which almost in all olde hystories were called by the name of Mauri Those of the other Mauritania being rather termed Namidae Into the Northwest part hereof did Hercules come and there did set vp one of his pillars which aunswereth to the other in Spaine at the straights of Gibraltar in times past called Fretum Herculeum On the South part hereof lay the kingdome of Bocchus which in the time of Marius had so much to doe with the Romanes In the Westpart of this Mauritania standeth the hill called Atlas minor and on the South part is the great hill called Atlas maior whereof the maine Ocean which lieth betweene Mauritania and America is called Mare Atlanticum This hill is so high that vnto those who stoode on the bottome of it it seemed to touch heauen with his top whereupon grew that fable of the Poets that Atlas was a giant who helde vp heauen with his shoulders This countrie hath beene long inhabited by the Sarazens who from thence finding it to be but a short passage into Spain did go ouer now seuen hundred yeers agone and possessed there the kingdome of Granado on the South-side of Spaine till they were thence expelled by Ferdinandus and Elizabeth or Isabell King and Queene of Castile In this countrie since that time haue the Spaniards taken some cities and holdes and so also haue the Portingales which by the diuers euent of victorie haue often beene lost and wonne by them Here it was that the Emperou Charles the fift had diuerse of his great warres agaynst the Moores as well as in the kingdome of Timis For the assistance of one who claimed to bee King of a part of this Countrie did Sebastian the king of Portingale goe with all his power into Africa in the yeare 1578. where vnaduisedly bearing himselfe hee was slaine togither with two other dying that day who claymed to bee Kings so that there it was that the battaile was sought whereof it is said that three kings dyed in one day which battaile was the ruine of the kingdome of Portingale and the cause of the vniting of a to the Crowne of Spaine Astrolegers did suppose that the blaging Starre which appeared the yeare before did signifie that ill euent This whole countrie doth containe in it besides some imperiall gouernment two absolute kingdomes the one the kingdome of Eezza or Fes which lieth on the North-part toward the Mediter and Spaine the other is the kingdome of Marocco which lieth from about the hill Atlas minor to the South and West part of Mauritania These are both Sarazens as be also their people holding true league with the Turke and with some other Christian Princes a league onely for trefique or Marchandise De reliquis Africae regionbius maritimis FRom beyond the hils Atlas maior vnto the South of Africa is nothing almost in antiquitie worthy the reading and those things which are written for the most part are fables In the new Writers there are some few things to be obferued As first that all the people in generall to the South lying within the Zona torrida are not onely blackish like the Moores but are exceedingly blacke And therefore as in olde time by an excellencie some of them were called Nigrita so that to this day they are named Negros as then whome no men are blacker Secondly that the inhabitants of all these parts which border or the sea coast euen vnto Caput bonae spei haue beene Gentiles adoring Images and foolish shapes for their gods neither hearing of Christ nor beleeuing on Mahomet till such time as Portingales cōming in among them haue professed Christ for themselues but haue wonne fewe of the people to imbrace their religion Thirdly that the Portingales passing along Africa vnto the East Indies haue fetled themselues in many places of those countries building Castles and townes for their owne safetie and to keepe the people in subiection to their great commoditie One of the first countries famous beyond Marocco is Guinea which we call Ginnie within the compasse whereof lieth the cape called Cape Verde and the other the Cape of the three points and the towne and Castle named Sierra Liona at which places commonly all trauailers doe touch that doe passe that way for fresh water and other shippe-prouision Our English men haue founde trafique into the partes of this countrie where their greatest commoditie as golde and Elephants teeth of both which there is very good store Beyond that toward the South not farre from the equinoctiall line lyeth the kingdome of Congo commonlie called Manicongo Where the Portingales at their first arriuall finding the people to bee heathens without God did induce them to a profession of Iesus Christ and to bee baptized in great aboundance allowing of the principles of religion vntill such time as the Priests did teach them to leade their liues according vnto their profession which the most part of them in no case enduring they returned backe againe vnto their Gentilisme Beyond Manicongo so farre to the South as almost ten degrees beyonde the tropicke of Capricorne lyeth the landes ende which is a promontorie now called by the name of Caput bone spei which Vascus Gama the Portingale did discouer and so called it because hee had there good hope that the land did turne to the North and that following the course thereof he might bee brought to Arabia and Persia but especially to Calicut in India Which course when himselfe and other of his countrimen after him did follow they founde on the coast vp towarde Arabia the kingdome of Mozambique Melinde Magadaxa and other whose people were all Gentiles and now are in league with the Portingales who haue built diuerse holdes for their safetie of which Countries and manners of the people he that listeth to reade may finde much in the hystories of Osorius and Petrus Maffeus But there is no matter of any great importance De Abissina imperio Presbyteri Iohannis IN the inland of Africa lyeth a verie large Countrie extending it selfe on the East to some part of the redde sea on the South to the kingdome of Melinde and a great way farther on the North vnto Egypt on the West vnto Manicorgo the people whereof are called Abissini and it selfe the dominion of him whom wee commonly call in English Prester Iohn but in Latine some tearme him Preciosus Iohannes because of his riches but in the most part Presbiter Iohannes writing of him that as he is a prince absolute so he hath also a Priestlike or Patriarchall function iurisdiction among them This is a very mightie prince and reputed to be one of the greatest Emperours of the worlde What was knowne of this countrie in former time was knowne vnder the name of Aethiopia but the voyages of the Portingales in these late dayes haue best described it The people therefore are Christians as is also their prince but differing in many thinges from the West Church and in no sorte acknowledging any supreme
if by this Genoway stranger they should be cousoned but especiallie for that they were vnwilling to sustaine the charges of shipping At last hee betaketh himselfe vnto the court of Ferdinandus and Elizabeth King and Queene of Castile where also at the first hee sound but colde entertainment yet persisting in his purpose without wearinesse and with great importunitie it pleased God to moue the minde of Elizabeth the Queene to deale with her husbande to furnish him foorth two shippes for the discouerie onely and not for conquest Whereupon Columbus in the yeare 1492. accompanied with his brother Bartholomeus Columbus and manie Spaniards sayled farre to the West for the space of three score dayes and more with the great indignation and often mutinies of his companie fearing that by reason of their long distance from home they should neuer returne againe In so much that the generall after many perswasions of them to goe forwarde was at length enforced to craue but three dayes wherein if they sawe not land he promised to returne and God did so blesse him to the end that this voyage might not prooue in vaine that in that space one of his companie did espie fire which was a certaine arguments that they were neare to the land as it sell out in deede The first land whereunto they came was an Iland called by the enhabitants Haity But in remembrance of Spaine from whence he came he tearmed it Hispaniola and finding it to bee a countrie full of pleasure and hauing in it aboundaunce of gold and pearle he proceeded farther and discouered another bigge I le which is called Cuba of the which beeing verie glad with great treasure hee returned into Spaine bringing ioyfull newes of his happie successe The Spaniards who by nature are a people proude haue since the death of Columbus laboured to obscure his fame enuying that an Italian or stranger should be reported to be the first discouerer of those parts and therefore haue in their writings since giuen forth that there was a Spaniard which had first beene there and that Columbus meeting with his cards and descriptions did but pursue his enterprise and assume the glorie to himselfe But this fable of theirs doth sauour of the same spirite wherewithall many of them in his life time did reproach him that it was no matter of importance to find out these countries but that if he had not done it many other might and would which being spoken to Columbus at a solemne dinner he called for an egge and willed all the guests one after another to set it vp on end which when they could not do he gently bruising the one ende of it did make it flat and so set it vp by imitation whereof each of the other did the same whereby he mildlie did reproach their enuie toward him and shewed how easie it was to do that which a man had seene done before him To go forward therefore Columbus being returned to Castile after his welcome to the Princes was made great Admirall of Spaine and with a new fleete of more shippes was sent to search farther which he accordingly did and quickly found the maine land not farre off from the Tropicke of Cancer which part of the countrie in honour of Spaine hee called Hispania noua and in respect whereof at this day the King of Spaine doth entitle himselfe Hispaniaram Rex They found the people both of the maine land and Ilandes verie exceeding in number naked without cloathes or armour sowing no corne but making their breade of a kinde of roote which they call Maies Men most ignorant of all kinde of learning admiring the Christians as if they had beene sent downe from heauen and thinking them to be immortall wondering at their Shippes and the tackeling thereof for they had no shippes of their owne but bigge troughes which they call their Canoaes beeing made hollowe of the bodie of one Tree with the sharpe bones of fishes for iron or such like instruments they haue none The Spaniardes did here finde the people to bee most simple without fraude giuing them kinde entertainement according to their best manner exchanging for kniues glasses and such like toyes great aboundance of golde and pearle The desire whereof caused the Spaniards to seeke farther into the countries but the tyrannie and couetousnesse of the Spariards was such in taking from them their goods in deflouring their wiues and daughters but especially in forcing them to labour in their golde mines without measure as if they had beene beasts that the people detesting them and the name of Christians for their sakes did some of them kill themselues and the mothers destroyed their children in their bellies that they might not be borne to serue so hatefull a Nation and some of them did in warre conspire against them so that by slaughter and otherwise the people of the countrie are almost all wasted nowe within an hundred yeeres beeing before many millions those which remaine are as slaues and the Spaniards almost onely doe inhabit those parts By reason that the countrie is exceeding rich and fruitfull the Spaniards with great desire did spreade themselues toward the North where they founde more resistance although nothing in comparison of warriours but the greattest of their labour was for to conquere the kingdome of Mexico which Mexico is a Citie verie great and populous as almost any in the worlde standing in the midst of a great marish or fenne The conquerour of this was Ferdinandus Cortesius so much renowmed in Spaine vnto this day In the sea coastes of all this Noua Hispania the Kings of Spaine haue built many townes and Castles and therein haue erected diuerse fornaces and forges for the trying and sining of their golde De partibus Americae versus Septentrionem THe rumour of the discouerie of these partes beeing blowne ouer Christendome and the great quantitie of the land together with the fruitfulnesse thereof being reported abroad some other Nation did enterprise to set foot therein as namely the Frenchmen who sent certaine ships vnto a part of this counttie lying North from Hispania noua some fewe degrees without the Tropicke of Cancer into which when they had ariued because of the cōtinuall greennesse of the ground and trees as if it had beene a perpetuall spring they called it Florida where after some fewe of them had for a time setled themselues the Spaniards tooke notice of it and being vnwilling to endure any such neighbours they came suddainlie on them and most cruelly slue them all without taking any ransome yet the Spaniards for want of men are not able to inhabit that countries but leaue it to the olde people The Englishmen also desirous by nauigation to adde something vnto their owne countrie as before time they had trauailed toward the farthest North part of America so lately finding that part which lieth betweene Florida and Noua Francia was not inhabited by any Christians and was a land verie fruitfull and fit to
plant in they sent thither two seuerall times two seuerall companies as Colonies to inhabit that part which in remembrance of the virginity of their Queene they named Virginia But this voyage beeing interprised on the charge of priuate men and not thorowlie being followed by the State the possession of this Virginia is nowe discontinued and the countrie at this present left to the old inhabitants Northward from thence on the sea-coast lieth Norombega which is the South-parte of that which the Frenchmen did without disturbance of any Christian for a time possesse For the French-men did discouer a large part of America on toward the circle Arctick and did build there some townes and named it of their owne countrie Noua Francia The Enlish-men about the yeare 1570. did aduenture farre for to open the North partes of America and sayled as farre as the very circle Arcticke hoping for to haue found a passage by the North to the Moluccos and to China which hitherto neither by the North of Asia nor by the North of America could bee effected by them by reason of the verie great colde and yse in that clymate The rest of the inland beeing an huge space of earth hath not hitherto by any Christian to any purpose beene discouered but by those neare the sea-coasts it may bee gathered that they all which doe there inhabite are men rude and vnciuill without knowledge of God Yet on the North-west part of America some of our English-men going through the straightes of Magellan and passing toward the North by Hispania noua haue touched on a Countrie where they found good entertainement the King thereof yeelding himselfe to the subiection of the Queene of England whervpon they tearmed it Noua Albion De Peru Brasilia WHen the Portingales had first begun their nauigation by Africa vnto the East Indies some of them intending to haue helde their course Eastwarde vnto Caput bone spei were driuen so farre West-ward by tempest that they landed in a large and great countrey which by a generall name is called Brasilia where they began to enter trafique and with Townes and Castles to plant themselues before that the Spaniardes had discouered Peru which is the South parte of America So that at this day whatsoeuer the King of Spaine hath in Brasilia it is in right of the crowne of Portingale The countrie is large hauing in it many people and seuerall kingdomes which are not all possessed by the Portingals but so that other Christians as namely the Frenchmen being driuen out of their countrie for religion haue set footing there though afterwardes againe they haue abandoned it The inhabitants hereof are men also vtterly vnlearned but men more ingenious then the common sorte of the Americans goodly of bodie and straight of proportion going alwayes naked reasonable good warriours after their countrie fashion vsing to fat such enemies as they take in the warres that afterwardes they may deuoure them which they doe with great pleasure For diuers of the people of these quarters as the Caribles and the Canibals are all eaters of mans flesh In this countrie groweth aboundance of that wood which since is brought into Europe for to dye red colours and is of the place whence it commeth called Brazil-wood the trees whereof are exceeding great After that the Spaniardes had for a time possessed Hispania noua for the desire of gold and pearle some of them trauelled towardes the South And as by water they found that sea Westward from Peru which is alwayes very calme and is by them called the South-sea as the other wherein Cuba standeth is termed the North-sea so by land they founde that huge mightie countrie which is named Peru wherein the people are for the most parte very barbarous and without God men of great stature yea some of them farre higher then the ordinarie sorte of men in France vsing to shoote strongly with bowes made of fishe bones and most cruell people to their enemies Among these the Spaniards partly by force but especially by perfidious treason did get infinite summes of golde and pearle wherein being allured and hoping for more by reason that a great parte hereof lyeth vnder the Zona Torrida They haue heare and there scatteringly vpon the sea-coastes set vp some Townes and Castles but are not able to possesse almost any thing of the land neither haue they as yet discouered the inwarde partes thereof Some of these Spaniardes desirous for to see how farre this land of Peru did goe towardes the South trauelled downe till at length they founde the landes end and a little straight or narrowe sea which did runne from the maine Ocean towardes Africa into the South sea One magelanus was he that found this straight and although it be dangerous passed thorowe it so that of his name it is called Fretum Magelanicum or Magelanes straightes And this is the way whereby as the Spaniards doe passe to the backside of Peru and Hispania noza so whosoeuer will compasse the whole worlde as some of our English haue done He must of necessitie for any thing that is yet knowne passe thorowe this narrowe straight Magellanus did finde on the other side towards the Pole the maine continent which also the Portingales in their voyages to the East Indies haue sometimes bene driuen vnto whereof nothing is discouered but that in one place they did see aboundance of Parats and greater then ordinarie whereof they did call it Psittacorum regio This is thought to be a mightie huge countrie conteyning in compasse all the degrees of longitude in the continent thereof and is supposed to goe vnto the South pole By reason that no sea is yet founde to breake in or breake through the same There be also described by some of our late writers certaine great Landes towardes the North-pole And our English-men in their Nauigations haue touched Gronland but the nature of them and whether they be such and so many as is reported is not certainely knowne FINIS