resortynge to hym gaue hym a certen portion of theyr breade in exchange for other of owre thynges But he coulde not long tary here bicause they lacked meate in the fortresse whyther he hasted with such as he had now gotten Leauyng therfore in the fortresse a garryson of tenne men with that portion of the Ilande breade whiche yet remayned huntinge houndes leauynge also with them a hownde to take those kyndes of lyttle beastes which they caule Vsias not muche vnlyke owre conyes he returned to the fortresse of Conception This also was the moonthe wherin the kynge Guarionexius and also Manicautexius kynge Manicautexius bortherer vnto hym shulde haue brought in theyr tributes Remaynynge there the hole moonthe of Iune he exacted the hole tribute of these twoo kinges and vytayles necessary for hym and suche as he brought with hym whiche were abowt foure hundreth in number Shortely after abowte the calendes of Iulye there came three Caraueles from Spayne Uytayles browght froÌ„ Spayne bringynge with them sundry kyndes of vitayles as wheate oyle wyne bacon and marckelmas beafe whiche were dyuyded to euery man accordynge as neede required Sum also was lost in the cariage for lacke of good lookyng too At the arryuall of these shyppes the lieuetenaunte receaued commaundment from the kynge and the Admyrall his brother that he with his men shulde remoue theyr habitation to the sowthe syde of the Ilande bycause it was nerer to the golde mynes Also that he shoulde make dilygent searche for those kynges whiche had slayne the Christian men and to sende them with theyr confederates bownd into Spayne At the nexte vyage therfore he sent three hundreth captiues with three Kinges And when he had diligently searched the coastes of the south syde he transported his habitation and buylded a fortresse there vpon the toppe of a hyll neere vnto a shure hauen This fortresse he cauled saynt Dominikes towre Saynt Dominikes towre Into this hauen runneth A ryuer of holsome water replenyshed with sundrye kyndes of good fysshes They affyrme this ryuer to haue many benefytes of nature For where so euer it runneth all thynges are excedynge pleasaunte and fruitfull hauynge on euery syde groues of date trees Groues of date trees and dyuers other of the Ilande frutes so plentyfully that as they sayled alonge by the shore often tymes the branches therof laden with flowres fruites hunge soo ouer theyr heades that they mighte plucke them with theyr handes Also that the frutefulnes of this grownde is eyther equall with the soyle of Isabella or better In Isabella Isabeâ—lâ— he lefte only certeyne sicke men and shippe wrightes whom he had appointed to make certeyne carauels The residue of his men he conueighed to the sowth to saint Dominickes towre After he had buylded this fortresse leauinge therin a garryson of .xx. men he with the remanent of his souldiers prepared them selues to searche the inner partes of the Weste syde of the Ilande hytherto knowen onely by name Therfore abowte .xxx. leaques that is foure score and tenne myles from the fortresse he chaunced on the ryuer Naiba The ryuer of Naiba whiche we sayde to descende from the mountaynes of Cibaua ryght towarde the sowth by the myddest of the Iland When he had ouerpassed this ryuer with a coompanye of armed men diuided into .xxv. decurions that is tenne in a company with theyr capitaynes he sent two decurions to the regions of those kinges in whose landes were the great woods of brasile trees wooddes of brasile trees Inclyninge towarde the lefte hande they fownde the woodes entered into them and felled the hygh and precious trees which were to that day vntouched Eche of the decurions fylled certeyne of the Ilande howses with the trunkes of brasile there to be reserued vntyll the shyppes came which shulde cary them away But the Lieuetenaunt directinge his iourney towarde the ryght hande not farre from the bankes of the ryuer of Naiba fownde a certeyne kynge whose name was Beuchius Anacauchoa kinge Beuchius Anacauchoa encamped ageynst thinhabitantes of the prouince of Naiba to subdue them vnder his dominion as he had doone manye other kynges of the Ilande bortherers vnto hym The palaice of this great kynge is cauled Xaragua The palaice of â—aragua and is situate towarde the Weste ende of the Ilande distante from the ryuer of Naiba .xxx. leaques All the prynces which dwell betwene the Weste ende and his palaice are ditionaries vnto hym All that Region from Naiba to the furtheste marches of the weste is vtterly withowte golde althowgh it bee full of mountaynes Mountaynes without gold When the kynge had espied owre men layinge a parte his weapons gyuinge signes of peace he spake gentelly to them incerteyne whether it were of humanitie or feare and demaunded or theÌ„ what they woolde haue The Lieuetenaunte aunswered That he shulde paye tribute to the Admirall his brother Tribute in the name of the Christian kynge of Spayne To whom he sayde Howe can yowe requyre that of me whereas neuer a Region vnder my dominion bringeth foorth golde For he had harde that there was a strange nation entered into the Ilande whiche made greate searche for golde But he supposed that they desyred none other thynge The leauetenaunt answered ageyne God forbydde that we shulde enioyne any man to pay such tribute as he myght not easely forbeare or such as were not engendered or growinge in the Region But we vnderstand that your Regions brynge foorth great plentie of Gossampine cotton and hempe The woolfe entreateth the sheepe with suche other whereof we desyre yowe to gyue vs parte When he harde these woordes he promysed with cherefull countenaunce to gyue hym as muche of these thynges as he wolde requyre Thus dismissinge his army sendynge messengers beefore he hym selfe accoompanyed the Leauetenaunte and browght hym to his palaice beinge dystante as we haue sayde .xxx. leaques In al this tracte they passed throwgh the Iurisdiction of other princes beinge vnder his dominion Of the whiche sume gaue them hempe of no lesse goodnes to make tackelinges for shippes then owre woodde Other sume browght breade and sum gossampyne cotton hempe and gossampine cotton And soo euery of them payde tribute with suche commodities as theyr countreys browght foorth At the lengthe they came to the kinges mansion place of Xaragua Before they entered into the palaice howe the Lieuetenant was receaued at the kynges palaice A greate multitude of the kynges seruauntes and subiectes resorted to the courte honorably after their maner to receaue their kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa with the strangers which he browght with hym to se the magnificence of his courte But nowe shall yowe heare howe they were interteyned Amonge other tryumphes and syghtes two are especially to bee noted Fyrste there mette them a company of xxx women beinge all the kynges wyues and concubines The kinges wyues bearinge in theyr handes branches of
the Ilandes are meeke and withowte hurte Nothing hurtfull in the Ilandes except men which as wee haue sayde are in many Ilandes deuourers of mans flesshe There are also dyuers kyndes of foules And in many places battes of such bygnes that they are equall with turtle doues Battes as bygge as turtle doues These battes haue often tymes assauted men in the nyght in theyr sleepe and soo bytten them with theyr venemous teethe that they haue byn therby almoste dryuen to madnes in soo much that they haue byn compelled to flye from such places as from rauenous harpies In an other place where certeyne of them slepte in the nyght season on the sandes by the sea syde a monster commynge owte of the sea A man deuoured of a monster of the sea came vppon one of them secreatly and caryed hym away by the myddeste owte of the sight of his felowes to whome he cryed in vayne for helpe vntyll the beaste lepte into the sea with her praye It was the kynges pleasure that they shulde remayne in these landes The Spanyardes profer them selues to subdue the newe landes and buylde townes and fortresses Where vnto they were soo wel wyllynge that dyuers profered them selues to take vppon them the subduing of the lande makyng great sute to the kynge that they might bee appoynted therto The coaste of this tracte is exceadynge greate and large and the Regions and landes therof extende maruelous farre Note the largenes of the newe landes Soo that they affirme the continent of these Regions with the Ilandes abowte the same to bee thryse as bygge as al Europe besyde those landes that the Portugales haue fownde southwarde whiche are also exceadynge large Therfore doubtlesse Spayne hathe deserued greate prayse in these owre dayes Commendacion of the Spaniardes in that it hath made knowen vnto vs soo many thowsandes of Antipodes which leye hyd before and vnknowen to owre forefathers Antipodes And hath thereby mynystred so large matter to wryte of to suche lerned wyttes as are desyrous to sette furthe knowleage to the commoditie of men to whom I opened away when I gathered these thynges rudely to gyther as yowe see The which neuerthelesse I trust yowe wyll take in good parte aswell for that I can not adourne my rudenes with better vesture The autours excusse as also that I neuer tooke penne in hande to wryte lyke an historiographer but only by epistels scribeled in haste to satisfie theym from whose commaundementes I myght not drawe backe my foote But now I haue digressed enowghe Let vs nowe therefore returne to Hispaniola Hispaniola Owre men haue founde by experience that the breade of the Iland is of smaule strength to such as haue byn vsed to owr breade made of wheate And that theyr strenthes were much decayed by vsynge of the same Wherfore the king hath of late commaunded that wheate shulde bee sowen there in diuers places and at sundry tymes of the yeare The nature of the place altereth the formes and qualities of thynges Wheate herbes Catayle It groweth into holowe reedes with fewe eares but those verye bygge and frutefull They fynde the lyke softenes or delicatenes to bee in herbes which growe there to the height of corne Neat or cattall becoome of bygger stature and exceadynge fat but theyr flesshe is more vnsauery and theyr bones as they say eyther withowte marye or the same to bee verye waterysshe But of hogges and swyne hogges they affirme the contrarye that they are more holsoome and of better taste by reason of certeyne wylde frutes whiche they eate beinge of muche better nooryshement then maste There is almost none other kynd of flesshe commonly soulde in the market The multitude of hogges are excedingly encreased and becoome wylde as soone as they are owte of the swyneheardes keepynge They haue suche plentie of beastes and foules Plentie of beastes and fouâ—e that they shall heareafter haue noo neede to haue any brought from other places Thincrease of all beastes growe bygger then the broode they came of by reason of the rankenes of the pasture althowgh theyr feadynge bee only of grasse withowte eyther barley or other grayne But wee haue sayde enowgh of Hispaniola They haue nowe fownde that Cuba Cuba is an Ilande which of longe tyme they thowght to haue byn firme lande for the greate length therof is an Ilande Yet is it noo maruell that thinhabitantes them selues towlde owre men when they searched the length therof that it was withowte ende For this nacion being naked and contente with a lyttle and with the limittes of theyr owne contrey is not greatly curyous to know what theyr neyghbours doo or the largenes of theyr dominion Nor yet knewe they if there were any other thinge vnder heauen besyde that whiche they walked on with theyr feete Cuba The description of Cuba is frome the Easte into the Weste muche longer then Hispaniola And in breadthe from the Northe to the Southe much lesse then they supposed at the fyrst for it is very narowe in respecte to the length And is for the moste parte very frutefull and pleasaunt Eastwarde not farre from Hispaniola there lyethe an Ilande lesse then Hispaniola more then by the halfe which owre men cauled Sancti Iohannis The Iland of Burichema or S. Iohannis beinge in maner square In this they founde excedynge ryche golde mynes But beinge nowe occupied in the golde mynes of Hispaniola Golde mynes they haue not yet sent labourers in to that Iland But the plentie and reuenewe of golde of al other Regions gyue place to Hispaniola where they gyue theim selues in maner to none other thynge then to gather golde The order of woorkynge in the golde mynes of which woorke this order is appoynted To euery such wyttie and skylfull man as is put in truste to bee a suruoier or ouerseer of these woorkes there is assigned one or more kynges of the Ilande with theyr subiectes The kynges brynge theyr subiectes to woorke in the golde mynes These kynges accordyng to theyr league coome with theyr people at certeyne tymes of the yeare and resorte euery of them to the golde myne to the which he is assigned where they haue all maner of dygginge or myninge tooles deliuered them And euery kynge with his men haue a certeyne rewarde alowed them for theyr labour For when they departe from the mynes to sowynge of corne and other tyllage wherunto they are addict at certeyne other tymes Tyllage leaste theyr foode shulde fayle them they receaue for theyr laboure one a ierken or a dublet an other a sherte an other a cloke or a cappe For they nowe take pleasure in these thynges and goo no more naked as they were wont too doo And thus they vse the helpe and laboure of the inhabitantes both for the tyllage of theyr ground and in theyr gold mines as thowghe they were theyr seruauntes or bondemen They beare this
from the Ilandes Of the Ilandes of Galanta or Galana and Guadalupea and of the trees which beare that kynde of cotton whiche the Italians caule Bombasine and the Spanyardes Algadon Of dyuers kyndes of popingiayes And of the Iland of Matinino or Madanino being inhabited only with women Also of dyuers other frutefull Ilandes And of a conflicte which the Spanyardes had with the Canibales Of certeyne Ilandes in the which are seene the mynes of metals and precious stones and of the frutefull and peopulous Ilande cauled Burichena or Boriquen or Insula S. Iohanuis Howe all the Admirals men whiche at his fyrst vyage he lefte in Hispaniola were slayne in his absence by the rebellion of Guaccanarillus kynge of the Region of Xamana and of the free kynde of lyfe which they leade that haue not the vse of money Of the .vii. maydens which swamme .iii. myles in the sea And of the maner of gatheryng of gold in the sands of riuers ¶ The Contentes of the thyrde booke Fol. 10. ¶ A particular description of the Ilande of Hispaniola whiche Colonus thynketh to be Ophir from whense kynge Salomon had his great ryches of golde Of the maruelous frutefulnes of Hispaniola and of the suger canes growynge there Of the golden regions of Cipanga or Cibaua and of the ryuers in whose sandes is founde great plentie of golde Of certeyne graines of gold of exceadyng great quantitie Of wylde vines of pleasaunt taste and of grasse which in foure dayes groweth as hygh as wheate Of the Ilande of Iohanna or Cuba beinge the ende of the East and the West And of the frutefull and peopulous Ilande of Iamaica Howe the Admirall thought that he had sayled abowte the lowest hemispherie or halfe circle of the earth and of a secreate of Astronomie touchynge the same matter Howe the Admirall gaue names to .vii. hundreth Ilandes and passed by three thousande unnamed Of certeyne serpentes lyke vnto Crocodiles of .viii. foote longe whose flesshe is delicate to be eaten and of certeyne trees which beare gourdes Of the ryuer whose water is very hotte and of the huntynge fysshe which taketh other fysshes Of great abundaunce of Tortoyses as bygge as targets and of a frutefull mountayne well inhabited Of dogges of deformed shape and dum And of whyte and thicke water Of wooddes of date trees and pynepaple trees and of certeyne people appareled like white friers Of certeyne trees whiche beare spices and of cranes of exceadynge bignes Of stocke doues of more pleasaunte taste then partriches An oration of a barbarous gouernoure as touchinge the immortalitie of the sowle Also of the rewarde of vertue and punysshmente of vice A similitude of the golden worlde and of prouision with owte care Howe the admirall fell sicke by reason of to much watchynge And of a sedition which rose among the Spaniardes in the Ilande of Hispaniola ¶ The Contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 18. Howe the Kynges of the Ilande of Hispaniola were by the Spaniardes mysbehauoure prouoked to Rebellion And howe the admirall sent for them Howe kinge Caunaboa the Lorde of the house of golde that is of the mountaynes of Cibaua conspired the Admirals death and how he with his familie were takeÌ„ prisoners Of a greate famine that chaunced in the Iland of Hispaniola and howe the Admiral builded certeyne fortresses Of a piece of rude golde waighinge .xx. vnces and of the myne of the riche metall cauled Electrum Of the mountayne in the whyche is founde greate plentye of Amber and orpemente And of the wooddes of brasile trees Howe thinhabitauntes are put to they re tribute And howe the nature of the Region disposethe the maners of the people Howe the brother of kinge Caunaboa came ageynste the Admiral with an army of fiue thowsand naked men and how he was taken and his amry put to flyght Of the frutfull vale Magona in the sandes of whose ryuers is founde great plentie of golde and of certeyne whirlewyndes and tempestes Howe the Admirall sente foorthe his brother Bartholomeus Colonus with an army of meÌ„ to search the gold mines of the fosses which he found to haue bin digged in old tyme ¶ The Contentes of the .v. booke Fol. 22. Howe the Lieuetenaunt builded a fortresse in the golde mynes And prepared instrumentes for the pourginge and fyninge of the golde Howe certeyne shyppes laden with vyttayles came frome Spayne And howe the Lieuetenaunt sent the kynges which rebelled with three hundreth captiues into Spayne Howe the Liefetenaunte remoued his habytacion And buylded a fortresse which he cauled saynt Dominickes towre Also howe he passed ouer the ryuer Naiba and entered into the wooddes of brasyle trees Howe the great kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa frendely enterteyned the Lieuetenaunt and browght hym to his pallayce where the kynges wyues and concubines receaued him honorably with pompes and triumphes Of the fortresses which were erected in Hispaniola And howe the Lieuetenaunt exacted tribute of the kynges whiche rebelled ageyne Howe the Lieuetenaunt sette vppon the kynges vnwares in the nyght season and tooke .xiiii. of them prysoners Howe kynge Guarionexius capitayne of the conspiracie was pardoned howe he persuaded the people to obedience Howe kynge Beuchius Anacauchoa sente messingers to the Lieuetenaunt to repayre to his pallayce where he founde xxxii kinges redy with theyr tributes And howe the queene Anacaona entysed hym to eate of the serpentes flesshe Howe the serpentes flesshe is prepared to be eaten And how delicate meate theyr egges are yf they be sodden Howe queene Anacaona syster to kynge Beuchius Aâ—acauchoa enterteyned the Liefetenaunt and gaue hym muche housholde stuffe and many vessels of Hebene woodde artificially wrought and carued Howe kynge Anacauchoa and the queene his syster went aboorde the Liefetenaunt his shyppe and howe greately they were amased to beholde the furniture therof Howe Roldanus Xeminus a Spaniarde rebelled in the Lieuetenauntes absence by whose mysdemeanour also kinge Guarionexius was prouoked to a newe conspiracie with hym Maiobanexius the kynge of the mountaynes ☞ The contentes of the syxte boke Foli 28. ¶ The thyâ—de vyage of Colonus and howe he diuerted from his accustomed rase by the Ilandes of Canarie to the Ilande of Madera for feare of certayne frenche pirates and rouers Of the .xiii. Ilandes which in olde tyme were cauled Hesperides and are nowe cauled the Ilandes of Caput Uiride or Cabouerde Also of the Tortoyses of the Ilande of Bonauista wherwith the leaper is healed Howe the Admirall founde contagious ayre and extreme heate nere the Equinoctial where the north pole was eleuate onely fyue degrees And how sailyng from thence westward he founde the starres placed in other order and the sea rysynge as it were the backe of a mountayne Howe the Admyrall saylynge westwarde and neuer passyng owte of the clyme or paraleles of Ethiope founde a temperate Region and people of goodly corporature And what difference is betwene the natures of Regions beyng vnder one paralele and one eleuation of the pole
downewarde thynke the worlde to be in maner no bygger then theyr owne dungehylles or cagies lyttle passynge whether the Chrystian fayth do spreade through the worlde or bee dryuen to one corner Euen so al good wyttes and honest natures I doubte not wyl not onely reioyce to see the kyngedome of God to bee so farre enlarged vppon the face of the earthe to the confusion of the deuyll and the Turkysshe Antichryste The Christian Empire enlarged but also do the vttermost of theyr poure to further the same For surely as Gonsalus Ouiedus wryteth to the Emperours maiestie in his hystorie of the Weste Indies that he thynketh hym no trewe Spanyarde whiche reioyceth not in the good fortune of theyr kynges by whose ayde and godly zeale this myghtie portion of the worlde hath byn added to the flocke of Chrystes congregation The conuertion of the gentyles Euen so do I thinke them no trewe Chrystian men that do not reioyce with the Angels of heauen for the deliuerie of these owre brootherne owre flesshe and owre bones from the handes of owre commune enemie the oulde serpente who hath so longe had them in hys possession vntyll the fulnesse of the gentyles be accomplysshed accordynge to the time prefinite by hym who vnto the yeare after his incarnation M. CCCC.lxxxxii hath suffered the greate serpente of the sea Leuiathan Leuiathan to haue suche dominion in the Ocean and to caste such mystes in the eyes of men that sence the creation of the worlde vntyll the yeare before named there hath byn no passage from owr knowen partes of the world to these newe landes wheras nowe the same are moste certeynely knowen to be not past .xxx. dayes saylynge from Spayne Neyther yet had the church of Europe any knowleage of the myghtie Chrystian Empire of Preciosus Iohannes otherwyse cauled Presbyter Iohannes Emperour of many Chrystian nations in Ethiope Prester Iohn the Christian Emperour of Ethiope vntyll the yeare of Chryste M. CCCC.xxxiii as largely appeareth in the nauigations of the Portugales and especially in the booke of Damianus a Goes wrytten to the bysshop of Rome Paule the thyrde of that name of the fayth and religion of the Ethiopians which they haue hadde sence the tyme of the Apostles A thynge certes most woonderfull and suche that yf the same were not hydde hetherto by gods vnsercheable prouidence I can not but thynke much negligence or ignorance in owr forefathers and predicessours vntyll the dayes of the ryght noble prudent and Catholike kynge of Aragon Don Ferdinando grandfather to Themperours maiestie by his eldest dowghter Don Ferdinando kynge of Aragon to the queenes hyghnesse by his seconde dowghter the most vertuous lady queene Catherine her graces moother A prince doubtelesse of suche nobilitie prowes magnificence and all other vertues commendable in a prince that who so shall indifferentely way all his doinges and good successe in all his affayres comparinge the same to thenterpryses and doinges atchyued by suche famous princes in whome the Greekes and Romans haue so greately gloryed maye with one eye perceaue not onely howe farre his noble factes do surmount theyrs but also wel consyder what noble braunches of isshewe were lyke to sprynge owt of so woorthy a stocke And suerly if sence the begynning of the worlde the fauour of god toward men hath byn knowen by such benefites and blessynges as he hath geuen to men The fauour of god knowen by his benefites it seemeth to me that in maner onely Chryste excepted there neuer lyued man to whom god hath geuen greater benefites and shewed more fauoure Great doubtlesse was the fauour and mercie that god shewed vnto Noe Noe. by whom he saued the remanent of mankynde beinge but fewe in number But much greater was the grace which he shewed to kynge Ferdinando vnder whom and by whose meanes he saued not onely the bodies but also the soules of innumerable millions of men inhabytynge a great part of the worlde heretofore vnknowen and drowned in the deluge of erroure What god hath wrought by kynge Ferdinando What shulde I here speake of Abraham the father of fayth whose promyses were great Abraham and he cauled the frende of god Dyd he or his posteritie see Israell increase to such multitudes and nations as kyng Ferdinandos posteritie may see thincrease of this spirituall Israell vnto whome as a seconde Abraham he was the father of fayth Spirituall Israell Moises was so great in the syght of god that he disclosed vnto hym his secreate name Moises and miraculously caused a corner of the sea to open at his prayer But howe greater a myracle was it that he opened vnto the nauie of Don Ferdinando the greate Ocean thowght before that tyme to bee without ende where neuerthelesse he and his posteritie the kynges of Spayne haue nowe planted a newe Israell muche greater then that whiche Moises ledde throughe the red sea It were here superfluous to speake of Dauid whom Godde founde a man accordynge to his hartes desyre Dauid and yet maye it be doubted whether his plages and scourges were greater then his benefites His sonne Salomon for al his inconstant and wauerynge wysedome and his great ryches obteyned by his nauigations to Ophir Salomon Ophir yet was there at this tyme no knowleage of Antipodes Antipodes neyther dydde any of his shyppes sayle abowt the hole worlde perce the Ocean The nauigation rounde about the worlde and trauerse the Equinoctial line to thinferiour hemispherie or halfe globe of the earthe and sea as dyd the famous shyppe Uictoria sent furth by Themperours maiestie A thyng doubtlesse so strange and marueylous that as the lyke was neuer done before so is it perhaps neuer lyke to be done ageyne so farre haue the nauigations of the Spanyardes excelled the vyage of Iason and the ' Argonautae to the region of Colchos or all that euer were before And although in the booke of kynges and Paralipomenon it bee hyperborically wrytten that in the daâ—es of Salomon golde syluer were in HierusaleÌ„ in maner as plentiful as stones that his seruantes brought from Ophir foure hundreth fiftie talentes of gold yet do we not reade that any of his shyppes were so laden with golde that they soonke as dyd a shyppe of kynge Ferdinandos as yow maye reade in the last booke of the fyrste Decade Neyther was the dominion of Salomon extended from the ryuer of Euphrates to the lande of the Philistians and thextreme confines of Egypte to be compared with the large Empire whiche the kynges of Spayne haue in the west Indies The dominion of Salomon Paral 9. The Indies Nor his ryches of golde to be thought much in respect of that which hath byn browght from thense into Spayne as shall playnely appere to al suche as wyll seeke to knowe the truth hereof But to let passe to speake any further of the myracles which god hath wrought
greene chestnutte They haue also an other kynde of rootes whiche they call Iucca wherof they make breade in lyke manâ—â— Iucca Breade of rootes They vse Ages more often rosted or sodden then to make breade therof But they neuer eate Iucca excepte it be firste sliced and pressed for it is ful of lycoure and then baked or sodden But this is to be marueled at that the iuyce of this roote is a poyson as strong as Aconitum an herbe of a straungâ— nature so that if it be dronke it causeth present death and yet the breade made of the â—aâ—e therof is of good taste and holsome as all they haue proued They make also an other kynde of breade of a certayne pulse called â—anicum Maâ—â—â—um muche lyke vnto wheate wherof is great pleÌ„tie in the dukedome of Mylane Spayne and Granatum But that of this countrey is longer by a spanne somewhat sharpe towarde the ende and as bygge as a mannes arme in the brawne The graynes wherof are sette in a maruelous order and are in fourme somwhat lyke a pease While they be soure and vnripe they are white but when they are ripe they be very blacke When they are broken they be whyter then snowe This kynde of grayne they call Maizium Golde is of some estimation among them â—olde in estiâ—ation for some of them hange certain small pieces therof at theyr eares and nosethrilles A lyttell beyonde this place our men wente a lande for fresshe water where they chaunced vpon a Ryuer whose sande was myxed with muche golde Golde in the sandes of ryuers They founde there no kindes of foure foted beastes excepte three kyndes of lyttell conyes These Ilandes also nourishe serpentes Serpentes without vemâ—ne but such as are without hurt Lykewise wylde geese turtle doues and duckes Turtle doues Duckes much greater then ours and as whyte as swannes with heades of purple coloâ—re Also Popiniaies Popingiayes of the whiche some are greene some yelowe and some lyke them of India with yelowe rynges about theyr neckes as Plinie describeth them Plini Of these they broughte fortie with them of moste liuely and delectable coloures hauyng three fethers entermengled with greene yelowe and purple whiche varietie deliteth the sense not a litle Thus muche thought I good to speake of Potingiaies ryghte noble Prynce specially to this intente that albeit the opinion of Christophorus Colonus who affirmeth these Ilandes to be parte of India dothe not in all poyntes agree with the iudgement of auncient wryters as touchynge the bignesse of the Sphere and compasse of the Globe as concernynge the nauigable portion of the same beynge vnder vs These Ilandâ—s are parte of India The Indians are Antipodes to the spaniardes yet the Popingiaies and many other thynges brought from thence doo declare that these Ilandes sauoure somâ—hat of India eyther beynge nere vnto it or elles of the same nature forasmuche as Aristotle also Aristotle about the ende of his booke De Câ—elo et Mundo and likewise Seneca Seneca with diuerse other authours not ignorant in Cosmography do affirme that India is no longe tracte by sea distante from Spayne by the weste Ocean India not far from Spaine for the soyle of these Ilandes bryngeth forthe Mastir Mastir Aloes Aloe and sundrye other sweete gummes and spyces as doth India Cotton also of the gossampine tree Gossampyne cotton or boâ—base as in India in the countrey of the people called Seres Seres ¶ The languages of all the nations of these Ilandes The laÌ„guage of these Indians maye well be written with our Latine letters For they cal heauen Turâ—i A house Boa Golde Cauni A good man Taino nothing Mayani All other wordes of theyr language they pronounce as playnely as we doo the Latine tongue In these Ilandes they founde no trees knowen vnto them but pyne appe trees and date trees Trees and frutes vnknowen to vs. And those of maruelous heyght and exceding harde by reason of the greate moystnesse and fatnesse of the grounde Far moyste grounde with continuall and temperate heate of the sonne heate continuall and temperate whiche endureth so all the hole yere They playnely affyrme the Ilande of Hispaniola to be the most fruiteful lande that the heauen compasseth aboute The fruâ—tfulnes of hispaniola as shall more largely appere hereafter in the particular description of the same whiche we intende to sette foorthe when we shall be better instructed Thus makynge a leage of frendshyppe with the kynge and leauynge with hym .xxxviii. men to searche the Ilande he departed to Spayne takynge with hym .x. of the inhabitauntes to lerne the Spanishe tongue to the intent to vse them afterwarde for interpretours Colonus therfore at his returne was honorably receaued of the kyng and queene who caused him to sytte in theyr presence whiche is a token of great loue and honoure amonge the Spaniardes He was also made Admirall of the Ocean and his brother gouenoure of the Iland Towarde the second viage The seconde viage of Colonus he was furnished with .xii. shippes wherof there were great caractes of a thousand tunne xii were of that sorte whiche the Spaniardes call Carauelas without deckes and twoo other of the same sorte somewhat bygger and more apte to beare deckes by reason of the gretnesse of theyr mastes He had also a thousand and two hundreth armed footemen well appoynted Amonge whiche were many artificers as smythes carpenters myners and suche other Certayne horsemen also wel armed Likewise mares shiepe heyghfers and such other of bothe kindes for incrase Lykewise all kynde of pulse or grayne and corne as wheate barlye rye beanes and pease and suche other as well for food as to sowe Come and sedes to sowe Besyde vynes plantes and seedes of suche trees fruites and herbes as those countreyes lacke And not to be forgotten sundry kindes of artillery iron tooles Tooles and artillery as bowes arrowes crossebowes bylles hargabuses brode swoordes large targettes pikes mattockes shâ—ouelles hammers nayles sawes ares and suche other Thus beynge furnished accordyngely they set forwarde from the Ilandes of Gadâ—s nowe called Cals the .vii. day before the calendes of October in the yere of Christe .1493 and arriued at the Ilandes of Canarie at the calendes of October Of these Ilandes the laste is called Ferrea in whiche there is no other water that maye be drunke but onely that is gathered of the dewe whiche continually distilleth from one onely tree growynge on the hâ—ghest backe of the Ilande water droppyng from a tree continually and falleth into a rounde trenche made with mannes hande We were infourmed of these thynges within fewe dayes after his departure what shal succede we wyl certifie yowe hereafter Thus fare ye well from the courte at the Ides of Nouember .1493 ¶ The seconde booke of the fyrste Decade to Ascanius Phâ—rcia vicounte Cardinall c. YOwe repete
Spanyardes Animae album Animae album whose perfume is of most excellent effect to heale the reumes murres and heauines of the heade As touchinge this vyage as yet I knowe noo other newes that I thought worthy to certifie yowe of Wherfore I wyl nowe make an ende of this booke bycause yow put me so often in rememberance of your departure Yet to accomplysshe the Decade I wyll declare sumwhae of the superstitions of Hispaniola The superstitions of hispaniola Yowe shall nowe therfore vnderstand the illusions wherwith the people of the Ilande haue byn seduced after the errours of the owlde gentilitie The errours of the owlde gentilitie and wandered in the ignorance and blyndenes of humane nature corrupted by the disobedience of owr fyrst parentes which hath remayned in all nations vpon the face of the earth except where it hath pleased god by the lyght of his spirite by his woorde to poure vppon his electe the grace of renouation The grace of renouation by the lyght wherof the naturall darkenes receaueth sume clearenes as in a glasse vntyll imperfection shal be abolyshed Owre men therefore were longe in the Ilande of Hispaniola before they knewe that the people thereof honorede any other thynge theÌ„ the lyghtes of heauen or had any other Religion But when theye had byne nowe longe conuersante with them and by vnderstandyng their language drewe to a further familiaritie they had knowleage that they vsed dyuers rytes and superstitions I haue therfore gathered these fewe thynges folowynge owte of a booke wrytten by one Ramonus an heremyte Ramonus an heremyte whom Colonus had lefte with certeyne kynges of the Ilande to instruct them in the Christian fayth And bycauâ—e in maner their hole religion is none other thing then Idolatry I wyll begynne at theyr Idoles Idoâ—atry and Idoles It is therfore apparente by the Images which they honour openly and commonly that there appere vnto them in the nyghte seasons certeyne phantaâ—ies and illusions of euyll spirites Illuâ—ions of euyl spirites seducinge them into many fonde and folyshe errours For they make certeyne Images of gossampine cotton foulded or wrethed after theyr maner Images of gossampâ—ne cotton and harde stopped within These Images they make sytting much lyke vnto the pictures of sprites and deuelles which owr paynters are accustomed to paâ—nt vppon waules But forasmuch as I my selfe sent yowe foure of these Images yowe may better presently signifie vnto the kynge yowre vncle what maner of thynges they are howe lyke vnto paynted deuelles then I can expresse the same by wrytynge These Images thinhabitantes caule Zemes zemes wherof the leaste made to the lykenes of younge deuels younge deuyls they bind to theyr forheades when they goo to the warres ageynst their enemies And for that purpose haue they those strynges hangynge at them which yowe see Of these they beleue to obteyne rayne if rayne be lackyng and lykewyse fayre wether For they thinke that these Zemes are the mediatours and messengers of the greate god Mediatours whom they acknowleage to be only one eternall Only one god eternall withowte ende omnipotent and inuisible Thus euery kynge hath his particuler Zemes which he honoureth The names of god They caule the eternall god by these twoo names Iocauna and Guamaonocon as theyr predicessours tawght them Affirminge that he hath a father cauled by these fyue names The father of god that is Artabâ—ra Mamona Cuacarapita Liella Guimazoa Nowe shall yowe heare what they fable on the earth as touchinge the originall of man The originall of man kynde There is in the Ilande a Region cauled Caunana wher they fayne that mankynde came fyrst owte of twoo caues of a mountayne and that the byggest sorte of men came furth of the mouth of the byggest caue and the least sorte owte of the leaste caue The rocke in the which these caues are they caule Cauâ—a The greatest denne they name Cazibaxagua and the lesse Amaiauna Fables much lyke Ouide his transformations They say that before it was lawful for men to come foorth of the caue the mouth of the caue was kepte and watched nyghtly by a man whose name was Machochael This Machochael departinge sumwhat farre from the caue to thintente to see what thynges were abrode was soodenly taken of the soonne whose sight he was forbydden and was turned into a stone They fayne the lyke of dyuers other that whereas they went foorthe in the nyghte season a fysshynge so farre from the caue that they coulde not returne before the rysynge of the soone the which it was not lawful for them to behold they were transformed into myrobalane trees The original of Mirobalane trees which of them selues growe plentifully in the Ilande They saye furthermore that a certeyne ruler cauled Vagoniona sent one furth of the caue to goo a fysshynge who by lyke chaunce was turned into a nyghtyngale bycause the soonne was rysen beefore he came ageyne to the caue The nightingale And that yearelye abowte the same tyme that he was turned into a byrde he dothe in the nyght with a moornynge songe bewayle his mysfortune and caule for the helpe of his maister Vagoniona And this they thynke to bee the cause why that byrde singeth in the night season But Vagoniona beinge sore troubled in his mynd for the losse of his familier frende whom he loued soo intierly leauinge the men in the caue brought foorth onely the women with theyr suckynge chyldren leauinge the women in one of the Ilandes of that tracte cauled Mathinino The Iland of Mathinino and caryed the chyldren awaye with hym which poore wretches oppressed with famine fainted and remained on the banke of a certeine ryuer where they were turned into frogges Children turned into frogges and cryed toa toa that is mama mama as chyldren are wont to crye for the mothers pappe And hereof they say it commeth that frogges vse to cry so pytifully in the sprynge tyme of the yeare And that men were scattered abrode in the caues of Hispaniola withowte the companye of women They say also that whereas Vagoniona hym selfe was accustomed to wander in dyuers places and yet by a speciall grace A speciall grace neuer transformed descended to a certeyne fayre woman whom he sawe in the bottome of the sea and receaued of her certeyne pibple stones of marble whiche they caule Cibas and also certeine yelowe and bright plates of laton whiche they caule Cuaninos These thynges to this day are had in greate estimation amonge the kynges as goodly iewels and most holy reliques holy reliques These men whiche we sayde before were lefte in the caues withowte women went furth in the nyght as they say to wasshe them selues in a ponde of raine water and sawe a farre of by the way a greate multitude of certeine beastes in shape sumwhat lyke vnto women creping as thicke as antes aboute the myrobalane
the waters whiche faule from the hygh hylles to the valleys that beinge loosed they may with force brust owte into greate fluddes and ouerflowe the countrey if the people doo not gyue due honoure to her Image There remayneth yet one thynge woorthy to bee noted wherwith we wyll make an ende of this booke It is a thynge well knowen and yet fresshe in memory amonge the inhabitantes of the Ilande that there was sumetyme twoo kynges of the which one was the father of Guarionexius of whoÌ„ we made mention before which were woont to absteyne fyue dayes togyther continually from meate and drinke Fyue dayes fastinge to knowe sumwhat of theyr Zemes of thynges to coome A maruelous ilâ—usion of the deuyll And that for this fastynge beinge acceptable to theyr Zemes they receaued answere of them that within fewe yeares there shuld coome to the Ilande a nation of men couered with apparell which shulde destroye al the customes and cerymonyes of the Iland and eyther sley all theyr chyldren The deuyll sumtyme telleth truth or brynge them into seruitude The common sort of the people vnderstoode this oracle to bee mente of the Canibales And therefore when they had any knowleage of theyr commyng they euer fledde and were fully determyned neuer more thaduenture the battayle with them But when they sawe that the Spanyardes had entered into the Ilande consultinge amonge them selues of the matter they concluded that this was the nation which was meÌ„t by thoracle The Idols abolyshed Wherin theyr opinion deceaued them not For they are nowe all subiecte to the Christians all suche beinge slayne as stoobernely resisted Nor yet remayneth there anye memory of theyr Zemes for they are al brought into Spayne that we myght bee certified of theyr illusions of euyl spirites and Idoles the which yowe yowre selfe most noble Prince haue seene and felte when I was presente with yowe I let passe many thynges bycause yow put me in remembrance that to morowe yowe take yowre iorney towarde yowre countrey to brynge home the queene yowre aunte whom yowe accoompanyed hether at the commaundemente of kynge Frederyke yowre vncle Wherfore I byd yowe farewel for this tyme desyrynge yowe to remember yowre Martyr whome yowe haue compelled in the name of the kynge yowre vncle to gather these fewe thynges owte of a large feelde of hystoryes ¶ The tenth and laste booke of the fyrst decade as a conclusion of the former bookes Wrytten to Inacus Lopez Mendocius countie of Tendilla and viceroye of Granata AT the fyrst begynnynge and newe attempte when Colonus had taken vppon hym thenterpryse to search the Ocean sea I was ernestly moued and requyred by the letters of certeyne of my frendes and noble men of Rome to wryte suche thynges as shoulde happen For they whyspered with greate admiracion that where as there were many newe landes founde and nations which liued naked and after the lawe of nature The Lawe of nature they coulde here noo certentie therof beinge greately desyrous of the same In this meane tyme had fortune ouerthrowne Ascanius his brother Lodouike beinge cast owt of Mylayne by the frenchmen whose autoritie wold not suffer me to bee idle Milayne in the hands of the frenchmeÌ„ but euer to haue my pen in hande To hym I wryte the twoo fyrst bookes of this decade besyde many other of my hyd commentaries whiche yowe shall see shortely Fortune dyd noo lesse withdrawe my mynde frome wrytynge then disturbe Ascaniuâ— from power As he was tossed with contrary stormes and ceased to persuade me euen soo slacked my feruentnes to enquyre any further vntyl the yeare of Christe .1500 When the court remayned at Granata where yowe are viceroye At which time Lodouike the Cardinall of Aragonie neuie to kynge Frederike by his brothers syde beinge at Granata with the queene Parthenopea the syster of owre catholike kynge browght me kynge Frederikes letters wherby he exhorted me to fynyshe the other bookes whiche folowed the twoo epystell bookes Epistel books which I wryte to Ascanius For they both acknowleaged that they hadde the copie of all that I wryte to cardinall Ascanius And albeit that euen then I was sicke as yowe knowe yet tooke I the burden vppon me and applyed my selfe to wrytynge I haue therfore chosen these fewe thynges owte of a greate heape of suche as seemed to me most woorthy to bee noted amonge the large wrytynges of the autoures and searchers of the same Wherfore forasmuch as yowe haue endeuoured to wreste owt of my handes the hole exemple of al my woorkes to adde the same to the innumerable volumes of yowre librarie I thowght it good nowe to make a breefe rehersall of those thynges which were done from that yeare of a thowsande and fyue hundreth The historye folowing conteyneth the actes of ten yeare euen vnto this yeare which is the tenth from that For I entende to wryte more largelye of these thynges hereafter if god graunte me lyfe I hadde wrytten a hole booke by it selfe of the superstitions of the people of the Ilande supposinge therwith to haue accomplyshed the hole Decade consistynge of tenne bookes But I haue added this to the tenthe as a perpendiculer lyne and as it were a backe guyde or rerewarde to the other So that yowe may knytte the fyrst tenthe to the nynthe and impute this to occupie the place of the tenthe to fyll vp the Decade This order haue I appoynted lest I shulde bee compelled often times to wryte ouer the hole woorke or sende yowe the same defaced with blottes and interlynynge But nowe let vs coome to owre purpose The shippe masters and maryners ranne ouer many coastes durynge these tenne yeares But euer folowed suche as were fyrste fownde by Colonus For rasinge continually alonge by the tracte of Paria Paria part of the firme laÌ„d of East India which they beleue to bee parte of the firme lande or continent of easte India sume of theym chaunced vppon certeyne newe landes towarde the easte and sume towarde the weste in which they fownde bothe goulde and frankensence Golde frankensence For they browght from thense many iewels and ouches of golde and greate plentie of frankensence whiche they had of the people of those countreys partely for exchange of sume of owre thynges and partely by force ouer commynge them by warre Yet in sume places althowgh they bee naked The fiercenes of the naked people they ouercame owre men and slewe hole armyes For they are excedinge fierce and vse venemous arrowes and longe staues lyke iauelens made harde at the ende with fyer They fownde many beastes Innumerable beastes vnlyke vnto owres both creepinge and foure footed muche differinge from owres variable and of sundrye shapes innumerable yet not hurtflul excepte Lyons Tygers and Crocodiles This I meane in sundry Regions of that greate lande of Paria but not in the Ilandes Noo not soo much as one For all the beastes of
passed by those coastes by reason wherof his store was nowe consumed Also that by the meanes of the contynuall warre which he kepte euer from his chyldes age with a kyng whose name is Poncha bortheringe vppon his dominion he and his famelie were in greate scarsenes of all thynges But Vaschus woolde admytte none of these excuses And thervppon tooke Careta prisoner kynge Careta is taken and spoyled spoyled his vyllage and browght hym bownd with his twoo wyues and chyldren and all his famelie to Dariena With this kynge Careta they founde three of the felowes of Nicuesa the whiche when Nicuesa passed by those coastes to seeke Beragua fearynge punysshement for theyr euyll desertes stoule away from the shyppes lyinge at anker And when the nauie departed commytted them selues to the mercie of Careta who enterteyned them very frendely They had nowe bynne there .xviii. moonethes and were therefore as vtterly naked as the people of the contrey Duringe this tyme the meate of thinhabitances seemed vnto them delicate diâ—shes and princely fare hunger is the best sauce especially bycause they enioyed the same withowte any stryfe for myne and thyne Wyne thine the seedes of al mischefe which twoo thynges moue and enforce men to such harde shyftes and miseries that in lyuing they seeme not to lyue Yet desyred they to returne to theyr owlde cares of suâ—he force is education and natural effection towarde them with whom we haue byn browght vp The vytayles whiche Vaschus browght frome the vyllage of Careta to his felowes lefte in Dariena was rather sumewhat to assuage theyr present hunger and vtterly to take away theyr necessitie But as touchinge Ancâ—sus beinge Lieuetenaunt for Fogeda Ancisus lieuetenaunt for Fogeda is cast in prison whether it were before these thynges or after I knowe not But this I am sure of that after the reiectinge of Nicuâ—sa many occasions were sought agenst Ancisus by Vascus and his factionaries Howe soo euer it was Ancisus was taken and cast in pryson and his goodes confiscate The cause hereof was as Vaschus alleaged that Ancisus hadde his commission of the Lieuetenauntshippe of Fogeda onely whome they sayde to bee nowe deade and not of the kynge Sayinge that he woolde not obey any man that was not put in office by the kyng hym selfe by his letters patentes Yet at the request of the graueste sorte he was sumwhat pacified and delt more gentelly with hym hauinge sum compassion of his calamities And thervppon commaunded hym to bee loosed Ancisus beinge at libertie tooke shyppe to departe from thense to Hispaniola Anciâ—us taketh his vyage to hispaniola But beefore he had hoysed vppe his sayle all the wysest sorte resorted to hym humbly desyringe hym to returne ageyne promysynge that they wolde doo theyr diligence that Vaschus beinge reconciled he myght bee restored to his full autoritie of the Lieuetenauntshippe But Ancisus refused to consent to theyr request and soo departed Yet sume there were that murmured that god and his angels shewed this reuenge vpon Ancisus The reueng of God bycauâ—e Nicuesa was reiected throwgh his counsayle Howe soo euer it bee the searchers of the newe landes faule headlonge into ruine by theyr owne follye consuminge them selues with ciuile discorde The inconueniences of discorde not weighinge soo greate a matter nor employinge theyr beste endeuoure aboute the same as the woorthynes of the thynge requyreth In this meane tyme they determyned all with one agreemente to sende messengers into Hispaniola to the younge Admirall and viceroy sonne and heyre to Christophorus Colonus the fynder of these landes The sonne heyrâ— of Colonus is Admirall and viceroy of hispaniola and to the other gouernoures of the Ilande from whom the newe landes receaue theyr ayde and lawes to signifie vnto theÌ„ what state they stoode in and in what necessitie they lyued also what they had founde and in what hope they were of greater thinges if they were furnyshed with plentie of vytayles and other necessaries For this purpose they elected at the assignement of Vascus one Valdiuia Valdiuia beinge one of his faction and instructed by hym ageinst Ancâ—sus And to bee aâ—sistant with hym they appoynted one Zamudius a Cantabrian So that commaundement was gyuen to Valdiuia to returne from Hispaniola with vytayles And Zamudius was appoynted to take his vyage into Spayne to the kynge zamudius Ancisus take their vyage to Spayne They tooke shippe both togyther with Ancisus hauinge in mynde to certifie the kynge howe thynges were handeled there muche otherwyse then Zamudius information I my selfe spake with both Ancisus and Zamudius at their commynge to the courte Whyle they were occupied aboute these matters those wretched men of Dariena loosed Carera the kynge of Coiba vppon condicion that he shulde ayde theym in theyr warres ageynst his enemy and theyrs kynge Poncha bortheringe vpon his dominions kinge PoÌ„cha Careta made a league with theÌ„ promysinge that as they passed by his kyngedome he woolde gyue them all thynges neceâ—sarie and meete them with an armie of men to goo forwarde with them to the battaile agenst Poncha Theyr weapons are nother bowes nor venemed arrowes as we sayde thinhabitantes to haue which dwel eastwarde beyonde the goulfe They feight therefore at hande with longe swordes which they caule Macanas made of wood bycause they haue noo Iren. Swoordes of woodde They vse also longe staues lyke iaâ—elens hardened at the endes with fyer or typte with bone Also certeyne stynges and dartes Thus after the league made with Careta bothe he and owre men had certeyne dayes appoynted theym to tyll theyr grounde and sowe theyr seedes This doone by the ayde of Careta and by his conduction they marched towarde the palaice of Poncha kynge Careta conspireth with the Spanyardes agenst kynge Poncha who fâ—edde at theyr coÌ„mynge They spoyled his vyllage and mytigated theyr hunger with such vytayles as they founde there Yet coulde they not helpe their felowes therwith by reasoÌ„ of the farre distance of the place althowghe they had greate plentie For the vyllage of Poncha was more then a hundreth myles distant from Dariena wheras was also none other remedy but that the same shulde haue byn caryed on mens backes to the sea syde beinge farre of where they left theyr shyppes in the which they came to the vyllage of Carâ—ta Here they founde certeyne powndes weyght of gold grauen wrought into sundrye ouches wrought gold After the sacking of this vyllage they resorted toward the ships intendyng to leaue the kinges of the inland vntouched at this tyme to inuade onely them which dwelt by the sea coastes Not farre from Coiba in the same tracte there is a Region named Comogra The region of Comogra distant frome Dariena xxx leaques and the Kinge thereof cauled Comogrus after the same name To this Kinge they came fyrst next after the subvertion of Poncha And founde his palaice situate
many honorable gyftes and priuileges for theyr attemptes Wherfore I desyre yowre holynes to inclyne yowre attentiue cares and to consyder with a ioyfull mynde what they haue browght to passe in these great enterpryses â—â—mmendatiâ—â— of the Spaâ—â—ardes For this valiante nation the Spanyardes I meane haue not onely with greate paynes and innumerable dangers subdued to the Christian empire infinite hundreâ—es and legions but also myriades of men Vaschus Nunnez therfore whether it were that he was impacient of Idlenes for a valiente mynde can not rest in one place or bee vnoccupyed or leaste any other shulde preuent hym in soo great a matter suspecting the newe gouernour Petrus Arias or being moued by both these causes â— Ualient mynd can not â—ee ydle and especially for that the kynge had taken displeasure with hym for such thynges as he had doone before toke thaduenture vppon hym with a fewe men to brynge that to passe which the sonne of kynge Comogrus thought could hardly haue byn doone with the ayde of a thousande men â— desperate â—duenture wherof Petrus Arias was appoynted capitayne for the same purpose Assemblynge therfore certeyne of the owlde souldiers of Dariena and many of those whiche came lately from Hispaniola allured by the fame of greater plentie of golde Uaschus his vâ—age toward â—he golden â—ountaynes he gathered an armye of a hundreth fourescore and tenne men Thus beinge furnysshed and redie to take his vyage by sea whyle the wynde serued hym he departed frome Dariena with one brygantine and tenne of theyr boates whiche they caule Canoas as wee haue sayde Fyrst therfore arryuynge in the dominion of Careta kynge of Coiba and frende to the Christians Careta kynge of Coiba and leauynge his shyppe and boates there he made his deuout prayers to almyghtie god and therwith went forwarde on his iourney by lande toward the mountaynes Here he fyrst entered into the region of kynge Poncha kyng Poncha who fledde at his commyng as he had doone before But Vaschus sent messengers to hym by the conduct of certeyne of Careta his men promysinge hym frendshâ—p and defence ageynst his enemies with many other benefites Poncha thus entysed with the fayre speache and frendely profers bothe of owre men and of the Caretans came to owr men gladly and wyllyngely makynge a league of frendshippe with them Vaschus enterteyned hym very frendely and persuaded hym neuer therafter to stande in feare Thus they ioyned handes embrased and gaue greate gyftes the one to the other to knytte vp the knotte of continâ—all amitie Poncâ—a gaue Vaschus a hundreth and ten poundes weyght of golde A hundreth x. poundes weyght of golde of â—hat pounde which the Spanyardes caule Pesum He had no greater plentie of golde at this tyme by reason he was spoyled the yeare before as we haue sayde Vaschus to recompence one benefyte with an other gaue hym certeyne of owre thynges Strange thinges are counted precious as counterfet rynges Christal stones copper cheynes brase lettes haukes belles lokynge glasses and suche other fyne stuffe These thynges they set much by and greately esteeme For suche thynges as are straunge are euery where counted precious He gaue also to Poncha certeyne axes to fell trees which he accepted as a princely gyfte bycause they lacke Iren and all other metals except golde Lacke of â—ren by reason wherof they are enforced with greate laboure to cut theyr trees to buylde theyr houses and especially to make theyr boates holowe withowte instrumentes of Iren with certeyne sharpe stones whiche they fynde in the ryuers A stone in the steede of IreÌ„ Thus Vaschus leauynge all thynges in safetie behynde hym marched forwarde with his armye towarde the mountaynes by the conducte of certeyne guydes and labourers which Poncha had gyuen hym as well to leade hym the way as also to cary his baggages and open the straightes through the desolate places and craggy rockes full of the dennes of wylde beastes For there is seldoome entercourse or byinge and sellynge betwene these naked people bycause they stand in neede of fewe thynges and haue not the vse of money Superfluâ—ties hynder libertie But yf at any tyme they exercise any bartering they doo it but nere hande exchangynge golde for housholde stuffe with theyr confines whiche sumewhat esteeme the same for ornamente when it is wroughâ— Other superfluities they vtterly contemne as hynderances of theyr sweete libertie for asmuch as they are gyuen only to play and Idelnes And for this cause the high wayes which lye betwene theyr regions are not much worne with many iorneys Yet haue theyr scoutes certeyne priuie markes whereby they knowe the waye the one to inuade the others dominions and spoyle and infeste them selues on bothe sydes with mutual incursions priuilie in the nyght season By the helpe therfore of theyr guydes and labourers with owre carpenters Carpenters he passed ouer the horrible mountaynes and many greate ryuers lyinge in the way ouer the which hâ— made brydges eyther with pyles or trunkes of trees Brydges And here doo I let passe manye thynges whiche they suâ—fered for lacke of necessaries beinge also in maner ouercome with extreme laboure leaste I shulde bee tedious in rehersinge thynges of smaule value But I haue thought it good not to omitte suche doinges as he had with the kynges by the waye Therefore or euer he came to the toppes of the hygh mountaynes he entered into a Region cauled Quarequa The region of Quarequa and mette with the kynge thereof cauled by the same name with a greate hande of men armed after theyr maner as with bowes and arrowes longe and brode two handed swordes made of wodde longe staues hardened at the endes with fyer dartes also and slynges He came proudely and cruelly ageynst owre men and sent messengers to them to byd theym stande and procede no further demaundynge whyther they went and what they hadde to doo there kinge Quarequa is dryuen to flyght Herewith he came foorth and shewed hym selfe beinge appareled with al his nobilitie but the other were all naked Then approchinge towarde owre men he thretened theÌ„ with a lions countenance to depart from thense except they woolde bee slayne euery mothers sonne When owre men denyed that they woolde goo backe he assayled them fiercely But the battayle was sone fynyâ—â—â—ed For as soone as they harde the noyse of the hargabuâ—â—es hargabusâ—es they beleued that owre menne caryed thunder and lyghtenynge about with them Many also beinge slayne and sore wounded with quarels of crossebowes Crossebowâ—s they turned their backes and fledde Owre men folowynge them in the chase hewed them in pieses as the butchers doo flesshe in the shamwelles from one an arme from an other a legge from hym a buttocke vi C. Barbarians are sâ—aine from an other a shulder and from sume the necke from the bodye at one stroke Thus syxe hundreth of them with theyr
knowledge many straunge and woonderfull thynges and promysseth no smaule hope of greater thynges in tyme to coome In this is founde great plentie of pearles so fayre great Great perles that the sumptuous queene Cleopatra myght haue seemed to weare them in her crownes chaynes and braslettes Of the shelfysshes wherin these are engendered wee wyll speake sumwhat more in th ende of this narration But let vs nowe returne to Hispaniola moste lyke vnto the earthly paradyse hispaniola lyke vnto the earthly paradyse In the description hereof we wyll begynne of the imposytion of dyuerse names Then of the forme of the Ilande temperate ayer and benefyciall heauen And fynally of the deuisyon of the regyons Therfore for the ryghter pronunsyation to the names yowre holynesse muste vnderstande that they are pronounced with thaccent as yowe may know by the verge sette ouer the heddes of the vowels as in the name of the Ilande Matinino where the accente is in the last vowell and the lyke to be vnderstoode in all other names They saye therfore that the fyrste inhabitours of the Iland were transported in their Canoas that is boates made of one hole pyece of woodde from the Ilande of Mâ—tinino The fyâ—st inhabitours of hiâ—paniola beynge lyke banysshed men dryuen from thense by reason of certaine contrary factions and diuisyons emonge them selues lyke as wee reade howe Dardanus came from Corytho Dardanus and Teuerus from Creta into Asia Teuâ—rus and that the regyon where they placed their habitation was afterwarde cauled Troianum Troianum The lyke wee reade howe the Tirians and Sidonians arryued with their nauye in Libya by the fabulous conduction of Dido Tâ—rians Sidonians These Matininans in like maner beynge banysshed from their owne countrey planted their fyrste habytation in that parte of the Iland of Hispaniola whiche they caule Cabonao vpon the banke of the ryuer named Bahaboni As is redde in the begynnynge of the Romaynes that Eneas of Troye aryued in the region of Italy cauled Latium vppon the bankes of the ryuer of Tiber Eneas Latium Within the mouthe of the ryuer of Bahaboni lyeth an Ilande where it is sayde that thinhabitauntes buylded their fyrste howse whiche they named Camoteia This howse they consecrated shortely after and honoured the same reuerently with continual gyftes and monumentes euen vntyl the commynge of owre men lyke as the Christians haue euer relygyously honoured Ierusalem the fountayne and oryginall of owre faythe hierusalem As also the Turkes attribute the lyke to the cytie of Mecha in Araby Mecha and thinhabytantes of the fortunate Ilandes cauled the Ilandes of Canarye to Tyrma buylded vppon a hyghe rocke from the whiche many were wounte with ioyfull myndes and songes to caste them selues downe headlonge The Ilandes of Canarie beyng persuaded by their priestes that the soules of all suche as so dyd for the loue of Tyrma shulde therby enioye eternall felycity The conquerours of the Ilandes of Canarie founde them yet remaynyng in that superstition euen vntyll owre tyme Nor yet is the memory of their sacrifyces vtterly worne awaye The rocke also reserueth the owlde name vnto this daye I haue also learned of late that there yet remayneth in the Ilande summe of the faction of Betanchor the Frenshe man and fyrste that broughte the Ilandes Betanchor a Frenchman to good culture and ciuilitie beyng therto lycenced by the kynge of Castile as I haue sayde before These doo yet for the moste parte obserue bothe the language and maners of the Frenshemen although the eyres and successours of Betanchor had soulde the two subdued Ilandes to certeyne men of Castile Yet thinhabitours whiche succeded Betanchor and buylded them houses and encreased their families there do contynue to this daye And lyue quietly and pleasauntly with the Spanyardes not greued with the sharpe coulde of Fraunce But lette vs nowe returne to thinhabitauntes of Matinino and Hispaniola The Ilande of Hispaniola was fyrste named by the fyrste inhabitours The fyrst names of hispaniola Quizqueia and then Haiti And this not by chaunce or at the pleasure of suche as diuised these names but of credulitie and belefe of summe great effecte For Quizqueia is as muche to saye as a great thinge And that so greate that none maye bee greater They interprete also that Quizqueia sygnifyeth large vniuersall or al in like signification as the Greekes named their god cauled Pan Pan. Bycause that for the greatnes therof these symple soules supposed it to bee the hole worlde And that the soonne beames gaue lyghte to none other worlde but onely to this Ilande with the other adiacente aboute the same And thervppon thoughte it most woorthy to bee cauled great as the greatest of all other knowen to them Haiti is as muche to saye by interpretation as roughe sharpe or craggie But by a fyguratiue speache cauled denomination wherby the hole is named by part they named the hole Iland Haiti that is roughe For as muche as in many places the face of this Iland is rough bâ— reason of the craggie montaynes The roughnesse of hispaniola horrible thicke wooddes and terrible darke and diepe valleys enuyroned with great and highe montaynes althoughe it bee in manye other places exceadynge bewtifull and florysshynge Here muste wee sumwhat digresse from thorder we are entered into Perhappes your holynesse wyll maruell by what meanes these symple men shoulde of soo longe contynuance beare in minde suche principles where as they haue no knowledge of letters So it is therfore that from the beginninge their princes haue euer byn accustomed to committe their children to the gouernaunce of their wise men whiche they caule Boitios to bee instructed in knowledge The maner of lernynge and to beare in memorie suche thynges as they lerne They gyue them selues chieflye to two thynges As generally to lerne thoriginall and successe of thynges And particularlye to reherse the noble factes of their graundefathers great graundefathers and auncestours aswell in peace as in warre These two thynges they haue of owlde tyme composed in certeyne myters and ballettes in their language These rhymes or ballettes Ballets and rhymes they caule Arâ—itos And as owre mynstrelles are accustomed too synge to the harpe or lute so doo they in lyke maner synge these songes and daunce to the same playinge on tymbrelles made of shels of certen fysshes These tymbrels they caule Maguei They haue also songes and ballettes of loue And other of lamentations and moornyng Singing and daunceing Soonges of loue and moornynge Summe also to encorage them to the warres with euery of them their tewnes agreable to the matter They exercyse theym selues muche in daunceinge wherin they are verye actyue and of greater agilitie then owre men by reason they gyue them selues to nothyng so muche and are not hyndered with apparell whiche is also the cause of their swiftenesse of foote In their ballettes lefte them of
sycke his poure went forward vnder the conducting of his Lieuetenant Gaspar Spinosa a Iudge in cases of lawe in Dariena At the same time other were sent foorth to the Ilande of Dites to exacte the portion of pearles lymited to the king for his tribute What shal succede tyme will bring to owre knowleage The other two attempted thinhabitantes beyond the goulfe Franciscus Bezerra passyng ouer by the corner of the goulfe and the mouthes of the ryuer of Dabaiba The expediâ—ion of Fraunces Beâ—arra â—geynst the Canibales with two other capitaines and a hundreth and fyftie souldiers well appointed went to make warre vppon the Canibales euen in Caribana their owne chiefest dominion toward the vyllage of Turusy wherof we haue made mention before in the comming of Fogeda They brought also with them diuers engens of warre Gunâ—eâ— â–ª as â—hree pieces of ordinanunce whose shot were bygger then egges Likewise forty archers and .xxv. hagbutters to thintent to reache the Caniballes a farre of and to preuent their venemed arrowes But what became of hym and his company or where they arriued we haue yet no parfecte knowleage Certaine which came of late from Dariena to Spaine reported that at their departure they of Dariena stode in great feare least they also were tossed with sum misfortune The other capitaine Valleius Ualeius â—epulsed of the Canibales obteyned the fore parte of the goulfe But he passed ouer by an other waye then dyd Bezerra For he tooke the beginning of Caribana and Bezerra the ende Valleius returned ageine But of the three score and ten men whiche he conueighed ouer with hym hee lefte fortye and eyght slaine emonge the Canibales These are the newes whiche they bringe that came laste from Daâ—iena There came to me the day before the Ides of October in this yeare M.D.xvi. Rodericus Colmenares of whom we haue made mention before and one Franciscus Delapuente This Franciscus was one of the vnder capitaines of this bande whose chiefe capitaine was Gonsalus Badaiocius who hardly escaped the handâ—s of kyng Pariza These twoo capitaines therfore Rodericus and Franciscus who departed from Dariena immediatly after the misfortune whiche befell to Badaiocius and his companye The Ilandes of the south sâ—a do both affirme the one that he hath harde and the other that he hath seene that in the Southe sea there are diuers Ilandes lying westwarde from the Iland of Dites and saincte Michaels goulfe In this sea 〈◊〉 Ilâ—ndes of Molucca most frutefull of â—pices in many of the which are trees engendred and nourisshed which bring foorth the same aromaticall fruites as doth the region of Collocutea Collocutea This lande of Collocutea with the regions of Cochinus and Camemorus Cochinus and Camemorus from whense the Portugales haue their spyces are the chiefe marte places from whense the Portugales haue their spices And hereby do they coniecture that the land where the frutfulnesse of spyce begynneth shulde not be farre from thense In so much that many of them whiche haue ouerrunne those coastes do onely desyre that leaue may be graunted them to searche further and that they wil of their owne charges frame and furnishe shippes and aduenture the viage to seeke those Ilandes and regions They thinke it best that these shippes shulde bee made and prepared he meaneth by the streight of Magellanus euen in saincte Michaels goulfe And not to attempte this vyage by sainte Augustines point which waye were both longe and diâ—fyculte and ful of a thousande daungers and is saide to reache beyonde the forty degree of the pole Antartike The same Franciscus being partener of the trauailes and daungiers of Gonsalus saithe that in ouer runninge those landes he founde great heardes of hartes and wylde bores howe they take hartes and wylde bores and that he toke many of them by an arte which thinhabitauntes taught him whiche was to make pittes or treÌ„ches in their walkes and to couer the same with bouwes By this meanes also they deceaue al other kindes of wild and foure footed beastes But they take foules after the same maner that we do As stocke doues with an other tame stocke done brought vp in their houses Stocke dâ—ueâ— These they tye by a strynge and suffer them to flye a little emong the trees To the which as other birdes of their kind resort they kil theÌ„ with their arrowes Theyr maner of foulynge Otherwyse they take theÌ„ with nettes in a bare place pourged from trees bushes and scateryng certeyne seedes rounde about that place in the myddeste whereof they tye a tame foule or byrde of the kynde of them whiche they desyre to take In lyke maner do they take popingiayes and other foules But they say that popingiayes are so simple Poâ—ingiayes arâ— eaâ—ely taken that a great multitude of them wyll flye euen into the tree in whose bouwes the fouler sytteth swarme about the tame chatterynge popingiaye sufferynge them selues to bee easely taken For they are so without feare of the syght of the fouler that they tary whyle he cast the snare about theyr neckes the other beinge nothynge feared hereby thoughe they see hym drawe them to him with the snare and put them in the bagge which he hath about hym for the same purpose There is an other kynde of foulynge A straunge kynde of foulynge heretofore neuer harde of and pleasaunt to consyder We haue declared before howe that in certeyne of the Ilandes and especially in Hispaniola there are dyuers lakes or standynge pooles In sume of these beinge no deaper then men may wade ouer them are seene great multytudes of water foules as wel for that in the bottome of these lakes there growe many herbes and weedes as also that by reason of the heate of the sonne pearceinge to the naturall place of generation and corruption Fysshes and woâ—mes engeÌ„dered of sume where beinge doubled in force by reflection and preserued by moyster there are engendered of the stymines of the earth and water and by the prouidence of the vniuersall creator innumerable lyttle fysâ—hes with a thousande sundry kyndes of frogges wormes knattes flyes and such other The foules which vse these lakes Foules are of dyuers kyndes As duckes geese swannes seemewes gulles and such other We haue sayde also that in theyr orchardes they noryshe a tree which beareth a kynde of greate gourdes Of these gourdes therefore well stopped leaste any water shulde enter in at theyr ryftes and cause them to sinke Gourdes of the tree they cast many in the shalowe pooles where by theyr continuall wanderynge and wauerynge with the motions of the wynde and water they put the foules owt of suspection and feare The fouler in the meane tyme disguysinge hym selfe as it were with a visour putteth a great gourde on his head much lyke to a helmet with two holes neare about his eyes his face and hole heade besyde beinge couered therwith And thus entereth
and on the lande When they desyre to gather golde they plunge theym selues in the ryuers and brynge from the bottome therof bothe their handes full of sande whiche syftynge from hande to hande they gather owte the graynes of golde And by this meanes in the space of twoo houres they fyll a reede as bygge as a mannes fynger Of the sweete sauours of these landes Sweete sauours many thinges myght be spoken the whiche bycause they make rather to theffeminatynge of the myndes of men then for any necessarye purpose I haue thought best to omytte them The kynge also gaue the gouernour a younge virgine of twelue yeares of age adourned with ryche and fayre iewelles A stone of great price Of the stones whiche he had of this kynge one was valued at twoo thousande Castellans of golde Thus at the length they departed from this kyng laden with golde and precious stoones Crisalua the gouernour sente one of the Carauelles to his vncle Diego Velasquen gouernour of the Ilande of Cuba with messengers to delyuer hym the golde iewelles and other ornamentes The resydue in the meane tyme styll folowed the tracte towarde the West One of them in the whiche Frauncis Montegius the vnder gouernour was caryed sayled harde by the shore and the other twoo kept aloofe within prospecte of the land Thinhabitauntes of these coastes also no lesse marueylynge at the shyppes then dyd the other came with twelue Canoas to Montegius desyringe hym by thinterpretours to coome alande promysynge in the name of their kynge that hee shoulde be honorably entertayned But Montegious answered that hee coulde not assente to their request bycause his coompanions were so farre from hym Yet dyd he gyue them certayne of owre thynges straunge vnto them and thankes for their gentylnesse Shortly after espyinge a great towne they directed their course thither Thinhabitauntes prohibyted them to coome alande and came foorthe ageynst them with bowes quyuers ful of arrowes brode swoordes made of heauy woode and Iauelens hardned at the ende with fier They shotte at owre men a farre of And owre men discharged certeyne pieces of ordinaunce ageynst them The Barbarians astonysshed at the noyse of the gunnes fledde amayne and desyred peace Here owre mens vytayles began to fayle them and theyr shyppes were broosed with longe vyages Hauynge therefore founde and doone these thynges whereof we haue spoken Crisalua returned to the Ilande of Fernandina well contented Other viages from Cuba or Fernandina but so were not his companions We muste nowe diuerte sumwhat from this matter and speake of an other nauigation And from thense wyll we returne to these landes which owre men haue founde So it is therfore that Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Iland of Fernandina about the same tyme that he had sent foorth this nauie of foure Caraueles he prepared an other nauigation of onely one Carauell and one brygantine with fortie and fyue men These exercised vyolent handes ageinst thinhabitauntes of those regions where they arryued thynkynge that they myght forceably drawe them to the dyggynge of golde bycause they were Caffranite Idolaters and circumcised There are at the sea syde not farre from the supposed continent Many Ilandâ— betwene Cuba and the firme lande many lyttle Ilandes of moste fortunate and frutefull soyle whereof three are thus named Guanapan Guanguan and Quitilla Owte of one of these which they named Sancta Marina they violentely caried away three hundreth men and women which they thrust into the Carauell and returned immediatly to Fernardina leauynge the brigantine with .xxv. of theyr felowes to thintent to hunt for more men The hauen where the Carauell fyrste arryued is cauled Carenas beinge distante from the angle of Cuba and the chiefe citie of Sanctiago Sanctiago the chiefe citie of Cuba two hundreth and fyftie myles For this Ilande of Cuba is very longe reachyng in length from the East to the West and situate directly vnder the circle cauled Tropicus Cancri as we haue sayde before Now shall you heare how fortune sought the reuenge of these pore wretches Therfore as theyr kepers went aland and few remained in the Carauel they perceuing occasioÌ„ ministred wher by they myght recouer theyr libertie soodeynely snatched vp owt mens weapons and slewe syxe of them which yet remayned in the Carauel whyle the residue lepte into the sea The Barbaâ—ians sley the Spaniardes with theyr owne weapons And by this meanes the Barbarians possessed the Carauell which they had soone learned to rule and thus returned to theyr owne countreys But they sayled fyrste to the nexte Ilande where they burnte the Carauel and caried away the weapons with them From hense they conueyed them selues to theyr owne countreys with the Canoas of this Ilande Heare in lyke maner they pryuilie assayled them that were lefte with the brigantyne and slewe many of them also The residue that escaped fledde to the brigantine where they bewayled theyr felowes deathes and counted theyr owne escape a victorie On the shore not farre from the place where they suffered this misfortune there is a tree in the toppe wherof they set vp a crosse and graued this inscription in the barke of the tree Vannuis Aldarieci There is a ryuer named Darien on the banke wherof standeth the chiefe citie of the supposed continent The chiefe citie of the supposed continent The gouernour therfore hauing intelligence herof sent with all speede two shippes of warre well furnyshed to the ayde of them that were lefte But they were wyse to late Yet folowynge the viewe of the crosse they came to the shore and redde the letters grauen on the tree but durste not attempte fortune Thus with all theyr hardie souldiers departinge from hense with despayre they sayled to the nexte Ilande out of the which they caryed away by violence fyue hundreth men and women supposynge lykewyse that they myght lawfully so doo bycause they were Idolaters and circumcised But the like chaunce happened vnto them when they landed at Fernandina For the Barbarians espyinge oportunitie sette vppon the Spaniardes in one of the shippes with theyr owne weapons and slewe theyr keepers The Spanyardes are sâ—ayne ageyne with theyr owne wepoÌ„s The residue that escaped castynge them selues into the sea swamme to the nexte carauell and with theyr felowes assayled the carauell that was taken from them This conflicte was so sharpe that for the space of foure houres it was doubtfull whether parte shulde obteyne the victorie The Barbarians both men and women fought verye fiercely aswell to recouer theyr libertie as also to holde faste the praye whiche they had gotten But in fine the Spanyardes had the vpper hande by reason they were more experte in handelynge of theyr weapons and rulyng of theyr Carauell The Barbarians beinge thus ouercoome The barbarians are slaine and puâ— to flyght lepte into the sea but the Spanyardes tooke theym ageyne with the shippe boates About a hundreth of the Barbarians peryshed beinge partely
Amonge the whiche certes those are esteemed moste trewe and autentyke which haue byn wrytten by wyttie and expert men well trauayled in the worlde as faythfull wytnesses of suche thynges as they haue partely seene and byn partely informed by credible persons Of this mynde and opinion was Plinie who better then any other autoure hathe wrytten in xxxvii bookes al that perteyneth to the naturall historie conteyned al in one volume dedicated to Uespasian Themperour Wherein as a prudente historiographer he declareth suche thynges as he had harde Attributynge the seconde autoritie to suche as he had redde in autoures that wrote before hym And thyrdely ioyned to the same hystorie such thynges as he hym selfe had seene as moste certeyne testimonie Whose exemple I folowynge wyl in this my breefe summarie reduce and represent to yowr maiesties memorie such thynges as I haue seene in yowre Empyre of the West Indies aswell in the Ilandes as in the firme lande of the Ocean sea where I haue serued nowe more then twelue yeares in the place of suruoyer of the golde mynes by the commaundemente of the Catholyke kynge Don Fernando the fyfte of that name and graundfather vnto yowre maiestie to whom god gaue great fame and glorie Sense whose death also I haue lykewies serued and trust whyle the rest of my lyfe yet remayneth to serue yowre maiestie as shall please yowe to commaunde As touchynge which thinges and such other lyke I haue more largely written in a hystorie begunne as sone as my age was rype to take suche matters in hande Wherein furthermore I haue made mention of suche thynges as haue chaunced in Spaine from the yeare .1494 vnto this tyme. Addynge also thereunto suche thynges woorthy memorie as I haue obserued in other realmes and prouinces where I haue trauayled And haue likewise particulerly wrytten the lyues and woorthy actes of the catholyke Princes of famous memorie Don Ferdinando and lady Elizabeth his wyfe to theyr last dayes After whose fruition of heauenly Paradyse I haue noted suche thynges as haue chaunced in yowre most fortunate succession Not omittynge particularly to wryte a large booke of such thynges as haue seemed moste woorthy to bee noted as touchynge yowre maiesties Indies But for asmuche as that volume remaineth in the citie of San. Dominico in the Ilande of Hispaniola where I dwell and am placed in housholde with wyfe chyldren and famelie I haue brought no more with me of that my writynge then I beare in memorie Determynynge notwithstandynge for yowre maiesties recreation to make a breefe rehearsall of certeyne notable thynges wherof I haue more largely entreated in my sayde general historie and such as may seeme moste woorthy to bee redde of yowre maiestie Of the which although a great parte haue byn wrytten by other who haue also seene the same yet perhappes they are not so exactly and particularly described as of me forasmuche as in maner all that trauayle into these Indies haue greater respecte to luker and gaynes then diligently to searche the woorkes of nature wherunto I haue byn euer naturally inclyned and haue therfore with all possible endeuour applyed myne eyes and intelligence to fynde the same And this presente Summarie shall not bee contrary or dyuers from my larger historie wherin as I haue sayde I haue more amplye declared these thynges but shal onely more breefely expresse theffect therof vntyl such tyme as Godde shal restore me to myne owne house where I may accomplyshe and fynishe my sayd general hystorie Where vnto to gyue the fyrst principle I say that Don Christopher Colonus as it is well knowen beinge the fyrste Admyrall of this India discouered the same in the dayes of the Catholyke kynge Don Ferdinando and the ladye Elyzabeth his wyfe graundfather and graundmother vnto yowre maiestie In the yeare .1491 And came to Barzalona in the yeare 1492. with the fyrst Indians and other shewes and profes of the great ryches and notice of this west Empire The whiche gyfte and benefyte was suche that it is vnto this daye one of the greatest that euer any subiect or seruant hath done for his prince or countrey as is manifeste to the hole worlde And to saye the trewth this shall doubtlesse bee so commodious and profytable vnto the hole realme of Spayne that I repute hym no good Castilian or Spanyarde that doothe not recognise the same And as I haue sayde before forasmuch as in my sayde generall historie I haue more largely intreated of these thynges I intend at this present only briefely to rehearse certeyne especiall thynges the whiche suerly are verye fewe in respecte of the thousandes that myght bee sayde in this behalfe Fyrst therfore I wyl speake sumwhat of the nauigation into these parties Then of the generation of the nations whiche are founde in the same with their rytes customes and cerimonies Also of beastes foules byrdes woormes fysshes seas ryuers sprynges trees plantes herbes and dyuers other thinges which are engendered boothe on the lande and in the water And forasmuche as I am one of thorder and company of them that are appointed to returne into these regions to serue yowre maiestie yf therfore the thynges conteyned in this booke shall not bee distincte in such order as I promised to performe in my greater woorke I desyre yowre maiestie to haue no respecte herevnto but rather to consyder the noueltie of suche straunge thynges as I haue herein declared whiche is the chiefe ende that moued me to write Protestyng that in this Summarie I haue written the trewth of suche thynges as coome to my remembraunce wherof not onely I my selfe can testifye but also diuers other woorthy and credible men which haue bin in those regions and are nowe presente in yowre maiesties courte And thus it shal suffyce to haue saide thus much vnto yowre maiestie in maner of a proheme vnto this present worke which I most humbly desyre yowre maiesticas thankfully taccept as I haue written it faythfully ¶ Of the ordinary nauygation from Spayne to the Weste Indies THe nauygation whiche is commonly made from Spayne to the Weste India is from Siuile where yowre maiestie haue yowre house of contractation for those partes with also yowre offycers thervnto perteynynge of whom the capitaines take their passeporte and lycence The patrones of suche shyppes as are appoynted to these vyages imbarke theym selues at san Luca di Barameda where the ryuer Cuadalchiber entereth into the Ocean sea And from hense they folowe their course toward the Ilandes of Canarie Of these seuen Ilandes they commonly touche two that is eyther Grancanaria or Gomera ▪ And here the shyppes are furnysshed with freshe water fuell cheese biefe and suche other thynges whiche may seeme requisyte to be added to suche as they brynge with them owte of Spayne From Spayne to these Ilandes is coommonly eyght dayes saylinge or lyttle more or lesse And when they are arryued there they haue sayled two hundereth and fyftie leaques whiche make a thousande myles accomptyng foure
Timor and were ingulfed by chance in the great sea cauled Lantchidol The sea of Lantchidol and tooke theyr course betwene the weste and south weste leauynge the northe coastes on theyr ryght hand fearyng least if they shuld sayle toward the firm land they myght bee seene of the portugales who are of great power in Malaccha Malaccha and therfore dyrected theyr cours withowt the Iland of Sumatra cauled in owld tyme Taprobana The Iland of Sumetra Leauyng also on theyr ryght hand vpon the fyrm land the prouinces and regions of Pegu Pegu Bengala Bengala Calicut Calicut Canonor Canonor Coa Coa Cambaia Cambaia the goulfe of the Ilande of Ormus Ormus and all the coastes of the greater India East India And more safely to passe the cape of Buona Speranza being about Affrike Cap. de Buona Speranza they sayled about .xlii. degrees toward the pole Antartike and remayned seuen weekes abowte that cape with many fetches compassyng the wynd with theyr sayles contynually alofte because they had a west and north weste wynd in the proos of theyr shyppe which wolde not suffer them to passe The cape of Buona Speranza is toward the pole Antartik beneth the Equinoctiall line .xxxiiii. degrees and a halfe and .1600 leaques from the cape of Malaccha And is the greateste and moste daungyerous cape that is founde at thys day in al the worlde When they had by these perels ouerpassed thys cape certeyne of them aswell for lacke of vytayles as also by reason of syckenesse were mynded to sayle to a hauen of the Portugales named Monzambique aboue Affryke The port of Mâ—nzambiqâ—â— â–ª But the other answered that they wold rather dye then go to any other place then directly to Spayne They folowed theyr course therfore saylynge towarde the Southwest two monethes continually without touchynge at any porte In whiche tyme there dyed abowte .xxi. of theyr coompany whom they cast into the sea And suerly if god of his infinite mercie had not preserued the residue in tyme they hadde all dyed of famen Famen In fine beinge inforced of necessitie and halfe of theyr companye deade they sayled to one of the Ilandes of Capo verde cauled Insula Sancti Iacobi Capo Verde that is saynte Iames Ilande S. Iames Ilande parteyning to the kyng of Portugale Where as soone as they ariyued they sent certeyne alande in the shippe boate for vyttayles declarynge to the Portugales with all loue and fauour what necessitie they were dryuen to and what miseries and trauayles they had susteyned informynge them further of theyr marueylous viage and suche thynges as they hadde seene in both the East and West India with such other gentel woordes wherby they obteyned certeyne measures of rise The ingratâ—tude of the Portugales But when afterwarde .xiii. of theym returned for more ryse they were deteyned Whereuppon the reste whiche remayned in the shippe fearynge the lyke chaunce departed with full sayles and the .vii. day of September with the helpe of god entered into the hauen of San Lucar nere vnto Siuile The port of saynt Lucar nere vnto Siuile where dischargynge all theyr ordinaunce for ioy they wente immediatly to the greate churche in theyr shertes and barefooted with a torche before them to gyue thankes to almyghtie god who had brought them safe to theyr owne countrey and restored them to theyr wyues and chyldren As touchynge th ende of this viage Transiluanus wryteth sumwhat more largely as foloweth The other shyppe which they lefte behynde them to bee repayred what became of the other shyppe returned afterwarde by the Archipelagus aforesayde and by the great sea to the coastes of the firme of the west India and arryued at a region of the same being ageynst Dariena Dariena where the South sea of Sur is seperate but by a lyttle space of lande from the Weste Ocean in the which are the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba and other Ilandes of the Spanyardes The other shyppe which returned into Spayne by compasing abowt the hole bowle of the worlde by the coastes of East India and Affrike departynge from the Iland of Tidore and saylynge euer on this syde the Equinoctiall dyd not fynde the cape of Cattigara beinge aboue Asia The cape of Cattigara and by the description of Ptolome rechynge many degrees beyonde the Equinoctial Ptolome But hauynge sayled many dayes by the mayne sea they came to the cape of Buona Speranza and frome thense to the Ilandes of Capo verde where their shyppe beinge soore broosed by reason of the longe viage leaked and tooke water in suche sorte that the mariners being nowe but fewe in number and those also weake and feeble by reason of longe sickenesse and hunger The vyage hardly performed were not able both to drye the poompe continually and otherwyse gouerne the shippe and were therfore of necessitie inforced to goo alande at the Ilande of saynte Iames to bye theym certeyne slaues to helpe theim They bye slaues for lacke of helpe But beinge destitute of mony according to the custome of the mariners they profered them cloues for theyr slaues The which thyng when it came to the eares of the Portugale that was Capitayne of that Ilande he cast .xiii. of them in prison Wherby the residue that remayned in the shippe beinge nowe but .xviii. in number were put in such feare that they departed immediatly without rescuing theyr felowes and sayled continually both by daye and by nyght by the coastes of Affrike and came in fine to Spayne the .vi. day of September in the yeare .1522 and arryued at the porte nere vnto Siuile the .xvi. moneth after they departed from the Ilande of Tidore Mariners doubtlesse more woorthy to bee celebrate with eternal memorie then they whiche in owlde tyme were cauled Argonauti that sayled with Iason to win the golden fleese in the region of Cholehic and the riuer of Phasis in the greate sea of Pontus Maryners woorthy immortal fame Argonauti The viage of Iason to wyn the golden fleese And the shyppe it selfe more woorthye to bee placed amonge the starres then that owlde Argo which departynge owt of Grecia sayled to th ende of that great sea For this owre marueylous shyppe takynge her vyage from the straightes of Gibilterra and saylynge by the greate Ocean towarde the South and pole Antartike The shyppe more woorthy fame then owlde Argo of Grecia and turnynge from thense to the Weste folowed that course so farre that passynge vnder the great circumference of the worlde The vyage shee came into the Easte and frome thense ageyne into the Weste not by returnynge backewarde but styll faylynge forwarde so compasynge abowt the vaule of the world vnder the hole circumference of heauen vntyll shee were myraculously restored to her natiue region of Spayne and house of Siuile ¶ Of the prices of precious stones and Spices with theyr weightes
people An exemple of tyranni they prouided for thindempnitie of theyr owne estâ—te by forcible extenuatinge the gooddes and poure of them whom they desired to kepe in subiâ—ction This is the fortune of Norway whose edefies townes and cities cannot defende theyr auncient amplitude and dignitie neyther is there any hope of repayrynge theyr state For there are no consultations admitted for the redresse of the common welth No man dare shewe his aduice or attempte any thing vncerteyne of the myndes and consent of other To this difficultie is added the qualitie of the place For the Danes haue in theyr poure all the nauigations of Norway whereby it may exercise no trade by sea neyther cary furthe wares to other places So that in fine it may seeme most vnfortunate The myserâ—ble state of Norway as lackynge the fauoure of heauen the sea and the lande From henâ—e is brought into all Europe a fysske of the kindes of them whiche wee caule haddockes or hakes indurate and dryed with coulde and beaten with clubbes or stockes by reason whereof the Germayns caule them stockefysshe Stockfysse The takâ—nge of these is most commended in Ianuarie that they may bee sufficiently dryed and hardened with coulde For such as are taken in the more temperate monethes doo corrupte and putrifie And are not meete to bee caried furth The description of the west coaste with the parte thereof lyinge most towarde the north Wardhus that is the watche house or watche towre .54 70 30. It is a stronge castell or fortresse appoynted to the Lapones The coaste folowynge 48 50 70. Matthkur c. All the coast from hense and the places neare abowt vnto the degree .45 69. beinge sumtyme lefte desolate by the seditions and destruction of Norway the Lapones chose for theyr habitations The Laponeâ— as commynge to a more beneficiall heauen FroÌ„ the Castel of Wardhus vnto the degree .40 30 64 10 all the coaste in the sprynge tyme is daungerous to passe by reason of whales of such huge byggenesse that sum of theym growe to a hundreth cubites Shippes in daungâ—our by reason of whales For these fysshes at that tyme of the yeare resort togyther for generation Such shyppes as chaunce to faule eyther vppon theyr bodies or into suche whyrlepooles as they make by theyr vehemenâ— motions are in great perell The remedie to auoyde this daungiour is to poure into the sea Castoreum that is oyle made of the stones of the beaste cauled the Beuer Castoreum mengeled with water For with this the hole hearde of whales vanyssheth suddeynely to the bottome of the sea They make a terrible rorynge The rorynge of whales and haue two breathynge places in the hyghest parte of theyr forheades standynge furth right a cubite in length and are as brode at the endes beinge couered with a skynne throughe the which they blow waters lyke showers or stormes of raine The prickes of theyr backes are founde conteynynge three els in circuite whales salted and reserued and euery knotte betwene theym of one elle They are at the least of .lx. cubites in length And are salted and kept in store houses The greatest are vnprofitable to bee eaten by reason of theyr ranke and vnsauery taste which can not bee qualified Nidrosia standing vpon the south syde of the sea banke The citie of Nidrosia was the chiefe citie and metropolitane churche throwgh owt all Norway Iselande Gronlande and the Ilandes there abowt This citie was noble at the fyrst vnder the â—lorysshing Empire of Norway conteinynge in circuite .xxiiii. parysshes but it is nowe browght in maner to a village and is cauled in the Germayne toonge Truthaim as the house of the Dryides There remayneth at this daye a Cathedrall churche in token of the ancient felicitie A magnificall churche beinge suche that in byggenesse workemanship of wrought stone the lyke is not in all Christendome The greeses or compasse abowt the altare was destroyde by fyre and was repared at the same tyme that wee write this historie The charge of the reparasion was esteemed to bee seuen thousande crownes by which smaule portion an estimate maye bee made of the excellencie of the hole Churche The tracte of all the sea coastes Norwaye is very quyete and meeke The sea is not frosen The snowes indure not longe This lande hath also a peculiar pestilence which they caule Leem or Lemmer This is a lyttle foure footed beaste abowte the byggenesse of a raâ—te with a spotted skynne Noysome beastes of vnknowen generation These faule vppon the grounde at certeyne tempestes and suddeyne showers not yet knowen from whense they comme as whyther they are browght by the wyndes from remote Ilandes or otherwise engendered of thicke and feculent clowdes But this is well knowen that as soone as they faule downe greene grasse and herbes are founde in theyr bowels not yet digested They confume all greene thynges as doo locustes And such as they only byte wyther and dye This pestilence lyueth as longe as it dooth not taste of the grasse newelye sproonge They coome togyther by flockes as do swalowes And at an ordinarie tyme eyther dye by heapes with great infection of the lande as by whose corruption the ayer is made pestiferous and molesteth the Noruegians with swymmynge in the headde and the iaundies or are consumed of other beastes named Lefrat Towarde the East it is included with in the lâ—ne that is drawen by the mountaynes whose endes or vttermost boundes they are that lye towarde the south aboue the mouthes of the ryuer Trolhetta But that parâ—e that lyeth towarde the north passeth by the castel of Wardhus wardhus and is extended to the vnknowen lande of the Lapones The vnknowen lande of the Laponâ—s The lake cauled Mos and the Ilande of Hossuen in the myddest therof is in the degree .45 30 61. In this lake appeareth a straunge monster which is a â—erpent of houge byggenesse A â—erpent of houge biggenesse And as to all other places of the worlde blasynge starres doo portende thalteration and chaunge of thynges so dooth this to Norway It was seeâ—e of late in the yeare of Christ M. D. xxii apperynge farre â—boue the water rowlynge lyke a greate pyller And was by coniecture farre of esteemed to bee of fiftie cubites in length Shortely after folowed the reiectynge of Christiernus kynge of Denmarke God warneth vs by signes of thynges to coome Suche other monstrous thynges are sayde to bee seene in dyuers places of the worlde And doubtlesse excepte wee shulde thinke that the diuine prouidence hauynge mercie vpon mortall men and hereby warnynge them of their offences dooth sende suche straunge thynges as also blasing starres and armies feyghtynge in the ayer with suche other portentous monsters wherof no causes can bee founde by naturall thynges we might els suspecte that such syghtes were but imaginations of the sence of man deceaued On the East side are exceading rowgh montaynes which
admit no passage to Suecia The sea betwene Norway the Ilandes is cauled Tialleslund Euripus or the streightes The Ilande of Lofoth whose myddest .42 67 10. Langanas whose myddest 41 67 Uastral The streightes or boyling sea whose myddest .41 30 67 30. The sea betwene these three Ilandes is cauled Muscostrom that is boylynge At the flowynge of the sea it is swalowed into the caues and is blowne owt ageyne at the reflowynge with no lesse violence then the streames of ryuers faule from mountaynes This sea is nauigable vntyll it bee lower then the mouthes of the rockes Such as chaunce into it owt of dewe tyme are caried headlonge into whyrlepooles The fragmentes of the lost ships are seldome call vp ageyne But when they are caste vp they are so brused and freted ageynste the rockes Dangerous places in the sea that they seeme to bee ouergrowne with hore This is the poure of nature passyng the fabulous Simplegades and the fearefull Malea with the daungerous places of Silla and Caribdis and all other miracles that nature hath wrought in any other sea hytherto knowen to man The Ilandes abowt Norway are of such frutfull pasture Frutfull Ilandes about Norway that they brynge not theyr beastes into the stables before the moneth of NoueÌ„ber And do many places winter theÌ„ abrode Suecia or Suethlande ¶ Suecia is a kyngedome ryche in golde syluer Golde and syluer copper leade Iren fruyte cattayle and exceadynge increase of fysshe of the ryuers lakes and the sea And hath no lesse plentie of such wylde beastes as are taken with huntinge Towarde the West it is ended with the mountaynes of Norway from the Castel of Wardhus vnto th end wardhus castell 51 63 40 Towarde the South with the line from this ende vnto the degrees .53 30. 61. And frome thense vnto the degrees .61 60. 30. Aboue the goulfe of Suecia The goulfe of Suecia toward the north with the south ende of Lapponia from the castel of Wardhus vnto th ende .62 70. Towarde the Easte it is ended with the line frome this ende vnto the degree .63 69. c. Stokholme the chiefe citie The citie of Stockholme 64. 61. This is the chiefe mart towne of Suecia and is strongely defended by arte and nature It is situate in marisshes after the maner of Uenece and was therefore cauled Stokholme forasmuche as beinge placed in the water the fundation is fortified with stockes or piles The sea entereth into it with two armes or branches of such largenes and depth that ships of great burden and with mayne sayles may enter by the same with theyr full fraight This suffered of late yeares greuous spoyle destruction to the singular exemple of cruel hostilitie And such as the like hath not bin lightly shewed to any other citie receaued by league composition In al the tract from Scokholme to the lake aboue the riuer of Dalekarle which is in the degree Gold in could regâ—ons 56. 30. 63. 50. are mouÌ„taines frutful of good siluer copper and leade They gette great ryches by the salmons and plentie of other fysshes whiche they take in certeyne greate lakes Fysshe The dukedome of Agermannia occupieth the north syde to the consines of Laponia This tract is ful of wods in the wâ—iche they hunt the beastes cauled Uros or Bisontes which in theyr toonge they caule Elg The beaste cauled Uroâ— or Elg. that is wilde asses These are of such height that the highest part of their backes are equal with the measure of a man holdynge vp his armes as hyghe as he may reach c. Upsalia the chiefe citie Upsalia 62. 62. 30. here is buried the body of saynt Hericus kynge and martyr Copperdalia that is the copper valley Copperdaliâ— is a dukedome southwarde from the dukedome of Iemptia Under this is the valient nation of the people cauled Dalekarly Oplandia is a dukedome the nauil or middest of Scondia Oplandia The citie of Pircho on the north syde of the lake of Meler was once a great citie and able to arme .xiiii. thousande men to the warres but is nowe browght to a vyllage All the tracte of Oplandia hath mynes of syluer copper and steele Of the Ilandes and rockes that lye abowte Suecia the myddest is .67 30 61 30. These were cauled of the owlde wryters Done the reason of which name remayneth to this day For there are in these innumerable multitudes of byrdes Byrdes In so muche that thinhabitauntes of the nexte coaste sayle thyther in the mooneth of May whyle the byrdes syt on theyr egges which they steale and reserue them in salte for a longe tyme. Egges reserued in salte Bothnia BOthnia is so named of the precious furres of all sortes that are caried from thense into foraigne regions Precious furres For by these and theyr fysshynge they haue great commoditie Fysshe Salmons of the best sort are taken in these seas and are great ryches amonge these nations Bothnia is diuided into twoo partes as Nordbothnia and South Bothnia cauled Ostrobothnia Nordbothnia is termined with the south ende of the Lapones vnto the ende .78 30 69. Towarde the East it is termined with this end and vnto the degree .78 30 68 20. Towarde the West with the line terminynge the East syde of Suecia And towarde the Southe with the residue of the goulfe of Suecia from th ende that hath degrees .63 69. Ostrobothnia towarde the East is termined from the said ende of the most East coaste And towarde the South with a line extended by the mountaynes frome this ende vnto the degree .71 66 Towarde the north and weste with part of the goulfe of Suecia c. Gothia or Gothlande GOTHIA is by interpretacion good For the holye name of God is in the Germayne toonge Goth that is Good At what tyme the Gothes vppon a general consent sent furth theyr ofsrpyng or succession to seeke newe seates or countreys to inhabite Thinuasions of the Gothes and when they possessed the coastes of Meotis and Asia none of the owlde wryters haue made mention as farre as I knowe But they haue byn knowen sence the tyme that the Romanes dilated theyr Empyre by Illirium nowe cauled Slauonie vnto the ryuer of Danubius And were also famous from the tyme of Cesar Dictator and Octauianus Augustus by reason of theyr greate warres at Danubius beinge thuttermost bounde of Thempire The warre of the gotheâ— ageynst the Romans Neuerthelesse in that renoume what Gothia was vnder what parte of heauen it was situate or of whom the Gothes toke theyr original it hath byn vnknoweÌ„ almost to this age This is termined towarde the north with the south ende of Suecia And towarde the weste The boundes of Gothland with the other mountaynes of Norway which continewe from the boundes of Suecia to the mouthes of the ryuers of Trolheta c. It hath many goodly townes cities castels mines
in the way Yet are we led by coniecture to thinke it to bee scarsely twoo hundreth myles Understand myles of Germany that is leaques forasmuch as from Moscouia to Uuolochda from Uuolochda to Ustyug sumwhat into the Easte and laste of all frome Ustyug by the ryuer Dwina is the ryght passage to the northe sea This region besyde the castel of Colmogor and the citie of Dwina situate almost in the mydde way betwene the spryngs and mouthes of the ryuer and the castell of Pienega standynge in the very mouthes of Dwina is vtterly withowt townes and castels yet hath it many vyllages whiche are farre in sunder by reason of the barennesse of the soyle c. In an other place he wryteth that Suchana and Iug after they are ioyned togyther in one loose theyr fyrste names and make the ryuer Dwina c. But lette vs nowe returne to the hystone of Paulus Iouius Unto Ustiuga from the Permians Pecerrians Inugrians Rych furres Ugolicans and Pinnegians people inhabytynge the north and northeast prouinces are brought the precious furres of Marterns and Sables Also the cases of woulfes and foxes both whyte and blacke And lykewise the skynnes of the beastes cauled Ceruarii Lupi that is harte woolfes Lupi Ceruarii beinge engendered eyther of a woolfe and a hynde or a harte and a bytch woolfe These furres and skyns they exchange for dyuers other wares The best kynde of sables and of the finest heare wherwith nowe the vestures of princes are lyned Sables and the tender neckes of delicate dames are couered with the expresse similitude of the lyuynge beaste are brought by the Permians and Pecerrians whiche they them selues also receaue at the handes of other that inhabâ—te the regions neare vnto the north Ocean The Permians and Pecerrians a lyttle before owre tyme dyd sacrifice to Idols after the maner of the Gentyles The mountaines cauled hiperboreâ— but doo nowe acknowleage Chryste theyr God The passage to the Inugrians and Ugolicans is by certeyne rowgh 〈…〉 which perhappes are they that in owlde tyme weâ—e câ—uled Hyperborei In the toppes of these are founde the beâ—â—e kyndes of Falcons whereof one kynde cauled Herodiuâ— is whyte with spotted fethers haukes of diuers kyndes There are also ierfalcons sakers and peregrines whiche were vnknowen to the ancient princes in theyr excessiue and nise pleaâ—ures Beyoâ—de those people whom I last named beinge all tributarâ—es to the kinges of Moscouia are other nations the last of men not knowen by any viages of the Moscouites forasmuche as none of theym hâ—ue passed to the Ocean The passage from Moâ—couia to cathay and are therefore knowen onely by the fabulous narrations of marchauntes Yet is it apâ—arente that the ryuer of Diuidna or Dwina drawynge with it innumerable other ryuers runneth with a vehement course towarde the northe and that the sea is there exceadyng large so that saylyng by the coast of the ryght hande shippes may haue passage from thense to Cathay as is thought by most lykely coniecture Cathay excepte there lye sum lande in the waye For the region of Cathay perâ—eyneth to thextreme and furtheste partes of the Easte situate almost in the paralell of Thracia Master Eliot cauleth Cathay the region of siuaruÌ„ and knowen to the Portugales in India when they sayled neare thereunto by the regions of Sinara and Malacha to Aurea Chersonesus and brought from thense certeyne vestures made of Sables skynnes by which only argument it is apparente that the citie of Cathay is not farre from the coastes of Scythia The Gothes subuerted the Romane Empire But when Demetrius was demaunded whether eyther by the monumentes of letters or by fame lefte theym of theyr predicessours they hadde any knowleage of the gothes who nowe more then a thousand yeares sence subuerted Thempire of the Romane Emperours and defaced the citie of Rome he answered The north regions conâ—pired ageinst the Romans that both the nation of the Gothes of the name of kynge Totilas theyr chiefe capitayne was of famous memorie amonge them And that dyuers nations of the north regions conspired to that expedition and especiallye the Moscouites Also that that armie increased of the confluence of the Barbarous Liuons and wanderynge Tartars But that they were all cauled Gothes forasmuch as the Gothes that inhabited Scondania and Iselande were the auctoures of that inuasion Moscouia And with these boundes are the Moscouites inclosed on euery side whom we thinke to be those people that Ptolome cauled Modocas but haue doubtelesse at this day their name of the riuer Mosco whiche runneth through the chiefe citie Mosca named also after the same The citie of Mosca This is the most famous citie in Moscouia aswell for the situation thereof beinge in maner in the myddest of the region as also for the commodious oportunitie of ryuers multitude of houses and stronge fense of so fayre and goodly a castell For the citie is extended with a longe tracte of buyldynges by the bankes of the ryuer for the space of fyue myles The houses are made all of tymber and are diuided into parlers chambers kichins of large roomes yet neyther of vnseemely height or to lowe but of decent measure and proportion Richard chast celer toulde me that these mastes are sumwhat holowe on the one syde and that the hole syde of the next entereth into the same wherby they lye very close For they haue greate trees apte for the purpose browght from the foreste of Hercinia of the which made perfectly rounde like the mastes of shippes and so layde one vppon an other that they ioyne at the endes in right angles where beinge made very faste and sure they frame theyr houses thereof of maruelous strength with smaule charges and in verye short tyme. In maner all the houses haue priuate gardens aswell for pleasure as commoditie of herbes wherby the circuite of the dispersed citie appeareth very greate All the wardes or quarters of the citie haue theire peculiar chappells But in the chiefest and highest place therof is the Church of owre ladi of ample and goodly workemanshyppe whiche Aristoteles of Bononie a man of singular knowleadge and experience in architecture buylded more then .lx. yeares sence At the very head of the citie The castel of Moâ—ca a little ryuer cauled Neglina which dryueth many corne mylles enteryth into the ryuer Moscus and maketh almost an Iland in whose end is the castell with many strong towrs and bullwarkes buylded very fayre by the diuise of Italien architecturs that are the masters of the kinges workes In the fieldes abowt the citie is an incredible multitud oâ— hares and roe buckes whitehares and roe buâ—kes the which it is lawefull for no man to chase or persue with dogges or nettes excepte only certeyne of the kinges familiars and straunge ambassadours to whom he giueth licence by speciall commaundement Almost three partes of the citie is inuironed with two
of Cipango The Iland of Cipango which fauleth on the parte of great China or Cathay as wryteth Marcus Paulus Uenetus and other China Cathay And that he shulde sooner come thyther by folowyng the course of the soonne Westwarde then ageynst the same To the East by the west Albeit manye thynke that there is no suche Ilande or at the leaste not yet knowen by that name wheras also Marcus Paulus obserued no exacte description of the place eyther of this Ilande or of Cathay Marcus Paulus Uenetus ☞ The fyrste discouerynge of the Weste Indies A Certeyne caruell saylynge in the weste Ocean abowt the coastes of Spayne had a forcyble and continuall wynde from the East wherby it was dryuen to a land vnknowen and not descrybed in any mappe or carde of the sea A harde begynnyng and was dryuen styl alonge by the coaste of the same for the space of many dayes vntyll it came to a hauen where in a shorte tyme the most parte of the maryners beinge longe before verye weake and feeble by reason of hunger trauayle dyed So that only the pylot with thre or foure other remayned alyue And not only they that dyed dyd not inioy the Indies which they fyrst discouered to theyr mysfortune but the resydue also that lyued had in maner as lyttle fruition of the same not leauynge or at the least not openly publyshynge any memorie therof neyther of the place or what it was cauled or in what yeare it was founde Albeit the faute was not theyrs but rather the malice of other or the enuie of that which wee caule fortune I doo not therefore marueyle that the auncient hystories affirme that great thynges proceade and increase of smaul and obscure begynnynges Great thinges proceadyng of smaule and obscure begynnynges syth wee haue seene the same verefyed in this fyndyng of the Indies being so notable and newe a thynge Wee neede not bee curious to seeke the name of the pylot syth death made a shorte ende of his doinges Sum wyl that he came from Andaluzia and traded to the Ilands of Canaria and the Ilande of Madera when this large and mortal nauigation chauÌ„ced vnto hym The pylotte that fyrst founde the Indies Other say that he was a Byscayne and traded into Englande and Fraunce Other also that he was a Portugale and that eyther he wente or came from Mina or India Mina which agreeth well with the name of these newe landes as I haue sayde before Ageyne sum there bee that say that he browght the carauel to Portugale or to the Ilande of Madera or to sum other of the Ilandes cauled delos Azores Yet doo none of them affirme any thynge althowgh they all affirme that the pylotte dyed in the house of Chrystopher Colon with whome remayned al such wrytynges and annotacions as he hadde made of his vyage in the sayde carauell aswell of such thynges as he obserued both by lande and sea as also of the eleuation of the pole in those landes whiche he had discouered ¶ What maner of man Chrystopher Colon was and howe he Came fyrst to the knowleage of the Indies CHristopher Colon was borne in Cugureo or as sum say in Nerui a vyllage in the territorie of Genua in Italie He descended as sum thynke of the house of the Pelestreles of Placentia in Lumbardie He beganne of a chylde to bee a maryner of whose arte they haue great exercise on the ryuer of Genua Thus also began Rychard chaunceler He traded many yeares into Suria and other partes of the East After this he became a master in makynge cardes for the sea whereby he had great vantage He came to Portugale to knowe the reason and descrâ—ption of the south coaste of Affrica and the nauigations of the Portugales thereby to make his cardes more perfecte to bee solde He maryed in Portugale as sum say or as many say in the Ilande of Madera where he dwelt at suche tyme as the sayde caruell arryued there whose pylot suiorned in his house and dyed also there bequethynge to Colon his carde of the description of suche newe landes as he hadde founde wherby Colon had the fyrst knowleage of the Indyes Sum haue thowght that Colon was well lerned in the Latine tounge and the science of Cosmographie Colon was not much lerned and that he was therby fyrst moued to seeke the landes of the Antipodes and the ryche Ilande of Cipango whereof Marcus Paulus wryteth Also that he had redde what Plato in his dialoges of Timeus and Cricias wryteth of the greate Ilande Atlantide The Ilande â—tlantide and of a great lande in the West Ocean vndiscouered beinge bygger then Asia and Affrica Furthermore that he had knowleage what Aristotell and Theophrastus saye in theyr bookes of maruayles where they wryte that certeyne marchauntes of Carthage saylyng from the streyghtes of Gibraltar towarde the west and south The lande found by the Carthaginenses founde after many dayes a greate Ilande not inhabited yet replenyshed with al thinges requisite and hauynge many nauigable ryuers In deede Colon was not greately lerned yet of good vnderstandynge And when he had knowleage of the sayde new landes by the information of the dead pylot Colon conferred with lerned men made relation thereof to certeyne lerned men with whom he conferred as touchynge the lyke thynges mentioned of owlde autours He communicated this secreate and conferred chiefely with a fryer named Iohn Perez of Marchena that dwelt in the monastery of Rabida So that I verely beleue that in maner all that he declared and many thynges more that he lefte vnspoken were wrytten by the sayde Spanyshe pylot that dyed in his house For I am persuaded that if Colon by science atteyned to the knowleage of the Indies he wolde longe before haue communicate this secreate to his owne contrey men the Genueses that trauayle all the worlde for gaynes and not haue comme into Spayne for this purpose But doubtelesse he neuer thought of any such thyng before he chaunced to bee acquainted with the sayd pylot who founde those landes by fortune Chaunce and arte accordynge to the sayinge of Plinie Quod ars docere non potuit casus inuenit That is That arte coulde not teache chaunce founde Albeit the more Chrystian opinion is A Christian opinion to thinke that god of his singuler prouidence and infinite goodnesse at the length with eyes of compassion as it were lookynge downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of Adam so longe kepte vnder Sathans captiuitie intended euen then for causes to hym only knowen to rayse those wyndes of mercy whereby that caruell herein most lyke vnto the shyppe of Noe whereby the remanent of the hole world was saued as by this caruel this newe worlde receaued the fyrst hope of theyr saluation was dryuen to these landes The caruel coÌ„pared to the ship of Noye But wee wyll nowe declare what great thynges folowed
Presupposyng therfore that yow haue alredy passed the charges and haue not only founde the myne yow sought but also haue brought furth to lyght a great quantitie therof it shal then bee needeful as a thyng chiefely to be consydered before yow begin to dygge wel to ponder examen both the coÌ„modities of such thynges as shall occurre Necessarie aduertismeÌ„tes and also of such wherof yow shall haue neede as tymber and woodde of all sortes with water and vyttayles of all the whiche yow must haue great plentie and especially of woodde Plentye oâ— woode whereof yowe muste haue great quantitie aswell to serue to the proportion of the myne as also to make coles to the vse of meltynge fynynge dryinge garboylyng and such other broylynges bysyde that which must serue to fortifie caue and to buyld shoppes and cotages with such other edifies Cotages and edifies Diligent consideration must lykewyse be had to the situacion of the place where the buyldynges shal be erected The situacioÌ„ of the place as that the plotte therof bee commodious with abundaunce of water hauynge a good faule Also not onely of plentie of woodde and cole nere vnto the myne but of such as may serue the turne And of all other incommodities yowe muste chiefely auoyde the lacke of water The vse of water as a thynge of greatest importaunce and most necessarie in this effecte For by the force and weyght of the course hereof wheeles and dyuers other ingenious instrumentes are adapted with ease to lyfte vppe greate bellowes to make fyers of great poure to beate with hammers of great weyght and to turne myghtie and stronge eugens by the force whereof the trauayles of men are so much furthered that withowt such helpe it were in maner impossible to ouercome suche tedious trauayles or to arryue to the ende of the woorke forasmuch as the force of one wheele may lyfte more and that more safely then the paynefull labour of a hundreth men It shal therfore be needefull to haue great consyderation hereof not only to make these edifies or houses of office but also to make them commodious for the purpose as for the cariage of myne and cole with other necessaries For if any of these effectes shulde be wantynge the coste tyme and trauayle shulde bee cast away forasmuch as these thynges doo so much the more relieue the one the other as they are ioyned togyther Necessarye consideratâ—ons and hinder the woorke not a lyttle yf any be separate But bycause these commodities can not euer be hadde all togyther yowe owght to wey with yowr selfe which of the twoo serueth for mo necessarie vses as eyther to haue the cole or the mine most commodious to the houses and accordinge there vnto to place the houses nere vnto the same if the commoditie of water wyll so permytte Albeit if it were possible it shulde be much better if al these necessarie commodities were ioyned togyther whereas otherwyse yowe muste contente yowre selfe as occasion serueth Nowe therefore to conclude bysyde that whiche I haue declared vnto yow of the findinge of the myne and the digging thereof with other considerations I exhorte yowe further to faule to practyse with sum myne of your owne that yow may therby take occasion to ryse to the degree of ryches whyche yow desire And therfore I aduertise yow that after yow haue founde the mountayne and begun to digge yow shal euer go forwarde with a boulde mynde and stoute corage woorkyng with witte and Iudgement forasmuche as in this effecte the one serueth the other in the steede of eys to enter where they can not Gyue no credit to that whiche many ignorante folkes doo say and beleue A false opinioÌ„ affirminge that in digging for metals they are founde rather by chaunce then by arte The which although it were trewe yet owght we to trust more to art and practyse then to chaunce And when yow are nowe entered into the mountayne beare well in memory that yow haue presently with yow the tallie or ruler of the caue wherby yowe may trauerse the veyne of the myne when yow are coomne to it The trauersinge of the veyne For if yow shulde folowe it by the course as it lyeth it is possible that yowe mighe folowe it a greate way not paste the biggnesse of a mans finger and perhappes lesse By reason wherof it might happen that yow shuld lose it and neuer find it ageyne The like shuld chaunce vnto yow if after that yow haue begun to digge a caue it shulde repent yow of the charges and that for the basnes therof yowe shulde forsake it as many haue doone who bycause they coulde not fynde the mine at the first stroke Continuaunce in the worke despayringe that they shulde neuer fynde it haue forsaken it as a thyng vnprofitable thynking that they haue woonne enough in that they were not at further charges with that which they accompt losse and domage And thus furiously leaue of their enterprise not regardinge that they may leaue the frute of theyr expenses and trauaile to an other that may folowe their begynninges and perhappes fynde the myne within the distance of a cubet a spanne or a finger We may say therfore that suche men doo willinglye forsake theyr good fortune as many haue doone He therfore that hath begune to digge a caue let hym determine to folowe it puttinge away thestimation of the basenes therof and not to feare the streyghtnesse of the way but rather to applye all his possible diligence withowt remorse hopynge thereby no lesse to obteyne honour and ryches then to auoyde shame and infamie for omyttynge so profitable an enterpryse And that yow may the more circumspectly behaue yowr selfe in all thynges besyde the former instructions I further aduertise yowe to set euer fresshe men a woorke by course in such order Fresshe meÌ„ that in euery sixte or eyght houres accordynge to the number of the myners yow appoynt such to the woorke as haue reposed or taken theyr rest that yow may by this meanes the sooner come to th ende yow desyre whereunto after yowe haue layde so sure a fundation I exhorte yow to runne withowt a brydle And wheras to these effectes it shal be necessarie to haue many instrumentes adapted for the purpose I can none otherwyse speake of them then in generall consyderynge that according to the nature of the place and the myne it shal be necessary to vse instrumentes and iren tooles of dyuers formes InstrumeÌ„tes as there ought to be difference in such wherwith yow shall dygge in mynes engendered in marble greete stone and harde freese stone or such other For the dyggynge of such as are found in deade and tender stones as Alabaster and marle it is requisite to haue apte and stronge instrumentes as greate beetels mattockes and spades of iren also great longe crowes of iren to lyfte great burdens lykewyse greate and smaule
picke axes sum of iren and sum of steele furthermore greate maules with handels and withowt handels and such other bothe of iren and fine steele hardened if the hardenes of stone shall so requyre But as for such as shall serue to dygge the mynes which are engendered in tender and softe stones I neede make no mention of them forasmuch as the tooles of the common sorte may suffice and necessitie shall dayly furthe instructe yow to diuise such as shal serue for yowre purpose Albeit for the moste parte they are beetels maules mattockes pikes shouels spades and such lyke But as well for the softe stones as for the harde it shal be necessarye to haue great plentie of al sortes to th ende that the myners may lose no tyme and that the woorke may go the better forwarde to the comfort of the patrones of the mine Bysyde these before named it shall also be requisite to haue plentie of greate baskettes spades shâ—uels sleades and handbarrowes bothe with wheeles and without wheeles also sackes made of raw or vntande hydes to carye the fragmentes owt of the caue It shall furthermore be requisite to haue greate quantitie of vnctuous liquours to maiÌ„tayne fire Fyre in the caue as are the oiles of oliues of nuttes of line seede and hempe seede Lykewise the rootes of putrified trees or talowe of beastes or fatte and oyle of fysshes For withowt the lyght of fyre it is not possible for the labourers to woorke The coÌ„ueyance of eyer Nor yet can any fyre be mayntayned in the caue except it receaue the ayer by sum respiracle or breathynge place by the meanes of a funnell or trunke of woodde or such other open instrument wherby the ayer maye be conueyed into the caue ¶ Of the myne of golde and the qualitie therof in particular FOrasmuche as golde is a compounde mynerall which of the phylosophers and all men of vnderstandynge The excelleÌ„cie of golde is founde to be of greatest perfection amonge all other myxt minerals it is iudged by the vniuersal opinion of such men that for the bewtie and excellent qualitie thereof it shulde be of excessiue vertue to helpe and confort men And therfore amonge all thynges that are in this worlde excepte lyuynge creatures it is châ—efely esteemed By reason wherof I also the more to honour it wyll fyrst speake of this before I entreate of any other metall and declare in particular the conception with the most appareÌ„t qualities therof The which although it be a metal most knowen desyred also and sought for of all kyndes of men yet are there not many that do care to knowe of what substaunce or natural mixtion it consisteth But that yow shulde not be one of theim that knowe it onely by name or by superficiall apparence The orginall substaunce of golde I certifie yow that the originall and proper matter therof is none other then elementall substaunces with equall quantitie and qualitie proportionate the one with the other most perfectly purified by the subtyle woorke of nature For of these beinge thus ioyned togyther and of equall force is engendered an amâ—able and most perfect mixtion by the helpe of fermentacion and decoction of the minerall heate Mineral heate wherby is caused such a permanent vnion betwene the sayde elementes that they are in maner inseperable So that by the vertue of heauenly influence or of tyme or by thorder of most prudent nature or by all these causes concurrant such substaunce is conuerted into this metalline body that we caule golde The teÌ„perature purenesse of golde The which as I haue sayd by his much temperatenes purenes and perfect mixtion is condensate and made thicke in such sorte that the elementes therof can not be vnbounde or loosed so that it remayneth in maner incorruptible The cause wherof is that it eyther conteyneth in it no maner of superâ—luiâ—ie or the same to be but very lytle And hereof commeth it that althoughe it lye many yeares in the earth or in the water it is not infected with rust or canker for that neyther of them are able to corrupte it Golde is incorruptible nor yet the fyer whose force dooth incinerate or brynge to asshes resolue in maner all creatures And yet is the poure hereof so farre vnable to destroy or corrupte this metall that it is thereby the more purified and made better Lykewyse the sayde perfecte vnion or mixtion causeth it to be a body withowt steame and withowt vnctuous or fat superfluitie The bewtie of golde which is the cause that it euer remayneth in the natiue bryghtnes and fayrenes of coloure in so much that when it is rubbed vppon any thynge it leaueth not behynde it the tincture of any blacke or yelowe colour as doo in maner all other metals Nor yet hath it any taste or sauour that may be perceaued to the sence Furthermore if it be eaten eyther wyllyngly or by chaunce it is not venemous to the lyfe of man as are sum of the other metals but is rather a medicine curynge dyuers diseases Golde is medicinable In so much that nature hath gyuen vnto it of peculiar propertie a vertue and priuileage to conforte the weakenes of the harte and to gyue ioyfulnes and myrth to the spirits disposynge thereby the mynde to magnanimitie and attemptes of great enterpryses Golde is confortable Which singular qualities sum wyse men affirme that it hath receaued by thinfluence of the sonne and that it is therfore of such grace and poure to helpe men especially such as haue many great bagges and chesses full therof To conclude therfore this metall is a body tractable and bryght of coloure lyke vnto the soonne And hath in it inwardely such a naturall attractiue or allurynge vertue that beinge seene it greatly disposeth the myndes of men to desyre it and esteme it as a thyng most precious The attractiue qualitie of golde although many there are whiche crye owt ageynst it and accuse it as the roote and sede of most pestiferous and monstrous couetousnesse and the cause of many other myscheues But whether it bee the cause of more good or euyll we entende to lette passe this disputation as a thynge vnprofitable To proceade therfore as I haue begun I say as before that the woorthynesse whiche is founde in it hath caused me to entreate of it before any other metall And this the rather for that thorder of this presente worke meth so to requyre that I may the better descende to the degrees of other metals to th ende that in these owre partes of Italy yow may haue sum instruction of practise whiche may redounde from yow to other whereby the myndes of all men may receaue sum lyght beinge well assured that newe informations wil be the seedes of other newe wittie diuises in the vnderstandynges of suche men as with these keys shall open theyr wyttes to arryue to suche places whyther they can not els
To conclude therfore I thinke that in owr partes of Italie The golde of Italie pure golde is none other wayes founde excepte that which is currant amonge the marchauntes then after twoo sortes wherof the one is that which is founde in the sandes of ryuers And the other that whiche is gotten by the industrious subtyle art of partyng gold froÌ„ new syluer or froÌ„ giltyng syluer or other metals which hold gold Golde coÌ„tayned in other metals as there are in maner but fewe which hold not suÌ„ smaul portion therof more or lesse according to the mixtioÌ„ permanencie of theyr substances or accordynge to the qualitie and force of the planettes which expresse theyr influence in the generation of them And in fine this is the golde that which is founde in owre partes of Italie Nowe therfore to returne to the matter whereof is owre chiefe intente to intreate hauynge before spoken sufficiently of the generation and inuention of the myne of golde I wyll further declare vnto yowe howe it owght to be pourged from earthly superfluitie The maner of pourginge of golde and especially that whiche is founde lyinge in the forme of veynes And although I haue not seene the edifies and engens wherwith the myners are accustomed to get it owt yet wyll I shewe yow howe â—y other practises I haue learned to pourge it that yow may not bee without sum knowleage yf your fortune shal be so good as to fynde any in Italy When yow haue therfore dygged owt the myne and placed it in order yow owght to consider in what kynde of stone it is engendered And if it bee in that which is cauled Lapis Lazuli Lapis lazuli then muste yow so drawe owte the golde that yowe also saue the stone bycause perfecte Asure is made therof Asure and such as the paynters caule Azuâ—ro Oltramarino that is Asure of beyonde the sea which they greatly esteme bye it deare And to do this it is necessary that yowe fyrst beate it into fine pouder and then put it in a trey or brode treene dysshe and wasshe it fayre and cleane with water This done amalgame or rubbe it well with quickesyâ—uer vntyll it haue lycked vppe and drawne al the golde into it and left the stone pure of it selfe howe golde is drawen frome Lapis lazuli with quicke syluer Then strayne the quickesyluer from the golde through a bagge of lether or vapour it away in a styllatorie of glasse And thus shal yowe fynde the golde in the bottome of the vessell in maner pure without quickesyluer as I haue sayde before And if yow haue no respecte to saue the stone it shall suffice to vse the common experience meltynge it in a fornace in a bayne or teste of leade The baine or test of leade But in my opinion the best maner to brynge it to purenesse is fyrst to burne the mine with a gentell fyre in an open fornace and to suffer it to euaporate well if it bee not in such stone as yowe desyre to saue Then grynde it in a mylle or beate it with pestelles adapted with a wheele vntyll it be browght to fine pouder And when yow haue wel wasshed it and so much wasted the superfluous earthynesse therof then put it in a teste made accordynge to the quantitie of the same and melt it therin with leade whiche yowe shall consume partely by vapoure and partely with drawynge it owt by the syde of the teste as is the maner vntyll yowe come to the pure golde whiche yowe shall in fine brynge to perfecte purenesse in vtterly consumynge the remanent of the leade with vehement fire increased by the helpe of stronge bellowes And this is the vniuersal maner which yow may vse not only in pourgynge the myne of golde The maner of pourginge golâ—e with leade but also the mynes of all other metals ☞ Of the myne of siluer and the qualitie therof THere are as I vnderstande diuers opinions emonge the practitionars of the mynes whether syluer haue a proper myne by it selfe or no. whether sylver haue A mine by hiâ— selfe or no. The reasons of suche as writte of the naturs of mineralles and thautoritie of the most persuade me to assent to the affirmatiue Not only to see the naturall matter distincte as is to perceaue in the mynes of golde copper leade and other metals whiche in theyr mynes are found pure by them selues without mixtion but also that I vnderstand that there hath bin fouÌ„d likewyse certeyne pieces as well of this metall of siluer as of gold and copper browght to his laste fynesse by thonly worke of nature And this dooth Georgius Agricola a lerned man of Germany confirme in his booke of minerals where he writteth that in Saxonie there was fouÌ„d in a caue a piece of mineral siluer of such bignes Georgius Agricola A table of miâ—eral syluer â–ª that the duke the prince paâ—rone of that place caused a chayre and square dyninge table after the maner of Almanye to be made therof withowte any further woorke of mans hande Gloryinge often tymes that in this thynge he surmounted the greatnesse and magnificence of the Emperoure But in deede excepte copper I haue seene no metall taken owte of the caue pure withowt his vre Yet doo I beleeue it a thynge possible consydering the greate force and poure of nature The workes of nature th ende of whose woorkynge euer intendeth to bringe all thynges to perfection as farre as it is not otherwyse hyndered Yet as I haue sayde of the moste parte of those mynes whiche I haue seene none of theym haue byn withowt mixture Mixte metales not only of the earthe of their owne proper myne but haue byn also mixte with other metals And especially this of syluer more then any other excepte onlye that which was digged in Schio in Vicentina And therefore not withowt sum shâ—dow of apparent reason haue suche doubtes risin amonge the practitionars of the mynes And yet as I haue sayd I beleue that siluer may haue and hath his proper mine forasmuche as euery substaunce that maye be conuerted into metall may aswell stande by it selfe pure in his owne kynde as eyther seperate or mixte with other as is often times seene in one masse in the whiche diuers metals are conteyned and engendered by nature Diuers metals in one masse And by this meanes it often chaunceth that he that speaketh of the mine of siluer may with the same brethe and withowt distinction speake also of all other metales forasmuche as there are but fewe mynes which are not mixte with other But bycause the moste noble and riche metals haue obteyned the prerogatiue to be estemed aboue other therfore the name of the myne is gyuen to them wher they are mixte with other as the mynes which holde copper leade or iren In the indies golde founde in greate quaÌ„titie pure and
testimonie of sight doo wytnesse that I haue seene this stone sought of dyuers for this effecte There are also dyuers other fysshes as bygge as this Manate The swoorde fysshe Emonge the which there is one cauleâ— Vihuella This fyâ—he beareth in the toppe of his headde a swoorde beinge on euery syde full of many sharpe teeth This swoorde is naturally very harde stronge of foure or fyue spannes in length and of proportion accordynge to the same byggenes And for this cause is this fyshe cauled Spada that is the swoord fyshe Of this kynde sum are found as lyttle as sardines and other so greate thâ—â— two yokes of oxen are scarsely able to drawe them on a carte But whereas before I haue promysed to speake of other fysshes which are taken in these seas whyle the shyppes are vnder sayle I wyl not forget to speake of the Tunnye which is a great and good fysshe Tunnye and is oftentymes taken and kylde with troute speares and hookes caste in the water when they play and swymme aboute the shyppes In lyke maner also are taken many turbuts which are very good fysshes as are lyghtly in all the sea Turbut And here is to bee noted that in the greate Ocean sea there is a straunge thynge to bee considered whiche all that haue byn in the Indies affirme to bee trewe And this is that lyke as on the lande there are sum prouinces fertile and frutfull Note and sum barren euen so dooth the lyke chaunce in the sea So that at sum wyndes the shyppes sayle fiftie or a hundreth or two hundreth leaques and more withowt takyng or seinge of one fysshe And ageyne in the selfe same Ocean in sum places all the water is seene tremble by the mouynge of the fysshes where they are taken abundauntly It commeth further to my rememberaunce to speake sumwhat of the flyinge of fysshes Flyinge fysshes which is doubtlesse a straunge thynge to beholde and is after this maner When the shyppes sayle by the greate Ocean folowynge theyr vyage there ryseth sumtymes on the one syde or on the other many coompanies of certeyne lyttle fysshes of the which the byggest is no greater then a sardyne and soo diminisshe lesse and lesse from that quantitie that sum of them are very lyttle These are cauled Volatori that is flyinge fysshes They ryse by great coompanies and flockes in such multitudes that it is an astonysshement to beholde them Sumtymes they ryse but lyttle from the water as it chaunceth continew one flyght for the space of a hundreth pases and sumtymes more or lesse before they faule ageyne into the sea Sumtymes also they faule into the shyppes And I remember that on an euenyng when all the company in the shippe were on theyr knees syngynge Salue regina in the highest parte of the Castel of the poope and sayled with a full wynde there passed by vs a flocke of these flyinge fysshes and came so neare vs that many of them fell into the shyppe amonge the which two or three fell hard by me which I tooke alyue in my hande so that I myght well perceaue that they were as bigge as sardynes and of the same quantitie hauynge two wynges or quylles growyng owt of theyr fynnes lyke vnto those wherwith all fysshes swymme in ryuers These wynges are as longe as the fysshes theym selues As longe as theyr wynges are moyste they beare them vp in the ayer But as soone as they are drye they can continewe theyr flyght no further then as I haue sayde before but faule immediatly into the sea and so ryse ageyne and flye as before from place to place In the yeare A thousand fyue hundreth fiftene when I came fyrst to informe your maiestye of the state of the thynges Indya and was the yeare folowynge in Flaunders in the tyme of youre moste fortunate successe in these youre kyngedomes of Aragonie and Castyle wheras at that vyage I sayled aboue the Iland Bermuda otherwyse cauled Garza The Iland of Bermuda beynge the furtheste of all the Ilandes that are founde at thys daye in the worlde and arryuynge there at the deapthe of eight yeardes of water and dystant from the land as farre as the shotte of a piece of ordynaunce I determined to sende sume of the shyppe to lande as well to make searche of suche thynges as were there as also to leaue in the Ilande certayne hogges for increase But the tyme not seruyng my purpose by reason of contrarye wynde I could bryng my shyppes no nearer the Ilande beinge twelue leaques in lengthe and syxe in breadth and about thyrty in circuite lying in the thyrtie thre degre of the northe syde Whyle I remayned here I sawe a stryfe and combatte betwene these flyinge fyshes and the fyshes named gylte heades and the foules cauled seamewes and cormorauntes whych suerlye seemed vnto me a thynge of as greate pleasure and solace as coulde bee deuysed whyle the gylte heades swamme on the brymme of the water and sumtymes lyfted their shulders aboue the same to rayse the swymmynge fysshes owt of the water to dryue them to flyght and folowe them swymming to the place where they faule to take and eate them sodaynlye Agayne on the other syde the seamewes and cormorantes take manye of these flying fysshes so that by thys meanes theye are nother safe in the ayre nor in the water Not to hie for the pye nor to lowe fro the crowe In the selfe same perrell and daunger doo men lyue in thys mortall lyfe wherin is no certayne securytye nether in hygh estate nor in lowe Which thynge suerlye ought to put vs in rememberaunce of that blessed and safe restynge place whych god hath prepared for such as loue hym who shall acquyete and fynyshe the trauayles of thys troubelous worlde wherin are so manye daungyours and brynge them to that eternall lyfe where they shall fynde eternall securytye and reste But to returne to the hystorye these byrdes and foules whych I sawe were of the Ilande of Bermuda nere vnto the whych I sawe these flyinge fysshes For they coulde bee of no other lande forasmuche as they are not accustomed to wander farre frome the coastes where they are bredde ¶ Of thincrease and decrease that is rysynge and faullynge of our Ocean sea and Southe sea caulled the sea of Sur. I Wyll nowe speake of certeayne thynges whiche are seene in the Prouynce or at the leaste in the citie of golden Castyle otherwyse cauled Beragua Beragua and in the coastes of the North sea and of the South sea caulled the sea of Sur. Not omittyng to note one synguler and meruelous thynge which I haue consydered of the Ocean sea wherof hytherto no cosmographer pylote or maryner or any other haue satisfyed me I say therfore as it is well knowen to your maiestye and all such as haue knowlege of the Ocean sea that this greate Ocean casteth from it selfe the sea Mediterraneum by the mouthe
of the strayght of Gibilterra in the which the water from th end and furtheste parte of that sea The West Ocean euen vnto the mouth of the sayde straight eyther in the East towarde the coaste commonlye cauled Leuante or in any other parte of the sayde sea Mediterraneum The sâ—a Mediteraneum the sea doothe not so faule nor increase as reason wolde iudge for so greate a sea But incresethe verye lyttle and a smaule space Neuerthelesse withoute the mouthe of the straight in the mayne Ocean it increaseth and fauleth verye muche and a great space of grounde from syxe houres to syxe houres as in all the coastes of Spayne Britannye Flanders Germanye and England The selfe same Ocean sea in the fyrme lande newly founde in the coastes of the same lyynge towarde the Northe dothe neyther ryse nor faule nor lykewise in the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba and all the other Ilandes of the same sea lyinge towarde the northe Hispaniola Cuba for the space of thre thousande leaques but onelye in lyke maner as doothe the sea Mediterrâ—neum in Italye whiche is in maner nothynge in respecte to that increase and decrease whiche the sayde Ocean hath in the coastes of Spayne and Flaunders But this is yet a greater thynge that also the selfe same Ocean in the coastes of the sayde fyrme lande lyinge towardâ— the Southe in the citie of Panama and also in the coaste of that lande whiche lyethe towarde the Easte and Weste frome that citie as in the Ilande of pearles or Margaritea whiche the Indians caule Tarrarequi and also in Taboga and Otoque and in all other Ilandes of the southe sea of Sur the water ryseth and fauleth so much that when it fauleth it goth in maner owt of syghte which thynge I my selfe haue seene oftentymes And here youre maiestie may note an other thynge that from the northe sea to the southe sea beynge of suche dyfferâ—nce the one from the other in rysynge and faulynge The South sea yet is the lande that deuydeth theym not paste eyghteene or twentye leaques in breadthe frome coaste to coaste So that bothe the sayde seas beynge all one Ocean this straunge effecte is a thynge worthy greately to bee considered of al suche as haue inclination and desyre to knowe the secreate woorkes of nature wherin the infinite powre and wysedome of god is seene to bee such as may allure all good natures to reuerence and loue so diuine a maiestie The power and wâ—sdome of god is sene in his creatures And wheras by the demonstrations of lerned men I am not satisfyed of the natural cause hereof I content my selfe to knowe and beleue that he which hathe made these thynges dooth knowe this and many other whiche he hath not granted to the reason of man to comprehend much lesse to so base a wyt as myne is They therefore that are of greater vnderstandynge shall searche the cause hereof for them and for me forasmuch as I haâ—e onely put the matter in question as a wytnesse that haue seene thexperience of the thynge ¶ Of the strayght or narowe passage of the lande lyinge betwene the North and South sea by the whiche spyces way much sooner and easlyer be brought from the Ilandes of Molucca into Spayne by the West Ocean then by that way wherby the Portugales sayle into East India IT hath byn an opinion amonge the Cosmographers and Pylottes of late tyme and other which haue had practise in thynges touchynge the sea that there shulde bee a strayghâ— of water passynge from the North sea of the firme in to the South sea of Sur whiche neuerthelesse hath not byn seene nor founde to this daye And suerlye yf there be any suche strayght â–ª we that inhabite those partes do thynke the same shulde bee rather of lande theÌ„ of water For the fyrme lande in sum partes therof is so strayght and narrowe that the Indyans saye that frome the mountaynes of the prouynce of Esquegua or Vrraca Esquegua and vrrace whych are betwene the one sea and the other If a man assend to the toppe of the mountaynes and looke towarde the Northe he maye see the water of the North sea of the Prouynce of Beragua And ageyne lookynge the contrarye waye may on the other syde towarde the Southe see the sea of Sur and the prouynces whyche confyne with it as doo the territoryes of the twoo Lordes or kynges of the sayde prouinces of Vrraca and Esquegua And I beleue that if it bee as the Indyans saye of al that is hetherto knowen this is the narowest strayght of the fyrme lande whiche sume affyrme to bee full of rough mountaynes Yet doo I not take it for a better waye or so shorte as is that whyche is made from the porte cauled Nomen dei whiche is in the Northe sea vnto the newe citye of Panama beynge in the coaste and on the banke of the sea of Sur. Nomen Deâ— Panama Whiche waye is likewyse very rough ful of thicke wods mountaines ryuers valleys and verye diffyculte to passe through and can not bee doone withowt greate laboure and trauayle Sum measure this waye in this part to bee from sea to sea .xviii. leaques whych I suppose to bee rather .xx. not for that it is any more by measure but bicause it is rough and dyffyculte as I haue sayde and as I haue founde it by experyence hauynge nowe twyse passed that way by foote countyng from the porte and vyllage of Nomen Dei vnto the dominion of the Cacique of Iuanaga otherwyse cauled Capira .viii. leaques And frome thense to the ryuer of Chagre The ryuer of Chagre other .viii. leaques So that at this ryuer beinge .xvi. leaques from the sayde porte endeth the roughnesse of the way Then from hense to the maruelous brydge are two leaques And beyonde that other twoo vnto the port of Panama So that all togyther in my iudgemente make .xx. leaques And if therfore this nauigation may bee founde in the South sea for the trade of spices as we trust in God to bee brought from thense to the sayde porte of Panama as is possible enough they may afterwarde easly passe to the Northe sea notwithstaddynge the difficultie of the waye of the .xx. leaques aforesayde Whiche thynge I affirme as a man well trauayled in these regions hauynge twyse on my feete passed ouer this strayght in the yeare .1521 as I haue sayde It is furthermore to bee vnderstode that it is a maruelous facilitie to bryng spices by this way which I wil now declare From Panama to the ryuer of Chagre are foure leaques of good and fayre way by the which cartes may passe at pleasure by reason that the mountaynes are but fewe and lyttle and that the greateste parte of these foure leaques is a playne grounde voyde of trees And when the cartes are coomme to the sayde ryuer the spices may bee caryed in barkes and pinnesses For this ryuer