueiled the iourney of three dayes and nightes this is a great brode plaine all couered with white sande in maner as small as floure If by euyll fortune it so chaunce that anye trauaile that way southward if in the meane time the wind come to the north they are ouerwhelmed with sande And although they shoulde haue prosperous wynde yet are they so inuolued with sande that they scatter out of the way and can scarsely see the one the other .x. pases of And therefore thinhabitans trauaylyng this way are inclosed in cages of woodde borne with Camels and lyue in them so passyng the iorney guided by pilots with maryners compasse and card euen as on the sea as we haue sayde In this iorney also many peryshe for thirst and many for drynkyng to muche when they fynde suche good waters In these sandes is founde Momia whiche is the fleshe of such men as are drowned in these sandes and there dryed by the heate of the Sunne So that those bodyes are preserued from putrifaction by the drynesse of the sand and therefore that drye fleshe is esteemed medicinable Albeit there is an other kynde of more pretious Momia which is y e dryed and embalmed bodies of kynges and princes whiche of long tyme haue been preserued drye without corruption When the wynde bloweth from the northeast theÌ„ the sand riseth is driuen against a certaine mountayne which is an arme of the mount Sinai There we found certayne pyllers artificially wrought whiche they call Ianuan On the lefte hande of the sayde mountayne in the
about theyr neckes and therefore when they come to any citie they blowe theyr hornes all at once to make the inhabitantes afrayde as do they that with vs keepe Crowes or Rookes out of the corne Then commyng to talke with the citizens they demaund victuales and what soeuer other thynges they stande in neede of Whyle the kyng any tyme resteth a whyle in one place almost all the whole armye gardyng his person about his pauylion fyue or syxe hundred in the meane tyme raunge abroade togeather to geat what they can They tarry not past three dayes in one place but are euer wanderyng after the maner of the vagabunde Egyptians Arabians Tartars The region is not fruiteful but rough with craggie mountaines The houses of the citie are despicable the citie is also without walles This kyng is enemie to the Soltan of Machamir vexeth hym greatly with diuers incursions Of the citie of Ceull and the maner of the people Cap. 3. DEpartyng from Cambia in twelue dayes iorney I came to a citie named Ceull the land that lieth betweene them both is called Guzerat The kyng of this citie is an Idolatour they are of darke yealowe colour or Lion tawnye some were suche slender apparrell as they whom wee haue spoken of before other are naked coueryng onlye theyr pryuyties They are prompt to the warres and vse swordes bowes dartes slynges and rounde targettes They haue engines to beat downe walles to make great slaughter in an armie the citie hath walles and is distant from the sea but three myles A fayre ryuer runneth by the citie by the whiche much merchandies is brought thyther The soyle beareth almost all maner of fruites except Uynes Walnuttes and Chestnuttes It hath also Wheate Barlie and other kyndes of corne Here is made great plentie of Bombasyne cloth They are such Idolatours as are they of Calecut of whom we wyl speake hereafter yet are there in the citie many merchants Mahumetans They exercise iustice The kyng entertayneth but a small armie There are many horses and kyne Two dayes iorney from hence is a citie named Dabuly hauyng a great ryuer runnyng by it It hath walles after the maner of ours The soyle is fruiteful and the citie beautifull There are innumerable merchauntes Mahumetans The kyng is an Idolater and hath an armye of .xxx. thousande men They are in maners lyke vnto the other and of the same colour Of Goga an Ilande of India Cap. 4. DEpartyng from hence I came to the Iland of Goga not past a myle destant from the continent This payeth yeerely trybute to the kyng of Dechan a thousand peeces of golde of the value of the Saraphes of Babylon hauyng on the one syde the Image of the dyuell and on the other syde certayne vnknowen caractes Uppon the sea coaste of one syde of this Ilande is a towne buylded after the maners of ours The gouernour is a certayne Captayne of soldiers named Sauain he hath in his regiment foure hundred Mamalukes and is also a Mamaluke hym selfe and therefore when he fyndeth any whyte men he entertayneth them frendly and geueth them stypende of twentie Saraphes of golde euery moneth But he fyrst maketh profe of their strength and valiantnesse by wrestlyng and if they be not founde meete for the warres he putteth them to handy craftes This Captayne with onely his foure hundred Mamalukes greatly vexeth the kyng of Narsinga Departyng from hence in eyght dayes iorney by lande I came to the citie of Dechan Of Dechan a very fayre citie of India Cap. 5. THe kyng or Soltan of Dechan is a Mahumetan of whom the foresayde captayne Mamaluke is entred in wages This citie is beautifull in syght and the soyle very fruitefull and plentifull in maner of all thynges necessarie The kyng is accompted a Mamaluke and with hym .xxxv. thousande men of his dominion of horsemen and footemen The citie is beautified with a marueylous fayre pallace and the pallace adourned with many fayre roomes for before you come to the kynges chamber you must passe by .xliiii. other chambers for the sollers of the chambers are so orderly disposed that one chamber styll geueth entrye into an other vntyll you come to the last The citie is compassed with a wal after the maner of the Christians The houses are not vncomely The kyng vseth incredible pompe and regal magnificence They that wayte vppon his person weare vppon theyr shooes or starpins Rubies and Diamondes and such other precious stones What ouches and iewelles they weare in theyr earynges and Condalijs Carkenettes colours let wittie men iudge comparyng the feete to the more noble partes of the bodie Sixe miles from the citie is a mountayne where Diamondes are digged It is compassed with a wall and kept with a Garrison The region hath plentie of all thynges The people are Mahumetans Theyr apparel for the most part is of sylke or at the least the sherte or inmost vesture They weare also thyne buskynnes and hose lyke gregascos or maryners slops Theyr women after the maner of the women of Damasco haue theyr faces couered The kyng keepeth in maner continual war with y e king of Narsinga The most part of his souldiers are strangers enterteyned for wages They are white men but the inhabitantes of the coloure of the other Indians The kyng is marueylous ryche and liberall He hath also a great nauie of shyps He hateth the Christians as much as any other Thus hauyng traueled this part of the region I toke my iorney towarde a citie named Bathacala fyue dayes iorney from Dechan The inhabitantes are Idolaters except certayne Mahumetan merchaunts which resort thither for marchandise It hath abundaunce of Ryse Sugar Fygges Walnuttes Wheate Corne and many other fruites and rootes vnknowen to vs. They haues Beeues Kyne Bulfes Sheepe Goates and dyuers other beastes but no Horses Mules or Asses Of certayne other goodly cities of India Cap. 6. DEpartyng from hence I tooke my iorney towarde a citie named Centacola one dayes iorney from Bathacala The prince of this citie is no lord of great richesse There is neuerthelesse abundaunce of fleshe Ryse and other suche fruites as growe in India many Mahumetans resort hyther for merchaundies The kyng is an Idolater and of Lion tawny colour They go starke naked and weare nothyng on theyr heades This prince is subiecte to the kyng of Barthacal Departyng from hence two dayes iorney I came to an Ilande named Onor whose kyng is an Idolater and serueth the deuyll and is subiect to the kyng of Narsinga He is very gentle and familier he maynteyneth eyght foystes which make excursions and lyue by rouyng and pyracie He is in great frendshyppe with the kyng of Portugale The inhabitantes couer their priuities with a sindone and are besyde all naked The soyle beareth plentie of Ryse as in other partes of India There are in
theyr spices and Iewelles by weyght Of the inhabitantes of Poliar and Hiraua and how they nourysh their children Cap. 19. THe women weane theyr children when they come to the age of three monethes and afterward nourysh them with Goates milke and when in the morning they haue giuen them milke they tomble them in the sandes all foule filthie where they let them lye all the day and are so scorched of the Sunne that farre of they seeme like Bufles Calues I neuer sawe more deformed or filthie creatures at euenyng theyr mothers gyue them milke agayne By this kinde of wylde bringing vp they become men of marueylous dexteritie in swiftnesse of runnyng and other thinges of great agilitie as to walke vppon ropes swymmyng leapyng vaultyng and such lyke Of foure footed beastes foules and birdes of Calecut Cap. 20. THere are many beastes and kyndes of birdes as Lions wilde Bores Hartes Hyndes Bufles Kyne Goates and Elephantes yet not all engendred there but brought thyther partly from other places There are also parottes of sundry colours as greene purple other mixte colours There is such multitude of them that there are men appointed to keepe them from the Ryse in the fieldes as we vse to keepe Crowes from the corne They are marueylous crying and chattering and of small price as one solde for two pense or halfe a souse There are many other birdes much vnlyke to ours which euery mornyng and euenyng make so great a noyse sweete singing that nothing can be more pleasant or delectable to heare and therfore the inhabitantes lyue in great pleasure and in maner as it were in an earthly Paradyse in continuall spryng and florishyng of floures hearbes trees all the yeere long besyde also the goodly and holsome temperatenesse of the ayre being neither extreme hotte nor colde but in maner in temperature of continuall spring tyme. That region hath also Monkeys which are there of small price These are very hurtfull to husbandmen and such as liue by tillage of the grounde for they clyme the trees of those goodly Indian Nuts precious fruite wherof we haue spoken here before of the which they make wyne which these beastes do spill and cast downe the vesselles that are made faste there to receyue the sayde liquor of wyne Of certayne Serpentes which are seene in Calecut Cap. 21. THere are certayne Serpentes of suche bignesse that they are equal to swine theyr heads are much greater then the heads of Bores they are foure footed and of the length of foure cubites and are engendred in marishes The inhabitantes say that they are without poison and doe not otherwyse hurt then by byting There are furthermore three kindes of Serpentes of the which some are of so strong poison that if they drawe neuer so litle blood present death foloweth whiche thing chaunced oftentymes whilest I was there Of these kindes of serpentes some are of the bignesse of an Aspe many much bigger Of these there are a very great number The cause wherof they say is this That the kyng of Calecut of a certaine foolishe superstition maketh so great accompt of these Serpentes that he causeth litle houses or cottages to be made for them beleeuyng that they haue vertue against ouer much raine ouerflowing of riuers and therfore if a man kill any of them he is punished with death as though he had killed a man and the like punishment is also for him that killeth a cowe They greatly esteeme these Serpents bicause as they say they came from heauen and therfore they take them for heauenly spirites which they affirme for that only with touching they bring present death And this is y e cause that there are many serpentes being thus permitted by the commaundement of the king These serpents know the Idolaters inhabitants from Mahumetans or other strangers and wil sooner venture vppon them When I was there I came into a house where eight men laye dead and greatly swolne whiche the day before were killed by these serpents yet doe they esteeme it for good lucke when going abrode they meete with any of them Of the lightes and Lampes which are seene in the Pallace of the kyng of Calecut Cap. 22. IN the kynges Courte or Pallace are diuers mansions and very many chambers and therefore in the euenyng when it waxeth darke there are seene innumerable burning Lampes In the hall of the pallace are seene ten or twelue candelstickes of laton very fayre and of cunnyng workemanshyp muche lyke vnto goodly fountaynes and of the heyght of a man In eche of them are dyuers vesselles and in euery vessel three candels light of two spannes length and great plentie of oyle In the first vessell are many Lampes made of cordes of bombasine cotten In the myddle part is seene a narower vessel also full of lampes and lightes In the lowest vessell also the like number of lightes But in an other vessel in the toppe of all the candelsticke are in maner innumerable lightes mainteyned with oyle and haue matches of bombasine cotton At the angles or corners of these candelsticks are the Images of deuils whiche also holde the lightes that are in the kinges presence When any of the kinges blood dyeth hee sendeth for all the Bramini or priestes of his realme commaund them to mourne for the space of a yeere At theyr commyng hee banqueteth them three dayes togeather and at theyr departyng giueth eche of them fyue peeces of golde Of the great multitude of Idolaters which resort to Calecut for pardon of their sinnes Cap. 23. NOt farre from the citie of Calecut is a certayne churche or Temple compassed about with water lyke an Iland builded after an auncient fashion hauing a double order of pillars much lyke the Temple of sainct Iohn De Fonte in the citie of Rome In the middest of the Temple is an Altar of stone where the people sacrifice to Idolles Betweene the pillars on hygh is a Boate of the length of two pases and full of oyle Also rounde about the Temple are many trees with an innumerable multitude of Lampes lightes hanging on them The temple also it selfe is as ful of lyghtes The .xxv. day of December resorteth thyther an infinite multitude of people from all partes euen for the distance of .xv. dayes iorney and especially of the priestes to whom parteyneth the order of sacrificeyng But they do not sacrifice vnto theyr Idolles before they washe them selues in the water whiche is about the Temple When the priestes assende to the place whereas is the boate fylled with oyle as we haue said they spryncle the people with the sayd oile but annoynte onely their heads Who beyng so annoynted may then proceede to the sacrifice On the one syde of the altar where they sacrifice is seene a most horrible fourme of a deuyl to whom the people prostrate
affyrme by this coniecture that there is yet seene the print of the steppes of his feete of the length of almost two spannes The inhabitants are subiect to the kyng of Narsinga and paye hym tribute The region is of temperate ayre although it be situate in maner vnder the Equinoctiall lyne The people are of darke tawny colour Theyr apparell are certayne single clokes of bombasine cloth whiche they weare bearyng euer the ryght arme out all naked as is the maner of all the Indians They are no warrelyke men neyther haue they the vse of Iron Here my companyon solde to the kyng muche Saffran and Coralles Of Paleachet a citie of India Cap. 5. DEpartyng from the Ilande of Zailon in three dayes saylyng we came to a citie named Paleachet subiecte to the kyng of Narsinga It is a famous marte of ryche merchaundies and especially of iewels and precious stones brought thyther from Zailon and Pego. There is also great plentie of spices There dwell in the citie many Mahumetan merchauntes where we beyng receiued in one of theyr houses tolde hym from whence we came and what merchaundies we brought as Saffran and Coralles whereof he was very glad The citie hath great scarsnesse of corne but plentie of Ryse and in other fruitefulnesse of the soyle and maner of the people much lyke vnto Calecut But because they were at dissention with the kyng of Tarnassari and prepared warres agaynst hym we departed from thence and in .xiii. dayes saylyng arryued at the citie of Tarnassari a hundred myles distant Of Tarnassari a citie of India Cap. 6. THis citie is not farre from the sea and situate on a meetly equall grounde well walled hauyng also a famous porte and a very fayre ryuer runnyng on the North syde of the citie The kyng is an Idolatour and a prince of great power He keepeth continuall warre with the kyngs of Narsinga and Bangella He bryngeth to the feelde a hundred Elephantes of the fayrest and byggest that euer I sawe He hath an armie of an hundred thousand pencionarie footmen as many horsemen Theyr weapons are swoordes rounde targettes peltes bowes dartes and iauelins of great and long reedes They are also armed with iackes made of bombasine cotton wrought very harde and closely couched Theyr houses are walled and continent in order as ours are The region bryngeth foorth wheate bombasine sylke of sundrye kindes of colours Brasile and sundrye kyndes of fruites muche lyke vnto ours Also apples of Assiria Oranges Limons Citrons Gourdes Cucumbers c. Of the wylde and tame beastes of the citie of Tarnassary Cap. 7. THis region bryngeth foorth many beastes both wyld and tame The tame beastes are Oxen Kyne Sheepe Gotes Hogges Hartes and Hyndes The wylde beastes are Lions Wolues Cattes of the mountayne and also Muskecattes In the feeldes are many Peacockes and those kynde of Egles whiche we call Falcons Popingays also or Parrottes marueylous fayre of the which some are white and other of seuen colours There is lykewyse great plentie of Hares and Partriges and diuers other sortes of great byrdes liuyng by praye muche bygger then Eagles for of the vpper parte of their beckes they make hafâ—es for swoordes The becke is of yelowe colour distincte with crimsine very fayre and beautifull to be seene But the byrde is blacke and purple with certayne whyte feathers intermyxt There are also the byggest Hennes and Cockes that euer I sawe and therefore thinhabitants and Mahumetans which dwell there take muche pleasure in Cockefyght and laye great wagers in that kynde of sporte I haue seene them fyghte for the space of syxe houres and yet sometymes they kyll one an other at the fyrst stroke There are certayne Gotes farre exceedyng ours in byggenesse and muche fayrer these are so fruitefull that at one byrth they bryng forth foure young kyddes There is so great abundaunce of beastes that twelue weathers are sold for one peece of golde to the value of a crowne or pistoleâ— There are also certayne weathers or rammes with hornes lyke vnto buckes hornes and are muche bygger and fyercer then ours Theyr Buffles are not so fayre as ours The region hath also abundaunce of fyshe very bygge and good and of small price These people eate all maner of beastes excepte Kyne They eate on the grounde without carpet or other cloth yet haue they vessells of woodde artificially made Theyr drynke is water and suger theyr beddes are raysed from the grounde after the maner of ours Theyr couche is of bombasine cotton and the couerynges of sylke Theyr apparell is a cloke or mantell of bombasine or sylke with one arme out all bare But some of the merchauntes weare inner vestures or shirtes of sylke or bombasine cloth They go all barefooted except the priestes whiche weare on theyr heads certayne rayles or crestes of two spannes long with a knotte on the crowne lyke vnto an Acorne and sparkled with golde They delyght also in earinges but weare neyther rynges nor braslettes The colour of the inhabitantes inclyneth to whyte for the temperature of the climate or ayre is colder then at Calecut Theyr maner of tyllage and geatheryng of fruite is lyke vnto ours Of the maner which the kyng of Tarnassarie vseth when he permitteth his wyfe to be defloured of white men Cap. 8. THis kyng vseth not to geue his wyfe to the priestes to be defloured as doth the kyng of Calecut but committeth this facte to whyte men as to the Christians or Mahumetans for he wyll not suffer the Idolaters to do this The inhabitantes lykewyse haue not to do carnally with theyr wyues before some whyte man of what so euer nation haue fyrst the breakyng of them The maner of burnyng dead bodyes in the citie of Tarnassary Cap. 9. WHen the kyng or any of the priestes or gentlemen dye their bodies are burnt in a great fyre made of a pile of wood then all the whyle they sacrifice vnto the deuyll Their asshes are reserued in certayne pottes of the earth of Samos and buryed in theyr houses They sacrifice in y e shadows of trees as do they of Calecut Whilst the bodyes are burnyng they cast in the fyre all maner of sweete sauoures as Aloes Myrre Frankensence Storax Sandals Corall and innumerable suche other sweete gummes spices and trees These make the fyre muche greater encreasyng the flame by reason of theyr gummositie in the meane tyme also they neuer ceasse to make a great noyse with Trumpettes Pipes Drummes Tambarells and suche other instruments not muche vnlyke the ceremonies which in olde tyme were vsed among the gentiles in canonisyng theyr saintes Furthermore duryng these funeralls there are .xv. or .xx. disguised lyke deuyls whiche continually walke rounde about the fyre with many strange gesticulations after the maner of reioycyng The wyfe also of the burned kyng or priest standeth by the tyre alone without the companye of any other woman lamentyng and beatyng her
knowledge thereof But nowe intendyng to speake of the whole worlde I wyll not be long in my preface but begyn my narration as foloweth ¶ A briefe declaration of the viage or nauigation made about the worlde Geathered out of a large booke written hereof by master Antoni Pigafetta Vincentine knyght of the Rhodes and one of the companie of that vyage in the which Ferdinando Magalianes a Portugale whom some call Magellanus was generall captayne of the nauie ALthough Sebastian Munster in his vniuersall Cosmographie in the fyfth booke of the landes of the greater Asia which I translated into Englyshe about .24 yeeres sence hath wrytten of the vyage of Magellanus declaryng therein how the Spanyardes by the West and the Portugales by the East sayling to the Ilandes of Molucca compassed the whole globe of the worlde betweene them yet haue I heere thought it good to make a breefe repeticion of this vyage addyng hereunto dyuers notable thynges which were not touched of Munster as I haue geathered them out of the bookes of Antoni Pigafetta and Transiluanus wrytyng of the same vyage For albeit in deede it was a strange and woonderfull thyng that the Spanyardes and Portugales compassed the whole circumference of the worlde betweene them yet is it more marueylous that the same was done with one ship one companie of men as did the Spanyardes in this viage who keeping their continual course by the west returned into Spaine by the east a thing doubtlesse so much more woonderful and strange then if they had returned from the halfe circumference by the same way they went in how muche they were ignorant in the vyage neuer attempted before besyde the thousande daungers and perylles whiche they were daylye lyke to fal into aswell by wandryng in vnknowen coastes as also by fallyng into the handes of the Portugales by whose dominions in the East they shoulde needes passe of necessitie not trustyng to their gentlenesse for the controuersie whiche had been long betweene them for the Ilandes of Molucca I wyl therfore as I haue sayde make a briefe rehearsal of this viage from the begynnyng to the endyng omittyng neuerthelesse many notable thynges whiche are more largely described in the bookes of Maximilianus Transiluanus and Antonius Pigafetta The tenth day of August in the yeere of our Lord .1519 Ferdinando Magalianes ▪ departed from the port of Siuile in Spayne with a nauie of fyue shippes and 237. men wel furnished with all thynges necessary And saylyng first downe by the ryuer of Guadalchiber which runneth from the sayd port into the sea they came first to a place named Giouan Dulpharaz where are many villages of the Moores and from thence arryued at a castle of the duke of Medina Sidonia where is the port from whiche they enter into the sea to the cape saint Vincent beyng distant from the Equinoctial .37 degrees and from the sayd port .10 leagues and is from thence to Siuile betweene 17. and 20. leagues Heere they remayned certayne dayes to make newe prouision of such thinges as they lacked Departyng from hence the 20. day of September they arryued the 26. day of the same moneth at one of the Ilandes of Canarie called Tenerife beyng 25. degrees aboue the Equinostial In one of these Ilandes is none other water but that is continually engendred of a cloude which appeareth dayly at noone tyde as though it descended from heauen and compasseth about a certayne great tree from whose branches distylleth great aboundaunce of water and falleth in streames from the roote of the same into certaine trenches and cesternes made and placed to receyue it This water serueth sufficiently all the inhabitauntes and cattayle of the Iland The lyke thyng is also seene in the Ilande of saint Thomas lying directly vnder the Equinoctial line The thirde day of October about mydnyght the captayne commaunded them to lyght fyre brandes and to hoyse vp theyr sayles directyng theyr course towarde the South saylyng saylyng betwene Capo Verde of Affrike and the Ilandes lying about the same beyng from the Equinoctial fourteene degrees a halfe They sayled thus many dayes in the syght of the coast of Guinea of Ethiope where is the mountayne called Serra Liona being eyght degrees aboue the Equinoctial In this coast they had no maner of contrary wynde but a great calme and fayre weather for the space of threescore and ten dayes in the whiche they came vnder the Equinoctial line In this viage they sawe many strange Fyshes monsters of the Sea besyde another strange thyng whiche appeared vnto them For there appeared in their shippes certayne flames of fyre burnyng very cleare whiche they cal saint Helen saint Nicholas these appeared as though they had been vpon the mast of the shippes in suche clearenesse that they tooke away theyr syght for the space of a quarter of an houre by reason wherof they so wandred out of theyr course and were dispearsed in sunder that they in maner dispayred to meete agayne but as God would the sea and tempest beyng quieted they came safely to their determined course And before I speake any further of the viage I haue heere thought good to say somewhat of these strange fyers whiche some ignorant folke thynke to be spirites or suche other phantasies wheras they are but naturall thynges proceedyng of naturall causes and engendred of certayne exhalations Of these therfore the great Philosopher of our tyme Hieronimus Cardanus in his second booke De Subtilitate wryteth in this maner There are two maner of fyers engendred of exhalations wherof the one is hurtful the other without hurt That which is hurtfull is fyre in deede engendred of malicious and venemous vapours whiche in successe of tyme take fyre as apt matters to be kyndled The other kynde is no true fyre but lyke the matter that is in such olde putrified wood as geueth the shynyng of fyre without the substaunce or qualitie therof Of the kynde of true fyre is the Fyreball or Starre commonly called saint Helen which is sometyme seene about the mastes of shippes beyng of such fyerie nature that it sometyme melteth brasen vessels and is a token of drownyng forasmuch as this chaunceth only in great tempestes for the vapour or exhalation wherof this fyre is engendred can not be dryuen togeather or compact in fourme of fyre but of a grosse vapour and by a great power of wynde and is therefore a token of imminent perill As on the contrary parte the lyke fyres called in olde tyme Castor and Pollux and nowe named the two lightes of Sainct Peter and Sainct Nicolas which for the most parte fall on the cables of the shyppes leapyng from one to an other with a certayne flutteryng noyse lyke byrdes are a token of securitie and of the tempest ouerpassed For they are but vapours cleauyng to the cables which in successe of tyme the fyre
Barbarians were .xv. slayne many sore wounded After the death of the Captayne they chose two other in his place of the which one was Odoardo Barbessa a Portugale and the other Iohn Serrano â–ª who was shortly after betrayde by the interpretour and taken prisoner with dyuers other Certaine dayes before the captaines death they had knowledge of the Ilandes of Molucca whiche they chiefely sought Departyng therefore from the Ilande of Mathan they sayled farre and came to the Cape of an other Ilande named Bohol In the myddest of this mayne sea which they named Archipelagus they consulted to burne the shyppe named Conception bycause they were nowe fewe in number and to furnyshe the other two shyppes with the artillerie thereof Thus directyng theyr course towarde Southwest they came to an other Ilande named Pauiloghon where they founde blacke men lyke vnto the Sarasins Shortly after they arryued at an other great Ilande whose kyng named Raia Calauar intreated them very friendly in all thynges as dyd the kyng of Massana This Ilande is ryche in golde and hath plentie of Rysse Gynger Hogges Goates Hennes and dyuers other thynges It is named Chippit and is viii degrees aboue the Equinoctiall lyne towarde our pole and in longitude from the place from whence they first departed .170 degrees and about .50 leagues from Zubut Departyng from hence they came to an other Ilande named Caghaian beyng .40 leagues from Chippit as they sayled betweene the Weste and Southwest This Ilande is very great and in maner vnhabited The people are Moores and were banished out of the Ilande of Burnei which some call Porne From this Ilande about .xxv. leagues betweene the Weste and Northweste they founde a marueylous fruitfull Ilande named Pulaoan beyng towarde our pole aboue the Equinoctiall niene degrees and a thirde parte and C.lxxix degrees and a thirde parte in longitude from the place of their departyng From this Ilande .x. leagues towarde the Southwest they sawe an other Ilande whiche seemed to them sometymes to mount as they sayled by the coastes thereof As they were entering into the port there arose a boystuous dark tempest which ceassed assoone as the fyres of the three saintes whereof we haue spoken before appeared vpon the cables From the beginning of this Iland to the porte are fyue leagues This Ilande is great and ryche and the chiefe citie thereof conteyneth .xxv. thousande houses The Kyng enterteyned our men very friendly and sent them besyde many other presentes two Elephantes trapped with silke to bryng them to his Pallace that brought the presentes which the Captayne 's sent him He hath a magnificall Courte and a great garde also a multitude of concubynes He is a Moore and is named Raia Siripada He is a kyng of great power and hath vnder him many other kynges Ilands and cities This Ilande of Burnei is aboue the Equinoctiall towarde our pole fyue degrees and a quarter and in longitude from the place of theyr departyng C.lxxvi degrees and two third partes Departyng from Burnei they came to an Ilande called Cimbulon beyng .viii. degrees aboue the Equinoctiall lyne Heere they remayned .xl. dayes to calke theyr shyppes and furnysh them with freshe water and fuell which was to them great payne and trauayle bycause they were in maner all bare footed their shooes and in maner their other apparel being worne by reason of the long vyage In the woods of this Iland they found a tree whose leaues as soone as they fall on the ground doe sturre and remoue from place to place as though they were alyue they are muche lyke the leaues of a Mulbery tree and haue on euery syde as it were two short blunt feete When they are cut or broken there is no blood seene come foorth of them Yet when any of them are touched they sodaynly moue and starte away Antoni Pigafetta kept one of them in a platter for the space of .viii. dayes and euer when he touched it it ranne rounde about the platter He supposeth that they lyue only by ayre Departyng from hence they directed theyr course by the West quarter towarde the Southeast to fynde the Ilandes of Molucca and sayled not farre from certayne mountaynes where they founde the sea full of great weedes and hearbes From hence they came to the Ilandes of Zolo and Taghima in the which are founde pearles of exceedyng bygnesse Folowyng theyr course towarde the Northeast they came to a great citie named Mangdando lying aboue the Ilandes of Butbuan and Calaghan where they tooke a Canoa of certayne of the inhabitantes by whom beyng infourmed of the Ilandes of Molucca they lefte theyr course towarde the Northeast and folowed the Southeast neare vnto a Cape of the Ilande of Buthuan they were aduertised for certentie that on the bankes of a certayne ryuer there dwelt men ouergrowen with heare and of hygh stature Folowyng styll theyr course by the Southeast and passyng by many small Ilandes they came to the Ilandes of Molucca the sixte day of Nouember and the .xxvii. moneth after their departure out of Spayne Beyng therefore ioyfull and gyuyng thankes vnto God they discharged all theyr ordinaunce In the coaste of all these Ilandes euen vnto the Ilandes of Molucca soundyng with theyr plummet they founde the deapth of the sea to be no lesse then a hundred and two yardes which is contrary to the saying of the Portugales who affyrme that no shyppe can passe that way without great daunger by reason of the shalownesse and rockes or shelues and for the darkenesse which the cloudes cause in the heauen All which things they fayned to the intent that none other should haue knowledge of theyr viages The eyght day of Nouember in the yeere 1521. before the rysing of the Sunne they entered into the porte of the Ilande of Tidore beyng one of the chiefe Ilandes of Molucca where they were honorably interteyned of the kyng who declared that he had long before seene a signe in heauen that certayne shyppes shoulde come from a farre countrey to the Ilandes of Molucca And that whereas for the better certificate thereof he considered the stations of the Moone he sawe therein the commyng of our shyppes and that we were the men whom he seemed to see in the same Wherevppon he profered him selfe to enter into league of friendshyp with the kyng of Spayne and to accepte our men as his brethren and chyldren wyllyng them to come alande as into theyr owne houses Also that for theyr commyng that Ilande shoulde no more bee called Tidore but Castile for the great loue whiche he bore to theyr Kyng whom he reputed as his Lorde and maister This Kyng is a Moore and is named Raia Sultan Mauzor The Ilandes of Molucca are fyue in number and are thus named Tarenate Tidore Mutir Macchian and Bacchian Of these Tarenate is the cheefest Directly agaynst the
the hart A man worthy to serue any prynce and most vilely vsed And of seuenscore men came home to Plymmowth scarsely fourtie and of them many dyed And that no man shoulde suspect these wordes whiche I haue sayd in commendation of Pinteado to be spoken vppon fauour otherwyse then truth I haue thought good to ad hereunto the coppie of the letters which the kyng of Portugale and the infant his brother wrote vnto hym to reconcyle hym at suche tyme as vppon the kyng his maisters displeasure and not for any other cryme or offence as may appeare by the sayde letters he was only for pouertie inforced to come into Englande where he fyrst persuaded our merchauntes to attempt the sayde vyages to Guinea But as the kyng of Portugale to late repented hym that he had so punyshed Pinteado vppon malicious informations of suche as enuied the mans good fortune euen so may it hereby appeare that in some cases euen Lions them selues may either be hyndred by the contempt or ayded by the helpe of the poore myse accordyng vnto the fable of Esope The copie of Antoni Anes Pinteado his letters patentes wherby the king of Portugale made him knyght of his house after al his troubles and imprisonment which by wrong information made to the king he had susteined of long time being at the last deliuered his cause knowen and manifested to the kyng by a grey fryer the kynges confessour I The kyng do geue you to vnderstande lorde Frances Desseosa one of my counsaile and ouerseer of my house that in consideration of the good seruice which Antonie Anes Pinteado the sonne of Iohn Anes dwellyng in the towne called the porte hath done vnto me my wyl and pleasure is to make him knight of mi house alowing to him in pension seuē hundred reis monethly and euery day one alcayre of barly as long as he keepeth a horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinaunce of my house Prouydyng alwayes that he shal receyue but one mariage gifte And this also in such condition that the tyme which is excepted in our ordinaunce forbiddyng such men to marry for gettyng suche chyldren as myght succeede them in this alowance which is syxe yeeres after the makyng of this patent shal be fyrst expired before he do mary I therfore commaund you to cause this to be entred in the booke called the Matricola of our housholde vnder the title of knyghtes And when it is so entred let the clarke of y e Matricola for the certaintie thereof wryte on the backsyde of this Aluala or patent the number of the leafe wherin this our graunt is entered Which doone let him returne this writing vnto the said Anthonie Anes Pinteado for his warrant I Diego Henriques haue wrytten this in Almarin the twenty and two day of September in the yeere of our Lorde .1551 And this beneuolence the kyng gaue vnto Anthonie Anes Pinteado the twentie and fyue day of Iuly this present yeere Rey. The secretaries declaration written vnder the kynges graunt YOur Maiestie hath vouchsafed in respect consideration of the good seruice of Anthonie Anes Pinteado dwellyng in the port and sonne of Iohn Anes to make hym knyght of your house with ordinarie allowance of seuen hundred Reys pension by the moneth and one Alcayr of Barley by the day as long as he kepeth a Horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinance of your house with condition that he shall haue but one mariage gyft and that not within the space of .vi. yeeres after the makyng of these letters patentes The secretaries note Entered in the booke of the Matricola Fol. 683. Francisco de Siquera The coppie of the letter of Don Lewes the infant and brother to the kyng of Portugale sent into England to Anthonie Anes Pinteado ANthonie Anes Pinteado I the infant brother to the kyng haue me hartely commended vnto you Peter Gonsalues is gone to seeke you desiring to bryng you home againe into your countrey And for that purpose hath with hym a safe conduct for you graunted by the kyng that thereby you maye freelye and without all feare come home And allthough the weather be foule and stormye yet fayle not to come For in the tyme that his Maiestie hath geuen you you maye do many thynges to your contentation and gratyfiyng the king whereof I woulde be ryght glad and to bryng the same to passe wyll do all that lyeth in me for your profite But forasmuche as Peter Gonsalues wyl make further declaration hereof vnto you I say no more at this present Wrytten in Luxburne the eyght day of December Anno. M.D.LII. The infant Don Lewes AL these forsayde wrytynges I sawe vnder seale in the house of my frende Nicholas Liese with whom Pinteado left them at his vnfortunate departyng to Guinea But notwithstandyng all these freendly letters and fayre promises Pinteado durst not attempt to goe home neyther to keepe company with the Portugales his countrey men without the presence of other forasmuch as he had secrete admonitions that they entended to sley hym yf tyme and place myght haue serued theyr wicked entent The second viage to Guinea AS in the fyrst viage I haue declared rather the order of the historie then the course of the nauigation wherof at that time I could haue no perfect information so in the discription of this seconde viage my cheefe intent hath been to 〈◊〉 the course of the same accordyng to the obseruation and ordinary custome of the maryners and as I receyued it at the handes of an expert Pilot beyng one of the cheefe in this viage who also with his owne handes wrote a briefe declaration of the same as he founde and tryed al thynges not by coniecture but by the art of saylyng and instrumentes parteynyng to the mariners facultie Not therefore assumyng to my selfe the commendations due vnto other neyther so bolde as in any part to change or otherwyse dispose the order of this viage so well obserued by arte and experyence I haue thought good to set foorth the same in suche sort and phrase of speache as is commonly vsed among them and as I receyued it of the sayd pilot as I haue said Take it therefore as foloweth In the yeere of our lorde .1554 the .11 daye of October we departed the ryuer of Temmes with three goodly shyppes the one called the Trinitie a ship of the burden of seuenscore tun the other called y e Barthelmew a shyppe of the burden of lxxxx the thyrd was the Iohn Euangelist a shyp of seuenscore tunne With the sayde shyppes and two pynnesses whereof the one was drowned in the coast of Englande we went forwarde on our vyage and stayed at Douer .xiiii. dayes We stayed also at Rye three or foure dayes Moreouer last of all we touched at Darthmouth The fyrst day of Nouember at .ix of the clocke at nyght departyng from the coaste of Englande we sette of the stert bearyng southwest al that nyght in the
well peopled hauyng abundaunce of Oliues and fleshe with also great plentie of corne after our maner but no vines and great scarsenesse of woodde The inhabitauntes are vnciuile and rusticall people of the nation of vagabunde and feelde Arabians and therfore but poore Departing frō hence one dai◠iorney I came to an other citie named Aiaz situate vppon two hylles with a great plaine betweene them and hath in it a notable fountayne therfore diuers nations resort thither as to a famous mart The inhabitauntes are Mahumetans and yet greatly differyng in opinion of theyr religion insomuche that therefore they be at great enimitie one agaynst the other and keepe sore warre The cause whereof they saye to be this That the people of the north mountayne maynteyne the fayth and secte of Mahumet and his felowes of whom we haue spoken before but the other of the South mountayne affyrme that fayth shoulde be geuen onely to Mahumet and Haly saying the other to be false prophetes But let vs nowe returne to the marte Almost all maner of spices are brought hyther The region bryngeth foorth sylke and bombassine also diuers goodly fruites and vynes On the toppe of both the hylles are very strong fortresses two dayes iorney from thence is the citie of Dante well fortified both by arte and nature situate in the toppe of a very great mountaine Of Almacharan a citie of Arabia Faelix and of the fruitefulnesse thereof Cap. 8. DEpartyng from Dantè we came to the citie of Almacharan in two dayes iorney This is situate on a very hygh mountayne and declynyng and difficulte to ascende as of the heyght of seuen myles and the way so narow that onely two men can passe togeather In the toppe is a playne of incredible largenesse very fruiteful with plentie of all thynges to the vse of man And therefore I thynke it to be inexpugnable inaccessible hauyng also so great abundaunce of water that one fountaine may suffice for a hundred thousand men And therfore they saye that the Soltan here hydeth his treasure because he was borne in this citie Here also euer remayneth one of his wyues The ayre is marueylous temperate and holsome and the citie seconde to none in all respectes the colour of the inhabitantes is rather enclynyng to whyte then any other colour And to speake that I haue seene the Soltan reserueth here as much golde as wyll lade a hundred Camels Of Reame a citie of Arabia Faelix and the temperatenesse thereof Cap. 9. THis citie is distaunt two dayes iorney from Almacaran The colour of the inhabitantes is enclinyng to blacke they are great merchantes The soyle is fruitfull of all thynges sauyng wood it conteyneth in circuite two thousande houses on the one syde is a mountayne hauyng on it a very strong fortresse Here I saw a certayne kinde of sheepe hauyng theyr tayles of fortie and foure pounde weyght and are without hornes and also so marueylous fat that they can scarcely goe for fatnesse There be lykewyse certayne grapes without graynes the sweetest that euer I eate and al maner of suche fruites as I haue spoken of before It is of marueylous temperatenesse as witnesseth the long lyfe of men for I haue spoken with many of them that haue passed the age of a hundred and fyue and twentie yeeres yet verye lusty and wel complexioned They goe for the most part naked wearyng only shyrts or other loose and thynne apparell lyke Mantelles puttyng out one Arme all bare Almoste all the Arabians make them Hornes with wreathyng of theyr owne heare and that they thynke very comely Of Sana a citie of Arabia Faelix Cap. 10. DEpartyng from thence three dayes iorney I came to a citie named Sana situate vppon a verye hyghe mountayne verye strong by Arte and Nature The Soltan besyeged this with a great armye of fourescore thousande men for the space of three monethes but coulde neuer wynne it Yet it was at the last rendered by composition The walles are of eyghteene cubites heyght and twentie in breadth insomuch that eyght Camels in order may wel marche vpon them The region is very fruitefull and muche lyke vnto ours and hath plentie of water A Soltan is Lorde of the citie hee hath twelue sonnes of the whiche one is named Mahumet who by a certayne naturall tyrannye and madnesse delyteth to eate mans fleeshe and therfore secretly kylleth many to eate them He is of large and strong body of foure cubites hygh and of the coloure inclinyng to ashes The soyle beareth certayne spyces not farre from the citie It conteyneth about foure thousand houses The houses are of fayre buyldyng and geue no place to ours The citie is so large that it conteyneth within the walles fieldes gardens and medowes Of Taessa Zibith and Damar great cities of Arabia Eaelix Cap. 11. AFter three dayes iorney I came to a citie named Taessa sytuate vppon a mountayne and verye fayre to syght it hath plentie of all delices and especially of marueylous fayre Roses whereof they make Rose water It is an auncient citie and hath in it a Temple buylded after the fashion of the churche of Sancta Maria Rotunda in Rome The houses are very fayre and shewe yet the monumentes of antiquitie innumerable merchantes resort hyther for the trafficke of sundry merchandies In apparrell they are lyke vnto other and of darkyshe ashe coloure of skynne enclynyng to blacke Three dayes iorney from thence I came to an other citie named Zibith very fayre and good distaunt from the redde sea onlye halfe a dayes iorney there is great abundance of merchandies by reason of the nearenesse of the sea It aboundeth with many goodly thynges and especially with most white Suger and sundrye kyndes of pleasant fruites It is sytuate in a very large playne within two mountaynes it lacketh walles and is one of the cheefest martes for all sortes of spyces The inhabitants are of the colour of them aforesaide From hence in one dayes iorney I came to the citie of Damar it is in a fruitefull soyle and hath great exercise of merchandise The inhabitants are Mahumetans in apparrell and colourlyke vnto the other Of the Soltan of the aforesayde cities and why he is named Sechamir Cap. 12. THese cities whereof we haue spoken here a litle before are subiect to a Soltan of Arabia Faelix named Sechamir Secha by interpretation signifieth holy and Amir a Prince named the holy Prince because he abhorreth sheddyng of mans blood At the tyme of my beyng there in pryson he nouryshed syxteene thousand poore men and captiues in pryson condemned to death allowyng to euery of them dayly for theyr diet syxe of theyr pence of the smallest valure and at home in his pallace entertayneth as many blacke slaues Of Monkeys and Marmasettes and other beastes noysome to men Cap. 13. DEpartyng from hence I returned to the citie of Aden in three dayes iorney
in the midde waye I founde an exceedyng hygh and large mountayne where is great pentie of wylde beastes and especially of Monkeys whiche runne about the mountayne euery where There are also many Lions very noysome to men and therefore it is not safe to iorney that way but when a multitude of men goe togeather at the least to the number of a hundred I passed this way with a great companie and yet were we in daunger of the Lions and other wylde beastes which folowed vs for we were sometimes constrayned to fyght with them with dartes slyngs and bowes vsyng also the helpe of dogges and yet escaped hardly When I came to the citie I fayned my selfe sicke and in the day tyme lurked in the temple and went foorth only in the night to speake with the pilot of the shyp of whom I haue made mention before and obteyned of hym a foist or barke to depart thence secretly Of certayne places of Ethiopia Cap. 14. IN the syxt chapter here before I haue made mention howe departing from the queene I went to the citie of Aden where I couenaunted with a certayne pilot to goe with hym into India and that he woulde not go thyther before he had fyrst made a viage into Persia and that at my fyrst beyng in the citie of Aden he coulde not yet for the space of a moneth depart from thence Duryng whiche tyme I traueyled the regions and cityes whereof I haue spoken vnto this my returne to Aden Nowe therfore accordyng to our agreement to trauayle diuers countreys and regions committing our selues to the sea we were by inconstant fortune and sundry tempestes deterred from that viage for whereas we were nowe syxe dayes sailyng on our waye to Persia a sodayne contrary tempeste droue vs out of our waye and cast vs on the coast of Ethiope Our barkes were laden with rubricke that is a certayne redde earth which is vsed to dye cloth for yeerely from the citie of Aden departe fyfteene or twentie shyps laden with rubricke which is brought out of Arabia Faelix Beyng therefore thus tossed with stormes we were dryuen into a port named Zeila where we remayned fyue dayes to see the citie and tarrye vntyll the sea were more quiet Of the citie Zeila in Ethiopia and the great fruitfulnesse therof and of certayne straunge beastes seene there Cap. 15. IN this citie is great freequentation of merchandies as in a most famous mart There is marueylous abundance of gold and Iuerye and an innumerable number of blacke slaues solde for a small pryce these are taken in warre by the Mahumetan Mores out of Ethyopia of the kyngdome of Presbiter Iohannes or Preciosus Iohannes whiche some also call the kyng of Iacobins or Abyssins beyng a Christian and are caried away from thence into Persia Arabia Faelix Babylonia of Nilus or Alcair and Mecha In this citie iustice and good lawes are obserued the soyle beareth Wheate and hath abundaunce of flesh and diuers other commodious thynges It hath also Oyle not of Olyues but of some other thyng I knowe not what There is also plentie of Hony and Waxe there are lykewyse certayne sheepe hauyng theyr tayles of the weyght of syxeteene pounde and exceedyng fatte the head and necke are blacke and all the rest whyte There are also sheepe altogeather whyte hauyng tayles of a cubite long hangyng downe lyke a great cluster of grapes and haue also great lappes of skynne hangyng from theyr throtes as haue Bulles and Oxen hangyng downe almost to the grounde There are also certaine Kyne with hornes lyke vnto Hartes hornes these are wylde and when they bee taken are geuen to the Soltan of that citie as a kyngly present I sawe there also certayne Kyne hauyng only one horne in the middest of the forehead as hath the Unicorne and about a spanne of length but the horne bendeth backwarde they are of bryght shynyng red colour But they that haue Hartes hornes are enclynyng to blacke colour Conye is there good cheepe The citie hath an innumerable multitude of merchants the walles are greatly decayed and the hauen rude and despicable The kyng or Soltan of the citie is a Mahumetan and entertayneth in wages a great multitude of foote men and horsemen They are greatly geuen to warres and weare onlye one loose syngle vesture as we haue sayde before of other They are of darke ashye colour enclining to blacke In the warres they are vnarmed and are of the sect of Mahumet Of Barbara an Ilande of Ethiope Cap. 16. AFter that the tempestes were appeased wee gaue wynde to our sayles and in shorte tyme arryued at an Ilande named Barbara the Prince whereof is a Mahumetan The Ilande is not great but fruitfull and well peopled it hath abundance of flesh The inhabitants are of colour enclynyng to blacke Al theyr ryches is in heardes of cattayle We remayned here but one day and departyng from hence sayled into Persia. The thyrde booke entreateth of Persia and of certayne townes and partes of Persia. Cap. 1. WHen we had sayled the space of twelue dayes we aryued at a citie called Diuobanderrumi that is to say the holy porte of Turkes It is but a litle way from the continent when the sea ryseth with hye tydes it is an Iland enuironed with water but at a lowe fludde or decrease of the sea one may go thyther by land it is subiect to the Soltan of Cambaia The Gouernour is named Menacheas It is a marte of great merchandies There dwell about it foure hundred merchants of Turky it is well walled round about and defended with al sorts of engins They haue barkes and brygantines somewhat lesse then ours we remained here two daies Departyng from hence we came to an other citie named Goa in the space of three dayes iorney this also aboundeth with merchandies and is a mart greatly frequented The soyle is fruitefull with plentie of all thynges necessary the inhabitantes are Mahumetans Neare vnto this are two other fayre cities and portes named Giulfar and Meschet Of the Iland and citie of Ormus or Armusium and of an Iland of Persia where pearles are found Cap. 2. PRoceedyng on our viage we came to a citie named Ormus verye fayre This is seconde to none in goodlye situation and plentie of pearles it is in an Ilande dystaunt from the continent twelue myles It hathe great scarcenesse of freshe water and corne From other regions is brought thyther all victualles that nouryshe the inhabitauntes Three dayes saylyng from thence are geathered those muscles which bryng foorth the fayrest and byggest pearles they are taken as I will nowe declare There are certayne men that get theyr lyuing by fyshyng These hauing small Boates cast into the sea a great stone fastened to a corde and this on both sydes of the Boate to make it as stedfast and immoueable as a shyppe lying at an Anker The Boate