other hauyng in it but onely one kyng and hym of so great power that at suche tymes of the yeere as the sea is calme he inuadeth theyr dominions with a great nauie of Culchas spoylyng and cariyng away for a praye all that he meeteth This Ilande is distant from these coastes only twentie myles So that the promontories or poyntes thereof reachyng into the sea may be seene from the hylles of this continent In the sea neere about this Ilande sea muscles are engendred of such quantitie that many of them are as brode as bucklers In these are pearles founde beyng the hartes of those shell fysshes oftentymes as bygge as beanes somtymes bygger then Olyues and suche as sumptuous Cleopatra myght haue desyred Although this Ilande be so neere to the shore of this firme lande yet is the begynnyng thereof in the mayne sea without the mouth of the gulfe Vaschus beyng ioyful and mery with this rych communication fantasyng nowe in maner nothing but princes treasures beganne to speake fierce and cruell woordes against the tyrant of that Ilande meanyng hereby to wynne the myndes of the other kynges and bynde them to hym with a neerer bonde of frendeshyp Yet therefore raylyng further on hym with spytefull and approbrious woords he swore great othes that he woulde forthwith inuade the Ilande spoylyng destroying burnyng drownyng and hangyng sparyng neyther swoorde nor fyre vntyll he had reuenged theyr iniuries and therewith commaunded his Culchas to be in a redynes But the two kynges Chiapes and Tumaccus â–ª exhorted hym frendly to deferre this enterprise vntil a more quiet season bycause that sea was nor nauigable without great danger beyng nowe the begynnyng of Nouember Wherein the kynges seemed to saye true For as Vaschus hym selfe wryteth great roring of the sea was heard among the Ilands of the gulfe by reason of the ragyng and conflict of the water Great ryuers also descendyng from the toppes of the mountaynes the same tyme of the yeere and ouerflowyng theyr bankes dryuyng downe with theyr violence great rockes and trees make a marueylous noyse Lykewise the furie of the South and Northeast wyndes associate with thunder and lyghtnyng at the same season dyd greatly molest them Whyle the wether was fayre they were vexed in the night with colde and in the day tyme the heat of the Sonne troubled them wherof it is no marueyle forasmuche as they were neere vnto the Equinoctial line although they make no mention of the eleuation of the pole for in suche regions in the nyght the Moone and other colde planettes but in the day the Sonne and other hotte planettes doo cheefely exercyse theyr influence although the antiquitie were of an other opinion supposyng the Equinoctiall circle to bee vnhatable and desolate by reason of the heate of the Sonne hauyng his course perpendiculerly or directly ouer the same except a fewe of the contrary opinion whose assertions the Portugales haue at these dayes by experience proued to be true for they sayle yeerely to thinhabitantes of the south pole beyng in maner Antâ—podes to the people called Hyperborei vnder the North pole and exercise marchaundize with them And here haue I named Antipodes forasmuche as I am not ignorant that there hath ben men of singuler witte and great learnyng whiche haue denyed that there is Antipodes that is suche as walke feete to feete But it is most certaine that it is not geuen to any one man to knowe all thynges for euen they also were men whose propertie is to erre and be deceiued in many thynges Neuerthelesse the Portugales of our tyme haue sayled to the fyue and fyftie degree of the south pole where compassyng about the poynt therof they myght see throughout all the heauen about the same certeyne shynnyng whyte cloudes here and there among the starres lyke vnto them which are seene in the tract of heauen called Lactea via that is the mylke whyte way They say there is no notable starre neare about that pole lyke vnto this of oures which the common people thynke to be the pole of it selfe called of the Italians Tramontana and of the Spanyardes Nortes but that the same falleth beneath the Ocean WheÌ„ the Sonne descendeth from the myddest of the exiltree of the worlde from vs it ryseth to them as a payre of ballances whose weyght enclinyng from the equall payse in the myddest towarde eyther of the sydes causeth the one ende to ryse as much as the other falleth When therfore it is Autumne with vs it is spring tyme with them and sommer with vs when it is wynter with them But it suffiseth to haue sayde thus much of strange matters Let vs nowe therefore returne to the historie and to our men The seconde booke of the thyrde Decade VAschus by thaduice of king Chiapes and Tumaccus determined to deferre his voyage to the sayde Ilande vntyll the next spryng or sommer at which tyme Chiapes offered him selfe to accompany our men and ayde them therin al that he myght In this meane tyme Vaschus had knowledge that these kynges had nettes and fysshyng places in certeyne stations of that sea neare vnto the shore where they were accustomed to fyshe for sea muscles in the which pearles are engendred and that for this purpose they had certeyne dyuers or fysshers exercised from theyr youth in swimmyng vnder the water But they doo this onely at certeine tymes when the sea is calme that they may the eassier come to y e place where these shel fishes are wont to lye for the bygger that they are so much lye they the deeper neerer to y e bottome but the lesser as it were daughters to thother are neerer the brimme of the water likewise the least of al as it were their nieses are yet neerer to the superficial part therof To them of the byggest fort whiche lye lowest the fysâ—hers descende the depth of three mens heyght and somtyme foure but to the daughters or nieses as their succession they descende only to the mydde thygh Somtimes also after that the sea hath ben disquieted with vehement tempestes they fynde a great multitude of these fishes on the sandes beyng dryuen to the shore by the violence of the water The pearles of these which are founde on the sande are but lytle the fyshe it selfe is more pleasaunt in eatyng then are our oysters as our men report But perhaps hunger the sweete sause of all meates caused our men so to thynke Whether pearles be the hartes of sea muscles as Aristotle supposed or the byrth or spawne of their intrals as Plinie thought or whether they cleaue continually to the rockes or wander by companies in the sea by the guyding of the eldest whether euery fysshe bryng foorth one pearle or more at one byrth or at dyuers also whether they be fyled from the rockes wherunto they cleaue or may be easely pulled away or otherwyse fall of by them selues when they are come to theyr full
of the hyghe mountaynes and nearenesse of the same to the region of the ayre wherein such fierie tempestes are engendred whiche the philosophers call Meteora And albeit that our men had nowe dryuen theyr enimies to flyght and sawe them disparcled and out of order yet doubted they and were of diuers opinions whether they shoulde pursue them or not On the one partie shame prycked them forwarde and on the other syde feare caused them to caste manye perylles especially consyderyng the venemous arrowes whiche these Barbarians can direct so certaynely To depart from them with a drye foote as sayth the prouerbe with so great a nauie and suche an armye they reputed it as a thyng greatly soundyng to theyr reproche and dishonour At the length therefore shame ouercommyng feare they pursued them and came to land with theyr ship boates The gouernour of the nauie also Vesputius do wryte that the hauen is no lesse then three leagues in compasse beyng also safe without rockes and the water therof so cleare that a man may see pybble stones in the bottome twentie cubits deepe They say lykewyse that there falleth two fayre ryuers of freshe water into the hauen but the same to be meeter to beare the Canoas of these prouinces then any bygger vessels It is a delectable thyng to heare what they tel of the plentie and varietie and also of the pleasaunt tast of the fyshes aswell of these ryuers as of the sea therabout By reason wherof they found here manye fysher boates and nettes woonderfully wrought of the stalkes of certayne hearbes or weedes dryed and tawed and wreathed with cords of spunne gossampyne cotton For the people of Caramairi Gaira and Saturma are very cunnyng in fisheyng and vse to sel fyshe to theyr borderers for exchaunge of such thynges as they lacke When our men had thus chased the Barbarians from the sea coastes and had now entred into theyr houses they assayled them with newe skyrmishes espetially when they sawe them fall to sacking and spoylyng and theyr wyues and chyldren taken captyue Their householde stuffe was made of great reedes whiche growe on the sea bankes and the stalkes of certayne hearbes beaten and afterwarde made harde The floores thereof were strewed with hearbes of sundry colours and the walles hanged with a kynde of tapstry artificially made of gossampine cotton and wrought with pictures of Lions Tygers and Eagles The doores of theyr houses and chambers were full of dyuers kyndes of shelles hangyng loose by small cordes that beyng shaken by the wynde they myght make a certayne rattelyng and also a whystelyng noyse by geatheryng the wynde in theyr holowe places for herein they haue great delyght and impute this for a goodly ornament Dyuers haue shewed me many wonderfull thynges of these regions especially one Conzalus Fernandus Ouiedus beyng one of the magistrates appoynted in that office which the Spanyardes call Veedor who hath also hytherto entred further into the lande then any other He affirmeth that he chaunced vppon the fragment of a Saphire bygger then the egge of a goose and that in certayne hylles where he trauayled with thirtie men he founde many of the pretious stones called Smaragdes Calcidones and Iaspers besyde great peeces of Amber of the mountaines He also with diuers other do affirme that in the houses of some of the Canibales of these regions they found the like precious stones set in gold and inclosed in tapstry or arras if it may so be called wherewith they hang theyr houses The same land bryngeth foorth also many wooddes of brasile trees and great plentie of golde in so much that in maner in al places they founde on the sea bankes on the shores certayne marchasites in token of golde Fernandus Ouiedus declareth furthermore that in a certayne region called Zenu lying fourescore and tenne myles from Dariena Eastwarde they exercise a straunge kynde of marchaundize For in the houses of the inhabitantes they founde great chestes and baskets made of the twigges and leaues of certayne trees apte for that purpose being all ful of Grassehoppers Grylles Crabbes or Crefyshes Snayles also and Locustes whiche destroye the fieldes of corne al well dryed and salted Beyng demaunded why they reserued suche a multitude of these beastes they answeared that they kept them to be solde to theyr borderers whiche dwell further within the lande and that for the exchange of these pretious byrdes and salted fyshes they receiued of them certayne strange thynges wherein partly they take pleasure and partly vse them for theyr necessary affayres These people dwell not togeather but scattered here and there Thinhabitantes of Caramairi seeme to dwel in an earthly Paradise theyr region is so fayre and fruitefull without outragious heate or sharpe colde with litle difference of the length of day and nyght throughout all the yeere After that our men had thus dryuen the Barbarians to flyght they entred into a valley of two leagues in breadth and three in length extendyng to certayne fruitefull mountaynes full of grasse hearbes and trees at the rootes whereof lye two other valleis towarde the ryght hande and the leaft through eyther of the whiche runneth a fayre ryuer wherof the ryuer of Caira is one but vnto the other they haue yet geuen no name In these valleys they found many fayre gardens and pleasaunt feeldes watered with trenches distributed in marueylous order with no lesse art then our Insubrians and Hetrurians vse to water their feeldes Theyr common meate is Ages Iucca Maizium Battata with suche other rootes and fruites of trees and also such fyshe as they vse in the Ilandes and other regions of these prouinces They eate mans fleshe but seldome because they meete not oftentymes with strangers except they goe foorth of theyr one dominions with a mayne army of purpose to hunt for men when theyr rauenyng appetite pricketh them forwarde For they abstayne from them selues and eate none but suche as they take in the warres or otherwyse by chaunce But suerly it is a miserable thyng to heare howe many myriades of men these fylthy and vnnaturall deuourers of mens fleshe haue consumed and lefte thousandes of most fayre and fruitefull Ilandes and regions desolate without men by reason whereof our men founde so manye Ilandes whiche for theyr fayrenes and fruitefulnesse myght seeme to be certayne earthly Paradyses and yet were vtterly voyde of men Hereby your holynesse may consider howe pernitious a kynde of men this is We haue sayde before that the Ilande named Sancti Iohannis which thinhabitants cal Burichena is next to Hispaniola It is sayde that only the Canibales which dwel in the other Ilandes neere about this as in the Ilande called Hayhay or Sansta Crucis and in Guadalupea otherwyse called Queraqueiera or Carucuiera haue in our tyme violently taken out of the sayde Ilande of Sancti Iohannis more then fyue thousande men to be eaten But let it suffice thus muche to haue wandered
as also to cary his baggages and open the strayghtes through the desolate places and craggie rockes ful of the dennes of wylde beastes for there is seldome any entercourse of buying and sellyng betweene these naked people because they stande in neede of fewe thynges and haue not the vse of money but yf at any tyme they exercise any barteryng they doo it but neere hande exchangyng golde for houshold stuffe with their confines which somwhat esteme y e same for ornament when it is wrought Other superfluities they vtterly contemne as hynderaunces of theyr sweete libertie forasmuche as they are geuen only to play and idlenes And for this cause y e high wayes which lye betwene theyr regions are not muche worne with manye iourneyes yet haue theyr scoutes certayne priuie markes wherby they knowe the way the one to inuade the others dominions and spoyle and infest them selues on both sydes with mutual incursions priuily in the nyght season By the helpe therefore of theyr guides and laborers with our Carpenters he passed ouer the horrible mountaynes and many great ryuers lying in the way ouer the which he made brydges either with pyles or trunks of trees And here doo I let passe many thynges whiche they suffered for lacke of necessaries being also in maner ouercome with extreme labour lest I shoulde be tedious in rehearsing thinges of small value But I haue thought it good not to omyt suche dooynges as he had with the kynges by the way Therefore or euer he came to the toppes of the high mountaynes he entred into a region called Quarequa and mette with the king thereof called by the same name with a great bande of men armed after theyr manner as with bowes and arrowes long and brode two handed swoordes made of wood long staues hardened at the endes with fyre dartes also and slynges He came proudely and cruellye agaynst our men and sent messengers to them to bydde them stande and proceede no further demaundyng whyther they went and what they had to doo there Herewith he came foorth and shewed hym selfe beyng apparelled with al his nobilitie but the other were al naked Then approching towarde our men he threatned thē with a Lions countenance to depart from thence except they woulde be slayne euery mothers sonne When our men denyed that they woulde goe backe he assayled them fiercely but the battayle was soone finished for assoone as they hearde the noyse of the hargabusies they beleeued that our men caryed thunder and lyghtnyng about with them Many also beyng slayne and sore wounded with quarrels of crossebowes they turned theyr backes and fledde Our men folowing them in the chase hewed them in peeces as the Butchers doo fleshe in the shambles from one an arme from another a legge from hym a buttocke from another a shoulder and from some the necke from the bodye at one stroke Thus syxe hundred of them with theyr kyng were slayne lyke bruite beastes Vaschus founde the house of this kyng infected with moste abominable and vnnaturall lechery for he founde the kynges brother and many other young men in womens apparell smoothe and effeminately decked whiche by the report of suche as dwelt about hym he abused with preposterous venus Of these about the number of fourtie he commaunded to be geuen for a pray to his dogges for as we haue sayd the Spanyardes vse the helpe of dogges in theyr warres agaynst the naked people whom they inuade as fiercely and rauenyngly as yf they were wilde bores or Hartes insomuche that our Spanyardes haue founde theyr dogges no lesse faythful to them in al dangers and enterprises then dyd the Colophonians or Castabalences whiche instituted whole armies of dogges so made to serue in the warres that beyng accustomed to place them in the forefronte of the battayles they neuer shronke or gaue backe When the people had hearde of the seuere punyshment whiche our men had executed vpon that fylthy kynde of men they resorted to them as it had ben to Hercules for refuge by violence bryngyng with them all suche as they knewe to be infected with that pestilence spyttyng in theyr faces and crying out to our men to take reuenge of them and rydde them out of the worlde from among men as contagious beastes This stynkyng abomination had not yet entred among the people but was exercised onlye by the noble men and gentlemen But the people lyftyng vp theyr handes eyes toward heauen gaue tokens that God was greeuously offended with suche vyle deedes affyrmyng this to be the cause of theyr so many thunderynges lyghtnyng and tempestes wherewith they are so often troubled and of the ouerflowyng of waters which drowne theyr sets and fruites whereof famyne and diuers diseases ensue as they symply and faythfully beleue although they knowe none other GOD then the sunne whom only they honour thinkyng that it doth both geue and take away as it is pleased or offended Yet are they very docible and easie to be allured to our customes and religion if they had any teacher In theyr language there is nothyng vnpleasaunt to the eare or harde to be pronounced but that all theyr woordes may be wrytten with latine letters as we sayde of the inhabitauntes of Hispaniola It is a warlyke nation and hath ben euer hytherto molestous to theyr borderers but the region is not fortunate with fruiteful grounde or plentie of golde Yet is it full of great barren mountaynes beyng somewhat colde by reason of their height and therefore the noble men and gentlemen are apparelled but the common people liue content only with the benefites of nature There is a region not past two dayes iourney distant from Quarequa in whiche they founde only blacke Moores and those exceedyng fierce and cruel They suppose that in tyme past certayne blacke Moores sayled thyther out of Ethiopia to robbe and that by shypwracke or some other chaunce they were dryuen to those mountaynes The inhabitaunts of Quarequa lyue in continual warre and debate with these blacke men Here Vaschus leauing in Quarequa many of his souldiers which by reason they were not yet accustomed to such trauayles and hunger fel into diuers diseases tooke with hym certayne guides of the Quarequatans to conduct hym to the toppes of the mountaynes From the pallace of kyng Poncha to the prospect of the other south sea is only sixe dayes iourney the which neuerthelesse by reason of many hinderances chaunces and especially for lacke of vittuals he coulde accomplishe in no lesse then .xxv. dayes But at the length the seuenth day of the Calendes of October he behelde with woonderyng eyes the toppes of the hygh mountaynes shewed vnto hym by the guides of Quarequa from the whiche he myght see the other sea so long looked for and neuer seene before of any man commyng out of our worlde Approching therfore to the toppes of the mountaynes he commaunded his armye to
they haue foules and fruite They make theyr houses of tymber whereof they haue great plentie and in the steade of tiles couer them with the skinnes of fishes and beastes It is sayde also that there are Gryfes in this lande and that the Beares and many other beastes and foules are whyte To this and the Ilandes about the same the Britons are accustomed to resort as men of nature agreeable vnto them and borne vnder the same altitude and temperature The Norwayes also sayled thyther with the pilot called Iohn Scoluo and the Englyshe men with Sebastian Cabot The coaste of the lande of Baccallaos is a great tract and the greatest altitude thereof is .xlviii. degrees and a halfe Sebastian Cabot was the first that brought any knowledge of this land For beyng in England in the dayes of kyng Henrye the seuenth he furnyshed two shyps at his owne charges or as some say at the kynges whom he perswaded that a passage myght be founde to Cathay by the North seas and that spyces myght be brought from thence sooner by that way then by the viage the Portugales vse by the sea of Sur. He went also to knowe what maner of landes those Indies were to inhabite He had with hym three hundred men and directed his course by the tract of Islande vpon the Cape of Laborador at fyftie and eight degrees affirming that in the moneth of Iuly there was such cold heapes of Ise that he durst passe no further also that the daies were very long and in maner without nyght and the nyghtes very cleare Certayne it is that at the threescore degrees the longest day is of eighteene houres But considering the cold and the strangenesse of the vnknowen lande he turned his course from thence to the West folowing the coast of the land of Baccallaos vnto the thirtie eight degrees from whence he returned to Englande To conclude the Britons and Danes haue sayled to the Baccallaos and Iaques Cartier a french man was there twise with three Galeons as one in the yeere .xxxiiii. and the other in the .xxxv. and chose the land to inhabite from the .xlv. degrees to the .li. beyng as good a land as Fraunce and all thynges therin commune to suche as fyrst possesse the same Of these landes Iacobus Gastaldus wryteth thus The new land of Baccallaos is a colde region whose inhabitauntes are Idolatours and praye to the Sonne and Moone and dyuers Idoles they are whyte people and verye rusticall for they eate fleshe and fyshe and all other thynges rawe Sometymes also they eate mans fleshe priuilie so that theyr Cacique haue no knoweledge thereof The apparrel of both the men and women is made of Beares skynnes although they haue Sables and Marternes not greatlye esteemed because they are litle Some of them go naked in sommer and weare apparrell only in winter The Britons and Frenchmen are accustomed to take fyshe in the coastes of these landes where is founde great plentie of Tunnies which thinhabitantes cal Baccallaos wherof the land was so named Northward from the region of Baccallaos is the lande of Laborador all full of mountaynes and great woods in which are many Beares wild Bores The inhabitantes are Idolatours and warlyke people apparelled as are they of Baccallaos In al this new land is neyther citie or castell but they lyue in companies like heardes of beastes The discouering of the land of Florida THe gouernour of the Ilande of Boriouena â–ª Iohn Ponce of Leon beyng discharged of his office and very ryche furnished sent foorth two Carauels to seeke the Ilands of Boiuca in the which the Indians affirmed to be a fountayne or spryng whose water is of vertue to make old men young Whyle he trauayled syxe monethes with outragious desire among many Ilandes to fynde that he sought and coulde fynde no token of any suche fountayne he entred into Bemini and discouered the lande of Florida in the yeere 1512. on Easter day whiche the Spaniards cal the floryshing day of Pascba wherby they named that lande Florida And supposyng that great ryches myght be brought from thence he returned into Spayne and couenanted with king Ferdinando as touchyng the trade and by the intercession of Nicolas de Ouando and Peter Nunnez de Gusman the kyng dyd not only make hym gouernour of Bemini and Florida but also sent foorth with hym three shyppes from Sciuile towards his second viage in the yeere 1515. He touched in the Ilande of Guaccana otherwyse called Guadalupea and sent to lande certayne of his men with the Laundresses of the shyppes whom the Canibales lying in ambushe assayled with theyr inuenomed arrowes and slaying the most part caried away the women With this euill beginning Iohn Ponce departed from hence to Boriquen and from thence to Florida where he went alande with his souldyers to espie a place most commodious to inhabite and plant a colonie But the Indians commyng foorth agaynst him to defende the entrance assayled the Spanyardes fiercely and slue and wounded many of them At whiche conflicte also hee him selfe beyng wounded with an arrowe dyed shortly after in the Ilande of Cuba and so endyng his lyfe consumed a great parte of the rychesse hee had before gotten at sainct Iohans of Boriquen This Iohn Ponce had before sayled with Christopher Colon to the Ilande of Hispaniola in the yeere 1493. Hee was a gentle souldyer in the warres of this Ilande and captayne of the prouince of Higuei for Nicolas de Ouando that conquested the same The region of Florida is a poynt or cape of lande reachyng into the sea lyke vnto a tongue beyng a famous and notorious place among the Indians by reason of many Spanyardes that haue been slayne there But whereas by fame this Florida was esteemed a ryche lande many valiant and noble men desyred the conquest thereof among whom Ferdinando de Soto who had before been a captayne in Peru and greatly inryched by the imprisonment of kyng Atabaliba attempted a viage thither with a good bande of men and spent fyue yeeres in seekyng of golde mynes supposyng that this land had been lyke vnto Peru. In fine hee dyed there and was the destruction and vndoyng of all that went with him without inhabytyng that lande in the whiche the conquestours had hytherto neuer good successe forasmuche as these Indians are valiant archers and strong hardy men But the valiant myndes of the Spanyardes not discouraged by these misaduentures after the death of Ferdinando Soto many woorthie gentlemen desyred this conquest in the yeere .1544 among whom was Iulian Samano and Peter de Abumada beyng bretherne and men of sufficient abilitie for such an enterprise But neyther the Emperour beyng then in Germanie neyther the prince Don Philip his son who gouerned all the kyngdomes of Castile and Aragonie neyther yet the counsayle of the Indies would in any
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
nyghtes in sommer season in such colde regions is a great helpe herevnto Cardanus writeth in his booke De Plantis that bramble fearne growe not but in colde regions as doeth wheate in temperate regions and that spices and hot seedes can not growe in colde regions forasmuch as beyng of thynne substaunce they should soone bee mortified extinct by excessiue colde For as he sayeth nothing can concocte rype and attenuate the substance of fruites without the helpe of ayre agreeable to the natures of such thinges as are brought foorth in the same although it may doe this in rootes But in maner all floures are of sweete sauour forasmuch as the moysture that is in them being thynne and but litle is by meane heate soone and easily concocte or made rype Suche also as are soone ryâ—e are soone rotten accordyng to the prouerbe Plinie although in the .xi. booke of his naturall hystorie Cap. viii he wryteth that hony is geathered of the floures of all trees and settes or plantes except sorell and the hearbe called Chenopode which some call Goose foote yet he affirmeth that it descendeth from the ayre for in the .xii. Chapter of the same booke he wryteth thus This commeth from the ayre at the rysing of certayne starres and especially at the rysyng of Sirius and not before the rysyng of Vergiliae which are the seuen starres called Pleiades in the spryng of the day For then at the mornyng spryng the leaues of trees are founde moist with a fatte dewe Insomuche that suche as haue been abrode vnder the firmament at that tyme haue theyr apparell annoynted with lyquour and the heare of theyr head clammy And whether this bee the swette of heauen or as it were a certayne spettyll of the starres eyther the iuise of the ayre purgyng it selfe I woulde it were pure lâ—quide simple of his owne nature as it first falleth from aboue But now descendyng so farre and infected not only with suche vncleane vapours and exhalations as it meeteth with by the way but afterwarde also corrupted by the leaues of trees hearbes and floures of sundry tastes and qualities and lykewyse aswell in stomackes of the bees for they vomite it at their mouthes as also by long reseruyng the same in Hiues it neuerthelesse reteyneth a great parte of the heauenly nature c. Agayne in the xiiii Chapter of the same booke he wryteth that in certayne regions towarde the North as in some places of Germanie hony is founde in suche quantitie that there haue been seene hony combes of eyght foote long and blacke in the holow parte By the which woordes of Plinie and by the principles of naturall philosophie it doeth appeare that aboundaunce of hony should chiefly be engendred in suche regions where the heate of sommer is temperate and continuall as well by nyght as by day as it is not in hot regions where the nyghtes be long and colde as is declared in the Decades For lyke as suche thinges as are fyned by continuall heate mouyng and circulation are hyndered by refrigeration or colde as appeareth in the arte of styllyng and hatchyng of egges euen so by the action of temperate and continuall heate without interposition of contrarie and mortifying qualitie crude thinges are in shorte tyme made rype sower made sweete thicke made thinne heauie made lyght grosse made subtyle harde made softe dead made lyuyng and in fine bodyes made spirites as manifestly appeareth in the marueylous woorke of dygestion of lyuyng beastes whereby the finest parte of theyr nouryshment is turned into blood and the finest of that blood conuerted into spirites as the lyke is also seene in the nouryshment of trees plantes and hearbes all other thinges that growe on the grounde all which are moued digested subtiliate attenuate ryped and made sweete by the action of this continuall heate whereof I haue spoken To conclude therefore if hony be eyther the swette of the starres or the iuise of the ayre purgyng it selfe as Plinie wryteth or otherwyse engendred of subtyle and fine vapours rysing from the earth and concocte or digested in the ayre by the sayde continuall and moderate heate it may seeme by good reason that the same should be engendred in sommer season more aboundantly in colde regions then in hot for the causes aforesayde And that it may by aucthoritie and reason more manifestly appeare both that the heate of sommer in colde regions is continuall as I haue sayde and also that the colde in wynter is not there so intollerable to thinhabitauntes of those regions as other doe thynke I haue thought good for the better declaration hereof to adde herevnto what I haue geathered out of the booke of Ziglerus wrytten of the Northe regions Of the North regions and of the moderate and continual heate in colde regions aswell in the nyght as in the day in sommer season Also howe those regions are habitable to thinhabitauntes of the same contrary to the opinion of the olde wryters OF this matter Ziglerus in his booke of the North regions in the description of Scondia wryteth as foloweth We will intreate of this matter not as putting the same in question as did the olde writers nor geathering iudgement deducted of reasons in way of argument forasmuche as we are already more certayne by hystorie that these cold regions are inhabited We will first therfore shew by natural reason and by consideration of the sphere declare howe by the helpe of man and arte colde regions are inhabited without domage or destruction of lyuyng beastes And will first speake of the qualitie of sommer declaryng howe it is there augmented Yet intend I not to comprehende all that may be sayde in this matter but only rehearse suche reasons and similitudes as are most apparent and easie to be vnderstoode In such regions therefore as are extended from the burnt lyne or Equinoctiall towarde the North as much as the sunne ryseth higher ouer them so much are they the more burnt with heat as Affrica bycause it ryseth highest ouer them as they are nearest to the Equinoctial tarying with them so much the shorter tyme causeth shorter dayes with longer colder nyghtes to restore the domage of the day past by reason of the moisture consumed by vapour But in such regions ouer the which the sun ryseth lower as in Sarmatia it remayneth there the longer in the day and causeth so much the shorter and warmer nyghtes as reteynyng warme vapours of the day past which vapours helpe the woorke of the day I speake as I haue founde by experience sayth Vpsalieâ—sis For I haue felte the sommer nyghtes scarsely tollerable for heate in Gothlande whereas I felte them colde in Rome This benefite of the increase of the day doeth augment so much the more in colde regions as they are nearer the poles and ceaseth not vntyll it come directly ouer the center
such contentions as proceede of thyne and myne When we had been heere three dayes my companion asked the Christian merchantes where was the region whiche brought foorth Cloues They aunswered That Cloues were founde in an Ilande named Monoch sixe dayes saylyng from thence Therfore proceedyng on our voyage we came thyther in the space of seuen dayes Of the Ilande of Monoch where Cloues growe Cap. 24. THis Ilande is very narowe yet in length exceedeth the Ilande of Bandan The inhabitauntes are much worse then they of Bandan for were it not only for mans shape they should in maner differ nothyng from beastes Their colour is whyter and the region colder This Ilande bryngeth foorth Cloues as do also many other litle and desolate Ilandes lying about it The body of this tree is not muche vnlyke the Boxe tree and hath leaues lyke vnto the Cinamome tree but rounder and almost lyke the Bay leafe When they waxe rype the inhabitauntes beate them downe with reedes laying fyrst mattes vnder the trees The grounde is sandie and the region so low vnder the Horizon that the North starre can not be seene there They sell Cloues for the double price that Nutmegs are solde sel them by measure for they are vtterly without knowledge of weyghtes Of the Iland of Bornei Cap. 25. AS we were togeather talkyng of our voyages the Christian merchantes spake vnto me in this maner Our dearly beloued freende forasmuch as by the grace of God we are come thus farre in safetie yf it please you we wyl go see one of the fayrest Ilandes in the worlde and very ryche and suche as I beleeue you neuer sawe but we must fyrst go to an other Iland named Bornei for there shal we haue bygger vessels for we must needes passe a deepe and rough sea Then sayde my companion Do as shall please you for we are contented to go with you Therefore hyryng a greater Foyst we directed our iorney to that Ilande both by daye and nyght sayling alway southwarde By the way we passed foorth the tyme with pleasant talke The merchaunt men asked me many thynges of the ceremonyes and solemnities of the Christian religion vsed among vs And when I made mention of the Veronica commonly called the Uernacle of the face of Chryst and of the heads of Peter and Paule the chiefest of the Apostles and also of many other saintes they aduertysed me secretly that if I woulde go with them I shoulde become a great man for the knowledge of suche great thynges But beyng deterred by the greatnesse of the iorney fearyng that then I should neuer haue come home I refused to go with them At the length we came to the Iland of Bornei distant from Monoch about two hundred myles and is somewhat bygger but muche lower beneath the Horizon or Equinoctiall The inhabitantes are Idolaters of sharpe wyt and maner of lyuyng not greatly to be discommended Their colour inclyneth more to whytenesse They weare not all one maner of apparell for some weare shirtes of bombasine cloth other mantells of chamlet and other also sharpe cappes of red coloure They obserue iustice and good order This Ilande yeeldeth yeerely great abundaunce of Camphora which they sayd to be the gumme of a tree but I dare not affyrme it because I haue not seene it Here my companyon hyred a lyght shyppe or barke for a hundred peeces of golde Of the obseruations vsed in the nauigation to the Iland of Giaua Cap. 26. AFter that we had made prouision of vittayles sufficient for the voyage we directed our iorney to the Ilande of Gyaua and came thyther in the space of fyue dayes saylyng euer towarde the south Our Pilot vsed the maryners boxe or compasse with also the lode stone and sea carde after the maner of ours Therefore when my companyon sawe that the Septentrions or north starres coulde not be seene there he asked the Christians how they could sayle on that sea without they guide of the north star asked also by what other star they were guided The Pilote aunswered that the inhabitantes of these regions obserue principally fyue starres and also one other starre opposite or directlye contrary to the Septentrions or North starres whereby they gouerned their viages in these regions and sayd that he also vsed the lode stone because it euer mooueth to the North and sayde furthermore that on the other syde of that Ilande is a certayne people whiche in saylyng obserue certayne starres contrary to the Septentrions for that the sayde people are Antipodes to them of Europa Sarmatiae and that they inhabite as colde a region and climat and as neare vnto the pole Antartike as is manifest by the shortnesse of the day beyng but foure houres long in their wynter of whiche talke we tooke great pleasure Of the Ilande of Gyaua and the maners of the people Cap. 27. THerfore proceedyng on our iourney fyue dayes saylyng we came to the sayde Ilande beyng very great large and hauyng in it many kyngdomes and kynges beyng all Idolaters and of diuers maners of lyuyng for some of them honor Idolles after the maner of Calecut some also honor the Sonne and some the Moone other take Kyne for their Idolles and some the fyrst thyng that they meete in the mornyng take for the Idol of that day other also honor the picture or similitude of the deuyll This Ilande bryngeth foorth sylke whiche groweth of it selfe in the wooddes and also the fayrest Smaragdes or Emeraldes that are in the world there is likewyse plentie of Golde and Copper The soyle is fruitefull of Corne and all sortes of fruites as in the citie of Calecut There is great abundance of fleshe of all sortes as with vs. The inhabitantes are faythfull and true dealyng people they are of the â—ame colour and stature that we bee but haue larger forheades very great eyes and of brasyll or redde colour and flatte noses wearyng theyr heare long There is a great multitude of foules and birdes but vnlyke vnto ours except Peacockes Turtle dooue and Crowes They greatly obserue iustice and good order For theyr apparel they vse mantels or clokes of Bombasine cloth or sylke or Chamlet euer wearyng out one arme They vse no coates of fence or armure because they haue no warres but when they traueyle on the sea they vse bowes and impoysoned arrowes made of Reedes They vse also certayne long and holowe staues which we call Trunkes through the which after our maner they blowe little arrowes so infected with poyson that if they rayse neuer so little blood death foloweth incontinent They haue no Gunnes or other ingines They eate all sortes of fleshe fyshe and fruites yet some feede of one kynde of meate and other of other as them listeth Of theyr cruell maners in selling their parentes to the Anthropophagi to be eaten Cap. 28. THe inhabitantes
Hercules and Alexander The colonies of the Romans in regions subdued The great Ilande of Saynct Laurence or Madagascar The Ilands of Taprobana or Giaua Plinie The historie of Cornelius Nepos Shyps of India driuen into the sea of Germanie An enterprise wherby Princes may obtayne true fame and glory Cathay discouered by Marcus Paulus The citie of Lubyke The kyng of Polonie The Duke of Moscouia An ambassadour from the Duke of Moscouia The woordes of the Ambassadour of Moscouia The way from Moscouia to the North Ocean Cathay Volochda Vstiug Iug. Succana Duina Colmogor The North Ocean Great woods Gothlande The Moscouites haue knowledge of the great Cam of Cathay Permia Pescora Catena mundi Obdora Vecchiadoro Obo The lake Chethay The Tartars The citie of Cambalu Note this secrete Difficult traueylyng in Moscouia Commendation of the Spanyardes and Portugales The hystorie of Paulus Centurio 〈◊〉 his reade more at large in the booke of Paulus Iomus Malice may doe more with some then vertue The Caspian sea Riga The Tartars of Lordo Desartes The vyage by the North sea The woorthinesse of this vyage The vyages of the Frenchmen to the lande of Baccalaos Pleasaunt countreys New France Apostrophe to to the Christian Princes Great ryuers A thyng woorthy to be searched The way to Cathay and the Ilandes of Molucca by the Northwest A notable enterpryse The noble enterprise of Antonie di Mendoza viceroy of Mexico The discoueryng of the Northwest partes Shyppes saylyng from Cathay by the North Hyperboream sea to the coastes of the Northwest parte of the lande of Baccaleos Cathay The sea from newe Fraunce or Tarra Britonum to Cathay A notable booke A great and glorious enterprise Sebastian Cabote the grand pylot of the West Indies Commendation of Sebastian Cabote Sebastian Cabote tolde me that he was borne in Brystow â–ª that at .iiii yeeres olde he was carryed with his father to Venice and so returned agayne into England with his father after certayne yeeres whereby he was thought to haue ben borne in Venice The fyrst vyage of Sebastian Cabote The lande of Florida The seconde vyage of Cabote to the land of Brasile and Rio della Plata Cabote tolde me that in a region within this ryuer he sowed .50 graynes of wheate in September and geathered therof .50 thousande in December as writeth also Francisco Lopes The viage to Moscouia The hystory of Moscouia The dyuers names of Moscouia Roxolani Rosolanâ— Ruthem The ryuer Mosco The ryuer Boristhenes Themperour of Cathay The frosen sea Lacus Cromicus Saturnus Amaltheum The dominion of the Duke of Moscouia The citie of Moscouia The chiefe cities of Moscouia The Duke of Moscouia Emperour of Russia The duke of Moscouia his tytle Duke Basilius Theyr power Theyr obedience to theyr prynce Theyr warres conquestes Gunnes Only the Moscouites haue not felt the commodiâ—â—s of peace Theyr language Dalmatia Pannonia Hungarie Their original The Sclauion tongue reacheth farre Great woods white beares and blacke woolues Abundance of hony and waxe Rych furres Theyr maner of bargayning Rude wylde people Tartares Ciuile people in cities Theyr money They embrase the Christian faith which they receyued of the Apostles The counsayle of Nicene Basilius Magnus Chrisostomus Their constancie in theyr religion The bishops define controuersies in religion Theyr bishops The Archbishop The patriarke of constantinople A notable example of a Christian Prince Theyr religion A monasterie of ccc Munkes Priestes Masse A misterie The primatiue churche A strange custome Sarmatia Asiatica The Scythian Ocean The ryuer of Volga Lacus albus The Caspian sea Theyr chiefe cities The wylde Tartars Hordas The bygnes of the citie of Moscouia Syluer The region of Moscouia Beastes A fayre and stronge castel in the citie of Mosca The Dukes pallaice Theyr drynke They are geuen to drunkennesse Corne and grayne Stoues The famous ryuer of Tanais The marishes of Meotis Volga Ocha The sea Euxinum The forest of Hircania Vri. Alces They trauayle in winter on sleades Causeys of tymber Trees and fruites Corne and graynes Hony in wods and trees Lakes or pooles of Hony A man almost drowned in hony A merueylous chaunce Beares feede of hony bees Beares inuade Bulles The Beares byrth The Beares denne Beares lyue without meate xl dayes The sleape of Beares The religion of the Moscouites The Scythians subiect to the Duke of Moscouia It was then an opinion that all ryuers sprong out of mountaynes The fruitfull region of Colmogora The great ryuer Diuidna Wheate without plowing The ryuer of Iuga Vstiuga Furres The naturall cause of much hony in colde regions Gummes and spyces in hoote countreys Floures in colde regions Floures of trees Blossomes of trees An example of the degrees of heate The generation of floures by moderate heate Long dayes and shorce nyghtes Bramble and fearne Spyces The sauour of floures What Plinie wryteth of hony Sirius is otherwyse called Canicula that is the Dogge of whom the canicular dayes haue theyr name What is hony Howe hony is corrupted â—ony of great quantitie in North regions Hot nyghtes in colde regions A simiâ—itude Naturall heat doeth subtyle and digest all thinges Subtyle vapours digested by heate Colde regions Ziglerus Ziglerus The qualitie of sommer in colde regions The course of the Sunne Vapours Short and warme nyghts Gothlande One day of .vi. monethes Howe the sommer is increased in colde regions Rome Colde nyghtes in hot regions The Romane wynter Our night of vi monethes Obiections The twylightes The lyght of the Moone The nyght vnder the pole A demonstration The Moone Remedies of nature art The olde writers persuaded by coniecture A brasen potte broken with frost Fyshes of the North seas The North sea The qualitie of water The land The diuine prouidence in moderatyng the elementes The nature of the sea Salt Generatyue heate Outward colde is cause of inwarde heate Metals Vapoures and exhalations Whales Beastes Hereby may be considered the cause of the death of our men that sayle directly to Guinea No passage from our extremitie to an other but by a meane Caues and Dennes Valleis The best furres Sables Beastes that lye hyd in wynter All beasts haue the nature of the place where they are engendred What exercise may do Vse maketh masteries Scondia Scone is fayre in the duch tongue The fertilitie of Schondia He meaneth Diodorus Siculus Thinuasions of the Gothes Transiluania The Gothes Lumbardes Fruitfull pasture Religion neglecteâ— Inchaunteâ—â— The viage of Sebastian Cabot to the frosen sea Gronelande Wardhus Lapponia and Gronelande Schoeni Cabot tolde me that this I se is of fresh water not of the sea A commixtion of salt water fresh The sea between Norway and Island Terra Viridis Pigmei Baccallaos Islande called Thyle Schoene is lx furlonges Myracles of nature in Islande Three marueylous mountaynes Helga Hecla Straunge visions Ise. A straunge thyng Foure spryngs oâ— contrary nature Aboundaunce of brymstone Dryed fyshe Scarsenesse of corne Haukes White Rauens
Houses of Whales bones The nauigation to Islande Whales One thyng seruyng for contrary vses A shypmans quadrant People of great agilitie A strange apparell The cause of an olde errour So doe the Tartars Plentie of wylde beastes No Serpents Great Gnats Aboundaunce of fyshe Shyps without nayles Science honoured Bargeâ—nâ— without woordes No horses A beast of marueylous strength and swyftnesse What Schoenus is looke in Gronlande The chaunge of the horizon The olde aucthours called all the North people Scythyans â—â—â—smus laâ—â—â—teth this 〈◊〉 fyrst 〈◊〉 de ratine contionan di â–ª where he speaketh of the people called Pilapii Idolatrie A mysterie of mariage in fyre and flynt Experte inchaunters Magicall dartes The canker One nyght of three moneths Riche furres Plentie of sea fyshe Wardhus Kyngdomes destroyed by factions The Danes The defant of princes An exemple of tyrannie The myserable state of Norway Stockfyshe The Lapones Shyppes in daunger by reason of whales Castoreum The roryng of whales whales salted and reserued The citie of Nidrosia A magnificiall churche Noysome beasts of vnknowen generation Wardhus The vnknowen land of the Lapons A serpent of huge bignesse God warneth vs by signes of thyngs to come The streightes or boyling sea Dangerous places in the sea Fruitfull Ilands about Norway Golde and syluer Wardhus castell The gulfe of Suecia The citie of Stokholme Golde in colde regions Fyshe The beaste called Vros or Elg. Vpsalia Copperdalia Oplandia Byrdes Egges reserued in salte Precious furres Fyshe Thinuasions of the Gothes The warre of the gothes agaynst the Romanes The boundes of gothland The citie of Visba Danes and Moscouites A librarie of two thousand bookes The gothes inuaded Europe and destroyed Rome Pannonia falsly taken for Finnonia Eningia Spanishe wines Demetrius the ambassadour of Moscouia Paulus Centurio Spices brought from India to Moscouia The ryuer Indus Oxus or Hoxina a ryuer of Asia runneth through the desartes of Sythia The sea Hircanum is now called mare Abacuâ—ke or mare de Sala Citrachan or Astracan Sarmatia is that great countrey wherin is conteyned Russia Lâ—â—oma and Tartaria and the North and East parte of Polonia Agaynst the Portugales The trade of spices in olde tyme. Spices corrupted The Caspian sea Basilius wrot to Pope Adriane Warre betwene the Polones and Moscouites The seconde viage of Paulus to Moscouia The Pope pâ—rswâ—deth Basilius to acknowledge the Romane churche Demetrius intertaynement at Rome Demetrius is brought to the Popes presence Basilius letters to Pope Clement Cardinall Campegius The ruynes of Rome The description of Moscouia The Aultars of great Alexander Marishes in sommer The forest of Hercynia Wylde beastes The Scythian Ocean The beastes called Vri or Bisontes Helenes Of the Scythians and Tartars Amaxouii Horda The large dominion of the Tartars Cathay The Tartars of Europe The Tartars of Asia are subiecte to the Duke of Moscouia The Tartars beyonde the riuer of Volga Nogai Sigismundus calleth them Nogayâ—ri The noblest nation of the Tartars The ryuer Taxartes Ismael the Sophi kyng of Persia. The citie of Samarcanda Tanburlanes the myghtie Emperour of the Tartars The conquestes of Tamburlanes Baiasetes This apparell they haue of the Persians The Tartars trafficke with the Moscouites The Tartars of the South syde of Moscouia Gete and Roxolani Russia Moscouia called whyte Russia Lituania Prussia Liuonia Denmarke Norway Suecia The people of Laponia Armeline furres Bargaynyng without wordes The dark region by this dark region and pigmei is the way to Chathay by the North sea The Scythian Ocean The region of Colmogora The ryuer of diuidna The ryuer of Iuga or Iug. Vstiuga The riuer of Diuidna of Duina The riuer of Suchana The frosen sea Duina and Suchana Greonlande or Engreonland Vnderstande myles of Germany that is leagues Rych furres Lupi Ceruarii Sables The mountaynâ—s called Hiperborei Haukes of diuers kyndes The passage from Moscouia to Cathay Cathay Maister Eliot calleth Cathay the region of Sinarum The Gothes subuerted the romane Empire The north region conspired against the Romans Moscouia The citie of Mosca Richard Chaunceler told me that these masts are smoâ— what hollow on the one syde that the whole syde of the next entereth into y e same whereby they lye very close The castel of Mosca White Hares and Roe buckes The ryuer Ocha Volga Nouogradia Rha. The white Lakes The Riphean Hiperborcan mountaynes Tanais and Borysthenes The sea Euxinus The Caspian sea Astrachan Media Armenia Persia. Casan Sura Surcium Nouogrodia The Temple of Sancta Sophia The eleuation oâ— the pole at Nouogrodia Moscouia Heate by reason of shorte nyghtes The citie of Volodemaria The citie of Moscha Ottoferia Volga Riga The citie of Plescouia The citie of Lubecke From Rome to Moscouia Wynter trauayle by Ise and snow Maryshes in sommer Other writers deny this Rych furres The price of furres How many Sables skynnes for an Axe Flaxe Oxe hydes Waxe But truely They abhorre the Iewes Theyr bookes and religion The Slauon tongue spred further then any other Sainct Ierome was borne in Dalmatia now called Sclauonia Howe they number the yeeres Fewe and simple lawes The exercise of youth Shootyng The corporature of the Moscouites Theyr fare Fleshe preserued long by reason of colde Haukyng and huntyng Plentie of fyshe Fyshe long reserued in Ise. Wyne Maluasie All the North parte of the fyrme lande was called Scythia and the people Scythians Drynke cooled with Ise. Wyne of Cherryes Theyr women Thomas Paleologus The conquest of the Turkes in Grecia Howe the princes choose theyr wyues Duke Basilius War betweene the Polones and Moscouites War betweene the Moscouites and Tartars The Moscouites army Their banner Their horses and horsemen Theyr armure Hargabusiers Gunnes The Prince dyneth openly Sigismundus sayth that much of this is golde The custodie of of the citie The Dukes courte Souldyers wages of the common treasury Russia The browne coloure of the Russes Russeia The Slauon tongue spreadeth farre Vandales The princes of Russia The Duke of Moscouia Why the Duke of Moscouia was called an Emperour The great Turke The whyte kyng The Duke of Moscouia his tytle Russia baptised by Sainct Andrewe the Apostle The Moscouites warres Dyuers maners of dyuers people in the warres The Moscouites army Howe he maintayneth his army Instrumentes of warre The Moscouites and Tartars apparell The prouince of Moscouia Extreame colde Extreame heate in cold regions Litle beastes The citie of Moscouia or Mosca Holsome ayre A ryche spoyle The Iland of Solowki Bieloiesero The length of the day The trade from Moscouia to the Caspian sea Bieloiesero or the whyte lakes Diuersitie of temperameÌ„t in small distance A lake of brymstone Exchange of furres for other ware The dominion of the duke of Moscouia Volochda werste Vstiug Suchana Iug. So called of his swift and pleasant streame Pienega Nicolai Kuluio The regions by the North sea Pieza Piescoia Rubicho Czircho Czilma Petzora Pustoosero Vssa Cingulus mundi Stzuchogora Potzscheriema Camenipoias Samoged Foules and beastes Wylde people Poiassa Camen
thought it most woorthy to be called great as the greatest of all other knowen to them Haiti is as muche to saye by interpretation as rough sharpe or craggie But by a fyguratiue speache called denomination whereby the whole is named by part they named the whole Ilande Haiti that is rough Forasmuche as in many places the face of this Ilande is rough by reason of the craggie mountaynes horrible thicke wooddes and terribly darke and deepe valleys enuironed with great high mountaynes although it be in manye other places exceedyng beautifull and floryshyng Heere must we somewhat digresse from thorder we are entred into Perhappes your holynesse wyll maruell by what meanes these symple men shoulde of so long continaunce beare in mynde suche principles wheras they haue no knowledge of letters So it is therefore that from the begynnyng theyr princes haue euer been accustomed to commit theyr children to the gouernaunce of their wise men whiche they call Boitios to be enstructed in knowledge and to beare in memorie such thynges as they learne They geue them selues chiefly to two thynges As generally to learne thoriginall and successe of thynges and perticulerly to rehearse the noble factes of theyr graundefathers great graundefathers and auncestours aswell in peace as in warre These two thynges they haue of olde tyme composed in certayne myters and ballettes in theyr language These rymes or ballettes they call Areiâ—os And as our mynstrelles are accustomed to syng to the Harpe or Lute so do they in lyke maner syng these songes and daunce to the same playing on Timbrels made of shels of certaine fishes These Tymbrels they call Maguei They haue also songes and ballettes of loue and other of lamentations and mournyng some also to encourage them to the warres with euery of them theyr tunes agreeable to the matter They exercyse them selues muche in daunceyng wherein they are very actyue and of greater agilitie then our men by reason they geue them selues to nothyng so muche and are not hyndered with apparell whiche is also the cause of theyr swiftenesse of foote In theyr 〈◊〉 lefte them of theyr auncestours they haue prophecies of the commyng of our men into theyr countrey These they syng with mournyng and as it were with gronyng bewayle the losse of their libertie and seruitude For these prophesies make mention that there shoulde come into the Iland Maguacochios that is men clothed in apparell and armed with suche swoordes as shoulde cut a man in sunder at one stroke vnder whose yoke their posteritie shoulde be subdued And here I do not maruell that theyr predecessours coulde prophecye of the seruitude and bondage of their succession if it be true that is sayd of the familiaritie they haue with spirites whiche appeare to them in the nyght whereof we haue largely made mention in the nienth booke of the fyrst decade where also we haue entreated of their Zemes that is their Idoles and Images of deuylles whiche they honoured But they saye that since these Zemes were taken away by the Christians the spirites haue no more appeared Our men ascribe this to the signe of the crosse wherwith they defende them selues from suche spirites For they are nowe all cleansed and sanctified by the water of baptisme whereby they haue renounced the deuyl andare consecrated the holy members of Christ. They are vniuersally studious to knowe the boundes and limittes of their regions kingdomes and especially their Mitani that is noble men so that euen they are not vtterly ignorant in the surueying of theyr landes The common people haue none other care then of settyng sowyng and plantyng They are most expert fyshers by reason that throughout the whole yeere they are accustomed dayly to plunge them selues in the ryuers so that in maner they lyue no lesse in the water then on the lande They are also geuen to huntyng For as I haue sayd before they haue two kindes of foure footed beastes whereof the one is litle Cunnes called Vtias and other Serpentes named Iuannas much lyke vnto Crocodils of eyght foote length of most pleasaunte tast and lyuyng on the lande All the Ilandes nooryshe innumerable byrdes and foules as Stockdoues Duckes Geese Hearons besyde no lesse number of Popingiais then Sparowes with vs. Euery kyng hath his subiectes diuided to sundrye affaires as some to huntyng other to fyshyng other some to husbandrye But let vs nowe returne to speake further of the names We haue sayde that Quizqueia and Haiti were the olde names of this Ilande The whole Ilande was also called Cipanga of the region of the mountaynes aboundyng with golde lyke as our auncient poetes called all Italy Latium of part thereof Therefore as they called Ausonia and Hesperia Italy euen so by the names of Quizqueia Haiti and Cipanga they vnderstode the whole Ilande of Hispaniola Our men dyd fyrst name it Isabella of queene Helisabeth whiche in the Spanyshe tounge is called Isabella and so named it of the fyrst Colonie where they planted their habitation vpon the banke neere vnto they sea on the North syde of the Ilande as we haue further declared in the fyrst decade But of the names this shal suffyse Let vs nowe therfore speake of the fourme of the Ilande They whiche fyrst ouerran it described it vnto me to be lyke vnto the leafe of a Chestnut tree with a gulfe towarde the west syde lying open agaynst the Ilande of Cuba But the expert shypmaistier Andreas Moralis brought me the fourme thereof somewhat differyng from that For from both the corners as from the East angle and the West he described it to be indented eaten with many great gulfes and the corners to reache foorth very farre and placeth manye large and safe hauens in the great gulfe on the East syde But I trust shortly so to trauayle further herein that a perfect carde of the perticular description of Hispaniola may be sent vnto your holynesse For they haue nowe drawne the Geographicall description therof in cardes euen as your holynesse hath seene the fourme and situation of Spayne and Italy with theyr mountaynes valleyes riuers cities and colonies Let vs therefore without shamfastnesse compare the Iland of Hispaniola to Italy somtyme the head and queene of the whole worlde For if we consyder the quantitie it shal bee founde litle lesse and muche more fruitefull It reacheth from the East into the West fyue hundred and fourtie myles accordyng to the computation of the later searchers although the Admiral somewhat increased this number as we haue sayde in the fyrst decade It is in breadth somewhere almost three hundred myles and in some places narower where the corners are extended But it is surely muche more blessed and fortunate then Italie beyng for the most part thereof so temperate and floryshyng that it is neyther vexed with sharpe colde nor afflicted with immoderate heare It hath both the steyinges or conuersions
of the Sonne called Solstitia in maner equall with the Equinoctial with litle difference betwene the length of the day and the nyght throughout all the yeere For on the south syde the day ascendeth scarcely an houre in length aboue the nyght or contrarywyse But the difference is more on the north syde Yet are there some regions in the Ilande in the whiche the colde is of some force But your holynesse must vnderstande this to be incident by reason of y e obiect or neerenes of the mountaynes as we wyll more largely declare hereafter Yet is not this colde so pearsyng or sharpe that thinhabitantes are molested with snowe or bytyng frost In other places the Ilande enioyeth perpetuall spryng tyme and is fortunate with continuall sommer and haruest The trees floryshe there all the whole yeere and the medowes continue alway greene All thynges are exceedyng fortunate and growe to great perfection Howe wonderfully all garden hearbes and fruites do encrease so that within the space of syxtene dayes after the seede is sowne all hearbes of small steames as lettisse borage radish and suche other come to theyr full rypenesse and also howe hearbes of the bygger sort as Gourdes Melons Cucumbers Pompons Sitrons and such other come to theyr perfection in the space of thyrtie dayes we haue sufficiently declared elswhere Of the beastes transported out of Spayne thyther we haue sayde howe they growe to a muche greater kynde insomuch that when they fall into communication of the oxen or kyne they compare them in bygnesse to Elephantes and swyne to Mules but this somewhat by an excessiue kynde of speache We haue also made mention howe theyr swynes fleshe is more sauourye and of farre better and of more pleasaunt tast and more holsome then ours by reason that they are fedde with the fruites of Mirobalane trees and other pleasaunt and nourishing fruites of that countrey whiche growe there of them selues as do with vs Beeches Holly and Okes. Uines woulde also prosper there with marueylous encrease if they had any regarde to the plantyng thereof The lyke encrease commeth of wheate if it be sowen vpon the mountaines where the cold is of some strength but not in the same playnes by reason of to much fatnesse and ranknesse of the grounde It is in maner incredible to heare that an eare of wheate shoulde be bygger then a mans arme in the brawne and more then a spanne in length bearyng also more then a thousand graynes as they all confesse with one voyce and earnestlye affyrme the same with others Yet they say that the bread of the Iland called Cazabbi made of the roote of Iucca to be more holsome because it is of easier digestion and is cultured with lesse labour and greater encrease The residue of the tyme which they spend not in settyng and plantyng they bestowe in geathering of golde They haue nowe such plenty of foure footed beastes that Horses and oxe hydes with sheepe skynnes and goate skynnes and such other are brought from thence into Spayne so that now the daughter in many thynges helpeth and succoureth her mother Of the trees of brasyle spyces the grayne which coloureth scarlet in bright shyning red mastix gossampyne cotton the precious metall called Electrum and such other commodities of this Ilande we haue spoken sufficiently before What therfore can chaunce more happye vnto man vppon the earth then there to lyue where he neede not to be dryuen to close chaumbers with sharpe colde or fayntyng heate nor yet in winter eyther to be laden with heauy apparrel or to burne the shinnes with continual sittyng at the fyre which thynges make men olde in short tyme by resoluing the naturall heate whereof a thousand diseases ensue They also affirme the ayre to be very healthfull and the waters and ryuers to be no lesse holsome as they which haue their contynuall course through the earth of the golden mynes For there is in maner no ryuers no mountaynes and but fewe playnes that are vtterly without golde But let vs nowe at the length come to the particuler description of the inner partes of this blessed Ilande We haue before declared how it is in maner equally diuided with foure great ryuers descendyng from hygh mountaynes whereof that whiche runneth towards the East is called Iunna as that towards the West is named Attibunicus the thyrde is Nahiba or Haiba which runneth Southward the fourth is called Iache falleth toward the North. But this shypmaister hath brought an other description obserued of the inhabitauntes from the beginnyng Let vs therfore diuide the whole Iland into fiue partes callyng the regions of euery prouince by theyr olde names and finally make mention of such thyngs as are worthy memory in euery of them The beginning of the Ilande on the East syde is conteyned in the prouince named Caizcimu so named for that in theyr language Cimu signifieth the front or beginning of anye thyng After this foloweth the prouince of Huhabo and then Caihabo the fourth is Bainoa Guaccaiarima conteyneth the west corner But the last saue one Bainoa is of larger boundes then the three other Caizcimu reacheth from the fyrst front of the Iland to the ryuer Hozama which runneth by the citie of saint Dominicke But towarde the North syde it is ended at the rough mountaynes of Haiti Hubaho is encluded within the mountaynes Haiti and the ryuer Iaciga Caeiabo the thyrd prouince conteineth al that lyeth between Cubabo and Dahatio euen vnto the mouth of the ryuer of Iaceha or Iache one of the foure which diuide the Iland equally ascendeth to the mountaynes of Cibaua where the greatest plenty of gold is found out of the which also the ryuer Demahus spryngeth and ioining with the sprynges of the ryuer of Naiba beyng an other of the foure which diuideth the Iland toward the south sea falleth to an other banke of the riuer of saint Dominick Bainoa beginneth at the confines of Caiabi and reacheth euen vnto the Iland of Cahini which lyeth neare vnto the sea bankes of the North syde of the Iland where we sayde that they erected y e first colonie or habitation The prouince of Guaccaiarima occupieth the remanent toward the west this they named Guaccaiarima because it is the extreeme or vttermost part of the Iland For Iarima in theyr language signifieth the tayle or end of any thing and Gua is an article which they vse oftentimes in the names of things and especially in the names of theyr kinges as Guarionexius Guaccanarillus In the prouince of Cazium are these regions Higuei Guanama Reyre Xagua Aramana Arabo Hazoa Macorix Caiacoa Guaiagua Baguauimabo the rough mountaines of Haiti Here let vs speake somwhat of their aspirations which they vse otherwise then the Latines do It is to be noted that there is no aspiration in their vowels which hath not the effect of a consonant So
or poynte of the axes or axceltree of the worlde where the sunne beyng at the hyghest in sommer is eleuate about .xxiiii. degrees In which regions one continuall day consisteth of .vi. monethes from the spryng tyme by the standyng of the sunne called Solflitium in the signe of Cancer to Autumne The Sunne therfore without any offence of the nyght gyueth his influence vppon those landes with heate that neuer ceaseth duryng that tyme which maketh to the great increase of sommer by reason of continuaunce Wee haue now therefore thought good to geather by a certayne coniecture howe greatly we thynke the sommer to be increased heereby We haue before declared howe hygh the sunne is eleuate ouer the regions that are vnder the poles at the staye of the sunne And so many partes is it eleuate in Rome at the staye of the sunne in wynter that is at the shortest day in the yeere But here in the myd wynter the sunne at noonetyde is beneficiall and bryngeth foorth floures Roses and Ieâ—â—floures I haue geathered some in winter in the moneth of December not procured at home by humane arte but growyng in open Gardens in maner in euery bed vnder the bare heauen brought foorth only by the sunne But this benignitie of the sunne continueth not past fyue houres in the naturall day forasmuch as the operation thereof is extinct by the coldenesse of the nyght folowyng But if this benefite myght be receyued without hinderaunce of the nyght as it is vnder the poles and so continue many monethes in hot regions vnto wynter it should surely bring foorth many wonderful thinges if moysture fayled not And by this condition thus propounded we may well conceyue that the Romane wynter although it be not hotte yet to be equall in heate to the full spryng tyme in the same citie during the tyme of the sayd fyue houres And thus by a similitude of the height of the sunne vnder both places and of the knowen qualitie of the Romane heauen and by the accesse of the sunne to such places where the longest day continueth certayne moneths we may geather that sommer in places vnder the pole is lyke vnto and equall with the full Romane spryng But the more difficult question is of the tyme of the .vi. monethes in the whiche the Sunne leaueth those regions and goeth by the contrary or ouerthwarte circle toward the south in wynter For they say that at that tyme those regions are deformed with horrible darkenesse and nyghtes not increased whiche may be the cause that beastes can not seeke theyr foode And that also the colde should then bee intollerable By which double euyls all thynges constrayned should dye so that no beast were able to abyde the iniuryes of wynter and famyne insuyng thereof but that all beastes should peryshe before the sommer folowyng when they should bryng foorth theyr broode or succession and that for these causes the sayde colde clyme should bee perpetually desolate and vnhabitable To all which obiections we answere in this maner As touchyng the nyghtes not increased I say that it was not conuenient to assume that for any reason For not as the Sunne falleth so sodeynly commeth the darke nyght but that the euenyng doeth substitute and prolong the day long after as also the day spryng or dawnyng of the day gyueth a certayne lyght before the rysing of the Sunne After the which the residue of the nyght that receyueth no lyght by the sayde euenyng and mornyng twilightes is accomplyshed by the lyght of the Moone so that the nyghtes are sildome vnaugmented Let this bee an example prooued by our temperate regions whereby we may vnderstande the condition of the nyght vnder the pole Therefore euen there also the twilightes helpe the nyght a long tyme as we will more presently demonstrate It is approoued by the Astronomers that the Sunne descendyng from the highest halfe sphere by eightiene paralels of the vnder horizon maketh an ende of the twilight so that at the length the darke night succeedeth And that the Sunne approchyng and rysing aboue the hyghest halfe sphere by as many paralels doeth dyminyshe the nyght and increase the twylyght Agayne by the position or placyng of the sphere vnder the pole the same is the horizontall that is the Equinoctiall Those paralelles therefore that are paralelles to the horizontall lyne are also paralelles to the Equinoctiall So that the Sunne descendyng there vnder the horizon doeth not bryng darke nyghtes to those regions vntyll it come to the paralels distant .xviii. partes from the Equinoctiall Duryng the tyme of these sayde syxe monethes of darkenesse vnder the pole the nyght is destitute of the benefite of the Sunne and the sayde twylyghtes onely for the space of three monethes in the whiche the Sunne goeth and returneth by the portion of the ouerthwarte circle But yet neyther this tyme of three monethes is without remedy from heauen For the Moone with her full globe increased in lyght hath accesse at that tyme and illuminateth the monethes lackyng lyght euery one by them selues halfe the course of the moneth by whose benefite it commeth to passe that the nyght named as vnaugmented possesseth those regions no longer then one moneth and a halfe neyther that continually or all at one tyme but this also diuided into three sortes of shorter nyghtes of the whiche euery one endureth for the space of two weekes and are illuminate of the Moone accordyngly And this is the reason conceyued of the power of the sphere whereby we testifie that the sommers and nyghtes vnder the pole are tollerable to lyuyng beastes But we wyll nowe declare by other remedies of nature and arte that this colde so greatly feared is more remisse and tollerable then our opinion so that compared to the nature of suche beastes as lyue there it may be abydden And there is no doubte but there are autours of more antiquitie then that age in the whiche any thyng was exactly knowen or discouered of the North regions The olde wryters therefore persuaded onely by naked coniecture dyd geather what they myght determyne of those places Or rather by the estimation of heauen the whiche because they felte it to bee hardely tollerable to them selues and lesse to men borne in the clyme of Egypt and Grecia tooke thereby an argument of the whole habitable earth The hystorie of Strabo is knowen that a potte of brasse whiche was broken in sunder with frosen water was brought from Pontus and shewed in Delphis in token of a greeuous wynter Here therefore they that so greatly feared the wynter suche as chaunceth to the earth vnder the xlviii paralele and therefore consecrated that broken potte to the temple of Appollo what coulde suche men truely define vppon regions so farre without that paralele whether they were inhabited or not But suche as folowed these beyng contented with thinuentions of the olde autours and borne
in Calecut Fanan .30 One of two Carattes Fanan .65 Of three Carattes Fanan .150 Of three Carattes and a halfe Fanan .200 Of foure Carattes Fanan .300 Of foure Carattes and a halfe Fanan .350 Of fyue Carattes Fanan .400 Of fyue Carattes and a halfe Fanan .450 Of syxe Carattes Fanan .530 Of syxe Carattes and a halfe Fanan .560 Of seuen Carattes Fanan .630 Of seuen Carattes and a halfe Fanan .660 One of .viii. Carattes that hath ben well prooued in the fyre is woorth Fanan .800 Of .viii. Carattes and a halfe Fanan .900 One suche of tenne Carattes Fanan .1300 One of .x. Carattes and a halfe Fanan â–ª 1600 Of .xii. Carattes Fanan .2000 Of .xiiii. Carattes Fanan 3000 Of .xvi. Carattes Fanan 6000 Of the kynd of Rubies called Spinelle THere is also founde an other kynde of Rubies which we call Spinelle and the Indians Caropus They growe in the selfe same countrey of Pegu where as are the fyne Rubies are found in the mountaines in the vpper crust or floure of the earth These are not so fine nor of so good colour as are the true Rubies but haue somewhat the colour of a Granate which we commonly call a Garnet yet of these suche as are perfect in theyr colour are of value halfe lesse then true Rubies Of the Rubies called Balassi BAlassi are of the kyndes of Rubies but are not so hard their colour is somewhat lyke a Rose and some are in maner whyte they growe in Balassia whiche is a region within the firme lande aboue Pegu and Bengala and are brought from thence by merchants of the Moores to Calecut where they are wrought and pullyshed and are solde of the same price that are Spinel Of the Diamondes of the old myne THese Diamondes are founde in the first India in a kyngdome of the Moores named Decan from whence they are brought to other regions There are also founde other Diamondes whiche are not so good but somewhat whyte and are called Diamondes of the newe myne whiche is in the kyngdome of Narsinga They of the olde myne are not pullyshed in India but in other places There are made lykewyse in India other false Diamondes of Rubies Topases and whyte Saphires whiche appeare to be fyne and are also founde in the Ilande of Zeilam these stones differ in none other sauyng that they haue lost theyr natural colour Of these some are found that haue halfe the colour of Rubies other of Saphires other also of the colour of a Topase other haue al these colours myngled togeather They bore a fine hole in these through the middes whereby they appeare lyke the eyes of a Catte Of the whytest they make many small Diamondes whiche can not be knowen from the true sauyng by touchyng of such as are skylful in that practise They are solde by a poyse or wayght whiche they call Mangiar whiche weyeth two Tarre and two thirdes whiche amount to two thirdes or third partes of one Carat for foure Tarres wey one Fanan which is about two Carattes Eyght Diamondes that wey one Mangiar whiche is two third partes of a Carat are in value Fanan â–ª xxx whiche are three crownes of golde Sixe Diamundes that weigh one Mangiar Fanan .40 Foure that weigh one Mangiar Fanan .60 Two that weigh one Mangiar Fanan .80 One that weygheth one Mangiar Fanan .100 One of one Mangiar and a quarter Fanan .165 One of one Mangiar and a halfe Fanan .180 Of one Mangiar and three quarters Fanan .220 Of two Mangiars Fanan .320 Of two Mangiars and a quarter Fanan .360 Of two Mangiars and a halfe Fanan .380 Of two Mangiars three quarters full perfect Fanan .420 Of three Mangiars of lyke perfection Fanan .450 Of three Mangiars and a halfe Fanan .480 Of foure Mangiars Fanan .550 Of fyue Mangiars Fanan .750 Of sixe Mangiars Fanan .800 Of seuen Mangiars Fanan .1200 Of eight Mangiars Fanan .1400 And thus they proceede increasyng the price as they increase in weyght Of Saphires IN the Ilande of Zeilam are founde the beste and moste true Saphires being very hard and fine and of the colour of Azure They are of price as foloweth One that weigheth one Caratte is of value which are about two Marcels of siluer Fanan .2 One of the weyght of two Carattes Fanan .5 Of three Carattes Fanan .10 Of foure Carattes Fanan .15 Of fyue Carattes Fanan .18 Of sixe Carattes Fanan .28 Of seuen Carattes Fanan .35 Of eight Carattes Fanan .50 Of niene Carattes Fanan .60 Of tenne Carattes Fanan .65 Of eleuen Carattes Fanan .70 Of twelue Carattes Fanan .75 Of .xiii. Carattes in all perfection of colour Fanan .115 Of .xiiii. Carattes Fanan .160 Of .xv. Carattes Fanan .180 Of .xvi. Carattes Fanan .200 Of .xviii. Carattes Fanan .250 One that weigheth a Mitigall which is .xi. Fanans and a quarter that is about .xxiii. Carattes Fanan .350 Lykewyse in the Ilande of Zeilam is founde an other sorte of Saphires which they call Quinigelinam These are not so strong of darker colour and of much lesse value then are the other of the best kynd wherof one is woorth thirtiene of these of equal poyse Also in the kyngdome of Narsinga in a mountayne aboue Bacanor and Mangalor is found an other sorte of Saphires more tender and of woorse colour which they call Cinganloam These are somewhat whyte and of small value So that the most perfecte of this kynde weighing .xx Carattes is not woorth one Ducate Theyr colour is inclynyng somewhat to yelowe There is lykewyse founde an other kynde of Saphires vppon the sea coastes of the kyngdome of Calecut in a place named Capucar These the Indians call Carahatonilam They are of a darke Azure colour not shynyng but in the cleare ayre They are also tender brickle and of small estimation among the Indians They seeme on the one sydâ— lyke glasse Of Topasies THe naturall Topasies growe in the Iland of Zeilam and are named of the Indians Purceragua It is a harde and fine stone and of equall estimation with the Rubie the Saphire bycause all these three are of one kynde The perfecte colour of this is yelowe lyke vnto fine beaten gold and if it be perfecte and cleane whether it be great or litle it is woorth in Calecut as much fine gold as it weigheth But if it be not perfect it is woorth the weight of golde the Fanan which is lesse by the halfe And if it be in maner whyte it is woorth much lesse And of these are small Diamundes counterfecte Of Turquesses TUrquesses are founde in Exer a place of Siech Ismaell Theyr Mine is a drye earth that is founde vppon a blacke stone which the Moores take of in small peeces and carry them to the Ilande of Ormus from whence they are brought to diuers partes of the worlde by sea and by lande The Indians call them Perose They are soft stones of small weight and not much colde to know that they are good true in
the day they shal appeare of the very colour of the Turquesse and in the nyght by the light they shall appeare greene They that are not so perfecte doe not so chaunge theyr colour to the sight If these stones be cleane and of fine colour they haue vnderneth in the bottome a blacke stone vppon the which they growe And if any little vayne ryse vppon the sayde stone it shall be the better And to know more certainely that they are true Turquesses they put on the toppes of them a little quicke lyme tempered with water after the maner of an oyntment So that if the quicke lime appeare coloured they are iudged perfect and are of value as foloweth One that weigheth one Caratte is worth in Malabar Fanan .15 One of two Carattes Fanan .40 Of foure Carattes Fanan .90 Of sixe Carattes Fanan .150 Of eight Carattes Fanan .200 Of ten Carattes Fanan .300 Of twelue Carattes Fanan .450 Of fourtiene Carattes Fanan .550 Of greater then these they make none accompte bycause they are lyghter peeces and of greater circuite These of the byggest sorte the Moores carrie into the kyngdome of Guzerath Of Iacinthes IAcinthes growe in the Ilande of Zeilam They are tender stones and yelowe They are best that are of deepest colour The greatest parte of these haue in them certayne pimples or burbuls which diminyshe theyr fayrenesse And they that are in theyr perfection cleaue from this deformitie are neuerthelesse of small value For in Calecut where they are polyshed they that weygh one Fanan are woorth no more then halfe a Fanan And they of .xviii. Fanans are not woorth .xvi. Fanans There are also found other stones lyke vnto cattes eyes as Chrisolytes Amethystes which they do not much esteeme bicause they are of small value as also the stones called Giagonze Of Smaragdes or Emeraldes SMaragdes growe in the countrey of Babylon where the Indians cal the sea Dieguan They grow also in other parts of India They are stones of fayre greene colour and are light and tender Of these stones many are counterfect But lookyng on them curiously towarde the lyght the counterfectes shewe certayne burbuls as doeth glasse but in the true there is no suche seene but rather there appeareth to the eye a certayne verdour shynyng lyke the beames of the Sunne and being rubbed vppon the touche stone they leaue the colour of copper And the Smaragde of this forte is the best and most true and is in value in Calecut as muche as a Diamunde and somewhat more And this not by weyght but by greatnesse bycause the Diamunde quantitie for quantitie is of greater weyght then the Smaragde There is lykewyse founde an other kynde of Smaragdes which are greene stones but not so muche esteemed Neuerthelesse the Indians reserue these to set them foorth with other precious stones They leaue not any greene colour vppon the touche Of dyuers kindes of Spices where they growe what they are woorth in Calecut and whyther they are carried from thence Of Pepper FYrst in all the kyngdome of Malabor and Calecut Pepper groweth and is sold in Calecut by euery CC. Bahars fine for CCxxx Fanans euery Fanan as I haue sayde being in value one ryall of place of Spayne which is as muche as one Marcell of siluer in Uenice Bahar weigheth foure Cantares of the olde weyght of Portugale by the which they sell all spices in Lisbona Cantare is in Uenice Cxii pounde weyght of the grosse pounde beyng xviii ounces and of the subtyle pounde Clxxviii So that the sayde .712 poundes of Uenice subtile will cost about .xx. frenche crownes of gold which amount to about two Marchetti which make one penny the pounde They paye also to the kyng of Calecut for custome .xii. Fanans euery Bahar by the lode They that buye them are accustomed to bryng them to Cambaia Persia Aden and Mecha and from thence to Alcayr and Alexandria Now they paye custome to the kyng of Portugale after the rate of 6562. Maruedies the Bahar which are .193 Fanans Maruedies are Spanyshe coynes wherof sixe goe to a penny This do they partly bycause there arryueth no more so great diuersitie of merchauntes to buye them and partly by the agreement whiche the sayd kyng of Portugale made with those kynges the Moores and merchauntes of the countrey of Malabar Much pepper groweth lykewyse in the Ilande of Sumatra neare vnto Malaca which is fayrer and bigger then that of Malabar but not so good and strong This is brought from Bengala to China and some part to Mecha priuylie and by stealth vnwares to the Portugales whiche would not otherwyse suffer them to passe It is woorth in Sumatra from .iiii. C. vnto .vii. C. Maruedies the Canter of Portugale of the newe weight And from the new to the olde weight in Portugale the difference is two ounces in the pounde weight For the olde pounde consisteth of .xiiii. ounces and the newe pounde of xvi ounces Of Cloues CLoues growe in the Ilandes of Molucca from whence they are brought to Malacha and then to Calecut and the countrey of Malabar They are woorth in Calecut euery Bahar which is .712 poundes of the subtile pound of Uenice from .500 to .600 Fanans which are about fyftie frenche crownes whiche are in value about twelue Marchetti the pounde weyght and beyng cleane from stalkes huskes are in value .700 Fanans To carry them from thence into other regions they paye for pasporte xviii Fanans the Bahar which is woorth in Malacca from .x. to .xiiii. Ducades according to the rate and custome of the merchauntes Of Cinamome CInamome of the beste sorte groweth in the Ilande of Zeilam and in the countrey of Malabar groweth the woorst That of the best kynde is of small price in Zeilam But in Calecut if it be choyse and freshe it is woorth 300. Fanans the Bahar which are about fyue Marchetti the pounde Of Ginger called Beledi GInger Beledi groweth on euery side about Calecut from sixe to ntene myles and is woorth the Bahar .xl. Fanans and sometymes fyftie which is lesse then one Marchetto the pounde They bryng it from the mountaynes and out of the countrey to the citie where they sell it by retayle to the Indian merchauntes who geather it togeather in great quantitie and keepe it to such tyme as the Moores shippes arryue there to whom they sell it by the price of .xc. Fanans to Cx. which is lesse then two Marchetti the pounde bycause the weight is greater Of Ginger Mechino GInger Mechino groweth begynnyng from the mountaine of Deli vnto Canonor It is small and not so whyte nor so good as the other It is woorth the Bahar in Canonor about .60 Fanans whiche is about one Marchetto the pounde They paye for the Bahar sixe Fanans in money for the custome It is solde vncleansed or vnpurged Of greene Ginger in conserues IN Bengala is founde great plentie of Ginger Beledi of the which they make muche Ginger in conserues with Suger