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
slender lyke a fawne or hynde the hoofes of the fore feete are diuided in two much like the feete of a Goat the outwarde part of the hynder feete is very full of heare This beast doubtlesse seemeth wylde and fierce yet tempereth that fiercenesse with a certaine comelinesse These Unicornes one gaue to the Soltan of Mecha â–ª as a most precious and rare gyfte They were sent hym out of Ethiope by a kyng of that countrey who desired by that present to gratifie the Soltan of Mecha Of diuers thynges which chaunced to me in Mecha And of Zida a port of Mecha Cap. 20. IT may seeme good here to make mention of certayne thynges in the which is seene sharpenesse of witte in case of vrgent necessitie which hath no lawe as sayeth the prouerbe for I was dryuen to the poynt howe I myght priuely escape from Mecha Therefore whereas my Captayne gaue me charge to buy certaine thyngs as I was in the market place a certayne Mamaluke knewe me to be a Christian. And therefore in his owne language spake vnto me these woordes Inte mename That is whence arte thou To whom I answered that I was a Mahumetan But he sayde Thou sayest not truely I sayde agayne By the head of Mahumet I am a Mahumetan Then he sayde agayne Come home to my house I folowed him willingly When we were there he began to speake to me in the Italian tongue and asked me agayne from whence I was affyrmyng that he knewe me and that I was no Mahumetan Also that he had been sometyme in Genua and Venice And that his woordes myght be the better beleeued rehearsed many thinges whiche testified that he sayde trueth When I vnderstoode this I confessed freely that I was a Romane but professed to the fayth of Mahumet in the citie of Babylon and there made one of the Mamalukes Whereof he seemed greatly to reioyce and therefore vsed me honourably But because my desyre was yet to goe further I asked the Mahumetan whether that citie of Mecha was so famous as all the world spake of it and inquired of him where was the great aboundaunce of pearles precious stones spices and other rich merchandies that the bruite went of to be in that citie And all my talke was to the ende to grope the mynde of the Mahumetan that I might know the cause why such thinges were not brought thyther as in tyme paste But to auoyde all suspition I durst here make no mention of the dominion which the Kyng of Portugale had in the most parte of that Ocean and of the gulfes of the redde sea and Persia. Then he began with more attentyue mynde in order to declare vnto me the cause why that marte was not so greatly frequented as it had been before and layde the only faulte therof in the kyng of Portugale But when he had made mention of the Kyng I began of purpose to detracte his fame least the Mahumetan might thinke that I reioyced that the Christians came thyther for merchandies When he perceyued that I was of profession an enemy to the Christians he had me yet in greater estimation and proceeded to tell me many thynges more When I was well instructed in all thinges I spake vnto him friendly these woordes in the Mahumets language Menaha Menalhabi That is to say I pray you assist mee He asked me wherein To helpe me sayde I howe I may secretly departe hence Confirmyng by great othes that I would goe to those Kinges that were most enemies to the Christians Affirmyng furthermore that I knewe certayne secretes greatly to be esteemed whiche if they were knowen to the sayde kynges I doubted not but that in shorte tyme I shoulde bee sent for from Mecha Astonyshed at these woordes he sayde vnto mee I pray you what arte or secrete doe you knowe I answered that I would gyue place to no man in makyng of all maner of Gunnes and artillerie Then sayde hee Praysed be Mahumet who sent thee hyther to do him and his Saintes good seruice and willed me to remayne secretly in his house with his wyfe and requyred me earnestly to obtayne leaue of our Captayne that vnder his name he myght leade from Mecha fiftiene Camelles laden with spices without paying any custome for they ordinarily paye to the Soltan thirtie Saraphes of golde for transportyng of such merchandies for the charge of so many Camelles I put him in good hope of his request although he would aske for a hundred affyrmyng that that myght easily be obteyned by the priuileges of the Mamalukes and therefore desired him that I myght safely remayne in his house Then nothyng doubtyng to obtayne his request he greatly reioyced and talkyng with me yet more freely gaue me further instructions and counsayled me to repayre to a certayne Kyng of the greater India in the kyngdome and realme of Decham whereof we will speake hereafter Therfore the day before the Carauana departed from Mecha he willed me to lye hydde in the most secrete parte of his house The day folowyng early in the mornyng the trumpetter of the Carauana gaue warning to all the Mamalukes to make readie their horses to directe their iourney toward Syria with proclamation of death to all that shoulde refuse so to doe When I hearde the sounde of the Trumpet and was aduertised of the streight commaundement I was marueylously troubled in mynde and with heauy countenaunce desired the Mahumetans wyfe not to bewraye me and with earnest prayer committed myselfe to the mercie of God On the Tuesday folowyng our Carauana departed from Mecha and I remayned in the Mahumetans house with his wyfe but he folowed the Carauana Yet before he departed he gaue commaundement to his wyfe to bryng me to the Carauana which should departe from Zida the porte of Mecha to goe into India This porte is distant from Mecha .xl miles Whilest I laye thus hyd in the Mahumetans house I can not expresse how friendly his wife vsed me This also furthered my good interteynement that there was in the house a fayre young mayde the Niese of the Mahumetan who was greatly in loue with me But at that tyme in the myddest of those troubles and feare the fyre of Uenus was almost extincte in mee and therefore with daliaunce of fayre woordes and promises I styll kepte my selfe in her fauour Therefore the Fryday folowyng about noone tyde I departed folowyng the Carauana of India And about mydnyght we came to a certayne village of the Arabians and there remayned the rest of that nyght and the nexte day tyll noone From hence we went forwarde on our iourney towarde Zida and came thyther in the silence of the nyght This citie hath no walles yet fayre houses somewhat after the buyldyng of Italie Heere is great aboundaunce of all kynde of merchandies by reason of resorte in maner of all nations thyther excepte Iewes and Christians to whom it is not lawfull to come thyther Assoone as
vp sande with theyr left handes from the bottome of the same they pycked out graynes of golde with theyr ryght handes without any more art or cunnyng and so deliuered it to our men who affirme that many of them thus geathered were as bygge as tares or fytches And I mee selfe sawe a masse of rude golde that is to say suche as was neuer moulten lyke vnto suche stones as are founde in the bottomes of ryuers weighyng niene ounces whiche Hoieda hym selfe founde Beyng contented with these signes they returned to the Admirall to certifie hym hereof For the Admirall had commaunded vnder payne of punyshment that they shoulde meddle no further then theyr commission whiche was only to searche the places with theyr signes For the fame went that there was a certayne kyng of the mountaynes from whence those ryuers had theyr fall whom they cal Cacicus Caunaboa that is the lord of the house of golde for they cal a house Boa golde Cauni and a kyng or lorde Cacicus as we haue sayde before They affirme that there can no where be founde better fyshe nor of more pleasant taste or more holsome then in these riuers also the waters of the same to be moste holsome to drynke Melchior him selfe tolde me that in the moneth of December the dayes nyghtes be of equal length among the Canibales but the sphere or circles of the heauen agreeth not thereunto albeit that in the same moneth some byrdes make theyr nestes and some haue alredye hatched theyr egges by reason of the heate beyng rather continuall then extreme He tolde me also when I questioned with him as concerning y e eleuation of the pole frō the horizontal line that al the starres called Plastrum or charles wayne are hyd vnder the North pole to the Canibales And surely there returned none from thence at this vioage to whom there is more credit to be geuen then to this man But if he had byn skilfull in Astronomie he shoulde haue sayde that the day was almoste equall with the night For in no place towarde the stay of the sonne called Solsticium can the night be equall with the day And as for them they neuer came vnder the Equinoctial forasmuch as they had euer the North pole theyr guyde and euer eleuate in sight aboue the Horizontal Thus haue I briefely written vnto your honour as muche as I thought sufficient at this tyme and shall shortly hereafter by Gods fauoure wryte vnto you more largely of such matters as shal be dayly better knowen For the Admiral hym selfe whom I vse famyerly as my very frende hath promised me by his letters that he wyl geue me knowledge of al such thinges as shall chaunce He hath nowe chosen a strong place where he may build a citie neare vnto a cōmodious hauen and hath alredy buylded many houses and a chapel in the which as in a newe worlde heretofore voyde of all religion God is dayly serued with .xiii. priestes accordyng to the maner of our churches When the tyme nowe approched that he promysed to sende to the king and queene and hauyng prosperous winde for that purpose sent backe the .xii. Carauelles wherof we made mention before which was no smal hynderance and greefe vnto hym especially consyderyng the death of his men whom he lefte in the ilande at the fyrst voyage wherby we are yet ignorant of many places and other secretes wherof we myght otherwyse haue had further knowledge but as tyme shall reueale them agayne so wyll I aduertyse you of the same And that you may the better knowe by conference had with the Apothecaries and marchaunt strangers Sirophenicians what this Regions beare how hot theyr ground is I haue sent you all kyndes of graines with the barke and inner partes of that tree whiche they suppose to be the Cinamome tree And yf it be your pleasure to taste eyther of the graynes or of the smal seedes the whiche you shoulde perceaue to haue fallen from these graynes or of the wood it selfe touch them fyrst softly moouyng them to your lyppes for although they be not hurtfull yet for theyr excesse of heate they are sharpe and byte the tongue yf they remayne any while thereon but yf the tongue be blystered by tastyng of them the same is taken away by drynkyng of water Of the corne also whereof they make theyr bread this brynger shall deliuer some graynes to your lordshyp both whyte and blacke and therwith also a trunke of the tree of Aloes the whiche yf you cut in peeces you shall feele a sweete sauour to proceede from the same Thus fare you hartily well from the Court of Methymna Campi the thyrde day before the Calendes of May. Anno Dom. 1494. The thyrde booke of the first Decade to Lodouike Cardinall of Aragonie and Neuiewe to the kyng YOu desyre that foolyshe Phaeton shoulde agayne rule the chariots of the Sunne and contende to drawe sweete licours out of the harde flynt wheras you require me to discribe vnto you the newe world found in the west by the good fortune and gouernaunce of the Catholique princes Ferdinandus and Elizabeth your Uncle and Aunte shewyng me also the letters of kyng Frederike your Uncle written to me in that behalfe But syth you haue layde this burden on my backe in whose power it is to commaunde me to take vppon me more then I am well able ye both shall receiue this precious stone rudely closed in lead after my manner of workemanshyp Wherefore when you shal perceiue the learned sort frendly the malitious enuiously and the backbyters furiously to bende theyr slaunderous dartes agaynst our fayre Nimphes of the Ocean you shall freely protest in howe short tyme and in the myddest of what troubles and calamities you haue enforced me to wryte of the same Thus fare you wel from Granata the nienth day before the Calendes of May. We haue declared in the booke herebefore how the Admiral passed by the coastes of the Canibales to the ilande of Hispaniola with his whole nauie But nowe we entende further to shewe what he founde as concernyng the nature of this ilande after that he had better searched the secretes of the same Lykewyse of the ilande of Cuba neare vnto it whiche he supposed to be the fyrme lande Hispaniola therefore whiche he affirmeth to be Ophir whereof we reade in the thyrde booke of the kynges is of latitude fyue south degrees hauyng the north pole eleuate on the north syde .xxvii. degrees and on the south syde as they say xxii degrees it reacheth in length from East to West seuen hundred and fourescore myles it is distant from the ilandes of Gades called Cales xlix degrees and more as some say the fourme of the ilande resembleth the leaffe of a Chesnutte tree Upon a hygh hyll on the North syde of the ilande he buylded a citie because this place was most apt for
of .viii. dayes in the which he suffered these extremites onely the fyrst day was fayre but al the other clowdy and rayny yet neuerthelesse feruent hotte Wherefore it oftentymes repented hym not a litle that euer he tooke that way Being tossed in these dangers and vexations eyght continuall dayes at the lengthe an Eastsoutheast wynde arose and gaue a prosperous blaste to his sayles Whiche wynde folowing directly towarde the west he founde the starres ouer that paralell placed in other order and an other kynde of ayre as the Admirall hym selfe toilde me And they al affirme that within three dayes sayling they founde most temperate and pleasaunt ayre The Admiral also affirmeth that from the clime of the great heate and vnholsome ayre he euer ascended by the backe of the sea as it were by a hygh mountayne towarde heauen yet in all this tyme coulde he not once see any land But at the length the day before the Calendes of Iuly the watchman lookyng foorth of the toppe castel of the greatest shippe cried out aloude for ioy that he espied three exceding hygh mountaynes exhorting his felowes to be of good cheere and to put away al pensiuenes for they were very heauy and sorowfull as well for the greefe which they susteyned by reason of thintollerable heate as also that their freshe water fayled them whiche ranne out at the ryftes of the barels caused by extreme heate as we haue sayd Thus being wel comforted they drew to the land but at theyr fyrst approch they could not aryue by reason of the shalownes of the sea neere the shore Yet loking out of theyr shyppes they myght well perceiue that the Region was inhabyted and wel cultured for they sawe very fayre gardens and pleasaunt medowes from the trees and herbes wherof when the mornyng deawes beganne to ryse there proceaded manye sweete sauoures Twentie myles distant from hence they chaunced into a hauen very apte to harborowe shyppes but it had no ryuer running into it Sayling on yet somwhat further he founde at the length a commodious hauen wherin he might repayre his shyppes and make prouision of freshe water and fuel Arenalis calleth this land Puta They found no houses nere vnto the hauen but innumerable steppes of certeyn wilde beastes feete of the whiche they founde one dead muche lyke a goate The day folowyng they sawe a Canoa commyng a farre of hauyng in it foure and twentie young men of goodly corporature and high stature al armed with targets bowes arrowes the heare of theyr heades was long and playne and cutte on the forehead much after the manner of the Spanyards their pryuie partes were couered with fyllets of gossampine cotton of sundry colours enterlaced were beside al ouer naked Here the Admiral consydering with him selfe the corporature of this people and nature of the lande he beleeued the same to be so muche the nearer heauen then other regions of the same paralel and further remooued from the grosse vapours of the vales and maryshes howe muche the hyghest toppes of the byggest mountaynes are distant from the deepe vales For he earnestly affirmeth that in al that nauigation he neuer went out of the paralels of Ethiope So great difference is there betweene the nature of thinhabitauntes and of the soyles of diuers regions al vnder one clime or paralel as is to see betweene the people and regions beyng in the fyrme lande of Ethiope and them of the Ilandes vnder the same clime hauyng the pole starre eleuate in y e same degree For the Ethiopians are all blacke hauing theyr heare curled more like wool then heare but these people of the Iland of Puta beyng as I haue sayde vnder the clyme of Ethiope are white with long heare and of yelow colour Wherefore it is apparant the cause of this so great difference to be rather by the disposition of the earth then constitution of heauen For we knowe that snowe falleth on the mountaynes of the Equinoctial or burnt lyne and the same to endure there continuallye we knowe lykewyse that the inhabitauntes of the regions farre distant from that lyne towarde the north are molested with great heate The Admirall that he myght alure the young men to hym with gentlenesse shewed them lookyng glasses fayre and bryght vessels of copper haukes belles and suche other thynges vnknowen to them But the more they were called so muche the more they suspected craft and deceyte and fledde backewarde Yet dyd they with great admiration beholde our men and theyr thynges but styll hauyng theyr ores in theyr handes redy to flee When the Admirall sawe that he coulde by no meanes allure them by gyftes he thought to prooue what he coulde do with musicall instrumentes and therefore commaunded that they whiche were in the greatest shyp should play on theyr drummes and shawlmes But the young men supposing this to be a token of battayle left theyr ores in the twinclyng of an eye had theyr arrowes in theyr bowes and theyr targets on their armes and thus directing theyr arrowes towarde our men stoode in expectation to knowe what this noyse might meane Our men likewyse preparyng theyr bowes and arrowes approched towarde them by litle and litle But they departing from the Admirals shyppe and trusting to the dexteritie of theyr ores came so neare one of the lesse shyppes that one of them plucked the cloke from the gouernour of the shyppe and as wel as they coulde by signes required hym to come alande promisyng fayth that they woulde commune with him of peace But when they sawe him goe to the Admirals shyp whyther he went to aske leaue that he might commune with them suspecting hereby some further deceyt they leapt immediatlye into the Canoa and fleedde as swyft as the wynde so that to conclude they could by no meanes be allured to familiaritie Wherfore the Admiral thought it not conuenient to bestowe any long time there at this voyage No great space from this Ilande euer towarde the West the Admiral sayth he found so outragious a fal of water runnyng with suche a violence from the East to the West that it was nothyng inferior to a myghtie streame fallyng from hygh mountaynes He also confessed that synce the fyrst day that euer he knewe what the sea meant he was neuer in suche feare Proceedyng yet somewhat further in this daungerous voyage he founde certayne gulfes of eyght myles as it had ben the entraunce of some great hauen into the whiche the sayde violent streames dyd fall These gulfes or streyghtes he called Os Draconis that is the Dragons mouth and the Ilande directly oueragaynst the same he called Margarita Out of these strayghtes issued no lesse force of freshe water whiche encounteryng with the salte dyd stryue to passe foorth so that betweene both the waters was no small conflycte But entryng into the gulfe at the length he founde the water thereof verye freshe and good to drynke The Admirall
a father called by these fiue names that is Attabeira Mamona Guacarapita Liella Guimazoa Nowe shal you heare what they fable on the earth as touching the original of man There is in the Iland a region called Caunana where they fayne that manknyde came fyrst out of two caues of a mountayne and that the byggest sorte of men came forth of the mouth of the byggest caue and the least sort out of the least caue The rocke in the which these caues are they call Canta The greatest denne they name Cazibaxagua and the lesse Amaiauna They say that before it was lawfull for men to come foorth of the caue the mouth of the caue was kept and watched nyghtly by a man whose name was Machochael this Machochael departyng somewhat farre from the caue to the intent to see what things were abrode was sodenly taken of the sunne whose syght he was forbidden was turned into a stone They fayne the lyke of diuers other that whereas they went foorth in the nyght season a fyshyng so farre from the caue that they could not returne before the rysyng of the sunne the whiche it was not lawful for them to beholde they were transfourmed into Myrobalane trees which of them selues grow plentifully in the Iland They say furthermore that a certayne ruler called Vagoniona sent one foorth of the caue to goe a fyshyng who by like chaunce was turned into a Nyghtingale because the sunne was rysen before he came agayne to the caue and that yeerely about the same time that he was turned into a byrde he doth in the nyght with a mournyng song bewayle his mysfortune and call for the helpe of his maister Vagoniona And this they thynke to be the cause why that byrd syngeth in the nyght season But Vagoniona ▪ beyng sore troubled in his mind for the losse of his familiar frend whom he loued so entirely leauyng the men in the caue brought foorth only the women with theyr suckyng chyldren leauyng the women in one of the Ilands of that tracte called Mathinino and caryed the chyldren away with hym which poore wretches oppressed with famine faynted and remayned on the banke of a certayne riuer where they were turned into frogges and cryed toa toa that is mamma mamma as chyldren are woont to crye for the mothers pappe And hereof they say it commeth that frogges vse to crye so pitifully in the spryng tyme of the yeere And that men were scattered abrode in the caues of Hispaniola without the company of women They say also that where as Vagoniona himselfe was accustomed to wander in diuers places and yet by a special grace neuer transfourmed descended to a certayne fayre woman whom he sawe in the bottome of the sea and receiued of her certayne pibble stones of marble which they cal Cibas and also certayne yellowe and bright plates of latton which they cal Guaninos These thinges to this day are had in great estimation among the kynges as goodly iewelles and most holy reliques But nowe moste noble prynce you shall heare a more pleasaunt fable There is a certayne caue called Iouanaboina in the territorie of a certayne kyng whose name is Machinnech This caue they honour more religiously then dyd the Grekes in tyme paste Corinth Cyrrha or Nysa and haue adourned it with pyctures of a thousand fashions In thentrance of this caue they haue two grauen Zemes wherof the one is called Binthaitel and the other Marohu Beyng demaunded why they had this caue in so great reuerence they answered earnestly because the sunne and the moone came fyrst out of the same to geue lyght to the worlde they haue religious concourse to these caue◠as we are accustomed to goe on Pylgrimage to Rome or Uaticane Compostella or Hierusalem as most holy head places of our religion They are also subiect to another kynde of superstition for they thynke that dead folkes walke in the night and eate the fruite called Guannaba vnknowen vnto vs somewhat like vnto a Quinse affyrmyng also that they are cōuersant with lyuyng people euen in theyr beddes and to deceiue women in takyng vpon them the shape of men shewyng them selues as though they woulde haue to do with them but when the matter commeth to actual deede sodaynely to vanishe away If any do suspect that a dead body lyeth by him whē he feeleth any strange thyng in the bed they say he shal be out of doubt by feelyng of the belly thereof affyrmyng that the spirites of dead men may take vpon them al the members of mans body sauing only the nauel If therfore by the lacke of y e nauel he do perceiue that a dead body lyeth by him the feelyng is immediatly resolued They beleeue verily that in the nyght and oftentimes in theyr iourneys and especiallye in common and high wayes dead men do meete with the lyuyng Agaynst whom yf any man be stowte and out of feare the fantasie vanysheth incontinentlye but yf anye feare the fantasye or vision dooth so assaulte hym and stryke hym with further feare that manye are thereby astonyshed and haue the lymmes of theyr bodyes taken The inhabitauntes beyng demaunded of whom they had those vayne superstitions they aunswered that they were lefte them of theyr forefathers as by discent of inheritaunce and that they haue had the same before the memorie of man composed in certayne rymes and songues whiche it was lawful for none to learne but only the kynges sonnes who committed the same to memorye because they had neuer any knowledge of letters These they syng before the people on certayne solemne and festiuall dayes as most religious ceremonies whyle in the meane tyme they play on a certaine instrument made of one whole peece of wood somewhat holowe lyke a tymbrel Theyr priestes and diuines whom they cal Boitios instructe them in these superstitions These priestes are also phisitions deuysyng a thousande craftes and subtilties howe to deceiue the symple people whiche haue them in great reuerence for they perswade them that the Zemes vse to speake with them familiarlye and tel them of thinges to come And yf any haue ben sycke and are recouered they make them beleue that they obteyned theyr health of the Zemes. These Boitii bynde them selues to muche fastyng and outwarde cleanlynesse and pourgynges especially when they take vpon them the cure of any prince for then they drynke the powder of a certaine herbe by whose qualitie they are driuen into a fury at whiche time as they say they learne many thinges by reuelation of the Zemes. Then puttyng secretely in theyr mouthes eyther a stone or a bone or a peece of fleshe they come to the sicke person commaundyng al to depart out of that place except one or two whom it shal please the sycke man to appoynt this done they goe about hym three or foure tymes greatly deformyng theyr faces lyps and northrils with sundry fylthy gestures
foorth of his doores because shee spared not men yf shee mette fyrste with them But at the length necessitie enforced them to inuent a policie howe they myght be reuenged of suche bloodshed Searchyng therfore dilygently her footesteppes and folowyng the pathe whereby she was accustomed in the nyght season to wander out of her denne to seeke her praye they made a great trenche or pyt in her walke coueryng the same with hurdels whereupon they caste parte of the earth and dispearsed the resydue The dogge Tyger chaunced fyrst into this pitfall and fel vpon the poyntes of sharpe stakes and such other engins as were of purpose fyxed in the bottome of the trench Beyng thus wounded he rored so terrybly that it grated the bowels of suche as harde hym and the wooddes and mountaynes neare about rebounded the noyse of the horryble crye When they perceiued that he was layde fast they resorted to the trenche and slue hym with stones dartes and pykes With his teethe and clawes he brake the dartes into a thousande chyppes Beyng yet dead he was fearefull to all such as behelde hym what then thynke you he woulde haue doone beyng alyue and loose One Iohannes Ledisma of Ciuile a neare frende to Vascus and one of the companions of his trauayles tolde me that he hym selfe dyd eate of the fleshe of that Tyger and that it was nothyng inferiour to beefe in goodnes Beyng demaunded howe they knewe it to be a Tyger forasmuch as none of them had euer seene a Tyger they answeared that they knewe it by the spottes fiercenes agilitie and suche other markes and tokens wherby auncient writers haue described the Tyger For some of them had before tyme seene other spotted wylde beastes as Libardes and Panthers The dogge Tiger beyng thus kylled they folowyng the trase of his steppes towarde the mountaynes came to the denne where the bytche remayned with her two young suckyng whelpes But she was not in the denne at their commyng They fyrst caryed away the whelpes with them But afterwardes fearyng lest they shoulde dye because they were young entendyng when they were bygger to send them into Spaine they put cheynes of iron about theyr neckes and caryed them agayne to their denne whither returnyng within a fewe dayes after they founde the denne emptie and they cheynes not remoued from theyr place They suppose that the damme in her furye tore them in peeces and caryed them away lest any shoulde haue the fruition of them For they playnely affirme that it was not possible that they shoulde be loosed from the chayne 's alyue The skynne of the dead Tyger stuffed with drye hearbes and straws they sent to Hispaniola to the Admiral and other of the cheefe rulers from whom the newe landes receiue their lawes and succour It shall at this tyme suffise to haue written thus muche of the Tygers as I haue learned by report of them which both suâ—teyned domage by their rauenyng and also handled the skynne of that whiche was slayne Let vs nowe therfore returne to king Pacra from whom we haue digressed When Vaschus had entred into the houses forsaken of Pacra he sent messengers to reconcile him as he had doone the other kynges At the first he refused to come but after threatnynges he came with three other kynges in his company Vaschus writeth that he neuer sawe a more monstruous defourmed creature and that nature hath only geuen hym humane shape and otherwyse to bee worse then a bruite beast with maners accordyng to the liniamentes of his body He abused with most abominable lechery the daughters of foure kynges his borderers from whom he had taken them by violence Of the fylthy behauiour of Pacra of his crueltie and iniures doone by hym many of the other kyngs made greeuous complayntes to Vaschus as vnto a hygh Iudge and iust reuenger most humbly beseechyng hym to see suche thynges punyshed forasmuche as they tooke hym for a man sent of God for that purpose Herevppon Vaschus aswell to wyn their good wylles as also to shewe an example of terrour to such as vsed lyke fasshions commaunded that this monstrous beast with the other three kynges whiche were subiecte to hym and of lyke conditions shoulde be geuen for a pray to his fyghtyng dogges and their torne carkases to bee burned Of these dogges whiche they vse in the warres they tell marueylous thynges for they say that they runne vppon thinhabitauntes armed after their maner with noo lesse fiercenes then if they were Hartes or wylde Bores if the Spaniardes doo but onely poynt towarde them with theyr fyngers Insomuche that oftentymes they haue had no neede to dryue their enemyes to flyght with swoordes or arrowes but haue doone the same only with dogges placed in the forefront of theyr battayle and lettyng them slyppe with theyr watche woorde and priuie token whereupon the barbarians strycken with feare by reason of the cruell countenances of theyr masties with theyr desperate boldenesse and vnaccustomed howlyng and barkyng haue disparckled at the first onsette and brake theyr array Yet it chaunceth otherwyse when they haue any conflycte agaynst the Canibales and the people of Caramairi for these are fiercer and more warlyke men also so expert archers that they can moste certaynely direct theyr venemous arrowes agaynst the dogges with suche seleritie as yf they were thunderboltes by reason whereof they sometymes kyll many of them Thinhabitauntes of these mountaynes doo not keepe warre with bowes and arrowes but vse only Macanis that is certayne long and brode swoordes made of wood also slynges long pykes and dartes hardened at the endes with fyre Whyle kyng Pacra yet lyued no man coulde knowe of hym neyther by fayre meanes nor by fowle where he had the golde whiche was founde in his house for our men founde in his iewell house fiftie poundes weyght of golde Beyng therfore demaunded where he had it he aunswered that they which geathered the same in those mountaynes in his fathers dayes were all dead and that sence he was a chylde he neuer esteemed golde more then stones More then this they coulde not geat of hym By this seuere punyshment executed vpon Pacra Vaschus concyled vnto hym the myndes of all the other kynges of that prouince and by this meanes it came to passe that when he sent for the sycke men whiche he left behynde hym with kyng Chiapes another kyng whiche was in the mydde way whose name was Bononiama enterteyned them gentelly and gaue them twentie pounde weight of pure wrought golde besyde great plentie of vittualles And not this onlye but also accompanyed them hym selfe vntyll he had brought them safely from his pallace into the dominion of Pacra where takyng eche of them by the ryght handes he delyuered them to Vaschus hym selfe as a faythfull pledge committed to his charge and therewith spake to Vaschus in this effecte Moste myghtie and valyaunt
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
white marble whereby they thynke that in tyme past some straungers haue come to those landes whiche haue dygged marble out of the mountaynes and lefte those fragmentes on the playne There our men learned that the ryuer Maragnonus descendeth from the mountaynes couered with snowe called Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata and the same to be encreased by many other ryuers whiche fall into it throughout all the lowe and waterly regions by the which it runneth with so long a tract from the sayd mountaynes into the sea and this to be the cause of the greatnesse thereof These thynges being thus brought to passe the gouernour commaunded the trumpeter to blowe a retraite Wheruppon they which were sent to lande beyng fiue hundred in number making a great shout for ioy of theyr victory set them selues in order of battayle and so keepyng theyr array returned to the shyppes laden with spoyle of those prouinces and shynyng in souldiers clokes of feathers with fayre plumes and crestes of variable colours In this meane tyme hauyng repaired theyr shyppes and furnyshed the same with all necessaries they loosed anker the .xvi day of the Calendes of Iuly directyng their course to the hauen of Carthagena in the whiche voyage they destroyed and wasted certaine Ilandes of the Canibales lying in the way accordyng as they were commaunded by the kyng But the swift course of the water deceiued both Iohannes Sarranus the chiefe Pilot of the gouernours shippe and all the other although they made their bost that they perfectly knewe the nature therof For they affyrme that in one night they were caried fourtie leagues beyond their estimation The syxte booke of the thyrde Decade HEere must we somewhat digresse frō Cosmography make a philosophical discourse to searche the secrete causes of nature For whereas they all affirme with one consent that y e sea runneth there from the east to the west as swiftely as it were a ryuer fallyng from hygh mountaynes I thought it not good to let suche matter slyppe vntouched The which whyle I consyder I am drawen into no small ambiguitie and doubt whyther those waters haue theyr course whiche flowe with so continuall a tract in circuite from the East as though they fledde to the west neuer to returne and yet neyther the west thereby any whit the more fylled nor the East emptied If we shall say that they fall to theyr centre as is the nature of heauie thynges and assigne the Equinoctiall line to bee the centre as some affyrme what centre shall we appoynt to be able to receiue so great abundance of water Or what circumference shall be founde wet They whiche haue searched those coastes haue yet founde no lyke reason to be true Many thynke that there shoulde bee certayne large straightes or entrances in the corner of that great lande whiche we described to be eyght tymes bygger then Italye and the corner thereof to be full of gulfes whereby they suppose that some strayghtes shoulde passe through the same lying on the west syde of the Ilande of Cuba and that the sayde strayghtes shoulde swalowe vp those waters and so conuey the same into the west and from thence agayne into our East Ocean or north seas as some thynke Other wyll that the gulfe of that great lande be closed vp and the lande to reache farre towarde the north on the backe syde of Cuba so that it embrace the north landes whiche the frosen sea encompasseth vnder the north pole and that all the lande of those coastes shoulde ioyne togeather as one firme lande Whereby they coniecture that those waters shoulde be turned about by the obiecte or resistaunce of that land so bendyng towarde the north as we see the waters turned about in the crooked bankes of certayne ryuers But this agreeth not in all poyntes For they also whiche haue searched the frosen sea and sayled from thence into the west do lykewyse affyrme that those north seas flowe continually towarde the west although nothyng so swiftely These north seas haue ben searched by one Sebastian Cabot a Uenetian borne whom beyng yet but in maner an infant his parentes caryed with them into Englande hauyng occasion to resort thither for trade of marchandize as is the maner of the Uenetians to leaue no part of the worlde vnsearched to obtaine rychesse He therfore furnished two shyppes in England at his owne charges And fyrst with three hundreth men directed his course so farre towarde the north pole that euen in the moneth of Iuly he founde monstrous heapes of Ise swymming on the sea and in maner continuall day lyght Yet sawe he the lande in that tract free from Ise whiche had ben moulten by heat of the Sonne Thus seeyng suche heapes of Ise before hym he was enforced to turne his sayles and folowe the west so coastyng styll by the shore that he was thereby brought so farre into the south by reason of the lande bendyng so muche southwarde that it was there almost equall in latitude with the sea called Fretum Herculeum hauyng the north pole eleuate in maner in the same degree He sayled lykewyse in this tract so farre towarde the west that he had the Ilande of Cuba on his left hande in maner in the same degree of longitude As he traueyled by the coastes of this great lande whiche he named Baccallaos he sayth that he founde the lyke course of the waters toward the west but the same to runne more softly and gentelly then the swifte waters whiche the Spanyardes founde in their nauigations southwarde Wherefore it is not onely more lyke to be true but ought also of necessitie to be concluded that betwene both the landes hitherto vnknowen there shoulde be certayne great open places wherby the waters should thus continually passe from the East into the west whiche waters I suppose to be dryuen about the globe of the earth by the vncessaunt mouyng and impulsion of the heauens and not to beswalowed vp and cast out agayne by the breathyng of Demogorgon as some haue imagined bycause they see the seas by increase decrease to flow reflow Sebastian Cabot hym selfe named those landes Baccallaos bycause that in the seas therabout he founde so great multitudes of certayne bygge fyshes muche like vnto Tunnies which thinhabitants cal Baccallaos that they somtymes stayed his shyppes He founde also the people of those regions couered with beastes skynnes yet not without the vse of reason He also sayth there is great plentie of Beares in those regions whiche vse to eate fyshe For plungeyng them selues into the water where they perceiue a multitude of these fyshes to lye they fasten theyr clawes in theyr scales and so drawe them to lande and eate them So that as he sayth the Beares beyng thus satisfied with fyshe are not noysome to men He declareth further that in many places of these regions he sawe great plentie of laton among the inhabitauntes
fourscore myles for they call it threescore leagues He spent certaine daies heere in idlenesse for he coulde neither by fayre meanes nor by foule allure the kyng of the region to come to hym Whyle he lay thus idelly there came to hym other fyftie men sent from Dariena vnder the gouernaunce of captayne Lodouicus Mercado who departed from Dariena in the calendes of May to the intent to searche the inner partes of those regions When they met togeather they determined after consultation to passe ouer the mountaynes lying towarde the South euen vnto the South sea lately founde Beholde nowe a wonderfull thyng that in a lande of suche marueylous longitude in other places they founde it here to be onely about fyftie myles distant to the South sea for they count it .xvii. leagues as the maner of the Spanyardes is to recken and not by myles Yet saye they that a league consysteth of three myles by lande and foure by sea as we haue noted before In the toppes of the mountaynes and turnyng of the waters they founde a kyng named Iuana whose kyngdome is also named Coiba as is the region of king Careta of whom we haue made mention elswhere But for as muche as the region of this Iuana is rycher in golde they named it Coiba Dites that is Coiba the rych For wheresoeuer they dygged the grounde whether it were on the drye lande or in the wet chanelles of the ryuers they founde the sande whiche they cast foorth myxt with golde Iuana fledde at the commyng of our men and coulde neuer be brought agayne They spoyled all the countrey neare about his palace yet had they but litle golde for he had caryed all his stuffe with hym Here they founde certayne slaues marked in the faces after a straunge sorte For with a sharpe prycke made eyther of bone or els with a thorne they make holes in theyr faces and foorthwith sprinklyng a powder thereon they moiste the pounced place with a certayne blacke or redde iuice whose substaunce is of suche tenacitie and clamminesse that it wyll neuer weare away They brought these slaues away with them They say that this iuice is of suche sharpenesse and putteth them to suche payne that for extreme doloure they haue no stomacke to theyr meate certayne dayes after The kynges whiche take these slaues in theyr warres vse theyr helpe in seekyng for golde and in tyllage of the grounde euen as doo our men From the pallace of Iuana folowyng the course of the water about tenne myles towarde the South they entred into the dominion of an other kyng whom our men named the olde man bycause he was olde not passyng of his other name In the region of this kyng also they founde golde in all places both on the lande and in the ryuers This region is very fayre and fruitefull and hath in it many famous ryuers Departyng from hence in fyue dayes iourney they came to a lande lefte desolate They suppose that this was destroyed by ciuile discorde forasmuche as it is for the most parte fruitefull and yet not inhabited The fyfth day they sawe two men commyng a farre of these were laden with bread of Maizium whiche they caryed on theyr shoulders in sackes Our men tooke them and vnderstoode by them that there were two kynges in that tract the one was named Periquete who dwelt neere vnto the sea the others name was Totonoga This Totonoga was blynde and dwelt in the continent The two men which they met were the fyshers of Totonoga whom he had sent with certayne fardelles of fyshe to Periquete and had agayne receyued bread of hym for exchaunge For thus do they communicate theyr commodities one with an other by exchaunge without the vse of wycked mony By the conductyng of these two men they came to kyng Totonoga dwellyng on the West syde of saint Michaels gulfe in the South sea They had of this kyng the summe of syxe thousand Castellans of golde both rude and artifycially wrought Among those groumes of rude or natyue golde there was one founde of the weyght of two Castellans whiche argued the plentifull rychenesse of the grounde Folowyng the same coast by the sea syde towarde the West they came to a kyng whose name was Taracuru of whom they had golde amountyng to the weyght of eyght thousande Pesos We haue sayde before that Pesus is the weyght of a Castelane not coyned From hence they went to the dominion of this kynges brother named Pananome who fledde at their commyng and appeared no more afterwarde They say that his kyngdome is ryche in golde They spoyled his pallace in his absence Syxe leagues from hence they came to another king named Tabor From thence they came to the kyng of Cheru He frendly entertained our men and gaue them foure thousand Pesos of golde He hath in his dominion many goodly salt bayes the region also aboundeth with golde About twelue myles from hence they came to another king called Anata of whom they had xv thousande Pesos of golde whiche he had gotton of the kynges his borderers whom he had vanquished by warre A great part of this gold was in rude fourme bycause it was molten when he set the kinges houses on fyre whom he spoyled For they robbe and slay the one the other sackyng fyryng theyr villages and wasting theyr countreyes They keepe warre barbarously and to vtter destruction executyng extreeme crueltie agaynst them that haue the ouerthrowe Gonsalus Badaiocius with his felowes wandred at libertie vntyll they came to this kyng and had geathered great heapes of golde of other kynges For what in braslettes collers earerynges brest plates helmettes and certaine barres wherewith women beare vp theyr brestes they had geathered togeather in gold the summe of fourscore thousand Castellans which they had obtayned partly by exchange for our things where they founde the kynges theyr frendes otherwise by forcyble meanes where they founde the contrary They had gotten also fourtie slaues whose helpe they vsed both for cariage of their victualles and baggagies in the steede of Moyles or other beastes of burden also to releeue such as were sick and forweeried by reason of theyr long iourneies and hunger After these prosperous voyages they came by the dominion of kyng Scoria to the palace of a kyng named Pariza where fearyng no suche thing Pariza enclosed them with a great armie and assayled them straggelyng and vnwares in such sort that they had no leasure to put on theyr armure He slue and wounded about fyftie and put the resydue to flyght They made suche hast that they had no respect eyther to the golde they had geathered or to theyr slaues but left all behynde them Those fewe that escaped came to Dariena The opinion of all wyse men as concernyng the variable and inconstant chaunces of fortune in humane things were false if all thynges shoulde haue happened vnto them prosperously For such
Christians vse in tyllyng of their grounde and geatheryng of golde as we haue sayde These places appointed vnto them they keepe as long as them lyst and if they perceyue tokens of little golde they requyre an other plot of grounde of twelue pases to be assigned them leauyng the first in common And this is thorder which the Spaniardes inhabiting Dariena obserue in geatheryng of golde I suppose also that they vse the lyke order in other places Howbeit I haue not yet enquired so farre It hath been prooued that these twelue pases of grounde haue yelded to their choosers the summe of fourescore Castellanes of golde And thus leade they theyr lyues in fulfillyng the holy hunger of golde But the more they fyll their handes with fyndyng the more increaseth theyr couetous desyre The more woodde is layde to the fyre the more furiously rageth the flame Unsaciable couetousnesse is no more diminished with increase of rychesse then is the drinesse of the dropsye satisfyed with drynke I let passe many thinges whereof I intende to wryte more largely in tyme conuenient if I shall in the meane season vnderstande these to bee acceptable vnto your holynesse my duetie and obseruaunce to whose aucthoritie hath caused mee the gladlier to take this labour in hande The prouidence of the eternall creatour of all thinges graunt your holynesse many prosperous yeeres Here endeth the three bookes of the Decades Of Cuba Hispaniola and other Ilands in the VVest Indies seas and of the maners of the inhabitauntes of the same I Haue partlye declared before in my Decades howe certaine fugitiues which came out of the large West landes arriued in the confines of Dariena and howe that marueiling at the bookes of our men they declared that they sometime dwelt in regions whose inhabitantes vsed such instruments were ruled by politike lawes Also that they had cities fortified with walles and faire pallaces with streates well paued common places whither marchauntes resorte as to the burse or streate These landes our men haue now founde Therefore who were thauctors hereof or what successe they had herein who so desireth to knowe with the conditions of straunge regions and the maners of the people let him giue diligent attendaunce to suche thinges as folow Of the Ilande of Cuba now called Fernandina lying next vnto Hispaniola on the West syde and yet somewhat so bending towarde the North that the circle called Propicus Cancri diuideth it in the myddest whereas Hispaniola is distant from the Tropike and declinyng certayne degrees towarde the Equinoctiall line we haue spoken somewhat before In this Iland of Fernandina there are now sixe townes erected wherof the chiefe is named Sanstiago of S. Iames the patrone of the Spaniards In this there is natiue gold found both in y e mountaines and ryuers by reason wherof they are dayly occupied in geathering digging the same But shortly after that I had finished my sayd bookes three Spaniards y t were the most auncient citizens of Cuba as Franciscus Fernandes of Corduba Lupus Ocho Christophorus Morantes determined to seeke new lands as the myndes of the Spaniards are euer vnquiet giuen to attempt great enterprises They furnished at their owne charges three of those shyppes which they call Carauels and hauing first lycence of Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Ilande they departed with a hundred and ten men from the West angle of Cuba For this angle is most commodious to relieue shippes to make prouision for freshe water fuell Thus they sayled continually sixe dayes and a halfe betwene the west the South contented onely with the sight of the heauen the water during which tyme they suppose that they sayled not past threescore and sixe myles For they lay at anker all nyght wheresoeuer the fallyng of the Sunne tooke the day lyght from them least by wanderyng in vnknowen seas they myght chaunce to bee cast vppâ—â— rockes or sandes But at the length they chaunced vppon a great Ilande named Iucatana whose beginnyng thinhabitauntâ—â— call Eccampi Our men went to the citie standyng on the sea syde the which for the bygnesse thereof they named Cayrus or Alcair thinhabitauntes wherof enterteined them very friendly When they were entred into the citie they marueyled to beholde the houses buylded lyke Towres magnificall temples streates well paued and great exercise of bying and sellyng by exchaunge of ware for ware Their houses are either built of stone or of bricke and lyme and artificially wrought To the first porches of theyr houses and fyrst habitations they ascend by ten or twelue stayres they are couered either with tyles slates reades or stalkes of certayne hearbes they gratified the one the other with mutuall gyftes The Barbarians gaue our men many brooches and iewelles of golde very fayre and of cunnyng workemanshyp our men recompensed them with vestures of sylke and wooll counterfeyte stones of coloured glasse and chrystall Haukes belles of laton and suche other rewardes whiche they greatly esteemed for the straungenesse of the same they set nought by lookyng glasses bycause they haue certayne stones muche bryghter This nation is apparelled after a thousande fashions with vestures made of gossampyne cotton or bombage of dyuers coloures The women are couered from the girdle to the heele hauyng dyuers fasshions of vailes about their heades and brestes with great cautell least any part of their legges or feete be seene they resorte muche to their temples vnto the whiche the chiefe rulers haue the wayes paued from their owne houses they are Idolatours and circumcised they occupie their maner of exchaunging with muche fidelitie they vse to adourne the heares of their heades Being demaunded by thinperpretours of whom they receyued theyr circumcision they answered that there once passed an exceedyng fayre man by their coastes who left them that in token to remember him Other say that a man brighter then the Sunne went among them and executed that offyce but there is no certayntie heereof When our men had remayned there certayne dayes they seemed to bee molestous to thinhabitantes accordyng to the common saying The longer a ghest taryeth the worse is his entertaynement The which thyng our men perceyuyng they made the more hast away Being therefore prouided of all thinges necessary they tooke theyr viage directly towarde the West by the prouince which thinhabitauntes call Comi and Maiam They ouerpassed these regions takyng onely freshe water and fuell in the same The Barbarians both men women and children flocked to the sea syde astonysshed greatly to beholde the huge bygnesse of the shyppes Our men marueyled in maner no lesse to view their buyldinges and especially their temples situate neare vnto the sea and erected after the maner of towres Thus at the length hauyng sayled about a hundred and ten myles they thought it good to lay Anker in a prouince named Campechium whose chiefe towne
be most ample yet hath it no Emperour but is gouerned by the wysedome and vertue of the most auncient valiant men after the maner of the common wealth of Uenece Beyonde the Nogais somewhat towarde the South the Caspian sea the noblest nation of the Tartars called Zagathai inhabite townes buylded of stone and haue an exceedyng great and fayre citie called Samarcanda whiche Iaxartes the great ryuer of Sogdiana runneth through and passyng from thence about a hundred myles falleth into the Caspian sea With these people in our dayes Ismael the Sophi and kyng of Persia hath oftentymes kepte warre with doubtfull successe Insomuche that fearyng the greatnesse of theyr power whiche he resysted with all that he myght he lefte Armenia and Taurisium the chiefe citie of the kyngdome for a praye to Selimus the victourer of one wyng of the battayle From the citie of Samarcanda descended Tamburlanes the myghty Emperour of the Tartars whom some call Tanberlanis But Demetrius sayth that he shoulde be called Themircuthlu This is he that about the yeere of Christ M.CCC.xcviii subdued almost all the Easte partes of the worlde And lastly with an innumerable multitude of men inuaded the Turkes dominions with whom Baiasetes Ottomanus theyr kyng and father to the great grandfather of this Solyman that nowe lyueth meetyng at Ancira in the confines or marches of Galatia and Bythinia gaue hym a sore battayle in the whiche fell on the Turkes part .20000 men and Baiasetes hym selfe was taken prisoner whom Tamburlanes caused to be locked in an Iron cage and so caryed hym about with hym through all Asia which he also conquered with a terryble army He conquered all the landes betwene Tanais and Nilus and in fine vanquished in battayle the great Soltane of Egypte whom he chased beyonde Nilus and tooke also the citie of Damascus From the region of these Tartars called Zagathei is brought great plentie of sylken apparell to the Moscouites But the Tartares that inhabite the mydlande or inner regions bryng none other wares then trucks or droues of swift runnyng horses and clokes made of whyte feltes also hales or tentes to withstande the iniuries of colde and rayne These they make very artificially apt for the purpose Thei receiue againe of the Moscouites coates of cloth and Syluer monie conteynyng all other bodyly ornamentes and the furnyture of superfluous housholde stuffe For beyng defended agaynst the violence of wether and tempestes onely with such apparel and couerture wherof we haue spoken they trust onely to theyr arrowes which they shoote aswell backwarde flying as when they assayle theyr enimies face to face Albeit when they determined to inuade Europe theyr princes and captaynes had helmets coates of fence and hooked swoordes whiche they bought of the Persians Towarde the South the boundes of Moscouia are termined by the same Tartars whiche possesse the playne regions neere vnto the Caspian sea aboue the maryshes of Meotis in Asia and about the ryuers of Boristhenes and Tanais in part of Europe The people called Roxolani Gete and Bastarne inhabited these regions in olde tyme of whom I thynke the name of Russia tooke originall For they call part of Lituania Russia the lower wheras Moscouia it selfe is called whyte Russia Lituania therefore lyeth on the Northwest syde of Moscouia But toward the full West the mayne landes of Prussia and Liuonia are ioyned to the confines or marches of Moscouia wher the Sarmatian sea breakyng foorth of the streightes of Câ—mbrica Chersonesus nowe called Denmarke is bended with a crooked gulfe towarde the North. But in the furthest bankes of that Ocean where the large kyngdomes of Norway and Suecia are ioyned to the continent and almost enuironed with the sea are the people called Lapones a nation exceedyng rude suspitious and fearefull flying and astonyshed at the syght of all straungers and shyppes They knowe neyther fruites nor apples nor yet any benignitie eyther of heauen or earth They prouide them meate onely with shootyng and are appareled with skynnes of wylde beastes They dwell in caues fylled with drye leaues and in holow trees cnosumed within eyther by fyre or rotten for age Such as dwell neare the sea syde fyshe more luckelye then cunnyngly and in the stead of fruites reserue in store fyshes dryed with smoke They are of small stature of bodie with flat visagies pale and wannie coloure and very swyft of foote Theyr wyttes or dispositions are not knowen to the Moscouites theyr borderers who thynke it therefore a madnesse to assayle them with a smal power and iudge it neyther profitable nor glorious with great armies to inuade a poore beggerly nation They exchange the most white furres which we cal Armelines for other wares of diuers sortes Yet so that they flye the syght and companie of all merchantes For comparyng and laying theyr wares togeather and leauyng theyr furres in a mydde place they bargayne with simple fayth with absent and vnknowen men Some men of great credite and aucthoritie do testifie that in a region beyond the Lapones betwene the West and the North oppressed with perpetuall darknesse is the nation of the people called Pigmei who being growen to theyr ful grought do scarcely excede the stature of our chyldren of ten yeeres of age It is a fearefull kynde of men and expresse theyr wordes in suche chatteryng sort that they seeme to be so muche the more lyke vnto Apes in howe muche they differ in sense and stature from men of iust heyght Toward the North innumerable people are subiect to the Empire of the Moscouites Theyr regions extend to the Scythian Ocean for the space of almost three monethes iorney Next vnto Moscouia is the region of Colmogora aboundyng with fruites Through this runneth the ryuer of Diuidna beyng one of the greatest that is knowen in the North partes and gaue the name to an other lesse ryuer which breaketh foorth into the sea Baltheum This encreasyng at certayne tymes of the yeere as dooth the ryuer Nilus ouerfloweth the feeldes and playnes and with his fatte and nourishyng moysture doth marueylouslye resist the iniuries of heauen and the sharp blastes of the North wynde When it riseth by reason of molten snow and great showres of rayne it falleth into the Ocean by vnknowen nations and with so large a Trenche lyke vnto a great sea that it can not be sayled ouer in one day with a prosperous wynde But when the waters are fallen they leaue here and there large and fruitfull Ilands For corne there cast on the grounde groweth without anye helpe of the Plowe and with meruaylous celeritie of hasting nature fearyng the newe iniurie of the proude ryuer doth both spryng and rype in short space Into the riuer Diuidna runneth the ryuer Iuga and in the corner where they ioyne togeather is the famous Marte Towne called Vstiuga distant from the cheefe citie Mosca .vi. hundred myles Note
memorable but only an olde place ruinate where they say that Sainct George deliuered the kynges daughter from a cruell Dragon whiche he slue and restored her to her father Departyng from hence we sayled to Tripoli This is a citie of Sâ—ria Eastwarde from Berynto two dayes saylyng The inhabitauntes are subiecte to the Lieuetenant or gouernour of Syria and are Mahumetans The soile is very fertile and for the great trafique of merchaundies incredibly aboundeth with all thinges Departyng from thence we came to the citie Comagen of Syria commonly called Alepo and named of our men Antioch It is a goodly citie situate vnder the mount Taurus and is subiecte to the Lieuetenant or Soltan of Babilon There be the scales or ladders for so they call them of the Turkes and Syrians for it is neare the mount of Olympus It is a famous marte towne of the Azamians and Persians The Azamians are people of Mesopotamia neare vnto the Persians of the religion of Mahumet From thence is the iourney to the Turkes and Syrians and especially of them that come from the part of Mesopotamia named Azamia Of the cities of Aman and Menin Cap. 4. DEpartyng from thence we came to Damasco in ten dayes iourney But before you come there in the myd way is a citie named Aman where is great aboundaunce of gossampine or cotton wooll and all maner of pleasant fruites Goyng a little from Damasco the space of sixe myles is a citie named Menin situate on the declinyng of a mountayne It is inhabited of Christians of the Greeke profession who also obaye to the gouernour of Damasco There are seene two fayre Temples which as the inhabitantes reporte were builded by Helena the mother of the Emperour Constantine There are all kyndes of fruites and goodly Grapes and Gardens watered with continuall sprynges Departyng from thence we came to the citie of Damasco Of the citie of Damasco Chap. 5. IT is in maner incredible and passeth all beleefe to thinke howe fayre the citie of Damasco is and how fertile is the soyle And therefore allured by the marueilous beautie of the citie I remayned there many dayes that learnyng theyr language I myght knowe the maners of the people The inhabitants are Mahumetans and Mamalukes with also many Christians lyuyng after the maner of the Greekes By the way it shall not be from my purpose to speake of theyr Hexarchatus the whiche as we haue sayde is subiect to the Lieuetenaunt viceroye or gouernoure of Syria whiche some call Sorya There is a very stronge fortresse or Castell whiche a certayne Ethruscan borne in the citie of Florence buylded at his owne charges while he was there y e chiefe Hexarchatus or gouernour as appeareth by the flower of a Lilie there grauen in marble beyng the armes of the citie of Florence The citie is compassed with a deepe fosse or diche with foure goodly high towres They passe the dyche with a hangyng brydge whiche is lyfted vp or lette downe at theyr pleasure There is all kynde of great artillerie and munition with also a garde of fyftie Mamalukes whiche dayly assyste the gouernoure or captayne of the castell and receyue theyr stipende of the gouernoure or viceroye of Syria Fortune seemed to geue the Hexarchatus or principate to the sayde Florentine whiche we wyll declare as we haue hearde of thinhabitauntes They saye that poyson was once geuen to the Soltan of Syria and when he sought for remedie he chaunced to be healed by the sayde Florentine whiche was one of the companye of the Mamalukes After whiche good fortune he grewe dayely in fauoure with the sayde Prince who for rewarde gaue hym that citie where also the sayde Florentine buylded a Castel and dyed whom to this daye the Citisens honour for a sainte for sauyng the lyfe of theyr prince after whose death the gouerment returned to the Syrians They saye furthermore that the Soltan is well beloued of his lordes and princes for that he easely graunteth them principates and gouernementes yet with condition to paye yeerely many thousandes of those peeces of gold which they call Saraphos They that denye to paye the summe agreed of arâ— in daunger of imminent death Of the chiefe noble men or gouernoures .x. or .xii. euer assiste the Prince And when it pleaseth hym to extorte a certayne summe of golde of his noble men or merchauntes for they vse great tyrannye and oppression by the iniuries and thefte of the Mamalukes agaynst the Mahumetans the Prince geueth two letters to the captaine of the Castell In the one is contayned that with an oration he inuite to the Castell suche as pleaseth hym In the other is declared the mynde of the Prynce what he demaundeth of his subiectes When the letters be read withal expedition they accomplishe his commaundement be it ryght or wrong without respecte This meanes the Prynce inuented to extorte mony Yet sometymes it commeth to passe that the noble men are of suche strength that they wyll not come when they are commaunded knowyng that the tyrant wyl offer them violence And therefore oftentymes when they knowe that the captayne of the Castell wyll call them they flee into the dominions of the Turke This haue we geathered as touchyng theyr maners we haue also obserued that the watchemen in the towres do not geue warnyng to the garde with lyuely voyce but with drommes the one answearyng the other by course But if any of the watchemen be so sleepye that in the moment of an houre he aunsweare not to the sounde of the watche he is immediatly committed to prison for one whole yeere Of suche thynges as are seene in the citie of Damasco Cap. 6. AFter that I haue declared the maners of the Princes of Damasco it seemeth agreeable to speake of some suche thynges as I haue seene there And therefore to speake fyrst of the excellencie and beautie of the citie it is certaynely marueylously wel peopled and greatly frequented and also marueylous ryche It is of goodly buildyng and exceedeth in abundance and fruitfulnesse of all thynges and especiallye of all kynde of victuales flesh corne and fruites as freshe damesenne grapes all the whole yeere also Pomegranets Oranges Lymons and excellent Olyue trees Lykewyse Roses both white and red the fayrest that euer I sawe and all kyndes of sweete apples yet peares and peaches very vnsauery The cause wherof they say to be to much moysture A goodly and cleare riuer runneth about the citie therfore in maner in euery house are seene fountaynes of curious worke embossed and grauen Theyr houses outwardly are not very beautyfull but inwardly marueylously adourned with variable woorkes of the stone called Ophis or serpentine Marble Within the towne are many temples or churches which they call Moscheas But that which is most beautyfull of all other is buylded after the maner of Sainct Peters church in Rome if you respect the
of two dayes The Arabians compassed about the mountayne crying and threatenyng that they would breake in among the Camelles at the length to make an ende of the conflicte our Captayne assemblyng the merchauntes commaunded a thousande and two hundred peeces of golde to be giuen to the Arabians who when they had receyued the money sayde that the summe of ten thousande peeces of golde should not satisfie them for the water which we had drawen Whereby we perceyued that they began further to quarell with vs and to demaunde some other thing then money Wherevppon incontinent our Captayne gaue commaundement that whosoeuer in all our companie were able to beare armes should not mount vppon the Camelles but should with all expedition prepare them selues to fyght The day folowyng in the mornyng sendyng the Camelles before and inclosyng our army beyng about three hundred in number we met with the enemies and gaue the onset In this conflicte we lost only a man and a woman and had none other domage we slue of the Arabians a thousande and fyue hundred Whereof you neede not marueyle if you consyder that they are vnarmed and weare only a thynne loose vesture and are besyde almost naked theyr horses also beyng as euyll furnished and without saddles or other furniture Of a mountayne inhabited with Iewes and of the citie of Medinathalhabi where Mahumet was buried Cap. 11. IN the space of eyght dayes we came to a mountayne whiche conteyneth in circuite ten or twelue myles This is inhabited with Iewes to the number of fyue thousande or thereabout They are of very little stature as of the heyght of fyue or sixe spannes and some muche lesse They haue small voyces lyke women and of blacke colour yet some blacker then other They feede of none other meate then Goates fleshe They are circumcised and deny not them selues to bee Iewes If by chaunce any Mahumetan come into their handes they slay him alyue At the foote of the mountayne we founde a certayne hole out of the whiche flowed aboundaunce of water By fyndyng this oportunitie we laded sixtiene thousand Camels which thyng greatly offended the Iewes They wandred in that mountayne scattered lyke wylde Goates or Prickettes yet durst they not come downe partly for feare and partly for hatred agaynst the Mahumetans Beneath the mountayne are seene seuen or eyght thorne trees very fayre and in them we founde a payre of Turtle Doues which seemed to vs in maner a miracle hauyng before made so long iourneyes and sawe neyther beast nor foule Then proceedyng two dayes iourney we came to a certayne citie named Medinathalhabi foure myles from the sayd citie we founde a well Heere the Carauana that is the whole hearde of the Camelles rested And remayning here one day we washed our selues and chaunged our shertes the more freshely to enter into the citie it is well peopled and conteyneth about three hundred houses the walles are lyke bulwarkes of earth and the houses both of stone and bricke The soile about the citie is vtterly barren except that about two myles from the citie are seene about fyftie palme trees that beare Dates There by a certayne garden runneth a course of water fallyng into a lower playne where also passingers are accustomed to water theyr Camelles And heere oportunitie nowe serueth to confute the opinion of them whiche thynke that the Arke or Toombe of wicked Mahumet in Mecha to hang in the ayre not borne vp with any thyng As touchyng which thyng I am vtterly of an other opinion and affirme this neyther to be true nor to haue any lykenesse of trueth as I presently behelde these thynges and sawe the place where Mahumet is buried in the sayde citie of Medinathalhabi for we taryed there three dayes to come to the true knowledge of all these thynges When wee were desirous to enter into theyr Temple which they call Meschita and all other churches by the same name we coulde not be suffered to enter without a companion little or great They takyng vs by the hande brought vs to the place where they saye Mahumet is buried Of the Temple or Chapell and Sepulchre of Mahumet and of his felowes Cap. 12. HIs Temple is vaulted and is a hundred pases in length and fourescore in breadth the entry into it is by two gates from the sydes it is couered with three vaultes it is borne vp with iiii hundred columnes or pillers of white brick there are seene hanging lampes about the number of .3 thousande From the other part of the Temple in the first place of the Meschita is seene a Tower of the circuite of fyue pases vaulted on euery syde and couered with a cloth of silke and is borne vp with a grate of copper curiously wrought and distant from it two pases and of them that goe thyther is seene as it were through a lattesse Towarde the lefte hande is the way to the Tower and when you come thyther you must enter by a narower gate On euery side of those gates or doores are seene many bookes in maner of a Librarie on the one syde .xx. and on the other syde xxv These contayne the filthie traditions and lyfe of Mahumet and his fellowes within the sayde gate is seene a Sepulchre that is a digged place where they say Mahumet is buried and his felowes which are these Nabi Bubacar Othomar Aumar and Fatoma But Mahumet was theyr chiefe Captayne and an Arabian borne Hali was sonne in lawe to Mahumet for he tooke to wyfe his daughter Fatoma Bubacar is he who they say was exalted to the dignitie of a chiefe counseller and great gouernour although he came not to the hygh degree of an Apostle or prophet as dyd Mahumet Othomar and Aumar were chiefe Captaynes of the army of Mahumet Euery of these haue their proper bookes of theyr factes and traditions And hereof proceedeth the great dissention and discorde of religion and maners among this kynde of filthie men whyle some confirme one doctrine and some an other by reason of theyr diuers sectes of patrons Doctours and saintes as they call them By this meanes are they marueylously diuided among them selues and lyke beastes kyll them selues for such quarelles of dyuers opinions and all false This also is the chiefe cause of warre betweene the Sophie of Persia and the great Turke beyng neuerthelesse both Mahumetans and lyue in mortall hatred one agaynst the other for the mayntenaunce of theyr sectes Sainctes and Apostles whyle euery of them thynketh theyr owne to bee best Of the Secte of Mahumet Cap. 13. NOw will we speake of the maners and sect of Mahumet Understande therefore that in the highest part of the Tower aforesayd is an open rounde place Now shall you vnderstande what crafte they vsed to deceyue our Carauana The first euenyng that we came thyther to see the Sepulchre of Mahumet our Captaine sent for the chiefe priest of the Temple to come to him and
I entered into the citie I went to their Temple or Meschita where I sawe a great multitude of poore people as about the number of .xxv. thousande attendyng a certayne Pilot who should bryng them into their countrey Heere I suffered muche trouble and affliction beyng enforced to hyde my selfe among these poore folkes faynyng my selfe very sicke to the ende that none should be inquisityue what I was whence I came or whyther I would The Lord of this citie is the Soltan of Babylon brother to the Soltan of Mecha who is his subiecte The inhabitauntes are Mahumetans The soyle is vnfruitfull and lacketh freshe water The sea beateth agaynst the towne There is neuerthelesse aboundance of all thinges but brought thyther from other places as from Babylon of Nilus Arabia Foelix and dyuers other places The heate is here so great that men are in maner dryed vp therewith And therefore there is euer a great number of sicke folkes The citie conteyneth about fyue hundred houses After fyftiene dayes were past I couenaunted with a pilot who was ready to departe from thence into Persia and agreed of the price to goe with him There laye at Anker in the hauen almost a hundred Brigantines and Foistes with diuers boates and barkes of sundry sortes both with Ores and without Ores Therefore after three dayes gyuyng wynde to our sayles we entred into the redde sea otherwyse named Mare Erythraeum Of the red sea and why it can not be sayled in the nyght Cap. 21. IT is well knowen to wyse men that this sea is not red as some haue imagined but is of the colour of other seas We continued therefore our vyage vntyll the goyng downe of the Sunne For this sea is nauigable only in the day tyme and therefore in the nightes the maryners rest them vntyll they come to the Ilande named Chameran from whence they proceede forwarde more safely Why this sea can not be sayled in the nyght they say the cause to be that there are many daungerous sandes rockes and shelues and therefore that it is needefull of diligent and long prospecte from the toppe Castell of the shyppe to foresee the dangerous places The seconde booke entreating of Arabia Foelix That is the happie or blessed Arabia Of the citie of Gezan and the fruitfulnesse thereof Cap. 1. FOrasmuche as hytherto wee haue spoken somewhat of the maners of the people and cities of Arabia Foelix it may nowe seeme conuenient to finishe the reste of our vyage with such thinges as we haue seene in the sayde countrey of Arabia Therefore after sixe dayes saylyng we came to a citie named Gezan It hath a commodious porte and very fayre where we found about fourtie and fyue Brigantines and Foistes of dyuers regions The citie is harde by the sea syde and the Prince thereof is a Mahumetan The soile is fruitful lyke vnto Italie It beareth Pomegranates Quinses Peaches Apples of Assyria Pepons Melons Oranges Gourdes and dyuers other fruites Also Roses and sundry sortes of floures the fayrest that euer I sawe It seemeth an earthly Paradyse The moste parte of the inhabitauntes go naked â–ª In other thinges they lyue after the maner of the Mahumetans There is also great abundance of fleshe wheate barley the grayne of whyte Millet or Hirse whiche they call Dora whereof they make very sweete bread Of certayne people named Banduin Cap. 2. DEparting from the citie of Gezan the space of .v. dayes sayling towarde the lefte hande hauyng euer the coast of the lande in sight we came to the sight of certayne houses where about .xiiii. of vs went alande hopyng to haue had some victuals of the inhabitans But we lost our labour for in the steede of victuals they cast stones at vs with stinges They were about a hundred that fought with our men for the space of an houre Of them were slayne .xxiiii. The rest were dryuen to flyght they were naked and had none other weapons then slynges After theyr flyght we brought away with vs certayne hens and Calues very good Shortly after a great multitude of the inhabitauntes shewed them selues to the number of fyue or syxe hundred but we departed with our praye and returned to the shyppes Of an Ilande of the red sea named Camaran Cap. 3. THe same day saylyng forwarde we came to an Iland named Camaran which conteyneth ten myles in circuite In it is a towne of two hundred houses the inhabitantes are Mahumetans it hath aboundaunce of freshe water and fleshe and the fayrest salte that euer I sawe The porte is eight myles from the continent it is subiecte to the Soltan of Amanian of Arabia Foelix After we had remayned here two dayes we tooke our way towarde the mouth of the red sea in the space of two dayes saylyng This sea may here be sayled both day and nyght For as we haue sayde before from this Ilande vnto the porte of Zida the red sea is not safely nauigable by nyght When we came to the mouth of the sea we seemed to be in maner inclosed for that the mouth of the sea is there very streyght and no more then three myles ouer Towarde the right hande the continent lande is seene of the heyght of ten pases the soile seemeth rude and not cultured At the lefte hande of the sayde mouth ryseth a very hygh hyll of stone In the myddest of the mouth is a litle Ilande vnhabited named Bebmendo and is towarde the lefte hande to them that sayle to Zeila But they that goe to Aden must keepe the way to the lefte hande All this way we had euer the lande in our sight from Bebmendo to Aden in the space of two dayes and a halfe Of the citie of Aden and of their maners and customes towarde straungers Cap. 4. I Doe not remember that I haue seene any citie better fortified then this It standeth on a soyle not much vnequall it is walled on two sydes The reste is inclosed with mountaynes hauyng on them fyue fortresses The citie conteyneth sixe thousande houses Theyr exercise of bying and sellyng begynneth the seconde houre of the nyght by reason of extreeme heate in the day tyme. A stone cast from the citie is a mountayne hauyng on it a fortresse The shyppes lye neare the foote of the mountayne it is certaynely a very goodly citie and the fayrest of all the cities of Arabia Foelix To this as to the chiefe marte the merchauntes of India Ethiopia and Persia haue recourse by sea and they also that resorte to Mecha Assoone as our Brigantines came into the hauen immediately the customers and searchers came aborde demaundyng what we were from whence we came what merchaundies we brought and howe many men were in euery Brigantine Beyng aduertised of these thinges immediately they tooke away our maste sayles and other tackelynges of our shyppes that we should not departe without paying of custome The day after our arryuyng there the Mahumetans tooke mee and put shackles on
well peopled hauyng abundaunce of Oliues and fleshe with also great plentie of corne after our maner but no vines and great scarsenesse of woodde The inhabitauntes are vnciuile and rusticall people of the nation of vagabunde and feelde Arabians and therfore but poore Departing frō hence one dai◠iorney I came to an other citie named Aiaz situate vppon two hylles with a great plaine betweene them and hath in it a notable fountayne therfore diuers nations resort thither as to a famous mart The inhabitauntes are Mahumetans and yet greatly differyng in opinion of theyr religion insomuche that therefore they be at great enimitie one agaynst the other and keepe sore warre The cause whereof they saye to be this That the people of the north mountayne maynteyne the fayth and secte of Mahumet and his felowes of whom we haue spoken before but the other of the South mountayne affyrme that fayth shoulde be geuen onely to Mahumet and Haly saying the other to be false prophetes But let vs nowe returne to the marte Almost all maner of spices are brought hyther The region bryngeth foorth sylke and bombassine also diuers goodly fruites and vynes On the toppe of both the hylles are very strong fortresses two dayes iorney from thence is the citie of Dante well fortified both by arte and nature situate in the toppe of a very great mountaine Of Almacharan a citie of Arabia Faelix and of the fruitefulnesse thereof Cap. 8. DEpartyng from Dantè we came to the citie of Almacharan in two dayes iorney This is situate on a very hygh mountayne and declynyng and difficulte to ascende as of the heyght of seuen myles and the way so narow that onely two men can passe togeather In the toppe is a playne of incredible largenesse very fruiteful with plentie of all thynges to the vse of man And therefore I thynke it to be inexpugnable inaccessible hauyng also so great abundaunce of water that one fountaine may suffice for a hundred thousand men And therfore they saye that the Soltan here hydeth his treasure because he was borne in this citie Here also euer remayneth one of his wyues The ayre is marueylous temperate and holsome and the citie seconde to none in all respectes the colour of the inhabitantes is rather enclynyng to whyte then any other colour And to speake that I haue seene the Soltan reserueth here as much golde as wyll lade a hundred Camels Of Reame a citie of Arabia Faelix and the temperatenesse thereof Cap. 9. THis citie is distaunt two dayes iorney from Almacaran The colour of the inhabitantes is enclinyng to blacke they are great merchantes The soyle is fruitfull of all thynges sauyng wood it conteyneth in circuite two thousande houses on the one syde is a mountayne hauyng on it a very strong fortresse Here I saw a certayne kinde of sheepe hauyng theyr tayles of fortie and foure pounde weyght and are without hornes and also so marueylous fat that they can scarcely goe for fatnesse There be lykewyse certayne grapes without graynes the sweetest that euer I eate and al maner of suche fruites as I haue spoken of before It is of marueylous temperatenesse as witnesseth the long lyfe of men for I haue spoken with many of them that haue passed the age of a hundred and fyue and twentie yeeres yet verye lusty and wel complexioned They goe for the most part naked wearyng only shyrts or other loose and thynne apparell lyke Mantelles puttyng out one Arme all bare Almoste all the Arabians make them Hornes with wreathyng of theyr owne heare and that they thynke very comely Of Sana a citie of Arabia Faelix Cap. 10. DEpartyng from thence three dayes iorney I came to a citie named Sana situate vppon a verye hyghe mountayne verye strong by Arte and Nature The Soltan besyeged this with a great armye of fourescore thousande men for the space of three monethes but coulde neuer wynne it Yet it was at the last rendered by composition The walles are of eyghteene cubites heyght and twentie in breadth insomuch that eyght Camels in order may wel marche vpon them The region is very fruitefull and muche lyke vnto ours and hath plentie of water A Soltan is Lorde of the citie hee hath twelue sonnes of the whiche one is named Mahumet who by a certayne naturall tyrannye and madnesse delyteth to eate mans fleeshe and therfore secretly kylleth many to eate them He is of large and strong body of foure cubites hygh and of the coloure inclinyng to ashes The soyle beareth certayne spyces not farre from the citie It conteyneth about foure thousand houses The houses are of fayre buyldyng and geue no place to ours The citie is so large that it conteyneth within the walles fieldes gardens and medowes Of Taessa Zibith and Damar great cities of Arabia Eaelix Cap. 11. AFter three dayes iorney I came to a citie named Taessa sytuate vppon a mountayne and verye fayre to syght it hath plentie of all delices and especially of marueylous fayre Roses whereof they make Rose water It is an auncient citie and hath in it a Temple buylded after the fashion of the churche of Sancta Maria Rotunda in Rome The houses are very fayre and shewe yet the monumentes of antiquitie innumerable merchantes resort hyther for the trafficke of sundry merchandies In apparrell they are lyke vnto other and of darkyshe ashe coloure of skynne enclynyng to blacke Three dayes iorney from thence I came to an other citie named Zibith very fayre and good distaunt from the redde sea onlye halfe a dayes iorney there is great abundance of merchandies by reason of the nearenesse of the sea It aboundeth with many goodly thynges and especially with most white Suger and sundrye kyndes of pleasant fruites It is sytuate in a very large playne within two mountaynes it lacketh walles and is one of the cheefest martes for all sortes of spyces The inhabitants are of the colour of them aforesaide From hence in one dayes iorney I came to the citie of Damar it is in a fruitefull soyle and hath great exercise of merchandise The inhabitants are Mahumetans in apparrell and colourlyke vnto the other Of the Soltan of the aforesayde cities and why he is named Sechamir Cap. 12. THese cities whereof we haue spoken here a litle before are subiect to a Soltan of Arabia Faelix named Sechamir Secha by interpretation signifieth holy and Amir a Prince named the holy Prince because he abhorreth sheddyng of mans blood At the tyme of my beyng there in pryson he nouryshed syxteene thousand poore men and captiues in pryson condemned to death allowyng to euery of them dayly for theyr diet syxe of theyr pence of the smallest valure and at home in his pallace entertayneth as many blacke slaues Of Monkeys and Marmasettes and other beastes noysome to men Cap. 13. DEpartyng from hence I returned to the citie of Aden in three dayes iorney
in the midde waye I founde an exceedyng hygh and large mountayne where is great pentie of wylde beastes and especially of Monkeys whiche runne about the mountayne euery where There are also many Lions very noysome to men and therefore it is not safe to iorney that way but when a multitude of men goe togeather at the least to the number of a hundred I passed this way with a great companie and yet were we in daunger of the Lions and other wylde beastes which folowed vs for we were sometimes constrayned to fyght with them with dartes slyngs and bowes vsyng also the helpe of dogges and yet escaped hardly When I came to the citie I fayned my selfe sicke and in the day tyme lurked in the temple and went foorth only in the night to speake with the pilot of the shyp of whom I haue made mention before and obteyned of hym a foist or barke to depart thence secretly Of certayne places of Ethiopia Cap. 14. IN the syxt chapter here before I haue made mention howe departing from the queene I went to the citie of Aden where I couenaunted with a certayne pilot to goe with hym into India and that he woulde not go thyther before he had fyrst made a viage into Persia and that at my fyrst beyng in the citie of Aden he coulde not yet for the space of a moneth depart from thence Duryng whiche tyme I traueyled the regions and cityes whereof I haue spoken vnto this my returne to Aden Nowe therfore accordyng to our agreement to trauayle diuers countreys and regions committing our selues to the sea we were by inconstant fortune and sundry tempestes deterred from that viage for whereas we were nowe syxe dayes sailyng on our waye to Persia a sodayne contrary tempeste droue vs out of our waye and cast vs on the coast of Ethiope Our barkes were laden with rubricke that is a certayne redde earth which is vsed to dye cloth for yeerely from the citie of Aden departe fyfteene or twentie shyps laden with rubricke which is brought out of Arabia Faelix Beyng therefore thus tossed with stormes we were dryuen into a port named Zeila where we remayned fyue dayes to see the citie and tarrye vntyll the sea were more quiet Of the citie Zeila in Ethiopia and the great fruitfulnesse therof and of certayne straunge beastes seene there Cap. 15. IN this citie is great freequentation of merchandies as in a most famous mart There is marueylous abundance of gold and Iuerye and an innumerable number of blacke slaues solde for a small pryce these are taken in warre by the Mahumetan Mores out of Ethyopia of the kyngdome of Presbiter Iohannes or Preciosus Iohannes whiche some also call the kyng of Iacobins or Abyssins beyng a Christian and are caried away from thence into Persia Arabia Faelix Babylonia of Nilus or Alcair and Mecha In this citie iustice and good lawes are obserued the soyle beareth Wheate and hath abundaunce of flesh and diuers other commodious thynges It hath also Oyle not of Olyues but of some other thyng I knowe not what There is also plentie of Hony and Waxe there are lykewyse certayne sheepe hauyng theyr tayles of the weyght of syxeteene pounde and exceedyng fatte the head and necke are blacke and all the rest whyte There are also sheepe altogeather whyte hauyng tayles of a cubite long hangyng downe lyke a great cluster of grapes and haue also great lappes of skynne hangyng from theyr throtes as haue Bulles and Oxen hangyng downe almost to the grounde There are also certaine Kyne with hornes lyke vnto Hartes hornes these are wylde and when they bee taken are geuen to the Soltan of that citie as a kyngly present I sawe there also certayne Kyne hauyng only one horne in the middest of the forehead as hath the Unicorne and about a spanne of length but the horne bendeth backwarde they are of bryght shynyng red colour But they that haue Hartes hornes are enclynyng to blacke colour Conye is there good cheepe The citie hath an innumerable multitude of merchants the walles are greatly decayed and the hauen rude and despicable The kyng or Soltan of the citie is a Mahumetan and entertayneth in wages a great multitude of foote men and horsemen They are greatly geuen to warres and weare onlye one loose syngle vesture as we haue sayde before of other They are of darke ashye colour enclining to blacke In the warres they are vnarmed and are of the sect of Mahumet Of Barbara an Ilande of Ethiope Cap. 16. AFter that the tempestes were appeased wee gaue wynde to our sayles and in shorte tyme arryued at an Ilande named Barbara the Prince whereof is a Mahumetan The Ilande is not great but fruitfull and well peopled it hath abundance of flesh The inhabitants are of colour enclynyng to blacke Al theyr ryches is in heardes of cattayle We remayned here but one day and departyng from hence sayled into Persia. The thyrde booke entreateth of Persia and of certayne townes and partes of Persia. Cap. 1. WHen we had sayled the space of twelue dayes we aryued at a citie called Diuobanderrumi that is to say the holy porte of Turkes It is but a litle way from the continent when the sea ryseth with hye tydes it is an Iland enuironed with water but at a lowe fludde or decrease of the sea one may go thyther by land it is subiect to the Soltan of Cambaia The Gouernour is named Menacheas It is a marte of great merchandies There dwell about it foure hundred merchants of Turky it is well walled round about and defended with al sorts of engins They haue barkes and brygantines somewhat lesse then ours we remained here two daies Departyng from hence we came to an other citie named Goa in the space of three dayes iorney this also aboundeth with merchandies and is a mart greatly frequented The soyle is fruitefull with plentie of all thynges necessary the inhabitantes are Mahumetans Neare vnto this are two other fayre cities and portes named Giulfar and Meschet Of the Iland and citie of Ormus or Armusium and of an Iland of Persia where pearles are found Cap. 2. PRoceedyng on our viage we came to a citie named Ormus verye fayre This is seconde to none in goodlye situation and plentie of pearles it is in an Ilande dystaunt from the continent twelue myles It hathe great scarcenesse of freshe water and corne From other regions is brought thyther all victualles that nouryshe the inhabitauntes Three dayes saylyng from thence are geathered those muscles which bryng foorth the fayrest and byggest pearles they are taken as I will nowe declare There are certayne men that get theyr lyuing by fyshyng These hauing small Boates cast into the sea a great stone fastened to a corde and this on both sydes of the Boate to make it as stedfast and immoueable as a shyppe lying at an Anker The Boate
knowledge thereof But nowe intendyng to speake of the whole worlde I wyll not be long in my preface but begyn my narration as foloweth ¶ A briefe declaration of the viage or nauigation made about the worlde Geathered out of a large booke written hereof by master Antoni Pigafetta Vincentine knyght of the Rhodes and one of the companie of that vyage in the which Ferdinando Magalianes a Portugale whom some call Magellanus was generall captayne of the nauie ALthough Sebastian Munster in his vniuersall Cosmographie in the fyfth booke of the landes of the greater Asia which I translated into Englyshe about .24 yeeres sence hath wrytten of the vyage of Magellanus declaryng therein how the Spanyardes by the West and the Portugales by the East sayling to the Ilandes of Molucca compassed the whole globe of the worlde betweene them yet haue I heere thought it good to make a breefe repeticion of this vyage addyng hereunto dyuers notable thynges which were not touched of Munster as I haue geathered them out of the bookes of Antoni Pigafetta and Transiluanus wrytyng of the same vyage For albeit in deede it was a strange and woonderfull thyng that the Spanyardes and Portugales compassed the whole circumference of the worlde betweene them yet is it more marueylous that the same was done with one ship one companie of men as did the Spanyardes in this viage who keeping their continual course by the west returned into Spaine by the east a thing doubtlesse so much more woonderful and strange then if they had returned from the halfe circumference by the same way they went in how muche they were ignorant in the vyage neuer attempted before besyde the thousande daungers and perylles whiche they were daylye lyke to fal into aswell by wandryng in vnknowen coastes as also by fallyng into the handes of the Portugales by whose dominions in the East they shoulde needes passe of necessitie not trustyng to their gentlenesse for the controuersie whiche had been long betweene them for the Ilandes of Molucca I wyl therfore as I haue sayde make a briefe rehearsal of this viage from the begynnyng to the endyng omittyng neuerthelesse many notable thynges whiche are more largely described in the bookes of Maximilianus Transiluanus and Antonius Pigafetta The tenth day of August in the yeere of our Lord .1519 Ferdinando Magalianes ▪ departed from the port of Siuile in Spayne with a nauie of fyue shippes and 237. men wel furnished with all thynges necessary And saylyng first downe by the ryuer of Guadalchiber which runneth from the sayd port into the sea they came first to a place named Giouan Dulpharaz where are many villages of the Moores and from thence arryued at a castle of the duke of Medina Sidonia where is the port from whiche they enter into the sea to the cape saint Vincent beyng distant from the Equinoctial .37 degrees and from the sayd port .10 leagues and is from thence to Siuile betweene 17. and 20. leagues Heere they remayned certayne dayes to make newe prouision of such thinges as they lacked Departyng from hence the 20. day of September they arryued the 26. day of the same moneth at one of the Ilandes of Canarie called Tenerife beyng 25. degrees aboue the Equinostial In one of these Ilandes is none other water but that is continually engendred of a cloude which appeareth dayly at noone tyde as though it descended from heauen and compasseth about a certayne great tree from whose branches distylleth great aboundaunce of water and falleth in streames from the roote of the same into certaine trenches and cesternes made and placed to receyue it This water serueth sufficiently all the inhabitauntes and cattayle of the Iland The lyke thyng is also seene in the Ilande of saint Thomas lying directly vnder the Equinoctial line The thirde day of October about mydnyght the captayne commaunded them to lyght fyre brandes and to hoyse vp theyr sayles directyng theyr course towarde the South saylyng saylyng betwene Capo Verde of Affrike and the Ilandes lying about the same beyng from the Equinoctial fourteene degrees a halfe They sayled thus many dayes in the syght of the coast of Guinea of Ethiope where is the mountayne called Serra Liona being eyght degrees aboue the Equinoctial In this coast they had no maner of contrary wynde but a great calme and fayre weather for the space of threescore and ten dayes in the whiche they came vnder the Equinoctial line In this viage they sawe many strange Fyshes monsters of the Sea besyde another strange thyng whiche appeared vnto them For there appeared in their shippes certayne flames of fyre burnyng very cleare whiche they cal saint Helen saint Nicholas these appeared as though they had been vpon the mast of the shippes in suche clearenesse that they tooke away theyr syght for the space of a quarter of an houre by reason wherof they so wandred out of theyr course and were dispearsed in sunder that they in maner dispayred to meete agayne but as God would the sea and tempest beyng quieted they came safely to their determined course And before I speake any further of the viage I haue heere thought good to say somewhat of these strange fyers whiche some ignorant folke thynke to be spirites or suche other phantasies wheras they are but naturall thynges proceedyng of naturall causes and engendred of certayne exhalations Of these therfore the great Philosopher of our tyme Hieronimus Cardanus in his second booke De Subtilitate wryteth in this maner There are two maner of fyers engendred of exhalations wherof the one is hurtful the other without hurt That which is hurtfull is fyre in deede engendred of malicious and venemous vapours whiche in successe of tyme take fyre as apt matters to be kyndled The other kynde is no true fyre but lyke the matter that is in such olde putrified wood as geueth the shynyng of fyre without the substaunce or qualitie therof Of the kynde of true fyre is the Fyreball or Starre commonly called saint Helen which is sometyme seene about the mastes of shippes beyng of such fyerie nature that it sometyme melteth brasen vessels and is a token of drownyng forasmuch as this chaunceth only in great tempestes for the vapour or exhalation wherof this fyre is engendred can not be dryuen togeather or compact in fourme of fyre but of a grosse vapour and by a great power of wynde and is therefore a token of imminent perill As on the contrary parte the lyke fyres called in olde tyme Castor and Pollux and nowe named the two lightes of Sainct Peter and Sainct Nicolas which for the most parte fall on the cables of the shyppes leapyng from one to an other with a certayne flutteryng noyse lyke byrdes are a token of securitie and of the tempest ouerpassed For they are but vapours cleauyng to the cables which in successe of tyme the fyre
and had large communication of many thynges The Captayne persuaded them to the Christian fayth whiche they gladly embrased and tooke such pleasure in hearyng the articles of our beliefe that the teares fell from theyr eyes for ioye They were baptised and shortly after all the people of the Ilande They esteeme nothing more precious then drynkyng glasses of Uenice woorke When they came to the citie they founde the kyng in his Pallace sitting vppon a floore or storie made of the leaues of Date trees wrought after a curious deuise lyke a certayne kynde of mattes He had vppon his body none other apparell but only a cloth of Bombasine cotton hangyng before his priuie partes On his head he had a vayle of needle worke and about his necke a chayne of great price At his eares hung two Rynges of gold wherein were inclosed many precious stones He was but of small stature but somewhat grosse and had the residue of his body paynted with dyuers colours whereof some were lyke vnto flamyng fyre Before him he had two vesselles made of the fine earth called Porcellana with sodden egges Also foure vesselles of Porcellana full of wyne made of Date trees and couered with many odoriferous hearbes The Prince brought them to his house where he had foure daughters very wel fauoured and whyte lyke ours Hee caused them to daunce all naked and therewith to sing and playe on certayne Tymbrelles made of metall At this tyme it so chaunced that one of the Spanyardes dyed in one of the shyppes and when certayne of theyr company desired the kyng to gyue them leaue to burie him on the land he answered that forasmuche as he and all his were at the commaundement of theyr kyng and maister howe muche more ought the grounde so to bee They greatly marueyled at the ceremonies parteynyng to the maner of our funeralles and honoured the crosses whiche were set at both the endes the graue They lyue with iustice and vse weightes and measures Their houses are made of Tymber and sawne boordes and are so builded aboue the grounde vppon proppes and pyles that they ascende to the same by certayne stayers Under theyr houses they keepe theyr Hogges and Hennes When they came to barteryng they gaue golde Ryse Hogges Hennes and dyuers other thynges for some of our tryfles of small value They gaue tenne Pesos of golde for sixtiene poundes weyght of Iron One Pesus is in value a ducate and a halfe The Sunday folowyng the kyng was baptysed with great solemnitie at which tyme the Captayne admonyshed him before not to be afrayde at the shootyng of of the ordinance bycause it was theyr custome so to doe at such solemne feastes After this the Captayne caused them to breake all theyr Idoles and to set vp the crosse in dyuers places praying to the same both mornyng and euenyng kneelyng on theyr knees and holdyng vp theyr handes ioyned togeather The kyng in his baptisme was named Charles after the Emperours name and the Prince Ferdinando after the name of his maiesties brother The kyng of Messana was named Iohn the Moore Christopher To all other they gaue suche names as are commonly vsed in Christendome And thus before masse was begunne were fyue hundred men baptised When masse was finyshed the Captayne inuited the Kyng to dyne with him in his shyppe and at his commyng caused the ordinaunce to be discharged The Queene was also baptised with fourtie of her gentlewomen and her daughter the princes wyfe The Queene was very young and fayre hauyng her bodie couered with a whyte cloth Her lyppes were redde and she had on her head a Hatte on the toppe wherof was a triple crowne much lyke the Popes this crowne and the Hat were made of the leaues of Date trees Within the space of eyght dayes the inhabitantes of the Ilande were baptised excepte one village of Idolatours who would not herein obey the kynges commaundement Wherevppon the Captayne sent certayne of his men thyther who burnt the towne and erected a crosse in that place bycause the people of the vyllage were Gentyles that is Idolaters But if they had been Moores that is Machumetistes they woulde haue erected a pyller of stone bycause the Moores are more stubberne and harder to be conuerted then are the gentiles When the Queene came to the place where she should heare masse shee came foorth with great pompe and solemnitie hauyng going before her three young damosels and three men with their Cappes in their hands whom she folowed apparelled in whyte and blacke with a great vayle of silke vppon her head fringed about with golde which couered her hatte and hung downe to her shoulders She had also a great trayne of women folowyng her beyng all barefooted and naked excepte that vppon theyr heades and priuie partes they wore certayne vayles of silke and had theyr heare spredde Before the kyng of Zubut was baptised he was named Raia Humabuon When the Captayne demaunded of him why all the Idolles in the Ilande were not burnt accordyng to his promyse he answered that they esteemed them no more as goddes but only made sacrifice to them for the Princes brother who was very sicke and as noble and wittie a man as was in the Ilande The Captayne answered that if he would burne all his Idoles and beleeue faythfully in Christ and be baptised he should bee immediately restored to health and that he would els giue them leaue to stryke of his head By these woordes and persuasions of the Captayne he conceyued suche hope of health that after he was baptised hee felte no mare greefe of his disease And this was a manifeste myracle wrought in our tyme whereby diuers Infidelles were conuerted to our fayth and theyr Idolles destroyed and also theyr Altars ouerthrowen on the which they were accustomed to eate the sacrificed fleshe The people of the Ilande paye the kyng a portion of victualles for theyr tribute by all theyr cities and vyllages Not farre from this Ilande of Zubut is the Ilande of Mathan whose inhabitantes vse marueylous ceremonies in theyr sacrifices to the sonne and burying the dead They weare ringes of golde about their priuie members The Iland is gouerned by two Princes whereof the one is named Zula and the other Cilapulapu And whereas this Cilapulapu refused to paye tribute to the kyng of Spayne the Captayne went agaynst him in his owne person with .60 of his men armed with coates of mayle and Helmets Cilapulapu diuided his army into three battayles hauyng in euery battayle two thousand fyftie men with armed bowes arrowes dartes and Iauelins hardened at the poyntes with fyre This continued long and sharpe But the Captayne being a valiaunt man and preasing him selfe in the brunte of the battaile was sore wounded and slaine forasmuche as the most of the Barbarians directed all their force agaynst him Besyde the Captayne were slayne of our men about .viii. or .ix. Of the
by the Emperour of Moscouia and the Sophi of Persia as hereafter shall appeare where we will wryte of the sayde priuileges Maister Ienkinson at his first commyng founde some difficultie to obtayne the Emperours licence to goe into Persia but at the length by friendshyp made hee gaue him both licence to goe and also gaue him letters commendatorie vnto the Sophie and committed also to him certayne affayres of his to doe there And after certayne banquettes and honourable enterteynment accompanied him with an Ambassadour of Persia who had been long in his Courte Therefore saylyng ouer the Caspian sea they arryued on the West syde thereof Not farre from thence is a towne named Darbent where is a very strong Castell of stone made by Alexander Magnus and a wall of the length of thirtiene dayes iourney whicâ—e he made when he kepte warres agaynst the Persians and Medians that the inhabitauntes of that countrey then newly conquered shoulde neyther lyghtly flee nor his enemyes inuade them This Darbent is now vnder the dominion of the Sophie and in the latitude of .41 degrees From Darbent to Bilbec or Bilbil the porte and harborowe where they discharge theyr goods is halfe a dayes saylyng And from thence to Sharuan is ten dayes iourney This towne standeth in a valley is in the countrey of Media in the whiche towne also remayneth the Soltan or gouernour of Media vnder the Sophie In the meane tyme the Kyng of Media named Abdalica cosen vnto the Sophie came thyther and honourably enterteyned maister Ienkinson and the Englyshe merchauntes which were with him and made them a great banquet causyng maister Ienkinson who was then rychely apparelled in silke veluet and scarlet as became an Ambassadour for the Queenes maiestie to sit downe somewhat farre from him The Kyng him selfe dyd sitte in a very ryche Pauilion wrought with silke and golde of the length of sixtiene fatham or thereabout placed on a hylles syde hauyng before him a goodly fountayne of fayre running water wherof he and his nobilitie dronke He was rychly apparelled with long garments of silke and cloth of golde brodered with pearle and pretious stones Uppon his head he had a Cappe with a sharpe ende of halfe a yarde long standyng vpryght of ryche cloth of golde wrapped about with a piece of Indian silke of twentie yardes long wrought with golde On the lefte syde of his Tollepan so is the cappe called was a plume of feathers set in a troonke of golde rychly inameled and set with precious stones At his eares he wore earerynges with pendantes of golde and stones a handful long with two great Rubies of great value in the endes therof All the grounde within his Pauilion was couered with Carpettes and vnder him selfe was spred a square Carpet wrought with siluer and golde and therevppon were layde two sutable Cussions Thus the kyng and his noble men satte in his Pauilion with theyr legges acrosse as doe Taylers Yet commaunded stooles to be gyuen to our men bycause they coulde not sitte so then caused meate to be sette before them and made them a banquet of a hundred dyshes of meate and as many of fruites and conserues After the banquet he caused them to goe with him a huntyng and hauking in the which they killed certayne beastes and Cranes Maister Ienkinson founde so much fauour with this kyng that at his departyng he commended him to the Sophie with his letters and also wrote in his fauour to his sonne being then in the Sophies courte So that after his commyng thyther by his meanes he came at the length to the presence and speache of the Sophie whiche otherwyse he should haue done very hardly by reason of the Turkes Ambassadours which then were there and resisted his affayres with many persuasions to the Sophie and other of his nobilitie agaynst the Christians as mortall enemies both to the Turkes and Persians and theyr religion And whereas a whyle before a perpetuall peace and amitie was concluded betweene the Turke and the Sophie the Ambassadours woulde persuade him that his friendshyp with the Christians or contracte with them touchyng any affaires and especially suche as myght be preiudiciall to the Turke or any of his subiectes myght engender newe suspitions and occasions of breache of the laâ—e concluded peace with many suche other surmised accusations Wherevppon the Sophie stayde and prolonged the tyme before he woulde admit maister Ienkinson to his speache At the length when by the friendshyp and fauour of Kyng Abdalaca and his sonne with other friendes made in the courte the tyme was appoynted that maister Ienkinson shoulde be heaâ—de there was one that came to him without the courte gate before he lyght from his horse on the ground and gaue him a payre of shooes sent from the Sophie suche as he him selfe was wonte to weare in the nyght when he ryseth to pray willyng him to put them on his feete for that it was not otherwyse lawfull for him beyng a Gawar or Caffer that is a mysbeleeuer to treade vppon that holy grounde When hee came to his presence he demaunded of him of what countrey of Frankes he was meanyng by Frankes Christians For they call all Christians Frankes that is Frenche men as we commonly call all Mahumetans Turkes although there bee many Mahumetans of other nations besyde Turkes He answered that he was a Christian of the best Frankes of the countrey of Englande declaryng further vnto him the cause of his commyng thyther to be for the great commoditie of him and his subiectes by the way of merchandies as myght further appeare by the letters directed vnto his maiestie from the Queene of Englande his Prince and the Emperour of Moscouia Muche more talke had he with maister Ienkinson not here to be written but by reason of the Turkes Ambassadours at this present was no great thyng done heerein to the preferment of the merchantes affayres Yet he commaunded that maister Ienkinson shoulde be honourably vsed and sent him certayne ryche apparell At this tyme was also in the Sophies courte the sonne of the Kyng of the Georgians a Christian Sismatike as they are nowe called The same tyme also a sonne of the Turkes who had before attempted somewhat agaynst his father and fledde to the Sophie was by him at the Turkes request deteyned in prison And vppon the late conclusion of peace the Turke required the Sophie to send him his head which hee graunted and sent it him by the sayd Ambassadours This voyage of maister Ienkinson was in the yeere .1561 Here foloweth such informations as was gyuen mee by maister Geferie Ducate principall Agent of the merchanteâ— for the last voyage into Persia in the yeere of our Lord â–ª 1568. beginning in the dominion of the Sophie at the citie of Shamaki in Media bycause the beginning of the voyage from Moscouia hytherto is declared heere before SHamaki is the fayrest towne in all Media and the chiefest commoditie
of that countrey is rawe silke and the greatest plentie thereof is at a towne three dayes iourney from Shamaki called Arashe and within three dayes iourney of Arashe is a countrey named Groysine whose inhabitauntes are Christians are thought to be they which are otherwise called Georgians there is also much silke to be solde The chiefe towne of that countrey is called Zeghaui from whence is carryed yeerely into Persia an incredible quantitie of hasell Nuttes all of one sorte and goodnesse and as good and thyn shaled as are our Fylberdes Of these are caryed yeerely the quantitie of 4000. Camelles laden Of the name of the Sophie of Persia and why he is called the Shaugh and of other customes THe Kyng of Persia whom here we call the great Sophi is not there so called but is called the Shaugh It were there daungerous to call him by the name of Sophi bycause that Sophi in the Persian tongue is a begger and it were as much as to call him the great begger He lyeth at a towne called Casbin whiche is situat in a goodly fertile valley of three or foure dayes iorney in length The towne is but euyll buylded and for the most part all of brycke not hardened with fyre but onely dryed at the Sunne as is the most part of the buyldyng of all Persia. The kyng hath not come out of the compasse of his owne house in .xxxiii. or .xxxiiii. yeeres whereof the cause is not knowen but as they saye it is vppon a superstition of certayne prophesies to whiche they are greatly addicted he is nowe about fourescore yeeres of age and very lustie And to keepe hym the more lustye he hath foure wyues alwayes and about three hundred concubynes And once in the yeere he hath all the fayre maydens and wyues that may bee founde a great way about brought vnto hym whom he diligently peruseth feelyng them in all partes takyng suche as he lyketh and puttyng away some of them which he hath kept before And with them that he putteth away he gratifieth some suche as hath doone hym the best seruice And if he chaunce to take any mans wyfe her husbande is very glad thereof and in recompence of her oftentymes he geueth the husbande one of his olde store whom he thankfully receyueth If any straunger beyng a Christian shall come before hym he must put on a newe payre of showes made in that countrey and from the place where he entereth there is dygged as it were a causye all the way vntyll he come to the place where he shall talke with the kyng who standeth alwayes aboue in a gallerye when he talketh with any strangers and when the stranger is departed then is the causye cast downe and the grounde made euen agayne Of the religion of the Persians THeyr religion is all one with the Turkes sauyng that they dyffer who was the ryght successor of Mahumet The Turkes saye that it was one Homer and his sonne Vsman But the Persians saye that it was one Mortus Ali whiche they woulde proue in this maner They say there was a counsayle called to decide the matter who shoulde be the successour and after they had called vppon Mahumet to reuele vnto them his wyll and pleasure therein there came among them a litle lizarde who declared that it was Mahumetes pleasure that Mortus Ali should be his successour This Martus Ali was a valiant man and slewe Homer the Turkes prophet He had a swoorde that he fought withall with the whiche he conquered all his enimies and kylled as many as he stroake When Mortus Ali dyed there came a holy prophet who gaue them warnyng that shortly there woulde come a whyte Camell vppon the which he charged them to lay the body and swoorde of Mortus Ali and to suffer the Camell to carye it whether he woulde The whiche beyng perfourmed the sayde whyte Camell caryed the swoorde and body of Mortus Ali vnto the sea syde and the Camell goyng a good way into the sea was with the swoorde and bodye of Mortus Ali taken vp into heauen for whose returne they haue long looked for in Persia. And for this cause the kyng alwayes keepeth a horse redye sadled for hym and also of late kepte for hym one of his owne daughters to be his wyfe but she dyed in the yeere of our Lorde .1573 And saye furthermore that yf he come not shortly they shal be of our beleefe much lyke the Iewes lookyng for theyr Messias to come and reigne among them lyke a worldly kyng for euer and deliuer them from the captiuitie which they are nowe in among the Christians Turkes and Gentyles The Saugh or Kyng of Persia is nothyng in strength and power comparable vnto the Turke for although he hath a great Dominion yet is it nothyng to be compared with the Turkes neyther hath he any great Ordinaunce of Gunnes or Harkebuses Notwithstandyng his eldest sonne Ismael about twentie and fyue yeeres past fought a great battayle with the Turke and sleue of his armye about an hundred thousande men who after his returne was by his father cast into pryson and there continueth vntyl this daye for his father the Shaugh had hym in suspition that he would haue put hym downe and haue taken the regiment vppon hym selfe Theyr opinion of Christ is that he was an holy man and a great Prophet but not lyke vnto Mahumet saying that Mahumet was the last Prophet by whom all thynges were finished and was therefore the greatest To proue that Christ was not Goddes sonne they saye that God had neuer wyfe and therefore coulde haue no sonne or chyldren They goe on pylgrymage from the furthest part of Persia vnto Mecha in Arabia and by the way they visite also the sepulchre of Christ at Ierusalem whiche they nowe call Couche Kalye The most part of Spyces whiche commeth into Persia is brought from the Iland of Ormus situate in the gulfe of Persia called Sinus Persicus betweene the mayne lande of Persia and Arabia c. The Portugales touche at Ormus both in theyr viage to East India and homewarde agayne and from thence bryng all suche Spyces as is occupied in Persia and the regions there about for of Pepper they bryng verye small quantitie and that at a verye deare pryse The Turkes oftentymes bryng Pepper from Mecha in Arabia whiche they sell as good cheape as that which is brought from Ormus Sylkes are brought from noo place but are wrought all in theyr owne countrey Ormus is within two myles of the mayne lande of Persia and the Portugales fetche theyr freshe water there for the whiche they paye trybute to the Shaugh or kyng of Persia. Within Persia they haue neyther golde nor syluer mynes yet haue they coyned money both of golde and syluer and also other small moneys of Copper There is brought into Persia an incredible summe of Duche Dolours which for the most part is there