repayde with great vsury in an other world gyuyng by Obligation vnto the lender an assuraunce thereof the whiche departyng out of this lyfe hee may carry with him to hell There is an other great company of suche as are called Inambuxu with curlde and staryng heare They make profession to fynde out agayne thinges either lost or stolen after this sorte They set before them a chylde whom the deuyll inuadeth called vp thither by charmes of that chylde than doe they aske that which they are desirous to know These mens prayers both good and bad are thought greatly to preuayle insomuch that both their blessinges and theyr curses they sell vnto the people The Nouices of this order before they be admitted goe togeather two or three thousande in a company vp a certayne high mountayne to do pennance there threescore dayes voluntarily punishyng them selues In this tyme the deuyl sheweth him selfe vnto them in sundry shapes and they lyke young graduates admitted as it were felowes into some certayne company are set foorth with whyte tasselles hanging about theyr neckes and blacke Bonettes that scarsely couer any more than the crowne of theyr heades Thus attyred they range abrode in all Giapan to set out them selues and their cunnyng to sale eche one beatyng his basen hee carryeth alwayes about with him to gyue notice of theyr commyng in all townes where they passe There is also an other sorte called Genguis that make profession to shewe by southsaying where stolen thinges are and who were the theeues These dwel in the toppe of an high mountayne blacke in face for the continuall heate of the sunne for the colde wyndes and raynes they doe continually endure They marry but in theyr owne tribe and lyne the reporte goeth that they bee horned beastes They clyme vp most hygh rockes and hylles and goe ouer very great ryuers by the onely arte of the deuyll who to bryng those wretches the more into errour byddeth them to goe vp a certayne hygh mountayne where they stande myserably gazing and earnestly lookyng for him as long as the deuyll appoynteth them At the length at noonetyde or in the euenyng commeth that deuil whom they call Amida among them to shewe him selfe vnto them this shew breedeth in the braynes and hartes of men suche a kynde of superstition that it can by no meanes be rooted out of them afterwarde The deuyll was wont also in an other mountaine to shewe him selfe vnto the Giaponish nation Who so was more desirous than other to go to heauen and to enioy Paradyse thyther went he to see that syght and hauyng seene the deuyll folowed hym so by the deuyll persuaded into a denne vntyll hee came to a deepe pytte Into this pytte the deuyll was wont to leape to take with him his worshypper whom he there murdred This deceit was thus perceyued An olde man blynded with this superstition was by his sonne dissuaded from thence but all in vayne Wherefore his sonne folowed him priuely into that denne with his bowe and arrowes where the deuyll gallantly appeared vnto him in the shape of a man Whilest the olde man falleth downe to worshyp the deuyll his sonne speedily shootyng an arrow at the spirite so appearyng stroke a Foxe in steede of a man so sodeynly was that shape altered This old man his sonne trackyng the Foxe so runnyng away came to that pit wherof I spake and in the bottome thereof he founde many bones of dead men deceyued by the deuyll after that sorte in tyme past Thus deliuered hee his father from present death and all other from so pestilent an opinion There is furthermore a place bearyng name Coia very famous for the multitude of Abbeyes the Bonzii haue therin The beginner and founder whereof is thought to be one Combendaxis a suttle craftie felowe that gotte the name of holynesse by cunnyng speache although the lawes and ordinances he made were altogeather deuilishe he is sayde to haue founde out the Giapanishe letters vsed at this day In his later yeeres this Sim suttle buryed him selfe in a fouresquare graue foure cubites deepe seuerely forbyddyng it to be opened for that than he dyed not but rested his body wearyed with continuall businesse vntyll many thousande thousandes of yeeres were passed after the whiche tyme a great learned man named Mirozu should come into Giapan and than would he ryse vp out of his graue agayne About his tumbe many lampes are lyghted sent thyther out of dyuers prouinces for that the people is persuaded that whosoeuer is liberall and beneficiall towardes the beautifying of that monument shall not onely encrease in wealth in this worlde but in the lyfe to come be safe through Combendaxis helpe Suche as gyue them selues to worship him liue in those Monasteries or Abbayes with shauen heads as though they had forsaken all secular matters wheras in deede they wallow in all sortes of wickednesse and lust In these houses the which are many as I sayde in number doe remaine 6000. Bonzii or thereabout besydes the multitude of laye men women be restrayned from thence vppon payne of death An other company of Bonzii dwelleth at Fatonochaiti They teache a great multitude of children all trickes and sleightes of guyle and theft whom they doe fynde to be of great towardnesse those doe they instruct in all the petigrues of princes and fashions of the nobilitie in chiualry eloquence and so send them abrode into other prouinces attyred lyke young princes to this ende that faynyng them selues to be nobly borne they may with great summes of money borowed vnder the colour and pretence of nobilitie returne agayne Wherefore this place is so infamous in all Giapan that if any schollar of that order bee happely taken abrode hee incontinently dyeth for it Neuerthelesse these cousyners leaue not dayly to vse theyr wonted wickednesse and knauery North from Giapan three hundred leagues out of Meaco lyeth a great countrey of sauage men clothed in beastes skynnes rough bodyed with huge beardes and monstruous muchaches the which they hold vp with litle forkes as they drynke These people are great drinkers of wyne fierce in warres and much feared of the Giapans beyng hurte in fight they washe theyr woundes with salte water other surgery haue they none In theyr brestes they are sayde to carry lookyng glasses their swordes they tye to theyr heades in suche wyse that the handle doe rest vppon their shoulders Seruice and cerimonies haue they none at all onely they are wont to woorshyppe heauen To Aquita a great towne in that Giaponishe kyngdome we call Geuano they muche resort for merchandyse and the Aquitanes lykewyse doe traueyle into theyr countrey howebeit not often for that there many of them are slayne by the inhabiters Muche more concernyng this matter I had to wryte but to auoyde tediousnesse I will come to speake of the Giapans madnesse agayne who most desirous of vayne glory doe thynke than specially to geat immortall fame whan they
pretie kynde of fyshyng not to be omitted in my opinion and therefore wyll I set it downe The kyng hath in many ryuers good store of barges full of sea crowes that breede are fedde and do dye therein in certayne cages allowed monethly a certayne prouision of ryse These barges the kyng bestoweth vppon his greatest magistrates geuyng to some two to some three of them as he thynketh good to fyshe therewithall after this maner At the houre appoynted to fyshe all the barges are brought togeather in a circle where the ryuer is shalowe and the crowes tyed togeather vnder the wynges are let leape downe into the water some vnder some aboue worth the lookyng vppon eche one as he hath filled his bagge goeth to his owne barge and emptieth it whiche done he retourneth to fyshe agayne Thus hauyng taken good store of fyshe they set the crowes at libertie and do suffer them to fyshe for theyr owne pleasure There were in that citie where I was twentie barges at the least of these aforesayde crowes· I wente almost euery day to see them yet coulde I neuer be throughly satisfied to see so straunge a kynde of fyshyng ¶ Of the Ilande Giapan and other litle Isles in the East Ocean By R. Wylles THe extreme part of the knowen worlde vnto vs is the noble Ilande Ciapan written otherwyse Iapon and Iapan This Iland standeth in the East Ocean beyonde all Asie betwixte Cathayo the West Indies 36. degrees Northwarde from the aequinoctial line in the same clime with the South part of Spayne and Portugall distant from thence by sea .6000 leagues the trauayle thyther both for ciuile discorde great piracie and often shipwrackes very daungerous This countrey is hylly and pestred with snowe wherefore it is nether so warme as Portugall yet very poore as farre as we can learne wantyng oyle butter cheese mylke egges suger honny vyneger saffarne cynamome and pepper Barly branne the Ilanders do vse in steede of salte medicinable thinges holsome for the body haue they none at al. Neuerthelesse in that Iland sundry fruites do grow not much vnlike the fruites of Spayne great store of Syluer mynes are therin to be seene The people tractable ciuile wyttye courteous without deceyte in vertue and honest conuersation exceedyng all other nations lately discouered but so muche standyng vppon theyr reputation that theyr chiefe Idole may be thought honour The contempte therof causeth among them much discord and debate manslaughter and murther euen for theyr reputation they do honour theyr parentes keepe theyr promises absteyne from adultery and robberyes punyshing by death the least robbery done holdyng for a prynciple that whosoeuer stealeth a tryfle wyll if he see occasion steale a greater thing It may be thefte is so seuerely punished of them for that the nation is oppressed with scarcitie of al thynges necessarye and so poore that euen for miserie they strangle theyr owne chyldren preferring death before want These felowes do nether eate nor kyll any foule They lyue chiefely by fyshe hearbes and fruites so healthfully that they dye very olde Of Ryce and Wheate there is no great store No man is ashamed there of his pouertie ne be theyr gentlemen therfore lesse honored of the meaner people ne wyl the poorest gentleman there ▪ matche his chylde with the baser sort for any gayne so muche they do make more accompt of gentry then of wealth The greatest delyght they haue is in armorie eache boy at fourteene yeeres of age be he borne gentle or otherwyse hath his swoorde and dagger very good archers they be contempnyng all other nations in comparison of theyr manhood and prowesse puttyng not vp one iniurie be it neuer so small in worde or deede among them selues They feede moderately but they drynke largely The vse of vines they knowe not theyr drinke they make of Ryce vtterly they do abhorre dyse and all games accomptyng nothyng more vyle in a man then to geue hym selfe vnto those thynges that make vs greedie and desirous to get other mens goodes If at any time they do sweare for that seldome they are wont to do they sweare by the Sunne many of them are taught good letters wherfore they may so much the sooner be brought vnto Christianitie Eche one is contented with one wyse they be all desirous to learne and naturally enclined vnto honestie and curtesie godly talke they lysten vnto wyllinglye especially when they vnderstand it throughlye Theyr gouerment consisteth of three estates The fyrst place is due vnto the hygh priest by whose lawes and decrees al publique and priuate matters apparteynyng vnto religion are decided The sectes of theyr cleargie men whom they do call Bonzi be of no estimation or aucthoritie except the high priest by letters patent do confyrme the same he confyrmeth and alloweth of theyr Tundi who be as it were Byshops although in many places they are nominated by sundrye Princes These Tundi are greatly honoured of all sortes they do geue benefices vnto inferiour ministers and doo graunt licences for many thynges as to eate fleshe vppon those daies they go in Pilgrimage to theyr Idoles with suche lyke priuileges Finallye this hygh priest wont to be chosen in China for his wisdome and learnyng made in Giapan for his gentry and byrth hath so large a Dominion and reuenewes so great that eftsones he beardeth the pety Kinges and Princes there Theyr seconde principall Magistrate in theyr language Vo is the cheefe Herehaught made by succession and byrth honored as a God This gentleman neuer toucheth the grounde with his foote without forfaytyng of his office he neuer goeth abrode out of his house nor is at all tymes to be seene At home he is eyther carried about in a lytter or els he goeth in woodden Choppines a foote hygh from the grounde commonly he sitteth in his Chayre with a swoord in one syde and a bowe and arrowes in the other next his body he weareth blacke his outwarde garment is redde all shadowed ouer with Cipresse at his cap hang certayne Lambeaux much lyke vnto a Bishops Myter his forehead is paynted whyte and red he eateth his meate in earthen Dishes This Herehaught determineth in all Giapan the diuers tytles of honour whereof in that Iland is great plentie eache one perticularly knowen by his badge commonly seene in sealyng vp theyr letters and dayly altered accordyng to theyr degrees About this Vo euery noble man hath his Soliciter for the nation is so desirous of prayse and honour that they stryue among them selues who may brybe hym best By these meanes the Herehaught groweth so ryche that although he haue neyther lande nor any reuenewes otherwyse yet may he be accompted the wealthyest man in al Giapan For three causes this great Magistrate may loose his office first if he touch the ground with his foote as it hath been alreadie sayd next if he kyl anye body thyrdlye yf he be founde an enemie vnto peace and quietnesse howebeit neyther of
Abyssins Iustice good lawes Sheepe with great tayles Palearia Kyne with Hartes hornes Kyne with only one horne â–ª Diuobanderrumi The Soltan of Cambaia Goa Giulfar Meschet Ormus Pearles Fyshyng for Pearles Dyuers vnder the water Chorazani or Chorashan Great abundaunce of silke Plentie of corne Rubarbe of smal price The riuen Euphrates Schira Precious stons The stone Eranon â–ª A Turques Balascam Castoreum The profe of true CastoreuÌ„ Comendation of the Persians Squilaâ— Sainct Bragant An armie of threescore thousand horsemen War betweene the Sophieâ— of Persia and the Turke for their religion The Turkes holde of Mahumet and his felowes The Persians hold of Mahumet and Hali or Mortus Hali. A sure friend in necessitie Cheo The ryuer Indus The citie of Cambaia Note the increse of ryuers contrarye to ours xl shippes ladeÌ„ with sylke and bombasine Pithagorici Good people They may see me the successours of Darius and Poâ—us The great pompe of the kyng of Cambaia Elephantes Monstruos great lyppes A straunge historie of a kyng accustomed to eate poyson A venomus kyng Belyke he getteth no chyldren Great fruitfulnesse abundance of merchandies Plentie of sylke The kyng of Ioga an Idolatour Continuall progresse Wyues and concubines The colour of the Indians Hornes Wanderyng nations Feelde men Guzerat Idolatours Dabuly Idolaters Tribute Coyne Mamalukes white men A fayre palace Great pompe and magnificence Where Diamuntes are founde Womens faces couered White men The kyng of Decham hateth the Christians The citie Bathacala Centacola Idolatars Barthacal The Ilande of Onor A kyng a pirate Naked men Ryse Beastes Byrdes and foules Flowers all the yeere longe â–ª Longe lyfe Myngolor Ryse Afterwarde he became frende to the Portugales 〈…〉 â—ranges Ryse Spyces Straunge fruites An army of fyftie thousand gentelmen Gunnes Dromedares Elephantes A triple wall Hawkyng and huntyng An army of foure thousand horsemen Horses of great price Foure hundred Elephantes Dromedary Camelles Howe the Elephantes are prepared to the warres Seuen men fyght vpon one Elephant Howe the Elephant is armed The Elephant vnderstandeth the voyce of his keeper The Elephant can not abyde fyre The strength of the Elephant The Elephants haue ioyntes in their legges The hande of the Elephant The teeth of the Elephant is Iuery The bygnesse of the Elephant The naturall shamefastnesse of Elephantes The pissell of an Elephant Men of lesse vnderstandyng then Elephantes The riches of the kyng of Narsinga A great tribute by the day Idolaters A riche cloke The magnificence of the kyng of Narsinga Coyne of golde and siluer Daunger of Lyons The kyng of Narsinga friend to the kyng of Portugale The citie of Trompata Mahumetans Pandara Capagot Calecut The kyng of Calecut a God on the earth The citie of Calecut Houses diuided Uery lowe houses Houses of small price Idolatry and seruyng of the deuyll One God Pseudoplatonici The deuyll Prince of this worlde Deumo quasi Daemon The Chapell of the deuyll The deuyls chayre of maiestie Difference betweene the Popes crowne and the deuylles A well fauoured Prince The deuylles ordinary dyet and deâ—tie meate Bramini Brachmani The maner of sacrifice to the deuyll Gallus Esculapio A goodly priest the deuylles Chaplen A counterfeete Aaron Offeryng of wheate The deuyll is serued before the Kyng Chaplens of honour I thinke the Priestes take parte with the Crowes Crowes esteemed holy The priestes euer prouide for them selues A goodly office for a byshop Priestes and gentelmen Poore men haue no soules They are not troubled with garderobes or makyng them redye mornyng and euenyng The kynges children succeed not to inherite the kyngdome What paynes the priestes take for theyr liuyng and what seruice they do the kyng Bastordes Moornyng for the death of the kyng Chastitie and abstinence Meates that moue to echerie Great frendshyppe Diogenistae The punyshement of murtherers Beatyng A straunge maner to demauÌ„d debte Death for debte Outward clenlynesse 〈…〉 Clenly women Maisters of fence The kynges army Their weapons The kynges ensigne The priestes â–ª are haroldes A chalenge to cumbatte A great battayle and litle bloodshed â–ª Minstrells Blacke teeth The dead gentelmen are burnt but the poore men are buryed Coyned mony Merchauntes resorte to Calecut Mahumetans of Calecut Theyr shippes Ankers of marble on euery syde two Seasons of the yeere contrarie to ours Dyuers fashions of shippes and other vessells A goodly palaice Images of the deuyll to garnysh the kinges palaice The ryche iewels which the king weareth The kyng of Portugales warres agaynst the kyng of Calecut The frenche Poxe among precious iewells Unestimable treasure Pepper The pepper tree Clusters of pepper Genger Fruites vnlyke ours A philosophical consideration of the difference of thinges of one kynde A great fruite growyng out of the body of the tree Rype fruites in December A fruite of sundry tastes One fruite within an other A tree with very brode leaues A very goodly fruite Two hundred fruites on euery slyppe A tree that neuer beareth fruit but once Fruites and floures geathered at all tymes of the yeere This tree in the west India is called Coccus Ten commodities of one tree Nux Indica They are as big as a mans fyâ—t and some bygger Very sweete and cleare water within a Nutte Oile made of water Wyne of cutte branches of a tree A tree that beareth fruite continually all the whole yeere Oile Ploughing of the grounde A daunce of deuylles Solem suum oriri facit super bonos et malos c. The deuyll a Phisitian Such a Phisitian such phisicke A remedie 〈◊〉 surfetyng Fyne weightes and balances A straunge experiment to know the fyne golde from base Proxeneta A superstitious maner of buying and selling Litle payne or cost for noursing of children Funambuli Popingayes or Parottes A great noyse of birdes An earthly Paradyse Continuall spring and temperate ayre Monkeys doe much hurte Crocodiles without poison Three kyndes of Serpentes Serpentes superstitiously kepte and nourished Death for kyllyng a Serpent or a Cowe Bycause they goe naked Superstition Goodly candelstickes of laton Polyxines et Polychni Innumerable lyghtes and Lampes The deuyll serueth in the kynges chamber Mourning the space of a yeere The Temple of sacrifyce to Idolles Trees behanged with Lampes Washyng before sacrifice Holy oyle in the steade of holy water Sacrifice to the deuyll for forgeuenesse of synnes Sanctuary Large is the way that leadeth to perdition c. The kyng of Portugals warres in the citie of Calecut Caicolon Pepper Christians of the profession of saint Thomas Colon. An armie of .xx. thousande horsmen Pearles Zeilon Comerin The bodie of Thomas the Apostle The kyng of Narsinga frende to the Portugalls A miracle at the sepulchre of S. Thomas Foure kynges in one Iland Elephantes Rubie stones Precious stones Howe Cinamome is geathered A denne where Adam lyued in penance Temperate regions vnder the Equinoctiall lyne Saffran and Corall Elephants An armie of a hundred thousende footmen Fruites Wylde beastes Peacockes Falcons Popingayes A great and fayre foule Cocke
otherwyse called Cuba was an ilande As they coasted along by the shore of certayne of these ilandes they hearde Nyghtyngales syng in the thycke wooddes in the moneth of Nouember They founde also great ryuers of freshe water and naturall hauens of capacitie to harbour great nauies of shippes Sayling by the coastes of Iohanna from the north poynt to the west he rode litle lesse then eight hundred miles for they cal it a hundred and fourescore leagues supposing that it had ben the continent or fyrme lande because he coulde neither fynde the landes ende nor any token of the ende as farre as he could iudge with his eye wherfore he determined to turne backe agayne beyng partly thereto enforced by the roughnesse of the sea for the sea bankes of the ilande of Iohanna by sundrye wyndynges and turnynges bende them selues so muche towarde the north that the northnortheast winde roughly tossed the shyps by reason of the winter Turning therfore the stemmes of his shyppes towarde the East he affyrmed that he had found the ilande of Ophir whither Solomons shippes sayled for golde But the discription of the Cosmographers well considered it seemeth that both these and the other ilandes adioynyng are the ilands of Antilia This ilande he called Hispaniola on whose north syde as he approched neare to the lande the keele or bottome of the biggest vessell ranne vpon a blynde rocke couered with water and cloue in sunder but the playnenesse of the rocke was a helpe to them that they were not drowned Makyng haste therfore with the other two shyps to helpe them they brought awaye al the men without hurte Here comming fyrst a land they sawe certayne men of the Ilande who perceiuyng an vnknowen nation comming toward them flocked togeather and ranne al into the thycke woods as it had ben hares coursed with grehoundes Our men pursuing them tooke onely one woman whom they brought to the ships where fylling her with meate and wyne and appareling her they let her depart to her companye Shortly after a greate multitude of them came runnyng to the shore to behold this newe nation whom they thought to haue discended from heauen They cast them selues by heapes into the sea came swimming to the shyppes brynging gold with them whiche they chaunged with our men for earthen pottes drinking glasses poyntes pinnes hawkes bels looking glasses such other trifles Thus growing to further familiaritie our men were honorably entertained of the king of that part of the iland whose name was Guaccâ—narillus for it hath many kyngs as when Eneas arriued in Italy he found Latium diuided into many kingdoms and prouinces as Latium Mezeutium Turnum and Tarchontem which were separated with narowe boundes as shal more largly appeare hereafter At the euen tide about the falling of the sonne when our men went to prayer and kneeled on their knees after the maner of y e Christians they dyd the lyke also And after what maner so euer they sawe them pray to the crosse they folowed them in al poyntes as wel as they coulde They shewed much humanitie towards our men and helped them with theyr lyghters or smal boates which they cal Canoas to vnlade their broken shyppe and that with suche celeritie and cherefulnesse that no frende for frende or kynseman for kynseman in such case moued with pitie coulde do more Theyr boates are made only of one tree made holowe with a certaine sharpe stone for they haue no yron and are very long and narowe Many affirme that they haue seene some of them with fortie ores The wilde and myscheuous people called Canibales or Caribes whiche were accustomed to eate mans fleshe called of the olde writers Anthropophagi molest them exceedyngly inuading their countrey takyng them captiue kyllyng eatyng them As our men sayled to the ilandes of these meke and humane people they left the ilands of the Canibales in maner in the middest of theyr viage toward the south They complayned that theyr ilands were no lesse vexed with the incursions of these manhuntyng Canibales when they goe forth a rouyng to seeke theyr pray then are other tame beastes of Lions and Tigers Such chyldren as they take they geld to make them fat as we do cocke chickens and young hogges and eate them when they are wel fedde of suche as they eate they fyrst eate the intralles and extreme partes as handes feete armes necke and head The other most fleshye partes they pouder for store as we do pestels of porke and gammondes of bakon yet do they absteyne from eatyng of women and counte it vyle Therfore suche young women as they take they kepe for increase as we do hennes to leye egges the olde women they make theyr drudges They of the ilandes which we may nowe cal ours bothe the men and y e women when they perceiue the Canibales commyng haue none other shyft but onely to flee for although they vse very sharpe arrowes made of reedes yet are they of small force to represse y e furie of the Canibales for euen they them selues confesse that ten of the Canibales are able to ouercome a hundred of them if they encountre with them Theyr meate is a certayne roote which they cal Ages muche lyke a nauewe roote in fourme and greatnesse but of sweete tast much lyke a greene chestnutte They haue also an other kynde of rootes which they call Iucca whereof they make bread in kyke maner They vse Ages more often rosted or sodden then to make bread thereof But they neuer eate Iucca except it be first sliced and pressed for it is full of lycoure and then baked or sodden But this is to be marueyled at that the iuice of this roote is a poyson as strong as Aconitum so that if it be drunke it causeth present death and yet the bread made of the masse thereof is of good taste and holsome as they all haue prooued They make also another kynde of bread of a certayne pulse called Panicum muche like vnto wheate whereof is great plentie in the Dukedome of Millane Spayne and Cranatum But that of this Countrey is longer by a spanne somewhat sharpe towarde the ende and as bygge as a mans arme in y e brawne the graynes wherof are set in a marueylous order are in fourme somewhat lyke a Pease Whyle they be soure and vnripe they are whyte but when they are ripe they be very blacke when they are broken they be whiter then snowe this kynde of grayne they call Maizium Golde is of some estimation among them for some of them hang certayne small peeces thereof at theyr eares and nosethrylles A litle beyonde this place our men went a lande for freshe water where they chaunced vpon a riuer whose sande was myxed with muche golde They founde there no kindes of foure footed beastes except three kindes of litle conies These ilandes also nouryshe
to the west they iudged to be a hundred fyftie myle They affirme all these ilandes to be maruelous fayre and fruitefull This last they called Sancta Maria Antiqua Saylyng forwarde and leauyng many other ilandes after they had sayled about fourtie myles they chaunced vpon an other much bygger then any of the rest which thinhabitans call Ay Ay but they named it Insula crucis Here they cast anker to fetche freshe water The Admiral also commaunded .xxx. men to goe a lande out of his owne shyp and to search the ilande Here they founde foure dogges on the shore The Inhabitants are Canibales and maruelous experte in shooting as wel women as men and vse to infect their arrowes with poyson When they had taried there two dayes they sawe a farre of a Canoa in the whiche were eight men and as many women hauyng with them bowes and arrowes They fiercely assayled our men without all feare and hurt some of them with theyr venemous arrowes Among these there was a certayne woman to whom the other gaue reuerence and obeyed as though she were theyr queene Her sonne wayted vppon her beyng a young man strongly made of terrible and frownyng countenance and a Lions face Our men leaste they shoulde take the more hurte by beyng wounded a farre of thought it beste to ioyne with them Therfore with al speede setting forward with their ores the brigandine in whiche they were sette alande they ouerturned their Canoa with a great violence whiche being ouerwhelmed they notwithstanding as wel the women as the men swymming caste theyr dartes at our men thicke and threefolde At the length geatheryng them selues togeather vpon a rocke couered with the water they fought manfully vntyll they were ouercome and taken one beyng slayne and the queenes sonne sore wounded When they were brought into the Admirals shippe they dyd no more put of their fiercenes and cruel countenaunces then do the Lions of Lybia when they perceiue them selues to be bounde in chaynes There is no man able to beholde them but he shall feele his bowels grate with a certayne horrour nature hath endued them with so terrible menacing and cruell aspect This coniecture I make of mee selfe other which oftentymes went with me to see them at Methymna Campi but nowe to returne to the voyage Proceeding thus further and further more then fyue hundred myles fyrste towarde the west southwest then towarde the southwest and at the length towarde the west northwest they entred into a mayne large sea hauyng in it innumerable ilandes marueylously dyfferyng one from another for some of them were very fruitefull and full of hearbes and trees other some very drye barren and rough with high rockye mountaynes of stone whereof some were of bryght blewe or asurine colour and other glysteryng whyte wherefore they supposed them by good reason to be the mâ—nes of mettalles and precious stones but the roughnesse of the sea and multitude of ilandes standyng so thycke togeather hyndered them so that they coulde cast no anker lest the bigger vesselles shoulde runne vppon the rockes therefore they deferred the searchyng of these ilandes vntyll another tyme they were so manye and stoode so thycke that they coulde not number them yet the smaller vesselles whiche drewe no great deapth entred among them and numbred fourtie and syxe ilandes but the bygger vessels kept aloofe in the mayne sea â–ª for feare of the rockes They call the sea where this multitude of ilandes are situate Archipelagus From this tracte proceding forward in the midde way there lyeth an ilande whiche thinhabitantes call Burichina or Buchena but they named it Insula S. Iohannis Dyuers of them whom we had delyuered from the Canibales sayde that they were borne in this ilande affirming it to be verye populous and frutefull hauing also many faire wooddes and hauens Ther is deadly hatred and continual battayle betwene them and the Canibales They haue no boates to passe from their owne coastes to the Canibales but if it be their chaunce to ouercome them when they make incursion into theyr countrey to seeke their praye as it sometyme happeneth the fortune of warre being vncertayne they serue them with like sause requiting death for death For one of them mangeleth an other in pieces and roste them and eate them euen before their eyes They taryed not in this ilande Yet in the west angle therof a fewe of them went a lande for freshe water and founde a great and high house after the maner of their buyldyng hauing .xii. other of their vulgare cotages placed about the same but were all lefte desolate whether it were that they resorted to the mountaynes by reason of the heate which was that tyme of the yeere and to returne to the playne when the ayre waxeth coulder or els for feare of the Canibales whiche make incursion into the ilande at certayne seasons In al this ilande is only one kyng The south syde hereof extendeth about two hundreth myles Shortly after they came to the ilande of Hispaniola being distante from the firste ilande of the Canibales fyue hundreth leagues Here they founde al thinges out of order and theyr felowes slayne whiche they lefte here at their fyrst voyage In the begynnyng of Hispaniola hauing in it many regions and kyngdomes as we haue sayde is the region of Xamana whose kyng is named Guaccanarillus This Guaccanarillus ioyned frendship with our men at the fyrst voyage and made a league with them but in the absence of the Admirall he rebelled and was the cause of our mens destruction although he dissimuled the same and pretended frendship at the Admirales returne As our men sayled on yet a litle further they espied a long Canoa with many ores in whiche was the brother of Guaccanarillus with only one man wayting on hym He brought with him two images of golde whiche he gaue the Admyrall in the name of his brother and tolde a tale in his language as concernyng the death of our men as they prooued afterwarde but at this tyme had no regarde to his communication for lacke of interpretours whiche were eyther all dead or escaped and stolne away when they drewe neare the ilandes But of the ten seuen dyed by chaunge of ayre and dyet The inhabitauntes of these ilandes haue ben euer so vsed to lyue at libertie in play and pastyme that they can hardly away with the yoke of seruitude which they attempte to shake of by all meanes they may And surely yf they had receiued our religion I woulde thynke theyr lyfe moste happie of all men yf they myght therewith enioye theyr auncient libertie A fewe thinges contente them hauyng no delyte in suche superfluities for the whiche in other places men take infinite paynes and commit manye vnlawfull actes and yet are neuer satisfied whereas manye haue to muche and none yenough But among these symple
mynde agaynst hym departed into Spayne Wherefore aswel to purge hym selfe of suche crimes as they should lay to his charge as also to make a supply of other men in the place of them whiche were returned and especiallye to prouide for vyttualles as wheate wine oyle and suche other whiche the Spanyardes are accustomed to eate because they coulde not yet well agree with such meates as they founde in the Ilandes determined shortly to take his voyage into Spayne but what he dyd before his departure I wyll breefely rehearse The kynges of the Ilandes which had hytherto lyued quietly and content with theyr lytle whiche they thought aboundant wheras they nowe perceiued that our men began to fasten foote within theyr regions to beare rule among them they toke the matter so greeuously that they thought nothyng els but by what meanes they myght vtterlye destroy them and for euer abolyshe the memory of theyr name for that kinde of men the Spanyardes I meane which folowed the Admiral in that nauigation were for the moste part vnruly regarding nothyng but idlenesse play and libertie and woulde by no meanes absteyne from iniuries rauishing of the women of the Ilandes before the faces of their husbandes fathers and brethren by which theyr abominable mysdemeanour they disquieted the myndes of all the inhabitantes insomuche that wheresoeuer they founde any of our men vnprepared they slue them with such fiercenesse and gladnesse as though they had offered sacrifice to God Intendyng therfore to pacifie theyr troubled myndes and to punyshe them that slue his men before he departed from thence he sent for the king of that vale whiche in the booke before we described to be at the foote of the mountaynes of the region of Cibana this kynges name was Guarionexius who the more strayghtly to concyle vnto hym the frendshyp of the Admirall gaue his syster to wyfe to Didacus a man from his chyldes age brought vp with the Admirall whom he vsed for his interpreter in the prouinces of Cuba After this he sent for Caunaboa called the lorde of the house of golde that is of the mountaynes of Cibana For this Caunaboa he sent one Captayne Hoieda whom the ditionaries of Caunaboa had enforced to keepe his holde besieging for the space of thirtie dayes the fortresse of saint Thomas in the whiche Hoieda with his fyftie souldiers stoode at theyr defence vntyll the comming of the Admirall Whyle Hoieda remayned with Caunaboa manye ambassadours of the kynges of diuers regions were sent to Caunaboa perswading him in no condition to permit the Christians to inhabite the Ilande except he had rather serue then rule On the other partie Hoieda aduertised Caunaboa to goe to the Admiral and to make a league of frendshyp with hym but the ambassadours on the contrary part threatned hym that if he woulde so doo the other kynges woulde inuade his region But Hoieda aunswered them agayne that whereas they conspired to maynteyne theyr libertie they should by that meanes be brought to seruitude destruction if they entended to resist or kepe warre against the Christians Thus Caunaboa on the one side and the other beyng troubled as it were a rocke in the sea beaten with contrary flooddes and muche more vexed with the stormes of his gyltie conscience for that he had priuily slayne .xx. of our men vnder pretence of peace feared to come to the Admirall but at the length hauyng excogitated his deceyt to haue slayne the Admirall and his companye vnder the colour of frendshyp yf oportunitie would so haue serued he repayred to y e Admiral with his whole familie and many other wayting on him armed after theyr manner Beyng demaunded why he brought so great a rout of men with him he aunswered that it was not decent for so great a prince as he was to goe out of his house without suche a bande of men but the thyng chaunced muche otherwyse then he looked for for he fell into the snares whiche he had prepared for other for whereas by the way he began to repent hym that he came foorth of his house Hoieda with many fayre woordes promises brought him to the Admiral at whose commaundement he was immediatly taken and put in prison so that the soules of our men were not long from theyr bodyes vnreuenged Thus Caunaboa with al his familie beyng taken the Admirall was determined to runne ouer the Ilande but he was certified that there was suche famine among the inhabitauntes that there was alredy fyftie thousande men dead thereof and that they dyed yet dayly as it were rotten sheepe the cause whereof was wel knowen to be theyr owne obstinacie and frowardnesse for wheras they sawe that our men entended to choose them a dwelling place in the Ilande supposing that they myght haue dryuen them from thence if the vittualles of the Ilande should fayle they determined with them selues not only to leaue sowyng and plantyng but also to destroy and plucke vp by the rootes euery man in his owne region that whiche they had alredy sowen of both kyndes of bread whereof we made mention in the firste booke but especially among the mountaynes of Cibana otherwyse called Cipanga forasmuche as they had knowledge that the golde whiche aboundeth in that region was the chiefe cause that deteyned our men in the Iland In the meane tyme he sent foorth a Captayne with a bande of men to searche the South syde of the Ilande who at his returne reported that throughout all the regions that he trauayled there was suche scarcenesse of bread that for the space of .xvi. dayes he ate nothyng but the rootes of hearbes and of young date trees or the fruites of other wylde trees but Guarionexius the kyng of the vale lying beneath the mountaynes of Cibana whose kyngdome was not so wasted as the other gaue our men certayne vyttualles Within a fewe dayes after both that the iourneys myght be the shorter and also that our men myght haue more safe places of refuge if the inhabitauntes shoulde hereafter rebell in lyke manner he buylded another fortresse whiche he called the Towre of Conception betweene the Citie of Isabella and Saint Thomas fortresse in the marches of the kyngdome of this Guarionexius within the precincte of Cibana vpon the syde of a hyll hauyng a fayre riuer of holsome water runnyng harde by the same Thus when the inhabitantes sawe newe buyldinges to be dayly erected and our shippes lying in the hauen rotten and halfe broken they began to dispayre of any hope of libertie and wandred vp and downe with heauie cheare From the Towre of Conception searchyng diligentlye the inner partes of the mountaynes of Cibana there was a certayne kyng whiche gaue them a masse of rude golde as bigge as a mans fyst weighing .xx. ounces this golde was not founde in the banke of that riuer but in a heape of drye earth and was lyke vnto the stone called Tophus whiche is soone
beyng sore troubled in his mynde and in maner at his wyttes ende what he were best to doo for as muche as he wanted al thynges necessarie as wel to restore them to health whiche were yet acrased as also vitayles to mayntayne y e whole multitude where as there was yet no shyppe come from Spayne at the length he determyned to sende abrode the sicke men here and there to sundrye Regyons of the ilande and to the castelles whiche they had erected in the same For directly from the citie of Isabella to saynt Dominikes towre that is from the north to the south through the ilande they had buylded thus many castles Fyrst xxxvi myles distant from Isabella they buylded the castell of Sperantia From Sperantia .xxv. myles was the castell of saynt Katharine From saynt Katharines .xx. myles was saynt Iames towre Other .xx. myles from saynt Iames towre was a stronger fortresse then any of the other whiche they called the towre of Conception which he made the stronger because it was situat at the rootes of the golden mountaynes of Cibana in the great and large playne so fruiteful and well inhabited as we haue before described He buylded also an other in the mydde waye betwene the towre of Conception saynt Dominikes towre the whiche also was stronger then the towre of Conception because it was within the lymittes of a great kyng hauyng vnder his dominion fiue thousande men whose chiefe citie and head of the Realme beyng called Bonauum he wylled that the castell should also be called after the same name Therefore leauyng the sicke men in these castels and other of the ilande houses nere vnto the same he hym selfe repayred to saynt Dominikes exacting trybutes of al the kynges whiche were in his way When he had taryed there a fewe dayes there was a rumour spredde that all the kynges about the borders of the towre of Conception had conspyred with desperate myndes to rebell agaynst the Spaniardes When the Lieutenaunt was certified hereof he tooke his iourney towarde them immediately not beyng discoraged eyther by the length of the waye or feeblenesse of his souldyers beyng in maner foreweried with trauayle As he drewe nere vnto them he had aduertysement that kyng Guarionexius was chosen by other prynces to be the Capitayne of this rebellion and that he was enforsed therto halfe vnwyllyng beyng seduced by perswasions and prouocations the whiche is more lykely to be true for that he had before had experience of the power and policie of our men They came togeather at a daye appoynted accompanyed with .xv. thousande men armed after their manner once agayne to proue the fortune of warre Here the Lieutenaunt consultyng with the Captayne of the fortresse and the other souldiers of whom he had the conducte determyned to sette vpon them vnwares in their owne houses before they coulde prepare theyr army He sent foorth therefore to euery kyng a Centurion that is a captayne of a hundred which were commaunded vpon a sudden to inuade theyr houses in the nyght and to take them sleepyng before the people being scattred here there myght assemble togeather Thus secretly enteryng into their vyllages not fortified with walles trenches or bulwarks they broke in vpon them toke them bound them led away euery man his prisoner according as they were commaunded The Lieuetenant hym selfe with his hundred men assayled kyng Guarionexius as the worthier personage whom he tooke prysoner as did the other captaines theyr kings and at the same houre appoynted Foureteene of them were brought the same nyght to the towre of Conception Shortlye after when he had put to death two of the kynges whiche were the chiefe autours of this newe reuolte and had suborned Guarionexius the other kynges to attempt the same least the people for sorowe of theyr kinges shoulde neglecte or forsake their countrey whiche thyng myght haue ben great incommoditie to our men who by thincrease of theyr seedes and fruites were oftentymes ayded he freely pardoned and dismissed Guarionexius and the other kynges the people in the meane tyme flocking togeather about the towre to the number of fyue thousande without weapons with pitiful houling for the deliuerance of their kinges The ayre thundered the earth trembled through the vehemencie of theyr outcry The Lieutenaunt warned Guarionexius and the other kynges with threatenynges with rewardes and with promyses neuer thereafter to attempt any suche thyng Then Guarionexius made an oration to the people of y e great power of our men of theyr clemencie towarde offenders liberalitie to suche as remaine faithfull desyring them to quiet theyr mindes and from thencefoorth neyther in deede nor thought to interpryse any thyng agaynst the Chrystians but to obeye and serue them excepte they woulde dayly bryng them selues into further calamities When the oration was fynyshed they tooke hym vp and set hym on theyr shoulders and so caryed hym home to his owne pallace and by this meanes this Region was pacifyed for a whyle But our men with heauy countenaunce wandered vp and downe as desolate in a strange countrey lackyng vittailes and worne out of apparell whereas .xv. monethes were nowe passed sence the Admirals departure duryng which tyme they coulde heare nothyng out of Spayne The Lieuetenaunt comforted them all that he coulde with fayre wordes and promyses In the meane tyme Beuchius Anacauchoa the kyng of the West partes of the Region of Xaragua of whom we spake before sent messengers to the Lieuetenaunt to signifye vnto hym that he had in a redynes the gossampine cotton and suche other thynges as he wylled hym to prepare for the payment of his trybute Whereupon the Lieuetenaunt tooke his iourney thyther and was honorably receiued of the kyng and his syster somtyme the wyfe of Caunaboa the kyng of Cibana bearyng no lesse rule in the gouernaunce of her brothers kyngdome then he hym selfe For they affirmed her to be a wyse woman of good maners pleasaunt in company She earnestly perswaded her brother by thexample of her husband to loue and obey the Christians This woman was called Anacaona He founde in the palace of Beuchius Anacauchoa .xxxii. kyngs which had brought theyr tributes with them and abode his comming They brought with them also besyde theyr tribut assigned them further to demerite y e fauour of our men great plentie of vitailes as both kindes of bread cunnies and fishes alredy dried because they should not putrifie Serpentes also of that kynde which we sayd to be estemed among them as most delicate meat and lyke vnto Crocodiles sauing in bygnes These serpentes they cal Iuannas which our men learned somwhat to late to haue ben engendred in the ilande For vnto that day none of them durst aduenture to tast of them by reason of theyr horrible deformitie and lothsomnes Yet the Lieuetenant being entysed by the pleasantnes of the kynges syster determined to tast of the serpentes But when
slayne of any wylde beast As many hartes or wylde bores as our men woulde desyre them to bryng they woulde kyll in the woodes with their arrowes and not to fayle to bryng them They lacke kyne goates and sheepe Theyr bread is made of rootes as is theyrs of the Ilands This nation hath blacke heare grosse and somwhat curlde yet long also They keepe theyr teeth very whyte and for that purpose vse to cary a certaine herbe betwene theyr lyppes for the most part of the day and to washe theyr mouthts when they cast it away The women doo all theyr busynes at home in theyr howses and haue also the cure of tyllage of the grounde but the men apply them selues to the warres and huntyng to playe syngyng and daunsyng They haue sundry kyndes of water pottes iugges and drinkyng cuppes made of earth in other places about them and brought thyther for exchaung of other thynges For they vse fayres and markettes for the same purpose and are greatly desyrous of such thynges as are not brought forth or made in theyr countrey as nature hath geuen a disposytion to al men to desyre and be delyted with newe and strang thynges Many of them had hangyng at theyr pearles the images of certeine beastes and birdes very artifitiously made of golde but not pure these also are brought them from other places for exchang of other thynges The golde wherof they are made is natiue and of much lyke finenes to that wherof the florens are coyned The men of this countrey inclose theyr priuie members in a gourde cutte after the fashioÌ„ of a coddepice or els couer the same with the shell of a tortoyse tyed about theyr loynes with laces of gossampine cotton In other places of that tract they thrust the synew within the sheeth therof and bynde the skinne fast with a string The great wylde beastes wherof we spake before and many other thynges which are not found in any of the Ilandes testifie that this region is parte of y e continet or firme lande But the chiefest coniecture wherby they argue the same is that by the coastes of that lande from Paria towarde the west they sayled about three M. myles findyng no signe or token of any ende These people of Curiana whiche some call Curtana being demaunded where they had such plentie of golde signified that it was brought them from a region called Canchieta or Cauchieta beyng distant from them sixe sunnes that is sixe dayes iourney westwarde and that theyr images of golde were made in the same region Whereupon our men directed theyr voyage thyther immediatly and aryued there at the Kalendes of Nouember in the yeere of Christe a thousande and fyue hundred The people of the countrey resorted to them without feare bryngyng with them of the golde whiche we sayde to be natiue in that region This people had also collers of pearles about theyr neckes which were brought them from Curiana for exchaunge of theyr marchandises None of them woulde exchaunge anye of those thynges whiche they had out of other countreys as neyther the Curians golde nor the Canchietans pearles yet among the Canchietans they founde but lytle golde redy geathered They toke with them from thence certayne very fayre Marmasets or Munkeyes and many Popyngayes of sundrye coloures In the moneth of Nouember the ayre was there most temperate and nothyng colde The guardens of the north pole were out of syght to both these people they are so neare the Equinoctial Of the degrees of the pole they can geue none other accompte These people are wel disposed men of honest conditions and nothyng suspitious for almost al the nyght long they resorted to the shyppe with theyr boates and went aboorde shyppe without feare as dyd the Curians They call pearles Corixas They are somewhat ielous for when anye straungers come among them they euer place theyr women behynde them In this region of Canchieta the gossampine trees growe of them selues commonly in many places as doo with vs elmes wyllowes and sallowes and therefore they vse to make breeches of cotton wherewith they couer theyr priuie partes in many other regions thereabout When they had yet sayled on forwarde by the same coastes there came forth against them about two thousande men armed after theyr manner forbyddyng them to come alande These people were so rude and sauage that our men coulde by no meanes allure them to familiaritie Our men therefore contented only with theyr pearles returned backe y e same way they came where they remained with the Curians continually for the space of .xx. dayes fylled theyr bellies wel with good meate And here it seemeth to me not farre from my purpose to declare what chaunced vnto them in theyr returne when they came now within the sight of the coast of Paria They happened therfore in the way at Os Draconis and the gulfes of Paria wherof we spake before to meete with a nauy of xviii Canoas of Canibales which went a rouing to hunt for men who assoone as they had espied our men assailed their ship fiercely without feare enclosed y e same disturbing our men on euery side with their arrowes but our men so feared them with theyr gunnes that they fled immediatly whoÌ„ our men folowing with the shyp boate tooke one of theyr Canoas and in it only one Canibal for the other had escaped and with him another man bounde who with teares runnyng downe his cheekes and with gesture of his handes eyes and head signified that sixe of his companions had ben cruelly cut in peeces and eaten of that mischeuous nation and that he shoulde haue ben likewyse handled the day folowyng wherefore they gaue hym power ouer the Canibal to do with him what he would Then with the Canibals owne clubbe he layde on hym al that he might dryue with hande and foote grinning and fâ—etting as it had ben a wyld bore thinkyng that he had not yet sufficiently reuenged the death of his companions when he had beaten out his braynes and guttes When he was demaunded after what sort the Canibales were woont to inuade other countreys he answered that they euer vsed to carye with them in theyr Canoas a great multitude of clubbes the whiche wheresoeuer they do lande they pytch in the grounde and encampe them selues within the compasse of the same to lye the more safely in the nyght season In Curiana they founde the head of a captayne of the Canibales nayled ouer the doore of a certayne gouernour for a token of victorye as it had ben the standerde or helmet taken from the enimie in battayle In these coastes of Paria is a region called Haraia in the which great plentie of salt is geathered after a strange sorte for the sea beyng there tossed with the power of the wyndes dryueth the salte waters into a large playne by the sea syde where afterwarde when the sea waxeth calme and the
the fyers on the land by nyght they founde a nation lying vnder the open fyrmament after the maner of warre Our men thought it not best to trouble them vntyll the mornyng There fore at the rysyng of the sonne fortie of our men well armed wente towarde them agaynst whom came forth .xxxii. of them with bowes slynges and dartes euen redy to fyght The other companye folowed them armed after the same maner Our men affirme that they were of hygher stature then eyther the Almaynes or Pannonians They beheld our men with frownyng threatenyng countenaunce but our men thought it not good to fal to bickering with them vncertayne whether it were for feare or bycause they would not dryue them to flight Wherfore they went about to allure them by faire meanes rewards but they refused all kynde of gentelnes and stoode euer in a redines to fight declaring the same by signes and tokens Thus our men resorted to theyr shyppes and they to the place from whence they came without any further busines The same nyght about mydnyght they fledde left the place voyde where they lay in the campe Our men suppose them to be a vagabund and wandering nation lyke vnto the Scythians without houses or certeyne dwelling places lyuing only with the fruites of the earth hauing theyr wyues and chyldren folowing them Suche as measured their footesteppes in the sande affirme with great othes that one of theyr feete is almost as long as two feete of our men of the meane sorte Sayling on yet further they founde an other riuer but not of deapth sufficient to beare the Carauels they sent therefore the foure shippe boates to lande full of armed men to search the countrey They espyed vppon a hygh hyll nere vnto the sea syde a greate multitude of people to whom our company sent foorth one man with certeyne of our thynges to allure them to exchange And when he had cast a haukes bell towarde them they cast downe a wedge of golde a cubit longe the which as he stoâ—ped to take vp they sodenly inclosed hym and caryed hym away But he was shortly after rescued by his companions to some of their paynes for they slue eyght of our men wounded many a farre of with theyr arrowes and dartes made of wood hardened at the endes with fyre After this they encompassed our shippe boates within the ryuer and came rashly within the reache of our men laying holde on the boates sydes where they were thrust through and hewen in peeces as it had ben sheepe by reason they were naked Yet woulde they not for al this geue ouer but tooke from our men one of their boates hauing no men in it for the gouernour thereof being slayne with an arrowe the other fledde and escaped And thus they lefte this fierce and warlyke people saylyng toward the northwest along by the same coastes with sorowfull hartes for the death of theyr companyons When they had sayled about .xl. leagues they chaunced into a sea of suche freshe water that they fylled theyr barelles and hoggesheades therewith Searching the cause hereof they vnderstoode that a vehement course of riuers discended with great viâ—â—â—nce from the toppes of certayne great hylles They say also that there lyeth within the sea manye fortunate and fruitfull Ilandes and well inhabited and that thinhabitantes of this tracte are men of meeke nature and suche as doo not refuse straungers yet lyttle profytable to them because they haue no marchandyes for their purpose as golde or precious stones for lacke whereof they brought from thence thyrtie captiues to sell for slaues Thinhabitantes call this region Mariatambal The region of the east part of that ryuer is called Camomorus and that of the west part Paricora in the midlande whereof thinhabitantes signifyed that there is great plentie of golde For folowing this riuer directly toward the North as the bending of the shore requyred they recouered againe the syght of the north pole All the coaste of this tracte parteyneth to Paria the which as we sayd before was fyrst found by Colonus hym selfe and hath in maner in euery place great abundaunce of pearles They say that these coastes are adioynyng vnto and all one with Os Draconis and also borderyng vppon the regions of Cumana Manacapana Curiana Cauchieta and Cuchibachoa Wherfore they thought it to be part of the firme lande of India beyonde the riuer of Ganges For the great large compasse therof doth not permit that it shoulde be an ilande albeit the whole earth vncouered with water largely taken may be called an Ilande From the poynt of that land where they lost the sight of the north pole saylyng by a continuall tracte about three hundred leagues towarde the west syde of Paria they say that almost in the mid way they chaunced into a riuer called Maragnonum whiche they affirme to be of suche exceedyng breadth that it might seeme incredible yf the antiques dyd not make mention of the lyke Beyng demaunded of me yf it were not salt water where it diuided the lande they answeared that the water therof was very freshe and sweete and that the further it ranne to be so muche the fresher also ful of Ilandes and wholsome fyshe they dare auouche the breadth therof to be more then thirtie leagues Yet yf we wel weigh and consyder the largenesse and widenesse of Boriostomea and Spiriostomea the mouthes of the famous riuer of Ister nowe called Danubius and howe farre they violate or corrupt the salt water with their freshnesse we shal ceasse to marueyle although this other riuer be greater for who can diminish the power of nature but that it may make this bigger then the other and another bygger then this And I suppose this to be the ryuer whereof Colonus the Admirall made mention in the description of his voyage in these coastes But we shal hereafter haue further knowledge hereof let vs nowe therefore returne to the commodities of these regions They found in many Ilands about Paria great wooddes of Brasile trees and brought away with them three thousande poundes weyght thereof They say that the Brasile of Hispaniola is muche better then this to dye cloth with a more fayre and durable colour From hence folowing the winds which the Spaniards cal Northuest and the Italians Graeco they passed by many Ilandes very fruiteful yet left desolate and wasted by reason of the crueltie of the Canibales for they went alande in many places they founde the ruines of many destroyed houses yet in some places they founde men but those exceedyng fearefull fleeyng to the mountaynes rockes and wooddes at the syght of euery straunger or shyppe wanderyng without houses or certayne abydyng places for feare of the Caniballes laying wayte and huntyng after them Here they found those great trees whiche of them selues in dyuers places bryng forth that fruite or spice which the Apothecaries cal Cassia Phistula
vrgent hunger that they had no respect to chaunge the place although they were thus vexed by the contagion of the soyle and heate of the Sonne besyde the corrupt water and infectious ayre by reason of venemous vapours and exhalations rysyng from the same An other great incommoditie was that the place was destitute of a commodious hauen beyng three leagues distant from the mouth of the gulfe The way is also rough and difficult to bryng vyttayles and other necessaries from the sea But let vs nowe speake somewhat of other particuler thynges whiche chaunced Therefore shortly after that they were arryued there happened many thynges whereof they had no knowledge before A certayne well learned phisition of Ciuile whom partly the auctoritie of the Bishop of Dariena and partly the desyre of golde had allured to those landes was so scarred with lyghtnyng in the nyght season lying in bedde with his wyfe that the house and all the stuffe therein beyng set on fyre and burnt he and his wyfe beyng both sore scorched ranne foorth crying and almost naked hardely escapyng the daunger of death And an other tyme as certayne of them stoode one the shore a great Crocodile sodenly caryed away a masty of a yeere and a halfe olde as a kyte shoulde haue snatched vp a chicken and this euen in the presence of them all where the miserable dogge cryed in vayne for the helpe of his maister In the nyght season they were tormented with the bytyng of Battes which are there so noysome that if they byte any man in his sleepe they put hym in daunger of lyfe onely with drawyng of blood In so muche that some haue dyed thereof fallyng as it were into a consumption through the maliciousnesse of the venemous wounde If these Battes chaunce to fynde a cocke or a henne abrode in the nyght season they byte them by the combes and so kyl them They also whiche went last into these regions do wryte that the lande is troubled with Crocodiles Lions and Tygers but that they haue nowe deuised artes aod ingens howe to take them Lykewyse that in the houses of theyr felowes they founde the hydes and cases of suche Lions and Tygers as they had kylled They wryte furthermore that by reason of the rankenesse and fruitefulnesse of the grounde kyne swyne and horses doo maruelously increase in these regions and growe to a muche bygger quantitie then they whiche were of the fyrst broode Of the exceedyng hyghnesse of the trees with theyr fruites of the garden hearbes fruites plantes and seedes whiche our men brought from Spayne and sowed and set the same in these regions lykewyse of the Hartes and other foure footed beastes both tame and wylde also of dyuers kyndes of foules byrdes and fyshes they wryte euen as we haue declared in the decades before Careta the kyng of the region of Cioba was with them for the space of three dayes whom when they had frendly entertayned and shewed hym the secrete places of theyr shyppes their Horses also with theyr trappers bardes and other furnimentes besyde many other thynges whiche seemed straunge to hym and had further delyted his mynde with the harmony of theyr musycal instrumentes geuen hym many rewardes they dismyssed hym halfe amased with to muche admiration He sygnifyed vnto them that there are trees in that prouynce of the plankes whereof if shyppes were made they shoulde be safe from the woormes of the sea whiche they call Bromas Howe these woormes gnawe and corrode the shyppes we haue declared before Our shyppes are greatly troubled with this plague if they lye long in the hauens of these regions But they affyrme that the wood of this tree is so bytter that the woormes wyll not taste thereof There is also an other tree peculyar to these landes whose leaues if they onely touche the bare in any place of a mans body they cause great blysters and those so malitious that except the same be foorthwith healed with salte water or fastyng spyttle they do incontinently engender deadly paynes They say lykewyse that the sauour of the wood is present poyson and that it can no whither be caried without daunger of lyfe When thinhabitantes of the Ilande of Hispaniola had oftentymes attempted to shake of the yoke of seruitude and coulde neuer bryng the same to passe neyther by open warre nor yet by priuie conspiracies they were determined in the nyght season to haue kylled our men in theyr sleepe with the smoke of this wood But when the Christian men had knowledge hereof they compelled the poore wretches to confesse theyr intent and punyshed the chiefe auctours of the deuice They haue also a certayne hearbe with the sauour wherof they are preserued from the hurt of this venemous wood so that they may beare it safely Of these small thinges it shall suffyce to haue sayde thus much They looke dayly for many greater thinges to certifie vs of from the Ilandes of the south sea For at such tyme as the messenger whiche brought our letters departed from thence Petrus Arias prepared an expedition to that ryche Iland which lyeth in the mouth of the gulfe called Sinus S. Michaelis and reacheth into the south sea being also left vntouched of vaschus by reason that the Sea was at that tyme of the yeere sore troubled with tempestes as we haue further declared in Vaschus his vyage to the south Wee looke therefore dayly for greater thinges then are hitherto paste For they haue now taken in hande to subdue many other prouinces which we suppose to be eyther very ryche or to bryng foorth some straunge workes of nature Iohannes Diaz Solisius of Nebrissa of whom we haue made mention before is sent by the froont of the cape or poynt of Sancti Augustini which reacheth seuen degrees beyonde the Equinoctial lyne and parteyneth to the dominion of the Portugales to thintent to ouerrunne the south syde from the backe halfe of Paria Cumana Cuquibacca with the hauens of Cartbago and Sancta Martha of Dariena also and Beragua that more perfect and certayne knowledge may be had of those tractes Furthermore one Iohannes Poncius was sent foorth with three ships to destroye the Canibales both in the lande and Ilandes there about aswell that the nations of the more humane and innocent people may at the length lyue without feare of that pestiferous generation as also the better and more safely to searche the secretes and rychesse of those regions Many other lykewyse were sent dyuers and sundry wayes as Gasper Badaiocius to search the West parts Franciscus Bexerra to sayle by the corner of the gulf and Valleius to passe by the mouth or entraunce thereof to the Easte coastes of the gulf to searche the secretes of that lande in the which Fogeda with his company had of late begunne to plant their habitation and had buylded a fortresse and a vyllage Badaiocius
consisteth of three thousande houses Thinhabitantes came swimmyng to the shippes marueylyng exceedingly at the maner of saylyng and at the sayles and other tackelynges But when they hearde the thunder of the gunnes sawe the smoke and smelte the sauour of brimstone and fyre they supposed that thunderbolts and lyghtnynges had been sent from God The kyng receyued our men honourably and brought them into his pallace where hee feasted them well after his maner They are accustomed to eate fleshe and haue great plentie of beastes and foules as Peacockes and other whiche they francke and feede in theyr houses also dyuers kyndes of wylde foules of the mountaynes wooddes and waters lykewyse Partriches Quailes Turtle dooues Duckes and Geese Of beastes they haue Connies Woolues Lions Tigers Foxes wylde Boores Hartes and Hares After this banquet the kyng with his trayne and famylie brought our men into a brode crosse way where many streates do meete In this they shewed them as it were a great and high alter buylded foure square of marble compacte togeather partly with the tough cleye of Babilon called Bitumem and partly with small stones it had on euery syde foure stayres Upon the altare was an Image of a man made of marble and fast by it the images of two beastes of vnknowen shape which seemed as though they woulde with yanyng mouth haue torne in sunder the belly of the mans Image On the other syde stoode a great Serpent compact of the sayde tough cleye and small stones This Serpent beyng in length .xlvii. foote and of the bygnesse of a large Oxe seemed to deuour a Lion of marble and was al besparcled with freshe blood Harde by the altare were three postes fastnes in the grounde the which three other trauersed and were susteyned with stones In this place offenders were put to death in token wherof they sawe innumerable arrowes stayned with blood some scattred some lying on heapes some broken also a great number of mens bones lying in a court or yarde neere vnto this funestal place their houses are here also buylded of lyme and stone They named this kyng Lazarus because they arriued at this lande on saint Lazarus day Departing from hence and directing their course stil toward the West for the space of .xv. myles they came to a prouince named Aquanil whose chiefe towne is called Mosco and the king therof Cupoton He behelde our men with a frowarde countenaunce and sought occasion to do thē some priuy mischiefe while they sought for freshe water For he made signes vnto them that on the further syde of the next hyl they should fynde sprynges of water entending to haue assailed them in that narowe passage But by the colouring of theyr forheades as they are accustomed in theyr warres and by the bearing of theyr bowes other weapons our men perceyued theyr wylynes and refused to go any further Yet a thousande of the Barbarians assayled them vnwares and vnprepared by reason whereof they were put to flyght and dyuers of them slayne in the chase Many that fledde towarde the shyppes were entangled in the mudde and maryshes neere vnto the shore Twentie and two were slayne with arrowes and the resydue for the most part wounded Franciscus Fernandes the gouernour of the nauie receyued in this conflicte three and thirtie woundes and in maner none escaped without hurt If they had gone to the hylles whiche were appoynted them they had ben slaine euery man They therfore that escaped returned to the Ilande of Fernardina from whence they came where they were receyued of theyr felowes with heauie cheare But when Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Ilande had intelligence hereof he immediatly furnyshed a newe nauie of foure Caraueles with three hundreth men Of this nauie he appointed Iohn Grisalua his nephue to be y e gouernour assigned for vnder captaynes Alphons Auila Frannces Montegio and Peter Aluarado For the pylot he assigned Antonie Alamino who had the regiment of the fyrst nauie They attempted the same viage agayne but declined somwhat more towarde the South about threescore and tenne myles Before they sawe any lande they espyed a towre a farre of by the viewe whereof they came to an Ilande named Cozumella from the whiche they smelt sweete sauours proceedyng with the wynde before they approched to the lande by the space of three myles They founde the Ilande to be xlv myles in circuitie it is playne and of maruelous fruitefull soyle there is also golde in it but it is not engendred there but brought thither from other regions It aboundeth with hony fruites and hearbes and hath also great plentie of foules and foure footed beastes Theyr order and maner of lyuyng is in al thynges lyke vnto theyrs of Iucatana lykewyse theyr houses temples streates and apparell In many of theyr houses are great poastes of marble after the maner of our buyldyng They found there the fundations of certayne olde towres ruinate and one especially with .xviii. stayres ascendyng to it after the maner of solemne temples They marueyled greatly at our shyppes and maner of saylyng At the fyrst they woulde admit no straungers but shortly after receiued them gentlye Theyr cheife ruler whom our men supposed to bee a priest led them vp to the toppe of the towre where they erected a banner and addicted the Ilande to the dominion of the kyng of Castyle namyng it Sancta Crux because they entred into the same in the nones of Maye being then the feast of the holye crosse They saye that it was called Cozumella ▪ of kyng Cozumellaus whose auncestours were the fyrst that inhabited the Ilande In the towre they found many chambers furnished with Images made both of earth and marble to the similitude of Beares these they cal vpon with a houling and lamentable songue perfuming them with sweete odours and otherwyse honouring them as theyr domesticall goddes they are also circumcised The kyng was in fayre apparell made of gossampine cotton curiously wrought he was lame on the one foote by reason that as he once exercised hym selfe in swymmyng a deuouryng fyshe called Tuberon byt of all the toes of one of his feete he entreated our men very frendly and made them great cheare After they had been heere three dayes they departed and saylyng styll towards the West they espied great mountaynes a farre of but as they drewe neare they perceyued it to be the Ilande of Iucatana being distant from Cozumella only fyue myles Directyng therfore theyr course towards the south syde of Iucatana they compassed it on that syde which lyeth nearest to be supposed continent yet coulde they not saile round about it by reason of the multitude of rocks shalowe places and shelfes of sande Then Alaminus the pilot turned his sayles to the North syde whereof he had better knowledge Thus at the length they came to the towne Campechium and kyng Lazarus with whom they
shall dryue vs and among these so many pleasaunt and fruitfull prouinces of this large lande let vs choose one in the whiche wee maye with libertie spende that portion of our lyues which yet remayneth Who can fynde vs or shal be able to profer vs violence When these or the lyke wordes were declared to Petrus Arias hee sent to the South partes for Vaschus wyllyng him by the vertue of his commission to repayre to him foorthwith Vaschus obeyed and at his commyng was cast in pryson yet constantly denying that euer hee entended any such thyng Witnesses were brought agaynst him and his wordes rehearsed from the begynnyng To conclude hee was iudged woorthy death and was put to execution And this is the rewarde wherewith the blynde goddesse oftentymes recompenseth such as haue susteyned great trauayles and daungers to bee hyghly in her fauour Petrus Arias leauyng hys wyfe in Dariena embarked him selfe in the shippes left of Vaschus to thintent to search those coastes But whether hee bee returned or not wee haue yet no certayne knowledge He hath also his fortune Yet is there an other gouernour assigned whose name is Lupus Sosa the viceroye of the Ilandes of Canarie What stomake Petrus Arias may haue if he returne let good men iudge There was nothing done vnder him woorthy glorie Some thynke that hee was at the beginnyng to slacke and negligent in his office and not seuere in correctyng errours and misorders But we will leaue him and rehearse somewhat whereof we haue been lately infourmed as touchyng the great and deepe ryuer of Dabaiba the whiche for the greatnesse and largenesse thereof our men named Grandis that is great as we haue noted in our Decades This ryuer falleth into the furthest corner of the gulfe of Vraba by seuen portes or mouthes as doth the ryuer of Nilus into the Egyptian sea whose large description you may also reade in our Decades That the mountaynes on euery syde about this ryuer are ryche in golde wee haue learned by thinformation of thinhabitauntes of whom wee made diligent inquisition Vaschus and besyde him other gouernours and Lieuetenauntes haue fouretymes entred into this ryuer with theyr armies in battayle array and with dyuers kyndes of shippes fyrst for the space of fourtie myles then fyftie and at the last fourescore and at an other tyme also ouerthwarte the ryuer Oh shamefull chaunce and detestable cowardnesse of our men A naked nation encountryng with them that had apparell the armed against the vnarmed had the ouerthrow in maner in all conflictes and were either all slayne or wounded They vse inuenomed arrowes and are such experte archers that if they espy any place of theyr enimie bare or vnarmed they will not lyghtly fayle to stryke him there They vse also many dartes which in the tyme of the battayle they hurle so thicke a farre of that they take the lyght of the sunne from theyr enemies as it were with a cloude They haue lykewise brode long swoordes made of a heauy and harde kynde of wood wherewith they fight fiercely neare at hand Vaschus him selfe receiued many woundes in encountryng with them And thus by reason of the fiercenesse of these Barbarians the ryuer of Dabaiba is yet left vnsearched Wee will nowe speake somewhat more of the Ilande of Hispaniola which the Spanyardes call Spagnuola the mother and chiefe of all other landes or Ilands wherof we entended to write In it the Senate is now restored and fyue Iudges assigned to giue lawes to all thinhabitauntes of those tractes But in short tyme they shall ceasse geathering of gold although there bee great plentie by reason they shall lacke labourers and myners forasmuch as thinhabitauntes whose helpe they vsed heerein are brought to a small number consumed partely by warre and many more by famine that yeere that they dygged vp the rootes whereof they made theyr best bread and lefte of sowyng their grayne of Maizium which is their common foode supposing hereby to haue dryuen our men out of the Ilande who had vittayles sent them from Spayne A great number of them also dyed of new and straunge diseases which in the yeere of Christ a thousande fyue hundred and eightiene consumed them lyke rotten sheepe And to say the trueth our mens vnsaciable desyre of golde so oppressed these poore wretches with extreme labour and toyle where as before they lyued pleasauntly and at libertie gyuen onely to playes and pastymes as daunsyng fyshyng foulyng and huntyng of little Cunnies that many of them peryshed euen for very anguyshe of mynde the which with theyr vnaccustomed labour are thinges of them selues sufficient to engender many newe diseases But the kyng and the Senate haue nowe determyned that they bee reduced to a people and to gyue them selues onely to increase and tyllage of the grounde and that onely suche as are bought or taken out of other regions be appoynted to labour in the gold mynes But it shall suffyse to haue sayde thus muche of the pestiferous hunger of golde therfore I wil speake of other matters It is a marueylous thyng to consider how all thinges increase and prosper in this Ilande There are nowe .xxviii. suger presses wherewith great plentie of suger is made The canes or reedes wherein the suger groweth are bygger and hygher then in any other place and are as bygge as a mans arme in the brawne and hygher then the stature of a man by the halfe This is more wonderfull that where as in Ualentia in Spayne where a great quantitie of suger is made yeerely where so euer they applye them selues to the great increase thereof yet doeth euery roote bryng foorth not past fyue or syxe oâ— at the most seuen of those reedes whereas in Hispaniola oâ—e roote beareth twentie and oftentymes thirtie Foure footed beastes and cattayle are marueylously increased in this Ilande And albeit that the rauenyng hunger of golde hath hitherto greatly hyndered our men from tyllage of the grounde yet is there great plentye of wheate whiche prospereth so well that it yeeldeth some tyme a hundred folde and this especially on the hylles or rydges of the mountaynes prospectyng towarde the North Uines doo also encrease here with no lesse fruitefulnesse What shoulde I speake of the trees that beare Cassia fistula brought fyrst into this Ilande from the other Ilandes neere vnto the supposed Continent as we haue noted in our Decades There is nowe suche plentie hereof that after a fewe yeeres we shall haue a pounde of the pryce that we paye nowe for an ounce Of the Brasyle and Mirobalane trees with other innumerable prerogatiues and benefytes which nature hath plentifully geuen to this blessed Ilande we haue spoken sufficiently in our Decades Yet haue I thought good to repeate parte of the same because I thynke that the wittes of many readers haue diuerted from the weight of great affaires to
the recordation of such pleasaunt thynges And yet do not such thinges as are sauerie engender tediousnesse so that a pretious matter be adiourned with a pretious vesture A breefe rehearsal of the contentes of the bookes of the fyrst Decade and so folowyng of all the other Decades Folio 8. IN the fyrst booke is declared howe Christophorus Colonus otherwyse called Columbus persuaded Fernando and Elizabeth princes of Spayne to further his attempt in searchyng newe and vnknowen landes in the West Ocean Also of the .vii. Ilandes of Canaria by whom they were found and conquered Howe Colonus founde the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba and of the fierce people called Canibales or Caribes which are accustomed to eate mans fleshe Of the rootes called Ages Iucca and the grayne Maizìum whereof the people of the Ilandes made theyr bread Of the golde found in the sandes of ryuers of the Serpents which are without hurt also of turtle doues ducks popingaies Of Mastix and Aloe with dyuers fruites and trees vnknowen to vs and of the fruitefulnesse of the Ilande of Hispaniola which the Spanyardes call Spagnuola Of the seconde viage of Colonus into these regions and howe he was furnished with .xvii. shyppes and a thousande and two hundred souldiers with all kynde of artillarie artificers and grayne to sowe and of the tree from the which water droppeth continually into a trenche made by mans hande The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 12. HOwe Colonus departing from the Ilandes of Canarie sayled viii hundred twentie leagues in .xxi. daies came to Dominica an Iland of the Canibales of the fragrant sauoure of spices whiche proceded from the Ilandes Of the Ilandes of Galanta or Galana and Guadalupea and of the trees which beare that kynd of cotton which the Italians call Bombasine and the Spanyardes Algadon Of dyuers kyndes of Popingiayes and of the Ilande of Matinino or Madanino beyng inhabited onely with women also of dyuers other fruitefull Ilandes and of a conflicte whiche the Spanyardes had with the Canibales Of certayne Ilandes in the whiche are seene the mynes of metals and precious stones and of the fruitfull and populous Iland called Burichena or Boriquen or Insula S. Iohannis Howe all the Admirals men whiche at his fyrst viage he left in Hispaniola were slaine in his absence by the rebellion of Guaccanarillus kyng of the region of Xamana and of the free kynde of lyfe whiche they leade that haue not the vse of money Of the seuen maydens which swam three miles in the sea and of the maner of geathering of gold in the sands of riuers The contentes of the thyrd booke Fol. 17. A Particuler discription of the Iland of Hispaniola whiche Colonus thynketh to be Ophir from whence kyng Salomon had his great ryches of golde Of the marueylous fruitfulnesse of Hispaniola and of the suger canes growyng there Of the golden regions of Cipanga or Cibaua of the ryuers in whose sandes is founde great plentie of golde Of certayne graynes of gold of exceeding great quantitie Of wilde vines of plesaunt taste and of grasse which in foure dayes groweth as hygh as wheate Of the Ilande of Iohanna or Cuba being the end of the East and the West and of the fruitfull populous Iland of Iamaica How the Admirall thought that he had sayled about the lowest Hemisphere or half circle of the earth and of a secrete of Astronomie touching the same matter Howe the Admirall gaue names to seuen hundred Ilandes and passed by three thousand vnnamed Of certaine serpentes like vnto Crocodiles of eight foote long whose flesh is delicate to be eaten and of certayne trees whiche beare Gourdes Of the riuer whose water is very hotte and of the huntyng fyshe which taketh other fyshes Of great abundaunce of Tortoyses as bygge as targets and of a fruitfull mountayne well inhabited Of dogges of deformed shape and dumbe and of white and thicke water Of woods of Date trees and Pyneapple trees and of certayne people apparelled lyke whyte fryers Of certaine trees which beare spices and of Cranes of exceedyng bygnesse Of stocke doues of more pleasaunt taste then partriches An oration of a barbarous gouernour as touching the immortalitie of the soule Also of the rewarde of vertue and punishment of vice A similitude of the golden worlde and of prouision without care Howe the Admirall fell sicke by reason of to muche watcheyng and of a sediâ—ion whiche rose among the Spaniardes in the Ilande of Hispaniola The Contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 25. HOw the Kynges of the Ilande of Hispaniola were by the Spaniardes mysbehauiour prouoked to rebellion and howe the Admirall sent for them Howe kyng Counaboa the Lorde of the house of gold that is of the mountaines of Cibaua conspired the Admirals death and how he with his familie were taken prisoners Of a great famine that chaunced in the Ilande of Hispaniola and howe the Admirall builded certayne fortresses Of a peece of rude gold wayghing twentie vnces and of the myne of the rich metall called Elestrum Of the mountayne in the whiche is founde great plentie of Amber and Orpement and of the woodes of Brasyle trees Howe the inhabitantes are put to theyr tribute and how the nature of y e Region disposeth the maners of the people How the brother of kyng Caunaboa came agaynst the Admirall with an armie of fyue thousand naked men and howe he was taken and his armie put to flyght Of the fruitfull vale Magona in the sandes of whose ryuers is founde great plentie of golde and of certayne whirlewindes and tempests How the Admirall sent foorth his brother Bartholomeus Colonus with an armie of men to searche the golde mynes and of the Fosses which he founde to haue been dygged in old tyme. The Contentes of the .v. booke Fol. 27. for 29. HOwe the Lieuetenaunt builded a fortresse in the golde mines and prepared instrumentes for the purging and finyng of the golde Howe certayne shyppes laden with vittayles came from Spayne And howe the Lieuetenaunt sent the kynges whiche rebelled with three hundred captiues into Spayne Howe the Liefetenaunt remoued his habitation and buylded a fortresse whiche he called saint Dominickes towre also howe he passed ouer the ryuer Naiba and entred into the wooddes of Brasyle trees Howe the great kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa frendelye entertayned the Lieuetenaunt and brought hym to his pallace where the kynges wyues and concubines receyued hym honorably with pompes and triumphes Of the fortresses whiche were erected in Hispaniola and howe the Lieuetenaunt exacted tribute of the kynges whiche rebelled agayne Howe the Lieuetenaunt set vppon the kynges vnwares in the nyght season and tooke .xiiii. of them prysoners Howe kyng Guarionexius captayne of the conspiracie was pardoned and howe he persuaded the people to obedience Howe kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa sent messengers to the Lieuetenaunt to repayre to his pallace where he founde .xxxii. kyngs redy with theyr tributes And howe the queene Anacaona entysed hym
and calleth the spirite with loude voyce by certayne names whiche no man vnderstandeth but hee and his disciples After he hath done thus a whyle if the spirite yet deferre his commyng hee drynketh of the sayde water and therewith waxeth hotte and furious and inuerteth and turneth his inchauntment and letteth him selfe blood with a thorne marueilously turmoylyng him selfe as wee reade of the furious Sybilles not ceassyng vntyl the spirit be come who at his comming entreth into him and ouerthroweth him as it were a greyhound should ouerturne a Squerell then for a space hee seemeth to lye as though hee were in great payne or in a rapte woonderfully tormentyng him selfe duryng whiche agonie the other disciple shaketh the siluer bell continually Thus when the agonie is past and he lyeth quietly yet without any sense or feelyng the kyng or some other in his stead demaundeth of him what he desireth to know and the spirit answereth by the mouth of the rapte Piaces with a directe and perfecte answere to all poyntes Insomuche that on a tyme certayne Spanyardes beyng present at these mysteries with one of the kynges and in the Spanyshe tounge demaundyng the Piaces of their shyppes which they looked for out of Spayne the spirite answered in the Indian tounge and tolde them what day and houre the shyppes departed from Spayne how many they were and what they brought without fayling in any poynte If he be also demaunded of the eclypse of the Sunne or Moone which they greatly feare and abhorre he giueth a perfect answere and the lyke of tempestes famin plentie warre or peace and such other thinges When all the demaundes are finished his disciples call him aloude ryngyng the siluer bell at his eare and blowyng a certayne powder into his nosethrilles whereby he is raysed as it were from a dead sâ—eape beyng yet somewhat heauy headed and faynte a good whyle after Thus beyng agayne rewarded of the kyng with more bread hee departeth agayne to the desartes with his disciples But since the Christian fayth hath been dispearsed throughout the Ilande these deuyllyshe practises haue ceassed and they of the members of the deuyll are made the members of Christ by baptisme forsakyng the deuyll and his workes with the vayne curiositie of desyre of knowledge of thinges to come whereof for the most parte it is better to be ignorant then with vexation to know that which can not be auoyded Furthermore in many places of the firme lande when any of the kynges dye all his householde seruauntes aswell women as men whiche haue continually serued him kyll them selues beleeuyng as they are taught by the deuyll Tuyra that they whiche kyll them selues when the kyng dyeth goe with him to heauen and serue him in the same place and offyce as they dyd before on the earth whyle hee lyued and that all that refuse so to doe when after they dye by theyr naturall death or otherwyse theyr soules to dye with theyr bodyes and to bee dissolued into ayre and become nothyng as doe the soules of Hogges Byrdes Fyshes or other bruite beastes and that only the other may enioy the priuiledge of immortalitie for euer to serue the kyng in heauen And of this false opinion commeth it that they which sowe corne or set rootes for the kynges bread and geather the same are accustomed to kyll them selues that they may enioy this priuiledge in heauen and for the same purpose cause a portion of the graine of Maizium and a bundle of Iucca whereof theyr bread is made to be buryed with them in their graues that the same may serue them in heauen if perhappes there should lacke seedes to sowe and therefore they take this with them to begyn withall vntil Tuyra who maketh them all these fayre promises prouyde them of greater quantitie This haue I my selfe seene in the toppe of the mountaynes of Guaturo where hauing in pryson the kyng of that prouince who rebelled from thâ—bedience of your maiestie and demaundyng of him to whom parteyned those sepultures or graues which I sawe in his house hee answered that they were of certayne Indians which slue them selues at the death of his father And because they are oftentimes accustomed to bury great quantities of wrought gold with them I caused twoo graues to be opened wherein was nothyng founde but a vessell full of the graine of Maizium a bundle of Iucca as I haue sayde And demaundyng the cause hereof of the kyng and the other Indians they answered that they that were buryed there were the labourers of the grounde and men skylfull in sowyng of seedes and makyng of bread and seruauntes to the kynges father and to the ende that their soules should not dye with theyr bodyes they slue them selues at the death of the kyng theyr maister to lyue with hym in heauen and to the intent that they myght serue him there in the same offyce they reserued that Maizium and Iucca to sowe it in heauen Wherevnto I aunswered them in this maner Beholde howe your Tuyra deceyueth you and howe all that hee teacheth you is false You see howe in so long a tyme since they are dead they haue not yet taken away this Maizium and Iucca which is nowe putrified and woorth nothyng and not lyke to bee sowen in heauen To this the kyng replyed saying in that they haue not taken it away nor sowen it in heauen the cause is that they chaunced to fynde enough there by reason whereof they had no neede of this To this errour many thinges were sayd which seemed of litle force to remoue him from his false opinion and especially any such as at that age are occupyed of the deuyl whom they paynt of the selfe same fourme and colour as hee appeareth vnto them in dyuers shapes and fourmes They make also Images of golde copper and wood to the same similitudes in terrible shapes and so variable as the paynters are accustomed to paynt them at the feete of sainct Michaell tharchangell or in any other place where they paynte them of most horrible portiture Lykewyse when the deuyll greatly intendeth to feare them hee threatneth to sende them great tempestes whiche they call Furacanas or Haurachanas and are so vehement that they ouerthrow many houses and great trees And I haue seene in mountaynes full of many and great trees that for the space of three quarters of a league the mountayne hath been subuerted and the trees ouerthrowen and plucked out of the earth with the rootes a thing doubtlesse so fearefull and terrible to beholde that it may veryly appeare to bee done by the hande of the deuyll And in this case the Christian men ought to consider with good reason that in all places where the holy sacrament is reserued the sayde tempestes are no more so outragious or so perilous as they were wont to bee Of the temperature of the regions vnder or neare to the burnt lyne called Torrida Zona or the Equinoctiall and of the dyuers seasons of
opened and the rynde taken of there are founde within it many good drye Fygges whiche beyng rosted or stewed in an Ouen in a close pot or some suche other thyng are of pleasaunt tast much lyke to the conserue of Hony they putrifie not on the sea so soone as some other fruites do but contynue fyfteene dayes and more yf they be geathered somewhat greene they seeme more delicate on the sea then on the land not for that they any thing encrease in goodnesse on the sea but because that whereas on the sea other thynges are lackyng whereof is plentie on the land those meates seeme of best tast whiche satisfie present necessitie This trunke or spryg which bryngeth foorth the sayd cluster is a whole yeere in growing and brynging foorth fruite in which tyme it hath put foorth rounde about it ten or twelue sprygges as bygge as the fyrst or principall and multiplieth no lesse then the principall in bringing foorth of clusters with fruites lykewyse at theyr tyme and also in bryngyng foorth other and many sprygges as is sayde before From the whiche sprygges or trunkes as soone as the cluster of the fruite is taken away the plant beginneth to drye and wyther whiche then they take out of the grounde because it doth none other then occupie it in vayne and without profyte They are so many and do so marueylously encrease and multiplie that it is a thyng in maner encredible They are exceeding moyst insomuch that when they are plucked vp from the place where they grow there ishueth foorth a great quantitie of water aswel out of the plant as out of the place where it grewe in suche sort that al the moysture of the earth farre about myght seeme to be geathered togeather about the truncke or blocke of the sayd plant with the fruites whereof the Antes are so farre in loue that they are seene in great multitudes in the braunches of the plantes so that for the multitude thereof it sometyme so chaunceth that men are enforced to take away the plantes from theyr possession these fruites are founde at al tymes of the yeere There is also an other kinde of wilde plants that groweth in the feeldes whiche I haue not seene but in the Ilande of Hispaniola although they be founde in other Ilandes of the Indies these they call Tunas They growe of a Thistle full of thornes and bryng foorth a fruite muche lyke vnto great Figges whiche haue a crowne lyke Medlers and are within of a hygh colour with graynes and the rynde lyke vnto a fygge they are of good taste and grow abundantly in the fieldes in many places They worke a strange effecte in suche as eate them for if a man eate two or three or more they cause his vrine to bee of the very colour of blood which thyng chaunced once to my selfe For on a tyme as I made water and sawe the colour of my vrine I entred into a great suspition of my lyfe beyng so astonyshed for feare that I thought the same had chaunced to mee vpon some other cause insomuche that surely my imagination myght haue done mee hurte but that they which were with mee dyd comforte mee immediatly declaryng the cause thereof as they knew by experience beyng auncient inhabitours in those regions There groweth also an other plant which the people of the countrey call Bihaos this putteth foorth certayne streight branches and very brode leaues which the Indians vse for dyuers purposes For in some places they couer theyr houses with the leaues thereof couched and layde after the maner of thetche wherevnto it serueth very well Sometymes also when it rayneth they cast these ouer theyr heades to defende them from the water They make also certayne chestes which they call Hauas weaued after a strange sorte and intermyxt with the leaues of this Bihaos These chestes are wrought in such sorte that although it rayne vpon them or they chaunce to fall into the water yet are not suche thinges wet as are within them they are made of the branches of the sayde Bihaos with the leaues weaued togeather therewith In these they keepe salte and other subtile thinges They vse them also for an other purpose which is this that fyndyng them in the fieldes at such tyme as they haue scarsenesse of vittayles they dyg vp the rootes of these plantes while they are yet young or eate the plant it selfe in that parte where it is most tender which is from a foote vnder the grounde where it is as tender and whyte as a reede or bulrushe And forasmuche as wee are nowe come to the ende of this narration it commeth to my remembraunce to make mention of an other thyng which is not farre from my purpose and this is howe the Indians doe slayne or dye cloath of bombage cotton or any other thyng whiche they inâ—ende to dye of dyuers colours as blacke tawny greene blewe yelow and redde which they doe with the barkes or ryndes and leaues of certayne trees which they know by experience to be good for this practise and by this arte they make colours in suche perfection and excellencie that no better can bee deuysed But this seemeth a strange thyng that they doe all this in one selfe same vessell So that when they haue caused the sayde ryndes and leaues to boyle togeather they make in the same vessell without any chaunge as I haue sayde as many colours as them lysteth Whiche thing I suppose to come to passe by the disposition of the colour which they haue fyrst gyuen to the thyng that they intende to dye or colour whether it bee threed webbe or cloth or any thing that they intende to colour Of venomous Apples wherewith they poyson theyr arrowes THe Apples wherewith the Indian Caniballes inuenome theyr arrowes growe on certaine trees couered with many branches and leaues being very greene and growing thicke They are laden with abundance of these euyll fruites and haue their leaues lyke the leaues of a peare tree but that they are lesse and rounder the fruit is much lyke the muscadel peares of the Ilande of Sicilie or Naples in fourme and bygnesse and are in some partes steyned with redde spottes and of very sweet sauour these trees for the most parte growe euer by the sea coastes and neere vnto the water and are so fayre and of pleasaunt sauour that there is no man that seeth them but will desyre to eate thereof insomuche that if it may bee spoken of any fruite yet growyng on the earth I woulde say that this was the vnhappy fruite whereof our fyrst parentes Adam and Eue tasted whereby they both lost theyr felicitie and procured death to them and theyr posteritie Of these fruites and of the great Antes whose byting causeth swellyng whereof I haue spoken elsewhere and of the Eutes or Lysartes and vypers and such other venomous thinges the Canibals which are the cheefe archers among the Indians are accustomed
tofore it hath been sayde in it therefore the Gouernours and Rulers muche lyke vnto our Shyryffes be so appoynted sodenly and speedely discharged agayne that they haue no tyme to growe naught Furthermore to keepe the state in more securitie the Louteas that gouerne one shyre are chosen out of some other shyre distaunt farre of where they must leaue theyr wyues chyldren and goodes carryeng nothyng with them but them selues True it is that at theyr commyng thyther they do fynde in a redinesse all thynges necessarie theyr house furniture seruantes and all other thynges in suche perfection and plentie that they want nothyng Thus the kyng is well serued without all feare of treason In the principall cities of the shyres be foure cheefe Louteas before whom are brought all matters of the inferiour townes throughout the whole realme Diuers other Louteas haue the maneagyng of iustice and receyuyng of rentes bounde to yeeld an accompte thereof vnto the greater officers Other doo see that there be no euyll rule keept in the citie eache one as it behoueth hym Generally al these do impryson malefactours cause them to be whypped racked hoysing them vp downe by the armes with a corde a thyng very vsuall there and accompted no shame These Louteas do vse great diligence in y e apprehending of theeues so that it is a wonder to see a theefe escape away in any towne citie or village Upon the sea neere vnto the shore many are taken and looke euen as they are taken so be they fyrst whypped and afterward layd in prison where shortly after they all dye for hunger and colde At that tyme when we were in pryson there died of them aboue threscore and ten Yf happely any one hauyng the meanes to geat foode do escape he is set with the condemned persones and prouided for as they be by the kyng in such wyse as hereafter it shal be sayde Theyr whyps be certayne peeces of canes cleft in the middle in such sort that they seeme rather playne then sharpe He that is to be whipped lieth grouelong on the ground Upon his thighes the Hangman layeth on blowes myghtely with these canes that the standers by tremble at theyr crueltie Ten sâ—rypes drawe a great deale of blood twentie or thyrtie spoyle the fleshe altogeather fyftie or threescore wyll require long tyme to be healed and yf they come to the number of one hundred then are they incurable The Louteas obserue moreouer this when any man is brought before them to be examined they aske hym openly in the hearing of as many as be present be y e offence neuer so great Thus did they also behaue them selues with vs. For this cause amongst them can there be no false witnes as dayly amongst vs it falleth out This good commeth therof that many being alwaies about the iudge to heare the euidence and beare witnesse the processe can not be falsifyed as it happeneth sometymes with vs. The Mores Gentiles Iewes haue al their sundry othes y e Mores doo sweare by theyr Mossafos the Brachmans by theyr Fili the rest likewise by the thynges they do worshyppe The Chineans though they be wonte to sweare by heauen by the Moone by the Sunne and by all theyr Idolles in iudgement neuerthelesse they sweare not at all If for some offence an othe be vsed of any one by and by with the least euidence he is tormented so be the wytnesses he bryngeth if they tell not the truth or do in any poynt disagree except they be men of worshyppe and credyte who are beleeued without any farther matter the rest are made to confesse the trueth by force of tormentes and whyppes Besydes this order obserued of them in examinations they do feare so muche theyr kyng and he where he maketh his abode keepeth them so lowe that they dare not once styrre Agayne these Louteas as great as they be notwithstanding the multitude of Notaries they haue not trusting any others do write al great processes and matters of importance them selues Moreouer one vertue they haue worthy of great prayse and that is being men so well regarded and accompted of as though they were princes they be patient aboue measure in geuyng audience We poore straungers brought before them myght saye what we woulde as all to be lyes and falaces that they dyd wryte ne dyd we stande before them with the vsuall cerimonies of that countrey yet dyd they beare with vs so patiently that they caused vs to wonder knowyng specially howe litle any aduocate or iudge is wonte in our countrey to beare with vs. For where so euer in any towne of Christendome shoulde be accused vnknowen men as we were I knowe not what ende the very innocentes cause woulde haue but we in a Heathen countrey hauyng our great ennimies two of the chiefest men in a whole towne wantyng an interpreter ignorant of that countrey language dyd in the ende see our great aduersaryes cast into pryson for our sake and depriued of theyr offices and honoure for not doyng iustice yea not to escape death for as the rumor goeth they shal be beheadded Somewhat is nowe to be sayde of the lawes that I haue been hable to knowe in this countrey and fyrst no thefte or murther is at any tyme pardoned adulterers are put in pryson and the facte once proued condemned to dye the womans husbande must accuse them this order is keapt with men and women found in that fault but theeues and murtherers are inprisoned as I haue sayd where they shortly dye for hunger and colde If any one happely escape by brybyng the gayler to geue hym meate his processe goeth farther and commeth to the courte where he is condemned to dye Sentence beyng geuen the prysoner is brought in publyke with a terrible bande of men that laye hym in Irons hande and foote with a boorde at his necke one handefull broade in length reachyng downe to his knees clefte in two partes and with a hole one handefull downewarde in the table fyt for his necke the whiche they enclose vp therein naylyng the boorde fast togeather one handefull of the boorde standeth vp behynde in the necke the sentence and cause wherefore the fellon was condemned to dye is wryten in that parte of the table that standeth before This cerimonie ended he is laid in a great prison in the companie of some other condemned persons the which are found by the king as long as they do liue The boord aforsaid so made tormenteth the prysoners very much keeping them both from rest eke lettyng them to eate commodyously theyr handes beyng manecled in Irons vnder that bord so y t in fine there is no remedy but death In y e chiefe cities of euery shire as we haue erst said there be foure principal houses in ech of them a prison but in one of them where the Taissu maketh his abode there is a greater a more principal prison theÌ„ in any of y e rest although
in euery citie there be many neuerthelesse in three of them remaine onely such as be condemned to die Their death is much prolonged for that ordinarily there is no execution doone but once a yeere though many die for hunger and colde as we haue seene in this prison Execution is done in this maner The Chian to wyt the hygh commissioner or Lord cheefe Iustice at the yeeres ende goeth to the head citie where he heareth agayne the causes of suche as be condempned Many tymes he delyuereth some of them declaryng that boord to haue been wrongfully put about theyr neckes the visitation ended he choseth out seuen or .viii. not many more or lesse of the greatest malefactours the whiche to feare and keepe in awe the people are brought into a great market place where al the great Louteas meete togeather and after many cerimonies and superstitions as the vse of the countrey is are beheaded This is done once a yeere who so escapeth that day may be sure that he shal not be put to death al that yeere folowyng so remayneth at the kynges charges in the greater prison In that prison where we lay were al waies one hundred moe of these condemned persons besides them that lay in other prisons These prisons wherin the condemned caytyfes do remayne are so strong that it hath not been hard that any prisoner in al China hath escaped out of pryson for in deed it is a thyng impossible The prisons are thus builded Fyrst al the place is myghtelye walled about the walles be very strong and hygh the gate of no lesse force within it three other gates before you come where the prysoners do lye there many great lodginges are to be seene of the Louteas Notaries Parthions that is such as do there kepe watch and ward day and nyght the court large and paued on the one syde wherof standeth a pryson with two myghtie gates wherin are kept such prisoners as haue committed enormious offences This prison is so great that in it are streates and Market places wherein al thyngs necessarie are sold. Yea some prysoners liue by that kynde of trade buyeng and selling and letting out beds to hyre some are dayly sent to pryson some dayly deliuered wherfore this place is neuer voyde of seuen or eyght hundred men that go at libertie Into one other pryson of condempned persons shall you goo at three yron gates the court paued and vauted rounde about open aboue as it were a cloister In this cloister be eight roomes with yron doores and in eache of them a large Gallerie wherein euery night the prisoners do lie at length their feete in the stocks theyr bodies hampered in huge woodden grates that kepe them frō sitting so that they lie as it were in a cage sleepe if they can in the morning they are losed againe that they may go into y e court Notwithstanding the strength of this pryson it is kept with a garrison of men part whereof watche within the house part of them in the Court some keepe about the pryson with lanterns and watchebelles answeryng one an other fyue tymes euerye nyght and geuing warning so lowde that the Loutea resting in a chamber not neare thereunto may heere them In these prysons of condemned persons remayne some .15 other 20. yeeres imprisoned not executed for the loue of theyr honorable frendes that seeke to prolong theyr lyues Many of these prysoners be shomakers and haue from the king a certayne allowaunce of rise some of them worke for the keeper who suffereth them to goe at libertie without fetters and boordes the better to worke Howbeit when the Loutea calleth his checke rolle with the keper vieweth them they al weare theyr lyuereys that is boords at theyr neckes yronned hand and foote When any of these prysoners dieth he is to be seene of the Loutea and Notaries brought out at a gate so narrow that there can but one be drawen out there at once The prysoner beyng brought foorth one of the aforesayde Parthians stryketh hym thryse on the head with an yron sledge that doone he is deliuered vnto his frendes yf he haue any otherwyse the kyng hyreth men to cary hym to his buriall in the fieldes Thus adulterers and theeues are vsed Such as be imprisoned for debt once knowen lye there vntyl it be payed The Taissu or Loutea calleth them many tymes before him by the vertue of his office who vnderstanding the cause wherefore they doo not pay theyr debtes appointeth them a certayne tyme to doe it wtin the compasse wherof if they discharge not theyr debtes beyng debters in deede then they be whipped condemned to perpetual imprisonment yf the creditours be many one is to be payd before an other they do contrary to our maner pay him fyrst of whom they last borowed and so ordinarily the rest in suche sort that the fyrst lender be the last receyuer The same order is kept in paying legacies the last named receyueth his portion first They accompt it nothyng to shew fauour to such a one as can doo the lyke agayne but to doo good to them that haue litle or nothing that is worth thanks therfore pay they the last before the first for that their entent seemeth rather to be vertuous then gainful When I sayde that suche as bee committed to pryson for theft murther were iudged by the Court I ment not them that were apprehended in the deed doyng for they need no tryall but are brought immediatly before the Tutan who out of hand giueth sentence Other not taken so openly and doe neede tryall are the malefactors put to execution once a yeere in the chiefe cities to keepe in awe the people or condempned doe remayne in prison lokyng for theyr day Theeues being taken are carryed to prison from one place to an other in a chest vpon mens shoulders hyred therefore by the kyng the Chest is sixe handfulles hygh the prisoner sitteth therein vppon a benche the couer of the chest is two boordes amyd them both a pillerylyke hole for the prisoner his necke there sitteth he with his head without the chest the rest of his body within not able to moue or turne his head this way or that way nor to plucke it in the necessities of nature he voydeth at a hole in the bottome of the chest the meat hee eateth is put into his mouth by others There abydeth he day and nyght duryng his whole iourney if happely his porters stumble or the chest doe iogge or be set downe carelesly it turneth to his great paynes that sitteth therein all such motions beyng vnto him hangyng as it were Thus were our companyons carryed from Cinceo seuen dayes iourney neuer taking any rest as afterward they told vs theyr greatest griefe was to staye by the way as soone as they came beyng taken out of the chests they were not able to stande on theyr feete and two of them dyed shortly after Whan
We therefore asked the cause of this answered it was that in euery citie there is a great circuit wherein be many houses for poore people for blinde lame old folke not able to traueyle for age nor hauyng any other meanes to lyue These folke haue in the aforesayde houses euer plentie of rice duryng theyr lyues but nothyng els Such as be receyued into these houses come in after this maner Whan one is sicke blinde or lame he maketh a supplication to the Ponchiassi and prouyng that to be true he wryteth he remayneth in the aforesayde great lodgyng as long as he lyueth besides this they keepe in these places Swyne and Hennes whereby the poore be releeued without goyng a beggyng I sayd before that China was full of ryuers but now I mynde to confyrme the same anewe for the farther we went into the countrey the greater we found the ryuers Sometymes we were so farre of from the sea that where we came no sea fyshe had been seene and salt was there very deere of freshe water fyshe yet was there great aboundance that fysh very good they keepe it good after this maner Where the ryuers doe meete and so passe into the sea there lyeth great store of Boates specially where no salte water commeth and that in Marche and Apryll These Boates are so many that it seemeth wonderfull ne serue they for other than to take small fyshe By the ryuers sydes they make leyres of fine and strong nettes that lye three handfulles vnder water and one aboue to keepe and nourysh their fyshe in vntyll suche tyme as other fyshers doe come with Boates bryngyng for that purpose certayne great chestes lyned with paper able to holde water wherein they carry theyr fyshe vp and downe the ryuer euery day renuyng the chest with freshe water and sellyng theyr fyshe in euery citie towne and village where they passe vnto the people as they neede it most of them haue nette leyres to keepe fyshe in alwayes for theyr prouision Where the greater Boates can not passe any farther forwarde they take lesser and bycause the whole countrey is very well watred there is so great plentie of dyuers sortes of fyshe that it is wonderfull to see assuredly we were amazed to beholde the maner of their prouision Theyr fyshe is chiefly nourished with the dung of Bufles and Oxen that greatly fatteth it Although I sayde theyr fyshyng to be in March and Aprill at what tyme we sawe them doe it neuerthelesse they tolde vs that they fyshed at all tymes for that vsually they doe feede on fyshe wherfore it behoueth them to make theyr prouision continually Whan we had passed Fuquien wee went into Quicin shyre where the fine claye vessell is made as I sayde before and we came to a citie the one syde whereof is built vppon the foote of a hyll wherby passeth a ryuer nauigable there we tooke Boate and went by water towarde the sea on ech syde of the ryuer we found many cities townes and villages wherein we sawe great store of marchandyse but specially of fine clay there dyd wee lande by the way to buye victualles and other necessaryes Goyng downe this ryuer Southwarde we were glad that we drewe neare vnto a warmer countrey from whence wee had been farre distant this countrey we passed through in eyght dayes for our iourney laye downe the streame Before that I doe say any thyng of that shyre we came into I will fyrst speake of the great citie of Quicin wherin alwayes remaineth a Tutan that is a gouernour as you haue seene though some Tutans doe gouerne two or three shyres That Tutan that was condempned for our cause of whom I spake before was borne in this countrey but he gouerned Foquien shyre nothing it auayled him to bee so great an officer This countrey is so great that in many places where we went there had ben as yet no talke of his death although he were executed a whole yeere before At the citie Quanche whyther we came the riuer was so great that it seemed a sea though it were so litle where we tooke water that we needed smal boates One day about .ix. of y e clocke beginning to row neare the walles with the streame we came at noone to a bridge made of many barges ouerlinked all togeather with two mighty cheyns There stayed we vntil it was late but we saw not one go either vp theron or downe except two Louteas y t about the going downe of y e sun came set them downe there the one in one side the other in the other side Than was the bridge opened in many places barges both great smal to the number of .600 began to passe those that went vp the streame at one place such as came downe at an other Whā al had thus shot the bridge than was it shut vp againe We heare say that euery day they take this order in all principall places of merchandyse for paying of y e custome vnto the king specially for salt wherof the greatest reuenews are made that the king hath in this countrey The passages of the bridge where it is opened bee so neare the shore that nothing can passe without touching the same To stay the barges at their pleasure that they go no farther forward are vsed certayne yron instrumentes The bridge consisteth of .112 barges there stayed wee vntyll the euenyng that they were opened lothesomely oppressed by the multitude of people that came to see vs so many in number that we were enforced to goe asyde from the banke vntyl such tyme as the bridge was opened howbeit we were neuerthelesse thronged about w t many boates full of people And though in other cities and places where wee went the people came so importunate vpon vs that it was needfull to withdraw our selues yet were we heere much more molested for the number of people and this bridge the principal way out of the citie vnto an other place so well inhabited that were it walled about it myght bee compared to the citie Whan we had shot the bridge we kept along the citie vntill that it was nyght than met we with an other ryuer that ioyned with this we rowed vp that by the walles vntyll we came to an other bridge gallantly made of barges but lesser a great deale than that other bridge ouer the greater streame heere stayed we that nyght and other two dayes with more quiet being out of the prease of the people These riuers do meet without at one corner point of the citie In either of them were so many barges great and small that we all thought them at the least to be aboue three thousande the greater number therof was in the lesser ryuer where we were Amongst the rest here lay certayne greater vessels called in their language Parai that serue for the Tutan whan he taketh his voyage by other ryuers that ioyne with this towards Pachin where the king maketh
poore men cruelly takyng pietie of theyr infantes newly borne especially gyrles doe many tymes with theyr owne feete strangle them Noble men and other lykewyse of meaner calling generally haue but one wyfe a peece by whom although they haue issue yet for a trifle they diuorse themselues from their wiues and the wiues also sometimes from their husbands to marry with others After y e seconde degree coosins may there lawfully marry Adoption of other mens children is much vsed among them In great townes most men and women can write and reade This nation feedeth sparely theyr vsuall meate is ryse and salattes and neare the sea syde fyshe They feast one an other many tymes wherein they vse great diligence especially iâ— drinkyng one to an other insomuch that the better sorte least they myght rudely commit some fault therin doe vse to reade certaine bookes written of dueties and cerimonies apperteynyng vnto bankettes To be delicate and fine they put theyr meat into their mouthes with litle forkes accompting it great rudenes to touch it with theyr fingers wynter and sommer they drynke water as hot as they may possible abyde it Theyr houses are in daunger of fyre but finely made and cleane layde all ouer with straw pallettes wherevppon they doe both sit in steede of stooles and lye in theyr clothes with billets vnder theyr heades For feare of defilyng these pallettes they goe eyther barefoote within doores or weare strawe pantofles on theyr buskynnes whan they come abroade the which they laye asyde at theyr returne home agayne Gentlemen for the most parte doe passe the nyght in banketting musike and vayne discourses they sleepe the day tyme. In Meaco and Sacaio there is good store of beddes but they be very litle and may be compared vnto our pues In bryngyng vp theyr children they vse wordes onely to rebuke them admonishyng as diligently and aduisedly boyes of six or seuen yeeres age as though they were olde men They are giuen very much to entertayne strangers of whom most curiously they loue to aske euen in trifles what forreyne nations doe and theyr fashions Suche argumentes and reasons as be manifest and are made playne with examples doe greatly persuade them They detest all kynde of theft whosoeuer is taken in that faulte may be slayne freely of any body No publike prisons no common gayles no ordinary Iusticers priuately eche householder hath the hearyng of matters at home in his owne house and the punishyng of greater crymes that deserue death without delaye Thus vsually the people is kept in awe and feare About foure hundred yeeres agoe as in theyr olde recordes we fynde all Giapan was subiecte vnto one Emperor whose royall seate was Meaco in the Giaponishe language called Cubucama But the nobilitie rebellyng agaynst him by litle and litle haue taken away the greatest parte of his dominion howbeit his title continually remayneth and the residue in some respect doe make great accompt of him stil acknowledging him for theyr superior Thus the Empyre of Giapan in tymes past but one alone is now diuided into sixtie sixe kyngdomes the onely cause of ciuile warres continually in that Iland to no small hynderaunce of the Gospell whilest the kynges that dwell neare togeather inuade one an other eche one couetyng to make his kyngdome greater Furthermore in the citie Meaco is the pallace of the high priest whom that nation honoureth as a God he hath in his house .366 Idolles one whereof by course is euery nyght set by his syde for a watcheman He is thought of the common people so holy that it may not be lawfull for him to goe vppon the earth if happely he doe set one foote to the grounde he looseth his office He is not serued very sumptuously he is maynteined by almes The heads and beards of his ministers are shauen they haue name Cangues and theyr aucthoritie is great throughout all Giapan The Cubucama vseth them for Embassadours to decide controuersies betwixte princes and to ende theyr warres whereof they are wont to make very great gayne It is now two yeeres since or there about that one of them came to Bungo to entreat of peace betwixt the kyng thereof and the kyng of Amanguzzo This Agent fauouring the kyng of Bungo his cause more than the other brought to passe that the foresayde kyng of Bungo should keepe two kingdomes the which he had taken in warres from the king of Amanguzzo Wherefore he had for his rewarde of the kyng of Bungo aboue thirtie thousande Ducattes And thus farre heereof I come now to other superstitions and ceremonies that you may see deare brethren that whiche I sayde in the beginnyng howe surlye the deuyll hath deceyued the Giaponishe nation and howe diligent and ready they be to obey and worshyp him And first all remembrance and knowledge not onely of Christ our redeemer but also of that one God the maker of all thinges is cleane extinguished vtterly abolished out of the Giapans hartes Moreouer theyr superstitious sectes are many wheras it is lawfull for eche one to folow that which lyketh him best but the principall sectes are two namely the Amidans and Xacaians Wherfore in this countrey shall you see many monasteryes not onely of Bonzii men but also of Bonziae women diuersly attyred for some doe weare whyte vnder and blacke vpper garments other goe apparelled in ashe colour theyr Idole hath name Denichi from these the Amidanes differ very muche Agayne the men Bonzii for the most parte dwell in sumptuous houses and haue great reuenues These felowes are chast by commaundement marry they may not vnder payne of death In the mydst of theyr Temple is erected an Aulter whereon standeth a wodden Idole of Amida naked from the gyrdle vpwarde with holes in his eares after the maner of Italian Gentlewomen sittyng on a woodden rose goodly to beholde They haue great libraries and halles for them all to dyne and suppe togeather and belles wherewith they are certayne houres called to prayers In the euenyng the Superintendent gyueth eche one a theame for meditation After mydnyght before the Aulter in theyr Temple they doe say Mattens as it were out of Xaca his last booke one quier one verse the other quier an other Early in the mornyng eche one gyueth him selfe to meditation one houre they shaue theyr heades and beardes Theyr Cloysters be very large and within the precincte thereof Chappelles of the Fotoquiens for by that name some of the Giapanish Sainctes are called theyr holydayes yeerely be very many Most of these Bonzii be Gentlemen for that the Giaponish nobilitie charged with many children vse to make most of them Bonzii not being able to leaue for eche one a patrymony good ynough The Bonzii most couetously bent know all the wayes howe to come by money They sell vnto the people many scroles of paper by the helpe whereof the common people thinketh it selfe warranted from all power of the deuylles They borowe lykewyse money to bee
requisite for theyr Nauie There stayed Balthasar Gagus a great traueyler fiue monethes who describeth that place after this maner Ainan is a goodly countrey full of Indishe fruites and all kynde of victualles besydes great store of Iuelles and pearle well inhabited the â—ownâ—s buylte of stone the people rude in conditions apparelled 〈◊〉 diuersly coloured rugges with two Oxe hornes as it 〈◊〉 made of fyne cypres hangyng downe about theyr 〈◊〉 and a payre of sharpe cyzers at theyr foreheades The cause wherefore they goe in suche attyre I could not vnderstande except it be for that they doe counterfaite the deuyll in the fourme of a bruite beast offeryng to him vp them selues Santianum is an Isle neare vnto the hauen Cantan in the confines lykewyse of China famous for the death of that woorthie traueyler and godly professour and paynefull doctor of the Indyshe nation in matters concernyng religion Francis Xauier who after great labours many iniuries and calamities infinite suffred with much pacience singular ioye and gladnesse of mynd departed in a cabben made of bowes and rushes vppon a desarte mountayne no lesse voyde of all worldly commodities than endued with all spirituall blessinges out of this lyfe the seconde day of December the yeere of our Lorde .1552 after that many thousandes of these Easterlynges were brought by him to the knowledge of Christ. Of this holy man his perticular vertues and specially traueyle and wonderfull workes in that region of other many litle Isles yet not so litle but that they may ryght well be written of at leasure all the later histories of the Indyshe regions are full FINIS Of the Northeast frostie Seas and kyngdoms lying that way declared by the Duke of Moscouia his ambassadour to a learned Gentleman of Italie named Galeatius Butrigarius likewise of the viages of that worthie old man Sebastian Cabote sometymes gouernour of the companie of the Merchantes of Cathay in the Citie of London IT is doubtlesse a marueilous thyng to consyder what changes and alterations were caused in all the Romane Empyre by the Gothes and Vandales and other Barbarians into Italy For by their inuations were extinguyshed all artes and sciences and all trades of Merchandies that were vsed in dyuers partes of the worlde The desolation and ignoraunce whiche insued hereof continued as it were a cloude of perpetuall darkenesse among men for the space of foure hundred yeeres and more insomuche that none durst aduenture to goe any whyther out of theyr owne natiue countreys whereas before the incursions of the sayde Barbarians when the Romane Empyre floryshed they myght safely passe the seas to all partes of East India whiche was at that tyme as well knowen and frequented as it is nowe by the nauigations of the Portugales And that this is true it is manifest by that whiche Strabo wrytteth who was in the tyme of Augustus and Tiberius For speakyng of the greatnesse and ryches of the citie of Alexandria in Egypt gouerned then as a prouince of the Romanes he wryteth thus This onely place of Egypt is apte to receyue all thynges that come by sea by reason of the commoditie of the hauen and lykewyse all suche thynges as are brought by lande by reason of the ryuer of Nilus whereby they may bee easely conueyed to Alexandria beyng by these commodities the rychest citie of merchauntes that is in the worlde The reuenues of Egypt are so great that Marcus Tullius sayth in one of his orations that kyng Ptolomeus surnamed Auleta the father of queene Cleopatra had of reuenues twelue thousande and fyue hundred talentes whiche are seuen millions and a halfe of golde If therefore this kyng had so great reuenues when Egypt was gouerned of so fewe and so negligently what myght it then be woorth to the Romanes by whom it was gouerned with great diligence and theyr trade of merchandies greatly increased by the traffike of Trogloditica and India wheras in tyme past there coulde hardly be founde .xx. shyppes togeather that durst enter into the gulfe of Arabie or shewe theyr prowesse without the mouth of the same But at this present great nauies sayle togeather into India and to the furthest partes of Ethiope from whence are brought many rich and pretious merchandies into Egypt and are caried from thence into other countreys And by this meanes are the customes redoubled aswel by such thynges as are brought thither as also by suche as are caryed from thence forasmuche as great customes aryse of thinges of great value And that by this voyage infinite and pretious merchaundies were brought from the redde sea and India and those of dyuers other sortes then are knowen in our tyme it appeareth by the fourth volume of the ciuile lawe wherein is described the commission of Themperours Marcus and Commodus with the rehearsall of al such stuffe and merchandies wherof custome shoulde be payde in the redde sea by suche as had the same in fee farme as were payde the customes of all other prouinces partaynyng to the Romane Empyre and they are these folowyng Cinamome Long pepper Whyte pepper Cloues Costus Cancomo Spikenarde Cassia Sweete perfumes Xilocassia Myr. Amome Ginger Malabatrum Ammoniac Galbane Lasser Agarike Gumme of Arabie Cardamome Xilocinamome Carpesio Sylkes of diuers sortes Lynnen cloth Skynnes and Furres of Parthia and Babylon Iuorie Wood of Heben Pretious stones Pearles Iewelles of Sardonica Ceraunia Calamus Aromaticus Berille Cilindro Slaues Cloth of Sarmatia The sylke called Metaxa Uestures of sylke Died cloth and sylke Carbasei Sylke threede Gelded men Popingayes Lions of India Leopardes Panthers Purple Also that iuyce or lyquour whiche is geathered of wooll and of the heare of the Indians By these woordes it doeth appeare that in olde tyme the said nauigation by the way of the red sea was wel knowen muche frequented perhaps more then it is at this present Insomuch that the ancient kynges of Egypt consyderyng the great profite of the customes they had by the viages of the red sea and wylling to make the same more easie commodious attempted to make a fosse or chanel which should begin in the last part of the said sea where was a citie named Arsinoe which perhappes is that that is nowe called Sues and shoulde haue reached to a branch of the riuer of Nilus named Pelusio whiche emptieth it selfe in our sea towarde the East about the citie of Damiata They determined also to make three causeys or hygh wayes by land which shoulde passe from the sayd branch to the citie of Arsinoe but they founde this too difficult to bryng to passe In fine king Ptolomeus surnanamed Philadelphus ordeyned another way as to sayle vppon Nilus agaynst the course of the riuer vnto the citie of Copto and from thence to passe by a desart countrey vntyl they come aboue the red sea to a citie named Berenice or Miosormo where they imbarked
al their merchandise and wares for India Ethiope and Arabie as appeareth by the wrytyng first of Strabo who wryteth that he was in Egypt and then by Plinie who was in the tyme of Domitian Strabo also speaking of the saide fosse or trenche whiche was made towarde the redde sea wryteth thus There is a trenche that goeth towarde the red sea the gulfe of Arabie and to the citie of Arsinoe whiche some call Cleopatrida and passeth by the lakes named Amari that is bytter because in deede they were fyrste bytter but after that this trenche was made and the ryuer entred in they became sweete and are at this present ful of foules of the water by reason of their pleasantnesse This trenche was fyrste begunne by king Sesostre before the battaile of Troy Some say that it was begunne by king Psammiticus while he was a childe and that by reason of his death it was left imperfect also that afterwarde king Darius succeeded in the same enterprise who woulde haue finished it but yet brought it not to the ende because he was enfourmed that the redde sea was higher then Egypt and that if this lande diuiding both the seas were opened all Egypt shoulde be drowned thereby King Ptolomeus woulde in deede haue finished it but yet left it shut at the head that he myght when he woulde sayle to the other sea and returne without peryll Here is the citie of Arsinoe and neare vnto that the citie called Heroum in the vttermost parte of the gulfe of Arabie towarde Egypt with many portes and habitations Plinie likewise speaking of this trenche sayth In the furthest part of the gulfe of Arabie is a porte called Danco from whence they determined to bryng a nauigable trenche vnto the riuer of Nilus whereas is the firste Delta Betweene the saide sea and Nilus there is a streict of lande of the length of .lxii. miles The firste that attempted this thing was Sesostre king of Egypt after him Darius king of the Persians whom Ptolomeus folowed who made a trenche a hundred foote large and thirtie foote deepe being CCC miles in length vnto the lakes named Amari and durst proceede no further for feare of inundation hauing knowledge that the red sea was higher by three cubites then all the countrey of Egypt Other say that this was not the cause but that he doubted that yf he shoulde haue let the sea come any further all the water of Nilus shoulde haue been thereby corrupted whiche onely ministreth drynke to all Egypt But notwithstanding all these thinges aforesayde all this viage is frequented by lande from Egypt to the redde sea in whiche passage are three Causeyes or hygh wayes The fyrst begynneth at the mouth of Nilus named Pelutio All whiche way is by the sandes insomuche that if there were not certayne hygh Reedes fyxt in the earth to shew the ryght way the Causey could not be found by reason the wynde euer couereth it with sand The seconde Causey is two myles from the mountayne Cassius And this also in the ende of threescore myles commeth vpon the way or Causey of Pelusius inhabited with certayne Arabians called Antei The thyrde begynneth at Gerro named Adipson and passeth by the same Arabians for the space of threescore miles somewhat shortter but full of rough mountaynes and great scarcenesse of water Al these Causeyes leade the way to the citie of Arsinoe builded by Ptolomeus Philadelphus in the gulfe Carandra by the redde sea This Ptolomeus was the fyrst that searched all that part of the red sea whiche is called Trogloditica Of this trench described of Strabo and Plinie there are seene certeyne tokens remaynyng at this present as they do affyrme whiche haue been at Sues beyonde the citie of Alcayr otherwyse called Babylon in Egypt But the merchauntes that of later dayes trauayle this viage by lande ryde through the drye and barren desartes on Camels both by day and by nyght directyng theyr waye by the starres and compasse as do mariners on the sea and carying with them water sufficient for many dayes iorneys The places of Arabie and India named of Strabo and Plinie are the selfe same where the Portugales practyse theyr trade at this day as the maners and customes of the Indians doo yet declare for euen at this present their women vse to burne them selues alyue with the dead bodyes of their husbandes Whiche thyng as wryteth Strabo in his .xv. booke they dyd in olde time by a lawe for this consyderation that sometyme being in loue with other they forsooke or poysoned their husbandes And for as muche as accordyng to this custome the olde Poet Propertius who lyued about an hundred yeeres before the incarnation of Christ hath in his booke made mention of the contention that was among the Indian women whiche of them shoulde be burned aliue with theyr husbandes I haue thought good to subscribe his verses whiche are these Faelix Eois lex funeris vna maritis Quos aurora suis rubra colorat equis Namque vbi mortifero iacta est fax vltima lecto Vxorum fusis stat pia turba comis Et certamen habent lethi quae viua sequatur Coniugium pudor est non licuisse mori Ardent victrices flammae pectora praebent Imponuntque suis ora perusta viris As touchyng these viages both by sea and by lande to East India and Cathay many thinges are wrytten very largly by diuers autours which I omit because they parteyne not so much vnto vs as doth the viage attempted to Cathay by the north seas and the coastes of Moscouia discouered in our tyme by the viage of that excellent young man Rychard Chaunceller no lesse learned in al mathematicall sciences then an expert pilotte in the yeere of our Lorde .1554 As concernyng this viage I haue thought good to declare y e communication which was betweene the sayd learned man Galeatius Butrigarius and that great philosopher and noble gentleman of Italie named Hieronimus Fracastor as I fynd written in the Italian histories of nauigations As they were therefore conferryng in matters of learnyng and reasoning of the science of Cosmographie the saide learned man hauyng in his hand an instrument of Astronomie declared with a large oration howe much the worlde was bound to the kinges of Portugale rehearsing the noble factes done by them in India and what landes and Ilandes they had discouered and howe by theyr nauigations they made the whole worlde to hang in the ayre He further declared of what partes of the ball the earth remayned yet vndiscouered and sayde that of the landes of the inferior hemispherie or halfe compase of the ball towarde the pole Antartike there was nothyng knowen but that litle of the coaste of Brasilia vnto the streyght of Magellanus also a part of Peru also a litle aboue Affrike towarde the cape of Bona Speranza Also
are of Copper They eate on the grounde sittyng on Carpets crosse legged as do taylers There is no man so symple but he sytteth on a Carpet better or worse and the whole house or roome wherein he sytteth is wholy couered with Carpets Theyr houses are all with flatte roofes couered with earth and in the sommer tyme they lye vpon them all nyght They haue many bonde seruauntes both men and women â–ª Bond men and bond women is one of the best kinde of merchandies that any man may bryng When they bye anye maydes or young women they vse to feele them in all partes as with vs men do horses when one hath bought a young woman yf he lyke her he wyll keepe her for his owne vse as long as hym lysteth and then selleth her to an other who doth the like with her So that one woman is sometymes solde in the space of foure or fyue yeeres twelue or twentie tymes If a man keepe a bonde woman for his owne vse and yf he fynde her to be false to hym and geue her body to any other he may kyll her yf he wyll When a merchant or trauailer commeth to any towne where he entendeth to tarry any time he hyreth a woman or sometimes two or three duryng his abode there And when he commeth to an other towne he doth the lyke in the same also for there they vse to put out theyr women to hyre as wee doo here hackneye Horses There is a verye great ryuer whiche runneth through the playne of Iauat whiche falleth into the Caspian sea by a towne called Backo neare vnto whiche towne is a strange thyng to beholde For there ishueth out of the grounde a marueilous quantitie of Oyle which Oyle they fetch from the vttermost boundes of al Persia it serueth all the countrey to burne in theyr houses This Oyle is blacke and is called Nefte they vse to cary it throughout all the countrey vpon Kyne and Asses of which you shal oftentymes meete with foure or fyue hundred in a company There is also by the sayde towne of Backo an other kinde of Oyle whiche is whyte and very precious and is supposed to be the same that here is called Petroleum There is also not farre from Shamaky a thyng lyke vnto Tarre and ishueth out of the grounde whereof we haue made the proofe that in our shyps it serueth well in the steade of Tarre In Persia are Kyne of two sortes the one lyke vnto ours in these partes the other are marueylous euil fauoured with great bones and very leane and but little heare vppon them theyr milk is walowish sweete they are like vnto them which are spoken of in the scripture which in the dreame of Pharao signified the seuen deare yeeres for a leaner or more euill fauoured beast can no man see In the countrey of Sheruan sometyme called Media if you chaunce to lye in the fieldes neare vnto any village as soone as the twylyght begynneth you shall haue about you two or three hundred Foxes whiche make a marueylous wawelyng or howlyng and yf you looke not well to your victuales it shall scape them hardly but they wyll haue part with you The Caspian sea doth neyther ebbe nor flowe except sometymes by rage of wynde it swelleth vp very hygh the water is very salt Howbeit the quantitie of water that falleth out of the great ryuer of Volga maketh the water freshe at the least twentie leagues into the sea The Caspian sea is marueylous full of fyshe but no kynde of monstrous fysh as farre as I coulde vnderstande yet hath it sundry sortes of fyshes whiche are not in these parties of the worlde The Mutton there is good and the Sheepe great hauyng verye great rumpes with much fat vppon them Ryse and Mutton is theyr cheefe victuale Of the Empire of the Persians and of theyr originall THe kyngdome or Empire of the Persians as it was in auncient tyme most famous euen so is it at these dayes mightie glorious comprehendyng many great large regions For all the tracte of Asia which is betweene the riuer of Tigris the gulfe of Persia and the Indian sea sometime called the sea Indus and the ryuer Iaxartes at this day called Chefell euen vnto the Caspian sea is at this day vnder the dominion of the Sophie of Persia. Of the originall of the Sophies thus writeth Caelius Curio in his Saracenicall historie In the yeere of our Lord .1369 was a certayne Prince among the Persians who possessed the towne of Ardenelim his name was Sophi glorified him selfe to discende of the rase and progenie of Alis Muamedis by Musan Cazin his Neuie He after the death of Calyfa the Soltan of Babilon and the contrary faction which the Turkes defended suppressed also of the Tartars began more boldly and freely to professe his opinion and sentence of theyr religion And bycause that Ocemus the sonne of Alis from whom he glorified him selfe to descend had twelue children willyng to adde to them of his secte a certayne signe whereby they myght be knowen from other ordeyned that they that would embrace his secte and profession should were on their heads a high cappe of purple vnder a vele wherwith all the Turkes inuolue theyr heades and in theyr language call it Tulibante hauing in the middest of it .xii. plumes or shappe toppes After his death succeeded his sonne Guines who in all the East partes obteyned so great opinion of wisedome and holinesse that most famous Tamerlanes Emperour of the Parthians who before had taken Bayazetes kyng of the Turkes made a iourney into Persia to visit him as a most holy man of whom Guines had so much fauour that he obteyned of him the libertie of .xxx. thousande Captiues which he brought with him whom also Guines addicted to his faction and his sonne Secaidar vsed them in his warres For with these after the death of Guines he made warre to certayne people of Scythia named Georgians his borderers beyng Christians afflicted them very greeuously Thus much of the originall of the Sophie of Persia they keepe continually warres with the Turkes for the religion of Mahumet For the Sophians or Persians folowe one maner of interpretation of Mahumettes religion and the Turkes an other the which interpretations neuerthelesse are so differyng one from the other that the one of them esteemeth the other for heretikes The Persians are of liberall nature of muche ciuilitie and curtesie greatly esteeming artes and sciences they acknowledge a certaine worthinesse or nobilitie among men wherin they differ much from the Turkes which make no difference betweene slaues and worthier men or Gentelmen Of the Region of Persia and the maners of the Persians Marcus Paulus Venetus writeth thus Cap. xix Lib. 1. PErsia is a great and large prouince was once noble and of great fame but nowe devastate and ouerrun by the Tartars it is of
Arabia with the gulfe of Ormus on the syde of the firme lande with the mountaynes of Deli and on the side of Carmania and in maner by the confines of Babylon it extendeth towarde India it hath many kingdomes and cities subiecte vnto it The people of Persia are called Azemini It conteyneth foure principall prouinces which are these Coraconi Ginali Tauris Xitarim In the which also are these foure most famous cities That is Tauris Siras Samarcante Coraconi They are valiant and warlyke men of great estimation They of Samarcante haue in auncient tyme been Christians Tauris and Siras are cities as famous among them as is with vs Paris in France they are men of great ciuilitie and curtesie The women of Siras are of commendable beautie and behauour very neate and delicate and thereof commeth a prouerbe among the Mahumetans that Mahumet would neuer goe to Siras least if he had tasted the pleasures of those women he should neuer after his death haue gone to Paradyse The kyng of Persia is called Siech Ismael whom the Italians call Gualizador or Sophi His chiefe mansion place or court is at Tauris or Teueris which is distant from Ormus fiftie dayes iourney with Camelles He is called the great Mahumetan of the order of the red bonet that is of the secte of Hali which our men that came late from Persia call Mortus Ali wherof we haue spoken more before The region of Persia hath all sortes of domesticall or tame beastes suche as are in our countreys It hath furthermore Lions Onces and Tigers the people are muche giuen to pleasures and sportes and are honourably apparelled delighting greatly in perfumes and sweete sauours they haue many wyues and commit the keeping or charge of them to enuches or gelded men who for that seruice are oftentymes preferred to great promotion yet are they very ielous of theyr wyues Notwithstanding both the Persians and also their neighbours of Ormus are detestable Sodomites In tyme paste many great and valiant personages as Cyrus Darius Assuerus and great Alexander haue inuaded Persia. It is not baren as some haue written but hath aboundance of all sortes of victualles and pleasures and thinges necessarie for the lyfe of man The trafique of Persia with other countreys IN the region of Persia are many sortes of merchandies wherewith they vse great trafique in the countreys of Armenia Turchia and in the citie of Cair or Alcayr From the lande of Siras is brought great aboundance of silke whereof is made an infinite quantitie of all sortes of silken cloathes and fine chamolettes of diuers colours also great aboundance of roche Alume Uitrioll Alcoffare Likewise many horses victualles Turques stones wax hony butter c. Also great peeces of tapestrie of diuers sortes workes clothes of sundry colours veluets both high and lowe after theyr maner Likewyse cloth of golde of sundry sortes Pauilions and great aboundance of armure From the other syde of the mountaynes by the way of Siam are brought Muske Aloes Reubarbe Lignum aloes Camphora c. All these thinges and many other are caryed to Ormus for the which the returne is great quantitie of Pepper and other spices and drugges for the Persians vse much spices with their meats and especially Pepper Of the Gulfe of Persia or Sinus Persicus THe region and lande of Persia is situate betweene two ryuers whiche fall not into the Ocean sea but into the gulfe of Persia the which gulfe hath on euery syde many goodly countreys well inhabited The gulfe conteyneth in largenesse .lx. myles and is nauigable with great Barkes and is sometimes troubled with great tempestes There is taken great abundance of fishe which being salted or dryed is carryed into all partes of Persia. The gulfe is also very long and conteyneth from Ormus to the ende lx dayes iourney with Camelles 1 Articles of the Priuileges whiche the Sophie of Persia graunted to the Englyshe merchantes These articles were sent vnto the company of merchants from Mosko by maister Ienkinson graunted in the names of these persons Syr VVilliam Garret Syr VVilliam Chester gouernours Syr Thomas Lodge Maister Antonie Ienkinson Maister Thomas Nicolls and Arthur Edwardes merchantes of London as also in the names of the whole companie 2 FYrst it is graunted that you shall paye no maner of customes or tolles any kynd of wayes now nor in time commyng vnto his heires after him And that all Englyshe merchantes now present or hereafter may passe and repasse into all places of his dominions and other countreys adioyning to him in the trade of merchaundies to buye and sell all maner of commodities with all maner of persons 3 Item that in all places where any of our merchantes shal be chiefe gouernours rulers and Iustices to take heede vnto the Englishe merchantes and be their ayde and punishe them that shall doe them any wrong or hurte 4 Item that suche debtes as shal be owyng by any maner of person iustice to be done on the partie and to see all Englishe merchantes payde at the day 5 Item that no maner of person of what estate or degree they be of so hardie to take any kynde of wares or any gyftes without the Englyshe merchantes good willes 6 Item if by chaunce medley any of the merchauntes or seruauntes as God forbyd shoulde kyll any of his subiectes no partes of theyr goods to be touched or medled withal neither no person but the offender and being any of the merchaunts not to suffer without the princes knowledge advice 7 Item that all such debtes as shal be oweyng to be payde to any of the merchauntes in the absence of the other be the partie dead or alyue 8 Item that no person returne any kynde of wares backe agayne beyng once bought or solde 9 Item that when God shall sende the merchauntes goods to shore presently his people to helpe them alande with them The prosperous vyage of Arthur Edwardes into Persia and of the fauoure that he found with the Sophy and also what conference he had with that prynce WHen he came fyrst to the Sophies presence brynging his interpretour with hym and standyng farre of the Sophie syttyng in a seate royall with a great number of his noble men about hym badde him come neere and that thrise vntyl he came so neere him that he myght haue touched hym with his hand Then the fyrst demaund that he asked hym was from what countrey he came he answeared that he came from Englande Then asked he of his noble men who knew any such countrey But when Edwards sawe that none of them had any intelligence of that name he named it Inghilterra as the Italians cal England Then one of the noble men sayde Londro meanyng therby London which name is better knowen in far countreys out of Christendome then is the name of Englande When Edwardes harde hym name Londro he sayd that that was the name of the chiefe citie of Englande as
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
spices The last and basest sort named Neraui are they that sowe and geather Ryse These as the inferiour tribe of men are in such subiection to the Bramini and Naeri that in payne of death they may approche no nearer vnto them then .l. pases And therefore they lye lurkyng in certayne shadowes and darke places and maryshes lest they shoulde suddenly chaunce to meete with them Wherefore when they come abrode that they may be hearde a farre of they crye with loude voice I wotte neare what that they may be hearde of the sayde Bramini and Naeri least beyng soddenly betrapped they shoulde be put to death Of the apparell of the kyng queene and Inhabitantes of the citie of Calecut And of their maner of feedyng Cap. 6. THe apparell of the kyng and queene is litle or nothyng differyng from the other Idolaters among the whiche the Mahumetans as strangers are not to be accompted They couer onely theyr priuie partes with bombasine cloth or sylke and are besyde all naked barefooted also and beareheadded But the Mahumetans weare single apparell reachyng only vnto the nauel The women are apparelled euen as are the men sauyng onely that they lette theyr heare growe very longe The kyng and nobilitie of the citie eate no fleshe except they fyrst aske counsayle of the Priestes But the common people may eate what fleshe they wyll excepte the fleshe of Kyne Bin they of the basest sorte named Nirani and Poliar may eate onely fyshes dryed at the Sunne Of theyr custome after the death of the kyng Cap. 7. AFter the death of the kyng if he haue any male chyldren lyuyng or brethren or brothers chyldren they succeede not in the kyngdome For of auncient lawe and custome the septer pertayneth to the kynges systers sonnes of whiche if there be none it commeth to the next of the blood And this for none other cause as they saye but that the priestes haue defloured the queene When the kyng goeth abrode or on huntyng the priestes be they neuer so young keepe the queene at home and remayne neere about her For there is nothyng more acceptable to the kyng then that the priestes shoulde so keepe companye with the queene And therefore the kyng may well thynke that the chyldren borne of her are not to be numbred amongst his chyldren and therefore taketh the chyldren of his systers to be neerest of his blood and ryght inheritours to the crowne When the kyng is dead all his subiectes by cuttyng theyr beardes and shauyng theyr headdes testifie how greeuously they take his death Yet hearein they vse not all one fashion for some cutte onely part of the heare of theyr chynne and some parte of the heare of theyr head and other all and so euery man as he doth phantasie Duryng the tyme that they celebrate the funerals of the kyng they that lyue by fyshyng forbeare fyshyng for the space of eyght dayes And when any of the kynges wyues dye they obserue the lyke ceremonyes as for the death of the kyng The kyng sometyme by a certayne supersticion absteyneth from venery or the company of women for the space of a yeere and lykewyse forbeareth to eate certayne leaues whiche they call Betolas beyng the leaues of Assyrian apples whiche they vse not onely for dilicates but also because theyr propertie is to moue men greatly to wanton lustes For the same purpose also they eate a certayne fruite named Coffolo somewhat lyke vnto Dates Of theyr chaungyng of wyues Cap. 8. THe gentelmen merchauntes to shew great curtesie and frendshyp one to the other vse somtime to chaunge wiues and therein vse this maner of speache My freende we haue nowe of long tyme lyued togeather as faythfull frendes and therefore for the laste accomplyshement of our frendeshyppe if it so please thee lette vs chaunge wyues Content sayth the other for I beare thee euen as good wyll The wyues refuse not to agree to the condition herein also to please theyr husbandes Then the one bryngeth his wyfe to the other saying Woman this man shall hereafter be thy husbande The other sayth the lyke to his wyfe also Thus all partes beyng agreed they depart with frendly embrasyng But the chyldren remayne with the fyrst husbande These Idolatars haue also diuers other customes For among some of them one woman is maryed to seuen husbandes of the whiche euery of them hath his nyght by course appoynted to lye with her And when she hath brought foorth a chylde she may geue it or father it to whiche of them she lysteth Who may in no case refuse it The maner of feedyng of the common people of the Idolatars and of theyr Iustice. Cap. 8. LYing along on the grounde they eate theyr meate out of a traye of copper For spoones they vse certayne leaues of trees Theyr meate commonly is Ryse fyshe spices and fruites of the commoner sort The labouryng men or ruder sorte eate so fylthyly that puttyng theyr foule handes in the potte they take out ryse by handfuls and so thrust it in theyr mouthes They vse this kynde of Iustice for homicide Where any hath slayne a man he is thus punyshed They haue a kynde of galows made in maner of a double crosse where whyle the murtherer is tyed fast one thrusteth a stake through his bodye where the poore wretche so hangeth vntyl he be dead But they that wounde or hurt any man redeeme the faulte for mony payde to the kyng They that are in debte are thus enforced to paye the same The creditour fyrst demaundeth his monye and if it be founde that the debitour breake promysse then he to whom the mony is owyng goeth to one of the kynges scriueners whiche are sayde to be a hundred and before hym makyng dewe proofe of the debte receiueth of hym a greene wande of a tree with aucthoritie to prosecute his debitour vntil he haue found hym where when he hath arrested him with these woordes go no further before thou paye me thryse rehearsed he sayth furthermore thus I charge thee by the head of Bramini and by the head of the kyng not to sturre from this place before thou paye me There is no shyfte but eyther to paye incontinent or there to loose his lyfe But if he be found alone and escape after the sayd woords he is euer after adiudged a rebell and therefore shall it be lawefull for any man to kyll hym whersoeuer he is founde within the kynges dominions Of the honoring of Idolles Cap. 9. WHen they praye to theyr Idolles in the mornyng before the Sunne ryse they resorte to the pooles or ryuers to washe them And so at their commyng home to theyr houses where they keepe theyr Idolles they touch nothyng before they praye to the Idolles prostrate on the grounde secreatly while they praye they make certayne deuylyshe gesticulations lyke mad men so maruelously defourmyng theyr faces eyes and mouthes
theyr spices and Iewelles by weyght Of the inhabitantes of Poliar and Hiraua and how they nourysh their children Cap. 19. THe women weane theyr children when they come to the age of three monethes and afterward nourysh them with Goates milke and when in the morning they haue giuen them milke they tomble them in the sandes all foule filthie where they let them lye all the day and are so scorched of the Sunne that farre of they seeme like Bufles Calues I neuer sawe more deformed or filthie creatures at euenyng theyr mothers gyue them milke agayne By this kinde of wylde bringing vp they become men of marueylous dexteritie in swiftnesse of runnyng and other thinges of great agilitie as to walke vppon ropes swymmyng leapyng vaultyng and such lyke Of foure footed beastes foules and birdes of Calecut Cap. 20. THere are many beastes and kyndes of birdes as Lions wilde Bores Hartes Hyndes Bufles Kyne Goates and Elephantes yet not all engendred there but brought thyther partly from other places There are also parottes of sundry colours as greene purple other mixte colours There is such multitude of them that there are men appointed to keepe them from the Ryse in the fieldes as we vse to keepe Crowes from the corne They are marueylous crying and chattering and of small price as one solde for two pense or halfe a souse There are many other birdes much vnlyke to ours which euery mornyng and euenyng make so great a noyse sweete singing that nothing can be more pleasant or delectable to heare and therfore the inhabitantes lyue in great pleasure and in maner as it were in an earthly Paradyse in continuall spryng and florishyng of floures hearbes trees all the yeere long besyde also the goodly and holsome temperatenesse of the ayre being neither extreme hotte nor colde but in maner in temperature of continuall spring tyme. That region hath also Monkeys which are there of small price These are very hurtfull to husbandmen and such as liue by tillage of the grounde for they clyme the trees of those goodly Indian Nuts precious fruite wherof we haue spoken here before of the which they make wyne which these beastes do spill and cast downe the vesselles that are made faste there to receyue the sayde liquor of wyne Of certayne Serpentes which are seene in Calecut Cap. 21. THere are certayne Serpentes of suche bignesse that they are equal to swine theyr heads are much greater then the heads of Bores they are foure footed and of the length of foure cubites and are engendred in marishes The inhabitantes say that they are without poison and doe not otherwyse hurt then by byting There are furthermore three kindes of Serpentes of the which some are of so strong poison that if they drawe neuer so litle blood present death foloweth whiche thing chaunced oftentymes whilest I was there Of these kindes of serpentes some are of the bignesse of an Aspe many much bigger Of these there are a very great number The cause wherof they say is this That the kyng of Calecut of a certaine foolishe superstition maketh so great accompt of these Serpentes that he causeth litle houses or cottages to be made for them beleeuyng that they haue vertue against ouer much raine ouerflowing of riuers and therfore if a man kill any of them he is punished with death as though he had killed a man and the like punishment is also for him that killeth a cowe They greatly esteeme these Serpents bicause as they say they came from heauen and therfore they take them for heauenly spirites which they affirme for that only with touching they bring present death And this is y e cause that there are many serpentes being thus permitted by the commaundement of the king These serpents know the Idolaters inhabitants from Mahumetans or other strangers and wil sooner venture vppon them When I was there I came into a house where eight men laye dead and greatly swolne whiche the day before were killed by these serpents yet doe they esteeme it for good lucke when going abrode they meete with any of them Of the lightes and Lampes which are seene in the Pallace of the kyng of Calecut Cap. 22. IN the kynges Courte or Pallace are diuers mansions and very many chambers and therefore in the euenyng when it waxeth darke there are seene innumerable burning Lampes In the hall of the pallace are seene ten or twelue candelstickes of laton very fayre and of cunnyng workemanshyp muche lyke vnto goodly fountaynes and of the heyght of a man In eche of them are dyuers vesselles and in euery vessel three candels light of two spannes length and great plentie of oyle In the first vessell are many Lampes made of cordes of bombasine cotten In the myddle part is seene a narower vessel also full of lampes and lightes In the lowest vessell also the like number of lightes But in an other vessel in the toppe of all the candelsticke are in maner innumerable lightes mainteyned with oyle and haue matches of bombasine cotton At the angles or corners of these candelsticks are the Images of deuils whiche also holde the lightes that are in the kinges presence When any of the kinges blood dyeth hee sendeth for all the Bramini or priestes of his realme commaund them to mourne for the space of a yeere At theyr commyng hee banqueteth them three dayes togeather and at theyr departyng giueth eche of them fyue peeces of golde Of the great multitude of Idolaters which resort to Calecut for pardon of their sinnes Cap. 23. NOt farre from the citie of Calecut is a certayne churche or Temple compassed about with water lyke an Iland builded after an auncient fashion hauing a double order of pillars much lyke the Temple of sainct Iohn De Fonte in the citie of Rome In the middest of the Temple is an Altar of stone where the people sacrifice to Idolles Betweene the pillars on hygh is a Boate of the length of two pases and full of oyle Also rounde about the Temple are many trees with an innumerable multitude of Lampes lightes hanging on them The temple also it selfe is as ful of lyghtes The .xxv. day of December resorteth thyther an infinite multitude of people from all partes euen for the distance of .xv. dayes iorney and especially of the priestes to whom parteyneth the order of sacrificeyng But they do not sacrifice vnto theyr Idolles before they washe them selues in the water whiche is about the Temple When the priestes assende to the place whereas is the boate fylled with oyle as we haue said they spryncle the people with the sayd oile but annoynte onely their heads Who beyng so annoynted may then proceede to the sacrifice On the one syde of the altar where they sacrifice is seene a most horrible fourme of a deuyl to whom the people prostrate
beganne a sturre and mutinie in maner of a tumulte Whiche when the gouernour vnderstoode commauÌ„ded al his Captaines souldiers other officers to plaâ—â— their artilerie order all thynges in redynesse least the 〈◊〉 sudden rage should attempte any thing agaynst the 〈…〉 al thynges were pacified in shorte tyme. Then 〈…〉 takyng me by the hande brought me into 〈…〉 and there demaunded of me what the kyng 〈…〉 of Calecut imagined or deuised to do 〈…〉 I infourmed hym of all thynges as 〈…〉 hauyng diligently searched to vnderstand all 〈…〉 When the gouernour was thus by me 〈…〉 secretes he appoynted a galley to bryng 〈…〉 who was then in the citie of Cusin The 〈…〉 the gallie was named Iohannes Seranus â–ª When 〈…〉 saw me he receiued me very fauourably I 〈…〉 also of al thynges Saying furthermore vnto hym 〈◊〉 myght by his fauoure obteyne pardon and assurance for 〈◊〉 sayde two Italians Peter Antonie and Iohn Maria which 〈…〉 made artillarie for the infidel princes I woulde procure that they shoulde returne to the Christians and do them ryght good seruice and that I was well assured that they dyd that by constraint Also y t they desyred none other thing then safe conduct and mony for theyr charges He was glad of this and graunted my request Whereuppon within three dayes after he sent me with letters to his sonne the gouernour in the citie of Canonor with commaundement to deliuer me as muche mony as shoulde suffice for the charges of the Christian exploratours or espions of the citie of Calecut I went therefore incontinent to Canonor where I agreed with one of the idolatours who for pouertie had gaged his wife children to cary letters to Calecut to Iohn Maria and Peter Antonie The content of which letters was that the Uiceroye had graunted them pardon and safe conducte and also mony for theyr charges Aduertisyng them to make none priuie of this thyng and especially to beware least it shoulde be knowen to theyr slaues or concubines For eche of them had a concubine a child a slaue Furthermore to leaue al their goods behynd them except thynges of great price as mony iewelles For they had a very fayre Diamond of the weyght of .xxxii. caractes esteemed to be woorth .xxxv. thousande crownes They had also a pearle of the weyght of .xxiiii. caractes Furthermore 〈◊〉 thousande rubies of the whiche some were of the weyght 〈…〉 and some of one and a halfe They had also .lxiiii. 〈…〉 garnyshed with many iewelles lykewyse in redye 〈…〉 and fyue hundred peeces of golde But see 〈…〉 much couetousnesse Whyle they thought to haue 〈…〉 all and theyr lyues therewith For not contentyng 〈…〉 with the aforesayde ryches they woulde needes also 〈…〉 notwithstandyng the aduertisement we had geuen 〈…〉 Gunnes three Munkeis two Muskecattes and two of 〈…〉 wherwith precious stones are polyshed All whiche 〈…〉 the onely cause of theyr death For whereas so many 〈…〉 not be secretly conueyed one of theyr slaues 〈…〉 〈…〉 of Calecut heereof who at the fyrst woulde scarsely 〈…〉 〈…〉 for the good opinion he had conceyued of them Yet sent foure 〈◊〉 his garde of them whiche are called Naery to 〈…〉 true But the slaue perceyuyng that the kyng woulde 〈◊〉 fauourably with them went to the hygh priest or Bishop of the fayth of the Mahumetans whom they call Cady and tolde hym all that before he had tolde the kyng of Calecut Addyng moreouer that the sayde Christians had disclosed theyr secretes to the Portugales When the Bishop vnderstode these thynges he called a counsayle of all the Mahumetan merchauntes wyllyng them of the common treasurie to geue a hundred peeces of golde to the kyng of Gioghi who was then at Calecut and to speake to hym in this maner It is not vnknowen to you most noble prince howe a fewe yeeres past when your maiestie came hither we receiued you with more honorable enterteinement then we are nowe able to do The cause whereof is no lacke of good wyl or knowledge of our deuetie towarde your hyghnesse but rather the great and manyfolde iniuries and oppressions whiche we haue susteyned and do dayely susteyne by our mortal enimies the Christians whereof we haue at this present example of two Christian traytors of this citie whiche haue disclosed to the Portugales al our secretes and therefore we make most humble petition vnto you to take of vs a hundred peeces of golde to commaund them to be slayne When the kyng of Gioghi hearde these woords he consented to theyr petition and forthwith appoynted two hundred men to commyt the murder And that they might be the lesse suspected of the Christians meanyng soddenly to kyll them in theyr house came by tenne and tenne as though they came to demaunde theyr accustomed rewarde But when the Christians sawe so great a company assembled about theyr house they suspected that they sought somewhat elles then theyr rewarde or offeryng and therefore incontinent takyng theyr weapons they fought so manfully at the wyndowes and doores of theyr house that they slue syxe men and woounded fourtie But at the length some of y e Gioghi shot at them certaine iron arrowes out of crosse bowes with the which they were both slayne the one beyng sore wounded in the head the other in the bodie As soone as they sawe them fall downe they cutte theyr throtes and takyng the hotte blood in the palmes of theyr handes drunke it vp with contumelious woordes agaynst the Christians After this murder the concubine of Iohn Maria came to Canonor with her young sonne whom I bought of her for eyght peeces of golde and causyng hym to be baptysed named hym Laurence because it was saint Laurence daye But within a yeere after he dyed of the frenche poxe whiche disease had then dispersed almost through all the worlde For I haue seene many infected with it foure hundred myles beyonde Calecut They call it Pua And they affyrme that this disease was neuer seene there past xvii yeeres before It is there more greeuous and outragious then with vs. Of the Nauie of the citie of Calecut and of the memorable conflicte betwene the Christians and Mahumetans In the whiche the Portugales with incredible valiantnesse gaue theyr enimies the ouerthrowe And howe the kyng of Canonor reioyced at their victorie Cap. 38. IN the yeere of our Lorde .1506 the fourth daye of March woorde was brought vs of the death of the sayde Christians The same daye from the cities of Calecut Pauan Capagot Pandaram Trompatam departed a great nauie of two hundred and eyght shippes of the whiche fourescore and foure were great shippes or shippes of burden and the rest were dryuen with Ores after the maner of Foystes whiche they call Parao The Nauie was manned with in maner innumerable Mahumetans shewyng themselues very braue in apparel of purple sylke and Bombasine with also theyr hygh and sharpe cappes after
theyr maner of the same colour lyned with sylke wearyng also on theyr armes many bracelettes and on theyr handes hadde gloues embrodered garnyshed with diuers kyndes of workes for weapons they had Turky bowes swoordes launces peltes and all sortes of gunnes after our maner When we sawe theyr Nauie proceedyng in order and well instructed it seemed farre of lyke a wood the mastes presentyng the similitude of trees Whiche thyng seemed so litle to deterre vs that we were in sure beleefe that our God and Christe woulde geue vs the victorie agaynst the blasphemers of his holy name the Idolatours and Sarasens old enemies of our religion And therfore the valiant knight and gouernour the sonne of the honorable lord Don Francisco Dalmeda viceroy of India who had there the supreame gouernement of twelue shippes with the assistaunce of the Admirall of the Nauie when he sawe the great force of the enemie myndfull of his accustomed vertue with sounde of trumpet assembled all the souldiers and spake to them in this maner My deare frendes and brethren in one God and one fayth of Iesus Christe nowe is the tyme come when you ought to remember that as Iesus Christe spared not neyther feared to gyue his precious body to death for our sakes euen so except we wyl shewe our selues most vnkynde and vnworthy so great grace of God it shal be our dueties to spende our liues in the defence of his glorie and our holy fayth assuring our selues of the victorie against these dogges hateful to God progenie of the deuyl Now therfore fyghtyng in his name vnder the banner of his holy crosse shew your selues manfull valiant for nowe is in you the powwer to geat eternal fame in mainteyning the quarel of our sauiour Therefore with me lyftyng vp your hartes to God your armes with force courage let vs gyue the onset on these dogs When the gouernour had sayd these wordes the priest went vp to the hyghest part of the ship holdyng in his hand y e picture of Christ nayled on the crosse shewed it vnto the souldiers exhortyng them to remember the commaundementes of God and the holy fayth and baptisme whereby they were consecrated to God puttyng no doubt in the forgeuenesse of theyr sinnes dying in so godly a quarell and then blessyng them with inuocation of the name of God he pronounced the sentence of absolution and forgeuenesse of theyr sinnes The exhortation of the priest so moued the hartes of all men that the teares ranne from our eyes for ioy great desire we had to die in y e quarel In the meane time the nauye of the Mahumetans made sayle towarde vs. The same daye our Admirall with two Foystes made towarde them passyng betweene two of theyr greatest shyps discharged his ordinance on both sydes whiche the Admyrall dyd to proue the strength of those shyppes which they chiefely esteeme and trust most vnto But this daye was nothyng done woorth y e memorye The day folowyng the Mahumetans with full sayles drewe neare the citie of Canonor and sent vs woorde by a messenger that if we woulde permytte them to go whither they woulde they woulde not haue to do with vs. Our Admirall answeared that the Christians coulde not so forgette the periurie of the Mahumetans in violatyng theyr faith and promyse made by common consent when they woulde not suffer the Christians to passe that way but contrary to theyr fayth and promyse slue .xlvii. Christians and robbed them of foure thousande peeces of golde and therefore badde them passe further if they durst and they shoulde well knowe of what reputation and spirite the Christians are Then sayde the Mahumetans Mahumet wyll defende vs and confounde the Christians and with those woordes assaulted vs all at once with incredible furie thynkyng to haue passed through hauyng no further to sayle then .x. myles from the shore But our Admiral of purpose suffered the enimies to come nearer vntyl they were ryght oueragainst y e citie of Canonor meanyng there to set on them with all his force that the kyng of Canonor beholdyng the conflicte myght be witnesse of the valiantnesse of the Christians Then when the trumpetter of the Admirals ship sounded the battayle and gaue the signe incontinent he assaulted two of theyr greatest shyppes Heere I am not able to expresse the exceedyng noyse of theyr Drummes Trumpets Tambarels and other such innumerable which they vse in this case The Admiral hym selfe in maner contemnyng all theyr meane shippes passed through theyr nauie and inuaded one of theyr greatest shippes castyng theron chaynes and grasples to fyght with them at hande strokes but they cast of the chaynes thryse yet the fourth tyme the chaynes tooke such holde that the Christians entred into the ship where they made such hauocke and slaughter that all the Mahumetans of that shippe which were sixe hundred in number were slayne insomuche that there was not one left alyue to tell newes The Admirall encouraged by this victorie inuaded another of theyr great shippes whiche had chayned it selfe with a Foyst of the Christians where was also a great conflict in the whiche were slayne aboue fyue hundred Mahumetans and theyr ship sunke The Mahumetans discouraged by this defeate assaulted our twelue Foystes with al theyr force and caryed them away But heere the manhood and valiantnesse of Iohn Seranus the captaine of the Galley shewed itselfe who only with one Gally made suche a slaughter among the Mahumetans that it may seeme incredible for he so fiercely inuaded them that had caryed away the Foystes that he recouered them all sunke two other of the Mahumetan shippes In these warres God of his grace so prospered the Christians that few of them were slayne but many wounded The conflict continued from mornyng vntyl the darkenesse of the nyght made an ende of the battayle I may not heere forgeat to speake of the marueylous aduenture and Godly zeale of Simon Martin captayne of one of our shippes For it so chaunced that the Brigantine in the which I was departyng somewhat from our nauie gaue occasion to our enemies to pursue vs for incontinent foure of the Mahumetan shippes assayled vs and put vs to much trouble insomuch that .xv. Mahumetans had nowe entred into our Brigantine and we were constrayned to flee to the Poupe as to the safest place But the valiant captayne Simon Martin seyng the daunger that we were in and that the Mahumetans were entred into our Brigantine leapt into it fiercely and callyng vpon the name of Iesus Christ fought so valiauntly that he slue sixe of the Mahumetans wherby we beyng incouraged assisted hym in such sort that the Mahumetans cast them selues into the sea where some were drowned som escaped by swimmyng Therfore when the Mahumetans knewe y t the Christians had the victorie they sent .iiii. other Foistes to helpe the first But when the captayne of our
Priuilegio Kyng of Portugale Algarbs Lorde of Guinea of the coÌ„quest nauigation and trafike into Ethiopia Arabia Persia India The first part the first Decadâ— The second Decade The third Decade The fourth Decade The seconde part The thyrde part The fourth part A harde begynyng The Pylot that fyrst founde the Indies Mina Colon was not much learned Colon conferred with learned men Kyng Henry the seuenth Barnarde knewe not all thynges The conquest of Granada The archbâ—shop of Toledo The colour of the East Indians The coloure of the west Indians Gods wysedome power is seene in his workes Thyle is Islande The largenesse of the Ocean vnknowen to this day Cardinal Ascanius The warres at Granatum agaynst the Moores Italy disquieted with warres The sequeles of warre Kyng Frederike Spayne subdued from the Moores The kyngdome of Naples The temperatnesse of the Equinoctiall vnknowen to the olde wryters Continent or fyrme lande as bygge as three Europes Riches are the instruments of conquestes The rewardâ— of vertue The Ilandes of the West Ocean Christophorus Colonus India The fyrst voyage of Colonus The Ilandes of Canarie Gades or Calsmals A league what it conteyneth by sea The fortunate Ilandes Capo Verde The .vii. Ilandes of Canarie Betanchor a Frenche man subdued the Ilandes of Canarie c. Alphonsus Lugo Colonus men rebel agaynst hym Fayre woordes and promises Hispaniola Iohanna Nightingales syng in Nouember The Ilande of Ophir The Ilandes of Antilia A shypwracke The people of the Ilande Naked people Expert swymmers Gold for earth and glasse Many kynges Religious and humane people Canoas Monoxyla They haue no iron Canibales or Caribes Anthâ—opophagi The crueltie of the Canibales Ages Rootes in the steede of meate Iucca Bread of rootes In hearbe of strange nature Maizium Golde in estimation Golde in the sandes of riuers Serpentes without venime Turtle doues Duckes Popiniayes Plini These Ilandes are part of India The Indians are Antipodes to the Spanyardes Aristotle Seneca India not farre from Spayne Mastyx Aloe Gossampine cotton or bombase Seres The language of these Indians Trees fruites vnknoweÌ„ to vs Fat and moyst grounde Heate continual temperate The fruitefulnesse of Hispaniola The seconde voyage of Colonus Corne seedes to sowe Tooles and artyllerie Water droppyng from a tree continuallye Methymna Campi Castella Vetus Gades The Ilandâ— of Ferrea Ilandes of the Canibales The Ilande of Dominica Lysartes The Ilande of Galanta The Iland of Guadalupea Villages of .xx. or .xxx. houses The buildyng of theyr houses Gossampine cotton Bombase Hangyng beddes Images Fine cookerie Arrowheades of bones The mount Guadalupus Carucueria Popiniayes bygger then Phesantes The Canibales driueÌ„ to flyght Matinino an Ilande of women The Ilandes of Mons Serratus Huntyng for men Sancta Maria Rotunda Sanctus Martinus Sancta Maria Antiqua Insula crucis an Ilande of the Canibales The Canibales are expert Archers Arrowes inâ—ected with â—enime A conflict with the Canibales The fiercenesse terrible countenance of the Canibales Methymna Campi Innumerable Ilandes The mynes of mettals precious stones The sea called Archipelagus Insula S. Iohannes or Buchena Death for death â—he mounâ—â—ynes are colâ—er then the â—â—aynes â—rom Domiâ—â—ca to Hispaâ—â—ola fiue hunâ—â—ed leagues â—he Spaniarâ—s left in the â—ande are â—yne â—yng Guaccaâ—â—rillus reâ—â—leth Two images of golde Libertie and idlenesse A happie kinde of lyfe Superfluitie Many haue to much and none yenough The golden worde Naked men troubled with ambition Geue place The Admirall sendeth for the kyng No horses in the Ilandes A tyme for all â—ynges A desperate aduenture of a woman Cloelia of Rome Guaccanarillus is sought Melchior Popyngiayes and byrdes Taini Haukes belles A large house Reedes of sundry colours Caccius Hoiedus and Gorualanus Gold in riuers â—allyng from mountaynes The manner of gathering gold Graynes of golde A masse of rude gold weyghing ix ounces Caunaboa â–ª kyng of the house of golde Holsome water and plentie of fyshe The day and nyght of equall length in December Byrdes breede in December The eleuation of the pole The starres are called guardens of the pole The Equinoctial line A chappell and priestes Marchantes Syrophenicians The Cinamome tree Xiloaloes or Lignum Aloes Hispaniola Ophir whither Solomons shyps sayled for Golde Isabella A token of marueilous fruitefulnesse Hearbes greene al the whole yeere Suger reedes Plantes and vines Corne grayne ripe twyse a yeere The region of Cipanga or Cibana Golde The golden region of Cibana The vale of Cibana Golde for haukes bels Graynes and pibble stones of golde They passe not for golde in that it is golde onely but. c. Stones of golde as big as the head of a childe Spices Wilde vines of plesaunte taste Fruitful mountaynes Golde in the lande of ryuers falling from the mountaynes Libertie and idlenes The mountaynes are colde The ilande of Cuba Least any other prince c. Discention betweene the Portiugales and Spaniardes The ilandes of cobouerde or Hesperides The Portugales vâ—ages The ende of the easte and weste Note India not far from Spaine Sainte Nicolas porte The iland of Iamaica Quicke witted people The compassing of the earth Aurea Chersonesus or Malaccha A secreate of Astronomie The riuer of Ganges Daungerous streightes by reason of many Ilandes A large hauen Rosted fishe and serpents of viii foote longe Crocodiles of Egipte The kinges fishers Serpentes esteemed for delicate meaâ—â— Blossomes fruites both at one time Trees which beare gourds A multitude of Ilandes Hotte water A straunge kinde of fisshing Abundance of Tortoyses Fisher men The fishe Guaicanum Humane people A mountayne fruitfull and well inhabited Dogges of strange shape and dumme white and thicke water Wooddes of â—ate trees Men appareâ—â—d like white â—â—yers â—pparelled â—en Natiue vines Trees bearyng spices sweete fruites Diuers languages in the Ilande of Cuba Pearles in shelfyshes The sea entangled with Ilandes A multitude of great Tortoyses A gulfe of white water The humanitie of a reuerende olde gouernour An oration of the naked gouernour Theyr opinion of the soule of man Desyre of gold founde that which religion coulde not â—ynde Virtus post nummos c. The lande as common as â–ª the sunne and water Simple dyet Hispaniola The Canibales Sickenesse of to much Watching Easte India The Spaniardes rebell in the Admirals absence The kinges of the ilande rebell The Spaniardes misbehauiour A iust reuenge Capitayne Hoieda Caunaboa conspireth the Admirals death Famine in the ilande of hispaniola The hunger of golde causeth greate famine The tower of conception Electrum is a metall naturally mixt of one portion of golde an other of siluer being of propertie to bewraye poyson and was therfore in olde time in greater estimation then golde The mine of Electrum An other kinde of amber is taken out of greate whale fishes Orpement oâ— oker Wooddes of brasile trees Licentiusnes of to much libertie And this only geathered and not dygged out of the bodye of the mine The nature of the region disposeth the maner of
the people Kyng Caunaboa in captiuitie Caunaboa his brother rebelleth A conflict betwene the Cibanians and the Spaniards A greate tempest in the moneth of Iune Whirle windes Furacanes The death of king Caunaboa and his brother The golde mines of Salomon Gold in the superficiall partes of the earth The golden tower Lacke of vitayles Vittualles brought from Spayne Saint Domiâ—ikes towre Isabella The Riuer of Naiba Wooddes of Brasile trees Mountaynes without golde The kinges wiues Well fauored women Driades A pretie pastyme Foure men slayne in sport Prouision for diseased men The castels or towers of hispaniola The golden mountaynes of Cibana The kinges rebell An army of xv thousand Barbarians The kinges are taken prisoners king Guarionexius is pardoned Lacke of vytayles xxxii kinges Serpentes eaten The dressing of serpentes to be eaten Serpentes egges eaten Gossopine cotton Queene Anacaona The treasurie of Queene Anacaona Hebene wood The Ilande of Guanabba Cunnyng Artificers A stone in the steede of Iron Gunnes Musical instrumentes Ignorance causeth admiration The intemperancie malice of a seruile wit aduaunced Ciguanians Licenciousnesse in libertie Hercules pyllers A violent perswasion The furie of Guarionexius The thyrd voyage of Colonus the Admiral Frenche men pyrates The iland of Madera Healing of the leper Contagious ayre and extreeme heate The iland of Puta People of comly corporature and long heare neere the Equinoctial The higher the colder Musical instrumentes The violent course of the water from the East to the West The gulfe called Os Draconis A sea of fresh water Marmasets Monkeyes The fayre and large region of Paria Humane people Chayers and stooles of Hebene Whyte men neere the Equinoctiall Shalownesse of the sea The vse of Carauels or Brigandines A riuer of marueylous deapth and breadth The eleuation of the Pole aâ— Paria Note a secrete as concernyng the Pole starre An experience A marueylous secrete Time reuealeth â—l thynges The Spaniardes rebell in the Admiralles absence The Spaniardes accuse the Admiral The Admiralâ— answere These had the custodies of the temples A cruel deuillyshe pastyme Heare made long blacke by arte Kyng Maiobanexius An army of eight thousand Ciguauians Kyng Guarionexius Naturall hatred of vyce The Lieuetenaunts gentelnesse toward Maiobanexius A rare faithfulnesse in a barbarous kyng The Lieuetenauntes messengers are slayne The Spaniardes are painfull in the warres A desperate aduenture with thirtie men A pollicie A beautifull woman The kynges submit them selues to the Lieuetenaunt A newe gouernour of the Ilande The Ocean sea heretofore vnknowen The nauigation of Petrus Alphonsus Pearles for tryfles Great plentie of pearles Shel fyshes in which pearles are engendred Theyr manner of bargayning The vse of pynnes Haukes belles in great estimation Roring of wild beastes Hartes and wylde bores Cunnyng artificers Base golde Tokens of the continent or firme lande The golden region of Canchieta The Equinoctial line Gossampine trees Canibales in the gulfes of Paria Death for death Howe the Canibales fortifie their campe Haraia Springes of salt water The bodyes of prynces dryed and reserued Orient pearles â—s bygge as â—asel nuts The Ilande of Margarita The nauigation of Vincentius and Aries Pinzonus The Ilandes of Canarie Cabouerde S. Iames Ilande The north pole out of sight Habitable regions vnder the Equinoctial lyne People of high stature A vagabounde kynde of men Giantes Desperate â—oldnesse A sea of freshe water Many fruitful Ilandes Humane people Regions of Paria Gold pearles The commodities of the regions Ilands about Paria Brasile Canibales Trees of Cassia fistula A monstrous beast Extreme remedie in a desperate case Cinamome and Ginger Topases Men of noble courage Another voyage Animae album The superstitions of Hispaniola The errours of the olde gentilitie Idolatrie and idolles Illusions of euil spirites Images of gossampine catton Young deuyls Fables muche lyke Ouide his transformations The Nyghtyngale The Ilande of Mathinino Children turned into Frogs A special grace Holy reliques A holy caue The original of the sunne and moone Walkyng spirites A remedie agayest walking spirites Priestes and diuines Phisitions Ignorance is norished with superstition A powder of marueylous effect A strange maner of curyng Angry gods They make the dead to speake Fayries or spirites of the gentiles much like to the papistes The pouder of the herbe Cohobba Secrete mysteries Reuelations The spirite of Apollo The Sibylles Children with two crownes Wandering images A woman Zemes of great power Mediatours A marueylous illusion of the deuyll The idolles abolyshed Millane in the handes of the french men The history folowyng conteyneth the actes of ten yeeres Paria part of the fyrme lande of East India Golde Frankencense The fiercenesse of the naked people A man deuoured of a monster of the sea Note the largenesse of the new Ilandes Antipodes The nature of the place altereth the formes and qualities of thynges Plentie of beastes and foule Cuba is an Ilande The 〈◊〉 of Cuba The Ilande of Burichema of S. Iohannis Golde mynes Tyllage They abhorre labour They are docible The kynges chyldren The two cheefe golde mynes of Hispaniola A costly shypwracke Pesus The fynyng and distributing of gold Three hundred thousaÌ„d weight of gold molten yeerely in Hispaniola The newe landes Enlargyng of the Christian religion The original of true nobilitie The Ilande of Guanassa The voyage of Iohannes Diaz West Antipodes The encrease of the Christian congregation Of landes distant from the Equinoctiall from fyue degrees to ten The death of Colonus A generall licence The nauigation of Alphonsus Fogeda The region of Caramairi Apples whiche turne into wormes A tree whose shadowe is hurtful Warlyke people Arrowes infected with poyson The nauigation of Diego Nicuesa The regions of Vraba and Beragua The Spanyardes reuenge the death of theyr companions A great slaughter Canibales The hunger of golde The Ilande Fortis Wrought gold Nicuesa The gulfe Coiba Barnardino de Calauera Fogeda returneth to Hispaniola Famine A Brigandine drowned with the stroke of a fyshe The region of Cuchibacoa Serra Neuata Os Draconis Riche in golde and poore in bread The vse of targets agaynst venemous arrowes The barbarians haue respect to iustice Salted fyshe Wine of fruites and seedes Artyllerie Ancisus shypwracke A groue of date trees Wylde bores Apples of a strange kyndâ— Cedars of Libanus Men of desperate boldenesse The gulfe of Vraba The great riuer of Darien The souldiers make an othe The barbarians are dryuen to flyght The riuer of Darien but vii degrees from the Equinoctial lyne Golde founde in a thycket of reedes Brest plates of golde The golden regions are for the most part barren Lupus Olanus Petrus de Vmbria The ryuer Lagartos The golden ryuer of Beragua The enterpryse death of Petrus de Vmbria The daungerous place of Scilla in the sea of Cicile The miserable case of Nicuesa The riuer of S. Matthei The rigocousnesse of Nicuesa Corne waxeth rype euerye fourth moneth The commendation of a young man brought vp with Colonus Portus Bellus
thousande pounde of our money The starres about the south pole A similitude declaryng Antipodes The maner of of fyshyng for pearles Petrus Arias Wanton and superfluous pleasures The fyshyng place of kyng Chiapes Gold in maner in euery house The rych treasury of nature The golde mynes of Dariena King Teaocha enterteyneth Vaschus frendly Twenty pound weyght of wrought gold Desartes ful of wylde beastes Dryed fyshe Kyng Pacra a tyraunt Great heate in the moneth of Nouember Hurt by wylde beastes A Tyger Calidonia is a forrest in Scotlande Nemea is a wood in Greece Tigers whelpes Thus the Egiptians take Crocodiles The dogge tyger taken The roryng of the tyger Tigers flesh eaten The biâ—the tyger Tigers whelpes A straunge thyng Kyng Pacra Natural hatred of vice Foure Kynges deuoured of dogges The vse of dogges in warre against naked men The Canibales are expert archers Swoordes of wood Fiftie pound weight of gold Kyng Bononiama frend to the christians Wrought gold The oration of kyng Bononiama The sparke of the lawe of nature is the lawe written in the hartes of men Great plenty of golde A symilitude for the profe of plentye of golde Chaunge of dyet is daungerous Old souldiers A long lent Comogrus Two poore kynges Desartes Vessels of golde kyng Chiorisus sendeth Vaschus xxx dyshes of pure golde Axes of Iron more esteemed then any golde Plenty of gold and scarcenesse of meate A good policie The cause of vehement windes neere the Equinocciall Vaschus his Wordes to King Tumanama Oderuut quem metuunt Xxx. pounde weight of wrought gold Threescore poundes weight of gold They abhorrce labour The coloure of the golden earth and a triall of the same Tokens of great plentle of gold Feeblenesse of hunger and watching The riuer Comogrus Vaschus returneth to Dariena The good fortune of Vaschus O flatteryng fortune looke his death in the booke of the Iland lately found The earth is our generall mother The cout of infernal Pluto Manhuntees The fyersnessâ— of the Canibales Our duty to god and naturall loue to mankinde The office of Christian princes The haruest is great The fourth nauigation of Colonus the Admiral From Spaine to Hispaniola a thousande and two hundred leagues Simple people A great marchaunt Gentle people The regions of Tuia Maia Seuen kyndes of date trees Wilde vines Mirobalanes Byrdes and foules People of goodly stature They poynt theyr bodyes The swyft course of the sea from the East to the West Freshe water in the sea Fayre ryuers Great reedes Great Tortoyses Quatuor tempora The region of Quicuri The hauen of Cariai or Mirobalanus Ciuile and humane people Trees growing in the sea after a strange sort Plinie A strange kynd of Monkeys A Monkey fyghteth with a man A conflyct betwene a Monkey and a wyld Bore The bodyes of kynges dryed and reserued Crownes of beastes clawes Spytefull people Guns make peace Seuen golden ryuers Note wher the plentie of gold endeth Crocodiles of sweet sauour Alcayr or Babylon in Egypt Shyppes eaten with wormes Alexandria in Egypt Howe the kyng of Beragua entertayned the Lieuetenant Their reuereÌ„ce to their kyng Slynges and dartes Libertie more esteemed then ryches The Spanyardes are dryuen to flyght A miserable case Necessitie hath no lawe Howe farre life is to be estemed Sanctus Dominicus Landes founde by Colonus Themperat regions and holsome ayre Expert miners A godly nature in golde Golden haruest High and great mountaynes Tirrhenum is nowe called Tuscane The mouÌ„tayns of Beragua higher then the cloudes Mountaynes of fiftie myles heyght Ianus otherwase called Iaphet the son of Noe. By this coniecture the way shoulde open to Cathai by the Hiperboreans Looke the nauigation of Cabote Deca iii. lib. vi The great riuer Maragnonus The great riuer Dabaiba or sancti Iohannes The riuers haue theyr increase from the sprynges of the mountaynes The ryuer of Nilus in Egypt Maryshes and desolate wayes A superstitious opinion of the originall of the mountaynes of Dabaiba Dragons and Crocodiles in the maryshes The hauen Cerabaro Twentie golden ryuers Precious stones A precious Diamond of exceeding bignes Topasis The nauigation of Petrus Arias The Ilande of Canarie Prouision of freshe water and fuel The sea of hearbes These mountaines are called Montes Niuales or Serra Neuata Decade .ii. lib. 1. and .ii. Mountaynes couered with snowe The stoutnes of the Barbarians The Canibales fight in the water The vse of gunnes The generation of thunder and lyghtning Plentie of fysh Cunning fyshers Tapistrie This is he whom Cardanus praiseth Precious stones The Smaradge is the true Hâ—merode Another kynde of Amber is founde in Whales Golde and Brasile Marchasites are flowres of mettals by the colours whereof the kyndes of mettals are knowen These Locustes burne the corne with touching and deuoure the residue They are in India of three foote length Gardens Insubres are nowe called Lumbardes and Hetruci Tuscans One myriade is ten thousande The manner of plantyng the roote Iucca Earth turned into rootes Howe bread is made of rootes Panicum is a grayne somewhat lyke mil The Italians cal it Melica He meaneth the equal length of day and nyght which is continualy in regions vnder the Equinoctiall line Holsome ayre Gossampine Cotton Fethers Bowes and arrowes Dead bodies reserued Gonzalus Ouiâ—dus sayeth that they gylt marueylously with the iuce of a certayne hearbe White marble The great riuer Maragnonus This ioyneth with the mighty riuer called Flumen Amazonum founde of late Clokes of fethers The swift course of the water Fourtie leagues in one nyght Sundry opinions why the sea runneth with so swyft course from the East into the West The Equinoctial line Why al waters moue towarde the south or Equinoctial read Cardanus ae subtilit liber ii de elementis Strayghtes As by the strayght of Magelanus The north landes The frosen sea Sebastian Cabot The voyage of Sebastian Cabot from Englande to the frosen sea Demogorgon is the spirite of the earth People couered with beastes skynnes The Ilandes of the Canybales The Ilande Fortis Salte A strange thing Howe Vaschus receiued the newe gouernour Habitable regions vnder the Equinoctiall line Where the new gouernour planteth his habitation A passinger shyp Decurians are officers deuided into tennes c. The gold mines of Dabaiba An errour The region of Saturma The Ilande of Dominica Difficult saylyng agaynst the course of the sea The daungerous straightes of Scylla and Charibdis The vehement course of the sea from the east to the west By what meanes the Sonne beames are cause of feruent heate The pernitious ayre of Dariena Toades and Flees engendred of drops of water Necessitie hath no lawe A house set on fyre with lightnyng A dogge deuoured of a Crocodile Tanquam canis de Nilo The bytyng of Battes Lions and Tygers Beastes waxe higher in theyr kynde Note Broma or Bissa are wormes which destroy shyppes A venemous tree Perhaps their venemous arrows are made of this wood A preseruatiue against poison The Ilandes of the
Cerabaro Decade iii.li.iiii The South sea A league contayneth foure myles by sea and but three by lande The golden region Coiba Dites Sande myxt with golde Howe theyr slaues are marked in the face Golde A fruitefull region left desolate by ciuile discorde Syxe thousand Castellans of golde kyng Taracuru Foure thousand pesos of gold Salte Theyr maner of warre Gonsalus Badaiocius hath the ouerthrowe and is spoiled of great riches of gold The inconstancie of fortune The expedition of Fraunces Bezarra aganst the Canibales Gunnes Valleius repulsed of his enemies The Ilands of the South sea In this sea lye the Ilandes of Mollucca most fruitfull of spyces Collacutea Cochinus and Camemorus from whence the Portugales haue their spyces He meaneth by the streight of Magellanus Howe they take Hartes and wylde Bores Stocke doues Theyr maner of foulyng Popingiayes are easily taken A straunge kynde of foulyng Fyshes and worms engendred of slyme Foules Gourdes of the tree Later opinions of the swyft course of the Ocean toward the West The continent or fyrme lande The vyages of Diegus Colonus The viage from the new lands to Spain The contrary course of waters The poynt of the pole starre The golde mynes of Dariena and the maner of geatheryng golde Our inclosers would leaue no such commens Auri sacra Fames The dropsie of couetousnesse Looke Decade 3. Liber 10. Cities fortifyed with walles The Ilande of Cuba or Fernandina The Spaniards of Cuba attempt new vyages The West angle of Cuba Note The Ilande of Iucatana A great citie well buylded Temples Humane people Cunnyng artifycers Apparelled people Circumcised Idolaters Campechium A towne of three thousand houses Plentie of beastes and foules Theyr Idoles and Idolatry Houses of lime and stone The prouince Aquanil Mosco The Spanyardes are put to flyght and many slayne An other expedition The Ilande of Cozumella Sweete sauoures A fruitefull Ilande Towres and temples Cozumella named Scancta Crux Idles lyke Beares Idolatry Gentle people Iucanata but fyue myles from Cozumella The Barbarians make resistance A conflict The length of Iucatana The region of Caluacam or Oloan. The riuer Grisalua 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 Armur of gold Expert artificers Fyshe hokes of golde The Ilandes of Sacrifice Chyldren sacrificed to Idols Theyr Idoles of marble Golde and precious stones A stone of great price Ilandes of women Golde Houses lyke Towres .xv. great townes in the prouince of Coluacana Townes of .xx. thousand houses The region of Palmaria A token of frendshyp Priestes Chastitie The punishment of adulterie Mariage is honoured Fasting Kyng Ouandus Idoles iewels and ouches of golde Gold in mountaynes and riuers Theyr maner of geathering golde Sweete sauours A stone of great price Other viages from Cuba oâ— Fernandina Many Ilands betweene Cuba and the fyrme lande Sanctiago the chiefe citie of Cuba The Barbarians slep the Spaniardes with theyr own weapons The chiefe citie of the supposed continent The Spanyardes are slaine againe with their owne weapons The Barbarians are slayne and put to flyght A multitude of Ilandes Archipelagus â–ª An other viage xxvi Ilandes about Hispaniola Cuba Images of golde Rasers of stone Instruments and tooles Landes lyke vnto the earthly Paradyse An other vyage of ten Carauels and fyue hundred men Horses and mares Fernando Cortesius The Ilande of Cozumella Carpettes and sheetes Innumerable bookes Circumcised Idolaters They Sacrifyce Children The Ilandes of Destam and Sestam The sacrifice of dogges They are soone perswaded to our religion This people leauing one kynde of Idolatry be taught another An other viage Aquillaris .vii. yeeres captiue in the Ilande of Iucatana Valdiuia The shipwrack of Valdiuia The quicke sandes called vypers The course of the sea toward the West Valdiuia is sacrificed to Idoles How Aquillaris escaped Kyng Taxmarus The mouth of a ryuer stopped with sande Turky Hens A conflicte The Barbarians arâ— put to flyght The great towne of Potanchana or Victoria A towne of xxv thousande houses Gunnes and horses The men and the horse â–ª thought to be one beast Palaces of maruelous bygnes and well buylded They receyue our religion A towne of a thousand and fyue hundred houses Another voiage of two brigantines and fyftie men Where the sea runneth swyftly from the East to the West A conflict betweene the waters comming from the West and from the South A dangerous and payneful vyage The lande of Coluacana The lande of Baccalaos oâ— Baccalearum Rych presentes of golde and pretious stones A newe colonie This Cortesius hath written a booke of these thynges They weare rynges and plates at theyr lyppes The dyuers phantasies of men Syluer Note where golde and syluer are engendred I thinke this Laton to be some kynde of pure Copper or els Copper that holdeth golde For Laton is an artificial metall and hath no natural myne Theyr bookes Theyr letters What is conteyned in theyr bookes Temples richely adourned Prayer They sacrifice children and captiues A wrong way to heauen Bloody gods Villa Ricca Siuilla Noua The force of an old errour Theyr priests lyue chast Faggotes of bones A figure of baptisme The presentes sent into Spayne to the kyng Two Images of golde and siluer Two cheynes of golde marueylously beset with precious stones and iewelles Buskyns Myters How can we then call them beastly or Barbarous If they had chaunged theyr golde for our Iron â–ª they had not so soone been subdued Quylles Helmets A byrd Speares A scepter A braselet Shooes Glasses Bâ—â—ds foules and fyshes of golde A crowne of golde Images of beastes Sheetes Cloth of Arras A souldyers cloake Registers of th affayres of India Thaucthoritie of the Lieuetenaunt The Spanyardes of Dariena Sansta Maria Antiqua Petrus Arias whom the Spanyardes name Pediarias This sea the Spanyardes call Mardelser Contention betweene Vaschus and Petrus Arias Petrus Arias commaundeth that Vaschus be put to death Vaschus is accused Vaschus is put to death Petrus Arias Lupus Sosa The great ryuer of Dabaiba or Grandis The gulfe of Vraba The ryche mountaynes of Dabaiba Fierce waclyke people Dartes Swoordes of heauy wood Hispaniola Ouiedus wryteth that there are now fyue monasteries Newe and straunge diseases The suger of Hispaniola Suger of Valentia A token of marueylous fruitfulnes Wheat Vines Cassia Fistula Brasyle Myrobalanes Cap. 5. August A marke is a pounde of viii ounces summa xvi.li weyght .viii. ounces after xii ounces to the .li. Of this reade more largely in the decades By the computation of Venice foure granes make a Caract Doctrine not worthy for a christian man Vipers Adders Dragons Spiders Crabbes Serpentes called Iuanni Beâ—res Antes â–ª A strange beast which seemeth a kind of Cameleon Foules and byrdes Alcatraz Panama Passere sempie Picuti Folyshe sparowes Cazzuole Pintadelli Great foules Cocus I haue seene one of these fruites opened the whiche when it was whole if it were shaken the water was harde shogge therein as it were in a bottle but in tyme it consumed and was partly congeled into a saâ—te
fyghting Fruitefull Gotes Rammes with buckes hornes Canonisyng of saintes The wyfe burneth her selfe after the death of her husband Daunsyng deuylles Sacrifice to the deuyll The hygh way to hell Great respecte of fame and honestie Writyng Mecha The citie of Bangella An army of two hundred thousand men Spices and silke Riche merchantes Precious stones Christians Lignum Aloes Laserpitium Belzoi Castoreum Christian Princes vnder the great Cham of Cathay Christian Princes neare the Turkes dominions Corall of great pryce Rubies Pego. Idolaters White men Christians Great Reedâ—â— â–ª Muske catteâ— â–ª Precious stones and spices Capela Smaragdes or Emeraldes Great riches of Iewelles and precious stones A kyng shinyng with earthly starres The kyng sacrifyceth to the deuyll Corall The kyng and the merchant contende of liberalitie Commendation of the Persians A casket full of Rubies A Princely gyfte Colours A ryuer of .xxv. myles brode The Ilande of Sumetra or Taprobana Chini or China Popingayes Sandalum Tyn. Spices and silke Vnruly people Anarchia The Ilande of Samatra or Samotra Foure kynges in one Iland Women burns them selues Iustice. Coyned mony of golde syluer and tynne Elephantes Long Pepper Cathay or Catai a colde region Sylke of the trees Laserpitium or Belzoe Litle true Aloes or Laserpitium Sarnau Cathay and other rych countreys Aloes of very sweete sauour The proofe of Laserpitium Lacca merchantes waxe Shyppes of a straunge fashion Swymmers Great hydes of fyshes Great teeth of Elephantes Great Serpentes The name of Hierusalem in reuerence Anarchia Lawlesse people Idolaters The Nuttemegge tree Mace All thynges common Nuttemegges of small price The lawe of nature These Ilandes of spyces are called Moluccdae and in them is seene the rare byrde named Manucodiata or paradisea The Cloue tree Cloues dearer then Nutmegs The Ilande of Gyaua Bornei â–ª Veronica or Vernacle The headdes of Peter and Paule The Ilande of Bornei Idolaters Camphora The north star The starres about the pole Antartike The lode stone serueth in the south regions beyonde the Equinoctiall line Antipodes Idolaters The Image of the deuyll Sylke of trees Smaragdes Golde Copper Whyte men good people Byrdes and foules Impoysoned arrowes Trunkes Anthropophagi eate mans fleshe In the West India they are called Caniballes A straunge pittie Rather to butchers then woormes Emeraldes of great price Gelded children Sana Seuen thousande Ilandes Malacha or Melacha Colon. Portugales Two Christians of Milan in Calecut The Christians haue made a rodde for their owne arsse The Nauie of Portugale A great peece of ordinaunce A Iewe that made Gunnes and shyppes was drowned Repentaunce Predestination A fortresse of the Portugales in the citie of Canonor Hipocrisie A Sainct by hipocrisie A glister A straunge ministring of a glister More good happe then cunnyng Sely soules Trumpettes in the steede of belles Not all thac say Lord Lord. c. Some of them say that he is rysen God the father The virgin Marie Merchantes of Calecut Noeros are gentlemen of the kynges garde The Gouernoure of Portugales fortresse The Viceroy of the kyng of Portugall in India Concubineâ— and slaues 〈…〉 Beware of couetousnesse The Byshop of the Mahumetans The Mahumetans conspire the death of the Christians An Oration The death of Iohn Maria and Peter Antonye The frenche poxe The nauie of the kyng of Calecut agaynst the Portugals â–ª The Mahumetan soldiers The oration of the gouernour to the Christian soldiers The nauie of the Mahumetans The Admirall of the Christians The quarel and occasion of the warre The Mahumetans geue the onset The valyantnesse of the Admirall A great slaughter of the mahumetans The valiantnesse of Iohn Seranus Fewe Chrians slayne The valiantnesse of Simon Martin A Stratageme Tenne Mahumetan shyps soonke with the shot of great artillerie The Christians had the victorie An other great conflicte The Mahumetans slayne in swimming The Mahumetans experte in swimmyng The kyng of Canonor The valiantnesse of the Portugales The death of the kyng of Canonor A newe expedition against the Christians Long warres Great oddes The Mahumetans artillerie The order of the Mahumetans Campe. Instrumentes Outragious out crye The arryuyng of a newe Nauie of Portugales The Mahumetans seeke to make peace with the Christians The peace concluded A pleasaunt fable Sainct Christopher the Christian Giant The enemyes confesse that God gaue the victorie Simple and ignorant people Messis multa sed operarii pauci c. The Masse No more can wyser men then they Inchaunters and of great agilitie The Ilande of Monzambrich Melinda The kyng of Portugales dominion in Ethiopia The conquestes of Tristan dè Cugna Sacutara Cumeris Pendè Zaphala Golde Blacke Mahumetans Trogloditae Ethiopes Heardes of Elephantes Elephantes are afrayde of fyre An Apyshe language Rych merchandies for golde Kyne very good cheape Trogloditae Cabo dè Buena Speranza The Ilande of Sainct Laurence or Madagascar The kyng of Portugale The Christian religion spreadâ—th in India Tempest An exceedyng great shyppe and great ryches of spyces Great Whale fyshes The Ilande of Ascention Saylyng by the north starre in regioÌ„s beneath the Equinoctiall lyne Malacha Tachola The Ilandes of Malucha The Alande of Samotra Spices Calecut Ceilam Cathay China Pretious stones Sylke Cantan One caratte is iiii graynes â–ª Which is one crowne of golde Which are .iii. crownes of golde A Marcell is a siluer coyne of Venice of .xi. vnâ—es iii.d with 〈◊〉 wherof .x. make an ounce Don Peter Martyr Rome sacked A daye lost in three yeeres one moneth It is now found with one master Harold a prebend in wyndsor Antonie Pigafetta Iacobus Faber Maximilian Transiluane The rewarde of noble enterprise The antiquitie had no such knowledge of the world as we haue The Ilandes of Molucca Aurea Chersonesus Malaccha Spices The Ilandes of Spices vnknowen in olde tyme. The Phenix Plinie The nauigations of great Alexander Ethiope Trogloditi The nauigation about the worlde The olde autours Monsters The wages of the Spanyards and Portugales Sebastian Munster The Ilandes of Molucca Controuersie betweene the Spanyardes and Portugales Ferdinando Magalianes The Cape of saint Vicent The Ilandes of Canarie Water engendred of a clude The Iland of S. Thomas Capo verde Guinea in Ethiope Fyshes and monsters of the sea The fyre of S. Helene and S. Nicolas A tempest The natural cause of suche fyres as fall in the shyppes Cardanus Two kyndes of fiers engendred of exhalations True fyre and false fyre Castor and Pollux The lightes of Sainct Peter and Sainct Nicolas They lost the sight of the North starre The Ilande of Brasile The South pole Suger The greatnesse of the lande of Brasile Caniballes Giantes Insulae gemmarum Cap. S. Marie The pole Antartike Geese Sea woolues The .xlix. degree of the South pole Giantes The bygnesse of the Giantes An other Giant Foure other Giantes Two Giantes are taken by a pollicie The deuyll Setebos Deuyls appeare to the Giantes when they dye Patagoni The Giantes feeding They conspire against theyr Captayne Confession The straight of Magellanus The South sea
Mare pacificum The Giants died for heate Capo Desiderato Short nightes in the moneth of October Fleeing fyshes The Giantes language The Giant is baptised Three moneths saylyng without the sight of lande Extreme famyne Diseases of famyne Vnfortunate Ilandes What they sayled dayly The starres about the South pole The needle of the compase The lode stone The Equinoctiall line The Ilands of Cipanghu and Sumbdit Insulae Latronum People with long heare The Ilande of zamall Wyne of Date trees The maruilous fruite Cocus The Iland of zuluan The sea called Archipelago di san Lazaro Gentiles Foure Ilands The Iland of Buthuan The Ilande of Caleghan Plenty of gold The kyng of Buthuan A combatte Moores and Gentiles Mani Ilands The Iland of Messana Battes as byg as Eagles Fowles with hornes Egges hatched in sande The Ilande of zubut A shyppe laden with gold and slaues Calecut Malacha Sheaddyng of blood is a token of frendshyp The kyng of zubut is baptised The kyng of Zabut his apparell Well fauoured women Barteryng Pesus what it is They breake theyr Idolles and erecte the Crosse. Fyue hundred men baptised The Queene of Zabut The Queenes apparell A miracle The Ilande of Mathan The Captayne Magellanus is slayne The Ilande of Bohol They burnt one of theyr shyppes Blacke men The Ilande of Chippit The Ilande of Caghaian The Ilande of Pulaoan The Ilande of Burnei or Porne A great citie Elephantes The Ilande of Cimbulon Leaues of trees which seeme to lyue A sea full of weedes Pearles Men ouergrowen with heare The Ilandes of Molucca The Portugales are reproued Tidore one of the Ilandes of Molucca A vision in the Planettes The fyue Ilandes of Molucca Tarenate The Ilande of Gilolo Moores and Gentyles Golde Water in Reedes Theyr maner of barteryng Water of a straunge qualitie Byrdes of a straunge fourme They leaue one of theyr shippes behinde them The Ilandes of Molucca Hony of flyes Popingayes The Ilande of Tidore Terenate Mutir Macchian Bacchian Many Ilands The Iland of Mallua Pepper Litle men with long eares The Ilande of Timor White Saunders and Gynger The dyuell appeareth Saint Iob his disease Cinamome The Ilandes of Giana Malaccha The great gulfe of China The cape of Malacha The names of many regions Rubarbe The great kyng of China The greater India The beast called Linx The punishment of rebels The kyng is not seene but at a glasse A thyng of strange workemanshyp The kyng marieth his syster His palace A marueylous garde Women serue the kyng Foure maruelous haulles The people of China The great kyng of Mien Cathay The sea of Lantchidol Malacha The Iland of Sumetra Pegu. Bangala Calecut Canonor Coa Cambala Ormus East India Cap. de Buona Speranza The port of Monzambique The ingratitude of the Portugales The port of S. Lucar neere vnto Siuile What became of the other shyppe Dariena The Cape of Cattigara The voyage hardly performed They bye slaues for lacke of helpe Maryners woorthy immortal fame Iohn Sebastian The trade of spices parteineth to Themperour Iohn kyng of Portugale The trade of Spices The controuersie determined by Cosmographers and Pilots The arbytrers on the Emperours syde Sebastian Cabote Instruments of Cosmographie The Ilandes of Maluca The Arbitrers on the Portugales syde The place where they mette The order of theyr proces The Portugales Contention for drawyng the lyne of the diuision Howe the Portugales were deceyued The Spanyardes allegations Samatra Malacha China Magallanes Buena Vista The Ilandes of Cabo Verde The Portugales cauillations The lyne of diuision The sentence The Portugales threaten death to the Castilians The line of the last diuision The great Ilande of Samotra The lande of Brasile parteyneth to the Portugales A mery tale The gold mine of Guinea Alonso kyng of Portugale Golde for thinges of small value Contention for the kingdome of Castile Warre against the Moores of Granada The conquests of the Portugales in Affrike Pope Alexander The Pope maâ—keth the diuision The kyng of Portugale refuseth to stande to the Popes Bull. The agreement of the last diuision Wherein the Portugales were deceyued Sebastian Cabote The Emperour and the kyng of Portugale ioyned in aliance by maryage The Portugales robbe the Castilians The coronation of the Emperour The gagyng of â—he Ilandes of Malucas Zamatra and Malaca Tascalteca Churultecal Kyng Metuzuma his oration to the Spanyards A note A note Mexico Themestitan The Courtiers The kynges houses The seruice of the kyng Corteâ—ius returneth to Themistitan Muteezuma slayne A Parle Cortesius fleeeth out of Themistitan Cortesius returneth to the siege of Themistitan Themistitan conquered agayne The fyrst part The second part The third part