ships vpon the commandement of Emmanuel the king to discouer the coast of Brasil and they sailed in the sight of the Canaries and from thence to Cape Verde where they refreshed themselues in the towne of Bezequiche and passed from thence beyond the line southward and fell with the land of Brasill in fiue degrées of latitude and so went forward till they came in 32. degrées little more or lesse according as they accounted it and from thence they came backe in the moneth of Aprill because it was there at that time cold and tempestuous They were in that voiage fifteene monethes and came to Lisbon againe in the beginning of September 1502. In the yâ—ere 1502. one Alfonso Hoieda went to discouer Terra firma and followed his course till he came to his prouince of Vraba The next yéere following also one Roderigo Bastidas of Siuill went out with two carauels at his owne cost and the first land of the Antiles that he saw was an Island which he named Isla Verde that is the Gréene Island standing fast by the Island of Guadalupe towards the land and from thence they tooke their course towards the west to Santa Martha and Cape De la Vela and to Rio Grande or the Great riuer and they discouered the hauen of Zamba the Coradas Carthagena and the Islands of S. Barnard of Baru and Islas de Arenas and went forward vnto Isla fuerte and to the point of Caribana standing at the end of the Gulfe of Vraba where they had sight of the Farrallones standing on the other side hard by the riuer of Darien and from Cape De la Vela vnto this place are two hundred leagues and it standeth in 9. degrées and two parts of latitude From thence they crossed ouer vnto the Island of Iamaica where they refreshed themselues In Hispaniola they graued their ships because of the holes which certaine wormes of the water had eaten in the planks In that countrey they got fower hundred markes of golde although the people there be more warlike then in Noua Spania for they poison their arrowes which they shoote In this same yéere 1502. Christopher Columbus entred the fourth time into his discouerie with fower ships at the commandement of Don Fernando to séeke the Streight which as they said did diuide the land from the other side and he carried with him Ferdinando his sonne They went first to the Island of Hispaniola to Iamaica to the riuer Azua to the Cape of Higueras and vnto the Islands Gamares and to the Cape of Hunduras that is to say the Cape of the Depthes from thence they sailed towards the east vnto the Cape Gracias a Dios and discouered the prouince and riuer of Veragua and Rio Grande and others which the Indians call Hienra And from thence he went to the riuer of Crocodiles which now is called Rio de Chagres which hath his springs néere the South Sea within fower leagues of Panama and runneth into the North Sea and so he went vnto the Island which he called Isla de Bastimentos that is the Isle of Victuailes and then to Puerto Bello that is the Faire hauen and so vnto Nombre de Dios and to Rio Francisco and so to the hauen of Retrete and then to the Gulfe of Cabesa Cattiua and to the Islands of Caperosa and lastly to the Cape of Marble which is two hundred leagues vpon the coast from whence they began to turne againe vnto the Island of Cuba and from thence to Iamaica where he grounded his ships being much spoiled and eaten with wormes In this yéere also 1502 Don Vasques de Gama being now Admirall went againe into India with 19. or 20. Carauels He departed from Lisbon the tenth day of Februarie and by the last day of that moneth he came to an anker at Cape Verde and from thence he went vnto Mosambique and was the first that crost from that Island into India and he discouered another in 4. degrées of latitude which he called the Island of the Admirall and there he tooke his lading of pepper and drugs and left there one Vincent Sodre to kéepe the coast of India with fiue ships These were the first Portugals that with an armie did run along the coast of Arabia Foelix It is there so barren that their cattell and camels are onely maintained with drie fish brought from the sea whereof there is such plenty and abundance that the cats of the countrey doe vse to take them In the yeere following as it is reported one Antonie de Saldanta discouered the Island which in old time was called Coradis and now Socotora and the Cape of Guardafu which adioineth vnto that countrey In the yéere 1504. Roderigo de Bastidas obtained licence of king Ferdinando and by the meanes of Iohn de Lodesma and others of Siuill armed and furnished out two ships hauing for his pilot one Iohn de Cosa of Saint Marie Port and he went to discouer that part of Tierra firma where now standeth Carthagena being in ten degrées and a halfe of northerly latitude And it is said that they found the captaine Luis de la Guerra and they together tooke land in the Isle of Codego where they tooke sixe hundred persons of the Sauages And going farther along the coast they entred into the Gulfe of Vraba where they found sand mingled with gold being the first that was brought to the king Don Ferdinando from thence they returned to the citie of Santo Domingo laden with slaues without victuailes because they of the countrey would not bargaine with them which grew to their great trouble and griefe In the later end of this yéere died Ladie Isabella Quéene of Castile Which Quéene while she liued would not suffer any man of Arragon Catalunia Valencia nor any borne in the countrey of Don Fernando her husband to enter into these discoueries saue those which were their seruants or by speciall commandement but only the Castillians Biscaines those which were of her owne Signiories by whom all the lands aforesaid were discouered In the yéere 1505. vpon our Lady day in March Francisco de Almeida Viceroy of India tooke his course with 22. sailes towards India as now is accustomed He came vnto the citie of Quiloa where he built a fort appointing one Peter Fereira to be captaine thereof and beyond Melinde he trauersed to the Island of Angediua where he placed as captaine one Emmanuell Passauia In Cananor also he built another fort giuing the captainship of it to Laurence de Brito In Cochin he did the like where Don Alfonso de Noronia was made captaine This yéere one Peter de Anhaya did build the fortresse of Sofala whereof also himselfe was made captaine In the later end of this yéere the Viceroy commanded his sonne whose name was Don Laurenço to make some
latitude they found a Straight and passing through it towards the west they arriued in the Empire of India and fought with the king of Cathay and so came backe againe vnto the citie of Rome Which thing howsoeuer it may séeme either possible or not possible true or not true yet so I finde it left to vs recorded in the * histories of that time In the 100. yéere after the incarnation of Christ the Emperour Traiane prepared an armie by sea vpon the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and departed from them and sailed to the Islands of Zyzara and passing the straight of Persia entred into the Ocean sea and sailed towards India all along the coast till he came to that place where Alexander had béen and there he tooke certaine ships which came from Bengala of whom he learned the state of that countrey But because he was then in yéeres and wearie with his trauaile but especially because he found there small reliefe for his armie he returned backe After that the Romanes had gotten the most part of the world there were in that age made many and notable discoueries But then came the Gothes Moores and other barbarous nations and destroied all For in the yéere 412. after the incarnation of Christ they tooke the citie of Rome And the Vandales came out of Spaine and conquered Africa And in the yeere 450. the king called Atila destroied many cities in Italie at which time the citie of Venice began And in this age the Frankes and Vandals entred into France In the yéere 474. the Empire of Rome was lost and fell from the Romanes to the Gothes And after this came the Lombards into Italie namely in the yéere 560. Also about this time the sect of the Arrians preuailed greatly and at this time one Merline of England was famous for his prophecies To be short in the yéere 611. sproong vp the Mahumetane sect and Morisco regiment which by force inuaded both Africa and Spaine By all this it may appéere that in that age all the world was in an hurly burly and all places very tumultuous In so much that trafficke and marchandise ceased for no nation durst trade one with another neither by sea nor land nothing as then remained stedfast neither in monarchies nor kingdomes signiories religions lawes artes sciences nor nauigations Nor so much as the records and writings of such things did remaine but were all burnt and consumed by the barbarous crueltie and vnbrideled power of the Gothes who became so couetous and ambitious that they purposed of themselues to begin a new world and to roote out the memorie and blot out the knowledge of all other nations besides But they that succéeded after these times in the gouernment of things perceiuing the great and huge losse that the Christian world had by the want of trafficke and ceasing of nauigation whereby those commodities and marchandises could not be spent which before went ordinarily from one nation to another by the vse of trade to the end that this decay and losse might be repaired and the treasures of the East might be imparted with the West as it was woont in the times of quietnes and peaceable liuing they began to deuise a way to passe to India which was not as the former way was by the Red sea and the riuer Nilus but a way of farther sailing farther length and cost also For they brought their ware vp the riuer Indus and there vnladed it carrying it by land through the countrey of Paropanisus by Carauans vnto the prouince of Bactria and then shipped it in barks on the riuer Oxus which falleth into the Caspian sea and so sailed ouer that sea vnto an hauen of the riuer Rha named Citracan or Astracan and so vpwards in the said riuer which now is called Volga and as it appéereth they carried it to the citie of Nouogrode in the prouince of Resan which now belongeth to the great Duke of Moscouia standing toward the north in 54. degrées of latitude therehence they trauailed ouer land vnto the prouince of Sarmatia vnto the riuer Tanais which is the diuision of Europe from Asia where they againe laded it in barks and caried it downe the riuer into the lake Maeotis and to the citie of Caffa which in ancient time was called Theodosia which then belonged to the Genowais who came thither for those wares in their galliasses or great ships It is also left written that the trade this way endured vntill the raigne of Commodita Emperour of Armenia who prouided for a better course and commanded this trafficke of the spices to be conueied by the Caspian sea and so through the kingdome of Hiberia which now is called Georgiana and from thence they entred by the riuer Phasis now Phasso into Pontus Euxinus and so vnto the city of Trapezunda standing in 40. and odde degrées of northerly latitude And to that place came shipping for the marchandises out of Europe and Africa It is further left recorded concerning this way of trafficke that Nicanor determined or had already begun to open aboue 120. miles of land which lieth betwéene the Caspian sea and Pontus Euxinus that they might come and goe by water with their spices drugs and other commodities there vsed But in the meane time this mischiefe happened that Ptolemey Ceraunos killed him and by his death this woorthy and famous enterprise ceased without effect But the other way being also at last lost by reason of the wars of the Turks it pleased God to open another way to these marchandises from the Isle of Samatra the citie of Malacca and the Island of Iaua vnto Bengala and so carrying them vp the riuer Ganges vnto the citie of Agra from whence they trauailed ouer land vnto another citie standing néere the riuer Indus named Boghar where they discharged bicause the citie of Cabor standeth too farre within the land being the principall citie of the Mogores From thence they went forward to the great citie of Samarcand standing in the countrey of Bactria and there the marchants of India Persia and Turkie met bringing thither their seuerall commodities as cloth of gold veluets chamolets scarlet and woollen clothes which were carried to Cathay and the great kingdome of China wherehence they brought againe gold siluer precious stones pearles silke muske and many other things of great value and much rubarbe After this these marchandise drugs and spiceries were carried in ships vpon the Indian sea vnto the streight of Ormus and to the riuers Euphrates and Tigris and were vnladen in the citie of Balsara standing in 31. degrées towards the north and from thence they were caried ouer land vnto the cities of Aleppo Damascus and Barutti standing on the same side in 35. degrées And there the Venetian gallies or galliasses which transported pilgrims into the holy land came and receiued of those goods In the yéere 1153.
left 38 men and a captaine called Roderigo de Arana to learne the language and customes of the countrey They brought from thence musters and shewes of gold pearles and other things which that countrey yéelded and ten Indians also whereof sixe died the rest were brought home and baptized Hereupon there grewe such a common desire of trauaile among the Spanyards that they were ready to leape into the sea to swim if it had béen possible into those new found parts The aforesaid company of Columbus at their comming home tooke in their way the Isles of the Açores and the 4. day of March in the yéere 1493. they entred into the bar of Lisbon which discouerie pleased not the king of Portugall Whereupon rose a contention betwéene those two kings Christopher Columbus being arriued went presently into Castile with the newes of all things and acquainted the king Fernando with the discontentednes of the king of Portugall whereupon he and the Quéene Isabella his wife sent streight word thereof vnto Pope Alexander the 6. whereat he and the Italians were in great admiration maruailing that there was any more land besides that which was vnder the Romanes But the end of this matter was this Alexander the Pope gaue these countreies by his iudgement vnto the kingdomes of Leon and Castile with this condition That they should labour to extirpate idolatrie and plant the Holy faith in those countreyes Fernando the king hauing receiued this answere was glad of it and sent Christopher Columbus againe on the former voiage hauing made him Admirall and giuen him other honors with particular armes and a posie written about his armes to this effect For Castile and for Leon A new world found out Colon. In the yéere 1493. the 25. of the moneth of October Christopher Columbus went backe vnto the Antiles and froÌ„ Cadiz he tooke his course hauing in his companie 17. ships and 1500. men in them with his brethren Bartholomew Columbus and Diego Columbus with other knights gentlemen men of law and religious men with chalices crosses rich ornaments and with great power and dignitie from Pope Alexander the 10. day after their setting foorth they arriued at the Canaries from thence in 25. or 30. daies they sailed vnto the Antiles the first Island that they saw standeth in 14. degrées towards the north due west from Cape Verde on the coast of Africa They say that the distance from thence to the Canaries is 800. leagues The name they gaue it was Deseada that is the Desired or wished Island for the great desire which the companie had to come to sight of land After that they discouered many more which they named the Virgines which the naturals of the countrey call the Caribas for that the men of that countrey are good warriers and shoote well in bowes They poison their arrowes with an herbe whereof he that is hurt dieth biting himselfe like as a mad dog doth From these Islands and others they went vnto the principall Island there which they of the countrey doe call Boriquen and the Spanyards call it S. Iohn and thence to Hispaniola or Isabella where they found all the men dead which there they had left Here the Admirall left the most part of the people to plant it and appointed his brethren to be gouernours there and so tooke two ships and went to discouer the other side of the Island of Cuba and from thence to Iamaica All these Islands stand from 16. vnto 20. degrées of northerly latitude In the meane time that the Admiralâ— sailed about his brethren and they that were left with them were much troubled because the Sauages did rise against them So that Christopher Colon went backe againe into Spaine to tell the king and Quéene of his aduentures In the yéere 1494. and in the moneth of Ianuarie there was an agréement made of the differences which were betwéene the two kings of Spaine and Portugall For the which agréement there were sent out of Portugall Ruy de Soâ—a and Don Iohn his sonne and the Doctor Ayres de Almada and for the king of Spaine there were Don Henry Henriques Don Iohn de Cardenas and the Doctor Maldonado All these met in the towne of Tordesillas and they deuided the world froÌ„ the north to the south by a meridian which standeth west from the Islands of Cape Verde 300. leagues so that the one halfe which lay vnto the east should belong vnto Portugall and that which lay to the west to the king of Spaine whereby notwithstanding libertie to trauell was left equall vnto both In the yéere following 1495. Iohn king of Portugall died and Emmanuel his cosen began to reigne In the yéere 1496. there was a Venetian in England called Iohn Cabota who hauing knowledge of such a new discouerie as this was and perceiuing by the globe that the Islands before spoken of stood almost in the same latitude with his countrey and much néerer to England then to Portugall or to Castile he acquainted king Henrie the seuenth then king of England with the same wherewith the saide king was greatly pleased and furnished him out with two ships and thrée hundred men which departed and set saile in the spring of the yéere and they sailed westward til they came in sight of land in 45. degrées of latitude towards the north and then went straight northwards till they came into 60. degrées of latitude where the day is 18. howers long and the night is very cléere and bright There they found the aire cold and great Islands of ice but no ground in an hundred fathoms sounding and so from thence finding the land to turne eastwards they trended along by it discouering all the Bay and riuer named Deseado to see if it passed on the other side Then they sailed backe againe till they came to 38. degrées towards the Equinoctiall line and from thence returned into England There he others which say that he went as far as the Cape of Florida which standeth in 25. degrées In the yéere 1497. The king of Spaine Don Fernando sent out Christopher Columbus with sixe ships and he himselfe prouided two ships at his owne cost and sending his brother before he made saile from the Bay of Cadiz carrying with him his sonne Don Diego Colon It was then reported that he went to take the Island of Madera because he mistrusted the French men and therefore sent thither thrée ships others say it was to the Canaries But howsoeuer it was this is true that he and thrée more went vnto the Islands of Cape Verde and ran along by the line finding great calmes and raine and the first land which they came vnto of the Antiles was an Island standing in 9. degrées of latitude towards the north ioining fast vnto the maine land which they called La Trinidada and so he entred into the Gulfe of Paria and came out of
them and the villages round about became his friends He went vnto the citie of Zempoallan there he heard newes that Francis Garay was on the coast with fower ships to come on land And by subtiltie he got nine of his men of whom he vnderstood that Garay had béene in Florida and came vnto the riuer Panuco where he got some golde determining to stay there in a towne which is now called Almeria Cortos ouerthrew the idols in Zempoallan the tombes of their kings whome they worshipped as Gods and tolde them that they were to worship the true God From thence he went toward Mexico the 16. day of August 1519. and trauailed thrée daies iourney and came to the citie of Zalapan and to another beyond it named Sicuchimatl where they were well receiued and offered to be conducted to Mexico because Muteçuma had giuen such commandement Beyond this place he passed with his companie a certaine hill of thrée leagues high wherein there were vines In another place they found aboue a thousand loades of wood ready cut and beyond they met with a plaine countrey and in going through the same he named it Nombre de Dios. At the bottome of the mountaine he rested in a towne called Teâ—hixuacan and from thence they went through a desolate countrey and so came to another mountaine that was very colde and full of snow and they lay in a towne named Zaclotan And so from towne to towne they were well receiued and feasted till they came into another realme named Tlaxcallan which waged warre against Muteçuma and being valiant they skirmished with Cortes but in the end they agréed and entred into league with him against the Mexicans and so they went from countrey to countrey till they came within fight of Mexico The king Muteçuma fearing them gaue them good entertainment with lodging and all things necessarie and they were with this for a time contented but mistrusting that he and his should be slaine he tooke Muteçuma prisoner and brought him to his lodging with good garde Cortes demanded how farre his realme did extend and sought to know the mines of gold and siluer that were in it and how many kings neighbours to Muteçuma dwelled therein requiring certaine Indians to be informed thereof whereof he had eight prouided and he ioined to them eight Spanyards and sent them two and two into fower countreyes namely into Zuçolla Malinaltepec Tenich Tututepec They which went vnto Zuçolla went 80. leagues for so much it was from Mexico thither They which went to Mahnaltepec went 70. leagues séeing goodly countries and brought examples of gold which the naturals of the countrey tooke out of great riuers and all this prouince belonged vnto Muteçuma The countrey of Tenich and vp the riuer were not subiect to Muteçuma but had warre with him and would not suffeâ— the Mexicans to enter into their territorie They sent ambassadors vnto Cortes with presents offering him their estate and amitie whereof Muteçuma was nothing glad They which went to Tututepec standing néere the South sea did also bring with them examples of gold and praised the pleasantnes of the countrey and the multitude of good harbours vpon that coast shewing to Cortes a cloth of cotton wooll all wouen with goodly workes wherein all the coast with the hauens and créekes were set foorth But this thing then could not be prosecuted by reason of the comming of Pamphilus de Naruaez into the countrey who set all the kingdome of Mexico in an vprore In this yéere 1519. the tenth day of August one Fernande de Magallanes departed from Siuill with fiue ships toward the Islands of Maluco he went along the coast of Brasill till he came vnto the riuer of Plate which the Castillians had before discouered From thence therefore he began his discouerie and came vnto an hauen which he called The Porte of Saint Iulian standing in 49. degrées and there he entred and wintred they endured much cold by reason of snow and ice the people of that countrey they found to be of great stature and of great strength taking men by the legs and renting them in the middest as easily as one of vs will rent an hen they liue by fruits and hunting They called them Patagones but the Brasilians doe call them Morcas In the yéere 1520. in the beginning of the moneth of September growing then somewhat temperate they went out of the port and riuer of Saint Iulian hauing lost in it one of their ships and with the other fâ—wer he came vnto the Streights named after the name of Magâ—llanes standing in 52. degrées and a halfe From thence one of the ships returned backe vnto Castile whereof was captaine and pilot one Stephen de Porto a Portugall and the other thrée went forward entring into a mightie sea called Pacificum without séeing any inhabited land till they came in 13. degrées towards the north of the Equinoctiall in which latitude they came vnto Islands which they called Los Iardines and from thence they sailed to the Archipelagus of S. Lazarus and in one of the Islands called Matan Magallanes was slaine and his ship was burnt and the other two went vnto Borneo and so from place to place they went backe vntill they came to the Islands of Malâ—cos leauing many others discouered which I rehearse not because I finde not this voiage exactly written About this time Pope Leo the tenth sent one Paulus Centurio as ambassadour to the greot Duke of Moscouie to wish him to send into India an armie along the coast of Tartarie And by the reasons of this ambassadour the said Duke was almost persuaded vnto that action if other inconueniences had not letted him In this same yéere 1520. in Februarie Diego Lopes de Sequeira gouernour of India went towards the Streight of Mecha and carried with him the ambassadour of Presbyter Iohn and Roderigo de Lima who also went as ambassadour to him They came vnto the Island of Maçua standing in the Red sea on the side of Africa in 17. degrées towards the north where he set the ambassadours on land with the Portugals that should goe with them Peter de Couillan had béene there before being sent thither by king Iohn the second of Portugall but yet Francis Aluarez gaue principall light and knowledge of that countrey In the yeere 1520. the licenciate Lucas Vasques de Aillon and other inhabitants of S. Domingo furnished two ships and sent them to the Isles of Lucayos to get slaues and finding none they passed along by the firme land beyond Florida vnto certaine countreyes called Chicora and Gualdapé vnto the riuer Iordan and the Cape of Saint Helena standing in 32. degrées toward the north They of the countrey came downe to the sea side to see the ships as hauing neuer before séene the like The Spanyards went on
at Acapulco messengers came vnto him from Don Antonio de Mendoça the Viceroy to certifie him of his arriuall and also he sent him the coppie of a letter wherein Francis Pisarro wrote that Mango Ynga was risen against him and was come to the citie of Cusco with an hundred thousand fighting men and that they had killed his brother Iohn Pisarro and aboue 400. Spaniards and 200. horses and he himselfe was in danger so that he demanded succour and aide Cortes being informed of the state of Pisarro and of the arriuall of Don Antonio de Mendoça because he would not as yet be at obedieÌ„ce First he determined to sende to Maluco to discouer that way a long vnder the Equinoctial line because The Islands of Cloues stand vnder that paralele And for that purpose he prepared 2. ships with prouision victuals men besides all other things necessarie He gaue the charge of one of these ships to Ferdinando de Grijalua and of the other vnto one Aluarado a Gentleman They went first to Saint Michael de Tangarara in Peru to succour Francis Pisarro and from thence to Maluco all along néere the line as they were commanded And it is declared that they sailed aboue a thousand leagues without fight of land on she one side nor yet on the other of the Equinoctiall And in two degrées toward the north they discouered one Island named Asea which séemeth to be one of the Islands of Cloues 500. leagues little more or lesse as they sailed they came to the sight of another which they named Isla de los Pescadores Going still in this course they sawe another Island called Hayme towards the south and another named Apia and then they came to the fight of Seri turning towards the north one degrée they came to anker at another Island named Coroa and from thence they came to another vnder the liue 〈…〉 and from thence vnto Bufu standing in the same course The people of all these Islands are blacke and haue their haire frisled whom the people of Maluco do call Papuas The most of them eate mans flesh and are witches so giuen to diuilishnes that the diuels walk among them as coÌ„panions If these wicked spirits do finde one alone they kill him with cruell blowes or smoother him Therefore they vse not to goe but when two or thrée may be in a companie There is héere a bird as bigge as a Crane he flieth not nor hath any wings wherewith to flée he runneth on the ground like a Déere of their small feathers they do make haire for their idols There is also an herbe which being washed in warme water if the leafe thereof be laide on any member and licked with the toong it will draw out all the blood of a mans body and with this leafe they vse to let themselues blood From these Islands they came vnto others named the Guelles standing one degree towards the north east and west from the Isle Terenate wherein the Portugals haue a fortresse these men are haired like the people of the Malucoes These Islands stande 124. leagues from the Island named Moro and from Terenate betwéene 40. and 50. From whence they went to the Isle of Moro the IslaÌ„ds of Cloues going from the one vnto the other But the people of the countrey would not suffer them to come on lande saying vnto them Go vnto the fortresse where the captain Antonie Galuano is and we will receiue you with a good will for they would not suffer them to come on land without his licence for he was factor of the countrey as they named him A thing woorthie to be noted that those of the countrey were so affectioned to the Portugals that they would venter for them their liues wiues children and goods In the yéere 1537. the licenciate Iohn de Vadillo gouernour of Cartagena went out with a good armie from a porte of Vraba called Saint Sebastian de buena Vista being in the gulfe of Vraba and from thence to Rio verde from thence by land without knowing any way nor yet hauing any carriages they went to the end of the countrey of Peru and to the towne La plata by the space of 1200. leagues a thing woorthie of memorie For from this riuer to the mountaines of Abibe the countrey is full of hils thicke forests of trées and many riuers and for lacke of a beaten way they had pierced sides The mountaines of Abibe as it is recorded haue 20. leagues in bredth They must be passed ouer in Ianuarie Februarie March and Aprill And from that time forward it raineth much and the riuers will be so greatly encreased that you cannot passe for them There are in those mountaines many heards of swine many dantes lyons tygers beares ounses and great cats and monkeis and mightie snakes and other such vermine Also there be in these mountaines abundance of partridges quailes turtle doues pigeons and other birdes and foules of sundrie sorts Likewise in the riuers is such plentie of fish that they did kill of them with their staues and carrying canes and nets they affirme that a great army might be sustained that way without being distressed for want of victuals Moreouer they declared the diuersities of the people toongs and apparell that they obserued in the countries kingdomes and prouinces which they went through and the great trauels and dangers that they were in till they came to the towne called Villa de la Plata and vnto the sea there unto adioyning This was the greatest discouerie that hath béene heard of by land and in so short a time And if it had not béene done in our daies the credite thereof would haue béene doubtfull In the yéere 1538. there went out of Mexico certaine friers of the order of Saint Francis towards the north to preach to the Indians the Catholicke faith He that went farthest was one frier Marke de Nizza who passed through Culâ—acan and came to the prouince of Sibola where he found seuen cities and the farther he went the richer he found the countrie of gold siluer precious stones and shéepe bearing very fine wool Vpon the fame of this welth the viceroy don Antonio de Mendoça and Cortes determined to send a power thither But when they could not agrée thereupon Cortes went ouer into Spaine in the yéere 1540. where afterward he died In this yéere 1538. began the ciuil warre betweene Pisarro and Alonagro wherein at the last Alinagro was taken and beheaded In the same yéere 1538. Antonie Galuano being chiefe captaine in the isles of Maluco sent a ship towards the north whereof one Francis de Castro was captaine hauing commandement to conuert as many as he could to the faith He himselfe christened many as the lords of the Celebes Macasares Amboynos Moros Moratax and diuers other places When Francis de
sisters And beyond them also they saw 4. islands more which they called los Volcanes The second of October they had sight of Farsana beyond which there standeth an high pointed rock which casteth out fire at 5. places So sayling in 16. degrées of northerly latitude from whence they had come as it seemeth wanting winde they arriued againe at the Islands of the Philippinas They had sight of 6. or 7. Islands more but they ankered not at them They found also an Archipelagus of Islands well inhabited with people lying in 15. or 16. degrées the people be white and the weomen well proportioned and more beautifull and better arraied then in any other place of those parts hauing many iewels of gold which was a token that there was some of that metal in the same countrie Here were also barkes of 43. cubits in length and 2. fathomes and a halfe in bredth and the plankes 5. inches thicke which barkes were rowed with â—ares They told the Spaniards that they vsed to saile in them to China and that if they would go thither they should haue pilots to conduct them the countrie not being aboue 5. or 6. daies sayling from thence There came vnto them also certaine barkes or boates handsomely decked wherein the Master and principall men sate on high and vnderneath were very blacke moores with frizled haire and being demanded where they had these black moores they answered that they had them from certaine Islands standing fast by Sebut where there were many of them a thing that the Spaniards much maruailed at because from thence it was aboue 300. leagues to the places where the black people were Therefore it seemed that they were not naturally borne in that climate but that they be in certaine places scattered ouer the whole circuite of the world For euen so they be in the Islands of Nicobar and Andeman which stand in the gulfe of Bengala and from thence by the space of 500. leagues we doe not know of any blacke people Also Vasco Nunez de Valboa declareth that as he went to discouer The South sea in a certaine land named Quareca he found black people with frizled haire whereas there were neuer any other found either in Noua Spagna or in Castilia del Oro or in Peru. In the yéere 1544. Don Gutierre de Vargas bishop of Placenza sent a fléet from the city of Siuil vnto the streits of Magellan which is reported to haue béene done by the counsel of the vizeroy Don Antonie de Mendoça his cousin Some suspeâ—ed that they went to Maluco others to China others that they went onely to discouer the land betwixt the streite and the land of Peru on the other side of Chili because it was reported to be very rich in gold and siluer But this fléete by reason of contrary windes could not passethâ— streit yet one small barke passed the same and sailed along the coast and discouered all the land till he came vnto Chirimai and Arequipa which was aboue 500. leagues for the rest was alreadie discouered by Diego de Almagro and Francis Pizarro and their captaines and people at diuers times By this it appéereth that from The streit to the Equinoctial line on both sides is wholy discouered In the yéere 1545. in the moneth of Ianuarie Rui Lopez de villa Lobos and Giraldo with the Castilians came to the Island of Moro and the citie of Camafo where they were well receiued of the kings of Gilolo and Tidore and of the people of the countrey because Antony Galuano was gone and put the captaine Don George de Castro to great trouble as appéered by those things which passed betwéene him and the Portugals and the great expences whereunto he put the fortresse In the same yéere 1545. Rui Lopez de villa Lobos sent from the Island of Tidore another ship towards New Spaine by the south side of the line wherein was captaine one Inigo Ortez de Rotha and for pilot one Iaspar Rico. They sailed to the coast of Os Papuas and ranged all along the same and because they knew not that Saauedra had béene there before they chalenged the honor and same of that discouerie And because the people there were blacke and had frisled haire they named it Nueua Guinea For the memorie of Saauedra as then was almost lost as all things else do fall into obliuion which are not recorded and illustrated by writing In this yéere 1545. and in the moneth of Iune there went a Iunk from the citie of Borneo wherein went a Portugall called Peter Fidalgo and by contrary windes he was driuen towards the north where he founde an Island standing in 9. or 10. degrées that stretched it selfe to 22. degrées of latitude which is called The Isle of the Luçones because the inhabitants thereof were so named It may haue some other name and harborowes which as yet we know not it runneth from the north vnto the southwest and standeth betwéene Mindanao and China They say they sailed along by it 250. leagues where the land was fruitfull and well couered and they affirme that there they will giue two Pezos of gold for one of siluer and yet it standeth not farre from the countrey of China In the yéere 1553. there went out of England certaine shipping and as it appéered they sailed northward along the coast of Norway and Finmark and from thence east till they came betwéene 70. and 80. degrées vnto Moscouie for so far one of the ships went but I know not what became of the rest this was the last discouery made vntil this time From this lande of Moscouie eastward you faile vnto Tartary and at the farther end of it standeth the countrey and prouince of China It is said that betwéene China and Tartary there is a wall aboue 200. leagues in length standing néere vnto 50. degrées of latitude Now I gather by all the precedent discoueries that the whole earth is in circuite 360. degrées according to the Geometrie thereof and to euery degrée the ancient writers allow 17. leagues a halfe which amount vnto 6300. leagues yet I take it that euerie degrée is iust 17. leagues Howsoeuer it be all is discouered and sailed from the east vnto the west almost euen as the sunne compasseth it but from the south to the north there is great difference for towardes the north pole there is found discouered no more then 77. or 78. degrées which come to 1326. leagues and towards the south pole there is discouered from the Equinoctiall to 52. or 53. degrées that is to the streit which Magellan passed through which amounteth to about 900. leagues and putting both these saide maine sums togither they amount to 2226. leagues Now take so many out of 6300. leagues there remaineth as yet vndiscouered north and south aboue the space of 4000. leagues FINIS Antonie Galuano Captaine of Maluco Variance vsually amonâ— the kings