Date trees and diuers other of the Ilande fruites so plentifullye that as they sayled along by the shore oftentymes the braunches thereof laden with flowres and fruites hong so ouer theyr heades that they might plucke them with theyr handes also that the fruitfulnes of this ground is eyther equall with the soyle of Isabella or better In Isabella he lefte only certayne sicke men and shippe wryghtes whom he had appoynted to make certayne carauels the residue of his men he conueighed to the south to saynt Dominickes towre After he had buylded this fortresse leauyng therin a garryson of .xx. men he with the remanent of his souldiers prepared them selues to searche the inner partes of the West syde of the Ilande hytherto knowen onely by name Therefore about .xxx. leagues that is fourescore and tenne myles from the fortresse he chaunced on the ryuer Naiba whiche we sayde to defende from the mountaynes of Cibaua ryght towarde the south by the myddest of the ilande When he had ouerpassed this ryuer with a companye of armed men diuyded into .xxv. decurions that is tenne in a company with theyr capitaynes he sent two decurions to the regions of those kynges in whose landes were the great woodds of brasile trees Inclyning towarde the lefte hande they founde the wooddes entred into them and felled the high and precious trees which were to that day vntouched Eche of the decurions filled certayne of the ilande houses with the trunkes of brasile there to be reserued vntil the shippes came which should cary them away But the Lieutenaunt directing his iourney towarde the right hande not farre from the bankes of y e riuer of Naiba founde a certaine kyng whose name was Beuchius Anacauchoa encamped against thinhabitantes of the prouince of Naiba to subdue them vnder his dominion as he had done many other kings of the iland borderers vnto him The palace of this great king is called Xaragua is situate toward the West ende of the ilande distant from the ryuer of Naiba .xxx. leagues All the prynces which dwell betwene the West ende his palace are ditionaries vnto him All that region from Naiba to the furthest marches of the west is vtterly without golde although it be full of mountaynes When the kyng had espied our men laying a part his weapons geuyng signes of peace he spake gentelly to them vncerteyne whether it were of humanitie or feare and demaunded of them what they woulde haue The Lieuetenaunt aunsweared That he should paye tribute to the Admirall his brother in the name of the Christian kyng of Spayne To whom he sayde Howe can you requyre that of me whereas neuer a region vnder my dominion bringeth forth golde For he had heard that there was a strange nation entred into the ilande whiche made great search for golde But he supposed that they desyred some other thyng The lieutenaunt answeared agayne God forbydde that we shoulde enioyne any man to paye such tribute as he myght not easely forbeare or such as were not engendered or growing in the region but we vnderstande that your regions bryng foorth great plentie of Gossampine cotton and hempe with such other wherof we desyre you to geue vs parte When he heard these woordes he promysed with cherefull countenaunce to geue hym as much of these thynges as he woulde requyre Thus dismissing his army and sending messengers before he him selfe accompanied the Lieutenaunt and brought him to his palace being distant as we haue sayde .xxx. leagues In al this tracte they passed through the iurisdiction of other princes beyng vnder his dominion Of the whiche some gaue them hempe of no lesse goodnes to make tackelinges for shyppes then our wood Other some brought bread and some gossamppne cotton And so euery of them payde trybute with suche commodities as theyr countreys brought foorth At the length they came to the kinges mansion place of Xaragua Before they entered into the palace a great multitude of the kynges seruauntes subiectes resorted to the court honorably after their maner to receyue their kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa with the strangers which he brought with him to see the magnificence of his court But now shal you heare howe they were intertained Among other triumphes and syghtes two are especially to be noted Fyrst there mette them a company of .xxx. women beyng al the kynges wyues and concubines bearyng in theyr handes branches of date trees singyng and daunsyng they were all naked sauyng that theyr pryuie partes were couered with breeches of gossampine cotton but the virgins hauyng theyr heare hangyng downe about their shoulders tyed about the forehead with a fyllet were vtterly naked They affirme that theyr faces breastes pappes handes and other partes of theyr bodyes were exceedyng smothe and well proportioned but somwhat inclynyng to a louely broune They supposed that they had seene those most beutyfull Dryades or the natyue nymphes or fayres of the fountaynes whereof the antiques spake so muche The braunches of date trees which they bore in theyr right handes when they daunced they delyuered to the Lieuetenaunt with lowe curtesy and smylyng countenaunce Thus enteryng into the kynges house they founde a delycate supper prepared for them after theyr maner When they were well refreshed with meate the nyght drawyng on they were brought by the kynges officers euery man to his lodgyng according to his degree in certayne of theyr houses about the pallaice where they rested them in hangyng beddes after the maner of the countrey wherof we haue spoken more largely in an other place The day folowyng they brought our men to their common hall into the whiche they come togeather as often as they make any notable games or triumphes as we haue sayde before Here after many daunsynges synginges maskinges runnynges wrestlyngs and other trying of mastryes sodaynly there appeared in a large plaine neere vnto the hal two great armies of men of warre whiche the kyng for his pastyme had caused to be prepared as the Spaniardes vse the playe with reedes which they call Iuga de Canias As the armies drewe neere togeather they assayled the one the other as fiersely as if mortall enimies with theyr baners spleade should fight for theyr goodes theyr landes theyr lyues theyr libertie theyr countrey theyr wyues theyr children so that within the momente of an houre foure men were slayne and many wounded The battayle also shoulde haue contynued longer yf the kyng had not at the request of our men caused them to ceasse The thyrde day the Lieuetenant counsaylyng the kyng to sowe more plentie of gossampine vppon the bankes neere vnto the waters syde that they myght the better paye theyr trybute pryuately accordyng to the multitude of theyr houses he prepayred to Isabella to vysite the sycke men whiche he had lefte there and also to see howe his woorkes went forwarde In the tyme of his absence .xxx. of his men were consumed with diuerse diseases Wherefore
not a litle fearyng lest they should lose the trade of Spices yf the Spanyardes should once put in theyr foote Whereupon the kyng immediatly made supplication to the Emperour not to set forward any shippes vntyll it were determined to whether of them those Ilandes shoulde belong and that he would not so much endomage hym as to cause hym to lose the trade of Spyces which was so cominodious and profitable to hym and finally to auoide the occasion of murder and bloodshed whiche were lyke to ensue therof yf the Spanyardes and Portugales shippes shoulde meete togeather The Emperour although he knewe that al this was but to make delayes and prolongyng of tyme yet was he glad to haue it tryed by iustice for the better iustification of his cause and ryght In fine both parties were agreed to appoynt learned men Cosmographers and Pilottes whiche shoulde determine the controuersie betweene them promisyng on both parties to abyde and stande to the sentence determination made by those persons appoynted and sworne to iudge indifferently The Repartition and diuision of the Indies and newe world betweene the Spaniardes and the Portugales THis matter concernyng the trade of Spices and the new worlde of the Indies by reason of the great ryches therof was of great importaunce and very difficult to be limitted and drawen forth by lines By reason wherof it was necessary and conuenient to seeke wyse and worshipfull men experte in Nauigations in Cosmographie and the Mathematical sciences The Emperour for his syde chose and named for Iudges of the possession the Licentiate Acuna one of the kynges counsayle also the Licentiate Barrientos of the counsayl of the orders the licentiate Petro Manuel Auditor of the courte of the Chauncerie in Valladolith For Iudges of the propertie he chose Don Fernando Colono the sonne of Christopher Colonus Also Doctor Sancho Salaya Peter Ruiz of Villegas Fryer Thomas Duran Simon of Alcazaua and Iohn Sebastian of Cano. His aduocate and Atturney he made the licentiate Iohn Rodriguez of Pisa and for his fyscall Doctour Ribera and his Secretarie Barthalome Ruiz of Castaneda He also appoynted that Sebastian Cabote Steuen Gomes Nunnio Gracia Diego Riuero beyng all experte Pilottes and cunnyng in makyng cardes for the sea should bee present and bryng foorth theyr Globes and Mappes with other instrumentes necessarie to declare the situation of the Ilandes of the Malucas about the which was al the contention strife But order was taken that they should shew theyr myndes on neyther syde nor enter into the company of the other but when they were called All these and dyuers other went togeather to a towne called Badaioz and as many Portugales came to Elbes or rather more For they brought with them two Fiscalles and two Aduocates The principall of them was the licentiate Antonie de Asseuedo Diego Lopes of Sequeyra the Clarke of the weyghtes and receâ—ptes who had before been gouernour in India Also Peralfonso of Melo Clarke Simon of Tauira with dyuers other whose names I knowe not Before they mette togeather the one parte remaynyng at Badaioz and the other in Elbes there was muche adoe among them before they coulde agree vppon the place where they should meete and who should speake fyrst For the Portugales doe greatly weygh such circumstances At the laste they concluded to meete togeather at Caya a litle ryuer which diuideth Castile from Portugale standyng in the myd way betweene Badaioz and Elbes And when they were assembled togeather one day at Badaioz and an other day at Elbes and saluted the one the other both parties were sworne that they should proceede and speake accordyng to truth iustice and equitie The Portugales refused Simon de Alcazaua bycause he was a Portugale and Fryer Thomas Duran bycause he had sometyme ben Preacher to theyr Kyng So that Simon was by consent put out of the company in whose roome was placed maister Antonie of Alcaraz Yet fell they not to reasonyng the matter vntyll the Fryer was put out They were many dayes in beholdyng Globes Mappes and Cardes of the sea and hearyng what myght be sayde both sydes alleagyng for the ryght whiche they pretended But the Portugales standyng in vayne contention sayde very angerly The Ilandes of Maluca wherevppon theyr meetyng and reasonyng was at that present fell on theyr parte and was of theyr conquest and that they both had been there and had them in theyr possession before Iohn Sebastian had euer seene them Lykewyse that the lyne should be drawen from the Iland of Bonauista or the Ilande called de la Sal whiche are the most Easterly Ilandes from Cabouerde and not from the Ilande of Santanton or sainct Antonie which lyeth towarde the Weste and are lxxxx leagues the one from the other All this was no more but to contend and the other of the Malucas is vntrue But they that haue a naughtie matter must set it foorth with woordes and brabbelyng Here they founde howe greatly they were deceyued in that they demaunded that the lyne should be drawen three hundred threescore and tenne leagues more to the West from the Ilandes of Cabouerde as appeareth hereafter and not one hundred accordyng to the assignement of the Popes Bull. The Spanyardes on the contrary parte affyrmed and made demonstration that not only the Ilandes of Lurney Gilolo Zubut and Tidore with the other Ilandes of the Malucas but as well Samatra Malacha and a great parte of China should belong to the Castilians and that those countreys fell on theyr syde and on the parte of theyr conquest Also that Magallanes and Iohn Sebastian were the first Christian men that founde them and obteyned them for the Emperour as the letters and presentes of Almanzor doe testifie And although the Portugales had been there fyrst yet went they thyther after the donation of the Pope neyther got they any ryght or iuste tytle thereby For although they shoulde drawe the lyne by Buena Vista what inconuenience should folow therof sith as well by the one way as the other the Ilandes of the Malucas muste parteyne to the Castilians yea and moreouer the Ilandes of Cabouerde shoulde also parteyne to the Castilians forsomuche as drawyng the lyne by Buena Vista the Ilandes of the Malucas doe remayne within the lyne on the Emperours syde They continued in these controuersies for the space of two monethes without any resolution or end made For the Portugales prolonged and put of the matter fleeyng from the sentence with cauillations and colde reasons to the ende that they myght dissolue that assembly without any conclusion or determination for so it stoode them vpon The Castilians which were the Iudges of the propertie drue a lyne in the great globe three hundred and .70 leagues from sainct Antonies Ilande lying by Weste Cabo Verde accordyng to the intreatie and determination which was agreed vppon betweene the Catholyke Princes
affirme the continent of these regions with the Ilandes about the same to be thryse as bygge as al Europe beside those landes that the Portugales haue founde southwarde whiche are also exceedyng large Therfore doubtlesse Spayne hath deserued great prayse in these our dayes in that it hath made knowen vnto vs so many thousandes of Antipodes whiche lay hid before and vnknowen to our forefathers and hath thereby ministred so large matter to wryte of to suche learned wyttes as are desyrous to set foorth knowledge to the commoditie of men to whom I opened a way when I geathered these things rudelye togeather as you see the whiche neuerthelesse I truste you wil take in good part aswell for that I can not adourne my rudenesse with better vesture as also that I neuer toke penne in hande to wryte lyke an hystoriographer but only by epistles scribeled in haste to satisfie them from whose commaundementes I myght not drawe backe my foote But nowe I haue digressed yenough let vs nowe therefore returne to Hispaniola Our men haue founde by experience that the bread of the Ilande is of smal strength to suche as haue ben vsed to our bread made of wheate and that theyr strengthes were muche decayed by vsyng of the same wherefore the kyng hath of late commaunded that wheate shoulde be sowen there in diuers places and at sundry tymes of the yeere It groweth into holow reedes with few eares but those very bygge and fruitefull They fynde the lyke softnesse and delicatenesse to be in hearbes whiche growe there to the height of corne Neat or cattel become of bygger stature and exceedyng fat but theyr fleshe is more vnsauerie and theyr bones as they say eyther without marow or the same to be very wateryshe but of hogges and swyne they affirme the contrary that they are more wholsome and of better taste by reason of certayne wylde fruites whiche they eate beyng of much better nourishment then maste There is almost none other kynde of fleshe commonly solde in the market The multitude of hogges are exceedyngly encreased and become wylde as soone as they are out of the swyneheardes keepyng They haue suche plentie of beastes and foules that they shal hereafter haue no neede to haue any brought from other places The increase of al beastes grow bigger then the broode they came of by reason of the ranknes of the pasture although theyr feeding be only of grasse without eyther barley or other grayne But we haue sayd yenough of Hispaniola They haue nowe founde that Cuba which of long tyme they thought to haue ben firme lande for the great length thereof is an Ilande yet is it no maruayle that the inhabitants them selues tolde our men when they searched the length therof that it was without ende For this nation beyng naked and content with a lytle and with the limittes of theyr owne countrey is not greatly curious to knowe what theyr neyghbours doo or the largenesse of theyr dominion nor yet knewe they yf there were any other thyng vnder heauen besyde that whiche they walked on with theyr feete Cuha is from the East into the West muche longer then Hispaniola and in breadth from the North to the South muche lesse then they supposed at the fyrst for it is very narowe in respect of the length and is for the most part very fruitefull and pleasaunt Eastwarde not farre from Hispaniola there lyeth an Iland lesse then Hispaniola more then by the halfe whiche our men called Sancti Iohannis beyng in manner square in this they founde exceedyng ryche golde mynes but beyng nowe occupyed in the golde mynes of Hispaniola they haue not yet sent labourers into the Iland But the plentie and reuenue of golde of al other regions geue place to Hispaniola where they geue them selues in manner to none other thyng then to geather golde of whiche worke this order is appointed To euery such wittie and skilful man as is put in trust to be a surueyour or ouerseer of these workes there is assigned one or more kings of the Iland with their subiects These kings accordyng to theyr league come with theyr people at certayne tymes of the yeere and resort euery of them to the golde myne to the whiche he is assigned where they haue al manner of dygging or mining tooles delyuered them and euery king with his men haue a certayne rewarde alowed them for theyr labour For when they depart from the mynes to sowyng of corne and other tyllage wherunto they are addict at certaine other tymes lest theyr foode should faile them they receiue for their labour one a ierkin or a dublet another a shyrt another a cloke or a cap for they nowe take pleasure in these thyngs and goe no more naked as they were woont to doo And thus they vse the helpe and labour of the inhabitauntes both for the tyllage of theyr ground and in theyr golde mynes as though they were theyr seruantes or bondemen They beare this yoke of seruitude with an euyll wyl but yet they beare it they cal these hyred labourers Anaborias yet the kyng dooth not suffer that they shoulde be vsed as bondemen and only at his pleasure they are set at libertie or appoynted to worke At suche tyme as they are called togeather of theyr kynges to woorke as souldiers or pyoners are assembled of theyr centurions many of them stele away to the mountaynes and wooddes where they lye lurkyng beyng content for that tyme to lyue with wylde fruites rather then take the paynes to labour They are docible and apte to learne and haue nowe vtterly forgotten they re olde superstitions They beleue godly and beare well in memory such thynges as they haue learned of our â—ayth Theyr kyngs children are brought vp with the chiefest of our men and are instructed in letters and good maners When they are growen to mans age they sende them home to theyr countreyes to be example to other and especially to gouerne the people yf theyr fathers be dead that they may the better set forth the Christian religion and keepe theyr subiectes in loue and obedience By reason wherof they come now by faire meanes gentel perswasions to the mines which lye in two regions of the ilande about thyrtie myles dystaunt from the cytie of Dominica wherof the on is called Sancti Christophori and the other beyng distant aboute fourscore and tenne myles is called Cibaua not farre from the cheefe hauen called Portus Regalis These regions are very large in the which in many places here and there are founde somtyme euen in the vpper crust of the earth and somtyme among the stones certayne rounde pieces or plates of golde sometime of smale quantytie and in some places of great wayght in so much that there hath byn founde rounde pieces of three hundred pounde weyght and one of three thousande three hundred and tenne pounde weyght the whiche as you harde was sent
the recordation of such pleasaunt thynges And yet do not such thinges as are sauerie engender tediousnesse so that a pretious matter be adiourned with a pretious vesture A breefe rehearsal of the contentes of the bookes of the fyrst Decade and so folowyng of all the other Decades Folio 8. IN the fyrst booke is declared howe Christophorus Colonus otherwyse called Columbus persuaded Fernando and Elizabeth princes of Spayne to further his attempt in searchyng newe and vnknowen landes in the West Ocean Also of the .vii. Ilandes of Canaria by whom they were found and conquered Howe Colonus founde the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba and of the fierce people called Canibales or Caribes which are accustomed to eate mans fleshe Of the rootes called Ages Iucca and the grayne Maizìum whereof the people of the Ilandes made theyr bread Of the golde found in the sandes of ryuers of the Serpents which are without hurt also of turtle doues ducks popingaies Of Mastix and Aloe with dyuers fruites and trees vnknowen to vs and of the fruitefulnesse of the Ilande of Hispaniola which the Spanyardes call Spagnuola Of the seconde viage of Colonus into these regions and howe he was furnished with .xvii. shyppes and a thousande and two hundred souldiers with all kynde of artillarie artificers and grayne to sowe and of the tree from the which water droppeth continually into a trenche made by mans hande The contentes of the seconde booke Fol. 12. HOwe Colonus departing from the Ilandes of Canarie sayled viii hundred twentie leagues in .xxi. daies came to Dominica an Iland of the Canibales of the fragrant sauoure of spices whiche proceded from the Ilandes Of the Ilandes of Galanta or Galana and Guadalupea and of the trees which beare that kynd of cotton which the Italians call Bombasine and the Spanyardes Algadon Of dyuers kyndes of Popingiayes and of the Ilande of Matinino or Madanino beyng inhabited onely with women also of dyuers other fruitefull Ilandes and of a conflicte whiche the Spanyardes had with the Canibales Of certayne Ilandes in the whiche are seene the mynes of metals and precious stones and of the fruitfull and populous Iland called Burichena or Boriquen or Insula S. Iohannis Howe all the Admirals men whiche at his fyrst viage he left in Hispaniola were slaine in his absence by the rebellion of Guaccanarillus kyng of the region of Xamana and of the free kynde of lyfe whiche they leade that haue not the vse of money Of the seuen maydens which swam three miles in the sea and of the maner of geathering of gold in the sands of riuers The contentes of the thyrd booke Fol. 17. A Particuler discription of the Iland of Hispaniola whiche Colonus thynketh to be Ophir from whence kyng Salomon had his great ryches of golde Of the marueylous fruitfulnesse of Hispaniola and of the suger canes growyng there Of the golden regions of Cipanga or Cibaua of the ryuers in whose sandes is founde great plentie of golde Of certayne graynes of gold of exceeding great quantitie Of wilde vines of plesaunt taste and of grasse which in foure dayes groweth as hygh as wheate Of the Ilande of Iohanna or Cuba being the end of the East and the West and of the fruitfull populous Iland of Iamaica How the Admirall thought that he had sayled about the lowest Hemisphere or half circle of the earth and of a secrete of Astronomie touching the same matter Howe the Admirall gaue names to seuen hundred Ilandes and passed by three thousand vnnamed Of certaine serpentes like vnto Crocodiles of eight foote long whose flesh is delicate to be eaten and of certayne trees whiche beare Gourdes Of the riuer whose water is very hotte and of the huntyng fyshe which taketh other fyshes Of great abundaunce of Tortoyses as bygge as targets and of a fruitfull mountayne well inhabited Of dogges of deformed shape and dumbe and of white and thicke water Of woods of Date trees and Pyneapple trees and of certayne people apparelled lyke whyte fryers Of certaine trees which beare spices and of Cranes of exceedyng bygnesse Of stocke doues of more pleasaunt taste then partriches An oration of a barbarous gouernour as touching the immortalitie of the soule Also of the rewarde of vertue and punishment of vice A similitude of the golden worlde and of prouision without care Howe the Admirall fell sicke by reason of to muche watcheyng and of a sediâ—ion whiche rose among the Spaniardes in the Ilande of Hispaniola The Contentes of the fourth booke Fol. 25. HOw the Kynges of the Ilande of Hispaniola were by the Spaniardes mysbehauiour prouoked to rebellion and howe the Admirall sent for them Howe kyng Counaboa the Lorde of the house of gold that is of the mountaines of Cibaua conspired the Admirals death and how he with his familie were taken prisoners Of a great famine that chaunced in the Ilande of Hispaniola and howe the Admirall builded certayne fortresses Of a peece of rude gold wayghing twentie vnces and of the myne of the rich metall called Elestrum Of the mountayne in the whiche is founde great plentie of Amber and Orpement and of the woodes of Brasyle trees Howe the inhabitantes are put to theyr tribute and how the nature of y e Region disposeth the maners of the people How the brother of kyng Caunaboa came agaynst the Admirall with an armie of fyue thousand naked men and howe he was taken and his armie put to flyght Of the fruitfull vale Magona in the sandes of whose ryuers is founde great plentie of golde and of certayne whirlewindes and tempests How the Admirall sent foorth his brother Bartholomeus Colonus with an armie of men to searche the golde mynes and of the Fosses which he founde to haue been dygged in old tyme. The Contentes of the .v. booke Fol. 27. for 29. HOwe the Lieuetenaunt builded a fortresse in the golde mines and prepared instrumentes for the purging and finyng of the golde Howe certayne shyppes laden with vittayles came from Spayne And howe the Lieuetenaunt sent the kynges whiche rebelled with three hundred captiues into Spayne Howe the Liefetenaunt remoued his habitation and buylded a fortresse whiche he called saint Dominickes towre also howe he passed ouer the ryuer Naiba and entred into the wooddes of Brasyle trees Howe the great kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa frendelye entertayned the Lieuetenaunt and brought hym to his pallace where the kynges wyues and concubines receyued hym honorably with pompes and triumphes Of the fortresses whiche were erected in Hispaniola and howe the Lieuetenaunt exacted tribute of the kynges whiche rebelled agayne Howe the Lieuetenaunt set vppon the kynges vnwares in the nyght season and tooke .xiiii. of them prysoners Howe kyng Guarionexius captayne of the conspiracie was pardoned and howe he persuaded the people to obedience Howe kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa sent messengers to the Lieuetenaunt to repayre to his pallace where he founde .xxxii. kyngs redy with theyr tributes And howe the queene Anacaona entysed hym
ryuer Tanais Fol. 308 The way out of Moscouia to Cathayo Fol. 309 Of the Tartars Fol. 311 The nauigation by the frostye sea Fol. 315 K. Edwarde the .6 letters to the northeasterne princes by Sir Hugh wylloughbye in latine and Englyshe Fol. 318 Our Englyshe merchauntes voyage into Persia. Fol. 321 Of maister Ienkensons voyage into Persia. Fol. 322 Of the last vyage into Persia in the yeere of our lorde 1568. Fol. 324 Of the kyng of Persia his name Fol. 330. Of the Persians religione and other their fashions Fol. 325 Of the Persian Empire and the originall thereof Fol. 329 Of Persia out of M. P Uenetus Fol. 329 Of the Persian kyngdome out of Haytthon Fol. 330 Of Ormius kyngdome ioynyng vnto Persia. Fol. 331 Of the Sophi or kyng of Persia accordyng to the late writers Fol. 331 The trafique of Persia with other countreys Fol. 332 Of the Persian gulfe Fol. 332 The preuileages graunted by the Sophi to our merchauntes Fol. 332 Arthur Edwardes vyage into Persia with the continuance of the former priuileages Fol. 333 The commodities that Engglyshe merchauntes may haue by the trade into Persia. Fol. 335 The maner howe Christians become Busormen Fol. 335 Of the Bombasine or Cotton tree Fol. 336 The writyng of the Persians Fol. 336 Of two voyages made out of Englande into Guinea in Afrike Fol. 336. A briefe description of Afrike Fol. 337. The fyrst voyage to Guinea Fol. 338. Pinteado his letters patentes made hym by the kyng of Portugale his maister for his returne Fol. 341. The seconde voyage to Guinea with a more full description of Africa Ethiopia and the blacke Moores countrey Fol. 342. The Doues of the Ilande Madera Fol. 353. Of S. Thomas Ilande vnder the Equinoctiall line Fol. 353. Lewes Uertomannus nauigation into Arabia Egypte Persia Syria Ethiopia and East India Fol. 354. The contentes of the whiche voyages are these folowyng The contentes of the .vii. bookes of nauigations and voyages of Lodovicus Vartomannus to the regions of Arabia Egypte Persia Siria east India and Ethiopia The contentes of the fyrst booke The fyrst Chaptere is of the nauigation from Uenice to Alexandria in Egypte Fol. 355. Of the citie named Cayrus Alcayr Memphis or Babylon in Egypte vppon the ryuer of Nilus Cap. 2. Fol. 355. Of the cities of Beryntho Tripoli and Antioch Cap. 3. Fol. 356. Of the cities of Aman and Menin Cap. 4. Fol. 356. Of the citie of Damasco Cap. 5. Fol. 357. Of such thinges as are seene in the citie of Damasco Cap. 6. Fol. 358. Of the Mamalukes of Damasco Cap. 7. Fol. 358. The iorney from Damasco to Mecha And of the maners of the Arabians Cap. 8. Fol. 359. Of the strength and valiantnesse of the Mamalukes Cap. 9. Fol. 361. Of the cities of Sodoma and Gomorrha Cap. 10. Fol. 361. Of a mountayne inhabited with Iewes And of the citie named Medinathalhabi where Mahumet was buryed Cap. 11. Fol. 362. Of the Temple or Chapell and Sepulchre of Mahumet and his felowes Cap. 12. Fol. 362. Of the Secte of Mahumet Cap. 13. Fol. 363. The iorney to Mecha Cap. 14. Fol. 364. The fourme and situation of the citie of Mecha And why the Mahumetans resort thyther Cap. 15. Fol. 365. Of the Merchaundies of Mecha Cap. 16. Fol. 366. The pardons and Indulgenses of Mecha Cap. 17. Fol. 366. The maner of Sacrificyng in Mecha Cap. 18. Fol. 367. Of the Unicornes of the Temple of Mecha whiche are not seene in any other place Cap. 19. Fol. 368. Of dyuers thynges whiche chaunced to the autour in Mecha Cap. 20. Fol. 368. Of the red sea and why it can not be sayled in the nyght Cap. 21. Fol 370. The contentes of the secounde booke Of the citie Gezan in Arabia Foelix That is the blessed or happie Arabia Cap. 1. Fol. 371 Of certayne people named Banduin Cap. 2. Fol. 371 Of an Ilande of the red sea named Camaran Cap. 3. Fol. 371 Of the citie of Aden and theyr maners and customes towarde straungers Cap. 4. Fol. 372 Howe the women of Arabia are greatly in loue with white men Cap. 5. Fol. 373 Of the liberalitie of the queene toward the autour Cap. 6. Fol. 375 Of the cities of Lagi and Aiaz in Arabia Foelyx And of the towne of Dante Cap. 7. Fol. 375 Of Almacharan a citie of Arabia Foelyx And of the fruitefulnesse thereof Cap. 8. Fol. 375 Of Reame a citie of Arabia Foelyr And the Temperatenesse thereof Cap. 9. Fol. 376 Of Sana a citie of Arabia Foelyx Cap. 10. Fol. 376 Of Taessa Zibith and Damar great cities of Arabia Foelyx Cap. 11. Fol. 376 Of the Soltan of the forsayde cities And why he is named Sechamir Cap. 12. Fol. 377 Of Monkeys and Marmasettes and other beastes noysome to men Cap. 13. Fol. 377 Of certayne places of Ethiope Cap. 14 Fol. 377 Of the citie of Zoila in Ethiope And the great fruitefelnesse thereof And of certayne straunge beastes seene there Cap. 15. Fol. 377 Of Barbara an Ilande of Ethiope Cap. 16. Fol. 378 Of Ethiope reade more in the last nauigation in the ende of the booke The contentes of the thyrde booke Of Persia and of certayne townes and portes of Persia. Cap. 1. Fol. 378 Of the Ilande and citie of Ormus or Armusium And of an Iland of Persia where pearles are founde Cap. 2. Fol. 378 Of the citie named Eri in Corozani a region of Persia and of the ryches thereof Also of Reubarbarum Cap. 3. Fol. 379 Of a ryuer thought to be Euphrates and of Castoreum Cap. 4. Fol. 379 Of the citie of Saint Bragant bygger then Babylon And of the kyng of Persia named the Sophi Cap. 5. Fol. 380 The contentes of the fourth booke Of India and of the cities and notable thynges seene there And fyrst of the citie of Cambaia most fruitefull Cap. 1. Fol. 381 The maners of the people of Cambaia And of the Soltan of that citie Cap. 2. Fol. 381 Of the citie of Ceul and the maners of thinhabitantes Cap. 3. Fol. 382 Of Goga an Ilande of India Cap. 4. Fol. 383 Of Decham a very fayre citie of India Cap. 5. Fol. 383 Of certayne other goodly cities of India Cap. 6. Fol. 384 Of Canonor and Narsinga great cities of India Cap. 7. Fol. 384 Of the fruiteful citie of Bisinagar in the kyngdome of Narsinga Cap. 8. Fol. 384 Of the Docilitie agilitie and wytte of Elephantes Cap. 9. Fol. 385 Of the ingendryng of Elephantes And of the magnificence and ryches of the kyng of Narsinga Cap. 10. Fol. 386 The contentes of the fyfth booke Of the famous and ryche citie of Calecut Cap. 1. Fol. 387 Of the kyng of Calecut And of theyr Idolatrye Cap. 2. Fol. 387 Of the maner whiche the kyng vseth at his meate Cap. 3. Fol. 388 Of the Priestes of Calecut named Bramini Cap. 4. Fol. 388 Of the diuers sectes of Idolatours in the citie of Calecut Cap. 5. Fol. 398 The apparell of the kyng queene and
not openly publyshyng any memorie thereof neyther of the place or what it was called or in what yeere it was founde Albeit the fault was not theyrs but rather the malyce of other or the enuie of that which we call fortune I do not therfore marueyle that the auncient histories affyrme that great thynges proceede and increase of small and obscure begynnynges syth we haue seene the same veryfied in this fynding of the Indies being so notable and newe a thyng We neede not be curious to seeke the name of the Pilot syth death made a shorte ende of his doynges Some wyl that he came from Andaluzia and traded to the Ilandes of Canaria and the Iland of Madera when this large and mortal nauigation chaunced vnto hym Other say that he was a Byscanne and traded into Englande and Fraunce Gther also that he was a Portugale that either he went or came from Mina or India which agreeth well with the name of these newe landes as I haue sayd before Agayne some there be that say that he brought the Carauel to Portugale or to the Iland of Madera or to some other of the Ilandes called De los Azores Yet do none of them affyrme any thyng although they al affirme that the Pilot dyed in the house of Christopher Colon with whom remayned all suche writynges and annotations as he had made of his voyage in the sad Carauell aswell of such thynges as he obserued both by land and sea as also of the eleuation of the pole in those landes whiche he had discouered VVhat maner of man Christopher Colon otherwyse called Columbus was and how he came fyrst to the knowledge of the Indies CHristopher Colon was borne in Cugureo or as some say in Nerui a vyllage in the territorie of Genua in Italie He descended as some thynke of the house of the Pelestreles of Placentia in Lumbardie He beganne of a chylde to be a maryner of whose arte they haue great exercise on the ryuer of Genua He traded many yeeres into Suria and other partes of the East After this he became a maister in makyng cardes for the sea whereby he had great vantage He came to Portugale to know the reason description of the south coastes of Affrica and the nauigations of the Portugales thereby to make his cardes more perfecte to be solde He maryed in Portugale as some say or as many say in the Ilande of Madera where he dwelt at suche tyme as the sayd Carauell arryued there whose Pilot soiorned in his house and dyed also there bequeathyng to Colon his carde of the description of suche newe landes as he had found whereby Colon had the fyrst knowledge of the Indies Some haue thought y t Colon was wel learned in y e Latine tongue and the science of Cosmographie and that he was thereby fyrst moued to seeke the lands of Antipodes and the rych Ilande of Cipango wherof Marchus Paulus wryteth Also that he had redde what Plato in his dialoges of Timeus and Cricias writeth of the great Ilande of Atlantide and of a great land in the west Ocean vndiscouered beyng bygger then Asia and Affrica Furthermore that he had knowledge what Aristotell and Theophrastus saye in theyr bookes of maruayles where they wryte that certayne merchauntes of Carthage saylyng from the streyghtes of Gibraltar towarde the West and South founde after many dayes a great Ilande not inhabited yet replenyshed with al thynges requisite and hauing many nauigable ryuers In deede Colan was not greatly learned yet of good vnderstanding And when he had knowledge of the sayde newe landes by the information of the dead Pilot made relation thereof to certeyne learned men with whom he conferred as touching y e like thinges mentioned of olde autours He communicated this secrete and conferred chiefely with a fryer named Iohn Perez of Marchena that dwelt in the monastery of Rabida So that I veryly beleeue that in maner all that he declared and many thynges more that he leaft vnspoken were written by the sayde Spanyshe Pilot that dyed in his house For I am persuaded that if Colon by science atteined to the knowledg of the Indies he would long before haue communicat this secreate to his owne countrey men the Genueses that trauayle all the worlde for gaynes and not haue come into Spayne for this purpose But doubtelesse he neuer thought of any such thyng before he chaunced to be acquainted with the sayde Pilot who founde those landes by fortune accordyng to the saying of Plinie Quod ars docere non potuit casus inuenit That is That arte coulde not teache chaunce founde Albeit the more Christian opinion is to thynke that God of his singuler prouidence and infinite goodnesse at the length with eyes of compassion as it were lookyng downe from heauen vppon the sonnes of Adam so long kept vnder Sathans captiuitie intended euen then for causes to hym onely knowen to rayse those wyndes of mercy whereby that Carauell herein most lyke vnto the shyppe of Noe whereby the remnante of the whole world was saued as by this Carauel this newe worlde receyued the fyrst hope of theyr saluation was dryuen to these landes But we wyll now declare what great thynges folowed of this small begynnyng and howe Colon folowed this matter reuealed vnto hym not without Gods prouidence VVhat labour and trauayle Colon tooke in attemptyng his fyrst voyage to the Indies AFter the death of the Pilot maryners of the Spanyshe Carauell that discouered y e Indies Christopher Colon purposed to seeke the same But in howe muche more he desyred this the lesse was his power to accomplyshe his desyre For besyde that of hym selfe he was not able to furnyshe one shyppe he lacked also the fauoure of a kyng vnder whose protection he myght so enioye the ryches he hoped to fynde that none other myght take the same from hym or defeate him therof And seyng the kyng of Portugale occupied in the conquest of Africa and the Nauigations of the East whiche were then fyrst attempted the kyng of Castyle lykewyse no lesse busyed in the warres of Granada he sent to his brother Bartholomewe Colon who was also priuie to this secrete to practise with the kyng of England Henry the seuenth beyng very ryche and without warres promysyng to bryng hym great ryches in short tyme if he woulde shewe hym fauour and furnyshe hym with shyps to discouer the newe Indies whereof he had certayne knowledge But neyther here beyng able to bryng his sute to passe he caused the matter to be moued to the kyng of Portugale Don Alonso the fyfth of that name at whose handes he founde neither fauour nor mony forasmuch as the Licenciat Calzadilla the bishop of Viseo and one maister Rodrigo men of credite in the science of Cosmographie withstoode hym and contended that there neither was nor coulde any golde or other ryches be founde in the west as Colon affirmed By reason whereof he was very sad and pensiue but
otherwyse called Cuba was an ilande As they coasted along by the shore of certayne of these ilandes they hearde Nyghtyngales syng in the thycke wooddes in the moneth of Nouember They founde also great ryuers of freshe water and naturall hauens of capacitie to harbour great nauies of shippes Sayling by the coastes of Iohanna from the north poynt to the west he rode litle lesse then eight hundred miles for they cal it a hundred and fourescore leagues supposing that it had ben the continent or fyrme lande because he coulde neither fynde the landes ende nor any token of the ende as farre as he could iudge with his eye wherfore he determined to turne backe agayne beyng partly thereto enforced by the roughnesse of the sea for the sea bankes of the ilande of Iohanna by sundrye wyndynges and turnynges bende them selues so muche towarde the north that the northnortheast winde roughly tossed the shyps by reason of the winter Turning therfore the stemmes of his shyppes towarde the East he affyrmed that he had found the ilande of Ophir whither Solomons shippes sayled for golde But the discription of the Cosmographers well considered it seemeth that both these and the other ilandes adioynyng are the ilands of Antilia This ilande he called Hispaniola on whose north syde as he approched neare to the lande the keele or bottome of the biggest vessell ranne vpon a blynde rocke couered with water and cloue in sunder but the playnenesse of the rocke was a helpe to them that they were not drowned Makyng haste therfore with the other two shyps to helpe them they brought awaye al the men without hurte Here comming fyrst a land they sawe certayne men of the Ilande who perceiuyng an vnknowen nation comming toward them flocked togeather and ranne al into the thycke woods as it had ben hares coursed with grehoundes Our men pursuing them tooke onely one woman whom they brought to the ships where fylling her with meate and wyne and appareling her they let her depart to her companye Shortly after a greate multitude of them came runnyng to the shore to behold this newe nation whom they thought to haue discended from heauen They cast them selues by heapes into the sea came swimming to the shyppes brynging gold with them whiche they chaunged with our men for earthen pottes drinking glasses poyntes pinnes hawkes bels looking glasses such other trifles Thus growing to further familiaritie our men were honorably entertained of the king of that part of the iland whose name was Guaccâ—narillus for it hath many kyngs as when Eneas arriued in Italy he found Latium diuided into many kingdoms and prouinces as Latium Mezeutium Turnum and Tarchontem which were separated with narowe boundes as shal more largly appeare hereafter At the euen tide about the falling of the sonne when our men went to prayer and kneeled on their knees after the maner of y e Christians they dyd the lyke also And after what maner so euer they sawe them pray to the crosse they folowed them in al poyntes as wel as they coulde They shewed much humanitie towards our men and helped them with theyr lyghters or smal boates which they cal Canoas to vnlade their broken shyppe and that with suche celeritie and cherefulnesse that no frende for frende or kynseman for kynseman in such case moued with pitie coulde do more Theyr boates are made only of one tree made holowe with a certaine sharpe stone for they haue no yron and are very long and narowe Many affirme that they haue seene some of them with fortie ores The wilde and myscheuous people called Canibales or Caribes whiche were accustomed to eate mans fleshe called of the olde writers Anthropophagi molest them exceedyngly inuading their countrey takyng them captiue kyllyng eatyng them As our men sayled to the ilandes of these meke and humane people they left the ilands of the Canibales in maner in the middest of theyr viage toward the south They complayned that theyr ilands were no lesse vexed with the incursions of these manhuntyng Canibales when they goe forth a rouyng to seeke theyr pray then are other tame beastes of Lions and Tigers Such chyldren as they take they geld to make them fat as we do cocke chickens and young hogges and eate them when they are wel fedde of suche as they eate they fyrst eate the intralles and extreme partes as handes feete armes necke and head The other most fleshye partes they pouder for store as we do pestels of porke and gammondes of bakon yet do they absteyne from eatyng of women and counte it vyle Therfore suche young women as they take they kepe for increase as we do hennes to leye egges the olde women they make theyr drudges They of the ilandes which we may nowe cal ours bothe the men and y e women when they perceiue the Canibales commyng haue none other shyft but onely to flee for although they vse very sharpe arrowes made of reedes yet are they of small force to represse y e furie of the Canibales for euen they them selues confesse that ten of the Canibales are able to ouercome a hundred of them if they encountre with them Theyr meate is a certayne roote which they cal Ages muche lyke a nauewe roote in fourme and greatnesse but of sweete tast much lyke a greene chestnutte They haue also an other kynde of rootes which they call Iucca whereof they make bread in kyke maner They vse Ages more often rosted or sodden then to make bread thereof But they neuer eate Iucca except it be first sliced and pressed for it is full of lycoure and then baked or sodden But this is to be marueyled at that the iuice of this roote is a poyson as strong as Aconitum so that if it be drunke it causeth present death and yet the bread made of the masse thereof is of good taste and holsome as they all haue prooued They make also another kynde of bread of a certayne pulse called Panicum muche like vnto wheate whereof is great plentie in the Dukedome of Millane Spayne and Cranatum But that of this Countrey is longer by a spanne somewhat sharpe towarde the ende and as bygge as a mans arme in y e brawne the graynes wherof are set in a marueylous order are in fourme somewhat lyke a Pease Whyle they be soure and vnripe they are whyte but when they are ripe they be very blacke when they are broken they be whiter then snowe this kynde of grayne they call Maizium Golde is of some estimation among them for some of them hang certayne small peeces thereof at theyr eares and nosethrylles A litle beyonde this place our men went a lande for freshe water where they chaunced vpon a riuer whose sande was myxed with muche golde They founde there no kindes of foure footed beastes except three kindes of litle conies These ilandes also nouryshe
and that of no lesse goodnesse then that which the phisitians minister to suche as be diseased with the ague but it was not rype at theyr beyng there They affirme that there are trees of suche bygnesse that .xvi. men ioyning handes togeather and standyng in compasse can scarcely embrace some of them Among these trees is found that monstrous beaste with a snoute lyke a foxe a tayle lyke a marmasette eares lyke a bat handes lyke a man and feete lyke an ape bearyng her whelpes aboute with her in an outwarde bellye much lyke vnto a great bagge or purse The deade carkas of this beaste you sawe with me and turned it ouer and ouer with your owne handes marueylyng at that new belly and wonderful prouision of nature They say it is knowen by experience that she neuer letteth her whelpes goo out of that purse except it be ether to play or to sucke vntyll suche tyme that they be able to gette theyr lyuyng by them selues They tooke thys beaste with her whelpes But the whelpes dyed shortely after in the shyppes Yet the damme liued certaine monethes but at the length not being able to abide so great alteration of ayre and change of meate she died also in the way But of this beaste we haue saidt enough Let vs now therfore returne to the aucthours of these thinges These two Pinzoni the vncle and the neuiew susteyned many greate troubles horrible tempestes and perilles in this nauigation For when they had nowe sailed by the coastes of Paria about syxe hundred leagues as they supposed beyond the citie of Cathay and the costes of East India beyond the riuer of Ganges there rose sodenly so fierce a tempest in the moneth of Iuly that of the four Carauels which they had with them two were drowned euen before theyr eyes and the thyrd lying at anker with lyke sodennes caried out of theyr syght throwgh the violence of the tempest the fourth also lying at anker was so shaken and broosed that all the seames therof were almost loosed Yet came they to land out of this last shyp but vtterly despayryng of the shyp Wherfore consultyng with them selues what was best to bee donne in so extreeme a case and how to prouyde them a safe dwellyng place in those Regions beyng out of all hope how to depart from thence they determyned to slay all the inhabytauntes of the countrey nere about them least they with the other shoulde conspyre together to kyll them but theyr fortune was better For the Carauel which the tempest had caried away was come to them agayne This had in it .xviii. men And the other that remayned was saued and repayred With these two therfore they tooke theyr voyage directly to Spayne and thus being tossed with tempestes and vexed with aduersities they returned to theyr natyue countrey of Palos to theyr wyues and chyldren the day before the Calendes of October with the losse of many of theyr deere frends neighbours They brought with them Cinamome and ginger but not very good because they were not there fully seasoned with the heate of the sonne before they brought them from thence They brought also certayne pretious stones which Baptista Elysius that excellent philosopher and your lordshyppes phisition affirmeth to be true Topases After these mens returne other of theyr neighbours being moued therto by a certaine emulation to proue yf theyr fortune wold be any better lyke men of good corage beyng nothing discomforted by the hard fortune of their neighboures knowing that it often times chaunceth that that which is one mans vndoing is an other mans making attempted a newe voiage toward the south by y e costes of Paria folowyng the steps of Colonus the Admiral who had fyrste discouered the same They also brought with them great plentie of Cassia fistula and founde that precious medicine called of the Spaniards Animae album whose perfume is of most excellent effect to heale the reumes murres and heauines of the head As touching this vyage as yet I know no other newes that I thought woorthy to certifie you of wherfore I wyl nowe make an ende of this booke because you put me so often in remembrance of your departure Yet to accomplyshe the Decade I wyl declare somewhat of the superstitions of Hispaniola You shall nowe therfore vnderstand the illusions wherewith the people of the Ilande haue ben seduced after the errours of the olde gentilitie and wandered in the ignoraunce and blyndnesse of humane nature corrupted by the disobedience of our fyrst parentes whiche 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 powre vpon his electe the grace of renouation by the lyght whereof the natural darkenesse receiueth some clearenesse as in a glasse vntil imperfection shal be abolished Our men therefore were long in the Ilande of Hispaniola before they knewe that the people thereof honoured any other thyng then the lyghtes of heauen or had anye other religion but when they had ben nowe long conuersaunt with them and by vnderstandyng their language drew to a further familiaritie they had knowledge that they vsed diuers rites and superstitions I haue therefore geathered these fewe thinges folowyng out of a booke wrytten by one Ramonus an Heremite whom Colonus had left with certayne kynges of the Ilande to instruct them in the Christian fayth And because in manner their whole religion is none other thyng then idolatrie I wil begyn at theyr idolles It is therefore apparant by the images whiche they honour openly and commonly that there appeare vnto them in the nyght seasons certayne phantasies and illusions of euil spirites seducing them into many fonde and foolish errours for they make certayne images of Gossampine cotton folded or wreathed after theyr manner and hard stopped within These images they make syttyng muche lyke vnto the pyctures of spirites and deuyls which our paynters are accustomed to paynt vpon walles but forasmuche as I mee selfe sent you foure of these images you may better presently signifie vnto the kyng your vncle what manner of thynges they are and howe like vnto paynted deuylles then I can expresse the same by wrytyng These images the inhabitantes call Zemes whereof the leaste made to the lykenesse of young deuyls they bynde to their foreheades when they goe to the warres agaynst theyr enimies and for that purpose haue they those stringes hangyng at them which you see Of these they beleeue to obteyne rayne yf rayne be lackyng lykewyse fayre weather for they thynke that these Zemes are the mediatours and messengers of the great god whom they acknowledge to be only one eternal without ende omnipotent and inuisible Thus euery king hath his particuler Zemes whiche he honoureth They cal the eternal god by these two names Iocauna and Guamaonocon as theyr predecessours taught them affyrmyng that he hath
blowing breathyng and suckyng the forehead temples and necke of the patient whereby they say they drawe the euyl ayre from him and sucke the disease out of his vaynes then rubbyng hym about the shoulders thyghes and legges and drawyng downe theyr handes close by his feete holdyng them yet faste togeather they runne to the doore beyng open where they vnclose and shake theyr handes affyrmyng that they haue dryuen away the disease and that the pacient shall shortly be perfectlye restored to health After this commyng behynde hym he conueigheth a peece of fleshe out of his owne mouth lyke a iuggeler and sheweth it to the sycke man saying Beholde you haue eaten to muche you shal nowe be whole because I haue taken this from you But yf he entende yet further to deceiue the patient he perswadeth hym that his Zemes is angry eyther because he hath not buylded hym a chappell or not honoured him religiously or not dedicated vnto hym a groue or garden And if it so chaunce that the sycke person dye his kynsfolks by witchcrafte enforce the dead to confesse whether he dyed by naturall desteny or by the negligeÌ„ce of the Boitius in that he had not fasted as he shoulde haue done or not ministred a conuenient medicine for the disease so that if this phisition be founde fautie they take reuâ—nge of hym Of these stones or bones whiche these Boitii cary in theyr mouthes yf the women can come by them they keepe them religiously beleeuyng them to be greatly effectuall to helpe women trauaylyng with chylde and therefore honour them as they do theyr Zemes. For diuers of the inhabitantes honour Zemes of diuers fashions some make them of wood as they were admonyshed by certayne visions appearing vnto them in the woods Other whiche haue receiued aunswere of them among the rockes make them of stone and marble Some they make of rootes to the similitude of suche as appeare to them when they are geatheryng the rootes called Ages whereof they make theyr bread as we haue sayd before These Zemes they beleue to send plentie fruitfulnes of those rootes as the antiquitie beleued such fayries or spirites as they called Dryades Hamadryades Satyros Panes and Nereides to haue the cure prouidence of the sea woods sprynges and fountaynes assignyng to euerye thing their peculier goddes Euen so do thinhabitantes of this Ilande attribute a Zemes to euery thyng supposyng the same to geue eare to theyr inuocations Wherefore as often as the kyngs aske counsel of theyr Zemes as concernyng their warres increase of fruites or scarcenes or health and sicknesse they enter into the house dedicate to theyr Zemes where snuffing vp into theyr nosthryls the pouder of the herbe called Cohobba wherwith the Boitii are dryuen into a furie they say that immediatly they see the houses turned topsye turuie and men to walke with theyr heeles vpward of such force is this pouder vtterly to take away al sence As soone as this madnesse ceasseth he embraceth his knees with his armes holdyng downe his head And when he hath remayned thus a whyle astonyshed he lyfteth vp his head as one that came newe out of sleepe and thus lookyng vp toward heauen fyrst he fumbleth certaine confounded woordes with hym selfe then certayne of the nobilitie or cheefe gentlemen that are about him for none of the common people are admitted to these mysteries with loude voyces geue tokens of reioycing that he is returned to them from the speach of the Zemes demaundyng of hym what he hath seene Then he openyng his mouth doateth that the Zemes spake to hym duryng the tyme of his traunce declaryng that he had reuelations either concerning victorie or destruction famine or plentie health or syckenesse or whatsoeuer happeneth fyrst on his tongue Nowe most noble Prince what neede you hereafter to marueyle of the spirite of Apollo so shakyng his Sibylles with extreme furie you had thought that the superstitious antiquitie had peryshed But nowe wheras I haue declared thus muche of the Zemes in general I thought it not good to let passe what is sayde of them in particuler They say therefore that a certayne kyng called Guamaretus had a Zemes whose name was Corochotum who they say was oftentimes woont to descend from the hyghest place of the house where Guamaretus kept hym fast bound They affirme that the cause of this his breakyng of his bandes and departure was eyther to hyde hym selfe or to goe seeke for meate or els for the acte of generation and that sometymes beyng offended that the kyng Guamaretus had ben negligent and slacke in honouring hym he was woont to lye hyd for certayne dayes They say also that in the kynges vyllage there are sometyme chyldren borne hauyng two crownes whiche they suppose to be the children of Corochotum the Zemes. They fayne likewyse that Guamaretus being ouercome of his enimies in battayle and his village with the pallace consumed with fyre Corochotus brake his bands and was afterwarde founde a furlong of safe and without hurte He hath also another Zemes called Epileguanita made of wood in shape lyke a foure footed beast who also is sayde often tymes to haue gonne from the place where he is honoured into the wooddes As soone as they perceiue hym to be gone a great multitude of them geather togeather to seeke him with deuout prayers and when they haue founde hym bryng hym home religiously on theyr shoulders to the chappel dedicated vnto hym But they complayne that sence the commyng of the Christian men into the Iland he fled for altogeather and coulde neuer sence be founde wherby they diuined the destruction of theyr countrey They honoured an other Zemes in the lykenes of a woman on whom wayted two other lyke men as they were mynisters to her One of these executed thoffice of a mediatour to the other Zemes which are vnder the power and commaundement of this woman to raise wyndes cloudes and rayne The other is also at her commaundement a messenger to the other Zemes which are ioyned with her in gouernaunce to geather togeather the waters which fall from the hygh hylles to the valleies that being loosed they may with force bruste out into greate floodes and ouerflowe the countrey yf the people do not geue due honoure to her Image There remayneth yet one thing worthy to be noted wherwith we will make an end of this booke It is a thing well knowen and yet freshe in memory among the inhabitantes of the iland that there was somtime two kings of the which one was the father of Guarionexius of whom we made mention before which were woont to absteyne fyue daies togeather continualy from meate drinke to know somewhat of their Zemes of thinges to come and that for this fasting beyng acceptable to their Zemes they receyued answere of them that within few yeeres there shoulde come to the ilande a nation of men couered with apparell
troubled as often as they passed by his dominions to geue them vyttualles But Careta denyed that he coulde geue them any at that tyme alleagyng that he had oftentymes ayded the Christians as they passed by those coastes by reason whereof his store was nowe consumed also that by the meanes of the continuall warre whiche he kept euer from his childes age with a kyng whose name was Poncha borderyng vpon his dominion he and his familie were in great scarcenesse of al thynges But Vaschus woulde admyt none of these excuses and thereupon tooke Careta prisoner spoyled his vyllage and brought him bounde with his two wyues and chyldren and all his familie to Dariena With this kyng Careta they found three of the felowes of Nicuesa the which wheÌ„ Nicuesa passed by those coastes to seeke Beragua fearing punishment for theyr euil desertes stole away from the shippes lying at anker And when the nauie departed committed them selues to the mercie of Careta â–ª who enterteyned them very frendly They had nowe ben there eighteene monethes and were therefore as vtterly naked as the people of the countrey Duryng this tyme the meate of thinhabitantes seemed vnto them delicate dishes princely fare especially because they enioyed the same without any stryfe for mine and thyne whiche two thynges mooue and enforce men to suche harde shyftes and miseries that in lyuyng they seeme not to lyue Yet desyred they to returne to theyr olde cares of suche force is education and naturall affection towarde them with whom we haue ben brought vp The vyttuals which Vaschus brought from the vyllage of Careta to his felowes left in Dariena was rather somewhat to asswage theyr present hunger then vtterly to take away theyr necessitie But as touching Ancisus beyng Lieuetenaunt for Fogeda whether it were before these thyngs or after I knowe not but this I am sure of that after the reiecâ—yng of Nicuesa many occasions were sought against Ancisus by Vaschus and his factionaries Howsoeuer it was Ancisus was taken and cast in pryson and his goodes confiscate the cause hereof was as Vaschus alleaged that Ancisus had his commission of the Lieuetenauntshyp of Fogeda only whom they said to be now dead and not of the kyng saying that he woulde not obey anye man that was not put in offâ—ce by the kyng him selfe by his letters patentes Yet at the request of the grauest sort he was somewhat pacified and dealt more gentelly with hym hauyng some compassion on his calamities and thereupon commaunded him to be loosed Ancisus beyng at libertie tooke shyppe to depart from thence to Hispaniola but before he had hoysed vp his sayle al the wisest sort resorted to him humblye desyryng hym to returne agayne promysyng that they woulde doo their diligence that Vaschus being reconciled he myght be restored to his full aucthoritie of the Lieuetenauntshyp but Ancisus refused to consent to theyr request and so departed Yet some there were that murmured that God and his angels shewed this reuenge vpon Ancisus because Nicuesa was reiected through his counsayle Howe so euer it be the searchers of the newe landes fall headlong into ruine by theyr owne follie consumyng them selues with ciuile discorde not weighing so great a matter nor employing theyr best endeuour about the same as the woorthynesse of the thyng requireth In this meane tyme they determined all with one agreement to sende messengers into Hispaniola to the yong Admiral and viceroy sonne and heyre to Christophorus Colonus the fynder of these landes and to the other gouernours of the Ilande from whom the newe landes receiue theyr ayde and lawes to signifie vnto them what state they stoode in and in what necessitie they liued also what they had founde and in what hope they were of greater thyngs if they were furnished with plentie of vyttualles and other necessaries For this purpose they elected at the assignement of Vaschus one Valdiuia being one of his faction and instructed by hym agaynst Ancisus and to be assystant with hym they appoynted one Zamudius a Cantabrian so that commaundement was geuen to Valdiuia to returne from Hispaniola with vittuals Zamudius was appoynted to take his voyage into Spayne to the kyng They toke ship both togeather with Ancisus hauyng in mind to certifie the king howe things were handled there much otherwise then Zamudius information I mee selfe spake with both Ancisus Zamudius at their comming to the court Whyle they were occupied about these matters those wretched men of Dariena loosed Careta the king of Coiba vpon condition that he shoulde ayde them in their warres agaynst his enimie and theyrs kyng Poncha borderyng vpon his dominions Careta made a league with them promising that as they passed by his kingdome he woulde geue them all things necessarie meete them with an armie of men to goe forward with them to the battaile against Poncha Theyr weapons are neyther bowes nor venomed arrowes as we sayde thinhabitauntes to haue whiche dwel eastward beyonde the gulfe They fyght therefore at hande with long swordes whiche they call Macanas made of wood because they haue no Iron They vse also long staues lyke iauelyns hardened at the endes with fyre or typt with bone also certayne slynges and dartes Thus aftet the league made with Careta both he and our men had certayne dayes appoynted them to tyll theyr grounde and sowe theyr seedes This done by the ayde of Careta and by his conduction they marched towarde the pallace of Poncha who fled at theyr comming They spoyled his vyllage and mitigated theyr hunger with such vyttuals as they founde there yet coulde they not helpe theyr felowes therewith by reason of the farre distance of the place although they had great plentie for the vyllage of Poncha was more then a hundred myles dystant from Dariena whereas was also none other remedie but that the same shoulde haue ben caryed on mens backes to the sea syde beyng farre of where they left theyr shyppes in the whiche they came to the village of Careta Here they founde certayne poundes weight of gold grauen wrought into sundry ouches After the sackyng of this vyllage they resorted toward the ships intending to leaue the kynges of the inlande vntouched at this tyme and to inuade only them which dwelt by the sea coastes Not farre from Coiba in the same tracte there is a region named Comogra and the king thereof called Comogrus after the same name To this kyng they came fyrst next after the subuertion of Poncha and founde his pallace situate in a fruiteful playne of .xii. leagues in breadth at the rootes of the further syde of y e next mountaynes Comogrus had in his courte a certaine noble man of neere consanguitie to kyng Careta whiche had fled to Comogrus by reason of certayne dissentions which was betwene Careta hym these noble men they cal Iura This Iura therefore of Coiba met our men by the way
as also to cary his baggages and open the strayghtes through the desolate places and craggie rockes ful of the dennes of wylde beastes for there is seldome any entercourse of buying and sellyng betweene these naked people because they stande in neede of fewe thynges and haue not the vse of money but yf at any tyme they exercise any barteryng they doo it but neere hande exchangyng golde for houshold stuffe with their confines which somwhat esteme y e same for ornament when it is wrought Other superfluities they vtterly contemne as hynderaunces of theyr sweete libertie forasmuche as they are geuen only to play and idlenes And for this cause y e high wayes which lye betwene theyr regions are not muche worne with manye iourneyes yet haue theyr scoutes certayne priuie markes wherby they knowe the way the one to inuade the others dominions and spoyle and infest them selues on both sydes with mutual incursions priuily in the nyght season By the helpe therefore of theyr guides and laborers with our Carpenters he passed ouer the horrible mountaynes and many great ryuers lying in the way ouer the which he made brydges either with pyles or trunks of trees And here doo I let passe many thynges whiche they suffered for lacke of necessaries being also in maner ouercome with extreme labour lest I shoulde be tedious in rehearsing thinges of small value But I haue thought it good not to omyt suche dooynges as he had with the kynges by the way Therefore or euer he came to the toppes of the high mountaynes he entred into a region called Quarequa and mette with the king thereof called by the same name with a great bande of men armed after theyr manner as with bowes and arrowes long and brode two handed swoordes made of wood long staues hardened at the endes with fyre dartes also and slynges He came proudely and cruellye agaynst our men and sent messengers to them to bydde them stande and proceede no further demaundyng whyther they went and what they had to doo there Herewith he came foorth and shewed hym selfe beyng apparelled with al his nobilitie but the other were al naked Then approching towarde our men he threatned thē with a Lions countenance to depart from thence except they woulde be slayne euery mothers sonne When our men denyed that they woulde goe backe he assayled them fiercely but the battayle was soone finished for assoone as they hearde the noyse of the hargabusies they beleeued that our men caryed thunder and lyghtnyng about with them Many also beyng slayne and sore wounded with quarrels of crossebowes they turned theyr backes and fledde Our men folowing them in the chase hewed them in peeces as the Butchers doo fleshe in the shambles from one an arme from another a legge from hym a buttocke from another a shoulder and from some the necke from the bodye at one stroke Thus syxe hundred of them with theyr kyng were slayne lyke bruite beastes Vaschus founde the house of this kyng infected with moste abominable and vnnaturall lechery for he founde the kynges brother and many other young men in womens apparell smoothe and effeminately decked whiche by the report of suche as dwelt about hym he abused with preposterous venus Of these about the number of fourtie he commaunded to be geuen for a pray to his dogges for as we haue sayd the Spanyardes vse the helpe of dogges in theyr warres agaynst the naked people whom they inuade as fiercely and rauenyngly as yf they were wilde bores or Hartes insomuche that our Spanyardes haue founde theyr dogges no lesse faythful to them in al dangers and enterprises then dyd the Colophonians or Castabalences whiche instituted whole armies of dogges so made to serue in the warres that beyng accustomed to place them in the forefronte of the battayles they neuer shronke or gaue backe When the people had hearde of the seuere punyshment whiche our men had executed vpon that fylthy kynde of men they resorted to them as it had ben to Hercules for refuge by violence bryngyng with them all suche as they knewe to be infected with that pestilence spyttyng in theyr faces and crying out to our men to take reuenge of them and rydde them out of the worlde from among men as contagious beastes This stynkyng abomination had not yet entred among the people but was exercised onlye by the noble men and gentlemen But the people lyftyng vp theyr handes eyes toward heauen gaue tokens that God was greeuously offended with suche vyle deedes affyrmyng this to be the cause of theyr so many thunderynges lyghtnyng and tempestes wherewith they are so often troubled and of the ouerflowyng of waters which drowne theyr sets and fruites whereof famyne and diuers diseases ensue as they symply and faythfully beleue although they knowe none other GOD then the sunne whom only they honour thinkyng that it doth both geue and take away as it is pleased or offended Yet are they very docible and easie to be allured to our customes and religion if they had any teacher In theyr language there is nothyng vnpleasaunt to the eare or harde to be pronounced but that all theyr woordes may be wrytten with latine letters as we sayde of the inhabitauntes of Hispaniola It is a warlyke nation and hath ben euer hytherto molestous to theyr borderers but the region is not fortunate with fruiteful grounde or plentie of golde Yet is it full of great barren mountaynes beyng somewhat colde by reason of their height and therefore the noble men and gentlemen are apparelled but the common people liue content only with the benefites of nature There is a region not past two dayes iourney distant from Quarequa in whiche they founde only blacke Moores and those exceedyng fierce and cruel They suppose that in tyme past certayne blacke Moores sayled thyther out of Ethiopia to robbe and that by shypwracke or some other chaunce they were dryuen to those mountaynes The inhabitaunts of Quarequa lyue in continual warre and debate with these blacke men Here Vaschus leauing in Quarequa many of his souldiers which by reason they were not yet accustomed to such trauayles and hunger fel into diuers diseases tooke with hym certayne guides of the Quarequatans to conduct hym to the toppes of the mountaynes From the pallace of kyng Poncha to the prospect of the other south sea is only sixe dayes iourney the which neuerthelesse by reason of many hinderances chaunces and especially for lacke of vittuals he coulde accomplishe in no lesse then .xxv. dayes But at the length the seuenth day of the Calendes of October he behelde with woonderyng eyes the toppes of the hygh mountaynes shewed vnto hym by the guides of Quarequa from the whiche he myght see the other sea so long looked for and neuer seene before of any man commyng out of our worlde Approching therfore to the toppes of the mountaynes he commaunded his armye to
departed fyrst from Dariena with fourescore souldiours wel appoynted whom Lodouicus Mercado folowed with fyftye To Bezerra were also fourscore assigned and threescore and tenne to Valleius Whether they shall arryue at safe and commodious hauens or fall into vnfortunate stations he onely knoweth whose prouidence ruleth all for as for vs men wee are included within the knowledge of thinges after they haue chaunced Let vs now therefore come to other matters The seuenth booke of the third decade PEtrus Arias the gouernour of the supposed continent was scarsly entred into the mayne sea with his nauye onwarde on his vyage to Dariena but I was aduertised that one Andreas Moralis a pilot who had oftentymes ouerrunne the coastes of these new seas and the Ilandes of the same was come to the court to sell such marchaundies as he brought with him from thence This man had diligently searched the tracte of the supposed continent and especially thinner regions of the Ilande of Hispaniola whereunto he was appoynted by his brother Nicolaus Ouandus the gouernour of the Ilande and chiefe Commendator of the order of the knyghtes of Alcantara bycause he was a wytty man and more apt to search suche thinges then any other so that with his owne handes he drewe faire cardes and tables of such regions as he discouered Wherein as he hath been founde faythfull of such as haue since had better tryall hereof so is he in most credite amongst the best sorte He therefore resorted to me as all they are accustomed to doe which returne from the Ocean What I learned of him and dyuers other of thinges heretofore vnknowen I will now declare The beginnyng of this narration shal be the perticular description of the Ilande of Hispaniola forasmuch as it is the heade and as it were y e principall marte of all the liberalitie of the Ocean hath a thousand againe a thousand faire pleasant beautiful ryche Nereides which lye about it on euery syde adournyng this their ladie mother as it were an other Tethis the wyfe of Neptunus enuyroning her about attēding vpon her as their queene patronesse But of these Nereiades that is to saye the Ilandes placed about her we wyll speake more hereafter Let vs in the meane tyme declare somewhat of the Ilande whiche our men named Margarita Diues whiche the Spanyardes call De las perlas beyng nowe well knowen and lying in the south sea in the gulfe called Sinus Sancti Michaelis that is saint Michaels gulfe This Ilande hath presently brought to our knowledge many straunge and woonderfull thynges and promiseth no small hope of greater thynges in tyme to come In this is founde great plentie of pearles so fayre and great that the sumptuous queene Cleopatra myght haue seemed to weare them in her crownes chaynes and braslettes Of the shelfyshes wherein these are engendered we wyll speake somewhat more in th end of this narration But let vs nowe returne to Hispaniola most lyke vnto the earthly paradyse In the description hereof we wyll begynne of the imposition of dyuers names then of the fourme of the Ilande temperate ayre and beneficial heauen and finally of the deuision of the regions Therefore for the righter pronunciation of the names your holynesse must vnderstande that they are pronounced with thaccent as you may knowe by the verge set ouer the heddes of the vowels as in the name of the Ilande Matinino where the accent is in the last vowell and the lyke to be vnderstoode in all other names They saye therefore that the fyrst inhabitours of the Ilande were transported in theyr Canoas that is boates made of one whole peece of wood from the Ilande of Matinino beyng lyke banyshed men dryuen from thence by reason of certayne contrary factions and deuisyons among them selues lyke as we reade howe Dardanus came from Corytho and Teucrus from Creta into Asia and that the region where they placed their habitation was afterward called Troianum The like we reade howe the Tyrians and Sidonians arriued with their nauie in Libya by the fabulous conduction of Dido These Matinians in like maner being banyshed from their owne countrey planted their fyrst habitation in that parte of the Iland of Hispaniola which they call Cahonao vppon the banke of the ryuer named Bahaboni as is redde in the begynnyng of the Romanes that Eneas of Troy arryued in the region of Italy called Latium vppon the bankes of the ryuer of Tiber. Within the mouth of the ryuer of Bahaboni lyeth an Ilande where it is sayde that thinhabitantes buylded theyr fyrst house whiche they named Camoteia This house they consecrated shortly after and honoured the same reuerently with continual gyftes and monumentes euen vntyll the commyng of our men lyke as the Christians haue euer religiously honoured Ierusalem the fountayne and originall of our fayth As also the Turkes attribute the lyke to the citie of Mecha in Araby and the inhabitantes of the fortunate Ilandes called the Ilandes of Canarie to Tyrma buylded vppon a hygh rocke from the whiche many were wont with ioyfull myndes and songes to cast them selues downe headlong beyng perswaded by theyr priestes that the soules of all such as so dyed for the loue of Tyrma shoulde thereby enioye eternall felicitie The conquerours of the Ilandes of Canarie founde them yet remaynyng in that superstition euen vntyll our tyme nor yet is the memory of theyr sacrifyces vtterly worne away the rocke also reserueth the olde name vnto this daye I haue also learned of late that there yet remayneth in the Ilande some of the faction of Betanchor the Frencheman and fyrst that brought the Ilandes to good culture and ciuilitie beyng thereto lycenced by the kyng of Castile as I haue sayde before These do yet for the most part obserue both the language and maners of the Frenche men although the heyres and successours of Betanchor had solde the two subdued Ilandes to certayne men of Castile Yet thinhabitours whiche succeded Betanchor and builded them houses and encreased their families there do contynue to this day and lyue quietly and pleasauntly with the Spanyardes not greeued with the sharpe colde of Fraunce But let vs nowe returne to thinhabitantes of Matinino and Hispaniola The Iland of Hispaniola was first named by the first inhabitours Quizqueia and then Haiti and this not by chaunce or at the pleasure of suche as diuised these names but of credulitie and beleefe of some great effecte For Quizqueia is as muche to say as A great thyng and that so great that none may be greater They interprete also that Quizqueia sygnifieth large vniuersall or all in lyke signification as the Greekes named theyr god called Pan bycause that for y e greatnes therof these simple soules supposed it to bee the whole worlde and that the Sonne beames gaue lyght to none other worlde but onely to this Ilande with the other adiacent about the same and therevppon
is the nature of this blynde goddesse that she oftentymes delyteth in the ouerthrowe of them whom she hath exalted and taketh pleasure in confounding hygh thynges with lowe and the contrary We see this order to be impermutable that who so wyl apply hym selfe to geather rootes shal sometymes meete with sweete Lyqueresse and other whyles with sowre Cockle Yet wo vnto Pariza for he shall not long sleepe in rest The gouernour him selfe was of late determined with three hunndred fiftie choise souldiers to reuenge the death of our men but where as he by chaunce fel sicke his power went forwarde vnder the conducting of his Lieuetenaunt Gaspar Spinosa a Iudge in cases of lawe in Dariena At the same tyme other were sent foorth to the Iland of Dites to exact the portion of pearles limited to the kyng for his tribute What shal succeede time wyl bring to our knowledge The other two attempted thinhabitauntes beyond the gulfe Franciscus Bezerra passyng ouer the corner of the gulfe the mouthes of the riuer of Dabaiba with two other captaines and a hundred and fiftie souldiers wel appoynted went to make warre vpon the Canibales euen in Caribana theyr owne cheefest dominion towards the village of Turufy wherof we haue made mention before in the commyng of Fogeda They brought also with them diuers engins of warre as three peeces of ordinaunce whose shot were bygger then egges lykewyse fourtie archers and .xxv. hagbutters to the entent to reach the Canibales a farre of to preuent theyr venomed arrowes But what became of him his company or where they arriued we haue yet no perfect knoweledge Certayne which came of late from Dariena to Spaine reported that at theyr departure they of Dariena stoode in great feare lest they also were tossed with some misfortune The other captaine Valleius obteyned the fore part of the gulfe but he passed ouer by an other way then did Bezerra for he tooke the beginning of Caribana Bezarra the end Valleius returned againe But of the threescore and ten men which he conueighed ouer with hym he left fourtie and eight slayne among the Canibales These are the newes which they bryng that came last from Dariena There came to me the day before the Ides of October in this yeere 1516. Rodericus Colmenares of whom we haue made mention before one Franciscus Delapuente This Franciscus was one of the vnder captaines of this band whose cheefe captaine was Gonsalus Badaiocius who hardly escaped the handes of king Pariza These two captaines therfore Rodericus Franciscus who departed from Dariena immediatly after y e misfortune which befel to Badaiocius his company do both affirme the one that he hath hard the other that he hath seene that in the South sea there are diuers Ilandes lying westward from the Iland of Dites and Sainct Michaels gulfe in many of the which are trees engendred noorished which bring foorth y e same arromatical fruites as doeth the region of Collacutea This lande of Collacutea with the regions of Cochinus and Camemorus are the chiefe marte places from whence the Portugales haue their spices And hereby doe they coniecture that the lande where the fruitfulnesse of spice beginneth should not be farre from thence insomuche that many of them which haue ouerrunne those coastes do onely desire that leaue may be graunted them to searche further and that they will of their owne charges frame and furnysh shyppes and aduenture the vyage to seeke those Ilandes and regions They thinke it best that these shippes should be made and prepared euen in sainct Michaels gulfe and not to attempt this vyage by sainct Augustines point which way were both long and difficult and full of a thousande daungers and is sayde to reache beyonde the fourtieth degree of the pole Antartike The same Franciscus being partener of the trauayles and daungers of Gonsalus saith that in ouerrunning those landes he founde great heardes of Hartes and wylde Bores and that he tooke many of them by an arte which thinhabitantes taught him which was to make pittes or trenches in their walkes and to couer the same with boughes By this meanes also they deceyue all other kyndes of wylde foure footed beastes But they take foules after y e same maner that we do As stocke doues w t an other tame stocke doue brought vp in their houses These they tye by a stryng and suffer them to flee a litle among the trees to the which as other birdes of their kynde resort they kill them with their arrowes Otherwyse they take them with nettes in a bare place purged from trees bushes scattering certayne seedes round about y t place in y e middest wherof they tye a tame foule or byrd of the kynde of them which they desyre to take In lyke maner doe they take Popingiayes and other foules But they say that Popingiayes are so simple that a great multitude of them wyll flee euen into the tree in whose boughes the fouler sitteth and swarme about the tame chatteryng Popingiay sufferyng them selues to bee easily taken For they are so without feare of the sight of the fouler that they tary whyle he cast the snare about their neckes the other beyng nothyng feared heereby though they see him drawe them to him with the snare and put them in the bagge which hee hath about him for the same purpose There is an other kynde of foulyng heeretofore neuer hearde of and pleasant to consider Wee haue declared before howe that in certayne of the Ilandes and especially in Hispaniola there are dyuers lakes or standyng pooles In some of these being no deeper then men may wade ouer them are seene great multitudes of water foules as well for that in the bottome of these lakes there growe many hearbes and weedes as also that by reason of the heate of the Sunne pearsyng to the naturall place of generation and conception where being doubled in force by reflection and preserued by moyster there are engendred of the slyminesse of the earth and water and by the prouidence of the vniuersall creator innumerable little fyshes with a thousand sundry kyndes of frogges wormes gnattes flyes and such other The foules which vse these lakes are of dyuers kyndes as Duckes Geese Swannes sea Newes Gulles and such other We haue sayde also that in theyr Orchardes they noryshe a tree which beareth a kynde of great Gourdes Of these Gourdes therfore well stopped least any water should enter in at theyr ryftes cause them to sinke they cast many in the shalowe pooles where by theyr continuall wanderyng and waueryng with the motions of the wynde and water they put the foules out of suspection feare the fouler in the meane tyme disguising him selfe as it were with a visour putteth a great gourde on his head much lyke to a helmet with two holes neere about his eyes his face
greater respect to luker and gaynes then diligently to search the workes of nature whervnto I haue ben euer naturally inclined haue therfore with all possible endeuour applyed myne eyes intelligence to fynde the same And this present Summarie shall not be contrary or dyuers from my larger historie wherein as I haue sayde I haue more amply declared these thinges but shal onely more breefely expresse theffect thereof vntyl such tyme as God shall restore me to myne owne house where I may accomplyshe and fynyshe my sayde generall hystorie Whervnto to gyue the fyrst principle I say that Don Christopher Colonus as it is well knowen beyng the fyrst Admirall of this India discouered the same in the dayes of the Catholyke kyng Don Ferdinando and the lady Elizabeth his wyfe graundfather and graundmother vnto your maiestie in the yeere .1491 and came to Barzalona in the yeere .1492 with the fyrst Indians and other shewes and proofes of the great ryches and notice of this west Empire The which gyft and benefite was suche that it is vnto this day one of the greatest that euer any subiecte or seruaunt hath done for his prince or countrey as is manifest to the whole worlde And to say the trueth this shall doubtlesse bee so commodious and profytable vnto the whole realme of Spayne that I repute him no good Castilian or Spanyarde that doeth not recognise the same And as I haue sayde before forasmuche as in my sayde generall historie I haue more largely intreated of these thinges I intende at this present only briefely to rehearse certayne especiall thinges the whiche surely are very fewe in respecte of the thousandes that myght be sayde in this behalfe Fyrst therefore I will speake somewhat of the nauigation into these parties then of the generation of the nations which are founde in the same with theyr rytes customes â–ª and ceremonies also of beastes foules byrdes woormes fyshes seas ryuers sprynges trees plantes hearbes and dyuers other thinges whiche are engendered both on the lande and in the water And forasmuche as I am one of thorder and company of them that are appoynted to returne into these regions to serue your maiestie if therefore the thinges conteyned in this booke shall not be distincte in suche order as I promised to perfourme in my greater woorke I desyre your maiestie to haue no respect herevnto but rather to consider the noueltie of such straunge thinges as I haue herein declared whiche is the chiefe ende that moued mee to wryte Protestyng that in this Summarie I haue written the trueth of suche thinges as came to my remembraunce whereof not onely I my selfe can testifie but also dyuers other worthy and credible men which haue been in those regions and are now present in your maiesties courte And thus it shall suffyse to haue sayde thus much vnto your maiestie in maner of a proheme vnto this present worke whiche I most humbly desyre your maiestie as thankefully to accept as I haue written it faythfully Of the ordinary nauigation from Spayne to the west Indies THe nauigation which is commonly made from Spayne to the west India is from Siuile where your maiestie haue your house of contraction for those partes with also your offycers therevnto parteynyng of whom the captaynes take theyr passeporte and lycence The patrones of suche shippes as are appoynted to these viages imbarke them selues at San Luca di Barameda where the riuer Cuadalchiber entreth into the Ocean sea and from hence they folow their course toward the Ilands of Canarie Of these seuen Ilandes they commonly touche two that is eyther Grancanaria or Gomera and here the shyppes are furnyshed with freshe water fuell cheese beefe and suche other thinges which may seeme requisite to bee added to suche as they bryng with them out of Spayne From Spayne to these Ilandes is commonly eyght dayes sayling or little more or lesse and when they are arryued there they haue sayled two hundred and fyftie leagues whiche make a thousand myles accompting foure myles to a league as is their maner to recken by sea Departing from the sayd Ilands to folow their course the shyppes tary .xxv. dayes or a litle more or lesse before they see the fyrst lande of the Ilandes that lye before that whiche they call La Spagnuola or Hispaniola and the lande that is commonly fyrst seene is one of these Ilandes which they call Ogni sancti Marigalante or Galanta La Desseada otherwise called Desiderata Matanino Dominica Guadalupea San Christoual or some other of the Ilandes wherof there are a great multitude lying about these aforesayde Yet it sometymes so chaunceth that the shyppes passe without the sight of any of the sayd Ilandes or any other that are within that course vntill they come to the Ilande of Sancti Iohannis or Hispaniola or Iamaica or Cuba which are before the other It may also chaunce that they ouerpasse all these lykewyse vntyll they fall vppon the coastes of the firme lande But this chaunceth when the pilot is not well practised in this nauigation or not perfect in the true carde But makyng this viage with experte maryners whereof there is nowe great plentie one of the sayde fyrst Ilandes shall euer bee knowen And from the Ilandes of Canarie to one of the fyrst of these the distaunce is niene hundred leagues by sayling or more and from hence to the citie of sainct Dominike which is in the Iland of Hispaniola is a hundred and fyftie leagues so that from Spayne hitherto is a thousande and three hundred leagues Yet forasmuche as sometymes the nauigation proceedeth not so directly but that it chaunceth to wander euer on the one syde or on the other we may well say that they haue now sayled a thousand and fyue hundred leagues and more And if the nauigation bee slow by reason of some hynderaunce it commonly chaunceth to be fynished in xxxv or .xl. dayes and this happeneth for the most parte not accomptyng the extremes that is eyther of them that haue slowe passage or of them that arryue in very short tyme for we ought to consyder that which chaunceth most commonly The returne from those partes to Spayne is not fynished without longer tyme as in the space of fiftie dayes or a litle more or lesse Neuerthelesse in this present yeere of .1525 there came foure shyppes from the Ilande of San Dominico to sainct Luca in Spayne in .xxv. dayes But as I haue sayde we ought not to iudge of that which chaunceth seldome but of that which happeneth most ordinarily This nauigation is very safe and much vsed euen vnto the sayde Iland And from this to the firme land the shyppes trauerse diuers wayes for the space of fyue sixe or seuen dayes saylyng or more accordyng to the partes or coastes whither they directe theyr viages forasmuch as the sayde fyrme lande is very great and large and many nauigations and viages are directed to dyuers partes of the same Yet to the firme land which
differyng from al other beastes whiche haue ben seene in other partes of the world these beastes are called Bardati and are foure footed hauyng their tayle and al the rest of theyr bodyes couered onely with a skynne lyke the coperture of a barbed horse or the checkered skinne of a Lisarte or Crocodile of coloure betwene white and russet inclynyng somwhat more to whyte This beast is of fourme and shape muche lyke to a barbed horse with his barbes and flankets in al poynts and from vnder that which is the barbe and coperture the taile commeth forth and the feete in theyr place the necke also the eares in theyr partes and in fyne al thynges in lyke sorte as in a barbed courser they are of the bygnesse of one of these common dogges they are not hurtfull they are fylthy and haue theyr habitation in certaine hillockes of earth where dygging with their feete they make theyr dens very deepe the hoâ—es thereof in like maner as do Connies they are very excellent to be eaten are taken with nettes and some also kylled with Crosbowes they are likewise taken oftentymes when the husbandmen burne the stubble in sowyng tyme or to renue the herbage for Kyne and other beastes I haue oftentymes eaten of theyr flesh which seemeth to me of better tast then Kyddes fleshe and holsome to be eaten And if these beastes had euer been seene in these partes of the worlde where the fyrst barbed horses had theyr originall no man woulde iudge but that the fourme and fashyon of the coperture of horses furnyshed for the warres was fyrst deuised by the syght of these beastes There is also in the fyrme lande an other beast called Orso Formigaro that is the Ante beare This beast in heare and coloure is much lyke to the Beare of Spaine and in maner of the same makyng saue that he hath a muche longer snout and is of euyll syght they are oftentymes taken only with staues without any other weapon and are not hurtful they are also taken with dogges because they are not naturally armed although they byte somewhat they are founde for the most part about and neare to the hyllockes where are great abundaunce of Antes For in these regions is engendred a certayne kynde of Antes very litle and blacke in the feeldes and playnes where as growe no trees where by the instinct of nature these Antes separate them selues to engender farre from the wooddes for feare of these Beares the which because they are fearefull vyle and vnarmed as I haue sayde they keepe euer in places full of trees vntyll very famine and necessitie or the great desire that they haue to feede on these Antes cause them to come out of the woods to hunt for them these Antes make a hillocke of earth to the heyght of a man or somewhat more or lesse and as byg as a great chest sometymes as byg as a Butte or a Hogshead as hard as a stone so that they seeme as though they were stones set vp to limit the endes confines of certaine lands Within these hillocks made of most harde earth are innumerable and infinite litle Antes the whiche may be geathered by bushelles when the hyllocke is broken the whiche when it is sometymes moysted by rayne and then dryed agayne by the heate of the Sonne it breaketh and hath certayne small ryftes as litle and subtyle as the edge of a knyfe and it seemeth that nature hath geuen sense to these Antes to fynde suche a matter of earth wherewith they may make the sayde hyllocke of suche hardnesse that it may seeme a strong pauement made of lyme and stone and whereas I haue proued and caused some of them to be broken I haue founde them of such hardnesse as yf I had not seene I could not haue beleeued insomuch that they coulde scarcely be broken with pykes of Iron so strong fortresses doo these litle beastes make for theyr sauegard against theyr aduersarie the Beare who is chiefely nouryshed by them and geuen them as an enimie accordyng to the common prouerbe whiche sayeth Non e alcuna persona si libera a chimanchi il suo Bargello that is there is no man so free that hath not his persecutor or priuie enimie And here when I consyder the marueilous prouidence whiche nature hath geuen to these litle bodies I cal to remembrance the wittie sentence of Plinie where speakyng of such litle beastes he sayeth thus Why do we marueile at the Towrebearyng shoulders of Elephantes and not rather where nature hath placed so many senses such industrye in such litle bodies Where is hearing smelling seeing and feelyng yea where are the vaynes and arteries without which no beast can lyue or moue in these so litle bodies whereof some are so small that theyr whole bodies can scarsly be seene of our eyes What shall we then saye of the partes of the same Yet euen among these there are many of such sagasitie and industry as the like is not seene in beastes of greater quantitie no nor yet in man c. But to returne to the history This enimie whiche nature hath geuen to these litle beastes vseth this maner to assayle them When he resorteth to the hyllocke where the Antes lie hid as in theyr fortresse he putteth his tongue to one of the ryftes whereof we haue spoken being as subtile as the edge of a sword and therewith contynuall lickyng maketh the place moyst the fome and froth of his mouth beyng of suche propertie that by contynuall lickyng the place it enlargeth the ryft in such sort by litle and litle that at the length he easely putteth in his tongue whiche he hath very long and thynne and muche disproportionate to his bodie and when he hath thus made free passage for his tongue into the hyllocke to put it easely in and out at his pleasure then he thrusteth it into the hole as farre as he can reache and so letteth it rest a good space vntyll a great quantitie of the Antes whose nature reioyceth in heate and moyster haue laden his tongue and as many as he can conteyne in the holownesse thereof at which tyme hee sodeynly draweth it into his mouth and eateth them and returneth agayne to the same practise immediatly vntyll he haue eaten as many as him lysteth or as long as he can reache any with his tongue The fleshe of this beast is filthy and vnsauery but by reason of the extreme shyftes and necessitie that the Christian men were put to at theyr fyrst commyng into these partes they were inforced to proue all thinges and so fell to the eatyng of these beastes but when they had found more delycate meates they fel into hatred with this These Antes haue thappearance of the place of theyr entraunce into the hyllocke vnder the grounde and this at so litle a hole that it coulde hardely be founde if certayne of them were not seene to passe in and out but by this
litle these are called Volatori that is fleeyng fyshes they ryse by great companies and flockes in suche multitudes that it is an astonyshment to behold them Sometimes they ryse but litle from the water as it chaunceth continue one flyght for the space of an hundred paces and sometimes more or lesse before they fall agayne into the sea sometymes also they fall into the shyppes And I remember that on an euenyng when al the company in the shyp were on theyr knees syngyng Salue regina in the hyghest part of the Castell of the poupe and sayled with a full wynde there passed by vs a flocke of these fleeyng fyshes and came so neare vs that many of them fell into the shyppe among the whiche two or three fel hard by me whiche I tooke alyue in my hand so that I myght well perceyue that they were as bygge as Sardines and of the same quantitie hauyng two wynges or quilles growing out of theyr synnes lyke vnto those wherewith all fyshes swym in ryuers these wynges are as long as the fyshes them selues As long as theyr wynges are moyst they beare them vp in the ayre but assoone as they are drye they can contynue theyr flyght no further then as I haue sayde before but fall immediatlye into the sea and so ryse agayne and flee as before from place to place In the yeere a thousand fyue hundred and fyfteene when I came fyrst to enfourme your Maiestie of the state of the thynges in India and was the yeere folowyng in Flaunders in the tyme of your most fortunate successe in these your kyngdomes of Aragonie and Castyle whereas at that viage I sayled aboue the Ilande Bermuda otherwyse called Garza beyng the furthest of all the Ilandes that are founde at this daye in the worlde and arryuyng there at the deapth of eyght yardes of water and distaunt from the lande as farre as the shotte of a peece of Ordinaunce I determyned to sende some of the shyp to lande aswell to make searche of suche thynges as were there as also to leaue in the Iland certayne Hogges for encrease But the tyme not seruing my purpose by reason of contrary wynde I coulde bryng my shyppes no nearer the Ilande beyng twelue leagues in length and syxe in breadth and about thyrtie in circuite lying in the three and thyrtieth degree of the North syde Whyle I remayned heere I saw a stryfe and combat betweene these fleeing fyshes and the fyshes named Gylt heades the foules called Seamewes and Cormorantes which surely seemed vnto me a thyng of as great pleasure and solace as coulde be deuised while the Gylt heades swam on the brymme of the water and sometymes lyfted theyr shoulders aboue the same to rayse the fleeyng fyshes out of the water to dryue them to flyght and folowe them swymmyng to the place where they fal to take and eate them sodenly Againe on the other side the Seamewes and Cormorantes take many of these fleeyng fyshes so that by this meanes they are neyther safe in the ayre nor in the water In the selfe same peryll and danger doo men lyue in this mortall lyfe wherein is no certayne securitie neyther in hyghe estate nor in lowe Which thyng surely ought to put vs in remembraunce of that blessed and safe restyng place whiche God hath prepared for suche as loue hym who shall acquiete and fynishe the trauailes of this troublous worlde wherein are so many dangers and bryng them to that eternall lyfe where they shall fynde eternall securitie and rest But to returne to the hystorye these byrdes and foules whiche I sawe were of the Ilande of Bermuda neere vnto the whiche I sawe these fleeyng fyshes for they coulde be of no other lande forasmuche as they are not accustomed to wander farre from the coastes where they are bredde Of thincrease and decrease that is rysyng and fallyng of our Ocean sea and South sea called the sea of Sur. I Wyll nowe speake of certayne thynges whiche are seene in the Prouince or at the least in the citie of golden Castyle otherwyse called Beragua and in the coastes of the North sea of the South sea called the sea of Sur not omitting to note one synguler and marueylous thyng whiche I haue consydered of the Ocean sea wherof hytherto no Cosmographer Pilot or Maryner or any other haue satisfyed me I say therefore as it is well knowen to your maiestie and all such as haue knowledge of the Ocean sea that this great Ocean casteth from it selfe the sea Mediterraneum by the mouth of the strayght of Gibilterra in the which the water from th end furthest part of that sea euen vnto the mouth of the sayde strayght eyther in the East toward the coaste commonly called Leuante or in any other part of the sayde sea Mediterraneum the sea doth not so fall nor increase as reason woulde iudge for so great a sea but increaseth very litâ—e and a small space Neuerthelesse without the mouth of the â—trayght in the mayne Ocean it increaseth and falleth very muche and a great space of grounde from syxe houres to syxe houres as in all the coastes of Spayne Britanâ—â— Flaunders Garmanie and England The selfe same Oâ—ean sâ—a in the firme lande newly founde in the coastes of the same lying towarde the North doth neyther ryse nor fall nor lykewyse in the Ilandes of Hispaniola and Cuba and al the other Ilandes of the same lying towarde the north for the space of three thousande leagues but onely in lyke maner as dooth the sea Mediterraneum in Italy which is in maner nothyng 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 thyng that also the selfe same Ocean in the coastes of the sayde fyrme lande lying towarde the South in the citie of Panama and also in the coast of that lande whiche lyeth towarde the East and West from that citie as in the Ilande of pearles or Margaritea whiche the Indians call Tarrarequi and also in Taboga and Otoque and in all other Ilandes of the south sea of Sur the water ryseth and falleth so muche that when it falleth it goeth in maner out of syght whiche thyng I my selfe haue seene oftentymes And here your maiestie may note an other thing that from the north sea to the south sea being of such difference the one from the other in rysyng and fallyng yet is the lande that deuideth them not past eyghteene or twentie leagues in breadth from coaste to coaste So that both the sayde seas beyng all one Ocean this strange effecte is a thyng worthy greatly to be consydered of all suche as haue inclination and desyre to knowe the secrete woorkes of nature wherein the infinite power and wysedome of God is seene to be suche as may allure al good natures to reuerence and loue so diuine a maiestie And whereas by y e demonstrations of
northerne lande but suche a one that ether is not to be traueyled for the causes in the first Obiection alleaged or cleane shut vp from vs in Europe by Groenland the South ende whereof Moletius maketh firme lande with America the north parte continent with Lapponlande and Norway Thyrdly the greatest fauourers of this voyage can not deny but that if any such passage be it lyeth subiect vnto Yse and snow for the most parte of the yeere whereas it standeth in the edge of the frostie zone Before the Sunne hath warmed the ayre and dissolued the Yse eche one well knoweth that there can bee no saylyng the Yse once broken through the continuall abode the Sunne maketh a certayne season in those partes how shall it be possible for so weake a vessell as a shyppe is to holde out amyd whole Ilandes as it were of Yse continually beatyng on eche syde and at the mouth of that goulphe issuyng downe furiously from the North safely to passe whan whole mountaynes of Yse and Snow shal be tombled downe vpon her Wel graunt the west Indies not to continue continent vnto the Pole graunt there be a passage betwyxt these two landes let the goulph lye neare vs than commonly in cardes we fynde it set namely betwyxt the .61 .64 degrees north as Gemma Frisius in his Mappes and Globes imagineth it and so left by our countriman Sebastian Cabote in his table the which my good Lorde your father hath at Cheynies and so tryed this last yeere by your Honours seruaunt as hee reported and his carde and compasse doe witnesse Let the way bee voyde of all difficulties yet doeth it not folowe that we haue free passage to Cathayo For examples sake You may trende all Norway Finmarke and Lapponlande and than bow Southwarde to sainct Nicolas in Moscouia you may lykewyse in the Mediterranean sea fetche Constantinople and the mouth of Tanais yet is there no passage by sea through Moscouia into Pont Euxine now called Mare Maggiore Agayne in the aforesayde Mediterranean sea we sayle to Alexandria in Egypt the Barbares bryng theyr pearle and spices from the Moluccaes vp the read sea and Arabian goulph to Sues scarsely three dayes iourney from the aforesayde hauen yet haue we no way by sea from Alexandria to the Moluccaes for that Isthmos or litle streicte of lande betwyxt the two seas In lyke maner although the northerne passage bee free at .61 degrees latitude and the West Ocean beyonde America vsually called Mar del zur knowen to be open at .40 degrees eleuation for the Ilande Giapan yea .300 leagues northerly aboue Giapan yet may there bee lande to hynder the through passage that way by sea as in the examples aforesayde it falleth out Asia and America there beyng ioyned togeather in one continent Ne can this opinion seeme altogeather friuolous vnto any one that diligently peruseth our Cosmographers doynges Iosephus Moletius is of that mynde not onely in his playne hemispheres of the worlde but also in his sea carde The French Geographers in lyke maner bee of the same opinion as by their Mappe cut out in fourme of a harte you may perceyue as though the West Indyes were parte of Asie Whiche sentence well agreeth with that olde conclusion in the scholes Quidquid praeter Africam et Europam est Asia est Whatsoeuer land doeth neyther appertayne vnto Afrike nor to Europe is parte of Asie Furthermore it were to small purpose to make so long so paynefull so doubtfull a voyage by such a new founde way if in Cathayo you should neyther be suffred to lande for silkes and siluer nor able to fetche the Molucca spices and pearle for piracye in those seas Of a lawe denying all Aliens to enter into China and forbiddyng all the inhabiters vnder a great penaltie to let in any stranger into that countreys shall you reade in the report of Galeotto Perera there imprisoned with other Portugalles as also in the Giaponyshe letters howe for that cause the woorthie traueyler Xauierus bargayned with a Barbarian Marchaunt for a great sum of Pepper to be brought into Cantan a porte in Cathayo The great and daungerous piracie vsed in that seas no man can be ignorant of that listeth to reade the Giaponishe and East Indian historie Finally all this great labour would bee lost all these charges spent in vayne if in the ende our traueylers myght not be able to returne agayne and bryng safely home into theyr owne natyue countrey that wealth and ryches they in forreyne regions with aduenture of goodes and daunger of theyr lyues haue sought for By the Northeast there is no way the Southeast passage the Portugalles doe hold as Lordes of that seas At the Southwest Magellanus experience hath partly taught vs and partly we are persuaded by reason howe the Easterne currant stryketh so furiously on that streicte and falleth with such force into that narrow goulphe that hardely any shyppe can returne that way into our West Ocean out of Mar del zur The which if it be true as truly it is than may we say that the aforesayde Easterne currant or leuant course of waters continually folowyng after the heauenly motions looseth not altogeather his force but is doubled rather by an other currant from out the Northeast in the passage betwyxt America and the North lande whyther it is of necessitie carryed hauyng none other way to maintaine it selfe in circular motion and consequently the force and fury thereof to be no lesse in the streict of Aniaâ— where it striketh South into Mar del zur beyond America if any such streicte of sea there be than in Magellane frete both streictes beyng of lyke breadth as in Belognine Zalterius table of new France and in Don Diego Hermano di Toledo his carde for nauigation in that region we doe fynde precisely set downe Neuerthelesse to approue that there lyeth a way to Cathayo at the Northwest from out of Europe we haue experyence namely of three brethren that went that iourney as Gemma Frisius recordeth and left a name vnto that streicte whereby nowe it is called Fretum trium Fratrum We do reade againe of a Portugal that passed this streicte of whom M. Furbisher speaketh that was imprisoned therefore many yeeres in Lesbona to veryfie the olde Spanyshe prouerbe I suffer for doyng wel Likewise An. Vrdaneta a fryer of Mexico came out of Mar del zur this way into Germanie his Carde for he was a great discouerer made by his owne experience and trauayle in that voyage hath been seene by gentelmen of good credite Now yf the obseruation and remembrance of thyngs breedeth experience and of experience proceedeth art and the certeine knowledge we haue in al faculties as y e best Philosophers that euer were do affyrme truly the voyage of these aforesayd trauaillers that haue gone out of Europe into Mar del zur and returned thence at the Northwest doo moste euidently conclude that way to be nauigable and that
vs. And M. Furbisher the further he trauayled in the former passage as he tolde me the deeper alwayes he founde sea Lay you now the sum hereof togeather The riuers runne where the Chanels are most hollow the sea in taking his course waxeth deeper the sea waters fall continuallye from the North Southward the Northeasterne currant striketh downe into the streict we speake of is there augmented with whole mountains of I se snow falling downe furiously out from y e land vnder y e North Pole Where store of water is there is it a thing impossible to want sea where sea not only doth not want but waxeth deeper ther can be discouered no land Finally whence I pray you came the contrary tyde that M. Furbisher met withal after that he had sayled no small way in that passage if there be any isthmos or streict of land betwixt the aforesaid Northweststerne gulfe and Mar del Zur to ioyne Asia and America togeather That conclusion frequented in scholes Quidquid preter c. was ment of the partes of the worlde then knowen and so is it of ryght to be vnderstoode The fifte obiection requireth for answere wysedome and policie in the trauailer to wyn the Barbares fauour by some good meanes and so to arme strengthen him selfe that when he shal haue the repulse in one coast he may safely trauaile to an other commodiously taking his conuenient times discretly making choyse of them with whom he wyl throughly deale To force a violent entrie would for vs Englishe men be very hard consyderyng the strength and valeour of so great a nation farre distaunt from vs and the attempt thereof myght bee most perillous vnto the doers vnlesse theyr part were verye good Touchyng theyr lawes agaynst strangers you shall reade neuerthelesse in the same relations of Galeotto Berara that the Cathaian kyng is woont to graunt free accesse vnto all forreiners that trade into his countrey for marchandyse and a place of lybertie for them to remaine in as the Mores had vntyll such time as they had brought the Loutea or Lieuetenaunt of that coaste to be a circumcised Saracene wherefore some of them were put to the sworde the rest were scattred abrode at Fuquien a great citie in China certayne of them are yet this day to be seen As for the Giapans they be most desyrous to be acquaynted with strangers The Portugals though they were straightly handled there at the fyrst yet in the ende they founde great fauoure at the prince his hands insomuch that the Loutea or president that misused them was therefore put to death The rude Indish Canoa halleth that seas the Portugalles the Saracenes Mores traueil continually vp downe that reache from Giapan to China from China to Malacca from Malacca to the Moluccaes and shal an Englishmā better appointed then any of them al that I say no more of our nauie feare to saile in that Ocean What seas at al doo want piracie what nauigation is there voyde of peril To the last argument Our traueylers neede not to seeke their returne by the northeast ne shall they be constrayned except they lyst ether to attempte Magellane streicte at the Southwest or to be in daunger of the Portugalles for the Southeast they may returne by the northwest that same way they do go foorth as experience hath shewed The reason alleaged for proofe of the contrary may be disproued after this maner And fyrst it may be called in controuersie whether any currant continually be forced by the motion of Primum mobile rounde about the worlde or no for learned men do diuersely handle that question The naturall course of all waters is downewarde wherfore of congruence they fall that way where they fynde the earth most lowe and deepe in respecte whereof it was erst sayde the seas to strike from the Northren landes Southerly Uiolently the seas are tossed and troubled diuerse wayes with the wyndes encreased and diminished by the course of the Moone hoysed vp and downe through the sundrye operations of the Sonne and the Starres finally some be of opinion that the seas be carried in part violently about y e world after the daily motion of the highest mouable heauen in lyke maner as y e elementes of ayre and fyre with the rest of the heauenly spheres are from the east vnto the west And this they do call theyr easterne currant or leuant streame Some suche currant may not be denied to be of great force in the hote Zone for the nearenes thereof vnto the centre of the Sonne and blustryng easterne wyndes violently dryuing the seas westwarde howbeit in the temperate climes the Sonne beyng farther of and the wyndes more diuerse blowyng as muche from the north the west and south as from the east this rule doth not effectually withholde vs from traueylyng eastwarde ne be we kepte euer backe by the aforesayde Leuante wyndes and streame But in Magellane streict we are violently driuen backe westwarde Ergo through the Northwesterne streicte or Anian fret shall we not be able to returne eastwarde it foloweth not The fyrst for that the northwesterne streict hath more sea rome at the least by one hundred Englyshe myles then Magellane fret hath the onely want wherof causeth all narrowe passages generally to be most violent So woulde I say in Anian gulfe if it were so narrowe as Don Diego and Zalterius haue paynted it out any returne that way to be ful of difficulties in respect of such streictnes therof not for the nearenes of the Sonne or easterne wyndes violently forceing that way any leuant streame But in that place there is more sea rome by many degrees if the cardes of Cabota and Gemma Frisius and that whiche Tramezine imprinted be true And hytherto reason see I none at all but that I may as well geue credyt vnto theyr doynges as to any of the rest It must be Peregrinationis historia that is true reportes of skilful trauailers as Ptolome writeth that in suche controuersies of Geographie must put vs out of double Ortelius in his vniuersall tables in his particuler Mappes of the west Indies of all Asia of the northren kyngdomes of the easte Indies Mercator in some of his globes and generall mappes of the worlde Moletius in his vniuersall table of the Globe diuided in his sea carde and particuler tables of the East Indies Zalterius and Don Diego with Fernando Bertely and others do so much dyffer both from Gemma Frisius and Cabota among them selues in diuers places from them selues concerning the diuers situation and sundrye limittes of America that one may not so rashly as truelye surmise these men either to be ignorant in those pointes touching the aforesayd region or that the mappes they haue geuen out vnto the world were collected only by them neuer of their owne drawyng M. Furbishers prosperous voyage and happie returne wyl absolutely decide these controuersies and certaynely determine where
by these meanes folowyng The whole prouince beyng diuided into shyres and eche shyre hauyng in it one chiefe and principall citie wherevnto the matters of all the other cities townes and Boroughes are brought there are drawen in euery chiefe citie aforesayde intelligences of suche thinges as doe monethly fall out and be sent in writing to the Court. If happely in one moneth euery post is not able to goe so long a way yet doeth there notwithstandyng once euery moneth arryue one poste out of the shyre Who so commeth before the newe-Moone stayeth for the deliuery of his letters vntyll the Moone be chaunged Then lykewyse are dispatched other postes backe into all the .13 shyres agayne Before that we doe come to Cinceo we haue to passe through many places and some of great importance For this countrey is so well inhabited neare the sea syde that you can not go one myle but you shall see some towne Borough or Hostry the which are so abundantly prouided of all thinges that in the cities townes they liue ciuily Neuertheles such as dwel abrode are very poore for the multitude of them euery where so great that out of a tree you shal see many tymes swarme a number of children where a man would not haue thought to haue founde any one at all From these places in number infinite you shall come vnto two cities very populose and beyng compared with Cinceo not possibly to be discerned which is the greater of them These cities are as well walled as any cities in all the worlde As you come in to eyther of them standeth so great and mightie a brydge that the lyke thereof I haue neuer seene in Portugall nor els where I heard one of my felowes say that he told in one bridge .40 arches The occasion wherfore these bridges are made so great is for that the countrey is toward the sea very plaine and low ouerwhelmed euer as y e sea water encreaseth The breadth of the bridges although it bee well proportioned vnto the length therof yet are they equally buylt no higher in the middle than at eyther end in such wyse that you may directly see from y e one end to the other the sydes are wonderfully well engraueâ— after the maner of Rome workes But that wee did most marueyle at was therwithall the hugenesse of y e stones the lyke wherof as we came in to the citie we dyd see many set vp in places dishabited by the way to no small charges of theyrs howbeit to litle purpose whereas no body seeth them but such as doe come bye The arches are not made after our fashion vauted with sundry stones set togeather but paued as it were whole stones reaching from one piller to an other in suche wyse that they lye both for the arches heades and galantly serue also for the hygh waye I haue been astunned to beholde the hugenesse of these aforesayde stones some of them are .xii. pases long and vpwarde the least a .xi. good pases long and an halfe The wayes echewhere are galantly paued with fouresquare stone except it be where for want of stone they vse to laye bricke in this voyage wee traueyled ouer certayne hilles where the wayes were pitched and in many places no worse paued than in the playne grounde This causeth vs to thinke that in all the worlde there be no better workemen for buildinges than the ininhabitantes of China The countrey is so well inhabited that no one foote of ground is left vntilled small store of cattell haue we seene this way we sawe onely certayne Oxen wherewithall the countrymen doe plough theyr grounde One Oxe draweth the plough alone not onely in this shyre but in other places also wherein is greater store of cattell These countrymen by arte doe that in tyllage which we are constrayned to doe by force Here be solde the voydinges of close stooles although there wanteth not the dunge of beastes the excrements of man are good marchandise throughout all China The dungfermers seeke in euery streete by exchaunge to buye this durtie ware for hearbes and wood The custome is very good for keepyng the citie cleane There is great aboundance of Hennes Geese Duckes Swyne and Goates Wethers haue they none the Hennes are solde by weight and so are all other thinges Two pounde of Hennes fleshe Goose or Ducke is woorth two Foi of their money that is d. ob sterling Swines fleshe is solde at a peny the pounde Beefe beareth the same pryce for the scarcitie thereof howbeit Northwarde from Fuquieo farther of from the sea coast there is Beefe more plentie and solde better cheape Beefe onely excepted great aboundance of all these viandes we haue had in all the cities we passed through And if this countrey were lyke vnto India the inhabitantes whereof eate neyther Henne beefe nor porke but keepe that onely for the Portugalles and Moores they would be solde here for nothyng But it so fallyng out that the Chineans are the greatest eaters in all the world they doe feede vppon all thinges specially on porke the fatter that is vnto them the lesse lothsome The highest price of these thinges aforesayde I haue set downe better cheape shall you sometymes buye them for the great plentie thereof in this countrey Frogges are solde at the same price that is made of Hennes and are good meate amongst them as also Dogges Cattes Rattes Snakes and all other vncleane meates The cities be very gallant specially neare vnto the gates the which are marueylously great couered with Iron The gate-houses buylt on hygh with Towers the lower parte thereof is made of bricke and stone proportionally with the walles from the walles vpward the buyldyng is of tymber and many stories in it one aboue the other The strength of theyr townes is in the mightie walles and ditches artillerie haue they none The streetes in Cinceo and in all the rest of the cities we haue seene are very fayre so large and so streight that it is wonderfull to beholde Theyr houses are buylte with tymber the foundations onely excepted the which are layde with stone in eche syde of the streetes are paynteses or continuall porches for the marchantes to walke vnder the breadth of the streete is neuerthelesse suche that in them .xv. men may ryde commodiously syde by side As they ryde they must needes passe vnder many hygh arches of triumph that crosse ouer the streetes made of tymber and carued diuersely couered with tyle of fine claye vnder these arches the Mercers doe vtter theyr smaller wares and such as lyst to stande there are defensed from rayne and the heate of the Sunne The greater gentlemen haue these arches at their doores although some of them be not so myghtyly buylt as the rest I shall haue occasion to speake of a certayne order of gentlemen that are called Loutea I will first therefore expounde what this worde signifieth Loutea is as muche to say in our language as Syr and
haue borne after them hattes agreeable vnto theyr tytles if the Loutea be meane then hath he brought after hym but one hatte and that may not be yealowe but if he be of the better sorte then may he haue two three or foure the principall and chiefe Louteas may haue all theyr hattes yealowe the which among them is accompted great honour The Loutea for warres although he be but meane may notwithstandyng haue yealowe hattes The Tutanes and Chians when they goe abrode haue besydes all this before them ledde .3 or .4 horses with theyr garde in armor Furthermore the Louteas yea and all the people of China are woonte to eate theyr meat syttyng on stooles at hygh tables as we do and that very cleanly although they vse nether table clothes nor napkyns Whatsoeuer is set downe vppon the boorde is fyrst carued before that it be brought in they feede with two styckes refraynyng from touchyng theyr meate with theyr handes euen as we do with forkes for y e which respect they lesse do neede any table clothes He is the nation onely ciuil at meate but also in conuersation and in courtesie they seeme to exceede all other Likewise in theyr dealynges after their maner they are so ready that they farre passe all other Gentyles and Moores the greater states are so vayne that they lyne theyr clothes with the best sylke that may be founde The Louteas are an idle generation without all maner of exercises and pastymes excepte it be eatyng and drynkyng Somtymes they walke abrode in the fieldes to make the souldyars shoot at prickes with theyr bowes but theyr eatyng passeth they wyll stande eatyng euen when the other do drawe to shoote The pricke is a great blanket spread on certayne long poles he that stryketh it hath of the best man there standyng a peece of crymson taffata the whiche is knyt about his head in this sorte the wynners honoured and the Louteas with theyr bellye 's full returne home agayne The inhabitantes of China be very great Idolaters all generally do worshyppe the heauens and as we are woont to saye God knoweth it so saye they at euery worde Tien Tautee that is to saye The heauens do knowe it Some do worshyp the Sonne and some the Moone as they thynke good for none are bounde more to one then to an other In their temples the which they do cal Meani they haue a great altar in y e same place as we haue true it is that one may goe rounde about it There set they vp the Image of a certayne Loutea of that countrey whom they haue in great reuerence for certaine notable thinges he dyd At the ryght hande standeth the deuyl muche more vglie paynted then we do vse to set hym out whereunto great homage is done by suche as come into the temple to aske counsell or to drawe lottes this opinion they haue of hym that he is malitious and able to do euyl If you aske them what they do thynke of the soules departed they wil answeare that they be immortall and that as soone as any one departeth out of this life he becommeth a deuyl if he haue liued well in this worlde if otherwyse that the same deuyl chaungeth hym into a bufle oxe or dogge Wherfore to this deuyl do they muche honour to hym do they sacrifice praying hym that he wyll make them lyke vnto hym selfe and not lyke other beastes They haue moreouer an other sorte of temples wherein both vppon the altars and also on the walles do stande many Idoles well proportioned but bare headed These beare name Omithofon accompted of them spirites but suche as in heauen do nether good nor euyll thought to be suche men and women as haue chastlye lyued in this worlde in abstinence from fyshe and fleshe fedde only with ryse salates Of that deuil they make some accompte for these spirites they care litle or nothyng at all Agayne they holde opinion that if a man do well in this lyfe the heauens wyll geue hym many temporall blessynges but if he do euyll then shall he haue infirmities diseases troubles and penurie and all this without any knowledge of God Finally this people knoweth no other thing then to liue die yet because they be reasonable creatures al seemed good vnto them we speake in our language though it were not very sufficient our maner of praying especially pleased them and truely they are wel ynough disposed to receiue the knowledge of the trueth Our lorde graunte for his mercie all thynges so to be disposed that it may some tyme be brought to passe that so great a nation as this is peryshe not for wante of helpe Our manner of praying so well lyked them that in pryson importunately they besoughte vs to wryte for them somewhat as concernyng heauen the whiche we dyd to theyr contentation with suche reasons as we knewe howbeit not very cunnyngly As they do theyr Idolatry they laugh at them selues If at any tyme this countrey myght be ioined in league with the kyngdome of Portugale in such wyse that free accesse were had to deale with the people there they might al be soone conuerted The greatest fault we do fynd in them is Sodomie a vice very common in the meaner sort nothing strange amongst the best This sinne were it left of them in all other thynges so well disposed they be that a good interpretour in a short space myght do there great good yf as I sayde the countrey were ioyned in league with vs. Furthermore the Louteas with al the people of China are wont to solempnize the dayes of the newe and full Moones in visiting one eache other and makyng great bankettes for to that end as I earst sayd do tend all theyr pastymes and spendyng theyr daies in pleasure They are wont also to solempnize eache one his byrth daye whereunto theyr kyndred and frendes do resorte of custome with presentes of Iuelles or money receyuyng agayne for theyr rewarde good cheare They keepe in lyke maner a general feast with great bankets that day theyr kyng was borne But theyr most principall and greatest feast of al and best cheare is the fyrst day of theyr newe yeere namely the fyrst day of the newe Moone of Februarye so that theyr fyrst moneth is Marche and they recken the tymes accordynglye respect beyng had vnto the reigne of theyr Prynces as when anye deede is wrytten they date it thus Made suche a daye of suche a Moone and such a yeere of the reigne of suche a Kyng And theyr auncient wrytynges beare date of the yeeres of this or that Kyng Nowe wyll I speake of the maner the whiche the Chineans doo obserue in dooyng Iustice that it maye be knowen how farre these Gentyles doo herein exceede manye Christians that be more bounden then they to deale iustly and in trueth Because the Chinishe Kyng maketh his abode contynually in the Citie Pachyn his kyngdome so great the shyres so many as
tofore it hath been sayde in it therefore the Gouernours and Rulers muche lyke vnto our Shyryffes be so appoynted sodenly and speedely discharged agayne that they haue no tyme to growe naught Furthermore to keepe the state in more securitie the Louteas that gouerne one shyre are chosen out of some other shyre distaunt farre of where they must leaue theyr wyues chyldren and goodes carryeng nothyng with them but them selues True it is that at theyr commyng thyther they do fynde in a redinesse all thynges necessarie theyr house furniture seruantes and all other thynges in suche perfection and plentie that they want nothyng Thus the kyng is well serued without all feare of treason In the principall cities of the shyres be foure cheefe Louteas before whom are brought all matters of the inferiour townes throughout the whole realme Diuers other Louteas haue the maneagyng of iustice and receyuyng of rentes bounde to yeeld an accompte thereof vnto the greater officers Other doo see that there be no euyll rule keept in the citie eache one as it behoueth hym Generally al these do impryson malefactours cause them to be whypped racked hoysing them vp downe by the armes with a corde a thyng very vsuall there and accompted no shame These Louteas do vse great diligence in y e apprehending of theeues so that it is a wonder to see a theefe escape away in any towne citie or village Upon the sea neere vnto the shore many are taken and looke euen as they are taken so be they fyrst whypped and afterward layd in prison where shortly after they all dye for hunger and colde At that tyme when we were in pryson there died of them aboue threscore and ten Yf happely any one hauyng the meanes to geat foode do escape he is set with the condemned persones and prouided for as they be by the kyng in such wyse as hereafter it shal be sayde Theyr whyps be certayne peeces of canes cleft in the middle in such sort that they seeme rather playne then sharpe He that is to be whipped lieth grouelong on the ground Upon his thighes the Hangman layeth on blowes myghtely with these canes that the standers by tremble at theyr crueltie Ten sâ—rypes drawe a great deale of blood twentie or thyrtie spoyle the fleshe altogeather fyftie or threescore wyll require long tyme to be healed and yf they come to the number of one hundred then are they incurable The Louteas obserue moreouer this when any man is brought before them to be examined they aske hym openly in the hearing of as many as be present be y e offence neuer so great Thus did they also behaue them selues with vs. For this cause amongst them can there be no false witnes as dayly amongst vs it falleth out This good commeth therof that many being alwaies about the iudge to heare the euidence and beare witnesse the processe can not be falsifyed as it happeneth sometymes with vs. The Mores Gentiles Iewes haue al their sundry othes y e Mores doo sweare by theyr Mossafos the Brachmans by theyr Fili the rest likewise by the thynges they do worshyppe The Chineans though they be wonte to sweare by heauen by the Moone by the Sunne and by all theyr Idolles in iudgement neuerthelesse they sweare not at all If for some offence an othe be vsed of any one by and by with the least euidence he is tormented so be the wytnesses he bryngeth if they tell not the truth or do in any poynt disagree except they be men of worshyppe and credyte who are beleeued without any farther matter the rest are made to confesse the trueth by force of tormentes and whyppes Besydes this order obserued of them in examinations they do feare so muche theyr kyng and he where he maketh his abode keepeth them so lowe that they dare not once styrre Agayne these Louteas as great as they be notwithstanding the multitude of Notaries they haue not trusting any others do write al great processes and matters of importance them selues Moreouer one vertue they haue worthy of great prayse and that is being men so well regarded and accompted of as though they were princes they be patient aboue measure in geuyng audience We poore straungers brought before them myght saye what we woulde as all to be lyes and falaces that they dyd wryte ne dyd we stande before them with the vsuall cerimonies of that countrey yet dyd they beare with vs so patiently that they caused vs to wonder knowyng specially howe litle any aduocate or iudge is wonte in our countrey to beare with vs. For where so euer in any towne of Christendome shoulde be accused vnknowen men as we were I knowe not what ende the very innocentes cause woulde haue but we in a Heathen countrey hauyng our great ennimies two of the chiefest men in a whole towne wantyng an interpreter ignorant of that countrey language dyd in the ende see our great aduersaryes cast into pryson for our sake and depriued of theyr offices and honoure for not doyng iustice yea not to escape death for as the rumor goeth they shal be beheadded Somewhat is nowe to be sayde of the lawes that I haue been hable to knowe in this countrey and fyrst no thefte or murther is at any tyme pardoned adulterers are put in pryson and the facte once proued condemned to dye the womans husbande must accuse them this order is keapt with men and women found in that fault but theeues and murtherers are inprisoned as I haue sayd where they shortly dye for hunger and colde If any one happely escape by brybyng the gayler to geue hym meate his processe goeth farther and commeth to the courte where he is condemned to dye Sentence beyng geuen the prysoner is brought in publyke with a terrible bande of men that laye hym in Irons hande and foote with a boorde at his necke one handefull broade in length reachyng downe to his knees clefte in two partes and with a hole one handefull downewarde in the table fyt for his necke the whiche they enclose vp therein naylyng the boorde fast togeather one handefull of the boorde standeth vp behynde in the necke the sentence and cause wherefore the fellon was condemned to dye is wryten in that parte of the table that standeth before This cerimonie ended he is laid in a great prison in the companie of some other condemned persons the which are found by the king as long as they do liue The boord aforsaid so made tormenteth the prysoners very much keeping them both from rest eke lettyng them to eate commodyously theyr handes beyng manecled in Irons vnder that bord so y t in fine there is no remedy but death In y e chiefe cities of euery shire as we haue erst said there be foure principal houses in ech of them a prison but in one of them where the Taissu maketh his abode there is a greater a more principal prison theÌ„ in any of y e rest although
repayde with great vsury in an other world gyuyng by Obligation vnto the lender an assuraunce thereof the whiche departyng out of this lyfe hee may carry with him to hell There is an other great company of suche as are called Inambuxu with curlde and staryng heare They make profession to fynde out agayne thinges either lost or stolen after this sorte They set before them a chylde whom the deuyll inuadeth called vp thither by charmes of that chylde than doe they aske that which they are desirous to know These mens prayers both good and bad are thought greatly to preuayle insomuch that both their blessinges and theyr curses they sell vnto the people The Nouices of this order before they be admitted goe togeather two or three thousande in a company vp a certayne high mountayne to do pennance there threescore dayes voluntarily punishyng them selues In this tyme the deuyl sheweth him selfe vnto them in sundry shapes and they lyke young graduates admitted as it were felowes into some certayne company are set foorth with whyte tasselles hanging about theyr neckes and blacke Bonettes that scarsely couer any more than the crowne of theyr heades Thus attyred they range abrode in all Giapan to set out them selues and their cunnyng to sale eche one beatyng his basen hee carryeth alwayes about with him to gyue notice of theyr commyng in all townes where they passe There is also an other sorte called Genguis that make profession to shewe by southsaying where stolen thinges are and who were the theeues These dwel in the toppe of an high mountayne blacke in face for the continuall heate of the sunne for the colde wyndes and raynes they doe continually endure They marry but in theyr owne tribe and lyne the reporte goeth that they bee horned beastes They clyme vp most hygh rockes and hylles and goe ouer very great ryuers by the onely arte of the deuyll who to bryng those wretches the more into errour byddeth them to goe vp a certayne hygh mountayne where they stande myserably gazing and earnestly lookyng for him as long as the deuyll appoynteth them At the length at noonetyde or in the euenyng commeth that deuil whom they call Amida among them to shewe him selfe vnto them this shew breedeth in the braynes and hartes of men suche a kynde of superstition that it can by no meanes be rooted out of them afterwarde The deuyll was wont also in an other mountaine to shewe him selfe vnto the Giaponish nation Who so was more desirous than other to go to heauen and to enioy Paradyse thyther went he to see that syght and hauyng seene the deuyll folowed hym so by the deuyll persuaded into a denne vntyll hee came to a deepe pytte Into this pytte the deuyll was wont to leape to take with him his worshypper whom he there murdred This deceit was thus perceyued An olde man blynded with this superstition was by his sonne dissuaded from thence but all in vayne Wherefore his sonne folowed him priuely into that denne with his bowe and arrowes where the deuyll gallantly appeared vnto him in the shape of a man Whilest the olde man falleth downe to worshyp the deuyll his sonne speedily shootyng an arrow at the spirite so appearyng stroke a Foxe in steede of a man so sodeynly was that shape altered This old man his sonne trackyng the Foxe so runnyng away came to that pit wherof I spake and in the bottome thereof he founde many bones of dead men deceyued by the deuyll after that sorte in tyme past Thus deliuered hee his father from present death and all other from so pestilent an opinion There is furthermore a place bearyng name Coia very famous for the multitude of Abbeyes the Bonzii haue therin The beginner and founder whereof is thought to be one Combendaxis a suttle craftie felowe that gotte the name of holynesse by cunnyng speache although the lawes and ordinances he made were altogeather deuilishe he is sayde to haue founde out the Giapanishe letters vsed at this day In his later yeeres this Sim suttle buryed him selfe in a fouresquare graue foure cubites deepe seuerely forbyddyng it to be opened for that than he dyed not but rested his body wearyed with continuall businesse vntyll many thousande thousandes of yeeres were passed after the whiche tyme a great learned man named Mirozu should come into Giapan and than would he ryse vp out of his graue agayne About his tumbe many lampes are lyghted sent thyther out of dyuers prouinces for that the people is persuaded that whosoeuer is liberall and beneficiall towardes the beautifying of that monument shall not onely encrease in wealth in this worlde but in the lyfe to come be safe through Combendaxis helpe Suche as gyue them selues to worship him liue in those Monasteries or Abbayes with shauen heads as though they had forsaken all secular matters wheras in deede they wallow in all sortes of wickednesse and lust In these houses the which are many as I sayde in number doe remaine 6000. Bonzii or thereabout besydes the multitude of laye men women be restrayned from thence vppon payne of death An other company of Bonzii dwelleth at Fatonochaiti They teache a great multitude of children all trickes and sleightes of guyle and theft whom they doe fynde to be of great towardnesse those doe they instruct in all the petigrues of princes and fashions of the nobilitie in chiualry eloquence and so send them abrode into other prouinces attyred lyke young princes to this ende that faynyng them selues to be nobly borne they may with great summes of money borowed vnder the colour and pretence of nobilitie returne agayne Wherefore this place is so infamous in all Giapan that if any schollar of that order bee happely taken abrode hee incontinently dyeth for it Neuerthelesse these cousyners leaue not dayly to vse theyr wonted wickednesse and knauery North from Giapan three hundred leagues out of Meaco lyeth a great countrey of sauage men clothed in beastes skynnes rough bodyed with huge beardes and monstruous muchaches the which they hold vp with litle forkes as they drynke These people are great drinkers of wyne fierce in warres and much feared of the Giapans beyng hurte in fight they washe theyr woundes with salte water other surgery haue they none In theyr brestes they are sayde to carry lookyng glasses their swordes they tye to theyr heades in suche wyse that the handle doe rest vppon their shoulders Seruice and cerimonies haue they none at all onely they are wont to woorshyppe heauen To Aquita a great towne in that Giaponishe kyngdome we call Geuano they muche resort for merchandyse and the Aquitanes lykewyse doe traueyle into theyr countrey howebeit not often for that there many of them are slayne by the inhabiters Muche more concernyng this matter I had to wryte but to auoyde tediousnesse I will come to speake of the Giapans madnesse agayne who most desirous of vayne glory doe thynke than specially to geat immortall fame whan they
procure them selues to bee most sumptuously and solempnely buryed theyr buryalles and obsequies in the citie Meaco are done after this maner About one houre before the dead body be brought foorth a great multitude of his friendes apparelled in theyr best aray go before vnto the fyre with them goe theyr kyns women and such as bee of theyr acquayntaunce clothed in whyte for that is the mournyng colour there with a chaungeable coloured vayle on theyr heades Eche woman hath with her also accordyng to her abilitie all her famely trymmed vp in whyte silke mâ—ccado the better sorte and wealthier women goe in litters of Caedar artificially wrought and richly dressed In the seconde place marcheth a great company of footemen sumptuously apparelled Than a far of commeth one of these Bonzii maister of the cerimonies for that superstition brauely clad in silkes golde in a large high lytter excellently wel wrought accompanied with .30 other Bonzii or thereabout wearing hattes linnen albes and fyne blacke vpper garments Than attired in ashe colour for this colour also is mourning with a long torch of pineaple sheweth the dead body the way vnto the fyre least it either stumble or ignorantly goe out of the way Welneare .200 Bonzii folow him singing the name of that deuill the which the partie deceassed chiefly did woorship by his life tyme and therwithall a very great basen is beaten euen to the place of fire in steed of a bel Than folow two great paper baskets hanged open at staues endes full of paper roses diuersly coloured such as beare them doe march but slowly shaking euer now than their staues that the aforesaid floures may fall downe by litle litle as it were droppes of rayne and be whirled about with the wynd This shoure say they is an argument that the soule of the dead man is gone to Paradyse After all this eight beardles Bonzii orderly two and two dragge after them on the ground long speares the pointes backewarde with flagges of one cubite a peece wherin the name also of that Idole is written Than he there carried teâ— Lanternes trimmed with the former inscription ouercast with a fine vayle and candelles burning in them Besides this two young men clothed in ashe colour beare pineaple torches not lighted of three foote length the which torches serue to kindle the fyre wherein the dead corpes is to be burnt In the same colour folow many other that weare on the crownes of their heades fayre litle threesquare blacke lethren caps tied fast vnder their chins for y t is honorable amoÌ„gst them with papers on their heads wherin the name of y e deuyll I spake of is written And to make it the more solempne after commeth a man with a table one cubite long â–ª one foote broad couered with a very fine whyte vayle in both sides wherof is written in golden letters the aforesaid name At the length by foure men is brought foorth the corpes sitting in a gorgeous lyâ—ter clothed in whyte hanging downe his head and holding his handes togeather lyke one that prayed to the rest of his apparell may you adde an vpper gowne of paper written full of that booke the which his God is sayd to haue made whan he liued in the world by whose helpe and merites commonly they doe thinke to bee saued The dead man his children come next after him most gallantly set foorth the yongest wherof carrieth lykewyse a pineaple torch to kyndle the fyre Last of all foloweth a great number of people in suche cannes as erst spake of Whan they are al come to the place appointed for the obsequie all the Bonzii with the whole multitude for the space of one hour beating pannes basens with great clamors cal vpon the name of that deuill the which being ended the obsequie is done in this maner In the midst of a great quadrangle rayled about hanged with course lynnen and agreeably vnto the foure partes of the world made with foure gates to goe in and out at is digged a hole in the hole is layde good store of wood whereon is raysed gallantly a waued roofe before that stande two tables furnished with diuers kyndes of meates especially dry figges Pomegranates and tartes good store but neyther fyshe nor fleshe vpon one of them standeth also a chaffre with coles and in it sweete wood to make perfumes Whan all this is ready the corde wherewith the lytter was carried is throwen by a long rope into the fyre as many as are present stryue to take the rope in their handes vsing theyr aforesayd clamors which done they goe in procession as it were rounde about the quadrangle thryse Than setting the lytter on the wood buylte vp ready for the fyre that Bonzius who than is maister of the cerimonies sayeth a verse that no bodie there vnderstandeth whyrlyng thryse about ouer his head a torche lyghted to signifie thereby that the soule of the dead man had neyther any begynnyng ne shall haue at any tyme an ende and throweth away the torche Two of the dead man his children or of his neare kynne take it vp agayne and standyng one at the East syde of the lytter the other at the West doe for honour and reuerence reache it to eche other thryse ouer the dead corpes and so cast it into the pyle of wood by and by they throwe in oyle sweete wood and other perfumes accordyngly as they haue plentie and so with a great flame bryng the corpes to ashes his chyldren in the meane whyle pâ—â—â—yng sweete wood into the Chaffer at the table with doores doe solempnely and religiously woorshyp their father as a Sainct which being done the Bonzii are payde eche one in his degree The maister of the cerimonies hath for his part fyue ducates sometimes ten sometimes .xx. the rest haue ten Iulies a peece or els a certayne number of other presentes called Caxae The meate that was ordeyned as soone as the dead corpes friendes and all the Bonzii are gone is left for such as serued at the obsequie for the poore and impotent lazares The next day returne to the place of obsequie the dead man his children his kynread and friendes who geatheryng vp his asshes bones and teeth doe put them in a gylded potte and so carry them home to be set vp in the same pot couered with cloth in the mydst of theyr houses Many Bonzii returne lykewise to these priuate funeralles and so doe they agayne the seuenth day than carry they out the asshes to bee buryed in a place appoynted laying therevppon a fouresquare stone wherein is written in great letters drawen all the length of the stone ouer the name of that deuyll the which the dead man woorshypped by his lyfe tyme. Euery day afterwarde his children resorte vnto that graue with roses and warme water that the deade corpes thirst not Nor the seuenth day onely but the seuenth moneth and yeere within theyr owne houses they renue this obsequie to
dominion remayned whiche opened licentiousnesse to thiniurie of the subiectes this folowed thereof that whereas the Danes by this occasion had no further trust or ayde in the loue of the people they prouided for thindempnitie of theyr owne estate by forcible extenuatyng the goods and power of them whom they desired to keepe in subiection This is the fortune of Norway whose edefices townes and cities can not defende theyr auncient amplitude and dignitie neyther is there any hope of repayryng theyr state For there are no consultations admitted for the redresse of the common welth No man dare shewe his aduice or attempte any thyng vncertayne of the myndes and consent of other To this difficultie is added the qualitie of the place For the Danes haue in theyr power al the nauigations of Norway wherby it may exercise no trade by sea neyther cary forth wares to other places So that in fine it may seeme most vnfortunate as lackyng the fauoure of heauen the sea and the lande From hence is brought into all Europe a fyshe of the kyndes of them whiche we call haddockes or hakes indurate and dried with cold and beaten with clubbes or stockes by reason whereof the Germans call them stockefyshe The takyng of these is most commended in Ianuarie that they may be sufficiently dryed and hardened with colde For suche as are taken in the more temperate monethes do corrupt and putrifie and are not meete to be caryed forth The description of the west coaste with the part thereof lying 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 folowyng .48.50.70 Matthkur c. All the coast from hence and the places neere about vnto the degree .45.69 beyng sometyme lefte desolate by the sedition and destruction of Norway the Lapones chose for their habitations as comming to amore beneficial heauen From y e castel of Wardhus vnto the degree .40.30.64.10 al the coast in the spring tyme is daungerous to passe by reason of whales of such huge byggenesse that some of them growe to an hundred cubites for these fyshes at that tyme of the yeere resort togeather for generation Such shyppes as chaunce to fall eyther vppon theyr bodies or into suche whyrlepooles as they make by theyr vehement motions are in great peryll The remedie to auoyde this daunger is to power into the sea Castoreum that is oyle made of the stones of the beaste called the Beuor myngeled with water For with this the whole hearde of whales vanysheth suddeynely to the bottome of the sea They make a terrible roryng and haue two breathyng places in the hyghest part of theyr forheads standyng foorth ryght a cubite in length and are brode at the endes beyng couered with a skynne through the whiche they blowe waters lyke showers or stormes of raine The prickes of theyr backes are founde conteynyng three els in circuite and euery knotte betwene them of one ell They are at the leaste 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 whiche can not be qualified Nidrosia standyng vppon the south syde of the sea banke was the chiefe citie and Metropolitane churche throughout all Norway Iselande Gronlande and the Ilandes there about This citie was noble at the fyrst vnder the floryshyng Empire of Norway conteynyng in circuite .xxiiii. paryshes but it is now brought in maner to a village and is called in the Germane tongue Truthaim as the house of the Dryides There remayneth at this day a Cathedrall churche in token of the auncient felicitie beyng such that in bygnesse and workmanshyp of wrought stone the lyke is not in all Christendome The greeses or compasse about the Altar was destroyed by fyre and repared at the same time that we wrote this historie The charge of the reparation was esteemed to be seuen thousand crownes by which small portion an estimate may be made of the excellencie of the whole Churche The tract of all the sea coastes of Norway is very quiet and meeke the sea is not frosen the snowes endure not long This lande hath also a peculiar pestilence which they call Leem or Lemmer This is a litle foure footed beaste about the byggenesse of a Ratte with a spotted skynne these fall vppon the grounde at certayne tempestes and soddeyne showres not yet knowen from whence they come as whether they are brought by the wyndes from remote Ilandes or otherwyse engendred of thycke and feculent clowdes But this is well knowen that as soone as they fall downe greene grasse and hearbes are found in theyr bowels not yet digested They consume al greene thyngs as do Locustes and such as they only byte wyther and dye This pestilence lyueth as long as it doth not tast of the grasse newely sproong They come togeather by flockes as do Swalows and at an ordinarie time either die by heapes with great infection of the land as by whose corruption y e aire is made pestiferous and molesteth the Noruegians with swymmyng in the head and the Iaundies or are consumed of other beastes named Lefrat Towards the East it is included within the lyne that is drawen by the mountaynes whose endes or vttermoste boundes they are that lye toward the South aboue the mouthes of the riuer Trolhetta but that part that lieth toward the North passeth by the castel of Wardhus and is extended to the vnknowen lande of the Lapones The Lake called Mos and the Ilande of Hosfuen in the myddest therof is in the degree .45 30 61. In this Lake appeareth a straunge monster whiche is a serpent of huge byggenesse And as to all other places of the worlde blasing starres do portend thalteration and chaunge of thynges so doth this to Norway It was seene of late in the yeere of Christ .1522 appearyng farre aboue the water rowlyng lyke a great pyller and was by coniecture farre of esteemed to be of fyftie cubites in length Shortly after folowed the reiectyng of Christiernus kyng of Denmarke Suche other monstrous thyngs are sayd to be seene in diuers places of the world And doubtlesse except we should thynke that the diuine prouidence hauyng mercy vpon mortall men and hereby warnyng them of theyr offences doth send such strange thynges as also blasing starres and armies fyghtyng in the ayre with suche other portentous monsters whereof no causes can be founde by naturall thynges we myght els suspect that such syghtes were but imaginations of the sense of man deceyued On the East syde are exceedyng rough mountaynes which admit no passage to Suetia The sea betweene Norway and the Ilandes is called Tialleslund Euripus or the streyghtes The Iland of Lofoth whose middest .42 67 10. Langanas whose middest .41 67 Vastrall whose middest .41 30 67 30. The sea betwene these
three Ilands is called Muscostrom that is boyling At the flowing of the sea it is swalowed into the Caues and is blowne out agayne at the reflowing with no lesse violence then the streames of ryuers fall from mountaines This sea is nauigable vntyl it be lower then the mouthes of the rockes Such as chaunce into it out of due time are caried headlong into Whyrpooles The fragmentes of the lost shyps are seldome cast vp agayne But when they are cast vp they are so brused and fretted against the rockes that they seeme to be ouergrowne with hoare This is the power of nature passing the fabilous Simpleiades the fearful Malea with the dangerous places of Silla and Caribdis and all other miracles that nature hath wrought in any other sea hytherto knowen to man The Ilands about Norway are of such fruitful pasture that they bryng not theyr beastes into the stables before the moneth of Nouember and do in many places wynter them abrode Suecia or Suethlande SVecia is a kyngdome ryche in Golde Syluer Copper Leade Iron fruite cattayle and exceedyng increase of fyshe of the ryuers lakes and the sea and hath no lesse plentie of such wylde beastes as are taken with huntyng Towarde the West it is ended with the mountaynes of Norway from the Castel of Wardhus vnto th ende .51.63.40 Towarde the South with the line from this ende vnto the degrees 53.30.61 And from thence vnto the degrees 61.60.30 Aboue the gulfe of Suecia towarde the north with the south end of Lapponia from the castel of Wardhus vnto the ende .62.70 Towarde the East it is ended with the line from this ende vnto the degree .63.69 c. Stokholme the chiefe citie .64.61 This is the chiefe mart towne of Suecia and is strongly defended by art and nature It is situate in maryshes after the maner of Uenice and was therfore called Stokholme forasmuch as beyng placed in the water the fundation is fortified with stockes or piles The sea entreth inâ—o it with two armes or branches of such largenesse and depth that shyps of great burden and with maine sayles may enter by the same with theyr ful fraight This suffered of late yeeres greeuous spoile and destruction to the singular exemple of cruel hostilitie and such as the lyke hath not been lyghtly shewed to any other citie receiued by league and composion In al the tract from Stokholme to the lake aboue the ryuer of Dalekarle whiche is in the degree .56 30 63 50. are mountaynes fruiteful of good syluer copper and lead They get great ryches by the salmons and plentie of other fyshes whiche they take in certayne great lakes The dukedome of Agermannia occupieth the north syde to the confines of Laponia This tract is ful of wods in the which they hunt the beastes called Vros or Bisontes which in theyr tongue they call Elg that is wylde Asses These are of such heyght that the hyghest part of theyr backes are equal with the measure of a man holdyng vp his armes as hygh as he may reach c. Vpsalia the chiefe citie .62.62.30 here is buryed the body of saint Henricus kyng and martyr Copperdalia that is the copper valley is a Dukedome southwarde from the Dukedom of Iemptia Under this is the valyant nation of the people called Dalekarly Oplandia is a Dukedome and the nauil or myddest of Scondia The citie of Pircho on the North syde of the lake of Meler â–ª was once a great citie and able to arme .xiiii. thousande men to the warres but is nowe brought to a vyllage All the tracte of Oplandia hath mynes of Syluer Copper and Steele Of the Ilandes and rockes that lye about Suecia the myddest is .67.30.61.30 These were called of the olde writers Done the reason of which name remayneth vnto this daye For there are in these innumerable multitudes of byrdes insomuch that thinhabitauntes of the next coast sayle thyther in the moneth of May whyle the byrdes syt on theyr egges which they steale and reserue them in salt for a long tyme. Bothnia BOthnia is so named of the pretious furres of all sortes that are caryed from thence into foraigne regions For by these and theyr fyshyng they haue great commoditie Salmons of the best sort are taken in these seas are great riches among these nations Bothnia is diuided into two partes as Northbothnia South Bothnia called Ostrobothhia Northbothnia is termined with the South ende of the Lapones vnto the ende .78.30.69 Towarde the East it is termined with this ende and vnto the degree .78.30.68.20 Towarde the West with the line terminyng the East syde of Suecia And towarde the South with the residue of the gulfe of Suecia from th ende that hath degrees .63.69 Ostrobothnia towarde the East is termined from the sayde ende of the most East coast And towarde the South with a line extended by the mountaynes from this ende vnto the degree .71 66 Towarde the North and West with part of the gulfe of Suecia c. Gothia or Gothlande GOthia is by interpretation good For the holy name of God is in the Germane tongue Goth that is Good At what tyme the Gothes vpon a generall consent sent foorth theyr ofspring or sucession to seeke new seates or countreys to inhabite and when they possessed the coastes of Meotis and Asia none of the olde wryters haue made mention as farre as I know But they haue been knowen since the tyme that the Romanes dilated theyr Empire by Illirium now called Slauonie vnto the ryuer of Danubius and were also famous from the time of Cesar Dictator and Octauianus Augustus by reason of their great warres at Danubius being the vtermost bound of Thempire Neuerthelesse in that renowme what Gothia was vnder what part of heauen it was scituate or of whom the Gothes tooke their original it hath been vnknowen almost to this age This is termined toward the North with the South ende of Suetia and towarde the West with the other mountaynes of Norway whiche continue from the boundes of Suetia to the mouthes of the ryuers of Trolheta c. It hath many goodly Townes Cities Castles Mines c. The citie of Visba being in the degree .61.30.54.15 was an ancient and famous mart Towne as is Genua in Italie at this day but afterward being afflicted by y e incursions of the Pirates of the Danes and Moscouites it was left desolate There remayne to this day certayne ruines whiche testifie the auncient nobilitie In this place were the firste stations of the Gothes that possessed Meotis It is at this day of fruiteful soyle and famous by many goodly and strong Castles Monasteries There is among other a Monasterie of the order of Saint Benedict in the whiche is a librarie of about two thousande bookes of old auctors About the yeere of Christe fourescore and eyght the Gothes vnto whom resorted
Emperours and defaced the citie of Rome He answered that both the nation of the Gothes of the name of king Totilaâ— theyr chiefe captayne was of famous memorie among them And that dyuers nations of the North regions conspired to that expedition and especially the Moscouites Also that that armie increased of the confluence of the Barbarous Liuons and wandryng Tartars But that they were all called Gothes forasmuche as the Gothes that inhabited Scondania and Iselande were the auctours of that inuasion And with these boundes are the Moscouites inclosed on euery syde whom we thynke to be those people that Ptolome called Modocas but haue doubtlesse at this day theyr name of the ryuer Mosco which runneth through the cheefe citie Mosca named also after the same This is the most famous citie in Moscouia aswell for the situation thereof beyng in maner in the myddest of the region as also for the commodious oportunitie of riuers multitude of houses and strong fence of so fayre and goodly a Castell For the citie is extended with a long tract of buildynges by the bankes of the ryuer for the space of fyue myles The houses are made all of tymber and are diuided into Parlours Chambers and Rytchyns of large roomes yet neyther of vnseemely heyght or to lowe but of decent measure and proportion For they haue great trees apt for the purpose brought from the forest of Hercinia Of the which made perfectly round lyke y e mastes of shyps and so layd one vpon an other that they ioyne at the endes in ryght angles where beyng made very fast and sure they frame theyr houses therof of meruaylous strength with smal charges and in verye short tyme. In maner all the houses haue pryuate gardens aswel for pleasure as commoditie of hearbes wherby the circuite of the dispersed citie appeareth very great Al the wardes or quarters of the citie haue their peculiar Chappels But in the cheefest and highest place therof is the Church of our Lady of ample and goodly workemanshyppe whiche Aristoteles of Bononie a man of singular knowledge and experience in Architecture builded more then threescore yeeres since At the very head of the citie a litle ryuer called Neglinia which dryueth many corne mylles entereth into the ryuer Moscus and maketh almost an Ilande in whose end is the Castel with many strong towers and bulwarkes builded very fayre by the deuice of Italian Architecturs that are the maisters of the kynges woorkes In the fieldes about the citie is an incredible multitude of Hares and Roe Buckes the which it is lawful for no man to chase or pursue with dogges or nettes except only certayne of the kyngs familiars and straunge Ambassadours to whom he geueth licence by speciall commaundement Almost three partes of the citie is inuironed with two riuers and the residue with a large Mote that receiueth plentie of water from the sayde ryuers The citie is also defended on the other syde with an other ryuer named Iausa whiche falleth also into Moscus a litle beneath the citie Furthermore Moscus runnyng towards the South falleth into the riuer Ocha or Occa muche greater then it selfe at the towne Columna and not very farre from thence Ocha it selfe encreased with other ryueâ—s vnladeth his streames in the famous ryuer Volga where at the place where they ioyne is situate the citie of Nouogradia the lesse so named in respect of the greater citie of that name from whence was brought the fyrst colonie of the lesse citie Volga called in olde tyme Rha hath his originall of the great marishes named the whyte Lakes These are aboue Moscouia betweene the North and the West and send foorth from them almost all the ryuers that are dispersed into diuers regions on euery syde as we see of the Alpes from whose toppes and sprynges descend the waters of whose concourse the ryuers of Rhene Po and Rodanum haue theyr encrease For these maryshes in the steade of mountaines full of sprynges minister abundant moysture forasmuche as no mountaynes are yet founde in that region by the long trauayles of men insomuche that many that haue been studious of the old Cosmographie suppose the Riphean and Hiperborean mountaines so often mentioned of the auncient wryters to be fabulous From these maryshes therfore the riuers of Duina Ocha Moscus Volga Tanais and Boristhenes haue theyr oryginall The Tartares call Volga Edel Tanais they call Don And Boristehenes is at this tyme called Neper This a litle beneath Taurica runneth into the sea Euxinus Tanais is receyued of the maryshes of Meotis at the noble Marte Towne Azoum But Volga leauyng the citie of Mosca towardes the South and runnyng with a large circuite and great Wyndynges and Creekes fyrst towardes the East then to the West and lastlye to the South falleth with a full streame into the Caspian or Hircan sea Aboue the mouth of this is a citie of the Tartars called Citrachan whiche some call Astrachan where Martes are kept by the Merchauntes of Media Armenia and Persia. On the further bancke of Volga there is a towne of the Tartars called Casan of the whiche the Horda of the Casanite Tartars tooke theyr name It is distant from the mouth of Volga and the Caspian sea .500 myles Aboue Casan .150 myles at the entraunce of the ryuer Sura Basilius that now reigneth buylded a towne called Surcium to thintent that in those desartes the marchantes and traueylers which certifie the gouernours of the marches of the doinges of the Tartars and the maners of that vnquiet nation may haue a â—afe mansion among theyr customers The Emperours of Moscouia at dyuers tymes eyther moued thereto by occasion of thinges present or for the desyre they had to nobilitate newe and obscure places haue kepte the seat of theyr court and Empyre in dyuers cities For Nouogrodia which lyeth toward the West and the Lyuon sea not many yeeres past was the head citie of Moscouia and obteyned euer the chiefe dignitie by reason of the incredible number of houses and edifies with the oportunitie of the large lake replenyshed with fyshe and also for the fame of the most auncient venerable Temple which more then foure hundred yeeres since was dedicated to Sancta Sophia Christ the sonne of God accordyng to the custome of the Emperours of Bizantium nowe called Constantinople Nouogrodia is oppressed in maner with continuall wynter and darkenesse of long nyghtes For it hath the pole Artike eleuate aboue the Horizon threescore and foure degrees and is further from the Equinoctiall then Moscouia by almost six degrees By which dyfference of heauen it is sayde that at the sommer steye of the Sunne it is burnt with continuall heate by reason of the shorte nyghtes The citie also of Volodemaria beyng more then twoo hundred myles distant from Mosca towarde the Easte had the name of the chiefe citie and kynges towne whyther
by the Emperour of Moscouia and the Sophi of Persia as hereafter shall appeare where we will wryte of the sayde priuileges Maister Ienkinson at his first commyng founde some difficultie to obtayne the Emperours licence to goe into Persia but at the length by friendshyp made hee gaue him both licence to goe and also gaue him letters commendatorie vnto the Sophie and committed also to him certayne affayres of his to doe there And after certayne banquettes and honourable enterteynment accompanied him with an Ambassadour of Persia who had been long in his Courte Therefore saylyng ouer the Caspian sea they arryued on the West syde thereof Not farre from thence is a towne named Darbent where is a very strong Castell of stone made by Alexander Magnus and a wall of the length of thirtiene dayes iourney whicâ—e he made when he kepte warres agaynst the Persians and Medians that the inhabitauntes of that countrey then newly conquered shoulde neyther lyghtly flee nor his enemyes inuade them This Darbent is now vnder the dominion of the Sophie and in the latitude of .41 degrees From Darbent to Bilbec or Bilbil the porte and harborowe where they discharge theyr goods is halfe a dayes saylyng And from thence to Sharuan is ten dayes iourney This towne standeth in a valley is in the countrey of Media in the whiche towne also remayneth the Soltan or gouernour of Media vnder the Sophie In the meane tyme the Kyng of Media named Abdalica cosen vnto the Sophie came thyther and honourably enterteyned maister Ienkinson and the Englyshe merchauntes which were with him and made them a great banquet causyng maister Ienkinson who was then rychely apparelled in silke veluet and scarlet as became an Ambassadour for the Queenes maiestie to sit downe somewhat farre from him The Kyng him selfe dyd sitte in a very ryche Pauilion wrought with silke and golde of the length of sixtiene fatham or thereabout placed on a hylles syde hauyng before him a goodly fountayne of fayre running water wherof he and his nobilitie dronke He was rychly apparelled with long garments of silke and cloth of golde brodered with pearle and pretious stones Uppon his head he had a Cappe with a sharpe ende of halfe a yarde long standyng vpryght of ryche cloth of golde wrapped about with a piece of Indian silke of twentie yardes long wrought with golde On the lefte syde of his Tollepan so is the cappe called was a plume of feathers set in a troonke of golde rychly inameled and set with precious stones At his eares he wore earerynges with pendantes of golde and stones a handful long with two great Rubies of great value in the endes therof All the grounde within his Pauilion was couered with Carpettes and vnder him selfe was spred a square Carpet wrought with siluer and golde and therevppon were layde two sutable Cussions Thus the kyng and his noble men satte in his Pauilion with theyr legges acrosse as doe Taylers Yet commaunded stooles to be gyuen to our men bycause they coulde not sitte so then caused meate to be sette before them and made them a banquet of a hundred dyshes of meate and as many of fruites and conserues After the banquet he caused them to goe with him a huntyng and hauking in the which they killed certayne beastes and Cranes Maister Ienkinson founde so much fauour with this kyng that at his departyng he commended him to the Sophie with his letters and also wrote in his fauour to his sonne being then in the Sophies courte So that after his commyng thyther by his meanes he came at the length to the presence and speache of the Sophie whiche otherwyse he should haue done very hardly by reason of the Turkes Ambassadours which then were there and resisted his affayres with many persuasions to the Sophie and other of his nobilitie agaynst the Christians as mortall enemies both to the Turkes and Persians and theyr religion And whereas a whyle before a perpetuall peace and amitie was concluded betweene the Turke and the Sophie the Ambassadours woulde persuade him that his friendshyp with the Christians or contracte with them touchyng any affaires and especially suche as myght be preiudiciall to the Turke or any of his subiectes myght engender newe suspitions and occasions of breache of the laâ—e concluded peace with many suche other surmised accusations Wherevppon the Sophie stayde and prolonged the tyme before he woulde admit maister Ienkinson to his speache At the length when by the friendshyp and fauour of Kyng Abdalaca and his sonne with other friendes made in the courte the tyme was appoynted that maister Ienkinson shoulde be heaâ—de there was one that came to him without the courte gate before he lyght from his horse on the ground and gaue him a payre of shooes sent from the Sophie suche as he him selfe was wonte to weare in the nyght when he ryseth to pray willyng him to put them on his feete for that it was not otherwyse lawfull for him beyng a Gawar or Caffer that is a mysbeleeuer to treade vppon that holy grounde When hee came to his presence he demaunded of him of what countrey of Frankes he was meanyng by Frankes Christians For they call all Christians Frankes that is Frenche men as we commonly call all Mahumetans Turkes although there bee many Mahumetans of other nations besyde Turkes He answered that he was a Christian of the best Frankes of the countrey of Englande declaryng further vnto him the cause of his commyng thyther to be for the great commoditie of him and his subiectes by the way of merchandies as myght further appeare by the letters directed vnto his maiestie from the Queene of Englande his Prince and the Emperour of Moscouia Muche more talke had he with maister Ienkinson not here to be written but by reason of the Turkes Ambassadours at this present was no great thyng done heerein to the preferment of the merchantes affayres Yet he commaunded that maister Ienkinson shoulde be honourably vsed and sent him certayne ryche apparell At this tyme was also in the Sophies courte the sonne of the Kyng of the Georgians a Christian Sismatike as they are nowe called The same tyme also a sonne of the Turkes who had before attempted somewhat agaynst his father and fledde to the Sophie was by him at the Turkes request deteyned in prison And vppon the late conclusion of peace the Turke required the Sophie to send him his head which hee graunted and sent it him by the sayd Ambassadours This voyage of maister Ienkinson was in the yeere .1561 Here foloweth such informations as was gyuen mee by maister Geferie Ducate principall Agent of the merchanteâ— for the last voyage into Persia in the yeere of our Lord â–ª 1568. beginning in the dominion of the Sophie at the citie of Shamaki in Media bycause the beginning of the voyage from Moscouia hytherto is declared heere before SHamaki is the fayrest towne in all Media and the chiefest commoditie
employed in rawe sylke They haue few bookes and lesse learnyng and are for the most part very brutyshe in all kynde of good sciences sauing in some kynde of sylke workes and in suche thynges as parteyne to the furniture of Horses in the which they are passyng good Theyr lawes are as is theyr religion wicked and detestable And yf any man offend the Prince he punysheth it extreamely not only in the person that offendeth but also in his chyldren and in as many as are of his kynne Theft and murder are often punished yet none otherwyse then pleaseth hym that is ruler in the place where the offence is committed and as the party offendyng is able to make frendes or with money to redeeme his offence There is often tymes great mutenye among the people in great townes whiche of Mortus Ali sonnes was greatest Insomuche that sometymes in the towne two or three thousand people are togeather by the eares for the same as I haue seene in the towne of Shamaky and Ardaruill and also in the great citie of Teueris where I haue seene a man comming from feightyng in a brauerie bryngyng in his hande foure or fyue mens heades carrying them by the heare of the head for although they shaue theyr heades most commonly twyse a weeke yet leaue they a tuft of heare vpon the crowne about two foote long I haue enquired why they leaue that tuft of heare vppon theyr heades They answere that thereby they may easlyer be caryed vp into heauen when they are dead For theyr religion they haue certayne priestes who are apparelled lyke vnto other men They vse euerye mornyng and afternoone to go vp to thetoppes of theyr churches and tell there a great tale of Mahumet and Mortus Ali and other preachyng haue they none Their Lent is after Christmas not in abstinence from flesh only but from al meates drynkes vntill the day be of the skye but then they eate sometimes the whole night And although it be against theyr relygion to drynke wyne yet at nyght they wyll take great excesse thereof and bee dronken Theyr lent begynneth at the newe Moone and they do not enter into it vntyll they haue seene the same Neyther yet doth theyr lent ende vntill they haue seene the next new Moone although the same through close weather shoulde not be seene in long tyme. They haue among them certayne holy men whom they call Setes counted holy for that they or any of theyr auncestours haue been on pilgrimage at Mecha in Arabia for whosoeuer goeth thyther on pilgrimage to visite the sepulchre of Mahumet both he and all his posteritie are euer after called Setes and counted for holy men and haue no lesse opinion of them selues And if a man contrarye one of these he wyll saye that he is a sayncte and therefore ought to be beloued and that he can not lye although he lye neuer so shamefully Thus a man may be to holy and no pryde is greater then spirituall pride of a mynde puffed vp with his owne opinion of holynesse These Setes do vse to shaue theyr headdes all ouer sauyng on the sydes a litle aboue the temples the whiche they leaue vnshauen and vse to brayde the same as women do theyr heare and weare it as long as it wyll growe Euery mornyng they vse to worshyppe God Mahumet and Mortus Ali and in praying turne them selues towarde the South because Mecha lyeth that way from them When they be in trauayle on the way many of them wyll as soone as the Sunne ryseth lyght from theyr horses turnyng them selues to the South and wyll laye theyr gownes before them with theyr swoordes and beades and so standyng vpryght worshyp to the South And many tymes in theyr prayers kneele downe and kysse theyr beades or somewhat els that lyeth before them The men or women do neuer go to make water but they vse to take with them a poâ—te with a spout and after they haue made water they flashe some water vppon theyr pryuie partes and thus do the women aswell as the men and this is a matter of great religion among them and in making of water the men do cowre downe as well as the women When they earnestly affirme a matter they wyll sweare by God Mahumet or Mortus Ali and sometymes by all at ones as thus in theyr owne language saying Olla Mahumet Ali. But if he sweare by the Shaughes head in saying Shaugham basshe you may then beleeue hym if you wyll The Shaugh keepeth a great magnificence in his courte and although sometymes in a moneth or syxe weekes none of his nobilitie or counsayle can see hym yet go they dayly to the courte and tary there a certayne tyme vntyll they haue knowen his pleasure whether he wyll commaund them any thyng or not He is watched euery nyght with a thousand of his men whiche are called his Curshes who are they that he vseth to sende into the countreys about his greatest affayres When he sendeth any of them if it be to the greatest of any of his nobilitie he wyll obeye them although the messenger shoulde beate any of them to death The Shaugh occupieth hym selfe alwayes two dayes in the weeke in his Bathestoue and when he is disposed to go thither he taketh with hym fyue or syxe of his concubines more or lesse and one day they consume in washyng rubbyng and bathyng hym and the other day in paryng his nayles and other matters The greatest part of his lyfe he spendeth amongst his wyues and concubines He hath nowe reigned about fyftie and foure yeeres and is therefore counted a very holy man as they euer esteeme theyr kynges if they haue reigned fyftie yeeres or more for they measure the fauoure of God by a mans prosperitie or his displeasure by a mans misfortune or aduersitie The great Turke hath this Shaugh in great reuerence because he hath reigned kyng so long tyme. I haue sayde before that he hath foure wyues and as many concubynes as hym lysteth and if he chaunce to haue any chyldren by any of his concubines and be mynded that any of those chyldren shall inherite after hym then when one of his wyues dyeth the concubine whom he so fauoureth he maketh one of his wyues and the chylde whom he so loueth best he ordayneth to be kyng after hym What I hearde of the maner of theyr mariages for offending of honest consciences and chaste eares I may not commit to wrytyng their fastyng I haue declared before They vse Circumcision vnto chyldren of seuen yeeres of age as doo the Turkes Theyr houses as I haue sayde are for the most part made of Brycke not burned but only dryed in the Sunne In theyr houses they haue but litle furniture of housholde stuffe except it be theyr Carpets and some Copper worke for all theyr Kettles and Dyshes wherein they eate
Arabia with the gulfe of Ormus on the syde of the firme lande with the mountaynes of Deli and on the side of Carmania and in maner by the confines of Babylon it extendeth towarde India it hath many kingdomes and cities subiecte vnto it The people of Persia are called Azemini It conteyneth foure principall prouinces which are these Coraconi Ginali Tauris Xitarim In the which also are these foure most famous cities That is Tauris Siras Samarcante Coraconi They are valiant and warlyke men of great estimation They of Samarcante haue in auncient tyme been Christians Tauris and Siras are cities as famous among them as is with vs Paris in France they are men of great ciuilitie and curtesie The women of Siras are of commendable beautie and behauour very neate and delicate and thereof commeth a prouerbe among the Mahumetans that Mahumet would neuer goe to Siras least if he had tasted the pleasures of those women he should neuer after his death haue gone to Paradyse The kyng of Persia is called Siech Ismael whom the Italians call Gualizador or Sophi His chiefe mansion place or court is at Tauris or Teueris which is distant from Ormus fiftie dayes iourney with Camelles He is called the great Mahumetan of the order of the red bonet that is of the secte of Hali which our men that came late from Persia call Mortus Ali wherof we haue spoken more before The region of Persia hath all sortes of domesticall or tame beastes suche as are in our countreys It hath furthermore Lions Onces and Tigers the people are muche giuen to pleasures and sportes and are honourably apparelled delighting greatly in perfumes and sweete sauours they haue many wyues and commit the keeping or charge of them to enuches or gelded men who for that seruice are oftentymes preferred to great promotion yet are they very ielous of theyr wyues Notwithstanding both the Persians and also their neighbours of Ormus are detestable Sodomites In tyme paste many great and valiant personages as Cyrus Darius Assuerus and great Alexander haue inuaded Persia. It is not baren as some haue written but hath aboundance of all sortes of victualles and pleasures and thinges necessarie for the lyfe of man The trafique of Persia with other countreys IN the region of Persia are many sortes of merchandies wherewith they vse great trafique in the countreys of Armenia Turchia and in the citie of Cair or Alcayr From the lande of Siras is brought great aboundance of silke whereof is made an infinite quantitie of all sortes of silken cloathes and fine chamolettes of diuers colours also great aboundance of roche Alume Uitrioll Alcoffare Likewise many horses victualles Turques stones wax hony butter c. Also great peeces of tapestrie of diuers sortes workes clothes of sundry colours veluets both high and lowe after theyr maner Likewyse cloth of golde of sundry sortes Pauilions and great aboundance of armure From the other syde of the mountaynes by the way of Siam are brought Muske Aloes Reubarbe Lignum aloes Camphora c. All these thinges and many other are caryed to Ormus for the which the returne is great quantitie of Pepper and other spices and drugges for the Persians vse much spices with their meats and especially Pepper Of the Gulfe of Persia or Sinus Persicus THe region and lande of Persia is situate betweene two ryuers whiche fall not into the Ocean sea but into the gulfe of Persia the which gulfe hath on euery syde many goodly countreys well inhabited The gulfe conteyneth in largenesse .lx. myles and is nauigable with great Barkes and is sometimes troubled with great tempestes There is taken great abundance of fishe which being salted or dryed is carryed into all partes of Persia. The gulfe is also very long and conteyneth from Ormus to the ende lx dayes iourney with Camelles 1 Articles of the Priuileges whiche the Sophie of Persia graunted to the Englyshe merchantes These articles were sent vnto the company of merchants from Mosko by maister Ienkinson graunted in the names of these persons Syr VVilliam Garret Syr VVilliam Chester gouernours Syr Thomas Lodge Maister Antonie Ienkinson Maister Thomas Nicolls and Arthur Edwardes merchantes of London as also in the names of the whole companie 2 FYrst it is graunted that you shall paye no maner of customes or tolles any kynd of wayes now nor in time commyng vnto his heires after him And that all Englyshe merchantes now present or hereafter may passe and repasse into all places of his dominions and other countreys adioyning to him in the trade of merchaundies to buye and sell all maner of commodities with all maner of persons 3 Item that in all places where any of our merchantes shal be chiefe gouernours rulers and Iustices to take heede vnto the Englishe merchantes and be their ayde and punishe them that shall doe them any wrong or hurte 4 Item that suche debtes as shal be owyng by any maner of person iustice to be done on the partie and to see all Englishe merchantes payde at the day 5 Item that no maner of person of what estate or degree they be of so hardie to take any kynde of wares or any gyftes without the Englyshe merchantes good willes 6 Item if by chaunce medley any of the merchauntes or seruauntes as God forbyd shoulde kyll any of his subiectes no partes of theyr goods to be touched or medled withal neither no person but the offender and being any of the merchaunts not to suffer without the princes knowledge advice 7 Item that all such debtes as shal be oweyng to be payde to any of the merchauntes in the absence of the other be the partie dead or alyue 8 Item that no person returne any kynde of wares backe agayne beyng once bought or solde 9 Item that when God shall sende the merchauntes goods to shore presently his people to helpe them alande with them The prosperous vyage of Arthur Edwardes into Persia and of the fauoure that he found with the Sophy and also what conference he had with that prynce WHen he came fyrst to the Sophies presence brynging his interpretour with hym and standyng farre of the Sophie syttyng in a seate royall with a great number of his noble men about hym badde him come neere and that thrise vntyl he came so neere him that he myght haue touched hym with his hand Then the fyrst demaund that he asked hym was from what countrey he came he answeared that he came from Englande Then asked he of his noble men who knew any such countrey But when Edwards sawe that none of them had any intelligence of that name he named it Inghilterra as the Italians cal England Then one of the noble men sayde Londro meanyng therby London which name is better knowen in far countreys out of Christendome then is the name of Englande When Edwardes harde hym name Londro he sayd that that was the name of the chiefe citie of Englande as
slender lyke a fawne or hynde the hoofes of the fore feete are diuided in two much like the feete of a Goat the outwarde part of the hynder feete is very full of heare This beast doubtlesse seemeth wylde and fierce yet tempereth that fiercenesse with a certaine comelinesse These Unicornes one gaue to the Soltan of Mecha â–ª as a most precious and rare gyfte They were sent hym out of Ethiope by a kyng of that countrey who desired by that present to gratifie the Soltan of Mecha Of diuers thynges which chaunced to me in Mecha And of Zida a port of Mecha Cap. 20. IT may seeme good here to make mention of certayne thynges in the which is seene sharpenesse of witte in case of vrgent necessitie which hath no lawe as sayeth the prouerbe for I was dryuen to the poynt howe I myght priuely escape from Mecha Therefore whereas my Captayne gaue me charge to buy certaine thyngs as I was in the market place a certayne Mamaluke knewe me to be a Christian. And therefore in his owne language spake vnto me these woordes Inte mename That is whence arte thou To whom I answered that I was a Mahumetan But he sayde Thou sayest not truely I sayde agayne By the head of Mahumet I am a Mahumetan Then he sayde agayne Come home to my house I folowed him willingly When we were there he began to speake to me in the Italian tongue and asked me agayne from whence I was affyrmyng that he knewe me and that I was no Mahumetan Also that he had been sometyme in Genua and Venice And that his woordes myght be the better beleeued rehearsed many thinges whiche testified that he sayde trueth When I vnderstoode this I confessed freely that I was a Romane but professed to the fayth of Mahumet in the citie of Babylon and there made one of the Mamalukes Whereof he seemed greatly to reioyce and therefore vsed me honourably But because my desyre was yet to goe further I asked the Mahumetan whether that citie of Mecha was so famous as all the world spake of it and inquired of him where was the great aboundaunce of pearles precious stones spices and other rich merchandies that the bruite went of to be in that citie And all my talke was to the ende to grope the mynde of the Mahumetan that I might know the cause why such thinges were not brought thyther as in tyme paste But to auoyde all suspition I durst here make no mention of the dominion which the Kyng of Portugale had in the most parte of that Ocean and of the gulfes of the redde sea and Persia. Then he began with more attentyue mynde in order to declare vnto me the cause why that marte was not so greatly frequented as it had been before and layde the only faulte therof in the kyng of Portugale But when he had made mention of the Kyng I began of purpose to detracte his fame least the Mahumetan might thinke that I reioyced that the Christians came thyther for merchandies When he perceyued that I was of profession an enemy to the Christians he had me yet in greater estimation and proceeded to tell me many thynges more When I was well instructed in all thinges I spake vnto him friendly these woordes in the Mahumets language Menaha Menalhabi That is to say I pray you assist mee He asked me wherein To helpe me sayde I howe I may secretly departe hence Confirmyng by great othes that I would goe to those Kinges that were most enemies to the Christians Affirmyng furthermore that I knewe certayne secretes greatly to be esteemed whiche if they were knowen to the sayde kynges I doubted not but that in shorte tyme I shoulde bee sent for from Mecha Astonyshed at these woordes he sayde vnto mee I pray you what arte or secrete doe you knowe I answered that I would gyue place to no man in makyng of all maner of Gunnes and artillerie Then sayde hee Praysed be Mahumet who sent thee hyther to do him and his Saintes good seruice and willed me to remayne secretly in his house with his wyfe and requyred me earnestly to obtayne leaue of our Captayne that vnder his name he myght leade from Mecha fiftiene Camelles laden with spices without paying any custome for they ordinarily paye to the Soltan thirtie Saraphes of golde for transportyng of such merchandies for the charge of so many Camelles I put him in good hope of his request although he would aske for a hundred affyrmyng that that myght easily be obteyned by the priuileges of the Mamalukes and therefore desired him that I myght safely remayne in his house Then nothyng doubtyng to obtayne his request he greatly reioyced and talkyng with me yet more freely gaue me further instructions and counsayled me to repayre to a certayne Kyng of the greater India in the kyngdome and realme of Decham whereof we will speake hereafter Therfore the day before the Carauana departed from Mecha he willed me to lye hydde in the most secrete parte of his house The day folowyng early in the mornyng the trumpetter of the Carauana gaue warning to all the Mamalukes to make readie their horses to directe their iourney toward Syria with proclamation of death to all that shoulde refuse so to doe When I hearde the sounde of the Trumpet and was aduertised of the streight commaundement I was marueylously troubled in mynde and with heauy countenaunce desired the Mahumetans wyfe not to bewraye me and with earnest prayer committed myselfe to the mercie of God On the Tuesday folowyng our Carauana departed from Mecha and I remayned in the Mahumetans house with his wyfe but he folowed the Carauana Yet before he departed he gaue commaundement to his wyfe to bryng me to the Carauana which should departe from Zida the porte of Mecha to goe into India This porte is distant from Mecha .xl miles Whilest I laye thus hyd in the Mahumetans house I can not expresse how friendly his wife vsed me This also furthered my good interteynement that there was in the house a fayre young mayde the Niese of the Mahumetan who was greatly in loue with me But at that tyme in the myddest of those troubles and feare the fyre of Uenus was almost extincte in mee and therefore with daliaunce of fayre woordes and promises I styll kepte my selfe in her fauour Therefore the Fryday folowyng about noone tyde I departed folowyng the Carauana of India And about mydnyght we came to a certayne village of the Arabians and there remayned the rest of that nyght and the nexte day tyll noone From hence we went forwarde on our iourney towarde Zida and came thyther in the silence of the nyght This citie hath no walles yet fayre houses somewhat after the buyldyng of Italie Heere is great aboundaunce of all kynde of merchandies by reason of resorte in maner of all nations thyther excepte Iewes and Christians to whom it is not lawfull to come thyther Assoone as
I entered into the citie I went to their Temple or Meschita where I sawe a great multitude of poore people as about the number of .xxv. thousande attendyng a certayne Pilot who should bryng them into their countrey Heere I suffered muche trouble and affliction beyng enforced to hyde my selfe among these poore folkes faynyng my selfe very sicke to the ende that none should be inquisityue what I was whence I came or whyther I would The Lord of this citie is the Soltan of Babylon brother to the Soltan of Mecha who is his subiecte The inhabitauntes are Mahumetans The soyle is vnfruitfull and lacketh freshe water The sea beateth agaynst the towne There is neuerthelesse aboundance of all thinges but brought thyther from other places as from Babylon of Nilus Arabia Foelix and dyuers other places The heate is here so great that men are in maner dryed vp therewith And therefore there is euer a great number of sicke folkes The citie conteyneth about fyue hundred houses After fyftiene dayes were past I couenaunted with a pilot who was ready to departe from thence into Persia and agreed of the price to goe with him There laye at Anker in the hauen almost a hundred Brigantines and Foistes with diuers boates and barkes of sundry sortes both with Ores and without Ores Therefore after three dayes gyuyng wynde to our sayles we entred into the redde sea otherwyse named Mare Erythraeum Of the red sea and why it can not be sayled in the nyght Cap. 21. IT is well knowen to wyse men that this sea is not red as some haue imagined but is of the colour of other seas We continued therefore our vyage vntyll the goyng downe of the Sunne For this sea is nauigable only in the day tyme and therefore in the nightes the maryners rest them vntyll they come to the Ilande named Chameran from whence they proceede forwarde more safely Why this sea can not be sayled in the nyght they say the cause to be that there are many daungerous sandes rockes and shelues and therefore that it is needefull of diligent and long prospecte from the toppe Castell of the shyppe to foresee the dangerous places The seconde booke entreating of Arabia Foelix That is the happie or blessed Arabia Of the citie of Gezan and the fruitfulnesse thereof Cap. 1. FOrasmuche as hytherto wee haue spoken somewhat of the maners of the people and cities of Arabia Foelix it may nowe seeme conuenient to finishe the reste of our vyage with such thinges as we haue seene in the sayde countrey of Arabia Therefore after sixe dayes saylyng we came to a citie named Gezan It hath a commodious porte and very fayre where we found about fourtie and fyue Brigantines and Foistes of dyuers regions The citie is harde by the sea syde and the Prince thereof is a Mahumetan The soile is fruitful lyke vnto Italie It beareth Pomegranates Quinses Peaches Apples of Assyria Pepons Melons Oranges Gourdes and dyuers other fruites Also Roses and sundry sortes of floures the fayrest that euer I sawe It seemeth an earthly Paradyse The moste parte of the inhabitauntes go naked â–ª In other thinges they lyue after the maner of the Mahumetans There is also great abundance of fleshe wheate barley the grayne of whyte Millet or Hirse whiche they call Dora whereof they make very sweete bread Of certayne people named Banduin Cap. 2. DEparting from the citie of Gezan the space of .v. dayes sayling towarde the lefte hande hauyng euer the coast of the lande in sight we came to the sight of certayne houses where about .xiiii. of vs went alande hopyng to haue had some victuals of the inhabitans But we lost our labour for in the steede of victuals they cast stones at vs with stinges They were about a hundred that fought with our men for the space of an houre Of them were slayne .xxiiii. The rest were dryuen to flyght they were naked and had none other weapons then slynges After theyr flyght we brought away with vs certayne hens and Calues very good Shortly after a great multitude of the inhabitauntes shewed them selues to the number of fyue or syxe hundred but we departed with our praye and returned to the shyppes Of an Ilande of the red sea named Camaran Cap. 3. THe same day saylyng forwarde we came to an Iland named Camaran which conteyneth ten myles in circuite In it is a towne of two hundred houses the inhabitantes are Mahumetans it hath aboundaunce of freshe water and fleshe and the fayrest salte that euer I sawe The porte is eight myles from the continent it is subiecte to the Soltan of Amanian of Arabia Foelix After we had remayned here two dayes we tooke our way towarde the mouth of the red sea in the space of two dayes saylyng This sea may here be sayled both day and nyght For as we haue sayde before from this Ilande vnto the porte of Zida the red sea is not safely nauigable by nyght When we came to the mouth of the sea we seemed to be in maner inclosed for that the mouth of the sea is there very streyght and no more then three myles ouer Towarde the right hande the continent lande is seene of the heyght of ten pases the soile seemeth rude and not cultured At the lefte hande of the sayde mouth ryseth a very hygh hyll of stone In the myddest of the mouth is a litle Ilande vnhabited named Bebmendo and is towarde the lefte hande to them that sayle to Zeila But they that goe to Aden must keepe the way to the lefte hande All this way we had euer the lande in our sight from Bebmendo to Aden in the space of two dayes and a halfe Of the citie of Aden and of their maners and customes towarde straungers Cap. 4. I Doe not remember that I haue seene any citie better fortified then this It standeth on a soyle not much vnequall it is walled on two sydes The reste is inclosed with mountaynes hauyng on them fyue fortresses The citie conteyneth sixe thousande houses Theyr exercise of bying and sellyng begynneth the seconde houre of the nyght by reason of extreeme heate in the day tyme. A stone cast from the citie is a mountayne hauyng on it a fortresse The shyppes lye neare the foote of the mountayne it is certaynely a very goodly citie and the fayrest of all the cities of Arabia Foelix To this as to the chiefe marte the merchauntes of India Ethiopia and Persia haue recourse by sea and they also that resorte to Mecha Assoone as our Brigantines came into the hauen immediately the customers and searchers came aborde demaundyng what we were from whence we came what merchaundies we brought and howe many men were in euery Brigantine Beyng aduertised of these thinges immediately they tooke away our maste sayles and other tackelynges of our shyppes that we should not departe without paying of custome The day after our arryuyng there the Mahumetans tooke mee and put shackles on
whiche tyme there dyed about .xxi. of theyr company whom they cast into the sea And suerly if God of his infinite mercie had not preserued the residue in tyme they had all dyed of famyn In fine beyng inforced of necessitie and halfe of theyr companye dead they sayled to one of the Ilandes of Capo verde called Insula Sansti Iacobi that is sainte Iames Ilande parteynyng to the kyng of Portugale Where as soone as they arryued they sent certayne a lande in the shyppe boate for vittayles declaryng to the Portugales with all loue and fauour what necessitie they were dryuen to and what miseries and trauayles they had susteyned infourmyng them furthermore of theyr marueylous voyage and such thynges as they had seene in both the East and West India with suche other gentle woordes whereby they obteyned certayne measures of Ryse But when afterward xiii of them returned for more Ryse they were deteyned Wheruppon the rest whiche remayned in the shyppe fearyng the lyke chaunce departed with full sayles and the .vii. day of September with the helpe of God entred into the hauen of San Lucar neere vnto Siuile where dischargyng all theyr ordinaunce for ioy they wente immediatly to the great churche in theyr shiertes and barefooted with a torche before them to geue thankes to almyghty God who had brought them safe to theyr owne country and restored them to theyr wyues and chyldren As touching the ende of this voyage Transiluanus wryteth somewhat more largely as foloweth The other shyppe whiche they left behynde them to be repared returned afterwarde by the Archipelagus afore sayde and by the great sea to the coastes of the fyrme of the West India and arryued at a region of the same beyng agaynst Dariena where the South sea of Sur is separate but by a litle space of lande from the west Ocean in the which are the Ilands of Hispaniola Cuba and other Ilandes of the Spanyardes The other shyppe whiche returned into Spayne by compassyng about the whole bowle of the world by the coastes of East India and Affrike departing from the Ilande of Tidore and saylyng euer on this syde the Equinoctial dyd not fynde the cape of Cattigara being about Asia and by the description of Ptolome reachyng many degrees beyonde the Equinoctiall But hauyng sayled many dayes by the mayne sea they came to the cape of Buona Speranza and from thence to the Ilandes of Capo verde where theyr shyppe beyng soore broosed by reason of the long voyage leaked and tooke water in suche sorte that the maryners beyng nowe but fewe in number and those also weake and feeble by reason of long sickenesse hunger were not able both to drie the pompe continually and otherwyse gouerne the shyppe and were therefore of necessitie inforced to go alande at the Ilande of saint Iames to bye them certayne slaues to helpe them But beyng destitute of mony accordyng to the custome of the maryners they profered them cloues for theyr slaues The whiche thyng when it came to the eares of the Portugale that was Captayne of that Ilande he cast .xiii. of them in prison Whereby the resydue that remayned in the shyppe beyng nowe but .xviii. in number were put in such feare that they departed immediatly without rescuing theyr felowes sailed continually both by day by night by the coastes of Afrike came in fine to Spaine y t .vi. day of September in the yeere of our lorde .1522 and arryued at the port nere vnto Siuile the .xvi. moneth after they departed from the Iland of Tidore Maryners doubtlesse more woorthy to be celebrate with eternall memory then they whiche in olde tyme were called Argonauti that sayled with Iason to wyn the golden fleese in the region of Cholchis the ryuer of Phasis in the great sea of Pontus And the shyppe it selfe more worthy to be placed among the starres then that olde Argo whiche departyng out of Grecia sayled to the ende of that great sea For this our marueylous shyppe takyng her voyage from the straightes of Gibelterra and saylyng by the great Ocean towarde the South and pole Antartike and turnyng from thence to the West folowed that course so farre that passyng vnder the great circumference of the world she came into the East and from thence agayne into the West not by returnyng backewarde but styll sayling forward so compassing about the ball of the worlde vnder the whole circumference of heauen vntyll she were myraculously restored to her natiue region of Spayne and house of Siuile ¶ The debate and stryfe betweene the Spanyardes and Portugales for the Diuision of the Indies and the trade of Spyces and also for the Ilandes of Molucca which some call Malucas VVritten in the Spanishe tongue by Francisco Lopes de Gomara THe Emperours maiestie was very glad that the Malucas and Ilandes of the Spycery were discouered and that he myght passe vnto them through his owne countreys without any preiudice or hurt to the Portugales and because also that Almanzor Lusfu and Corala whiche were the lordes of the Spycerie shewed them selues to be his freendes and became tributaries to hym He also gaue certayne gyftes and rewardes to Iohn Sebastian for his great paynes and good seruice forasmuche as he craued a rewarde for the good newes that the Ilandes of the Malucas and other Ilandes rycher and greater then they were found to be in his part of those countreys which parteyned vnto hym accordyng to the Popes Bull. And hereby it came to passe that there was great contention and stryfe betweene the Spanyardes and the Portugales about the Spycery and the diuision of the Indies by reason of the returne of Iohn Sebastian and the information whiche he gaue thereof who also affirmed that the Portugales had neuer any entraunce before that tyme into those Ilandes Hereupon the counsayle for the Indies aduertised the Emperour to maynteyne his fleete for those partes and to take the trade of Spyces into his owne hande forasmuche as it was his owne of duetie aswell for that those Ilandes fell on his part as also that he had nowe found passage and way through his West Indies into those regions and finally to consyder that he shoulde thereby obteyne and geat to hym selfe great reuenues besyde the inrychyng of his subiectes and realmes and that with small cost and charge The Emperour beyng thus aduertised of the trueth tooke it for good counsayle commaunded all thynges herevnto apperteynyng to be furnyshed accordyngly In this meane tyme when kyng Iohn of Portugale had knowledge what the Emperour determined to do and the speedy haste his counsayle made for the perfourmaunce hereof and of the commyng home of Iohn Sebastian of Cane with thinformation he made what of stoutnes of mynde and what for griefe was puffed vp with anger as were also the reste of the Portugales stormyng as though they would haue plucked downe the skye with theyr handes
Tamaius and .13 hundred men of that countrey to serue in steede of packe horses for cariage after the maner there began to set forwarde from his Castle Vera crux towardes Themistitan in Mexico distant from thence Westwarde a hundred leagues or thereabout Cempoal standeth from Vera Crux .4 leagues eche league in this countrey is .4 Italian miles Foure dayes iourney from Cempoal Cortesius was enterteined curtuously by the inhabiters of a goodly shyre named Sienchimalen as also by the citizens of Texuacan after that he had passed with his army an exceedyng hygh hyll thicke clad with yse snow euen in the moneth of August The like enterteynment was offered him his companie as hee marched forward vntill he came to the Tascaltecans lande who are so great enemies vnto the Mexicans that liuyng amyd their dominions they had rather want their greatest necessaries to wit salt and cotton to cloath them than become subiects in any wise to the Prince of Mexico With these Tascaltecans Cortesius had three conflictes passing through their countrey in the ende valiantly gaue them the ouerthrow Tascalteca is a greater citie more populous and better serued than Granata in Spayne was at what time the Moores yelded their bread is made of Maiz that is Indish corne a very good seat for hauking hunting freshe water fishing sea fish is scarse for it standeth from the sea aboue .50 leagues of pulse good store This towne wals houses in number 20000. built of stone high strong in respect of the enemy euer at hand they keepe markets and fayres The people doth weare hose and maketh good accompt of Iewels precious stones of crestes bushes of feathers to set them foorth in the warres they garnishe euery thing with gold wood is brought to be sold to the market on mens shoulders timber boordes bricke lime stone are vsuall merchandise Theyr Carpenters Masons Potters are very skilfull There is no vessell wrought amongst vs more artificially than theyrs is Medicinable hearbes are solde openly They vse baths the nation politike gouerned in maner of a common wealth The whole circuit of this prouince is .90 leagues full of townes boroughes and villages hils and dales most â—ruitfull well stored of good souldyers in respecte of their enemyes rounde about them About one league of this citie encamped Cortesius by his spials vnderstanding the citizens not to mistrust or feare any inuasion tooke the strongest part therof by night in the morning came the best citizens to offer him all obedience Cortesius than returning with the victorie victuals to his campe found it in a troublesome mutinie for the great distresses present calamies they thought them selues to be in so far of from their owne country in the midst of their enemies This mutinie appeased he with good woords comfortable reasons persuading them their enemies to be weaker the spreadyng abroade of the gospell to be now in their hands them selues to be Spaniardes who esteeme not death to wyn glory a most happy death that to be where life is spent in the conquest of infidelles and barbares to lye by the sea side idlely that were to no purpose Thus appeased he the rebellious myndes of his companyons and after .20 dayes abode made in this prouince he led them into an other shire for pastures and riuers the most commodious for habitation best in all that countrey The principall citie hath name Churultecal as great as faire as Tascalteca and so gouerned vntil the king of Mexico oppressed it Here was Cortesius receyued with songes musicall instruments and trumpets by the priestes and children of the citie after their maner wel feasted The end of all this mirth was an vprore of the inhabiters agaynst him procured by the kyng of Mexico as it was supposed whereof Cortesius hauing secrete intelligence by a woman of Cempoal that folowed his Campe summoned a parle with the beste citizens of Churultecal at his owne lodging Those citizens first laid he fast by the heles than speedely with his army warned to be in a readinesse for that purpose set vpon the deceiptful Barbares of a soden before that they were throughly prouided and gaue them the ouerthrow The prince of Mexico acquitted him selfe of this vprore protesting by his Ambassadors to Cortesius that his disloyall subiectes the Churultecals had bruted that conspiracie vnder his name to doe him iniury whom they would not willingly obeye He sent withall rich presentes praying Cortesius to come to Themistitan promising him that he should want nothyng there notwithstandyng the harde prouision thereof in so barren a place altogeather in the water To conducte Cortesius thyther he sent also certayne Gentlemen for guydes and other of his nobilitie to receyue him as he came neare To speake of euery curtesie shewed him in this iourney and to wryte of euery place he passed and particulerly to rehearse euery dayes iourney euery hyll towne ryuer house and gardeyne by the way would breede ouermuche tediousnesse In fewe the Lordes of the countrey as he went vsed him well especially in Guazucingo prouince and Chialcho shyre the one whereof was violently oppressed by the prince of Mexico the other willingly subiect vnto him In the cold mountaynes he wanted no wood in the townes hee was prouided for and his companions who were of Cempoallens Tastaltecans Churultecans Gâ—zucinges in number .4000 of Spaniards not aboue .300 In this maner Cortesius accompanyed folowed came at the length into a vale bearing name Colua â–ª wherein be two meres the one salt water of .60 leagues in circuit the other a freshet Partly on the land partly in the salt meere standeth Iztapalapa a fayre towne from whence to Themistitan the royall seat of Mexico there lyeth a way on a stone wall two speares length broad built vp in the water by hand with infinite charges the wall serueth also for a bridge by this bridge sides stand three fayre townes Mesicalcingo Coluacan VVichilabusco The first is supposed to haue .3000 houses the second .6000 the third .4000 wel built especially their Towers their Temples wherin they doe sacrifice In these townes great aboundaunce of salt is made that serueth all such as doe acknowledge the Prince of Mexico for their Lord. Other be denied it as of the Tascaltecans it was sayde This salte meere rysing doeth flowe into the Freshet as it ebbeth the Freshet falleth into the salt meere agayne The freshe water may serue neuerthelesse for drinke the salte water becommeth not freshe therewithall The wall hath many draught bridges for warfare and sluses for passage where toll is payde vnto the kyng Halfe one league before you come to Themistitan where the lyke bridge or causey from the lande ioyneth with the aforesayde wal standeth a strong Castle double walled about with two strong Towers not possible to be conquered To this place came a thousande Gentlemen Courtiers foorth of the citie
are also other Ilands situate about this Coluacana or Galuacam the which are inhabited onely with women lyuing without the companye of men after the maner of the Amazones But they that ponder the matter more wysely thynke them rather to be certayne women whiche haue vowed chastitie and professed a solitarie life as the Nunnes do with vs or as the virgins called Vestales or Bonae Deae were accustomed to do among the gentiles in olde tyme. At certayne tymes of the yeere men of the other Ilandes resorte vnto them not for thintent of generation but moued with pitie to helpe them to dresse theyr gardens and tyll theyr grounde The reporte goeth lykewyse that there are other Ilandes of corrupt women to whom men resort for carnall copulation and that they cut of one of the pappes of theyr women children lest it shoulde hynder theyr shootyng also that they keepe only the women children and send away the men children Our men therefore drewe neare to the shore of Coluacana where they quietly exercised marchandies with thinhabitantes The king gaue them a great Pot of golde also braselettes chaynes brooches with many other iewels and all of golde Our men agayne on the other part satisfied hym with such stuffe as they had done other before Heere would they gladly haue planted a new colonie or habitation but that the gouernour woulde not permit them wherat they grudged not a litle The houses and other edifices of this prouince are builded lyke vnto Towres It hath also fyfteene great townes in it Of these they affyrme that they haue seene some consistyng of more then twentie thousand houses not ioyning togeather but disseuered with courtes and gardens They haue also certayne large market places encompassed with walles and streates wel paued likewise fornaces ouens made of lime and bricke furthermore al sortes of handie craftes men and very cunning artificers This kynges name was Potanchanus and the region is called Palmaria The towne where the kyng keepeth his court conteyneth .xv. thousand houses When they receyue any straungers make a league of frendship with them they are accustomed with a knyfe made of a sharp stone to let them selues blood in the tongue hande arme or some other part of the bodie and this euen in the syght of them whom they admit to frendship in token that they are redy to shed theyr blood in theyr frendes causes Theyr priestes professe a vertuous lyfe and lyue vnmaried What it is to haue do to w t women no man knoweth before he be maried Fornication and adulterie which seldome chaunceth among them they count abhomination The women are of marueilous chastitie Euery noble man after that he haue had one wife may haue as many concubines as hym lysteth but a maried woman taken in adulterie is solde of her husband but this onely to the prince at whose handes it shal be lawfull for her kynsfolke to redeme her It is not lawefull for suche as are not maried to syt at the same table with them that are maried or to eate of the same dyshe or drynke of the same cup. In the moneth of August and September they absteyne .xxxv. dayes not onely from fleshe whereof they haue great plentie but also from fyshe and all other thynges that lyue by blood and duryng these dayes lyue onely with hearbes and fruites They recken twentie dayes to the moneth and twentie monethes to the yeere Our men consumed certayne dayes heere very pleasauntly When they departed coasting stil by the same shore they came to an other kyng whom they named Ouandus When he had intelligence that our men desired gold he brought foorth certaine plats of molten gold But when the gouernour signified vnto hym by the interpretours that he desired great plentie of that metall the day folowing he brought him a mans image of gold beyng a cubite in length also a fanne of golde and an Idole of one of his domestical gods of curious woorkmanship likewyse garlandes of stones of sundrye colours with many brest plates brooches and other kyndes of ornamentes and all of golde He gaue hym furthermore abundaunce of delicate meates well salted and powdred with spices When he had required our men to come alande he commaunded his seruauntes with all speede to prepare a great multitude of braunches of trees and to wayte vppon our men to his pallace As they went thus in order some behynde and some before on both sydes they seemed so to shadow our men with bowes as though they had gone in a continuall arbour The kyng hym selfe hauyng a Septer in his hande dyd set them in theyr arraye and some tyme stryke suche as were negligent in bearyng theyr bowes They shewed them selues obedient in all thynges and with graue countenaunce humbled them selues to receyue his strypes When he was demaunded where he had suche plentie of golde he poynted with his fynger to the next mountaynes and to the riuers descending from the same They are so accustomed to the riuers and exercised in swymmyng that it is all one to them to lyue in the water and on the lande When they desire togeather golde they plunge them selues in the riuers and bryng from the bottome therof both theyr handes full of sande whiche syftyng from hande to hande they geather out the graynes of golde And by this meanes in the space of two houres they fyll a reede as bygge as a mans fynger Of the sweete sauours of these lands many thinges might be spoken the which bycause they make rather to theffeminatyng of the myndes of men then for any necessary purpose I haue thought best to omit them The kyng also gaue the gouernour a young virgine of twelue yeeres of age adourned with ryche and fayre iewelles Of the stones whiche hee had of this kyng one was valued at two thousande Castellanes of golde Thus at the length they departed from this kyng laden with golde and precious stones Grisalua the gouernour sent one of the Carauelles to his vncle Diego Velasquen gouernour of the Ilande of Cuba with messengers to delyuer him the golde iewelles and other ornaments 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 two kepte aloofe within prospecte of the lande Thinhabitauntes of these coastes also no lesse marueylyng at the shyppes then dyd the other came with twelue Canoas to Montegius desyryng him by thinterpretours to come alande promysyng in the name of theyr kyng that hee should bee honourably entertayned But Montegius answered that hee coulde not assent to theyr request bycause his companions were so farre from him Yet dyd hee gyue them certayne of our thinges straunge vnto them and thankes for their gentlenesse Shortly after espying a great towne they directed their course thither Thinhabitauntes prohibyted them to
come alande and came foorth agaynst them with bowes and quiuers full of arrowes broad swoordes made of heauy wood and Iauelins hardned at the ende with fyre They shot at our men a farre of and our men discharged certayne peeces of ordinaunce against them The Barbarians astonished at the noyse of the gunnes fled amayne and desyred peace Here our mens vitayles began to fayle them and theyr shyppes were broosed with long viages Hauyng therefore founde and done these thinges whereof wee haue spoken Grisalua returned to the Ilande of Eernandina well contented but so were not his companions We muste nowe diuerte somewhat from this matter and speake of an other nauigation and from thence will wee returne to these landes whiche our men haue founde So it is therefore that Diegus Velasquen the gouernour of the Ilande of Fernandina about the same tyme that he had sent foorth this nauie of foure Carauelles he prepared an other nauigation of onely one Carauell and one brygantine with fourtie and fyue men These exercised violent handes against thinhabitauntes of those regions where they arryued thynkyng that they myght forceably drawe them to the dyggyng of golde bycause they were Caffranite Idolaters and circumcised There are at the sea syde not farre from the supposed continent many litle Ilandes of most fortunate and fruitefull soyle whereof three are thus named Guanapan Guanguan and Quitilla Out of one of these which they named Sansta Marina they violently caryed away three hundred men women which they thrust into the Carauell and returned immediatly to Fernandina leauyng the brigantine with .xxv. of theyr felowes to thintent to hunt for more men The hauen where the Carauell fyrst arryued is called Carenas beyng distant from the angle of Cuba and the chiefe citie of Sanctiago two hundred and fyftie myles For this Ilande of Cuba is very long reachyng in length from the East to the West and situate directly vnder the circle called Tropicus Cancri as we haue sayd before Nowe shall you heare howe fortune sought the reuenge of these poore wretches Therfore as their keepers went aland and few remained in the Carauel they perceiuing occasion ministred whereby they myght recouer their libertie sodeinly snatched vp our mens weapons and slue sixe of them which yet remained in the Carauell whyle the residue leapte into the sea And by this meanes the Barbarians possessed the Carauell whiche they had soone learned to rule and thus returned to their owne countreys But they sayled fyrst to the nexte Ilande where they burnt the Carauel and caryed away the weapons with them From hence they conueyed them selues to their owne countreys with the Canoas of this Ilād Here in lyke maner they priuily assailed them that were left with the brigantine and slue 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 whereof 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 whereof standeth the chiefe citie of the supposed continent The gouernour therefore hauyng intelligence heereof sent with all speede two shippes of warre well furnished to the ayde of them that were left but they were wyse to late Yet folowing the viewe of the crosse they came to the shore and red the letters grauen on the tree but durst not attempt fortune Thus with all theyr hardie souldiers departyng from hence with dispayre they sayled to the nexte Ilande out of the whiche they caryed away by violence fyue hundred men and women supposyng lykewyse that they myght lawfully so doe bycause they were Idolaters and circumcised But the lyke chaunce happened vnto them when they landed at Eernandina For the Barbarians espying oportunitie set vppon the Spanyardes in one of the shyppes with theyr owne weapons and slue theyr keepers the residue that escaped castyng them selues into the sea swamme to the next 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 should obteyne the victorie The Barbarians both men and women fought very fiercely aswell to recouer their libertie as also to holde fast the praye which they had gotten But in fine the Spanyardes had the vpper hande by reason they were more experte in handlyng of theyr weapons rulyng of their Carauell The Barbarians beyng thus ouercome leapt into the sea but the Spanyardes tooke them agayne with the shyppe boates About a hundred of the Barbarians perished being partly drowned and partely slayne with the swoorde and but fewe of the Spanyardes These thinges thus pacified the resydue of the Barbarians were caryed to the towne of Sanctiago and condemned to labour in the golde mynes Shortly after they made out a newe viage to an other of the Ilandes which lye there about so thicke that they commonly call the number of them Archipelagus as they in our sea of Ionicum are called Symplegades Here our men were cruelly handled and as many of them as came alande eyther slayne or wounded This Ilande they named Florida bycause they arryued there on Easter day whiche the Spaniards call the floryshyng day of the resurrection They say also that in this tracte they sawe .xxvi. Ilandes which Colonus had ouerpassed and the same so to lye about Hispaniola and Cuba as though they warded them from the furie of the Ocean In many of these they founde natiue golde of lyke goodnesse to that which is founde in Granatum Thinhabitauntes also weare many iewelles and haue many Images of theyr domesticall goddes made both of golde artificially wrought and also of wood gylted Frauncis Cheregatus brought one of theyr Idols with him wherby may bee considered of what wytte and aptnesse they are It is a marueylous thyng to see what maner of rasers they haue made of certayne yelowe stones cleare and transparent lyke vnto christall with these they shaue and carue as though they were made of fyne steele When the edges are blunt with long exercyse they sharpen them not with a whetstone or powder or any other stone but temper them onely with water They haue also a thousande kyndes of instrumentes or tooles and such other thinges of fyne deuice which were to long to rehearse Let vs therefore returne from whence wee haue digressed as to Cozumella Iucatana Coluacana or Olloa being all landes lately founde and so rych fruitfull and pleasaunt that they may in maner bee compared to the earthly Paradyse Therefore after that it was knowen to our men of howe great moment these tractes were the Spaniards which inhabited the Ilande of Cuba Annunstus being the gouernour of the Ilande furnished a new
case agree to the conquest Neuerthelesse not vtterly contemnyng the matter which they were partly persuaded myght otherwyse be brought to passe they sent thyther Fryer Luys Cancell of Baluasiro with other Fryers of the order of sainct Dominike who offred them selues to conuert the nations of that lande from theyr gentilitie to the fayth of Christ and obedience to the Emperour onely with wordes â–ª The Fryer therefore going forwarde on his viage at the kynges charges in the yeere .1549 went aland with foure other Fryers which he tooke with him and certayne maryners without harnesse or weapons vnto whom as he began his preachyng many of the Indians of the sayde Florida resorted to the sea syde where without gyuyng audience to his wordes they caryed him away with three other of his companyons and dyd eate them whereby they suffred martyrdome for the fayth of Christ the residue that escaped made hast to the shyppe and kept them selues for confessours as some say Many that fauour the intent of the Fryers doe nowe consider that by that meanes the Indians could not be brought to our friendshyp and religion neuerthelesse that if it could so haue been brought to passe it had been better There came of late from that shyppe one that had been the page of Ferdinando de Soto who declared that the Indians hanged vp the skynnes with the heades and crownes of the sayd Fryers in one of theyr Temples ¶ FOR M. CAP. FVRBYSHERS PASSAGE BY THE NORTHVVEST OF CHINA IN CATHAYO SITVATED IN THE EAST SYDE OF GREAT ASY OF THE ILAND GIAPAN AND OTHER LITLE ILES IN TTE EAST OCEAN BY THE VVAY FROM CATHAYO TO THE MOLVCCAES BY RICHARDE WILLES For M. Captayne Furbishers passage by the Northwest To the ryght honourable and vertuous Ladie the Lady Anne Countesse of VVarwyke FOure famous wayes there be spoken of to those fruitfull and wealthie Ilandes we doe vsually call Moluccaes continually haunted for gayne and dayly traueyled for ryches therein growyng These Ilandes although they stand East from our Meridian distant almost halfe the length of the world in extreame heate vnder the Equinoctial lyne possessed of Infidelles and Barbares yet by our neyghbours great aboundaunce of wealth there is paynefully sought in respect of the voyage deerely bought and from thence daungerously brought home vnto vs. Our neyghbours I call the Portugalles in comparison of the Molucchians for neerenesse vnto vs for lyke situation westwarde as we haue for theyr vsuall trade with vs for that the farre South asterlynges doe know this parte of Europe by no other name then Portugall not greatly acquaynted as yet with the other nations thereof Theyr voyage is well vnderstoode of all men and the Southeasterne way rounde about Affrike by the cape of Good hope more spoken of better knowen traueyled than that it may seeme needefull to discourse thereof any further The seconde way lyeth Southwest betwyxt the West Indie or South America and the South continent through that narrow streicte where Magellanus first of all men that euer wee doe reade of passed these later yeeres leauyng therevnto therfore his name This way no doubt the Spanyardes would commodioâ—sly take for that it lyeth neare vnto their dominions there could the Easterne currant and leuant wyndes as easily suffer them to returne as speedily therewith they may be carryed thyther for the which difficultie or rather impossibilitie of striuing agaynst the force both of wynde and streame this passage is litle or nothyng vsed although it be very well knowen The thyrd way by the Northeast beyonde all Europe and Asie that woorthie and renowmed knight sir Hugh Willoughby sought to his perill enforced there to ende his lyfe for colde congealed and frosen to death And truely this way consisteth rather in the imagination of Geographers than allowable either in reason or approued by experience as wel it may appeare by the dangerous trending of the Scythish Cape set by Ortelius vnder the eight degree North by the vnlykely saylyng in that Northerne sea alwayes cladde with Yse and Snow or at the least continually pestred therewith if happely it be at any tyme dissolued besydes bayes shelfes the water waxyng more shallow towardes the East that we say nothyng of the foule mystes and darke fogs in the colde clime of the litle power of the Sunne to cleare the ayre of the vncomfortable nyghtes so neare the Pole fyue monethes long A fourth way to goe vnto these aforesayde happy Ilandes Moluccae Syr Humfrey Gilberte a learned and valiant Knyght discourseth of at large in his new passage to Cathayo and was attempted the last yeere by your Ho. seruaunt M Cap. Furbisher presently takyng vpon him with his company fully to discouer the same and is now if I be not deceyued ready for his voyage The enterpryse of it selfe beyng vertuous the facte must doubtlesse deserue hygh prayse and whansoeuer it shall be finished the fruites thereof can not be small where vertue is guyde there is fame a folower and fortune a Companion But the way is dangerous the passage doubtfull the voyage not throughly knowen and therfore gaynesayde by many after this maner Fyrst who can assure vs of any passage rather by the Northwest than by the Northeast doe not both wayes lye in equall distance from the North pole stande not the North capes of eyther continent vnder lyke eleuation Is not the Ocean sea beyonde America farther distant from our Meridian by .30 or .40 degrees West than the extreame pointes of Cathayo Eastward if Ortelius generall Carde of the world be true In the Northeast that noble Knyght sir Hugh Willoughby perished for colde and can you than promyse a passenger any better hap by the Northwest who hath gone for triall sake at any tyme this way out of Europe to Cathayo If you seeke the aduyse heerein of such as make profession in Cosmographie Ptolome the father of Geographie and his eldest children will answere by theyr Mappes with a negatiue concludyng moste of the sea within the land and makyng an end of the world northward neare the .36 degree The same opinion whan learnyng chiefly florished was receiued in the Romanes tyme as by their Poetes wrytynges it may appeare Et te colet vltima Thule sayd Virgile being of opinion that Iseland was the extreme parte of the world habitable towarde the North. Ioseph Moletius an Italian and Mercator a Germane for knowledge men able to be compared with the best Geographers of our time the one in his halfe Spheares of the whole worlde the other in some of his great Globes haue continued the West Indishe lande euen to the North Pole and consequently cut of all passage by sea that way The same Doctors Mercator in other of his Globes and Mappes Moletius in his sea carde neuerthelesse doubting of so great continuance of the former continent haue opened a goulph betwixt the West Indies and the extreme