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
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
of the Iland of Hispaniola aboue Cuba an Ilande of the Canibales Which narration hath geuen me occasion to extende Groneland beyond the promontorie or cape of Huitsarch to the contynent or fyrme lande of Lapponia aboue the castell of Wardhus whiche thyng I dyd the rather for that the reuerende Archebyshop of Nidrosia constantly affirmed that the sea bendeth there into the fourme of a crooked Elbowe It agreeth herewith also that the Lapones consent with them in the lyke Magicall practises and do neyther embrace the Christian religion nor refuse it wherby I haue thought this lykenesse of customes to be betweene them because they ioyne togeather in one continent The distance lykewyse seemeth not to disagree For beetweene both these people the distance is not full two hundred Schoeni euery one beyng a space of ground conteining threescore furlonges which make seauen myles a halfe It furthermore agreeth with this coniecture that Cabot chaunced into such yse And albeit as touching the Moneth of Iuly I wyll contend it is not well rehearsed no although he had sailed vnder the poole for such reasons as we haue declared before to the contrary neuerthelesse that at some tyme he sailed by yse this testifieth in that he sayled not by the mayne sea but in places neare vnto the land comprehending embrasing the sea in fourme of a gulfe whereas for the same cause the gulfe of Gothland is frosen because it is streyght and narrow ▪ in the which also the litle quantitie of salte water is ouercome by the abundance of fresh water of many and great ryuers that fall into the gulfe But betweene Norway and Island the sea is not frosen for the contrary cause forasmuch as the power of freshe water is there ouercome of the abundance of the salte water There is a fame but of vncertayne aucthoritie that the Spaniardes sayle at this present to Gronelande and to an other lande whiche they call Terra Viridis that is the greene lande bringyng from thence suche wares as are founde in Gronelande Towards the North ▪ it reacheth to the vnknowen land vnder the pole from whence also the theeues and robbers of the Pigmei come into this lande Which is an argument that the regions vnder the pole are inhabited almost enuironed with the sea as are they whiche the Cosmographers call Chersonnesi or Peninsulae that is almost Ilandes The description of Gronlande The description of the East syde which lyeth towarde Norway Wardhus Castle 54.  70. 30. Towarde the North. 53. 30. 71. 30. The fyrst extention 40.  71. 40. The second extention 28.  72.  Huitsarch promont 22.  67.  The extention 5.  61. 45. It is continued from thence by the coastes of the lande of Baccallaos 356. 60.   Towarde the West and North it is termined with an vnknowen ende of landes and seas     Islande ISlande is interpreted the land of Ise and is called of the olde wryters Thyle It is extended betweene the South and the North almost two hundred schoenes in longitude It is for the most parte full of mountaynes and vncultured But in the playnes it hath such fruitfull pastures that they are fayne sometymes to dryue the beastes from theyr feedyng least they should be suffocate with to much fatnesse This Ilande is famous by the strange myracles of nature of the whiche Saxo Grammaticus in his hystorie of Denmarke and Olanus Gothus in his description of the North landes doe make mention There are in it three mountaynes of marueylous height the toppes whereof are couered with perpetuall snowe but the nether partes of them are of lyke nature to the mountayne Etna in the Ilande of Sicilie boylyng with continuall flames of fyre and castyng foorth brymstone One of these is named Helga and the other Mons Crucis that is the mounte of the crosse The thyrd is named Hecla whose flames neyther consume flaxe or tow matters most apte to take fyre nor yet are quenched with water And with lyke force as the shot of great artillerie is driuen foorth by violence of fyre euen so by the commixtion and repugnance of fyre colde and brymstone great stones are heere throwne into the ayre Neare vnto these mountaynes are three chynkes or open places in the earth of huge bygnesse and such depth especially at the mount Hecla that no sight can attayne thereto But to such as looke into them there first appeare men as though they were drowned and yet breathyng foorth theyr soules who beyng exhorted by theyr friendes to resorte to theyr owne they answere with mournyng voyce and greeuous sighes that they must departe from thence to the mount Hecla and therewith sodaynely vanyshe out of sight He floweth about the Ilande for the space of seuen or eight monethes makyng by runnyng togeather a certayne miserable waylyng and gronyng noyse not vnlyke the voyce of man Thinhabitauntes thynke that in this Ise and the mount Hecla are the places where the euyll soules of theyr people are tormented If any man take a great portion of this Ise and keepe it as diligently as may be in a close vessell or cofer the same doeth so vanyshe at the tyme when the other Ise about the Ilande dissolueth that not so much as one droppe of water or Ise can thereof be founde Not farre from these mountaynes reachyng towarde the sea coastes are foure sprynges of water of most dyuers and contrary nature The fyrst by reason of his perpetuall and feruent heate sodaynely turneth all bodyes that are cast therein into stones reseruyng neuerthelesse theyr fyrst forme and shape The seconde is of intollerable coldnesse The thyrd is sweeter then hony and most pleasaunt to quench thyrst The fourth is playne poyson pestilent and deadly There is furthermore in these sprynges suche aboundaunce of brymstone that a thousande pounde weight thereof is bought for litle as for the tenth parte of a ducate Theyr chiefe wares are dryed fyshe as Soles Maydens Playces Salpas Stockefyshes and such other whiche they exchange for wheat and such other thinges as are brought thyther from Lubecke Hamborowe and Amsterdam For they haue oftentymes such scarsenesse of corne that they vse dryed fysh in the steade of bread although in sommer the Iland so florysheth with greene and fruitfull medowes that they are fayne somtimes to dryue theyr beastes from pasture least they should suffocate for to much fatnesse as I haue sayde before They make very good butter and apte to be vsed in matters of phisicke There are found diuers kindes of good Haukes as Faulcons Gerfaulcons Lanners and Sperhaukes Also Rauens Crowes Beares Hares and Foxes both white and blacke They haue most swift horses and such as run .xxx. miles continually without rest or baite They haue many churches houses builded of the bones of Whales
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
yet was not discouraged or despaired of the hope of his good aduenture which he afterwarde founde This doone he tooke shyppyng at Lisburne and came to Palos of Moguer where he communed with Martin Alonso Pinzon an expert Pilot who offered hym selfe vnto hym After this disclosyng the whole secretes of his mynd to Iohn Perez of Marchena a fryer of thorder of saint Frances in Rabida well learned in Cosmographie and declaryng vnto hym howe by folowyng the course of the Sunne by a temperate voyage rych and great landes myght be founde the fryer greatly commended his interpryse and gaue him counsayle to breake the matter to the Duke of Medina Sidonia Don Enrique of Guzman a great lorde and very rych and also to Don Luis of Cerda the Duke of Medina Celi who at that time had great prouision of shyps wel furnyshed in his hauen of Santa Maria. But whereas both these Dukes tooke the matter for a dreame and as a thyng deuised of an Italian deceyuer who as they thought had before with lyke pretence deluded the kynges of Englande and Portugale the fryer gaue hym courage to go to the courte of the Catholyke princes Don Ferdinando and lady Isabell princes of Castyle affyrmyng that they woulde be ioyful of suche newes And for his better furtherance herein wrote â—etters by hym to fryer Ferdinando of Talauera the queenes confessor Christopher Colon therefore repayred to the courte of the Catholyke princes in the yeere .1486 and delyuered vnto theyr handes the petition of his request as concernyng the discoueryng of the new Indies But they beyng more careful and applying al theyr mynde howe they myght dryue the Moores out of the kyngdome of Granada whiche greate enterprise they had alredy taken in hande dyd lyttle or nothyng esteeme the matter But Colon not thus discouraged founde the meanes to declare his sute to suche as had sometymes priuate communication with the kyng Yet because he was a straunger and went but in simple apparell nor otherwyse credited then by the letter of a gray frier they beleeued hym not neyther gaue eare to his woordes whereby he was greatly tormented in his imagination Onely Alonso of Quintanilia the kynges chiefe auditour gaue hym meate and drynke at his owne charges and hearde gladly such thynges as he declared of the landes not then founde desyryng hym in the meane tyme to be content with that poore enterteynment and not to despayre of his enterpryse puttyng hym also in good conforte that he should at one tyme or other come to the speache of the Catholyke princes And thus shortly after by the meanes of Alonso of Quintanilia Colon was brought to the presence and audience of the Cardinall Don Pero Gonzales of Mendoza archbishop of Toledo a man of great reuenues and authoritie with the kyng and queene who brought hym before them after that he well perceiued and examined his intent And by this meanes was his sute hearde of the Catholyke princes who also redde the booke of his memorials whiche he presented vnto them And although at the fyrst they tooke it for vayne and false that he promysed neuerthelesse they put hym in good hope that he shoulde be well dispatched when they had fynyshed the warres of Granada whiche they had nowe in hande With which answere Colon began to reuyue his spirites with hope to be better esteemed and more fauorably to be hearde among the gentelmen noble men of the courte who before tooke hym onely for a craftie felowe and deceyuer and was nothyng dismayde or discouraged when soeuer he debated the matter with them although many iudged hym phantasticall as is the maner of ignorant men to cal all suche as attempt any thyng beyonde theyr reache and the compasse of theyr knowledge thynkyng the worlde to be no bygger then the cagies wherein they are brought vp and lyue But to returne to Colon. So hotte and vrgente was the siege of Granada that they presentely graunted hym his demaunde to seeke the newe landes and to bryng from thence golde syluer pearles precious stones spices and suche other ryche thynges They gaue hym also the tenth part of all the reuenues and customes due vnto the kyng of all such landes as he shoulde discouer not doyng preiudice in any thyng to the kyng of Portugale The particulars of this agreement were made in the towne called Sancta Fe and the priuiledge of the rewarde in Granada the .xxx. daye of Apryll the same yeere that the citie was woonne And whereas the sayde Catholyke princes had not mony presently to dispatch Colon Luis of S. Angel the kynges secretary of accomtes lent them syxe Quentes of Maraz whiche in a grosse summe make .xvi. thousande ducades In the scutcheon of armes geuen to Columbus by Don Ferdinando and queene Isabella these verses were written Por Castella y por Leon. Nueuo mondo hallo Colon. For Castile and for Leon. A newe worlde founde was by Colon. VVhy they were called Indies SOme thynke that the people of the newe world were called Indians bycause they are of the colour of the east Indians And although as it semmeth to me they dyffer much in colour and fashions yet is it true that of India they were called Indians India is properly called that great prouince of Asia in the whiche great Alexander kepte his warres and was so named of the ryuer Indus and is diuided into many kyngdomes confinyng with the same From this great India called the East India came great companyes of men as wrytteth Herodotus and inhabited that part of Ethiopia that lyeth betweene the sea Bermeia otherwyse called the red sea or y e gulfe of Arabia and the ryuer of Nilus all whiche regions that great Christian prince Prester Iohn doth nowe possesse The said Indians preuayled so muche that they vtterly chaunged the customes and name of that lande and called it India by reason whereof Ethiopia also hath of long tyme ben called India And hereupon came it that Aristotle Seneca and certayne other olde authours sayd that India was not farre from Spayne After this also of later dayes our west India was so called of the sayde India of Prester Iohn where the Portugales had theyr trade For the Pilot of the Carauell that was fyrst dryuen by forcible wynde to an vnknowen lande in the west Ocean called the same India because the Portugales so called such landes as they had lately discouered eastward Christophor Colon also after the sayd Pilot called the west landes by the same name Albeit some that take Colonus for an expert Cosmographer thynke that he so named them of the East India as to be the furthest and vnknowen ende thereof reachyng into the West vnder the other hemispherie or halfe globe of the earth beneath vs affirming that when he fyrste attempted to discouer the Indies he went chiefly to seeke the ryche Ilande of Cipango whiche falleth on the part of great China or Cathay as wryteth Marcus Paulus Venetus and other And that he shoulde
they fel to theyr meate and ate the fyshe taken with other mens trauayle but they absteyned from the serpentes which they affirme to differ nothing from the Crocodiles of Egypt but only in bygnesse for as Plinie sayth Crocodiles haue sometymes ben found of .xviii. cubits long but of these the biggest were but of eyght foote Thus being wel refreshed they entred into the next wood where they found many of the same kynde of serpentes hanging vpon boughes of trees of the whiche some had theyr mouthes tyed with strynges and some theyr teeth taken out And as they searched the places neare vnto the hauen they sawe about .lxx. men in the top of a hygh rocke whiche fled as soone as they had espyed our men who by signes and tokens of peace callyng them agayne there was one which came neare them and stoode on the toppe of a rocke seemyng as though he were yet fearefull but the Admiral sent one Didacus to hym a man of the same countrey whom he had at his fyrste voyage taken in the ilande of Guanahaini being neare vnto Cuba wyllyng hym to come neare and not to be afraide When he hearde Didacus speake to hym in his owne tongue he came boldly to hym and shortly after resorted to his company perswading them to come without al feare After this message was done there dessended from the rockes to the shyps about threescore and ten of the inhabitantes profering frendship and gentlenesse to our men whiche the Admiral accepted thankfully and gaue them diuers rewardes and that the rather for that he had intelligence by Didacus the interpreter that they were the kynges fyshers sent of theyr lorde to take fyshe agaynst a solemne feast whiche he prepared for another kyng And whereas the Admiralles men had eaten the fyshe whiche they lefte at the fyre they were the gladder therof because they had lefte the serpentes for there is nothing among theyr delicate dysshes that they esteeme so muche as these serpentes in so muche that it is no more lawfull for common people to eate of them then Peacockes or Phesantes among vs as for the fyshes they doubted not to take as many more the same nyght Beyng asked why they fyrste rosted the fyshe whiche they entended to beare to theyr kyng they answeared that they myght be the fresher and vncorrupted Thus ioynyng handes for a token of further frendshyp euerye man resorted to his owne The Admirall went forwarde as he had appoynted folowyng the fallyng of the sunne from the beginning of Cuba called Alpha and O the shores or sea bankes euen vnto this hauen albeit they be full of trees yet are they rough with mountaines of these trees some were full of blossomes and flowres and other laden with fruites Beyonde the hauen the lande is more fertile and populus whose inhabitantes are more gentle and more desyrous of our thynges for as soone as they had espied our shyppes they flocked all to the shore bryngyng with them suche bread as they are accustomed to eate and gourdes ful of water offeryng them vnto our men and further desyryng them to come alande In al these Ilandes is a certaine kinde of trees as bigge as Elmes whiche beare Gourdes in the steade of fruites these they vse only for drynkyng pottes and to fetche water in but not for meate for the inner substance of them is sowrer then gall and the barke as harde as any shell At the Ides of May the watchmen lookyng out of the top castle of the shyp towarde the South sawe a multitude of Ilandes standyng thycke togeather being al wel replenished with trees grasse and hearbes and well inhabited in the shore of the continent he chaunced into a nauigable riuer whose water was so hot that no man might endure to abyde his hande therein anye time The day folowing espying a farre of a Canoa of fyshermen of the inhabitantes fearyng lest they shoulde flee at the syght of our men he commaunded certayne to assayle them priuily with the ship boates but they fearing nothing taryed the commyng of our men Nowe shall you heare a newe kynde of fyshyng Lyke as we with Greyhoundes do hunt Hares in the playne feeldes so doo they as it were with a hunting fishe take other fishes this fyshe was of shape or fourme vnknowen vnto vs but the bodye thereof not muche vnlyke a great yee le hauyng on the hynder parte of the head a very tough skynne lyke vnto a great bagge or purse this fyshe is tyed by the syde of the boate with a corde let downe so farre into the water that the fishe may lye close hid by the keele or bottome of the same for she may in no case abyde the syght of the ayre Thus when they espye any great fyshe or Tortoyse wherof there is great abundance bygger then great targettes they let the corde at length but when she feeleth her selfe loosed she inuadeth the fyshe or Tortoyse as swiftly as an arrowe and where she hath once fastened her holde she casteth the purse of skynne whereof we spake before and by drawyng the same togeather so graspeleth her pray that no mans strength is suffycient to vnloose the same excepte by lytle and lytle drawyng the lyne she be lyfted somwhat aboue the brymme of the water for then as sone as she seeth the brightnesse of the ayre she letteth goe her holde The praye therfore beyng nowe drawen nere to the brymme of the water there leapeth sodenly out of the boate into the sea so manye fyshers as may suffice to holde fast the praye vntyll the rest of the company haue taken it into the boate Whiche thyng doone they loose so muche of the corde that the huntyng fyshe may agayne returne to her place within the water where by an other corde they let downe to her a peece of the pray as we vse to rewarde greyhoundes after they haue kylled theyr game This fyshe they cal Guaicanum but our men cal it Reuersum They gaue our men foure Tortoyses taken by this meanes and those of suche byggenesse that they almost fylled theyr fyshyng boate for these fyshes are esteemed among them for delycate meate Our men recompensed them agayne with other rewardes and so let them depart Beyng asked of the compasse of that lande they aunsweared that it had no ende westwarde Most instantly they desyred the Admirall to come a lande or in his name to sende one with them to salute theyr Cazicus that is their kyng affirmyng that he woulde geue our men many presentes yf they would goe to hym But the Admirall lest he shoulde be hindered of the voyage whiche he had begunne refused to goe with them Then they desyred to knowe his name and tolde our men lykewise the name of theyr king Thus sayling on yet further euer towarde the West within fewe dayes he came nere vnto a certayne excedyng high mountayne wel inhabyted by reason of the
the Spanyardes was by his noughtie vsage and suche other as were confedered with hym so accensed to reuenge the iniuries whiche they susteyned at his handes besyde the abominable actes whiche they folowing only the lawe of nature abhorred to admit that he with his famylie famylyers and ditionaries of desperate minde fledde to the mountaines being distaunt from Isabella only tenne leagues westwarde towarde the north side of the sea These mountaynes and also the inhabitauntes of the same they call by one name Ciguaios The great king of all the kinges and regions of these mountaynes is called Maiobanexius and his court or pallace is named Capronus the mountaynes are rough high and such as no man can passe to the toppes therof they are also bending and haue their corners reaching downe to the sea Betweene both the corners of the mountaynes is there a greate playne by the whiche many riuers fall from the mountaynes into the sea the people are verye fierse and warlike men hauing theyr original of the Canibales for when they descend from the mountaynes to the playnes to keepe warre with theyr borderers they eate all such as they kil Guarionexius therfore fleeing to this kyng of these mountaynes gaue him many presentes of such thinges as are wanting in his countrey therwith declaring how vilely villanously and violently he had ben vsed of our men with whom he coulde nothyng preuaile neither by fayre meanes nor by foule nother by humilitie nor by stoutnesse and that to be the cause of his resorting to hym at that tyme most humbly desyring him to be his defence agaynst thoppressions of suche myscheuous people Maiobanexius hereuppon made hym promisse to ayde and helpe hym against the Christians al that he might The Lieutenant therefore made haste to the fortresse of Conception whither as soone as he was come he sent for Roldanus Xeminus who with suche as folowed hym lay in certayne of the Iland villages xii myles distant from the fortresse At his commyng the Lieuetenaunt asked him what al these sturres and tumultes meant He answered without abashment Your brother the Admiral hath to doo therewith and shall aunswere for the fame before the kyng for we perceiue that the kyng hath so put hym in trust that he hath had no regarde to vs here we peryshe for hunger whyle we folowe you and are dryuen to seeke our vnhappye foode in the desartes Your brother also assigned me assystaunt with you in gouernyng the Ilande Wherefore syth you haue na more respecte vnto vs we are determined no longer to be vnder your obedience When Roldanus had spoken these wordes and suche other the Lieuetenaunt woulde haue layde handes on hym but he escaped his fyngers and fledde to the West partes of the region of Xaragua hauyng with hym a trayne of threescore and ten men whiche were of his confederacie Here this fylthy synke of rebelles thus conspired playde theyr vages and lyued with loose brydles in al kynde of myscheefe robbyng the people spoyling the countrey and rauishyng both wyues and virgins Whyle these thynges were dooing in the Ilande the Admiral had eight shippes appoynted him by the kyng of the whiche he sent two laden with vyttualles from Cales or Gades of Hercules pyllers directly to the Lieuetenant his brother These shyps by chaunce arryued fyrst on that syde of the Ilande where Roldanus Xeminus ranged with his companions Roldanus in short tyme had seduced them promysyng them in the steede of mattockes wenches pappes for labour pleasure for hunger abundance and for weerynesse and watching sleepe and quietnesse Guarionexius in the meane tyme assembled a power of his frendes and confederates came oftentymes downe into the playne and slue as many of the Christian men as he coulde meete conuenientlye and also the Ilande men whiche were theyr freendes wasting theyr grounde destroying theyr seedes and spoyling their vyllages But Roldanus and his adherentes albeit they had knowledge that the Admiral woulde shortly come yet feared they nothing because they had seduced the newe men whiche came in the fyrst shyppes Whyle the Lieuetenaunt was thus tossed in the myddest of these stormes in the meane tyme his brother the Admiral set forwarde from the coastes of Spayne but not directly to Hispaniola for he turned more towarde the south In the whiche voyage what he dyd what coastes both of the lande and sea he compassed and what newe regions he discouered we wyl fyrst declare for to what ende and conclusion the sayd tumultes and seditions came we wyl expresse in the ende of the booke folowyng Thus fare ye well The syxt booke of the fyrst Decade to Lodouike Cardinal of Aragonie COlonus the Admirall the thirde day of the Calendes of Iune in the yeere of Christe 1498. hoysed vp his sayles in the hauen of the towne Barramedabas not farre distant from Cales and set forwarde on his voyage with eyght shyppes laden with vittualles and other necessaries He diuerted from his accustomed race whiche was by the Ilandes of Canarie by reason of certayne frenchmen pyrates and rouers on the sea whiche lay in the ryght way to meete with hym In the way from Cales to the Ilandes of Canarie about fourescore and tenne myles towarde the left hande is the Ilande of Madera more southward then the citie of Ciuile by foure degrees for the Pole Artike is eleuate to Ciuile .xxxvi. degrees but to this Ilande as the Mariners say only .xxxii. He sayled therefore fyrst to Madera and sendyng from thence directly to Hispaniola the residue of the shippes laden with vittualles and other necessaries he him selfe with one shyppe with deckes and two Marchant Carauelles coasted towarde the South to come to the Equinoctial lyne and so foorth to folowe the tracte of the same towarde the West to the intent to search the natures of suche places as he coulde finde vnder or neare vnto the same leauing Hispaniola on the north side on his ryght hande In the middle of this race lye xiii Ilandes of the Portugales whiche were in olde tyme called Hesperides and are nowe called Caput Viride or Cabouerde these are situate in the sea ryght ouer agaynst the inner partes of Ethiope Westwarde two dayes saylyng One of these the Portugales call Bonauista With the Snayles or rather the Tortoyses of this Ilande many leprous men are healed and cleansed of theyr leprosie Departing sodainly from hence by reason of the contagiousnesse of the ayre he sayled CCCClxxx myles toward the West southwest whiche is in the middest betweene the West and the South There was he so vexed with maladies and heate for it was the moneth of Iune that his shyps were almost set on fyre The hoopes of his barrels cracked and brake and the fresh water ranne out the men also complayned that they were not able to abide that extremitie of heate Here the north pole was eleuate onely .v. degrees from the Hozizontall For the space
slayne of any wylde beast As many hartes or wylde bores as our men woulde desyre them to bryng they woulde kyll in the woodes with their arrowes and not to fayle to bryng them They lacke kyne goates and sheepe Theyr bread is made of rootes as is theyrs of the Ilands This nation hath blacke heare grosse and somwhat curlde yet long also They keepe theyr teeth very whyte and for that purpose vse to cary a certaine herbe betwene theyr lyppes for the most part of the day and to washe theyr mouthts when they cast it away The women doo all theyr busynes at home in theyr howses and haue also the cure of tyllage of the grounde but the men apply them selues to the warres and huntyng to playe syngyng and daunsyng They haue sundry kyndes of water pottes iugges and drinkyng cuppes made of earth in other places about them and brought thyther for exchaung of other thynges For they vse fayres and markettes for the same purpose and are greatly desyrous of such thynges as are not brought forth or made in theyr countrey as nature hath geuen a disposytion to al men to desyre and be delyted with newe and strang thynges Many of them had hangyng at theyr pearles the images of certeine beastes and birdes very artifitiously made of golde but not pure these also are brought them from other places for exchang of other thynges The golde wherof they are made is natiue and of much lyke finenes to that wherof the florens are coyned The men of this countrey inclose theyr priuie members in a gourde cutte after the fashioÌ„ of a coddepice or els couer the same with the shell of a tortoyse tyed about theyr loynes with laces of gossampine cotton In other places of that tract they thrust the synew within the sheeth therof and bynde the skinne fast with a string The great wylde beastes wherof we spake before and many other thynges which are not found in any of the Ilandes testifie that this region is parte of y e continet or firme lande But the chiefest coniecture wherby they argue the same is that by the coastes of that lande from Paria towarde the west they sayled about three M. myles findyng no signe or token of any ende These people of Curiana whiche some call Curtana being demaunded where they had such plentie of golde signified that it was brought them from a region called Canchieta or Cauchieta beyng distant from them sixe sunnes that is sixe dayes iourney westwarde and that theyr images of golde were made in the same region Whereupon our men directed theyr voyage thyther immediatly and aryued there at the Kalendes of Nouember in the yeere of Christe a thousande and fyue hundred The people of the countrey resorted to them without feare bryngyng with them of the golde whiche we sayde to be natiue in that region This people had also collers of pearles about theyr neckes which were brought them from Curiana for exchaunge of theyr marchandises None of them woulde exchaunge anye of those thynges whiche they had out of other countreys as neyther the Curians golde nor the Canchietans pearles yet among the Canchietans they founde but lytle golde redy geathered They toke with them from thence certayne very fayre Marmasets or Munkeyes and many Popyngayes of sundrye coloures In the moneth of Nouember the ayre was there most temperate and nothyng colde The guardens of the north pole were out of syght to both these people they are so neare the Equinoctial Of the degrees of the pole they can geue none other accompte These people are wel disposed men of honest conditions and nothyng suspitious for almost al the nyght long they resorted to the shyppe with theyr boates and went aboorde shyppe without feare as dyd the Curians They call pearles Corixas They are somewhat ielous for when anye straungers come among them they euer place theyr women behynde them In this region of Canchieta the gossampine trees growe of them selues commonly in many places as doo with vs elmes wyllowes and sallowes and therefore they vse to make breeches of cotton wherewith they couer theyr priuie partes in many other regions thereabout When they had yet sayled on forwarde by the same coastes there came forth against them about two thousande men armed after theyr manner forbyddyng them to come alande These people were so rude and sauage that our men coulde by no meanes allure them to familiaritie Our men therefore contented only with theyr pearles returned backe y e same way they came where they remained with the Curians continually for the space of .xx. dayes fylled theyr bellies wel with good meate And here it seemeth to me not farre from my purpose to declare what chaunced vnto them in theyr returne when they came now within the sight of the coast of Paria They happened therfore in the way at Os Draconis and the gulfes of Paria wherof we spake before to meete with a nauy of xviii Canoas of Canibales which went a rouing to hunt for men who assoone as they had espied our men assailed their ship fiercely without feare enclosed y e same disturbing our men on euery side with their arrowes but our men so feared them with theyr gunnes that they fled immediatly whoÌ„ our men folowing with the shyp boate tooke one of theyr Canoas and in it only one Canibal for the other had escaped and with him another man bounde who with teares runnyng downe his cheekes and with gesture of his handes eyes and head signified that sixe of his companions had ben cruelly cut in peeces and eaten of that mischeuous nation and that he shoulde haue ben likewyse handled the day folowyng wherefore they gaue hym power ouer the Canibal to do with him what he would Then with the Canibals owne clubbe he layde on hym al that he might dryue with hande and foote grinning and fâ—etting as it had ben a wyld bore thinkyng that he had not yet sufficiently reuenged the death of his companions when he had beaten out his braynes and guttes When he was demaunded after what sort the Canibales were woont to inuade other countreys he answered that they euer vsed to carye with them in theyr Canoas a great multitude of clubbes the whiche wheresoeuer they do lande they pytch in the grounde and encampe them selues within the compasse of the same to lye the more safely in the nyght season In Curiana they founde the head of a captayne of the Canibales nayled ouer the doore of a certayne gouernour for a token of victorye as it had ben the standerde or helmet taken from the enimie in battayle In these coastes of Paria is a region called Haraia in the which great plentie of salt is geathered after a strange sorte for the sea beyng there tossed with the power of the wyndes dryueth the salte waters into a large playne by the sea syde where afterwarde when the sea waxeth calme and the
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
and many also with slate or other stone The Barbarians them selues confessed that they were that day fourtie thousande men at the battayle which were vanquished of a fewe by reason of the newe and vnknowen kynde of feyght with gunnes and horses For the gouernour had vnbarked .xvi. horses which were also at the battayle and so fyercely assayled the Barbarians on the backehalfe that they brake theyr array and scattered them as it had ben flockes of sheepe ouerthrowing woūding killing them on euery syde Which thing the seely wretches so imputed to a miracle that they had not y e power to occupie their weapones For wheras before they had neuer seene any horses they thought that y e man on horsebacke and the horse had ben all one beaste as the antiquitie dyd fable of the monster Centaurus Our men possessed the towne .xxii. dayes where they made good cheare vnder couert whyle the owners of the houses lay vnder the fyrmament and durst not assayle our men who had placed them selues in the stroungest part of the towne where some kept contynual watch lest the Barbarians shoulde sodenly inuade them whyle other gaue them selues to rest and sleepe The inhabitauntes call this towne Potanchana but our men for the victorie which they obteyned here named it Victoria It is a marueilous thyng to consider the greatnesse magnificence finenesse of the building of certayne palaces they haue in the countrey to the which they resort somtymes for theyr solace and pastyme These are curiously builded with many pleasaunt diuises as galeries solars turrettes portals gutters with chambers boorded after the maner of our waynescot and well floored Foure of our Spaniardes went into one of them of such greatnesse that they wandred in the same for the space of foure houres before they coulde fynde the way out At the length by the interpretours and certayne captiues our men sent for the kyng and suche rulers as were next vnder hym in aucthoritie wyllyng them to submyt them selues and to come into the towne vnarmed geuyng the messengers further in commaundement to certifie them that in theyr so doyng they woulde commune with them as concerning conditions of peace and restore them theyr towne They came gladly and entred euery man into his owne house vpon condition that they shoulde euer thereafter absteyne from such ceremonies and horrible sacrifices of mans fleshe to deuils the mortal enemies to mankinde whose Images they honoured to direct the eyes of theyr myndes to Christ our God y e maker of heauen and earth who was borne into this worlde of a virgin and suffred death on the crosse for the redemption of mankynde and finally to professe them selues subiectes to the Christian kyng of Spayne They promised both and were instructed as farre as the shortnesse of tyme woulde permit Beyng thus restored they recompensed our men with many rewardes supposyng suche men to be sent from heauen whiche beyng so fewe in number durst attempt battayle agaynst so great a multitude They gaue our men also certayne golde and twentie slaues Departyng therefore from hence and coasting styll along by the same shore they came agayne to the gulfe whiche Alaminus the pilot founde before vnder Grisalua This they named Bian Sancti Iohannis that is Saint Iohns gulfe for Bian in the Spanishe tounge signifieth a gulfe Heere the inhabitantes resorted to them peaceably About a myle from the shore was a towne of a thousand and fyue hundred houses situate vpon a hyll They profered our men halfe the towne if they would dwel with them for euer This perhaps they dyd the rather eyther fearyng the example of the inhabitantes of Potanchana the fame whereof myght haue come to theyr eares or els hopyng that vnder the shadowe of suche valiaunt men they myght obteyne ayde and succour agaynst theyr enemies and borderers For as I haue sayde before they destroy one an other with contynuall warre for the desire to enlarge theyr dominions Our men refused parpetuall habitation and accepted theyr frendly proffer for a tyme. As they came alande the people folowed them on euerye syde with bowes in theyr handes whiche they helde ouer our mens heades to defend them from the rayne as though they had walked in a continuall arbour Heere they encamped And lest the residue left in the shyps shoulde in the meane tyme waxe slouthfull with Idlenesse the gouernour gaue commaundement to Alaminus the pilot and Francis Montegius to searche the West partes of that land while he releeued the weeried souldiers and healed such as were wounded To them that went forward on this viage he assigned two brigantines with fyftie men Unto this gulfe the course of the water was gentle enough and moderate but when they had sailed a litle further toward the West they founde the sea running with so swift a course as if it were a great riuer fallyng from the toppes of hygh mountaynes insomuch that in a short space of tyme it caried them fiftie myles from theyr felowes When they were now entred into this violent streame of water they saw on their left hande a large plaine sea which met with the course of the other waters falling from the West And lyke as two great riuers that runne contrarye waies make a vehement conflict where they meete so seemed the waters comming from the South to resyst these waters as enemies that had entred into the ryght or possession of an other On the contrary part they sawe the lande reachyng farre both on the left hande and on the ryght In this stryfe betwene the waters they were so tossed on both sydes and entangled with whirlepoles that they long wrestled without hope of lyfe At the length with muche difficultie turnyng the stemmes or forpartes of theyr shyppes agaynst the streame from whence they came and labouryng all that they myght with theyr ores and sayles they coulde scarsely ouercome the rage of the water insomuche that were as they thought that they had in one nyght sayled two myles they founde that they were dryuen backe foure myles Yet at the length with gods helpe they ouercame this daungerours conflycte They spent xxii dayes in this litle space of sea And when they were nowe returned to theyr felowes declared vnto them that that ende was the lande of Coluacana whiche they adiudged to be part of the supposed continent The lande whiche they sawe a farre of before theyr face they suppose eyther to be annexed to our continent ▪ or to be ioyned to the large North regions called Baccalaos whereof we haue made mention in our Decades in the voiage of Sebastian Cabote This matter is yet doubtefull but we trust it shall once be better knowen While Alaminus and Montegius searched these secretes the kyng of the prouince whose name was Multoxumam sent our men by one of his chiefe officers beyng also his Lieuetenaunt of the sayde towne many ryche and goodly presentes of golde
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
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
and had large communication of many thynges The Captayne persuaded them to the Christian fayth whiche they gladly embrased and tooke such pleasure in hearyng the articles of our beliefe that the teares fell from theyr eyes for ioye They were baptised and shortly after all the people of the Ilande They esteeme nothing more precious then drynkyng glasses of Uenice woorke When they came to the citie they founde the kyng in his Pallace sitting vppon a floore or storie made of the leaues of Date trees wrought after a curious deuise lyke a certayne kynde of mattes He had vppon his body none other apparell but only a cloth of Bombasine cotton hangyng before his priuie partes On his head he had a vayle of needle worke and about his necke a chayne of great price At his eares hung two Rynges of gold wherein were inclosed many precious stones He was but of small stature but somewhat grosse and had the residue of his body paynted with dyuers colours whereof some were lyke vnto flamyng fyre Before him he had two vesselles made of the fine earth called Porcellana with sodden egges Also foure vesselles of Porcellana full of wyne made of Date trees and couered with many odoriferous hearbes The Prince brought them to his house where he had foure daughters very wel fauoured and whyte lyke ours Hee caused them to daunce all naked and therewith to sing and playe on certayne Tymbrelles made of metall At this tyme it so chaunced that one of the Spanyardes dyed in one of the shyppes and when certayne of theyr company desired the kyng to gyue them leaue to burie him on the land he answered that forasmuche as he and all his were at the commaundement of theyr kyng and maister howe muche more ought the grounde so to bee They greatly marueyled at the ceremonies parteynyng to the maner of our funeralles and honoured the crosses whiche were set at both the endes the graue They lyue with iustice and vse weightes and measures Their houses are made of Tymber and sawne boordes and are so builded aboue the grounde vppon proppes and pyles that they ascende to the same by certayne stayers Under theyr houses they keepe theyr Hogges and Hennes When they came to barteryng they gaue golde Ryse Hogges Hennes and dyuers other thynges for some of our tryfles of small value They gaue tenne Pesos of golde for sixtiene poundes weyght of Iron One Pesus is in value a ducate and a halfe The Sunday folowyng the kyng was baptysed with great solemnitie at which tyme the Captayne admonyshed him before not to be afrayde at the shootyng of of the ordinance bycause it was theyr custome so to doe at such solemne feastes After this the Captayne caused them to breake all theyr Idoles and to set vp the crosse in dyuers places praying to the same both mornyng and euenyng kneelyng on theyr knees and holdyng vp theyr handes ioyned togeather The kyng in his baptisme was named Charles after the Emperours name and the Prince Ferdinando after the name of his maiesties brother The kyng of Messana was named Iohn the Moore Christopher To all other they gaue suche names as are commonly vsed in Christendome And thus before masse was begunne were fyue hundred men baptised When masse was finyshed the Captayne inuited the Kyng to dyne with him in his shyppe and at his commyng caused the ordinaunce to be discharged The Queene was also baptised with fourtie of her gentlewomen and her daughter the princes wyfe The Queene was very young and fayre hauyng her bodie couered with a whyte cloth Her lyppes were redde and she had on her head a Hatte on the toppe wherof was a triple crowne much lyke the Popes this crowne and the Hat were made of the leaues of Date trees Within the space of eyght dayes the inhabitantes of the Ilande were baptised excepte one village of Idolatours who would not herein obey the kynges commaundement Wherevppon the Captayne sent certayne of his men thyther who burnt the towne and erected a crosse in that place bycause the people of the vyllage were Gentyles that is Idolaters But if they had been Moores that is Machumetistes they woulde haue erected a pyller of stone bycause the Moores are more stubberne and harder to be conuerted then are the gentiles When the Queene came to the place where she should heare masse shee came foorth with great pompe and solemnitie hauyng going before her three young damosels and three men with their Cappes in their hands whom she folowed apparelled in whyte and blacke with a great vayle of silke vppon her head fringed about with golde which couered her hatte and hung downe to her shoulders She had also a great trayne of women folowyng her beyng all barefooted and naked excepte that vppon theyr heades and priuie partes they wore certayne vayles of silke and had theyr heare spredde Before the kyng of Zubut was baptised he was named Raia Humabuon When the Captayne demaunded of him why all the Idolles in the Ilande were not burnt accordyng to his promyse he answered that they esteemed them no more as goddes but only made sacrifice to them for the Princes brother who was very sicke and as noble and wittie a man as was in the Ilande The Captayne answered that if he would burne all his Idoles and beleeue faythfully in Christ and be baptised he should bee immediately restored to health and that he would els giue them leaue to stryke of his head By these woordes and persuasions of the Captayne he conceyued suche hope of health that after he was baptised hee felte no mare greefe of his disease And this was a manifeste myracle wrought in our tyme whereby diuers Infidelles were conuerted to our fayth and theyr Idolles destroyed and also theyr Altars ouerthrowen on the which they were accustomed to eate the sacrificed fleshe The people of the Ilande paye the kyng a portion of victualles for theyr tribute by all theyr cities and vyllages Not farre from this Ilande of Zubut is the Ilande of Mathan whose inhabitantes vse marueylous ceremonies in theyr sacrifices to the sonne and burying the dead They weare ringes of golde about their priuie members The Iland is gouerned by two Princes whereof the one is named Zula and the other Cilapulapu And whereas this Cilapulapu refused to paye tribute to the kyng of Spayne the Captayne went agaynst him in his owne person with .60 of his men armed with coates of mayle and Helmets Cilapulapu diuided his army into three battayles hauyng in euery battayle two thousand fyftie men with armed bowes arrowes dartes and Iauelins hardened at the poyntes with fyre This continued long and sharpe But the Captayne being a valiaunt man and preasing him selfe in the brunte of the battaile was sore wounded and slaine forasmuche as the most of the Barbarians directed all their force agaynst him Besyde the Captayne were slayne of our men about .viii. or .ix. Of the
is the chiefe that the Catholyke fayth and Christian religion specially in this our tyme may in all places be exalted amplified and enlarged whereby the health of soules may be procured and the Barbarous nations subdued and brought to the fayth And therefore whereas by the fauour of Gods clemencie although not without equall desertes we are called to this holy seate of Peter and vnderstanding you to be true Catholyke princes as we haue euer knowen you and as your noble and woorthy factes haue declared in maner to the whole world in that with all your studie diligence and industry you haue spared no trauayles charges or peryls aduenturyng euen the shedyng of your owne blood with applying your whole myndes and endeuours herevnto as your noble expeditions achyued in recouering the kyngdom of Granata from the tyrrany of the Sarracens in these our dayes do plainly declare your factes with so great glory of the diuine name For the whiche as we thynk you worthy so ought we of our owne free wyl fauorably to graunt you al thynges whereby you may dayly with more feruent myndes to the honour of God and enlargyng the Christian Empire prosecute your deuout and laudable purpose most acceptable to the immortall God We are credibly infourmed that whereas of late you were determyned to seeke and fynde certayne Ilandes and fyrme landes farre remote and vnknowen and not heretofore founde by any other to the intent to bryng the inhabitantes of the same to honor our redeemer to professe the catholike fayth you haue hytherto been much occupied in the expugnation and recouerie of the kyngdome of Granata by reason wherof you coulde not bryng your sayde laudable purpose to the ende desyred Neuerthelesse as it hath pleased almyghtie God the foresayde kyngdome beyng recouered wyllyng to accomplishe your sayde desyre you haue not without great labour peryls charges appoynted our welbeloued sonne Christopher Colonus a man certesse wel commended as most worthy and apt for so great a matter well furnyshed with men and shippes and other necessaries to seeke by the sea where hytherto no man hath sayled suche firme landes and Ilandes farre remote and hytherto vnknowen who by Gods helpe makyng diligent searche in the Ocean sea haue founde certayne remote Ilandes firme landes whiche were not heretofore found by any other in the whiche as is sayde many nations inhabite lyuyng peaceably and goyng naked not accustomed to eate fleshe and as farre as your messengers can coniecture the nations inhabytyng the foresayd landes and Ilandes beleeue that there is one God creator in heauen and seeme apt to be brought to the imbrasyng of the catholyke fayth and to be imbued with good maners by reason wherof we may hope that yf they be well instructed they may easyly be induced to receyue the name of our sauiour Iesus Christe We are further aduertised that the forenamed Christopher hath now buylded and erected a fortresse with good munition in one of the foresayde principall Ilandes in the whiche he hath placed a garryson of certayne of the Christian men that went thyther with hym aswell to thintent to defende the same as also to searche other Ilandes and firme landes farre remote and yet vnknowen We also vnderstande that in these landes and Ilandes lately founde is great plentie of Golde and Spyces with diuers and manye other precious thynges of sundrye kyndes and qualities Therfore all thynges diligently consydered especially the amplyfying and enlargyng of the catholike fayth as i◠behoueth catholike princes folowyng the examples of your noble progenitours of famous memorie whereas you are determined by the fauour of almyghtie God to subdue and bryng to the catholyke fayth thinhabitantes of the aforesayde landes and Ilandes We greatly commendyng this your godly and laudable purpose in our Lorde and desyrous to haue the same brought to a due ende and the name of our sauiour to be knowen in those partes do exhort you in our Lorde and by the receiuyng of your holy baptysme wherby you are bound to Apostolical obedience earnestly require you by the bowels of mercie of our Lord Iesu Christ that when you intende for the zeale of the Catholyke fayth to prosecute the sayde expedition to reduce the people of the forsayde landes and Ilandes to the Christian relgion you shall spare no labours at any tyme or be deterred with any peryls conceiuyng fyrme hope and confidence that the omnipotent God wyll geue good successe to your godly attemptes And that beyng auctorysed by the priuilege of the Apostolycall grace you may the more freely and boldly take vppon you thenterpryse of so great a matter we of our owne motion and not eyther at your request or at the instant petition of any other person but of our owne mere liberalitie and certayne science and by the fulnesse of Apostolycall power do geue graunt and assigne to you your heyres and successours all the fyrme landes and Ilandes found or to be foūd discouered or to be discouered toward y e west south drawing a lyne from the pole Artik to y e pole Antartike that is from the North to the South Contaynyng in this donation whatsoeuer fyrme landes or Ilandes are founde or to be founde towarde India or towarde any other part what so euer it be beyng distant from or without the foresayde line drawen a hundred leagues towarde the West and South from any of the Ilandes whiche are commonly called De los Azores and Capo verde All the Ilandes therefore and fyrme landes founde and to be founde discouered and to be discouered from the sayde line towarde the West and South such as haue not actually ben heretofore possessed by any other Christian kyng or prynce vntyll the daye of the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesu Christ laste paste from the whiche begynneth this present yeere beyng the yeere of our Lorde M. CCCC.lxxxxiii when so euer any such shal be founde by your messengers and captaynes we by the aucthoritie of almyghty GOD graunted vnto vs in saint Peter and by the office whiche we beare on the earth in the steede of Iesu Christ do for euer by the tenor of these presentes geue graunt assigne vnto you your heyres and successours the kynges of Castyle and Legion all those landes and Ilandes with theyr dominions Territories cities castels towres places and villages with all the ryght and iurisdictions thereunto parteynyng constitutyng assignyng and deputyng you your heyres and successours the lordes thereof with full and free power aucthoritie and iurisdiction Decreeyng neuerthelesse by this our donation graunt and assignation that from no Christian Prince which actually hath possessed the foresayde Ilandes and fyrme landes vnto the daye of the natiuitie of our Lord beforesayd theyr ryght obteyned to be vnderstoode hereby to be taken away or that it ought to be taken away Furthermore we commaunde you in the vertue of holy obedience as you haue promysed and as we doubte not you wyll do vppon mere deuotion and princely
soules rest in Caues and to be that reflexion of the ayre the which we doe call Eccho Dec. 8. c. 9. The contention betwixte Garaius and Cortesius for ambition Dec. 7. c. 5. Dec. 8. cap. 1. .2 The great Cormorantes that deuoure fishe of fyue pounde weight at one morsel Dec. 7. c. 9. The shamelesse daunses of naked women at theyr funeralles and obsequies Dec. 7. c. 10. Theyr woorshipping of the crosse in Saltier .x. Or made thus x vppon theyr newe borne babes to dryue away deuylles as also in the nyght tyme if they feare any thyng imagining with that signe the place to be purified Dec. 8. c. 9. The Chiribikes follies in daunsing whole weekes togeather theyr language full of difficulties for leauyng out some sillables in speech theyr maner of mariage by clippyng the brydes heare Dec. 8. c. 8. The dead bodyes of gentlemen to be rosted so hanged vp to roofe for buttry goddes the bones of other that laye buried a whole yeere to be taken vp againe at the .xii. monethes ende and solempnely buried Decade 8. c. 9. To conclude How Captayne Olitus whom Cortesius feared not a litle therefore sent vnder the pretexte of honour as it were to discouer other landes tooke head him selfe agaynst Cortesius and miserably was murthered in the end Dec. 8. c 6 .10 These with some other the lyke thinges may the curious reader finde in many woordes set downe in the aforesayde .7 and .8 Decades spoken of all for the most parte before in P. Martyr his other doinges or mentioned in Ouiedus Summary or by R. Eden briefly noted or not greatly needfull to be set foorth at large in Englyshe except they were matters of greater weight One speciall thing I obserued amongst other in reading ouer these .6 7. and 8. Decades to wyt the West Indians not onely to be conquered by the Spaniardes but also to be theyr slaues and bondmen the cause why after the conquest made of them the Spanyardes doe in continuall bondage and slauery keepe them vnder is expresly brought foorth by Pe. Martyr Dec. 7. c. 4. in the spanysh tounge as it was read at the Indishe counsayle boorde in Spayne and may thus be Englished These be the Indians qualities in respecte whereof they deserue no libertie IN the continent or fyrme lande they eate mans fleshe they be more gyuen to Sodomye than any other nation of the world there is no order of iustice among them they goe naked they haue neyther loue nor honestie they bee fooles and furious there is no truth in them except it be for theyr owne profit inconstant without all discretion very vnkynde louers of nouelties they delyght to make them selues dronke with wynes made of diuers hearbes fruites and graine as ale and sider to ouercome their braynes as wel otherwise with hearbs as in making drinke thereof or eating them â–ª They are very bruitishe and doe make it a prayse to wallowe in vyces No obedience no reuerence at all sheweth the young man to the olde the childe to his father Neyther teaching nor chastning amendeth them they be traitors cruell so full of reuenge that they neuer forgyue any offence great enemyes vnto our religion They be slothfull theeues of iudgement very grosse and base without all honestie and good order Neither doe the men behaue them selues loyally with theyr wyues nor the wyues with their husbandes they be superstitiously giuen to soothsaying as fearful as Hares filthes eating lyse spiders woormes whersoeuer they finde them they haue no arte nor good condition of men Hauing learned any pointes of Christian religion they are woont to say that to be good in Spayne but in India nothing woorth for that they desire not to alter their maners They haue no beardes for they peele and plucke vp the heare as faste as it groweth They take no pietie on sicke folke suche as bee very sicke they gyue ouer to some one kynsman or neighbour of theyrs or els carry them to the mountaynes to dye there leauing with them some small portion of bread and water and so goe theyr way The elder they waxe the woorse they bee vntyll they be .xi. or .xii. yeeres olde some hope there is that they would prooue ciuil and vertuous when they grow elder they become bruit beasts In conclusion I say that god neuer created so corrupte a people for vice and beastlinesse without any mixture of goodnesse and ciuilitie they are as blockishe as Asses making no accompt at all to kyll them selues In the fyft Decade is written by P. Martyr or geathered rather by him out of Ferd. Cortesius relations the conquest of that portion of the West Indishe continent that lyeth in the hot zone neare the Tropike of Cancer betwyxte our Weste sea and Mar del zur the chiefe prouince wherein is Mexico and the principall citie Themistitan This region after that it was conquered by Cortesius beganne to be called Noua Hispania newe Spayne for the lykenesse thereof vnto the Spanysh kyngdome in nature of soyle greatnesse disposition of the ayre other such lyke thynges as Cortesius him selfe writeth vnto Charles the fifth humbly desiryng his maiestie to allowe of that name Some later wryters haue gyuen the particuler name of one shyre vnto the whole callyng it Mexico and the generall name of that whole shyre to the head citie therein calling Themistitan lykewyse Mexico howbeit in trueth Themistitan is the principal citie in Mexico prouince Mexico the chiefe prouince in all newe Spaigne Of this countrey the commodities it doeth yeelde the nature of the inhabiters partly you haue already seene in Gon. Ferd. Ouiedus historie Fol. 221. and chiefely Fol. 225. The kyng of this countrey bare name Monte Zuma or Muteezuma as Cortesius that conquered him writeth â–ª in P. Martyr his Decades printed in Spaigne An. d. 1530. Meteezuma in his .4 â–ª Decade entituled de insul nuper inuentis to no. orb p. 506. Multoxumam as also in the last edition thereof at Cullen ioyntly with the three first decades the which our Printer in the translation hereof hath folowed in the discourse of the West Indies Ilandes Straunge names are many tymes diuersly written though in effecte they meane all one Henricus say we with the Frenchmen Henry the Almans Henreich the Italians Arrigo the Portugales Henrico as Barros speaking of king Iohn the first his sonne whom Cadamust called in his Nauigation Huric This kyng was so welthie so mightie his dominions so large that the inhabiters knew no other prince in all the worlde of him Cortesius had intelligence by Montegius and Portucarrerius and from him certaine rich presentes for his maister Charles Themperour as in the aforesayd discourse of the west Indish Ilands it hath ben sayde Wherefore the .16 day of August in the yeere of our Lorde .1520 Ferdinandus Cortesius with .15 light horsemen and fyue hundred footemen well appoynted besides three noble men of the citie Cempoal named Teuchius Mamexus
Priuilegio Kyng of Portugale Algarbs Lorde of Guinea of the coÌ„quest nauigation and trafike into Ethiopia Arabia Persia India The first part the first Decadâ— The second Decade The third Decade The fourth Decade The seconde part The thyrde part The fourth part A harde begynyng The Pylot that fyrst founde the Indies Mina Colon was not much learned Colon conferred with learned men Kyng Henry the seuenth Barnarde knewe not all thynges The conquest of Granada The archbâ—shop of Toledo The colour of the East Indians The coloure of the west Indians Gods wysedome power is seene in his workes Thyle is Islande The largenesse of the Ocean vnknowen to this day Cardinal Ascanius The warres at Granatum agaynst the Moores Italy disquieted with warres The sequeles of warre Kyng Frederike Spayne subdued from the Moores The kyngdome of Naples The temperatnesse of the Equinoctiall vnknowen to the olde wryters Continent or fyrme lande as bygge as three Europes Riches are the instruments of conquestes The rewardâ— of vertue The Ilandes of the West Ocean Christophorus Colonus India The fyrst voyage of Colonus The Ilandes of Canarie Gades or Calsmals A league what it conteyneth by sea The fortunate Ilandes Capo Verde The .vii. Ilandes of Canarie Betanchor a Frenche man subdued the Ilandes of Canarie c. Alphonsus Lugo Colonus men rebel agaynst hym Fayre woordes and promises Hispaniola Iohanna Nightingales syng in Nouember The Ilande of Ophir The Ilandes of Antilia A shypwracke The people of the Ilande Naked people Expert swymmers Gold for earth and glasse Many kynges Religious and humane people Canoas Monoxyla They haue no iron Canibales or Caribes Anthâ—opophagi The crueltie of the Canibales Ages Rootes in the steede of meate Iucca Bread of rootes In hearbe of strange nature Maizium Golde in estimation Golde in the sandes of riuers Serpentes without venime Turtle doues Duckes Popiniayes Plini These Ilandes are part of India The Indians are Antipodes to the Spanyardes Aristotle Seneca India not farre from Spayne Mastyx Aloe Gossampine cotton or bombase Seres The language of these Indians Trees fruites vnknoweÌ„ to vs Fat and moyst grounde Heate continual temperate The fruitefulnesse of Hispaniola The seconde voyage of Colonus Corne seedes to sowe Tooles and artyllerie Water droppyng from a tree continuallye Methymna Campi Castella Vetus Gades The Ilandâ— of Ferrea Ilandes of the Canibales The Ilande of Dominica Lysartes The Ilande of Galanta The Iland of Guadalupea Villages of .xx. or .xxx. houses The buildyng of theyr houses Gossampine cotton Bombase Hangyng beddes Images Fine cookerie Arrowheades of bones The mount Guadalupus Carucueria Popiniayes bygger then Phesantes The Canibales driueÌ„ to flyght Matinino an Ilande of women The Ilandes of Mons Serratus Huntyng for men Sancta Maria Rotunda Sanctus Martinus Sancta Maria Antiqua Insula crucis an Ilande of the Canibales The Canibales are expert Archers Arrowes inâ—ected with â—enime A conflict with the Canibales The fiercenesse terrible countenance of the Canibales Methymna Campi Innumerable Ilandes The mynes of mettals precious stones The sea called Archipelagus Insula S. Iohannes or Buchena Death for death â—he mounâ—â—ynes are colâ—er then the â—â—aynes â—rom Domiâ—â—ca to Hispaâ—â—ola fiue hunâ—â—ed leagues â—he Spaniarâ—s left in the â—ande are â—yne â—yng Guaccaâ—â—rillus reâ—â—leth Two images of golde Libertie and idlenesse A happie kinde of lyfe Superfluitie Many haue to much and none yenough The golden worde Naked men troubled with ambition Geue place The Admirall sendeth for the kyng No horses in the Ilandes A tyme for all â—ynges A desperate aduenture of a woman Cloelia of Rome Guaccanarillus is sought Melchior Popyngiayes and byrdes Taini Haukes belles A large house Reedes of sundry colours Caccius Hoiedus and Gorualanus Gold in riuers â—allyng from mountaynes The manner of gathering gold Graynes of golde A masse of rude gold weyghing ix ounces Caunaboa â–ª kyng of the house of golde Holsome water and plentie of fyshe The day and nyght of equall length in December Byrdes breede in December The eleuation of the pole The starres are called guardens of the pole The Equinoctial line A chappell and priestes Marchantes Syrophenicians The Cinamome tree Xiloaloes or Lignum Aloes Hispaniola Ophir whither Solomons shyps sayled for Golde Isabella A token of marueilous fruitefulnesse Hearbes greene al the whole yeere Suger reedes Plantes and vines Corne grayne ripe twyse a yeere The region of Cipanga or Cibana Golde The golden region of Cibana The vale of Cibana Golde for haukes bels Graynes and pibble stones of golde They passe not for golde in that it is golde onely but. c. Stones of golde as big as the head of a childe Spices Wilde vines of plesaunte taste Fruitful mountaynes Golde in the lande of ryuers falling from the mountaynes Libertie and idlenes The mountaynes are colde The ilande of Cuba Least any other prince c. Discention betweene the Portiugales and Spaniardes The ilandes of cobouerde or Hesperides The Portugales vâ—ages The ende of the easte and weste Note India not far from Spaine Sainte Nicolas porte The iland of Iamaica Quicke witted people The compassing of the earth Aurea Chersonesus or Malaccha A secreate of Astronomie The riuer of Ganges Daungerous streightes by reason of many Ilandes A large hauen Rosted fishe and serpents of viii foote longe Crocodiles of Egipte The kinges fishers Serpentes esteemed for delicate meaâ—â— Blossomes fruites both at one time Trees which beare gourds A multitude of Ilandes Hotte water A straunge kinde of fisshing Abundance of Tortoyses Fisher men The fishe Guaicanum Humane people A mountayne fruitfull and well inhabited Dogges of strange shape and dumme white and thicke water Wooddes of â—ate trees Men appareâ—â—d like white â—â—yers â—pparelled â—en Natiue vines Trees bearyng spices sweete fruites Diuers languages in the Ilande of Cuba Pearles in shelfyshes The sea entangled with Ilandes A multitude of great Tortoyses A gulfe of white water The humanitie of a reuerende olde gouernour An oration of the naked gouernour Theyr opinion of the soule of man Desyre of gold founde that which religion coulde not â—ynde Virtus post nummos c. The lande as common as â–ª the sunne and water Simple dyet Hispaniola The Canibales Sickenesse of to much Watching Easte India The Spaniardes rebell in the Admirals absence The kinges of the ilande rebell The Spaniardes misbehauiour A iust reuenge Capitayne Hoieda Caunaboa conspireth the Admirals death Famine in the ilande of hispaniola The hunger of golde causeth greate famine The tower of conception Electrum is a metall naturally mixt of one portion of golde an other of siluer being of propertie to bewraye poyson and was therfore in olde time in greater estimation then golde The mine of Electrum An other kinde of amber is taken out of greate whale fishes Orpement oâ— oker Wooddes of brasile trees Licentiusnes of to much libertie And this only geathered and not dygged out of the bodye of the mine The nature of the region disposeth the maner of